Chapter 356: Fleeing the Marriage

"After the Red Ninth, the Goiter Yang shall be master… So I am the true Son of Heaven after all."

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Though he had flown into a rage to their faces, proclaiming his loyalty to the Succeeding Prosperity Emperor, Liu Ziyu, in the quiet of the deep night, touching the great tumor on his own neck, the King of Zhending, Liu Yang, could not stop himself from sinking into reverie.

Liu Yang's ancestors could be traced back to the fourteenth son of Emperor Jing of Han, Liu Shun, the Charter King of Changshan. Liu Shun's mother, Wang Maoxu, was the younger sister of Empress Wang Zhi of Han Jing, and had been her capable aide in the harem's contests for favor, so their relationship was extremely close.

Love for the house extended even to the crows on its roof; Liu Shun and his brothers were also much favored by Emperor Wu of Han. After Liu Shun died, his sons were all supposed to become marquises under the Grace Expansion Decree, but Emperor Wu, recalling his affection for his younger cousin, specially set aside four counties and let his favorite nephew inherit them, thus the Zhending Principality was born.

Now passed down to Liu Yang, six generations had elapsed. His lifelong status as royal scion made Liu Yang look down on the southerner, the Gengshi Emperor Liu Xuan, a descendant of a remote and petty marquis.

Although in terms of lineage and clan prestige, the King of Zhao, Liu Lin, was not inferior to Liu Yang, as Liu Yang's strength had surged over the past half-year, allowing him to control six commanderies and obtain the cavalry of Daibei, his heart had begun to stir with ambition. Now, further incited by Geng Chun's letter, it was even harder to restrain.

"This house of Han in Hebei — I should be the one to preside over it."

Yet if he flagrantly declared himself emperor outright, it would cause the three Lius of Hebei to split instantly, and he would lack both a grand cause and a legitimate title. Liu Yang was not that foolish.

But "Liu Ziyu" personally traveling north to meet his bride — that was a heaven-sent opportunity!

Liu Yang did not plan to send the bride south to Xiangguo to attend the wedding. The King of Zhending and the King of Zhao had long shared a bed but dreamed different dreams; who would be stupid enough to leave his own territory?

"Whether this Liu Ziyu is real or false, he is the King of Zhao, Liu Lin's, puppet. Better to take advantage of his coming north this time and send troops to detain him…"

In this way, "holding the Son of Heaven to command the feudal lords" would become his, Liu Yang's, role. He could use the pretext that the King of Zhao was disloyal to the Succeeding Prosperity Emperor, march his armies south, and then have Geng Chun coordinate to swallow the King of Zhao's lands. Thus he could unify Hebei! Then he would seize the chaotic provinces of Qingzhou and Yanzhou. With four provinces in hand, he would possess the strength to challenge Diwu Lun in the west and Liu Xuan in the south.

Of course, this marriage alliance still had to be carried out. Binding Liu Ziyu tightly to the King of Zhending, making him even closer than he was to the King of Zhao, was the only way to maximize the use of this puppet emperor whom the common people believed to be real.

As for whether his niece Guo Shengtong's marriage was happy or not, that was utterly unimportant. What mattered was securing for her the position of "Empress."

"But Liu Ziyu must not be allowed to have heirs…" Liu Yang had already planned the future. Once the enemies were swept away, he need only let Liu Ziyu die of a lingering illness. After all, since the reigns of Cheng, Ai, and Ping, the Han imperial line had been cut off three times, and sovereigns had died early in succession; it was perfectly normal for Liu Ziyu to be in poor health.

Or, before his "demise," he could abdicate. Or he could simply be killed outright, and then the "Empress Dowager" Guo Shengtong would take charge and pass the throne to Liu Yang. Then Liu Yang could, with full legitimacy, sit upon the position that every descendant of the Han house yearned for.

Liu Yang could no longer wait. He eagerly hoped Liu Ziyu would soon reach Gaocheng, so that after he drove away the King of Zhao's trusted men, he could launch the coup that would shock all of Hebei!

"Where has His Majesty reached?"

Liu Yang could not sleep the whole night. As soon as the cock crowed, he rose to question the envoys traveling back and forth between north and south.

"Great King, His Majesty's carriage is slow; he should only just have reached Boren by now!"

"Excellent!" Liu Yang was overjoyed.

Liu Yang had ambushed troops south of the commandery. Passing Boren was tantamount to entering the King of Zhending's territory. Liu Ziyu, this caged bird, was nearly in the palm of his hand!

…

While stopping at Boren to rest and use the latrine, Wang Lang suddenly turned to the Grand Master of Remonstrance, Du Wei, who was escorting him north on this journey, and said: "There are no assassins in this latrine, are there?"

"Why would Your Majesty say such a thing?"

Du Wei was badly startled, but heard Wang Lang laugh and say: "When I was in Handan, I once read the histories of the former dynasty. In the eighth year of Han, the Exalted Emperor returned from Dongyuan and passed through Zhao. The Chancellor of Zhao, Guan Gao, and others, because the Exalted Emperor had not treated the King of Zhao, Zhang Ao, with courtesy, actually sent assassins to hide in the latrine at Boren."

"The Exalted Emperor passed through this place and originally intended to stay the night. His heart stirred, and when he asked the county's name and heard it was Boren, he said: 'Boren — that means pressed by others!' He departed without staying and escaped an assassination."

Du Wei suddenly understood and merely bowed, saying: "Your Majesty's knowledge of the national dynasty's allusions is truly exhaustive."

Wang Lang's true identity was known only to the King of Zhao and a very few others. Many of the grand masters at the Xiangguo court had initially harbored doubts, but Wang Lang played the part simply too well, and he was quite adept at reading people's hearts. After a few encounters, every minister who had dealings with him believed it to be true, and was even won over by him.

Du Wei was one of these. Wang Lang found an excuse, saying he wanted to see the place where the Exalted Emperor had once halted his horse. He dismissed the soldiers and, accompanied only by Du Wei and a single guard who had sworn to die for him, ascended a high loess platform.

Du Wei told him: "Your Majesty, follow this road for two more days, pass the Fangzi Pass, and you will enter Changshan Commandery."

Wang Lang, however, shook his head and sighed: "In name one realm, in truth several states. This Han of Hebei has been established for nearly half a year, yet it remains torn apart."

Du Wei was greatly alarmed, but before he could speak, Wang Lang laughed again: "Boren — pressed by others. Grand Master Du, do you think that I, too, am 'pressed by others'?"

These words were even graver, but they were indeed true. Although Liu Lin treated Wang Lang with the rites of a subject, since he knew in his heart that this was a counterfeit, merely to be used for a time, there was naturally no true respect. And as time passed, with Liu Lin's territory failing to expand, his attitude had grown increasingly impatient.

Thus Du Wei and the other pro-Han restorationists of Zhao often saw Liu Lin issuing orders in the court hall, while Wang Lang sat upon the imperial couch like a mere decorative statue, silent and not daring to speak.

But why had the emperor, usually so cautious and timid, suddenly voiced such lament today?

Because Wang Lang knew that the time had come to make a decision for his own life and future.

Wang Lang pretended to be pointing out the distant scenery with him, but in a low voice he said: "When I was born, I was nearly murdered by that demon empress Zhao Feiyan. I only survived by being secretly swapped for another's child and sent out of the palace. When Wang Mang usurped the Han, I was just twelve, and I roamed Shu and Chu with those who could read fate. All the sufferings that ordinary men have never endured, I have borne them all. At twenty, I returned to Chang'an and witnessed the usurper's misrule, the people unable to make a living. Greatly grieved, I traveled to and fro in Zhongshan, coming and going between Yan and Zhao, awaiting Heaven's timing."

"Later, I received the support of the King of Zhao, whom I took for a pillar of the altars of state. I never imagined that the King of Zhao would also monopolize the state and wield power, arrogating authority and favor to himself. Lately he has grown more and more excessive; every time I see him, it is as if there are thorns at my back."

"What is even more excessive: the King of Zhao, using my illness as a pretext, has forbidden palace maids from serving me, and does not allow me to take consorts. This is an attempt to sever the Han imperial line!"

Liu Lin and Liu Yang were two of a kind; both wanted Liu Ziyu to have no descendants, so that one day they could arrange an "abdication."

"This…" Du Wei was terrified. "The King of Zhao is still loyal to the Great Han, and he also wishes for Hebei to be unified. Is he not actively arranging Your Majesty's marriage alliance with the King of Zhending's niece?"

Wang Lang laughed bitterly: "Do you know what scheme the King of Zhao is hatching?"

Then he revealed the King of Zhao's plan to trick the King of Zhending into going to Xiangguo for the wedding, and then immediately dispatch troops to detain him, so as to swallow Liu Yang's territory.

Wang Lang was furious: "In order to monopolize power, he does not hesitate to put me in danger. What does he take me for?"

A puppet, of course. And a puppet whose usefulness was dwindling, utterly incapable of making the King of Zhending or the King of Guangyang truly bow their heads and submit to Liu Lin.

But Du Wei and the others did not know this. At this moment, seeing Wang Lang filled with righteous indignation, Du Wei only felt that the King of Zhao had indeed gone too far, and that this idea was also foolish: even if they detained the King of Zhending, the princes, ministers, and powerful families of the Zhending Principality still would not bow their heads. They might even, following their ancestor Liu Bang, say: "My father is also your brother. If you must boil your father, then kindly share a cup of the soup with me."

Once the King of Zhao did this, Hebei would instantly plunge into civil war! With Geng Chun and Zhending attacking from north and south, the land of Zhao would be in peril!

"I am unwilling to aid the King of Zhao, but I also dare not defy him, and so I was forced to agree. I also wished to seek outside aid, but throughout the court, who is not of the King of Zhao's clan or his former subordinates? Who would be willing to serve loyally and punish him?"

Wang Lang grasped Du Wei's hand: "Grand Master Du has often rushed to the nation's aid in times of trouble; I have long known you are a loyal minister. Tell me, what am I to do?"

Although he had secretly won over a group of guards, he still needed Du Wei's help for this grand plan to succeed.

Though Du Wei was grieved and indignant at the King of Zhao's foolishness and disloyalty, for a moment he was speechless. But watching Wang Lang's eyes blaze, not at all like a man without a plan, he suddenly understood why he had insisted on traveling north to meet the bride in person!

"Could it be… that Your Majesty wishes to flee to the King of Zhending and request him to rescue the throne?"

The King of Zhending, Liu Yang, was the most powerful feudal lord of Northern Han, with tens of thousands of troops across six commanderies. If they could contact him first, and with forethought catch the unprepared, marching south under the banner of carrying out an imperial edict to punish the traitor, Julu could be taken without a fight. The remaining Xiangguo and Handan would then only be a matter of time.

Wang Lang, however, shook his head: "Does the King of Zhending have no ambitions of his own?"

Ever since the state was founded and the Han restored, Liu Yang had been ceaselessly busy expanding his territory, paying little heed to the edicts of the "Succeeding Prosperity Emperor." The wedding had been delayed from the twelfth month to the first; the King of Zhending had been hesitating and wavering, only reluctantly agreeing recently.

"Furthermore, the King of Zhending and Geng Chun of Wei Commandery are uncle and nephew. Geng Chun has been straddling the fence between Han and Wei. We should have long ago taken advantage of the moment when Diwu Lun was at war with the Greenwood and Longyou, sent chariots and cavalry out of Handan, and destroyed him with the force of a thunderbolt! Yet the King of Zhending, for his own private gain, fearing that the King of Zhao's faction would grow too strong, repeatedly obstructed this, letting the perfect opportunity slip by in vain!"

Wang Lang gnashed his teeth whenever he recalled this. One major reason he was willing to be used by the King of Zhao was the desire to borrow the hands of the three Lius of Hebei to kill Geng Chun, thus slightly avenging the enmity of Diwu Lun and the others having caused his foster father's death.

This King of Zhending had suddenly become so muddled as to believe Geng Chun's false overtures, and was being toyed with in the palm of his hand. He did not seem a clever man either. Go and seek refuge with him? It would surely be out of the wolf's den and into the tiger's maw. He would still be a puppet, only able to watch helplessly as Liu Yang was crushed by Diwu Lun and Geng Chun.

Du Wei was thoroughly confused. If he was unwilling to throw in his lot with the King of Zhending, then what was the Emperor looking for by making an excuse to come north? Apart from Liu Yang, did they have somewhere else to go?

Wang Lang continued, "In Minister Du's opinion, apart from Zhending and Zhao, who is the strongest power in Hebei?"

Du Wei answered cautiously, "Could it be the King of Guangyang?"

"The King of Guangyang, Liu Jie, only controls two commanderies in You Province, and he's been beaten back steadily by bandits from Bohai. He sides with whoever is stronger between Zhending and Zhao — not worth mentioning."

Du Wei then guessed his way through every power in Hebei one by one: Geng Kuang of Shanggu, Pi Tong of Hecheng, Li Zhong of Xindu, Bao Yong of Shangdang — naming each Governor who nominally submitted to the Northern Han but in reality ruled a commandery independently.

Wang Lang rejected them all: "Geng Kuang may have the You Province shock cavalry, but his son Geng Boyao serves as General of Chariots and Cavalry in Diwu Lun's court. The only reason Geng Kuang hasn't revolted is because the Wei army is still in Guanzhong, too far from Shanggu."

"Pi Tong of Hecheng is close with Geng Chun from Wei — his stance is unpredictable. Li Zhong of Xindu is a man from Qing Province; he'd just taken office when the Xin dynasty fell. He can barely hold the commandery together, just managing to keep the commandery seat from falling under the bandits' onslaught. He has some ability, but that's the limit of it."

"As for Bao Yong of Shangdang…"

When this man's name came up, even Wang Lang was somewhat moved. Bao Yong, that die-hard Han restorationist, was the most sincere and loyal man to him, frequently coming to pay his respects and even rebuking the King of Zhao for improperly shielding the Son of Heaven from his ministers.

But Shangdang, where Bao Yong was stationed, was a pear caught between the teeth of Han and Wei — one bite from above and below and it would shatter. It was a dead-end alley; he could not go there.

Du Wei was baffled. He was willing to follow "Liu Ziyu," but after all this talk he still couldn't hit on the key point. He'd named everyone he could think of — was there some other power in Hebei?

"There is."

Wang Lang said, "That power commands over a hundred thousand troops, and the populace under its control likely numbers in the millions. It has defeated the King of Zhao, the King of Guangyang, and the commandery governors time and again. Even Geng Chun and Ma Yuan are unwilling to test themselves against it. Right now, its vanguard detachment has already reached the Great Deer Marsh, not far from Boren."

"The only problem is there are too many factions. The chieftains need a banner to unify their forces, and they need a true Son of Heaven with vision to point the way forward."

Wang Lang stood on the dais with his hands clasped behind his back, feeling the wind of Yan and Zhao blow past. In this moment, he truly resembled an emperor who had built his realm from nothing.

Precisely because he was a fake, to pass as the real thing, he had to expend ten times, a hundred times the energy and thought of the Gengshi Emperor, Liu Xuan — to find a way out for himself in this tight crevice.

And Liu Xuan's own experience, rising from fugitive to emperor, had given Wang Lang no small amount of inspiration.

Du Wei's eyes went wide. This was truly a path he had never imagined. "Your Majesty, you don't mean…"

"Exactly." Wang Lang smiled. "I am going to the Great Deer Marsh, to join the Tongma Army!"

…

In Zhending, in the middle of the first month, as the day for receiving the bride drew nearer and nearer, the bride waited obediently for the wedding carriage to arrive. Liu Yang was still stroking his tumor, envisioning his plan to "hold the Son of Heaven to command the feudal lords," when suddenly his ministers came rushing in, panic-stricken, to report.

"My King, the Son of Heaven's procession at Boren has suddenly met with calamity! An internal feud broke out — guards have abducted His Majesty and are heading straight east!"

…

PS: Got back a bit late. Second chapter at 23:00.