Chapter 387: Revere the King, Expel the Barbarians

In early June, the city of Zhangzi, which had held out for three full months, finally fell. Bao Yong, Governor of Shangdang, attempted suicide by cutting his own throat but failed. He was seized by Jing Dan's soldiers and escorted to Hedong to await the King of Wei's judgment.

Feng Yan had been brought out for an excursion by Diwu Lun with some difficulty this time, originally meant to go to Zhangzi to demand its surrender. The city was taken before he even arrived. Now, seeing his old friend again, he found Bao Yong with disheveled hair and beard, his whole body a shade darker from the sun, and covered with wounds — said to be from manning the walls in armor day after day to resist the Wei army.

"Why is he trussed up like this?"

Seeing Bao Yong dazed and the ropes biting tight, Feng Yan wanted someone to untie him.

The soldiers protested, "Steward Feng, if we hadn't bound him tightly, he'd be dead by now!"

It turned out this Bao Yong was fiercely unyielding. After being captured, he would try to kill himself the moment anyone's attention slipped — dashing his head against walls and trees. The Wei soldiers had to drag him back.

Unable to end his life, he then began a hunger strike. Only by force-feeding him gruel had they kept him alive until now, but he was utterly frail. Feng Yan personally spooned a mouthful of millet gruel into him, and only then did Bao Yong revive. Opening his eyes to see Feng Yan, after more than a year apart, Feng Jingtong had grown quite stout.

"Brother Junzhang, why torment yourself so?"

Unexpectedly, Bao Yong laughed coldly. "Who are you? Do I know you?"

It was not that he had lost his memory or was feigning ignorance. Earlier, Feng Yan had written urging Bao Yong to surrender. Bao Yong believed Feng Yan's words and deeds did not match — having agreed with Diwu Lun and others to uphold the Han together, yet ultimately setting himself up as an independent ruler. He had written back cursing Feng Yan viciously, then declared their friendship severed.

No matter how Feng Yan tried to speak with him now, Bao Yong would not answer. When he was brought to the King of Wei's field headquarters in Jiang County, Guo Ji, the Governor of Bing Province, happened to be there as well, just emerging from his audience with Diwu Lun.

Seeing Guo Ji now an honored guest, and learning that Taiyuan had already surrendered to Wei, Bao Yong was utterly crestfallen. He turned his head and demanded,

"Lord Guo, I have heard it said: when Chong'er of Jin fled into exile, Zifan proclaimed his loyalty; when Zhao Wu met with calamity, Cheng Ying demonstrated his worth. Now, two kings have turned traitor, the Wei invaders threaten the realm, Ji Province stirs with unrest, and the altars of state are overturned. This is precisely the day for loyal ministers to earn their merit, the hour for men of purpose to ride forth. Lord Guo was originally Governor of Bing Province under the false Xin dynasty. His Majesty, setting aside past grievances, promoted and retained you, still entrusting you with the pacification of a great commandery."

"The land of Taiyuan has the security of natural barriers on all four sides, the Jingxing Pass to the east, shielding the Three He regions, linking You and Ji provinces. With my tiny, isolated city of Zhangzi, I could still fight to the death, all in the hope that Lord Guo would stand firm alongside me, waiting until the Succeeding Prosperity Emperor dispatched troops to our aid. Even if I, Bao Yong, had perished, the Great Han would still have had a chance to recover the lands west of Taihang. Why, instead, did you hand it all over to strengthen a powerful enemy? Is this not lamentable!"

Guo Ji, moved by Diwu Lun's three letters and persuaded by appeals to the greater cause, had opened the passes and handed Taiyuan to Jing Dan. He himself, along with Du Lin, had come to Hedong bearing millet to pay homage to the King of Wei. But he still cared for his reputation. Rebuked by Bao Yong in this way — as an ally who could neither aid Shangdang nor hold Taiyuan — he was indeed somewhat ashamed. He did not reply, merely bowing in return with a stiff, speechless reverence.

Bao Yong had always been a man who held others to the highest standards. Finding, in the end, that he alone was a loyal minister, he was bitterly disappointed. He could only sigh, "That Feng Jingtong is faithless is one thing — those Vertical-and-Horizontal schemers are fickle scoundrels to begin with. But I never imagined that even Lord Guo would be like this, becoming a 'venerable minister of four dynasties'!"

With that, Bao Yong was shoved into the main hall. The King of Wei sat upright in the center, flanked by Dou Rong, Governor of Hedong. Feng Yan had just entered and was prostrating himself, beseeching the King of Wei to pardon Bao Yong.

"Great King, Bao Junzhang is a capable minister in governing a commandery. If you can make him submit to Wei, it would be like the thousand-gold horse bones."

But Bao Yong was stubborn. He came in and refused to kneel, twisting his neck to demand, "Diwu Lun, you accepted the seal of a Han minister but refused it. Now, though you have had a moment's luck and stolen a perch in Guanzhong, how dare you invade Han territory?"

Diwu Lun did not answer. He glanced at the Duke of Zhou, and Dou Rong immediately rose and said, "I have long heard of the name of your father, Bao Xuan — a man who dared to submit frank memorials criticizing the politics of his time. In the reign of Han Emperor Ai, he set forth the discourse of the Seven Destructions and Seven Deaths. The darkness of the Han is plain to see."

Bao Yong retorted, "All of that was caused by the Wang, Fu, and other consort clans blocking the ears of the throne and acting lawlessly. Now the sacred Son of Heaven, the Succeeding Prosperity Emperor, sits on the throne. He cares for the common people and has won the support of the Tongma. He will revive the house of Han — this is the great trend!"

"Is that so?" Dou Rong smiled. "Why do I see only that the chaos of the late Han continues in Hebei? And with three more Destructions and three more Deaths added."

Dou Rong laid out six new charges against Hebei: "The people of Hebei long for stable governance, yet the various kings fight for power and profit, heedless of the people's livelihood — this is the first Destruction. Liu Ziyu is a fraud, lacking both virtue and talent, deceiving fools into following him — this is the second Destruction. Grain cultivation is neglected, so the people have no food — this is the third Destruction."

"Beyond the three Destructions, there are three Deaths. Liu Ziyu has drawn the Tongma to ravage the commanderies, slaughtering countless — this is the first Death. Zhending and the King of Zhao are in turmoil, soldiers' brains and blood smear the ground — this is the second Death. Busy with internal strife, they ignore the Xiongnu incursions, allowing Yanmen to be plundered — this is the third Death."

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"Add to this the Han-era events your father recounted: the people had ten Destructions and not one gain, seven Deaths and not one life. Such a 'house of Han' rivals the chaos of Jie and Zhou — what is there to cherish? The Great King raising his army to destroy the remnant Han is, for the common people of You and Ji provinces, a good thing instead!"

But Bao Yong still maintained that the chaos in Hebei was ultimately the fault of the King of Zhending and the King of Zhao scheming to hollow out the Emperor's power, and the fault of Geng Chun of Wei Commandery for delaying his allegiance and failing to send grain for relief.

Feng Yan watched Bao Yong stubbornly argue, anxious on his behalf. Diwu Lun, however, was utterly unconcerned. He simply said, "Invite Governor Guo back in."

After Guo Ji entered, Diwu Lun granted him the seat of honor and said, "The words of rebuke Bao Yong spoke outside the door just now — I heard them all."

"He says that Lord Guo failed in loyalty to the false emperor Liu Ziyu and is therefore faithless. But I disagree. Lord Guo's trustworthiness is known to all under Heaven."

Diwu Lun continued, "I have heard a story. When Lord Guo was Governor of Bing Province, during an inspection tour of the counties, he came to Meiji County in Xihe Commandery. There, several dozen children, each riding a bamboo horse, lined the road to greet him in turn."

Yes, Guo Ji was very fond of children. He dismounted and asked them, "Why have you children come from so far?" The children, clever-tongued, replied, "We heard the Commissioner had arrived and were happy, so we came to welcome you."

Whether or not it was staged by the local officials, Guo Ji still thanked the children, bought fruit to share among them, and when he left Meiji County, the children saw him out of the city, making a pact that when Guo Ji came again, they would come out to greet him once more.

The next time Guo Ji arrived at Meiji County, he was one day earlier than the agreed time. Unwilling to break faith with the children, he lodged overnight in a wayside pavilion in the countryside, waiting until the appointed date to enter the city.

Guo Ji's eyes grew somewhat moist. He truly missed the days when the frontier, under his governance, was still peaceful — days when children could ride bamboo horses.

Bao Yong, who had spent his entire life immersed in hatred for Wang Mang and longing for a Han restoration to solve everything, could not empathize. He dismissed it: "How can the trust of children compare to the trust between lord and vassal?"

"Shallow!"

Diwu Lun's face hardened as he rebuked him: "As a minister guarding the land, one connects above to the sovereign, in the middle upholds the altars of state, and below connects to the common people."

"The ancients said: the people are most precious, the altars of state come next, the sovereign is least. Therefore, the trust between lord and vassal is the lowest, the trust of the altars of state is next, and trust with the people is supreme! One must not deceive or mistreat the people; one must protect their peace."

Diwu Lun pointed at Bao Yong. "Compared to the survival or extinction of a single clan or surname, the trust of the Huaxia altars of state, and the trust with the people of Bing Province, are far more important."

"Right now, Xihe and Meiji have already been invaded by the Xiongnu. The common people are scattered, fleeing within the Great Wall. The Xiongnu's Left Worthy Prince raids Yanmen, the beacon fires have burned to Yanmen Pass — yet Liu Ziyu cares only for fighting the King of Zhending and others for power and profit, utterly indifferent."

"Thus, Governor Guo set aside a minor trust to uphold a greater trust, offering up Taiyuan so that our army could march north to resist the barbarians. The breadth of this fidelity — compared to you, a Liu-clan dog-slave who recognizes only one family and one surname, yet still yaps and snarls at heroes who resist the barbarians — is immeasurably higher!"

Bao Yong, who had thought himself fully in the right, was verbally bludgeoned by Diwu Lun into speechlessness. The King of Wei could truly paint black as white, yet it was impossible to refute: Han Confucians held the Spring and Autumn Annals in highest regard. In the Spring and Autumn period, there was indeed loyalty to one family or one state's gates, but once Guan Zhong and Duke Huan of Qi raised the banner of "Revere the King, Expel the Barbarians," all private interests had to yield.

Now, with so many Han courts standing across the realm, the Han Emperor's value had depreciated, and "Revere the King" had been dissolved — it was useless. In such circumstances, whoever could claim the title of "Expel the Barbarians" would gain the mandate of the greater cause!

Diwu Lun's stance, combined with his actions in sending troops to resist the Xiongnu across multiple areas of Bing Province, could hardly fail to stir thoughts in a man like Guo Ji:

"Though the King of Wei is young in years, his ambition is great, his conduct upright. To be called a hegemon or a king is too small — even an emperor he could be!"

Diwu Lun did not care about Bao Yong's life either. He was not short of men now. He simply waved a hand dismissively. "Is Bao Junzhang not determined to be a loyal minister to that false emperor Liu Ziyu?"

"Let him be one!"

"Prepare white silk and a dagger for him. If he can bring himself to do it, let him take his own life. If he cannot, I will have an armored soldier help you."

With those words, Diwu Lun left the hall with Dou Rong and Guo Ji, leaving Bao Yong standing there, head drooping in a daze. His whole being had wilted, utterly devoid of his earlier righteous fervor. He had thought himself standing on the moral high ground, looking down from above — he never expected Diwu Lun to be standing on an even higher plane.

Feng Yan seized the chance to persuade him again: "Junzhang, the King of Wei is a brilliant lord, surpassing that false Liu Ziyu countless times over. Surrender. Even if you go home and live as a man of leisure, it is better than losing your life."

But after much internal struggle, Bao Yong still shook his head firmly.

"Once I have pledged myself as a subject, I shall have no divided heart. With the wisdom that guards a mere water-vessel, one does not lend it from one's hand."

"What Diwu Lun said may have reason. I cannot establish trust with the altars of state, nor with the common people, but at the very least, the trust between lord and vassal — that I must uphold."

"I am not merely loyal to the Succeeding Prosperity Emperor. The one I truly serve is the house of Han."

Heartbroken, Feng Yan said, "But the true house of Han perished long ago. What exists in the world now are nothing but thieves of its name!"

"I know."

Bao Yong raised his head, smiling bitterly. "So, if I wish to serve the Han loyally, there is only death."

"Though Bao Yong lacks the ability to defend the land, I at least have the resolve to die for the Han!"

"I choose the dagger!"

……

Bao Yong in the end still took his own life, slashing his throat with a dagger.

Feng Yan, his old friend, had been unable to dissuade him and was naturally deeply grieved. He could only lament: "What a pity for Lord Bao. He met the wrong man and threw his life away for a false Liu Ziyu — truly blind loyalty. I count it a worthless death."

Dou Rong said that Bao Yong was lost in a dream of restoring the Han, and no shouting could wake him.

Diwu Lun did not see it that way. If one believed they held the banner of great righteousness and stood upon the moral high ground to condemn Bao Yong as a fool, then what difference was there between them and him?

"To die for an ideal — even if that ideal was somewhat misguided, and though it brought no benefit to the people — for the man himself, it was still a death with purpose."

"Conversely, had he surrendered for a time, the memory of this day would have tormented him for the rest of his life. Why force it upon him?"

Diwu Lun said to Feng Yan: "As his friend, you ought to drum upon the basin and sing, rejoicing for Bao Yong."

"Bury him with the rites of a Governor. I hear he governed Shangdang well and won the people's devotion unto death. Lay him to rest beside his father, Bao Xuan, and give the people of Shangdang a place to mourn."

The King of Wei was uncommonly magnanimous. Feng Yan now had something to occupy him, while Diwu Lun continued to praise Dou Rong: "In this campaign for Shangdang and Taiyuan, had the Duke of Zhou not governed Hedong so ably — bringing in a summer harvest of several hundred thousand shi of wheat — the soldiers would have had to storm the city on empty stomachs."

"Lord Jingxun takes first merit, and the Duke of Zhou follows close behind!"

So was that enough for a marquisate?

Not yet. The King of Wei drove his ministers as if they were beasts of burden, never satisfied until he had wrung out every ounce of their worth and roused every last drop of their potential.

Ever since his river crossing to pincer the Greenwood forces had been beaten back by Deng Feng's eight hundred men, Dou Rong had kept a low profile, devoting himself single-mindedly to internal administration and logistics. He handled the water transport, corvée laborers, and all such matters impeccably. Diwu Lun had nearly come to regard him as "my Xiao He."

But Dou Rong's usefulness did not end there. Diwu Lun bade him sit closer and brought up a certain matter.

"Though New Qinzhong has yet to be fully recovered, the road to the four commanderies of Hexi is now open."

"I recall that the Duke of Zhou's cousin, Dou You, is the Governor of Wuwei?"

Dou Rong grasped the King of Wei's meaning at once. In the interior campaign within Guanzhong, Diwu Lun demanded a step-by-step seizure, consolidating the foundation of the capital region. But for the distant periphery — judging by the peaceful overture to Taiyuan — Diwu Lun was now also beginning to employ the tactic of winning submission by proclamation.

And as everyone knew, when establishing contact with far-off commanderies and kingdoms, one relied chiefly on "introductions by acquaintances." If the other party had a fellow townsman or kinsman at court, the task was often accomplished with half the effort.

Dou Rong understood. He said at once: "I shall immediately write a letter and send a household-born servant through New Qinzhong to deliver it to Wuwei Commandery!"

Diwu Lun had currently shifted his main strength eastward; after the autumn millet ripened, he might even move his headquarters to Hebei. But neither could he allow the Longyou forces to huddle unchallenged. If he could draw the four Hexi commanderies to the west into his own camp, he could seal off the Longyou power's avenues of expansion.

What was more, since he had already raised the banner of "repelling the barbarians," and the four Hexi commanderies likewise faced the threat of the Xiongnu's Right Division — how could the King of Wei, imbued with the spirit of pan-Huaxia internationalism, simply ignore them?

In the sixth month, good tidings truly came one after another. Just after seizing Shanxi amid the Northern Han's internal strife, Diwu Lun received an urgent report from Cen Peng!

"Last month, the Red Eyebrow Army took Runan and struck Nanyang, fighting a bitter war with Greenwood."

"Greenwood can look neither east nor west. Your servant wishes to lead troops south, seize the six-hundred-li territory of Shangwu, and present it to Your Majesty!"