Chapter 391: Laying One

In Wuhu County, Danyang Commandery, Yang Province, sprawled a vast military encampment. On the left stood solid barracks built from local stone, and on the raised banners one could faintly make out the character "Wu."

On the right were crude thatched huts. The Jiangdong rain pattered on endlessly. A group of "generals" in armor but with dejected expressions were gathered in one of the huts, conferring.

"Though the King of Wu has mediated between us bandits and the powerful families of Danyang, and enfeoffed us as marquises, my heart is still uneasy."

The speaker was called "Guatian Li." Guatian was a two-character surname. His father, Guatian Yi, had raised troops in rebellion in the fourth year of the Xin Dynasty's Tianfeng era, earlier than the Red Eyebrows and the Greenwood, with forces reaching over ten thousand. After his father's death, the Jiangdong bandits were taken over by a subordinate named "Wang the Duke of Zhou." At their peak, they controlled Danyang and half of Kuaiji, rampaging across both banks and claiming a hundred thousand men.

Yet after this summer began, under the assault of the King of Wu, Liu Xiu, with barely ten thousand troops, the river bandits had been defeated time and again.

When Liu Xiu first advanced into Danyang, the bandits, scornful of his small numbers, moved to besiege him. But Feng Yi held his camp firmly on the defensive. The bandits thought this general utterly foolish — they only needed to cut off his supply route…

Unexpectedly, those sent to raid the supplies encountered Liu Xiu himself and the spirited armed forces from Kuaiji and Linhuai, and were utterly routed. Liu Xiu intended to accept their surrender then, but just then allied troops arrived. The great bandit Wang the Duke of Zhou personally organized a pitched battle, yet was still crushed by Liu Xiu, and Wang the Duke of Zhou died in the fight. Most of the survivors scattered and fled, each vanishing into the mountain forests and lake marshes. Those who remained were surrounded and chose to surrender.

But Guatian Li still deeply mistrusted the King of Wu and his subordinates. He gathered several nearby surrendered bandit chiefs to discuss the matter. Some wanted to flee, others were disheartened and resigned to death, but Guatian Li felt they might as well fight to the death!

"Didn't the King of Wu order us to return to our respective camps with our troops?" someone objected. They rather admired the King of Wu's generalship — they had heard this man had once defeated three hundred thousand Xin troops at Kunyang, and now they had witnessed his prowess firsthand. Why make an enemy of him again?

Guatian Li, however, thought otherwise. "This is letting us go only to catch us more easily. The King of Wu says he will host a banquet for us tomorrow — he intends to wipe out all the chieftains in one stroke, so he can distribute our men among his colonels."

"In my view, we must rebel again!"

At that moment, someone rushed in and said, "The King of Wu has come into the camp!"

Guatian Li was horrified. Had Liu Xiu decided not to wait and moved to strike ahead of time?

"How many men did he bring? Several thousand? Ten thousand?"

"Only three to five bodyguards. He rode in lightly."

"What!"

Guatian Li and the others were first stunned, then overjoyed.

"If we seize Liu Xiu, couldn't we hold him hostage and regain our freedom?"

So they had the bandits return to their respective camps, preparing to strike once Liu Xiu entered.

Guatian Li's camp was farther back. He waited and waited for the signal from his comrades to charge out with his men. But after a long while, there was no reaction. Just as he was growing puzzled, Liu Xiu had already arrived at his camp!

Indeed, he was making a light cavalry inspection of the formations. It was not only Liu Xiu who came — the bandit chiefs from the previous camps also accompanied him, all smiling cheerfully, without the slightest murderous intent. They even signaled to Guatian Li with their eyes and shook their heads.

Liu Xiu, too, showed not a trace of fear, but chatted and laughed with them freely.

Guatian Li, unable to grasp the situation, released his grip on his sword hilt, stepped forward, and bowed. "Guilty general Guatian Li pays respects to the King of Wu!"

Seeing his youth, Liu Xiu asked, "Could you be the son of Gua Ning Shang Nan?"

That was Guatian Li's father's posthumous title. His father had rebelled for several years and received a peace overture from Wang Mang. Before the surrender terms were settled, he was attacked by Li Xian, the Grand Governor of Lujiang, and died of rage and illness. Afterward, Wang Mang actually granted a posthumous title, hoping to continue coaxing the southeastern bandits into submission, but no one bought it anymore.

When the Xin Dynasty collapsed and Li Xian dominated the Jianghuai region, he sent envoys to recruit them, but the river bandits refused to submit to him. Now, instead, it had benefited Liu Xiu.

Liu Xiu said with emotion, "General Guatian had great merit in opposing the Xin, his might shaking the southeast. It was precisely upon hearing of General Guatian's deeds that I and my elder brother Bosheng resolved to raise troops. Now that the false Xin has been destroyed and the Great Han restored, his title and posthumous name should be reassigned. He ought to be posthumously enfeoffed as a marquis!"

"And the 'Rules of Posthumous Names' states: 'Cut short before achievement is Shang; possessing awareness yet dying young is Shang.' It is mostly used for those who die before reaching adulthood. That old villain Wang Mang chose this posthumous name with sinister intent. In my opinion…"

As a former student of the Imperial Academy, Liu Xiu stroked his beard and immediately thought of a posthumous name. "Zhuang!"

"General Guatian defeated enemies with strong resolve, his awe-inspiring virtue firm and martial — truly Zhuang! It is only a pity that his martial spirit went unfulfilled."

"The late general passed away before seeing the false Xin overthrown, and Li Xian, who indirectly harmed General Guatian back then, still runs rampant across the Jianghuai. I wish to join with you, young general, to destroy this villain together, so that General Guatian's spirit may be fulfilled and rest in peace!"

These words instantly extinguished Guatian Li's murderous intent. Afterward, Liu Xiu had him accompany him. Liu Xiu walked ahead, treating even the ragged river bandits with courtesy, and promised they would soon have new clothes to wear.

Guatian Li followed behind, his eyes fixed on Liu Xiu's back. There were many chances to draw his sword and stab this man through, but in the end, he could not bring himself to do it.

Only after Liu Xiu had finished inspecting the entire camp and left did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. They began recounting Liu Xiu's tour through the camp, all saying how genuinely courteous and sincere the King of Wu had been to them.

Their admiration for Liu Xiu deepened. "The King of Wu's visit was like laying his bare heart inside our chests. How could we not pledge our lives in loyal service?"

"A few petty favors and a show of posturing, and you've all been fooled?"

Guatian Li sneered inwardly, saying only to himself, "I did not kill him today because he showed respect for my father — that is all. Very well. This Liu Xiu is not only skilled at pretense but also quite adept at warfare. I might as well use him to defeat Li Xian. Once my father's death is avenged, it will not be too late to rebel again!"

…

"Your Majesty's action was far too reckless!"

Liu Xiu returned safely from the prisoner camp. Deng Yu and Feng Yi had been waiting anxiously outside, sweating on his behalf.

"Had there been any turncoats, Your Majesty would have been in mortal danger!"

Liu Xiu merely laughed heartily. "After the battles of Shicheng and Wuhu, their courage has been utterly shattered, and their families are in my hands. Would they rashly rebel? I entered the camp only to calm their hearts. The river bandits excel at fighting in mountains, forests, and marshes. If they can aid me, what are the Jianghuai worth mentioning?"

At present, although Liu Xiu had taken half of Yang Province, it was mostly through a mix of coaxing and deception. Just as his identity was exposed and his credibility about to collapse, his old friends in Nanyang had actually persuaded the Gengshi Emperor to enfeoff him as "King of Wu."

This was like a pillow delivered just as one was dozing off. Liu Xiu could now legitimately, under his royal title, govern the four commanderies of Linhuai, Kuaiji, Guangling, and Danyang.

As for the Gengshi Emperor's order for him to cease military operations and report to Wancheng, Liu Xiu simply pretended not to hear, declining on the grounds that the southeast was not yet pacified and refusing to answer the summons.

He now felt that relying solely on the powerful families of various regions would not do. Those truly dependable were the subordinates who had endured hardship alongside him. The troops of powerful clans were merely "borrowed"; real strength had to come from conscription. These river bandits were a ready-made source of soldiers.

This act of baring his heart had at least stabilized the river bandits for now. Going forward, he would observe them slowly — those reliable would be absorbed into his staff, those unreliable replaced, their subordinates distributed to his own trusted forces.

It had been half a year since he came to the southeast. With Danyang Commandery taken and the recruitment of Danyang soldiers ready to begin, the external situation had also undergone massive changes. For Liu Xiu, opportunity and challenge coexisted.

The so-called opportunity was that the Gengshi regime in Nanyang was under attack by the Red Eyebrows. According to a letter sent by Li Tong, Runan had already fallen. Li Tong advised Liu Xiu to lead his troops back to rescue the emperor, then ride the momentum of victory to take over Nanyang.

But Liu Xiu had no such inclination.

"First, if I return to Nanyang, the Jiangdong and Linhuai I've struggled so hard to seize will be abandoned. The local powerful families will inevitably stir — some will submit to Liu Yong, others to Li Xian."

Liu Xiu also knew that his foundation was not solid. The Jiangdong powerful families' support for him was merely a matter of expediency.

"Second, returning to Nanyang is a journey of a thousand li. The overland route through Pei Commandery has the Red Eyebrows, and the King of Liang is also advancing south — we cannot contest them. We can only take the water route, going upstream to Yuzhang, then passing through Jiangxia to head north. Although Jiangxia still nominally belongs to Liu Xuan, Yuzhang has already been seized by Li Xian, the King of Huainan. A bitter battle will be unavoidable."

"Third, even if my exhausted troops reach Nanyang, we are not certain to defeat the Red Eyebrows…"

Liu Xiu understood the Red Eyebrows' combat strength. After taking Linhuai, he had ordered Fu Jun to probe north toward Pengcheng, but the Linhuai powerful clans' armed forces were soundly defeated by the Red Eyebrows' Elder, Feng An. The King of Wu did not yet have the strength to clash head-on with the Red Eyebrows.

"Fourth, even if by luck I defeat the Red Eyebrows, I would still have to fight a chaotic melee with the Greenwood chieftains before I could seize the reins of power in Wancheng."

By the time the internecine struggle with the Greenwood was over, a year or more would have passed. Liu Xiu did not believe that Diwu Lun in the north would have made no moves at all. Toward Diwu Lun, Liu Xiu's feelings were rather complicated. There was certainly family hatred, but even more critical was national enmity. The King of Wei harbored ambitions to sweep across the realm, and Liu Xiu, wanting to restore his own Great Han, was naturally his mortal enemy! Time would not wait for him!

But he could not be hasty — his elder brother's lesson lay before him. Rather than chasing the unreliable Nanyang, it was better to secure a firm foothold in Jiangdong. This was a fine place. The great famine at the turn of spring and summer had not even touched it, simply because the south had seen little warfare. The people ate rice, and in some places, there could even be two harvests a year! Even without grain to eat, the rivers, marshes, mountains, and forests were enough to fill rumbling, hungry bellies. No wonder the Grand Historian said that south of the Jianghuai, there were no households worth a thousand gold, but neither were there people who froze or starved.

In chaotic times, this was the greatest advantage.

Having pacified Danyang, Liu Xiu set about reassuring the provinces and commanderies. In every county he visited, he would meet with the senior officials, Elders, and government staff, down to the assistant clerks, building good relations with them, much like a Provincial Governor conducting an inspection tour. At the same time, he abolished Wang Mang's harsh laws and restored Han official titles, winning the support of the local powers in each county and making them believe that in these chaotic times, only the King of Wu could safeguard everyone's interests.

At the same time, Liu Xiu's gaze was also fixed outward. Taking Linhuai, securing Guangling, capturing Kuaiji, occupying Danyang — unifying Jiangdong, he had already completed the first four steps Deng Yu had advised. What came next?

Deng Yu and Feng Yi both held: "Let the King of Liang and the Red Eyebrows of Pengcheng slaughter each other north of the Huai. It is not yet time to march north too early. Your Highness should seize the moment, while every power is too preoccupied to look south, to defeat Li Xian of Huainan and gain control over the whole of Yang Province!"

But Li Xian now also controlled several commanderies, and on the question of where to strike first, his subordinates were divided.

"Last month, Li Xian sent troops to seize Yuzhang Commandery. It would be better to first dispatch the Danyang troops to cut off Pengli Marsh, recover Yuzhang, and restore communication with Nanyang."

Though Deng Yu was wise, he was, after all, born of the great Deng clan of Nanyang. He was certain that Gengshi could not withstand the Red Eyebrows. If communication could be restored early, even if they did not return to rescue the emperor, at the very least they could claim a larger share when dividing the spoils of the Gengshi regime…

Feng Yi disagreed: "Yuzhang is vast and far-flung. Once battle is joined there, it will take half a year to decide victory. In my view, it is better to cross the Great River directly from Danyang, strike Lujiang Commandery, and drive straight for Li Xian's capital!"

Liu Xiu looked at the crude map, but he had his own ideas.

"Li Xian now claims a hundred thousand troops. Even if that number is inflated, Huainan is rich and populous; he has at least sixty or seventy thousand."

"Though I hold four commanderies and have taken in the river bandits, I still have only a little over thirty thousand."

Since the enemy was many and they were few, fighting this war would require some dirty tricks. In military contest, Liu Xiu was at least a top-tier steed. In the early days of building his enterprise, taking the field personally was routine. He commanded with composure:

"Zhonghua, take three thousand men by water and strike Pengze. Make a show of my intent to seize Yuzhang."

"In the first ten days of the seventh month, Gongsun will lead troops to plant banners thick across Danyang, making Li Xian panic and deploy heavy troops on the northern bank."

Liu Xiu's hand then pointed at Jiujiang Commandery!

"I will personally lead the elite troops and strike Hefei!"

…

At the same time, in Hedong Commandery to the north, Diwu Lun heard Cen Peng's courier report that the Greenwood and the Red Eyebrows were fighting among themselves. He immediately returned to Anyi City, issuing a flurry of edicts along the way. He ordered the five thousand men of the Hedong Army's Zhang Zong division, originally bound for Hebei to support Geng Chun, to turn around and head for Maodu Ford.

At the same time, Diwu Lun summoned the Governor of Hedong, Dou Rong, to see him.

"Duke of Zhou, plans cannot keep up with changes." Diwu Lun shook his head with a wry smile, but this time, unlike the past when stratagems flowed freely, luck had come and could not be stopped.

"Since the Greenwood and the Red Eyebrows are at war, their main forces have shifted south and have no time to attend to the north. I can hardly avoid fighting a 'Borrowing Passage to Destroy Guo'!"

Diwu Lun was referring to a pivotal battle of Jin's expansion in the Spring and Autumn period. At that time, Jin occupied the Fen River line of present-day Hedong, Yu was at Maodu Ford, and the main body of Guo lay south of the Yellow River, within Hongnong Commandery.

"I have already ordered General of the Sweeping Wilds, Zheng Tong, to march east from Tong Pass and seize Hongnong City; and Yangquan Marquis Zhang Zong to descend upon Maodu Ford, take Shan County, and advance eastward."

"This region screens the Guanzhong interior and links the Heluo exterior, treads the Xiaohan slopes and wears Mount Hua on its head, bears the Great River on its back and elbows the Hangu Pass. Before the end of the seventh month, everything west of the New Hangu Pass shall fall into our hands!"

Diwu Lun said to Dou Rong: "Zheng and Zhang are both valiant generals, but in this campaign, the Xiaohan corridor is long and narrow, and supply will not be easy. The rear must still be entrusted to a talent like Xiao He, such as yourself, Duke of Zhou, to coordinate. Do your utmost!"

Dou Rong received the edict and departed, but on his journey south, gazing at the Zhongtiao Mountains stretching across the horizon, he could not help but sigh:

"Born into a chaotic age, yet having met a wise lord — since I need no longer fret over my clan's survival, how could a true man lack the heart to build merit, establish a name, be enfeoffed as a marquis, and made a general? Though my fortune has often been ill-starred, compared to Xiao He, I would far rather be a Cao Can, accomplished in both the civil and martial arts!"

#Giveaway 888 Cash Red Envelope# Follow the vx official account 【Bookworm Base Camp】 to read hot masterpieces and enter a draw for an 888 cash red envelope!

…

PS: Chapter 2 at 23:00.