Chapter 430: The Northeast Changes Banners

"Now that things have come to this, my uncle still has the nerve to ask me whether it's too late to surrender? Where was he before!"

In the third year of the King of Wei's reign, in mid-first month, when Geng Chun traveled west to the main camp outside Yuanshi City in Changshan Commandery and met the subordinate sent out by the King of Zhending, Liu Yang, to "negotiate peace," even he, a man of usually superb restraint, could not hold back his fury.

Liu Yang knew perfectly well that Liu Ziyu might be a fraud, a blazing fire pit, yet he still pushed his younger sister's daughter — Geng Chun's maternal cousin of the Guo family — right into it! As the Northern Han Empress, Miss Guo became an innocent fish caught in the disaster. Geng Chun had been unable to keep her alive, and a trace of guilt inevitably lingered in his heart. After seeing her corpse, he further discovered she had died from a crossbow bolt, which made him doubt Wu Han's explanation.

"Was it truly an accidental killing in the dark?"

But Wu Han had rendered no small merit, and the King of Wei held him in high regard. Geng Chun had no proof — and even if he did, what of it? This anger could only be bottled up in his gut, unresolvable, and impossible to discuss with anyone.

Now that Liu Ziyu was dead, Geng Chun vented his full fury on the "chief culprit," Liu Yang. Without warning, he hurled the brush and inkstone from the table straight at Liu Yang's envoy's head.

"When the Second Emperor of Qin was facing death, he said: 'I wish to be king of a single commandery.' Denied. Then he said: 'I wish to be a marquis of ten thousand households.' Denied. Finally, he said: 'I wish to become a commoner with my wife and children.'"

"Get back! Tell Liu Yang to think it over carefully — does he still have the standing to set conditions? The King has decreed: only unconditional surrender is permitted!"

"If he does not surrender within three days, when the city falls, I too will place righteousness above family and personally execute him!"

……

This true Liu, Liu Yang, lacked the courage of the false Liu to die for the altars of state. Two days later, the gates of Yuanshi, the seat of Changshan Commandery, were thrown open, and Liu Yang surrendered with several thousand retainers.

For Geng Chun's sake, Diwu Lun did not massacre Liu Yang and the great Guo clan either. It counted as a surrender. He let Liu Yang become a commoner with his wife and children, relocating them to Guanzhong under house arrest. That tumor of his had grown another size larger, now reddening to purple — he probably wouldn't live much longer anyway.

After capturing Jingxing Pass, Jing Dan pressed eastward and, with the cooperation of Geng Kuang's Shanggu cavalry, seized Zhending. Having missed the major battle, the western-route army's commander arrived at Xiaquyang City somewhat uneasily to offer his apologies to Diwu Lun.

Diwu Lun, however, did not rebuke him. He encouraged him: "Sunqing, you tied down forty thousand enemy troops for me — that was already extraordinarily difficult. You had an ailment before, one that worsens every winter. I failed to take that into account and forced you to march with the army, to the point that you fell ill. For a trifling Jingxing, I nearly lost a great general!"

The natural barriers of the Nine Passes still demand respect. The battle Jing Dan fought looked easy but was in truth the hardest. Even Han Xin, had the opposing general not cooperated, could never have pulled off the miracle of the Back-to-the-River Battle; with inferior numbers, he too could only have gazed at the pass and sighed.

To say nothing of launching troops in deep winter — Jing Dan himself fell ill and barely survived, while three or four out of every ten soldiers under him also became sick.

Although tactically he did not fulfill the expected mission, strategically, Jing Dan successfully tied down at least forty thousand men of the King of Zhending and Shang Huai Kuang. Had they joined forces with Liu Ziyu, the outcome of the Battle of Xiaquyang might have been somewhat different.

With Changshan and Zhending both fallen, it meant that all ten commanderies and kingdoms of Ji Province had submitted to the King of Wei!

The assembled officials congratulated one another, but Diwu Lun alone remained clear-headed: "The commanderies south of Dalu Marsh are fully under control, but the commanderies to the north are another matter."

Ji Province was vast, yet the Wei army was limited. They had only garrisoned the commandery seats and key routes and passes; the outlying county towns remained in the hands of local strongmen, nominally submitted but in practice autonomous. Further down in the villages and hamlets, the countryside was the domain of every sort of roving bandit and remnant Copper Hook force. Liu Ziyu had merely been the leader the Hebei bandits all revered in common; the moment he died, the bandits instantly scattered, causing Diwu Lun even greater trouble.

To the east, the "King of Jibei," Chengtou Zilu, went without saying. Though he had now withdrawn from Qinghe and Xindu, he still occupied Bohai Commandery in You Province and Pingyuan and other commanderies in Qing Province, taking in fleeing Copper Hook remnants. His strength had at least doubled.

And in the Taihang mountain region to the west, as an aftereffect of the war, another patch of stubborn lichen had appeared that could not be scraped away.

Shang Huai Kuang, the Copper Hook Grand Canal Commander most loyal to Liu Ziyu, had originally confronted Jing Dan at Jingxing Pass. After defeat was certain and the King of Zhending, Liu Yang, abandoned the pass and fled back to Yuanshi City, Shang Huai Kuang also shifted south with over ten thousand followers.

They fled into the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains, an area called the "Black Mountains." The Copper Hook bandits transformed overnight into Black Mountain bandits. The terrain there was complex, with layer upon layer of peaks and ridges. The thought of these ten thousand-plus men holed up in the Taihang Mountains, emulating Chengtou Zilu as roving soldiers and waging guerrilla war against the Wei army, gave Diwu Lun a headache.

"This will be far harder to deal with than one Liu Ziyu."

It seemed that promoting the "Sparse Formation" used against the Copper Hooks at Xiaquyang could not be delayed a moment longer. This was one of the Ten Formations in Sun Bin's Art of War. Its general usage lay in dividing soldiers into numerous small combat clusters for deployment — though the art of war text did not explain it in clear detail.

Diwu Lun thus freely improvised and adapted it. Since each platoon was arrayed in five ranks as the basic unit, it was also called the "Five-Rank Formation." The long pacification campaign ahead in Ji Province would be ample test of whether this formation was reliable.

But who exactly should be assigned to wear down these two remnant forces over the long haul?

Through several wars, Diwu Lun had more or less tested the strengths and weaknesses of his various generals... er, or should he say their "depth and shallowness"?

What he meant was that one cannot be incautious in appointing generals. The Six Secret Teachings says a commander should possess the Five Virtues: courage, so none dare oppose him; wisdom, so none can confound him; benevolence, so he cherishes his men; trustworthiness, so he does not deceive; and loyalty, so he harbors no divided heart. But those who embody all five virtues are vanishingly rare — Wu Han, for instance, lacked benevolence.

There were also the Ten Faults, a variety of flaws. In Diwu Lun's view, Jing Dan, though wise, was faint of heart; Geng Chun, though wise, was slow of resolve. In concrete battle examples, both men were superb at defensive warfare but incapable on the offensive.

Jing Dan fought the Battle of Tongyuan brilliantly, but when sent to attack Shangdang and Taiyuan, he was barely adequate.

Geng Chun, during the war of attrition against the Copper Hooks, made almost no mistakes. At that time, Geng Chun's army was in the vanguard, several li from Diwu Lun's main camp. The bandits suddenly attacked under cover of night; arrows rained into the camp like a downpour, and many soldiers were killed or wounded. But Geng Chun ordered his troops to hold firm and not move. He selected two thousand dare-to-die soldiers, all armed with powerful crossbows, each carrying three bolts. He ordered them to ride out stealthily on light cavalry, circle behind the bandit force, then shout in unison and fire their crossbows together. The bandits fled in panic; Geng Chun pursued and smashed them.

Yet once the counteroffensive phase began, he often became muddled.

Now Jing Dan had not fully recovered from his illness, and Geng Chun had also injured his shoulder — they deserved a few years of rest and recuperation. Since both lacked offensive drive, he would use them to consolidate the territory just seized.

It was also at Xiaquyang City that Diwu Lun met Geng Kuang of Shanggu, who arrived after Jing Dan to pay his respects. This meeting nearly planted a doubt in Diwu Lun's heart.

"Is Geng Yan truly your own flesh and blood?"

……

In Diwu Lun's imagination, Geng Kuang should have been a middle-aged version of Geng Yan — how else could he have raised a son so dazzlingly sharp-edged?

Yet when Geng Kuang came for his audience, Diwu Lun discovered that the elder Geng was a man utterly unlike the younger. Though his stride was vigorous, his bearing was kindly and genial. Every word out of his mouth extolled stillness and non-action. He bore no resemblance at all to the legendary commandery governor who had held Shanggu without loss for ten years and once led You Province's shock cavalry in beating the Wuhuan so badly they dared not enter the passes.

Geng Kuang also spoke very slowly, briefly recounting his career to Diwu Lun: "This old servant came from a background of understanding the classics and serving as a court gentleman in Han times, and later studied the Laozi under Master Anqiu..."

The man he referred to was Anqiu Wangzhi, a famed scholar of the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han. He cultivated the surviving tradition of Daoist learning and authored the Laozi Zhangju. Emperor Cheng, deeming his virtue and learning profound, honored him as a revered teacher and sent men to engage him, but Anqiu Wangzhi preferred to wander among the common folk practicing medicine.

Unlike the charlatans and fraudsters, this man possessed genuine learning — and Geng Kuang was, astonishingly, his disciple.

Thus Geng Kuang was well qualified to say these words: "This old servant is quiet by nature and seeks no advancement in office. I only wished to delve deeply into the learning of Master Anqiu. It was Wang Mang who failed to recognize men and insisted on making me a frontier commandery governor."

Regarding his achievements in Shanggu, Geng Kuang was also very modest: "Ten years without expanding our territory by a single inch — barely managing to hold the passes without loss, that is all. Ashamed, deeply ashamed. What does this old wreck know of warfare!"

Geng Yan skilled in battle? He taught himself — it had nothing to do with him. The You Province shock cavalry doubled in strength over ten years? That was simply Kou Xun and Jing Dan assisting in good governance.

In any case, Geng Kuang presented the full posture of a man in his forties wanting to retire, earnestly beseeching the King of Wei to permit him to leave the frontier, return to his ancestral home in Maoling, and live out his retirement — reading the Laozi every day and playing with his grandchildren. Where else could one find such a life of immortals?

But the more Geng Kuang sought to withdraw, the less Diwu Lun was willing to set this man aside. The state lacked talent! He only pondered finding a suitable post for him to serve a few more years. Governor? Far too small!

As time entered late first month, the war in You Province also came to an end. Wang Liang, coming from Yuyang, also arrived in the south and reported the northern situation to Diwu Lun, who had returned to Julu.

It turned out that the previous month, the shock cavalry of Youbeiping, heeding Wang Liang's persuasion, had dispatched troops under Wu Han's subordinate Gai Yan south to attack Ji City. The Shanggu flanking force was also attacking Zhuo Commandery. In the first month, as the Ji Province campaign ended and Liu Ziyu's severed head was paraded through the regions, the Northern Han Governor of Zhuo Commandery, a man named Zhang Feng, declared an "uprising," executed the King of Guangyang, Liu Jie, and thereupon Ji City surrendered to Gai Yan. Thus, the south of You Province was settled.

Liaoxi, Liaodong, and Lelang in northern You Province were vast in territory but sparse in population. Although all were held by holdover Xin dynasty governors, their strength was inferior, and they all accepted Wang Liang's persuasion to surrender. One after another, they sent men to present memorials and cede territory — this could be considered the "Northeast Changing Banners."

Diwu Lun thus let Zhang Feng remain as Governor of Zhuo Commandery, appointed Wang Liang as Governor of Shanggu, Kou Xun as Governor of Guangyang, and Gai Yan as Governor of Yuyang. Together with Wu Han, who served at the King of Wei's side and had already been enfeoffed as a marquis, a "You Province faction" had distinctly taken shape.

These men were either capable civil and military officials or still commanded troops of their own and would not easily submit to governors parachuted in from outside. Diwu Lun needed someone familiar with You Province to hold the region in check.

Since Geng Kuang was single-mindedly seeking retirement and refused to touch military authority again, Jing Dan, who had once served in Shanggu, became the optimal candidate!

Diwu Lun thus had Jing Dan, in his capacity as General of the Vanguard, proceed to his post as Inspector of You Province.

The King of Wei had already abolished the position of Governor of a Province, restoring the Inspector, and elevated its authority and rank to "Full Two Thousand Piculs," with salary and status higher than a Commandery Governor, on par with the Colonel-Director of the Retainers and the Nine Ministers. In addition to inspecting the various commanderies, he also oversaw civil affairs.

But this meant that Jing Dan's duties as Imperial Counselor had to be relinquished.

Diwu Lun personally summoned Jing Dan and offered reassurance: "Sunqing, will you feel this is a punishment, a distant exile?"

"How would this servant dare harbor resentful thoughts?"

In Jing Dan's own view, his attacks on Shangdang and Taiyuan had not gone well, and this eastern campaign had stalled at Jingxing, making the western-route army the most laggard of all. Even if he were truly punished, it would be entirely reasonable. Yet the King of Wei, mindful of their old friendship, had as before increased his household allotment in recognition of his toil.

Since it is a bureaucratic empire, not one of hereditary offices and emoluments, there is no such principle that a position, once sat upon, cannot be shifted for a lifetime.

Diwu Lun placed great hopes on Jing Dan: "Though the commanderies of You Province have submitted, Liaoxi, Liaodong, and others are only nominally attached, and Bohai Commandery still has remnants of the Tongma bandits in its grip. As Inspector and General, you will oversee both military and civilian affairs — your burden is heavy indeed!"

As for the post of Inspector of Ji Province, Diwu Lun unexpectedly appointed Huang Chang to fill it. Left Chancellor and Rear General Geng Chun, with his title beyond dispute, would be permanently stationed at Yecheng in the north to coordinate the military and civil administration of Hebei.

"In Bing Province, Guo Ji handles civil affairs and Little Geng the military; in Ji Province, Geng Chun handles the military and Huang Chang the civil; in You Province, Jing Dan, together with Gai, Wang, Kou, and the others, forms the leadership team. Even if I do not personally keep an eye on these three provinces, they can still manage to function."

He did not expect the three provinces, long mired in bitter warfare, to immediately produce value in the form of soldiers and grain for him, but at the very least they should not send urgent appeals for help and stir up trouble every few days — that would be enough.

Pi Tong was appointed by Diwu Lun as "Intendant of Weicheng," a rank half a grade higher than an ordinary commandery Governor. As for the other man who had surrendered, Li Zhong, Diwu Lun, recalling his accurate judgment of Liu Ziyu's character on the eve of the decisive battle — which had allowed him to prepare for the worst and indirectly assisted the Wei army — rewarded him with the title of Grand Master, but did not permit him to remain in Hebei. He was to be brought back to Chang'an first for re-education and reform.

"Li Zhong is a man from Donglai. Who knows, when we campaign against Qing Province in the future, he may yet prove useful."

After making these arrangements, Diwu Lun was still optimistic, estimating that with Jing Dan and Geng Chun coordinating, the bandit-suppression campaigns in You and Ji might well conclude by summer, and might even push on toward Qing Province...

Yet just as Diwu Lun was traveling south and reached Handan, two reports arrived almost simultaneously, and at once forced him to push the timeline for the complete pacification of You and Ji back to autumn.

"The Heishan bandit Shang Huai Kuang declares that Liu Ziyu is not dead."

"The Bohai bandit Chengtou Zilu likewise claims that Liu Ziyu is still alive and well!"

The territories of these two sides were cut off from each other by the various commanderies under Wei army control, and they should have lost contact with one another, yet this coincidence — both once again raising the banner of Liu Ziyu — made Diwu Lun laugh in sheer exasperation!

"First a fake Ziyu, and now a fake Wang Lang has appeared too?"

In the past, Lu Fang had actually not died but was "declared dead," giving rise to the farce of two Lu Fangs' heads.

Hebei, however, was the complete opposite: Liu Ziyu was truly and genuinely dead, yet he had been "resurrected" — and twice at once, no less. Was this Impure World Reincarnation, or mitosis? This is sheer farce!

But it also revealed the determination of the two bands of roving bandit remnants to resist the Wei army to the bitter end, which set Diwu Lun to reflecting:

"In the lands of You and Ji, I cannot merely dispatch generals to stay behind and fight an endless security war against the roving bandits — treating only the symptoms will not do."

"I must still address the very roots from which these roving bandits spring — cure the disease itself!"

……

PS: Was watching the match and got a bit late, sorry about that.

Tomorrow's updates will be at 18:00 and 23:00.