Chapter 437: Five-Headed Abalone

"Your outer vassal Fu Long, bearing the command of the King of Wei, has come to Linzi to pay his respects to the King of Qi."

Diwu Lun moved swiftly: in the third month of spring, Grand Palace Grandee Fu Long — who had placed second in last year's civil service examination — was dispatched to the Qi region.

The King of Qi, Zhang Bu, received him in the old Han-era Qi royal palace at Linzi. The man had a ruddy complexion, his face and nose covered with pimples. Unconstrained by formalities, he saw that Fu Long was still stiffly delivering diplomatic pleasantries in the elegant tongue, so he laughed in his native dialect: "Isn't this my Langya hometown fellow Fu Bowen? Back when your honored father, Lord Fu, expounded the classics at Dongwu City, I — then serving as Master of Fates of the Five Majesties under the Xin — went to sit in on his lectures and was deeply instructed. I count myself half a disciple."

"If you and your father were not already prospering under the King of Wei, I would certainly invite you back! Only fellow townsmen who know one's roots can be trusted."

Fu Long did indeed know Zhang Bu, but he would never have imagined that after the Red Eyebrows had moved far off and Mother Lü had died of illness, leaving the whole of Qing Province without any major power, it would be Zhang Bu — a Xin Dynasty official — who rose to prominence.

Zhang Bu had first risen in Langya; as a Xin official and local magnate, he pulled together a few thousand men to start out. The powerful families of Qing Province, dreading the ravages of the Red Eyebrows and roving bandits, were willing to let him serve as their territorial commander. After two years of campaigning, apart from Pingyuan Commandery, which remained in the hands of Cheng Tou Zilu, nine commanderies and kingdoms — from Jinan and Qiancheng in the west to Donglai and Langya in the east — were all under the control of Zhang Bu, his brothers, and his trusted followers. He had nearly unified the whole Haidai region!

Truly, when the mountain has no tiger, the monkey becomes king. Zhang Bu was quite swollen with pride. He first invited Fu Long to take a seat at the banquet, and what was brought out was abalone — a specialty of the Qing Province seacoast.

Fu Long had not tasted this seafood for many years. Once it entered his mouth, it truly stirred both joy and sorrow.

Looking at Zhang Bu, he was downing them one after another; he clearly indulged in this delicacy often — no wonder his face was so bloated with pimples.

Over the briny, fishy abalone, Zhang Bu reminisced with his young fellow townsman: "Bowen, how long has it been since you left the Qi region?"

Fu Long replied: "Six years ago, I followed my father to his post in Henei and have never returned since."

"As you can see, have the scenes and customs of our homeland changed much?"

These words touched Fu Long's sorest spot. He recalled that when he had studied in Linzi, this place had been exceedingly wealthy and prosperous, with a huge population — a great city ranking alongside Chang'an and Luoyang. Walking along Linzi's two busiest streets, Zhuang and Yue, one would see marketplaces crammed with people, packed from morning till dusk. Truly, carriage hubs struck one another, shoulders rubbed together, joined lapels formed a curtain, and raised sleeves made a canopy…

And its people all played the yu and struck the pipa, beat the zhu and plucked the qin, fought cocks and raced hounds, played liubo and kicked the cuju ball — every household was well-off, every person content, their spirits high and their bearing proud.

Yet coming back after the great chaos, the former bustling places were now scenes of desolation. The common people lacked clothes and food; many passersby on the roads wore tattered rags, emaciated and gaunt with hunger. One often saw villagers weeping and wailing before grave mounds, striking pots and tapping bottles, singing "Wormwood Lane" to mourn the kin and friends who had died in the famines and plagues of the previous year.

Of course, one could still occasionally glimpse people in splendid attire — mostly Zhang Bu's subordinates and clansmen, who had now elevated themselves into the rulers of the Qi region. For this, they had to thank the Red Eyebrows, who, when they rose in arms, had swept through the various Liu clans of Qing Province in one wave, hauling them all off to be cowherds and swineherds.

Fu Long had seen the Han-era household census figures in Chang'an: Qing Province comprised five commanderies and four kingdoms, with 980,000 households and 4,080,000 people — though, of course, there must have been many hidden households. But after suffering the great chaos, with so many dead or fled into hiding, how many households and mouths could Zhang Bu now actually control?

Still, as the master of an entire province, in terms of sheer hard power, Zhang Bu was stronger than the Liang Han regime he nominally obeyed.

Having heard Fu Long's lament, Zhang Bu laughed: "That was the past two years. Now it is different."

He began to flaunt his military might: "Earlier this year, while the King of Wei was battling the Tongma in Hebei, the Youlai and Datong roving bandits — over a hundred thousand strong — invaded and occupied Qiancheng and Jinan. How fierce were they? But the moment this king led his army to their camp, they scattered and fled in all directions, and the two commanderies were taken."

"Last month, Liu Yong was struck by the Red Eyebrows; Suiyang fell, and he even begged me to come to his sovereign's aid."

Zhang Bu said pointedly: "Bowen, tell me — should this king go to his aid?"

If he meant to go, he would have gone long ago — why wait until now?

Fu Long set down his chopsticks: "In the Han, there were many kings of different surnames, but apart from the Changsha line, which died out on its own, who ever met a good end? Han Xin, who once served as King of Qi, was killed like a hunted hare once the hounds were no longer needed — a hero of his age, ending with head and body in separate places. Liu Yong has suffered the Red Eyebrows' chaos; Suiyang is already lost, and he has been repeatedly defeated by the Red Eyebrows. His doom awaits no day — this Your Majesty has heard. Far better to sever ties with him now and establish yourself as an independent king!"

Zhang Bu had assumed Fu Long had come to persuade him to submit to Diwu Lun; he never expected such words, and his interest was suddenly piqued.

Fu Long continued: "In the realm today, only our King of Wei is divinely martial and rouses to action, using the few to overcome the many. Thus the Eight Colonels of the former Xin Northern Army melted away at the sight of his banners; Longyou and the Greenwood men were all shattered. Wang Lang, with the entire army of Zhao, crumbled at Quyang; the Tongma's million-strong host surrendered in Hebei. Now, Front General Jing Dan has dispatched a call to arms to a hundred thousand You Province troops and is besieging the Bohai bandits; Left Chancellor Geng Chun has arrayed a hundred thousand troops in Hebei to mop up remnant villains; and General of the Valiant Cavalry Ma Wenyuan has encamped a hundred thousand troops at Xingyang to observe how the situation shifts."

Wasn't this just boasting? Fu Long looked honest, but his basic skills as a diplomat were not lacking. In any case, Zhang Bu had no idea how many troops Diwu Lun had actually conscripted; he only knew that the King of Wei indeed held several provinces and was the greatest power under heaven. The abalone in his mouth suddenly lost its savor.

Fu Long also carried Diwu Lun's state letter, which he now handed over to Zhang Bu.

Zhang Bu opened it and saw it read: "To the King of Qi, with respect. In the past, when Zhou perished, the Warring States contended, and the realm was divided; only after several generations was it settled. Today is the same. The virtue of Han is exhausted, yet the hearts of the various Lius have not died; men like Liu Yong and Liu Xiu all wish to revive the house of Han."

"The realm is the realm of all under heaven, not the realm of the Liu clan alone. In former days, when Qi and Wei recognized each other as kings at Xuzhou, the Zhou mandate crumbled, and the Warring States began. I wish only to join forces with the King of Qi to overthrow the various Han regimes and together resist the Red Eyebrows!"

This was an expression of willingness to ally with Zhang Bu — together to "oppose the Lius and pacify the bandits." The King of Wei was powerful; if he concentrated his forces and struck from Ji and You provinces into Qing Province, Zhang Bu, though he could resist step by step, truly could not withstand it. Now, receiving Diwu Lun's own handwriting and knowing he had no intention of an eastern campaign, Zhang Bu could not help but be overjoyed.

He speculated inwardly: "Could it be that Diwu Lun has trouble in his rear and cannot turn his full strength eastward?"

That being the case, Zhang Bu could free his hands and feet, and while the main forces of Liang Han were locked in battle with the Red Eyebrows, slowly nibble away at Taishan, Chengyang, Donghai, and other places.

"The King of Wei asks the King of Qi to be sure to beware of the King of Wu, Xiu."

Fu Long said: "The Spring and Autumn Annals say that Wu is a great boar and a long serpent. In the past, when King Fuchai of Wu and King Goujian of Yue marched north to contend for hegemony, they had first to pass through Donghai and Langya and strike into the Qi region! So it is today: the King of Wu, Xiu, has the look of an eagle gazing and a wolf glancing back; he harbors the intent to roll up Xuzhou, envelop Haidai, and even swallow Qing Province! This must be guarded against!"

Indeed, as the Liang army withdrew northward, the Wu army had begun to enter the Huai-Si region. If the King of Wu then conveniently seized Donghai Commandery, he would threaten Zhang Bu's hometown of Langya — though Langya was part of the Qi region, under the Han it had been placed under Xuzhou's jurisdiction, which made him quite nervous.

Zhang Bu agreed: "From this day, Bu wishes to split a tally and exchange envoys with the King of Wei, together to destroy the Han and pacify the rebels."

He turned his head and shouted: "Men! Pick out the finest five-headed abalone and send it to the King of Wei to taste the freshness!"

…

Yet only a few days after Fu Long departed, Zhang Bu received, in that very same place, an envoy from the south: the King of Wu, Xiu's, special emissary, Zhu You.

Zhu You also presented Liu Xiu's state letter. In his missive, Xiu's posture was even lower than Diwu Lun's — more humble, more sincere and generous.

"Admiring your virtue and righteousness, I long to form ties with you. Guan Zhong said: 'He who gave me life was my parents; he who completed me was Baozi.' From this day forward, let us correspond by our own hand, and pay no heed to the divisive words of others."

The King of Wu wished to forge with the King of Qi a friendship like that of Guan and Bao!

Zhu You said: "The King of Wu is willing to swear brotherhood with the King of Qi, as brothers of different surnames. Wu shall take Donghai and Pengcheng; all the lands of Yan Province shall go to the King of Qi!"

"Only, the King of Qi must guard against the enemy to the north!"

"The King of Wei, Lun, betrayed Wang Mang as a subject; his words are not to be trusted. Earlier, he had already secured Guanzhong, then led his troops east, gathered the soldiers of Bing Province, and seized all of Heshuo. Now he intends to hold Heluo in the south. His intent is to devour the whole realm without rest; his insatiable greed is this extreme."

"The King of Qi must beware lest the King of Wei dispatch a great general to emulate Yue Yi's conquest of Qi!"

Zhang Bu treated him with equal courtesy, and in the end, followed the old rule: presenting abalone for the King of Wu to taste the freshness.

"Send six-headed abalone!"

Five heads and six heads — this showed clearly the weight Diwu Lun and Liu Xiu held in his mind; the former was still slightly higher.

But with envoys from Wei and Wu taking turns at his door, each wanting Zhang Bu to beware of the other, Zhang Bu was instead puffed up to an extraordinary degree.

He boasted: "Back when Han Xin was king in the Qi region, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu took turns sending men to curry favor with him. The fate of those two kings rested in Han Xin's hands. If he cast right, Liu Bang won; if he cast left, Xiang Yu won."

"And now, though Diwu Lun is strong, his position does not match Han Gaozu's, and he still has Long and Shu threatening his rear. The King of Wu, Xiu, rose in Jiangdong; he is brave and skilled in war, but whether in reputation or power, he does not equal the Hegemon-King of Chu."

"I sit in possession of the nine commanderies of Qi, with over three million living souls — my power is no less than Han Xin's!"

As one wanes, the other waxes. If Han Xin, with a single stray thought back then, could have stood as a third leg of a tripod, how much more so he, Zhang Bu?

"Liang has lost its deer; Wei, Wu, and the Red Eyebrows contend for it — can I not contend for it too?"

Zhang Bu kept the finest three-headed abalone for himself to eat: "Donghai, Yan Province — I want them all!"

…

While Fu Long was on his mission to the Qi region, Diwu Lun had also returned to Guanzhong. Following the Xiao-Han valley, after inspecting Hongnong and the newly built strategic pass at Tong Pass, he entered Weibei.

He first went back to Linqu Village in Changling to offer sacrifices at the ancestral tombs. His grandfather, Diwu Ba, had recovered slightly after the start of spring, but he constantly murmured about wanting to return to the old home, so they had moved him back.

"So, old as I am, I'm Wu Ba now?"

Diwu Ba spoke of Diwu Lun's surname change with the same jesting fury: "In other families, sons and grandsons follow the father's or grandfather's surname. In ours, how nice — the grandfather follows his grandson's."

After telling the old man about the situation at Tian Heng's tomb, Diwu Lun summoned the Director of the Imperial Clan, Diba Jiao, to see him.

"Dou You, Governor of Wuwei Commandery in Liang Province — he was once an old friend of yours, was he not, Jizheng?"

Diba Jiao reported: "When I was exiled by the Xin Mang regime to Xihai Commandery, it happened that the Qiang rose in revolt and the commandery seat was breached. I fled north by a roundabout route, all the way to Wuwei to take refuge, and fell ill there. I spent some time recuperating in Guzang city, and was much indebted to Governor Dou for sending people to look after me. Otherwise I could never have returned to Guanzhong alive."

Diwu Lun smiled. "I have always known Jizheng never forgets a debt of gratitude. Now is the time to repay that kindness."

"Dou You is Dou Rong's younger cousin. His family has held office in Hexi for generations. Only days ago he sent his eldest son, Dou Gu, to court as a gentleman attendant, who has now arrived in Chang'an from the new Qinzhong. He also submitted a memorial, tearfully pleading that the Qiang raids are incessant, that he is constantly bullied by the Xiongnu and coerced by Wei Ao, and that, seeing how our king has driven back the barbarians, he has long admired us in his heart and is willing to break away from Longyou and submit to Wei."

For Diwu Lun, this was a pillow delivered just as he grew drowsy. In the east, the Qing, Xu, and Haidai regions were beyond his reach; he could only exploit Zhang Bu's ambition to cause a little trouble for Xiur, and keep the King of Wu from swallowing everything in one fat bite.

But in the west, Diwu Lun could personally manage every detail.

"For the post of Inspector of Liang Province, Dou Rong could have taken it, but the capital region cannot do without the Duke of Zhou. After much thought, Jizheng is still the most suitable!"

"In the latter half of this year, I will personally lead the campaign against Longyou. But the Long terrain is treacherous and hard to attack. If Jizheng, as Inspector of Liang Province, coordinates the four Hexi commanderies — Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang — and has Dou You and the others launch troops from the west to strike Wei Ao in a pincer, then great success can be achieved!"