Chapter 539: The Adversary

By the end of the fifth month of the second year of Wude, the day after Wang Mang was executed, bloodstains still marked the Azure Dragon sculpture on the eastern gate-tower of Weiyang Palace. Diwu Lun deliberately ordered that no one wipe them away — let them remain there.

Diwu Lun put it this way: "Even when it rains, hold umbrellas to shield them. Let this tyrant's blood bake under the scorching sun and linger here forever, to warn me, and to warn those who come after! This shall be the Deer Terrace of our age."

As for the executioner's block on which Wang Mang was beheaded, Diwu Lun had it dismantled and moved into the main hall of Weiyang Palace for safekeeping. That place had once been where the Han dynasty hung the Snake-Slaying Sword; later, when Wang Mang supplanted the Han, he moved in the Twelve Divine Artifacts that symbolized his Heaven-bestowed mandate.

"Han and Xin each had their divine artifacts; Wei shall have them too."

"In addition to the Falling-Cherry-Blossom Axe that raised troops at Hongmen and the Scythe of Leveling All Things, we shall add this block."

No one dared voice opposition. After all, Wang Mang had done something far more absurd: he made a well cover into a divine artifact. The executioner's block had beheaded Wang Mang before the eyes of the multitude and was stained with the tyrant's blood — it was certainly worth preserving.

Diwu Lun even bestowed upon it an elegant name: the Dragon-Slaying Block!

The events of this day would be remembered by all under Heaven for many years, even many generations. Whether the imperial kinsmen and officials standing atop the walls, or the common folk gazing up from the square below — Diwu Lun especially wanted his sons and grandsons to remember. Though the cyclical law of dynasties could not be reversed, there was no need to court one's own destruction.

"When the Crown Prince is a little older, I shall bring him to see this Dragon-Slaying Block, and tell him: old Wang Mang died upon it — and how many years has it been since?"

The man was dead at last, and the ministers of Wei all breathed a sigh of relief. But immediately, a new problem followed: what was to be done with Wang Mang's corpse?

Ren Guang, the Colonel of Grain Procurement, had been only a village clerk under the Xin dynasty and carried the lightest historical baggage. He proposed: "Long ago, when King Wu attacked Zhou, Emperor Xin fled to the Deer Terrace and burned himself to death. King Wu arrived, cut off Emperor Xin's head, and hung it from a white banner. Now that Your Majesty, following Heaven's will and the people's hearts, has executed the tyrant of the fallen dynasty, his head should likewise be displayed from a five-colored banner for the masses to see!"

Diwu Lun approved, agreeing to have it hung on the eastern gate-tower for three days, but he also assigned special guards to watch over it, ensuring no crows or sparrows pecked at it, and no commoners threw stones.

Peng Chong, the Commandant of Justice who had personally carried out Wang Mang's execution, offered an even more ingenious suggestion: "Wang Mang's crimes are monstrous beyond measure. Better to have his skull specially treated and preserved forever in the state treasury."

Diwu Lun shot him a glare and did not agree. He merely ordered that after Wang Mang's head had been displayed for three days, it was to be collected and buried together with the body.

"Compared to the emperors of Qin and Han, Wang Mang did one thing rather well: he was always frugal. He built no mausoleum for himself, and was buried according to commoner's rites west of the Longevity Park at the Wei Mausoleum."

That was because the Wang Mang family burial ground was located there. After his wife, the Xin dynasty's Empress Xiaomu, died, a "Mausoleum of a Million Years" was built for her in the Longevity Park. But during the Greenwood Army's entry into the pass, the tombs of Wang Mang's uncles and his late wife were all dug up and burned. That area was now a scorched wasteland of ruined graves. Diwu Lun allocated special funds from the Privy Treasury and ordered men to tidy the place up, to at least give old Wang Mang a place to rest.

The astute Ren Guang sensed that although Diwu Lun had killed Wang Mang, his feelings toward this former sovereign were still somewhat complicated. He therefore requested an order: "Your Majesty, since our dynasty acknowledges the Xin as the legitimate successor to the Han, should we not grant Wang Mang a posthumous name?"

Diwu Lun countered with a question: "Where did King Zhou's posthumous name come from?"

Ren Guang could not answer this. It took the widely learned and well-informed Wang Long, the Minister of Ceremonies, to report: "Your Majesty, the Shang people had temple names and honorific titles but no posthumous names. Posthumous names are a Zhou institution. Thus, in the Zuo Commentary, even the grandees of Song — descendants of the Shang — have no posthumous names. This title 'King Zhou' was likely a derogatory label attached by the Zhou people."

"There is no one but me who can render the final verdict on Wang Mang."

Diwu Lun nodded slightly. "In that case, let us leave him a posthumous name."

By convention, this task would be handed to the Erudites of the Six Classics under the Minister of Ceremonies to research the canons and precedents. But Diwu Lun wanted to reserve this task — to reserve it for one man.

"This man is the most learned scholar under Heaven today, surpassing those old men of the Six Classics. With him handling this matter, I can rest easy."

The assembled ministers looked at one another. Surely it wasn't Feng Yan, Feng Jingtong! That fellow had gone to the Chengjia regime and there had been no word from him since.

Diwu Lun announced the news with a smile: "It is my old friend Huan Tan. That wild scholar, it turns out, is still alive. Dou Rong has reported that Huan Junshan has already reached Luoyang and will arrive in Chang'an within days!"

In the third year of King Xiu of Wu (AD 26), at the end of the fifth month, Pei County in Yu Province had long been occupied by the Han army. Feng County, a few dozen li further west, was the tacit boundary between the Han and Wei spheres. Yu Province was now exhausted and barren, full of depopulated zones and bandits; neither side had any desire to expand its territory further.

On this day, the Sishui Precinct in the eastern part of Pei County became unusually bustling: King Liu Xiu of Wu had come in person to pay his respects at the local Gao Temple.

Besides the Gao Temple in Chang'an, the Han dynasty had also established them in the commanderies and kingdoms — after all, he was the dynastic founder. Later, during several rounds of ancestral temple reforms, the local temples of other emperors were abolished, but Liu Bang's temple proved remarkably resilient. In the Feng and Pei region especially, even after the Han fell, the Gao Temple was carefully protected by the local gentry and commoners, who revered it as a tutelary deity guarding the region. Even the Red Eyebrow Army, when they passed through, did not trouble it.

This Sishui Precinct was originally a low-lying area full of marshes, but it sat on a vital communication route east of the county seat, with the Si River flowing past.

Liu Xiu stood on the bridge beside the Gao Temple, gazing steadily at the unceasing current. Over two hundred years ago, when Liu Bang had drunk too much at the wineshops of the Widow Wu and Old Woman Wang, had he too sat by this ancient bridge, just like this?

Lai Xi, who had accompanied Liu Xiu here, saw that Liu Xiu had not smiled all day. He pointed to the surroundings and said:

"Think back to those days: the Exalted Emperor, as a mere Precinct Chief, governed this territory of ten li square, with only a few constables and precinct attendants under him. Yet in the end, he led the young men of Feng and Pei, raised a three-foot sword, and swept the realm clean."

Having drawn Liu Xiu's attention, Lai Xi added fervently: "The Exalted Emperor was past forty and still a commoner, while you, Great King, are only thirty-one and already a feudal lord, holding two provinces. Hegemony is within reach! Great King, we must exert ourselves!"

Liu Xiu smiled and clapped Lai Xi on the shoulder. "Uncle Jun is no outsider. Before you, I won't put on a show of bravado. Let me speak the honest truth."

"Though I often take the Exalted Emperor as my model, speaking strictly of the facts, the enemies the Exalted Emperor faced were not as formidable as the one I face."

"The Exalted Emperor's great enterprise came late, but as the Duke of Pei, within three years he entered the pass, destroyed Qin, and his name resounded across the realm. I, however, have wasted several years and fought only the Battle of Kunyang, earning a modest reputation. The Xin dynasty was destroyed by Diwu Lun; even Wang Mang was captured by him."

"And Diwu Lun's temperament is utterly different from Xiang Yu's." Liu Xiu's voice sank low.

"This man is cautious, advancing step by step and consolidating each gain. I thought that after his great victory over the Red Eyebrows, he would grow arrogant for a time and send troops directly to strike Qing Province and enter Xu Province. Had he done so, it would have given me the chance to join forces with Zhang Bu and wait at ease for a weary enemy. But Diwu Lun is far too careful. He was content to take Yan and Yu provinces and set his soldiers and captives to farming military colonies."

This steady, methodical, upright approach left Liu Xiu with no good way to break the deadlock for the time being. Even if he tried diplomatic maneuvering, his leverage was nowhere near Diwu Lun's.

Liu Xiu gazed at the channel of the Si River. "Coming to Sishui Precinct today, I would like to sing out, 'A great wind rises, the clouds fly and scatter.' Yet at this moment, I can only sing the 'Song of the Swan.'"

This was also a poem by Liu Bang. Contrary to the common image of an illiterate boor, the Exalted Emperor was a man very adept at learning. By his later years, he had read quite a few of the sages' books and could even compose simple verse.

"The swan soars high, rising a thousand li in one stroke. Its pinions are fully fledged; it spans the four seas."

Liu Xiu turned his head and cast his gaze to the northwest, where thick banks of clouds were drifting in.

"It spans the four seas — what can be done? Though we have arrows and bowstrings, where can we aim them?"

Liu Xiu pointed at that mass of dark clouds. "Here and now, this swan that spans the four seas — is Diwu Lun."

That mighty enemy had already swept across the north. His outspread wings reached east to You Province and west to Liang Province, occupying the richest, most populous heartland of the Central Plains. The six remaining powers — Wu, Shu, Qi, Chu, the Hu-Han, and the Red Eyebrow remnants — all lay under the shadow of that swan's wings. It was precisely a replay of the late Warring States, when mighty Qin devoured the realm like a whale.

Liu Xiu sighed. "Uncle Jun, this means we are fated to fight the strong from a position of weakness."

Lai Xi retorted, "So what if he is strong? At Kunyang, Great King, you held thirty thousand with three thousand — what heroism was that!"

"Today, facing Diwu Lun, it is two provinces against his seven — merely one against four."

But the circumstances were entirely different. Back then, Liu Xiu had been dealing with the feeble Xin dynasty. Now, he faced Diwu Lun's Wei, rising like a morning sun, brimming with keen vigor!

"Is the Great King truly afraid?"

Seeing Liu Xiu still in this mood, Lai Xi was deeply displeased. "If you are afraid, then when Diwu Lun sent Yin Xing to deliver his edict, you could have simply accepted it and become his 'King of Wu of Great Wei'!"

Liu Xiu instead brought up another matter.

"Uncle Jun, do you know what Diwu Lun's intention was in sending Yin Xing as an envoy to Pengcheng?"

At the mention of this, Lai Xi flew into a rage. "That whelp Diwu! The purpose, of course, was to humiliate you, Great King!"

"Humiliation — exactly." Liu Xiu nodded. "Diwu Lun deliberately subdued the Yin brothers, who nearly became my in-laws, and dispatched them as envoys, to provoke me into attacking in anger. This shows that strong as Diwu Lun is, he still regards me with considerable wariness. That is why his conduct toward me differs from his conduct toward Qi and Shu."

"But beyond that, Diwu Lun had another purpose."

Liu Xiu could understand what Diwu Lun felt. "Diwu Lun must be lonely too, I imagine. In just a few years since raising his banner at Hongmen, he has nearly unified the entire north. Liu Ziyu, Wei Ao, the Red Eyebrows — none were his match. Even my elder brother Bosheng died at the Wei River. Diwu Lun draws his sword and looks around — perhaps he, too, feels lonely..."

"Therefore, he wants to force me — force me to refuse his kingship, to break with him early. Force me to formally become his enemy!"

"Diwu Lun, regard me as your rival!"

Liu Xiu's earlier melancholy vanished, and he laughed — this was something that made him rather proud.

Lai Xi sensed the shift in his lord's mood: "Your Highness merely refused to see Yin Xing and sent him back — is that all the response you'll give?"

"Of course not."

Liu Xiu smiled. "Long before Yin Xing arrived, I had already entrusted Huan Tan to deliver my 'declaration of war' to Diwu Lun!"

Standing on the bridge at Sishui Pavilion, he drew an empty bow, aiming at the dark clouds that stretched across the four seas.

"I am a descendant of Emperor Gao, the last hope of the Great Han."

"Even if all I hold is a single tethered arrow."

"I will still face Diwu Lun head-on, draw this mighty bow, and aim straight at his face!"

……

The familiar commanderies and kingdoms were scarred and ravaged; even where there had been some recovery, they still fell far short of the days of peace.

And when he entered Tong Pass, Huan Tan learned that Wang Mang had already been executed by Diwu Lun, and could not help but feel regret.

"I still didn't make it in time to see old Wang one last time."

The one thing that comforted Huan Tan was that, as he entered the city of Chang'an, Diwu Lun personally came to greet him before the gates of Weiyang Palace — an exceedingly rare honor of the highest order.

Had it been any general or official of the State of Wei, they would have been moved to prostrate themselves in gratitude, yet Huan Tan remained his usual wildly unconventional self, unhurriedly descending from his donkey cart and slowly exchanging a bow with Diwu Lun — as an equal.

The sight made the personal guards bristle with fury; had they not heard that this old fellow was a friend of His Majesty, they would have stepped forward, raised their blades, and struck him hard on the legs to see if his kneecaps were truly that stiff!

Diwu Lun, however, took no offense. Huan Tan was not his subject; if the man had come crawling on his knees at first sight, he would not be Huan Junshan.

"Junshan."

Diwu Lun also clasped his hands toward his old friend, and noticed that Huan Tan's hair had gone from jet black to streaked with gray, his body gaunt and bony. He had heard that Huan Tan had once been captured by the Red Eyebrows and later nearly died of a grave illness — it seemed he had truly endured much hardship in the south.

"Your Majesty, Emperor of Wei." Huan Tan at least refrained from addressing Diwu Lun by his courtesy name. He drew closer to study him. Today Diwu Lun wore only ordinary robes, with little ceremonial display and no imperial pomp — knowing Huan Tan's preferences, he understood that if he put on too much of a show, this fellow would simply flick his sleeves and leave.

But after all, they had not seen each other for so long, and their stations had changed so drastically. Each had a bellyful of words to speak, yet neither knew where to begin, and for a moment there was an awkward silence.

It was Diwu Lun who broke the stillness first, smiling. "Does Junshan still recall the 'man of the village lanes' of old?"

This was how Huan Tan had appraised Diwu Lun when they first met. Yet Huan Tan showed no embarrassment, merely replying: "Has Your Majesty not heard the saying, 'The noble man changes like a leopard'?"

"A noble man is like a young leopard — ugly and common at birth. Just so, when Your Majesty was first recommended as Filial and Incorrupt, you were still young, circumspect in family matters, obedient and harmonious among your kin and fellows — were you not precisely a mere man of the village lanes?"

Huan Tan paced over to the gentlemen guards attending Diwu Lun, reached out and stroked the tassels of their swords, deliberately provoking them, and laughed heartily. "Later, as a Palace Gentleman and a commandery clerk, your literary and historical work was without flaw, you acted with vigor, intelligence, and benevolence — a man of the county court."

"Thereafter, when you campaigned beyond the northern frontier, you were trustworthy, sincere, and steadfast in conduct, incorruptible, fair, and just, managing those below and serving those above — one could call you a man of the province and commandery."

"After you took control of Wei Commandery, your reputation and conduct were lofty, you proved capable in governance, magnanimous yet firm in your principles — then you became a man worthy of the highest ministerial offices."

At last he walked back before Diwu Lun and clasped his hands toward him: "Later still, when you raised troops at Hongmen and overthrew the tyrannical Mang, all under Heaven finally knew that Your Majesty's talent is lofty and peerless, set far apart from the multitude, able in many things to plan for the age and establish great deeds — beyond all doubt, a man of all under Heaven!"

Having spoken, he stroked his beard with emotion and said: "If Yang Ziyun could know this day, he could close his eyes in peace."

This was the transformation of Diwu Lun in Huan Tan's eyes — after ten years, he had become like a full-grown leopard, vigorous, powerful, and splendid.

No, no longer merely a leopard… but the "great man changing like a tiger"!

Diwu Lun shook his head. "In the past I grew so accustomed to Junshan's blunt, grating words; now, to be praised so rarely, I find it rather unfamiliar."

This was one of the reasons he needed Huan Tan. Diwu Lun had now entered a state where "the king's blindness is severe indeed" — even from men like Zhang Yu, who specialized in intelligence, the matters Diwu Lun heard had already passed through a layer of polish.

Diwu Lun then invited Huan Tan into his carriage, and as they rode toward the palace, he asked the question that concerned him most.

"In the southeast, did Junshan meet Liu Wenshu?"

Huan Tan replied: "When I was in Pengcheng, a kinsman of mine serving as an official in Wu made an introduction, and I shared several leisurely conversations with him, from dusk until dawn."

"How is Liu Xiu now?" Just as Liu Xiu had sensed, Diwu Lun paid him particular attention.

Huan Tan smiled. "He too is a man transformed like a leopard — a man of all under Heaven!"

And then Huan Tan began to praise Liu Xiu in an endless torrent: "Liu Xiu is broadly learned in the classics, and in political affairs, literary debate, and eloquence, he surpasses Your Majesty."

"Not only is he brilliant, clear-sighted, brave, and strategically astute, but he is open-hearted and utterly sincere, hiding nothing, magnanimous and great in his principles." As he said this, he cast a sidelong glance at Diwu Lun, as if to imply that Diwu Lun's own mind was deep and unfathomable.

"Liu Xiu's breadth of spirit and great tolerance, his ability to win men's hearts — in this he somewhat resembles Emperor Gao. Yet in governing the realm, though he lacks talents like Xiao He and Cao Shen to assist him, he can still surpass Emperor Gao. Jiangdong and Huainan have already begun to recover from the chaos of war."

And adding to this his martial brilliance in the great victory at Kunyang, Huan Tan declared with admiration: "Liu Xiu will surely succeed in restoring the Han."

Only at the very end did he add one more line: "Of course, the premise is that he never encounters an anomaly like Your Majesty."

Diwu Lun said: "Why does Junshan call me an anomaly?"

Having once been captured by the Red Eyebrows, Huan Tan now saw matters with even sharper clarity: "You were able to abduct Wang Mang and bring him to Chang'an. You could clearly have exiled him to some distant place, keeping your hands clean and winning renown — yet you deliberately let the people of the world cast tiles to decide his death. And then you set up a guillotine, executing not just one man, but a tyrant."

"Just as the Han destroyed the Qin and condemned the Qin, yet adopted Qin governance — Your Majesty killed Mang, yet seeks to continue his enterprise. In all these ways, are you not an anomaly?"

Diwu Lun immediately burst out laughing. "Huan Junshan, ah, Huan Junshan — it's a good thing you came north so early. If you were serving under Liu Xiu, sooner or later that mouth of yours, which speaks only the truth, would bring a great calamity down upon you!"

"Ah, yes."

As if he had only just remembered, Huan Tan said: "Liu Wenshu also asked me to bring Your Majesty a message."

He looked at Diwu Lun and saw that the Emperor of Wei had stopped laughing and was listening with rapt attention.

Huan Tan drew from his bosom a jade pendant — the very piece of fine jade that Diwu Lun had given to Liu Xiu many years ago in Nanyang — and returned it to its owner.

"Liu Xiu said: Han and Wei cannot both stand."

"Since we cannot be friends in this life, then let us be rivals!"