Chapter 548: The Mountain Top

"His Majesty appointed Dou Rong as Right Chancellor, making him the head of the hundred officials, skipping straight past the Nine Ministers and ranking above the Grand Minister of Agriculture — this is a case of the latecomer surpassing the old-timers."

In the middle of the ninth month of the second year of Wude, within the mansion of the Grand Minister of Agriculture in Chang'an, a retainer was holding forth eloquently before the court heavy-weight Ren Guang.

"The reason given is that Dou Rong, stationed in Luoyang, transports grain and fodder for His Majesty and has rendered service equal to Xiao He's. But everyone under heaven knows that the one truly guarding the Guanzhong region, soothing the common people, supplying provisions, and ensuring the grain never runs out — that is the Grand Minister of Agriculture!"

He was seething with indignation, yet behind the writing desk, Ren Guang seemed not to hear a word, still staring fixedly at the paper documents before him, the click-clack of his abacus never pausing.

The retainer, blind to the mood, pressed on: "When the eastern regions ran short of grain, it was the Grand Minister of Agriculture who saved it from the Guanzhong stores and shipped it eastward. Now Dou Rong reaps all the benefit, while the Grand Minister of Agriculture's achievements are buried. All under heaven are crying out against this injustice on your behalf!"

Ren Guang, however, raised his head and said with honest good humor: "Your words are mistaken. What injustice have I suffered? His Majesty enfeoffed me as a Marquis, and my fief has been moved to the vicinity of my hometown, Wancheng in Nanyang — two thousand households on rich, fertile land. Since I began following our sage sovereign, I have achieved not an inch of merit. To receive such a grand reward already shames me; how dare I harbor discontent?"

With that, Ren Guang stopped the retainer, who still wanted to speak further, and waved a hand, ordering the man to be led away. At the end, he instructed the household steward: "In the future, if this man requests an audience again, there is no need to announce it. He has not a single suggestion that would benefit the state or the people, but his belly is full of foul water, hoping to win trust by attacking my so-called 'political rivals.' It is best to keep such a man at a distance."

"Understood, Grand Minister of Agriculture. Shall we expel this man from the mansion?"

Ren Guang was a meticulous man and only replied: "That won't be necessary. I have lately been recruiting many old acquaintances from Nanyang as retainers, intending to recommend them to His Majesty. If this guest, foolish and ignorant, were driven out and then babbled recklessly, it would make me appear as heartless as Chen Sheng — that would be worse. The mansion can spare one more mouth to feed. Keep him for now, but demote him to a lower-rank guest, with no fish or meat supplied. Let him leave of his own accord out of shame."

Having dealt with this matter, Ren Guang continued working his abacus. This device had been made on the Emperor's orders. Ren Guang had spent two days and two nights mastering it, becoming the first to achieve proficiency, and had earned a fine round of praise from the Son of Heaven. As Grand Minister of Agriculture, he managed the realm's coin and grain. Now that the autumn harvest was complete, the annual accounting in the tenth month was approaching, and the Emperor intended to establish at least two new armies — this was the busiest time. Though Ren Guang did not need to oversee every last detail, he still had to grasp the overall framework, lest the subordinate accounting clerks deceive him.

Just as he was deep in work, the household steward returned and reported: "Grand Minister of Agriculture, Ren Yan has arrived!"

Ren Guang started, and this time he stopped his calculations entirely. After straightening his robes and cap, he said: "Quickly, invite him to the main hall to meet."

Before long, the steward ushered a very young Confucian scholar into the hall. Ren Guang went to greet him with a smile: "Zhangsun, you have finally come! Your 'clan grandnephew' here has been waiting eagerly!"

The visitor's name was Ren Yan, courtesy name Zhangsun, a native of Wan in Nanyang Commandery. Though barely past twenty, in terms of generational seniority, he was actually Ren Guang's clan granduncle!

Ren Yan was one of the three "Divine Prodigies" of Nanyang in this age. At twelve, he had become a student at the Imperial Academy. An ordinary person — his senior schoolmate Liu Xiu, for instance — could only master one classic, but Ren Yan could simultaneously master the Odes, the Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals. Regrettably, the realm later fell into chaos, and Ren Yan never completed his studies. He fled to Longxi to take refuge and spent a few years within the Western Han regime, but refused to serve as an official under Wei Ao.

Ren Guang invited Ren Yan to sit: "Last year, when Wei Ao fled south and the Long region was largely pacified, I was anxious for Zhangsun's safety and specially had Wu Ziyan search for you. Only later did I learn that Zhangsun had long since returned to Nanyang via Hanzhong…"

But at that time, Nanyang was plagued by the Red Eyebrows, and the Ren family had long since been seized and destroyed. Ren Yan could only hide and flee from place to place. Only after the Red Eyebrows were annihilated and Cen Peng entered Wan did he finally return to his hometown.

Upon learning this, Ren Guang immediately wrote a letter inviting Ren Yan to come to court.

"Zhangsun is a man of great talent. Now that the north is settled, this is the time for a true man to assist a wise sovereign and bring peace to the realm. How old is Zhangsun this year?"

Ren Yan, somewhat overwhelmed by the enthusiasm of this "clan grandnephew" whom he had only glimpsed a few times at clan sacrificial rites since childhood, simply cupped his hands and replied: "I am now twenty-two."

Ren Guang clapped his hands: "Youthful and accomplished! Our dynasty has a man named Feng Qin, who is only twenty-five this year and is already the august Governor of Henei. The realm is in turmoil, but it is also a fine time for heroes to rise. It is only a pity that Zhangsun missed this year's examinations. How about this: I am willing to recommend Zhangsun to the court!"

Reinstating recommendations was a measure Diwu Lun had resorted to out of necessity. After destroying the main Red Eyebrow force, Yu Province and Yan Province became Wei territory, suddenly adding over a dozen commanderies and leaving officials severely short. Local order had been all but destroyed by the Red Eyebrows, so Diwu Lun could only arrange appointments down to the level of commandery and county chief officials to guarantee the court's most basic control. For the lower bureau and section posts, aside from local magnates and scholars filling them, the only option was to let old subordinates recommend their sons, younger kin, old acquaintances, and retainers for trial appointments — half locals, half outsiders, at least mixing a bit of sand into the clay.

Ren Guang said: "Though you can only start as a commandery or county bureau clerk, the Sage Son of Heaven has always cherished talent. If you perform well, being promoted several ranks by special exception is not impossible."

Ren Yan thought for a moment: "This humble man would like to serve as a bureau clerk in Nanyang, assisting General Cen in restoring the region. If I do so, would I still be able to sit the examinations two years from now?"

"If you are willing to resign the post, there is no prohibition."

Ren Guang did not tell the whole story. Two years from now, the examinations might undergo reform, with a preliminary test held at the provincial level — only those who passed the preliminary would receive a place in the secondary examination.

Ren Yan gladly agreed. He was a prodigy; at the Imperial Academy, he had been able to master three classics, his learning was comprehensive, and he was quite confident about the examinations.

At this point, Ren Guang could not help but sigh with emotion: "The land of Nanyang, since the Zhou era, has been home to the various Ji-surnamed states of Hanyang. In the Chu era, it was the key stronghold of Wan and Ye, both beautiful and prosperous, a place of outstanding people and numinous terrain. In the past decade, there has been talk of the 'Three Divine Prodigies of Nanyang.' The first is Deng Yu of Xinye; the second is Zhangsun; and the third is Zhang Kan."

"In his youth, Zhang Kan inherited a family fortune of a million from his late father, yet he yielded it all to his cousin's son — an act praised throughout the commandery. At sixteen, he entered the Imperial Academy in Chang'an, his character and conduct outstanding. I also sent a letter inviting Zhang Kan, but he has yet to arrive."

Ren Yan, however, knew the reason: "There is something the Grand Minister of Agriculture does not know. In his youth, Zhang Kan had some ties with that Liu Wenshu, and he was also close friends with Lai Xi. After Liu Xiu declared himself Emperor of Han in the east, Zhang Kan went to Huainan to join him."

"Deng Yu also holds office in that 'Eastern Han,' already serving as Minister over the Masses."

Ren Yan, in truth, was not entirely satisfied with a minor bureau clerk post. He now seized the chance to say: "Setting other matters aside, those who join Liu Wenshu typically start with offices at the County Magistrate level or above. But upon entering Wei, one can only begin as a minor clerk."

Ren Yan continued: "'The chancellor must rise from the provinces and departments' — there is nothing improper in this practice. And the Wei sovereign, firmly holding the north, will surely be able to unify the realm. But other Nanyang men do not see it this way. When it comes to treating scholars with courtesy and humility, Liu Xiu indeed surpasses the Wei Emperor."

Ren Guang also sighed with regret. Their Emperor was highly wary of the recommendation system based on personal connections. And now that the Wei state had grown large, it was like a great ship hard to turn — many matters had to follow seniority and rank. Newly joined talents, even if their ability was outstanding, could not easily rise to prominence and gain important appointments right away.

"Thus it is that the men of Nanyang, each serving their own master, are split in two!"

"But the one who will triumph in the end must be the Wei sovereign!"

After seeing Ren Yan off, Ren Guang tallied up the Nanyang men he had recommended and placed in posts across various regions, and felt that the foundation stones of a great edifice were slowly being laid.

A state without factions is a thousand oddities. Factions did exist within Wei. If one considered only native place, aside from the overwhelmingly dominant scholars of the Five Tombs, a "Nanyang bloc" was also gradually taking shape.

In the court, there was himself, Ren Guang, serving among the Nine Ministers. In the regions, there was Yin Shi, who had pledged allegiance to Diwu Lun and been appointed Governor of Nanyang. In the army, there was Cen Peng, the General Who Guards the South, whose star was faintly rising.

This was why Ren Guang was not the least bit anxious about Dou Rong becoming Right Chancellor first.

Factional struggles in the court were hard to avoid. In Ren Guang's view, their Emperor was quite adept at exploiting this. The reason Dou Rong had risen was that he was a former official of the Xin Dynasty, capable only of being His Majesty's die-hard loyalist, and he was on poor terms with all other parties. If trouble arose, he could be dismissed and made to take the blame at any time without causing a court shakeup.

But as time passed, Ren Guang felt that His Majesty the Emperor would surely apply some restraint to the heroes of the Five Tombs. In the army, beyond the two generals Ma and Geng, he seemed to be fostering Cen Peng to share the credit.

And in the court, naturally, there must also be someone to balance His Majesty's in-laws, the Geng Chun clan, and the various Five Tombs ministers who were beginning to band together.

Thus Ren Guang hoped that when the Nanyang scholars became a mainstay, they might form yet another political bloc capable of contending with Hebei and the Five Tombs. And he, Ren Guang, would not decline the duty — he would be its leader!

Yet Ren Guang was also quite astute. Constantly recommending fellow townsmen was a case of "promoting the worthy without shunning kin," unable to bear seeing talent buried. No one had evidence to accuse him of forming a clique — it was a clique that was no clique. This was precisely what His Majesty could make use of. In the future, once the timing was right, he might use this to touch the Chancellor's seat.

Thinking along these lines, Ren Guang's mind turned to another matter…

"His Majesty has already appointed Ma Wenyuan as Grand General of the Cavalry, with overall command of military affairs west of the Pass. It seems like a promotion, but in reality, it is to transfer Ma Yuan away from the east, where merit is easily won, and have him drink the northwest's cold wind in Liang Province for a few years. By the time his turn comes to destroy Gongsun Shu, our dynasty's 'Grand' Generals will probably number quite a few…"

Grand General and XX Grand General were entirely different things. In the Han dynasty, the former meant holding both military and civil power in one person. The latter was Diwu Lun deliberately watering down the title. The first one was still precious, but it would soon proliferate and become standard issue.

Though he saw through Diwu Lun's political maneuvering, Ren Guang understood that beyond political skill and long-term planning, he still had to do his own job well and, at just the right moments, relieve His Majesty the Emperor's worries and solve his difficulties — only then could he earn the Sage Son of Heaven's particular esteem.

"According to the court's official dispatch, Ma Wenyuan will soon come west, and Wu Han will be transferred to the north, to Bing Province, to deal with the barbarian invaders."

Wu Han was a special figure. Because of his native place, and because he had been a subordinate Precinct Chief under Ren Guang back when Ren Guang was a township head, he was loosely counted as part of the Nanyang faction — though he himself was also the leader of the army's so-called "Yuyang clique."

Ren Guang murmured to himself: "Though he is a fine horse I have my eye on, if his temperament is too fierce and he kicks out wildly, even the rider will grow to detest him. I must write a letter to advise Wu Ziyan, telling him to keep the greater picture in mind and on no account stir up trouble!"

…

In the second year of Wude, mid-tenth month, just as the cold winds of Longxi were beginning to blow, Diwu Lun's adjustments to the various generals also reached Tianshui Commandery in Liang Province!

Upon learning that he was about to be transferred away from Longyou, Wu Han's feelings were mixed — first a breath of relief, followed immediately by some dejection and irritation.

The reason for his secret delight was that Longyou was simply too difficult to govern. Over the past half year, Wu Han's days could be described as "utterly exhausting and overwhelmed."

The Gongsun Emperor's schemes were beginning to bear fruit. The Xianlian Qiang to the west had been stirred into action. Counting on the fact that the Wei state could not assemble a large army in the impoverished region of Liang Province, they opposed Wu Han at every turn, using the highlands as their base to constantly raid and harass the Hehuang Valley.

Aside from the expeditionary troops, if the local magnates of Longyou could be made to assist, it might be possible to resist the Qiang invaders. But the Long region had only just been pacified, and the people's hearts did not yet adhere. So long as their own interests were not infringed, the magnates were all inclined to sit back and enjoy the show — Wu Han, that outsider, was not necessarily closer to them than the Qiang. And Wu Han's urgent demands that each family apportion military grain and manpower only intensified the conflict.

The convergence of Liang Province's magnates with the Eastern Qiang and the dependent-state barbarians had already shown signs at the end of the Han. Now, with Wu Han's military orders harsh and crude, the magnates dared not defy him openly themselves, but they could incite their Eastern Qiang and barbarian relatives by marriage to make trouble. For a time, resisting corvée and taxes became the norm among the various tribes of Longyou. Coupled with a poor harvest, not only were Jincheng and Longxi hard-pressed, but several commanderies to the east were also restless.

Wu Han's initial countermeasure was still to kill, kill, kill. But whether Western Qiang or Eastern Qiang, the more he killed, the more chaos ensued. Diwu Lun had already sent several edicts ordering Wu Han and the various commandery governors to learn from the former dynasty's Zhao Chongguo — to divide the various Qiang tribes and consult more often with the Colonel Protecting the Qiang and others.

But mending the pen after the sheep are lost was already too late. As the situation grew more complex and the lid seemed about to blow off, with only the army left to forcibly suppress it, the edict to switch horses arrived just in time.

"At last I can leave this cursed place."

Wu Han felt relief, but what followed was a nameless rage burning in his heart!

"Could it be that His Majesty thinks me incompetent, unable to pacify Longyou, and so sends Ma Yuan here?"

Wu Han felt nothing but grievance. He was combative and driven to win, his eyes fixed solely on the enemy, the Xianlian Qiang. But the troops sent westward could only reach the end of the Hehuang Valley; any further west and they would encounter the "cold miasma," their fighting strength greatly diminished, even suffering heavy casualties. The Xianlian Qiang had fought the Han and Xin armies for over a hundred years and had long since grown shrewd. The moment a large army advanced, they would slip away into the mountain highlands and raid the supply lines.

After this happened several times, Wu Han realized that crushing the Xianlian in one blow was extremely difficult — especially without the aid of the other Qiang tribes.

But both the Western Qiang and Eastern Qiang were opposing him; the enmity was already set. To turn foes into friends now — how could it be so easy!

Wu Han felt as though he, like those brothers who had died unjustly on the plateau, was surrounded by the cold miasma. The sturdier the man, the more he would feel unable to breathe, his whole body sapped of strength. The fist he swung out struck only empty air.

Wu Han was unwilling, unyielding. He felt that if only Diwu Lun had been a little more patient and sent a civil official — Ren Guang, for instance — to assist him, and given him a few more years, once he had figured out the ways of Longyou, he would certainly have swept the Qiang rebellion away!

This change of generals on the eve of battle struck at Wu Han's spirit and left him sunk in gloom.

Fortunately, Diwu Lun was also skilled at coaxing people. Apart from the edict, he sent Wu Han a letter. The Wei Emperor spoke some "intimate" words to this fierce general.

"The Odes say, 'The Rong and Di must be repelled.' The Spring and Autumn says, 'The Way lies in guarding against the four barbarians.' Long indeed have the Yi and Di been a scourge!"

"Yet the Di and Qiang are but minor troubles; the Xiongnu, however, have been a great scourge to the Central Plains for generations!"

"In the Former Han, it was said that one Han matched five Hu. The Han army once trampled the walls of Dayuan, trod upon the ramparts of the Wuhuan, probed the strongholds of Kunming, trod the fields of the Western Qiang, mowed down the banners of Joseon, and tore down the flags of Nanyue. At the nearest, a campaign of ten days or a month; at the farthest, no more than two seasons' labor. Truly they plowed through their courts, swept clean their lanes, established commanderies and counties, and rolled through like clouds, swept them away like a mat, leaving no lingering calamity. Only the Xiongnu were not so — truly the stubborn foe of the Central States, declining thrice and rising thrice again."

Following the principle of "copying the teacher doesn't count as copying," Diwu Lun slightly altered the famous lines from Yang Xiong's "Memorial Advising Against Granting the Chanyu an Audience" and used them directly, endlessly playing up the might of the Xiongnu to fire up Wu Han's blood.

"The Xiongnu were once routed by Wei and Huo north of the desert, lost their royal court, then came south to pay homage to Emperor Xuan of Han and were ranked as vassal subjects. Yet the policy of peace through marriage can also be called rearing a tiger to court calamity. The Xiongnu grew strong again, and just when Wang Mang was foolish and arrogant, his domestic affairs in disrepair, stirring up trouble with the four barbarians, the Xiongnu seized the gap to sweep south, wreaking havoc on the northern frontier. They set up the traitor Lu Fang as Han Emperor, seized the lands of Shuofang, encroached upon the river lands, and never returned from Bingzhou and Hexi, slaughtering and plundering over a hundred thousand people."

"When the General was at Yuyang in Youzhou, the Xiongnu's Left Worthy Prince and the Wuhuan chieftains dared not approach the border. You are also skilled in cavalry warfare. Among the soldiers of Bingzhou, if not the General, who can command them? I hope the General will move his command tent to New Qinzhong, resume the deeds of Meng Tian, be my Great Wall and guard the fence. In days to come, recover Shuofang, water the horses on the river! Make it so the Hu dare not come south to graze their horses, and their warriors dare not bend their bows in vengeance!"

Having read this letter, the discontent and resentment in Wu Han's heart vanished. For a moment his eyes blurred and his blood ran hot; he could hardly wait to rush at once to the Bingzhou front! To prepare arms and gear, to counterattack the Xiongnu at the earliest, to recover Heshuo!

But Diwu Lun probably did not anticipate that his urging would also have a negative effect. Wu Han calculated the troops he had brought out when attacking Longyou, as well as the new recruits enlisted after entering Long. He began to ponder: should he not take more of these officers and men, so painstakingly trained and now handy to use, with him to Bingzhou?

The cavalry of Bingzhou had been trained by Geng Bozhao. Whether they would be obedient or not, Wu Han could not know. All of them generals were the same: when appointing officers and using troops, they naturally favored those close to them! If he did not bring some of his own trusted men, he feared he would long be sidelined by the Bingzhou cavalry. Never mind a counterattack — he might not even be able to issue orders beyond his own tent! How could that be allowed?

"Troops belong to the court and cannot be taken. But personal retainers and household clients — surely those are permissible?"

Wu Han mused: "I am, after all, a General of a full designation, with a force of half an army under my command. By military regulation, a general is entitled to a short-weapon guard of four thousand men. I must take at least two thousand to Bingzhou!"

As for what Ma Yuan, coming to take over his mess, would do once the elite and the backbone were drained away — what the hell did that have to do with Wu Han?

But Wu Han probably did not know that back then, Diwu Lun had used precisely this pretext to take a thousand or two thousand men from New Qinzhong to Wei Commandery. From then on, troops became the property of their generals, launching the enterprise of reform…

Yet there was one person who knew these past events very well. Before Wu Han could cause a great disaster, that letter reached his hands.

Ren Guang and Wu Han had a deep friendship. When Wu Han had killed a man and broken the law in Nanyang, it was Ren Guang who had helped him flee to Youzhou. Now, serving as officials at the same court, they looked out for each other.

After reading Ren Guang's secret letter, Wu Han remained silent for a long time. At the critical moment, he did know to consider the greater picture. After pondering, he sighed: "Taking two thousand men is indeed excessive."

"Then I shall take only five hundred."

Wu Han was very permissive with his subordinates, yet he shared their food and clothing to win their hearts. He knew clearly who the backbone of the army were and what each man's abilities were. He personally drew up the list of these five hundred names.

When the numbers were nearly complete, Wu Han remembered one man who had rendered no small merit during the Longxi campaign and was now a Battalion Commander.

Wu Han drew a circle around that man's name.

"Bring A Yun along too!"

……

The crisis in Longyou had Wei's army beset by foes within and without, a most uncomfortable position. But there was one person who was secretly delighted.

That person was the Di officer A Yun, stationed at Qishan Fort. Watching the weather grow colder by the day, he mused to himself:

"This Wu Han fights well enough, but he does not understand how to handle the Di and Qiang, stirring up unrest throughout Longyou. Before long, presumably, Liangzhou will fall into chaos. When that happens, the Gongsun Emperor and General Jing will be able to send troops north. And I, an assassin and spy lying hidden in Wei, will be of great use!"

A Yun pondered whether he should coordinate with the Shu army or follow his original plan and assassinate one or two Wei generals. His original mission had been to come and assassinate Wan Xiu, to salvage Wei Ao's losing situation! But by a twist of fate, he had been transferred to Wu Han's command in the middle of the war.

Before he could think it through clearly, a transfer order summoned him to the city of Tianshui Commandery.

Acting on the principle of "feigned compliance" and "preserving a useful body for great deeds," A Yun could only go along, baffled, following a colonel into Wu Han's military camp, merging into the five hundred men who had arrived earlier.

The others basically all knew the destination and were discussing it animatedly. A red-faced veteran of Wu Han's old unit was firing up the men.

"If not for General Wu, would we have what we have today? If we do not follow when ordered, are we not beasts? Whoever dares not follow the General is a mutineer, and I will slaughter him myself!"

The crowd echoed in agreement: "Right! As long as we follow the General, we'll never lack for silk! As for our families? We can bring them along later. What, those women of Longyou refuse to leave their homes? Then we'll just take new wives where we go! Wives are like clothes, but we are the General's own hands and feet!"

"The Xiongnu and the Hu have plundered countless people and riches from the border provinces. They're far wealthier than the Qiang, who have nothing beyond their sheep. Once we follow General Wu north, we'll certainly get no small share of the spoils!"

Some spoke of loyalty, others of profit. A Yun listened, stunned, his mouth slightly agape, not knowing where to begin asking questions.

Before he could figure out the situation, a burst of shouts came from outside, and Wu Han strode in with great steps.

Wu Han sat down on a folding stool, his tiger-like eyes sweeping over the five hundred backbone men he had selected. Not caring that some had just arrived, he casually asked: "It has been a day. What have you all decided? Will you take the silk Wu has gifted you and remain in Liangzhou to await General Ma? Or will you follow me north, to Bingzhou…"

He cupped his hands toward the east: "To build greater merit for His Majesty?"

At these words, the men immediately dropped to one knee and declared:

"Wherever the General goes, we are all willing to follow unto death!"

"Follow the General, through fire or water!"

With everyone shouting thus, A Yun could hardly stand out like a crane among chickens. He had no choice but to kneel as well. And once kneeling, did he dare stand up again?

By now he had more or less figured out the reason, and could only feel torn between laughter and tears.

"I, an assassin from Shu lying hidden in Liangzhou — how is it that I'm about to go fight the Xiongnu for the Wei sovereign!?"