Chapter 550: We Unite

West of the Huai River, near where the Yangtze empties into the sea to the north, there stands a walled city of considerable size. It was already the tenth month of deep winter, yet the willows along the riverbank remained lush and green. Sitting on the second floor of the guest lodge and leaning on the railing, Fang Wang could even glimpse the gray-blue surface of the sea and feel the salt-damp wind.

As far as Fang Wang knew, the founding of this city could be traced back five hundred years to the time of King Fuchai of Wu. To contend for hegemony in the north, a canal called the "Han Ditch" was dug, linking the Yangtze to the Huai River and connecting waves for a thousand li. A small vassal town named "Han City" thus became the waterway transshipment hub for Jiangdong and Huainan, its population gradually flourishing. After the Han dynasty began, King Liu Pi of Wu was enfeoffed here and renamed it Guangling. Exploiting the region's natural advantages, he minted coins from copper and boiled seawater for salt, which circulated throughout the realm, enriching the kingdom and making Guangling a metropolis between the Yangtze and Huai Rivers.

Now, Liu Xiu had renamed Guangling to "Jiangdu," making it the provisional capital of his petty "Eastern Han" court.

"Master Fang, His Majesty has returned to Jiangdu. He requests your presence at the palace."

Liu Xiu and the Three Excellencies were often away on campaign. The man governing Jiangdu was Governor Jian Tan of Guangling. His was a rare surname; he hailed from Yingchuan and was one of the original followers who had accompanied Liu Xiu eastward from the start. Because he had experience serving as a clerk in commandery and county offices, he began as a Master of Records and was mainly entrusted with guarding the rear.

Guided by Jian Tan, Fang Wang was finally able to leave the guest lodge and head northwest along the main avenue toward the city walls.

The city of Jiangdu was quite prosperous. The warfare that had swept across the north over the past five years had not touched this place. Southerners were somewhat shorter in stature; to suit the rainy climate, their sleeves were narrower, and they even wore thick-soled wooden clogs on their feet.

Yet apart from these minor differences, the city's literary culture flourished just as it did in Chang'an or Luoyang. After all, over a hundred years ago, the great Confucian scholar Dong Zhongshu had come here to serve as Chancellor of the kingdom and introduced Confucian learning. This great city, with a population approaching one hundred thousand, was no longer the wild and barbaric place the people of the Central Plains imagined.

The "imperial palace" was situated on Shugang Ridge northwest of the city. This ridge rose slightly above the flat ground, stretching for over forty li, and could serve as a high rampart for defense, which was why Jiangdu had first been built there. The Kingdom of Wu, the Kingdom of Jiangdu, the Kingdom of Guangling — the successive vassal kingdoms of the Great Han had managed this place for two hundred years, constructing palace halls of imposing grandeur. Now, it conveniently served Liu Xiu.

Fang Wang had never met Liu Xiu face to face; he had only heard of his god-of-war heroics at Kunyang and his arduous founding of a state in the southeast. By all rights, the relationship between Chengjia and this "Eastern Han" was rather awkward. Liu Xiu claimed to have inherited the Han mandate, yet Gongsun Shu held the Liu family's serpent-slaying sword, the transmitted imperial seal, and other supreme treasures, and even kept the child Liu Ying, the Heir Apparent, alive under the "Two Kings, Three Revered Houses" protocol — acting as though the Han dynasty was already extinct. How to handle relations between the two states was a great conundrum.

Yet when he finally met Liu Xiu, this Emperor who was the subject of so many legends was exceptionally genial and modest. There was no grand ceremony, nor many attendants. Liu Xiu himself wore only a headscarf and casual clothes as he sat there, smiling, to welcome Fang Wang.

Fang Wang was permitted an audience according to the protocol for an "envoy of a rival state" and did not have to perform the full kowtow, which signified that Liu Xiu acknowledged a relationship of parity with Gongsun Shu as fellow Emperors.

Afterward, Liu Xiu brought up a matter with keen interest: "I have heard that Emperor Gongsun is rather fond of chenwei prophecies? I am as well."

"I have heard that Emperor Gongsun, citing Confucius's composition of the Spring and Autumn Annals, determined that the Red Regime would end after twelve rulers, symbolizing the twelve emperors of Han. From Han Gaozu to Han Ping, plus that child Emperor Liu Ying, that makes exactly twelve."

This had originally been Gongsun Shu's method of arguing that the Han clan could not receive the mandate again. Liu Xiu, however, did not entirely deny it; he merely added a patch to this argument.

"In former times, when the Great Han's allotted span was nearing its end, it was usurped by Wang Mang. Yet the lingering virtue of two hundred years had not been fully spent. Thus, after the Xin dynasty of Wang Mang collapsed, various Han claimants rose up together, ultimately converging upon my person."

Liu Xiu sighed with emotion: "The mandate of the Former Han has been divided. I, as a descendant of Emperor Gaozu, have received the mandate anew. According to the chenwei prophecy, 'The Mao, Jin, and Knife transform into the Azure Dragon,' I have established my capital at Guangling in Xuzhou, and am thus the Emperor of the East."

"And Gongsun Ziyang, having obtained the imperial seal and the serpent-slaying sword, has also received a portion of the mandate. Based on the prophecy, 'The Western Governor, Yi Mao Jin,' he was able to inaugurate the Dragon Rising auspicious omen, and is thus the Emperor of the West."

Liu Xiu spread his hands and said: "The two Emperors of East and West stand side by side as equals, drinking from the same river's waters, without mutual conflict. I wonder what Emperor Gongsun thinks of this?"

Fang Wang understood. The general situation under Heaven was now clear. Liu Xiu and his ministers must have also seen that they alone were no match for Diwu Lun and were likewise seeking an alliance with Gongsun Shu. Although the two men had no longstanding enmity, they had contradictions in legitimacy and territory. Now, Liu Xiu had voluntarily taken a step back, adopting a posture of "mutual emperorship between East and West," which was his way of accepting the ladder Fang Wang had extended.

It was a pity, however, that he still had not grasped Fang Wang's true purpose.

Fang Wang, traveling the world, had always handed out killing knives. When had he ever extended a ladder?

And so Fang Wang actually laughed and said: "Oh? Then what, Your Majesty, is the meaning of appointing Feng Yi of Jingzhou as 'General Who Conquers the West'?"

Liu Xiu laughed heartily: "Master, you misunderstand. Earlier, when General Feng attacked Jingzhou from the east, he received that title. Now, his title has been changed to 'Grand General Who Guards the West.' The southern part of Jingzhou is the western frontier of Han territory, and we will absolutely not encroach upon Chengjia."

Liu Xiu indeed urgently needed an ally in the west at the moment; otherwise, it would be truly difficult to withstand Diwu Lun's swift strike. He could only go against his heart to express his stance, putting on an unambitious appearance and saying: "Although I have continued the altars of the Great Han, I merely wish to be like Taibo or Yuzhong, preserving what was near extinction and restoring what was severed — that is enough. The southeast is vast, but its population is limited. I hope you will not laugh, Master. Given this scale, there is naturally no cause for suspicion."

He added: "Otherwise, my ministers often propose that I either establish the capital at Pengcheng, defend north of the Huai River to the death, and resolutely advance northward; or return the army to Nanyang, go back to our homeland, and contend with Chengjia and Wei for the upper reaches. But I have rejected all of these. I only make Jiangdu my capital, here in this land of warm spring breezes, to continue the ancestral blood sacrifices for a few more years — that is all."

Fang Wang, however, did not buy this at all. Instead, he lavishly praised Liu Xiu's choice: "Your Majesty is far too self-deprecating."

Pointing outside the Shugang Ridge palace, he said: "When this foreign minister arrived, I saw the great river surging in from the west, boats traveling east and west — how many times faster than crossing mountains by land! After arriving at Jiangdu, I also saw the Han Ditch cutting through from Sheyang Lake, passing northwest to its mouth at the Huai River — this is the southeastern grain route. And looking across Your Majesty's territory, the only place that simultaneously commands these two smooth thoroughfares is the city of Jiangdu. Truly, an excellently chosen location!"

The north-south Han Ditch and the east-west ten-thousand-li Great River formed the great arteries of the Eastern Han. Even Diwu Lun's Wei River and Yellow River shipping could hardly compare. Without them, Liu Xiu's state would not be a state. This was already his best choice — capable of both offense and defense, not some complacent corner. Understanding the importance of these two waterways, it was not difficult for Fang Wang to see why Liu Xiu, even as the Red Eyebrows were sweeping south in force last year, had still sent Deng Yu and Feng Yi on a western campaign.

Fang Wang, using his lips and tongue as blades, further cut open Liu Xiu's pretense: "Since ancient times, in warfare along waterways, the upper reaches command the fate of the lower reaches. Hence, during the Warring States period, there was the campaign of Chu destroying Yue. If Your Majesty wishes for peace in the southeast, you must first contend for the upper reaches and seize Jiangxia Commandery! After that, you can stand like a tripod in the southeast, observe the fissures under Heaven, and possess all the land the Yangtze reaches. Then establish an imperial title and scheme for the realm — this is the enterprise of Emperor Gaozu."

Watching his strategic intentions being punctured point by point by Fang Wang, Liu Xiu did not grow angry. He still maintained his smiling face, though his view of Fang Wang had changed. This man, though his moral character was poor, was truly a talent for diplomacy.

Fang Wang was not satisfied with this. He stepped on Liu Xiu's sore spot with one foot: "However, Your Majesty must not forget one point: Jiangling in Nan Commandery commands the fate of Jiangxia! And this place is still held by Qin Feng, the King of Chu and Li. Does Your Majesty not feel uneasy, unable to eat or sleep in peace?"

"What does the Master mean?"

Only then did Fang Wang clarify his true intent: "Wang has come, naturally, to bring about an alliance between Emperor Gongsun and Your Majesty."

"But it is not about calling each other the Two Emperors of East and West or recognizing each other's chenwei prophecies — such trivial matters of empty title. Rather, I hope that the two states can truly form an alliance to jointly resist Diwu Lun! People say that the one to replace Han is Dang Tu Gao, and Dang Tu Gao means the Wei watchtowers! Diwu Lun already occupies more than half the land and population under Heaven and commands several hundred thousand crack troops. Neither Wu nor Shu is his match. If you do not work together with one heart, you will each perish!"

Liu Xiu agreed on this point: "According to Emperor Gongsun's view, how should the two states join hands?"

"First, we must take Jingzhou!" Fang Wang said. "Jingzhou is now divided into four parts. Chengjia controls Wuling Commandery. Your Majesty sent Feng Yi to seize Changsha, Lingling, Guiyang, and half of Jiangxia. Nanyang is in Diwu Lun's hands. Only Nan Commandery and the northern half of Jiangxia remain, occupied by Qin Feng, the King of Chu and Li."

This Qin Feng was a native of Nan Commandery. It was rather curious: as a minor power, the King of Qi, Zhang Bu, had submitted to both Wei and Han, trimming his sails to the wind. Qin Feng was the opposite. Facing the three Emperors of Wei, Chengjia, and Han, he submitted to none of them!

In the final analysis, it was because Gongsun Shu's two attempts to advance eastward had been defeated by the Chu army, Feng Yi had also suffered minor setbacks in Jiangxia, and the Wei army "dared not" march south — all of which had given Qin Feng inexplicable confidence.

"This is a posture that invites destruction."

Fang Wang proposed: "Rather than let Nan Commandery and Jiangxia fall to the Wei army in the future, it would be better for our two houses, East and West, to strike first and attack Qin Feng from both sides, destroying his state!"

"Then Jiangxia goes to Han, and Nan Commandery goes to Emperor Gongsun?" Liu Xiu assumed this was Fang Wang's condition, but he harbored some doubt in his heart. Just as Fang Wang had said, Jiangxia could command the fate of Jiangdong, and Jiangling lay even further upstream. If it fell into Chengjia's hands, would the southeast truly be safe?

Unexpectedly, Fang Wang said: "Not so. The city of Jiangling, along with the land from the Great River to Xiangyang, can all be given to Your Majesty! Chengjia only needs Yiling City in the west of Nan Commandery and a few counties south of the river like Gong'an — that is enough!"

This condition was so generous that Liu Xiu found it hard to believe: "The two houses jointly send troops to destroy Chu, and afterward, Han takes eighty percent, while Emperor Gongsun takes only twenty?"

Jiangling and the Jianghan Plain were the richest and most populous center of Jingzhou. Yiling and other places along the Yangtze were somewhat remote. Was Gongsun Shu not discarding the pearl to keep the casket? For a moment, Liu Xiu could not fathom Fang Wang's intent and even began to question the weight of his words.

"Is such an alliance treaty truly the will of Emperor Gongsun?"

Fang Wang immediately burst into laughter: "Of course not. This is a secret pact between Fang Wang and Your Majesty!"

Even with Liu Xiu's acting skills, he nearly lost his composure. But all this strangeness was explained in Fang Wang's next sentence.

Fang Wang made a deep bow to Liu Xiu: "Does Your Majesty believe that Fang Wang is an envoy loyal to Emperor Gongsun?"

Liu Xiu said: "I have long heard that the Master first served Wei Ao, and only later entered Shu to become a minister of Chengjia."

Fang Wang sighed: "That is indeed so. Wang toiled across Ba-Shu and among the Qiang without a word of complaint. But what Your Majesty does not know is that earlier, due to the instigation of Wei envoys, Emperor Gongsun nearly killed me! It was only thanks to the help of friends that I received clemency and was sent as a secret envoy to the southeast."

Liu Xiu sneered inwardly. He did not believe a single word this man said. But outwardly, he feigned delighted surprise: "Then is the Master planning to abandon Shu and come over to Han? Xiu will surely vacate a position among the weightiest ministers to await you."

Unexpectedly, Fang Wang shook his head: "Yes, and no."

Greatly puzzled, Liu Xiu asked: "Then what exactly does the Master intend?"

Fang Wang countered: "Does Your Majesty know of Chen Zhen?"

Liu Xiu nodded: "I only know that he was a strategist during the Warring States period."

Fang Wang said: "Chen Zhen, a man of Qi, was the enemy of Zhang Yi. By the sharpness of his tongue, he once repelled a great Chu army for Qi, and also planned for Chu to seize the lands of Han. In the end, he sought an alliance between Qi and Chu, a vertical union to resist Qin."

"May I ask Your Majesty, was Chen Zhen loyal to Qi, or loyal to Chu?"

Liu Xiu shook his head. Fang Wang's voice grew louder, as if he were speaking not of an ancient but of himself: "Neither! Throughout Chen Zhen's life, he had only one enemy — Zhang Yi! Zhang Yi advocated horizontal alliance, and therefore Chen Zhen rushed about the six states. The only thing he was loyal to was the cause of the vertical union itself!"

He then spoke of himself: "Now, Diwu Lun has Feng Yan under his command. This man possesses the wisdom of a Zhang Yi and also advocates horizontal alliance, seeking to help Diwu sweep away all under Heaven. Fang Wang wishes to compete with him and see who is higher. Therefore, my heart belongs to the vertical union. I wish for all the lords under Heaven to join forces and together resist mighty Wei!"

"But a vertical alliance must have a leader, or it will be hard to accomplish anything."

Fang Wang saw Liu Xiu's expression shift slightly and continued: "This outer minister originally thought the Gongsun Emperor was fit for that role, but after meeting Your Majesty, I realize I was mistaken."

In Fang Wang's eyes, Gongsun Shu and Liu Xiu were indeed opposites. Looking only at how they treated worthy men, Gongsun Shu had the full bearing of an emperor — every time he received Fang Wang, he put on a full display of regalia and loved to fuss over elaborate ritual.

Liu Xiu, by contrast, had met him in plain clothes, with no imperial manner at all.

And then there was strategic vision. Setting aside how Gongsun Shu had nearly listened to Feng Yan and had him killed in exchange for peace — that whole wretched affair — Gongsun, with his great enterprise still unfinished, was already sunk in lethargy. He had a fine general in Jia Fu but could not use him well. Though his realm was still passable, he had recently enfeoffed two of his sons as kings, greatly losing the people's hearts. And after his setbacks, he had lost the courage to oppose Diwu Lun, his mind set only on pushing south to carve out a regional hegemony.

Liu Xiu was different. Though he feigned a lack of ambition, from what Fang Wang had seen along the way...

"Though Han is an old state, its mandate is renewed!"

Fang Wang said: "After this outer minister entered Han territory, I saw the common people orderly, the officials busy, the patrols of soldiers without gap, and fine generals put to full use, guarding every quarter, leaving Wei's troops no opening to exploit. After arriving at Jiangdu, I gazed back across the great river and could truly feel the resurgent majesty of the Han — like the bore tide at Guangling, surging and racing, vast and magnificent in its power! Your Majesty bears the great hatred of Diwu Lun killing your brother and seizing your wife. You must be resolved to destroy Wei, yes?"

Half sincere, half flattering, he declared: "Therefore, Your Majesty is far more suited than the Gongsun Emperor to be the leader of the vertical alliance!"

Fang Wang, traveling the realm, handed out nothing but knives. Since Gongsun Shu could not use it, then this sharp blade to stop Diwu Lun from unifying all under heaven — better to give it to Liu Xiu!

Liu Xiu looked at the strategist before him, sighing with mixed feelings. He understood now: this man was likely a figure of Kuai Tong's sort. In ordinary times, Liu Xiu would surely have killed him. But there was no help for it — now Han was weak and Wei was strong. A man like Fang Wang, Liu Xiu had to make use of him. Even if he was deceiving him, he still had to feign compliance.

He loudly praised Fang Wang's courage in opposing Diwu Lun as admirable — "a man who marches on though thousands stand against him" — while continuing to probe: "So, sir, after the east and west join forces, you intend to hand places like Jiangling over to Us. But if that happens, will the Gongsun Emperor not be enraged? If east and west break and attack each other, that would let Diwu Lun play the fisherman. This matter, sir, you must explain in detail."

Fang Wang smiled mysteriously. "This outer minister has a plan that will let Your Majesty take all three key points — Xiangyang, Jiangling, and Jiangxia — while also leaving the Gongsun Emperor fully satisfied."

Liu Xiu pressed: "What is this method?"

Fang Wang revealed his brilliant scheme: "Very simple."

"Borrow Jingzhou!"

"Specifically, after the deed is done, Chengjia cedes northern Jingzhou — Jiangling, Xiangyang, and the rest — to Han. In exchange, the Han Emperor shall cut off the three commanderies of southern Jingzhou, including Changsha, and hand them to the Gongsun Emperor!"