Chapter 589: Loyalty!

In the official accounts of Liu Xiu and the various Han loyalists, Wang Mang was nothing but a traitorous thief who usurped the Han! But although Diwu Lun had borrowed the people's will to execute Wang Mang, he afterward granted the old man a posthumous title and even recognized the Xin Dynasty's legitimate status. It was much like how King Wu of Zhou cut off Di Xin's head, yet that did not stop the Zhou Dynasty from regarding itself as the successor to the Xia and Shang.

Wang Mang's formal title, strictly speaking, should be "Emperor Xin Kua Yi" — this was the posthumous name Diwu Lun ordered Huan Tan to bestow upon Wang Mang — but both the court and the common people mostly called him by his personal name.

In this world, loyal ministers of the Great Xin had long since vanished; the only one who would still honor Wang Mang as the Late Emperor was probably Ju Wuba alone.

In Ju Wuba's heart, Wang Mang was no great villain or monstrous evildoer, but the sovereign who had recognized his worth and raised him up. His service to Wang Mang had begun as the repayment of a debt of gratitude. Later, when Wang Mang was cast down among the common folk and became a pitiful old man who had quested bitterly for the Way of Great Peace only to be battered and bloodied, Ju Wuba's feelings toward him gained an added measure of compassion.

So when Wang Mang was being escorted to Chang'an, even though Diwu Lun had clearly pardoned Ju Wuba and permitted him to leave freely, Ju Wuba stubbornly followed the procession, asking only to see old Wang Mang off on his final journey — and he even received special permission to visit Wang Mang several times.

In this way, Ju Wuba happened to witness the transformation Wang Mang underwent as death drew near: from the madness of "It is not I who am wrong, but the whole world," he was slowly broken down by Diwu Lun's method of killing the man and striking at his heart, and he began to accept the fact that he himself had reduced the realm to such a ruinous state.

And when despair reached its limit, it paradoxically gave rise to a few hopes. When Ju Wuba told Wang Mang what he had seen in the vicinity of Chang'an — that order was slowly being restored everywhere, as if returning to the Tianfeng years — Wang Mang, amid his sighs, had also said…

"Was Guan Zhong not a man lacking in virtue? When Duke Huan of Qi killed his lord Prince Jiu, Guan Zhong not only did not take his own life, but went on to become Duke Huan's minister. He was narrow-minded, neither magnanimous nor benevolent, not frugal, and he did not even observe the rites. Yet it was Guan Zhong who assisted Duke Huan in convening the feudal lords nine times and bringing order to all under Heaven, preserving Xing and rescuing Wei. The people of the various Hua states still receive the benefits of his deeds to this day. Even Confucius said, 'But for Guan Zhong, we should now be wearing our hair loose and folding our robes to the left!'"

"Diwu Lun is likewise a petty man, neither benevolent nor virtuous! Yet he is capable of restoring the governance of the realm to the state it was in before the great chaos."

He affirmed the ability, but denied the private virtue. By the day Wang Mang ascended the Dragon-Executing Platform, his state of mind had shifted even more. When Ju Wuba met him for the last time, old Wang Mang showed no grief, indignation, terror, or fury at facing death; he only murmured something…

"He who can carry on my aspirations — can it be anyone but Diwu Lun?"

When bidding Ju Wuba farewell, he even said to him: "Diwu Lun may truly be able to make amends for my great errors and bring peace to all under Heaven… General, if you do not wish to retire to the wilds, you might perhaps lend your aid under his command, so that day may come sooner — and so that you may see, on my behalf, an age of Great Peace."

No one could say whether these were the ravings of a madman, but one dared to speak them, and the other dared to accept them. Ju Wuba prostrated himself toward Wang Mang's retreating figure and knocked his head three times, saying: "Your servant reverently accepts this charge!"

Afterward, he sought out Diwu Lun and expressed his intention to continue offering his service. Diwu Lun was magnanimous enough, and on the grounds that "he treats his lord with loyalty," bestowed no small number of rewards upon Ju Wuba — and then, with a wave of his hand…

…packed Ju Wuba off far away to the east.

"This is the reason I am campaigning on behalf of the Wei Emperor."

Having finished his story, Ju Wuba took a sip of wine and toasted Li Zhong: "And what of you, Inspector Li?"

"I…"

Li Zhong sighed, and also raised his wine cup, clinking it against Ju Wuba's: "In Hebei, Li Zhong thought he had encountered a true Son of Heaven's Mandate, but in the end he discovered that it was merely a counterfeit."

Liu Ziyu's "heroic and martial spirit" had for a time given Li Zhong hope, but when Liu Ziyu encountered a true dragon, he swiftly revealed his true colors: relying on swindling and deception could not, in the end, deceive the whole realm.

The Northern Han fell, and Liu Ziyu was utterly disgraced, but Li Zhong still wished to go on living, to keep walking forward.

He raised his voice: "But Li Zhong's long-cherished wish to bring early peace to all under Heaven is absolutely no pretense, and it is only under the Wei Emperor's command that this wish can be fulfilled."

He had not spoken fully, but the blunt Ju Wuba spoke the truth for him:

"That is right. None of us can truly speak of loyalty to the Wei Emperor; we merely have wishes in our hearts, and therefore we will do our work well."

Ju Wuba rose to his feet, lifted the curtain of the camp tent, and turned his head back: "Inspector Li need not worry that I have old ties to the Red Eyebrows and will therefore be soft on them. In those years, I saw the true Red Eyebrows."

He recalled that giant who seemed to prop up the heavens, his brows a blazing red: "But ever since Fan Chong was captured, the Red Eyebrow Army has long since faded of all its color!"

…

"The Red Eyebrows are no longer the Red Eyebrows of the past."

South of Qufu, by the banks of the Si River, Liu Penzi — who had once served as an ox-herding clerk in the Red Eyebrow Army — voiced the same lament.

To tell the story, half a year ago, after Liu Penzi had obtained Feng Yan's assistance in Wancheng and had an audience with Diwu Lun, he caught the Wei Emperor's eye and was fortunate enough to become a Palace Gentleman, seemingly poised to rise swiftly through the ranks!

But Liu Penzi only stayed by the Emperor's side for a few months before being assigned to an institution he had never anticipated — the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Just like that, Liu Penzi inexplicably became a subordinate of Zhang Yu. Commandant Zhang, who had been enfeoffed as a Count for his meritorious service on the southern front, made the stakes crystal clear to this brat who had once helped Feng Yan play tricks on him and Cen Peng, on Liu Penzi's very first day.

"You ask what the Embroidered Uniform Guard does? I will tell you now. Internally, we handle the cases that the Chancellor's Investigator cannot manage. Externally, we forge the connections that the Grand Herald, Feng Jingtong, cannot pull off! With imperial authority specially granted, we act first and report later — that is the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Is that clear?"

The Embroidered Uniform Guard's actual authority was, of course, not as exaggerated as Zhang Yu boasted, but it was true that their importance in wartime had already far surpassed that of the Grand Herald's office. Whenever war broke out, this organization would dispatch large numbers of spies and incite pro-Wei figures to rise up — a stratagem that had never failed and had already achieved extraordinary results in Jingchu and Qing Province.

And now, it was Lu's turn!

Lu was the center of Confucian learning, but in stark contrast to its cultural standing was its rather awkward strategic position. Far from any strategic hub, it was a piece of chicken rib — barely worth the effort. Mount Tai and the surrounding hills completely encircled Lu, which also guaranteed the region's independence. Whether in the Warring States period or during the Chu-Han contention, this was almost always the last region of the Central Plains to be unified.

Yet Lu's "natural defenses of mountains and rivers" were still inferior to those of Qi. To the north, at least Mount Tai served as a screen; to the east lay the Yimeng mountain range; to the west, they could only rely on marshes like the Great Wild Marsh to delay the enemy. Most critical was the south, where there was a strategic pass called "Kangfu Defile" — a place where one man could hold the pass against a hundred — if only, at present, that pass were not…

…currently in the hands of the Wei army!

Thus, the Wei army could enter Lu practically at will. Diwu Lun had once again chosen the strategy of advancing along multiple routes: he ordered Li Zhong and Ju Wuba to press upon Mount Tai as the northern line, while Yanzhou also dispatched divisions and brigades to push north out of Kangfu Fortress, protecting the flank of the main army campaigning against Xu Province.

At the same time, he had the Embroidered Uniform Guard send agents into Lu to make contact with local opposition forces, aiming to subvert the Red Eyebrows' petty regime from within.

Zhang Yu looked over his roster of subordinates again and again, and actually selected Liu Penzi.

"Why me?" Liu Penzi had still not adapted to officialdom and actually dared to talk back to his superior: "Commandant Zhang, I have only been in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for two months. I have not even learned all the various secret signals, let alone how to lead men deep into enemy territory."

His gaze shifted among the senior colleagues who were mentoring him, but no one stepped forward to speak on Liu Penzi's behalf.

Zhang Yu gave two reasons that Liu Penzi could not refuse: "As a descendant of Prince Jing of Chengyang, your family was once enfeoffed as the 'Marquis of Shi.' You are a prominent figure in Lu, with relatives and former subordinates spread across both commanderies."

Liu Penzi nodded.

Zhang Yu continued: "Later, when the Red Eyebrow Army destroyed the Marquisate of Shi, you and your brother were taken captive and wandered in exile for several years, so you are quite familiar with the Red Eyebrow Army."

The combination of these two factors made Liu Penzi the most suitable candidate. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was run under military law; Zhang Yu could even directly execute anyone who dared to resist. Liu Penzi had no time to seek help from his teacher Huan Tan, and the eighteen-year-old youth could only steel himself and accept the assignment.

Fortunately, his few months as a Palace Gentleman at the Wei Emperor's side had broadened his horizons, and he had also learned a great deal in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Before setting out, Liu Penzi drew up a detailed plan. After leaving Kangfu Fortress, the very first thing he instructed his men to do was…

"Smear on the red eyebrows!"

…

Reddish-brown was the most common and most easily obtained dye — lower your head, and beneath your feet you would often find reddish-brown earth.

Dig up some ochre earth, mix it with water in a clay bowl, and it became the simplest dye. Liu Penzi, with considerable experience, guided his men: "You lot have added too much water, and you lot have made the ochre mud too thick. It must be neither too much nor too little — exactly half and half is best."

There were also rules for how to apply it. Liu Penzi gave them a demonstration: "Extend two fingers of your right hand, dip them to pick up a bit of ochre mud, and slowly smear it across your forehead. Remember: first the left side, then the right! When Red Eyebrows meet one another, they also have a brow-smearing salute. If you do it wrong, our identities will surely be suspected."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard had infiltrated the Red Eyebrows as spies before, but none of them knew such fine details as Liu Penzi did. This made them set aside their contempt and feel that Commandant Zhang had indeed not chosen the wrong man this time.

Little did they know that Liu Penzi's heart was full of mixed emotions. He had long since grown accustomed to the red brows on his forehead; now he was coming as an enemy to destroy them, and his heart was naturally a tumult of feelings.

After advancing north from Kangfu Fortress, they slowly felt their way northward along the Si River. The closer they drew to Qufu, the more Red Eyebrows they encountered. Fortunately, Liu Penzi and his men spoke the Yanzhou dialect fluently, exchanged familiar greetings with the Red Eyebrows they met, and performed the standard brow-smearing salute. When questioned about which Elder they belonged to, he had studied Xu Xuan's subordinates beforehand and could answer smoothly. Along the entire journey, practically none of the Red Eyebrows they encountered saw through them.

But Liu Penzi began to wonder: were these people even real Red Eyebrows?

He had spent his boyhood years in this great army of refugees, yet now, Liu Penzi hardly recognized the Red Eyebrow Army in Lu anymore…

Back in the days when Fan Chong held power, although there was already considerable inequality within the Red Eyebrow Army, at least they were still "brothers and sisters." But now, the Red Eyebrow soldiers of every camp had practically become the household slaves and private property of the Red Eyebrow Elders. The upper echelons of the Red Eyebrows openly wore silks and satins, their brains stuffed and their guts fattened, living in great mansions, while the lower ranks of the Red Eyebrows were gaunt and emaciated like beggars.

Even more outrageous, Liu Penzi had heard that after Xu Xuan entered Lu, he had married daughters of the Kong and Yan clans, becoming the son-in-law of two Confucian patriarchal houses. Not only that, he had vigorously promoted intermarriage and alliances between the Red Eyebrow upper class and powerful local families. In the brief span of a year and a half, one marriage after another had sprung up, and for those who moved quickly, the second child was nearly due…

Unknowingly, the Red Eyebrow Army had become the very people they once despised most!

"Changed. Everything has changed."

All along the way, Liu Penzi seemed to see the vivid blood-red on the Red Eyebrows' foreheads slowly seeping and fading, until it would vanish into the world, their Red Eyebrow name cast aside, until they were scarcely different from warlords like Zhang Bu and Qin Feng!

No — they were even worse than them!

Those men rose from powerful local families and had at least some foundation, but the Red Eyebrows had set up a neither-fish-nor-fowl regime in Lu: Xu Xuan declared himself Duke of Lu, and under him the Red Eyebrow Elders and Attendants became County Magistrates and Village Bailiffs. Yet this imported feudal system had no culture and no understanding of governance; having lost its grassroots nature, it could not win the support of the left-alley poor either. It could not control the territory at all, and had to rely on local magnates to maintain rule, extorting the pitiful harvests from the common folk's land.

And the pact between the Red Eyebrow remnants and the Lu magnates rested only on fragile marriage ties — and with the arrival of Liu Penzi and his party, this thread-thin bond now looked about to snap!

The meeting point was by the Si River near Qufu, said to be where Confucius and his disciples enjoyed the spring scenery. Though it was winter, the woods here were still dense enough to conceal secret dealings.

After reaching this grove, Liu Penzi sent his men to infiltrate Qufu and make contact. Late at night, the other party came to the meeting as agreed.

The one who came was a young man in his twenties, named Kong Zhi, a sixteenth-generation descendant of Confucius and the eldest son of the current Marquis of Baocheng. His build, however, did not resemble his ancestor's — he was rather short. He wore a loose robe with wide sleeves and a sable fur coat over it. In the past, people like him would have been the first killed by the Red Eyebrows; now he held high office under Xu Xuan.

Yet the Kong family felt not the slightest gratitude: the Kong and Yan clans were descendants of sages, true aristocrats with a lineage passed down for over ten generations and several hundred years! They might not even think much of Liu Bang's descendants, let alone the Red Eyebrow bandits.

When this Kong Zhi saw Liu Penzi, he performed a long series of elaborate rituals from a distance to express his delight at "at last meeting the envoy of Great Wei today." But when he saw, by the firelight, an exceedingly young face, he froze — and then came displeasure at being slighted. He merely cupped his hands slightly and looked at him sideways, saying:

"The Wei envoy... why so young? May I ask your age?"

Liu Penzi, however, would not indulge Kong Zhi. He was no longer the little cowherd of years past. He had endured life-and-death exile, had the good fortune to study under Huan Tan, and had even served at the Emperor's side — did Kong Zhi think he would be afraid?

"Long ago, Gan Luo was sent as an envoy at thirteen; more recently, Zhong Jun asked for a commission at twenty. As a Palace Gentleman of His Majesty and a specially dispatched envoy of the Embroidered Uniform Commandant, what harm is there in being a little young?"

Neither servile nor overbearing, Liu Penzi opened his mouth and left Kong Zhi nearly dazed with his rebuke.

"I have always heard that the Kong clan are descendants of a sage. Yet now you not only bow and scrape at the feet of bandits, honoring them as your sovereign, but also send your own family's daughters to be Xu Xuan's concubines, making yourselves a laughingstock before the world. Today, upon meeting me, Lord Kong, instead of making it your duty to quickly eliminate the Red Eyebrow bandits and rescue your kin, you still have the mind to quibble over seniority and rank. Truly, as Mencius said: 'A man must not be without shame. The shame of being shameless — that is shamelessness indeed!'"