Chapter 600: The Fifth Level

When Diwu Lun received Fu Long's urgent memorial and learned that Geng Yan had said, "To order me not to fight when I can — even Your Majesty could not command such a thing of me," he was already on the road south to Xiapi, accompanied by forty thousand reinforcements.

After setting down the secret memorial, Diwu Lun's expression darkened slightly, and he thought to himself:

"It seems I'll have no choice but to follow Liu Bang's example at least once!"

He certainly did not mean learning from Old Liu's habit of killing meritorious officials. In Diwu Lun's view, while Geng Yan's loyalty to him could not compare with that of his founding inner circle — Ma Yuan, Jing Dan, Wan Xiu — he probably harbored no thoughts of rebellion or treachery. Probably.

"It's simply that the young general has grown accustomed to swift victories in his Qi campaigns, taking seventy-two cities in a row, only to suffer a heavy setback against Liu Xiu at Xiaxiang. He's resentful and determined to fight back for a complete triumph. After all, he's a man fierce as a ram, ferocious as a tiger, and greedy as a wolf."

Like a ram locking horns, he knows only how to charge forward and never retreat; like a tiger pouncing on prey, any setback enrages him. And what is he greedy for? From what Diwu Lun knew of young Geng, it was not power or wealth, but the unparalleled glory of destroying Wu in a single campaign. Anyone could see that among all the warlords under Heaven, the power Diwu Lun valued most was none other than Liu Xiu. If Geng could claim this achievement alone, he would stand supreme among all the generals.

But what comes after that? Young General, have you considered how the Geng clan will fare then?

So Diwu Lun decided that before Geng Yan committed an irreparable blunder, he himself would step in to prevent the tragedy.

What Diwu Lun meant by following Liu Bang's example was seizing a great general's military authority!

Liu Bang twice seized Han Xin's command. The first time was after the Battle of Chenggao, when Old Liu had been utterly routed by Xiang Yu. He only escaped in panic by sending a body double to die in his place and releasing the women of the city so the Chu army would chase them in chaos. By then, Liu Bang's sworn brother Zhang Er and his Grand General Han Xin had already conquered the Zhao and Dai territories and were camped just across the river from Chenggao — yet they held their troops back. So Liu Bang, calling himself an imperial envoy, rode into Zhang Er and Han Xin's encampment at dawn and seized control of their army. Han Xin only learned of it when he woke at noon. Poor man — he was a bare commander once again, forced to recruit new troops in Hebei to attack Qi.

The second time was after the Battle of Gaixia. Xiang Yu was dead, and the time had come to discard the bow once the birds were gone. Earlier, after conquering Qi, Han Xin had requested to be enfeoffed as King of Qi, and when Liu Bang ordered him to pursue Xiang Yu, he failed to bring his troops as commanded, causing Liu Bang to be defeated by Xiang Yu at the Battle of Guling. Liu Bang no longer trusted him, so he pulled the same trick: he rode into the Qi King's camp and seized his army...

Liu Bang struck because he hated Han Xin's refusal to follow orders. Now Diwu Lun faced the same situation — a subordinate acting on his own authority with no regard for the larger picture. He planned to use the same thunderous method: speed to Xiapi, sideline Geng Bozhao, and take over command. Only then could he maneuver against Liu Xiu, wait for the remaining reinforcements to arrive, and overwhelm him with superior numbers.

But seizing military authority the way Liu Bang did sounds easy, even a little farcical — as if you just need to call a dozen strong men, charge into the commander's tent, snatch the official seal... clip the tiger tally onto your own belt, and that's it.

A closer analysis reveals it was not so simple. Diwu Lun suspected that Liu Bang dared to do it not only because he was certain Han Xin lacked the nerve to rebel, but also because nearly all the generals and advisors under Han Xin — except for Kuai Che and Li Zuoche — were men from Feng and Pei whom Liu Bang himself had planted. With these men in place, the moment Han Xin showed disloyalty, he would likely be sidelined at once.

When it came to the art of planting one's own people, Diwu Lun was no slouch either. Under Geng Yan, apart from the two thousand Shanggu shock cavalry, most of his officers were deputy generals and colonels from Ji Province, every one of them appointed by Diwu Lun. Moreover, different commanders led troops in vastly different ways. Though Geng Yan often allowed his subordinates to plunder freely, he had done relatively little to buy their personal loyalty.

With the forty thousand troops at his side, Diwu Lun felt that if Old Liu could ride into a camp and seize power, so could he!

This line of thought came to an abrupt halt on the third day of the southward march. Diwu Lun's attitude underwent a complete reversal when he received Geng Yan's memorial requesting battle.

"He intends to use the troops of You and Ji as bait, tying Liu Xiu down for three to five days until the reinforcements arrive, then annihilate him between the Huai and Si Rivers?"

"Though I, your subject, may suffer defeat — Your Majesty, Great Wei, shall surely be victorious!"

These words stirred Diwu Lun deeply. He set down the scroll and sighed in the dark: "If this is truly the case, then I have underestimated General Geng."

What a general treasures most is his own record of victory and defeat. Think of Bai Qi back then: to preserve his undefeated reputation, he refused the King of Qin time and again, adamant about not attacking Handan.

Yet Geng Yan was willing to shatter this most cherished "undefeated" record to ensure Diwu Lun's overall victory. His loyalty truly could no longer be doubted.

"This time, I thought he was on the first level, disappointing my high expectations — little did I know General Geng was actually on the third level."

But alongside his gratification, Diwu Lun also felt anger. Geng Yan's communication had been far too tardy. While deceiving Liu Xiu, he had simultaneously deceived Fu Long at his side and his superior Diwu Lun. Had the memorial been any slower, it might have led to a grave error. In the final analysis, it was still self-serving cleverness and refusal to follow orders. That command authority — it still had to be taken! Only the measures need not be as drastic as originally planned.

Diwu Lun immediately issued an edict, pretending he had seen through everything all along: "The General's profound intent — I have long been aware of it."

"In the Xu-Huai campaign, taking cities and seizing territory is secondary; luring and annihilating Liu Xiu is paramount. Though Liu Xiu did not fall into the Lingbi trap and instead counterattacked toward Xiaxiang and Xiapi, it is merely a case of different roads leading to the same destination."

"I have already dispatched General of the Sweeping Wilderness Zheng Tong with twenty thousand troops to march south from Lingbi, bypass the Wu army's flanking force on the Sui River, and strike straight for Linhuai Commandery!"

"General of the Tiger's Fang Gai Yan, leading three thousand Yuyang shock cavalry, is also racing by starlight and will cross the Sui River to rendezvous with the General of the Sweeping Wilderness at Linhuai."

"Liu Xiu has come north relying on the Jiang-Huai fleet. Once Generals Zheng and Gai block the mouth of the Huai and Si, Liu Xiu will have no path of retreat!"

This was the same tactic Zhou Yafu used to quell the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms: dig deep trenches and raise high ramparts in the north, refusing battle with the southern army, while sending light troops to sever the Huai-Si junction and cut the enemy's supply lines, causing them to collapse on their own — even retreat would become impossible.

The moment he learned Liu Xiu had not attacked Lingbi, Diwu Lun had immediately adjusted his plans, employing Zhou Yafu's old stratagem and ordering the ambush troops there to move out, circling south in a flanking maneuver.

Once this gambit succeeded, if Liu Xiu wanted to withdraw south, he would have to abandon his fleet and take the overland route toward Sishui Kingdom and Huaiyin County — where he would become prey for the Wei cavalry!

Now that he understood young Geng's intentions and resolve, this battle became far easier to arrange. Stroking the mustache on his upper lip, Diwu Lun even felt a trace of satisfaction.

"In this battle, I am on the fourth level."

"His Majesty is indeed far more brilliant than I — he had already made these dispositions. Ridiculous of Geng Yan to plan on sacrificing the lives of over twenty thousand soldiers to tie down Liu Xiu, never knowing that the Sage Son of Heaven's surprise force was already closing in on the Huai-Si junction."

Back in Xiapi, Diwu Lun's edict arrived faster than the reinforcements. When Geng Yan received it, he felt deeply gratified.

As for the Grand Master of Splendid Happiness Fu Long, he secretly wiped a handful of sweat from his brow. Geng Yan's attitude in recent days had made him think the man intended to become a second Han Xin. Though Fu Long had hoped to mediate, his loyalty to Diwu Lun would still have compelled him to report everything he had witnessed. Fortunately, the misunderstanding between sovereign and subject was now "resolved."

He could not help but complain: "If General Geng had such a plan, why not speak of it sooner?"

Geng Yan glanced sidelong at Fu Long: "This was top secret. Had it leaked, not only would Liu Xiu not have taken the bait, our own army's morale would have plummeted. Besides, if I had told you, would Grand Master Fu not have stopped me?"

He certainly would have. Using the lives of over twenty thousand soldiers to tie down Liu Xiu — only someone as ruthless to his enemies and even more ruthless to himself as Geng Yan could resolve on such a desperate notion. The thought that Geng Yan could, without blinking an eye, send to their deaths the twenty thousand men who had followed him a thousand li from Qi to the Huai-Si made Fu Long's teeth chatter. His hands could not stop trembling.

Geng Yan grasped his ice-cold hands and said, with deep meaning:

"Grand Master Fu, to be a general is to be without benevolence. For His Majesty to unify the realm sooner, never mind twenty thousand — even two hundred thousand must be thrown into the fray without a moment's hesitation. At such a time, your hands must not tremble."

Fu Long shook his head. He could never do such a thing: "His Majesty is benevolent and loves his soldiers as his own newborn children. He would not do this either. Since two divisions have long since been sent to circle behind, can the battle at Xiapi be avoided?"

"Whether we fight or not is not up to us." At this, Geng Yan felt a headache coming on.

"It is up to Liu Xiu."

After inspecting the camp the day before, Geng Yan had made no effort to conceal the epidemic in the ranks or the soldiers' war-weariness. He had even deliberately let the army appear slovenly, hoping to lure Liu Xiu into attacking. But the expected all-out assault by the Wu army never came.

Instead, scouts Geng Yan had placed near the enemy camp reported that the Wu army, dozens of li away, had suddenly left their fortifications and were boarding the fleet on the Si River, departing in waves!

"Could Liu Xiu have detected that our reinforcements are about to arrive?"

The thing he had feared most had happened. Geng Yan was greatly alarmed. Ignoring his injuries, he personally led the Shanggu shock cavalry in pursuit. But by the time he reached the Wu army's encampment, it was already an empty stockade. The icy waters of the Si had carried away the last of the boats.

The Wu army had also burned the pontoon bridges as they left. Though the Huai and Si run cold in the twelfth month, they rarely freeze over completely. The Shanggu shock cavalry could only gaze at the water and sigh. A fleet moving with the current was no slower than cavalry — after all, horses must rest after running a few dozen li, while boats only needed to anchor at night. By the time they built new pontoon bridges and pursued south to the banks of the Huai, Liu Xiu would likely have already withdrawn back to Huainan.

The Battle of Xiapi never came to pass. The twenty thousand war-weary, demoralized soldiers would keep their lives, and Geng Yan could preserve his "undefeated" golden reputation. Yet this outcome pained Geng Yan more than a direct defeat by Liu Xiu ever could.

"Success was within reach — within reach!"

He sighed bitterly, wringing his wrists. On the return journey, his old wounds flared up again. Now he could no longer ride at all and had to be carried back to Xiapi city lying in a cart.

By now, the atmosphere in Xiapi city was vastly different from when young Geng had left to pursue. New banners had appeared among the outer divisions, and when he reached the south of the city, a great five-colored standard already flew above the White Gate Tower.

The Wei Emperor Diwu Lun, traveling with the vanguard of the reinforcements, had arrived in Xiapi by starlight!

Seeing the Shanggu shock cavalry frozen and dispirited after most of a day, Diwu Lun told those around him:

"To force Liu Xiu back and make him flee by night — this is victory without battle. Let the soldiers beat the drums and welcome the Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry with the rites of a triumphant army returning!"

The title he had held back for so long — Diwu Lun was finally going to bestow it on Geng Yan.

Though the officials around him, Fu Long among them, all offered their congratulations, opining that Liu Xiu had withdrawn in haste out of fear of the Wei Emperor and General Geng — meaning not only could Pengcheng no longer be saved, but the entire Huaibei region would be handed to Diwu Lun on a platter.

Diwu Lun did accept their flattery, a smile on his face as he prepared to welcome young Geng back — but in his heart, he was far from optimistic.

"Is Liu Xiu the sort of man who gives himself away for nothing? This will never be so simple."

Diwu Lun leaned close to the Embroidered Uniform Commandant Zhang Yu beside him and gave a low instruction: "Zheng Tong's twenty thousand Yuzhou troops left Lingbi heading south five days ago. Gai Yan's three thousand Yuyang shock cavalry set out at the same time as I did, but cavalry moves faster — there's no telling where they are by now. Send men at once to recall them!"

"Issue an edict to the two generals: under no circumstances are they to continue south toward Linhuai. Liu Xiu is certain I intend to annihilate him north of the Huai, so he has turned my own stratagem against me — feigning a northward advance, when his real aim is to make me dispatch a flanking force on a roundabout southern route. He, meanwhile, can wheel his river fleet around, join forces with the garrison at the Huai–Si confluence, and cut off my surprise troops!"

Now, with the battle having reached this point, Diwu Lun finally saw through Liu Xiu's plan. It was a dance on the edge of a blade — one misstep anywhere and the whole game would be lost. And yet, against all odds, Liu Xiu had pulled it off.

This round, Xiur was playing on the fifth level!