Chapter 605: The Blame-Shifting Assembly

Let us shift our gaze away from Pengcheng for a moment and look south, to Xiapi two hundred li away.

The cold, the unfamiliar climate, the exhaustion of a long campaign, the blunted edge of a first defeat — the situation at Xiapi had once been dire. It was only thanks to the Emperor Diwu Lun personally touring the encampments and bringing a large body of reinforcements and supplies, including steaming hot northern millet, that morale was so effectively restored. Diwu Lun was also brimming with confidence, thumping his chest as he declared to the generals: "I have already dispatched a surprise force to circle behind them. When the time comes and the three armies turn their spears south, we can force Liu Xiu into a decisive battle north of the Huai!"

Geng Yan, who had just suffered a minor setback at Liu Xiu's hands, was also rubbing his fists and eager to try, wanting to wash away his earlier disgrace.

But the good times did not last. As word arrived that Gai Yan had rashly advanced and been utterly routed, and had himself been captured alive by Liu Xiu, the pre-war optimism — the estimate that "hostilities will end before New Year's Day of the fourth year of Wude, letting the soldiers go home for the festival" — vanished. In its place came the worry of a long, grinding stalemate.

What was even more deadly, Liu Xiu had actually sent men to spread a rumor: "Gai Yan has already surrendered to Han." This set off a massive uproar.

That a marquis of a thousand households, a general of a miscellaneous designation, a man who had repeatedly performed extraordinary deeds, would betray Great Wei — this was absolutely a monumental political event!

In the first ten days of the twelfth month, at the White Gate Tower in Xiapi, during the emergency military council Diwu Lun convened over this matter, one man was restless and ill at ease: Geng Shu.

The Geng clan of Maoling produced talent in every generation. Besides the ever-shrewder-with-age Geng Kuang and the fiercely sharp Geng Yan, the second brother, Geng Shu, was also quite remarkable. In his youth, he had joined Diwu Lun's campaign against Wang Mang, followed his brother in pacifying the counties north of the Wei River, and later returned to Shanggu to help his father defend the city. He had even served a stint as a Palace Gentleman at Diwu Lun's side — clever and quick-witted, he was well-liked by the Emperor.

Appointing Geng Shu as deputy commander to accompany his elder brother on the campaign against Qing and Xu provinces was a gesture of immense trust from Diwu Lun toward the Geng family. Unlike the relentlessly forward-charging Geng Yan, Geng Shu's temperament more closely resembled his father's: always looking ahead and behind, full of second thoughts. He had long been troubled by his brother's apparent inclination to emulate Kuang Zhang in defying imperial edicts. After much deliberation, he secretly began acting as Diwu Lun's eyes and ears, reporting every detail of the situation at Xiapi to the Emperor in a stream of petty reports, all to prove that the Geng clan harbored absolutely no disloyalty.

When he later learned Geng Yan's true intent — that it was not to ruin the grand strategy for personal glory, but to sacrifice his own undefeated reputation to tie down Liu Xiu for Diwu Lun — Geng Shu breathed a sigh of relief. But Diwu Lun's personal arrival at Xiapi, nominally to reward the troops and generals, and his appointment of Geng Yan as "Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry," set Geng Shu's heart pounding with fear. Behind these lavish favors, was the Emperor already uneasy about Geng Yan, intending to emulate Liu Bang in dashing into a camp to seize military command?

"The disaster of Huaiyin is right before our eyes!"

Geng Shu even urged his elder brother to cite physical injury or illness and voluntarily hand over his tiger tally to avert calamity. Geng Yan, likely ashamed of the defeat at Xiaxiang and having let Liu Xiu escape, followed this advice and did so.

Yet this move earned him a scolding from Diwu Lun. Not only did the Emperor not strip Geng Yan of his military authority, he even nominally handed over command of the forty thousand reinforcements he had brought.

Diwu Lun consoled Geng Yan with these words:

"Your achievement in sweeping through the seventy-two cities of Qing Province, your valor and ferocity in routing the enemy beneath the walls of Linzi — how could these be overshadowed by a minor defeat at Xiaxiang?"

This gesture moved Geng Yan deeply, filling him with even greater shame. But when Geng Shu learned that his elder brother had actually accepted the new tiger tally, he was so frantic he stamped his feet: "Elder Brother, you fool! Why didn't you decline?"

Geng Yan answered as a matter of course: "A true man must sweep away the remnants of the enemy for his sovereign. How can he let a minor sore delay the great affairs of state?"

Geng Shu did not know what to say. At the same time, he felt that Diwu Lun's move was truly brilliant — it soothed Geng Yan, preventing him from breeding resentment, while also playing a game of "to take, one must first give."

Military authority is not something that is truly yours just because a small tiger tally is placed in your hand. Those forty thousand men had not previously been under Geng Yan's command; their generals were all Diwu Lun's trusted subordinates from the days of the Boar-Rush Braves. Without the Emperor's nod, Geng Yan could not command them at all!

From then on, whenever those forty thousand men were assigned a task, the moment the officers received Geng Yan's order, the very next moment they would send a petty report to the Emperor, who was right before their eyes. For Geng Yan to act on his own again was absolutely impossible.

"On the surface, with a grand wave of his hand, he assigned my brother another forty thousand men. In reality, he surrounded him with countless more eyes."

If Gai Yan and the other forces had truly cut off Liu Xiu's retreat, and the Wei army had advanced for a decisive battle, the Emperor could have utilized Geng Yan's tactical genius on one hand, while on the other maintaining overall control and managing risk. Truly brilliant!

But things went contrary to expectations. With Gai Yan's army lost, outflanking and encircling was no longer possible. Geng Shu's heart was also in suspense. Although Gai Yan had been directly commanded by Diwu Lun, nominally he was still under Geng Yan. Would the blame for this rash advance and lost army be pinned on the Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry?

And so Geng Shu cupped his hands toward Diwu Lun and loudly denounced: "Gai Yan misunderstood Your Majesty's flawless and perfect strategy, advancing deep in isolation, leading to the destruction of the army and the capture of its general. Defeat in battle is one thing, but as a general of a miscellaneous designation, to be unable to die on the battlefield, nor to sacrifice his life for the country to preserve his honor — this is the greatest disgrace since the founding of our dynasty! Gai Yan deserves death!"

After he had vehemently expressed this stance, the assembled ministers all chimed in agreement. Gai Yan had a proud disposition; aside from Ma Yuan, there was no one he truly respected. This personality had not made him few enemies, and a falling gong draws a thousand hammers — for a time, no one spoke in his defense.

The crowd's denunciations grew more and more extreme. Beyond calling for Gai Yan's execution and the extermination of his entire clan, they also wanted to punish the families of the Yuyang shock cavalry who had "surrendered to Wu," to serve as a warning to others!

There was only one exception. Amid the clamor of the crowd, parroting each other like crows, the young Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry could endure it no longer. He rose abruptly and said: "Your Majesty, Gai Yan was the deputy commander of the Qi campaign. The Yuyang shock cavalry he led nominally still fell under the command of the Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry's headquarters. Now that he has suffered a great defeat, I, your subject, bear equal responsibility!"

Geng Yan then enumerated his own failings: "Had I not grown arrogant in spirit, leading to the defeat at Xiaxiang; had I not made missteps, failing to tie down Liu Xiu and allowing him to move south, Gai Yan would not have suffered this campaign's humiliation."

Geng Shu stared at his brother in shock. Using a larger defeat to cover up the minor one at Xiaxiang — what a perfect opportunity! Elder Brother, what are you doing?

Diwu Lun, watching from his couch, found it amusing. These two brothers — one desperately trying to shift blame, the other desperately trying to shoulder it. Anyone who didn't know better would think they were putting on a two-man act!

But Diwu Lun understood their temperaments and knew they truly were not acting. He clapped his hands to halt the crowd's discussion and placed that blame squarely on his own head.

"The edict ordering Gai Yan to take a light force south and sever the Huai-Si confluence was issued by my own hand. I sought to emulate Zhou Yafu's brilliant stratagem, but instead, trying to draw a tiger, I produced a dog. The greatest responsibility for this defeat lies with me."

Diwu Lun, with an expression of deep anguish, engaged in self-criticism, then added: "Furthermore, Liu Xiu is full of cunning schemes. The matter of Gai Yan and the Yuyang shock cavalry surrendering to Wu cannot be fully believed. Their families are all in the north. Even if captured, it would be a temporary expedient — how could they sincerely aid Wu?"

Although Gai Yan's loyalty to him was far less than that of men like Ma Yuan, falling short by several Geng brothers, Diwu Lun had seen Gai Yan's towering pride and intense desire for fame and achievement. Even if Xiù'er's personal charisma was indeed considerable, Gai Yan might not necessarily think highly of this crumbling little court in the southeast.

Diwu Lun put himself in the other's shoes. If he were Liu Xiu, he would certainly use this venomous scheme. If he could trick Diwu Lun into executing the families of Gai Yan and the Yuyang shock cavalry, then Gai Yan and over a thousand officers and men would truly surrender.

And so he rejected the ministers' suggestion: "Although Gai Yan has suffered a great defeat, his previous achievements in Hebei, Heji, and Qing Province cannot be buried. His marquisate must of course be reduced! Deduct five hundred households, and relocate his family to Chang'an, where the Privy Treasurer shall provide funds to care for them properly."

"The same applies to the families of the Yuyang shock cavalry. The lands, fields, and houses granted to them shall be temporarily retained for one year, pending their return."

Better to let this group harbor divided loyalties, thinking of escape every day, than to give Liu Xiu over a thousand new subordinates who are dead-set in their allegiance.

Diwu Lun instructed the Embroidered Uniform Guard: "Spread word of this. Let Gai Yan and the captured Yuyang soldiers have their bodies in the Han camp, but their hearts in Wei."

"Your Majesty is benevolent, virtuous, and sagacious!"

Geng Yan was the first to cheer, and Geng Shu and the others echoed in agreement.

But was Diwu Lun truly merciful? He also issued a secret order: "Due to the loss of over half their troops in this defeat, the Yuyang shock cavalry unit is disbanded and shall never be restored!"

The Yuyang shock cavalry had been subjugated for three years now. Why had they always remained in the hands of officers from the Yuyang faction? Because if anyone else took over, they simply could not command them! Their military discipline was rotten, and their attitude toward Diwu Lun closely resembled that of mercenaries, acting only for rewards. If the money, grain, land, and houses were not delivered on time, they would not even mount their horses.

Yet these men were also the most formidable fighters in the army. Killing them was inadvisable, and once disbanded and sent back to their villages, they would breed new problems in the localities.

Moreover, the time and cost required to train a new batch of cavalry from scratch was immense — without three to five years, there would be absolutely no results. Diwu Lun had therefore endured it. The river had not yet been crossed, so the bridge was kept for now. He might as well use the shock cavalry for some dirty work, such as eliminating certain "virtuous gentry" that the court found inconvenient to personally act against. Once the lands north of the Yangtze were pacified and cavalry no longer had a major use, he could slowly reform them.

Who would have thought that Gai Yan would deliver them up on his own? Although Diwu Lun was all self-blame and regret in his words, this arrogant and fierce unit could finally be disbanded, legitimately and justifiably, through the hand of Liu Xiu.

But this could only be counted as a small blessing within a larger misfortune. With the failure of the plan to sever the Huai-Si confluence, the war had fallen completely into a stalemate.

"The current situation is this: my troops are weary and our edge is dulled. We have twice suffered setbacks from isolated, rash advances, and our logistical supply has reached its limit. We can no longer dispatch any more surprise forces south. Meanwhile, Liu Xiu is exhausted from rushing about. Although he has won two small victories, he no longer has the strength to advance north to relieve Pengcheng and can only huddle along the line of the Huai River."

"I no longer seek to destroy Wu in a single battle. I only hope to seize all of Huaibei, to press Liu Xiu into a corner of the southeast, so that he no longer has the power to contend for the Central Plains in the north."

Diwu Lun's gaze roamed across the map, finally settling back on Pengcheng. He gave a bitter smile: "I have matched wits and courage with Liu Xiu, going round and round, and in the end, it still comes down to the fate of Pengcheng."

Although the outer walls of Pengcheng had been breached, the enemy still stubbornly defended the inner city. Diwu Lun had already placed this piece of meat, Huaibei, into his mouth, but Lai Junshu in the inner city of Pengcheng was like a hard, sharp thorn, stuck in Diwu Lun's throat, making it impossible to swallow.

Diwu Lun rubbed his neck with considerable discomfort and muttered: "A fishbone stuck in the throat, a fishbone stuck in the throat!"

At that moment, a Palace Gentleman called out softly: "Your Majesty, it is snowing outside!"

Diwu Lun stepped out and stood atop the White Gate Tower. He saw a vast expanse of snow descending from the heavens, settling on the broken eaves, on the topknots of soldiers shivering as they clutched their spears, and into Diwu Lun's palm, sending a corresponding chill through his heart.

It had come at last. If one considered the realm as a whole, Xu Province was in the "south," yet it lay north of the Huai River. At most, the rivers would not freeze over, but snow would still fall when it was due.

From now until early spring, it would be extremely cold, with temperatures dropping far below freezing. Under such conditions, the attacking side's attrition would multiply compared to before!

"Has Heaven begun to aid Liu Xiu?"

Diwu Lun knew full well that if Pengcheng held out for another half month or more, the Wei army would be utterly exhausted by the harsh winter, and morale would plummet even further from its current state.

Gritting his teeth, Diwu Lun, who rarely pressured his generals, actually sent another urgent edict, sharply worded, to the two commanders at Pengcheng, Geng Chun and Zhang Zong:

"Today is the twentieth day of the twelfth month."

"Within ten days, before the New Year's Day of the fourth year of Wude, I want the Chu Palace in the inner city of Pengcheng flying the Five Virtues banner!"