Chapter 639: Gotta Pay More

"Wenyuan!"

When Diwu Lun started awake from his dream, he found himself slumped over his desk. Outside, the sky was still dark. The Guanzhong weather in the eighth month was stifling, even at night, the air like the melancholy knotted in his chest.

Diwu Lun wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked down at the military report from Hehuang. It was a memorial from Ma Yuan and Niu Han, volunteering to strike the Xianlian Qiang first, execute the ringleaders to shock the Western Qiang, thereby quelling the fighting in Jincheng and freeing up the Longyou Army Corps to assist the Bingzhou Army Corps in expelling the Xiongnu, or to guard against the Chengjia Shu army, which might launch another northern campaign at any moment.

Though he knew this was the correct decision and was willing to grant his frontline generals maximum authority to fight as they saw fit, Diwu Lun still felt a heavy heart, for this was probably the most difficult time for the State of Wei since he had taken the imperial title.

That damned Fang Wang, though captured and escorted to Chang'an where he could be executed at any moment, had nonetheless seen the "Diwu Encirclement" he orchestrated begin to bear fruit. The Xiongnu and Western Qiang were acting in concert, and Chengjia and the Eastern Han were stirring restlessly. If they all struck at once, it would indeed leave Diwu Lun struggling on every side.

No wonder he had dreamed of Ma Yuan leading his lone army deep into Hehuang, ending up wrapped in horsehide…

He could only hope that dreams were contrary.

"This is the final darkness before dawn," Diwu Lun told himself. "And the last great trial before reunification!"

So he had to exhaust every resource, even resort to any means necessary!

Diwu Lun made up his mind and ordered the young Palace Gentleman on duty, Dou Gu, to summon someone: "Summon the Grand Herald, Feng Yan, to see me."

Dou Gu was Dou Rong's nephew and the eldest son of Dou You, the Governor of Wuwei. Because of the Hexi campaign, Diwu Lun had promoted him to his side, but Dou Gu was, after all, only thirteen or fourteen and not very worldly, so he asked blankly, "But Your Majesty, it is not yet dawn."

Diwu Lun swept his wide sleeve. "Just go and summon him."

Rising early and sleeping late — such is the lot of a subject. The boss is still working overtime, so what's a little early rising for the staff? Diwu Lun's backside had thoroughly planted itself on the opposite side of the wage-earner; he no longer hesitated to squeeze his ministers.

What's more, as founding meritorious officials, their every performance was intimately tied to how much equity they would receive in the Wei dynasty. Though Feng Yan had followed the dragon early, his equity had been considerably diluted by latecomers overtaking him. If he didn't work harder, he would be marginalized!

Dou Gu assented and went out. They were not in Weiyang Palace, but in Yongcheng, in Youfufeng. Since the war began, Diwu Lun had moved his seat here, both to personally keep an eye on Gongsun Shu of Chengjia, and to more conveniently receive military dispatches from Hexi, Jincheng, and Xin Qinzhong.

His sleepiness gone, Diwu Lun stood with his hands clasped behind his back in Qinian Palace, leaning on the railing and gazing out.

Qinian Palace had been built very early, so early that it predated the rise of the Qin state. After the Great Zheng Palace was destroyed in the wars at the end of Qin, Qinian Palace became the largest detached palace in the Yong region.

Diwu Lun had heard that the ceremony in which the First Emperor of Qin came of age, was capped, and assumed personal rule had been held right here. That had also been an exceedingly dangerous moment in the First Emperor's early years: his mother wanted her lover, not him; Lao Ai launched a rebellion, and it was said that even the Di and Qiang tribes of western Qin joined the revolt. Yet the young First Emperor, donning his cap and gripping his sword, methodically crushed the rebels.

He could only hope that, over two hundred years later, he himself, here in Qinian Palace, could also weather this great crisis.

The sky was still dim. Looking down, he saw several figures enter through the palace gate. Palace Gentlemen carrying cloth lanterns led the way, and behind them followed a tall, thin civil official stumbling along. They passed through checkpoint after checkpoint of guards, finally ascending Qinian Palace and arriving before Diwu Lun.

Feng Yan had come in great haste; even his cap was slightly askew. Diwu Lun merely spread his sleeve, motioning old Feng to follow him into the hall, and said to him directly, "That 'give a plum in return for a peach' strategy you described earlier — it can be implemented! Explain it again in detail."

Old Feng was overjoyed at these words, and the complaints in his heart at being woken so early instantly dissipated. After bowing to Diwu Lun, he began to re-elaborate his clever scheme.

"Gongsun Shu of Chengjia used the Xianlian as his 'plum' cast at us, stirring the Western Qiang to rebellion. That being the case, the Great Wei should likewise use the Wu Du Di tribes within his territory as our 'peach,' inciting them to rebel against Shu, as repayment!"

The Di people were also an ancient tribe on the margins of the Central Plains. As far back as the Yin-Shang period, an epic poem stated: "Of old, when Cheng Tang reigned, even from the Di and Qiang, none dared not to come with offerings, none dared not to come to the king." The Di, like the Qiang, had been living sacrifices in the sacrificial pits of the Great Settlement Shang's nobility.

By the Qin-Han transition, the Di lived in Hanzhong, Wu Du, and the western frontiers of Shu, but their way of life had already shifted to agriculture, though their productivity was still backward.

Feng Yan, having twice entered Shu on missions, had passed through some Di tribal territories and was deeply impressed by this marginalized tribe. He reported to Diwu Lun: "The lands northeast of Shu are all Di domains. They have scores of chieftains and are not registered in the commandery-county household system. Only circuits were established, allowing them self-governance, much like dependent states. Among them, the Baima Di are the largest, with several thousand soldiers. It was not until the time of Emperor Wu of Han that a General of the Gentlemen of the Household was dispatched to subjugate the Di lands, establishing Wu Du Commandery."

"However, Wu Du Commandery was not peaceful. From the third year of Yuanfeng under Emperor Wu of Han (108 BC) to the third year of Dijie under Emperor Xuan of Han (67 BC), over a span of forty-odd years, the Di rebelled four times. But each time they were crushed by great generals like Zhao Chongguo. Some Di were forcibly relocated to Longyou, Hexi, and other places, while the remaining enemies scattered into the valleys of Wu Du and Western Shu. Later, circuits were established for all of them, and they submitted to the Central Plains."

"Since the time of Emperor Xuan of Han, the Di have caused no major disturbances, until Wang Mang lowered the rank of Di chieftains, which triggered unrest."

Feng Yan had also discovered that the Di and the Qiang had a long-standing feud. In short, both the Eastern and Western Qiang loved to plunder slaves and livestock. Since they dared not raid Han subjects, they raided the Di tribes. The Di, with smaller populations and no cavalry, were no match for the Qiang, so they could only attach themselves to the imperial court, hoping for protection.

This also meant that when Gongsun Shu vigorously courted the Qiang tribes, the Di in Wu Du and Longyou felt, to varying degrees, a sense of unease.

"When Wei Ao held Longyou, the Longyou Di tribes, dissatisfied with his rule, once assisted Wan Xiu and Wu Han. Many Di even served as junior officers in the Wei army, leading Di soldiers in support. In my humble opinion, we should now send Di men loyal to the Great Wei to infiltrate Wu Du and persuade the Baima Di to rebel against Shu!"

Feng Yan enthusiastically laid out his plan: "Now that the passes into Hanzhong are all blockaded, the most convenient route for the Shu army to advance north is the Qishan Road, which has rivers for transporting provisions. And to take the Qishan Road, one must pass through Wu Du. If the Di rebel and the roads are blocked, the Shu army will be unable to threaten Longyou, nor can they support the Qiang tribes in time. General Ma can then calmly quell the Qiang rebellion!"

His suggestion was indeed not bad. Diwu Lun had previously hesitated, for in the face of Qiang and Hu incursions, the State of Wei was raising the banner of "expelling the barbarians." If he also incited the Di tribes to disrupt Shu, what difference would there be between him and Gongsun Shu? Civil wars among the Huaxia often ended in mutual destruction, with the Di, Qiang, and Xiongnu reaping the benefits. Gongsun Shu and Wei Ao might be shameless, but Diwu Lun still wanted to save face!

Feng Yan simply urged Diwu Lun: "The Western Qiang are outer barbarians, no different from the Xiongnu. For Gongsun Shu to use the Western Qiang to harass our frontiers is like opening the door and bowing to bandits, inviting the Rong and Di to invade the Central Lands!"

"The Di, however, have been internal vassals for many years. Their people farm and dwell in huts. Were it not for the language barrier, they would be almost indistinguishable from the people of Long and Han. They are inner barbarians. There is a distinction between inner and outer! For us to encourage the Di kings to rebel against Shu is to have them abandon a false dynasty and turn to the legitimate one, to forsake a crooked path and walk the great way!"

What splendid double standards! Feng Yan had said all there was to say. Diwu Lun thought about it and agreed — in a moment of existential crisis, what use was face! This wasn't asking him to call a foreign tribe his father or son and borrow foreign troops. Diwu Lun thus approved Feng Yan's plan, ordering the Grand Herald to work with the Embroidered Uniform Guard to accomplish this!

"Any Wu Du Di tribe willing to abandon Gongsun Shu and come over shall have their kings, marquises, and chieftains restored, be granted Wei seals and ribbons, and be exempt from tribute and taxes for five years. Those willing to be the first to raise the righteous banner shall also receive gifts of gold, silver, silk, and cloth."

Diwu Lun declared with solemn assurance, "I will never go back on my word."

…

Being in Youfufeng had another advantage: Feng Yan could directly command the spies of the Grand Herald's office and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to go south to Chencang and secretly infiltrate Wu Du Commandery via a forested mountain path known as the "Old Road."

This Old Road, as its name suggested, exuded an air of age. It had once enjoyed world-shaking renown: when Han Xin secretly crossed Chencang, he had taken this very route, smashing the Three Qin in one stroke and allowing Liu Bang to return to Guanzhong — at that time, Hanzhong and Guanzhong were quite conveniently linked by the water route of the Chencang Road.

But in the early Han, a great earthquake in Wu Du Commandery forever altered the local hydrology. The perfectly good Han River was split in two, the water route of the Chencang Road was severed, and even many of the plank roads and mountain paths were collapsed by the quake. Though later generations repeatedly tried, and during Emperor Wu of Han's reign some officials even had the wild idea of digging a new canal, all ended in failure. The Chencang Road became the Old Road, gradually forgotten.

For the moment, Diwu Lun truly ought to thank that earthquake. With the Chencang Road blocked, the Shu army, if it wanted to campaign north, had no water route for transporting grain other than the Qishan Road in western Wu Du. So recently, when Gongsun Shu maneuvered troops, creating feints and posing as if he would attack Guanzhong via the Xie Valley and Wuzi Valley, Diwu Lun was entirely unafraid. Let him come — it would be a case of shutting the door and beating the dog. Though Wan Xiu had only twenty thousand men, relying on the terrain, he could hold off ten times his number. And on those difficult passes, the Shu army wouldn't even need to encounter the enemy; they would exhaust themselves to death on their own.

Yet while large forces could not traverse the Chencang Old Road, spies could secretly infiltrate. Feng Yan was quite efficient this time; even before Diwu Lun's approval, he had secretly sent men to contact the Wu Du Di tribes. Only after the Emperor's consent did he intensify contact.

By the ninth month, Feng Yan reported back to Diwu Lun: the plan to win over the Di people was showing promise!

"In Xiabian County of Wu Du Commandery, there is a Baima Di chieftain named Qi Zhongliu, trusted by the local Di and whose authority commands the submission of all chieftains. He has long been inclined toward the Great Wei and has admired Your Majesty for ages. He claims he is willing to lead several thousand local Di to be the first to rise in righteousness and aid the royal army. It's just that…"

Diwu Lun understood perfectly. The Di chieftain had no long-term vision. Faced with the Wei spies' overtures, his response boiled down to three words: "Gotta pay more!"

Diwu Lun could only hold his nose and have Feng Yan increase the offer. The benefits ceded to the Di today could be easily reclaimed once the realm was unified. The prerequisite, of course, was still those three words: No face needed!

But Feng Yan's achievements did not stop there. Through the spies infiltrated into Wu Du Commandery, he also delivered a piece of urgent intelligence to Diwu Lun:

"Gongsun Shu has indeed ordered Wei Ao to march. Over ten thousand men are heading straight for Longyou via the Qishan Road!"

"So they've finally come."

Diwu Lun's heart tightened again. All of Guanzhong's mobile forces had been given to young Geng to take to Bingzhou. Wan Xiu's troops could not be moved. Longyou had few soldiers, and the Long people had only recently submitted — could they really be trusted not to waver?

Most critically, Ma Yuan had already struck at the Xianlian and was locked in fierce battle in Hehuang, the outcome still unknown. At a moment like this, a stab in the back from Gongsun Shu sending Wei Ao could truly be fatal!

But outwardly, Diwu Lun still responded with a casual, mocking laugh and, to the Palace Gentlemen and clerks around him, made a reference only he himself would understand.

"Record this."

"Counting Gongsun Shu's support for Wei Ao several years ago, this is the Shu army's 'Second Expedition from Qishan.'"