Chapter 640: A Fly Clinging to a Steed's Tail Can Travel a Thousand Li

Ever since losing Longyou a few years ago, Wei Ao had become a homeless cur. The White Emperor Gongsun Shu happened to need a watchdog, so he let Wei Ao and several thousand of his old troops reside in Wudu — in effect granting him this place as a fief.

"Shu may be pleasant, but Wudu is a bitter place."

Wei Ao disliked this region, for Wudu Commandery was desperately poor and hemmed in by mountains. Even around the commandery seat, Wudu Circuit, the city walls were ringed by sheer, towering peaks. Though autumn had arrived, the surroundings remained a swath of green, accompanied by a steady drizzle, often half-shrouded in cloud and mist — utterly unlike the dry expanse of Longyou.

Longyou at least had some flat open wilderness; Wudu was all rugged terrain, the mountain roads plunging and soaring, twisting and winding. Since the Former Han, plank paths had been hacked out with immense toil and suffering, barely passable. To transport goods, one could only rely on human backs and pack animals, and had to traverse many perilous stretches.

That left only the water route to pin one's hopes on.

From Wei Ao's vantage point looking down, a broad clear stream meandered past, flowing from north to south — this was the Western Han River. It had originally been the upper course of the Han River, rising in Longyou and flowing past the north face of Mount Qi. But after the great Wudu earthquake in the early Han, the Western Han River became blocked and was forced to turn humbly southward to join the Jialing River.

This also meant that Wudu, relying on this river, was linked to the rich and fertile plains of Shu! So long as there were enough trackers, grain boats could be hauled all the way to Wudu Commandery. Even going against the current was better than winding and climbing through the mountains.

The problem, however, was that the channel of the Western Han River from the Shu army's position to Wudu was studded with jagged rocks, making it impossible for boats to pass through smoothly.

Wei Ao had learned the lessons of the last war and repeatedly submitted memorials to Gongsun Shu, arguing that the several narrow passages between Hanzhong and Guanzhong were all too difficult for large armies to traverse — the previous defeat in the Ziwu Valley was proof. The only open route was the Mount Qi road! But although this road was flatter, transporting grain from Shu Commandery to Wudu was extremely inconvenient. And from Wudu to Mount Qi Fortress, the strategic stronghold on the Wei-Shu border, a mere hundred li took ten days to march. Not only did the troops end up exhausted, but losses along the way reached as high as four-fifths. If the Gongsun Emperor was determined to launch another northern campaign, he absolutely had to develop canal transport!

No one understood the benefits of water engineering better than the people of Shu. After receiving Gongsun Shu's approval, opening up the river became Wei Ao's daily routine for several years: he repeatedly led waterwork craftsmen from Chengdu to survey the Western Han River.

The waterworkers told Wei Ao: "The scattered rocks blocking the shipping lane must be dealt with by burning the stone and felling the wood."

"Felling the wood" was easy to understand. As for "burning the stone," it meant piling timber onto the rocks to be excavated and setting it ablaze. The surface temperature of the stone would rise extremely high; then cold water would be splashed onto the stone. Because of the drastic temperature difference, the stone would crack from the shock, and then men would chisel it away bit by bit.

The sections of river channel needing to be cleared were identified one by one, and the method was chosen. Only one problem lay before Wei Ao: dozens of li of river channel, countless scattered rocks — who would clear them?

Wudu Commandery administered nine counties. During Wang Mang's reign, a census had recorded over fifty thousand households, more than two hundred thousand people — not the best, but better than the worst.

But after Wei Ao took control of Wudu, he learned that the majority of that population had been falsely reported by officials based on the local Di people's numbers! The actual registered commoner households numbered less than a hundred thousand; the rest were all Di people.

Wei Ao thereupon petitioned Gongsun Shu: "The Di people do not pay taxes, so let them contribute their labor as a substitute for corvée."

Thus, over the past several years, Wei Ao's old troops spent their days in Wudu, blades in hand, driving the Di people and forcing them to clear the scattered rocks from the Western Han River. The current was swift, the weather fickle, and accidents were common. Every large boulder that vanished was accompanied by the death of a Di person. The grave mounds in the riverside burial ground grew ever more numerous.

The Di people, not understanding the principle of "build roads first to get rich," were deeply resentful. But the Di tribes were not as formidable in battle as the Western Qiang. Those tribes that attempted to resist were easily put down by the Longyou troops and slaughtered to the last. The remaining tribes could only swallow their anger, but their resentment had already been exploited by spies from the State of Wei, who began plotting to turn against Shu and surrender to Wei.

But Wei Ao missed his homeland too much, and he held the Di people in contempt. He failed to notice the undercurrents right beneath his nose. His gaze only followed the now-cleared Western Han River, watching the boats hauled by trackers, the soldiers standing aboard them, as they sailed little by little toward Mount Qi!

When Mount Qi Fortress came distantly into view, Wei Ao knew he was drawing near his homeland!

Though Mount Qi was also mountainous, the scenery was vastly different from Wudu. It closely resembled Longyu — stark and desolate, the mountains often bearing little vegetation, more so the further west one went. By autumn, all things were bleak and still. Occasionally a solitary argali could be seen standing atop a peak, chewing a blade of grass, watching the uninvited guests from Wudu.

But on Wei Ao's road to returning in surrender, one fortress still barred the way. This was Mount Qi Fortress, built atop a hill and situated amid the fields, standing solitary and erect, its geological character utterly distinct from the surrounding landscape.

Speaking of it brought only tears. This world originally had no Mount Qi Fortress. Back when Wei Ao had fled defeated from Longxi and sought aid from Gongsun Shu, the Long-Shu allied forces had relied on manual labor, pounding layer upon layer of earth with hammers at the foot of Mount Qi to ram it into shape. Atop the earthen mound they had even built a ring of battlements. Yet in the end, all that work became a wedding dress for another — now the five-colored banner of Wei already flew above it.

"Take Mount Qi Fortress, and you seize the key to Longyou."

If they could only break through here, the way ahead would be an open road! The Shu army's grain could even follow the Western Han River and strike straight to the walls of Tianshui in one breath!

However, after Wan Xiu had taken this place four years ago, he understood Mount Qi's importance and expended enormous manpower to make Mount Qi Fortress even sturdier. The ten thousand-plus men Wei Ao brought had assaulted the two thousand defenders of Mount Qi Fortress fiercely for days, yet achieved nothing, instead suffering considerable casualties.

This setback sobered Wei Ao. The Wei army's fighting strength was not to be taken lightly. It seemed that the boast he had made to Gongsun Shu before setting out, in order to secure more reinforcements — "Advancing at ease along the open Mount Qi road, we can pacify Longyou with complete certainty of victory and no risk" — would likely prove impossible to fulfill.

While Mount Qi Fortress stubbornly resisted capture, Wei Ao did not sit idle. He dispatched two small detachments from Wudu. One made a detour to the Qiang heartland, hoping to contact the Xianlian King and have him do his utmost to tie down Ma Yuan.

The other detachment headed to Longxi, Tianshui, and other places, using old ties of native place and former lordship to persuade the powerful men of Longyou to turn against Wei.

When he heard that his former friend and subordinate Niu Han had now become Colonel for Protecting the Qiang and was stationed in Longxi by Ma Yuan, Wei Ao, with great expectations, wrote Niu Han a letter...

"I, Ao, have known Ruqing for over ten years. You are a man of courage, strength, talent, and spirit, renowned across the frontier — I have always admired you from my heart. We were born into chaotic times, swore a blood oath to oppose the Xin, and together with the sixteen great families of Longyou, followed the way of Heaven. Since then, we have passed through the tiger's jaws and trodden the ground of death — six years now."

Wei Ao first appealed to old friendship with Niu Han, reminiscing about the days when they "governed Longyou together." Then his tone shifted as he denounced Diwu Lun's deception and invasion of Longyou, and further indicated...

"I have always known Ruqing's character. You must be emulating the ancients — feigning surrender! Preserving your useful self in order to one day recover Longyou!"

At this point, a gesture Wei Ao had made years ago proved useful: before he withdrew from Longxi, upon learning that Niu Han had surrendered to Wei, he had not made things difficult for Niu Han's wife and family, but had left them all behind. Niu Han should still remember this kindness, shouldn't he? Wei Ao subtly and overtly reminded Niu Han that, in public duty and private debt, he owed him!

The battle at Mount Qi Fortress continued. As Wei reinforcements steadily arrived from Tianshui and elsewhere, Wei Ao's hope of quickly taking the place became a delusion, making him need an inside collaborator among the enemy all the more.

Fortunately, Niu Han did not keep his old friend waiting long. A few days later, a reply was delivered into Wei Ao's hands!

Unlike Wei Ao, who was schooled in the Confucian classics, Niu Han was a typical Longyou martial hero. His prose was rough and blunt, not beating around the bush in the slightest. The gist of his letter was as follows:

"General Wei, I was born in Didao in Longxi. From early on I heard the great name of Wei Jimeng of Tianshui. Everyone in Liang Province said you were a noble gentleman of virtue, talent, loyalty, and filial piety, your reputation spreading all the way to Chang'an. After I, Niu Han, came to know you, you did not disdain my crudeness, but drew me in as a close friend. After we enthroned the Han Emperor, I was honored with the rank of General. I also believed what you, Lord Wei, often said: 'We must lead the heroes of the River and Long regions to escort the Son of Heaven back to the old capital and restore the Han ancestral altars.'"

"Yet in a moment of peril, General, you abandoned the young sovereign and presented him to Gongsun Shu. Such conduct can hardly be called that of a loyal minister. But I, Niu Han, still trusted you, General, believing that everything Lord Wei did was for the good of Longyou — to let Longyou people govern Longyou land, no longer manipulated and oppressed by easterners. Later, when the Wei army grew powerful and the Long army could not resist, I, Niu Han, was trapped in Tianshui and had no choice but to surrender. I did indeed harbor the intention of feigning surrender to preserve myself. When I reached Longxi and heard that Lord Wei had not forgotten to care for Niu Han's wife and children, and had not harmed them, I felt even more ashamed, feeling I had no way to repay you, and longed day and night for Lord Wei's return."

"But later, when I heard of Lord Wei's actions after entering Shu, I, Niu Han, as your former minister and good friend, was greatly disappointed. In order to disrupt the State of Wei, Lord Wei actually assisted Gongsun Shu and promised to bestow Jincheng upon the Xianlian King. Do you not know that Hehuang is the western gateway of Longyou? Once the Qiang grow strong in Hehuang, they will inevitably cast covetous eyes on Longyou lands."

"Though I, Niu Han, have read little, I still know the difference between 'minor righteousness' and 'great righteousness.' Lord Wei has indeed shown me minor personal kindness, but as the foremost leader of the Longyou heroes, you have harmed the interests of the sons of Longyou. This is more despicable than disloyalty to the Han sovereign — you have already lost the great righteousness of being human! Lord Wei may not know this, but in Tianshui, the Wei family name has become comparable to that of Li Ling, who surrendered to the Xiongnu. The people of Tianshui are ashamed to share a commandery with you!"

Reading this far in the letter, Niu Han's attitude was self-evident. Wei Ao could only shake his head and say: "What a Niu Ruqing — feigned surrender has turned into true surrender. I, Wei Ao, misjudged him..."

But every word Niu Han said was the truth. Most of the spies Wei Ao had sent to Longxi and Tianshui had actually been seized by the Longyou powerful families they tried to contact. Those who were lucky enough to return also told Wei Ao that Diwu Lun was widely publicizing how Wei Ao had invited the Qiang into the passes, ceded Hehuang, and sold out Longyou's interests. As a result, Grand General Wei, who once had friends everywhere, had now become a fly that everyone shunned.

This was utterly unlike the scene Wei Ao had imagined — charging back to his homeland with elders weeping tears of welcome. His resolve could not help but waver. Forcing himself to endure, he finished reading the letter.

"At first, I, Niu Han, thought Lord Wei was a figure like the Duke of Zhou, capable of reviving the Han and, in passing, letting the heroes of Longyou dominate the court. Later, I felt that if you were not bent on being a Han minister, you might perhaps emulate Duke Mu of Qin, dominating the Western Rong and preserving Longyou's interests. But now, Lord Wei has betrayed Longyou, reviled by all, and fallen even lower than Li Ling."

"Lord Wei, see clearly now. You and I, in this chaotic age, are but flies and gnats unable to withstand a strong wind. I have heard that an ordinary fly can only fly a few paces at a time, but if it clings to a horse's tail, it can travel far beyond that distance. That said, there are fast horses and slow horses — and Gongsun Shu is merely a lame donkey from Shu, unable to cover ten li in a day. Yet Lord Wei is willing to be his vassal, knocking on the gates of Mount Qi for him, making Longyou men slaughter each other for nothing. Why suffer so?"

"The Wei sovereign, on the other hand, is a thousand-li steed! Though the State of Wei is now besieged on all sides, it faces no mortal danger. Valiant generals like Wu and Geng mass on every border to block the Xiongnu. General Ma Yuan alone can hold off the Western Qiang with an isolated force. And the Wei sovereign, His Majesty, with his great host of chariots, is already on the march! Lord Wei, relying on a band of exhausted, routed soldiers to oppose the majestic royal army, is like striking hard stone with a bird's egg — how could there be any chance of victory?"

"A wise man sees danger and contemplates change. Qing Bu was once a fugitive convict, yet in the end he was able to take up his sword and return to Han, abandoning folly for righteousness, his merit and fame both renowned. In my view, Lord Wei and the Wei sovereign are old acquaintances with no deep enmity. To leave Gongsun's feeble donkey now and leap onto Diwu's fine steed's tail — there is still time! I, Niu Han, have not forgotten Lord Wei's kindness, and so I am willing to serve as your introducer, submitting a memorial on Lord Wei's behalf to express your sincerity in surrendering to Wei! This is also the intent of the Grand General of the Agile Cavalry, Lord Ma, who eagerly awaits Lord Wei's early reply."

What a character! Wei Ao inwardly exclaimed, What a character!

Helplessly setting down the letter, he sighed with emotion: "Who says Niu Han is merely a fierce general of Longxi? He is a clever man. No wonder he could serve Wei once more and regain their trust, while I still rush back and forth between Long and Shu, anxious and unable to settle for a single day."

Wei Ao cast the letter into the fire, sighing ruefully: "Though Niu Ruqing expounded great righteousness to me, even Li Ling knew that 'a true man cannot be humiliated twice,' and thus understood he could not return to Han. How could I, Wei Ao, flip-flop yet again?"

Faced with his old friend's counter-recruitment, did Wei Ao's heart waver? No one knows. But as deep autumn descended in the ninth month, the weather at Mount Qi turned sharply cold. The battle for Mount Qi Fortress dragged on without result. Longxi, Tianshui, and the other regions were rather cold toward Wei Ao's overtures — they had long since abandoned the Wei clan and no longer regarded him as the champion of Longyou's interests.

A fox dying turns its head toward its den, but Wei Ao only felt that he would probably never have the chance to fight his way back to Longyou.

But what ultimately lifted Wei Ao's spirits immensely, making him feel capable once more, was astonishing news from the Qiang heartland:

"Ma Wenyuan, Grand General of the Agile Cavalry of Wei, advanced deep in isolation and fought the Xianlian King at Luodu Valley in Hehuang. The Wei army could not withstand the Qiang cavalry and retreated east in a major defeat!"