Chapter 68: I Have a Word to Say

When it comes to famous generals of the realm, if Wang Yi claimed to be second, no one would dare claim first.

Back when Wang Mang was acting as regent, his intent to usurp the Han was plain for all to see. Zhai Yi, the Governor of Dong Commandery, styled himself a loyal servant of the Han house. He colluded with the local Liu imperial clan and, seizing the moment of the commandery troops' annual autumn review in the ninth month, boldly raised his army. He mustered his chariots and cavalry, recruited the brave from his commandery, proclaimed himself Grand General Pillar of Heaven, and circulated proclamations through the commanderies and kingdoms to launch a punitive campaign against Wang Mang.

In a short time, three commanderies answered his call, and his numbers swelled to over a hundred thousand men!

At the same time, while the court's elite troops advanced east to quell the rebellion, partisans in the Three Adjuncts also rose in response to Zhai Yi. A heroic outlaw from Huaili proclaimed himself a general, likewise raising over a hundred thousand men. The flames of their uprising could be seen from the front hall of Weiyang Palace itself.

Yet these two massive uprisings, with their formidable momentum, were easily put down under the command of Wang Mang's cousin, Wang Yi.

Wang Yi directed operations with perfect composure. One battle at Chenliu, and the first engagement ended in triumph; another at Yu City, and Zhai Yi's great army was shattered. He pursued them to Gushi, where he beheaded the rebel leader and had the corpse dismembered in the marketplace. The massive uprising was swept away with ease, the whole affair lasting no more than three months.

Afterward, Wang Yi turned his army's edge westward and struck the Guanzhong rebels in a pincer movement. In less than two months, they were utterly annihilated, and peace returned to all the counties. The army returned in triumph, and Wang Mang laid out a feast in the White Tiger Hall to honor Wang Yi, declaring: "My younger brother shall be the foremost general under Heaven, the modern-day Master Shangfu!"

That was the founding war of the Xin Dynasty. In the decade and more that followed, no major rebellion occurred anywhere in the realm. Wang Yi rose to the ranks of the Three Excellencies, was enfeoffed as Duke of Longxin, and was utterly satisfied with his achievements.

But after that, no further wars, great or small, fell to Wang Yi's lot. The Emperor treated him as a national treasure, enshrining him in Chang'an. When campaigns were launched against the Western Regions or the southwestern barbarians, Wang Yi repeatedly begged for a command, only to be politely refused by Wang Mang with the words, "One does not use a butcher's cleaver to kill a chicken."

Surely the war against the Xiongnu would let him take the field? By his reckoning, the Xin Dynasty's first declaration of war against the Xiongnu had been a decade ago, when twelve grand armies were launched on a northern campaign, advancing along separate routes. Yet Wang Yi scanned the roster from top to bottom and still could not find his own name.

This time was no different. The Emperor had decided to make Grand Marshal Yan You the commander-in-chief, with General of Renewal Lian Dan as his deputy.

Wang Yi was deeply resentful of this and brooded in secret: "I am a general of the Xin, and a scion of the imperial clan to boot, with great achievements in storming cities, field battles, and quelling rebellions. Yan You, on the other hand, is merely well-read in military texts — a man cut from the same cloth as Zhao Kuo. He relies on devising plans and offering counsel, earning his keep with his mouth and tongue, yet he is ranked alongside me among the Three Excellencies. On what grounds?"

Today was the day the Emperor would bestow the battle-axe and tally of command upon Yan You. As Grand Minister of Works, Wang Yi was obliged to attend. He dressed and set out in a sullen, unhappy mood, only to be stopped at the gate of his residence.

"Grand Minister of Works, I have a word to say!"

Wang Yi scrutinized the man halted by his honor guard: a yellow sash, a small cap, in his early thirties. It was Fan Sheng, a man from Dai Commandery whom he himself had recruited the previous year to serve as a Consultant Clerk in his Grand Minister of Works bureau.

"What is it this time, Bianqing?"

Fan Sheng bowed low and said, "Has the Grand Minister of Works read the memorial this humble clerk submitted?"

Better not to have brought it up. At the mere mention, Wang Yi's brow furrowed.

Fan Sheng's memorial had been written in response to Wang Mang's campaign against the Xiongnu. In the document, he argued that "the Son of Heaven considers the defiance of distant lands the greatest worry, but I, Fan Sheng, believe the discontent of the people within our borders is what truly deserves concern."

The entire piece was a remonstrance against the northern expedition, arguing that the court's actions were ill-timed and that Wang Mang's conduct ran counter to common sense — like racing along the old ruts of an overturned cart, following step by step down a track leading to ruin and destruction.

Wang Yi waved his hand to shoo him away: "You are a mere Confucian scholar. Devote yourself to studying your specialty, the Liangqiu Commentary on the Changes. What do you understand of state governance or military affairs? Spare me such wild and reckless talk."

Fan Sheng grew desperate. He spread his arms and knelt on the ground, blocking Wang Yi's forward step: "Grand Minister of Works, the affairs of the realm today are as clear as the sun and moon, as thunderous as a crashing bolt of lightning. Anyone with eyes can see it clearly!"

"It is the dead of winter, yet able-bodied men are conscripted for distant corvée labor. The wild greens are exhausted, the fields lie fallow and unplowed, and grain prices have soared. In the lands east of the passes, drought year after year has driven prices to several thousand cash per shi! The officials and common people, plunged into boiling water and scorching fire, no longer regard themselves as subjects of the state but harbor thoughts of rebellion and chaos in their hearts. If this continues, I fear that before the Hu and Mo barbarians even cross the frontier, the bandits of Qing and Xu — Li Zidu, Fan Chong, Lü Mu — will be entering the curtains of the capital's council tents, their soldiers pressing upon the palace gates!"

"The reason I, Fan Sheng, risk death to offer this remonstrance is my hope to assist the Grand Minister of Works in relieving the realm's desperate plight, lest the world's resentment fall upon you! I beg you to recommend me to the Son of Heaven, so that I may present my words in full!"

But Wang Yi could not listen. He cursed: "Alarmist nonsense! You, a petty clerk from Bing Province — what lofty insights could you possibly have?"

"Fan Sheng must have far too much idle time, to spend his days in such wild fancies. The conscripts and grain from Shangdang have not yet been fully assembled — I shall assign you to oversee their requisition!"

With that, Wang Yi waved a hand and had his men drive Fan Sheng away. He mounted his carriage and set off for Shoucheng Hall, ignoring the man's cries and remonstrances.

Be that as it may, this was hardly the first time Wang Yi had heard such words.

His political rival, Grand Marshal Yan You, also opposed the use of force against the Xiongnu.

As early as the first declaration of war against the Xiongnu a decade ago, Yan You had remonstrated with Wang Mang. He had summarized the strategies of the Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties toward the northern Hu tribes, concluding that the Zhou had adopted a middling policy, the Han a poor one, and the Qin no policy at all — the most inferior of all. And now the present dynasty sought to emulate the Qin's approach in dealing with the Xiongnu, which was a colossal mistake.

In planning the second declaration of war, however, Wang Mang had observed that the Xiongnu had just undergone a change in the Chanyu's position, and the new Chanyu lacked the prestige to control the tribes. This was an excellent opportunity to settle the matter once and for all. He therefore decided to lure Xubu Dang — the son-in-law of the Ninghu Yanzhi and the Right Gudu Marquis — to court, install him as Chanyu, and openly split the Xiongnu.

But Yan You thought this plan utterly foolish: "Xubu Dang resides in the Right Division of the Xiongnu, inheriting the policies of the Ninghu Yanzhi and Huhanye Chanyu. His people have never raided the border and always secretly relay the Chanyu's intelligence to the court. He is a great asset to the Xin. If we now welcome him to court and settle him in the barbarian quarters on Gao Street, Xubu Dang will be nothing more than an ordinary Hu man, utterly useless — while we will have done the Xiongnu Chanyu the favor of removing a rival. It would be far more beneficial to leave him among the Xiongnu to act in concert with us."

That was Yan You for you. Having read widely in military texts, he was known for his wisdom and stratagems. He opposed Wang Mang's attacks on the surrounding barbarians and repeatedly remonstrated, to no avail.

Wang Yi, for his part, made it a principle in both domestic and foreign policy to oppose Yan You in every matter.

Whatever Yan You opposed, he supported. Thus Wang Yi had vigorously backed Wang Mang's plan and had been instrumental in bringing about the second declaration of war against the Xiongnu.

So it was utterly impossible for Wang Yi to suddenly turn against the war, as Fan Sheng had urged. To be so inconsistent would be to gamble with his own political life.

With such thoughts, his carriage had already entered Shoucheng Hall and come to a halt at the Four Gates of the Royal Way.

These four gates stood at the center of Shoucheng Hall, facing east, west, south, and north. Originally called the Public Carriage Marshal Gates, they were where all ministers dismounted from their carriages upon entering the palace — until Wang Mang changed the name.

Likewise renamed was the Former Han's front hall, now called the "Hall of the Royal Way."

But today, Wang Yi's destination was the Emperor's private quarters, the Greenhouse Hall.

As for the Greenhouse, Wang Yi surrendered his sword to the Palace Gentlemen at the door. Only upon entering the hall did he realize something was amiss. A figure was already visible behind the mica screen that separated sovereign from subjects — it must be His Majesty the Emperor himself. Inside the hall, the Master of Fates of the Five Majesties, Chen Chong, the General of Renewal, Lian Dan, and others were all in attendance.

Kneeling alone in the center was none other than the man who should have been the principal figure in today's bestowal of the battle-axe: Grand Marshal Yan You.

Yan You bowed his head to the ground three times toward the Emperor's silhouette behind the mica screen and said: "Your Majesty, your servant has a word to say!"

"In the past, the First Emperor of Qin could not endure a minor humiliation and recklessly expended the people's strength. He built the Great Wall's fortifications, stretching for ten thousand li, with conscripted laborers transporting provisions all the way from the seacoast. Though the frontiers were secured, it drained the interior of China. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang raised their troops, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu followed after, and in the end, Qin lost its altars of state. What destroyed Qin was not the Hu people, but a state policy of reckless folly."

"Today, the realm suffers the calamity of the Nine Misfortunes, with famine year after year. The northwestern border regions are hit hardest — in the past two years, the ghastly sight of people eating one another has already appeared. Yet now we are to dispatch a great army against the Xiongnu. Even to prepare three hundred days' rations for a hundred thousand men, we would have to draw supplies from the eastern seaboard and the lands south of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers. And when we calculate the distance to the Xiongnu, the army will not muster until next spring and will not reach the frontier until summer. Before a single battle is fought, the troops will be exhausted and their equipment worn — a force in no condition to be used."

Yan You raised his head and looked at the mica screen: "To expend the people's strength on such a scale is to repeat the very errors that destroyed Qin. The art of war says, 'The Way is what makes the people share the will of their ruler; thus they can live and die with him, without fear of danger.' Today, from officials and powerful families down to the common folk of the village lanes, all have been alienated from the court by the horse insurance, slave levies, and property taxes. How can they be willing to fight? Therefore, this northern campaign cannot possibly assure success. Your servant is deeply troubled by this!"

He poured out the words he had long held back in a single breath. For a moment, silence reigned in the Hall of the Royal Way. The other Four Adjuncts and Three Excellencies all hung their heads and said nothing. Only a trace of a smile crept onto Wang Yi's lips.

After a long silence, a loud and rasping voice sounded from behind the mica screen.

"So in the Grand Marshal's view, this war with the Gongnu cannot be fought?"

The present Emperor liked to shroud himself in mystery. When in his private quarters, he often hid behind a mica screen, unseen by all but his closest confidants.

Yan You kowtowed again: "Indeed. In your servant's humble opinion, the Xiongnu can wait to be dealt with later. The primary concern is the bandits east of the passes!"

Wang Mang did not speak at once, as if pondering. But he had already noticed Wang Yi's arrival and said: "What does the Grand Minister of Works think?"

Wang Yi had been waiting for this moment. He immediately stepped forward and said: "The likes of Lü Mu, Fan Chong, and Li Zidu in Qing and Xu are nothing but petty brigands. I hardly know why the Grand Marshal is so preoccupied with them. Moreover, the Son of Heaven has already dispatched the Grand Mentor, Xi Shu Shi Sunxi, to mobilize commandery and kingdom troops to sweep the rivers and lakes clean of bandits. They will surely be put down soon."

Yan You turned his head and glared at Wang Yi: "The Grand Minister of Works speaks lightly of this. What if among them arise men like Chen Sheng, Wu Guang, Liu Bang, or Xiang Yu, who threaten the very altars of state?"

Wang Yi laughed loudly: "Ridiculous! Back then, men like Zhai Yi, with hundreds of thousands, rising in concert from east and west, could not shake the altars of state in the slightest — much less today's rabble! With your servant here, I will never permit such petty vermin to leap about!"

He turned to look at Yan You: "But is it truly appropriate for the Grand Marshal, as commander-in-chief, to demoralize the army and sow doubt among the troops before the campaign has even begun?"

The two "famous generals" of the dynasty wrangled back and forth in the court, until the sound of Wang Mang's coughing came through.

"Today was meant for bestowing the battle-axe and selecting an auspicious day to rouse the troops. Yet the Grand Marshal, at the very moment of this court deliberation, still fails to grasp Our painstaking intent."

"Grand Marshal You!"

Yan You jolted, then knelt and said, "Your servant is here."

Wang Mang said nothing more, merely letting the palace attendant proclaim his decree.

"Grand Marshal Yan You has held office for four years. Barbarians and the Xia have acted lawlessly, yet he could not stop them; bandits and villains have run rampant, yet he could not exterminate them. He does not fear Heaven's majesty, does not obey imperial commands, wears a look of smug self-satisfaction, clings stubbornly to his own views, harbors a contrary heart, and obstructs military deliberations. I have not the heart to deliver him to justice. Let him surrender the seal and cord of Grand Marshal and Wujian Marquis, be stripped to commoner status, and sent back to his home commandery!"

"As commanded…"

Yan You shut his eyes in despair, slowly removed his gold seal and purple cord, along with his military officer's cap, handed them to the palace attendant, and walked dejectedly out of the court hall. As he passed Wang Yi, facing the Grand Minister of Works' rather smug expression, Yan You only shook his head in silence. He had done all he could.

After Yan You had left, Chen Chong, Master of Fates of the Five Majesties, sighed and said, "I had thought that Yan Erudite, well-versed in military texts, would understand Your Majesty's painstaking intent. I never imagined he would be so shallow, seeing only the surface and failing to grasp the deeper reasoning."

Chen Chong had his own lofty discourse: "The Former Han suffered the disgrace at Baideng and the humiliation of marriage alliances. After Emperor Xuan of Han, the Xiongnu appeared to bow and declare themselves subjects, listed as a northern vassal, but in truth they were given countless amounts of gold and silk every year. In the Huanglong era, twenty thousand bolts of embroidered silk and twenty thousand jin of cotton wadding were bestowed; in Emperor Ai's time, it increased to thirty thousand bolts, and three to four million hu of grain were transferred from the border commanderies to supply their food."

"The Liu emperors spent tens of millions in coin every year sending gifts to the northern caitiffs — how was that any different from paying tribute? The Rong and Di are wolves; they cannot be sated. This policy appeared to be a loose rein, but in truth it was feeding the enemy!"

"After a full sixty-year cycle of rest and recovery, the Gongnu have multiplied in people and livestock, their strength now rivaling that of the Modu and Laoshang eras. They enslave the Wuhuan and harass the Western Regions. Worse, the Gongnu are adept at openly proclaiming they recognize only the descendants of Emperor Xuan of Han and refuse to submit to the Xin — outright rebellion. In recent years, though they have sent envoys on the surface seeking peace with our dynasty, in secret they incite the tribes on their flanks to plunder."

"Since the Shijianguo era, they have repeatedly entered the frontier to raid, killing the Chief Officials of two commanderies and seizing people and livestock beyond count. After Tianfeng, their border incursions have grown even worse. They seek a marriage alliance, wish to stand as equals with north and south divided, end the bond of sovereign and subject, and even covet the border commanderies of Bingzhou. Such insolence — how can we not strike back!"

"Indeed." Compared to Yan You's grating loyal counsel, Chen Chong's words clearly moved Wang Mang more. He spoke: "But the Gongnu are mistaken. Our dynasty is not the Former Han. No marriage alliances, no tribute, and not one inch of land conceded!"

"Does the Poetry not say? 'The Xianyun blaze fiercely, therefore we march in haste!' The Gongnu can be overawed by force but are hard to tame by gentle means. I shall surely strike them hard, all the way to Lake Baikal in the Dingling lands. Their realm shall be divided into fifteen tribes, each not exceeding ten thousand households, so they can never grow strong again and leave future calamity for our sons and grandsons."

"As for the river-and-lake bandits Yan You spoke of — does he not know that to pacify the interior, one must first drive out the external foe?"

At that moment, from Wang Yi to Lian Dan and Chen Chong, all knelt and declared, "Your Majesty is brilliant! This is the way a sage king controls the barbarians."

The matter of bestowing the axe and halberd was postponed for the time being. After the ministers withdrew, Chen Chong drew near the screen and said, "Your Majesty, your servant has one more matter to report. In recent days, Yan You has been frequently entering Xuanming Ward to discuss court politics with the former Palace Counsellor Yang Xiong. Today's affair may have been influenced by Yang Xiong."

"Yang Xiong — is he still alive?"

Wang Mang had not heard his old colleague's name in a long time. He paused at the words, then said, "Ziyun has always been timid, never one to involve himself in affairs, devoted solely to his scholarship. Ever since the Five Majesties Office mistakenly arrested him and he threw himself from the tower, he has grown even more reticent. Over the past ten-odd years, he has rarely even voiced an opinion on court politics, content to keep to himself in quiet. What connection could he have to this matter? Yan You has been dismissed and sent back to his commandery — there is no need to pursue it further. As for Yang Xiong, do not disturb him!"

Chen Chong smiled. "This humble official had no such intention; I merely report the facts. But Your Majesty, those who, like Yan You, question the northern campaign are not few. Such voices fill Chang'an. Even if Your Majesty in his benevolence does not pursue them, in the end it is detrimental to the war effort."

Wang Mang's voice came from behind the screen: "What stratagem does the Marquis of Tongmu have?"

Chen Chong said, "Whenever there is a great campaign, there must be a great levy. When Emperor Wu of Han struck the southwestern barbarians, the elders and grandees of Yizhou did not understand, so Sima Xiangru wrote 'Reproaching the Elders of Shu' to persuade them through allegory."

"Today, no one under Heaven surpasses Yang Ziyun in prose. Moreover, during the Cheng and Ai reigns of the Former Han, Yang Xiong was renowned throughout court and countryside for his familiarity with Hu and barbarian affairs. Now that Your Majesty is launching the northern campaign against the Gongnu, why not have Yang Xiong compose a fu to extol it? It would surely dispel the discordant voices at court and make those naysayers sigh in admiration and submit, begging to lead the charge themselves!"

…

PS: Can't pull any more all-nighters, adjusting the update schedule. First chapter still at 8 a. m., second chapter at 6 p. m.

Also, the new book goes on sale at midnight on 12/1, with the usual four chapters that day.

Starting from a first-day subscription baseline of 5,000, for every additional 1,000, I'll add one extra chapter that month.

Alliance-leader bonus chapters will also slowly start being fulfilled. This old writer types too slowly — for this book, stability and quality still come first, so I can only add a chapter every few days. Please bear with me.