Chapter 497

Taiyuan Prefecture in the north, the seat of the Hedong Military Governor, Liu Zhiyuan's residence.

In truth, apart from Yelu Deguang, the most conspicuous figure in the Central Plains right now was not Zhang Zhao, but Liu Zhiyuan.

As a member of the Daibei military-aristocracy with impeccable credentials, and a native of Taiyuan itself, Liu Zhiyuan had drawn the most attention from the moment Shi Chonggui took the throne.

Invincible from Offering Sacrifices to the Patriarch

Had the Khitan not posed a threat, the first thing Shi Chonggui would have done after succeeding to the throne was transfer Liu Zhiyuan to another post; then Liu Zhiyuan would have refused, and war would have broken out at once.

A new generation of the Daibei military-aristocracy would have rallied around Liu Zhiyuan, crossed the Yellow River southward, and set him upon the throne of the Son of Heaven.

Ever since Li Keyong and his son Li Cunxu founded the Daibei military-aristocracy, this was how power in the realm had circulated.

In the Five Dynasties of history, apart from the Zhu Liang at the beginning and the Northern Song at the end, it was always the Daibei military-aristocracy that ruled the Central Plains.

And after Yelu Deguang entered and took control of the Central Plains, Liu Zhiyuan had lost little of his luster.

For among the military men of the realm who held real power over a province, apart from those in Guanzhong, only three — Liu Zhiyuan, Hu Cile, and Jiao Jixun — had not gone to the Eastern Capital, Kaifeng Prefecture, to pay court to Yelu Deguang.

Hu Cile had left while still by the Hutuo River; it was said he had accepted fifty thousand bolts of brocade from Li Jing, the ruler of Wu-Tang, and had already sold Xuzhou to Wu-Tang, and would soon become Wu-Tang's most powerful general and a foothold for spying on the Central Plains.

Jiao Jixun, for his part, was in Xiangzhou at the far south; because of the turmoil in the Central Plains, Gao Conghui, King of Nanping, had designs on Fuzhou (Tianmen in Hubei), Yingzhou (Zhongxiang), and even Xiangzhou, so Jiao Jixun could not get away — though of course it was very likely that Jiao Jixun was deliberately using this as an excuse to sit back and watch.

Thus in everyone's eyes, the only man with no legitimate reason who still had not gone to the Eastern Capital to pay court was Liu Zhiyuan. What was in this man's mind was known to all under heaven.

Yet faced with this situation, Liu Zhiyuan was not the least bit alarmed. He sat at ease in his official residence and said with a laugh before a crowd of trusted followers:

"The Khitan lord speaks empty words and expects me to go pay court. It seems he has yet to realize how serious the matter is."

Wang Jun laughed heartily. "The Great King is right. Yelu Deguang thinks that once Du Chongwei and Li Shouzhen bent the knee, he could rest easy.

Little does he know the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. That Heavenly King Zhang of Hexi has long since grown tired of keeping quiet."

Liu Zhiyuan laughed as well, then looked toward Su Fengji. "For being able to obtain this reliable news today, Dalang deserves the greatest credit."

Su Fengji smiled faintly, without false modesty. This man was Liu Zhiyuan's Administrative Assistant for Hedong, and his father Su Yue was an attendant in Liu Zhiyuan's service.

Su Fengji had followed Liu Zhiyuan from a young age, like a son or nephew; even his form of address was Dalang, and he was deeply trusted by Liu Zhiyuan.

"This is the Great King's great good fortune, and it was fitting that I should render this service. Who could have imagined that men like He Chengji and Zhao Xuanhui would actually go over to that King of Liang, Zhang?"

Su Fengji was a native of Wugong County in Jingzhao Prefecture, so he had certain connections and channels in Guanzhong.

Someone in his family knew what Zhang Zhao's entry into Guanzhong meant for Liu Zhiyuan, and so after Zhang Zhao sealed off Tong Pass, Hangu Pass, and the other passes, they risked their lives traveling by small paths to Taiyuan. Only thus was Liu Zhiyuan able to learn that Zhang Zhao had already entered Guanzhong.

But Su Fengji's family member had fled too early; he knew only that Zhang Zhao had entered Guanzhong, and did not know of Zhang Zhao's discussion of state affairs with the elders of Chang'an beneath the Vermilion Bird Gate, nor of the later general amnesty in Guanzhong.

Otherwise, Liu Zhiyuan and the others would never have remained so composed.

"Guanzhong has suffered many disasters and upheavals in recent years, and the land is far from peaceful. In my humble view, if the King of Liang wishes to finish setting things in order and then march east out of the passes, it should be around the eighth month.

Recently men like Bai Chengfu, chieftains who cannot even stop their people from fleeing, have also shown signs of wavering. I beg permission to lead troops to kill them and absorb their forces, to serve as the Great King's vanguard."

The speaker was Guo Wei. Liu Zhiyuan held the title of Prince of Beiping Commandery under the Later Jin, which was why everyone addressed him as Great King.

By strict protocol, a mere commandery prince was not entitled to be called Great King, yet the Hedong officers and soldiers still addressed him so, and Liu Zhiyuan accepted it without objection — his intentions were plain to see.

Guo Wei's claim that Bai Chengfu was wavering was not alarmist.

Earlier, Bai Chengfu and his people had been hard-pressed by the Khitan, which was why they had intended to come south and submit.

But in recent years, the Khitan and the Jin state had fought battle after battle, and the Khitan had relaxed their exploitation of the various steppe peoples — mainly for lack of manpower, fearing it would provoke rebellion.

And Bai Chengfu was a man of no foresight. After coming south, he had settled in Lanzhou and Shizhou — the area of the later Luliang Mountains — where his people half-farmed and half-herded.

But how could such places compare with the richness of the Bashang grasslands and the Hetao region? So when he heard that Khitan oppression on the steppe was no longer harsh, he actually wanted to return to the grasslands.

Heh! Taiyuan, where Liu Zhiyuan was based, had long faced a severe population problem because of the wars. And since the Yinshan Tuyuhun led by Bai Chengfu were quite skilled in battle, how could Liu Zhiyuan possibly allow these hundred thousand-plus people to leave the passes again?

And so the matter of killing Bai Chengfu and the others was put on the agenda.

Liu Zhiyuan frowned and thought for a moment, then nodded with a grim expression.

He had not originally thought Zhang Zhao was anything special. Although the righteous return to the homeland had shaken the realm, in Liu Zhiyuan's eyes it was not particularly moving; instead he felt Zhang Zhao was as fond of ostentation as an actor.

Truly, it is hard for people to empathize with others. Having never been to Hexi or Anxi, he naturally could not know how much the righteous return to the homeland meant to Zhang Zhao, nor the hardships of the Guiyi Army and the descendants of the Four Garrisons.

From where Liu Zhiyuan stood, Zhang Zhao merely seemed indecisive and dilatory in his affairs, with a touch of grandstanding.

But when men like He Ning and Zhao Ying went over to Zhang Zhao, Liu Zhiyuan finally began to take Zhang Zhao seriously.

And once he investigated, he was startled to find that Zhang Zhao had already taken the two prefectures of Fuzhou and Linzhou, which were right on Hedong's doorstep.

One must understand that Fuzhou and Linzhou were separated from Hedong only by the Luliang Mountains.

Afterward Liu Zhiyuan wrote several letters, and both Zhe Congyuan and Yang Hongxin replied with respectful words, yet their attitude of keeping him at arm's length was still very clear.

"If we are to seize and kill Bai Chengfu and the others, how many elite cavalry will you need, Wenzhong?"

Liu Zhiyuan understood too that since Zhang Zhao had already entered Guanzhong, his own movements had to quicken.

"A thousand elite cavalry will suffice!" Guo Wei held up one finger.

"Bai Chengfu cannot even control his own men, and cannot stop them from fleeing. Killing him will not be difficult.

Men like Bai Zongyi under his command have no wish to leave the passes again and have long been resentful. With their help, killing only Bai Chengfu's clansmen and confidants will settle this matter."

Liu Zhiyuan nodded with satisfaction. Although Guo Wei's adopted son Guo Rong had once had dealings with Zhang Zhao, Guo Wei himself was beyond reproach in both ability and loyalty.

"I grant you two thousand elite cavalry. These hundred thousand-plus Tuyuhun are of vital importance to us. Only with them do we have cavalry capable of standing against the iron horsemen of Liang and Liao. Handle it cleanly and thoroughly."

Having finished instructing Guo Wei, Liu Zhiyuan turned to Wang Jun. "It has been twenty days since we received news of Guanzhong. I imagine that no matter how cut off the Khitan are from information, that Liao Emperor must have learned something by now.

Why not have Xiufeng make a trip to the Eastern Capital and tell Yelu Deguang everything we know?"

Wang Jun rose and performed a forked-hand salute. "Aye! They should indeed be made to know how important our fifty thousand lions of Hedong are to the balance between Liao and Liang.

Especially for the Khitan lord — if he wants to sit securely as Son of Heaven of the Great Liao, he must share half the wealth and goods they have taken in the Central Plains with us."

And just as Liu Zhiyuan decided to send Wang Jun to the Eastern Capital, Kaifeng Prefecture, to give Yelu Deguang a proper shock —

in the Brocade Official City, Meng Chang had just finished receiving Wang Jiulang, the envoy sent by Zhang Zhao.

Unlike in former years at the Gaochang royal tent, Wang Jiulang, now entering Shu, appeared extremely modest and amiable.

Coupled with the kind words Han Baosheng had earlier put in with Meng Chang, Meng Chang actually came to feel that this Wang Jiulang was not a bad sort.

"This Zhang Zhao writes calling me his younger brother, and asks my Great Shu for two hundred thousand shi of grain and seventy thousand bundles of fodder."

It further required that from then on, merchants from Shu purchasing Hexi sugar, spices, and rare treasures must exchange half grain and half cloth for silver notes, and then use the silver notes to buy Hexi goods.

If I agree, I am willing to cede the two prefectures of Qin and Cheng, with the handover set for the eighth month."

The Chief Minister Mu Zhaoyi beside Meng Chang listened and pondered for a moment. "It seems the merchants' talk of severe floods and droughts in Guanzhong and an extreme grain shortage this year is indeed true.

This King of Liang asks us for grain and fodder — could it really be as he says, that he means to fight a bloody war with the Khitan and recover the Central Plains?

This minister believes Your Majesty must beware that this is a ploy to deceive us, with some scheme in mind."

Meng Chang looked at Mu Zhaoyi strangely, then gave a small start, for he had never considered this question.

"You mean to say that Zhang Zhao may have designs on my Great Shu?"

Zhang Ye, the Acting Grand Marshal and Chief Commander of the Palace Army beside Meng Chang, was also taken aback, then burst out laughing.

"Our Great Shu has a hundred thousand crack troops, armor aplenty and grain to spare, and the natural defenses of the Shu roads besides. The Liang state is so short of grain it must beg for it from Shu across a thousand mountains and rivers — what strength would it have to attack? If they truly came, this minister would be glad to seize Guanzhong for Your Majesty."

Although Meng Chang was somewhat wary of Zhang Ye, an old minister who did not obey orders, he still agreed with what he said.

These past few years Shu had enjoyed bumper harvests year after year; its troops were elite and its granaries full. It was a different world from Guanzhong.

The King of Liang had entered Guanzhong with nothing yet settled — how could he have the capacity to plot against Shu? Meng Chang roused his spirits, growing eager.

"Then in the Grand Marshal's view, can we take advantage of Guanzhong's grain shortage to raise a great army directly and, following the example of the Martial and Serene King Zhuge, launch a northern campaign against Guanzhong?"

Zhang Ye glanced at Meng Chang with apparent surprise, seemingly not expecting Meng Chang to be so aggressive as to want an immediate northern campaign. He fell silent for a moment.

"Guanzhong may lack grain, but the Liang state does not. Moreover, Liang has a large army stationed in Qinzhou, and its iron cavalry is fierce and valiant — even the Khitan have suffered at their hands. This minister believes we should be more cautious."

"But," Meng Chang grew troubled as well, "the King of Liang has said he will cede the two prefectures of Qin and Cheng to our Great Shu, but what if he takes our grain and then fails to honor his promise? Would you and I, lord and minister, not become the laughingstock of the realm?

Yet if we ignore it, the chance to gain two prefectures for nothing is right before our eyes. What is to be done?"

Zhang Ye thought for a moment. "Your Majesty speaks wisely. Why not use the grain shipment as a pretext to require the Liang state to dredge the Yegu River and widen the old road? The Military Governor of Shannan West Circuit, Zhang Gong, is brave and resourceful, and can take charge of this matter."

The seat of Meng Shu's Shannan West Circuit Military Governor was at Hanzhong. "Zhang Gong" referred to the Meng Shu veteran general Zhang Qianzhao, a man of Daibei military-aristocrat stock and one of Meng Chang's most trusted senior commanders.

Meng Chang nodded, signaling his approval of the plan, but then Chief Minister Mu Zhaoyi immediately spoke up.

"The Grand Marshal's plan is indeed workable. But widening the old road and dredging the Yegu River will ease our great army's entry into Guanzhong — and at the same time ease the Liang army's entry into Shu!

Zhang Gong has long been at Xingyuan Prefecture and does not know the situation in the heartland. Should anything go wrong, Shu would be in peril. We must send another senior minister to hold Suizhou and oversee the overall arrangements."

"Good!" Before Zhang Ye could speak, Meng Chang suddenly spoke, and with evident approval. He looked at Zhang Ye, his eyes seeming to flash with light.

"Since the Grand Marshal proposed this plan, then let us not trouble a second person with one matter. Might we ask the Grand Marshal to take charge of it?

I hereby appoint the Grand Marshal as Chief Minister, to go out as Military Governor of Wuxin Army at Suizhou and oversee the arrangements. If Guanzhong can be taken, even a princely title I would not begrudge."

Damn! He had been trapped.

Zhang Ye understood at once: Meng Chang meant to remove him from the central government and take back the Palace Army!

Realizing this, Zhang Ye's mind raced. Just as he was about to find an excuse, he suddenly remembered.

A few days earlier, Sun Hanshao, Military Governor of Wuding Army at Yuanzhou, had returned to Chengdu Prefecture with several hundred yabing — and Sun Hanshao's residence was nearly next door to his own.

Moreover, Sun Hanshao's father, Li Cunjin, had been one of the Thirteen Grand Guardians of Li Keyong in former years, while Meng Chang's father, Meng Zhixiang, was Li Keyong's son-in-law. Sun Hanshao was therefore the most trusted of Meng Chang's trusted men.

If he now proposed a plan himself and then clung to office and refused to leave, he feared the only course left would be to abandon his family and risk death in mutiny.

At that thought, Zhang Ye looked again at Meng Chang and Mu Zhaoyi, and found that the way the two of them looked at him had changed in an instant.

This was no discussion of Liang state affairs. They had likely planned it long ago, using this as the pretext to strip him, Zhang Ye, of his command over the Palace Army.

But circumstances were stronger than men. After a moment of silence, Zhang Ye bent at the waist, lowered his head, and bowed to the fullest.

"This minister is willing to go out as Military Governor of Wuxin Army at Suizhou, and win Guanzhong for Your Majesty."

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