200-202: FOR ME AND THE DYNASTY (BUT MOSTLY ME)
The year 200 continued what had started in 199, which was Duan Zuo trying his hardest to ruin the
Mo Jie’s career. Their feud had started with Mo Jie realizing that Duan Zuo was the exact kind of corrupt officials that had pushed him to join the Liang Rebellion almost two decades ago. His efforts to expose the corrupt scholar had failed, and in the end it had only brought the continuous enmity of his new rival. The year had started with an attempt to have Mo Jie’s previous advice on how to handle to Di tributaries overturned. He went to their lord and quoted passages from the old classics and citing ancient treaties with barbarians as proofs that it was bad to deal with them. He even cited the recent
Nánfāng Yěshòu written by the scholar
Pan Zheng. There was a good example of how to operate! But his lord told him that he was going with Mo Jie’s plan of continuous coexistence. That didn’t mean that
Yao Shuren believed that they should be equals, far from it, but genocide was something that require far too much resources at the moment.
Then the two men got the task to build a library in the provincial capital. Together. Immediately the two started to butt heads. Mo Jie wanted to balance the books at tightly as possible so not to waste money, with a good variety of works to start off. Meanwhile, Duan Zuo believed that they needed to spend as much as possible. Part of his reasoning was that he wanted to pocket some of the spending without being noticed, although he also wanted to obtain the greatest works in Chinese history, no matter the cost. This didn’t sit well with Mo Jie, who had hoped for some local and cheaper Liang literature. They also butted head on the payment of the workers, as Mo Jie wanted to pay them fairly, which Duan Zuo believed was too much. This dispute wasn’t helped by the fact that many of the workers were barbarians looking for jobs in the provincial capital, something Duan Zuo had strong opinions about. And then there was the obvious barrier of communication. Mo Jie’s attempts at reconciliations were understood as insults, only fueling the frustration of the scholar.
Eventually the library was constructed by Mo Jie’s plans. This was due to Duan Zuo being forced to drop off the project due to sickness. Already under a lot of stress, the scholar was unable to continue in his duties, which allowed the former rebel to get his way. When Yao Shuren surveyed the final results, he was moderately pleased. While the collection did need to be fleshed out, especially the lack of great classics, he did appreciate that the budget was kept tight and that everything went out without anyone pocketing anything. He had actually given a larger budget to test if Duan Zuo or anyone else would try to take some for themselves, so the end result was seen as a passing mark by the Governor of Liang Province. Feeling that Mo Jie needed to be rewarded for his service, Yao Shuren appointed him to the recently vacated Wuwei Commandery. This was one of the commanderies through which the Silk Road passed, so Yao Shuren wanted to make sure he had someone competent to survey it. While some objected to appointing a former rebel to a position of power, the Governor pointed out that it had been two years since he defeated Han Sui. Mo Jie had multiple occasions to flee and continue the fight, but he instead stuck around, even helping his new lord find a wife. No, Mo Jie could be trusted with this small power, no matter how hard it was to understand him.
Soon after, Yao Shuren had to remove his longtime supporter Hu Zhen from his position as Chief Clerk of Liang Province. The old general had been the longest ally of Yao Shuren, the two of them having been close ever since the campaign against the White Wave Bandits in 190. But it had started to be clear for a few years now that his mind wasn’t always right. At times, Hu Zhen would fly into mad rages that required officials to step in to protect him. This was starting to prove hindering to his work. While Hu Zhen held the position of Chief Clerk mostly as a ceremonial office (as Yao Shuren was the one truly managing the books), it was still unacceptable to that he continued like that. So the Governor sacked him from his position without a word of warning. He still kept Hu Zhen as a general, obviously. He wasn’t stupid enough to waste a competent commander, even if that commander was going insane.
What this meant was that they needed to appoint a new Chief Clerk. While many names were put forward, the recent successes of Mo Jie made him quite the strong candidate. Duan Zuo, who was still sick at the time, came back to oppose the idea. This would be an outrage to promote such rebel to the Governor’s inner circle. On the other side you had people like Lady Chang Lihua, Yao Shuren’s new wife. In an attempt to both influence her new husband and repay Mo Jie for his kindness, she tried to push for the nomination. But she was no Gao Yuyi, and Yao Shuren easily saw through her words. She should really stick to her duties of producing an heir, he thought. Still, appointing Mo Jie had its advantages. The man was competent, that it was undeniable. He was also well liked within the province by both Chinese and barbarians alike. Weirder even, he genuinely wanted to improve Liang. This might leave him a bit too closeminded and focused on the province, but for now this was a positive. By appointing him, Yao Shuren could also show that the rebels who had joined his side were right to do so, that he was the leader they needed. Convinced, he appointed Mo Jie as the new Chief Clerk, giving the architect the authority that he always wanted to help improve life in his beloved province.
Then Liang Province was hit with the news of what had happened to Niu Fu. The downfall of the Chancellor, the rebellion in Sili Province, the new government headed by
Jiang Xian… This was a lot to take in. For years Yao Shuren had suspected that Niu Fu would eventually launch a campaign to retake Liang Province, and for years he had attempted to get recognition from court as its righteous governor. Yet now Niu Fu was dead. That didn’t mean that the threat was gone, as his army still controlled Sili Province, but the fact that their attention was turned to Luoyang certainly gave Yao Shuren rooms to breath. And rooms to consider this peculiar situation. Surely there was a way to take advantage of all this, right?
In Luoyang, Jiang Xian was quick to seek help for his regime. He needed help to defeat the threat that represented the rebellious officers in Sili Province before they fell down upon him. To avoid this, he started to devise a plan to contact Gongsun Zan and ask him to come destroy the enemies of the Han. He needed someone to come help him against the officers, even at the risk of losing these territories altogether. It was sadly to be expected that Gongsun Zan might want some of it for himself. Still, he was probably the safest bet, due to all those hardcore Han loyalists in his court. The man himself had sworn that his ultimate goal was to save the Han Dynasty. And who knew? With some luck, this might even push him to give back Sili Province (or at least the Henan region) to Jiang Xian. That would be a nice surprise. All that was left was to decide who to send for this task.
In the end, this task fell onto a newcomer within the Imperial Capital named Xu Shu (not to be confused with Xu Chu, the general who worked for Duan Wei before becoming a bandit). His recent arrival made him quite disposable in the eyes of Jiang Xian. Unlike most people, who fled the capital following the change of regime, Xu Shu left his home in Jing Province to go offer his services in Luoyang, believing that these rebellious generals in Sili Province had to be put down. This willingness to come serve the court was suspicious to Jiang Xian, especially as he was trying to set up his regime. The man seemed to understand military strategy, but that was useless considering that they didn’t have the numbers. So instead of promoting him as an advisor, Jiang Xian decided to send him away as the envoy to Gongsun Zan. Disappointed, but willing to do what was needed to bring peace to the region, Xu Shu took this duty and left Luoyang within weeks of his arrival.
Xu Shu thus started making is way north, leading a small delegation at a hurried pace. While some advised him to take a slower, safter route, he replied that they needed to reach Gongsun Zan as fast as possible. Every day, the rebellious officers might attack the Capital. There was no time to waste. He was right that the officers were on the ready, as their delegation was quickly spotted and pursued. In an attempt to survive and avoid the enemies, Xu Shu and his companions were forced to take more and more dodgy paths, eventually making their way to the east in an attempt to flee an ambush. By January 201, he was finally found by an army. Believing that this was the end, Xu Shu surrendered, only to realize that the army was commanded by Governor Yao Shuren. He had fled all the way to Liang Province.
Yao Shuren quickly welcomed Xu Shu into his camp, making sure that he had everything he needed after such a harsh trip. After this surprisingly kind welcome, Xu Shu was able to talk with the governor, which gave both men a better comprehension of the other. For Yao Shuren, it made him realize that Xu Shu was just the kind of man he looked for as a subordinate. Humble, unambitious and ready to fight for a cause (preferably his). Meanwhile, Xu Shu was charmed by the 32 years old, who proved a well-spoken and knowledgeable man. He really seemed like the kind of competent hero that could help pacify China from the rebels and warlords. Of course, Yao Shuren was careful to present himself as this reasonable and efficient general, which to be fair he was. He just made sure to hide his more ruthless and ambitious tendencies. When Xu Shu finally told him of his mission, Yao Shuren “kindly” volunteered to go to the rescue of the Han, seeing it as a perfect pretext to annex Sili Province. Xu Shu, deciding that he could do more here than in Luoyang, offered his services to the Governor. He quickly accepted the strategist, making him Assistant Administrator of the Province and one of his generals.
In late January 201, Yao Shuren issued a proclamation declaring that he would punish those that opposed the Emperor and bring back imperial peace in Sili Province. He made a big show of this campaign as a legitimate enterprise ordered by the Emperor, showing that he was answering a legitimate summon as a loyal official of the Dynasty. He even had the one scion of the Han in his province (a man named Liu Ai) make sacrifices to his Imperial Ancestors. He also had astrologer decide the date that the campaign would be launched (27th of January) so that it would be a day auspicious to their cause, a proof that Heaven was on their side. To Yao Shuren, this was of course just a show. This whole campaign really had two main purpose, which he only shared with long time supporters, a group that didn’t include Mo Jie nor Xu Shu for the moment. First was obviously the annexation of Sili Province. Not only would it double his controlled territories, but it would also put the western capital of Chang’an under his control, a clear symbol of power. Then there was the fact that this would force the Han Court to fully recognize him as Governor, something Niu Fu had always been reticent to do. Even now, legitimacy was a tool worth having.
Jiao Jiao was taken completely by surprise by this war. It had barely been two months since he was reluctantly put in charge of this whole movement to avenge Niu Fu. Since then, his focus had been on his own internal problems, as members of the Wang Clan and former officers tried to push him around to gain more and more power within the province. This had left him paranoid and distrustful of a lot of his supposed subordinates. But even with all that politicking and that paranoia, everyone was at least united toward the goal of removing Jiang Xian from power. Most of their military forces were thus concentrated in the east of the province, ready to strike at Luoyang once all those internal disputes were fixed. This meant that they were completely unprepared when Yao Shuren announced that he was going to invade.
Still, the officers in Sili Province had some advantages on their side. First of all, they had more troops than Yao Shuren. This made sense, as Sili Province was a central and fertile province, possibly one of the most populous of China at the time, while Liang was a border area with a mix of local barbarians and Chinese settlers to call upon. Even with Yao Shuren’s efficient recruiting, he still had from one thousand to two thousand less men than Jiao Jiao. To this was added the number of officers Jiao Jiao could call upon. Now, this was only an advantage on paper. The amount of people meant that there was a lot of infighting for command of the troops, which resulted in the officers selected being sometimes more influent than competent. Still, when Yao Shuren approached the city of Wuzhang, he found it defended by a decent general named Gao Wuren. Appointed as administrator of the local commandery under Niu Fu, Gao Wuren was a fervent believer of their cause, which meant that he would make sure that this siege was as painful as possible for the invaders.
But Yao Shuren was already working toward neutralizing their number advantage as they attempted to assemble their troops and march west. He knew that he had less troops, that had been an obvious consideration in this campaign. However, what he had in spare thanks to the Silk Road was gold. With the riches he had accumulated, the Governor entered into contact with a group of Qiang Raiders to offer them services into his army. All too happy to get paid, the barbarians agreed and marched to join him in his siege of Wuzhang. Mo Jie was actually tasked of giving them their first payment, which went surprisingly well. The Qiang Raiders finally arrived to the siege camp in May, where their leaders were given a place right next to Xu Shu and Hu Zhen in the command tent.
Their arrival had fortuitous timing, as Gao Wuren’s reinforcements finally showed up in mid-June. The general actually managed to sneak out of the city to go coordinate the war effort with the incoming army. His escape had been extremely easy, as if Yao Shuren had allowed it to happen. As it turned out, he had been working on a way to deal with the incoming enemies for a while now, and didn’t want Gao Wuren to stick around to see what he was doing. The Governor of Liang had worked tirelessly to make sure that the enemy was not aware of his barbarian mercenaries, going as far as having them sleep in the tents of his soldiers instead of their own camp. This didn’t make anyone happy, but this discomfort was worth the effort. He also had some trenches prepared and camouflaged, hoping to hinder the enemy cavalry. Again, this demanded a lot from the men, with some soldiers preferring to desert. But Yao Shuren was confident. When the battle happened, Gao Wuren charged against the center, which was commanded by Hu Zhen. The Sili troops charged ahead, convinced of their superiority. Their horses fell into the trenches while Yao Shuren and Xu Shu launched attacks from the flanks. With the enemy distracted, they didn’t notice the Qiang Raiders joining the fray. Yao Shuren’s strategy assured victory, with most of the enemy troops killed in the fighting.
The remaining defenders in Wuzhang weren’t happy to hear about the results. They had hoped that Gao Wuren would be able to secure a victory and deliver them, only to discover that their leader had fled with the rest of the troops. Now they were faced with an enemy army that clearly wanted to follow their victory with a successful taking of the city. So the local authorities sent envoys to Yao Shuren, asking what would be needed to ensure that the city wasn’t sacked. While Yao Shuren felt like his soldiers deserved to sack it for their efforts, he also agreed with Xu Shu that it would look better to protect the citizen. They were on a campaign to “save” the province, after all. In exchange of a massive payment (which he gave to his men to stop their grumblings) and a complete surrender, Yao Shuren agreed that no one would be hurt. Now, once the doors were opened and the wealth dropped at his feet, this proved to be a bit of a lie. Anyone associated with the rebellious officers in one way or another was executed for treason against the Han Dynasty. But as for the civilians and everyone else, his promised held firm. He soon turned Wuzhang into his headquarter for this campaign, the first step in his conquest of Sili Province.
Which is at this point that he was made aware of some issues at home. As had been the case multiple times, Cheliji Khagan had decided to use a neighboring war to attack, trying to break out of the mountains to expand into Liang Province. He had been trying to do this all the way back when Han Sui and Ma Teng were still leading rebel forces. In some way, it could be argued that Cheliji Khagan wanted to be the eastern equivalent to what Budugen the Great was in the north. Except that he didn’t have nowhere near the forces of the northern Khagan. Still, he had a talent to pick the worst possible timings for his enemies, which had allowed him to pick a win or two over the years. Now that Yao Shuren was focused on Sili Province, the barbarian leader decided to once again fall upon the province to accomplish his destiny.
Mo Jie sent a letter asking if he could go negotiate with Cheliji Khagan to work out peace. He had met the Khagan a decade ago, so he would surely be more sympathetic to a familiar face. What Mo Jie forgot to mention was the fact that his inability to do proper diplomacy had actually caused Cheliji Khagan to go to war with Han Sui back then. As expected, Duan Zuo opposed this, although he didn’t have any alternative to suggest. Not wanting to leave this difficult situation to those two, Yao Shuren decided to pack his bags and go home, leaving the campaign in the hands of Xu Shu and Hu Zhen until he returned. He also brought a few of the Qiang Raiders with him, hoping that they could help negotiate something. And while he was home, he might as well spend some time with his wife and concubines…
In the end, the attack of Cheliji Khagan proved a lot less threatening than expected. He could barely enter the province before he was stopped by a force raised by Qu Yan. The first rebel to switch side to Yao Shuren (even before Mo Jie was recruited), Qu Yan had since abandoned a lot of his principles in order to prosper in the new regime. As long as it meant being able to protect the people under his charge, then that was alright. Reinforced by recently raised troops from his lord, the former rebel was able to push back against Cheliji Khagan. Shocked by this resistance, the barbarian backtracked and started negotiations with Yao Shuren in October, agreeing to just drop this whole affair (and to pay a small payment for the trouble). For his service, Qu Yan was made Administrator of Jingcheng Commandery the following month, meaning that he now controlled the same territories previously held by Han Sui.
Yao Shuren quickly raced back to Wuzhang with reinforcements, where his generals were preparing for a new confrontation. While the army led by Gao Wuren had been defeated, a second army had appeared at the horizon. This army, which had been sent in Henan for the plan to retake Luoyang, had been far slower to get to the west. Adding to that the politics of the army and it was clear why it didn’t coordinate with the forces of Gao Wuren. This time it was led by Chang Xia, the Intendant of Jingzhao and the protector of the western capital of Chang’an. Chang Xia was an important figure due to his key role in the imperial government of Niu Fu, serving as his Assistant for most of his tenure. While this was impressive, it clearly wasn’t a proof of his talent, as the old man wasn’t exactly known for being competent. Still, he was determined and a firm believer in Niu Fu’s vision, which meant stopping Yao Shuren at all cost.
By now the Liang forces had started to go on the offensive, so when the two armies met in December it was in rebel-controlled territories. But terrain was probably the only advantage Chang Xia had, and even then, Yao Shuren had procured himself maps and sent scouts to get a better understanding of the area. With the fresh troops he had brought with him, the Governor now had over five thousand men at his disposal, far more than anything the officers could field following their disastrous defeat at Wuzhang. With all this to help him, it was surprising that the Battle of Kuili wasn’t as much of a debacle for Chang Xia as the previous one at been for Gao Wuren. At the very least he dodged the main trap laid for him at the start of the battle. He also fought bravely for a man who had never commanded troops before, which led him to gain the respect of his men. But bravery cannot win a battle alone, and at the end of the day Chang Xia was forced to flee with his soldiers, ending 201 on a grim note for Jiao Jiao and the officers.
The officers spent the first months of 202 arguing about the current situation. If things continued like this, Yao Shuren would soon take Chang’an! In fact, his advance was so rapid that by March all he needed was to cross the Yellow River to attack the Western Capital. That thought made Jiao Jiao panic, even if Yao Shuren had no intention of attacking Chang’an (he was in fact entertaining the idea of moving into the Western Capital once he won the war). The change of Emperor in Luoyang also led some to ask if it wouldn’t be better to submit to the Emperor and reconcile with Jiang Xian. This idea was quickly shut down. Being as young as he was, it was clear that Emperor Mu was a puppet of the Chancellor, who would backstab them at the first chance he got. Disputes also sparked over command of the troops. While Chang Xia had the least losses, Gao Wuren accused him of failing to win the battle, and soon enough the general found himself in command once more. In a show of support, Jiao Jiao was forced to come with the rest of the officers to support the general.
Meanwhile, Yao Shuren had stepped back to Wuzhang to reassert his position. He had stopped his offensive when he was made aware of the death of Emperor Xian and the ascension of Emperor Mu. Trying to get concessions from Jiang Xian, he sent a request that both his position and his campaign be confirmed by the new monarch. This was accompanied with the subtle threat that he might just abandon the campaign and let the officers march on Luoyang if he didn’t get what he wanted. But Jiang Xian saw through his bluff. While he did confirm Yao Shuren as Governor of Liang Province, as he lost nothing by accepting this demand, the Chancellor proved a lot more ambiguous on the war. Emperor Mu issued an edict calling upon Yao Shuren to “continue his effort to bring back Han law and authority in Sili Province”. Yao Shuren was a bit annoyed by this, as he wanted to get the right to annex Sili Province. Still, now that he was confirmed as a lawful Han provincial governor, he decided that he had full authority to enforce Han law in Sili Province on his own.
Yao Shuren was also starting to get frustrated over his inability to produce an heir. He had the power, the influence and now the legitimacy to secure his rule in Liang Province. All he needed now was a son to pass it all to when he died. He got some hope when he learned that both his wife and one of his concubines were pregnant. Maybe he would finally get the son he always dreamed of. Sadly, this proved a feeble hope, as both women gave birth to daughters, Yao Xiaoya and Yao Shanxiang. This left him with the problematic question of who to pass power to if he was to die. His ascension had been because of his status as Gao Si’s son-in-law, but the only betrothal currently in place was with a son of Budugen the Great, and he would be damned if he allowed the barbarians to annex Liang. Mo Jie? He could be competent, but his ideas didn’t line up with what Yao Shuren wanted in an heir. Hu Zhen? Other than his insanity, he was old enough that he would probably be the first to die. Xu Shu was too much of a recent addition to be considered. That left Duan Zuo, which was not exactly a great choice either. Yao Shuren push this choice for later, choosing to bet on a future son instead.
Yao Shuren was made aware in June that the leaders of the rebellious army were almost all present by Gao Wuren’s side. Seeing an opportunity to end it all, the warlord ordered his troops to march against the enemy. Xu Shu suggested that they misdirect Gao Wuren into a trap to make this battle easier. Thinking it was a good idea, Yao Shuren sent scouts with fake war plans to be caught by the Sili troops. This costed him half a dozen men, but it was worth it to lead his enemies into a trap. When the two armies met at Mei, Yao Shuren had all the advantages. Terrain, number, strategy. Meanwhile Jiao Jiao, Gao Wuren and the other officers kept bickering on what was the best tactic to employ against the Liang forces. Victory proved a sure thing.
Gao Wuren was captured during the battle while Jiao Jiao and his fellow officers fled. That didn’t last long, as Hu Zhen launched a pursuit and eventually caught the whole lot of them. Yao Shuren quickly executed Jiao Jiao and all the officers that had propped him up, cutting off the head of the whole rebellious army in the process. Only Gao Wuren was kept alive, tortured for a year in a jail before being released completely broken and insane, Yao Shuren believing that a madman would be less trouble than a martyr. Following his victory, he was easily able to affirm his authority within Sili Province, annexing it into his territories. As for Jiang Xian, he received the heads of the executed officers as a “show of loyalty” from Yao Shuren, who explained that he had to keep Sili Province under his control to re-establish law and order. The Chancellor was not amused. He was now sandwiched between the scheming Yuan Shu and the dangerous Yao Shuren. Not a great position to be in.
