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205-206: Heroes of the East
205-206: HEROES OF THE EAST
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The loss of Zhuge Jin was problematic to Xiao Ru. While he had never been overly fond of his ally, he still needed him to keep Qing Province occupied. With Zhuge Jin now dead, he hoped that things would accelerate on the frontline. While Gongsun Zan also involved in his own invasion of Qing Province, he had to deal with half of China going after him. While Li Fengzu kept advising him to stay calm and leave the war to Dian Wei, the Governor of Chen Province could not stop himself from feeling restless. He was finally rising up, finally becoming a big player in the region. He didn’t want it all to go to waste in an instant. He couldn’t allow it to go to waste in an instant. It was becoming an obsession, to the point that someone advised him to focus his mind on another task. In order to distract himself from the war, which he had little reports about from the frontline, he worked twice harder from his mansion, reviewing the laws to make sure that they had been applied to the letter in his province. He would bring back order to the newly created Chen Province, even if it meant ruthlessly punishing anyone who broke the law.
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His new focus on enforcing laws was quite welcomed at first, especially within his council. His Assistant Administrator, the old Li Fengzu, was always loyal to his liege, and supported this new turn toward the legal aspect of governance. Only focusing on the war was sure to hurt the province on the long run. To ensure that things did not reach that point and that the people could live their lives without fear of crime, there was a need to make sure that things rans smoothly. As always, he worked tirelessly to help Xiao Ru in governing the province. Another quick supporter of his liege’s new focus was the Chief Clerk Yuan Yi. While Yuan Yi was involved in the Coalition against Gongsun Zan at the time, he still remained aware of what was happening at home, and he loved it. He shared Xiao Ru’s vision for law, the belief in the need of a strong and sometimes cruel code of conduct that would make sure that justice be ditched to the criminals. However, to their collective chagrin, Xiao Ru proved a bit too overzealous in his duties, to the point that his actions started to approach tyranny. When Yuan Yi sent a letter to his liege about this, the Governor rebuked it as idiocy. He was just applying justice, and he was great at it!
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The problem was that his pride was becoming a blind spot in his crusade against crime. For all his care of justice, it took him a while to notice that his own wife was probably the most corrupt person in the province. Lady Xia had always been known for her greed, but now that she was in charge of the censors, she became worse than ever before. In her duties at court, she did have to help her husband in his new crusade, and did so with the same harshness that he would have shown. But while Xiao Ru, for all his faults, was motivated by a desire to make things fairer and get rid of corruption, Lady Xia mostly acted on arbitrary wimps, without much care for right or wrong. This became such a problem that many brought it up to Xiao Ru’s attention. But once again, the Governor brushed it off, convinced that his wife wouldn’t be stupid enough to waste her second chance like that.
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While all this was happening at home, the war was going quite well for the Chen army. Dian Wei remained his charge and Ding Yan assisting him at every turn. The duo had been working well together ever since the removal of Zhang Yan from his position as Commandant. They had since managed to make quite a lot of progress on the campaign. Dian Wei, the great warrior that he was, always took the lead in the military affairs, which was just fine by Ding Yan. However, the Commandant was quick to trust his fellow general, who had a far better political instinct than him. With Duan Wei as the face of the campaign and Ding Yan doing the backroom politics with the provincial capital. Things were going great for them. Their efficiency became apparent as they managed to take the provincial capital of Xu Province, just as Zhuge Jin was being defeated and killed in Qing Province. To them, their success was the proof that Xiao Ru had nothing to worry about.
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One man who was worrying was Tao Shang, who now learned that he had lost his provincial capital while unable to do anything about it. Even worse, he lost his Commandant soon after this terrible news. The slow fever epidemic that had spread into the army camps had also gotten to Ma Teng, who felt more and more sick each day. In early November 205, the former Liang rebel lost his fight against the disease, dying at the age of 49. He had once fought for a free and prosperous future for Liang Province, yet now he died away from his homeland an exile. As most of his family was present in his dying moments, a messenger was sent to notify his daughter Ma Yunlu, as she had stayed behind in Liang with her husband Mo Jie. When he learned of this, Mo Jie shed tears to his memory, saying “He was such a Ma Teng” (it has since been believed that some words were missing from that quote).
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This left Tao Shang in a problematic situation. While he had started to complain about Ma Teng attempt to stifle his war plans, the loss of such an important military figure was damaging to his cause. Worse, the Governor of Xu Province found himself extremely limited in his choices of replacement. Any officer he might want to promote was still too low in the totem poll to just be pushed to Commandant on the spot. And even if he wanted to go ahead with this, he still had to face the main issue: Ma Chao was here, and the troops clearly wanted him to continue his father’s campaign. The 29 years old was quite close to the rank and file, and soon enough he came to agree with them that he should be Commandant. He even advised Tao Shang to give him control of his father’s Lu Commandery. While a bit annoyed at this, Tao Shang understood that this was the best way to advance forward. He needed a competent commander and he needed him now. And besides, Ma Chao was probably the only man who could challenge Dian Wei in a duel and win, so there was that.
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One point on which Ma Chao differed with his father was his willingness to attack the enemy, something Tao Shang quickly came to enjoy. Now that he had a Commandant more agreeable to retaking the provincial capital, they marched their army against the Chen troops’ position. Tao Shang also had his barbarian tributaries come back him up, even leaving their leader in charge of the center of their army when they approached the enemy position. With this, both sides were at roughly equal size when they faced in late December. While Ma Chao proved a great match for Dian Wei and Ding Yan, the Xu army eventually found itself at a disadvantage. While Tao Shang wasn’t the greatest commander, the main reason of their eventual defeat was the lack of resilience from the barbarians, who really didn’t care who won one way or another. Unable to retake his provincial capital, Tao Shang was forced to order a retreat when it became clear that the barbarians were leaving the field.
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Dian Wei, feeling the winds of victory behind him, ordered the army to abandon their position and pursue the Xu forces. Ding Yan was a bit more reticent to go that far, but followed the Commandant never the less. By January, it became clear to Ma Chao and Tao Shang that Dian Wei would pursue them until he got his battle. Knowing that reinforcements were on their way, Tao Shang tried to gain some time by ordering Ma Chao to challenge Dian Wei to a duel, calling him a worthless coward in front of his whole army. Both armies believed their commander invincible, which is why everyone was surprised when both men proved an equal match, unable to defeat the other after three days of gruesome dueling in the middle of the battlefield as everyone watched. Eventually, Ma Chao got sick of this and refused to go, prompting Duan Wei to order an attack. With only a small part of the reinforcements ready, the Xu forces were once again defeated, although they avoided the massive losses that they had previously suffered.
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The victory at Zhongyang thus seemed like a great success of Dian Wei, validating his decision to pursue and putting the Chen army in an advantageous position. Or at least that would be the case if he hadn’t been captured in the middle of the battle. When the dust settled, Ding Yan and the other officers realized that their Commandant was nowhere to be found. As it turned out, Dian Wei had spent a good part of the battle trying to find Ma Chao and finish their little duel once and for all. Failing to achieve his goal, he did manage to find the position of the barbarian tributaries fighting for Tao Shang. He was able to get close enough to wound the barbarian chieftain, but that placed him in a dangerously exposed position. While many died in the attempt, Dian Wei was eventually subdued and captured by the Xu soldiers. As Tao Shang retreated, he smiled at the fact that he now held a valuable hostage.
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When Xiao Ru heard of this, he was furious. “What Commandant is so reckless as to endanger the whole campaign for personal glory?” he complained. While he wanted to leave the campaign in the hands of Ding Yan, the general made it clear in his letters to the court that he did not want the position. While he didn’t feel that he had it in him to lead the campaign, Ding Yan also made this as a calculated move, knowing that he couldn’t be blamed for any eventual failure if he was not in charge. With Dian Wei captured and Ding Yan unwilling to take over, this left Xiao Ru in a bind. Seeing no alternative, he recalled the former bandit leader Zhang Yan from his exile as Magistrate of Yangan and ordered him to go take command of the campaign. Zhang Yan, at first suspicious that this was a trap to finally get rid of him, was slow to make his way east. It was only when he realized that this was a genuine shot at achieving his ambitions that he raced as fast as possible. To his annoyance, Xiao Ru did not appoint him as Commandant of Chen Province, instead naming a low-ranking officer who had been put in charge of the city’s garrison. In other word, someone who would play the role of messenger between his liege and the generals on the frontline.
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Xiao Ru was not the only one to promote a new general to the frontline. Disappointed with Ma Chao’s failure to keep Dian Wei occupied until the arrival of the full reinforcements, Tao Shang decided to promote another officer within the ranks to assist them. In an effort to cement good relations with Qing Province, Ding Zhiguo, the half-brother of the late Tan Zhihan, was promoted to Administrator of Xiapi Commandery and given a command in the army. The man proved worthy of his familial military history (his uncle Ding Kai having been Lü Bu’s Commandant in You Province). While he was no equal to Ma Chao in term of fighting skills, he proved to be the most competent general that Tao Shang would ever have at his disposal, proving talented and popular with the troops. Surprisingly, he also got along just fine with Ma Chao when he joined them, making sure not to impede on the Commandant’s authority.
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It was around that time that news of Gongsun Zan’s collapse came to both sides. While Tao Shang hoped that this would free Qing Province to come help him, everyone soon realized that this massive event changed little in the war. Gongsun Zan, for all his losses of territories and men, was still invading Qing Province, relentlessly pursuing a new path to power. Surprisingly, he was actually winning, with neither He Jintao or Ba Daiping able to do much to oppose him. Tao Shang could only curse this turn of event. He would have to recruit new troops as fast as possible to palliate for the lack of support from his “overlord”.
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By July, Xiao Ru learned about the dire fate of his once ally Chancellor Jiang Xian. The despicable Yuan Shu had attacked the Imperial Capital and forced the Chancellor to choose an honorable death, ending his rule over Luoyang. While Xiao Ru had received missives asking for help, he found himself unable (and possibly unwilling) to risk his army to go help Jiang Xian due to the war. Then came the other big news: Liu Siyuan was going after Yuan Shu to take back Luoyang. Agents sent by Liu Siyuan’s advisors even came to Xiao Ru’s court (although it is doubtful that the scion of the Han sent them himself, as he had a low opinion of his neighboring warlord). They suggested that Xiao Ru join them in their war against Yuan Shu. This would be a great way for the governor to reaffirm his loyalty to the Han and to avenge the late Chancellor. But Xiao Ru once again refused. Not only did he had his war to worry about, but he didn’t want to find himself forced to submit to Liu Siyuan once the war was over. Better to stay out of this one.
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The war effort was going pretty decently, although things had slowed down considerably since the capture of Dian Wei. Upon arrival, Zhang Yan started to reorganize command to his liking, with some officers who had been closer to Dian Wei finding themselves sidelined. Zhang Yan was simply too suspicious of his rival’s allies to leave them anywhere near command, instead promoting people he knew would be useful and support him in this campaign. Only Ding Yan and his staff were kept unchanged. Zhang Yan also started to anger the commoners by his show of gluttony in private, which led to many accusing him of abandoning his lower-class roots to become a fat official living off the back of the people. To this he often replied by pointing his missing eye or his missing hand, claiming he had sacrificed them in the name of China and the Chinese.

In August, Xiao Ru was told of the death of Liu Yi, the Administrator of Runan (and its former prince). The man had been a torn in Xiao Ru’s side for years now, always calling for more powers to the officials instead of supporting his liege. The issue however was that his family was powerful in the commandery, which meant that they would surely try to have one of them appointed to the position. Worse, the only other magistrate that could be presented as a credible alternative was Zhang Yan, which was in itself unappealing. In the end, he chose to weaken the Liu Clan over his personal enmity toward Zhang Yan. In late August, Zhang Yan was officially made Administrator of Runan Commandery.
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But had he been aware of what was happening on the frontline, Xiao Ru might not have rewarded the former bandit leader. While the Xu forces received ample reinforcements, Zhang Yan and Ding Yan found themselves without new troops to replace their losses. Which is why in early August, Tao Shang ordered an attack on the Chen position. They were still encamped around Zhongyang, trying to take the surrounding area for themselves. While Zhang Yan put a good show and did everything he could to defend against the attack, he found himself overwhelmed and forced to retreat. This defeat, bad enough in itself, was compounded by the fact that he was forced to retreat all the way into Chen Province. The Xu forces, now finally turning the tide of the war, followed them, bringing the war to Xiao Ru’s lands for the first time since the conflict started. When he heard of this, Xiao Ru recalled his generals to his capital so they could explain themselves. Just as they left, the Xu army fell onto the now leaderless Chen troops, resulting in another defeat.
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When the Xu provincial capital was finally taken back by Tao Shang in October, Xiao Ru realized that he needed to end this war. He sent envoys to his enemy asking for peace. While Tao Shang wanted to continue, Ding Zhiguo pointed out that their resources were too stretched for a prolonged war. Frustrated, but seeing his point, Tao Shang agreed to end the war, bringing his troops back home. This war had started in 204 when Tao Shang tried to force Xiao Ru to submit, only for Xiao Ru to turn it around in an attempt to enforce his authority upon Xu Province. All this ended in a white peace, with neither man getting what they wanted. Both governors came out of this bitter and all too willing to restart a war to get what they believed should be theirs.
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In an attempt to salvage this mess, Xiao Ru decided to finally make a move that would clearly improve his authority over the region. Finally, it was time to abandon his seat of power in Ku and move to the former Yu provincial capital of Chenguo. The city had been under his control for a decade now, but it was only recently that he started to make a move toward changing his provincial capital. Chenguo was simply a more developed city, far more prosperous and better situated. The only issue was its closeness to Liu Siyuan’s territories, but considering the solidity of its defenses this should not be a problem. Xiao Ru hoped that this move would solidify his authority in Chen Province and make everyone forget about this useless war.
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Now in his new provincial capital, Xiao Ru sought to find someone to blame for this whole mess. Zhang Yan was quick to point the blame at Dian Wei for leaving the army in a mess, something that Xiao Ru was all too willing to believe. When the general was released, he found that he was not being reinstated as Commandant, instead simply kept as a general. The reason why he was not punished in anyway was thanks to Ding Yan, who decided to help his comrade by moving the blame away from the generals and instead accusing court of sabotaging the campaign from behind. He did so only to save Dian Wei from a heavy punishment, unaware that it would boost his career. Xiao Ru decided that his Assistant Administrator was the one who had failed the war (because it couldn’t be his own fault, after all). The old Li Fengzu was fired for his supposed failure. Instead, Ding Yan found himself elevated as the new Assistant Administrator. A surprising turn of event, but a pleasing one.
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______________________________
PS: What is to come for 207
  • Yao Shuren’s involvement in the Yi civil war (205-207)
  • Liu Siyuan vs Yuan Shu (206-207)
  • Hu Zan continues his clearly already finished war for Yang Province (206-207)
  • What Xuan Su is doing now that he’s an independent warlord (206-207)
 

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Xiao Ru seems to have barely got anything out of this conflict. I don’t have much else to say at this time except to mourn Ma Teng’s death

With wars like that, he's not going to reunify China anytime soon (actually curious who you all think has the best shot now that Gongsun Zan is out).

Also, you did call it for Jiang Xian. You were right, he had a shit position and was probably doomed on the long run. Still, gave us an interesting end.
 
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"He was such a Ma Teng". No missing words, this is what I said. Simple but eloquent, an excellent epitaph. I noticed that everybody's demense and limits seem small. 2 holdings with a max of 3 is the greatest that I noticed. Thank you for the update.
 
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I noticed that everybody's demense and limits seem small. 2 holdings with a max of 3 is the greatest that I noticed
Yeah, it's part of the mod. It forces to delegate. The vassal limit is also a problem at times. It's around 17 or so for king level titles, making it necessary to become Chancellor or Emperor to unify China.
 
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205-207: Southward!
205-207: SOUTHWARD!
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The lands controlled by Yao Shuren were finally stabilizing. No more revolts in Sili or Liang Province. The officials of central China had finally accepted his rule, submitting to his authority and to that of his local official in the region, Xu Shu, who still did his best to keep the province under control. He had restored his complete control over Liang Province after a little hiccup of a revolt. But now that this was dealt with, Yao Shuren could focus on the future, and it looked as bright as ever. Finally, he had a son, Yao Xiu, a boy who would surely one day inherit his titles and continue his work (if he didn’t finish it in his lifetime). He had one of the strongest armies of the Han, and he could make a move against Luoyang anytime he wished, as long as he played his cards right with Gongsun Zan. While he still had consumption weighting on his health, he now felt confident that it was only a minor setback. Yes, things were looking great.
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For his part, Mo Jie was struggling in his duties as Assistant Administrator. It was not to say that he was completely useless. The architect excelled at the administrative aspect of his duties, handling the paperwork with ease to the point that it barely registered with him. He gained quite a lot of recognition for his administrative work, both in his home Wuwei Commandery and at Yao Shuren’s side. But his mix of stubbornness, shyness and inability to be understood correctly made the political aspect of his function a nightmare. Orders were misunderstood, if heard at all, as Mo Jie often spoke in a low shy voice making it hard to hear what he was saying. He also seemed focus on a plan to expand the trade routes on the Silk Road. While this was an idea Yao Shuren was favorable toward, he wanted to focus on the east, not the west. “But we must go west!” Mo Jie argued, which was understood as a need to literally leave to go west. And Yao Shuren had no intention of abandoning his territories to go on a road trip.
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Opposing Mo Jie as always was the Head Scholar Duan Zuo, who never liked the self-righteous former rebel who always complained about Duan Zuo’s lack of morality. All he was doing was having fun with ladies and skimming a bit of money on the side. What was the problem there? He had offered his humble advice to Yao Shuren not to appoint Mo Jie Assistant Administrator. Considering that the former Liang rebel Qu Yan had just tried to overthrow the Governor, appointing his former comrade would surely send the wrong message. But at the time, Yao Shuren had refused his advice, rightfully convinced that Mo Jie was now loyal to him, as he saw Yao Shuren as the best hope to help the people of Liang. In fact, Yao Shuren’s presence often made Duan Zuo squeak in fear. While he had often been allowed to act with a lot of freedom due to his lord’s absence on campaign, this was changing. The presence of the Governor meant that he kept a tight grip on the finances, which meant that Duan Zuo couldn’t make any wrong move out of fear of being punished.
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The two advisors came to a head over the issue of a rising official in Sili Province. Yang Xiu had recently been promoted to Administrator of Hedong Commandery. The son of the esteemed Yang Biao, who headed the plot to kill Dong Zhuo in 191, some might expect that there would be bad blood between him and Yao Shuren, who had started his career under the fat tyrant. But by this point the Governor of Liang Province was trying to distance himself from Dong Zhuo or Guo Si to build his own legacy, and that meant bringing in people that would have opposed his predecessors. For his part, Yang Xiu was hardworking and cynical enough not to be weighted down by the feuds of his father. He understood that Yao Shuren was the best way to get rich, and so did everything to show his loyalty to his liege. When Yao Shuren brought up the possibility of bringing him in the council, this sparked a surprising debate. Mo Jie believed that everyone should be given a chance, although he said nothing and simply supported the idea. This prompted Duan Zuo to oppose the addition of Yang Xiu, advising his liege to reconsider. But Yao Shuren wanted to include more officials from Sili Province, and this seemed as a great opportunity. Yang Xiu was welcomed into Yao Shuren’s inner circle, to Dong Zuo’s chagrin.
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However, all was not well in Yao Shuren’s life. In the early months of the year, he learned that his son Yao Xiu had caught consumption. Panicked, he immediately ordered his physician to look after the child day and night, refusing to allow anyone close to him until it was safe. This included the mother Lady Cheng, who quickly fell into alcoholism now that she was denied access to her beloved son. As for Yao Shuren, he became convinced that he was responsible of this situation, that he had passed the disease to his son. Fearing for his dynastic future, he would try to stay clear of his son from that point on, keeping his distances and never interacting much with him. This would leave the toddler first confused, then dejected, and eventually angry at his father’s silent treatment.
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While he had managed to secure the inside of his territories, he now had to deal with border problems as raids became more and more frequent. First was the issue of the Xiongnus in Bing pillaging Sili Province. With Gongsun Zan occupied with his eastern campaign against Tan Shenquan and Xuan Su not doing much to restrain the barbarians, some chieftains decided that they had an opportunity to raid the rich plains of central China. Yang Xiu, who had no intention to lose any of his wealth to these savages, quickly sent notice to Xu Shu, who was still the main appointed authority in the province. Unwilling to let that threat grow larger to the point that his liege would have to intervene, Xu Shu mounted a small expedition against the raiders with the help of the old general Cheng Pu (the one who previously served under Sun Jian). They quickly defeated the enemy in late February, forcing the raiders to go back north empty handed.
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But that was not the main problem Yao Shuren had to face. It seemed that the Qinghaixi horde was once against becoming restless. Cheliji Khagan had never been keen on these Chinese camping on his southern border, stopping his expansion into the middle kingdom. Now he was testing the waters, raiding with a massive horde army through the least defended areas of Liang Province. Due to their fast horses, Yao Shuren was always unable to get them before they returned home, a frustrating situation. He eventually sent the warrior Xu Chu (not to be confused with Xu Shu) to guard over the border. The warrior asked to be given a better post, but Yao Shuren found the man too violent at times, needing more clearheaded men to assist him. He hoped that this time on the border would help Xu Chu mature. And besides, this wouldn’t be a long assignment. Probably.
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Yao Shuren was actually planning a punitive campaign against the Qinghaixi when he received a letter from Huang Quan in Yi Province. The general told him of his plan to give Yi Province to Yao Shuren, and hoped that he would support their uprising in one form or another. This gave the warlord a smile. He had kept tabs on the deteriorating situation on his southern border, knowing full well how much of a mess it was becoming. So far, he had been hesitant to exploit this chaos, suspecting that a northern invasion would lead the various factions to unite against the outside threat. But now that he had people on the inside fighting for him, there was nothing stopping him from backing them. After a month of consideration and consultations with his most loyal generals, he sent a response to Huang Quan. He would come south to help them win the civil war and bring order to the province. As a reward for his support, Huang Quan was promised the position of Commandant once the war was over. It was only right that he be rewarded, after all.
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There was no question in Yao Shuren’s mind that he would lead the expedition to Yi Province. However, the disease still left him worried that he might not always be apt to command the center. Better leave it in the hands of someone else and focus on leading a flank, which was far less risky and would still allow him to send order to the rest of the army. To replace him at the center he picked his oldest (if not always reliable) ally Hu Zhen. Even if the old general had been suffering from bouts of raging insanity, he was still a decent commander willing to follow orders. Talking of following orders, Yao Shuren finally recalled his handpicked man in Sili Province. The strategist Xu Shu had done a great job enforcing Yao Shuren’s authority in the province, which is why he was rewarded by being brought along, where his skills would be better used. Xu Shu was thankful to be chosen, as he wanted to help bring order to another province as had been done in Sili.
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As they marched south with the army, Yao Shuren learned of two events. First was the fact that the Imperial Court had finally decided to declare itself against Gongsun Zan. This was the signal many had been waiting to join in against the northern warlord. While Yao Shuren was occupied with his southern campaign, he still decided to publicly back the coalition, as he was probably the one who had the most to gain from Gongsun Zan’s collapse. He sent news that any of his subordinates willing to join the coalition could do so with his blessing. Yet he found himself annoyed by the fact that Yuan Shu used his departure for Yi Province to attack Luoyang. The Governor of Liang Province cursed himself for his inability to come to the Capital’s aid. Here was a golden chance to play the role of the loyal hero, yet he was unable to leave this war. He made a mental note promising to march on Yuan Shu as soon as he was done in Yi Province.
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The state of the southern province was still a massive mess when the Liang army arrived in early September. Zhang Fu had fled to the safety of the south to consolidate, leaving his provincial capital to be besieged by Wu Mengjie and Gao Rou. Huang Quan’s own rebellion had also cut the other sides, with the provincial capital and Gao Rou and Wu Mengjie’s territories to the west of the second rebellion, while Zhang Fu’s base in the south was to its eastern border. And that didn’t account for the barbarian revolts that were also trying to achieve their goals of forging their own free states out of this anarchy. The only faction that had been removed by the time of Yao Shuren’s arrival were the barbarian followers of Ba, the one who had adopted the teachings of the Way of the Celestial Masters and who would have gladly sided with Zhang Fu had the governor not tried to please Pan Zheng by taking a firm anti-barbarian stance. Ba had been defeated by soldiers loyal to the Liu pretender, ending his threat to their cause. And to had a cherry on top, the consumption epidemic that had ravaged Liang Province was moving south, settling in the north of Yi Province. To say that Yi Province was unstable would have been an understatement.
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Upon arrival, the Liang troops found themselves faced with an unexpected enemy. Their battleplans had been built on the idea that they would face Wu Mengjie and Gao Rou, or maybe a remnant army still loyal to the regime of Zhang Fu. Instead, they ran into the barbarian fundamentalist Qinnijan. He was attempting to build a new homeland for his people, free of Chinese influence. However, his campaign had slowed down as his men came down with consumption. Unlike Zhang Fu, Yao Shuren was all too willing to use the barbarians to his advantage and opened talks with their leader. The Governor of Liang Province pointed out how the barbarians in his province lived free as equals to the Chinese. If Qinnijan joined him, he could beneficiate of this supposed equality in Yi Province. The barbarian leader did not buy it and returned to his army. Having given diplomacy a shot, Yao Shuren had Hu Zhen put the troops in formation and attack. Qinnijian’s revolt was destroyed in September, with any barbarian with an ounce of authority hanged.
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However, the battle had showed one flaw in the Liang command structure: Hu Zhen. For all his loyalty, his mind was simply too disturbed to be trusted with the center. Such a crucial position had to be handled by a more stable officer. This continued to be a problem in their next endeavor. As it turned out, Zhang Fu’s loyalists had taken Huang Quan’s home in his absence, capturing most of his retainers in the process. The general’s family was able to flee and seek the protection of Yao Shuren, pleading him to save them. Happy to oblige, as helping his main ally’s family would certainly make a good first impression, Yao Shuren had his army move to the rebel headquarters. Upon arrival, as the siege was being laid, a mad Hu Zhen ordered an assault on the walls. It was a short attack, but one that cost the lives of dozens of soldiers. While he had often given a pass to his old comrade, Yao Shuren decided that Hu Zhen could not be left on this campaign. He was sent back to Liang Province soon after, with orders to help Xu Chu on the border defense instead.
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It quickly became apparent that retaking Huang Quan’s headquarters would be a difficult task. Even with a small enemy garrison, the city was a tough nut to crack. To solve this problem, Yao Shuren ordered that Mo Jie come south to help breach the walls. For all his administrative knowledge, Mo Jie had also been a rebel strategist famous for his talent in siege warfare (gained from years as a fortification architect). When the Assistant Administrator arrived in early 206, he brought with him great news from the provincial capital. The concubine Liang Na had given birth to a son named Yao Yuan in December. Yao Shuren was overjoyed at this news. He had spent years unable to have an heir, yet now he had two sons in the span of two years. This news galvanized the troops, and by February the city had been taken back.
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The following few months were spent taking the territories still loyal to Zhang Fu in the north. A slow series of sieges, made especially awkward by the fact that not far away Wu Mengjie and Gao Rou were finishing their own sieges of the cities around the provincial capital. The fact that the rebel commanders were so close to the Liang army made both side nervous, as neither wished for a fight right now. The rebel commanders knew that Yao Shuren would probably be the bigger threat, and so wanted to knock out Zhang Fu first to have access to the province’s resources. Similarly, Yao Shuren wanted to focus on one enemy at the time, with the governor clearly the one he would gain the most by defeating. Because of this, they would avoid the other side as much as possible.
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Instead, the first battle of the war was fought between two tribes of barbarians, each supporting a different side of the conflict. One was a Nanman High Chief named Cuan Ahuinan, who had sided with Huang Quan in the hope that having Yao Shuren ruling them from afar would be better than a local Chinese oppressing the Namnans. Opposing him was a former barbarian rebel, a Bandunman simply known as Xuan. Having backed one of the many barbarian uprisings of the 190’s, Xuan had since turned a new leaf and sided with the Celestial Masters. They fought at Bushan, the most southern area of Yi Province. In the end, the forces loyal to Zhang Fu triumphed, a sign that he might not be doomed to failure.
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After finishing things up north, the Governor of Liang Province was told that Huang Quan was moving south to attack Zhang Fou’s remaining positions. It was thus in late July, right as he was making his way south, that a messenger came to tell him of the mess that was happening back home. While Mo Jie was an excellent administrator, being left in charge of the province proved a bit too much for him. One of his main allies at court, Lady Chang, had stopped helping him to focus on discrediting the concubine who produced a rival for her son. In Sili Province, things were going a bit better, but the Chief Clerk Ren Duo was just as bad at diplomacy as Mo Jie, which wasn’t helped by the fact that Yang Xiu was focusing on expanding in the now collapsed Bing Province. Mo Jie’s temporary absence to help with the siege did nothing to improve the situation.

When he heard of this, Yao Shuren was furious. He sent Xu Shu back home to serve as regent, with orders to remove a lot of individuals from their positions of power. Half of the council was fired, with Ren Duo, Duan Zuo and Yang Xiu being the only one staying in their posts. Meanwhile, many administrators saw their commanderies taken away and put under direct provincial control. Mo Jie was by far the most hit by these firings. He went from Yao Shuren’s number two to a simple magistrate, losing his Wuwei Commandery in the process. Instead of being resentful or calling Yao Shuren a tyrant (which some did do), the architect decided to work twice as hard to prove to his liege that he deserved a second chance. After all, he needed to help the people of the province, and being by Yao Shuren’s side was the best way to do it.
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He needed someone he could rely upon, someone who could help him on the campaign and still manage things from afar. Considering how Cheng Pu had done this exact same job under Sun Jian for a decade, the older general was picked for the job. He was made Assistant Administrator of Liang Province, with the order to leave Yao Shuren’s territories in the hands of trusted men that could assist Xu Shu. Cheng Pu didn’t linger behind too much, giving Xu Shu a list of trustworthy officials and left to join his liege on the campaign, racing through rebel territories to make it south. Upon arrival, he once thanked his graceful lord for giving him this unexpected chance, and promised to help him bring back peace to China. Yao Shuren simply wondered how Sun Jian had managed to lose with such a competent subordinate.
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By late 206, the army of Huan Quan, supported by the arriving Liang troops, was able to attack Yizhou Commandery. Considering that the war was now right at his doorstep, Pan Zheng had little choice but to flee for his life, advising Zhang Fu to do the same. The Governor agreed, leading most of the court outside the city of Dianchi (Pan Zheng’s capital) in an attempt to escape the incoming siege. In an attempt to rebuild their base, Zhang Fu went to the barbarian chieftain Meng Huo and established his court close to his village, to Pan Zheng’s frustration. The fact that they had to go hide with the son of his brother’s killer was unbearable to him. For his part, Meng Huo wasn’t exactly keen on the Chinese staying among his people, fearing that they would bring the civil war with them.
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Meanwhile, Yao Shuren finally met Huang Quan face to face. After more than a year of correspondence, the Governor of Liang Province was wondering if the man was truly as great as he had heard. Thankfully, he was not disappointed. Huang Quan was just as humble and brave as he had been told, the kind of man he really wanted into his service. In private, Yao Shuren told him that Yi Province would not be the end of his ambitions, which was all fine by Huang Quan as long as the province was stabilized and made to prosper. Huang Quan then helped Yao Shuren familiarize himself with the province’s administration for his eventual takeover of the province. After this, the two men prepared a public ceremony where Huang Quan officially surrendered command of the armies to Yao Shuren, who he acknowledged as his rightful liege. Yao Shuren then fulfilled his promise to make him Commandant, although he would only serve in that function once the war was won.
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And the war still needed to be won. Finally realizing that he needed the barbarians far more than Pan Zheng’s approval, Zhang Fu made a deal with Meng Huo. In order to get the full support of the local barbarian leaders, the governor promised massive freedom in the south once victory was achieved. Seeing an opportunity (even if it was an unlikely one), Meng Huo bullied the other chieftains into sending troops, allowing the Celestial Masters to have a small barbarian horde at their disposal. Confident, Zhang Fu ordered them to attack the Liang forces in April 207… only to discover that they had nowhere near the troops to challenge Yao Shuren’s army. The barbarians decided to just flee, leaving the Governor and two zealous bodyguards to fight an entire army. They loss, considering that the governor also fled before battle.
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When Zhang Fu showed back to Pan Zheng’s door in May, the scholar decided that it was a lost cause. He was not going to risk his life for a sect leader he didn’t even like that much. Better to save his neck then end up executed by a ruthless warrior. And he knew just the way. He had some of his few remaining men grab Zhang Fu in the middle of the night, chaining him and sending him as a gift to Yao Shuren. Zhang Fu cursed his treacherous ally, but that did not stop him from being delivered to the Liang army’s encampment. Happily surprised, Yao Shuren dealt with his rival in a definitive manner. Zhang Fu was beheaded on the 20th of May at the age of 47, having been Governor of Yi Province for four years. With his death, Yao Shuren could now stand as the ruler of the southern territories, with the tally of the governor even presented to him in due forms.
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While he still had to deal with Gao Rou and Wu Mengjie, Yao Shuren wondered what to do with this scholar who had delivered him the late governor. At first, he considered having him found and executed none the less. He had backed the wrong horse, and this last-minute gift might not be enough to save him. But then he was told by Huang Quan that this was the famous scholar Pan Zheng that they were talking about. Yao Shuren had read the Nánfāng Yěshòu. Although he did not agree with its conclusions, he still acknowledged that this was fine writing. Now more curious than anything, Yao Shuren decided to go meet this wayward scholar.

_________________________________
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Accompanied by Cheng Pu and Huang Quan, Yao Shuren managed to find the location of the scholar by bribing local barbarians to guide them. As his commandery was still occupied with Liang troops, Pan Zheng had taken residence in a small house in the jungle with his family. Meng Huo had been all too willing to sell out the position of the scholar, hoping to position himself as the new barbarian leader in the south under Yao Shuren. The Governor shrugged at this. If the savage wanted to play the role of chief of the barbarians, then by all means, as long as he remembered who was in charge. He had enough barbarian problems back home and was not seeking to gain new ones in his new territories.

The trio, along with an appropriate personal escort, made their way through the jungle. Just as always, the heat of the south was getting to Yao Shuren. He had been warned that it was humid and hot, but he still couldn’t get used to it. The Governor was a man of the northern climates, the cold, the winds, everything that was found in the north. The south was unbearable in comparison, with many of his northern troops having succumbed to tropical disease over the last two years. Even his scarred eye tended to be more difficult to tolerate with the locale climate. Heaven did he hope dealing with the remaining rebels would be fast. That way he could get back home to a more tolerable life.

“I think this is it.” Huang Quan declared, leading the expedition.
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Indeed, the trees and the vegetation made way for a small clearing, with a nice house in the middle. It wasn’t a massive mansion with steps and decorations, but neither was it something you would see a commoner live in. It reminded him of the house of the officials in Luoyang when he served there under Dong Zhuo. Cozy houses with a soft northern wind. Heaven, he wanted to go home.

“Finally.” he answered with clear relief in his voice.

Normally, he would have been more patient, but being sick in a climate you are not used to usually get on your nerves pretty fast. He waved to their escort to patrol around the house to make sure that there wasn’t an ambush. His personal doctor stayed close as always, the physician making sure that Yao Shuren was healthy enough to continue. Not going south without him would have been suicidal and irresponsible.

“Nothing, my lord.” one of the soldiers announced.

Yao Shuren didn’t answer, simply approaching the door flanked by his two generals. He then grabbed the door handle and hit it against the door multiple times, convinced that someone had to have heard at least one of the hits. He waited for a few minutes, expecting a servant or a maid to come open the door. He waited, and waited, wondering if he shouldn’t have his soldiers bust the door open instead. Eventually, the door was open slowly by someone on the inside, clearly with difficulties. Surprisingly, it was not a servant that came to welcome them, but a small boy, maybe eight or nine years old. His clothes made it clear that he was no peasant, so Yao Shuren guested that it was probably Pan Zheng’s son. The child timidly hid behind the half-opened door as he saw the armed men. Yao Shuren went on his knee to get to his size and offered him a smile in order to gain his trust. But then the boy looked at his eye in horror. Displeased, Yao Shuren simply got up, looking down on the child.
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“W-Who are you?” the child asked.

“Who are you, lad?” Cheng Pu echoed.

“This is Pan Zhiyuan, my lord.” Huang Quan explained. “I think I saw him once at court with his father.”

“Zhiyuan.” Yao Shuren spoke harshly.

“Y-Yes?”

The child was getting scared. He needed to make a good impression, if only for his two generals. They might not be so keen on following a man who had no problem scaring (or even hurting) children if necessary.

“Don’t fear.” He said, trying to be as comforting as he could. “We are only looking for your father. We do not mean you any harm.”

“Father?”

“You are the son of the famed scholar Pan Zheng, correct?”

“Huhuh.” the boy nodded.

“And this is his home, isn’t it?”

Again, a nod.

“Then would you lead us to him?”


The boy was hesitating. Strange. Yao Shuren was sure that he had played his cards right.

“Lad, you should really listen.” Cheng Pu encouraged him. “It would really help.”

“I’ll go check…” the boy said as he closed the door.

“Wait! Sto”

Too late. The boy had closed a door to Yao Shuren’s face. He couldn’t remember the last time someone had the guts to do this to him, even by accident.

“What now, lord?” Huang Quan asked.

“Unless you are willing to send the troops in, we wait.” Yao Shuren sharply answered, knowing full well that Huang Quan would not pick the bloodbath option.

After many minutes, long enough that the sick governor had to sit down, the boy returned. Sadly, he did not bring the answer that they had hoped for.

“Father is not receiving guests today.” Pan Zhiyuan told them.

“Why?” Yao Shuren asked, trying his best to hide his annoyance.

“He’s writing and want to focus on his studies, he said.”

Was this serious? Was Pan Zheng really just choosing to ignore them because he wanted to write and read? While he hadn’t been told who was coming, the scholar had to be aware of normal etiquette when guest arrived, right?

“What do we do, lord?” Huang Quan asked.

“Well,” Yao Shuren started as he sat up, “Zhihan will have to tell his father that we will return tomorrow.”

As he was starting to turn away, he heard the child call to him.

“W-Wait…”

“Hm?”

“Y-Your eye…” the child started. “How did it get…”

“Hurt? Blinded? Scared?”

Pan Zhiyuan nodded. This gave Yao Shuren a smile. He always loved telling his version of events.

“You see, Zhiyuan, a dragon broke it.”

“A dragon!?” the child asked, his eyes sparkling. “You saw a dragon?”

“Indeed. He took my sigh and hurt my eye when I met him in the mountains.”

“Why?”

“Because he came from Heaven for a deal. He presented me with a great destiny, the greatest of destinies. And all I had to offer in exchange was my left eye. Fair trade, isn’t it?”

The boy didn’t say a word, just listening to the story in silence. Yao Shuren, satisfied of the impact he made on the child, made his way back to their camp for the day. He really needed to rest.
____

Huang Quan had to stay behind today, as a report came in about the war with those damn rebels north. The older general was thus his only real companion for the trip back to Pan Zheng’s home. The fact that the man, while in his early fifties, was still in better shape than Yao Shuren made the Governor worry. He better recuperate from this disease, or he might not even be able to lead his generals in battle in his old age. If he made it that far.
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“Are you alright, lord?” Cheng Pu asked, concerned about the difficult breathing of his liege.

“Let us deal with the scholar first. Then we’ll check on me.”

The two men made their way to the house, where Cheng Pu used the door handle a few times. This time, it was a servant that welcomed them.

“Welcome, sires. I was told to bring you to the main room to wait.”

“I would appreciate if the wait was minimal.” Yao Shuren commented.

She nodded and signaled them to follow her in. The maid seemed to knew where she was going, as it didn’t take long for the two men to be brought in an empty room with seats readied and a table awaiting them. Clearly this was the guest room, Yao Shuren thought. The issue was that it was empty, meaning that they would have to wait again to meet Pan Zheng. While awaiting the scholar, Pan Zheng took a look outside the room, noting the number of servants that went on and on. A small staff, barely enough to keep the house clean. It seemed that Pan Zheng didn’t have much time to bring his court with him when he fled. The Governor noted in particular one servant running around, often dragging writing material with him. If he followed him, he might be able to

“Please excuse my absence, dear guests.” a woman said.

Using another entrance than the one they came from, she marched in the room to bow to present her respects to Cheng Pu, who told her not to bother. Wondering why he was skipping basic hospitality protocols, he turned around to take a look at the woman, only to curse in silence. Not only was Pan Zheng not by her side, but the woman (clearly a noble) was pregnant. This meant that he would have to threat carefully if he wanted to keep a good image with Cheng Pu. It was in these instances that he regretted not bringing Hu Zhen or Xu Chu. For all the problems they could bring, these two didn’t care about honor and chivalry. He saw Cheng Pu helping the lady sit down on the other side of the table, which was as good of a chance as any to come sit with them.

“My name is Fang Xia, wife of the scholar Pan Zheng.”

“I see.” Yao Shuren noted.
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“My dear son mentioned your passage yesterday, so I though it wise to prepare some tea.”
she said smiling.

A maid, the same that had welcomed them, entered the room with some teacups. She placed one in front of each guest before leaving to go fetch the tea itself.

“Sadly, my son failed to note your name, esteemed guests.” She asked in a jovial tone. “I hope he did not inconvenience any of you.”

“I am General Cheng Pu. And the lad was a charm.”
Cheng Pu commented with a smile.

“Governor Yao Shuren of Liang Province, Sili Province, and as of a week ago Yi Province.”

Lady Fang’s face dropped as she heard his name. At least she knew who she was dealing with. This should make things easier.

“What does our esteemed master seek in our humble home?”

She smiled, but it was clearly a fake one to hide her nervosity. She gave a look at the entering maid, but before she could signal her anything, Yao Shuren spoke and made the situation clear.

“I have soldiers around your house.” he explained in a cold voice. “Fleeing is not an option.”

“Not that we want you to flee.” Cheng Pu tried to course correct.

“I do not see why our household require your personal presence, lord. W-We have showed our loyalty. Yes! We sent you that treatorous usurper of the province. My husband is no traitor, he is loyal to you! We would never do anything but serve you, Governor!”

Yao Shuren raised a hand before she could continue.

“I would rather hear the groveling from your husband. He is the one who has to prove the loyalty of his clan. Your fate is dependent on him and him only.”

“Not that you have anything to fear, of course.” Cheng Pu added.

“O-Of course.” she agreed, unsure how to take this.

“Lady Fang, I will be brief. I came to meet your husband, and I expected him to receive us.”

“My dear husband is… unable to come meet you at this time.” she said.

“But he is our host.” Yao Shuren continued. “Does he not care about basic hospitality.”

“Yes, but he has his mind focused on… other matters. Matters that are of great importance to him.”

“Your husband is in a precarious situation.” Cheng Pu explained. “He should really come meet us.”

“I’m sorry, but he won’t.”

“Fine.” Yao Shuren said, clearly ticked off. “As we are your guests, we will not force the issue. But he will meet ustomorrow.”

He then got up and left before she could spat another excuse for the next day. As he left, he made sure to remember the layout of the house, especially which room that servant kept coming in and out from.

________

Huang Quan and Cheng Pu were by his side. He felt better today, which would mean that he could finally focus. Better use this to his advantage. This time, he raced straight for the house as soon as the sun had set up. As the home appeared through the leaves, he turned to the soldiers escorting him. He had brought double the number he had the last two days.

“You make sure no one comes in or out.” he ordered them. “If someone comes out to take a shit, I want him arrested before his pants are dropped.”

“Yes Governor!”

As the trio approached the door (this time flanked by a few soldiers), Huang Quan approached to use to door handle. Yao Shuren grabbed the general’s arm and shook his head.

“Bust down the door.”

“My lord? Are you sure this is wise?”


“We are not going to hurt anyone.” Yao Shuren reassured him. “But there won’t be any delay. I will meet that scholar today. Now open this damn door!”

Huang Quan obey, ordering two soldiers to help him out. They quickly had the door on the ground, with Yao Shuren making his way inside before it even hit the floor. He quickly waved to his soldiers, knowing that they would secure the house and ensure that no one disturbed him. Besides, he knew exactly where to go. What he found in the scholar’s personal study was a younger man carrying sheets around. Well, younger by a few years, at least. The man was still in his thirties, and it was beginning to show. While he wasn’t fat per say, he was well endowed enough that his love for food was pretty obvious. His clothes were dirty, as if they had been worn for days without being even taken off.

“And now the servant is going to tell us to come back tomorrow too?” Yao Shuren asked, exasperated at this point.

“My lord, this man is the famed scholar Pan Zheng.” Huang Quan explained.

“I see that it is too late to go with the servant story.” Pan Zheng noted.

Yao Shuren had to blink. This was Pan Zheng? The man did not fit the mental image he had of the scholar. He expected an older man, or at least someone whose hairs were starting to grey. Better clothes, or at least clean ones, where also part of the Pan Zheng of his imagination. But this was the Pan Zheng of real life, which meant that he would have to deal with this one. He hid his surprise expertly, quickly moving to the topic of the day.
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“Pan Zheng, we have much to talk about.”

“I do not see what my new governor has to say to me that requires his esteemed presence.” Pan Zheng said, already sitting back to his work desk.

“Your wife did tell you we were coming.”

“Yes, but that’s not what tipped me off. Your injured eye and the stories around it are quite famous. When my son told me of a man with a damaged eye, I immediately knew who he was talking about.”

“Then why not meet us then? We could have done this on the first day.” Cheng Pu pointed out.

“Because he was testing our resolves.” Yao Shuren answered. “He wanted to know if we were going to give up, or if we really wanted to meet him at all costs.”

“What wisdom, my lord.” Huang Quan praised him.

“Wrong.” Pan Zheng corrected. “I was writing. I didn’t want to be distracted. You were a distraction.”

“I would advice that you do not speak to me this way.” Yao Shuren warned him.

“I did not seek to offend. I was just being honest about my intentions.”

“Might explain us what they were when you betrayed the traitor Zhang Fu?”

“Simple,” Pan Zheng started, his eyes never leaving the paper he was writing on. “Zhang Fu was doomed, and I was not going to die for a sect in the wrong. I was hoping that giving him to you would give me peace. Apparently not.”

“From what I was told, you were a high-ranking member of the Celestial Masters’ administration.” Yao Shuren pointed out.

The fact that Pan Zheng visibly sighed at the need to answer annoyed Yao Shuren.

“The Celestial Masters approached the problem of barbarians the right way, but with the wrong philosophy. They tried to bring them in with their ideas and beliefs instead of forcing them to submit to our superior way of life. Now if you would please state the reason of your presence?”

“Enough!”

Yao Shuren walked toward the desk and grabbed the piece of paper, startling the scholar in the process. He was of one mind to just tear it up, but then gave it a quick look.

“the dragon of Han culture can only prosper in a unitary system which brushes of the regional identities, as they are often suffering from barbarian desires of autonomy and dangerous to the well being of…”

He continued to read in silence, finally handing the work to Pan Zheng when he was finished with it.

“This is quite insightful.” Yao Shuren admitted. “It could even be useful when finished.”

“Which is why I would appreciate to be allowed to finish it in peace, Governor Yao.” Pan Zheng retorted.

“I will leave you to finish it, but we must speak first.”

It seemed that the scholar finally resigned himself to this discussion, as he sighed before standing up.

“Let us go discuss it over a meal.”

“No need.” Cheng Pu retorted. “You do not need to concern yourself with our stomachs.”

“I wasn’t.” the scholar answered. “I just wanted to eat. I am always calmer when I eat.”

And so the trio had to wait for Pan Zheng to have one of the maid prepare a meal for him and bring it to the guest room. As stated previously, the three of them refused food when they were offered some, even when Lady Fang came and insisted that she should be a good host and feed her guests. They were left to watch Pan Zheng chew his way through a piece of meat and two bowls of rice.

“Scholar Pan Zheng.” Yao Shuren started. “I will admit that I am of two minds on your fate. On one hand, your insolence and your role in Zhang Fu’s regime are enough to have your entire clan wiped out of the world. I doubt anyone would stop me, considering the reputation you have in the province.

This threat got the attention of Pan Zheng, who dropped his chopsticks to focus his full attention on what Yao Shuren was saying.

“I will guess that there is a point as to why I am still breathing then.” he mumbled as rice fell out of his mouth.

“You are too stubborn and self-centered, clearly refusing to see the big picture.”

“The late Chancellor Jiang said the same thing when I worked in the Censorate.” the scholar noted.
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“Jiang Xian was a tyrant and a traitor to the Dynasty.” Yao Shuren retorted.

“I do not see you shouting your plan to restore the Han to its former glory.”

“In our troubled times, loyalty is sadly a… ‘malleable’ concept. Which brings us back to you.”


“You want my loyalty?” Pan Zheng asked.

“I want your skills. I want your talent at my disposal. I hope that the rewards I would offer might guarantee your loyalty, but I know from experience that this is not always the case.”

“And what use would you have of me.” Pan Zheng asked. “Head Scholar of your court?”

If he was interested or curious about the offer, then the scholar was hiding it masterfully.

“No, that would be unwise. You would but heads with many of my advisors. Mo Jie would certainly not stand for a court that promotes your ideas.”

“Mo Jie?”

“A famous man in Liang. You would not get along.”

Pan Zheng shrugged, still awaiting the offer to come.

“For the rest of the campaign in Yi Province, you would serve as my private secretary. I would also give you a command of troops on the battlefield, to see if you can give me good advises in that field as well. When the war is over, I will promote you to Chief Attendant at court, with possibilities of promotions to come later on if you prove useful.”

“I want time to work on my own writing too.”

“Well, if the war isn’t too demanding, we…”

“I want time to work on my own writing too.” Pan Zheng repeated.

“Well, obviously there is…”


“I want time to work on my own writing too.”

“You’ll have it.” Yao Shuren conceded.

“Thank you, my lord.”

“Finally.”
Yao Shuren whispered to himself. “This wasn’t as difficult with Mo Jie.”

“What do you think?”
Huang Quan asked.

“I think it is fair, and probably my only chance to stay on Governor Yao’s good side.” Pan Zheng admitted. “I will serve you to the best of my abilities, wherever your destiny takes you.”

“Good.” Yao Shuren said as he stood up. “I expect you in my camp within three days. And please come seek me when you arrive, so no one tries to make you wait or tell you to come back another day. It is quite the annoyance.”
_________________________________________
 

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As I thought, Yao Shuren is now in all essence the governor of Yi Province. All that is left is to beat down any stragglers who don’t understand they have already lost.

Your writing of the days leading up to Yao Shuren’s meeting with Pan Zheng along with the meeting itself was a masterful piece of character writing. It was fascinating to get a look at the kind of man Yao Shuren is, how his mind works. It was also nice to see his view of Pan Zheng and the man’s mannerisms.

The tension of their meeting was exquisite. We know that Yao Shuren is not afraid to kill those he deems in his way. We also know that Pan Zheng is a stubborn man who for all his brilliance, seems incapable of caring when he rubs someone the wrong way. It was completely feasible, in my eyes, for Pan Zheng to infuriate Yao Shuren enough that the Governor might kill him. Yet he lives. Hopefully he stays that way for a little bit longer. Maybe we will get to see Mo Jie being forced to interact with Pan Zheng yet.

Again, great job with your writing.
 
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Your writing of the days leading up to Yao Shuren’s meeting with Pan Zheng along with the meeting itself was a masterful piece of character writing. It was fascinating to get a look at the kind of man Yao Shuren is, how his mind works. It was also nice to see his view of Pan Zheng and the man’s mannerisms.

The tension of their meeting was exquisite. We know that Yao Shuren is not afraid to kill those he deems in his way. We also know that Pan Zheng is a stubborn man who for all his brilliance, seems incapable of caring when he rubs someone the wrong way. It was completely feasible, in my eyes, for Pan Zheng to infuriate Yao Shuren enough that the Governor might kill him. Yet he lives. Hopefully he stays that way for a little bit longer. Maybe we will get to see Mo Jie being forced to interact with Pan Zheng yet.

Again, great job with your writing.
Thanks! I won't lie, I first though of writing this scene in a few small paragraphs, but then decided to do it in a more narrative style on the spot. Happy it went well.

And to be fair, Yao Shuren probably wouldn't have been nowhere near as tolerant of Pan Zheng's antics if it had been his first enemy turned ally. Pan Zheng probably has Mo Jie to thanks for that. After all, both where the last remnants of an enemy faction destroyed, with their leader dead. Mo Jie showed that Yao Shuren could convert these people to his side and gain their talents instead of wasting it by killing them. Yao Shuren might be ruthless, but he's also smart and logical.
 
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Xu Chu = One Trick Pony, but what a Trick. Martial over 70% and over 30 as only a Tough Soldier. Incredible! Huang Quan to a lesser degree as Martial over 50% qnd in high mid 20s as a Skilled Tactician. Yuan Shu is over 50% Intrigue as a 30ish Flamboyant Schemer. Even I (Mo Jie) am 60% Stewardship as a high 20s Fortune Builder. I am glad that I wrote note about son, because I would probably say that his dog had kittens. Shame, Shame Yao Shuren for taking my counties. He must value words more than deeds. Delegation to the extreme: Yao Shuren 3 kingdoms, 3 duchies and only 2 counties. Wonderful Writing! Thank you for the update.
 
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206-207: The Fight for the Han
206-207: THE FIGHT FOR THE HAN
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When Yuan Shu learned of the way Feng Zian had managed to let Jiang Xian’s wife flee the city, he was ecstatic. He didn’t really care about the fate of the woman, although he was annoyed that Feng Zian had allowed her to escape. She was a great beauty and might have been used as a political tool if she had been captured. Instead, Feng Zian fell into her trap and allowed her to escape! This was pathetic, this was a clear sign of incompetence. In other words, this was the perfect excuse to punish the problematic scholar, and maybe even get rid of him once and for all. After all, Yuan Shu now controlled the Han Dynasty, so what did he need him for. Well, controlled might be a big excessive. As he had done in his own domain, the paranoid warlord had reclused himself now that he was Chancellor, only appearing when needed and leaving the handling of the day-to-day affairs to his loyal subordinate Tan Zilong. But for this, Yuan Shu would certainly precede over the whole affair in person. He would not miss it for the world.
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Feng Zian was summoned at court. Before he had even entered Luoyang, he was ordered to surrender his authority over the troops. When he did so (after much complains) he was put under arrest by order of the Emperor. To say that Feng Zian was enraged would be a mild understatement. He was placed under house arrest for a few days, until the court was finally ready to deliberate on his case. While officially the Chancellor would be the one leading the trial, Tan Zilong found himself tasked to do most of the talking. This placed him in the uncomfortable position of attacking a man he actually respected and knew was loyal to Yuan Shu. Sadly, so was he, which meant that Tan Zilong did his job as ordered. This was a show trial, with the clear goal to permanently destroy Feng Zian’s career. Yuan Shu actually had the scholar chained at one point, afraid that the angered man might just jump at him and try to kill him.
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And it was in the middle of that trial that news arrived. Liu Siyuan was invading, with a clear plan to destroy Yuan Shu for usurping control of the Dynasty. Panicked, Yuan Shu turned to Tan Zilong for advice. The Chancellor soon regretted it. With Tan Zilong forced to manage the administrative side of things, there was only one choice: give command of the army to Feng Zian. They needed an experienced general if they ever wanted to win this war. Yuan Shu tried to deny that this was their only hope, convinced that there was surely something else to do. But in the end, he came to the realization that Tan Zilong was right. Just as he was being tried for his failures, Feng Zian suddenly found himself freed. He was made Grand Commandant of the Imperial Army and ordered to defend the dynasty from the villain Liu Siyuan. Still angry at the way he had been treated, the scholar took his time to rant against Yuan Shu’s idiocy and point out how often he had to save his ass. Only when he was satisfied did Feng Zian accept his new assignment.
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So why did Liu Siyuan decide to attack Yuan Shu days into his new administration? Well it turned out that the messenger sent to ask for help by Jiang Xian did do his job, although it took him far longer than expected. When he did manage to escape ambushes and other problems to make it to Xincai, Emperor Mu had committed suicide and the Chancellor was soon to follow. When Liu Siyuan finally allowed him an audience, it was too late to go save the Chancellor. But the scion of the Han still answered the call. While he never liked Jiang Xian, as he had been a friend of Niu Fu, Liu Siyuan was disgusted and enraged by the way Yuan Shu had used the Coalition against Yongsun Zan as a pretext to besiege the Imperial Capital. How dare he attack the greatest city of the Han Dynasty? If he couldn’t save the previous regime, he would be sure to avenge him. And then, he would finally be able to work on saving the Han Dynasty.
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One of the things that made him hate Yuan Shu was the way he placed a new emperor on the throne. Emperor Qianfei had barely more imperial blood than his predecessor, being a sixth-generation descendant of Emperor Zhang (while Emperor Mu was a seventh). Even worse, it was clear as day that the new monarch was nothing but a puppet of Yuan Shu. Clearly, he would be unable to save the Han, even when Liu Siyuan removed the disgusting Chancellor thar ruled over him. No, he might be needed to abdicate for a more… fitting candidate. Maybe skip the whole line of Emperor Zhang and go back to someone descending from the previous emperor, Emperor Ming. While he did fit in that category, and the idea of one day taking the throne did pass his mind, this was not his only reason. He was just so angry to see these ineffectual monarchs, unable to save their great Dynasty. He really believed that someone worthy needed to rule to save the Han, as a puppet monarch would never do the job right, even with a competent puppet master behind him.
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Both sides quickly started to arm themselves and prepare for war. Liu Siyuan, unwilling to lose and initiative and allow his enemies to gain the advantage, quickly ordered a vanguard army to be assembled. While he would assemble the majority of his troops in the center of the province (with himself at its head), a smaller army in Xincai would march against the enemy as soon as readied, only to be later reinforced by the rest of the troops. That way, it would be able to both protect the provincial capital and attack the enemy. Wei Yan, Liu Siyuan’s protégé who had risen to the rank of Commandant, volunteered to go lead this vanguard expedition. It would be a good way to make a good impression, which also had the benefit of depriving anyone else of that chance. However, he was not the only candidate, as many volunteered for this important position. Liu Siyuan actually would have wanted to appoint Bu Baoxun, the administrator of Changsha Commandery. However, news arrived that he had died a few months back at the age of 38. Even so, Wei Yan was ordered to stay by his liege side to assist him in raising the troops. Instead, the honor of leading the vanguard went to the former Commandant Qu Duyi.
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Meanwhile, Feng Zian had to assemble his officer corps. With Tan Zilong and many of the most loyal generals staying in Luoyang to protect the Chancellor (upon Yuan Shu’s orders), Feng Zian was forced to scrape the barrel for low level officers, sometime even garrison commanders. While these were rarely the kind of heroes that Liu Siyuan had at his service, it also meant that the Grand Commandant of the Imperial Army would not face any challenge to his leadership. The army would be of one voice: his. And his voice said a pretty clear no to his son Feng Yong when the young man volunteered to go serve on his father’s staff. He was an experienced officer, especially when it came to the logistics. And he really wanted to help protect the people from the tyrant Liu Siyuan. But Feng Zian refused, unwilling to see his son take command of soldiers. Even if Feng Yong was denied command (for now), he was able to argue that he should be allowed to lead a garrison back in their home county of Fuyang. “I must do what must be done to protect our family.” he argued. Feng Zian agreed, although he was quite angry when he realized that this basically placed his son on the frontline, meaning that he would indeed assist the imperial army on this campaign.
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Talking of family, 206 also marked the union of the Tan and Feng Clans through marriage. The marriage of the Chancellor’s second-in-command’s son and the Grand Commandant’s daughter was a big event, big enough that Feng Zian had to leave his war preparations to attend the ceremony. This was the first marriage of such importance since Emperor Mu’s marriage two years before, and back then the mood was spoiled with the outbreak of disease that soon followed. This time, the celebration seemed to have a reconciliatory effect on the populace, allowing them to put the previous siege of the city in the past and accept the new regime. The Chancellor, who continued to isolate himself, did not attend the ceremony out of envy toward the cheers his subordinates were receiving. And besides, why bless what was clearly a power play against his own authority? However, he knew that he couldn’t slight his two more powerful followers in such a critical situation. In an attempt to show his support of the union, he had both his son Yuan Yao and his puppet Emperor Qianfei attend the ceremony. This was good enough, with Feng Zian actually convinced that his liege had finally changed his ways and seen how amazing his best general truly was.
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While Qu Duyi was put in charge of the vanguard army, he was not the only one left to lead the troops. By his side was none other than the strategist Yang Weili. Considering his proximity with Xincai and his knowledge of warfare, he was deemed a good pick by Liu Siyuan to make sure that the vanguard was successful (although not trusted enough to be allowed to command the vanguard). This choice would prove extremely problematic for multiple reasons. First and foremost, Qu Duyi had been among the firsts to rush to Xincai to welcome Liu Siyuan’s takeover. While he did not join any of the revolts against Yang Weili, the general had never been one of his biggest fans, and even advised Liu Siyuan to punish the strategist for his failure to keep peace in the south. Qu Duyi was also mentally worn down by his failure to live up to his liege’s expectations and his desire to return in his good graces. This made him irritable and potentially dangerous. Yang Weili would have to work hard to thread this difficult commander, something he would prove to lazy to do, resulting in Qu Duyi lashing at any of his advices.
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Qu Duyi eventually moved in the Yuan Shu controlled territories in early July 207. Feng Zian had positioned his troops to ready himself against the vanguard, which he had expected to come once scouts told him of the smaller army. All he needed to do was cripple the first attack and then prepare for the main army. Yang Weili also saw the problem of the offensive, especially as they had to cross a river to attack the enemy. Once again, Qu Duyi angrily rebutted him, telling him to shut up, that he was no longer in charge and couldn’t order him around. Yet, once the army did cross, Qu Duyi had something of a nervous breakdown in anticipation of the battle, forcing the troops to encamp for the day instead of using the advantage of surprise. Now made aware of the army’s crossing, Feng Zian did not waste time and ordered a brutal attack on his enemies. Yang Weili tried to take command of the defense and salvage the situation. But once Qu Duyi was made aware of this, he chastised the strategist and forcefully took back command. This dispute over who was in charge doomed the vanguard army. They even received reinforcements, only to still be unable to defeat Feng Zian. The Battle of Yujou was a disaster for the Jing forces, with a third of their men either killed or captured.
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When he heard of this, Liu Siyuan was furious. What had Qu Duyi been thinking charging like that? He just wasted so many soldiers, so many troops that could have been used to take down Yuan Shu. Clearly, the general was not the right person to leave in charge of this smaller force. So instead, he turned to Wei Yan, who had previously expressed a desire to lead the vanguard. He was a lot more reticent now that the vanguard was useless, however. Within months, the main army would be ready to march north and destroy the Yuan army. Considering Liu Siyuan’s current temper, he still obeyed. Yao Shuren was also ordered to come join the main army, although this was only done after the arrival of Wei Yan. There was no way Liu Siyuan would leave the strategist alone in charge of the vanguard. Who knows what he might try to pull off?

It was only in June that the main army met with Feng Zian. This time it was the Yuan troops that went on the offensive. The Grand Commandant decided that he shouldn’t allow the main Jing army to gain the upper hand. Better to force a battle where he wanted, which he did, to Liu Siyuan’s annoyance. Once again, the Jing army found itself stuck between the enemy force and water. However, the presence of their leader motivated them enough that after two days the fighting remained inconclusive. While Feng Zian had the strategic advantage, the Jing army had far more men. But this wasn’t satisfying for Liu Siyuan, who wanted them crushed completely. So on the third day, he rode in the field between the two camps, challenging the enemy generals to a duel. “Is Yuan Shu only served by cowards and weaklings?” he boasted. These insults were too much for Feng Zian, who ordered a horse ready so he could kill this insulting bastard once and for all.
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He saw that idiot ride on his horse as his men cheered, the Yuan soldiers somehow convinced that their champion would triumph. What insanity. He was Liu Siyuan, the greatest warrior that ever lived. Lü Bu, Dian Wei and all those great combatants had nothing on him. They had nothing on him because their greatness stopped at their own selfishness. But he was motivated by a greater purpose. He was fulfilling his destiny of restoring the Han. Compared to this? Whoever they sent had no chance.

His opponent approached on his horse, a dark steed, riding to the middle of the field where Liu Siyuan waited. Behind them were their respective armies, watching what would happen. The idiot had a spear and a sword tied behind his back. As if he expected to live long enough to use it.

“Liu Siyuan!” the man screamed. “I will make you eat your words with my weapon!”

“Speak your name before I kill you.”
Liu Siyuan gloated.

“I am Feng Zian, Grand Commandant of the Imperial Army!”

Feng Zian. So this was what this man looked like. The general scholar, a master of military warfare who had taught many others strategy within his army. A famous man in the north of Jing Province, by all account, and well loved by his men. Too bad that they were going to watch him die today.
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“Time to meet your end, Liu Siyuan!” Feng Zian screamed.

Liu Siyuan had a smirk on his face as he grabbed the reins and pushed his mount forward. This. This was what he truly lived for. Fighting one on one against warriors and generals, and coming out on top. In these intimate moments, he could truly unleash his passion, his rage his desire to win.

As both men approached one another at high speed, they used their spears to trade blows. Feng Zian was clearly attempting to hit him and hit him hard, but his attacks were predictable. All Liu Siyuan needed was to block these hits and let him wear out. Even when the tip of the spear almost hit his face, the scion of the Han still took it in strides. He was going to win this. Easily, even. As he saw another blow approach, he finally decided to do something else than just defend. This wasn’t his style anyway. He had always been a more attack first person. As Feng Zian lunged forward to pierce him, Liu Siyuan took his own weapon and struck down, putting all his force into the blow and breaking the staff of the enemy spear, the weapon breaking in splinters and broken pieces of wood.

He felt a lot of satisfaction seeing Feng Zian’s expression twist, first with shock, then with anger and frustration as he threw the useless weapon away. The scholar then raced his horse right at him, sword in hand. Clearly that idiot wanted to finish this. Fine then. Liu Siyuan prepared his spear, readying for the deadly blow to come. He prepared his hit, lining the weapon at Feng Zian’s approaching head. But then the scholar leaped from his horse. His eyes wide with surprise, the scion of the Han could do little as he was tackled off his mount, landing in the muddy grass under them. Their bodies hit the floor in a clunky sound. Liu Siyuan was on his back, still trying to understand how this had just happened. This bastard had dared to jump him like that? He had to recover from his shock fast, as Feng Zian was raising his sword to strike at his opponent’s body. In a moment of quick thinking, Liu Siyuan kicked the enemy general in the chest, pushing him away before he could strike his blow. This left him enough time to stand up.

“Well.” Feng Zian said with a smirk of his own, panting. “Did the lord finally came down from his mighty throne to play in the mud with the rest of us? How kind.”

Liu Siyuan crisped his teeth, growling in rage and frustration. This taunt would not be left unpunished. He still held the spear in his right hand, more tightly than before, ready to strike. He saw his enemy lunge forward again, this time sword in hand. All he needed was to take a step back and strike his hand at the right time. And that’s what he did. In one swoop, he managed to disarm the bastard and send his sword flying away. He had also hoped to send Feng Zian to the ground, but the scholar had the wisdom to jump back before he could be struck again.

“Just accept your fate.” Liu Siyuan declared triumphant. “You no longer have a weapon. What else can you d”

His voice stopped as the hand chop hit his throat. He felt silent, gasping for hair, barely standing up as he tried to take his bearings. He was shocked and panicked. What was happening? His hand went to his neck, dropping his weapon in the process. Next thing he knew, a foot hit his temple. He was barely standing up with this one. The scenery was moving around him, and the sounds resonated like tenfold. He could barely situate Feng Zian, who was in a strange posture as he approached. He had even removed some of his armor to move more easily. As he thought he saw what was probably another jab arrive his way, Liu Siyuan plunged forward. He couldn’t fight regularly, but he could overcome him. Using his mass and his strength, he forced his opponent down. The hit was hard enough that it gave him the time to return to his senses. Which was just good enough to find Feng Zian’s neck, putt his ands around it and start choking the scholar to death.

“YOU WILL DIE!” Liu SIyuan screamed. “I will fulfil my destiny! I will be the savior of the Han! And you will die!

He could feel Feng Zian’s throat suffering under his tightening grip. He could feel the air starting to miss. But he could also see the man’s finger trying to reach for his sword.

After a minute, the two men fell to the ground, silent. Neither was moving, as if time had stopped for them. The two armies held their breath, unsure what was happening. Two men on the ground, with only one of them getting up. And when he raised his fist to the sky in victory, his men cheered their conquering champion.




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PS: So that’s it for Liu Siyuan (163-207), the scion of the Han who tried all his life to save his Dynasty. I’d like to thank @EtzelHoveri for providing the character. His story was an interesting one, in part because of his fulgurant rise to control Jing Province and his downfall into becoming a cruel man. While he had flaws before, his period of inactivity clearly brought the worse out of him, to the point that he was a changed man when he took over Jing Province. Still, for all his flaws, he was the only warlord still fully committed to saving the Han Dynasty. Considering how his death has a big impact on the war and the fate of Jing Province, I won’t talk about what happens to his family. Still, here is the family tree at the time of his death (I’ve kept it to Liu Siyuan and his dad, so not to show the whole Liu Clan):
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Oh wow. When I saw you were setting up a big duel. I definitely suspected one of these two would not make it out alive. I actually thought it would be Liu Siyuan who won on account of his much higher personal combat score, but clearly that didn’t mean as much as I thought it did.

I am sad for the loss of Liu Siyuan, even if he was definitely going to become a very bloody tyrant if he won. As you said, for all his flaws he was one of the only remaining warlords who cared about restoring the Han. I worry what will happen to Jing province without him.

Yuan Shu is probably gripped by conflicted feelings by this news. On the one hand: yeah! He might just win this war (definitely all him, surely no one else to thank for that ;) ). On the other hand: he probably would have been relieved if Feng Zian died in the fight. There is no way he will be able to justify any future attempts to punish Feng Zian, now that he has (unintentionally) set himself up as the savior of the Han dynasty. If Yuan Shu wants to get rid of Feng Zian, he might just have to try more underhanded methods.
 
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Oh wow. When I saw you were setting up a big duel. I definitely suspected one of these two would not make it out alive. I actually thought it would be Liu Siyuan on account of his much higher personal combat score, but clearly that didn’t mean as much as I thought it did.

I am sad for the loss of Liu Siyuan, even if he was definitely going to become a very bloody tyrant if he won. As you said, for all his flaws he was one of the only remaining warlords who cared about restoring the Han. I worry what will happen to Jing province without him.
Yeahm the death of Liu Siyuan in a duel of all things was quite the shock. There really is an RNG factor for duels in CK2 that I wouldn't have considered. I doubt anybody expected him to be the second character to die. As for the future of Jing Province, it's now in the hands of Liu Tao, or more likely his mother or whoever ends up regent. It is to be seen if Liu Siyuan's cause died with him or not.
 
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Yuan Shu wanted dual deaths to remove two threats. Thank you for updating
Having the two die in the duel would probably have been the best news for him indeed. Thankfully, this bastard didn't get it.
 
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206-207: A War Yet Won
206-207: A WAR YET WON
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In Hu Zan’s absence, the former peasant leader Ze Gongqi had been left in charge of the newly reconquered provincial capital of Yang Province. With Lu Xun supposedly defeated and hiding in the south, things seemed to be calming down in the north of the province. However, things were far from finished. Lu Xun was using Hu Zan’s old strategy to rebuild his army in the south, a fact unknown by most. Even when Ze Gongqi sent some troops south to flush him out in a brave effort to be proactive, nothing could be found about his operations. This was in part due to the fact that Ze Gongqi found himself blind passed a certain point south. The north paid lip service to their “new Governor”, with token shows of respect to his representative. While someone more apt for the job might have been able to notice that he was being played, Ze Gongqi was ill prepared for high politics due to his peasant background, having only risen to prominence because he was a decent officer. This would come to bite him back, hard.
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But still, news he received seemed to indicate that the war north was going well, and that soon enough Gongsun Zan would be defeated. Feeling that things were getting better, Ze Gongqi sent news to Jiujiang Commandery that things were safe in the provincial capital. In his letter, he suggested to Chen Jiner that she and Hu Zan’s family move in as the war was supposed to be over. The teenage lady, a bit sharper than Ze Gongqi, realized that there would be little to enjoy of a cultured court life in a city that could be put under siege at any point. Not that she didn’t miss her home, having lived there with her father Chen Wen until his death in 197. But she believed that life would be better in the commandery’s capital. And besides, Chen Jiner had little respect for that upstart peasant. Ze Gongqi was highly suspicious of her refusal, to the point that he had his family join him out of fear for their safety. Who knew what this girl was capable to do to them?
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But by the end of January 206, Lu Xun made his move and advanced on the provincial capital. With an army of a thousand men, he made his way north at lightning speed. Many officials who had expressed their submission and loyalty to Hu Zan quickly reverted to their rightful liege once he went on the offensive. Ze Gongqi called them lying snakes and tried to send envoys to remind them of their loyalty to the true governor, yet it was to no avail. But if Lu Xun expected an easy conquest, then he was in for a ride. Ze Gongqi’s garrison managed to block any attempt at assaulting the walls, and the peasant even managed a night raid on their camp once. Yet these successes did not hide the fact that the situation in the city was distressful. Supply was low, as the taking of the city had cost most of its granaries, with many of what should have gone to the garrison going instead to Hu Zan’s northern expedition. Fearful that the general might do something drastic like cannibalize the citizens for food or burn down the provincial capital, Lu Xun opened channels of negotiation. He would allow everyone to walk back home to Jiujiang Commandery, including Ze Gongqi. Taking the deal to save his men, the general and his men departed in the middle of the night, with Lu Xun walking in the city the following day to the cheers of his people.
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And this was the situation as described in the letter Ze Gongqi sent to Hu Zan. Lu Xun was back, the provincial capital had been lost and the enemy had the advantage. There was no time to waste with banquets and celebrations over the fall of Gongsun Zan, clearly never to return. This was too bad, as Hu Zan had hoped to use this opportunity to build new alliances. Yuan Tan especially would have been perfectly situated for a two-front assault. With an alliance between the two, they might have been able to invade Qing and Xu Provinces, which would have allowed them to establish themselves as powerful warlord on the coast. Sadly, there was no time to even suggest the idea. While celebrations would continue for at least a week among members of the coalition, Hu Zan left as soon as he could, bringing his army back home at a hastened pace.
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On their way south, the army had a need to buy some weapons, food and other supplies for the war that was now clearly unfinished. Considering that he made a straight line for his home, Hu Zan had little alternative but to buy it from Chen Province. Xiao Ru, who was still fighting a war with Xu Province, first sent envoys to make sure that Hu Zan was not siding with his enemy. The warlord simply told the envoys that “My path leads me home, and only home.” Satisfied with this answer, Xiao Ru offered to simply give him some of the supply out of friendship, although he did need the influx of gold for his campaign. Hu Zan was smart enough to refuse, as he didn’t want to waste his favor owed when he could instead pay for the supply. He simply bought what he needed and continued to make his way home, politely refusing an invitation from Xiao Ru to come to a banquet and discuss future cooperation.
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When he finally arrived in his commandery, Hu Zan was made aware of the shocking news coming from the capital. Emperor Mu was dead, Chancellor Jiang Xian was dead, Yuan Shu was in control of the Imperial Capital and had put a new emperor on the throne. And now Liu Siyuan was invading to take control of the new emperor from the new chancellor. What a mess the dynasty was in, truly. Considering his current situation, Hu Zan decided to remain neutral. If things went in Yuan Shu’s favor, he could align himself with the Chancellor and plan to divide Jing Province once he had won in Yang. And if Liu Siyuan seemed to be winning, then maybe he could send some support to ensure a peaceful border between the scion of the Han and his province. Of course, all those plans implied that he would win the war with Lu Xun, something Hu Zan was convinced of.
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Ze Gongqi was quick to give his liege a summary of the situation. The returning troops gave them the numerical advantage, even if the army had diminished in size since it left to join the anti-Gongsun Zan Coalition. While they worked on a plan on how to defeat Lu Xun, Hu Zan also spent time with his family to ensure that they were alright. He actually praised Chen Jiner for not going to the provincial capital, which might have ended quite badly if they did. However, he also thanked Ze Gongqi not only for his excellent defense of the city, but for saving his army instead of wasting it in a useless battle to the death. Now they could continue the fight, a fight that Hu Zan had all intentions to win.
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Hu Zan remained fixated on taking the provincial capital, even with Lu Xun now roaming around. He prepared his troops, gathered his officers, said goodbye to his family again and led his troops into Yang Province. He wasted no time to go on the offensive to retake the advantage. After all, all Lu Xun had managed to accomplish was pull back the clock on the war. He had not made any gains, only reverted what Hu Zan had achieved since the conflict started the previous year. When he approached the provincial capital with his army, he was convinced that they would throw their doors open and welcome him as a returning hero, their rightful governor. Surely, they had just defected because of his momentary absence. Which is why he was surprised when the city refused to surrender, instead hosing to stay loyal to Lu Xun. This forced a siege that Hu Zan had hoped to avoid.

Meanwhile, this siege proved the perfect distraction of the Governor of Yang Province. While he knew that fighting Hu Zan head on would surely result in a defeat, he was also aware that he had far more resources than his enemy. The loss of his capital had been a setback, but one he recovered from. But taking Hu Zan’s seat of power would probably be a debilitating blow to his campaign. And so the family of Hu Zan found itself awaken one morning with news that the Yang army was approaching their city. This time, Chen Jiner decided to stay instead of avoiding the war. After all, where would she go? In the army camps of her husband? This was no place for a lady! Better hope for the best and stay put. By the start of 207, both sides had the other’s capital under siege, making everyone nervous about the future of this war.
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In the end, when faced with the possibility of losing his rear base, Hu Zan was the one to flinch. In February 207, he broke his siege of the Yang provincial capital to go back home and rescue his family. There was no way he could take the humiliation of losing his commandery to Lu Xun of all people. This would be a strategic mistake he would not be able to come back from. So he left and went home. While Lu Xun wanted to fight Hu Zan when he returned, his officers told him that this was a bad idea. Hu Zan had the numerical advantage and knew the area well. He would probably launch a devastating offensive that would ruin any chance of victory. Understanding that his province’s future was at stakes, Lu Xun submitted to the will of his advisors and fled, leaving Hu Zan frustrated as he found his home deserted by his enemies.

Unwilling to let Lu Xun get away like this, Hu Zan ordered an immediate pursuit of the enemy army as soon as he realized that they had left. He had a good memory of the Yan terrain from his time fighting for the province, allowing him to take shortcuts and use the terrain in ways that the younger Lu Xun would not expect. This forced the governor to abandon some of his troops behind as bait for Hu Zan and his men, to slow them down and allow the rest of the army to escape. This was heartbreaking to the honorable governor, but he found himself with little choice in the matter. Those that remained behind were loyal volunteers willing to die for their liege. On both occasions where this tactic was used, Hu Zan found those small forces (barely one or two dozen men) in defensive positions. They held as long as possible, but always ended up killed to the last man in battle.
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By June, Hu Zan was still pursuing the enemy army, which was going through the coastline at a rapid pace. Their flight south actually made him pause and reconsider the situation. His supply was getting strained, a problem that would only get worse as he ventured in the southern jungles. Yes, he might annihilate the enemy force, but at what cost? Lu Xun would have an easier time recruiting new troops, while Hu Zan could only count on his small commandery. But by returning north, he might instead retake the provincial capital and actually make progresses in the north. All strategic factors to consider.

Considerations rendered moot by news from home, warning him that a general from Xu Province was using his absence to invade.
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Hu Zan is just having a horrible time. I suppose the only consolation for him is that it could always be worse (which losing that war with that Xu general will be, so he better deal with that). I’m not sure he will be able to seize Yang province, but maybe he will be able to at least survive these conflicts.
 
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206-207: The Warlord Xuan Su
206-207: THE WARLORD XUAN SU
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To say that Xuan Su did his fair share of betrayals would be an understatement. He first served Administrator Ji Fu before assassinating him having nothing to do with his death in a hunting accident and then taking over his commandery. Then he abandoned the Han government in Luoyang when Lü Bu took over Bing Province after Dong Zhuo’s death (although in his defense, he couldn’t have done much here). After using the absence of his liege to backstab his fellow officials and take their commanderies, he was the most powerful player in Bing Province. When the war with Gongsun Zan turned south, he not only betrayed Lü Bu but tried to have him captured and killed to get on the good side of his new master. Somehow, this worked, as he became an important player in Gongsun Zan’s domain until his eventual fall in 206. Xuan Su, not trying to save off that fall, instead hastened it by ensuring that no reinforcement from Bing Province would come to Gongsun Zan.

All those years of accumulating power and territories, working his way to the top of the council and removing rivals that stood in his way. All of this finally paid off, as he now stood as an independent warlord of his own. The collapse of Gongsun Zan’s territories had led to his former subordinates gaining their freedom, and no one beneficiated of this new opportunity more than Xuan Su. The commanderies he controlled made him the most powerful warlord on the northern border, probably the only one who might be able to stave off barbarian raids. In fact, he managed to keep a hold of the Xiongnu lands he had conquered a few years back, which had given him a fame worthy of heroes. Even better yet, all those reinforcements that should have gone to help Gongsun Zan were instead transferred to his own domain, which meant that his army was far bigger than anything his rivals could ever muster. Xuan Su now considered himself Governor of Bing Province in all but names, and was in fact infuriated that he was yet unable to assert his claim to the office.
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While he wanted to expand as soon as possible, his advisors told him to first take stock of the situation, which he did. Gongsun Zan was weakened beyond repair, with his former followers now competing warlords. However, the shadow of Yao Shuren still weighted strongly on the north, with his campaign in the south being the only thing making Xuan Su confident that his ambitions would be unchallenged. And then there was the war for the Imperial Capital. Chancellor Jiang Xian's regime was clearly on the verge of collapse, with Yuan Shu soon to replace him as chancellor (although Xuan Su could guess that this was not the end of Yuan Shu’s ambitions). Realizing that an alliance with Yuan Shu might be the best way to both legitimize his position and ward off Yao Shuren, he quickly sent envoys to the warlord expressing support for his cause. This would lead to a relationship similar to that of Jiang Xian and Xiao Ru: sympathetic, supportive at times, but distant and self-centered.
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But there was also some joy to be found within his own family. For all his evils and villainies, Xuan Su always enjoyed spending time with his children, finding it a good distraction from his stressful duties. And he had great reasons to rejoice. His son Xuan Mei, who physicians predicted would grow up hunchback (if he survived at all) was a healthy baby that showed no sign of dying anytime soon. Even if he grew up as a hunchback, Xuan Su promised to never show him anything but the love of a father. Another good news was that in late 205 one of his concubines gave birth to a second son, Xuan Lu. Unlike his half-brother, the boy was perfectly normal, with some of his advisors suggesting that he should focus on making Xuan Lu his heir. This enraged Xuan Su, who pointed out that Confucian principles favored the first born. No matter his problems, Xuan Mei was his heir, and his followers better watch their mouths when talking of his son.
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Now that he was independent, there was one business he needed to attend to. Right in the middle of his territories was Yao Xu, the Sinicized barbarian who had been installed in the region all the way back under Dong Huang. In 203, he submitted to Gongsun Zan, in exchange of which the warlord appointed him as Administrator of Dingxiang Commandery. This annoyed Xuan Su, as it meant losing some territories that had previously been under his direct control. While he could not oppose Gongsun Zan on the decision, he did promise that he would one day claim the commandery and regain what was his. The aging Yao Xu seemed like the perfect target; his territories surrounded by Xuan Su’s. Besides, a victory over him would surely be enough to enforce his claim over the province, allowing him to finally become Governor of Bing Province. Within two weeks of Gongsun Zan’s collapse, the two warlords found themselves in a war for the future of the region.
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Yao Xu had previously been Grand Commandant of the Imperial Army when Dong Huang was Chancellor, meaning that he was not some inexperienced idiot. Facing a competent commander, Xuan Su made sure to take les his army personally to make sure that there would be no unexpected surprise. Thankfully, he had the numerical advantage due to all those troops he horded during the collapse of Gongsun Zan. Unwilling to wait too long, he forced the enemy general into a battle, even if it meant fighting him in disadvantageous terrain. Yao Xu took position on a hill, which allowed him to inflict some good damages on Xuan Su’s army. While slowed and hurt, the troops of the attacker still made their way up the hill and managed to defeat Yao Xu’s soldiers. The general was still able to retreat with an important chunk of his army intact, allowing him to garrison thew cities and force Xuan Su to long sieges.
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Since Yao Xu had hunkered himself behind his walls, the war suddenly grinded to a halt as Xuan Su had to besiege everything. And after months of meager successes, the warlord started to get sick of this. He had wanted a quick war to assert his dominance over the province, not a prolonged conflict to slow his ambitions. His troops were certainly losing their previous confidence, which meant that he needed to end this as fast as possible. He entered into talks with Yao Xu in September. Yes, the war would last long, but the general had no chance of winning. Better to surrender the commandery and secure favorable terms. Xuan Su offered to allow his opponent to stay as magistrate, and even to appoint him as his military lieutenant. Grudgingly, Yao Xu accepted the deal, considering that this might be his only chance at saving his skin. After six months of war, Xuan Su finally took control of Dingxiang Commandery.
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With the submission of his rival, Xuan Su had all he needed to justify his claim to power. When he fled from the provincial capital of Bing Province, he did not just bring the army with him. He had also made sure to save as much official documents, items and bureaucrats as possible. Anything he thought he would need to justify his control over Bing Province. Just to be safe, however, Xuan Su sent a letter to Yuan Shu in Luoyang, asking the venerable Chancellor to validate his position as governor. This was accompanied by a secret letter, one not the be read in front of the court. In it, he advised Yuan Shu to appoint him because it would affirm his power in the capital. Xuan Su also promised that he would pay this favor one day. Yuan Shu, who was starting a conflict with Liu Siyuan, certainly saw the advantage of having a governor owe him a favor for a later date. Of course, Xuan Su just wanted the official recognition and had no intention to actually back up his promise unless it was advantageous for him to do so. In a repeat of Xiao Ru’s creation of Chen Province, Xuan Su got what he wanted from court without giving much in return.
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But while he could now claim to be the rightful ruler of Bing Province, the reality was that his influence did not expand beyond his northern territories. His influence up there was paramount, yes, but none of the southern administrators had recognized his rule over them. After years of seeing him manipulating his way to power, there was no way they would bend to such a snake. Even worse, Xuan Su realized that he wasn’t the only one trying to expand his influence into Bing Province. Yang Xiu, one of Yao Shuren’s subordinates in Sili Province, was clearly seeking to expand his influence north. Indeed, in early 207 the administrator managed to invade Shang Commandery, which was just south of Xuan Su’s border. It is said that the new governor was pissed of at this, complaining that Yang Xiu had no right to invade his neighbor! Who did that kind of stuff? No matter how much he complained, there was little he could do. He was not ready to get into a war with Yao Shuren, even with the warlord distracted in Yi Province.
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With Yang Xiu conquering his way in the province, expanding south would mean coming face-to-face with Yao Shuren. This was obviously not an option, which meant that the Governor of Bing Province needed to look elsewhere to expand. His eyes settled on the collapsed territories of Gongsun Zan, still a mess a year after the fall of the warlord. Those small warlords would be easy to conquer and defeat, surely. In fact, if he played his cards right, Xuan Su might find himself rebuilding Gongsun Zan’s massive domain within a few years. Or at least something big enough to make him a serious player in China.

All that was left was to select who would be the unlucky first target. Considering that there was only two commanderies bordering his eastern border, the choices were quite limited. In the end, he settled on Changshan Commandery, as it was the biggest of the two. It also had a political significance that might allow him to use his former connection to Lü Bu for good publicity. Changshan Commandery had previously been controlled by Zhang Yan’s Black Mountain Bandits before Lü Bu kicked them out. Doing that same campaign might help associate himself with his former liege, something a bit arrogant on his part considering how their relationship ended. The current administrator was a man named Shao Wengjie, an officer just as ambitious as Xuan Su. Shao Wengjie had been a subordinate of the previous administrator, Gongsun Zan’s beloved cousin Gongsun Yue. When he died, the warlord was quick to appoint his cousin’s associate to the position. In other word, not someone that would represent a serious problem.
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In March 207, one year after the collapse of Gongsun Zan, Xuan Su invaded Changshan Commandery, with the express goal of conquering it. He didn’t even hide that fact, although he justified it by a need for order in the region. While Yao Xu, now promoted to Commandant of Bing Province, offered his services, his liege refused, believing that it would look better if he was the one leading this campaign. A success would confirm his authority over Bing Province and prove to everyone that he should be taken seriously. If he stayed behind, this glory would go to Yao Xu instead. And to be honest, giving command of his army to the man he had just defeated the year prior would be stupid on his part. Safer to command the troops and leave him in charge of the garrison.

Upon arrival, he was quickly faced by the same problem Lü Bu struggled with when he invaded the Black Mountain Bandits. The region was hard to navigate, making it hard for the invaders to progress and easy for the defenders to use the terrain to their advantage. For months sieges attempts were ruined by the bad northern weather in the north, sometimes even destroying siege equipment in a particularly bad storm. Most of the summer turned into a failed campaign, which was only made worse by Xuan Su’s explosive temper at their repeated failures. He had particular problems with his Xiongnu mercenaries. He started to believe that they took his payments for granted, which pushed him in July to withhold their pay.

Things were escalating, and the mercenaries might have walked out on him right then and there had news of the enemy not brought Xuan Su to his senses. Shao Wengjie was invading Bing Province from the south. Realizing that he needed all his troops, he agreed to give them half their pay, convincing the Xiongnus that they would get the rest after the battle. This somehow worked, and by late August the two armies were fighting on the field. Shao Wengjie had brought his best commanders for this, with an army surprisingly large enough to challenge Xuan Su. The Governor of Bing Province, for his part, made sure to avoid giving command to any Xiongnu, who he now saw as unreliable. In the end, the clash ended up without a winner, both sides retreating to reorganize and recuperate.
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Eventually, a second opportunity to fight took place a few days later, as Xuan Su challenged his opponent to a duel. Shao Wengjie, taken aback by this, was forced by circumstances to accept the duel, as he did not want to look like a coward. This was a big mistake on his part. The duel took place under the heavy rain, which had the effect of making the troops unable to see it, meaning that it would have zero impact on morale. It was a good thing for Shao Wengjie, as the whole affair was a complete embarrassment for him. He managed to stab himself in the hand, fall from his horse, get trampled by his horse and just be severely injured by the time Xuan Su had even approached him. This was actually problematic for Xuan Su, as winning in such an underhanded manner would not reflect well on his reputation (even if he had no moral issue with such an unfair victory). Feeling bad for the man, he actually helped him opponent get back on his horse and sent him back to his camp.
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But Xuan Su had made one gigantic mistake since taking over Bing Province, one that now came back to bite him in the ass. For years, he went around stealing the commanderies of his neighbors, manipulating his lieges to get what he wanted and using his powers to embezzle money from the other provincial officials. All this time, he had been able to get away with it due to his innate ability to manipulate whoever was in charge, using his master as a shield against his critics. Many of those he had taken advantage of were still alive and in charge of counties or cities in northern Bing, and they were not happy to serve under Xuan Su. The leader of this movement was the still alive and still very much pissed off Guo Wen, who had lost his Yanmen Commandery to Xuan Su a decade ago. Deciding that it was high time to get rid of Xuan Su, they sent him an ultimatum. Surrender the province of face a revolt. And just to make sure that their liege was pushed in a corner they picked the worse candidate possible for his replacement, one that he couldn’t dream to fight.
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When Xuan Su received the ultimatum, he quickly made peace with Shao Wengjie, who agreed to a white peace out of thanks for the help Xuan Su had given him during their “duel”. The Governor of Bing Province then isolated himself to find a solution. There had to be a way to get out of this! If he faced Yao Shuren, he was certain to die. While the Governor of Liang had at times turned his enemies into subordinate, he doubted that he would be one of his picks for such conversion. And that’s when it came to him, the solution to save himself and his family. The rebels had made the mistake of sending him an ultimatum instead of outright rebelling. Staling for time with the rebel envoys, Xuan Su gave a letter to the fastest horseman of his troops and ordered him to go south at full speed. The rider quickly made his way to Sili Province, where he met Xu Shu, who was still ruling Yao Shuren’s northern territories in his lord’s absence.
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The messenger gave Xu Shu all the documents he carried, accompanied by a seal and the letter. In it, Xuan Su explained that he chose to side with Yao Shuren to bring unity to China and hoped to give him control of Bing Province now that he had stabilized it. Sadly, scheming officials were planning a revolt to make sure that Yao Shuren did not take control of the province and hurt their selfish interests. Xuan Su was doing his best to push them off, but there was only so much he could do! The seal of the governor (a fake, made by Xuan Su to legitimize his rule) was presented as a proof of Xuan Su’s devotion. Xu Shu, realizing what an unexpected boon this was, quickly had Yang Xiu lead troops to Bing Province to ensure that Xuan Su’s enemies could not stop this peaceful transfer of power. The rebels were all too happy to see the Liang troops until they started to praise Xuan Su for his actions and confirmed him at the head of all his commanderies for the moment. While this marked the end of his short tenure as an independent warlord, he had managed to come out of it without losing a single county.
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Of course, Yao Shuren was notified of all this as soon as possible. He was just a bewildered by this turn of events as Xu Shu had been. He quickly confirmed Xu Shu’s decisions, trusting that he made the right choice by annexing the province and confirming the strong player in the region instead of challenging him. Better keep Bing Province stable as long as they were campaigning south. But if Xuan Su thought that he could now weasel his way into the council, he would soon have a big surprise. Yao Shuren knew who Xuan Su was, and unlike Lü Bu and Gongsun Zan, he could see and ambitious snake from a mile away. Xuan Su was not to be trusted with power, or at least not yet. This time, he would have to earn it. Instead of being summoned to the Liang provincial capital, the northern administrator was given a military command, with orders to watch the northern border. And nothing more. This order to stay home would be obeyed, as Xuan Su didn’t want to get on Yao Shuren’s bad side so soon after his surrender. But he would not stay restless for long, no. Ambition had a way to do that.
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PS: With Xuan Su now joining Yao Shuren, we have four characters on the same side, beating the previous record of three held by Hu Zan, Liu Siyuan and Yang Weili during the war of independence against Xu Province.
Chapters for 208:

  • Jing Province after the death of Liu Siyuan (207-208)
  • Xiao Ru’s post-war peace (207-208)
  • Yao Shuren tries to finish his war in Yi province + Xuan Su in the north(207-208)
 
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A snake now lurks within Yao Shuren’s domain. It is a good thing he is seemingly more prepared for that than previous lieges. I now wait to see how the inevitable war of intrigue for control of Liang plays out.

I have to say Xuan Su has a talent for making even his failures into victories:
Xuan Su: Rebel forces are threatening to replace me with the one guy I know I can’t beat? Not if I submit to him first suckers!
 
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A snake now lurks within Yao Shuren’s domain. It is a good thing he is seemingly more prepared for that than previous lieges. I now wait to see how the inevitable war of intrigue for control of Liang plays out.

I have to say Xuan Su has a talent for making even his failures into victories:
Xuan Su: Rebel forces are threatening to replace me with the one guy I know I can’t beat? Not if I submit to him first suckers!
Someone had to realize at some point that Xuan Su was not the most trustworthy guy around eventually, that sneaky fox.