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Emperor Anwu always manages to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Why does he not realize what a honor it would be for his daughter to be allowed to marry the son of Mo Jie? The Cao dynasty is walking the path of the mammoths and mastodons (extinction). Thank you for the update.
 
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Mo Jie doing typical Mo Jie things....gotta love it. A surprise defeat for the emperor, the Cao enemy may be weakened but that peasant revolt should also be taken care of before it can spread.
 
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222-223: Uncompromising Pride
222-223: UNCOMPROMISING PRIDE
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Tan Shenquan, along with two of the Chen Dynasty’s greatest generals, had now rebelled with an intent to break away and reform an independent Qing Province. News of this revolt only made Emperor Cheng curse his previous willingness to settle the issue diplomatically. He should have crushed that brat and have his whole family executed. Same with that no good former rebel Ma Chao! But what shocked him the most was the betrayal of Dian Wei. He had showed nothing but respect to Dian Wei, always giving him key commands and important offices throughout his career. He was one of the Emperor’s most prized subordinates. Yet here he was, rebelling against his rightful master. When some officials dared suggest that the Emperor’s tendency to fire his officials for no reason might have caused Dian Wei to rebel, Emperor Cheng had the officials flogged. They died from their punishment.
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But even with a civil war on his hands, Emperor Cheng took the strange decision of ordering the campaign against Bohai to continue. If they could do damage to the rebels while there, then all the better. But the focus, at least for now, would be Bohai Commandery. This confused Chen Tiao, who argued that they should focus on the war with Tan Shenquan first, as it was a far bigger threat to the dynasty. But the Emperor was adamant. He still remembered how the wars with Xu Province had stopped him from annexing Dong Commandery all those years ago, thus allowing it to fall in Cao Cao’s grasp. Now the stakes were far greater with the Liang Dynasty on their borders. If they didn’t take advantage of Bohai’s weakness, then Emperor Anwu would. The Grand Commandant of the Imperial Army would spend the following months skillfully arguing the value of focusing on the civil war, eventually achieving his goal. But for now, he could only relay the orders of the Emperor, as a loyal subject would.
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Still, some fighting between the Chen troops and the rebels took place, though this was mostly due to the loyalists crossing path with their enemies as they moved north toward Bohai. The first took place as Hu Zan was ordered to go lead five thousand troops toward Bohai to help accelerate the conquest of the commandery. Hu Zan was just as baffled as Chen Tiao that the troops were not focused against Tan Shenquan and the rebels. What was the Emperor thinking? Knowing that he was on the out with Emperor Cheng, he instead tried to influence things by writing a letter to Crown Prince Tung where he detailed his complains about the current strategy. In the meantime, Hu Zan decided that his army had to “take a shortcut” while going to Bohai. This just happened to led them right into a rebel army. Poor Hu Zan thus had no choice but to fight the rebels. This proved a light engagement, with the rebels fleeing as soon as they started to amass losses.
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A similar scenario happened with Ding Zhiguo, though in this case the number of troops were reversed. Ding Zhiguo found himself at the mercy of the main rebel army, led by his nephew himself. Ding Zhiguo, once he realized that enemy scouts had noticed his army, tried to open dialogues with his nephew, hoping that he would be willing to let him pass. But Tan Shenquan offered his uncle an ultimatum: switch side of be defeated. Having recently gone through the effort of cementing his loyalty to the new dynasty by securing himself a marriage to Emperor Cheng’s daughter, Ding Zhiguo could not switch side in good conscience.

In the end, only one of the Chen officers managed to escape: Chen Gongwei. The promising young man had been promoted to Administrator of Xiapi Commandery and general to fill the vacancies left by the rebels. His was able to escape with a small part of the troops. As for Ding Zhiguo, he was captured by his nephew. Tan Shenquan once again offered his uncle to switch side, and once again he declined. While Tan Shenquan was furious, he still insisted that his uncle be handled with the upmost respect. Some soldiers wanted him executed, but their leader refused to harm his relative, even if he was not of the Tan Clan. A commendable act that would ensure that Ding Zhiguo survived this conflict.
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News of this reached the various armies thanks to the escape of Chen Gongwei. This made things especially awkward for Ba Daiping, as he was currently leading the campaign against Bohai Commandery. Having previously been a follower of Tan Shenquan, his status as one of the great generals of Chen was now put into question, especially his insistence on obeying the Emperor’s war plans. Was he trying to help his former liege by keeping the Chen army occupied? Was he secretly a traitor? But in truth, he was just too stubborn to abandon a winnable campaign, being convinced that they could easily take Bohai Commandery and then turn around in time to stop Tan Shenquan.
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With Ma Chao and Dian Wei having fled to join the revolt, new officers had to be appointed to serve with Ba Daiping in Bohai. He found himself with an older man and a far younger subordinate. The first was the former Administrator of Dong Commandery, Ban Qiao, who had temporarily seized it from 210 and 211. He had since grudgingly joined Emperor Cheng and now served as an experienced general, if not an amazing one. The second officer was the competent Liu Derun, formally the Prince of Rencheng. He had been the first member of the Liu Clan to surrender his titles out of loyalty for the soon to be Emperor Cheng and was now rewarded for this by being given a small command to make his proofs. He would impress Ba Daiping with his versatility, proving to be the start of a long and successful career.
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Ba Daiping proved quite successful in Bohai. He was able to handle the army of both sides with ease. At first, he challenged the forces loyal to the regency of Yuan Rei, but they were reticent to engage the Chen army. Undeterred, Ba Daiping simply forced them to battle, which they easily lost. He was then reinforced by 300 new troops to ensure that victory would be theirs. Ban Qiao then suggested that they move against the commandery’s headquarters, which was just fine with Ba Daiping. The regents were able to muster a small force to try and stop them and block their path. But if they had failed to stop the Chen Imperial Army before it received reinforcements, then their hoped of victories were close to none. Ba Daiping had fun crushing this pathetic attempt at an army, with the entire Bohai force being killed on the field of battle (including the commander). By July, they were making their way toward Yuan Rei at a rapid pace, with Hu Zan soon to arrive to reinforce them.
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But while they were in their camps, the forces of Ba Daiping were attacked by rebels in the middle of the night. Not even the rebels of Yuan Shang, no. Tan Shenquan’s rebels. The attack was led by Ma Chao and a small force of volunteers, with the goal of killing the Chen generals in the middle of the night. No one saw this attack coming or was able to prepare for it. Ban Qiao was the first victim of this assault, the rebels quickly finding his tent and killing him as he was waking up. They failed to find Liu Derun, but they did identify the tent of Ba Daiping. They would have attempted to kill him too had Hu Zan not made a timely arrival that convinced the rebels to flee. When corpse of Ban Qiao was found, Ba Daiping was furious. Hu Zan used this opportunity to make a suggestion. Damn the orders from Chenguo, and damn Bohai Commandery. They needed to defeat Tan Shenquan, or at least bring an end to this civil war. HBa Daiping, after a few days of convincing, agreed. By early July, they assembled their troops and prepared to march south.
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Of course, news of this blatant disobedience did not sit well with Emperor Cheng. At the time, the Grand Commandant had, after numerous painful attempts to change the Emperor’s mind, succeeded in convincing him of that the civil war needed to be their priority. Chen Tiao’s task had been made even more difficult by the efforts of the new Excellency of the Masses, Ren Duo. Among its duties, the Excellency of the masses was supposed the handle court when the Emperor was absent or unavailable (though the important affairs of the state were still handled by the Chancellor in that situation). With Emperor Cheng often struck by his gout problem, this left Ren Duo to organize the daily court while ensuring that direct access to the Emperor be restrained. Emperor Cheng actually enjoyed this, making him feel more important and exclusive due to the difficulties to talk with him. Thankfully, the Chancellor Ding Gongsi handled written reports from the officials and the provinces. And unlike Ren Duo, he did not distrust the generals and made sure that their complains and advices reached the Emperor. Thanks to this, Chen Tiao was eventually able to convince his liege that the revolt had to be crushed.
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But the fact that the generals disobeyed orders just as the Emperor was agreeing with them only made the Emperor convinced of his own ways. He especially became convinced that his generals didn’t know what they were doing, and that only HE could save his dynasty from Tan Shenquan. So he started meddling with military affairs once again. This was shown in the appointment of a new Imperial Councilor to replace the captured general Ding Zhiguo. After months of refusing to pick a replacement, Emperor Cheng eventually settled on an old Liu Clansman named Liu Xi, who served as Administrator of Langye Commandery. Liu Xi didn’t like the Emperor, but he saw this as the best way to rise in the bureaucracy. And once he was close to Emperor Cheng, he started warning him against giving too much power to the generals. After all, wasn’t this what killed the Han?
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But complains kept mounting. The generals were sending requests to be allowed to do their job and end the civil war. Hu Zan also kept a correspondence with Crown Prince Tung, in which he told the prince “If his Imperial Majesty refuses to let us wage a war the right way, then it would be wise for him to pursue the wisdom of peace and conciliation.” But the generals weren’t the only one complaining about the Chen Emperor and his court. Many officials within the Imperial Capital found themselves denied access to the Emperor, with Ren Duo seeing the advantages of limiting access to the Son of Heaven as much as possible. This made the Excellency of the Masses a hated figure among the courtiers, who saw him as a no-good snake with little political tact. Meanwhile, the Chancellor found himself submerged with reports demanding more funds or complaining about the new harsher laws of the Chen Dynasty.

In this chaos, news arrived that the Imperial army of Ba Daiping and Hu Zan had finally engaged the rebel forces of Tan Shenquan in January 223. The rebels had already conquered a few cities by the time the Chen army arrived. Tan Shenquan wanted to avoid such battle, as the Chen army was twice as large as his own rebel force. However, Hu Zan sent letters to the rebel camps and ordered his troops to shout insults at them. Dian Wei and Ma Chao were quick to insist that these insults be answered with swords, and Tan Shenquan eventually agreed. Ba Daiping and Hu Zan then led a skillful attack against the rebels, ensuring a great victory. At the request of Ba Daiping, a demand of surrender was then delivered to the rebels. Surprisingly, Tan Shenquan responded that he was willing to reach a compromise, though it is unclear how honest he really was. This offer of negotiation was sent to Chenguo with news of the victory. But instead of praises, Emperor Cheng criticized his generals for failing to capture Tan Shenquan and winning the civil war.
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And this is when Yi Shing entered the picture, a young man with great ambitions. He had been appointed administrator of Donglai Commandery a year after the founding of the dynasty at the age of 17. His talent and ambitions had been noticed by the Emperor, who after multiple recommendations promoted him to his current post. Yi Shing was also delusional about his own self-importance, to the point of lunacy. And now he went to the Imperial Capital in order to singlehandedly bring an end to this conflict. He believed that a compromise should and could be reached with Tan Shenquan, one that would satisfy both side while ending the bloodshed. Emperor Cheng should simply appoint Tan Shenquan Governor of Qing Prince. The general stayed loyal while getting back the province he sought. Problem solved!
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But the issue was the Yi Shing was unable to present this idea to the Emperor. When he wrote to the Chancellor from his commandery in late 222, Ding Gongsi dismissed the idea out of hand, never allowing it to reach the Emperor. He knew full well that Emperor Cheng would never agree, so why hurt his career by suggesting it? When Yi Shing showed up to court to meet the Emperor (convinced that he would be allowed to meet him), Ren Duo ensured that this young nutjob never got anywhere close to the Emperor’s palace. But Yi Shing wasn’t going to surrender like that. If he couldn’t gain access to the Emperor, he knew that the princes could.

He first tried to approach Prince Hanhe, who served as an advisor to his father and thus was probably the one with the most influence on the government (at least that’s how it looked from the outside). But Xiao Hanhe, as scared of his father as always, refused to even consider the idea, though he did direct Yi Shing toward the Crown Prince. Xiao Hanhe knew that Xiao Tung might have the guts to oppose their father, a foolish move that he did not understand. Access to the Crown Prince’s palace proved a lot easier, as Xiao Tung was always happy to receive others and hear news about the war. Yi Shing was quick to present him with foolproof plan to end the civil war. While Xiao Tung humbly admitted that he didn’t understand all the details, he did agree that the war needed to end. He had also been receiving reports from his friends and allies, all telling him that something had to be done. Not only did Xiao Tung agree to bring this up to the Emperor, but he wanted Yi Shing to accompany him.
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Xiao Bin was waiting as the guards opened him access to the Emperor’s palace. He took this moment to sigh at the reason of his presence. Grand Commandant Chen Tiao had asked him to come to the Imperial Capital to try and alleviate the Emperor’s fears about the generals. His younger brother Xiao Cang had first been asked, but the relationship between Cang and their father had turned for the worst recently. Rumors had it that Xiao Cang was starting to lose it, or maybe he was just getting too bold for his own good. He started criticizing his father’s policies openly, even though he refused to leave to go fight on the frontline. In the end, Xiao Cang refused to leave for Chenguo, and their father would probably not have seen him anyway. So Xiao Bin was the one who had to go.
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While he knew that he could easily achieve this goal, Xiao Bin still felt that he was no the right man for the job. After all, he somewhat agreed with his father. The generals needed to be subordinated to the court and restrained in their actions. His personal experience with the general Hu Zan had only convinced him that these men of strong personalities needed to be kept on a tight leash. If anything, his esteemed father’s main fault had been his unwillingness to allow a stable government. If he had kept his advisors on for a longer period of times, then discontent could have surely been avoided.

Finally, the guards allowed him in. He knew the way toward the Imperial bedchamber, where his father now received most of his guests. Getting out of bed was becoming difficult for the monarch due to his gout, so most of his private audiences took place with the Emperor in bed. As he approached the waiting room, two servants bared the path forward. Protocol, as always. You couldn’t barge into the Emperor’s bedroom without authorization, even if you were a prince.

“Tell his Imperial Majesty that I have arrived.” Xiao Bin told one of the servants with a bored voice.

“Right away, your Highness.”

The servant quickly moved out as he performed a bow to the prince, who simply paced around the room in wait. After twenty minutes, Xiao Bin came to the conclusion that his esteemed father must be in the middle of another important meeting. While his father liked to make others wait, he did not delay any important business if he could. Whatever criticism you could lay at his father’s feet, being lazy wasn’t one of them.

“Bin?” said a voice behind him.

He turned around to notice his half-brother Xiao Hanhe, who had just entered the room. Hanhe was slightly taller than him, though just as badly dressed (according to others, as Xiao Bin didn’t see the problem). His clothes were badly prepared, with some falling to his shoulder. He seemed a bit surprised to see his brother, though it wasn’t clear if he was happy or not. Their relationship wasn’t exactly great. Not only did Hanhe not share the same mother as the other Xiao brothers, but he was something of a bore. For someone who valued himself so much, Xiao Bin always found his older brother dull at best.
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“Hanhe.” he responded, staying as neutral as always.

“I see that you are here to see father too…”

The way Xiao Hanhe avoided his gaze made Xiao Bin nervous. Was he uncomfortable in his presence? If that was the case, then this was a new development. More likely, he didn’t like being close to their father’s room. He had been like this since… well, since mother was strangled in front of them ten years ago. Which is strange, considering that she wasn’t Hanhe’s mother. Of all of them, he would have expected the second son to be the least affected. Yet it seemed that it was instead Bin and Dang that came out of this with a shrug, and only Bin seemed to have understood the lesson.

“Too? Are you supposed to have an audience with the Emperor?” Xiao Bin asked.

“M-me? No, no! I am just going to drop… hum… this report for him! No need to meet.”
he said, as if trying to excuse his behaviour.

Sure enough, Xiao Hanhe produced a scroll and handed it to one of the servants, who humbly brought it in the Imperial Chamber. The two brothers then waited in awkward silence. Xiao Bin had questions, but he was not really interested in making conversation with Hanhe, a sentiment that seemed shared by his older brother. In this complete silence, Xiao Bin noticed that faint voices could be heard from the Imperial bedchamber.

“His Imperial Majesty is in the middle of an audience, I see.” Xiao Bin commented.

“Our esteemed Crown Prince is debating the war with him, as he is well versed in these affairs.” Xiao Hanhe answered.

While most would have missed it, it was clearly a jab at Xiao Tung. It wasn’t hard to guess that Hanhe was jealous of their older brother’s status as the heir. Xiao Bin couldn’t really blame him, as he understood the feeling far too well. He personally felt that he would probably be the more apt for the role of Crown Prince. But unlike Hanhe, he also supported Xiao Tung. The two had always been close since their young age, with Tung trying to act as a protective older brother even though he proved Bin’s inferior in most affairs. Xiao Tung was the Crown Prince, a place he had earned by being born first. And if Bin couldn’t be Emperor, then he would ensure that Tung was a great one.

But shouting started to come from the imperial bedchamber, distracting the prince from his thoughts.

“Such compromise could end the war!”

“T-T-TRAITORS! ALL O-OF THEM!”

“But father!”

“G-GET OUT!”


Moments later, two men emerged into the waiting room. The first he didn’t know, a young man who darted out of the room as soon as he appeared. But the other he easily recognized. His clothes alone made it clear that he was the Crown Prince. For all his humility, Xiao Tung always dressed appropriately to his station. As he entered the room, he was grasping his beard, a look of frustration on his face. He clearly lightened up once he saw his younger brother, though, and quickly darted to Xiao Bin.
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“Bin! It has been a while!” he shouted as he grabbed his brother by the shoulders. This always took Bin by surprise.

“I salute the Crown Prince.” Xiao Bin said once he had regained his composure.

“None of that between us Bin.” the Crown Prince said with a wide smile on his face. “How was your trip? I hope the rebels didn’t cause you problem.”

“There was no incident. In any case, the Grand Commandant provided me with an escort.”

“Good, good. Chen Tiao proved competent as always.” Xiao Tung added. “Oh, is your family present? Changle would be happy to host them in our palace.”

Xiao Bin smiled, but didn’t answer. His wife and children were present, but he knew that his wife Gongsun Shengqiong didn’t like the barbarian Crown Princess. He was doing his best to avoid the subject as to not offend his brother.

Thankfully, Xiao Tung’s attention shifted to their brother, who was still in the room. Xiao Tung immediately felt embarrassed at this mishap. Unlike Hanhe or Bin, the Crown Prince made no efforts to hide his embarrassment or his lowering excitement.

“Hanhe… I see you are here too.” Xiao Tung said awkwardly.

“Brother.” Hanhe said, trying to avoid being too formal while not being too familiar.

“I see you too want to speak with our imperial father.” Xiao Tung said.

“No, actually I just came to…”

“His Imperial Majesty will now see the two princes.” said a servant, cutting off Xiao Hanhe.

“No, as I was saying…”

“The Emperor said both princes.”
the servant repeated in an apologetic manner.

Xiao Hanhe’s face did not change much, but the weakening of his posture made it clear that he was abandoning any hope of protesting. Xiao Bin simply hoped that he could get on with his own affairs without being hindered by his brother’s presence.

“Bin,” Xiao Tung started, “please try to convince father to negotiate. I am told that this war needs to end, but he is being too proud to admit it.”

Xiao Bin didn’t want to, but if his brother was asking then he would at least try. After offering a nod of confirmation, Xiao Bin and Xiao Tung were led into the imperial bedchamber. The room was a lot less impressive that one might expect, especially the lack of jade, gold or jewels. When asked about this, Emperor Cheng had explained that while he wanted to project his imperial authority, the coffers of the state needed to be used on useful projects instead of frivolous decorations. The only thing that was clearly of the highest calibers was his bed, which had been handcrafted and fitted with the most comfortable mattress. And of course, the color yellow was present on the walls and the bed, as it was the color associated with imperial power.

While he was still in bed, the Emperor of the Cheng Dynasty was in a seated position, his back relaxing on various cushions. He was a in his full imperial costume, which strangely didn’t look out of place in this high-class bed. Even in this situation, their fathers. He waved his sons to approach, trying as always to get through life with as few words as possible to hide his stutter. The two sons advanced and fell to their knees, saluting the Son of Heaven as he was owed.
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“We thank his Imperial Majesty for according us this audience.” They both said in unison.

“Respect.” Emperor Cheng nodded approvingly. “T-Tung should learn f-f-from you t-two.”

The brothers looked at each other with worries. If he was stuttering that much, then he was probably in a foul mood.

“If the Crown Prince offended his Imperial Majesty,” Xiao Bin started to explain, “then it must have been a misunderstanding, after all…”

Xiao Bin had more to say in his older brother’s defense, but Xiao Hanhe stopped him with his hand before shacking his head. Clearly the second son didn’t want them to antagonize their father.

“Tung, that b-brat!” the Emperor fumed. “Wants to g-g-give t-those traitors w-what they w-want! HE D-DOESN’T UND-DERS-S-S-… He misses the p-point!”

Neither brother was certain how to react, so they wisely allowed their father to continue his rant.

“T-Tung is n-naïve! He doesn’t g-get the b-basis of rulershe-ship! How d-dare he speak to me li-like this? I have c-clearly m-made a mis-st-stake when making him C-Crown Prince!”

This caught Xiao Bin’s attention.

“What?”

“Bin. You are far b-better than Tung, or any of your b-brot-thers.” Emperor Cheng told him.

Xiao Bin couldn’t see his brother’s face, but he could guess that this must have hurt to just kneel there and take this in silence.

“Come closer.”
their father ordered him.

Once he did, his father seemed to calm down, weighting his words and repeating them in his head to make sure that he got them right.

“You are smart. You are like me. You should be C-Crown Prince, not Tung.”

“But…”

“Don’t you want it?” asked the Emperor.

Xiao Bin was shocked at this proposal. The position of Crown Prince, the succession to the empire. He was offered his secret dream, just like that. The possibility to become Emperor, to continue the dynasty. And now his father was offering him to position? He really wanted to say yes… but he was also smart enough to see the problems it would cause. Xiao Tung was popular. Having him deposed as Crown Prince would certainly bring divisions that were unnecessary at this critical juncture. It would leave the Chen divided, and worst-case scenario might lead to a civil war for the throne. And more importantly, how could he ever face Xiao Tung against after seizing what was his? While he knew that he would make a great emperor, his older brother had to be the heir in order to preserve the unity of the Chen Dynasty.

His decision made, he bowed all the way to the ground and said: “I beg his Imperial Majesty to reconsider! Please give Crown Prince Tung another chance!”

Clearly, this was not the answer his father had been hoping for. His expression grew darker and more severe.

“Out.” he simply whispered.

The two princes didn’t wait for him to repeat. They quickly exited the bedchamber. And Xiao Bin could only wonder if he had done the right thing.
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While Xiao Tung would remain the Crown Prince, this did nothing to solve the problem of the revolt. Emperor Cheng had refused any deal with the rebels, instead wishing to crush Tan Shenquan and see him dead. But Yi Shing didn’t feel deterred! Because now that the Emperor wouldn’t help, then he just had to turn to his backup plan. A genius backup plan! He left Chenguo as soon as his audience was over and reached the army camp of the Chen army to propose his crazy idea. It was simple, really. All they needed to do was to raise their own banner and destroy both the Imperial Army and the rebel, thus forcing them to accept the compromise and bringing peace, unity and friendship to the Chen Dynasty. This was a dubious plan that barely made any sense.

Except that people listened. Most officials and generals agreed that this war could be ended easily, including the officers who had just crushed Tan Shenquan seven weeks ago. Hu Zan, Ba Daiping and Liu Derun all agreed to join Yi Shing, with half of their troops also defecting to this new revolt (if it could be called that). But they weren’t alone. Ban Xuanling, the son of Ban Qiao, felt that his father died for a war that could have been avoided. Ying Hansheng, who had been unceremoniously removed because of his brother Ying Mo’s invasion, hoped to use this to get some influence back. And Sima Fu, Administrator of Taishan Commandery, simply wanted this war done before the Liang Dynasty tried to take advantage of the situation. Through his intransigeance and his prideful nature, Emperor Cheng now found himself with a far greater revolt on his hand, one that left him vulnerable and without his best generals.
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What is this? Considering the realm over personal position in CK?

Emperor Cheng's nickname is starting to appear a tad ironic. "The Good", indeed - good at denial.
 
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Yi Shing is certainly an….interesting character.

Once again, Xiao Ru’s incompetence in certain aspects of politics comes to the forefront and threatens everything he’s worked for. Compromise may be an unpleasant aspect of politics, but it is an unavoidable reality. I’d laugh at Xiao Ru if I didn’t like his family and fear for their safety. Here’s hoping Yi Shing doesn’t kill them as part of another ‘brilliant’ plan that makes sense only to him.
 
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222-223: On Their Way Out
222-223: ON THEIR WAY OUT
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The campaign against Cao Cao had not resulted in the crushing victory that Emperor Anwu had expected. If anything, he was lucky that the old general died when he did, as the Cao army might have taken advantage of their victory at Jingxing. But Heaven had clearly favored the Emperor once again, saving him from a disastrous fate and providing him with an opportunity to correct his previous failure. Cao Cao’s succession had turned into a dispute, with his generals on their way back home to support Cao Mang’s right to succeed while Cao Xi seized two commanderies for himself. Just like that, the Emperor could redirect the campaign to ensure a victory, with the weaker yet larger territories of Cao Xi proving the perfect target.
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But while some moves were made toward Cao Xi and his territories, the following months were mostly spent rebuilding his army after his recent defeat. This needed organisation and preparation, with new recruits fetched in haste throughout the Empire. In this, the Emperor was assisted by his Grand Commandant of the Imperial Army, Yang Xiu. Due to being better with the administrative side of his office than the military one, Yang Xiu spent the recent wars closer to the Imperial Capital than the battlefield. It also allowed Yang Xiu to continue being a pain for Xuan Su, which was always a plus in the Emperor’s book. The Grand Commandant, who was worried about the rewards given to Xuan Su for his defense, used this opportunity to openly criticize the Governor, though it had little effect on the Emperor.
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One man who dearly wanted to go take the fight to the enemy was the Chancellor Hu Zhen. The old man wasn’t adapting to his new office as the Emperor might have hoped. While he was humble and trying, he was also quite the passive Chancellor, content to simply let things go and be handled by the Excellency of the Masses (Xu Shu) or the Grand Tutor (Duan Zuo). And then there were his bouts of insanity, which made it difficult for him to be an active member of the imperial court. He knew that his place was on the battlefield, not surrounded by whispering courtiers and conniving officials. He sent a request to Emperor Anwu, pleading that he be granted a place in this campaign. But the Son of Heaven refused, insisting that he needed him in Chang’an. Emperor Anwu would later regret not granting Hu Zhen’s wish.
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This decision was in part motivated by reports of the new Excellency of Works. While removing Mo Jie from office had been a quick affair, it turned out that the potential replacements were less skilled than he was in his duties. In the end, the appointment fell on Huo Du, who served as Administrator of Yingchuan Commandery. The issue was that many questioned his loyalty. After all, Huo Du had first been promoted by Yuan Shu, only to refuse to help his liege when he needed it. Again, there was an attempt to make him an integral part of Emperor Qianfei’s regime, but he never trusted the Han restorationists and proved unwilling to help the Emperor when the Han was “liberated” in 210. So many wondered if the man could be trusted to be loyal to the Liang Dynasty (he wasn’t). Huo Du was a scheming, self-serving and arrogant man. But Emperor Anwu had at least half a dozen of these at his service, so by now he knew how to use them while keeping them in check.
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With Guan Tie dead and Guan Ping too hurt to continue leading troops in the foreseeable future, Emperor Anwu had to pick new commanders to serve by his side on this campaign. The first pick was an obvious one: Xu Chu, the Marquis of Lingxi. He was truly the most aggressive and ferocious commander in the Liang Dynasty, if not in the whole of China. And because of this, he had proven quite useful to Emperor Anwu over the years, especially since he usurped the throne of the Han. No one had risen as fast as Xu Chu in the Liang Dynasty, and now he would once again prove his usefulness by ensuring a complete victory of the Liang against its enemies.
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But by his side was also a new general, one promoted from within the ranks of the Imperial Army. A survivor of the recent defeat, Zhang Dezong had long served in the Liang army, having first joined when the Emperor seized control of Yi Province in 207. He had been rising slowly, but steadily. And the recent deaths among the officer corps allowed him to be finally noticed. It helped that he personally sent nine requests for promotion to the Emperor, who was impressed by the man’s resilience and determination. He was made Administrator of Cangwu Commandery and a general in the Imperial Army to assist on this campaign, though he would not be given the same autonomy granted to Xu Chu.
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But what happened with that peasant revolt supported by Cao Cao? Well, it turned out that the problem solved itself before Emperor Anwu could send his troops to deal with it. As the Cao generals made their way back home, they were confronted by the peasant leaders, demanding to know why they were leaving. Once the generals had explained their situation, the peasants became enraged. They had been promised support from Cao Cao and now they were going to be abandoned like it was nothing? They blocked the path of the Cao Army, demanding that they stay to assist them in their revolt. Sick of this and hasty to get back and secure control of Cao Mang, the Cao army simply crushed the peasants, ending the whole affair in August 222.
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All fine, except for the fact that another revolt appeared only a month later. This one was on the northern border and led by some Xiongnu barbarians. They were the result of Xiongnus forced into the Liang Dynasty by the Xianbei Confederacy, which was pushing them out of their home. The Liang officials were unable or unwilling to handle such a migration, which led the barbarians to turn violent and attack the border posts. The Northern Xiongnu horde, still led by Qubei Khagan, was quick to send weapons and supply to the rebels, hoping that this might prove their way back to relevance.
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Most of the Imperial Army was in no position to go handle this revolt, as they were in the middle of crushing what Cao Xi dared to call an army. But Xuan Su was still in his province, right where he needed to be to handle the problem. He first tried a more diplomatic option, always willing to use someone before disposing of them. He offered the Xiongnus an opportunity to work for him as mercenaries, promising them great campaigns. But they didn’t want a campaign, they wanted a home. After they refused, Xuan Su decided to boost the morale of the provincial garrisons by bringing them together on a little trip on the border. There, they happily slaughtered the barbarians, who only wished for a place in the empire. Of course, Xuan Su was quick to exaggerate the numbers, turning this small affair into a heroic fight to push back an invading horde.
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223 started with Cao Xi’s army destroyed, but his cities ready to hold for months against the sieges of the Liang invaders. But while the campaign was going well, this would prove a year of losses for Emperor Anwu. The first of these losses came in February, when news that the general Yin Rong had died at the age of 55. Yin Rong had been the last warlord to willingly submit to Emperor Anwu before he took the throne and succeeded the Han Dynasty. Because of this, he had been given the opportunity to serve the new dynasty by commanding troops against various rebellions, although he never served in the main campaigns of the Emperor. At the time of his death, Yin Rong had been given the important task of guarding the Liang-Chen border, which he had been doing admirably. One competent subordinate gone, and a lot more to go.
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The next departure came two months later in April. The Grand Commandant Yang Xiu fell ill, and after a few weeks of declining health, he finally died at the age of 48. He was the son of Yang Biao, one of the architects of Dong Zhuo’s assassination, and the grandson of Chancellor Yang Ci of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He had risen to be a powerful official in the Liang, serving as the Grand Commandant of the Imperial Armies, and was also Xuan Su’s prime rival within the dynasty. His death, alongside that of Pan Zheng, greatly reduced the pool of talents of the next generation, the one that would replace Emperor Anwu and the older officers once they were gone. As for the many commanderies he held, they were divided among new officials, as per the order of the Emperor.
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Of course, the choice of a replacement was not difficult, although Xuan Su hoped to make a case for his promotion to the office. But by the time he heard of Yang Xiu’s death and sent a messenger to the Emperor’s army camp, a new man had already been picked as Grand Commandant. The choice of Xu Chu made perfect sense in the situation. He was a great military commander, probably the best of the dynasty. And he was ready to command troops. Emperor Anwu thus gave the general the last missing piece of his resume: a promotion to the highest military function in the Liang Dynasty.
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The third death was a lot less surprising, yet a lot more impactful for Emperor Anwu. Messengers from Chang’an came to tell him that the Chancellor Hu Zhen passed away in his sleep on the 4th of June 223 at the age of 77. The man was truly ancient, and it was already surprising that he survived long enough to see the birth of the Liang Dynasty. Yet all Emperor Anwu could think of when he heard the news was how he refused this last chance to fight alongside his old friend. Hu Zhen had been supporting him since Dong Zhuo sent them to deal with the White Wave Bandits in 190, and they had known each other for most of his life. Without Hu Zhen, he would have never been able to succeed Guo Si and form the Liang Dynasty. And now he was gone. After hearing about the death of his old friend, Emperor Anwu shut himself for a full day, and even refusing his meal on two occasions. This obviously left his followers worried, though he thankfully regained his usual composure the following day.
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Even with the shock of the news, Emperor Anwu still appointed a replacement within days of Hu Zhen’s death. The choice fell on another old man, who just like Hu Zhen might not have been a perfect fit for the office. Zhou Pu was 67 with a bigger interest in military affairs than bureaucratic ones. But he was more interested in talking strategy than seeing it on the battlefield. In fact, he liked talking and was actually quite sympathetic, if a bit too trusting. For now, he would be a good placeholder until the Emperor could return from campaign and appoint someone over a longer and more detailed selection process.
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It was around that time that the regents of Administrator Ding Hou started weighting their options. Ding Hou was the teenage son of Ding Zhichao, a post-Gongsun Zan warlord who managed to seize three commanderies before his untimely death in 208, and the grandson of Ding Kai, who was known as Lü Bu’s Commandant and main ally in You Province (Ding Hou was also the first cousin once removed of the Chen general Ding Zhiguo). The regents administrated a decent number of lands for their charge, but they also realized that their territories were surrounded by threats. On their western border was the expanding Liang Dynasty, a constant danger for any warlord in this day and age. On their eastern border was High Chief Jiang Qinming, a Chinese man who adopted barbarian religion and customs, and who now served as Budugen’s tributary.
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With Ding Hou soon old enough to take control of his government, they decided to safeguard the future of their territories before handing him power. They sent letters to the Liang Dynasty in May, asking to know if Emperor Anwu might be willing to annex their territories, even going as far as to invite him to come himself. However, this was nothing but a wicked ruse. They hoped to assassinate the Emperor while he was in their home and then send his head to Budugen the Great, thus securing themselves more autonomy as a tributary of the Xianbei Confederacy than as a part of the Liang Dynasty. The scheming regents quickly prepared for the arrival of the Emperor.

What they didn’t expect was for Xuan Su to arrive in early June at the head of a small army. He was welcomed as the Emperor’s envoy and allowed to parade in the city. But to the regents’ shock, the Governor of Bing Province had them arrested for their attempted betrayal of the Son of Heaven. The regents were then tortured and executed. He then forced the young Ding Hou to submit to the Liang Dynasty, after which Xuan Su had the news announced throughout the city. So how did Xuan Su become aware of their plot? The answer is that he didn’t. He simply came to annex more lands “in the name of the Emperor” while the Liang army was occupied (old habits die hard). Xuan Su simply arrested them and accused them of a totally made-up conspiracy against Emperor Anwu, and it was only days after their execution that he became aware that there had actually been a real plot in preparation.

When he informed Emperor Anwu of all this, Xuan Su made sure to mention in his letters that thanks to his army he had the situation well under control. However, he also advised that the Emperor restore You Province and appoint him as its new governor, just to ensure that the situation was truly stabilized. And it was subtly hinted that Xuan Su would simply return to Bing Province if his suggestion was ignored. With his troops. That were keeping the peace. In the end, Emperor Anwu once again had to accept that Xuan Su had masterfully played his cards. But the Emperor also took in consideration the governor’s declining health. Soon enough he would be able to appoint his own governor. But for the moment, Xuan Su would be allowed to revel in his control of the northern frontier. It didn’t really matter, as the Emperor was convinced that he would outlive Xuan Su.
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It would prove to be a safe bet. The trip east had been taxing on Xuan Su’s body. By the time he returned to Bing Province, he needed to be kept in a litter, always lying in a bed. Even then, he remained stressed, notably about the future of his children. While resting, he kept asking for news from Xuan Lu, wanting to make sure that is son was alright in the south. Finally, he died from consumption on the 13th of November, 223. In 33 years, he went from a small officer serving a border administrator to the governor of two provinces, the master of northern China and a key player of the Liang Dynasty. And he achieved this through his sheer ambition (and a lot of betrayals, of course). He would not be missed by anyone outside of his immediate family. It is said that upon hearing of his death, the Emperor sighed in relief and exclaimed: “At last, we can sleep in the dark again.”
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But Xuan Su had one more trick to play on the Emperor from beyond the grave, one that had been years in the making. He wanted to ensure that everything he built wouldn’t be lost upon his death. While he did not have the time to secure his new hold on You Province, Bing Province was a completely other story. He used the imperial bureaucracy to ensure that his son Xuan Mei would be chosen as the new governor. This was due to the structure of government inherited by the Han Dynasty. While the Chancellor was the most senior official and the one handling the affairs of the state, he was not the only man of importance. The Excellency of the Masses kept tabs of the officials, both in Chang’an and in the provinces, and evaluated them frequently. And finally, there was the Grand Tutor. While the position was first established as a moral guide to the Emperor, it eventually gained political power by the second century A.C., notably gaining influence over a series of important secretariats.

And it just happened that the Grand Tutor was none other than the famously greedy Duan Zuo, Mo Jie’s sworn enemy. And Duan Zuo represented a perfect example of one of Emperor Anwu’s greatness weaknesses, one that Xuan Su noticed early in the founding of the dynasty. The Emperor was willing to ignore his subordinates’ flaws and moral failings if they were both competent and useful. This blindness was especially noticeable for long-time followers. After all, how could the mad Hu Zhen have ever become Chancellor without his long relationship to the Son of Heaven? And while Duan Zuo was corrupt to his core, he was also an excellent scholar. During the last years of the Han, he served as Director of the Imperial Academy and proved excellent at it, even if he allowed students that shouldn’t be permitted when the families offered a good enough bribe. No matter Emperor Anwu’s desire to clean the corruption, it would always survive as long as he tolerated Duan Zuo.
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With the Chancellors succeeding Pan Zheng proving to be little more than figureheads for an absent Emperor and the Excellency of the Masses Xu Shu far too busy with his work, Duan Zuo’s influence grew rapidly. It helped that he gained a lot of prestige after Mo Jie’s disgracing exit from government. All Xuan Su had to do was get him on board. Duan Zuo was not only given bribes, but presented with a clearly frightening scenario. Really, Xuan Su was the only one holding out against the other officials of the province, who were all supporters of Mo Jie. If anyone else than his son was appointed, then it would mean the return of Mo Jie. In reality, the officials were only sympathetic toward barbarians as long as they proved useful, a policy shared by Xuan Su himself. But it was enough to spook Duan Zuo in working hard for the candidacy of Xuan Mei.

Emperor Anwu was furious when he learned that his court was mostly in agreement with the choice of Xuan Mei. Couldn’t they see that they were being played? But petitions after petitions were sent from Chang’an to try to convince the Emperor. Some officials had indeed been bribed, but this was far from the majority. Some believed the lies of Xuan Su about pro-barbarian officials in the province only being kept at bay by his family. Others argued that appointing a weak Xuan Mei might be the best way to regain control over the region and avoid the rise of another Xuan Su. And some simply asked the Emperor a question: did they have a better option? Xuan Su had clearly prepared the succession of his son for a while. For better or worse, Xuan Mei represented a smooth transition and ensured that the borders did not see any agitation. The only man who could have come in and brush aside Xuan Su’s influence in one swoop was Yang Xiu, and he had died earlier in the year. Faced with all these considerations, Emperor Anwu grudgingly agreed to the petitions. Xuan Mei was confirmed as governor. But this would not be enough for the young man, who dreamed of reuniting the territories controlled by his father. From that point on, his eyes would be fixated on the east, toward You Province.
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By that point, the campaign against Cao Xi had been a complete success. The grandson of Cao Cao fled his territories in early December, allowing the Liang Dynasty to annex them. Emperor Anwu then used this occasion to appoint three new governors. The first was Xuan Mei as governor of Bing Province. The other was for a new governor of You Province, an office left vacant by Xuan Su after his death. The position felt on an old local official named Pan Yi who seemed experienced and trustworthy enough. At the very least, he would be able to re-establish some level of imperial control in the region. But Emperor Anwu also announced that he was bringing back Ji Province, this great province that had collapsed into chaos after the fall of Gongsun Zan. As its first governor in almost two decades, the Emperor tapped in Guan Ping. The man had proven loyal as a general, and clearly the right man to guard the now massive border with the Chen Dynasty. With these appointments made, Emperor Anwu finally took the road back to Chang’an, ready to settle things in his court.
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PS: I want to thank @HistoryDude for the character of Xuan Su (167-223). Arguably the most evil of the ten characters, with his love for his kids his main redeeming quality. He was surprisingly adaptable, with his multiple betrayals and plot almost always working out for him. I think he is the character who served the most people in his career (either him or Pan Zheng), and in many case his played a key role in the downfall of his previous master. I will not lie though. When I started this AAR, he was the one I expected to become Emperor at the end. But instead, he built a regional powerbase for himself, one commandery at a time, which allowed him to survive so many events. And he now he died, with his son Xuan Mei posed to remain an important character now that he controls Bing Province.
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Xuan Su has departed from the living world. Who will make people nervously look over their shoulders now?
How many of the main characters are left?
 
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How many of the main characters are left?
Jiang Xian, Liu Siyuan, Feng Zian, Yang Weili, Pan Zheng and now Xuan Su have died.

This leaves on four characters. In the Liang you have Emperor Anwu (Yao Shuren) and Mo Jie, and in the Chen you have Emperor Cheng (Xiao Ru) and Hu Zan. And considering that they are 54, 63, 60 and 51, they are also getting closer to their eventual deaths.
 
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Chen Gongwei must have had a good horse because I dont think he is built for escaping on foot.

Yi Sheng seems to be an agent of chaos, though he has a large amount of suppourt, it is probably for the best Xiao Bing turned down the role of crown prince, Chengs health seems to be failing and it seems possible these revolts may outlive him, whoever takes over the Chen must have no hesitation or uncertanty if they are to survive internal problems and their neighbors.

Looking at the ages of Anwus trusted advisors I expected his suppourt base to slowly dwindle, but three in such a short span is a tough loss, though I dont think he will complain about Xuan Su.
 
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Fare Well Xuan Su, may you exit hell's back door before the devil receives notification of your arrival. I am always amazed that so many have top-heavy holdings. Xuan Su had two kingdoms but only one duchy and county. Thank you for the update.
 
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I am always amazed that so many have top-heavy holdings. Xuan Su had two kingdoms but only one duchy and county. Thank you for the update.
Well that's because the AI of CK2 destroys or distribute lesser titles once it gets the big one. For example, you'll notice that a King becoming HRE emperor might destroy its kingdoms. In this case, Xuan Su stayed over the limit of two duchies for long because his best title was a duchy and it would divide his lands to lose them. But once he had a kingdom, he simply distributed these titles around, since they gave him an opinion malus. Same for counties, as the mod only allows 1 county (maybe 2 if you have good stewardship).
 
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The Liang Dynasty appears dangerously unstable.

Xuan Su did well - it was interesting to follow his devious exploits. RIP (or maybe not peace, exactly...)
 
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I'm certain you don't have the time for it, but I really hope you end up doing either another one of these or a different game but where we can make characters again. Dying off young and then not really having an heir to follow kind of stunk to be honest. Very different from the AGOT campaign where my guy made it to the very end.
 
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I'm certain you don't have the time for it, but I really hope you end up doing either another one of these or a different game but where we can make characters again. Dying off young and then not really having an heir to follow kind of stunk to be honest. Very different from the AGOT campaign where my guy made it to the very end.
Let me finish first at least! xD

But chances are I might just continue the story of this AAR past unification. All my ideas for new AARs either have a problem I don't like or I find them not as interesting as this one. And with the doctorate coming, I'm not sure I'll have the time to make a story about 10ish POVs.

But then again, we'll when I reach unification. Maybe I'll fall on some grand idea that really gets me motivated, or maybe I'll just decide I'm too busy to continue doing AARs.
 
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223: The Calamities of Emperor Cheng
223: THE CALAMITIES OF EMPEROR CHENG
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In February 223, Emperor Cheng went from having one revolt to dealing with two of them. Already there was the threat of Tan Shenquan, who was trying to form an independent Qing Province once more with the help of Dian Wei and Ma Chao. But a few weeks ago, the Emperor seemed on his way to gain the advantage over the rebels. Except that the generals who had just inflicted a defeat upon Tan Shenquan joined the banner of Yi Shing, a deluded young official who thought that he could force a compromise by defeating the Emperor and enforce a peace. Sick of Emperor Cheng refusal to negotiate an end to the war, the generals who had just won him a key victory defected with some of their troops. This included the likes of Hu Zan, Ba Daiping and Liu Derun, skilled commanders that were necessary to ensure a quick victory to the conflict.
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This new rebellion created quite the uproar in the Imperial Capital. Emperor Cheng was furious when he learned of this betrayal, especially as news of the recent victory had just reached Chenguo. To his credit, the Emperor realized that this whole affair was the result of a mistake that could have been easily avoided. Sadly, the Emperor was too proud to admit that he had been the one to make it. Instead, he remembered the way his Crown Prince had allowed Yi Shing to gain access to his person for an audience. He wisely presented the image of a united Imperial Clan in front of his court to show everyone that the Xiao Clan knew what it was doing. But in private he chastised Xiao Tung for fueling the hopes of Yi Shing and helping him in his quest to negotiate with the rebels. Had the Crown Prince refused Yi Shing outright or warned the Emperor of his plans, then none of this would have been possible. Xiao Tung meekly tried to suggest that negotiations might still be an option, but once again the Emperor shut down the idea.
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Instead, Emperor Cheng decided that this was a good opportunity to once again reshuffle some of his highest-ranking officials. This time, it fell on the Excellency of Works, Luo An. The man had replaced Yang Qub only 16 months ago, with many agreeing that he was doing an admirable job. He also lacked any political talent and was quite weak willed, allowing the Emperor to act his policies through the official. So why was he being removed? It was because Emperor Cheng’s view of these offices as rewards for his followers. As the number of followers grew, he came to the realization that there was only so much offices he could give. As such, he removed officials to replace them with new ones more often, thus granting more individuals a promotion in a short succession. For example, there had been five men holding the office of Minister Coachman since the founding of the Dynasty. And now there would be a third Excellency of Works. The duties of the office fell on a recently appointed official named Bei Mea, who everyone agreed was not up for the job.
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Meanwhile, the Chen army was in a dire situation. With most of the generals having abandoned their post to side with Yi Shing, only one man remained in the camps to lead them: Liu Xian. Having seen how civil war had doom his previous lieges in Xu Province, the scion of the Han had refused to even entertain the idea of helping the destabilization of the Chen Dynasty. He now found himself with the difficult task of handling the army until the Imperial Capital could send new officers, either to replace him or to assist him. Hopefully the later, as this might proved to be his shot at entering the Emperor’s inner circle.
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He immediately used his new command of the Imperial troops to order an assault on the traitors, hoping that their betrayal would have left them too disorganized to immediately enter battle. He was right in this, as Yi Shing and his followers had yet to properly prepare their military leadership, with Hu Zan already weighting in to be the overall commander of their war effort. This led to a battle close to the town of Gaoping, which saw the confused traitors be attacked by the angry Chen soldiers under Liu Xian’s command. In this mess appeared Tan Shenquan, who was extremely confused at the current situation. Deciding to try and use this opportunity to avenge his previous defeat, the rebel leader ordered his small army to jump in the fray. This led to the upmost chaos, from which the Chen Imperial Army somehow came out on top.
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Following this battle, Tan Shenquan chose to investigate why his enemies were suddenly fighting. But before he could learn what was happening a messenger arrived from Yi Shing’s camp offering to talk. With Ba Daiping serving as mediator (since he previously served under Tan Shenquan), Yi Shing and Tan Shenquan eventually met face to face. After hours of discussion, they agreed that they should cooperate against Emperor Cheng instead of fighting each other. Yi Shing walked out of the meeting convinced that the rebel leader was now under his command and that they had become one big revolt for compromise. Tan Shenquan simply wondered what kind of lunatic he just talked to.
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Liu Xian’s hopes of being appointed as the leader of the Chen troops were dashed with the arrival of Grand Commandant Chen Tiao in late March. With so many of his generals having betrayed him, Emperor Cheng decided to send his most loyal officer to command this campaign and crush the rebels once and for all. But Chen Tiao was not alone. By his side was the Crown Prince himself, in full military armor and ready to take commands. He had always wanted a military career, but he had not been allowed a command since the war against Qing Province. Emperor Cheng knew of his son’s military ambitions, so he ordered him to go make up for his mistake by helping defeat the rebellion. Also present to support the Grand Commandant was Prince Cang, even if he protested this role. He would have much preferred to stay behind and handle the supply from safety. He also wanted to spend time with his wife, who had just given birth to his son Xiao Huo four months ago. But Emperor Cheng insisted that his younger son go, much to Xiao Cang’s resentment.
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By May, both rebellions had been reinforced, although that of Yi Shing was clearly the stronger one. Chen Tiao decided that their best hope was to crush Tan Shenquan. Once he was defeated, the compromise would have no reason to be and peace could return to the Chen. This plan was supported by both Xiao Tung and Liu Xian. Only Xiao Cang laughed at this, pointing out that their father might not be willing to abandon this affair so easily. After the meeting, Xiao Cang even confessed to his older brother that the main problem was their father. While Xiao Tung agreed that their father was too arrogant to admit wrong, he didn’t see what they could do about it. After all, he was the Emperor.

Chen Tiao led an assault against Tan Shenquan’s position in late May, hoping to capture the rebel leader. However, this would prove to be nothing but a ruse, a trap laid down by Hu Zan for his former allies. While Tan Shenquan was indeed present, he was mostly here to assist the far larger traitor army of Yi Shing. The battle saw the Chen army completely outnumbered, with their enemies having almost ten thousand more soldiers at their disposal. Liu Xian and Chen Tiao led a desperate defense against their enemies. They did so in order for the Crown Prince to lead the retreat toward safety. At first, Xiao Tung protested, saying “How can I look my imperial father in the eyes after fleeing like this?”, to which Liu Xian answered “How can his Highness look the Emperor in the eyes if he is dead?” Xiao Tung finally agreed to lead the retreat. To his relief, both Liu Xian and Chen Tiao made it out alive, though half of their troops were killed in the fighting.

Tan Shenquan noticed the escape of the Crown Prince and wanted to attack him, but Hu Zan stopped him. He did not want to harm the Imperial Clan, just force the Emperor to make the right decisions. He even went as far as ordering his men to avoid arming the Crown Prince. This droved a wedge between the two rebel groups, even if they had won the day. Tan Shenquan started to realize that his goals might not be well served by people who were, at the end of the day, still loyal to the Chen Dynasty.
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Sadly, for the Chen army, some of their supply had been seized in the retreat, mostly because Xiao Cang chose to flee instead of watching over it. Because of this, it seemed that they would need to tighten their belt and limit the rations. At least that’s what was told to the demoralized soldiers. Emperor Cheng had been made aware of the problems and was in the process of buying new supply (even if this caused financial problems), but for now the food became rarer. Unwilling to let his men suffer while he ate banquets, Xiao Tung went on a diet until the new supply arrived, even going as far as eating the rations of a common soldiers. When news of this spread through the camp, it left the soldiers with a newfound devotion to the Crown Prince. Never had they felt so much respect for the Emperor or the dynasty. But Xiao Tung? He was proving to be the sort of man that they would follow off a cliff if he ordered them to.

The new supply eventually arrived, along with new recruits to reinforce the badly weakened Chen army. And this was just in time too, as Tan Shenquan had chosen to disobey Hu Zan’s orders and chase after the Imperial Army. This had proven a long chase, with the two armies only facing against each other in late September. Tan Shenquan wanted to achieve his own victory against the Chen army, one that would finally allow him to gain some advantage on Emperor Cheng and force him to recognize the independence of his Qing Province. But if this was the goal, then it failed miserably. With Dian Wei and Ma Chao by his side, he underestimated the skills of the Chen remaining generals. Liu Xian and Chen Tiao proved extremely competent in their defense against the rebels, and Crown Prince Tung certainly took many by surprise with his excellent command. The rebels were once again defeated and pushed back. While Tan Shenquan grumbled, the Chen soldiers cheered, having finally achieved a victory to boost their floundering morale.
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By now, Xiao Cang had come to two conclusions. The first was that he really wanted to be as far away from battle as possible. Considering his recent conduct on the battlefield, this was to be expected. But he also came to the conclusion that his father needed to be removed from his throne in order to solve the current crisis. No Emperor Cheng, no civil war. Or at least it would leave them with only Tan Shenquan to deal with, and a Tan Shenquan with diminished support at that. But just like Emperor Cheng, Xiao Cang was a sticker for the rules, meaning that he was never going to sponsor some sort of coup against his father. Instead, he came up with the idea of an edict of abdication, presented by the court with the general support of the ministers. Surely the Emperor would have no choice to but to accept to surrender the throne if this happened.

He started to talk about this idea with some individuals within the army. Most notably, he approached his older brother the Crown Prince, knowing that he would be essential to this plan. If Xiao Tung could support the edict, then their father would find himself in a dire situation and might take the graceful exit offered to him. Xiao Tung, trustful as always, was convinced that his brother had the future of the dynasty in mind when he suggested this. He agreed to this offer and left for his tent. But Xiao Tung lacked the political skills of his younger brothers, in part due to his kind nature. Missing the point that this had to be kept a secret until the edict was presented at court, he wrote a letter to his father to try to convince him to accept the abdication edict when it was presented. When he received this letter, Emperor Cheng’s reaction was one of confusion, with him mumbling “W-What abdication ed-edict?”

This letter game the Emperor a heads up that something was coming his way, giving him time to prepare. He immediately sent investigators to find out what this abdication edict was all about. This investigation was quite thorough, and they eventually made their way to Xiao Cang and his little plan. Spooked, the prince tried to run into the night, but was arrested by guards of the camp who though him an escaped prisoner of war. Xiao Cang was then dragged to Chenguo on imperial orders, where he was judged in front of the court in December. Because he had only prepared an edict and did not actively foment a coup or an armed revolt, the Emperor decided not to execute his son for treason. But that was the only clemency granted to Xiao Cang. The prince was demoted to a commoner, with his titles and possessions stripped from him. He was then thrown out of Chenguo. Xiao Cang would never see the Imperial Capital again, with this proving to be the last meeting between father and son. He was left penniless, with a wife and a one-year-old son to take care of.
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The first few years of his new life proved difficult for the prince, though he did his best to adapt. The family moved toward the coast, where he did some menial work here and there. At one point of their journey, Xiao Cang was force to beg for food in order to feed his family. The situation was made even worse by the fact that his wife discovered she was pregnant soon after their expulsion, giving birth to a daughter named Xiao Taisi in July 224. Thankfully for Xiao Cang, his wife was herself of commoner origins (if from wealthy ones), so she had more experience in that domain than her husband. Lady Cai was able to assist her husband in this difficult transition in their life.
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By his mid-20’s, Xiao Cang’s situation improved a lot. Lady Cai’s son from her first marriage, Lü Botong, invited his mother and her family to come live in the county he was administrating. There they were given a decent house which was secretly paid by the magistrate. During this period, Xiao Cang began to dream of returning to prominence, his personal ambitions still alive even in his current state. He decided to have a go at it by becoming a merchant. Sadly, his ventures all proved failures. Local merchants refused to make deals with the disgraced prince and local officials hindered his business as much as possible. These failures to achieve his full potential were driving him insane.
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Literally, as by his 30’s Xiao Cang was suffering from heavy mental problems that made the former prince difficult to deal with. This made his family ever more reliant on the money send by Lü Botong, which was a problem as he died unexpectedly in 236. The following two years proved once again extremely difficult for the family. Then in 238, Xiao Cang caught the flu and died from it at the age of 36. He was followed in the grave by his wife a year later, leaving his children orphans nd without an income. Xiao Huo, who was 17 at the time, was forced to give his sister as a concubine to a local official in order to secure a decent living for them, much to her disdain. And so ended the life of Xiao Cang, the youngest son of Emperor Cheng.
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PS: Well, we reached the second anniversary of this AAR! Once again, I’d like to thank everyone for either giving me the characters of this story, commenting on it or simply ready this AAR so far. We did make a lot more progress this time, as last year we were in 200 killing off Niu Fu (still sad about that one). It helped that we have less POVs to follow.
 

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A tragic end for Xiao Cang. Emperor Cheng is not a forgiving man; and the one thing he loves more than anything is his power. He has killed men for less than what Cang tried to do.
 
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224: A Year in Chang'an
224: A YEAR IN CHANG'AN
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After appointing three new governors and conquering new territories, Emperor Anwu felt that it was about time for him to return to his Imperial Capital. It had been two years since he left to go fight Cao Cao. During this time, so many things had changed, so many people had disappeared. He needed to return home and regain a firmer grip on the affairs of government. Of course, the people were happy to gaze upon the Emperor who entered the city in armor, riding to his palace on horseback. It felt good too. Emperor Anwu had feared that after his defeat at the hand of Cao Cao the people might start to question his rule. But he was underestimating the work he had done to legitimize his power. It seemed that the people were simply happy to see their rightful emperor. With a smile, Emperor Anwu made his way to his palace.
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A few days later, the Emperor finally oversaw a session of the court for the first time since he left for his campaigns. He sat in his throne, with the courtiers prostrating themselves in front of him. After enjoying the sight, Emperor Anwu ordered the Chancellor to bring forward the more pressing affairs of the day. The old Zhou Pu was taken aback and immediately bumbled his way forward to explain the various affairs that had been pilling up in his absence. After hearing them, Emperor Anwu asked “These are but trivial affairs that can be handed out to the virtuous men. Are there no pressing affairs that require my direct attention?” The Chancellor then meekly smiled and answered “I beg his Imperial Majesty forgiveness for my mistake. But the realm is at peace and the people are happy.” But Emperor Anwu was not satisfied with this answer, immediately turning to the court and asking them if there was anything that they wanted to bring up to him.
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While most meekly agreed with Zhou Pu’s statement, the Excellency of Works Huo Du moved forward and presented a petition to the throne. He believed that the prestige of the dynasty should be shown even in death, and so he suggested that it would be wise to start preparing for the imperial tomb of the Son of Heaven. Emperor Anwu wasn’t exactly keen to be reminded of his eventual death, but he had to admit that it was a wise idea. With the empire doing quite well financially at the moment, it might have been time to consider these kinds of expensive monuments. He added to Huo Du the charge of Chief Architect, ordering him to start preparing plans for a tomb, but not to go further. The Emperor also took the occasion to ask him to work on the repair and maintenance of some of the palaces, which he found lacking by his standards. Huo Du grunted at this unwelcomed workload, convinced that the Emperor was setting him up for failure. But he still smiled and thanked the Emperor for this honorable task.
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In the following month, the Emperor worked toward selecting a new Chancellor of the Liang Dynasty. Zhou Pu was always supposed to be a temporary replacement for the late Hu Zhen, who himself was only appointed after the untimely death of Pan Zheng. Zhou Pu was of coursed thanked for his service, though he was encouraged to accept a lesser post in the Imperial Capital. While saddened, the Chancellor took his cue and offered his resignation from the office, citing his old age as an excuse. He was then given the post of Minister of the Guard, putting him in charge of Chang’an’s guard regiments and the security of the city. While he did an admirable work in this duty, he eventually died from depression due to this demotion in 226, at the age of 70.

Emperor Anwu, after much recommendation, eventually picked the Intendant of Jingzhao Commandery (the man in charge of the lands close to Chang’an), Jin Xuan the younger. The choice was a shock to anyone who knew the Emperor from his days before inheriting Liang Province (a group that had grown dangerously small for the Emperor’s tastes). That was because the new Chancellor’s father, Jin Xuan the elder, had been something of a thorn in the Emperor’s side at the time. If Hu Zhen had always been a loyal supporter of the Emperor, then Jin Xuan had been stupidly loyal to Guo Si and his family, even arguing that the yet unborn child of Guo Si should succeed him instead of Yao Shuren. Because of this, the Emperor had him secretly assassinated in 196, though he left his family alive. And now the son of this annoying man was being appointed as the Chancellor of the Liang. A surprising development for the old guard, that was for sure.
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Emperor Anwu spent the following months seizing back control over the various departments and secretariats of his imperial dynasty. The way Xuan Su had been able to promote his son to be his successor in Bing Province had made the Emperor aware that the imperial bureaucracy was in need of serious oversight. This included, among other things, reining in the greed of his Grand Tutor Duan Zuo. The man had been useful over the years, far too much to dispose of him for his sole avarice. But he needed to be reminded that these things could not be tolerated. In one session of the court, he had the Chancellor read a public remonstrance of the Grand Tutor’s conduct. This led others to come forward and beg the Emperor to curb Duan Zuo’s corrupt ways. Some were former friends of Mo Jie, others personal enemies of the Grand Tutor, and a few just tried to suck up to the Emperor. While he was not removed from his post, the old Duan Zuo was given a few lashes and had his salary cut by a third (a move that would only motivate him to become more corrupt). With this, the Emperor started to firmly reclaim his authority over the affairs of the Dynasty.
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In May, Emperor Anwu was told of a shocking development. His newly appointed governor of Ji Province Guan Ping had died only five months in office. Now he needed a replacement, and fast. Ji Province was a critical province that bordered the Chen Dynasty and the majority of the remaining warlords. And some of the local officials might be stupid enough to return their allegiance to the Cao Clan without an imperial governor in the region. In order to solve this last problem, Emperor Anwu selected the young Cao Lian as the new Governor of Ji Province. Cao Lian was the younger brother of Cao Xi, and thus the grandson of both Cao Cao and Lü Bu. He had defected to the Liang Dynasty during the war last year, and now he was gaining the advantages of siding with the winners. The other Cao clansman available was Cao Fang, who had submitted to the Liang all the way in 222. But he was found wanting when it came to choosing a competent man, so Cao Lian it was.
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But the affairs of the states weren’t the only things that were on the Emperor’s mind. He also had to take into consideration his heir Yao Yuan, who was 18 years old at the time. In his absence, the Crown Prince had proven popular at court and studious enough, though he seemed to care little about the ancient beliefs of Confucius. He had also produced a child during his father’s absence with his concubine Wang Wenjun (a member of the infamous Wang Clan of the late 190’s early 200’s, being the niece of Wang Chen). But the child, born in July 222, turned out to be a girl, named Yao Yian.
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On one occasion, Emperor Anwu asked his son what he had done in his absence. The Crown Prince first fell silent, clearly thoughtful about what he would say. When the Emperor insisted once more, Yao Yuan was spooked by the order and immediately started to babble multiple things he had achieved in the last two years. However, Emperor Anwu quickly caught that these achievements were vague, meaningless and never had a concrete sense. Things like “expanding the virtues within the Crown Prince’s palace” or “ensuring that loyalty to the dynasty remained righteous.” All things that Confucian scholars loved to hear about their Crown Prince, but only senseless nonsense to the ears of the Emperor. When the Emperor asked “and this mean?” to some of these “achievements, the Crown Prince backed off and asked forgiveness to his father for failing him as a son. Not wanting to humiliate his heir in front of the court, the Emperor simply told him that he was doing right by him and that he was proud of his son.

The Emperor certainly discussed his worries with his wife. Empress Liang was not the kind to mince her words, though she was not sharp enough to be hurtful to others when she spoke. After a few discussions, the Empress suggested that their son simply needed some experience within the imperial government. Surely some hard work would help build the young man into a great prince. Yao Shuren loved the idea, but didn’t want to give him a role too important for him to mess up. So he made the young heir Minister of the Imperial Clan. This Minister, who under the Han had always been a scion of the Imperial Clan, had to keep track of the imperial lineage, of who was part of the family and what titles they held (including their yearly stipends from the state). Considering that the Yao Imperial Clan only started with the Emperor’s father Yao Huan, this should be an easy enough task for Yao Yuan, right?
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This appointment actually brought Yao Xiu to the attention of the Emperor. It seemed that the first prince was actually doing an admirable job as Magistrate of Kuiaiji, with officials from Yang Province sending praises about Yao Xiu’s work. This certainly made the Emperor question if he had not been too harsh toward Yao Xiu. Even with the great animosity between them, it was becoming clear that Yao Xiu might have been more suited for the throne (much to the Emperor’s frustration). One day, he privately asked the Grand Tutor which prince would make the better emperor. While he had no position on Yao Yuan one way or the other, he did not support Yao Xiu’s succession. After all, Yao Xiu was married to Mo Xiaowen, Mo Jie’s daughter. And there was no way he would allow Mo Jie’s return. Duan Zuo was quick to say “The first prince might be competent, but he is wicked in spirit. The second prince radiate peace and thus has the respect of the court. He is the best choice to inherit the Mandate of Heaven.”
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Xu Shu, the Excellency of the Masses, also agreed that the Emperor shouldn’t worry about the succession. When consulted, he reminded Emperor Anwu that his son would likely have great officials to assist him in his reign. At the end of the day, what mattered the most for a great emperor: to be competent, or to be surrounded by competence? Xu Shu thus insisted that loyal men of the Liang Dynasty would be there to help the Emperor, and he would surely prove wise enough to listen. But the idea of having his old and powerful subordinate lead the government for his son only made the Emperor worried. On one night he spent with the Empress, he admitted to her “I made them rise to my greatness so that they could stand by my side, yet I might now leave my son towered by giants.”
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Of course, there were other issues to deal with than his doubts about succession. For example, overseeing the monetary policy of the realm. In his absence, the Liang Dynasty had finally started to mint its own coins, though they had the exact same values as those of the Han (why fix what isn’t broken?). The Emperor made sure that inspectors surveyed the creation of the new coinage to ensure its quality. Not only that, but the Emperor made sure to enforce a monopoly on these mints, as had done the Han before him. He also started to enforce more strongly the monopoly on salt and iron that the government held. Yes, these measures might not be popular with the merchant class or the populace, but it would allow the state to finance its war and the various spendings of the state. For example, a new agrarian program sponsored by the minister of the agriculture to help rebuild the field after decades of war. All those policies would, at least on the short run, prove successful, showing once again the administrative talents of the Son of Heaven.

By the end of 224, merchants and refugees brought troubling news from the west. The Kingdom of Anxi was in the middle of a civil war, with the most recent news seemingly indicating that the King of Anxi had been defeated and that the “House of Sashan” now ruled the region. This led to worries within the Liang court. Anxi had been a major trading partner of the Han Dynasty for the last four centuries. To hear that such a great empire was collapsing made many worried. Xu Chu, the Grand Commandant of the Imperial Army, came forward and suggested that they launch a campaign against the Sashan.
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But this idea was nonsensical, and Emperor Anwu quickly shut it down. Of course, the idea of attacking the Sashan would be a great boon to his reputation. Restoring the Anxi line on the throne or maybe even annexing the region would make the Liang Dynasty the greatest dynasty in history. If they annexed the region, they would finally share a border with the distant empire of Daqin. But this was unrealistic. Such a campaign would require to send tens of thousands of troops beyond the further reaches of the dynasty, to a land that they barely knew, for an expedition that would take years just to get there. The logistic of the whole affair would be a nightmare in itself. And meanwhile, the Chen would have a golden opportunity to attack. And that did not even take into account Budugen the Great, who might seek to take advantage of a weakened Liang.
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Emperor Anwu instead tried to calm his court by pointing that the Kingdom of Anxi was just following the history flow of the Han. Both had appeared around the same time, and both now disappeared together. Just as the Liang had replaced the Han, the Kingdom of Anxi would be replaced by the House of Sashan. They should revel in their new trade partners, not fear for a dying state. But Emperor Anwu was not as convinced in private. He feared that the Sashan, ruled by a man named Aer Daxier or something similar, might become a threat to Liang trade on the Silk Road. The situation was critical enough that the Emperor dispatched an embassy with gifts to go sound out the Sashan ruler and ensure good relationships between their two states.

While the Emperor had refused to go on campaign west, it didn’t mean that he did not consider going back to war. With the Liang Dynasty at peace and the court running just as he wanted it, his mind once against started to drift toward conquest. It certainly helped that Xu Chu kept pestering him about going back to war, seeking new battles to win and new enemies to crush. And there were still warlords to conquer before the final showdown with the Chen Dynasty. With his dynastic rival weakened by civil war, the Emperor started to plan for a new campaign for the start of 225. The only question was: who to attack?
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PS: So, a lot of context for what was just talked about in this chapter. There were a lot of mentions of western kingdoms that I needed to clarify. The whole event is about a real-life change of regime in Persia, which served as the trade point between Rome (Daqin, or Great Qin, as the Chinese called it) and China.

The Kingdom of Anxi is the Parthian Empire, which ruled the region of Iran between 247 B.C. and 224 A.C., a period that include the entirety of Western and Eastern Han. Parthia’s served as the road between the Roman Empire and the Han, and famously they might have dissuaded a Chinese envoy to continue his way to Rome in order to ensure that the two empires had to pass through them to do trade, thus keeping their monopoly on the Silk Road.

Meanwhile, the House of Sashan is the Sassanid Dynasty, which formed the Sassanid Empire in 224 (though the Liang court is not aware that it’s a done deal yet, just that it seems to likely end with the death of Parthia). Aer Daxier (Ā'ěr dá xī ěr) is Ardashir I, the founder of the Sassanid Empire. Historically, he revolted against the Parthian Arsacid Dynasty (which is where the Anxi comes from), who were not Persians, and thus became the first Persian King of Kings since the conquest of the Archemenid Dynasty by Alexander the Great.

In term of impact on China, the Sassanid Empire would prove business as usual, so Emperor Liang’s worries are unfounded. The only empire that should be worried is Rome, as they went from fighting a weak and dying Parthia to a strong and reinvigorated Sassanid. The Sassanids are actually going to kick Rome’s but for the rest of the centuries, with some setbacks here and there as Rome regains its footing.

So when Xu Chu suggest going on a campaign against the Sashan, he is suggesting that they walk a large part of the Liang army either through the mountains of Tibet or the plains of Central Asia and go all the way to Iran to conquer it. Considering the transportation speed of the time and the supply line this would need, it is not wonder the Emperor refused this idea as ludicrous.
 

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