205-207: SOUTHWARD!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
_________________________________
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.
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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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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