Taiheiki

Chapter 182 Taking refuge
"Such a thing is true?" Qu Heng listened with great interest. Although he had been diligently gathering intelligence on the Han Empire recently, he had only obtained scattered, unsystematic, and even contradictory information. For example, he knew that the Han people were fighting amongst themselves, but he didn't know who the two sides were, the scale of the conflict, how long it had lasted, or who had the upper hand. Not to mention the origins and backgrounds of the leaders on both sides. This was the first time he had heard of someone like Bafa who could explain the entire situation so clearly, which further solidified his determination to recruit him.

“But even if Wei Cong occupies northern Jiaozhou, he’s not the governor!” Qu Heng asked. “He can’t just call himself the governor of Jiaozhou, can he? But if he does, the Han people of Jiaozhou won’t recognize him.”

“No, Wei Cong did indeed receive an appointment from the imperial court. He is now the rightful governor of Jiaozhou!” Bafa said.

"How is that possible? Did you just say he wasn't a bandit?"

"He spent a large sum of money to bribe a high-ranking official in the imperial court, and then the court recognized him as the governor of Jiaozhou!"

"This is possible?" Qu Heng was startled. Although he called himself the King of Lin-yi, the earthly manifestation of Indra, he was still very clear about the power and prestige of the Han Empire. The Kingdom of Lin-yi started as a single county in the southern part of the Han Dynasty. Jiaozhou alone had dozens of counties, and the Han Dynasty had thirteen provinces, with Jiaozhou being just one of them. After more than thirty years of expansion and development, the Kingdom of Lin-yi was at most comparable to a single prefecture in Jiaozhou. In Qu Heng's eyes, the governor of Jiaozhou was already an extremely powerful rival, and the fact that such a high-ranking official could be bribed by a bandit was beyond his wildest imagination.

"Unbelievable, isn't it? I couldn't believe it either when I first heard about it!" Bafa sighed. "Your Majesty, the Han emperors are no longer benevolent, and their ministers are no longer wise. They value money more than virtue; whoever pays the most gets appointed. Once such people become officials, their first priority is to exploit the people and recoup their losses as quickly as possible. Wei Cong is just such a person! How can the country not fall apart when such a person is appointed governor?"

"Yes!" Qu Heng was also affected by Bafa's words. He sighed and said, "Then what's next? Wei Cong has become the governor, but what about Zhang Pan? Will he just hand over the governorship like that?"

“Zhang Pan relinquished his position as governor!” Bafa nodded. “However, he was murdered on his way back to the Central Plains, and all his belongings were looted. Many people say that Wei Cong sent men to do it, because Zhang Pan’s caravan contained a lot of valuables. Many locals from Jiaozhou who had been kind to Zhang Pan rose up in rebellion to attack Wei Cong, saying they wanted to avenge Zhang Pan and would petition the court to send a new governor!”

"Is that so!" Qu Heng laughed heartily. "Then Wei Cong must be in a terrible predicament right now, right?"

“Excellent!” Bafa nodded. “Your Majesty, this is an excellent opportunity for you. The people of Jiaozhou hate Wei Cong to the core. The reason many haven’t risen up is simply because they fear Wei Cong’s army. If you can seize this opportunity to send troops to punish him and uphold righteousness, these people of Jiaozhou will surely rise up in response to you. At that time, not only Jiaozhi, Rinan, and Jiuzhen, but even the entire Jiaozhou region could be yours to possess!”

"The entire Jiaozhou?" Qu Heng felt a little dizzy. Even in his wildest fantasies, he only imagined conquering the three prefectures of Rinan, Jiuzhen, and Jiaozhi, bringing the entire Red River Delta under his control. In that case, he would be an unprecedented and unparalleled great emperor, comparable to the great nations in the sacred texts such as Chola, Magadha, Kosala, and Kashi (ancient kingdoms of India and Southeast Asia). But if, as Bafa suggested, he were to conquer the entire Jiaozhou, then in future generations' records, he would likely be ranked alongside Rama and Bhishma, becoming a mythical hero in the epics recited by wandering monks.

Fortunately, Qu Heng still retained some rationality. He suppressed his overwhelming joy and asked, "But even if I could occupy the entire Jiaozhou as you say, the Han emperor would not allow it. He would send a large army to conquer me. What should I do then?"

“Your Majesty, since Wei Cong, a bandit, can use money to bribe ministers and buy the position of Governor of Jiaozhou for him, why can’t you do the same? The Han people’s country is in chaos and has no extra strength to attack you. If the gods bless you, perhaps you and your descendants will have a chance to enter Luoyang and ascend to the supreme throne!”

This time, Qu Heng was persuaded, or rather, he convinced himself. Arriving in the legendary Luojing and ascending to the supreme throne, he couldn't resist the temptation. He walked to the statue of Indra, raised his right hand, and said, "Bafa, I swear before the name of my ancestors, Indra, that if I can conquer Jiaozhou as you say, I will avenge you, hand over your enemies to you, and make you rich and noble. Your position will be closest to my right, surpassing my ministers and sons! If I fail, my ancestors' name will be forgotten, and my city will be reduced to ruins!"

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Rinan Commandery, Xijuan County, Prefectural Governor's Office.

"I have long heard that Governor Wei is proficient in the strategies of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi, and today I have the opportunity to see it for myself!" Yu Xin sighed and covered the silk book in his hand: "However, as a Han official, having received the emperor's salary, how can I surrender to the enemy without a fight?"

"Prefect!" Yuan Tian bowed respectfully. "My lord does not wish for you to surrender to the enemy without a fight. Rather, he intends to lure the entire Lin-yi bandits north, allowing us to wait in comfort and defeat them in one battle. However, the bandits have come with their entire nation and have prepared many war elephants. If your prefecture holds firm, we will all perish. It would be better to feign surrender to the bandits and let them march north. After my lord defeats them, you, Prefect, can then intercept and kill the fleeing soldiers. Wouldn't that be the best course of action?"

"Governor Wei's plan is ingenious, but perhaps it's a bit too simplistic?" Yu Xin smiled. "Although the King of Linyi is a barbarian, he's not stupid. If I surrender, he will surely lead his troops into the city and demand hostages. Wouldn't the entire city then be at his mercy? Not to mention, in a battle between two armies, the outcome is unpredictable. How can Governor Wei claim certain victory before even engaging in combat? If he wins, all will be well; but if he loses, wouldn't Jiaozhou fall entirely into the hands of the bandits?"

“Brother, Governor Wei has issued a military order, which must not be disobeyed!” Yu Wen, who was standing nearby, became anxious upon hearing this. If Wei Cong was just a lowly military officer in the past, he was now the rightful Governor of Jiaozhou and Protector of the Hundred Yue. Although the Governor of Jiaozhou was only an inspector and not the superior of the prefects of the various counties, it was wartime, and Wei Cong, who held both the positions of Governor of Jiaozhou and Protector of the Hundred Yue, had already grasped the military command of Jiaozhou. If his brother were to be accused of “disobeying military orders,” he would certainly be in serious trouble.

"Prefect Yu, please rest assured!" Yuan Tian laughed. "My lord has already spread the word that the King of Linyi believes the scholars of Jiaozhou are dissatisfied with Governor Wei, and that if he raises an army to march north, others will surely follow suit. So you told the King of Linyi that he is willing to surrender, but is only worried about the rebel troops entering the city to plunder, which is why he is not opening the city gates, and is sending some wealth and livestock to reward the troops. The King of Linyi will most likely go along with it, showing his benevolence and winning people's hearts, and will not send troops to forcibly enter the city!"

Yu Xin wasn't stupid. After listening to Yuan Tian's words and connecting them with the words in Wei Cong's letter, he understood seven or eight parts of the situation. He nodded and said, "Very well, I will act according to Governor Wei's instructions. However, I want to make it clear beforehand that if the King of Linyi insists on entering the city, I, Yu, will fight to the death!"

"Of course!" Yuan Tian said solemnly, "If that's the case, my husband will definitely do everything in his power to rescue him!"

After seeing Yuan Tian off, the Yu brothers sat down. Yu Xin smiled and said, "No wonder Governor Wei was so confident; it turns out he already has someone by the side of the King of Linyi!" "What?" Yu Wen was taken aback. "How did you know, brother?"

“Listen to what the envoy just said? If the King of Linyi had no one by his side, how could he convince the scholars of Jiaozhou that they were not convinced of Wei Cong’s loyalty, and that if he raised an army and marched north, there would surely be others who would respond?”

“This—” Yu Wen’s expression was somewhat strange: “Brother, the people in Jiaozhou are indeed unstable right now, but whether anyone is colluding with Lin Yi is unknown!”

"That's Wei Cong's brilliance!" he laughed. "Have you noticed that every time he lies, he actually uses the truth, or nine-tenths of it, with only one-tenth being a lie? That's why people fall into his trap. Is the people of Jiaozhou unstable? Absolutely! If the King of Linyi leads his troops north, will some people raise their flags to welcome him? They might very well! But if the King of Linyi thinks he can gain an advantage from this, he's probably in for a world of trouble!"

"Brother, do you also think Governor Wei can win this time?" Yu Wen asked happily.

“Hmm!” Yu Xin nodded. “Although Governor Wei is not a virtuous and upright man, he is just right for dealing with these barbarians from beyond the borders. Every time he goes to war, although the bandits have war elephants, since he already knows about it, he will naturally take precautions. With preparation against unpreparedness, his chances of victory are naturally greater!” At this point, Yu Xin stood up, walked to the window, and sighed, “Since the Zhan people invaded Xianglin and established their own country, they have been harming the people of Rinan for more than thirty years. The court has never been able to control them. I hope that this time Governor Wei can wipe out the barbarians in one fell swoop and restore a bright and peaceful world to the people of the two prefectures!”

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The capital of Lin-yi Kingdom.

As the first rays of dawn pierced the horizon, King Qu Heng of Lin Yi raised his head from before the statue of the god. A Brahmin priest placed a golden helmet on his head and said in a deep voice, "You favored one of Indra! Go forth! The gods have bestowed upon you the land under the sun! The enemy's army will surely be defeated before you, and the city walls will surely crumble!"

Qu Heng devoutly kissed the priest's hand, stood up, and walked out of the temple. His attendants helped him don golden armor, and he mounted a fully armored white elephant. He nodded to the messenger, and as the horns sounded, the army began its march towards the city gates. The roadsides were lined with kneeling elders, women, and children, fervently praying for the impending war. Everyone knew that their future fortune or misfortune was entirely dependent on this battle.

Baffa was also in the expeditionary force, but not on land; he was on a ship. Besides the ships he brought, Qu Heng had allocated him forty more vessels to command. Of course, Qu Heng also sent one of his sons as the fleet's second-in-command to monitor Baffa, which was to be expected. Standing on the deck, watching the dust rising as the army marched across the land, Baffa murmured, "How many are there? Ten thousand? Twenty thousand? Or thirty thousand?"

"There are a total of 30,000 men!" came the prince's voice from behind. "And a full hundred war elephants!"

Bafa quickly turned around and bowed, saying, "Please forgive me, Prince Qu'an, I didn't know you were behind me!"

“No need for that! My father has many sons; a mere prince is nothing!” Standing before Baffa was a wiry young man. According to the rules of the Cham people, each nobleman must kill a wild beast to be considered an adult and to have a real name. The beast he kills also becomes his nickname. Qu An was no exception. The prey he killed for his coming-of-age ceremony was an Indochinese tiger. This apex predator has beautiful fur, a majestic and agile physique, and is adept at stealth and ambush. Even large animals like water buffalo and wild boar are its prey, and it is regarded by the Cham people as a symbol of courage and strength.

Hunting the tiger brought Qu An immense prestige, and despite his mother's humble origins, he was still considered by many Zhan people to be a strong contender for the next king. His appointment as a military supervisor on the fleet was seen by many as a form of suppression—military merit was actually easier to gain on land than on a ship.

"By the way, I want to ask you a question!" Qu An leaned against the railing, grinning as he looked at Bafa: "What kind of city is Panyu?"

“This—” Baffa was stumped by the question. He hesitated for a moment before answering, “It’s very big and very prosperous! Panyu is located at the mouth of a large river, so people from all the places the river flows through would come there by boat to do business!”

"Isn't that the same as Longbian?" Qu An asked curiously. "I heard that Longbian is also located at the mouth of a large river!"

“Yes!” Baffa nodded. “But I think Panyu is better!”

"Why do you say that?"

"Because the river where Panyu is located has more tributaries and flows through a larger area!"

“I understand!” Qu An nodded with satisfaction. “Then, if I can achieve military merit, I will ask my father for Panyu as my fief!” At this point, he suddenly laughed. “Baffa, do you think I’m too arrogant? I haven’t even fought a battle yet, and I’m already thinking about where to make my fief. But there’s no other way. My mother’s family is too weak, so I definitely can’t inherit the throne. And my brothers who might inherit the throne are all jealous of my reputation. Whoever ascends the throne will definitely try to attack me. So I must get myself a good fief, otherwise I won’t even be able to save my life!”

(End of this chapter)