Taiheiki

Chapter 196 Fundamentals
"A question?" Chen Qi said with a wry smile, "Isn't this making things difficult for us, sir? We are all martial artists, only familiar with bows, crossbows, swords, and spears. How could we possibly answer your difficult question!"

"Don't worry, you don't need to read any books for this question!" Wei Cong laughed. "It's very simple. Just give this land a name. Just name it based on what you see today. As long as it's appropriate, that's fine! If you name it well, I'll reward you with twenty bolts of silk!"

"Name it!" Chen Qi was secretly delighted upon hearing this. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "The land here is flat, so let's call it Pinglu!"

"Pinglu?" Wei Cong nodded, but didn't comment on whether it was good or bad. He turned his gaze to the others in the tent: "You all should come up with one too. As long as you say it well, you'll be rewarded!"

Everyone offered their suggestions: "Yizhou," "Annan," and "Anding." Wei Cong remained noncommittal. Finally, it was Yuan Shao's turn. He had clearly already decided, and before Wei Cong could even ask a question, he smiled and said, "In my opinion, how about Danqiu?"

"In Qu Yuan's 'Far-off Journey' in the Chu Ci, there is a line: 'I followed the feathered immortals to Danqiu, leaving behind the old land of immortality.' Danqiu here is a fairyland. Along the way, I saw the local people enjoying themselves, as if they were ancient ancestors, and this poem came to mind!"

"Hmm! The name 'Benchu' is quite evocative!" Wei Cong sighed. "However, what we're about to do has absolutely nothing to do with immortals, so let's not tarnish this fine name." After thinking for a moment, he said, "I see that this place is flat and spacious, with crisscrossing rivers and lush forests, so let's call it Linze!"

Since Wei Cong had spoken, everyone naturally agreed. Wei Cong ordered someone to bring gold and silk and distributed them to everyone, saying, "I am able to achieve what I have today because of your efforts!" He then said to the scribe beside him, "Tonight's events must not be overlooked. They will serve as a model for future generations, even a thousand years from now!"

The next day, the Vice-King of Funan arrived in person. Wei Cong ordered all his troops to don their armor and form ranks to greet him. The Vice-King of Funan had never seen such a display of power before. Terrified, he dismounted from his elephant from afar and walked to the front of the formation, where he knelt down and bowed to Wei Cong.

"He said he was not strict in his administration and asked for your forgiveness for coming in person!" the interpreter whispered.

“Tell him that the Emperor of our Great Han Dynasty is benevolent and magnanimous, and that those who are obedient will be aided in times of trouble, while those who rebel, no matter how strong, will be killed! Since he has come, it means he has sincerely submitted, and even the greatest sins will be forgiven. Tell him he has nothing to worry about!” Wei Cong said with a smile. Then he noticed that the interpreter was stunned, his face full of difficulty. He realized that what he had just said might not be easy to translate, so he laughed and said, “Never mind, you don’t need to translate the first half. Just tell him the second half!”

The interpreter breathed a sigh of relief and quickly translated the last few sentences Wei Cong had just said. The Vice-King of Funan listened, let out a long sigh, kowtowed twice, and then stood up. Wei Cong ordered a folding chair to be brought, and they sat opposite each other. After a few pleasantries, the Vice-King said with a wry smile, "This humble king is of meager virtue and lives in a remote place, and my knowledge is shallow, but I have heard of your reputation, General. I just don't know what brings you here. If it is for gold and treasures, I will do my utmost to satisfy you!"

Upon hearing the interpreter's translation, Wei Cong and Yuan Shao exchanged a knowing smile. Clearly, the viceroy had been thoroughly intimidated by the Han army's might and had completely abandoned any thought of military resistance. He was only concerned with feeding Wei Cong and getting rid of him. After all, Funan was over a thousand li away from Jiaozhi Commandery, and for most of the year, the roads were muddy and difficult to traverse during the rainy season. If they managed to fool this group of Han soldiers back, the next time might be decades later, and then it wouldn't be his concern anymore.

"Your Majesty's words make it sound as if I, Wei, have come here to extort money!" Wei Cong laughed.

"No, no, no!" The Vice-King of Funan hurriedly waved his hands, "That's not what I meant. It's just that this is a remote and desolate place, filled with miasma, and the local people are mostly rude and ignorant, beyond redemption. I'm afraid I might have unintentionally offended you, which would be terrible!"

"Hehehe!" Wei Cong laughed and said, "Your Majesty need not think too much. I have come here only for the alliance meeting, to rely on the might of the Han Emperor, so that the people of this land may live in harmony and peace, defend against foreign invaders, punish thieves at home, and there will be no more calamities of war! If I must speak, I also have a personal wish, and I ask Your Majesty to grant it!"

Hearing this, the deputy king breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't afraid of Wei Cong asking for benefits; he was afraid the other party wouldn't ask. Given the strength of the Han army, he could only nod in agreement no matter what demands they made. In any case, in a little over a month, once the rainy season arrived, these Han troops would have to retreat. If they wanted to come back, it would be at the end of the year. He would have plenty of time to decide whether to move the capital or do something else.

"Please tell me, as long as it's within my power, I will definitely agree!"

"After arriving here, I found the land flat and spacious, the rivers crisscrossing, the forests lush, and the people kind and honest, which I found very pleasing. Therefore, I would like to request Your Majesty to grant me land to build a city, so that I may settle here permanently!"

"You want to build a city and live here?" The viceroy's heart skipped a beat, and he asked cautiously.

"Not bad!"

"May I ask where it is? And how big is it?" the vice-king asked.

"Over there!" Wei Cong stretched out his riding whip and pointed to the area on the opposite bank of the river near the estuary: "There's a lagoon over there, which is good for mooring boats. I think that place is quite nice; a radius of about fifty li would be enough!"

The vice-king glanced at the spot Wei Cong was pointing at with his whip and immediately breathed a sigh of relief. In his eyes, it was just a wasteland, four or five days' distance from his own city. He quickly smiled and said, "I see. What's so difficult about that? Your Majesty agrees!"

"Then it's a deal, no take-backs!" Wei Cong said with a smile.

"Of course! Since the young king has agreed, he will not go back on his word!" The vice-king was secretly pleased that he could dismiss Wei Cong so easily. Although his territory encompassed the entire Mekong Delta, in reality, it consisted of many vassal states that sent tribute at the end of the year as a nominal sign of submission. Moreover, although the Mekong Delta was flat, fertile, and crisscrossed by canals, the average elevation of the entire delta was less than two meters. In fact, the entire delta was formed by the gradual accumulation of silt brought by the Mekong River from the upper reaches, and even today, the delta advances into the sea by sixty to seventy meters every year. Once the rainy season arrives, most of the delta becomes a vast expanse of water, accessible only by boat. Therefore, although it was rich in resources, the population was actually very small, and the level of development was shockingly low, far inferior to Jiaozhi Prefecture at that time.

Therefore, in this viceroy's eyes, the land here was worthless. There was nothing wrong with the Han people wanting to build a city and settle here; after all, they would likely be unable to withstand the heavy rains and flee. Even if they did establish a foothold, there was so much vacant land available for development, and conflicts between the Han and the locals were likely many years in the future. Even assuming the Han people had ulterior motives, refusing them now wouldn't be wise, given the gleaming armor and swords they carried.

The viceroy was determined to curry favor with Wei Cong, agreeing to everything. They decided to hold the alliance meeting as previously agreed, at the lagoon chosen by Wei Cong, three days later. After the agreement was made, the viceroy said he had to return to prepare for the meeting and hurriedly took his leave.

"Brother Wei, I have a feeling this barbarian king has escaped from the jaws of death!" Yuan Shao laughed, watching the departing figure of the Vice King of Funan. "What jaws of death!" Wei Cong chuckled, "I didn't intend to harm him!"

“Although you had no such intention, he was unaware of it! In the end, you are too strong, and he is too weak!” Yuan Shao sighed. “Now I finally understand why you insisted on staying in Jiaozhou. Compared to the Wuhuan and Xianbei in the north and the Qiang in the west, the barbarians here are too weak and too wealthy!”

"What's wrong? Benchu, do you want to stay?" Wei Cong laughed, "Sure! You can choose either the Military Commander or the Chief Clerk of the Commandant's Office!"

"Military Commander, Chief Clerk?" Yuan Shao laughed. "Do you know? When I go back this time, I'll either be sent to a large prefecture or appointed as the Marquis of the Northern Army!"

"Marquis of the Northern Army!" Wei Cong was taken aback. This was a crucial position. Although it only paid 600 shi (a unit of grain), it was actually the de facto commander of the five schools of the Northern Army. "Is it true that the General will not appoint a relative?"

"This is the result of discussions between my uncle and the General!" Yuan Shao said calmly.

"Damn it, this guy's showing off has backfired!" Wei Cong cursed inwardly, looking at Yuan Shao's handsome face. According to the political conventions of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Grand General who also held the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat was the head of the inner court. Therefore, the positions of the Five Army Commandants, the Commandant of the Guards, the Commandant of the Capital Region, and the Commander of the Imperial Guards—who were in charge of the capital's garrison—would certainly be filled by their own people. However, General Dou Wu was somewhat of an exception. Although he held the position of Grand General who also held the position of Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Yuan Shao's risky military coup had wiped out the eunuch faction. As a result, the current emperor was the weakest emperor in the Eastern Han Dynasty in over a hundred years, and Dou Wu, as a relative of the empress, had become the weakest Grand General in the Eastern Han Dynasty in terms of both the scholar-officials and the outer court.

Therefore, Dou Wu could not, like previous generals, hold all these key positions in his own hands, but had to consult with Yuan Wei, who was also in charge of the Secretariat. For example, the position of Marquis of the Northern Army, although only worth 600 shi (a unit of grain), had the power to supervise the five schools of the Northern Army and manage the barracks in peacetime, thus creating a check and balance with the five battalion commanders. It is estimated that the position of commander of the five battalions of the Northern Army was likely shared between members of the Dou and Yuan families.

"How many of those five Northern Army colonels does your family own?" Wei Cong asked.

“One!” Yuan Shao held up one finger: “My elder brother, Yuan Ji, will be appointed as the Colonel of the Cavalry!”

"Only one?" Wei Cong asked. "Then the others are all members of the Dou family?"

"General, you are truly humble!" Yuan Shao laughed. "You employ mostly scholars, and only one member of the Dou family has been appointed as a captain in the Five Camps!"

"Most likely, there are Yuan Shao's cronies among them. Dou Wu is truly frustrated as a general!" Wei Cong thought to himself. However, this wasn't necessarily a bad thing. He himself had risen to the position of Governor of Jiaozhou through the Yuan family's connections. By Eastern Han standards, he was still a protégé and former official of the Yuan family. The stronger the Yuan family was in the central government, the easier his life would be in Jiaozhou. Compared to Dou Wu, Yuan Kui, Yuan Feng, Yuan Ji, Yuan Shu, and Yuan Shao wouldn't care about him undermining the Han dynasty's power in Jiaozhou as long as they hadn't usurped the throne. In the end, the more he exploited Jiaozhou, the more treasures and money he would give to the Yuan family (Wei Cong wouldn't be stingy in this regard), and the stronger their external support in the court would be. The Han dynasty would suffer, while the Yuan family would prosper. Anyone with a brain would know which option to choose.

"Brother Wei, why are you suddenly concerned about matters of state?" Yuan Shao asked with a smile when he saw Wei Cong suddenly fall silent. "What's wrong? Do you perhaps want to take a position in the central government?"

"Then forget it!" Wei Cong shook his head: "I just feel that Dou Youping's position as a general is meaningless!"

Yuan Shao, being extremely intelligent, immediately understood Wei Cong's implication. He looked at Wei Cong with surprise and asked, "Brother Wei, what do you think the General will do?"

"It's nothing!" Wei Cong shook his head: "Benchu, if I were the Grand General, he might loosen his grip on the eunuch issue next!"

"What do you mean?"

"It's very simple! Don't you think the scholars are consuming too much? If the General wants to suppress the scholars, he can only rely on the Emperor's authority. But if he wants to please the Emperor, the simplest way is—"

"That's unlikely! The Grand General is a member of the scholar class, how could he possibly side with the eunuchs?" Yuan Shao said anxiously.

"Times have changed! In the end, he was, after all, a relative of the emperor. Back then, the eunuchs were powerful, and he joined forces with you scholars. Now that the eunuchs have been slaughtered, you scholars have become his rivals for power, so naturally you will stop at nothing to stop him!"

After listening to Wei Cong's analysis, Yuan Shao remained silent for a long time before finally asking, "If what you say is true, what should I do?"

"Dealing with the Grand General isn't difficult!" Wei Cong said. "In the end, the Empress Dowager has no son, and the current emperor has no maternal ties with him. Not only that, but there's also the enmity of attacking the palace and eliminating his supporters. Without the emperor's support, the maternal relatives are like snakes without teeth or birds without wings—not difficult to deal with. We just need to get an imperial edict from the emperor, and killing him is as easy as killing a chicken. But the biggest problem is, what to do after eliminating the Grand General? In the end, the Secretariat is in the inner court, in the palace, and the inner palace has to use eunuchs. As long as the palace gates are closed, isolating the inside from the outside, and an imperial edict is issued, your Yuan family will be severely injured, even if you don't die."

"So what do you mean?" Yuan Shao asked.

"Let's abolish the eunuch system!" Wei Cong laughed. "Of course, the number of the emperor's concubines should also be reduced accordingly, otherwise there will always be so many eunuchs to serve him!"

Yuan Shao's eyes lit up. He knew, of course, that while his recent massacre of the eunuchs was a temporary fix, it didn't address the root cause. As long as the eunuch system around the Han emperor remained, a constant stream of eunuchs would emerge. Although they wouldn't hold the same high positions and power as those already eliminated, they would always be the true masters of the inner palace, possessing their own organizational structure and even armed forces. As long as the emperor remained on the throne, there would always be a chance to turn the tables. Only by destroying this organization and reducing the number of eunuchs around the emperor to a sufficiently low level—and to do this, the number of the emperor's concubines and the size of the palace—could be reduced.

(End of this chapter)