Taiheiki

Chapter 250 Human Heart
"Trying to please you?" Wei Cong's face stiffened, and he quickly denied it, "No way, that's not true at all."

"Really?" Lu Ping looked at Wei Cong with suspicion, picked up the bouquet and sniffed it: "You're not lying to me!"

"Well—" Wei Cong chuckled twice, "There is indeed one thing that I can't do without you!"

Lu Ping rolled her eyes at Wei Cong and put the bouquet back into the ceramic vase: "I knew it. So, what is it?"

"Hehe!" Wei Cong chuckled dryly twice: "I want to ask you, A-Ping, to go to Liu Xin's place and make him surrender to me?"

"Get Liu Xin to surrender to you?" Lu Ping glanced at Wei Cong. "That might be a bit troublesome. Didn't you already send Qi Tie back as a gesture of goodwill, but then you captured Xiakou? In Liu Xin's eyes, that's treachery. How could you possibly ask me to persuade him to surrender?"

"That's all in the past! The current situation is that I have already captured Xiakou. Unless he abandons his fleet and retreats on foot, he is already surrounded by me, Feng Kun, and Zhang Huan, and it's a dead end. Compared to those two, surrendering to me is his best option!"

“What you say makes sense, but he might not act as you expect! After all, in his view, you sent someone to write a letter to express goodwill, and then you attacked Xiakou the next day. How can he trust you?” Lu Ping sighed. “That’s right. Judging from the situation, it’s better for Liu Xin to surrender to you than to Feng Kun or Zhang Huan. But he has hundreds of thousands of men under his command, and I’m afraid his men might not all listen to him!”

"what do you mean?"

"I'll fight you to the death, and fight to the death to survive!"

Wei Cong let out a long sigh. What Lu Ping had just said was exactly the scenario he least wanted to see. If things really turned out as Lu Ping described, it was obvious that Wei Cong would lose, and even if he won, he would certainly suffer heavy losses, which would be extremely detrimental to his future dealings with the imperial court. But in politics, the very thing you least want to happen often does happen. As the commander of an army, he certainly had to be prepared for the worst.

"What? Should I go or not?" Lu Ping asked.

"Enough!" Wei Cong waved his hand. "Now that you mention it, we can't avoid this battle in the end. Rather than letting you take the risk, we should focus on winning this battle. In the end, as long as we win the battle, everything can be negotiated at the negotiating table. Some things can't be avoided."

"Do you think you have a chance of winning?" Lu Ping asked. "Liu Xin has over ten thousand men under his command!"

"Of course!" Wei Cong laughed. "On the water, it goes without saying. Even on land, his cavalry and archers are too weak. I also have the advantage of terrain, war elephants, and cavalry. Although we are outnumbered, it is not difficult to defeat him. It's just that I am a little unhappy to let Feng Kun and Zhang Huan watch the outcome from the sidelines!"

“Feng Kun? Zhang Huan?” Lu Ping repeated the two names: “My lord, what do you think these two people will do?”

"I'm not a god, how would I know?" Wei Cong laughed. "But if I were in their shoes, I would definitely use light and sharp attacks on the Moth Bandits' rearguard and straggling soldiers to maintain distance between the two armies and avoid being devoured by a desperate tiger, right?"

--------------------------

Xiangyang.

"Wei Cong has already captured Xiakou!" Feng Kun sighed. "It seems that he will be in charge of this great achievement in suppressing the rebels!"

"Don't be hasty, Master Feng!" Ying Feng said, "The outcome is still undecided; it's not time to concede defeat yet!"

"Uncle, please don't try to comfort me with nice words!" Feng Kun sighed. "I've been in the army for over thirty years since I was a child, so I know a thing or two about military affairs. If we use hunting as an analogy, Wei Cong has driven the Moth Bandit to a dead end with cliffs on three sides, and he personally guarded the only way out. When it comes to rewards and honors, who else but him deserves the greatest credit?"

"Lord Feng, you don't think the war is over once the moth bandits are quelled, do you?" Ying Feng asked with a smile.

"What else? You mean the Wuling Barbarians?" Feng Kun asked.

"Hahaha!" Ying Feng burst into laughter upon hearing this: "Lord Feng, are you joking? The Wuling barbarians are like a scabies scourge, how can they compare to the Moth Bandits? If the Moth Bandits hadn't started their uprising, you would have wiped out ten Wuling barbarians!"

Upon hearing Ying Feng's assessment of the Wuling Barbarians, Feng Kun nodded slightly: "Then what are you referring to?"

“It is naturally Wei Cong!” Ying Feng said in a deep voice, “I dare say that ten Wuling barbarians are no match for one Moth bandit, and ten Moth bandits are no match for one Wei Cong. In the future, this man will surely become a scourge to our great Han!”

"This—" Feng Kun gave a wry smile: "Uncle, aren't you going a bit too far? Yes, he did go a bit too far in Jiaozhou, but in the end, he pacified the people and subdued the barbarians, which was still a good thing. After the E'zhai became powerful, he went upstream from Panyu in Jiaozhou, took the Ling Canal, entered the Xiang River, and went straight to Jiangling. The whole journey must have been more than ten thousand miles. The fire attack at Sangluozhou destroyed the E'zhai's fleet, and he captured Xiakou, cutting off the E'zhai's retreat. Without him, who knows how long this war would have lasted! How can you say that he was a scourge of the Han Dynasty?"

"Lord Feng! This is what makes Wei Cong so terrifying!" Ying Feng said urgently, "That's right, Lord Feng, haven't you noticed? On the surface, he works for the court, but in reality, he's the one who benefits the most. Let's not even mention Jiaozhou. After the Battle of Xiakou, the four counties of Jingnan, Nanjun, and Lujiang have all fallen into his hands."

"Uncle, you're just exaggerating!" Feng Kun laughed. "He's only the governor of Jiaozhou right now. The four commanderies of Jingnan, Nanjun, and Lujiang are still the imperial counties. It's just that the E'zhai are causing trouble right now, and Wei Cong wants to recover them. Naturally, his troops will have to pass through those areas. Once the E'zhai are quelled, he'll have to hand them over. As for him asking for personal gain, that's nothing. We, as subjects, serve the emperor. Who doesn't want to be ennobled and promoted, and have blessings for our descendants? If that's considered a mistake, then there are no good people in the court!"

"Lord Feng, I'll make a bet with you: Wei Cong will never easily hand over the four prefectures of Jingnan. And he's not like you!"

"What's different?"

"He's not even thirty yet!" Ying Feng said. "He's already a county marquis with a stipend of over two thousand households! If he quells the Moth Rebellion, he'll definitely be promoted even more. Given his age and achievements, it's only a matter of time before he's appointed as the head of the Three Dukes' office. Do you think anyone in the court will be his match when he's fifty?"

This time, Feng Kun finally fell silent. Unlike later generations, although the twenty-rank military merit titles after Emperor Wu had largely become obsolete, the highest rank, Marquis (county marquis in the Eastern Han Dynasty), still retained considerable influence. Besides receiving hereditary fiefdoms and taxes, being a Marquis was also a crucial ticket to high-level politics. After all, during the Han Dynasty, Marquises enjoyed various privileges in holding office, serving as officials, becoming generals, and having their sons recommended for the civil service. Someone like Wei Cong, who was already a Marquis before the age of thirty and demonstrated exceptional civil administration abilities as Governor of Jiaozhou, had virtually unlimited potential for a future in officialdom. His entry into the court would likely mean serving as one of the Nine Ministers: Grand Master of Ceremonies, Grand Master of the Palace, Commandant of the Guards, Grand Master of the Imperial Stud, Minister of Justice, Grand Herald, Minister of the Imperial Clan, Minister of Agriculture, and Minister of the Imperial Treasury, as well as Governor of the Capital Region. Leading troops outside the capital would mean serving as General of Chariots and Cavalry, General of the Guards, or General of the Four Expeditions. Becoming one of the Three Dukes was only a matter of time.

High-ranking officials of this caliber would soon enjoy the privilege of establishing their own offices and recruiting their own officials. According to the political system of the Han Dynasty, those recruited by Wei Cong and serving in his office would become his protégés and former subordinates, forming a bond of loyalty between ruler and subject. Normally, an official who could climb to this level would be at least fifty years old, and given the average lifespan at the time, they would likely be removed from office after six or seven years. However, someone like Wei Cong, who could establish his own office at thirty, could have served in the court for at least thirty years. The number of officials he cultivated and recommended during those years, serving under his patronage, would be terrifying. Everyone knows the Yuan family's power in holding the highest office for four generations, but the problem is that the combined time the Yuan family held the highest office might not even equal the length of Wei Cong's reign, and the accumulated political resources and influence might not be as great. This is truly frightening.

“Uncle, what you said makes some sense!” Feng Kun sighed. “But what can we do? Rewarding merit is the fundamental principle of the court. Everyone in the world has witnessed Wei Cong’s achievements this time. If such merits are not rewarded handsomely, who will be willing to serve the court in the future?”

"Rewards should naturally be given based on merit!" Ying Feng said, "But there are ways to do so!"

"any solution?"

“Fram them with a crime, then offset their merits and demerits, and the credit goes to the higher-ups!”

"I'm afraid this is not something we can do," Feng Kun said. "Determining the guilt is the responsibility of the Court of Justice!"

"Arrest the person first, then determine the crime!" Ying Feng said, "If the Court of Justice determines the crime, it will only provoke Wei Cong, and then things will get out of control!"

"How can this be?" Feng Kun shook his head repeatedly: "If we mistreat meritorious officials, what will future generations say about us?"

"The problem is that his achievements are too great!" Ying Feng said, "Putting aside everything else, he was already the governor of Jiaozhou before he went to war. The entire Jiaozhou was his. Now that he has wiped out the E'er bandits, how should we reward him? Give him Yuzhang? Or grant him a fief of ten thousand households and make him one of the Three Dukes? I'm afraid he still won't be satisfied. Since he won't be satisfied no matter what, the only way is to take him down. You are the General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Wei Cong is the Left General of the Central Army. According to military law, he is below you. Taking him down and then reporting him to the court for punishment is the only way to avert disaster. Dou Youping can't possibly be unaware of your good intentions!"

Feng Kun stood up and paced back and forth in the room. He knew, of course, that if he did as Ying Feng said, even if things succeeded in the end, his reputation would be utterly ruined in future generations. But as Ying Feng said, Wei Cong's achievements were too great, his age too young, and his official position too rapidly rising. If things continued this way, it would only leave endless troubles for future generations.

"Lord Feng!" Ying Feng exclaimed urgently when he saw Feng Kun's prolonged indecision, "This is for the sake of the Han Dynasty, for the sake of the world!"

"Alas!" Feng Kun sighed deeply. "This matter is too great for me to decide alone. Let's do this: after we have wiped out the Moth Bandits, I will discuss it with Zhang Huan and then make a decision!" With that, he flicked his sleeves and went out.

"Foolish!" Ying Feng exclaimed. "How could such a matter be discussed with others before being acted upon? Hesitation and indecisiveness will bring disaster soon!"

--------------------------------

"Xiakou is just ahead, and beyond that lies the Yangtze River!" Liu Xin looked at the distant river and sighed.

"Teacher, why are you sighing?" Zhang Song asked. "Are you worried about that scoundrel Wei Cong? Don't worry, give me two days, and I'll take Xiakou back!"

Liu Xin remained silent, only shaking his head. The unfolding situation had completely exceeded his expectations. Wei Cong had first decisively defeated the naval forces led by his second disciple at Sangluozhou, and then, after releasing his second disciple and the letter of friendship, swiftly captured Xiakou, effectively trapping his army within the Han River. What was the purpose of this series of contradictory actions? Was it truly as his eldest disciple, Zhang Song, had suggested—that releasing the man in the letter was a ploy to lull him into a false sense of security, allowing him to seize Xiakou by surprise?
Seeing that Liu Xin hadn't spoken, Zhang Song assumed that the other was worried about the upcoming battle, so he reassured him, "Teacher, you don't need to worry. Qi Tie was incompetent when he lost to Wei Cong before. This time, we have 170,000 troops, while Wei Cong's army has at most 20,000 to 30,000. With you in command, they are bound to lose!"

"Wei Cong is not as easy to deal with as you say!" Liu Xin said coldly. "After setting up camp tonight, all troops must be on high alert. Also, bring your junior brother to me. I have some questions for him!"

"Yes!" Zhang Song replied in annoyance and lowered his head.

When Qi Tie entered Liu Xin's cabin, he found his teacher sitting at a table with two wine cups and a wine pot on it. He was stunned—he couldn't remember the last time he had seen his teacher drink.

"Come in and sit down, have a drink with me!" Liu Xin pointed to the seat in front of him. Qi Tie walked to the table, sat down carefully, and was about to get the wine pot when Liu Xin grabbed it first and filled both cups.

"Drink up!" Liu Xin downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

"Here!" Qi Tie hurriedly picked up the wine glass and drank it all in one gulp. He was surprised to find that his teacher looked tired and annoyed. Was this still the all-powerful and wise teacher?

"What's wrong? Why aren't you drinking?"

"Oh, oh!" Qi Tie quickly took a sip of wine: "Teacher, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing, I just don't know what to do next!" Liu Xin looked up: "If it were you, what would you do?"

"What if it were me?" Qi Tie was slightly taken aback. "I don't know either. Anyway, I won't fight Wei Cong in a water battle again. That kind of fire is too terrifying!"

"Not fighting a naval battle? What about the accompanying ships? Without a fleet, the army can't possibly reach Jiangxi. Moreover, there are many lakes and swamps along the way. Without ships, so many infantrymen can't even carry their own supplies!"

Qi Tie was stumped by the question. After thinking for a moment, he replied, "Then let's attack on land first. As long as we defeat the Wei army on the shore, the ships can easily enter the Yangtze River. At that time, we just need to avoid the Wei navy!"

(End of this chapter)