Taiheiki

Chapter 257 Three Parties
"I have long heard of Yuan Shao's name!" Dong Zhong stared intently at Yuan Shao, as if a bee had encountered honey: "I heard about Yuan Shao's killing of the eunuchs when I was in Hejian!"

Yuan Shao disliked Dong Zhong's eyes, as they brought back unpleasant memories, but he didn't show it. He simply smiled at Dong Zhong and said, "Those are all things of the past. This time, I serve under General Zhang, while you, sir, are on an inspection tour by order of the Emperor. I hope you will take care of everything!"

"Of course, of course!" Dong Zhong patted his chest with a smile. "It's all my doing. When we return to Luoyang, I will certainly report to the Emperor and explain everything in detail!"

"Then thank you very much, Young Master Dong!" Yuan Shao said with a smile.

Deng Zhong stepped aside, smiling as he watched Dong Zhong chat with Yuan Shao and the others. With his experience and insight, he could naturally see that Yuan Shao was merely trying to probe Dong Zhong's background indirectly. But he didn't care. In any case, Dong Zhong was just a puppet on top of him. No matter how much Yuan Shao tried to probe or slap him, he would never find out who was manipulating the threads behind the scenes.

"Deng Gong, Deng Gong, someone is looking for you!"

Following his confidant's pointing finger, Deng Zhong saw Kuai Sheng peeking out from behind a pomegranate tree not far away, looking at him with a face full of anxiety. Knowing that something important had happened, he coughed and said, "A small matter has come up at my home, I need to go and take care of it first. Please make yourselves at home!" With that, he bowed respectfully and walked out.

Deng Zhong had only taken a few steps after leaving the courtyard when Kuai Sheng emerged from behind a pillar and whispered, "Something terrible has happened!"

"What's the big deal? Tell me quickly!"

"Feng Kun intends to harm Marquis Wei!" Kuai Sheng said in a low voice, "After Marquis Wei quelled the E'er rebels, Feng Kun invited him to Xiangyang for a meeting. Marquis Wei caught a cold and was feeling unwell, so he sent his adopted son Nie Sheng in his place. Unexpectedly, Feng Kun found an excuse to arrest and imprison Young Master Nie, and even wanted to punish Marquis Wei for falsely reporting his achievements!"

"Is that so?" Deng Zhong was taken aback. "I'm afraid this wasn't Feng Kun's own idea. He's a man of great integrity but lacks resourcefulness. Even if he really wanted to deal with Marquis Wei, he doesn't have the skill or determination!"

"Yes, it was most likely Ying Feng's idea!" Kuai Sheng agreed. "This man is fond of the strategies of Shen Buhai and Han Fei. He probably saw that the war was over and wanted to take credit for Wei Hou's achievements!"

"Hmm!" Deng Zhong nodded. "He's probably had this intention for a long time, but with the Moth Bandits still around, it wasn't easy to make a move against Marquis Wei. Now that he's finally got this opportunity, he wouldn't be so decisive. By the way, did Marquis Wei's envoy say what he plans to do?"

"The messenger said that Marquis Wei has ordered the three armies to be on high alert in preparation for Feng Kun's surprise attack, but he has not taken the initiative to send troops to fight Feng's army! In addition, the letter also urged Young Master Dong to go south!" Kuai Sheng said, taking out a letter from his sleeve and handing it over. Deng Zhong took it and read it, then clapped his hands and laughed, "Hehehe, I didn't expect him to be so calm at this time. Feng Kun Yingfeng is really confused, actually finding such an enemy for himself!"

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

"Think about it, Nie Sheng is the Marquis of Wei's adopted son, not his biological son. Even if he were the Marquis of Wei's biological son, he couldn't harm the Marquis of Wei in the slightest. In the end, Feng Kun's real purpose in detaining people is to provoke the Marquis of Wei. As long as the two sides go to war, Feng Kun will be in an invincible position. After all, he is the General of Chariots and Cavalry, while the Marquis of Wei is just the Left General of the Household!"

"That's right!" Kuai Sheng laughed. "I guess Ying Feng was planning to muddy the waters, hehe! He didn't expect Young Master Dong to be here. Once Young Master Dong arrives, the truth will be revealed, and they'll be in for a beating!"

"Yes, so we can't delay here. I'll find an opportunity to tell Young Master Dong later to head south as soon as possible to mediate the dispute between Marquis Wei and Feng Kun!"

"Understood! I'll go back and tell Marquis Wei's messenger about the situation here, so he won't worry!"

When Deng Zhong returned to the courtyard, the hosts, Prefect Wang Fu and Zhang Huan, had already arrived. The crowd gathered around them, listening to their conversation and occasionally uttering exclamations of praise. Deng Zhong walked to Dong Zhong's side and whispered in his ear, "Young Master, if there's something urgent, please speak when we're alone!"

Dong Zhong was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening. He nodded and followed Deng Zhong to the side. After Deng Zhong explained the situation, Dong Zhong's expression changed drastically, and he asked helplessly, "How could this happen? What should we do now?"

"Head south as soon as possible to mediate their dispute!"

"Go south to mediate the dispute?" Dong Zhong's face turned ashen. "But what if they start fighting? And will they even listen to me?"

"Please rest assured, my lord. Marquis Wei has ordered his men to be on high alert, but he has not engaged in any fighting with General Feng's men. Don't forget, although your official rank is not high, you are an imperial envoy appointed by the emperor, and you carry the emperor's secret edict. If either of these two dares to disobey you, they will be considered enemies of the court and will surely be destroyed by the other. Therefore, they would absolutely not dare to disobey you."

"Alright!" Dong Zhong's expression softened somewhat. "Then what's the story with General Zhang of Wancheng? Also, the Emperor's decree orders me to secure external support to deal with the Dou family. Should I listen to Wei Cong or Feng Kun, and support whomever I choose?"

"Hehe!" Deng Zhong laughed. "Isn't that simple? Don't worry, young master. According to the Han system, now that the Eren bandits have been quelled, they, as generals, must be relieved of their military power. You are the Emperor's Embroidered Robe Envoy, so if they want to keep their military power, they must obtain the Emperor's decree from you. Therefore, they are trying to curry favor with you, not the other way around. Do you understand?"

"Are they trying to curry favor with me?" Dong Zhong asked, still somewhat skeptical.

"If you don't believe me, just try it. Don't just talk about Feng Kun and Wei Cong; even Zhang Huan is the same. If you still don't believe me, you can tell him about the conflict between Wei and Feng, and you'll understand then!"

Dong nodded: "Okay, I'll give it a try later!"

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"General Zhang, please come in!" Deng Zhong said respectfully. He pushed open the door, and candlelight shone from the study inside, casting Dong Zhong's shadow on the wall. Zhang Huan frowned slightly. He didn't like this feeling. The dignified Grand Minister of Agriculture and Right General of the Central Army was being led to see a mere thirteen or fourteen-year-old child just because he was a close confidant of the emperor. This reminded him of the terrible memories of being manipulated by those eunuchs in the past.

"Young Master Dong!" Zhang Huan bowed to Dong Zhong behind the desk. "Why can't you say it openly? Why do you have to meet in a secret room? Is there something you're ashamed of?"

Dong Zhong was speechless at Zhang Huan's questioning. Deng Zhong smiled slightly and said, "General Zhang, the military situation is urgent. How can we discuss it in public?"

“Military intelligence? The Moth Bandits have already been quelled, so where would this urgent military intelligence come from?” Zhang Huan sneered.

"It's because General Feng has detained Marquis Wei's adopted son, and the two sides are about to fight!" Dong Zhong finally spoke. He nodded, and Deng Zhong took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it over. Zhang Huan looked at Dong Zhong in surprise, took the letter written by Wei Cong, read it, and sighed after a long silence, "It really is so. What does the young master intend to do?"

"Naturally, we should head south to mediate!" Deng Zhong laughed. "No matter what, General Feng is a high-ranking official who has served the country for decades; Marquis Wei has just made a great contribution. If these two really fight, it will not be a blessing for the country!" Zhang Huan glanced at Deng Zhong. Clearly, this man was the real deal, and this young boy surnamed Dong was merely a puppet he manipulated. It seemed that the hidden story behind this matter was far more complex than he had imagined. After a moment's thought, he made his decision.

“Indeed, I shall lead the troops to escort the young master south and mediate the conflict between the two!”

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Xiakou.

Atop a small hill overlooking the confluence of the Han and Yangtze Rivers, a long wooden table was set up, covered with a tablecloth. Behind the table was the new command tent of Wei Cong, the Left General of the Central Army and Marquis of Buqi, with a large flag bearing a white circle and red background fluttering on a long pole. It was here that he dined with his men.

Fifth Deng was probably the last to arrive at Xiakou. He only set off from Hengpu Pass with 7,000 elite troops and 30 war elephants after learning that Wei Cong had defeated the Moth Rebels' navy at Sangluozhou. He crossed the Five Ridges and sailed down the Gan River, with all the prefectures and counties along the way surrendering without resistance. After conquering all of Yuzhang, he arrived at Xiakou by boat and joined Wei Cong, only to learn that Feng Kun had detained Nie Sheng and accused Wei Cong of exaggerating his military achievements and releasing the bandit chieftain.

"That old bastard Feng Kun! I knew he was no good back then. He has no skills whatsoever and only knows how to harm people. He killed Brother Yannian back then, and now he's detained Nephew Nie. My lord, please let me be the vanguard and teach this old bastard a lesson!" Fifth Deng slammed his fist on the table and cursed loudly.

"Now is not the time for swords and guns!" Wei Cong turned to the side so that the attendant behind him could pour wine for him. "No matter what, Feng Kun is a General of Chariots and Cavalry appointed by the imperial court. In terms of military rank, apart from General Dou, no one is higher than him. If we directly confront him with weapons, we will be in the wrong from the start!"

“That’s right!” Huang Ping was unusually calm: “Feng Kun detained Asheng to provoke us. If we make a move, we will fall right into his trap!”

"Then what should we do? Just stand there and do nothing?"

"Let's wait a bit!" Wei Cong took a sip of wine. "I've already sent an envoy to Wancheng. The Emperor's Embroidered-Robe Envoy is there. As long as things are clarified, Feng Kun will have to release him. Besides, Feng Kun is currently a General of Chariots and Cavalry, but that doesn't mean he'll always be one. We can settle accounts with him after he steps down!"

"Not bad!"

"Exactly, he can't be a general of chariots and cavalry forever!"

"Yes, now that the moth bandits have been dealt with, once I'm relieved of my military post, I can do whatever I want with them!"

The people around the long table immediately realized that generals in the Han Dynasty weren't like prefects or magistrates, appointed only when needed and dismissed when not. Now that the Moth Rebellion had been quelled, Wei Cong's position as Left General of the Household and Feng Kun's as General of Chariots and Cavalry wouldn't last long, and their armies would be disbanded. However, unlike Feng Kun, a large portion of Wei Cong's army was actually his private army. Once everyone was dismissed, it would be Wei Cong, with his money, troops, and power, dealing with an old man like Feng Kun who had nothing. He could do whatever he wanted.

"Let's not think about having a son for now!" Wei Cong put down his wine cup. "The most important thing is how to deal with Zhang Huan. He escorted the emperor's envoy here, so in other words, there are now three parties involved!"

"Zhang Huan?"

The people around the long table exchanged bewildered glances. Most of them had spent their lives in the south and knew very little about Zhang Huan, who was originally from Liangzhou and had mostly served as an official in the northern border regions. After a long while, only Yuan Tian spoke up.

"General, Zhang Huan is one of the Three Masters of Liangzhou. He is not only a famous general of our time, but also a first-rate scholar of Confucian classics with many disciples. Such a person is probably not easy to deal with!"

"what do you mean?"

"What I mean is that this person has his own ideas about how to do things and cannot be easily swayed by the words of others!"

"I understand!" Wei Cong nodded. Zhang Huan was a man of principle; if it worked, it worked, and if it didn't, it didn't. Many tricks and methods that worked on others probably wouldn't work on him. In that case, he should adjust his approach to things.

“Alright, then let’s wait a few more days until Zhang Huan arrives!” Wei Cong nodded. “However, we must be careful these next few days. What if someone, under pressure from Feng Kun, causes an accident?”

A hush fell over the long table. Wei Cong's words were quite blunt. When they first fought the Moth Rebellion, neither the Jiaozhou soldiers Wei Cong brought with him, nor the Nanjun people who followed him after Jiangling, had any concerns about disloyalty. But now that the Moth Rebellion was quelled, and Wei Cong's adversaries were Feng Kun, or even the imperial court, that was a different matter entirely. Would those Nanjun people who joined him later turn against him?

"The general is right. Should we strengthen our defenses in Jiangling?" Wen Sheng asked.

"With Liu Jiu here, there's no problem!" Wei Cong shook his head. "Besides, even if we really lose Jiangling, we can take the Yuzhang route and retreat back to Jiaozhou!"

"That's right!" Fifth Deng interjected, "Now the entire Yuzhang Prefecture is in our hands. At most, we can retreat back to Lingnan!"

“This is the worst-case scenario!” Wei Cong waved his hand. “In my opinion, Zhang Huan may not necessarily side with Feng Kun. Ultimately, we were the ones who quelled the Moth Rebellion. No matter how much Feng Kun talks about it, it won’t make a difference. Zhang Huan knows this best. After all, he is a master of classical studies in this era. It’s not easy for him to completely disregard the facts and spout nonsense!”

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Xiangyang, the headquarters of the General of Chariots and Cavalry.

“Wei Cong is the greatest contributor to the suppression of the rebels! You and I both know this perfectly well.” Zhang Huan said coldly, “Deceitful acts are unacceptable!”

Feng Kun's face was ashen. Ying Feng, standing beside him, coughed softly and said, "General Zhang, it's not that Lord Feng is jealous of talent. It's just that Wei Cong is not even thirty years old yet, but he has already achieved great merit without being rewarded. He has many brave warriors under his command and his coffers are full. If this continues, who can control him? It would be better to eliminate him as soon as possible to avoid future troubles."

(End of this chapter)