Taiheiki

Chapter 279 My Family

"Ah Ping!" Wei Cong said awkwardly, "This marriage was truly unexpected. I didn't expect Dou Wu to suddenly bring it up, but given the circumstances, I couldn't refuse, so—"

“You did nothing wrong!” Lu Ping turned around with a smile. “Besides, Dou Wu is right. He can hand over the position of Grand General to you, but to protect the Dou family, you must marry a daughter of the Dou family as your principal wife. Only when both families are united can Dou Wu feel at ease handing over power, and only then will the Empress Dowager fully cooperate!”

That's what they say, but you—

"What's wrong with me?" Lu Ping laughed. "What does it matter to me who you marry as your principal wife? Do you think you can marry a female Taoist priest?"

"Alright!" Wei Cong sighed softly, "Even so, I still feel like I've wronged you. Tell me, what do you want? I'll try my best to fulfill it!"

"Mistreated?" Lu Ping laughed. "Fine, then how about this! Didn't you plan to relocate all those defeated and surrendered bandits to Yuzhang? Then give me a fiefdom! Grant me the land of Yuzhang!"

“A prefecture is too large; I’m afraid the imperial court will resist too much!” Wei Cong thought for a moment and then said, “How about this? I’ll try my best to find a way. How about we merge a few counties first and then grant it to you? That would be better!”

"Okay! It's all up to you!" Lu Ping put her arm around Wei Cong's neck and pulled him closer to her. "Actually, you don't need to feel guilty. Any man in your position would do the same. Marrying a wife means you can control the world. What's there to hesitate about? As long as you still think of me a little, that's enough!"

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Guanzhong, Xiagui County.

Feng Kun dismounted, stomped his feet twice, and shook off the mud. Although he was over sixty years old, he was still very strong. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his eyes were sharp. If you ignored his gray hair and beard, he would look like a strong middle-aged warrior.

Compared to Wei Cong, Feng Kun's advance was actually much smoother. Having served in Liangzhou for a long time, he was very familiar with the situation in the Guanzhong region. After splitting his forces at Wancheng, he marched westward, first entering Wuguan Pass, then passing through Shangxian, Shangluo, and Lantian, before turning northeast to capture Lintong, Weinan, Xiagui, and Huaxian, cutting off the connection between Chang'an and Luoyang. He encountered little resistance along the way. This was partly due to Feng Kun's intricate connections with local military and political officials, a skill far superior to Wei Cong's; and partly because everyone was completely bewildered. Yes, conflicts between the Han emperor and the Grand General were not uncommon, but these conflicts were usually confined to the capital and its surrounding areas. For the Guanzhong region, hundreds of kilometers away from Luoyang, such conflicts were simply a decree announcing the outcome. A massive army of 100,000 men, bearing the banner of the Han Dynasty, was unprecedented.

"What should we do next? Take Chang'an, or march east towards Luoyang?" Feng Kun pondered to himself. At the same time, he ascended the steps and entered the backyard. Servants came forward to take his whip, sword, and helmet, helping him remove his armor. They brought him warm water and soft cloths for washing, as well as comfortable clothes. Ying Feng emerged from behind the screen, looking hurried. He waved his hand, "You may all leave. I have something to discuss with the general."

The servants and attendants retreated in a rush, like a receding tide. Feng Kun tossed the soft cloth he had used to wipe his face back into the basin: "What happened?"

"Wei Cong has sent a letter!" Ying Feng's face was very grim.

"Oh?" Feng Kun took the letter, and while opening the envelope, he asked, "You don't look too good. Did Wei Cong suffer a defeat? I remember the last letter said he had already besieged Luoyang City!"

Ying Feng opened his mouth, but in the end he didn't say anything: "There are too many things to do, you should read the letter first!"

Feng Kun glanced at his old friend, then took out the letter and began to read it. As his gaze moved downwards, his expression became increasingly complex. Finally, he put the letter down, remained silent for a long time, and then said, "Uncle, am I dreaming?"

"That's what I thought too when I first read the letter!" Ying Feng said with a wry smile. "But it should be true. Even if Wei Cong wanted to lie to us, he wouldn't make up something like this!"

"Yes!" Feng Kun sighed. "Just a few days ago, he was ordered by the Emperor to attack the Dou family, and now he's telling me the Emperor has died and he wants to marry the Dou family's daughter and establish a new ruler. This... Wei Cong's change of heart is just too fast!"

"Yes! But upon closer inspection, there are indeed clues to be found!"

"Why do you say that?" Feng Kun asked.

"It's very simple! If the letter wasn't lying and the emperor really did die of illness, then this is the only path Wei Cong can choose. After all, establishing a new emperor wouldn't be able to get rid of Empress Dowager Dou. If he eliminates the Dou clan and the current emperor has no heir, then it means all the feudal lords in the land have a chance, which would be quite a spectacle. But if he wants Empress Dowager Dou to cooperate in relinquishing power, then a marriage alliance with the Dou clan is the best solution. In this way, he would become the Dou clan's son-in-law, part of the family, and many things would be easier to discuss!"

“That’s true. So what should we do now?” Feng Kun asked.

"Go to Luoyang, the sooner the better!" Ying Feng explained, "According to the rites, when the emperor dies, his body is laid in state at Deyang Palace for the officials to pay their respects. Then, they discuss how to bury him and appoint a new emperor. You are General of Chariots and Cavalry, a rank equivalent to the Three Dukes, so as long as you are in Luoyang, they cannot bypass you in the matter of appointing a new emperor. Once you have made a great contribution to the appointment, being ennobled as a marquis or one of the Three Dukes will be a matter of course! This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Wei Cong should have also written to Zhang Huan, and he will definitely go there as well."

"I understand!" Feng Kun nodded, a smile finally appearing on his face. "Although the process was a bit bumpy, the result looks pretty good. Shishu, don't worry, I will never forget your contribution!"

"Thank you, Lord Feng!" Ying Feng cupped his hands in thanks. "However, don't be too optimistic. Many things will only become clear once we arrive in Luoyang. You still need to be prepared!"

"Don't be too optimistic. Why do I say that?" "The cause of the Emperor's death is unknown. According to the letter, he fled the palace, then contracted a serious illness, suffering from incessant diarrhea, and died. Is this true? Could the diarrhea have been caused by poisoning? And how can we spread this story in a way that convinces the people? If someone uses this as an excuse to start a rebellion, how can we deal with it? These are all troublesome matters! You must not make any rash statements; one wrong move could lead to the extermination of your entire clan!"

"That's right! Don't worry, I won't make any hasty statements after I get to Luoyang. I'll be cautious and prudent!"

"Secondly, Wei Cong's direction changed too quickly. He was shouting aggressively that he wanted to conquer the Dou family, but suddenly he changed his tune and wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Dou family. What will the people of the world think? Has Wei Cong been bought off by the Dou family and joined forces to slander the emperor? This is actually a good thing for us, since you and Zhang Xun are not in Luoyang, so this matter will not affect you in any way!"

"You mean, don't get too close to Wei Cong?"

"That's right. Actually, you, Zhang Xun, and Wei Cong weren't originally on the same side. It was only by chance that the three of you ended up on the same side. Now that the Emperor is gone, the Dou family will have to give up a lot of power in the court. Naturally, your alliance is no longer valid. Whether you three are enemies or friends in the future depends on fate. I'm sure Wei Cong understands this as well!"

Feng Kun nodded: "So, according to you, I should also lead troops to Luoyang?"

“Excellent! You can lead a thousand or so people to Luoyang to worship the Emperor first, and the rest can follow closely behind. I believe Zhang Huan will do the same! You two have similar stances, so you can form an alliance!”

"Form an alliance?" Feng Kun was taken aback. "Then who will they target? Wei Cong?"

“It’s not just Wei Cong!” Ying Feng said, “There are others too. After all, you and I haven’t arrived in Luoyang yet, so there are many things we don’t know!”

"Sigh!" Feng Kun sighed, "Even at this point, they still have to scheme and plot like this. If they had known this would happen, why did they do it in the first place!"

“Lord Feng, you are mistaken!” Ying Feng said, “Once you are in the imperial court, if you want to stay, this is the only way! Otherwise, you could have lived out your life in your hometown, why bother to serve in the government?”

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The news of the Emperor's death was announced three days after Wei Cong entered the city. Before that, Wei Cong had met his future wife, Dou Yun, Dou Wu's niece, and they had become engaged. Due to the urgency of the situation, most of the elaborate engagement ceremonies were omitted, but even so, the remaining steps were enough to make Wei Cong's days quite difficult. However, with the engagement finalized, his relationship with Dou Yun changed drastically. For example, when Wei Cong met with the Empress Dowager at the Hehuan Palace, her attitude towards him was completely different. Although her expression was still somewhat unpleasant, her words were now entirely those of a close confidante.

"Mengde!" The Empress Dowager, now dressed in plain linen, said, "We're all family now, so let's not be formal. Tell me frankly how many of your subordinates want to serve in the court, and how you plan to arrange the affairs of Jiaozhou, Jingzhou, and Yangzhou, so I can draft the edict directly. Otherwise, there will be a lot of trouble ahead!"

"Isn't this a bit too hasty?" Wei Cong hadn't expected the Empress Dowager to be so direct. It should be noted that during the Han Dynasty, besides the Emperor, only the Empress and Empress Dowager had the power to issue edicts. They all had their own seals, their own officials, and even their own armies (the Empress's palace guards). For example, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Crown Prince was framed in the witchcraft case by the cruel official Jiang Chong. He wanted to see Emperor Wu to defend himself but was denied an audience. Therefore, Crown Prince Liu Ju sent his attendant Wu Qie with an imperial tally to enter the Changqiu Gate of Weiyang Palace that night. Through the chief eunuch Yi Hua, Wu Qie reported the situation in detail to Empress Wei. Empress Wei immediately issued an edict, mobilized the imperial stables to load up with horses and carriages with archers, retrieved weapons from the armory, mobilized the Changle Palace guards, and announced to the officials that Jiang Chong was plotting a rebellion. The Empress Dowager's power was even greater.

"Is it urgent?" Empress Dowager Dou had a maid pour her a cup of wine and laughed, "Mengde, when you raised your army in Jingzhou and marched north to take Luoyang, you were incredibly fast! Let me put it this way, when you first raised your army, you also had Feng Kun and Zhang Huan with you; they both wanted a share of the spoils. Now that they haven't arrived in Luoyang yet, everything is very convenient for you. But once they arrive, things will be different!"

"I am unworthy of the Empress Dowager's kindness!" Wei Cong said with a wry smile.

"Alas!" Empress Dowager Dou sighed. "Don't you understand? After this incident, my father will definitely have to retire and return to his hometown. And it's clear from this incident that none of the Dou family's sons are capable. Although I am the Empress Dowager, I am still a woman. Without a capable assistant in the outer court, I can't accomplish anything. Since you have already married a daughter of our Dou family, you are family. If I don't help you, who else can I help?"

Hearing this, Wei Cong gradually understood. For people during the Han Dynasty, family politics was a matter of course. The emperor had a responsibility to share the power and sustenance of the empire with his own clan and maternal relatives. This was manifested in the enfeoffment of members of the imperial clan as kings and marquises, as well as the enfeoffment of maternal relatives as marquises, and the appointment of maternal uncles as generals and marquises. This was legitimate; if the emperor treated his clan or maternal relatives poorly, it would be considered a sign of cruelty.

Therefore, Empress Dowager Dou displayed completely different attitudes towards Wei Cong before and after the marriage alliance. The more she hated Wei Cong before, the more she valued him afterwards. Ultimately, their positions had changed. Wei Cong was now considered one of Dou's "own people." The more capable he was, the more beneficial it would be to Dou. After all, the country belonged to the Liu family; the more Wei Cong received, the more Dou's descendants would benefit. Why wouldn't she do something that harmed others for her own benefit?

"Thank you for your favor, Empress Dowager!" Wei Cong thought for a moment and then said, "Deng Zhong will be appointed Commandant of the Capital Region, Nie Sheng will be appointed General of the Five Offices, and Yuan Tian will be appointed Marquis of the Northern Army. As for Jiaozhou, I would like to divide the positions of Governor of Jiaozhou and Protector of the Baiyue into two separate positions. Kong Gui will be appointed Governor of Jiaozhou, and Wu Deng will be Protector of the Baiyue. In addition, I would like to appoint my subordinate Liu Jiu as Prefect of Nan Commandery. As for Yuzhang Commandery, I would like to merge several southern counties to settle the surrendered bandits, and then bestow the title upon Lu Ping..."

As Wei Cong dictated, the eunuch beside Empress Dowager Dou hurriedly knelt on the ground and wrote down his notes. After Wei Cong finished speaking, the eunuch presented the completed silk paper to Empress Dowager Dou. Empress Dowager Dou did not even look at it, but handed it directly to Wei Cong: "Mengde, take a look and see if there are any omissions or errors!"

"Yes, there are no omissions or errors!" Wei Cong nodded after carefully reviewing the document.

"Very well!" The Empress Dowager handed it to the eunuch beside her: "Take it to the Secretariat and have them draft it! Then distribute it to the Three Dukes' offices! Tell the Secretariat not to delay and to send it out before dark."

"Yes, sir!" the eunuch replied and left the hall. Wei Cong looked at the eunuch who had hurriedly left, still somewhat bewildered: he had just made an outrageous demand, and the Empress Dowager had agreed to everything without even haggling?
"Mengde, Mengde?" Empress Dowager Dou asked, seeing Wei Cong's blank expression, "Why are you daydreaming?"

(End of this chapter)