Taiheiki

Chapter 304 The Island
"Warfare is based on deception. Duan Jiming was ordered by the king to attack the Qiang bandits. How can he be bound by etiquette and law? Moreover, the Qiang, Hu, and other barbarians do not know etiquette and righteousness. It is not unrighteous to kill them, nor is it untrustworthy to deceive them. To blame Duan Jiming for this is extremely pedantic."

"What about Ji Ming's subsequent return to Luoyang and his willingness to become Wei Cong's lackey? How should we comment on that?"

Bang bang bang!
Three soft taps interrupted the argument. Indeed, Xu Shao had tapped the edge of the table three times with his bronze ruyi scepter. He smiled slightly and said, "Please wait a moment, everyone. I'm sure you've all heard of the people we're discussing today, so I won't introduce them one by one. Please feel free to speak your minds later, as long as your statements are based on evidence, without exaggeration, concealment, or slander. Alright, let's begin!"

A scholar with a long beard immediately stood up: "In my opinion, Duan Jiong quelled the rebellion of the Qiang in the east and west, relieving the country of its worries. He is truly a renowned general and a model of military officials in this era. As for what you all said earlier about the massacre of women and children and the forgery of imperial edicts, these are merely minor matters! As you all know, the Qiang rebellion did not begin overnight; it has lasted for decades. It is not that the imperial army is incapable of victory, but rather that the Qiang bandits either plunder when strong or submit when weak, which is why it has dragged on until now. If Duan Jiong, like those generals of the past, had refused to get his hands dirty, the Qiang rebellion would have resurfaced in three to five years at most. Is this what a minister of the state should do?"

"Brother Li, have you finished speaking?" Xu Shao put down his brush and asked. After the long-bearded scholar nodded, he turned to the crowd: "Does anyone else have anything else to say? Please speak freely!"

"My view is different!" a voice rang out from the crowd, and a man immediately stood up. He was eight feet tall, with a majestic appearance, standing out like a crane among chickens. Xu Shao smiled and said, "So it's Brother Jingsheng! Please speak frankly!" This man was none other than Liu Biao, a rising star among the partisans. He was originally a member of the Han imperial family, with an extraordinary appearance, and had become famous in his youth. He had previously been implicated by the partisans and had gone into hiding. Later, after the Yuan brothers killed the eunuchs, he returned to his hometown, but unexpectedly, he came to Runan today.

Liu Biao nodded to Xu Shao and said, "What Brother Li just said was simply that although Duan Jiong committed many massacres, forged imperial edicts, and used many deceitful tricks, he quelled the Qiang rebellion once and for all, so he did the right thing. Is that right?"

“Indeed!” the long-bearded scholar replied. “Perhaps there is something wrong with what I said?”

"Alright!" Liu Biao nodded. "I won't argue with you about whether Duan Jiong's actions are right or wrong. I'll just ask you one question: can Duan Jiong's actions truly quell the Qiang rebellion forever?"

"This—" The long-bearded scholar was immediately stumped by the question, and his tone became weak: "According to Duan Jiong, he beheaded more than 100,000 people in Liangzhou. Including the Qiang and Hu people who surrendered, there are at least 400,000 households. Although I dare not say that there will be eternal peace, there should be no problem with at least 20 or 30 years of peace, right?"

"Is that so?" Liu Biao sneered, "Then I cannot agree. In my opinion, the Qiang rebellion will break out again in ten years at most, or five years at least. Not only that, the scale of the Qiang rebellion will only be larger than it is now. Even Liangzhou and the Three Auxiliary Regions will not belong to the court! At that time, everyone in the world will regard Duan Jiong as a person who has ruined the country!"

The crowd gasped in disbelief. For the Eastern Han dynasty, the Qiang rebellion had been a constant battle since the founding of the dynasty, consuming astronomical sums of manpower and resources. This explained why Duan Jiong, a rebellious frontier warrior, could garner so much support within the core ideological sphere of the Runan Monthly Commentary. Ultimately, the Eastern Han, from top to bottom, was exhausted and impoverished by the war, desperately wanting to end it as soon as possible. Now, hearing Liu Biao declare that the war would continue, and on an even larger scale, potentially even threatening the loss of the Guanzhong region, naturally pushed them to their breaking point.

"Liu Jingsheng, don't spread alarmist rumors!" someone shouted. "What makes you say that the Qiang rebellion will reignite in five or ten years, and on an even larger scale? If you have evidence, then fine, otherwise you won't leave here easily today!"

"Correct!"

"Yes, explain yourself clearly!"

Faced with a barrage of questions from all sides, Liu Biao remained calm and asked, "Our dynasty has fought fiercely with the Qiang people for a hundred years. Do you know where the Qiang people's name 'Qiang' comes from?"

The long-bearded scholar replied, “The sage spoke of the Eastern Yi, Northern Di, Southern Man, and Western Qiang. The Qiang should refer to the barbarians located west of the Central Plains who do not submit to the king’s rule!”

"Aren't there also many barbarians in the Western Regions who don't submit to the king's rule? Are they also Qiang people?"

"This—" The long-bearded scholar was speechless. Thanks to the Silk Road, scholars at that time already knew that there was a large area of ​​land west of the Eastern Han Dynasty, inhabited by many tribes that did not submit to the Han Dynasty. They certainly could not be considered Qiang people!
"It shouldn't count, but what does that have to do with whether the Qiang people will rebel?"

"It's very simple. Duan Jiong did kill many rebellious Qiang people, but he couldn't destroy the land they once inhabited as well. This would create large tracts of vacant land. The barbarians living further west, in more remote and desolate areas, would see these vacant lands and migrate eastward. If the court sends troops to stop them, it will only incite new conflicts; if it doesn't, these new barbarians will replace the original Qiang people. The original Qiang people have lived in the area for generations, and they are far more submissive to the king than these new barbarians, aren't they?"

"I've heard so much about Liu Jingsheng's reputation, but seeing him in person is truly an honor! This trip to Runan was definitely worthwhile!" Dou Xuan exclaimed from the crowd.

"Young master, you should be careful not to reveal your identity!" Qian Wen looked around warily. Dressed as a warrior in a sand-patterned robe and trousers, he stood out among the group of scholars in long robes.

"What's there to worry about!" Dou Xuan laughed nonchalantly. "My uncle, Dou Wu, is also a leader of the Party. What can the people here do to me?"

Qian Wengang wanted to continue persuading, but found that all eyes were on him. He coughed, took a half step back, pretended to be a guard accompanying a young master of a noble family, then summoned his personal guards, whispered a few instructions, and then stood behind Dou Xuan with his hand on his sword.

At this point, several more people stood up to refute Liu Biao, but Liu Biao refuted them one by one. Gradually, fewer and fewer people dared to stand up and argue with Liu Biao, and the atmosphere by the pavilion shifted more and more unfavorably towards Duan Jiong.

Seeing the situation becoming increasingly unfavorable, the long-bearded scholar gritted his teeth and stood up: "Brother Jingsheng, even if, as you say, the Qiang people will rebel in five or ten years, at least that will bring five or ten years of peace, giving the court a chance to breathe. Isn't that better than this endless fighting?"

"That's not necessarily true!" Liu Biao sneered. "If the Qiang people were to cause trouble outside, the palace would still have to be careful in its actions. But with these past few years of peace, we are able to spare some resources. I'm afraid something unspeakable might happen. I fear the Han Dynasty's worries are not in Zhuanyu, but within its own walls!"

Even a pampered young master like Dou Xuan, born with a silver spoon in his mouth, sensed something amiss in Liu Biao's words. No matter how spoiled a playboy, he had at least read the passage in the Analects about the Ji family's attack on Zhuanyu. Liu Biao was clearly pointing his sword at his cousin in the Western Palace—how could he tolerate this! He immediately jumped out, pointing at Liu Biao and shouting, "Liu Jing Sheng, how dare you! You actually dare to criticize the imperial carriage!"

The room fell silent. Liu Biao looked at the boy who had loudly reprimanded him. He looked to be no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, with a childish face. But he was dressed in a Shu brocade robe, wearing a traveler's hat, and had a jade-hilted sword and a jade cicada pendant hanging at his waist. Even among a group of scholars, he was very conspicuous.

"I was merely stating the facts, what's so bold or cowardly about it?" Liu Biao cupped his hands in greeting, showing no disrespect for the other man's age: "But who are you, sir, and why do you accuse me of criticizing the imperial carriage?"

"You just said that there are some concerns about actions in the palace, and that the worries of the Han Dynasty lie within its own walls. How can this not be a rebuke of the emperor?" Dou Xuan shouted, one hand on his sword and the other pointing at Liu Biao.

"Young Master must have arrived late and missed what Master Xu said," Liu Biao said, pointing to Xu Shao sitting behind the table. "Those present must speak freely, as long as their words are based on evidence, without exaggeration, concealment of faults, or slander. If you, Young Master, feel that anything I said just now violated these requirements, please point it out in public. I, Liu, will then commit suicide to avoid sullying your precious sword!" "This—" Dou Xuan, having never experienced much hardship, was rendered speechless by Liu Biao's words. The surrounding scholars also began to jeer.

"Why are you putting your hand on the sword? Are you going to kill someone on the island?"

"Yes! Why don't you reveal your identity!"

"Identify yourself, or get off the island!"

"Get off the island!"

Faced with shouts and curses from all sides, Dou Xuan panicked and instinctively turned to Qian Wen, casting a pleading look in his eyes. Qian Wen had no choice but to step forward, bow deeply to the crowd, and say with a smile, "My young master is still young; please forgive him if he has said anything inappropriate!"

"Judging from your attire, you should just be a servant or guard in a household. What right do you have to speak here? Get out of here!" the long-bearded scholar said coldly.

"Yes, since when can just anyone come aboard this island? Get out of here!"

"Why don't you reveal your identity, young man? Are you a member of the eunuch faction, here to harm people on the island?"

Upon hearing the phrase "eunuch faction," chaos erupted on the island. Hatred and contempt filled the air, and several hot-tempered individuals drew their swords, ready to pounce. This terrified Dou Xuan, who quickly cried out, "I am not a member of the eunuch faction! My name is Dou Xuan, and I am from the Dou clan of Pingling, Fufeng. The current Empress Dowager is my cousin, and General Wei Cong is my brother-in-law!"

"So that's how it is! No wonder!" The long-bearded scholar sneered. "Just now, Brother Jingsheng said that the Han dynasty's worries were not in Zhuanyu, but within its own walls. You've just stepped on this young master Dou's tail!"

"Hahaha, not bad, you really are feeling guilty!"

"Yes, I wondered why he was in such a hurry. Turns out he's from the Dou family. Humph, and he even claims General Wei Cong is his brother-in-law! How utterly despicable!"

"Yes, Wei Cong was originally just a local military man who managed to quell the rebellion of the E'zhai. Taking advantage of the instability in the court, he actually raised an army and advanced on Luoyang. That Dou family member, who received great favors from the late emperor, did not think of quelling the rebellion, but instead colluded with Wei Cong to seize the country for themselves. They are truly shameless!"

"But Dou Youping surrendered himself to the emperor despite his humble origins and virtuous conduct. During the turmoil of the partisans, he even confronted the emperor and saved many people. How could he be like this now?"

"Dou Youping was merely a pretentious man to deceive the world in the past, but after ascending to the position of Grand General, his true colors were revealed."

"If that's the case, it's truly a pity."

Dou Xuan stood there, feeling as if he had been stripped naked and exposed in front of everyone, filled with unbearable shame. Just as he was about to cover his face and run away, he heard Qian Wen whisper, "Young master, please wait a moment. I have already sent people to gather troops and send them to the island!"

"Go to the island? What for?" Dou Xuan was still somewhat puzzled.

"Of course we will capture all these rebels!" Qian Wen said in a low voice. "Young master, please rest assured, this island is not big, only a mile or two in size. Once we land, not one of them will be able to escape!"

"Capture them all?" Dou Xuan understood upon hearing this and hurriedly said, "How can we do that? These are all famous scholars from Ruying, and many of them were partisans back then. If we capture them, wouldn't that confirm what they said before? Wouldn't my uncle's lifelong reputation be ruined in an instant!"

"Look at these people's mouths. Even if you do nothing, do you think they'll let you go?" Qian Wen sneered. "Besides, young master, don't forget your identity as the Runan Pursuit Envoy. I bet these people are definitely related to that group of rebels from Lugu. We absolutely cannot let them go!"

Just then, a loud sound came from the water—the whistling of an arrow. Qian Wen was overjoyed: "Finally ashore! Quickly fire the whistling arrow and let them make their move!"

"Yes, sir!" The guards behind him quickly drew their bows and fired an arrow into the sky. The sharp sound pierced the air and echoed throughout the island. Immediately afterwards, the sound of drums and horns came from all directions.

"What, what's going on?" Xu Shao could no longer sit still. He stood up from behind the desk and shouted, "Quick, go and see!"

"No need to look!" Qian Wen stepped forward, shielding Dou Xuan behind him with his sword. "Young Master Dou has come to Runan on orders from the General's Mansion as the Runan Pursuit Envoy to apprehend thieves and rebels. I suspect some of you are colluding with traitors. Do not move, or you will all be considered thieves and executed without exception!"

As soon as Qian Wen finished speaking, his guards rushed forward like wolves and tigers, some drawing their bows, others wielding swords and spears, shouting in unison: "Stand still and do not move, or you will be killed without mercy!"

Although the scholars were numerous and had brought many servants, they had never seen such battle-hardened warriors before and were immediately terrified. In just a short while, the outer area was surrounded by armored soldiers. A captain approached Qian Wen and bowed, saying, "Captain, the outer area is under control; no one has escaped!"

"Hmm, very good!" Qian Wen nodded in satisfaction, walked to the front of the group, and his gaze swept across each person's face. Whenever his gaze lingered on someone's face, that person began to tremble violently. Everyone realized that no matter how much life they had, or how many manor retainers they had, at this moment, in this place, everyone's life was in the hands of this brute.

(End of this chapter)