Taiheiki

Chapter 319 Retreat

"lady!"

"lady!"

With a series of hurried footsteps, Dou Yun entered the room. The maids and servants inside knelt down to pay their respects. Wei Cong also noticed that the masseuse's hands had stopped. He said somewhat impatiently, "Don't stop, keep massaging!"

"Look!" The woman was startled and quickly got up to continue the massage.

"I know everything that happened on the way here!" Dou Yun asked, "Why did you let those three people who spread rumors go?"

Wei Cong frowned and said coldly, "I'm very tired right now and I don't want to talk about this! You go out first, and I'll come back to you after I'm done. We'll talk then!"

Dou Yun was stunned. Ever since Wei Cong married her, regardless of their actual relationship, he had at least maintained a facade of respect. He had never once asked her to leave in front of the servants like this. She felt both ashamed and angry, and stamped her foot, turning and leaving the room.

"Ignore her, keep the pressure and keep massaging!" Wei Cong said to the masseuse who had slowed down again, "You don't need to worry about her taking her anger out on you. Tomorrow I'll have someone arrange for your release from servitude, and I'll also give you a house and some money. From now on, you'll be a law-abiding citizen!"

"Thank you, General!" The masseuse was both surprised and delighted, and quickly bowed in gratitude.

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After Wei Cong finished his massage, he returned to the inner courtyard around 9 PM. He found Dou Yun, dressed neatly, sitting in the back hall, clearly having been waiting for him. Wei Cong gestured for the maids and servants to leave, saying, "It's nothing, why are you making such a fuss?"

"This is no small matter!" Dou Yun said angrily, "Spreading rumors that you intend to usurp the throne, how can this be considered a small matter?"

"This is not a rumor, it's a prophecy! The saying 'Tu Gao will replace the Han' has existed since at least the time of Wang Mang. Too many people know it, so it's not like he would spread it. It's just that linking this saying to me is far-fetched. No one but a fool would believe it. If I kill those three, it will only make the matter known to everyone, fulfilling the wishes of the person behind the scenes!"

"But we can't just let it go like that! If we do, how will we deter the villains?"

“Killing the mastermind behind the scenes is the only way to intimidate the underlings. These few small fry in front of me were just sent to me to kill anyway. If I just kill them like this, it will only make those guys happy.” Wei Cong sneered, “Sun Tzu said, ‘A general should not raise an army out of anger, nor should a ruler kill people out of anger!’ Killing people is no skill. Once a person dies, they have nothing left. When people are alive, they can talk and walk. As long as you go along with them, you can find out the truth of the matter!”

"You released those three people to find the person behind it all?" Dou Yun suddenly realized.

"Hmm!" Wei Cong nodded: "Not only that, the person behind it probably already calculated that these three would die. The real trouble for him is that these three are alive. How could I let him be so smug?"

"Then, who do you think is behind this?" Dou Yun asked.

"do not know!"

"So, what do you think?"

"I can't guess, and I'm too lazy to guess! Holding this position, wielding the power of a nation, we have too many enemies; how could we possibly guess them all?" Wei Cong casually sat down. "All we can do is manage our own affairs well. We can't possibly defend against everything. If we're paranoid, we'll only scare ourselves to death!"

"What do you mean by doing your own job well?" Dou Yun asked, somewhat unconvinced. "Doesn't dealing with these traitors count?"

"No, at least not entirely!" Wei Cong said coldly, "Whether someone is a traitor or not isn't determined by their character, but by their stance! Take you and me, for example. We are not of the Liu family, yet we hold the reins of power. In the eyes of many, aren't we traitors to the Han Dynasty? Are we to kill all of these people? Then their families and friends will become our enemies. When will this ever end?"

"So what do you think we should do?"

"It's very simple. Be diligent in government affairs, so that the people of the world are well-off, those over sixty have meat to eat, and those over seventy have silk to wear. In this way, naturally there will be fewer people who oppose us. After all, most people are concerned with their own affairs, and few are concerned with whether the world belongs to the Liu, Dou, or Wei families."

"What if someone still rebels against you?" Dou Yun retorted, unconvinced.

“Then do it the way you should!” Wei Cong said, “But it must be directed at those who have acted against you, not those who have similar thoughts, especially those you think might rebel against you. That will only involve more people and drive more and more people to the opposite side.”

"If it's as you say, if nothing goes according to your wishes, if you know that some people oppose you, but you can't do anything about it, and you still have to be busy with state affairs all day long, then what's the point of holding power?" Dou Yun retorted, "What's the point of a real man if he holds power but can't do what he wants!"

"Then exiled to Rinan, where he committed suicide by poison on the way?" Wei Cong sneered, "Just like Liang Ji and Dou Xian?"

Dou Yun's expression gradually changed. She narrowed her eyes, a blush creeping up her fair neck and past her neckline: "How could you say that? You're cursing me—"

"I'm just telling the truth!" Wei Cong sneered. "Don't forget, your surname is Dou, and mine is Wei. Neither of us has the surname Liu. Four hundred years ago, Emperor Gaozu swore an oath by sacrificing a white horse: 'Those who are not of the Liu family will be kings, and those who are not meritorious will be marquises, and the whole world will attack them!' Those who are not of the Liu family and hold positions in the court are like walking on thin ice, trembling with fear, and may not even be able to keep their heads. What's more, as you say? Maybe you don't care, but I care a lot about this thing on my neck!" With that, Wei Cong flicked his sleeves and walked out.

"Wei Cong—!" Dou Yun, her face turning purple with rage, hissed, "You come back here! Come back here!"

Wei Cong walked straight out, seemingly oblivious to everything. He increasingly felt that staying in Luoyang was a bad idea. While this marriage had granted him supreme power, it had also become a burden, constantly dragging him deeper into the mire. Perhaps he should consider a way out.

Wei Cong walked through the courtyard to his study. He felt the air was a bit damp; it might rain soon. He looked up towards Mangshan Mountain. Should he go check on the pontoon bridge construction site tomorrow? At least it was something that could leave him with a good reputation in history. Thinking of this, Wei Cong felt a little happier. He returned to his study and said to Meng Gaogong, "I'll sleep in the study tonight. Also, I'm going to Mangshan Mountain tomorrow; have the carriages and horses prepared!"

"Yes!" Meng Gaogong responded, but did not immediately go out to issue orders. He whispered, "Master, those people returned this evening!" "You mean the ones who escorted those college students? How did they go?" Wei Cong asked.

"Those three students were all from Fufeng. There was only one senior student living there at the time. After learning what they had done, he was shocked and gave the three of them a severe dressing down!"

"Yes!" Wei Cong nodded: "You've noted down the addresses of those three people and the senior's name and hometown, right?"

“I’ve written it all down, it’s all here!” Meng Gaogong handed over a wooden slip.

"Hmm!" Wei Cong did not take the wooden slip: "Pick a few smart ones from the guards to keep an eye on these three people and that senior. See where they usually go and who they meet. Record it clearly and hand it over to Huang Ping for disposal!"

"Here!"

Meng Gaogong left the study and began issuing orders. Wei Cong walked to the brocade couch by the window and sat down. He slept here when he spent the night in the study, and began to ponder. It was Dou Yun who had increasingly drawn him to leaving. In truth, he should be grateful to this woman. Returning to Jiaozhou was a good thing; he shouldn't have left in the first place. His subordinates and his career were waiting for him there. After returning, he could wholeheartedly develop navigation and handicrafts, expand southward, and plant his flag across most of the world. Lu Ping, A Jing, and the other women—he could have several sons with them, so that his lineage would continue. Lately, he often dreamed of the sea and the unique tranquility of the seaside at night.

On the other hand, the thought of leaving infuriated Wei Cong. So many plans remained unfinished, and if he simply left without restraint, Dou Miao and her sycophantic followers would wreak havoc on the country. It might even be worse than in history, considering that at this time, Emperor Ling of Han and his eunuchs still existed. While this emperor is infamous in history, if one disregards his political stance, he was indeed trying his best to save the empire. But if the Dou family were to perish, the current emperor would still be learning to walk, and the eunuchs, weakened by the Yuan brothers, would no longer be as powerful as before. Meanwhile, Tan Shihuai, who controlled the northern grasslands, would still be alive and well. It wasn't impossible for those naive and impulsive scholars to instigate the War of the Eight Princes decades earlier than anticipated.

Of course, this might not necessarily be a bad thing for me. At that time, I didn't need to care so much anymore. Sometimes, other people's misfortunes are my own good fortune. But the lives of tens of millions of people and the glory of the Han Dynasty for four hundred years were destroyed in an instant, turned into bronze camels and thorns. It was truly unbearable.

"What does this have to do with me? After all, I didn't cause any of this!" Wei Cong muttered to himself. He secretly made up his mind to send someone to check the river channel on the return journey first thing tomorrow morning to prepare for the upcoming return trip.

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The next morning, Wei Cong got up from his brocade couch and was doing his usual stretching exercises in the courtyard when someone outside announced that Zhang Huan was requesting an audience. Wei Cong was somewhat surprised, but still had him invited in.

"General!" Zhang Huan rushed into the study, looking flustered. "There is something I need to report to you!"

"Oh? Please speak frankly, Master Sikong!"

"An urgent message has arrived from the Southern Xiongnu tribe!" Zhang Huan said. "Tu Te Ruo Shi Zhu Jiu Chanyu has suddenly died, and his sons are fighting over the succession. The eldest son, Xiu Tu Ge, was defeated and led the remaining troops to escape beyond the Great Wall and seek refuge with the Xiongnu's Tan Shi Huai!"

"Such a thing is true!" Wei Cong took the letter and glanced at it quickly. At that time, the Southern Xiongnu were almost completely under the rule of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The nobles of the various Southern Xiongnu tribes received generous rewards every year, and the Southern Xiongnu General of the Central Army wielded immense power. Such a situation was extremely rare. Wei Cong thought for a moment and decided to consult Zhang Huan first. After all, Zhang Huan had served as General of the Central Army and General Who Pacifies the Liao River in the Southern Xiongnu, and his experience in border affairs was far richer than his own.

"What does Minister Zhang think we should do?"

"We should send an envoy to the Xianbei and demand that Tanshihuai hand over the people!"

"Are you wary of Tan Shihuai using this person to infiltrate the Southern Xiongnu?"

“Yes!” Zhang Huan nodded: “The first line of defense in the north of our dynasty is the vassal states such as the Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan. Although Xiutuge’s mother was of lowly status and was only a son of a concubine, he is brave and skilled in battle, and is already in his prime. He still has some supporters among the various tribes of the Southern Xiongnu. If he is put into the hands of Tan Shihuai, Tan Shihuai can use his name to lure the various tribes of the Southern Xiongnu and turn them into the vanguard of his southward invasion! That would be troublesome!”

"Hmm!" Wei Cong nodded. Zhang Huan's words were concise, yet they revealed the crux of the matter. Unlike the Western Han Dynasty, the Eastern Han Dynasty had a much smaller border defense force, numbering only tens of thousands. This was because the Eastern Han Dynasty delegated most border defense affairs to its vassal states, while deploying its standing army on the second line as reserves and surveillance forces. Clearly, under these circumstances, the key to victory or defeat in the war between the northern enemy and the Eastern Han Dynasty lay in the struggle for control of its vassal states. The Eastern Han Dynasty itself was well aware of this, which is why Zhang Huan immediately demanded that Tan Shihuai hand over the Southern Xiongnu prince Xiutuge, who had defected to them.

"Do you think Tan Shihuai will accept this request?"

Faced with Wei Cong's question, Zhang Huan did not answer immediately. After a long silence, he said, "If that's the case, then there's no other way but to fight!"

"So we have no choice but to fight?" Wei Cong asked.

“Yes!” Zhang Huan nodded: “The youngest son of the Southern Xiongnu, Hanhuye, is only three years old. The one who truly holds power is his maternal uncle, Hehanshen. This man is greedy and harsh, and many of his tribes are dissatisfied with him. If something were to happen to Hanhuye, Hehanshen would certainly be unable to control the various tribes of the Southern Xiongnu. Under Xiutuge’s inducements, some of his people would definitely flee back to the grasslands!”

“I understand!” Wei Cong nodded. “Minister Zhang, if it weren’t for you, I really wouldn’t know anything about the northern border troops. How about this, you and I will go to the palace to see the Empress Dowager later! We’ll ask the court to issue an edict and send envoys. At the same time, we’ll requisition grain and fodder and send troops. You will go to Bingzhou. We’ll prepare to use both methods to force Tan Shihuai to hand over the people. What do you think?”

"Excellent!" Zhang Huan smiled. Wei Cong, aside from anything else, was truly a man who readily accepted good advice on matters of state.

"General, the carriages and horses outside are ready!" Meng Gaogong asked.

"Carriages and horses?" Wei Cong was stunned.

"Didn't you say last night that you were going to Mangshan this morning to check on the pontoon bridge and asked me to prepare the carriages and horses?" Meng Gaogong asked.

"Oh, I remember now!" Wei Cong slapped his forehead. "Never mind, something came up. I need to go to the palace with Zhang Sikong first. We'll talk about the pontoon bridge another day!"

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Dou Miao received Wei Cong and Zhang Huan in a side hall of the Hehuan Palace. After listening to their reports, she nodded and said, "I understand. We will do as the Minister of Works and the General say!"

(End of this chapter)