Jinting Han people

For Sima Yong, activating Zhang Fang was an option he wouldn't have wanted to use unless absolutely necessary.

Everyone says that the King of Hejian had a keen eye for talent. Among the vast number of generals in the Western Expeditionary Army, he was able to select the relatively unknown Lieutenant General Zhang Fang, promote him beyond the usual ranks, and entrust him with important responsibilities. If Zhang Fang hadn't been so morally corrupt and ruthless, this would undoubtedly have been a remarkable story, comparable to Duke Huan of Qi's use of Guan Zhong and King Zhao of Yan's appointment of Yue Yi.

However, Sima Yong, as the ruler, had no way to express his grievances.

While there were other reasons, such as valuing Zhang Fang's talent, the only factor that ultimately led him to make the decision was that among all the generals in Chang'an, only Zhang Fang was from Hejian.

Although most princes and nobles were preoccupied with enjoying themselves in Luoyang, a few did consider how to govern their fiefdoms. Sima Yong, the Prince of Hejian, was one of those few. He used his status as Prince of Hejian to recruit a large number of scholars from the kingdom, forming his own staff. After being appointed Generalissimo of the Western Expedition by Empress Jia, he naturally favored people from Hejian, and Zhang Fang naturally came to his attention.

At the time, Sima Yong's impression of Zhang Fang was largely based on his outstanding bravery. His early military plans also involved Zhang Fang and Li Han complementing each other, one a civil official and the other a military commander. However, after Li Han's death, time became of the essence, and with no one else available, Sima Yong had no choice but to entrust Zhang Fang with full authority. This was also because Sima Yong, taking advantage of the alliance with the Prince of Chengdu, harbored the idea of ​​overwhelming the enemy with superior numbers and certain victory.

Unexpectedly, the Northern Expeditionary Army, which had an absolute numerical advantage, suffered a crushing defeat, while Zhang Fang, whose forces were not superior, achieved a great victory through unprecedentedly ruthless means, obtaining the most brilliant result since Sima Yan destroyed Wu.

However, this outcome was not what Sima Yong had hoped for.

This wasn't an excuse; Sima Yong did indeed see a certain cruelty in Zhang Fang, but in his view, it was perfectly natural. What else could a warrior do but kill? However, when Zhang Fang truly revealed his cruelty to the world, it far exceeded Sima Yong's expectations. It turned out that Zhang Fang was cruel not only to enemies and common people, but also to scholars, members of the imperial family, and the court.

Zhang Fang's lawless actions have now damaged Sima Yong's reputation. The people of Guandong see Zhang Fang as a devil, and naturally, they also see the Prince of Hejian as a demon. Anyone who wants to govern the world must have a banner of righteousness. If Sima Yong continues to ally with Zhang Fang and carries such a reputation, it will be impossible for him to achieve his goal of officially becoming the regent.

Therefore, the moment Zhang Fang succeeded, just as Liu Xian had privately stated during the peace talks, Sima Yong had already decided to kill him. Zhang Fang's successful private peace negotiations and subsequent independence indeed provided Sima Yong with a pretext to kill him. Although nominally still ruler and subject, they were in reality locked in a life-or-death struggle. They only refrained from a complete break due to the fact that the court had relocated to Xuchang, and both sides still had mutual needs, leaving enemies in the north and south.

According to Yan Ding's original plan for Sima Yong, the best way to deal with Zhang Fang was to use one enemy to devour another. If Zhang Fang could be lured with benefits to continue expanding his territory in Guandong, the Western Army could then seize land behind Zhang Fang's back, which would be entirely beneficial. After eliminating the various forces in Guandong, Zhang Fang could be assassinated in one fell swoop, thus achieving complete success and unifying the country.

Sima Yong largely agreed with this. Letting Zhang Fang return to Guanzhong would only exacerbate the conflict between the two sides. Keeping him in Guandong would at least maintain a semblance of peace. In other words, the King of Hejian's bottom line regarding Zhang Fang was that Tongguan Pass was the boundary; as long as Zhang Fang didn't cross it, he could do as he pleased.

In other words, Zhang Fang was well aware of this. Seeing that Sima Yong repeatedly transferred his subordinates into Guanzhong with empty promises, Zhang Fang naturally knew that Sima Yong was planning to discard him after he had served his purpose. This was something he had already prepared for after negotiating peace with Liu Xian.

The saying goes, "Rome wasn't built in a day." After all, Zhang Fang had been unknown for decades, and it was the Prince of Hejian who gave him a stage to showcase his talents. Zhang Fang didn't harbor much hatred towards him. Now that he had established himself in Henan, all he sought was self-preservation. But as for how he would develop after securing his own safety, Zhang Fang, in his haste, had no long-term strategic goals or plans.

Politics is not military. On the battlefield, Zhang Fang may be invincible. But to survive independently, and even to grow stronger, cannot be achieved through violence.

After Zhang Fang took full control of Luoyang, he initially wanted to reclaim wasteland, gather the people, and establish a stable rear base for himself. However, the reality was that the surrounding refugees feared Zhang Fang. Even though the area around Luoyang was full of fertile land with tens of thousands of acres of good farmland, they were still afraid of Zhang Fang's reputation and hesitated to settle down. On the contrary, counties such as Xingyang and Nanyang, which bordered Henan, without orders from above, saw a surge of refugees fleeing, actively forming a no-man's-land centered on Luoyang.

In the past, Zhang Fang would have been overjoyed, seeing it as a sign of respect and reward for his victory. But after establishing himself as independent, this was not good news. Without the aid of the Western Expeditionary Army, and with Henan unable to maintain stable production, Zhang Fang couldn't conjure up food and supplies out of thin air. As a result, after six months, besides running out of resources, Zhang Fang had almost no income worth mentioning, let alone the ability to reorganize his army or launch an attack in any direction.

It was precisely because of this predicament that Zhang Fang agreed to Sima Yong's request to recall 30,000 troops to Guanzhong to alleviate his own burden. Before Lü Lang and the others departed, Zhang Fang declared in front of everyone, "The Grand Commandant has shown me great kindness and virtue. My peace negotiations with the court were truly out of necessity. My loyalty to the emperor remains unchanged. I will obey any order from the Grand Commandant!" These affected words reached Sima Yong's ears, and he finally managed to secure some more grain.

Taking this opportunity, Zhang Fang began to frequently correspond with Guanzhong, often telling Sima Yong about his predicament and reiterating his loyalty to him. He recalled Sima Yong's past reliance on him, reminisced about his close cooperation with Li Han, and analyzed the current political situation for Sima Yong, praising him as the only true sage.

But Sima Yong was a smart man, and he wouldn't believe such nonsense. When he first received Zhang Fang's letter, he couldn't help but sarcastically say to the messenger, "This Zhang Fang, is he comparing himself to Sun Quan?"

At the end of the Han Dynasty, Sun Quan, in his pursuit of Jingzhou, broke the Sun-Liu alliance and instead courted Cao Cao, even suggesting that Cao Cao declare himself emperor. Sun Quan's move was an attempt to escalate the conflict between Cao Cao and Liu Bei, and to incite discord between the pro-Han and pro-Cao factions within Cao Cao's own country, thus preventing Cao Cao from focusing on the war in the south. Cao Cao commented on this, saying, "This boy wants to put me on the fire," mocking Sun Quan's sinister intentions.

Sima Yong's comparison of Zhang Fang to Sun Quan was clearly a self-comparison to Cao Cao. He also harbored the idea of ​​becoming emperor, but certainly not at this moment. Therefore, he dismissed Zhang Fang's words as mere whispers in the wind and quickly forgot about them.

But Zhang Fang was indeed a bit unusual. Even though Sima Yong didn't reply, he persisted in praising Sima Yong, copying from somewhere a few literati. He first claimed that the Prince of Hejian was "a member of the imperial clan with a distinguished lineage, whose glory has been passed down through generations. He was appointed to govern the border regions, and his prestige spread throughout the four seas. Even the Hu and Yue peoples admired him, and the Rong and Yi peoples praised his virtue. How could a small prefecture like ours not bow down to the imperial palace?" He also said that "the Prince of Chengdu is like the Yin essence compared to the sun, or the rivers compared to the vast ocean."

There's a saying that goes, "Flattery will get you everywhere." Even the most ruthless person won't dislike praise. Therefore, thanks to Zhang Fang's persistent efforts, although Sima Yong still harbored high suspicion towards him, he was at least no longer as harsh and unforgiving as before.

In July, Liu Xian learned that Zhang Fang had led his army to harass Guanzhong and attack Chang'an. Zhang Fang then wrote to Sima Yong, claiming that he was willing to lead his troops back to Guanzhong and quell the rebellion for Sima Yong. Sima Yong naturally refused. Even if he led his troops back to Chang'an to confront Liu Xian, he still left 10,000 troops stationed at Tongguan to guard against Zhang Fang's entry into Guanzhong.

However, through some deserters who had escaped from Luoyang, Sima Yong gradually learned that Zhang Fang was facing a food shortage. He didn't push things too far, but instead sent a message to Zhang Fang saying, "If there is truly no food available, you may temporarily take food from Hongnong." The implication was that he would maintain the relationship between ruler and subject with Zhang Fang. Therefore, he could temporarily allow Zhang Fang to garrison Hongnong Commandery. In fact, after the Battle of Luoyang, Zhang Fang was granted the title of Duke of Hongnong, so it was perfectly legitimate for him to take food from Hongnong. Zhang Fang naturally wouldn't refuse and immediately led a large army into Hongnong, leaving only a small force to defend Luoyang. After this incident, Zhang Fang praised Sima Yong even more, as if the previous discord had never occurred. He even reported to Chang'an that a villager had found a white jade seal in the Luo River, inscribed with the words "Civilization Carries Virtue." Soon after, he sent an envoy to Chang'an to express his loyalty.

Sima Yong's courtesy name was "Wenzai," and the seal bore the inscription "Wenzai" above and "Mingde" below, undoubtedly another masterpiece urging him to ascend the throne. Upon receiving the seal, Sima Yong angrily rebuked Zhang Fang's messenger, declaring he had no such intention. However, he couldn't bear to discard the seal, and after sending the messenger away, he hid the white seal in his bedroom.

With relations between the two sides easing, the war in Guanzhong has now lasted for nearly three months. The Western Expeditionary Army, facing Liu Xian, has consistently suffered more defeats than victories. Gradually, a voice has begun to emerge among the officers of the Western Expeditionary Army, hoping that Zhang Fang will return to lead the troops. After all, in their current direct confrontations with Liu Xian, Zhang Fang is the only general who has managed to hold his own, and even completely dominate.

Sima Yong's attitude towards this trend was extremely clear: even if relations with Zhang Fang improved, Zhang Fang remained highly untrustworthy. If he were allowed to enter Guanzhong, Zhang Fang could seize military power, a scenario that could not be replicated.

Even after the defeat at Chencang, Sima Yong maintained this attitude. But as the battle progressed, Yan Ding finally couldn't sit still any longer. He changed his mind and went to the Prince of Hejian's residence in private to pay his respects. He solemnly mentioned the matter to Sima Yong, saying, "Your Highness, it seems that to deal with Liu Xian, we must employ Zhang Fang."

Sima Yong naturally refused, but Yan Ding analyzed, "Your Highness, Liu Xian is a descendant of Liu Bei, and Western Shu is the former territory of Shu Han. Since the fall of Shu, the people of Shu have all missed their lord, and to this day, there are temples dedicated to Emperor Zhao and Marquis Wu. Now, Liu Xian has Li Sheng and He Pan assisting him. If he enters Shu, the hearts of the people will be with him. I dare to assert that although Li Xiong is a hero of his time, he is no match for Liu Xian! In two or three years, Liu Xian will surely defeat Li Xiong and occupy the whole of Shu."

"By then, he will reorganize his troops, join forces with Zhang Gui in the west, and once again besiege Chang'an. Will he be able to become Zhuge Liang, and will Your Highness be able to become Emperor Xuan?"

At this point, Yan Ding solemnly said to Sima Yong, "Your Highness, this is our last chance. In a few days, if we release the tiger back into the mountains, who among us can stand against us? Only Zhang Fang."

Only the name Zhang Fang struck Sima Yong like a heavy blow, making his chest feel heavy.

He tapped the flower-shaped brush washer on the table with his brush, remaining silent for a long time. Yan Ding knew that the Prince of Hejian was worried about Zhang Fang's influence in the army. If things continued this way, the General Headquarters of the Western Expeditionary Army would probably only know Zhang Fang and not Sima Yong. But if, as Yan Ding predicted, Liu Xian was released into Shu and restored to his kingdom, not only would he lose face, but he would also be difficult to resist in the future. How could he balance the pros and cons?
After he told Yan Ding about his troubles, Yan Ding looked like he had known this all along and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, this is not difficult to handle."

"Liu Xian is about to enter Shu, and we probably can't stop him. Zhang Fang appears to obey, but he harbors treacherous intentions and is uncontrollable. If he stays in Guandong, he will tarnish Your Highness's reputation; if he stays in Guanzhong, he will hardly obey Your Highness's orders. In that case, why don't we send Zhang Fang to Shu as well..."

Before he finished speaking, Sima Yong already understood his meaning: if Liu Xian's side entered Shu, Li Xiong might still find it difficult to resist, but what if Zhang Fang also entered Shu? With Li Xiong, Liu Xian, and Zhang Fang fighting each other, all three being heroes, and each checking the other, it would take months and years to restore peace. This would be enough to give Sima Yong peace of mind to focus on his work.

He hesitated on one point, interrupting Yan Ding, and after a moment of contemplation, said, "But Zhang Fang is a shrewd man who won't act without a reason. Why would he willingly become my pawn and enter Shu on his own?"

Yan Ding laughed and said, "Your Highness, does Zhang Fang have any choice? He is certainly good at military strategy, but he has no ability to govern the people. This year in Luoyang, apart from his own military farms where he grows some beans and wheat, he has almost no harvest. As long as our army controls his logistics and Your Highness gives him an official position, he will be satisfied if he can occupy some territory in Western Shu."

Sima Yong nodded, leaned back on the table, and said, "Alright then, let's do as you say. Go and inform Zhang Fang that I will recommend him as the governor of Yizhou and order him to lead his army into Guanzhong."

He stroked his beard, then felt something was amiss, and added two more sentences, instructing, "You must make it clear that Zhang Fang can lead troops into the pass, but pursuing Liu Xian is the priority. He must advance swiftly and not linger along the way."

"Wouldn't you like to see him? Perhaps you could try to appease him a little?" Yan Ding asked.

Sima Yong sneered, "I'm afraid he'll eat me. Zhang Fang really does eat people."

But since things had come to this point, there was no need for further discussion. Now that a strategy had been devised, it was time to execute it. The day after receiving the report of the defeat at Chencang, Yan Ding sent a messenger by express horse to Protector-General Mi Huang, ordering him to open Tongguan Pass and allow Zhang Fang to enter. Zhang Fang, it seemed, had also received word of this early on and had stationed his troops in Huxian County, only eighty li away from Tongguan Pass.

When he received the edict from the King of Hejian, he also had another letter in his hand, a message from the garrison of Luoyang, claiming that Lu Zhi had led the northern army across the river and seemed to be preparing to attack Luoyang.

"Tsk, Lu Zhi wants Luoyang?" Zhang Fang smirked, revealing an indifferent expression, and said to the messenger, "Then give it to him first. You have Zhi Fu guard Henan and Yiyang counties. After a while, I'll make Lu Zhi give it back."

"I have important things to do right now."

Zhang Fang tossed the letter aside, strolled outside, and saw the mighty river to the south and the majestic mountains on both sides. Beneath his usual arrogant exterior, he felt a rare surge of excitement. He thought to himself, "The landscape is beautiful, but the Dragon Gate is hard to leap over! Whether I, Zhang Fang, am a fish or a dragon, it all comes down to this."

On this very day, Zhang Fang crossed Tongguan Pass and led his army back to Guanzhong. (End of Chapter)