Jinting Han people

Three days later, everything settled down.

Although the two sides had a long history of discord, no one expected Zhang Fang to resort to such radical coup tactics, overthrowing the Prince of Hejian in one fell swoop. After all, Sima Yong was the ruler, and Zhang Fang was the subject. Conflicts between ruler and subject could simply be resolved by parting ways, but to so blatantly murder the ruler with the subject was far too offensive to ethical norms. Wasn't Zhang Fang afraid that others would follow suit?

It should be noted that while Lü Bu's three betrayals could be attributed to loyalty to the Han dynasty, Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo were ultimately not surnamed Liu. But who was Zhang Fang? He was originally just an unknown soldier, completely ignored, only promoted beyond his rank to become the head of all generals after meeting the Prince of Hejian. And who was the Prince of Hejian? He was the most talented prince in the Jin dynasty after Sima Yi's death, widely recognized as such. From any perspective, Zhang Fang's regicide was an utterly heinous act of treason.

But Zhang Fang did it anyway, and not only did he do it, he did it exceptionally well. Sima Yong was extremely wary of Zhang Fang, and he was always on high alert, but this was the result: clean and swift, a single sword to the throat, so that Zhang Fang didn't even have a chance to put up a normal resistance. He died in the palace in such an inexplicable way, chilling everyone to the bone.

However, upon closer analysis, it's not hard to see that Zhang Fang's success ultimately stemmed from Yan Ding's betrayal. Most people find Yan Ding's betrayal perplexing, even more so than Zhang Fang's regicide. After all, Zhang Fang was a military man of humble origins, uneducated in classical studies, and his lack of gratitude and loyalty was to be expected. But Yan Ding was a renowned scholar from Longxi, well-versed in literature and poetry; how could he possibly align himself with someone like Zhang Fang?

With this confusion in mind, Zhang Fang convened a meeting of officials from the Western Expeditionary Army in Chang'an. All the prefects and magistrates who were stranded in Chang'an, as well as the officials of the Western Expeditionary Army and the Prince of Hejian's residence, were required to attend.

At this time, Chang'an was still under Zhang Fang's blockade, and martial law remained in effect, preventing communication between various departments. Upon hearing this, no one dared to resist, and they could only agree to attend the meeting.

This naturally included Liu Cong. When Liu Cong saw Yan Ding entering and leaving the Prince's residence, he assumed Sima Yong was about to make a move against Zhang Fang. He was quite surprised that Zhang Fang had struck first. However, upon reflection, he realized this wasn't a bad thing. Whatever choice Zhang Fang made, it represented a dramatic political upheaval, and the chaos was precisely what the five Xiongnu tribes needed to profit from it. Besides, Zhang Fang had too many enemies to notice him, so he chose to attend the meeting as usual.

Upon arriving at the Prince of Hejian's residence, the guards had been slightly lifted, and most of the armored soldiers had retreated outside. The residence was eerily quiet and deserted. Although Sima Yong was known for his frugality, there were still three or four hundred people in the residence, all of whom were now gone. When they entered, the residence had already been cleaned and appeared normal, but they could still smell the stench of blood seeping into the soil, sending chills down their spines.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Zhang Fang sat in the same seat that Sima Yong had always occupied. He was dressed in court robes, his beard neatly trimmed, wearing a military cap and a long sword at his waist, appearing quite refined. Seeing them enter, he smiled kindly at them, looking nothing like the legendary cannibalistic monster. Yet, this scene instilled a sense of unease in everyone, a feeling of having stumbled into the gates of hell.

Yan Ding sat upright on the left, his eyes slightly closed, as if in deep meditation. Hearing the sounds of people taking their seats, he suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as lightning, quickly scanning the room. Everyone felt a jolt of unease.

Opposite Yan Ding sat another man. He sat upright, silent as iron, and most of the people did not recognize him. Only after being reminded by Lü Lang and others did they realize that he was Gou Xi, who had surrendered to Zhang Fang after the Battle of Luoyang.

Once everyone was seated, Zhang Fang didn't delay and calmly addressed the crowd: "I know that you all have some misunderstandings about me, thinking that I am some kind of unreasonable evil spirit who enjoys killing. Now I have gone even further and violated the moral order by killing my lord. According to Buddhist teachings, even if I go to the eighteenth level of hell, I will not be able to atone for my sins."

"That's true, but not the whole truth. Zhang Fang killed people out of necessity."

"As you all know, so far, the reputation of me as a bloodthirsty man is mostly spread by people from Guandong. But in reality, I have my reasons. I don't want to kill, but my king has promoted me and personally supervised the battle. I have a royal order to obey, how can I refuse? I was ordered by my king to carry out this massacre!"

Zhang Fang's hypocritical act upon entering the room was beyond the comprehension of the crowd. After all, many of those present were familiar with Zhang Fang and knew his true nature—cunning, treacherous, cruel, and bloodthirsty, a fact he never concealed. Unexpectedly, he was now putting on a fake act, trying to appear like a normal politician and raise some banners for himself.

But given his reputation and his current heinous act of regicide, what banner can he possibly wave? Isn't that utterly ridiculous? Most people were inwardly criticizing him, but on the surface, they didn't say anything and continued to listen to Zhang Fang's next words.

Zhang Fang continued, “Of all virtues under heaven, none surpasses loyalty and filial piety. In my heart, my king is my sovereign and father. I, Zhang Fang, was determined to do my utmost to assist my king, to help him personally oversee all affairs of state, and to extend his authority throughout the land. If that were truly the case, I would have no regrets even if I died immediately! Who would have thought that my king would believe the words of slanderous ministers, become suspicious, and even plot to harm me! What is my death worth? I only fear that the wicked will gain power, the state will collapse, and even if I die ten thousand times, I will have no face to see the innocent people who died unjustly, or the former emperors of the Jin dynasty!”

"These past few days have been a matter of great necessity. You are all my colleagues. If you have any objections, please raise them immediately. Even if it means cutting open my belly and tearing out my heart, I will not hesitate to do so to show my sincere dedication to public service!"

These words were so eloquent and flowery that they were not something Zhang Fang could say. Everyone glanced at Yan Ding beside him and guessed that he had probably written a draft beforehand and had Zhang Fang memorize it.

However, this reason seems rather far-fetched. So the conflict between the Prince of Hejian and Zhang Fang was caused by a treacherous minister? And which treacherous minister? It's common knowledge that the person with the least favorable relationship with Zhang Fang in the previous campaign was Yan Ding, Zhang Fang's trusted advisor. This only made the assembled officials feel more ironic.

Jia Pi could no longer contain himself and asked, "Who exactly is this treacherous official the Marshal is referring to?"

Zhang Fang did not answer, but Yan Ding turned his gaze over and took the initiative to say, "It is Peng Sui, the Prefect of Hongnong, and Diao Mo, the Protector General of the Western Expedition."

Peng Sui and Diao Mo were both veteran officials of the King of Hejian. Upon hearing these two names, everyone suddenly realized that the two had vanished without a trace; it seemed they had been captured by Zhang Fang in the past two days.

But to say they truly offended Zhang Fang wouldn't be entirely true. In fact, they usually bullied Yan Ding more, since Sima Yong's temporary promotion of him blocked Peng Sui and Diao Mo's career advancement. They certainly gave Yan Ding a hard time, but unexpectedly, with the downfall of the Prince of Hejian, the two of them also died unjustly.

However, death is death. The dead have no value, and no one is willing to be buried alive with the King of Hejian. What everyone is concerned about is what will happen next: What exactly does Zhang Fang plan to do? How does he intend to treat the Western Expeditionary Army and how does he plan to establish his own rule?

However, it is clear that Zhang Fang is waiting for everyone to express their opinion first; those who do not express their opinion will probably not gain his trust.

Prefect Zhang Fu of Fengyi rose and cupped his hands, saying, "Such an important matter can only be decided by the imperial court. Until the imperial court makes its decision, we, the humble subjects, will obey the orders of the marshal!"

The implication was that as long as Zhang Fang submitted a memorial to the court, regardless of whether the court agreed or not, at least it would be a formality, and everyone would obey his orders.

Everyone agreed that this was a reasonable argument, and that whatever Zhang Fang wanted to do, he could follow this line of reasoning. So they all nodded in agreement.

Zhang Fang then said, "Guanzhong is the place where the Jin dynasty rose to power, and a member of the imperial family should be appointed to this position. Although our king unfortunately passed away halfway through his life, he still has children alive. His son, Sima Song, is benevolent, filial, intelligent, and in the prime of his life. How about letting him inherit the positions of General Who Conquers the West and Grand Commandant?"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment. It turned out that Zhang Fang also knew how to use the emperor to command the feudal lords.

Liu Cong, head bowed and chin in hand, pondered: This whole process, no matter how unsavory the internal workings, at least on the surface, satisfied the officials of the Western Army. If Zhang Fang had directly proclaimed himself General Who Conquers the West, they wouldn't have been able to stop him, yet not stopping him would have violated their duty as subjects. But now, if the court retroactively recognized Zhang Fang's actions, they probably couldn't say much. After all, from a strategic perspective, the court was still very weak and didn't want to fight Zhang Fang again. All of this, without a doubt, was another scheme orchestrated by Yan Ding.

Having said this, Gou Xi sent someone to pull Sima Song over, and in front of everyone, he made him sit in the chief seat. Then, Zhang Fang led the Western Army officials to bow to Sima Song. However, at this moment, facing the bowing of the crowd, Sima Song's face was ashen, and he couldn't help but tremble on the chief seat. Clearly, he did not think this was a good thing. But he dared not refuse.

After Sima Song had received everyone's kowtows, Zhang Fang patted his clothes and with a glance, Sima Song was once again dragged away by Gou Xi and two guards. He then sat back down at the head table and said to everyone, "Gentlemen, besides this matter, I have another important matter to tell you all today."

"Is there anything else? Marshal, please speak," Zhang Fu and the others said in succession.

Zhang Fang stroked his beard and slowly said, "Today, the emperor is weak and foolish, and the princes covet the throne, causing endless strife in the world, the people to suffer, and countless people to die! As subjects of the state, we feel pain in our hearts every time we think of this. How can we sit idly by and watch treacherous villains wreak havoc on the world and lead to the destruction of the state?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fu and the others immediately understood that Zhang Fang was preparing to send troops for another battle. The target was obvious—it was probably their old nemesis, Liu Xian! After all, Zhang Fang had been transferred to Guanzhong under the pretext of pursuing Liu Xian, and eliminating Liu Xian now would likely solidify his current position. No one intended to object; in a sense, it could be said that Liu Xian had killed the Prince of Hejian, so this was a form of revenge.

Zhang Fu said, "Whether it is Hanzhong or Chengdu, as long as the marshal gives the order, I am willing to be the king's vanguard."

Unexpectedly, Zhang Fang said, "What Hanzhong or Chengdu? Why would I go to fight Liu Xian? Can taking those places bring peace to the world?"

"This..." Everyone was stunned for a moment, not knowing what Zhang Fangyi meant: "Then what the marshal said is..."

“If we’re going to fight, we should fight the Northern Army! What’s the point of fighting in Bashu?” Zhang Fang said, pointing eastward.

These words were like a bolt from the blue, and everyone in the room was shocked.

Everyone present found it unbelievable. Given the current state of the Western Expeditionary Army, which hadn't even fully recovered from Liu Xian's destruction, how could they possibly attack the Northern Expeditionary Army? Even if the Northern Army wasn't particularly skilled in warfare, their formidable strength made them a force to be reckoned with, and they could easily become bogged down in a protracted war. Right now, the Western Army desperately needed time to stabilize, and if their offensive faltered, it could very well trigger internal strife in Guanzhong.

But Zhang Fang's will was extremely firm. Before anyone could voice their objections, he smiled, but his words carried a chilling murderous intent:
"Gentlemen, I was originally appointed by the court as the Governor of Henan, and guarding Luoyang is my duty. It was only out of consideration for the King's kindness and under his orders that I had to return to Guanzhong. As a result, the Northern army seized Luoyang while I was away. What a rebellious act! The Prince of Chengdu is simply a wolf in sheep's clothing! How can you sit idly by and watch? Don't be the rats that are caught in the crossfire!"

"For such treacherous officials, the only solution is to strike them hard. Otherwise, if they dare to seize Luoyang today, they might dare to usurp the throne tomorrow! As the saying goes, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained!' If you all want to achieve great things, how can you do so without taking risks? Throughout history, those who are hesitant and timid have never accomplished anything great. Take Zhuge Liang, for example. He fought so many battles, but he never dared to fight a single major battle. How could he have succeeded?"

Having said all that, it was difficult for the others to say whether Zhang Fang was arrogant or truly audacious. But speaking out against him now would inevitably lead to predictable consequences.

However, in the end, Zhang Fang still showed a certain degree of friendliness. He tapped the scabbard at his waist and said with a smile, "If anyone thinks I am incompetent, they are free to leave Chang'an. I, Zhang Fang, will not stop them."

How could Zhang Fu and the others dare to leave? They repeatedly agreed. Liu Cong, seeing this scene, thought: It seems that this great war between the East and West is already a foregone conclusion.

As Liu Cong was pondering, he suddenly heard someone call his name. Looking up, he saw it was Yan Ding. He beckoned Liu Cong to come out, as if he had something to discuss. Liu Cong suppressed his emotions and walked out. Before he could speak, Yan Ding asked, "I saw Your Highness's draft edict. Xuanming will be returning to his hometown soon, won't he?"

"That is indeed the case." Liu Cong chuckled. "Does the Chief Secretary think it's inappropriate?"

“There’s nothing wrong with it,” Yan Ding replied casually. “I just hope that Xuanming can be pragmatic and not lose sight of the bigger picture by following the wrong person.”

Just as Liu Cong had expected, given the sensitive location of the five Xiongnu tribes, Zhang Fang and Yan Ding wouldn't dare to do anything to him; they could only try to curry favor. Liu Cong couldn't refuse this gesture either. He nodded and replied to Yan Ding, "This matter isn't up to me, but up to Marshal Zhang."

At this point, Liu Cong couldn't hide his curiosity and asked, "May I ask, Chief Secretary, did you think you made the right choice by selecting Marshal Zhang?"

He thought Yan Ding would brush it off, but to his surprise, Yan Ding glanced at Liu Cong and replied, "In this chaotic world, being good at fighting is everything. Unfortunately, my military strategy is insufficient, and assisting the Prince of Hejian is not enough to achieve great things. But if I join hands with Marshal Zhang, he will be in charge of the army and I will be in charge of the government, just like Cao Cao and Xun Yu, then there will be much to be done."

Upon hearing this, Liu Cong finally understood why Yan Ding had switched allegiance. It turned out to be quite simple: Yan Ding, having failed to defeat Liu Xian while assisting Sima Yong, believed he couldn't possibly have the last laugh. Zhang Fang, however, was inept at civil administration and needed someone to manage the rear, so they quickly reached an agreement. He decided to play along, launching a coup, willing to ruin his reputation to achieve final victory.

How pathetic! Liu Cong's thoughts ultimately turned into a sigh: "Does the Chief Secretary not fear the world's condemnation for his actions?"

Yan Ding said, "Everyone in the world is subject to criticism. Only those who never lose can escape criticism, but there has never been such a person in history."

"The Chief Secretary speaks well." Liu Cong nodded, then leisurely recited: "Where you step, there is no mud; where you walk, there are no carriages. Orchids and cassia are cheap and rotten; firewood and millet are precious and bright pearls are valuable."

This poem was written by Fu Xian (Fu Changzhi's great-grandfather). He lamented that in the chaotic world, it was like walking in a quagmire, where everything was upside down. Orchids and cassia are not as good as rotten ones, and pearls are not as good as millet. Just as a gentleman is not as good as a petty person, and a hero is not as good as a traitor.

In the end, there is usually only one winner in chaotic times, and everything the losers have will be controlled by the winner. No one wants to be a loser, so people often try their best to become a winner, even if it means losing everything.

Liu Cong sighed, "So, it seems we Xiongnu people have no other choice." (End of Chapter)