Jinting Han people

After Wang Yan took control of Xuchang, the new power structure was established, and the next step was to extend it to the whole country.

Based on previous events, the various factions across the land were already locked in fierce fighting, and many believed that the decline of the Jin dynasty was beyond saving. However, unexpectedly, within three months of the change of reign title, whether by coincidence or destiny, the new dynasty unexpectedly gained the recognition of the vast majority of forces across the land, showing signs of a potential revival.

First, there was the peaceful takeover of Jingzhou. The imperial edict summoning Liu Hong was still en route when the old man died of illness at the age of seventy. After the envoy arrived in Xiangyang, in accordance with Liu Hong's will, his son Liu Fan not only had no intention of inheriting Jingzhou, but also voluntarily offered to resign his official position and observe three years of mourning for his father in Xinye. Liu Hong's former subordinates in Jingzhou, led by Tao Kan, also expressed their obedience to Liu Hong's dying wish.

When the news reached Xuchang, Wang Yan was overjoyed. He had initially been worried, as Liu Hong was, after all, a member of the faction of Sima Yi, the Prince of Changsha. If he did not support the new court, he would inevitably have to go through a bitter battle. But in the end, he could gain something without lifting a finger. How could he not be ecstatic? Wang Yan ordered Wang Dun and others to rush to Xiangyang. At the same time, he made sure to save face by issuing an edict posthumously granting Liu Hong the titles of Duke of Xincheng, Grand Tutor, General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Grand Master of the Three Excellencies, with the posthumous name Yuan.

Thus, at the end of June, Sima Yang and Wang Dun successfully entered Xiangyang, and Jingzhou peacefully submitted to the imperial court. In order to strengthen his control over Jingzhou, Wang Yan ordered that the Yangtze River be used as the boundary to divide Jingzhou in two. The counties north of the river remained under Jingzhou, while the six counties south of the river—Changsha, Hengyang, Xiangdong, Lingling, Shaoling, and Guiyang—along with the three counties south of Guangzhou—Shian, Shixing, and Linhe—made up a total of nine counties, which were newly established as Xiangzhou, with Xun Tiao appointed as its governor.

At this time, Wang Ju, the governor of Guangzhou, also passed away. Wang Ji then temporarily assumed the post of governor of Guangzhou and, together with Wu Yan, the governor of Jiaozhou, submitted a memorial to congratulate Wang Yan and express his willingness to follow the command of the new court.

In this way, within a month, Wang Yan completed the encirclement of Chen Min in Yangzhou.

Chen Min was unwilling to surrender and made a move to gather troops north of the Yangtze River to resist the imperial court's attack. At this time, with Wang Dao's advice, Hua Tan, the prefect of Lujiang, sent a letter to the various clans in Jiangdong, stating that if the Jiangdong gentry could turn against the imperial court and support it, their past rebellions would be forgiven, and the Jiangdong gentry would be reinstated. He hoped that the various clans could weigh the pros and cons and make a new choice.

Previously, Chen Min's failed attack on Jingzhou had already aroused dissatisfaction among the Jiangnan gentry, who wanted a Sun Ce, not a Sun Hao. Now, seeing that Chen Min could not meet their demands and the situation was changing so rapidly, the Jiangnan gentry, led by Zhou Qi and Gu Rong, immediately decided to abandon Chen Min and submit to the imperial court.

In early August, Chen Min dispatched his brother Chen Chang with 30,000 troops to garrison Liyang north of the Yangtze River, preparing to resist the northern army. Unexpectedly, Zhou Qi secretly instigated Qian Guang, Chen Chang's military advisor, to defect. Then, during a banquet, Qian Guang suddenly attacked, beheading Chen Chang. Subsequently, Zhou Qi, Gu Rong, and others seized military power and marched south to attack Jianye.

Upon receiving the news, Chen Min was greatly alarmed and immediately mustered 20,000 troops, sending Gan Zhuo to resist Zhou Qi. Although Gan Zhuo was a renowned scholar from Jiangzuo, he was also a close friend of Chen Min, and the two had become in-laws through their children's marriage, agreeing to work together on a great cause. Chen Min trusted him implicitly. However, he was unaware that Gan Zhuo had also been secretly turned against Zhou Qi. After leading his troops to the riverbank, Gan Zhuo offered no resistance and immediately defected to Zhou Qi.

At this point, Zhou Qi led an army of 50,000 to the walls of Jianye. Chen Min, after a series of betrayals, had only 10,000 troops left, far too few to defend the city. In his grief and anger, he had no choice but to lead his army out of the city to fight Zhou Qi in a desperate battle.

However, Chen Min's soldiers were mostly from Wu. Without the support of Zhou Qi and others, why would they obey him? Zhou Qi rode ahead of the army and first offered words of persuasion to surrender. Then Gu Rong appeared, lightly waving his white feather fan, and ordered the entire army to attack. Chen Min's troops immediately crumbled and scattered like birds and beasts. In the chaos, Chen Min could only flee alone to the Jiangcheng ferry, intending to cross the river northward. However, Zhou Qi had ambushed him and immediately captured and beheaded him. Over the next ten days, Zhou Qi exterminated Chen Min's entire clan and sent them to Xuchang.

Thus, in early September, with Sima Rui and Wang Dao stationed in Jianye, the Jiangzuo region was pacified and officially submitted to the imperial court. Chen Min's power, which had originally dominated Jiangdong and commanded over 100,000 men, vanished naturally into the annals of history like dew evaporating in the morning glow.

With Yangzhou secured, Sima Mao, the governor of Xuzhou, seeing Wang Yan's growing power, naturally dared not act rashly and obediently handed over his military power to the court. Wang Yan then appointed him as Grand Protector and changed the title of Pengcheng Prince Sima Shi to Governor of Xuzhou.

Before the first winter of the first year of Yongxing, the new court effectively controlled seven prefectures: Yan, Yu, Xu, Jing, Jiang, Xiang, and Yang. It also gained the approval of the forces in Jiaozhou and Hebei, making the situation extremely favorable. If it could eliminate the Qingzhou rebels and reclaim Guanzhong, Wang Yan would truly deserve the title of the leader of the aristocratic families and could be considered a contemporary Yi Yin.

However, at the same time, it must be noted that judging from the situation of various rebel forces around the world, it cannot be said that their lives are particularly difficult.

First, there was Liu Baigen of Qingzhou. The Eastern Sea Celestial Masters sect had been locked in a stalemate for months after being blocked by Liu Tun and his forces at Daxian Mountain. When Wang Yan took control of Xuchang, Wang Mi argued that instead of engaging in a direct, head-on war with the Jin army, it would be better to change tactics. Following the Zhang Fang Rebellion, the world was in chaos, with countless displaced people everywhere. Why not utilize these refugees to attack the weak points in the defenses and directly undermine the foundation of the Jin dynasty's rule?

Therefore, Liu Baigen appointed Wang Mi as the General Who Conquers the East, and assigned him 3,000 soldiers, ordering him to advance westward from Mount Tai to the area between Yan and Yu provinces.

This move completely caught the government troops off guard. Wang Mi, a follower of the Celestial Masters sect, accepted refugees everywhere and then roamed between the prefectures and counties of the Central Plains, attacking sparsely defended cities. After succeeding, he opened granaries to distribute food, collected weapons, and further recruited soldiers. As a result, in just a few months, the number of refugees grew exponentially. By July, Wang Mi had actually amassed an army of as many as 40,000 men in the Central Plains, traversing the north and south of the Yellow River.

Under these circumstances, Wang Yan had no choice but to recall troops from the Xuzhou front to counter-encircle and suppress Wang Mi. However, this resulted in a dilemma and a predicament. If the court wanted to eliminate Wang Mi's forces, it would naturally have to recall the Xuzhou army, thus weakening the defense of Qingzhou. Taking advantage of this, Liu Baigen supported Wang Mi and seized Pingyuan and Taishan counties. Liu Baigen's prestige soared, and he proclaimed himself King of Qi, changing the era name to Jianshi. He was considered by the Xuchang court to be the number one threat to be eliminated.

In contrast, Liu Yuan of Bingzhou had a rather complicated life.

At the beginning of Zhang Fang's defeat, Liu Yuan also took the opportunity to expand his territory. General Liu Cong of the Left was responsible for attacking southward from Shangdang Commandery, while General Liu Jing of the Vanguard was responsible for advancing northward from Xihe Commandery. Because the Hebei army was concentrated in Ye City, both Han armies made good progress. Liu Cong captured Ji Commandery and Henan Commandery, while Liu Jing captured Taiyuan Commandery, Leping Commandery, and Xinxing Commandery.

In May, Liu Yuan was riding high on his success. Just as he was preparing to expand the war and occupy the entire Bingzhou, a roadblock finally appeared from the north. At this time, Wang Jun had already reached an agreement with Wang Yan and led his army back to Jicheng. Seeing Liu Yuan expanding his power in his new territory, how could he stand idly by? He immediately sent his general Qi Hong as an envoy to the Tuoba Xianbei, offering to support Tuoba Yilu's succession to the position of Great Chanyu of the Xianbei, thus persuading Tuoba Yilu to send troops south.

Tuoba Yilu immediately led 30,000 cavalry south, joining forces with Wang Jun's 70,000 troops, and marched south from Yanmen to Bingzhou. Tuoba Yilu commanded 10,000 armored horses, and once they charged, they were truly an unstoppable force of iron cavalry. He first defeated Liu Jing at Jiuyuan, then at Langmeng, then at Yangqu, and finally drove Huyan Lang away at Jinyang.

Within a month, Tuoba Yilu marched over 1,500 li (approximately 750 kilometers), advancing from Yunzhong all the way to Qixian, thus completely destroying the northern advance of the Xiongnu Han state. Only Liu Yuan's personal defense of Jiexiu salvaged the Han army's decline. However, seeing the strategic importance of Jiexiu and the fact that his uncle Tuoba Luguan was seriously ill, Tuoba Yilu abandoned his southward advance, made peace with Wang Jun, and returned home. This defeat resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of Xiongnu Han troops and significantly reduced their expansionist momentum. More importantly, the ironclad cavalry of the Tuoba Xianbei left a deep impression on them; for a short time, the Xiongnu were completely at a loss as to how to counter them. With the reunification of the Guandong region, the five Xiongnu tribes were even more bewildered, unsure whether to consolidate their domestic rule or continue escalating the war.

At this moment of uncertainty, Shi Le led the remnants of Ji Sang's forces into Bingzhou, bringing Liu Yuan the latest news from Jizhou: the newly appointed General Who Conquers the North, Sima Teng, was tyrannical and prone to extortion, inciting several peasant uprisings, which the people deeply resented. Shi Le requested that Liu Yuan send troops to Jizhou to recruit these bandits and refugees, thereby expanding his power, first conquering Hebei, then pacifying the Central Plains, so that he could inherit the throne and establish an imperial dynasty, and Shi Le could also take the opportunity to avenge his former master, Ji Sang.

Shi Le's proposal was remarkably similar to Wang Mi's idea. At the same time, the court officials Liu Yin and Wang Yu also advised Liu Yuan, saying, "Instead of clinging to a remote region, it would be better to send generals out to launch a campaign to overthrow the Jin dynasty, gather heroes from all sides, and make a decisive move. This is the essence of the rebellion of Chen Sheng, Xiang Liang, and Zhang Chu against the Qin dynasty at the end of the Qin dynasty! Why doesn't Your Highness follow their example?"

The underlying message from both men was that they hoped Liu Yuan would not be bound by the views of one family or one country, but would change his strategy and take the initiative to become the leader of the anti-Jin alliance, uniting all forces that could oppose Jin. After the fall of Jin, they would then try to annex the smaller forces he had recruited.

Liu Yuan was overjoyed upon hearing this. He stroked his beard and nodded, saying, "This is exactly what I was thinking."

Therefore, Liu Yuan reorganized his army, appointing Shi Le as vanguard and Liu Cong as marshal. He also dispatched more than twenty generals, including Liu He, Liu Yao, Liu Jing, Liu Huanle, Huyan Yi, and Huyan Yan, leading an army of 70,000 eastward out of Huguan Pass to attack and plunder Hebei, recruiting all the fortified villages and bandits they encountered. Unlike Wang Mi, the Xiongnu Han army relied on the Taihang Mountains for its activities. When the enemy came, they retreated into the mountains and forests; when the enemy left, they plundered the plains, causing great chaos in Hebei.

In a short time, displaced people from all walks of life who were rebelling against the Jin dynasty joined Liu Yuan's camp. Even though Sima Teng led a large army to fight in all directions, he could not quell the rebellion.

Of all the forces involved, the most lamentable is Zhang Fang's decline.

Six months ago, Zhang Fang was widely recognized as the most powerful force in the land. However, after the defeat at Ye City, he lost everything he had gained before the battle. Although he eventually escaped Ye City with 40,000 cavalry, his performance was undoubtedly disappointing. Only now did the Western Army realize that this renowned general, known as a demon king, lacked the courage to fight to the death. Furthermore, the Western Expeditionary Army had always boasted of its bravery, which undoubtedly caused Zhang Fang's reputation to plummet even further.

Therefore, after news of the defeat reached Guanzhong, the atmosphere there became extremely strange. It should be noted that Zhang Fang was a power leader who rose to power through a coup. Moreover, he won people's hearts not through personal charisma, but through the division of interests and the promise of a future. Such a position was very fragile. Especially after the defeat, Zhang Fang had to seriously consider the attitudes of those who had previously supported him.

Zhang Fang temporarily stayed in Hongnong, claiming he wanted to gather his defeated troops around Hangu Pass to block the enemy, but in reality, he was taking the opportunity to gather intelligence on Guanzhong. However, when the envoy passed through Tong Pass, he was openly detained by Zhu Hui, the Tong Pass Commandant, who claimed that everything inside the pass was normal and that he would continue to support Zhang Fang's logistics. He hoped that after Zhang Fang reorganized his army and recovered the lost territory, he wouldn't need to worry about Guanzhong.

The implication was that if Zhang Fang could not expand the territory for the Western Army, there was no need for him to return to Guanzhong.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fang was furious. He immediately led his army to besiege Tongguan, but given its formidable defenses, the attack was unsuccessful. He then abandoned all his supplies, crossed the pass by boat at Fenglingdu, and led an army of 20,000 straight towards Chang'an. He discovered, however, that the forces within the pass were remarkably united in their attitude. Whether in the prefectures and counties or the fortified villages, none of them dared to let Zhang Fang's army in!
By the time Zhang Fang arrived at the walls of Chang'an, the citizens had already received the news, and the area outside the city had been deserted, leaving the city walls heavily guarded. Zhang Fang requested to see Yan Ding at the city walls, but Yan Ding refused to come out. Instead, he sent a messenger to order Zhang Fang to return to Hongnong and continue resisting the Eastern Army.

Zhang Fang finally realized the reality: he had been abandoned by the scholars of Guanzhong! Moreover, along the way, many of his soldiers had deserted under cover of night, and the brutal methods Zhang Fang relied on to maintain military discipline could no longer be stopped. Within just half a month, the 20,000 soldiers had dwindled to less than 10,000.

Under these circumstances, Zhang Fang dared not remain in Guanzhong, much less return to Hongnong, so he took the Wuguan route south. However, on his escape, Zhang Fang was filled with resentment and anger at his various misfortunes. He lifted the restrictions, ordering his men to plunder along the way. Although they couldn't breach major cities, they burned and killed indiscriminately in villages and small fortified villages. Through this method, Zhang Fang replenished his supplies and gathered some bandits and brigands, finally amassing a force of over ten thousand men. He then captured Shangluo in June, gaining a foothold.

He had initially coveted Guanzhong, intending to be invited back once Guanzhong proved unable to withstand the Eastern Army. However, subsequent developments completely shattered his confidence. After Zu Ti and his men arrived in Luoyang, Yan Ding quickly contacted Zu Ti, stating that they had driven out Zhang Fang and were nominally willing to submit to the rule of Zu Ti and Sima Fan. Yan Ding's condition was that Sima Fan, the Prince of Xiangyang, could enter Guanzhong, but they hoped Zu Ti would remain in Luoyang to defend Guanzhong against the Eastern Army.

In other words, the Guanlong gentry no longer wanted to get involved in the chaos in Guandong, and only wanted to maintain de facto independence and peace.

Zu Ti agreed to this condition. He pointed to the great river and publicly swore an oath by cutting his palm. He stated that if Guanzhong could supply him with grain and fodder every year, he was willing to stay in Luoyang alone and, before he was shattered to pieces, never allow anyone to pass through Tongguan.

With this agreement reached, Guanzhong and the imperial court were restored to peace, and Zhang Fang knew that he would never be able to return to Guanzhong.

Fortunately, every cloud has a silver lining. In late July, Zhang Fang devised a new way out. Many refugees from Guanzhong had previously traveled to Jingzhou and had connections with the bandits of Shangluo, allowing Zhang Fang to contact the Guanzhong refugees in Nanyang. Since Liu Hong, skilled in pacifying the people, was dead, the refugees were filled with anxiety about the future. They were unaware that Zhang Fang had been expelled by the Guanzhong gentry; they only knew that Zhang Fang, as the leader of Guanzhong, was coming to support them, and were overjoyed, expressing their willingness to support him as their leader.

In August, Zhang Fang led his army south, receiving support from refugee leaders such as Wang Ru of Jingzhao, Pang Shi of Nan'an, and Hou Tuo of Chang'an. Meanwhile, Wang Dun and his allies were still in the process of consolidating their power and had no time to establish defenses. Consequently, Zhang Fang conquered much of the Handong region. By September, Zhang Fang had occupied the three commanderies of Nanxiang, Nanyang, and Yiyang, amassing an army of forty to fifty thousand men. He had regained some of his strength and appeared to be a formidable figure once again.

To summarize the current situation, the Guandong region has been reunified, while refugees are roaming the land. It's hard to say whether to say the situation is great or that the world is in chaos.

Of all these political events, large and small, the one that had the most profound impact on the future was undoubtedly this: on the day of Gengchen in the ninth month of that year, Liu Xian formally established his kingdom in Chengdu and proclaimed himself King of Hanzhong.

(Map of the situation in September of the first year of the reign of Emperor Qiming of Han) (End of this chapter)