Jinting Han people

In late May, a sudden thunderstorm struck Jiangling City. Gale-force winds howled throughout the city, dark clouds rolled in, and rain poured down like a curtain, cascading over the eaves of every house, making the sky extremely gloomy. Amidst the flashes of lightning and thunder, the usual croaking of frogs and chirping of birds vanished without a trace, leaving only the rustling of tree branches against the backdrop of the wind and rain.

In this weather, most people had nothing to do but listen blankly to the rain, silently praying that there would be no floods this year. Only a few officials were still busy in the prefectural government. They had hung dozens of lanterns outside their residences and lit more than a dozen candles inside, which sat on exquisite bronze crane-shaped candlesticks. The light was dim but still cast shadows. Wang Dun, the governor of Jingzhou, sat in the dim light, expressionlessly reviewing the documents in his hands.

Beneath him stood a young scholar dressed in Confucian robes and wearing a headscarf. He stood in the center of the room, his hands tucked into his sleeves, holding his breath and waiting for Wang Dun's reply. At the same time, he secretly observed Wang Dun's expression by the light of the lamp, and thought to himself: I have long heard that Wang Chuzhong's appearance and temperament are extraordinary. Seeing him today, I can see that his reputation is indeed well-deserved.

This man, named Yu Liang, courtesy name Yuangui, had just turned twenty. Because of his handsome appearance, talent for debate, and the fact that his sister, Yu Wenjun, had just married the heir apparent of the Prince of Langya, he was highly valued by Prince Sima Rui of Langya. He was first recommended as a candidate for the civil service examination and then personally appointed as the Western Cao Yuan of the Zhen Dong Army. His current visit was at the behest of the Prince of Langya, to discuss an important matter with Wang Dun.

That concerns the relocation of the capital that Wang Yan had been planning.

According to Wang Yan's original plan, taking advantage of Wang Zan's campaign in Hebei, he could use the excuse of insufficient troops in Yuzhou to move the capital to Shouchun. Once he had established a foothold in Shouchun, Wang Zan would return with his troops and deploy defenses in the Yanzhou and Yuzhou areas, allowing Wang Yan to control the southeast and rest easy. However, Wang Yan did not expect that Wang Zan's campaign would not only fail to achieve victory but would also result in an unprecedented defeat. Of the 40,000 elite troops in Yuzhou, only 10,000 escaped back to Henan.

Thus, Wang Yan had indeed seized the emperor and moved to Huainan, but the defenses of Yuzhou had completely collapsed. Taking advantage of this, Wang Mi of Qi and Han mobilized troops, clearly intending to sweep through Yan and Yu provinces. In Wang Yan's view, the defenses, which should have been impregnable after the capital was moved to Shouchun, now had a huge gap in manpower. Therefore, Wang Yan was greatly uneasy and urgently ordered Wang Dun, Wang Kuang, and Sima Rui to each send tens of thousands of troops north to protect Shouchun's defenses.

However, the defeat at Yecheng, coupled with his decision to abandon the Central Plains and move the capital south, caused Wang Yan's prestige to plummet. The pent-up discontent within the court and the public erupted as a result. Liu Tun, the Commandant of the Capital Region remaining in Yuzhou, submitted a memorial criticizing Wang Yan, stating, "Now the rebellious barbarians are encroaching upon the ancestral temples, the royal family is in disarray, and no one is truly loyal. The court and the state rely on the Grand Commandant; how can we allow him to be sent far away and leave our foundation isolated!"

Meanwhile, the other states were also eager to seize the opportunity to profit from the situation. Although Wang Yan had dispatched a large number of his relatives to the provinces, firstly, their power base was still shallow and they lacked military merit, making it insufficient for them to fully control the regions; secondly, they were unwilling to be merely pawns of Wang Yan and all wanted to advance further. Therefore, Wang Cheng, Wang Kuang, and others basically ignored Wang Yan's orders.

However, what no one could have predicted was that the one secretly plotting the biggest scheme was actually Sima Rui, the Prince of Langya.

Because Wang Yan moved the capital to Shouchun, Wang Dao, the governor of Huainan, was dismissed and reassigned as the commander of the Zhen Dong Army, once again working with Sima Rui. Wang Dao realized that this was actually a golden opportunity for Sima Rui to seize power. With the military forces in Yuzhou currently weak, Shouchun's defenses were vulnerable, so why not establish the capital in Jianye? Since the intention to abandon the Central Plains had already been made, moving the capital to Shouchun or Jianye was the same thing, and Jianye, with its existing palaces from the Wu dynasty and its extensive river defenses, was far superior to Shouchun.
Once the capital was moved to Jianye, given Sima Rui's management of Jianye, the power of regents would naturally transfer to Sima Rui and Wang Dao.

In Wang Dao's view, this was actually a win-win situation. Given Wang Yan's current decline in prestige, forcing him to continue ruling would only backfire and subject him to further public criticism. If he stepped down at the right time, he would gain the reputation of relinquishing power, while the real power would remain in the hands of the Langya Wang clan. Sima Rui, on the other hand, had a shallow foundation and mediocre talent, making it impossible for him to rule alone; he would still need Wang Dao's assistance. In this way, the only change was that the head of the Langya Wang clan would shift from Wang Yan to Wang Dao.

However, considering that Wang Yan would not agree so easily, Wang Dao suggested to Sima Rui that they first contact Wang Dun, who was upstream. Wang Dun was one of the few capable people in the Langya Wang clan who could get things done. If they could grant Wang Dun the power to govern the five provinces of Jing, Xiang, Liang, Guang, and Jiao in exchange for his support, then Yangzhou and Jingzhou would jointly submit a memorial, and Wang Kuang of Jiangzhou would not dare to object. In this way, with the three provinces stationed in Huainan, Wang Yan would be powerless to resist and would have no choice but to relinquish power.

This was a grand plan, yet when Yu Liang handed the letter to Wang Dun, the prince consort remained unmoved. Wang Dun merely narrowed his eyes, sipping tea as he read, his small pupils revealing no change in expression, as if he were looking at an ordinary case file.

This is the famous Bee Eyes. Although his eyes are large, his pupils are smaller than normal, with the whites of his eyes showing in all four directions, making his pupils appear exceptionally deep and his vision incredibly sharp. Anyone who looks into his eyes inevitably feels as if they are being watched by a tiger or wolf.

Although Yu Liang had long heard of Wang Dun's reputation, this was his first time meeting him, and he felt a slight sense of unease. He couldn't help but recall a previous legend: during the Yuan Kang era, Shi Chong had hosted a banquet for the brothers Wang Dun and Wang Dao at the Golden Valley Garden. According to custom, maids were used to urge them to drink, and those who refused would have a beautiful woman executed. However, despite Shi Chong's repeated urging, Wang Dun remained unmoved, refusing to touch a cup even after Shi Chong had executed three beautiful women. People who heard this said that Wang Dun was truly heartless.

Upon thinking of this, Yu Liang couldn't help but feel a little uneasy: Could such a person be controlled by the Prince of Langya? Would he agree to this proposal? For a moment, he had no answer.

After waiting anxiously for a while, Yu Liang finally saw Wang Dun finish reading the letter, and then the two looked up at each other. Unexpectedly, Wang Dun still did not express his opinion, but instead tapped the hilt of his sword at his waist with different fingers, echoing the sound of wind and rain outside the door.

Yu Liang could no longer contain himself and asked, "Lord Wang, how confident are you in the likelihood of success regarding my king's proposal?"

Seeing that the other party was losing his composure, Wang Dun chuckled slightly and said slowly, "Mao Hong (Wang Dao) and I have been cousins ​​for thirty years. He understands me, just as I understand him. He won't do anything he's not sure about."

Yu Liang was overjoyed: "So, Your Excellency agrees?"

"I'm afraid not." Unexpectedly, Wang Dun shook his head slightly and sighed, "Although the chances of success are extremely high, given the current situation, it is absolutely not feasible."

This statement greatly surprised Yu Liang, because Wang Dun did not talk about the greater good or the gains and losses, and even admitted that the chances of success were extremely high. Logically speaking, he should have agreed, so why did he say that it was absolutely impossible?
Wang Dun didn't keep Yu Liang in suspense. He smiled and said, "Yuan Gui, the capital of Jingzhou is in Xiangyang. Do you know why I'm in Jiangling?"

Yu Liang, being new to the area, had no idea about the details of Jingzhou. Wang Dun continued to explain, "Zhang Fang has wreaked havoc in Handong, causing immense harm. We've been trying to subdue him for almost a year, and only managed to quell the rebellion two months ago. We still haven't captured this jackal. Do you know what news has come from Xiangzhou recently?"

"There are over ten thousand refugees from Sichuan and Chongqing in Xiangzhou. Last year, Xun Tiao took office as the governor of Xiangzhou. Because he was going to fight Zhang Fang, he levied more taxes. They didn't understand the court's difficulties and have been very restless lately. As a result, many river pirates have appeared around the Xiang River. According to the local magistrate, these refugees and river pirates are colluding with Zhang Fang." Yu Liang was shocked upon hearing this and immediately understood what Wang Dun meant: the reason he came to Jiangling was to intimidate the refugees in Xiangzhou. Otherwise, once Wang Dun led his troops away from Jingzhou and stationed them in Huainan, Xiangzhou would lack the support of the Jingzhou army, and Zhang Fang would probably immediately unite with the refugees from Sichuan and Chongqing and make a comeback. It might even affect Handong and Nanyang again, causing the entire situation to deteriorate.

From this, Yu Liang deduced: "Does Your Excellency mean that you will not support moving the capital until Zhang Fang is completely wiped out?"

"Of course not." Hearing this, Wang Dun gave a rare wry smile and said to Yu Liang, "Yuan Gui still doesn't understand my current situation. Do you think the only person I need to worry about right now is Zhang Fang?"

He pulled a scroll of silk from the table, waved it at Yu Liang, and then introduced it: "This is a scroll of silk that was found by a minor general when the magistrate of Linxiang was dealing with Zhang Fang and the refugees in Xiangzhou half a month ago. Do you know who wrote this scroll of silk?"

Who wrote this?

Wang Dun slowly said, "It's Zhang Guang, the traitor from Shu!"

Yu Liang was startled again, and this time, a chill ran from his feet to his head, sending shivers down his spine. He quickly moved closer to Wang Dun's desk, picked up the silk scroll, and examined it. It contained only some casually written greetings, but beneath the scroll were clearly the six large characters "Seal of Zhang Guang, Governor of Han." He examined the seal repeatedly, completely stunned.

Wang Dun was not surprised by Yu Liang's reaction. He finally voiced his concerns: "This is just an unknown minor commander in Xiangzhou with only a few hundred men under his command, yet he has already made contact with the Shu bandits. What about the other displaced commanders in Xiangzhou? How many of them are in contact with the Shu bandits? It's impossible to guard against them all!"

"We had already received news that the Shu bandits were building ships upstream, showing a strong intention to advance eastward. However, the Grand Commandant said that Jiangguan and Baidi City are in our hands. If they advance eastward, our army only needs to use iron chains to block the river and defend the two cities. The Shu bandits will find it difficult to advance. Therefore, there is no need to worry too much."

"But if there are refugees in Xiangzhou who respond, things will be very different. Originally, the national strength of Jing and Yi provinces was roughly equal. Now that the court has divided Jing province in two, I can still resist the Shu bandits by taking advantage of the terrain and relying on this half of the national strength. But if Xiang province falls into the hands of the Shu bandits, how can I resist them?"

At this point, Wang Dun paused, put away the silk scroll, turned to look at the torrential rain outside the door, and said quietly, "Yuan Gui, given the current situation, it's not that the Prince of Langya is asking me for reinforcements, it's that I'm asking the Prince of Langya for reinforcements!"

Yu Liang was speechless. He hadn't expected the situation in Jingzhou to be so dire, and he was at a loss for words. But Yu Liang was young and not so mercenary. Knowing that Wang Dun was telling the truth, he didn't press Wang Dun to send troops. Instead, he promised Wang Dun that if war broke out in Jingzhou, he would persuade the Prince of Langya to lead troops to its aid. After saying this, he took his leave.

Wang Dun certainly wouldn't rely on a young man. He was already writing to the court in Shouchun, hoping that the court could grant him the concurrent post of Governor of Xiangzhou or the power of Governor of Xiangzhou as soon as possible. As long as he could appease and suppress these refugees before Liu Xian took action, the situation wouldn't deteriorate too much.

He had already amassed an army of 70,000 in Jiangling. Once the imperial court's appointment arrived, he would immediately lead his troops across the river to take over Xiangzhou.

During this waiting period, he summoned Ji Zhan, the Prefect of Nanping, and Wang Xun, the Prefect of Weixing. These two distinguished themselves in the campaign to quell Zhang Fang's rebellion, and Wang Dun greatly appreciated them. He appointed Ji Zhan as the Military Supervisor of Badong, overseeing the military affairs of the five prefectures of Tianmen, Nanping, Yidu, Jianping, and Badong, and Wang Xun as the Military Supervisor of Nanyang, overseeing the military affairs of the five prefectures of Weixing, Shangyong, Xincheng, Nanxiang, and Nanyang.

At this time, Wang Dun discussed with them how to deal with the refugees in Xiangzhou, and the two had different opinions.

Known for his benevolence and kindness, Ying Zhan said to Wang Dun, “Those who do not follow the people are lacking in benevolence; those who follow but are not governed are lacking in righteousness. If the way of benevolence and righteousness is practiced, the people will flock to it like water flowing downhill. In the past, when the Duke of Xincheng (Liu Hong) governed Jingnan, he reduced taxes and distributed land, and the displaced people were well-fed and clothed. Even now, people still remember the Duke of Xincheng’s achievements. If you follow the same rules, Your Excellency, you will also achieve remarkable results.”

Wang Xun, however, held the opposite view. He advocated governing Xiangzhou with harsh laws and severe punishments, saying, "Those who govern in times of peace should first be benevolent and righteous, while those who govern in times of chaos should first employ strategies and tactics. The Duke of Xincheng was able to govern the people with pacification measures because the territory was stable and no one dared to disturb it. But now the world is in great chaos, and there is no time to bestow favors."

"My lord, I believe we should emulate Liu Biao's strategy in pacifying Jing. Most of the people are timid, and only a minority dare to rebel. These bandit leaders are greedy and despicable. Your Highness can first offer them generous rewards, and the bandits will surely come in large numbers. My lord can then seize the opportunity to punish their wickedness, appease them, and employ them. Furthermore, we can organize displaced people into an army and use their families as hostages. Even if the Shu bandits have a thousand skills, they will be powerless!"

Wang Dun appreciated both men's insights, but he found Wang Xun's approach more agreeable and thus decided to adopt his strategy. However, he didn't reveal his own thoughts. In Wang Dun's view, the art of command for a leader was to be as unpredictable as the shadows and as swift as thunder. A true leader must not only remain enigmatic to the enemy but also unfathomable to subordinates; only then can a leader truly possess authority and power.

However, Wang Dun was unlucky. Before the imperial edict could be issued, giving him a chance to demonstrate his skills in managing people, some people in Xiangzhou had already taken action.

The third year of the Qiming era was destined to be an extraordinary one. After a series of momentous events, the first half of the year was still not over. Just as the imperial edict was about to reach Jiangling at the end of June, Xun Tiao, the governor of Xiangzhou, suddenly issued an order, declaring that the displaced people of Xiangzhou were about to rebel, and for the sake of the long-term stability of the state, he would slaughter all the displaced people of Xiangzhou! (End of Chapter)