CH 107

That day, all of Luoyang was put under martial law. All officials were summoned to court. An imperial edict raised the Prince of Donghai to the office of supreme regional commander and bade him accompany the imperial army to fell the traitor Sima Ying.

Three days later, Commoner Yang was delivered from Jinyong City and reinstated as empress, the Prince of Chengdu’s status as a member of the imperial clan was abolished, Sima Tan was restored to his position as crown prince, and all under heaven was amnestied.  

The following day, after the six armies swore their oaths, they and the emperor set off. The accompanying retinue comprised nearly half the entire court; even the famed scholar, Wang Rong, Minister of the Masses, was amongst their ranks. A ten-thousand man procession paraded from Luoyang. Departing simultaneously was an imperial conscription edict. The Prince of Donghai, Sima Yue, ordered all regional commanders to join with the imperial army in the common cause of suppressing rebellion.

However, the only ones to respond to this edict were the provincial governor of Bing Province, Sima Teng, and the Prince of Gaomi, Sima Lüe, both of whom were Sima Yue’s younger brothers, and had received secret missives long beforehand. They wouldn’t miss this spectacular event, of course. 

As the imperial army advanced, a constant stream of reinforcements bolstered their ranks. In a few short days, ten thousand had multiplied to a hundred thousand. A forest of flagpoles, a sea of soldiers, marched in formation to Ye City. 

At this, all under heaven trembled! 

※

“Inform every county and commandery along the way that they are to provide the army with rations. The passes in the Shangdang regions must be strengthened to protect our supply lines,” Sima Teng commanded energetically. 

Just the distinction of having led troops to aid the imperial army was enough to earn him a sizeable reward. News from the front had it that the imperial army had grown from ten thousand to one hundred thousand in the course of ten days; it could be nothing but a portent of victory. Praise be to his brother’s flawless plans, that they could gather such might! 

This was an imperial campaign!

Emperor Gaozu of Han had personally warred against the likes of Ying Bu and the Xiongnu; Emperor Guangwu, too, had personally fought Wei Ao. But since the beginning of Jin, there had never been an occasion in which the six armies mobilized simultaneously. Last time, when Sima Ai had hauled the emperor to the frontline, tens of thousands of rebel soldiers had scattered and fled. How would the Prince of Chengdu dare to attack once he saw the emperor himself? Laying down his arms and donning white burial clothes was his only option!

Moreover, he and Wang Jun would coordinate in the attack. Several days ago, just after he’d sent him a secret missive, He Yan, revealed himself to be an assassin sent by the Prince of Chengdu to take his life. But alas, the heavens aided them not. He Yan’s ally, the Chanyu of the Wuhuan, quailed at the last second because of a sudden downpour, and switched allegiance to Wang Jun. Wang Jun then took the initiative and beheaded He Yan.

After the assassination attempt, Wang Jun was even less likely to stand with the Prince of Chengdu. They had agreed already that after joining with the imperial army, they would flank Ye City from the direction of You and Bing Provinces. On account of Wang Jun having daughters who’d married into the Xianbei, they could likely borrow a few thousand armored cavalry in this campaign against Ye City. Sima Teng normally disdained barbarians, but the Xianbei were generally obedient, and it helped that they were in You Province instead of Bing Province. Thus, he was not displeased with their involvement, but rather, smugly self-satisfied at having gained powerful allies.

Everything had been planned for accordingly. All that was left was to send troops from Taihang Pass and trample Ji Province！ 

Sima Teng’s order brought Bing Province to a bubbling broil. It just so happened that they had suffered no disaster that year; their soldiers strong, their horses sturdy, their provisions prepared, the army departed from Jinyang for Bai Pass.

※

“Sima Teng has sent troops as well?!” Liu Xuan was delighted at his subordinate’s report. The first time that Sima Teng’s forces left Bing Province – this was an opening for the Xiongnu, who had long been raring at the bit. If the time to rebel was not now, then when?!

“Make for Ye City posthaste! The Wise Prince of the East must be rescued at all cost! Tell him that the five division’s armies are at the ready, awaiting only the Great Chanyu’s return!” Liu Xuan instructed. 

Ktf wbgf nlbifcais atfrf Vlwj ygjar obeuta, atf wbgf bqqbgaecf obg atfw. Qtfc Tejctjl gfaegcfv jcv wjvf atf mjii ab jgwr, atf Wlbcuce kbeiv gfrabgf atflg cjalbc ja bcmf. Ktfs kbeiv yglcu atflg obgmfr ab yfjg bc Kjlsejc, ajxlcu Dlcu Ugbnlcmf olgra jcv Tbcu Ugbnlcmf cfza. Ktfc, atfs kbeiv bmmeqs Vtjcuvjcu jcv, atgbeut atf Kjltjcu qjrrfr, mbcdefg Vl jcv Tl Ugbnlcmfr. Ktf olnf vlnlrlbcr kbeiv atfc bmmeqs atf yfiis bo atf Jfcagji Uijlcr!

A feat that no Xiongnu Chanyu had ever achieved!

Just thinking about their kingdom to come made the blood in Liu Xuan’s withered body surge hot. If only Liu Yuan could return, everything would be within reach!

※ 

“Marquess Liang! There’s been another commotion in Luoyang; word has it that the emperor himself has set out to attack the Prince of Chengdu. The Duke of Dongying, upon receiving an edict, is presently leading an army of thirty thousand towards Bai Pass, and to top it off, he’s levying grain from every county and commandery in his path! ”

Guo Jiao had sprinted to the Liang Estate straightaway after receiving those orders from the general staff. Gaodu was close neighbors with the Taihang Pass; they’d be first to bear the brunt of any conflict that might occur. Worse, they had to surrender rations to them! It wasn’t just Gaodu, but the whole of Shangdang that had to supply the army with provisions and defend their supply line. This matter was of utmost importance to the grand administrator of Shangdang Commandery, one of Sima Teng’s trusted subordinates. What was he to do when the collection officials came?

The news came as a shock to Liang Feng as well. The dust from the last disaster in Luoyang had only just settled at the end of the last year; how had another storm been kicked up in less than six months? And this time, even Bing Province was involved. In any war, food supply was always of foremost concern. Every county had to open its granaries at the Duke of Dongying’s command. This was how the local government’s surplus grain was to be used. 

Gaodu, in particular, had raked in a considerable amount of grain last harvest, enough to recoup their expenses and then some, but still, the thought of being investigated by collection officials made him panicky and short of breath. What’s more, he’d lied on the report on the amount of farmland they’d reclaimed! It was all too much for Guo Jiao, so he begged his backer’s advice.  

Liang Feng immediately understood what he meant and assured, “Fret not; in this imminent battle, their main priority is securing their supply lines. No one will probe around if Gaodu can turn in military provisions. You can return to the county seat, examine the ledgers again, and calculate the yield of the reclaimed farmlands according to the reported figures. And don’t wait for the collection officials to seek you out; have the grain delivered to the commandery seat directly. With this, the grand administrator can safely turn his attentions to matters of war.”

Guo Jiao cottoned on at once. There was nothing more important to the Duke of Dongying than this battle; the more diligent he was, the more favor he could earn from the Duke of Dongying and the grand administrator, and the less they would scrutinize his little county. At any rate, the army wouldn’t detour all the way out to Taihang Pass, since it was Ye City they were attacking. Gaodu was still very safe.

His nerves now somewhat calmed, Guo Jiao sighed, “That’s good! But what if someone makes trouble anyways…. ”

“It’s possible that there would be some disturbance in the rear whilst the Duke of Dongying is away on campaign. It wouldn’t be strange at all if those collection officials encountered mountain bandits or highwaymen.” There was a cold glint in Liang Feng’s eyes. This was his territory. He wouldn’t allow anyone to threaten Gaodu’s safety, nor would he watch the allies he’d worked so hard to cultivate be destroyed in a day. He’d simply send the militia to ambush those with ill intentions and blame it on the nearby bandits. It was perfectly plausible, as the army was out at war. 

Was that to say that the Liang Estate’s militia would intervene if someone tried to mess with Gaodu? His declaration raised the hairs on Guo Jiao’s back. No one knew better than him how powerful the Liang Estate’s forces were. Killing a few unruly petty officials was all too easy. But aside from fright, he felt genuinely grateful.

Now this was someone worth following! Someone who wouldn’t sit by whilst they suffered when things when awry, who would instead protect them at every turn, and weather the storm together with them. Who wouldn’t brave strange dangers for a lord as good as he?! 

Gritting his teeth, Guo Jiao nodded, “I will prepare the provisions right away. And as for those small neighboring counties, I will look after them and ensure their stability!”

Just what Liang Feng had been waiting to hear. “Thank you, Dongye. Hopefully, the Duke of Dongying will return in victory.” 

Truthfully, Liang Feng didn’t care one whit whether the Duke of Dongying won or not lost. His army’s absence from Bing Province would lessen the pressure which kept the five divisions in check. Would that old coot, Liu Xuan, rise up in arms?  It would mean disaster for Bing Province if the Xiongnu revolted! He needed two years’ time to gather his strength, but now he mightn’t have two months!

His heart pounding like drums, Liang Feng saw Guo Jiao away and immediately summoned Yi Yan, “Go to Taihang Pass with all haste, tell Wu Ling to be on his guard. The two passes must not fail! And bring two teams with you as well, to help him train his soldiers, and assist in defending the passes!”

Realizing the seriousness of the situation from his lord’s severe countenance, Yi Yan replied immediately, “Understood!”

“Also, I want you to send some scouts to surveil the surrounding environs, especially in the areas nearest to Xiongnu territory. Expect to commence battle the moment there is any sign of trouble! ” Liang Feng could only thank his lucky stars that the summer harvest had already finished. If this had happened even half a month ago, they would’ve been forced to take a much more reactive stance. 

Presently, the Liang Estate had supplies and fighting strength, enough to protect its immediate environs. If only Sima Teng’s army could return as soon as possible. 

※

“Commander Yi!” Catching sight of Yi Yan, Wu Ling rushed up to him, “Did Marquess Liang send you here?”

“Yes. My lord has sent me to remind you to be vigilant in defending the two passes, and I brought a few soldiers to help you train the new recruits.” 

Wu Ling’s tension visibly eased, “Marquess Liang is as thorough as ever. Luckily, at Marquess Liang’s advice, I built another city in the Taihang Pass. When I sent my report, the Duke of Dongying was rather pleased, and even promised to allocate more provisions to my garrison.”

It was pure happenstance that the news of the coming battle had come just after the new, narrow, meters-wide city was built, and they began refilling their ranks with refugee recruits again. Wu Ling had hurriedly reported the construction of the new city. The army wouldn’t be marching through Taihang Pass, but this new fortification was greatly approved of by Sima Teng. Thus, he hadn’t sent any generals to garrison the two passes, only ordering him to guard and protect these two vital passageways.  

Now, the Liang Estate had sent him soldiers, nominally for training purposes, but also to help him guard the city. The more people, the better; not to mention soldiers from the Liang Estate’s powerful militia. Wu Ling happily welcomed them, of course.

Acting on his lord’s orders, Yi Yan didn’t take the matter lightly, and continued, “I implore you, General Wu, to keep an eye on any movement around the two passes, and notify the Liang Estate at once if there is anything out of the ordinary.”  

“I thank the marquess for his concern.” This Jie person was cold and stern, but Wu Ling knew that he was Liang Feng’s trusted commander. That he was sent here showed how concerned he was about the passes’ defenses. In hindsight, paying allegiance to the Liang Estate was the best thing they could’ve done. Still, they wouldn’t be in too much danger this time, would they?

Wu Ling hesitated, but said anyway, “This time, the emperor himself has gone to battle. Marquess Liang doesn’t need to worry too much. The Duke of Dongying will undoubtedly return victorious! ”

※

“The Prince of Chengdu has already fled. Surely, we will win this battle!” 

Said Sima Yue, standing within the command tent, his face aglow with flushing red. Two days ago, the imperial army had crossed the Yellow River and arrived at Tangyin County of the Wei Commandery. Beyond the Tang River before them and five kilometers to the north stood Ye City!

The imperial army and progressed through Henei and Zhaoge without meeting any opposition from the Prince of Chengdu. The great army was at the walls of his city already, and still, they hadn’t seen a shadow of the enemy. What did that imply? Of course it meant that, for fear of the emperor, the Prince of Chengdu dared not battle!

This news was again confirmed by their spies within Ye City. Chen Zhen’s two younger brothers,  Chen Kuang and Chen Gui, had been sending intel from Ye City for some time already. Now, they reported that Ye City’s defensive forces were already scattering to the wind – it’d become an empty city! How could Sima Yue not be overjoyed at this news?!

All the officials within the tent were ecstatic over the news.  Most of them had been unwillingly dragged onto the battlefield. Winning without a fight was absolutely the best outcome!  

Some toadied, “Such is the might of the emperor! It is all due to the efforts of the supreme regional commander that this treacherous villain was vanquished!   ” 

Some worried, “But what do we do now that the Prince of Chengdu has fled? We must capture that knave as soon as possible to restore order to the world….   ” 

And some, delusionally overambitious, “We must reward the six armies and celebrate this victory!”

Rewarding the rank and file was only an afterthought; it was they, the officials who’d come with the army, who should be promoted and ennobled and greatly rewarded!  

Sima Yue’s smile became even brighter at all the discourse amongst the lower officials, “Then convey orders to the six armies to prepare a feast!” 

At this news, the soldiers’ morale soared. They mighn’t even need to fight for Ye City. Faced with a hundred thousand valiant soldiers, it would have no choice but to open its gates and surrender! Once his younger brothers came, there was no fear that, with such overwhelming forces, they couldn’t conquer Ye City.

The news spread like wildfire. As expected, thousands erupted with cries of ‘long live the emperor!’ Was there an easier victory than one that hadn’t bloodied their blades? The whole army, from top to bottom, kindled fires and cooked food in anticipation of the celebrations. There would be generous amounts of grain and titles just waiting to be claimed.

But before the ceremonial feast could even begin, they saw, on the far horizon, a cavalry troop galloping towards them at great speed. It was more than a few people, a few dozen people, it was a roiling black wave that blotted out the sky, crashing towards their encampment. The earth rumbled with the thundering of hooves, the sky trembled with roaring battle cries!  

“E – Enemy ambush!!”  someone yelled. The great army, whose spirits had been soaring just a moment ago, instantly fell into disarray. There was no one able to command this hastily-assembled, ragtag bunch of stray soldiers. No one was able to stand up and order them to face the enemy. 

At the slightest touch, the six armies shattered!

The author has something to say:

It’s not that I don’t want to write the background, problem is, this stretch of history is really too complicated orz 

There’s a dozen Sima’s or so, and they’re mostly divided into four or five factions. There’s over ten Lius, some are good, some are bad. And between everyone’s cadres of advisors, there’s another seven or eight Wangs. There are thirty other surnames, coming from many ethnicities. Checking sources makes my head spin every time. Writing any more would probably make things even more confusing .

So I won’t write about the unimportant stuff in too much detail,  and keep the focus on Liang Feng’s perspective. Every character mentioned now will affect his circumstances in some way. Once Liang Feng’s territory grows one step at a time and the Chaos of the Eight Princes is more or less at an end, the grand scheme of things will gradually come into view.

The translator has something to say:

Finals are nearly over now ＼(Ｔ∇Ｔ)／, so regular updates will be back on Thursdays and Sundays. Sorry for the pause