The Emperor would not give Yu Weiyin and Luo Geng any chance to air their grievances before him. Once everything had been arranged, the Emperor departed Jizhou City ahead of the others, under the protection of the Imperial Guards.

Prince Wu had offered the Emperor a further suggestion and made some small adjustments to the plan.

The Emperor left first. Prince Wu stayed behind to distribute the winter gear. The storehouses in Jizhou City held such a vast quantity that the lesser portion was counted out while the greater portion was simply loaded up and hauled away.

The lesser portion tallied to ninety thousand sets. Per the Emperor’s instructions, this was divided equally between Luo Geng and Yu Weiyin — forty-five thousand each.

An even split, so neither man could object.

To avoid confusion, and since Luo Geng needed to return quickly to guard the border, he was given priority. This was naturally how it went.

Luo Geng’s forces came to collect, and Prince Wu’s men urged Luo Geng to take his men quickly and clear out the supply as fast as possible — so Luo Geng sent five thousand men to haul the load. The Youzhou soldiers arrived and began loading the carts to carry everything back to camp. As directed by Prince Wu, the official in charge of the distribution issued the Youzhou army sixty thousand sets.

Perhaps the official in charge saw a chance for entertainment, or perhaps he truly miscounted — in any case, by the time the Youzhou army had finished loading and hauling, they had taken sixty-five thousand sets.

After the Youzhou army had made off with their haul, there was a day’s gap before the Yuzhou army’s turn came. The gap was deliberate.

Yu Weiyin was feeling rather pleased with himself, standing in what had been Zeng Ling’s regional governor’s residence and looking around with an expression of uncontainable delight.

From this day on, this residence belonged to him. No longer the Zeng residence — now the Yu residence.

The Emperor had, in the end, altered his earlier decision and declined to formally appoint Yu Weiyin as Yuzhou regional governor. But before he departed, the Emperor had personally received Yu Weiyin and spoken to him at length — words of high praise, words of great expectations, words suggesting that the northern frontier would henceforth depend entirely on him, presenting entirely the air of *I couldn’t manage without you*.

After this exchange, Yu Weiyin was genuinely smug — effervescently smug, as though about to fizz over. If he wasn’t going back to Yuzhou, so be it. In Jizhou he was also a regional governor — leaping from a third-rank general all the way to a first-rank frontier official.

He could almost feel gratitude toward the three dead regional governors. If those three had not made such a fuss, causing all three of them to end up buried along with their ambitions, how would he, Yu Weiyin, have ever become a regional governor?

At this thought, he was almost moved to burn some incense for those three gentlemen, to console the unresting spirits of those three.

He instructed people to rush the new placard into production and have it hung outside the gates as quickly as possible, had the courtyard swept clean, and sent men into the city to post proclamations informing the people of Jizhou that henceforth Jizhou bore the surname Yu.

Just then, the general he had sent to collect the winter gear returned a message via a dispatched adjutant, whose expression was as sour as if he had just swallowed a fly — his face tight with fury.

“My lord.” The adjutant bowed: “Our men went to collect the winter gear, but the numbers don’t add up. His Majesty decreed we receive forty-five thousand sets, but the full count only came to twenty-five thousand.”

Yu Weiyin’s expression shifted. He said in a low voice: “If it’s short, go back and demand more.”

“There are none left,” the adjutant replied. “Prince Wu held back only ninety thousand sets. The principal administrator responsible for the matter swore on his life — ninety thousand, not a single set fewer. But we’ve only ended up with twenty-five thousand.”

Yu Weiyin’s eyes went wide. In an instant he understood what had happened: “Luo Geng took more than his share?”

“The administrator couldn’t say exactly,” the adjutant replied. “He only said that when Luo Geng’s men came to collect, they were told to send a thousand people, but Luo Geng sent five thousand. They piled onto the carts in one great rush, and when carts weren’t enough, they carried it away by hand, parcel by parcel. Heaven only knows how much they actually took.”

“That insolent wretch Luo Geng!”

Yu Weiyin erupted in fury: “You lot, wait here — I’m going to report him to Prince Wu.”

And with that, he had his horse brought, gathered his personal guard battalion, and charged out of Jizhou City.

Prince Wu had not yet departed — his great army was encamped outside the city. Yu Weiyin galloped straight to Prince Wu’s camp and urgently had the soldiers on duty send word ahead.

Presently Prince Wu’s man returned and told Yu Weiyin to come in. Yu Weiyin galloped the remaining distance to Prince Wu’s command tent.

Prince Wu had just finished his martial practice exercises, and several personal guards attended him — one holding a basin of water, another with a cloth.

The weather had grown cold. Prince Wu had run through a whole boxing routine and worked up a sweat. Seen from a distance, it looked as though wisps of steam rose above his head.

“Your Royal Highness!”

Yu Weiyin ran up to Prince Wu and bowed: “I beg Your Highness to render me justice!”

Prince Wu laughed: “You’ve come running here asking me to render you justice, but all of Jizhou is yours to rule now — what justice can I give you?”

Yu Weiyin, in a frenzy of agitation, launched into a full account of what had happened, cursing Luo Geng roundly throughout.

Prince Wu heard him out, then put on an expression of great difficulty: “On this matter, even if you ask me to take charge of it, I cannot simply step in. First, there is no evidence — if I go and reprimand Luo Geng directly, and it turns out he did not take more, would I not have wronged him unjustly?”

He gave Yu Weiyin a look: “Second, Luo Geng has already gone. Even if he did take extra, you would have difficulty finding evidence now.”

He paused, then went on: “Third, I must have my great army on the march south tomorrow. Even if I wished to handle this, there would be no time. But I do have a few words of advice I want to offer you.”

He addressed Yu Weiyin in earnest, measured tones: “His Majesty has entrusted Jizhou to you. You are the Jizhou regional governor, appointed by imperial decree. By rights, Luo Geng is also under your authority. You are the Jizhou regional governor, His Majesty’s specially appointed senior official, Luo Geng’s direct superior. You feel you have been wronged, and yet you come to me to render you justice. Where is the prestige of a regional governor?”

Yu Weiyin was taken aback. He thought it over. There was logic in this.

He had heard it said that the Emperor was planning to grant Luo Geng the title of Commandery Prince — but that decree had not yet been issued, had it?

Yu Weiyin was the Jizhou regional governor, overseeing all civil and military affairs in Jizhou. Even if Luo Geng were made Commandery Prince, in terms of office he would still fall under Yu Weiyin’s authority.

Prince Wu continued: “As the highest-ranking official in a full province, you ought not to come asking me to stand up for you. You should stand up for yourself.”

With that, Prince Wu turned and went back into his command tent. Yu Weiyin stood where he was for some time, growing more infuriated the longer he thought about it, growing more wretched the more infuriated he became.

He did not believe Prince Wu’s high-minded reasoning. A letter?

A letter was going to make Luo Geng hand back twenty thousand sets of winter gear? Even setting aside whether Prince Wu would actually write that letter — if he did, Luo Geng would never return them.

At this point Yu Weiyin could contain himself no longer. He mounted his horse and rode back to Jizhou City, where he ordered all his cavalry mustered in pursuit of Luo Geng’s Youzhou army.

Even though Luo Geng’s forces had a day’s head start, tens of thousands of troops do not travel fast in a day.

He took his men in pursuit. Prince Wu, on hearing the news, laughed. His Majesty’s masterstroke required not a single soldier or a drop of blood — and it could well be enough to eliminate both of them. And His Majesty’s goal was not to eliminate only one.

Of course, the one more likely to be eliminated first was Yu Weiyin — though either outcome pleased the Emperor.

A man like Yu Weiyin, a rebel turncoat — could the Emperor actually trust him with authority?

He had followed Liu Li in rebellion once, and now found himself a regional governor. What was to prevent him from rebelling again on his own account in the future?

On receiving the news, Prince Wu promptly summoned a capable general from his command — Pan Nuo.

Pan Nuo, a third-rank general, was cautious and thorough in his character, incisive in his methods, and intelligent. He came from a distinguished family, had foresight and learning, and his own martial abilities were not insignificant — a figure of considerable importance in Prince Wu’s command. He had earned the reputation of a scholar-general. Two days earlier, the Emperor himself had called him to an audience and expressed high hopes for him.

Pan Nuo arrived quickly, and when Prince Wu saw him enter he smiled: “The task His Majesty has arranged for you should be coming soon.”

Pan Nuo smiled: “Did that hothead Yu Weiyin really dare go after Luo Geng?”

Prince Wu said: “His Majesty has been heaping praise on him all these days, keeping him in the clouds. Then deliberately holding back Luo Geng’s title, flattering one while suppressing the other. Then using the scheme of the short-changed winter gear to drive Yu Weiyin into a frenzy — for him to give chase now is entirely in keeping with the situation.”

Pan Nuo said: “But Luo Geng is right now nursing the deepest resentment, with nowhere to vent it. Yu Weiyin going to him like this is inviting trouble — it looks grim for him.”

Prince Wu said: “When Yu Weiyin turned back to the city to muster his troops, I had a man ride ahead to catch Luo Geng and tell him — Yu Weiyin is coming after him. If he took more of the other man’s gear, he ought to return it and offer an apology. Yu Weiyin will probably let it go.”

Pan Nuo smiled: “Those words from Your Highness would be enough to put Luo Geng in a rage.”

Prince Wu said: “His Majesty does not trust either of them. With these two men holding the northern frontier, Dachu will never be stable. If His Majesty’s chain scheme truly succeeds, it could eliminate both of them in one stroke.”

He looked at Pan Nuo: “The northern frontier will be entrusted to you going forward. You should remember: how to serve the ruler as a minister, but also not forget how to lead the soldiers as a general, and still less forget how to serve the people as an official. Keep these three things in mind, and Jizhou will be steady as a mountain.”

Pan Nuo bowed in a full salute: “Your servant will not forget the trust His Majesty has placed in me, and will bear in mind Your Highness’s teaching.”

Prince Wu said: “Go and make your preparations. Knowing Luo Geng’s temperament, he will not let Yu Weiyin ride away alive. His Majesty feared he might not dare act and so deliberately set out ahead, while I have already sent word to Luo Geng that my great army departs at first light tomorrow. If Luo Geng doesn’t act, then he isn’t that rough Luo barbarian at all.”

In the end, no long wait was needed. First thing the next morning, a report came in: Yu Weiyin had led several thousand cavalry in pursuit of Luo Geng, only to be surrounded in an ambush laid by Luo Geng.

Yu Weiyin had flown into a rage, cursing Luo Geng as a petty self-serving wretch, a stumpy northern barbarian, in a tirade so far beyond all restraint that he seemed certain Luo Geng wouldn’t actually act against him — after all, Prince Wu was still encamped just outside Jizhou City.

But he had miscalculated. Young general Luo Jing rode his horse forward and drove a spear through Yu Weiyin, knocking him from his saddle.

On receiving the news, Prince Wu broke into laughter. He personally led his forces into Jizhou City under the pretext of maintaining order, and called in all of Yu Weiyin’s subordinate officers.

Those officers had no suspicions and all came. Prince Wu then ordered them all arrested, citing them for inciting discord between Yu Weiyin and Luo Geng, thus bringing about this outcome.

Prince Wu did not execute them outright — only said they were to be held and properly dealt with, after which they would be released.

With the city forces left leaderless, Prince Wu arranged men to take temporary command.

He left Pan Nuo with three thousand elite troops as his personal guard, handed command of Yu Weiyin’s army over to him, and then Prince Wu departed, taking the arrested officers along.

Killing them in front of the soldiers would not do — taking them away first meant there was time enough to deal with them later.

Three days later, Luo Geng led his great army back the way it had come, as though to besiege Jizhou City.

Pan Nuo stood atop the city walls and informed Luo Geng with an easy smile that Prince Wu had already placed him in command of Jizhou City. Luo Geng, seeing no opportunity to exploit, withdrew in frustration.

Seven days later, two decrees arrived from the Emperor.

One for Luo Geng, one for Pan Nuo.

The Emperor appointed Pan Nuo as Jizhou Regional Governor, elevated in rank to Grand Pillar of the State, with authority over all civil and military affairs of Jizhou.

As for Luo Geng — the Emperor issued a severe reprimand for the killing of Yu Weiyin, declaring that Luo Geng had disregarded the greater good and betrayed the imperial trust. The Emperor would not pursue him for the killing, but all rewards for Luo Geng were revoked.

Meaning the verbal promise was also gone now. The title of Prince of Youzhou was out of the question.

The decree also stated that Luo Geng was henceforth to take his direction from Pan Nuo, and was to seek Pan Nuo’s approval before undertaking any military action.

When Luo Geng received this decree, he was so overcome with fury that he vomited blood and collapsed, unable to rise from his bed.

—