From Yingyu Stronghold to Wuling City, the Yuan River wound tortuously for seven hundred li of waterway. But the autumn waters were at their peak, and sailing downstream, the sailboats moved like shuttles. Even though they feared crashing into mountain walls at night, three days later Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang, along with the wives and children who had established themselves as deep-cover agents in Qianyang over these years, and over ten officers whose families were in Tanzhou, also boarded ships and entered Langzhou’s Wuling County territory.
Langzhou was under the jurisdiction of the Tanzhou Regional Military Commissioner’s Office.
However, Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang felt no joy at returning home, and those officers whose families had been released back to Tanzhou similarly felt not the slightest relaxation.
From afar they saw a newly built wooden watchtower on a near-water cliff on the western bank of the Yuan River, with several military officers inside looking in their direction. The helmsman at the rudder and two sailors operating the sails docked the black-canopied sailboat on the river beach, clasped their hands toward Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang and said: “Lord Zhao, Chief Tan, we part ways here!”
With only three people on the other side, Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang could of course detain them, but what good would truly doing so accomplish?
They hurriedly disembarked, dragging children and leading daughters as they climbed toward the watchtower. After declaring their identities, they found an open space and waited for this side to dispatch mounted scouts to report to Wuling. After waiting for over an hour, a cavalry squad finally galloped rapidly along the riverbank.
The arrivals said nothing else, only urging Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang to follow them.
Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang left behind their wives, children, and the other released officers. By the time darkness fell, they had rushed to Wuling City.
Wuling County was located at the northeastern foothills of the Wuling Mountain Range. To the east was the plain and hilly zone where the western shore of Dongting Lake intersected with the Yangtze River, covering an area of twenty to thirty li in radius.
In other words, Wuling County was actually located on the southwestern edge of the entire Dongting Lake plain and surrounding hilly belt.
For a long time, the guest household forces in Chenzhou, Xuzhou, and other provinces had been weak. Although the native mountain Yue barbarian peoples were fierce and skilled in battle, their relatively dispersed forces had not united into a group, and were not yet sufficient to send troops north to invade the Central Plains.
Therefore, Wuling County had never been a key point for Tanzhou’s external defenses. For a long time it had only a small garrison, not even as many as the elite troops directly infiltrated into Chenzhou and Xuzhou.
However, when Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang entered Wuling City, they saw that the troops inside Wuling City at this time were clearly more numerous than usual.
Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang were brought to the rear quarters of the county office. At this time, from the gorgeous armor worn by the guards inside and outside the courtyard, they recognized these were the personal guards around Crown Prince Ma Xun. The two exchanged glances: “Has the Crown Prince already guessed that something changed in Xuzhou?”
Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang had not had any opportunity to dispatch messengers right up until Zhongfang City was captured.
Of course, even if they had no opportunity to dispatch messengers, once Yanji Stronghold’s side detected the abnormality at Yingyu Stronghold, they would send people back to Tanzhou to transmit information. But if the Crown Prince had learned of the changes at Zhongfang City before setting out for Wuling County, he might still be on the road at this time.
Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang walked into the main hall and saw that besides Crown Prince Ma Xun, the new Langzhou Governor Ma Yuanheng, Military Commissioner Ma Rong, as well as the Crown Prince’s advisor Wen Ruilin—Master Wen—were all present.
Feeling the Crown Prince’s murderous gaze, Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang instinctively felt a chill at the back of their heads, and also knew that news of Yingyu Stronghold’s fall had already reached the Crown Prince’s ears through messengers from Yanji Stronghold.
“Fools, fools! Over a thousand elite veteran soldiers couldn’t hold Yingyu Stronghold—what use are you? Could it be that the Han father and son have some supernatural ability to scatter beans and create soldiers in Xuzhou?” Ma Xun could no longer control himself and roared at Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang.
Yanji Stronghold was separated from Yingyu Stronghold by the thirty to forty li depth of the Zhongfang Mountain Range with its perilous peaks and dense forests. Geographically it still belonged to Chenzhou’s Xupu County. Even though they knew for certain that the Han father and son had moved against Yingyu Stronghold and captured it, they did not know the specific details.
If Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang had not been released and returned, Ma Xun and the others would have newly dispatched scouts to penetrate deep into Xuzhou to investigate the truth. But obviously they could not be clearer about the inside story than Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang.
To tell the truth, Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang at this time still had not figured out why the Four Clans would forcefully assault Yingyu Stronghold. They only recounted one by one, speaking out everything they had seen, heard, and experienced exactly as it was. Finally they cautiously stated their assessment: “The Han father and son are wildly ambitious, intending to swallow Xuzhou for themselves!”
“Crown Prince, surely you no longer disbelieve the conspiracy between the Han father and son and the Chu Emperor to plot against Tanzhou?” Wen Ruilin glared hatefully at Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang, then earnestly advised Crown Prince Ma Xun.
“The Han father and son have always been ambitious—this is something we knew long ago. Otherwise Han Qian could not have fled covertly to Xuzhou last winter…” Ma Yuanheng frowned, saying hesitantly.
Tanzhou had heard rumors very early on that Han Qian carried Emperor Tianyou’s secret edict when he fled covertly to Xuzhou, with the purpose of helping Emperor Tianyou curtail the feudal domains of Tanzhou. But such rumors had not attracted Tanzhou’s attention.
Great Chu had only been founded fourteen or fifteen years ago—one could not yet speak of popular support. Moreover, with the Feng Wenlan case as precedent, if people like Han Daoxun and Han Qian had the opportunity to control a region, who would still be willing to bow and submit to Emperor Tianyou?
Another factor was that the Yingyu Stronghold they controlled was located in the heartland of Xuzhou. They did not believe that if the Han father and son wanted to control the situation in Xuzhou, they would not rely on Tanzhou’s support.
The previous rumors, no matter how you looked at them, had no reasons that could stand up.
But at this moment, although Zhao Zhixian and Tan Yuliang’s account also seemed quite logical, Ma Yuanheng was somewhat hesitant. However, this still could not confirm that the Han father and son were in conspiracy with Jinling!
“Why would the Four Clans assault Yingyu Stronghold? This question is like why Han Qian was initially able to successfully flee covertly to Xuzhou—it seems to have no issues, but the answer is laid out right there. The Crown Prince and Governor simply dare not believe it, that’s all!”
Wen Ruilin knew that after Yingyu Stronghold’s fall, Tanzhou hastily had no possibility of dispatching troops to punish the Han father and son. But if Tanzhou did not conduct thorough mobilization, did not make final preparations, and continued to be deceived by the Han father and son’s performance—then the yellow flower vegetables might truly turn cold.
In his urgency, he also disregarded his gentle attitude and spoke in agitated tones.
“When Han Qian was initially able to carry so many supplies and troops to flee covertly from Jinling, either he was not truly good, or Emperor Tianyou and Yang Yuanpu deliberately indulged it. Afterward, Emperor Tianyou conveniently demoted Shen Yang and others to Ezhou, together with Xuzhou forming a faint pincer attack position against Tanzhou, then step by step increasing this momentum. And that the Four Clans would assault Yingyu Stronghold this time seems baffling, but what if Zhang Ping—whom Han Daoxun requested by imperial decree to remain in Xuzhou as Supervising Army Commissioner—conspired with the Han father and son to design a trap to deceive the Four Clans into acting recklessly?”
“How would Zhang Ping conspire with the Han father and son?” Ma Yuanheng asked somewhat puzzled.
“If the Four Clans, like Governor, firmly believed that the Han father and son betrayed the court and that Zhang Ping was merely an ornament placed by the court in Xuzhou, then when the Han father and son promoted the new field tax policy, wouldn’t it be natural for the Four Clans to secretly contact Zhang Ping to jointly oppose the Han father and son?” Wen Ruilin said.
“If the Four Clans wished to oppose the Han father and son, why would they assault Yingyu Stronghold?” someone in the hall below questioned.
Wen Ruilin said: “If Zhang Ping made them believe that the Han father and son had long ago secretly submitted to our Tanzhou, and made them believe that Yingyu Stronghold was easy to assault while Qianyang City was difficult to attack, wouldn’t everything have an explanation? And everyone present here—were you not previously hoping that the Han father and son could submit to Tanzhou?”
Wen Ruilin’s aggressive tone displeased Ma Yuanheng, Ma Rong, and others, yet they could not produce words to refute him. After all, that the Four Clans would forcefully assault Yingyu Stronghold must mean they had fallen into the Han father and son’s trap, yet they could not produce a more suitable explanation.
Of course, even if the Han father and son had conspired with Jinling beforehand, one could not rule out that after gaining power the Han father and son had thoughts of shaking off Jinling. After all, the current situation was too favorable for the Han father and son to control Xuzhou separately. But Tanzhou’s side could not risk standing by and doing nothing anymore.
“No matter what, the Han father and son must be guarded against.” Ma Xun said hesitantly.
“Merely guarding against the Han father and son is far from enough. Please, Crown Prince, return to Tanzhou immediately to persuade the lord to abandon his last shred of illusion about Jinling and make preparations as early as possible…” Wen Ruilin said.
“Then we just let the Han father and son continue to act arrogantly?”
After the defeat at Mount Dahong, although Ma Xun had not pushed responsibility onto Wen Ruilin, he also felt that Wen Ruilin was nothing special. Therefore, when Wen Ruilin repeatedly spoke of the Han father and son conspiring with Jinling, he found it tiresome to listen to.
However, with Yingyu Stronghold’s fall, he was inclined to believe Wen Ruilin’s analysis.
And even if the Han father and son had not conspired with Jinling, with over a thousand of Tanzhou’s elite veteran soldiers dying at the Han father and son’s hands, could he swallow this grievance?
“Chu troops might gather on a large scale in Ezhou at any time. Before repelling this route of Chu army’s attack, the Crown Prince is afraid he cannot directly deal with the Han father and son. But Xuzhou’s side must also be guarded against.”
Wen Ruilin said.
“Over these past years, Chenzhou Governor Wang Liang has been the key to preventing the various Chenzhou clans from uniting. Currently, with the Han father and son implementing the new field tax policy in Xuzhou and using trickery to severely damage Xuzhou’s Four Clans, I believe the major clan forces of Chenzhou must feel the crisis of the lips gone and teeth cold, like thorns in their backs. If at this time we can kill Wang Liang and send messengers into Chenzhou, we will certainly be able to make Chenzhou’s major clans unite. Even if everything I say is merely speculation, at least this way we can prevent the Han father and son from becoming a threat at Tanzhou’s back!”
Ma Xun was no fool either. After pondering for a while, he asked Ma Yuanheng, Ma Rong, and others: “What do you think?”
“This matter should be done sooner rather than later. If we wait until the Han father and son have subdued the Four Clans, when Chenzhou’s side tries to respond, they will likely be caught off guard.” Ma Rong did not like Wen Ruilin, but had to admit that Wen Ruilin’s suggestion at this time was rarely decisive and straightforward.
Even if Ma Rong and Ma Yuanheng still found it very difficult to believe that the Han father and son conspired with Jinling, no matter what, they had to take action to stop the Han father and son from annexing Chenzhou as well.
Otherwise, if the Han father and son occupied both Chenzhou and Xuzhou, then the Han father and son would no longer be Tanzhou’s vassals, but rather powerful enemies in Tanzhou’s heartland.
“If everything is as Master Wen says, how should Tanzhou respond to this calamity?” Ma Yuanheng, as Langzhou Governor, along with Ma Rong had to stay behind to preside over Langzhou’s military and political affairs. Dispatching people to assassinate Chenzhou Governor Wang Liang and keeping watch over Xuzhou’s every movement also had to be their responsibility, so they could not return to Tanzhou. At this time his heart suddenly felt very uncertain, and he opened his mouth to ask.
“Ally with Shu, ally with Liang, and swallow Shaozhou and Hengzhou!” Wen Ruilin said.
After all, Tanzhou was weak and small. Only if the Shu Kingdom and Liang Kingdom pressed on the borders with great armies, making Jinling unable to transfer elite troops from the border armies, would the pressure Tanzhou faced lighten somewhat. And the two kingdoms of Shu and Liang certainly would not wish to see Jinling truly succeed in curtailing Tanzhou’s feudal power.
Shaozhou and Hengzhou, together with Tanzhou, were all located within the Xiang River basin. Geographically there were no natural barriers—they were seamlessly integrated. The regions where Tanzhou had focused its infiltration over these years were Shaozhou and Hengzhou. At this time they should directly swallow them, directly converting them into strength controlled by Tanzhou to resist the offensive that Chu troops might launch at any time.
Ma Yuanheng and Ma Rong exchanged glances. Whether to truly make such major moves would require the lord’s decision…