Sizhou was vast in territory but sparse in population. In just seven or eight days, four to five thousand rioters had gathered to cause chaos. The scale could already be considered extremely large. Even if the Yang clan could quell the civil unrest, their vitality would be severely damaged, weakening their control over the Wuchuan region.
If this were merely a matter between Sizhou and Yuzhou, they should naturally take the opportunity to propose pushing the provincial boundary southward so Yuzhou could occupy more territory.
However, involving the two nations of Shu and Chu made things far more complex.
Even though Chu’s internal troubles were not yet settled at this time, it had completely controlled the prosperous Taihu Plain, Poyang Lake Plain, Dongting Lake, Jing-Han Plain and nearby regions, possessing territory of over forty prefectures and over two hundred counties, with a population three to four times that of Shu.
Additionally, although both sides faced threats from the Liang Kingdom, carefully considering the matter, the threat Shu faced was more severe and more urgent.
Where Chu and Liang bordered each other was divided into three lines—east, center, and west. The eastern line was occupied by Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan, the center line by Anning Palace and the Xu clan. Only the western line consisted of Chu’s direct forces under Zheng Hui’s command.
From another perspective, for quite a long time, the Liang army fundamentally needn’t consider any threat from Chu forces on the eastern and center lines. At this time, they only needed to deploy an elite force to defend Caizhou and Ruzhou north of the Nanyang Basin to concentrate their strength and drive straight from Guanzhong into Shu.
Once the Liang Kingdom occupied Shu, it would be able to occupy a commanding geographical advantage over Chu.
After Cao Gan had an audience with the Princess and returned to Duting Post Station with Wei Qun, he kept pondering this matter.
In his heart, he thought that if he were sitting in Liang Emperor Zhu Yu’s position, as long as conditions allowed, he would inevitably consider conquering Shu first rather than directly heading south to tangle with Chu’s main forces.
Under these circumstances, Cao Gan felt the two nations should quickly resolve their differences and establish the treaty, rather than covet small advantages and continue wrangling over the Sizhou-Yuzhou boundary matter.
Wei Qun feared bearing responsibility and hesitated indecisively. Cao Gan still urged him to make a decision early, with no need to dispatch someone to rush back to the Shu capital to request instructions from the national lord—the journey back and forth would take at least two or three months.
However, Cao Gan’s idea only lasted one night. The next day at noon, Yun Puzi rushed to Duting Post Station seeking an audience, causing him to change his mind.
Although during this meeting there were still Great Chu Court of State Ceremonial officials accompanying them, when drinking wine, Yun Puzi drank until pleasantly intoxicated. Taking his wine cup and walking to Cao Gan’s side, he warmly said a few private words. Could the Court of State Ceremonial officials stretch their necks and thrust their heads over to eavesdrop?
“The Princess asks this old Daoist to convey a message to Minister Cao. The Princess says that if she and Yuzhou wish to be worry-free, only Xuzhou can be relied upon…”
Yun Puzi honestly conveyed Princess Qingyang’s words intact to Cao Gan’s ears, then took his wine cup and walked unsteadily back behind the wine table opposite, as if truly drunk.
Cao Gan couldn’t help but stand stunned for a long while before coming back to his senses. While drinking wine afterward, his mind was fully occupied with pondering the meaning of these words.
Of course, Cao Gan wouldn’t believe without doubt just from hearing Yun Puzi’s message.
However, verification was also quite easy.
With Chu’s internal troubles not yet settled and facing the threat of the Liang army, the weaker Shu Kingdom was a natural ally.
Court officials didn’t want to see Imperial Consort Wang too dominant in the rear palace, but their attitude toward the Shu envoys was quite courteous.
Emperor Yanyou also quickly held a state banquet to entertain Wei Qun, Cao Gan and other Shu envoys, and specially summoned Qingyang to accompany them.
At such palace banquets, Qingyang always had to sit beside Emperor Yanyou Yang Yuanpu. It was inconvenient and impossible for her to say much that was inappropriate. But if Cao Gan wanted to verify one or two matters, he naturally had many clever ways of speaking.
After confirming that Qingyang’s message was correct, Cao Gan didn’t tell Wei Qun the details, only changed his tune to have Wei Qun temporarily delay submitting the national letter, waiting for him to personally return to the Shu capital to report this matter before making a decision.
Seeing Cao Gan suddenly change his attitude, Wei Qun found many things suspicious, but he still didn’t dare act on his own authority.
He was relatively close to Heir Apparent Marquis of Qingjiang, but wasn’t Marquis of Qingjiang’s die-hard loyalist. At this time, he only hoped Cao Gan could quickly rush back to the Shu capital and obtain new instructions from the national lord before discussing anything else. This way he could avoid becoming a sacrifice in the struggle between Marquis of Changxiang and Marquis of Qingjiang.
…
…
Cao Gan traveled along the post roads, first riding fast horses through Jingzhou to Yiling, then took a galley from Yiling to Kuizhou, then changed to fast horses to rush to Yuzhou. Passing through checkpoints and borders without half a hindrance, by the time he saw Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong, half a month had already passed.
After entering Yuzhou city, Cao Gan and his attendants all looked like beggars—their robes torn and damaged, their beards disheveled. This appearance was truly unsuitable for seeing Marquis of Changxiang, so he first took several attendants back to his residence to wash and change into clean robes.
By chance, his eldest son Cao Zhe was also in the city.
Only then did Cao Gan learn that news of the Sizhou civil unrest had only reached Yuzhou four days ago. Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong had subsequently dispatched someone to rush to the Shu capital to report the matter, but at this time had not yet received a reply from National Lord Wang Jian.
Sizhou and Yuzhou had opened the Qian River passage, bringing the two provinces together. But previously, bulk goods exchanges were all directly conducted by officials at Zheliao Stronghold in the northern part of Wuchuan County. Private merchants had not yet entered each other’s territory.
Cao Gan hadn’t expected that news from Sizhou would be so well blockaded. He ate a bowl of cold noodles to fill his stomach, shaved off the beard he’d had no time to trim during the journey, then took his eldest son Cao Zhe and rushed to the provincial office to see Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong.
After mid-August, Yuzhou’s sweltering weather had also cooled down.
A pond several acres in circumference had been dug in the rear garden of the Yuzhou Governor’s residence. Lotus leaves spread like green carpets across the water’s surface, and lotus flowers bloomed gracefully.
All idle people in the courtyard had been dispersed. Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong, wearing python robes, stood in the pavilion before the lotus pond. His mane-like sword-brows slightly furrowed as he stared at Cao Gan and asked, “Qingyang only said this one sentence?”
“In Jinling, we had Great Chu officials accompanying us in and out. Passing messages was quite inconvenient, but this humble official confirmed with the Princess before departing. The Princess’s meaning is indeed this,” Cao Gan reported truthfully.
“Then how do you view this matter?” Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong asked.
“Before knowing of the Princess’s message, this humble official believed the two nations should establish the treaty as early as possible to eliminate the threat of the Liang army to our Great Shu. I had also urged Minister Wei that there was no need to wait for new instructions from the national lord and to proceed directly according to the original plan. After all, we cannot let the ownership of Wuchuan interfere with the great matter of the two nations’ treaty alliance,” Cao Gan said. “But this humble official’s considerations were truly not as thorough and deep as the Princess’s.”
“What else?” Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong pressed.
“Some words are not this humble official’s place to say,” Cao Gan said.
“Are you trying to say that Father using me to govern Yuzhou is mainly to check and balance Marquis of Qingjiang, to make Marquis of Qingjiang become more obedient, rather than necessarily using me to replace Marquis of Qingjiang?” Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong asked. “So even though I pacified the Wu barbarians in such a short time, I still only govern Yuzhou alone—not to mention commanding troops to campaign against the Chuannan rebels, I can’t even command the prefectures and counties east of Yuzhou…”
“The national lord’s considerations are far-reaching. This humble official’s wisdom is limited and dares not presume to speculate,” Cao Gan said. Even as Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong’s direct subordinate, some words involving the father-son relationship between Marquis of Qingjiang and the national lord were not things he could speak recklessly about at this time.
“I know—if Father dies of natural causes and Marquis of Qingjiang peacefully succeeds as heir apparent to inherit the throne, Shu will be well, and each of you can also pledge allegiance to the new lord to continue your wealth and rank. What fate I end up with in the end is inconsequential,” Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong said with a long sigh. “That’s probably what you mean, isn’t it?”
These words from Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong made Cao Gan break out in cold sweat. He fell to his knees with a thud and said, “This humble official rushed back to Yuzhou without stopping to report this matter, absolutely without any other thoughts.”
Cao Zhe had also gradually gained importance in Yuzhou. This time he was allowed to participate in the most confidential matters without being excluded. At this moment, he had no qualification to interject on these sensitive topics and only knelt on the ground accompanying his father to demonstrate loyalty.
“Then what are you hiding that you cannot say?” Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong asked.
“What the Princess said is reasonable. However, when the Princess first arrived in Yueyang, there were still people sent by Xuzhou serving at her side. But afterward, she neglected the Xuzhou people. At this time, she also has difficulty maintaining any contact with Xuzhou. Therefore, it’s hard to judge Xuzhou’s true intentions this time. If Your Lordship responds incorrectly, it would leave a handle for Marquis of Qingjiang to grasp.”
Cao Gan spoke of his concerns.
“This humble official also thought much along the way, but always felt it was truly difficult to reach a conclusion, so I didn’t dare hastily speak nonsense to interfere with Your Lordship…”
“What you say is indeed reasonable,” Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong said.
Cao Gan continued, “This humble official also met with Yang Hu and Chenzhou Chief Administrator Cao Xiushi in Jinling. Although the two of them insist the Sizhou civil unrest was the Marquis of Qianyang manipulating things behind the scenes, what this humble official cannot understand is—if the Marquis of Qianyang gives the Chu Emperor a handle this time, or makes the Chu Emperor determined to first resolve the Xuzhou matter, how does this benefit Xuzhou? Even if the Marquis of Qianyang has ambitions, he shouldn’t be so urgent. This humble official cannot understand these things—how dare I speak recklessly?”
“What if the Marquis of Qianyang wants to obtain Sizhou without leaving any handle?” Marquis of Changxiang Wang Yong asked.
“First, it’s very difficult for this matter not to leave a handle. Second, we in Yuzhou are only speculating. At this time, we also don’t have time to dispatch someone to Xuzhou to make contact,” Cao Gan said. Having thought much during his rush back, at this time he laid out all the many concerns he’d considered. “Third, even assuming Xuzhou has designs on Sizhou, if both sides haven’t properly coordinated their schemes and our side acts rashly, whether the Marquis of Qianyang will appreciate us aside, if the Chu Emperor flies into a rage and tears up the treaty, with the two nations becoming hostile—this would become a major handle for Marquis of Qingjiang to grasp Your Lordship…”
“Haha, I said General Cao is wholeheartedly loyal to Your Lordship and considers all matters thoroughly for Your Lordship,” At this moment, someone walked out from behind the artificial mountain. While laughing heartily, he cupped his hands in salute toward Cao Gan and said, “Since parting at Longya Mountain, it’s been quite a while since I’ve seen General Cao’s distinguished bearing.”
Seeing that the person walking out from behind the artificial mountain was Han Qian’s direct subordinate, Xuzhou Chief Administrator Feng Liao, Cao Gan stood stunned for a long time, not knowing what to say.
He had been contemplating that Han Qian wouldn’t be eager to covet the barren land of Sizhou, but Feng Liao appearing at Yuzhou Governor’s residence at this moment undoubtedly proved that his previous speculation was utterly and completely wrong…