Besides the increasingly vocal calls for Yang Zhitang to return to the central government as Chancellor, the Yongjia Defense Commissioner Gu Zhilong, who had escorted prisoners of war back to court the previous month, was also someone certain to enter the central government this time.
After Gu Zhilong arrived in Jinling, though he had not yet officially received merit awards and titles, he and his family had already been granted a luxurious residence of over ten acres with more than a hundred rooms on Huangyang Lane.
Although Empress Dowager Changxin had politely urged him to remain in his post multiple times, the fact was that Chief Administrator of the Bureau of Military Affairs Zhou Bingwu’s health deteriorated daily. As a leading candidate for the new Chief Administrator of the Bureau of Military Affairs, during the half month since Gu Zhilong arrived in Jinling, the Gu residence had an unending stream of guests visiting daily.
On this day, the Gu residence as usual had continuous music from strings and bamboo instruments, with lanterns large and small numerous as stars, illuminating the vast garden bright as day.
Under the autumn night wind’s cold touch, there was considerable chill, yet the people drinking in the pavilion had flushed faces and warm ears—the drinking party was reaching its most fervent moment.
Behind the banquet tables, besides Gu Zhilong and Gu family members, as well as several officers who had accompanied Gu Zhilong to Luoyang to report on duties, there were also representatives of Xuanzhou and Shezhou aristocratic families—Fu Gengwen, tribal generals Xi Shesheng and Xi Shepeng with their father Xi Ying, as well as Prince Shou’s mansion guests Zhang Xian, Ruan Yanzhi’s son Ruan Tao who succeeded his father as Left Administrator of Prince Xin’s mansion, and Prince Xin’s heir Yang Cong who had been residing in Jinling these years.
Under chieftain Xi Ying’s leadership, the Xi clan had early in the Taihe era decided that gentlemen should not stand beneath a dangerous wall, relocating from Chenzhou and settling clan members in Jinling, Xuanzhou, and Chizhou—this had been going on for four or five years now.
For dedicating their land and relocating the clan, as well as the tribal camps’ outstanding military achievements in southern campaigns, Xi Ying had been granted a marquis title.
Even though besides his title he hadn’t received proper official appointments at court, he still strived to integrate into Jinling’s aristocratic circles, but unfortunately wasn’t particularly successful.
After the conquest of Qingyuan Army, the Xi Shesheng and Xi Shepeng brothers, though receiving vice commander-level military positions, ultimately didn’t remain with Zheng Hui to garrison Prince Xing’s domain in Guangzhou, but instead continued eastward to campaign in Fujian territory with Huang Lü, Zhang Feng and others.
After annexing Fujian territory, Huang Lü served as Jianzhou garrison commander responsible for subsequent absorption and governance of Fujian, while the Right Wuxiang Army returned to Chizhou garrison under new Commander Zhang Feng’s leadership.
Xi Shesheng and Xi Shepeng had indeed repeatedly distinguished themselves in battle, but the court neither wished to use them to independently control military authority nor wanted them to serve as officials in Fujian and Lingnan where tribal peoples formed an absolute majority, so this time summoned them to court along with Gu Zhilong awaiting assignment.
When Zheng Hui used tribal camps to campaign against Qingyuan Army, he didn’t cherish the Xi clan and tribal camps as direct subordinates. When Xi Shesheng and Xi Shepeng had the opportunity afterward, they decisively parted ways with Zheng Hui, leading their troops to follow Huang Lü in participating in Fujian’s conquest.
Huang Lü, who considered himself of noble birth, neither trusted tribal generals nor treated them with humility, but Gu Zhilong quite valued the Xi brothers.
Not only did he greatly promote them on the battlefield, after arriving in Jinling, the Gu residence basically invited the Xi father and sons to banquets whenever there was a feast, vigorously promoting the Xi clan’s integration into Xuanzhou and Shezhou aristocratic family groups.
After Han Qian succeeded as sovereign of Great Liang, the Chen, Qiao and other great clans took advantage of the honeymoon period between Liang and Chu in the previous two years to relocate north with the Han clan. The aristocratic families still remaining in Xuanzhou and Shezhou were naturally led by the Gu clan.
After old family head Fu Mo of the Fu clan died, the new family head Fu Gengwen’s official career stalled—transferred from Hunan Provincial Administration to Personnel Ministry Bureau Director, having served under Huang Hua, he never received promotion at the Personnel Ministry.
The Fu clan at this time couldn’t be compared to the Gu clan whose prestige was unmatched. After Gu Zhilong returned to court, Fu Gengwen visited every few days, greatly adopting a stance of following Gu Zhilong’s lead.
In outsiders’ eyes, this was also the Fu clan’s natural choice.
However, though Xi Ying two years ago had relocated most of his remaining clan members into Xuanzhou territory to purchase land and settle, in the eyes of local aristocratic families, they were still outsiders who hadn’t been accepted.
Only recently through Gu Zhilong’s mediation did Xuanzhou and Shezhou aristocratic figures residing in Jinling treat Xi Ying and his sons somewhat more warmly.
Of course, Gu Zhilong valued not just the Xi brothers alone.
In the early period of the domain reduction war, the Xi clan and Chenzhou tribal camps suffered blows from Wuling Army, repeatedly receiving severe setbacks, forcing them to submit and thus transform themselves into vanguards attacking Tanzhou in domain reduction, afterward participating in various battles to suppress Jinling’s rebellion, and in recent ten years following Zheng Hui on distant campaigns to Lingnan and Fujian territory. Chenzhou tribal camps’ accumulated casualties over years of warfare were a terrifying number, causing Chenzhou tribal household male population to drop to a quite dangerous level, forcing Xi Ying to proactively abandon Chenzhou and request internal relocation.
However, through nearly twenty years of bitter warfare, with Xi Shesheng and Xi Shepeng brothers at the forefront, Chenzhou tribal camps had trained through bloodshed a batch of quite elite commanders and military officers.
Gu Zhilong was still confident about integrating the Xi clan and other surnames into Xuanzhou and making good use of these tribal surnames. This would undoubtedly become, together with the Yongjia Army commanders and military officers he’d cultivated these years, the foundation for him to grasp power in the central government.
Today when Prince Xin’s heir Yang Cong, Ruan Tao, Zhang Xian and others came visiting, Gu Zhilong as usual invited the Xi father and sons to the banquet, greatly adopting a stance of treating the Xi father and sons as trusted confidants.
“Liang forces used less than three months to capture Guanzhong. How does Marquis Gu view this matter?” Prince Shou Yang Zhitang was idle at home, and as a guest of Prince Shou’s mansion, Zhang Xian had no official position these years either, but this didn’t prevent him from frequenting aristocratic banquets.
Currently Liang and Chu were divided into two kingdoms, so even with outsiders at the table, Zhang Xian discussing the Liang Kingdom didn’t need to avoid anything.
Gu Zhilong’s eyes swept toward Zhang Xian, as well as Yang Cong and Ruan Tao beside Zhang Xian who succeeded his father Ruan Yanzhi as Left Administrator of Prince Xin’s mansion. He was quite clear in his heart that Zhang Xian wasn’t truly asking his views on Liang forces’ battles recovering Guanzhong.
How he answered next would determine the choice he was about to make—or rather, his next answer would determine whether he could sit in the position of Chief Administrator of the Bureau of Military Affairs.
From what he currently knew, the Sima clan should have already decided to bring Xuzhou-Sizhou over in submission. The Sima clan and Prince Xin Yang Yuanpu’s attitude was also very clear—both obviously hoped to use this matter to promote Yang Zhitang’s return to the central government, and this might even be the Sima clan’s precondition for bringing Xuzhou-Sizhou over in submission.
Needless to say, Prince Xin Yang Yuanpu and Yang Zhitang had maintained close relations these years. The Sima clan more urgently needed Yang Zhitang to return to the Chu court’s central government so that Great Chu’s hardline young faction and war faction toward Liang could thoroughly gain the upper hand.
Only this way could the Sima clan’s submission to Great Chu possibly receive truly powerful support and protection, truly gaining a sense of security.
If the peace faction continued dominating Great Chu’s central government, the Sima clan’s submission would very likely trap them in a difficult dilemma.
Gu Zhilong could be said to understand these matters clearly. After brief contemplation he said: “Wang Xiaoxian’s Shu troops are homeless dogs, and Wang Yuankui hasn’t truly absorbed Yuzhou either. After the Zhiguan Pass route, the Meng Army’s reinforcement route to Guanzhong was cut off. That Liang forces could quickly recover Guanzhong isn’t surprising.”
Gu Zhilong’s implication was that Liang forces recovering Guanzhong so quickly wasn’t because Liang forces were so strong—essentially Wang Xiaoxian and Wang Yuankui occupying Guanzhong had already descended into chaos after the new year.
Of course, Gu Zhilong wasn’t purely saying these words by speculating Prince Xin’s mansion and Prince Shou’s mansion’s intentions just to obtain the Bureau of Military Affairs position.
Liang forces were strong—back then he had also fallen into Han Qian’s hands, forced to accept reorganization leading Xuanzhou troops. But regardless, at this time Liang forces’ focus was on the northern front. The southern front’s Huaixi and Dengjun garrisons had only thirty thousand elite troops, insufficient to cause fear.
If the Sima clan brought Xuzhou-Sizhou territory over in submission, Great Chu would not only surround Huaixi from three sides geographically, but Great Chu forces deployed around Huaixi would also be six or seven times more numerous than Huaixi’s Liang forces.
With such a huge gap in troop scale between both sides in the Jiang-Huai region, Gu Zhilong thought if he still felt fear, wouldn’t he have to hide in his mother’s womb not daring to come out?
“How does Marquis Gu believe current Liang forces compare to Liang forces under Zhu Yu—are they stronger or weaker?” Zhang Xian asked again.
“Troop strength and weakness cannot be simply compared by victory and defeat.”
Fu Gengwen took up the conversation.
“When Liang forces besieged Luzhou that year, just as the city was about to fall, unexpectedly Liang Shixiong and Zhu Rang turned against them, leading Meng Army south. Caught off guard, they were thrown into disarray, resulting in wasted effort and complete defeat. But this didn’t mean Liang forces at that time were weak and easily defeated, nor that Meng Army combat strength was invincible. And that current Liang forces could heavily damage Meng Army at Zhiguan Pass and subsequently recover Guanzhong cannot be viewed as strength. Regarding the current situation, Meng Army has suffered repeated heavy damage and cannot adjust their forces in the short term—defending Jinnan might even be difficult. But as long as Meng Army can hold Taiyuan and Hebei, the situation might not lack time to reverse. Of course, in military methods, everything depends on the heart. That Han Qian is an extremely difficult opponent to deal with—that’s certain.”
Gu Zhilong wanted to enter the central government to control the Bureau of Military Affairs and form his own faction. He recruited Xi Shesheng, Xi Shepeng and other tribal generals, plus Yongjia Army’s commanders—his prestige and influence in the military were sufficient. But never mind that Fu Gengwen was merely Personnel Ministry Bureau Director—he was the only “high official” Gu Zhilong could recruit at court.
Fu Gengwen’s qualifications were old enough. That he hadn’t advanced further was frankly because no powerful figure had given him a push.
Fu Gengwen wouldn’t underestimate himself. At this time he also positioned himself as Gu Zhilong’s right-hand man, taking up the conversation to express his own insights.
Gu Zhilong also nodded, agreeing with Fu Gengwen’s insights.
Zhang Xian smiled, thinking perhaps deep in his heart Gu Zhilong’s attitude toward Liang forces was more cautious, but what they needed at this time was precisely Gu Zhilong’s attitude. Of course he could also imagine Gu Zhilong had no other choice.
Not mentioning the old grievance of his son Gu Yao dying in the Battle of Langxi City, Gu Zhilong wanting to enter the central government at this time and become again the leader of Xuanzhou-Shezhou aristocratic families both determined his attitude toward the Liang Kingdom couldn’t be weak.
Zhang Xian said with a smile:
“Indeed, even Shouzhou Army, broken as it was, persisted safely so long under Liang forces’ hand, didn’t it?”
Gu Zhilong didn’t pick up on Zhang Xian’s remark.
Though he’d been in southern Zhejiang these years, Prince Shou back then was driven from court precisely because he advocated secretly negotiating peace with Xu Mingzhen, thus angering Empress Dowager Changxin. At least before Prince Shou’s mansion officially returned to the central government, Gu Zhilong didn’t want to touch this sensitive topic.
“In recent years, people in the capital occasionally discuss relocating the capital. How does Marquis Gu view this matter?” Zhang Xian asked.
Xu Mingzhen and Shouzhou Army were involved in the treason case from back then—that Gu Zhilong was unwilling to discuss it much, Zhang Xian could understand. But Great Chu’s imperial capital Jinling facing Tangyi across the river, equivalent to Liang forces’ southern front blade directly pressed against Great Chu’s heart—this was a fact no one could ignore with eyes closed.
Back then Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan and even the Zheng clan advocated taking advantage of Han Qian’s unstable foothold in Heluo to send troops with lightning speed to recover Huaixi, pushing the northern defense line to along the Huai River, so Great Chu’s central government would have sufficient strategic depth and buffer distance in the Jiang-Huai region.
However, the quick war faction’s voice wasn’t strong back then. The Zheng clan in later periods was forced to choose advocating peace negotiations, while as representative of the delayed war faction, Yang Zhitang was even driven from court.
These years having passed, with Liang forces’ series of military victories on the northern front, Eastern Liang Army and Meng Army under Liang forces’ strength both had to adopt defensive postures. Currently Liang forces’ garrison in Huaixi wasn’t particularly numerous, but successfully recovering Huaixi by sending troops in extremely short time was no longer a realistic idea.
At this time, if they still wanted to adopt a hardline attitude toward the Liang Kingdom, relocating the imperial capital south to create buffer distance from Liang forces’ southern front blade became the consensus of a considerable portion of military officials at court. Many discussed privately, though temporarily no one had openly memorialized to directly tear away this window paper.
Of course, Gu Zhilong also knew capital relocation involved extreme complexity.
First, the peace faction led by Empress Dowager Changxin absolutely opposed capital relocation. Even among the increasingly vocal young faction advocating a hardline attitude toward Liang, quite a few radical figures opposed capital relocation.
They claimed “the Son of Heaven guards the altars of soil and grain,” believing that since Han Qian back then could establish Liang’s capital in Luoyang facing powerful Meng Army without retreating a step, how could Great Chu weaken its momentum?
In these people’s view, since they worried the strategic depth between Great Chu’s central government and Liang forces’ southern front blade was insufficient, Great Chu’s officers and soldiers should fight bravely to recover Huaixi, Dengjun and other places—not dejectedly choose the enemy-fearing, enemy-dreading decision of capital relocation.
Even among officials agreeing on capital relocation, where to relocate the national capital—Jiangxi’s Hongzhou or Jiangdong’s Hangzhou—still had disputes.
Seeing Gu Zhilong contemplate for quite long, Fu Gengwen again took up the conversation, but he didn’t directly answer Zhang Xian’s question. Instead he looked toward Ruan Tao and Yang Cong, asking: “How does Prince Xin view the capital relocation matter?”
Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan personally led thirty thousand elite troops stationed in Chuzhou. Fu Gengwen could easily imagine that if Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan followed his own temperament, he would certainly hope Great Chu’s two hundred thousand troops would surge forward to first recapture Huaixi. But the problem was this matter wasn’t Yang Yuanyan’s sole decision.
On this matter, Prince Shou Yang Zhitang’s attitude was perhaps more critical.
Fu Gengwen didn’t believe Zhang Xian would directly reveal Prince Shou Yang Zhitang’s attitude.
Asking Ruan Tao and Yang Cong at this time, he thought since they had frequent contact with Prince Shou’s mansion, they should already understand what Prince Shou Yang Zhitang’s attitude toward capital relocation was. Whether they answered this question with firm or uncertain tone before Prince Shou mansion’s Zhang Xian would reveal Prince Shou Yang Zhitang’s true attitude.
“No matter how strong Liang forces’ combat strength, they have only thirty thousand troops total in Huaixi. With the Sima clan bringing Xuzhou-Sizhou territory over in submission, our Great Chu beyond Huaixi will have two hundred thousand elite troops available, seven times more numerous than Liang forces. Should we really fear them like tigers?” Prince Xin’s heir Yang Cong said without concealment.
Fu Gengwen glanced at Zhang Xian, seeing he showed no impatience or contempt toward Yang Cong’s hardline tone. He turned to look at Gu Zhilong and the Xi Ying, Xi Shesheng, Xi Shepeng father and sons trio.
Gu Zhilong’s heart obviously had doubts. Xi Ying looked thoughtful, while Xi Shesheng and Xi Shepeng’s expressions lifted, seemingly extremely interested in the meaning implied in Yang Cong’s words.
Though Fu Gengwen at this time positioned himself as Gu Zhilong’s right-hand man, before Zhang Xian, Yang Cong and others, he couldn’t steal Gu Zhilong’s spotlight. He fixed his eyes on Gu Zhilong, watching how he would respond to Yang Cong’s words.
“The statement isn’t wrong,” Gu Zhilong said hesitantly. “But regarding attitude toward Liang forces, needless to say Empress Dowager Changxin, while Chancellor Shen and Marquis Yang in recent years also seem to mostly advocate compromising with Liang forces. In that case, even if our Great Chu beyond Huaixi has double the elite troops, what use would it be?”
“Speaking of how strong Liang forces’ officers and soldiers are, that’s not necessarily so. The strength lies rather in that Liang Kingdom’s military and political affairs all emanate from the Liang sovereign alone, whereas Great Chu’s military and political affairs involve too many parties—difficult to decide, difficult to accomplish great matters,” Fu Gengwen said.
“When the Late Emperor turned thirteen and left the palace to establish his mansion, who could have imagined that merely one year later, at fourteen the Late Emperor would lead Dragon Sparrow Army defending Xichuan City to heavily damage the Liang Emperor. His Majesty this year has already reached age fourteen,” Zhang Xian said with a smile.
Zhang Xian’s words were even more obvious. Gu Zhilong looked toward Fu Gengwen with hesitation.
Though Gu Zhilong constantly followed court developments, and his youngest son Gu Xiongchang as a “hostage” had always served at court, Gu Xiongchang’s ability and competence fell far short of his second son Gu Yao who died at Langxi City. In Jinling he was undisciplined and dissolute, not attending to proper business, unable to help him grasp details within the palace’s innermost chambers.
After Gu Zhilong returned to the capital, though he’d attended two court sessions and specifically received an audience at the palace once, with Empress Dowager Changxin presiding over both court sessions and palace audience, he hadn’t formed a particularly deep impression of the new Emperor.
Fu Gengwen nodded, indicating Zhang Xian’s implied words weren’t false. At this time he also vaguely knew what Prince Xin’s mansion and Prince Shou’s mansion were plotting behind the scenes…