gnovel Chapter 67 Changes Occur in Wu and Shu in the Central Plains
Chapter 67 Changes Occur in Wu and Shu in the Central Plains
Gao Huaide took a book from the empty bookshelf. The cover had several large characters: "Collection of Heroes and Spirits of the Rivers and Mountains". When he opened it, he found it was full of Tang poems.
Aside from military treatises and strategies, Gao Huaide didn't read much, and he disliked composing poetry even more. The presence of a poetry collection in his room was quite unusual. (Note 1)
The "Collection of Outstanding Figures from the Yellow River and the Yangtze River" was completed in the twelfth year of the Tianbao era. It contains 234 poems by 24 people, including Wang Wei, Wang Changling, and Li Bai.
Because all of you are exceptional individuals, blessed by heaven and earth, and spirits of the rivers and mountains, this name was chosen.
Gao Huaide quickly flipped through the pages and found Cen Shen's "Sending off Protector-General Pei of Shanyu to Xihe," and smiled smugly.
How could you possibly guess what I, the young master, do?
He wanted to send a message to his younger brother, but because he was not very literate, Gao Huailiang racked his brains to come up with a way to contact him before he was about to leave.
"The warhorses gallop forth, the autumn moon shines bright over the city. The Xiongnu chieftain must not approach the border, the Protector-General is about to reach the frontier. The Han post stations are lit by fires, but the barbarian sands lack wells and springs. When victory is achieved, a report of triumph must be presented, though it may not take a year."
A five-character regulated verse, eight lines and forty characters, referring to thirty-nine matters.
Zheng: to join the army;
Horse: riding a horse;
Out: Mountain climbing;
City: To build a city;
These are relatively easy to guess based on their literal meanings; some are a little more difficult to understand by breaking down the characters.
For example, "欲" means a poor rice harvest, "沙" means a prolonged drought and lack of water, "乏" means to leave in despair, and "必" means to feel as if one's heart is being torn apart, etc.
Some are purely imaginative, going wherever their thoughts lead; if they aren't explained, you'd never guess what they mean.
For example, "莫" means loneliness and boredom; "塞" means bad luck and feeling down; "火" means angering one's father; and "烟" means the father is angry, and there is a reason for it.
For example, "泉" means "to have worked in vain," implying that one's efforts have been in vain; "翩" refers to raising birds, specifically feathered animals.
With just a single word, or even a mark next to a word, Gao Huaide could inform his younger brother of the relevant matter without writing a long explanation. Moreover, his parents and sisters would be completely unaware of what he was saying; it was a secret known only to heaven, earth, you, and me.
Gao Huailiang felt that his elder brother was willing to go to great lengths to use his brain, but it was a pity that he did not use his energy for the right purpose. However, he himself enjoyed it.
Gao Huaide carefully folded and put away his brother's letter. The lamp wick had dimmed a bit, so he used a stick to poke at it. By the time the lamplight had brightened, he took out the reply his father had prepared.
When he asked for a reply earlier, Gao Xingzhou's eyes showed a hint of surprise.
Judging from that, saying you're completely ignorant is a bit of an exaggeration; the phrase "lacking in talent and learning" is not only not unfair, but probably even too kind. With Lu Qian not around, do you expect to write it yourself instead of having someone else do it?
Madam Gao immediately spoke up to protect them, saying that the two brothers were very close, and so what if their writing was a bit clumsy?
"Hmph, how dare you look down on me."
Gao Huaide found the character "献" (xiàn, meaning "to offer") in the letter and added a dot to the upper right corner to indicate that he had recently adopted a dog.
The thought of being able to send out the message without anyone noticing, right under his father's nose, filled him with pride and smugness, and he finally burst into laughter.
Who dares to say that I, the young master, am not a genius?
He never imagined that his childhood prank would one day become a standard communication method followed by the entire army, recorded in the Military Law. (Note 2)
After laughing heartily for a while, Gao Huaide came up with a new trick.
My brother and I made a pact that to avoid arousing suspicion by using the same poem repeatedly, we would use a different poem next time. As long as both were five-character lines, matching the order of each character would make it even more secret and difficult to decipher.
Gao Huaide had already decided which poem to use, and wrote the five characters "Remembering My Younger Brother on a Moonlit Night" on the letter.
"So apt, Father guarantees he won't gossip."
Gao Huaide shook his head and hummed the only famous line he could remember: "The dew is white tonight, the moon is bright in my hometown."
However, he forgot the second half of the poem.
"My brothers are all scattered, and I have no home to inquire about their fate. Letters sent are never received, especially now that the war has not ended."
……
Summer passed and autumn came, seasons changed, and changes occurred in Wu, Shu and the Central Plains.
Huaiyang.
May of the sixth year of the Taihe era.
Xu Zhixun, the military governor of Zhennan, the chief secretary, and the prince of Donghai, died of illness.
The powerful minister Xu Wen had six sons: Zhixun, Zhixun, Zhihui, Zhijian, Zhizheng, and Zhie.
The political system of Wu was unique. Xu Wen was stationed in Jinling, where he remotely made major decisions and oversaw the overall military and national affairs. His son was left in the capital Guangling to assist in governance and handle daily affairs.
Sixteen years ago, the eldest son, Xu Zhixun, was assassinated by his subordinate during a rebellion. The adopted son, Xu Zhigao, seized the opportunity and led troops to quell the rebellion in Guangling.
The second son, Xu Zhixun, was born to the principal wife, Lady Bai, and should have been established as the heir. However, because all the other sons were weak when the eldest son died, Xu Wen tacitly accepted the situation and appointed his adopted son, Xu Zhigao, to assume the position of regent, thus acknowledging his rise to power. (Note 3)
Seven years ago, Xu Wen decided to change his heir, replacing his adopted son with his own. Xu Zhigao knew he could not go against his adoptive father, so he submitted a memorial requesting to resign from his political duties and instead asked to govern Jiangxi. He was reassigned as the military governor of Hongzhou.
Unexpectedly, Xu Zhigao received news that his adoptive father, Xu Wen, had died of illness on the road that very night, and immediately returned to Jinling to continue to wield power.
Afterwards, Xu Zhigao tricked Xu Zhixun into coming to the capital, falsely accused him of treason, detained him instead, placed him under house arrest, stripped him of his military power, and conscripted troops from Nanjing back to Jiangdu, thus monopolizing state affairs.
Now that Xu Zhixun has passed away early, Xu Zhigao has one less concern and obstacle.
At this time, Yang Xingmi's eldest and second sons died one after another in the Wu Kingdom, and his fourth son, Yang Pu, became emperor.
Yang Meng, the third son, was not born out of wedlock. He was skilled in archery and horsemanship and, dissatisfied with Xu Wen's monopolization of power, lamented, "Has my country fallen into the hands of others?"
Therefore, he was resented and refused to be established. He was enfeoffed as the Prince of Linchuan, appointed as the Military Governor of Zhaowu and concurrently as the Chancellor, and governed Fuzhou.
June.
Xu Zhigao sent someone to falsely accuse him of harboring fugitives and manufacturing weapons without authorization. He was demoted to Duke of Liyang and imprisoned in Hezhou. Wang Hong, the commander of the Crane Control Army, was ordered to lead two hundred soldiers to guard him.
The tragic fate of the Yang family had only just begun.
……
Chengdu.
The first year of Mingde, the seventh day of the seventh month, the day of Yisi.
Less than three months after the founding of the Shu Kingdom, Emperor Meng Zhixiang fell ill with a stroke. His condition worsened when he held a banquet at Danxia Tower on the Qixi Festival to watch the palace women pray for skill.
Meng Zhixiang had three sons.
His eldest son, Meng Yiju, served as Prefect of Pengzhou, Grand Master of the Palace, Acting Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, concurrently Grand Censor, and Pillar of State.
The second son, Meng Yiye, served as the Commander of the Left and Right Prisons, Grand Master of the Palace, Acting Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, concurrently Grand Censor, and Pillar of the State.
Although the name "Prison Camp" sounds unpleasant and like a command post for managing prisoners, it is not actually like that.
When Meng Zhixiang entered Sichuan, he had the ambition to become king of the region. He set up four battalions of prisons to protect Chengdu, totaling four thousand men, which was a considerable armed force.
However, compared to their youngest son, Meng Renzan, the power of their two elder brothers was nothing.
Fifteen-year-old Meng Renzan is currently the Military Governor's Military Commander, concurrently serving as the Chief Military Officer, overseeing the military affairs of Yisheng, Dingyuan, and the cavalry and infantry of the two Sichuan regions, and holding the titles of Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Grand Censor, and Pillar of State.
The positions of Military Commander and Military Affairs Officer in Sichuan were all important posts that controlled the military power in Sichuan. It was self-evident which son Meng Zhixiang favored.
July 26th, Jiazi day.
Meng Zhixiang held on for half a month, but it was too late to save him.
Meng Renzan was granted the additional titles of Military Governor of Dongchuan, Chancellor, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards, and Regent of the Crown Prince. He was given command of the Imperial Guards, thus establishing the next ruler of Bashu.
That evening, Meng Zhixiang passed away at the age of sixty-one.
The death was kept secret that night, and two days later the imperial edict was announced. Meng Renzan changed his name to Meng Chang and ascended the throne.
The Bashu region welcomed a new monarch, whose reign lasted longer than many people imagined.
……
Central Plains.
After Feng Dao was transferred to Tongzhou as the military governor of Kuangguo Army, without him to mediate and coordinate, the two remaining ministers often disagreed on matters.
Liu Xu and Feng Dao were related by marriage through their children. Liu Xu was meticulous and fussy, while Feng Dao was upright and narrow-minded. The two often quarreled and clashed.
When something needs to be corrected, Li Yu would often say, "This was done by my virtuous father-in-law; wouldn't it be convenient to correct it?"
Whether the process became more convenient is unclear, but the term "father-in-law" has been passed down.
Liu Xu resented Li Yu's sarcastic remarks, which often escalated into arguments and insults. He would request an audience with the emperor during unusual times, each speaking his mind before the emperor, disturbing Li Congke's peace in the middle of the night and causing many government affairs to stagnate.
The officials in the Secretariat and Chancellery were also displeased and leaked the story of the two arguing in the province, which spread far and wide.
The prime minister and senior officials had acted improperly, so Li Congke decided to replace them. He asked several confidants who among the court officials had the prestige and qualifications to take the position.
The reply was given by Yao Yi, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel; Lu Wenji, Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; and Cui Jujian, Director of the Imperial Library.
The three candidates had varying degrees of talent and reputation, and Li Congke could not decide. So he placed their names in a glass bottle, burned incense and prayed on a moonlit night, and used chopsticks to select the new prime minister.
The first person to be captured was Lu Wenji, who was appointed as the Vice Minister of the Chancellery and Chancellor.
The first year of the Qingtai era, the seventeenth day of the seventh month, the day of Yimao.
Li Congke wanted to kill Chu Kuangzuo, a palace guard, to avenge the torture and murder of his son.
Han Zhaoyin, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, advised: "Your Majesty is the father of the people, and all the people are your children. The application of the law should be extremely impartial. Chu Kuangzu was ordered to inspect the property of the princes, and he had no choice but to do so. Even if he were executed, it would not benefit the dead and would likely alienate the people."
Li Congke followed the advice.
The imperial edict reads: "Since mid-spring, trouble has arisen within my family and the nation. My eldest son, Chongji, has been unjustly implicated. Chu Kuangzuo, a court official, taking advantage of the young emperor's suspicions and acting under the orders of a treacherous minister, volunteered to go even before receiving the assignment. His crimes are more serious than those of a personal enemy. He disregarded the established rules in his execution, subjecting the emperor to humiliation and seizing his property. Even if his entire clan is executed, it will not quell the deep shame."
"I, considering the greater good, do not wish to inflict extreme punishment. To suppress the deep sorrow and gratitude, and to show goodwill to Heaven, I hereby order his exile to a distant place to roughly clear his name of the injustice. He should be exiled to Dengzhou so that the people may always know his whereabouts. His father, Chu Zhang, the Deputy Commander of Xijing, is to be allowed to do as he pleases. Even if he receives a pardon, he will not be subject to the age limit."
For the sake of the world, he chose to put aside his hatred.
The second day of the eighth lunar month, Gengwu day.
An imperial edict was issued to exempt all outstanding taxes owed before December of the fourth year of the Changxing era, totaling 3.38 million strings of cash from the Ministry of Revenue and various circuits.
The poor were overjoyed, but the officials of the three departments resented it.
The third day of the eighth lunar month, Xinwei day.
The second person to be captured, Yao Yi, was also appointed as the Vice Minister of the Chancellery and the Chancellor.
At this point, it was only a matter of time before Li Yu and Liu Xu were dismissed from their posts as prime ministers.
Nine summers and three autumns passed, half a year had gone by, and under Li Congke's rule, the political situation gradually stabilized.
However, as autumn deepened, the expected event still occurred as predicted.
September 21st, Jiwei day.
A report came from Yunzhou: the Khitans have invaded our territory.
Shi Jingtang, the military governor of Hedong, reported that he would personally lead troops to garrison Baijing to prepare for the Khitan.
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Place Name Comparison
Baijing: now Baijing Village, ten miles northeast of Yangqu County, Taiyuan City, Shanxi Province