Chapter 609
Wang Yan's Cunning Rabbit Has Three Burrows
When news of Zhang Fang's chaotic army collapsing in Zhucheng reached Xuchang, Wang Yan breathed a sigh of relief.
This was a rare and hard-won victory, one that Wang Yan desperately needed. Although in his first year in power, Wang Yan had taken control of Jingzhou, eliminated Chen Min, and reorganized the forces in Guandong, gaining immense prestige in the court and among the people, as time passed, the war between the Central Plains and Hebei and Handong intensified, and the court suffered repeated territorial losses. Inevitably, officials began to criticize Wang Yan again, questioning his qualifications and believing his previous successes were merely lucky.
This was a dangerous sign; if not handled carefully, it could develop into a new coup. Countless rulers had died in coups over the years, and Wang Yan dared not be careless. In fact, upon entering Xuchang, Wang Yan, following his prior agreement with Sima Yue, immediately issued a decree to disband the imperial guards and use his own private army to take control of the palace. This was to strengthen his control over the court and rigorously guard against any potential coup.
Even so, the Jin dynasty's bureaucratic system remained, and the vassal kings still existed. They would naturally unite to form a new opposition force. Especially given the current political situation—the emperor had no son, and among his many brothers remained two: Sima Yan, the Prince of Wu, and Sima Chi, the Prince of Yuzhang. Sima Yan suffered from a serious illness and poor eyesight. As a result, Sima Chi's status was elevated to an unprecedented level, and many officials considered him the most suitable heir to the throne.
Recently, according to information from He Qiao, the magistrate of Xuchang, Wang Cui, the prefect of Yingchuan, Zhou Quan, the general of the Imperial Guard, Wang Yan, the Chamberlain of the Palace Attendants, and Liu Tun, the Commandant of the Capital Region, have been frequently in contact with Sima Chi, which has greatly alarmed Wang Yan. He suspects that these people are plotting a coup, but he does not yet have any evidence, and he is also wary of their political prestige. If the conflict between the two sides intensifies, the whole situation will become even more uncontrollable.
But now, with this victory in Handong, Wang Yan finally has something to report to the court.
No matter how ugly the process, victory is victory, and the victor is not to be blamed. Therefore, upon receiving the news of the victory, he immediately ordered Pei Miao, the Attendant Gentleman of the Palace, to write a lavish congratulatory letter, praising the battle as "a great victory achieved by the six armies of Qi, who devoted themselves to the national crisis, capturing and killing tens of thousands of prisoners, with banners flying high on the Jin road and drums resounding in the east of the Han River," and calling it "an achievement comparable to Chengpu and a victory over Kunyang," because "this is truly the merit of the wise minister and the result of the soldiers' dedication to the country."
After the congratulatory message was sent out, the entire city of Xuchang rejoiced. Having heard so many reports of defeats lately, they hadn't heard such exhilarating good news in a long time. Without any call from the court, the city and its surrounding areas spontaneously decorated with red ribbons and lit lanterns in celebration. Merchant caravans took the opportunity to sell their wares at the market with gongs and drums, while some wealthy families generously provided food to displaced people and tenant farmers. Ordinary citizens went to the ancestral hall of the deposed crown prince to pray and make wishes. Even the beggars in the city shared in the glory, excitedly discussing the great victory at Handong while begging for food.
But what no one knew was that amidst this atmosphere of celebration, Wang Yan had already encountered his next problem.
Just three days after the good news from Handong arrived, Sima Teng, the Prince of Xincai, sent another letter requesting reinforcements.
This is the third letter of appeal for help sent by Sima Teng this year. If we count from the first siege of Ye City in the first year of Yongxing, this is already the ninth. In the past two and a half years, whenever the Zhao Han army besieged Ye City, Sima Teng was powerless to stop them, and could only write to surrounding forces for help in order to escape the siege and survive. Wang Yan, as the regent of the court, was naturally Sima Teng's top priority in seeking help.
Although Wang Yan's own military strength was also stretched thin, he at least had the authority of the imperial court and could exert unexpected influence by invoking the emperor's name. Wang Yan was also unwilling to sit idly by and watch Hebei be divided up by Liu Yuan and Liu Baigen, so he lavishly offered official positions and promises to some refugee armies in the four provinces of Yan, Yu, Ji, and Si, claiming that as long as they relieved the siege of Ye City, they would be appointed as generals and governors, and become regional lords.
This was a win-win-win situation. The refugees lacked a place to settle down, Wang Yan feared they might cause trouble and rebel, and Sima Teng needed reinforcements. With this arrangement, the refugees had a place to go, Wang Yan was spared trouble, and Sima Teng received reinforcements—a win-win situation for everyone.
In a short time, many refugees and patriots emerged from the populace willing to serve the court. These included figures such as Wang Ping of Liangcheng, Li Yun of Licheng, Bo Sheng of Luyang, Tian Zhen of Taiyuan, and Qi Ji of Shangdang. Unwilling to serve the rebels and displaced themselves, they called themselves the "Beggars' Army." Now, having received orders from Wang Yan and acquired some bows, arrows, and provisions, they rushed towards Yecheng to relieve the siege.
These beggars were certainly not strong fighters. Without reinforcements or armor, they were no match for the Han army in Hebei. However, their presence caused great trouble for Liu Cong and his men, making Liu Cong constantly worry about being attacked from both sides. Coupled with the threat from Wang Jun in the north, he dared not launch a full-scale attack and repeatedly faced the predicament of food shortages.
Therefore, Liu Cong had to suspend the attack on Ye City three times, instead leading his troops to clear out these moths-to-a-flame refugees. Even so, the refugees were not endless; there would eventually be a day when there was no one left to send. Especially after the Beggars' Army suffered setbacks and hoped the court could provide some supplies, the court's lukewarm attitude further dampened their enthusiasm for a counterattack.
Thus, starting in the twelfth month of the second year of Yongxing, as the number of Qihuo Army soldiers gradually decreased, the situation in Ye City began to deteriorate rapidly. After gradually resolving his concerns about the rear, Liu Cong led his troops to besiege Ye City for the fourth time. This time, he persuaded Zhu Guang, the commander of the Ye City gates, to surrender, and finally breached the outer city gates of Ye City, advancing to the vicinity of the Ye Palace. Meanwhile, Sima Teng consolidated his forces in the Three Terraces, forced into a predicament of despair.
Under these circumstances, Sima Teng could only place his hopes on Wang Yan again, and sent three consecutive letters to Wang Yan requesting assistance.
The first letter was already extremely earnest. He asked Cui Tao, a famous scholar from Hebei, to write a letter, stating that he "cried blood and lamented at night, clenching his fists and sighing deeply." He said that the surrounding enemy "spies on every gap and raids one after another," so that "soldiers cannot lay down their arms and the people cannot live in the countryside." As a result, he "was filled with indignation but could not do what he wanted. He was ashamed and afraid of the army and was heartbroken." He hoped that Wang Yan would remember their friendship and send troops to rescue him from "Dou Rong's lonely tears and Geng Gong's bitter farewell."
Wang Yan was deeply moved after reading the letter, but where would he get the troops? So he forwarded the letter to Wang Jun, adding a few more words about the principle of "if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold," and asked Wang Jun to find a way to send troops to rescue them.
Before the first letter even reached Jicheng, Sima Teng's second plea for help arrived. This time, he didn't need anyone else to write it; the King of Xincai wrote it himself. The letter was devoid of flowery language; it was simply Sima Teng's desperate pleas, claiming he could no longer hold out and had no way to escape, only awaiting reinforcements. If things continued this way, "I will die in Hebei, you will die in Henan, and we will meet again in the Yellow Springs!"
At this critical moment in the campaign to eliminate Zhang Fang, Wang Yan didn't even glance at it, simply placing it among the documents on his desk as if nothing had happened.
Then came the third letter pleading for help. This letter was completely different from the previous ones. It was a piece of yellow silk with bloodstains on it. Upon closer inspection, there were only nine messy characters: "I will endure death to wait for you, and you will arrive!"
The plea for help had reached this point, which was understandably worrying for Wang Yan. It essentially indicated that Ye City was on the verge of collapse, and its fall was imminent!
Moreover, this time, Sima Teng specifically sent his subordinate Nie Xuan to seek help. Nie Xuan was of low status and could not enter the Ministry of Personnel, so he blocked the gate of Wang Yan's residence and cried loudly. Although there has been no commotion yet, it will definitely have a very bad impact in the long run.
Should reinforcements be sent? Should they not be sent? Wang Yan fell into deep thought. When he couldn't make up his mind, he summoned his only son, Wang Xuan, to discuss countermeasures with him.
Wang Xuan, courtesy name Meizi, was unlike his father Wang Yan, who was known for his refined taste. He was handsome and had a bold and unrestrained manner. Among the younger generation, he was as famous as Wei Jie (grandson of Wei Guan), and he was quite adept at winning people's hearts. Wang Yan was very satisfied with him, and therefore consulted with him on matters large and small.
After reading the letter written in blood, Wang Xuan was stunned for a moment, then sighed and advised Wang Yan, "My lord, I think we should still send troops. The Central Plains are already in grave danger. If Hebei falls into enemy hands, we may lose our chance!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Yan did not speak immediately. Instead, he tapped the table with his fingers for a moment, shook his head slightly, and finally said slowly, "What you said is something I have thought about, but the chaos in Hebei is not that I don't want to save it, but that it is beyond saving."
"Why do you say that, sir?" Wang Xuan was extremely puzzled. He asked in surprise, "Even if Ye City is lost, Youzhou still has Wang Jun. He controls two major Xianbei tribes and has been winning battles recently, hasn't he?"
Wang Yan said with a wry smile, "I'm talking about Wang Jun, that Wang Pengzu, he just keeps causing trouble for himself!"
He pulled a scroll of yellow silk from the files beside him and handed it to Wang Xuan to read. Wang Xuan was initially puzzled, but upon unfolding it, he was greatly shocked. It turned out to be a document from Youzhou, containing only one record: the Tuoba Xianbei had actually broken ties with Wang Jun!
The incident stemmed from the surrender of the rebel general Shi Le. It is said that Shi Le, terrified by a series of defeats, wanted to surrender to Wang Jun. Fearing Wang Jun would not accept, he prepared three large gifts and submitted them to both the Duan and Tuoba Xianbei tribes, intending to offer one to each in hopes of maintaining good relations with all sides after surrendering. This, however, led to a major upheaval.
Duan Bi sent Duan Pi to accept the surrender. Shi Le was very humble, first taking Duan Pi to the warehouse and presenting him with gold, silver, and jewels worth a fortune. Then, at a banquet, he praised him as a famous general of the northern kingdom. Duan Pi was quite satisfied and originally planned to introduce Wang Jun to Shi Le. However, during a casual chat, Shi Le mentioned the gifts he had prepared, claiming that he had also prepared one for Tuoba Yilu and one for Wang Jun.
Out of curiosity, Duan Pi asked Shi Le how much he had prepared for the other two. Shi Le replied that Wang Jun, being a member of the Chinese nation, a descendant of the eight founding dukes, and now the ruler of three prefectures, naturally received the most gifts, approximately 30,000 gold pieces. Tuoba Dadan, on the other hand, was the ruler of the Xianbei tribes of the grasslands, dominating the southern desert, and was not to be underestimated; he had also prepared approximately 20,000 gold pieces.
Upon hearing this, Duan Pidi was naturally furious. The two tribes were now on equal footing; how could there be a distinction of superiority or inferiority? Not wanting to lose face for the Duan tribe, he immediately demanded that the gifts from the Tuoba Xianbei be divided equally. Shi Le naturally refused and spoke highly of the strength of the Tuoba Xianbei, which further enraged Duan Pidi, causing the banquet to end unhappily.
When he returned to his camp, he saw a high platform under construction next to it. Upon inquiring, he learned that it was built by Shi Le to welcome Tuoba Liuxiu. Finally, he could no longer tolerate it. He immediately led his troops to plunder Shi Le's warehouse, looting all the gold and silver inside. He then set the high platform on fire and left triumphantly.
When Tuoba Liuxiu arrived in Zhao and saw the devastation, and heard Shi Le recount the whole story, he was filled with rage. When Tuoba Liwei was alive, the Duan tribe was merely a subservient branch among the Xianbei tribes; less than thirty years later, they were so arrogant! He immediately took Shi Le to Ji County to demand an explanation from Wang Jun.
The two major Xianbei tribes clashed, and Wang Jun naturally sided with the Duan tribe, his in-laws, claiming the matter was entirely fabricated by Shi Le. However, Duan Mobo of the Duan tribe publicly mocked Tuoba Liuxiu, saying his mother was a Xiongnu and that Tuoba Liuxiu was nothing but a bastard. This struck a nerve with Tuoba Liuxiu, who immediately led his men in a massacre at Ji City, killing over five thousand people before returning to Shengle.
This incident led to a complete break between the Tuoba Xianbei and Wang Jun. Tuoba Liuxiu reported this matter to the Great Chanyu Tuoba Yilu, strongly advocating an attack on Wang Jun. At the same time, Shi Le also acted as a mediator, expressing his willingness to mediate between the Tuoba Xianbei and Liu Yuan. To demonstrate his sincerity, he even led his troops to conquer Yanmen Commandery, which he then gifted to the Tuoba Xianbei free of charge, and offered to become sworn brothers with Tuoba Liuxiu.
Thus, Tuoba Yilu became utterly disappointed with Wang Jun and instead developed an appreciation for Shi Le. He agreed to Shi Le's request for peace and sent Tuoba Yulu with troops south to directly seize the three prefectures of Xinxing, Taiyuan, and Leping. He then handed the three prefectures over to Shi Le and erected a stone tablet to signify that from then on, the two families would be as close as one.
The break between the Tuoba Xianbei and Wang Jun led to a rapid deterioration of the situation in Hebei. Bingzhou was completely out of Jin control, and Wang Jun's military strength was greatly reduced. The damage it caused might even surpass the fall of Yecheng. After reading it, Wang Xuan's face turned pale. He looked at the military report for a moment, then at Wang Yan, not knowing what to say.
Wang Yan naturally felt the same way. He stared at his fingers and sighed, "In just one month, the situation in Hebei is beyond saving. It's not very meaningful for us to consider saving Yecheng now. What I'm thinking about now is another important matter."
“You mean…” Wang Xuan was unaware of what his father meant.
"The important matter your sixth uncle mentioned," Wang Yan said slowly.
Wang Xuan suddenly realized, and was immediately shocked. The sixth uncle Wang Yan mentioned was Wang Kuang, the current governor of Jiangzhou. Just half a year ago, he had secretly submitted a memorial to Wang Yan, suggesting that the Central Plains were in chaos and would eventually become indefensible, and that it would be better to move the capital to Shouchun again. The Huaiyang region, with Tushan Mountain to the north and Lingyue Mountain to the south, surrounded by famous rivers, was a strategically important and fortified area. In earlier years, when the Chu people migrated eastward, they established their capital in Shouchun, and with Xupi and Donghai as natural barriers, although they could not control the entire country, they were able to protect the southeastern half of the country.
When Wang Kuang proposed this idea, it was immediately opposed by the rest of his clan. The reason was simple: leaving Xuchang meant the court would completely relinquish control of the Central Plains, and Henan would become a chaotic battleground. Losing the Central Plains would also mean the complete independence of Guanzhong, Hebei, and Hexi, leaving no hope of recovering half of the country!
Regardless, the unification of the Nine Provinces is what the people desire. Making this decision would be tantamount to destroying legitimacy, and would surely disappoint the court and the public. Wang Yan's reputation would plummet, making him no different from Jia Chong and others!
Wang Xuan couldn't bear to see this happen and made a move to dissuade him, but before he could speak, Wang Yan waved his hand to stop him. Wang Yan said decisively, "I have made up my mind, so you don't need to say anything more. I know how much infamy I will receive."
"Isn't all that seeking fame and reputation in my early years just for this moment? Others laugh at me for having three burrows, but as long as the Langya Wang clan can prosper, what does it matter if I get a little scolding?"
In fact, Wang Yan had long harbored the idea of moving the capital. The reason he hadn't mentioned it before was because Zhang Fang hadn't been pacified yet, and Huainan wasn't stable enough. Now that Zhang Fang had been subdued, the biggest obstacle to moving the capital had disappeared.
Wang Yan's biggest worry right now is Liu Xian of Bashu. Last year, he pacified Nanzhong, and next he will either head north to Guanzhong or east to Jingzhou. Heading north is relatively easy, but if he advances east, can the current Jin army withstand him head-on?
According to news from Wang Dun, since last winter, wood chips have been frequently floating on the river upstream, drifting downstream, clearly indicating that someone is building warships. This is most likely a sign that Liu Xian is attempting an eastward advance. When does he plan to attack?
He discussed this issue with Wang Xuan, who hesitated slightly, but considering Zhang Fang's fate, he remained quite optimistic: "My lord, you are overthinking it. Jiangguan is still in our hands. How can Liu Xian get out so easily? Besides, our army has already defeated Zhang Fang. Liu Xian was on par with Zhang Fang. Now that Zhang Fang has been defeated, how much stronger can Liu Xian be?"
Hearing Wang Xuan's words, Wang Yan chuckled. He knew his son was exaggerating, but he generally agreed with the assessment that there was no need to worry too much. In the end, he returned his thoughts to the matter of aiding Sima Teng.
After a moment's thought, he decided to send Wang Zan with 30,000 troops to relieve the siege. This wasn't because he genuinely wanted to rescue Sima Teng, but rather to use this as a pretext to claim that Xuchang lacked sufficient troops for self-defense, thus justifying the relocation of the capital to Shouchun and reducing public pressure. Simultaneously, it would also tie down some of the rebel forces, buying time for the relocation.
Wang Yan claimed he didn't care about the infamy, but he had been praised for fifty years; how could he truly be indifferent? Thinking this, he decided he could avoid publicly announcing the relocation of the capital, simply stating he was taking the emperor to Shouchun temporarily, leaving the opposition in Xuchang to deal with the pressure from Wang Mi and his group. By then, these people would be begging him to join the southward relocation.
He told Wang Xuan about the idea, and Wang Xuan was full of admiration, praising him, "Sir, you are truly a genius."
But he hesitated for a moment and asked, "Whom does Your Excellency intend to take with you? Can you leave those members of the royal family behind?"
The princes and nobles of the royal family symbolized the legitimacy of their rule, so Wang Yan naturally wouldn't abandon them. He nodded and said, "Although they are useless, we can't give them to others. Let's take them with us."
"What about the deposed empress? Should we keep her or take her with us?" Wang Xuan asked Yang Xianrong again.
This is also a tricky character, because Wang Yan doesn't want another powerful relative to become an opponent, so he hasn't found a new empress for the emperor yet. But this also means that although Yang Xianrong has been deposed, she still retains the status of empress in effect. After some thought, Wang Yan shook his head and said, "Since she's already been deposed, aren't there enough rumors about her? Let's keep her in Xuchang."
When the word "gossip" came up, both father and son spontaneously recalled folk tales and began to joke. It turned out that after Yang Xianrong moved to Xuchang, she suffered from acclimatization problems for a period and fell seriously ill, not appearing before the officials for several months. Around September, Yang Xianrong recovered, and her brother, Yang Dan, adopted a baby boy, claiming him as his illegitimate son, and frequently visited his sister in the palace during this time.
This matter was truly extraordinary, full of suspicious details, to the point that rumors circulated that the baby boy was born from the Empress's affair. However, these were ultimately baseless speculations without any evidence. When Wang Yan deposed the Empress, he did not want to offend Lady Taiyang too much, so he did not bring up the matter.
Regardless, with gossip swirling around, Yang Xianrong had effectively lost her political life, and Wang Yan had no intention of dwelling on it further. He discussed the first batch of personnel to be relocated with Wang Xuan for a while, then began drafting the edict and setting about the northward march of reinforcements. (End of Chapter)