Chapter 697
Ye City Changes Hands
Liu Cong's concerns were not unfounded. Throughout history, no country's internal crisis has ever been isolated; it has always been influenced by external forces to varying degrees. This is especially true during periods of succession crisis, when the new ruler's authority is not yet firmly established, making the country most vulnerable to interference from external powers.
For example, after the Battle of Guandu, Yuan Shao suffered a crushing defeat, but he was still able to contend with Cao Cao. However, after Yuan Shao died, the brothers Yuan Shang and Yuan Tan fought each other, which led to them going to war. In order to defeat Yuan Shang, Yuan Tan actually invited a wolf into the house and formed a marriage alliance with Cao Cao, which caused the situation in Hebei to change drastically and cleared the way for Cao Cao's conquest of Hebei.
This is remarkably similar to the situation in Zhao and Han at that time. Liu Yuan had passed away, and the brothers Liu He and Liu Cong were vying for power. Although Liu Cong held an absolute advantage, the situation could still become extremely uncertain if external forces intervened.
Looking at the bigger picture, the Southern Han and Hexi forces are too far from Pingyang to effectively intervene. The Western Army has just recovered from its battles, and Liu Cong has made targeted deployments, so they are powerless to interfere. The Qi Army is in the same situation; they just finished a major battle last year and need time to recover, and they must also be wary of the Southern Han's movements. Unless Liu Bogen and Wang Mi have lost their minds, they will not intervene in Zhao Han. The same applies to the Tuoba Xianbei in the north; Tuoba Yilu is busy unifying the three tribes and dispersing the scattered tribes, and has no intention of expanding.
Therefore, only one power could intervene in this matter, namely Shi Le of Jinyang.
Since Shi Le allied with the Duan Xianbei and divided Youzhou, he had truly enjoyed a period of prosperity. Shi Le first accepted the title from Qi Han and established the Zhongshan Kingdom, with its capital at Lunu County in Zhongshan Commandery. At the same time, he still recognized the Zhao Han imperial throne, frequently maintained envoy exchanges with Pingyang, and sent tribute. Furthermore, he simultaneously formed alliances with the Duan Xianbei and Tuoba Xianbei, ensuring peace and prosperity on all sides.
Therefore, order was quickly restored within Shi Le's territory, and peace lasted for nearly two years. Although the territory did not expand further, with Zhang Bin's assistance, he recruited scholars from Hebei, pacified the people within his borders, attracted refugees from outside the borders, and reorganized the army, achieving considerable success in governance. In other words, Shi Le had been conserving his strength for two years and was now poised for battle.
Although Shi Le established his capital at Lunu, his military center remained in Jinyang, which was only 600 li from Pingyang, a distance that could be reached by fast horse in three days. Liu Cong had already realized that if Liu He saw the situation was unfavorable and was the first to seek help from Shi Le, giving him a pretext to send troops to intervene, then things would be very bad.
Liu Cong did not want this to happen, and the best way to resolve the matter was to appease Shi Le before Liu He could take action. So, after arriving at the walls of Pingyang, he immediately sent Jin Chong as an envoy north to Jinyang to appease Shi Le and persuade him not to send troops for the time being.
However, Liu Cong was a step too late. Twenty days before Jin Chong went north, Liu He had already sent an envoy to Shi Le, requesting to form an alliance with him and assist him in ascending to the throne. For this, he did not hesitate to offer to cede his homeland, Xihe County, to Shi Le.
When faced with Liu He's plea for help, Shi Le was certainly tempted, but he also knew the principle of listening to all sides, so he did not immediately agree. Instead, he summoned the gentlemen of the camp, such as Zhang Bin, Xu Guang, Diao Ying, Wang Xiu, Yan Zong, and Shao Ju, and discussed with them: "Yuan Hai Gong is about to die, and Liu Xuan Tai's foundation is unstable. He is not enough to fight against Liu Xuan Ming. In order to ask for our help, he even wants to cede Xihe County to us. What do you all think?"
Diao Ying was overjoyed upon hearing this. He immediately smiled at Shi Le and said, "King Shi, Liu Xuantai's folly is truly rare in ancient and modern times! Is he still the same as before? When we followed King Shi and had no fixed abode, sleeping in the open, we couldn't even afford a good pair of leather boots. King Shi wore straw sandals to see Yuan Hai Gong, and Yuan Hai Gong still personally received him and appointed King Shi as the King of Pingjin, commanding the northern army."
"Now that the Stone King has established his own kingdom, he eats bear paws and beef hearts, wears rhinoceros hide armor, and lives in a magnificent house with carved beams and painted rafters. Does he really think that a mere prefecture can sway him? He is seriously underestimating him!"
At this point, he finally offered his plan: "King Shi, we must send troops, but how can we be satisfied with just one prefecture? Our army has rested for two years and now has 80,000 infantry and 30,000 elite cavalry. Now that we have this great opportunity, we should take advantage of their weakness! Liu He is a fool; how can he stand up to Liu Cong? But as long as King Shi leads his army south, defeats Liu Cong, and seizes Pingyang, emulating Cao Cao, we can use the emperor to command the other lords. In this way, we can turn the tables and take control of the Three Jins and Shuofang!"
After he finished speaking, the crowd was filled with enthusiasm, and many stood up to agree with his plan. Shi Le also smiled, because he shared the same view and believed that this was the best strategy. But when he glanced at the crowd, he suddenly noticed Zhang Bin beside him, silently nodding slightly to him.
Shi Le was taken aback when he saw this, but then he put on a thoughtful expression and said to everyone, "Yuan Hai Gong has been kind to me after all. To take advantage of my misfortune is rather ungrateful. Let me think about it some more." So he dismissed everyone and secretly summoned Zhang Bin to his residence that night to discuss the matter with him again.
As soon as Zhang Bin sat down, Shi Le impatiently asked him, "Why did you remain silent during the day, Right Marquis? Do you perhaps feel that Diao Ying's plan has some flaws?"
Since being with Zhang Bin and listening to Zhang Bin's systematic explanation of the Book of Han, Shi Le often encouraged himself by taking the example of Emperor Gaozu of Han. He also regarded Zhang Bin as the reincarnation of Zhang Liang, the Marquis of Liu, and therefore called him "Right Marquis". Every time they met, he would treat him with the respect due to a disciple.
Zhang Bin enjoyed Shi Le's inquiring attitude. After sitting down, he smiled confidently and asked directly, "May I ask Your Majesty, do you really believe that in this world, there is such a thing as 'holding the emperor hostage to command the feudal lords'?"
"Why not?" Shi Le retorted. "Isn't that how Cao Cao succeeded?"
"Cao Cao held the legitimate Han emperor hostage, who had ruled the country for four hundred years, so naturally the people were loyal to him. But what about the Emperor of Pingyang?"
Zhang Bin patiently analyzed, "There are three Han states in the world today, and the one that wins the hearts of the people the most is definitely Liu Xian in the south. With Liu Yuanhai's prestige, he only wins the hearts of the various Xiongnu tribes and Bingzhou. And even among the next generation of Zhao Han, what prestige does Liu He have? Only Liu Cong is the one who is popular! He has established a Shanyu Terrace in Shuofang, and the Tiefu Xiongnu and the western Xianbei under his command have always been arrogant and fierce, and they do not even obey the orders of the Tuoba Xianbei. They have only submitted to Pingyang for a few years now, how can they listen to the Emperor of Pingyang!"
"Therefore, if my king marches south to Pingyang, there will inevitably be a decisive battle with Liu Cong. Let alone whether I can win, even if I do win, I will inevitably be embroiled in a bitter battle with Shuofang. How can you say that I can turn the tables?"
But at this point, Zhang Bin changed the subject, saying, "However, this is not my real reason for opposing the move south to Pingyang."
Shi Le, puzzled, asked again, "Please enlighten me, Right Marquis."
“Others want to take Pingyang because there is profit to be made.” Zhang Bin looked directly at Shi Le and pressed him firmly, “But may I ask my king, if you wish to unify the world, who is your opponent? Is it Liu Cong?”
Although Zhang Bin didn't explicitly say it, Shi Le, upon hearing this, instantly understood, then broke out in a cold sweat, bowed his head to Zhang Bin, and admitted his mistake, saying, "Wise Lord Right! I almost made a grave error!" If asked who would unify the world, it would be a question with almost no suspense; most people would choose the Southern Han. Liu Xian had already unified Jiangnan and gained the submission of Hexi and Guanzhong, making him undoubtedly the most powerful force in the world. If Shi Le were to go to war with Liu Cong at this time, it would undoubtedly cause internal strife in the north. If Liu Xian were to calmly advance north, he would inevitably defeat each side one by one, leaving them powerless to resist.
However, Shi Le was somewhat unwilling, so he asked, "But in this way, with such a good opportunity, am I not able to do anything and just sit and watch Liu Cong take the throne?"
Unexpectedly, Zhang Bin stroked his beard, smiled again, and shook his head, saying, "No, no. In my opinion, my king cannot go to Pingyang, but there is another place he can go, and there is much to be done there."
"where?"
"Ye City!" Zhang Bin leaned forward slightly, revealing a calm and composed expression, and slowly said, "If handled properly, my king can take this important town without shedding a drop of blood!"
At this time, the one stationed in Ye City was Liu Gong, the second son of Liu Yuan and the Prince of Qin. Although Ye City was an important town that Liu Cong had conquered with his army, due to the importance of the war in Guanzhong, most of Liu Cong's old subordinates had been withdrawn from Ye City. As an important rear area and a wealthy place in Zhao Han, Liu Yuan did not dare to underestimate it, so he entrusted it to Liu Gong to manage.
Now that Liu Cong and Liu He are about to clash, Liu Gong, as the third largest power in Zhao Han, will inevitably be affected. Liu Cong's threat is so great that, while sending envoys to communicate with Shi Le, Liu He also sent a message to Liu Gong as a precaution, explaining the advantages and disadvantages and urging him to send troops to aid Pingyang.
"I wish to let my second brother take over Shuofang and work with me to achieve great things." This was Liu He's condition for Liu Gong to send troops.
In fact, given the current situation, the relationship between Liu Gong and Liu He didn't need to be so complicated. Firstly, Liu Gong hadn't been in Ye City for long and his power base wasn't deep; many of his subordinates were arranged by Liu Yuan. Secondly, Liu Gong had no military achievements; he mainly handled civil affairs and didn't have high prestige in the army. Thirdly, Liu Cong's relationship with Liu Gong was also poor, and if Liu Cong gained power, Liu Gong wouldn't have a good ending either.
Therefore, upon receiving news from Liu He, Liu Gong immediately mobilized 60,000 troops, entering Shangdang from Huguan, and then proceeding through Guyuan City to Pingyang. However, the mountain roads were rugged and the journey south was arduous, and Liu Gong's forces were mostly infantry, allowing them to travel only fifty li per day. Just as Liu Cong was returning to Pingyang, Liu Gong had already been on his way for about twenty days, still three days' journey from Pingyang.
This made Zhao Han's defenses in Hebei extremely weak at this critical juncture of succession crisis. However, this opportunity was very short-lived. Once Liu Cong seized the throne and pacified Pingyang, the rest of the country would be pacified by proclamation, and there would be no more opportunities for surprise attacks.
Shi Le seized this fleeting opportunity.
He verbally agreed to the alliance with Liu He, but secretly mobilized troops, gathering six armies under his generals Kong Chang, Zhi Quliu, Guo Heilue, Tao Bao, Kui An, and his adopted sons Shi Sheng, Shi Ta, and Shi Kan, totaling 20,000 armored soldiers and 30,000 cavalry. They then marched from Jinyang through Jingxing, passing Leping and entering Changshan. The cavalry then advanced rapidly along the Taihang Mountains, quickly entering the territory of Zhao and Han.
In fact, in terms of marching distance, Shi Le's army covered a longer distance than Liu Gong's, exceeding a thousand li. However, in order to advance quickly, Shi Le did not spend a lot of time assembling his troops. Instead, he gathered a small elite force and set off directly, carrying only twenty days' worth of provisions. In addition, they descended from the mountains, and after passing Jingxing, the terrain became entirely plains. Therefore, Shi Le's journey from departure to arrival in Ye City took only a mere eleven days.
However, Shi Le did not attack Ye City. Instead, he first dispatched troops to attack Linlu and Huguan. The defenders of Linlu and Huguan were completely taken aback by the sudden appearance of Shi Le's massive army and were powerless to resist, so they surrendered. Shi Le left Kong Chang to guard the area and continued his southward advance, penetrating deep into Hanoi County. He then dispatched troops to attack Tianjing Pass and Zhi Pass, where the defenders surrendered again.
By this time, Shi Le had already captured Zhiguan Pass, Taihang Pass, Bai Pass, and Fukou Pass, three of the eight passes of Taihang, completely seizing all the roads out of the mountains controlled by Zhao Han and cutting off the connection between Hebei and Pingyang. Only then did he turn his troops around and besiege Ye City.
Several years earlier, Shi Le had already gained considerable prestige in the area around Hanoi and Ye City by launching a counterattack against Zhang Fang. As soon as he raised his banner, the lords of the various fortified villages, hearing that the dashing and unconventional Jiehu general had returned, rose up in response. With the arrival of Shi Le's follow-up infantry from Zhongshan, Ye City was besieged by mid-August, and Shi Le's army numbered over 60,000.
At this time, 30,000 Zhao Han troops remained garrisoned within Ye City, commanded by Zhao Han's vanguard general, Huyan Yan. Seeing this situation, he was terrified. Meanwhile, during Shi Le's siege of Ye City, Liu Cong had successfully defeated the disoriented Liu Gong, then led his army into Pingyang City, killing his elder brother Liu He, and successfully ascending the throne. Upon hearing the news, the Ye City garrison, with no hope of reinforcements, surrendered. The six commanderies of Guangping, Weijun, Yangping, Dunqiu, Jijun, and Henan were subsequently pacified. Shi Le thus expanded his territory by a thousand li, gaining 300,000 households and reaping significant benefits in both land and population.
But Shi Le's most ingenious move didn't stop there. After seizing the land, he again sent envoys to Pingyang to congratulate Liu Cong on his ascension to the throne. He claimed that his reason for sending troops was because he had heard that Liu He had bullied his own brothers and disregarded the overall situation, making him a rare and tyrannical ruler in history. Shi Le, a minor Hu (non-Han) from Shangdang, had been deeply indebted to Yuan Haigong and had admired Liu Cong since Luoyang. Now that Liu Cong was in dire straits, how could Shi Le stand idly by? That's why he sent troops to Yecheng.
He has now captured the rebel army and will soon send them to Pingyang to be dealt with by Liu Cong. As for Ye City in Hebei, Shi Le stated that he originally intended to return it to Liu Cong, but the local people had a deep affection for him and insisted that he remain as their ruler. Therefore, Shi Le had no choice but to take over these areas. As compensation, Shi Le will henceforth distribute half of the local taxes annually to Liu Cong. If Liu Cong were to attack Guanzhong, Shi Le would also send troops to assist him.
Upon receiving Shi Le's message, Liu Cong was filled with rage. With his intelligence, he was unlikely to believe Shi Le's lies. However, having just ascended the throne, he was busy stabilizing the country and did not want to start a war, especially since Shi Le held nearly 40,000 Zhao and Han prisoners as hostages. He also knew that in the current situation, pacifying Guanzhong was of paramount importance; otherwise, how could he contend with Liu Xian if he went to war with Shi Le? Therefore, he had no choice but to swallow his anger, acquiesce to Shi Le's annexation of Hebei, and forge an alliance, renewing the oath that whichever side Liu Xian attacked, the other would provide assistance.
Thus, in late August of the fifth year of the Qiming era, the month-long Zhao-Han civil war came to an end. Liu Cong, under the pretext of purging corrupt officials, killed his elder brother Liu He and his second elder brother Liu Gong amidst the chaos. He then formally ascended the throne in Pingyang, elected by the remaining followers. He subsequently appointed his late Empress Shan as Empress Dowager, his wife Huyan as Empress, and Liu Yi, the Prince of Beihai, as Crown Prince. He posthumously honored his father Liu Yuan as Emperor Guangwen.
However, Liu Cong's victory came at a heavy price. Nearly a third of Zhao Han's territory fell into Shi Le's hands. Although his troops were still intact, his territory had shrunk considerably, and the pressure on his food supplies had increased significantly. Even compared to Shi Le, he had no clear advantage. This situation left Liu Cong with no choice but to race against time and seize Guanzhong as quickly as possible in the remaining time.
(Map of the situation in August of the fifth year of the reign of Emperor Qiming of Han) (End of this chapter)