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Ch109 - Seizing the Passes
A dozen or so horses galloped along the road, not an official road, but a shortcut to Fukou Pass, an artery that connected the Ji and Bing Provinces. Once, Emperor Wu of Wei had battled Yuan Shang, the son of Yuan Shao, here, emerging victorious over a numerically superior foe. Thus, Fukou Pass became a strategically significant location for the Wei Kingdom, and Linshui County was established to defend it.
As it was on the border between two provinces, the entrance located in Ji Province was controlled by Sima Ying; the exit located in Bing Province fell into the hands of Sima Teng. Hence, the reason the armies of Bing Province had not set forth from this path. Neither could Sima Ying use it to invade the heartland of Shangdang. But though the great army could not pass, a small party would be permitted passage; what’s more, one of them was a relative of a Shangdang petty official.
“Retainer Li, are you sure we can cross this pass?” Someone, sitting on horseback, yelled.
“Of course!” As Li Lang’s horsemanship was rather poor, and they were riding hard, he dared not speak to his heart’s content.
In the course of this journey, they had to travel at speed on horseback and surmount mountain after mountain; to Li Lang, it was a toiling affair. But Li Lang didn’t shy away in the slightest. This was the best opportunity he’d found in the last year!
After Wang Wen had kicked him out of the scholars’ assembly, Li Lang had lost any prospect of advancement in Bing Province. Thus, heeding his mother’s advice, he cast his lot with the Prince of Chengdu, Sima Ying, and successfully entered the service of his favorite general, Meng Chao. Meng Chao was Meng Jiu’s younger brother. In the last years of the Han Dynasty, he was the younger brother of a eunuch. But that didn’t matter to Li Lang. Emperor Wu of Wei himself was descended from a eunuch; was he not alike to the Liang family that had followed him?
Thus, Li Lang had devoted his efforts to finding a sturdy tree to cling to. Unfortunately for him, Meng Chao had perished in battle when Luoyang was besieged. Left with no alternative, Li Lang transferred his allegiance to Meng Jiu himself. In the six months since he’d been working under Meng Jiu, he hadn’t found the chance to rise above the ordinary. Meng Jiu wasn’t like Meng Chao, there weren’t any military achievements to be earned with him, so Li Lang had only managed to become a retainer. But who’d’ve thought that as he approached the brink of despair, he would be visited by such fortuity.
Send troops to assassinate the grand administrator, acquire the passes, cut the army off from the rear; what a stroke of genius it was! Even he couldn’t help admiring his felicitous flash of brilliance. And what’s better was, if he successfully helped Yan Ji capture the Shangdang Commandery’s seat of government and become the new grand administrator, he would become the official with the most influence with the grand administrator. No longer just a retainer, just a petty official, but a true honest-to-goodness principal territorial aide. Was it strange that he would be excited by the mere thought of it?!
It was for this reason that Li Lang was giving it his all. They would surely cross this pass!
Yan Ji frowned at Li Lang’s curt reply. He wasn’t too fond of Li Lang, a eunuch’s hanger-on, but the plan was decent, or else the Prince of Chengdu wouldn’t have immediately clapped the table with approval when he’d heard of it and ordered him to take over the office of grand administrator of Shangdang. Since the Prince of Chengdu had possession of the Emperor, he could issue whatever orders he pleased and pass it off as an imperial edict. If he could secure the passes, then he would be the rightful grand administrator.
Then, wouldn’t he seem all the more competent than the perpetrator of the failed assassination attempt that forced Wang Jun to mutiny, He Yan? An arrogant smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. Yan Ji spurred his horse, keeping course to Bing Province.
※
“The Prince of Chengdu intends to take Shangdang, and wants to borrow the Five Divisions’ forces?” Upon hearing his aide’s report, Li Xuan felt a surge of glee in his heart. He couldn’t have besought such providence if he’d tried, and that Sima chit had delivered it to his doorstep?!
It seemed that Sima Ying considered Sima Teng’s and Wang Jun’s armies a credible threat. He had the right idea, but borrowing troops from the Xiongnu? Haha, if they were to conquer Shangdang, cut off Sima Teng’s means of retreat, and launch an open rebellion, who could stop the Xiongnu’s armored cavalry?!
“Prime Minister, will we lend our troops?” his aide asked.
“ But of course!” Liu Xuan immediately replied, “Send five hundred of the elite to rendezvous with the Prince of Chengdu’s envoy in Lu City.”
Shangdang, currently in a technical state of war, was on the alert; they’d raise their guard at once if they sent soldiers in the thousands. But a force of several hundred could move covertly, easily entering the commandery capital, Lu City. At any rate, they had people helping them from inside; it wouldn’t take too much manpower to attack the grand administrator’s seat of governance and take control of the passes.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Liu Xuan had his priorities straight. Without the Prince of Chengdu’s plan to conquer Shangdang, the Xiongnu could never have set foot in Lu City, let alone poke their nose in places of military importance like Huguan Pass. Once they took the city, they could summon reinforcements at any time, and this city that could’ve taken years to topple would effortlessly fall into the Five Divisions’ hands. Moreover, Shangdang was a strategic route connecting the Si, Ji, and You Provinces. Capturing Shangdang was like replicating the Qin Kingdom’s victory in the Battle of Changping; both Luoyang and Ye City would be within arms reach!
It seemed the Heavens were on their side! Even Liu Xuan couldn’t help but silently murmur a Buddhist mantra. Since Jin was unjust, then let the world be conquered by the capable!
※
On the pretense of returning to his hometown to visit relatives, Li Lang and his party got through the pass without difficulty, entering Bing Province. Leaving Yan Ji and the others behind to make contact with the Xiongnu reinforcements, Li Lang went home.
“Lang-er! Why have you returned? Has the Prince of Chengdu been defeated?!” Li Lang’s solitary return gave Liang Shu a fright. Even she, a married lady confined to the inner chambers, had heard that the Duke of Dongying had gone to war. Could it be that the imperial army truly had vanquished the Prince of Chengdu?
“Don’t fret, mother. Your son has returned to realize the Prince of Chengdu’s master plan! ” With a self-satisfied expression, Li Lang told his mother in detail about his scheme.
After hearing Li Lang recount his plan in full, Liang Shu’s eyes gleamed, “You really have grown In the year you’ve been away!  The tactic of “besieging Wei to rescue Zhao” was excellently applied!”
Killing the grand administrator and sealing Bai Pass would force the Duke of Dongying to withdraw his forces to reclaim the city, relieving the siege of Ye City. Then, if the Prince of Chengdu defeated the You Province armies led by Wang Jun, he would be able to wipe out all his opposition and ascend the throne. And the one who’d used this plot to thwart the Duke of Donging, Li Lang, would naturally earn a commendation from the new Emperor and a place in the imperial court!
My Lang-er truly is better than that sickly invalid! Still, Liang Shu wasn’t a reckless person. Suppressing her elation, she said, “This plan is superb, but the commandery capital will face the brunt of the Duke of Dongying’s army when he comes to reclaim it. If you lose the city, would you not become a scapegoat, Lang-er?”
That was a valid concern. There were eight passes through the Taihang Mountains, and Bing Province laid claim to three of them. Even if the Prince of Chengdu obtained Bai Pass, the Duke of Dongying still had Taihang Pass and Zhiguan Pass. If his armies altered course for two passes, he could launch a counterattack against the city. Sima Teng would not be merciful to the thorn in his back.
“Fret not, Mother. The Xiongnu will help us take the passes. With the elite of the Five Divisions on our side, we need not fear the Duke of Dongying’s tired troops!” Li Lang declared.
This was even more surprising to Liang Shu, “Borrowing troops from the Xiongnu? Might
 might that be inappropriate?”
Despite having married out, Liang Shu was a through and through daughter of the Liang family and knew well the personal history of her ancestor. The Xiongnu were not as docile as they appeared. Wouldn’t it only make things worse if they betrayed them?
“There’s no need to worry about that.” Li Lang said smugly, “The Prince of Chengdu is still confining the Xiongnu’s Wise Prince of the East and Commandant of the East Division, Liu Yuanhai, within Ye City. Without Liu Yuanhai’s return, how would the Xiongnu dare rebel?”
This was Meng Jiu’s idea. Liu Yuanhai wanted to go back to Bing Province, so why not leverage it to make him do a thing or two for them? Naturally, the Prince of Chengdu would reward him if he did well. But if he didn’t, well, his hostage would deter the Five Divisions from doing anything rash. Were these interlocking guarantees not failproof?
Liang Shu exhaled a breath of relief, “Very good. I will summon Xu-er home so that you may refine your strategy!”
A few days later, Yan Ji finally met with the awaited elite Xiongnu force. Seeing only five hundred cavalry, Yan Ji frowned, “This is all the North Division Commandant has sent?”
Their mission was to seize the passes, how could they take it so lightly?!
The leader, a round-faced man, grinned, “Please, be at ease, Section Clerk Yan; these are all some of the commandant’s best. With inside assistance, it’s more than enough to topple the commandery’s seat of government.”
Yan Ji was still doubtful, but they had already wasted several days’ time. If they dallied any longer, they might just be too late. He could only grit his teeth, “Then follow me into the city!”
However, the round-faced man shook his head, “There can’t be too many entering the city. Fifty is enough. The others will have to lie in wait near the passes. When the commandery capital falls, they will immediately kill the officers in charge of the rear and shut off Bai Pass; that’d be best.”
Upon hearing his explanation, Yan Ji mulled it over, then nodded, “Very well then.”
The success of the operation hinged on taking control of the commandery city and rear echelon. If that wasn’t achieved, the plan could go awry. Besides, it wouldn’t take that many to assassinate a physically feeble grand administrator.
Seeing that Yan Ji had agreed, the round-faced man said, “There’s no time to lose. If you would make arrangements at once, Section Clerk Yan.”
That very day, a group of Xiongnu entered the city disguised as soldiers of the Li family. When the curtain of night fell, the grand administrator’s office rang with clashing metal. Over a dozen officials, the grand administrator included, were slain. The next day, orders were sent from the grand administrator’s office for the dispatch of several troops to Fukou Pass and Bai Pass. By the third day, the gates of Bai Pass slowly slammed shut, cutting off Sima Teng’s retreat.
Standing in the courtyard, already cleaned of blood and filth, Yan Ji nodded with satisfaction, “It is thanks to your efforts, Zhongming, that the takeover of Lu City went well. So long as we are able to defend Bai Pass, the Duke of Dongying will be busy saving himself.”
Li Lang was not the slightest bit ashamed at having his older brother secretly open the grand administrator’s office from within, on the contrary, he was glowing with exuberance. He bowed, “This military success would not have been possible without your outstanding leadership, Your Excellency.”
He now addressed him not as Staff Clerk Yan, but as Your Excellency. Yan Ji was pleased by the new address, so much so that he could overlook his being a eunuch’s retainer. The last few days could only be described as smooth sailing. With the grand administrator’s seal, tricking the city gates open and killing a few officers would be easy as turning over his palm. And, they would only purge the high-ranking officers of the military. Those loyal to Sima Teng would be killed or imprisoned; the remaining low-ranking officers would go whichever way the wind blew. It could be said that the city garrison was already firmly in his grasp.
But it wasn’t enough, far from it.
“The Shangdang Commandery must be of one mind as the Prince of Chengdu to ensure security.” After eliminating all resistance from the city, Yan Ji turned his attentions to the local powers. The Li family was neither respectable nor influential enough. He would need to convince a batch of nobles to cleave to the Prince of Chengdu in order to stabilize the Shangdang Commandery, as well as his authority.
At Yan Ji’s words, Li Lang hesitated before saying, “I do know of a person who once refused an appointment from the Duke of Dongying, is regarded as a bodhisattva, and has close ties with the Taiyuan Wang clan
.”
Yan Ji’s interest was piqued, “Was there such a person in Shangdang? Which family is this talent from? ”
“He is my cousin, Liang Zixi.” The corner of Li Lang’s lips twitched imperceptibly, “He must be the most renowned in all of Shangdang; the Liang Estate is near Gaodu as well. If you could enlist him into your service, Your Excellency, perhaps you could attack Taihang Pass by way of his territory.”
Yan Ji knew full well that the commandery capital would not be truly impregnable unless they captured the Taihang and Zhiguan Passes. But if this Liang Zixi was someone who would pay allegiance to him, Li Lang would have mentioned it without his asking. How could Yan Ji, with his long experience in politics, smell something amiss?
“If he refused even the Duke of Dongying, would he really ally with me?” Yan Ji asked.
“Well
. my proud, principled cousin does disdain worldly affairs. He may indeed be averse to taking office in the commandery government
.” Li Lang’s voice dripped with poison, “Not only can you make an example of him, you can have the Xiongnu cavalry test the defenses of Taihang Pass.”
Now, Yan Ji was truly surprised. He looked knowingly at the young man before him and slowly said, “Your plan, Zhongming, is not unworkable. Send someone to ask, then, whether that Liang Zixi is willing to come to the commandery capital
.”
※
A month, a calm and tranquil month.
Not only the two passes beside him, but the whole of Shangdang had been silent as the grave. Clearly, Sima Teng had already left Bing Province, but the Five Divisions hadn’t made a single move, huddling within their own territory like obedient sheep.
However, Liang Feng wasn’t the slightest relieved by the seeming calm. His intelligence network had expanded somewhat, but this chaotic conflict was complicated enough that the big picture eluded him. It was said that the army levied for the imperial campaign had been routed, and that remnants of it had retreated to Luoyang. It was said that Sima Teng had not withdrawn and that he was already battling the Prince of Chengdu. It was said that You Province had mobilized its army as well, though their numbers were unknown.
The flurry of varied intel from varied sources was nearly overwhelming. But his current status did not suffice to let him view the board for this game of Go in its entirety.  He could only rely on guesswork and Duan Qin to deduce the current situation.
“If You Province has sent troops, I’m afraid Ye City is lost.” Duan Qin frowned, “Wang Jun had his daughters marry into the Xianbei Duan and Yuwen clans. Not even the Xiongnu would lightly provoke their armies.”
“Borrowing troops from the Xianbei was truly imbecilic. Establishing such a precedent may cause others to seek military assistance from the non-Han tribes as well. If the Five Xiongnu Divisions which reside within Bing Province are dragged into this by the Prince of Chengdu, it would be a right mess.” Liang Feng had certainly not forgotten the phrase “Upheaval of the Five Barbarians.” The Xianbei had entered the fray already – would the Xiongnu be far behind?
“The Prince of Chengdu would use the Xiongnu?” Duan Qin was horrified, but on closer thought, it wasn’t implausible. If that was the case, then the Duke of Dongying had made a grave mistake in leading his army away to battle. The Liang Estate, at its current strength, hadn’t the capability to repel tens of thousands of Xiongnu cavalry!
Liang Feng sighed, “We can only hope that the Duke of Dongying returns to Bing Province soon
..”
What a pity, though, that his wish did not come true. On the contrary, an unexpected visitor shattered the illusion of peace.
The man sitting before him, who claimed to be a staff officer of the commandery government, wore a smile on his face, “His Excellency has heard of your exemplary talents, Liang-lang, and seeking wisdom from without, has appointed you to the position of adjutant.  Your coming to the commandery city is much anticipated.”
Liang Feng frowned; there was something very strange about this appointment! It was true that there was a vacancy for the position of adjutant, but that wasn’t nearly as prestigious as being a staff officer under the Duke of Donging. The grand administrator of Shangdang was one of Sima Teng’s trusted subordinates, how could he possibly attempt to entreat a virtuoso that had refused his superior to assume such a low-rank office? Wasn’t that an insult to Sima Teng?
Why had such a thing happened?
Immediately, Liang Feng knew that something had gone wrong in the commandery capital!