Chapter 288: The Restless Xiongnu
‘Palace guards’ was a general term – they belonged to the Sword and Halberd Battalion, one of the eight Palace Guard camps, along with the numerous ceremonial guards in the palace. But they were not under the command of the Captain of the Palace Guard. The so-called Palace Guard army actually only had seven camps.
Guard Wang He’s official title was Left Gate Captain of the Sword and Halberd Battalion, a sixth-rank position. His rank was not particularly high, and when his guards were at full strength, he could command up to two hundred men. He reported directly to the powerful eunuchs in the palace, usually the Chief Overseer, or the Director of Imperial Stables, or the Director of Palace Attendants.
Like other guards, Wang He came from a clean family background and had undergone numerous tests to earn the qualification to protect the Emperor, becoming one of the five chief guard commanders.
Yang Feng trusted this man and had once seriously recommended him to the Emperor. Han Ruzi also held high expectations for him, so after the second watch, he had Zhang Youcai summon Wang He, bypassing Chief Overseer Liu Jie.
“The imperial seal has most likely fallen into Wang Jian’s hands. Go retrieve it. Take as many men as you need. We give you until midnight the day after tomorrow.” Han Ruzi could not place all his hopes on the law enforcement officials.
“Yes.” Wang He was a man of few words and knelt on the ground to receive his orders.
“Keep it secret.”
“Yes.”
“The seal was previously in the hands of a female guard. You might know her – her name is Meng E. If possible, find out where she is.” Han Ruzi still could not understand why Meng E had fled with the seal in the first place. “We want her alive,” he added.
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Wang He withdrew from the tent without asking a single question or mentioning how many men he would take. Zhang Youcai helped the Emperor change clothes. “This Ugly Wang is really too bold, isn’t he? Taking the imperial seal and refusing to return it, even daring to make a bet with Your Majesty. Even if he wins, Your Majesty can still have him killed, right?”
“Some people want fame more than life. We must defeat him.” Han Ruzi had only recently reclaimed the throne and was at his most sensitive about imperial power. He was not eager to kill to establish authority – he only wanted to quickly understand what things an emperor “could do.”
The night passed without incident. Han Ruzi did not sleep particularly well and rose early to review copies of memorials sent from the capital. Yang Feng’s responses were well-organized and mostly aligned with the Emperor’s intentions.
The previous unfortunate puppet emperor had been buried alongside Grand Consort Cui and the Champion Marquis, with the posthumous title of the Carefree Marquis.
Officials were beginning to submit memorials proposing that the Emperor’s birth mother be established as the second Empress Dowager. The responses from the palace did not agree, and Han Ruzi knew this was also his mother’s own wish. He was not in a hurry – after his imperial tour, the entire court would compete to petition for establishing the Empress Dowager, and it would be more fitting then.
One copy was specially marked “For Imperial Review” by Yang Feng with red ink. The memorial came from the Ministry of Rites about a minor matter – the Xiongnu envoys had been detained for a long time and had repeatedly requested to leave the Capital and return to the steppes. The Ministry of Rites felt they could agree. Yang Feng’s response was to release most of them but keep four to be sent to the Emperor’s camp.
The Xiongnu were about to go to war again.
The Great Chanyu appeared genuinely sincere about forming an alliance with Great Chu, but the Xiongnu had long been accustomed to bullying the weak and fearing the strong. Once Great Chu showed even the slightest weakness, the Xiongnu cavalry could not resist the urge to raid southward. Ugly Wang was not wrong – they had to defeat the Xiongnu to secure three to five years of border peace before continuing negotiations.
Han Ruzi planned to make this a topic for this morning’s court session and discuss it in detail with Chai Yue and others in the afternoon.
Time was pressing, and there were so many things to do. Even if Han Ruzi did not eat or sleep, he could not handle everything alone. When meeting with the accompanying officials, he had Vice Minister of Revenue Liu Zeqin preside over the daily morning court sessions. This was not an official appointment and carried no official title, but it implied a bright future. When Liu Zeqin expressed his gratitude, he struggled to suppress his excitement.
Han Ruzi hoped this would make Vice Minister Liu more proactive in supervising the opening of granaries for relief distribution.
However, the accompanying officials were all of relatively low rank and dared not express opinions on major matters. Regarding the Xiongnu threat, they could not offer any useful suggestions.
When the court session ended, Zhang Jing came to report on the situation. He had already uncovered many clues and swore confidently that he would definitely recover the imperial seal before noon the next day.
There were too many copies of memorials sent from the Capital. Han Ruzi continued browsing through them when Prince Donghai was escorted in by Eunuch Liu Jie. He walked slowly closer, waiting for the Emperor to find time to speak with him.
“How did it go?” Han Ruzi asked without looking up. These memorials were too trivial – the Imperial Garden Bureau wanted to dig a pond, the Ministry of Rites thought it served little purpose, the Ministry of Revenue claimed there were problems with the cost estimates, and the Ministry of Works said that just digging a pond was wasteful and suggested taking the opportunity to dredge some waterways as well…
Each side went back and forth, accumulating over thirty memorials. Han Ruzi felt his head spinning from reading them.
“Seeking help from the Ugly Wang was Tan Diao’s idea. He wrote a letter – no, he sent a letter with not a single word written in it, having someone deliver it to Ugly Wang. I suppose it meant that everything was understood without words.”
Han Ruzi couldn’t help but look up and smile.
“What’s wrong?” Prince Donghai asked in confusion.
“Nothing. This is the second wordless letter I’ve heard about. It seems pugilist world people are fond of this approach.” The last time Han Ruzi had heard of something similar was from Yang Feng, whose father had written a wordless letter to a great hero on his deathbed, entrusting his wife and child to him.
“Well, regardless, the Tan family has bowed their heads to Ugly Wang, and they’re not hiding it either – the whole world knows. From this perspective, Ugly Wang really can’t kill off the Tan family.” Prince Donghai stared at the Emperor. “The entire city of Luoyang is buzzing with talk that Your Majesty made a wager with Ugly Wang to see who could find the imperial seal first. That’s not true, is it?”
“Ugly Wang did propose a wager, but I didn’t accept it.”
Prince Donghai continued staring at the Emperor. “But the wager still exists?”
Only Prince Donghai could understand the Emperor’s thoughts. Han Ruzi waited a moment before saying, “If it were you, would you refuse?”
“It’s no longer possible for it to ‘be me.'” Prince Donghai carefully avoided the question, though he indeed had some thoughts. “However, I can offer a suggestion – Your Majesty should never have summoned Ugly Wang in the first place. Although he has some connection to the imperial clan, he’s ultimately just a commoner. One audience was enough to elevate him to the heavens. Once he opened his mouth, Your Majesty could neither accept nor refuse – caught in a dilemma. Chai Yue really presented Your Majesty with a difficult problem.”
“Being caught in a dilemma is still better than having one side open and one side hidden.” Han Ruzi didn’t regret summoning Ugly Wang, nor would he blame Chai Yue. “That Holy Strategist has been hiding in the shadows all along. I’d actually prefer if he would step forward and make a wager with me.”
“Your Majesty is full of energy, meeting enemies and killing enemies – none can match you.” Prince Donghai’s flattery always carried a hint of sourness. “What will Your Majesty do after winning? Will you execute or exile Ugly Wang’s family?”
What Prince Donghai was really asking about was the Tan family – the Ugly King’s fate would be the Tan family’s outcome.
Han Ruzi understood this perfectly and smiled. “Pugilist heroes live for their reputation. Simply killing them without destroying their name doesn’t solve much. The Martial Emperor killed so many heroes, yet the result was that everyone aspired to be a hero, one after another. In just these few years, heroes are once again spread throughout the realm.”
“That’s true. Back then, the Tan family was just a major household involved in horse breeding and commerce. Apart from being frighteningly ugly, Ugly Wang didn’t have much heroic reputation. But when the Martial Emperor unleashed his power to eliminate the old pugilist heroes, they emerged instead.”
“Didn’t the Tan family’s initial heroic reputation come from caring for the families of the executed heroes? Ugly Wang was probably the same.”
Prince Donghai nodded. “It’s a pity these people are too infatuated with heroic fame, or perhaps too foolish. They wouldn’t listen to my advice and insisted on seeking help from other heroes. Sigh, the Tan family really is… However, the princess consort is very understanding. She said that one should accept defeat gracefully – if the Tan family and I lost, then we lost, and from then on we should dutifully observe our proper roles as subjects…”
What Prince Donghai wanted to save wasn’t the Tan family, but only the princess consort alone.
Han Ruzi didn’t respond to this, suddenly asking, “Do you like the Princedom of Donghai?”
Prince Donghai’s expression changed. “Your Majesty…”
“Don’t be afraid. I’m considering whether to relocate you to the frontier. The Xiongnu are stirring again. Currently, the border is guarded by the pincedoms of Yan, Zhao, and Dai – two princes are elderly, one is young, and none are reliable. Perhaps you would be suitable.”
Prince Donghai was dumbfounded, his mind racing as he pondered the implications of this matter for himself. “To receive Your Majesty’s trust would be a tremendous honor. I naturally have no objections and would go anywhere. I only fear my abilities are insufficient and would disappoint Your Majesty’s expectations.”
Han Ruzi had only spoken casually – he hadn’t made any decision yet. As for the important frontier fortresses, he wasn’t comfortable entrusting them to Prince Donghai either. He sighed, “The Xiongnu in the north, bandits in the south, plus refugees everywhere – each problem alone wouldn’t be difficult to solve, but when they all collide together, it becomes a major headache.”
“Bandits in the south? Does Your Majesty intend to eliminate Cloud Dream Marsh?”
“Cloud Dream Marsh has become a refuge for pugilists. When the court is lenient, these pugilists encroach upon local territory. When the court cracks down hard, they retreat into the marshes and become bandits. We must cut off their escape routes to suppress these them.”
Prince Donghai chuckled twice. “Your Majesty truly has grand ambitions. I’ve heard that the Martial Emperor had launched several military campaigns to clear out Cloud Dream Marsh, but all failed due to the treacherous terrain.”
Han Ruzi let out a long sigh. “I have no capable generals at hand. Prince Donghai, I never imagined that after becoming a true emperor, there would still be so few useful people among all the civil and military officials. Am I poor at judging people? Or do I not know how to employ them properly?”
Prince Donghai could only offer a dry laugh. The emperor’s question was too sensitive for him to dare respond.
Han Ruzi didn’t expect an answer anyway. “First I must employ people, then I can select them. After resolving these three major troubles, some talented individuals will surely emerge.”
“Brilliant strategy,” Prince Donghai praised, though inwardly he wondered what the emperor’s true intention was in revealing these matters to him.
Shortly after noon, Han Ruzi summoned Cui Hong, Chai Yue, Fang Daye, and over ten other military generals to discuss resisting the Xiongnu.
Cui Hong knew he hadn’t yet gained complete trust, so he rarely spoke. Fang Daye’s temperament was to speak little and act much, or even speak while acting. Only Chai Yue spoke eloquently: “After last year’s Battle of Shattered Iron City, the Xiongnu weren’t convinced of their defeat, so indeed another battle is needed. However, the Southern and Northern Armies have been campaigning for a long time and shouldn’t be deployed again. Your Majesty has already ordered the recruitment of refugees into the army from various regions – why not recruit even more and send them to the frontier to fight the Xiongnu?”
“They’re all civilians – can they fight so quickly?” Han Ruzi was well aware that any number of rabble couldn’t match a smaller force of elite troops.
“If we were to pursue the Xiongnu deep into the steppes, these men wouldn’t suffice. But if we’re defending cities and waiting for battle, with veteran soldiers leading new recruits, they could still put up a fight.” Chai Yue had planned this in advance and had calculated clearly how many troops each frontier city originally had and how many new soldiers they could absorb.
The others could only listen and nod.
Chief Overseer Liu Jie suddenly burst in. Han Ruzi had already instructed that he not be disturbed except for urgent matters. Looking up at Liu Jie, he hoped what he brought wasn’t trivial affairs like digging ponds in the Capital’s gardens.
Liu Jie hurried to the table and presented an urgent dispatch to the emperor, his expression grave, clearly indicating truly important business.
Han Ruzi opened the document and glanced at it, then shot to his feet. Looking at the bewildered generals, he announced, “Prince Ying has declared himself emperor in Donghai, with Shang-guan Sheng styling himself Grand General and currently advancing toward Qi.”
Everyone was greatly shocked. Shang-guan Sheng was clearly dead – they had all seen his severed head. How could he suddenly appear again in Donghai?
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