The Last Days of the Han (Three Kingdoms AAR)

[Zamarak500]

204-205: XIAO RU ON THE OFFENSIVE​

Xiao Ru’s position had fundamentally changed over the course of a single month. He had previously been facing the threat of a unified front from Tao Shang and Tan Zhihan, both of who would then be able to annihilate his forces easily. At worst, it seemed as if he would have to submit to the authority of Xu Province as a tributary, a humiliating status that he could barely bare. But then Tan Zhihan died in early November, causing the whole game to change in an instant. Zhuge Jin revolted against his overlord to free Tianshan Commandery from Qing Province, leading to a tense but welcomed alliance between Xiao Ru and the son of his early rival. With Qing Province now under a regency and dealing with a revolt, Tao Shang found himself isolated and without his main ally, forced to rely on his own troops and on barbarian tributaries. Now Chen Province was on the offensive, with Tao Shang risking to become Xiao Ru’s tributary if he wasn’t able to push out the ambitious warlord.

However, the threat of Xiao Ru ran into serious internal problems. As of the start of the campaign, the newly appointed Commandant Zhang Yan had been left in charge of the war, a role he enjoyed immensely. However, he was not the only one with power in the army, finding the arrogant warrior Dian Wei sharing some of his authority. And the two men did not like each other. Considering how Zhang Yan had risen up to his position by undermining his predecessor, he was extremely paranoid of this newcomer who suddenly received favors from their liege. For his part, Dian Wei tried to take as much space as possible, not out of personal ambition, but simply because he was convinced that he could do a better job than Zhang Yan. And then there was Ding Yan, still failing to reconcile them, now sending panicked missives to his liege. What made things worse was the fact that Xiao Ru hadn’t been subtle about who was his favorite between the two, clearly appointing Dian Wei as a counterweight to the former bandit leader, who he didn’t trust one bit. Because of the disputes between the two men, the army had yet to be deployed against the enemy. Meanwhile, Tao Shang and Ma Teng were already besieging town in Chen Province.

It quickly became clear to the Governor of Chen Province that this situation was untenable and that he would have to make a choice. His conclusions were confirmed by his assistant administrator, the old and trusted Li Fengzhu. Even if he had only recently been appointed to Xiao Ru’s inner circle, he had risen to be his most trusted advisors. In many ways, their ability to work together reminded many of the early relationship of Xiao Ru with Xu Shao, one of his earliest supporters. Considering how Xu Shao eventually revolted against him, neither Li Fengzhu nor Xiao Ru liked this comparison. Still, the similarity was there. The two men worked together on most decisions, although Xiao Ru was always the one with the final say. Li Fengzhu mostly confirmed his liege and gave him advices against some of his less practical plan. And when it came to dealing with the military problem, Li Fengzhu agreed that something had to be done. This convinced Xiao Ru that he had to proceed with another reshuffle of his administration.

In early 205, Xiao Ru started making broad changes to his council, first dealing with the pressing issue of the military command. He had to remove one of the two generals from command, either Zhang Yan or Dian Wei. Considering how he only relied on Zhang Yan because he did not have any better option, his choice was pretty easy. Soon enough, he announced that Zhang Yan would be removed from his position as Commandant of Chen Province, only a few months after his promotion. Dian Wei was immediately appointed as his replacement, with Ding Yan now serving as his right-hand man. Considering that Ding Yan was a content and passive man, there was no fear that he would stir up troubles like Dian Wei or Zhang Yan had done. However, everyone at court knew that simply firing the former bandit leader would be dangerous. Cutting him lose might just result in him switching side. So instead, Li Fengzhu suggested that he be appointed to the position of Magistrate of Yangan, on the southern border with Jing Province. That way, they could say that his services were more needed there. Zhang Yan was furious when he heard of this, but Dian Wei was able to force him to go along. For now.

However, this would not be the only big change in Xiao Ru’s entourage. For a while now, he sought to find a way to rid himself of the bastard Chunyu Shenxi who had slept with one of his concubines. Deciding that now was the time to act, he stripped him of all his offices and ordered him to present himself at court. To the surprise of everyone, he actually did, once again reiterating his loyalty to Chen Province and his willingness to serve. This took the wind out of Xiao Ru’s plan to arrest a cowardly traitor, as many at court started to sympathize with the man. And besides, even with sleeping with his liege’s concubine was bad, he hadn’t exactly committed any other crime. While he was still stripped of his offices, Xiao Ru did not punish him unfairly, instead allowing him to love a comfortable retirement in the countryside. Never to touch a political office again in his life. Chunyi Shenxi would indeed stay away from politics until his last year of life, when he recommended his youngest son Chunyu Ciming as magistrate of a county. He died in 236 at the age of 75, having lived the last three decades of his life in obscurity with a smile on his face, away from all the worries that had plagued him while in office.

The removal of Chunyu Shenxi meant two things. First and foremost, there was the need to replace him. Li Fengzhu suggested that the loyal Ding Yan might be a great choice to be Chief Censor of Chen Province. He had proven loyal and unambitious, the perfect sort of man to serve in such a critical position. Liu Yi, Xiao Ru’s longtime critic and the main agitator of the Gucheng Declaration, was also suggested. After all, he might be annoyed that Chunyu Shenxi had been suddenly removed. But Liu Yi was neutralized by being made Administrator of Runan Commandery, which had previously been his principality before Xiao Ru’s conquest. Xiao Ru had his own choice, however. His relationship with his wife, which was always changing, was now in one of its better phases. Once again, Lady Xia asked for power and influence, to which Xiao Ru was receptive for once. He gave this duty to his wife. While some complained, Xiao Ru was already focused on the second upside of Chunyu Shenxi’s removal: that the former provincial capital of Yu Province was now directly under his control. Soon, he started the slow process of moving his administration into Chenguo, which was a far more developed city and more appropriate for a man of his status.

Soon after these changes, Zhuge Jin sent letters to the Chen court informing them of important developments in the north. In January, the warlord Gongsun Zan had launched a war to invade Qing Province. Xiao Ru was divided on this. On the one hand, Gongsun Zan joining the fray was good for them, as the Ji forces would surely crush Tan Shenquan. But then again, he would crush Tan Shenquan, which would make Gongsun Zan all the more powerful. Even Xiao Ru was starting to get nervous about his successes. But then news arrived a month later of some sort of grand coalition against Gongsun Zan, with the plan of destroying his power and free the north of his influence. Once again, Xiao Ru wasn’t exactly sure how to respond to this. Certainly, some of his allies like Cao Cao were telling him to join him, especially as it became clear that this coalition was indeed massive. But at the end of the day, Gongsun Zan was a great distraction for Qing Province, so having him removed completely from the board would be dangerous. Choosing to focus on his own war, the Governor of Chen Province passed over the opportunity to join the coalition.

Tao Shang learned both events around the same time as Xiao Ru. When Qing Province was invaded, the regency quickly called upon Tao Shang to come help them against Gongsun Zan. But Tao Shang, annoyed that they stopped helping him to focus on Zhuge Jin’s revolt, refused to go. Besides, he never actually liked his status as a tributary, so the fall of Qing Province might free him of this humiliating situation (even if he did need their armies to defeat Xiao Ru). However, the coalition made him reconsider his stance on the issue. While he didn’t want to remain a subject of Qing Province, the threat of Gongsun Zan was simply becoming too big to ignore. If not stopped, then who knew how long before he moved toward Xu Province. So while he still had his own war with Xiao Ru to fight, Tao Shang officially joined the coalition in April 205.

But by that time, his own situation was becoming far too dire for him to actually get involved in the coalition. Dian Wei had finally marched the Chen army against him. But instead of attacking the invading Xu troops, the Chen Commandant had simply walked past them and made a straight line for Tao Shang’s provincial capital. This made Tao Shang panic, suddenly fearing that his own domain might be in danger. And indeed, by the end of the summer the provincial capital would fall to the assaults of Dian Wei and the Chen army. Tao Shang certainly wished to interfere, but he was stopped by his Commandant Ma Teng. The former Liang rebel saw the danger of rushing in against a larger army. Besides, their own camp was stricken with an epidemic of slow fever. Many of the soldiers were in a bad shape, barely able to endure the sieges. Going on the offensive against Dian Wei? That was suicide. Even Ma Teng was starting to feel sick. Unwilling to argue with his general, Tao Shang kept his complains to himself and fumed in the corner.

The was thus going quite well for Xiao Ru so far. News of the fall of the provincial capital were great, a clear sign that victory would soon follow. Sadly, things weren’t going as well for Zhuge Jin. The eldest son of Zhuge Gui had taken personal command of his rebellion, leading his army as he marched against Qing Province. But even weakened, the province still proved to be far more of a threat than he could handle. At best, he could muster half of what Qing Province had at its disposal. Because of this, he played it carefully, hoping that the Ji forces would deal with the bulk of the enemy army while he waited safely in his commandery. He didn’t even risk losing men in sieges, preferring to stay on the upmost defensive.

However, his hopes of seeing Gongsun Zan destroy Qing Province were quickly squashed as the Coalition against him gained more and more support every year. This was great for the regency of Tan Shenquan, which now only had to deal with a skeleton crew harassing their borders. Tan Shenquan’s mother, who acted as regent, left the problem of the invasion in the hands of the Commandant, He Jintao. She trusted him due to his longtime friendship with her late husband, leaving him determined to uphold the Tan Clan’s control over the province. Knowing full well that Gongsun Zan would be occupied with his defense of Ji Province, He Jintao went on the offensive, pushing out what remained of the Ji invasion force. This success galvanized the Qing troops, with the Commandant now deciding to go forward and help the Coalition by attacking Ji Province itself.

But there was still the issue of Zhuge Jin’s revolt. While He Jintao wanted to focus on the fight against Gongsun Zan, he still needed to leave this problem to someone. For this, he turned to the talented general Ba Daiping, who had just been promoted as Administrator of Jinan Commandery on He Jintao’s orders. Ba Daiping only cared about winning battles, with little talent or interest for politics. While he did aim to become the greatest general in the province, this was seen as an asset by the Commandant instead of a threat to his position. Leaving him with half of the province’s troops, He Jintao ordered Ba Daiping to end Zhuge Jin’s revolt and secure their southern border. The general promised that he would only come back alive if he succeeded, as he would die before he abandoned his task.

Ba Daiping proved an excellent choice. While Zhuge Jin expected great strategists or tactical genius to come face him, he was not prepared for a man with such an unflinching will. Whatever Zhuge Jin put to slow the enemy down, Ba Daiping just forced his way through it without difficulties. This forces the two armies to eventually meet in late August, where the general challenged the rebel leader to a duel. Seeing it as his only way to turn the eventual battle in his favor, Zhuge Jin agreed. This resulted in the rebel leader being dragged back by his men to his camp, his body and mangled mess. He was so damaged that his army simply fled in the night instead of risking a battle the following day, to Ba Daiping’s frustration. The Qing army pursued the rebels, never leaving them enough space to breath. This chase went on until early October, when Zhuge Jin’s body finally gave up, leaving him to die at the age of 31. The rebel army, now left without a leader, immediately surrendered to Ba Daiping. A more loyal official was installed as Administrator of Taishan Commandery, ensuring the firm control of the area by Qing Province. This was not good news to Xiao Ru, who now had to worry about them coming to Tao Shang’s help. All he could hope was that Gongsun Zan remained a good distraction…

 

[Bibliophile]

Xiao Ru continues to cycle between good and bad luck. Plus, Zhuge Jin is dead. I wonder if Zhuge Liang will blame Xiao Ru for this one if he hears of it. It is admittedly less Xiao Ru’s fault than when he killed his father. That is, assuming that Zhuge Liang won’t see his brother as a traitor who sold out to their family’s enemy and got what he deserved. I don’t really know what stage of the descent of revenge he is currently at.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Thank you for the update. May your holidays be joyous as we await the blessings of the Year of the Tiger.

 

[Zamarak500]

204-205: THE JING PROVINCE OF LIU SIYUAN​

The barbarian horde of Huang Rang stood no chance against the great scion of the Han Liu Siyuan, who easily defeated the invaders and pushed them out of his territories. By October 204, Huang Rang had paid his dues to the new Governor of Jing Province and properly begged for forgiveness, ending the war. The defeat of the barbarian leader meant that for the first time since the death of Chen Wen, Jing Province finally knew peace. Liu Siyuan had emerged victorious, defeating rebels and barbarians to ensure his own authority over the region. Now controlling one of the richest provinces of the Han Dynasty, the great warrior had to rebuild after years of conflict. Considering how he always preferred to lead troops on the battlefield, peace might prove a bigger challenge than war. But he would do it never the less, as he needed to start somewhere if he ever wanted to go save the Han.

One new addition to his life was the birth of a daughter, Liu Aiqin. Unlike her two older brothers, Liu Aiqin had the distinction of not being the daughter of her father’s wife Hao Huitong, but instead the child of one of his many concubines. When Liu Siyuan became Governor of Jing Province, the local nobility tried to get on his good side by offering him women from their families as concubines. While he did accept these “gifts”, his love for his wife prevented him from attending to them at first. But his own lust kept creeping in, and love could only stop it for so long. He spent more and more time with the concubines, especially on campaign while his wife had to stay behind to help administer Xincai. Thus, Liu Aiqin. Her birth did put a bit of a strain on the couple’s relationship, even if Lady Hao understood that it was normal for her husband to sleep with concubines to produce more sons. Yet Liu Siyuan, now with far more free time, started to enjoy his concubines a lot more than he should have.

While he did have fun with his concubines, he still needed to rule the province, a task that he at least tried to perform seriously. However, his paranoia often got in the way of productive work, especially when it came to Yang Weili. Ever since surrendering control of the province to Liu Siyuan, the strategist had been an important general and a key advisor on the council, a position he tried to use to guide his liege just as he had done for Chen Wen. But things were not like they were under Chen Wen, and Yang Weili often found himself on the out with Liu Siyuan. This was because for all his shows of loyalty, the Governor suspected him of duplicitous intents, believing that he sought to retake control of the province and that his ambitions were dangerous. Considering how Yang Weili was a man known for his complete lack of ambitions, this was undeserved criticism. This left his position tenuous at best, and while Liu Siyuan valued him as a commander, he feared what the strategist could do with too much political power.

By early 205, Yang Weili took a fall at court due to his close relationship with the province’s Assistant Administrator, Wei Kang. While Wei Kang had been promoted first to a commandery and then to the council under Liu Siyuan, he had first started his career in the province while Yang Weili was still governor. The support showed by the strategist toward the younger man had been seen as suspicious by the Governor, who feared that they were plotting something against him. Instead of working extremely hard to prove that this wasn’t the case, the two men went ahead with a stupid idea considering their situation. Wei Kang asked to marry Yang Weili’s daughter Yang Jicong, a demand that was happily accepted by the older strategist. This union of their clans through marriage was seen as a proof of their evil plans by Liu Siyuan, who believed that he had to intervene. Shortly after the marriage, both Wei Kang and Yang Weili were sacked from his inner council and forbidden access to Xincai. This left them with no choice but to return to their homes, baffled at what had just happened.

The removal of Yang Weili and his supporters was also to make place for Liu Siyuan’s own followers. It had been three years since Liu Siyuan took over the province. Since then, he had been working hard to foster the career of his own proteges that would be loyal to him and him only. The most impressive of those officials was a thirty years old man named Wei Yan. If someone had to describe Wei Yan, they would say that he is a righteous man, yet one that could put his values aside for ambition. While a just, charitable and courageous man, his desire to achieve greatness for his name often consumed his career, which is why he aligned himself with a great hero like Liu Siyuan. He knew that the scion of the Han would unite the realm and wanted to be by his side when he achieved his goal. His military and administrative skills were quite welcomed by Liu Siyuan, who took him under his wing. But most importantly, Wei Yan seems to support the paranoia of his liege, unlike his other officials who saw it as unnecessary. To Wei Yan, these suspicions were simply Liu Siyuan thinking ahead. If a problem was to appear, better be ready to counter it than be too trusting and have it ruin everything.

It was around that time that Liu Siyuan became aware of the great war that was starting to engulf the north of China. It seemed like the warlord Gongsun Zan had made too many enemies and that they were now uniting against him in the hope of finally removing the general from the map. Like almost every warlord of China, Liu Siyuan was offered an opportunity to join the coalition. However, all warlords with lands south of the Yangtze (one of the two great rivers of China) refused to join. Zhang Fu in Yi Province had his own civil war to deal with. Lu Xun was too focused on rebuilding his province to waste resources on a northern war that barely concerned them. What Chinese warlords remained in the now collapsed Jiaozhi Province were more worried about their own survival than the threat of Gongsun Zan. As for Liu Siyuan, he did not wish to raise arms against a man who had for years brandished the banner of Han restoration. Going against a potential ally made no sense. And besides, his opinion of the war soured when Yuan Shu jumped on the occasion and joined the coalition. If snakes like him had something to gain in this, then Liu Siyuan’s place was not there.

Wei Yan managed to rise even more in the province hierarchy, even if he had only been promoted to the position of Administrator of Wuling Commandery in February 205. Qu Duyi, who had been Commandant since Liu Siyuan took over the province, would sadly be the victim of this rise. While he had always been loyal, he had failed to keep the south under control, leading to a revolt or two in the region, which angered the Governor. While these were all dealt promptly, it left Qu Duyi’s reputation damaged in Xincai, just as Wei Yan was becoming Liu Siyuan’s favorite official. While Qu Duyi was undeniably the better general, it was probably his only talent. Meanwhile, Wei Yan was a far better administrator, and more importantly here, knew how to navigate the court to get what he wished for. By the summer of 205, Qu Duyi fell temporarily ill, which was good enough of an excuse for Liu Siyuan. He had the general removed from his post as Commandant, appointing Wei Yan as his replacement.

However, this didn’t mean that he didn’t want Qu Duyi around. The man had been the first in the province to come pledge his loyalty to him when he became the governor, after all. This show of loyalty could not be simply brushed aside like that, even by the paranoid Liu Siyuan. He wouldn’t just discard one of his best generals on a wimp. So while Qu Duyi was no longer the Commandant of Jing Province, he still remained a general, even being offered a place on the council as an advisor (the same spot vacated by Yang Weili earlier that year). This show of compassion toward his subordinate was even approved by Wei Yan, who also wanted to see Qu Duyi continue to be active in the government. He even said “while there can only be one Commandant, nobody said that there had to be only one great man in our lord’s service. Wasting General Qu’s talents would be a crime.” Once he recovered, Qu Duyi was thankful of this second chance, throwing himself completely in his work as a general and an advisor.

By that time, the civil war in Yi Province was heating up at an alarming rate. Huang Quan had decided to launch his own revolt, this time to put Yao Shuren in charge of the province. But what was more significant was the fact that Yao Shuren had gotten personally involved in the war, and now planned to send troops into Yi Province to support his backers and ensure their victory. But Yao Shuren worried about the possibility that Liu Siyuan might get involved in the conflict just as he had done. After all, what stopped Gao Rou and Wu Mengjie to call upon their neighbor to help restore the Liu Clan in Yi Province? The possibility of this scenario was made even more likely by the fact that Liu Siyuan and Liu Dan knew each other on a personal level. Both men had lived in Luoyang in the 180’s while their respective fathers served the Imperial Court. While Liu Siyuan was eventually sent to serve in Xu Province under his cousin, Liu Dan stayed in Luoyang, even when his father was appointed Governor of Yi Province. Still, they had met on various occasion, a link that could result in Jing Province’s entrance in the civil war.

To ensure that nothing of the sort would transpire, Yao Shuren sent a fake embassy to Xincai, supposedly sent by the rebels to ask for help. Their task was mostly to ruin any chance a real ambassy would have to ask Liu Siyuan for help. They did such a good job that the scion of the Han actually wanted them executed for their insolence. It was only out of his duties as a host that he didn’t do so, sending them packing home, mission accomplished. But they didn’t even need to bother, as Liu Siyuan never planned to get involved in the civil war. While he did know Liu Dan from his time in Luoyang, he never got along with his fellow Liu clansman, instead having far more respect for his father Liu Yan. If Liu Dan wasn’t his relative, Liu Siyuan would argue that stopping him from taking over is the best course of action. And even if Liu Dan wasn’t the problem, Liu Siyuan would not get involved. He blamed Gao Rou and Wu Mengjie for the death of Liu Jishan just as much as Zhang Fu, as they enabled the sect leader to take over the province. Yi Province had caused its own mess, and he would not get involved.

Besides, his attention was far more focused on the future of the Han Dynasty. It now remained weak, controlled by the tall and corrupt Chancellor Jiang Xian. And the Emperor? Emperor Mu was nothing but a puppet, clearly unable to restore the Han to its former greatness. Even worse, his claim to the throne wasn’t that great, if you asked Liu Siyuan. Some seventh-generation descendant of Emperor Zhang. Was that really worth anything? Meanwhile, he was himself a fourth-generation descendant of Emperor Ming, and his grandfather was the nephew of Emperor Zhang. He was clearly closer to the great emperors of Eastern Han than Emperor Mu. And while the puppet emperor lacked the talent to restore the Han, Liu Siyuan knew that he could do so easily. And so as 205 ended, the thought started to pop up in his mind. Maybe, just maybe, Emperor Mu might need to abdicate the throne to save the Han. And if that was the case, then there was only one candidate worthy of taking up the Mandate of Heaven, was there?

_______________
PS: Merry Christmas everyone (reallllly last minute, but still counts in my time zone)! Here is what is planned for 206.

• The Coalition against Gongsun Zan (205-206)
• Hu Zan tries to invade Yang Province again (205-206) (Yes, Hu Zan’s sleeping period is finally over)
• Jiang Xian’s role in the Coalition and what impact it had on his regime (205-206)
• The final part of Xiao Ru vs Tao Shang (205-206)

 

[Bibliophile]

Liu Siyuan now possesses the dangerous notion that he is the only worthy candidate of the title of Emperor. Beware, Liu Siyuan, for many a tragedy has been caused by one man thinking he is the only one who knows what is right (Jiang Xian thought like this and even with his power nominally secure, it has led him to misery).
Also, before I forget, Merry Christmas!

 

[Midnite Duke]

Liu Siyuan and Qu Duyi are one trick ponies. Great martial but little else. Thank you for the update.

 

[Zamarak500]

Liu Siyuan now possesses the dangerous notion that he is the only worthy candidate of the title of Emperor. Beware, Liu Siyuan, for many a tragedy has been caused by one man thinking he is the only one who knows what is right (Jiang Xian thought like this and even with his power nominally secure, it has led him to misery).
Also, before I forget, Merry Christmas!

In his case, it's not even ambition, it's just arrogance, which is probably even worse.

Liu Siyuan and Qu Duyi are one trick ponies. Great martial but little else. Thank you for the update.

I'll defend Liu Siyuan a bit here. He got a decent Stewardship and is known as a famous administrator, so he gotta be doing something right.

 

[Zamarak500]

205-206: THE COALITION​

Yuan Tan’s plan was simple enough. Get disgruntled officials serving under Gongsun Zan to join him against their lord to destabilize his domain from the inside. At the same time, neighboring warlords would attack Gongsun Zan, forcing the Governor of Ji Province the fight on every possible front. Yuan Tan knew that his liege would be unable to handle that many enemies, especially with his campaign against Qing Province already underway. Surely this would be enough to wipe out Gongsun Zan from the maps. That way the warlord would pay for denying Yuan Tan his destiny! However, Yuan Tan’s declaration of rising up was first met by silence. It turned out that most of the officials were fearful to join such an uncertain revolt. As for the neighboring warlords, Yuan Tan’s messengers had yet to reach them, leaving the rebel in the awkward position of standing alone against his lord.

Thankfully for him, he was not left in the dust for long. As planned, a reluctant Zhao Yun and a more than willing Gao Gan joined him in his coalition against their liege. While it was still just three commanderies, those were led by some of Gongsun Zan’s greatest generals. This fact alone was enough to convince a fourth official to join their side within days, although he would not have needed much convincing anyway. Qiao Mao had only recently been forced to submit to Gongsun Zan’s authority after losing a war. Seeing an opportunity to free himself and become an independent warlord once more, the older man quickly declared his intention to join the coalition. And just like that, Dong Commandery had joined the revolt, becoming a backdoor into Ji Province’s southern territories to any army willing to join Yuan Tan’s cause.

Gongsun Zan’s army was in the process of moving toward Qing Province when all of this occurred. The Governor of Ji Province was completely blindsided by the move, forcing him to reorganize his army on the fly. This had the effect of leaving most of his supply line underdefended. Seeing an opportunity, Yuan Tan and his allies started to pick on those smaller forces. Over February and March, a quick series of engagements took place, all ending in victories for the coalition forces. Gongsun Zan’s army, now stuck will little to no supply, was forced to temporarily abandon the campaign against Qing Province. Zhang Fei offered to stay with a small army to finish the campaign himself, convinced that he could crush whatever Tan Shenquan and his regency sent against him. While Gongsun Zan didn’t want to lose access to his best remaining general, he also really didn’t want to abandon the Qing Campaign. So instead, he left some other officer in charge of the campaign while he left to return home. This army would eventually be destroyed by He Jintao.

These successes of the coalition led one warlord to join on their side. Cao Cao had been afraid of Gongsun Zan’s growing power for a while now, continuously seeking allies against the powerful general. This coalition might prove to be just the force he needed to stop his dangerous rival. However, he still waited to see how things would unfold before throwing his lot with them, just in case. But now that it was becoming clear that Gongsun Zan had been taken completely by surprise and didn’t know how to respond, Cao Cao decided to jump on the opportunity. He prepared his army and sent a message to Yuan Tan, informing him that he would join this coalition of equals against the tyrant Gongsun Zan. While Yuan Tan didn’t really appreciate this “equals” part (he saw himself as the supreme leader of this coalition), he was happy to see someone from the outside join in.

Cao Cao wouldn’t be the only one to join, however. While Yao Shuren had not yet declared himself against Gongsun Zan, unwilling to risk a war on his northern border while he went south, he did not stop his subordinates from joining. This subtle order to go and mess Gongsun Zan was taken up by Yang Xiu, son of Dong Zhuo’s assassin Yang Biao and grandson of a Han Imperial Chancellor. Yang Xiu had been a happy surprise to Yao Shuren, having risen to become an advisor on his council by early 205. Always seekinga way to enrich himself and expand, Yang Xiu joined the coalition against Gongsun Zan as soon as it became viable. Similarly, Yuan Yi, the Chief Clerk of Chen Province, chose to join the war to support his cousin, even if his liege Xiao Ru had chosen to stay out of it. This help would certainly prove useful to Yuan Tan, as Gongsun Zan was finally sending troops to deal with the coalition.

Being considerably slowed down by the supply problems, Gongsun Zan instead chose to send Zhang Fei with a vanguard army to deal with the rebels and their allies. Surely the brutish warrior would be able to put some of them down before his arrival. However, Zhang Fei ended up running into the army of Cao Cao, who was advancing north to link up with Yuan Tan and Zhao Yun. The First Battle of Pingyuan, which took place in April, proved the first real engagement of the war. Previous fighting had been little more than one-sided skirmishes. This would be the first true battle of the war. Sadly, the followers of Gongsun Zan were at a complete disadvantage here. Not only did they lack the numbers to win, but they were also facing the strategic genius of Cao Cao. Using his general Xiahou Dun to distract the angry Zhang Fei, Cao Cao was able to lead his enemy into a trap, managing to destroy a third of the enemy army while losing under twenty men. Wisely, Cao Cao decided to retreat after his victory, unwilling to tempt fate against the larger army of Gongsun Zan.

Unwilling to return to his lord after such humiliating defeat, Zhang Fei instead fled to Zhao Commandery, still controlled by his sworn brother Guan Yu. He came here demanding that Guan Yu help him raise an army to fight that traitor Yuan Tan. Gongsun Zan was counting on them! But his sworn brother was a lot less receptive to his demands than expected. After much talking, Guan Yu admitted that he was in fact thinking of joining the coalition, and encouraged his brother to join his side. Zhang Fei was enraged at this, screaming at Guan Yu “Governor Gongsun was first brother’s best friend! How dare you betray them like that? You are a hero, not a bastard villain!” Guan Yu arrogantly replied that Gongsun Zan was the one who betrayed Liu Bei when he started to abandon his ideals. Unable to convince one another, the two brothers eventually came to blows, with neither gaining the advantage. After hours of fighting, Zhang Fei simply took his horse and left, declaring that he would uphold Liu Bei’s dream, even if Guan Yu did not.

With Heavens clearly on their side, Yuan Tan decided to launch a decisive attack on the provincial capital, hoping to take it and end the war as quickly as possible. Surely, they would surrender when faced with the unstoppable might of his coalition. However, he found the provincial capital unwilling to surrender to his presence. This was mostly due to the fact that the person in charge was none other than Gongsun Zan’s son and heir Gongsun Xu, who had zero reasons to surrender to a bastard like Yuan Tan. Angry, Yuan Tan ordered his men to attack the walls to the death, a tactic that resulted in many unnecessary casualties for him and his army. While Gongsun Xu was no military commander, he was charismatic enough to convince the garrison to hold out until reinforcement arrived, forcing Yuan Tan to retreat. The coalition leader was then heavily chastised by his allies, with Cao Cao in particular pointing out how stupid his whole plan was. They needed to overwhelm Gongsun Zan, not do idiotic attacks against his capital. The provincial capital didn’t matter, something that Yuan Tan eventually had to accept (although he never admitted his faults).

But even with this setback, things were definitively going well for the coalition. They were making gains, each member besieging cities and taking territories. Gongsun Zan didn’t know where to start, lacking the manpower to efficiently deal with all the threats. But then the Han Court joined in, with Jiang Xian as the driving force behind this decision. The fact that the Imperial Capital now opposed Gongsun Zan was a critical blow to his cause. Any claim of remaining a Han restorationist went in flames as he now had to face the Imperial Army. And with the Han Court now adding its support to the coalition, many warlords saw it as the greenlight to join in. Tian Chou rebelled against Gongsun Zan, and warlords like Yuan Shu or Yao Shuren finally gave their full support to the coalition (although neither man actually sent much troops, having their own wars to fight at home). As the year progressed, it seemed that the entirety of northern China had turned against the Governor of Ji Province, ready to wipe him and his territories off the map.

To face this new influx of enemies, Gongsun Zan called upon Xuan Su. The Chief Censor had remained in his own domain ever since the start of the war, watching how things were developing before making a move. Now Gongsun Zan tasked him to levy the entirety of the troops in Bing Province and bring them to help in the defense of Ji Province. But in his typical fashion, Xuan Su took advantage of the situation to improve his own power. Now in charge of the troops in Bing Province, he used his new authority to further his position and sabotage his liege. Knowing a doomed cause when he saw one, Xuan Su decided that it would be better to fasten the fall of Gongsun Zan than try to prevent it. So while he levied the troops, he instead sent them to protect his own domain. That way he would monopolize the biggest army in Bing Province when it inevitably fell, allowing him to scoop everything and finally take control of the region.

But while many subordinates proved as disloyal as Xuan Su, seeking to gain from the current chaos, others remained loyal to Gongsun Zan. Zhang Fei was of course among them, refusing to abandon his liege even in this difficult situation. Another was the old Li Shao, who was serving as Assistant Administrator of Ji Province. He had been in the position for a few years now, and remained ever the more loyal to Gongsun Zan. For Li Shao, the general had brought piece and prosperity to the region, an act deserving of his eternal loyalty. He quickly rallied whatever troops he could to the provincial capital, offering his personal help in the campaign. And then there was the old Tan Weiping, now in his late seventies and still as sharp as ever. Tan Weiping never had a good relationship with Gongsun Zan, even trying to stop him when he first invaded the province in the early 190’s. Yet he chose to remain with his liege. Yuan Tan wanted the collapse of Ji Province, an unacceptable outcome to Tan Weiping. In an effort to mend the past, Gongsun Zan welcomed him by his side, appointing the old man Commandant of Ji Province once more.

As the year came to an end, Gongsun Zan was able to amass a large enough army that he decided to go challenge the coalition. In late December, the united forces of the coalition met him at Pingyuan, the site of the first battle of the war. The Governor was accompanied by Tan Weiping, Zhang Fei and even Li Shao, all ready to help him triumph against his enemies. On the other side, the coalition was mostly confident, although Cao Cao and Zhao Yun were still prudent. It didn’t stop people like Yuan Tan to gloat about their inevitable victory. Tian Chou, the former general of Lü Bu, even went forward and challenged Gongsun Zan to a duel before the battle, convinced that he could kill the drunkard. But considering his gout, there was no way Gongsun Zan would answer this duel. Instead, Zhang Fei came forward to accept the challenge, infuriated that Tian Chou dared challenge his liege like that. Taken aback, Tian Chou had no choice but to fight the enraged warrior, who promptly decapitated his opponent in one swoop with his serpent spear.

The sight of Tian Chou’s lifeless corpse shocked the coalition leaders. Morale was certainly affected, with both sides now reconsidering the situation. The coalition had a divided leadership which could nullify their numerical advantage, and a defeat at Pingyuan might permanently damage their cause. Meanwhile, hope had started to spread among the Ji troops. They might actually turn this war around and triumph. With Gongsun Zan leading them, nothing was impossible. The fighting was extremely fierce. Despite all their efforts, the coalition leaders found themselves forced into a stalemate after three days of battles, each ending with the Ji forces in a slightly better position than when it started. This was a big problem, and some were wondering if this was the end of the coalition. But then, in a celebratory toast before battle, Gongsun Zan decided to drink. A lot. Taking the field drunk, Gongsun Zan led a battle that resulted in the death of two thousand of his men, with another two thousand being captured by the coalition in the fighting. The Second Battle of Pingyuan ended with the collapse of the Ji forces, with their Governor now racing for the safety of his provincial capital.

PICTURE SECOND BATTLE OF PINGYUAN

The defeat at Pingyuan sent a clear signal throughout Gongsun Zan’s territories. By early 206, officials and administrators started to renounce their loyalty to the Governor, Xuan Su first among them. This drastically diminished the resources on which Gongsun Zan could call upon. His cause, his dream, everything was falling apart wherever he looked. Seeing the riding on the wall, Tan Weiping offered his resignation to Gongsun Zan and left for his commandery. Zhang Fei and Li Shao, still loyal to the bitter end, promised to go home to raise new troops for their lord. This would be the last time that either man saw Gongsun Zan. Once they arrived home and raised new troops, they found neighboring magistrates unwilling to let them pass, having switched to the coalition’s side. All they could do was watch as thing fell apart around them. Tan Weiping would die in 209 of old age, Zhang Fei succumbed in 215 from his many wounds, and Li Shao passed away in 216 due to cancer. None of them would be able to pass their domains to their children, with Zhang Fei’s family even going extinct within a decade of his death.

It was over, and everyone knew it. By early March, Gongsun Zan’s authority had completely collapsed. His followers as well as his traitorous subordinates could no longer take order from him, as he didn’t have the strength to make them obey. Ji, Bing and You Provinces fragmented, leading to the former administrators and magistrates rising up as independent warlords. Everything that he had built over the years was no more. At the end of the day, Gongsun Zan was left with Aiping Commandery under his control, including his provincial capital, which he had managed to keep from falling into enemy hands. But even so, the war was over. The coalition had won.

However, Gongsun Zan would not abandon. Even weakened, he still had a large army loyal to his cause. He had started a campaign to invade Qing Province, a campaign he had every intention of continuing. This would be his saving grace, his second chance. And as it would turn out, his perseverance and continuous desire to achieve greatness would come to something. Gongsun Zan was, surprisingly, against all odds, on the verge of winning. He had achieved victories after victories, defeating both He Jintao and Ba Daiping on three separate occasions. He even saw a doctor, who somehow helped him get rid of his gout, allowing him to once again lead his troops in person, riding a horse into battle as the hero he was in his youth.

And just as he was about to make a comeback, he was assassinated on the 19th of May, 207. No one knows who did it. Some believe that his enemies in Qing Province used this underhanded tactic to achieve what they couldn’t on the battlefield. Others believed that Yuan Tan, Cao Cao or another former coalition leader did him in, fearing what it would mean to see him rise again. Some rumors even point the finger at none other than the old Tan Weiping, deciding to punish his former liege for failing Ji Province. Whoever was responsible, he succeeded. The assassins were caught, but killed themselves before they could be interrogated. As he died, he screamed “No… Who will save China now? Who will achieve greatness now that I am gone?” And thus ended the life of Gongsun Zan, who at the height of his career was the strongest warlord in China. With his death, the duty of finishing the campaign went to his son Gongsun Xu, who had every intention to follow in his father’s footsteps by taking over the Qing Province.

_________________________
PS: And that’s it for Gongsun Zan, the only character who wasn’t part of the 10 Main Characters to get that much focus, year after year. Honestly, his nickname “the Victorious” was extremely well deserved. His achievements were immense, and he might have seriously reunified China if allowed to continue. Kinda sad to see him go, but then again, his fall was probably one of the biggest twists of the story. An interesting character that could have gone far. So yeah, don't know about you, but I liked his role in the story.

 

[Bibliophile]

There goes Gongsun Zan, the most main character non-main character. His fate honestly seems to match up with most great figures in history: “he did great things and would have done something even greater, but then it fell apart and he died” (though points for uniqueness; as usually the dying comes before everything falls apart).
It was neat seeing all those characters come together in this update. I am saddened that this also seems to have spelt the end of the bond of brotherhood between Zhang Fei and Guan Yi. Perhaps Liu Bei was the only one keeping that group together.
I wonder if we will see Yuan Tan again? The fact he got away with his horribly petty plan doesn’t sit right with me. I need to know if justice will be done, so I hope this isn’t the last we see of him.

 

[Zamarak500]

There goes Gongsun Zan, the most main character non-main character. His fate honestly seems to match up with most great figures in history: “he did great things and would have done something even greater, but then it fell apart and he died” (though points for uniqueness; as usually the dying comes before everything falls apart).
It was neat seeing all those characters come together in this update. I am saddened that this also seems to have spelt the end of the bond of brotherhood between Zhang Fei and Guan Yi. Perhaps Liu Bei was the only one keeping that group together.
I wonder if we will see Yuan Tan again? The fact he got away with his horribly petty plan doesn’t sit right with me. I need to know if justice will be done, so I hope this isn’t the last we see of him.

His fall is one of the big turning points of the story, and I really wanted to get to it before the end of the year. It's probably the war that involved the most participants in the whole AAR too.

As for Yuan Tan, unless I'm forgetting something he'll maybe make some cameo and that's it. His commandery is on the northern coast, kinda far away from any of the stories to make him relevant in any of them. He mostly just sit there. With the exception of taking Zhang Fei's territories after he died (Yuan Tan is a big reason why Zhang Fei's family died out within a decade of his death), he doesn't do much other than rule his small territory. Dies at the age of 53 from cancer, happily able to pass it to his young son (although his brother becomes the evil regent trying to usurp his nephew). So yeah, Yuan Tan got his happy ending.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Too many celebrated before victory was won. Gongsun would have risen again, if death had not called. Thank you for updating

 

[Zamarak500]

Too many celebrated before victory was won. Gongsun would have risen again, if death had not called. Thank you for updating

It would have been amazing to see Gongsun Zan come back in Qing Province. He lost, then returned, Napoleon style. Instead he got killed before he could make his big comeback.

 

[Zamarak500]

205-206: SECOND TRY​

The failure to take Yang Province had been a humiliating defeat for Hu Zan, it remained a temporary one. Yes, the young Lu Xun was still in charge of the province, but the general had succeeded in keeping his own commandery out of the brat’s grasp, allowing him to rebuild and eventually prepare for another invasion. And another invasion had always been the plan. To him, his current situation was nothing but a temporary setback, one that would allow him to consider his previous mistakes and make sure that he didn’t do them again. Of course, he had been left quite weakened after the war with Lu Xun, which is why he spend the following three years rebuilding his commandery and recruiting new soldiers for his army. While he had been able to save his army for a later use, he still needed to shore it up if he ever wanted to take over Yang Province. This would be a difficult task, but one that needed to be done.

However, Hu Zan’s preparations were quickly hit by a problem as he lost his closest advisor. Cai Zhong died in November 202, less than a year after the peace with Lu Xun. Ever since Hu Zan had been appointed to Jiujiang Commandery in 196, Cai Zhong had been his right-hand man and his main advisor, doing much to guide him toward eventual rebellion and helping him ensure that they won as often as possible. The two men had always respected and understood one another, with Hu Zan heavily relying on Cai Zhong every time he could. This was sadly this overreliance that would do him in, as Cai Zhong became more and more stressed with the workload he was given. He never told his liege that it might have been too much for him, and always did his best. In the end, he died overwhelmed with stress at the age of 47. Hu Zan mourned his companion, but soon had to find a replacement, eventually settling on the former peasant rebel Ze Gongqi.Hu

By early 205, Hu Zan decided to attend to another important matter, one that did not concern his plans to take over Yang Province. His eldest son Hu Da, the only child from his first wife Feng Ai, was now thirteen. It was time to find him a fiancée, a younger girl to eventually marry him and produce children of the Hu Clan with. However, he quickly realized that there was no young lady of powerful families available to him. This annoyed him, as he had hoped to be able to secure a powerful alliance through this betrothal, someone to help him take down Lu Xun. Since that was no longer an option, Hu Zan made a genius decision. He bordered both Jing Province and Xu Province, meaning that he was extremely weak to their attacks. So he decided to engineer good will with both by betrothing his son to Liu Xianying, the daughter of Liu He, the Prince of Pengcheng. Liu He had been the beloved cousin of Liu Siyuan, so such willingness to marry into his family would surely be well received in Xincai. And while Liu He had been executed as a traitor, his reputation had since been redeemed by Tao Shang, who put the blame of his death on the Mi brothers in order to ease tensions with Liu Siyuan. This betrothal thus allowed him some peace of mind, as long as he did not piss off his neighbors in one way or another.

Hu Zan had also kept an eye on the campaigns of Lu Xun, including the one led against the barbarian Huang Rang. While Hu Zan was happy to see that traitor get what he deserved, he also realized that such expansions could not be allowed if he wanted to rally the people of Yang Province to his cause. His main pitch had always been that he was the only one who would be able to bring back the glory of Chen Wen’s days. As for Lu Xun, he presented the young ruler as a copy of his father, an isolationist who didn’t mind leaving his province to wither away. So having Yang Province expand under its young governor was problematic for his propaganda. HH

By April 205, Hu Zan decided that it was high time to go on the offensive once more. At the time, Lu Xun was on the defensive against a barbarian invasion from a Shanyue chieftain. This left Yang Province underdefended and unprepared for a northern invasion. Adding to that was the reports from Hu Zan’s spies in the province, telling him that the Yang troops had been weakened due to this campaign. After calculations, Hu Zan concluded that he had more troops than anything Lu Xun could muster at the moment. Confident, he had a meeting with Ze Gongqi, wanting to be sure that his lieutenant was ready for the incoming campaign. Ze Gongqi was quick to tell him that everything was ready. Satisfied, Hu Zan went in front of his assembled men and told them that they would be dining in the provincial capital by the end of the year. They cheered their commander, after which he led them toward Yang Province and his inevitable destiny.

Of course, he didn’t leave his own territories unattended. To watch over Jiujiang Commandery in his absence was his wife, Zhu Fanjing. Their relationship had always been awkward, considering that Lady Zhu had previously been married to Feng Fang, the father of Hu Zan’s first wife Feng Ai. She alsov had quite the temper, often getting angry at the slightest problem. However, her greediness, often decried by officials, never bothered Hu Zan, who himself never missed an opportunity to enrich himself. More importantly, she was kind and extremely popular with the peasantry of his domain. Leaving her in charge would ensure that the common people did not revolt in his absence. It also meant that he would leave his children in good care, knowing that she would not do anything to harm them. Confident that things would go well in his absence, Hu Zan left carefree to focus on his campaign against Lu Xun.

Talking of Lu Xun, he was shocked when he learned of the invasion. At the time, he was fighting barbarians on the coast with his Commandant Sima Juhe, the former Yellow Turban leader turned subordinate general. Sima Juhe cursed immensely when he was told of Hu Zan’s invasion, to the point that Lu Xun had to tell him to shut up. Shouting would fix nothing. Besides, Lu Xun was more worried about the fact that Hu Zan had been perfectly aware of their current situation, now suspecting that there were spied within their ranks (although he would never be able to prove it). Considering that their army was stuck in their current campaign and couldn’t disengage easily, Sima Juhe offered to lead a small force north and try to slow down Hu Zan. However, now suspicious of everyone, Lu Xun decided to come with him, leaving the barbarian campaign to lower subordinates.

The small force of two hundred men led by Lu Xun and Sima Juhe was supposed to take control of a key city and hold out until reinforcements could arrive. However, this plan went out the window as Hu Zan was made aware of it. In July, he forced them to a battle at Shicheng, a battle that he was certain to win. He had ten times more troops than the Yang army and had them encircled. In an attempt to avoid useless bloodshed, he sent an envoy to Lu Xun’s camp. They could surrender now and pledge themselves to him, in exchange for which they would get key position in Hu Zan’s new administration of the province. Lu Xun, suspicious of Hu Zan’s motives, rejected the offer, believing it was a trap. Having no choice, Hu Zan ordered an assault. While Lu Xun was convinced that they would die here, Sima Juhe slapped his liege and told him that he would never allow this to happen. To everyone’s surprise, the former Yellow Turban spearheaded an assault that managed to open a path outside of the encirclement, allowing Lu Xun and half of the men to flee. As for Sima Juhe, his heroic show of loyalty would be the last thing he did. When the dust settled, his body was found among the dead. Hu Zan had him buried with full honors.

Now that he had the enemy army on the run, Hu Zan did not lose time before ordering his troops to advance. In his eyes, the failure of the previous campaign was due to his slow and steady conquest of territories, taking cities that bordered his own commandery and thus allowing Lu Xun to reorganize in the provincial capital. This time he ran right to the city, planning to take it in one swoop and end the war right then and there. Lu Xun had barely made it home that he was warned of Hu Zan’s approach, forcing him to once again abandon his position and flee. The invading army finally arrived at the gates of the provincial capital, which only offered a token resistance before Hu Zan managed to convince them to surrender. He wanted to rule them, not slaughter them. Still, local officials paid Hu Zan a bribe to make sure that he kept his promise not to hurt them. The gates were open and his soldiers paraded the streets of the provincial capital. Hu Zan had won.

Or at least, that’s what Hu Zan told himself. After all, he controlled the main city and had defeated the previous governor in battle, so what was there left to do? But Lu Xun was still on the run. Instead of surrendering, he fled south with his supporters, ready to use it as a springboard to retake what was his. Ironically, this was the exact same strategy Hu Zan had used a decade ago in the civil war against Xu Province, dragging Chen Wen and his court to the south to rebuild their army and escape Tao Shang. Lu Xun was perfectly aware of that fact, as he had been present when Hu Zan dragged them all away to safety. His father Lu Jun had been among the firsts to flee south, after all.

Hu Zan, who was now drunk on victory, did not seem to notice the parallel between Lu Xun’s current tactic and his own a decade prior. He was convinced that he had won, that the war was over, that he was now the rightful Governor of Yang Province. This was reinforced by the fact that many officials sent him bribes to get into his good graces. These gifts were interpreted as tributes of submission by the warlord, who was arrogantly convinced that his position was secured. When in November he was told that his wife Zhu Fanjing had died, Hu Zan made another move toward legitimizing his position within the province. He married Chen Jiner, the eldest daughter of Chen Wen. At one point in time, she was supposed to marry Yang Weili’s oldest son, but that fell apart with the strategist’s hold on power. Marrying Chen Wen’s daughter ensured that he could claim his legacy, promising once again to bring back the good old days,

In fact, Hu Zan was so certain of his own position that soon after his marriage he declared his intention to go north and join the coalition against Gongsun Zan. While he resided in the south, he was acutely aware of the long-term threat Gongsun Zan could become. He had refused to join so far due to his focus on his conquest of Yang Province and his uncertainty about the coalition’s chances of success. But now that he (wrongly) believed that he controlled Yang Province and that the coalition was seemingly unstoppable, Hu Zan decided that it was time to join this, if only for the prestige it would bring him. This would make Hu Zan the most southern member of the coalition, as well as one of the last to join in, which left many feeling that he was just being opportunistic and didn’t really care about the coalition’s goals.

He left Ze Gongqi in charge of the provincial capital as he marched north with his army, ready to lend a hand to his allies against Gongsun Zan. On his way north, he passed close to Xu Province’s provincial capital, just as the forces of Xiao Ru were fighting Tao Shang’s army. Having also joined the coalition against Gongsun Zan, Tao Shang sent messengers to Hu Zan asking his ally for a little bit of help. But Hu Zan chose to ignore the plea for help. While his relationship with Tao Shang had improved, the fact was that they had been enemies during the civil war and that Tao Shang was a far more pressing threat to his lands than Xiao Ru. Besides, Xiao Ru still owed him a favor from 190, and he didn’t want to ruin it by attacking the Governor of Chen Province. So he simply went on his way, leaving them to fight their war. Tao Shang felt insulted by this, promising to one day make Hu Zan pay for this. One day…

In the end, Hu Zan arrived at the last minute. He finally entered southern Ji Province in February 203, and by that time the region had already stopped taking orders from Gongsun Zan. When he tried to besiege a city, he was quickly stopped by other coalition members telling him that the city was no longer under Gongsun Zan’s control. His efforts to help thus came too late, as by the time he took the decision to go fight the enemy in their home, the war was already won. In March, Gongsun Zan’s territories collapsed, ending the war in a victory to which Hu Zan had barely contributed. Still, he was there, and was invited to a banquet hosted by Yuan Tan with the other coalition leaders to celebrate their victory. It was an enjoyable experience until envoys from Yang Province arrived. In his absence, Lu Xun had successfully taken back the provincial capital and pushed Ze Gongqi out. He needed to come back home, and he needed to do it now before it was too late.

 

[Bibliophile]

I’m reminded of the saying “don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” I feel like this sentiment describes Hu Zan’s behavior this chapter perfectly.
I felt moved by the heroic sacrifice of Sima Juhe. A good reminder that there are heroic figures on all sides of this conflict.
I also find it funny that Hu Zan remembered that Xiao Ru owes him a favor from a decade and a half ago. Why does Xiao Ru owe him a favor, again?

 

[Zamarak500]

I’m reminded of the saying “don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” I feel like this sentiment describes Hu Zan’s behavior this chapter perfectly.
I felt moved by the heroic sacrifice of Sima Juhe. A good reminder that there are heroic figures on all sides of this conflict.
I also find it funny that Hu Zan remembered that Xiao Ru owes him a favor from a decade and a half ago. Why does Xiao Ru owe him a favor, again?

Sima Juhe proved surprisingly loyal to the Lu Clan, especially when you consider how the other big general Zhang Yan just abandoned them.

As for Xiao Ru and Hu Zan, it goes all the way back to 190-191, when Xiao Ru served under Ying Shao and Hu Zan was under Kong Rong (before Kong Rong took over Qing Province, when a guy named Zhang Hong was in charge). Xiao Ru was supposed to send supply to Zhuge Gui, but instead sold it to the enemy. Hu Zan vouched for this "merchant" to Kong Rong, so Xiao Ru gave him some gold as reward and would remember how Hu Zan helped him once.

 

[Midnite Duke]

Celebrations before victory is not a good plan. Thank you for updating

 

[Zamarak500]

205-206: HE WHO CONTROLS LUOYANG​

The attempted plot to remove Jiang Xian had failed, leaving its supporters panicking. Yi Ciwen and Wang Mao were dead, executed on the Chancellor’s orders. Pei Qian and Pei Hui had managed to flee in the middle of the night, escaping capture. But while they had been the ringleaders of this conspiracy, they were not its only members. Jiang Xian knew from experience that there had to be at least a few dozen officials’ part of this plot. Guards, headed by the Head of the Censorate Xing You, started a search of each and every house, arresting people suspected of being part of the conspiracy. Some officials fled into the night, once again depleting the already meager pool of talent at the court’s disposal. Houses were ransacked and the city was put on lockdown for a few days. Xing You, who had infiltrated the conspiracy in its final months, had been able to identify the majority of the courtiers involved. He would ensure that no threat came to the Chancellor ever again. Every member of this conspiracy would be tortured and killed.

But one man voiced his unwillingness to go that far. This cruelty is unnecessary, he thought. Surprisingly, that man was none other than the Chancellor himself. Jiang Xian had been quite shaken by the attempted overthrow, especially by the fact that this was the kind of plot he had himself taken part in all those years ago. The fact that he had changed so much over the years had finally hit him, and it hit him hard. Now, this sudden realization didn’t mean that he disagreed that some officials had to be punished. This kind of plot could not be tolerated. Many officials were arrested, imprisoned and some were even executed. But Jiang Xian did try to minimize the bloodshed, even having his puppet emperor give pardons to officials who had only been affiliated with the plot. That way he hoped that these men would be thankful and loyal to him, ensuring peace at court. He made sure that the court was united, but did not go as far as purging everyone who had opposed him. That was the sort of things Dong Zhuo might have done, and he was no Dong Zhuo.

But the unity of the court could do little to face the problem that rocked central China in 205: Plague. Consumption started through Sili Province as well as northern Jing Province. Already present in the city, the situation just got worse. Previously, Jiang Xian had decided to isolate the inner city by closing it from the poor parts of Luoyang, ensuring that the court stayed healthy and vibrant. But with the purges, many people started to come in and out of the quarantined areas, allowing the disease to spread to court. Jiang Xian disastrous management of the Imperial Capital did nothing to help, as always. Whatever plan he tried to solve the situation didn’t work, and soon enough the disease had reached the most important location of Luoyang. A eunuch serving in the Imperial Palace caught it, leading to Emperor Mu himself contracting the disease. Jiang Xian, fearful of what would happen if people learned of the Son of Heaven’s condition, used his agents to block any information about the Emperor’s health.

In this he was helped by his daughter, Empress Jiang, who used this as an opportunity to act in the name of her lazy husband and entrench her position at court. Although she was only thirteen years old, the teenage empress was proving quite competent, with a clear desire to follow in her father’s footsteps. She hoped to one day become the power behind the throne, controlling court and ensuring that things went as they were supposed to. This did make some officials worried that she might become an overbearing matriarch of the Imperial Clan, considering how the Han Dynasty had a few examples of women in positions of power using said power in damaging ways for the Dynasty. But Jiang Xian himself didn’t mind. He was in fact open to the idea that the Empress take control of court once he was gone. On the long term, this might result in power passing to her son (hopefully she would have one) instead of another official, which would result in the restoration of Han power. Not the greatest plan, but it was one that Jiang Xian could get behind. After all, it meant that by securing his position and that of his daughter, he would be saving the Han.

By then, the coalition against the warlord Gongsun Zan was gaining steam. However, those that had joined were simple administrators through northern China, no one of real influence or power having sided with the coalition yet. Once upon a time, Jiang Xian had looked at Gongsun Zan as a potential ally of the Imperial Court, a Han loyalist who might listen to his orders if needed. But the threat of the northern warlord had become too big, too dangerous to the Chancellor to be left alone. By the middle of the year, Jiang Xian decided to use the coalition as a way to reassert imperial influence throughout China. He hoped that a show of strength from the Imperial Army would allow him to extend imperial power. The Imperial Army would have a good claim at gaining control of the coalition, after which the liberated lands might be reintegrated into the Dynasty. And besides, this might signal other powerful warlords to follow the example of the Court. So he sent scholar Jia, his cowardly right-hand man, to lead the expedition. The reason for this odd choice? Well, other than the fact that Jia was the only one not confined at the moment, Jiang Xian feared weakening his position by sending his generals away. Scholar Jia would lead the Imperial Army north, sending a message throughout China that the Han was still alive and strong.

Yuan Shu would certainly hear this signal from the confines of his mansion, which was basically a palace by this point. As far as he was concerned, 205 had been a terrible year so far. While he had managed to outmaneuver the problematic Feng Zian, it only left Yuan Shu with the realization that the general was not his only problem. Soon enough, he started to get paranoid of the majority of his subordinates. After all, what guaranteed him that none of them would try to go the way of Sun Jian and betray him? His newer subordinates were especially seen as untrustworthy, as they had not spent a decade fighting for him (and even then, that wasn’t enough for him at times). When he heard of the foiled plot against Jiang Xian, he started to fear that something similar was being planned against him. So he isolated himself in his mansion, making access to his person almost impossible. This also made it extremely difficult for him to rule, which is why he relied on Tan Zilong for the daily management of his domain, considering that the general was the only subordinate he somewhat trusted.

In an attempt to undermine his own subordinates, Yuan Tan performed a shuffle of his council in May 205. Many were fired and many others were welcomed in his inner circle. Tan Zilong, who had been Chief Clerk for almost a decade now, was moved to the position of Assistant Administrator to better reflect his position as Yuan Shu’s closest advisor. With his new powers, the general could help steer the Yuan Clan in the right direction, something hindered by his lord often working against him out of petty jealousy. However, the worst part (in Yuan Shu’s eyes) was that he found himself forced to let Feng Zian back in. While the “promotion” to magistrate had mollified the scholar for a while, he soon realized how he was never consulted on anything and angrily demanded a position on the council. Yuan Shu, clearly always ready to please and help his followers, agreed to the request. But instead of giving him back his old position of Commandant, he was instead promoted to the empty position of Chief Clerk. Once again, he could smile at the thought that he had outsmarted Feng Zian.

Yuan Shu kept tabs on this coalition against Gongsun Zan. He was pressed by Cao Cao to join, yet he hesitated to risk his position in such a dangerous war. It was only when the Imperial Court sent the Imperial Army that he agreed to join, seeing how it had imperial legitimacy. But as Tan Zilong was assembling the troops, he came to a realization. The Imperial Army had left the Imperial Capital. It had left it barely defended in fact. That bastard Xiao Ru was fighting his own war with Xu Province, clearly too distracted to ever come to Luoyang’s defense. As for Yao Shuren, the only one who would have a strategic reason to challenge him for control of Luoyang, he was occupied expanding in Yi Province, leaving him unable to oppose any move made by his opponent. Yuan Shu thus realized that he had the road to the Imperial Capital open, with no one able to stop him. Under the guise of assembling an army to help the coalition, he planned to march on Luoyang. Had Jiang Xian’s spies not notified him by October, Yuan Shu might have attacked Luoyang unopposed.

Now exposed, Yuan Shu had no choice but to go on the offensive. Well, not him personally. He was going to spend this entire war hidden in his mansion away from any real danger. The duty of leading this campaign would be left to Tan Zilong, who was ordered to liberate the Imperial Capital at all costs. Of course, Feng Zian would want to participate to this campaign, something that Yuan Shu refused to allow. It was Tan Zilong that came with a compromise solution. Why not use this campaign as an opportunity to give Feng Zian’s son combat experience? Feng Yong was now sixteen, and Tan Zilong would be all too happy to welcome him as his attendant and junior officer. Yuan Shu loved the idea and declared it his own. Yes, if this war helped Feng Zian’s son, then the damn man wouldn’t complain, would he?

But if the plan was to calm Feng Zian, then Yuan Shu highly miscalculated. The scholar had never approved of his son’s desire to have a military career, so the fact that Feng Yong now served on this campaign would not be welcomed news to Feng Zian. Also, it seemed that Yuan Shu was unaware of the dispute between father and son that had strained their relationship earlier this year. While travelling, Feng Yong had saved a young lady from a group of bandits. He was immediately smitten by her, and upon bringing her home asked her father, a low-ranking village official, the right to marry her. Once he realized that Feng Yong was the son of the famous Feng Zian, the father agreed to this stroke of luck. The only issue was that Feng Zian had never been consulted. When he learned of the marriage, he was furious that his son had settled for a woman of such low importance and asked him to set her aside. Feng Yong refused, countering that unlike his father, he cared about a woman, instead of women. So when Feng Yong departed with Tan Zilong, he was still on terrible terms with his father.

This campaign was terrible news to the Imperial Court. Jiang Xian now realized what situation they had been put in, leaving the Imperial Capital exposed. He immediately ordered the fastest horseman to transmit an imperial order to Scholar Jia, commanding him to turn back around and come to the rescue of Luoyang. Even so, the Chancellor knew that this message might not reach him in time, which left him to organize a defense. He turned to two of his loyal generals, Wan Ke and Xie Pei, and ordered them to build up an army to face the enemies of the Han. While he might have done more, the situation only accelerated the depression of Jiang Xian, who now wondered if this was all his fault. Wan Ke and Xie Pei still did their duties, with the former recruiting any guard and veteran he could find while the later managed to get raw recruits to enlist in the defense of the Dynasty. In total, they were able to assemble a force of 600 soldiers, a decent but underwhelming number considering the situation.

This army would have to do, as by late December the army of Tan Zilong was approaching the Imperial Capital. Refusing to see the fighting take place too close to the walls, Jiang Xian ordered the generals to lead their army outside and go fight the enemy in a neighboring town. It worked just fine for the Yuan supporters, as they needed to spread Yuan Shu’s propaganda among the people. After all, they weren’t here to attack the Han, but to free Emperor Mu from the tyranny of Jiang Xian. And it was while working on this that Feng Yong started to impress Tan Zilong, being a good communicator and truly caring for the people, even if they didn’t live in Yuan Shu’s territories. His gestion of the supply and the whole logistical aspect of war also impress the older officers. It was even Feng Yong that suggested a trap for the enemy. He exposed their own supply line, leading the Han troops to attack the exposed position. The Han soldiers were then attacked from all side, with half of them dying in battle.

When Feng Zian learned of his son’s role in the campaign, he was furious. He rode to Yuan Shu’s seat of power, braving the epidemic of consumption, and ordered the guards to let him through. They refused, as Yuan Shu had ordered that no one enter his mansion without his express permission. Feng Zian proceeded to beat the guards with his bare hands before leaving enraged. The same thing happened the following day, and the following one, each time with Feng Zian angrier. This made Yuan Shu panic. If this was allowed to continue, the scholar might do something drastic out of rage. In these circumstances, the Lord of the Yuan Clan decided that it was better to have Feng Zian away than allow him in. He sent someone to inform Feng Zian that he was given a command on the campaign, which seemed to satisfied the angry scholar enough that he left.

He arrived with reinforcements ordered by Tan Zilong, which proved an unwelcomed surprise to Feng Yong. Father and son quickly started to argue over Feng Yong’s presence on the campaign, with the younger Feng arguing that this is what he wanted, to follow in his father’s footsteps and lead men on the battlefield. Feng Zian, for his part, pointed out that he was a scholar, and his son should follow this respected profession instead of joining the military. Tan Zilong pointed out that they should discuss this in private so they could continue the strategic meeting, considering that the Imperial Army was approaching and that they would need to defeat it in a few days. Feng Guo, for his part, asked why he had to be dragged away from home again? He did not want to be here, his older brother didn’t like him and his father had made it clear that he didn’t want his youngest son around. So WHY was his mother continuing to force him to go? Seriously, WHAT THE HECK, MOM?

The Imperial army arrived and faced the Yuan army in March. While on paper the Imperial Army was supposed to be the most elite force of China, this fact had not been true since at least the death of Niu Fu in 200. The Imperial Army of Jiang Xian had been raised from guards, neighboring cities and deserters in 201, with its quality degrading over the years due to diseases and purges weaking its military structure. And now they were coming back home after a hastened march, tired and clearly not ready to fight. Scholar Jia, a notorious coward, had to face a cadre of elite generals commanding twice as much troops as he did. The battle was a complete defeat for the Imperial Army, forcing them to flee. Unwilling to have to deal with this problem later on, Tan Zilong ordered a pursuit, defeating them again in April. What remained of the imperial troops managed to flee to Luoyang to help with the defense, as taking the field against the enemy was clearly folly.

Before Tan Weiping could put on a siege of the Imperial Capital, Jiang Xian tried his luck and sent calls for help. He sent envoys to his supporter Xiao Ru, hoping that he would come to his aid in this time of need. But that was ignored, as Xiao Ru was unable to remove himself from his war. The Chancellor also sent missives to Liu Siyuan in Jing Province, to Lu Xun in Yang Province, to the new warlords that emerged from the fall of Gongsun Zan… Nothing. In a last ditched effort, he even sent envoys north to plead with Yao Shuren. Even if the warlord was just as much of a menace to Luoyang’s independence as Yuan Shu, Jiang Xian was ready to bet that Yao Shuren would not tolerate that someone else took the Imperial Capital. But there too, he received no answer. Then again, the siege of the capital didn’t allow for messengers to pass through the defenses. The Chancellor could only lament. Had Heaven abandoned the Han Dynasty? Was fate punishing him for forgetting his ways?

Even in this dire situation, Jiang Xian made a conscious effort to uphold court etiquette and the businesses of the day. In one boring day of June, Jiang Xian, the now recovered Emperor Mu and Empress Jiang attended such affairs. It was the usual reports and petitions, nothing out of the ordinary. That was until a few officials sprung out with daggers, screaming “DEATH TO THE TYRANT!” Jiang Xian called for guards, who rushed in as fast as possible. Due to his physical size, the Chancellor was able to wrestle away his attackers until help came, although some loyal officials were wounded in the process, including an attempt on the scholar Mu Bofu’s life. But while the Chancellor survived, the assassins got another of their target. Empress Jiang bled through her wounds, dying in the arms of her horrified husband. The reasons behind this attempt are unclear. A theory is that those were officials trying to ingratiate themselves to Yuan Shu by removing the Chancellor, or that it was desperate and angry courtiers simply lashing out. But the most popular theory is that those were followers of the Pei brothers, people who had been spared by Jiang Xian when he refused to purge the Imperial Court. Jiang Xian certainly believed that this was the case, a tragic reward for a show of genuine clemency on his part.

The death of Empress Jiang was a demoralizing blow to the defenders. Emperor Mu fell into a deep depression after witnessing his wife’s death, while Jiang Xian simply slumbered deeper into his. The worst part was that he could do nothing to support his grief-stricken wife Diaochan. After all, this was all his fault. And even worse, everything was doomed. No one would come to their help, no one would save them. Frustrated, Jiang Xian decided that even if he couldn’t win, there was no way that he was allowing that bastard Yuan Shu to take control of the Emperor. He went to the Son of Heaven and told him of the horrors that awaited him once the enemy entered the city. A slow and cruel death, at best. These lies scared the already depressed Emperor Mu, who was convinced by Jiang Xian that the only way out of this gruesome fate was suicide. Emperor Mu tried, but didn’t have the mental strength to go through with it, which is why he asked help from the Chancellor. Jiang Xian ordered a guard to help Emperor Mu drink poison, ending his life on the 7th of July, 206. He was sixteen years old and had reigned for almost five years.

After a few days and the confirmation that the Emperor was indeed dead, Jiang Xian started to wander around the palace. He made preparations, ensuring that his family would be escorted out of the Imperial Capital once it was opened to the besiegers. While Diaochan pleaded him to come with them, he just didn’t have it in him. He didn’t believe that there was any way for him to make it out alive. On the morning of July the 11th, the Chancellor went at the entrance of the Imperial Palace, where atop the mountain of stairs he had a great sight of the city, a great sight of the world. He remembered how fifteen years ago he had stepped at this very same spot, reading the imperial edict dooming Dong Zhuo. How things had changed, how things had gone wrong. He turned to one of the guards and asked him for his sword. Confused, but still loyal to the Chancellor, the guard obeyed. Before he could react, Jiang Xian used the weapon to cut open his neck, after which he felt in the stairs. He tall body tumbled down as he bled, eventually landing at the bottom of the stairs a broken and lifeless corpse. Chancellor Jiang Xian, the man who had once helped kill Dong Zhuo and later orchestrated the fall of Niu Fu, killed himself at the age of 40.

As soon as Jiang Xian’s death was confirmed, the defenders surrendered and opened the gates to the besiegers. Tan Zilong ordered his men not to sack the Imperial Capital, as Yuan Shu was on his way and had ordered him to make sure not to damage the city. Still, there was certainly panic as the Yuan troops entered Luoyang. Using this confusion, Diaochan and her two remaining children moved to escape, only to accidentally enter Feng Zian’s encampment. Diaochan was still considered one of the most beautiful women in China however, something that the scholar did not fail to notice. It was pretty obvious that the lustful man was interested in her, which she quickly used to her advantage. She asked for his protection in exchange of favors, pleading the strong man to protect the weak woman. Feng Zian, who had never been sharp, fell for her tricks and gave her a tally ensuring her security in the camp, telling her to way for him in his tent. She used the tally to escape the camp with her family and flee before anyone realized Feng Zian’s stupid mistake. She would spend the rest of her life on the run, trying to protect her children. She even became someone’s concubine at one point to ensure their safety, giving the man a child. She never stopped running, eventually dying in 224 at the age of 55.

When Yuan Shu arrived, he was indeed faced with a problem. Now he had no emperor to validate his actions, which put him in something of a bind. While he could (and would) put another Liu clansman on the throne as a puppet, his legitimacy would always be dubious as the puppet would have been installed by a warlord who conquered the Imperial Capital, unlike Jiang Xian who chose Emperor Mu through the proper bureaucratic channels. The situation was made more problematic by the fact that Emperor Mu had no son, brother or uncle to take over. Thankfully, Yuan Shu would not have to look as far as Jiang Xian did in 201. While Emperor Mu had no close relative, his father did have a cousin who was just around the right age. Liu Xuan was eleven years old, having joined Luoyang with his widowed mother and siblings to flee the war in Ji Province. While he did seem a bit smart for his age, Liu Xuan would still do a fine enough puppet. Besides, all he would do was warm the throne for Yuan Shu… And so Liu Xuan became the 16th Emperor of Eastern Han, and the 32nd since Emperor Gaozu founded the Dynasty in 202 BC, known in the history books as Emperor Qianfei (漢前廢帝; Hàn Qianfei Dì). As his first imperial decree, Emperor Qianfei appointed Yuan Shu as his Chancellor.

Yuan Shu quickly paraded the streets of Luoyang as a hero, taking all the credit for liberating the people from Jiang Xian’s tyranny. The Imperial Court, full of the former Chancellor’s sycophants, were quick to attach themselves to the winning horse and praise Yuan Shu for his achievements. However, not everyone was forgiven. Since the Chancellor was no longer alive to be punished, his inner circle would take the blame. Xing You, Wan Ke, Xie Pei, Mu Bofu and Scholar Jia were all executed for their crimes against the Han Dynasty, most notably factionalism at court. Yuan Shu then welcomed back all those enemies of Jiang Xian that had hidden or escaped before, an excellent PR move that did wonders for his reputation in Luoyang. Even the Pei brothers took him on his offer, which helped legitimize his position. Yuan Shu could only laugh at his success. He had coerced everyone to his side. He controlled the Emperor, and soon enough, he would be the Emperor of a new dynasty! Yes, it was only a matter of time before people bowed to EMPEROR YUAN SH

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PS: So first of all, thanks to @Massinissa the Wise for giving me Jiang Xian (166-206). He was a really interesting character with probably one of the best character development, going from a noble and loyal official to a corrupt man controlling the Capital with an iro fist. I won't like, it kinda hit me while writing this chapter, I just stopped and went "Holy shit, it's my last chapter with Jiang Xian." And at the end of the day, for all his faults, he did remain loyal to the Han, unlike his sucessor who is making it pretty clear that he wants to usurp the throne. So yeah, he will be missed. I'm curious what everyone thought of him in the end, and his story. What did you think of Jiang Xian?
As his kids aren't relevant to the story, here is what happens to them after his death, here is what happens to them:

• His youngest daughter Jiang Xiaofan, born in 203, eventually married Lü Sun, son of Lü Bu. Already a weird pairing, her eldest son Lü Qinming would marry Niu Yujiulu, granddaughter of none other than Chancellor Niu Fu, the man Jiang Xian replaced. So yeah, fun pairings here.
• His only son Jiang Wenguan, born in 198, would stay on the run for most of his life, fearful of what powerful players in China would do to the son of Chancellor Jiang Xian. He eventually came out of hiding in 230, and became Magistrate of Changshe in 232. At which point he found himself embroiled in a rebellion from the administrator of his commandery. Thankfully, he came out of it alive. He got married twice, and his first wife is actually his niece from his sister Jiang Xiaofan (yuck). He has no children, so upon death the Jiang Clan will probably disappear.

Here is his family tree upon death.

 

[Bibliophile]

A tragedy. A final fate earned by his own foolish folly. Both these describe the tale of Jiang Xian. He started as one of the noblest characters in this story, and ended… well I like to think he regained some of his old nobility near the end there; but his death arrived soon for him to make much use of it (not to mention the moral mess that was the assisted suicide of the Emperor and then his own subsequent suicicide; that is a whole can of worms I’m not willing to get into). In conclusion, I mourn his passing, even though I knew from the moment of the Sili uprising that something like this was inevitable. I will miss his character.

On a more lighthearted note, I can’t believed I actually called this several pages ago. I said that either Jiang Xian or Xiao Ru would be the first main characters to die. Liking Jiang Xian makes this a hollow victory, but there is still a chance for Xiao Ru to be the next to die and my prediction to become fully complete. I’ll be just as miserable at his passing as well (I love the character as much as I despise him, which is a lot), but I’ll have called it a second time which… really won’t make up for another character I’ve (very reluctantly in his case) grown to love being dead.
Thanks for a fantastic update!

 

[patpekala]

RIP Jiang Xian

 

[Midnite Duke]

Live by sword, die by sword. What goes around comes around. I am amazed by the number of one trick ponies. My definition is having one stat greater than the other four combined. Some have an exceptional stat that dwarfs the others. A few have three horrible stats where the second stat is almost a second trick. Thank you for the update