Late Han Zhao Tang

Pingzhou, Xiangping.

While Zhang Yu sent Shi Xin as an envoy to his hometown to persuade his father and uncle to surrender, the Liaodong envoy returned to Xiangping from Chang'an after a month's journey.

"This servant greets Your Excellency!"

Wang Lie and Guan Ning, looking exhausted and travel-worn, bowed to Gongsun Kang on the couch.

"You two have traveled thousands of miles; you must have had a hard time!"

Gongsun Kang warmly invited the two to sit down and had a servant bring honey water. He asked, "I have heard that the Tang Emperor has sent troops south to attack Cao Cao. I wonder how the battle is going?"

"With unstoppable momentum, when I set off to return to Chang'an, the Tang army had already decisively defeated Cao Cao. Cao Cao was besieged in Jinling, and all the remaining counties and prefectures surrendered. Judging from the military situation, the Tang army has probably already captured Jinling, and Jiangdong has returned to China."

Wang Lie made a veiled reference, saying, "In the past, the Tang emperor once tried to persuade Cao Cao to surrender, but Cao Cao was too arrogant. The Tang emperor was furious and issued an edict to exterminate his entire clan. When the city falls, it may be the time when Cao's clan will be wiped out."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Kang's expression changed slightly. He was not particularly enthusiastic about surrendering to the Central Plains. After all, the emperor was far away and he was a regional warlord, no different from a monarch.

Therefore, Gongsun Kang even hoped that Zhang Yu's southern expedition would fail, so that he could maintain his independent regime for a few more years. But he did not expect Zhang Yu to defeat Cao Cao so quickly, in about half a year.

After taking a sip of water to calm himself down, Gongsun Kang asked, "Have you ever met the Tang Emperor?"

“When we were in Chang’an, the Tang emperor summoned me almost every day to inquire about matters in Liaodong!” Wang Lie said.

"What do you think of the Tang Emperor?" Gongsun Kang pondered for a moment before asking.

"Upon arriving at the court, I was fortunate to serve the Tang Emperor. The Tang Emperor attends to affairs of state every day, from dawn till dusk, inquiring about civil administration, listening to military matters, and observing the administration of the barbarians. The Tang Emperor is fond of riding and archery, and practices horsemanship every day. His talent, strategy, and bravery are unmatched by anyone!" Wang Lie said.

"The Tang emperor is exhausted from governing every day and taking away the duties of his subordinates," Gongsun Kang said sourly.

"No!"

Guan Ning added, “The Tang emperor consulted on government affairs, but did not govern. Every morning, he summoned the ministers to the Zichen Hall and ordered the four ministries of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Revenue, the Privy Council, and the Northern Court to discuss government matters. He consulted the Ministry of Finance on finance, the Privy Council on military affairs, the Ministry of Revenue on administration, and the Northern Court on regional affairs. If there were any unresolved matters, they were first reported to the Chancellor, and then the Tang emperor made the decision.”

"Emperor Tang often took the mistakes of the Han Dynasty as a lesson, so he was open and honest in handling affairs, without hiding anything. He was a wise ruler!"

"How does he compare to the two ancestors, Gao and Shi?" Gongsun Kang asked.

Wang Lie pondered for a long time before saying, "The virtue of a ruler lies in knowing people, and his fault lies in having too many talents. Knowing people and using them well can bring peace to the world. Having too many talents and using them for oneself means that even if there are wise men, there is nothing to be done, and one can only use one's own strategies."

"Emperor Gaozu was not as good at planning as Zhang Liang, as good at military strategy as Han Xin, and as good at governing as Xiao He. Yet he recognized the talents of these three men and employed them without doubt. He defeated the powerful Qin in the west and subdued Xiang Yu in the east, and none could rival him. After the world was at peace, all government affairs were handled by Xiao He. Laws were uniform and consistent, and the people lived in peace. The world was thus at peace. He was succeeded by Cao Can, and ended with Chen Ping and Zhou Bo. During the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, the country was at peace. All of this was due to Emperor Gaozu's ability to recognize and employ talent."

"Emperor Shizu restored the dynasty, possessing both literary and military talents. He conquered Xunyi, seized Zhao and Wei, and quelled bandits. His strategies were flawless, and his military prowess was arguably superior to that of Emperor Gaozu. However, if he had lived during Emperor Gaozu's reign and been an enemy of Xiang Yu, there would have been things he could not have accomplished. After the restoration and the ascension to the throne, he punished the disaster of Wang Mang's usurpation. Although he established the Three Dukes, he exclusively appointed the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, with power concentrated in the central government. His administration was meticulous, and his subordinates could not deceive him. For a time, the dynasty was known for its good governance."

"However, having all the talents has its drawbacks. It leads to the exclusion of those who disagree with it and the assumption of responsibility for the world by one person. There are many things that its wisdom cannot see and its strength cannot accomplish. As for Emperor Ming, he was even more critical. Therefore, the rule of the Later Han Dynasty, with its lenient and easygoing atmosphere, was far inferior to that of the Former Han Dynasty. Although it was called peaceful and stable, it was only because the talents and ambitions of the father and son had reached their limit."

"However, the Tang emperor's talents and strategies were not concentrated in one place. The Privy Council was a gathering place for strategists, who planned and strategized to win battles from afar; the Accounting Office was a gathering place for business talents, who managed the economy of the world and regulated the various departments of the country; the Ministry of Personnel was a place where good officials resided, who governed the country and brought peace to the people of the prefectures and counties; and the Northern Court was a gathering place for those who were skilled in dealing with foreign tribes, who communicated with foreign tribes, managed the vassal states, and brought peace to the barbarians in all directions."

"When we were attacking the southeast, Xu Huang offered a plan to launch a surprise attack by sea. Many people said it was not feasible, but only the Emperor thought it was feasible, so we conquered the southeast. When we first attacked Bashu, Your Majesty gave Xu Huang a plan to attack Yinping and cross Mianzhu. At that time, the troops were blocked at Jiange, but Xu Huang carried it out and pacified Yizhou."

"Therefore, Emperor Shizu's wisdom and charisma, his ability to anticipate and defeat the enemy, are comparable to those of Emperor Gaozu of Tang; Emperor Gaozu's rough and open-mindedness, his innate wisdom, are comparable to those of Emperor Gaozu of Tang. He entrusted the talent of the old official Zhong Yao, the courage of Zhang Liao, the bravery of the bandit Xu Huang, the military prowess of the scholar Man Chong, and the scheming of the rebel Jia Xu. Therefore, all these heroes were willing to serve him."

Wang Lie became increasingly excited as he spoke, completely disregarding Gongsun Kang's expression, and said, "Emperor Gaozu pacified the world but failed to build a strong nation; Emperor Shizu restored the Han dynasty but failed to establish a lasting dynasty. Now, the Tang emperor is of the same age as Emperor Shizu, in good health, and will surely be able to greatly prosper the nation and subdue all the guests of the four seas!" Gongsun Kang was displeased and questioned, "You fell in love at first sight; are your words not untrue?"

Guan Ning tried to salvage the situation by saying, "I was entrusted with this task by the magistrate, and I am now serving him faithfully. I am not accepting a salary in vain!"

Wang Lie realized his mistake and respectfully said, "Since Your Excellency has asked me about an important matter, how could I dare not answer!"

Gongsun Kang suppressed his dissatisfaction and asked, "Since the Tang Emperor has such great ambitions, I wonder what he can do to me if I hold Liaoze and do not surrender?"

Wang Lie hesitated for a moment and said, "I once asked the Tang Emperor about this, and the Tang Emperor laughed and replied, 'The Han people are not loyal, Goguryeo is secretly rebellious, and the Xianbei are not obedient. If we attack Pingzhou, we can send 20,000 or 30,000 troops and summon barbarian servants. They will harass us every year, and Liaodong will be devastated. Grain will not be plentiful, and the soldiers and officers will be in dire straits. Sending troops on a distant expedition will make it as easy as turning one's hand to subdue them!'"

Upon hearing Zhang Yu's strategy for conquering Liaodong, Gongsun Kang was speechless. He had initially thought that the danger of Liaoze would make it very difficult for the Tang army to conquer him, but Zhang Yu's assessment that it would be as easy as turning one's hand almost made him lose his composure.

Although he knew Zhang Yu's plan, he was powerless to change the situation. This kind of open and overt strategy made it difficult for him to resist.

After a brief respite, Gongsun Kang finally asked, "If I surrender Pingzhou, I wonder how the Tang Emperor will reward me?"

"He is enfeoffed as Duke of Liao, with a fief of ten thousand households, and is compared to Lü Bu and Liu He," Wang Lie said.

"What is the title of the Duke?" Gongsun Kang asked blankly.

"The Tang emperor established five ranks of nobility: duke, marquis, earl, viscount, and baron. Among the dukes, the Duke of a State was the highest, followed by the Duke of a Prefecture, and the Duke of a County was the lowest. If you, my lord, surrender, then we will follow Dou Rong's plan to submit to Emperor Guangwu," Wang Lie said.

Gongsun Kang nodded slightly, quite satisfied with the title that Wang Lie had negotiated for him.

"I need to think carefully about the matter of surrender. You have worked tirelessly for me, so you may take your leave and rest for now!" Gongsun Kang said.

"promise!"

Wang Lie and Guan Ning exchanged a glance, then silently withdrew.

After the two men left, Gongsun Kang frowned slightly and said to his younger brother Gongsun Gong, "These two must have received official titles and ranks from the Tang people in Chang'an, otherwise why would they flatter the Tang emperor like this?"

Because Gongsun Gong was impotent, Gongsun Kang valued him highly and would consult him on important matters.

Gongsun Gong pondered for a moment and said, “Brother, although the two have received favors from the Tang people, what they said should be true. The Tang emperor has already pacified Jiangdong, and only Jiaoling and Liaodong have not yet surrendered. Now the Tang emperor compares Dou Rong’s return to Han to you, and has granted you the title of Duke with a fief of ten thousand households. This shows the Tang emperor’s enthusiasm.”

Gongsun Kang rose from the couch, paced back and forth, and said, "Does my brother intend to surrender to Tang?"

Gongsun Gong shook his head and said, "The Tang emperor unified the world, with tens of millions of officials and a million soldiers. But the combined number of soldiers and civilians in Liaodong is less than a million. How can we compete with the Tang? Besides, my father said on his deathbed that if the world is unified, we should not resist it, but seek to return west. That is the right path."

"Our father established the foundation of Pingzhou with the intention of leaving wealth and honor to his descendants. How can you, my elder brother, disregard our father's legacy and face our ancestors after your death?"

Gongsun Gong's impotence resulted in a weak and frail nature, completely unlike his brother Gongsun Kang. While Gongsun Kang aspired to achieve great deeds, he desired a peaceful and comfortable life.

Gongsun Kang understood his brother's thoughts, sighed slightly, and said, "If what you say is true, then using Liaodong to resist the Central Plains is like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. Since things have come to this, I'm afraid there is no other way but to surrender."

Gongsun Gong said, “My Gongsun family has made great contributions to pacifying Liaodong. Now that my brother has surrendered the prefecture, the Tang Emperor will surely be pleased. Not to mention the position of Duke, wealth and honor will surely continue to his descendants.”

Gongsun Kang nodded and said, "At that time, I will seek a title for my younger brother, so that we may share wealth and honor!" (End of Chapter)