Jinting Han people

Liu Xian's ceremony for Du Tao's surrender was undeniably grand. Although the reception was on par with that for Wang Dun, the political significance of the two was clearly different.

When Liu Xian received Wang Dun, he used the etiquette befitting an emperor receiving a feudal lord. This was a sign of his respect for Wang Dun and a demonstration of his high status, but it also revealed a slight distance between them, indicating they weren't particularly close. However, when Liu Xian greeted Du Tao, he used the ceremony for welcoming a victorious subject. First, triumphant songs were played, then the victory was announced to the former kings and the state in the newly built Biyong (Imperial Academy), followed by the public presentation of captured prisoners and their carcasses, and finally a banquet and rewards.

This entire process was not only more elaborate than any previous ceremony, but also far more impressive. This was undoubtedly a political statement from Liu Xian, indicating that he treated Du Tao as one of his own loyal followers. After all, in the current political system of Shu Han, Du Tao and his subordinates held an extremely awkward position. The reason was simple: he was a completely independent faction.

Regardless of the numerous factions within Shu Han, such as the Hedong faction, the Sili faction, the Qinzhou faction, and the Qiuchi faction, even newly recruited Qingliu factions like Wang Dun and Jiang Tong, all had some connections and relationships with the King of Han before joining, and had worked with him. However, Du Tao's Xiangzhou army was completely different. He broke away from the Shu Han court, had never met the King of Han before, raised an army independently, fought alone, and pacified the three provinces of Xiang, Guang, and Jiao.

Although these were remote areas, there was no doubt that his contributions were unparalleled in the current Shu Han court, deserving only a substantial reward. In stark contrast was Du Tao's humble origins; he was merely an ordinary member of a powerful clan in Shu, and his previous official position was only that of a county magistrate. This could very well lead to him being ostracized within the Shu Han bureaucracy, ultimately causing a rift between him and the court.

It was for this reason that, in order to nip problems in the bud, Liu Xian showed him favor, hoping to win Du Tao's heart and integrate him into the Shu Han court as quickly as possible.

Indeed, things developed exactly as Liu Xian had hoped. When Du Tao led his army to the city of Yi'an, he was deeply moved to see the King of Han so solemnly coming out of the city to receive him, with loud triumphant songs playing all around. He immediately knelt down before Liu Xian, acknowledging himself as a subject.

Liu Xian carefully observed Du Tao's appearance and found him to be younger than he had imagined. He had initially thought Du Tao was over forty years old, having heard of Du Tao's long-standing frustrations in Xiangdong. However, upon seeing him today, he appeared to be no more than thirty, much younger than himself. Despite his age, Du Tao possessed a mature appearance, with gentle eyes, a long chin, a short beard, and clear, bright eyes. He seemed like an approachable and hardworking person, though his demeanor revealed a touch of military strength and vigor.

As Liu Xian helped him up, he couldn't help but exclaim, "I've long heard of Jingwen's name in Chengdu, but seeing him today, I truly feel that this young man is formidable!"

Du Tao, trembling with fear, bowed his head and said, "What I did was merely borrowing Your Highness's divine might, comparing a firefly to the bright moon. How could I possibly be compared to Your Highness?"

Liu Xian laughed upon hearing this, and then said, "There's no need to belittle yourself. I am where I am today because of the blessings left by my ancestors."

Having said that, he pulled Du Tao aside to listen to the victory songs in front of the Biyong Hall. The first four songs were "New Song of Maoyu," "New Song of Nuyu," "New Song of Antai," and "New Song of Farewell," all written by Wang Can, praising the glorious military achievements of the Han Dynasty. The fifth song was "Journey to the South," which Liu Xian specially arranged for Li Ci to write, to praise Du Tao's illustrious military exploits. Its lyrics are as follows:

"Great is the Han Dynasty, its lineage originating from Yi and Tang. The false Jin Dynasty lost its virtue, and the Mandate of Heaven shines brightly. Two swans fly in, restoring our old territory. The Shu army marches across the Dongting Lake, their banners fluttering in the winds of You and Xiang."

From the way of Heaven, we grasp the divine covenant. Valiant warriors swiftly shattered the seven guardian banners, and the six prefectures, filled with resentment, were utterly defeated. The three armies carved through perilous terrain, crossing the Ling Canal, and brandished their weapons at Panyu Pond south of the mountains.

In the cold of midwinter, Zhang Fang's rebellion broke out. Sails soared across the vast ocean, halting the advance of Jiaozhi. Five horses relentlessly pursued along the Yulin Road, through mountains and rivers shrouded in miasma and rain for three thousand miles. The arrows of the southern expedition whistled, and victory was achieved at Jieshi. A new era dawned over the vast mountains, and triumphant news resounded throughout Jingzhou and Hebei.

The eulogy reads: "With sword in hand, he pacified the Baiyue region; his meritorious deeds elevated the Han dynasty! His achievements were not merely in restoring lost territories; his loyalty and heroism are revered throughout the south!"

Upon hearing this music, everyone present was utterly astonished. No one had expected that the first piece of new ritual music established by the King of Han would be given to the newly arrived Du Tao. Du Tao and his entourage were overjoyed and deeply grateful.

At the banquet, Liu Xian chatted with Du Tao and asked him to introduce the various generals under his command.

Du Tao originally commanded over 60,000 men. Although he suffered some losses in Lingnan, he still had a large number of generals. Du Tao then selected more than ten of them and introduced them to Liu Xian one by one.

Du Hong, originally surnamed Zhang, was a former pirate leader. However, he and Du Tao hit it off and became sworn brothers. From then on, Du Hong studied under Du Tao, acquiring a basic understanding of both literature and martial arts, and displaying considerable strategic acumen. Therefore, he served as Du Tao's deputy, skilled at recruiting talent and possessing the seniority to command respect. During Du Tao's campaigns, Du Hong often led a separate army as a backup, in case of unforeseen circumstances.

Du Hong was considerably older than Du Tao and appeared to be quite composed. Liu Xian found it hard to imagine how he had ever been a river pirate, and disliking his background, he deliberately challenged him, asking, "What's the difference between being a river pirate and being a Han soldier?"

Du Hong replied nonchalantly, "There's no difference. It's just a matter of sailing on the river and encountering Jin dogs, and then killing them."

His answer was quite clever, and Liu Xian couldn't help but laugh. He then changed his words to a word of advice: "Protecting the borders and ensuring the safety of the people is still the most important thing."

Following Du Hong was Zhang Yi. Zhang Yi was from the Central Plains and had served under Sima Jiong, the Prince of Qi, in his Eastern Expeditionary Army. He accompanied Liu Shen on his western expedition against Li Te. However, Liu Shen was detained en route by Sima Yong, the Prince of Hejian, and only sent a small number of troops to fight in Shu, of which Zhang Yi was one. Later, seeing that he was powerless to help in the war in Shu, he fled to Jingzhou with Du Tao. Because of his skill in military administration, his knowledge of naval training methods, and his ingenuity, he was highly valued by Du Tao.

In the battle of Xiangzhou, Du Tao's overwhelming victory was largely due to Zhang Yi's ability to modify ships and design weapons. Because Du Tao's navy lacked crossbows and could not directly confront the Xiangzhou navy, he devised a plan to modify the water-drawing lever (also known as a "striking pole") onto ships, using it to directly launch stones. The stone-throwing with this lever was several times more efficient at destroying ships than crossbows, thus achieving a crushing victory on the river and causing repeated defeats for the Jin army in Xiangzhou.

After listening to Zhang Yi for a while, Liu Xian became very interested in the racket he mentioned and asked him to make a model for him after the banquet, to which Zhang Yi readily agreed.

Next was Wang Zhen. Wang Zhen didn't really need an introduction, as Liu Xian had already met him. He was adept at reading people, eloquent, and had a wide network of connections, not just for Du Tao's mission to Chengdu. After returning to Du Tao's army, he repeatedly contacted the surrounding Yi people, persuading them to submit to Du Tao. He also possessed considerable martial prowess, making him a valuable asset to Du Tao's army.

Liu Xian remembered him vividly; after all, this man dared to bypass Baidi City by wading through the river, and Liu Xian still felt a lingering fear at the swift currents there. Now, Wang Zhen had been wounded in the leg during the battle of Jiaozhou, leaving him with a limp. Liu Xian asked him, "Can you still wade across the Wuxia Gorge?" Wang Zhen straightened his back and replied, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, I will still be able to wade across in ten years!"

Besides the three mentioned above, Du Tao also had Gao Bao, Liang Kan, Zhang Yan, Wen Shao, and others under his command. Liu Xian spoke with each of them and was extremely surprised to find that these men were no ordinary people; they were not only quite skilled in martial arts but also possessed considerable knowledge. This was truly rare. As the saying goes, "what the superiors do, the subordinates will follow." It must be that Du Tao himself acted in this way and was deeply respected by the people, which is why his subordinates followed suit.

Not only him, but the other officials who attended the banquet also noticed this and secretly became wary. After the banquet, Li Sheng suggested to Liu Xian, "Your Highness, Du Tao is too much of a threat. Since he is so popular with his subordinates, if we send him to serve as a regional governor, once he harbors rebellious intentions and incites a rebellion, the world will be turned upside down. We should set up a nominal position for him, keeping him idle in the court, and monitoring him day and night. That would be the best policy."

It wasn't just Li Sheng; Lu Yun, Li Feng, Wei Bo, and others also expressed similar sentiments towards Liu Xian. They believed that even if Du Tao had no rebellious intentions, he was so young and had such military achievements. If he were allowed to cultivate his power further, even if Liu Xian could keep him in check while he was alive, who could control him after Liu Xian passed away?

These words weren't entirely without merit; the two sides had only just met and didn't yet know each other's character, so such possibilities certainly existed. However, Liu Xian didn't like hearing these things. Regardless of what would happen in the future, the other party hadn't done anything wrong at the moment. If he directly expressed his wariness, it would damage their mutual trust. Perhaps the other party had no intention of rebelling, but instead, it would force them to rebel, which would make him look foolish.

Therefore, Liu Xian chose to summon Xi Jian the following night to seek his opinion.

As the second most meritorious contributor to this southern expedition, Xi Jian had the longest contact with Du Tao and knew the details of southern Hunan and Jiaozhou best. Previously, at the victory ceremony, he had maintained a low profile, acting as if he were unassuming. Liu Xian was very satisfied with his decision to go south and admired his current attitude even more, so he asked him, "In your opinion, can Du Tao be given an important position?"

Xi Jian replied, "Even Cao Cao did not kill Emperor Liezu. Is Your Highness perhaps inferior to Cao Cao?"

These words resonated deeply with Liu Xian. Back when his great-grandfather Liu Bei resided in Xuchang, Guo Jia and others strongly urged Cao Cao to kill him, but Cao Cao refused. Many later generations considered this a miscalculation on Cao Cao's part. However, they failed to realize that Cao Cao's reliance on Liu Bei had earned him the allegiance of Xuzhou, the surrender of Zhang Xiu and Jia Xu, and the loyalty of the warlords of Guanzhong. Liu Xian, on the other hand, had not even fully unified the south. To betray Liu Bei after using him would surely alienate the people and disappoint loyal and righteous individuals—a prospect he desperately wanted to avoid.

Soon after, the results of the highly anticipated assessment of merits in the Eastern Expedition were finally reached, and are hereby promulgated as follows:
The one ranked first in merit was undoubtedly Du Tao, who had just paid homage to the King of Han. He was the first to rise up, pacified three provinces, captured Wang Ji, forced Zhang Fang to commit suicide, and subjugated Wu Yan. His merits were beyond compare. Liu Xian naturally rewarded him with extraordinary honors, appointing him as the governor of Xiang Province, General Who Conquers the South, and Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of Xiang, Jiao, and Guang Provinces, and also granting him the title of Marquis of An'nan County.

Second in merit was Li Ju, Liu Xian's deputy. After leaving Sichuan, Li Ju's troops attacked northern Jingzhou, forcing Wang Dun to retreat to the Jianghan Plain, leaving southern Jingzhou vulnerable. Later, in the Battle of Yi'an, he tenaciously defended his position while simultaneously suffering a two-pronged attack from the Jin army, providing the strongest support for the Han army's counterattack. Therefore, Liu Xian promoted him to Governor of Yuzhou, General Who Conquers the North, and Commander-in-Chief of the military affairs of Yan, Yu, and Si provinces, and granted him the title of Marquis of Yong'an County.

Grand Commandant He Pan ranked third in merit. The naval battles of this eastern expedition were basically planned by this old man, especially the naval battle at Shenzi Island, which essentially established the absolute superiority of the Han army in the navy. He truly made great contributions. Liu Xian appointed him as the governor of Yangzhou, general who conquers the east, and commander-in-chief of the military affairs of Yangzhou, Qingzhou, and Xuzhou, and granted him the title of Marquis of Danshui County.

Lu Zhi's merits were ranked fourth. Although he did not go to the battlefield, he made strategic decisions and ensured that Yizhou was safe and that logistics were smooth. Liu Xian recognized his merits and promoted him to the positions of Attendant-in-Ordinary and Junior Tutor to the Crown Prince, and enfeoffed him as the Marquis of Taichang County.

Yang Nandi, the former governor of Langzhong, pacified Jianping, recovered Yidao, and restrained Tao Kan and Zhou Fang. His merits ranked fifth, so he was appointed governor of Yizhou, general who conquered the west, and enfeoffed as marquis of Nanzheng County.

In addition, officers such as Zhang Guang, Li Feng, Guo Mo, Wen Shuo, Huo Biao, and Huangfu Dan were also granted official titles and rewards.

It can be seen that this reward is significantly different from previous ones. Previously, the rewards from Shu Han were basically only official positions and wealth, but this time, Liu Xian finally began to bestow noble titles.

Nobility has always been the highest reward that officials dream of. Once a noble title was obtained in the pre-Qin period, it meant the acquisition of a fiefdom with hereditary succession. Even in modern times, the power of a noble was not as great as that of the Zhou dynasty, but at least one could live off the fiefdom and benefit one's descendants. However, such a reward would inevitably deplete the state's tax revenue. Therefore, although Liu Xian had previously declared himself king, he had not mentioned the matter of being granted a noble title.

However, with time running out, the conferment of titles could no longer be delayed. So Liu Xian took advantage of this opportunity to award titles and promulgated the first batch of titles, which were divided into five levels: seven county marquises, sixteen township marquises, thirty-nine pavilion marquises, seventy-three marquises within the pass, and one hundred and twenty-five marquises outside the pass, basically covering all the generals and officers who had made meritorious contributions.

When promulgating the decree, Liu Xian adhered to two principles: first, following Lu Zhi's previous approach, no one would be granted a title without military merit, thereby elevating the status of military officers and soldiers and promoting a martial spirit; second, a system of nominal titles would be used, granting titles of nobility without real power or fiefdoms, with salaries paid directly by the court based on the market value of that year. Of course, this was merely a stopgap measure, and further adjustments would be made after Liu Xian became emperor.

The news naturally caused jubilation throughout the officialdom, but a minor incident also occurred.

Du Tao probably knew he was under suspicion, so on the afternoon of the day he heard about the reward, he came to see the King of Han and asked to resign from all the official positions bestowed upon him by Liu Xian, retaining only his title.

Liu Xian understood his concerns and comforted him, saying, "Jingwen, why worry so much? The southern lands are now roughly pacified. Although the three prefectures of Xiang, Guang, and Jiao have submitted to us, there are still many bandits to be dealt with. As far as I know, there are bandits in Guilin, Jiuzhen, and Gaoliang, all of whom need to be pacified by Jingwen."

But Du Tao insisted, “Your Highness, I am merely a county magistrate in Xiangdong, with little talent and learning. I was driven to desperation by corrupt officials and had no other choice but to rise up in rebellion to save my life. I am fortunate to have achieved some success, and how could I dare to betray Your Majesty’s grace and be appointed governor of three prefectures? Now that I am leading my troops back, my fellow villagers are all longing to return home. How can I go back to Xiangdong? I beg Your Highness to rescind your order. I would rather go north to pacify the Central Plains than dare to occupy the southern lands.”

Du Tao's words were sincere, and Liu Xian appreciated them greatly. He said, "Very well, since Jingwen has the wish to finish the army, how can I not help him achieve his goal?" So he changed Du Tao to Left General, Commandant of the Capital Region, and General of the Guards, and together with Li Ju, he was responsible for organizing the refugees and establishing a new army.

As for the three southern prefectures, Liu Xian made slight changes, appointing Xi Jian as the governor of Xiangzhou, Ruan Fang as the governor of Guangzhou, and Liu Xuan as the governor of Jiaozhou. He also appointed Li Sheng as the military governor of Xiangzhou, Meng Tao as the military governor of Guangzhou, and Guo Song as the military governor of Jiaozhou, and changed several prefects. (End of this chapter)