Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 166 Human Heart
"General of the Cavalry and Commandant of the Guards, in these turbulent times, it is truly not a wise move to hastily transfer me to Hedong as its governor. I dare to ask again, may I humbly request Your Majesty to rescind this decree?"

On the great river, the waves surged and rolled.

Sima Yi and Xin Pi did not respond to Du Shu's request, but kept their eyes fixed on the plateau opposite Linzhiyuan, as if Du Shu's voice had been drowned out by the rolling waves.

On the dinghy, the young boy, who had just turned seventeen, raised his head slightly, looked at the two high-ranking officials, and then at his father.

Seeing his father's solemn expression, the child, named Du Yu, gripped his father's hand tightly, his gaze once again falling upon the vast, seemingly boundless river, and he felt a pang of sadness.

His grandfather, Du Ji, was testing a boat in Mengjin six years ago when he was suddenly caught in a strong wind and eventually drowned in the rolling waves of this great river.

Before his death by the river, his grandfather had served as the governor of Hedong for the Great Wei for sixteen years, and his political achievements were often the best in the land.

When Emperor Taizu of Wei entered Guanzhong to quell the rebellion of Ma Chao and Han Sui, he provided a million shi of grain for Wei's hundreds of thousands of troops with only the resources of Hedong County.

When my grandfather's old friend visited his grave to pay respects, he praised my grandfather's abilities, saying that if it weren't for Marquis Dai providing Emperor Taizu with a million shi of grain in Hedong, Emperor Taizu might not have been able to defeat Ma Chao in that battle.

Ma Chao had predicted that Emperor Taizu's provisions would not be enough to support an army of over 100,000 for two weeks, and that the rebels in Guanzhong would win without a fight. However, he never expected that Hedong would be able to produce so much grain.

He had just started studying history at the time and was quite confused.

It is unknown what exactly the concept of the million shi of grain and 100,000 troops mentioned by the Imperial Censor Xu Yuanzhi meant, and who Ma Chao and Han Sui were.

But this sparked his interest in history and military affairs. As he read more and more history and his mind filled with stories of battles, he realized that his grandfather was such a formidable figure. His father, however, never mentioned it to him, perhaps because he was too young and thought he wouldn't understand.

How could he not understand?
Even now, he has a vague idea as to why his father was transferred from the Prefect of Hongnong to the position of 2,000 shi in Hedong, and why he repeatedly asked to resign from his posts as General of the Cavalry and Commandant of the Guards.

Now that the Great Wei has suffered a crushing defeat and Guanzhong has fallen entirely into the hands of the Shu Kingdom, Hedong has once again become the front line. The people of Hedong are uneasy and urgently need a governor who can appease them.

If his grandfather, Du Ji, were still alive, he would undoubtedly be the first choice.

After all, he governed Hedong for sixteen years, and his administration of the prefecture was always the best in the country, winning the hearts of the people of Hedong.

When Emperor Taizu campaigned against Zhang Lu in Hanzhong, he mobilized 5,000 laborers from Hedong to transport grain. The conscripted laborers encouraged each other on the road: "Death is inevitable for everyone. Let us not fail Lord Du." The journey of transporting grain over a thousand miles was arduous, but not a single one of the 5,000 laborers deserted.

His grandfather's successor, Zhao Yan, was ostracized by the people of Hedong because of the "baby woman" incident.

The next governor of Hedong, Cheng Xi, was said to be a confidant of the emperor, but he was extravagant and incompetent, and similarly lost the hearts of the people of Hedong.

But his grandfather had already passed away, so the emperor could only hope that his father, Du Shu, could use his grandfather's legacy to stabilize the hearts of the people in Hedong.

"What is Wu Bo worried about?" Sima Yi looked at Du Shu and Du Yu, father and son, holding hands, and the wound on his back from being whipped began to ache faintly, making him feel somewhat sad.

Once upon a time, he too held the hand of his eldest son's teacher and floated across the river in a boat to visit Luoyang.

Upon hearing Sima Yi's question, Du Shu turned his gaze from Linzhi Plain to Sima Yi:

"General of the Flying Cavalry, I am aware of the Emperor's intentions, but my late father has been away from Hedong for more than ten years, and I have not had any contact with the officials and people of Hedong. I am afraid that I cannot make use of the legacy and influence left by my late father."

"Changing generals on the eve of battle is something that military strategists avoid."

"The prefect is the commander of a prefecture, and the principle is the same."

"Shu has neither benevolence nor authority in Hedong, and the officials and people of Hedong cannot be used by Shu. Now, there are only five months left until the winter solstice in Hedong. If the Shu bandits raid Hedong at that time, Shu will probably find it difficult to provide enough food and shelter for the people as General of the Cavalry."

"Prefect Cheng has served in the prefecture for two years, and his benevolence and authority have been established. It would be better to let Prefect Cheng continue to serve as the Prefect of Hedong, while Shu has served as the Prefect of Hongnong for three years, and can also be the successor of the General of Chariots and Cavalry."

Du Shu's considerations were quite practical. He had spent three years in Hongnong and had finally managed to establish good relations with the powerful clans and wealthy families there. Now, his sudden transfer to Hedong was not good news for either Hedong or Hongnong.

In the Battle of Guanzhong, Hongnong and Hedong both sent out a lot of grain and labor. As a result, all the laborers were captured by Shu. At this time, it was the time to pacify the local area. Before he could start to pacify the area, he was transferred away. What do the people of Hongnong think of him?

The same applies to Hedong.

Prefect Cheng Xi, a trusted confidant of the emperor, simply walked away, leaving him with a mess. How could he possibly quell the resentment of the people of Hedong?

Would the people of Hedong really look up to him just because he is the son of Du Ji?

A wave crashed in, causing the boat to rock violently. Sima Yi lowered his body, gripping the gunwale tightly with both hands. Only after the boat had completely stabilized did he straighten up and say:
“Uncle Wu, in the past few years, there has been no war in Guanzhong, and the court has not paid attention to the people’s livelihood in Hedong and Guanzhong.”

"But now that Hedong has become the front line, if we don't find someone to bridge the gap between the court and the Hedong region, it's really hard to know whether the hearts of the people of Hedong are with Shu or Wei."

"Since His Majesty appointed you to guard Hedong, he must have his reasons. The people of Hedong probably still remember the kindness of Marquis Dai."

Du Shu paused slightly, not expecting this General of the Cavalry to speak so clearly.

In fact, Hedong and Wei were never of one mind. Before his father Du Ji came to Hedong, the entire Hedong was centered around Prefect Wang Yi, and resolutely supported the Han court and resisted the Wei Taizu who "served the emperor to punish the disobedient".

Finally, Emperor Taizu, who was acting on behalf of the emperor to punish the disloyal, forcibly summoned Wang Yi to Xudu to punish him, seized his military seal and insignia, and sent his father, Du Ji, to take up his post alone with the seal. After taking office, his father was on the verge of death several times due to violent resistance from the people of Hedong.

It wasn't until he governed Hedong for sixteen consecutive years that this situation was gradually reversed, and the people of Hedong gradually came to Wei's side.

Generally speaking, a prefect can only govern a region for a maximum of two terms, which is no more than six years. The fact that his father was able to serve as the prefect of Hedong for sixteen years can only be because the court was worried that, apart from his father Du Ji, no one else would be able to win the hearts of the people of Hedong.

When Zhao Yan and Cheng Xi took charge of Hedong and Xiahou Mao guarded Guanzhong, the entire Guanzhong region became a borderland of the Great Wei. The people of Hedong felt that the Great Wei was slowly abandoning them, and thus gradually developed a rift with the Great Wei.

Now that Liu Han has returned to Guanzhong and the old capital, it is only natural that the Emperor of Wei would worry about the people of Hedong harboring resentment.

But... why did it take until now to think about appeasing the people of Hedong?

The imperial court is now trying to salvage the situation, but it's already too late...

Du Shu was unsure whether his reluctance to go to Hedong stemmed from the high-sounding reasons he had just given, or from his fear that he would ruin his father's reputation by failing to appease Hedong as his father had.

After all, Guanqiu Jian, Linghu Yu, and Wang Jun, all talented men of similar age from Guanzhong, were captured by Shu Han, their illustrious names ruined, and their families' reputations destroyed. This truly saddened him.

Xin Pi gazed at the surging river, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "Zhongda, I've heard that it's been raining heavily in Guanzhong for several days?"

Sima Yi knew what Xin Pi meant, and nodded helplessly: "Hmm."

"When did this happen?" Sinpi asked again.

"The day before the Luo River dried up." Sima Yi did not shy away from this statement.

When Huang Yong arrived with his imperial credentials, he already knew about the Luo River's drying up.

Du Yu was taken aback upon hearing this, then looked up at his father with wide eyes. The prophecy, "When the Luo River dries up, a sage will appear," had long since reached Hongnong, yet the day after the heavy rains in Guanzhong, the Luo River had dried up?

He is currently at the point where he is most convinced of and most curious about things like the unity of heaven and man, and esoteric and mystical doctrines.

Judging from the expressions of the Commandant of the Guards, the General of the Cavalry, and his father, the prophecy seemed to have a significant impact. After a moment, he was startled again, suddenly thinking of the "Red Talisman" prophecy of Emperor Guangwu of the Later Han Dynasty. For a moment, he felt uneasy about the fate of the Great Wei, Hedong, and himself and his father.

Beside Sima Yi, Xin Pi slightly raised his head, looking at the Leishou Mountain range, the boundary mountain of Hedong, which stretched as far as the eye could see, and couldn't help but sigh.

I wanted to say something, but then I shut my mouth.

The heavy rains in Kansai have caused the rivers to swell, which will definitely affect Kanto. At that time, some busybodies will surely combine this heavy rain with the Luo River's interruption of flow. Even if His Majesty sends people to spread the news that the Luo River's interruption of flow was caused by artificial damming, the effect will probably be limited.

What about Hedong?
When the news of the Luo River drying up, fulfilling a prophecy, reached Hedong, what kind of public opinion would erupt there?
The Great Wei is truly in dire straits now.

The small boat rocked and swayed, struggling to head north.

Fenglingdu is located at the great bend of the Yellow River and at the confluence of the Wei River and the Yellow River. The water surface is extremely wide. About half an hour later, the ferry carrying Sima Yi, Du Ji and others finally arrived at the north side of the Yellow River.

After disembarking, Du Yu turned around and looked towards the opposite bank, only to see a long line of Han cavalry heading west in a cloud of dust.

Those were Qiang cavalrymen clearing the way for the Han emperor.

On the platform, Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, Jiang Wei, and other young generals of the Han army had not yet left.

His gaze shifted from the small boat on the river, and the Han emperor, dressed in military attire, approached the generals who were diligently drawing.

He glanced at the topographical map in Guan Xing's hand, then looked at the one in Jiang Wei's hand.

Although his map-making skills were not as good as those of the young generals, as the emperor, he did not actually have to do everything himself.

After leaving Chang'an, he gave a general overview of what would later be known as the "Six Principles of Cartography" to the group of young generals. After that, he and the group of young generals traveled along the way, stopping frequently to observe and record the mountains and rivers of Guanzhong and to investigate the lives of the people in the counties along the way.

What you learn from books is never enough; you must put it into practice to truly understand. Only by having a clear understanding can you effectively respond to those urgent reports concerning people's livelihoods and military dispatches.

The same was true of young generals like Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, and Zhao Guang. Their fathers would memorize maps wherever they went, eventually becoming intimately familiar with the terrain. They could then directly deduce battles from the map, such as how to deal with enemy deployments and how to deal with enemy deployments. As the younger generation, they dared not be lazy or negligent, lest they tarnish their family's reputation.

His Majesty did not bring them on this tour of Guanzhong for sightseeing.

Before long, Guan Xing, Jiang Wei, and the others finished writing, dried the map, and folded it up. The tiger cavalry who were leading the way also sent back a message to the emperor, saying that the road ahead was clear and they could proceed.

Liu Shan then bid farewell to Feng Hu, and then, under the protection of Yang Su, the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, and several hundred Qiang cavalry, he left Tongguan with Guan Xing, Jiang Wei, and other generals.

Heading west along the Yellow River.

At the confluence of the Wei River and the Yellow River, they turned north with the other riders, crossed the Wei River, and continued north along the mudflats and wetlands created by the Yellow River.

As the Yellow River gradually narrowed, Liu Shan suddenly spotted the group of more than ten people who had previously crossed the Yellow River in a boat.

The dozen or so people seemed to have spotted them as well.

The two sides were separated by a large river. They stopped their horses to drink at the wetlands on the riverbank, and after a while, they moved north across the river almost parallel to each other.

Liu Shan's destination was Pubanjin.

Although it is unknown where the Wei people on the other side are headed, according to Yang Su, Puban Ferry is a necessary stop on the way north from Fengling Ferry to any county in Hedong.

As expected, the group of Han Chinese and the group of Wei people traveled together across the river for a long time, a distance of thirty or forty li, until the sun began to set in the west. Yang Su then told Liu Shan that they had arrived at the famous Puban Ferry.

More than four hundred years ago, Marquis Han Xin of Huaiyin used his troops here, making a feigned crossing with boats to attract the attention of King Bao of Wei. Finally, he used wooden pontoon bridges to secretly cross the Yellow River dozens of miles upstream.

More than a decade ago, when Cao Cao and Ma Chao were facing off at Tong Pass, Cao Cao sent Xu Huang with 4,000 men to cross the pass secretly and establish a foothold in the place where Liu Shan is now. Only then did Cao Cao make a show of force at Fengling Ferry and almost get captured by Ma Chao.

Now Liu Shan has arrived here.

This place can be described as desolate and uninhabited, with only three hundred men sent by Commandant Feng Yi Wei Chang to guard it, and Yang Su also arranged for two hundred Qiang cavalry to patrol the banks of the river day and night in shifts.

The dock was destroyed by Sima Yi and it will take several months to rebuild. Several sunken ships can still be seen tilted in the shallow water near the dock, with half of their bows showing.

According to the Han soldiers stationed there, this was scuttled by cavalry sent by Sima Yi before he fled to Tongguan. If the Yellow River hadn't been flooded these past few days, more than a dozen ferry boats would still be visible in the deeper water.

"Was there a bridge here?" Liu Shan saw several huge stone steps and large iron pillars near the dock, which were obviously the anchors of a pontoon bridge.

The garrison commander, never expecting to see the emperor, was still trembling slightly with excitement.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Previously, the people of Hedong and Linjin raised funds to build a pontoon bridge for trade, but it was destroyed by the Wei invaders some time ago."

A pontoon bridge is a structure where a wooden boat serves as a pontoon beam, acting as a bridge span, and wooden planks are laid on the boat to form the bridge deck.

Pubanjin was nearly two miles wide, which was quite a large project.

As Liu Shan was lamenting, several red-billed storks, which resembled cranes, suddenly flew down from the sky and landed on the raised bow of the sunken ship. After a short while, they swooped down, snatched a small fish from the river, and returned to the bow to eat.

As Liu Shan traveled north, he encountered many red-billed storks, a species unique to the banks of the Yellow River. Later, at Pubanjin, on the opposite bank, a famous "Stork Tower" was built. However, at that time, apart from some small wooden houses, there was nothing on the opposite bank, and it was quite desolate.

The sun is gradually setting in the west.

Having traveled together for so long, the two groups of people from the Han and Wei dynasties, now separated by a great river, finally parted ways.

The Wei people headed east.

Liu Shan headed west.

Traveling four or five miles west, one can see a vast expanse of farmland, where hundreds of farmers are either weeding or carrying water for irrigation.

Several villages and fortified villages are scattered around the farmland, with one about every five or six miles. Dilapidated and simple thatched huts stand around the fortified villages, and the manors of powerful clans are located where streams flow.

Without a doubt, the farmers in the fields were the local powerful families' land slaves, tenant farmers, and retainers.

This is the territory of Linjin.

The place where Guo Youzhi, Chen Zhi, and Wei Chang were stationed.

The farmers looked at the hundreds of riders slowly walking through the fields with fear in their eyes. Some rode their horses to the fortified village to warn them, seemingly afraid that the Han government might do something to them.

After Zhao Guang and the Tiger Cavalry scouted the way ahead, Liu Shan led his generals toward a group of simple thatched huts built on small hills.

This place is probably on the northeastern border of Linjin, while Linjin city is about 20 or 30 miles to the southwest.

Without greeting Guo Youzhi and the others, and without intending to listen to any reports, Liu Shan wanted to see for himself what the local environment of Linjin was like.

(End of this chapter)