Chapter 23: The Imperial Court in Turmoil

Luoyang.

"Make way! Clear the path! An urgent dispatch from Bingzhou, eight hundred miles in haste! All civilians, move aside at once!"

The voice arrived long before the rider. Pedestrians on the street scrambled toward the edges of the road; after all, if it truly were an eight-hundred-mile urgent report, the messenger would face no legal repercussions even if he trampled someone to death.

Inside the Deyang Hall of the Imperial Palace, the morning court session was underway, though Emperor Liu Hong was characteristically late. The Emperor of Han sat high upon his throne; despite his somewhat sickly complexion, he still radiated a sense of imperial majesty.

"Begin the session," commanded a clean-shaven, middle-aged man standing beside the Emperor. To call him a man was perhaps a slight stretch—this was the notorious Zhang Rang, a Regular Palace Attendant.

"We, your humble servants, pay our respects to Your Majesty. May Your Majesty enjoy eternal peace," the civil and military officials kowtowed in perfect unison.

"Very well, rise," the Emperor said impatiently. "If any of you have matters to report, speak now. If not, the court is dismissed."

The officials were not surprised. It was common knowledge that their sovereign was addicted to pleasure; the fact that he had even bothered to go through the motions of a morning court was more than they had expected.

"Your Majesty, I have a matter to report," the Minister of the Secretariat, Lu Zhi, said, suddenly rising to his feet.

"And what is it this time, my minister?" Liu Hong asked with an air of indifference.

"Your Majesty, an urgent dispatch from Bingzhou states that the leader of the Southern Xiongnu, Yufuluo, has gathered an army of 250,000 to lay siege to Yanmen Pass. Bingzhou is in imminent danger. I implore Your Majesty to dispatch reinforcements immediately. Furthermore, I have received word that the Xianbei and Wuhuan are also casting covetous eyes upon Youzhou." Though Lu Zhi worried about the Emperor’s lack of concern, he remained diligent and dutiful when it came to matters of national security.

The announcement caused a stir among the court, from the Emperor down to the lowliest official. Setting aside Youzhou, if the Xiongnu were to breach Yanmen Pass, Bingzhou would have no further natural defenses. The region would lie open, and with 250,000 Xiongnu cavalry, Bingzhou would fall in the blink of an eye.

Even more grave was the fact that the Sili region was separated from Bingzhou by only a single river. If Bingzhou fell and the Xiongnu pushed into Sili, Luoyang would be in peril, and the Han Dynasty itself would be at risk. Even if the Xiongnu could not threaten Luoyang directly, the mere thought of them pillaging Sili made a mockery of the Great Han’s majesty.

Hearing this news, the Emperor could no longer afford to be frivolous. He hurriedly turned to his ministers, "My lords, the situation in Bingzhou is critical. What counsel do you have for me?"

"Your Majesty, we must send reinforcements to Bingzhou immediately. As a frontier province, Bingzhou has long guarded against the Xiongnu and possesses significant military strength. Even with the Xiongnu's numbers, they cannot breach Yanmen Pass in the short term. If reinforcements arrive in time, the Xiongnu will pose no true threat; once they realize they cannot take the pass, they will naturally withdraw," Lu Zhi advised.

Liu Hong’s heart eased slightly. "Grand General, what is the state of the military in Luoyang? Can we support Yanmen Pass?"

He Jin found himself in a difficult position. Having only recently ascended to the rank of Grand General thanks to his sister, Empress He, he was not yet well-versed in the state of the capital's military. However, he knew full well that the armaments in Luoyang had long since fallen into disrepair. The Five Schools of the Northern Army could barely guarantee their own combat readiness, let alone provide aid elsewhere. A regiment officially numbering a thousand men would be lucky to have five hundred fit for duty. Moreover, the ranks were filled with the sons of noble families who contributed almost nothing to the fighting force.

He Jin had no interest in managing such a troublesome affair; he only cared about maintaining his own power. Yet, faced with the Emperor’s sudden question, he panicked.

"Your Majesty, most of the military’s weapons have fallen into disrepair over the years. Furthermore, between natural disasters and man-made strife, the treasury is short on funds and grain. If we send too many troops, I fear it would weaken the defense of Luoyang. I am as anxious as any about the war at Yanmen, but I am afraid my ability falls short of my desires," He Jin said, steeling his nerves. He figured that with his sister, the Empress, by his side, the Emperor would not truly punish him.

As expected, though the Emperor looked furious, he said nothing more.

"You have all heard clearly," the Emperor said. "Even if Luoyang wished to send aid, we lack the capacity. Do any of you have another solution? Any who provide a working plan will be heavily rewarded."

Wang Yun, one of the Nine Ministers, stepped forward. This was the same Wang Yun of the Taiyuan Wang clan, the future Minister of the Interior who would orchestrate the "Beauty Trap," though he had not yet reached that position.

"Your Majesty, I have a plan that can not only alleviate the crisis at Yanmen but also resolve the worries in Youzhou."

Liu Hong’s eyes lit up. "What is your brilliant plan? Speak quickly!"

"Your Majesty, the border regions of Bingzhou and Youzhou have long valued martial prowess. If we recruit soldiers locally and provide them with some training, they will be enough to hold the cities against the Xiongnu, even if their combat strength is not elite. However, both provinces are desolate and lack supplies. To truly repel the barbarians, we need Your Majesty to order the support of the Central Plains."

Liu Hong was overjoyed. "Minister Wang, you are indeed a pillar of the state. I recall that you hail from the Taiyuan Wang clan of Bingzhou. There is no need to look elsewhere; I appoint you to oversee the mobilization of supplies from the four provinces of Ji, Yan, Yu, and Xu. I shall issue an imperial decree ordering the provincial inspectors to assist you fully. If the crisis is averted, you shall be my foremost meritorious subject."

Wang Yun bowed, his face full of fervor. "For the sake of Your Majesty and the Great Han, I shall not shirk even if it costs me my life."

As a loyalist to the Han, Wang Yun was unaware of the Li family’s hidden ambitions, and he certainly would not have intentionally bolstered their power. The letters he had received from the Li and Wang families had not mentioned recruitment directly, merely requesting that he bring the issue to the court’s attention if official aid was not forthcoming, even including Youzhou as a precaution. Thus, out of a desire to stabilize the Han, Wang Yun easily fell into the trap set by Li Xiang and Wang Meng, enabling Li Xiang to achieve his goals.

The Wang clan had agreed to this because it not only increased the Li family’s strength but also benefited their own. While the Wang clan focused more on central court power, they had no intention of relinquishing their influence in Bingzhou. If this succeeded, both families would rise to greater prominence.

Wang Yun could never have known that his advice would allow the father-son duo of Li Yang and Li Xiang to amass an army of nearly 100,000 in Bingzhou. Through constant, bloody warfare against the Xiongnu, they would forge a battle-hardened force that would lay the foundation for Li Xiang’s eventual bid for the empire—and plant the seeds for the fall of the Han Dynasty itself.