The Anti-Dong Zhuo Coalition (2)
The Inspector's Office of Ji Province. It would be more accurate now to call it the Governor's Office, but since the title of provincial governor had only been revived a few years ago, the governor's working quarters still used the old Inspector's building as-is.
The position of provincial inspector had always leaned more toward oversight and auditing the administrators than actual governance, so the salary was smaller than that of a commandery governor, and the office itself was somewhat shabbier than a governor's headquarters. That should have been the norm, yet the Ji Province Inspector's Office had undergone repeated expansions and renovations, resulting in quite an imposing structure.
“It hasn't even been that long since the Yellow Turbans rose up because of terrible public sentiment management, and they're already pulling this shit again.”
Of course, I understood the desire to build a splendid building for a post that was practically on the level of a regional monarch. But there was a time and place for everything. The regime had just collapsed because they couldn't stop a coup, and in this situation, if they erected a fancy building and started collecting extra taxes, did they really think the people would cheer and swear loyalty?
It wasn't for nothing that I considered Dong Zhuo the most progressive warlord of this era. At the very least, the man knew when to run wild and when not to, which was how he'd managed to rise from that hellish Liang Province.
Han Fu, Governor of Ji Province? I'd never even heard the name until I got this post. With a name like Han Fu, maybe he dressed well?
About ten minutes after the servant announced my arrival, the gate opened and an old steward approached.
“His Excellency the Governor is waiting. Please come in.”
“And the Prince of Bohai?”
“His Highness is suffering from a severe summer cold and finds it difficult to move.”
…How obvious. Too damn obvious. It was so transparent what they were thinking that I almost laughed.
“Old man, are you seriously asking me to believe that?”
“If you don't believe it, what will you do? Cause a scene right in the middle of Ji Province?”
“Go back and tell him this. Arrange a meeting with His Highness the Prince of Bohai within half a shichen. This is my final ultimatum.”
“Hah, just because you took Zhang Jiao's head once, your arrogance pierces the heavens. A mere backwater colonel who hasn't even received General Yuan Gonglu's letter…”
“Hahaha! Old man, shut up and deliver my message. The reason I've come to see His Highness the Prince of Bohai is to exercise legitimate official duties under the authority of the Inspector of You Province, who is his guardian. If you refuse… hmm… fine. Just refuse. That works for me.”
Anyway, in a few days our army would gather at the Prince of Bohai's residence. I'd brought my proper personal guard, so pulling off a simple extraction wouldn't be hard. And since the people here couldn't even manage public sentiment, there was no way they'd support the governor's war. I was confident I could win even with my eyes closed.
“Balgi.”
“It's Gao Balgi.”
“Yeah, Gao Balgi.”
“Sigh… What do you want me to do? Wipe them all out?”
Gao Balgi. He was the brother of King Gogukcheon of Goguryeo and had fled to Liaodong after losing the succession struggle. Though he'd lost that fight, the blood of the strongest warrior people on the Korean peninsula hadn't gone anywhere. In just a few years he'd earned his place in the personal guard through sheer ability, and he was ridiculously skilled with both the crescent blade and the bow.
“Go around to the back gate and block anyone trying to run.”
“By myself?”
“How many people can there even be in the Inspector's Office? Just block the doors. Can't you manage that?”
“…I can probably handle up to a hundred, but without a bow anything more would be difficult. Can I use Jincheonroe?”
“You can if things go south, but try to save them. They're a pain in the ass to make.”
“Aren't those just made by digging up dirt?”
“If it looks that easy, go make some yourself.”
“Sigh… Understood. I'll do what I can.”
“So Bok-yeon, you go help him too. With the two of you together, there shouldn't be any problems, right?”
“Yes sir!”
“Well, if that guy goes with him, there won't be any issues.”
“Good, good. The rest of you scatter and block any back holes they might slip through. Eom Gang, poke around inside and see what's going on.”
“Understood.”
The ten members of my personal guard dispersed in various directions. I gave Tico the Third a carrot to chew on and waited a moment. I didn't know what kind of schemes they were cooking up behind that gate, but no matter what decision they made, it wouldn't be a big problem.
— Creeeeak…
The gate opened again, and the old steward from before came out with a tense expression to greet me once more.
“Please enter.”
“Right.”
“You cannot bring armed escorts inside. Please leave your sword with me as well.”
“I'm not leaving it.”
“Then I cannot let you in.”
“Hey, old timer. Did you properly deliver my message?”
“Is this the will of the Inspector of You Province?”
“…Ha!”
Pathetic. Too pathetic. It didn't have Yuan Shao's clean elegance, nor Dong Zhuo's meticulous precision. I didn't feel Cao Cao's sticky lust for power, nor did I sense that they were drawing some grand picture beyond my sight like Liu Bei. This… was a provincial governor? A leader commanding forces on the level of a kingdom's king? It was absurd. So absurd that all I could do was laugh.
“I'll come back tomorrow.”
“…You'll regret this.”
“Will I? I don't think so.”
The negotiations had broken down.
“With General Yuan Gonglu at the head, the eighteen coalition armies have gathered. The entire Han Empire has risen up against Dong Zhuo! Colonel Gongsun, are you really going to oppose that great army just to protect a mere ten-year-old child?”
“Old man, old man. You old fool. Do you really think that will succeed? You can't even manage your own backyard and your supply lines are on the verge of being cut off. Do you honestly believe you can fight and defeat Dong Zhuo's army, which has absorbed the central forces?”
Of course, there was a scenario where it was possible. Their side had the greater numbers, so if they could supply provisions pouring out from the granaries of Ji, Qing, and You provinces via the Yellow River, cross at Mengjin Harbor right in front of Luoyang, and march on the capital, toppling Luoyang would be easier than expected.
But the problem was that the Yellow River had become a forbidden zone due to flooding—you couldn't launch boats or cross it. Second, the transportation environment of this era was terrible for supplying troops over land routes. If you transported ten seom of rice, half would be eaten during transit, and of the remaining half, half would rot or be eaten by rats. Even if you sent ten seom, only two would reach the front lines. A proper war couldn't even be established. Naturally, the shortfall in provisions would be made up through plunder, which would make public sentiment turn ugly.
Anyway, Dong Zhuo wasn't talented enough to lead this vast empire, so if I just hid in my hometown for about five years, a Season 2 Yellow Turban Rebellion would break out and they'd collapse on their own. But at this moment when he'd just seized power, he wasn't an enemy we could fight.
It was obvious Yuan Shao was using this opportunity to make his name known while harboring some other scheme. As for the rest… Aha! These bastards had no intention of fighting. I'd seen right through them. Calling it the eighteen coalition armies when there weren't even that many feudal lords? I'd thought it was strange. So it was just the feudal lords' armies in name only.
“Deliver this one last message. As of this moment when you have rejected the final ultimatum, You Province and Ji Province have entered a state of war.”
---
“Your Highness the Prince of Bohai, are you feeling any better?”
“Cough… S-sorry. It's because I'm so frail… Cough!”
“You had to come all the way to the Ji Province Inspector's Office in the pouring rain, so it couldn't be helped. I'll ask you to wait a few more days.”
“Cough!”
Prince of Bohai Liu Xie had been forced to depart for the Ji Province Inspector's Office right as the summer rainy season was ending. The body of a child who'd lived only within the imperial palace since birth had already been sufficiently weakened by the sea voyage a few weeks ago, and she couldn't endure the downpour she encountered during the short time it took to switch to a carriage.
She'd caught a vicious summer cold and couldn't even move properly. Governor Han Fu had been sincerely nursing her. It was only natural, since the man himself had more the heart of an ordinary scholar than a bureaucrat. Before the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Han Fu had been a pale-faced bookworm who only read in his study. He was merely someone hastily dispatched to fill the administrative vacuum after the previous Inspector of You Province died.
And that scene had flowed into the eyes and ears of Eom Gang, who was hidden in the shadows. Eom Gang realized that his lord's judgment had been wrong.
…She really did catch a summer cold? Then… No, I need to look into this more.
“Lord Governor!”
Eom Gang decided to reveal himself. It was dangerous, but necessary. Gongsun Zan was someone who knew that field situations could deviate from operational plans, and the Liaodong army was a unit capable of responding organically to such changes.
“W-who are you!”
“Eek?!”
“I am Eom Gang, of Colonel Gongsun's personal guard.”
“You scoundrel! This is no place for—”
“This is no time to worry about that! You Province and Ji Province are about to go to war!”
“What?! I have done nothing wrong to the Inspector of You Province, so why would war suddenly break out! Has the Yellow Turban Rebellion risen again!? Or has Dong Zhuo occupied You Province!?”
“Your Excellency's tax collectors were caught levying taxes at the Prince of Bohai's residence! And the old steward of the Ji Province Inspector's Office turned away the colonel who came to verify the facts with Her Highness, and rejected the final ultimatum to meet with Her Highness the Prince of Bohai!”
“W-what?! I never heard any such news! Where are you spouting these strange words from! Tax collection at the Prince of Bohai's residence—how could I possibly have dared to encroach on Her Highness's lands! And no one came today, so where did you get this nonsense…”
Governor Han Fu was the typical image that came to mind when people spoke of the Clean Stream faction. Slender features, a long beard, and not a single muscle on his body. He didn't carry the disgusting aura that Clean Stream faction members who had risen to high positions usually possessed. He genuinely looked shocked.
His pupils were trembling wildly and he kept wiping away cold sweat. If this was an act, Eom Gang would have believed the scholar before him was a genius capable of ruling the world.
“Your Excellency, this is not a lie. You must send someone immediately to clear up the misunderstanding.”
“W-what is this…”
“The messengers from the Ji Province Inspector's Office will obviously all be killed, so I'll go myself. Your Highness, it will be difficult, but could you write a single decree?”
“Cough! V-very well.”
“Your Highness! Please rest. I will bring in the maids and go find Colonel Gongsun myself.”
“That won't do. If this story is true, it means there's a conspiracy within the Ji Province Inspector's Office. Unless it's someone you can truly trust, you must not leave her side.”
“…I suppose you're right. It would be safer for Her Highness to stay with Colonel Gongsun. Since her cold is severe, writing a decree would be dangerous. Take this instead.”
“Your Excellency?”
“I was only planning to hold this seat until the next governor arrived anyway.”
Han Fu took out the Governor of Ji Province's seal and handed it to Eom Gang.
“That fellow Yuan Shao is plotting to replace His Majesty the Emperor. I agree with the opinion that Dong Zhuo's tyranny must be stopped, but I cannot consent to such treason. My subordinates seem to think differently… but if you hold this as collateral, I believe he will trust my intentions. Don't you agree?”
“…I will do my best to prevent war. The colonel always says that soldiers are at their greatest when they are not waging war, so once he learns the truth, he will surely halt military action.”