Efficient Use of the Imperial Seal
Efficient Use of the Imperial Seal
"Hmm..."
Zhang Rang, the old eunuch who had once manipulated the Later Han's political power.
He was pacing alone in his room, his face set in a cold expression.
Several weeks had passed since he arrived at Shangdang in Bing Province, and every development was flowing in an unfavorable direction.
Shangdang was relatively developed compared to the rest of Bing Province, but Bing Province itself had never been an economically advanced part of the Later Han.
They had Gongsun Zan's support from You Province, and the immense wealth and supplies they had scraped together while fleeing Luoyang. But in the long run, their own strength alone could not confront the forces of Emperor Liu Bian, who held Sili, Ji Province, Yan Province, Yu Province, and Yang Province... No, Yuan Shu's forces.
'It seems Ding Yuan and Gongsun Zan are planning something, but whatever it is, reversing this state of affairs won't be easy...'
Their military capabilities were excellent, but the defeat at Luoyang had already revealed their limits.
'If that's the case... then I ultimately have to look for an answer from the outside...'
With that thought, Zhang Rang's gaze turned to the single object placed on the table.
The Imperial Heirloom Seal.
An object representing the emperor's authority, and the most powerful weapon he could wield at this moment in time.
He had originally intended to use it to incite the various regional lords and attack the coalition army,
but that scheme had ended in failure when Luoyang was captured.
Since the tide had already turned and the lords would not move even if he issued commands, Zhang Rang had retrieved and burned every edict to hide the seal's existence for the time being.
And at this very moment,
another scheme connected to it was taking shape inside Zhang Rang's head.
A single decisive scheme that could overturn the current state of affairs.
However...
"Hoo..."
A deep sigh escaped Zhang Rang's lips as he contemplated it.
He knew it, too: this scheme was not comparable to the past plan of simply striking the coalition army from behind.
If he carried it out, handling the aftermath...
frankly, even Zhang Rang lacked confidence that he could manage it.
In the worst case, this vast Han Dynasty—
the empire that Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang had bound together four hundred years ago—might be torn to shreds.
But even so...
he had no intention of crumbling like this.
No, he could not crumble.
The wealth, fame, and power he had pursued his entire life.
He had no intention whatsoever of letting go of the things he had craved even at the cost of giving up his manhood—not now, after everything.
'Fine... it's all or nothing anyway... Rather than losing everything and falling into ruin miserably, this is better!'
The moment he made that decision, Zhang Rang immediately set about putting it into action.
The tears of blood that this act would cause countless people to shed... were already none of his concern.
*
Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang.
Before his death, he left a single dying instruction for the realm's long-term future.
-Only those of the Liu Clan may use the title of king.
Naturally, this "king" included not only the emperor but also the vassal kings—feudal lords guaranteed hereditary succession and extensive autonomy.
Because of this, although one could grow a family's power within the Han Empire through the recommendation system known as Xiaolian, it became difficult for any force outside the Liu Clan to grow its strength beyond a certain point.
No matter how great the family, its members were ultimately subjects in a realm ruled by the Liu Clan.
Apart from the eternally reviled traitor Wang Mang, who dared to usurp the throne and destroy the Former Han, it was virtually unheard of for anyone outside the Liu Clan to declare themselves king.
However.
Put another way, this also meant that anyone who bore the imperial surname of Liu possessed the qualification to call themselves king.
Indeed, though few in number, several vassal kings, including Liu Chong, still remained in the Han Dynasty at present.
And now...
One of these imperial kinsmen, Liu Yan, Inspector of Yi Province—who controlled the far frontier province of Yi, one of the Later Han's thirteen provinces yet possessing considerable economic power—
was gazing down at the ornate edict in his hands with a quiet smile.
"A vassal king, he says..."
"That is correct. Her Majesty the Emperor, in commendation of the Inspector's achievements in pacifying Yi Province and exalting the imperial family's dignity, has declared that you shall be specially enfeoffed as a vassal king."
The envoy before him had come from Bing Province.
Liu Yan studied the envoy with deep interest.
He had little desire to listen to the words of men who had been defeated at Luoyang and driven out.
Yet the imperial edict Liu Yan now held in his hands overturned that very thought.
An imperial edict appointing him a vassal king.
It was no ordinary edict, either. This one bore the stamp of the Imperial Heirloom Seal—a symbol of the emperor's authority that in itself carried legitimacy—and it prompted Liu Yan to consider the matter seriously.
Though the authority of the boy emperor in Bing Province was practically worthless, the power and authority carried by the Imperial Heirloom Seal could never be taken lightly.
An edict stamped with the seal, and one that was not.
For a loyal subject who valued form and justification, choosing the former was naturally the right thing to do.
Even if the command itself was unjust, the seal possessed the power to make it just.
And if the content was a royal investiture granting him the rank of "king" he had dreamed of for so long, the proposition was mouthwatering enough from Liu Yan's standpoint.
The answer was obvious.
"I understand well what you mean. However..."
In order to drink this cup, he could not ignore the "poison" it contained.
"If I were to accept this edict, would I not then come into conflict with the emperor in Luoyang and the lords beneath him?"
Though he harbored desire for kingship, Liu Yan was no fool.
While the seal could serve as a bit of a shield, the moment he accepted this edict, it would be no different from turning his back on the Luoyang court.
No matter how defensible Yi Province was and no matter how formidable its economic power, it could not compare to regions like Sili and Ji Province in the Central Plains.
Liu Yan had no intention of recklessly plunging into a losing battle and kicking open the gates of hell.
At that moment.
Watching Liu Yan, the envoy spoke with a solemn voice.
"You need not worry on that point."
"Why is that?"
Liu Yan voiced his doubt.
In response, the envoy produced a letter he had tucked inside his robes and held it out to him.
Unlike the ornate edict from before, it was a secret letter written on ordinary paper.
Liu Yan's expression flickered with surprise when he saw that the secret letter, too, bore the stamp of the Imperial Heirloom Seal.
The letter contained an imperial decree ordering him to form a new alliance centered around the Liu clan.
Yuan Shu, who now controlled the Luoyang court—
the forces he commanded had already grown so great that none in the Han Empire could defy him.
If things continued this way, the Han might one day become Yuan's empire rather than Liu's—just as the traitor Wang Mang had done.
The secret letter commanded that, in opposition to this, the imperial kinsmen throughout the land and the lords truly loyal to the empire gather their strength to execute the traitorous Yuan Clan.
This was not an order to become a shield alone.
The prospect of forming a coalition of lords who had been cautious during the last war and toppling them together made Liu Yan ponder the situation once more.
"Is this... true?"
"It is. I should also inform you that such secret letters have already been distributed not only to you, Liu Yan, but to other members of the Liu clan and to lords who did not participate in the previous war. In particular, Liu Biao, the Inspector of Jing Province, which neighbors Yi Province, has already declared her participation in this cause."
"Oh-ho..."
The story was more appealing than before.
Though the ulterior motives were transparent, the content itself carried a fair degree of plausible credibility.
Yuan Shu, who could be called the leader of the coalition since capturing Luoyang and effectively seizing control of the government—
Although his side also served Emperor Liu Bian, the reality was that the picture merely looked like a man using the young emperor as a puppet to seize power.
Of course, considering Yuan Shu's conduct up to now, it would be fitting to call him a loyal subject. But the human heart is not to be trusted.
Even Wang Mang was once considered a loyal subject beyond reproach at first, so it was equally true that the edict's content could not be called entirely false.
It was not a bad cause,
and if Liu Biao of Jing Province had already joined and he himself joined as well—combining forces with Bing Province and You Province—they would be no small force.
In size alone, that would account for roughly forty percent of the Han.
If other lords joined in as well, its scale would grow even larger.
With favorable odds like this, Liu Yan's thoughts slowly began to tip in one direction.
'Yes... when I think about it, I've already passed the point of no return with that side.'
Now that Luoyang had been captured, the other side would surely come for Yi Province before long.
Whether to pledge loyalty to their emperor and bow their heads, or to resist to the end.
Of course, if he submitted, there was a chance the other side would accept him smoothly.
But...
'Even if I do, from their perspective, I'm just the guy who dawdled and reluctantly joined at the last minute, aren't I? I clearly won't receive favorable treatment...'
Having joined belatedly, he would inevitably feel inferior to the meritorious retainers.
Moreover, although he bore the surname of Liu as an imperial kinsman, Liu Yan's official rank was nothing more than a mere Inspector.
He was someone who would have to pack up and leave the moment an imperial decree came down.
In the worst case, he faced the danger of being demoted or purged before long on the pretext of not having joined the coalition army.
'If that's how it is, then siding with these people is more beneficial to me. And if I make good use of this opportunity, perhaps...'
In the past, Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang had built up his power here in Yi Province, then advanced into the Central Plains, defeated the Hegemon-King Xiang Yu, and finally pacified the realm.
As a man who carried Emperor Gaozu of Han's blood, why could he not do the same?
Thus, buoyed by no small degree of possibility and a squirming ambition, Liu Yan finally made his decision.
"I, Liu Yan, Inspector of Yi Province, shall accept Her Majesty the Emperor's edict and subjugate the traitorous Yuan Clan."
"Thank you for your wise judgment. Her Majesty will never forget the Inspector's deeds."
Liu Yan declared his intent to cooperate.
Meanwhile.
Watching this, the Imperial Envoy smiled deeply inside.
'As expected... he took the bait, just as Zhang Rang said.'
Naturally, a fair number of the claims he had made to Liu Yan had been mixed with lies.
Among them, the biggest lie was of course the part about Liu Biao.
As of the moment he arrived here, no word from Liu Biao's side had come.
Still, as the saying goes, a theft is less frightening when done together.
The lie that Liu Biao had cooperated was enough to sway the conflicted mind of Liu Yan,
and it would likely be the same in Liu Biao's case.
Over there, they were probably using the story that Liu Yan had declared his cooperation to shake Liu Biao's resolve.
Smiling because the situation was unfolding as Zhang Rang had designed,
the envoy received the reply that the edict would be accepted and set out once more on the long road back toward Bing Province.