The Child Emperor

The city of Mancang was large, with three layers of walls. From inside out, each wall was lower than the previous, with the outermost being just over a man’s height and made of earth. Combined with the moat, it still effectively hindered enemy attacks. The city’s defenses far exceeded those of ordinary cities.

The name Mancang meant “full granary”. The city stored vast quantities of grain and fodder.

To prepare for emergencies, Great Chu had built several granary cities based on foundations from the previous dynasty, scattered across all directions. Mancang was one of them, situated on a small plain over 80 miles north of the Capital. The city was filled with granaries and pastures. In times of crisis, its stores alone could sustain the entire Central Plains region for ten years.

Since the Founding Emperor established the dynasty, Great Chu had faced several crises. Mancang had prepared to open its stores multiple times, but nothing came of it. Apart from regularly rotating old grain and supplying small amounts to various armies, it had never opened its stores on a large scale. Even when famine struck, Mancang remained uninvolved – its duty was to supply the imperial court during times of unrest, while disaster relief was for other measures.

Mancang wasn’t on the direct route back to the Capital, being a dozen miles to the east. When Chai Yue led the Northern Army south, his first target wasn’t the Capital but this granary city.

Chai Yue didn’t know what to do if the army actually returned to the Capital, as he couldn’t really fight the Southern Army. So he chose Mancang – solving the winter provisions problem while allowing them to observe the situation in the Capital and await the Northern Protection General’s next instructions.

The vanguard of three thousand men was led by Commander Cai Xinghai, heading straight for Mancang.

Outside the city, Cai Xinghai ordered his army to stop a few miles away, taking only dozens of soldiers to the gate. He claimed to be the Northern Army’s provisions officer coming to collect the month’s supplies, with porters following behind.

The Chu garrison was cautious – the year had been unstable with peasant uprisings everywhere. In recent months, Mancang had been attacked three times. An officer came out to carefully check Cai Xinghai’s documents, which all bore the Northern Army Grand Marshal’s seal. The officer complained, “All you do is come for grain. Can’t you spare some men to help defend us?”

Cai Xinghai chuckled, “Who wouldn’t want to relax in Mancang? But without court orders, wishing won’t help.”

Mancang’s gates opened wide. Cai Xinghai sent men to the inner city with documents while he waited at the outer gate for the “supply train.”

The three thousand Northern Army troops charged in, leaving the garrison officers dumbfounded.

Within half an hour, Cai Xinghai had taken Mancang. He politely asked the city officials to continue their duties: “You’re the hosts, we’re guests. It’s like taking shelter from heavy rain – you do your work inside while we stay under the eaves. Don’t mind us, pretend we’re not here.”

But these guests had weapons, and the three thousand vanguard troops alone outnumbered the entire garrison. The bewildered officials could only agree, hiding in their offices and pretending the Northern Army didn’t exist while secretly sending word to the prefect and capital.

As more Northern Army troops arrived, half entered the city while half camped near the main road a dozen miles away, ready to attack or defend. Chai Yue and other leaders stayed outside while Han Ruzi’s forces guarded Mancang.

On the second day after making camp, Southern Army envoys arrived warning the Northern Army to retreat north of Divine Hero Pass. Liu Kunsheng had prepared a letter for the Southern Army’s Grand Marshal Cui Hong, claiming the Northern Army was exhausted and requesting the Southern Army take over border duty.

On the third day, news came that the Southern Army was advancing north towards them and occupying key fortresses.

On the fourth day, letters poured in from the Capital – demands from government departments, inquiries from noble families, and mostly orders. Some commanded the Northern Army directly, others went through friends and relatives, all demanding they return to defend the border.

Chai Yue didn’t stop the messengers, but hinted to his officers that the Southern Army controlled the capital, so everyone gave the same response as Cui Hong!

On the fifth day, the Northern Army Grand Marshal’s envoy arrived with the Champion Marquis’s personal letter. The envoy told the officers that the Capital was selecting a new emperor, with the Champion Marquis almost certain to succeed, and the Northern Army shouldn’t cause trouble at this time.

The Northern Army soldiers saw this as Southern Army having control over the Champion Marquis, though some suspected things weren’t so simple. But with heavy snow falling in the north and supplies difficult to maintain, no one wanted to leave the granary behind to defend an isolated city at the border.

“The Xiongnu are negotiating with the Northern Protection General and have retreated north for winter – why should we go to the frontier?”

“The imperial court’s support for the frontier has been inadequate, and Mancang only releases small amounts of grain. If the Northern Army returns to the frontier, won’t we starve out there?”

The Northern Army soldiers were like rebellious youth – already dissatisfied and feeling wronged, their discontent grew rather than diminished under criticism from outside.

Especially with Chai Yue and Liu Kunsheng fanning the flames – one a general respected by all troops, the other controlling the Grand Marshal’s seal as Northern Army’s Captain- they easily won the soldiers’ trust.

Along with the flood of letters came endless rumors. Everyone now knew about the princes’ succession struggle, and that both the Champion Marquis and Northern Protection General were involved. They were pleased, feeling either candidate would benefit the Northern Army.

Han Ruzi’s letters arrived slightly later than others – not one but over a dozen, sent to different people. Even officers who considered themselves not close to the Northern Protection General received letters, which continued arriving almost daily afterward.

The letters’ contents were similar – first recalling the Northern Army’s hard fight at Shattered Iron City (though most arrived later, they did stabilize morale at the crucial moment), then expressing understanding for their southward march, and finally claiming his good relationship with the Champion Marquis and suggesting they might visit the Northern Army together.

Rumors quickly spread that “The Champion Marquis and Northern Protection General are working together for the throne – one will be emperor, the other chancellor or chief commander.” Such talk reached even Mancang miles away. The city officials could no longer ignore it, leaving their offices to comfort the Northern Army soldiers while secretly seeking news from the Capital.

When neither the Champion Marquis nor Northern Protection General arrived after the Northern Army had occupied Mancang for half a month, it was New Year’s Day of the second year of the Wuwei era. Though the emperor in the palace was nearly forgotten and the court issued no edicts, everywhere still celebrated the new year as usual.

Left Chief Censor Xiao Sheng, trapped in the Northern Army camp, regained freedom that day and immediately headed for the Capital with hundreds of followers and guards, carrying his observations from the camp. Most Northern Army soldiers didn’t know the truth about the succession struggle and still supported the Champion Marquis, but from Xiao Sheng’s perspective, the Northern Army had changed completely, throwing their support behind the Northern Protection General. He had to warn the Champion Marquis to be careful.

In the Capital, though the Champion Marquis publicly declared in the Hall of Diligent Administration that he would confront the Weary Marquis at the Northern Army, he never went. The longer he waited, the more he suspected a trap. With Chai Zhi dead, he had no trusted confidants in the Northern Army, and the route through Southern Army territory wasn’t safe either.

Han Ruzi frequently urged him, but wasn’t anxious – when the Champion Marquis didn’t leave immediately, he knew the man was outwardly fierce but inwardly timid, not worth fearing. But he was delayed from meeting General Han Xing at Hangu Pass, so he could only wait until after New Year’s.

On New Year’s Day, Han Ruzi sent many gifts to the palace for the Empress Dowager, his mother Maiden Wang, his wife Lady Cui, and even Prince Donghai’s mother Grand Consort Cui.

Except for Lady Cui, none sent gifts in return.

While the Champion Marquis still hesitated and hadn’t received the ministers’ nomination, Han Ruzi and Yang Feng stayed busy, analyzing the situation daily and beginning to court the teachers and students of the College of National Scions and Imperial University.

“Barring the unexpected, when the Chancellor retires, one of the two censors will succeed him. The Left Chief Censor oversees Capital officials and has a better chance, but Right Chief Censor Shen Mingzhi is also one of the Martial Emperor’s designated Trusted Official, so his chances aren’t small. He supports the Champion Marquis, showing his ambition for the Chancellor position, and will surely clash with Xiao Sheng,” said Yang Feng, who had previously assisted the Champion Marquis but had less access to information lately and could only speculate.

“If the Champion Marquis takes the throne, Yin Wuhai would have rendered great servic e. Would he still give up the Chancellor position and retire?” Han Ruzi particularly couldn’t figure out Yin Wuhai’s motives.

Yang Feng guessed, “This shows Yin Wuhai’s craftiness. His plan is probably this: spread word that after the Champion Marquis takes the throne, he’ll resign as Chancellor, being old and having achieved his goals. Then hint that either chief censor might succeed him, making them compete to serve the Champion Marquis and establish merit.”

Han Ruzi immediately understood, “Yin Wuhai does nothing but uses a future promise to make two high officials fully support the Champion Marquis. If it fails, Xiao Sheng and Shen Mingzhi take the blame; if it succeeds, Yin Wuhai gets the credit. He never intended to give up the Chancellor position.”

“He’ll offer to resign, but the Champion Marquis won’t accept,” Yang Feng had seen many such shows between ruler and minister.

“Can we drive a wedge between Shen Mingzhi and Xiao Sheng?”

Yang Feng shook his head, “We’ll have to start from scratch.”

Yang Feng listed over a hundred names from the College of National Scions and Imperial University, including famous scholars and unknown young students.

Han Ruzi first sent calling cards to each household, but the response was disappointing. Most replied but unanimously refused to visit or receive the Weary Marquis, giving various excuses – the simplest being just two words: “Don’t come.”

Yang Feng didn’t give up, sending gifts to each household as the new year began.

Things changed on the fourth day of the first month. The day before, Left Chief Censor Xiao Sheng’s return to the Capital had caused a minor stir. As Yang Feng tried to learn what Xiao Sheng had told the Champion Marquis, a famous scholar arrived uninvited at the Weary Marquis’s residence.

Guo Cong had once lectured the classics to Han Ruzi when he was emperor and helped deliver the Founding Emperor’s sword to Chief Commander Han Xing with Liu Kunsheng. He then retired to seclusion, refusing both rewards and visitors.

Recently, Guo Cong had quietly returned to the Capital, known to few. After staying home several days, his first visit was to the Weary Marquis, whom he had previously avoided.

This scholar, known for being extremely vague when lecturing the classics, was now direct. After exchanging greetings and entering the study, he said, “For the sake of Great Chu’s future, please withdraw from the succession struggle.”

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