Chapter Twenty-Five: Yuan Shu

When Zhuge Liang passed through the eastern city of Xiapi and entered the territory of Huainan, the main body of the Huangmen Pavilion migration was also traveling south from Xiangben along the Yi River. To journey from Xuzhou to Huainan, one cannot avoid the Si and Huai Rivers. In the Han dynasty, the primary means of crossing such large rivers as the Four Duks and Eight Currents was not via bridges, but ferries, for the technology of the time made it difficult to construct bridges that could turn natural barriers into traversable paths.

Thus, the migration force from Huangmen Pavilion needed to cross the river at the ferry near Xiapi county, the administrative center of Xiapi. When they arrived at the ferry near Ge Yi Mountain outside Xiapi, however, they found only desolation—no sign of human life remained. With no other choice, everyone proceeded upstream along the Si River. There were still ferries downstream, and one could follow the Si River south, cross at Suiling, and enter the territory of Xutai, then continue toward the eastern city. Yet Shen Chen believed this route would be lined with slaughtered Xuzhou townsfolk. Over a month had passed since the beginning of May; the bodies would be severely decomposed, disease and bacteria rampant, making it the most dangerous time.

Therefore, they headed upstream toward Lü County. But even there, the scene was ghastly: bones everywhere, villages razed, corpses and remains drifting in the river. After finally finding boats at the ferry of Lü County, they continued south, inevitably approaching Qulü County, where they witnessed what could only be described as hell on earth.

Village after village had been annihilated; liquefying corpses lined the roadsides, flies and mosquitoes swarmed, and for dozens of miles not a single sound of chicken or dog could be heard. The route Shen Chen had planned already avoided the central sites of slaughter, yet even the outskirts exceeded his expectations in horror.

How could the scant sentences in the Records of the Three Kingdoms or the Later Han Book ever convey the sorrow of the hundreds of thousands who perished in Xiapi?

"Five cities were taken, and the territory extended to the Eastern Sea. Returning via Tan, Qian's generals Cao Bao and Liu Bei garrisoned east of Tan to block the Grand Ancestor. The Grand Ancestor defeated them, then seized Xiangben, and slaughtered all along his path."

"Passing through Qulü, Juling, and Xiaqiu, all were massacred. Altogether, hundreds of thousands of men and women were killed; not even chickens or dogs remained. The Si River ceased to flow, and from then on, the five counties were besieged, with no further movement."

A cold sentence—"slaughtered all along his path" and "hundreds of thousands killed"—reads as if recording lambs in a slaughterhouse.

But they were all people.

Shen Chen gazed upon it all, his eyes filled with sorrow.

Many later generations have tried to whitewash Cao Cao's massacre.

How unfortunate.

Why were the forebears of these apologists not among the slaughtered people of Xuzhou?

After passing Qulü, conditions gradually improved. By late June, the group crossed the Sui River and Fuli, and by early July, they approached Xiang County, heading gradually toward Jiujang.

In truth, the journey from Xuzhou to Huainan is not far—from Linyi in Shandong to Huainan in Anhui, just over four hundred kilometers, with an even road the entire way. Normally, on horseback it would take three or four days; walking forty kilometers per day, the journey would never exceed twelve days.

But Huangmen Pavilion comprised over a thousand villagers, not well-trained soldiers. Families traveled with the elderly and children, covering about twenty kilometers a day, not quickly.

Thus, from mid-June to early July, in just over ten days, they had only covered less than three hundred kilometers—about two-thirds of the way.

By mid-July, they finally arrived near Shouchun in Huainan.

At this time, Zhuge Xuan had also reached Shouchun. Yuan Shu, delighted to hear that noble families were passing through, summoned Zhuge Xuan for an audience. Though the Zhuge family was only third-rate among the gentry, Yuan Shu appreciated their talents and thus recommended Zhuge Xuan as Prefect of Yuzhang.

A month later, the elders from Huangmen Pavilion also arrived in Shouchun. Yuan Shu, hearing of another noble family passing through, once again summoned them for inquiry.

Strictly speaking, the Shen family was of low standing, with little connection to the gentry or aristocracy. The Deng family, however, was different. Tracing back, Deng Mao and Deng Hong’s grandfather and great-grandfather had been among the top official scions during the reign of Empress Deng, with numerous marquises and high-ranking officials in the family. However, during Emperor An’s reign, the Deng clan suffered persecution and fell from grace, their descendants fleeing and holding no office.

Yet a tiger’s dying might lingers. The Deng name endured.

Thus, hearing that the Dengs from Xinye were passing through, Yuan Shu naturally wished to meet them.

Shen Chen had anticipated this. Along the journey, he consulted with Deng Mao, Deng Hong, and the clan elders about how to respond. They decided Deng Hong would pose as a sage and persuade Yuan Shu to assist their kin in traveling to Jingzhou.

On July 16th, the Huangmen Pavilion elders were temporarily settled north of Shouchun city. Deng Hong, accompanied by Shen Chen, entered the residence of the General of the Left to pay respects to Yuan Shu.

The mansion was vast and luxurious; the entrance opened to a grand courtyard. Led by attendants, Deng Hong and Shen Chen crossed the courtyard to the main hall, where they saw a middle-aged man seated in the place of honor.

A few guards stood within; at the lower left sat a middle-aged scholar—Yuan Shu’s chief secretary, Yan Xiang.

Seeing the man in the main seat, Deng Hong led Shen Chen forward and saluted, saying, “Greetings, General of the Left.”

“You are Deng Hong, I presume. No need for ceremony; please, sit.”

Yuan Shu gestured for them to be seated.

“Thank you, General of the Left.”

Deng Hong and Shen Chen took their seats to Yuan Shu’s right.

In the Han dynasty, the right was honored; this is mentioned often in the Han Book and Later Han Book, and only after the Tang and Song did the left become the superior side.

Thus, Yuan Shu, as the most eminent of four generations and three grand ministers, allowing two men without official rank to sit at his right hand, was a mark of considerable respect.

From this, one could see that Yuan Shu had not yet become the arrogant and self-important figure he would later be, and still maintained the etiquette of his noble lineage.

Once seated, Deng Hong addressed Yuan Shu, “General, this is my grandnephew Shen Chen. He is eight years old and has heard of your might across the realm and your fame throughout the land. He begged to accompany me, eager to witness your power.”

“To witness me?”

Yuan Shu asked with curiosity, “This child is amusing. Since he wished to see me, now that he has, what is his impression?”

Shen Chen stood and replied earnestly, “I feel the general’s reputation does not match his name.”

“Oh?”

Yuan Shu was somewhat displeased but kept his composure, asking, “How so?”

Shen Chen said, “People say Yuan Gonglu rose to power only by relying on the four generations and three grand ministers of the Yuan family, his talent far inferior to Yuan Shao. I think it’s all praise for Yuan Benchu; clearly, General, you are the true dragon of the Yuan clan, yet the world overlooks you. Is that not a mismatch between name and reality?”

Yuan Shu began to feel irritated, but as he listened further, he grew delighted and teased, “You rascal, are you not repeating what your granduncle taught you, trying to curry favor with me?”

“Certainly not.”

Shen Chen shook his head. “When I was in Xuzhou, I saw ruined villages and roads covered in bones. After the eunuchs, Cao Cao ceased to cultivate virtue and repeatedly wrought slaughter, causing rebellions behind him. When I reached Huainan, I saw the people living in peace and prosperity. Is this not due to the general’s benevolence?”

Yan Xiang, standing nearby, laughed and said to Yuan Shu, “My lord, even an eight-year-old child traveling from Xuzhou can see the difference between us and Cao Cao or Tao Qian. Why should we not gain the lands of Henan and Huaibei?”

In truth, Yuan Shu summoned Zhuge Xuan and Deng Hong not to recruit talent, but because he had recently defeated Chen Wen, the Governor of Yangzhou, and now controlled Huainan, preparing his forces to march north for Xuzhou.

Thus, whenever refugees arrived from Xuzhou, he would call them to learn the actual situation and make decisions for the coming war.

Yan Xiang heard more than flattery in Shen Chen’s words. He discerned two key points: first, that Cao Cao withdrew from Xuzhou because chaos erupted behind him, and now is the perfect time to seize Xuzhou; second, Xuzhou is now devastated, its power greatly diminished, so attacking it would meet much less resistance.

This matched the information they had already received from refugees and Zhuge Xuan.

Shen Chen, of course, was aware of what Yan Xiang could deduce, but he knew nothing could be hidden. The massacre in Xuzhou had caused a huge migration south to Huainan, and Yuan Shu could easily obtain this information. Lying would serve them no purpose.

Thus, it was better to state the truth and use known facts to please Yuan Shu—saying nothing new, yet gaining favor.

Yuan Shu laughed heartily, “Children these days are remarkably clever. At New Year, Duke Ning brought his six-year-old son, Lu, to visit me; the boy stole three tangerines from my desk to honor his mother. Now I see the Deng clan’s grandnephew, Shen, discerning the trends of the world—truly, the younger generation is formidable!”

Shen Chen immediately said, “All this my sixth granduncle told me. He said that now, with the Han court weakened and the warlords rising, the situation is no different from the end of Qin. When Qin lost its prey, all pursued it. Among the southern lords, Cao Cao is cruel and unkind, Tao Qian is aged and frail; only the General of the Left is in his prime, able to protect the realm and its people. With the Yuan family’s prestige, why should you not sweep the land and restore the Han?”

He did not say Yuan Shu should proclaim himself emperor, but rather that he could restore the Han.

He phrased it thus because the prevailing opinion still favored restoring the Han court. After Cao Cao seized the emperor, many gentry and aristocrats flocked to him. When Yuan Shu declared himself emperor, he immediately lost support and was deserted by all.

Yet Yuan Shu already had ambitions for the throne, so hearing Shen Chen’s words, he was somewhat displeased. However, he knew the time was not yet right, so he concealed his annoyance, his demeanor growing colder as he said, “I see. Your granduncle speaks truly. The Yuan family’s reputation is known throughout the world; I shall indeed sweep the realm. But do you know that the Yuan and Deng clans share a certain connection?”