Jinting Han people

Chapter 720 Huangfu Gui Asks About Good and Bad Fortune

Wei Bo appeared so confident, but Huangfu Zhong looked solemn and serious because he was truly uncertain.

After Wei Bo sat down again, Huangfu Zhong did not speak immediately. Instead, he went out and instructed his confidants not to approach the room under the pretext of discussing military secrets. Then he returned to the room, carefully closed the door, and said to Wei Bo, "You and I both know what level His Majesty is at in military affairs. Even Han Bai of this era is no better. What you're talking about—restoring the Jin dynasty and establishing a separatist regime in the southwest—isn't that a joke?"

But Wei Bo didn't care. He said to Huangfu Zhong, "Your Majesty is indeed invincible in military affairs, but human strength can never overcome the times. If you seize the opportunity, even Han Xin would die at the hands of a woman, and Bai Qi would have no choice but to commit suicide. You should realize that the times are on your side now!"

"Oh?" Huangfu Zhong was somewhat incredulous. Perhaps because he had drunk too much, his thoughts were a jumbled mess, and he found it difficult to understand what Wei Bo was thinking. So he tapped the table and said, "Then tell me."

Wei Bo's plan was actually very simple and clear.

Due to the Guanzhong Campaign, most of the Han army's forces in Bashu were transferred to the north. Yang Nandi took 40,000 men directly into Qinzhou, and Liu Kun subsequently ordered the dispatch of another 20,000 men as reinforcements. Currently, most of the important cities in Bashu are undefended.

Huangfu Zhong had served as the governor of Ningzhou for four years, commanding over 40,000 men. Among them were about 10,000 of his close confidants, veterans who had followed him south from Qinzhou and were completely obedient to his command. The remaining three towns of Xingqian, Nanning, and Dianchi each had 10,000 men.

Initially, the three towns of Xingqian, Nanning, and Dianchi checked and balanced each other. Meng Tao represented the emperor's confidants in Xingqian, Zhang Jun represented the local powerful clans of Nanzhong in Dianchi, and Zhang Bao represented the Chengdu faction that had submitted to the emperor in Nanning. Liu Xian's arrangement ensured domestic stability while also strengthening his control over Ningzhou. It was virtually impossible for any unauthorized transfers within Ningzhou to escape his notice.

However, as the eastern expedition expanded, Liu Xian transferred Meng Tao's troops away from Ningzhou and ordered Huangfu Zhong to concurrently manage Xingqian Town and rebuild a new army, thus enabling him to directly control 20,000 troops. In fact, Wei Bo was ordered to come here to take over the affairs of Xingqian Town.

With 20,000 troops, they already account for half of Ningzhou's military strength, which is enough to break the original balance.

Wei Bo said to Huangfu Zhongdao, "Since the Emperor pacified Ningzhou, the four families and five sons who were close to him have basically followed Huo Biao to Yi'an. The powerful families that remained in the area, such as the Cuan and Zhou families, have been suppressed by the Emperor. If you offer them high positions and redistribute Ningzhou, how could they not submit to you?"

Huangfu Chong pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "That would bring us 30,000 men. But what about Zhang Bao's troops? He was promoted by the Emperor above his rank, and he's stationed right outside the city. I'm afraid it will be difficult to win them over."

“It’s not that we can’t win them over,” Wei Bo said. “Zhang Bao is a former subordinate of Li Xiong, and things have come to an end here. These people were originally refugees from Guanzhong who came south here. If Your Excellency promises to take them back to Sichuan, they might be tempted.”

"What if you're not tempted?"

"First, test him. Summon him under the pretext of inspecting the military camp. If Zhang Bao is obedient, continue to use him. If Zhang Bao shows any signs of rebellion, then kill him. With your power, my lord, and his proximity, how could he possibly retaliate?"

At this point, Wei Bo laughed and proceeded to elaborate: "My lord, as long as you control these 40,000 troops, you can instigate Yu Lingcheng and others to respond, thus bolstering your forces. You can then launch a surprise attack on Yizhou, first blocking Jiangzhou and Yong'an, two key locations for entering Shu, and at the same time, under the guise of reinforcements, head north to seize Jiange."

"Once you capture all these passes, Bashu will be yours for the taking. At that time, Liu Cong will surely form an alliance with you, and Yang Nandi and Liu Kun will have no way out and will probably have no choice but to submit to you. And what can the emperor do, no matter how capable he is in warfare? You should simply hold the passes and not fight him. Take advantage of the situation to support the Prince of Xiangyang (Sima Fan) who is heading south as the new emperor, and then kidnap the imperial family in Chengdu. I'm afraid Jing and Yang will be thrown into chaos!"

Upon hearing this, if Huangfu Zhong was merely grumbling before, he was now truly tempted.

Frankly speaking, Wei Bo's plan was not particularly brilliant. It didn't require much military skill and could be executed even by an ordinary person.

But as he said, times create heroes. With Liu Xian's talent, he could not have restored the Han Dynasty if the Jin Dynasty had not experienced internal strife. Similarly, if the timing is right, even a mediocre talent like Gongsun Yuan can influence the situation in the Central Plains. And now is indeed a golden opportunity for independence. It seems that as long as Huangfu Zhong takes a little action, the entire Bashu region will be within his grasp.

Huangfu Chong closed his eyes and pondered for a long time, his mind wavering repeatedly. One moment he imagined himself ruling a region, becoming a king or emperor, and the next he envisioned the emperor riding a large army, personally leading a campaign against him. This filled him with alternating longing and trepidation. No matter what Wei Bo said, the emperor's undefeated record remained awe-inspiring.

After thinking for a moment, Huangfu Chong said to Wei Bo, "This matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it briefly. I will give you an answer within two days, how about that?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Bo inwardly despised Huangfu Zhong, but then he thought that since the two had already reached this point, Huangfu Zhong couldn't just jump ship now. So he pretended to be calm and nodded, saying, "Alright then, please make a decision quickly, my lord. Time waits for no one. If we wait until the Guanzhong war is settled, things will probably become more difficult."

The conversation about treason ended abruptly.

After Wei Bo left, Huangfu Zhong summoned his adopted son Huangfu Chang and his nephew Huangfu Gui the next day. Huangfu Zhong was nearly fifty years old but had no children of his own; Huangfu Chang was adopted from his younger brother Huangfu Shang. However, Huangfu Chang was extremely filial to Huangfu Zhong, and the two had a very close relationship. Huangfu Gui had also fought alongside him for many years and was a trusted member of the family. If a rebellion were to be plotted now, Huangfu Zhong would not hesitate to consult their opinions.

After informing the two of Wei Bo's plan, Huangfu Chong asked for their opinions: "If we are to do this, there will probably be no way out. And I am old. Whether it succeeds or fails, whether it brings fortune or misfortune, you will be the ones to bear the consequences in the end. What are your thoughts?"

Upon hearing this, Huangfu Chang was both excited and apprehensive. Despite his young age, he possessed extraordinary courage. Years earlier, when Huangfu Chong was besieged in Qinzhou, Huangfu Chang had broken through the siege three times to contact reinforcements. Han Zhi and his men were unable to stop him and could only let him come and go as he pleased. Such people often held themselves in high esteem, and Huangfu Chang was no exception.

Influenced by his adoptive father, he was also dissatisfied with the status quo. Hearing that there was an opportunity to carve out a territory in the southwest, he was naturally very tempted. However, the thought of being an enemy of the emperor made him apprehensive. After thinking for a while, he said to Huangfu Chong, "My lord, I think that His Majesty was able to fight his way out of Luoyang. He must have the mandate of heaven. If we want to oppose him, we can't rely on planning alone. We should ask the will of heaven."

Huangfu Zhong also had this concern. When he heard his adopted son's words, he thought they made a lot of sense, so he nodded and said, "That's right. We should find an expert first and ask about the good or bad fortune beforehand."

Then they were troubled. Where could they find such a master for such a momentous matter? Huangfu Gui said from the side, "I know a monk from the Western Regions in Tongle. It is said that he can predict the future and foresee good and bad fortune. Why don't we ask him?"

"You're not talking about Master Fotucheng, are you?" Huangfu Chong asked bluntly upon hearing this.

"Indeed, Uncle has also heard of his name?"

"What a joke!" Huangfu Chong laughed and scolded, "He is a very famous person, how could I not know him?"

Fotucheng was indeed a renowned figure, now known to everyone in Sichuan and southern China. He was a high-ranking monk from the Western Regions, originally from Kucha, surnamed Bo, and was seventy-nine years old this year. Ten years ago, he was already a leading Buddhist master in the Western Regions and even India, and others said that he had attained the Bodhisattva stage. In order to save all sentient beings and spread Buddhism, he traveled thousands of miles to China to preach.

His original intention was to first travel to the White Horse Temple in Luoyang, a Buddhist holy site. However, upon arriving in Liangzhou, he learned of the great chaos in China and the ruins of Luoyang. He had no choice but to remain in Liangzhou for several years, learning Chinese from the local scholars, intending to continue his journey once the war subsided. Two years ago, upon learning that Liu Xian had pacified the south and was the most promising force for unification, he changed his plans and traveled from Longyou to Shu to preach.

Upon learning of the arrival of such a highly respected monk, Liu Kun naturally treated him with great courtesy. He engaged in philosophical discussions with Fotucheng, hearing many previously unheard-of and eye-opening Buddhist scriptures, and was immediately captivated. Later, Liu Kun summoned Taoist priests from the Celestial Masters sect to discuss metaphysics with him, but Fotucheng single-handedly defeated ten priests, refuting all of them. This further increased Liu Kun's respect for him, and he intended to keep Fotucheng in Chengdu to lecture and to build temples for him, but Fotucheng politely declined. Fotucheng, under the pretext of spreading the Dharma, traveled extensively, enlightening and liberating people. Now, having traveled south to the Ningzhou and Nanning areas, he already had hundreds of disciples, all of whom called him the Divine Monk of the Western Regions.

Such a highly accomplished monk would naturally be seen by others as someone with supernatural powers. Huangfu Gui suggested consulting him about good or bad fortune, and Huangfu Zhong quickly agreed. He immediately instructed Huangfu Gui to take valuable treasures to Langmu Mountain to visit Fotucheng, who was temporarily residing there.

When Huangfu Gui arrived at Langmu Mountain, Fotucheng was lecturing on the Lotus Sutra, focusing on the twenty-fourth chapter, "The Bodhisattva of Wonderful Sound." He would first speak a sentence in Sanskrit, then explain it in Chinese, and finally give a general overview. Although the Dharma was profound, the lecturer's insightful explanations, interspersed with secular anecdotes, were both engaging and delightful, giving the audience a sense of sudden enlightenment, like a gentle breeze or sweet rain.

Looking up at the simple altar, a tall but slightly hunched Western Region monk sat upright, his hands clasped together, his eyes deep-set. Although he looked very old, there was a captivating magic in his eyes. Huangfu Gui only glanced at him from afar, but his heart tightened as if struck by lightning. He quickly sat down among the believers to listen to Fotucheng's teachings.

At noon, the sermon ended, and Fotucheng retreated to his thatched hut. Before Huangfugui could speak, a disciple came to lead the way for him.

Upon entering the thatched hut, Fotucheng was sweeping away the dust with a broom. Hearing Huangfu Gui's footsteps, he did not turn around but slowly said with his back to Huangfu Gui, "Benefactor Huangfu, you must have come here on business."

"How did the holy monk know this?" Huangfu Gui was greatly surprised, because he had not yet spoken.

At this moment, Fotucheng turned around leisurely, revealing his wise brown eyes, and slowly said, "This humble monk can see that you have doubts in your heart, and great doubts at that. You have heard the Buddha's teachings but have not been able to find liberation, so you must have some worldly matters to ask of this humble monk. You are a noble person from the Central Plains, and this humble monk certainly dares not neglect you."

Huangfu Gui was deeply impressed by Fotucheng's insight and quickly said, "That's true, but this matter is of great importance. I would like to ask first, can the Holy Monk keep it a secret for me?"

Fotucheng looked at him for a moment, put down the broom in his hand, sat back on his straw mat, put his hands together again, and smiled, "Countless benefactors come to this humble monk every day to seek their answers, but have you ever heard of their troubles?" The implication was that he never revealed any secrets.

But Huangfu Gui was still somewhat uneasy, so he changed his question and said, "I've heard that the holy monk can predict the good or bad fortune of an event. Is this true or false?"

Fotucheng raised his eyebrows slightly, chuckled softly, and then took out a Buddhist alms bowl from behind him. At first glance, the bowl appeared plain and unremarkable, just an ordinary object. But Fotucheng said, "This bowl is a sacred object of the World-Honored One. When I was young and studying in India, I obtained it by debating with the monks at Nalanda Monastery. Please speak freely, benefactor. I can use this bowl to see into the future."

Huangfu Gui insisted, "My family is about to undertake a major undertaking, the details of which cannot be explained to the Holy Monk. So, I would like to ask the Holy Monk to predict whether it will be auspicious or inauspicious."

Fotucheng smiled knowingly. He then lowered the curtain of his thatched hut, leaving only the flickering light of the fire for brewing tea inside. He sat back down by the brazier and poured the boiling tea into his alms bowl. Unexpectedly, a faint blue light emanated from the bowl, and a vibrant blue lotus bloomed from the water! Fotucheng muttered incantations, carefully examining the lotus for a moment. Suddenly, he drank the tea in one gulp. The blue light vanished instantly, and the bowl returned to its original dark state.

When Fotucheng rolled up the curtain again to let the sunlight in, Huangfugui was still immersed in the illusion he had just experienced. When he came to his senses, Fotucheng was already sitting down in front of him again, still wearing that unfathomable smile.

Huangfu Gui hurriedly asked, "Holy Monk, may I ask what the result was?"

Fotucheng said, word by word, "This humble monk does not know whether it is good or bad. I only saw in the water that it seems that I will meet you again in another place in the future. That place is different from this place. The river is vast and the catalpa trees are dense. In addition, there is a shrine. It looks like the Guan Yu statue I saw in Chengdu, but it does not look like Chengdu. I don't know anything more."

Huangfu Gui wanted to ask more, but Fotucheng waved his hand and said, "Heavenly secrets can only be seen to this extent. As the saying goes, human power has its limits. I hope you can understand."

Having said all that, Huangfu Gui couldn't say anything more. He quickly left behind the agate given to him by Huangfu Chong and returned to his residence to discuss the matter with his uncle and cousin.

Huangfu Chang was overjoyed upon hearing this and said to Huangfu Chong with a smile, "I've heard that there's a deep island in Yi'an and a newly built temple to Guan Yu. Doesn't this divine monk's words mean that we will achieve great success, not only seizing control of Bashu, but also taking over Yi'an in a few years? My lord, this is an auspicious omen!"

Huangfu Chong finally made up his mind and said happily, "If this is the will of Heaven, how can I go against it? Everyone says that the one who will replace the Han dynasty will be Du Gao. I never thought that this prophecy would come true for my father and me one day." He then sent someone to find Wei Bo and carefully prepared for the rebellion.

It was around late November of the fifth year of the Qiming era. Time flew by, and a little over a month later, on the day of Ji-Mao in the first month of the sixth year of the Qiming era, a detailed report written by Zhang Bao concerning Huangfu Chongwei's plot to rebel was delivered to Liu Xian's desk in the Jianchang Palace. (End of Chapter)