“Can strategists not take the throne?”
Chapter 278: The Death of Tao Qian
The news of Tao Qian’s impending inspection of various counties was naturally faster to reach Ze Rong than Tao Qian’s actual arrival in Chang’an.
Ze Rong held this piece of news for a long time, wearing a look of determination that suggested he would not miss this opportunity.
Whether that celestial light ascending into the sky truly had divine protection or someone was backing him up from behind, the final outcome remained the same—
Tao Qian was leaving the relatively safe Eastern Sea region and heading towards Guangling!
If he truly intended to strike, he had to seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
In fact, he couldn’t afford not to act.
The illusion of those gods appearing had placed him on the hot seat, and Tao Qian had come specifically for that otherworldly phenomenon.
Yet, since he had no clue how such a situation came to be, he obviously didn’t know how to recreate that spectacle to meet Tao Qian’s needs.
To ensure that the halo of Buddha’s protection wouldn’t be easily stripped away from him, Ze Rong had to eliminate all sources of instability.
The first target was Tao Qian!
“We can’t let that old Tao die on Guangling’s turf…” Ze Rong murmured.
Tao Qian couldn’t just be whimsically killed at his hands; even if he waved some banner claiming Tao was disliked by the Buddha, it wouldn’t calm all the controversies.
Moreover, Ze Rong had been promoted by Tao Qian, and a rash betrayal would only invite condemnation from all over Xuzhou.
His gaze swept over the route of Tao Qian’s inspection.
From Donghai County to Pengcheng State, and then to—
Xia Pi!
Yes, Xia Pi!
His eyes brightened, and he immediately summoned Zu Lang.
After the events of that day, the formerly dismissive Zu Lang found himself gripped by some fear and trepidation towards Ze Rong.
Now, as he was summoned, he still bore traces of lingering anxiety.
This rumor of gods held even greater sway in the less enlightened South, even if Zu Lang fancied himself a great leader from Jing County.
Seeing Zu Lang’s expression, Ze Rong grew more confident that achieving his goal was indeed possible.
Zu Lang didn’t expect that Ze Rong’s approach was not to continue providing him with rich rewards as before but to earnestly say, “Last night, the Buddha sent word to me that Tao Qian, who governs Xuzhou, is indecisive and stagnant; he will inevitably lead Xuzhou to disaster, resulting in immense suffering, making even the holy place of Guangling difficult to protect, and the Buddha is naturally displeased.”
Zu Lang’s eyelids twitched.
This wasn’t just random chatter.
What did it mean that Tao Qian would bring calamity to Xuzhou?
In blunter terms, it was just saying—
Tao Qian was not fit to govern Xuzhou!
The man before him, the representative of the Buddha’s teachings, had just transformed into a miraculous figure during the Buddha’s Bathing Festival, and now, at this delicate moment, he brought up such a matter; he certainly wasn’t suggesting that he was going to persuade Tao Qian.
Most likely, he wanted to take his place!
Zu Lang inspected Ze Rong’s expression for a long time before he finally asked, “What do you wish for me to do?”
Ze Rong replied, “I want you to cooperate with my men to ambush Tao Qian in Xia Pi.”
He maintained the same demeanor he had during preaching, temporarily suppressing his greed for power over Xuzhou and Tao Qian’s authority.
Noticing Zu Lang’s hesitation, he added, “If Xuzhou achieves great governance, Yang Province will naturally also be smooth. This is the inevitability of the situation. For the sake of the people of both provinces, this is a battle worth fighting. Fortunately, with the Buddha’s blessings, we will surely turn misfortune into safety.”
This sounded quite grand, but Zu Lang wasn’t so dim-witted as to believe that Ze Rong was acting out of selfless concern for the people of Xuzhou and Yang Province.
Clearly, it was for his own interests.
However, two points Ze Rong made did resonate with him.
First, if Ze Rong were to seize Xuzhou and utilize its military strength to counter Sun Ce, surely he could deal a significant blow.
This might just be the key to breaking the stalemate.
He had to come up with a countermeasure before Sun Ce turned back to attack him after seizing Kaiji County, like what had happened when he subdued Yan Baihu.
He couldn’t rely on the noble families of Wu County, so Ze Rong was the only ally he could connect with.
Thus, bolstering Ze Rong’s strength might also help himself!
Second, regarding Ze Rong’s notion of “turning misfortune into safety,” after his impressive performance at the Buddha Bathing Festival, it might actually be feasible.
Since Zu Lang couldn’t figure out how Ze Rong managed the floating lanterns, why not believe that he was indeed capable?
Zu Lang said, “I can help you, but I’m not too familiar with the situation in Xia Pi.”
If it were in Gaoyou, Zu Lang could draw on his recent travels to at least claim some familiarity.
But Xia Pi was a complete unknown to him.
Assassinating a governor was risky business; attempting without understanding the environment was utterly reckless.
Ze Rong shook his head: “You needn’t worry about that; I handle the logistics for the grain supplies between Pengcheng, Xia Pi, and Guangling. I have plenty of people familiar with Xia Pi who will guide you well.”
These folks had either been brainwashed by Ze Rong’s religious beliefs, reluctant to abandon their current benefits, or sought to elevate themselves by boosting Ze Rong’s status; they would never betray him in this advantageous situation.
Clearly, they would be excellent guides for Zu Lang.
After weighing it in his mind, Zu Lang softened his tone significantly when he spoke again, making it clear to Ze Rong that he had made a decision.
“I have three final questions to ask.”
“First, why choose Xia Pi?”
Ze Rong replied, “The Buddha cannot bear the stigma, and to minimize casualties, once we need to mobilize soldiers from Guangling to seize the state, we will publicly claim that Tao Qian’s death was solely due to Chen Hanyu and his son in Xia Pi, who sought to usurp Xuzhou through illegal means.”
This was shameless in the extreme.
But since Zu Lang had already made up his mind, he no longer cared whether this framing was shabby.
In truth, this offered Ze Rong the chance to gain legitimacy as the ruler of Xuzhou.
Zu Lang then asked, “Xuzhou’s terrain is flat and easy to invade; aren’t you afraid that turmoil in Xuzhou will attract others’ covetous eyes, making you a pawn?”
Ze Rong replied, “That notion is misguided. We’re approaching the autumn harvest; there’s no suitable opportunity for large-scale military action. Besides, Yuan Shao in the north is restrained by Qiao Yan, and in the west, Cao Cao and the scholars of Yanzhou are in conflict, with Chen Liu constantly making him suffer complaints so he hasn’t had the chance to send troops. Yuan Shu and Liu Bei are at odds in Yu Province and the situation in the south is well known to you.”
There would be no immediate threat of invasion from Yang Province into Xuzhou.
This was indeed the most opportune “clean-up” time for Xuzhou.
By the time others had the leisure to benefit from the chaos in Xuzhou, he should already have a firm grip on it.
Ze Rong was confident about this.
His confidence made Zu Lang feel that perhaps Ze Rong had many other contingencies not suitable for discussion at this time, so he posed his final question: “You invited that Mi Zhu from Donghai here; are we on the same side?”
Ze Rong calmly responded, “Even if it’s not right now, it soon will be.”
Mi Zhu had yet to make any clear promises since coming to Guangling, but he hadn’t shown hostility towards Ze Rong either.
In Ze Rong’s view, if Tao Qian were to fall, the infamy of his death would land squarely on Chen Gui and Chen Deng, leaving Mi Zhu with no reason to refuse joining the ranks.
Tao Qian had not been generous enough or had the guts to secure the loyalty of his subordinates, which is why such a great power in his realm never formally submitted to him with sufficient support.
Ze Rong would not make such a blunder.
After taking action against Tao Qian, he would certainly rope Mi Zhu into his ranks.
Chen Deng from the pot might think that Mi Zhu and Ze Rong are just two peas in a pod, right?
Meanwhile, Ze Rong was sending off Zu Lang, sporting a grin as if good news was right around the corner.
Tao Qian, on the other hand, didn’t have it as easy as Ze Rong.
His trip was ostensibly to see the Buddha’s manifestation, but with the autumn harvest approaching, this little tour was anything but a casual jaunt.
So, while passing through Pengcheng and arriving at Xia Pi, he made sure to casually inquire about the farming conditions and food stocks in the two counties.
Well, it turns out that asking was quite a shocker!
The grain in the government storehouses in Pengcheng and Xia Pi was still normal, pretty much what Tao Qian had known before, but the trouble lay in the surrounding county cities.
Take Liuxian, for example; the grain stock here barely accounted for one-fifth of what was in the prefecture storehouse.
This amount of grain was hardly enough to deal with ordinary disasters, let alone any emergencies, like needing to supply troops during a battle.
And clearly, this disparity wasn’t due to poor harvests.
Tao Qian, with a tense expression, called for the county clerk to inquire and received a shocking revelation.
All that grain had actually been taken by Ze Rong!
As the clerk stood under Tao Qian’s furious gaze, his voice got quieter, “He has a dispatch order from the governor, saying he needed to send this grain to the state capital to supply General Sun and others, to prevent any incidents of disobedience from the state. We didn’t suspect him and handed it over.”
Little did they know, all of Ze Rong’s actions were done behind Tao Qian’s back.
This grain wasn’t meant to appease Tao Qian’s men; it was clear Ze Rong pocketed it for himself.
As for what he’d do with it, that was all too obvious.
If not for this grain, how could Ze Rong keep his Buddhist followers fed?
Tao Qian, furious yet chuckling, said, “Oh, he knows how to slow down my discovery of his deeds, going easy on the big counties while squeezing the small ones dry. I ordered him to manage the grain supplies in three counties to prepare for any enemy from Yang Province and Yu Province, and this is the result he gave me!”
He slammed the table, “I forgot, he’s even using this batch of grain to bribe the Buddha! If I were the Buddha, I’d be quite fond of such a follower too.”
At this point, Tao Qian still hadn’t realized that Ze Rong’s claims of a miraculous Buddhist event were a load of nonsense.
But whether it was true or not, he was resolved to march to Guangling to settle the score with Ze Rong.
Sure, he was old and a little frail, and his ambitions had faded, but he certainly couldn’t accept being duped by a subordinate like this.
People called him Tao Qian, courtesy name Gongzu, but he definitely wasn’t going to show any blind respect for the Buddha!
Tao Qian declined Chen Gui’s suggestion to bring more subordinates along.
This time, he was accompanied by elite soldiers from Donghai County’s provincial office, each one a seasoned warrior.
With such a team, it would cut Ze Rong’s vigilance, catching him off guard.
Tao Qian said to Chen Gui, “Ze Rong has been operating in Guangling for a long time, and there are many of his followers around Gaoyou. If we go in with full force, we might be warned before we even reach Gaoyou. He has plenty of grain and some sneaky methods. If he fortifies himself, it won’t be easy to break through. It’s better if we continue under the guise of a routine inspection, so he can prepare for some miraculous Buddhist spectacle, and once we meet, we’ll capture him.”
Chen Gui thought this over and agreed it was the safest plan, replying, “That’s a good idea; please be extra cautious during this trip to Guangling.”
So, what Tao Qian sent ahead via fast horse to Gaoyou was basically a message saying—
After he and Chen Gui had some drinks and spent a leisurely half-day, he’d head over to Guangling.
What Ze Rong thought upon receiving this brief message is anyone’s guess, but his familiar faces from Xia Pi and Zu Lang were already stationed ahead on the route Tao Qian would take to Xia Pi.
The Huai River bisects Xuzhou, with Guangling lying to the south.
So if Tao Qian wanted to reach Guangling, he’d have to cross the river.
The best way to get to Gaoyou was to board a boat at Xu County in Xia Pi, pass through Hongze Lake, naturally crossing the Huai River, then head east through the Sanhe River until hitting the Gaoyou Lake area.
Gaoyou Lake’s east side was the city of Gaoyou.
Thanks to the calm weather in recent days, Tao Qian chose to take this water route without hesitation, instead of switching back to a horse carriage after crossing the river.
But he didn’t realize that the helpers Ze Rong summoned, although called “Shanyue,” were mostly skilled watersmen!
These folks had disguised themselves as fishermen and snuck into the Hongze Lake area, just waiting for Tao Qian to deliver himself right into their grasp.
Tao Qian was utterly oblivious.
The sweltering summer heat was mostly blocked by the cabin above, and a light, moisture-laden breeze drifted across the lake, lulling him on the soft deck of the boat, easing the anger that had festered earlier.
Ze Rong, that ruthless scoundrel, had indeed driven him to a boiling point, but now he had temporarily calmed down from the peak of his fury.
After all, the one ruling Xuzhou was still him, Tao Qian, not that scoundrel Ze Rong.
After reaching Gaoyou, it wouldn’t be too late to blow up in anger.
Thanks to these irrigation water sources, the crops in the Huai River area were growing exceptionally well. Tao Qian had seen it all clearly before boarding; in just half a month, the storehouse would be brimming again, so why should he let Ze Rong’s antics get him all worked up?
Now was the time to enjoy the picturesque lake scenery.
However, just then, Tao Qian suddenly felt a jolt from the boat, like it had collided with something.
The next moment, there was a loud cry from the boat, “What are you doing?”
On this supposed peaceful afternoon, a sudden swish of blades slicing through the air erupted, followed by the earlier voice letting out a muffled groan and plummeting into the water with a splash.
At the sound, Tao Qian sprang into action without even thinking.
He wasn’t just some weak scholar; seizing the knife by his side, he intended to see who had the audacity to attack him, the governor of Xuzhou, on Hongze Lake.
But as soon as he took a step, he realized something was off with the boat.
The water seemed to be getting deeper!
His suspicion was immediately confirmed as the boatman in the back shouted, “Someone’s sabotaging the boat!”
Tao Qian’s heart raced.
Because he needed to navigate through the Sanhe River afterwards, he couldn’t opt for a large boat, which meant a considerable part of his men weren’t on the same vessel as him.
But his enemies certainly weren’t holding back, clearly intent on a one-strike kill.
If the boat went down, it would be hard to turn back or escape.
And the small fishing boats quickly gathering around, along with the water ghosts lurking below, wasted no time in boarding as soon as his other subordinates sensed something was off.
These people were dressed in the most ordinary hemp clothing, blending in as fishermen, making it impossible to discern their backgrounds in that brief encounter.
Tao Qian had an almost instinctual feeling that these people…
Even if there weren’t any monks among them, they were likely Ze Rong’s subordinates!
The letter he sent to placate Ze Rong to ensure he would successfully strike once arriving might still be on its way to Gaoyou, but Ze Rong had already made preparations for confrontation, decisively striking first!
Thus, they orchestrated this betrayal right here.
Their ambush, having come prepared, left Tao Qian’s numerical advantage in terms of force utterly vanquished.
He could only watch helplessly as they systematically took down his guards, advancing step by step towards him.
In this life-and-death crisis, even with risks involved, Tao Qian resolved to jump ship, needing to fight for at least a chance to survive.
But just as he tried to retreat to the window behind his subordinates for cover, a short arrow flew through the air, piercing into his chest.
Being on the lake, Tao Qian had no armor on to protect him.
The arrow lodged deep, delivering a paralyzing sensation to his mouth and tongue.
And it was a poisoned arrow!
In Tao Qian’s gaze, his subordinates’ boats seemed only a step away, but he wouldn’t live to see the outcome of this rescue.
His vision darkened, and he completely lost consciousness.
