Northern Expedition

King Chen assumed imperial authority; enfeoffing a king was his opening display.

The news spread through Great Cang Capital City at once.

Everyone in the capital rejoiced and was wildly excited, running about to spread the word...

"Old Zhang, have you heard? His Majesty's first court session today saw him enfeoff a king!"

"Whom did he enfeoff? Lin Su, the First Grandmaster of Azure Lotus?" The old man surnamed Zhang thought of that name immediately.

The messenger burst into laughter. "Then you've guessed wrong! His Majesty enfeoffed Li Qingquan, the former prince of Great Jin, as King of Jin. The territory granted lies north of Yin Mountain and south of Lingdingyang!"

Old Zhang was greatly shocked. "Enfeoffing a king across the border! Is His Majesty planning to use force against Great Yu?"

"Exactly! Great Yu has occupied our Four Garrisons of the North and slaughtered fifty million of our borderfolk for so many years. Not for a single moment have they stopped wanting to use the Four Garrisons as a base to swallow up all of Great Cang. His Majesty is not like that hypocrite Ji Shang. He won't play those games of outward compliance and secret defiance with you. He is laying all the cards on the table! You occupy my Four Garrisons of the North, and I'll take three thousand li of your rivers and mountains!"

Old Zhang slapped the table and rose. "Those three thousand li of rivers and mountains never belonged to Great Yu in the first place. They are the former lands of Great Jin!"

"Exactly!" said the messenger. "His Majesty said: if bandits may go, so may we!"

"If bandits may go, so may we—well said! Utterly satisfying! This calls for a great cup of wine!" Old Zhang said. "Come! Let us old scholars