Chapter 23: Wang Shang

Liu Zhang was reminded of Wang Shang from the history books. Wang Shang had not been particularly famous in his time; his career was spent entirely under the service of Liu Yan and his son, Liu Zhang, and he passed away before Liu Bei’s entry into Shu, leaving him little opportunity to showcase his true talents.

Historical records regarding Wang Shang are sparse and fragmented. Chen Shou’s *Records of the Three Kingdoms* makes no mention of him at all; it was only through Pei Songzhi’s annotations, which cite the *Biographies of the Elders of Yizhou*, that his deeds were preserved. According to history, Wang Shang was a man who understood the times. When Liu Yan and Ma Teng joined forces to raid Chang’an earlier that year, Wang Shang had strongly advised against it, though he could not overcome Liu Yan’s ambition. The outcome was exactly as Wang Shang had predicted: Liu Yan gained nothing, lost both his eldest and second sons, and eventually succumbed to illness brought on by his grief. This alone proved that Wang Shang’s foresight was remarkably precise.

Beyond his competence, Wang Shang’s loyalty was beyond doubt. Historically, Liu Zhang was timid and suspicious, unable to trust his ministers, but Wang Shang wrote memorials to remonstrate with him, leading Liu Zhang to have many realizations. Furthermore, Wang Shang possessed an excellent eye for talent. He frequently recommended the outstanding men of Shu to Liu Zhang; figures such as the renowned Chen Shi of Ba Commandery, Gong Yang, Zhao Min, and Li Jing of Dianjiang, and Wang Dan of Langzhong all went on to hold significant positions within Yizhou. With his strategic vision, administrative achievements, and knack for talent acquisition, Wang Shang was, to Liu Zhang, a minor version of Xiao He. As a native of the region, Wang Shang understood Shu intimately. In the future, when Liu Zhang led his armies on campaigns, he would undoubtedly rely on Wang Shang to stabilize the state, comfort the people, manage military supplies, and oversee logistics.

"The Governor truly possesses a keen eye for talent. The new Magistrate of Chengdu, Dong Youzai, is simple and frugal, living a life of plain clothing and coarse food, while enforcing the law without exception. He is truly a rare and precious talent," Wang Shang remarked, praising Dong He. He held Dong He, a native of Nan Commandery who had migrated west to Shu, in high regard. Though not yet thirty, Dong He was modest and refined in both character and conduct—a statesman of exceptional quality. In time, he would surely be fit to serve as a commandery governor.

Wang Shang continued, "I imagine it will not be long before the extravagant atmosphere of Chengdu begins to change under the leadership of this new Magistrate."

Liu Zhang smiled and nodded. "Youzai is indeed capable. He is plain-spoken and indifferent to vanity. The role of Chengdu Magistrate is but a small test for him; in a few years, I intend to appoint him as a governor of a commandery."

Wang Shang nodded in agreement; this aligned with his own thoughts. He held no prejudice against those who had fled to Shu as refugees. As long as they were talented and did not harm the people of the region, he had no objection to them serving as magistrates or governors.

"Speaking of which," Liu Zhang asked, "the position of Governor of Shu Commandery is currently vacant. Do you have any candidates to recommend?" Liu Zhang hoped to acquire a talent through him.

Wang Shang was somewhat surprised by this request. Shu Commandery was the wealthiest in Yizhou, and Chengdu, the seat of the province, was located within it. This position was critical for a governor from outside the region, typically reserved for a trusted confidant of the provincial governor rather than a native of Shu. Yet, Liu Zhang’s intent seemed to be to appoint a native to the post. This new Governor was not only benevolent but possessed a broad-mindedness and a boldness that was truly extraordinary.

*One should not judge a person by their appearance,* Wang Shang mused. Liu Zhang had been in Shu for two years without venturing out to socialize or travel, leaving others unable to gauge his depth. Rumors had painted him as weak and incapable. Yet now, as Governor, his actions were fair, impartial, and decisive. It seemed he had been a dragon hidden in the depths all along. How fortunate the people of Shu were to have such a governor.

Without further hesitation, Wang Shang recommended someone. "There is a man named Chen Shi, courtesy name Shengxian. He is a man of simplicity and lacks vanity. Having served as a county magistrate and an official, he possesses great governing talent."

Liu Zhang nodded. "With your recommendation, Lord Wang, I must meet him."

Of course, meeting Chen Shi would not happen instantly. In this era, there were no telephones or mobile devices; notifying someone and waiting for them to arrive took at least a day or two if they were in Chengdu, and if they were in an outer commandery, it could take ten days or more. After discussing other administrative affairs for a while longer, Wang Shang took his leave.

Next, Liu Zhang would summon Zhao Wei, the inner-circle commander with his own hidden agenda. However, he would have to wait a while, as it would take time for Zhao Wei to arrive. During this lull, Liu Zhang thought of his father, Liu Yan—a man of great ambition. Originally a member of the Han imperial clan, Liu Yan had served as a Gentleman of the Household, Magistrate of Luoyang, Inspector of Ji Province, Governor of Nanyang, and Minister of the Imperial Clan.

In the fifth year of the Zhongping era, Liu Yan had proposed a change to Emperor Ling of Han: to abolish the post of Inspector and replace it with that of a Provincial Governor. It was a poisonous draught. The Eastern Han Dynasty utilized a two-tier administrative system of commanderies and counties. As the highest administrative official of a commandery, a governor held not only the power to govern the populace, promote talent, and adjudicate cases, but also the authority to appoint his own subordinate officials. His power was immense. To constrain this power, Emperor Wu of Han had created the system of Inspectors. Their role was intended to be one of surveillance rather than regional administration, designed to keep local officials—especially governors—in check. An Inspector’s salary was six hundred *dan*, while a governor’s was two thousand *dan*, a system of "weak controlling the strong," much like the Censors who, despite their lower rank, could impeach prime ministers.

At first, Inspectors did not even have permanent offices; they toured their assigned regions starting in the eighth month of each year, essentially in a state of perpetual "business travel." Under these conditions, the Eastern Han remained stable. A governor controlled only a single commandery, and the inspector held only supervisory power; even if a rebellion occurred, it was localized and easily suppressed. But the Provincial Governor was different. A governor held administrative, military, and financial power all in one hand, over an entire province. With only thirteen provinces in the Great Han, the position naturally provided the conditions for warlordism.

Liu Yan had argued that local officials were becoming increasingly difficult to manage—skilled at corruption but incompetent at governance, leaving the people in misery and failing to suppress rebellions. He persuaded Emperor Ling that if members of the imperial clan and high-ranking ministers were appointed as Provincial Governors with absolute power, they would certainly be able to inspire those incompetent local officials to serve the court with dedication.

The imperial clan, being of the Liu family, would surely serve with heart and soul for the sake of the Han. The high-ranking ministers, loyal and capable, would likewise surely achieve great things. But could these men, each harboring their own secret agendas, truly remain loyal to the court once they became provincial governors? Liu Zhang sighed. As members of the imperial clan, both Liu Yan and Liu Biao had harbored disloyal intentions. Liu Yan had manufactured over a thousand sets of imperial carriages and regalia—the trappings of an emperor—while Liu Biao, entrenched in Jing Province, occupied his territory and performed sacrifices to heaven and earth, acting with the airs of a sovereign. As for the non-imperial ministers, it went without saying: once they reached their provinces, they carved out their own territories, holding the court in contempt. Yuan Shao harbored ulterior motives, setting up his own administrative offices to plot for the empire, while Yuan Shu was so arrogant that he directly declared himself emperor.

Those who have tasted power do not relinquish it easily, not even with a blade at their throats. It could be said that his father’s proposal to abolish the office of Inspector in favor of the Provincial Governor was like pouring a barrel of gasoline onto the house of the Eastern Han, which was already ablaze following the Yellow Turban Rebellion. It threw the entire state into chaos, making his father, in a sense, the gravedigger of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

*Abolishing the Inspectorate in favor of Provincial Governors has brought no small amount of disaster,* Liu Zhang concluded.

He had little time to dwell on the political situation; his schedule was packed. Since becoming the Governor of Yizhou, he had rare moments of leisure, meeting guests—both welcome and unwelcome—almost every day. He heard footsteps approaching the door.

Zhao Wei had arrived. The threat from within had come.