A Scholar’s Loyalty
The visiting student was Deng Yu, a native of Xinye in Nanyang. Seven years younger than Liu Xiu, he had studied alongside him at the Imperial Academy in Chang’an, and the two had formed a deep friendship. Hearing that Liu Xiu was overseeing palace repairs in Luoyang, Deng Yu hurried to join him – only to learn his friend had already left.
Liu Xuan, seeking to pacify the volatile provinces north of the Yellow River, had appointed Liu Xiu as Imperial Inspector with the ceremonial staff of the Grand Marshal and sent him to Hebei. Determined not to lose this chance, Deng Yu chased after him all the way to Yecheng (west of modern Linzhang, Henan), where he finally caught up.
Their reunion was joyful. “Why have you traveled so far?” Liu Xiu asked.
“To help you achieve greatness – and leave my name in history,” Deng Yu replied earnestly.
That night, as they shared a room, Deng Yu laid out his vision: “Shandong is in chaos. Warlords like the Red Eyebrows carve out fiefdoms. Liu Xuan is weak and indecisive; his men care only for loot, not legacy. If you follow this path, you’ll never fulfill your destiny. Gather wise men, win the people’s hearts, and restore the glory of Emperor Gaozu!”
Liu Xiu’s eyes lit up – this was exactly what he had been thinking. The next day, he declared Deng Yu a general and kept him by his side as chief advisor.
Winning Hearts, Not Just Battles
Their shared ambition did not go unnoticed. Feng Yi, ever perceptive, soon echoed Deng Yu’s counsel: “The people long for Han rule. But Liu Xuan’s troops plunder instead of protecting. When someone is starving, even a scrap of food brings hope. Send envoys to redress grievances and proclaim Han virtue.”
Liu Xiu agreed. He dispatched Feng Yi and others to inspect local officials, comfort the populace, and free the wrongfully imprisoned. Meanwhile, he marched north to Handan.
There, a Han clansman named Liu Lin proposed a ruthless strategy: “The Red Eyebrows are camped east of the Yellow River. Breach the dikes – drown them all!” Liu Xiu recoiled. Such a flood would kill countless innocents. “How can I claim the Mandate of Heaven by drowning my own people?” he thought, and rejected the plan outright.
Soon after, he moved on to Zhen Ding (modern Zhengding, Hebei).
The Rise of the False Emperor
Humiliated, Liu Lin sought revenge. He conspired with a fortune-teller named Wang Lang, who suggested a bold deception: “Years ago, a man claimed to be Liu Ziyu, son of Emperor Cheng, but Wang Mang executed him as an impostor. Now, let you become Liu Ziyu – or better yet, let me be him, and you serve as chancellor!”
Delighted, they swore an oath under heaven. Liu Lin rallied supporters under the banner of “Emperor Ziyu,” quickly amassing thousands. They proclaimed Wang Lang emperor and Liu Lin chancellor, issuing edicts across the region. From Zhao northward to Liaodong, counties pledged allegiance. Wang Lang’s power surged overnight – and he placed a bounty of 100,000 households on Liu Xiu’s head.
Flight and Hunger
Outnumbered and cut off from retreat, Liu Xiu fled further north to Jizhou (modern Ji County, Tianjin). There, a local magnate named Liu Jie, tempted by the reward, rose to capture him. Liu Xiu and his men barely escaped through the southern gate, heading toward Raoyang (east of Anping, Hebei).
Exhausted and starving, they collapsed on the road. Feng Yi begged a farmer for food and returned with half a bowl of bean porridge. Liu Xiu devoured it in seconds – it tasted like a feast.
By the time they reached Raoyang, they were faint with hunger. Spotting a government post station, Liu Xiu devised a daring ruse: they marched in boldly, posing as Wang Lang’s envoys, and demanded a meal. The officials served them promptly.
But suspicion grew. Suddenly, the station master beat a drum and cried, “The Handan General has arrived!” Panic seized the group. Liu Xiu, realizing escape was impossible, bluffed: “Then let the Handan General come in and see me!”
The official, of course, had no such general to produce. Flustered, he mumbled excuses and backed down. After finishing their meal, Liu Xiu’s party swaggered out as confidently as they’d entered.
Barley Rice in the Rain
Now aiming for Xindu (northeast of modern Ji County, Hebei) – the only commandery still loyal to the Han – they trudged through pouring rain until they reached Nangong (southeast of Xinhe, Hebei). Soaked to the bone, they took shelter in an abandoned post station.
Feng Yi gathered firewood and went scavenging for food. Deng Yu lit the stove. As the fire crackled, Liu Xiu helped dry his comrades’ clothes. Soon, Feng Yi returned with a handful of raw wheat. They boiled it into a pot of coarse, half-cooked barley rice – and ate it gratefully.
When the rain ceased, they resumed their march, walking another hundred li like refugees – until they finally reached Xindu.
A Foothold in Loyalty
There, Governor Ren Guang of Xindu and Governor Pi Tong of Hucheng (formerly part of Julu Commandery) welcomed them with relief. Both had refused to submit to Wang Lang and held small armies – but isolated and outnumbered, they feared imminent defeat. The arrival of Liu Xiu, though ragged and weary, rekindled their hope. In this desolate corner of Hebei, the future founder of the Eastern Han found his first true base of resistance.
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