Yang Qin brought three ships over, also transporting a batch of supplies that were planned for emergencies.
Currently, Du Chongtao had formally appointed Li Zhigao as Vanguard General of the Left Forward Division, entrusting the main left flank defense line to the Longque Army. Naturally, the supply of funds, grain, and materials in this direction would be coordinated by Xiangzhou city, so the supplies Yang Qin brought this time need not be temporarily advanced.
This batch of supplies included two thousand dan of polished rice, one hundred barrels of tung oil, and various amounts of tea, medicine, iron materials, rough cloth, and preserved meat. At this point, they could no longer be transported to Jinling for sale, so Han Qian had Yang Qin immediately arrange for people to unload the supplies from the ships and transport them ashore.
Who knew how much material would be needed to build the city here?
Han Qian even sent people to notify Feng Xuan that when the main Longque Army forces entered the Han River, the fleet that was fully loaded with supplies and temporarily waiting on standby in Yuezhou territory should also follow.
As for the Four Surnames, as long as there was money to be made and they weren’t tricked by the father-son team of Han Daoxun and Han Qian, as long as Han Qian could ultimately settle the payment with them, they wouldn’t care where the supplies loaded from Xuzhou ultimately ended up.
Although Han Qian planned to use salt affairs as the first lever to set many things in motion, in reality, his first step of truly controlling salt affairs in this area was no easy matter.
Commercial transport and commercial sales still required the Salt and Iron Commissioner to issue salt permits before salt merchants could transport salt to designated locations. Transportation and opening salt shops for retail sales also required supervision by salt officials.
Even if the Anning Palace and the Crown Prince’s faction did not create obstacles during this process, following normal procedures, the first bag of salt arriving at Canglang would still be two or three months away.
If they truly waited until then, with the war situation becoming entangled, Han Qian would most likely be too busy to manage everything, and by then the opportunity would have long passed.
After the majority of Left Administration scouts had gathered at Canglang, Han Qian had Tian Cheng remain at Canglang to handle matters. He sent people carrying tea, medicine, and other goods to enter the mountains and deliver gifts to the mountain strongholds, first establishing preliminary contacts to ease the tense atmosphere created by the army’s northward advance along the Dan River. He himself then boarded an empty ship with Yang Qin to hurry to Xiangzhou city to see the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu.
From Canglang downstream along the Han River, it was one hundred sixty li to Xiangzhou city.
There was a ruined road on the northern bank—soldiers would need two days to walk it, and even on horseback would take a day. But sailing downstream with favorable wind, they arrived outside Xiangzhou’s northern walls in just half a day.
Of course, when Han Qian brought Xi Ren, dressed as a man, to see the Third Prince, he only had Yang Qin and a few others accompany them.
The main warship went with Guo Nu’er to Yuezhou to find Feng Xuan and relay the message. The two oar-and-sail boats remained with Lin Zongjing, moored at the riverbank north of Xiangzhou city, waiting for Han Qian to see the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu so they could take on the task of transporting grain and military supplies to Jingzi Pass.
Xiangzhou city, also called Xiang city, was the seat of Xiangzhou’s administration. After Du Chongtao was stationed at Xiangzhou, his priority work had been repairing Xiang city. But aside from the city walls being deeper and broader than Xuzhou’s Qianyang city, traces of war’s devastation still remained everywhere within the city.
The most severe destruction of Xiangzhou city occurred during the Hede reign of the previous dynasty, when bandit chief Qin Zongquan led three hundred thousand roving bandits into Xiangzhou. At that time, all cities fell, but only Xiangzhou’s walls were high and the city was dangerous to attack, so it could not be taken for a long time. Qin Zongquan ultimately drove the people from all four directions to transport earth and stones to fill the Liuzi River, which originated from Jing Mountain and flowed from west of Xiangzhou city into the Han River. He dug channels to divert the Liuzi River’s water to flood beneath Xiangzhou city. After flooding for over a month, the city walls finally collapsed.
This battle also dealt a severe blow to the vitality of Xiangzhou, the famous city through the ages known as an iron-clad stronghold.
……
……
When Du Chongtao rebuilt Xiangzhou city, he still constructed it as a military fortress. Over one-third of the entire city consisted of the provincial administration, the Defense Commissioner’s Office, and various military garrison offices.
As Deputy Commander, the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu had been given the entire Jinxing Ward in the western city by Du Chongtao as his residence.
When Han Qian entered the city, he went directly to Jinxing Ward. Inside and outside the south-facing ward gates, all had been replaced with guards from the Marquis of Linjiang’s household.
The Third Prince, accompanied by Chai Jian, had just left Jinxing Ward to see Defense Commissioner Du Chongtao. Han Qian didn’t know how long the Third Prince and Chai Jian would be delayed at Du Chongtao’s place. Hearing from the gate officer that the Third Prince had specially arranged a residence for him in Jinxing Ward, he had the officer lead them there first.
Walking through the alleyways inside the ward compound, faint strains of elegant zither music drifted over.
Han Qian’s brow furrowed slightly. Since Jinxing Ward’s hundred-plus courtyards, large and small, had all been exclusively allocated for the Third Prince’s use, there should be no idle persons remaining here. And since the Third Prince had disembarked at Jiangzhou and traveled here by swift horse at a pace of no less than three hundred li per day, it was impossible for female family members or musicians to have accompanied him. How could there be zither music coming from the ward compound?
Could it be that in just the two days since he and Li Zhigao left, Du Chongtao had already sent musicians and female entertainers to the Third Prince for his amusement?
Du Chongtao wanting to keep the Third Prince pacified and not causing trouble for him was something Du Chongtao would very likely do. But listening to the music, it didn’t seem to be coming from the rear quarters of the Third Prince’s residence. Could there be some low-ranking military officer in the Guard Battalion with such refined tastes?
Han Qian’s mind wandered with random thoughts as he followed the officer deeper into the alleyway. The zither music became increasingly clear and pure. Finally, they stopped before a courtyard gate, and the zither music was coming from the neighboring courtyard.
“Who lives next door?” Han Qian asked the officer with a slightly furrowed brow.
“The newly appointed Marquis’s Household Supervisor Zhang Ping resides next to your residence, sir,” the officer said.
Han Qian had Yang Qin and his men enter the courtyard to rest first. He brought Xi Ren to walk toward the neighboring courtyard. Without any intention of knocking to announce himself, he directly pushed open the half-closed courtyard gate. Passing through the ornamental gate, he saw in the central courtyard where plants and trees had withered and remnant snow still remained, Yao Xishui attended by two maidservants, wearing snow-white fox fur, sitting in the corridor adjusting the zither strings.
Han Qian hadn’t expected to see Yao Xishui and was momentarily stunned. But in the blink of an eye, he curled his lips in a smile and said:
“Well, I was just worrying that Xiangzhou nights are cold with no one to warm my feet. Turns out the foot-warmer has already been waiting here for me.”
Yao Xishui’s beautiful eyes looked over in this direction. Her expression was haughty as she glanced at Han Qian but did not acknowledge him.
“Miss Yao, as the leading courtesan of Evening Crimson Tower, doesn’t seem suitable to appear in Xiangzhou city. Could it be that the old lady has finally thought it through and wants to reward you to me to warm my bed?” Han Qian saw a short stool beside Yao Xishui. With a cheeky grin, he walked over and reached out to grab Yao Xishui’s slender, fair hand.
Yao Xishui raised her hand. A flash of cold light passed as a sharp, gleaming short blade slid from her sleeve.
Han Qian withdrew his hand and said, “You came here, so you must have some kind of identity, right? The informants Zhao Mingting has planted in Xiangzhou city are no fewer than in Jinling.”
“This common woman has been orphaned and pitiful since childhood, forced to drift in the world of wind and dust to survive. Fortunately, Palace Attendant Zhang Ping took pity and accepted me as his adopted daughter to attend at his side. Could Master Han still have the heart to continue bullying a weak woman?” Yao Xishui returned the short sword to her sleeve, her beautiful eyes staring at Han Qian as she asked.
Han Qian saw there was no one else in the courtyard and secretly sensed that this Palace Attendant Zhang Ping was either at the residence where the Third Prince lived or had accompanied the Third Prince to see Du Chongtao.
Han Qian had long guessed that there must be people from Evening Crimson Tower helping to relay messages beside the Imperial Consort and caring for the Imperial Consort and Third Prince’s confined life in the palace.
However, when Han Qian was in Jinling, he had heard nothing about the Palace Attendant Bureau intending to separately dispatch someone to replace Guo Rong’s position as supervisor within the Marquis of Linjiang’s household. He hadn’t expected that Zhang Ping and Yao Xishui were already in Xiangzhou city—their speed of action was truly quite fast!
The Third Prince had met Yao Xishui, so it wouldn’t be difficult to guess Palace Attendant Zhang Ping’s true identity. At this moment, Han Qian hadn’t yet seen the Third Prince, so he didn’t know what the Third Prince’s true thoughts and feelings were.
Anger or fear?
Han Qian rested his hand on the zither stand, but his heart contracted slightly, and a chill ran up his spine.
He hadn’t expected that at the slightest sign of the Third Prince showing any lack of control, they could no longer sit still. Having Chai Jian, Li Chong, and others wasn’t enough—the black-veiled woman and Marquis Xinchang Li Pu had actually arranged for Zhang Ping and Yao Xishui to be placed directly beside the Third Prince to directly strengthen control over him, ensuring everything remained within their grasp.
Han Qian glanced at the two maidservants beside Yao Xishui, then stood up and walked back with Xi Ren to the residence arranged for him to live in while in Xiangzhou city.
“What’s wrong? Does it make you unhappy to see you’re not the only clever person in the world?” Xi Ren saw Han Qian’s melancholy appearance and couldn’t help mocking him sarcastically.
“I think you should change your name. Don’t be called Xi Ren anymore—from now on, just change it to Xi Luo,” Han Qian glared at Xi Ren and said. “If I’m unlucky, do you think you’ll fare well?”
Xi Ren also knew her mockery had gone a bit too far. She unbuckled the sword from her waist, then removed her thick, heavy robe. Wearing the padded jacket that young women wore in cold weather, she came over to help Han Qian remove the leather armor he wore under his outer garment.