The Longque Army’s directly subordinate elite troops—both Li Zhigao and Zhou Shu’s units—were to remain garrisoned in Junzhou. The Huangzhou provincial troops commanded by former Huangzhou Military Advisor Zheng Hui, along with the Yingzhou provincial troops that had been reorganized into various units after Xia Zhen’s death, would be locally enrolled as military households of the Xichuan Military Post after their families relocated to Xichuan in Junzhou.
Besides the military households of Xichuan Military Post all being fierce and capable fighters, the direct forces led by Li Zhigao were also the strongest combat power directly under the Longque Army. All of these were firmly controlled by Li Zhigao alone.
The troops led by mountain stronghold generals like Zhou Dan and Chen Jingzhou were all enrolled as military households of the Canglang, Jingyun, Jingzikou, and Xichuan military posts.
In addition, the Longque Army units under Guo Liang, Gao Chengyuan and others successively departed in mid-May to return triumphantly to Jinling. At this time, the imperial edict issued by Emperor Tianyou while staying in Jiangzhou also reached Xiangzhou. Third Prince Yang Yuanpu was enfeoffed as Prince of Linjiang Commandery for his merits, with his princely mansion’s official ranks all modeled after those of a Prince of First Rank’s mansion, but set one grade lower.
Shen Yang had previously taught courses to the Third Prince. Although titled as Imperial Prince’s Tutor, he had no formal official designation. This time he was formally promoted to Attendant Lecturer of Chongwen Hall, appointed as Tutor to the Prince of Linjiang Commandery, with his rank set at Senior Fourth Rank.
Under Shen Yang, Guo Rong was appointed as Chief Clerk of the princely mansion at Senior Fifth Rank.
Chen De was appointed as Marshal of the princely mansion at Senior Fifth Rank.
Zheng Hui no longer served as Military Advisor of Huangzhou, but instead held the position of Consultative Advisor to the princely mansion as an Attendant Reader of Chongwen Hall, at Junior Fifth Rank.
Zhang Ping held the position of Aide to the princely mansion at Junior Sixth Rank.
Li Chong held the position of Registrar and concurrently Records Advisor to the princely mansion at Junior Sixth Rank.
At this time, the Prince of Linjiang Commandery enjoyed treatment equal to a Prince of First Rank. Most importantly, under the commandery prince’s mansion would be established the Bureau of Personal Attendants and Bureau of Inner Guards to manage the mansion’s guard escorts, carriages, horses, and saddles.
The Bureau of Personal Attendants would enroll three hundred thirty-three personal guard attendants, incorporating all the surviving young warriors from the Guard Battalion after the bloody battle of Xichuan, primarily responsible for the daily attendance and protection of the princely mansion.
Gao Chengyuan concurrently held the position of Military Commander of the Bureau of Personal Attendants.
Additionally, six hundred sixty-seven elite cavalry would be selected for enrollment in the Bureau of Inner Guards.
The Inner Guard attendants similarly served as elite inner guards directly controlled by the princely mansion. When the Third Prince left the city or went on military campaigns, they would deploy together with the personal guard attendants as protective troops.
Guo Liang concurrently held the position of Military Commander of the Bureau of Inner Guards.
Furthermore, the Prince of Linjiang Commandery’s mansion would newly establish Left and Right Guard Command Offices to control external military forces (the Longque Army and the garrison military posts of Taowuji, Xichuan, Jingzikou, Jingyun, and Canglang).
The Left Guard Command Office would have several Vice Commanders, with Li Zhigao, Gao Chengyuan, Guo Liang, Zhou Shu and others appointed to primarily handle the training, command, and direction of the Longque Army’s standing troops.
The Right Guard Command Office would have several Military Commissioners, with Zhou Yuan, Li Zhigao, Zhou Shu, Zhou Dan, Chen Jingzhou and others concurrently serving, responsible for managing the garrison farming, military household registration, and troop conscription matters of the five major garrison military posts.
The various bureaus and Records Advisors originally established under Taowuji Garrison Military Post were separated out to establish various advisory bureaus directly commanded by the Commandery Prince’s Tutor and assisted by the princely mansion’s Aide.
Han Qian’s formal position before the war was Deputy Commander of the Guard Battalion. After all the young warriors of the original Guard Battalion were enrolled as personal guards, logically speaking, Han Qian should have risen with the tide to hold the position of Deputy Military Commander of the Bureau of Personal Attendants at Junior Sixth Rank.
However, in the officially announced positions and duties of the commandery prince’s mansion, Han Qian remained ranked alongside Feng Yi, Kong Xirong and others, merely as Literary Attendant to the commandery prince’s mansion—actually the formal position of imperial prince’s companion tutor, which counted as a proper Junior Seventh Rank official.
Meanwhile, the Left Bureau still did not receive formal establishment under the Bureau of Personal Attendants, Bureau of Inner Guards, or Left and Right Guard Command Offices, remaining an ambiguous existence. Yet the military registration and family members of Tian Cheng, Gao Shao and others were all managed under the Taowuji Garrison Military Post subordinate to the Right Guard Command Office.
When the courier relay carrying a copy of the edict’s contents reached Xiangzhou, Han Qian was fishing along the Han River.
Han Qian read through the entire relay document without a word, his eyes focused intently on the bobber floating and sinking in the river water.
By dusk when the setting sun illuminated the river water and heaven and earth turned entirely crimson, Han Qian lifted the fish basket from the water, tied it to his horse’s back, and led the horse slowly toward Xiangzhou City’s north gate.
Xi Ren rode on horseback feeling bored, surveying the wildly proliferating weeds in the wasteland that appeared full of vitality under the setting sun.
At this moment, several riders came from a side road to the west. It turned out to be Wang Wenqian and his daughter Wang Jun galloping this way, surrounded by several military officers.
Han Qian hadn’t expected Wang Wenqian to still not have returned to Chuzhou by this time. He stopped his horse, intending to let Wang Wenqian and his daughter pass first.
At this moment, however, Wang Wenqian told the military officers beside him to stop by the roadside, while he and his daughter Wang Jun alone rode toward Han Qian.
“The Third Prince has been enfeoffed as Prince of Linjiang Commandery. I trust Lord Han has already read the relay document?” Wang Wenqian reined in his horse and asked Han Qian from horseback.
“Did Lord Wang specifically rush over to mock Han, or to persuade Han to serve Prince Xin?” Han Qian asked with a smile.
“You and your father have talents for governing the world, with your learning exceeding even your father’s. A year ago you asked me how long His Majesty’s life would last. Now I must ask you in return—how long will His Majesty’s life last, and what are the Third Prince’s true chances of success?” Wang Wenqian asked.
“So Lord Wang really has come as a persuader,” Han Qian smiled slightly and asked, “I just don’t know whether this persuader decided on his own, or if Prince Xin truly believes Han has some real weight. If the latter, Han could find a place to drink with Lord Wang—today I happened to catch quite a few fish by the river. If the former, I fear Lord Wang cannot promise Han the official position and authority he desires!”
Wang Wenqian raised his head to gaze at the surging waves of the Han River, not expecting Han Qian’s thoughts to be so clear that one simply couldn’t deceive him with words.
Han Qian cupped his hands toward Wang Wenqian, then mounted his horse and rode with Xi Ren toward Xiangzhou City’s north gate.
Wang Jun watched Han Qian’s receding figure riding away under the setting sun, inexplicably feeling a sense of desolation. She asked her father with puzzled disappointment: “His Majesty made such a grand show of rewarding the Third Prince, so he should be very clear that Han Qian’s role for the Third Prince cannot be replaced by others. Han Qian excels at using extraordinary strategies, and in the Battle of Xichuan even gambled with the Third Prince’s life and death. His Majesty’s displeasure and intention to chasten him is quite normal, but no matter what, in the end it was Han Qian who turned the tide. Unless His Majesty won’t let the Third Prince use Han Qian, why suppress him to such an extent?”
“Han Daoxun governing regions shows great talent, and in strategizing for the Third Prince’s Longque Army, he didn’t hesitate to soil his own name. Though young, Han Qian takes the unorthodox path to the extreme. If Han Daoxun and Han Qian weren’t father and son, that would be one thing, but they happen to be father and son. It’s fortunate the Han father and son have broken with the Han clan,” Wang Wenqian said, pursing his lips. “Though the Third Prince has the bearing of a dragon-born, before he demonstrates the ability to control figures like Han Daoxun and Han Qian, His Majesty will let the Third Prince use Han Qian, but won’t let Han Qian gain power and influence again…”
“Father delayed leaving for several days just for today’s chance encounter with Han Qian. What’s the point? Don’t you know that Han Qian is now being watched by His Majesty? It’s too late for self-examination—how would he dare easily change allegiances?” Wang Jun asked.
“I certainly don’t expect Han Qian to directly change allegiances right now, but as long as he keeps the thought in his heart, these extra days your father stayed will have been worthwhile—after all, he’s still young and won’t lack three to five years of patience.” Wang Wenqian said with a slight smile.
After putting distance between himself and Wang Wenqian and his daughter, Han Qian reined in his horse to proceed slowly.
“Why are you avoiding Wang Wenqian like he’s the plague? Wang Wenqian today just wanted to plant a thought in your heart,” Xi Ren stared at Han Qian with puzzlement and asked, “Could it be you’ve determined the Second Prince isn’t worth even a speck of expectation?”
Through the bloody battle of Xichuan, the Third Prince’s reputation had soared. Being enfeoffed as Prince of Linjiang Commandery meant he formally possessed his own team. But speaking truly and fairly, the Second Prince’s ultimate chances of success were still a notch higher than the Third Prince’s.
Those bound together with Marquis Xinchang’s mansion and Wanhong Tower aside, even someone as upright as Shen Yang didn’t mind forming a favorable connection with Chuzhou over the matter of Gu Mei. Yet Xi Ren didn’t understand why Han Qian, who could be said to have already severed ties with Wanhong Tower, instinctively felt an impulse to avoid Chuzhou.
Han Qian smiled slightly and said: “Even Wang Wenqian may not meet a good end beside the Second Prince. Why would I join that commotion?”
Although history had already changed enormously, the character traits revealed by history’s trajectory would not change.
In the historical trajectory that once was, Prince Xin had been able to lead troops in besieging Jinling for months, indicating that within those months in the Chu Kingdom’s heartland, Prince Xin had no military opponents who could contend with him.
At that time, with Anning Palace provoking both heaven’s wrath and popular resentment, and Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan as an imperial prince also controlling such great military advantage, he ultimately met the tragic end of military collapse and death, leading to Jinling’s devastation.
How could Han Qian feel assured following such a person?
Although Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan had already demonstrated extraordinary military talent at this time, Han Qian’s question to Wang Wenqian just now—whether today’s chance encounter was Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan’s instruction or Wang Wenqian’s own initiative—was merely to further confirm what kind of person Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan was.
Returning to the now-empty Jinxing Ward, Han Qian pulled several fish from the basket, personally scaled and gutted them, used a large iron pot to stew a big pot of mutton soup, and put the several fish along with tofu, wild scallions, ginger, and pepper in together to simmer over high heat until cooked.
Then he stir-fried two large plates of vegetables and called for everyone to sit down for a hearty meal. Afterward, patting his belly, he said: “Pack up—tomorrow we all depart to return to Jinling!”
The personnel from Xuzhou Camp and Xuzhou Boat Association had already returned to Xuzhou under the leadership of Yang Qin, Feng Xuan, Xi Chang and others. The Boat Association and Four Surnames fleet were all in reconstruction. The Left Bureau scouts had also returned to Jinling under the leadership of Gao Shao, Lin Haizheng and others. At this time, only Tian Cheng, Xi Ren, Du Qiniang, Du Jiuniang, Du Yijun, Du Yiming, and Zhao Wuji with over ten shadow guards remained accompanying Han Qian in Xiangzhou City…