Feng Liao had originally planned to wait for Feng Yi to return from meeting Han Qian before going to see Huang Hua himself. He never expected Huang Hua would be the first to propose visiting Dragon Fang City, catching him completely off guard.
Since Xuzhou had no intention of openly rebelling, they could not obstruct Huang Hua, who as Pacification Commissioner was their direct superior, from freely traveling within Xuzhou’s territory.
Feng Liao had difficulty walking, and having previously feigned a leg injury, he hastily summoned a physician overnight to apply a plaster cast. The next morning, he traveled by sedan chair, accompanied by Provincial Administrator Gao Shao and Feng Yi who had rushed back overnight, along with over ten attendants, following Pacification Commissioner Huang Hua, An Jixiang, Yang Shouyi and others to Dragon Fang City.
Dragon Fang City was only forty-some li from Chenzhong City, but required crossing three mountain ridges. Fortunately, the ancient postal road through Dragon Fang Mountain had been renovated over the past two years, widened to double its original five-chi width, making travel quite convenient.
To allow horse carts to pass more easily, the newly renovated postal road had its worn, slippery stone steps dug out and replaced with winding mountain slopes paved with coal slag and coarse river sand, though this made the route somewhat longer than the old road.
The two-wheeled carts of this era were unsuitable for climbing up and down slopes. Though Feng Liao and his party encountered many carts passing by along the way, they carried relatively limited cargo—only slightly better than transport by oxen, horses, or human porters.
Within Xuzhou’s territory, large-scale material transport still relied primarily on waterways.
Feng Liao knew that Han Qian had long ago instructed the Engineering Academy to develop new cart designs better suited for climbing sloped roads, but most things in this world could not be accomplished overnight. Many projects were underway but had yet to show progress.
Of course, one couldn’t say progress was slow either.
Even counting from when Han Daoxun took office in Xuzhou, only a few years had passed. Han Qian had only fully controlled Xuzhou’s military and civil administration for two years.
What Huang Hua and Zhou Qinian saw in Chenzhong City at this time was certainly nothing like the beautiful water towns of Jiangnan or the magnificent splendor and decadent luxury of great cities like Jinling and Yangzhou.
No matter how rationally Chenzhong County was planned and constructed, the newly paved streets were lined with saplings that had yet to mature. The entire city looked bare with little greenery, far less verdant than the surrounding hills which remained lush even as winter approached.
The entire city’s roads were paved with coal slag—not a single stone-paved street. When Huang Hua entered Chenzhong City under the escort of Chenzhou Governor Xi Ying, after several days without rain, strong winds would stir up black ash throughout the city.
The city’s residents had dust on their faces and bodies, wearing coarse, monotonously colored garments.
The city’s architecture was mainly rough in style, with very few carved railings or painted beams for decoration.
To speak frankly, Chenzhong at this time was far inferior to Chenyang City with its centuries of foundation.
However, Huang Hua and Zhou Qinian were not ordinary people with common vision—they could see Xuzhou’s powerful and vigorous vitality within this roughness, even crudeness.
Moreover, large-scale construction of Chenzhong City on the foundation of Jiming Stockade had begun less than a year ago.
The autumn harvest had just passed. The Dragon Fang Mountain postal road was the main route connecting Linjiang County and Chenzhong County. Along the way, they could see many newly constructed roads branching off from the main postal road, leading into valleys on both sides.
These valleys and mountain ravines had originally been home to only extremely few tribal households struggling to survive. Now they had formed new villages one after another, and on distant mountain ridges, many people could be seen leading plow oxen to cultivate new terraced fields.
Others might not notice anything, but Huang Hua and Zhou Qinian could judge from the distribution of villages along the route that Xuzhou’s population density had long exceeded the 80,000 counted at the end of the previous dynasty. From the piles of wheat stubble in the fields beside the road and the grain kernels scattered on the ground, they could also determine that Xuzhou’s agricultural level was in no way inferior to areas near the imperial capital Jinling.
Besides Xi Ying introducing the situation, along the way Huang Hua would occasionally summon Gao Shao, Feng Liao, Feng Yi and others to his side to inquire about various matters.
Only then did Zhou Qinian gain a clearer understanding of how Han Qian’s extensive establishment of Township Patrol Offices throughout Xuzhou enabled rapid and effective advancement of population resettlement, new field cultivation, water conservancy projects, road construction, and promotion of intercropping and companion planting agricultural techniques.
Although since the Qin and Han dynasties, localities had a tradition of using township clerks to assist county administrations in managing bandits, taxation and such—usually employing only two or three people without even paying salaries—Xuzhou’s Township Patrol Offices were far more comprehensive than traditional township clerks.
Beyond regular duties like capturing bandits and collecting taxes, the Township Patrol Offices had medical clerks, educational clerks, agricultural clerks, engineers and other positions managing various affairs—essentially miniature county government offices.
The advantage of this approach was that many policies could be implemented more thoroughly, but the greatest disadvantage was bureaucratic bloat and enormous consumption of funds and grain.
Nearly half of the land taxes Xuzhou could currently collect were consumed at the Township Patrol Office level.
Adding six or seven township clerks and various service positions might only require increasing salaries by a hundred-some strings of cash, but townships had to operate elementary schools, township medical stations, agricultural and engineering training institutes, road administration, postal services, land reclamation, and autumn military training. Due to the abolition of corvée labor and its conversion into land taxes, every undertaking required large expenditures for hired labor.
Currently, besides the extremely large public service expenditures at the township level—each township spending no less than seven to eight hundred strings annually—the county level faced similar circumstances. The seven counties combined spent nearly fifty to sixty thousand strings each year.
These two areas alone consumed nearly all the land taxes the seven counties could collect, leaving no surplus to remit upward.
The provincial government’s finances and military provisions and salaries mainly came from transit taxes, market harbor taxes, mining and industrial taxes, and income from large-scale external sales of warships, armor and weapons.
This also revealed how dependent Xuzhou was on the outside world.
Following Han Qian’s instructions, Feng Liao did not conceal these matters from Huang Hua. On one hand, Huang Hua and others could learn about these circumstances from Xi Ying and others. More importantly, it demonstrated that Xuzhou, currently subordinate to Great Chu, actually lived quite difficultly and had no qualification whatsoever to harbor different intentions.
Once connections with the outside world were severed, transit taxes and market harbor taxes would greatly decrease. Simultaneously, because bulk goods could not be sold, mining and industrial taxes would sharply decline, and income from warships and weapons would directly vanish into nothing.
“These many new policies were formulated when the old master was alive. We advised the master to make some reductions or limit expenditures to income, but the master was quite insistent,” Feng Liao hinted that everything currently practiced in Xuzhou was Han Qian continuing to fulfill his father Han Daoxun’s dying wishes. In reality, Xuzhou internally was somewhat unsustainable, complaining bitterly as he spoke.
“After the situation in Jinling stabilized, the Imperial Workshop Bureau conscripted hundreds of thousands of state slaves to manufacture warships, armor and weapons, no longer depending on Xuzhou. Previously we thought Sichuan salt entering Xuzhou and Xuzhou materials entering Sichuan via the Qian River could compensate somewhat, but unexpectedly Sizhou created these two major problems, so that plan fell through—we still don’t know how to make up this shortfall next year…”
Huang Hua would not easily believe Feng Liao’s words, but he found it difficult to learn more specific circumstances at present, so he made no comments along the way.
Zhou Qinian pondered Feng Liao’s words throughout the journey but could find no obvious flaws.
Of course, Xi Ying and Sizhou Administrator Yang Shouyi, representing the Yang clan, had looked displeased ever since leaving the city early that morning.
Chai Jian would not heed summons, and the provincial troops of Tan, Lang, and Yue could not be mobilized. Huang Hua, disregarding his status as Pacification Commissioner, had rushed to Dragon Fang City to meet Han Qian—how could he force Han Qian to make many concessions?
If Han Qian refused to yield and Huang Hua wanted both to quell the popular uprising and make the Shu army withdraw from the Wuchuan River valley, whose interests would ultimately need to be sacrificed? Xi Ying and Yang Shouyi could figure it out even using their toes.
But given the current situation, what could they stubbornly insist upon?
Over the past half month, though Sizhou’s tribal soldiers had severely struck at the rebels’ morale, killing or wounding nearly two thousand rebel troops, their own casualties were lighter, but not by much.
War was never a simple arithmetic problem—it wasn’t that if five thousand elite troops suffered thirty percent casualties, there would still be thirty-five hundred troops available.
In reality, after Sizhou’s forces sustained such heavy casualties, morale from top to bottom was extremely low. Their campaign against the Panlong Ridge stockades had become difficult to sustain, and their offensive in recent days had been quite perfunctory.
In other words, even if they wanted to be stubborn and persist, they had few bargaining chips left in hand.
—
Dragon Fang City had not undergone large-scale expansion.
Since the provincial seat had moved to Chenzhong, Han Qian spent most of his time handling official business in Chenzhong. The Engineering Academy, Provincial Medical Academy and others had all relocated to Chenzhong. Currently, Dragon Fang City, besides serving as the residential area for the foundry, had only a Township Patrol Office stationed within—at present just a rather prosperous small mountain town.
Han Qian was still “ill,” merely sending Xi Chang and Han Dong out of the city to welcome Huang Hua and the others.
Upon entering the hall, Han Qian, who had been waiting in the great hall, sat on a couch with his legs covered by a thin blanket. His face was wax-yellow, presenting a sickly, weak appearance intolerant of cold, truly looking like he was “ill”—not deliberately avoiding a meeting, nor arrogantly refusing to step outside his residence to welcome them.
“When His Majesty sent me to take up my post in Hunan, he said that when matters were difficult to decide, I should seek the Marquis’s opinion,” said Huang Hua. Since he had already come to Dragon Fang City, he would not concern himself with mere courtesies. After exchanging pleasantries, he sat behind the head table diagonal from Han Qian, slightly narrowing his eyes as he stared at Han Qian’s wax-yellow face and asked, “Regarding the current situation in Sizhou, I wonder what insights the Marquis might have?”
“Governor Xi and General Yang are both among the most outstanding figures in Great Chu’s southwest. For the situation in Sizhou, the Pacification Commissioner might do better to consult them,” Han Qian said in a sickly manner, appearing quite lacking in vital energy.
“I am still in mourning. Though I must attend to provincial affairs and cannot sit vigil before my late father’s tomb, I do not much concern myself with matters outside the province. Moreover, Feng Liao should have informed the Pacification Commissioner that Xuzhou currently faces difficulties and has no capacity to concern itself with external affairs…”
“Can the rebels be pacified through recruitment?” Huang Hua asked directly, ignoring Han Qian’s pretense.
Hearing that Huang Hua hadn’t even consulted them before directly expressing his intention to pacify and recruit the rebel army, Yang Shouyi and Xi Ying both felt their eyelids twitch, but ultimately neither stepped forward to say anything.
“Whether they can be pacified and recruited, Superintendent An and Superintendent Fu have been in Sizhou these past days—they have a clear idea in their hearts. Han Qian, deaf and blind, truly cannot answer the Pacification Commissioner’s question. Otherwise, in certain people’s eyes, whatever Han Qian says or does is all sinister plotting!” Han Qian seemed determined to remain uninvolved, consistently avoiding Huang Hua’s conversational gambits.
“The Shu army is advancing south and continues deploying troops—this doesn’t seem like empty posturing. If Sizhou falls, Xuzhou will also be threatened,” Huang Hua continued. “At that time, Xuzhou won’t be able to remain aloof even if it wishes.”
Speaking of which, this was Han Qian’s first time meeting Huang Hua.
Huang Hua had risen through military ranks in his early years and had long presided over local political affairs, though his reputation was not particularly illustrious.
During the Jinling Incident, Huang Hua had mainly coordinated local forces to defend Huzhou while observing the situation. But once he truly made his choice and led Huzhou troops north to recover Suchou, Chang and Run, attacking Jinling City from the eastern route, his military decisions were all extremely decisive, and the man himself could lead from the front.
As commander of the eastern route forces, he had sustained knife wounds and arrow injuries at Jinling City, so that for quite some time after Emperor Yanyou’s enthronement, he could only remain at his residence recuperating. He had not undertaken important duties until now when he received orders to go to Huzhou to assume the position of Pacification Commissioner, commanding military and civil administration.
Han Qian would never underestimate such a person.
Moreover, Huang Hua now had the courage to set foot in Xuzhou—however highly Han Qian regarded him, it would not be excessive.
Although pacifying and recruiting the rebel army seemed to be the only current option, how to conduct this recruitment made all the difference.
Without seeing conditions completely favorable to himself emerge, Han Qian would never easily engage with Huang Hua’s conversational gambits. He merely said, “As the saying goes, when water comes, earth blocks it; when soldiers come, generals meet them. When the time truly comes that Xuzhou can no longer remain aloof, we can think of solutions then.”
Seeing Han Qian’s attitude clearly suggesting he was quite pleased to see Sizhou’s situation completely deteriorate, Yang Shouyi was the first to lose patience. He said, “The Marquis and the late master claimed Great Chu loyalty and righteousness—how can you bear to watch enemy forces trample Chu territory and slaughter Chu people while turning a blind eye?”
“Whether my Han family, father and son, represent Great Chu loyalty and righteousness is for His Majesty alone to judge—it hardly seems General Yang’s place to speak?” Han Qian glanced at Yang Shouyi, who was said to be capable of lifting a four-hundred-jin bronze tripod, and said disdainfully.
Yang Shouyi’s face flushed purple with anger.
Yang Shouyi’s body was indeed as robust as a mountain bear. Earlier, there had been much hesitation among Xi Chang and others about whether to allow Yang Shouyi to enter the hall wearing his sword.
However, with Gao Shao, Kong Xirong and other Xuzhou military officers in the hall, and over a hundred elite Xuzhou troops in the courtyard beyond the corridor, Han Qian truly wasn’t afraid Yang Shouyi would dare make a sudden move. He didn’t want to appear too petty.
And with Yang Shouyi refusing to remove his blade even in the presence of Huang Hua as Pacification Commissioner, the Xuzhou side found it difficult to make more demanding requirements.
At this point, Han Qian coughed violently several times, pretended to spit out some phlegm, and with apparent “difficulty” apologized to Huang Hua: “Since returning to Xuzhou, my health has not been good, and I have little mental energy to think carefully about provincial affairs. Perhaps the Pacification Commissioner should first take up residence in Dragon Fang City? If you truly have any orders, you can give them directly to Feng Liao and Gao Shao. Xuzhou’s loyalty to His Majesty is unwavering, as clear as the sun and moon…”
With Han Qian “gravely ill” and unable to manage provincial affairs, naturally Provincial Administrator Feng Liao and Provincial Administrator Gao Shao would act in his stead.
Having hastily met once, Han Qian wanted to use “grave illness” as an excuse to withdraw behind the scenes. Huang Hua could do nothing about it and temporarily led his attendants to lodge in the adjoining courtyard that had been arranged in advance.
—
The adjoining courtyard occupied a corner of Dragon Fang City. It was elegantly appointed, and security inside and out was handled by Huang Hua’s attendants. Xuzhou’s troops were all stationed near Han Qian’s residence. Even Dragon Fang City’s gates stood wide open and unguarded, allowing free passage.
There was nothing to criticize regarding courtesies.
Xi Ying fancied himself an old fox, sharp-tongued and quick-witted, yet he found Han Qian covered in spines from head to toe, unable to find any place to sink his teeth.
And no matter how much suspicion they harbored in their hearts, at least from the facts before their eyes, they could find not the slightest trace of evidence that Xuzhou had colluded with the rebellious bandits or the Shu army.
Moreover, Sizhou had been wary of Xuzhou from the start, finding every excuse to prevent Xuzhou from interfering in Sizhou affairs. Now that Han Qian remained aloof and kept his hands in his sleeves, even if he displayed an attitude of pique, what could they say about him?
“Commander, with matters having reached this point, what should we do?” Fu Gengwen was completely without ideas. After returning to the courtyard arranged for his lodging and catching his breath, the more he thought about it, the more he felt the situation could not be allowed to drag on. He impatiently grabbed An Jixiang and ran over to ask Huang Hua to first come up with a plan.
Now not only could Sizhou’s forces not overcome the rebel bandits, but the Shu army in the Wuchuan River valley continued to increase their forces and could attack and seize Shiqian County at any time.
Once Shiqian County fell and Sizhou’s forces were thrown into disarray, allowing the rebel bandits to collude with the Shu army, the problem would truly become serious.
Xi Ying and Yang Shouyi arrived one after the other as well.
“Gengwen, you and General Yang should immediately go down the mountain and return to Sizhou. Have Sizhou Governor Yang Xingfeng deploy a battalion of combat-ready troops from west of Shihe Stockade to Shiqian, and be sure to strengthen Shiqian’s defenses without any negligence. Afterward, Gengwen, you will carry this commander’s command token and personally go to Shihe Stockade to discuss recruitment and pacification with the bandit chieftain…” Huang Hua said.
Yang Shouyi’s face was iron-blue as he remained silent. Xi Ying asked hesitantly, “Are we truly going to pacify and recruit the rebel army?”
Huang Hua glanced at Yang Shouyi, then shifted his gaze to Xi Ying’s face and asked, “Apart from this, does Governor Xi have any better strategy?”
“Could we use the pretense of recruitment to lure the bandit chieftain out of the mountains, then capture and kill him?” Xi Ying asked sinisterly.
Zhou Qinian sighed from the side and said, “Whether or not the Marquis of Qianyang has colluded with the bandits, he will not allow Governor’s plan to succeed.”
“If Xuzhou has truly communicated with them, the bandit chieftain naturally won’t emerge…” Xi Ying said.
Seeing that Xi Ying was still more concerned with catching Xuzhou in wrongdoing at this moment, Zhou Qinian merely smiled faintly and would not engage further with his words.
“Tan Yuliang was formerly an intelligence officer in Tanzhou. He won’t easily fall into a trap without Xuzhou communicating with him,” Huang Hua said patiently to Xi Ying. “Or perhaps, is Chenzhou willing to deploy another two thousand elite troops to enter Sizhou? If Governor Xi is willing to lead another two thousand Chenzhou elite forces to reinforce Sizhou, I can remain in Chenyang and await Governor Xi’s triumphant return!”
With Xuzhou showing such forbearance and concealment, if Huang Hua, with his dignity as Pacification Commissioner, personally sat in command at Chenyang, Xi Ying naturally need not fear that Han Qian would dare suddenly attack Chenzhou during this period.
However, the problem was that after three thousand Chenzhou troops entered Sizhou, besides suppressing the rebel bandits, they would also need to repel the Shu army before having a chance to withdraw and reorganize.
These years of campaigning north and south had already severely depleted Chenzhou and the Xi clan’s sons. How much more casualties could they bear this time?
Thinking of this, Xi Ying found he had no confidence to insist on anything.
Seeing Xi Ying fall silent, Huang Hua spoke again to Yang Shouyi in an unquestionable tone: “General Yang, you will go to Sizhou with Gengwen now. If Governor Yang has objections, please send word to me within three days—I will remain in Dragon Fang City these few days.”
Yang Shouyi was extremely unwilling in his heart, but could only first return to see his clan head Yang Xingfeng for a decision. He made no sound and led his guards to depart with Fu Gengwen, hastening down the mountain overnight.
Seeing that the situation here offered little room for his involvement, Xi Ying did not wish to linger in Xuzhou’s tiger’s den. He made an excuse and asked Huang Hua for leave to rush back to Chenyang overnight.
Huang Hua did not try to keep Xi Ying. After Xi Ying left, he spoke with An Jixiang for a while, then arranged for an attendant to fetch Han Chengmeng, who had been deliberately keeping his distance.
Huang Hua seemed unconcerned about An Jixiang’s presence. He spoke earnestly to Han Chengmeng: “When I departed Jinling, His Majesty summoned me to the Chongwen Hall and repeatedly mentioned the Old Marquis Han, the Metropolitan Governor, and the entire Han family—all Great Chu loyalists. The Marquis of Qianyang is also His Majesty’s good teacher and friend. Si, Ye, Chen, and Xu were originally tribal barbarian lands. The great clans are stubbornly benighted—they submit only because they see Great Chu’s strength, yet they spare no effort in sowing discord. His Majesty is perfectly clear about this in his heart, so he also asks that the Marquis of Qianyang disregard these divisive words and continue to shoulder the responsibility of being a pillar of Great Chu…”
Seeing that Huang Hua’s intention was for him to relay a message to Han Qian, Han Chengmeng expressed no superfluous opinions and merely nodded in agreement.
At this time, he was an aide in Huang Hua’s retinue and should heed Huang Hua’s orders. When Feng Liao sent someone to inquire about the evening banquet, he borrowed this opportunity to first go see Feng Liao.
—
Feng Liao was naturally at Han Qian’s place at this time. He had just heard a report that Yang Shouyi, Fu Gengwen, and Xi Ying had successively left Dragon Fang City with their attendants when Han Chengmeng was announced and entered.
At this moment, Han Qian had washed the wax color from his face and was idly playing with his son in the courtyard while talking with Feng Liao, Gao Shao and the others.
Han Chengmeng stood there rather awkwardly, not knowing how to convey Huang Hua’s meaning. He could hardly say that everyone should stop pretending and just sit down to negotiate terms directly, could he?
Of course, no matter what considerations prompted Huang Hua to compromise with this side, as long as he remained Emperor Yanyou’s appointed Pacification Commissioner for even one day, he had to keep his mask on and could only probe Han Qian and Xuzhou’s bottom line in a roundabout manner.
Perhaps Han Qian was the same?
“Fourth Brother, please sit and speak.” Zhao Ting’er had someone bring over a chair and invited Han Chengmeng to sit.
Among the Han family line descending from the old master to their generation, Han Chengmeng ranked fourth and Han Qian ranked seventh, though they did not address each other by these rankings. Hearing Zhao Ting’er address him this way now, Han Chengmeng felt somewhat dazed.
“What message does Huang Hua want you to convey?” Han Qian asked Han Chengmeng.
Han Chengmeng faithfully relayed Huang Hua’s words.
“Huang Hua can yield or stand firm—truly a remarkable person,” Feng Liao said to Han Qian without avoiding Han Chengmeng’s presence, frowning. “Don’t be deceived by his forbearance now. When it comes to the specific terms of recruitment and pacification, he probably won’t yield easily—in the end, he still wants our side to show our hand first…”
Han Qian pondered for a moment before saying to Han Chengmeng: “Whatever Huang Hua asks you, say that Xuzhou’s loyalty to Great Chu is unwavering, and whether to suppress or pacify the bandits, we defer entirely to the Pacification Commissioner’s lead. Oh yes, the bandit chieftain Tan Yuliang’s family members are still detained here in Dragon Fang City. If the Pacification Commissioner wishes to recruit and pacify the bandits, I will immediately arrange to have the bandit chieftain’s family escorted before the Pacification Commissioner—they might serve as bargaining chips…”
Han Chengmeng couldn’t help but smile bitterly, thinking how long this game of riddles would continue before reaching a conclusion. Would Han Qian truly hand over Tan Yuliang’s family?
Han Chengmeng could not guess Han Qian’s intention, but he was merely responsible for conveying messages and did not ask many questions. He returned to the adjoining courtyard and relayed Han Qian’s words to Huang Hua.
Hearing that Han Qian would hand over the bandit chieftain’s family members, An Jixiang, sitting at the side, was quite excited.
Huang Hua merely glanced at An Jixiang and said, “Superintendent An has worked tirelessly before and behind—this achievement should belong to Superintendent An. Superintendent An, lead some men to find the Marquis of Qianyang and take custody of the bandit chieftain Tan Yuliang’s family.”
An Jixiang was eager to agree and lead men to find Han Qian, but seeing Zhou Qinian sitting nearby with a half-smile, he suddenly awakened. After all, Huang Hua still could not fathom Han Qian’s intention and wanted to use him to test the waters!
If the bandit chieftain’s family was merely a small gambit Han Qian was using to test Huang Hua’s sincerity in compromising, and he rashly approached, causing Han Qian to determine that Huang Hua had no sincere intention to compromise and tear off his mask to kill him in venting anger—wouldn’t his death be too unjust?
Having come to his senses, An Jixiang sat back down and said, “I work for His Majesty before and behind as I should. That His Majesty trusts and employs me is already the greatest reward—apart from this, other achievements are useless to me.”
Seeing An Jixiang would not take the bait, Huang Hua laughed unconcernedly: “Superintendent An’s noble character and integrity—I, Huang, truly admire it. The Marquis of Qianyang guards the frontier for Great Chu. If recruitment and pacification succeed this time, we must share some credit with the Marquis of Qianyang to be worthy of his loyalty. How about this—if the bandit chieftain truly intends to accept recruitment and pacification, he will certainly demand the return of his family. At that time, I will ask the Marquis of Qianyang to dispatch men to escort the bandit chieftain’s family to Panlong Ridge. What does Superintendent An think?”
Only now did Han Chengmeng fully understand.
If Han Qian directly proposed sending men to escort Tan Yuliang’s family to Panlong Ridge for peace negotiations, Xuzhou still could not clear itself of suspicion of colluding with the rebel bandits.
Now Han Qian proposed handing Tan Yuliang’s family over to Huang Hua for disposal, but if Huang Hua truly took custody of Tan Yuliang’s family, it would indicate he had no sincere intention to compromise during this visit to Dragon Fang Mountain.
At that point, Huang Hua would instead have to worry that Han Qian might continue creating complications, making recruitment and pacification difficult to achieve.
Now that Huang Hua had taken the initiative to propose having Xuzhou send men to escort the bandit chieftain’s family to Panlong Ridge, Xuzhou’s intervention in the pacification matter became completely legitimate and proper. Even if argued to the heavens, it was acting “under orders.”
This was actually Huang Hua’s greatest compromise and show of sincerity toward Xuzhou.
Of course, An Jixiang was currently in Xuzhou after all representing Emperor Yanyou, and after returning to Jinling he could speak before Emperor Yanyou at any time, so in this matter Huang Hua needed An Jixiang’s approval and endorsement.
Otherwise, if Huang Hua, as a high regional official, became the subject of Emperor Yanyou’s suspicion over this matter, the losses would outweigh the gains…
Han Chengmeng couldn’t help but look toward An Jixiang, wondering whether he would cooperate with Huang Hua in endorsing this matter.