Even though this was currently a critical period for Liang-Chu peace negotiations, and some words that touched both states’ sensitive nerves could not be spoken openly, as a sovereign ruler, how could he possibly lack the great ambition to unify all under heaven?

For Han Qian to truly fulfill his father’s dying wish, he must reunify the fragmented realm, make foreign tribes both respect and fear him before submitting, so that the common people of all under heaven might truly welcome a prosperous age.

Reforming central institutions and sorting out military-political relationships was also to better develop productive forces and ensure resources could be utilized more effectively, laying deeper foundations for the future.

Not only was the Official Currency Bureau placed under the Right Inner Secretariat at the same rank as other bureaus—during these days amid intense warfare, Han Qian had considered and decided to split apart and reform the six bureaus under the Right Inner Secretariat: Personnel, Military, Revenue, Rites, Justice, and Works.

At this time, he also explained these one by one to Han Daochang and the attending Lei Jiuyuan, Feng Liao, Gu Qian, and others.

Han Qian planned to separate the Justice Bureau from the Right Inner Secretariat and directly merge it into the Censorate. Currently, this was to conveniently improve efficiency, but subsequently it was to prepare for establishing a more complete censorial and legal system.

The Personnel and Military bureaus would be retained, but Han Qian planned to split apart the imperial examination and educational supervision matters—which existed in name only in the previous dynasty—from the Rites Bureau, merging them with the Directorate of Education, Imperial Academy, and other institutions into an Educational Supervision Bureau to be responsible for constructing schools at all levels within Great Liang’s territory.

The Revenue Bureau would be reformed into the Revenue and Finance Bureau.

The greatest change was to the Works Bureau, which had been downgraded from a ministry. Han Qian decided to split it into the Agriculture Bureau, Transportation and Waterworks Bureau, Construction Bureau, Manufacturing Bureau, and Academy of Sciences Bureau to ensure that the initially formed new learning and manufacturing systems would have sufficiently large development space and voice in the central government.

Besides further improving and perfecting central institutions, after the second phase of the Heluo campaign concluded, the most urgent matter Han Qian needed to accomplish was to further perfect the new Liang army’s organization within the Military Intelligence Staff Office framework and form the “Imperial Guards” to defend the national capital Luoyang.

From the previous dynasty through the four states of Liang, Chu, Jin, and Shu, military systems—whether military garrison soldiers, corvée soldiers, or recruited soldiers—were mainly divided into two categories: capital troops and provincial troops. Capital troops were further divided into two systems: Forbidden Army and Imperial Guards, forming a mutually balancing effect between the center and prefectures/counties and between Forbidden Army and Imperial Guards.

Han Qian wanted to implement new systems. Both military garrison soldiers and corvée soldiers would be abolished. However, promoting a conscription system was also temporarily unrealistic—he could only fully implement a recruitment system incorporating some conscription characteristics.

Moreover, because Tangyi Army had already formed a complete officer training system, Han Qian currently had the conditions to overturn the previous Forbidden Army, Imperial Guards, and provincial soldiers systems, re-establishing a more efficient military system more convenient for his command and deployment.

Han Qian placed military registration, recruitment, and other matters under the Right Inner Secretariat’s Military Bureau, but placed troop deployment, commander appointments, military camp and defense zone construction, and manufacturing of armor, weapons, and warships under Military Intelligence Staff Office jurisdiction, rather than using the old Northern and Southern Court systems for mutual balance.

Besides establishing campaign commands and garrison zones according to regional and actual offensive-defensive needs to control army command authority, Han Qian also planned to divide the entire army into two categories: first, main combat brigades; second, reserve brigades.

Main combat brigades, as standing combat units, would undertake primary defense and combat missions.

Reserve brigades would be composed of active commanders, military officers, and a small number of veteran soldiers. Normally they would not undertake combat or defense missions, mainly garrisoning heartland pass regions. In peacetime they would not possess much combat power, but when warfare required or emergencies occurred, they would recruit reserve officers, soldiers, and village militia from nearby prefectures and counties, expanding into combat brigades.

Main combat brigades on the southern front were currently divided into four groups:

First was the Southern Inner Secretariat headed by Zhao Wuji, commanding Feng Zhang and Zhao Qi’s two infantry combat brigades, and Lin Zongjing and Guo Quan’s two naval brigades.

Second was Tian Cheng and Qiao Weiyan in Xuzhou commanding Wei Xu’s one infantry combat brigade.

Third was the Xiacai Campaign Command headed by Lin Haizheng and Yang Qin, commanding Xiao Dahu, Dou Rong, Tan Xiuqun, and others’ three infantry combat brigades and two naval brigades.

Fourth was Guangzhou and Deng-Jun two prefectures, where Tan Yuliang commanded He Liufeng and Wen Yuan’s two infantry combat brigades garrisoning.

On the northern front, there were also currently four groups:

First was Shangzhou (Shangluo), where under Kong Xirong’s command were Han Bao and Lin Sheng’s two infantry combat brigades and Zhu Zhen’s one cavalry brigade.

Second was Huazhou and Tongguan, where under Jing Zhen’s command were three infantry combat brigades.

Third was Mount Mang, where Wen Bo commanded Li Qi, Xue Chuan, and others’ three infantry combat brigades.

Fourth was Hulao Pass, where Chen Kun commanded Shen Peng, Zhou Bao, and others’ two infantry combat brigades.

Now Han Qian brought Feng Xuan, Han Donghu, and others back to Luoyang, planning to establish a single campaign army defense zone at Luoyang, Mengjin, and Xin County. With Feng Xuan, Xi Fa’er, Han Donghu, Li Xiu, Huo Li, Zhao Ci, Lin Jiang, Cao Ba, and other generals, he would form a combat group composed of two security brigades, two infantry combat brigades, three cavalry brigades, and one naval brigade to replace the Imperial Guards’ position and defend the national capital Luoyang.

In the Military Intelligence Staff Office, the previously established Left and Right Office Directors were all abolished. Gao Shao, Jing Hao, Han Yuanqi, and Guo Que would serve as the four directors, assisting Han Qian in managing numerous military affairs.

Excluding the Liangzhou forces led by Li Zhigao and Chai Jian, the new Liang army would organize thirty-one main combat brigades.

Besides this, Han Qian also planned to newly organize thirteen reserve brigades to garrison interior heartland pass fortifications.

Han Qian decided to keep Qin Wen by his side to serve as Remonstrance Official in the Left Inner Secretariat—actually serving as a confidential secretary beside him.

Additionally, Han Qian would re-establish Henan Prefecture to govern the national capital Luoyang and counties like Mengjin and Yanshi. He would transfer Zhou Dan back from Tongguan to serve as Henan Prefect and have Han Jianji serve as Chief Administrator. As Han Duan lacked experience serving in prefectures and counties, he would have him go to Huazhou to serve as prefectural Chief Administrator for Jing Zhen.

For the prefectural and county chief officials in former old Liang army controlled territories, Han Qian temporarily made no major adjustments. However, for these prefectures’ and counties’ existing Works Section officials, medical officers, educational officers, and newly established institutions corresponding to the central government’s new院司, Han Qian recruited officials from his old subordinates to take office, responsible for prefectural and county roads, military farming, water conservancy, manufacturing, schools, medical halls, recruitment, and other affairs. He also systematically established new township offices below the county level, also mainly deploying officials from old subordinates to preside, thereby further completing the two armies’ integration and new system promotion.

When Han Qian succeeded to the sovereign position through abdication, he would inevitably vigorously promote and employ old subordinates he was accustomed to using in the central government. The new central institutions and military system changes all favored Tangyi old subordinates occupying greater voice and administrative authority. Lei Jiuyuan, Gu Qian, Han Yuanqi, and others were very clear about this in their hearts. However, old Liang army officers and officials were not being suppressed or excluded, so they had no objections.

Over these years of dealings with Tangyi Army, Gu Qian, Zhu Juezhong, Chen Youtong, and even Jing Zhen and Jing Hao might not have particularly deep understanding. However, Han Yuanqi had been the main general attacking Xichuan that year, and after the Jing-Xiang campaign, he accompanied Zhu Yu to meet Han Qian at Turtle Mountain—he was present at both events. Ultimately, regarding Zhu Yu entrusting the state to Han Qian, he and Chen Kun, Shen Peng, and others all agreed.

Now they had endured through the most difficult moment. Withdrawing from the front lines back to Luoyang City, Han Yuanqi also saw that the two armies’ integration in the Heluo region and new system promotion were more stable than he had imagined. Previously neglected matters were also rapidly recovering. Spring plowing south of Luoyang, ditch and road construction, and even Luoyang City’s repairs, the new establishment of numerous workshops and factories—all were completely unaffected by intense warfare on the front lines. One could see how efficient and orderly the system Han Qian established in earlier years in Xuzhou and Huaixi was.

As a commander who had long led troops in combat on front lines, Han Yuanqi was undoubtedly pragmatic and did not have too many conservative notions clinging to the past. This was also key to Han Qian transferring him into the central government.

There were too many details to discuss. The audience with Han Daochang, Qin Wen, and others unknowingly deepened into dusk. Han Qian then held a banquet at Lingyun Pavilion, having Feng Liao, Lei Jiuyuan, Gu Qian, Han Yuanqi, and others accompany him, continuing to discuss state governance during the banquet…

Besides Shangyang Garden and central government offices, Luoyang Academy within Luoyang City each had dedicated areas. Han Qian also specifically designated some areas in Luoyang City to settle officers’ and officials’ families.

When Zhu Yu rebuilt Luoyang City, he mainly adopted the ward system layout, using chessboard-pattern streets to divide the city into differently sized squares, constructing palace offices, temple pagodas, and wards for official and civilian residences.

The wards for official and civilian residences had tall rammed earth ward walls built around them on all sides, with drainage moats and ditches around them. Four gates opened on the four sides for officials and civilians to enter and exit. At night, curfew was enforced. When ward gates closed, they formed independent defensive units.

In cities in Jianghuai and other regions by the middle and late periods of the previous dynasty, due to industrial and commercial development, not only were old ward walls successively broken through with shops established, combining wards and markets—newly built cities also basically no longer constructed ward walls inside, changing internal city layout from traditional closed style to open style.

Luoyang City was a field of ruins. According to Han Qian’s requirements, repairing and newly building residential areas should also adopt new street and alley layouts. However, several currently well-preserved ward compounds would mainly be utilized for officers’ and officials’ families to reside in, which in the current chaotic wartime also facilitated protecting officers’ and officials’ families.

As Qin Wen would serve as Remonstrance Official, not only was he a core official below the Left and Right Directors in the Left Inner Secretariat, but because he needed to attend duty beside Han Qian, his position appeared even more important.

To facilitate receiving Han Qian’s summons at any time and conveniently entering and exiting the Left Inner Secretariat offices and Shangyang Garden, after his family arrived in Luoyang, the courtyard arranged for them was located in Xuande Ward directly adjacent to Lingyun Pavilion on Shangyang Garden’s southern side.

In other words, when Han Qian wanted to summon Qin Wen in Lingyun Pavilion, he would exit Xuande Ward’s gate, pass through two doors, walk through one corridor—back and forth requiring only walking over two hundred steps.

Though conditions were simple, Qin Wen’s family of old and young, plus servants and maids who had followed him for many years, numbered fewer than twenty people. Luoyang City still arranged a three-courtyard grand residence with east and west cross-courtyards. Returning from the banquet, Qin Wen was slightly drunk.

Although night had deepened, having traveled long distances to settle in a new place only two days ago, the household’s old and young were still organizing. The courtyard remained a chaotic mess.

“Minister Wang Zhe had someone deliver a pile of documents, saying they were all urgent matters. I had someone put them in the western courtyard wing room and had Yu’er guard them!” His wife Lady Guo came over when she saw Qin Wen return.

“Truly not even one day’s rest.” Qin Wen patted his forehead.

From receiving audience until now, over three hours, including during the banquet, all discussed central government reform. However, this was his first time understanding Han Qian’s such far-reaching thoughts in depth. Now if he wanted to initially comprehensively understand Heluo’s current situation, he still needed to first read through large quantities of case files and documents.

Of course, Qin Wen also complained with some affectation. Wanting to quickly enter working condition and not caring that night had deepened, he walked to the western courtyard’s still extremely simply furnished study. While flipping through piles of documents, he discussed with his eldest son Qin Yu—already over nineteen years old—matters to pay attention to when entering Luoyang Academy.

All these years he had closely followed Tangyi and Xuzhou’s new governance developments, so taking over now would be very quick. However, previously to maintain cover, he had not allowed his three sons to contact new learning, still receiving traditional classical education.

In this era, eighteen or nineteen-year-old young men had already reached working age—most were married with children. However, for better future development, besides his two still-young sons, Qin Wen also decided to have his eldest son Qin Yu first enter Luoyang Academy, temporarily not considering taking office or marriage.

Roughly flipping through over a foot of documents, unknowingly dawn brightened. Qin Wen still thought about at least taking a nap before going to the Left Inner Secretariat to begin his first day of attendance after arriving in Luoyang. However, as he rose, he casually flipped through a new document, which banished all sleepiness.

Qin Wen could not care about the fatigue from staying up all night. After hastily eating breakfast, he walked out of the courtyard to rush to the Left Inner Secretariat. Just exiting the ward gate, he saw Wang Zhe—whom he had only met for the first time two days prior—walking over from the side passage. Going forward to meet him, he lowered his voice and asked:

“Has the sovereign really decided early to strike first against the Right Dragon Martial Army?”

Wang Zhe said, “Before winter arrives, Liang and Chu must reach an agreement. We can only use force to promote peace—there must inevitably be one battle. Only then will subsequent commercial trade matters have possibility of negotiation…”

Thinking it over, Qin Wen agreed. Since the situation became tense, Chishan Association members and merchant ships had all contracted to the four locations of Tangyi, Donghu, Xichuan, and Xuzhou. Xuzhou and Huaixi’s commercial goods output to Jianghuai had also stopped accordingly. If there were no battle, even if Jinling did not dare send troops to campaign against Huaixi, they would still cut off commercial trade connections with Great Liang.

“To strike, we must prepare for comprehensive action. Merely relying on naval forces to blockade the Yangtze River waterway is still insufficient!” Qin Wen said again.

“Guangzhou and Shouzhou have assembled over six thousand Songfan warhorses. Before month’s end, another batch of Songfan warhorses will be transported through Liangzhou to arrive at Xichuan. Li Xiu, Cao Ba, and Zhao Ci will lead their units south tomorrow to receive these warhorses,” Wang Zhe said.

“Oh, so that’s how it is…” Qin Wen suddenly understood.

Huaixi had always had a small cavalry scale. Besides being limited by warhorse numbers, more importantly, the number of officers and soldiers skilled in cavalry warfare in the Jianghuai region was quite limited.

Cavalry warfare and horseback riding were completely two different concepts. Without growing up on horseback from childhood or years of harsh training, wanting to skillfully use bows and arrows on horseback or employ blunt weapons or blade-spears in combat was an extremely difficult matter.

Therefore, even though Tangyi had ample finances and could purchase large batches of Songfan warhorses from Shu, truly elite cavalry numbered only three to four thousand—mainly even using crossbows as offensive weapons, consistently avoiding close entanglement with elite enemy cavalry.

Tangyi Army had long used cavalry-infantry as main forces, with the primary combat method being riding horses for marches then dismounting to form battle arrays when encountering enemies.

Liang once possessed extremely powerful cavalry forces. On one hand, warhorse raising in the He-Huai region far exceeded Jianghuai. Additionally, this was the foundation Zhu Wen accumulated through half a lifetime of campaigns in the He-Huai region.

However, after the Heshuo catastrophe, old Liang army suffered tremendous blows, with warhorse losses extremely severe.

Now besides Zhu Zhen’s unit counting as a relatively pure cavalry brigade, within Heluo there was not one fully organized cavalry brigade.

However, old Liang army still had quite a few veteran soldiers skilled in cavalry warfare.

When Han Qian said he would newly organize three cavalry brigades in Heluo, he would integrate these veteran soldiers with Imperial Guard cavalry. However, he would not wait for warhorses to be transported over—rather, he would have Li Xiu, Cao Ba, Zhao Ci, and others lead these officers and soldiers skilled in cavalry warfare to rush to southern front locations stockpiling warhorses to receive warhorses, completing training integration on the southern front before returning to Heluo.

During this process, it was equivalent to temporarily deploying three brigades of elite cavalry to the southern front, which in the short term could also greatly reduce Heluo’s supply pressure.

Cavalry brigade organization was smaller than infantry combat brigades—full strength was three thousand cavalry. However, three brigades of full-strength elite cavalry on the Jianghuai battlefield would absolutely have stronger deterrent power than three brigades of full-strength elite infantry combat brigades.

On Mengzhou city walls, Xiao Yiqing gazed out at the Yu River, where turbid waters surged. The river surface clamped between Mengzhou and Hulao Pass was more than twice as wide as in the third and fourth months.

In normal years, the Yu River’s water strength in the fifth month was far from this great. However, they had severed the river course at Wuzhi, forcing the Yu River to change course southward from east of Xingyang. The breached embankment was in no way as smooth as the original river course, causing the river course west of Xingyang to maintain high water levels without falling after entering mid to late fifth month.

The Yu River flowed south from Yanzhou. Within He Jin and Huazhou territory, it received waters from the North Luo River, Jing River, and Wei River, clamped between mountain gorges and valleys with swirling whirlpools and rapid rushing currents. After the fifth month, as waters surged more, water conditions became increasingly complex. Naval forces without huge ships and large warships could easily capsize with slight carelessness. At this time, in the Yi-Luo River’s downstream plain region, waterlogging was severe. Mountain ridges and hills on both flanks had terrain not conducive to large force deployments in combat. The great army was forced to withdraw back to the northern shore, only able to watch helplessly as Liang forces re-occupied fortified cities on the Yi-Luo River’s eastern bank and reorganized defenses.

In this battle on the northern front, including the Eastern Liang Army, cumulative dead officers and soldiers totaled over twenty thousand—this number was actually lower than garrison forces by a margin. This battle certainly could not be counted as defeat. However, cumulative sick and wounded in the army also approached thirty thousand, severely affecting officers’ and soldiers’ morale and urgently requiring rest and reorganization.

Although the Yu River’s water strength could recede by mid to late ninth month, allowing renewed deployment against the southern shore, and by mid to late tenth month, He-Huai’s streams and rivers would freeze solid enough for horses to cross—allowing the Eastern Liang Army to cross the Grand Canal and Ying River westward, attacking from the flank against Liang’s weakly defended soft spots like Xu, Chen, and Ying—thinking that Liang forces had a full four-plus months’ breathing space still caused Xiao Yiqing’s heart to be shrouded by a layer of dark clouds.

Speaking of it, last year Wusu Lü fell for Han Qian’s lure-the-snake-from-its-hole strategy, acting rashly in Jinling City, forcing Lu Qingxia to launch a palace coup that ended in disastrous failure.

This not only enabled Han Qian to dare lead forces in massive northward advance into He-Huai last autumn and winter, receiving and escorting Bianjing’s military and civilians in southern withdrawal—an even worse influence was that though they assembled over one hundred thousand great armies attacking Heluo from three sides, the Chu court actually delayed until now without daring to dispatch even one soldier to set foot in Huaixi, thereby missing the excellent opportunity to attack Liang forces from two fronts and rout them.

If Lu Qingxia were still in Jinling at this time, having established Chu Empress Dowager Wang Chan’er and Emperor Yanyou to jointly control great power, with Li Zhigao and Chai Jian leading forces commanding north of Xiang—how could they have missed the opportunity to recover Huaixi?

If it had truly been thus, they should have already captured Heluo long ago.

At this moment, Xiao Yiqing could not help doubting whether dragging things out until after autumn and winter before again organizing large forces to attack Heluo was appropriate.

Wang Yuankui, Tian Weiye, and other units had fought bitterly for consecutive years with extremely great officer and soldier casualties without receiving effective rest and reorganization. Though Wang Xiaoxian and Zhao Mengji led seventy thousand troops in surrender, Shu soldiers resided in foreign lands with uncertain hearts. Zhu Rang and Liang Shixiong newly obtained prefectures east of the Ying River—wanting to restore agricultural production still required time. If these unit forces could not display their proper combat effectiveness, the autumn-winter offensive might still be abandoned halfway.

At this time, they could relatively well control Jin territory and make the Eastern Liang Army obediently listen to commands due to close connection with consistent military victories. However, once they suffered consecutive setbacks in Heluo, whether it would cause internal popular sentiment to waver was truly hard to say.

More critically, Wusu Lü’s rash actions in Jinling not only resulted in the death of Emperor Yang Yuanpu of Chu—who was most suspicious of Han Qian—and Lu Qingxia and others being purged from Jinling, they also suffered severe losses among their agents who had lurked in Jinling in earlier years. Currently, their influence on the Chu court was almost equivalent to none.

Even though they had previously sent people to Chuzhou to meet Chu Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan, currently Yang Yuanyan’s voice in the Chu court was not strong—he even suffered extremely deep suspicion.

This also meant that if Han Qian, over the next four or five months, used any means necessary to facilitate Liang-Chu peace agreement, they had extremely little space to interfere.

Xiao Yiqing explained his numerous worries one by one to Wusu Dashi: “We could have Zhao Mengji serve as Mengzhou Military Commissioner, have Wang Yuankui serve as Yongzhou Military Commissioner, have Wang Xiaoxian guard Qizhou, transfer Tian Weiye to guard He Jin, and dispatch engineers to help Zhu Rang establish craft and new learning workshops in Bianjing and Xingyang to invigorate national strength. We could gradually plan for Heluo rather than rushing to seize it this autumn and winter. The matter of right-flank tribes’ southern migration should also perhaps be delayed three to five years…”

Before Mengzhou’s city tower, Lu Qingxia, Zhou Yuan, and Mongol officers and officials stood behind Wusu Dashi and Xiao Yiqing. Hearing Xiao Yiqing’s words, they were secretly alarmed. Xiao Yiqing clearly was not optimistic that launching a larger-scale autumn-winter offensive would necessarily smoothly capture Heluo—hence his thought of temporarily withdrawing forces for recuperation.

Besides the countless elite tribal forces from the vast desert grasslands north of Yanshan that could be transferred south, the Mongols currently directly occupied dozens of prefectures in Yan-Yun, Bohai, Guanzhong, Hedong, Shangdang, Heshuo, and other places with eight to nine million people. The Eastern Liang Army occupied over thirty prefectures east of the Ying River and south of the Yu River with over seven million people. Facing remnant Liang controlling only Heluo and Huaixi—just over ten prefectures with four million people—they felt fearful?

Even willing to slow plans for Mongol tribal southern migration and allow the Eastern Liang Army to grow stronger?

Of course, no matter how shocked Lu Qingxia and Zhou Yuan felt in their hearts, they had to admit Xiao Yiqing’s words were deeply calculating old-wisdom words.

They occupied advantageous terrain. Remnant Liang had the awkward shape of facing enemies on three sides. Even more so—if they established solid defense lines at Yongzhou, Mengzhou, He Jin, and Xingyang, encircling Heluo, and waited two or three years for all unit forces to complete rest and reorganization while transferring more elite cavalry from the desert grasslands, uniting with the Eastern Liang Army to attack the defense-less Cai, Ru, Xu, and Chen regions during the winter freezing period—their chances of victory would obviously be much greater than this autumn and winter continuing bitter warfare with gritted teeth.

Wusu Dashi clasped his hands behind his back, frowning as he gazed at the towering mountains and steep ridges on the Yu River’s southern shore.

Currently, they had relatively well controlled Jin territory. Originally this year they planned to further expand the scale of right-flank Anha tribes’ southern migration.

Xiao Yiqing’s suggestion—his heart understood clearly—large-scale tribal southern migration would inevitably compete for land with original residents of Guanzhong, Hedong, and other regions, easily exploited by remnant Liang. However, the northern lands grew increasingly bitter and cold, cattle and sheep had insufficient grass to eat, and tens of thousands of warriors following him in southern campaigns and northern battles coveted the south’s wealth and fertility.

At this time, if he wanted to recruit more tribal warriors south to participate in killing—yet had to delay southern migration plans—how would he calm those resentful and angry voices?

“Other matters can be handled while observing Jianghuai situation developments. If Liang and Chu truly negotiate peace agreement, we also need not rush to launch offensive again this autumn and winter. However, southern migration cannot be further delayed,” Wusu Dashi said. “Complaints have already been transmitted from the Northern Court. Minister Xiao should weigh this carefully…”

Xiao Yiqing sighed softly. Fundamentally, it was still because Lu Qingxia and others successfully assassinated Emperor Yanyou yet ultimately caused the palace coup to fail. Otherwise, they fundamentally would not need to consider the possibility of Liang and Chu negotiating peace agreement.

As for the so-called Northern Court complaints, Xiao Yiqing understood in his heart that this was mainly directed at them Han officials. Fundamentally, Northern Court high ministers suspected that their delaying tribal southern migration process had ulterior motives.

With warfare temporarily ceased here, Wusu Dashi would still lead Mongol cavalry to withdraw back to Taiyuan Prefecture and other places. Otherwise, if such massive forces plus over one hundred thousand warhorses all piled up in Mengzhou, transportation consumption alone would be alarmingly great.

Mengzhou was handed to Zhao Mengji for defense. Besides requiring him to diligently train naval forces and extensively build fortified camps, Wusu Dashi would also forcibly abduct tens of thousands of women from Shangdang, Taiyuan, Hedong, and other regions to have them marry the tens of thousands of Shu soldiers displaced from their homes, thereby transforming tens of thousands of Shu soldiers over two or three years into Han army military households permanently garrisoning the Yu River’s northern shore.

Zhu Yu had once dispatched Zhou Daoyuan to extensively mine coal and iron and develop smelting and casting in Heluo. After Heluo fell, over ten thousand craftsman-soldiers became prisoners, with only a small number of senior craftsmen escaping into Yongzhou in time to avoid catastrophe—these over ten thousand craftsman-soldiers were ultimately requested by Wusu Dashi to go to Taiyuan Prefecture.

Now considering the Eastern Liang Army’s strength was too weak to form effective military pressure on remnant Liang forces from the eastern front, Wusu Dashi also decided to adopt Xiao Yiqing’s suggestion, returning a portion of craftsman-soldiers to Bianjing for Eastern Liang Army’s use.

Of course, after hearing Lu Qingxia and Zhou Yuan explain in detail about Han Qian developing new learning and craft systems in Xuzhou and Liyang, Wusu Dashi was also deeply moved.

Besides Taiyuan Prefecture, he also had Zhao Mengji, Tian Weiye, Wang Yuankui, and others guarding Yong-Meng and other places fully promote this, particularly new-style implements and siege weapons from Huaixi and other regions—all regions should also fully imitate. Wusu Dashi even wanted to discuss with Xiao Yiqing whether it was necessary to also imitate Liyang Academy by first establishing an Engineering Academy in Taiyuan Prefecture…