Han Qian traveled overnight under the escort of Yang Qin and Xi Ren, taking a boat down the Han River to rush to Xiangzhou city to see the Third Prince.
At dawn, forty li west of Xiangzhou city, he saw Guo Liang’s troops stopped at a small hill, sending people to scatter and cut down trees, preparing to set up camp here.
Han Qian had the boat dock at the shore. He went ashore to see Guo Liang, hoping he would lead his troops to continue advancing westward without stopping, and especially not to waste supplies, manpower, and time setting up camp here.
“If there’s any matter, please go find His Highness and Lord Shen Yang. I, Guo, only know how to follow orders. Yesterday I received orders to select a location here to set up camp.” Guo Liang unceremoniously refused Han Qian’s request, saying coldly.
After sitting on the cold bench for so many years, Guo Liang had developed an aloof disposition. Even the Marquis of Xinchang, Li Pu, had been unable to win him over. He looked down from the bottom of his heart on the Han Daoxun and Han Qian father-son duo who would stop at nothing for fame and profit.
Running into this soft rebuff from Guo Liang so early in the morning, Han Qian was quite angry, yet he had no way to deal with Guo Liang.
When competing with Prince Yue Dong Chang for territory in the Two Zhe region, because the main general defected to the enemy on the battlefield, the Dragon Sparrow Army was subsequently purged by Emperor Tianyou. As a high-ranking general of the Dragon Sparrow Army, Guo Liang had been able to survive alone without being purged at that time—his personal character could withstand strict scrutiny. Otherwise, Emperor Tianyou would never have left him to watch over the remnants of the Dragon Sparrow Army.
This also made Guo Liang have considerable prestige among the veteran soldiers of the Dragon Sparrow Army and even within the military.
Han Qian had no choice but to board the boat again and rush to Xiangzhou city. After meeting the Third Prince, Shen Yang and the others, he would discuss other matters.
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When Han Qian arrived at Xiangzhou city, Yang Yuanpu had already learned at the first opportunity about the progress of the battles at Canglang City and Iron Crocodile Ridge. He hadn’t yet witnessed the cruelty and bloodiness of warfare, but felt quite excited that the Dragon Sparrow Army in its first battle had captured nearly six hundred Liang army heads.
Learning that Han Qian had returned, Yang Yuanpu excitedly ran out of the main gate to greet him, inquiring about the details of the battle.
Since the Liang army had opened hostilities on the northern front, the northwestern campaign headquarters under Du Chongtao’s leadership had been quite passive. They had already withdrawn troops from the Fangcheng, Wan City, Xinye, and Tanghe line. Only under Emperor Tianyou’s stern edict had they preserved the defense lines of the Left Vanguard Section and Right Vanguard Section.
Because of this, the battle achievements on the western wing, up until yesterday, had cumulatively not even captured six hundred Liang army heads.
Prior to this, among the troops assembled at Deng and Xiang, no one had particularly high regard for the Dragon Sparrow Army’s combat capability.
Yang Yuanpu, as deputy commander, was more of a figure enshrined at the Defense Commissioner’s office. When he said something, no one would directly contradict him, but in his heart he knew very clearly that not many people truly took his words seriously.
Last night made Yang Yuanpu feel greatly vindicated.
Seeing the Third Prince quite excited with intense interest, Han Qian sat down, took a sip of tea, and explained to him in detail all the particulars of the Battle of Canglang City from beginning to end.
Han Qian himself had never experienced proper offensive and defensive warfare before. Much of the time when teaching the Third Prince methods of commanding troops and using military force, there was somewhat of a dogmatic quality. It was just that his thinking was flexible and many of his viewpoints were novel, making him more persuasive than the battle-hardened Shen Yang conducting rigid instruction.
Although the Battle of Canglang City was small in scale and both sides were quite unprepared, it was still a living case study.
Han Qian also took this opportunity to make the Third Prince recognize even more clearly that the essence of achieving victory in war lay more in the two words “money and grain.”
When Han Qian rushed back to Xiangzhou city, besides suggesting that Guo Liang’s troops move as far west as possible, another matter was to争取 secure more provisions and supplies for the western front.
Previously, the Defense Commissioner’s office allocated the money, grain, and supplies needed for the western front on a monthly basis. Han Qian hoped to change it to every two months or even quarterly allocation of money, grain, and supplies to the western front.
This way, with the western front controlling more money, grain, and supplies, when the battle situation was urgent, they could even offer high prices to recruit stronghold warriors to participate in battle.
Men die for wealth, birds die for food.
The Liang army’s such resolute attack on Canglang City exceeded Han Qian’s prior imagination. That Canglang City could be held—the stronghold laborers’ participation in battle played quite a critical role.
Otherwise, even if the Left Bureau scouts and slave soldiers were all exhausted in battle, they might not have been able to hold Canglang City.
The Battle of Canglang City also demonstrated that among the strongholds with extremely harsh and crude living conditions, quite a portion of people were willing to accept recruitment.
The prerequisite for all this was naturally that the Dragon Sparrow Army controlled more money and grain on the western front that could be flexibly deployed.
Li Zhigao’s initial suggestion was to hope that Guo Liang’s troops could advance west to Canglang City. Han Qian directly hoped that Guo Liang would lead his troops to station directly at Iron Crocodile Ridge.
On one hand, the Iron Crocodile Ridge direction bore the greatest pressure. On the other hand, Han Qian couldn’t command this person Guo Liang.
After Guo Liang led his troops to Canglang City, the question of who would be primary and who secondary between him and Guo Liang probably wasn’t something a written order could decide. In Han Qian’s view, it was better for this person Guo Liang to be under Li Zhigao’s command.
Han Qian hoped the Third Prince would directly give orders to Guo Liang, then just inform Du Chongtao. However, Shen Yang insisted on first informing Du Chongtao, and after obtaining Du Chongtao’s permission, the Defense Commissioner’s office would directly issue military orders to Guo Liang.
Shen Yang viewed the regional separatism since the end of the previous dynasty—the most critical point was the abandonment of legal principles, leading to military men usurping power. If the Chu Kingdom wanted to achieve long-term peace and stability, even though Yang Yuanpu was an imperial prince, the rules should not be casually transgressed. Even whenever Han Qian had matters to discuss, Shen Yang would summon Chen De, Chai Jian, Zhang Ping, Li Chong and others to gather.
This kind of Shen Yang had disadvantages—even after Han Qian gained the Third Prince’s complete trust, he still couldn’t fully stretch his limbs. But there were also advantages. At least when Han Qian wasn’t beside the Third Prince, he didn’t need to worry that Shen Yang would be instigated by bad seeds like Chai Jian and Li Chong to trip him up. Nor did he need to worry that the Third Prince would fall back under the control of people like Chai Jian.
Since Shen Yang insisted on this, Han Qian requested that the Third Prince, Shen Yang, and Guo Rong quickly go see Du Chongtao to mediate this matter. The Liang army was gathering troops along the Neixiang line very quickly, and their side also needed to make complete preparations as early as possible.
After waiting nearly an hour at the Third Prince’s residence, the three of them—the Third Prince, Shen Yang, and Guo Rong—finally returned. Seeing the Third Prince’s face full of displeasure, Han Qian’s heart skipped a beat. He stepped forward and asked, “What happened? Did Lord Du firmly oppose Your Highness’s request?”
“Du Chongtao did agree to have Guo Liang lead troops to Iron Crocodile Ridge. He also agreed to allocate two months’ worth of military provisions to the western front to prevent the battle situation from becoming too intense with difficulties attending to both ends. Making more preparations is also good.” Yang Yuanpu said resentfully and unhappily.
Du Chongtao’s side readily agreed. Han Qian didn’t understand why the Third Prince still looked like this. Shen Yang, however, began persuading from the side: “A gentleman does not stand beneath a crumbling wall. One should strategize in one’s heart and plan from a thousand li away. At this time, the western front battle situation is quite fierce. If Your Highness wants to go to Canglang City, Iron Crocodile Ridge, and Jingzi Pass to inspect the troops, it will only disturb military morale. Not to mention Lord Du—even I firmly oppose it.”
Only then did Han Qian understand what disagreement the Third Prince and Shen Yang were having. It turned out he wanted to go to Canglang City together with him, but was blocked by Du Chongtao and Shen Yang, which was why he was gloomy and unhappy.
Han Qian did hope the Third Prince could personally visit the front lines. Only by directly facing the bloodiness and cruelty of warfare, personally witnessing the complexity and hundred vulnerabilities of how a massive army operated, could he truly correspond to his past learning and penetrate the mysteries of human hearts and affairs.
As for “a gentleman does not sit in a hall about to collapse” and “does not stand beneath a crumbling wall”—Han Qian dismissed such notions.
Han Qian also feared death, and feared it greatly. But his greatest realization over the past year was that the more one feared death, the faster one died. As for the Third Prince Yang Yuanpu, what qualification did he have at this time not to stand beneath a crumbling wall?
However, at present Han Qian didn’t want to create a disagreement with Shen Yang, so he said to the Third Prince: “At this time, the western front defenses are incomplete. Iron Crocodile Ridge doesn’t even have a complete military camp. If Your Highness wishes to go and the enemy army learns of the news, they will probably redouble their attack on Iron Crocodile Ridge. If Your Highness remains calm in Xiangzhou, I will write detailed military reports every day and have them sent into Xiangzhou city. Your Highness will equally be able to timely grasp the detailed progress of the western front battle situation every day. After the western front battle situation eases somewhat, it would be better for Your Highness to come over then to boost morale! At that time, the personal guard troops Your Highness has trained can also go into battle to see some blood.”
“I’ve been drilling the Guard Battalion for over a month, and everyone says it’s good. But as Master Han said, without going to the battlefield to see blood, whether it’s truly good or not cannot be determined solely by others’ empty words.” Yang Yuanpu knew it was difficult to have everything go as desired. He reluctantly nodded in agreement, saying with some regret.
Han Qian glanced at Shen Yang and saw his eyes were quite resolute. He thought it would be difficult to persuade this stubborn old man.
However, Shen Yang wouldn’t fail to press his advantage just because Han Qian made concessions on this matter. He continued: “If Your Highness wishes to know the western front situation in more detail, there is another method—that is, Adjutant Li can accompany Han Qian to Canglang City to inspect the troops on Your Highness’s behalf.”
Han Qian’s head immediately swelled three times larger. He hadn’t expected Shen Yang to come up with such an idea!
Guo Liang was already unruly and rebellious. Li Zhigao might barely be able to suppress him, but at this time Shen Yang still wanted to dispatch Li Chong, who found fault with him at every turn—wasn’t this adding to their troubles?
“Li Chong is useful remaining in Xiangzhou city.” Yang Yuanpu also immediately wanted to reject Shen Yang’s suggestion.
“The Records Adjutant oversees all bureau documents and has the duty of investigating merit and fault within the army. If Your Highness doesn’t want to use him, then write a letter to the Bureau of Military Affairs to replace him with someone else for this position!” Shen Yang insisted.
Shen Yang feared the Third Prince would encounter danger and blocked him from going to the western front to inspect troops. However, three-quarters of the Dragon Sparrow Army’s reinforcement troops for Xiangzhou were assembled on the western front. Adding that this time a large amount of provisions and supplies would be transported to Canglang City for assembly and transfer, according to regulations, someone must be sent over to supervise.
Shen Yang had no intention of making things difficult for Han Qian. He even knew that Han Qian’s strong capabilities were a key factor in the Dragon Sparrow Army reaching where it was today. But legal principles were still legal principles.
Shen Yang had high expectations for Han Qian. He hoped he could truly become a famous minister who would support Great Chu’s state and altars, not hoped to see his power grow beyond control and ultimately become a treacherous minister who brought chaos to the realm.
As Supervising Commissioner, Guo Rong should remain by the Third Prince’s and his side to supervise the overall operation of the Dragon Sparrow Army. Specifically supervising the military operations of the various battalions and bureaus was the responsibility of the Records Adjutant.
Han Qian didn’t want Li Chong to go over. Li Chong himself was even less willing to go!
After having the command authority of the Guard Battalion stripped away, Li Chong didn’t even have a trustworthy escort by his side. Why would he pointlessly follow Han Qian to Canglang City to be abused?
Han Qian secretly felt that initially pushing Shen Yang to the Third Prince’s side to handle affairs was truly like spinning a cocoon to bind himself. But unfortunately, at that time besides Shen Yang, he and Li Zhigao had no other choice.
Seeing Shen Yang’s attitude so firm with no room for maneuver, Han Qian could only steel himself and agree. He conversely persuaded the Third Prince to follow Shen Yang’s suggestion, saying: “Lord Shen Yang’s words make sense—the military merits at Canglang City and Iron Crocodile Ridge also require Your Highness to send someone to verify them before it conforms to regulations.”