After disembarking, accompanied by Tian Cheng and others, Han Qian inspected the construction of the river dikes at the estuary while discussing his vision for further reorganizing the Field Army.
Han Qian was vigorously implementing local-outsider registry merger in Xuzhou, so naturally he wouldn’t maintain separate barbarian battalion formations in the military. He planned to disperse and recruit the settlement troops relocating to Linjiang County into the army, mixing them with existing forces. Then, besides the Naval Battalion, he would reorganize them into three battalions of infantry armor to coordinate with Jinling’s possible winter operations against Tanzhou.
The three battalions would have Tian Cheng, Gao Shao, and Lin Haizheng serve as Commanders respectively, with Xi Chang, Feng Xuan, and Feng Zhang serving as Deputy Commanders.
In Great Chu, battalion-level units typically numbered only five hundred men, with five battalions totaling twenty-five hundred officers and soldiers forming a regiment. However, Han Qian couldn’t gather enough high-ranking military officers on his side.
Although Zhao Wuji, Guo Nu’er, Lin Zongjing, Xi Fa’er, Guo Que’er, and others had followed Han Qian long enough and most had participated in the Jingxiang warfare, accumulating some command experience, they were still too young after all. Appointing them as battalion-level Commanders might not command the respect of subordinate officers and soldiers, and could easily give others the impression he specialized in appointing personal cronies in the military.
Creating such an impression for others didn’t matter much, but creating this impression for old Emperor Tianyou might lead to complications sprouting from the side later.
Han Qian simply expanded the battalion-level organization to one thousand men, with each battalion comprising ten hundred-man squads, placing Lin Zongjing, Guo Nu’er, Guo Que’er, and others at the Squad Leader level.
Organizing battalions was easy to complete, but the Field Army infantry had already come from complex sources. This time, they also needed to disperse and incorporate over a thousand barbarian troops into various squads. Completing war training within a month would be extremely difficult.
Of course, the training period for new recruits in local provincial battalions was also only one month, and the vast majority weren’t veteran soldiers. If Han Qian’s requirements weren’t high, the combat effectiveness of the three battalions would definitely exceed that of local provincial battalions by a notch, since even the newly incorporated barbarian households were mostly veteran soldiers brave and skilled in battle.
However, these three battalions of infantry still had some distance to go from the elite forces in Han Qian’s mind.
Han Qian thought it was about time to have the Left Bureau officers and soldiers return to their units.
With over sixty experienced Left Bureau elite scouts serving as junior officers incorporated into the three battalions, much work could advance faster over the next month.
After Han Qian discussed these matters with Zhang Ping, Tian Cheng, Gao Shao, and Lin Haizheng, he returned to the temporarily erected tent to rest, planning to rush to Dragon Fang City together tomorrow.
At night, Feng Liao again avoided the crowd and came alone to the main tent to see Han Qian:
“During this period when the Left Bureau officers and soldiers were assigned to serve in the Revenue Bureau, I gained some understanding of their mindset. Although after the secret edict is made public, everyone will be moved by Your Excellency’s endurance of humiliation and heavy burdens, it’s undeniable that before the secret edict’s disclosure, quite a few people harbored resentment about being coerced by Your Excellency to come to Xuzhou. Of course, more people are simply more worried that their dependents remaining in Jinling might suffer persecution and are unwilling to serve wholeheartedly…”
In the main tent, pine resin torches burned with crackling sounds. Han Qian looked at Feng Liao’s slightly gloomy face and asked directly:
“What are you trying to say?”
Feng Liao raised his head and stated his words more clearly: “Almost all the Left Bureau officers and soldiers have dependents remaining in Jinling, but among the five hundred Left Bureau descendants who came with Your Excellency to Xuzhou are their sons and nephews. So before the secret edict is made public, most people are just hesitating and struggling in their hearts out of worry. But a minority harbor resentment, while some believe Your Excellency has the bearing of a hegemon lord—there’s room for weighing how to employ the Left Bureau officers and soldiers.”
“Talk of ‘hegemon lord’ becomes disaster once spoken. I don’t want to hear such words from your mouth again,” Han Qian glanced at Feng Liao and said. “Additionally, draft me a list of which Left Bureau officers and soldiers are suitable for incorporation into the military.”
“I understand.” Feng Liao saluted and withdrew from the main tent.
“It’s as if you wouldn’t do it if he didn’t mention it—is he being too clever by half, or does he actually have some cleverness?” Xi Ren watched Feng Liao’s departing figure, using scissors to trim a section of the lamp wick, making the candlelight brighter.
Han Qian sighed lightly and said: “He has some cleverness, but he’s also being too clever by half.”
Without Feng Liao saying anything, Han Qian would still manipulate appointments of Left Bureau officers and soldiers and Left Bureau descendants to ensure his influence could penetrate the grassroots level.
Now that Feng Liao had made this explicit, if Han Qian actually did it, it would be equivalent to giving Feng Liao leverage over him.
“Will you do as he says, or just directly dispose of him?” Xi Ren picked at her fingernails with the scissor tip. Under the lamplight, she was as beautiful as a peach blossom. “I think it’s better to just dispose of him directly. The Feng family relies on your protection—they’re nothing now. Yet Feng Liao dares to manipulate you. Who knows what he’ll do in the future?”
“By your logic, I should have disposed of you directly back then,” Han Qian looked at Xi Ren and gestured with his hand on her slender, smooth neck. He also wanted to touch her fragrant, smooth face, but just then Zhao Ting’er lifted the curtain and walked in, frightening him into sitting up straight like a thief.
Xi Ren glared at Han Qian provocatively, then stood up, stretched lazily, and walked out.
Although Xuzhou nights had some coolness now, both Xi Ren and Zhao Ting’er still wore light robes. When Xi Ren stretched, viewed from behind her waist appeared slender and supple.
Han Qian looked several times before his thoughts returned.
Over a year ago, if Feng Liao had thoughts of manipulating him, Han Qian mostly wouldn’t have been patient.
Even if he wouldn’t dispose of the person as Xi Ren suggested, Han Qian would have kicked Feng Liao into some remote mountain valley in Xuzhou, ensuring he could never rise again in this lifetime.
Han Qian’s mindset now was much more peaceful and composed. He knew that Feng Liao being so clever by half was probably more out of fear of one day becoming an abandoned pawn!
Feng Liao was actually gambling—gambling on whether Han Qian could tolerate someone too clever by half.
Han Qian could somewhat understand Feng Liao’s struggling mindset at this moment.
Han Qian smiled bitterly and shook his head. He lifted the curtain and walked out of the main tent, raising his head to look at the stars in the night sky, secretly feeling that to truly be like his father with such pure mindset would be good.
“Commandant Han, what are you thinking about?”
Han Qian turned around and saw Zhang Ping holding a jade flute, also strolling through the camp under the starry sky. He smiled and said: “The night sky is so clear—it truly makes one wish no more bloody slaughter would occur. Does Administrator Zhang share this sentiment?”
“Commandant Han has the ability to quell bloody slaughter, so you feel more sentiment. Zhang Ping has drifted for half a lifetime and only hopes to find peace wherever I am,” Zhang Ping said with a smile.
“Administrator Zhang also knows music?” Han Qian looked at the jade flute in Zhang Ping’s hand and asked.
“I know some music, but I don’t play the flute well. During these years in the palace, I lived cautiously and didn’t dare randomly make any strange sounds to invite reprimand. But during these days in Qianyang City with nothing to do, I’ve taken up learning to play the flute again. However, I still don’t play well, so I won’t embarrass myself before Commandant Han.” Zhang Ping looked at the jade flute in his hand and smiled.
Among so many people in Evening Red Tower, almost everyone gave off a feeling of swords drawn and bows bent. Even Li Zhigao was internally tense. Only Zhang Ping appeared more composed and detached.
Of course, Han Qian still wasn’t clear whether this was an appearance Zhang Ping had fabricated. Standing before the camp tent, after chatting idly with Zhang Ping for a while, they each returned to their tents to rest.
……
……
Early the next morning, everyone departed northward from the Sha River estuary, following the Sha River, crossing the newly excavated Dragon Fang Canal, entering Dragon Fang Mountain, and following the newly widened courier road along the west bank of Wuliu Creek. By nearly dusk, they finally entered Dragon Fang City again.
Dragon Fang City had become a bustling, seething military camp.
The thirty households of servants who had migrated west from Yandang Ledge into Xuzhou had all settled near Dragon Fang City. Besides several hundred master craftsmen and artisans from the iron smelting site and weapons workshops, the officers and soldiers gathered here already exceeded three thousand. Subsequently, five to six hundred more barbarian troops would be added as reserves.
The barracks within Dragon Fang City were relatively sufficient. Everything appeared orderly. Zhang Ping, Yao Xishui, and Chun Shisanniang were also assigned an independent courtyard.
With Han Qian making Dragon Fang City his troop assembly point, Yao Xishui now had the opportunity to enter Dragon Fang City and could see clearly its strategic position.
Besides the Yuan River channel that curved around the east side of the Zhongfang mountain range, Dragon Fang City was the overland pass for Xuzhou’s northward advance into Chenzhou.
Currently, the major local surnames of Chenzhou were extremely vigilant toward Xuzhou. At Cock Crow Settlement thirteen or fourteen li north of Dragon Fang City, over a thousand barbarian troops were gathered. From Cock Crow Settlement, following Chen River downstream about thirty li, one could save two to three hundred li of water route and take a shortcut directly to the Yuan River shore.
On this ancient courier road, Dragon Fang City had the advantage of commanding from above.
Chenzhou’s heartland—Chenyang City—was located at the estuary where Chen River entered the Yuan River. Following the Yuan River downstream another sixty li was Chenzhou’s provincial seat of Yuanling.
In other words, by taking Cock Crow Settlement, Chenzhou’s heartland would be under the blade edge of Xuzhou’s army, and the distance to Wuling County of Langzhou, which Tanzhou directly controlled, would be shortened by two hundred li of water route.
At the same time, stationing troops at Dragon Fang City could effectively protect Xuzhou’s heartland. At any disturbance, twenty li south was Wuliu Settlement, and via Sha River or Wuliu Creek one could enter the Yuan River at the fastest speed.
Of course, that Han Qian could in the short span of less than a year actually create such a situation in Xuzhou left Yao Xishui sighing in amazement. She also better understood why Li Zhigao had initially advocated not trying to forcibly control such a figure.
It was just a pity she understood this point too late, and Lord Li, the Palace Master, and the others might not yet recognize this point.