Early the next morning, Han Qian personally led Xuzhou’s officials to rush to Qingniubei Wharf to see Huang Hua, An Jixiang, Zhou Qinian and others board official boats heading east to return to Tanzhou.
Han Qian stood at the wharf with his hands in his sleeves, watching the three official boats set sail and gradually recede into the distance, leaving only the azure sky reflected on the jade-green water. In his heart, he wondered how much peace this ordeal would bring to the southwest.
At this moment, Kong Xirong brought over a horse. Han Qian mounted it and, surrounded by attendants and numerous guards, headed toward Hujian Pass.
Though Huang Hua, An Jixiang, and Zhou Qinian had returned to Tanzhou, there were still many matters requiring Han Qian to return to Hujian Pass to decide.
Feng Liao and Gao Shao rode on Han Qian’s left and right, following alongside him on horseback.
Feng Liao had rushed to Hujian Pass yesterday with the first batch of rebel army soldiers. Only now did he have time to discuss some more specific matters: “The rebel army has extremely many wounded. Tan Yuliang hopes Xuzhou can send more physicians to assist with treatment. Additionally, to forcefully attack the Shu army, they want more armor and crossbows…”
After incorporating the rebel army and organizing the six battalions of regular troops of the Tianping Command, armor, weapons, grain, fodder, animal power, and even medicine supplies were provided by the Provincial Secretariat according to the Imperial Guard standards compiled by the Bureau of Military Affairs. After making certain reductions based on actual conditions, corresponding military supplies were borrowed from Xuzhou for provision.
All of this was recorded in the accounts. Huang Hua would also formally memorialize the court to approve this matter, and in the future it would be repaid to Xuzhou according to agreement.
Of course, this could only temporarily solve the Tianping Command’s urgent needs and allow the Tianping Command soldiers’ combat effectiveness to recover to a certain level. But if they wanted the Tianping Command’s combat effectiveness to surpass the Shu army’s in an extremely short time, too many aspects needed strengthening.
Tan Yuliang could only rely on Xuzhou to provide these additional materials.
Sitting on horseback, Han Qian pondered for a moment and said, “Transfer physicians from the various townships of the northern three counties. Requisition buildings at Hujian Pass to establish a medium-sized medical facility to treat the sick and wounded. Other military supplies, funds and grain can all be advanced to the Tianping Command as needed under the name of loans.”
The previous allocation was public accounts, but currently Tan Yuliang was also formally considered a Great Chu military official. Using private accounts to loan urgently needed supplies, funds and grain—even if word leaked out, others could say nothing against Xuzhou.
“Zhao Zhixian’s physical condition is not very good. He wants to remain in Xuzhou to live out his years in peace. He still requests the master’s permission,” Feng Liao added.
Zhao Zhixian was over fifty but not yet sixty years old. However, in current times, passing fifty meant entering old age.
Although the time Zhao Zhixian spent demoted to hard labor camp after the Tanzhou defeat was not long, the torment his body suffered was not light. At this time, he was far from being in his prime years.
This time, receiving the position of vice magistrate of the vacant Wuchuan County held little meaning for him. He was not particularly eager for official titles and wealth, so he wanted to retire and live a few years of leisurely, carefree days.
“Have him persevere for a few more months. After various matters are formally settled, he can directly request retirement from the Provincial Secretariat. This would also be more proper—regardless, Wuchuan County will still eventually come under the Provincial Secretariat’s direct administration,” Han Qian said.
Feng Yi gripped the reins and spurred his horse forward, saying, “Huang Hua stayed at Hujian Pass for three days. Besides having Yang Shouyi lead troops to withdraw into Jinhe County, the Yang clan sent no one else to pay respects. Clearly their resentment runs deep—who knows what mischief they might still cause.”
“Yang Xingfeng’s resentment is directed at us, but he’s also putting on a show for Huang Hua and the court ministers to see, demonstrating he won’t submit to Xuzhou’s ‘tyrannical power,'” Han Qian laughed disdainfully. “Right now he has a mess to clean up. I’ve restrained myself from directly annexing Sizhou—secretly he’s probably thanking heaven and earth. Where would he temporarily have the energy to create trouble for us?”
Sizhou’s original total population was only about seventy thousand people.
After experiencing this turmoil, excluding casualties, and with the rebel army soldiers carrying over twenty thousand family members being separated from Sizhou, Sizhou’s three counties had only just over forty thousand people remaining.
After the rebel army soldiers withdrew with their families, Sizhou’s internal problems were not thoroughly resolved either.
The eight hundred stockade slave soldiers Xuzhou had transferred to them were, at bottom, an active volcano.
Yang Hu and his peers might be young and hot-blooded, their hearts filled more with resentment and unwillingness. But observing Yang Xingfeng’s various decisions, Han Qian felt he still understood priorities. It was not difficult to predict that Sizhou would soon adopt some pacification measures to alleviate internal contradictions.
Whether directly abolishing the old slave system or less radically first improving slaves’ living conditions—all of this meant that Sizhou’s great clan forces could no longer exploit lower-class slaves without restraint as before.
Sizhou had no large-scale workshops or mines. The commercial taxes and salt profits they originally had a chance to obtain from the Qian River passage had been completely cut off. With only just over forty thousand people remaining and land more barren than Xuzhou’s, with agricultural levels lagging behind Xuzhou’s, their financial resources compared to before would shrink by at least half.
This also meant that Sizhou—not to mention maintaining their current military preparations of four thousand men—would find it extremely difficult to even cut their forces in half and maintain military preparations of around two thousand men.
Not to mention that some rebel army soldiers who refused to accept pacification had fled to the mountains between Sizhou and Yezhou, continuously creating trouble for the Yang clan.
At this time, if Xuzhou didn’t cause trouble for Sizhou, that was already generous and righteous. Han Qian wasn’t worried that Yang Xingfeng would create trouble for him for no reason.
Moreover, Fu Gengwen still wanted to extricate himself from here and return to Tanzhou as soon as possible. With him watching Sizhou, would he allow the Yang clan to pull any tricks behind the scenes and create new complications?
The group rushed back to Hujian Pass around noon.
Fu Gengwen and Han Chengmeng had gone somewhere unknown. Tan Yuliang and Zhao Zhixian had just finished handling the transfer of armor and other military supplies and were preparing to leave the pass fortress when they saw Han Qian and his group returning to Hujian Pass. Meeting them on the main street, they hesitated, uncertain whether they should avoid suspicion by taking a different route.
“Command General Tan, Administrator Zhao…” Han Qian called out unconcernedly.
Only then did Tan Yuliang and Zhao Zhixian realize that at this time they too were Great Chu officials. Even if they met Han Qian privately, it was just normal social interaction—why should they avoid anything?
Tan Yuliang and Zhao Zhixian were not on horseback. When they came over, Han Qian also dismounted, leading his horse while talking and walking toward the government office. Guards dispersed to block unrelated people from the outside.
“Master’s grace in giving us new life—Yuliang will never forget it until death. From now on, the Tan family will be at the master’s disposal. If we violate this oath, may heaven and earth destroy us.” Having a rare opportunity to meet privately, Tan Yuliang seized the moment to pledge his loyalty first.
Han Qian smiled faintly and said, “Let’s set that aside for now. Taking down the Wuchuan River valley won’t be an easy task for you…”
Tan Yuliang was slightly startled: “The Shu army’s occupation of the Wuchuan River valley—wasn’t that the master’s scheme?”
“Oh, Feng Liao hasn’t had time to explain the details to you yet,” Han Qian patiently explained the twists and turns to Tan Yuliang and Zhao Zhixian. “The Shu Kingdom is currently experiencing a succession struggle between the Marquis of Qingjiang and the Marquis of Changxiang. Although Xuzhou did some work behind the scenes to add fuel to the flames, ultimately it was ministers of the Marquis of Qingjiang’s faction who pushed for the military expedition. The Huang Yanzhang specifically responsible for leading troops to occupy the Wuchuan River valley was also a command general personally promoted by the Marquis of Qingjiang when he governed southern Sichuan years ago. So regardless, to reclaim the Wuchuan River valley, the Tianping Command soldiers must still fight and seize it with blood. But only in this way can we prove Xuzhou is innocent…”
“…” Tan Yuliang took a deep breath. He had mistakenly thought taking down the Wuchuan River valley would be an easy matter. He hadn’t expected a hard battle awaited them.
Of course, with the situation having advanced to this point so ingeniously, Tan Yuliang had no grounds for complaint. He also deeply felt that Xuzhou’s scheming had truly reached the pinnacle. In the past, he could never have imagined the entire matter would conclude in this manner.
Or perhaps it could be said that only by fighting to take down the Wuchuan River valley with blood would he and the Tan family sons truly demonstrate their value?
Thinking of this, Tan Yuliang said resolutely, “Yuliang has studied the Shu army very little and fears he cannot handle everything comprehensively. Please instruct me, master.”
“Now that you are leading troops to campaign for Great Chu, I and Xuzhou’s people, as Great Chu subjects, naturally will not stand idly by,” Han Qian said. “I will transfer a group of training officers to you to assist in training the Tianping Command soldiers. Additionally, at the fastest speed, we will organize work-relief programs mobilizing Tianping Command soldiers’ family members with labor capacity to first construct postal roads from Caojing Ridge’s southern slope and Panlong Ridge’s northern foothills to Wuchuan, then build some small-scale township stockades along the postal road. We’ll settle soldiers’ families in batches so you can fight in the Wuchuan River valley without worries behind you. As for the military supplies you mentioned to Feng Liao, I will further strengthen them beyond Xuzhou infantry battalion standards and allocate them to you. You also need not worry about treating wounded soldiers and family members in the rear…”
Speaking to this point, Han Qian turned back to ask Feng Yi behind him:
“Do you want to stay at Hujian Pass to coordinate with Granduncle Tan?”
Gao Shao and Feng Liao needed to assist him handling provincial-wide military and civil administration. After matters here got on track, they would still return with him to Chenzhong. But Hujian Pass still needed someone to coordinate and preside over various affairs. Han Qian wanted to leave Feng Yi here.
However, upon hearing this, Feng Yi shook his head directly and said, “You should arrange someone else for this bitter assignment. One should wear a hat that fits one’s head size. Being able to help you run errands is already enough for me.”
Staying behind wasn’t just about guarding Hujian Pass without incident.
He would need to assist Tan Yuliang in leading the Tianping Command to fight against the Shu army occupying the Wuchuan River valley; assist Fu Gengwen and Zhao Zhixian in settling so many rebel army soldiers’ families; open postal roads connecting the Wuchuan River valley in Panlong Ridge’s northern foothills; be responsible for watching the movements of Sizhou’s Yang clan and maintain infiltration into Sizhou in a more gentle manner, like spring wind sneaking into the night, moistening things silently.
At the same time, the mountains and valleys spanning over ten li around Hujian Pass needed development, and a portion of people from Xuzhou needed to be relocated over to thoroughly digest the land around Hujian Pass…
Just thinking about these matters gave Feng Yi a headache. With his lazy disposition, how could he be willing to take it on?
Currently responsible for the Rites Bureau and postal services, in his leisure time he could still compose lyrics and write essays, and pull Han Qian and Guo Rong together for drinks. If he truly had to stay at Hujian Pass handling matters alone, he felt his bones would be squeezed into bone fragments by Han Qian.
Seeing Feng Yi refuse such an excellent opportunity for tempering himself, Tan Yuliang smiled bitterly.
Feng Liao at the side had no solution for Feng Yi either. He suggested to Han Qian: “If Xi Xunqiao could garrison Hujian Pass, besides coordinating with Command General Tan, perhaps he could also secretly contact those great clan forces in Sizhou no longer willing to submit to the Yang clan?”
Xi Xunqiao had formerly served as Linjiang County Magistrate and currently held the position of Administrative Aide. But he had always handled civil administration and had never had an opportunity to command military authority, much less preside over local affairs.
Though Hujian Pass was merely a Township Patrol Office under Chenzhong County’s jurisdiction, its actual significance far exceeded this.
Han Qian promoted unified household registration for natives and guests and tried as much as possible to appoint people based on merit and achieve balance.
Xi Xunqiao, Feng Xuan, Feng Zhang, Gao Bao and others represented emerging native status forces, but truly speaking of handling matters independently, there was really only Feng Xuan.
Though Feng Zhang and Gao Bao also served as county magistrates below, they had no authority to control and mobilize troops. They hadn’t yet entered the core circle to be mentioned in the same breath as Tian Cheng, Yang Qin, Gao Shao, Feng Liao, Lin Haizheng, and Zhao Wuji.
Compared to Feng Zhang and Gao Bao, Feng Liao was more optimistic that Xi Xunqiao had the true potential to handle matters independently.
Han Qian looked toward Tan Yuliang and asked, “Granduncle Tan, what do you think?”
“I will follow the master’s arrangements in all things,” Tan Yuliang said.
Han Qian also readily accepted the suggestion, saying, “Fine, then from Xuzhou’s side, I’ll transfer Xi Xunqiao over to garrison Hujian Pass…”