Regarding newly organized naval force establishment plans, Yang Zhitang and Yang Fan father and son drew Han Qian into discussions lasting half the night, not retiring to arranged accommodations until late evening.
Early the following morning, Yang Fan led previously engaged Right Dragon Martial Army officers and soldiers across the river, withdrawing back to the southern bank. Yang Zhitang, accompanied by Han Qian, Han Daochang, and others, proceeded to Liyang City, Shiquan Grand Camp, Tingshan Grand Camp, and Puyang Grand Camp to reward meritorious officers and soldiers, not parting with Han Qian until the fifteenth day of the third month at Tangyi City’s southern wharf, directly crossing the river from Tangyi to return to Jinling.
Naturally, when boarding the vessel at the wharf, Yang Zhitang provided Han Qian no formal response.
Han Daochang also returned to Jinling together with Yang Zhitang. Standing on deck, gripping the rail while gazing toward the north bank’s newly verdant grass and trees, along both sides of the wharf’s river beaches, reeds had already sprouted a segment upward through the river mud—unknowingly, warm spring season had arrived.
Though Tangyi troops suffered what could be called devastating casualties across consecutive battles, during Han Daochang’s nearly month-long river crossing visit, northern Shouzhou forces remained extremely quiet.
Even as over twenty thousand military personnel and civilians evacuated from peak ridges in the Wujian Mountain range’s southern section, neither Chuzhou nor Chaozhou dispatched troops for interception.
This demonstrated that Shouzhou army forces, through these closely spaced bloody battles, suffered even more devastating casualties and more severely damaged vitality.
Moreover, the supposedly numerically superior Shouzhou army’s vitality hadn’t yet recovered. To the southwest stood Li Zhigao’s Huaixi Imperial Guards having stabilized their position; to the southeast, Huaidong’s Wang Wenqian and Zhao Zhen’s Yangzhou forces—the pressure was considerable.
For Shouzhou forces, any slight carelessness resulting in irreversible devastating losses on the southern front could potentially collapse the situation they’d painstakingly reversed.
Han Daochang reflected that Xu Mingzhen, as a figure of equal renown to Li Yu, naturally understood these principles.
Currently, Xu Mingzhen, Wen Bo, and others slowing their tempo, prioritizing consolidation of positions in Chaozhou and Chuzhou, proved readily comprehensible. Even Liang cavalry had withdrawn north of the Huai River for rest and reorganization before the river’s thawing.
Current circumstances represented rare breathing space for all sides—accumulating strength, awaiting the next confrontation’s arrival.
Han Daochang recalled two months prior, when accompanying his elder brother across the river to Tangyi—truly difficult then to imagine Han Qian could, within a mere two months, deploy forces from the isolated city of Tangyi, directly expanding defensive depth to Chao Lake’s eastern shore…
—
“Will Yang Zhitang agree to our conditions?”
As Yang Zhitang and Han Daochang’s vessel gradually receded into the distance, Feng Yi stood beside Han Qian, asking.
Gazing toward the south bank’s faintly visible Jinling City, he couldn’t help wondering why Han Qian hadn’t demanded explicit confirmation before Yang Zhitang’s departure.
“I presented no conditions.”
Han Qian stood with hands clasped behind his back, gazing toward the vast expansive sky.
“My numerous suggestions merely prepare against future contingencies. Yang Zhitang may choose to ignore them, but when Liang naval forces raid Jianghuai coastal regions—first, inevitably some fishing households and salt workers will be forced to flee inland, becoming refugees, at which time most will likely be dispersed to Tangyi as well. Second, Huaidong salt fields and Su and Xiu prefectures both lack elite garrison troops; prefecture and county local militia prove insufficient to resist powerful enemy incursions, at which time they can only deploy Right Dragon Martial Army eastward for coordinated defense. Moreover, even with newly organized naval forces then, with Hongze Lake’s precedent as warning, court ministers won’t easily release them for reckless engagements. Results foreseeable over the coming one to two years actually don’t differ from what I suggested. I believe Yang Zhitang, being so intelligent, can already comprehend these principles now—he merely lacks sufficient certainty whether Liang forces establishing major naval camps and shipyards at Haizhou truly intend near-sea raids. Once he confirms this point, we should be able to cooperate happily with him for three to five years.”
“Only three to five years?” Feng Yi asked with a smile.
“Circumstances transform in myriad ways—can you predict what changes three to five years hence will bring?” Han Qian smiled back.
Feng Yi spread his hands, laughing. “That’s also true. Consider how glorious Li Chong was initially, how much he looked down on us—who then could have predicted such an ending for him? But speaking of which, I’m also someone who fears death. Were I captured by Liang forces like him, I’d most likely also submit. How would you treat me?”
“They all say better to live wretchedly than die well. You—just return and loaf around there without causing trouble, wouldn’t that suffice? Could spending a lifetime playing with birds and listening to opera really not adequately occupy your life?” Han Qian said with a smile.
“Then I’d more reliably loaf around in Liang State, helping consume more Liang provisions—only thus would I be worthy of you.” Feng Yi said with brazen grin.
Feng Yi jested and laughed before Han Qian utterly without restraint, yet standing nearby, Qiao Weiyan, Han Chengmeng, and Chen Zhiyong felt deeply envious.
Speaking of it, from when servants around Han Duan were killed and injured at Lanting Lane, Han Qian appeared to Han family members as possessing razor-sharp menacing edges throughout, temperament dark and ruthlessly decisive—making people utterly afraid to approach.
Primarily because they, as sons from secondary wives and sons-in-law, ordinarily couldn’t stand Han Jun and Han Duan’s overbearing arrogant attitudes, they harbored no ill feelings toward Han Qian. Subsequently, witnessing Xuzhou’s rise, they could fairly objectively view his dazzling achievements.
Han Chengmeng and Qiao Weiyan, however, recognized the Han family’s crisis relatively early. Recall that during Si Prefecture civil unrest, Han Chengmeng accompanied Huang Hua to Xuzhou as his attendant with goodwill intentions, yet received no close reception there.
Who could have imagined such dramatic transformations occurring within a mere year?
The Han family had now completely wagered their stakes on Jiangbei. Han Chengmeng and Chen Zhiyong also served as military advisors within Tangyi army, but they served respectively under Feng Liao and Gao Shao’s commands. With few opportunities to contact Han Qian directly, their relationship even now could hardly be called close.
Today, merely seeing off Yang Zhitang and Second Uncle Han Daochang, they came together to the wharf. At this moment, they didn’t know whether to first take leave and return to the city or continue accompanying idle conversation.
As Han Chengmeng, Chen Zhiyong, and Qiao Weiyan contemplated advance or retreat, Han Qian recalled a matter. Looking toward Qiao Weiyan, he asked: “Previously, when I quarreled with the family, Third Brother, you gained the opportunity to serve at Wugang. But present circumstances differ from the past. Wugang County serves as the eastern gateway to Xuefeng Mountain post roads. Setting aside Chai Jian, Lu Qingxia, and others, court officials will inevitably memorialize, hoping to quickly transfer you from Wugang. Third Brother, what plans have you for the future? Do you wish to return to court service?”
“As long as one can accomplish things, where one resides doesn’t matter.” Qiao Weiyan said.
“When the loyalist summons reached Wugang, you obeyed the edict leading Wugang County troops and militia to provide aid—this decisiveness already surpasses others. I don’t particularly hope you’ll return to court for political intrigue, wasting your life. If you go to Xuzhou to first serve as assistant official in the prefecture office, would you consider this beneath your talents?” Han Qian asked.
Qiao Weiyan currently held Wugang County Magistrate rank. Given the Han family’s achievements, Han Daoming advancing further in the Council of State proved unrealistic, but as a capable Han family junior member of the younger generation, the thirty-six-year-old Qiao Weiyan was in his prime vigorous years. Even if he couldn’t directly command an entire prefecture’s military and administrative authority, he should at minimum occupy one of the two positions of Chief Clerk or Marshal.
Not to mention assistant official—even Six Bureau Military Advisors ranked lower than County Magistrate within prefecture and county official hierarchies.
Yet hearing Han Qian’s words, Qiao Weiyan’s expression brightened visibly. “How could that be? Xuzhou’s military and administrative systems differ from other prefectures and counties—I only fear this assistant official position may prove difficult for me to competently fulfill.”
Han Qian’s meaning was quite clear. Setting aside Han Chengmeng, even Chen Zhiyong, ordinarily indifferent toward official careers, could comprehend.
When Chen Zhiyong crossed the river with father-in-law Han Daoming and Second Uncle Han Daochang, it was already after the New Year. By the time his father-in-law Han Daoming made his final decision, the Puyang River mouth engagement had already concluded.
Chronologically speaking, Qiao Weiyan, far away in Shaozhou, should still have been unaware of these matters, relying entirely upon his own judgment to disregard Chai Jian’s obstruction and determinedly lead Wugang County troops and militia to obey the loyalist summons.
Therefore Han Qian said his decisiveness surpassed others.
Han Qian’s appointment of Qiao Weiyan to serve as assistant official at Xuzhou wasn’t deliberately demeaning—actually represented another form of trust.
Han Qian currently commanded Tangyi, yet Xuzhou as foundational base absolutely could not be lost.
However, with large numbers of officials and military officers transferred to Tangyi, how Xuzhou would subsequently maintain stable governance and development without mishaps required tremendous consideration.
Against this background, Han Qian hoped Qiao Weiyan could serve at Xuzhou—how could this be considered demeaning him?
However, Xuzhou implemented new policies with systems differing in all aspects from other prefectures and counties. Qiao Weiyan obviously couldn’t directly competently fulfill major positions like Chief Clerk or Marshal, replacing Han Qian in commanding Xuzhou’s administrative or military affairs—he might not even be capable of commanding a single county’s governance. Therefore Han Qian hoped that after arriving at Xuzhou, he would assume assistant official status, first adapting to and familiarizing himself with Xuzhou’s military and administrative systems.
Chen Zhiyong understood inwardly that Han Qian’s expectations for brother-in-law Qiao Weiyan, at least currently, exceeded his own and Han Chengmeng’s.
“I trust Third Brother’s talents will quickly adapt to Xuzhou’s administrative affairs. Great Uncle could become Deputy Minister—his eye for selecting sons-in-law wouldn’t be poor,” Han Qian said with a smile, then addressed Han Chengmeng. “Stream and river waters gradually rise; Liang forces also accelerate warship construction. Large vessels constructed in Xuzhou these past years, beyond several provided to Huaidong, must all be incorporated into naval forces. Even some commercial vessels will be progressively converted to warships in the near term. For a considerable period ahead, Xuzhou goods transported to various prefectures and counties will become scattered. I’m also considering this opportunity to transfer these matters entirely to Chishan Association’s responsibility, with Lin Sheng, Guo Quan, and others specifically managing them. Beside me, originally Feng Liao controlled Chishan Association, but as Chief Clerk, Feng Liao has too many affairs. Subsequently, Elder Brother must help Feng Liao share more of this burden.”
Feng Liao, Gao Shao, and Guo Rong served as Han Qian’s principal assistants. Though Han Chengmeng was titled Military Advisor, he actually served under Feng Liao’s command, but currently lacked dedicated responsibilities—primarily performing miscellaneous tasks.
Currently, Han Qian wanted him assisting Feng Liao, responsible for liaising with Chishan Association—only now truly possessing affairs under his direct jurisdiction.
Chishan Association, formed from former Left Guangde Army core members, nominally functioned as a jianghu martial association but primarily inherited the previous Xuzhou shipping association’s role, undertaking commercial exchanges between Xuzhou, Tangyi, and the outside world.
Subsequently, beyond Chishan Association’s own development, it would also shoulder critical responsibilities of recruiting refugees for Tangyi and Xuzhou, gathering intelligence from prefectures and counties.
Originally, among Chishan Association’s nine chief leaders, Han Qian transferred Han Donghu to his side commanding the Guard Camp, Su Lie serving as Deputy Metropolitan Commander under Tian Cheng’s command, Guo Xiao and Lin Jiang serving as Military Advisors under Gao Shao’s command, learning intelligence military reconnaissance and analysis from Guo Que and Xi Fa’er. Currently, only Zhou Zhu, Guo Quan, Lin Sheng, and four others remained continuing to preside over association affairs.
Due to Chishan Association’s importance, Han Qian needed someone beside him fully responsible for liaising with Chishan Association.
Before the feudatory reduction campaigns, Han Chengmeng, as a son from a secondary wife ineligible for hereditary office, had always assisted Second Uncle Han Daochang in operating and managing clan properties alongside Han Duan—capable and experienced, temperament steady and prudent.
Han Qian didn’t trust Han Duan but could still trust Han Chengmeng.
During Si Prefecture civil unrest, Han Chengmeng’s extended goodwill—Han Qian had long been fully aware. He deliberately treated Han Chengmeng coldly only because, considering his circumstances then and that Tan Yuliang and others’ identities required absolute secrecy.
Chen Zhiyong possessed an indolent temperament, enjoyed poetry and lyrical compositions, forming a matched pair with Feng Yi. Previously, he’d displayed no exceptional talents. Han Qian could only assign him idle positions for now.