Great Liang’s recovery of Guanzhong not only added nine prefectures and over two million registered population, but also captured over seventy thousand prisoners who could be used to expand military forces. Liang’s national power further increased dramatically.

Chu’s reaction to this might not have been so intense.

After all, Chu forces’ campaign in Min also successfully entered its final phase in late June. Gu Zhilong and Huang Lu joined forces at Jianzhou Prefecture. With tens of thousands of troops escorting over ten thousand people—the Min King’s faction, Min officials, and their families—they embarked on the journey to Jinling.

However, Shu’s rulers and ministers felt completely differently inside.

Recovering Guanzhong meant Great Liang thoroughly eliminated threats on the western flank and could confidently shift strategic focus north and east. But Liang forces could equally well not rush to attack Mongol forces to the north or Eastern Liang forces to the east, instead shifting strategic focus southward, first swallowing Shu lands to connect with Xuzhou, the enclave Han Qian had managed longest.

In fact, court ministers like Gu Qian and Zhu Juezhong even advocated prioritizing military action against Shu—conditions perhaps permitted it.

At this time, Shu forces’ combat capability was completely dismissed by Great Liang military ministers. Using Wang Xiaoxian and Zhao Mengji’s surrendered troops and affiliated forces as vanguard in attacking Shu could even exploit their urgent desire to return home, achieving unexpected effects.

If Great Liang forces attacked Shu now, not only were attack routes smooth, they needn’t much worry about interference from Mongol, Eastern Liang, or Chu forces.

After swallowing Shu and connecting with Xuzhou into one piece, not only would national power rise substantially further, they would possess strategic terrain advantages against Chu forces, Eastern Liang forces, and Mongol forces.

Shu’s rulers and ministers also worried Liang forces harbored covetous intentions, and worried their previous cold attitude toward Qiao Zhiyong and Wang Tang’s embassy would become a pretext for Liang forces to deploy troops to Shu. After much hesitation, Shu Lord Wang Yong finally decided to send Cao Gan as emissary to Luoyang.

Cao Gan’s embassy to Luoyang served to explain their previous cold attitude while also probing Luoyang’s actual situation, testing whether Han Qian and Great Liang’s rulers and ministers truly harbored covetous designs on Shu.

Departing Chengdu, Cao Gan traveled north, crossing the Han River, taking the Tangluo Road through the Qinling Mountains into Guanzhong, which Great Liang had recovered less than two months ago.

He stayed in Yongzhou city for two days, meeting core figures of the newly established Yongzhou Province like Jing Zhen, Xi Xunqiao, and Han Chengmeng. After boarding ship to Lingshang to meet with Feng Yi, learning Han Qian was touring Mengzhou, he pursued all the way to Mengzhou.

Now riding in a carriage north along Nanguan River’s western bank, Cao Gan’s mood was mixed, past events vivid before his eyes.

In the sixteenth year of Tianyou, Han Qian as Great Chu’s bride-escort emissary traveled to Shu. Cao Gan became acquainted with Han Qian then. Subsequently, both sides mostly cooperated:

Including their establishment in Yuzhou, purchasing superior warships and weapons from Xuzhou to attack Ba-Nan region; secretly inducing generals from Left Qingjiang Army Heir Wang Hongyi’s faction to deploy troops to Wuchuan, giving Han Qian opportunity to pacify Si Prefecture rebel forces while they seized the chance to expel Heir Wang Hongyi’s direct line from Left Qingjiang Army; and subsequently Han Qian assisting their usurpation while they jointly forced the Chu court to choose Liang-Chu peace negotiations…

Now Liang-Shu relations stood at the most critical crossroads. What direction they would take next, Cao Gan didn’t know. But neither would he be naive enough to believe old bonds could truly maintain anything.

Also truly unfortunate—when Feng Yi accompanied Cao Gan arriving at Nanguan River Bridge construction site, dark clouds suddenly rolled and gathered from four directions, a sudden rainstorm abruptly descending.

Han Qian disregarded formalities, directly using the construction site’s camp tent to receive Cao Gan.

The imperial camp used over ten accompanying war carts forming a protective ring. Some imperial guard attendants sheltered from rain in carts, but two hundred imperial guards still stood directly in the rain forming defensive array, preventing enemy agents from exploiting rain to create chaos.

Watching heavy rain pour down, these guard soldiers seemed cast from iron and stone, revealing stern, dignified momentum.

The carriage Cao Gan rode and accompanying personnel could only wait outside the cart array. Feng Yi accompanied Cao Gan and two Shu deputy envoys, holding oiled paper umbrellas, walking toward the great tent.

Along Cao Gan’s embassy journey, Liangzhou Prefecture had just passed through its most difficult period. Guanzhong regions had just ended warfare. From Huatong to both banks of Xingyang had just lifted military garrison. Mengzhou still belonged to war zones—ruins everywhere along the route.

Besides roads and bridges receiving priority construction, these places hadn’t much begun other construction, showing no prosperous scenes.

However, Liang army soldiers seen along the route all maintained orderly military bearing, brave and fierce. Even patrol officers enrolled in the Patrol and Investigation Bureau responsible for local public security were capable and courageous, giving completely different impressions far exceeding what Shu forces could match.

“Old friends haven’t met in years. First arriving in Mengzhou, don’t stand on ceremony.”

Seeing Cao Gan enter the camp tent, Han Qian walked forward, welcoming him to sit behind the long table, then introducing Great Liang military ministers in the tent for him to know.

Zhou Daoyuan and Shen Peng were both old Liang officials. Guo Rong, Han Donghu, Wang Zhe, He Liufeng, Lin Jiang, Xue Chuan, Huo Li, and others were Tangyi Army commanders. An Jixiang could be called a Wanhong Tower remnant. Additionally, there were Zhao Mengji’s son Zhao Shuo and subordinate commander He Xu.

Seeing Li Zhigao and his son Li Zhi, Cao Gan’s feelings grew even more complex. Shu’s rulers and ministers once hoped Li Zhigao and Chai Jian could factually occupy Liang-Jin prefectures as a buffer between Liang and Chu. Who would have imagined that before Shu could secretly make any moves, Chai Jian was transferred to Longxi as Qinzhou Prefecture Commissioner, while Li Zhigao entered Great Liang’s center as Left Assistant Director of the General Staff Office.

From this small tent, he could see Great Liang military ministers were a great hodgepodge, but precisely under Han Qian’s command, they cohered into the age’s most powerful combat force.

Zhao Mengji having been transferred as Hedong Inspector General, Han Qian hadn’t temporarily summoned him to Mengzhou, preventing old friends from meeting Cao Gan.

However, Cao Gan had previously met Zhao Shuo and He Xu. Now belonging separately to Liang and Shu, sitting across from each other, still made Cao Gan emotional.

Han Qian seemed quite casual, showing warmth of old friends reuniting. Yet Cao Gan still carefully remembered his identity as Shu emissary, presenting the state letter, congratulating Liang forces’ successive great victories, not forgetting at the end to express concern about so many elite troops stationed in Mengzhou and combat progress against Mongol forces in southern Jin.

“Hearing you were coming, I originally stayed in Luoyang to see you. Conditions here are too crude after all—not proper hospitality. But Zhao Shuo and He Xu’s two units are rotating attacks on Wanzicheng. The barbarians resist quite determinedly—don’t know when we can take it down. I’m somewhat worried…” Han Qian casually introduced Mengzhou campaign progress to Cao Gan, as if he truly worried campaign progress here was slow, coming to Mengzhou to inspect the war situation.

Initially upon submitting, Zhao Mengji still hoped to control military authority. Even reducing original troops to ten thousand elite, besides his son Zhao Shuo and core general He Xu serving as brigade commanders directly commanding two elite brigades, middle-ranking commanders and basic military officers were all Shu people.

After recovering Guanzhong, Zhao Mengji thoroughly realized his submission hadn’t played much critical role. Realizing that after Liang-Mongol power balance reversed, how disadvantaged Mongol forces were, not wanting to provoke more suspicion, he straightforwardly proactively requested resignation from positions like Mengzhou Prefecture Commissioner, Mengzhou Field Army Chief Commander and Commander, requesting the General Staff Office dispatch officers to more thoroughly reorganize Mengzhou forces.

Han Qian transferred Zhao Mengji as Hedong Inspector General but temporarily continued using Zhao Shuo and He Xu as brigade commanders, merely transferring a batch of trained students from the Military Academy to strengthen these two brigades enrolled in the Second Central Field Army.

These two Shu troop brigades had been reorganized only briefly. Batches of superior weapons had just been integrated into the army, still not proficient in drills, yet campaign launch waited for no one.

Currently Han Donghu had Deputy Chief Commander He Liufeng stationed in Qinyang, using elite troops to establish hard camps before enemy passes, then rotating Zhao Shuo and He Xu’s two Shu brigades to forward positions, operating war machines, bombarding enemy camps, using actual combat to strengthen coordination between dispatched military officers and soldiers, without worrying about incurring casualties.

The main attack on southern Jin involved coordination problems between two troop routes. At least before Kong Xirong and Li Xiu joined forces capturing Yangcheng west of Jincheng, the Second Central Field Army wouldn’t independently launch fierce attacks on enemy forces blocking numerous passes and strategic points along Taihang Pass.

Doing so would make casualties difficult to control.

“After the rain stops, I plan to go to Qinyang’s front. You all can also accompany me to Qinyang—many old Sichuan-Shu veterans have wandered in foreign lands for years. Seeing people from their homeland, they’ll certainly feel extremely moved.” Han Qian invited Cao Gan to accompany him inspecting military intelligence at the front.

Cao Gan naturally wouldn’t refuse. He also wasn’t clear whether Han Qian truly worried about unfavorable warfare here or deliberately intended to display Liang forces’ might to him.

This rainstorm arrived fiercely but stopped quickly.

After the deluge, the weather wasn’t so sweltering. Two cavalry squads surrounded carriages and horses heading north along Nanguan River. Mount Taihang’s southern foothills peaks and ridges appeared beneath blue sky.

Qinyang, originally Henei County, served as Huaizhou’s prefectural seat. During decades between Liang and Jin, countless battles occurred here. After Huaizhou’s prefectural seat moved east, Qinyang became a purely military town.

Zhao Mengji’s submission enabled Qinyang city to be completely incorporated into Great Liang territory.

Centered on Qinyang city, forces currently deployed toward Taihang Pass’s southern entrance were mainly He Liufeng, Zhao Shuo, and He Xu’s three units. Other unit troops hadn’t yet rushed to deploy.

Han Qian inspecting troops at Qinyang city already reached the limit accompanying military ministers could bear. He still wanted to observe enemy intelligence near enemy camp Wanzicheng. Han Donghu and other Mengzhou officers, along with accompanying ministers like Zhou Daoyuan, Guo Rong, and Wang Zhe all strongly objected. He could only desist.

Actually, Qinyang city was only seven to eight li from the frontline battlefield. With clear weather, using copper telescopes one could clearly observe both enemy and friendly sides’ situations on the battlefield.

Han Qian was pressed by everyone to stay in safer Qinyang city. Yet Han Donghu invited Cao Gan to accompany them to the front to visit Shu veteran soldiers wandering in foreign lands who had now become Liang soldiers. Cao Gan also gladly agreed.

Wanzicheng was built on a low ridge at Taihang Pass’s southern entrance. The fortified camp was merely three hundred paces square, backing against Taihang Pass’s entrance, not fearing communication being cut with Zezhou north of the mountains. The other three sides had quite steep slopes—truly terrain easy to defend, difficult to attack.

Many Shu veteran soldiers’ roots weren’t here. Military merit to a certain extent lacked great significance. It was difficult to expect them under such disadvantageous terrain to charge up mountain heads regardless of life, heedless of casualties. But current attacks on enemy camps mainly used large quantities of obstacles plus dry ditches and palisade walls at the low slope’s mountain base to block passages where enemy forces emerging from Wanzicheng along the slope road could launch counterattacks—ditches could also effectively block stones and timber thrown down from Wanzicheng’s high ground. Then utilizing advantages in war machines, after closing in, conducting fierce bombardment of enemy camp wall tops.

Liang forces temporarily wouldn’t rush to assault and seize camps. This was a conservative combat method slowly bleeding enemy forces.

Enemy soldiers at this time didn’t dare easily stand atop city walls. Fortunately, cyclone catapults had limited upward attack range, unable to threaten Wanzicheng’s interior. But neither could they restrict Liang forces from circling around Wanzicheng, reopening a small path from the steep slope on the eastern side, penetrating into the Taihang Pass passage behind Wanzicheng.

The mountain body’s southern slope was quite steep. Reopening a winding three to four li mountain path naturally posed considerable difficulty. Fortunately, currently time stood on Great Liang’s side, with completely sufficient time to play this grinding game.

Cao Gan also understood military affairs.

Facing Liang forces’ actions, Mongol forces appeared extremely passive. He couldn’t help pondering: were Mongol forces unable or rather not daring to easily dispatch troops from Taihang Pass’s southern entrance to fight Liang forces, or were Mongol forces deliberately using small numbers of troops leveraging Taihang Pass’s treacherous terrain to delay Liang forces advancing north from Mengzhou, while they concentrated forces on Zezhou’s western flank to first conduct decisive battle with Liang forces advancing east from Mount Taiyue’s southern foothills?

Cao Gan, newly arrived, naturally couldn’t guess Mongol forces’ thoughts. But Liang forces in Mengzhou had only thirty thousand elite, while Eastern Liang forces on the southern bank at Bianliang and Wuzhi possessed seventy to eighty thousand troops yet showed not even a posture of crossing the river to fight—he saw this all with his own eyes.

Xu Mingzhen and Sima Tan each harbored private thoughts. With Liang Shixiong and the last Weibo elite troops surrounded and annihilated in Xingyang city, Zhu Rang, Liang Ren, and others could no longer pose any threat to Liang forces.

This was a reality Cao Gan was unwilling to accept yet had to accept.

Accompanied by Han Donghu, Feng Yi, Zhao Shuo, He Xu, and others, Cao Gan walked a circuit through the vanguard camp, returning toward Qinyang city as darkness approached.

“Since Shu Lord is unwilling to accept military generals wandering in foreign lands returning to Shu, can their families be brought to Mengzhou? This requires Lord Cao to speak favorably to Shu Lord after returning to Chengdu!” Han Donghu accompanied Cao Gan riding side by side, saying with a laugh.

Han Qian receiving Cao Gan in Mengzhou temporarily had no intention of changing Liang-Shu relations. Currently, he mainly hoped to promote bringing over as many Shu generals’ families as possible to stabilize hearts.

Military ministers like Han Donghu and Feng Yi also tried their best to persuade Cao Gan to speak favorably after returning to Shu.

Besides routine embassy duties, Cao Gan wouldn’t make additional promises. To Han Donghu’s words, he merely responded perfunctorily.

Military camp conditions were crude. The night banquet was quite simple. Besides roasted venison, vegetables, and wheat cakes, only tables before Cao Gan and accompanying personnel had wine pots placed. Han Qian apologized: “Being in military camp, I must observe military discipline, unable to accompany honored guests in drinking freely. Only after returning to Luoyang can I drink heartily with honored guests.”

Seeing Han Donghu and others all quite enjoying the currently simple, crude food, Cao Gan thought: that high-ranking Liang officers could maintain simple living—this more than anything else could inspire morale.

After the night banquet, Cao Gan and accompanying personnel were arranged to stay in an independent compound. Before he could rest, Han Qian—besides Li Zhigao, Wang Zhe, Guo Rong, and others—also had Han Donghu summon He Liufeng, Zhao Shuo, He Xu, Li Zhi, and battalion-level military officers from the vanguard camp to convene a meeting.

“Cao Gan’s visit here, speaking plainly, is to probe Great Liang’s actual situation. Of course, Great Liang’s actual situation has nothing worth probing. He perhaps cares more whether sixty thousand Shu troops can truly be used by Great Liang,” Han Qian looked keenly at surrendered Shu commanders like He Xu, saying. “I will remain with Cao Gan in Qinyang two or three more days, letting him observe how you attack enemy camps. You should also understand clearly—the stronger combat will you display, the sooner your family reunion day approaches…”

Before thoroughly resolving the Mongol threat, Han Qian had no intention of adjusting strategic direction. But how to inspire affiliated Shu troops’ morale remained a vexing problem for everyone.

Hoping to bring their families from Shu, Shu Lord Wang Yong wouldn’t relent. Han Qian also found it difficult to adopt stronger methods or postures.

Zhao Mengji and his son Zhao Shuo’s families were currently detained in Jinling. But meeting Han Qian’s gaze, Shu commanders like He Xu grew fervent in thought.

After Zhao Mengji surrendered, Han Qian had the Military Academy train surrendered Shu troop commanders, mainly oriented toward situation recognition to strengthen their sense of identification with Great Liang. Battalion commander level and above middle and high-ranking commanders actually could all realize Cao Gan’s embassy represented Shu’s rulers and ministers feeling insecure.

Whether affiliated Shu troops could display truly formidable combat power, whether they could truly move Cao Gan and accompanying personnel—this would cause direct and far-reaching impact on subsequent Liang-Shu negotiations.

If one day Great Liang forces truly wanted to swallow Shu lands, soldiers originating from other places, after entering Shu lands, would inevitably experience too much maladaptation, severely suppressing combat capability. With warfare dragging on, it would also greatly weaken soldiers’ morale.

This was a prerequisite condition that dynasties’ military strategists found very difficult to resolve well, yet had to resolve well to achieve military victory.

Like Zheng Hui leading troops into Lingnan fighting so many years before finally conquering the Prince Xing’s palace—actually one couldn’t say Zheng Hui wasn’t an outstanding commander of the age. In reality, over many years, how many famous generals folded en route to campaigns in foreign lands.

If Great Liang one day truly wanted to swallow Shu lands, naturally using affiliated Shu troops as vanguard would be most convenient.

Therefore, the stronger combat power Shu troops displayed before Cao Gan, the deeper threat Cao Gan and other Shu emissaries would feel.

This would also directly prompt Shu’s rulers and ministers to soften attitudes on sending affiliated Shu generals’ families, even in future perhaps enabling resolution of fundamental Liang-Shu problems through gentler means.

With no outsiders in the hall, Han Qian explained these principles thoroughly to affiliated Shu commanders, also hoping they would communicate some principles to basic military officers’ awareness, expecting affiliated Shu troops to perform well during the brief time he invited Cao Gan to stay in Qinyang.

Cao Gan wasn’t aware Han Qian had assembled affiliated Shu troops’ middle and high-ranking commander officers at night for mobilization. From current military deployment, he also couldn’t discern how long Liang forces planned to take capturing southern Jin.

Next day he entered the great tent to pay respects to Han Qian, discussing bilateral commercial trade matters before noon.

Initially upon Wang Yong’s usurpation, large quantities of Tangyi and Xuzhou materials flowed in cheaply, taxes all concentrated in Wang Yong’s hands. Including Xuzhou Official Currency Bureau lending over two million strings to purchase Xuzhou’s armor and weapons—this played crucially important roles in Wang Yong grasping Shu’s situation.

However, after Wang Yong thoroughly grasped Shu lands, comprehensively weighing Shu’s state treasury annual revenue and local financial income, he discovered large quantities of cheap cotton cloth, iron goods, paper, tea, medicine, and other commercial goods flooding Shu lands, greatly striking Shu’s local textiles, shipbuilding, smelting, casting, papermaking, and other industries.

Particularly Shu brocade weaving, iron smelting, and well salt—Shu’s greatest revenue sources besides field taxes and corvee—had sharply declined in recent years.

Cao Gan wouldn’t mention raising taxes or restricting Great Liang’s commercial goods flow scale, but hoped Great Liang could raise sale prices of exported commercial goods, enabling Shu’s textiles, iron smelting, and well salt to catch their breath slightly.

He always felt this shouldn’t be an issue causing both sides embarrassment.

“Merchants travel throughout the realm, paying taxes and duties. Localities should provide convenience. Even considering people’s livelihood, one should restrict their profit-seeking hearts, hoarding to manipulate prices for excessive profits. Where is there logic of forcing them to raise sale prices, fearing they don’t profit enough?” Han Qian laughed it off. “If I truly issued such an edict, wouldn’t Great Liang subjects all consider me an utterly confused incompetent ruler?”

Han Qian also took advantage that Cao Gan and Shu Lord’s rulers and ministers might not clearly understand dumping principles, feigning confusion to toss the problem back to Cao Gan.

Cao Gan counted as an extremely practical person, but serving beside Wang Yong, he mainly managed military affairs. He truly couldn’t think of forceful words to refute Han Qian—his heart truly felt stifled.

Yet Han Qian didn’t necessarily want to use words to confound Cao Gan. He also spoke words of comfort: “Shu’s textiles and iron smelting aren’t prosperous—truly consuming too much manpower and material resources. As Liang Lord, I cannot make excessively demanding requirements of Great Liang merchants. But if Shu wants to introduce textile and iron smelting techniques, I can facilitate…”

Cao Gan thought this also wasn’t a bad solution, hastily expressing thanks.

Han Qian’s involvement merely consisted of reminiscing about old times or raising some general policy suggestions. Specific matters involving bilateral border garrison troops, commerce, and even exchanging emissaries—these were all led by Feng Yi, with various offices and bureaus dispatching officials to negotiate numerous details. In the afternoon, Han Donghu and Feng Yi still accompanied Cao Gan rushing to the vanguard camp to observe troops attacking Wanzicheng.

Compared to yesterday’s methodical approach, after various battalion principal officers returned to camp last night, this morning they conducted mobilization. Afternoon attacks on Wanzicheng suddenly intensified. No longer purely using machines to bombard enemy camps from the periphery to complete a day’s combat mission. Instead, squad after squad emerged from behind palisade walls, raising large shields, gripping bows and crossbows, arduously clustering around siege carts and ladder carts, attacking upward along quite steep mountain slopes.

Enemy forces hadn’t realized Liang forces would launch fierce attack at this time. Atop damaged walls, rolling logs, tumbling stones, and fire oil weren’t well prepared. Even when affiliated Shu troops assaulted walls, the vast majority of defenders hid beneath walls to avoid cyclone catapult bombardment. Almost the first wave assault enabled affiliated Shu troops to rush atop wall tops, launching fierce killing.

He Liufeng ordered troops on Wanzicheng’s eastern side to carve out a mountain pass along the steep slope, currently hoping to circle around Wanzicheng, penetrating into the Taihang Pass southern entrance passage behind Wanzicheng, cutting communication between enemy forces inside Taihang Pass passage and Wanzicheng.

This mountain pass’s highest point crossing the ridge crest was higher than Wanzicheng’s terrain, separated by only three hundred paces. He Liufeng ordered soldiers to carry over one hundred spring-powered individual combat crossbows with ranges exceeding four hundred paces up the mountain ridge east of Wanzicheng to suppress defenders on Wanzicheng’s eastern wall, enabling affiliated Shu troops led by He Xu to occupy the southern wall, solid as rock resisting counterattacks from defenders along the eastern wall and through two wall-climbing passages within the city.

Defenders counterattacked feebly. More and more affiliated Shu troops climbed atop wall tops, until thoroughly establishing firm footing on walls, beginning to advance along wall-climbing passages or erecting ladders on walls’ inner sides, attacking into Wanzicheng’s interior.

Cao Gan had originally assumed affiliated Shu troops, lacking roots in Great Liang, wouldn’t have many risking lives to charge into battle. But seeing this scene, his face paled wave after wave…