Generally speaking, after Feng Xuan led the Yongzhou Command Army to recover the Hetao Plain south of the Yin Mountains, Wen Bo led the Hedong (Jinzhou) Command Army to recover Yun, Shuo, and Yu prefectures at the northwestern foot of the Yan Mountains, and Li Xiu led the River-North Command Army to recover the areas north and south of the eastern Yan Mountains as well as eastern Liao, the regular military operations on the northern front would be nearly complete.
These regions all had good agricultural foundations. For thousands of years, Han and barbarian peoples had lived together. Not only had large numbers of Han people settled and multiplied in these places, but various barbarian tribes had also integrated well into Central Plains civilization, regarding themselves as Han people. They had only been severed from the Central Plains after the end of the previous dynasty.
After deploying forces to recover these regions, using both military suppression and administrative policies together, establishing an effective governing order wouldn’t present too much difficulty. With some careful attention, they could be completely integrated into Great Liang’s territory.
However, beyond these regions—to the north lay the northern desert, to the west lay Hexi, Anxi, and Tufan—all were vast deserts, oases, grasslands, or bitterly cold plateaus. The territory was extremely vast. At the same time, the Mengwu remnants and their tributary tribes, various Qiang peoples, and Tufan forces primarily lived by following water and grass as nomads, without fixed settlements, able to advance or retreat freely. How to subsequently conduct military operations in the northern desert, Hexi, Anxi, Tufan and other regions, expanding Great Liang Empire’s territory into these areas and restoring the territory of the previous dynasty at its height—this was an extremely vexing problem for everyone.
Of course, first they still needed to solve the problem of the northern desert and the Mengwu remnant forces. To solve this difficult problem properly, they could only place their hopes on the northern refugee aristocrats as much as possible.
Without striving to win over and pacify the northern refugee aristocrats, directly dispatching large armies to penetrate deep into the desert for campaigns and suppression—even if they could overcome various difficulties and achieve some military victories—the best result would probably be forcing the northern refugee aristocrats and Mengwu remnants to flee the northern desert together, migrating west and north to even more vast and bitter cold lands.
And even if the Mengwu remnants and northern refugee aristocrats were all expelled from the northern desert, the numerous tribes on the northern desert grasslands were like wild grass on the spring wilderness—cut down yet growing again, coming and going like the wind, fierce and untamed. How would they subsequently establish effective rule in these bitter cold lands and make them truly become Great Liang’s territory?
Although very difficult, the General Staff had continuously dispatched scouts and spies to infiltrate the northern desert to gather intelligence over these years. Kong Xirong and the others’ interrogation of Wang Jingrong and other captured generals in southern Jin some time ago had also further refined their intelligence on the northern desert.
At the end of the previous dynasty, to escape the suppression and persecution of Great Liang’s founding emperor, Xiao Yiqing led the aristocratic families of Guanshan and Heluo in a desperate northern flight to submit to the Mengwu people. Initially he helped the Mengwu establish Han-style prefectures such as Shi and Ying in the northern desert, developing agriculture, smelting, casting and other industries. The originally fierce and battle-ready Mengwu cavalry, after obtaining stable supplies of grain, armor, weapons and equipment, saw their combat power increase extremely rapidly. On this foundation, they first seized Yanyun and other prefectures from Jin forces, then conquered the tribes of eastern Liao—their territory once spanned ten thousand li.
After invading southward, Wusu Dashi and Xiao Yiqing promoted the southern migration of Mengwu people—because during these twenty to thirty years the climate had entered a cold period, the northern desert grew increasingly frigid, freezing countless people and livestock to death each year. The Mengwu people urgently desired to migrate south. The first batch of southern migrants consisted mainly of the thirteen wing tribes under the Southern Court’s jurisdiction, while the northern refugee aristocrats primarily remained in the northern desert.
Although the northern refugee aristocratic descendants and their families who initially fled to the northern desert to depend on the Mengwu people experienced tragic casualties during the flight process, with ultimately fewer than ten thousand surviving, over thirty-plus years—through recruiting personnel from Yanyun and eastern Liao, and with Wusu Dashi’s promotion of intermarriage with northern desert tribes—the population had multiplied and developed to over forty thousand.
Compared to the over five hundred thousand tribal members of the Mengwu Northern Court’s directly administered tribes, the northern refugee aristocrats—men, women, young and old together—totaled only over forty thousand, which seemed rather insignificant.
However, these forty thousand-plus people lived in fortified settlements, still wore Han clothing and headwear, had not become barbarized, and due to Xiao Yiqing’s contributions, possessed extremely strong organizational power and internal cohesion.
If they could accept pacification and submit to Great Liang, they would be like two nails firmly driven into Shi and Ying prefectures, the most core areas of the northern desert. Moreover, they would continue to multiply descendants in the northern desert, thereby completely transforming the northern desert into Han-ruled territory.
With the northern refugee aristocrats’ assistance, then dispatching armies for northern campaigns—grain and other bulk material supplies would become relatively much simpler. They might even need to deploy only twenty to thirty thousand elite cavalry plus a certain scale of artillery forces northward to rather easily resolve the hidden dangers in the northern desert.
Without pacifying the northern refugee aristocrats and without their assistance, resolving the northern desert problem would be much more difficult—possibly even within three to five years, they wouldn’t be able to begin addressing this problem.
And as long as the northern desert ceased to be a problem and was completely incorporated into Great Liang’s territory, it could lay a solid foundation for subsequently incorporating the Western Regions into Great Liang’s territory.
In the great hall of Liuyun Temple, Han Qian sat on the floor with Wang Jun and Zhao Ting’er. He also invited Wang Jingrong, Lu Qingxia, Zhou Yuan, and Yao Xishui to sit behind the long table in front to speak. Yun Puzi, Li Zhigao, Han Daoming, Tian Cheng and others sat separately on both sides.
Han Qian unhesitatingly laid out his intentions:
“At the height of the previous dynasty, from Luofu Prefecture in the south to Xuanque Prefecture in the north, west to Anxi, east to eastern Liao—the territory exceeded fifty million square li. However, by the middle period, the northern desert and Western Regions successively fell into the hands of powerful regional forces. The Central Plains also saw regional military governors seizing territories. The vigor of the prosperous Tang era was long gone. Afterward, the economy and people’s livelihood repeatedly declined, ultimately leading to refugees who couldn’t fill their bellies or clothe their bodies rising up and sweeping across the realm—even if the founding emperor hadn’t seized the opportunity to rise, the previous dynasty’s collapse was already irreversible. Although old hatreds are hard to sever, even if you all disregard the shattered mountains and rivers, can you truly bear to see the forty thousand-plus previous dynasty survivors in Shi and Ying prefectures become lonely ghosts and wild spirits beyond the borders? Besides Zhigao, Yao Xishui—you are also a Li clan descendant, a previous dynasty noble, a survivor of Prince Lu’s mansion. Don’t you want to one day be able to properly declare your surname and status before the world?”
Whether they could pacify the northern refugee aristocrats, Wang Jingrong was naturally quite a key figure. But besides Wang Jingrong and Li Zhigao, Yao Xishui—in addition to being a daughter of the Prince of Lu—also had a mother who came from one of the three great clans among the northern refugee aristocrats.
The current situation, to put it bluntly, was to give the northern refugee aristocrats a dignified way to accept pacification, while also using this to eliminate their wariness and defensiveness.
Han Qian had originally hoped Kong Xirong and the others could capture Xiao Yiqing and his nephew Xiao Siqing alive in southern Jin and make some arrangements regarding these uncle and nephew. He hadn’t expected that after Xiao Siqing died in battle, Xiao Yiqing would also die in service to Wusu Dashi.
Then he could only place his hopes for pacifying the northern refugee aristocrats on Yao Xishui and Wang Jingrong.
Wang Jingrong somewhat impatiently was about to step forward and kneel in submission to pledge his service, but seeing Li Zhigao, Lu Qingxia, Zhou Yuan and others all turning their gazes toward Yao Xishui, he paused slightly, realizing that at this moment Yao Xishui might be even more irreplaceable than himself.
Even though Xiao Yiqing and his nephew Xiao Siqing were dead, among the captured Mengwu officers and officials, besides himself, Luoyang wasn’t without other choices. But comparatively speaking, with Li Zhigao interceding for her, Yao Xishui carried more weight than him.
Yao Xishui sat stupefied behind the table, her heart a complex mixture of feelings. After a long while, suddenly realizing the great hall had fallen completely silent because of her, she lifted her crude cloth skirt, moved to the center of the hall, knelt down, and for the first time lowered her head before Han Qian, saying: “This subject thanks Your Majesty for giving Xishui the opportunity to atone for crimes through meritorious service…”
“The Secret Service has selected some personnel from the Wanhong Tower disciples. Wang Zhe will arrange for you to first go to Yanzhou to meet Feng Xuan, then secretly proceed to the northern desert. Zhigao and I will await your good news in Luoyang,” Han Qian said.
The Hedong Command Army and River-North Command Army would subsequently need to recover northern Jin, River-North, eastern Liao and other places. The combat missions no longer appeared arduous but were numerous.
Regarding the Mengwu Northern Court’s remnant forces in the northern desert, the early military strike operations would mainly be entrusted to the Yongzhou (Guanzhong) Command Army. Yao Xishui and Wang Jingrong would also report directly to Feng Xuan, so he told them to first go to Yanbei in Yanzhou to meet Feng Xuan.
The great situation under heaven was already decided. Han Qian wasn’t afraid that if Yao Xishui and Wang Jingrong infiltrated the northern desert, they would be like tigers returning to the forest, refusing to follow orders.
Besides some young Wanhong Tower disciples who had undergone training, Han Qian additionally agreed that Wang Jingrong could select some useful personnel from the captured Guanjiang Tower disciples and northern refugee aristocratic officers and officials this time, persuading them to journey north together.
Han Qian wasn’t worried these people would bite back.
Even if these people proved unusable, it would merely postpone resolving the northern desert problem, but wouldn’t affect the overall situation and progress of his unification of the Central Plains.
“Xishui will certainly not disappoint Your Majesty again,” Yao Xishui said with her body prostrate. At this moment she could hardly believe she would speak such words.
“You may rise and return to your seat to speak,” Han Qian thought of Yao Xishui’s various misdeeds over these years but was willing to enumerate them. Instead he consoled her: “Entangling oneself in old hatreds and grudges has little meaning. The northern refugee aristocrats submitted to rebels and aided tyrants—seemingly to avenge national and family hatreds, but Yanyun, River-North, the Three Jin regions, the Huai River region, Guanzhong and other places—which piece of land isn’t Great Tang’s former territory suffering ravagement and trampling? And which displaced person or person who died in warfare and famine isn’t a descendant or survivor of Great Tang? Even if the dynastic name has changed, isn’t Great Liang’s territory still Great Tang’s former land? Aren’t Great Liang’s people still Great Tang’s descendants and survivors? Isn’t your and my clothing and headwear still Han people’s clothing and headwear? Of course, all old affairs are turned over. I will also issue a secret edict before you journey north, pardoning the northern refugee aristocrats’ crimes of submission to rebels. And on the northern desert grasslands, for tribes willing to become Great Liang’s subjects, you should also strive in every way possible to win them over…”
That Han Qian came to Liuyun Temple and had Cao Zhe and Sima De accompany him to discuss these originally utterly confidential matters—he didn’t avoid them either.
Especially Cao Zhe—Han Qian still hoped he would see the lenient policies Luoyang adopted in resolving a series of legacy problems from the previous dynasty, hoping he could thereby more forcefully persuade Wang Yong, Jing Qiongwen, and his father Cao Gan, striving for a peaceful resolution to the Shu problem.
At this moment Han Qian also wasn’t stingy about directly giving a promise:
“When Xishui and Minister Wang send back good news and the previous dynasty survivors return to the Central Plains, Zhigao will represent the previous dynasty survivors in receiving the title Duke of Tang, with perpetual hereditary succession. I have already instructed Zhou Dan to select superior land in Luoyang to construct a Duke of Shu mansion, awaiting Brother Wang Yong’s arrival in Luoyang to reminisce with me about old times.”
At this moment Cao Zhe could only say he would take these words back to Chengdu Prefecture. He couldn’t and had no qualification to give any promises…