Chapter 170

Chapter 170: Planning Water Conservancy

Of course, Yan Jun still had some doubts about the intelligence provided by Guo Jia.

After sending the person away, he first discussed with the influential families in the same commandery and then sent a letter to Jiuquan, asking Huang Yan, the Prefect of Jiuquan, for advice.

Huang Yan, the Prefect of Jiuquan, was a member of the Huang Clan of Jiuquan, and as Qiao Yan had mentioned, he was a typical representative of those who, due to their location at the farthest frontier of the Han Dynasty, were no longer bound by mutual laws.

If we were to count, this person, along with Wang Guo of Didao and Li Xiangru, the Prefect of Longxi, were all figures who responded to Han Sui’s rebellion.

If Fu Xie’s death were to be blamed on Han Sui and the already deceased Wang Guo, Huang Yan couldn’t escape responsibility either.

However, when the rebels besieged Jiyang County in Hanyang, this person had attempted to persuade Fu Xie to surrender. Shortly after Qiao Yan stationed at Gaoping City, he foresaw that Han Sui could never be her match and quickly decided to switch sides in support. Thus, he was not included in the list of those to be purged after Qiao Yan defeated Han Sui.

This defection cost Huang Yan nothing, as Jiuquan was not close to Anding or Jincheng, and at most, it was just a verbal gesture of goodwill.

But to Yan Jun, Huang Yan had made an extremely wise decision.

The Yang Clan of Jiuquan sent Yang Feng to serve under Qiao Yan, likely under Huang Yan’s instruction.

Whether they have benefited from this is still unknown, but at least they haven’t been singled out as an example.

Yan Jun didn’t know that after the Battle of Jincheng, Qiao Yan had discussed with Fu Gan whether to kill or spare Huang Yan, leading him to believe that Huang Yan’s flattering letters to Qiao Yan had earned him a position as an advisor.

However, what Fu Gan actually said to Qiao Yan was: “If we stop at Wuwei Commandery, your soldiers’ control will only double. But if we take Dunhuang, Jiuquan, and Zhangye, it will almost quadruple. The Han Dynasty cannot control these frontier regions with mixed populations, relying on the autonomy of powerful families, let alone you. Sparing this person is better than killing him.”

“Your Excellency has already killed the traitor Han Sui, and Wang Guo was defeated by General Huangfu. Beigong Boyu died in internal strife. If my father knew in the afterlife, he would rest in peace. There’s no need to stir up more trouble.”

According to Fu Gan, Huang Yan was just a clown not worth the effort. Letting him continue to govern Jiuquan was the best course. Otherwise, the territory Qiao Yan controlled would double, inevitably leading to a situation where her ambitions exceeded her capabilities.

If the civilian settlements along the Lushui River in Wuwei could be fully established, the contrast would further highlight Qiao Yan’s wisdom.

This conversation was not made public, so Huang Yan believed he had indeed shown good judgment. Supported by the Huang Clan of Jiuquan, he felt quite proud. Upon receiving Yan Jun’s inquiry, he replied, “It’s strange for a person not to have personal desires and hobbies. The Governor of Bingzhou, young and enfeoffed as a marquis, is full of vigor. Let her have her way first, then we can plan accordingly.”

Huang Yan pondered the information Yan Jun had inquired about.

Having a sweet tooth in such an environment was indeed quite luxurious.

But Qiao Yan came from the Qiao Clan of Liang, and although she hadn’t contacted her family in Yanzhou for years, she was still from a genuine noble family. Given the region she governed, she could afford such an indulgence.

So, this wasn’t a ridiculous hobby.

At most, it just caused some trouble for those trying to please her.

If she liked beauties, they could be found in Liangzhou. If she liked rare treasures or gold and silver, it would just be a matter of spending money to avoid disaster.

But for something like rock sugar, which is consumed, it must be of the highest quality.

Although it’s known that this substance is obtained by refining sugarcane juice, boiling, and sun-drying, the added milk, rice flour, and other ingredients vary by region.

The quality of rock sugar produced by the Western Rong far surpasses that of other places.

At least it’s sweeter than that produced in Yizhou.

He added, “There’s a road from Wudu to Shu. To prevent the Wudu surname from gaining an advantage, why not send a merchant caravan to the Western Regions to obtain the best quality and present it to her?”

After receiving the reply, Yan Jun made up his mind.

Given the current state of the Han Dynasty, the powerful families in the Four Commanderies of Hexi had already entered a state of观望 (wait-and-see) following the Qiang rebellion, let alone showing much respect to the Han royal family.

That’s why, during the rebellion in the fourth year of Zhongping, Huang Yan said, “The world no longer belongs to the Han.”

But Qiao Yan, who controlled local military power and could threaten them, could not be offended, based on the principle of趋利避害 (seeking advantage and avoiding harm).

It was just a matter of getting some sugar.

But…

Wait, this isn’t so easy!

The westward merchant caravan of the Yan Clan of Wuwei included many Dingling, Wusun, Dayuan, and even Kushan people, so language wasn’t a major issue in this trade.

The main problem was that the areas originally under the jurisdiction of the Western Regions Protectorate and further west were not peaceful. Obtaining the highest quality rock sugar from the Kushan Empire involved significant risks.

Within the Han territory, powerful local figures like Dong Zhuo could挟制 (control) the central government, leading to a split in imperial power.

The regions outside the Central Plains were also in conflict.

Within the Kushan Empire, Vima Kadphises II ascended the throne around the first year of Zhongping in the Han Dynasty.

The southward shift of the power center led to places like Kangju and Dayuan breaking free from束缚 (restraints) in recent years. Merchant caravans returning in previous years brought news that Khwarezm had also脱离 (broken away) from Kushan rule.

To the west of the Kushan Empire, the Parthian Empire was under the rule of Vologases IV.

Over twenty years ago, he led an invasion westward but was struck by the Roman expeditionary force, which even burned down the Parthian palace at Ctesiphon.

Since last year, Persian resistance forces have been trying to rise during the Parthian Empire’s weakened state.

Previously, the powerful families in the Four Commanderies of Hexi watched the Han’s troubles while hearing news from distant empires, finding amusement in both.

But now… now they were the ones who could be slaughtered by Qiao Yan at any moment.

“Your meaning is, you want to present high-quality rock sugar to Her Excellency as I suggested, but due to the动荡 (turmoil) outside, you need to gather a larger merchant caravan and hire some brave guards to ensure the goods’ safety?” Guo Jia asked when Yan Jun approached him again.

Yan Jun nodded and replied, “Advisor Guo, think about it. The Xiliang rebel forces have just been pacified. If we rashly pull together such a team and Her Excellency Qiao misunderstands, thinking we want to割据 (secede) and rebel, and directly sends troops to扫荡 (sweep) us, wouldn’t that be troublesome? I’d like to give a surprise, but given the current situation, it’s really not possible.”

This scion of the Yan Clan of Wuwei seemed to treat Guo Jia as a狗头军师 (pet strategist).

After all, Guo Jia was young and had accepted his invitation without reservation, even revealing a method to please Qiao Yan, showing he was quite satisfied with the offered诱饵 (bait).

But he had no idea that Guo Jia’s good attitude towards him was entirely due to this new情报 (intelligence).

Guo Jia thought to himself that the situation seemed even more favorable than he had imagined.

Regarding the situation outside the Han, Guo Jia, before proposing the rock sugar idea, was far less informed than Yan Jun!

Most scholars in the Central Plains received knowledge that at most mentioned the Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Xiongnu. Who would know what the environment was like beyond the Western Regions Protectorate?

So his original idea was, after creating this “flaw” of Qiao Yan’s, to take a循序渐进 (step-by-step) approach, having the other party make a few trips to present treasures until a trend formed, allowing Qiao Yan to control the matter herself.

But this trade route outside the Han’s jurisdiction had been unpredictable for decades, requiring constant plan adjustments, as in this moment.

No, it should be said, allowing Qiao Yan to adjust the plan at any time.

Since Yan Jun mentioned the need to recruit brave guards, who could be better than Qiao Yan’s own soldiers?

This gave her a legitimate opportunity to安排 (arrange) her people into the caravan.

Although the importance of引入 (importing) goods from outside shouldn’t overshadow the management of Bingzhou and Liangzhou, which were already under her control, turning things本末倒置 (putting the cart before the horse). But sending people out was also a good time to调整 (adjust) the personnel structure.

This was something Qiao Yan herself needed to decide.

After hearing Guo Jia’s转述 (relay) of Yan Jun’s words, Qiao Yan raised an eyebrow.

The Roman Empire, Parthian Empire, Kushan Empire, and the Han Dynasty were the four largest empires on the Eurasian continent, geographically spread from west to east.

Coincidentally, they were all facing their greatest crises at this time.

But such judgments about the broader situation couldn’t come from her mouth.

Unless she had some奇遇 (extraordinary encounter), she couldn’t凭空 (out of thin air) grow a pair of eyes to see what was happening beyond the Western Regions Protectorate.

This news could only enter the Four Commanderies of Hexi through商人 (merchants) along the Silk Road and eventually reach her ears.

Even then, due to the vast distance, there could be inaccuracies in the消息 (information) transmission.

Fortunately, the information from Guo Jia was大体上 (generally) correct.

It was indeed due to frequent wars along the land trade routes that during the ninth year of Yanxi in Emperor Huan’s reign, the Roman Emperor sent ivory, rhinoceros horns, and tortoiseshell to the Han via the maritime Silk Road.

“So, who do you think is suitable to send?” Qiao Yan asked.

Guo Jia smiled at Qiao Yan, “I think Your Excellency already has the answer in mind. You were probably still犹豫 (hesitant) about someone’s安排 (arrangement). But now there’s a more suitable去处 (destination).”

“Someone?” Qiao Yan muttered, “No, not just one person.”

She wrote two names on the paper in front of her and handed it to Guo Jia. “What do you think of these two?”

Guo Jia took the paper and saw two names written on it—

Ma Teng, Xu Rong.

The former was exactly who he had in mind, and the latter… was indeed an extremely suitable candidate!

He cupped his hands and replied, “Your Excellency is高明 (wise).”

Ma Teng had indeed surrendered, but the fact that Qiao Yan needed Huangfu Song to supervise him when using him as one of the forces to attack Kuiyuan Gorge showed that she still had some提防 (wariness) towards his command.

Perhaps Cao Cao’s arrangement for Ma Teng was appropriate.

Giving him a high-ranking position without实权 (real power) would keep him安分守己 (in line), precisely hitting his desire to find a safe position to保全 (preserve) himself.








However, the situation Qiao Yan faced was different from Cao Cao’s.


She could not yet issue any orders on behalf of the Son of Heaven, Liu Xie, and had to temporarily remain within the boundaries of Liangzhou and Bingzhou.


This made Ma Teng’s presence somewhat awkward.


Thus, she could send Ma Chao as a vanguard to assist in pacifying Wudu Commandery, but she dared not let Ma Teng lead an army independently for now.


However, assigning him to the Silk Road would be quite fitting.


Ma Teng had some skills in both civil and military affairs, as well as long-term experience living in Liangzhou. His personal authority alone would suffice to suppress the merchant caravans organized by the powerful families of Liangzhou.


Once Ma Teng left Liangzhou, Ma Chao’s style of commanding troops would prevent him from replacing Ma Teng as the next core leader, giving Qiao Yan the opportunity to gradually absorb Ma Teng’s forces during the interim.


This was by no means an exile.


After all, figures like Ban Chao had once served as Protectors of the Western Regions!


Ma Teng surely wouldn’t feel insulted by being compared to Ban Chao, right?


As for Xu Rong, another person Qiao Yan intended to assign this task to, it was not out of distrust.


Rather, she simply felt that, with Dong Zhuo still alive, even if Xu Rong had shown complete loyalty—unlike Zhang Xiu—letting him lead troops against Dong Zhuo could easily invite criticism.


Moreover, her current strategy against Dong Zhuo was to proceed slowly rather than quickly. Bringing Xu Rong into the forces pressuring Chang’an might jeopardize the goals she had sent Jia Xu to achieve.


Thus, it was better to deploy Xu Rong to the northern front, especially toward Liaodong.


But this was clearly not a situation that would arise in the short term.


Qiao Yan felt that keeping Xu Rong as a mere commandant in Shuofang Commandery, with few opportunities for battle, was a waste of his talents.


It would be better to send him on a mission abroad!


After transferring Xu Rong from Shuofang to Wuwei Commandery, Qiao Yan summoned him and instructed, “This trade mission on the Silk Road will ostensibly be for sugar, but I want you to keep your eyes open for anything along the way that could benefit the development of Bingzhou and Liangzhou. Especially warhorses and crops.”


For the first overland Silk Road trade, Qiao Yan would not disrupt the balance with the powerful families of Liangzhou.


She needed her own translators, supply channels, and merchant caravans, and she also needed time to complete the first round of land reclamation in Wuwei Commandery.


Thus, Xu Rong’s task was twofold: first, to observe—


Take note of the road conditions, the political situations in the Western Regions, and the goods traded.


These details might be inaccurately recorded in future texts, so firsthand information was crucial.


Second, to introduce—


Large-scale trade was not yet feasible, but buying a few horses, some horse trainers, and a bit of cotton from India that had spread to the Kushan Empire was entirely possible.


Qiao Yan continued, “Additionally, I need you to keep an eye on Ma Teng. His departure might lead some to believe I am sidelining him, a former rebel leader. If anything seems amiss, report it to me upon your return.”


“Understood?”


Xu Rong paused for a moment before asking, “My lord, are you not worried that I might not return and instead raise a force beyond the frontier?”


Ma Teng had surrendered after Pang De’s death and Ma Chao’s capture, without Qiao Yan expending much effort. But Xu Rong had once faced Qiao Yan across the Yellow River, and his former master, Dong Zhuo, was still alive.


If anything, Xu Rong was more dangerous than Ma Teng.


Yet, Qiao Yan simply shook her head, “You’re mistaken. I have no doubts about you or Ma Teng. The ‘amiss’ I want you to watch for is not about Ma Teng, but about those accompanying you. Do you understand?”


Xu Rong began to grasp her meaning.


Qiao Yan was looking for another reason to deal with the powerful families of Liangzhou, not to find fault with Ma Teng.


As for why she didn’t inform Ma Teng?


Given his status as a captive, if he knew someone might try to use him, he would likely remain highly vigilant.


In that case, he might avoid people altogether, leaving no room for manipulation.


Seeing Qiao Yan’s intrigued expression, Xu Rong relaxed, “If that’s the case, I know what I must do.”


Qiao Yan added, “I will provide you with a detailed list of items to pay special attention to, which I will also give to Ma Teng as a sign of trust. Since you will be traveling with unfamiliar people and accents, you must support each other.”


Xu Rong solemnly agreed.


When Ma Teng received this special assignment from Qiao Yan, he was momentarily stunned but quickly accepted.


This was clearly not an attempt to exile him but to transition him from a regional warlord to an ordinary general.


For someone like Ma Teng, who had been lacking reassurance since his surrender, this was almost a lifeline.


He even proactively requested that his sons, Ma Xiu and Ma Tie, be sent to Bingzhou for education.


Whether they could learn anything at Leping Academy was irrelevant.


The important thing was that this was an act of sending hostages to Qiao Yan.


Qiao Yan did not object but casually mentioned her intention to divide Ma Teng’s forces.


One part would remain under Ma Chao’s command, another would become her direct Liangzhou army, and the third would disband conscripted soldiers, allowing those willing to stay to join the civilian land reclamation in Wuwei Commandery, with the best being transferred to military reclamation in Jincheng Commandery and then recruited into the army.


Ma Teng replied, “My lord, you may decide this matter as you see fit. I need not concern myself with it. Instead, I should focus on learning a few phrases of the local language.”


Comparing himself to Ban Chao, who had rebuilt diplomatic relations with the Western Regions and quelled rebellions with mere words, was indeed a tall order for Ma Teng.


But with a more stable path to survival and a temporary reprieve from the war, Ma Teng felt deeply grateful and determined to do something for Qiao Yan.


Of course, compared to Ma Teng’s eagerness, Yan Jun was far more alarmed.


Since traveling from Wuwei to Shuofang by water was downstream and thus very fast, by the time Xu Rong received Qiao Yan’s message and rushed over, only seven days had passed since Yan Jun consulted Guo Jia.


But to his great surprise, while he did receive permission to travel—likely earning him some goodwill from Qiao Yan—he now had to bring along Ma Teng and Xu Rong, two heavyweight figures, and their entourages. What was that about?


Yan Jun didn’t dare ask Guo Jia if this was Qiao Yan’s way of eliminating dissenters, only venting to his close aides.


But as soon as he spoke, he realized this might actually be good news!


It suggested that Qiao Yan, aside from her sweet tooth, had some other youthful tendencies.


Sending Ma Teng and Xu Rong on a distant mission rather than eliminating them or merely using them for appearances—


This seemed like the act of someone who hadn’t thought things through.


Unfortunately, with her military strength, no matter how much he privately underestimated her due to her personnel arrangements, he had to continue currying favor.


At least this incident further confirmed that the Governor of Bingzhou, with these traits, was not someone to be feared.


Thus, her land reclamation efforts in Wuwei Commandery were likely to be ineffective.


Let her do as she pleased.


But since he hadn’t anticipated Ma Teng and Xu Rong accompanying him, he certainly didn’t expect that Qiao Yan, with the arrival of Jia Mu from Guzang, Bi Lan—the creator of the Dragon Bone Waterwheel—and agricultural officials from Bingzhou, had already begun refining the water conservancy projects within the farmland areas she had designated.


There was no sign of indulgence in leisure.


Water conservancy projects were not uncommon during the Three Kingdoms period.


For example, in Cao Wei, the Shaopi irrigation area spanned hundreds of miles, opening up 40,000 hectares of farmland; the Zhengpi project took one winter to complete and increased yields the following year; the Liling Dam irrigated 10,000 hectares; and there were even large-scale projects like “diverting the Yellow River to connect with Luoyang for grain transport.” Military projects like the Suiyang Canal for attacking Guandu and the Baigou for attacking Ye City were also common.


In comparison, connecting water systems in the Lu River basin and the six rivers at the foot of the Qilian Mountains was a relatively small project.


Of course, compared to simply dredging existing canals and using waterwheels to irrigate mountain fields in Bingzhou, the work in Wuwei’s river basin also had to consider cross-irrigation areas and uneven water distribution, requiring both water conveyance and storage projects, which was no small task.


As Bi Lan walked along the Lu River with Qiao Yan, listening to her vision, he suddenly felt the weight of his responsibilities.


But for some reason, what occupied his mind more was—


Thankfully, he had escaped the chaos in Luoyang last year and fled to Bingzhou.


Building ponds and canals was even more likely to leave a mark in history than the Dragon Bone Waterwheel!


What a stroke of fortune!


He then heard Qiao Yan say, “The so-called water conservancy projects involve diverting the Longshu River to irrigate fields and sustain the people. Such work deserves a corresponding official title. Unfortunately, with the court in disarray, it’s difficult to propose new titles. Bi Changshi, if you’re willing, how about I privately appoint you as the ‘Envoy of Water Affairs’?”


Hearing this, Bi Lan no longer cared whether Qiao Yan’s self-appointed title was an overreach.


Envoy of Water Affairs?


This title meant far more to him than “Changshi” ever could!


This was… this was a matter of great importance for the people’s livelihood!


As a former eunuch of the Han court, how could he be worthy of such an appointment?


The excitement and emotion in his eyes, though unspoken, were clear to Qiao Yan.


He replied loudly, “My lord, since you dare entrust this waterway to me, I, Bi Lan, would even fill the canal with my own body to complete these ponds and channels for you!”


“No need for such sacrifices,” Qiao Yan waved her hand with a smile.


She pointed to the river flowing northwest before them, her face full of hope, “Let this land be filled with crops next year. I want to see what kind of landscape it will become!”