“Can strategists not ascend to the throne?”
Chapter 242: Arrangements in Hanzhong
Liu Yan was momentarily speechless.
If we were to follow the customs of the Taishi Path, a minor mistake would require one to walk a hundred paces to atone for their sins. Such a major crime as rebellion would surely necessitate taking a long journey for atonement.
From Chang’an to Hanzhong, there are three routes: the shortest is the Lofeng Pass, only about four hundred miles, while the longer ones are Ziwugu and Xieguxi, roughly six hundred miles.
These valleys and rivers along the roads are actually quite passable. The difficult parts are those that involve crossing ridges and the high paths.
In the past, no one had the energy to fix them up, leading to their shoddy state, which made access to Hanzhong from Guanzhong rather tough. But since Wang Shi wants to take control of Hanzhong, it naturally can’t stay in that state anymore.
However, using soldiers from Guanzhong or Hanzhong for the road repairs seems a bit wasteful for Qiao Yan, who has her eyes set on further expansion eastward to unify the Han dynasty.
So what to do instead?
Use the people.
People who follow the Taishi Path.
Considering that executing them for rebellion would be one thing, allowing them to participate in road building could even be seen as respecting their faith, falling under the new penal revision of “corvée labor” in Guanzhong.
Not to mention, if Qiao Yan were to describe it, this type of labor is still much more lenient than usual punishments, so they’re not exactly going hungry.
Talk about clever calculations!
But there’s another problem.
Liu Yan asked, “If the rice bandit Zhang Lu is a traitor to the Han, why do they still embrace the teachings of the Five Dou Rice?”
Qiao Yan chuckled, “Zhang Lu isn’t the founder of the Taishi Path. When studying the classic teachings passed down from his ancestors, due to Zhang Xiu seizing power and making changes, misunderstandings are to be expected. It’s all quite normal, isn’t it? Now that he’s fled to the broader regions for self-reflection, practicing in the treacherous realm of Yinping, and his mother temporarily taking charge to restore order, isn’t that just perfect?”
Some tenets of the Five Dou Rice teachings are useful to Qiao Yan, while others are not.
Thanks to the leadership switch during its development, it’s the perfect opportunity to extract the essence while discarding the dross.
Though Zhang Lu is gone, Qiao Yan doesn’t plan to directly shake his position just yet. Lady Lu could serve as a temporary leader in Hanzhong.
There’s no need to fundamentally undermine the local belief in the Taishi Path among the Hanzhong people, since the conditions here are vastly different from the Yellow Turban Rebellion. If she were to do that, and after reducing the stationed troops, there’s no telling what kind of backlash might occur from Zhang Lu or Liu Yan.
Having a neutral mediator is just right.
Her calm and forward-looking decision-making, even when discussed so casually, made Liu Yan sober up quite a bit.
He replied, “Grand Marshal, this plan is excellent… very good.”
She truly has a mind like a seasoned strategist.
Liu Yan couldn’t help but think about how lucky he was not to have made any mistakes in his gift-giving and was grateful he wasn’t foolish enough to choose to oppose Qiao Yan after she had secured Hanzhong.
After wrapping up this celebration banquet with no sense of participation, Liu Yan returned to Chengdu and immediately started preparing additional personnel and resources, aside from those already sent to her, to the fastest speed toward Hanzhong.
At this moment, he had no time to ponder the position he had promised Gan Ning, instead dispatching him as the commander overseeing the first batch of personnel, food, and Shu silks heading north.
As for Qiao Yan, after seeing Liu Yan off, she began arranging matters concerning Hanzhong with her subordinates.
She couldn’t possibly stay in Hanzhong long-term.
With Chang’an as the upcoming long-term political and economic center, it must further develop alongside the increasing population. She also needed to oversee agricultural matters in Guanzhong, the new criminal laws, and recruiting troops for Guanzhong.
Hanzhong was newly acquired territory, just like Chang’an.
She couldn’t allow Liu Yu’s role as the nominal Son of Heaven to overshadow her own influence in the minds of the populace.
Fortunately, deciding who should guard Hanzhong wasn’t too difficult.
Long before she sent Xu Shu to Wudu County, she had already expressed her hope that he would assist with the actions to the south.
With Hanzhong already secured, he wouldn’t have to act as a strategist aiding Zhao Yun against potential threats from Hanzhong to Chang’an; instead, he could directly become the overseer in Hanzhong, allowing Zhao Yun to shift focus from garrisoning to training for future needs.
“I intend to request the emperor to appoint you as the Prefect of Hanzhong,” Qiao Yan said to Xu Shu.
It’s true that a twenty-something Prefect is a bit young, but in times like these, we really shouldn’t fuss over trivial details.
Since Qiao Yan had previously mentioned having a trusted confidant in mind, Xu Shu knew he didn’t need to bring up any excuses about youth being unsuitable for such a heavy responsibility.
He just needed to execute all the tasks Qiao Yan required him to handle here, and that would be enough.
Then Qiao Yan teased, with Cheng Yu managing Guanzhong, Xu Shu as the disciple managing Hanzhong, they could certainly help each other out.
Xu Shu then asked, “I wonder who your lordship plans to leave here for garrison duty?”
Qiao Yan intended to take Zhao Yun back. Chu Yan and Yao Chang, however, could both stay behind.
The purpose of having Yao Chang, the Qiang commander, was to establish connections with surrounding southern barbarian tribes.
As for Chu Yan, it was to set up relations between Hanzhong and its neighboring areas.
Additionally…
“I plan to transfer Meng Qi here as well.”
Only having Ma Chao as Lü Bu’s messenger would be a serious underutilization of his talents; at most, it would serve to temper his character.
Although Hanzhong and southern Bashu are largely mountainous, it indeed needs a cavalry commander.
Since Guanzhong already had Zhao Yun, and Bingzhou had Lü Bu and Zhang Yang, while Youzhou was guarded by Zhang Liao, Hanzhong would clearly suit Ma Chao better.
As for Liangzhou… it’s best to keep Ma Chao and his family detached from this place for now.
Qiao Yan also figured that perhaps she could take this chance of appointing generals to secure some official positions for them.
If they could secure posts in Hanzhong, those with greater military achievements shouldn’t be left behind.
Furthermore, placing Ma Chao and Chu Yan here served another purpose.
Although she didn’t have any immediate opportunities in naval warfare and there was no chance of constructing shipping routes yet, Gan Ning, who could serve as a naval commander, had appeared before her, so she had to keep an eye on him.
With Gan Ning’s temper, directly recruiting him without giving him a suitable role could backfire. But if Liu Yan included Gan Ning as part of the terms in recruiting soldiers, that would likely annoy him to no end.
It’s better to let Ma Chao and Chu Yan befriend Gan Ning, quietly building a relationship first.
This dealt with defensive arrangements; now onto other matters in Hanzhong.
As for agriculture, that didn’t need much explanation. Xu Shu had been following Qiao Yan for a while, and with his mother managing agricultural matters under Qiao Yan, having previously overseen small-scale farming operations in Wudu County, adapting to Hanzhong shouldn’t be too challenging.
The only thing to watch out for is that the climate conditions in Hanzhong are milder than in Guanzhong, not to mention when compared to Liangzhou or Bingzhou, adjustments in farming time and techniques are necessary.
Xu Shu should be aware of this.
“There are another three crucial tasks I need you to handle.”
As Qiao Yan spoke, her expression suddenly became serious.
“Firstly, as I mentioned to Liu Yan at the celebration banquet, you need to integrate the followers of the Taishi Path into the livelihood projects in Hanzhong. You must balance their belief with your own authority as the future Prefect of Hanzhong; it’s something you must approach with care. If you find it challenging to manage, come back to Guanzhong to ask for my guidance immediately.”
Religion in this era is still in its infancy phase. Not only Xu Shu, but even strategists like Cheng Yu lack experience in handling such matters.
Now that Qiao Yan has provided a guiding principle, no one can predict the difficulties that may arise during practical implementation.
Qiao Yan continued, “Though I plan to involve them in road building for atonement, they aren’t just ordinary convicts and shouldn’t be overburdened just to swiftly establish the connection between Lofeng Pass and Guanzhong.”
Luckily for Xu Shu, given his humble origins, he likely possesses greater empathy for these commoners than the children of noble families.
“That sounds like a lot, making Qiao Yan feel more confident about what he can accomplish here.”
“The second thing is I’m asking Liu Yan for bamboo resources.”
“On one hand, they’re indeed needed for water conservation projects. I need you to recruit some people in Hanzhong, turn part of the bamboo Liu Yan sends into bamboo splits, and then send those to Chang’an. On the other hand…”
“You should remember that when we were making mulberry bark paper in Leping, we actually tested some other plants too; bamboo was no worse, and might even be better. But bamboo in the north grows much slower than in the south, and the types vary a bit.”
“So, I’ll assign some people from Leping to assist you. You’ll use the other half of the bamboo here to make paper and send the finished product back to Guanzhong. But Liu Yan mustn’t find out about this.”
Otherwise, Liu Yan, who holds the biggest share of raw materials, would surely get rich!
Qiao Yan wasn’t keen on doing such money-losing business.
Xu Shu agreed and then listened as she brought up a third matter. “Now that the Hanzhong Plain is under our control, once the emperor’s edict arrives at Hanzhong, you’ll take charge of several counties east of Hanzhong. To the east is Xiangyang in Jing Province, and Nanzheng, where we are now, can connect to Xiangyang via the Han River, so be sure to keep an eye on that. I’ll assign some people who’ve traded in Jiangdong for you, and I want you to set up a dock here for emergencies.”
Seeing Xu Shu’s expression change suddenly at this, Qiao Yan chuckled, “Don’t be nervous. Liu Biao is a sensible fellow; he sent his eldest son to Chang’an, so he probably won’t turn against us anytime soon. Just a precaution. We always need to give these folks a place to keep their skills sharp.”
These shipbuilding experts were split between the Yellow River and Han River regions, which honestly felt like a bit of a waste, but since there’s no port by the sea yet, it’s better to keep them occupied than leave them idle.
After finishing up with Xu Shu, Qiao Yan chatted with Madame Lu.
She had previously partnered with Zhang Lu and maintained good relations with Liu Yan, so she was no fool.
At least her smarts help her understand her position right now.
With Qiao Yan holding the emperor’s authority and having sent Zhang Lu packing, it wasn’t so much that Qiao Yan needed the Taishi Path’s support to dominate Hanzhong – rather, the Taishi Path needed Qiao Yan to secure their own survival.
But when she heard Qiao Yan wanted her to go public with the revised teachings, Madame Lu seemed a bit stunned.
However, Qiao Yan didn’t care about her confusion and candidly said, “After your husband died, the Taishi Path became a front for Zhang Xiu to respond to Zhang Jiao’s Yellow Turban Uprising. You let them distort the teachings to protect your kids. Today, you must speak the truth to prevent the Taishi Path from declining. Isn’t that reasonable?”
Madame Lu: “……”
It was reasonable enough, but how did Qiao Yan manage to say it so calmly and skillfully?
She asked, “What if the Marquis wants to make further changes to the doctrines?”
Qiao Yan boldly replied, “Oh, that’s easy. Just say it’s been thirteen years, and some of your memories are fuzzy. As long as it aligns with the prefect’s measures to enrich the people, a bit of adjustment is no problem.”
That’s all quite explainable.
Madame Lu realized that this way, the Taishi Path would inevitably become a tool in Qiao Yan’s hands.
But the form is stronger than the person. Compared to Zhang Lu, who’d run off to Guanghan, Qiao Yan seemed a lot more dependable.
She came to terms with this and had nothing more to say about Qiao Yan’s actions.
Besides, compared to the Taishi Path, Liu Yan’s loss was even greater, so Madame Lu felt a sense of balance in her heart.
When Gan Ning brought supplies to Hanzhong for the soldiers’ rewards, there were a whopping eight hundred thousand stones of grain.
Along with silk and textiles, they formed a line that stretched for miles.
“Gotta keep wealth under wraps…” Xun You heard Qiao Yan muttering, “We know he has grain, but isn’t his method just begging to be robbed?”
Too bad he thought this way, but Qiao Yan knew all too well not to drain the swamp.
Keeping Liu Yan in the south also helps weaken the local gentry’s power in Yizhou.
With Liu Yan already bleeding from this deal, there’s no need to pile on more pressure.
However, she initially considered using Hanzhong as a grain transfer station, but seeing such a quantity made her think it best to take a little along; it would definitely make the journey to the palace look a lot better.
Eight hundred thousand stones of grain in Yizhou equates to about three to four thousand households’ worth for a year. For Liu Yan, it’s really not crippling, but when this grain passes through Guanzhong, it’s a bargaining chip to stabilize the people’s hearts in the newly established Jian’an court.
Let’s take it!
And on top of that, take a portion from the government storehouses in Hanzhong to make the amounts neat after accounting for transport losses.
And since it was decided to transport grain this way, the route through the Luogu Pass wouldn’t do; better to go through the Xiegu Pass.
They were currently in Nanzheng, so heading straight north would do.
This route leads to Maiwu, conveniently close to where Qiao Yan had her eyes set during the assault on Maiwu.
Upon receiving Qiao Yan’s orders, Zhao Yun immediately began mobilizing the troops.
While there weren’t significant losses here, how many troops would stay behind, and how many would return needed to be logged.
Zhao Yun had always made a good impression on Qiao Yan, and it didn’t change now.
They needed to guard against Taishi Path followers in Hanzhong staging a revolt, but also the newly recruited soldiers from Chang’an getting emotional if they were forced to stay in Hanzhong before they’ve developed a sense of belonging.
In this regard, Zhao Yun’s habit of frequently visiting the soldiers really showed its benefits.
This troop allocation process was settled in just two days, distributing personnel across the counties of Hanzhong Plain, so when Ma Chao’s team arrives, they can fill in the final gaps.
In the end, four thousand people followed Qiao Yan back to Chang’an, carrying more than a million stones of grain into Jigushan.
Xun You looked back at the departing figures, noticing Yao Chang at the forefront, and said to Qiao Yan, “In the past, you used Xianbei, Southern Xiongnu, and Qiang to balance each other out for support; now it seems you’re going to play the same card again, using the Qiang against the Southern Barbarians.”
Qiao Yan replied, “If I’m not mistaken, some of the so-called Southern Barbarians in the southwest should actually be Qiang people. The Sanlang Qiang and Baima Qiang are distributed throughout Yizhou, and there are even more Qiang tribes like the Qingyi Qiang closer to the south. Some can clearly be treated with Qiang.”
As for those Miao and Yao tribes who aren’t considered Qiang in the Wuxi area, they are still far from Hanzhong.
Let’s not rush it.
First, let’s calm things down after this swift conquest in Hanzhong.
This upheaval affected not only the four counties of Hanzhong Plain.
Even though the edict from Chang’an would only be issued after Qiao Yan returns, places like Xicheng and Shangyong east of Hanzhong Plain had already received the news and deduced Liu Yan’s attitude from his gifts and apologies.
Even those living in the mountains couldn’t completely escape such news.
Liu Xie took a morning stroll to Zhuque Creek, collecting firewood for half a basket along the way, and chopped some bamboo shoots he found to lay atop the bamboo basket before heading home.
No, he shouldn’t be called Liu Xie now.
Since pretending to have amnesia and being adopted by the couple who saved him, he had changed his name to Wang An and even learned to chop wood and pick bamboo shoots—tasks he would never have imagined doing in his earlier years.
Upon returning home, he found his mother drying herbs she had gathered from the mountains, and the aroma of porridge wafted through the room.
But as he looked around, he didn’t see his father, so he asked, “Where’s Dad?”
His mother replied, “Hanzhong has changed hands. Your father fears military troubles, so he went to gather information.”
Upon hearing the phrase “Hanzhong has changed hands,” Liu Xie was suddenly startled, and the knife slipped from his hand, clattering to the floor.
“Calm down, child.” His mother smiled gently at him, “The new Marquis of Leping isn’t a tiger or wolf. Your father is just checking if there are any recruitment issues.”
Liu Xie stood in a daze for a while before finally replying, “Sure.”
