Chapter 1101: Local Strongmen of the Six Valleys

Although the imperial edict for the western campaign had been issued, in the following two months, no fighting broke out in Hexi, and Liangzhou, serving as the forward base, remained as stable as ever. After spring began, the trade fairs and market towns established in the western part of Liangzhou continued as before, with Han and tribesmen trading back and forth, frequent and prosperous.

The only difference was that conflicts were noticeably increasing. Because the Hexi Administration Commission had re-established a town in the Fanhe area and relocated settlers and stationed troops there, the Uyghurs of Ganzhou were quite displeased and sent people to negotiate, and the two sides were still wrangling over the matter.

Overall, however, Hexi remained in a relatively peaceful situation. Yet beneath the calm surface, undercurrents were stirring—from the moment the edict was transmitted, the civil and military officials of Hexi had begun preparing for war.

Or rather, the Great Han had been preparing for years; it was only after entering the second year of Kaibao that it fully put things into action. Given the Han army's execution capability, it truly would not have needed this much time—given the military-political state of the northwest, whether military or civilian, mobilization efficiency was extremely high.

The reason for the delay was to give Gua and Sha more preparation time, after all, Lu Duoxun and Yang Tingzhang had traveled far to Dunhuang to consolidate forces, which also required a certain amount of time and space.

Don't think that just because the Guiyi Army had voluntarily submitted, the incorporation process would go smoothly—unexpected conflicts could hardly be avoided, after all, this was territory the Cao clan had managed for half a century.

After all, many things start with good intentions, yet in the process of implementation, contradictions arise, problems emerge, and ultimately lead to unsatisfactory outcomes, turning good things into bad ones. Similar situations are common throughout history.

Of course, Emperor Liu had sent Lu Duoxun and Yang Tingzhang, one civil and one military, because he trusted their abilities, believing they could handle the task and complete their mission. As for Lu Duoxun, as the Great Han's "Northwest Affairs Expert," he was also an old acquaintance of the Cao clan of the Guiyi Army.

Guzang City, without a doubt, as the forward base for the campaign against Gansu, was originally a military stronghold, and by early March, its military atmosphere had grown even thicker.

Spring is a critical period of production and labor, whether for farming or herding. But in the spring of the second year of Kaibao, many people of Helong, whether herders or farmers, had to put down their tools and take up weapons, assembling at Liangzhou.

Although in the Bureau of Military Affairs' planning, Helong only needed to dispatch twenty thousand cavalry and infantry, these were only the combat troops—the actual personnel mobilized obviously also included auxiliary soldiers and militia, transporting grain and equipment, building fortifications, all of which required a certain amount of civilian labor.

After all, the Uyghurs of Ganzhou could not be treated as a simple nomadic people—Gansu also had towns and cities, especially Shandan City, where the khan's tent was located, a fortress built by the Uyghurs with the full material strength of their entire people, said to be comparable in sturdiness and defensive capability to the great cities of Hexi like Guzang.

Therefore, in preparing the offensive, the field headquarters of the Pacification Commissioner was conducted entirely to the standards of campaigns in the interior. During this period, besides large numbers of soldiers and laborers assembling at Liangzhou, grain, weapons, and livestock were also transferred from other prefectures and towns. Crossbows, bows, and arrows had always been standard equipment for the Han army, and this time, one thousand crossbows, five thousand hard and soft bows, and five hundred thousand arrows of various types were requisitioned from the armories of various prefectures.

At the same time, over a thousand official and civilian craftsmen were conscripted to manufacture weapons. When it came to warfare, the Great Han had always been extravagant and willing to invest heavily.

Outside Guzang City, three great camps were established to house the assembled troops and laborers. After temporary reorganization, under the leadership of officers at all levels, they stepped up their drills. It must be said that the quality of the northwest's military manpower was high in every respect.

After making his routine inspection of the camps, Wang Yansheng led Guo Jin and several other generals back into Guzang City, their light cavalry galloping through the streets without any restraint, carrying an air of arrogance and overbearingness.

At the government office where Guo Rong was stationed, seeing the military clerk waiting to receive them, Wang Yansheng asked directly: "Where's Duke Ying?"

"The Duke is meeting with the chieftains of the Six Valleys tribe!" the clerk replied.

Upon hearing this, Wang Yansheng did not force his way in, but instead turned to Guo Jin and the others and said: "Let's not disturb Duke Ying while he's receiving guests!"

With that, he went off with the others to find some wine...

Inside the hall, Guo Rong was receiving the chieftains of the Six Valleys tribe. After the Wênmo confederation disbanded, the powerful tribal clans that had originally sheltered under the alliance reverted to their settlement-based way of life. The Six Valleys tribe was the six largest of these tribes, named for dwelling in six mountain valleys within Liangzhou's territory.

The ones Guo Rong was meeting were the chieftains of these tribes. Although these men were Tibetans, they had already lost many of their own people's customs, and as local magnates of Liangzhou, they had completely integrated into the local environment.

At this moment, the chieftains were all wearing brocade robes and Han-style caps—though perhaps they had dressed up specially to win Duke Ying's favor. Having received the government's summons, they naturally contributed men and horses; the Six Valleys tribe alone provided over three thousand riders, led here by the chieftains themselves.

In fact, Emperor Liu had also wanted to reorganize these powerful tribal clans that retained a certain military strength, but worried that it would provoke unrest and had held back. He was also hesitating over whether to implement the native chieftain system in the northwest region.

"That all of you chieftains have actively responded to the court's summons and come with your tribesmen shows your loyalty to the court. On behalf of the court, I once again express our gratitude! Rest assured, the court will surely repay you!" The meeting was nearing its end, and Guo Rong had no intention of wasting words, directly stating his position.

"Loyalty to the court is what we ought to do. Moreover, being able to fight under Duke Ying's command is our honor!" the great chieftain Zhebu Sizhong immediately declared.

The Six Valleys tribe had a great chieftain, elected jointly by all the tribes, a position previously held by Zhe Jia Shi, the former Military Governor of Liangzhou. Their lineage had not originally been prominent among the Six Valleys, and it was only through the court's support that they gradually came to dominate.

However, after Zhebu Jia Shi died, internal struggles broke out, and the position shifted into the hands of Pan Luozhi. As for Zhebu Sizhong, he was the tribal cavalry chieftain who had joined the northern expedition back then, and also Zhebu Jia Shi's younger brother. After the northern campaign, he had served in the imperial army.

Later, forced to return to Liangzhou, after a period of struggle, he regained the position of great chieftain, again with the backing of the Liangzhou government. Clearly, the government was pleased to see this kind of internal rivalry among the Six Valleys tribes—what it feared was them being a monolithic block.

However, Zhebu Sizhong was clearly one of those people infinitely close to the court. During the northern expedition, he had fought desperately in bloody battle, and afterward stubbornly refused to return to Liangzhou, preferring to serve as an official in the Eastern Capital.

Upon receiving this summons, he did not hesitate either, organizing his tribesmen and coming to await orders. Guo Rong was quite satisfied with this man.

As for the others, no matter what they thought in their hearts, on the surface they showed the same attitude, all swearing oaths to obey commands. However, as their representative, Zhebu Sizhong finally raised a doubt, or rather a concern, to Guo Rong: "May I ask Duke Ying, are we really going to fight in Xizhou this time?"

Hearing this, Guo Rong glanced at him and said: "What, does the great chieftain have doubts in his heart?"

Zhebu Sizhong said: "This official merely feels that Xizhou is very far from Liangzhou. Traveling such a long distance to rescue them seems somewhat..."

Clearly, not knowing the inside story, they were not optimistic about this military operation. However, noticing Guo Rong's gaze, he immediately changed his tune: "If Duke Ying does not mind, and has the boldness for a long expedition, we too are willing to be your foot soldiers, charging into battle for you!"

A slight smile appeared on Guo Rong's face, and his gaze at Zhebu Sizhong grew increasingly appreciative. To have someone with such awareness among these minority peoples was indeed rare.

Guo Rong then spoke to reassure them: "Chieftains need not worry. Since the Son of Heaven has issued the edict, and I dare to lead the troops, there is naturally a comprehensive plan. This westward advance involves not only you, but also the officers and soldiers of the Great Han—we will certainly not let you follow us into danger!"

"With Duke Ying's words, how could we have anything else to say? We can only obey orders!"