Chapter 876

After driving Yuan Shao away and seizing all of Hebei, Shangdang Commandery of Bingzhou and Henei also became the territory of General Wang Da, while Zhang Yang fled across the river with Yuan Shao. Meanwhile, the Heishan Army within Mount Taixing and vast numbers of mountain dwellers were all rounded up and resettled across various regions.

Thus, the overall strategic deployment shifted from internal to external. Aside from maintaining internal stability with some troops stationed internally, the majority of forces were concentrated along the borders. East of Mount Taixing lay the Yellow River, while Shanxi crossed the river to advance outward.

Previously, Guo Jia stationed in Taiyuan was a necessity of war; due to delays in communication, he had to direct troops on the battlefield, using his personal ability to ensure correct decisions and successful operations—this was the necessity of talent.

Now that warfare has ended and internal threats are quelled, Guo Jia no longer remains in Taiyuan but has relocated to Shang Commandery (Yulin). This position stabilizes Hexi, surveils Chang'an, and facilitates campaigns against Liangzhou, making it a highly suitable location.

Troops are also stationed on the peripheries of Shuofang and Shang Commandery, deterring threats from the west, north, and south.

Yet Guo Jia's official title remains merely Supervisor of Troops; even his position as Governor of Yanmen has been revoked. But his authority is immense—he oversees both military and civil affairs in Bingzhou, effectively functioning as the Bingzhou Governor of the Han court.

This is a wartime expedient; General Wang Da has not yet initiated genuine administrative reforms, primarily because there are insufficient capable personnel. His only real reform has been to fix the township and ting administrative levels. But for the higher tiers of province and commandery, he has not yet begun reform.

Especially the provincial system must be changed. Provinces are too vast: the Han's thirteen provinces mean only thirteen supreme regional leaders. Even without military power, their civil authority is already overwhelmingly excessive—this is clearly wrong.

The existence of weak provinces must be eliminated; dividing thirteen provinces into thirty is imperative. More officials must be deployed to dilute power, preventing any single individual from accumulating excessive authority that might breed dangerous ambition—and if such power is matched by force, it becomes even worse.

Of course, Wang Yan is not afraid—even if there were only three provinces, with only three men controlling regional military and civil affairs, what could these three possibly accomplish?

He considers overall security, the harmony between center and periphery, and seeks to prevent any foolish subordinate from going mad and attempting usurpation, thereby causing innocent civilians to suffer.

Local officials must not govern civilians and command troops simultaneously; warlords inevitably lead to chaos, and chaos inevitably leads to state collapse—this is the hard-won lesson of dynasties past, yet such things still occur, because the ruler is weak and ministers are strong—or because the ruler is strong but overconfident.

Thus, Guo Jia's arrangement for Wang Yan is merely transitional. But to some extent, it has set a bad precedent. Words are spoken by people; after Wang Yan departs, if the world continues to function, and his descendants grow weak, someone may one day advise: "In the past, the Founding Ancestor seized the realm, appointing Guo Jia as Supervisor of Troops, granting him authority over Bingzhou affairs. Now we may again establish Supervisors of Troops, overseeing multiple regions, to resolve today's crisis…"

Guo Jia looked at Lü Bu and Zhang Liao seated before him and said: "General Wang has ordered: both of you shall lead your troops westward to purge the barbarians of Beidi and Anding. Follow the same policy as Yuan Jian: execute only tribal chieftains and defiant warriors. Do not massacre indiscriminately; do not advance recklessly, lest you fall into enemy traps and suffer heavy losses."

Lü Bu's eyebrows rose, his expression displeased—he hated hearing the word "strategy" above all, simply because he had endured too many of them in his lifetime.

Under Wang Yan, he received trust and heavy use, finally enjoying stability, good food, and drink. Though he lacked vast treasure, his family ate better than ever before—far better than in Luoyang or Chang'an.

So in idle moments, he could not help but reflect on his earlier life. Nothing withstands reflection; many things once overlooked suddenly resurfaced in memory. His retrospection revealed nothing but petty humiliations—people had always treated him as a fool. Hence, the moment he heard "strategy," he felt intense revulsion.

Now Guo Jia was speaking these words directly to him—of course he was unhappy.

Yet he knew well that he had once been no good. He bowed slightly: "Mr., no need to elaborate. I am now a Captain under General Wang and shall obey orders. I rose from a common soldier to this rank—I understand military discipline clearly, and General Wang's principles are plain. Why explain further to me?"

Guo Jia made no reply. He had indeed merely given Lü Bu a private warning. With a polite smile, he nodded and said: "I am fully aware that you are no longer the man you once were. But honest advice is bitter to hear; if it must be said, it shall be said. You have your own judgment."

Turning the page, he continued: "This campaign against Liangzhou need not be rushed. Our previous campaign against Yuan Shao consumed heavily; newly acquired Ji Province has drained enormous resources to pacify its people. Though this year's harvest was abundant, reserves remain insufficient—large-scale warfare is inadvisable. Moreover, Liangzhou lies far away; mobilizing a massive army there would be excessively costly and yield little return. Thus, you two must emulate Yuan Jian: harass Han Sui, exhaust his strength."

Destroying Han Sui is ideal, but even if you cannot annihilate him, driving him far into the Western Regions or forcing him to flee to the Central Plains counts as success. Unless unforeseen, securing the Western Regions depends entirely on your strength. Should circumstances change, I may send two additional divisions as reinforcements. Once you have subdued Beidi and Anding Commanderies, I shall personally lead civil officials to administer them."

"Liangzhou lies a thousand li from Liu Youzhou. Though grain is already en route, it will take three months to arrive. Thus, after reaching Liangzhou, you must procure provisions locally. Troop losses cannot be swiftly replenished. General Wang's order permits you to recruit brave barbarians locally; if necessary, you may conscript entire barbarian tribes to form tens of thousands of troops—as long as military discipline is strictly maintained. If you have no objections, deploy swiftly."

Lü Bu and Zhang Liao exchanged glances, rose, and bowed to Guo Jia. Guo Jia rose in return, and the two then turned and left his residence.

"Wenyuan, which will you choose—Beidi or Anding?"

"You choose first," Zhang Liao replied with a smile.

He had once been subordinate to Lü Bu, but though now both held equal rank as titled Captains, he still maintained deep respect for Lü Bu—neither arrogant nor complacent.

Zhang Liao was truly excellent—he had followed Lü Bu all the way to defeat and capture before being recruited by Cao Cao, showing complete loyalty. Moreover, Zhang Liao's historical status is genuine—he is enshrined in the Martial Temple.

Lü Bu now saw everything clearly. He no longer contacted his former subordinates; he was content and at peace. Diaochan had even borne him a son, changing his mindset entirely. He felt no resentment toward Zhang Liao's equal status—he had always known Zhang Liao possessed talent.

Zhang Liao's words meant nothing to him. Wherever he fought, it was all the same. He chuckled: "Then I'll take Anding, you take Beidi. We'll support each other and report promptly—do not let yourselves be surrounded by barbarians or trapped in peril."

"Exactly right," Zhang Liao laughed heartily.

He had been the one to propose defecting to Wang Yan. Lü Bu was now comfortable—he was even more so.

For nowhere in heaven or earth could one find a better boss than Wang Yan—truly fearless, utterly trusting in his appointees.

The simplest proof: high-ranking officers' families accompanied the troops; there was never any notion of leaving family members behind as hostages under Wang Yan. Moreover, their families were treated excellently—some farmed, others managed production or administrative duties.

For instance, his wife and Lü Bu's concubines all worked in factories managing female laborers. Other officers' families served as township heads, county clerks, or teachers. Their stipends were generous enough to ensure their families lived very well.

They had no idea that Wang Da's administration was short-staffed, and these officers' families were all well-educated. Moreover, Wang Yan had always intended to cultivate women—schoolchildren were admitted regardless of gender. These women were a force, and could not be left idle.

But regardless, Wang Da was undoubtedly a good boss—undisputedly so, both now and in modern times. After all, in real life, "China Long Teng Group" has become everyone's ideal utopia, a famed retirement haven. Because Wang Da practices true communist style—the lifetime employment system of pre-reform China. Of course, conditions have only improved; now, even applying to be his employee is extremely difficult—the required qualifications grow ever higher…

Immediately, the two generals, who had found stability, comfort, and happiness under Wang Da, mounted their horses and rode hard for two days to their troops' encampments, ordering them to prepare for departure and setting out westward the next day.

As per tradition, all chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs raised by scattered units were slaughtered, and the entire army feasted on meat. Simultaneously, weapons and armor were maintained, baggage packed, and marching preparations made.

The next day, after breakfast, both forces broke camp and departed. Their garrisons were not adjacent, their targets differed, so they moved separately—but each force of over six thousand men was already a formidable host.

Considering terrain, population, and the fact that after defeating Yuan Shao, they had captured substantial numbers of horses, Lü Bu and Zhang Liao each commanded three thousand cavalry, all equipped with two horses per man.

Most crucially, within each three-thousand-strong cavalry unit, five hundred men had trained for three years under Liao Hua. They served as officers, leading the rest of the troops. With Lü Bu—the ultimate warrior of the Three Kingdoms—and Zhang Liao, a top-tier general, as their anchors, their combat power, though inferior to Liao Hua's elite cavalry, remained formidable…

The Xiongnu, Xianbei, Qiang, Hu, and other tribes of Bingzhou had long been driven away. The Bai Bo Army had also been purged, scattering in flight. Unlike the Bai Bo Army, the Xiongnu and other barbarians either fled to the steppes or to Liangzhou. Liangzhou had always hosted many non-Han peoples, with frequent Han-barbarian interaction, and due to Han's longstanding dominance, many had been assimilated.

Over time, intermarriage became natural. In sum, Liangzhou's situation was complex—and compared to its original state, its population had actually grown larger.

Because the Xiongnu driven here by Wang Yan, and the Xianbei and others fleeing the steppes, had swelled Liangzhou's population from four hundred thousand to possibly over a million—all non-Han. This ironically elevated Liangzhou to a state of partial splendor.

This was precisely why Han Sui was determined to return to Liangzhou—it still possessed considerable strength. Moreover, he maintained good relations with these people and could leverage them.

All of this was indirectly achieved by General Wang Da…

But Han Sui felt no comfort. He had assumed Wang Da the rebel had no interest in a minor figure like him—he should have focused on Yuan Shao and Cao Cao, conquered Henan, then Jiang Nan, and finally crowned himself emperor—after all, had he been in Wang Da's place, he certainly would have.

Who could have imagined that Wang Da the rebel had gone mad, launching a distant expedition specifically against poor Han Sui—and sending Lü Bu, the invincible warrior? Was this even human behavior?

Yes, he had received word: Lü Bu and Zhang Liao led their forces into Beidi and Anding Commanderies. Though the Xiongnu, Xianbei, and other tribes organized resistance, fielding over ten thousand troops, they were shattered in a single battle. Moreover, under Wang Yan's orders, Lü Bu and Zhang Liao, in unspoken agreement, executed the fleeing officers and then absorbed the routed troops into their ranks, instantly swelling their numbers beyond ten thousand.

They used their own troops to incorporate barbarian soldiers, promoting even common privates to squad leaders under the command of company captains. They enforced strict rule while propagating General Wang Da's policies—with remarkable effectiveness.

Nothing else—this system was simply too advanced. Most importantly, they did not paint grand illusions. Though some distant vision was implied, they knew well: joining Wang Yan would immediately improve their lives—though they had never experienced such prosperity.

In truth, had the opportunity arisen, they would not have opposed joining Wang Yan. But whether Han or barbarian, ancient or modern, all shared one trait: compromise, cowardice, fear—and the habit of hiding behind brave men to make idle remarks.

Even in this time of universal chaos, those bold enough to kill their rulers remained few. A single unarmed man, wielding great authority, could intimidate hundreds of armed subjects. How much more so when elite forces stood firmly with the rulers—they dared not rebel.

Now, soldiers under Wang Yan's rule had demonstrated firsthand, and swords pressed against their necks—there was no choice but to believe.

Thus, Lü Bu and Zhang Liao were swiftly purging opposition in Beidi and Anding, executing high-ranking figures, and establishing control—with such speed, power, and accumulated prestige that Han Sui felt both fury and dread…

Cheng Gongying, who had once been dispatched to Liu Youzhou to meet General Wang Da, observed his boss and close friend's state and spoke: "My lord, do not worry. Liangzhou lies a thousand li from Liu Youzhou; it is poor. Wang Yan will not launch a large army on a distant campaign. The fifteen thousand troops under Lü Bu and Zhang Liao are already sufficient; sending more would be wasteful."

Thus, we need only deal with Lü Bu and Zhang Liao. Lü Bu, however strong, is water without a source. We hold terrain and popular support; we seek not swift victory, but only to avoid defeat. This will deceive Wang Yan into neglecting Liangzhou, so he will not be provoked into launching a campaign. Even if we fight for ten years, what can he do to us?"