Chapter 458: Meeting an Old Friend at the West Gate of Yuzhong (8k Character Bonus Chapter for the Silver Alliance)

Gongsun Xun was a man of his word. On the eleventh day of the ninth month, he personally led the troops from Chencang — namely, three thousand White Horse Volunteers and the five thousand Guanxi soldiers under Xu Rong, totaling eight thousand men — using the Wei River as their road and advancing upstream. On the thirteenth day of the ninth month, for the first time in his life, he set foot into the territory of Liangzhou.

By all reasoning, from this moment onward, this General of the Guard’s stratagem of “borrowing a path to conquer Guo” should have been formally exposed, and the grand situation in Liangzhou should have officially begun. But in reality, as Gongsun Xun advanced deeper, the various commanderies of eastern Liangzhou instead presented a bizarre, settled-dust sort of situation.

Leading eight thousand troops westward, as soon as he entered Hanyang, the powerful clans and tribal chieftains along the route in Hanyang (Tianshui) one after another brought their clan soldiers to join him. After advancing into the Hanyang commandery seat, Ji County, and gathering Zhang Liao’s forces, his troop strength had actually reached seventeen thousand… This bizarre mode of amassing troops made Gongsun Xun feel, in a daze, as if he had returned to Liaoxi ten years ago. One could only say that the underlying principles of all affairs under heaven are largely the same.

And it was at this very moment that he learned of Ma Chao’s divine maneuver — this fellow, with great righteousness, bound his own kin, actually tying up his own father and delivering him straight to Ji City.

Toward this, Gongsun Xun was utterly unmoved, and even felt a slight urge to laugh.

To be honest, for these people who theoretically had a bond of upbringing — meaning hostages raised in the household, as well as the orphaned children of old friends and the like — neither Lady Gongsun, nor Gongsun Xun himself, nor even Gongsun Yue, who had recently become a father again, could possibly attend to every single one perfectly.

The younger ones were easier; raised from childhood in the household, provided with suitable food, lodging, and educational conditions, eating and living together with Gongsun Ding and those few others — even if their upper limits were not mentioned, their lower limits would never be too poor.

But for those slightly older, such as Ma Chao, Wang Can, and the like, as well as Zhuge Liang, Wen Hui, and others who later studied in Yecheng as orphans — first, they were already fourteen or fifteen when they arrived, and each was precocious, possessing their own insights and experiences, their personalities already set, making them difficult to mold. Second, they all still had their own clan connections, relatives, and friends, so it was not appropriate to truly discipline them. Third, being older, they could not genuinely be raised within the household; it was merely a matter of providing food and lodging under the name of the General of the Guard’s establishment, and then having them sit together with Gongsun Xun and his mother during festivals and holidays, using this method to tie a thread between both sides.

And among these, compared to Zhuge Liang, Wen Hui, Wang Can, and the others, Ma Mengqi especially appeared wild and untamable, very much giving the feeling of someone who had grown up scrambling and brawling with the Qiang people and bandits in Longxi, wild from childhood. Later, when he joined the Volunteers, he also belonged to the type that Gongsun Xun found disagreeable — otherwise, he would not have been sent away so early… Coupled with his status as a hostage, and his complex feelings toward his mixed Qiang-Han father, Ma Chao’s actions today — how should one put it?

Unexpected, yet within reason. From the perspective of self-interest, it seemed calculated to a certain degree, yet it disregarded the most important thing — the human heart — which made it appear somewhat foolish… He never stopped to think: what was his greatest reliance before Gongsun Xun? Was it truly some official post? Was it not that nominal bond of upbringing and instruction?

Oh, if today you dare to bind your own father, will you tomorrow bind your foster father?!

And what is even more embarrassing is that, no matter what, when such a thing happens, it inevitably makes the General of the Guard himself appear to bear some responsibility… Because outsiders will only say: a child of fourteen or fifteen was sent to you, General of the Guard, for upbringing. The person was raised quite tall and strong, his martial skills were trained not badly, and his mind is quite sharp — so why, after four or five years, did he turn around and tie up his own father? How can this be acceptable?!

Does the General of the Guard’s household specialize in teaching people to be unfilial?

Quibbling is, of course, possible — since ancient times, loyalty and filial piety cannot both be perfect, and at the time, Ma Teng’s status as friend or foe was unclear… But no one is a fool, right? Moreover, if today you dare to sacrifice your kin for righteousness before the General of the Guard, could you tomorrow, for the great righteousness of the Han house, personally slay the General of the Guard?!

So, it is no wonder that Gongsun Xun felt like laughing… He was angered into laughter.

“There is no need for me to see the man.” In the rear quarters of the relay station within Ji County, Gongsun Xun, who was perusing official documents, wore a mirthless smile and, without even raising his head, spoke thus to Pang De, who had already hurried back to his side. “Let Ma Shoucheng retain his general’s title, assume the post of Bearer of the Gilded Mace, and be enfeoffed as… Marquis of Chencang County. He is not to go to Chang’an; grant him a mansion in Yecheng, and allocate some non-voting shares of the Anli Company’s Liangzhou branch. Have him go directly there and take charge of public security within Ye City. As for Ma Mengqi, demote him to Platoon Leader, recall him to the Volunteers, and you shall discipline him!”

Pang De repeatedly voiced his assent, yet hesitated, wanting to speak further.

“Do not plead for him!” Gongsun Xun, sensing his trusted aide’s hesitation, immediately threw down the document in his hand, his expression abruptly changing. “If I did not still hold a sliver of expectation for him, why would I hand him over to you for discipline? Would it not be easier to promote him to Major of a Separate Detachment and banish him to guard Luntai in the Western Regions?”

“Yes.” Pang De awkwardly stood with hands clasped and said, “It was my previous laxity in discipline. I merely thought his martial skill was outstanding and he was a fellow villager, and thus could not help but be overly indulgent, leading to today’s calamity…”

“You are not to blame either.” Seeing Pang De’s excellent attitude, Gongsun Xun could not help but soften slightly, and once again picked up the document on the low table before him. “Sending him here to persuade his father was originally my idea; otherwise, he would have long been guarding Mount Qi on the southern route together with Zilong… Does he have anything else to say?”

“Yes!” Pang De hurriedly said. “As soon as Mengqi returned, I knew he had committed a grave error, so I immediately confined him to the military camp, waiting specifically for you, my lord, to arrive. And earlier, he defended himself, saying that the one who gave him this idea was Wang Can, and that Wang Can deliberately sought to harm him…”

Gongsun Xun was momentarily stunned: “Separated by several thousand li, how could Wang Can give him advice to harm him?”

“It was not personal instruction,” Pang De hastily explained. “It was that back then, the two of them had much interaction in Changping and Yecheng, and as youths, they spoke of everything without reservation. On that day, Ma Mengqi was merely worried about his status as a hostage, and Wang Can merely made a casual remark, probably advising him that when facing the moment, he must uphold great righteousness and not be soft-hearted — words of that sort. The speaker spoke without intent, but the listener took it to heart.”

Gongsun Xun shook his head repeatedly: “Wang Can is frail and mischievous; Ma Chao is robust and ruthless. Their interactions were probably not very pleasant, so it is possible that Wang Can deliberately teased him with his words. I will also have someone reprimand him… But Lingming, at the root of this matter, it is still Ma Chao’s own overly wild nature. Having done such a thing, he cannot possibly shift all the blame onto others, can he?”

Pang De immediately voiced his agreement.

“I understand your meaning. Are you not simply trying to say that he did, after all, render some merit this time, allowing the two remaining commanderies in Ma Teng’s hands to be easily taken?” Gongsun Xun paused briefly, then sighed once more, and for the second time threw down his documents. “But Lingming, do you know that although on the surface I offered amnesty and enlistment for the sake of the greater situation, deep in my heart, I vaguely wished that Han and Ma could have fought a battle with us at Yuzhong?”

Pang De was truly stunned now.

“Without a fight, how can Liangzhou be properly governed?” Gongsun Xun frowned in response. “The reason Han and Ma fear me — is it not because I gave them a harsh beating once at the Wei River? The reason that boy Ma Mengqi is so wild and fierce, yet dares not show temper before me — is it not also because during those years when he was growing up, he happened to be in Hebei, watching from behind as I crushed Yuan Shao, and thus developed a sense of fear? Even the reason we could govern Hebei so smoothly — was it not bought with the lives of those local powerful clan leaders from Yuan Shao’s forces who died in battle? And is the key to annexing Liangzhou truly just the two men, Han and Ma? To put it bluntly, those two fellows — whether in civil or military affairs, whether attacking or defending — I could hang them up and beat them with one hand. Even without me, given Liangzhou’s many years of semi-vassal status, a capable theater commander could easily be dispatched to deal with them. The reason I came out personally this time, aside from wanting to avoid Chang’an, was fundamentally to come to Liangzhou myself to establish authority and virtue… Look at these Liangzhou powerful clans and tribes that have followed along — a mere half-commandery of Hanyang could draw out six or seven thousand veterans. How many more should the whole of Liangzhou have? Without a fight, governing Liangzhou in the future will still require slow, grinding effort!”

Halfway through listening, Pang De had already fallen silent, not daring to speak.

“Go!” Seeing that the other man had likely roughly understood, Gongsun Xun casually dismissed him. “I have said so much to you not for the sake of others, but for your sake. Go out and think it over carefully!”

Pang De hastily took his leave and departed.

It was dusk at this time, and the autumn heat had already dissipated. Yet when this Military Protector of the White Horse Volunteers walked out of the rear courtyard of the Ji County relay station, he suddenly felt, against the wind, that his back was completely soaked through, icy cold. But fearing he might have misunderstood, he temporarily set aside the matter of the Ma Chao father and son and went instead to find his partner, Zhang Ji.

Zhang Ji had been specially transferred back from Mei County after Gongsun Xun, before advancing into Liangzhou, had roughly learned that there would be no fierce resistance there. No one knew the exact reason; at present, he was handling miscellaneous affairs in the front courtyard of the relay station. Seeing Pang De come looking for him, he was entirely unsurprised — or rather, he had long anticipated the other would come.

“This matter is simple.” After brewing a bowl of tea for Pang Lingming, Zhang Derong answered with ease. “Has Lingming ever heard a saying? That a provincial governor is not as good as a clerk of the General’s establishment, a commandery administrator is not as good as a military advisor, and a captain is not as good as a military protector?”

Here with Zhang Ji, Pang De, now seated, naturally relaxed considerably. Hearing this, he could not help but laugh: “How could I not have heard it? Yang Xiu, Fa Zheng, and the others are always spouting nonsense. How could such common gossip from Yecheng escape them? I’ve heard some of it in passing as well…”

“And what does it mean?” Zhang Derong continued to ask.

“Naturally, it means that our General of the Guard governs the nine provinces through the General of the Guard’s establishment, so the direct subordinates within the establishment are just as prominent as the court officials of old… I also served as a clerk in the provincial administration as a youth; how could I not understand this principle?” At this point, Pang De could not help but chuckle. “It has been this way since ancient times. For instance, in the past, when the post of provincial governor was not yet standardized, who would dare say that a six-hundred-dan Inspector was inferior to a two-thousand-dan Grand Administrator? A one-hundred-dan or two-hundred-dan clerk in the province was often more prestigious than a county magistrate, only slightly less so than a six-hundred-dan or one-thousand-dan county prefect… And as for this specific saying, it means that Chief Clerk Lü and the other three, who oversee the entire administration of the establishment, are in fact subtly above those provincial governors outside. And the dozen or so bureau heads and subordinate officials in the establishment, among whom those holding the concurrent title of military advisor are even more prominent, just like the ministers of the old Imperial Secretariat bearing the additional title of Palace Attendant, and are naturally more esteemed than ordinary commandery administrators. As for military protectors…”

“As for military protectors, it refers to the few of us.” Zhang Ji interrupted him, speaking with a serious expression. “We military protectors are new official posts created under the extreme importance of military affairs in these chaotic times; they did not exist before. But in reality, everyone knows that they are akin to inspectors within the army and ministers for military affairs — going out to coordinate with Military Advisor Xi, Libationer Guo, and the others, supervising and inspecting the various generals, armies, and units; internally, they hold the personnel authority to select military officers. And among these, it is especially evident with Military Protector Han and you and me. Who in Ye City does not regard us with high esteem? Who in Ye City does not know that our treatment is equal to that of those administrators and generals? Otherwise, back when Ma Mengqi wanted to join the Volunteers, he would not have come begging to you…”

Pang De could only smile awkwardly.

“But Lingming, Military Protector Han is one thing — he was an original follower from Henei, and back then, only he and Prefect Chang were the two who followed from Henei. But what are you and I? Why did such prominent posts fall to you and me?” Zhang Derong asked earnestly.

“Probably because you and I were lucky?” Pang De also became solemn, but after thinking it over, he could only offer this slight lament.

“I think so too.” Zhang Ji likewise shook his head with emotion. “To put it bluntly, in the Great Han of the past… you, a border rustic from Liangzhou, and I, a humble scholar from Guanxi — even if you and I both possessed talent and virtue, and encountered great opportunities, to become a two-thousand-dan Grand Administrator of a remote, impoverished commandery at the age of forty or fifty in this lifetime would still require gambling with our lives. How could we have imagined that we would meet this heaven-and-earth-overturning era, and also encounter the General of the Guard? Then I, a mere clerk from the Three Adjuncts, and you, a discarded hostage, not yet thirty years old, muddle-headedly became great figures we never dared dream of in our previous lives. If this is not luck, what is it?”

Pang De grew increasingly solemn: “The General of the Guard’s grace — I cannot repay it fully in one lifetime with one life. I can only do as those monks from Mount Wutai say, and repay it in the next life by binding grass and holding rings in my mouth…”

“There is no need for you to do that; just perform your duties well.” Zhang Ji finally pointed out the true crux to his colleague. In fact, he and Pang De were natural political allies, and there was no reason not to guide him. “Our general is not truly angry with you… Quite the opposite. Just as Military Protector Han has become accustomed to the general’s use, for now, the general is also reluctant to let you go. That is precisely why he specifically reminded you: as a military protector, especially one within the White Horse Volunteers, holding the most critical personnel authority over military officers in the realm, how can you constantly be mindful of old ties to fellow villagers? One Ma Chao is one thing — merely a special case. The key is that now Liangzhou is about to fall into our hands. With so many Liangzhou military men in the future, all of them your fellow villagers, how will you handle it? The reason the two of us were able to remain as the civil and military protectors of the White Horse Volunteers for several years without change — was it not because back then we had no one to rely on, and had no significant ties to those Bingzhou, Youzhou, and Jizhou men in the army!”

Pang De finally saw the light: “No wonder the general said that the matter of Liangzhou does not lie with Han and Ma, but with those powerful clans… Many thanks, Derong!”

As he spoke, Pang Lingming hurriedly stood and offered a sincere, heartfelt salute with clasped hands.

“No need for such formality.” Zhang Ji sighed with emotion, suddenly stepped forward and grasped the other’s hands. Just as he was about to speak, his eyes unexpectedly reddened. “Lingming… in the future, I will still need to rely heavily on you for matters here among the Volunteers. You must devote more care to the general’s affairs, and do so as if on my behalf.”

Only then did Pang De fully realize: “Is Derong to be assigned to an external post?”

“On the way here, the Lord Marquis already spoke with me,” Zhang Ji replied, slightly composing his expression. “Regardless of whether Liangzhou is pacified, Hanyang is a place of paramount importance. He will change Hanyang back to its old name, Tianshui, and have me serve as the first Grand Administrator of Tianshui…”

“This is a good thing; one must eventually take this path.” Hearing this, Pang De also felt rare ripples of emotion in his heart, but when it came to his lips, he did not know what to say, and could only offer stiff congratulations. “With your ability, Derong, and the general’s regard, such a critical, major commandery is precisely the proper official career path for you civil officials. Serve the Lord Marquis well by stabilizing his rear. In the future, when the realm is pacified, surely there will be a post of provincial governor or military advisor for you?”

“I understand the general’s good intentions.” Zhang Ji grew even more emotional. “For you and me, these are all merely trials. Lingming, after you pass through this great chaos in the future, you may well be assigned out as a general yourself. However…” At this point, Zhang Derong forced a smile. “However, by the time I return, there may no longer be such a thing as military advisors and bureau heads!”

Pang De also smiled with understanding.

And so, as the sky gradually darkened, Pang De, his heart full of mixed feelings, went off on his own to rouse his spirits and deal with the Ma Chao father and son according to his lord’s demands. This is not mentioned further.

The next day, General of the Guard Gongsun Xun indeed directly changed Hanyang back to its old name, Tianshui, and appointed his trusted military protector Zhang Ji as Grand Administrator of Tianshui, still stationed at Ji County. Then, leaving Zhang Ji behind, he once again took up the entire army and continued marching west, clearly intent on heading straight for Yuzhong.

His advance was swift; by the sixteenth day of the ninth month, he had already arrived at the seat of Yongshi County, where Ma Mengqi had righteously persuaded his kin.

That is correct — General of the Guard Gongsun Xun personally defined the nature of the event: Ma Chao had righteously persuaded his kin, absolutely not bound his kin! Even less was it sacrificing his kin! This deeply righteous and filial son, in order to prevent the dilemma where loyalty and filial piety cannot both be satisfied, came here alone to intercept his father and strenuously urged his father to go to Ji County, bind himself, and meet the General of the Guard.

And General of the Dragon Soar, Ma Teng, was also moved by his son’s persuasion and came to submit of his own will… Therefore, to commend Ma Shoucheng’s voluntary surrender, and even more to commend the father’s kindness and son’s filial piety between them, Ma Teng was enfeoffed as a county marquis, appointed Bearer of the Gilded Mace, and granted a mansion and shares in the Anli Company. Ma Chao was also re-admitted into the Volunteers for further training!

For a time, everyone in Liangzhou looked on askance, though it was unclear whether they were sighing with envy at this father and son’s profound affection and good fortune.

On the other hand, after arriving at Yongshi County, because Gongsun Yue and Zhang Cheng were still behind him, to the north in Anding Commandery, laboriously taking over Ma Teng’s old forces, Gongsun Xun halted here for several days. As was his custom, he organized a cuju tournament, allowing Zhang Wenyuan to thoroughly enjoy himself.

Incidentally, as the powerful clans from the various commanderies and princedoms of Liangzhou gathered, this General of the Guard, while opening his gates wide to accept volunteers, also arranged a few interesting forced matches.

For example, Ma Teng’s only daughter who had just reached the hairpin ceremony was betrothed by him to the yet-unmarried Commandant of Cavalry Zhao Yun — only Zhao Yun had earlier been dispatched with a detached force to Wudu, and now no one knew where he was or what he was doing; in any case, he could not be contacted for the time being, so it would have to wait a little longer before it could be settled. Correspondingly, after hearing what Jiang Gan had said, the outstanding Jiang Ziyi was arranged by Gongsun Xun to marry Wang Yi, a young woman of the A’yang Wang clan who had just come of age — a gesture that moved the A’yang Wang clan, which had produced the great traitor Wang Guo, to tears of gratitude. Then a clan cousin of Yang Qiu was betrothed to Wang Ling, who had lately been in a very awkward position. Finally, Gongsun Xun also recommended to Zhao Ang, who had likewise performed with distinction this time, the younger sister of Jia Kui, currently serving as Magistrate of Changping — said to be very beautiful…

After Gongsun Yue arrived with his troops, these politically charged arranged marriages not only did not stop but reached a climax, because Gongsun Yue was by no means short of daughters who had come of age and were waiting to be married off… especially since he had recently added a new biological daughter, which made him all the more eager to quickly marry off the heap of daughters who did not share his surname.

Of course, the daughters of the General Who Guards the West, Governor of Bingzhou, and in practice the foremost weighty minister of the imperial clan, Gongsun Yue, naturally had no trouble finding husbands. For everyone knew that the General of the Guard had started a family and raised children relatively late, and his eldest young lady had not yet even reached the hairpin ceremony. Under such circumstances, Gongsun Yue’s daughters — even his adopted daughters — were naturally the most eye-catching marriage alliance prospects in the realm.

And so, the unmarried Zhang Ji was directly settled with Zhen Dayin’s third daughter, Zhen Dao; Pang Yu of Jiuquan, son of the famous martyr Zhao E and a man of great merit in this campaign, was betrothed to Zhen Rong, who had just come of age… Only, unlike Zhang Ji, this one required Pang Yu to make a trip to Yecheng in the future so that Lady Gongsun could see him before it was finalized.

As for the two elder sisters above Zhen Dao — one, Zhen Jiang, had long ago been promised to Sima Lang, who was already serving as Commandant of Agricultural Colonies in Qingzhou; the other, Zhen Tuo, had been betrothed to Jia Kui in Yecheng.

With Gongsun Xun arranging marriages in such a crude and forceful manner, these people did not put on any drama of “whom I love and whom I do not love” for him. It was only a pity that who knows how many sons of meritorious families and talented young men of the great clans in Yexia and Taiyuan, who had longed to seek a daughter of the Zhen clan, could not help but feel disappointed this time.

Of course, this was in itself one of Gongsun Xun’s dirty political adjustment measures. The ties among his original Northern Border followers were too tight, while the few great clans of Bingzhou always seemed overly clever and slippery, which made the power of his original Youzhou followers appear all the more overwhelming. Yingzhou and Pingzhou also showed a tendency to cluster around the Youzhou faction and form a clique… This time, allowing Bingzhou, Yongzhou, and Liangzhou to merge and intermix a little would not only effectively stabilize the situation in Liangzhou amid the coming great upheaval of the realm, but also slightly tug at the issue of internal factional balance.

And in the future, once the Central Plains were somewhat settled, this tearing and pulling would have to continue even further.

This sort of thing could not be called a mortal malady — it was merely an objective law. It was just that while Gongsun Xun respected objective laws, he could not avoid nipping things in the bud, especially since regional cliques in this age were far too blatant and rampant, leaving him no choice but to guard against them.

And so, by the twenty-third day of the ninth month, after Gongsun Xun had finished his matchmaking spree, a full fifty thousand brave warriors had already assembled in Warriors County, and the General of the Guard finally seemed to remember that he had come to fight a war… He hesitated no longer and immediately advanced on the stronghold of Yuzhong.

But when they arrived beneath Yuzhong, they found the city gates wide open. Ma Chao, demoted to squad leader, charged in at the head of the line with Ma Dai, Ma Xiu, and Ma Tie. Only after confirming there was absolutely no ambush did they discover that Han Sui had already slipped away in secret the night before.

The thing was, the Nine-Bend Yellow River understood perfectly well in his heart… times had changed. Back then, the reason he could hold Yuzhong against a hundred thousand Han troops was not that he, Han Sui, was good at fighting, nor that Yuzhong was truly so impregnable, but rather that at that time the Han house had utterly lost the hearts of the people of Liangzhou. He knew the whole of Liangzhou stood behind him, and his actual strength was not much inferior to that of Zhang Wen, Dong Zhuo, and Sun Jian, who faced him then.

But now, as he sat idle in Yuzhong, watching one after another of the famous Qiang and Di tribes of the four eastern commanderies flock to that place to take part in the selection for the White Horse Volunteers, watching the outstanding sons of the province’s powerful clans join the Volunteers and then be betrothed one after another — all this further confirmed a thought deep in his heart: this time, he, Han Wenyue, was no longer the man to whom all of Liangzhou looked. Quite the opposite — times and circumstances had shifted. This time, he had instead become the obstacle to the people of Liangzhou’s desire to return to the central authority.

So, originally, Han Sui had already been prepared to surrender!

But there was no helping it — Gongsun Xun was simply too excessive. During those several days the man spent in Warriors County, as his control over the powerful clans and tribes of Liangzhou gradually deepened, the terms delivered to Yuzhong changed every couple of days!

By now, the post of Governor of Zangzhou was gone. General Who Pacifies the West and Protector-General of the Western Regions were still on the table, but he was now required to sweep all the way to the old Protector-General seat of Tacheng before he could have them… The crux of this matter lay not in any official seal, but in where exactly Tacheng was located.

If Jushi (the area of later Turpan, Hami, and Urumqi) in the initial terms was still below the Tianshan Mountains, still rich in water and grass, and crucially still adjacent to the present borders of Liangzhou — a place that might in the future still belong to the so-called Zangzhou jurisdiction — then Tacheng, further west, was two cities beyond Jushi before one could reach the place… These two places have had many names since ancient times, but their most famous names are respectively Loulan and Luntai.

In all conscience, Han Sui truly wanted to surrender. Ma Teng had surrendered, Gongsun Xun had already reached Yuzhong, the Liangzhou magnates had turned their coats — if he didn’t surrender, what was he to do?

But were Loulan and Luntai, places even further west, fit for human habitation?

He, Han Sui, was getting on in years too. His son-in-law Pang De had risen from a hostage to Protector of the White Horse Volunteers. He too wanted to learn from Ma Teng and enjoy his twilight years in Yecheng… But why was it that Ma Teng, even with a son like that, could still hold the post of Bearer of the Gilded Mace, still be a county marquis, still have mansions and shares, while he had to go to some Luntai and clear out the Western Regions for Gongsun Xun?

He was not afraid of fighting, and toying with those petty Western Region kingdoms was precisely the Nine-Bend Yellow River’s specialty — perhaps it was for this very reason that Gongsun Xun had singled him out to be this Grand Protector-General of the Western Regions. But the problem was the distance was too great! What if he died out there in the desert and turned into a dried corpse? Wasn’t achieving great deeds and establishing a career supposed to be the work of young men?

If it really came down to it, even Jushi would be acceptable!

By the same logic, those confidants of Han Sui from the two commanderies of Jincheng and Longxi, gathered in Yuzhong and personally named by Gongsun Xun to go with him — the old veterans who had been rebels for over a decade — were also unwilling to go to some Luntai. So after discussing it together, they decided not to sit still and wait for death, but to go sit still and wait for death somewhere else.

What did that mean?

It was very simple. Han Sui still had ample strategic depth behind him. Following the uppermost reaches of the Yellow River westward, the entire commandery of Jincheng was Han Sui’s most solid base, the foundation he had painstakingly built over many years. Since he could not win anyway, he prepared to gradually withdraw westward — not exactly resisting at every step… He himself, and those long-time rebel subordinates, had all made up their minds: death was out of the question. The corpses in the icy river by the Wei and the shattered skulls of those former colleagues were too horrifying a way to die. If they were really caught, they would accept their fate and go to Luntai.

But what if they weren’t caught?

If Jincheng could not be held either, he could go up to the Western Sea (Qinghai Lake) and become a pirate, or head south to Longxi to see if he could cross Didao and take the Yinping route to seek refuge with Liu Yan… Chengdu was still better than Luntai!

And on the other hand, in doing this, he was not entirely without a sliver of extra hope. After all, Gongsun Xun now had a force of fifty thousand massed in his hands and had thrust deep into the heart of Liangzhou — the pressure on his logistics must be enormous. And the further he advanced, the longer his supply lines grew. Add to that the fact that Liangzhou itself was a tremendous test for logistics, and perhaps Gongsun Xun, in order to save on provisions, would ultimately grant him the same terms as Ma Teng and let him go to Yecheng?

Even, if by some chance Gongsun Xun’s supply lines collapsed, he might even be able to hold on to Jincheng, right?

It was precisely with this mindset that Han Wenyue simply evacuated Yuzhong.

At this, Gongsun Xun also immediately came to his senses — this could not be delayed any longer!

And so, after entering Yuzhong, he directly gave the order: the entire army would rest for half a day. Early the next morning, they would concentrate the cavalry, especially the local Xiliang cavalry, and immediately pursue westward, bypass cities in pursuit, force a crossing at the intersection of the Yellow River, the Huang River, and the Tao River to pursue. In short, no matter what, they had to catch that scoundrel Han Sui before he fled, and wherever they caught him, they would kill him on the spot… He no longer wanted him as any Protector-General of the Western Regions or General Who Pacifies the West!

Yet, early the very next morning, Han Wenyue suddenly turned back around and led over seven thousand of his trusted followers directly to the outside of Yuzhong’s west gate, where they knelt and begged to surrender.

“What is the meaning of this?” After several years, Gongsun Xun, holding a bowl of congee as he mounted the city wall, once again met this Liangzhou “old acquaintance” of many years, and could not help but be curious. “Wasn’t General Han Who Pacifies the West’s strategy of dragging out my supply lines quite sound?”

“This general has thought it through!” Before the faces of all the powerful clans of Liangzhou, far from the entire army, having cast aside his weapons and removed his helmet, Han Sui knelt alone outside Yuzhong’s west gate by the Yellow River, knocked his head to the ground, then raised his head and spoke to the man atop the wall, tears and mucus streaming down his face. “The Western Regions are the former lands of the Han. Since the General of the Guard has set his mind on unifying all under heaven and pacifying the four seas, how dare I, your subject who has received the General of the Guard’s great grace, not go and risk this old life for my lord? Only, seven thousand sons of Liangzhou is perhaps too many. I beg my lord to permit me to select and trim the number, and take only three thousand sons westward!”

“Three thousand troops will suffice?” Gongsun Xun had already been addressed as “my lord,” yet he remained utterly baffled, his heart full of misgivings… He truly had no idea what trick this scoundrel was playing.

“Three thousand sons of Liangzhou are enough to rampage across the Western Regions and reopen the trade routes!” Han Wenyue pointed to the heavens and cried out with all his might. “Your subject is willing to swear an oath: on this journey to the Western Regions, I shall take only three thousand sons out through the Jade Gate Pass, and I swear I shall not return until Luntai is taken!”

Gongsun Xun remained blank and uncomprehending, and for a long time did not respond — until, looking down from his high vantage point, he suddenly saw, at the simultaneous prompting of Zhang Liao and Pang De to his left and right, dust rising in the distance to the west. Then, a troop of cavalry appeared, inconceivably, behind Han Sui’s force.

And at their head, a great banner was embroidered with four familiar large characters — “Commandant of Cavalry Zhao”!

Seeing this banner, Gongsun Xun could not help but throw back his head and laugh.

——————I am the dividing line of sneaking across Didao——————

“In the autumn of the fifth year of Jian’an, the Grand Ancestor campaigned in Liang… Yun, having already taken Sanguan and obtained Chiyang, opened the Wudu road. At that time, there were seven or eight Di tribes under Di King Yang Qianwan and others, who, under Han Sui’s orders, each possessed over ten thousand men and held Wushan and the Di road, cutting off Longxi. Where the road was perilous and narrow, footpaths barely passable, the rebels fortified themselves upon the heights.

Yun originally wished to abandon the route and return north to Hanyang, but hearing that the Grand Ancestor had already reached Warriors and was pressing Han Sui at Yuzhong, he instead went west again to observe the terrain. Returning, he told Cheng Yin: ‘The rebels are many and hold Wushan and Didao, but each is under separate command with no unified control and they cannot easily support one another — they can be defeated!’ Yin and the other commanders all said: ‘These words may be true, but our troops are few and the road perilous. Even if we win one or two battles, it will be difficult to penetrate deeply, and I fear we cannot defeat them all!’ Yun replied: ‘This is what is called one against one — what the General of the Guard calls “when brave men meet in a narrow pass, the courageous one wins.” Defeat two or three of them, and the rest will crumble on their own.’ Thereupon he advanced to the foot of Wushan and made camp. With the entire army of six thousand, he attacked upward, taking the heads of Yang Qianwan and one Di king. Before he could reach the third, the rebels all fled and scattered. Thus he opened the way from Wushan to Longxi. Longxi was empty, so Yun again had Yin lead the troops to hold Zhang County while he himself picked eight hundred elite cavalry and personally went against the current of the Tao River, marching north out of Didao. Reaching the Yellow River, he had just set up a stockade when he encountered Han Sui abandoning Yuzhong and traveling west to this point, with no fewer than seven thousand troops. Yun then ordered his attendants to furl the banners and hide within the stockade, while he alone, spear held crosswise, planted his banner and stood before the camp. Sui gazed from afar, saw the banner and the encampment, and was so terrified that he wept, then turned back east and surrendered to the Grand Ancestor. When the Grand Ancestor heard of this, he sighed and said: ‘Zilong is all gall!’ For ranking first in the pacification of Liang, he was given the additional title of Champion General and granted a higher rank.” — From the Canon of Yan, annotated by Pei Songzhi

PS: Thanks to the new Silver Alliance leader, the great slyshen. There is much good news today — a new Silver Alliance leader is naturally cause for immense gratitude. Then, administrator A-Yue has added another daughter to his family — congratulations to him on becoming a father. And then, the birthday event for the matriarch has already begun and is about to reach its climax… So we absolutely must have 8k!

(End of Chapter)