Chapter 483: The Gift

In the first month of the second year of Wude, that winter when the Hexi war ended, Diba Jiao learned he would not need to march troops to Longyou, so he concentrated his efforts on restoring order.

The customs of Hexi were simple and honest, so Diba Jiao governed with considerable leniency, doing his utmost to leave the local powerful families undisturbed and preserve a climate of mutual goodwill between the Inspector and the native elites. This was the strategy Diwu Lun had set for Liang Province: Longyou and Hexi were wedged between the Qiang and the Hu tribes, with a sparse population. After one bitter battle after another, the entire province counted fewer than a million registered commoner households. On this land, the Di, Qiang, and Hu peoples actually held a demographic advantage.

The only option, therefore, was to support the powerful families, encourage them to build fortified manors, and at the same time have the whole populace train in martial skills, prepare troops and horses, practice battle archery, and maintain beacon-fire vigilance. Diba Jiao made a pact with the governors of the four commanderies of Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Zhangye, and Wuwei: should the Qiang and Hu raid the borders, he would personally lead troops to aid the commanderies!

When the post-station messenger from the capital arrived, Diba Jiao learned of Diwu Ba's passing. The clan had lost an elder, and he could not help but grieve deeply. He wept until his eyes were red, facing the east, and only recovered after the governors persuaded him to compose himself.

"His Majesty knows Hexi is cold and harsh, and has sent a gift for the Inspector."

The messenger had men lift a pitch-black chest from the carriage and invited Diba Jiao to open it himself.

Diwu Lun had sent New Year's gifts to the Three Excellencies, the Nine Ministers, and the major provincial governors and generals.

The post riders heading to Hexi had been dispatched especially early. The chest had been loaded and sent off before Diwu Ba even passed away, and the edict had to catch up later. After all, the four commanderies were extremely remote — a one-way trip took a full month. It was precisely for this reason that Diwu Lun had not sent Diba Jiao that "imperial" iron fire tongs.

What was inside?

The casket was somewhat long and quite heavy. When Diba Jiao opened it, he saw that inside lay five brand-new staffs of authority!

The main staff had a bronze shaft, its handle eight chi long, with three tiers of yak-tail tassels hanging down. The four deputy staffs were made of bamboo, each seven chi long. In form and design, they were no different from those used by generation after generation of envoys — Zhang Qian, Su Wu, Chang Hui, and others.

But the tassels hanging from them were different.

The Han staffs had been red, the Xin staffs yellow, but the Wei staffs of today were an even more striking five colors!

Red, yellow, green, blue, and black. Diba Jiao gently stroked the brocade tassels, and the grief in his heart eased a little. Though he privately considered himself the one who had opened up Hexi, he was a modest man and had never spoken of it to others, so naturally word had never traveled back to the Western Regions. Yet across thousands of li, His Majesty had understood exactly what he was thinking.

And in the edict, he was instructed to "confer upon you the weight of the yak-tail staff, bestow upon you the authority to act on your own command." This meant that Diba Jiao was effectively the King of Hexi, holding military and civil authority over all four commanderies. Diwu Lun had even granted him the special privilege of representing the Emperor in full authority to deal with the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions!

Although Hexi's main concern at present was guarding against the Qiang and Hu, Diba Jiao, who knew the story of Diwu Ba's life, had already made up his mind.

"Once spring returns, Hexi will dispatch envoys from Dunhuang, out through the Jade Gate once more, to establish ties with the Western Regions kingdoms that are close to the Central Plains and use them to contain the Xiongnu."

"From this year onward, the five-colored Wei staffs shall appear in the lands of the Western Regions!"

Also in Liang Province, in Chengji County, Tianshui Commandery, General of the Guard Wan Xiu likewise received this "blind box" sent by the Emperor.

But Wan Xiu, who had nearly perished in the Qishan Mountains, was suffering from an accumulation of long-term wounds and illness and was extremely frail. Not only could he not kneel to receive the edict, he could not even open the box himself and had to rely on a trusted aide.

The lid was gently lifted, and the object inside the casket appeared before everyone's eyes: a leather belt.

A leather belt was what men used to fasten their robes, usually made of hide. This belt was exquisitely crafted, four cun wide. Turned over, one could see that the inner side was lacquered vermilion red! According to ritual protocol, this could mean only one thing.

"This is a leather belt used personally by His Majesty!"

In his letter, Diwu Lun said he was "bestowing upon you this leather belt," told Wan Xiu he must wear it, and even joked that he should take good care of his old waist.

His trusted aides all offered congratulations: "His Majesty's meaning is that the General is the nation's waist and backbone!"

No, that was not it. Wan Xiu said nothing, only stroking the magnificent gilt bronze belt hook shaped like an auspicious beast, his expression somewhat complicated. In this age, men of high status owned many leather belts, not only in slightly different colors but with a wide variety of belt hooks, changed according to the occasion and the style of clothing worn.

This one before him, for example, was gaudy and quite light — clearly meant for court assemblies and ceremonies, but useless on the battlefield.

And the words in Diwu Lun's letter also reminded Wan Xiu, who loved reading and strove to be both a scholar and a knight, of a passage from the Book of Changes.

"One may be given a leather belt, but thrice in a single court session it is stripped away!"

This was the top-nine line of the "Litigation" hexagram — not a favorable one. Wan Xiu felt that Diwu Lun might be hinting to him: now he was bestowed a leather belt, along with a series of rewards and increased households for the Longyou campaign. But with gain came loss, and before long, it would be Wan Xiu's turn to be "stripped" of something.

Wan Xiu rubbed his aching waist and back. The imperial physician had said his old wounds had flared up again, that he would likely never ride a horse again, and that if he pushed himself further, he would spend the rest of his life bedridden. Longyou was bitter and cold, and it would be best to return to Chang'an. Diwu Lun had been informed of this diagnosis as well.

Old soldiers never die; they only fade away. Given His Majesty's concern and care for him, he would surely take away Wan Xiu's military authority and duties and have him return to court to recuperate.

"That is the personal side. On the public side, the Longyou campaign is settled. Diba Jiao and Wu Han, one civil and one military, are sufficient to handle things. I could actually be of greater use in the Guanzhong region."

Wan Xiu was a man who saw the larger picture. He knew that Diwu Lun's next target was the Red Eyebrows. Once that war began, it would be a massive campaign. Cen Peng, who had been in charge of Guanzhong's defense during the Longyou campaign, would likely move south, so someone would have to guard the court, wouldn't they?

After thinking it over, Wan Xiu felt that he was probably the most suitable candidate — recuperating and guarding the home front, both at once.

He suddenly felt at peace. The moment he had taken Qishan and fulfilled his mission, Wan Xiu had been completely satisfied. At the very least, before retiring to the second line, he had acted with valor once!

Wan Xiu gently fastened the leather belt and thought to himself, "I truly ought to submit a memorial requesting to return!"

After all, they knew each other well. Even Diwu Lun's veiled hints were something Wan Xiu could figure out.

But for another general, Diwu Lun had tried his utmost to be direct and explicit, yet the man was still utterly baffled!

Wu Han, who was garrisoning Didao and commanding the two commanderies of Longxi and Jincheng, was very displeased, because when he eagerly opened his casket, inside there was only a baffling, pedantic essay!

The messenger then began to recite it aloud, not missing a single word: "Illustrious and divine was Xuan, the Rong had the County Magistrate, the County Magistrate ran rampant, invading Han's western frontier. Han commanded a tiger minister, the Rear General he was, arrayed our six armies, to punish, to quake. When he reached their domain, he instructed with awe and virtue. A defender, boastful of his deeds, said he could not be overcome, and begged to send forth his troops against the Qiang of Han. The Son of Heaven commanded me, to follow them to Xianyang. Yingping held to his integrity, repeatedly submitting sealed memorials, assessing the enemy and achieving victory, his awesome strategies without rival. Thus he conquered the Western Rong, and returned his army to the capital. The demon regions submitted and obeyed, none failed to pay court..."

The language was obscure — at least, it was to Wu Han, who could barely read. Wu Han listened in a daze, and when he uneasily looked around, he discovered that the Protector of the Qiang Colonel, Niu Han, wore an expression of utter solemnity and even cast an envious glance at Wu Han.

In the end, it was Liu Xin, who had been leaning on a pigeon-staff and listening in the back, about to journey east to Chang'an, who solved the riddle for Wu Han: "In the Han's resurgence, Chongguo made war, stalwart and majestic, he carried on the legacy..."

He sighed and said, "This is Yang Xiong, Yang Ziyun's 'Ode to Zhao Chongguo'!"

"So it's the old General Zhao." Even if Wu Han was ignorant, after spending so long in Longyou, he had heard of this man's reputation. In the early Han, the people of Longyou had always taken pride in Li Guang. After the Li family fell into disgrace, the famous general Zhao Chongguo from the Zhaoxuan restoration era later surpassed him and became the most revered figure among the sons of the six commanderies.

Deeds such as breaking the encirclement and rescuing the Han army at the Battle of Tianshan in his early years, or riding a thousand li beyond the frontier in his old age and rampaging through the Xiongnu's right wing, need no elaboration. Zhao Chongguo's primary achievement was pacifying the Western Qiang rebellion during the reign of Emperor Xuan, and his main enemy there had also been the County Magistrate Qiang.

If Wu Han still did not understand just from an ode to a famous general written by the Emperor's teacher, then the object the messenger produced next made the meaning crystal clear!

"General Wu, for striking Longxi, breaking Didao, and seizing Lintao — your merit is great. You are specially appointed as Rear General!"

Although Rear General was the lowest of the prestigious general ranks, it meant that Wu Han, a latecomer, had surpassed Zhang Zong, Zheng Tong, and others to join the front rank of military officers. Wasn't that far better than some Yao Qi General? Only then did Wu Han become happy.

This ode was rich with meaning. It contained Diwu Lun's encouragement to Wu Han, hoping he would deal a severe blow to the County Magistrate Qiang in Longyou and achieve merit like Zhao Chongguo's. Incidentally, the edict also mentioned that he wanted Wu Han to learn from Zhao Chongguo — not to rely solely on slaughter, but to use methods like military farming and sowing division to subdue the Qiang people...

But while Wu Han outwardly appeared moved to tears of gratitude, inwardly he had his own plans.

"Zhao Chongguo may have pacified the County Magistrate for a time, but decades later, didn't the County Magistrate Qiang rise again, get named King of the Qiang by Gongsun Shu, and, taking advantage of winter, nearly seize the entire Jincheng Commandery?"

So Wu Han felt that although Zhao Chongguo carried great fame, perhaps the people of Longyou had exaggerated the reputation of their local hero too much? His way of fighting wasn't clean enough. The Qiang were like a crop — cut one batch and another grows. That wouldn't do!

"The Western Qiang are weeds."

Wu Han stroked his seal of "Wei Rear General" and had his own idea: "I have received generous treatment from His Majesty and must work harder to surpass Zhao Chongguo. Against the Qiang and the Rong, is conciliation useful? You have to be like a farmer weeding — pull them out by the roots in one go, so they can never grow back!"

Young Geng, who had already returned to New Qinzhong and once again devoted his energy to defending against the Xiongnu and the Hu Han, also received Diwu Lun's gift.

The cavalry of Bing Province had continued the habits of the Han cavalry. For slashing from horseback, they used the standard ring-pommel saber — straight spine, straight blade, with no clear distinction between hilt and blade, and no guard. The hilt was usually made of two pieces of wood clamped together and wrapped with coarse cord on the outside for a secure grip.

But Diwu Lun had sent Geng Yan a uniquely shaped "horse saber."

Geng Yan hefted the weapon in his hands, his brows lifting slightly.

Like the overly ornate, flashy-but-useless "Seven Star Treasure Blade" of the Seventh Biao, this saber was also forged using the latest co-fusion steel method. The blade was slightly thicker, with great toughness ensuring chopping power, and the edge, hammered and folded who knows how many times, gleamed with a sharp, cold light.

Most distinctive of all, the blade was actually slightly curved!

This was strange. Whether Xiongnu or Han troops, all used straight-bladed swords. Only some barbarian weapons from distant Parthia and the Yuezhi had similar forms, but barbarian arms had always been mocked by the Han, who said "one Han matches five barbarians," and so they were not highly regarded — at most a few tribute pieces lay stored in the palace.

But this new-model horse saber truly had nothing to do with foreign weapons. It was a product Diwu Lun had ordered the Privy Treasurer and the Office of Waters and Parks to develop, a design launched after repeated trials.

The officers and men of the Bing Province cavalry also buzzed with discussion; out of habit, quite a few were resistant.

Geng Yan, however, believed in practical testing. First he took the saber and slashed at armor. With sufficient force, it could slice through three stacked layers of Xiongnu leather armor in a single stroke!

He then mounted a horse to test it. Swinging it about, the slightly curved saber's center of mass was farther from the hilt, which indeed increased the weapon's killing power.

"A fine weapon."

Geng Yan had no interest in ceremonial staves or leather belts. As General of Chariots and Cavalry, unless the word "Grand" were added, his military rank could rise no higher. He was singularly devoted to bows and blades! And Diwu Lun had once again sent the right gift.

What delighted Geng Yan even more was that Diwu Lun had also sent the craftsmen, along with the saber's diagrams and formula, all the way to the north!

Diwu Lun left it entirely to Geng Yan to decide whether widespread adoption was warranted. Even the finest weapon had to prove suitable for the frontline troops.

Geng Yan then raised the saber and addressed the assembly.

"This is not merely a generous reward His Majesty has bestowed upon me."

"It is also a great gift to you all, and to the Bing Province cavalry!"

……

After two months of bitter fighting, Zhuo County, where the rebels had entrenched themselves, finally fell.

Jing Dan, who had dragged his ailing body into the city to accept the surrender, likewise received a grand gift from the Western Capital.

What could it be? As subordinates to Jing Dan, the Inspector of You Province, men like Kou Xun and Wang Liang were rather uneasy. The various generals of Longyou had each displayed their prowess, and Ma Yuan had won a great victory in the Central Plains, while You Province, on the contrary, had suffered a rebellion, dragging down the whole realm!

Jing Dan coughed, insisting on opening it himself. Once it was opened, Kou Xun glanced over and saw that the object placed within the box was actually a...

"A greatcloak?"