Chapter 630: Throwing Away All Face!

In the summer of the fourth year of Wude, the story of how Ma Yuan dealt with a group of young bravos from powerful families who had been brawling in private spread throughout Longyou.

It was said that Cavalry Commander Ma had the young troublemakers who started the fight bound and brought to the commandery office, where he interrogated them. Seeing how stubborn they were, preferring death to admitting guilt, he merely gave a cold laugh and had them taken to the parade ground.

"I have long heard that the sons of the six commanderies are men of many talents, trained in the arts of war, prizing strength and vigor, and excelling above all in archery and hunting. In the past, they were often chosen for the Feathered Forest Guard and the Gate of Expectation. Since you are so arrogant, you must possess martial skill. Here we have fine horses, good bows, and hand-to-hand combat. If you can best me in even one of these, you are free to go. But if you lose at all of them, you must admit your guilt!"

His retainers and the Longyou officials hurried to dissuade him. Crimes had their own punishments under state law — what was the meaning of this?

Yet no one understood Longyou better than Ma Yuan. He said quietly to his trusted aides, "Whether under the Former Han or the present dynasty, the laws of the court have never held sway in Longyou. This place lies hard against the Rong and Di barbarians and has already adopted their customs. Murderers strut through the marketplaces and no official dares question them; bandits form gangs and cannot be suppressed. The alternative is to transform them gradually over a long time, but I do not have that time. I can only subdue them by force!"

When the young bravos heard they were to compete with the famous Grand General of the Cavalry, they all agreed — a win would bring fame, a loss cost them nothing. The outcome goes without saying: in every contest, they were utterly thrashed by Ma Yuan, who grew sturdier with age. Only then did the young bravos understand that their own skills counted for little. To their credit, they acted like men, hanging their heads, admitting their guilt, and accepting death.

At that moment, with a glance from Ma Yuan, the Chief of Didao and others stepped forward to plead on their behalf, saying things like: in this time when able men are needed, it would be wrong to execute warriors; they were good iron, only put to the wrong use...

Ma Yuan, after a show of reluctance, agreed to pardon them, merely "punishing" the young bravos by ordering them to serve the government as conscripted soldiers, and personally returned their swords to them.

"Whether you are good iron or bad iron, remember this: never turn your blades inward — always point them outward!"

After this incident, Ma Yuan gained a band of followers made up of young Longyou bravos, who trailed behind him everywhere. The various military families of Longyou also gave this their strong support, even sending their own sons to serve under Ma Yuan, with an enthusiasm that could hardly be overstated.

Wu Han's former troops found this strange. "When General Wu was here, in terms of martial prowess, he too was the bravest in the six commanderies, yet we never saw people so thoroughly won over."

But they soon figured out the reason. "These young men are all still young, and their families all have powerful Longyou backgrounds."

"And Cavalry Commander Ma has more than one daughter..."

Everyone suddenly understood. Ma Yuan's eldest daughter was none other than the current Empress. The families of the young bravos probably thought that if their sons performed well and caught Ma Yuan's eye, a marriage alliance might follow — and wouldn't that make them the Emperor's brothers-in-law!

As a result, not only did the young bravos serve with zeal, but even the unmarried Longyou officers became eager. Only Ma Yuan was kept in the dark, believing it was all due to his personal charisma.

"A man of ambition grows firmer in hardship, sturdier with age — it is indeed so." Ma Yuan kept a calm facade, but inwardly he was quietly pleased with himself.

This affair was merely a small interlude in Ma Yuan's efforts to unite Longyou. With him stationed there, even the most unruly Qiang and Hu tributary tribes within the Longyou borders dared not stir up trouble. Ma Yuan's main focus was on observing the Western Qiang in the Huang River region of Jincheng Commandery.

As time entered the latter half of the sixth month, the military-agricultural scouts Ma Yuan had placed in Jincheng Commandery sent back some unusual reports.

"The King of the Xianlian Qiang has repeatedly invited the other Qiang tribes. According to informants within the Qiang, they plan to slaughter oxen and drink blood, to dissolve old enmities and form a covenant!"

The Qiang, unlike the Xiongnu, had been a scattered, disunited people since ancient times. Occasionally a few large tribes would emerge, but none could unify the whole. A major reason for this was the limited resources of the He-Huang valley region, which led to intense internal competition among the Qiang. Strong tribes would branch off into separate chieftaincies, while weak ones became vassals to others; they raided and plundered each other, with strength as the only law. They fought like dogs over the most comfortable river valleys for farming. Today you steal a few hundred of my livestock, tomorrow I seize some of your tents. You killed my father, I killed your son. Often, old grudges had not yet faded before new ones were formed. Hatred and chaos had persisted across hundreds of valleys for over a thousand years.

And whenever an action involving all the Qiang was to take place, they first had to drink blood wine to dissolve their enmities — this procedure was absolutely indispensable.

"The Xianlian Qiang, fearing the General's mighty reputation and dreading an attack by the Wei army, dare not form the covenant in He-Huang. Instead, they will convene at Greater and Lesser Yu Valley."

Greater and Lesser Yu Valley was the richest and most fertile territory of the Western Qiang outside the He-Huang valley region. Protected to the north by the great river as a natural barrier and close to the fish and salt resources of the Western Sea (Koko Nor), it was suitable for growing grain and raising livestock. The Qiang tribes had shed much blood over it. The Xianlian Qiang's strength came precisely from being nourished by these two valleys, which gave them a large population.

That place was too far, beyond even Ma Yuan's reach. He could only press for more information. "Which tribes are taking part in the covenant assembly?"

"The Lejie, Dangjian, Dangtian, Fengyang, Laojie, and other tribes have all gone."

Ma Yuan's expression grew grim. This meant that virtually all the Qiang of the Huang region were participating, willing to acknowledge the Xianlian as "King of the Western Sea" — a title granted by Gongsun Shu, the White Emperor! Ma Yuan's fists clenched. His childhood friend had committed a monumental blunder that would stink for a thousand years!

"Even the Shaodang Qiang have gone."

The Shaodang Qiang had long lived in Dayun Valley north of the Yellow River. A small tribe of poor people, they had been bullied repeatedly by the neighboring Xianlian. Their attendance this time was under duress; if they did not go, the Xianlian would unite the other Qiang to destroy them as a warning to others.

But the Shaodang Qiang had also sent word to Ma Yuan with detailed information about the covenant assembly. Their chieftain was named Dianliang, a clever Qiang who was hedging his bets, paying court to both the Xianlian and Ma Yuan.

According to the Shaodang Qiang's intelligence, the various Western Qiang tribes, under the Xianlian's summons, were indeed slowly gathering and would converge in the Huang River basin by high summer.

Upon learning this intelligence, Ma Yuan also began mobilizing in Longyou. He first ordered the various military-agricultural outposts and fortified villages in Jincheng Commandery to strengthen their defenses, then conscripted the sons of good families from Tianshui, Anding, and Longxi into the army. A steady stream of Han and Rong cavalry converged on Jincheng County, ready at any moment to meet a Western Qiang incursion!

But strangely, although the Qiang had gathered tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry, they made no move against the isolated Jincheng commandery seat beyond the border, nor did they invade the Longyou frontier.

It was at this moment that Ma Yuan received an urgent plea from Hexi. "In the sixth month, the Xiongnu entered Juyan. From the Jianshui Jin Pass, they have raided our Jiuquan and Zhangye. The main force of the Right Worthy Prince's division has also broken into Wuwei Commandery from Xiutu Marsh along the Black River, besieging our city of Guzang, looting and pillaging on a massive scale! They have not withdrawn for a long time! General Ma, we beseech you to send aid quickly!"

According to Diwu Lun's division of military regions, Ma Yuan held overall command of Liang Province's military affairs, meaning Hexi theoretically also fell under his jurisdiction. His advisors and retainers all felt the Xiongnu had come with ill intent. They suggested ignoring the Western Qiang for now, using infantry to hold the defense, and taking advantage of the summer months when the Wushaoling Pass was still passable to send the "Liang Province Great Horses" — over ten thousand cavalry serving as a mobile force — to relieve Hexi.

"If Hexi falls, our dynasty's right arm will be severed. The Grand General bears full responsibility for Liang Province and must preserve it."

Yet Ma Yuan, staring at the map, sank into deep thought. In the end, he made a decision that no one could understand.

"Assemble the Liang Province Great Horses and send them all into Jincheng. Be ready at any moment to ride to the relief of Lingju!"

Lingju County lay in the northern part of Jincheng Commandery and was one of the few strongholds under the State of Wei's control.

The commanding officer currently at Lingju was the surrendered Longyou general, Niu Han.

This Colonel Niu, who had once contemplated a "feigned surrender," was now thoroughly disillusioned with Wei Ao, whom he had once served loyally.

Wei Ao's appearance was deceptive. He treated worthy men with courtesy and was well-versed in the Confucian classics, leading people to believe he was a figure like King Wen of Zhou. But ever since entering Shu, in order to curry favor with Gongsun Shu and to one day counterattack Longyou, Wei Ao had forgotten his homeland and its people, doing many things that harmed the powerful Longyou families.

Such as colluding with the Xianlian Qiang, recognizing them as "King of the Western Sea," and ceding Jincheng to the Qiang king to help him unite the Qiang tribes. The powerful Longyou families were, after all, Han people. Their ancestors had fought bitterly against the Qiang and Hu for centuries to achieve the present state of affairs. Although their customs and lifestyle had inevitably become somewhat Qiang-ized, in their hearts they were quite proud, considering themselves superior. And Jincheng was an inalienable part of Longyou.

No wonder that when Niu Han, confined in Chang'an by Diwu Lun, learned that Wei Ao had done such things, he was furious and cursed, "Wei Jijin has thrown away all face!"

After this incident, Niu Han quickly underwent a change of heart and no longer resisted working for Diwu Lun. It happened that Wu Han had made a complete mess of Longyou, and the Emperor had sent Ma Yuan to handle the disaster. Ma Yuan had long heard of Niu Han's name and proposed bringing him along to the new post. Considering Niu Han's familiarity with Qiang affairs and his many connections with the great chieftains of both the Western and Eastern Qiang, after an investigation and a probationary period, Diwu Lun generously appointed Niu Han as "Colonel for Protecting the Qiang."

Grateful to Ma Yuan for recommending him, Niu Han devoted himself wholeheartedly to the task, actively traveling among the Eastern and Western Qiang. That Longyou was able to turn from danger to safety was due in no small part to Colonel Niu's efforts.

But his efforts alone, after all, could hardly reverse the larger trend. The Qiang had never been pacified since the Former Han; they had merely been forcibly suppressed by the powerful Han army and generations of famous generals. Once the pressure eased, the Xianlian Qiang, who had once been driven into the high mountains and grasslands, returned.

It was against this backdrop that, at the end of the previous year, Ma Yuan had dispatched Niu Han to Lingju.

"We can ignore the western borders of Jincheng for now, but Lingju must be held! Do you know why, Ruqing?"

Niu Han was an old Longyou hand and naturally understood the place's importance. "Before Emperor Wu of Han, the Xiongnu controlled Hexi and crossed the Qilian Mountains to communicate with the various Qiang. Longyou was often attacked from both front and rear."

During the reigns of the three Chanyus — Modu, Laoshang, and Junchen — the Xiongnu Empire was at its zenith. From Korea in the east to Transoxiana in the west, all was Xiongnu sphere of influence. The Qiang were also their little helpers, following their Xiongnu masters in raiding Han territory and plundering slaves.

"It was not until the time of Emperor Wu of Han, when Cavalry General Huo defeated the Xiongnu's right flank and received the surrender of the Hunye and Xiutu kings, that the land was emptied and the Lingju Fortress was first built — precisely to sever the link between the Qiang and the Hu!"

The county seat of Lingju lay in a valley. Niu Han only needed to stand on the city wall and look north. Between the mountain ranges on either side lay a broad riverbed and jade-green waters. In high summer, the grass was a deep green, but this color gradually faded. As the altitude rose, the towering Qilian Mountains stretched across the horizon. Their lower half was covered in dense forest, the terrain undulating with soft lines. The upper half, due to the high altitude and long-lasting snow, could barely support vegetation and showed the bare, natural color of bluestone. Under the bright light of the afternoon sun, indigo blue and slate gray intermingled, the ridges sharp and clear, while the peaks were capped with year-round, never-melting snow.

And below the snow line was the vital communication route linking Hexi and Jincheng: the Sanjie Valley.

Lingju County was positioned right at the mouth of this valley. Whether the Hu came south or the Qiang went north, they had to pass this checkpoint.

After arriving at Lingju, Niu Han worked hard to win over the local tribes and encouraged the registered Han households who had lived there for generations to support the new court. But war, in the end, still came.

In the latter half of the sixth month of the fourth year of Wude, Niu Han saw, along the banks of the Wuting Inverse River, beacon fires rising from the southern watchtowers — but they were quickly extinguished, one after another falling. Soon, a dense mass of Qiang soldiers, along with Qiang cavalry bearing spears and clad in yak-hide armor, appeared before the city of Lingju.

"They came after all."

Niu Han was not overly surprised. He had long ago warned Ma Yuan, saying that now the Xiongnu were growing strong again and the various Qiang also wished to throw off the court's control. Once chaos erupted, Lingju would be the first to bear the brunt!

Why? The very name "Lingju" came from the fact that this was once a place where the Xianlian Qiang had lived!

They had been driven by the Han army from Lingju to Hehuang, and from Hehuang to Qinghai Lake and the highland meadows, but the Xianlian never forgot their ancestral land. Every few decades, they would stir up trouble, and as the most stubborn Qiang tribe, every thrust of their blades pointed straight at Lingju!

Niu Han did not know how many Qiang soldiers had come — ten thousand? Tens of thousands? Among the Qiang, where every able body was a warrior, such numbers were not exaggerated, yet within Lingju County there were only a mere three thousand garrison troops.

While ordering the drums beaten to summon the entire city's populace to assist in the defense, Niu Han thought to himself: "In the time of Han Wudi, the Xianlian Qiang and the Laojie Qiang resolved their feud and formed an alliance, joining forces with the Xiongnu to raise over a hundred thousand troops to attack Lingju. They were put down by General Li Xi of Beidi leading his forces."

"In the time of Han Xuandi, the Xianlian rebelled again and once more besieged Lingju. They were put down by Zhao Chongguo, a native of Lingju, serving as general."

"When the six commanderies face trouble, the sons of the six commanderies come to their aid — this is the custom. Now that the six commanderies have declined, and the heroes of Longyou have withered away following Wei Ao's defeat and flight, in Lingju's hour of peril, will anyone still come to its rescue?"

Though grateful to Ma Yuan, their bond was too shallow after all, and Niu Han did not dare to pin his hopes on this Grand General of the Agile Cavalry. At that moment, some Qiang who could speak Han tongue were shouting outside, saying: "The Xianlian King admires General Niu Han. Only open Lingju, and your safety shall be assured."

Niu Han flew into a rage. He simply drew his sword and looked at his pale-faced retainers and personal followers, barking his command:

"This old man has styled himself a hero, a man of valor and talent, dominating the frontier. Yet I have idled away decades — first disloyal to Han, then disloyal to Xin, and finally disloyal to Wei Ao. Shifting masters time and again, I have accomplished nothing."

"But no matter what, I still have my honor!"

Niu Han's beard and hair bristled with fury: "We were all born in Longyou and are loyal to this yellow earth. Though Lingju was once Qiang territory, it has long been a part of Longyou and must never be lost. Niu Han would rather die here than let the Qiang brigands have their way!"