Chapter 470: You Did It on Purpose?

"I said long ago — letting Modu go unchecked is like releasing a tiger back into the mountains."

In early September, after returning to Yiqu City in Beidi Commandery, Heifu passed the intelligence gathered by the Juyan Fortress garrison to his Chief Clerk, Chen Ping.

Since the Yuezhi King was forced to open the Hexi Corridor the previous year, the Qin had pieced together that west of the Yuezhi and Wusun lay a vast expanse of land, which they named the Western Regions. The Western Regions are flanked by great mountains to the north and south, with a river running through the center — over six thousand li east to west and over two thousand li north to south, roughly half the size of the Qin Empire's territory, though sparsely populated, not even matching a single Qin commandery. In the desert oases there are walled city-states, while north of the Tianshan Mountains roam nomadic polities. So far, Wushi merchants have only reached Loulan and Ruoqiang and are preparing to push farther west in search of the fabled realm of the Queen Mother of the West...

According to the Yuezhi and Wusun, farther west beyond the Western Regions lies a small state called Kangju. The Kangju people are skilled traders who travel everywhere to conduct business, ranging across the entire Western Regions and even as far as the Yuezhi and the Xiongnu.

During the last war, the Qin army also captured a number of Kangju merchants who had been serving the Xiongnu Chanyu. They were used as intelligence brokers to gather information on the Xiongnu's situation after their northward retreat. These men were merchants through and through — given enough profit, they would sell out their own wives and children.

They sent back fragmented reports about the Xiongnu. For instance, the previous year, after Modu deceived the Yuezhi King and fled north into the desert wastes through the freezing wind, he immediately struck his own encampment, forced his stepmother to be buried alive with Touman, and arranged for his younger half-brother to die in a hunting accident, eliminating all future threats.

"According to the Kangju merchants on the government payroll, Modu rested for only a few months before dispatching troops in the spring and summer. He subjugated the Hunyu and Qushe tribes to the north, engaged the Dingling in battle, and seized a considerable number of their people and livestock."

The Qin knew nothing of the size or population of the Hunyu, Qushe, and Dingling — only that they lay north of the Xiongnu. Heifu guessed they were likely near what later ages would call Lake Baikal and the Yenisei River, also nomadic hunting tribes. Compared to the three steppe powers — the Donghu, Yuezhi, and Xiongnu — they were undoubtedly extremely weak.

The Xiongnu had been thrashed by the Qin army, losing a third of their able-bodied men and nearly all their best pastures. Their strength was now inferior even to the Yuezhi and Donghu, and making an enemy of them was inadvisable. But the rule of a cowardly and incompetent Chanyu could never last — so Modu's campaign was a military operation to cut his losses and assert his authority.

The Kangju merchants described how, after annihilating the Hunyu and Qushe and plundering the Dingling, Modu took not a single person or head of livestock for himself. He distributed everything to the Lan, Xubu, and Huyan clans — the three noble lineages that had suffered the heaviest losses in the Henan region the year before. The elders of the three clans all submitted, acclaiming Modu as a worthy ruler.

In this way, the unrest and turmoil among the northern Xiongnu were temporarily stabilized by this minor military victory. With the great Gobi as a shield, Modu could quietly lick his wounds.

Heifu, however, had no intention of letting Modu rest so easily. Over the past half year, he had repeatedly submitted memorials to the First Emperor proposing a "Northern Desert Campaign." This had sparked a protracted long-range war of words with Meng Tian, who advocated building a Great Wall as a permanent barrier...

In his memorials to Qin Shi Huang, Heifu wrote: "Plant virtue and it must spread; root out evil and it must be thorough. Though the Xiongnu have left the Juyan Marsh, they must not be allowed to recover. We should press our advantage and pursue the beaten foe. Dispatch chariot and cavalry forces north to strike the Xiongnu, raze their lairs and sweep their dens, sever Modu's head, and hang it from the palace gates of Xianyang! Once the Xiongnu are destroyed, the Yuezhi and all the states of the Western Regions will surely submit."

Meng Tian, however, submitted a memorial in opposition: "Though the Xiongnu suffered a great defeat, the Qin army also lost several thousand soldiers and over ten thousand horses. The Xiongnu are wounded and have fled far away, but the Qin likewise lack horses. Without several years of recuperation, we cannot campaign again. Moreover, the northern desert is a barren wasteland. A lone army advancing deep into it risks the Xiongnu waiting at ease to exhaust us. One misstep and the entire army could be wiped out! Better to have the commoners link the Qin, Yan, and Zhao Great Walls, use the river as our moat and the Yin Mountains as our barrier. Station troops to farm and garrison within the Wall, and guard the strategic passes with powerful crossbows — then the Xiongnu will never dare return south."

Heifu submitted another memorial: "Though the road is long, one will arrive if one keeps marching. Where the foe can go, so can we! Heifu is willing to enter the northern desert personally, using the Kangju merchants as guides, to ensure the Xiongnu have no chance to recover..."

Stirring as these slogans were, among the army's senior generals, few supported Heifu. Li Xin, needless to say, favored defending in the north while attacking in the west, concentrating efforts over the next few years on consolidating Jincheng in preparation for crossing the river to strike the Yuezhi and seize the Hexi Corridor.

The First Emperor was actually quite pleased by the differing opinions among his frontier generals. He deliberately let Heifu and Meng Tian argue through their memorials for the entire spring while he went off to inspect Ba and Shu. Upon his return, he had the court officials debate the matter.

The court was no different — opinion overwhelmingly opposed sending troops. Even the Commandant of Justice, Li Si, who had past grievances with the Meng clan, stepped forward to second Meng Tian's proposal:

"The Commandant of Beidi's words seek only personal merit and rank, disregarding the larger picture. The Xiongnu have no walled cities to dwell in, no stockpiles to defend. They migrate like birds, impossible to track. Moreover, they have already retreated three thousand li beyond the northern desert. A light force advancing deep would inevitably run out of provisions; if a large army carries its own grain, it will be too heavy to move. Transporting supplies from Guanzhong to the northern desert would require thirty dan of grain shipped for every five dan that arrive. Gaining their land brings no benefit to the state; capturing their people cannot register them as households. To attack across the northern desert is to exhaust the Central States and gratify the Xiongnu — no sound long-term strategy!"

Even Prince Fusu sent a letter from Xianyang to dissuade Heifu: "The Methods of Sima states: 'However great a state, if it loves war, it will surely perish.' Those who devote themselves to conquest and exhaust themselves in military affairs — none have failed to regret it. I urge the Commandant-General to think thrice..."

Amid this overwhelming consensus at court, Heifu stubbornly held his ground. This was what baffled his chief strategist Chen Ping the most. Though Chen Ping knew that Modu was no mediocre ruler and that leaving him unchecked would indeed sow future trouble, why did Heifu have to be so obstinate, even at the cost of opposing the entire court?

"Unless..."

Chen Ping stole a glance at Heifu, who looked somewhat dejected after the First Emperor rejected his memorial, and thought to himself: "Unless the Commandant is doing this on purpose!"

Chen Ping was not the only clever person to notice something odd in Heifu's actions — Ye Zijin saw it too.

Her husband might be a veteran military man, but his nature had always been cautious and prudent. He would hold steady and never take reckless risks. The previous year, when he proposed the strike on Juyan Marsh, he had strongly backed Li Xin as commander-in-chief. Why had he suddenly changed his tune this year, acting as if he were ready to die for the state and be wrapped in a horsehide shroud? The court took it at face value, but Ye Zijin refused to believe it for a second.

That day, after the Emperor rejected his memorial, Heifu was in excellent spirits. He set aside his official duties and returned home, where — in stark contrast to his gloomy demeanor at the office — he hummed little tunes, whittled a wooden horse for his son in broad daylight and played games with him, and after nightfall, spent a long, tender half of the night with his wife...

Afterward, Ye Zijin finally seized the chance to ask her husband: "This year, you've gone against your usual character and vigorously advocated striking beyond the frontier. Aside from worrying that Modu Chanyu might recover and grow powerful, is there perhaps another hidden reason?"

Heifu looked at his wife. They had been married four years now; the novelty of her lovely face had long since faded, and at this point, the advantages of having a clever wife stood out. When Heifu was away, she could manage the household for him, maintain close ties with the families of the commandery's officials, and give small favors to the wives of subordinates — handling the diplomacy of the lady's chamber quite skillfully. She had also taken the lead in knitting woolen garments, making it the most fashionable pursuit among Qin women in Beidi Commandery and supplementing military supplies.

And when Heifu was home, she could, from time to time, offer him a timely hint, helping him notice certain political subtleties.

So Heifu said: "When dealing with the Xiongnu, His Majesty wanted the frontier generals to work together with one heart. But now that the Xiongnu have fled far away and the great enemy is gone, if the frontier generals — who hold heavy military power — remain in perfect harmony, calling each other brothers... is that something His Majesty would like to see?"

"So you deliberately proposed a plan that Meng Tian and Li Xin were bound to oppose, and that His Majesty and the court could never support?"

Ye Zijin understood. So Heifu's seemingly stubborn actions were still doing what the Emperor was pleased to see — proactively stirring dissent among rivals.

But that way, the Emperor would be happy — what benefit was it to Heifu?

Heifu sighed. "Since last year, His Majesty's intent to elevate the Meng clan has been abundantly clear. He appointed Meng Tian as Governor of Shuofang Commandery, giving him sole authority over both military and civil affairs and making him the chief of the frontier generals. As for me, I merely remain Commandant of Beidi, only with my jurisdiction extended to Helan."

Though to outsiders, the Emperor still trusted and valued Heifu, Heifu himself sensed that Qin Shi Huang was subtly, deliberately holding him back.

At best, perhaps he feared that Heifu, young yet highly placed, would repeat Li Xin's downfall.

At worst, the Emperor was deliberately ensuring that Meng Tian always kept Heifu in check, while Li Xin and Heifu chased after Meng Tian — creating a delicate balance.

"Furthermore, His Majesty has resolved to adopt Meng Tian's strategy: building the Great Wall in the north and halting attacks on the Xiongnu. As for the campaign against the Yuezhi, Li Xin of Longxi Commandery will certainly lead it. Beidi will at most send a few thousand auxiliary troops to assist — I won't even have the chance to personally go on campaign. In that case, no matter how well I manage the military farms, I'll hardly have any opportunity to distinguish myself and earn merit."

If he were allowed to quietly farm in Beidi and cultivate a new core of loyal followers, Heifu would be happy enough. But the Qin system would never give a frontier commandant that kind of opportunity. If he contentedly toiled away for six or seven years, only to be transferred away by a single slip of paper at the most critical moment — then he would truly have no tears left to weep.

"Though they say a cunning rabbit has three burrows, when it comes to shelters, the more the better. Rather than stubbornly clinging to one corner, I'd be better off digging a few extra holes while there's still time..." Heifu mused to himself.

Better to leave early than late. With the calendar about to enter the thirty-first year of Qin Shi Huang's reign, Heifu knew that the historical moment when "the ashes of the pit were not yet cold and Shandong rebelled" was only six or seven years away.

It was time for him to go and see the heart of that coming storm — the Guandong region.

Moreover, from the secret messages that Neishi Teng had been passing to him, Heifu knew that with the Xiongnu fled north and the Yuezhi campaign still years away, the First Emperor's focus over the next few years would also shift to Guandong...

A grand eastern inspection tour and the feng and shan sacrifices were likely to happen the very next year!

So Heifu had thought it through and said with a smile: "By now, the foundation for military farming in Beidi Commandery has been firmly laid. It only needs a man of middling competence to manage it, and it will proceed smoothly. So, I want to take up a post elsewhere."

The black hound's duty of leading Qin's westward expansion was complete. Next, it was time to watch that white horse...

"If I am transferred away from Guanxi, His Majesty will surely compensate me by making me governor of a major commandery. And once the danger of internal-external collusion is gone, he might even let my father-in-law — whose seniority has long been sufficient — enter the Nine Ministers..."

"Where will you be transferred?"

Ye Zijin's expression was one of wherever you go, I go. In fact, being able to leave the bitterly cold Beidi and let their son grow up in the Central Plains would make her even happier.

Heifu smiled. "Soon. His Majesty will certainly ask me that very question on purpose — and I've already thought of how to answer!"

Heifu's prediction was correct. After Heifu and Meng Tian clashed in opinion and the court chose to back Meng Tian, Heifu's tenure as Commandant of Beidi had reached its end.

In mid-September, Qin Shi Huang issued a special edict to Heifu, but it made no mention whatsoever of his dispute with Meng Tian. It merely noted that the Qin officials recently sent to Guandong were deeply corrupt, and that "bandits" frequently sprang up in the region. Since the Xiongnu had fled far away and the campaigns against the Yuezhi and to open the Western Regions were still years off, and the northern frontier was quiet, he wished to send Heifu to Guandong as a commandery governor — "to shepherd a region in my stead."

He also asked Heifu, half in jest: "Which place would you like?"

On the first day of the first month of the thirty-first year of Qin Shi Huang (the first day of the tenth month by the lunar calendar), Heifu's reply to the First Emperor arrived at Xianyang Palace.

The Emperor broke the seal and read it. Between the lines, Heifu showed not a trace of resentment, and at the end, he had written a line so sincere that even the Emperor was moved:

"Your servant is but a brick of the Great Qin — wherever needed, there I shall be moved!"

Qin Shi Huang could not help but praise him:

"Good Heifu — truly a brick and stone of the nation! Let him serve as a governor, temper himself for a few years, and in ten or twenty years, he will be fit not only to command armies but also to serve as Chancellor!"

PS:

In former times, the Qin Emperor, relying on the might of successive victories, devoured the realm like a silkworm, swallowed the warring states, and united all within the seas into one — an achievement equal to the Three Dynasties. Obsessed with victory and never resting, he wished to attack the Xiongnu. Li Si remonstrated, saying: "It must not be done. The Xiongnu have no walled cities to dwell in, no stockpiles to guard; they migrate like birds in flight, difficult to catch and control. If light troops penetrate deep, provisions will surely be cut off; if you haul grain as you march, the burden is too heavy to be of use. Gaining their land brings no profit worth having, and encountering their people, you cannot conscript them to hold it. To be victorious means you must slaughter them — that is not the way of a father and mother to the people. Exhausting and ruining the Central States to gratify the heart against the Xiongnu is no long-term strategy." — Zhufu Yan, "Remonstrance Against Attacking the Xiongnu"

(End of Chapter)