Chapter 648: Director of the Ministry of Rites

Luo Rucai was a bit slow in bringing his troops into Xi'an Prefecture.

To be precise, it wasn't that Luo Rucai was slow — after receiving the transfer order at Baoji, he first had to hand over his defense zone to Li Wanqing's battalion, which belonged to the same brigade, before leading his troops toward Xi'an Prefecture.

And another person arrived at Xi'an too quickly, making Luo Rucai seem slow.

This other person was the Prince of Han from Pingliang Prefecture.

Liu Chengzong had seen a messenger from Yan'an Garrison the day before, saying the Prince of Han had left his princely fief and was coming to Xi'an Prefecture to pay respects to the Great King.

That very night he sent a man with a verbal message granting permission, and on the third day he met His Highness the Prince of Han, who had traveled day and night.

Huayan Temple on Shaoling Plain south of Xi'an Prefecture City sat on much higher ground than the city itself, overlooking the entire siege encampment, and now served as Liu Chengzong's field headquarters.

The man escorting the Prince of Han along the way was Shi Wanzhong, formerly a battalion commander of Yan'an Garrison, who halted his troops at Xianyang upon entering Xi'an Prefecture and brought a squad up onto Shaoling Plain.

When Shi Wanzhong arrived at the field headquarters, Liu Chengzong was having two Feathered Forest Guards hold up a banner for display.

The battle report of the Tianshan Army and Khu Urluk's camp capturing Tomsk had already been delivered to Xi'an Prefecture by the Tianshan administration via relay stations and fast horses along the route.

His elder brother Liu Chengzu's letter was the same as always — first mentioning the difficulties of the Tianshan Army being diluted by marriages among the Oirat, followed by lengthy military intelligence: enemy armaments, tactics, equipment, living habits, how to fight them, and so on.

After that came a letter from Zhou Riqiang.

Zhou Riqiang was still brimming with enthusiasm, so much so that Liu the Lion felt the Salted Fish Workshop Master was even more passionate now than when they had retaken Hami.

In his letter he requested permission to recruit Forest People, Oros prisoners of war, and Oirat nomads to establish the Taimeng Garrison, and at the same time set up an armory bureau to manufacture three-eyed guns at Taimeng Garrison.

Liu the Lion was naturally happy to see this happen, and to address the problem of mutually unintelligible writing in the war zone between the two armies, he even specially had an army painter make a garrison banner for Taimeng Garrison.

The banner was very simple — in the center, a black-tasseled bowl helmet, with a goose-quill saber and a golden melon hammer crossed beneath.

These three items were practically the signature cold weapons of the Marshal's Army.

Shi Wanzhong was still very warm when he saw Liu Chengzong, dropping to his knees in salute the moment they met: "Young Master, by General Ren's order, I have brought the Prince of Han."

He was originally from a farming family in Suide; when drought drove them to flee to Fushi, Old Master Liu took them in as tenant farmers.

Later he was placed into Yan'an Garrison, serving under the fierce general Yang Yanchang as a company commander, fighting his way up through merit, nearly killing the great Yan'an bandit Liu Chengzong several times, and eventually rising to the rank of battalion commander.

So Liu the Lion took no offense at the address "Young Master," leaving the Prince of Han, who was in the middle of saluting, standing to the side while he had a good chat with Shi Wanzhong.

He asked about the situation of the Yan'an Garrison troops stationed in Pingliang Prefecture, and also spoke of his father's recent condition, before finally letting Shi Wanzhong go rest and turning his gaze to the Prince of Han, his face full of vexation.

Because he was a bit baffled by the Prince of Han suddenly running out from Pingliang.

"Your Highness, please sit. What brings you out of your princely fief?"

The Prince of Han had changed considerably in the years since they last met; the green, boyish air he once had was gone, and his salute was full of noble grace — he looked much more mature.

But as soon as he straightened up, stepped forward two paces, and lifted both hands inside the large sleeves of his subtly patterned Daoist robe, that long-lost sense of familiarity came rushing back to Liu the Lion's mind.

"Great King, you are as imposing as ever!"

Utterly fawning — it was His Highness the Prince of Han, no doubt about it.

The Prince of Han took his seat, then leaned slightly toward Liu Chengzong and said, "This little prince heard that the Grand Marshal has besieged Xi'an Prefecture City, yet Chen Qiyu and Lian Guoshi inside stubbornly refuse to surrender. I was burning with rage and wished to come offer my humble efforts to the Great King, to see if I might persuade them to yield!"

Liu Chengzong couldn't help laughing at his earnest manner: "Your Highness has such a skill?"

Without waiting for the Prince of Han to protest, he cut straight to the point: "I think Your Highness was simply stifled to death inside Pingliang City and wanted an excuse to run out and have some fun, am I right?"

The Prince of Han gave a sheepish grin and cupped his hands: "The Great King's eyes are like blazing torches!"

That was indeed part of it — he had long wanted to get out of Pingliang City and enjoy himself.

But there was another reason: ever since Ren Quan'er had garrisoned troops in Pingliang Prefecture, he could not bear staying in that city a single day longer.

Pingliang was anything but peaceful. Ming troops routed by Liu Chengzong in Guanzhong were fleeing north in scattered bands, and the ten thousand troops of Yan'an Garrison and Yan'an Battalion were a motley assortment, tasked with blocking the Ming court's routed soldiers — they were fighting battles, killing people, and setting fires practically every day.

Either they were intercepting Ming troops, or the deserters and pursuers from the two reinforced main camps were fighting each other.

After all, the force under Ren Quan'er and Yang Yanchang was nominally two battalions, but actually included elements of Guanning troops, Zhen'gan troops, and Pingliang troops — it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it five understrength battalions.

With such a mixed force composition, soldiers coming from all directions, and officers who had long served within the Ming court, the army's thinking was in chaos — one moment a squad leader would take his men and run off with the Ming troops, the next a Ming squad leader would bring his men to surrender; no strange occurrence was surprising.

Fortunately, with Ren Quan'er and Yan'an Garrison standing there like a divine pillar calming the seas, there were no major disasters, only a constant stream of minor ones.

And in this turbulent period, the Prince of Han's sense of crisis was extremely acute.

With the Marshal's Army's eastern campaign, it was only a matter of time before Liu Chengzong took all of Shaanxi, and the external environment facing the Han princely fief had undergone earth-shaking changes.

This was mainly because Liu Chengzong's circumstances had changed.

In the past, when Liu Chengzong was in Hehuang or even Xining, the Prince of Han had felt perfectly safe.

Because the Han fief's cooperation with the Marshal's headquarters was very close — Pingliang Prefecture was the Marshal Army's transit hub for communicating with their old home in northern Shaanxi.

The Prince of Han could just lie back in Pingliang Prefecture and enjoy the Marshal's headquarters' protection.

But now that Liu Chengzong had taken most of Shaanxi, and pacifying the entire territory was only a matter of time, a problem arose.

The Prince of Han and Liu the Lion were old acquaintances, and his pair of eyes were like a demon-revealing mirror — he could see Liu Chengzong's true form at a glance: a money bag come to life.

So he was certain that once Liu Chengzong occupied Shaanxi, he would not be issuing him any stipend rice.

That meant the Han princely fief would go from being a neutral transit hub cum mascot to becoming a burden on the Marshal's headquarters.

This was a price the Prince of Han absolutely could not accept, because becoming a burden really would get him killed.

The Marshal's headquarters was not just Liu Chengzong alone — even if Liu Chengzong didn't want to kill him, someone else would.

As the transit hub chief, no one would defy Liu Chengzong, but once he became a burden on Liu Chengzong's back, the situation would be different.

So the real purpose of his frantic five-hundred-li dash from Pingliang to Xi'an this time was to do everything in his power to make his presence felt at the Marshal's headquarters and cling tightly to Liu Chengzong's thigh.

But Liu Chengzong clearly wasn't paying that much attention to the Prince of Han's little calculations — there were too many people whose shoes he needed to put himself in, and the Prince of Han, who was obviously no threat, was not among them.

He simply assumed the Prince of Han was pleasure-seeking and curious about the outside world, so he smiled and said, "Military affairs here are too busy — I'm afraid I won't be able to look after Your Highness. If you want to have some fun, I'll have a Feathered Forest Guard write you a travel pass so you can go sightseeing in Lanzhou and Hehuang. Don't go running around northern Shaanxi or Guyuan — it's chaos out there."

"No need, this little prince isn't that fond of fun!"

The Prince of Han shook his head like a rattle-drum and quickly said, "I just want to stay by the Grand Marshal's side and broaden my horizons. I'm still a prince, after all — surely the field headquarters will have some use for me?"

Only at this point did Liu Chengzong finally look at the Prince of Han with real seriousness: "You... came here this time because you have business with me. Did you kill someone and set a fire in Pingliang?"

The Prince of Han choked for a moment, knowing that Liu Chengzong's remark about killing and arson was a joke — General Ren Quan'er, who was garrisoned in Pingliang, couldn't go three sentences without mentioning his superior, and he figured Liu Chengzong knew every blade of grass in Pingliang Prefecture like the back of his hand.

He pondered for a moment, then asked, "What are the Grand Marshal's plans for Pingliang Prefecture?"

Liu Chengzong did not answer immediately, because he felt the Prince of Han was not asking about Pingliang Prefecture.

He had no particular plans for Pingliang Prefecture. At present, Pingliang Prefecture was supplying provisions for the four divisions under Ren Quan'er, Yang Yanchang, Zhang Shangxuan, and Zu Chengyong — ten thousand troops in all — and that was already enough for him.

In fact, because Pingliang Prefecture could barely keep such an enormous army fed and clothed, he had not even sent any demands or added any further burdens to Pingliang Prefecture to this day.

At most, he had sent orders to Ren Quan'er, instructing Yang Yanchang, Zhang Shangxuan, and Zu Chengyong's three divisions to attempt military farming.

But that was only an attempt — after all, grain planted in the ground today does not sprout tomorrow.

For the affairs of Pingliang Prefecture, the person he truly needed to rely on was still the Prefect, Jiang Yingchang.

Jiang Yingchang was an old acquaintance. In his early years he had been the magistrate of Heshui County. Liu Chengzong had met him when he stormed Heshui County. He was a decent official.

Come to think of it, Jiang Yingchang really had him to thank for being able to become Prefect of Pingliang.

Before Liu Chengzong went to Heshui, Jiang Yingchang's standing in Heshui County was just like Yang Yanchang's in Yan'an Garrison — an official seal on legs.

Jiang Yingchang had become magistrate only because the common people had begged for an official. Before that, he was merely the instructor of Anhua County in Qingyang Prefecture, a scholar by examination background.

After taking office, all power in the county was held by powerful families; he had none of a county magistrate's authority whatsoever.

It was only when Lion Liu breached the city and passed through, sweeping away the grain merchants who had driven up rice prices and monopolized the markets, the powerful princely sons-in-law who relied on the princely estate, and the retired officials colluding in villainy, that Jiang Yingchang truly grasped real power in the county.

Relying on the aged grain and valuables that Lion Liu could not take with him, he stabilized the county's situation, drilled the militia to guard against bandits, and instructed the residents in military farming, earning Yang He's recognition.

Soon after, the Prefect of Pingliang Prefecture was killed by the Golden Cicada set up by Luo Rucai and Yang Chengzu. At the time, Liu Chengzong had even handled the funeral in Pingliang City — a very grand affair.

Now, thinking back, Liu Chengzong suspected that Jiang Yingchang had been able to take the seat of Pingliang Prefect largely thanks to the opportunity that, right after Liu Chengzong had led his troops westward, no one else dared to take up the post in Pingliang Prefecture.

Of course, the Chongzhen Emperor's virtue of employing men without rigid conventions also had to be mentioned.

Chongzhen had no shortage of flaws, but in employing men he truly disregarded background, unconstrained by those rigid rules and restrictions, raising men solely on merit.

From this angle, for Jiang Yingchang, a mere scholar-background magistrate, to be promoted beyond his rank to Prefect — Chongzhen had shown him the grace of recognition and patronage.

For this reason, Liu Chengzong was unwilling to push Jiang Yingchang too hard and force him to make a choice of allegiance.

If he pushed him to his death, that would be counterproductive.

He much preferred to use a gentle approach, similar to the one used with Zuo Maodi in Hancheng. In any case, his troops were already stationed in Pingliang, and the great trend of Shaanxi bearing the Liu name could not be reversed. Influencing him subtly and gradually would be enough.

Liu Chengzong raised his eyebrows and asked the Prince of Han, "What Your Highness wishes to ask about is the Han princely estate, is it not? If you wish to return to the Great Ming, I will permit you to pack up your household possessions and move into Hancheng. How about that?"

Having said this, he added one more line: "Do not think I lack sincerity. The Shaanxi Governor Lian Guoshi is still lying in Wuguan Pass. My men delivered him there, but the funeral escort simply could not leave Wuguan. The plague in Henan and Shanxi is raging fiercely. Letting you cross the Yellow River would be harming you."

The Prince of Han leaned back and drew a deep breath. He could not shake the feeling that Liu Chengzong was underestimating his intelligence.

Of course, the underestimation was understandable. Liu Chengzong had played everyone in the Northwest so thoroughly that they were all docile and obedient. The Prince did not consider himself more intelligent than Liu Chengzong either.

But the underestimation was a bit too severe.

He knew perfectly well that Liu Chengzong would not harm him. With Liu Chengzong's military might, crushing him would be as simple as crushing an ant. If he had wanted to harm him, he would have done so long ago; there was no need to wait until now.

The problem was, what use would throwing this little prince into Hancheng be? Sooner or later, it would still become territory of the Marshal's Headquarters.

Surely you don't think the Prince of Han belongs in Hancheng just because of the name?

Those are two different Han states, after all.

The "Han" of the Ming dynasty's Han princely estate came from the Han Marquisate, when King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed the Ji-surname nobles and established the Han Marquisate in Kaiyuan, making its ruler the Chief of the Eastern Yi.

The "Han" of Hancheng, on the other hand, came after the Han Marquisate was attacked and destroyed by the Joseon state founded by Jizi, the uncle of King Zhou of Shang. The descendant of the Han Marquisate, Ji Wuzi, fled to the state of Jin to serve as a household minister and was enfeoffed with Hanyuan. Later, the Partition of Jin into Three States occurred, and the state of Han was established.

Apart from sharing the character "Han," Hancheng had absolutely nothing to do with his princely estate.

"I will not cross the Yellow River. I will just..."

The Prince of Han spoke with a troubled expression, glancing at Liu Chengzong, then lowering his head with evasive eyes. Only after a long while did he lift his head and say, "I will just follow the Grand Marshal. If the Grand Marshal would grant me an official post, I would have a place. Otherwise, I am uneasy."

Liu Chengzong understood.

He fully comprehended the Prince of Han's worries.

At least up to this point, the Marshal's Headquarters' treatment of the Ming imperial clan was still kept at a relatively low level of severity.

This had much to do with Liu Chengzong personally. He had never consciously executed one or several princes or commandery princes to augment his own authority.

Because he only cared about practical results. He only wanted good things.

Money, grain, people, land — as for the lives of the Ming imperial clan, especially the lives of princes and commandery princes... if they were taken, so be it; if they remained, so be it. He was indifferent.

They were of no great use anyway.

But by now, the Han princely estate had become one of the problems the Marshal's Headquarters needed to resolve.

Liu Chengzong was handling too many matters at the moment and originally could not spare attention for the Han princely estate. However, now that the Prince of Han had come, he happened to want to hear the Prince's thoughts as well.

He said, "In the past, the stipends for the Han princely estate were issued by Shaanxi?"

"Yes. From Defender of the State down to the daughters of Lieutenant Commanders, nearly three thousand people. Each quarter, Shaanxi was supposed to allocate over twenty thousand taels..."

As he spoke, the Prince of Han carefully watched Liu Chengzong's eyes. Seeing an expression that clearly showed he had no intention of paying, he hurriedly added, "But it never needed that much. Shaanxi was often twenty or thirty quarters in arrears."

"Twenty or thirty... quarters?"

Liu Chengzong carefully pondered that span of time and thought to himself: the imperial clan really was close to the Great Ming.

The soldiers here could barely hold on when their pay was thirty-some months in arrears, yet the imperial clan could endure thirty-some quarters.

No wonder... As Liu Chengzong thought this, he realized something was off and said, "Then what about the Golden Cicada? He was so starved he rose in revolt. How could your Han princely estate have three thousand people?"

"Grand Marshal, there truly were that many. When the Golden Cicada rebelled, many clansmen died, but a great many daughters of the clan's lesser branches were in the city. It was nearly three thousand before; now it is only about two thousand."

As he spoke, the Prince of Han spread his hands and said, "But there are also those from the Su princely estate. Right now, there are quite a lot of impoverished clansmen in Pingliang City without food or clothing."

"Granting you an official post or noble rank is easy, but so many people..."

As Liu Chengzong spoke, an idea formed in his mind. He looked at the Prince of Han as if beholding some rare commodity and clicked his tongue in wonder. "It seems I actually do have a position suited for you. In a moment, go meet the Marshal's Headquarters' Minister of Rites, Zhang Xianzhong. How about serving as a Secretary in the Bureau of Ceremonial Regulations under the Ministry of Rites?"

"As for the Han princely estate, establish an office under the Bureau of Ceremonial Regulations specifically to manage the imperial clansmen. Start with the Han princely estate. For those with talent or livelihood skills, recommend them freely. Those without shall become commoners. As for the clan daughters who are unmarried, you will also be responsible for selecting husbands for them, so they may establish families soon."

"For the selection, prioritize the Tianshan Army. The Tianshan Army has land and money, but that region lacks civilizing influence. The clan daughters may have no other skills, but they at least carry the air of nobility. The Oirats go for that sort of thing."

"Also, the court owes your clan so much money. Is your Golden Cicada brother dead or not?"

The Prince of Han's mind was still reeling from the barrage of Liu Chengzong's resettlement measures for the former dynasty's imperial clan. Hearing the question, he shook his head reflexively and said, "He is in Ningzhou, living as a mountain king."

"Perfect that he is not. Send someone to contact him, and any clansmen of the Han princely estate willing to serve as soldiers. Once this Xi'an Prefecture city is breached, join forces with the clansmen of the Qin princely estate who are willing to serve and draw rations, and form a battalion. See whether they would rather go demand repayment from the Great Ming, or go open up land in the Tianshan range."

Lion Liu shook his head as he spoke: "Anyway, the Marshal's Manor doesn't keep idle hands — everyone has to work for me!"