Volume III: The Southern Expedition and Territorial Expansion Chapter 124: Sizhou City

The Liao tribes deep in the mountains remain primitive in their survival and production, relying primarily on the natural bounty of the mountains and rivers. The presence of rice paddies in the Jinzhou region indicates a progress in agricultural self-sufficiency. Through his guide, Wei Fufeng learned that rice had only been cultivated here for three years. He also discovered that Jinzhou is surrounded by mountains, with vast, flat terrain, abundant rainfall, sufficient sunshine, and a pleasant climate—ideal conditions for rice growth.

As a regional warlord, Wei Fufeng’s thoughts were largely consumed by how to consolidate his rule and strengthen his power. The foundation for this was a strong army and sufficient grain; grain ensures stability, which in turn supports a large army and capable generals. The territories Wei Fufeng controlled—southern Sichuan, Qianzhong, and Badong—were not fertile land for grain compared to Western Sichuan or Jingzhou.

The grain production in Junzhou, under the administration of Jinzhou, was relatively decent, but Junzhou sat on the strategic frontier, eyed greedily by many powerful warlords. Once the grain matured, wars of plunder could easily erupt. As for Langzhou and Yanzhou, they were plagued by perennial flooding. During Lei Man’s rule, the floods were never managed. Had Langzhou and Yanzhou been capable of producing abundant grain, Lei Man would not have had to constantly pillage the territory of Cheng Rui. Flood control cannot be achieved in the short term, and given the threat of hostile warlords, Wei Fufeng could not carry out large-scale water management. He could only maintain the status quo while performing small-scale projects to protect the harvest.

Wei Fufeng held no expectations for grain output from Langzhou and Yanzhou, but he had hopes for the Dongting Lake plain in the Tanzhou area. Tanzhou, the prefecture of Changsha, is a historical city that has drawn the attention of rulers throughout the ages because its geography is similar to that of Jingzhou or the Chengdu Plain. Wei Fufeng lacked the strength to seize the Chengdu Plain, and he had even begun contemplating a strategy of retreating south of the Great River. If he were to retreat one day and lose grain-producing regions like Luxian, Jiangyang, and Dazu, the consequence would be a severe shortage of food. Therefore, he needed to develop new sources of grain, focusing on the region south of the Great River—primarily Tanzhou, followed by Qianzhou, Yanzhou, and Langzhou.

His long-term vision involved continuing south to capture the Guiguan region and the Lingnan Circuit, establishing a territory that would secure access to sea salt, as the output from the Yun’an salt wells alone could not satisfy the vast demand. Wei Fufeng’s strategy for developing his power was unconventional; he sought to avoid war with the powerful warlords north of the Great River. The territory under Jinzhou served as a strategic depth and a frontier to block the powerful warlords of the Central Plains.

Deep within Jinzhou, seeing the land suitable for rice cultivation, Wei Fufeng was greatly tempted. However, he knew rationally that the cost of seizing it by force would outweigh the gains; the Liao tribes of the Qianzhong Circuit were stubborn and unruly, making them difficult to conquer. Since force was not an option, Wei Fufeng could only employ soft power. Along the journey, he had already formulated a strategy for infiltrating the Qianzhong Circuit: trade. He intended to use the Yuan River waterway to establish a trade route deep into the region.

The middle reaches of the Jin River were suitable for establishing a trade hub. The mountains and rivers of the Qianzhong Circuit held endless precious specialties, and the trade in medicinal herbs alone could generate massive profits. However, the Liao tribes were xenophobic and hostile toward outsiders. Establishing a bridgehead on the Jin River would inevitably meet with heavy resistance. Wei Fufeng needed to reach an alliance with a powerful Liao clan to use these local "ground snakes" to open the trade route.

Wei Fufeng’s party continued toward Sizhou. Although he harbored intentions of occupying the Jin River area, it was impossible to implement in the near future; his immediate focus was the capture of Tanzhou and the regions to its south. Six days later, they entered the territory of Sizhou. Four days after that, they arrived at the seat of Sizhou, Yanhe County. Before them lay the magnificent expanse of the Wu River, and a vast city stood by the riverbank. At the water gate outside the city, hundreds of boats were moored.

Wei Fufeng observed Yanhe County as he approached. It appeared ordinary, neither grand nor imposing, built primarily of stacked stone. The city walls were noticeably slanted and reached a height of seven or eight meters, while the gate towers were constructed of bamboo. The crudeness of Yanhe County exceeded his expectations. He had assumed that the Tian clan of Sizhou, as regional overlords, would reside in a place that displayed majesty and wealth, but in reality, it was inferior to the seat of Chenzhou, Yuanling County.

As they drew closer, Wei Fufeng’s eyes fixed on the guards at the gate, his expression turning grave. Although the city was crude, the defenses were tight. Hundreds of Liao warriors stood in formation along the walls, and dozens of armored soldiers stood at the gate. As they approached, without needing instructions from Wei Fufeng, his officers and guides went forward to communicate.

Wei Fufeng stopped to wait. It was impossible for the Tian clan not to have known of his arrival. The absence of a high-ranking official to greet him signaled the Tian clan’s hostility. However, the fact that his party reached Yanhe County safely also showed that the Tian clan did not wish to become bitter enemies. The lack of a formal welcome, combined with the display of tight defenses, was clearly intended to assert their power and intimidate him.

The officer returned to report that the Prefect of Sizhou was away, and the gate guards had gone to inform the Chief Clerk of Sizhou. Wei Fufeng understood immediately that the Prefect was intentionally avoiding him, leaving his subordinates to deal with his arrival. He waited patiently for a full half-hour before a middle-aged man wearing Liao-style clothing emerged.

Behind the man followed a youth and a maiden, both in Liao attire, holding scimitars in their right hands. Behind them were eight fierce-looking armored guards clutching blades. Wei Fufeng stepped forward to meet them. They stopped and exchanged salutes almost simultaneously. Wei Fufeng smiled and said, "I am Chu Yu, Prefect of Fuzhou, here on an uninvited visit."

The middle-aged man smiled and replied, "Governor Chu has traveled a long way. I apologize for the lack of a proper welcome. I am Tian Zhongmian, Chief Clerk of Sizhou."

Wei Fufeng smiled, "I am here under the orders of the Jiedushi to communicate with the Tian clan of Sizhou. Prefect Tian, may we enter the city to speak?"

"Of course you may enter, but the Prefect of Sizhou has gone to Feizhou on official business. A rebellion broke out among the Liao tribes there, and the Prefect went personally to suppress it. He will not be back for some time. Regarding the matters of communication, I dare not act on my own authority." The Chief Clerk flatly refused to engage in negotiations.

Wei Fufeng nodded calmly. "Since the Prefect is away, I can leave the conditions for our discussion for him to consider at his convenience."

The Chief Clerk nodded. "That is acceptable. Please, enter the city to talk."

Wei Fufeng nodded with a smile and walked into the city alongside the Chief Clerk. At a glance, the layout was chaotic and disorganized, filled with clusters of bamboo buildings, with a single, winding, narrow street running through the city. Wei Fufeng finally understood why Yanhe County was so much cruder than Yuanling: the culture of Sizhou was dominated by the customs of the Liao tribes. They were accustomed to living in bamboo stilt houses, whereas Yuanling had been deeply influenced by Han civilization. Although the ancestors of the Tian clan were Han officials who had risen to power, to become the dominant clan in Sizhou, they had to "follow the customs of the land" and assimilate into the Liao culture.

As they walked along the street, the Chief Clerk asked with a smile, "Governor Chu, I heard that the previous Prefect of Fuzhou was a man named Li Ji. He was the father-in-law of the Jiedushi, and now you have replaced him."

Wei Fufeng feigned surprise and replied, "Li Ji is still the father-in-law of the Jiedushi; the marital ties remain unbroken."

"Oh? How is it that I heard the Emperor issued an edict for Li Ji to annul the marriage? Does the Jiedushi dare to disobey an imperial decree?" the Chief Clerk asked calmly.

Wei Fufeng answered, "The Jiedushi would never defy the Emperor’s will. Li Ji had two daughters betrothed to the Jiedushi. The daughter by a concubine had already been by the Jiedushi's side for some time. The daughter by the primary wife was only betrothed, so that engagement was annulled in accordance with the decree. The Jiedushi and Li Ji remain son-in-law and father-in-law."

The Chief Clerk paused, "I see, so he was betrothed to two daughters."

Wei Fufeng continued, "The Jiedushi is a son of the Wei clan by a concubine. He originally had a marriage contract with Li Ji’s daughter by a concubine. Later, when the Jiedushi took control of southern Sichuan and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Fufeng, Li Xian, the elder brother of Li Ji, believed the concubine’s daughter was not a match for the Jiedushi. He insisted on the primary daughter marrying him. The concubine’s daughter became part of the dowry and came over to accompany the Jiedushi directly."

The Chief Clerk nodded. "Indeed, as a Marquis, the Jiedushi should have a primary wife of equal standing. I heard the Emperor, in order to appease the Jiedushi, granted a princess in marriage to the Marquis of Fufeng."

Wei Fufeng said, "The Jiedushi naturally accepted the Emperor’s gift. However, when I was drinking with him, I heard the Jiedushi say that in his heart, Li Ji’s daughter by the concubine remains his true wife."

The Chief Clerk shook his head. "The Princess should rightfully be the Jiedushi’s legitimate wife."

Wei Fufeng smiled. "Sizhou is far from Chang'an, yet your intelligence is remarkably well-informed, Chief Clerk."

The Chief Clerk smiled back. "Though the Tian clan is confined to the mountains, we have the Wu River waterway; our ears and eyes are naturally not blocked."

Wei Fufeng smiled. He had to show reverence to the Great Tang Emperor; if he were to show contempt for the Emperor or deny the imperial edict, the Tian clan of Sizhou could just as easily show contempt for his position as the Deputy Jiedushi of Qianzhong.

The group entered a compound of orderly bamboo buildings. Wei Fufeng was invited into a main hall, where they sat on the floor with bamboo tables set before them. The Chief Clerk sat in the seat of honor, while the youth and maiden sat across from Wei Fufeng. Eight servants stood in the hall. Such simple hospitality could easily be interpreted as a slight, but Wei Fufeng understood the customs of the Liao tribes—they were simply casual in their hosting.

Despite his understanding, he was well aware that the Tian clan was being disrespectful. As the Deputy Jiedushi of Qianzhong and Prefect of Fuzhou, he was their superior. Even if the Chief Clerk was the host, he should have shown courtesy by offering the seat of honor. Instead, he treated Wei Fufeng as an ordinary guest.

After they were seated, a servant brought tea. The Chief Clerk raised his bamboo cup toward Wei Fufeng and smiled, "Please, tea."

Wei Fufeng raised his cup, smiled in response, and took a sip. He then heard the Chief Clerk ask, "Is Governor Chu from a Marquis’s household?"

Wei Fufeng set his cup down and smiled, "I am from the Marquis of Qingyang’s household in Chang’an."

The Chief Clerk nodded. "The ancestors of our Tian clan were also enfeoffed as Dukes."

Wei Fufeng nodded and replied with a smile, "I have heard the Jiedushi speak of it. The ancestors of the Tian clan were enfeoffed as the Duke of Jinlong, Protector of the State, by the Emperor of the Sui, and served as the Grand Commander of the Governor’s Office during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang. And now, the Prefect of Sizhou holds the concurrent military title of Commissioner of the Righteous Army."