Volume Two: Grandfather and Grandson, Lord and Vassal Chapter Thirty-Five: The Military Governor of Qianzhong

Xiaoxue sat at the bedside, her delicate eyes gazing tenderly at Wei Fufeng, her small hand gently holding the yellow silk bundle. That yellow silk bundle contained the imperial decree for conferring a marquisate. The young lord had promised her the honor of a noble title; though she could not be his principal wife, she would gain the esteemed status of a titled lady.

Wei Fufeng pondered in silence for a long time, then muttered to himself, “The disaster of Pang Xun... Yes, I must not repeat the calamity of Pang Xun. As long as I keep my promise and give the soldiers hope to endure, they will naturally be willing to bear hardship.”

The so-called disaster of Pang Xun occurred several decades ago—a large-scale military upheaval. The Tang court had waged war on Nanzhao, conscripting three thousand soldiers from the Xu and Si prefectures to garrison Guilin. The court promised these three thousand soldiers that after three years of garrison duty, they would be allowed to return home.

Yet, when the three years were up, the court broke its promise and failed to send replacements. The soldiers in Guilin endured another three years, but still were not permitted to return. At last, the three thousand soldiers mutinied, following the grain official Pang Xun as their leader, leaving Guilin for home.

The court sent troops to suppress them, but failed; driven to despair, the returning soldiers rebelled outright, and upon reaching their homeland, called up tens of thousands to join the insurrection.

The disaster of Pang Xun caused tremendous damage to the Tang dynasty’s rule. The court, in panic, summoned the northern Shatuo people to suppress Pang Xun’s forces, and only then were they destroyed.

During that turmoil, Li Keyong and his father distinguished themselves in battle and were appointed as Commander of Zhenwu, granted the Tang imperial surname Li—whereas Li Keyong had originally been of the Zhuye clan from the steppes.

Later, the disaster of Huang Chao erupted. Li Keyong led the Shatuo cavalry to defeat Huang Chao’s army and earned the position of Commander of Hedong for his great merit.

Thus, Li Keyong twice aided the Tang court in quelling rebellion, a true and loyal servant of the throne.

Wei Fufeng understood the causes and consequences of the Pang Xun disaster and resolved to learn from it, making his choice: to keep his promise and allow the first group of soldiers to return to Luzhou.

The second group would replace the first, and once the third group arrived, the second could also return to Luzhou, regardless of their location. Every two months the rotation would cycle; Wei Fufeng believed the soldiers could endure, for they were military men and deployment in times of war was reasonable.

The only disadvantage was the unfamiliarity that might impede command, but with a thousand soldiers, chaos should not be excessive.

Having settled the matter of rotating troops, Wei Fufeng also carefully considered the risks of transporting grain. On his first grain transport, he used Yang Fugong’s banner and traveled smoothly; but now, having met the Emperor, it was clear the Emperor and Yang Fugong were at odds.

Would Yang Fugong now order the forces of Shu to seize the grain?

This must not go unguarded. Wei Fufeng thought of Master Yan, sending a man to Ziwu Town to fetch ten stone of grain and deliver it to Yan’s residence.

The soldier delivering the grain invited Master Yan to discuss affairs of state.

Master Yan accepted, meeting at the East Market’s warehouse. After courteous formalities, Wei Fufeng requested that Master Yan present himself to the Emperor, explaining the crisis of grain seizures in Shu, stating that he had declared loyalty to His Majesty, which would surely anger the Chief Minister Yang Fugong.

To ensure the tribute grain reached Chang’an, they must avoid the domains of the Commander of Longjian and the Western Shannan Circuit.

Instead, they would transport it by the Great River to Ezhou (Wuhan), then by the Han River to Shangjin County, and finally through Wuguan Road to Chang’an.

However, the Fuzhou section of the Great River was impassable, occupied by remnants of the rebel Qin Zongquan. He requested His Majesty’s permission for the troops of southern Sichuan to campaign against the rebels and open the grain route.

...

Master Yan proceeded to Daming Palace to present Wei Fufeng’s request to Emperor Zhaozong.

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Emperor Zhaozong, upon hearing this, showed a trace of displeasure and said coolly, “When he met me, he spoke of the disloyalty among the officials and tribes of Qianzhong, now he says the remnants of Qin’s rebels block Fuling. His intent is nothing more than to seize Qianzhong.”

“Your Majesty, the fact that Qian Prefecture is occupied by Qin’s rebel remnants is true. Marquis Fufeng says the greatest threat to southern Sichuan comes from Western Shannan. Currently, southern Sichuan has only taken charge of Luzhou, Rongzhou, and Changzhou. Yuzhou is controlled by the Inspector Yang Hui. If the Commander of southern Sichuan can occupy Fuzhou, it will be a strategic stronghold to resist the advance of Western Shannan,” Master Yan explained.

Emperor Zhaozong pondered and said, “The remnants of Qin’s rebels occupying Qian Prefecture were originally the force of Qin left in Jiangling Prefecture, defeated by Cheng Yi and forced to flee to Qian Prefecture. Cheng Yi has submitted memorials about this, saying he will continue to eradicate the remnants.”

“Your Majesty, Jiangling Prefecture was originally a prosperous region. If Cheng Yi continues to hold Qian Prefecture, it will become a grave threat in time,” Master Yan advised.

“The Commander of southern Sichuan advancing on Qian Prefecture may have the intention but not the strength; the outcome may be one of neglecting one thing for another,” Emperor Zhaozong shook his head.

“Your Majesty, I believe that even if the Commander of southern Sichuan holds Luzhou, it will not last. I suspect he is seeking a way out, setting his sights on the lands of the tribes,” said Master Yan.

Emperor Zhaozong thought for a moment and nodded, “You speak with reason. Since the Commander of southern Sichuan has declared his loyalty to me, I shall appoint him... yes, I appoint Marquis Fufeng as Commander of Qianzhong, and issue a decree for him to suppress the remnants of Qin’s rebels.”

...

Two days later, Master Yan delivered to Wei Fufeng the imperial decree appointing him to suppress the rebels, the official seal of the Commander of Qianzhong, and a set of third-rank purple official robes.

Wei Fufeng joyfully thanked him, though Master Yan also brought news of a negative consequence: the annual tribute of grain was increased by ten thousand stone.

Wei Fufeng inwardly complained that the Emperor was shrewd in calculation; the title of Commander of Qianzhong was only a dignified name, with no real power to seize Qian Prefecture, and the position was but a nominal post with no salary to collect.

Fortunately, Wei Fufeng needed this legitimate appointment.

With the Emperor’s decree to suppress the rebels, his campaign would have a righteous cause, reducing resistance from the southern Sichuan army and giving him authority to accept the surrender of local powers.

After sending off Master Yan, Wei Fufeng immediately sent orders to Ziwu Town, instructing the general Zhou Hong to come to Chang’an, then wrote military orders and arranged a series of assignments.

When Zhou Hong arrived, Wei Fufeng promoted him to Commanding Officer and sent him back to Luzhou that very day, to take over from Lu Qing as Commander of the Wolf Wind Battalion.

Lu Qing was reassigned as Commander of the Qian Prefecture campaign forces, leading twenty thousand troops to advance on Qian Prefecture.

Zhou Hong carried Wei Fufeng’s military orders, the imperial decree of Commander of Qianzhong, and five soldiers back to Luzhou.

Wei Fufeng instructed them to disguise themselves as refugees, claiming to seek relatives under the Commander of Longjian.

Moreover, Wei Fufeng’s instructions to Lu Qing were not to act rashly.

According to intelligence, the remnants of Qin’s rebels who fled from Jingnan to Qian Prefecture numbered about three thousand, led by Wang Jianzhao.

Qian Prefecture’s population was predominantly of the Liao tribe (mainly Miao), and the turmoil had not caused significant migration to Qian Prefecture.

It was said to have thirty thousand inhabitants, whereas before the disaster of Huang Chao, it had no more than twenty thousand, half of them Liao.

Wei Fufeng instructed Lu Qing to use superior forces to drive out or besiege the enemy; if the enemy defended cities, then employ siege tactics.

During the siege, establish military farms and offices in Qian Prefecture, recruiting locals into the military administration.

He also instructed Lu Qing to always be prepared to retreat and reinforce Luzhou.

If Qian Prefecture could be taken, he urged lenient treatment of the Liao people, focusing on deterrence, and suggested fair salt trade to win their favor and ease hostility.

Wei Fufeng’s military orders also included establishing a military office in Fuling, deploying twenty thousand troops, setting up four military farm offices, together with the command headquarters and transport office, dividing authority for effective governance.

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After Zhou Hong departed, Wei Fufeng informed the soldiers that once the next batch of grain transport guards arrived, they could return to southern Sichuan, wherever they were.

The next group of grain transport soldiers would be led by General Gan Fengchi. As soon as Zhou Hong returned to Luzhou and conveyed the orders, the White Tiger Hall would instruct Gan Fengchi to lead the grain convoy; both grain and guards were ready.

Wei Fufeng was eager to seize Qian Prefecture, his main strategic aim being to gain time for expansion, secondarily to semi-encircle Yuzhou and seize the strategic initiative.

When the time came, Lu Qing would lead his army from Hejiang County south of Luzhou, entering Nanzhou south of Yuzhou. Nanzhou belonged to Qianzhong Commandery, bordered Yuzhou to the north, and Fuzhou to the northeast.

Wei Fufeng’s military proposal was to march through Nanzhou and strike directly at Qian Prefecture, then divide his forces to take Fuzhou and Nanzhou, and at the opportune moment, launch a campaign to bring Yuzhou under control.

The main obstacle was that Yuzhou had always been a desirable place to live, with a vast population—a tough bone to swallow.

Wei Fufeng appointed five field adjutants, all soldiers with insight into military affairs in Hedong.

Field adjutant was only a temporary military post; their main duty was as Wei Fufeng’s guards, but serving as field adjutant would build credentials for future promotion.

Wei Fufeng then submitted a memorial to the Ministry of War, noting that goods in Chang’an were expensive and officials numerous, so it was not suitable for his army to remain long.

To avoid trouble, he requested temporary residence in Lantian County southeast of Chang’an, ready to deploy at any moment.

The Ministry of War reported to the Emperor. Emperor Zhaozong saw no objection and approved.

Lantian County belonged to Jingzhao Prefecture and was renowned for its fine jade.

With the official document from the Ministry of War, Wei Fufeng led his army out of Chang’an, met up with soldiers from Ziwu Town along the way, and together arrived in Lantian County.

With the Ministry’s document, they legally stationed themselves in Lantian County.

It was a time of chaos; once prosperous, Lantian County had suffered repeated devastation, and the city’s population numbered no more than three thousand, with many vacant houses.

The county magistrate dared not offend the army and eagerly arranged lodgings.

Wei Fufeng’s purpose for stationing in Lantian County was to be closer to Shangluo County, which neighbored Lantian. Heading southwest through Lantian Pass would reach Shangluo County in Shangzhou.

With Tang’s central authority weakened, the only region truly under its control was Jingzhao Prefecture; other circuits had only powerless officials to maintain the semblance of imperial rule.

For example, Shangluo County in Shangzhou, where Wei Fufeng had lived for years, originally belonged to the Commander of Jinshang, but was later seized by Han Jian, Commander of Tongguan.

The court was forced to appoint Han Jian as Commander of Huashang, and Jinzhou became subordinate to the Commander of Wuding in Yangzhou.

Wei Fufeng’s grandfather, appointed as Chief Historian of Shangzhou by the court, was but a nominal official, with real power held by the magistrate appointed by Han Jian.

Han Jian, born a staff officer in Caizhou, during the disaster of Huang Chao, aligned himself with Tian Lingzi, Chief Inspector of the Imperial Guard, and became one of the commanders of the Divine Strategy Army.

Han Jian and Wang Jian of Western Sichuan were once allies; after Huang Chao’s army was destroyed, Han Jian became Commander of Tongguan.

Wei Fufeng had heard that Han Jian was a good official. After taking charge of Huazhou (Tongguan), he focused on restoring order, encouraging farming, and eliminating bandits, so that after the chaos, the soldiers and civilians of Huazhou enjoyed warmth and plenty.

Shangzhou had only recently come under Han Jian’s control; Wei Fufeng had not yet experienced any benefit from his rule.

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