Jinting Han people

Chapter 718 The Battle Situation is Temporarily Settled

After Liu Yaoqiang withdrew from Longyou via the Wei River, it meant that the Han army had completely taken control of the situation in Longyou.

Even Yang Nandi himself hadn't anticipated that the Longyou campaign would develop so smoothly. He simply followed his plan step by step. First, he dispatched envoys to various places to contact local powerful clans and influential figures, and then, through these connections, he used them to pressure the higher-ups, including the prefects. At the same time, he called upon the Liangzhou army, with whom he had maintained a long-standing alliance, to march south. Surprisingly, this garnered a response from the entire Longyou region.

First came the response from Jiang Chong, Zhao Mu, Yan Sheng, Yang Tao, and others in Tianshui Commandery. Under Yang Nandi's personal persuasion, they reached an agreement to directly challenge the current Tianshui Prefect, Feng Shang, forcing him to resign and retire. Upon learning of the Han army's arrival and seeing that most of his subordinates had defected, Feng Shang dared not object further and had no choice but to agree to the request. Yang Nandi's eldest son, Yang Yi, then succeeded him as Tianshui Prefect.

Then Yang Jian sent troops to Nan'an to intercept Pei Bao's forces, who were continuing to flee. He promised them that as long as they formally surrendered to the court, the emperor would retain their official positions and reinstate them. Thus, nearly 20,000 troops were gathered. Cao Qie, the prefect of Nan'an, was a descendant of Cao Ang, and the current empress Cao Shangrou wanted to address him as her third brother. Cao Qie then agreed to join the rebellion.

The governors of Jincheng, You Kai, and Longxi, Han Zhi, were initially hesitant because their scholars did not have close ties with the Southern Han. However, after Zhang Shi agreed to send troops and dispatched Beigong Chun with 5,000 elite armored cavalry and 20,000 light cavalry south to the Yellow River, they realized that driving out the Zhao army was an inevitable trend. In order to preserve their power and show their stance, they no longer stood idly by and sent all their troops to respond.

Finally, when Yang Nandi sent troops to Lueyang, Pu Hong and other Qiang, Di, and Hu peoples also raised their own armies, and so it turned out. Like countless streams converging into a river, after the Han army rescued Chen An's troops from Linwei City, the number of troops nominally under Han rule had reached a staggering 150,000, almost half of the total military strength of the Southern Han when it was founded.

Yang Nandi had never fought such a rich battle before. In fact, even the many generals and prefects involved had not expected that the combined forces of the people would possess such great power. For a time, the soldiers were quite discussing this, believing that with such a large force, they could easily capture Longxi in one fell swoop and drive the Zhao army out of Guanzhong with overwhelming force.

Yang Nandi, however, maintained his utmost restraint. He said to Yang Yi and the others, “In the current situation, although the army is large in number, it is internally disorganized. Although the morale is high, it lacks unified discipline. Therefore, 150,000 men may seem intimidating, but I'm afraid they cannot fight a tough battle. Moreover, so many people need food and clothing. With our current logistics, how can we possibly provide for them? A wise person should know when to stop while we are ahead.”

In fact, upon learning of the fall of Longban, the Zhao army in Guanzhong did indeed overreact. Liu Cong urgently ordered Liu Can to evacuate most of the people in Fufeng County to achieve a scorched-earth policy. Once the Han army descended from Longban or launched an attack from Chencang, they would face hundreds of miles of barren land, a logistical burden that would be extremely difficult for the Han army to bear.

Therefore, Yang Nandi only strengthened the defenses in the Lueyang area, repaired the city, and appeased the various forces that came to meet him.

First, in the name of the imperial court, he made oaths with each of the Qiang, Di, and Xianbei leaders, including Pu Hong, Yao Yizhong, Peng Dangzhong, Qifu Shuyan, and Juqu Zhe, to demonstrate the court's friendly attitude. At the same time, he bestowed certain official titles upon them. For example, Pu Hong was appointed Protector of the Di, Yao Yizhong was appointed Protector of the Qiang, Qifu Shuyan was appointed Protector of the Xianbei, Shi Wu was appointed Commandant of the Xiutu... A total of seventeen tribal leaders were appointed, all nominally under Yang Nandi's jurisdiction.

Secondly, a group of scholars from Guanzhong were recruited into the governor's office, led by Pei Bao. Zhao Mu, Jiang Chong, Yang Ci, Chunyu Ding and others became Yang Nandi's advisors.

Yang Nandi had no immediate intention of making things difficult for local strongmen like Han Zhi and You Kai. After all, they were newcomers and their power base was not yet secure. Therefore, Yang Nandi decided to first establish marriage alliances with them. He arranged for his son, Yang Yi, to marry Han Zhi's second daughter, and his second son, Yang Songnu, to marry You Kai's youngest daughter. He also married his niece to Han Zhi's son, Han Pu, thus forming a stable political alliance. As for Cao Qie, the prefect of Nan'an, he was willing to relinquish his post and return to Yi'an with his staff.

Finally, there were the Yongzhou troops who had fled from Guanzhong to Shanglong. With so many men, Qin Prefecture simply couldn't support them all. Yang Nandi arranged for them to head south and join Jia Kan. Some soldiers were stationed in Hanzhong, while others continued south into Shu. As for renowned officers and scholars such as Di Wuyi, Song Chang, and Liang Fen, to avoid them causing trouble, Yang Nandi simply ordered them, along with Cao Qie, to go directly to Yi'an to meet the Emperor and recount the details of the Guanzhong-Longdong Rebellion.

At this point, the overall situation was considered settled. Although the Zhao army gained Guanzhong, the Han army gained Longyou, and the two sides divided Guanzhong and Longyou equally. However, if we take into account the loss of troops and the price paid, it is clear that the Zhao army suffered a greater loss.

When the news reached Yi'an, it was already past New Year's Day of the sixth year of Qiming. Also delivered to Yi'an were spoils of war from Yang Nandi: the head of Liu Yao's eldest son, Liu Jian, and a precious sword that had been captured along with it.

The weather was still quite cold at the time. Yi'an City had just experienced a light snowfall, and the river scenery on both sides was desolate, with the pavilions and lakes appearing dim. However, this did not diminish the inspiring nature of the victory.

Liu Xian was overjoyed after reading it. He said, "Good! Inform the Three Offices and post this notice to announce the victory to the prefectures and counties!"

During this period, the developments in the Guanzhong Plain war had been closely watched by the imperial court. After all, for Yi'an, stability in Guanzhong was the most desirable outcome. However, after a drought followed by a locust plague, within just two or three months, extremely drastic changes occurred within Guanzhong. The balance that had been maintained for several years collapsed in an instant, which was undoubtedly a devastating blow.

Because of the vast distance between Guanzhong and Yi'an, normal communication between the two sides took more than a month. Faced with the sudden changes in Guanzhong, the Yi'an court was simply unable to make timely decisions and responses. This meant that handling the situation in Guanzhong depended entirely on Yang Nandi's adaptability. As one of the few Di people among the high-ranking military and political officials of the Southern Han, even though Yang Nandi had already demonstrated many outstanding abilities, he was still often looked down upon and slandered by others.

However, the answer Yang Nandi presented was undoubtedly the second-best option under the circumstances. Although it did not prevent Zhao Han from occupying Guanzhong, it temporarily stabilized the war situation in the northwest, and the Han army still held a certain advantage, which can be said to be quite remarkable.

On another level, Liu Xian had only just ascended the throne this year, and the north was already experiencing a severe locust plague and drought, a disaster rarely seen in recent years. In an era that emphasized the harmony between Heaven and humanity, this undoubtedly drew criticism. Moreover, as the reforms progressed, some began to perceive the new emperor's determination to reform politics, and thus used this as an opportunity to argue that the emperor's reforms, implemented so soon after his ascension, lacked the support of Heaven and the people. This decisive victory acted like a hurricane, abruptly ending all public controversy surrounding him and the court.

Therefore, after the battle report was delivered, Liu Xian first ordered that the matter be reported to the prefectures and counties. Then, he immediately summoned Lu Zhi, Lu Yun, Li Feng, Zhou Yi, Fu Chang and other important military officials of the inner court in Jianchang Hall to inform them of the news and discuss the rewards and aftermath of the Longyou battle.

"Tell me, how should I reward Nan Di for such a great achievement?"

Liu Xian admired the precious sword presented by Yang Nandi, his mood extremely pleasant. The sword was three feet nine inches long, its blade exceptionally sharp, and it was said to have been forged by Liu Yuan at great expense. Liu Yuan was known for his frugality throughout his life, and his unusual choice to have this sword forged was to express his resolve; hence, one side was inscribed with "Destroy the Traitors," and the other with "Revive the Han Dynasty." Liu Cong bestowed it upon Liu Yao, who then gifted it to his heir, Liu Jian, before it unexpectedly ended up in Liu Xian's hands. The sword, in both its design and its message, perfectly matched Liu Xian's aspirations and aesthetic sense, making him momentarily captivated by it.

Lu Zhi, standing to the side, pondered and said, "Grand Commander Yang has already reached the maximum in terms of titles, and there is nothing more to reward him with. According to custom, His Majesty can grant him an additional official rank and bestow further rewards upon his descendants."

“Alright, let’s do it that way then,” Liu Xian nodded with a smile, then pondered for a moment and said, “Then issue an edict to promote Yang Nandi to the rank of Grand Protector and Attendant-in-Ordinary, bestow upon him a royal robe, a vermilion door, a bow and arrows, grant him the authority to act as an imperial envoy, and grant him the title of Grand Master of the Three Departments. Also, reward his son Yang Yi with the title of Marquis of Chengji County and Yang Songnu with the title of Marquis of Zhongtao County, and appoint them as the military commanders of the four provinces of Qin, Yi, Yong, and Liang.”

After Liu Xian finished speaking, everyone present was shocked. Until now, no one in the Southern Han court had ever received such an honor. Liu Xian's previous appointments, such as Grand Protector and Attendant-in-Ordinary, were merely honorary titles signifying prestige. But the subsequent granting of the title of Grand General and the authority to command troops were entirely different. This meant not only the power to mobilize troops, but also that Yang Nandi could act unilaterally and appoint officials within his jurisdiction, thus seizing control over local personnel matters. Even Li Ju and He Pan, while possessing the power to oversee various prefectures, had never before interfered in personnel matters.

Li Feng observed Liu Xian's expression and cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, isn't this a bit too much? After all, no matter how great the Duke of Hanzhong's merits are, considering all the contributions since the founding of the state, they probably still can't compare to the Duke of Baxi, right? Even the Duke of Baxi didn't receive this honor, yet the Duke of Hanzhong did first. I'm afraid it will draw criticism."

Liu Xian put down the bandit-slaying sword in his hand and slowly explained, "One thing at a time. The situation is different, so the rewards will naturally be different as well. Right now, someone must be stationed in Longyou to act according to the circumstances."

Liu Xian understood that this reward was exceptional, but the situation in Longxi was complex. Although Yang Nandi had repelled Liu Yao, Qinzhou was rife with powerful forces, including countless Qiang, Di, and Xianbei tribes. He was also responsible for liaising with Liangzhou, and the distance between him and the imperial court was considerable. If war or internal strife broke out again, someone would be needed to take charge and act expediently.

This aligns with Liu Xian's thinking in enfeoffing Jin'an State in Jiangzuo. Just as only Zhou Qi could maintain stability in Jiangzuo, Yang Nandi was the only candidate to be in charge of Qinzhou. Liu Xian was merely acknowledging this reality.

However, Li Feng's perspective was clearly different. After Liu Xian expressed his opinion, he still subtly reminded him: "Your Majesty, judging from the current situation, the Duke of Hanzhong is probably not a law-abiding person!"

Liu Xian glanced at Li Feng and saw him staring at him with piercing eyes. He guessed Li Feng's intentions, but he still smiled calmly and said, "I understand what you mean. But if you don't trust someone, you shouldn't use them. It's hard to find a capable hero like Li Feng. At this time, let's not cause any trouble."

Li Feng was quite disappointed upon hearing this, but knowing that the emperor had already made up his mind, he did not say anything more and simply cupped his hands to indicate that he had no objection.

Afterwards, Liu Xian finalized the rewards for the remaining participants in the war, basically acknowledging the numerous official positions that Yang Nandi had privately granted in Qinzhou, and also bestowing titles upon several scholars who had actively sided with the Han army. He only made minor adjustments to some personnel, such as appointing Liu Kun's elder brother Liu Yu as the governor of Qinzhou, Li Sheng's elder brother Li Xing as the commandant of the Eastern Qiang, and Lü Quyang's nephew Lü Poluo as the prefect of Lueyang.

The intention was quite simple, not out of a desire for checks and balances. Yang Nandi was undoubtedly a skilled military strategist, but not adept at internal civil administration. Currently, there were numerous refugees in the Guanzhong Plain, and it seemed that a considerable period would be needed to resettle and disperse them. The court needed to demonstrate sufficient attention and patience. Using Liu Yu facilitated cooperation with Liu Kun, while using Li Xing and Lü Poluo respectively demonstrated the court's emphasis on the Han and non-Han peoples of Qin Province.

The real headache is the matter of allocating grain for disaster relief. The reforms have just begun this year, and taxes have been reduced or exempted beforehand, leaving the government granaries with very little grain. The previous aid to Guanzhong and Longxi was already stretched thin, let alone the need to aid a large number of disaster victims now.

Fortunately, although the government treasury did not have much grain, it was already trying to implement a monetary policy.

The reason for implementing monetary policy is that in recent years, the imperial court has conquered a large amount of gold and silver from Sichuan to Huainan. However, due to the abnormally high price of grain, it has not been spent but has been stored in the treasury. This year, with the reduction of taxes and the new harvest, the price of grain in the Jiangnan market has quickly dropped. Lu Yun advocated taking this opportunity to mint copper coins and establish a mint in Ningzhou.

Since the late Han Dynasty, the monetary system had collapsed. Apart from the Shu Han's Zhibai coins, which could barely function, the Cao Wei and Sun Wu dynasties, due to the excessive issuance of copper coins, could hardly conduct transactions with money. They could only use the most primitive barter system or measure value with cloth and grain. However, this was inconvenient and difficult to measure. People needed money as a basic necessity, so Zhibai coins can still be frequently seen in Jiangnan today. Of course, whether they can still be used as Baiqian coins is another matter.

Therefore, Lu Yun believed that mining could begin in Ningzhou, while simultaneously collecting large quantities of copper coins of various sizes that Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao, and Sun Quan had indiscriminately issued, including even the Zhibai coins minted by Liu Bei. These coins could then be reminted, and the millions of taels of gold and silver in the treasury could be released in batches to balance prices as much as possible. The exchange rate between copper coins and gold and silver could be maintained at the levels during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, where one jin of gold was equivalent to ten thousand coins, eight taels of silver was equivalent to one thousand coins, and one bolt of silk was equivalent to one hundred coins. Copper coins could be distributed based on these standards.

In this way, although the imperial court did not receive any tax revenue, it was able to purchase large quantities of grain from the market again through the new monetary policy to supply the military in an emergency. Meanwhile, the people also received high-quality currency that they desperately needed, which can be said to be a win-win situation.

By this time, the design and molds for the copper coins had been finalized and sent to Yizhou and Ningzhou to set up mints, but the first batch of coins had not yet arrived. Given the urgent need for disaster relief, they had no choice but to expedite the process and first go to the market to negotiate with grain merchants.

After the discussion, Liu Xian invited Lu Zhi to stay for dinner, intending to estimate a specific amount of disaster relief that evening.

During the meal, Lu Zhi suddenly asked Liu Xian, "Previously, Minister Li asked His Majesty for his opinion, hinting that he wanted to be appointed as the governor of Qin Prefecture. Why did His Majesty refuse?"

Liu Xian was taken aback at first, then shook his head and laughed, "You noticed it too? He's not suitable for Qin Prefecture. He may have a rough exterior, but he's actually quite shrewd. If I send Li Feng to Qin Prefecture, he'll definitely think I don't trust him and become suspicious. Li Feng is capable enough, but he's impatient and eager for quick results, so he's especially unsuitable to be someone else's deputy. If he goes, he'll definitely cause trouble. I have other uses for him."

“That’s true.” Lu Zhi nodded with a smile, intending to end the topic: “Given the current situation of reform, we should indeed prioritize stability.”

Speaking of this, Liu Xian asked curiously, "Li Feng isn't very popular, so why would you speak up for him?"

Lu Zhi sighed, "Li Wubing is indeed a genius in military and political affairs. I admire him greatly, and that is why I cherish his talent for His Majesty's sake."

At this moment, Liu Xian saw the victory in capturing Qin Province in the north as a sign of prosperity for the Southern Han, and the reforms were still in the preparatory stage, not yet causing much of a stir domestically. Under these circumstances, Liu Xian thought that the sixth year of Qiming would likely be a peaceful and joyful year. In fact, this was a common view among the officials and common people of Yi'an.

But as the old proverb goes, "The weather is unpredictable, and fortune can change in an instant." The establishment of any nation is subject to unexpected events and betrayals, something even the reigns of Yao, Shun, and Yu could not prevent. And in the second year of Liu Xian's reign, he encountered his first major rebellion case—the Huangfu Chong and Wei Bo rebellion.

(Map of the situation in January of the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Qiming of Han) (End of this chapter)