Late Han Zhao Tang

Chapter 440 Trade and Staying Behind

Ye City, the prefecture capital.

"My lord!"

Xun You presented the military report, saying, "According to the military report from Youzhou, Gongsun Du saw your banner arrive at Youbeiping and fled in fear, withdrawing his troops along the coastal road. The military situation in Youzhou has now been resolved."

Zhang Yu pointed to the map and said, "Gongda's arrival is just in time. According to Guo Rang, he believes that Gongsun Du's journey of thousands of miles is not only to invade Youzhou, but also to have other plans."

Xun You frowned slightly, looked at Tian Yu, and said, "I wonder what insightful opinion Jun Tian has?"

Encouraged by Zhang Yu's gaze, Tian Yu walked up to the map and pointed, saying, "Since General Wen Yuan defeated Tadun, the Wuhuan on the border have been in great chaos. Although you sent General Yan to pacify the Wuhuan tribes, the Wuhuan in Liaoxi were not easily persuaded to surrender by our army because of their location in Liaoxi."

"The Wuhuan people of Liaoxi usually live in the area north of Liucheng, and various tribes live together there. In the past, Tadun occupied Liaoxi and relied on the abundant water and grass to dominate the hundred barbarians. Therefore, in my humble opinion, now Gongsun Du is going west to conquer Youzhou. He not only wants to take Yan and Yun, but also wants to use the route to persuade the Wuhuan to surrender. Therefore, if the land of Liaoxi is conquered by Gongsun Du, I fear that Youzhou will never have a peaceful day."

The Liao River forms the boundary between western and eastern Liaoning. The main economic industries on either side of the Liao River differ. Eastern Liaoning, for example, has a predominantly agricultural economy, making it suitable for Han Chinese habitation. Western Liaoning, in a broader sense, has a predominantly nomadic economy, encompassing what later became the Horqin Grassland. The Horqin Grassland was an important grazing ground for nomadic peoples and, during the Han Dynasty, was the living area of ​​the Wuhuan people.

Historically, after the Wuhuan were relocated by Cao Cao, the Xianbei people first took over the Wuhuan's position. As the Xianbei people migrated to the Central Plains to compete for supremacy, the Khitan people entered the Khorchin grasslands and, over time, dominated the Northeast, establishing the Liao Dynasty.

Therefore, a large number of Hu people live in the Liaoxi region. If Gongsun Du can take advantage of the period when the Wuhuan are leaderless and win over the various Hu people in Liaoxi, then Gongsun Du will be able to invade the northern frontier with impunity, which is something Zhang Yu does not want to see.

Xun You was not very familiar with the geography of Liaoxi, but after Tian Yu's analysis, he understood the reason and asked, "Your Excellency ordered Yan Rou to persuade the Wuhuan to surrender, could it be that the Wuhuan tribes are not willing to surrender?"

“The border tribes are willing to surrender and accept Yan Rou’s command. However, the key is that Liaoxi is located north of Yan. Although our army has killed Tadun, Tadun’s remnants are in Liaoxi. Rather than surrendering to us, they may join forces in Liaodong,” Zhang Yu said.

"What should we do then?" Xun You asked.

After pondering for a moment, Tian Yu said, "To quell the barbarian troubles, we must secure Liaoxi. Now, Your Majesty is preoccupied with internal affairs, and Liaodong is a minor threat. To quell external threats, we must first secure internal affairs. Therefore, before the Central Plains are pacified, it is not advisable to send generals on a distant expedition to Liaodong. Thus, in my opinion, it is better to use barbarians to control barbarians. The land of Liaoxi is not only home to the Wuhuan, but also to various Xianbei tribes."

"Your Majesty, by offering amnesty to the Xianbei and Wuhuan, and inducing them to attack the rebellious Hu tribes, or by causing the two tribes to fight each other, Youzhou can be temporarily at peace. Once the world is unified, if you wish to eliminate the Hu threat in Youzhou, you can send troops to the Liao River, control the Liao River grasslands, and bestow titles upon the nobles of the various minor tribes, thus ensuring lasting peace on the border."

"As for how to subdue the Xianbei and Wuhuan of Liaoxi, I think it would be better to open the border for trade. Only tribes that have been granted official titles and edicts by the Lord can trade with Youzhou. This is the old policy of Duke Bo'an. The Central Plains will provide grain, iron, and salt, while the barbarians will provide horses, hides, and leather. The Lord will then be able to use the horses of Liaoxi to conquer the bandits of the world."

When discussing the need to quell the nomadic invasions, many people assumed that controlling the Hetao region was essential. However, the Liaoxi region was also crucial. The General Who Delivers the Liao River, established by the Eastern Han Dynasty, was initially created to control the nomadic bandits east and west of the Liao River, but was later moved to the Hetao region. Therefore, throughout history, controlling Liaoxi in the east and the Hetao region in the west has always been a border defense strategy of the Central Plains dynasties.

As for why controlling the Liao River could prevent the chaos caused by the nomadic tribes in Youzhou, besides the fact that the Horqin Grassland could be influenced by the Central Plains, the key reason was that western Liaoning could serve as a springboard for conquering the nomadic tribes on the Xilin Gol Grassland at any time. The Xilin Gol Grassland can be compared to the Central Plains for agricultural peoples in relation to nomadic peoples.

In addition, the western Liaoning grassland is adjacent to the Hulunbuir grassland to the north, and controlling the western Liaoning grassland would also be beneficial in combating nomadic peoples.

Historically, the most famous battles fought by Liaoxi against nomadic tribes were Huo Qubing's expedition to the northern desert and Lan Yu's great victory at Fishing Sea.

Conversely, throughout history, nomadic peoples who sought to enter the Central Plains from Hebei first controlled the Xilin Gol Grassland, then the Liaoxi region, and then, taking advantage of Liaoxi's proximity to Youzhou, occupied the two prefectures of You and Ji.

The importance of Liaoxi's geography is self-evident, but it was beyond Zhang Yu's reach. Before the Central Plains were unified, he could not send troops beyond the Yanshan Mountains, and naturally could not compete with Gongsun Du in Liaodong for the northeastern Hu tribes.

However, the lack of military strength could be compensated for by other means, namely the trade system. Even after experiencing war, the Central Plains region still had stronger economic vitality than Liaodong, and even its consumer market was larger. Conversely, some of the products of Liaodong conflicted with those of the Hu people in western Liaodong, making market competition difficult to reconcile.

When Liu Yu took over Youzhou, he used trade to quell the Wuhuan rebellion, making it profitable for both Han and Hu peoples. In particular, now that Zhang Yu's group is eager to conquer the world, the Xianbei and Wuhuan in Liaoxi can provide a large number of horses for trade with the current dynasty, which to some extent can make the Hu tribes in Liaoxi side with Zhang Yu, rather than leaning towards Liaodong.

Xun You looked on with admiration and said, "Lord Tian is well-versed in the military affairs of You and Liao, and his vision is far beyond my reach. Congratulations to Your Majesty on acquiring such a great talent!"

"Ha ha!"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "If I were to receive the assistance of Guo Rang, then Youzhou would be at peace!"

Based on his extensive understanding of Tian Yu, Zhang Yu concluded that Tian Yu was a severely underrated general during the Three Kingdoms period, and that his talents were being wasted within Cao Wei.

Tian Yu's understanding of military geography far surpasses that of ordinary generals, especially his profound knowledge of the Hu people in the Youzhou and Liaodong regions. He not only knows their character but also the distribution of their various tribes. In future campaigns against Liaodong, troops from the Youzhou region will be indispensable; knowing oneself and one's enemy is the key to victory. After a pause, Zhang Yu asked, "I intend to establish a Liaoshui Trade Superintendent to specifically appease the Hu people of western Liaodong and manage the opening of trade routes. Does Guo Rang have any capable officials to recommend?"

After thinking for a long time, Tian Yu said, "My lord, Tian Chou, the Prefect of Youzhou, is tough on the inside but gentle on the outside. He knows how to interact with the Hu people and is fluent in their language. My lord might as well appoint Tian Chou as the Supervisor of the Liaoshui Market."

"Fields?"

Zhang Yu smiled and said, "Tian Chou has the talent of a provincial governor, but it might be beneath him to be appointed as the Liaoshui Market Supervisor. However, there are few people who can interact with the Hu people. We can let Tian Chou serve as the Liaoshui Commandant and concurrently as the Liaoshui Market Supervisor, to assist Liu Youzhou in governing the Hu."

Zhang Yu held Tian Chou in high regard. Tian Chou was not merely a scholar-official, but a rare talent from Youzhou who was well-versed in both Han and non-Han customs, and possessed excellent moral character. He was also quite loyal to Liu Yu and his son. Liu He owed much of the stability of Youzhou to Tian Chou's assistance.

Now that Zhang Yu and Liu He have formed a marriage alliance, the military power of Youzhou has been gradually stripped away. Tian Chou is not only Liu He's subject, but also Zhang Yu's subject.

"promise!"

"Gongda, what is the situation with the two Yuans?" Zhang Yu asked.

"Reporting to Your Lordship!"

Xun You composed himself and said, "According to the spy's report, after you led your troops away, Yuan Tan was dissatisfied with Yuan Shang's succession as King of Qi, so he set up a banquet to ambush and kill Yuan Shang. However, Yuan Shang was aware of this and led his troops to attack Yuan Tan. The two armies clashed, and Yuan Tan was defeated and fled to Anle. Now, the various counties of Qingzhou have expressed their stance, some helping Yuan Shang, and some sending troops to serve Yuan Tan."

"What about high-ranking officials?"

“Gao Gan had no intention of intervening in the military affairs of the two, so he led his troops back to Xuzhou.” Xun You laughed and said, “The Yuans could not unite, and Gao Gan was far away in Xuzhou. He claimed that he had no intention of helping Yuan, but he was actually carrying out a separatist regime.”

Zhang Yu asked, "Has Yuan Shu made a statement?"

"Yuan Shu has conferred the title of King of Qi upon Yuan Shang!"

Xun You pondered for a moment and said, "Now that Yuan Shu is helping him, Yuan Tan is probably no match for Yuan Shang. If Yuan Tan is defeated by Yuan Shang and has nowhere else to turn, he may have to surrender to our army."

Zhang Yu nodded slightly and said, "Gongda is right. If the two Yuans fight, one of them will surely be injured. Yuan Tan has nowhere to go, and it is not impossible that he will submit to our army if he has to compromise!"

Jia Xu stroked his beard and said, "Your Excellency has a deep-seated hatred for the two Yuan brothers. No matter who you serve now, they will surely betray you in the future!"

"Let's see how the two Yuans are fighting!" Zhang Yu laughed. "If Yuan Tan wins, then Yuan Shang'an will surrender to me and flee to join Yuan Shu."

In truth, everyone, including Yuan Tan and Yuan Shang themselves, knew that a fight between two tigers would inevitably result in one being injured. However, for the sake of power and to eliminate dissidents, they had to fight. And in their eyes, they all believed they would be the victor. As for external dangers, they were absolutely confident that they could resolve the internal power struggle before the danger arrived.

Then, Zhang Yu changed the subject, saying, "Now that the military affairs in Youzhou have subsided, the two Yuan brothers have raised troops to fight for the throne. Although I can return west with peace of mind, Hanzhong is a matter of great concern to me. I don't know if Xu Huang and Shi Yi can defeat Sun Ce."

"A victory may not be necessary to break the deadlock!"

Xun You analyzed, "The Shu Road is a thousand miles long, and transporting supplies between Ba and Shu is difficult. However, the Nanzheng army has 20,000 troops and enough food to last a year. If our army can reach Hanzhong, Zhang Lu will know that our army is coming to the rescue, and the soldiers and civilians in the city will be able to hold on. If we hold out until next year, Sun Ce's army will run out of food and be unable to hold out for long, and the siege of Hanzhong will be lifted. With General Xu's wisdom, he must know the key to this."

Xun You truly possessed the talents of Liang and Ping, always able to perceive the core issues in the battle situation. If Xu Huang and Shi Yi's armies could defeat Sun Ce, they could naturally lift the siege. However, failing to defeat Sun Ce didn't necessarily mean the siege had failed, as the key lay in Sun Ce's withdrawal.

The only ways to force Sun Ce to retreat are to either run out of supplies or lose the opportunity to capture Hanzhong. One method would be to maintain a prolonged stalemate, forcing Sun Ce to retreat due to lack of provisions. Given Xu Huang's military strategy, and with no hope of victory, he might resort to this cautious approach.

"Keep a close eye on military affairs in Hanzhong!"

Zhang Yu nodded first, then looked at Li Song beside him and said, "Although this expedition did not defeat Yuan Xi, it did capture Dongjun. After I lead the army back west, you will lead the army to garrison Yecheng and manage the military affairs of the Yellow River and the Ji River. If Dongjun Governor Meng Ning comes to our aid, Bo Song must come to our aid. However, if Lü Bu asks Bo Song for help, then you should observe the situation accordingly."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Li Song replied solemnly.

(End of this chapter)