Taiheiki

Chapter 200 Offering Advice
“Deng Wen, have you forgotten what the three of us do? We are border guards defending Sui. If we discover that the Hu cavalry have broken through the border, we will risk our lives to light a signal!” Zhang Heng looked coldly at Deng Wen: “Behind us are the lives of millions!”

"This—" Deng Wen was stunned. He subconsciously turned his gaze to Qi Ge: "Brother Qi, what do you think we should do?"

Qi Ge gritted his teeth: "Our home is in the southern county, less than two hundred miles from here. The Tartar cavalry can get here in two days!"

"I understand!" Deng Wen stamped his foot. "I'm willing to risk my life. I'll just consider myself dead in that beacon tower tonight!"

The three men agreed, then carried the firewood to a high place, found a sheltered spot, and first selected out the drier parts, piling them into a heap. Zhang Heng then used a flint and steel to start a fire, igniting the dry grass, and added more firewood on top. Moments later, it was burning brightly. Knowing time was of the essence, the three men hurriedly added the dried firewood, and the flames shot straight into the sky, clearly visible for miles around.

"God help us! God help us! The beacon fire can be seen!" Seeing that the fire was already lit, the three men looked towards the nearby beacon fire in unison, hoping that it could see the fire and light its own to relay the news of the approaching barbarian cavalry. But for some reason, they couldn't see any fire rise.

"Damn it, is the person on night duty asleep? The fire is so big, anyone who isn't blind can see it!" Deng Wen said anxiously.

"It's probably still too short!" Zhang Huan said in a deep voice. "Our beacon tower is the highest point in the vicinity, and it's several meters tall. Maybe it's not visible from over there!"

"Then what should we do? Move to a higher place? Or go back to the original beacon tower and light the fire?" Deng Wen asked anxiously.

Just as Zhang Huan hesitated, he suddenly heard a sharp whistling arrow fly overhead. Looking down, he saw twenty or thirty riders approaching him from not far below the earthen slope. The leader of the Hu riders was holding a bow and arrow, and it was clear that he was the one who had just shot the arrow.

"We can't worry about that now!" Zhang Heng picked up his spear. "Deng Wen, you stay here and watch the fire. Qi Ge and I will go and hold it off. Remember, whatever you do, make sure the fire doesn't go out!"

"Brother Zhang, Brother Qi!" Before Deng Wen could figure out what was going on, he saw Zhang Huan and Qi Ge carrying spears down the slope. He drew his sword, wanting to follow, but then remembered Zhang Huan's instructions. He could only grit his teeth, turn back, and add firewood to the fire, ignoring the thick smoke that stung his eyes and made them water. From below the earthen slope, the sounds of Xianbei horses' hooves and the shouts and curses of Zhang and Qi could be heard intermittently. After an unknown amount of time, Deng Wen turned around and suddenly saw a small fire rising in the distance, followed by a second, a third, and a fourth. The series of fires resembled a necklace, stretching all the way to the edge of the earth.

"Brother Zhang, Brother Qi, did you both see that? The beacon fires are going off! The Xianbei Tartars' military intelligence has been sent out! It's been sent out!"

Deng Wen's ecstatic shout pierced the frigid air, but no one answered. Silence reigned below the earthen slope, broken only by faint footsteps as people climbed it. Deng Wen's face turned deathly pale. His earlier elation vanished like a receding tide, leaving only harsh reality. He turned back to look at the newly lit fire, his gaze following the flickering flames until they disappeared into the endless darkness.

"Xianbei dogs!" Deng Wen drew his ring-pommel sword with trembling hands and cursed at the Xianbei people climbing the earthen slope, "Let me show you my skills!"

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Luoyang, Nangong, Shangshutai.

Zhang Wen, the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, dressed in a black official robe with a blue sash and silver seal at his waist, stepped into the Secretariat. The Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat and the Right Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat hurriedly came forward to greet him. Zhang Wen nodded to them, and as usual, sat down behind his desk and asked, "Are there any important matters in the various prefectures and counties today?"

"Urgent report from Youzhou!" The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat still wore his usual sour expression: "The Xianbei have launched a large-scale southward invasion, committing heavy killings and plundering. Various counties have been attacked. The Prefect of Shanggu County has been killed in battle!"

"One of the two thousand shi (a unit of grain) has died!" Zhang Wen sighed.

"This isn't the first time!" The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel said with a bitter smile, "Last year, the Prefect of Yunzhong County in Bingzhou was defeated and killed, and the Prefect of Yuyang County in Youzhou was also wounded. There have been even more county magistrates who died in battle. It's all because of the Xianbei people!"

"This is outrageous! Do they think our Han Dynasty has no one to rely on?" Zhang Wen roared. "We must inform the General and have him send troops to punish these barbarian dogs!"

"Alas! Brother Boshen!" The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat sighed, "Times have changed! The Xianbei are no longer those scattered, unorganized tribes. Tanshihuai's headquarters are now located in the southern desert, only three hundred li from Gaoliu (near present-day Datong City). Light cavalry can reach them in a day and a night! On the other hand, our Han Dynasty, alas!"

Hearing his deputy's sigh, Zhang Wen fell silent. It should be known that in the center of the Mongolian Plateau lies a vast Gobi Desert stretching for hundreds of miles, then known as the "Sea of ​​Desert." This Gobi Desert serves as the boundary, dividing the Mongolian Plateau into Southern and Northern Gobi. Compared to Northern Gobi, the land in Southern Gobi is far more fertile, with abundant water and grass. Therefore, before Emperor Wu of Han, the Xiongnu royal court was located in Southern Gobi, and every autumn, when the grass was tall and the horses were fat, they would raid and plunder the northern border counties of the Western Han Dynasty.

Therefore, Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty had two main strategic objectives regarding the Xiongnu: to open up the Hexi Corridor, 1) severing the Xiongnu's connection with the Western Regions and even the Qiang and Hu tribes; and 2) driving the Xiongnu royal court to the northern Gobi Desert, pushing the northern frontier of the Han Dynasty to the Gobi Sea, making it the natural boundary of the Han Dynasty. Having achieved these two objectives, Emperor Wu established prefectures and counties in the southern Gobi Desert, built beacon towers and the Great Wall, and settled immigrants there. In effect, the southern Gobi Desert had become the territory under the actual control of the Han Dynasty. For a long period thereafter, except for the brief interim period under the Xin Dynasty, the southern Gobi Desert was largely under the actual control of the Han Empire. The difference lay in the fact that the Eastern Han Dynasty's control over the southern Gobi Desert was largely achieved through indirect control of vassal states and tribes such as the Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu, rather than directly through immigrant settlements and the establishment of prefectures and counties from the interior.

Therefore, it's not hard to understand Zhang Wen's indignation and anxiety. Tan Shihuai's establishment of a royal court in the southern Gobi Desert meant that the Han Empire had lost the fruits of over two hundred years of struggle since Emperor Wu of Han. Since 119 BC, when Huo Qubing defeated the Xiongnu Left Wise King in the Battle of Mobei, beheading over 70,000 and holding a sacrificial ceremony to Heaven on Mount Langjuxu, the Xiongnu royal court had withdrawn from the southern Gobi Desert. This was the first time a nomadic regime not controlled by the Han Empire had appeared there. Any Han person at that time who learned of this would have been sleepless with worry.

"Brother Boshen!" The Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel said with a wry smile, "Who among us doesn't know that the Xianbei royal court is now in the south of the Gobi Desert, which is not a blessing for our Great Han? But things have different priorities, and we must deal with them one by one. The E'ze rebels and the Wuling barbarians have joined forces and have already gained considerable momentum. If we don't handle things properly, Jingzhou, Xiangyang, Huaihe, and Sishui will all fall into their hands. At that time, Nanyang, Yanzhou, and Xuzhou will not be at peace either, and the Qiang rebellion that we have finally managed to suppress will also rise again. I'm afraid that our ancestral temples will be overthrown!"

"Indeed!" the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat advised, "In the end, Tan Shihuai is merely an external threat. Moreover, the Xianbei people have not established laws and regulations, and their leadership is not a succession of father and son. The Xianbei people's current power is due to the efforts of Tan Shihuai alone, and his successors are unlikely to be able to continue his achievements. On the other hand, the E'zhai have been quite organized since their uprising, and they have used false doctrines to deceive people's hearts, causing great harm. If they are not wiped out as soon as possible, I fear the consequences will be endless!"

Zhang Wen remained silent for a long time before nodding helplessly: "What you say makes sense. I also know that the E'er bandits are a major threat and must be eliminated first before dealing with the Xianbei and Qiang bandits. However, if things continue like this, not only the Xianbei, but also the Wuhuan, the Southern Xiongnu, and the various vassal states of Liaodong will become unstable, which would be a huge problem!"

Hearing Zhang Wen's words, both the Minister of the Palace Secretariat and the Right Vice Minister of the Palace Secretariat sighed, speechless. Unlike the Western Han Dynasty, the Eastern Han Dynasty, having lost its original commandery and kingdom military system, suffered a significant weakening in its military mobilization capabilities. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the Western Han Dynasty had approximately 600,000 border troops alone, with a total military strength exceeding one million. In contrast, the Eastern Han Dynasty's standing army numbered only about 290,000. Among them, the northern border troops were scattered across five camps in Yuyang, Duliao, and Liyang, along with seventeen regional commanders and one battalion under each regional commander, as well as the Protector-General of the Western Regions, Deputy Commandant, Commandant of the Western Regions, and Chief Administrator of the Western Regions, totaling around two thousand. Assuming one thousand men per battalion, this amounted to approximately 24,000 men, less than a fraction of the Western Han Dynasty's border troops.

This small force was certainly insufficient to defend a border stretching thousands of kilometers. Therefore, the main border defense force in the northern part of the Eastern Han Dynasty was actually composed of troops from vassal states—armies of northern nomadic peoples who were dependent on the Han Empire. These included the armies led by the Southern Xiongnu General, the Protector of the Qiang, and the Protector of the Wuhuan, totaling approximately 110,000 men. Although these vassal states, such as the Wuhuan and Southern Xiongnu, occasionally rebelled, throughout the Eastern Han Dynasty, these vassal armies remained largely loyal to the empire and fulfilled their responsibility of protecting the border.

The problem is that Zhang Wen and his men cannot predict the future. In their view, as the Xianbei under Tan Shihuai's command grow stronger, it's hard to say whether these barbarian states, originally dependent on the Han Dynasty, will remain loyal. If they rebel and side with Tan Shihuai, the empire will not only have to immediately assemble hundreds of thousands of troops to fill the gaps left by these vassal states, but it will also have to bear the cost of these well-equipped former vassal troops, who are very familiar with the inner workings of the Han Dynasty, turning against the Han. Given the current political and economic situation of the Eastern Han Dynasty, this is almost an impossible task.

"Brother Boshen, where are you going?" The Minister of the Imperial Secretariat asked in surprise when he saw Zhang Wen suddenly stand up.

"The General's Mansion!" Zhang Wen stood up. "Someone has to bring this up. The situation is so dangerous. If everyone continues to act like this, the country will be in big trouble sooner or later!"

"Bo Shen, Bo Shen!"

Zhang Wen seemed oblivious to his colleagues' shouts, walking straight out of the Secretariat and striding away. A fire seemed to burn in his chest, searing him painfully. On his way to the General's Mansion, Zhang Wen saw a constant stream of carriages and messengers. He suddenly recalled that dawn nine years ago—the same Luoyang, the same palaces, only the emperor and ministers had changed, perhaps several times over. A myriad of emotions welled up within him. Nine years ago, he felt that the politics of powerful maternal relatives would never return, and that the future would belong to eunuchs. But he had been wrong. Now, the eunuchs in Luoyang had been crippled, and real power was in the hands of General Dou Wu and the scholar-officials represented by the Yuan family. Was Luoyang about to see a reversal of fortune?

As the Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, Zhang Wen did not need to wait for an announcement and went straight to the hall. He saw Dou Wu talking with Dou Shao, the Colonel of Infantry. Seeing Zhang Wen bow and pay his respects, Dou Wu smiled and said, "Bo Shen, there's no need for such formalities. What's wrong? Is there something you need from the Imperial Secretariat?"

"Urgent military news has arrived from Youzhou! The Xianbei have breached the border, and the Prefect of Shanggu Commandery has been killed in battle!" Zhang Wen took out the document from his sleeve and presented it to Dou Wu with both hands. Dou Wu took the document, and after reading it, his expression turned grave: "I never imagined the Xianbei would be so rampant! Bo Shen, what do you think we should do? Should we send troops from the Three Rivers and Five Schools to rescue Youzhou?"

"General, please forgive my bluntness!" Zhang Wen said, "Most of the elite troops of the Three Rivers Five Schools are already under the command of General Feng Kun of Jingzhou. If the rest are drawn from here, I'm afraid the capital will be unstable. Besides, the Xianbei are all cavalry, and they move quickly. If we recruit soldiers from Three Rivers now, it will take at least twenty days from the formation of the army to their arrival in Youzhou. I'm afraid the Xianbei who have been plundering will have already withdrawn from beyond the Great Wall!"

Dou Wu didn't speak, but turned his gaze to his nephew Dou Shao beside him. Dou Shao's answer was very straightforward: "Bo Shen is right. I dare not say about the situation in Sanhe. More than half of the five battalions of the Northern Army are temporary recruits from the city. If something really happens, less than a third of them will be of useful use. If more people are drawn, then Luoyang City will be as fragile as paper and will break at the slightest touch!"

Dou Wu still trusted his nephew. He sighed and said, "I was entrusted with the reins of the country, but my virtue is shallow. I have suffered this national calamity and I am truly ashamed before the country!"

"Uncle!" Dou Shao exclaimed anxiously, "The Xianbei people have been attacking the border for many years now, and you've only been a general for a few days. Why take the blame upon yourself? Minister Zhang must have a plan for today. We should listen to his ideas first!"

Feeling embarrassed by his nephew's sharp retort, Dou Wu snapped, "Stop talking nonsense! You just said the camp is full of temporarily recruited city dwellers. As an infantry captain, why aren't you in the camp training the soldiers? Why are you spouting nonsense here?"

Dou Shao was reprimanded by Dou Wu and dared not argue. He could only stand up, bow to Zhang Wen and Dou Wu, and leave the hall. Dou Wu gave a wry smile: "The young men in my family don't know how to speak properly. Please forgive them, Bo Shen."

"General, you flatter me. In my humble opinion, although your nephew's words are somewhat unpleasant to hear, they are not entirely wrong!" Zhang Wen gave a wry smile: "I have indeed come today to offer my advice!"

"Oh, what can I do for you, Bo Shen?" Dou Wu asked happily.

(End of this chapter)