Jinting Han people

Just as Liu Xian had expected, the journey went very smoothly. He took ten days to travel the six hundred li from Mei County back to Chencang, traveling sixty li a day, and indeed did not encounter any pursuers along the way, and arrived at Chencang City smoothly.

It was late September, deep autumn. The sun shone brightly, the Qinling Mountains and the felled straw on the plains gleamed with the golden joy of harvest. A chilling wind from the north constantly ruffled the hair of passersby, a constant reminder that winter was just a hair's breadth away.

Liu Xian took off his hood, feeling the coolness of the autumn wind, and gazed at the distant Dasanling Mountains, where he happened to encounter a deer. It was a huge elk. The deer stared at him for a moment, then leaped away and disappeared into the dense forest, leaving him feeling a sense of loss.

Beneath the dense forest, makeshift wooden huts erected by the immigrants were scattered everywhere, like inconspicuous pebbles protruding from a vast sandy plain. The immigrants cooked their meals inside, while the accompanying children played and frolicked on the plain, creating an extremely tranquil atmosphere.

But Liu Xian seemed unaffected by the tranquil atmosphere. He withdrew his gaze and instructed the soldiers around him, "Winter is coming soon. We cannot stay here for too long. Do not slack off. Be ready to break camp and leave at my command."

This order came as a surprise to everyone. After all, they believed they had already withdrawn from the battle, and the end of the fighting meant the most dangerous phase was over. For the past three months, they had been shuttling back and forth in Weibei and then fighting fiercely outside Chang'an for two months, leaving them utterly exhausted. Normally, they should have rested for at least ten days to two weeks. Unexpectedly, Liu Xian was unwilling to stop.

Liu Xian certainly wanted to rest, but he knew a crucial truth. War was merely a visible killer; there were many invisible killers in the world that could easily take a person's fragile life at any moment. These included the cold, plague, rumors, and sheer luck.

Of course, the most deadly killer is time.

Some killers may be invisible, yet still manageable; but time is unstoppable. The years will kill everyone equally. What people call victory is simply a relentless race against time, a race against others without a moment's respite, regardless of the starting point—the final result is always clearly visible.

Now, some people are ahead of Liu Xian, and many are behind him. Since Liu Xian has embarked on this path of "the victor takes all," he must be fully focused and run the longest distance in the shortest amount of time in order to protect more people and achieve greater success.

Therefore, upon arriving in Chencang, he did not hold a banquet to celebrate, nor did he even rest for a short while to reunite with his family. On the same day, he summoned all his subordinates in Chencang to learn the latest details and prepare for the next step of the long journey.

Since most of Liu Xian's subordinates were in Chencang at the time, the number of attendees was extremely large. Among them were Liu Xian's subordinates from the Grand Commandant's office, Li Ju's former subordinates from Hedong Prefecture, Liu Shen's subordinates from Yongzhou Prefecture, some elderly remnants of Shu Han, the Liangzhou rebel army led by Zhang Shi, and some Qiang and Di leaders brought by Yang Nandi. Even after some reduction in the number of attendees, there were still nearly a hundred people.

Liu Xian, who was in the lead, sat in a circle with He Pan, Liu Shen, Li Ju, Liu Kun, Zhang Shi, and Yang Nandi to discuss matters, while the others were scattered around, listening to their discussion.

Liu Xian first scanned his surroundings to make sure everyone who was supposed to be there was present, then asked Liu Kun, "Yue Shi, how much food do we have left? How much have we lost? How long will it last us?"

The saying goes, "An army marches on its stomach," and people can never live without food, no matter the time or place. If Liu Xian hadn't taken over the two million bushels of wheat and millet from the Northern Expeditionary Army, he wouldn't have had the confidence to undertake such a massive long-distance migration. But no matter how much grain there is, it's like using up dirt when nearly 300,000 people are feeding it. Now that so much time has passed, and considering the inevitable losses along the way, Liu Xian needed to have a clear idea of ​​how long they could continue their operations without full-time involvement.

Liu Kun had checked this multiple times. He took out a pre-prepared ledger and handed it to Liu Xian for him to review. He replied, "Huai Chong, this trip, excluding normal expenses, also included purchasing herbs, treating the wounded, and recruiting new soldiers. In total, we have already spent 1.28 million hu. Including the theft along the way, losses during transport, and mold, it still amounts to 320,000 hu."

"We currently have 1.84 million bushels of wheat and millet left. At the current rate, if the war continues and we use them sparingly, we estimate we can last for another four months, until the first month of next year."

Although he was somewhat prepared, Liu Xian was still taken aback when he actually saw the account books. After receiving two million bushels of grain from Lu Zhi, the grain reserves in the Hedong Prefecture, combined with the grain provided to him by various tribes in Hedong, once totaled as much as three million three hundred thousand bushels. Such reserves were enough to provide disaster relief to the entire prefecture for a year.

With such savings, Liu Xian had assumed that although the relocation expenses were numerous, they would be enough to cover a year's expenses. However, upon checking today, he discovered a serious deficit, with only enough for eight months' worth of expenses. This greatly troubled him. He carefully examined the expenditures and asked Liu Kun, "How could the losses be so great?"

Liu Kun shook his head and smiled wryly, "The transport of grain and fodder passes through many places, making it difficult to supervise. It's inevitable that some people will tamper with the supplies along the way, and it's hard to hold them accountable afterward. Once we're out of the war and have the grain and fodder stored in one place, it will be much easier to manage."

Liu Xian sighed, rolled up the ledger, and joked to everyone, "I was too naive. If I had known this would happen, I should have asked Lu Zhi for three million bushels of grain."

At this point, he murmured, "So, in that case, we only have four months left to freely mobilize our troops."

Liu Kun patted his knee and laughed, "Isn't four months enough? Marshal, we're going to take Hanzhong next, that'll be more than enough."

When this topic came up, everyone laughed, and the atmosphere was extremely relaxed.

Logically speaking, Hanzhong's terrain is extremely treacherous, making a direct attack very difficult. But that's true for ordinary people. For Liu Xian's current strength, taking Hanzhong is not a difficult task at all.

Firstly, the Liangzhou army had just marched north and suffered heavy losses. Even with the assistance of the Western Expeditionary Army, their strength was at an absolute disadvantage. Secondly, Liu Xian had Wei Jun acting as an inside agent in Hanzhong Commandery. If Wei Jun could succeed in turning Yangping Pass, the most important pass in Hanzhong, against them, then the geographical advantage of Hanzhong Commandery would no longer exist.

With these two advantages alone, taking Hanzhong within four months would be more than enough time. By then, the immigrants would finally be able to breathe a sigh of relief and settle down in Hanzhong.

In the minds of most people, Hanzhong is a poor and desolate place, and the idea of ​​it accommodating more than 200,000 people seems like nonsense.

In fact, during the Former Han Dynasty, Hanzhong Commandery had a population of approximately 300,000, making it a large commandery in the Guanzhong Plain. It declined slightly during the Later Han Dynasty, but still had a population of 260,000. Its most prosperous period was during the late Han Dynasty when Zhang Lu ruled, and the Five Pecks of Rice sect flourished in Hanzhong, distributing public rice and forming communes. These measures absorbed populations from Sichuan and Guanzhong, leading Hanzhong to its peak, at one point boasting over 100,000 households and a population of 500,000 to 600,000, almost comparable to Hedong Commandery.

The decline of Hanzhong was due to Cao Cao's conquest of Zhang Lu. During the Battle of Hanzhong, he relocated all the inhabitants of Hanzhong, leaving the entire region virtually deserted. After Liu Bei's victory, despite the efforts of four generations of rulers—Zhuge Liang, Jiang Wan, Fei Yi, and Jiang Wei—the population was only restored to 50,000, with large tracts of land still undeveloped. Now, if Liu Xian can recapture Hanzhong and manage the situation properly, Hanzhong can certainly accommodate these migrants.

But Liu Xian always thought three steps ahead before taking a single step. What should be done next? He Pan saw what Liu Xian was thinking. After a moment's consideration, he asked Liu Xian, "Is my lord thinking about what will happen after we take Hanzhong?"

Liu Xian nodded slightly and said, "It's easy to seize land, but difficult to govern it. Given the current complex situation, we must be cautious!"

There are countless skilled warriors in the land, but few can maintain a stable power base. Li Chen and Liu Ni claimed to restore the Han dynasty and once swept through five provinces and more than twenty counties. However, their rise was swift, and their fall was equally sudden; Li Chen was beheaded within a year. Qi Wannian was similar; he nearly crushed the Western Expeditionary Army, but his many opportunists led to his swift demise within six months of a single defeat. Since Liu Xian aspired to unify the country, he had no choice but to learn from these examples.

The grain and fodder are only enough for the army to move out in April. In other words, Liu Xian not only wants to take Hanzhong in April, but also to thoroughly govern Hanzhong and unify the people and the government.

He Pan stroked his beard and said, "My lord's thoughts are far-reaching, but such matters cannot be rushed."

What are your thoughts, Mr. He?

"In my opinion, two things need to be done first: First, internally, to stabilize the order in Hanzhong, we must win over the local people and prevent them from becoming external allies; second, externally, our lord must keep an eye on the movements of the other parties so that we do not have to worry about external wars while governing."

"As long as these two points are met, and the internal and external threats are eliminated, our lord will be in control of Hanzhong. Once our lord succeeds, when the snow melts next spring, our lord will march south to his homeland, sweeping across the land. Who can stop him?"

He Pan meant that if Liu Xian wanted to continue expanding, the focus of his plan should not be on military matters, but rather on appeasement and diplomacy.

These words coincided perfectly with what Liu Xian was thinking, and Liu Xian couldn't help but clap his hands and laugh, "Master He understands me very well!"

Since they haven't even entered Hanzhong yet, appeasement is out of the question. His next priority is to create a more favorable external environment for his entry into Sichuan.

Open the map and count the forces bordering Hanzhong. There are six in total: the Western Expeditionary Army, Qiuchi, Li Xiong of Chengdu, Luo Shang of Jiangzhou, Liu Hong of Jingzhou, and the warlords of Qinzhou.

Currently, the Western Expeditionary Army Commander seems to hate him the most, but Liu Xian already knows that Zhang Fang will be fighting with the Prince of Hejian. Therefore, in the short term, the Western Expeditionary Army Commander will be unable to focus on him and will be the least of his worries. He only needs to send a few scouts to Guanzhong to keep an eye on the situation.

Li Xiong of Chengdu controlled most of Shu. Bashu and Hanzhong were interdependent; gaining control of Hanzhong would inevitably provoke Li Xiong. Coupled with Liu Xian's sensitive position, the two sides were destined to be bitter enemies. This meant that Li Xiong was an opponent Liu Xian had to defeat, and relations could not be eased through diplomatic means.

Luo Shang of Jiangzhou, the current governor of Yizhou, is the nephew of Luo Xian, a famous general of Shu Han. I've met him once, and he seems rather distant. But regardless, there's still this connection, and he's also an old comrade-in-arms of He Pan. Perhaps I can try to win him over. I need to either get him to ally with me, or at least keep him neutral. Even if Luo Shang is hostile to me, his threat is still second only to Li Xiong.

The easiest target to deal with is Liu Hong of Jingzhou, an old acquaintance of mine. This renowned general is now nearly seventy years old and growing increasingly frail. Having just pacified Jingzhou, he should have no intention of participating in other battles. As long as I take precautions, contact him early, and maintain our old friendship, that should be enough to ensure peace in the east.

Conversely, the greatest threat to him came from the warlords of Qin Province. After Li Ju's introduction, Liu Xian had learned about the current situation in Qin Province. Huangfu Chong was on the verge of collapse; if he failed, a new governor of Qin Province would likely emerge from among the besieging prefects. Whoever it was, he would undoubtedly favor the Western Expeditionary Army and use that as a pretext to expand outwards and establish prestige. From this perspective, he would likely be their primary target.

Once Liu Xian realized this, he understood that Huangfu Zhong had to be saved. As long as this Qin Prefecture governor appointed by the court remained, he would have a wedge driven into Qin Prefecture, and if the various prefectures of Qin Prefecture could not be unified, the threat from the north would be negligible.

Having concluded this analysis, Liu Xian had a clear understanding of the situation and knew the next steps. He immediately decided to continue the southward migration within three days. Simultaneously, based on the agreed-upon arrangements, he made a new personnel appointment, paving the way for his capture of Hanzhong and subsequent southward advance into Bashu.

Xi Jian was appointed to garrison Chencang and monitor the movements of the Western Expeditionary Army in Guanzhong;
He sent a letter to Luo Shang in He Pan's name, claiming that he would join forces with him to attack Li Xiong;
Meng Tao was sent as an envoy to the east to contact Liu Hong and negotiate a peace treaty with him.

Zhang Shi was given 7,000 troops to help him return to Liangzhou and quell the rebellion for Zhang Gui.
At the same time, scouts were dispatched extensively to Bashu to investigate Li Xiong's strength and weaknesses and to ascertain his specific military strength. This task was assigned to Li Sheng.

Most of the decisions made here are easy to understand, except for one that was unexpected: Liu Xian's support for Zhang Shi. Based on the previous analysis, most of the advisors thought that Liu Xian would first send troops to relieve Huangfu Chong's siege. However, Liu Xian's action was to help Zhang Shi return to Liangzhou to quell the rebellion, which seemed rather unrelated, and even Zhang Shi himself was somewhat puzzled.

When Zhang Shi privately thanked Liu Xian, Liu Xian solemnly explained, "Anxun, Lord Shiyan is my former lord. When the court was in turmoil before, he was able to send righteous troops thousands of miles away, which was truly remarkable. Now that he is in danger, how can I remain indifferent?"

"I have given you an additional 7,000 soldiers this time. It is not a large number, but I hope they can be of use." He paused, then said, "I only have one request. I hope that when An Xun goes up Longxi, he will not take the Qishan Road, but will instead go up Longxi from Didao and make a big show of it by passing through the two prefectures of Longxi and Jincheng. Is that alright?"

The exit of Qishan Road leads directly to Shanggui City, inevitably leading to a clash with the Qin army. However, taking Di Road would bypass Shanggui and pass through the commanderies of Longxi and Jincheng. According to Liu Xian, among the four commandery governors surrounding Shanggui are Han Zhi, the governor of Longxi, and You Kai, the governor of Jincheng. If these two could be forced to retreat, and given that Yan Xiu, the governor of Lueyang, had already withdrawn his troops, a small force heading north would be enough to intimidate Feng Shang, the governor of Tianshui, and force Huangfu Zhong to leave.

This can be considered a strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao," while also taking advantage of Zhang Gui's momentum. Once Zhang Gui can defeat Ruoluoba Neng, together with Qiuchi Yang Maosou, the three will advance and retreat together, forming an encirclement of Qin Province. These prefects are barely able to protect themselves, so they dare not expand outwards any further.

The best strategy is to subdue the enemy without fighting; next is to disrupt their alliances; next is to attack their army; and the worst is to besiege their cities. As Liu Xian's understanding of the situation has evolved, he has increasingly realized that military means alone cannot solve all problems. Strategic maneuvering and diplomacy are equally important.

However, among the surrounding forces of Hanzhong, Liu Xian still had one crucial power he hadn't yet dealt with: the Qiuchi White Horse Di. Given the deep historical ties between the two factions, Liu Xian knew he had to personally visit Qiuchi Mountain to demonstrate his sincerity. (End of Chapter)