Jinting Han people

After capturing the fortified village where the Yak Yi people were located, the Han army that was on the southern expedition officially opened the door to marching south to Yuexi County.

Because the raid was so successful, almost no one escaped from the fortified village, which temporarily kept the news of the army's southward advance a secret. After arriving at Yak County, Liu Xian did not immediately advance, but stayed there for a while, sending a military report to Chengdu, informing them that he had successfully opened the Yak Trail and arrived at Yak Village, asking them to send people to take over and deliver the first batch of supplies on time.

This batch of supplies was not intended for war, but for trade.

Because Yak Valley is not merely the entrance to Yuexi County; it is situated at the junction of Sichuan, southern China, and the Qiangtang Plateau. And just twenty li west of Yak Valley lies a three-way intersection, serving as a trade and communication center connecting these three regions.

The Qiang people here are different from the Qiang people of Longyou. Although both originated from the Kunlun Mountains, their language and customs are quite different. According to Wang Cen, the Qiang people on the plateau originally seemed to have twelve kingdoms, which have now been annexed into four: Supi Kingdom, Xiangxiong Kingdom, Xiboye Kingdom, and most recently, Yak Kingdom. These kingdoms each have many tribes under their control. The Yak Village that Liu Xian and his group currently occupy is merely a small branch that split off from the Yak Kingdom and submitted to the Han Dynasty.

It is said that life in the Qiang Kingdom on the plateau was extremely difficult. The locals were still at the stage of using bronze tools, and their diet was very monotonous, making them heavily reliant on exporting iron. Therefore, Qiang caravans frequently traveled from the plateau to Yuexi, staying around Yak Valley, attempting to trade with Han Chinese or local Yi people. Liu Xian, in order to maintain his current logistical supplies, clearly needed to maintain friendly relations with these plateau Qiang people; otherwise, it would be difficult to maintain peace on this essential route.

Therefore, he first decided to establish a county in Yak, and at the same time transferred a large amount of supplies from Chengdu to maintain peace through trade.

Ten days later, Xue Xing arrived at Yak Valley with a thousand-strong cavalry. The first magistrate of Yak Valley County had also been appointed, and it was his younger brother, Xue Yun. The supplies he brought mainly included brine, cloth, silk, iron swords, rock honey, and tea cakes, all of which had been specially selected based on Li Xiu's advice and were the things that the Qiang people were currently most in need of.

With the chaos in Sichuan and Chongqing, the trade route to Yak Valley had been cut off for about seven years. When Xue Xing's caravan appeared at the market at the crossroads, it immediately caused a stir among the Qiang people. That very night, more than ten Qiang tribes came to trade, offering their specialties such as highland horses and yaks as goods.

These plateau horses are small in size, mostly with bluish-yellow manes. They appear slightly larger than ordinary Sichuan horses, but smaller than Hequ horses and Western Region horses. However, they are much more robust, and due to their sparse coats, they don't sweat easily. They are docile, well-proportioned, and well-suited for mountain climbing. Most importantly, they have exceptional endurance, making them extremely suitable for both carrying supplies and as mounts.

The yaks were a real eye-opener for everyone. This was also the first time Liu Xian had ever seen yaks in person. Compared with cattle in the Central Plains, yaks have larger horns, but what is even more striking is their fur, which is truly like a natural blanket. It feels very soft and dense to the touch, and you can feel the yak's warm body temperature deep inside the thick fur, which is very pleasant.

Hearing from the Qiang people that it was possible to ride them, Liu Xian tried it out, letting the yaks run freely on the mountainside. The yaks looked heavy, but their steps were surprisingly light, and sitting on them was an indescribable experience. Liu Xian loved it so much that he even considered forming a yak cavalry army. However, after hearing from the Western Qiang people that while yaks were cold-resistant, hardy, and resilient, they were not heat-resistant and easily fell ill and died after leaving the high plateau, Liu Xian abandoned the idea.

However, since live yaks couldn't be bought, yak blankets and yak meat were very popular. Yak meat, in particular, was tender and had a delicate texture, completely different from ordinary beef. Liu Xian bought eighty yaks and treated the soldiers accompanying him to a meal. Some of the poor soldiers even cried out as they ate, saying they had never tasted anything so delicious in their lives.

In addition, there were high-purity Qiang gold and copper, as well as unique medicinal materials such as wildflowers, musk, and cordyceps. Perhaps because they had been accumulating stock for several years, these Western Qiang people spoke vaguely, gesturing wildly, and offered very high prices. More than half of the goods brought by Xue Xing were snapped up in no time. It was only after Liu Xian ordered that some goods be held back, not sold off all at once, and that a long-term plan be made to trade with later Qiang people, that the goods were not quickly sold out.

While conducting the trade, Xue Yun also reached an agreement with the Qiang tribes of Yak County. The Han state would establish a trade market in Yak County, and the Qiang tribes would have to have their Qiang king present, acknowledge the authority of the Chengdu court, and receive a title from the court. Otherwise, their tribe's trading qualifications would be revoked.

The Qiang people readily agreed. They were overjoyed at the reopening of the trade route and cared little for titles or ranks as long as there was profit to be made. Little did they know that the King of Hanzhong was hiding in the caravan, right next to them.

The day after the agreement was reached, the leaders prepared to go to the crossroads to receive their titles. Unexpectedly, Liu Xian suddenly appeared at the crossroads with his army of over ten thousand men, all clad in iron armor and in perfect formation, a sight the Qiang people had never seen before. Only then did Liu Xian raise the banner of the Han army, announce his identity to the Qiang people, and request passage through this place to travel south to Yuexi, ordering the Qiang to cooperate.

After Liu Xian finished speaking, Wang Cen stepped forward to translate. He spoke a long string of Qiang language, claiming that Liu Xian was the son of the former Han emperor, the King of the Bright Heaven appointed by Heaven. In previous years, he had suffered the shame of the destruction of his country, but he did not give up. He moved the gods and rebuilt the country. Now that you have submitted, you should abide by the agreement and you will receive the Emperor's reward. Otherwise, you will be punished by the Great Black Demon.

At this point, Wang Cen took out several talismans from his robes. He rubbed them together, then casually tossed them into the air. The talismans spontaneously combusted, burning to ashes before hitting the ground. Wang Cen continued, saying that the gods had already approved these words, and anyone who disobeyed them would be punished by heaven.

The Qiang tribes had never witnessed such a scene before. Their leaders were stunned, and it took them a long time to react. They mistook Wang Cen for a deity and kowtowed repeatedly to Liu Xian. The group immediately set up an altar and swore an oath, promising never to disobey the divine will and to always obey Liu Xian's commands. Liu Xian then bestowed the title of Qiang Duke upon the seven Qiang tribal leaders present, renamed the crossroads to Jiayi Pass, and erected a stone tablet in commemoration.

This was the first time Liu Xian had experienced the benefits of religion. Before this, he had always been tormented by the Celestial Masters sect, but now he could subdue them without a fight, which was naturally extremely pleasant. However, what he was most curious about was how Wang Cen was able to ignite the talismans in his hands without fire. He didn't believe that it was truly the work of ghosts and gods. He turned to ask Fan Ben, who glanced around and quietly told Liu Xian, "Your Highness, we applied a white powder obtained from alchemy to these talismans beforehand. This white powder (phosphorus) is extremely flammable. We applied it to the talismans, wrapped them tightly in cloth, and when needed, we took them out, rubbed them against our fingers in the wind, and they would ignite."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian was full of praise. He smiled and said, "That's quite an achievement. Although it's not a ghost or a god, it can still be considered a kind of supernatural power."

After this incident, Liu Xian was able to continue his southward journey smoothly, and Xue Xing transported his spoils back to Chengdu, preparing for the next shipment. The gold, silver, cattle, and horses already obtained had exceeded the court's prior expectations. Once the news reached back, the opposition in the court would likely diminish, and the southern expedition would proceed more smoothly. If the future spoils did not decrease, Liu Xian was even considering whether to begin reminting copper coins after the southern expedition concluded.

Liu Xian's actions in Yak County took nearly half a month. Although his identity was eventually revealed, the Souyi people of Yuexi had not yet received the news. Under the trade offensive from the north, the Souyi people within Yuexi County were still debating whether to resist or go north to participate in trade and show goodwill. Meanwhile, Liu Xian seized the time, and after reaching an alliance, quickly marched south.

Because they had just been supplied with nearly two thousand highland Qiang horses, Liu Xian's marching speed had increased considerably. The mountain road here was almost a straight line, flanked by snow-capped mountains on both sides. They covered more than two hundred miles of mountain road in two days until a narrow plain valley appeared before them.

Unlike many narrow valleys in Longyou, this valley is exceptionally long and narrow, bordered by the Greater Liangshan Mountains to the west and the Lesser Liangshan Mountains to the east, stretching nearly 300 li from north to south and 10 li from east to west. While there are only two counties officially designated as such, the Yi people there likely numbered no fewer than 100,000. During the pre-Qin period, it was known as the State of Qiong, and was the core ruling area of ​​the entire Yuexi Commandery.

While the Souyi people were still discussing the matter, Liu Xian had already seized the opportunity, first occupying Taideng City north of the valley, with Huangfu Zhong stationed there, and then marching straight south towards Qiongdu (present-day Xichang). The Souyi people along the way were stunned and at a loss when they saw the large army rushing by. They didn't even have time to call for reinforcements to stop them, and could only watch helplessly as the Han army from the north reached the gates of Qiongdu. The city's defenders were unable to resist and surrendered.

Next, Liu Xian's strategy would be drastically different from his amicable approach towards the Western Qiang. The Western Qiang were considered uncivilized and ignorant, and could be appeased. However, the Souyi had been subjugated by the Han for centuries, spoke the same language, knew the details of the country, and had absorbed a large number of displaced people. It was impossible to appease them with mere favors. Therefore, establishing authority was paramount.

Therefore, after Liu Xian took control of Qiongdu, he directly issued an order in the name of the King of Han to the leaders of the Souyi tribes in Yuexi County. The order was cold and stern, demanding that the four Souyi kings who received the order immediately come to Qiongchi Lake (now Qionghai Lake) south of Qiongdu City to pay homage, or else they would be considered traitors and a large army would be dispatched to attack them.

The four tribal leaders hesitated, unable to make a decision. After reporting back, Liu Xian ordered Guo Mo to lead the Imperial Guards. Three hundred cavalrymen stormed into the nearest Beishui tribe, openly capturing their leader, Wei Feng, from his own ranks, and then left without resistance. The tribespeople were powerless to resist. This incident caused an uproar in the prefecture. The remaining three tribal leaders rushed to surrender to Liu Xian, sending their relatives as hostages and accepting new appointments from the court.

Afterwards, Liu Xian summoned the Han people within the territory. There were about 30,000 refugees from Ba and Shu in Yuexi County, and more than 10,000 Han people who had lived there for generations. There were four major surnames: Gao, Wang, Dong, and Zhang. The early history of these Han people who had lived there for generations was unknown, but they had basically all participated in the establishment of the Chijia and Beijun Yamen when Zhang Yi governed Yuexi. During Zhang Yi's time, the Beijun Yamen was stationed at Taideng, and the Chijia Yamen was stationed at Qiongdu. Then, he used these Yamen to supervise the four Sisou tribes and established the Sisou Army. With the Han and Yi people mixed together, the order in the county was stabilized.

Having learned from the experiences of his predecessors, Liu Xian naturally followed suit. He restored the Qiongdu and Erya system, and ordered the Souyi to release the captured refugees, selecting strong men from among them to establish the Tianma and Qionghai Erya. He also recruited Zhang Guang, the grandson of Zhang Yi, who was living in seclusion there, and appointed him as the magistrate of Qiongdu. With this combination of kindness and severity, within half a month, Yuexi County was largely pacified and submitted to Liu Xian's rule.

It must be said that Liu Xian was extremely fond of the scenery of Yuexi, especially Qiongchi Lake south of Qiongdu. He had never imagined that such a vast lake existed deep in these mountains, stretching over ten li in both length and width, almost comparable to Julu Lake in Hebei. The lake water was a deep blue, the same color as the sky, shimmering and sparkling during the day, with various ducks, geese, blackbirds, and magpies flying to and fro, making one feel refreshed and invigorated. One evening, he and Fan Ben were fishing there when they caught a large fish, nearly four feet long.

The local Yi people were mostly generous and hospitable, but perhaps due to the long absence of laws, their habits were too lax, and the leaders' authority was actually not high. Even within a single tribe, it was difficult to ensure that orders were obeyed, which explains why Guo Mosheng captured them so easily. Liu Xian had originally considered whether to recruit a large number of soldiers from the Sou Yi, but now it seemed unnecessary; the newly established Sou Army was merely meant to stabilize morale.

It was now mid-January of the second year of the Qiming era. After two months of fermentation, the true intentions of the Han army's southern expedition had been exposed without a doubt. When the various Yi and Yue tribes of Ningzhou received the news of Liu Xian's personal expedition, they were first greatly alarmed, and then hurriedly mobilized their troops, intending to block the roads and defend the cities.

If this situation is allowed to continue, it will obviously be detrimental to Liu Xian's next military action, and at the very least, it has already shown a tendency to develop into a long-term war.

Fortunately, Liu Xian had anticipated this. He had discussed the matter several times with Li Feng and Li Xiu on the way, and the best way to quickly pacify Ningzhou was to engage in a decisive battle with the rebels in Nanzhong, thus deterring the entire region. Therefore, they needed to create tension in Nanzhong and force them to form an alliance to fight.

Now that Liu Xian has easily captured Yuexi, he has achieved his first step. The second step is to take advantage of the situation to disrupt their defenses and rush into the heart of Nanzhong. After all, there is a force within Jianning County that is waiting to be integrated by him.

In late January, Liu Xian assigned Huangfu Zhong 6,000 troops to garrison Huiwu County, guarding against the northward advance of the Yi people from Yunnan Commandery. Liu Xian himself led 7,000 troops eastward from the Beishui River into Zhuti Commandery, then marched continuously along the way, turning from the Lushui River to the Tushui River, a seven-day forced march, heading straight for Jianning Wei County. (End of Chapter)