Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 215 Hexi (Part 2)

Lü Shang nodded and said in a deep voice, "Prepare the horses."

Yan Rui, the guard standing to the side, stepped back in response. A moment later, the sound of warhorses neighing rose from outside the hall.

Lü Shang straightened his clothes and strode out of the inner hall.

Yan Rui led his horse to the front of the hall. Upon seeing Lü Shang, he whispered, "My lord, the horse is ready. This humble general will accompany you."

Lü Shang nodded, mounted his horse, and said, "Let's go."

Yan Rui and Wang Wei followed closely behind, and the three of them left the mansion together.

The Liangzhou General Administration and the Governor's Office were separated by only two streets, and the horses' hooves made a clattering sound as they trod across the street.

Upon arriving at the gate of the governor's mansion, the gatekeeper immediately stepped forward. Lü Shang dismounted, handed the reins to Yan Rui, and strode inside.

After passing through two courtyards, several advisors stood outside the main hall, all with solemn expressions. The one in the lead was over fifty years old, dressed in a purple robe, with a resolute face; he was none other than He Louzigan, the governor of Liangzhou.

"The Flying Bear is here!"

He Louzi turned around, his gaze falling on Lü Shang, and said in a deep voice, "Sit."

Lu Shang sat down as instructed, his gaze sweeping over the Northwest map spread out on the table, and a thought struck him.

"Flying Bear, the situation is dire!"

After Lü Shang took his seat, He Louzigan sighed and said, "Just now, an urgent report came from the Qin Prefecture General's Office that the Qiang tribes in Longyou have rebelled."

"The Zhongqiang and Dangchang Qiang rebelled, burned the post road in Lintao Valley, and looted 8,000 shi of grain from the official granary,"

Lü Shang frowned and said, "What? The Qiang people of Longyou have actually rebelled?"

"Yes, who would have thought that the Qiang people of Longyou would rebel at this time?"

He Louzigan said quietly, "These are truly turbulent times. First, the four prefectures of Hexi were harassed by various barbarian tribes, and then the Qiang tribes of Longyou caused chaos and calamity."

"You also know the importance of Longyou. If Longyou is in chaos, it will inevitably affect Hexi. Hexi and Longyou are one, interdependent. Once the Longyou road is cut off, Hexi will be isolated and the northwest will be in turmoil."

The term "Helong" refers to the combined area of ​​Hexi and Longyou. Since the Han Dynasty, Helong has served as a bulwark for the Central Plains, defending against the Hu barbarians in the west and protecting the Guanzhong Plain in the east, making it extremely important in terms of strategy.

Because of the strategic importance of the Hexi Corridor, Emperor Yang Jian established two general administrations in the Hexi Corridor after he founded the dynasty: the Liangzhou General Administration governed Hexi, and the Qinzhou General Administration governed Longyou.

Among them, the first governor of Liangzhou was Yang Shuang, the half-brother of Emperor Yang Jian and Prince of Wei, and the first governor of Qinzhou was Dou Rongding, the brother-in-law of Emperor Yang Jian and Duke of Anfeng. Both of them were Yang Jian's most trusted confidants.

"The Qiang peoples of Longyou,"

Lu Shang pondered for a moment and said, "General, don't you think the timing of this rebellion of the Qiang people in Longyou is a bit too coincidental?"

"Ok?"

He Louzi picked up the cool tea on the table and said softly, "You think there's something fishy about this?"

Lü Shang said, "The various Hu tribes are building up their power in Hexi, while the Qiang people are causing trouble in Longyou. This back-and-forth seems like a pre-arranged plan."

He Louzi frowned deeply and said, "Could it be that these two sides are in cahoots?"

Lü Shang sighed softly and said, "It's better to believe it's true than not. Even if it's just a coincidence, we should prepare for the worst."

He Louzi thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "You're right. If there really is collusion, then it's no small matter."

"Fei Xiong, if Longyou is not at peace, Hexi will not be safe. Especially with the Emperor's southern expedition imminent, we in the Northwest must not hold the court back at this time. The Qiang rebellion in Longyou must be quelled quickly."

"I intend to let you lead the Liangzhou Prefecture troops to reinforce Qinzhou and assist the Qinzhou General Administration in suppressing the Qiang tribes in Longyou."

Although both Liangzhou and Qinzhou were general administrations of the Sui Dynasty, Liangzhou bordered the Turks and Tuyuhun, making it a heavily fortified region. In contrast, Qinzhou, while also a border prefecture, was closer to Guanzhong and the capital region, thus facing fewer border threats and possessing far less military strength than Liangzhou.

Therefore, in the face of the Qiang rebellion, it would be difficult to quell the rebellion quickly with the troops of the Qin Prefecture General Administration alone. Only by transferring troops from Liang Prefecture could the Qiang rebellion be quelled swiftly.

He Louzigan appointed Lü Shang to lead the troops because he knew Lü Shang's abilities and his illustrious military exploits during his northern campaigns. He believed that Lü Shang's martial prowess was sufficient to suppress the rebellion of the Qiang tribes.

It should be noted that the Qiang people had been sometimes subjugated and sometimes rebelled since the beginning of the Han Dynasty. From the Later Han Dynasty onwards, the Qiang rebellions intensified. They were able to dominate the western frontier even after the Han and Wei-Jin periods, which shows how powerful they were.

Such a rebellion could not be quelled without a great general leading troops to suppress it.

Lü Shang said softly, "General, it is possible to rush to the aid of Longyou, but the defense line of Hexi cannot be lost. If I lead the troops eastward, what will happen to the defense of Liangzhou?"

He Louzigan said in a deep voice, "Don't worry about that. After you leave, I will take charge of the military affairs in Liangzhou. With me stationed in Liangzhou, the Hexi region will be safe."

Lü Shang rose, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said, "In that case, I will return to my residence to muster my troops and immediately lead them eastward to reinforce Qin Prefecture."

With He Louzi in charge of military affairs in Liangzhou, Lü Shang could naturally rest assured about the defense line in Hexi.

The reason why Emperor Yang Jian entrusted He Louzigan with such an important task, appointing him as the governor of Liangzhou and in charge of the military and political affairs of the region, was not only because He Louzigan was loyal and trustworthy, but also because he was indeed a talented general.

He Louzigan may not have had the same illustrious reputation as the Eighteen Heroes of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, but in terms of his ability to defend the land and protect the borders, he was certainly among the top generals of the Sui Dynasty.

He Louzi raised his hand and said, "Go, speed is of the essence in war."

Lü Shang turned and left the governor's mansion, where Yan Rui was waiting with his horse at the gate. Seeing Lü Shang emerge, Yan Rui stepped forward and asked, "My lord, shall we return to the mansion immediately?"

"No need to return home,"

After mounting his horse, Lü Shang said, "Head straight to the West Training Ground. Convey my order: select three thousand elite soldiers from the manor and have them assemble and await orders within half an hour."

Yan Rui responded with a resounding "This subordinate obeys!"

After Yan Rui left, Lü Shang sat upright on his horse and looked up towards the west.

Clouds drifted across the sky, and sunlight shone through them, falling on the battlements of Liangzhou city, giving them a faint golden glow.

Lu Shang narrowed his eyes slightly, as if a stream of light swirled in them. When he looked up at the sky, his pupils reflected a scene that ordinary people could not see.

Above Liangzhou City, a thick yellow cloud spread out like a canopy, a sign that the prefecture was stable, the imperial authority remained intact, and the people's hearts were still at peace.

At the edge of the yellow aura, there were faint wisps of gray-black air currents swirling around, which was the malevolent aura of the mixed Hu tribes from Hexi.

Although malevolent energy entangled the yellow energy, the yellow energy was thick and solid, and no matter how much the gray and black malevolent energy attacked, it could not shake the foundation of the yellow energy.

Seeing this, Lü Shang nodded secretly. With He Louzigan in charge of Liangzhou, the government orders were effective, the army's morale was high, and the people were at peace. Hexi was safe and sound.

"Walk,"

Lü Shang rode his horse to the West Training Ground, where he could see banners fluttering in the distance.

Inside the training ground, three thousand elite soldiers had already formed ranks, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. The four generals, Xiao, Yan, Huo, and Ling, stood at the front of the formation.

"Put on armor, bring provisions, and prepare arrows!"

Lu Shang entered the field holding a whip and announced loudly before the army formation: "We will set off precisely in half an hour!"

"Here!"

Three thousand elite soldiers responded in unison.

Then, the sound of drums reverberated throughout the west training ground, and three thousand elite soldiers moved at the sound of the drums.

(End of this chapter)