Supreme Golden Palace

Chapter 231 Thirty Thousand Miles (Part 2)
At the same time, in Shanggui County, the seat of Qin Prefecture, the General Administration Office...

Inside the main hall, Wei Ji, the chief secretary of the General Administration and governor of Qin Prefecture, put down his wolf-hair brush and gently pressed his fingers on the memorial he had just finished writing.

After thinking for a moment, he looked up at Yang Wang, the chief clerk in the hall, and said softly, "Although Liu Chong won this battle, the people of the three counties of Taozhou were looted, and nearly half of their houses were destroyed. We need to allocate grain from the granaries immediately for relief."

"Tomorrow you will personally lead the prefectural officials to Taozhou to verify the extent of the disaster,"

"promise,"

Chief Clerk Yang Wang, as a subordinate official, bowed and responded, then said, "My lord, the Military Affairs Department plans to distribute five thousand Qiang prisoners to Qin and Wei prefectures to serve as farm households and help cultivate official fields. What do you think of this?"

Wei Ji pondered for a moment and said, "When the former governor, the King of Qin, was alive, he was benevolent and compassionate, revered Buddhism and Taoism, and governed with leniency, bringing blessings to the people of the thirteen states. Although these people are barbarians, most of them have been coerced by their chieftains."

"We shall follow the suggestion of the Ministry of War, but we must strictly order local officials not to mistreat any of them. If any wish to return to their hometown, we shall send someone to escort them back after the spring planting season, so as to demonstrate the imperial court's benevolence and the Emperor's kindness."

He paused for a moment, then said, "Furthermore, issue my order that all counties under the jurisdiction of the prefecture must immediately repair their fortresses and beacon towers, especially along the border areas of Tao and Min prefectures. They must not become complacent because of one victory."

Upon hearing this, Yang Wang frowned slightly, cupped his hands, and said, "What you say is absolutely right, sir. However, the Qiang tribes have rebelled, the army has been mobilized, and the granaries are empty."

"While the grain reserves in the prefecture can support relief efforts, allocating manpower and provisions for repairing the fortresses will likely be insufficient,"

Wei Ji picked up the cool tea on the table, took a small sip, and said, "Fortresses and beacon towers are the foundation of border defense and are essential for the stability of all prefectures; they must not be neglected."

"Go to the treasury and withdraw thirty percent of the silver. First, allocate it to Tao and Min prefectures for emergency use. For the remaining shortfall, I will write to He Louzigan, the governor of Liangzhou, and borrow some military rations from him to temporarily alleviate the urgent need."

"Thus, the matter is accomplished."

Yang Wang's brows relaxed slightly, and he said, "General He Lou has long been stationed on the border and knows best the severity of the Qiang threat. If Tao and Min prefectures are lost, he will also find it difficult to remain unscathed. In addition, with the magistrate's letter, we should be able to borrow military provisions."

Of course, this was just the official explanation. Wei Ji and Yang Wang were well aware that the allocation and lending of military rations was of great importance.

Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to persuade He Louzigan. The reason why Wei Ji was confident that He Louzigan could be transferred was not only because he came from the Wei family of Jingzhao, but also because his father was Wei Xiaokuan, a pillar of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

Wei Xiaokuan became famous throughout the world for his bravery in the Battle of Yubi, where he led only a few thousand men to withstand the massive attack of Gao Huan, the prime minister of Eastern Wei, who had led a million-strong army for more than fifty days.

It was through this battle that Wei Xiaokuan established the destiny of the Northern Zhou Dynasty.

It can be said that Wei Xiaokuan was to the Northern Zhou Dynasty what Wang Jian of Qin Dynasty and Han Xin of Han Dynasty were, both being well-deserved famous generals and meritorious officials.

The Northern Sui Dynasty inherited from the Northern Zhou Dynasty, so although Wei Xiaokuan had already passed away in the second year of the Daxiang era of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, his legacy could still benefit his descendants.

Wei Ji placed the teacup back on the table, tapped the memorial lightly with his knuckles, and said, "Although Liu Chong achieved a great victory in Taozhou, we must also guard against a counterattack from the Qiang people."

"After you go to Taozhou, tell Liu Chong that after a great victory, the army's morale is easily swayed by pride. It is imperative to strictly enforce military discipline and prevent soldiers from harassing the people."

Yang Wang nodded and said, "Rest assured, Your Excellency, I will inform the Commander upon my arrival in Taozhou."

"However, Liu Sima's troops must have suffered losses after this battle. What do you think about drawing elite soldiers from the Qin Prefecture troops to replenish them?"

"No need,"

Wei Ji waved his hand and said, "The garrison troops are required to guard the prefecture capital and cannot be moved lightly."

"You convey my order to Liu Chong, instructing him to select the strongest men from the Qiang captives and incorporate them into the auxiliary troops, responsible for the repair of fortresses and the escort of provisions,"

"In this way, we can save the strength of our troops and let these barbarians experience our laws firsthand, thus extinguishing their rebellious intentions."

As the two were talking, a gust of wind suddenly swept in through the window, causing echoes to reverberate throughout the hall.

Yang Wang looked up at the swaying window frame, suddenly remembering something, and said, "My lord, I have another matter to report. The clerk just came to say that a small group of Qiang people were harassing villages along the border of Minzhou. Although they were repelled by the local militia, dozens of civilians were killed or wounded." Upon learning of the civilian casualties, Wei Ji's face darkened slightly, and he snorted, "These Qiang people are utterly despicable."

"Xiao Chong, convey my order: the governor of Minzhou is to immediately lead his troops to behead the ringleader, display his head to the public, and also inform the nearby Qiang tribes that if they dare to offend again, their entire tribe will be slaughtered without mercy."

"promise!"

The middle-aged clerk standing next to Wei Ji immediately responded.

Xiao Chong was the courtesy name of this civil official. He came from the Fang family of Linzi and his given name was Fang Yanqian. He was a registrar in the Qin Prefecture General Administration Office.

Chief Clerk Yang Wang hesitated, saying, "My lord, the military strength of Minzhou is weak. If we encounter a large group of Qiang people, I fear we will have difficulty dealing with them."

"It doesn't matter,"

Wei Ji said directly, "I have received military intelligence that Lü Shang, the governor of Liangzhou and the Duke of Lu, has led his troops into Longyou and will arrive within three days."

Upon hearing this, Yang Wang's worried expression vanished, and he said, "With Duke Lu here, the thirteen prefectures of Longyou are safe!"

Wei Ji nodded slightly. Lü Shang was the top scholar in the imperial examination, a great general in the northern expedition, with outstanding military achievements and unparalleled martial prowess. Even though Liu Chong had defeated the main force of the Qiang bandits in Taozhou, he still could not compare with Lü Shang.

No one knows how much of Liu Chong's great victory was genuine.

Lü Shang's achievements were corroborated by Yang Lin, the Prince of Kao Shan. Judging from Yang Lin alone, Wei Ji had no reason not to believe Lü Shang.

"My lord, a personal guard under the governor of Liangzhou and the Duke of Lu requests an audience. He says that the Duke of Lu has arrived thirty li outside Qinzhou City and has come to inform him!"

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside, accompanied by a guard's announcement.

Both Wei and Yang were taken aback. Yang Wang reacted first, saying, "Lord Lu has arrived so quickly, much earlier than expected."

Wei Ji immediately said, "Prepare the carriage and come with me out of the city to welcome you. Xiao Chong, you stay at the manor and take care of things. Organize the battle report from Taozhou and all matters concerning the prefecture, and present them to me after I and Duke Lu return to the manor."

"promise!"

Fang Yanqian bowed and agreed.

A short while later, Wei Ji and Yang Wang stood on the city tower of the north gate of Qinzhou.

Looking into the distance, one can see billowing dust as a cavalry force gallops towards them.

The leader was clad in armor made of wild antelope and rode a divine steed that was entirely purple-black with snow-white hooves; it was none other than Lü Shang.

The guards behind him were all gleaming in their armor, exuding an imposing aura.

When Lü Shang reined in his horse at the city gate, Wei and Yang came out of the city to greet him.

Wei Ji cupped his hands and smiled, "Lord Lu has come from afar; you must have had a long and arduous journey."

Lü Shang dismounted and returned the greeting, saying, "Lord Wei, you are too kind. I am here to assist Qin Prefecture in suppressing the rebellion under the orders of General He Lou. It is my duty, and there is no need to mention the hardship."

"It is Prefect Wei who is stationed in Qin Prefecture, stabilizing the situation in Longyou, and is truly working hard,"

Seeing Lü Shang's eloquence, Wei Ji laughed and said, "Lord Lu, you flatter me. I am able to defend Qin Province entirely thanks to the bravery of my soldiers."

"But we also hope that Lord Lu's arrival will quell the Qiang scourge and restore peace to the people of the thirteen prefectures. We have prepared a small feast in the city to welcome Lord Lu and his troops. Please come into the city to rest."

(End of this chapter)