Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Chapter 104 Seal

When a knife is held to your neck, you are completely powerless.

The fact that six thousand elite troops arrived without warning or prior notice was something Qiang Duan had never witnessed before.

However, on the other hand—

The distant waters of Wei could not quench the immediate thirst, and once the thought of surrendering to Han arose, the world suddenly seemed vast and open.

Moreover, the treatment offered by the Han state was not harsh; at least they gave him an official position!

Qiang Duan was well aware that the Di tribes who were relocated to Guanzhong and Tianshui back then gained almost nothing.

The imperial messenger not only delivered military orders to Jiang Wei on how to deal with the Qiangduan and Fu Shuang tribes, but also brought him the seal of the General Who Guards the West.

Qiang Duan informed Jiang Wei that on February 1st, he sent a trusted subordinate to Chencang to inform him that Jiang Wei had summoned him to Wuxing.

Given the geographical location, it's 400 li from Xiabian to Chencang. At the earliest, it would be two days, and at the latest, three days. Guo Huai in Chencang should have known about this matter by now.

Guanzhong is a plain area, and its postal transportation is more developed. The four hundred li between Chencang and Chang'an can be traveled in a day.

Today, February 5th, if everything is correct, if Sima Yi is in Chang'an, he must already know about Qiang Duan's request for help, and in two more days the news will reach Luoyang.

In ten days, on the fifteenth of February, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the chieftains of the Qiang, Shi, Xiongnu, and other miscellaneous Hu peoples throughout Yongzhou, from Longxi in the west to Chang'an in the east and Anding in the north, will gather in Chencang.

In recent years, relations between the Wei Kingdom and the Qiang and Hu tribes have been quite good. During the four campaigns launched by the Prime Minister, Guo Huai was even able to procure military provisions from the Qiang tribes. If Jiang Wei's estimation is correct, there is an 80% chance that these Qiang and Hu tribes will come.

If they hadn't headed south to Jiange in advance to catch up with the imperial carriage, it would probably have been too late.

If Qiang Duan, the Di leader in Wudu within the Han territory, were to publicly surrender to the Wei state in front of the entire Qiang and Hu people of Yongzhou, it would undoubtedly be a blow to the prestige of the Shu Han court.

Now that Qiangduan has submitted, Jiang Wei also instructed him to feign a request for reinforcements and continue to request Wei to send troops to Wudu to provide support.

..

All's fair in war; if you can fool someone once, you should!

Just as Jiang Wei had predicted, Guo Huai had only just returned to Chencang from Chang'an when he received a message from Qiang Duan requesting reinforcements.

According to his and Sima Yi's usual division of labor, the main forces and heavy troops in Guanzhong were placed in Guanxi, while the permanent garrison in Tianshui, Nan'an, Guangwei and other counties in Longyou was not very large.

If a critical military situation arose in Longyou, Guo Huai could handle it independently, including personally leading troops or ordering the local governor to dispatch troops to meet the enemy, and then reporting to Sima Yi and the court. However, the situation in Guanzhong was controlled by Sima Yi.

As for Guo Huai, since this matter occurred within Wudu territory, not Longyou, Guo Huai was unwilling and unable to make decisions on his own. He simply sent someone urgently to Chang'an City to request Sima Yi to give instructions.

Sima Yi was cautious when faced with this issue.

On the one hand, it was his idea to recruit the Yong, Liang, Qiang and Hu peoples and to bestow official seals upon their leaders; he should have gone to Chencang when such a thing happened.

On the other hand, the Qiang Duan incident was caused by his granting titles to the Qiang and Hu people, so Sima Yi also had to deal with it.

Sima Yi immediately replied to Guo Huai, ordering Niu Jin, the general stationed in Chencang, to immediately send troops to Wudu to seek an opportunity to support Qiang Duan.

At the same time, Sima Yi also wrote a memorial about this matter and sent it to Cao Rui in Luoyang as an urgent report.

According to the Wei state system, Chang'an is about 800 li away from Luoyang, and urgent military reports from Guanzhong must be sent from Chang'an to Luoyang within two days and nights.

On the afternoon of February 7th, Cao Rui, who was in the Northern Palace of Luoyang, learned of this matter and summoned Wei Zhen, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and Guanqiu Jian, the General Who Pacifies the Liao, to discuss the matter.

"Grand Commandant, you are quite capable." Cao Rui held Sima Yi's memorial in his hand and sighed softly, "The Great Wei has won over the Qiang and Hu people and granted them official positions, which is a long-term solution. The Qiang in Guanzhong has been in turmoil for over a hundred years. The Han Dynasty's administration was ineffective, and it did not accept the Qiang and Hu people but treated them as enemies. Now, our Great Wei treats the Qiang and Hu people well and grants them official positions. They will surely stop causing trouble, and the two provinces of Yong and Liang will gradually become stable in the future."

"Master Wei, have the official seals been sent over?"

Wei Zhen cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, the seal made in Taizhong was sent to Guanzhong five days ago."

"The seals are divided into three types: Guiyi, Shuaizhong, and Shuaishan. The number of seals varies, and a total of 236 seals were made. They are all camel-shaped seals, which are different from the official seals of the Han Dynasty."

Guanqiu Jian, standing nearby, asked, "May I ask, Minister, what are the meanings of these three types of seals?"

Wei Zhen coughed lightly and slowly explained, "The so-called 'Return to Righteousness' was granted to tribes outside the borders of the Great Wei's counties. For example, it was previously granted to Kebineng, the King of Return to Righteousness, and Budugen, the Marquis of Return to Righteousness. This was a precedent set during Emperor Wu's reign. When Emperor Wu conquered Hanzhong, Zhang Junyi was ordered to conquer Ba Commandery, and he issued seals of 'Return to Righteousness' to the local Yi people. For instance, two seals of 'Han Return to Righteousness Marquis' were issued to the leader of the Bao people in Ba Commandery."

Guanqiu Jian seemed to be deep in thought. When Cao Cao was alive, it was still the Han Dynasty, so the official seals naturally had to begin with "Han".

However, Guanqiu Jian then asked, "What kind of seal was given to that Qiang Duan this time?"

"Wei Guiyi Di Hou," Wei Zhen replied. "This is also the seal given to Fu Shuang."

"I see." Guanqiu Jian nodded.

Wei Zhen continued, "As for the title of 'Commander of the People,' it was bestowed upon the Xiongnu and other tribes that had long been located on the borders of Wei. In the past, these various Xiongnu tribes were called 'Lord of the Fortress,' and the seal of 'Chief of the Wei Fortress Xiongnu Commander' was bestowed upon the Xiongnu leader."

"The title of 'Shuaishan' was generally bestowed upon the Qiang and Hu peoples, with seals and ribbons such as 'Chief of the Qiang Township of Shuaishan in Wei.' Only five Qiang and Hu families in the three commanderies of Jincheng, Xiping, and Longxi were granted the title of Marquis of Shuaishan."

"Han officials looked down on the Qiang and Hu peoples, but now our Great Wei treats them like our own subjects. Therefore, Yong and Liang will surely enjoy long-term peace and stability – this is a strategy for the next century!"

Cao Rui chuckled and shook his head: "Han officials—Han officials look down on everyone! In the eyes of those scholar-officials from Ru, Ying, Wan, and Luo, the people of Youzhou, Yangzhou, and Liangzhou, these border regions, are all like barbarians, let alone those Qiang and Hu, who are truly barbarians!"

"In short, speaking of the matter at hand, with the Grand Commandant in charge of dealing with the situation in Wudu, I need not worry about military matters. In this matter alone, I want to reward the Grand Commandant."

Wei Zhen frowned: "How does Your Majesty intend to reward me?"

Cao Rui countered, "What does the Grand Commandant lack?"

Wei Zhen remained silent for a moment, while Guanqiu Jian, who was standing to the side with a thoughtful mind, cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, I have a suggestion."

"Zhonggong, please tell me." Cao Rui nodded.

Guanqiu Jian knew Cao Rui's attitude towards Sima Yi, and also knew that Cao Rui wanted to give Sima Yi something that would look good on the surface but would not increase Sima Yi's power and prestige.

Guanqiu Jian said, "I have heard that the Grand Commandant's eldest son, Sima Shi, is retired at home and lost his wife at the end of last year, which is a great pity. As the emperor and father, Your Majesty, why not grant Sima Shi a marriage?"

"Zhonggong!" Cao Rui smiled and pointed at Guanqiu Jian: "Your words are exactly what I wanted to say. Which woman in Luoyang is suitable for him?"

Guanqiu Jian laughed and said, "I have heard that the daughter of the Marquis of Chou is still unmarried. Why not give her to the Sima family?"

"I grant your permission." Cao Rui nodded. "Furthermore, issue an edict to the Grand Commandant, instructing him to be extra vigilant in Wudu and to avoid another major battle this year!"