Chinese New Year

Chapter 1431 Departure
Shao Xu did not have a residence in Chang'an, but Lady Yin's relatives lent him an empty house.

The house was located in the suburbs. It wasn't big, but it was big enough to store things.

The attendant Murong Ke brought out boxes and placed gifts inside.

The small box contained gold coins (Caesar coins, later unearthed in Shenyang), totaling fifty.

Because Shao Xu helped come up with ideas for making goods in the style of the Central Plains, the Hu merchants settled "labor fees" with him, and that's all.

There was also a box of silver coins, totaling two hundred, all of which were Sasanian Persian. In fact, Shao Xu had some silver coins minted by city-states in the Western Regions, but none of them numbered two hundred. In order to unify the design, he chose Persian silver coins, a hard currency on the trade routes of the Western Regions, because of their large quantity.

“Lingzhou’s sun, such a generous nobleman is rare anywhere.” Zhi Fa sat in the hall, looking at the gifts Shao Xu had prepared for his sister and brother’s weddings, somewhat surprised.

“Some emotions cannot be measured in gold coins,” Shao Xu replied in Sogdian.

Murong Ke was filled with questions. What kind of gibberish were these two talking about?
Princess Shao Ni of Mayi will be married this month. Her husband is a martial arts student named Zhu Jing, who has just been appointed as the assistant magistrate of Xin'an County, Henan Prefecture.

Ba Gong Shao Ke also got married in April. His wife came from the He family of Donghai and was the daughter of He Xiang, the magistrate of Lihu in Jiyin County.

In May or June, Princess Huainan and Duke Jing will also get married one after another, and the King of Han has probably also found a suitable queen, but the exact time of the marriage is unknown.

Murong Ke thought it over and over and realized that his lord was really good at making money and was also very generous. Even he was casually rewarded with some gold and silver.

King Zhao smiled and said to him that these were five "states".

He later learned that the “stat” was a measurement method commonly used by Sogdian merchants, just like the “jin” in the Central Plains. The “stat” is a Greek unit of measurement, about 14 grams, and is widely found in unearthed Sogdian letters, which is closely related to the Hellenization of Central Asia.

Murong Ke already knew that he would be heading west in May.

He wasn't afraid of the war, but he was worried about his mother. His father was under house arrest, so he rarely saw him and his feelings for his father were just so-so. But his mother was what troubled him; he was always thinking about her.

The King of Zhao was actually just like him.

Whenever he thought of this, Murong Ke felt a sense of shared misfortune; they were both pitiful people.

"You should leave tomorrow and go to the Western Regions Prefectural Governor's Office. Someone there will receive you," Shao Xu continued in Sogdian. "After that, you will guide the army. Remember, you will not be the only guide, so don't try to be clever."

Zhi Fa nodded repeatedly, patted his chest to assure him, and even had a sense of grievance on his face as if he was not trusted.

Shao Xu pretended not to see it.

That's how the Western Region Hu people are—expressive and passionate—he was used to it.

Several days had passed since his father last summoned him, and the situation was becoming increasingly clear.

The Southern Route Army will be led by Li Bai, the Protector-General of the Western Regions, with 1,000 soldiers from Shanshan, 1,000 elite Qifu Xianbei troops, and 1,000 soldiers from Fuhan, totaling 3,000 men. They will advance westward along the main Silk Road, namely the southern edge of the desert (Taklamakan).

Yesterday, Zhi Fa mentioned another route, namely the "Henan Road," saying that there was a period of frequent warfare before, and some merchants from the Western Regions took this route. However, now they have switched to the Loulan Road. The so-called "Henan Road" is south of the Yellow River. The general route is from southern Xinjiang to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, then through Qinghai to Lanzhou, where it intersects with the northern routes. As Loulan gradually weakened during the Eastern Jin and Southern and Northern Dynasties, this trade route became more and more prosperous.

The emperor rejected it outright because he was unfamiliar with the area and it would be troublesome if they got lost.

Furthermore, taking this route requires first dealing with the Tuyuhun and Xianbei, which can be described as creating unnecessary complications.

Just the day before yesterday, Murong Yeyan, the leader of the Tuyuhun Xianbei, sent an envoy to Guzang, claiming that he had detained Tufa Tuijin and requesting to be submitted to the Han Chinese.

The emperor granted his request, ordering him to conscript able-bodied men, provide cattle, sheep, and provisions, transport them to Zhangye, and to search for and capture Shi Hu and his entourage, sending them to Chang'an in cages.

Murong Yeyan agreed. But even so, the emperor did not trust them and only temporarily withdrew his military force from them; the future was uncertain.

Furthermore, the journey of three thousand people along the edge of the desert was fraught with danger. After leaving Shanshan, their first destination was the Kingdom of Khotan, and it was difficult to predict their attitude towards it.

But then again, it's only three thousand men! Most of them aren't even our own troops. So what if the whole army is wiped out? If this flanking force succeeds, great; if it fails, so be it.

Zhi Fa was unaware of the existence of the Central Route Army and the Northern Route Army; he only had a vague guess. But it didn't matter. After paving the way, what was there to fear about future benefits? If nothing unexpected happened, this was their golden opportunity to rise to power.

******
Around April 25th, Princess Mayi and Duke Ba got married one after another, causing a sensation in Chang'an.

On the first day of the fifth lunar month, after bidding farewell to his parents, younger brother and sister, Shao Xu left Chang'an and traveled swiftly, returning to Lingzhou in mid-May.

The troops that had been training in Yinshan had long since moved to Liangzhou and were advancing towards Dunhuang.

Outside Lingzhou City, cattle, sheep, horses, and camels, driven by herdsmen, marched westward in a grand procession.

Including the supplies transported in the first half of this year, approximately two million bushels of grain and beans have been stockpiled on the Gaochang front over the past three years, with over one million bushels in Dunhuang. Although the local climate is dry, these grains will slowly rot if troops are not dispatched soon.

As the stirring drumbeats sounded, five thousand guards from the Prince's Palace slowly assembled on the west bank of the Yellow River.

Shao Xu, dressed in a red robe, looked down at the disciplined military formation from his high vantage point.

His army is very young, mostly composed of bachelors, with fewer than 1,500 married. After they are brought to their fiefdoms, he will have to find a way to relocate their families and arrange marriages for the bachelors, otherwise their minds will not be at peace.

Below the platform, officers shouted commands, and thousands of soldiers filed out, forming four columns, and slowly advanced.

In the middle of the column were rows of horse-drawn carriages and various draft animals, all loaded with provisions.

On the high platform, the wives, concubines, and children of Prince Zhao's mansion were also seeing him off.

Princess Shen, Lady Murong, Lady Xue, Lady Yin, and the nine-year-old Crown Prince Shao You were all present.

Shao Xu glanced at them, forced a smile, and said, "It won't be long; we'll definitely return early next year."

Shen was usually a little shy, but at this moment, she couldn't help but say, "Husband, I'll wait for you to come back here, no matter how long it takes."

“No, you should go to Chang’an. I won’t be the governor of Shuozhou next month, so this residence will have to be given up.” Shao Xu shook his head and said, “When you get there, visit my mother more often.” Madam Shen hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded.

Shao Xu hesitated, because his father had found him four new wives.

One is surnamed Wei, a woman from the Wei clan of Hedong; another is surnamed Zhou, a woman from the Zhou clan of Yixing; another is surnamed Luo, the youngest daughter of Luo Heng, a naval commander, who was from the Banshun barbarian tribe; and the third is surnamed Cui, a woman from the Cui clan of Boling.

He felt a little embarrassed, because going to the Western Regions would inevitably make things difficult for these women. He was also a little embarrassed to face Princess Shen, even though it was nothing.

Well, they'll find out when they get to Chang'an. He won't be there, so we can avoid an awkward situation.

"Your Highness." Murong Yun climbed the steps, panting, and bowed, saying, "It's time to set off."

As she spoke, she secretly glanced at her daughter, and then at Madam Xue beside her daughter.

This woman is already six months pregnant, and her family has a strong army. She speaks very loudly in the Prince of Zhao's residence, so we must be careful in the future.

He has just been appointed as the Prefect of Gaochang and concurrently the Magistrate of Jiaohe County. He is going west with us this time, and he will definitely settle in Gaochang in the future.

With a spirit of foresight, Murong Yun had already begun to observe all aspects of the Prince's residence, planning for the future.

It's a pity that that brat Tufu is so ignorant. As a servant in the Prince's mansion and favored by the Prince of Zhao, he actually didn't help him. What a shame!
“This is it—” Shao Xu took one last look at Lingzhou City and sighed, “Let’s set off.”

On the banks of the long river, the banner of "Shao, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Gaochang Expeditionary Force" fluttered high, pointing straight to the west, unwavering in its resolve.

******
As King Zhao Shao Xu set off, Shao Xun had already arrived in Lantian County for an inspection tour.

On the fourth day of the fifth month, Yu Liang, the transport commissioner of Guanzhong, hurried back to Chang'an. He then went straight to the foot of Nanshan Mountain to request an audience.

"Yuan Gui, have some cherries," Shao Xun said with a smile.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, thank you... Empress." Yu Liang bowed as he looked at Yu Wenjun, who had personally brought him cherries.

"Brother, please sit down," Yu Wenjun urged. "These are grown by the soldiers of the Longxiang Prefecture in Lantian; they taste very good."

Yu Liang responded.

Actually, he gets a headache just hearing the words "Longxiang Mansion" now.

On this westward journey to deliver grain, he also had a "side mission," namely, to transport grain, oxen, and farm tools to the newly established Tongwei (now Zhang County) Longxiang Prefecture within Longxi County.

This land was originally the pastureland of the Qifu Xianbei, but it has now been replaced. The emperor has granted a portion of the Tufa Xianbei's pastureland, ordering the Qifu Xianbei to cede this land to house their troops.

As before, 1,200 men were recruited from the remaining soldiers of the Left Feathered Forest Guard and Left Changzhi Guard, as well as the sons of the Imperial Guards. They were also assigned to the captured Di-Qiang tribes, who were vassals of the Tuoba Xianbei, as their retainers. Together with Fuhan Camp and Sangcheng Town, they formed a defensive alliance and guarded the western part of Longxi County.

Yu Liang didn't really like this kind of work, but he still did it despite his reluctance, without even daring to deliberately delay.

Shao Xun did not ask him about the Tongwei Longxiang Prefecture, but only said, "Yuan Gui cannot be complacent. Between June and July, we must continue to send supplies until the Western Regions are recovered."

"Your subject obeys the decree," Yu Liang replied.

"In your opinion, what are the chances of victory in this western expedition?" Shao Xun asked.

“When I arrived in Guzang, I saw the imperial guards and palace guards assembled, their military might was magnificent, and their morale was high. They are sure to win a great victory in the campaign,” Yu Liang replied.

Shao Xun nodded slightly.

The so-called "Fubing" mainly consisted of 800 men from the Left and Right Xiaoqiwei, 1,600 men from the Left and Right Feilongwei, 800 men from the Right Yulinwei, and 800 men from the Left Changzhiwei, totaling 4,000 infantry and cavalry.

The Imperial Guards consisted of 12,000 men from the Silver Spear Central Camp and the Black Spear Left Camp, 12,000 cavalry from the Falling Goose Army and the Youzhou Cavalry Commander, plus 5,000 men from the Prince of Zhao's Palace, totaling 33,000 soldiers. This was the entire regular army of the Gaochang Expeditionary Force.

Three thousand barbarian crossbowmen and three thousand barbarian swordsmen and shieldmen, plus more than 20,000 elite soldiers from the four prefectures of Liang, He, Sha, and Shuo, mainly served as logistical support, namely escorting grain and weapons.

After the 30,000-strong army breached the enemy's city, they would also have to act as occupying forces to suppress the local population. If necessary, they would even have to participate in frontline combat, as they couldn't stay in the rear doing transport work indefinitely.

The Northern Route Army has not yet officially set out.

This route was led by Zheng Long, the Left Sima of the Chanyu's Office. After Shao Shen's death, Zheng Long had the opportunity to compete for the position of Grand Protector, but ultimately his resume and qualifications were inferior to those of Jiang Ke, the Commander of the Silver Spear Left Battalion, and he missed out on the position. Now he has the opportunity to make a name for himself; it remains to be seen whether he can seize it.

This route mainly consists of "miscellaneous troops." Apart from the Eagle Shooting, Victory, and Black Armor battalions drawn from the three prefectures of Shanyu, Anbei, and Beiyi, the rest are all from vassal states or servant states, totaling 20,000 cavalry. Their marching speed should be much faster than that of the Gaochang expeditionary force.

They are still undergoing training, and will likely not be officially deployed until June, once the pasture has grown longer.

Shao Xun didn't focus all his energy on this. After asking Yu Liang, he brought up another matter: "Yuan Gui, after recovering the Western Regions, how should we govern them?"

Yu Liang replied, "The old system of the Han and Wei dynasties will suffice."

"Tell me more specifically."

“The Western Regions are full of city-states, and the local customs are very different from those of the Central Plains.” Yu Liang said, “Now that the dynasty has just been established, we have not yet dealt with the Hu people in the five prefectures of Shuo, Qin, He, Liang and Sha. The Qifu Xianbei and Tuyuhun Xianbei are also still there. It is really too far to reach them. It would be better to keep them under control and have each country pay tribute regularly and send hostages to serve us.”

"What about Gaochang and the rear of Cheshi?" Shao Xun asked.

Yu Liang replied almost without hesitation, "Your subject requests that the King of Zhao lead it."

Shao Xun glanced at Yu Liang and smiled, "Yuan Gui's plan is excellent. Go back and write a memorial for the Council of State to discuss."

"Yes." Yu Liang lowered his head, secretly relieved.

Quan Zhong, you're getting harder and harder to please!

(End of this chapter)