Chinese New Year

Chapter 1445 Sending Envoys
Having made the decision, Shao Xun no longer hesitated.

On the 20th of the twelfth month, Liu Bai, the Junior Supervisor of the Privy Council who had accompanied the emperor to Chang'an, was ordered to travel east to recruit volunteers from among the sons of the Imperial Guards and the remaining soldiers of the local militia to go to the Western Regions. He was to recruit as many as he could.

If there aren't enough staff, he'll find another way.

He originally intended to have He Li, the Left Vice Minister of War, handle this matter, but his father He Lun had passed away and had returned home to mourn, so he had to give up. He Lun's position was replaced by Tian Mao, the Governor of Qingzhou, while his position was taken over by Sima Que, the former Prefect of Xiangcheng, Shunyang, Beihai, and Zhongshan.

Besides He Lun, Zhang Gu, who had served as Right Flying Dragon Guard General, Right Valiant Cavalry Guard General, and Pingnan General, also passed away. Shao Xun bestowed funerary objects upon him and granted his sons and younger brothers official positions and places in the Imperial Academy.

At this point in time, my old comrades are passing away one after another, all of them around sixty years old.

I've heard that Huang Biao, Xu Lang, Chang Can, and others are also in poor health, and it's hard to say whether they'll be able to make it through next year.

On the 21st, Shao Xun summoned the official from the Court of State Ceremonial, Yu Mie, who was accompanying him.

“Yuandu, I have ambitions for the Western Regions…” Inside the Jianzhang Palace in Chang’an, Shao Xun paced slowly with his hands behind his back, saying, “Now that the war has just ended, we urgently need someone to go on a mission.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Mie straightened his clothes, stepped forward, and bowed deeply to the ground: "Your Majesty's wise considerations are profound, and your ambition lies in pacifying distant lands. Though I am humble and unworthy, how could I not offer my humble service?"

Shao Xun glanced at him and said, "You're not young anymore. You'll be a snack along the way. When you return, the position of Minister of State Ceremonies will be vacant."

Yu Mie immediately replied, "Although I am dull-witted, I am still strong. In the past, I traveled with the army and endured wind and dew. Now, Your Majesty has not abandoned me and entrusted me with the important task of pacifying distant peoples. This is my lifelong wish. How could I dare to use my age as an excuse, or avoid the wind and frost and cherish my frail body?"

These words truly came from the bottom of my heart.

Throughout his life, he served primarily within the Court of State Ceremonial, rising through the ranks step by step. His career was interrupted several times due to mourning, but he was always reinstated in the end.

If he can retire as Minister of State Ceremonies after this mission, his life will be complete—how many scions of aristocratic families can end their official careers as high-ranking officials among the Nine Ministers?

"Sit down first," Shao Xun said, returning to the table.

Yu Mie sat down as instructed.

“Several thousand troops of Zheng Long’s Northern Route Army have already withdrawn.” Shao Xun first mentioned the northern frontier, saying, “According to them, the situation north of Tianshan—which was the snow mountain and white mountain during the Wei and Jin dynasties—is complicated. After the rise of the Rouran, it attracted many Gaoche tribes from the northern desert, and there are also Wusun and remnants of the Xiongnu in the area.”

"The remnants of the Xiongnu did not submit to the Rouran and their servants, the Gaoche, and repeatedly clashed with them in battle, but gradually fell into a disadvantageous position. Over the years, the remnants of the Xiongnu either tried to flee south or migrate west to avoid the Rouran's sharp edge. I suspect that the so-called Kuaihu are the remnants of the Xiongnu who migrated west decades or even centuries earlier."

"Kuaihu?" Yu Mie asked, somewhat puzzled.

Shao Xun clapped his hands. The female official Yan brought over a memorial and handed it to Yu Mie.

Yu Mie stood up, took the document, and read it carefully.

Shao Xun was not surprised by his actions at all. In fact, even the Wang and Duan families from the grasslands had never heard of Kuaihu.

But after the Northern Route Army launched its campaign, Shao Xun gradually figured out its origins.

The so-called White Huns of the West were not yet fully formed at this time.

The Kuaihu were probably among the first Xiongnu tribes to migrate westward, but their numbers were not large. After migrating westward, they went south to Turpan, where they fought for the local princes and received commissions, before continuing their westward migration.

Yang Qin's memorial stated that there were two small tribes west of the Tianshan Mountains that acted under the name of the Kuaihu. These could be Xiongnu tribes that had migrated westward in recent years, or they could be indigenous tribes that had been conquered by the Kuaihu and become Xiongnu-ized.

The "remnants of the Xiongnu" who plundered them, which the king of the Later Cheshi Kingdom often mentioned, were probably tribes that had not yet migrated westward—they lived in the Junggar Basin and Altai Mountains, separated from the Later Cheshi Kingdom by the desert.

The rise of Yujiulu, a servant of the Tuoba Xianbei, changed the local ecology.

The Rouran tribe's sphere of influence was in the western part of the northern steppe and the eastern half of the Western Regions, and it was at least expanding in that direction.

According to Zheng Long, the leader of the Northern Route Army, Yujiulü clan brought over a group of Gaoche people, such as the Qibi clan, and they engaged in a long war with the remnants of the Xiongnu. If no intervention is taken, these remnants of the Xiongnu will inevitably be defeated, unable to defeat the Gaoche tribes supported by the Rouran, and will eventually either surrender or migrate south or west.

The Northern Route Army intervened in the battlefield like aliens, inflicting heavy losses on both sides. Now the situation is becoming increasingly chaotic, and it seems that neither side can stand still. On the contrary, the Cheshi, Wusun, and Yuezhi people, who have lived in this area for a long time, have gained the upper hand.

Shao Xun shared this intelligence with Yu Mie to let him know the power structure of the Western Regions—nothing is isolated, and any local change could cause a major shift in the overall situation.

After reading it, Yu Mie sorted out his thoughts and said, "After the destruction of the Xiongnu, there was unexpected change. It is truly astonishing."

"It is enough that you know about this matter," Shao Xun said. "Let's go back to Kucha. After this country submits, I plan to establish the Kucha Garrison in its territory, with a force of 3,500 soldiers, and vigorously develop it. After you go west, you can first go to Gaochang, and then go south to Yanqi, Kucha, and Shule. After resting briefly in Shule, you can go west to Dayuan."

"This country still exists. It is constantly at war with Shule, Kucha, and Shache, which is a vassal state of Shule. Whoever is strong will unify the countries, and whoever is weak will become a vassal state of others. In the sixth year of the Taikang era of Emperor Wu of Jin, the King of Dayuan presented Ferghana horses, which shows that he was not an unreasonable person."

Despite being separated by the Pamir Plateau, the Kashgar and Hotan regions of China and the Fergana Basin in Central Asia maintained very close ties in later generations. These countries played a game of "the emperor takes turns, next year it's my turn," with whoever was powerful making other countries vassals and whoever was weak becoming subservient and subservient to others.

"After arriving in Dayuan, if the people there are still obedient, then ask them to escort you to Kangju." Shao Xun continued, "I have been reviewing the archives of the previous dynasty. During the Taishi era of Emperor Wu of Jin, Kangju sent an envoy to Luoyang to present horses. At that time, the envoy said that the country was not in good health. Now, times have changed, and I suspect that each of its city-states has gone its own way and is no longer a country. When I met the Sogdian merchants last time, although they were vague, I have guessed a bit about it. After you go there, you should find out more."

"Your subject obeys the decree," Yu Mie replied. His impression of Kangju was very weak; the only thing he remembered was that this country had once competed with Shache for suzerainty over Dayuan, but that was a long time ago.

Under the combined pressure of the remnants of the westward-migrating Xiongnu and the Persians, this country could not have already been destroyed, could it? Even if it was not destroyed, it was probably not far off, because most of the Hu merchants who come to the Central Plains to do business now call themselves "Su Yi people" or "Sogdians", and I have never heard of anyone calling themselves "Kangju people".

He boldly speculated that the King of Kangju was likely a figurehead, with the country fragmented and occupied by various feudal lords.

Of course, this is just speculation.

There has been very little communication between the Central Plains and the Western Regions. Since the Later Han Dynasty, there has been no contact between them. Occasionally, there have been one or two instances of tribute or the dispatch of envoys, but to no avail. The current emperor probably wants to find out the actual situation in the Western Regions so that he can attract all nations to pay tribute and satisfy his vanity—or perhaps it's not vanity, but who wouldn't want that? Especially since the current emperor is so fond of grand achievements.

After Yu Mie left, Shao Xun continued to review memorials in Jianzhang Palace.

The Crown Prince was quite shrewd. He wouldn't dare to make decisions on matters that the Council of State couldn't decide, so he would just offer his opinion and then send it to Chang'an by fast horse for Shao Xun to make a decision.

In addition, the Crown Prince also sent over a preliminary draft of the Book of Jin, asking if there were any revisions needed.

Shao Xun hadn't seen it yet, but he was very satisfied with the Crown Prince's attitude, and many of his doubts disappeared.

As evening approached, Wang Yinling arrived with Yuan Zhen and the others.

The family of seven sat together and happily finished their dinner.

Shao Xun first inquired about the studies of A Liudun, Yuanyue, Yaoxi, and A Wu, then dismissed them, leaving only Wang Shi and Yuanzhen in Jianzhang Palace.

"Lizhen, your troops have withdrawn from the Western Regions. Have you comforted them?" Shao Xun asked.

“Grandpa, I waited until the end of October, emptied my savings, and gave each of us two bolts of silk before I left,” Yuanzhen said.

"Haha, always complaining about being poor to your grandfather." Shao Xun chuckled and asked, "What did the Liangcheng soldiers say after they returned?"

“Everyone says Gaochang is richer than Liangcheng,” Yuanzhen replied.

"They've been to Gaochang?" Shao Xun asked, somewhat surprised.

“My third brother invited them there; they just had a meal and some wine,” Yuanzhen said. “Grandpa, is Gaochang really that rich? I’d like to go and see for myself.”

“Gaochang is rich in some ways, but poor in others,” Shao Xun said.

Yuan Zhen didn't quite understand what he meant, but he didn't ask any further questions. He simply said, "Father, are you mobilizing the Imperial Guards to garrison the west? Just let me go. Liangcheng has three thousand soldiers, but only a thousand went this year. The remaining two thousand are very envious and all want to go to the Western Regions to make some money."

Shao Xun was helpless. These murderers only know how to plunder.

The Great Liang Dynasty has enjoyed years of stability, its national strength has grown daily, and its population has increased exponentially. From now on, its ability to intervene in the Western Regions will only grow stronger. Some things are beyond human control; the military elite's thirst for war is insatiable. The Western Regions are a place far from the emperor's reach; the court cannot directly govern them, but can only delegate power like that of a military governor. These generals, who hold both military and political power, may not be capable of rebellion, but the possibility of them causing trouble is extremely high, and you can't even find out exactly what's going on.

People said the Kuaihu were invading, so I went to fight them. Here is a list of those who made contributions...

Then they say that a certain country has disrespected the superior nation and killed its envoy, which is tantamount to rebellion, so it is necessary to send troops to suppress it, and then present the following list of those who have rendered meritorious service...

Can you investigate this thoroughly? No, you can't. Even the military supervisors you sent over had a need to gain merit, so they colluded and started border conflicts without authorization, keeping the entire Liang Dynasty in a state of constant, intermittent small- to medium-sized wars that just wouldn't stop.

Of course, a border war of this magnitude wouldn't necessarily lead to anything significant. Its impact on national strength is limited and might not even offset the growth in national strength brought about by population growth and productivity improvements.

What I fear most is that when the war on the western border begins, large-scale wars will break out in other places at the same time.

But nothing in this world is perfect.

On the bright side, at least the country has been left with a fighting force.

During the An Lushan Rebellion, An Lushan led 150,000 troops in rebellion. At least the Tang Dynasty was able to send troops from Shuofang, Hexi, Longyou, Anxi, and Beiting to help. The Western Regions also sent a large number of troops to fight. Some even gave up their kingship to fight against the An Lushan rebels. Later, the sons of these Western Region generals were incorporated into the Shence Army.

You can't have it all!

"Alright, you'll be sixteen next year. It's time for you to go out and see the world." Shao Xun looked at his son and said, "Go see your third brother first and listen to what he says."

“Okay.” Yuan Zhen nodded vigorously.

Shao Xun then looked at Wang Yinling and smiled, "Our good son."

Wang Yinling was stunned for a moment after hearing these words, and was somewhat moved.

(End of this chapter)