Late Han Zhao Tang

In the fifth year of Shenwu (203 AD), in the first month.

With the completion of the verification of the state and county reports by the Ministry of Personnel, and the state and county taxes being transported to Chang'an and Luoyang for storage, time has passed in the blink of an eye to the first month of the fifth year of Shenwu.

According to old customs, Zhang Yu hosted a banquet for all the court officials on New Year's Day. Compared to last year's grand banquet, this year's banquet included one more person: General Shi Yi, who had been on expeditions to Hexi and the Western Regions for many years.

In the spring of the first year of Shenwu, Shi Yi led troops to conquer Liangzhou. He first pacified the counties of Hexi with Zhang Ji. At that time, the Lushui Hu rebelled, and he then led the Hexi troops to quell the Qiang and Hu rebellions. Later, he led several thousand cavalry on a westward expedition. He first pacified Dunhuang County in the western border region. Seeing that the Shanshan Kingdom in the Western Regions was fickle, he launched a surprise attack on Shanshan Kingdom under the guidance of the troops stationed in the Western Regions.

After the fall of Shanshan, Zhang Yu issued an edict to establish a prefecture and ordered Shi Yi to send envoys to appease the various kingdoms of the Western Regions. At that time, the kingdoms of the Western Regions sent envoys to pay homage to Chang'an. Under Zhang Yu's instruction, Shi Yi ordered most of his troops to return to the Central Plains from Liangzhou, while he alone led a thousand Hu cavalry to explore a route back to Longyou via the southern route. He also issued an edict to pacify the Qiang and Hu tribes along the southern route.

The journey took more than a year. Shi Yi led a thousand elite cavalrymen westward from Shanshan Kingdom, starting from Qiemo, passing through Mangya and Boda Ridge, and then traversing the desert under the guidance of nomadic Qiang people. They marched arduously to Chixue (now Dulan County), where they were able to obtain ample supplies due to the presence of large oases and numerous Qiang tribes.

Chi Xue traveled eastward, where supplies were readily available, and soon reached Qinghai Lake. Beyond Qinghai Lake lay the garrison of the Western Sea Commandant's troops and civilians, roughly entering the territory under the actual control of the Tang Dynasty.

Throughout the journey, Shi Yi, as an envoy of a superior nation, was accompanied by a thousand elite cavalrymen, and practically roamed the western Qiang border.

However, Shi Yi knew that he had a heavy responsibility in opening up the road, so he continued to act as an envoy along the way to pacify the Qiang tribes and invited the Qiang to send envoys with him to Chang'an to pay homage to Zhang Yu, who granted him permission to trade and pay tribute.

As Zhang Tang expanded his influence in Qinghai, the Qiang tribes of the west were well aware of the Tang Dynasty. Therefore, in order to trade with the Central Plains, the Qiang tribes sent envoys to follow Shi Yi. Now that they had arrived in Chang'an, they were captivated by the dazzling world.

On New Year's Day, state affairs were not discussed. On the fourth day of the first lunar month, Zhang Yu, who was in charge of administration, immediately summoned Shi Yi.

"Compared to the Hexi Road, is the Xihai Road more convenient to travel?" Zhang Yu asked.

Shi Yi held Zhang Yu's cup and poured him wine, saying, "Your Majesty, the Western Sea Route is more difficult to travel than the Hexi Corridor, especially the two or three thousand li between Chixue and Boda Ridge in the western section, which is a sandy desert where travelers lack water and grass. When I set out, it was summer, and there was no ice or snow to drink. We could only see a lake about every three days, so we needed to carry fresh water to pass through."

"By the time of Chixue, oases and lakes were plentiful, and there were many herders in the Western Qiang region. I inquired about the various tribes and found that there were about 10,000 tents along the 1,200-mile stretch from the Western Sea to Chixue. If each tent had five or six people, the Western Qiang population would be no less than 50,000 or 60,000. If we make an exhaustive estimate, the number might be as high as 200,000."

"But according to the Western Qiang people, there is a branch road from the Western Sea Road to the Hexi Road, but I have not yet discovered it!"

Shi Yi added, “Although the water and grass of the Xihai Road are not as good as those of the Hexi Road, the habits of the Qiang and Hu people are also different due to the different regions. For example, the soil in the Hequ area is suitable for wheat and beans. The climate in Chixue and Xihai areas is mostly cold, and only wild greens and barley can be grown, as well as cattle and horses. In the sandy desert areas, meat and dairy products are used as food, and people live by following the water and grass.”

"That being said, the climate of the Western Sea Route is cold, making it difficult for the Han people to live there. The Qiang and Di people of Longyou, who are skilled in farming and animal husbandry, are well-suited to the Western Sea Route."

"Forgive my boldness in asking, but Your Majesty has ordered me to scout out the roads. Is it because you intend to expand your territory?" Shi Yi asked.

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said, "The Longyou region is inhabited by half Han and half Qiang people. Although I am willing to expand westward, I am powerless to do so. Now that the Western Sea Route has been discovered, I wish to open a shortcut to facilitate communication between the Central Plains and the Western Regions, and to pacify the Western Qiang tribes so that Longyou will no longer be a major threat."

The routes connecting Longyou with the Western Regions were mainly the Hexi Corridor and the Western Sea Route. The Hexi Corridor, needless to say, basically covered the area of ​​the various prefectures of Liangzhou. The latter, the Western Sea Route, was not valued by the Central Plains dynasties because of its less favorable geographical environment and the obstruction of the Qiang people.

During the Han and Wei dynasties, the focus was on developing the Hexi Corridor. During the Five Barbarian Tribes period, the Western Sea Route was controlled by the Tuyuhun. After the Tang dynasty destroyed the Tuyuhun, it only controlled the route briefly before it was conquered by the Tibetan Empire. Therefore, the Western Sea Route was a relatively unfamiliar route for the Han people.

Zhang Yu's reason for opening up the Western Sea Route was not because he had nothing better to do, but because he hoped to develop the counties of Longyou by recruiting the Western Qiang and opening up the Western Sea Route.

After all, the counties of Longyou have been plagued by instability for many years, and poverty is a significant factor. Gaining access to a market of 100,000 or even hundreds of thousands of people would benefit the economic recovery of these counties. Not only could they trade silk with them, but the Western Qiang could also act as middlemen, selling goods from the Central Plains to the uninhabited Qiang people of the Western Regions and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. If trade brings tangible benefits, then fewer Qiang people would be willing to rebel. If Longyou remains peaceful and undisturbed, over several generations, the civilized Qiang and Di people in the counties of Longyou will be assimilated into Han culture. And with Longyou at peace, coupled with the disintegration of the Xianbei on the grasslands, the recovery of the counties of Shuofang will only be a matter of time.

As for why it is said that the stability of Longyou is conducive to the recovery of the prefectures in Shuofang.

In fact, by looking at the period before and after the Eastern Han Dynasty abandoned the prefectures, we can understand that the main reason why the Eastern Han Dynasty abandoned the prefectures was because the Qiang people were causing trouble in Longyou, which could easily spread eastward and cause unrest among the Hu people in Shuofang and the grasslands.

For example, the Qiang rebellion during the Yongchu period of the Eastern Han Dynasty was caused by the Western Qiang of Longyou and the Eastern Qiang of Guanzhong, which resulted in the rebellion spreading to Jizhou. Or, during the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu of Han took over the Hexi Corridor with the aim of cutting off the connection between the Qiang people of Longyou and the Xiongnu.

Therefore, Longyou was a vital point for Zhang Tang, who established his state in Guanzhong. If Longyou could be stable, Guanzhong would be free from border troubles. And the key to Longyou's peace lay with the Qiang people in the Hehuang Valley.

To keep the Qiang people in the Hehuang Valley at peace, they need to be made prosperous. But to make them prosperous, nomadic herding and agriculture alone are not enough; trade is also necessary. And for trade, the best option is to establish a market for the Western Qiang people adjacent to the Western Sea Route.

"Your Majesty's vision is far-sighted; I could not have foreseen this!"

Shi Yi flattered him, saying, "The Western Qiang are rich in fine horses, and their camels, cattle, and sheep number at least a million. Your Majesty wishes to pacify the Western Qiang and trade with them. I believe that a combination of benevolence and severity should be applied, and the chieftains should be officially appointed to govern them in a way that allows for a more pacified and controlled society!"

What are your thoughts?

Shi Yi said, “Between the Western Sea and the Boda Ridge, there are three or four thousand li. Each clan is divided into tribes, and there are dozens of Qiang tribes, such as the Bailan Qiang, the Baigou Qiang, and the Xizhi Qiang. The larger ones have more than five thousand cavalry, and the smaller ones have more than a thousand cavalry. They value martial prowess, have no laws, and each has its own livelihood. When there is a battle, they gather together. There are no taxes or corvée labor, and they do not interact with each other. They raise yaks, sheep, and pigs for food and know little about farming.”

"If Your Majesty wishes to pacify the Western Qiang tribes, you may first appoint officials according to the strength of the tribes and use their customs and laws to restrain the Qiang people. As for subduing the Western Qiang, it would be better to send troops to build cities, integrate farming and animal husbandry, and make them self-sufficient, while also requiring the Western Qiang to provide funds on a rotating basis. If there is any rebellion, you may summon the troops of the various Qiang tribes to quell it."

Zhang Yu pondered and said, "Your plan is comprehensive, but as you said, the Western Qiang are not subject to corvée labor and each has their own livelihood. It may not be easy to ask the Qiang to contribute funds for supplies. If things go wrong, a rebellion may break out."

"If Your Majesty does not despise me, I am willing to lead troops to garrison there and to pacify the Western Qiang for Your Majesty!" Shi Yi volunteered.

Seeing that Shi Yi had spared no effort in his mission to defend the Western Qiang, Zhang Yu sighed, "You have been on a long campaign for four years, traveling no less than ten thousand miles, and you have helped me subdue the Hexi Corridor, pacify the Western Regions, and open up the Western Sea route. Your achievements are outstanding. Now I am sending you on another expedition to the Western Qiang. I cannot bear to do this!"

After a pause, Zhang Yu added, "Now that the Cong people have been moved to Guanzhong to strengthen Long County, the expenditure of grain and money is enormous, and it is not advisable to rashly mobilize troops. Therefore, you may temporarily serve as an official in the Northern Court, appoint the leaders of the Western Qiang, and prioritize their control and governance. Once the empire is unified, we will seek an opportunity to send troops to garrison the region."

"promise!"

Having accepted the order, Shi Yi cautiously asked, "I have heard that Cao Cao is campaigning in the south this year. May I lead troops to join the campaign?"

Seeing Shi Yi's eagerness for merit, Zhang Yu laughed and said, "You are unfamiliar with the water conditions, how could you have rushed to the south? Now that your achievements are remarkable, I know it!"

"If you can achieve great merit in the Western Qiang region, opening up thousands of miles of territory for the nation and subjugating the Qiang tribes on the borders of Shu, Yong, and Liang provinces, why worry about not being rewarded with a title!"

Under the new nobility system, Zhang Yu successively conferred the titles of Duke of Chen, Man Chong, and Duke of Xia, Zhong Yao, which aroused the ambition of both civil and military officials to achieve merit. For example, since last year, many civil and military officials have requested to participate in the southern expedition, hoping to gain merit and be ennobled. Now, Shi Yi has just returned to Chang'an and already wants to request to participate in the southern expedition, demonstrating the eagerness of the officials for achievement. (End of Chapter)