Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 185 The tail is too big to fall off
The decline of Cao Wei's Tiger and Leopard Cavalry was, to some extent, determined by geographical factors.

When Cao Wei was vying for control of the Central Plains with other warlords, a powerful elite Tiger and Leopard Cavalry was essential for battles fought on the vast, flat plains.

After Cao Cao's death, Eastern Wu defended the natural barrier of the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, while Shu Han protected the Qinling Mountains. The Tiger and Leopard Cavalry, which had once been invincible in the north, left the plains and had no place to use their skills.

Therefore, considering the tripartite division of the country, the strength of Wu and the weakness of Han, as well as national strength and economic factors, Cao Wei began to shift its focus to the southeast, increasing spending on shipbuilding and training naval and infantry forces while reducing expenditures on cavalry.

Meanwhile, the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Wuhuan and other foreign tribes, after submitting to the Central Plains, gradually became tainted by the extravagant and decadent atmosphere of the Han people in the Guandong region, indulged in pleasure, and lost the spirit of the nomadic peoples of the grasslands.

The combination of various factors has resulted in a significant gap in both the quantity and quality of Cao Wei's cavalry compared to the Tiger and Leopard Cavalry and the Youbing Hu Cavalry previously under Cao Cao's command.

Even so, the Qiang and Di cavalry that submitted to the Han Dynasty still could not compare with the cavalry of Cao Wei.

After the defeat in Guanzhong, Bingzhou became the frontier of Cao Wei, and even the Central Plains began to become precarious. Under such circumstances, Cao Wei would inevitably pay more attention to the training of elite cavalry and military spending.

If Liu Shan did not have a truly elite cavalry force under his control and obeying his orders, he would not have had the resources to contend with Cao Wei for the throne.

This applies to external relations.

Domestically, Liu Shan already had plans to build a heavily armored cavalry force, and once such a force appeared on the battlefield, its deterrent and destructive power would be earth-shattering.

Just like Li Shimin conquering the world, he would often engage in fierce infantry battles in the first half, searching for weaknesses, and then personally lead three thousand Xuanjia Iron Cavalry in the second half, breaking through enemy lines like cones and influencing the outcome of the battle.

However, the social climate of Liu Shan's era did not allow for the emergence of an emperor like Li Shimin. Liu Shan also lacked Li Shimin's ability to fight on the battlefield, and he didn't even have the skill to command a battle.

Under these circumstances, the heavily armored cavalry, this true trump card, could become too powerful to be controlled in the future, regardless of who else, except for the Prime Minister and General Zhao, commanded it.

Even though Liu Shan was emotionally close to Yang Tiao and willing to trust him, rationally speaking, in order to maintain the purity of this relationship and promote the integration of Han and Qiang, it would be better to separate Yang Tiao from his thousands of Qiang cavalry to some extent.

As for the marriage alliance and the gift of belts, the intention was to bind Yang Tiao's heart, to persuade him to appeal to the Qiang warriors with affection and reason, so that these Qiang warriors would eventually become heavily armored cavalry who obey the laws and regulations of the country and the emperor of the Han Dynasty.

A good knife is one that you truly control.

In fact, for at least the next ten years, the only people Liu Shan could use, dared to use, and were good at using were the few thousand An Ding Qiang cavalry under Yang Tiao's command.

Liu Shan remained very wary of Liu Bao, the Southern Xiongnu, and the various Qiang and Di tribes of Longyou, and they, in turn, were equally wary of the Han Dynasty.

If you want them to become the Han Dynasty's trump card, training them to obey the laws and military orders of the Han Dynasty is already quite difficult. Even if you can train them, it is unknown who they will stab first.

Jing River.

Zheng Guo Canal.

Because the section of the Jing River that flows out of Luohushan Pass has a steep slope and a rapid current, the silt does not accumulate but is instead washed away by the current. Over the years, this causes the riverbed to erode.

Therefore, the head of the Zheng Guo Canal, which was dug during the Qin Shi Huang era, has evolved over four hundred years and is now nearly ten feet higher than the Jing River after the riverbed has been cut down. Except for the annual rainy season when water flows in during floods, it is completely abandoned at other times.

Without the large influx of the Jing River, relying solely on a few tributaries originating from the Beishan Valley, the Zheng Guo Canal, which runs through the entire Zuofengyi area, inevitably accumulates silt due to its slow flow and insufficient volume.

This resulted in the Zheng Guo Canal losing its water storage function.

During droughts, the water level is very low, and the water in the canal is intercepted layer by layer by powerful clans along the way. By the time it reaches Linjin, the downstream area, the water has almost dried up, making it difficult for farmers to irrigate their fields.

When the rainy season arrives, flash floods will overflow the canals and inundate the entire Nanfengyi area, causing the self-cultivating farmers whose fields are mostly south of the canals to suffer from natural disasters once again.

There was a reason why tens of thousands of self-cultivating farmers in Zuo Fengyi were so poor that they drowned themselves in the ditch.

When Liu Shan toured the counties of Fengyi, he was deeply impressed by the Zheng Guo Canal, which not only failed to benefit the people of Fengyi but also became a scourge to the region.

The Prime Minister has come here today to fundamentally solve the problem of the Zheng Guo Canal, to find a new headworks for the Zheng Guo Canal, and to divert the Jing River into the canal.

Liu Shan and Yang Tiao discussed some details about how to train the Qiang cavalry in batches, and also chatted about some trivial matters related to the betrothal.

Finally, Zhao Tong, the Protector of the Qiang, reported that the grain from the Han Dynasty to relieve the displaced people had arrived, and ordered Yang Tiao to organize people to collect and distribute the grain.

After these matters were settled, Liu Shan, under the protection of the brothers Zhao Tong and Zhao Guang, and a group of elite guards, headed north to Luohu Mountain to find the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister, along with Fei Yi, Dong Yun, and a group of officials from the Ministry of Water Resources, carrying surveying tools such as the "water standard," went to the newly determined headworks to survey the terrain and measure the water level, in order to ensure that the Jing River could flow into the old main canal of the Zheng Guo Canal through the newly excavated headworks.

Shortly after, Liu Shan entered the valley.

The newly identified canal head is not on a plain, but deep in the mountains, among the rocks. It has not yet been excavated and is so pristine that Liu Shan suspected that there might actually be tigers in this place called "Luohu Mountain".

After traveling about a mile along the Jing River, Liu Shan finally saw the Prime Minister and a group of officials from the Ministry of Water Resources.

As he approached, he discovered that the Prime Minister was holding a water level gauge and personally instructing young generals such as Guan Xing, Jiang Wei, and Mi Wei on how to measure water levels.

The phrase "respected as the standard" refers to the astronomical ruler, which measures the shadow of the sun to determine the four seasons, and the water ruler, which measures the water level to find the water level.

Although Liu Shan knew that the purpose of the water level gauge was to find the water level, he was completely clueless about how to use the water level gauge to find the water level, and how to build the irrigation canal after finding the water level.

However, Guan Xing, Jiang Wei, Mi Wei, and the Zhao brothers, Zhao Tong and Zhao Guang, who had just come here with him, were learning with great enthusiasm, leaving the water department officials who were supposed to be doing these things aside.

As Liu Shan said, these young people might leave his side in the future and become high-ranking officials in the Han Dynasty, guarding the four directions for him.

During the more than one month that Liu Shan toured Fengyi, these young generals gained a deeper understanding of the plight of the common people, the emperor's actions, and his thoughts.

These trusted ministers of the emperor gradually began to think about things outside of military affairs, and what skills they needed to learn in order to pacify the four directions for the Han Dynasty and for the emperor.

Of course, while these young generals are currently learning about measuring levels from the Prime Minister, their greater interest lies in 'water attack'.

Water attacks may seem simple, but this tactic is somewhat risky, especially when used on plains. It requires precise measurements of the terrain and water flow; the slightest mistake could backfire.

Throughout history, there have been many instances where attempts to attack cities with water resulted in the attackers drowning themselves, and instances where, after digging canals, it was discovered that the water could not flow on its own.

Before long, Guan Xing, Zhao Tong, Jiang Wei, and the others had mingled with the officials of the Ministry of Water Resources, occasionally crawling on the ground to observe.

The officials of the Ministry of Water Resources recorded the data after further testing and verification.

Liu Shan approached the Prime Minister and, looking at the surrounding hard rocks, asked, "Prime Minister, is this place truly suitable as the head of a canal?"

The Prime Minister nodded: "Your Majesty, I have verified that the data measured by the officials of the Ministry of Water Resources is correct and can indeed be used as the head of the Zheng Guo Canal."

Liu Shan said, "From here to the canal, it will be about four or five li to the canal trunk. The road is mostly mountainous and rocky. I don't know how many days and how much manpower it will take."

The only way to deal with the rocks right now is to use fire and water, but the progress won't be very fast.

When Qin Shi Huang ordered the construction of the Zheng Guo Canal, which was over 180 li long, it took hundreds of thousands of workers ten years to complete.

The Prime Minister looked around and said:
"Your Majesty, according to my calculations, it will take approximately three months."

"But no matter how long it takes, the Zheng Guo Canal must be repaired."

“In the past, the King of Han sent the water engineer Zheng Guo to Qin to propose the construction of a canal, hoping to deplete Qin’s manpower and resources and weaken Qin’s military strength.”

"When the canal was halfway completed, the conspiracy between the King of Han and the State of Zheng was exposed by the First Emperor. The First Emperor wanted to kill them, so the State of Zheng replied to the First Emperor:"
“Initially, I served as a spy, but the completion of the canal also benefited Qin. I extended Han's life for a few years, but in return, I built a legacy for Qin that will last for ten thousand generations.”

"The First Emperor then ordered Zheng Guo to repair the canal as before. "Ten years later, the canal was completed, filled with water that had filled the silt, and irrigated more than 40,000 hectares of saline land in Fengyi. The yield per mu was more than four shi, and Guanzhong became a fertile land with no years of famine. Qin became rich and powerful and eventually unified the other states."

"The lifeline of the restoration of the Han Dynasty, and whether Guanzhong can become the foundation of the Han Dynasty's imperial enterprise, also depends on this two-hundred-mile Zheng Guo Canal. We must attach great importance to it and be extremely cautious."

Liu Shan looked at the rocks in front of him and nodded slightly.

For an agrarian society, water conservancy projects are the lifeblood of the nation.

The Dujiangyan Canal, Zheng Guo Canal, and Ling Canal, these three large-scale water conservancy projects, were used for more than 1,800 years. They were all built by the Qin State, and their merits benefited the present and future generations.

This is probably one of the reasons why Qin, with its remote location and the strength of a single state, was able to resist and eventually annex the other six states.

Of the other six states east of the Qin state, none placed greater emphasis on canal construction and water conservancy than the Qin state.

The reason why the Prime Minister was able to resist Cao Wei with the territory of Yizhou was also related to the construction of water dikes and ponds and his emphasis on water conservancy.

This is the path Qin took to unify the six states.

Liu Shan was filled with emotion as he looked at the rushing Jing River and suddenly thought of the Chengguo Canal in Fufeng County, which had also been in disrepair for many years.

Since the enemy of the Han Dynasty was in Guandong, the Prime Minister temporarily shifted the focus of the military-agricultural settlements to Zuo Fengyi and the area around Chang'an, which were closer to Tongguan.

However, in fact, Youfufeng's agricultural resources still have great potential for development.

If he remembered correctly, Sima Yi had completed the Chengguo Canal in Fufeng, irrigating thousands of hectares of farmland, and just three years later, he was able to transport five million shi of grain from Chang'an to Luoyang for disaster relief.

I wonder if this is just the History of Jin exaggerating Sima Yi's abilities.

If this is not an exaggeration, then the Han Dynasty, with its far greater number of people engaged in farming and far superior weaponry than Sima Yi's, could perhaps have accumulated nearly ten million shi of grain in three years.

If this is indeed the case, then Guanzhong truly is a treasure land, worthy of its name as the Land of Abundance.

The only thing to worry about now is the three prefectures of Anding, Beidi, and Shangjun, which are located directly north of Guanzhong.

Shangjun is located at the easternmost point, bordering the Yellow River.

It is extremely sparsely populated.

It has an area almost the same size as Guanzhong, but only six counties, and the total number of registered households in the six counties is less than 10,000.

Previously, during the battle between the Han Dynasty and Cao Wei, this prefecture had little presence or participation. After the Han Dynasty's victory, the Han Dynasty directly dispatched officials and a commandant with two thousand soldiers to take over the prefecture.

After discussing with his prime minister, Liu Shan then sent the Imperial Workshop to carve a Chanyu seal for Liu Bao of the Xiongnu, making Liu Bao the Chanyu of the Southern Xiongnu.

He was ordered to lead his troops to control the two counties of Diaoyin and Gaonu in Shangjun to prevent the Xianbei from invading the south.

Shangjun is located on the Loess Plateau, but at this time the vegetation was still lush and not loess, making it very suitable for grazing and raising horses.

It was also very close to Pingyang, the original settlement of the Southern Xiongnu. When Liu Bao went on expeditions with the Wei army, most of his tribesmen grazed their horses there.

After Guan Xing, Yang Tiao, Wei Xing, and others devised a plan to capture Liu Bao, Guan Xing did not report back to Liu Shan and instead led his army eastward.

One of their objectives was to occupy Gaoling City.

Another objective was to allow Liu Bao's troops to take advantage of Cao Wei's lack of reaction time and directly attack Pingyang, bringing all the family members still in Pingyang to Shangjun.

This is also an important reason why Liu Bao and his followers were willing to surrender to the Han.

The power structure of the nomadic tribes of the Xianbei, Xiongnu, and Wuhuan was quite loose. When there was profit to be made, they could be led by chieftains such as the Wuhuan and Xianbei leaders or the Xiongnu Chanyu. However, once the situation turned unfavorable, especially when their families and property were threatened, it was difficult for the lower-ranking leaders to unite as one.

West of Shangjun lies Beidijun.

Beidi County and Anding County should have been one entity geographically, as they both share the Loess Plateau topography with scarce rainfall and the Nishui River and Jing River.

Many of the Qiang people under Yang Tiao's jurisdiction lived in the Beidi Commandery.

However, Anding and Beidi are vast, and the northernmost part of the two prefectures, which is the Ningxia Plain later known as the Jiangnan of the North, has not yet been taken over by the Han Dynasty, and the Xianbei are rampant.

That's too far away.

The distance was over a thousand miles, and the Han Dynasty could no longer transport its grain and provisions there, making it impossible to support an army of two thousand men.

Two thousand men were no match for the hundreds of thousands of Xianbei archers.

Therefore, after the several thousand Qiang tribes under Yang Tiao's command moved to Guanzhong, Anding Prefecture became vacant.

Liu Shan had just spoken with Yang Tiao, the governor of Anding, about the advantages and disadvantages. Yang Tiao, knowing Liu Shan's intentions, said that he was not capable of governing the prefecture and voluntarily relinquished the position of governor of Anding.

Liu Shan then bestowed upon him the title of General Zhaoyi.

After that, He Zhi, the prefect of Guanghan, was transferred to be the prefect of Anding to govern the region, and Zhao Tong, who was in charge of protecting the Qiang, was appointed to be stationed in Anding.

Yang Tiao and his followers then garrisoned at the mouth of the Jing River Valley, at the head of the Zheng Guo Canal, controlling the only vital route south from Anding and Beidi counties to Guanzhong, serving as the last line of defense for the Han Dynasty against the northern Xianbei.

Just as Liu Shan was gazing at the Jing River in a daze, he suddenly heard a series of hurried footsteps behind him.

Turning around, he saw that it was Zhao Guang, the General of the Dragon Cavalry, but he looked somewhat anxious.

"What's wrong?" Liu Shan asked.

Zhao Guang, panting, said, "Your Majesty, Fu Taolu has arrived! He said that Zhao Chariot Cavalry sent an urgent report from Hanzhong!"

After saying that, he stepped aside.

"Urgent report?" Liu Shan paused upon hearing this, his gaze passing over Zhao Guang's shoulder.

But then he saw Fu Qian, whom he had arranged to return to Shu and Hanzhong last month to bring people to Chang'an, waiting about thirty paces away.

With doubt in his mind, Liu Shan stepped forward.

"Gongquan has been on a long journey for a month, which must have been very arduous. I wonder if Zhao, the Chariot Commander, has any urgent news to report?"

"Your subject Fu Qian greets Your Majesty!" Fu Qian had probably just dismounted, was covered in sweat, and was panting as he greeted Liu Shan.

"This morning, I encountered Zhao Xu, a member of the Imperial Guard of Zhao Chariot and Cavalry, on the road. He brought me a report. Zhao Chariot and Cavalry must have known that Zhao Xu would meet me in Guanzhong, so he asked me to personally deliver this report to Your Majesty!"

As he spoke, Fu Qian handed over the urgent report that General Zhao had passed on to the Emperor.

Liu Shan frowned slightly as he took the so-called urgent report.

While peeling off the seal bearing the seal of General Zhao Yun, he unscrewed the secret document and said, "Could it be that scoundrel Sun Quan has come to contest Xicheng?"

Aside from Sun Quan causing trouble, he really couldn't think of anything else that would make Zhao Yun send an urgent report instead of a military report.

(End of this chapter)