Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

Chapter 109 What does the restoration of the Han Dynasty have to do with me?

In conclusion, the position of Protector of the Army was established as an expedient measure to resolve conflicts and promote cooperation among generals when there was no commander-in-chief or when the prestige of the commander-in-chief was not significantly higher than that of the generals under his command.

After Prime Minister Zhuge established his own government, he also set up the position of Protector of the Army in the Prime Minister's residence to coordinate the generals.

In the eighth year of Jianxing, when Generals Wei Yan and Wu Yi led their troops to defeat Wei generals Guo Huai and Fei Yao at Yangxi, Xu Yun, in his former position as Protector of the Army, coordinated the two armies and was granted the title of Marquis of Ting for his meritorious service.

After hearing Chen Zhi's words, Xu Yun smiled and said, "Military affairs are not difficult. You and I don't need to personally lead the troops into battle. Assessing the situation and making decisions are enough. Feng Zong has never lacked these two qualities."

"Yesterday I asked Fei Pu She what authority and what means the court could use to win over the Qiang and Hu people after entering the Qiang region."

"Chief Fei didn't say anything to me explicitly last night, so I'd like to ask Fengzong what his opinion is."

Today, in the Hanzhong Military Governor's Office and Mianyang City, almost everyone knows that Chen Zhi is the emperor's trusted confidant and advisor, and they consult him on all matters of state. In addition, Chen Zhi is the son-in-law of Fei Yi, the Minister of Works, so if Chen Zhi gives a positive opinion on a matter, the court will almost always follow that strategy in its governance.

But not only did Fei Yi fail to make a decision on this matter, Chen Zhi himself also failed to come up with a definite idea.

How to win over the Qiang and Hu people? The Wei state to the north has already provided their answer.

Cao Rui and Sima Yi chose to win over the Qiang and Hu tribes by granting them seals of office and titles, and implementing related ranks and political treatment.

On the other hand, the Shu Han government appointed Qiang Duan and Fu Shuang, who had submitted to them, as commanders of a thousand shi (a unit of grain measurement). However, this approach was clearly not very effective among the many Qiang and lower-ranking tribes in Longxi and Qiangzhong.

Firstly, the Wei state granted him a marquisate, but the Han state didn't even grant him a two-thousand-stone official seal; instead, they bestowed upon him a one-thousand-stone Sima position with no real power and no salary.

Secondly, even if official seals were to be issued, shouldn't there be a proper procedure? Qiang Duan and Fu Shuang were in charge of managing their respective regions, so how could the imperial court collect taxes in Longxi and Qiangzhong? Why would they just issue official seals directly?

Chen Zhi remained silent, while Xu Yun, sitting opposite him, was not in a hurry and waited quietly.

After a long pause, Chen Zhi finally asked, "What is your opinion, Uncle?"

Xu Yun smiled and said, "This is not the responsibility of the Ministry of War, and I cannot make a decision on it. I must ask His Majesty to make the final decision, or I, the Minister, to decide. However, the so-called Qiang and Hu people are different from the Han people. If we only show them kindness without exerting our authority, I'm afraid it will be difficult to win their trust."

"I have noted down what you said, Uncle, but I cannot give you an answer right now. Please allow me a few days, and I will come to discuss this matter with you again."

"Okay." Xu Yun nodded.

Chen Zhi rose, bowed, and left.

To unite with the Qiang and Hu tribes and occupy Liangzhou. This was a phased national policy decided last year.

How to deploy troops, which route to take, and how to fight—these things have been decided with near certainty.

However, the most crucial matter of winning over the Qiang and Hu tribes remains unresolved. This is especially true given that the Qiang and Hu have generally accepted official seals from the Wei state, making the matter even more difficult for the Shu Han state.

Xu Yun's urging made Chen Zhi feel even more pressured.

Chen Zhi did not return to his duty room. Instead, he took a horse from the outer gate of the administrative office and rode out alone from the south gate of Mianyang. He stopped by the Han River and stared blankly at the surging Han River flowing eastward.

Sima Yi's plan can be described as an open scheme.

The distribution of so many gold, silver, and bronze seals granted these Qiang and Hu peoples of Liangzhou unprecedented political treatment, greatly satisfying their psychological needs and strengthening their sense of belonging. Moreover, according to reports from Shao Ge and others in Tianshui County, Sima Yi also distributed iron certificates to the Qiang and Hu people in Chencang, inscribed with a promise never to employ the Qiang and Hu peoples of Yong and Liang, further enhancing their sense of security.

Of course, a policy may be well-intentioned when it is formulated, but it may turn bad when it is implemented.

If Chen Zhi remembers correctly, roughly when Cao Shuang came to power and launched a campaign against Hanzhong to gain merit, which was around the time of the Battle of Xingshi, Cao Shuang should have mobilized the Qiang and Hu tribes to aid in transportation. After being defeated by Fei Yi and Wang Ping in the Battle of Xingshi, the wealth of Guanzhong was almost completely depleted, and the Qiang and Hu tribes harbored widespread resentment towards Cao Wei. It was only after Jiang Wei went west to Qiangzhong that he repeatedly received support from the Qiang and Hu tribes.

If everything goes as usual, it will be almost another ten years before this major event happens. Not to mention that Chen Zhi has already changed the political landscape of Shu Han, so it is still unknown whether this event will even happen.

But no matter what, Ji Han couldn't wait! He had to take the initiative to bring about change!

Sima Yi has already made his move; now it remains to be seen how the Shu Han court will respond.

Chen Zhi spent the entire afternoon alone by the Han River outside the south gate of Mianyang, until the sun began to set, before returning to his post in the city.

Chen Zhi did not return to his own duty room, but went straight to Fei Yi's place.

Although the Hanzhong Administrative Office was originally the Prime Minister's residence, it was busier than when Prime Minister Zhuge was in office due to the increase in affairs and personnel.

When Chen arrived at Fei Yi's office, he found many guards and eunuchs standing outside. According to the eunuchs, Emperor Liu Shan was inside Fei Yi's office, playing chess with Fei Yi.

Having received permission, Chen Zhi entered, bowed, and, standing a foot away, smiled and cupped his hands in greeting, asking, "Your Majesty and I are playing chess; may I come and watch for a moment?"

"Come here." Liu Shan beckoned to Chen Zhi: "Feng Zong, advise me. My chess skills are inferior to yours, but if Feng Zong joins us, the two of us should be able to defeat one of us."

Chen Zhi stepped forward and said with a smile, "I am not good at chess, so I will remain silent while watching. I will simply sit and watch Your Majesty wage war."

Liu Shan smiled and nodded, continuing to play with Fei Yi for a while. Seeing that the situation on the chessboard was gradually reaching a stalemate, he directly reached out and scrambled the pieces on the chessboard, then turned to look at Chen Zhi.

"Is there anything wrong, Fengzong?"

"Yes." Chen Zhi's expression gradually turned serious, and he cupped his hands in response: "This morning, Minister Xu summoned me to the Ministry of War to inquire about strategies for winning over the Qiang and Hu tribes. I was unable to answer at the time. Afterwards, I pondered for an entire afternoon and have gained some insights. I intend to first discuss this with you, and then report to Your Majesty."

"Please sit down, Fengzong, and speak slowly." Liu Shan sighed softly, gesturing to the seats beside him. "Is this what you've been thinking about all day, Fengzong?"

"Yes," Chen Zhi replied, sitting down and nodding.

Fei Yi pointed to the chessboard, signaling the eunuch to take it away and tidy it up, then asked, "Fengzong, please tell me, what insights did you gain today?"

Chen Zhi replied solemnly, "What does the restoration of the Han Dynasty have to do with me?"

"What?" Fei Yi raised an eyebrow instantly and looked straight at Chen Zhi.

"Your Majesty, I was not wrong." Chen Zhi repeated his words to Liu Shan: "What does the restoration of the Han Dynasty have to do with me?"

Liu Shan's expression instantly became as serious as Chen Zhi's, but he knew that Chen Zhi's words must have another meaning, so he spoke again: "Fengzong, tell me in detail."