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Chapter 88 A Great Wind Rises (Seeking First Subscription)

Jiang Wei came south to find the emperor, while Chen Zhi accompanied Liu Shan on his journey north.

On the 18th day of the first month of the thirteenth year of Jianxing, Chen Zhi met Jiang Wei again at the main gate of the Commandant's Office in the center of Jiange Pass.

"Brother Boyue!" Chen Zhi asked with some surprise upon seeing Jiang Wei hurrying forward, "The imperial carriage just arrived at Jiange, how come you're here at this time as well?"

"Fengzong!" Jiang Wei looked somewhat tired, bowed slightly, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "I encountered an important matter in the north. There is no one in charge in Hanzhong, and the imperial carriage is still on its way. Therefore, after discussing with several ministers of the Ministry of War, I came south to welcome you."

Chen Zhi raised his eyebrows and stared intently at Jiang Wei's face: "Brother Boyue, what has happened?"

Jiang Wei took a deep breath, his eyes filled with solemnity: "It is related to the Qiang and Hu tribes and the Wei Kingdom. What about His Majesty and Minister Fei? Whom should I request an audience with? Fengzong, I will explain everything to you then."

Chen Zhi replied, "Take your time. You've come all the way from Hanzhong, and since it's all foreign affairs, a little respite won't hurt. Let's go, I'll take you to find Attendant-in-Ordinary Guo; he's in charge of this matter in the Imperial Guard."

"Guo Shizhong is in charge?" Jiang Wei thought for a few moments, then seemed to realize something and asked in return, "What about Dong Shizhong? I remember he has always been in charge."

Chen Zhi smiled and said, "Guo Shizhong (Guo Youzhi) is still here, but Dong Shizhong (Dong Yun) has been reassigned as the Vice Minister of Personnel, in charge of the Ministry of Personnel of the Hanzhong Regional Administration, in charge of all matters related to personnel selection. He will no longer serve in the Emperor's presence. His appointment was issued at the New Year, a little later than the other officials in the Hanzhong Ministry of War."

"I see." Jiang Wei remained silent.

Dong Yun, the Chamberlain, was known for his strictness. When Prime Minister Zhuge Liang was alive, he often used Dong Yun's presence in the palace to restrain Liu Shan's behavior. Jiang Wei was also aware of Dong Yun's control over Liu Shan's concubines. In other words, if Liu Shan hadn't assumed power, he might have tolerated it somewhat. Now that Liu Shan had taken control, why would he want to be controlled like this in the palace?

With the Prime Minister gone and the Emperor heading north, Dong Yun was sent out of the palace and reassigned to the position of Vice Minister of Personnel. Although this position carried significant power and responsibility, it was nonetheless a removal of Dong Yun from his position as Attendant-in-Ordinary in the palace!

From this simple personnel appointment, Jiang Wei had already vaguely discerned Emperor Liu Shan's unwillingness to be controlled by others.

The desire to be free from constraints often implies a yearning for self-expression.

Jiang Wei knew his future lay in the military. With the emperor approaching Hanzhong, encountering such an emperor was the best possible opportunity if he were inclined to serve on the frontier!

Jiang Wei's request for an audience was quickly granted, and so, in the best main hall of the Commandant's Office at Jiange Pass, Liu Shan sat in the center, Fei Yi on the left, and Jiang Wei and Chen Zhi on the right, and a simple meeting before the emperor began.

On his way to Jiange, Jiang Wei had already prepared his speech, recounting his observations and experiences in Jianwei, as well as his analysis with Minister of War Xu Yun and others.

Chen Zhi listened attentively, but for some reason, he became somewhat distracted.

This is no ordinary place; this is Sword Pavilion!

In the original history, when Zhong Hui and Deng Ai marched together, Jiang Wei retreated from Tazhong and Yinping to Jiange, and only withdrew south after hearing that Liu Shan was in danger in Chengdu.

Today, Liu Shan, Jiang Wei, Fei Yi, and I have all gathered in Jiange?

"Fengzong." Fei Yi coughed and called out softly, pulling Chen Zhi's wandering thoughts back.

Chen Zhi snapped out of his reverie and bowed to Liu Shan in apology: "Your Majesty, I was perhaps a little tired and my mind wandered for a moment. Please forgive me!"

Liu Shan, disregarding these details, asked again, "What does Fengzong think of this matter?"

Chen Zhi responded, "I would like to ask General Jiang, is the person named Shao Ge truly credible?"

"That's believable," Jiang Wei replied. "The so-called Yong and Liang provinces have undergone several administrative changes over the past few decades, but they are actually one entity. If we were to further divide them geographically, they could be categorized into three regions: Guanzhong, Longyou, and Hexi."

"In the Yong and Liang regions, Han and Qiang people have lived together for hundreds of years. Although the Qiang people often cause trouble, it is mostly due to poor governance or being misled by bandits. The Qiang people were originally divided into eight types of Western Qiang, but now they are fragmented and mixed together beyond counting."

Han Chinese families were typically referred to as "hu" (户), while Qiang families were called "luo" (落). Qiang communities usually numbered only a few thousand luo, and even among these communities, conflict was frequent, a stark contrast to the Xianbei, Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and other nomadic groups.

"Whether it's Bian Zhang, Beigong Boyu, Han Sui, Ma Chao, or others, they can all raise their arms and the Qiang and Hu tribes respond. In other words, these Qiang and Hu tribes have no one to rely on. Whoever leads troops to their territory, they will obey their orders. If there is a year of poor harvest or the government levies too much, it is easy for them to rebel."

"Your Majesty," Jiang Wei said to Liu Shan, "the Qiang tribe to which Shao Ge belongs is located south of Ji County in Tianshui Commandery, only a little over a hundred li away from Jianwei, the northernmost border town, and not far from Qishan, which is occupied by the Wei bandits. Therefore, Shao Ge is terrified of both the Han and Wei, and dares not refuse my summons. This has been the case for many years. I have always known Shao Ge's background. Since he dares to say these things to me, he certainly wouldn't lie."

"Although Wudu Commandery is within the territory of Han, it has few people and is sparsely populated. It is impossible for Sima Yi not to summon the Qiangduan and Fushuang Di tribes."

Fei Yi immediately nodded: "Boyue is right. After the Prime Minister's death, the hearts of the Qiang and Hu peoples within Yong and Liang will surely waver. If Sima Yi truly establishes an alliance and sets forth rules, it will be difficult for our dynasty to wage war against the Qiang and Longxi in the future! Sima Yi may act as he pleases, but our dynasty must also demonstrate strength to the Qiang and Hu!"

Liu Shan pondered for a moment: "Therefore, if the Qiangduan and Fushuang tribes within Wudu Commandery truly harbor rebellious intentions, the court must punish them as a warning, lest the Qiang and Hu tribes of Longyou and Longxi emulate these two Di tribes and become enemies of the Han in the future? If the court sends troops and the Qiangduan and Fushuang tribes submit, then there is no need for a major military campaign?"

"That is exactly what I meant," Jiang Wei replied.

"I also agree to use force," Fei Yi replied.

Liu Shan looked at Chen Zhi again: "What does Fengzong think?"

Chen Zhi bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, the court's original intention in sending troops this year was to conquer the Qiang and Hu tribes and to gather them in order to spy on Liangzhou, not to once again mobilize a large army to fight against Wei. Although I do not know the intentions of the Wei ruler and his ministers, I believe that Wei must also be unwilling to mobilize a large army this year, given that they amassed more than 100,000 troops in Guanzhong last year and fought on two fronts, east and west."

"Wudu Commandery is within Han territory. I believe it is permissible to send troops, but not too many, lest it disrupt the important matter of this year's westward advance into the Qiang region. At the same time, we must not give Wei another reason to amass troops in Guanzhong, and give our dynasty a chance to regroup. If Wei enters Wudu Commandery to support these two Di tribes, we should try to separate and expel them as much as possible. This is not a place or time for the court to fight."

"Of course, if Wei's forces are truly deep in territory and not very large, then swallowing them up is not out of the question!"