Chapter 43: Holding a Candle, Forgetful of Sleep (Part 1)

Zhao Long's casual interjection hit the nail on the head. Reminded by him, Han Gang's spirits suddenly lifted: "To repel the external, one must first secure the internal! If there are too many hindrances behind, how can one achieve great deeds? Opening a market and implementing trade regulations are not without merit. However, many officials and families in Qin Prefecture engage in trade. If we suddenly implement trade regulations, cutting off their sources of income, it will surely provoke widespread anger. When impeachment memorials are submitted in droves, who can focus on developing the Hehuang region?"

Han Gang's words struck at the heart of Wang Hou's concerns. His brows furrowed slightly, feeling somewhat helpless. He looked at Han Gang and, sitting up, asked humbly, "So we should start with land reclamation?"

"Compared to trade regulations, land reclamation is not difficult. The border areas of Qin Prefecture are vast and sparsely populated. By seizing opportunities and building forts in the reclaimed areas, we can achieve some success within two to three years. Using the garrison troops to intimidate the surrounding tribes, suppressing rebellious elements, and fairly resolving disputes between the Han and the tribes, we can bestow official positions on the tribal leaders who are friendly to us, thus winning their hearts. This will make them serve us rather than the Western Xia. In the future, when we attack the Western bandits, they will be our allies!"

Han Gang's methods for stabilizing the border were a continuation of ancient practices, not particularly innovative. However, Wang Hou was already moved by Han Gang's earlier words and nodded in agreement, feeling that the scholar Han Gang truly had great knowledge and insight.

Han Gang stopped talking about land reclamation and trade regulations. He had said all he could. If he delved deeper, he would risk exposing himself. Changing the subject, he sighed lightly, "However, Guanxi is no longer a fertile land. Its output is far less than in the Han and Tang dynasties. Otherwise, there would be no need to work so hard on land reclamation. So much good farmland has been washed away by the Yellow River, which is why it has turned yellow. This is not a good thing! Not only has the fertile land of Guanzhong been lost, but the whole country suffers from it."

Han Gang spoke solemnly, and Wang Hou leaned forward, listening attentively.

"Like the Yellow River, a bowl of water contains half a bowl of sand. The sand and soil all come from Guanzhong. If the Yellow River flows swiftly before Tongguan, the mud and sand flow with the water. But after passing Tongguan, the river slows down, and the mud and sand settle." Han Gang raised his wine bowl to Wang Hou. In the unfiltered wine, many dregs floated and sank with the movement of the bowl, just as described in the phrase 'newly brewed wine with green ants.' "I've heard that the Bian River, which connects to the Yellow River, is silted up and must be dredged every year. Even so, the riverbed rises faster than the dredging can keep up."

Wang Hou nodded in agreement. He had been to Tokyo Bianliang and knew that near the confluence of the Bian River and the Yellow River, the ships inside the embankment were even higher than the rooftops outside, all due to the silt from the Yellow River. To dredge the Bian River, a large number of civilian laborers and military troops were mobilized every winter. The people along the Bian River suffered greatly from this.

Han Gang put down his wine bowl. The dregs settled to the bottom as the wine calmed. "You see, as soon as the water flow slows, the sand and soil naturally settle. To control the Yellow River, one must first control the sand. To control the sand, one must address its source. Otherwise, no matter how high you build the embankments or how deep you dig the riverbed, it is only a temporary solution. The river will eventually breach the embankments and change course, sooner or later."

"Brother Han is right," Wang Hou said, impressed by Han Gang's clarity. He took a sip of the bland, unfiltered wine and sighed, "In the eighth year of Qingli (1048 AD), the Yellow River breached its embankment at Shanghu Sao in Chen Prefecture (now Puyang County), changing its course northward and flowing directly into the Bohai Sea. The court officials debated for years whether to fill the breach or to let the river flow northward. In the end, their efforts were in vain.

"In the fifth year of Jiayou (1060 AD), the sixth embankment at Weixian in Daming Prefecture breached, creating a new tributary that flowed eastward into the sea via the Duma River. The Yellow River now flows both east and north, known as the 'two branches.' Whether to block, divert, or let it flow freely has been debated since the reign of Emperor Renzong. The chancellors Fu, Han, and Wen have argued over this in court many times.

"And Liangshan Lake! How did it come to be an 800-li expanse of water? It was because in the first year of Kaiyuan in the Later Jin (944 AD), the Yellow River breached its embankment at Hua Prefecture, flooding the states of Cao, Shan, Pu, and Yun. The floodwaters accumulated in Juye, turning the Juye Lake into Liangshan Lake."

"Have you heard that the Yellow River has changed course again a few months ago?" Zhao Long interjected.

"That's right. In August, the attempt to fill the northern channel failed, and the Xujia Harbor River breached. The floodwaters inundated the five military districts of Daming, En, De, Cang, and Yongjing, killing tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians." Wang Hou sighed deeply. "For this river, countless resources have been spent, and countless lives have been lost, but it remains untamed."

Han Gang took a sip of wine. From Wang Hou's comments, it was clear he had done extensive research on river defense. Han Gang knew that in terms of the details of Yellow River management, he was no match for Wang Hou. He couldn't delve into the specifics, so he shifted the topic back to soil erosion, which he was more familiar with: "This is the harm caused by excessive silt. The rainfall in the south is ten times that of the north, and the Yangtze River's flow is much greater than the Yellow River's. Why does the Yangtze rarely breach its banks? It's because the Yangtze has less silt, while the Yellow River has more. Too many trees have been cut down, leaving the mountains without vegetation to hold the soil. When the rain comes, it washes away the soil and silt. Look at the clear waters of the Jing River and the muddy waters of the Wei River. This is why we have the saying 'the clear Jing and the turbid Wei.'"

"Wu Prefecture has many trees, which can hold the soil, while the Wei River, from Fugong upward, is surrounded by bare mountains," Wang Shunmin answered quickly. Han Gang's explanation was clear and easy to understand.

"Very good!" Wang Hou raised his wine bowl to toast Wang Shunmin. Wang Shunmin laughed heartily and drank it down.

"Although Military Commander Wang is young, he has traveled extensively in Guanxi and has a good understanding of the geography. His martial arts are also exceptional, and his rapid-fire archery is unparalleled." Han Gang patted Wang Shunmin's shoulder and introduced him to Wang Hou, leaving Wang Shunmin deeply grateful.

The three men in the room were increasingly engrossed. Few people could explain the Yellow River's flooding so clearly. Han Gang, excited by the discussion, swept away the clutter on the table and used his finger to draw in the wine. He first drew a '几' shape with a tail. "This is the Yellow River!"

What was truly valuable after a thousand years? It was the knowledge of geography! At least for Han Gang, this was indeed the case.

A map book worth only a dozen or so yuan in a thousand years would be worth more than ten thousand gold pieces in the past. It was a map created by the mobilization of hundreds of thousands of people and advanced instruments, far superior to ordinary maps.

Han Gang's knowledge of history was not strong, and he was ignorant of the detailed historical developments. However, his understanding of geography was excellent. With his eloquence, even with the thousand-year gap causing some discrepancies in place names, it was easy for him to deceive Wang Hou, a young and inexperienced man.

Just this '几' shape alone made Wang Hou even more impressed with Han Gang. Without reading a large number of geographical books and carefully studying the geography, how many people would know the course of the Yellow River and the Yangtze? The famous 'Commentary on the Waterways Classic' never included a map of the entire country. Wang Hou's knowledge of the general courses of the Yellow River and the Yangtze came from his father, Wang Shao, who had seen a replica of the map hanging in the Chongzheng Hall, which was created by the governor of Weizhou and the military commissioner of Jingyuan Road, Cai Ting.

"Is this the Yellow River?" Wang Shunmin and Zhao Long looked curiously at the table. Although they had seen the Yellow River and drank its tributaries' water daily, they would be at a loss if asked to describe its course.

"Yes, exactly!" Wang Hou confirmed, adding a dot to the right of the '几' shape. "This is Tokyo."

"This is Tokyo..." Wang Shunmin and Zhao Long nodded attentively, though it was unclear if they fully understood.

With a thousand years between them, many specific geographical names had changed. Han Gang might not know the place names as well as Wang Hou, but he was familiar with the major regions based on his previous life's memory and cross-referencing. He pointed to the right side of the vertical line in the '几' shape. "This is Hedong (now Shanxi). It is called Hedong because it is on the east side of the Yellow River!"

His finger moved up from Hedong to the horizontal line at the top of the '几' shape. Wang Hou immediately said, "This is the Western Capital Circuit of the Khitans."

Han Gang dipped his finger in the wine again and drew a horizontal line, almost closing the opening below the '几' shape. "This is the Wei River. And we are now in..."

He paused slightly, and Wang Hou, being clever, added a dot below the line representing the Wei River, saying solemnly, "Fugong City."

"And the Western bandits are here." Han Gang pointed to the area enclosed by the Wei River and the Yellow River. "This area is surrounded on three sides by the Yellow River, shaped like a bag. Therefore, I call it the 'River Loop.'"

"River Loop?" Wang Hou repeated, muttering the words a few times as if savoring their meaning. Finally, he nodded emphatically. "Well named, well named. It does indeed look like a bag, just like a sleeve."

Han Gang straightened up, spreading his arms wide. "The Yellow River has a hundred harms, but it benefits only one place. The Tangut people occupy this area, where the water network around Xing and Ling is like a northern Jiangnan. Whether for farming or herding, it is far superior to other places. Outside Xing and Ling, the Gobi Desert acts as a natural barrier, making it difficult for enemies to invade. This natural defense is even stronger than the Yangtze River, vast and deep. To directly attack the Western bandits' stronghold, one must first consider how to cross the 700-li Gobi Desert and ensure a secure supply line, otherwise, there is a risk of total annihilation."

Wang Hou added, "Attacking the Western bandits from Hedong, Fuyan, and Huanqing circuits will be blocked by the Gobi Desert. If we attack from Qin and Feng circuits to the north, we will be hindered by the Tiandu Mountains and Doulun Ridge. Even if all circuits attack simultaneously, the Western bandits can still defend by relying on the natural barriers. But if we place a surprise force in a more western location, such as Lanzhou, it will make the Western bandits unable to cope with both fronts."

"Lanzhou? Isn't that occupied by the Western bandits?" Zhao Long asked.