Chapter 75: The Whinnying of Horses Bids Farewell to the Old Year (Part 1)

Wang Shao's residence in Qin Prefecture was not large, just a small two-courtyard house, about the same size as the Han family's residence. The front part was for guards and servants, while the back courtyard was the main house. There was no need for it to be too large, as Wang Shao, while serving in Qin Prefecture, had only brought his second son, Wang Hou. His other sons and daughters were all left in Jiang Prefecture's Dejiang. Four years ago, his first wife, Lady Yang, had passed away, and his second wife, Lady Xu, was also left in Dejiang. In the Wang household in Qin Prefecture, there were only the father and son, three maidservants, and two old soldiers serving as servants.

Wang Hou rushed home, reeking of alcohol. Wang Shao, who was writing at his desk in the study, frowned. However, upon seeing Han Gang following behind, he did not scold his son.

Wang Shao had long since put aside any past grievances towards Han Gang and now favored him greatly. Otherwise, if Wang Hou had been going to drink with Han Gang every day, he would have long since used family discipline to beat his son into not leaving the house. If it weren't for his only daughter, who was only ten and already betrothed, Han Gang would have been the perfect son-in-law. Now, whenever Wang Shao corresponded with relatives and friends in his hometown, he would ask if there were any eligible daughters in the family, hoping to tie Han Gang to his family through marriage.

Sighing softly, Wang Shao rinsed his brush in the celadon ink washer, dried it on thick paper, and hung it on the brush stand. He then asked, "What is it?"

Wang Hou, not noticing his father's expression, excitedly blurted out Han Gang's plan. Han Gang, standing behind, observed the changes in Wang Shao's expression but did not see much excitement.

"Have you already considered this, Sir?" If it were any other time, Han Gang would not have asked so directly but would have probed indirectly. However, being slightly tipsy and dragged to Wang Shao by Wang Hou, his words were less measured than usual.

"In the fourth year of Huangyou, Deputy Transport Commissioner Fan Xiang rebuilt the ancient Weizhou fort on the site of the old Weizhou from the Tang Dynasty. It has been over twenty years since then..." Wang Shao did not answer Han Gang's question but suddenly began to recount history. "During this period, some suggested opening a market at ancient Weizhou for trade with the tribes; others proposed establishing a horse market to exchange salt and tea for warhorses; still others thought of moving troops to cultivate the land and expanding the fort into a city. Of course, there were also those who wanted to abandon ancient Weizhou. Fan Xiang was demoted twice before the fort was even completed due to repeated impeachments. Among the twenty-odd cities and forts along the Wei River, none has been as controversial as ancient Weizhou. Yu Kun, do you know why?"

"Geography, history, and human sentiment." These six simple words were not an answer but a way for Han Gang to organize his thoughts to explain more clearly.

But upon hearing this, Wang Shao clapped in approval, "Exactly, those six words! It seems you understand. Weizhou has always been a key point on the route to the Western Regions. During the Han and Tang dynasties, envoys to the Western Regions often passed through this route. After the Anshi Rebellion, Weizhou fell into the hands of the tribes and has remained so for nearly three hundred years. Elevating ancient Weizhou to a military prefecture, in the long term, means the court intends to re-open the Western Regions. In the short term, it is the first step in expanding the territory to Linzhou and opening the border to the Hehuang region! Second Son, do you understand?"

Wang Hou sighed. With his father speaking so plainly, how could he not understand? The symbolic significance of establishing a military prefecture at ancient Weizhou was too strong. The mere establishment of a fort had already sparked much debate; if it were elevated to a military prefecture, the court would likely erupt in chaos.

"Wang Jiepu is not the Chancellor but merely a Vice-Chancellor." Wang Shao also sighed helplessly. The Song Dynasty's national strength was not inferior to that of the Han and Tang dynasties, but once military action was involved, it became extremely difficult. Even with the talents of Ban Chao and Ma Yuan, they could not withstand the constant sabotage from the court. Once ancient Weizhou was elevated to a prefecture-level administrative unit, it would replace Qin Prefecture as the western frontier of the Song Dynasty, shielding Qin Prefecture behind it. Logically, the grain and supplies allocated to Qin Prefecture would be divided, and the two major figures in the Military Council would surely seize the opportunity to hinder the process.

"To elevate ancient Weizhou to a military prefecture, regardless of other issues, the daily consumption of grain and fodder must be at least one-third self-sufficient. Yu Kun, do you know which of the forts along the Wei River, west of Fugang City, has the densest population?"

Han Gang thought for a moment, "It should be Yongning..."

Yongning Fort was also on the Wei River, located between Fugang City and ancient Weizhou. It was forty miles from Fugang City and 140 miles from ancient Weizhou. The most famous thing about the fort was the Yongning Horse Market, from which half of Qin Prefecture's warhorses came. In terms of population density, ancient Weizhou could not compare to Yongning.

"Do you know that a few years ago, when Fan Xiang returned to Shaanxi, he had plans to establish a horse market at ancient Weizhou? The prosperity of the horse market would gradually attract more households, eventually leading to the establishment of a county and a military prefecture. Fan Xiang's strategy was supported by Feng Jing, who even submitted a petition to expand the walls of ancient Weizhou. Frankly, a well-thought-out plan with the support of the Shaanxi Pacification Commissioner should have been easily approved. However, it ultimately failed, vetoed by Han Zhiyu (Han Qi). Feng Jing was the son-in-law of Fu Yanbo (Fu Bi), and the decades-long enmity between the Fu and Han families is well-known. Once the Western Regions were involved, things became much more complicated!"

Han Gang could see Wang Shao's concerns. Elevating ancient Weizhou to a military prefecture would clearly lead to a confrontation with Li Shizhong and force the court to take a stance. This all-or-nothing gambler's approach made Wang Shao hesitant. He had not considered Wang Shao's psychological state, which was indeed a failure. However, he still believed he should stick to his opinion:

"Sir, you have been in Qin Prefecture for a year, during which you have visited all the cities and forts to understand the military situation and prepare for future campaigns. Accumulating strength and acting cautiously is always necessary. However, the Emperor does not see this. He only knows that you have been in Qin Prefecture for a year without any action. Perhaps Wang Xianggong can understand that you are being hindered by Li Jizhong, but the Emperor's thoughts are unpredictable. At this point, Wang Xianggong must want to see you take action."

"Yu Kun, do you still want to elevate ancient Weizhou to a military prefecture?"

Han Gang avoided answering Wang Hou's question, "In my humble opinion, any strategy to open the Hehuang region must be cost-effective. To open the Hehuang region, a significant amount of manpower and resources is necessary. However, military funds are limited. If more is allocated to Hengshan, less will be available for Qin Prefecture. The Hehuang region is a secondary front; even if the entire territory is recovered, it would only sever the right arm of the Western Xia..."

Wang Shao smiled slightly upon hearing this. The phrase "sever the right arm of the Western Xia" was from his "Plan for Pacifying the Rong." He nodded, encouraging Han Gang to continue:

"Moreover, the terrain of Hengshan is strategically important. If the Western Xia controls Hengshan, they can overlook Guanzhong. The tribes in Hengshan make up at least one-third of the Western Xia army. Once Hengshan is captured, the Western Xia's military strength will decrease by one-third, and the lost troops will be added to our side. This increase and decrease will exceed half of the Western Xia's military strength.

Manpower is one issue, but grain and fodder are another, and more important. The 700-mile瀚海 (瀚海 refers to the vast desert or barren land) is a natural barrier. Transporting grain and fodder to Lingwu (Ling Prefecture) is the most difficult task. This is true for the Tangut as well. The main forces of the Western Xia, when attacking from Xingling (Xing Prefecture) and Ling Prefecture, cannot cross the瀚海 with supplies; they must rely on the support of the tribes in Hengshan, or they must capture our military forts to seize stored grain. Once Hengshan is lost, the Western Xia will lose their ability to sustain long-term attacks and can only face us across the瀚海."

Wang Shao nodded repeatedly, recognizing that Han Gang's recent efforts were not in vain. By cross-referencing the maps at hand with his knowledge of the future, Han Gang's understanding of the geography of Shaanxi was undoubtedly top-notch.

"Since Hengshan is so important, the Emperor and Wang Xianggong will not allocate more resources to the Hehuang region. However, you still need to establish your achievements in the Hehuang region, which means using Qin Prefecture's resources. My idea is simple: if you do not have independent financial authority, it will be too easy for Li Shizhong to obstruct you."

"But there's no need to rush to elevate ancient Weizhou to a military prefecture! First, establish garrisons and forts, and once the population and military strength are sufficient, setting up a military prefecture or a prefecture will be a natural progression."

Han Gang shook his head. Although he had initially suggested gradual garrisoning when he first met Wang Hou, it was just a casual suggestion and was not practical: "A few days ago, I discussed with Chudao that to avoid provoking the officials and families behind the trade caravans in Qin Prefecture, trade should come after garrisoning, with garrisoning as the priority. However, after learning more about the situation in the prefecture, I realized this was a naive view."

"Hmm? Why?" Wang Hou's forehead was filled with question marks, his face full of confusion, but Wang Shao smiled faintly, showing approval.

"Trade requires only an initial capital, which can then operate independently. However, garrisoning requires continuous support from the Qin-Feng Road, in terms of manpower, resources, and finances, for at least two to three years. This is very difficult to achieve. No matter who is in charge of the Qin-Feng Road, they will not support you."

Wang Hou was surprised, "Why?"

Wang Shao answered for Han Gang, "They won't get the lion's share of the credit, but they will have to foot the bill. Who would be willing to do that?"

Wang Shao had the initial credit and was specifically appointed to Qin Prefecture to handle practical matters. If successful, such a large achievement would almost be his alone. Li Shizhong and Xiang Bao were not fools; they refused to support it because they would have to put in a lot of effort but get no share of the credit. In fact, Wang Shao's idea to open the Hehuang region was inspired by a memorial written by Xiang Bao, which he had read while in Cai Ting's office.

Wang Hou suddenly understood, and Wang Shao looked at Han Gang with admiration, "You don't seem like an eighteen-year-old." Even at twenty-eight, he would not have had such deep thoughts.

"This is human nature. Han Gang is just stating the obvious. Perhaps there are virtuous people who are content to work behind the scenes and not seek credit."

"How could there be such people!" Wang Hou shook his head, unwilling to do such a thing himself, "So, Yu Kun, you still think we should use trade?"

"Trade is no different; it still requires initial capital from Qin Prefecture... My point is, as long as Li Shizhong is in Qin Prefecture, nothing will be accomplished." Han Gang reminded Wang Shao that it was time to confront Li Shizhong and not harbor any illusions, "First, request the establishment of a military prefecture at ancient Weizhou. Although Li Shizhong will certainly oppose it, and the court may not agree, we can then take a step back and request trade and garrisoning at Weiyuan or ancient Weizhou."

"You mentioned earlier that Li Jizhong would definitely oppose it."

"Then take another step back and choose either trade or garrisoning, and submit a request to the court."

"What if Li Shizhong still opposes it?"

Wang Hou thought Han Gang might have drunk too much, as his words seemed contradictory. However, Wang Shao burst out laughing, and then his expression turned cold and ruthless, "At that point, the Emperor will know who is interfering with the opening of the Hehuang region..."