Chapter 68 of 100

Chapter 68

11 min read2,635 words

It was already winter, and the weather was unusually pleasant. The bright sunlight filtered through the window lattice, making Zhang Hao comfortable enough to squint his eyes.

In his hand, he casually played with a delicate and warm field-yellow stone seal, but his posture did not seem to be one of serious listening. However, the officials below, such as Tian Feng, Gu Yong, and Man Chong, continued to report various matters in an orderly manner.

Luo An hurried in, apologized to everyone, and then handed a piece of intelligence to Zhang Hao.

All the ministers knew that Luo An was in charge of the Da Qian intelligence organization, Sui Feng. Although Zhang Hao had ordered the military to establish a new Military Intelligence Bureau, it clearly could not yet match Sui Feng. Despite not particularly liking the head of the intelligence organization, they knew that the intelligence Luo An had brought must be of great importance.

Thus, all the ministers waited quietly.

Zhang Hao scanned the intelligence, his eyebrows raised, and his casual demeanor instantly disappeared.

"This Han Sui is really like a piece of chewing gum. How many times has he been involved in the Liangzhou rebellion over the years? If I remember correctly, it was only at the beginning of this year that the Liangzhou rebellion was repelled by Huangfu Song. Now he has gathered a large army to attack the Sanfu region. Are there so many people in Liangzhou, or are the Qiang tribes so fertile?"

"This is taking advantage of the situation. Ambitious people like Han Sui, seeing the current weakness of the Han Dynasty and the fact that most of the Han forces are dealing with us, naturally do not want to miss such a rare opportunity," Tian Feng said.

"For the Qiang tribes, every invasion, even if they are ultimately defeated, still brings considerable gains. With such a rare opportunity and the instigation of people like Han Sui, they are thinking of occupying the fertile land," Man Chong added.

"Most of the major families in Liangzhou have mobilized this time." Zhang Hao handed the intelligence to his attendant.

The attendant quickly printed several copies and distributed them to those present. The printer was something Zhang Hao had brought back specifically. Sui Feng also had one, but without Zhang Hao's permission, important intelligence could not be duplicated.

"This is not necessarily a bad thing for us. It will only make the court struggle to cope on all fronts," Man Chong smiled.

"Many of the troops in Guanzhong have been transferred to Luoyang, either to Huangfu Song or to guard the eight passes. Faced with such a situation, the court will certainly find it difficult. Regardless of the other significance of Guanzhong, it is an important retreat route for the court, and they cannot abandon it."

"It saves us some trouble," Xi Zhicai said lazily.

"The court has been actively conscripting troops to counter us. Huangfu Song has received more and more support in Yingchuan and has started to make more small moves. With this happening, they will probably thank heaven and earth if we don't attack."

Listening to everyone's comments, Zhang Hao remained silent, pondering. The situation was indeed as everyone had said.

Since the defeat of Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song, Da Qian had not pursued victory but instead focused on consolidating its foundations. This gave the court time to breathe, and they began large-scale conscription in various places. Not only was Luoyang heavily guarded, but Huangfu Song in Yingchuan also received significant support to prepare for the Da Qian army's attack.

Although there were some minor skirmishes, there had been no major battles in the past two months.

Both sides were building up their strength, waiting for the next major battle. A major battle might have started soon, but the rebellion in Liangzhou by Han Sui changed the situation. The Han court would certainly find it difficult.

"The people of Liangzhou and Sanfu have had no peace for years," Zhang Zhao sighed.

"This is an inevitable situation. Only by thoroughly pacifying Liangzhou and the Qiang tribes can it be resolved. Not just Liangzhou, but in recent years, rebellions have occurred in various places, causing much hardship for the people. Only by thoroughly pacifying the country can the people live in peace and prosperity," Tian Feng said solemnly. "All of this ultimately depends on us, Da Qian."

"Let's just wait and see for now," Zhang Hao said, pondering. "I really don't like the idea of these barbarians plundering their own kind. When the time comes, I will definitely teach the Qiang tribes a lesson, and of course, Han Sui, who is a traitor, is even more despicable."

Both old and new ministers were well aware of Zhang Hao's ethnic consciousness and his attitude towards the barbarians, so they were not surprised by his words.

"Let's do this. Send a letter to the Han court. Tell them that while they deal with the Liangzhou rebels, we will not attack Henan." Zhang Hao suddenly said, and the ministers looked at each other, unsure how to evaluate his idea.

It was a rather peculiar idea.

Currently, Da Qian and the Han Dynasty were at war. From the Han's perspective, Da Qian was probably more despicable than the Liangzhou rebels. After all, the Liangzhou rebels had been repelled after years of rebellion, while Da Qian had occupied the Five Provinces and showed no signs of stopping.

Not to mention, in such a state of war, could anyone believe such a statement? The Han might even worry about the proverbial "the fisherman benefits from the quarrel between the clam and the bird."

As the ruler of a country, it was also somewhat inappropriate for Zhang Hao to make such a decision so easily.

"Of course, if they have malicious intentions, this agreement is null and void. Additionally, give them three months."

Zhang Hao did not pay attention to the ministers' expressions. He knew his idea was peculiar, but with sufficient strength, he did not mind being a bit capricious.

Hearing Zhang Hao's addition, the ministers did not say much. Although it was still peculiar, it would not affect Da Qian's development.

They were originally planning to rest and recuperate for a while, and an additional three months would be beneficial. It would allow them to train more soldiers to quickly cover the entire country when the time came.

"Stamp it with my royal seal. Whether they believe it or not is up to them."

When Da Qian's letter reached the Han court, many ministers were speechless. They had not expected to receive such a letter. Regardless of whether Da Qian was trustworthy, the attitude of Da Qian made them feel humiliated, as if Da Qian was pitying them.

They could not understand Zhang Hao's ethnic sentiments, and many believed that Da Qian was trying to deceive them.

He Jin was so angry that he tore the letter to pieces, but no matter how angry he was, the problem still needed to be solved.

He inwardly cursed Han Sui and others for taking advantage of the situation, just as Xi Zhicai had said. Guanzhong was one of the Han's retreat routes. If the battle with Da Qian went poorly, they could retreat to Guanzhong and use the terrain to their advantage. Therefore, He Jin could not ignore Guanzhong.

In the Han court, the idea of abandoning Liangzhou resurfaced. Although there was still much opposition, it was not as resolute as before. The situation had changed, and the Han had to face the fierce tiger of Da Qian.

He Jin was somewhat indecisive, but he was eventually swayed by Yuan Shao's private words. Yuan Shao said that abandoning Liangzhou was just a temporary measure, and once the Da Qian rebels were eliminated, Liangzhou could be reclaimed without affecting He Jin's reputation.

He Jin was already inclined but cared about his reputation and did not take the lead personally. Instead, others proposed the idea, and the Grand Commandant Zhang Wen stepped forward. He was aware of the consequences of taking the lead, but he was loyal to the Han and was willing to sacrifice his reputation for the Han.

With Zhang Wen's performance, He Jin was reassured and sent envoys to contact Han Sui, offering to abandon Liangzhou in exchange for their withdrawal.

However, Han Sui and others were not satisfied with just Liangzhou, a remote region. They demanded the Guanzhong region as well, saying that they could form an alliance and send troops to help fight Da Qian.

Receiving this response, He Jin almost exploded with anger. Han Sui and others had too large an appetite and treated the Han court like children. The idea of fighting Da Qian together was a farce; after taking Guanzhong, they would not do such a thing and would be grateful if they did not continue to attack the Han.

"Fight! This time, we must eliminate those bastards," He Jin said, his anger boiling.

What else could be said in such a situation? After two days of deliberation, the court made a decision. The Han did not lack soldiers, but they had originally planned to attack Da Qian. Now they could only maintain a defensive stance against Da Qian.

Huangfu Song, who was in Yingchuan, was ordered by He Jin to go to Guanzhong to suppress the Liangzhou rebellion. Huangfu Song's hometown was Liangzhou, and he had dealt with these rebels many times. He was chosen in the hope that he could quickly defeat the rebels.

This time, He Jin directly assigned Huangfu Song 40,000 troops, plus the troops in Guanzhong, which were the best conditions for suppressing the Liangzhou rebellion.

With Huangfu Song going to Guanzhong, the task of defending against Da Qian in Yingchuan was given to the Grand Commandant Zhang Wen.

Due to the trouble caused by Han Sui and others in Liangzhou, He Jin and others had to find ways to gather provisions. To this end, He Jin even sent his brother, He Miao, to Ji Province as the governor, hoping to obtain sufficient supplies from the wealthy Ji Province.

Speaking of this, it is necessary to mention the Ten Attendants. Over the years, they had accumulated a vast fortune. After He Jin eliminated them, he became extremely wealthy. Although he was willing to contribute to the country, the amount was a question.

But at least he was not stingy, and the wealth of the Ten Attendants and their followers played a significant role in supporting the Han's war efforts over the past few months.

In the cold winter, the land of China saw another war. However, this time, Da Qian was merely an observer.

Although they did not believe Zhang Hao's letter, the fact that Da Qian did not take advantage of the situation was something the Han court could be grateful for.

Taking advantage of the rare respite, Zhang Hao finally got married. The grand and solemn wedding ceremony was beyond description. A few days before the Spring Festival, Cai Yan officially became a member of the Zhang family and the Empress of Da Qian. Zhang Hao's wedding was a cause for celebration throughout the land, and with the Spring Festival following closely, the days were filled with joy in the areas under Da Qian's control.

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