Chapter 153: The Campaign for Qinzhou

This time, following the pacification of the Liangzhou Governor's military rebellion, Qiao Zong contributed significantly. The Prince of Chengdu originally intended to assign him under Zhang Chi's command, but Zhang Chi had other ideas.

Zhang Chi knew that although Qiao Zong was a former general of the Xie clan, he was not nearly as loyal as he pretended to be.

During the confrontation with the Liangzhou Governor in the great hall, Qiao Zong's words had been righteous and stern. By his own account, his defection against the Liangzhou Governor was entirely driven by his status as a former Xie general and his loyal devotion to the country. Yet, Zhang Chi knew that was merely a fine-sounding facade meant for public consumption.

What kind of person was the Liangzhou Governor? If Qiao Zong were truly as loyal and patriotic as he claimed, how could he ever have become the governor's close confidant?

In official circles, the most fundamental driving force was always profit.

Zhang Chi had to admit that the Governor of Yizhou had made a substantial contribution this time, though that was not entirely empty flattery.

The Governor of Yizhou had long sought to lean upon the great tree of the Huan clan, while the Huan clan wished to use the Yizhou Governor to infiltrate the region of Shu; thus, the two parties naturally hit it off immediately. Had the Huan clan not been lurking nearby, applying both coercion and enticement, Qiao Zong likely would never have defected.

Zhang Chi had no use for such fence-sitters.

He had always subscribed to the principle of not employing those he doubted, and not doubting those he employed. Otherwise, keeping someone like Qiao Zong by his side meant that the greater his capabilities, the greater the threat he would pose.

Therefore, in this rearrangement of power in Shu, the greatest beneficiary was undoubtedly the Governor of Yizhou. All Liangzhou territories south of Mount Bashan were annexed into Yizhou, and Qiao Zong along with his former Liangzhou army were completely absorbed by the Yizhou Governor.

With all matters concluded, Zhang Chi walked down from the hall alongside the other officials. The Governor of Yizhou approached him and said with a smile, "I must congratulate the Military Governor this time for eradicating the root of trouble in Shu. In the heart of the Prince of Chengdu, the Military Governor's standing will surely rise even further."

Zhang Chi replied modestly, "This is by no means my sole achievement. Governor Yizhou, you have put in a great deal of effort as well—such as your brilliant strategy of dispatching an assassin to feign an attempt on the Prince of Chengdu and myself before the throne, while actually framing the Liangzhou Governor. Without that, we could never have forced the Liangzhou Governor to reveal his true colors so quickly."

Hearing this, the Yizhou Governor looked puzzled and said, "What is the Military Governor implying? That assassin was not sent by me. I assumed it was a play arranged by the Military Governor himself to frame the Liangzhou Governor. Was that not the case?"

Zhang Chi had always assumed that the assassin's attempt in the hall—which had fortuitously diverted upon encountering the Liangzhou Governor—must have been arranged by the Governor of Yizhou. Hearing this denial now, he could not help feeling a jolt of surprise: if the assassin had not been sent by the Yizhou Governor, then who on earth wanted to assassinate the Prince of Chengdu and himself?

Considering the people Zhang Chi had recently offended, Princess Wuyou was the only candidate; perhaps she had turned love into hatred. Yet, upon closer reflection, that did not make sense. Even if Princess Wuyou hated him, there was no reason to send an assassin into the hall, especially one who simultaneously targeted the Prince of Chengdu.

Unable to reach any conclusion, Zhang Chi temporarily put the matter aside.

With the affairs in Chengdu settled, Zhang Chi intended to return to Hanzhong. However, while he had arrived alone, this time he planned to bring Niangniang, Ruoshui, Xie Lingyun, and the others back with him.

Upon hearing the news, Niangniang and Ruoshui were naturally overjoyed. They packed their belongings overnight, and the following day, after Zhang Chi went to the hall to bid farewell to the Prince of Chengdu, they set off together for Hanzhong.

During Zhang Chi's absence, all affairs in Hanzhong had been handled in an orderly fashion. Military matters were managed by Du Ximing and Qin Bo, while internal administration was overseen by Shi Ke'an. Consequently, upon his return, Hanzhong appeared even more bustling and prosperous than when he had left it.

After settling Niangniang, Ruoshui, and Xie Lingyun comfortably, Zhang Chi summoned his commanders to discuss the continuation of the northern expedition.

Shi Ke'an suggested, "Hanzhong has just been pacified. Would it not be better to rest and build up our strength for a while longer?"

"While we rest and build up our strength, the northern nomads are doing the same," Ding Yizhi countered. "The barbarians have suffered a recent defeat, and their forces are surely depleted. But if they are given time to recover and gather sufficient troops, they will inevitably invade the south again, and Hanzhong will be in grave danger."

Zhang Chi agreed with Ding Yizhi's perspective. "Although Hanzhong has the Qinling Mountains to the north, its northwest connects to Qinzhou. Yao Shuode has retreated to Qinzhou to rebuild his forces there, which remains a hidden danger in the long run. Capitalizing on his recent crushing defeat is the ideal moment to pursue the battered foe with remaining vigor. Furthermore, with the current turmoil, the entire realm could descend into chaos at any moment. If we wish to survive in these troubled times, holding a single city of Hanzhong is not enough; we lack something we cannot do without."

"What is that?"

"Warhorses," Zhang Chi said. "Southern horses are short and easily spooked; on the battlefield, they are far inferior to northern fine steeds. Our primary goal in this northern expedition is secondary to conquering territory—we must secure a stable source of fine horses. If we can successfully capture Qinzhou, we can establish one or two horse pastures specifically to breed warhorses for ourselves, which will prove invaluable when chaos erupts across the land."

Seeing Zhang Chi's far-sighted vision, the others raised no objections.

Zhang Chi then asked Du Ximing, "How is the conscription going across the various commanderies?"

Du Ximing replied, "The common folk in the Liangzhou region have suffered bitterly under the barbarians' ravages and are eager to enlist to defend their homes. The newly recruited soldiers now number over sixty thousand. However, none of these men have undergone training, making it difficult for them to perform effectively on the battlefield."

Because these commanderies were situated on the border between Qin and Jin, years of ceaseless warfare had produced countless refugees. The more warfare there was, the greater the number of men left without fathers, mothers, wives, or children. It was little wonder that just days after Du Ximing began conscripting, so many had joined the ranks.

At that moment, Santong chimed in eagerly, "My harvest is not small either. After driving away the barbarians, over twenty-seven thousand warhorses were left behind in Chengdu and the various commanderies. I have taken them all into our fold, but we currently lack riders."

Zhang Chi pondered for a moment before saying, "New recruits cannot be thrown onto the battlefield, or they will simply be sent to their deaths. Victory lies not in numbers, but in elite quality."

Ding Yizhi nodded repeatedly. "My elder brother is right. An elite force of thirty thousand can defeat three hundred thousand mediocre soldiers. These recruits truly cannot be sent to the battlefield without a period of rigorous training, otherwise they will only perish."

"Since the new recruits will not go to the battlefield, we can simply keep them for defense while simultaneously training them and engaging in agricultural colonization." Zhang Chi's idea was brilliant; the areas surrounding Hanzhong had suffered years of warfare, leaving behind vast tracts of wasteland. In this way, they could achieve two goals at once.

Anxious, Santong asked, "Then what about my riders? With so many warhorses but no riders, and the newly recruited soldiers completely unaccustomed to horses, what are we to do?"

This was indeed a severe problem. Turning cavalrymen into infantrymen was as simple as dismounting, but turning infantrymen into cavalrymen was exceedingly difficult.

An infantryman unfamiliar with horses required prolonged training to maneuver freely in mounted combat, and due to the difficulty of taming the mounts, injuries caused by horses were frequent occurrences.

Santong continued, "The barbarians excel at cavalry warfare. If we are to launch a northern expedition deep into their homeland, how can we contend with them without sufficient cavalry?"

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Chi formed a plan in his mind and said, "There is no need to worry. I have my own ingenious method that is guaranteed to solve this difficult problem for you."

Santong clearly disbelieved that Zhang Chi could resolve such a dilemma in a single day. "Fine, then I shall see what wonderful method you come up with tomorrow."

Zhang Chi smiled and said, "Not only will I build a corps of cavalry for you, but I will also create a specialized force designed precisely to counter enemy cavalry."

"What kind of force can counter cavalry?" Santong asked, puzzled.

Not only Santong, but even Du Ximing and Qin Bo were astonished. Having led troops for many years, they had never heard of any military unit specifically designed to counter barbarian cavalry.

"You will know when the time comes," Zhang Chi said, keeping them in suspense. "For now, you merely need to select three thousand men from the newly recruited soldiers to stand by."

Zhang Chi then asked, "If we are to dispatch troops on a northern expedition to Qinzhou, what route should we take?"

Qin Bo unfolded a map and said, "Please look here, Your Excellency. Qinzhou comprises seven commanderies, including Longxi, Nan'an, Tianshui, and Lueyang. Our territory borders Liangzhou, and marching to attack Qinzhou across the Qinling Mountains is difficult. The only viable path is to depart directly from this city straight into Lueyang Commandery in Qinzhou. Because this city sits on the edge of Liangzhou, it is called Liangzhou Pass."

For some reason, upon hearing the words "Liangzhou Pass," Zhang Chi felt an ominous premonition, though he could not recall why. He asked, "Aside from Liangzhou Pass, are there no other routes to dispatch troops into Qinzhou?"

"There are paths, but the terrain is treacherous, and they are far easier for Qinzhou to defend. This route remains the most convenient and swift."

After thinking it over, Zhang Chi declared, "Then let us decide on this route."

With matters discussed and agreed upon, the commanders dispersed. Zhang Chi retreated to the inner hall, fetched paper and brush, and began to sketch.

Dark Blade watched him draw with growing curiosity. Stepping closer, she saw he was sketching a series of bizarre and unfamiliar designs. "What are you drawing these for?" she asked.

Zhang Chi smiled and said, "Didn't I just tell everyone during our meeting that I had a way to counter the barbarian iron cavalry? These are the secret weapons I've racked my brain to devise for dealing with barbarian cavalry."

Naturally, Dark Blade did not believe him. "Just by relying on these things you've drawn, you expect to counter the barbarian iron cavalry?"

Ignoring her skepticism, Zhang Chi continued drawing for a long time until he finished his sketches. Satisfied that they looked reasonably promising, he led Dark Blade out onto the streets of Hanzhong.

...

Carpenter Lu could boast without exaggeration that he was the finest carpenter in all of Hanzhong. He frequently told others that the patron saint of carpentry, Lu Ban, was actually his ancestor, and within Hanzhong's carpentry circles, he often styled himself as scion of a distinguished lineage.

Truth be told, his carpentry skills were indeed extraordinary.

Today, however, two visitors—a man and a woman—arrived at his shop. The man wore a azure scholarly robe and looked like a scholar, while the woman wielded a long sword, carrying a cold and forbidding aura that marked her as someone not to be trifled with.

The man produced a set of bizarre illustrations and asked Carpenter Lu, "Can you make what is drawn here?"

These two were naturally Zhang Chi and Dark Blade. As for the drawings in Zhang Chi's hands, they were secret weapons he had designed based on his modern knowledge.