Chapter 177: There is snow in the original place...
Jia Xu didn't know that the idea of marrying his daughter to him was not just something Dong Zhuo came up with today because he wanted Dong Bai to be Liu Xie's queen.
As early as when he arrived in Chang'an, Dong Zhuo had expressed this wish to Duan Wei, but was stopped by Duan Wei with the words "There is no need to resort to such means unless it is absolutely necessary."
Duan Wei forgot to tell Dong Zhuo the reason that "if this method is not used properly, it may turn into hatred instead of kindness", which made him come up with this idea again.
It’s no wonder Dong Zhuo thought this way.
Dong Zhuo has not yet seen how much of an impact the young general Yan Xing can have.
All I know is that his martial arts skills are indeed quite good. At least among Dong Zhuo's generals, no one has been seen who can fight better than him.
But the deployment of troops can only be seen in actual combat, and commanding troops cannot be achieved solely by relying on martial arts skills. Who knows if he can only be a bodyguard.
But Jia Xu has real military achievements on his hands.
Not to mention the three strategies he gave Dong Zhuo, which successfully forced Qiao Yan to stop his offensive against Chang'an and he could only operate in Liangzhou first.
The fact that he had planned and killed Sun Jian was enough to make Dong Zhuo temporarily forget that he had another strategist named Li Ru who was now a prisoner of Qiao Yan.
There was only one thought left in his mind - he must tie Jia Xu completely to his chariot!
What's wrong with marrying off a daughter?
According to the Han Dynasty's idea, a woman whose husband died was actually because her husband could not bear the blessing. If Niu Fu died early, the problem was Niu Fu, not his daughter.
It was completely reasonable for him to want to marry his daughter to Jia Xu.
In this way, wouldn't they become a family?
If Liu Xie is tied up with Dong Bai, it will be a real family scene in Chang'an.
However, this is an unpredictable operation... If Jia Xu really surrendered for the prosperity of his family and still had feelings for his wife and children who stayed in Bingzhou, he would have turned against Dong Zhuo after doing this.
Fortunately, Jia Xu was an undercover agent.
His eyes darkened and his voice turned cold: "I appreciate the good intentions of the Prime Minister, but I serve you in the hope that you can recover Liangzhou and Bingzhou one day, so that I can reunite with my wife and children and restore the glory of the Guzang Jia family."
"The Prime Minister ordered me to marry again. Could it be that he just wants to stay in Chang'an? If that's the case, Jia Xu might as well die quickly. Otherwise, don't mention marrying your daughter again!"
It is still very scary when a person who looks gentle on weekdays suddenly shows anger in a tone that sounds calm at first.
Dong Zhuo even saw that Jia Xu's fist clenched for a moment, and he could almost see the blue veins on the back of his hand.
He said quickly: "Sir, just think that I didn't say the second half of my sentence..."
It doesn’t matter if you don’t mention it. It doesn’t matter if you don’t mention it.
He looked at Jia Xu's angry and suppressed face, and asked in a low voice: "What about the other thing?"
Did marrying Dong Bai to Liu Xie make it possible for him to assist in government affairs more legitimately, and prevent Qiao Yan from making appointments through this form of memorial?
"That's not appropriate." Jia Xu shook his head. "The bad reputation cannot be reversed by producing a queen. Instead, it will only make things worse. The Prime Minister has finally achieved a temporary stable development situation. There is no need to add another bad reputation to himself."
"It's easy to deal with a rogue like Qiao Yan."
Jia Xu felt a little uncomfortable addressing his lord by his name.
But if the insider was so shameless even in this situation, wouldn't he have revealed his flaws long ago? He just continued, "The Prime Minister can do two things. First, ask Liu Biao, the governor of Jingzhou, to recommend Huang Zu as the governor of Yuzhang County. Second, ask Liu Yan, the governor of Yizhou, to recommend Zhang Lu of Hanzhong as the governor of Wudu County."
Huang Zu was a Jiangxia native who was allowed to stay in the position of prefect of Jiangxia by Liu Biao in order to consolidate the power of Jiangxia.
Strictly speaking, this did not follow the Han Dynasty's practice of appointing officials.
Therefore, Liu Biao could have said that the original appointment was a stopgap measure. Now that Huang Zu had made great contributions in the war, it would be better to give him more room for development and let him become the prefect of Yuzhang County in Yangzhou.
Zhang Lu from Hanzhong was the "master" of the Five Pecks of Rice Sect in Yizhou. Because of his mother's beauty, he was highly regarded by Liu Yan and thus gained Liu Yan's trust.
Liu Yan originally planned to have him replace Su Gu, the prefect of Hanzhong, and take charge of Hanzhong.
But if he became the prefect of Wudu County, it would not be a loss for Liu Yan. It even makes more sense.
Jia Xu continued, "Once these two reports are sent out, the Prime Minister and the Emperor do not need to make any response. Just keep silent."
Dong Zhuo asked in bewilderment: "Why is this?"
Jia Xu explained to him: "It's just going with the flow."
"Prime Minister, think about this. If Qiao Yan's actions are in compliance with the law, then are the two memorials submitted by Liu Yan and Liu Biao also in compliance with the law?"
"If Sun Ce can be the General of Suppressing Rebellion and the Governor of Kuaiji, Zhang Lu and Huang Zu can also be the Governors of Wudu and Yuzhang. Moreover, these two are relatives of the Han Dynasty and have more impartial positions."
Dong Zhuo nodded.
Jia Xu went on to say: "If Huang Zu is appointed as the governor of Yuzhang, the war between Liu Biao and Sun Ce will expand to Yangzhou, which will help to keep Jingzhou peaceful and Liu Biao will benefit from it. If Zhang Lu is appointed as the governor of Wudu, Yizhou will be able to control its gateway and Liu Yan will also benefit from it."
Dong Zhuo was a little dissatisfied when he heard that these two people could benefit, but then he heard Jia Xu say: "But these two people will never benefit as much as the prime minister. Huang Zu is Liu Biao's arm support. If he enters Yangzhou to fight with Sun Ce, his strength will be exhausted, which will give the prime minister a chance to plan Jingzhou. If Zhang Lu enters Wudu, given Qiao Yan's character, he will fight with him sooner or later, and Liu Yan will be dragged into the battle and become a knife for the prime minister--"
"Do you still think that this is a benefit for the two of them?"
Dong Zhuo was startled when he heard this, and then he laughed out loud, "Yes, I have made a profit. Sir, as you said, there is another advantage to doing this. When Qiao Yan recommends one person, two people will be recommended in the same way. She is also at a disadvantage in terms of numbers!"
What a great idea! It really is a great idea!
This is called using one's spear to attack another's shield.
But when Jia Xu left and returned to his residence, he called Dong Zhuo a "fool".
His suggestion seemed to satisfy Liu Yan, Liu Biao and Dong Zhuo, but what was the reality?
Wudu County was not within the scope of Qiao Yan’s military farming.
In this area, the three local noble families, Gai Xun, the former governor of Wudu County, and Xu Shu who was sent to Wudu by Qiao Yan checked and balanced each other. If there was also a missionary Zhang Lu, the situation would be extremely chaotic.
Xu Shu has learned a lot from Cheng Yu, and this kind of environment of adding water to an oil pan is more suitable for him to perform well.
As for the separation of Jingzhou from Huang Zu to Yuzhang, it is still unknown whether the real beneficiary was Dong Zhuo or someone else.
If we dig deeper, these three memorials, which had never been approved by Liu Xie but were still executed, undoubtedly further tarnished the reputation of the Han Dynasty.
The initiator of breaking the rules held the righteous cause of attacking Dong Zhuo, so the two people who followed suit were the culprits.
What’s even more ironic is that they are Liu Xie’s nominal relatives.
The so-called "using one's own spear to attack another's shield" was nothing more than using the Han royal family's relatives to weaken the majesty of the Han royal family.
Besides, Qiao Yan wouldn't care whether she would be restricted by this rule and unable to issue a second commission from now until the fall of Dong Zhuo.
First of all, she had no intention of over-wasting her fame at this time.
Secondly, the more unique this petition requesting Sun Ce to be appointed as an official was, the more it showed the deep affection that the governor of Bingzhou had for Sun Jian and his son.
Therefore, the biggest beneficiary is still Qiao Yan.
Jia Xu undoubtedly made another contribution.
But why is it so difficult to be an undercover agent?
He was almost about to call Dong Zhuo father-in-law.
And amidst this undercurrent of official appointments, the coldest time of the year has arrived.
The falling snow makes the mountains covered with snow all year round in the clouds spread this layer of white color towards the mountainside and foot of the mountain.
Until everything within sight had turned into snow.
For the Qiang people living on the plateau west of Liangzhou, this was the most difficult period.
As an ordinary member of the Canlang Qiang, if the rules of previous years were followed, Mi Tang would follow his tribesmen towards the Huangzhong area.
It’s just because in the severe winter, the plateau is full of raging winds, snow and waves, which is definitely not suitable for human survival for a long time.
The continuous drop in temperature over the past decade has exacerbated the impact of this harsh environment.
Even though Mi Tang, like everyone else in the tribe, had reached an age where he could be self-reliant and had prepared a woolen coat for the winter, it was still not easy to survive the winter in such an environment.
Huangzhong is different.
Wuyi Yuanjian, who was once captured by the Qin people during the Warring States Period, taught the Qiang people in the Hehuang area to imitate the Han people in farming after his escape. The development and expansion of the Qiang ethnic group began in Huangzhong.
For any Qiang people in Liangzhou, if they want to know where their roots are, they will definitely point to Huangzhong.
The climate in Huangzhong is much more suitable for survival than the plateau above.
But this year, the one who controlled Longxi, Jincheng, and especially Huangzhong, was no longer Han Sui, the rebel leader who had allied with the Qiang people and allowed them to stay here, but a Han general called Bingzhou Mu.
Mi Tang had never seen the other party, but she heard a lot of rumors about the other party from the scattered Qiang people who escaped.
This Bingzhou governor slaughtered Gaoping, defeated Ayang, conquered Jincheng, and stationed in Wuwei. Every one of these things sounds terrifying.
These rumors were enough for her to form an image in her mind of someone who was...more majestic and dignified than most other Qiang leaders.
While driving the flock of sheep towards Huangzhong, Mi Tang was worried whether moving inland to spend the winter was the right choice.
Her friends who were traveling with her joked that the name Mi Tang was the same as the name of a Qiang leader back then, which should give her more courage.
But you can't say that.
Except for Yao Chang, a special person with the surname Yao who appeared in the Shaodang Qiang tribe in an attempt to assimilate into the Han culture, the Qiang people do not have surnames, only ethnic names.
When naming a child, one character is taken from the name of one of the father or mother, and then another character is added. This naming method is also called "father-son joint naming system".
The "Mi" in Mi Tang comes from his mother, and "Tang" is an additional character. It happens to coincide with the name of a certain leader, which is not a very difficult thing to happen.
But the cold winter on the plateau was really deadly. There might be a way to survive by entering Huangzhong. Mi Tang and his people could only head towards Laji Mountain in fear.
Laji Mountain separates Huangzhong from the plateau where the Canlang Qiang live.
According to Qiang language, this mountain should be called Feiyingbudu, because the water originating from the plateau has washed out several fractures in the mountain.
The place connecting Huangzhong is also called Riyue Pass.
The exhaustion from the journey and the severe cold from the wind and snow made them almost want to shout out in surprise when they saw the change in the mountain terrain ahead.
However, before they officially arrived at the Sun and Moon Pass, they heard the sound of a team of vehicles coming from the west.
They looked in the direction of the sound and saw a convoy of about thirty to forty vehicles.
They are all big cars.
This is not a scale that an ordinary team can have.
As the carriages moved forward, the cavalry mixed in the queue came into their sight more clearly.
Mi Tang could see clearly that the armor the newcomers were wearing was obviously not the standard type worn by the Qiang cavalry and the mercenaries of the wealthy families in Liangzhou, but the type worn by regular troops!
They had originally planned to send someone to sneak in carefully when the defense was lax during snowfall, and then go into Huangzhong to investigate the situation, but they did not expect to encounter the army before entering Liangzhou.
Since Qiao Yan almost completely controlled Liangzhou, it seemed unnecessary to say who this army belonged to.
But before they could turn around and evacuate, the other side had apparently discovered their tracks. A team of people separated from the opposite convoy galloped over and surrounded them.
Mi Tang subconsciously tightened the dagger at hand and looked at the person who was coming vigilantly.
Just looking at the strength comparison between the two sides, they have no room for resistance at all in the face of such iron-blooded armed forces.
But she thought that if the other party really wanted to use force, she would have to bring someone with her to take the blame.
However, just as she had this thought, she saw a gap in the cavalry encirclement. At the same time, a woman in a fur coat rode out on her horse and stopped in front of them, looking like the leader of a team.
She glanced at the situation in front of her and asked, "Ginseng Wolf?"
The wind and snow filled the space between the two groups, but it did not prevent Mi Tang and her companions from clearly seeing that the facial features of the person who spoke were those of the Qiang people.
Mi Tang subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
This is not a Han Chinese who can speak Qiang language, but a Qiang woman.
There didn't seem to be any hostility towards them in the other party's question.
After accepting the other party's invitation and following the convoy towards the Sun and Moon Pass, they learned that the person who had just questioned them was Yao Chang, who was the first from the Shaodang Qiang to surrender to Qiao Yan.
Because he serves as the commander of the Protectorate of the Qiang, he has been stationed in Huangzhong recently.
During this half month, there were many Qiang people like them who came towards the country because of the cold weather.
Some of them were not very aggressive. After hearing that there was a Qiang camp in Huangzhong, they followed the instructions and moved in.
However, some of them, after discovering that there were troops stationed at the mountain pass, chose to wait for an opportunity nearby.
In order to prevent the brine sent from the Xigong Salt Pond from being plundered, Yao Chang simply went on this trip with Qu Yan, and they happened to run into the team that came to Huangzhong for refuge.
"Our luck seems to be pretty good?" Mi Tang looked at his companions and asked.
"...Is that right? But how can you guarantee that they didn't trick us into going to Huangzhong and kill us?"
The companion hesitated for a moment and asked a very real question.
Hearing this question, Mi Tang subconsciously looked in the direction of Yao Chang.
At this moment, the Qiang female general, who looked particularly imposing in the wind and snow, was commanding the troops. They also realized that the large carts loaded with brine were actually made up of small carts.
These vehicles were quickly dismantled and converted into wheelbarrows in order to maintain their previous travel speed through the narrow mountain pass ahead and enter the river valley basin before the wind and snow intensified.
Yao Chang whipped her horse and pointed eastward, giving the order for the front team to go ahead, and then the team started moving again.
Mi Tang wiped the snow from his eyelashes and followed the team while replying: "Maybe... Qiang people don't deceive Qiang people?"
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