Perhaps because his father Xiahou Yuan died too early, at the age of death he was merely a General who Defended the West, and he didn't have time to receive official titles and awards when Cao Pi became the King of Wei or the Emperor of Wei.
As a result, the prospects of Xiahou Yuan's various sons are not comparable to those of Xiahou Dun's descendants.
After Cao Pi had just been declared the King of Wei, he swiftly appointed Xiahou Dun as the Grand General. Although Xiahou Dun served only as the Grand General for a little over a month before passing away, this political legacy was passed on to his son Xiahou Mao, allowing him to govern Chang'an.
At this time, Xiahou Bai was only a Partial General. Everyone's attention turned towards Xiahou Bai, who stood in the center of the hall.
Xiahou Bai's Adam's apple rolled and he unconsciously swallowed his saliva, as if the eyes of the emperor in front of him and the rest of the people were on fire.
Cao Rui looked at Xiahou Ba and said slowly, "Xiahou Zhong, are you willing to serve as my representative in the command of Liangzhou, becoming the Governor of Liangzhou?"
Xiahou Bai said that when the emperor mentioned his name, he already had a sense of something, but when the emperor actually made this appointment, Xiahou Bai was still very nervous.
Governor of Liangzhou, take care of the area on behalf of the heavenly son! You can see that the Governor of Yongzhou, Guo Hui, is approaching fifty years old. Jia Qi, the Governor of Henan Province, is over fifty years old. Wang Ling, the Governor of Shandong Province, is also fifty-five years old!
Although it is a bit further away and a bit more remote, it is still a Governor!
To serve as a Governor at the age of less than forty is a dream Xiahou Bai never dared to imagine, but reality often turns out to be even more bizarre than dreams.
Xiahou Ba bowed deeply, his voice trembling slightly: "I am willing to die for Your Majesty, and I am willing to die for the Great Wei."
Cao Rui smiled and said, "Please stand up, there is no need for such formalities at the banquet. I have not finished speaking yet."
Xiahou Bai slowly rose to his feet, standing in the center of the hall with his hands tied behind his back, waiting for the emperor's words.
Cao Rui turned to the General Cao Zhen: "General Cao Zhen, how is the military, politics, and people's feelings in Liangzhou? Tell this to Xiahou Zhongquan."
Cao Zhen had once led the army to suppress the Tibetan Rebellion in the second year of Huang Chu. In addition, as the General Commanding the Troops, Cao Zhen was responsible for military and political affairs in Luoyang. Although he may not be very familiar with all details, he still has a good grasp of the overall situation in Liangzhou.
As the Emperor asked, Cao Zhen had to once again take on the role of a mouthpiece: "Now Liangzhou is quite different from that of the Western Han Dynasty. In terms of territory, Liangzhou has one more Xiping Prefecture than that of the Western Han Dynasty, but it has lost four prefectures in Longyou: Nan'an, Tianjin, Longxi and Guangwei."
"Now the capital of Liangzhou is in Gouzang, Wuwei, which is much farther from Luoyang than the original capital, Ji County. After the previous Governor of Liangzhou, Zhang Ji, passed away, the court has not found a suitable candidate to fill the vacancy. The civil administration of various regions in Liangzhou has been temporarily handled by the Governor of Yongzhou."
"And Liangzhou has only recently been pacified. At present, it is a mixed area of ethnic Qiang and Han. Although the hearts of the Qiang people are naturally difficult to predict, the local Han people are also restless. Compared with the central plain of the mainland, it is more difficult to govern here."
Cao Zhen's few sentences clearly described the situation in Liangzhou: Liangzhou is far away, the court's reach is limited; Liangzhou has just been pacified, neither the Han people nor the Qiang people are content.
In other words, since the chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty, local warlords and noble families have been dividing the prefectures of Liangzhou for decades in fact. What right do you have to make them submit to your court?
Xiahou Bai listened to Cao Zhen's words and felt a little dizzy for a moment. If Liangzhou is so difficult to govern, and he has no experience in civil administration, how can he possibly manage the situation and bring stability to one region if sent by the emperor?
At this moment, Cao Rui asked, "I am asking you, Xiahou Bai. How will you handle things once you take office?"
Xiahou Bai thought for a moment and said, "Once I take office in Liangzhou, I will clarify wrongful cases, comfort the people, and protect the territory on behalf of Your Majesty."
Xiahou Bai's response was in accordance with the rules, but when Cao Rui heard this, he shook his head on the stage.
Xiahou Bai was even more flustered.
Cao Rui said, "You are of military lineage, do you think I sent you to Liangzhou to be a wise minister to bring the place under control?"
"Now you must go and study from Dong Zu, Han Su, Ma Chao and others."
Dong Zhuo, Han Su, Ma Chao... Are they not all former enemies of the Great Wei, aren't they all traitors? Xiahou Ba was quite puzzled.
Looking at Xiahou Bai, who was somewhat stunned standing in the hall, Cao Hong couldn't help but interject from the side: "Zhongquan, how could you be so foolish? The Emperor didn't send you to Liangzhou to be a wise man, but to Liangzhou to build alliances with the Qiang people and become the De Mengchangng of Liangzhou!"
Xiahou Bai suddenly understood and quickly bowed and said, "I understand now, I will certainly live up to the emperor's expectations."
Cao Rui nodded: "Take a seat first. I will give you the formal appointment on the day of the imperial assembly."
Xiahou Bai bowed and then withdrew.
In fact, in Cao Rui's consciousness, the Great Wei's realm was full of gaps. Every place, including Zhong'ping, Pingjiang, Yangzhou... There were shortcomings here and there in each place, and there were areas that could be improved.
But there are only a limited number of capable ministers and officials, the national finances are limited, and the military deployment is constrained. In short, priorities must be set based on urgency and importance.
For the affairs of Liangzhou, Liangzhou has only recently been brought under control, so it is unrealistic to expect it to be as well-governed as Henan. As long as Liangzhou does not cause unrest and does not hinder the government, it would be quite satisfactory. If there are enough resources left over, it could provide some support during the battle against Sichuan Han, which would be an unexpected joy.
Cao Rui has three reasons for sending Xiahou Bai to Liangzhou:
Firstly, Xiahou Ba is quite brave and comes from the noble Xiahou family with a distinguished background. Given his martial origin, it is hoped that once in Liangzhou, Xiahou Ba can build relationships with the Qiang leaders, so that the Qiang people are not persuaded to rebel by Sichuan Han. If he can also recruit Qiang soldiers during times of war, that would be even better.
Secondly, Xiahou Ba was a cavalry commander in the middle army. Liangzhou is known for producing fine horses and cavalrymen, and Xiahou Ba can train cavalry in Wuyi, Liangzhou. Although Wuyi is over a thousand miles away from the Longyou border where Sichuan Han is located, with the speed of cavalry, if there is an alarm in Longyou, it would still be possible to provide support in time.
Thirdly, Xiahou Ba's father, Xiahou Yuan, was killed by the Shu Han. Xiahou Ba has often expressed a desire for revenge against Shu Han. By sending Xiahou Ba to govern Liangzhou, it is assumed that when Shu Han attacks, he will not shrink back or avoid responsibility, which provides an additional layer of insurance for Longyou.
As for civil and political affairs? Just find capable ministers to assist Xiahou Ba. As long as Liangzhou remains stable, it would be a great achievement!
The music and dance in the hall had already stopped. Seeing that the emperor was thinking about something, the ministers also closed their mouths and waited for the emperor to speak.
"Besides Liangzhou, there is also Yongzhou," said Cao Rui slowly. "Where is Commander Zhang He?"
Zhang He took a deep breath and stood up from his seat, making a small circle around the hall before walking up the steps from the side and bowing to the emperor in the center.
Cao Rui looked at this veteran, noble family, merit, military general, and frontier defense. At this moment, Cao Rui thought of many things.
Cao Rui said, "Commander Zhang He, if you were to defend the Guanzhong region, what would you do?"
Zhang He bowed and answered, "Your Majesty, if I were responsible for guarding the Guanzhong region, I would follow Your Majesty's words. I would either destroy or build fortifications on the four passes between Guanzhong and Hanzhong, in order to consolidate defense and detect opportunities early."
"I believe that the current military deployment is sufficient. Deploying one thousand troops in Mian County, controlling Chenping, can support San Guan near and travel along the Weiyu Valley to the west of Longyou. The remaining one thousand troops are stationed in Chang'an, guarding three auxiliary regions and preparing for unexpected needs."
Cao Rui nodded. Zhang He's words pleased him greatly. They basically followed the discussion results from just now between himself, Cao Zhen, and the others, and provided a contingency plan for sending relief forces from Guanzhong to Longyou.
Cao Rui then asked, "If I entrust you with guarding Longyou, what would you do?"
Zhang He paused for a moment before saying, "Longyou is not as well-defended as Guanzhong. The Qiushan Fort in the early days of the late emperor was already well-guarded. If I am in Longyou, I will only seek to set up multiple layers of defense to slow down the enemy, waiting for reinforcements from Guanzhong."
"I believe that the three cities closest to Qiushan—Xixian, Ji County in Tian Water Prefecture, and Shangguan—can be garrisoned with capable officers. With these four places in place, Zhuge Liang will not be able to enter most of Longyou. Even if he does manage to enter, he must always be on guard against being cut off from his rear supply lines."
Zhang He replied, "Setting up layers of defenses to delay the enemy is sufficient from a military point of view. However, if we focus solely on military measures, it may not be enough. We must also consider other ways to achieve our goals."
Longyou, although now part of Yongzhou, was originally part of Liangzhou's prefectures and counties. The problem in Yong and Liang has never been simply a matter of military rebellion and suppression. It has always been a complex issue involving issues of human spirit, politics, economy, and more.
In terms of the issue of human sentiment alone, since the Eastern Han Dynasty, a very serious problem has been regional discrimination, and it has been a nationwide phenomenon.
As early as during the reign of Emperor Huan of the Former Han, Zhang Huanyu, one of the "Three Experts of Liangzhou" who had pacified the Xinjiang rebellion, returned to the capital and chose not to accept his reward, but instead moved his household register to Hongnong County in Henan.
In a nutshell, people from Yuanyang, Yuelu, and Nanyang stood at the highest end of the Han regional discrimination hierarchy. They regarded everyone else as inferior. Henan people looked down upon Hebei people, Heze people looked down upon Youzhou people, and people in the interior region looked down upon those in the frontier prefectures.
The lowest end of the regional discrimination hierarchy is the border prefecture of Liangzhou, where both Qiang and Han people live together.
As the saying goes, 'Guanzhong produces generals and Guandong produces ministers', but under such long-standing regional discrimination, the noble families from the central region often look down on people from Liangzhou. In fact, many military generals from Liangzhou had to study classical literature in order to be accepted by scholars in the imperial court.
With the frequent rebellions in Liangzhou, officials in the imperial court continuously discussed abandoning Liangzhou. During the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, Duke Cui Lie had even discussed giving up Liangzhou due to the rebellions led by Biao Zhang and Han Su. It was only after Northern Di Fulie gave a passionate suggestion of "slay the Grand Marshal, and then peace will be restored to the world" that the discussion was stopped.
During the end of the Han Dynasty, when Dong Zhuo advanced to Luoyang, he could quickly unite with the Beidi people led by Liu Bu, which was because Liangzhou and Bianzhong were both border prefectures.
After Dong Zhuo was killed by the Beidi people led by Wang Yuan and Liu Bu, Wang Yuan, a Beidi scholar, began to look down upon people from Liangzhou. He even had the intention to kill all the Liangzhou people in Chang'an City, which led to the later occupation of Chang'an by Li Jue and Guo Si under the guidance of Jia Xu.
Even when Lu Bu later switched sides to Liu Bei, he had to use his own origin from Jiuyuan and his common background as a person from the borderlands with Liu Bei, who was from Zhuo Prefecture, to establish a connection with him.
In the original historical record, when Zhuge Liang made his first invasion, the three counties of Nanyan, Tianshui, and Anning quickly surrendered.
How to win the hearts of the counties in Longyou, that is the key for Wei to defend Longyou.
Cao Rui looked at Zhang He: "As you said, in terms of military strategy, it can be considered complete."
"I will ask you one last question. If Zhuge Liang leads eight thousand troops to attack Qiushan, how would you act in Yong and Liang?"
Compared to the previous questions, it seems that this question is what the emperor is really concerned about in his heart.
Zhang He's eyebrows furrowed slightly, as if he had made a great decision, and said, "I will hold the enemy back, defend the cities and vital passages, fortify the walls and clear the countryside, conserve our forces, and wait for reinforcements from Guanzhong and Henan."
Cao Rui nodded after hearing this and said, "Since you said so, I am reassured."
"Are you willing to serve as the commander in charge of military affairs for Yong and Liang states? I entrust all the military affairs west of Tongguan to you."
(Chapter ends)
