The man in black was Wang Yue!
He was splitting with rage, he was on the verge of collapse…
"Master, the situation is lost…"
"Master, Xiliang… is gone!"
The voices of disciples echoed in Wang Yue's ears.
Wang Yue's expression was one of endless despair. He gazed at the "Zhongxing Sword" in his hand, feeling the immense powerlessness against the tide of events, a sense of unfulfilled destiny for himself… or perhaps for the Zhongxing Sword.
Infinite frustration washed over him, relentlessly tearing at his every nerve… He was close to breaking.
"Master, we… we just let it go like this?"
Another disciple's voice reached him. Wang Yue shook his head bitterly, "What else can we do!"
"In the end… in the end, we were just ants trying to shake a tree?"
Just then…
A disciple who had just arrived quickly approached Wang Yue and whispered something in his ear.
As the words continued, Wang Yue's expression shifted dramatically.
He widened his eyes, staring at the disciple.
"Is it true!"
"Master, we can't just let it go! I discovered…"
*Hoo…*
After hearing the disciple's report, Wang Yue let out a long sigh. His brow furrowed, and after a moment, his eyes began to gleam with renewed intensity.
"At this juncture, we can no longer afford to be concerned with benevolence and righteousness!"
With those words…
Wang Yue drew his sword. "Lead the way…"
"Yes, Master!"
In an instant, the group, carrying an immeasurable killing intent, set out once more.
…
…
Outside the military tents of Xiliang.
Ma Yunlu was directing the Xiliang soldiers in clearing up the aftermath. "Ensure these wounded are treated well, and the fallen soldiers must be counted accurately. Great Wei will issue compensation uniformly."
At this moment, a Xiliang soldier's voice suddenly called out.
"County Princess, does our Xiliang belong to Great Wei from now on?"
This sudden question drew the attention of everyone nearby.
It seemed…
After the great victory, all the Xiliang soldiers were extremely concerned about this matter.
What would be the future of Xiliang?
This…
The unwavering gazes of everyone present put immense pressure on Ma Yunlu. She also realized a brand new issue.
Xiliang… had already changed hands in this battle.
"Everyone, please refrain from discussion for now. We'll wait until the Marquis of Nanshouting arrives…"
Ma Yunlu said to comfort them.
Unexpectedly, another voice rose from the soldiers. "The County Princess is the Marquis of Nanshouting's wife… surely you will stand by the Marquis of Nanshouting, won't you?"
This…
Ma Yunlu was speechless.
At the main tent…
Lu Yu, escorted by Dian Wei, arrived at the location. Whispers could be heard all around. One soldier asked, "Is the Marquis of Nanshouting planning to incorporate Xiliang into the territory of Great Wei?"
Another soldier asked, "Will we people of Guanzhong remain as we were before?"
These voices caused Lu Yu to pause.
He was somewhat surprised…
He hadn't expected that, so soon after a great victory, a problem that had plagued the Han for many years… or rather, a hidden danger, was already beginning to surface.
This traced back… many years.
It traced back to the difficulty in pacifying the Qiang rebellions in Xiliang!
Back then, there was a famous trio on the borders of the Han dynasty – Huangfu Gui, Zhang Huan, and Duan Jiong. Because these three men made great contributions in the wars to quell the Qiang rebellions, held high positions, and were all natives of Liangzhou, with "Ming" in their courtesy names, they were known by the world as the "Three Brights of Liangzhou"!
These three capable, influential men who struck fear into the hearts of the Qiang were not appointed early.
Huangfu Gui was already fifty-nine when he campaigned against the Qiang. Zhang Huan was over fifty when he served as the Commandant of Stability in Shu. Duan Jiong was roughly the same age.
So the question arises…
Why did the Han court not utilize these "Three Brights of Liangzhou" earlier? Why did they only decide to appoint these three after the Qiang had invaded extensively, and the ancestral graves of the Han court in Guanzhong had been desecrated by the Qiang?
This involved… extremely sensitive political struggles.
The Three Brights of Liangzhou were not merely three individuals; they were a microcosm of the entire northwestern powerful clans.
The so-called northwestern powerful clans, in a broad sense, encompassed the entire Liangzhou and the Hexi region of Bingzhou…
And since the Guangwu Restoration, it seemed that every dynasty and every generation of the court had been extremely worried about this "northwestern powerful clans" faction.
Ultimately…
It was because, during the era of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu, specifically at the founding of the Eastern Han, three separatist forces that obstructed unification had appeared in the northwest – Lu Fang, Dou Rong, and Wei Xiao…
And these three forces shared two common characteristics: first, they were all northwestern powerful clans, and second, they were all adept at winning over the Qiang, making the Qiang fight for them!
It was no exaggeration to say that Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu had to expend great effort to pacify these three forces. From then on, the Han court developed two deeply rooted perceptions of the northwestern powerful clans.
First, the northwestern powerful clans were skilled in military matters and were always a potential threat to the Han Empire; they had to be guarded against and suppressed.
Second, the northwest was economically backward and sparsely populated. The local powerful clans, relying solely on their own strength, could not threaten the Han Empire. However, if they could gain the support of the Qiang, it would create significant trouble. Therefore, efforts had to be made to sever the connection between the northwestern powerful clans and the Qiang.
Based on Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu's two perceptions, these became the guiding principles for the Han court in handling northwestern issues for a long time.
Furthermore… the officials who actually controlled the Han court were mostly powerful clans from Guandong. The Liu imperial family itself was the largest Guandong powerful clan.
The court naturally represented the interests of these people…
Thus…
As expected, the major shareholders from Guandong ate the meat, and the minor shareholders from other Guandong regions drank the soup. It was no exaggeration to say that the political landscape of the Eastern Han was characterized by "Guandong Supremacy"!
Subtly, the suppression of the northwestern powerful clans became a logical consequence.
In Lu Yu's memory…
The most oppressive was "Recommendation of Filial Piety and Integrity" (Ju Xiaolian).
As everyone knows, the recommendation of filial piety and integrity was the most basic path to officialdom in the Eastern Han. Whether the recommendation of filial piety and integrity was fair seemed not to matter, because as long as the Guandong powerful clans felt it was fair, then it was fair!
During the reign of Emperor He of Han, the system of recommending two filial and upright individuals annually from each commandery was changed to allocating different quotas based on the population of the provinces and commanderies. Commandaries with a population of 200,000 were allocated one quota for "Filial and Upright," while those with 400,000 were allocated two, and so on. If a commandery or kingdom had fewer than 200,000 people, one person would be recommended every two years. If the population was less than 100,000, then one person would be recommended every three years.
As a result, the people of Xiliang and Longxi, who already had little political voice, had their disadvantage of being sparsely populated in the vast northwest immensely amplified by this policy.
Coupled with the continuous outbreaks of Qiang rebellions in the northwest, the population of various commanderies continuously decreased, and the governors were frequently replaced. Governors were the main responsible parties for recommendations. With frequent replacements, some commanderies failed to recommend even a single filial and upright individual for over a decade.
The saying "Guandong produces chancellors, Guanhai produces generals" was formed during this period.
Yet… to become a high official, one had to rely on the imperial court, and one had to rely on scholarship.
However, none of the appellations like "Three Dukes" or "Eight Virtuosos" or "Eight Advisers" belonged to anyone from Guanxi. It could be said that in the academic realm, the people of Guanxi were completely excluded. Because of their origin in Guanxi, the path to an official career was completely blocked.
They could either…
Kill enemies on the battlefield and achieve merit…
Or lie down and accept fate…
It was almost impossible to ascend to the imperial court!
This was why, even when Zhang Huan, one of the Three Brights of Liangzhou, achieved military merits, and the court wished to reward him, he refused any reward and only requested that his household registration be changed, moving his hometown from Dunhuang Commandery to Hongnong Commandery.
And Huangfu Gui… during the Party Prohibitions, because he was not on the list, he felt a profound sense of shame.
"Those with a reputation were all punished, but I was not? Is my reputation not sufficient?"
Later, Huangfu Gui surrendered himself to the court, claiming he was also a party member and requesting to be punished…
From these events, one could also see…
How humble the people of Guanxi were in their desire to integrate into the circle of Guandong! To what extent could they go in their humility?
Even the later bleak fortunes of the Three Brights of Liangzhou.
This is a story that would require another lengthy discussion!
This is also why many people did not understand Dong Zhuo…
How could he, a "frontier general" who had contributed to the Yuan family, betray the Yuan family and act tyrannically…
But Lu Yu knew best…
For a century, in the realms of official careers, pacifying the Qiang, and resources… the people of Guanxi had been treated with extreme unfairness. Although Dong Zhuo was a traitorous minister, even a villain has reasons and processes for becoming one…
How could Dong Zhuo's transformation into someone who overthrew the empire, killed countless people, and was a brutal demon… be unrelated to the Guandong-Guanxi conflict over the past century, and unrelated to the political fate of the Three Brights of Liangzhou?
Dong Zhuo was like this…
And so was Han Sui!
It could be said that Lu Yu saw it all very clearly… except he had miscalculated one point.
This resentment, passed down through generations over a century, not only affected Han Sui but also resided in the hearts of every person in Xiliang.
They held grievances against the court…
They felt injustice… the injustice of being people of Xiliang.
Thinking of this, *hoo…* Lu Yu let out a long breath. He shook his head helplessly. He had originally thought that the battle to eliminate Han Sui was the end, but who could have imagined that this battle was merely the beginning.
Incorporating Xiliang into the territory of Great Wei…
Was a long and arduous task!
"My Lord…"
Perhaps having stood still for too long, Dian Wei reminded him.
"Ah…" Lu Yu came back to his senses, his thoughts pulled from these ancient texts and documents. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at the main tent before him.
"Let's go…"
With a soft utterance, the group strode into the tent.
…
…
Not far from Anding City, at a wine shop.
The place was heavily guarded. Over thirty newly added Long Xiao armored soldiers strictly patrolled every corner.
Coupled with the original twenty-odd soldiers, the security was undoubtedly tight!
The reason for this…
Was that two extremely important figures were inside the wine shop: firstly, the Marquis of Nanshouting's wife, Xiahou Juan, and secondly, Yang Xiu, Yang Dezu!
In fact, they were considered heroes of this place, having made remarkable contributions in this great war.
At this moment, Yang Xiu was reporting the situation on the front lines to Xiahou Juan.
"Shiniang, we won… we won!"
His voice could not hide the excitement upon hearing of the battle's victory.
Xiahou Juan, however, bit her lip slightly. "We… we won?"
Finally…
Ever since she rescued Ma Teng, she had been trapped in Rangshan, facing numerous life-or-death situations, numerous moments on the brink of death. Thinking back now, all of it was worth it.
Because…
It was the Ma Teng she had rescued who had reversed the tide of the battle. She… she had successfully helped her husband once again.
"Shiniang is the first to achieve merit in this battle," Yang Xiu said with great excitement. "Perhaps the merit for this battle is even greater than that you achieved in the defense of Xuchang previously… however, however…"
As he reached the end, Yang Xiu seemed to realize something and stopped short of speaking.
"What is Dezu trying to say?" Xiahou Juan could sense that Yang Xiu had more to say and quickly asked.
This…
Yang Xiu pondered for a moment, then said, "It's just that this great victory might only be the beginning…"
"What do you mean by that?" Xiahou Juan became curious.
"The conflict between Guanxi and Guandong has continued for a century…" Yang Xiu sighed. "It cannot be resolved by a single great victory. Emperor Guangwu of the past had set great strategies for dealing with the northwestern powerful clans, but these strategies only made the status of the Guanxi people more humble. What will our teacher do?"
Oh…
Xiahou Juan pondered for a moment. She remembered that Sister Zhaoji had mentioned these things to her before.
"Guandong produces chancellors, Guanhai produces generals…"
It seemed fair on the surface, but it contained immense regional inequality. This inequality permeated the officialdom and was even more prevalent among the common people… Her husband's future path seemed to be difficult.
"If only there was someone who could resolve the animosity between both sides…"
Xiahou Juan was still kind-hearted…
Many times, she always thought of others.
"Resolve?"
Yang Xiu's eyes darted, and his gaze finally returned to his Shiniang, Xiahou Juan.
Almost simultaneously, he smelled a strange fragrance, like that emanating from a sachet.
Since it was in Shiniang's room, Yang Xiu didn't think much of it!
On the contrary…
He thought that if there was someone who could resolve the animosity between Guandong and Guanxi, perhaps… it wouldn't be his master, but his Shiniang…
Because, because Shiniang was Ma Teng's savior!
And after Han Sui's defeat, the entire Xiliang would be led by the Ma family of Fu Feng and Maoling, the family of Ma Teng… It was not enough for his master to marry the County Princess of Xiliang, Ma Yunlu, to completely resolve this conflict. But… if Shiniang were to step forward…
His gaze towards Xiahou Juan became… somewhat complex.
"Perhaps… perhaps…"
Just then…
"Dong…"
A clear sound echoed in Yang Xiu's ears. The sound came from outside the door, and it sounded like someone had fallen to the ground.
Yang Xiu quickly went out to look…
Unexpectedly, at that moment, a violent dizziness struck his forehead. Almost simultaneously, he敏锐ly realized it was the incense from before!
This incense was strange…
"Not good, it's a trap!"
Yang Xiu coldly uttered… but then, in his blurry vision, he felt a gust of wind brush past him.
Following that, he tried to open his eyes again, but his eyelids were beyond his control, and his consciousness gradually faded…
Dong…
Dong…
As Yang Xiu fell to the ground.
"Tap tap…"
Several figures in black entered the room…
Xiahou Juan was startled.
And from among the figures in black, one person emerged. His eyes were exceptionally sharp. He did not draw his sword, but his entire body exuded sword intent.
"Young lady, please come with us!"
Xiahou Juan also felt a sense of dizziness…
Perhaps because she was farther from the door, she did not immediately faint.
"I… I…"
Xiahou Juan weakly looked at Yang Xiu, then at the guards outside the door. Being kind-hearted, she opened her mouth weakly, "If you are here for me, then please do not harm them!"
"We can!"
A cold voice replied…
Xiahou Juan was on the verge of fainting. Her last consciousness was of countless figures in black rushing towards her, and she seemed to be stuffed into a sack!
Hoo…
Vast yellow sand, boundless desert.
The wind still blew. In the main hall of the wine shop, a sword lay on top of a letter.
Written on it in large characters were—For Lu Yu's eyes only!
…
…