The chaos at the end of the Han Dynasty first broke out in the Liangzhou region.
After participating in the grand audience in December of the seventh year of the Huang Chu era as the governor of Liangzhou, Xiahou Bai immediately prepared to take office. However, as a governor of a state, it was not possible for him alone to travel westward on horseback to take office. Many other preparations needed to be made.
This preparation alone took several days. Among them, the most difficult item was to be familiar with the military and popular situation in Liangzhou.
If Xiahou Ba were merely a common scholar, even if he were to become an official of the imperial court, it would not be an easy task to gather enough information about Liangzhou in Luoyang. These days, the mountains and rivers are far apart, and it is very inconvenient to convey messages, let alone that scholars from the Central Plains also look down upon Liangzhou.
Fortunately, Qu Qiu Xing, who had served as the Prefect of Wu Weibo, was then serving as the Grand Officer in charge of Palace Building in Luoyang. Moreover, Qu Qiu Xing was the father of Qu Qiu Jian.
That night after the imperial speech, Xiahou Bai immediately found Qu Qiu Jian at the banquet.
The emperor brought Qu Qiu Jian to the banquet attended by the E and Xiahou clans' generals in Luoyang, clearly showing his intention to promote Qu Qiu Jian. At the banquet, even General Cao Zhen and Commander Cao Hong expressed more praise for Qu Qiu Jian in their conversation.
Xiahou Bai naturally realized this as well.
When Xiahou Bai found Qu Qiu Jian, Qu Qiu Jian was also willing to do a favor for Xiahou Bai and enhance the private friendship with the Xiahou family, so he also happily introduced Xiahou Bai to his father Qu Qiu Xing.
Qu Qiu Xing had previously served as the Prefect of Anning and later as the Prefect of Wuwei, spending about seven or eight years in Liangzhou. Qu Qiu Xing took Xiahou Bai under his wing and sincerely imparted many key points for serving as an official in Liangzhou.
Qu Qiu Xing listened earnestly, and Xiahou Bai also listened attentively. However, when Xiahou Bai personally arrived in Liangzhou and Wuwei County, Gu Zhang City, of Liangzhou in late December, he found that the difficulties Qu Qiu Xing described for the administration in Liangzhou were not empty words.
Xiahou Bai was under forty years old and still a military officer rather than an official. Not until early January did Sima Fu arrive in the capital city of Wuwei, Liangzhou, and he finally found someone with a similar status to talk to. Therefore, they had made an appointment today to meet at the tavern in Gu Zhang City after sunset and have a drink together.
Wuwei is located at the easternmost end of the Hexi Corridor and is the closest of the four prefectures in the Hexi region to the inland. It boasts the largest, continuous oasis in the Hexi Corridor and is irrigated by rivers from the Qilian Mountains, making it suitable for both agriculture and animal husbandry, and rich in grain and livestock.
As a vital passage connecting the Western Regions and the Hexi region with the Central Plains, Wuwei is also very prosperous in trade. Furthermore, as Wuwei is a place where Han people and Xiongnu people live together and Western merchants come here to trade, it can be considered a rare commercial center in Wei Dynasty.
Xiahou Bai and Sima Fu, both in casual attire, walked along the bustling street. In the distance was the most luxurious and brightly lit tavern in Gu Zhang City.
Xiahou Bai laughed and said, "Shu Da brother, this place is called 'Gu Zhang Tower.' I have come here to drink several times. Today being your first visit to Gu Zhang, it's important to experience the local customs of Liangzhou. That's why I didn't arrange a banquet at the mansion but invited you here to have a drink instead."
Sima Fu rubbed his beard and said, "The customs of Liangzhou are indeed quite different from those in the Central Plains. I was born in Henan and served as an official in the Central Plains, but I never imagined that I would come to serve as an official in Liangzhou. Zhongquan, let's drink!"
Xiahou Bai nodded. As the governor of Liangzhou, Xiahou Bai's political status was indeed higher than that of Sima Fu, who served as a Commissioner of State Treasury. Both were officials in the imperial court, and if they continued to decline each other, it would appear insincere.
Xiahou Bai and Sima Fu entered Gu Zhang Tower, and a waiter led the two men and their guards to a private room on the second floor.
As the two men sat down to eat, four masked servant girls slowly entered the door. One carried a silver tray with two silver wine cups on it, another held a rather strange-looking wine jar, while the remaining two each carried some dry fruits and preserved sweets.
As the servant girl poured wine, Sima Fu glanced at the snow-white wrist visible through the sleeve, and then looked at the color of the wine in the silver wine cup: "Zhongquan, is this grape wine?"
Xiahou Bai smiled and nodded: "Indeed, it's grape wine. Now that the trade routes are open, although grape wine is still rare in Luoyang, here in Liangzhou and in this Gu Zhang City, we two can enjoy it as well."
At the end of the Han Dynasty and the Three Kingdoms period, few people did not drink alcohol. Whether they were scholars or military officers, excessive drinking was viewed as a praiseworthy attitude. Sima Fu was no exception; he could also drink.
Sima Fu picked up the silver wine cup with his right hand, shook it slightly to look at the green grape wine inside, sipped from his mouth, and then put down the cup and said, "This fine wine is something I haven't tasted in Luoyang. This time, I have benefited from Xiahou's grace."
Xiahou Bai laughed heartily, "It's just some grape wine, nothing special. There are many local delicacies in Liangzhou. We can appreciate them slowly later on."
Sima Fu asked, "Zhongquan, drinking this grape wine here today reminds me of an anecdote."
Xiahou Bai was curious and asked, "What anecdote? Please tell me."
Sima Fu thought for a moment, then cleared his throat and said, "Zhongquan, do you know about Meng Da and Meng Zida?"
After drinking a sip of grape wine, Xiahou Bai said, "I'm well aware. Meng Da sold himself well in Shuozhou and was given the title of Anxi General."
Sima Fu smiled and shook his head: "I was not referring to that. Meng Da's father, Meng Tu, served as the governor of Liangzhou during the construction of Jianning in the Western Han Dynasty. Meng Tu got this position and it was related to grape wine."
Xiahou Bai asked curiously, "How could a governor of a state be related to wine? Everyone knows about Meng Da's defection to Wei, and that's when I learned that Meng Tu was Meng Da's father. I didn't know there was a connection with grape wine."
Sima Fu said, "At that time, the emperor was in power, and the eunuch Zhang Yan held power. Meng Tu first bribed Zhang Yan with precious treasures. In the end, it was Meng Tu's gift of a bushel of grape wine that allowed him to become the governor of Liangzhou."
"Such an incident?" Xiahou Bai widened his eyes.
Sima Fu laughed and said, "I heard about it from my elder brother before I came to Liangzhou."
Xiahou Bai sighed and said, "Times have changed! Meng Tu became the governor of Liangzhou to enjoy the benefits. But I became the governor to serve the country. How could I imitate Meng Tu like that?"
Sima Fu responded, "We have traveled from the Central Plains to here, with a long career ahead. It's important for us to support each other."
Xiahou Bai nodded, picked up the silver wine cup, "This cup is different from the wine jars in the Central Plains; it holds less wine. Let's drink slowly from small cups and chat leisurely."
Sima Fu agreed, "That's right."
Just as the words were spoken, two female musicians from the Western regions entered the room, curtsied respectfully, and then began to play a gentle piece of music in a corner.
Xiahou Bai asked, "Shu Da brother, since you arrived in Liangzhou late from Luoyang, did you hear any news about the emperor's southern campaign?"
Sima Fu shook his head, "I heard that the emperor had arrived in Xuchun to perform rituals and change the calendar, then went south to fight. I didn't hear any further news."
Xiahou Bai said, "Shu Da brother, in your opinion, what kind of results can be expected from this battle?"
Sima Fu looked at Xiahou Bai and smiled, "The emperor is a wise ruler, and the royal army is as formidable as the bear and the tiger. This time, they are sure to achieve a great victory."
Xiahou Bai raised his cup towards the east and said, "To the emperor's health! Zhun!"
Sima Fu also cheered, "To the emperor's health!" and then they both drank to the bottom of their cups.
After drinking from his cup, Xiahou Bai lightly shook his head: "The emperor has sent you, Shu Da brother, to assist me in governing civil affairs, and civil matters are indeed what I worry about the most in my heart."
"The chaos in Liangzhou has persisted for a long time, and there were no major rebellions until recently. The Xiongnu and the local people are still uneasy, and the wealthy families in each county are still plotting something. Although Liangzhou now has fewer counties than in the Western Han Dynasty, governing it is still not easy."
Sima Fu counted on his fingers, "Zhangye Juanyan Kingdom has been changed to Xihai County. Hanyang County has been renamed as Tianshui County and given to Yongzhou. Beiting, Anding, Longxi, and Wudu have also been given to Yongzhou."
"Now, Liangzhou only has seven counties: Dunhuang, Yucun, Zhangye, Xihai, Wuwei, Xiping, and Jincheng."
Xiahou Bai said, "Shu Da brother is right. With only seven counties, the situation is much more complicated. Let's not mention other things first, but just the population. Shu Da brother, now there are even more Xiongnu people in Liangzhou than Han people! This is something I never expected before I came here."
Sima Fu said, "The reason why there are more Xiongnu people than Han people in Liangzhou, who live in remote areas and are not willing to submit to the emperor's rule, may be why the emperor has appointed you, a military leader, as the governor here."
Xiahou Bai nodded in agreement: "Yes, that's right. The Xiongnu have been settled in Liangzhou for over a hundred years. They are now divided into East Xiongnu and West Xiongnu, with the latter living outside the border and the former inside."
"The emperor has asked me to establish good relations with the Xiongnu and fortify the border defenses, but building good relations with the Xiongnu is not something that can be accomplished in a short time. Shu Da brother, there are over one hundred different tribes of Xiongnu living in Liangzhou."
"Even when dealing with the Huns, there's usually a leader, a Chanyu, to whom you can speak. With so many Xiongnu tribes, each with its own needs, how am I supposed to win them over?"
Sima Fu pondered for a moment and said, "If there are too many Xiongnu tribes, perhaps we can start with the Xiongnu in Wuwei County within the Wuwei Circuit?"
"It's also going to cost money," Xiahou Bai humphed: "Liangzhou has not had a governor for a long time, and the state treasury has been empty after the previous rebellion. As a governor, I can't go to the Wuwei prefectural official to borrow money to use."
Sima Fu took another sip of wine and said, "That's why you're coming to me, the Commissioner of State Treasury?"
Xiahou Bai laughed, "If we don't come to you, then who else could we ask? All the officials in the state office are also broke. Since you've taken office, I hope you can find some ways to earn money and help me attract the Xiongnu."
Sima Fu thought for a moment and said, "Zhongquan, this is part of my duty. I have also thought about this matter before it came. To earn money, we still need to see who is the wealthiest."
Xiahou Bai thought for a moment and said, "Of course, the local powerful families and the wealthy Xiongnu chieftains are rich. One can't just go and rob them, can one?"
Sima Fu shook his head and said, "Of course not, but there is another way to 'steal'."
(The end of this chapter)
