When Liu Ye saw Lu Xun approaching from the doorway, he hurriedly walked a few steps forward to meet him, looking exceptionally enthusiastic.
Lu Xun first stood still, then raised his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Brother Zi Yang, I dared to visit you today without prior notice. I apologize for the inconvenience."
As regards their ages, Liu Ye was born in the second year of Guanghe (183) during the reign of Emperor Lingdi, while Lu Xun was born in the sixth year of Guanghe (189) during the same reign. Therefore, it is indeed true that Liu Ye is four years older than Lu Xun.
At this time, in the states of Wei, Shu, and Wu, the pillars of the state on the throne were almost all in their forties or fifties. Apart from Chen Qun, who was older, Cao Xu, Cao Zhen, and Sima Yi were also around the same age. The Prime Minister Zhuge Gong of Shu Han was born in the fourth year of Guanghe, making him almost a contemporary.
Liu Ye noticed that Lu Xun did not address him by his official position, but by his courtesy name instead. He understood that Lu Xun had just submitted to the Wei and still had some hesitation in his heart. So he smiled and said, "Brother Yuan, please come in."
The two walked in one on the left and the other on the right. Huang Quan, upon seeing Lu Xun enter, naturally rose to greet him. In the same room, Liu Ye, Huang Quan, and Lu Xun sat together to discuss matters. The talents of Wei, Shu, and Wu were all gathered here; it truly could be described as a gathering of talents.
After Lu Xun had settled, he initiated the conversation by saying, "Brother Zi Yang, since I have joined the service of the court, Emperor Taishu has also tasked me to depart tomorrow and head to Luoyang first and then to Liangzhou to take office. Being from Yangzhou, I am not well-versed in matters pertaining to Liangzhou. Today I came specifically to seek advice from Brother Zi Yang. I hope Brother Zi Yang could offer some guidance."
Liu Ye did not hesitate. With the precedent of Huang Quan, who came from Shu Han yet was favored by the emperor, it seemed that the emperor valued those who surrendered from enemy states and also had the ability. Therefore, he said directly, "Brother Yuan, is there anything specific you want to ask me? As long as I know it, I will certainly speak without reserve."
Lu Xun pondered for a moment and said, "I would like to ask Brother Zi Yang, what is the actual position of the Guardian Yao Commandery? After I take office, how should I go about serving?"
Liu Ye countered, "Brother Yuan, are you inquiring about the official rank and responsibilities, or the historical succession and development?"
Lu Xun said with sincerity, "I would like to ask both, and I apologize for the trouble, Brother Zi Yang."
Liu Ye saw that Lu Xun had something to ask of him and spoke with humility, his expression showing satisfaction. He nodded and said, "The position of Guardian Yao Commandery has a long history, dating back to the time of Emperor Wu of Han. For hundreds of years, as the Western Regions were plagued by Qiang uprisings from time to time, the Guardian Yao Commandery became almost a permanent position."
"Since the reign of Emperor Wu, two individuals, Du Ji and Yang Pei, have served as the Guardian Yao Commandery. After Emperor Wen took the throne, Su Ce and Wen Hui were both in charge of the position."
Lu Xun asked: "Brother Zi Yang, I have heard of the deeds of Du Shangshu and Yang Jingzhi. Su then, known as Su Wenshi, calmed the turmoil in Liangzhou. He also held the position of Administrator of Yangzhou. However, weren't both he and Wen Hui stationed as Administrator of Liangzhou? Did they not hold the title of Guardian Yao Commandery simultaneously?"
Liu Ye nodded in response, "Since Emperor Wen ascended the throne, the two successive guardians of the Qiang have both been concurrent administrators of Liangzhou, which is convenient for both public and private affairs. Last year at the end of the year, Your Majesty appointed Xiahou Ba as the Administrator of Liangzhou, but he was not also appointed as the Guardian Yao Commandery."
"It seems that the emperor has intention to separate the positions of Administrator of Liangzhou and the Guardian Yao Commandery."
At this moment, Huang Quan chimed in and asked, "Brother Zi Yang, is the current Guardian Yao Commandery responsible for external or internal matters?"
Liu Ye saw that Huang Quan had also asked a question and replied with a smile, "The matter you, Gongheng, have asked about is precisely what I am about to discuss."
"As for Han Dynasty, there were the Qin Han and the Later Han Dynasty. During the Qin Han, the Qiang people were located far beyond the border of Liangzhou. The affairs under the Guardian Yao Commandery at that time mainly concerned the Qiang people outside the border."
"After the Qiang uprisings of the Later Han Dynasty's Yongchu and Yonghe, it was inevitable that the Qiang people would continue to settle within Liangzhou's prefectures. From the westernmost Dunhuang to the Northern Anhui and Dingding Prefectures near Sanfu, there were Qiang people everywhere."
"In the seventh year of Guanghe, almost concurrently with the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Qiang uprising in Liangzhou caused chaos again. After Han Xian, Ma Chao, and Song Jian caused unrest, I believe Gongheng and Brother Yuan should be well-versed in what followed."
Hearing Liu Ye describe when the Qiang people began entering various prefectures in Liangzhou, Lu Xun was thinking deeply about many things at the same time. The seventh year of Guanghe, when Beiyang Bo Yu, Li Wenhou, Bian Zhang, Han Xian, and others caused turmoil in Liangzhou—that's the very year Lu Xun was born!
The position of Guardian Yao Commandery has been in existence for over three hundred years. How can one solve the problem of the Qiang people at the borders of Liangzhou? Although Lu Xun is from Yangzhou, Wu County, for most of the four centuries between the Two Han Dynasties, most distinguished generals had wielded their strength in the western and northern frontiers. Now, he also harbors some intention to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors.
During his younger years when Cao Cao was not yet a power-hungry minister, he also had a dream of becoming the "Great Western General of the Han Dynasty."
Lu Xun listened more intently, thinking for a moment before saying, "If Brother Zi Yang says that the Qiang people in Liangzhou have attached themselves, does that mean the responsibilities of the Guardian Yao Commandery also include the Qiang people within Liangzhou's borders?"
Liu Ye gently shook his head, "Not at all. The efforts made by the Later Han Dynasty over two centuries to deal with the Qiang people in Liangzhou now seem almost completely futile. One important reason is that the Central Plains looked down on Liangzhou, and the administration of Liangzhou was in complete chaos."
"The Guardian Yao Commandery, sometimes responsible for fighting the Qiang people, sometimes responsible for persuading the Qiang people, and sometimes not even commanding an army. The responsibilities of the Liangzhou Administrator are often overlapped with those of the Guardian Yao Commandery."
Lu Xun thought that if the Later Han Dynasty had not been plagued by rampant corruption and misgovernment, it might not have suffered such a tragic end. It's hard to imagine the subsequent military fiefdoms and strife. Lu Xun remained silent, listening intently to Liu Ye's account.
Liu Ye continued, "The Qiang people within Liangzhou are now usually referred to as the Eastern Qiang. Those outside the borders are known as the Western Qiang. In the past, treating both groups of Qiang people as one and lumping them together was itself an unreasonable method of governance."
"Then let's return to the question Gongheng asked just now: is the Guardian Yao Commandery responsible for internal or external affairs? The answer is that the Guardian Yao Commandery's duties involve managing the Qiang people outside the border."
Lu Xun asked, "Brother Zi Yang, during the Han Dynasty, several prefectures in Liangzhou were divided to form the State of Yong. Now that the Eastern Qiang are separated and stored in Yong and Liang states, while the Western Qiang are beyond the borders. Does that mean that the Qiang people in Yong are under the jurisdiction of the Administrator of Yong State, those in Liang are under the jurisdiction of the Administrator of Liang State, and those beyond the borders are under the jurisdiction of the Guardian Yao Commandery?"
Liu Ye nodded in agreement: "That's exactly right. The intention of the court now is to isolate and not allow the Qiang people of Liangzhou, Yongzhou, and those beyond the borders to be under each other's jurisdiction, in order to achieve divided governance."
"At that time, the emperor appointed Xiahou Ba as the Administrator of Liangzhou. This was also due to his status as the son of Xiahou Yuan. Xiahou Yuan conquered Ma Chao, defeated Han Xian, and killed Song Jian. His army's advance reached from the Long Mountains to the shores of the Yellow Sea at Huangzhong. He had great prestige among the Qiang people and could gain their respect by mentioning his name."
Huang Quan listened intently without changing his expression, but a hint of disdain began to form in his heart. Huang Quan was still under Liu Bei's command when he took part in the full process of capturing Han Middle and slaying Xiahou Yuan. He had even contributed many suggestions.
In the end, it all comes down to perspective. Huang Quan acknowledges Xiahou Yuan's achievements, but hearing that Xiahou Yuan's name scared the Qiang people, it seems that if that were the case, wouldn't Huang Zhong, who slew Xiahou Yuan, also be feared in Guanxi? Mentioning Huang Zhong's name among the Qiang people would surely be more effective.
But it was just a thought in his heart. Such words couldn't be said out loud.
Lu Xun asked again: "As for the matter Brother Zi Yang just spoke about, I have noted it down. But what are the authorities and responsibilities of the Guardian Yao Commandery?"
Liu Ye looked around, seeing that both Lu Xun and Huang Quan were watching him, he unconsciously adjusted his beard, and then said, "The duties of the Guardian Yao Commandery are similar to those of the commanders who guarded the Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Wuyue, such as Circuit Commanders and Captains. Their responsibilities include traveling to oversee events, providing assistance to the emperor in maintaining order in a region."
"But there is one significant difference between the Guardian Yao Commandery and those who guard the Xiongnu, Xianbei, and Wuyue. That is to monitor the movements of the Qiang people and to be responsible for land reclamation."
Lu Xun was somewhat surprised: "I am aware of the land reclamation, but the Qiang people are different from the Xiongnu, Wuyue, and Xianbei in that the Qiang people engage in farming and herding, while the Xiongnu, Wuyue, and Xianbei are nomadic. But why is monitoring their movements different?"
"Brother Yuan knows nothing about this." Liu Ye looked at Lu Xun and slowly said, "The Qiang people originally live in villages, and the vast majority have only a few thousand people. Even the largest tribe only has tens of thousands of people."
"Different from the Xiongnu and Xianbei, the Qiang people do not have figures like the Xiongnu's Single Leader or the Xianbei's Chief to organize all the Qiang people. Instead, various Qiang tribes constantly contend for resources and harbor grudges. Therefore, before a rebellion, they must hold an alliance conference where they temporarily put aside their hostilities, exchange hostages, and only then can they begin to cause trouble."
"The Guardian Yao Commandery is responsible for preventing the Qiang people from resolving their enmities and exchanging hostages, or if they do, to immediately report to the court and the various prefectures to be prepared for potential Qiang rebellion."
Lu Xun said, "I have understood. However, I still have another question. Where is the headquarters of the Guardian Yao Commandery located, and what are the officials under it?"
Liu Ye looked at Lu Xun: "Brother Yuan, the Guardian Yao Commandery has a President and a Military Advisor each, as well as two Clerks. The rest of the matters will be settled by Brother Yuan after he goes to Luoyang."
"You will take the imperial edict to Luoyang, and the Secretariat will naturally assign you seals and clarify your responsibilities. The knowledge I have is mostly from Su Ce and Su Wenshi, who were once my colleagues as Palace Attendants."
Su Zhe was from the Fu Feng Su family and had earlier served as the County Administrator of Yuquan, Anting, and Wu Dong counties. When Cao Cao conquered Zhang Lu during the campaign against Liu Bei, Su Zhe had led the army through Qiyuan Pass to reach Han Commandery.
Later, Su Zhe came to the Jin Cheng Prefecture, near the Golden Sea (Qinghai Lake), as its administrator. At that time, local Qiang people and tribal nobles were rebelling. After Su Zhe successfully suppressed the rebellion, he was appointed Guardian Yao Commandery by Cao Pi and became the first Guardian Yao Commandery after the founding of Wei Dynasty.
The things about Liangzhou that Liu Ye just mentioned, I'm not sure how much of it is what I already knew and how much is what I learned from Su Zhe and then used to show off.
However, it doesn't matter to Lu Xun. Any knowledge is valuable knowledge.
(Chapter Completed)
