Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)

Chapter 50 : In The Same Boat

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“Sounding somebody out is merely to test the waters.” Xiao Chiye’s eyes were cold. “Honest sincerity is like the process of undressing. It’s only by proceeding in a proper sequence that we can come to have a heart-to-heart talk today. You are right. After the incident at the Nanlin Hunting Grounds, I thought that there would be changes to the Grand Secretariat led by Hai Liangyi. However, he still reused Xue Xiuzhuo of the Eight Great Clans, putting him in an important post. This shows that even when he reached the position where he could overhaul the system, he still had to bow to the noble clans’ power and influence. Under such circumstances, the Xiao Clan alone cannot do anything, much like one log alone cannot prop up an entire building.”

“Then how should one describe them?” Shen Zechuan pondered over it a little. “When there is no common enemy, they are their own enemies. Keeping the balance and not letting the bowl of water overturn due to inherent bias is far more difficult than dealing with someone else. Before the Xiao Clan’s appearance, the Eight Great Clans merely underwent internal change following the rise of one clan and the fall of another. But after the Xiao Clan surfaced, they began to separate the wheat from the chaff. The defeat of the Hua Clan is just temporary. The Imperial Court purged itself of the Hua Clan’s remnants, but no one, not even Hai Liangyi, proposed to hold the Empress Dowager accountable. The current marriage alliance between the Hua and Qi Clans is to preserve the Hua Clan’s usefulness and to whittle away external help that the Xiao Clan can seek. Some things, when seen on its own, might not necessarily tell you anything. It’s only when the dots are connected that they will give you the shivers.”

“Are you talking about the defeat of the Zhongbo troops and the Hua-Qi marriage alliance?” Xiao Chiye asked.

“The strategy of befriending a distant state while attacking one nearby.” Shen Zechuan extended a finger and drew a circle on the table. “After taking down the Six Prefectures of Zhongbo, a void will open up in Libei’s defense on the southwest side. Cizhou lies close to the Northeast Provisions Bridle Path, which is the lifeblood of Libei. With no one from Zhongbo to defend it now, it becomes the territory of the Eight Great Clans of Qudu. Bring the marriage alliance with the Qi Clan of Qidong into play, and you will be left high and dry with your back to Hongyan Mountains, the Biansha Tribes to the east, and double enemies to the south.”

“There’s a five-year gap between both events. Who could have guaranteed that Hua Siqian would definitely rebel? And who could have ensured that I’d surely come to the Emperor’s rescue?” Xiao Chiye slowly furrowed his eyebrows.

“There must be a purpose for the defeat of Zhongbo’s troops.” Shen Zechuan said after a moment of silence. “It’s not hard to control the situation. The difficulty lies in controlling the direction in which the situation progresses. If my guess is right, then there is someone hidden among the Eight Great Clans who can control the way the wind blows.” 

“If there’s really such a person,” Xiao Chiye said, “then it means that everyone is on the chessboard, and every step is within his anticipation. He is no longer a genius, but a ‘God’ who has Dazhou in his control. How are you going to fight him? The strategy of driving a wedge between the Eight Great Clans can’t overcome the relationship forged through decades of marriage alliances between clans. They are inseparable in the face of public enemies.”

“The unpredictability of the turbulent tempest is better than the tranquility of the calm sea. It’s only when the water is muddied that they won’t be able to distinguish between friend or foe. In actuality, they are not invulnerable to attacks.” Shen Zechuan retracted his finger and continued, “How did Xiao Fangxu manage to overcome the defenses of the noble clans? If their control is so strong, how did people like Qi Huilian and Hai Liangyi succeed despite their lowly origins? Your father founded the Luoxia Cavalry, which was the forerunner of the Libei Armored Cavalry, because the Crown Prince and the Eastern Palace officials used the Yellow Register system to track households. This allowed the frontiers to recruit soldiers for their forces. It also gave soldiers a hereditary household record, linking them to the military of the commandery city. This move kept them separate from the younger members of the Qudu noble clans who were assigned roles outside the capital, enabling the Prince of Libei to consolidate military power and avoid local civil officials' control. Additionally, the strong and well-trained Libei army benefits from Dazhou's state farm system. You know how crucial these troops are for both defense and agricultural work.”