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While Fei Qian was preparing to transport the first batch of books from the Cai Estate, Li Ru was also making arrangements to dispatch the first shipment of supplies.
Relocating the capital was not as simple as uttering the words "move the capital." It required extensive preliminary preparations and material stockpiling. Especially now, with most of the low-level officials in Luoyang having resigned, Li Ru had no choice but to personally oversee the transportation of the first batch of supplies to the Mianchi military camp before his countermeasures could take effect.
The top priority of the relocation was ensuring the military supplies for Dong Zhuo's forces. If anything went wrong and the army lacked sufficient reserves, it would not only be a farce but also a disaster.
Thus, Li Ru's immediate task was to first transport provisions to the Mianchi camp and then gradually extend the supply line westward until the entire migration route was secured.
Transporting supplies to Mianchi was manageable, but the further west they went, the greater the logistical strain. The soldiers responsible for transportation also needed to eat. As the strategist Zhufu Yan once said, "To transport grain from the coastal commanderies of Huangshu and Langye to the northern reaches of the Yellow River, it takes thirty zhong (a unit of measure) to deliver a single shi."
This illustrated the staggering losses incurred in long-distance grain transportation. Although the distance between Chang'an and Luoyang was not as great as that between Huangshu and the northern Yellow River, the sheer number of people involved meant that the consumption along the way—both for men and horses—was still an enormous figure.
Having assisted Dong Zhuo in battles against the Qiang and Hu tribes in Xiliang, Li Ru was well-versed in both diplomatic tactics and ruthless suppression. Only through iron and blood could the illiterate barbarians learn fear. Thus, large and small conflicts were constant, and Li Ru had become intimately familiar with the logistics of military supply.
During peacetime, the army maintained only its regular combat troops. Soldiers were fed two meals a day, and if it rained or there was no training, both meals could even be thin porridge without complaint. However, once military operations began, at least one of the two daily meals had to be solid. And when engaging in battle, both meals had to be solid, supplemented with meat.
At the very least, let the soldiers die on full stomachs...
This was not out of any sense of compassion, but because a well-fed soldier could fight as effectively as two or even three hungry ones. To secure victory on the battlefield, soldiers had to be properly fed!
To ensure that the regular troops could focus solely on fighting and eating well, a large number of auxiliary soldiers and laborers were needed to continuously transport supplies from the rear to the front lines.
Fortunately, the distance between Chang'an and Luoyang was not excessively long, requiring only three or four relay stations along the way—Mianchi being the first.
However, understanding the big picture did not guarantee success in the details. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many people criticized as being all talk and no action.
The preparations for an army involved countless intricate details, especially now that most of Luoyang's low-level officials had resigned. The ordinary soldiers and laborers couldn't even count, let alone share Li Ru's burdens.
Although Li Ru had somewhat anticipated this situation, dealing with it in reality was still extremely challenging. The resigning lower-level officials might have been insignificant in rank, but they were skilled at organizing, handing over, and inventorying supplies. Now that most of these capable personnel were gone, the remaining few were overwhelmed, forcing the entire relocation process to slow down.
Li Ru had calculated that the shorter the relocation took, the fewer the resources consumed. But if it dragged on, not only would they face threats from the Guandong coalition, but the logistical costs alone would become unbearable for Dong Zhuo's forces.
If it came to that, extreme measures might be necessary to ensure the army's rations.
Li Ru had no desire to resort to harsh methods unless absolutely forced, but given the current circumstances, it seemed that only such measures could keep the plan on track...
The Hongnong Yang clan—if they truly encountered shortages in provisions later, they shouldn't blame him.
In Li Ru's eyes, the Hongnong Yang clan was like a nest of field mice. While the Yang family's outer shell might be tough to crack, the local strongmen who relied on them had far weaker defenses...
So, for now, Li Ru turned a blind eye to the Yang clan's scheming. If provisions were ever needed, they could simply be taken from Hongnong.
As for the Yingchuan Xun clan, since they had clearly adopted an obedient stance, Li Ru saw no need to trouble them. After all, wasn't it necessary to set an example for other noble families?
The only exception was Grand Tutor Yuan Wei...
That old fox—Li Ru smirked—did he really think his tricks could fool anyone?
Li Ru had already issued orders to Niu Fu, instructing him to bring his troops to Luoyang. The first task would be to "safely escort" every single person from Yuan Wei's household to Chang'an!
If anyone else were assigned this task, Yuan Wei might persuade them to betray. Only Niu Fu, as Dong Zhuo's direct subordinate, could ensure Yuan Wei had no room to maneuver.
In Li Ru's view, Yuan Wei's ambitions regarding the capital relocation were glaringly obvious. It made sense—the Guandong nobles responding to the Yuan family's call hailed from Ji, Yan, Yu, and Xu Provinces, encompassing some of the wealthiest and most culturally advanced regions of the Han Dynasty. It was only natural that the Yuan family would entertain certain... ideas.
What Li Ru couldn't figure out was how Yuan Wei planned to remain in Luoyang—or whether he believed he could escape midway.
Only these two possibilities could explain Yuan Wei's current actions.
Though Li Ru didn't know the specifics of Yuan Wei's arrangements, he had no intention of letting them succeed. If the plan was unclear, he would focus on what he could control. After all, no matter how lively a fish might be, once out of water, it could only struggle helplessly.
Thus, in the list of officials to be relocated first to Chang'an, Li Ru placed Yuan Wei at the very top—even preparing a justification: "Grand Tutor Yuan Wei, ever loyal, volunteered to go ahead to Chang'an to oversee the palace renovations, laboring tirelessly for the Han Emperor..."
Once Yuan Wei was "escorted" to Chang'an, he would be cut off from his "water." Then, he would be nothing more than a fish on a chopping block, to be dealt with at will.
For now, before Niu Fu's arrival, strict inspections had to be imposed on all personnel and carriages leaving Luoyang.
Yuan Wei could not be given even the slightest chance to escape!