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Fei Qian kept his head lowered. Instead of immediately expressing his gratitude and taking his leave, he kowtowed once more and said, "Your subject… humbly requests a transfer to Bing Province, to guard the nation's frontier, protect the altars of state, expand the territory of the Great Han, and prevent the Hu cavalry from crossing the Yin Mountains!"
Dong Zhuo stared intently at Fei Qian, his bloodshot eyes seeming to gauge whether Fei's words were sincere or feigned. After a moment, he said in a deep voice, "Bing Province is a bitter, cold land, plagued by constant conflict. Are you certain of this decision?"
Dong Zhuo himself had spent years fighting against the Qiang and Hu tribes and was well acquainted with the hardships of life on the frontier. The land was barren and impoverished, and the region was perpetually embroiled in conflict—major battles every few days, minor skirmishes a daily occurrence. One could say that danger was a constant companion.
Back when Bian Zhang and Han Sui rebelled, the various forces in Liang Province—Song Yang, Beigong Yu, Li Wenhou, and others—were locked in a complex, chaotic struggle. Even renowned ministers and generals like Huangfu Song and Sun Jian, Dong Zhuo himself included, had suffered defeats. Grand Commandant Zhang Wen had achieved a temporary victory, but Bian Zhang and Han Sui quickly counterattacked, killing several high-ranking officials. Chen Yi, the Administrator of Jincheng, and Ling Zheng, the Colonel Protector of the Qiang, both perished in that campaign. It was only when Han Sui and Bian Zhang turned against each other, throwing the rebel forces into disarray, that the conflict finally came to a ragged end. The ferocity and brutality of the fighting were evident.
Thus, when Fei Qian volunteered to defend the frontier in Bing Province, Dong Zhuo felt a genuine appreciation for the gesture. At the very least, compared to the court ministers present, Fei Qian showed more courage and sense of responsibility. Most importantly, he was not hindering Dong Zhuo's efforts but was instead acting in the tangible interests of the Great Han—a crucial distinction.
The assembled officials also regarded Fei Qian with sidelong glances.
Led by Yuan Wei, the Shandong faction present, though they had never personally set foot on a battlefield, were well aware that Bing Province was far from a peaceful place.
Although the Xiongnu were no longer the primary threat to the Han dynasty, the neighboring Xianbei and Qiang Hu had become new sources of turmoil. Moreover, with the recent rebellion of the Southern Xiongnu, the subsequent repercussions remained uncertain. At such a time, Fei Qian's volunteering was commendable for its determination.
Fei Qian remained silent for a long moment before kowtowing once more to affirm his decision.
Dong Zhuo clapped his hands together with a laugh, uttered a single word of approval—"Excellent!"—and then fell silent.
Yuan Wei and his faction had no objections to this matter. It did not impact the interests of the Shandong nobles. Furthermore, defending the frontier was a critical responsibility for any ruling regime, whether Dong Zhuo's faction or the Shandong nobles. Even if Yuan Wei and his allies eventually succeeded in overthrowing Dong Zhuo, they would still need personnel to guard the borders.
Therefore, Yuan Wei and his followers saw no reason to obstruct Fei Qian's request.
The key point was that the Bing Province army was already under Dong Zhuo's control. If Dong Zhuo was willing to allocate a portion of it to Fei Qian, it would relatively weaken Dong Zhuo's own military strength. If he was unwilling to divide his forces, then Bing Province was a troublesome responsibility that no one else wanted. Since Fei Qian was willing to take it on, so be it…
With no one in the court voicing opposition, the matter was essentially settled. The specific rank and position Fei Qian would hold in Bing Province were not urgent matters to decide immediately. These details would be finalized later by the Imperial Secretariat. As such, it was impossible to settle them on the spot. Zhang Liao and Fei Qian bowed and took their leave.
Exiting the Northern Palace, Zhang Liao and Fei Qian walked side by side along the main avenue heading west.
This summons had been only a temporary court conference, not a formal assembly, so it had not begun until noon. By the time Zhang Liao and Fei Qian emerged, the sun had already begun its descent in the west. The faintly reddish sunlight spread across the sky, dyeing everything in Luoyang with hues of red and gold.
Zhang Liao glanced several times at Fei Qian, who walked silently beside him, before finally asking, "Ziyuan, why… why truly would you do this?" Bing Province was not a good place. Hadn't Fei Qian been well-situated in Jing and Xiang Provinces? Even if he could no longer remain in Luoyang, he could have returned to Jing and Xiang. Why choose to go to Bing Province?
Having spent many years in Bing Province, Zhang Liao knew its situation all too well. Although it was designated a province, its actual strength and population were inferior to those of a major commandery in the interior…
Moreover, although the Southern Xiongnu were nominally subjugated to the Han dynasty, they remained wild and untamed, their allegiance fluctuating between submission and rebellion. To reassure the populace and maintain the image of the Han dynasty as a stable and secure regime, many incidents were only briefly recorded or simply described in official histories, preventing wider knowledge of the true situation.
Zhang Liao, a native of Bing Province, was acutely aware of these realities.
As they walked slowly together, Zhang Liao spoke calmly about Bing Province—how, for so many years, the clash of weapons had never truly ceased…
A typical example was in the ninth year of the Yanxi era (AD 166). When the Xianbei learned that Zhang Huan, a man of considerable repute in the northern territories, had left to assume the post of Minister of Finance in the central government, they saw an opportunity. Allying with the Southern Xiongnu and rallying the Wuhuan, they launched a multi-pronged invasion across the frontier, plundering nine border commanderies and slaughtering countless civilians.
Later, the court reappointed Zhang Huan as Colonel Protector of the Xiongnu, granting him the rank of a Nine Minister, authority over You, Bing, and Liang Provinces, as well as the Du Liao and Wuhuan camps. He was also invested with the power to appoint and dismiss officials, including Regional Inspectors and those with a salary of two thousand dan and below—his authority was immense for a time. Zhang Huan deployed multiple armies to suppress the invaders. The Southern Xiongnu and Wuhuan, fearing his might, surrendered and returned around two hundred thousand abducted individuals…
That was a large-scale invasion and pillaging. Smaller-scale incidents were even more numerous. Even during the reign of Emperor Ling, in the fourth and fifth years of the Zhongping era (AD 187-188), there were records of Southern Xiongnu "raiding the borders"—
In the twelfth month of the fourth year of Zhongping, the Xiutu Hu tribes rebelled…
In the first month of spring in the fifth year of Zhongping, the Xiutu Hu tribes invaded Xihe, killing the Commandery Administrator Xing Ji…
In the third month, the Xiutu Hu tribes attacked and killed the Inspector of Bing Province, Zhang Yi…
Zhang Liao did not speak with heart-wrenching emotion, but the calmer his words, the deeper the feeling hidden beneath them.
With every Hu incursion over the years, as one of the soldiers guarding the frontier, the tragedies he had witnessed and heard of were far too many, the pain far too profound.
Whenever the Hu tribes raided, the first to suffer were not the high officials and nobles in Luoyang, but the soldiers defending the borders, followed by the Han citizens living in the frontier commanderies.
The Southern Xiongnu might be called subjugated Hu people of the Han, but ultimately, they were still Hu, adhering to the principle that might makes right—whoever had the strongest fist ruled everything.
The fifth year of Zhongping was AD 188, merely two years prior.
Reaching a crossroads, Fei Qian gradually came to a halt. He turned to Zhang Liao beside him, cupped his hands in salute, and expressed his gratitude for Zhang Liao's well-intentioned advice.
"Brother Wenyuan," Fei Qian said, "some things must be done by someone… Moreover, given the current situation in Luoyang…" He glanced back towards the Northern Palace and sighed. "…I would rather face the sabers and spears of the Hu than the hidden arrows of my own people again."
Zhang Liao was taken aback, rendered speechless.
Fei Qian saluted once more, bid Zhang Liao farewell, and turned west to walk into the setting sun. His figure, cast long by the setting sun's rays, stretched out behind him…