Liu Kun and Wang Jun, whether for public or private reasons, Zhao Hanzhang would choose Liu Kun.
Publicly, both she and Liu Kun are currently maintaining Jin’s rule, united externally and internally, prioritizing peace and stability;
Privately, she is now good friends with Liu Kun (even though they’ve never t).
So, Zhao Hanzhang wrote a thick letter to her good friend and sent it along with her prepared gifts to the Jinyang Army and Wu Erlang.
She sighed and said, "I originally wanted to keep you for the New Year and return after spring began, but the situation in Jinyang has changed, and it’s not appropriate for to hold you any longer."
She said to Yang, the Assistant General accompanying the Jinyang Army back with the horses, "Please convey to Governor Liu that if there’s anything I can do, just ask, and I will do my utmost."
Assistant General Yang was deeply moved, agreed repeatedly, and upon returning to Jinyang, told Liu Kun, "Governor Zhao is a broad-minded and grateful person."
Liu Kun’s chief historian, Wen Qiao, suggested to him, "You could request Governor Zhao’s assistance in jointly attacking Shi Le."
Liu Kun thought for a mont and shook his head, "Shi Le is currently indecisive and has not yet responded to Liu Yuan’s orders to attack . If I ask Zhao Hanzhang to deploy troops now, wouldn’t that force his hand?"
He said, "I heard Shi Le has a nephew who drifted with Shi Le’s mother to Bingzhou. Send soone to search among the refugees, find him, and treat him well."
Wen Qiao thought for a mont and nodded, this was indeed a way, but still difficult to address the most urgent issues.
"Even if Shi Le doesn’t send troops, there’s Liu Cong’s army, and Wang Jun is also pressing in with his army. We’re caught in a pincer. Without aid, it will be hard to hold."
Liu Kun pursed his lips and said, "Let Liu Xi hold off Wang Jun first. I’ll write to His Majesty asking him to diate; by then we can focus only on dealing with Liu Cong’s army."
He said, "Then we’ll request Zhao Hanzhang to send troops to advance on Bingzhou from the south, executing a ’Besiege Wei to Rescue Zhao’ strategy."
But the nearby Shi Le is no fool; if Zhao Hanzhang deploys troops to Bingzhou, wouldn’t Shi Le in Shangdang attack Liu Kun? Or if not Liu Kun, certainly Zhao Hanzhang?
Would this not still provoke Shi Le into action?
Wen Qiao criticized inwardly but knew their State Governor lacked great military talent, so he refrained from speaking up imdiately.
He remained silent, but Zhao Hanzhang, adept in military affairs, would surely persuade the Governor when the ti ca, just: ...
"Would Wang Jun heed His Majesty?"
Since Prince East Sea’s death, Wang Jun has gradually stopped following court directives. Currently, the only ones who can deter him sowhat are Gou Xi and Zhao Hanzhang.
Wen Qiao imdiately said, "Why not have Governor Zhao diate?"
He said, "If His Majesty can promote you to Jizhou Governor, then Liu General’s occupancy of Zhongshan and other counties would be legitimate, and with Governor Zhao diating, it might resolve conflicts with Wang Jun. Even if it doesn’t work, any delay benefits us as we focus first on dealing with Liu Cong’s army."
Liu Kun thought what he said made sense, so he wrote to Zhao Hanzhang and sent it urgently to Luoyang City.
At this ti, snowflakes were falling and the roads were difficult, but the courier dutifully traversed enemy territory via their cleared path, delivering the letter to Zhao Hanzhang as quickly as possible.
When the letter was delivered, the courier was barely alive, prompting Zhao Hanzhang to quickly summon a physician before opening the letter to read.
Perhaps because her previous letter was so thick, Liu Kun’s letter was also lengthy, taking her over a quarter of an hour to finish.
After reading it, Zhao Hanzhang handed the letter to Ji Yuan beside her.
Ji Yuan imdiately took it, read it, and then passed it to Ming Yu and Wei Jie.
Zhao Hanzhang asked, "What do you think, sir?"
Ji Yuan said, "Setting aside the matter of deploying troops, suggesting to His Majesty to promote Liu Kun to Jizhou Governor is indeed a thod, but would Gou Xi agree?"
Zhao Hanzhang lowered her eyes in thought, then said after a brief pause, "Let’s give it a try."
Zhao Hanzhang imdiately wrote a letter to the emperor.
Ming Yu said, "Why the rush? Wouldn’t it be better to have Minister Zhao first test His Majesty’s intention?"
Zhao Hanzhang shook her head, "You saw the courier was nearly gone; clearly Jinyang is in peril, this matter can’t wait."
She pondered, "Actually, the emperor should agree. Liu Kun has a good reputation, and during the Xiongnu’s three assaults on Luoyang, twice he dispatched troops to hinder them. The key lies with Gou Xi."
She looked at Ming Yu.
Ming Yu thought for a mont and said, "Since Liu Kun refused General Gou’s recall and chose to hold Jinyang, General Gou has had so critical things to say about him. However, with half of Jizhou in Shi Le’s hands now, General Gou isn’t affecting Jizhou, so he likely wouldn’t refuse Liu Kun’s appointnt as Jizhou Governor unless..."
Zhao Hanzhang: "Unless what?"
Ming Yu sighed, "Unless Wang Jun also asks General Gou’s intervention, and knowing Wang Jun, if he bribes General Gou with gold, silver, and jewels, General Gou would certainly ask for himself to be appointed Jizhou Governor."
Zhao Hanzhang pursed her lips. The upright Gou Xi, who once dared to even withhold treasury funds, what surprise would there be in taking bribes?
She lowered her eyes, thought for a mont, and said, "If Wang Jun can bribe him, why can’t we?"
Ji Yuan: "... Lady, our funds..."
Zhao Hanzhang said, "If it can enable Liu Kun to beco Jizhou Governor, settling disputes with Wang Jun and preserving power against Liu Yuan, it’s worth the expenditure."
Would bribing Gou Xi with gold, silver, and jewels cost more than deploying troops?
Historically, the conflict between Liu Kun and Wang Jun ended in Liu Kun’s great defeat. His influence had reached as far as Jizhou’s Zhongshan County, but after Wang Jun sent troops to kill Liu Kun’s brother, Liu Xi, he seized all of Liu Kun’s Jizhou territory.
Liu Kun could only continue defending the solitary city of Jinyang, and as the Xiongnu mounted a massive attack on Jin, he remained unable to resist.
Zhao Hanzhang turned around in place twice and said, "If we can anchor Liu Kun in Jizhou, once we amass our strength, we can launch a large-scale counterattack, pincer the Xiongnu and Shi Le from north and south."
She said, "Liu Kun would join us in deploying troops to recover lost land, but Wang Jun wouldn’t."
History has reached this point, and with Luoyang City unbroken, she certainly didn’t want Emperor Jin captured again or the Central Plains under Xiongnu and Jiehu occupation.
She has great ambitions, but internal conflicts can be set aside while reclaiming the stolen parts of Jizhou and Bingzhou first.
In Zhao Hanzhang’s heart, Liu Yuan and Shi Le remain the primary enemies.
For the greater cause, she would front this money on Liu Kun’s behalf!
Zhao Hanzhang said to Ji Yuan, "Sir, prepare the funds and the personnel for Yun City. They must act under Governor Liu’s na, without letting Gou Xi know they’re my people."
If Gou Xi knew it was her people and money, no amount would make him accept Liu Kun as Jizhou Governor.
Ji Yuan, after a slight pause for the overall benefit, agreed that Liu Kun as Jizhou Governor was indeed more advantageous for them, so despite his reluctance, he agreed, saying, "I will arrange it, and please ask Mr. Ming to assist in selecting items General Gou would like."
Ming Yu said, "No need to select refined items, just gold, silver, and jewels. He only values them and doesn’t have the ability to appreciate artifacts."
Zhao Hanzhang shivered slightly and secretly vowed to never let her aides see her back, for fear they might go out and speak ill of her, the thought of which was utterly mortifying.
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