Chapter 21: The Blue Qiang

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Dong Fu had been feeling rather down lately. As a disciple of the renowned Confucian scholar Yang Hou, he held an esteemed position in Yizhou and was a leading figure in the region’s academic circles. In official matters, he was closely connected to the former Governor of Yizhou, Liu Yan. Back when Liu Yan still served at the imperial court, sensing the chaos engulfing the capital and the decline of the royal family, he foresaw an imminent upheaval and sought to be appointed Governor of Jiaozhou to evade disaster.

At that time, Dong Fu had advised Liu Yan, saying, “The capital is destined for turmoil, but Yizhou holds the aura of the Son of Heaven.” Persuaded, Liu Yan requested the governorship of Yizhou, and Dong Fu followed him there, taking up the post of Commandant of the Shu Commandery.

Liu Yan was indeed a man of great talent. He welcomed the people of Dongzhou, swiftly pacified rebellious factions in Yizhou, and dispatched the bandit leader Zhang Lu to Hanzhong, severing supply routes and killing imperial envoys. This allowed Liu Yan to declare himself ruler of Shu without restraint.

Consequently, Dong Fu enjoyed immense favor from the Governor’s office, his rank and status beyond dispute in both public and private spheres.

However, since Liu Yan’s passing and the succession of Liu Zhang, Dong Fu found himself unsettled and increasingly melancholy. Liu Zhang’s rise had disrupted matters. Liu Yan had once betrothed Wu Xian, a woman said to bear the mark of great fortune, to his third son Liu Mao. Later, Liu Yan and Ma Teng conspired against Chang’an, leading to the deaths of Liu Yan’s eldest sons Liu Fan and Liu Dan at the hands of Li Jue and Guo Si, and eventually to Liu Yan’s own demise.

By tradition, the governorship of Yizhou should have passed to Liu Mao, confirming Dong Fu’s accurate reading of Wu Xian’s auspicious fate. Yet, through the influence of Military Advisor Zhao Wei and Prefect Wang Shang, the fourth son Liu Zhang ascended to the governorship instead, casting doubt on Dong Fu’s skills in physiognomy.

As a result, no one had sought Dong Fu’s services for face-reading or geomancy recently, leaving him restless and itching to practice.

Since the founding of the Eastern Han, scholars combined classic Confucian texts with prophetic studies. Dong Fu, having learned esoteric divination from Yang Hou, had once frequently been called upon to read faces or locate graves. Now, with no work, he felt uneasy.

He pondered whether to find someone to read their fortune gratis, to reaffirm his authority; otherwise, life would become unbearable. At over eighty years old, he relied on these small tasks to pass the time.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. Recently, he had heard that the new Governor Liu Zhang had protected a young courtesan at the market and gifted her a bolt of Shu brocade, suggesting he had taken a liking to her.

His mind sparked. He summoned a servant: “Go inquire which family the young courtesan was from whom Governor Liu protected at the market.”

The servant promptly departed.

Liu Zhang’s wife had died in childbirth, leaving the position of Lady of Yizhou vacant. Dong Fu believed he could intervene, for in his old age he enjoyed fostering others’ happiness—and in doing so, subtly promote his own physiognomic art.

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As a warlord controlling a region, Liu Zhang arrived today at his military camp outside Chengdu. For a warlord, the most vital assets were the land held and the soldiers who could fight well.

Liu Zhang commanded 20,000 soldiers from Dongzhou. These men had traveled from Guanzhong, crossing the Qinling and Daba Mountains, or journeyed upstream along the lower Yangtze River, traversing mountains and rivers to reach Shu. Naturally, they were all robust and battle-hardened.

These 20,000 Dongzhou troops formed the foundation of Liu Zhang’s foothold in Yizhou and his capital for advancing ambitions.

Currently, 15,000 of these troops were stationed in Chengdu, the political, economic, and cultural heart of Yizhou.

The remaining 5,000 were posted in Niubi County, located at the golden triangle of Shu, Guanghan, and Jianwei commanderies. Niubi’s location provided convenient transport links between the economic centers of Chengdu and Guanghan. Moreover, it controlled the Tuojing waterway, serving as a hub for logistics, giving it strategic importance in Jianwei. Hence, a trusted and heavily armed garrison was essential.

After Liu Yan secured his position as governor, he also recruited Shu people, adding 20,000 Shu soldiers to his forces. However, Liu Yan generally looked down on these troops, considering them weak and ineffective in battle.

Liu Zhang, on the other hand, held a different view. With proper training, he believed Shu soldiers could fight fiercely. During Zhuge Liang’s northern expeditions, Shu troops had boldly farmed in front of Qin and Long armies, demonstrating great spirit.

Therefore, no army was inherently strong or weak; it depended solely on training, discipline, and supply.

Besides these, Liu Yan had also recruited Sou and Qing Qiang troops. During the conspiracy with Ma Teng to attack Chang’an, he sent 5,000 Sou troops under Captain Sun Zhao to rescue his eldest brothers Liu Fan and Liu Dan, but they were overwhelmed by the elite troops of Li Jue and Guo Si from Liangzhou.

Liu Zhang calculated that after losing the 5,000 Sou troops under Sun Zhao, he now commanded only 2,000 Sou soldiers and 5,000 Qing Qiang troops.

The Sou people were descendants of the Shu who, after Qin conquered Shu, fled with their families to the southern regions under King Kaiming. Although somewhat uncivilized, they were considered Shu by Han historians, who often referred to Shu as Sou interchangeably. To distinguish them, they were called Sou people.

These Sou were semi-civilized, simple-minded, fond of fighting, fearless in battle, and loyal to whoever paid them well. Their loyalty endeared them to Liu Yan.

Liu Zhang also liked the Sou but favored the Qing Qiang more. The Sou and Qing Qiang were often mentioned together; both shared similarities but also differences. The Qing Qiang, also known as the Blue-Clad Qiang, took their name from their distinctive blue attire.

Before the Qin conquest, the Qing Qiang lived alongside the Shu on the Chengdu plain. When the Shu fled to the south, the Qing Qiang followed, settling mainly along the Qingyi River.

Compared to the Sou, the Qing Qiang were more fierce and skilled in warfare. Their culture revered warriors, and vacancies in their ranks were eagerly contested with blood oaths. They were considered as formidable as the Ban Shield barbarians of Ba Commandery.

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Liu Zhang recalled the Wudang Flying Army, a unit composed of Qing Qiang troops. In the later Shu Han period, Zhuge Liang spared no effort to relocate over ten thousand elite Qing Qiang families to Shu, forming five divisions known as the Flying Army.

This unit greatly contributed during Zhuge Liang’s northern campaigns, clad in iron armor, adept at mountain warfare, skilled with crossbows and poison arrows, and especially expert in defensive operations.

In the future, Liu Zhang was determined to organize his own Flying Army. Such formidable soldiers must be gathered under his command.

“Marshal Yang, Marshal Gao, I appreciate your hard work in disciplining the troops these days,” Liu Zhang said.

Before him stood two armored generals, Yang Huai and Gao Pei, both loyal followers of his late father Liu Yan. Their loyalty had naturally transferred to Liu Zhang after Liu Yan’s death.

Following the market incident, Liu Zhang had instructed Yang Huai and Gao Pei to restrain the soldiers, forbidding them from causing trouble. Both had done well; there had been no major disturbances among the Dongzhou troops recently, though minor scuffles persisted.

Liu Zhang’s prestige was still insufficient. Newly arrived in Yizhou, he had no notable achievements to justify his authority, especially no military exploits. Without significant victories, he could not fully control the Dongzhou soldiers, who had previously been indulged by his father.

Yang Huai humbly replied, “My lord, this is merely my duty.”

Gao Pei, harboring some thoughts, seized the moment during Liu Zhang’s inspection of the camp to speak: “My lord, if you wish the Dongzhou soldiers to be fully disciplined, you should appoint a military commissioner who is just and well-respected to enforce order.”

“This commissioner should be a Dongzhou native. Even if a Shu man acts fairly and justly, the Dongzhou troops might not accept him.”

Liu Zhang nodded. He had similar thoughts and responded, “Marshal Gao’s words are well noted. Soon, a military commissioner will be appointed to oversee the army.”

As loyal subordinates, Yang Huai reported an issue: “My lord, our camps are stable, but Marshal Zhao’s camp remains lax. His subordinates, Captains Pang Le and Li Yi, indulge the soldiers without discipline.”

Zhao Wei was a thorn in Liu Zhang’s side. Smiling faintly, Liu Zhang reassured Yang Huai and Gao Pei, “The new military commissioner will be responsible for all army discipline, including Zhao Wei’s camp. You may rest assured.”

With such a commissioner in place, the Dongzhou troops would surely be somewhat restrained. Liu Zhang recalled his ideal candidate for the post, though persuading that person to accept the role would require careful negotiation.