Mystery at Lanting Chapter 10

A cold crescent moon hung quietly between the towering mountains, casting wisps of icy light on the top of the city wall of Yaozhou (Note: Yaozhou was established in the fourth year of Wude in the Tang Dynasty, that is, 621 AD. Because many people here were surnamed Yao, it was named Yaozhou. Later, the central government established the Yaozhou Military Governor's Office, which was an important station for exchanges between the Tang Dynasty and various ethnic groups in the southwest, and was responsible for managing the affiliated tribes in the southwest border. 

However, the Yaozhou Military Governor's Office was poorly managed, resulting in its repeated establishment and abolition). Yaozhou Governor Wu Yuntian stood quietly on the city wall, looking at the always uneasy southwestern border, and his heart was filled with emotion.
 
Wu Yuntian is already the fourth governor of Yaozhou. Since the barbarians in the northern border are always looking for trouble, the military strength in the southwest has been relatively weakened.

However, he knew clearly in his heart that there were many tribes in the southwest: there were the Six Zhaos (Zhao means leader) in the south and Tubo in the west. These tribes not only had many internal disputes, but many tribes also relied on their strong military force to disobey his rule. He also wrote to the emperor many times hoping to increase troops to consolidate the southwest border defense, but the emperor refused on the grounds that the northern border was restless and the troops were insufficient.

As Wu Yuntian's immediate superior and elder, Victoria Wu wrote a letter to Wu Yuntian very solemnly. In the letter, the emperor told Wu Yuntian that although the southwest was in turmoil, fortunately the tribes in the southwest were not unified. As long as he took advantage of the conflicts between the tribes, let them consume each other and restrain each other, and then let the Yaozhou Governor's Office reap the benefits and unify them in order to achieve stability in the southwest region, once the northern border was settled, he would immediately lead the army south to eliminate all the tribes that did not obey the control and unify the southern border.

Wu Yuntian has always been the target of Matthew Wu's wooing. In fact, he is Matthew Wu's cousin, but he is very stubborn. He did not rely on his ancestors' influence to enter the government, but instead obtained a position as a junior officer through the court's regular military examination.

Later, he fought against the Turks many times on the battlefield in the northern border, fought bloody battles, accumulated countless military merits, and came to where he is today step by step.

Victoria Wu also liked this simple and stubborn nephew very much. Finally, she sent him to southern Xinjiang to serve as the governor of Yaozhou to gain more experience. Victoria Wu hoped that he would become more mature politically. After all, there were not many such talents in the Wu family.

Wu Yuntian was only in his early thirties, but he liked to grow a beard. A few strands of long beard hung down from both sides of his cheeks, which looked very elegant. He stroked his long beard quietly, glanced at the city gate officer, and said: "You must guard the city gate carefully and pay close attention to the situation outside the city!"

"Yes, sir!" the city gate officer replied respectfully.

Wu Yuntian turned around and glanced at the mountain mist in the distance blurred by the moonlight, then turned around and walked down the city wall.

Under the tower, Yaozhou's deputy governor Song Hui and chief secretary Li Mu had been waiting for a long time. When they saw Wu Yuntian coming down, Song Hui said admiringly: "Master Wu always cares about the safety of our Great Zhou and works diligently. We admire him!"

Wu Yuntian waved his hand gently and said, "How dare I not do my best when I have received the emperor's grace? I hope you two don't think I am bothering you two adults!"

"I dare not!" the two men replied in unison.

"I have some questions in my mind and would like to ask the governor for advice." said the Chief Secretary Li Mu.

"We are all loyal to Your Majesty and have the responsibility to defend our territory. If you have anything to say, please speak to me in person." Wu Yuntian was already very familiar with his two deputies, so he didn't care.

"Recently, I have discovered that there have been very few wars among the tribes in the southwest, and the imperial court has sent us a letter commending us for our good governance. Logically, we should have allowed the soldiers to take a break and cultivate the land, but you have stepped up the training of the soldiers and inspected various places more frequently.

We have no complaints, but we have some questions in our hearts. Please help us to better assist you and guard the southwest gate for His Majesty!"

Wu Yuntian smiled with satisfaction, stroked his long beard and said, "I asked you two to come here for inspection today, actually to discuss this matter with you two. Please follow me, this is not the place to talk."

The two followed Wu Yuntian to the Governor's Mansion and entered the backyard of the Mansion. There stood a small building alone in the backyard. There were no pavilions, flowers or plants around it. The entire backyard was closely guarded by soldiers.

Song Hui and Li Mu felt nervous. This was where high-ranking officials from Yaozhou held meetings. In order to prevent eavesdropping, a small building was built in the backyard. Although there were no architectural decorations around it, it was filled with traps. The backyard was also closely guarded by the Governor's Office guards. Wu Yuntian invited them here today, so something unusual must have happened!

Arriving at the small building, the three of them sat down as host and guest. Wu Yuntian said sternly, "You two, why didn't I order the people to rest and recuperate, and the soldiers to settle down? In fact, it is because there is no war between these barbarians in the southwest!"

The two looked at each other, neither of them understood what Wu Yuntian meant.

Wu Yuntian said: "I once wrote to the emperor, hoping that the emperor could increase the military force in Yaozhou, pacify these barbarians, and unify the six states. However, the Turks in the northern border have never given up their covetousness on the territory of the Great Zhou, so the emperor could not spare his hands to deal with the southwestern tribes. However, the emperor gave me a secret decree. She said: If the war between the southwestern tribes continues, you can rest assured to cultivate the land and support the troops with soldiers. However, if the civil war between the southwestern tribes stops, you must always be prepared for them to invade my Great Zhou!"

"My emperor is wise!" Li Mu suddenly understood and said, "There are many tribes in the southwest border. Fighting among them will only weaken their strength. Once the fighting stops, or even if they unite, they will immediately pose a huge threat to us!"

"Our military strength is already insufficient. If we don't make comprehensive preparations for war, how will we resist it once the war breaks out?" Song Hui also understood and continued.

"It is not a pity for us to die, but if the southern barbarians break through the southwest defense line and join forces with the Turkic tribes in the northern border to attack our Great Zhou from both north and south, then the situation of our Great Zhou will be even more dangerous!"

Wu Yuntian said worriedly: "Moreover, the scouts I sent out recently almost never came back. I'm afraid the southwestern tribes have already made some moves!"

"Have you reported this to the Emperor?" Li Mu asked anxiously.

"I have already sent the memorial to the capital in an urgent manner over a distance of eight hundred miles. I hope the emperor can see it as soon as possible, otherwise we may be put in a passive position!" Wu Yuntian said worriedly.

"Then should we prepare for war immediately and inform the people of Yaozhou to be prepared?" Li Mu asked.

"No, before the matter is fully investigated, we will be confused if we do this, giving them more opportunities to take advantage of us. That's why I disturbed you two in the middle of the night and came to the military secret office to discuss countermeasures.

It may be too late to wait for the emperor's instructions. We must prepare early and not arouse suspicion from the southwestern tribes. If things are not as serious as we expected, our preparations for war may become the fuse for them to rebel!" Wu Yuntian said.
 
"Please give us your orders, Lord Wu. We will do our utmost to fulfill your orders and do everything we can to achieve your goals!" the two men said solemnly.

"Good! It is my fortune to defend this land with you two!"

Wu Yuntian tightly grasped the hands of the two men and said, "Please ask Song Biejia to immediately order the craftsmen in the camp to gather in the garden of the Governor's Mansion. There is a secret room I built below the Governor's Mansion. The iron, stone and wood are ready. Ask them to speed up the construction of the city defense equipment. Once the war starts, we will not have enough troops, so we can only hold on and wait for help!"

"Yes!" said Song Hui.

"Li Changshi! Please draft a document immediately to invite the leaders of the southern barbarians to the governor's office, saying that next month is my birthday and I want to invite them to have a good time to deepen the relationship between the tribes and my Great Zhou.

At the same time, you can ask the merchants of Yaozhou to go to various barbarian tribes to buy meat and wine in the name of this governor's birthday. You can also mix our spies into the caravans to find out what these southern barbarians are up to! "

"Great! The governor has a really good idea!" The two men couldn't help but admire sincerely.

Li Mu and Song Hui now truly began to admire this officer surnamed Wu. They were both former officials of the Li Tang dynasty. After Victoria Wu ascended the throne, they were implicated and banished to this wild land.

What they hated the most were officials with the surname Wu, but this Wu Yuntian was very different from Matthew Wu and his ilk. He was truly as his name suggested, a man of great righteousness. Not only did he love his soldiers like his own sons, but he also never made things difficult for the old ministers of the Li Tang Dynasty.

The two of them once doubted whether he was brave but lacked strategy, but today they truly realized that Wu Yuntian was not only a brave general, but also a wise minister!