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The reply was penned by Wei Ji, written in florid, deferential language, but—
It was utterly useless.
Wei Ji was the eldest son of the Wei clan, while Cai Yan, Fei Qian's senior sister, was married to the second son of the Wei family. As Cai Yong's direct disciple, Fei Qian was, in a sense, somewhat connected to the Wei clan.
It was akin to the situation with Huang Chengyan, the head of the Huang clan of Jingxiang, who married a woman from the Cai family, as did Liu Biao. Even if Huang Chengyan weren't the head of the Huang clan but merely an ordinary member, some degree of consideration would still be expected…
Yet, in his reply, Wei Ji used exceedingly polite words but kept Fei Qian at a distance. He claimed that the clan's elders were unwell and needed rest, having not received guests for days, and that this was not specifically directed at Fei Qian. As an apology, they sent a modest offering of beef and wine.
But what use did Fei Qian have for beef and wine?
What Fei Qian lacked wasn't beef or wine—it was manpower. With only Huang Cheng and Du Yuan, he could hardly make any significant progress. His detour through Hedong had two purposes:
First, to transfer the Cai family's books to Cui Jun's men coming from Xihe. Given the uncertain situation in Shang Commandery, bringing the books along was risky, and the Cui family's support was a key factor in his endeavors.
Second, and equally important, Fei Qian hoped to recruit manpower in Hedong…
But judging from the Wei clan's reply, the hope of finding manpower had grown faint.
The Wei clan was the most prominent family in Hedong.
Since the founding of the Eastern Han, the Wei clan had been renowned as a family of poetry and scholarship. Wei Ji's ancestor, Wei Gao, was famed for his Confucian learning, enjoying great prestige in Hedong. Wei Ji himself was highly praised by local gentry, lauded for his mastery of ancient scripts, seal script, clerical script, and cursive, excelling in all. His literary talent and writings had made him renowned throughout Hedong.
Though Wei Ji was not yet formally the head of the Wei clan, he was close to it. Thus, his attitude would reflect the Wei clan's stance, which, in turn, would influence how the entire Hedong gentry treated Fei Qian.
This was going to be tricky.
Upon arriving in Anyi, Fei Qian's party naturally needed to set up camp again. Before the camp was even half-finished, the Wei clan sent representatives bearing beef and wine, arriving so quickly it was as if they wanted to catch Fei Qian off guard.
The visitor was Wei Feng, Wei Ji's cousin, styled Mengluan. He was excessively courteous, repeating the excuses from Wei Ji's letter, offering profuse apologies before preparing to leave.
Fei Qian escorted him to the camp's entrance. As Wei Feng was leaving, he suddenly noticed someone hoisting Fei Qian's tricolor banner onto a newly erected pole. He froze, his mouth agape…
"Lord Fei… such a banner is truly ingenious and unforgettable…" Wei Feng gave an awkward laugh to cover his momentary lapse, then quickly added, "Ah, Lord Fei, please stay. Farewell, farewell…"
Wei Feng departed with a smile, but as he turned away, his expression faded, and he cast a disdainful glance at the tricolor banner in Fei Qian's camp. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly. "What a provincial fool, stitching three colors together for a banner—like some refugee's rag. Truly a disgrace to noble families!"
Standing at the camp entrance, Fei Qian watched Wei Feng leave with a few Wei clan attendants. He slowly lowered his clasped hands and said, "The world is vast, but food comes first. Let's eat, then hold a meeting… er, a discussion."
Hmph, playing games, are we?
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Inside the main tent of Fei Qian's camp.
Fei Qian sat at the center. To his left were the Huang clansmen, Huang Cheng and Huang Xu. To his right were the non-Huang members, Du Yuan and Cui Hou.
This was his current team.
Huang Xu, seated at the lower left, was visibly nervous, sweat beading on his dark face as he knelt on the mat, too anxious to wipe it away.
"Xu, as in the rising sun, the ultimate of the nine, the beginning of the day," Fei Qian said with a smile, looking at Huang Xu. "Huang Xu, how about I grant you the courtesy name 'Zichu'?"
Huang Xu was overjoyed, rising from his seat to bow deeply. "Many thanks to my lord for granting me a name!" He kowtowed firmly, then returned to his seat, beaming, as the others offered their congratulations.
In the Han dynasty, the phrase "a lowly name is not worth mentioning" was no mere courtesy—it was fact. Those without a courtesy name were not recognized by the upper class. By granting Huang Xu a courtesy name, Fei Qian signaled that Huang Xu had officially entered the mainstream elite.
Fei Qian smiled faintly, thinking to himself that managing this small team, composed of just a few people, was much like running a small company in later times. Personal bonds were the primary link, and encouragement was key to fostering team cohesion.
Once things settled, Fei Qian said, "Alright, we're all family here. No need to be overly formal. We face two main issues now: money and grain, and personnel."
"Let's set aside money and grain for now and focus on personnel. Personnel comes down to two things," Fei Qian said, holding up two fingers. "Officials and soldiers. Do we agree?"
Everyone nodded in unison.
"First, soldiers. Soldiers need civilians to support them; without civilians, soldiers are like trees without roots. So, the issue of soldiers becomes an issue of civilians. Where do civilians come from? Think about where we are and what the Han court is doing right now."
Du Yuan was the first to catch on, tentatively saying, "My lord means… refugees?"
"Exactly, Wenzheng," Fei Qian said, clapping lightly in approval. He gestured broadly. "This is Luoyang. To the east, Suanzao blocks the way. To the south, Liang County blocks the southward route. If someone doesn't want to migrate west, where can they go?"
"Only Hedong!" Cui Hou blurted out, but quickly added, "But Hedong may not be willing to let us…"
Cui Hou didn't finish, but everyone understood. Refugees were a valuable resource. Any sensible governor would try to absorb them…
Of course, refugees brought many problems, but no matter how many, Hedong's Governor Wang Yi wouldn't easily relinquish them to Fei Qian in the early stages.
Thus, they needed an unconventional approach.
"When Luoyang's capital was relocated, you all know the grain prices, right? Zichu, tell us, what are Anyi's grain prices now?"
"Yes!" Huang Xu, thrilled to be addressed by his new courtesy name for the first time, stood up. "As per Lord Fei's orders, I inquired in the city. Currently, in Anyi's market, a dan of sorghum costs 620 coins, millet 460 coins, wheat 350 coins, and husked millet 380 coins."
"Any thoughts, Yongyuan?" Fei Qian smiled, gesturing for Huang Xu to sit before turning to Cui Hou.
Cui Hou's small eyes gleamed with a golden spark…