Chapter 555: The Yan Brothers

The Taihang Mountains resembled a giant dragon, stretching across the routes of Hedong, Hebei, and Henan, spanning thousands of miles. With numerous interconnected ridges, towering peaks, and deep ravines, it was a vast and complex landscape. Many rivers from the Hedong route cut through the Taihang Mountains—such as the Qinsui, Dansui, Zhangshui, Hutuo River, and Sanggan River— and over time, erosion by wind and water had created numerous large and small gorges and ravines. Eight of these routes became famous strategic military passages, known as the Eight Passes of Taihang.

The eight military routes—Jundu, Puyin, Feihu, Jingxing, Baixing, and others—were vital links connecting Hebei and Hedong. From ancient times, countless fortresses and strongholds were built for defense. The large-scale migration from Hebei to Hedong took place through these routes, transporting many people from Hebei to Hedong.

Jingxing was one of the most famous military passages in the central part of the Taihang Mountains. As it led directly to Taiyuan, the heart of Hedong, it had always been a strategic location contested by military forces. Among them, Tumen Pass in Jingxing County of the Hebei route was the key point of Jingxing. Control of this pass meant gaining dominance over the entire area.

Under the Tang Dynasty’s military strategy, the defense of the Eight Passes of Taihang was generally entrusted to the troops of Hedong. This was because the Hedong military command served a supplementary military role. Unlike the Fanyang military command, which faced powerful enemies such as the Turks and Khitans, the Hedong forces were primarily tasked with protecting the safety of Taiyuan, the northern capital. For this reason, the Eight Passes of Taihang were under the control of the troops stationed under the Hedong military command.

When An Lushan occupied Hedong, he once took control of all the passes of the Eight Passes of Taihang. However, after his defeat in the Guannei region, he withdrew from Hedong entirely, including these passes, which were later captured by the armies of Li Qingan and Li Hen.

According to the agreement between Li Hen and Li Qingan, Jingxing, located along the route to Taiyuan, was to be under Li Qingan’s control. Currently, there were 1,000 troops stationed in Jingxing, belonging to the Anxi faction and known as the Chengtian Army. These 1,000 troops were divided between two passes: one at the start of the route in Hedong, called Guguan, and the other at the end in Hebei, called Tumen Pass.

Like the other seven passes, Jingxing was also crowded with Hebei immigrants migrating westward. The official roads were filled with a vast exodus of people, stretching as far as the eye could see—nearly 100,000 strong, creating a truly spectacular sight.

These people mainly came from the six provinces of Heng, Zhao, Ding, Shen, Ji, and De. Compared to Xiangzhou and Weizhou in the south, the migration from the northern provinces started later—only ten days ago—and gradually took shape seven days ago. Although it started late, the northern provinces being closer to Youzhou made them more vulnerable to harm, causing greater panic among the people. As a result, the wave of immigrants that gathered in a short time was even more intense than that from the southern provinces. This was already the fourth batch of immigrants.

Rusty ox carts and horse-drawn carriages creaked along the official roads. Men led the carts, walking heavily at the front, with their entire possessions loaded on the flat carts—pots, pans, large gourds filled with clean water, several bags of grain and cakes, along with a pile of freshly picked fruits and vegetables. At the back of the carts sat their gray-haired parents, holding their young grandchildren, their weathered eyes filled with confusion about the future and sadness at leaving their homeland.

The children, however, didn’t feel much of this. Holding a pear, they looked around with excitement and curiosity; everything on the road seemed utterly novel to them. Their mother, with a large belly, followed behind the cart. It was clear she was pregnant again, and she walked unsteadily. Since the cart couldn’t hold everyone, she had to walk behind her husband, carefully holding a nanmu box. Inside might have been some of her dowry fabrics and copper coins from years ago, perhaps also a few precious dresses and jewelry. From the care she took, it was evident that this nanmu box was their family’s most valuable possession.

It was an ordinary family, just like most immigrant families on the official roads. At this point, most people were leaving their homes not for thirty acres of land but to escape—to get away from this land about to be engulfed in war. The imperial court adopted a policy of tolerance and leniency toward the Hu people who submitted to it, granting them autonomy and freedom. In the eyes of the rulers in Chang’an, thousands of miles away, these Hu people were pitiful outcasts, like stray dogs seeking shelter under the Tang Dynasty’s roof. Their dependence satisfied the rulers’ sense of arrogance.

But for the ordinary people living next to these Hu people, their feelings were completely different. What they saw was the fierceness and greed of these Hu people. While they might act subservient like stray dogs, they would often show their vicious teeth and true nature, filling these humble people with fear and unease.

An Lushan recruited hundreds of thousands of non-Han people as soldiers. The weak Han civilians deeply sensed the approaching danger and knew they had to flee—far away from it. It was because of this mindset that over 70% of the immigrants chose Longyou. More than 18,000 households moved along the official road in Jingxing County toward Tumen Pass. They traveled in clans, with each clan consisting of a hundred households, led and cared for by a clan head. Dozens of young men marched alongside each clan, armed with bows, arrows, and swords to protect their kin. From time to time, mounted officials came to maintain order and resolve disputes between clans. At that moment, a Jiang clan from Hengzhou and a Mu clan from Zhaozhou quarreled due to the arrogance of their young men, refusing to back down. Hundreds of young people stood face to face, glaring at each other, wielding swords and clubs, on the verge of a mass fight. Some officials, seeing the situation worsening, hurried to report it to the high officials of the two provinces. Soon, a group of officials arrived on horseback, led by a middle-aged man of average height and very dark complexion—Yan Zhenqing, the governor of Zhaozhou. Yan Zhenqing had passed the imperial examinations in the 22nd year of the Kaiyuan era and entered government service. He had served as an imperial censor several times before being promoted to imperial censor-in-chief. His integrity made him an enemy of Yang Guozhong, who exiled him to a local position. Later, he was promoted to governor of Dezhou, where he achieved remarkable results. Last year, due to an locust plague in Zhaozhou, he was transferred there by the imperial court. Under his diligent governance, the disaster was greatly alleviated. He had already received an order to return to the capital to serve as vice minister of justice. Before leaving, he encountered this large-scale migration from Hebei and firmly supported it, delaying his departure to actively mobilize the people of Zhaozhou to migrate westward. He sent three groups of people away. Among the officials were not only Yan Zhenqing, the governor of Zhaozhou, but also Yan Gaoqing, the governor of Hengzhou, and Yuan Lüqian, the chief secretary. Coincidentally, Yan Gaoqing was Yan Zhenqing’s cousin. Both brothers served as governors in Hebei, in neighboring provinces, and both were highly respected for their outstanding achievements and popularity among the people. While the two brothers were discussing how to distribute grain from the official granaries, they suddenly heard about the dispute between the people of Zhaozhou and Hengzhou and rushed over to investigate. By then, the migration procession had stopped due to the argument between the two clans. Clearly both were large clans, with together around 300 young men gathered in an open area, standing face to face, eyes blazing with anger. The two clan heads also refused to yield, standing at the back of their groups, inciting their followers.

The dispute between the two families originated last night, as the rations for the journey were provided by the government granaries and distributed daily per person. The clan leaders would collect them and distribute them within their clans. Last night, the Jiang clan lost two bags of grain, and some suspected it might have been stolen by the Mu clan, leading to an argument between the two clans. Although the authorities later compensated the Jiang clan with two more bags of grain to end the argument, the conflict remained unresolved. Today, another argument broke out between the two families, intensifying further.

Just as the two clans were on the verge of fighting, the Yan brothers arrived. Yan Zhenqing shouted, “Stop all of you!” Dozens of officials rushed forward and separated the two clans. Respecting officials has always been a tradition among Chinese peasants, especially high-ranking officials like Yan Zhenqing. At his shout, more than 300 members of both clans put down their swords, sticks, and weapons, too afraid to be defiant anymore.

Yan Gaoqing also rode forward. Having served as a local official for longer, he knew how to resolve such conflicts. He said to both sides, “Where are your clan leaders? Have them come see me!” Hearing that the governor wanted to see them, the clan leaders of both families approached nervously, bowing and saying, “Your humble servants pay their respects to Governor Yan.”

“Why are you two clans arguing?”
“Your Excellency, they stole our rations last night.”
“Nonsense! We already have our own rations. Why would we steal yours?”
“Someone saw it clearly. Don’t you admit it?”
“You’re talking nonsense!”

The two clan leaders started arguing fiercely, their faces red and necks thick like two roosters. Yan Gaoqing frowned. The best way to deal with this situation was to punish both sides equally so they wouldn’t dare argue anymore.

“Enough. You’re delaying everyone’s progress for the sake of your clans. Tonight, each of your families will have half of their rations reduced. If you argue again tomorrow, another half will be taken away. Once you stop arguing, things will return to normal.”

Both clans were stunned. They exchanged glances and pleaded together, “Your Excellency, we dare not argue anymore. Please spare us.”
“I won’t spare you today. We’ll discuss it tomorrow. Go!”

Yan Gaoqing resolved the dispute without hesitation, and the group set off again, continuing their journey westward. At that moment, Yan Zhenqing came over and said with a smile, “I didn’t expect it to be solved so easily.”

Yan Gaoqing smiled faintly and said, “Indeed! For many things, if you identify the key issue, a single solution suffices. There’s no need for much talk or effort. After all, isn’t it all about food?”
Yan Zhenqing nodded and said with a smile, “My brother is right!”

Yan Gaoqing smiled again and said, “Once these immigrants pass through Tumen Pass, you should be able to enter the court, right?”
“Yes! The Ministry of Personnel sent another urgent order yesterday. I’ve already delayed twice; I can’t delay any longer. I plan to head to the capital tomorrow to take up my post. My successor might not be able to arrive for a while, so I’ll have to rely on you for the immigrants’ matters.”
“Hmm! Go ahead without worry! I can handle it.”
The two turned their horses and sped westward.
As darkness fell, the convoy finally reached Tumen Pass. The pass was illuminated by torches, making it as bright as day. There were 500 soldiers from Anxi guarding the pass, led by a colonel named Yu Fang, an officer in his thirties. When he saw the large group of immigrants arriving, he immediately ordered, “Open the gates and let them in!”
The gates of Tumen Pass slowly opened, and tens of thousands of immigrants rushed in. Cries, noise, and children’s wails filled the air. The officials shouted frantically, “Don’t rush! Enter one by one; everyone will get in.”
Yu Fang shook his head. Did it matter if it was a little earlier or later? What was there to rush about? Just then, a scout rushed over from afar, looking anxious. Since the city gates were blocked by the crowd, he couldn’t get in. Seeing the scout’s panicked expression, Yu Fang leaned forward and asked, “What happened?”
The scout glanced at the crowd beside him, not daring to speak loudly, so he took out the message, attached it to an arrow, removed the arrowhead, and shot it onto the city wall. A soldier picked it up and handed it to Yu Fang. Yu Fang, who could barely read, opened the message and his expression instantly changed.
Tens of thousands of Youzhou cavalry were charging toward them, with the vanguard already 30 li away.