Three Kingdoms: Ancestors of the Han Dynasty

Chapter 144
In February, the weather in Hanzhong was gradually getting warmer. Although Liu Chan had been in Hanzhong for several months, he was worried about the government affairs in the rear and ordered Zhang Yi and others to send important memorials to Hanzhong.

Hanzhong is located in the south of the Qinling Mountains, and the climate is warmer than that of Guanzhong and Longyou, but it also gradually gets colder after nightfall.

The cold wind blowing at night penetrated through the slits of the window, penetrated through the clothes, and invaded the body, making Liu Chan shiver twice, and wrapped the blanket tightly.

Huo Yi, who was sitting on the right side of the hall, told Gong'e to close the doors and windows with great insight.

Seeing this, Liao Li, who was kneeling on the left side, couldn't help pursing his lips. He raised his eyes and noticed a slightly flickering and gradually dimming candle near Liu Chan, and his heart moved.

Liao Li put down the official document and said solemnly, "Come here, add a new candle to His Majesty!"

After the new candles were replaced, the light in the hall was indeed much brighter, and the line of sight became much clearer.

Liu Chan didn't say anything about this, but just smiled faintly. Although he didn't raise his head, he seemed to know the expressions of everyone present.

Putting down Huang Quan's military report in his hand, Liu Chan no longer looked indifferent, but showed joy on his face. Huang Quan fought against Cao Zhen with a weak momentum but did not lose the wind at all, which made him really happy.

In joy, Liu Chan couldn't help getting up, holding the battle report in his hand, and said with a smile to everyone in the hall: "Masters, General Wei fought against General Wei Cao Zhen at Weishui, beheading 2000 people, General Zhao beheaded General Wei Wang Shuang, Cao Zhen fled."

As soon as this remark came out, everyone in the hall was overjoyed, and they couldn't help talking about it.

Liao Li took the lead and said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty. Now that the Wei army is unable to support Zhang Yun, it is only a matter of time before the Prime Minister seizes Longyou."

Everyone in the hall woke up like a dream, and shouted in unison: "Congratulations, Your Majesty, there is hope for the revival of the Han Dynasty."

Liu Chan's joy is beyond words.In the original history, Deng Zhi and Zhao Yun acted as false soldiers and went out to praise the slope. Because of their personal disappointment, they were quickly defeated and returned to Hanzhong, so that Cao Zhen could send troops to quell the rebellion in Anding County and support Zhang Ying.

It is expected that after this battle, Cao Zhen will not be able to spare any energy and go to Anding County to quell the rebellion. Cao Rui estimates that he will send troops from Bingzhou or Hebei to quell the rebellion in Anding County.

Moreover, with Huang Quan in Guanzhong, the Guanzhong army was unable to rescue Longyou. Now that the Longyou Wei waterway was cut off by Deng Ai, and Zhuge Liang personally guarded it, it must be only a matter of time before Jieting was taken down.

Liu Chan couldn't help pacing in the hall with his hands behind his back, thinking about the 4000 people killed and injured in the Guanzhong army, he must have lost his morale.

So Liu Chan stopped and said excitedly: "The army has experienced a great battle and has suffered a lot. At this time, morale may be low. I want to send an envoy to comfort the Guanzhong army for me."

After a pause, Liu Chan's gaze fell on Zhuge Qiao and said, "I wonder if Bo Song is willing to take on this important task?"

Zhuge Qiao, who was at the side, stepped out happily and responded, "No!"

During Zhuge Liang's Northern Expedition and stationed in Hanzhong, Zhuge Qiao and Huo Yi were asked to go deep into the grassroots and work with the soldiers to participate in the hard work of supervising and transporting military rations, sharpen their will, cultivate their patience and carefulness, and lay the foundation for future succession.

Naturally, Zhuge Qiao didn't dare to go against Zhuge Liang's opinion. He moved food and grass with Huo Yi, Liu Lin and others in Hanzhong, and his body gradually couldn't bear the hard work.

Fortunately, in November, Liu Chan went to Hanzhong to supervise the battle, and called Zhuge Qiao back to his side on the grounds that there was no one around him.

After saying that, Liu Chan knelt down and returned to the imperial case, thinking in his heart that since he sent envoys to comfort the Guanzhong army, it might not be appropriate for Longxi not to send someone.

Liu Chan pondered for a long time, then moved his eyes down to Guan Xing, and said leisurely, "An Guo, how are you doing these days?"

Guan Xing stood up and thanked him, his clothes were tightly tucked, purple spots were exposed on the back of his neck, and he said: "Thank you for saving your life, Your Majesty, my body has recovered."

A few days ago, Guan Xing ran back and forth because of the military rations, and unexpectedly suffered from heatstroke in winter (Note ①), vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, as if he was dying, and the doctors were helpless.

After Liu Chan heard about it, he decided to treat Guan Xing with a dead horse as a living horse doctor. He used the Gua Sha method of later generations to scrape Guan Xing himself with jade. Fortunately, Guan Xing survived the catastrophe and survived.

"I just don't know if An Guo is feasible. I want to send you to Longxi on my behalf to comfort the army." Liu Chan pursed his lips and said hesitantly.

Guan Xing replied respectfully: "The minister is in good health and can go on an envoy for His Majesty."

Seeing this, Liu Chan nodded, and told the two of them, "You can leave as soon as possible."

Zhuge Qiao and Guan Xing clasped their hands together and said, "No!"

Liu Chan picked up one of the memorials from the imperial case and flipped through it.

Seeing Liu Chanxiang, he couldn't help frowning. Zhang Mu, a citizen of Guanghan County, rebelled, occupied the mountains and forests, made waves in the Mianzhu area, and plundered military resources.

Zhang Ni, the county captain, tricked him into marrying him.Zhang Ni held a banquet and invited Zhang Mu to the banquet. While Zhang Mu was drunk, Zhang Ni led his left and right to personally behead Zhang Mu and more than [-] of his subordinates, and then wiped out the bandits. They were all beheaded.

Liu Chan was not displeased with Zhang Ni's actions, but was thinking about the reasons behind it. Why did the bandit Zhang Mu trust Zhang Ni and his relatives to come to the banquet with an excuse? Maybe there is something tricky about it.

Liu Chan looked at the memorial, tapped on the table, and couldn't help but fell into deep thought. The memorial said that Zhang Mu started to stir up trouble and plunder military resources during the Northern Expedition last year.

The Northern Expedition, military funding, did this matter start from corvee service!

A thought flashed through Liu Chan's mind.

Liu Chan raised his head and calmly asked, "Are there any envoys in Guanghan County?"

After thinking about it in the hall, Dong Yun immediately replied: "Your Majesty, Guanghan County has not yet had a collector."

Liu Chan really wanted to follow the example of the Ming Dynasty and set up Jinyiwei, but the most urgent problem before him was the Northern Expedition.That's why they were worried about the opposition of the courtiers and the problem of money and food in the treasury, so they set up a gathering envoy to lay the groundwork, which is called the effect of listening to the officials of the county and county in the country.

Thoughts flashed through Liu Chan's mind, and after a while of contemplation, he put down the memorial in his hand, raised his head and shifted his gaze to Dong Yun, and calmly called, "Xiu Zhao stepped forward to speak."

Dong Yun stepped forward slowly, respectfully beside Liu Chan, waiting for orders.

Liu Chan signaled Dong Yun to sit down, then picked up the memorial that he had just read from the imperial case, and handed it to Dong Yun: "Look at it first!"

Under Liu Chan's instruction, Dong Yun hesitated for a while, glanced at Liu Chan from the corner of his eye, took the memorial, and browsed it.

Liu Chan picked up the tea on the table (Note ②), took a few sips, and waited for a cup of tea.

Dong Yun seemed to be aware of the weirdness, frowned and looked up at Liu Chan: "Your Majesty also thinks it's weird?"

Liu Chan put down the teacup in his hand, stared at Dong Yun, and said slowly: "This matter may not be what was mentioned in the memorial, I want to order Xiu Zhao to go to Guanghan in person to find out what happened."
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① Su Shi, a great writer in the Song Dynasty, Zhao Mingcheng, husband of female poet Li Qingzhao, and Zheng Chenggong, a national hero, all died of heatstroke.

② Tea flourished in the south, and it was only popular in the north during the Tang Dynasty. At this time, various seasonings were added according to the tastes of different people, such as "onion and ginger, jujube, cinnamon, orange peel, crispy cheese, mint" and so on.But only the northern minorities will add salt, mutton oil and other strange condiments.

Generally speaking, it depends on the taste of different people. Just like sweet and salty tofu nao, there are many flavors of tea now.

(End of this chapter)