Shuhan

After passing Baishui Pass, Liu Bei trekked on the mountain road for two days and two nights.

There was little rest.

The three horses took turns riding, but one of them still ran to death.

Finally, we left the boundaries of Guanghan County and reached the territory of Hanzhong.

The Baili Hanchuan River is like a colorful picture scroll, displayed in front of everyone's eyes.

The topography of Hanzhong is rich and diverse, with rolling mountains and peaks like a green barrier; there are also sparkling lakes, where the water and the sky are the same color, which is so beautiful.

The forest is blooming with flowers, birds are singing gracefully, and wild beasts are enjoying themselves.

Seeing this scene, Liu Bei was tired of running around for many days and was relieved.

What a great view of the mountains and rivers?

This is the world that has been conquered alone!

I wonder what the scenery in Guanzhong is like?

"Your Majesty, it's better to set up camp and rest for a while before setting off!"

Zhuge Liang was much younger than Liu Bei and was in his prime at the moment, but he was a little overwhelmed by such an intense rapid march.

However, Liu Bei was usually very sick, and after such an intense march, he was actually in good spirits now.

“We’ll have a rest when we get to Nanzheng, time waits for no one!”

This is the opportunity that the prince has fought for for them with his life. How can he waste his time?

It is better to get to Nanzheng quickly, and then send troops immediately to attack Chang'an!

His speed is faster than the speed of the secret agents in the Chengdu School Affairs Office!

Liu Bei took the kettle and drank the water in big gulps. He took the biscuits from the imperial guards and started tearing them into pieces.

Since it was a forced march, we had to eat and drink on horseback.

Naturally, there was no time to stop and set up camp.

"I'm afraid we will reach Nanzheng in two days. Kong Ming, which route should we choose for the army?"

Zhuge Liang immediately said: "Chencang Road may be a good choice."

Chen Cangdao?

This was the path taken by Emperor Gaozu back then.

Liu Bei's expression did not change and he continued: "I just received a letter from Wei Yan. He said that troops may be sent from Ziwu Road. He has been operating on Ziwu Road for many days, and there are supplies of food and grass along the way. What does Kong Ming think of sending troops from this road?"

"It's too dangerous to take the Ziwu Road. The Governor of Hanzhong has been running it for a long time and has transported grain and grass in advance, but I'm afraid it can only support a few thousand people, not tens of thousands. Military supplies cannot be transported on the Ziwu Road, and it's difficult to reach Chang'an. In a desperate battle, if you are not careful, your entire army will be wiped out. How can you capture Chang'an with such danger?"

If the Han army passes through Ziwu Road, the Wei army will not have much defense.

However, because the Ziwu Road was too dangerous, it was difficult for people to walk there, and chariots and siege equipment could not be transported there at all. Without these siege equipment, how could Chang'an be captured?

It should be noted that Chang'an is a fortified city!

"The Governor of Hanzhong has been running Hanzhong for a long time, and Ziwu Road has put a lot of effort into it. Although it cannot be used as the main offensive and defensive line, it may be a partial division along the way."

Zhuge Liang didn't have any problem with Wei Yan.

Since Ziwu Road has been managed like this, it is still okay to go all the way to the enemy's side to attract Wei Jun's ideas and create opportunities for the main force.

Liu Bei nodded, agreeing with what Zhuge Liang said.

"Chen Cang's old path is heavily guarded. It may not be an easy task to break through in a short time."

He vaguely heard Liu Chan say that there was a good defender in the Wei army, named Hao Zhao. If he was stationed in Chencang, he would not be able to take this route.

In history, more than a thousand people of Hao Zhao were stationed in Chencang, and they blocked the tens of thousands of troops led by Zhuge Liang. They achieved a temporary fame, which can be said to be one of Zhuge Liang's few stains.

"Who is guarding Chencang now?"

"It's Wang Sheng from Guanzhong."

Wang Sheng from Guanzhong?

I have never heard of this person's name.

"Who is this?"

"He is just a gatekeeper with one tooth, leading a thousand men to guard Chencang."

The Han army did not make the Northern Expedition, but asked him to guard this bitter and cold place. This also shows that he was not reused in the army.

Only a thousand people?

Liu Bei's eyes lit up.

"In this case, we may take the Chencang Road."

The partial division of Ziwu Road attacked Chang'an unexpectedly, attracting the Wei army in Guanzhong to converge towards Chang'an. He led the main army to quickly break through from Chencang Road, captured Youfufeng, and cut off the connection between Wei and Liangzhou.

Liu Bei was not a very ambitious person.

Guanzhong, he will definitely win it.

But now the Wei army has a lot of soldiers in Guanzhong.

If you attack Chang'an, you may not be able to defeat it.

If it cannot be defeated, the Han State cannot return without success and cut off the Wei army's access to Liangzhou. The Han State will swallow up the entire Liangzhou.

And once you occupy Liangzhou and have a horse breeding land, you can form a Han cavalry!

By then, it will be much easier to deal with the Wei army in Chang'an.

After all, many of the Wei troops in Chang'an are foreigners of Qiang and Di origin. They are very skilled with bows and horses, and they can all be called elite cavalry.

When infantry fights cavalry, the disadvantage is too great.

Even though the Prince's Martial Arts Hall taught infantry how to deal with cavalry, Liu Bei still didn't have much confidence.

"It's better to rush to Nanzheng quickly and capture Guanzhong before the Wei army reacts!"

At the worst, we have to send the main force to Guanzhong via Chencang Road!

After swallowing the biscuits wholeheartedly, Liu Bei threw the kettle to the Imperial Guard soldiers, immediately pulled up the reins, clamped his legs together, and continued on his way.

Zhuge Liang only ate half of the biscuits in his hand. Seeing this, he could only put the biscuits away in his inner pocket and followed Liu Bei's footsteps towards Hanzhong.

Hanchuan has beautiful scenery.

And the scenery of Qinchuan, which is 800 miles away, is even more unique!

early spring.

The originally withered earth has been covered with a layer of new green.

Zhong Yao, dressed in official robes, stood at the top of Chang'an City, overlooking the Qinchuan River eight hundred miles away. He saw undulating mountains and rivers, shrouded in clouds and mist, like a fairyland. The river shuttles like a broad belt, surrounding distant mountains and near waters, passing through it section by section.

The mountains are dotted with lush trees, flowers, and green grass. The houses are well-proportioned and have a profound heritage. Looking to the north, the mountains are looming among the clouds and mist. The steep mountains, abrupt peaks and cliffs are like a natural barrier.

What a great view!

Xumi, an armored general walked up to the top of Chang'an City.

This man is strong, upright, and has his head raised high. He is Cao Zhen.

"Lieutenant, you can set off."

Zhong Yao was born as a filial and honest man. He served successively as Shangshulang and Huangmen Shilang. He assisted Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty in returning to Luoyang and was granted the title of Marquis of Dongwuting. Later, he gained the trust of the Prime Minister Cao Cao, who was in power, and served as Sili Xiaowei, guarding Guanzhong. He made outstanding achievements and was compared to Xiao He. Former military advisor. When Cao Cao was granted the title of King of Wei, he served as Dali Qing and Prime Minister of Wei. After the establishment of Cao Wei, he paid homage to Wei Qing and was promoted to Tai Wei, ranking first among the three princes.

As a Taiwei of the Wei Kingdom, it was naturally not a problem to stay in Chang'an for a long time.

Cao Zhen is now General Pingxi, responsible for guarding Guanzhong and supervising the military affairs of Yongliang.

of course

The reason why Zhong Yao still stays in Guanzhong is not because he is greedy for power.

If he is greedy for power, he should go to Luoyang.

After all, as a Taiwei, in today's Wei State, from the perspective of official position, it can be said that he is inferior to one person and superior to ten thousand people.

Because Guanzhong is important and there are many things that need to be dealt with by Zhong Yao, it has been postponed until now.

"After staying for so long, it's almost time to leave."

The Han Dynasty invaded Wu, and the Han Emperor Liu Bei became seriously ill.

At least for a year or two, there will be no war in Guanzhong.

He can leave with peace of mind. "There are many foreigners in Guanzhong now. How to appease them is the key to long-term peace and stability in Guanzhong. If they can organize households into unified households, learn the farming methods of the Han people, and tame them like Han people, then the strength of Guanzhong will definitely rise to Another level.”

Due to the inward migration of a large number of foreign races in Guanzhong, the combined number of Qiang and Di Huns almost exceeded that of the Han people.

These people are both a labor force and a destabilizing factor.

The key point is that the foreigners who migrated inland were not good at farming at all. They spread grass seeds over large areas of land and actually started grazing in Guanzhong.

Isn't this a waste of land?

Can the harvest from planting grass be the same as the harvest from planting land?

Even those who have learned how to farm will just sow the seeds on the ground in the spring and then ignore them completely, waiting for the harvest in the autumn.

Compared with the intensive farming of the Han people, this output is simply not on the same level.

is the reason

Zhong Yao's main task in guarding Chang'an was not only to defend against the Han Dynasty, but also to appease and educate these foreigners and vigorously develop farming in Guanzhong.

How can we feed so many mouths in Guanzhong without planting more land?

Once you don't have enough to eat, the knives in the hands of those aliens will not play tricks on you.

Just like last year, there was insufficient rain in the New Year's Pass, and the harvest was also insufficient. Many of the foreigners who lacked food and grass were troublemakers.

He has been harassing the Wei caravan.

Cao Zhen killed batch after batch of people, but he could not stop the foreigners from causing rebellion one after another.

can only say.

These foreigners are not as tame as the Han people.

As long as the Han people are hungry, they will not cause trouble. You foreigners just don't have enough to eat, but you dare to make trouble!

The Silk Road of the Western Regions is now also a big investment for the Wei State. Ensuring smooth trade routes is now also one of the tasks of guarding Guanzhong.

no way.

It was purely forced by the Han merchant alliance.

Cao Pi was already jealous when he saw how much profit the Han merchant alliance had made.

However, the Wei Guo Commercial Alliance could not compete with the Han State, and domestic sales could not be done. They could only engage in foreign trade and set off on a different track.

Not to mention, the Wei Guo Commercial Alliance made a lot of money from it.

Where have those gringos seen so many treasures?

Everyone's eyes were opened, and they took out the money in their pockets.

This is still just the beginning. After Xiyi learns about the Wei Business Alliance, the business will definitely grow bigger and bigger.

"With the general's talent, it is more than enough to manage Guanzhong, but to ensure smooth trade routes, we also need to appease the powerful chiefs in Liangzhou."

When Cao Pi ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, Liangzhou was in chaos.

Qu Yan of Xiping colluded with several nearby counties to create unrest and resist Zou Qi; Zhang Jin of Zhangye County arrested the prefect Du Tong, and Huang Hua of Jiuquan County refused the prefect Xin Ji to take office in the county. They all claimed that the prefect responded to Qu Yan. The Hu people from three tribes in Wuwei County also rebelled again.

In the end, it was thanks to Hao Zhao, Wei Ping, Su Ze and others that the Liangzhou rebellion was put down.

In fact, the degree of Wei State's control over Liangzhou was not high, and due to the inward migration of foreign races, it became even more difficult to manage.

Cao Zhen knew that this was a hard job, but he also understood that if it was done well, it would be a beneficial thing for both Wei and himself.

"Don't worry, Lieutenant. Guanzhong is in my hands and there will be no chaos. Even if Liangzhou and the foreigners are in my hands, there will be no chaos."

Zhong Yao nodded.

He knew Cao Zhen's talent.

"Food is the first priority for the people, and farming is also very important. In a few days, it will be time for spring plowing, so we must do a good job in this matter."

As for why the spring plowing period is almost over in Jiangnan, but there is no spring plowing in Guanzhong?

The reason is simple.

Guanzhong is to the north, and the time for spring plowing is much slower than that in the south of the Yangtze River.

"I know."

Everything that needs to be explained has been explained.

Zhong Yao took one last look at the eight hundred miles of Qinchuan, and then walked slowly down to the city.

Under Chang'an City, the convoy is already ready.

The people spontaneously sent out Wanmin Umbrellas and sent Zhong Yao all the way out of Chang'an.

After Zhong Yao left, Cao Zhen finally let out a sigh of relief.

From today on, there is no one on his head anymore.

The pressure on my body was unconsciously relieved a lot.

In the past few years as General Zhenxi, Cao Zhen could be said to have never been idle for a day.

In the first year of Yankang, Cao Pi ascended the throne as the king of Wei. He appointed Cao Zhen as the general who suppressed the west, and commanded the military forces in Yongzhou and Liangzhou. He recorded his achievements before and after, and was granted the title of Marquis of Dongxiang.

At that time, Cao Pi began to appoint the governor of Liangzhou and appointed Zou Qi, the prefect of Anding, as the governor. Zhang Jin, a native of Zhangye County, took the governor hostage and rebelled in Jiuquan. He led his army to prevent Zou Qi from taking office. Cao Zhen sent Fei Yao to march to quell Zhang Jin's rebellion.

In the eleventh month of Xinwei last year, Zhiyuanduo, Lu Shui, Fengshang and other Hus formed a coalition to cause chaos in Hexi. Cao Zhen led the generals to attack the coalition of Hus and won a complete victory and pacified Hexi.

According to the "Book of Wei", this battle "beheaded more than 50,000 people, captured 100,000 livestock, 1.11 million sheep, and 80,000 cattle."

After the news of Po Hu arrived in Luoyang, Cao Pi was very happy and laughed and said: "I am strategizing within the curtain, and the generals are fighting bravely thousands of miles away, and their response is in line with the rules. There are not so many captives captured in the front and rear battles." of."

This battle re-opened the road between the Western Regions and the Central Plains dynasty. In February of this year, the kings of Shanshan, Qiuci, and Khotan each sent envoys to contribute, and Cao Wei restored the rule of the Han Dynasty in the Western Regions.

To say that he has outstanding achievements is not an exaggeration.

I heard that his reward will be coming soon.

As a member of the Cao Wei clan, Cao Zhen was relatively well-informed and already knew the contents of the reward before it came.

He was promoted to the rank of general of the army, and was in charge of all domestic and foreign military affairs. He became one of the highest commanders of Cao Wei's army.

If it weren't for the chaos in Hexi, Cao Zhen should have gone back to Luoyang with Zhong Yao.

Thinking of this, Cao Zhen became very angry.

This place west of Hexi has only been peaceful for a long time, and some people have risen up to cause chaos again. They really don't know whether to live or die.

Judging from the fact that there were still too few people killed in Hexi before.

This time, he will strike hard and kill everyone in Hexi, so that they will never dare to cause chaos again!

I heard that the Han Dynasty was conquering Wu and the Wei Dynasty was recovering the land of Xuzhou. Cao Zhen was not present at such a grand event.

What a pity!

I will first clean up the insects in your land west of Hexi, and then I will go to the Kingdom of Wu.

Among the heroes in this world, I, Cao Zhen, will definitely be a hero for a while.

It's time for the Han Dynasty Crown Prince Liu Gongsi to show his iron fist to Cao Zhen.

Three days after Zhong Yao left, Cao Zhen immediately entrusted all matters in Guanzhong to Anxi General Xiahou Mao, asking him to comfort and educate the foreigners and handle the farming affairs well.

Afterwards, he led the army out of Chang'an and rushed towards the land west of Hexi.

Xiahou Mao has no military strategy, but is good at running his family business.

In Cao Zhen's opinion, there is nothing wrong in Guanzhong now, so entrusting him with this important task is the best thing.

However.

After three days.

Liu Bei arrived at Nanzheng without any delay. After an inspiring speech, the whole army gathered together and divided into two groups, heading towards Chencang Road and Ziwu Road.

Those taking the Chencang Road were the main force of the Han army. Liu Bei personally led the army, numbering 50,000.

Those who took the Ziwu Road were a partial division of the Han army, led by Wei Yan, the commander-in-chief of Hanzhong, with only 5,000 men.

No matter how.

For Liu Bei, this is his last battle, and it is also a battle that he must succeed!

With his physical condition, he can no longer support the second battle! (End of chapter)