Shuhan

In the Shangshu Terrace, the flickering candlelight illuminated the map of mountains and rivers hanging on the wall, as well as the solemn and profound faces of the three important ministers.

Sima Yi was dressed in heavy court robes and walked steadily, each step seeming to carry a majesty that could not be ignored.

He had just returned from Hongnong, and the fatigue between his brows could not be concealed despite the dust and exhaustion. However, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, flashing with an unquestionable light.

"Yancai, Changwen, long time no see."

Sima Yi's voice was low and powerful, with a hint of emotion of reunion after a long separation.

He bowed slightly and saluted to the Shangshu Ling Chen Qun who was sitting at the desk and the General Zhu Shao who was standing on the side.

These two people, one was the head of the civil servants, and the other was the leader of the guards. Together with Sima Yi, they were known as the Four Friends of Cao Pi and were the emperor's most trusted confidants.

Chen Qun has a thin face, and his eyes reveal a gentle yet resolute temperament.

He was dressed in luxurious official uniform and holding a pen in his hand, as if he was about to review the documents on the case.

Hearing Sima Yi's words, he gently put down his pen, stood up, returned the greeting, and said with a smile: "Zhongda, you are finally back. It must have been hard on this journey?"

Zhu Suo was a tall and strong man, still wearing his armor, looking very heroic.

He was in charge of the palace guards and half of the troops in Luoyang City, and was a veritable powerful figure in Luoyang City.

Seeing Sima Yi salute, he also clasped his fists in return and said with a smile: "Brother Zhongda, long time no see. I heard that you stopped the Han army in Hongnong and caused them heavy casualties. I really admire you!"

Sima Yi smiled slightly, but he felt mixed emotions.

"We failed to defeat the Han army and only defended the territory. This is not a great achievement."

Sima Yi's trip to the Secretariat was not only to reminisce about the past, but also to tell them a piece of news - the State of Wu, the country on the left side of the Yangtze River that once stood side by side with the State of Wei, had now been destroyed by the State of Han.

"Yancai, Changwen, I have something important to discuss with you." Sima Yi's expression became serious. He slowly walked to the map, staring at the territory representing the Wu Kingdom. After a moment's silence, he slowly spoke.

"The Wu Kingdom no longer exists."

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Qun and Zhu Ruo's faces instantly became solemn.

The pen in Chen Qun's hand accidentally slipped and rolled to the ground, making a crisp sound, which seemed to foreshadow something ominous.

Zhu Ruo suddenly clenched his fists, his joints made a "creaking" sound, and his eyes flashed with disbelief.

"Is this... is this true?"

Chen Qun's voice trembled a little. He looked at Sima Yi in disbelief, trying to find the answer from the other's eyes.

Sima Yi nodded heavily and told the two of them what he had heard and seen in the palace.

"The Wu Kingdom has been destroyed, the Han Kingdom is at its peak, and our Wei Kingdom is in danger of being destroyed!"

Sima Yi made a long story short and slowly recounted how the Han State broke through the Wu State's defenses with lightning speed, how it gradually eroded the Wu State's territory, and ultimately caused the Wu State to collapse.

Every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting Chen Qun and Zhu Shuo's hearts hard.

The two men understood in their hearts the weight of the statement that Wu was destroyed by Han.

The State of Wu occupied Yangzhou, Jingzhou, Guangzhou and Jiaozhou.

Its territory extended to Lujiang County in the north, Rinnan County in the south, Jiaozhi County in the west, and the East China Sea in the east. It was said to have hundreds of thousands of soldiers and millions of civilians, and it was a rich country with a strong military.

Is this destroyed?
Chen Qunyou didn't believe it.

"Did Zhongda hear it wrong? Or is there something wrong with this news?"

Zhu Suo nodded heavily and said, "Sun Wu started from Jingzhou, encountered turmoil and spread to the Jiangbei area. Liu Bei was frightened and fled to Bamin. Then he relied on the solid hills and rocks, the three rivers and five lakes, and sweated endlessly. He pretended to be alive and soulless and resisted China for four centuries. Such a country can be destroyed in less than a month?"

Zhu Suo didn't believe it, nor did he want to believe it.

He muttered to himself: "This is impossible, this is absolutely impossible!"

Seeing that Zhu Shao and Chen Qun still had expressions of disbelief on their faces, Sima Yi knew that such shocking news would indeed take time to digest.

He slowly walked to the window, looking at the deep night outside, feeling mixed emotions.

After a moment, he turned around and looked at the two of them with a firm gaze, his tone filled with unquestionable certainty.

"Your Majesty has recalled the governor Wu Zhi who was stationed in Hebei, and sent me to the border between Wei and Wu to prevent the Han Kingdom from launching a northern expedition. This is absolutely true and is not a lie."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Ruo frowned and clenched his hands into fists, as if he was trying hard to suppress the shock in his heart.

Chen Qun closed his eyes and thought for a moment. After a while, he slowly opened his eyes, with a resolute light flashing in his eyes. He asked in a deep voice: "The Wu Kingdom has been destroyed. What is your majesty's decree?"

Sima Yi took a deep breath, and said in a heavy and firm tone: "There will be a war between Han and Wei. The place of the decisive battle is not decided by us, but chosen by Han. What we can do now is to strengthen our national strength and military strength to prepare for an emergency."

The Han attacked Wei from five directions.

These five routes could all be the direction of the decisive battle.

of course
From now on, the probability of attacking Shouchun from Hefei may be higher.

After all, the Han emperor Liu Gongsi is now in the Wu Kingdom.

Then, Sima Yi's eyes became unusually sharp, and he said in a heavier tone: "With the current state of the country, all other things must be put aside. If Wei is destroyed, will our wealth and honor still be there? What will happen to our families and relatives?"

Although his voice was not loud, every word he said was like a heavy hammer, hitting the two people's hearts hard.

The struggle between the Wei aristocratic families and the imperial power actually tended to intensify as the Wei state declined.

All these noble families seek is profit.

No matter if it is for one to hold a high position, for one's children to hold official positions, or for one's family to prosper for hundreds, thousands, or even ten thousand years.

The perspective from which their interests stand has always been their own.

There are many struggles, both overt and covert.

However, at this point in time, if the open and covert fighting continues, this country will really perish.

"When it comes to the rise and fall of a country, we, the people wearing gold and purple, should serve and save the country."

Chen Qun knew what Sima Yi meant and said immediately, "Don't worry, Zhongda. I will take good care of this."

Sima Yi nodded.

The current situation is like this, but the country has fewer and fewer ministers to use.

The ministers whom Cao Pi relied on and valued were no longer selected and appointed based on their talents.

But whether it can be trusted.

Those who went out to lead troops and serve as generals were basically members of the royal family of Cao and Xiahou.

Regardless of their talents.

Most of those who were given important positions were former officials of the palace.

For example, the four friends of Cao Pi.

Your Majesty today no longer employs virtuous and capable people, but rather people who are trustworthy.

If so, how can we compete with the Han Kingdom?
Hey ~
Sima Yi sighed.

I just hope the prince can do something.
time flies.

More than twenty days passed in a blink of an eye.

It's the end of the year again.

After today, it will be the fourth year of Tianming.

It was the dead of winter and the wind was biting, but the palace in Jianye was warm as spring. The fire was blazing, reflecting Liu Chan's face, which looked a little tired but still majestic.

The Wu Kingdom had just been established and there was a lot of work to be done, but Liu Chan's heart was like the fire, both hot and anxious.

After the Han Dynasty conquered Wu, the most difficult thing was to stabilize the people's hearts and prevent the embers from rekindling.

After all, the Sun family has ruled Jiangzuo for three generations, and this is not in vain.

That's why.

He decided to stay in Jianye and personally supervise the battle to ensure a smooth transition of the newly conquered territory.

It can also unite the majority of people in Jiangzuo and lay a solid foundation for the subsequent attack on Wei.

"Have you arranged everything for Laci?"

Liu Chan's voice was not loud, but it carried unquestionable majesty.

Fei Yi bowed and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, rest assured. According to the regulations, all rewards have been issued. People have been sent to Chang'an and Chengdu to ensure that every subject can feel your majesty's grace."

It is customary to give out "year-end bonuses" during the Chinese New Year. Year-end bonuses have existed since the Eastern Han Dynasty.
But at that time, only officials would have "year-end bonuses".

Ordinary people won’t have it.

According to the "Han Guanyi" records.

The Spring Gift is given on the day of the Beginning of Spring, when the emperor will send people to distribute benefits to all officials.

The civil officials Si Tu and Si Kong were given 30 pieces of silk, and the Nine Ministers were given 15 pieces.

The military officers, the Grand Marshal and the General, received 60 horses, and the Colonel each received 30 horses.

Laci means giving silver money as a reward directly in the twelfth lunar month near the end of the year.

For example, the generals and the three ministers were directly rewarded with 30 coins during the Laci ceremony.

In addition, he was also rewarded with 200 kilograms of beef and 200 hu of polished rice.

The special reward was 15 yuan, the minister 10 yuan, and the colonel 5 yuan.

The Shangshu Cheng and Lang each had 15,000.

The Imperial Censor, the Ushers, the Counsellor, and the Minister of the Chancellery each received five thousand.

Especially now that we have won the battle, this Laci is even more necessary.

The people's hearts cannot be lost, the military's hearts naturally cannot be lost, and the hearts of the ministers cannot be discouraged.

If you want the horse to run, you have to feed it well!

Liu Chan's current prestige is not only due to his repeated victories and the accumulation of prestige, but also reflected in the details.

For example, the Laci gift that is given out every year.

"very good!"

The Emperor of the Han Dynasty nodded slightly, a glimmer of satisfaction flashed in his eyes, and then asked: "After the destruction of the Wu Kingdom, how did our newly appointed officials perform in the local areas? Have there been any cases of rebellion and killing?"

Fei Yi's face was solemn, and he spoke slowly: "There were indeed a few incidents of rebellion, such as the Wujun Shen family. They were dissatisfied and tried to resist, but fortunately they were suppressed in time. Thanks to the great help of several major families in Jiangdong, small disturbances like the Wujun Shen family were quickly quelled."

The Shen family of Wu County was said to be a noble family, but in fact they were just local tyrants.

The Han State sent officials, and when their interests were affected, he naturally turned against them.

Unfortunately, he thought other nobles would stand with him, but he didn't know that Liu Chan had already united most people around him and made many friends of his own.

Although the Wujun Shen family was a local, they were outnumbered and weak. With the efforts of the Han army and the troops of various families, their family was soon destroyed.

"Very good, it seems that Gu Yong, Zhang Zhao and others are capable."

Upon hearing this, Liu Chan curled up his lips into a faint smile and secretly calculated in his heart.

The power of the Jiangdong aristocratic families should not be underestimated. As long as they are willing to cooperate, those sporadic rebellions are nothing to be afraid of.

His gaze passed through the window of the palace, as if he could penetrate time and space, and saw the land that had just been incorporated into the territory. He felt a sense of accomplishment but also deep worry about the future.

"Is Jianye still stable?"

As soon as Liu Chan finished speaking, Fei Yi understood what he meant. He was asking whether the former crown prince, now King of Wu, Sun Deng, was law-abiding.

After all, the former Crown Princess, now Princess Wu, has been staying in the palace for many days and has not returned yet.

Almost all of the King of Wu's concubines had had sex with Liu Chan.

In this situation, would Sun Deng's dignity as a man make him do anything impulsive?

"The King of Wu has been law-abiding and has not colluded with the outside world."

Fei Yi's answer was concise and clear, but it made Liu Chan feel relieved.

Sun Deng's attitude was directly related to the Han Dynasty's control over the newly occupied areas, so he had to be cautious.

but
Sun Deng's obedience made Liu Chan suspicious.

The land of Wu and Yue produced a man like Gou Jian who was good at forbearance.

Did Sun Deng give up and was willing to suffer humiliation just for the sake of the Sun family's wealth and his own glory and glory, and swallow the humiliation of being cuckolded?

Or is there some conspiracy brewing?

Nothing is known.

But this kind of thing is not easy to say openly.

Changing the topic, Liu Chan asked about the situation in Wei State again, with a hint of imperceptible worry between his brows.

"What's going on with Sima Yi?"

Fei Yi's expression also became serious: "Sima Yi has led his army to Shouchun and seems to be ready to make a move. Your Majesty, we have to be on guard."

Liu Chan was silent for a moment, tapping the armrest with his fingers, making a dull sound.

After the destruction of Wu, the confrontation between the Han Dynasty and Wei will become more direct and intense.

Sima Yi, this old silver coin, has always been a big worry for him.

Now he must consider how to secure his new territory while also dealing with the threat from the north.

The Wu area has not yet been stabilized. Before this year's autumn harvest, the main task is to maintain the stability of the Wu area.

Liu Chan would feel at ease only after the Han Kingdom had completely absorbed all of the old territories of the Wu Kingdom.

"Pass the order to strengthen the border defense, especially the areas bordering Wei. Do not relax at all."

Liu Chan's voice was firm and powerful, and every word revealed his unquestionable determination.

"Also, keep an eye on the news from Shouchun. The intelligence gathered by the spy department in Wudi must be sent to me as soon as possible."

"promise!"

Fei Yi received the order and was about to leave, but Liu Chan stopped him again: "Also, you must be more considerate of the people in Wu. Their hearts have not yet been completely surrendered. We, the Han Dynasty, must win their hearts with benevolent policies."

The Chinese people are the easiest to fool and the easiest to settle.

They had only one request.

Have a full meal.

As long as this point is satisfied for them, they will support the rule of the Han Dynasty.

Only then will they recognize him as the Emperor of the Han Dynasty in their hearts.

Water can carry a boat or capsize it.

Liu Chan understood this principle.

The power of the aristocratic families must be relied upon, and the hearts of the people can be utilized even more.

Fei Yi nodded, secretly admiring Liu Chan's foresight.

Destroying Wu was not only a military undertaking, but also a conquest of people's hearts.

Only when the people of Wu truly feel the kindness of the Han Dynasty can this land truly become a part of the Han Dynasty.

As the night deepened, the lights in the palace gradually dimmed.

Liu Chan sat alone on the dragon throne, staring at the unknown night sky outside the window, with mixed feelings in his heart.

He won the battle to destroy Wu, but the road ahead is still long and difficult.

The State of Wu was nothing.

The only enemy of the Han Dynasty has always been the State of Wei.

He must always stay sober, prevent internal unrest, resist foreign enemies, and win the hearts of the people.

This heavy burden made him feel unprecedented pressure, but it also aroused the fighting spirit deep in his heart.

He wakes up and holds the power of the world, but he lies drunk on the knees of a beautiful woman.

All of this comes at a price.

He can only enjoy these if he wins all the way.

Once defeated, Wu's present situation may not necessarily be Han's future situation!

He absolutely cannot lose! (End of this chapter)