Hengdao Sixteen Kingdoms

Chapter 663 Benevolence and Righteousness

In the midsummer of July, the scorching sun is high and the earth is roasted and smoking.

A vulture suddenly jumped out from among the grass and flew diagonally into the sky, carrying a long string of carrion under its claws...

An unbearable stench permeated the surroundings. Li Jian turned pale and felt nauseated. However, he had not eaten for two consecutive days since traveling westward.

Whenever I closed my eyes, the images of those half-rotten corpses kept repeating in my mind.

When I entered Jiuquan today, I saw human and horse corpses scattered on the ground.

Snakes, insects, rats and ants were gnawing at it, and all kinds of internal organs were dragged everywhere by wild wolves and wild boars.

Even when they saw the army, these greedy beasts refused to leave. They bared their teeth and claws at Li Jian and roared in a low voice...

"Is Your Highness okay?" Fu Pi, the accompanying reader, helped Li Jian.

"It doesn't matter...why aren't you afraid?" Li Jian asked curiously.

"When I was in Chang'an, my father fought for many years, and all ten houses in Guanzhong were empty. I saw a lot..." Fu Pi was one year and nine months younger than Li Jian, but he was generous and kind, intelligent and studious, and the two were extremely close.

Liang Guo buried Fu Jian generously, treated the Di Qin clan well, and married Fu Ya, which can be regarded as resolving the grievances between the two countries.

There were many children of the Fu family, and except for Fu Luo and Fu Fang, no one rebelled.

Even the mainstays of Di Qin such as Lu Polou, Xue Zan, Yan Fu, and Liang Shu were all used according to their talents.

After all, the Di people are a minority among the ethnic groups in the North. There was a severe drought the year before last and they moved to Jianghuai, Nanyang and other places, separating them from each other and far away from Guanzhong. They did not have the conditions to cause rebellion.

At this time a row of prisoners was led to the front.

With unkempt hair, ragged clothes, and a sad look on his face, he did not look like the thief described in the memorial at all.

"Kill!" A black cloud general shouted in a deep voice.

The big knife fell from the prisoner's back, blood splattered, and heads rolled.

A strong smell of blood diluted the smell of corpses.

After more than a hundred heads fell to the ground, more than a hundred more people were brought up and knelt in the bloody ground.

"Kill!" Heiyun Jiang ordered without any hesitation and with a cold expression.

The Black Cloud Army also waved his sword with an indifferent expression...

"They have already surrendered, why do they need to behead them?" Fu Pi couldn't bear it.

Li Jian took a deep breath, and the bloody smell rushed into his lungs from his mouth and nose. His stomach was boiling, but he still suppressed it. After adapting, he became accustomed to it.

In fact, everyone understands the truth.

The Qiang and Hu people in Liangzhou have always been unruly and unruly, and the Yi and Di are afraid of power and have no morals. They must be killed before they can surrender and be honest.

Along the way, Wang Meng actually gave them a chance to survive.

As long as they surrender, obey the military orders, and move to various places in the Central Plains, they can become children of Daliang.

However, these people refused to accept it. Instead, they listened to Bald Hair Sifuzhao's call and rose up to attack and plunder the army's food routes.

So Wang Meng no longer spoiled them.

"Liangzhou needs to be suppressed with authority, and these people are not sincere in their submission." Li Jian's expression recovered.

At this time, Wang Meng came over and glanced at the two of them, "If your highness feels unwell, you can return to Guzang."

"No, my nephew was unwell for a while, but he is much better now..." The two of them bowed their hands at the same time. "Without kindness in commanding troops, a monarch of a country must not be benevolent as a woman. This battle cost millions of stones of food, all of which were the blood and sweat of the people of Daliang. If Liangzhou cannot be pacified, the bald-headed Sifu and Kangning will be likened to Liang." If the state stands firm, it will bring disaster to Guanzhong. This time I will put an end to the thoughts of the Yi and Di people, eradicate the roots, and solve the hidden dangers of China for two hundred years in one fell swoop!"

Wang Meng was full of murderous intent.

In fact, Duan Jiong of the Eastern Han Dynasty also adopted this strategy. He guarded the border for more than ten years and fought hundreds of Qiang people. He killed more than 60,000 Qiang people from the east and west before the Qiang people's power weakened.

Fu Pi said: "The governor acted like this because he was afraid that the world would criticize him for being unkind and unjust."

"You are so young, do you know what benevolence and righteousness are? Clearing up the country's border troubles and lightening the burden of the people is the greatest benevolence and righteousness. If people in the world criticize you, then go ahead and criticize them. Doing it for your personal name rather than national affairs is the greatest benevolence and righteousness. Unkind and unjust!" Wang Meng said righteously.

"In the Qinliang Rebellion in the former Jin Dynasty, the Bald Haired Tree function caused trouble in the border areas for nine years. The Sima family spent countless money and food, and the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers were still unresolved. The harm was very great. Now we are strong and the other is weak. We should eradicate it once and for all. The barbarians in Liangzhou were benevolent and righteous for a moment, but they were the most unkind to the people and soldiers of Liang." Li Jian was quick-thinking and thought deeply.

After entering Liang, he was not idle, but often chatted with the soldiers, ate and lived together, and was very loved by the soldiers.

Of course, I also learned this from Wang Meng.

Wang Meng was cruel and ruthless to foreign enemies, but he was quite merciful to his army officers and soldiers.

If the soldiers were sick or injured, he would personally inquire, bandage the wounds, and feed them decoctions. If the soldiers had difficulties, Wang Meng would often solve them for them.

Without worries, Liang Jun naturally fought bravely on the battlefield to kill the enemy.

When a person is grounded, he can be down-to-earth and think about the soldiers, the people, and the country.

Compared with Fu Pi, he was a little worse. After reading too many books, people will be limited to the benevolence, righteousness and morality mentioned in the books.

"Hahaha, there is someone to succeed Daliang!" Wang Meng felt relieved. He was worthy of being a prince taught by the emperor himself. He was extremely talented.

With such a prince, Daliang can prosper for at least fifty years.

The biggest problem for a dynasty is inheritance.

Liu Yuan, Shi Le, Shi Hu, and Fu Jian all suffered in the next generation. Shi Le's entire family was killed, leaving no heirs, and Shi Hu's family was also exterminated. No matter how powerful a country is, it cannot withstand a foolish and incompetent monarch. .

Li Yue devoted a lot of effort to the education of the princes. He was sent to the Shangwu Hall at the age of five or six, and he hired famous teachers at the age of seven or eight. He accompanied them whenever he had free time, teaching them by words and deeds.

Now I finally see the results.

"The weather is hot and it is not easy for the soldiers to travel hard. Now the bandit chief has reached the end of his road. We should end this battle as soon as possible and recuperate." Wang Meng wiped the sweat from his face.

Even though he was wearing single clothes like this, one can imagine a soldier who is braving the scorching sun all day long.

Li Jian said: "Bafa Si Fu Zhen and Tuoba Gu fled all the way. They are trying to lure me deep into the army, exhausting our army, and then counterattack. I'm afraid it won't be an easy decisive battle."

This bandit army was fleeing and gathering various tribes at the same time, but they did not flee to the grassland, but detoured all the way to the west of Hexi.

Liang Jun pursued them all the way and wiped out the tribes who did not want to surrender.

"Normally, they would not easily fight a decisive battle, but now that Samana has been uprooted and there is no one to support them with food and supplies, they will definitely take risks. And they know that His Highness is in the army, so they cannot hold back." Wang Meng said with a smile.

Bald Si Futan gave up this opportunity and either fled to Mobei to join Tuoba Shiyijian, or fled to the Western Regions.

But both paths are dependent on others. Without the support of the Xianbei people in Liangzhou, death awaits him.

"It turns out that everything was planned by my uncle." Li Jian was relieved.

"Report to the Commander-in-Chief, Tuoba Gu has gathered 50,000 infantry and cavalry, waiting for the decisive battle of our army!" The scout rushed to report.

(End of this chapter)