At the end of the Han Dynasty: a stingy husband from his hometown

Chapter 273 Transferring the Imperial Title
In the past, these barbarian generals would not have been so enthusiastic about making achievements.

Just because the Han people generally felt superior to others, even if the court had to recruit barbarians to participate in countering the rebellion, they would only be rewarded with some money and food in the end.

As for official positions, it was impossible for barbarians to obtain them.

Nowadays, Zhou Qi has given the barbarians the same rights as the Han people. The barbarians can not only be officials, but may even be appointed as generals.

For these barbarians, the allure of Han official positions was self-evident.

Moreover, there is also a chain of contempt between barbarians and foreigners, just like the Han people look down on barbarians and consider them to be uncivilized people.

The barbarians also looked down on the Shan and Pyu states, believing that they were far away from the Central Plains dynasty and were frontier barbarian states. Compared with the various barbarian tribes in the south that had long been attached to the Han Dynasty and had deeply integrated with Han culture, the Shan and Pyu states were basically Not worth mentioning.

This is true.

Just a few southern barbarian tribes in Yongchang County can turn the northern part of the Shan country upside down, allowing the Piao Kingdom to find an opportunity to invade the Shan Kingdom.

If all the barbarian tribes in the four counties of Nanzhong work together, coupled with the command and mobilization of the Han people, and take time to destroy the Shan and Piao countries, what will it mean?
Looking at everyone's performance, Zhou Qi couldn't help but nodded secretly.

Although he wanted to destroy the Shan and Piao kingdoms, he could not make a move. If he mobilized troops from Jingzhou or Yangzhou, he would not only be unaccustomed to the climate, but also spend countless troops on expeditions and spend countless money and food.

On the contrary, it would save the most time and effort to let Xiang Hong, Meng Huo, Gao Ding and others recruit troops and horses, prepare grain and grass, and train soldiers nearby in the south, and then go to conquer the two small southern countries.

Besides.

Zhou Qi established the governor of Nanzhong and planned to pay the state.

Although Jiaozhou is vast and sparsely populated, its registered population exceeds one million. If you include unregistered ethnic minorities and hidden household registrations, this number may double.

Zhou Qi did not have the energy to lead his own expedition, so he established a southern governor and asked Xiang Hong and Fazheng to attack nearby. This would expand his territory without affecting the northern strategy.

After drawing a pie for everyone, after Meng Huo, Gao Ding and others left, Zhou Qi left Xiang Hong and Fazheng alone.

Zhou Qi looked at the two of them and said seriously: "The situation in the Central Plains is very serious. Yuan Shu's defeat is a foregone conclusion. Yuan Shao's general trend has been achieved. I'm afraid I won't have the energy to visit southward anymore."

"Bode is loyal, brave and good at fighting; he is filial, upright, clever and full of wisdom."

"I feel relieved that you two are here in Nanzhong. I hope that when the situation in Nanzhong stabilizes, you two can destroy the Shan and Piao countries."

Having said this, Zhou Qi paused for a while, and then his tone became a bit solemn, and said: "The barbarians from various tribes in the south and central China have already surrendered to the imperial court, and they have the same ancestors as us Han people, but they lack education and are oppressed by local forces. Will raise troops to rebel."

“This is also why Gu Can’t bear to cause too many murders in Nanzhong.”

"However, most of the barbarians are afraid of force and have no morals. Although I have shocked the chiefs of the barbarian tribes, I am still worried that some people have evil intentions."

"The kindness and righteousness have been done. If anyone disobeys the imperial court and raises troops to rebel in the future, he will be a barbarian to his clan!"

When Xiang Hong and Fazheng heard this, they both looked solemn and said in unison: "Wei!"

Zhou Qi looked at the two of them and continued: "The land in Nanzhong is fertile and the products are rich. How can the people of Shan and Piao be so virtuous and able to enjoy such a blessed land?"

"When the army goes south, there is no need to restrain the soldiers of each tribe."

"I don't want the remnants of these two countries to continue to cause chaos and separate their territories in dozens or hundreds of years. Do you know what I mean?"

When the two of them heard this, they were both shocked and bowed their heads: "Wei!"

If the barbarians are all Han people in later generations, Zhou Qi will have a good impression of them.So for those people living in Indochina, except for northern Myanmar, which was once included in the rule of China, central Myanmar and southern Myanmar have always been independent kingdoms.

Zhou Qi is not a good person, and he doesn't have much patience and kindness towards people outside his own country.

Rather than slowly civilizing the people of Indochina, Zhou Qi was more willing to use Westerners' policies towards Indians and cut the knot with a sharp knife to completely cut off the local people's chance of revolting in the future.

Doing this will bring a lifetime of infamy, but it will be of great benefit to China as a whole.

Zhou Qi did not treat those people with the same policy as the barbarians. In addition to the fact that the barbarians were no different from the Han people in later generations, it was also because the barbarians and Han people in the four counties of Nanzhong had lived together for hundreds of years. They had already had a basis for integration and had a strong understanding of Chinese culture. A deep sense of identity.

On the contrary, the indigenous people of Indochina have always been independent dynasties and have their own beliefs.

Zhou Qi doesn't quite agree with that kind of belief, and he also knows how difficult it is to change a country that has faith.

Therefore, compared to the ethnic integration that may take hundreds of years to achieve, Zhou Qi does not mind completely erasing them from the beginning.

Just like that, Zhou Qi left.

Before leaving, he left behind five thousand Han soldiers and horses, and then led his army back to Xiangyang in a mighty manner, and immediately transferred Du Ji, Zhang Hong, Zhang Zhao, and Gu Yong to serve in various counties in Nanzhong.

Ruyang, Imperial Palace.

Yuan Shu's face turned pale as he looked at the battle report that looked like snowflakes.

Ji Ling was shot and killed by Zhang He.

Zhang Xun was beheaded by Yan Liang.

Qiao Rui was beheaded by Wen Chou.

Han Xian and Yang Feng surrendered to Liu Bei, and Chen Lan and Lei Bo surrendered to Yuan Shao.

The rest of the troops were civilized and military, and there were countless people who escaped.

Less than a year after Yuan Shu proclaimed himself emperor, many people had already rebelled against his relatives, and there were almost no people available under his command. The Runan city wall, which had been continuously reinforced for a long time, was also crumbling.

When Yuan Shao defeated Yuan Shu's main force in Changping and led an army to besiege Ruyang, almost all counties under Yuan Shu's rule were determined by Yuan Shao's summons.

In addition to the fact that the officials in each county were discerning and knew that Yuan Shao would definitely win, it was also related to Yuan Shao's background.

No matter what, Yuan Shao was born in the Yuan family of Runan, and he and Yuan Shu were brothers.

In addition to the children of the Yuan family, many of the people who could serve as officials under Yuan Shu's rule were disciples and former officials of the Yuan family in Runan.

They had made the wrong bet to join Yuan Shu, and now even if they switch to Yuan Shao, it would be nothing. They are all working for the Yuan family anyway.

If it were Liu Bei, even if he defeated Yuan Shu's main force, he would still be struggling and be blocked at every turn.

Today, Yuan Shu almost only has the isolated city of Ruyang left.

If Yuan Shu had not continued to expand and build the walls of Ruyang before he became emperor, and also collected a lot of money and grain to enrich Ruyang's treasury, I am afraid that Ruyang would have been defeated by Yuan Shao's army.

Even so, people in Ruyang City are also in a state of confusion.

Not only because of Yuan Shu's successive defeats, but also because of Xun You's psychological strategy, people shot arrows into the city every day, with letters of persuasion to surrender tied to the arrows.

The content of the letter is also very simple. It only says that Ruyang is also the hometown of King Zhao, and all the people in the city have old ties to King Zhao.

King Zhao couldn't bear to see Ruyang's life in ruins, and hoped that the soldiers and civilians in the city would take the initiative to open the city and surrender.

King Zhao promised that when the city is broken, the three armies will be absolutely restrained and no harm will be done to the wealthy families and common people in the city.If it had been anyone else, the soldiers and civilians in the city would have been a little worried after seeing the contents of the letter, and they would not have complied with it after the city was broken.

However, Yuan Shao was also born in Ruyang and had an excellent reputation among scholars and people, so no one would question the authenticity of the letter.

It is precisely because of this that the hearts of the soldiers and civilians in the city are floating.

Looking at Yuan Shu with a look of decadence on his face, Zheng Tai took out a letter from his arms, handed it to Yuan Shu, and said, "This is the letter that Xun Gongda sent to the old minister to persuade him to surrender."

"This letter was sent directly to the old minister's house. Does your Majesty know how serious the situation is?"

Zheng Tai and Xun You had a good personal relationship.

When General He Jin was assisting the government, in order to win over the nobles, he recruited many famous scholars, including Xun You and Zheng Tai.

Later, He Jin died and Dong Zhuo caused chaos in the government. The two were forced to serve under Dong Zhuo.

However, both of them were not peaceful people. They once jointly planned to assassinate Dong Zhuo. After the incident was revealed, Xun You was arrested and imprisoned, but Zheng Tai fled to Yuan Shu and was entrusted with a high-level job.

In this way, Zheng Tai and Xun You can be regarded as close friends who share weal and woe.

With this relationship, it is not surprising that Xun You wrote a letter to persuade Zheng Tai to surrender.

only.

Ruyang has been surrounded by Yuan Shao for a long time. In order to prevent Yuan Shao's spies from entering the city, Yuan Shu sent his close men and troops to guard the city at various critical places to ensure that not a single mosquito could fly into the city.

Now, Xun You's letter has appeared in Zheng Tai's house, and things are unusual.

This also proves that the situation in the city has become so chaotic that even if Yuan Shu bites the bullet and defends Ruyang, he may not be able to hold on for long.

After reading the content of the letter, Yuan Shu also heard the implication of Zheng Tai's words, and immediately sighed dejectedly and remained silent.

Zheng Tai said: "The old minister urged your Majesty not to proclaim himself emperor, but he was dismissed from office and stayed at home."

"If he does not proclaim himself emperor, the alliance of the southern princes will not break up. Yuan Shao will lead troops to attack Yuzhou, and Zhou Ziyi and Liu Xuande will definitely bring troops to help."

"It is precisely because His Majesty proclaimed himself emperor that Ruyang is now isolated and helpless, and Ruyang has become an isolated city!"

Yuan Shu looked at Zheng Tai with despair and said, "Now that the matter has come to this, what can we do?"

Zheng Tai pondered for a long time, but then said: "Your Majesty can send people out of the city to present the imperial seal and the emperor's title to Yuan Benchu. On this condition, his life will be saved."

"Your Majesty is, after all, a direct descendant of the Yuan family in Runan, and Yuan Benchu ​​is a very respectable person."

"If your majesty is willing to surrender and offer the title of God and the jade seal to pass down the country, Yuan Shao will not harm your majesty. Instead, he will support your majesty with high officials and generous salaries to win people's hearts."

"Although you will lose your real power, you can still be rich and powerful, which is better than losing the city and dying in the army!"

Yuan Shu was at the end of his rope at this time. After hearing Zheng Tai's advice, the expression on his face was uncertain. He hesitated for a long time before sighing dejectedly: "I regret not listening to the military advisor's words in the past."

"Would the military advisor be willing to go out of the city to discuss surrender with Yuan Benchu?"

Zheng Tai said: "I am willing to go!"

Outside the city, Yuan Jun's camp was in the commander's tent. Yuan Shao was sitting cross-legged on the mat, drinking sour plum soup and eating grapes. He was very comfortable and not worried about the war in Ruyang.

"Your Majesty, the envoy of Yuan Jiujiu wants to see you!"

Just when Yuan Shao was enjoying it, someone suddenly came to retaliate.

Yuan Shao asked: "Who is this person?"

The left and right people answered: "It's Zheng Tai, the military advisor under Yuan Benchu's command!"

When Yuan Shao heard this, his eyes widened. He asked people to remove the things in the tent, and after tidying up his clothes, he said: "Summon Zheng Gongye into the tent to discuss matters, and call Gongda here by the way."

Yuan Shao was always courteous to celebrities and virtuous people. Zheng Tai was extraordinary in terms of his origin and reputation, so Yuan Shao valued him so highly.

He also knew that Xun You had previously written a letter to Zheng Tai to persuade him to surrender, so he asked Xun You to come with him to entertain Zheng Tai.

Zheng Tai walked into the camp and immediately bowed to Yuan Shao: "The foreign minister pays homage to the king!"

When Yuan Shao saw this, he stood up hurriedly, then went up to him with a face full of joy, held Zheng Tai's arms and said, "I haven't seen you for a long time, Gu and Gongye!"

From here we can also see the difference between Yuan Shao and Zhou Qi.

If it were Zhou Qi, when he met the person he liked, he would definitely come out of the tent to greet him after learning his name. Before the other person saluted, he would hold his arms to show his closeness.

On the other hand, Yuan Shao maintained his identity and waited until the other party entered the tent and finished the ceremony before he pretended to come forward to entertain him warmly.

When Zheng Tai heard what Yuan Shao said, he couldn't help but sigh: "The last time I met the king was nine years ago."

"Back then, Dong Zhuo was in chaos and wanted to depose the emperor. All the ministers were fighting in two groups and did not dare to say anything. Only the king rose up with his power, confronted Dong Zhuo tit for tat, argued with reason, and then left Luoyang angrily."

"From that day on, I knew that the king would achieve great things in the future!"

When Yuan Shao heard this, a bright smile appeared on his face, and his attitude became more and more enthusiastic.

He looked at Zheng Tai, who had some sweat on his face, and immediately made him sit on the mat, ordered his maid to come and fan Zheng Tai, and then offered him sour plum soup and grapes.

Yuan Shao pointed to the sour plum soup and said: "The weather is hot now, and this soup is very good for relieving the heat. I will drink some of it first, and then we can talk about business later."

Zheng Tai did not refuse. After thanking Yuan Shao, he picked up a bowl of sour plum soup and drank it slowly. He only felt sour and sweet. His heart, which was restless due to the hot weather, gradually calmed down.

Seeing Zheng Tai put down the bowl, Yuan Shao pointed to the grapes on the fruit plate and said, "This was brought back by Zhang Qian when he was on his mission to the Western Regions. It is paired with sour plum soup in summer, which is great for relieving the heat. Gongye may also want to try it."

Zheng Tai was not in a hurry to reveal his intention. He took the grapes and tasted them slowly. It was indeed sweet and sour.

Not long after, Xun You arrived at the camp. He first saluted Yuan Shao, then looked at Zheng Tai and said with a smile, "We haven't seen each other for many years. Brother Gongye is still as charming as ever."

Zheng Tai shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Compared to Gongda, I'm far behind!"

The three of them all have the same experience, that is, they served under the general He Jin, and then were conquered by Dong Zhuo, and finally resisted Dong Zhuo's tyranny in their own way.

With this relationship, the three of them naturally talked happily.

I don’t know how much time passed, but Xun You suddenly asked, “Brother Gongye has received my letter and wants to defect to King Zhao?”

Zheng Tai shook his head and said: "I am here as an envoy on behalf of my lord. I plan to present the imperial seal and imperial title, and then open the city to surrender. I only hope that after King Zhao enters the city, he will treat my lord and the people in the city well."

Yuan Shao suddenly heard the news, and a bright smile gradually appeared on his face.

(End of this chapter)