Ji Han Liu Zhang

The first year of Jian'an, the end of August.

"Agriculture is the foundation of a country." Liu Zhang couldn't help but sigh as he flipped through the records of the massive military supplies consumed during this period.

At that time, although Liu Zhang took Guanzhong and killed the two thieves Li Jue and Guo Si.

However, Guanzhong had a small population and sparsely cultivated land, and due to the impact of war, the taxes it could provide were very little. Moreover, Guanzhong had just been settled and the war had just ended. If officials were sent to collect taxes and food at this time, it would be detrimental to Liu Zhang's efforts to win the hearts of the people in Guanzhong.

For this reason, from the time Liu Zhang sent troops from Hanzhong to the time he captured Chang'an, and then to the time he pursued and killed the two thieves Li Jue and Guo Si, all the military supplies and baggage were taken from the land of Bashu.

To transport grain and fodder from Bashu to Guanzhong, one had to trek through mountains and rivers, and the roads were rugged and difficult to travel. Not to mention that there were no roads in some places, and the only way to travel was through plank roads dug in the mountains. Therefore, transporting grain and fodder was extremely difficult.

Under such circumstances, in order to reduce the consumption of food and supplies, so as not to bring too much pressure to Bashu and cause the people of Bashu to become restless and disobey orders.

Therefore, the military mission Liu Zhang was currently carrying out, except for sending Gan Ning and Wen Pin to attack and capture important places such as Guanlong Road and Lueyang, there was no other military action. At this moment, he lowered his drums and flags and rested with the people.

However, considering the upcoming battle in Longyou, Liu Zhang couldn't help feeling worried. The troops, food, and supplies needed to attack Longyou from Guanzhong would be a huge number. If they were to be transported from Bashu at that time, the people of Bashu might not be able to support it, and some of them would flee.

Thinking of this, Liu Zhang put down the grain and grass register in his hand and said to his chief clerk Xun You: "The way to stabilize a country is to strengthen the army and provide enough food. The Qin people annexed the world by intensive farming; Emperor Xiaowu annexed the Western Regions by cultivating land. These are the good practices of previous generations..."

When Liu Zhang finished speaking and paused, Xun You already understood what Liu Zhang meant. He nodded and said, "Mingsong, what you said is very right. The policy of military farming is indeed a good model of our ancestors. In the past, Emperor Xiaowu opened up the northwest, and often built pavilions from Dunhuang to Yanze in the west. There were hundreds of farmers in Luntai and Quli, who cultivated and guarded the land at the same time. This avoided the long-distance transportation of grain from Central China and solved the need for garrison troops in the border areas. Only in this way can we stabilize the Western Regions in one fell swoop."

"My Lord, is it not your intention to establish military farms in Guanzhong to provide sufficient food and soldiers?" Xun You, the Chief Clerk and Military Advisor, asked, taking advantage of the previous conversation.

"That's right." Liu Zhang nodded heavily. It was easy to talk to smart people. He only said one sentence and Xun You was able to draw inferences about other cases. It was really a pleasure.

"All the supplies and food our army needs now come from Bashu, but Bashu is far away and it is hard to transport food and grass. Although it can support us for a while, it cannot support us forever. We will not have to rely on Bashu to transport food and grass when we send troops to Longyou and march eastward to the Central Plains. I am afraid that the people of Bashu will be in turmoil by then."

Liu Zhang expressed his concerns and then pointed out the current situation in Guanzhong: "Now, Guanzhong was first hit by Dong Zhuo's rebellion, and later by Li Jue and Guo Si's rebellion. The scholars and common people were displaced and the people were exhausted. Now it is a situation where there are more land and fewer people, and the land is often unowned. Therefore, I suggest that the wasteland be taken as government property and distributed to the soldiers for cultivation."

"In this way, the soldiers will not be idle because there is no war, causing trouble everywhere, which will be disadvantageous. Secondly, the income from the military farms can be used to supply military supplies. Thirdly, the unowned fertile land in Guanzhong will not be left barren, its fertility will be lost, and it will become low-quality soil."

Liu Zhang talked about the benefits of military farming in detail. In the feudal era, agriculture was the foundation, and farming was the top priority of the country. It was also something he was concerned about.

Xun You nodded in approval and praised, "Both fighting and farming, combining soldiers and farmers, this policy is beneficial to the country and the soldiers, and it should be implemented immediately... Later, I will go down and discuss it with the various departments, and give you a detailed plan for your careful review."

"Okay." Liu Zhang expressed his agreement. As a monarch, what he needed to control was the rudder, that is, the direction of his ship. As for the details, he would not do everything himself, as that would be too tedious and tiring.

Liu Zhang knew very well how Zhuge Liang died. Zhuge Liang got up early and went to bed late, and he would personally review all military sticks with more than 20 marks. He ate no more than three or four liters of rice. He ate little, but he was too dedicated, so he died in Wuzhangyuan, leaving a regret for future generations.

Therefore, Liu Zhang would naturally not imitate Zhuge Wuhou. He did not have the talent like Zhuge Wuhou to control everything. He could only set the general policy guidelines, and as for how to implement them and the control of details, he left it to his ministers.

It would be a waste if ministers were not used. What's more, their job is to fill in the gaps for the monarch so that there are no major omissions in the monarch's policies.

After discussing the matters of military farming, Liu Zhang said to Xun You with emotion: "This morning I received a document from Luoyang. It is just as you said. The emperor is coming to Luoyang. The princes in Guandong are all eagerly waiting. Only Cao Cao, the governor of Yanzhou, made a prompt decision and led his troops to Luoyang to protect the emperor."

Liu Zhang was not surprised at all that Cao Cao sent troops to Luoyang. To him, this was just history repeating itself. He just used this incident as an excuse to discuss the affairs of Guandong with Xun You.

Hearing this, Xun You said calmly, "In the past, the famous scholar Xu Shao from Runan said that Cao Cao is a capable minister in a peaceful era, but a treacherous hero in a chaotic era. If it were a peaceful era, Cao Cao might be a capable minister, but now that the world is in chaos and the emperor is in his hands, Cao Cao might turn into a treacherous hero."

"So Cao Cao claims to be the emperor's protector, but in Xun You's opinion, he actually intends to hold the emperor hostage." At this point, Xun You couldn't help but sigh for the fate of Emperor Liu Xie. He had just escaped from the wolf's den, but fell into the tiger's den. Liu Xie's fate was destined to be controlled by others and not be able to control himself.

Liu Zhang stroked the jade ruyi in his hand, feeling its warmth and coolness. He smiled faintly and said, "If Xun Wen, the uncle of Xun Qing, who has the talent of a king's assistant, was by Cao Cao's side, maybe he would correct Cao Cao and not turn him into a treacherous hero, but into a capable minister of the Han Dynasty?"

"The human heart is like water, how deep it is; the people's agitation is like smoke, how chaotic it is." Xun You shook his head and denied it: "If someone like Cao Cao gains power one day, he will suddenly rise to power, and my uncle Xun Wenruo will not be able to check and control him."

Xun You was very pessimistic. He and Xun Yu had many correspondences. He knew that Xun Yu had his heart set on the royal family. Xun Yu abandoned Yuan Shao and went to Cao Cao because Yuan Shao had a rebellious mind and had no intention of supporting the Han Dynasty. So Xun Yu found Cao Cao and planned to help Cao Cao fight against Yuan Shao and prevent Yuan Shao from being violent. However, in Xun You's view, Cao Cao was weaker than Yuan Shao and did not have the prestige of the Yuan family, but Cao Cao's mind was hard to guess. He might have a rebellious mind. Even if Cao Cao did not, I am afraid that Cao Cao's civil and military officials would push Cao Cao on the road of rebellion. At that time, how would his uncle Xun Yu deal with it?

"There is no definite conclusion yet. The result will have to be known in the future. It is still unknown whether Cao Cao is a capable minister or a treacherous hero." Liu Zhang, who knew the answer, adopted a wait-and-see tone.

Xun You nodded in agreement, but in fact he had already made up his mind that if Cao Cao came to power, his uncle might not have a good ending. After all, his uncle and Cao Cao were not of the same kind in some aspects.

"The areas of Qingxu and Huainan. Recently, Yuan Shu, who is located in Huainan, coveted the land of Xuzhou and sent troops to attack Xuzhou. Liu Bei, the governor of Xuzhou, led his troops to occupy Xuyi and Huaiyin. The two sides have been fighting for more than a month, with each winning and losing." Liu Zhang mentioned his fellow clan member Liu Bei.

"It's just that Liu Bei was not prepared for something, and his retreat was in jeopardy." Liu Zhang paused, and then went on to talk about the situation in Qingxu: "Zhang Fei, who Liu Bei arranged to stay in Xiapi, had a conflict with Cao Bao, an old general of Tao Qian, the former governor of Xuzhou. Cao Bao led his troops to defend himself, and led Lu Bu to attack Xiapi, defeating Zhang Fei and capturing Liu Bei's wife and children. Now Liu Bei's soldiers are scattered, and he has no choice but to turn to Haixi. It can be said that he is in great trouble."

As Liu Zhang spoke, he felt a little emotional. Liu Bei, who rose from being the Prime Minister of Pingyuan to the Governor of Xuzhou, did not have such strong control over the situation when he first occupied a large province, so he gained and lost it suddenly. Before he could even get comfortable in the position of Governor of Xuzhou, Xuzhou was captured by Lu Bu. He needed some more tempering before he became the future Emperor Zhaolie of Han, Liu Bei.

Talking about Qingxu and Huainan, thousands of miles away from Guanzhong, Xun You's face relaxed. He made a sharp analysis: "Xuzhou has no strategic location to rely on, and Liu Bei has just arrived in Xuzhou and has not yet established his trust. Therefore, Xuzhou is not something Liu Bei can defend. Even if there is no Lu Bu, there is Cao Bu. Sooner or later, Xuzhou will be stolen by others."

"You are right." Liu Zhang responded. Xuzhou is a place with many roads leading to all directions, but Liu Bei has a shallow foundation and it is impossible for him to hold Xuzhou. With the bandits from Mount Tai in the north, Yuan Shu lurking in the south, Cao Cao in the west, and Lu Bu inside, it would be harder than climbing to the sky for Liu Bei to hold Xuzhou.

……

Tianshui County, the station of General Han Sui.

"Ma Chao is a brave man. If it were not for Yan Ming, I would not be able to defeat him." Han Sui praised Yan Xing loudly. The more he looked at the brave Yan Xing, the more he liked him. As for martial arts, no one in his army could be a match for Yan Xing, and among the enemy's brave Ma Chao, only Yan Xing could defeat him.

After hearing this, Yan Xing, who looked heroic, said humbly: "How dare I accept such high regard from the general... Although Ma Chao is brave, he is just a reckless man. There are many people in the army who can fight against him. He is not the enemy of one person."

"Why should Yan Ming be humble? A man should be proud of his talent, only then can he be worthy of being a man." Han Sui smiled and shook his head. Although he said so, he was very satisfied with Yan Ming's humble and respectful attitude. He could praise his subordinates, but the subordinates should not be proud of their achievements and bully him as the commander-in-chief.

Han Sui, thinking of his unmarried daughter, wanted to arrange a marriage for Yan Xing, so that Yan Xing could follow him wholeheartedly.

But before Han Sui could finish his words, the messenger who was in charge of reporting news brought him a piece of news that made him feel uneasy.

The messenger knelt on one knee in the hall, clasped his hands and said, "General, according to our scouts, the Shu general Wen Pin led his troops to occupy the Guanlong Road, and the Shu general Gan Ning led his troops to capture Lueyang. Now the Shu army has penetrated deep into Longyou."

"Isn't that Liu Yizhou leading his troops to fight with Li Jue and Guo Si in Guanzhong? Has the war in Guanzhong ended?" Yan Xing looked confused and asked the messenger.

The messenger replied, "The news from Guanzhong is that the Shu army has captured Chang'an City. Li Jue and Guo Si led their troops to flee north, but were caught up by the Shu army and are trapped in Huangbai City. They are in danger of dying."

"No wonder." Yan Xing murmured to himself. Only when the war in Guanzhong had a clear outcome, the Shu army would have the spare energy to attack Longyou. Otherwise, the Shu army would never rashly attack Longyou before the war in Guanzhong had a result. The most feared thing in this war is fighting on two fronts, and it is inevitable that one side will be unable to support.

Han Sui was furious when he heard this and said, "How could Li Jue and Guo Si be so incompetent? With the elite Liangzhou soldiers under their command, plus the support of the Guanzhong generals Li Kan, Hao Yan, Cheng Yin, and Liang Xing, how could they lose Chang'an so quickly and flee with their troops?"

Han Sui was very angry, his chest heaving with his anger. He felt a sense of fear when he heard the news that the Shu army had set foot in Longyou and had captured the important place of Lueyang. Since the Shu army had captured Guanlong Road and Lueyang, it meant that the Shu army had the intention of conquering Longyou, which was not a good thing for him who wanted to split Longyou.

The messenger couldn't help shrinking when he heard Han Sui's words, which were full of anger. After Han Sui finished speaking, he explained, "General, I heard that Li Kan, Xuanyou, Cheng Yin, Liang Xing and other generals in Guanzhong had a conflict with Li Jue and Guo Si, which led to the two allies fighting in Chang'an. After fighting for a whole day, they revealed a huge flaw, so the Shu army captured Chang'an, and then Li Jue and Guo Si had to lead their troops to flee."

"What a bunch of cowards. Facing a powerful enemy, they don't make peace with their allies, but instead lead their troops to attack." Han Sui was a hero who had been active in Liang Province for many years, and his skill in cultivating his qi was quite profound. After getting angry just now, he quickly calmed down. At this time, he complained about Li Jue and Guo Si, and the generals in Guanzhong, including Li Kan, Haoyou, Cheng Yin, Liang Xing and others.

"General, the Shu army has captured Guanlong Road and Lueyang, which is enough to show that Liu Yizhou is not satisfied with having taken Guanzhong and is eyeing Longyou... Our current plan is to eliminate Ma Teng this morning and then return to take back Lueyang, otherwise Liangzhou will be captured by the Shu army sooner or later." Yan Xing bowed and said.

This is an obvious situation. Guanlong Road is an important road into Longyou, and Lueyang is the gathering place of various roads in Longshan. If it is said that the Shu army took Guanlong Road and Lueyang and had no intention of Longyou, I am afraid no one would believe it.

"You agree with me." Han Sui nodded first, then he sighed, "It's a pity that Ma Teng was deceived by Liu Zhang's envoys. He thought he could sit on the position of governor of Liang Province and was determined to fight against me. But now, the mantis stalks the cicada, while the oriole is behind." (End of this chapter)