Ji Han Liu Zhang

It is recorded in the Book of Han, Geography, that "at the beginning of the Han Dynasty, sons of good families in the six counties were selected to serve as Yulin and Qimen, and were appointed as officials based on their talents and strength. Many famous generals emerged from these families."

The so-called six counties refer to Longxi, Tianshui, Anding, Beidi, Shangjun and Xihe counties in the Han Dynasty.

These six counties were located on the fringes of the empire during the Han Dynasty. The counties were surrounded by high mountains and dense forests, and were close to the Rongdi tribes on the border of the empire. Therefore, the scholars and common people living in the six counties often practiced war preparations and advocated high-level strength in order to fight against the foreign races that often came to plunder.

It is precisely because of this reason that the children of the six counties have excellent physical qualities, are tough and good at riding and shooting, and are valued by the rulers of the Han Empire. From time to time, angels would go to the six counties to select "good family sons" and appoint them as guards and close ministers of the emperor.

As for those from good families, they were from the families of officials and wealthy peasants, and not from the families of merchants, craftsmen, doctors, wizards, foreigners, or poor people... This could be regarded as a kind of political review in the Han Dynasty. After all, they were selecting the emperor's guards, so naturally they needed children from the six counties with good family backgrounds and good composition.

At that moment, Liu Zhang left Puban. He did not return to Chang'an, but traveled eastward for a while and came to Beidi County, one of the six counties. He intended to recruit a group of good family men in Beidi County to serve as guards in order to win the hearts of the people in the border counties.

Annexing and conquering a county does not mean that it will belong to you. Conquering is only the first step, and there are a series of subsequent steps to be done, such as digestion and integration.

Just like Liu Zhang has now taken over Guanzhong, after taking over this land of Guanzhong, he needs to recruit Guanzhong scholars, recruit Guanzhong heroes, and bring Guanzhong's talented and outstanding people into his court one by one, so that he can have deep roots in Guanzhong.

In this way, Guanzhong can be regarded as his base and can become the base for his future conquest of the world.

As Xun Yu, a talented assistant to the king, said: "In the past, Emperor Gaozu protected Guanzhong and Emperor Guangwu occupied Henei. They all had deep roots and a solid foundation to control the world. They were able to defeat the enemy when advancing and to hold their ground when retreating. Therefore, although they encountered difficulties and defeats, they eventually achieved great success."

Having a stable base or not having one is a matter of life and death for a regime. When there is a solid backing, even if there is a temporary setback, it can still turn around. But if the foundation is unstable, even a small setback will lead to the defeat of the army and the destruction of the country.

Liu Zhang, who was well-versed in history books, was naturally very clear about this.

As for how to select the good boys from Beidi County, Liu Zhang had already made up his mind. He planned to take advantage of the cold autumn to hold a grand hunting competition, on the one hand, to let his soldiers vent their energy, and on the other hand, to witness the heroic spirit of the boys from Beidi County.

"My lord, the sons of the noble families, wealthy clans, and officials in Beidi County have all rushed to the hunting ground and are waiting for you." Zhang Xiu announced to the inside at the door of Liu Zhang's tent.

"A Xiu, come in and tell me."

When Zhang Xiu heard Liu Zhang's shouting, he hesitated for a moment, and then when he saw that the guards in front of Liu Zhang's tent did not respond, he moved his steps into the tent.

As soon as he entered the tent, Zhang Xiu saw Liu Zhang, who was fully dressed. Liu Zhang was wearing military uniform and a helmet, and he looked very heroic.

"My lord, you have a good figure. You will be able to come first in today's hunting trip." Zhang Xiu stood like a pine tree, standing close to Liu Zhang, bowing and praising Liu Zhang.

Liu Zhang laughed to himself when he heard this: "It's just that clothes make the man, they look good but are useless. My martial arts are only a few points better than ordinary people... Today, I'd better see your heroic figure, Ah Xiu, during the hunting trip."

"What are you talking about? I am just a little brave, and I wield a commoner's sword. If we fight, I can only cut off the neck and lungs. It is better for you to wield the sword of the princes. Once this sword is wielded, it is like the shock of thunder. Everyone within the four borders will submit and obey your orders." Zhang Xiu said something literary and dropped his book bag.

Liu Zhang looked slightly surprised. He shook off his armor, turned back and asked Zhang Xiu, "Ah Xiu, have you read Zhuangzi's articles?"

"I have read some books and remembered only a few sentences... Actually, it was my uncle who forced me to read when he was still alive. But I am not cut out for study and cannot become a doctor. I can only be a soldier." Zhang Xiu was respectful, but when he mentioned the word "uncle", he looked a little sad.

"You are extraordinary." Liu Zhang stepped forward and patted Zhang Xiu on the shoulder, guiding him: "You can read more books when you have time in the future. You don't have to become a doctor to study. Being a military commander also requires reading. It would be a great thing to become a master of military strategy and write books in the future."

"How dare I hope for this?" Hearing the words "write books", Zhang Xiu hurriedly said modestly. He was just a military man, and he was good at martial arts, but when it came to classics and military strategies, he could only stand outside the door, let alone write books.

"But as you said, I will give it a try. If I have free time in the future, I will not forget to read and study hard." Zhang Xiu did not dare to refute Liu Zhang's advice, so he just went along with it.

Liu Zhang nodded in satisfaction, and then he called to Zhang Xiu: "Let's go and meet some of the heroes in Beidi County."

Soon, Liu Zhang rode his horse to today's hunting ground, where he saw soldiers divided into several groups, driving and surrounding the prey to the hunting place. The good men from Beidi County who participated in the hunting were waiting for Liu Zhang's arrival and his orders so that they could ride their horses and show off their martial arts in front of him.

The good families of Beidi County who participated in the hunting today, on the one hand, were grateful to Liu Zhang for helping them to defeat Li Jue and Guo Si, and on the other hand, they were in awe of Liu Zhang's power over Bashu and Guanzhong. Therefore, all the ambitious people among them wanted to make a great hunting trip today and win Liu Zhang's favor.

When Liu Zhang arrived at the enclosure, the good men of Beidi County bowed and saluted on horseback, saying, "Mingsir."

The "Ming Gong" that came out in unison, coming from the bottom of their hearts, was naturally loud and as loud as thunder, startling the birds in the forest around the enclosure and making them fly into the sky, hovering in the air to observe the situation.

Liu Zhang nodded in response, and then he said loudly: "Today, we will be hunting and see the heroic figures of the young men of Beidi County. You should show your talents and not hide your shortcomings."

"Yes." The good family boys of Beidi County responded in unison again.

After saying this, the good boys from the six counties immediately mounted their horses and galloped towards the surroundings, intending to shoot as many prey as possible. Even before they saw the prey, they had already drawn their bows and drawn their arrows.

"Yuanxiong, you go ahead. I have Zhangba to look after you here. Besides, you are surrounded by personal guards, so don't worry." Liu Zhang glanced at Wu Ban and saw that the young Wu Ban was eager to try. So he said something, intending to let the young Wu Ban go for a good hunting and have a good time.

"Yes, sir. I'll be leaving now." Wu Ban's face immediately showed joy, as if he was a student who heard the bell for the end of get out of class. He responded while riding his horse and headed towards the beautiful mountains and forests.

Liu Zhang waited there maturely and calmly, thinking of sitting back and waiting for the prey to be driven in front of him, and then he would draw his bow and arrow to test his archery skills.

While Liu Zhang was waiting, scouts came and went to deliver messages, bringing Liu Zhang news that the good men of Beidi County had shot tigers, bears, wild boars and other ferocious beasts, informing him of the hunting achievements of the good men of Beidi County.

"The reputation of the good family of the six counties is well-deserved." Liu Zhang sighed in his heart as he listened to the report. He felt more expectant and pleased.

Since the time of Emperor Wu of Han, in order to fight against the Xiongnu in the northern border of the empire, Emperor Wu of Han Liu Che specially established a guard force belonging only to the emperor, which was the legendary Yulin Army, and the recruitment standard was good families in the six counties, which became a tradition of the empire. As a result, a group of heroes who left their names in history emerged from good families in the six counties because of their close proximity to the emperor and their good qualities, such as Li Guang, Zhao Chongguo, Gan Yanshou in the Western Han Dynasty, and Huangfu Gui, Huangfu Song, and Dong Zhuo in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

He also left behind a classic proverb: Prime Ministers come from Guandong, and generals come from Guanxi.

Now, Liu Zhang has entered Guanzhong and has Beidi County, Shang County and Anding County in his hands. Three of the six counties belong to him. He will form his own Yulin Army to control and gather the good families in the six counties to conquer the world for him.

……

Hedong County.

Hedong County was one of the seven counties in the capital area during the Han Dynasty and was directly supervised by the Inspector of the Imperial Guards.

It is located on the east bank of the Yellow River, in the center of the "Yellow River Golden Triangle" area of ​​Shanxi, Qin and Henan. It can march directly into the Guanzhong Plain in the west, and is directly related to the safety of Chang'an, the capital of the former Han Dynasty.

To the east, you can enter the Heluo Plain through the Taihang Mountains and the important passes on the borders of Shanxi and Henan, namely Chiguan Pass and Taihang Pass. Taking advantage of the danger of Taihang Mountains, you can directly overlook the North China Plain, making it a place that military strategists must fight for.

However, the current Hedong County is an existence that no one cares about, except for the invasions by some incompetent Baibo bandits, there is nothing else going on. Therefore, Hedong prefect Wang Yi has been serving as the prefect of Hedong County peacefully since he took office until now.

Moreover, Wang Yi took advantage of the fact that Emperor Liu Xie returned to Luoyang and sent envoys to present silk, cotton and satin to the emperor. He was recognized by the emperor and was granted the title of Marquis of Anyang Ting, becoming a marquis of the Han Dynasty.

Under such circumstances, Hedong Prefect Wang Yi was living a happy and carefree life. However, there was a big war in Guanzhong recently, which made him worried that it would affect him, so he was a little sad recently.

Not only Wang Yi, but also the leaders of the two prominent families in Hedong County, the Wei and Fan families, Gongcao Wei Gu and Xiaowei Fan Xian, were also paying attention to the situation in Guanzhong. After all, Guanzhong and Hedong were only separated by a strip of water and were very close.

This war was naturally a battle between Liu Zhang and Li Jue and Guo Si in Guanzhong.

At first, Hedong Prefect Wang Yi, Gongcao Wei Gu, Colonel Fan Xian and others, when discussing the matter, mostly believed that the fight between two tigers was unresolved and it would be difficult to determine the winner. Although Liu Zhang's side had the advantage in military strength, Li Jue, Guo Si and other Liangzhou generals were very brave, and they had the Liangzhou cavalry under their command, so the war would be protracted.

However, what Hedong Prefect Wang Yi, Gongcao Wei Gu, Colonel Fan Xian and others had never expected was that the war in Guanzhong would soon come to an end, and as they were close to Guanzhong, they could quickly get the news from Guanzhong.

Then Hedong Prefect Wang Yi, Gongcao Wei Gu, Colonel Fan Xian and others learned the news that Li Jue and Guo Si had surrendered.

In the county temple of Anyi, the county seat of Hedong County.

"How fast it is, it's like lightning." Captain Fan Xian said with emotion. He was surprised and shocked that the war in Guanzhong had concluded so quickly.

Gong Cao Wei Gu pulled his beard, clicked his tongue, and then sighed, "It's only been a few months, but Liu Yizhou has captured the two thieves Li Jue and Guo Si. It's unbelievable."

Wei Gu calculated the progress. He felt that the Shu army's entry into Guanzhong should not be so smooth even if they marched all the way without any obstruction. But that was the fact. When the Shu army arrived at Guanzhong, all their plans were thwarted and they reached Guanzhong unimpeded.

Hedong Governor Wang Yi considered it for a moment, and then said, "Liu Yizhou has conquered Guanzhong and killed the two thieves Li Jue and Guo Si. This is a great event for the country. I intend to send an envoy to congratulate Liu Yizhou."

Of course, Wang Yi's move to congratulate was not out of sincerity. He wanted to send someone to find out the specific situation in Guanzhong, and let the envoy evaluate the character of Liu Yizhou to see if Liu Yizhou had any intention or plan to invade Hedong.

Having served as the governor of Hedong for several years and having wielded authority for several years, Wang Yi was somewhat addicted to the pleasure brought by this power. He thought it would be wonderful if he could hold on to the power of Hedong County for a long time.

Therefore, Wang Yi treated Liu Zhang, who had just entered Guanzhong, with caution.

"Your Excellency is right. We should send someone to investigate Liu Yizhou." Gongcao Wei Gu responded.

After some conversation, Hedong Governor Wang Yi, Gongcao Wei Gu, Colonel Fan Xian and others did not say anything about joining Liu Zhang, or they did not have such an idea. After all, all power in Hedong was controlled by these three people. If they joined Liu Zhang and were controlled by him, they would not be as happy as they are today.

While the three were discussing, a minor official made a suggestion.

"My Lord, a few days ago, a Shu army crossed the river from Pubanjin and captured Puban County."

Although the clerk's words were not very loud, to the ears of Hedong Prefect Wang Yi, Gongcao Wei Gu, and Captain Fan Xian, they sounded like thunder in a clear summer sky, deafening them.

"What does Liu Yizhou mean? Is he planning to spy on Hedong?" Hedong prefect Wang Yi asked in surprise.

As the governor of Hedong, Wang Yi did not actually control the entire territory of Hedong. Some marginal counties were in the hands of bandits, such as Puban County.

Puyang County was a marginal county in Hedong, and bandits from Liangzhou in Guanzhong would often pass through it when they went east. As a result, Puyang County had suffered from wars many times, and was in ruins and sparsely populated. Therefore, Wang Yi had never cared about the affairs of Puyang County. Unexpectedly, the Shu army had occupied Puyang County today.

The Shu army's occupation of Puban County might be an attempt to seize Hedong, which was not a good thing for him.

"After the Shu army captured Puban County, did they take any other actions?" Gongcao Wei Gu asked.

"No." The clerk shook his head.

Hearing this, Hedong Governor Wang Yi's expression suddenly relaxed a little. He was no longer as surprised and frightened as before. He half-closed his eyes and thought for a while, then said: "The matter of sending an envoy to Guanzhong should be carried out today." (End of this chapter)