Ji Han Liu Zhang

Ji County.

After pacifying Longyou and easily taking Hexi, Liu Zhang, who had stayed in Ji County for more than a month, set out on the journey back to Chang'an. At this moment, at the gate of Ji County, Liu Zhang asked Peng Ying and Duan Wei, who were seeing him off, to help him.

"You are now each a two thousand stone official. I hope you can work hard and pacify Longyou, so that Longyou will not be a concern for me."

After the battle of Longyou, Peng Ying was promoted by Liu Zhang from the military officer to the position of prefect of Tianshui County, while General Ningji Duan Wei was promoted by Liu Zhang to the position of prefect of Longxi County, each of them serving in a county and pacifying one side.

Among them, Peng Ying, who was Liu Zhang's confidant, served as the prefect of Tianshui County, controlling the largest and richest county in Longyou. In this way, Liu Zhang could feel more at ease about Longyou.

Peng Ying and Duan Wei, two newly promoted officials of the rank of 2,000 stone, all bowed to Liu Zhang and said, "We will live up to your trust and pacify the area without causing any disaster."

Liu Zhang nodded, then he mounted his horse and headed eastwards, surrounded by his personal guards and elite cavalry. As for Peng Ying, Duan Wei and others who were seeing him off, they stayed where they were and watched Liu Zhang go away.

After passing through the narrow road of Chencang, Liu Zhang and his entourage arrived at Chencang. After resting for one night in Chencang, Liu Zhang and his entourage continued to march towards Chang'an. Along the way, they saw that Guanzhong, which was originally desolate and deserted, now had more people and a more lively atmosphere.

Liu Zhang knew the reason for this. Since the beginning of this year, the refugees from Sanfu, who heard that Guanzhong was stable and the war had been resolved, began to return to Guanzhong.

It’s hard to leave your hometown and your accent won’t change.

The refugees from Sanfu either returned to Guanzhong from Jingxiang or from Hanzhong. Like gurgling water, they gathered in Guanzhong and arrived at their long-cherished hometown.

In addition, in addition to the refugees from Sanfu who returned home, Liu Zhang's implementation of the policy of relocating the people also added popularity to Guanzhong.

In this year, that is, the second year of Jian'an, although Liu Zhang was busy in Longyou, busy conquering Han Sui and Song Jian, and working to annex Hexi, his strategy for Guanzhong never stopped for a moment.

In accordance with Liu Zhang's policy, the chief clerk Xun You, Chang'an magistrate Zhang Ji and others who stayed in Chang'an settled the wives and children of Wudang Flying Army who migrated from Shu in Sanfu. In addition to the families of Wudang Flying Army, the Di people in Wudu who were more deeply influenced by Han culture were also relocated to Sanfu.

Of course, due to the war this year, the number of people who migrated was not too large. For example, the number of households of the Wudang Flying Army who migrated from Shu was no more than 5,000 households, while the Di people of Wudu, which was relatively nearby, had more than 10,000 households who were migrated to Guanzhong.

In total, there are currently 15,000 households, totaling 60,000 to 70,000 people of the Qing Qiang and Di people living in Guanzhong. This is the data Liu Zhang obtained from the chief clerk Xun You.

The war and the migration of the people consumed a lot of money and food. Although Shu was rich, it was not able to afford it. It was thanks to Wang Shang, the chief secretary left by Liu Zhang in Chengdu, who persuaded the Yizhou clans to contribute money and food to supply the army, and played a significant role in this.

In addition, the area of ​​Nanzhong was stabilized, and was managed by officials such as Li Hui and Yang Hong who were good at governing. They supplied gold, silver, oxen and other items every year, which was also of great help to military and national affairs.

"It's time to be quiet for a year." Liu Zhang, who set out from Chencang and headed towards Chang'an, felt the gradually rising chill. As winter approached, a heavy snow might come unexpectedly. He had an idea.

Since the first year of Xingping, there has been war every year. Although Liu Zhang was victorious in every battle, the treasury was empty, the soldiers and the people were exhausted, and the frequent wars had greatly damaged the production and reproduction of the soldiers and the common people.

Therefore, in the third year of Jian'an next year, Liu Zhang will stop fighting and recuperate for a year. He will try not to use force if possible, and solve problems that can be solved through diplomacy as much as possible. He will rest with the people and rule by inaction.

As they went eastward, the cold got deeper. When Liu Zhang arrived at the city of Chang'an, a light snow had already fallen. Snow began to accumulate on the flat ground, and many of the dead grass and trees were covered by the shallow snow.

"My lord, when you went west, you pacified Longyou, suppressed Hexi, and killed Han Sui, Song Jian and other traitors. Your prestige and prestige awed the barbarians and the whole world was pleased with you, but it was very hard work." The chief clerk Xun You praised Liu Zhang's achievements and led Chang'an Ling Zhang Ji and others to salute Liu Zhang at the city gate.

Looking at Xun You, Zhang Ji and others coming out to greet him, Liu Zhang dismounted, stepped forward, held Xun You's hand and said, "If it weren't for you guys stabilizing the rear and ensuring the food supply, I wouldn't have been able to achieve this... The merit of stabilizing Longyou and Hexi should be shared with you guys."

In a cheerful atmosphere, Liu Zhang and Xun You entered the city of Chang'an.

Chang'an, county temple.

"Xun You has done a good job in relocating the people. He has made great contributions, but he has also worked very hard." Liu Zhang said to comfort Xun You.

Relocating people is not an easy task nowadays. Most of the people who migrated would often die on the road. For example, Cao Wei often relocated people in history, causing a large number of people to die on the road, which was a great harm to the country and the people.

The relocation of people presided over by Xun You was carried out in a manner that they were relocated one by one and settled properly. No one suffered from serious illnesses, and not too many people died due to the fatigue of the migration. This is very rare and it can be seen that Xun You put in a lot of hard work.

Facing Liu Zhang's praise, Xun You humbly said, "This is my duty. It is not hard work, nor is it a great achievement."

"You are too modest." Liu Zhang said.

Talking about the relocation of the Wudang Flying Army and the Di people, Xun You bowed and said, "Mingsir, it is already winter. I would like to temporarily stop relocating the people and wait until the next spring when the weather is suitable for the relocation."

"Of course." Liu Zhang nodded in response, and then he asked: "How many Di people in Wudu and Yinping can be relocated to Fufeng and Tianshui?"

Xun You pondered for a moment and then said, "According to the memorial submitted by Wang Mou, the governor of Wudu, more than 20,000 Di households can be relocated from Wudu and Yinping. Of course, these are Di people who have been deeply assimilated, not Di people who eat raw meat and drink blood and have not been deeply assimilated by Han people."

Liu Zhang nodded. Although the Di people were called barbarians, they had long since stopped living by following water and grass, and instead started farming like the Han people. Moreover, as they lived next to the Han people, they were influenced by the more civilized Han culture, and their cultural customs gradually became closer to those of the Han people, getting rid of their barbaric habits.

After all, the Han and Qiang people have the same origin, and the Di people can be considered a branch of the Han people. Their living habits are similar to those of the Han people, and they use agriculture as their basic production and living method, rather than being a nomadic people as described in the legend.

Therefore, when Liu Zhang discussed with Xun You, in addition to relocating the wives and children of Wudang Feijun, who belonged to the Qingqiang tribe, to Guanzhong, he also decided to relocate the Hanized Di people in Wudu and Yinping counties to Guanzhong to expand the population of Guanzhong and make it prosperous as soon as possible. "We must also be cautious, eliminate the heroes and leaders among the Di people, separate the Di tribes of Dazhong, disperse the tribes, isolate them, and mix with the Han people to change their customs." At the end of the meeting, Liu Zhang told Xun You.

Although the Di people who migrated to Guanzhong were deeply assimilated to Han culture, Liu Zhang would not let go of any hidden danger, no matter how small it was. He took measures to divide the Di people, in order to convert them into Han people. He wanted the Di people who migrated to Fufeng and Tianshui to be assimilated into Han people as soon as possible.

Of course, Liu Zhang did not pin the prosperity of Guanzhong on the Wudang Flying Army and the Sinicized Di people. What he valued most were the refugees from the Three Auxiliary Regions who returned to Guanzhong. These talents were the foundation for the prosperity of Guanzhong.

Nowadays, most of the refugees from the Sanfu areas closer to Jingxiang and Hanzhong have returned to Guanzhong, while those from the Sanfu areas who fled to Guandong and Shu have not yet had time to return to Guanzhong due to the long distance.

When the scattered refugees in Guanzhong basically return to Guanzhong, the Han people will be the majority in Guanzhong, with the Wudang Flying Army of the Qing Qiang clan and the Di people who have been deeply influenced by Han culture as a minority, and the basic foundation of Guanzhong will be stabilized.

Day two.

In the official temple, Liu Zhang was as busy as ever. He needed to calculate the money and food spent, the number of soldiers killed in the Longyou War, and every item. The money and food spent needed to be recorded in the accounts, and the families of the soldiers killed needed to be compensated. These were all things Liu Zhang needed to deal with.

……

Xudu.

"Justice, take your time." Cao Cao personally saw Zhang Ren off at the city gate. Huainan had been pacified and Shouchun had been captured. It was time for Zhang Ren to return to Guanzhong.

"Thank you, Sikong." Zhang Ren bowed to Cao Cao who had personally seen him off, and then he mounted his horse and led his soldiers on the road back to Guanzhong.

"What a pity." Looking at Zhang Ren's receding back, Cao Cao's expression was gloomy. It was a pity that such a loyal and brave general was not used by him, but belonged to someone else's account.

After stopping to watch Zhang Ren for a few moments, Cao Cao rode his horse back to the Sikong Mansion in Xudu City. As soon as he entered the Sikong Mansion, Cao Cao saw Guo Jia and Cheng Yu coming forward to greet him.

"Is there anything important?" Cao Cao asked after observing the expressions of Guo Jia and Cheng Yu.

Guo Jia stepped forward and said, "Mingsir, there is an urgent report from Guanxi that the Shu army has conquered the four counties of Hexi. The civil and military officials under the command of Zhang Meng, the prefect of Wuwei, rebelled. Guzang City was taken in one day. Now the land of Hexi belongs to Liu Jiyu."

"Hiss." Cao Cao was surprised. After a moment, he sighed, "Zhang Meng is the descendant of the former Minister of Rites Zhang Huan, but unexpectedly he is such a mediocre person. He couldn't hold the city and was captured by Liu Jiyu in one night."

"Now, all of Guanxi is owned by Liu Jiyu, and the power of Qin is already established." Cheng Yu's tone was calm, but there was a tone of worry in his voice. "Liu Jiyu has taken over Guanxi, and his wings are fully grown. If we don't get rid of him now, he will be difficult to control in the future..."

"Yes." Cao Cao nodded. "It's a pity that we have Lü Bu in Xuzhou and other bandits in Mount Tai. In addition, although Yuan Shu has crossed the Huai River, we must also guard against him. I can't make any moves... Besides, the strongest man in the world is Yuan Shao in Hebei. I can't do anything alone. I need to make peace with Liu Jiyu and deal with Yuan Shao together."

"That's right, sir." Guo Jia responded. He made a plan for Cao Cao: "Liu Jiyu refused the reward from the King of Shu before. Now that Liu Jiyu has conquered Longyou and pacified Hexi, you can send another envoy to confer the title of king on Liu Jiyu, so that Liu Jiyu will be the focus of the world and envied by heroes everywhere... And you can pretend to be the emperor's order, preside over the conflict and mediate the conflict between the parties. At the same time, you can take advantage of the opportunity to capture Lü Bu in Xuzhou and eliminate the bandits in Mount Tai."

"Good." Cao Cao clapped his hands in agreement. As the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind. Let Liu Jiyu attract Yuan Shao's firepower, while he will preside over the situation in the name of the emperor and take the opportunity to slowly grow stronger. This is the best situation.

Cheng Yu stroked his beard and advised Cao Cao: "Zhang Yang, the governor of Henei, and Wang Yi, the governor of Hedong, are both self-centered and do not obey the imperial edicts... Perhaps we can make Gao Gan, the nephew of Yuan Shao, the governor of Hedong, and Xun You, the chief clerk under Liu Zhang, the governor of Henei, and replace them all."

"Hmm?" Cao Cao's eyes lit up when he heard that. He stroked his beard and thought about Cheng Yu's advice. After a while, Cao Cao clapped his hands and sighed, "Zhongde's words are truly good advice."

Guo Jia was also impressed: "Zhongde's strategy can create a rift between Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang, but it will give you time to recuperate and defeat the bandits."

Guo Jia approved of the strategy proposed by Cheng Yu. Hedong was close to Guanzhong, and Henei was close to Jizhou. In the name of the emperor, Gao Gan was appointed as the prefect of Hedong and Xun You as the prefect of Henei. This would, on the one hand, frighten Zhang Yang and Wang Yi who did not obey the king's orders, and on the other hand, create a rift between Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang. It was a win-win situation.

……

Jizhou.

"According to the scouts from Guanxi, Han Sui and Song Jian have been killed by Liu Jiyu, and all the counties in Longyou have fallen into Liu Jiyu's hands. In addition, the governor of Yongzhou, Handan Shang, and the prefect of Wuwei, Zhang Meng, were at odds with each other, and Liu Jiyu took advantage of them. The four counties in Hexi were also taken over by Liu Jiyu." Guo Tu carefully reported the news brought by the scouts. As he spoke, he looked at the expression of Yuan Shao above him.

But the general Yuan Shao's expression was just as Guo Tu expected, with his brows slightly furrowed and his face slightly unhappy. Knowing that Yuan Shao never showed his emotions, Guo Tu knew that Yuan Shao, who was in the upper position, was probably very unhappy.

After reporting the news from Guanxi, Guo Tu returned to his seat. He tried to shrink his body as much as possible and sat down gently. Then he listened to his nose, listened to his mouth, and listened to his heart, waiting for Yuan Shao's reply like a clay sculpture or a wooden carving.

After a long while, Guo Tu finally heard Yuan Shao, who was at the top, sighed and then said calmly, "What a great Liu Jiyu, he is invincible in every attack and battle. In one or two years, Guanzhong, Longyou, and Hexi were all conquered by him. He is truly a hero."

Guo Tu was a little bit unbelievable. He didn't expect Yuan Shao to actually praise Liu Zhang. At this time, shouldn't Yuan Shao be very unhappy and complain about the incompetence of Han Sui, Song Jian and others. Within three to five months, they actually lost Longyou and allowed Liu Zhang to take over Longyou?
"My lord, Liu Jiyu has taken over Longyou and Hexi, and has completely occupied the former Qin territory. Moreover, he uses the name of the royal family. People from all over the world are looking forward to him, thinking that Liu Jiyu is the reincarnation of Emperor Guangwu. We need to think carefully about this." Guo Tu made a suggestion, and he tried to test Yuan Shao's attitude.

"Gong Ze, are you worried that I am old and weak and not as good as the younger generations?" Yuan Shao asked Guo Tu.

"No." Guo Tu hurriedly said, "My lord, I mean that Liu Jiyu has occupied Qin territory and has a great reputation. I am afraid that this may be a big deal that will hinder my lord. We need to be careful in dealing with it."

Yuan Shao said proudly, "Although Liu Jiyu is a hero, how can I be inferior to a junior? You, just wait and see how I can wipe out the heroes and bring peace to the world." (End of this chapter)