Ji Han Liu Zhang

August, the third year of Jian'an.

Since the capture of Hedong, news from Henei County, which is adjacent to Hedong, would be transmitted to the document receiving and dispatching office of the Chang'an government office within a few days with the help of express messengers from all over the country, and would eventually be delivered to Liu Zhang's desk.

Just like now, a document marked with urgent military intelligence was placed neatly on the desk in front of Liu Zhang by the clerk Cheng Yu, so that Liu Zhang could read the contents as soon as possible.

Liu Zhang picked up the document bag, opened the seal skillfully, took out a document made of silk, and read the words on it.

Although it was under the guidance and supervision of Liu Zhang that the craftsmen in Chang'an produced paper that could be used for writing, the promotion of paper still required time and the clerks needed to adapt, so silk cloth was still used for document delivery.

"Yang Chou is dead. He was framed by Sui Gu, the general of Henei County."

'Sui Gu surrendered to Gao Gan and Guo Yuan. Gao Gan is currently leading Yuan's army from Shangdang into Hanoi.'

'Cao Ren, who was stationed in Mengjin, wanted to compete with Gao Gan for the ownership of Hanoi, but he gave up after being advised by Henan Yin Zhongyao, thus avoiding a conflict between Cao's army and Yuan's army.'

Putting down the document in his hand, Liu Zhang sighed inexplicably. The changes in the current situation are beyond human prediction. No one knows what the outcome will be until the end.

Just like in Henei now, first the governor of Henei, Zhang Yang, went south to invade Henan to support Lu Bu who was besieged by Cao Cao. Then Yang Chou killed Zhang Yang and intended to serve Cao Cao. Then Sui Gu killed Yang Chou again and expressed his willingness to serve Cao Cao.

In the end, Hanoi County fell into Gao Gan's hands. Gao Gan, who lost something in Hedong, gained something in Hanoi. Gao Gan gained nothing in return.

Liu Zhang reached out his hand and handed the document with the details of Henei to Xun You. At the same time, he smiled and said to Xun You: "After all, Yuan Shao's prestige is better than Cao Cao's, and now Henei has returned to Yuan Shao."

Yuan Shao, who was a nobleman for four generations, Yuan Shao who was a powerful figure in Heshuo, Yuan Shao who ruled over Ji, You, Qing and four states in Hebei, was so famous that Henei, which was supposed to have submitted to Cao Cao under the leadership of Yang Chou, joined Yuan Shao's side just by relying on his prestige.

Moreover, it was not only the county commander Sui Gu in Henei who was loyal to Yuan Shao. According to documents, Henei's Chief Secretary Xue Hong, Inspector Miao Shang and others also supported Yuan Shao. They regarded Yuan Shao as a hero of the time and a man of destiny, and did not care about Cao Cao. Therefore, Henei came under the rule of Yuan Shao.

Xun You read the document quickly, and then he said, "Yuan Shao has three officials in his family, while Cao Cao was born a eunuch. Yuan Shao was famous when he was young. When Dong Zhuo rebelled, he fled to Bohai and raised the banner of anti-Dong. All prefectures and counties responded to his rebellion. It is no wonder that Sui Gu, Xue Hong, Miao Shang and other officials in Henei preferred Yuan Shao instead of Cao Cao."

"Besides," Xun You added, "In the past, there was Gongsun Zan in Hebei who was feared by Yuan Shao. Today, Yi County has been captured by Yuan Shao, Gongsun Zan has burned himself in a high building, and the Black Mountain bandits Zhang Yan and others have been defeated repeatedly by Yuan Shao. They are no longer a force to be reckoned with. All areas north of the Yellow River belong to Yuan Shao, and his situation is getting stronger and stronger, making him a great power in the world."

"Who would choose Cao Cao instead of Yuan Shao unless they were foolish or knew their fate?"

"You are right." Liu Zhang nodded. "Once Gongsun Zan is gone, Yuan Shao will dominate Hebei and Hebei. He will be powerful, with vast territory and many soldiers. Even ordinary people will regard Yuan Shao as the strongest."

Judging from the current strength of the princes in the world, Yuan Shao's strength is very good. He occupies Hebei, is blocked on three sides and guards one side. He also has the advantage of Hu horses and the fierce cavalry of Youzhou. He is completely in control of the situation, which is beyond the reach of Liu Zhang and Cao Cao, not to mention Liu Biao of Jingzhou and Sun Ce of Jiangdong.

If Liu Zhang were asked to rank the princes of the world into levels, Yuan Shao would be at the top of the pyramid, a unique figure, while he and Cao Cao would be second, Liu Biao and Sun Ce third. As for Gongsun Du of Liaodong and Shi Xie of Jiaozhou, there is no need to mention them. These small minions in the corners would not have any impact on the situation in the world.

At night, the crescent moon is cold and the stars are dim. It is not a night suitable for moon-watching.

But Liu Zhang, contrary to his usual behavior, stood in the pavilion, admiring the crescent moon in the sky, with a thoughtful look on his face, and analyzed and deduced the current situation.

After conquering Guanzhong and beheading Li and Guo, Liu Zhang, on the one hand, lured the Guanzhong people who were scattered in other states to return to Guanzhong, and on the other hand, moved the scholars and common people from Bashu and Hanzhong who intended to migrate to Guanzhong into Guanzhong.

In addition to the Han people, Liu Zhang did not let go of the barbarians. He moved the Di people in Wudu and Yinping who were more Han-speaking, as well as the families of the Nanzhong Qingqiang who fought for him, to Guanzhong and Liangzhou, even if he had to move them by mistake.

All Liu Zhang did was to enrich the population of Guanzhong. After all, the wars in the late Western Han Dynasty, the current Qiang rebellion in Liangzhou, and the successive disasters of Dong Zhuo, Li Yu and Guo had left Guanzhong empty and deserted. He needed to improve this, otherwise Guanzhong would not be enough to support him in his eastward conquest and conquering the world.

That's why Liu Zhang tried every possible means to remedy the situation, even deciding to relocate the Qiang and Di tribes to increase the population. However, the shadow of the Five Barbarians' Invasion of China was always looming before Liu Zhang's eyes, and he made targeted follow-up measures to the policy of relocating the Qiang and Di tribes.

First, the Qiang and Di who migrated had to be those who had been deeply assimilated into the Han culture. Second, Liu Zhang restricted the number of Qiang and Di to ensure that their numbers were in an absolutely weak position compared to the Han people in Guanzhong. Third, for the Qiang and Di who migrated to Guanzhong and Liangzhou, his leaders were beheaded and their tribes were divided, thus minimizing the possibility of the Qiang and Di forming a group.

But now, even if the number of Qiang and Di people is included, the population of Guanzhong cannot be considered prosperous. It is a scene with few people and a lack of scholars and commoners.

"To accomplish great things, people are the foundation." Liu Zhang couldn't help but recite the famous saying of his fellow clan member Liu Bei. If he wanted to accomplish great things, if he didn't have the right people, he might as well take a shower and go to bed early.

But Liu Zhang also knew that he couldn't be impatient. The population of Guanzhong should be multiplied, and the migration of people from Bashu, Qiang and Di to enrich Guanzhong should be done step by step. It should be done with perseverance and perseverance. It can't be rushed.

Although Bashu and Hanzhong had a large population, if Liu Zhang relocated people on a large scale, the population of Guanzhong would be temporarily enriched. However, considering the difficulty of relocating 1,000 people and 10,000 people, given the travel conditions of that era, who knows how many people would fall on the way to Guanzhong if 10,000 people were relocated? And how many people would actually reach Guanzhong?

It’s not that I don’t want to do it, but I really can’t do it!
"We have to survive for two or three years, and then we can consider going east to fight for supremacy." Liu Zhang had made up his mind, and he postponed the date of going east to fight for supremacy for a while. As for small-scale fighting, he could still handle it.

……

Hanoi.

Gao Gan was riding on a tall horse, looking proud and confident, with all the dejection he had felt after being defeated by Ma Chao some time ago. He raised his head and looked towards Yewang, the actual county seat of Hanoi, with a look of pride on his face.

But the gates of Yewang City were wide open, and the officials in the city lined up according to their official positions, and there were drums and trumpets, making festive sounds to welcome Gao Gan's arrival. "There is gain and loss." Gao Gan looked pleased, and a proverb flashed through his mind. He suffered a defeat in Hedong, but he got Henei easily. Between the loss and gain, he did gain something in this expedition, and finally got a large county.

When they arrived at the gate of Yewang City, Gao Gan dismounted from his horse. Immediately, the officials from Hanoi came forward, saluted Gao Gan, and reported their family backgrounds and the size of their official positions.

"I, the humble general Sui Gu, have come to meet Lord Gao. In the past, Yang Chou rebelled and murdered Lord Zhang. The county was leaderless, so I gathered the people to discuss and it was decided that only Lord Gao could preside over the important affairs. That's why I, the humble general, wrote a letter to Shangdang, urging us to recommend Lord Gao to come here and rule Henei so that Henei can be at peace." While praising Gao Gan, Sui Gu directly recounted his contribution as the first mover.

Gao Gan had a smile on his face. He said modestly, "I am just a mediocre person in Chenliu. I never thought that you would think highly of me. I am really ashamed."

Then Gao Gan, who was showing a humble look, stepped forward, shook Sui Gu's hand, and said enthusiastically: "Sui Jun killed Yang Chou and exterminated his clan. He attacked and killed such disloyal and unrighteous people. His merits are not small. I have sent a letter to the leader of the alliance, detailing the general's merits. I think he will be rewarded soon."

"Yang Chou killed his lord. As a general under Lord Zhang, I should kill Yang Chou and avenge Lord Zhang. This is what I should do. How dare I expect any credit?" Although Sui Gu was a military general, he also knew the conventions of conversation, so he declined the high-ranking official's show of merit.

"Besides, the one who planned to kill Yang Chou was the county chief, the inspector and me. How dare I take the credit and be shameless enough to take all the credit for myself?"

Sui Gu did not forget Xue Hong and Miao Shang. He mentioned Xue Hong and Miao Shang, which won the gratitude and joyful glances of Xue Hong and Miao Shang behind him.

"There are so many loyal and righteous people in Hanoi!" Gao Gan sighed.

"It is only true that loyal and righteous people who do loyal and righteous things should be rewarded. Otherwise, how can they inspire future generations... What you have done should be emulated by future generations."

During the conversation at the city gate, Gao Gan assured Sui Gu, Xue Hong, Miao Shang and other Henei officials that he would reward them greatly for their submission to the Yuan family.

Next, Gao Gan led his troops to station in Yewang and sent letters to all counties in Henei, demanding that they all submit to him, the new governor of Henei. At the same time, Gao Gan sent spies to scout the situation in Henan. Upon learning that Yang Chou was planning to submit to Cao Cao and invite Cao Ren, who was stationed in Mengjin, to cross the river, Gao Gan naturally had to take precautions.

Although Gao Gan believed that Cao Cao was conquering Xuzhou, Cao Ren would not make any rash moves and would not covet Henei, which was already under his control.

But in this world, only cautious people can survive, so Gao Gan plans to maintain a cautious attitude. He will only be able to feel truly at ease after making sure that Cao's army has no unusual movements.

The movements of Cao Ren's troops in Mengjin were soon reported to Gao Gan's desk by spies. Gao Gan learned that Cao Ren's troops did have some unusual movements at the beginning, and seemed to be trying to compete for Henei, but soon Cao Ren's troops stopped moving, leaving a part of the troops to defend Mengjin, and most of the troops retreated to Luoyang.

At present, Hanoi has no worries.

……

Yi County.

Yuan Shao, who was always graceful, stepped onto the scorched earth on the battlefield. He looked at a charred corpse lying on the ground. The face of the corpse could no longer be distinguished, but the word "Gongsun" on the jade pendant around the corpse's waist and a sword placed next to the corpse clearly conveyed the identity of the charred corpse - White Horse General Gongsun Zan.

Seeing Gongsun Zan, who had fought with him for several years for the power of Hebei, now lying on the ground like a charred corpse, and Gongsun Zan's once handsome appearance no longer recognizable, Yuan Shao did not feel happy, but instead had an indescribable feeling of sadness in his heart.

"Bogui, why did it come to this?" After a long time, Yuan Shao sighed, expressing his regret for Gongsun Zan's vow to never surrender and his act of burning himself on the city wall.

After saying this, Yuan Shao looked back at the civil and military officials in Hebei and said, "With Bogui's bravery and sharpness, if he could assist me instead of fighting with me, the chaos in the world might have ended, and Bogui would be granted a title of nobility in the future, and who knows how rich and powerful he would be..."

All the civil and military officials in Hebei remained silent and no one stepped forward to respond. After all, this was Yuan Shao's personal show, a time when Yuan Shao was displaying his magnanimity, his tolerance, and his broad mind. It was not appropriate for subordinates to interrupt Yuan Shao's performance.

After the performance, Yuan Shao climbed up the city wall of Yi County. He looked into the distance and saw that all the lands he controlled were also the lands he controlled.

Although the land of Hebei is vast, not an inch of it is not in the hands of Yuan Shao. Gongsun Zan is dead, the Black Mountain bandits are no longer a force to be reckoned with, and no one in the Hebei area dares to rebel.

Yuan Shao let out a long sigh. He looked proud. After years of hard work, he finally achieved what Cao Cao said when he discussed world affairs: "I control the Yellow River in the south, block Yan and Dai in the north, and conquer all the Rong and Di peoples. I will fight for the world in the south. Maybe I can succeed?"

"Behead Gongsun Zan and his chief secretary Guan Jing and send them to Xudu together." Yuan Shao gave an order, and at the same time he instructed: "As for the bodies of Gongsun Zan and Guan Jing, bury them properly and do not neglect them."

After giving the order, Yuan Shao continued to admire the land as he saw it, immersed in the joy of unifying Hebei, unable to extricate himself and find it difficult to break away.

into the night.

Yuan Shao, who was in high spirits and looked happy, could not fall asleep. He tossed and turned on the bed, thinking about the current situation and what to do next.

Suddenly, Yuan Shao remembered something and a trace of worry appeared between his brows. A senior official in front handed him a letter saying that he was defeated by Ma Chao who was sent to Hedong by Liu Zhang, and his advance was unfavorable, so he retreated to Shangdang.

"Liu Zhang, Liu Jiyu." Among all the princes in the world today, there are few who can make Yuan Shao care and worry. Only Liu Zhang, who was born in a royal family, succeeded as the governor of Yizhou, occupied Qin territory for several years and became famous, made Yuan Shao a little worried.

There was no other reason. Liu Zhang controlled the Qin territory, which was similar to Emperor Gao, and was a clan relative, similar to Emperor Guangwu. Many people at that time said that Liu Zhang would reverse the retreat of Emperor Gao, do what Emperor Guangwu did, revive the Han Dynasty, and restore the Han Dynasty for the third time. This aroused Yuan Shao's taboo and worry.

"Guanzhong, Liu Zhang!" Yuan Shao muttered again. (End of this chapter)