Ji Han Liu Zhang

The fourth year of Jian'an, winter.

As the year draws to an end and the four seasons enter their last season, Liu Zhang also welcomes the sixth year since he traveled through time to the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Like in previous years, he is doing his year-end summary.

It is said that Liu Zhang this year is different from the past few years. Apart from inspecting the defense of Hedong, he basically stayed in Chang'an City to govern the country and maintain the people's safety. He no longer went out to attack in person, but did Xiao He's work.

However, he did not make any major moves this year, so there was no need for him to take action. After all, this year he only cleared out the Qiang and Hu in Longyou, and the Di people in Wudu and Yinping counties. Then he asked Gan Ning, Zhang Ren and others to launch a tentative attack on Taiyuan County. Most of them were small-scale battles, and no battle at the level of tens of thousands of troops was mobilized.

Therefore, Liu Zhang stayed quietly in Chang'an City, devoting himself to governing the country and pacifying the people, hoping that Guanzhong would prosper again and restore its past status as the Land of Abundance, which would become the cornerstone of his revival of the Han Dynasty.

Sitting in Chang'an, Liu Zhang's vision was not limited to Chang'an. He was also very concerned about affairs in all directions. Even if he wanted to conquer the world and unify the universe, he must know, and dared not know, the affairs of state, family and world.

At this moment, in the government office in Chang'an.

Xun You spread a long piece of silk cloth on the table. He scanned the contents on the cloth and read out: "One thousand pearls."

"Five hundred big shells."

"Liuli one hundred."

"Emerald five hundred."

"Hawkbill turtles, rhino horns, ivory, etc. are almost incalculable."

"Wow." After listening to Xun You reading the contents of the list on the silk cloth, the secretary Meng Jie sighed: "Did Jiaozhou Mu Shi Xie empty the treasury of Jiaozhi County and send it here? He actually sent so many things..."

As for Shi Xie, the governor of Jiaozhou who was recommended by his own grandfather Liu Zhang as the governor of Jiaozhou this year, Meng Jie had never met him in person nor had they had any correspondence with him, so he knew nothing about him.

However, when he saw the New Year gifts that Shi Xie sent to Chang'an today, Meng Jie had some understanding of Shi Xie's character. He believed that Shi Xie was a generous person, otherwise he would not have sent so many gifts.

Xun You chuckled and explained to the confused Meng Jie, "In the past, Jiaozhi was just a provincial governor's office, not a prefecture. It was you who submitted a petition to name Jiaozhi Jiaozhou, and then submitted another petition to recommend Shi Xie as Jiaozhou governor. This is a great favor."

"Now it seems that Shi Xie is a man who knows how to be polite and give back, so he handed over so many New Year gifts. This is what is called giving me a papaya and I will give you a jade pendant in return."

"It should be more than that." Chief Secretary Wang Shang held Shi Xie's handwritten congratulatory letter in his hand and pointed it out to everyone: "Shi Xie's letter of congratulations says that you are a hero in the country and have a talent for the world. The letter also shows his willingness to serve you and his humble words, which shows that Shi Xie intends to submit to you."

"If Yuan Shao and Cao Cao were so sensible, there would be no trouble in the world." Liu Zhang, who was at the top, joked, winning laughter from the civil and military officials.

This is Liu Zhang's comment on Shi Xie. Shi Xie and his brothers served as governors of various counties in Jiaozhou, controlling the power of a state, and the area under their jurisdiction was thousands of miles away. However, Shi Xie did not act arrogantly because of his authority. Instead, he was humble and courteous in his words. If this is not knowing the times, then no one else can do that.

Liu Zhang considered it for a while and decided to make a positive response to Shi Xie's respectful attitude. First, he wrote a letter in his own handwriting to accept Shi Xie's intention to serve him and comfort Shi Xie in the letter. Secondly, as Shi Xie presented so many rare gifts, he had to give something in return. He sent Shi Xie specialties from Shu and Guanzhong to show his respect for him.

After dealing with the matter of Shi Xie, Liu Zhang turned his attention to the situation in Shangyong. Since he was expelled from Hanzhong in the second year of Xingping, Tianshi Zhang Lu fled to Shangyong and made peace with the Shen family of Shangyong. He successfully gained a foothold in Shangyong, and it has been four years now.

Four years seemed to have worn away the hatred that Heavenly Master Zhang Lu had for Liu Zhang's seizure of his foundation. Now Zhang Lu sent a document of congratulations from Shangyong, as well as some Shangyong local products as gifts.

Although Zhang Lu did not express his intention to serve in the written document like Shi Xie did, and the gifts he brought were not very generous, Zhang Lu still expressed his goodwill, made it clear that he dared not go against Liu Zhang, and was willing to help. This was ultimately a good thing.

"Zhang Lu is a ghost who practices the ways of the underworld. He is not a good person. Although he sent a letter of congratulations, we should still be careful." Chief Secretary Wang Shang was well versed in Confucianism and was very disgusted with Zhang Lu, who practiced the ways of the underworld. He said, "In my opinion, it would be better to order Governor Huang to march to suppress him, from the Han River down to Shangyong. With the momentum of the flowing water and the might of our army, Zhang Lu will not be able to resist him."

"I understand what you said, sir." Liu Zhang nodded. He smiled faintly and said, "Shangyong is a poor place with few people and difficult roads. That's why I didn't send Huang Gongheng to suppress Zhang Lu. It's also because Zhang Lu is harmless to Hanzhong, so I let Zhang Lu live for a while... Although Zhang Lu is a despicable person, since he is offering a congratulatory letter and gifts this time, I will accept them for the time being and wait and see what he does and what he does in the future."

"Your Excellency is benevolent and virtuous." Wang Shang praised respectfully.

After talking about Shangyong, Liu Zhang picked up a document sent from Hexi and said, "Wu Yi, the governor of Liangzhou, submitted a memorial, saying that the countries in the Western Regions, Shanshan, Qiuci, Yutian and other countries heard that Guanlong was stable and each sent their sons and heirs to offer tribute. You decide whether to accept it or not."

Wang Shangfu said, "The Former Han Dynasty opened up the four counties of Hexi and gained access to the Western Regions, so the Western Regions Protectorate was established. After Emperor Guangwu's restoration, the Western Regions Chief Secretary's Office was established. Both of them supervised the Western Regions and cleared up thousands of miles of land, which was beneficial to both the country and the people. Now that your prestige has spread to the Western Regions, Shanshan, Qiuci, Khotan and other countries have attached themselves to you, so we should accept you and not disappoint people from afar."

"What the Chief Secretary said is very reasonable. People from afar are attached to us. If you drive them away, they will not come again." Xun You echoed, and at the same time he expressed his concerns: "The countries in the Western Regions are thousands of miles away. We know nothing about the details. The sons sent by the countries to pay tribute may be princes from distant branches or merchants pretending to be princes. We must carefully identify them and not be deceived."

"Just as you said." Liu Zhang nodded. At the moment, he did not have the energy to extend his hand to the Western Regions. After all, his strategic priority was Hebei and the Central Plains. However, he could lay some foundations in advance to pave the way for the re-establishment of the Western Regions Protectorate in the future.

After discussing Shi Xie, Zhang Lu and the Western Regions, these despicable parties, Liu Zhang and his civil and military officials began to prepare for the main course, just like they had an appetizer. The main course was Yuan Shao of Hebei and Cao Cao of the Central Plains.

"Cao Cao has had a good year this year. He has suppressed Dong Cheng's rebellion and secured the territory of Qing and Xu. He has made achievements both internally and externally."

Talking about Cao Cao, Liu Zhang couldn't help but sigh. While he attracted Yuan Shao's firepower, to Cao Cao's north, he and Yuan Shao were fighting in Taiyuan, and to Cao Cao's south, Liu Biao and Sun Ce were fighting for Jiangxia. As a result, Cao Cao, who was in the midst of four wars in the Central Plains, was living a very leisurely life.

However, this year, everyone wanted to rest and recuperate. For example, Liu Zhang worked hard to cultivate the ruined Guanzhong and make it prosperous. For example, Yuan Shao pacified Gongsun and expelled Heishan last year. After years of fighting, he needed to take a breather this year, so Cao Cao did not have to worry about external threats and only focused on internal problems. "Ming Gong is right." Xun You held the same attitude as Liu Zhang, and at the same time, he sighed: "It can be said that Cao Cao used the emperor to command the princes and controlled the righteousness of the world. The princes did not dare to be his enemy easily. Therefore, Cao Cao was in a place surrounded by wars, but he could act calmly. This is because he took the lead."

Zheng Du, an official, chuckled and said, "Although Cao Cao can be spared from being attacked this year, he may have a hard time next year. Yuan Shao is occupying four states and heading south from the Yellow River. He will advance from the north to the south and into the Central Plains. It can be said that the road ahead is smooth and there are no difficulties or obstacles. A major battle between Yuan and Cao next year is foreseeable."

"It's hard to say." Xun You shook his head and gave an ambiguous response.

"Although Cao Cao is weaker than Yuan Shao and there is no natural barrier between the two sides, Cao Cao holds the emperor hostage and has a righteous cause. In addition, you are hiding in Guanzhong, Yuan Shao is quite afraid of you, so Yuan Shao may not attack Cao Cao first."

"What the chief clerk means is that Yuan Shao might invade Hedong?" Zheng Du looked puzzled and said, "Hedong is an important place. Our army has set up defenses everywhere and has strict defenses. In addition, even if Hedong is taken by Yuan's army, there are Puyang, Tongguan and other dangerous passes to block it. How could Yuan Shao be so unwise as to lead his troops to attack Guanzhong?"

Xun You stroked his beard and said, "Yuan Shao has a strong presence in Ji, You, Qing and four other states, and has also gained the Xianbei, Wuhuan and other foreign barbarians as his aid. He is powerful and has a strong army, and he thinks he has no rivals. I'm afraid he won't take the Guanzhong Pass seriously. Moreover, you are a member of the royal family, and you are a tiger lying in Guanzhong. People think that Guangwu has resurrected, and Yuan Shao is wary of you. Therefore, Yuan Shao may invade Hedong and attack Guanzhong."

"However, we still need to observe how Yuan Shao will act. We must send more people to Hebei to spy on the secrets and investigate the movements of Yuan's army in detail so that we can be prepared for any eventuality."

Xun You suggested that the only ones who could compete with Liu Zhang for the world were Yuan Shao in Hebei and Cao Cao in the Central Plains. The movements of these two people needed to be monitored most closely. As the art of war says, knowing yourself and the enemy will ensure victory in every battle. If you want to defeat the enemy, you must know the enemy first.

"I'll have to trouble Xunzi with this matter." Liu Zhang instructed. He shared the same opinion. If he could peek at the cards in Yuan Shao's hand, he would peek at the cards in Yuan Shao's hand. This is not the Spring and Autumn Period where they fought in a rigid manner. Now the war is all about deception. You can do whatever you want as long as you can win.

"Yes." Xun You responded respectfully.

After the meeting, Liu Zhang came to the back hall. He said to his wife Huang Wanyan, who came to greet him, "Shi Xie, the governor of Jiaozhou, sent a lot of pearls, jadeite, glass, tortoise shells, etc. I will ask someone to bring some over later. You can pick out one or two that you like."

Huang Wan nodded meekly and replied, "We should invite Sister Wu to choose together. Oh, and Sister Cai who lives in the other courtyard. The husband's intention should be shared by all the sisters."

Liu Zhang coughed a few times when he heard this, and his old face became a little hot: "Wan'er, do you know?"

"My husband did not hide his behavior, so how could I not know?" Huang Wan saw Liu Zhang's embarrassment, she covered her mouth and chuckled and said, "Even if my husband did it, he should give Sister Cai a name, or does my husband like this kind of private feeling."

Liu Zhang's coughing became heavier. After a while, he replied, "It seems that Xun Zhubu said that he still has some things to discuss with me. Military and national affairs are more important. I will be back soon."

After saying this, Liu Zhang turned around, walked away without looking back, leaving Huang Wan behind with a teasing smile.

……

Xudu.

"Is the war in Taiyuan County over?" Sikong Cao Cao asked.

Military Advisor Guo Jia nodded and said, "The autumn rain continued, followed by winter snow. The Shu army saw that the weather was unfavorable and led their troops away on their own, not giving Gao Gan and Yan Liang a chance to attack."

"Very decisive." Cao Cao praised. He heard that in the previous several battles, the Shu army had the upper hand. He didn't expect that when there was wind and snow, considering the unfavorable weather, the Shu army simply retreated and did not engage in a fight with Gao Gan and Yan Liang.

"What a pity." After praising, Cao Cao sighed. He was still hoping that the Shu army and the Yuan army would continue to fight so that he could take the opportunity to become more powerful.

However, Cao Cao was still optimistic: "Once the war is about to start, it is easy to make an alliance but difficult to resolve it. Yuan and Liu will most likely fight again next year. With Liu Zhang watching closely, I don't have to worry too much."

"Your Excellency is right." Guo Jia responded, "Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang are like fire and water. Either Yuan Shao defeats Liu Zhang, or Liu Zhang destroys Yuan Shao. It is extremely difficult for them to be at peace with each other."

"However, Yuan Shao may be concerned about you, so he may not attack Liu Zhang. Even if he leads his troops to Guanzhong, he will probably leave a large number of troops in Liyang for defense."

"Of course." Cao Cao nodded. Yuan Shao was the only powerful family at the moment. Although he and Liu Zhang were weaker than Yuan Shao, if he and Liu Zhang sincerely joined forces, Yuan Shao would probably have to weigh the pros and cons.

Therefore, no matter which one Yuan Shao attacked, him or Liu Zhang, he would have some concerns and needed to guard against the other one and could not go all out.

"What do you think?" Cao Cao asked.

Guo Jia stroked his hair and beard and answered, "Next year, you can make a big announcement and announce that you are going to conquer Jingchu in the south. If Yuan Shao hears this, he will probably think that Liyang is not a problem and lead his troops to attack Hedong and go to Guanzhong. If Yuan Shao wants to take advantage of the situation to attack the Central Plains, you can deploy troops and set up defenses, and use the accumulated resources from the southern expedition to deal with Yuan Shao. Although this plan is a risky one, if it succeeds and prompts a war between Yuan and Liu, you can sit back and watch the fight."

Cao Cao half-closed his eyes, and after careful consideration, he nodded and said, "Your plan is feasible. If it can really lead to a war between Yuan Shao and Liu Zhang, then one of the two tigers will be injured, and I can take advantage of the situation to take it."

At this moment, a messenger outside the door said, "Report to the Minister of Works, there is news from the palace that Concubine Dong has given birth to a baby boy, and both mother and child are safe."

"A baby boy?" Cao Hong, who was sitting next to him, had a murderous look in his eyes. Concubine Dong's father, Dong Cheng, was killed by Cao. If this child grows up, he might be a trouble. He immediately cupped his hands and said to Cao Cao, "Brother, this child must not be kept, otherwise he might be a trouble in the future."

"Don't worry, Zi Lian." Cao Cao waved his hand and comforted Cao Hong, saying, "He is just a child. There is no need to be on guard or afraid." (End of this chapter)