The great man will live forever

Chapter 287 Convince Liu Xiu

Outside Zhending City, Guo Kuang's camp was filled with gloom and gloom.

"Cousin, we have been attacking for five days in a row. Our army suffered as many as 5 casualties, but we couldn't even capture this small Zhending city. What should we do?"

It was Liu De who spoke, and his face was sweating.

According to relatives, he is Guo Kuang's cousin. A few years ago, to be precise, it should be 7 years ago, Liu Xiu randomly found a reason to dethrone him from the throne, and he was changed from Zhending King to Zhending Marquis.

He was originally resentful that his father was killed by Liu Xiu. You gave me a throne to sit on, which is considered compensation. I can tolerate it, but you suddenly took my throne and replaced it with The Marquis, this is so uncomfortable.

But even if he feels uncomfortable, he has to hold it in. After all, his father was killed by Liu Xiu. He thinks that his ability is not as good as his father's, and Liu Xiu's ability is too strong.

He was the first person to persuade Guo Kuang to rebel. He was a little hesitant at the beginning. After all, he was afraid of death. After enjoying the rich food and clothing, the Marquis should be the Marquis. Is it necessary to rebel? That would destroy the nine tribes.

But Guo Guang said: "Don't you want to avenge your uncle? Liu Xiu is an ungrateful guy. He relied on his uncle's hundreds of thousands of troops and my sister's dowry to gain a foothold in Hebei and conquer the world.

He didn't reward his uncle even a penny, and he even tried to find someone to kill his uncle and made you a king. As a result, he became a marquis again within a few years.

A few years ago, my sister's posthumous position was abolished. I'm afraid that in a few years we will be eradicated and exterminated.

What is unbearable for a true scholar? Have you even forgotten your uncle's revenge? To be an unfilial son, the hatred for killing your father is irreconcilable!

Liu Xiu can sit in this world, why can't you? Your surname is also Liu. Regardless of bloodline or status, you are much better than the mud-legged guy he was back then..."

Anyway, under Guo Kuang's deception, he broke the pot and made a desperate move. He gritted his teeth and sold his property, and took thousands of servants to follow Guo Kuang to rebel.

In the beginning, they were fighting well, but the surroundings were as if they were watching the wind. He seemed to see the emperor waving to him again.

What his father Liu Yang couldn't do, he Liu had to do.

Guo Kuang had been preparing for this rebellion for a year or two. Four to five thousand people were considered elites and had been trained quietly, but only a little. He did not dare to train openly.

In the beginning, they were unstoppable. In just one month, they defeated several other counties in Zhending County, including Mianman, Gaocheng, and Feilei counties.

They even spread to the surrounding areas, captured Shiyi and Jingxing counties in Changshan County, and then surrounded Zhending County. Their number grew to 100,000 troops. Although the water was very heavy, it was still 100,000 troops.

As long as Zhending is captured, Zhending County will be captured, followed by Changshan, and then with Changshan and Zhending as the center, Hebei will be further captured, and hegemony will be achieved. Liu Xiu conquered the world from Hebei back then.

Unfortunately, the imagination is wonderful, but when it comes to true determination, we run into big trouble.

"Cousin, don't be anxious. Look, you're sweating. Why are you in such a hurry? The city can't be conquered in a day or two. It is said that Liu Dewang, the governor of Zhending, followed Qingfenghou, and he can be regarded as the leader of Nannan. Naturally, there are some means to conquer the North."

Guo Kuang comforted him, but he was actually a little anxious inside. He didn't expect this small truth to be so difficult to chew.

Of course, Fatty Liu couldn't use his real name. If he hadn't taken the longevity medicine, he might have died. He should be 70 years old now.

After all, when the black jade unicorn killed Wang Mang as a substitute, it was around 7 BC. It is now the 44th year of Jianwu, AD .

At that time, he was seventeen or eighteen years old. He went to rob a tomb with his eldest and second brothers. He was entrusted by a young Taoist priest to steal Wang Mang's body outside Xindu City. As a result, his eldest and second brothers were killed by the young Taoist priest.

In order to take revenge, he spent decades tossing and turning, enduring, those sad and decadent days were like hell...

Finally, Wang Mang's new dynasty collapsed. He found out some truth, followed the black jade unicorn, completed the counterattack in the Mausoleum of Qin Shihuang, and obtained the elixir of longevity.

As a result, he actually learned from Ayimei that his enemy could not be killed and would be reincarnated. He almost collapsed. Fortunately, they still had a way to kill him.

If you turn history upside down, you will have the opportunity to kill those people.

So his real age is around 70 now. Such a person is already auspicious to ordinary people. Many of them are too old to walk. Except for wealthy people, ordinary farmers generally cannot live such a long time.

They have heavy farm work, corvee labor, unnutritious food, and various diseases, and their life span is very short. But now he looks like he is only 20 or 30 years old, and he is good at fighting, so naturally he cannot use his previous name. It was changed to Liu Dewang.

"Cousin, how can I not be anxious? Now more than a month has passed, and the army of the imperial court to suppress the rebellion is probably on its way. We haven't captured Zhending yet, what should we do?"

At this time, people were like ants on a hot pot. He had to worry. If he made a wrong move, he would be shattered to pieces. He even regretted listening to his cousin. Why did he rebel?

Is it because the family doesn’t have much land, the mansion is not big, and the maids and beauties are no longer attractive?

Guo Kuang smiled slightly and said, "The imperial army cannot come for the time being."

"why?"

"You'll know in a few days."

……

In the East Palace of Luoyang, Liu Xiu was naturally extremely angry when he learned the news of Guo Kuang's rebellion. He just wanted to appoint a general to fight, but not long after, another news came.

"What, Bian Jiancheng, the governor of Changshan, also rebelled? Captured Sangzhong, Houguo, Lingshou, Puwu, Youtie, and Dabaiqu?"

This is not bad news. The following news comes one after another, and each one is worse than the last.

"Your Majesty, Marquis Ping Chan of Hejian County rebelled. With the help of Zhao, Wang and Liu families, they killed the prefect He Yun and captured Xian, Fucheng, Suning, Renqiu, Jiaohe, Qing, Xingji, Jinghai, Ningjin... "

"Your Majesty, Song Hongwei, the governor of Julu County, conspired to rebel. He united with the Song family and the Yang family to capture Julu, Nan, Guang'a, Xiangshi, Litao, Songzi, Yangshi, Linping, Xiadianyang, Wei, Fan, and Xin Shi, Tangyang..."

"Your Majesty, there are also rebels in Qinghe County. They besieged Qingyang and captured Dongwu City, Yimu, Ling, Cuo, Hu, Beiqiu, Xincheng, Shati, Dongyang..."

"Your Majesty, the thief Zhu Yao of Wei County captured Guantao, attacked Qiu, Sha, Neihuang, Qingyuan, Wei, Fanyang, Yuancheng, Liangqi, Liyang, Pei and Wushi, and besieged Yecheng..."

……

Guo Kuang rebelled for half a month, and most of Jizhou rebelled. Liu Xiu was so angry that Jizhou was considered the richest state in the world. That was his capital to win the world.

He looked around. The generals who followed him back then were dead, injured, and sick. There were not many who could fight. Some were guarding the Huns on the border, and there were also barbarians. Who would he send to fight now?

"Send Chief Sima Wu Han..."

He was just about to shout, but as he spoke, he remembered that Great Sima Wu Han had died a few days ago.

"I want to be the emperor and personally govern!" Liu Xiu had no choice but to prepare himself to go into battle naked. He had served as the emperor personally for many battles, and he was among the top among all the emperors.

"Your Majesty, you must not do this."

"Just send one general."

"Yes, the battlefield is extremely dangerous, and His Majesty's body of gold cannot take risks easily."

The ministers tried to persuade him, citing various reasons. After all, there were many benefits to the emperor's personal expedition, and it could significantly improve the morale of the army.

But the disadvantages are also obvious. For example, Zhu Qizhen, the God of War of the Ming Dynasty, was captured alive in the first battle. This was a huge blow to the Ming Dynasty.

When others escort the emperor to attack the city, do you shoot arrows or don't?

And over the years, Liu Xiu's health has not been so good. Many emperors do not live long. Living to his age is considered good, but if it fails, he will die.

Faced with the scruples of the ministers, Liu Xiu also knew it, so he could only ask, "My dear friends, who do you think you should send? Who is suitable?"

At this time, Liu Han took the initiative to stand up and said, "My son, go."

Liu Xiu was a little moved, but still a little worried. After all, Liu Han had never really been on the battlefield, but had served as a prisoner of the country a lot.

"As for the art of war, my father must know that my son is familiar with the art of war. He has practiced martial arts over the years and is pretty good. My father can give him a test and find someone in the army. I think he won't lose too badly." .

Moreover, the son always has to go to the battlefield. The father used to stop him because he was young, but now he is no longer young. The child has to grow up and be independent, and cannot always be under the protection of the father..."

After a heated discussion, at Liu Han's request, Liu Xiu said that if he could really defeat the general in the army, he could go.

"Shhhhhh!"

"Drive, drive, drive!"

In the military camp, Liu Han's figure was like a bolt of lightning, piercing the silent military camp.

Wearing iron armor, holding a long bow, and riding a majestic black horse, he galloped across the vast camp.

"Tap Tap!"

The sound of his horse's hooves thundered through the air, accompanied by dust.

"when!"

The arrow feathers are trembling, and every time he draws the bow and draws an arrow, he is full of strength and confidence.

The long bow in Liu Han's hand was like a bolt of lightning, piercing the air. The arrow flew like a meteor and accurately hit the bullseye in the distance.

Every sound of an arrow piercing the air made the surrounding soldiers gasp in amazement.

"Okay! The prince is invincible!" "The prince is mighty!"

They witnessed Liu Han's skills and felt the fearlessness and bravery he exuded.

Liu Han's black horse seemed to feel the majesty and determination of its owner. It was like a black lightning, galloping through the camp.

The tacit understanding between Liu Han and the horse made him even more powerful while galloping. Sometimes he leaned forward, sometimes straightened his back, and every movement was perfectly coordinated with the dark horse.

"Shut up!"

Liu Han stopped his horse and looked at Liu Xiu calmly. Liu Xiu lost consciousness for a moment, and then laughed loudly, "My son is a superb archer, with 100 hits. He is also an excellent horseman and a horse. Even my father could not compare with you back then." "

"Of course! Let's compete in martial arts."

"Okay, let Father see your martial arts skills."

Immediately, the army went to have a discussion, and there was probably a suspicion of betrayal. Liu Xiu did not find the generals in the army, but the first-class elites among the soldiers.

Looking at these soldiers, Liu Han said calmly: "Let's go together."

Liu Xiu said with a smile: "Prince, my son, don't trust me. These are first-class elites who have been on many battlefields."

"It's okay!" Liu Han shook his head, full of confidence. He also had to be confident, because the God of War back then was back.

All they had were wooden weapons.

"You must not be merciful just because he is the prince. Whoever can defeat him will be rewarded heavily by me!" Liu Xiu was afraid that these soldiers would not be careful, so he spoke loudly.

The few soldiers who had been hesitant immediately became energetic. Of course, even if there was a generous reward, they did not dare to make a heavy move. The competition was all tentative at first.

"How long do you think the prince can last?"

"I guess it's going to be tough. Those are five people, and they're still elites. I guess I can barely cope with it."

"The prince is always unexpected. I am ashamed of his equestrian and archery skills."

"The prince also has to deal with political affairs. Does he have so much time to practice martial arts? Equestrian and archery probably take a lot of his time. Martial arts training does not happen overnight..."

Many generals who were watching started talking quietly, but they saw Liu Han taking the initiative to attack. His sword skills were like flowing water, both fast and accurate. No one could stop the sword wherever it went.

His swordsmanship is not only powerful, but also extremely beautiful and astonishing.

"I go!"

"oops!"

"Clap!"

"Ouch!"

Not long after, several elite soldiers were screaming on the ground. Not only Liu Xiu, but most of the people were shocked.

"From the moment I held a sword at a young age, I knew that I would be the leader of the sword, number one in the world!"

Liu Han held his wooden sword horizontally, and suddenly thought of the words of future generations, and couldn't help but say them.

"........."

Liu Xiu was very satisfied. He always felt that Liu Han was too mature, and he never imagined that he would still be in the second grade.

"Haha, my son is the leader of swordsmanship and the best in the world!"

Seeing how outstanding Liu Han was, he had no choice but to agree to let him fight.

Before leaving, he specially found Liu Han, held his hand and said.

"You have your own unique insights into the art of war, and my father has nothing to teach you. He can only warn you that you should not care about winning or losing in the moment. You must know what your goal is.

Then move closer to the target little by little, confuse the enemy, and don’t let him know what your target is..."

Liu Xiu pulled him and talked intermittently for a long time, giving him thousands of instructions.

It wasn't until it got dark that he let go of Liu Han's hand and let him go back.

"Prince!" Seeing Liu Han turn around to leave, he stopped him.

"Father, what else do you want to warn?" Liu Han was not impatient. His mother was worried about his son traveling thousands of miles away, and his father was also the same.

"You must save your life. There is nothing to be afraid of if you fail. Just start over. You only have one life. Even if you lose the entire Jizhou and all the soldiers and horses are wiped out, as long as you are here, it will be fine. At worst, my father will lead you." Let you conquer the world again!"

Liu Han smiled, "Yes, at worst, we can conquer the world again!"

"Hahaha!" The two looked at each other and laughed.

On June 20, the 6th year of Jianwu, Prince Liu Qiang led an army of 7 people and swore an expedition in Luoyang to attack the rebellion in Jizhou.

These 5 troops include the Yulin and Youzhou Cavalry, as well as the eight elite captains of the Northern Army, namely the Zhongbai Colonel, the Tunqi Colonel, the Infantry Colonel, the Yueqi Colonel, the Changshui Colonel, Colonel Hu Qi, Colonel Shesheng, and Colonel Huben.

It even included some of the elites of the Southern Army. You must know that the Southern Army was to guard the palace. Liu Xiu did not hesitate to mobilize some of the elites of the palace for this purpose, which was regarded as giving all his wealth to Liu Han.

Although the Eastern Han Dynasty inherited the Western Han Dynasty to a large extent, the number of troops was far less than that of the Western Han Dynasty.

In addition to the five or six hundred thousand troops in the early Western Han Dynasty, from the middle of the Western Han Dynasty to the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the total number of troops in the Western Han Dynasty ranged from 60 to 80.

There may be differences during the reign of each emperor, but the differences are not too big.

The army of the Western Han Dynasty was divided into three parts: the border defense army, the county guard army and the army directly under the imperial court. The same was true for the Eastern Han Dynasty.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there were repeated records of frequently dispatching more than 10 troops.

For example, "The Han ambushed more than 300,000 troops in Mayi, and ordered the Cantonese and the south of the Jianghuai River to attack with 100,000 troops. The Han sent General Li Xi and Lang Zhong to order Xu Zi to quell them with 100,000 troops... The second envoy of the Han Dynasty The division general has 60,000 cavalry and 70,000 infantry..."

After Wang Mang's usurpation of the Han Dynasty and the melee between princes, Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty Liu Xiu re-established the Han Dynasty and established the capital in Luoyang as the Eastern Han Dynasty.

The Eastern Han Dynasty was no weaker than the Western Han Dynasty. In terms of territory control, it was basically equivalent to the Western Han Dynasty. However, the total number of troops in the Eastern Han Dynasty was less than half of that in the Western Han Dynasty.

The population and cultivated land during the heyday of the Eastern Han Dynasty were very close to those of the Western Han Dynasty. Therefore, it has the ability to support hundreds of thousands of troops.

In the second year of the Yuanshi period of Emperor Ping of the Western Han Dynasty, the registered population of the Western Han Dynasty was 5959 million.

In the third year of Yongshou (157 years) of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the registered population of the Eastern Han Dynasty was 5647 million.

The situation in the Eastern Han Dynasty was similar to that in the Western Han Dynasty. The army was also divided into the army directly under the jurisdiction of the imperial court, the border defense army and the county guard army.

Among them, the county garrison still has the largest number, with a total of nearly 20.

However, the number of border guards dropped significantly, and there were only tens of thousands of border guards in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Only the direct-controlled army in the Eastern Han Dynasty was even more pitiful. It gradually decreased from more than 10 in the Western Han Dynasty, and once dropped sharply to more than 1.

At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wang Lang once said, "In the old days, the number of Huben, Yu Lin, and five battalions of soldiers and guards combined totaled ten thousand people."

It can be seen that the standing army of the Eastern Han Dynasty was only more than 20 people. Even in its heyday, there were only about 29, less than half of the number in the Western Han Dynasty.

In fact, there is a very important factor in the large-scale reduction of the number of troops in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and that is the obvious weakening of external threats.

Although, the Eastern Han Dynasty also needed to face various external threats. But compared with the Western Han Dynasty, it is not an order of magnitude at all.

During the Western Han Dynasty, it had to face a series of surrounding opponents, which could be said to be surrounded by powerful enemies, especially the Xiongnu. Therefore, a large standing army was needed.

During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the surrounding threats were obviously weakened. The once arrogant Huns had been divided into several parts and were unable to engage in large-scale decisive battles with the Han Dynasty.

In other words, the Eastern Han Dynasty no longer needed a large standing army for its own national defense.

This time under the direct control of the army, Liu Xiu spent 50,000, which was almost all dispatched. Even Luoyang's defenses were empty. He had to recall some of the border troops and the garrison troops from several surrounding counties.

(End of this chapter)