Ji Han Da Sima

Chapter 552: Drinking wine at the moon
AD 223, the fifth year of Zhangwu, Zhengdan.

Under the bright moon, the Yangtze River winds down like a bright ribbon. The ripples of the river are like countless silver snakes swimming.

On the bank of the river, a banquet was held on Huanghu Terrace, and the lights were brightly lit, reflecting the rivers and lakes.
After returning from the Northern Expedition in Guanzhong, Liu Bei built a high-rise palace in Huanghuji, which was used to store grain and provide military training. Of course, it has the same function as the three terraces in Yecheng. Huanghu Terrace is also the place where Liu Bei holds banquets and entertains high officials.

In Taichung, Liu Bei sat in formal attire, while Zhuge Liang and Zhang Fei led the civil and military officials around them and sat in order. Jiang Ji and Jiang Wei were several steps away from Liu Bei due to the cold weather.

In the center, nearly a hundred shirtless and barefooted men were holding spears and crossbows, singing and dancing to the sound of drums and behaving boldly.

The civil and military officials at the banquet were immersed in the Qiang people's performance, some pointing and praising, while others clapping their hands in response.

Liu Bei, who was still drunk, stood up holding a bottle of wine.

Seeing this, the attendants on the left and right stopped their movements with a very wink. The drumming, singing and dancing stopped immediately, and the whole place was silent.

Liu Bei left the bed and walked out of the building. He raised his wine bottle to the ministers, but he did not drink it.

Liu Bei's anger sank into his Dantian, and he said loudly: "In the past, at the end of the Han Dynasty, the Yellow Turbans were in chaos, the world was disturbed by clouds, heroes and tigers were fighting, heroes were enthusiastic, and they were proud of themselves. I came from a humble family and joined the army to help the world."

"I originally wanted to unite with King Qi of Lu and help the world together. However, unfortunately, King Qi of Lu died of a serious illness. Due to the presence of strong bandits, he was unable to serve in court, so he entrusted Jingchu to join me. In order to prosper the Han Dynasty and prosper the world, I When in danger, he takes command and always controls thousands of people."

"Riding on the Western expedition, he conquered Hanzhong, defeated Chongqing, lowered Shu, collected the land of Shu and Han, and returned to the Han Dynasty. After accepting the destiny, he commanded the Sixth Division to intimidate the captives and restore the Central Plains. After three battles, he restored the Jianghuai River and won Xiangfan, Ma Chao became a vassal."

"Wang Jun is so good at poetry!"

"color!"

Liu Bei raised the bottle to the moon and said in a serious tone: "In the past, I went to Jiangyang, defeated Cao Cao, and expanded the Jianghuai River. They were all Zhongmiao. I will never forget them."

The Han Dynasty prospered three times in his hands, and its territory extended to Longshang in the north, Rinan in the south, the seaside in the east, and the high soil in the west. There are tens of millions of people under his rule, hundreds of thousands of soldiers, and many generals and famous ministers.

All the ministers raised their wine bottles in unison and drank from them.

As Liu Bei recounted his achievements, the guests at the banquet listened silently. Especially when Liu Bei talked about laying the foundation and establishing a business, the bitterness was replaced by heroic spirit, and later on, the imperial spirit came to his face.

Liu Bei was not one who liked to boast about his achievements. He often attributed them to his subordinates. However, Liu Bei has been in his sixties for three years, and it has been more than 20 years since he arrived in Jingchu when he was 41 years old. He forcefully seized the south from the already established Cao Cao and revitalized the declining Han Dynasty.

With that said, Liu Bei toasted to Zhuge Liang and said: "I dare not forget the savior Kong Ming Linjiang, who made plans in the tents, handled the documents in the palace, built the country at the top, and Anxian County at the bottom."

Then, Wang Can attended the cup-raising ceremony and sang loudly: "The force of force has been established, and the common people are ready to succeed. Let me enjoy the Han Dynasty, banquet guests and teachers. Zhao Wende, declare the power of Wu, Ping Jiuyou, care for the people. He is favored by heaven, The longevity of the body will not be violated by me for thousands of years. The Han Dynasty will protect the longevity and will last for eternity."

"I have no foundation, and even though I have great ambitions, I can only leave the Central Plains. When I was defeated in Runan, I was greeted by the King of Lu. At that time, I was entrusted with a big task and sent my troops eastward. I defeated the bandits in Yuzhang, defeated Sun Quan in Danyang, and swept across Jiangzuo; Lu When the king suddenly died, Cao Cao led the Chinese army southward. Wu and Chu joined forces and entrusted Huo Jun with the great responsibility. He was furious and defeated the thieves at Jinkou. "

"Respect you gentlemen!"

Liu Bei and everyone applauded and cheered. During the Zhengdan season, nothing could be more fitting for the current scene than a song praising the great man.

Liu Bei raised his wine bottle to the crowd and laughed and said: "Now that we have thousands of boats and millions of troops, and we have all the great men serving us, why should I worry that Cao Cao's thieves will not be destroyed and the Han Dynasty will not prosper!"

Liu Bei, who was in high spirits, returned to his seat, held up the wine bottle and drank another bottle with his officials.

"It is the first day of the lunar month. I have been thinking about it till now, and I deeply feel the great righteousness of King Lu and his son. The old people of the Central Plains knew it was hard to give up, and the wise men of Wu and Chu rushed to safety in the face of difficulties."

"Since Dong Zhuo's rebellion, Cao Cao has flourished in Henan, Yuan Shaohu has occupied Hebei, the Sun family has established its foundation on the left side of the Yangtze River, Shi Xie has been king behind closed doors, the King of Lu has been graceful in Jingchu, and Liu Yan has arrogantly respected the Shu Han."

"Your Majesty!"

"With this bottle of clear wine, I should respect Yun Chang, Kong Ming, Zhong Miao, King Lu, and more importantly, all the princes who work for me!"

How could Liu Bei not be happy with such a magnificent achievement?
And as the search population expands to the whole country, after several years of recuperation, the country's national power will reach a higher level in his hands.

"Drink full!"

Seeing that Liu Bei was a little drunk, Empress Mi pulled Liu Bei's sleeve and whispered: "Your Majesty, the doctor has told you not to drink too much!"

Looking at the wine bottle in his hand, Liu Bei smiled, patted Empress Mi's hand, and said, "Today is the first day of the New Year, and I am so happy that I can't help but drink a few more bottles. It won't be a problem!"

After going through wars and wars, Liu Bei had no hidden wounds or illnesses!
Since Liu Bei turned sixty, his physical energy has been getting weaker every year, and he often suffers from minor illnesses. Doctor Du Du was the imperial physician. When he diagnosed and treated Liu Bei's disease, he did not diagnose any problems. He only prescribed some medicine and told Liu Bei to take good care of his body.

That night, Liu Bei and his ministers held up bottles to celebrate. They sang when they were happy and danced when they were happy. The atmosphere was very lively.

As the banquet came to an end, Liu Bei gathered his thoughts, pointed to the singing and dancing in the center and the civil and military affairs of the Southern Han Dynasty, smiled at Jiang Jiong, and said, "What do you think, Qing Jiang?" Jiang Jiong bowed humbly and said, "Your Majesty, the Han Dynasty has finally arrived. There is no such scene in Longyou's narrow township, so it's time to open your eyes."

"Haha~"

Liu Bei smiled with ambition and said: "Your Majesty, a righteous man from Longshang would be very helpful to talk with you. If you return to Longshang from the west, I will be very reluctant to leave you."

"In recent days, I have received Your Majesty's love and hospitality, and I feel sorry for what I have received. I only regret that I will be returning to Longshang soon and will not be able to follow Your Majesty." Jiang Ji sighed.

Seeing that his father had not expressed his loyalty yet, Jiang Wei secretly kicked his father's feet to signal his father not to hesitate.

Since Jiang Ji and his son came to Han Dynasty, Liu Bei had summoned him many times to discuss matters, and he treated him with extraordinary courtesy. He entertained him for days, which made Jiang Ji feel ashamed. The young Jiang Wei was directly impressed by Zhuge Liang and Liu Bei, and often served Zhuge Liang.

And at today's Zhengdan banquet, Liu Bei drank wine and came to the moon to talk about his achievements. His heroic appearance made Jiang Jiong and Jiang Wei's father and son fall in love with him.

Feeling the strange movement from his feet, Jiang Ji hesitated a little and said: "Your Majesty has the desire to restore the old capital. Today, he will follow the instructions of the great ancestor and march to Longshang and retreat to Guanzhong. If the thieves become more powerful, Longshang will be captured again. It will be even more difficult to capture the old capital."

Zhuge Liang put down his wine bottle and said: "If you want to take Guanzhong, you need to get Longyou. At that time, taking advantage of Longyou's condescending position, and attacking Guanzhong from multiple routes, Guanzhong can be moved down. Now Longyou is occupied by Ma Chao, and he is capricious. Although he is loyal to our country, , But if you can’t use it, Your Majesty will be worried about it!”

Jiang Ji immediately paid his respects and said: "I am vulgar and ignorant of the general strategy. Many of my ministers have advised me. They often say that if the north and the south take over the world, it must be the Han Dynasty. Now I have your majesty's appreciation. If your majesty does not give up, I will take Longshang. It will be embarrassing." I am willing to raise my troops to respond.”

With his father's introduction, Jiang Wei said: "I and my son are not the sellers seeking glory. In fact, Ma Chao is not a famous owner. His rough martial arts and abandonment of literature make it difficult for the people of Long to return. Today, there are no longer a few people in Long who are like father and son who want to seek a wise king. What's more, The people of Wei in the east often want to recapture Longshang. Your Majesty must not take it out of pity because of the vassal state, and let the thieves recapture it."

As he spoke, Jiang Weiduo was excited, and he raised his hands and said: "Your Majesty will take Longyou, then go down to Guanzhong, and leave Tongguan in the east. He will imitate the military strength of Emperor Gaozu, capture the Central Plains, rectify the dynasty, and wipe out the evil spirits. Then the Han Dynasty will be prosperous!"

Liu Bei was overjoyed. He helped Jiang Ji and his son up and said, "I have wanted to capture Longyou for a long time. In the past three expeditions, I failed to capture Guanzhong, all because of Ma Chao's repeated resistance. If we can go down to Longyou first, and then divide our troops into three groups to capture Guanzhong, then we can defeat Guanzhong." Start with Xiqing."

After saying that, Liu Bei pretended to hesitate and said: "Even if you have troops to respond, I am afraid that the Long Road is long and rugged. If the plan is not right, it will be easy for the Wei people to take advantage of it."

Jiang Jiong did not hesitate, raised his hands and said: "I am willing to return to Long with my son to find out the details for Your Majesty. When there is a good opportunity, Your Majesty will send troops, and I am an insider, and we will work together internally and externally to plan Long's horse drive."

"good!"

Liu Bei held Jiang Ji's hand and said with a smile: "Ma Chao, a wolf's ambition cannot be sustained for a long time. No one but Qing and his son can investigate his feelings."

Then, Liu Bei took Jiang Wei's hand, smiled and addressed everyone around him, and said: "You are a young hero who helped your father return to the Han Dynasty. His courage is unparalleled and he should be a strong man."

After a pause, Liu Bei smiled and said, "When I was young, I often had great ambitions. I wonder what Bo Yue's ambitions are?"

Jiang Wei looked serious, raised his hands and said: "I would like to use Ma Fubo as an example, give up my family's land and wealth, and contribute to the country's important affairs, and return home wrapped in horse leather. This is Wei's ambition."

"nice!"

Liu Bei looked at Liu Chan with admiration in his eyes and said with a smile: "This is the Prince's Fu Bo!"

Liu Chan was silent and just saluted and said hello to the two of them to show respect.

Then, Liu Bei remembered something and warned: "The situation in Guanxi is complicated and closely related to the Central Plains, so it is not necessary to rush to Longyou. If I unfortunately pass away, the second minister should contact the prince, Prime Minister Ge and Huo Du. You will not be disappointed. Han, Han will never let you down."

The situation in the world is changing too fast, and Liu Bei is already old. He didn't know when he would leave or when there would be hope of conquering Longyou. Now he was very worried that the line he had finally built would disappear due to his death.

Liu Chan understood what he meant, his green face was moved, and he took the initiative to say: "Please rest assured, you two, Zen will not change your Majesty's old words. Your Majesty repays me with your loyalty, and I will treat you with faith. The green mountains will not change, and the green water will always be there." "Flow, I hope it will become a good story for a while."

With Liu Chan's guarantee, Jiang Jiong and his son bowed their hands and said, "I pay homage to His Highness the Crown Prince. I will never forget what I said today."

"On this festive occasion, congratulations to Your Majesty on your good minister." Zhuge Liang was the first to go out and congratulate him.

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!" the ministers responded.

"Ha ha!"

Liu Bei waved his sleeves and laughed: "Keep playing music, keep dancing!"

"promise!"

In order to show his closeness, Liu Bei simply pulled Jiang Ji to his side and ate at the same table with him.

Seeing this scene, Zhuge Liang stroked his fan and smiled. Zhuge Liang glanced at Jiang Wei who was showing kindness to him, and Zhuge Liang smiled back.

(End of this chapter)