Ji Han Grand Commander

Chapter 249 243. Reflection

"..."

The scene fell into silence for a moment. The Han envoy had no idea what had happened, but Meng Huo was confident that things had not gone as he had expected.

"Please look, sir. Here are the heads of Yong Kai, Zhu Bao, and Gao Ding. Please take them back to Chengdu and present them to His Majesty. The people of Nanzhong were all bewitched by these three thieves and committed such a treacherous act. Now that Nanzhong has come to its senses, we offer them the heads of the three thieves."

Meng Huo said this, but the expression on his face did not reflect what he thought at all. Instead, it looked like "I'll give you enough face."

The Han envoy finally woke up from his dream, and his throat moved unconsciously. Meng Huo had killed three people in a split second, which made the Han envoy a little scared. However, since Meng Huo had given him such a face, the Han envoy would not be ignorant and ruin the current atmosphere. He quickly raised his glass and toasted with Meng Huo, chatting and laughing.

As soon as the banquet was over, the Han envoy immediately set off and hurried back to Chengdu with the three heads and some "Southern specialties" that Meng Huo had randomly selected.

"..."

In the Chengdu Palace, the heads of the three people were definitely placed in a box and presented to Liu Chan for his consideration. Liu Chan naturally had no mood to look at three dead heads, so after a formality, the three heads were taken away and dealt with.

The key now is not the three dead men, but how to treat Meng Huo. Although Zhuge Liang said that he was trying to persuade Meng Huo to surrender, Meng Huo's performance now made Zhuge Liang somewhat doubtful whether Meng Huo would honestly withdraw his troops and return to Nanzhong.

Judging from the envoy's account, Meng Huo was not only ambitious but also capable. Everyone knew that it was Meng Huo who started the war, and then Yong Kai and his men responded. Now Meng Huo directly put the blame on the three dead men. This tactic makes it hard for people to think that he is a barbarian king.

In addition, from subsequent news, Gao Ding's 20,000 Yuexi Yi were also annexed by Meng Huo. It can be seen that he had infiltrated Gao Ding's subordinates a long time ago, and he probably had thought about what happened that day long ago. His mind was really meticulous.

However, since the other party clearly expressed his willingness to accept the rule of the Han Dynasty, it would be inappropriate to pursue the matter further both publicly and privately. However, Zhuge Liang still secretly increased his guard against Meng Huo.

"Your Majesty, since the Barbarian King is willing to submit to the Han Dynasty and the rebels have been beheaded, this southern expedition should end here. However, we must be on guard against others. I suggest that Zhang Yi and Ma Zhong lead the troops of Yizhou and Yongchang counties to prevent any unexpected events."

Zhuge Liang had his reasons for choosing these two. As a veteran, Zhao Yun naturally had a good idea of ​​the level of these young generals. Ma Zhong, Zhang Yi, and Zhang Yi were all pretty good. Although they were not good enough to suppress an entire state, they were more than enough to intimidate one side.

It just so happens that the three counties of Yinan are located in a remote area, which is also a good place for training. It is neither too far nor too stable, and the intensity is just right.

"Okay, let's do as the Prime Minister wishes."

Liu Chan had no objection to this and nodded repeatedly to agree with Zhuge Liang's arrangement.

Since Meng Huo has already surrendered on the surface, there is naturally no need for the three armies to stay in the three counties, but for them to pack up and return home.

Meng Huo did what he said. He gathered the barbarian soldiers he brought with him and the recaptured Gaoding troops and retreated southward. It seemed that the two sides had really returned to peace again.

"My dear husband, it seems that we didn't get the 'sweet benefits' you mentioned this time. Are we just going to withdraw like this?"

Madam Zhu Rong sat on Meng Huo's king chair, enjoying Meng Huo's full massage service. She was a little dissatisfied with Meng Huo's anti-climax expedition. "Hehe, Madam, how could it be possible? The Han people are so powerful, and we almost fell into Cao Wei's trap. Cao Wei said that there would be turmoil in Sichuan, but the Han people reacted so quickly. Fortunately, Yong Kai and the other two tested the Han army's strength for us."

Meng Huo smiled charmingly and pinched Madam Zhu Rong's shoulders, but there was a hint of fear in his eyes.

"The Han people are strong and powerful. We may not be able to deal with them with our current forces. In addition, the Han people have war horses, iron tools, and strong bows. Their weapons are much better than ours in the South. If we fight them head-on, I'm afraid we will never be able to return."

Meng Huo originally had no idea about the combat effectiveness of the Han army in Sichuan. After being fooled by Cao Wei, he thought it was the case. Fortunately, Meng Huo was quite cunning and found three people to take the blame, who helped him test the combat effectiveness of the Han army.

Gao Ding's army of 30,000 was chased and beaten by Zhang Bao's Han army of more than 10,000 all the way from Yuexi County to Yongchang County. No matter how he thought about it, his 40,000 to 50,000 Nanzhong barbarian troops were not enough to beat the 30,000 Han troops on the opposite side.

This is indeed true. In the original timeline, Zhuge Liang restored the situation in central Sichuan for two years and recruited some new troops, and was able to defeat Meng Huo, who was captured and released seven times. Now there are not just 20,000 or 30,000 new troops in central Sichuan, but more than 70,000 veterans who have fought in many battles, including many who have fought in the Battle of Hanzhong and even the Battle of Jingzhou, Yiling, and the Battle of Fancheng.

In this situation, Meng Huo was not so stupid. He simply sold the three useless people and made peace with the Han army.

"So let's just forget about this? Will we still live in our Nanzhong from now on?"

Mrs. Zhu Rong saw that Meng Huo seemed to be frightened by the Han army, and was curious about Meng Huo's future plans, so she couldn't help asking about it.

"Hey, although the Han army is strong, they will eventually confront Cao Wei. When they are weak internally, that will be our chance. The Han people have always been benevolent, so even if we are unfortunately defeated, we can just admit defeat, hehe..."

Meng Huo laughed twice and thought that he had a relatively accurate grasp of the Han people's thoughts.

"Alas, this is not a good thing. I heard that the Han commander-in-chief who was stationed in Jingzhou went to Jiaozhou. The Zhan people, who were originally united, have now started to fight among themselves and report each other happily. If this commander-in-chief comes to deal with us in Nanzhong, I'm afraid..."

After Meng Huo started the rebellion, information about Jiaozhou gradually spread to Nanzhong. Meng Huo was busy leading troops and naturally did not pay much attention to the news.

Although Zhu Rong didn't understand much about these political matters, she was thoughtful and found the reason for the changes in Jiaozhou. She was worried that Meng Huo's fickleness would anger the Han people, and they would really confiscate their property and exterminate their clan, and then it would be too late for them to regret.

"Hey, Madam, don't worry, I know what to do. If we really reach the end of our rope, we will just stay calm for a while.

However, the troops we sent out this time are still not sufficient... I'm afraid we'll have to contact for some reinforcements next time... I heard that King Mulu of Banadong can command tigers and leopards, and his 30,000 soldiers are extremely brave. I can contact them later.

The rattan armor of the Wugo Kingdom is also famous. I guess the Han people can’t break it either. We can get in touch with them in the future..."

Meng Huo served his wife while sorting out the harvest and preparing for the next rebellion.

(End of this chapter)