Great Han Empire

Chapter 387

"The Journey to the West"

Author: Scarlet Coral
Chapter 22 The thorn is still on the back
"At this time, the Southern Expedition is starting, what does Da Sima and Monk Shutai think?"

"My minister seconded the proposal." As Xu Rong, the number one wise general in Northern Xinjiang, Xi Ri has been sitting in the position of Da Sima for more than ten years, which can be said to be highly respected.In recent years, with the growth of the emperor, Xu Rong has become more and more low-key and cautious.Apart from firmly safeguarding the interests of the military and providing military staff to the emperor, he seldom expresses his opinions on the government. Standing in line at critical moments has become the most common thing for the supreme military officer of the Han Dynasty.

Shang Shu Ling Tian Chou's consideration was much deeper than Xu Rong's.He played with some worry: "I would like to report to the emperor: Although the imperial court has enough warehouses today, and has a large stockpile of food, fodder, armor, staff, war horses, etc., it has already entered the Western Regions to fight. If the war starts again, the supply of multiple places may not be able to take care of it. The south. Although the thieves have repeatedly disobeyed and harassed the frontiers, from the east to the sea, to the west to Bashu, the key towns are all in my hands, and there is no serious problem. Therefore, for the country's plan, it is better to impose restraint on the southern thieves and delay the time. One day, cut off the scourge of the Western Regions with one drum, and then force the Jing, Jiao, Yang, and Yi thieves to bow their heads; Your Majesty can send the whole army to the south, attack the southern thieves in a big way, and use it to make full use of it, and spread it all over the world. Forgive the small country, and those who are small and small, who are in a corner, how can they compete with the heavenly soldiers! All the above are really true. From the bottom of my heart, I implore the emperor to learn from you."

"Tian Qing's play is sincerely seeking the country's words." Liu Shuo nodded, and asked again, "Do you have any comments?"

Most of the rest of the courtiers in the hall firmly supported the Southern Expedition, and only a few people raised some opinions on details such as supplies and routes.Tian Chou was not a staunch advocate of peace, seeing that the voices of the hall were so unified, he stopped insisting.Seeing this scene, Liu Shuo showed a faint smile.Since today is not a formal court meeting, the scope of the meeting has been limited in advance - that is to say, all officials who may hold opinions against the Southern Expedition were turned away.This seems to be a deliberate act of the main combat faction, but in fact it is a little thought of the Han Emperor Liu Shuo. "If I hadn't endured for a long time out of sympathy for the power of the people, the world would have been unified by now." Since taking office, the young emperor didn't say anything on the surface, but he had always been deeply dissatisfied with Jingnan, the Sun family, and the Yizhou Nanman in his heart.These independent forces are like wooden thorns on the big man's body. Although it is not a serious injury, it makes people feel uncomfortable.

There were some agreements between the imperial court and Jingnan and the Sun family: it was stipulated that several families should profess their ministers to the imperial court, send hostages, and pay tribute to the court every year.But these are not a big deal. The imperial court can unilaterally tear up these agreements at any time in the name of punishing disobedient ministers.As long as the other party to the agreement disappears completely, there will be no question of integrity in the court.

"Since this is the case, let's draw up the decree. The order is to enlist Zhang Liao, the general of the Eastern Conquest, to enter Kuaiji, supervise the military forces of Yang and Jiaozhou, envoy Chijie, and conquer the Sun family. , Conquer Jingnan. Zhennan General Guan Yu entered Chengdu, supervised the military forces in Yizhou, and ordered Yizhou Mu Chenhao to assist in the conquest of Yinan. The military supplies, rewards, transfers, and marches of the three armies were all handled by the prime minister. , the great general and the great Sima dispatched in the middle, negotiated and handled it."

The three generals came out and knelt down to give thanks.

Zhang Liao said: "My Majesty, as the saying goes, boats from south to horses from north, Yang, Jing, and Jiaozhou are all places with dense water networks, and boats and boats are as important as war horses. Without the assistance of sailors, even if there are [-] troops going south, It is also difficult to achieve. I heard that the Jiangshui (Yangtze River) navy has been training for several years. There are more than a thousand buildings, warships, and fighting ships, and [-] soldiers. They practice day and night and are already quite capable of fighting. I ask the emperor to allow the navy to cooperate with the army. sign."

"Quasi-playing. Order the Jiangshui Navy Division to be divided into two and allocated to the two generals. The two navy divisions must each have a captain to control them. Zhao Qing, what skills are available?"

Zhao Yun pondered for a moment, then replied: "General Qiangnu (from the fourth-rank miscellaneous general) Gan Ning, Zhenwei Zhonglang (from the fourth-rank miscellaneous Zhonglang general) He Qi, they have trained the Jiangshui Navy Division for three years, and they are extremely effective. Moreover, both of them have made great achievements in defeating water bandits in the past, and they are familiar with all things in water warfare, so they can be the governors of the left and right."

"Very good, let's play." After Liu Shuo arranged all the matters for the Southern Expedition, he changed the topic, "Since Guishuang invaded, what progress has been made in the Western Expedition?"

Grand Sima Xu Rong replied: "The news arrived yesterday that General Pang has shrunk his army to Kucha and will start a decisive battle with Guishuang under his Gancheng."

"Oh, with Pang Qing's ability, there is nothing wrong with thinking about it. What about the backup situation?"

"General Zhenxi Ma Chao's 1 Liangzhou iron cavalry have already advanced westward, and the remaining 4000 cavalry are led by General Anxi (third-rank Si'an) Ma Qiu, and General Pingxi (from third-rank Siping general) Cheng Yin. The [-] troops from Huang County's frontier army will also arrive in a few days."

"The pacification of the Western Regions is a national policy, and we must focus on it. I hope that you will understand my heart. Although there is a matter of the Southern Expedition, we must not neglect the Western Expedition."

The reason why Liu Shuo chose to use troops against the south at this moment was a few months ago: Although the Sun family in Jiaozhou, Pian'an, has been ridiculed by the world for "living with savages" in recent years, they have shown some signs of striving for governance.It took Sun Quan several years of hard work to gradually control the local Yue people's forces, and based on the advice of his advisers, he selected tens of thousands of sturdy men from the Shanyue people to form an army.Shanyue people are fierce and good at fighting. They like to cut off their heads and hang them around their waists to show their bravery.Sun Quan was originally a hero, with this force in his hands, his mind naturally became alive.He didn't dare to get involved in the northern part of Yangzhou (the two counties of Kuaiji and Yuzhang in the south of Yangzhou, and several remote counties in the south were still in the hands of the Sun family) which belonged to the imperial court, but set his sights on the neighbors in the north-the four counties of Jingnan.The four counties in Jingnan are Changsha, Wuling, Lingling, and Guiyang, each controlled by the prefect of the four counties, forming a loose offensive and defensive alliance.The four counties have been free from war for hundreds of years. Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, they have continuously accepted refugees from the Central Plains. So far, the population has reached more than three million. In the eyes of Sun Quan, this rich land has naturally become "the capital of the king".

The Sun family gathered troops in secret, and from June onwards they crossed the mountains at the junction of Jingjiao and the two prefectures, from Nanhai County to Jingnan. The [-] troops went in three ways: one went out from Zengcheng to Hanji, and the other went out from Longchuan to Zhen Yang, all the way out of Guiyang (the name of Han County, not the county), there is a tendency to besiege the important town of Qujiang (now Shaoguan City, Hunan).At the beginning of July, the main force of the Sun family suddenly crossed the Qujiang River and went northward, approaching Guiyang Junzhi (now Chenzhou City, Hunan).Zhao Fanben, the prefect of Guiyang, stationed heavy troops in Qujiang, and now seeing the soldiers of the Sun family arriving at the city, he was shocked and at a loss.He hurriedly asked for help from the other three counties, but no one responded. In desperation, he was forced to lead the army and civilians to climb the city and enter the mountain to fight with Yue soldiers. The whole family was slaughtered, and the Sun family occupied the entire Guiyang County.Half a month later, Liu Shuo was shocked when he got the news. "The Sun family is acting so recklessly in the south, as if entering a land of no one. It seems that they have not forgotten to plan for the Han Dynasty!" He threw the Jingzhou Inspector Xu Shu's memorandum on the ground, and angrily said, "The four counties in Jingnan Claiming to wear tens of thousands of armor, it is useless at all, and can't even help out, what a bunch of trash! I should have taken it myself!" He poured out all his grievances on the restless Sun Quan, and wrote a stern sentence Decree: Rebuke Sun Quan for not caring about guarding the border and keeping the people safe, for being good at using swords and soldiers, and for being disobedient, and ordering him to withdraw from Guiyang County immediately.Liu Shuo knew in his heart that this decree would have no effect on the Sun family far away in the sky, and the power of the imperial court could only be manifested by sending troops to conquer. "The night is long and the dream is full. You must not sit back and watch Sun Ni annex Jingnan!"

So since early August, Liu Shuo has made up his mind to completely pacify the south in the near future.

Chang'an City, the North Tower of Weiyang Palace.

Prime Minister Li Wei's car was blocked by a large number of people at the front street near Beique Jiadi.

Li Wei was chatting with Liu Ming in the car at this time, when he saw the car stopped, he raised the curtain and asked, "What happened?"

A family member ran from the street and replied: "My lord, there are hundreds of people gathered in front of me. It seems that they are gathering to oppose the imperial court's Southern Expedition, which has attracted a large crowd of people to watch. Their words are rude, and there are many... involving the lord and the general. Wait."

"Understood." Li Wei said indifferently, "Don't worry about them, let's go around."

"What's going around!" Liu Ming grew up outside the Great Wall and led the army for many years. Although he has held a high position for many years, he still has a violent temper. The stinky boy eats hard and soft, shall I ask the Habayashi Army to disperse them?"

"No, it's just a group of young scholars. We have been through countless storms and waves over the years, are we still afraid of the verbal criticism of these beings?" Li Wei smiled, "Qiansi, once upon a time, we were so young and impulsive, we I still remember your stubborn appearance kneeling at the gate of Taixue, unable to kneel for a long time."

Liu Ming blushed, showing a little fascination: "Yes, back then, everyone was so young, you, me, Xiao Yin, Da Fu, Yun Long and other brothers traveled together in Luoyang, how happy! They are separated by thousands of miles, but the friendship between each other has grown a lot. Only the kindness and teaching of my teacher back then, I, Liu Ming, will never dare to forget in my life."

Li Wei pointed to the increasingly turbulent crowd in front of him, and said seriously: "Isn't it the enthusiasm of young people who valued me back then, Teacher? We are all talented people. Although we have the heart to serve the country, I can't use my ears for mediocrity. I was fortunate to be under the command of the Marquis of Jinyang, and I was given a heavy responsibility. He treated me as a soldier of the country, and I have been waiting for my brothers for 30 years. I have also paid for it as a soldier of the country. Although the people in front of me today are young and reckless, they are also in the same mood. That's it. Sooner or later, the country of the big men will rely on their assistance. So why not make room for the two of us today."

"Hey, look at you, you seem to be retreating as you talk. You are old, but I am not old yet. If the emperor allows me to go to the battle and fight with strings, then I would rather give up this light In the position of Lu Xun, bring thousands of cavalry and go to do it happily. Besides, even if you want to quit now, is there any suitable person in the court who can replace you? You have this burden on your shoulders now, but you can’t do it. light."

"Hehe, I have a few candidates in my mind. If Zhongda is not full of achievements, he is naturally the most suitable; Boyan has excellent qualifications, is capable and diligent in doing things, and after a few more years of experience, he will be competent; by the way, follow Guangyang The Zhuge Liang who came over from Wang (Liu Bei) has outstanding talent and is well-versed in government affairs. Now he has made outstanding achievements in Yizhou, and even the big axe is full of praise for him. Given time, he is also a good candidate." Li Wei rubbed his temples, "There are not many talented young people, but they are young after all, and they have to worry about it for a few more years."

Wusun, Chigu City.

After resting in Rehai Palace for a few days, Zhao Guang led his soldiers back to Chigu City.Because Guan Ping and Liao Hua had already returned to the city to take charge of the overall situation, when Zhao Guang led the brigade to the camp, the soldiers came out of the camp to greet them.Among these people, there were also many local Wusun people who watched the excitement.Zhao Guang had a hasty meeting with Haiya alone in the palace, talked to each other about the pain of parting, and agreed to meet in the palace tomorrow night.At this moment, a man from Kucha suddenly came out from the crowd, with his hair cut down, a ribbon on his head, and Zhengchen on his riding boots, he bowed his hands to Zhao Guang and said with a smile:

"Old Zhao, you can't tell it's me, can you?"

Zhao Guang took a closer look and was overjoyed. He approached and grabbed the "Kuicha man" by the arm, and said loudly:
"Oh, Tiger, I can't recognize you! Where are you from?"

"It's not far from here, from the Tianshan Mountains. It's just arrived, and I haven't had time to change my clothes yet."

"Who are all in Tianshan?" Zhao Guang asked in a low voice, his heart skipping a beat.

"General Gao, General Hou, General Cao, and everyone trapped in the camp are there. The day before yesterday I went down the mountain to trade with the shepherds, and when I got the news that you entered Chigu, General Gao sent me to contact you as soon as possible. There are many people here. Tell me more."

"Go, follow me into the camp!"

Zhao Guang looked back at Luo An.Roan grinned wide and just smiled, so excited that he didn't know what to say.

After hearing Zhang Hu's report, Guan Ping was overjoyed, and hurriedly ordered Zhao Guang to lead three hundred cavalry, a family of fat sheep, and a thousand catties of fine wine to meet the brothers who were trapped in the camp.

The people left Chigu City, walked southwest for about a day under Zhang Hu's guidance, and came to the foot of the snow-capped Tianshan Mountains.When they arrived at the field, Zhang Hu went to report first, and within less than a meal, thousands of people gathered by the opposite woods, forming a formation quickly.

Zhao Guang waved his hand and ordered: "Plant the flag!" The flag-bearers beside him hurriedly raised a huge "Han" flag, unfolded it, and waved it in the wind.

Immediately a burst of cheers erupted from the opposite side in response: "Dahan Tianwei! Dahan Tianwei!" Following that, drums and horns blared, and various simple military instruments began to play. It was very lively.

Zhao Guang rode forward with all the soldiers.In the twilight, they saw Gao Shun leading the main generals and school out of the formation, Gu Yue followed them, and the banner of "Han" and "trapped in the camp" was also unfurled.The brigade followed behind on foot.The enthusiastic cheers continued until Gao Shun waved his hands to the back twice before the cheers stopped.When the two sides came together, they both quickly jumped off their horses.Gao Shun's heart was agitated, and he felt that there were many words in his throat, but he didn't know where to start.Zhao Guang saw that his tiger eyes were wet, and he didn't know what to say for a while, so he quickly stepped forward to hold Gao Shun's hand and said, "General Gao, that's great, you are indeed safe and sound!"

"Oh, you are Ziyuan, right? Gao Shun is incompetent, he is ashamed of the soldiers who died on the left wing!"

"Where did General Gao come from? It is our wish to die on the battlefield and sacrifice our lives for our country. If we can break out of the encirclement, the brothers are not far away, we must be gratified..." As he spoke, he was sobbing.

Gao Shun led Zhao Guang to meet Hou Cheng, Cao Xing, Wang Ling and others one by one.As night was approaching, Gao ordered by the way to set up camp and rest for the night, and went to Chigu tomorrow to join forces with Guan Ping's army.

At dinner time, all the soldiers first offered three cups to the sacrificed soldiers to pay homage to the heroic spirits, and then they opened their mouths to drink and eat meat.

Zhao Guang was dragged by Zhang Hutuo Bagui to have a drink with a group of young generals and school, finally got out, seeing Gao Shun was away from the crowd and was alone in a daze, so he ran over to fill the cup for Gao Shun, taking the opportunity to ask: " General Gao, since we were able to break out of the camp after the Congling River battle, why didn't we go west to Hegancheng, but hid in the Tianshan Mountains? I can't figure it out, I hope the general will point out."

"Using soldiers to fight is a living thing, and you have to adapt to changes in the battlefield. You can't just go straight." Gao Shun smiled, dipped his hands in some wine, and drew a general distribution of the enemy and the enemy with a few simple strokes on the table, and used the wine glass instead of him. "City" is just like playing chess. Only by constantly changing can we not go into a dead game. Although our army is small in number, we can still be called elite. Choose the right time to launch, or cut off its supplies, or attack with the defenders, or attack its return, all can determine the overall situation of the Western Regions war!"

(End of this chapter)