Great Han Empire

Chapter 493
He Yong (pronounced yong) came all the way in a hurry and was exhausted. After receiving the order, Li Hong asked him to rest for one night and talk again tomorrow, but he resolutely refused and must discuss the matter overnight.

He Yong is now the Minister of Shangshutai, and this time he came here on behalf of the emperor and the court, so Li Hong did not dare to neglect, and hurriedly summoned Xu Rong, Qu Yi, Li Wei, Zhu Mu and others to join the Northern Army The senior commanders and staff discuss together.Li Hong has already submitted a detailed memorial to the imperial court about the history of the Northern Xinjiang War and the related losses and trophies. Although these issues were also involved before the war, they were not discussed in depth because of Li Hong's sudden change of attack time, and the court did not come up with detailed plans for the rapid stabilization of border counties after the war. Therefore, He Yong now has to hastily discuss with the generals of the Northern Army in order to quickly stabilize the border county.In addition, through the arrangement of these matters by Li Hong and other senior generals of the Zhengbei Army, He Yong can also see the future movements of the Zhengbei Army, and prepare for the individual discussion with Li Hong below.

Zhu Mu, who was engaged in Zhonglang, introduced the idea of ​​conquering the General's Mansion to He Yong in detail.

The four northern counties are now not only concerned with garrisoning, but also with rebuilding the county government offices to appease the people. Therefore, the General Mansion of Zhengbei University intends to temporarily send troops to take charge of the military administration of the four counties before the officials sent by the imperial court arrive.According to the preliminary arrangement of the General's Mansion of the North, school lieutenant Hua Xiong was temporarily in charge of Shuofang County prefect, school lieutenant Zhang He was temporarily in command of Wuyuan prefect, school lieutenant Gao Lan was temporarily in command of Yunzhong prefect, and school lieutenant Sun Qin was temporarily in command of Dingxiang County prefect.

After this war, the number of troops and population of the Huns and Eastern Qiang were greatly reduced.At present, the Xiongnu were confiscated and the General's Mansion deliberately divided three settlements along the Yellow River and the Great Wall from north to south. The population is scattered, and even if they want to rebel in the future, they will not have much strength.As for the Eastern Qiang people, the General's Mansion of Zhengbei intends to move them all to settle in the south of Hetao, and place them completely under the supervision of the Han army.

Nearly a million civilians and hundreds of thousands of victims from Yanmen will gradually move to the south of Hetao to farm fields, and some of the northern population will move to Henan to live with the Huns to live by grazing. To the south of Tuntian, the General's Mansion of Zhengbei University intends to garrison 5 to [-] troops in the two counties of Shuofang and Beidi.

Zhu Mu finally said: "This year, the city gates of the four frontier counties need to be repaired, the government offices need to be rebuilt, and the people need to be resettled. This will cost about one billion yuan. The relocation of more than one million disaster victims and Hetao garrison will cost about 70 billion yuan. The five counties According to our most conservative estimates, about 8 to 20 troops are needed, which costs about 100 billion yuan. In other words, although the northern border has been recovered by us, we still need at least [-] billion yuan to stabilize it. "

Before He Yong left Luoyang, Yuan Kui and the ministers of Shangshutai also made a calculation for the reconstruction of northern Xinjiang, so he was not at all surprised by the number Zhu Mu said. On the contrary, he said with a smile : "To farm in the south of Hetao, the number of people you have migrated is too large. Even if there is a small success in three years, I am afraid it will be far more than 70 billion yuan."

At this time, He Yong was already in a very good mood. After he heard that the General Mansion of Zhengbei was going to relocate more than one million victims to Hetao to garrison fields, he was completely relieved. Li Hong had no intention of going south at all now, and he also He has no ability to go south at all. Now he is not only tied up by the millions of people in Bingzhou, but also firmly held back by the frontier garrison that stretches thousands of miles in northern Xinjiang. His 10,000+ army is trapped in the vast thousands of miles outside the Great Wall. on the desert.

After hearing Zhu Mu's report, He Yong smiled and said to him: "Lord Zhu, don't say anything about conquering the General's Mansion of Peking University next time. Now you are the Zhonglang in charge of the General's Mansion of Chariots and Cavalry in the Han Dynasty."

Zhu Mu smiled slightly, cupped his hands to Li Hong and said, "Your official made a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue."

Li Hong shook his hand with a smile, and said to He Yong: "What is your opinion on our countermeasure? I hope that after you bring this memorial back to the capital, you can get the emperor's approval, so what do you have to say, Mr. He?" Please just speak up."

===

He Yong nodded and said with a smile: "Then you will not be polite." The more he puts forward his opinions now, the greater his initiative will be when he talks with Li Hong tomorrow, so He Yong said unceremoniously: "Your Excellency proposes to garrison the five counties, and to garrison fields in Beidi County. This Beidi County belongs to Liangzhou and belongs to Xijiang. Even if it is necessary to garrison, General Huangfu will send troops to garrison. If it is necessary to garrison land, it is the prefect of Beidi County who has the final say. Therefore, this idea of ​​your lord is very inappropriate, and I am afraid that the ministers in the court will not agree."

"Secondly, my lord proposed that Northern Xinjiang will need 100 billion yuan this year, and the Dasinong Mansion will definitely not be able to get this money at the moment." He Yong said slowly, "My lord, don't count on Wanjintang. The late emperor said that Wanjintang is for your lord. The ones used for war are not for adults to stabilize northern Xinjiang, so whether it is the emperor, the queen mother, or the ministers in the court, no one will agree to your request."

Li Hong, Xu Rong, Qu Yi, Li Wei and others looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces.Qu Yi's expression gradually became a little angry, and he looked at He Yong with a murderous look in his eyes, and said in a cold voice: "Master He, according to what you say, millions of disaster victims in northern Xinjiang will eat grass in the frontier fortress. In that case, why don't you leave these victims in Jiqing, Yanxu and other disaster-stricken counties? Why do you deceive them and drive them to Bingzhou? Do you want to harm northern Xinjiang? Do you want to frame the army in northern Xinjiang? Do you want our soldiers to bury their bones in the desert and bleed for nothing?"

He Yong looked at Qu Yi and said with a smile: "Your Excellency seems to have forgotten what the purpose of the Northern War is? The purpose of the Northern War is to recover the border counties, not to relocate millions of disaster victims to the south of Hetao to farm fields after regaining the border counties. Going to the south of Hetao to farm is actually a very dangerous thing. Even if the first emperor was alive, he might not agree to it. Now there are Xianbei people in the northern desert. Who can guarantee that the northern border will not be lost?" He Yong raised his head provocatively and said to Qu Yi, "Can General Qu guarantee it?"

"For hundreds of years, the scourge of the Huns has been eradicated by us, but what about the scourge of the Xianbei people in the past few decades? Although General Cheqi has led the generals to fight repeatedly in recent years, but the strength of the Xianbei people The territory of the Xianbei people still exists. Why do we dare to invest a large amount of people and money in Hetao? Do we have the power of General Meng Tian and the 30 army of the Great Qin Dynasty? We have the 60 frontier army and the army of Emperor Wu. Inexhaustible wealth? We don’t have it.” He Yong continued, “The chariot generals currently have only 14 troops, including the 13 soldiers and horses left in Jinyang. If the cavalry of the Huns and Karasuma Excluded, the general is currently less than 13 troops. Do you think it is enough to garrison the frontier fortress of more than 2000 miles with 20 troops? Why can the Xianbei occupy the four counties of the frontier fortress? Why did the Huns dare to rebel? It is all because we are in the north There are only tens of thousands of frontier troops in Xinjiang, and there is no threat to them. If the late emperor could realize this problem in the early years and invest billions of money to rebuild [-] frontier troops, why spend tens of billions of money now to attack the Hu people and recover the border counties?"

"Secondly, the current situation of the Han Kingdom is clear to all adults. After six years of wars and several disasters, the treasury of the Han Kingdom has long been exhausted. The reason why this year's battle can be fought is because the late emperor used Wan Jintang After the war in Northern Xinjiang, the main energy of the imperial court was to quell the rebellion everywhere, appease the people, and make every effort to restore stability to the country quickly, so..."

"So the emperor and the imperial court don't care about northern Xinjiang, and let the disaster victims in northern Xinjiang fend for themselves, right?" Qu Yi asked a little excitedly.

"Northern Xinjiang has been recovered, and how to restore stability as soon as possible is your business." He Yong smiled calmly, "I believe that General Che Qi has already made a decision."

"If you say that, what else is there to make?" Qu Yi said angrily, "Just kill the millions of disaster victims, and then everything will be fine in Northern Xinjiang."

Li Hong looked at Xu Rong, then at Li Wei, expressionless.Xu Rong sighed lightly, and a smile flashed across Li Wei's face.

===

Tian Chou, who was sitting in a corner, suddenly asked: "Master He, what does the court mean after the war in Northern Xinjiang? It is impossible for Master He to come to Northern Xinjiang without making arrangements for everything in Northern Xinjiang, right?"

He Yong glanced sideways at Tian Chou, looked carefully at him for a few moments, and then said: "In fact, the late emperor made arrangements for everything in northern Xinjiang long before the war in northern Xinjiang, but some people obeyed and violated, ignoring the will of the late emperor. , so that the armies of northern Xinjiang are now caught in a dilemma."

Who is He Yong talking about?He Yong is not referring to Dong Zhuo.

"General Cheqi is in charge of military affairs in northern Xinjiang. This is known to the whole country." He Yong looked at Li Hong and said with a smile. The general seems to be worried about the safety of the state, and he did not follow the late emperor's will, but insisted on leaving General Xianyufu and General Zhang Yan in Jinyang. Can I say that the predicament of the Northern Xinjiang army today is due to the generals? Made it by the adults?"

Li Hong smiled wryly and remained silent.

"Is it necessary, General, to keep the Yellow Turban Army in Jinyang? Is it necessary to take care of the disaster victims and farming? The general is in charge of military power in northern Xinjiang, not military and political power. This is an essential difference. Military power Only in charge of conquest, the military and political power is in charge of all affairs. In order to appease the Yellow Turban Army and resettle the refugees in the early days, the early emperors needed the military power of the adults to suppress them, but later the Yellow Turban Army has been appeased, and the farming has been on the right track. Even the support The income from salt and iron for disaster relief and farming has already been specially set up as Captain Yantie according to Your Excellency's request, so, before Your Excellency goes out to fight, why do you have to leave two generals, Xian Yufu and Zhang Yan, to sit in Jinyang?"

He Yong looked around at the generals in the big tent, and said in a gentle tone: "Whether the actions of your lord general violated the will of the first emperor, the emperor and the court have no intention of pursuing it, but the difference between the military power and the military and political power, please let me know." Your Excellency, General, understand it at the appropriate time and separate them, so as not to cause the emperor and the court to misunderstand you."

"As for the imperial court's arrangements for various matters in northern Xinjiang, they are all formulated on the basis of the separation of military and political powers, so they are very different from the general's decisions." He Yong said, "The meaning of the emperor and the court It was the general who immediately conscripted General Xianyufu and General Zhang Yan out of the fortress, and handed over all the military affairs of Bingzhou and the former general Dong Zhuo, whether it was the victims of the disaster or the farmland, to Dong Zhuo. Then the northern Xinjiang troops immediately reorganized their troops. According to the northern border strategy set by the late emperor, we will continue to lead the army northward to attack Xianbei in August."

There was a sudden silence in the big tent, and the atmosphere was oppressive.

===

In the middle of the night, the dim candles in the big tent flickered gently in the moist breeze, and the heavy rain outside the tent was still pouring down, and the dense raindrops hit the top of the tent with a dull roar.

Li Hong, Xu Rong, Qu Yi, Li Wei, Zhu Mu, Song Wen, and Tang Fang sat around the table, all with serious expressions.

He Yong's words were like a heavy hammer hitting everyone's hearts hard, making everyone suffocate.For three years, this Bingzhou matter has become a noose.The affairs in Bingzhou became more and more complicated, and the noose was getting tighter and tighter on the heads of the troops in northern Xinjiang, but the rope behind the noose was in the hands of the emperor and the court. When should it be closed and when should it be released? The armies of northern Xinjiang are completely out of control.Now Li Hong had no choice but to raise his saber, ready to cut off the rope.

"Zi Lie, what do you say?" Li Hong looked at Xu Rong and asked in a low voice.

Xu Rong smiled lightly and said, "I have been fighting behind your lord since the beginning of Xijiang. There is no doubt that your lord is loyal to the country." He paused for a while and said, "Do you know how many soldiers of the Yellow Turban Army died in the battle of Yanmen Pass? Why did they fight? Do you know how many Hu soldiers died in battle over the years? Why did they fight? As long as it is for the great Han country and to fulfill the wishes of these fallen soldiers, you can do whatever you want. I, Xu Rong, will follow your lord until my death, and I will never change my resolve."

"Where's Yuntian?"

"The knife is already on our necks, why do you ask?" Qu Yi waved his hand and said, "The emperor and the court don't want the northern border, we can't, this land is stained with the blood of our brothers, we will never give up. "

"Where's Zhong Yuan?"

Li Wei smiled and said: "I said earlier, if my lord persists in forbearance, sooner or later the whole army will be wiped out, but my lord won't listen."

"What about the public order?"

Zhu Mu hesitated for a moment, and said slowly: "The corruption of the current imperial court has reached a shocking and irreparable point. If your lord wants to save the people from suffering, you should think carefully about the meaning of the late emperor's edict. The first emperor wanted you to revitalize the Great Han Kingdom." , instead of being partial to a place in northern Xinjiang, please be careful, my lord."

"What about Changfeng?"

Song Wen sighed and said: "Your Excellency, there is no way out. To enter is to die, to retreat is to perish, why not put it to death and live later? Let's talk about the future. Since ancient times, how many good ministers and generals have been able to escape?" Your own fate?"

Li Hong laughed, pointed at Tang Fang and said, "Muyun, you are an old official of Bingzhou, and you know Beijiang very well. Tell me, where will Beijiang go?"

Tang Fang pondered for a long time, and said: "Three years ago, what was the purpose of my lord to go to northern Xinjiang? As long as it is for the Han Dynasty, why should my lord care about my reputation?"

Li Hong said with a smile, "Okay, since everyone is unwilling to let go, let's give it a go."

"Order Yang Feng to lead Hengji Yan Wuwei's two battalions of iron cavalry, together with Wen Chou and Liang Baiwu's two battalions of infantry, immediately cross the Yellow River south and rush to the Great Wall Fortress to join Xianyuyin and Fanli, and the army will go straight to the east of the river."

"Order Yan Rou to lead the two battalions of iron cavalry, Sheyingtong and Li Su, together with the cavalry of Karasuma at Loulu, to immediately rush to Daijun and garrison in Shanggu."

"Order Zhang Yan to send Peng Lie to immediately lead his troops to the Flying Fox Fortress."

"Order Zhao Yun to lead Jiang Wu and Liu Ming's two battalions of iron cavalry, and Yushi to lead the fourth battalion of our army to rush south to Yanmen Pass."

"Zi Lie, you take Kuang Fengsha and Nie Xiao's two battalions of iron cavalry, together with Yang Zhen, Liao Lei and Yang Chun's third battalion of infantry, and immediately rush to Shuofang and Beidi counties to garrison. Beidi County, you let Yang Chun and Kuangfengsha go, You stay at the Hetao in Shuofang, and make preparations for resettling the victims and farming."

"Yuntian, I will leave it to you to defend against the invasion of Hu Kou. Here is Yang Ming's first battalion of iron cavalry, Yan Liang's four infantry battalions, and Liu Bao's Hun cavalry. Leopard righteousness left to you from the camp?"

Qu Yi smiled and said: "My lord, don't worry about going south, Tuoba Feng has scared you a long time ago, how dare you invade? Black Leopard Yi will be taken away from you, with me and Yan Hutou, and Hua Xionggao Looking at Zhang He's grandson and the four eunuchs, the frontier is safe."

"Order the battalions of the Chinese army to prepare to return to Jinyang."

===

The next day, He Yong came to Li Hong's tent early.Li Hong ordered the left and right to retreat, and he wanted to have a good talk with He Yong.

He Yong and Li Hong casually chatted about the recent events in Luoyang, and then he said: "Recently, there have been rumors in central Beijing that Your Excellency has an edict from the first emperor, saying that Your Excellency will go south to Beijing at an appropriate time to support the little prince as his lord." Xindi, I don’t know if your lord has heard this rumor..."

"Yes, the first emperor ordered his subordinates to lead the army to the south immediately after the war in Northern Xinjiang, enter Luoyang at all costs, abolish the young master, and establish the young prince as the emperor of the Han Kingdom." Li Hong looked at He Yong, whose expression gradually changed, and said softly, " Moreover, I have ordered the army to go south."

He Yong was extremely shocked.

(End of this chapter)