Han Shizu

Chapter 2050 The Last Journey 21
For the old emperor, in the few remaining days of the 29th year of Kaibao, the only thing to be happy about was probably the return of Liu Chun, the crown prince of King Yong.Nearly two years have passed since Liu Yun, Liu Chun, Guo Liangping and others led their troops south and formally attacked Nanyang with force.

The expedition of tens of thousands of Han troops across thousands of miles of sea was destined to leave a mark in the history of Chinese wars.This was also different from the war against the Sanviqi Kingdom that was launched to seize Liangping Island. It was not only the scale of the war, but more importantly, the goal of the war, which was to destroy the barbarian states and officially establish Han unification in the vast Nanyang area.

This was an action promoted by the old emperor to declare China's sovereignty over the Nanyang region. From then on, the tradition was fundamentally established, giving future generations full confidence and confidence to promote "since ancient times."

Although he was thousands of miles away, the old emperor would ask about the war in Nanyang from time to time. One of his sons was on his way south. Moreover, the strategy of Nanyang had become a knot in his mind. It could also be said that he had a deep understanding of the Han Empire. The final strokes of the blueprint are drawn.

The long distance in space severely hindered the transmission of information. In the past two years, it took basically three months to receive reports from the Nanyang front line. According to the battle reports, progress was rapid.

As for those indigenous states in Southeast Asia, facing the enemy head-on, it is basically impossible for them to be the opponents of the Han army. The development of the war situation has also proved this.As early as a year ago, those Nanyang countries had basically collapsed, and their fragile political organizations could not withstand the strong pressure from the Han navy and army.

As a small local power, the Sanviqi Kingdom's rule over the North and South Jinzhou was completely destroyed. Guo Liangping also took over the old port where he made his fortune, where the Nanyang Expeditionary Force's front camp was deployed.

The North and South Golden Islands refer to Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. Due to the prolific gold mines, an increasing number of Han people went to these two places to prospect for gold, and they were gradually called the Golden Islands by gold prospectors.

The collapse of the Srivijaya Kingdom is conceivable. After all, it was bullied by the big men and the weak by the strong. In the past 20 years, the only time it resisted was to cede territory and seek peace.

Along with it, the Kingdom of East Java was also destroyed. The island of Java has been divided for a long time. Its political organization is more primitive and backward than that of Srivijaya. In recent decades, there has been a country that can barely be called The "heroic" character Muro Cha.

Under the leadership of Murocha, East Java developed well, especially taking advantage of the overseas colonization trend of the Han Dynasty. It obtained a large amount of fine ironware, cloth and other materials from Han merchants. As early as three years ago, it was almost completed. The unification of the island of Java.

Originally, Guo Liangping planned to make some flashy moves to stir up disputes between Srivijaya and East Java, and then watch from the other side and reap the benefits.Unexpectedly, Muro Cha did not follow this trick. On the contrary, there was a tendency to unite to resist the invasion of the Han Dynasty.

So when he got to the back, Guo Liangping had to give up taking things for granted and rely on hard power to bulldoze the situation.First destroy the navy that Srivijaya worked so hard to manage, then seize North Jinzhou, and then start the battle across the sea. Guo Liangping attacked South Jinzhou, Liu Chun captured Java Island, and Qi King Liu Yun sat on Liangping Island to coordinate the logistics of the army.

By now, all the Yi kingdoms have been destroyed, and the Han army's war flags have been planted all over the main towns on the three islands.However, it is conceivable that it is simply impossible to completely control the three islands with only tens of thousands of expeditionary troops.

Therefore, for the Nanyang Expeditionary Force, conquering Srivijaya and East Java is just the beginning.What is even more difficult is how to establish a local political organization, even the most basic one.

So far, the main towns and ports of the three islands are still under the military control of the expeditionary force. The merchants and people of the Han Dynasty in Nanyang have also followed the Wang Division and become grassroots governance organizations subordinate to the expeditionary force under the rough military control system. For decades, the merchants and civilians of the Han Dynasty have The pioneering achievements in Nanyang were also further implemented in this process.After all, the status of Han merchants and Han people in the Nanyang region could not be established only by commodities and goods. In the end, it had to rely on the ships of the Han Dynasty and the swords and guns of the soldiers.

The old emperor visited Guangzhou and followed the Guangnan fleet to the sea. Naturally, he thought of the war in Nanyang again, and even had a doubt whether the turmoil in Guangzhou would have a negative impact on the battlefield in Nanyang. After all, Even though it is thousands of miles away, Guangzhou is still the most important logistics base for the expeditionary army.

Liu Changyan's answer was to reassure the old emperor. In his words, there would be some impact, but not big.After all, the transportation of supplies and supplies for the expeditionary force is an independently operating system, and cannot be affected by the cannibal.On the contrary, the property collected from the cannibals can also make up part of the Guangnan East Road finance. Of course, compared with the heavy losses suffered by the Guangzhou government in the chaos, it is only a short profit.
As for the old emperor, knowing that it had little impact on the expeditionary force meant that the Sacred Heart was very happy, so that was good.As for Liu Chun's return, reporting on the war in Nanyang was secondary. The main purpose was to attend the funeral for King Yong Liu Chengxun!

Nearly five months have passed since King Yong passed away. When the news of the funeral reached Nanyang, Liu Chun was still leading his army to wipe out the remaining forces of Java.As soon as the bad news came, he didn't care about the remnants. After leaving the military and political affairs in his hands, he immediately returned to his country.

After all this running around, when we returned to the mainland, it was already the end of late winter.When Liu Chun and his party arrived at Qingshan Port, the old emperor was still there, waiting for his entourage to arrive from Guangzhou.

The two uncles and nephews reunited after many years, and they had a time to express their sorrows and joys. The topic about King Yong Liu Chengxun was enough for them to express their sorrows.

On the old emperor's side, when he saw Liu Chun, Liu Chengxun's voice and appearance appeared in his mind involuntarily, and the pain of losing his younger brother buried deep in his heart was revealed again.The sadness was almost hysterical, but the two brothers Liu Wenhuan and Liu Wenji who were accompanying him saw that the situation was not good, and together with Liu Chun's persuasion, the old emperor slowly calmed down.

There is a saying that the old emperor had much deeper feelings for Yong Wang Liu Chengxun than his biological son Liu Chun.

Liu Chun was 36 years old at the time, but he spent more than 20 years without Liu Chengxun. The spatial distance inevitably had a certain impact on the relationship between father and son. Therefore, Liu Chun was saddened by the death of Liu Chengxun, but more importantly Moral constraints derived from traditional filial piety and justice.

Although the old emperor has continued to expose his ordinary human side in recent years, he is still a political creature after all. His emotions come and go quickly. With the comfort of a few people, he quickly got rid of the nostalgia for his brother and recovered his emotions. Usually deep and serious, he asked about the Nanyang expedition.

Liu Chun also ably reported on the war situation in Nanyang in the past two years. Many things were mentioned in previous battle reports, but he went into much more detail. He also focused on describing the current situation in Nanyang and the management issues of the expeditionary force. .

The old emperor listened very carefully and acted very patiently. It was not until Liu Chun finished speaking the manuscript that he had prepared, then he stretched out his hand to signal him to drink a cup of hot tea, and then uttered a deep sigh: "Thousands of miles away. Traveling across oceans and attacking foreign lands, it has not been easy for you these past two years!"

When Liu Chun heard this, he immediately said: "Your Majesty, it is indeed not easy! However, for the soldiers on the expedition, it is a great honor! Just imagine, since the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, in all dynasties, people like me, a big man, have traveled thousands of miles to conquer If you are not a minister, spread the glory of my great Han Dynasty.

The Southern Ocean Expedition was a great benefit to the private sector, but it was also a lasting contribution to the public. All the officers and men in the army enthusiastically participated in the expedition and forged ahead with determination."

Liu Chun's words were of course a compliment, and the old emperor thought so too. However, when he noticed the excitement between Liu Chun's brows, he couldn't help but believe that he was sincere. How could it be half of it?
"In the eyes of many subjects, I launched the Nanyang expedition just for my own selfish desires. I am so happy to have achieved success!" The old emperor chuckled for a while, then looked at Liu Chun, sighed and asked: "After two years of expedition, it is difficult to see letters from home, military How is the morale of the sergeant?"

Upon hearing the question, Liu Chun pondered for a while, then cupped his hands and responded: "It's not as good as two years ago. The main reason is that it lasted for a long time, the riots were inevitable, and the remnants of the indigenous people attacked from time to time, which made the soldiers extremely troubled.

Fortunately, there was never a shortage of supplies, and all the troops deployed and adopted the strategy of rotating garrison, seizing the big ones and releasing the small ones, and attacking in stages, so that there was some relief! "

"How have the casualties been since the expedition?"

"When I returned, 4972 soldiers died in Nanyang, and the total casualties were about 9000," Liu Chun replied in a deep voice.

After hearing this data, the old emperor looked calm, but he still sighed leisurely: "Another five thousand loyal souls are buried in a foreign land!"

Liu Chun's tone could not help but be heavy, and he immediately paid homage to the old emperor: "Your Majesty, I am returning home this time, and I am also carrying the ashes and relics of the sacrificed soldiers, as well as the rewards and pensions won in the battle. I sincerely request your Majesty to issue an edict to commend the general." Pensions will be distributed to the family members!" "This is the right thing to do, I will issue an edict later!" The old emperor nodded affirmatively.

"On behalf of the expeditionary officers and soldiers, I would like to thank your Majesty!" Liu Chun thanked him and then said after showing a little hesitation: "Your Majesty, these officers and soldiers died for the country, and their pensions must be completely and comprehensively given to their parents, wives and children!"

After saying that, Liu Chun lowered his head. The old emperor was a little dazed, but he quickly said calmly and resolutely: "I understand your concerns. If anyone dares to raise a hand on this matter, I will not only chop him down." His own hands will destroy his clan!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Liu Chun bowed again.

Waving his hand at him, the old emperor added: "Although you speak lightly, I can hear that the expedition is not easy. If there is anything else that needs the court's support, just say it!"

Seeing the old emperor's statement, Liu Chun was not polite and immediately requested: "Your Majesty, the most difficult thing for the expeditionary force at the moment is the lack of troops. The North and South Jinzhou and Java Island are so vast that they are really unable to control them."

"It's not feasible to increase troops!" When Liu Chun opened his mouth, the old emperor knew his intention, and he rejected it decisively without leaving any room. He said: "Back then, Liu Min also asked me for troops and horses to strengthen Anxi's strength. I also gave it. veto.

The expedition to Nanyang was promoted by me. There was already great dissent between the DPRK and China. Although they did not dare to go too far in words, there were many people who complained in their hearts that I wasted the people, money and national power.

In fact, from the immediate perspective, the harm outweighs the benefits, costing countless money and food, and also affecting overseas trade income.

Although the scale of the Nanyang Expeditionary Force was not half that of the Western Expedition, the money and food spent was slightly less than that spent by Anxi.

If we continue to increase troops, the imperial court will definitely react. I am not in the capital, but some people are dancing happily.Of course I can force it forward, but the matter has to be done by the ministers below. Although I don’t want to obey the old man from the bottom of my heart, I also know that doing it in line with the public opinion is no longer something an old man like me can do.”

Unconsciously, the old emperor showed his twilight mentality again. Looking at Liu Chun who was thoughtful, the old emperor restrained his emotions and said: "The problem of insufficient troops has to be solved by the expeditionary force itself. Discover the potential of Nanyang locally!”

With that said, the old emperor gave Liu Chun some advice: "The policy you are implementing in Nanyang can be bolder. Whether it is recruiting from Nanyang merchants or training surrendered indigenous servants, it is a good method and a solid foundation. A local must.

For example, those from Srivijaya and Java, have they established strong and effective rule over the local area?I'm afraid that's not the case, otherwise Wang Shi wouldn't be able to defeat it so easily. In the short term, their governance methods can still be borrowed. What's more, we still have hundreds of thousands of Nanyang merchants and people to rely on.

After all, overseas is not as good as domestic. It is not advisable to be greedy for grandeur and seek perfection. Establishing Han unification and promoting Han system is the long-term solution! "

"What your Majesty said is true. This is the only way to do things in Nanyang!" Liu Chun acknowledged the old emperor's words and at the same time carefully said: "It's just that Nanyang soldiers often stay away from home for a long time and miss their relatives. Worse still, even though they obeyed orders and persisted, their morale inevitably declined.

I wonder if it is not advisable to increase the number of troops. Is it possible to follow the story of Anxi and gradually replace the officers and soldiers of the expeditionary force and send additional troops from China? "

After hearing this suggestion, the old emperor thought for a moment, nodded slightly, and said: "This proposal is acceptable, but as for the specific exchange, you can propose it to the prince after you return to Luoyang to pay homage to your father."

Liu Chun was slightly surprised, but seeing the old emperor's calm expression, despite his doubts, he still cupped his hands and said, "Yes!"

"Do you have any other requests?" The old emperor seemed a little embarrassed and asked again.

Unexpectedly, Liu Chun shook his head.

The old emperor couldn't help but be surprised: "Is there no problem with military supplies and logistical supplements for such an expedition?"

Liu Chunkan spoke eloquently: “Although the distance is far away, the sea routes are smooth and the navy has absolute control over the Nanyang waters.

What's more, for a cross-sea expedition, food and materials can be collected locally. The local products are so abundant that the soldiers cannot go hungry.

The only real scarcity is weapons, gunpowder, cloth, medicinal materials and other locally scarce materials. The supply of these is still very guaranteed.

In the process of conquering and destroying the two countries, many were seized and a large amount of gold and silver artifacts were obtained, which greatly made up for the military expenditure."

After hearing what he said, the old emperor smiled: "It seems that the soldiers of the expeditionary army have made a profit!"

Liu Chun immediately said: "This time when I return to my country, ten ships of war winners will accompany me in advance, preparing to present them to His Majesty!"

"I don't want it anymore, just hand it over to the treasury!" The old emperor waved his hand generously and said, "Just stop some people's mouths!"

"As ordered!"

After a brief pause, the old emperor took a deep breath, turned his head and looked at Liu Chun carefully, and asked with a serious expression: "I originally had the intention to entrust Nanyang, but due to various resistance, I had to put it aside and let you attack. The expedition to Nanyang was also a preparation for enfeoffment.

Now that you have returned from Nanyang, you have a deeper understanding of the situation there than those in the court who sit high and talk nonsense. In your opinion, is it the right time for Nanyang to be enfeoffed? "

(End of this chapter)