My father is Emperor Wu of Han, how can I be different from him?

Chapter 43 The Royal Family Has No Surplus Food
If two people like each other, have the same values ​​and common topics, then they will most likely...

What do you think I'm going to describe?
I'm talking about the friendship between the Crown Prince and Marquis Bowang!
Zhang Qian spent most of his life, both his political achievements and his best years, in the Western Regions, and he had a deep impression of that foreign land.

However, there was no one in the entire Han Dynasty with whom he could have a serious conversation about his experiences in the Western Regions.

I feel itchy!
When he mentioned this to His Majesty, the man immediately said, "You are a small nation that aided and abetted the tyrant. In the future, I will make sure that you will know the might of the Han army!"

When talking to colleagues, their expressions were frowning and disgusted, and they had to change the subject after less than three sentences...

no way.

Except Zhang Qian, no one had actually been to the Western Regions.

The "Book of Rites" says: The east is called Yi, the west is called Rong, the south is called Man, and the north is called Di. Can you guess what status the Western Regions located in the extreme west have in the eyes of the Han people?
And today's world.

If we talk about who can talk calmly with Zhang Qian about the Western Regions and even give positive feedback, there is no one else except Liu Ju.

after all.

Let alone the Western Regions, even if he continued to go west, he could talk a lot all the way to the Roman Empire!

at the banquet.

The conversation between the two included but was not limited to the following.

Marquis Bowang said: "There are many countries in the Western Regions, and often tens of thousands of people will establish their own country. This is really strange."

The prince replied, "That is true, but I heard that there is also a big country in the Western Regions, and Qiuci has hundreds of thousands of people?"

"Less than 100,000. It is indeed one of the largest countries in the Western Regions." Zhang Qian answered with a look of curiosity in his eyes, "Your Highness, do you know Qiuci?"

"Oh, how could I know about this mission to Hexi from the Xiongnu? I just heard it from others, and I am not as knowledgeable as Marquis Bowang."

"Your Highness, you are too embarrassed to serve me!"

"Marquis Bowang is modest." The prince praised him and then asked, "You have traveled all over the Western Regions, but have you ever been to the Kingdom of Jingjue?"

"Jingjue? I did pass through Jingjue when I returned from Dayuezhi."

"Oh? Have you ever seen the Queen of Jingjue? I heard that she is extremely beautiful, one in a million. Is that true?"

"……this?"

Marquis Bowang faced the prince's shining gaze and said hesitantly, "The population of Jingjue is only a few thousand, how can it be said that there is only one in ten thousand?"

"Moreover..."

Zhang Qian was really confused and couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, the Kingdom of Jingjue has a king and a queen, but no queen!"

"is it?"

"Uh, haha, don't blame me, Marquis Bowang. I'm very interested in the customs and people of the Western Regions. I didn't expect to remember it wrong..."

One takes the initiative to pass on the message, and the other gets excited about talking.

In this way, the relationship between the two people quickly became closer, and at the end of the banquet, they even reached the point of making an appointment for next time!

Do not misunderstand.

Marquis Bowang promised the prince that he would bring him some specialties from the Western Regions next time, and by the way, help the prince with some scientific knowledge...

Looking back now, Liu Ju's current network of contacts is undoubtedly successful.

Everyone was busy at the celebration banquet.

When the banquet was over, the Crown Prince and Marquis of Bowang waved goodbye, the Imperial Physician-in-Chief boasted to his heart's content and left drunk, and the Emperor also met with a cold shoulder from the General of the Cavalry.

Everyone has gained something.

but.

Although the emperor was frustrated, it was a minor matter after all, and he was not angry with the general of cavalry. In the final analysis -

I won't get married, what can you do to me?
The love affair only annoyed the emperor for a while. Soon, Liu Che put the matter behind him in the complicated government affairs.

The final work of a major war is more than just a celebration party.

This is just to appease the generals.

There was also the matter of counting and checking the military achievements of tens of thousands of soldiers, providing compensation to the fallen soldiers, and how to arrange the newly acquired Hexi territory of a thousand miles, and so on.

There are so many government affairs that the court needs to make decisions as quickly as possible.

Fortunately.

The emperor's inner and outer court systems have been in operation for a long time and he is already familiar with them.

Less than ten days after the army returned to the capital, rewards for military merits to ordinary soldiers began to be distributed one after another.

at the same time.

The imperial court also had a clear decree on the destination of the surrendered Huns, and they were settled outside the Great Wall in the five counties of Longxi, Beidi, Shangjun, Shuofang, and Yunzhong.

Allow them to keep their customs.

Name: Five vassal states.

Moreover, in the Hexi area, the former territory of the Xiutu tribe, the Wuwei County was established to demonstrate the military prowess and might of the country.

The former territory of the Hunxie tribe, Jiuquan County was established!

Some people say that the city got its name from the fact that there is a golden spring under the city, and its water tastes like wine.

But His Royal Highness took the initiative to spread the word, which was rare: "This place name was clearly obtained by General Hussars who took fine wine and poured it into the spring water to reward the three armies!"

"Who has any objections? Who is dissatisfied?"

The prince was a little willful, and the bigwigs in the court accepted it. When the emperor found out, he just scolded him and said he was making trouble, and then stopped interfering. Maybe a hundred years later.

There is only one theory about the origin of the place name Jiuquan...

cough.

Back to the topic.

After the Xiongnu were relocated from Hexi, a county was established, and this strategic location naturally had to be occupied by the Han people.

Weiyang Palace, Xuanshi Palace.

Inner court.

"Your Majesty, the great rivers are flooding. The affected people can be relocated to the west of the river. The court will provide them with food and clothing during the journey. It should also provide them with farming tools and loan them oxen for farming."

"At the same time, we organized the construction of water conservancy projects and the establishment of farming and grain storage."

There were many scholars sitting in the hall. The man who was bowing and making a response at this moment was over thirty years old, wearing a mountain crown, with thick eyebrows and a long beard.

His name: Sang Hongyang.

“How many people are initially planned to be relocated?”

In response to the emperor's question, the imperial attendant Sang Hongyang replied, "One hundred thousand, and it may increase in the future."

Just by hearing this number, Liu Che knew that it would be another huge expenditure, but the money had to be spent and the people had to be relocated.

"allow!"

After getting the answer, Sang Hongyang did not sit down. Instead, he picked up a piece of bamboo slips on the table, looking hesitant.

"Your Majesty, the cost of relocating people is enormous. After paying out rewards to the soldiers, the national treasury is already stretched to the limit. You see..." He originally wanted to say that the migration should be postponed.

Unexpectedly, before he could finish his words, someone on the dragon couch interrupted him: "If there is not enough money, the Shaofu will make up for it. The land west of the river needs to be replenished as soon as possible!"

"Yes."

With these words, Sang Hongyang would no longer have any doubts.

The emperor paid out of his own pocket to solve the problem. Only then did Minister Sang stop crying poor and talking about where to spend money. He finally brought up something to save money.

"Haha, when we reviewed the expenditure, we found that the loss of war horses in this battle in Hexi was much lower than in the past."

"It saved the court a lot of money!"

Notice.

The food for the army and horses for one month is enough to support the farmers for one year.

The monthly consumption of a military horse is equivalent to the annual ration of a garrison soldier.

Raising horses is not easy, so horses are naturally valuable.

In the past, when fighting against the Huns, tens of thousands of cavalrymen went out to the border, but less than half of them returned to the Han Dynasty intact and were usable in warfare.

However, in the Battle of Hexi, 70% of them were returned!

The national treasury was relieved...

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Che stopped looking up and put down the memorial in his hand. He asked, "How much was saved?"

Sang Hongyang stroked his beard and smiled, answering fluently, "A horse costs 20,000 coins. If we count 8,000 horses, we can save at least 16,000 coins!"

The words fell.

The emperor's eyebrows twitched noticeably.

It’s not that I haven’t seen 16,000 gold before, but in a day and age when I have to tighten my belt, it’s rare to hear about saving so much money.

What's even rarer is.

It seems that this money was saved by my son?
"Oh, good boy!"

Liu Che pointed to the eunuch beside him and said with a smile: "Tell the Shaofu that the new horse harness made by the prince will be seen on every war horse in the Han Dynasty in the future!"

"Those who have made contributions should be rewarded, and my son is no exception."

"Here..."

The emperor wanted to ask the minister to allocate several thousand gold coins, but when the words came to his lips, he blocked them back.

This situation and this scene really fulfilled the saying -

The emperor’s family doesn’t have any surplus food!
Liu Che thought of the empty treasury and the tight budget, pondered for a while, and gave up the idea of ​​rewarding money.

"Your Majesty, what are you doing?"

The eunuch stood aside with a shameless face, waiting for the emperor to finish speaking, and then he would go to report the good news to the prince in person and try to build some relationships.

Never thought.

The emperor stared at him for a while, then offered a reward: "Now, Prince, leave the palace!"

"Yes, Your Majesty..."

The eunuch answered halfway, blinked, and suddenly realized something was wrong.

Leaving the palace?

Is this a reward?

(End of this chapter)