Huan Rong

Taiyuan seventh year, June

Qin Jing set off from Xihe and returned to Chang'an day and night.

Qin Yu and Qin Yu also did not stay long after receiving the urgent report. They set off to leave the next day and went to Sanhan in the West Sea. They quickly allocated food and recruited troops to guard against bandits.

The Wusun Gaoche tribe reached an agreement, and the leaders of the tribes allied with Mobei, slaughtered hundreds of cattle, sheep and slaves, and reported to heaven with blood sacrifices.

With the sound of the horn, the cavalry mounted their horses one after another and marched towards Monan with whips.The team passed through the yellow grassland due to severe drought, and the sound of horseshoes was like thunder, and the yellow sand was rolled up in an instant.

The tribes of Gaoche and Wusun went south in a big way, first entering Monan, and then peeking at the Central Plains.Passing along the way, it is like locusts passing through the country, and both Han and Hu will suffer.

Shuofang, Yanmen, Guangning, Shanggu, Yuyang and other counties rose one after another. When encountering bandit soldiers attacking, the local prefect put on a firm head, personally boarded the top of the city, organized generals to defend, and repelled the invading enemy. .

Shuofang and the prefect of Guangning took the initiative to attack, chased the enemy soldiers for more than ten li, and killed three hundred enemies.He didn't want to encounter an ambush and accidentally fell into the siege.If Yanmen and Shanggu didn't realize that the situation was not good and quickly sent rescuers, they might be taken advantage of by the enemy and suffer misfortune.

Realizing that the Hu thieves were coming in a bad way, and that there were likely to be counselors in the army, the border counties became more cautious and did not dare to attack recklessly.

The prefect wrote a battle report and sent people to Chang'an. At the same time, he posted a notice and sent people to advertise in the county: Hu thieves are coming, and the counties and counties on the border are unstable. They will recruit young and strong to strengthen the city defense and help the generals guard the border states.

In order to prevent the border residents from being attacked outside, the prefects of each county successively ordered to gather the scattered border residents, and either rushed to the city or to the border fort.

"The barren fields can be cultivated again. If human life is gone, there will be nothing left."

Sanli was ordered to run around, saying the same thing over and over again.After several days in a row, most of the border residents were finally called into the border town.It was too far away. After verifying their identities, they scattered into the border fort guarded by soldiers.In case of war, it can also be used as a supplementary force to help generals defend the border.

This statement is not without purpose.

In addition to land reclamation, most of the border people are good at hunting.When the green and yellow are not picked up, they often go into the mountains and forests together.

As long as there are enough people, they can fight against wolves.

Some border villagers took the initiative to release bait, just to lure wild wolves to come.If you hunt a good hide, you can get a lot of grain and sea salt from the caravan.

This way of life is doomed to the strong physique of the frontier residents.

Serve the people in leisure time, and serve as soldiers in wartime.Going into battle to kill the enemy and receiving rewards based on their heads is a way for the young and strong in Bianzhou to support their families.

This time Gaoche Wusun came to attack on a large scale. At first it was just a test, and a small group of bandits was sent to harass.Once the realities of the border counties are found out, they will attack on a large scale.

This method further verified what the Yanmen prefect thought before, that there are counselors among the bandits!

One after another, the battle reports flew into Chang'an one after another.

Qin Jing was promoted to the imperial court, summoned a group of ministers, and his highness ordered to open the national treasury, and transferred soldiers from Merger Prefecture and Zhongzhou to reinforce the border counties.

It is easy to talk about deploying troops, but food is hard to find.

In the middle of June, locusts flew again in Youzhou, stabbing the prefect to lead the soldiers to exterminate the locusts, and according to Chang'an's order, they set up a catastrophe in public and cooked the locusts in front of the people.

It's just that the situation is urgent, and there are envoys sent by the emperor, the governor of Youzhou may not be willing to do this.

Thinking of the bottomless treasury, facing the faces of hungry people, and thinking about the signs of bandits in the state, Liu Cishi immediately put his heart into a slump, put the crispy roasted locusts into his mouth, chewed them a few times, Almost didn't taste anything, just swallowed them whole.

How can the government officials lag behind if there are assassins who take the lead.

So, whether they like it or not, everyone has to taste the taste of locusts.

Some people couldn't take it anymore, and turned their backs to retch; some were surprised, thought the taste was good, and stretched out their chopsticks to pick up another one.

In any case, some local officials personally demonstrated and took the lead in eating locusts. The people of Youzhou finally believed that the notice was not false and that locusts were indeed edible.

Even if you can't pass the test in your heart, if you don't eat it yourself, you can still catch a lot of it in exchange for food.

The news of the locust plague came out, and caravans came from the south one after another, bartering like last time.When local people catch locusts, they can exchange them for food, sea salt and cloth at the caravan market.

With both the imperial government organization and the market for food, the local people took action one after another, and they were full of energy to exterminate the locusts.

Within half a month, the food brought by the caravan was wiped out.

"Food will be delivered in a few days. Fathers and elders, you can rest assured that there is no need to worry. The caught locusts can be dried and ground. The method is not difficult, and the market price is [-]% higher than fresh goods."

The imperial decree was issued in time, the method of governing the place was appropriate, the generals took the lead in exterminating the locusts, and the food transported by the caravan, the disaster situation in Youzhou was quickly alleviated.

Knowing that the caravan went north, there was the instruction of Emperor Huanhan, the people of Youzhou went from unbelief to gratitude, and there were endless voices of praise.

"They're all Han people, why don't the officials worry about it?"

Words like this were spread widely, and even the officials of the government heard about it.

The assassin Wang quickly noticed this change, but there was nothing he could do.

Even if they knew the situation was wrong, they couldn't force the people, let alone expel the Southland caravan.If you insist on going your own way, it may even cause civil unrest.

The disaster situation in Youzhou quickly eased, and it seemed to be stable.

In fact, from the assassination down, state and county officials have a hunch that the matter is far from over.Taking advantage of this disaster, Huan Han is slowly infiltrating the Northland, winning the hearts of the people with the food in his hands.

The other party acted aboveboard, and the local officials were helpless.

Take people?

What excuse?

The other party's food, uneasy and kind?

It's simply a joke of the world.

Seeing the caravans moving around, spreading the name of Huan Rong's benevolence, Huan Han's benevolent government gradually became popular, the local officials were always helpless.

To put it bluntly, they still have to rely on the food in the south to save their lives.

In recent years, there have been severe droughts or migratory locusts. Youzhou has experienced poor or even no grain harvests for three consecutive years.The border is facing a military disaster again, Chang'an needs to prepare military rations first, and may not have the spare power to relieve the disaster.

If the caravans in the south are really driven away, the people in the state will either drag their families to flee the famine, or they will have to starve to death.

To be a good official who cares for the people and turn a blind eye to the behavior of the caravan, or to be loyal to the court and insist on being a loyal minister?

Assassin Liu never knew that he would face such a difficult problem.

No matter what the local officials think, the people's favor for Emperor Huan Han continues to rise, and the people's aspirations cannot be removed by forceful means.

In the seventh year of Taiyuan, July

Chang'an delivered the letter of credence, and the new emperor wanted to have a face-to-face meeting with Emperor Huan Han.

When the letter of credence was sent to Chang'an, Huan Rong was already planning to go on a hunting tour, and felt that there was nothing wrong with it.

Opinions differed from top to bottom in the imperial court.

Some people agreed, thinking that Chang'an encountered difficulties, and this time there must be something to ask for, and if it is handled properly, Jiankang will definitely have the upper hand.

Some people resolutely opposed it, and even wanted to persuade Huan Rong that it was really hard to predict what Emperor Qin's true intentions would be.Your Majesty Wan Cheng, you must not take risks lightly, it is best to cancel even the hunting tour.

Opinions in the court are not unified, both sides have reasons and evidence, and no one can convince the other.

Huan Rong didn't want to waste time, so he turned his gaze directly to Xi Yin.

Chengxiang Xi did not disappoint him, and quickly gave a positive opinion, supporting the emperor's hunting tour.

"The meeting place needs to be discreet."

The northern land has been turbulent all year round, the borders are tense, and there are severe droughts and locust plagues. In Xi Min's view, [-]% of Qin Jing's trips are for peace.That being the case, why not see it?

If it is done properly, it can win a lot of benefits for the court.

Even if we can't take Chang'an in one fell swoop and unify the Central Plains, we can learn more about the reality of the North and make preparations for raising troops in the future.

Both sides are Han regimes, and the Qin family is strong and strong, but food and grass are not enough, and internal and external troubles are endless.Huan Han's military strength is slightly inferior, but they are united as one, and the grain has been cooked for two years, the treasury is abundant, and the advantages and disadvantages are equal to each other.

If the war starts immediately, the outcome of both sides is uncertain.

Knowing that Gaoche and Wusun joined forces and intended to invade and loot the south, Shuofang and other places were in a hurry. Xie Yin and Xie An agreed that it was not appropriate to start a war with Chang'an at this time.

The lessons learned since the end of the Han Dynasty are too profound. The Central Plains were trampled by iron hooves, and the people of the Han family were ravaged by Hu thieves. The tragic scenes are still in front of us.

The immediate priority is to keep Gao Che and Wusun out of the Central Plains.

If the Hu thieves are allowed to go south and occupy the north again, they will all become sinners of the Han family!

Seven years ago, Xi Yin would not make a decision immediately, at least he would hesitate.

However, as a certain butterfly flapped its wings and tried every means to implement its governance philosophy, it took advantage of the gaps, and all kinds of subtle changes, from Xi Yin to Xie An, to Xi Chao, Xie Xuan and Wang Xianzhi, have more or less changed.

Even Wang Yun and other ex-dynasty relatives, when encountering matters involving barbarians, would consider them in depth, not only based on the interests of the family, but also disregarding temporary gains and losses, and began to look at the overall situation.

For this change, Huan Rong was delighted to hear it.

Of course, there are those who are far-sighted, and naturally there are also those who are stubborn.

For these people, Huan Rong's attitude is very clear, there is no one size fits all, and he will use what should be used.

Just because you can't think about something, doesn't mean you don't have other talents.

For example, several members of the Yu family who selected officials last year were skeptical of Huan Rong's governance philosophy, which still did not prevent them from making financial and military achievements.Even if you are dissatisfied with a certain policy of the emperor, the work that should be done is still completed, and the high standards and strict requirements exceed the specifications, which is absolutely amazing.

Encountered such a situation, Huan Rong mostly turned a blind eye to it.

Just assuming that these are "partial" talents, with a big wave of hands, all of them will be assigned to suitable positions, and they will be exposed to "shouldn't be exposed" as little as possible, so naturally there will not be too many troubles.

Besides, there are Xie Yin and Xie An in the court, and these newcomers can't make much waves no matter how high they jump.

It's not that Huan Rong likes to seek abuse and wants to make himself uncomfortable, but that the court needs different voices.

Are the policies he formulates right?

Will the idea of ​​governing with good intentions necessarily benefit all people?

These will take time to test.

In history, there are not uncommon examples of good intentions doing bad things.He needs to be alert to himself at all times, and warn himself not to get lost in rights, let alone overinflate to the point of losing his heart.

Based on the above considerations, Huan Rong continued to expand the scope of employment, and the number of selected talents continued to increase.Da Zhong was busy until the sky was dark, and it was the first time he knew that being a "seal" was so tiring.

The aristocrats benefited, and they were no longer so conflicted with the various systems promoted by the emperor. Seeing the benefits, they tried to improve them and actively implemented them in various states.

The most notable example is the Academy.

A few years later, the college run by Secretary Huan Fan Ning became famous far and wide. Besides Jiankang Youzhou, Yangzhou, Jiangzhou, Jingzhou and even Ningzhou had branches.

Relying on their relationship, the two visited the thatched cottage three times, and invited many famous scholars and scholars who lived in seclusion in the mountains to sit in colleges in various places.

Last year, the governor of Ningzhou came up with a form, and the powerful people in the state were willing to pay for the construction of another college in the city of Ningzhou.

Huan Rong felt strange, he really did not expect that Zhou Zhongsun, who was known as "greedy and violent" in his early years, would attach so much importance to education.

However, building more academies is a good thing. After sending people to investigate the actual situation in Ningzhou, Huan Rong swiped his pen and Ningzhou became the third place to study with two academies after Youzhou and Yangzhou.

In addition, Zhou Zhongsun has another secret performance. Since last year, a large number of monks and novice monks have appeared in Ningzhou and Jiaozhou, spreading Buddhism everywhere.

"They are all from the west, dark-skinned apes, and not native of Han."

"It's not my race, I have to guard against it."

Seeing Zhou Zhongsun's secret performance, the corners of Huan Rong's mouth twitched.

He admired the brains of the ancients, but he was speechless about the description of "lack".

The bearded people in the Western Regions have different colors and eyes, and they are ape-like; the businessmen from the far west are ugly and hairy, and they don't know etiquette. Needless to say, they continue to be ape-like.As for the monks in the table, as expected, [-]% came from Tianzhu and Southeast Asia in later generations, and they were also dark-skinned apes.

In a word, people from different countries do not understand etiquette and education, and most of them are like apes.

This is not his nonsense, as for similar records, the facts can be found in history books.

In future generations, there will definitely be a war of words to fight.Now it is a serious record, and there is nothing wrong with it.

As the number of tribute teams entering Jiankang increased, the historian's pen became more and more busy.

Huan Rong couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth every time he saw similar sentences.Suppressing the laughter twice, the historian gave him a strange look and wondered, what's wrong with His Majesty?

Regardless of whether it's fun or not, Zhou Zhongsun's secret performance quickly attracted Huan Rong's attention.

After careful consideration, and asking Xie Yin, Xie An and others for their opinions, Huan Rong decreed that these monks and monks should not be allowed to enter the country, and those who had already entered would be kicked out one by one.

Again, he has no opinion on religion, but based on the current situation, the country wants to develop further and continue to expand its territory after reunification. It is better not to show some signs.

The seventh year of Taihe, August

The flames of war ignited in the north, and Qin Jue and Qin Yu led troops to reinforce Shuofang, and fought fiercely for two days and nights to block the Gaoche army.

Qin Jiu received the order and led the Xihe soldiers to go north to Yanmen, and once again slashed his sword and immediately killed the enemy in front of the battle.

Qin Jun guarded Xihai, firmly blocked the Wusun cavalry, and did not let the enemy soldiers step into Xihai County.

Qin Yu returned to Sanhan, personally led the army to wipe out the remnants of Goguryeo, passed the sieve twice on the old land of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla, and erected five more Jingguan.

After receiving the letter from Huan Han, Qin Jing temporarily entrusted Chang'an to Qin Yu, and ordered more than [-] civil and military people to accompany him to Jingzhou.

The meeting place of the two sides was set in Xiangyang. To ensure safety, Huan Chong left Gushu, led his troops to Xiangyang first, took over the local defense from his nephew, and made a perfect arrangement.

Chang'an also dispatched elites to lay down heavy defenses before Qin Jing's arrival.

Along the border line, the two sides set up a posture, set up camps, and fought fiercely, with banners waving.

You know, this is a meeting between the emperors of the two countries.Those who don't know, probably think that Chang'an and Jiankang have a disagreement and are preparing to go to war.

A small city of Xiangyang has gathered the eyes of the world.

Both Chang'an and Jiankang are tense at this time, preparing for all possible changes.

Compared to the nervousness of others, Huan Rong was very relaxed. He boarded the ship from Jiankang, passed through Yuzhou, and then went overland. It happened to be a beautiful August, and he slowed down along the way, feeling very good.

Qin Jing didn't have much thought of admiring the scenery, so he felt Xiangyang quickly.It was only after arriving that I learned that Huan Rong was still on the way, and it would take at least a few days to meet face to face.

Seeing the goshawk circling in mid-air, and the dove following behind the goshawk that couldn't be shaken off no matter what, Qin Jing pulled the reins and whistled.

Spotting Qin Jing, the goshawk croaked loudly and swooped down from mid-air.

Raising his arms to catch the flying goshawk, Qin Jing's mouth curled into a smile, and his dark eyes reflected light and shadow.

It doesn't matter if it's late, he just waits.