"Even if Zhao Tuo recognizes the grape pattern and knows that this is a famous product from the Western Regions, so what?
Is it possible that you want to use this to hint to him? "
Liu Ji looked at Lu Pheasant intently, speculating on her motives.
"Exactly.
Didn’t His Majesty ask me the day before yesterday to think about how to prepare a gift for South Vietnam that would enhance my prestige? "
Lu Pheasant raised the corner of his mouth and said confidently,
"Then give them some brocades embroidered with grape patterns and let them guess.
Let them guess whether we have made peace with the Xiongnu, guess whether we have cleared the way to the west, and whether we have exchanged supplies with the countries in the Western Regions beyond the control of the right side of the Xiongnu. "
While everyone was still thinking, Liu Jing was the first to jump out and support him enthusiastically.
"The Queen's plan is very clever."
With his two great achievements in establishing the capital of Chang'an and sending envoys to the Huns, his status in the court is now different from what it used to be, and he can already have a place in the discussions of the veterans and heroes.
"The old herdsmen on the grassland will all mention when chatting that there is a South Vietnam country south of Han Dynasty. From South Vietnam to the Huns, even though they are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, there are still caravans coming and going from time to time.
It can be seen that Beihu and South Vietnam are not only interconnected, but also have inextricable connections all year round. The connections may be deeper than we imagined. "
Xiao He sketched the general outline of the Southwest Sichuan and Shu regions in his mind and asked,
"My guess is that most of the caravans that the Huns saw were camel caravans of Bashu merchants, right?
They started from Lingnan, traveled to western Sichuan, then passed through the Qiang territory on the plateau, walked over the mountains and ridges to Hexi, and finally headed to the Western Regions. "
Although this road is difficult and long, it can avoid the interception of the Xiongnu's "right arm" and directly connects the countries in the Western Regions.
Liu Ji nodded,
"There are Qianghu in the north and Jinyue in the south. These two families are close neighbors of our dynasty. They help each other with evil and benefit from each other. We can only defeat them one by one, and we must not let them join us in the south and north. Get started.
Zhao Tuo sized up the situation, had a certain measure of bending and stretching, and was a very cunning man.
In addition, he grew up in Zhending in the north, so he probably had secret contacts with the Xiongnu.
I think, just follow your strategy and use the grape pattern to make him and the Huns suspicious of each other. "
He turned his face and said to Lu Pheasant,
"Three counties are so far away. They are located between rugged mountains and seas. The climate is humid and humid, and there are snakes, insects, rats, and ants everywhere. Even if it were given to me, I wouldn't want it."
He had made up his mind and was ready to sacrifice a little face and let Zhao Tuo be a nominal foreign prince.
***
Unlike the seven princes and kings with different surnames, foreign princes do not need to go to court to see each other, they do not need to use Han law in the country, and they also enjoy full rights to appoint officials.
Although the princes and kings with different surnames at this time were completely free to appoint officials within their own borders, starting from Zhao's new prime minister Zhang Cang, Liu Ji was determined to exert iron-fisted pressure and gradually replace all the prime ministers of each princely kingdom with his own.
In addition to appointing and removing officials at will, the foreign princes also have the power to confer titles and enfeoff princes.
In short, in Liu Ji's view, the more barren and barren land was not worth the effort of conquest, and the empire, which was waiting to be reborn, could not afford the cost of a war on both fronts between the north and the south. If he is proclaimed emperor, only king, then he can be the king of South Vietnam.
Lu Pheasant frowned slightly as he listened to the emperor's dismissive ridicule and contempt.
Zhao Tuo was the real one, and he was also the Longchuan Order of Nanhai County personally granted by Qin Shihuang. Whether it was based on keeping a low profile or being unable to leave his homeland, he was full of unspeakable complex attachment to the Central Plains Dynasty.
As a conqueror from afar, when Zhao Tuo led the Qin army into Lingnan, the local Yue people were unwilling to be Qin captives and frequently fought fiercely.
In order to seek long-term peace and stability and alleviate the conflicts between different ethnic groups, Zhao Tuo once requested the First Emperor to move 15,000 unmarried women from the mainland to serve as spouses of Lingnan garrison soldiers and local people, and take root in the long-term mixed life. Lush, blooming and bearing fruit.
Later, in order to better sympathize with the local people, Zhao Tuo further went to the countryside to follow the local customs, boldly enabled the rich families among the Yue people, encouraged them to participate in politics and master secrets, and ordered the Zhao family's descendants to take the lead in setting an example and intermarrying with the Yue people.
"Zhao Tuo is now in his prime. It seems peaceful for a while, but what will happen a generation later?"
She murmured, feeling worried.
Oranges grow in Huaibei and become tangerines. It is conceivable that in a few decades, when the second and third generations of the Zhao family dynasty slowly grow up, in that hot and humid land where the sky is high and the emperor is far away, about China The memory of the Tujia people is destined to gradually become thinner, while the subtle influence of the local Tujia people will become greater and greater.
By then, for South Vietnam, the Han Empire was no longer a blood-and-blood suzerainty, but just a huge neighbor, and the vassal covenant between the two countries would no longer count.
***
Lu Pheasant looked at Liu Ji who was a little complacent, and secretly strengthened his determination.
"South Vietnam is different from the Xiongnu. If we can completely integrate South Vietnam into Han County, we will not only have long-term peace and stability, but also be able to control the poison from the south. There is a lot to be done.
Moreover, with careful planning, South Vietnam can be easily obtained without spending a single soldier on me.
However, the relationship with the Qiang people also needs to be taken care of, and it is necessary to start from the Longxi frontier. "
Thinking of the Qiang people, she changed the subject and asked Liu Ji with a smile,
"When will Mr. Zifang and Liu Fei return to Luoyang?
I haven’t seen them for several months and I really miss them. "
"Counting the days, it's probably almost here."
Liu Ji rolled his eyes and thought for a while,
"Zhang Zifang is such a cautious person. Before he left, he also praised Haikou in his memorial, saying that this time he would let us see the good skills of Liangjiazi from the six northwest counties."
The son of a good family in six counties? Lu Pheasant's eyes suddenly shone with light.
The stars rotate in the sky, the mountains and rivers spread across the earth, and the peach and plum trees remain silent, and they will make their own mistakes. Maybe they will meet the famous general who is difficult to seal through the ages.
She calmly pinched her fingers in her sleeves and counted the years silently:
"If he is under my command, he will be made a marquis."
***
On the day when King Zhao Zhang Ao and his planners left for Luoyang to have an audience, Queen Lu Yuan and all the ministers went to see him off outside Handan City.
It was freezing cold, and Lu Yuanyan was tightly wrapped in a silver-white mink fur cloak, standing quietly in the snow.
It is said that minks are a specialty of Korea in Liaodong. They usually eat pine nuts and lie dormant during the day and come out at night.
Hunters in the Xian Dynasty are well aware of their habits. They often wait under the pine trees at night, hold their breath and stand quietly, waiting for them to appear before shooting them.
The mink is very small, and the fur of one mink is not enough to fit a foot. It would take at least sixty or seventy minks to assemble the big cloak she wears. It can be said to be extremely rare, not comparable to ordinary furs. In the Palace of Zhao Wang Zhongdu is considered a rare thing.
Lu Yuan thought it was too cruel at first and refused to wear it until he died, but Xiao Yu, who was serving as his personal attendant, forced it on her body without asking any questions.
"Some time ago, you were fooling around like practicing archery and caught the wind and cold. The queen felt sorry for you, so she didn't have to go to Luoyang with you.
If I stay in Handan and something goes wrong under my nose, I'm afraid everyone in my family, young and old, won't be able to survive. "
Zhang Ao took Lu Yuan's hand and told her to take care of herself. Lu Yuan returned the favor and devoutly hoped that her husband would return soon.
Not far away, Lu Shizhi winked at her and reminded her with a smile,
"If you dare to be playful, I'll go back and tell your mother and see if she sends someone to deal with you."
Lu Yuan couldn't help but burst into laughter and said to his uncle tacitly,
"I took care of myself. Uncle Wanwang, take care of yourself along the way."
Lu Shizhi followed the conspirators to Beijing this time, and at the same time took away Lao Jiang, a lame engineer who was good at handling bows and crossbows, but left Lu Yuan with a treasure.
"This is a new style of crossbow made by me under the supervision of Lao Jiang. I only made three in total. I took two of them to Luoyang and left the remaining one for you to relieve your boredom."
Two days before departure, Lu Shizhi held up a shiny copper crossbow and said to Lu Yuan proudly.
Lu Yuan went out early and returned late to practice archery in Zhao Ji's villa. Her temper was no longer as gloomy as when she first arrived in Handan. She snatched the crossbow machine and looked at it over and over again.
Seeing that she was still a child at heart, Lu Shizhi continued to show off,
“The power of this crossbow is much stronger than your bow.
Moreover, this crossbow can fire continuously and can shoot three arrows at a time, which is enough for you to play with. "
