It seems that Mei Rong entered the mountain first, and then the Meishan barbarians were exempted from taxes. The emperor who had personally promised them exemption from military service might be inextricably related to everyone present here. Lu Pheasant thought silently in his heart, I deeply feel the magic of destiny, which is difficult to describe.
She was now more confident. She looked sideways at Liu Ji and saw that he was noncommittal, so she elaborated on her plan to patrol Changsha Kingdom.
It is true that in front of Wu Chen, she naturally took care of the inspection of the governor and other things. She only said that Qin Shihuang went on many inspections and at most visited Nanjun north of Lishui and never went south again.
However, the emperor of this dynasty was busy with conquests in the east and the west, and never set foot in central Hunan. For a country with vassal Han Dynasty and Hu Yue as its hero, it was not enough attention.
As she spoke, Liu Ji nodded slowly, obviously convinced.
Everyone was silent, and everyone's brains were working rapidly. Everyone looked at their words and knew that the Queen's southern tour was a foregone conclusion, but they didn't know how long it would take and what kind of battles they would have to do.
After a while, Wu Chen first said in panic,
"But...but the country is remote and small, it is actually a border county, and the climate is humid and humid. I am afraid that the reception will not be good and the queen will be wronged.
It is shameful to say that after my father was granted the title last year, he passed away only four months later. He didn't even have time to overhaul his dormitory.
At present, the so-called royal palace that I have in Linxiang is just a hastily patched roof on the site of Chu City during the Warring States Period. It is really crude. "
***
"It's okay," Lu Pheasant and Liu Ji looked at each other and smiled.
"It's not like I want to live in Linxiang for half a year or scare you.
Besides, you cherish material resources and use them to benefit the people. You should be greatly praised. Is there any reason to criticize you harshly? "
The terrain, population, features, roads, and products of more than fifty counties and more than a thousand counties across the country have long been deeply engraved in Xiao He's mind. He quickly planned the route and said casually, knowing the roads well.
"The Queen's guard of honor set out from Luoyang and traveled five hundred miles south to reach Wancheng, the seat of Nanyang County [1].
Nanyang is one of the three major counties in our Han Dynasty, with more than thirty counties under its jurisdiction. It has a large population, abundant supplies, and many families with thousands of dollars.
The county governor Lu Ye (yǐ) is also a sensible person and is an old acquaintance of ours. At that time, the team can rest in Wancheng for a few more days and meet the local wealthy businessmen. "
"Oh, yes, we were able to defeat Wancheng without a single blow, thanks to Lu Ye."
Liu Ji nodded and smiled, then looked at Zhang Liang, "Speaking of which, Lu Yan can save his life, thanks to Zifang."
Lu Jue was the governor of Nanyang County in the Qin Dynasty. Liu Ji led his army to march westward. When passing through Nanyang, he was forced to defend Wancheng and almost committed suicide.
Later, thanks to Chen Hui, Lu Yan's bodyguard, he stepped forward and entered the enemy camp alone to negotiate with Zhang Liang. Lu Yan agreed to defect, and all the Wancheng defenders changed their banners. Liu Ji completely conquered Nanyang County without spending a single soldier. Lu Ye continued to be the governor of Nanyang.
***
"That's because Lu Ye thought it through. Since Chen Hui is loyal, I don't dare to take credit." Zhang Liang also smiled, his eyes narrowed into a thin line.
Xiao He paused for a moment, then planned the route.
"After passing Wancheng, we continued southward. After another three or four days, we entered the jurisdiction of Nanjun.
I thought I didn't need to do too much repairing on the way. At most, I could rest for a while after arriving at Jiangling, the seat of Nanjun.
From Jiangling, we traveled another 700 miles and took more than ten days to reach Linxiang. "
Back then, the First Emperor's parade from Xianyang to Yunmeng Daze took one and a half months to complete. Calculated, his grand ceremonial convoy traveled an average of more than sixty miles a day, which shows the urgency that shocked the Chu people at that time.
According to the provisions of the corvee code in the Han Code, the daily distance traveled by a heavy vehicle carrying supplies must reach fifty miles, while an empty vehicle must cover a distance of seventy miles.
Xiao He was well aware of the Queen's way of life, and knew that she would endure hardships and work hard, and would never be arrogant or extravagant. Therefore, although the schedule planned for her was a bit tight, he did not miss any royal power on the way. Important passes that should be covered.
For example, Wan County in Nanyang County, such as Jiangling in Nan County.
***
Nanyang County was first established during the Warring States Period. It has a mild climate, mountains and rivers. It is a major grain-producing area. With convenient transportation, it is a strategic thoroughfare and has an extremely important strategic position.
Wancheng, where he governed, was as famous as Handan, Linzi, Chengdu, and Luoyang. It was one of the five major cities in the early Han Dynasty. It was extremely prosperous and rich and powerful people lived here.
Liu Ji became interested when he mentioned the local wealthy households.
"I heard that there is a wealthy family in Nanyang named Kong. He was originally from Liang. He was forcibly moved to Wancheng by the First Emperor. Is that right?"
"Exactly," Xiao He replied fluently,
"Nanyang County is rich in minerals, has mountains and forests, and is rich in fuel, so the iron industry is particularly developed. After the Kong family arrived in Wancheng, they engaged in iron smelting and became rich."
"If Fu Cheng is like this, I have to go and see it again." Liu Ji's eyes wandered and he responded randomly, not knowing what he was thinking.
Lu Pheasant glanced at him sideways, thinking that the migration of rich families to Chang'an might start from Nanyang. If Nanyang County is rich, then Nan County will be dangerous.
Nanjun straddles the natural barrier of the Yangtze River, which can resist invasion from the north, and can also use the southern hinterland to preserve its strength. Going upstream to the west leads directly to Bashu, and to the east reaches Yunmeng Daze, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack.
During the Three Kingdoms period, amid the swords and shadows of the three families of Wei, Shu and Wu, Nanjun was always the center of gravity for military strategists.
Whoever wins Nanjun will be like holding half of the Yangtze River, she secretly thought.
Zhang Liang once warned her that Prince Shen Sheng of the former Jin Dynasty died inside and Prince Chong'er was born outside. Therefore, she sent the prince to Longxi and decided to patrol the south to avoid the danger.
At this moment, she had a deeper understanding of what Taifu said about "being born outside"——
"Book of Changes" says that the great virtue of heaven and earth is life. Mountains are formed when soil accumulates, wind and rain stir them up, water forms abyss, and dragons emerge. The difference between survival and death lies in the word "humanity".
This southern tour may seem like we are heading across the country with a sword, but in fact we have a long way to go and every step is crucial.
***
Wu Chen was a man who was rough on the outside but delicate on the inside. Seeing that the boat was ready, he responded nervously, and then hesitantly reminded,
"If the queen wants to go, she should leave as soon as possible. It will be very difficult for us to go back to Nantian. It is cold and wet everywhere, and the road is difficult to walk. It is very difficult."
"Yes, let's set off as soon as possible." Liu Jidao,
"When you get to Linxiang, you act according to the opportunity. As for Mei Rong, don't force it. After all, he is old. If he can come down from the mountain, you can see him for me."
This last sentence was addressed to Lu Pheasant.
"Can I meet the South Vietnamese envoy by then?" Wu Chen asked again.
Liu Jiqi asked, "Are they still in Linxiang?"
"Yes, I gave you only a batch of white 礜 (yù) stones to cure rat infestation after careful consideration. Zhao Tuo was not satisfied, so the envoy delayed leaving."
"Let's talk about it then. Let's see what Zhao Tuo's attitude is."
"The envoys respect our Han people very much. Judging from the generous gifts such as coral trees sent by Zhao Tuo, it seems that they are willing to surrender..." Wu Chen stopped without finishing his thoughts.
Zhang Liang took on the attitude of an elder and whispered to him,
"You don't have to worry. If you have anything to say, just say it. It's forbidden. You know everything you want to say."
"I heard that Zhao Tuo was very rebellious in South Vietnam. He never wore Han attire, abandoned my crown and robes, and wore his hair in a dignified manner. He always regarded himself as a Yue, and would definitely call himself a 'barbarian'."
"Is there such a thing? He is obviously a real person, but he actually behaves like this?" Everyone was amazed.
As a powerful man from the Central Plains who went south, in order to stabilize his rule in a foreign land, Zhao Tuo intermarryed with the local wealthy families and used outstanding Yue people to participate in government affairs. These are self-evident imperial techniques and are understandable.
But he actually regarded himself as a barbarian. This was a blatant change in political strategy and attitude.
After all, the opposite of "barbarians" is "Chinese". "Chinese" is not "barbarian", and "barbarian" is not "Chinese". At that time, the two could never be confused.
Liu Ji's eyes flashed with awe, obviously touched by the word "barbarian".
"Originally, he has lived in South Vietnam for a long time, and it is human nature to do as the locals do and make gestures to win people's hearts.
But he calls himself a barbarian, so he wants to clearly draw a clear line between himself and us Han people. "
He couldn't help but glance at Lu Zhi, who was sitting next to him, and thought to himself, the South Vietnam incident cannot be delayed. If it continues to be delayed, it will turn from a subordinate country to an enemy country.
"It's not that easy to forget your ancestors." Liu Ji gritted his teeth and forced a sinister smile from his mouth.
"You can run away from people, but you can't run away from graves. Aren't their Zhao family's ancestral graves still in Zhending?"
