Lao Cao drank a lot of wine that night, more than he had ever done since he was captured by Wang Yan and even worried about Du Kang.
There is a difference between knowing that you have failed and having already failed. Lao Cao is another hero. He has been a Han minister for more than 20 years, and a "pillar of the Han Dynasty" for more than 20 years. Together, he has been in it for more than 50 years, most of his life. Now Jiangguan If it falls, Shu will have no one to rely on, which is infinitely equivalent to defeat. No matter how tough Lao Cao is, he can't withstand this blow.
The old boy, who was still quite energetic at first, suddenly lost his temper and looked much older. Wang Yan comforted Lao Cao very thoughtfully, saying not to underestimate Tianzhu, the barbarians there still had some strength. He also treated Lao Cao with more thoughtful consultations and prescribed prescriptions to regulate his body, hoping that Lao Cao would live a long life.
Lao Cao could have lived to be more than sixty years old, which was quite enough considering that he spent half his life in the army, fighting in the north and south and fighting in the east and west. However, Wang Yan felt that Lao Cao should live longer.
There is no doubt that Lao Cao will definitely be severely punished under his hands. Even if he is the leader of a party, he cannot escape this fate. He will undoubtedly die, and his death will be miserable, in order to further consolidate his political power. foundation and firm his political line. This is not a matter of personal grudge, but of struggle.
But it would not be enough to expel Lao Cao across the plateau to Tianzhu. After all, it was an expedition, to open up a new homeland. After all, Lao Cao was a hero, with structure, brains, and courage. He must live for a few more years to completely establish himself in Tianzhu.
If you point at the people under Lao Cao and a few sons who are fighting among themselves, they are basically useless. After all, the people of Tianzhu are not fools, and they will divide and win over each other. Although they may be inferior in combat effectiveness and do not have as high-end military techniques and tactics as China, they can still learn it, and they are fighting at home, so they are not just giving in. , obeying Lao Cao's rule.
The fact that Lao Cao did not unify China when he was alive does not mean that Lao Cao is not good. No one will deny Lao Cao's achievements in this life. And this achievement was condensed into three words, Emperor Wu of Wei.
A serious ruthless person.
Therefore, Lao Cao's longevity is the top priority for the strategy of Tianzhu. It can be said that Wang Yan really worked hard for Lao Cao.
Although Lao Cao was quite happy that Wang Yan, a world-famous doctor, was treating his illness, he didn't like Wang Yan's straightforward explanation of the reasons.
He had no choice but to feel sad alone.
Compared with Lao Cao's sadness, Wang Yan can now be said to be feeling proud. Despite the fact that ever since he received the care of his living father and passed the initial stage, he has been bathing in the spring breeze.
Having controlled Jiangguan, cut off the supply of food routes, and blocked the southern area of Jiujiang, Wang Yan's army is slowly pressing forward. If Jiujiang's 100,000-strong army wants to escape, they can only run into the mountains, or jump into the Yangtze River. , in the hope that Wang Yan's navy can't catch them and they can float out to sea. At the same time, Wang Yan has a good reputation that he has been operating for more than 20 years. Officers who know that they will end badly cannot stop the vast number of lower-level soldiers.
So it’s no surprise that Cao Cao’s army of 100,000 soldiers in Jiujiang mutinied. I don’t know who was the first to kill the commander. Anyway, he started it, but he couldn’t hold it back anymore. In the end, he killed all the officers, big and small, and even Because he was crazy about killing, he killed many of his own people.
At the same time, Linxiang, which was surrounded, could not hold on any longer. Kaicheng surrendered and captured the famous Xun You, the Han mascot, and many courtiers.
At this point, the unification war with Cao Cao came to an end, ending with Wang Yan's final victory. As for the subsequent pacification of Shu, as well as Sun Ce, Shi Xie and others who fought desperately, they were just the aftermath.
They have their place in history, but for Wang Yan and others in this world, the war is over, because the remaining ones are no longer enough to fight. The war ended before the spring of 209.
The spring cold in the south of the Yangtze River was freezing, but Wang Yan still wrapped himself in a robe, rode on a horse, led the army, and even Lao Cao and others, and slowly drove into Linxiang City.
Linxiang is not the administrative seat of Jingzhou, but Jingzhou has a large population. It was the most populous state before the Yellow Turban, with more than 6 million people. Therefore, the development of the city here is very good, and the same is true for Linxiang. Later, Lao Cao moved the Han Emperor to live here, and it developed steadily for many years. Linxiang City has also prospered in these years, and the city is much larger.
What's more, Lao Cao even built a small palace for the Han Emperor here, and his own prime minister's residence was located in the official office.
After riding all the way to the palace, which was not very majestic, Wang Yan dismounted and walked up the stairs with Cao Cao and others into the palace.
In the main hall at this moment, there were two rows of people standing respectfully, most of them were men, but there were also a few women. They all looked at the door, their expressions unclear.
Although these people are prisoners and defeated people, the convergence of their eyes still puts a certain amount of pressure on people. But this is not a problem for the winner. After all, without strong inner energy and firm will, he will not be the winner, not to mention that the winner is General Wang.
Wang Yan held the sword in his hand, and under the gaze of the group of people, he slowly walked forward with Cao Cao and sat down on the dragon chair.
He clearly saw that many people were glaring at him, which was normal and understandable. After all, the big man has many die-hard loyalists. It is strange that he can have a good look at such a big rebel and succeed.
He glanced at Liu Xie, who was shrinking and trembling slightly while hugging his wife. Then he looked at Cao Cao, who was standing on the middle platform of the high steps with his hands behind his back, silently watching the scene in the palace.
Wang Yan said: "Mengde, how do you want to arrange the Emperor of Han?"
"I intend to support the Han Dynasty outside the territory, and the Emperor of Han will naturally follow me."
Lao Cao's thoughts are still very complicated. The Han Dynasty in China has died, and he wants to inherit the name of the Han Dynasty in Tianzhu. He is somewhat obsessed with the Han Dynasty.
Of course, this decision actually had no impact on him. It was just a matter of national title. Liu Xie couldn't make the decision in the past, so he might have attained the Zen status within a few years. But it would not work if Liu Xie did not go. After all, Liu Xie was the orthodox member of the Han Dynasty. Without this legitimacy, Lao Cao would have established himself as a big Han, and he would not be the big Han he is now. These are two different things.
Wang Yan nodded with a smile: "In that case, all the courtiers will accompany me, and I will be spared from killing."
"That's how it should be."
Lao Cao agreed with Wang Yan's words. These people were all capable. Now they were looking for trouble with him all day long. After leaving their hometown and going outside the territory, they would definitely be able to work hard. But there is a prerequisite, they must survive to Tianzhu.
We have traveled thousands of miles and the road is difficult. Death is certain. How many people will die and who will die is unknown. It all depends on who is lucky.
Of course it's okay not to think about it, but if you don't go, you will die. It's not as simple as committing suicide. They don't even have a chance to commit suicide, and Wang Yan will never allow it. Whoever commits suicide will have his bones buried for hundreds of years.
Wang Yan didn't want to take care of it. This group of people was of no use in his hands. They were just moving a few more bricks. In comparison, these people can indeed play a greater role in Tianzhu. After all, they are all intelligent people. Of course, the various noble nobles in Tianzhu are also intelligent, but they are obviously not enough in front of the Cao Wei camp in the Three Kingdoms era where capable people emerge in large numbers.
Looking at the row of seals on the low table in front of him, Wang Yan picked them up one by one and played with them. There are many emperor's seals and they have various functions. Even though it was still relatively crude at this time, far from the peak of centralized power, and not like the Manchu Qing Dynasty with more than 20 large seals, there were still a few.
Of course, what interested him the most was the one that Wang Yan picked up last. It was four inches in diameter, with five dragons on the upper button. One corner was inlaid with gold, and it felt warm to the touch. It had been classified as a mythical item, a famous national treasure. Imperial jade seal.
When Yuan Shu surrendered to Lao Cao and used the Chuan Guo Xi as a bargaining chip, the Chuan Guo Xi also fell into Lao Cao's hands. No one will do anything just because of a seal. Lao Cao understands this better. Everything he has comes from his strong soldiers and horses.
Originally, Yuan Shu became emperor not because of this seal, but because his strength was indeed not weak at that time. Coupled with his own temperament and ambition, he would rashly proclaim himself emperor. What the Imperial Seal brought to him was considered legality.
After all, this jade seal is indeed extraordinary. It came from Qin Shihuang, and Ying Zheng had not conquered the Six Kingdoms at that time. After various changes, lost and reappeared several times, it has been passed down for more than 400 years, through the Qin Dynasty, the Han Dynasty, and even now. Moreover, Qin Shihuang unified the world and called himself emperor, which has special significance.
"If you are ordered by heaven, you will live forever..." Wang Yan played with the jade seal, looked at the inscriptions on it, and murmured.
This is Qin Shi Huang ordered Prime Minister Li Si to carve it with flower and bird seal characters. Li Si's end was not very good, but his handwriting was very good and he also completed the task very well.
Wang Yan didn't have any special feelings about this national seal. No matter how many legendary stories it had, it was just a national seal after all. It's just that he has never seen it before, and now it's a surprise to see it. Having been emperor twice before, the imperial seal had been lost long ago, and he had never seen it.
Now that we have played with it, it will pass. However, he planned to replace the general's seal on the money with this national seal when he printed money in the future. Of course, he also recognized the special value of this seal.
As for the matter of forgery, Wang Yan has a wealth of knowledge in antique appreciation. Although there is indeed no other seal for him to compare, based on his judgment of the jade material, the age, and his personal feelings, This is true.
Moreover, there is no need for Lao Cao to do such a thing. Emperor Han, courtiers and others did not have time to fake it if they wanted to. After all, that jade is quite rare. When the country was at its peak, of course, it had whatever it wanted. Nowadays, these people are very poor, so how can there be so many treasures.
After finding ink pad, he pressed it on the white paper. Looking at the printing on the paper, Wang Yan nodded with satisfaction, used a new piece of paper, and started writing. While writing, he glanced at Cao Cao.
"You need to go to Shu in person. This is based on what you and I have discussed before. Preparations can begin in the near future. The advance expedition must be arranged properly. After spring, we will set off on the road. There should be no delay for a moment."
Cao Cao nodded and cupped his hands to complete his answer.
This was what the two of them had discussed long ago, and Cao Cao went to annex Shu to prevent Wang Yan from continuing to mobilize troops. At that time, Cao Cao directly selected the population and designated a group for expedition.
Of course, when Wang Yan said he would leave next year, it would definitely not mean that all the 500,000 people would leave. After all, the journey was long and difficult, and half a million people had to die on the road. Instead, they left in batches of tens of thousands.
The first batch was high-level officials, elite soldiers and their families. Wang Yan sent out naval warships to transport them. Later, naval warships would also transport them. With a fixed location, trade routes could be opened.
In fact, Wang Yan originally planned to let Lao Cao go over the mountains and ridges, but later he thought about it and let it go. The people have suffered too much, there is no need to die on the road like this.
But even so, long voyages can be fatal. Conquest will always be accompanied by death. Before others die, your own people will die first.
For them, it is also an extremely huge test. The current fleet is already very large. Even if many warships have been retired in twenty years, there are still more than fifty ships, each larger and more advanced than the last.
The fleets that were sent out back then all came back. Although they suffered heavy losses and many of them were displaced to different continents, they still gained important navigation experience and preliminary and not very detailed nautical charts. On the Tianzhu side, Wang Yan's fleet has already found out. There was no shortage of supplies along the way, and I brought enough for a round trip.
After all, there were a lot of people when I went there, but when I came back there were only boat operators, so it can be solved no matter what.
Wang Yan finished writing on two pieces of paper, waited for a while for the ink to dry, and then stamped the imperial seal and his general's seal respectively. He found a eunuch who was huddled in a corner to reduce his presence, and ordered him to arrange manpower to write the two letters. The letter was sent to Sun Ce and Shi Xie.
The idea of letting Hanting send people is very simple. It is too remote and the news is not transmitted smoothly. We don't know the result here yet. Now he is a eunuch of the Han Dynasty. He used the seal of the imperial seal and the seal of his general Wang, which is enough to prove the authenticity.
The content of the letter was also simple, giving them two choices. Either wait until he has finished rectifying the situation in Jiangnan and Shu, then send his army south, catch them all and kill them one by one, or quickly pack up and leave before he can get over.
He also talked about Han Sui and Cao Cao, so that they could figure it out for themselves.
Cochin must be occupied, but there is only one million people there, so there is no urgency to occupy it. After all, Wang Yan basically took over Lao Cao's population of 13 million without any injuries. The work of these people was quite complicated, and he had no intention of paying attention to Sun Ce and Shi Xie for a while.
So give them a chance to take people with them to develop outside. If they don't get it, it's not his fault. When I see Lao Cao off next year, I will stop by and kill them.
It's just pitiful that Sun Ce and Zhou Yu, both of whom have made great names in this world, were defeated without even fighting in the world of General Wang. It was because of their slow development that they were hit by the bigger aftermath.
But Sun Ce was also lucky. After all, he was assassinated after he unified Jiangdong. Later, he failed to recover and died young. But now with the intrusion of General Wang, Sun Ce failed to defeat Liu Bei and had to go back to work for Yuan Shu. He escaped the murder and lived healthily until now.
As for Xiao Qiao, Wang Yan would certainly not admit that he was quite curious. If Sun Ce was sensible, then he would never have a chance to meet Xiao Qiao. If you are not sensible, then you may be destined.
But obviously, facing the current situation, Sun Ce will definitely be sensible...
But it doesn't matter to Wang Yan, he is not a lustful ghost, and he can do everything perfectly. If we really had to send out a large army to kill Sun Ce and Zhou Yu for such a small thing, it would be a bit unsightly.
Although he did come from a gangster background, he was not really a gangster. Don't soldiers die in battle? His hard-heartedness is not reflected in this aspect, it is really not worth it.
Everything has value, or if you think about it from someone else's perspective, some people in Wang Yan's position would launch an army if they didn't even think about it. Because the beauty of the big and small Qiao has been passed down for two thousand years, and they are still sisters, it arouses the happy nerves of some people. In the eyes of these people, the casualties caused by this unnecessary war and the resources consumed by long-distance expeditions are naturally not comparable to those of Big and Little Qiao.
Of course, there are excuses. After all, there are so many fools and there are so many tricks. Relatively speaking, such behavior seems to be nothing.
But for Wang Yan, it is really unnecessary to fight a superfluous battle specifically for Xiao Qiao. For him, this is a completely economic account. That's why he said that Sun Ce was ignorant and let nature take its course and killed Sun Ce and Zhou Yu...
The next development went very smoothly. Lao Cao personally took action and exchanged opinions with the wealthy people. The wealthy people were forced to agree to put their weapons on the expedition to Tianzhu. It doesn't matter if they don't agree. In Wang Yan's case, they are really dead, and the bones and sticks will be tied up for hundreds of years.
Therefore, all the defenders in dangerous areas in Shu put down their weapons. Except for the elite selected by Lao Cao, all of them returned to their own families.
And the news of the expedition to Tianzhu was also spread widely. In the end, Lao Cao retained 100,000 soldiers, as well as corresponding young women, children, and no old people. Even among his soldiers, the older ones were eliminated and young ones were added.
Wang Yan provided them with more advanced weapons and supplies, and sent them to the land of Tianzhu.
To be honest, this is unfair to the people who were selected to follow Lao Cao's expedition to Tianzhu, but who cares what they think? Cao Cao needed it, and the king did not hold back. They had no choice but to obey, and there was no other way.
After selecting the people, Wang Yan arranged for these people to develop the land in Shu, and the first group of people started to migrate. They want to move to Wujun on the coast, which is the outlet of the Yangtze River. Wang Yan has a dock there.
All kinds of things have to be transported, which is a huge job, and all preparations must be done. In the spring of next year, Lao Cao will lead his people, board the warship, set sail to sea, and expedition to Tianzhu.
This is the work that Lao Cao has to coordinate. All Wang Yan has to do is arrange people to connect with them. He is still in charge of the work in Jiangnan and Shu, to thoroughly stabilize the people and restore production and construction.
The war has ended, and peace has once again become the theme of this ancient land. The difference is that this time the people have stepped onto the stage of history. Wang Yan was a pure Guizhou leader who later became a refugee. He stood with the people and created a powerful empire that would last for hundreds of years and influence his thoughts for several years...
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