After winning the decisive battle with Xianbei in April, the Han army recaptured the southern part of Yanmen County and rebuilt its defense line. After the defeat, the Xianbei leader was also afraid that the Han army would regain the lost ground, so he could only shrink his troops in the Juyang area of Pingcheng and make a defensive truce posture, so the two sides entered a truce. However, the impact of this battle is still far-reaching. After experiencing this defeat, Kuitou was at a disadvantage in the struggle for power with Jian Man, and it was difficult to move south in a short time. For the Han army in Bingzhou, it could be said that it temporarily solved the problem that had plagued the imperial court for nearly ten years. There were no border troubles, and no matter whether they were Han or barbarians, they were all rejoicing.
But after the news of the late emperor's death came, Chen Chong felt heavy in his heart. No matter how absurd the late emperor's behavior was, he was still able to maintain the balance of the government. After his death, who left behind a young child and a widowed mother, who could carry the country on his shoulders? Thinking of Jian Shuo's words, even though he was thousands of miles away, Chen Chong couldn't help but toss and turn over them and sigh day and night.
But it's useless to lament. After the war, he still needs to deal with the aftermath. The first one to bear the brunt is the issue of prisoners.
In the Battle of Shaling, the Han army killed 10,000 people and captured nearly 20,000 prisoners, including many Xianbei tribe leaders. Many Xiongnu princes suggested that all the captives should be beheaded and the heads should be used to build a temple in Beijing to show the power of the Han Dynasty. But Chen Chong discussed with Liu Bei that the court was in chaos now, and we were isolated in a corner without reinforcements. If we wanted to regain the lost territory of the country, we could not form a deadly feud with Xianbei.
Liu Bei deeply agreed, and personally declared to the captured Xianbei leader: "Before he was a hundred years old, the imperial court and Xianbei were invaded by the Northern Xiongnu, so they had good relations from generation to generation. Why did they join the imperial court in the past? The imperial court was thoughtful and rewarded them. , Yu Qiu Ben and other lords became princes, the friendship between the two countries has been profound and long-lasting. But why have the two countries become enemies now? It is just the fault of Tan Shihuai, Kuitou and others. The late emperor once entrusted me with the responsibility of appeasing Xianbei. I always Keep it in mind, after the battle, I captured you here. Many people advised me to kill you to vent the anger of the people, but I hope that the two countries will be safe, so I will release you back home. I hope you will swear an oath here to never fight with the Han Dynasty. As an enemy, if I wait to see you again on the battlefield, I will no longer show mercy."
Tuoba Lin and others couldn't believe it. It is normal for Xianbei tribes to capture enemies, and if they are lucky, they will be slaves, and if they are not, they will die. This is not to mention that the two countries have been at war for many years. Liu Bei was defeated by Sangqian a year ago, and revenge is even more natural. But Liu Bei let people return home at this time. They couldn't understand it and thought there were any conditions. It wasn't until Liu Bei turned out two pieces of silk cloth and asked the leaders to press their fingerprints on it that they believed that Liu Bei was not lying.
After finding their way out, the noble people of Xianbei were all relieved and thanked Liu Bei and paid tribute. Another Tuoba neighbor prayed to Liu Bei, saying that he was old and frail now, and hoped to lend him a rogue horse to help him return home. Liu Bei had just defeated the king's big family in Meiji, and had captured many in the Battle of Shaling. Now that he was wealthy, he decided to bring some good horses to the Xianbei nobles so that they could return home first. The captives in their hands were also released in batches in January. The Xianbei people walked out of Mayi empty-handed and returned to Juyang along the Xiawu Mountain. After they returned to the clan, they couldn't help but sigh: "When they went there, they were riding horses holding He thought he had conquered the world with his sword, but when he came back he was empty-handed and with lingering fear in his heart. Liu Shijun is really a hero who can pierce the heart!
After the Xianbei prisoner matter was dealt with, the Xiongnu matter became even more troublesome.
After Yufuluo was captured by Liu Bei, Chen Chong sent people to send him back to Jinyang overnight and guard him in the governor's mansion. But Yu Fuluoshu was unwilling to accept it. He thought about escaping from the cage every day. He clashed with the guards more than ten times within a week, forcing Jian Yong to seal all the doors and windows. Only Cangtou returned to the door every day. diet. Liu Jia also came to visit his brother several times. When the brother and sister met, the county soldiers guarding the door could always hear Hufro's curses. When Mrs. Liu left, her eyes were always filled with tears.
Neither Chen Chong nor Liu Bei could do anything about it. Due to emotion and reason, if Yu Fuluo fell into their hands alive, he would never die. Chen Chong analyzed: "Now that our army has defeated the Xiongnu in Xianbei, it has established its prestige. However, the Luanti clan has ruled the Xiongnu for hundreds of years, and the concept will not disappear easily because of one person's fault. If they replace it, it may arouse the influence of other tribes." If you are disgusted with it, if you establish another Chanyu and it is difficult to control it, it is better to keep the Chanyu, which can show Xuande your benevolence and make all the princes fall in love." Therefore, the two of them could only pretend to turn a blind eye and continue. House arrest.
What is more important now is the alliance with the Xiongnu tribes. On May 18th, Liu Bei led an escort of 200 people to set out from Mayi and arrived at Meiji as promised on the 20th. The sixty-eight Xiongnu tribe princes in the royal court attached great importance to this alliance, and they all gathered together early. After two major turmoils in two years, most of the leaders of the tribes were newcomers. Liu Bei entered the king's tent and looked around, feeling full of vitality and heroic spirit. Da Qiequ couldn't help but sigh and said: In the past, I always felt that time was running out, but today when I saw groups of middle-aged and middle-aged young people, I suddenly realized that time was running out.
At the meeting, Liu Bei wore plain clothes of a Confucian scholar, held the imperial staff, and wore a white scarf on his head to express his condolences to the late emperor. Chen Chong also served in the same manner, sitting aside and observing the expression of the Hun prince. When Liu Bei first said that he did not want to depose Fuluo, there was a commotion in the crowd, and the faces of the princes showed disappointment; when Liu Bei said that he would temporarily take over the administration of the Shanyu, the princes looked slightly relaxed; when Liu Bei called on the kings to stay in Meiji permanently , the prince looked alert. Finally, when Liu Bei said that he would be exempted from the tax for two years, the prince looked happy again.
At this time, Chen Chong stepped forward to make an agreement with the princes:
1. If there is any discord among the various tribes, a meeting of the princes should be held, and the Zhonglang who protects the Huns will judge what is right and what is wrong.
2. The various tribes regard this as their boundary and cannot invade it. They will not care about their previous grudges and enmities. The generals who protect the Xiongnu and the generals will be able to confer military merits on the territory.
3. If there is a murderer in the clan, he should report it to the Xiongnu Zhonglang General and pay for the crime with death.
4. Each tribe sent out 300 strong men to form a new army in Meiji, and the Zhonglang general who protected the Xiongnu distributed money, food, and armor.
5. After the end of tax exemption, tax will be collected at the rate of 15% tax.
The princes had never thought that the plan was so simple, and they all said they were willing to accept it, but they still had doubts about the permanent residence in Meiji. Chen Chong had already made a record of this, and no longer forced the princes to stay in Meiji. He only added an agreement that the royal court would hold a princes meeting every three months, so there was no objection.
Then he invited two stonemasons to erect a large stone one foot high in front of Meiji City, engraved these regulations on the stone surface, and wrote the names of the participating princes in red clay below. When the stone was completed, Liu Bei led the kings to the stone and swore an oath together: "If one day someone violates the covenant, we will attack them in groups and we will fight to the death."
After the alliance ended, Liu Bei sent soldiers to guard the stone and preach the matter to people. The Xiongnu people who came and went were greatly surprised, and they all said that this was a good thing that had never happened to the Xiongnu. The guard explained that this was to follow the example of Gaozu who made a three-part agreement with the Qin people when he entered the pass. When the Huns heard this, they were even more emotional and commented: With such a great founder of the country, it is no wonder that the Han Dynasty can be included in the world!
After the conference, Liu Bei stayed in Meiji to rebuild the new army, while Chen Chong returned to Taiyuan to encourage learning and farming. After two consecutive years of war, Liu Bei couldn't help but make a fortune in the royal court in exchange for Bai Bo's debt, and the people of Bingzhou finally lived a relatively peaceful year. Although successive heavy rains have caused yellowing and poor harvests in Yan and Henan prefectures, the weather can be considered smooth for Bingmen prefecture. The lives of the people are busy and ordinary, but this kind of time is rare and unattainable.
While Chen Chong was busy, he kept sending scouts to investigate Hanoi, Hedong. He was always concerned about the movements of Ding Yuan and Dong Zhuo. By the end of May, both armies received He Jin's order and marched towards Luoyang at starry night. Chen Chong knew that a disaster was coming, but he did not transfer the order. He had nothing to do. After struggling for a long time, Chen Chong decided to write a letter explaining his interests and sent Xu Shu to persuade him. City Gate Captain Zhu Jun hoped to use Zhu Jun's military reputation to change the situation, but Zhu Jun refused. He had a sleepless night after learning the news.
Time came to September, and Bingzhou was indeed having a good year this year. Chen Chong led Cangcao Rong to Zhonghang County, Taiyuan County. Everywhere he could see the rice spread in front of the rooftops, and the ripe aroma was tinged with alcohol. This was because this year The county was tax-free, and the farmers sold most of their excess grain and brewed the rest into rice wine. The smell of the distiller's grains was everywhere, making everyone feel like they were in a dream.
Although the people were exempted from taxes, the county government still had to stockpile rice and grain for long-term planning. Chen Chong and his colleagues purchased grain and grass from various counties. When the farmers who sold millet heard that it was Chen Chong who bought grain, most of them were moved and said: They can resume farming this year. Mother, it was probably Longshou’s credit, how could he dare to ask for money? They actually wanted to send grain to Chen Chong for free. Chen Chong persuaded them: "It won't be like this every year. It's better to save some to survive the famine years!" After the two sides persuaded them, Chen Chong finally discounted the price by 60% and bought it in the county for 100 yuan. 700,000 stones of corn are enough to supply Meiji's new army for one year.
When Chen Chong returned to Jinyang, it was the ninth day of September, which happened to be the Double Ninth Festival. Chen Chong saw many people in the countryside taking advantage of their free time to take their families up the mountain for a picnic. He couldn't help but think of his family. He was worried and longing for them. What he was worried about was that Luoyang was in chaos now. He didn't know if they were as good as he wanted. Talking about avoiding misfortunes, longing is a natural emotion, just like the streams in the mountains and the fallen leaves in the forest. Without these, it would be like a fake painting.
He first went to Cancao to explain the matter, and then hurried back to the county government. He planned to take a rest first, wake up and then review the number. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the mansion, he was stunned. A graceful figure was sitting on a bullock cart, and a pair of watery eyes were watching him from behind the curtain. Chen Chong's longing emotion immediately faded away, and another familiar yet unfamiliar emotion came to his mind. He walked to the car, touched his wife's hand, and asked with a smile: "Why don't you sit in the house? Yunchang and the others are not here." ?"
Cai Yan held Chen Chong's hand and saw his broken finger at a glance. He couldn't help but shed tears. He rubbed the broken finger and complained to him in a plaintive voice: "You have been away from home for two years. How did you end up like this?"
Chen Qun stood straight aside and smiled at Cai Yan and said, "Brother is still alive, so what else can my sister-in-law complain about? Besides, as long as my sister-in-law is here, my brother will love himself."
Chen Chong was so crowded that he couldn't speak, but he really didn't know what to say. He could only hold Cai Yan's hand and slowly get out of the car, and said softly: "It's better to go to the mansion first."
He was about to go back to the house with his family when he saw a commotion in front of him. It turned out to be a group of people coming from the house. The leader of the envoy was a young man dressed as a servant. Chen Chong felt that he looked familiar. After looking at it for a long time, he suddenly said: "This is not Jian Shou." ?"
This person was Huangfu Song's only son Huangfu Jianshou. He first saluted Cai Yan, then smiled shyly to Chen Chong and said, "I came at the wrong time." After saying this, he took out the edict from his entourage, changed his expression, and looked at Chen Chong solemnly. Said: "But I still want to congratulate Longshou. This time the imperial court has entrusted Longshou with the important responsibility of state pastor. Longshou must not let the world down."
