In the spring of the sixth year of Yanyao (231), Lanyuan's troops escorted him to clear the way, and Liu Bei set out from Chang'an on a luan, passing through Tongguan and Luoyang all the way to Mount Tai for the Zen ceremony.
Whenever he went to a battle site, Liu Bei would stop to pay homage to the fallen soldiers. When the people nearby heard that the emperor was out on patrol, they all stood by the road with fruits and melons in eager anticipation, wanting to pay homage to the emperor who ended the troubled times.
At this time, the world was peaceful and without war, and there were green farmland along the way. High-yielding, disease-resistant and insect-resistant grain seeds cultivated by Lantian had been planted all over the northern land.
The Central Plains, which was most severely affected by the war, suffered from heavy military service and corvee labor in the late Cao Wei Dynasty, resulting in a population loss of less than 20% of its peak. Fortunately, after the war, a large number of young officials flooded into the local areas, and they brought with them an efficient governance style. As well as those miraculous grains, people's livelihoods recovered at an incredible speed. Like the millet seedlings growing in the fields, they thrived in the light of hope.
When the imperial driver passed through Hulao Pass, Liu Bei saw Lan Tian and Lan Yuan whispering, and asked curiously: "Ziyu, Boyang, what are you father and son secretly saying?"
"I told Boyang that this was the time when his great father looked down upon all the heroes, and it was also the beginning of the three brothers of Your Majesty becoming famous." Lantian answered with clasped fists.
Liu Bei nodded, glanced at the pass behind him, and sighed: "When the eighteen princes attacked Dong, my three brothers followed Gongsun Zan. It feels like a lifetime ago when I think about it. The fresh faces in front of the pass at that time seem to be reappearing in front of my eyes. now"
Seeing that Liu Bei was a little sad, Lan Tian looked at Zhuge Liang who was accompanying him and joked, "It's a pity that we were still young at that time, otherwise we would have gone to the plains to follow you early."
"Ziyu is right," Zhuge Liang agreed with his hand in hand and his fan.
"I had to have help from you at that time. Why is the world now peaceful? But all this is fate. I am very happy and contented." Liu Bei looked at everyone and shook his head gently, then asked in a low voice: "Yun Chang, Yi Can De catch up?"
"The two generals are very fast. They should be waiting for us at Mount Tai." Fazheng responded with a smile.
After Hebei was pacified, Grand Sima and General Guan Yu led Jizhou Mu. In addition to frightening the old ministers of the Wei State and the Cao clan in Hebei, his most important task was to integrate the soldiers and horses of Bingzhou (Zhang Fei, Ma Chao) and Youzhou (Wei Yan). Prepare to go outside the Great Wall to conquer the Xiongnu and Xianbei who are fishing in troubled waters.
"Your Majesty, when we arrive at Mount Tai, will you take Yunchang and Yide back to Chang'an? The two generals are old after all. Leave the Xiongnu and Xianbei to the young people," Lan Tian reminded in a low voice.
Liu Bei nodded lightly, "With Meng Qi (Ma Chao) in charge of Bingzhou, Yide can indeed return to Beijing with me, but Jizhou has been initially decided and the situation is complicated. I am afraid that Yunchang will still need to guard it for some time. I have asked him not to lead the troops personally. Can."
"Yeah, that's fine." Lan Tian nodded lightly.
In early June, Liu Bei led his ministers to Fenggao. In addition to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei who came from Hebei to join them, there were also important officials such as Zhao Yun, the governor of Qingzhou, Gan Ning, the governor of Yuzhou, Lu Xun, the governor of Xuzhou, and Zhuge Jin, the governor of Yangzhou.
Liu Bei referred to Emperor Guangwu's process for conferring Zen, and asked Zhao Yun to repair the mountain road in advance, build a nine-foot sealing altar, and bury the jade ultimatum under the altar. Afterwards, everyone fasted for seven days, and on June 18th, they burned firewood to offer sacrifices to heaven in the southeast of Mount Tai. .
After the ennobling ceremony at the bottom of the mountain, Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Lan Tian, and Zhuge Liang took a chariot to climb the mountain. After going up the mountain, they took a short rest and finally changed their clothes for the enclosing ceremony.
After the ceremony, Liu Bei followed Lan Tian's suggestion and said to Guan and Zhang: "Second brother and third brother, you have followed me in the Yellow Turbans. It has been forty years this year. It's time to let go of the young people. Why don't you come back with me?" Chang'an to take care of your life?"
"I can see your majesty every day, and I can often have a drink with Ziyu. It's very good." Zhang Fei said with a smile. Seeing Guan Yu's serious expression, he asked doubtfully: "Second brother, why don't you speak?"
"The world has been settled. Your Majesty does not want to cause more killings. The situation in Hebei is not yet stable. If I return to Chang'an now, who will be my successor?" Guan Yu frowned.
Liu Bei nodded lightly, "None of the ministers are as prestigious as you, and my second brother has to work hard to guard Jizhou for a while. I and Yide will go back to Chang'an first to wait. If the northern barbarians go south again, Yunchang will send Tanzhi and Zhongling to fight. Yes, remember to take care of yourself.
"I accept your order." Guan Yu responded with clasped fists.
"Second brother, take care and come to Chang'an to meet you soon." Zhang Fei smiled.
"Remember to take care of Your Majesty."
Guan Yu said goodbye to everyone and rushed to the Yellow River ferry with his guards. Liu Bei led his officials back to Chang'an in great force, while Zhao Yun, Gan Ning and others returned to their respective states.
In late autumn, Wei Yan, the governor of Youzhou, sent people to Yecheng to tell Gongsun Yuan that he was unwilling to go to Beijing to meet the emperor, and he also killed the messenger sent by Guan Yu on behalf of the imperial court.
Guan Yu was furious and ordered his army to assemble in Beiping, preparing for an expedition to Liaodong next spring to capture the last piece of Han territory for Liu Bei.
In March of the sixth year of Yanyao's reign, the peach trees in the southern suburbs of Chang'an were covered with flowers. Liu Bei and Zhang Fei invited each other to go out for a spring outing.
The two of them sat under a tree and drank while admiring the flowers. Liu Bei looked up at the scorching peach blossoms and said meaningfully to Zhang Fei: "Third brother, do you still remember that peach orchard? Yunchang and I drank a lot of wine from your farm that day." "
"Hahaha, what did your majesty say? A little drink is nothing. I drank it back at your majesty's place." Zhang Fei laughed.
"Although the food in the cup is good, third brother, you still have to take it in moderation." Liu Bei told him with a kind face.
Zhang Fei took out the hangover pills again and said with a witty look on his face: "I have a good thing like Zhang Zhongjing. Your Majesty, you don't have to worry about me getting drunk. Besides, there is no military affairs now. I won't cause trouble after drinking around you."
"You should also drink less." Liu Bei shook his head and smiled bitterly.
"Hey, I'll try my best. It would be great if my second brother was here." Zhang Fei suddenly stood up mid-sentence because he heard the rapid sound of horse hooves.
After a while, they saw a young general being brought into the Taolin by Chen Dao. When they got closer, they realized it was Guan Xing.
"Anguo? When did you arrive in Chang'an?" Liu Bei saw that Guan Xing looked very poor, and suddenly had a bad feeling. Could it be that something happened to Yun Chang?
Guan Xing cupped his fists and bowed down, crying: "My father went on an expedition to Liaodong at the beginning of the year, but he encountered a cold and fell ill on the way."
"Yunchang personally led the troops? Didn't he send Tanzhi and Zhongling?" Liu Bei was surprised and quickly helped Guan Xing up with his hands.
Liu Bei saw that Guan Xing lowered his head and did not answer, so he continued to ask: "How is your second brother doing now?"
"The body is getting cold and hot, and the decoction can no longer be taken. Before my nephew set out from Youbeiping, my father had been in a coma for several days, but he vaguely said that he wanted to return to Beijing to reunite with His Majesty. Zhong Ling and General Zhou were working day and night to escort my father. Rushing to Chang'an, we should cross the Yellow River now." Guan Xing said with tears in his eyes.
"Brother, I'm going to pick up my second brother." Zhang Fei stood up quickly.
Liu Bei grabbed Zhang Fei and said, "Third brother, wait a moment, I will go with you."
"Uncle arrives, immediately summon all the imperial doctors of Weiyang Palace, and also go to Da Sinong Mansion to inform General Lan, asking them to meet at the east gate of Chang'an immediately, and follow me to Luoyang to welcome the second brother back to the capital." Liu Bei ordered in a deep voice.
"Wei." Chen Dao clasped his fists and left.
This is a chapter to make up for the morning gap, and is expected to be finished tomorrow.
(End of chapter)
