The north wind brings coldness, and the land of Youyan has been covered with a thin layer of frost and snow. The vegetation has withered and everything is lonely. On the official road from Tanzhou to Youzhou, a team slowly drove up, guarded by armored soldiers, and the flags were fluttering. The road was very deserted. Except for this lonely motorcade, there were very few people traveling in front and behind.
As the Northern Expedition armies gradually retreated, the Han Dynasty also began to break away from the track of the war and return to normal. Especially in the Central Plains and northern states, they began to adjust their policy of resting with the people long before winter.
As for Yanshan, as Daozhou that was deeply involved in the Northern Expedition, it was the main logistics base of the army. Because it was close to Emperor Liu, the coordinating center, the policy was adjusted very early, but the progress was obviously not fast enough. There were too many aftermath matters that required cooperation here, regardless of Whether it is the guarding border troops or the civilian men who are recruited, they will all lag behind in resettlement.
However, the war is over after all. This clear news is enough to comfort people. They no longer have to bear the dangerous military service and endless hard labor. Those who survived the war can even enjoy the subsequent pensions from the court. .
Although it is still far away to return to the life before the war, there is always hope. For Yanshan Road, nearly 100,000 strong laborers escaped from the quagmire of the war, returned to their hometown, reunited with their families, and also gave this cold The winter brings a lot of warmth.
The war triggered a period of abnormal prosperity, but in the end it failed to succeed, and after the carnival, it fell into silence. Compared with previous winters, the people of Youyan this year are obviously a little deserted, and there are depression scenes everywhere. This is also the most direct impact of the war.
The convoy moved forward at a steady speed. The wide wheels ran over the frost on the stone road, leaving behind a series of messy ruts. They made a clear sound and silently drove south.
There were two people sitting in the most heavily guarded chariot. One of them was the eldest prince and Duke of Qin, Liu Xu, and the other was King Xi Cunning.
Liu Xu did not appear to be in front of others. He maintained the majesty and demeanor of a prince and wrapped himself in a thick cotton suit. However, it was still insufficient and he shivered.
Liu Xu was born in Kaifeng and grew up in Kaifeng. He was familiar with the water, soil and climate of the Central Plains. Therefore, the cold winter in Saibei was equally difficult for him.
"Your Highness, drink some wine to warm yourself up, you will feel better!" Seeing Liu Xu's red face, Xi Wang Thou Ning personally poured him a bowl of strong wine.
"I've always been a heavy drinker and rarely drink. I never thought that after a trip to Dading City, I would be inseparable from this product!" Liu Xu took it, stared at the slightly yellow wine in the bowl, and said with a wry smile. .
"The remote cold outside the mountains has made His Royal Highness's precious body suffer!" Xi Wang Cunning said with emotion: "His Highness did not avoid the wind and cold, but came to the north in person to appease our clan. This shows your sincerity. I am very grateful!"
"Your Majesty, you don't have to be like this. I am only following the emperor's order to appease the Xi tribe, which is also the intention of the imperial court. The Xi people have a deep connection with China. If it weren't for the Khitan's ruthlessness outside the Great Wall and enslaving other tribes, the Han Xi people would have lived in harmony and had friendly exchanges.
Now, the king has led the people to revolt and returned. It is a benevolent and righteous act to bring order to the chaos, and the merits are immeasurable. Your Majesty's previous edict has made it clear that the previous conflicts between the Han and Xi tribes will be eliminated. The hundreds of thousands of Xi people will from now on be the common people of the Han Dynasty and the subjects of the emperor. They will be treated equally and will never be bullied..." Drink. After ordering wine, Liu Xu's face turned redder and redder, he looked at King Xi and said.
In similar words, since the surrender of the Xi people and the Han army stationed in the royal city of Xi people, Liu Xu has been constantly talking to King Xi to appease him. What was mentioned was nothing more than the origin of the Xi people and the Central Plains, the relationship between the two parties, and the emperor's attitude towards them.
Although it is difficult to guarantee what you say verbally, as long as you are willing to believe it, you can still feel at ease. However, although Xi Wang Cunning was old, he was not confused, and he did not listen to everything Liu Xu said. However, at this point, he, Xi Wang, including the hundreds of thousands of Xi people who had surrendered to the Han tribe, did not have many Room for choice.
We can only hope that the Emperor of Han Dynasty and the imperial court will treat them kindly as they promised before surrendering. Of course, for King Xi Cunning, what is more important is that King Xi's status and authority can be guaranteed.
This time, Chou Ning came south to Youzhou with Liu Xu to meet the emperor. In his heart, Chou Ning was not very happy to come, but he did not dare not to come. The situation was stronger than others.
"The reputation of the Emperor spreads all over the world. Although I am old and dim, I often hear that now, I have the opportunity to meet the Emperor of Han Dynasty. I feel so honored!" Cho Ning said with emotion, his withered old face was full of emotion, as if he was really interested in Liu. How much respect does the emperor have?
"Your Majesty, there is no need to worry. The Emperor has always been magnanimous, treats others with sincerity, and is hospitable. This visit to you will surely make Your Majesty feel at home, so you can rest assured!" Liu Xu could also sense the uneasiness lingering in Chou Ning's heart. chuckled.
Seeing the gentleness on Liu Xu's face, and the smile that soothed his heart like the spring breeze, Chou Ning subconsciously felt reassured, and still said a little insincerely: "I am looking forward to meeting the Holy Spirit more and more, and seeing the face of the sky!"
After saying that, Zou Ning slowly came to his senses, and something suddenly dawned on him. He felt that this eldest prince was powerful. Despite his gentle and jade-like demeanor, and being humble to others, when talking to him, there was always a pressure in his heart. Hard to release.
"The king likes wine. The emperor is here. There should be a lot of royal wine. They are all fine wines purchased by the palace. Then the king can have a good drink!" This time it was Liu Xu who poured the wine for Chou Ning, and his tone was still gentle. .
"Is it better than this wine?" Hearing this, Chou Ning became interested. A bright light flashed in his somewhat cloudy old eyes, and he pointed at the wine in the bowl and asked.
Liu Xu smiled softly: "The Han Dynasty has a vast territory and rich resources. There are also many kinds of wine, each with its own characteristics and charm. This wine is just for the military supplies of the soldiers in the Northern Expedition. The strong wine is spicy and warms the body, but it is difficult to warm the body. It’s a good wine!”
After hearing what Liu Xu said, Tsai Ning immediately said: "If I have the chance, I will be in for a treat!"
"Don't worry, Your Majesty! There will definitely be a chance!" Liu Xu smiled.
The quiet journey seemed a bit boring, but during the drive, Liu Xu and Chou Ning, a young man and an old man, talked very harmoniously. Of course, the rhythm of the conversation is always in Liu Xu's hands.
Although Cho Ning is King Xi, this kind of little barbarian king really has no reputation. In fact, he, King Xi, has not yet been officially canonized by Emperor Liu. Even if he is canonized, he will still be a lord in the Han Dynasty's noble system. Alien. Just like Fu Yantong, the king of the Yao tribe, in the eyes of many ministers, he was not as worthy of attention as the Hongjiang Marquis of Qin Zaixiong, the leader of the Yao tribe.
The convoy moved slowly, and when it approached Youzhou City, the roads finally became more lively, and more densely populated people were seen. So far, Youzhou City is still lively. There is still a large amount of materials transported from the southern states, but this time it is mainly private forces. At the same time, a large number of merchants are coming, and a large number of transactions occur every day.
"Has your Majesty ever been to Youzhou?" Liu Xu asked softly when he saw that Chou Ning couldn't help but look out of the car and look at the scene outside.
Upon hearing the question, Cho Ning withdrew his gaze, turned to Liu Xu's young face, nodded and said, "I've been here before! But that happened a long time ago!"
"The last time was twenty-five years ago!" Tsai Ning's tone was full of emotion, and there was a look of reminiscence in his old eyes as he said: "Back then, the Jin Dynasty was still there, and I followed Emperor Taizong of the Khitan to the south. During the war, he once stopped in Youzhou!"
Hearing what Cho Ning said, Liu Xu obviously became interested. He sat up straight and said, "Your Majesty, you have indeed experienced the world. Twenty-five years ago was indeed a long time ago. At that time, I, Emperor Taizu, was still dormant in the east of the river, and the Han Dynasty had not yet Establishment, as for me, I am not even born yet..."
Caining said: "What your Highness said is true. At that time, the Liao army went south and captured the Central Plains. However, the next year, it was expelled by the Central Plains rebels and returned north in embarrassment. Later, when passing through Luan City, the Liao Emperor died of illness. For the Emperor of Han Dynasty, he led his army to pursue and was defeated..."
"Your Majesty also participated in the Battle of Luancheng!" Liu Xu was really surprised and asked.
Cho Ning nodded, and the emotion in his tone became stronger: "Yes, I was in the Liao army at that time. Like all the Liao army, I experienced a disastrous defeat that I had never encountered since going south. In the chaos, I fled north in a hurry, very embarrassed.
At that time, like many others, I thought that the Han army took advantage of my unpreparedness and the death of the Liao Emperor. Now that I think about it, with the emperor commanding the army on that day, destiny dictated that even though the Liao army was more powerful, it would not be able to escape defeat. Even the Emperor of Liao died violently, perhaps because of his lack of kindness and his presumption of becoming emperor, and he was punished by God! "
Cho Ning's words made Liu Xu find it interesting and pleasant to listen to. Therefore, seeing that Old King Xi seemed a little obsessed with reminiscing about the past, Liu Xu whispered a reminder: "Your Majesty, when you go to Youzhou, don't talk to others. Mention the details of the Battle of Luancheng!"
"Why is this?" Chou Ning came back to his senses and was a little confused.
Liu Xu didn't know how to explain this for a while, so he thought for a while, met his eyes, and said: "As for the battle of Luancheng, the Han Dynasty court has already made a conclusion, and it has been recorded in the history books and spread among the people. , Therefore, there are some situations that are inconsistent with the mighty virtue of the Emperor and should not be mentioned!"
After all, the Battle of Luancheng was an inevitable scene that deified Emperor Liu. There used to be various versions, but now everyone from the court to the government and the people only agree with one version, and this version is obviously different from Chou Ning. There is a conflict with what was said...
