Chapter 170 Only Slightly Malicious 82

The atmosphere among the emperor and his ministers in the far north was not as strange as it was in the court, because the war was going well.

The Xiongnu were already puzzled by Meng Tian's return to the battlefield.

A year later, a new group of people came to fight them. Their forces not only did not decline, but actually increased.

Even though they once had the upper hand and besieged the enemy in the city, they couldn't wait until the enemy ran out of ammunition and food.

Maodun Chanyu initially thought that people in the city lived by eating people, until Liu Bang led many of his ministers to barbecue and drink wine on the city wall.

The Huns standing beneath the city walls, feeling the cold wind: ...?

With nearby grain routes blocked, where would they get food?

The Huns, still enjoying the cold wind: ?!

This is absolutely intolerable!

Unable to tolerate this any longer, the Xiongnu, having acquired gunpowder and other equipment in the city, squandered their advantage in one fell swoop.

The situation has reversed dramatically.

Why did the Xiongnu move south? It's simple: they had no food. But could they fight a protracted war without food?

The answer is no.

The Xiongnu, who had been raiding southwards during the winter, were forced to retreat and decided to hide away and rely on plundering other small countries to get through the winter.

Even their own people, the weakest tribes, are prey for others.

When spring arrives, Liu Bang will launch an attack.

The army he brought at the beginning was only a part of the army; the later army was mostly recruited temporarily. But with a generous reward, there would surely be brave men. He promised them fertile land, mansions, power, and status.

Furthermore, the Xiongnu were weakened by the devastation of the entire winter.

Most importantly, Liu Bang had a cheat code that allowed him to access the entire map.

Within the Han Dynasty's sphere of influence, he was able to predict enemy movements with uncanny accuracy; beyond the borders, he could also bully the Xiongnu, whose spirits had not yet been restored, and do whatever he pleased.

Liu Bang: Sorry, once it's on, it's never been off.

Han Xin, who went on the expedition with his emperor, also witnessed his emperor's way of fighting, and gained new insights into his own military strategy.

Han Xin understood.

Human strength has its limits.

But Guo Ling did not.

Paying homage to the Han dynasty before going into battle has become an unspoken rule for many generals. With such logistical support, defeating the Xiongnu is just around the corner.

---

Good news kept coming from the front. Although Liu Bang had left Xianyang, he could still communicate through the national temple, so it was no different from him still being in Xianyang.

The biggest difference was probably that his replies to ministers became increasingly perfunctory, as brief as possible, and the handwriting was not very neat.

It's a bit messy, but it's still legible.

While the court is currently in charge of the affairs of state under the name of Crown Prince Liu Ying, the actual power holder is Empress Lü Zhi, who has cultivated many of her own people during this period.

She also replaced many female officials in Xianyang Palace to manage palace affairs. Others may have supported her because of her power, but most of the people she cultivated supported her out of gratitude.

The benefits of adopting war orphans were quickly apparent.

At this time, people tend to repay kindness, believing that a benefactor is a benefactor for life.

While Liu Bang was away, Lü Zhi also tried to teach him some "rules of the emperor," but not the version based on benevolence and morality.

She could tell that her son didn't approve of her; perhaps they were never meant to be.

She has basically given up on this son, and even found several 'great scholars' to be his teachers, as he requested.

Sometimes she doubted whether this was really Liu Bang's child. If she hadn't given birth to the child herself, she would have thought that someone had switched her child.

Princess Liu Ya, who is just over three years old (by Chinese reckoning), has already shown her precocious talent, which makes Lü Zhi very gratified. Just the fact that she can see Guo Ling is enough to show her extraordinary nature, and she can now practice her trumpet with peace of mind.

---

While Lü Zhi was diligently practicing her trumpet, Liu Bang was not idle either. He defeated the Xiongnu, though he suffered a minor injury.

At this time, Wei Sheng Jiujiu wrote a letter from afar, stating that the biggest problem for the Xiongnu was not how to conquer them, but how to govern them.

Were we not capable of defeating the Xiongnu in the past? Actually, no. But the benefits of expending great effort in war did not outweigh the costs, so it was not worthwhile. Therefore, no one wanted to go to the grasslands to compete with the Xiongnu.

However, the Xiongnu people would occasionally try to move south and compete with them.

Modu Chanyu killed his father to seize power, and the Xiongnu people all recognized him. At this point, it was reasonable in their logic for Liu Bang to kill him and rule the Xiongnu region.

Admiring strength is in the nature of people who grow up on the grasslands.

Those who surrendered became Liu Bang's subjects; he couldn't just let them starve to death on the grasslands.

Good news: We've defeated the Xiongnu.

Bad news: He'll be the one worrying about feeding this group of people from now on.

It is possible to allocate grain from Xianyang to provide some support, but... this is not a long-term solution, and the friction and hatred on the border are also difficult to resolve.

Liu Bang deeply agreed with the question raised by Wei Sheng Jiu Shi Jiu, but he scratched his head, unable to think of anything else that could be grown on the grasslands besides grass.

The emperors of agrarian civilization could not have imagined a way of life beyond their comprehension, but Weisheng Jiujiu proposed another possibility.

In his memorial, he wrote that it was not necessary to develop improved grain varieties for the grasslands. Grain distribution should be uniformly managed by Xianyang, while the grasslands could develop distinctive industries, such as animal hides, spices and fruits from the west, which could be transported to Xianyang through the imperial temple.

Wei Shengjiu wrote a detailed plan that was over ten pages long. After summarizing, he said that the imperial court could even make a profit from it.

The Xiongnu, who were used to asking the court for grain to make a living, were no longer able to break away from the Han Dynasty and walk independently, even though some grain could be grown on the grasslands.

Although this plan is somewhat ruthless, as long as the Xiongnu do not rebel, it will only benefit them and not harm them.

The Han people are their support, allowing them to graze their livestock and sing and dance with peace of mind. How could they possibly harm them?

Liu Bang was astonished by this plan; he had forgotten that he could ask the Han for help.

I feel like the best thing I've ever done in my life was helping the 'Han' dynasty succeed. Forget about the pre-Qin period, this was clearly born to be the 'Han'.

Daily gratitude to ancestors 1/1.√

Liu Bang issued an edict to Xianyang and received a reply from Wei Sheng Jiujiu, which contained more than 20 pages of notes, including potential problems caused by the selection of personnel.

However, Liu Bang believed that this institution must be established. After much thought, he temporarily appointed Xiao He, who had come with him, to handle the matter. He told Xiao He to just say what he needed: people or money.

He then spent several months in the city closest to the grasslands, where he skillfully handled matters such as pacifying the local people on the border.

Under his supervision, the two sides engaged in their first friendly exchange. During the exchange, the Xiongnu people repeatedly demonstrated their talent for singing and dancing, which pleased Liu Bang and his many generals. The host and guests enjoyed themselves immensely.

---

The next day, a national temple was also built on the grassland. However, compared with the temples in Xianyang and the original territory, the temples on the grassland were much simpler, and many of them were even portable.

When these Xiongnu people saw the imperial edict that appeared before the ancestral tablet and the grain that flashed in the temple, they immediately knelt down and had no further objection to joining the Great Han.

Having opinions is useless; we simply can't win.

By the time Liu Bang had toured the grasslands and looked out over the western territories belonging to the Han Dynasty before returning to Xianyang, Liu Ya was almost five years old.

When he returned to the capital in triumph, Empress Lü personally led many ministers to welcome him.

Princess Lu Yuan, with demure composure, bowed respectfully to her younger brother Liu Ying, saying, "Your subject greets Your Majesty."

Liu Bang first half-squatted down to receive Liu Ya, and then said to the two of them, "No need for formalities."

Back in Xianyang Palace, Lü Zhi asked casually, "No major events have occurred in the court in recent years. Since there are national temples in various places, and the previous rebellions were quelled quickly enough, no one dares to rebel. How is the situation in the north?"

Liu Bang's expression turned serious, then gradually relaxed: "It went very smoothly, and the Han Dynasty will have one more prefecture in the future."

Lü Zhi also revealed a sincere smile: "Colorful."

Liu Bang was in a good mood, holding the little princess tightly and teasing her with his beard.

Although Empress Lü and Liu Bang had not seen each other for a long time, there was no passion between them. Instead, they appreciated each other's political achievements and enjoyed a period of blissful intimacy, although this blissful intimacy was not the same as the traditional blissful intimacy.

---

When the little princess turned ten, the borders were stable, and the Han Dynasty's territory was firmly established and expanded outwards. Sometimes, it wasn't even the small border states that took the initiative to join the Han Dynasty.

They first established their own state temple for worship, calling themselves Han people, and then repeatedly tried to submit petitions to the Han emperor using fake state temples, hoping to join the Han Dynasty.

This matter moved the great Han emperor himself, who actually delivered the letter to Xianyang. Upon seeing this, Liu Bang agreed without hesitation.

He kept his promise to the Han Dynasty when he was young. Although he had lost his ambition in his old age, he would not refuse the land and people that were offered to him. However, he always wrote in his replies that he would accept the administration of the Han Dynasty officials, otherwise he would not acknowledge that they were Han people.

"Cough cough..."

Over the years, old injuries have recurred, old buddies have left or died, and some have gone to explore further afield.

He sighed as he looked at the little princess sitting by the bed, watching him with worry. He was already very old and probably didn't have much time left.

Fortunately, the foolish thoughts he had once entertained were all jolted awake by the 'Han's' words. He then thought of his wife, who was still in her prime, unlike his Liu Ying, who had many supporters of Empress Lü in the court...

"well……"

"What is Father thinking?" Liu Ya wanted to reach out and touch her father, but was afraid of accidentally hurting the patient.

"There's no need to treat me like a glass doll."

Perhaps people are particularly prone to sentimentality before they die. He began to worry that if he were gone, no one would be able to see the 'Han' anymore. What would happen in the future? Would the function of the State Temple disappear?

In a daze, he saw a figure walking in, and his youngest daughter bowed gracefully to the 'person': "Grandmother."

This was also what Liu Bang wanted, to secretly elevate his seniority. However, he quickly realized something was wrong; Ya'er hadn't touched him just now, but she could see it herself.

His eyes widened, his excitement evident in his expression.

'Han' was impolite, his tone cool: "Don't get too excited for a while, or you might just die here today."

Liu Bang chuckled awkwardly. After being criticized for so many years, he had automatically interpreted those words as expressions of concern.

"Bang was just happy for a moment and lost his composure."

Liu Ya carefully wiped away his tears and whispered, "Father, did Yan Yan do something wrong?"

When Liu Ya wanted to win over Liu Bang by being cute and charming, she would usually refer to herself by her childhood nickname.

Liu Bang stroked Liu Ya's head and said, "No, I'm just marveling at how blessed the Liu family is."

Liu Ya pretended to be clueless and gave Liu Bang a cute look.

He had repeatedly hinted at deposing the crown prince in court, but now that Liu Ying had a younger sister like Liu Ya, he suddenly felt that passing the throne to Liu Ying was an acceptable thing.

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Author's Note: I've revised the synopsis for my next novel. Here's the second version, please take a look! "Please, Gods, Come to Central China!" Please add it to your favorites, sob sob. I'll start writing it before the end-of-month event ends.

This is a continent on the verge of destruction. The existence of the corrupted species constantly threatens the people on this continent, and the people here can only fight against the corrupted species by borrowing the power of the gods. Therefore, there is a chaotic pantheon here.

The gods in this other world need various offerings and complicated rituals to please them, but her system is not only a human trafficker but also a useless thing that only shocks its host.

Yi Wanqing let out a sharp cry: Motherland, please, love your daughter one last time, Cai Cai, scoop up some water!

Originally, she was just seeking psychological comfort, hoping to receive a slightly kinder divine blessing during the initial ritual. Little did she expect that she would actually summon the Central Plains! She also received a bonus gacha pool featuring numerous historical heroes.

Don't be afraid of being transported to another world, for there are countries and worlds searching for women to rescue you!

After realizing that the most valuable thing in the other world is its population, Yi Wanqing racked her brains to write all sorts of small advertisements to deceive (crossed out) and attract residents.

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Want to experience emperor-like treatment? Want to become a little emperor in the apocalypse? Join the Lishan Community! The famous prime minister Li Si will become obsequious after his initial arrogance, the Ming Dynasty war god is available for you to tease, and terracotta warriors will patrol day and night to protect your property.

[Go to Lishan Residential Area now and register with Li Si to move into the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and enjoy a life of supreme privilege. What are you waiting for?]

[No need for 998, no need for 98! Just come and you can move into the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum with your bags!]

Ying Zheng: ?

Yi Wanqing: Playing Dead (jpg)

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Later, Yi Wanqing found that the advertisement was not effective because the people in the other world did not recognize these 'celebrities', so she changed the advertisement.

Of the 118 cities in the world, four are located in China: Chang'an in the west, Luoyang in the east, Harbin in the north, and Suzhou and Hangzhou in the south.

The Yellow River, battering away pollution, rushes to the sea, while the Yangtze River, defending the north, erects a liquid wall.

While other cities are declining, our Shenzhou is on the rise. We are now sincerely recruiting talents of all kinds, regardless of gender. P.S.: Armored helicopters are also welcome.

[In battle, the city's will will stand by you; in daily life, poetry and songs will accompany you along the way.]

Contact Hotline: Lü Zhi 1xxxxxxxxxx

[P.S.: Joining Shenzhou requires severing ties with evil gods, swearing an oath to be irreconcilable with cults, and staying away from cults is everyone's responsibility.]

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fast forward!

Fast forward to the establishment of the new Zhongxia on the Lans Continent!

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The following is a mine clearance procedure.

1. This is the second version of the copy.

2. The female lead has a romantic partner, but she is definitely not a historical figure, in accordance with the plot development.

3. Romance novels are prohibited from being BL (Boys' Love) novels.

4. In the early stages, the female protagonist possesses another person's body through soul transmigration, but the original owner is not dead; it's a case of one body with two souls. Later, the female protagonist develops her own alchemical body. The "human trafficker system" won't survive past chapter thirty, so don't worry!

5. A rehabilitation post; I wanted to write something lighthearted, but constantly updating is also a challenge (tears welling up).

6. There is no competition for love, but many supporting characters, regardless of gender, are mentally ill (the only difference is the severity of their illness). In a post-apocalyptic world with immense pressure, it's normal for them to be mentally unstable (?).