Chapter 660: Within the Four Realms, Within the Six Directions!
Looking at the army's heavy casualties, Cao Cao was almost in tears.
If the Xiliang army had not been busy escaping, they would have really been defeated this time.
After much difficulty in accumulating some wealth in Yanzhou, he ended up losing it on the road to victory.
Xiahou Dun, who was covered in dirt, rode over and asked Cao Cao, who was also in a state of disgrace, "Brother, do you want to return to Yanzhou?"
After Cao Cao's pursuit failed, his overheated brain became extremely clear. He quickly sorted out the situation in his mind and then turned his attention to Luoyang.
He held Xiahou Dun's arm and said in a deep voice: "Yuan Rang, although the Xiliang generals have won, they will certainly not dare to stay in Shandong. I'm afraid they will occupy the area west of Hangu Pass.
Yuan Shao returned to Jizhou to fight Gongsun Zan, and it was impossible for him to get away in a short time.
The imperial guards generals such as Bu Cai have no ambition and they wander around Henan doing nothing. Isn't this the Luoyang, Henan, given to Cao Cao by God?
If you don't take what heaven gives you, you will suffer the consequences!
Isn’t this the truth taught by the ancient sages?
Although there are some injuries now, I want you to lead 5,000 infantry and cavalry to occupy Luoyang and then control Henan. Are you willing to take on this important task?"
This is indeed a heavy responsibility!
Luoyang is located at the place of eight passes, including Hangu Pass leading to Guandong and the large river ferry leading to Henei, which means that Luoyang has to bear pressure from all sides.
Although Chenliu County in Yanzhou was in Cao Cao's hands, he still had to face pressure from Guanzhong, Hedong, Henei, Nanyang and Yingchuan at the same time.
Cao Cao did not dare to entrust such an important task to anyone except his clan brothers such as Xiahou and Cao.
Xiahou Dun held Cao Cao's hand and said, "Brother, how dare I disobey your trust?
However, Dun had something to say.
Luoyang is prosperous, the best in the world, and it is also the imperial capital for a hundred years. The imperial aura is vast and it is the target of public criticism. If you occupy Luoyang, don’t you worry that the princes of the world will attack you?"
When Cao Cao heard Xiahou Dun's words, he was completely relieved and said with emotion: "Yuan Rang, I am very pleased that you have such insight.
Just as you said, all the counties are not in our hands, so Luoyang cannot be defended for long, otherwise it will be a waste of time, surrounded by enemies, and ultimately defeated.
So I asked you to guard Luoyang, not to manage this place, but to let you relocate here!
To the east of Luoyang are the Chenggao Xuanmen, the Yi-Luo exchange, and the Xingyang Hulao passes, where Zhang Jue stationed people and established his own kingdom.
I want you to move the people to the east of Xingyang to Xingyang, and even to the west of Xingyang, that is, to Yanzhou, to enrich the foundation.
Leaving Henan vacant can also serve as a lure. If anyone wants to occupy Luoyang in the future, our army can march west to plunder their gold and silver and relocate their people. Isn't that wonderful?"
Cao Cao's words made the eyes of the people around him light up. The previous failure had long been forgotten. Wasn't it normal to relocate the people in order to deal with the offensive of the Western Liang Army?
Luoyang is a treasure house. Even though the Taiping Army and Dong Zhuo's army took so long to plunder it, they are still a long way from completely reaping all the benefits.
Not to mention the entire population of Henan County, it is unknown how much tax those wealthy households alone can bring. If Henan County can really be moved to Yanzhou, the number of households in Yanzhou may even reach the level of Yizhou, becoming second only to Jingzhou and Jizhou.
Xiahou Dun agreed immediately, and Cao Cao then appointed Xiahou Dun as the prefect of Henan County. He himself nominated himself as the governor of Yanzhou and returned to Yanzhou.
…
Two flowers bloom, each with its own beauty. It is said that when Li Jue and Guo Si saw that Xu Rong had indeed won, they laughed out loud, and the pressure in their hearts immediately dissipated. The young emperor Liu Xie and the ministers and officials sighed in their hearts, knowing that they would still have to survive in the hands of Li Jue and Guo Si.
Because of Dong Zhuo's incident, Li Jue and Guo Si had completely lost trust in these nobles and aristocratic families. They treated them like cattle and horses and bullied them at will, but at least they still knew that Emperor Liu Xie was still very useful.
The two men immediately conferred the title of county marquis on themselves in the name of the emperor, and appointed themselves generals with important titles. Then they led the ministers and officials westward, preparing to go to Chang'an to re-establish the court.
Some people saw this scene and secretly said to the two men: "Although the emperor is cowardly, he is the legitimate ruler of the world after all. Those ministers who are loyal to the Han Dynasty still recognize the emperor.
The two generals were marquis generals appointed by the emperor himself. Isn't it ridiculous that the princes from Guandong appointed themselves as provincial governors, prefects, governors and generals without the emperor's orders?
If the two generals treat the emperor respectfully and use the emperor's name to issue orders to the world, then those who disobey will be traitors, and the two generals will be loyal ministers of the Han Dynasty. "
When the two heard this, they thought it made a lot of sense. Yes, we have the emperor in our hands, and we are marquises and generals who were conferred titles through formal procedures. We are the official army!
Those princes in Guandong all proclaimed their positions themselves. They declared themselves independent before the Han Dynasty was destroyed. If this is not rebellion, what is it?
Because he was useful to Li Jue and Guo Si, Liu Xie's living standard improved slightly.
Zhang Ji was unwilling to get involved with Li Jue and Guo Si, so he fled to Hongnong County and did not move forward. So many Western Liang troops suddenly poured into Guanzhong, and the Guanzhong gentry were of course a little nervous, fearing that these Western Liang troops would plunder and kill in Guanzhong.
Why did the nobles seek a wise leader?
Because the gentry generally need to survive, and a wise leader has brains and understands what cooperation means. Only with a wise leader can the gentry survive and fight for power and profit.
What the nobles fear most are those warlords who are completely brainless and only care about getting by. You never know when they might be killed, and these warlords are completely intent on dying together with them.
The problem is that the warlord wants to die at will, but the nobles are unwilling to die with him!
Li Jue and Guo Si were like this in the eyes of the Guanzhong gentry. Killing the Guanzhong gentry would not benefit Li Jue and Guo Si, but Li Jue and Guo Si were very likely to do such a thing.
The news that Luo Kong requested the divine punishment had not yet reached Guanzhong, so the Guanzhong gentry were not aware of it.
Li Jue and Guo Si witnessed Dong Zhuo's death as a punishment from heaven on the battlefield, and were already frightened out of their wits. Before, they only dared to rob but not kill in Luoyang, and naturally they did not dare to do so after entering Guanzhong.
Seeing that these Xiliang troops only wanted money and goods, the Guanzhong gentry breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that these Xiliang generals could still communicate.
The Chang'an court, which was completely under the will of the Western Liang Army, was established. Li Jue and Guo Si immediately appointed officials in an attempt to ease the relationship between themselves and the princes of the world, and to test whether the emperor was effective.
…
Liangzhou.
Since Dong Zhuo led his army away from here, Liangzhou has seemed a little desolate. Dong Zhuo was once the largest warlord in Liangzhou, but not the only warlord.
After Dong Zhuo went to the Central Plains, he actually gave up Liang Province temporarily to a certain extent. With the news of Dong Zhuo's defeat, especially after Li Jue and Guo Si established the Chang'an court, the Liang Province warlords immediately became disloyal.
Li Jue and Guo Si stayed in Sanfu, which was a remote place. Although it was far not as central as Luoyang, it was still much more prosperous than Liangzhou. So they were unwilling to return to Liangzhou, so they conferred titles of marquis and general on the Liangzhou warlords, who were Ma Teng and Han Sui.
When Ma Teng and Han Sui saw that the imperial court was willing to recognize their separatist status, and that it was a title bestowed by the legitimate emperor of the Han Dynasty, they gladly accepted the order and established their own separatist regime in Liang Province.
When Dong Zhuo went to the Central Plains, he took with him many young and strong men from Liang Province, and he continued to recruit more, which directly benefited Ma Teng and Han Sui. The two of them then went to the Qiang tribe.
In the eyes of the Han people, the Qiang people and the Hu people are different. Just as most people call the Luo family of Zhaocheng the Zhou clan, the status of the Qiang people is still quite special. Although they are not Han people, they are not barbarians. Their status is higher than that of the people in the Western Regions and they are objects that can be united.
Ma Teng had Qiang ancestry and was not discriminated against because of this. So after learning that Dong Zhuo had died in Luoyang, the two of them not only took over Dong Zhuo's soldiers, but also his Qiang allies.
It can be said that Dong Zhuo fell and Ma Han was full!
…
Going west from Liangzhou, since Luo Kong led his army into the Central Plains and encountered unfavorable circumstances, the Western Regions have undergone earth-shaking changes.
Nearly half of the elite troops in the entire Western Regions were mobilized by Luo Kong. The chaos in the Western Regions did not start with the Hu people, but with the Wusun Kingdom and the Eastern Kingdom of Dayuan.
As soon as Luo Kong left the Western Regions and entered Liangzhou, the nobles of Wusun and Dayuan directly abolished the original Liu princes and established a new country.
These two countries were basically composed of pure Han people in the beginning. Of course, after more than two hundred years of development, they are no longer pure Han people. Even if they are Han people, they have many differences from the Han people in the Central Plains. After all, even the Wushuang Marquisate has inevitably undergone many changes.
Dayuan was renamed Xixia, which means the Xia people in the westernmost part of the world, and Wusun was renamed Zhongxia, which means the Xia people in the center of the world. The names show that there was a discord between the two sides.
After the establishment of the Western Xia Kingdom, it began a plan to unify the former Dayuan Kingdom and tore up all agreements signed between the former Dayuan East Kingdom, the Western Regions Protectorate and the Dayuan Kingdom. The goal of the Western Xia ruler was to unify the entire basin within three years. However, three years have passed and this goal has not been achieved, and the country is still in chaos.
Compared to the Western Xia Kingdom, the Zhongxia Kingdom's journey was very smooth. The King of Zhongxia was a great man, and not just an ordinary great man. When Luo Kong suppressed the Western Regions, he completely overwhelmed him.
Now that Luo Kong is gone, the King of Zhongxia has suddenly risen.
Starting from the Yishui River Valley, relying on the advantages of population, technology, horses, and fertile land, they marched eastward. Those small Western Regions countries surrendered directly, and the King of Zhongxia enfeoffed the former vassal kings as marquises in accordance with tradition.
Those big countries were still kings, but they needed to pay tribute to the King of Zhongxia. In just a few years, Zhongxia roughly ruled the entire northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, an area of about 3,000 miles from east to west, with a total population of 1.5 million from all ethnic groups. If all the people were mobilized as soldiers, there would be 100,000 soldiers at their disposal!
For a country of this level, there is no problem at all in guarding the Western Regions. The Hu people roaming in the grasslands and deserts fought several battles with the Zhongxia Kingdom, but gained nothing.
Of course, at this point, the Han court's rule over the entire Western Regions had completely collapsed, especially the Western Regions Protectorate, which had become a mere name.
In the entire northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, the only country that still exists independently is the Wushuang Marquisate.
King Zhongxia was a devout Buddhist who had infinite worship for Suwang Shanghuangtian Shizun. The first thing he did after ascending the throne was to go to the Suwang Temple in Wushuanghou State to worship.
The politics in the Western Regions are completely different from those in the Central Plains. People here basically have no regional discrimination, which is completely different from the local mutual assistance in the Central Plains.
The Western Regions played with the ideas of various religious factions, and all the nobles also had religious identities. For example, the left prime minister of the Zhongxia Kingdom was a Taoist great immortal.
After unifying the entire northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, the King of Zhongxia began to confer the titles of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Vajra and other titles on the Wushuang Marquis of each generation.
Eventually this move caused dissatisfaction among the Taoists in the country. Although the King of Zhongxia was a devout Buddhist, he was not stupid, so he gave the Taoist immortal status to the successive generations of Wushuang Hou. He himself began to practice Buddhism and Taoism in front of outsiders, and appointed a Taoist master as the left prime minister.
The growing power of Zhongxia State frightened Ma Teng and Han Sui, especially after the King of Zhongxia moved the capital from the original Yishui River Valley to the Dunhuang area near Liangzhou.
What does this mean?
Everyone knows what the King of Zhongxia is thinking!
Isn't this just preparing to break through and enter the Central Plains?
But in fact, Ma Teng and Han Sui were just worrying too much. Although their military abilities were good, their political abilities were too low and they could not see the current situation at all.
The King of Zhongxia did have such an idea. After all, as one of the rulers of the various Xia countries, who didn't want to enter the Central Plains and compete for the throne?
Didn’t the Yan State in Liaodong think the same way?
But the King of Zhongxia knew that he had no ability to do so. Zhongxia's rise was too fast, and the internal problems were in a mess. The distribution of various interests and the contradictions between the parties were unimaginable. If one was not careful, it would explode.
If we enter the Central Plains now and keep winning, it would be fine. After all, victory in war can cover up most of the problems. But with just one defeat, this seemingly huge and strong country will collapse in an instant.
Not only the entire northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, the King of Zhongxia even suspected that he would not be able to return to the Yishui River Valley and would die along the way.
Therefore, before completing the internal integration, the King of Zhongxia would never attack Liang Province, and the defenses of Ma Teng and Han Sui would be useless.
As for the Wushuang Marquisate, it is currently controlled by Luo Kong's mother.
The temple army has completely transformed into a guard army. As the ruler of the entire northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, the King of Zhongxia has raised the level of the Suwang Temple to the highest level.
The King of Zhongxia called on temples and Taoist temples throughout the Western Regions to pay tribute to the temple on time every year to maintain the operation of the Suwang Temple and the temple army.
This practice, to some extent, makes the high priest of the temple the supreme leader of the temples and Taoist temples in the Western Regions. It is a very magical design.
Wushuang Marquisate did not comment on this, which was a good thing as it could help relieve the pressure on Wushuang Marquisate.
Everyone thought that the Temple Army was independent, but was just close to the Wushuang Marquisate for some reason.
In fact, this legion has always been in the hands of Wushuang Hou, and this will not change no matter what happens.
————
The people of the Western Regions have always worshipped the gods and goddesses. Within a 3,000-li area and a 5,000-li radius, there are thousands of Buddhist temples and Taoist temples. Incense is burned everywhere, and no distinction is made between people from Han territory or between men and women. People of both religions worship and pray together. When people from the Central Plains enter the temple, they feel as if they are in a divine kingdom. They are very surprised and feel like they are in a foreign land. From Dunhuang, 3,000 miles away, they reach the Zhongxia Wushuang Suwang Temple, which is the crown of Buddhism and Taoism. They worship Suwang Shanghuang Tianshizun and Suwang Shanghuang Datianzun. Only then do they realize that the Western Regions are of one mind with the Central Plains. ——"Book of the Later Han Dynasty·Biography of the Western Regions"
(End of this chapter)
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