Chapter 68
From a distance, Liu Ju could already hear Liu Che's hearty laughter. He unconsciously quickened his pace a little. As soon as he entered, he excitedly asked, "Father, is this victory news?"
"Yes. Victory, great victory!"
Liu Che was beaming with joy, for the matter of Lady Wang and Lady Li finally lifted the dark clouds that had hung over his head for days, and he felt much better.
He even brought Liu Ju to him and, while showing him the military report, said, "Your cousin Qubing is truly a young talent. He led 10,000 cavalrymen, fought over a thousand miles in six days, and conquered the five Xiongnu kingdoms. He killed King Zhelan and King Luhou, captured King Hunxie's son and the Prime Minister, and seized the golden statue used by King Xiutu to offer sacrifices to the heavens."
The golden man used by King Xiutu to offer sacrifices to the sky?
Liu Ju blinked, thinking of what he had said casually before the army set out.
My cousin really did it! I knew he could do it. Although he always teased and challenged me, he never boasted about things like this. He had the ability!
The more Liu Che spoke, the happier he became: "Ju'er, this time your cousin has made a great contribution, and you have made a great contribution too!"
Liu Ju tilted his head: "Me?"
"Of course. Do you know who these ten thousand cavalrymen are? They're all equipped with horse harnesses and trained for over a year according to the training method you gave your personal guards, a plan personally modified and adjusted by your uncle and cousin.
"Zi'er, do you know what makes me most happy about this battle? It's not that our army crushed the Xiongnu and won a complete victory, but that our casualties were less than a hundred, while the Xiongnu outnumbered us dozens to one."
One to several dozen, this ratio is really exciting.
Liu Ju was ecstatic: "Are my uncle and cousin coming back soon?"
"They will rest for a while at the border. I have sent people to deliver food and supplies in preparation for a second attack."
After saying this, Liu Che narrowed his eyes, his smile growing wider. A hint of joking lingered in his words as he continued, "Your cousin promised you that he would capture the Xiutu tribe's golden offering figurine and King Hunxie's horse. Now that the golden figurine is in his possession, King Hunxie has escaped on horseback. How could your cousin break his promise?"
Liu Ju was stunned and frowned, saying, "I was just joking with him, don't take it seriously."
Liu Che patted his head. "Of course it's not just that. Aren't you curious why the wooden kite and hot air balloon you made weren't used? It's not like there's no chance at all."
Liu Ju blinked: "Uncle and cousin want to keep it as a trump card before doing something bigger?"
Liu Che smiled and said, "Hexi has not yet been fully recovered. We still have many means at our disposal. We must seize the opportunity to pursue the victory. How can we stop fighting?"
That's right.
Liu Ju nodded and waited quietly for another month before the second piece of good news arrived.
Huo Qubing and Gongsun Ao joined forces to fight against King Hunxie and King Xiutu again. They sent vanguard troops to launch surprise attacks using wooden kites and hot air balloons, causing chaos in the camps of the two tribes, and then launched a fierce attack by the main army.
The battle was remarkable. Not only did they annihilate over 30,000 enemies and capture a number of royal children and high-ranking officials, they also severely wounded King Xiutu and captured King Hunxie alive! The crown prince of King Xiutu and King Hunxie's former followers abandoned their weapons and begged for surrender.
Especially with such a record, our army suffered only a few hundred casualties.
Meanwhile, Li Guang and Zhang Qian teamed up to attack Zuo Xian Wang's forces, employing tactics similar to those employed by Huo Qubing and Gongsun Ao. Their advance troops, armed with wooden kites and hot air balloons, launched surprise attacks, while the main force coordinated a siege. They also achieved considerable success, annihilating over 10,000 enemies. Their casualties were less than one-tenth of their own.
The only drawback was that Zuo Xian Wang reacted extremely quickly. Seeing that the situation was not good, he did not want to fight and led the remaining troops to escape in time.
But overall, this attack can still be considered very successful. Liu Che was very satisfied with it. He smiled every day, felt refreshed, and walked with a breeze.
All the shadows brought by Lady Wang, Lady Li and the like were swept away.
There was constant cheering from the government and the public. Even the commentators were filled with exclamations.
— Holy crap, was the Battle of Hexi that intense? I don't remember it being this intense in history. Someone with some knowledge can explain it to me.
-- Historically, Gongsun Ao took the wrong path and was unable to reunite with Huo Qubing. Huo Qubing launched a solo attack, penetrating 2,000 miles deep into Xiongnu territory and achieving remarkable success, annihilating 30,000 enemies, capturing members of the royal family and high officials, and forcing Hunye King and Xiutu King to flee in panic.
—Hunxie King Xiutu, having suffered two defeats in two battles, was held accountable by the Xiongnu Chanyu and, in anger, led his troops to surrender. But upon seeing Huo Qubing coming to collect the surrender, Xiutu became frightened and fled again. Huo Qubing slaughtered most of them, leaving the remaining surrendered soldiers stunned. Hahahaha.
—I understand. Now we have a compass and Kongming lanterns for direction and signaling. Gongsun Ao didn't take the wrong path, and with the wooden kite and hot air balloon, these two surprise attacks disrupted the enemy camp. So, not only did Brother Huo achieve his original victory, but he also severely injured King Xiu Tu and captured King Hunxie alive. The leaders were all imprisoned, and the old troops, leaderless, surrendered.
——In history, regarding Li Guang and Zhang Qian, Zhang Qian failed to launch the attack at the agreed time, causing Li Guang to face the encirclement of Zuo Xian Wang's army alone. Li Guang's troops lost more than half of their strength before they received reinforcements from Zhang Qian, forcing Zuo Xian Wang to abandon the battle and flee north.
Why Zhang Qian failed to attack as planned is unknown. Perhaps he took the wrong route, or perhaps the timing of the attack was mismatched. After all, the two armies were separated at the time, and communication was impossible. Now, with the compass in front and the Kongming lanterns behind, both direction and simple communication are largely resolved. So, Zhang Qian appeared here as planned.
I understand. But these two are clearly no match for Huo Qubing. Their record can't compare to Huo Qubing's. Which is perfectly normal. After all, he's my Brother Huo. Can anyone compare to my Brother Huo? And again, Brother Huo is awesome. I'm rooting for him. Aaaaaaa.
Liu Ju outside the barrage couldn't help but howl, and he felt refreshed. He wished he could fly to the front line immediately to see the great victory.
Unfortunately, he couldn't go, so he could only stay by Liu Che's side to get news and understand the subsequent developments.
After this battle, the Han Dynasty completely occupied the Hexi Corridor, opening up a key route to the Western Regions and also cutting off the connection between the Xiongnu and Qiang peoples. However, the governance and operation of this territory still needed to be discussed.
After all that had happened in the past two years, Emperor Wu of Han no longer regarded Liu Ju as an ordinary child. Although he did not tell him all the important affairs of the court, he would often mention them to him.
Understanding his ideas and asking about his plans are also ways to test his attitude and ability towards state affairs.
Therefore, when the ministers were discussing, Liu Che could not help but look at Liu Ju next to him.
Liu Ju immediately stated: "The land west of the Yellow River has abundant sunshine, abundant water and grass, and is not only suitable for raising cattle, sheep and horses, but also for farming.
"Father, I believe we should establish a county government, relocate people to the border, and settle them. We should develop the farmland and livestock in this area, build warehouses, and collect food and other supplies from local and surrounding areas to meet future needs."
At the last sentence, Liu Ju pursed his lips and rolled his eyes. "Although we have taken Hexi, the threat of the Xiongnu has not been eliminated. There will definitely be more wars in the future."
"Today, when we go to war, most military rations and supplies come from places like Beijing or Longxi. The transportation routes are long and time-consuming. If we can establish a military ration reserve in Hexi, we can directly allocate them from Hexi, shortening the transportation routes and making it easier to supply the front lines.
"If conditions permit, we can also add other military warehouses and related institutions to turn it into a war logistics center."
Liu Che was stunned. A court official was suspicious and asked, "What is war logistics?"
"Reserve services related to warfare, such as military supplies, food, supplies, reserves, food routes, camps, and medical care."
The court officials looked solemn. Liu Che also became serious.
Liu Ju continued, "Of course, all of this requires first building a county government, sending troops to garrison, and setting up county garrisons, step by step. And if we want to build a county government, there must be enough people under the county government to provide local labor."
So the key to the issue comes back to the eight words "immigrate to the border and relocate people to settle and cultivate land."
Liu Che asked again: "Where do you think we should relocate the people?"
"Our country's population is not large, and most people are attached to their land and unwilling to leave easily. Anyone who can make a living there probably wouldn't agree. Forced relocation is often inappropriate, so we can only choose refugees from the disaster area.
"These people's hometowns were ravaged by disasters, their homes and property were completely destroyed, and they had nowhere to go. We can relocate them there, promising that upon arrival in Hexi, they will be allocated land, helped with house construction, and their taxes and levies will be reduced.
"The others are vagrants and beggars from all over the place."
The landless become wanderers, the unemployed become hooligans. These people, with nothing to do, may be troublemakers, but they are not all bad people; some simply face hardship and lack a livelihood for various reasons. Going to Hexi offers them a way out, a livelihood.
This is even more true for beggars.
Liu Ju's expression darkened. "Father, although Madam Li is hateful and abhorrent, she also has her pitiful side. What she did was unacceptable, but she did say something that was true."
"She's just a beggar, a beggar with nowhere to go and no control over her own life. If possible, who wouldn't want to have both parents and a happy family? Putting aside other things, this one point is not her fault, it's ours.
"It is we who failed to provide adequate food and clothing for all the people of the world, and it is we who have left them in this plight, hopeless and helpless.
"If every citizen of the Han Dynasty could have enough food and clothing, and the children could be taken care of and the elderly could be taken care of, why would she turn to begging, and why would she be trained as a tool by Liu Ling?
"If she had grown up in a normal, warm family, she might have been a lovely, innocent, and kind girl."
The court officials were stunned. Liu Che was also stunned.
When it comes to Lady Li's case, they may sigh, despise, be angry, or feel disgusted, but few people have considered that her plight was also caused by the court's lack of ability and inadequate relief.
Liu Che had never thought about this angle.
They looked at Liu Ju, their eyes changing little by little.
Liu Che sighed inwardly. He had to admit that Liu Ju resembled him in some ways, yet was unlike him in others. When it came to caring for the people, the crown prince seemed even more devoted than he, the emperor.
He once again felt that although he had worried that Liu Ju was too "kind", in fact this "kindness" was not weakness as he thought, but a broad and generous mind.
Liu Che patted his head, raised his eyebrows and smiled slightly.
—Woo woo woo, Juzai is so great. If Juzai ascends the throne, he will definitely be a benevolent ruler, a benevolent ruler that is very rare for both the court officials and the people.
——Yes. So Juzi must ascend the throne, and there must be no more witchcraft disasters.
—We're all parallel worlds, so let's not follow the tragic path of the other world. The relationship between Zhuzhu and Juzi in this world is so good, please make sure it stays that way.
Liu Ju clenched his fist. Yes, he would. He would definitely do it.
He curled his lips and continued on the topic, "Also, this area west of the Yellow River was originally controlled by the Xiongnu, and many Xiongnu people lived there. The Xiongnu kingdom here has been destroyed by us, and the soldiers and leaders have been either captured or killed.
"But the affairs of the two countries do not involve civilians. They are innocent. They are probably also worried and unsure whether to migrate to the northern desert or seek other solutions.
"We can publicize our policies and allow those who are willing to stay. We will incorporate them into our Han Chinese population, grant them Han Chinese household registration, and have them settle with our immigrants. We will assimilate them and let them cultivate land and raise livestock for us."
Liu Che nodded and looked at the court officials: "I heard everything the prince said."
"I heard it."
"Then go back and organize it, come up with a detailed set of rules, and submit it to me."
"promise."
Liu Ju was particularly pleased that his suggestion was taken seriously. As soon as the courtiers left, he approached Liu Che affectionately and asked, "I heard that the former subordinates of King Xiutu and King Hunxie who surrendered numbered in the tens of thousands?"
Liu Che raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you planning to place these people in Hexi as well?"
"No." Liu Ju shook his head. "Hexi is a critical border area. Some Xiongnu civilians can be taken, but they can't. Especially with tens of thousands of people, they must be broken up into smaller groups and resettled separately, right?"
Fortunately, he knew this. Liu Che was very relieved: "So what do you mean?"
Liu Ju's eyes darted around. He hadn't forgotten what the commentary had said: in a situation like the Han Dynasty's, population was a national strength, a productive force. So, these tens of thousands of people were essentially productive forces.
"The Han Dynasty still has many bitterly cold and barren lands, or places rife with miasma. Father, while these places may seem barren, they do hold valuable resources that can be explored and mined. Furthermore, the wars of these years have cost a fortune, not only in terms of money but also in terms of stored grain.
"We urgently need to increase our grain production capacity. This cannot be achieved simply by improving agricultural tools or focusing only on existing farmland; we also need to open up new land for cultivation.
"These tens of thousands of people all come from the military. Regardless of their skills, at least they have good physical fitness and are a very useful labor force."
Liu Ju's eyes were shining, and he didn't look like he was talking about labor. It was more like he was seeing a group of diligent and hardworking old oxen.
Liu Che: ...All right. My beloved son's wish is all for the sake of the Han Dynasty. How can I not do it?
********
After the good news came, Liu Ju waited for another month. When it was the hottest time of June, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing's army finally returned to the court.
Liu Ju went to the Shili Pavilion outside the city to greet them. Seeing the mighty army from afar, he whipped his horse forward and said, "Uncle, cousin!"
Wei Qing, Huo Qubing, and the other generals dismounted and saluted. Liu Ju waved them off and gave a thumbs-up: "My cousin has performed a great service. How impressive!"
Huo Qubing raised his eyebrows with pride, beckoned Zhao Po Nu to deliver the golden man, and led a horse over: "Here are the golden man for offering sacrifices to heaven and the horse of King Hunxie that you asked for.
"The golden figure for offering sacrifices to heaven is fine, but this horse took a lot of effort on my part. It's King Hunxie's warhorse, sitting on his back every day. If I really wanted to protect it, I wouldn't have to resort to the strategy of capturing it alive."
You must know that capturing someone alive is much more difficult than killing him.
The Hunxie King in the corner: ...Thank you so much!
Wei Qing coughed lightly, and Huo Qubing seemed to have just realized that King Hunxie had surrendered. He felt it was not appropriate to say this again, so he smiled and shut up.
King Hunxie and King Xiutu finally had the opportunity to come forward and pay their respects to the Crown Prince.
Since he had surrendered to the Han Dynasty, he was quite clear-headed, behaved properly and behaved in a proper manner.
Liu Ju nodded and stood up.
King Xiutu continued, "I heard that the horse harnesses used by the Han army, as well as the wooden kites and hot air balloons used in the surprise attack on us, were all made by the Crown Prince?"
Liu Ju didn't shy away and said, "Yes."
King Xiu Tu and King Hun Xie both sighed, "Your Highness is truly ingenious. The Han Dynasty possesses such a divine weapon, and also possesses such formidable generals as the Great General and the Champion Marquis. Our defeat is well deserved."
There was frustration, depression and regret in his tone, but there was no obvious hatred. Instead, there was a bit of appreciation and affirmation.
There was no personal hatred between the two sides; it was simply a matter of opposing sides, each with its own position. When two armies engaged in battle, each served its own master, and a life-or-death struggle was common sense. However, beyond this, they would also respect and cherish a formidable opponent.
Liu Ju laughed and said, "You two are wrong. We should not be talking about the Han Dynasty now. We should be talking about our dynasty."
King Xiutu and King Hunxie were stunned for a moment, then followed suit: "Prince is right, it is our dynasty."
Liu Ju raised his eyebrows with satisfaction, turned around and ordered everyone to mount their horses, and then entered the city together with Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.
Entering the palace first, Liu Che and his ministers were already waiting in the front hall. Liu Ju sent someone over, but since he had not yet officially entered the court to attend to government affairs, he did not enter. Instead, he turned and went to the Pepper Room, where he waited with Shi Yi and others.
Shi Yi couldn't help but sigh: "I heard that my cousin Gongsun Ao, Li Guang and Zhang Qian all went to the battle, why didn't my uncle go to the battle?"
"My uncle is the general, the commander of the entire army. Naturally, he should formulate strategies and tactics and provide overall command. Why should he personally fight in every battle? This is called planning from within the tent, and winning from afar."
Shi Yi understood this truth, but still felt a little regretful that he could not hear his uncle's heroic battle.
As the brother and sister were talking, news about rewards for merit came one after another.
Huo Qubing was granted an additional fief of more than 5,000 households, and King Hunxie and King Xiutu were both granted the title of marquis. Li Guang was also granted the title of Marquis Xuanping.
Liu Ju was still calm, but the barrage of comments were not.
— Holy crap, an additional fief of over 5,000 households, and how many households were there in the Western Han Dynasty? Brother Huo is awesome. It also shows that Emperor Wu of Han really favored Brother Huo.
Li Guang finally received a title of nobility, a rare achievement. He should be grateful to Zhuzai. If Zhuzai hadn't created a series of "magic tools" that directly influenced the outcome of the war, he wouldn't have received a title of nobility. In the original time and space, he never received a title of nobility until his death. I'm not saying he wasn't capable, but he was far inferior to Wei Qing and Huo Qubing.
Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were rare geniuses, and compared to them, few could match them. Li Guang was a veteran, after all. Before Wei Qing rose to prominence, he and Cheng Bushi were the backbone of the resistance against the Xiongnu. He was no worse than Gongsun Ao. If Gongsun Ao could be made a marquis, why couldn't Li Guang?
Sometimes, choice and luck are also important. Gongsun Ao was lucky to choose Wei Qing, and was led by Wei Qing early on.
——Li Guang was made a marquis and also had a compass and a Kongming lantern. Wouldn’t he have stopped committing suicide due to getting lost and delaying military plans?
—Probably not. After all, Juzi's butterfly wings are quite impressive. Just a humble wish. The outcome of the Hexi Campaign had changed, and Li Guang's fate had changed as well. Could Wei Qing and Huo Qubing have lived longer? Wei Qing, forget it; he lived for decades, but my brother Huo died before he was twenty-four. Oh. Please, Juzi, please protect my brother Huo!
Liu Ju:!!!
It seemed that this was the second time he had heard the news of Wei Huo's death. The comment had mentioned "Wei Huo's death" before, but the year was not specified.
Less than twenty-four...
So young?
My cousin is now nineteen years old in actual age, but already twenty in virtual age!
He took a deep breath, his heart tightened, and he began to distract himself.
So when the court meeting was over and Wei Qing and Huo Qubing came to the harem to meet Wei Zifu and enjoy a family dinner, he was distracted and his eyes kept roving between Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, leaving them both confused.
At night, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
After thinking about it all night, he woke up the next day with dark circles under his eyes when Shi Yi came over to him mysteriously and asked, "I want to go to my cousin's house to take a look. Do you want to go?"
Liu Ju tilted his head: "I am going, but what are you going to do?"
"I heard my cousin brought two children back to Beijing this time. One is about ten years old, and the other is still in swaddling clothes, seemingly just born not long ago." She whispered furtively, "Let's not talk about the ten-year-old one for now, but the one that was just born not long ago, do you think it might be... um. You know."
Liu Ju: ???
What is it. What does he need to know?
Shi Yi was speechless and could only point out: "My cousin is already twenty years old. If he had a casual relationship with someone and had a child, it wouldn't be surprising."
Liu Ju:!!!
"Don't talk nonsense. My cousin just returned to Beijing yesterday and brought back two children. I didn't even know about this. How did you know?"
Shi Yi raised his eyebrows. "I have my own channels. He didn't do anything sneaky; he brought it openly and honestly, arriving in Chang'an with the army. Many people know about it. A little inquiry will reveal it. The young general brought back a baby who bears a slight resemblance to him. Isn't that strange? I'm not the only one who suspects this."
Liu Ju: ...
Shi Yi snorted and glanced at him sideways: "Don't think I can't find out if you don't tell me, I know it all. Third sister likes cousin. If that's true, then Third sister would be so sad. Why can this girl who appeared out of nowhere be allowed to do it, but Third sister can't?"
Liu Ju was speechless: "Third sister has already let it go, she shouldn't be too sad. Don't do this unnecessarily, it will only make her upset."
Shi Yi was stunned for a moment, then realized this and lowered his head, but still a little unwillingly: "Then I have to go and see. She was pregnant for ten months. She gave birth, which means that woman may have existed before Third Sister let go. I have to see who can surpass Third Sister and catch my cousin's eye."
Liu Ju rolled his eyes, knowing she wouldn't give up until she got to the bottom of it, so he just let her go. He was going anyway, and with him watching over her, he didn't have to worry about her doing anything stupid.
"Wait a minute, I need to go to the Imperial Medical Bureau first."
Shi Yi was confused as to why he went to the Imperial Medical Bureau. Before he could ask, he saw Liu Ju rushing out like the wind. When they met again, there were two more doctors following Liu Ju.
After leaving the palace, Liu Ju did not go to the Marquis of Guanjun's Mansion, but went straight to the General's Mansion.
He had guessed correctly: Huo Qubing could not stay in his own residence and was now with Wei Qing. The uncle and nephew were talking to a baby in a cradle, while a boy of about ten stood beside the cradle, leaning over to comfort the baby.
Liu Ju paused for a moment: No way, there are really two children?
But it was only for a moment, then he stepped in. Never mind, let's get down to business first.
Wei Qing and Huo Qubing were surprised to see him. Just as they were about to salute, Liu Ju waved his hand and hurriedly pulled the attendant physician out from behind him. "Examine my uncle and cousin, take their pulses, and look carefully."
Wei Qing and Huo Qubing: ???
Liu Ju did not explain, but stared at the doctor's movements. After they finished examining him, he asked, "How is it?"
"The General and the Champion Marquis are in good health."
Liu Ju raised his eyebrows: "Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure. If Your Highness doesn't believe it, you can call someone else from the Imperial Medical Bureau to examine it again."
"Okay. Then go back and get two more people."
Physician: ...No, Your Highness, are you serious?
Liu Ju was speechless: "Didn't you say to let someone else from the Imperial Medical Bureau come to see me? Let's change two people and take turns."
Attendant doctor:...
Huo Qubing rolled his eyes. "Do you suspect that my uncle and I were injured on the battlefield? You underestimate us. I've been in and out of the Xiongnu king's tent three times and never got hurt. Even when facing an enemy army of thousands, I might have suffered minor injuries, but they would have healed on the way back to the capital. Don't worry, we're fine."
He was lively and full of energy. He really didn't look like he was in trouble.
Wei Qing chuckled: "Your Highness, did you hear something and misunderstand?"
Is there any misunderstanding?
The barrage comments were not necessarily correct, and what was correct in their time and space might not be the same in one's own time and space, but Liu Ju still frowned.
Wei Qing glanced at the two attendants and continued, "If I remember correctly, these two are the ones who specialize in the most diseases and have the best medical skills in the Imperial Medical Bureau. If they say there's nothing wrong, then there's nothing wrong. Your Highness, there's no need to ask the attendants to take turns seeing you."
That makes sense. The comments say my uncle lived for decades, so he must have lived quite a long life. My cousin still has four years until he turns twenty-four. Perhaps something unexpected happened in those four years.
Liu Ju reluctantly agreed and said to the attending physician, "You can go back. From now on, come and see my uncle and cousin every seven days. Um, no, three days!"
Wei Qing's brow furrowed slightly, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Liu Ju spoke first, "Uncle, you are not allowed to refuse. This is an order! Moreover, I will speak to my father later and ask him to transfer two personal physicians to you. One for each of you, and keep them in your residence in case you need them."
Wei Qing & Huo Qubing: ...They really don’t have such “needs”.
"This is an order, you are not allowed to refuse!"
He didn't forget to glance at Huo Qubing: "Especially you, you are not allowed to do that!"
His tone was firm and his face was stern.
Huo Qubing rolled his eyes.
You are the prince, you have high status and great power, you can do whatever you want. Okay.
The attendant physician took the order and left, his mouth twitching constantly as he complained madly in his heart.
Sick, sick, sick. The Crown Prince and Your Majesty are indeed father and son; they approach things in exactly the same way. He's simply sick in the head, seriously sick! Yet they can't say anything, and are helpless.
Damn!
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