Chapter 441 Extra 2: The Journey to the Sea (Update 1)
The visit of various countries in the Western Regions to the court in the third year of Yuan Zhao almost made people forget another event that happened at the same time.
Yuan Shao barely survived nearly half a year in the prison of Yecheng, but still died of illness in July.
Of the three sons of Yuan Feng, the former prime minister of the Han Dynasty, the eldest son Yuan Ji died of an old injury due to protecting Liu Bian, the youngest son Yuan Shu died in the chaos of war due to the Yuzhou Rebellion, and now Yuan Shao is also heading towards death after repeated setbacks.
If the fall of Yecheng represented the true decline of the Yuan family in Runan, then the death of Yuan Shao once again drew a striking dividing line between them.
Those Hebei noble families are getting anxious and angry.
The death of Yuan Shao was like a death sentence for them as well.
After two years of governance by the two governors sent by Qiao Yan, Jizhou and Qingzhou have become increasingly peaceful and harmonious. It doesn't matter whether there is still a group of Hebei aristocratic families serving as the "mainstay" in these two states.
Jizhou Governor Xu Shu and Qingzhou Governor Jia Xu are both die-hard followers of Qiao Yan, and are unscrupulous experts in winning the hearts of the people and suppressing the aristocratic families.
But even the timing and the people were on Qiao Yan's side.
The signs of a good harvest in the third year of Yuan Zhao meant that her dispatch of troops to the Western Regions at the end of last year was no longer something to be criticized.
All the countries within the jurisdiction of the Western Regions Protectorate surrendered, and some even came to Chang'an in person to request to become a vassal. This in turn dealt a heavy blow to the Kushan Empire, and there was no longer any opportunity to rise from it.
The small countries in the west felt that Dayong was a great country with the aura of all nations coming to pay tribute. The aristocratic families in Hebei and the aristocratic families in Yanzhou who had been exiled to the south also saw this.
But it was too late when he realized that this newly rising dynasty had strengths different from those of a new dynasty, and that Qiao Yan, as the emperor, had the confidence to support his family and have the final say.
Two years was enough time for the young people cultivated by Qiao Yan to occupy more important positions in the court and various states and counties, enough time for the people from all directions to think of Dayong first instead of the previous dynasty, and enough time for them to realize, when they recalculated the power in their hands, that their attempt to seek something again by relying on the alliance of aristocratic families was simply like using an egg to hit a stone.
The best way to deal with it is to cut it again and then ask Your Majesty for mercy.
But when their representatives arrived in Chang'an, they were told that His Majesty was very busy recently and did not have the time to deal with the situation in Yecheng.
This is indeed a reasonable excuse.
Why isn't she busy?
When envoys from small western countries came to pay homage to her, she had to receive them personally to show that Dayong's attitude towards its friendly neighbors remained the same and that it would not destroy any country just because its army was strong.
The attacked Khotan and the rear part of Cheshi were both the ones who had committed rebellion first and were the source of the troubles in the Western Regions, which was why they were treated like this.
In order to ensure long-term peace and stability in the Western Regions, personnel were gradually dispatched to reclaim cotton fields, plant trees and dredge rivers.
Accompanying this group of technical personnel will be the personnel trained by Chiyang Medical College in accordance with Hua Tuo's medical books on border areas. Together with Zuo Ci and Yu Ji, they will win the hearts of the people by treating the local people.
Led by Jiang Tang, people who had learned the Western Region languages of Kucha and Tocharian were responsible for bringing Chinese books and characters to this land.
Then there is the treatment of the Kushans.
Before the rise of the Sassanid Empire, the Kushan Empire still had a transcendent status in Central Asia and South Asia, and the development of Buddhist culture under its rule was also a historical necessity. Simply destroying it in the same way as the previous treatment of the Buddhist kingdom of Zuo Rong in Xuzhou would be counterproductive.
However, Qiao Yan also did not want to see that the Kushan surrender, which was obtained at the cost of the blood and lives of the soldiers, would lead to another incident a few years later due to lax supervision.
In addition to intimidating the Kushan King with the prosperity of the Central Plains, it is also necessary to send a group of troops to be stationed at the mountain pass south of the Pamir Mountains for a long time, or directly stationed in the Kushan territory to effectively control him.
After some consideration, Qiao Yan decided on Fu Gan as the candidate.
Duan Wei and Ma Dai assisted Lu Yuan in being stationed in the Western Regions, and transferred Xu Rong, Zhang He and Ma Chao back to Liang Province. They began to recover the territories occupied by the Xianbei from Liang and Bing Provinces to the north.
These matters were sent out from Chang'an along with the awarding of marquisate titles to the monarchs of the Western Regions and documents stamped with the emperor's seal.
At the end of August, the monument that Qiao Yan insisted on finalizing was delivered to the Xuanyuan Pavilion in the spotlight of everyone.
The road to Xuandu Mountain is not easy to travel, and bringing back the buried soldiers would be a life-threatening challenge for those searching for the bodies. However, a monument representing the contributions of these civilian soldiers to this battle has been erected at the place that best represents Dayong's achievements.
The Ministry of Works is responsible not only for assisting the Painting Academy to complete the inscription, but also for readjusting and repairing the load-bearing structures in the Xuanyuan Pavilion.
In order to make the stone tablet stand on it and not collapse, the people in the Ministry of Works, led by Ma Jun and Huang Yueying, racked their brains.
Fortunately, they finally completed the task.
It also lets people all over the world know that even the most ordinary people can leave their mark in history in another way.
They did not choose to rise up in rebellion under the oppression of the dynasty and shout out things like "Are kings, princes, generals, and ministers born of different races?" But instead, they believed that "water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it" and contributed to its construction.
"No one would misunderstand that one must die in order to leave a name behind, right?" Qiao Yan said when he arrived in Luoyang. "After all, among the soldiers who crossed Xuandu Mountain to fight, more survived than died."
"In fact, it's not difficult to guess what the next inscription relief will be about."
Her gaze turned to the east, revealing a hint of anticipation.
It’s HNA!
It is also not something that can be accomplished by relying on the achievements of one person or one general, and it will definitely leave a significant mark in the history of Dayong!
However, before that, the navy trained by Gan Ning and Lu Meng still needs to go through another test.
From August to October, during the harvest season in all states across the country, Qiao Yan finally gave in and showed leniency to the existing people in the Jizhou aristocratic families. He made a separate debt list for each family, requiring them to pay off their debts with labor or official duties within ten years. At the same time, a separate inspection agency was set up. Once anyone among them took the wrong path and privately raised funds, they would be supervised by more stringent laws.
Shen Pei was transferred to Jingzhou to assist Zhong Yao in handling Jingzhou affairs, because at the end of September, Liu Biao wrote a letter of resignation to the court, intending to return home due to his advanced age. After obtaining Qiao Yan's approval, Zhong Yao took over the position of Jingzhou Governor.
Ju Su was transferred to Liaodong to assist in the upcoming Liaodong War.
This will also be the first battle in which the maritime navy will play its role!
At first glance, Buyeo and Goguryeo were connected to the Liaodong counties by land. At most, they could send soldiers from Qingzhou and Youzhou to Lelang County in Youzhou by sea and fight on two fronts in the Liaodong direction. But the actual situation was not that simple.
"Buyeo and Goguryeo seem to be showing weakness towards Liaodong, or to our Dayong, but even though countries in the Western Regions have come to pay tribute, they still have not shown any intention of formally surrendering." Lu Lingju stood with his arms folded, his face flashing with some dissatisfaction with the two parties' lack of awareness of the current situation. "If we fail to conquer them, it will go against your majesty's expectations of us."
"The reason these two parties can have such rebellious thoughts is because they both have a way out."
"Buyeo relied on Sushen and made it their vassal. Although there were not many people in Sushen, many of them were brave and good at shooting bluestone arrowheads. The arrowheads were all poisoned and would kill anyone who was hit. They were also capable of plundering on boats. They were the most disregardful of laws and disciplines."
"Buyu and Sushen share the black soil of the northeast, their granaries are full, their people are well fed, and they are even less willing to submit to the Central Plains."
Buyeo and Sushen are the modern Heilongjiang area. Fuyu was closer to Youzhou, while Sushen was to the east, covering the coastal mountains all the way to the sea.
The situation in Goguryeo was similar.
Lü Lingju said to Gan Ning who had arrived at the Liaodong Council, "Goguryeo was backed by Woju and was made a vassal state. The two sides were separated by the Gaima Mountains. In the early years, when the Han Dynasty stationed troops intended to advance westward into Goguryeo, the ruler of the country retreated to Woju, using the mountains as a barrier. This place is backed by mountains and faces the sea, and the land is fertile. It is a place suitable for growing grains, which has fueled its ambition to be independent."
"General Gan, what do you think?"
Gan Ning was keenly aware of the two key points in Lu Lingju's words. "You said that the Sushen people have the ability to take ships to rob pirates, and the land of Woju is backed by mountains and faces the sea?"
He put an emphasis on the word "Xiang Hai" and, as expected, received a positive response from Lu Lingju, "Yes, Xiang Hai."
Lu Lingju continued, "During the Kushan War, General Mengqi and General Yanming passed through Xuandu Mountain and reached the capital of the Kushan Kingdom, cutting off their escape route from behind and forcing them to surrender to our Yong. The same may be true for Buyeo and Goguryeo today."
"However, if we only ask General Gan to go around and land from behind and attack together with our Youzhou troops, it would be a bit of a waste of the construction of Funan's large ships in the past two years."
"According to your majesty's wishes, please ask General Gan to lead the navy to march through the Bohai Sea to the strait between the Three Han and the Japanese land, enter the sea east of Woju and Sushen, successfully destroy Goguryeo and Buyeo, and bring the northeastern land under the rule of Dayong. Then, return along the original route and seize more than a hundred Japanese lands in the Lelang Sea. Invite King Jin of the Three Han to go to Chang'an to see the emperor."
Lelang Sea is the Sea of Japan in later generations, but today it is still named after Lelang County in Youzhou.
There were Japanese people in the Lelang Sea, divided into more than a hundred small countries. During the Western Han Dynasty, some of them came to the court to offer gifts.
At this time, the territory of Korea was divided into three parts: Mahan, Jinhan, and Byeonhan. Among them, Mahan was the strongest, and its monarch was also known as King Jin.
Since Gan Ning was going to start from the coast of Bohai Sea, enter the Lelang Sea area through the strait between the Three Han and Japan, and land and attack from the rear of Buyeo and Goguryeo's vassal states, forming a two-pronged attack with Lu Lingju who started from land, why not use the naval fleet to strike a deterrent blow to the areas on both sides of the Korean Strait when he returns?
Isn't this just something that happens along the way?
If we don't even have the ability to conquer a maritime country adjacent to Dayong, how can we sail further away to achieve your majesty's intention of exploring unknown places and unknown things!
Gan Ning replied, "I understand. General Lu, don't worry."
There are many bandits along the coasts of these places that have not been civilized by laws, but they don’t even look at what business Gan Ning started out in.
If the Jinfan bandits, after possessing this increasingly powerful navy and fleet, cannot give these guys a head-on blow and let them know the power of His Majesty the Great Yong, then they will be unworthy of the ambitious words he made to Qiao Yan.
The battering poles and hook bridges that were once used to give Gongsun Du a surprise are now commonly found in the large fleets built by Jiaozhou, Yangzhou and Xuzhou. The heavy crossbows on the bow have increased their range and power due to the increasing reinforcement of the ship's hull. Even if they are not placed on board because gunpowder is easily susceptible to moisture and artillery is still under development, it is enough to deal with the people of Sushen, Wokou, the Three Han and the Hundred Wa!
However, due to the severe cold in the northeast and the issue of material allocation, this war was not launched at the end of the third year of Yuanzhao, but was postponed to the beginning of the following spring.
Generals such as Yu Jin and Cao Hong were also transferred here before the war.
While Buyeo and Goguryeo were still focusing on the Western Regions and the internal governance of the Central Plains, Lü Lingju and Guo Huai, with the support of Zhang Liao in the rear, had already divided into two groups to attack Buyeo and Goguryeo, and attacked their tribal capitals with lightning speed without giving the other side any chance to breathe.
Just as she had said when introducing herself to Gan Ning, these two sides were just hoping for the best, thinking they still had a way out, so they always maintained an independent state, thinking that Dayong would be satisfied as long as they kept their heads down. After suddenly suffering such a blow, they immediately retreated to Sushen and Woju respectively, hoping to use this retreat to curb the advance of the troops of Lu and Guo.
Fortunately, the Xianbei, who were under the rule of Dayong, could not make any effective support to Dayong's military expedition, because the barrier between Buyeo and the Xianbei was what was later called the Greater Khingan Range.
But how could they have imagined that the team that set sail and was about to become famous on the sea had even set out earlier than Lu Lingju and others, and had already arrived at the bay at the break between the two mountains between Woju and Sushen.
The goal is to cut off their retreat!
The author has something to say:
Buyeo, Goguryeo, part of Woju, and part of Yiluo (Sushen) also belong to the region of the modern three northeastern provinces.
The part mentioned in this chapter does not count as foreign aggression (seriously)
The main focus of the naval aviation section is on harvesting at sea rather than fighting, so Goguryeo will be briefly mentioned.
I really have been envious of some things for a long time QWQ (some crops still need to be domesticated, but some can indeed be written) (rubbing my hands)
See you at nine o'clock in the evening.
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