March 2nd.
By now, the harsh winter has passed, and there is a touch of warmth in the air.
The entire city of Jin was in an uproar over the emperor's arrival.
The wide official road was crowded with people who came to watch the spectacle.
Although Jincheng was the seat of Liangzhou, it was still a border region. This was the first time in hundreds of years that an emperor had visited, and people all wanted to absorb some of the dragon's aura.
These people included Qiang people, Shi people, and Tibetan people who came down from the southwestern plateau. However, since they settled in Jincheng and accepted the administration of the Han Dynasty, they all had a unified name—Han people.
According to the imperial decree, anyone who accepts the administration of the Han government, learns the Chinese language and characters, and pays taxes to the Han government can be considered a Han citizen.
After these ethnic minorities came to the territory of the Han Dynasty and accepted its administration, they were no longer oppressed and exploited by powerful chieftains. Instead, they were able to earn extra money through their own hard work to improve their living conditions.
The students who received the instruction also knew that all these changes were given to them by the great Emperor.
Therefore, these ethnic minorities' support for the emperor was in no way inferior to that of the Han people in the interior.
Starting a few days ago, countless people have been voluntarily going out every day to clean the official road and clear the weeds on both sides of the road.
The wide road was also covered with red cloth donated by shops in the city, stretching for more than fifteen miles from the east gate.
Huangfu Song also specially transferred 20,000 elite infantrymen from the Jincheng camp to guard both sides of the official road.
All the officials, scholars, and prominent families in Jincheng stood behind Tao Qian, Xun Yu, and the others, craning their necks to look on with anticipation.
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, a golden dragon flag symbolizing the arrival of the emperor and a large banner with Chinese characters appeared on the distant horizon.
"May the Emperor live ten thousand years!!"
The moment the flag appeared, the crowds on both sides of the road erupted in a thunderous cheer, the same sound echoing across the vast wilderness for a long time.
Amidst a great cheer, Liu Hong, clad in gilded armor, entered the sight of the crowd of people, escorted by officers such as Lü Bu, Zhu Jun, and Xu Rong.
Now, Liu Hong is twenty-six years old, a time of great vigor and vitality. Dressed in golden armor and riding a magnificent black warhorse, he appears to the common people like a god from heaven, inspiring them to bow down in worship.
Wherever Liu Hong went, the local ethnic minorities spontaneously knelt and bowed to him in their own way.
During the procession, Liu Hong smiled and waved to the people along the roadside, winning cheers time and time again.
The only sound at the scene was the chant of "May the Emperor live ten thousand years."
Xun Yu, standing below the city gate, watched the emperor on horseback receiving cheers from the people and couldn't help but feel an urge to shout along.
The weariness left on Xun Yu's brow by the past few days of hard work vanished with the arrival of the emperor.
He had already begun to imagine the joyful scene of the emperor praising him highly after seeing his achievements.
Amidst deafening cheers, Liu Hong rode his warhorse to a point fifty meters from the city gate.
The cheers gradually subsided, and Xun Yu followed Tao Qian as they quickly went to greet them.
"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects!"
Liu Hong leaped off his horse and gestured with his hands to support himself, saying, "Gentlemen, you may dispense with the formalities!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After bowing again, Tao Qian also bowed and stepped forward, saying, "Your Majesty, we have prepared a welcoming banquet for you in the city. Please come into the city and rest!"
"Thank you all for your trouble!"
Liu Hong smiled and nodded, then walked into the city surrounded by the crowd.
Nowadays, the living standards of the people of the Han Dynasty are getting better and better, so Liu Hong will no longer be as strict with officials as he was in the past.
As long as it's not wasteful, Liu Hong won't care too much about the proper pomp and ceremony.
After entering the city, Liu Hong first inquired with Tao Qian and Xun Yu about the allocation of supplies.
Upon learning that Xun Yu had thoroughly sorted out and arranged all the supplies needed for the 200,000-strong army, Liu Hong nodded in satisfaction.
Upon learning that Xun Yu had actually submitted a proposal to build a resettlement center large enough to accommodate 300,000 Qiang people, Liu Hong couldn't help but praise him highly.
After two years of experience, Xun Yu's governing abilities had become increasingly refined, and he was now capable of handling matters independently.
"Wenruo, now that the Qiang people are on the verge of destruction, and there are no other major matters to attend to in Jincheng, I wonder where you would like to take up your post next?"
"Your Majesty, I wish to go to Jiaozhou!"
"Oh? Jiaozhou?"
Upon hearing Xun Yu's reply, a look of surprise flashed across Liu Hong's face.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I wish to go to Rinan County in Jiaozhou!"
"Why Rinan, and not Liaozhou or the Western Regions? You should know that these two places are currently in the stage of full-scale development, and with your talent, you will soon stand out!"
"At worst, we can go back to Luoyang!"
Liu Hong looked at Xun Yu with a smile, his words containing some hints but mostly curiosity.
"Your Majesty, after years of exploration, the development model in Liaozhou has matured. We only need to proceed step by step. As for maintaining the status quo, I am not as good as Mao Jie."
The men of the Western Regions are reduced to less than one in ten, existing in name only. We can simply continue to migrate people there and swallow them up. In terms of migration strategy, I am not as good as Cao Cao.
There are Yang Biao and my uncle Xun You in the court. I am still too inexperienced to confront them.
Therefore, my trip to these places is not very meaningful.
As for Rinan, it borders the southeastern countries and radiates across most of the South China Sea. Its surrounding environment is complex, and I can go there to investigate!
For Xun Yu, the Han Dynasty currently has two main focuses: one is the Kushan Empire in the west, and the other is the South Seas.
With Xi Zhicai, Jia Xu, Yuan Shao, and Cao Cao on the Kushan side, there wouldn't be much room for me to maneuver if I went there myself.
Meanwhile, the South Seas were just beginning to develop. Given the emperor's character, he would surely bring all the countries and tribes in the southeast, as well as the many islands and ports in the South Seas, into the territory of the Han Dynasty.
The most important thing is to take advantage of the fact that there are no competitors there yet, get there first, and create a political achievement.
"Since that's the case, then let's go along with Wenruo's idea. After this battle is over, you can set off for Rinan to take up your post!"
Upon hearing Xun Yu's reply, Liu Hong nodded in agreement.
Since Xun Yu expressed his desire to go there, he must have had his own plans.
At present, the South Seas are in a stage of development, and they do need a capable person like Xun Yu to go there and take charge.
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