"I see. All the people of Gaul in the next generation thank you, Brother Liu, for your great kindness!"
Upon hearing Liu Bei's words, Dakdo rose with a sincere expression and bowed deeply to Liu Bei.
Liu Bei also quickly stood up and said solemnly, "Governor Dacto, there's no need for this. Now, you and I are in the same boat. I hope that you can resolutely resist Commodus's pressure and lead the Gallic people to resolutely resist Commodus's invasion!"
Dacdo gritted his teeth and said, "Brother Liu, rest assured, Commodus's guards have been slaughtering civilians in Gaul. Nearly 100,000 innocent people have died under their swords."
This blood feud is irreconcilable; we, the people of Gaul, are sworn enemies of that tyrant!
Liu Bei immediately replied in a deep voice, "Very well, Governor Dakdo, rest assured. I have already discussed this with the provincial allied forces and will fully support the Gaul Province's resistance!"
"Thank you very much, Brother Liu. I will never forget your great kindness!"
Upon hearing Liu Bei's assurance, Dakdo bowed deeply once more with a solemn expression.
Liu Bei then stepped forward, looking at Dactus with a solemn expression: "In order to unite the people of Gaul and resist the pressure from Rome, I have a suggestion. I wonder if you would be willing to listen?"
Dakdo: "Brother Liu, please speak frankly!"
Liu Bei glanced out the window and then said, "I propose that you lead all the people of Gaul to independence and break away from Roman rule..."
"independent?"
Upon hearing Liu Bei's suggestion, Dakdo was stunned for a moment, looking at Liu Bei with disbelief.
Liu Bei said solemnly, "That's right. You can lead all the people of Gaul to establish the Kingdom of Gaul, and you can become its king. In this way, the people of Gaul will have their own country and will surely be united!"
Upon hearing Liu Bei's suggestion, Dakdo was also tempted.
After all, being the king of a country is far better than being a governor.
However, Dakota soon hesitated and said, "But if we do that, Gaul will definitely become the target of everyone's criticism. Not only Commodus, but I'm afraid the Senate will not let us off the hook either."
"Relying solely on Gaul will likely be insufficient to withstand attacks from both sides!"
"Governor Dacto rest assured, Commodus and the Senate are currently at odds, and it is highly unlikely that they will act in unison."
"As soon as Gaul becomes independent, the other provinces will surely follow suit..."
Liu Bei paused for a moment and continued, "Furthermore, after Gaul gains independence, you can send someone to the Han Dynasty..."
Upon hearing this, Dakdo's eyes lit up. "That's right! As long as we become an ally of the Great Han, even Commodus and the Senate won't dare to act rashly!"
In recent years, trade between the Han Dynasty and Rome has become increasingly frequent, and Rome's main economic income has come from silk and various commercial taxes.
Furthermore, the culture of the Han Dynasty was deeply loved by the Romans, and many Romans unconsciously yearned for the wealthy and powerful Han Dynasty.
If Commodus and the Senate were to break with the Han Dynasty, it would not only severely damage Rome's economy, but also cause many Romans to become dissatisfied with them.
Subsequently, Dakdo and Liu Bei had a detailed discussion about the independence of Gaul.
It was late at night when Dakdo finally left Liu Bei's residence, feeling quite pleased with himself.
Early the next morning, Liu Bei sent someone to issue a retreat order to the Imperial Guards stationed in the east of the city.
Now that Penis is dead, Liu Bei naturally becomes the supreme commander of the expeditionary army.
Therefore, the Imperial Guard did not hesitate at all in response to Liu Bei's order, and immediately began to break camp and retreat along the original route.
Liu Bei also ordered the release of 40,000 Gallic prisoners of war and returned the captured weapons and supplies to them.
Two days later, Liu Bei also led the allied soldiers toward the southern coast.
Shortly after the punitive army withdrew, Dacto immediately declared that the Church of the Peace was the supreme religion of Gaul. At the same time, he reorganized and retrained the 40,000 Gallic soldiers who had been captured, and renamed them the Gallic Guard.
In addition, Dacto also wrote a letter of state to the Han Dynasty in the name of the King of Gaul.
At the same time, Dacto also sent his trusted confidants to the Germanic provinces, the British provinces, and several provinces bordering Gaul to discuss alliances and prepare for the eventual independence of Gaul.
By August, Liu Bei's army had finally returned to Rome.
In this campaign against Gaul, the elite Janissary Legion not only suffered losses of more than 30%, but its commander, Penis, was also lured and killed by the enemy, which was extremely humiliating and a severe slap in Commodus's face.
In contrast, the allied forces led by Liu Bei advanced with unstoppable momentum, suffering little loss and even capturing the governor of Gaul, thus gaining considerable prestige.
As a result, Liu Bei's reputation soared, earning him the respect of the Romans and further solidifying his position in the various provinces.
When Liu Bei led his triumphant army to Rome, Commodus also led a group of nobles to personally go out of the city to welcome him.
Commodus finally smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the former governor of Gaul, who was now bound hand and foot in front of the army.
Although his own personal guard suffered considerable losses, at least the objective of this campaign had been achieved.
Subsequently, Kang Maode ordered a grand victory banquet to be held in the city for Liu Bei and his triumphant army.
During the banquet, Kang Maode happily pulled Liu Bei to sit next to him, thus demonstrating his closeness to Liu Bei.
"Brother Liu, you have made outstanding contributions in this campaign against Gaul. I would like to offer you a toast!"
Liu Bei also raised his wine cup: "I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's favor. In this battle, it was all thanks to Your Majesty's protection and the bravery of all the soldiers. I dare not take credit for it!"
"Haha, Brother Liu, you are too modest. Without you, this campaign would not have gone so smoothly. Please drink this cup to the brim!"
Hearing Liu Bei's words, Kang Maode laughed even more heartily, picked up his wine cup, and drank it all in one gulp.
After drinking a cup of wine, Commodus then looked at Liu Bei and said, "Brother Liu, I heard that you let the son of the former governor of Gaul take over as governor, and all the nobles of Gaul remained in their positions?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. I believe that since Your Majesty has only recently ascended the throne, stability should be the priority. Now that the former governor of Gaul has been brought to justice, Your Majesty has achieved your goal of establishing authority. It is not advisable to involve him further, lest it cause instability!"
Kang Maode sighed: "Brother Liu's consideration is indeed good. If it were in the past, this arrangement would have been the most appropriate, but it won't work now."
I had originally planned to take advantage of this victory to strip the Gallic province of all its rights and bring it under the direct control of Rome.
"Liu Huangdi's arrangement has made things a bit more complicated..."
Upon hearing this, Liu Bei also looked flustered: "I acted on my own initiative and never expected to ruin Your Majesty's important matter. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"
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