In the following days, Liu Hong did nothing else but deal with government affairs or spend time with the Empress and the others.
There wasn't much to do at the imperial court; all government affairs were proceeding in an orderly manner.
The excavation of the Grand Canal is progressing rapidly. Nearly half of the canal from Luoyang to Weijun has been excavated, and the canal from Chang'an to Nanyang has also officially begun excavation.
The results of the second population census for the Sili region are now available.
In the past few years, including the population hidden by powerful families, migrants, and newborns, the total population of Sili region has increased from four million to five and a half million.
The populations of the other states have also increased to varying degrees. According to the cabinet's estimates, the population of the Great Han Dynasty is now close to 63 million, or even more.
In the Western Regions, the first group of landlords and merchants who arrived in Shanshan had already begun building their estates and workshops.
Those scions of prominent families who went to Liaozhou also discovered several gold mines within the territory of Yilou and began mining operations.
Under the guidance of local governments, the people of Jiangnan were allocated land and introduced rice from the Rinan region, which was then cultivated three times a year.
Lü Bu, Huang Zhong, Dong Zhuo, and others led their troops back, while Huangfu Gui, Xu Rong, Zhu Jun, and others remained in Jiangnan to continue the work of relocating and resettling the barbarians.
Under Tong Yuan's leadership, after a year of careful selection and rigorous training, the thousand Imperial Guards heavy cavalry have begun to demonstrate their combat capabilities.
Everything is moving in a positive direction right now; all that's left to do is wait.
A few days later, a secret letter from Chengde reached Liu Hong's hands.
The letter stated that Murong Tu of the Eastern Xianbei sent people to the Yuwen tribe to discuss an alliance, and their target was most likely the Shefu of the Northern Wuhuan and the grassland tribes north of Dingxiang and Daijun.
"Hmph~, the Yuwen tribe has quite the ambition!"
After reading the contents of the secret letter, Liu Hong couldn't help but snort coldly.
"Go and fetch Zhicai!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Zhang Rang, who was serving nearby, agreed and turned to run outside, his steps quick.
Soon, Xi Zhicai arrived. Seeing his radiant face, Liu Hong couldn't help but smile and say, "Zhicai has been living a comfortable life lately; he looks much stronger!"
Xi Zhicai smiled sheepishly, "I've been drinking less lately, so I've been eating more!"
Liu Hong raised an eyelid: "That's good. With more people keeping an eye on things at home, you won't have to go out and party!"
"Your Majesty is right. With a wife in the family, I do feel much more at ease!"
When Xi Zhicai mentioned his newlywed wife, a blush appeared on his face.
Not long ago, Empress Song Yue arranged a marriage for Xi Zhicai, betrothing Wang Yin, the elder sister of Consort Wang Yan, to him. The two, who had been in love for two years, finally entered the bridal chamber.
Now, Liu Hong and Xi Zhicai are not only ruler and subject, but also related by marriage.
Strictly speaking, Liu Hong should call Xi Zhicai "brother-in-law," but it remains to be seen whether he dares to agree...
After exchanging pleasantries, Liu Hong asked Xi Zhicai to sit down and then handed him the secret letter.
After Xi Zhicai looked over, Liu Hong asked, "What are your thoughts on this matter, Zhicai?"
Xi Zhicai pondered for a moment, then said, "Your Majesty, the Great Han has now cut off trade with the various tribes of the grasslands, except for the Yuwen tribe, which can still exchange supplies with the Great Han."
In this way, they will have an advantage that others cannot match, and as a result, their strength will become even greater.
Such an opportunity, no matter who it falls into, will inevitably breed some unwarranted ambition.
Liu Hong said in a deep voice, "According to Zhicai, the alliance between the Yuwen and Murong tribes is a plan to annex the Wuhuan and other tribes, and take the opportunity to expand their power?"
Xi Zhicai nodded: "That's right. The reason why the Yuwen tribe has been well-behaved in recent years is because of the suppression by Tan Shihuai. Now the climate on the grassland is becoming increasingly harsh, and life is not easy for the Tan Shihuai tribe either. It is normal for them to have some ideas!"
"Heh!"
Liu Hong couldn't help but sneer, "None of these guys from the grasslands are easy to deal with. Given the chance, they'll turn into hungry wolves!"
“Nomadic peoples, due to the influence of their living environment, are destined to be savages from birth. It’s very difficult to get them to settle down!” Xi Zhicai said in a deep voice.
"Yes, if the environment were better, who would want to be a hungry wolf struggling to survive!"
At this point, Liu Hong couldn't help but sigh dejectedly.
Nomadic peoples and agricultural civilizations have always been natural opposites due to differences in their living environments.
For thousands of years, the Central Plains dynasties have never stopped fighting with nomadic peoples. From the Han Dynasty to the Ming Dynasty, they all fought as far as Lake Baikal and even further north.
But these nomadic peoples persisted, driving away the Xiongnu and bringing in the Xianbei, followed by the Turks, Khitans, Jurchens, Mongols...
Various grassland tribes took turns appearing, wave after wave, constantly impacting the Central Plains dynasties.
The fundamental reason is that the grasslands are uncultivable. If the Central Plains dynasties wanted to conquer the grasslands, they had to continuously supply them with resources, which was too costly for most dynasties to bear.
But things are different now. With the continuous improvement and research of the Royal Textile Mill, wool can now be used to weave clothes and make carpets.
Some minerals on the grasslands were also important to the royal ironworks, and horses were extremely important to the Han Dynasty's transportation industry.
A good place is one where you can see tangible benefits.
Therefore, the Han Dynasty could provide a good living environment for the grasslands, allowing them to herd sheep and horses for the Han Dynasty!
"Zhicai, how's the situation with that lawyer?" After much thought, Liu Hong felt it was time to activate his Spark Project.
"Your Majesty, according to the report from the instructors of the Military and Political Affairs Department, Tuolü has performed very well since being selected into the Imperial Guards. He not only gets along well with the soldiers, but is also very loyal to the Han Dynasty in terms of political ideology."
I have spoken with him several times and discovered that he constantly yearns to return to the grasslands to liberate his people who are still oppressed by the noble leaders!
"Very well, then I can rest assured!"
Liu Hong nodded in satisfaction and then said, "The people of the grasslands are just like the people of the Han Dynasty; they all just want to live a peaceful life."
However, the noble leaders refused to do so, so they needed a hero to lead them against those noble leaders.
Now that this delaying tactic has met these conditions, it's time to set off!
Then Liu Hong looked at Zhang Rang beside him and said, "Go and summon Tong Yuan and Tuo Lü to an audience!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Zhang Rang agreed and then quickly ran outside again.
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