Chapter 974 Testing

Chapter 974 Testing

Chapter 974 Testing
On the third day of September, Shi Le and his companions gathered more than 3,000 old, weak, women and children, left Bashang and headed east.

They were escorted by the Tuge Xiongnu soldiers under the command of Huangshi Town General Lu Songduo.

The hundred or so followers who were captured with Shi Le shouted repeatedly, trying to use connections to get them released, but no one answered, only Lao Quan responded.

Everyone gave up hope.

There were occasional people escaping along the way because the security was not very strict.

Unfortunately, Shi Le's gang was too big a target and was watched the most closely, so they never had a chance.

He was dead.

Just as Shi Le and his companions were on their way, Zhang Jun, the actual master of Liang Province, arrived in Gaochang with more than 10,000 soldiers and horses. Within a few days, he defeated the rebel general, Zhao Zhen, the commander of the Wu Ji Army, beheaded him, and established Gaochang County.

This battle was far away, and he didn't want to come.

But in the current situation, he urgently needed to establish his authority, and the weaker Zhao Zhen was obviously a very easy target to control, so he led his army to the west and finally won a great victory.

However, he could not stay here for long. On the tenth day of September, he led his victorious troops back to Wuwei.

Before leaving, I took one last look at Gaochang City.

It is actually not very easy to live in this place, for the simple reason that it is too dry.

The crops grown in this area depend on wells and canals (Kanez), melted ice and snow, and a small amount of rainfall.

At the current stage, we mainly rely on the melting of ice and snow in the mountains, and there are not enough wells and canals. As for rainwater, it is really too little.

The greatest value of this place is actually that it serves as a resting place for merchants traveling from the Western Regions.

However, for the Liangzhou regime, no matter how small the mosquito is, it is still meat. In the case of no hope of going east, Gaochang County is also a small help. Moreover, if they can properly manage this place in the future, build more wells and canals, increase the population, and then use this as a base for the westward expedition, they can further expand the territory of Liangzhou.

Therefore, he kept some soldiers from Dunhuang and Jinchang counties to garrison there. Jinchang County was established during the Zhang Gui era by dividing the land of Dunhuang and Jiuquan counties. Like Wuxing County, it was mainly used to settle refugees from Yongqin.

While appointing his trusted confidant Yang Xuan as the governor of Gaochang to govern the local area, he also waited for an opportunity to advance into the Western Regions.

The Wu Ji Colonel, the Protectorate of the Western Regions, and the three battalions of the Yumen Grand Guard Army were also under the jurisdiction and deployment of Yang Xuan. His actual authority exceeded that of the prefect, which shows how much he valued him.

"Your family is from a famous family, so you should follow the example of the sages and make contributions to the world." The personal soldiers brought the horse, Zhang Jun took the reins, and carefully instructed: "I can't take care of too much in the west, you take good care of it."

Yang Xuan was excited. This was an opportunity to be independent. Who wouldn't be happy? However, he still had to show his concern for his lord, so he asked, "Are you worried about the affairs of the court?"

Zhang Jun smiled bitterly and said, "The imperial court? Which imperial court?"

Yang Xuan blinked and asked tentatively, "Which side do you want to follow, sir?"

Zhang Jun looked at him and asked, "What do you think?"

Yang Xuan immediately said, "I will follow your lead. Whether it's Jin or Liang, I will follow whoever you follow."

Zhang Jun felt relieved, so he asked, "If I respect the King of Langya in Jianye, what will you do?"

"I voluntarily follow you, sir." Yang Xuan said without hesitation.

"Are there any descendants of the Hongnong Yang family serving as officials in Guandong, either as staff members or county governors..." Zhang Jun said.

"Why don't you believe me, sir?" Yang Xuan patted his chest and said, "My family has moved to Liangzhou for several generations, and I don't know them at all."

"Haha, there's no need for that." Zhang Jun said with a smile, "If I didn't trust you, how could I give Gaochang to you?"

After that, he sighed and said, "However, there are fewer and fewer people as loyal and brave as you in Liangzhou."

When Yang Xuan heard this, he knew what he was talking about: Beigong Chun, Fan Yu, and Wei Jin.

Beigong Chun did not return to Liangzhou directly and was forced to stay by Liang Wang Shao Xun.

This tactic is not new. Cao Cao liked to retain the princes' envoys to Beijing and appoint them to official positions. Moreover, Beigong Chun and the King of Liang were old acquaintances, so it was reasonable to keep him. Without a formal falling-out between the two sides, it was not even easy for the Liangzhou side to retain his family members.

Fan Xi and Wei Jin were not left behind, but after they came back, although they were more cautious and did not talk about the affairs in Luoyang, they still had many entourages, and slowly the news leaked out.

Someone asked them in person whether the King of Liang treated them with special courtesy. Fan Xi and Wei Jin did not deny it.

As a result, the rumor spread more and more, and counties near and far brought up the matter for discussion. After all, the fact that the prince roasted meat and the King of Liang served wine was so surprising and legendary.

Some people were very proud when they mentioned this, saying that King Liang really admired the scholars of Xizhou and treated them with all kinds of courtesy, which was a good story. With such a broad mind and such a good judge of people, he was a wise ruler, no wonder he could accomplish such a great thing.

Within a few days after the imperial envoys arrived in Wuwei, the palace was filled with guests.

Then, in just half a day, he compiled a list of all the prestigious people in Liangzhou, and then selected virtuous people to travel east with him and return to Luoyang.

Zhang Jun could not stop this kind of thing, because those involved were the children of the big families in Liangzhou, such as Yin, Suo, Han, Ma, and Yan.

If we try to stop it by force, we might incur public outrage - this also gives us a glimpse into the internal situation of Liangzhou.

There was no suitable person in Yang Xuan's family, so he did not send his children to the east. However, he knew with his toes that the rifts within Liangzhou were now deeper. There was not much trust between them in the first place, and now there is even less.

Zhang Jun left quickly under the watchful eyes of the remaining generals.

When he arrived in Dunhuang, he issued an order: to reinforce the troops in Fuhan, and the troops from Jinxing and Xiping counties and a battalion of Fuhan guards were all under the command of Xin Yan.

After the victory in the campaign against Zhao Zhen, he would ask the generals and officers in his palace to submit a petition together, requesting that he be appointed as the governor of Liang Province and be sent to Luoyang as soon as possible.

There is no doubt that this was a test. Last time, when the angel arrived in Wuwei, he first reprimanded Zhang Jun for not paying tribute, which made everyone in Liangzhou very nervous.

However, he soon issued the official uniform and seal of the Governor of Liangzhou. His words seemed to be soothing and he did not make it final. It was not impossible for him to become the Governor of Liangzhou.

Zhang Jun was a little confused. What exactly did the court want?

Unless he was forced into a desperate situation, he did not have the courage to launch a direct attack and could only test the waters cautiously.

******
News from all directions came in one after another.

At the end of September, the memorial from Liangzhou was sent in expedited, which took only half a month.

When Shao Xun received the report, he was having dinner with Hua Nu.

After reading it, he only instructed: "Don't reply yet."

This idiot will be dealt with after the founding of the country.

Pei Lingyan finished eating quickly, and then took her daughter Mian Niang to drink tea and rinse her mouth.

Mian Niang was Shao Xun's seventh daughter. She was born in December of the fourth year of Shengui (320). She was only six years old and still quite naughty. She had just pestered Shao Xun to play for a long time and even said she wanted to "ride a horse".

After asking, she found out that it was her eldest sister Fu Bao who told her, which made Shao Xun blush.

After dismissing the servants in the house, Shao Xun looked around and saw that there was no one there, so he "humiliatingly" lay on the ground and let his daughter torture him.

But he enjoyed it.

"Grandpa." After rinsing her mouth, Mian Niang came over again, jumping and skipping.

Pei Lingyan brought a bowl of tea and placed it on the table.

Shao Xun finished his meal in a few bites, picked up the tea bowl and rinsed his mouth, then sat on the bed and looked at the mother and daughter.

"What are you looking at?" Pei Lingyan asked while she took her daughter away and coaxed her, looking at Shao Xun.

"This life is worth it." Shao Xun said with emotion.

The young Mu Ai finally got the woman he had fallen in love with, and she even gave birth to four children for him (three sons and one daughter). It can be seen how much he loved her, and he was never idle at all.

During the companionship, the woman always pays attention to his mood, comforts him, and enlightens him, making him feel relaxed.

He gives emotional value to other women, while Pei Lingyan gives him emotional value, which is different.

He was a country dog ​​and he liked to hold his mistress in his arms and fall asleep, even though she was 47 years old and had lost her beauty, and even if he did nothing.

"Time flies, more than 20 years have passed in a flash, what else is there to see?" After settling her daughter down, Pei Lingyan sat next to him, touched Shao Xun's face with her hand, and said with a smile: "At 40, you are free from doubts, you are also an old slave."

Lao Nu does not mean a slave. In fact, it is an intimate name between acquaintances and relatives.

For example, in the joke in Shishuo Xinyu, Wen Qiao was looking for a son-in-law for his aunt, and he ended up getting the one himself. When his cousin saw him, she laughed and said, "I suspected it was the old slave, and it turned out to be as I predicted."

Lao Nu means more like "old guy".

"Yes, I am also an old slave." Shao Xun said: "My children are all grown up, and Lian Mian Niang is already seven years old."

"Grandpa, my daughter is eight years old," Mian Niang corrected.

Shao Xun was stunned, and then asked: "Then how old is your third brother?"

"Third brother is sixteen years old." Mian Niang said, "He likes reading, playing the zither and flute, and he can also dance the Hu people's dance, which is very beautiful..."

The little girl couldn't think of anything more for a moment.

Pei Lingyan picked up her daughter and said, "Nian Liu started learning Xiongnu, Xianbei, Wuhuan, and Jie languages ​​five years ago, and has made some progress. When he went to Sangziyuan a while ago, I saw letters from Western Region merchants in his luggage."

"That's not Jie language." Shao Xun said, "It's probably Sogdian."

"Sogdia? Is it the 'Liyi Kingdom' mentioned in the historical records?" Pei Lingyan asked.

"Yes, it is this country." Shao Xun nodded and said, "I am very happy to read Liu Tong's article. Maybe he can help me with the affairs of Liangzhou."

Having said this, Shao Xun was very happy and walked around the room.

Among so many sons, only Sanlang thought of learning foreign languages. What are the others doing?

"What do you think of the Liangzhou strategy that Nian Liu mentioned earlier?" Pei Lingyan asked when she saw Shao Xun was in a good mood.

"It's quite impressive." Shao Xun said, "It's beyond my expectation that he can be like this at the age of sixteen. This is my child, he has a lot of strategies in his mind."

Pei Lingyan was also very happy to hear this, but soon sighed and said, "Xi's temper has become a little soft, he is too attached to his parents and his younger brother and sister-in-law, and he lacks the energy to kill."

Hearing this, Shao Xun paused slightly.

Pei Lingyan retracted her gaze and gently stroked her daughter's face. Mian Niang felt a little itchy, so she jumped down with a giggle, then stretched out her hand and said, "Grandpa, hold me."

Shao Xun subconsciously reached out his hand, picked up his daughter, and looked at her lovely face, his mind distracted.

"After the founding of the country, I will be the first to attack Liangzhou." After a moment, he said: "By then, Nian Liu will have been in Sangziyuan for a year - well, we will see then."

(End of this chapter)