The revival of the Han Dynasty must start with Dong Zhuo

Chapter 391 Volume Five: Conquering the Wolf’s Lair!

Liu Xie no longer paid any attention to Tian Feng, who was stunned by fear.

"I originally thought that I am still young after all. I will spend three to five years to slowly sort out the situation in Hebei and the Central Plains, reduce the number of deaths in various places, and then welcome the new Han Dynasty together."

"But if you don't want to, then I can't do anything about it."

Liu Xie shook his head.

"The Central Plains noble families at least chose to rise up in rebellion, but you were so foolish as to coerce public opinion and use it to threaten me."

"But you probably never thought that the reason why public opinion is easily swayed is not because of its stupidity, but because of its simplicity."

“The simpler something is, the more you can tell the difference between good and bad.”

"I, or how the imperial court treats the people of Hebei, they have all seen it."

"They still see for themselves how you treat the people of Hebei."

"The ones you lose are never me, but the people of Hebei who have been oppressed by you for a hundred years."

Liu Xie turned around and ordered Yang Xiu: "Pass on my order, saying that this is the first time I have heard of the Hebei nobles bullying the people like this, and I feel guilty."

"All the students admitted by the noble families this time will have their official titles revoked and will not be allowed to participate in the imperial examinations for ten years."

"Also, send a message to Xun You, asking him to take people to measure the land in Hebei and count the population in Hebei, so as not to leave any more troubles for the court in the future."

"As for Tian Feng and the others... after all, they are the three highest officials in the imperial court. I must always consider the overall situation and not damage the reputation of the imperial court. Therefore, I will not deal with them for the time being, but will just take them to Chang'an first."

"Here!"

Tian Feng's eyes were dull at this moment, as if he had just had a beautiful dream.

The emperor has never thought of blending in with the world and allowing Hebei to continue to maintain its original ecological environment.

Especially after the emperor defeated Kebi Neng, he had no more scruples and launched a drastic attack on the scholars in Hebei.

Different from the previous emperor.

The emperor never thought of taking direct action against famous Hebei scholars like Tian Feng.

Instead, they cut off the source of the problem, namely land and population.

With the support of public opinion, he holds the military power.

Even strictly speaking, this matter was not done in accordance with procedure.

But public opinion has begun to support the emperor, so how can there be any question of procedure?
Only then did Tian Feng realize what a stupid thing he and others had done!
He actually exposed the powerful weapon of public opinion, and then let the emperor hold it, stabbing the Hebei families hard!

The emperor's understanding of public opinion and his application of public opinion are far more sophisticated than those of these Hebei families!

"I have been waiting here for several months."

Liu Xie held his chin.

"I will wait and see what Hebei will become!"

……

Jizhou, Huixian.

A total of two people passed the imperial examination in Hebei.

One of them is Zhang Sheng, who came from a wealthy local family.

One of them was Jia Kui, a poor scholar who migrated here from Hedong to seek a living.

When Zhang Sheng heard that he had passed the exam, he immediately held a banquet in the village and invited Jia Kui and the three elders in the village to attend the appointment.

Jia Kui is handsome and alert.

When he heard Zhang Sheng's invitation, although he knew that this person had a bad reputation, he decided to pay him a visit, thinking that they would be officials in the same dynasty in the future.

Jia Kui lived in a thatched hut outside the county town, while Zhang Sheng had an extremely luxurious mansion in the county town.

As he approached Zhang Sheng's mansion, Jia Kui suddenly discovered that many people were gathered in a circle in front of the alley.

Jia Kui moved closer and found that it was a pale-looking middle-aged couple who were kneeling on the ground holding their infant child and kowtowing towards the direction of Zhang Sheng's mansion.

"Get lost! My master is getting pregnant today, don't let him see any more of you here!"

Several evil servants from Zhang Sheng's mansion came over and pointed at the couple's noses and cursed them!
"It is only natural to pay back debts! Why are you guys cheating again today?"

The couple knelt there, crying.

"We all know that Mr. Zhang is a very kind person! If he hadn't been willing to lend us food last year, I'm afraid we would have starved to death in the winter."

"But the time is really too tight! The money owed has not yet been paid for the crops in the fields this year! Can Mr. Zhang be merciful and extend the time for a few days? Wait until the crops in the fields are ripe this year, and then pay the money back?"

Jia Kui in the crowd understood what had happened just by hearing a few words.

Agricultural loans have existed since ancient times.

"All farmers seek to make a profit in a year when a month's deficit is insufficient."

The natural laws of grain ripening mean that farmers’ harvest cycles are destined to be extremely long!
Once something serious happens in daily life, the farmers' fragile survival balance will be broken and they will have to go out to borrow money to make ends meet.

Therefore, as early as the Spring and Autumn Period, Guan Zhong believed that when investigating the national conditions, one should "ask how many poor households in the city are in debt and have to eat" and "ask how many households have borrowed millet with special certificates."

Later, with the development of commodity-money economy, the newly emerging feudal nobles owned land and strong capital, and they could rely on the power of the regime to lend money to farmers for profit. For example, Mengchang Jun of Qi State lent a large amount of money to farmers in Xueyi to earn interest and support his guests.

Later, some businessmen discovered the huge profits and began to further issue agricultural loans, targeting farmers who owned land.

Because of the productivity of agriculture and the mortgage of land, merchants are more willing to lend capital to farmers. During the Warring States Period, merchants generally used contract vouchers to lend money. When lending, merchants signed a loan voucher with farmers, specifying land as collateral. Then the loan voucher was divided into two, with the debtor holding the left voucher and the creditor holding the right voucher. If the indebted farmer could not repay the high interest when due, the merchant would "hold the right voucher as a responsibility" and take the land and other collateral for himself. After Cao Bing of Shandong started his business by smelting iron, he lent money for interest and "lent money all over the county."

By the time of the Han Dynasty, agricultural loans had become normalized and became the main way for the aristocratic families to suck blood!

The scene before Jia Kui's eyes was naturally a microcosm of countless people during the Han Dynasty.

"It is only natural to pay back debts..."

It is indeed a matter of course!
But when Jia Kui saw the skinny couple and the child in their arms, who was pulling at his mother's shriveled collar, he couldn't help but get angry and stood in front of several evil servants.

"Everyone! Forgive others when you can!"

"Even if it is natural to repay debts, it is not the time for crops to mature in the fields. You ask them to repay the loan now, don't you want their land and lives? Don't you feel ashamed for doing such a thing?"

Several evil servants spat!
"You want to be the first to speak out, right? Don't give me so much advice! I'm just asking you, should I pay back the money I owe?"

"Yes, I should."

Jia Kui looked calm.

“But unreasonable agricultural loans do not need to be repaid!”

"There are clear regulations in the Jian'an Code! Whenever ordinary people borrow money from others, first, the interest rate cannot exceed 30%, second, the repayment date must be after autumn, and third, both parties must go to the government office and sign a contract under the witness of the government!"

Jia Kui was familiar with the "Jian'an Code".

"If any of the above is violated, the borrower does not have to repay the agricultural loan!"

"Let me ask you, which of the three above-mentioned conditions do you actually meet?"

Several evil servants looked at each other, and then looked at Jia Kui as if he were a fool.

"The Jian'an Law? What the hell is that? Why haven't I heard of it?"

Jia Kui: "It is the decree issued by the emperor in the first year of Jian'an!"

"Which emperor? Do I know him?"

The evil servant's words caused everyone to laugh.

Here, the Zhang family’s rules have always been the rules!

Forget about the Jian'an Law. Even if the emperor is here, it won't work!

"you!!!"

Jia Kui glared at them and said, "Aren't you afraid that I will report you to the government and punish you for disrespect?"

"Go ahead and sue!"

The few evil servants didn't care.

"Let me tell you, the current county magistrate is an old friend of our master! And now our master has passed the imperial examination, and he will surely become a top official in the future! Who would care about you?"

Although Jia Kui was angry, he still had some rationality and was unwilling to argue with these little devils.

"Let me go see Zhang Sheng! I must have a clear discussion with him about this matter!"

"Since he passed the imperial examination, he must be very familiar with the Jian'an Code! But if he is so familiar with it, he still did such a shameless thing that broke the law knowingly. It is clear that his crime is even more serious!"

"Does the imperial court really dare to employ such a scholar as an official?"

The evil servant was intimidated by Jia Kui's aura at first.

But as soon as he saw Jia Kui's shabby attire and ill-fitting clothes, he concluded that he was not an important person!

"Damn it, you dare to call my master by his name? You're courting death!"

Although Jia Kui had some martial arts skills, he was poor and weak, so he was knocked to the ground after just two attempts.

Just when these evil servants were about to surround us and beat us up, there was suddenly a commotion around us!
Jia Kui looked up and was shocked to find that it was a team of Han soldiers wearing heavy armor rushing towards Zhang Sheng's mansion!

When several evil servants saw that it was the Han army coming, they quickly abandoned Jia Kui and came to the leading squad leader with their backs bent to flatter him.

"Sir, what brings you here?"

"Sir, my master is preparing a banquet, please go in and have a cup of tea!"

"Master Jun..."

But the general who came over slapped the opponent in the face and said, "Get lost!"

"Yes Yes!"

Although these evil servants were slapped, they still greeted him with a smile: "If the general tells us to get out, we will get out right away! Hehehe!"

At this moment, the leading squad leader also saw Jia Kui being beaten to the ground.

Suddenly my eyes lit up!
He stepped forward to help Jia Kui stand up and said, "Liang Dao, why are you here? I heard that you passed the imperial examination, but I never came to visit you. I didn't expect that I couldn't find your home. I'm really ashamed."

When Jia Kui was taking the imperial examination, it was this sergeant who escorted him, so naturally he remembered Jia Kui.

When those wicked servants saw that Jia Kui actually knew the sergeant of the Han army and that he was a scholar who had passed the imperial examination, they immediately leaned against the wall with their mouths wide open, losing their previous liveliness.

Jia Kui stood up, thanked the chief, and told him the whole story.

"Asshole! How dare you violate the Jian'an Law!"

This chief was from Hedong and was one of the first people to come into contact with the Jian'an Code.

The "Jian'an Law" has long been deeply rooted in his heart!
Now some people dare to openly violate the law, they are simply seeking death!

Jia Kui held the angry captain and said with some concern: "Zhang Sheng is a powerful family here after all. I hope you don't conflict with him, lest things go against you and you get punished."

"Huh? The powerful family? I'm fighting against the powerful family!"

The sergeant took out an official document and motioned Jia Kui to read the words on it carefully.

"The emperor has issued an order that all the children of noble families will be stripped of their titles and honors this time, and will not be allowed to take the imperial examinations for ten years!"

"And you don't know about other places! People from many places in Hebei have already rushed into the mansions of local wealthy families, dragged the people inside and beat them to death! Zhang Sheng can still do such evil things, it can only be said that he is lucky!"

However, the captain snorted coldly: "But his luck is about to end anyway!"

"Go in! Bring Zhang Sheng out for me!"

The soldiers behind him immediately rushed in and pushed out Zhang Sheng, who was looking terrified and confused.

Jia Kui also took advantage of the chaos to rush into the mansion, found a large box of contract certificates, and threw them in with fire, burning them to ashes!

“My benefactor!!”

Seeing Jia Kui's actions, the couple and other people who were probably victims of loan sharks all kowtowed to Jia Kui and said, "Great benefactor!"

Jia Kui shook his head and said, "I am not your benefactor! The emperor who formulated the Jian'an Law is your benefactor! The government that upheld the Jian'an Law is your benefactor!"

"If you want to thank someone, then thank the Holy Emperor!"

……

Things like this happen all the time all over Hebei.

Because Jia Kui's deeds were so representative, they were quickly reported up the chain of command and reached the ears of the emperor.

"Jia Kui..."

Liu Xie silently repeated the name twice in his mind, and then sighed again -

“Agricultural loans…”

Agricultural loans are the most advantageous means for wealthy families to exploit the common people, and they are even a legal economic activity.

A total ban on agricultural loans will definitely not work.

All farmers are those who have more than enough in a year when they have less than a month...

If agricultural loans are really banned completely, the people will not be able to survive until the end of the year and will all starve to death!

But if agricultural loans are relaxed, that won’t work either.

Landlords and wealthy families who have sufficient capital at the beginning can easily reap the benefits of the people who own land by relying on their size, eventually leading to the so-called "dynasty cycle".

If the power of agricultural loans is placed in the hands of the government, that would be even more unacceptable!
It is easy to estimate that once this matter is linked to the political achievements of officials, how much forced lending will occur and how much people will suffer!

At least that’s what Wang Anshi’s “Qingmiao Law” did in later generations, and the result was that it almost killed the prosperous Song Dynasty…

There is actually only one way to solve it.

That is to make people rich!

In other words, it means equal distribution of land!

Give the people enough land!
This will give them the ability to resist disasters so that they don't have no surplus every year and have to borrow money from the landlords and wealthy families, which would lead to their bankruptcy and reduce them to tenants.

But the land is limited, but the population will grow.

Even if there is enough land in the world for the people to share now, what about 20 years from now? 50 years from now? Or even 100 years from now?

"I have to think of a way to give the people more surplus on a daily basis..."

Fortunately, Liu Xie now has enough time and does not have to worry about what will happen twenty or fifty years later.

But some things can be prepared now!
"Fengxian! It all depends on whether you can completely kill Kebineng this time and bring peace to the grassland!"

……

grassland!

At this moment, the Wuhuan had caught up with Lu Bu and joined forces with him.

"How can this Kebi run faster than a rabbit?"

Lu Bu chased after them in frustration and asked Lou Ban, who was serving as his guide, "Are you sure you got the right direction?"

"That's absolutely right! General Lu, don't worry!"

At this moment, Lou Ban was like a loyal little follower, his eyes full of admiration for Lu Bu.

The grassland worships the strong.

Lou Ban originally thought that Zhang Liao, who had killed Suli and Tadun successively, was already a top-notch warrior among the Han people!
But it was not until he met Lu Bu that he realized how short-sighted his understanding was!
In fact, during their pursuit, Ke Bineng had thought about counterattacking.

But any counterattack in front of Lu Bu was like releasing a group of sheep, bleating in front of Lu Bu.

After several attempts, Kebineng no longer dared to attack Lu Bu, and instead fled northward!

"General, the direction is definitely correct. There is still a smell of livestock manure here."

Lou Ban twitched his nose twice with great effort.

"This is the edge of the southern desert. Judging from Ke Bineng's appearance, he is probably going to flee directly to the northern desert!"

"In a place like Mobei, even if we go in, we are gambling with God, half life and half death."

"So, if Kebi can really enter Mobei, I hope the general won't continue chasing him!"

Lu Bu snorted heavily, his nose as thick as a jade pillar.

"Even if Kebi Neng really escapes to Mobei, I will definitely cut off his head and bring it back to the emperor!"

Lou Ban knew that he could not persuade Lu Bu, so he could only continue to follow Lu Bu and chase him.

Good luck!

After chasing for ten consecutive days, Lu Bu finally caught up with Kebinen's tribe!

"This is where?"

Lu Bu pointed to a towering mountain in the distance.

I saw lush grass and rivers at the foot of the mountain, which was a perfect place for grazing!

"General Lu! This is where the Xiongnu's royal court used to be!"

"That mountain range is the sacred place of the Xiongnu people! Langjuxu Mountain!"

Hearing the name, Lu Bu was slightly stunned.

Then he took a deep breath and asked, "Is this really the Wolf Mountain?"

"Exactly!"

Lou Ban knew what Lü Bu wanted to ask, so he said to him, "This is the Wolf Mountain where the great Han general Huo Qubing, the champion marquis, was conferred the title of Wolf Mountain!"

"Kebi is staying here probably to get enough supplies for his survival in Mobei!"

"If we let him escape here, I'm afraid we won't have the chance to catch up with him again!"

After hearing this, Lu Bu clenched the Fang Tian Hua Ji in his hand!
"How could I let him escape?"

After saying that, he pulled the reins, and Red Hare, which was already galloping, sped up even faster, and rushed towards the Kebinen tribe that was resting at the foot of Langjuxu Mountain!

At this moment, Ke Bineng was kneeling by the river, scooping up a handful of clear water and was about to enjoy it.

But with a glance, Lu Bu's red figure suddenly appeared in his field of vision in the vast sky and earth.

"..."

Ke Bineng was so exhausted that he couldn't even curse.

Chase!
Still chasing!

Still chasing after him!
Lu Bu has completely become Kebinen's nightmare!

"Send someone to ask him what I should do to make him let us go!"

Kebineng's younger brother, Zhuluohou, came to the front of the battle array with a defeated look on his face.

"General Lu! You are an eagle soaring in the sky! You are a wolf galloping on the grassland! Your brilliance is more dazzling than the sun in the sky! Everything in the world will be ashamed compared to you. Why do you pursue us humble people so relentlessly?" "..."

There was a lot of Xianbei language mixed in Zhu Luohou's words.

Lu Bu didn't understand, so he had to ask Lou Ban next to him again: "What does he mean?"

After careful consideration, Lou Ban gave a reply:

"He said that General Lu, you are like a beast..."

"Cao! Dare you scold his grandfather?"

Lu Bu was furious. He took out his bow and arrow, pulled it into a full moon shape, and shot at Zhu Luohou!
The arrow was so powerful that it was still in Lu Bu's hand the moment before, but had already sunk into Zhu Luohou's chest the next moment, killing him!

When Ke Bi heard that his brother was killed by Lu Bu, he was also angry and said: "The Han people have an old saying, when two armies are fighting, they don't kill the messengers! Lu Bu is like this, how can he be a Han Chinese!"

When Lv Bu heard Ke Bineng's complaints, he was disdainful: "What a bunch of old sayings! Does Ke Bineng want to take the imperial examination and win the first place?"

After shooting Ju Luohou, Lu Bu did not stop at all and charged directly towards Kebineng's army!
Ke Bineng knew that he couldn't escape!

Now that Lu Bu was chasing him, he no longer had time to take away his people, livestock, or fresh water.

If you want to enter Mobei, these three things are indispensable!

Without these, even if Ke Bi could enter Mobei, how could he come out alive?
In other words, even if he came out alive, what would happen? Could he still become the Chanyu of the Xianbei who continued to control the grassland?

When he thought of this, Ke Bineng completely forgot all the Han Chinese philosophy of trying to draw a tiger but end up drawing a dog, and only the vicious animal nature in the bones of the Xianbei remained, and he charged towards Lu Bu!

"Well done!"

When Lu Bu saw that Kebi Neng not only did not run away but rushed towards him, his joy and fighting spirit reached its peak!
The Red Hare sensed its master's intention, and given the perfect environment for a warhorse to gallop, it completely loosened its restraints and carried Lu Bu towards the Wolf Mountain under the sky!

"Lu Bu!"

Ke Bineng led his last bit of strength and charged towards Lu Bu, as if he wanted to shake the mountains and the hills!
"court death!"

On the front battlefield.

Or on the front battlefield of the cavalry.

Lu Bu has always had only one belief——

I am invincible!

A group of Xianbei soldiers kept charging towards Lu Bu, but Lu Bu was like the eternally unmoving Langjuxu Mountain in front of them, standing still!

Until he rushed in front of Kebinen, Lu Bu smashed him hard with the handle of his halberd, and knocked the grassland overlord, who had only been powerful for a few months, off his horse!

The Xianbei Chanyu was not even a match for Lu Bu!
When the Han cavalry caught up from the rear, they found that Lu Bu was already driving Red Hare alone, chasing thousands of Xianbei soldiers fleeing on the grassland!

The Wuhuan leaders including Louban, Nanlou, Su Puyan and others who arrived later all swallowed their saliva and unconsciously swallowed their tongues into their stomachs.

"Is this Lu Bu really not a ferocious beast in human skin?"

"With such a fierce tiger guarding the border, who on the grassland would dare to have other thoughts?"

"..."

The last bit of thought of the three men was completely shattered by Lu Bu's bravery.

They believed that even if they hid between the white mountains and black waters, Lu Bu would definitely pull them out and tear them to pieces!
"I, Wuhuan, should submit to the Han Dynasty from now on..."

terrible!

It has always been said that the Han Dynasty in the south had fallen into decline.

But now it seems that the big man was not weak before. He was clearly bending his body to jump, just like a tiger pouncing on its prey!
Ke Bineng, unfortunately, was the first prey swallowed by the fierce tiger that leaped up like a big man...

"Louban."

Su Puyan suddenly called out Lou Ban's name.

"We have decided to jointly nominate you as the new Chanyu of Wuhuan."

Lou Ban was first surprised, then happy, and then confused.

"Why?"

Strictly speaking, Louban, Nanlou and Subuyan were three different tribes of Wuhuan. Nanlou and Subuyan had no obligation to nominate Louban to become the Chanyu of Wuhuan.

Moreover, as Tadun's main troops were lost inside the pass, Lou Ban's power was far less than that of Nanlou and Su Puyan.

Lou Ban didn't understand why two of their highly respected predecessors would nominate him to become the new Chanyu of Wuhuan.

"Because you are still young."

"Besides, you have also witnessed how powerful the big man is."

Su Puyan showed a solemn look.

"How long has the big man been standing in the south?"

"When we Wuhuan were still barbarians who ate raw meat and drank blood, they had already established a powerful country."

"Even the Xiongnu were defeated by the Han people and became their vassal."

Su Puyan's voice was full of pessimism.

"From now on, no matter whether it is Tan Shihuai or Ke Bineng, they will not be able to shake the big man in the slightest."

"The big man is invincible!"

"So we must let future generations remember, remember never to provoke the Han people again!"

"If one day we die and someone in our tribe forgets the power of the Han Dynasty, you will still help us get rid of them."

"Similarly, before you die, you must let a member of your clan who knows the power of the Han Dynasty inherit the position of Chanyu. Don't let them lead us Wuhuan into an irreparable situation!"

After hearing this, Lou Ban felt extremely uncomfortable!
But what if it hurts?

Even if Tadun were alive, even if the Wuhuan were ten times stronger than they are now, would they have the strength to challenge the Han Dynasty?

……

After a moment of silence, Lou Ban also sighed and said, "I remember this! From now on, I will take this sentence as my ancestral motto and pass it down from generation to generation. I will never let the Chanyu of Wuhuan dare to disobey the Han Dynasty again!"

"Okay! If that's the case, then we can rest assured!"

……

Lou Ban looked up and found that Lu Bu was driving the Xianbei people like a group of docile livestock, gradually approaching Langjuxu Mountain.

"Build an altar! I want to offer sacrifices to the heavens here on behalf of the emperor!"

Seal the wolf house!

Nearly three hundred years later, a Han altar was set up here again, and Han rituals and music were played!
Establish the Central Altar.

Heaven, Earth, Gaodi and Huangdi each used a calf!
The Green Emperor and the Red Emperor shared one calf!
The White Emperor and the Black Emperor shared one calf, so a total of six calves were used!
Lu Bu set up an altar and lit the fire. His face no longer had the arrogance of the past, but instead looked solemn and dignified.

"Your Highness, General of the Cavalry and Marquis of the Champion, Lü Bu, will offer sacrifices to the heavens on behalf of the Emperor at Mount Langjuxu!"

"I am a military commander, not good at speaking. Today I am sealing the Wolf's Lair, and I am telling the world on behalf of the emperor—"

"The Han Dynasty will rise! I hope the spirits of our ancestors will not worry!!!"

The Xianbei and Wuhuan people looked at Lu Bu who was offering sacrifices to the heaven with envy.

They knew that the big man had really begun to revive!

No matter how the situation changes on the grassland, the big man will always be the big man!
Wuhuan leaders including Louban, Nanlou, and Subuyan were the first to kneel down and kowtow towards the altar.

The rest of the Xianbei and Wuhuan people also gave up resistance and followed suit and knelt down...

The clarion call of the Han Dynasty's revival has thoroughly echoed across the grassland!

From now on, there will only be one voice on the grassland, and that is the voice of the man!

After offering sacrifices to heaven and earth, Lu Bu did not stop there, but continued to lead his troops northward.

It was because he had promised the emperor that in addition to sealing the Wolf's Lair, he would also help the emperor to see the place where Su Wu grazed sheep!
After leading the cavalry north for less than a hundred miles, Lu Bu was surprised to see a sea suddenly appearing in front of him!
Vast sea!

North Sea!

There are many names for it in history books, but few people have actually seen this place!

"It's truly a work of genius! There's actually a vast ocean here!"

Just as Lu Bu was sighing, he heard Lou Ban explain: "General, this is not the sea, but a huge lake."

"how is this possible?"

"Seriously!"

Lou Ban was extremely sure.

"According to the Dingling people in the north, there is actually another sea further north than the Hanhai! It is a real sea like the one near Liaodong!"

"It's just that it's said that it's like a ghost town in the underworld. Half of the year, it's dark, the sun doesn't rise, and there are no livestock or grass there. That's why no one goes there!"

At this moment, Lu Bu's heart was truly shocked!

He originally thought that no matter how big the world was, it was only this big.

No matter how far the north is, it’s only this far.

Arriving at Mount Langjuxu and the vast ocean means you have reached the end of the sky.

But after hearing what Lou Ban said, Lu Bu realized that he was extremely wrong.

Even though he had already drunk water from the vast sea, it was only a place that his ancestors had already reached three hundred years ago.

Three hundred years later, no one has ever explored the edge!
Since the vast ocean to the north is not the end of the world, is the ocean to the east really the end of the world?

Are Jiaozhi and Rinnan in the south really the end of the world?

Are Parthia and Qin in the west really the end of the world?

Before arriving at the vast sea, Lu Bu had never thought about these things.

But now, these thoughts one after another appeared in Lu Bu's mind, making Lu Bu feel confused!

With more questions than when he set out, Lu Bu finally returned to the Great Wall a month later, where he met the emperor who had returned after settling the affairs of Hebei.

"Your Majesty, I have done my duty!"

When Lu Bu, who had made unprecedented contributions, reported to the emperor, his two thick and heroic eyebrows never relaxed.

The emperor, who was very familiar with Lu Bu, saw through Lu Bu's anxiety at a glance, and immediately summoned Lu Bu into the tent, leaving only the two of them to talk.

"His Majesty……"

Lu Bu hesitated.

"Is there anything that cannot be said between me and Fengxian?"

Hesitated again.

Lu Bu suddenly shook his head: "I am afraid that even the emperor cannot answer my question, so I dare not offend him."

The emperor smiled and said, "Fengxian, you have offended me!"

Lu Bu:......

Taking a deep breath, Lu Bu asked a rather romantic question:

"Your Majesty, how big is this world?"

Liu Xie was stunned.

He really didn't expect that with Lu Bu's intelligence, he would actually ask such a question!
As soon as Lu Bu opened his mouth, it was like a flood that broke through the dam and could not be stopped.

"I have always believed that after conquering the Wolf's Lair and drinking from the vast sea, I would have no regrets."

"But when I think about it carefully, I realize that it is just a place that my ancestors visited three hundred years ago. The scenery I see is no different from the scenery my ancestors saw three hundred years ago."

"It seems that even the achievement of Fenglangjuxu is only this good!"

Fenglangjuxu is nothing more than that!
If Lu Bu's words were to spread and recorded, I wonder how many generals would curse him out of envy!
But for Lu Bu, it is just like that!

This man who had already reached the pinnacle suddenly felt unprecedented coldness and loneliness!

When Huo Qubing conquered the Wolf's Lair and drank from the vast sea three hundred years ago, he could feel that the world was at his feet, but Lu Bu and neither can his descendants.

That's why Lu Bu wanted to know how big this world is! How far is it!
Liu Xie felt both relieved and happy at this moment.

He didn't expect that the first person in the world who truly understood him was Lu Bu.

Even if we followed Emperor Guangwu's example and restored the Han Dynasty, we would only be following in the footsteps of our predecessors.

If the lifelong pursuit of future generations is nothing more than repeating what others have said, it would be too sad!

Liu Xie laughed at this moment: "I thought that the first person to express this feeling to me would be Sima Yi or Zhuge Liang."

"But I never expected that the first person to say this to me would be you, Lu Fengxian!"

"Since Fengxian wants to ask me, I will naturally tell you the answer!"

Lu Bu's eyes lit up: "Your Majesty knows?"

"Of course I know!"

Liu Xie stomped the ground under his feet twice -

"The end of the world is right under your feet!"

“How high the sky is and how long the earth is is not told by others, but is determined by your own feet!!”

"Huo Qubing measured the land to the vast sea, why couldn't Fengxian measure the land to the true end of heaven and earth!"

Liu Xie looked far to the north, his eyes full of fire.

At this moment, Lu Bu also came back to his senses and looked at the emperor eagerly!

This kind of emperor is the Han emperor he first met!
Wherever the sun and the moon shine, and wherever the rivers flow, all of this is Han territory!

The distance between heaven and earth is never in the heart, but under the feet!
Suddenly, Lu Bu raised his head with great pride: "Your Majesty, I will tell you the truth!"

"I relied on the speed of my Red Hare and actually walked a little further north along the edge of the vast sea!"

"In other words, the distance I have traveled has now surpassed that of Huo Qubing!"

Liu Xie looked at Lu Bu, who suddenly became childish, and laughed again: "Good! Good! Fengxian did a good job!"

Perhaps, the distance that Lu Bu walked was just a trivial one or ten miles.

But it is undeniable that Lu Bu's footprints did exceed those of Huo Qubing back then, and he extended the territory of the Han Dynasty one step further to the north!
"With Fengxian's ambition, why should we worry that the Han Dynasty will not be able to make further progress in the future?"

At this moment, Lu Bu received the emperor's praise and smiled like a child, with his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.

"Today is an exception. Fengxian and I will toast together in the army!"

Liu Xie personally poured wine for Lu Bu.

"First cup!"

Lift each other up.

"Respect the Han Dynasty!"

The king and his minister drank it all in one gulp!

Fill it up again.

"Second cup!"

Lu Bu took the initiative to toast Liu Xie: "Cheers, Your Majesty!"

"Third cup!"

It was Liu Xie who took the initiative to pass the cup out: "Respect first!"

"it is good!"

……

As the cups change, everyone gets drunk even without drinking the wine.

This was the first time the emperor got drunk.

After Yang Xiu and others entered the emperor's tent several hours later, they found that the two men had lost all consciousness.

A few swear words came out of Lu Bu's mouth from time to time, and he would often unconsciously flap his arms, which could easily make a sound of breaking through the air, scaring the soldiers on his left and right to dodge.

In the end, it took the combined efforts of a dozen burly Tiger Guards to subdue the drunken Lu Bu and carry him back to their own tent.

Although the emperor was also drunk, he lay motionless on the table, only murmured from time to time.

Yang Xiu was so bold that he actually pricked up his ears and leaned over to listen to the emperor's drunken words.

"Master, I really don't know how to do this question."

"Grandmaster, Fengxian has made great progress!"

"Grandmaster, I gave you a great-grandson in vain... Yes, that's right, his name is your surname, Mr. Liu... Is he fat? How would I know? It's all your fault, Grandmaster. I have to lead the army to war myself, and I haven't been home for more than a year..."

"Grand Master..."

After hearing a few words, Yang Xiu didn't dare to listen anymore. He hurriedly helped the emperor lie down, then quietly walked out of the tent.

When the emperor woke up again, several hours had passed.

Liu Xie covered his aching forehead and looked at Yang Xiu suspiciously: "Did I say anything strange when I was drunk?"

"no!"

"really?"

"really!"

Yang Xiu could not bear the torture of the emperor's gaze, and hurriedly reported: "Your Majesty! Now the Southern Xiongnu Chanyu Liu Bao, the Western Xianbei Chanyu Budugen, and the new Wuhuan Chanyu Louban are waiting outside the tent. Does Your Majesty want to summon them?"

The three most powerful leaders of the remaining tribes on the grassland were waiting outside the tent for the emperor to wake up, not daring to make any noise to disturb him.

After Lu Bu killed Kebi Neng and conquered the Wolf's Lair and drank from the vast sea again, these once lawless foreign leaders finally submitted to the Han Dynasty again and prostrated themselves at the feet of Liu Xie, the Han emperor!

"Dezu, how do you think we should deal with these people?"

Yang Xiu showed a helpless look.

"Your Majesty, you have already decided this. Why do you need me to say anything more?"

As he spoke, Yang Xiu had already rummaged through the box next to him, and quickly placed a document in front of the emperor.

The document began with five large characters written on it:

[Beiting Protectorate]!
(End of this chapter)