Northern Prefecture Rivers and Mountains

Chapter 432 Han

Liu Daogui was not surprised by Liu Yi's downfall.

Of his 40,000 troops, only a minority were truly loyal to him.

Most people don't want to kill each other anymore.

After the success of the Northern Expedition, Liu Daogui surpassed the Jin dynasty in both prestige and righteousness.

Despite the momentous event of moving the imperial court to Chang'an, the Jiangzuo region remained remarkably calm.

"Among the surrendered rebels, the elite will be selected to supplement the Tiger Guard Army, while the rest will be sent back to their hometowns. The prefectures and counties of Nanyu, Nanyan, Nanxu, Nanyong, Nanqing, and Nanyou will be abolished and their old systems restored. Those from Jingkou, Guangling, Pengcheng, and Xiangyang who are willing to move north to Guanzhong will be provided with boats, carts, and provisions by the court, along with 100 mu of fertile land and two servants per household. Those who are unwilling will remain, and Jiangzuo will be exempt from taxes for three years."

Liu Daogui then began the second step.

The imperial court moved away, and the elite troops of the Northern and Western armies also had to migrate with it.

Otherwise, if they stay in the south, they will always be a hidden danger.

Riding on the momentum of his great victory, Liu Daogui decided to take care of everything at once.

Feng Kai said, "The Northern Army is loyal to the General, so it doesn't matter. However, the major Jiangdong families such as Shen, Yu, Zhu, Zhang, and Lu must not be allowed to remain in Wu."

After the Jin dynasty conquered Shu, it relocated the powerful clans of Shu to Liang and Bing provinces. After conquering Wu, it relocated the Sun, Lu, Gu, Zhu, and Zhang families to the Central Plains.

The purpose was to weaken local power.

"Why not directly emulate the imperial mausoleum system of the Han Dynasty and relocate powerful families from the east to fill Guanzhong!" Liu Daogui went a step further.

"With the world newly settled, I'm afraid this move is..." Confucian scholars always hesitate before acting.

"Those who obey me will prosper, and those who oppose me will perish. The new dynasty cannot be like the Wei and Jin dynasties, leaving behind many hidden dangers."

Liu Daogui's reputation is at its peak right now; if he can't get it done now, it will be even more difficult in the future.

In the ninth year of Emperor Gaozu of Han (198 BC), following Liu Jing's suggestion, the powerful clans from Guandong were relocated to the vicinity of Changling.

This system continued from the reigns of Emperor Hui to Emperor Zhao, relocating powerful clans from the east of the pass to weaken local power and strengthen Guanzhong.

These mausoleum towns relied on the Wei River to defend against the Xiongnu. At their peak, there were seven mausoleum towns: Chang, An, Ba, Yang, Mao, Ping, and Du. Each mausoleum town had 30,000 to 50,000 households, which was equivalent to seven inner cities guarding Chang'an.

The Han dynasty used this method to continuously suppress powerful clans and reach its zenith.

Liu Daogui was a fanatic of the Han Dynasty, so naturally he wanted to learn from the Han Dynasty's example.

What the Han Dynasty had, the new dynasty must also have.

Feng Kai cupped his hands and said, "This plan is good, but we should not rush into it. Since the General is the Duke of Pei, why not set the country name as Han and fully restore the Han system and clothing? The system of mausoleums and cities will then be a matter of course."

"Use Han as the name of the country?" Liu Daogui hesitated slightly.

Since the Yongjia Rebellion, the Han Zhao and Cheng Han dynasties have been corrupted by the Hu people.

Feng Kai said, “Since ancient times, when the capital was established in Guanzhong, it was either Qin or Han. The general is a descendant of Liu, whose ancestral home is between Pengpei. Only Han can inspire people and restore the fortune of China. This is the will of Heaven. As for Han Zhao and Cheng Han, they are fifty or sixty years old now and have long since vanished.”

Yin Zhongwen also said, "General, the Han dynasty is named after us. We have swept away the barbarian dust and returned to the source!"

It's rare that the two of them could reach an agreement on this matter.

Liu Daogui wasn't particularly attached to the name of his dynasty, but at the moment, it seemed there was no better choice than Han. Chu had been used by Huan Xuan, and Song had been used by his elder brother Liu Yu.

The Xia, Qin, Wei, and Yan states were also occupied by the Hu people.

Using Wu as the name of the state was too frustrating. Six northern expeditions were blocked by Hefei each time, turning the state into a completely local power.

Looking back at previous dynasties, the Han dynasty made the greatest contributions. Externally, it attacked the Xiongnu in the north, expanded the four commanderies in Hexi, opened up the Western Regions, destroyed the Yelang Kingdom in Nanyue, and annexed Korea. Internally, it consolidated the prefecture and county system, promoted education, and increased the population to a staggering 60 million.

For Liu Daogui, the Northern Expedition was just the beginning.

The ultimate goal is to restore China.

The restoration of China is essentially the restoration of the prosperity and glory of the Han Dynasty.

Yin Zhongwen's four words "tracing back to the source" were exactly what Liu Daogui wanted to hear. The Han Dynasty was a successful model, with the longest reign, the greatest military achievements, and the most profound influence on China.

Although it has some shortcomings, compared to the Jin Dynasty, it is worlds apart. "Han!" Liu Daogui made the final decision.

Since his surname is Liu, he should take Han as the name of his country. After returning to Chang'an, Liu Daogui should be promoted from Duke of Pei to King.

"Report—Our army has been defeated at Yiyang. Xu Kuizhi, Wang Yunzhi, and Shen Yuanzi have been killed in action. Our army has suffered more than half its casualties!" The scout rushed over.

"what?"

"How could this be?"

Feng Kai and Yin Zhongwen spoke at the same time, their faces filled with disbelief.

This is the first time in a major battle that three generals have been killed.

The key battle was still the campaign to suppress the bandits.

Liu Daogui thought victory was assured, which is why he sent Xu Kuizhi to lead the army to accumulate some military merits to pave the way for the future. He never expected to suffer such a crushing defeat...

Their defeat will not only affect the relocation of the capital, but also the implementation of the mausoleum system.

If pushed too far, the powerful clans of Guandong will turn around and support Sima Guofan and Huan Shisui.

Liu Daogui rubbed his forehead. Huan Shisui was a remnant of Huan Chu, whose core force was the Western Army, which was quite powerful.

Sima Guofan was extremely skilled at bewitching people. When he moved to Yiyang County, he raised the banner of supporting the Jin Dynasty and gained the support of the local gentry and people. In some ways, this "bandit" was stronger than Liu Yi.

Perhaps we shouldn't have underestimated them from the very beginning.

Feng Kai comforted him, saying, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war. General, there is no need to worry. Sima Guofan and Huan Shisui are just clowns and nothing to fear. We only need to send the elite troops from the Central Plains south to pacify them."

Liu Daogui said, “Since I raised my army, I have been invincible in every attack and battle. The defeat at Yiyang is no small matter and should not be taken lightly. The elite Tiger Guard Army is either in Guanzhong or Hebei and will find it difficult to move south in the short term.”

Guanzhong faced threats from the four states of Qin, Liang, and Xia, while Hebei was still confronting Northern Wei and Northern Yan, all of which put them under considerable pressure.

The process of sending them south would be protracted, and Sima Guofan and Huan Shisui would have already gained considerable influence.

It would be better to let Wang Zhen'e go north.

Yin Zhongwen's eyes darted around, "It seems the General has forgotten someone."

"who?"

"Prefect of Wuling, Sima Xiuzhi!"

Sima Xiuzhi has kept a very low profile all these years. He sent his eldest son, Sima Wensi, as a hostage and voluntarily relinquished his military power. He has always been well-behaved and has never had any dealings with Sima Shangzhi or Sima Dewen.

During his years in Wuling, he pacified the Wuxi barbarians, recruited refugees, and reclaimed wasteland, achieving considerable political success.

Most of the princes in the Sima family were good-for-nothings, but the ups and downs of the country over the years have also produced a number of talented people.

If he had any treacherous intentions, he would have conspired with Liu Yi long ago.

With the geographical advantage of Wuling and the surrounding barbarians, this rebellion will be larger and more difficult to quell.

Most importantly, Liu Daogui did not want to be tied down by civil war any longer. The Northern Expedition was not completely successful. Yao Qin was destroyed, Hu Xia rose to power, and Northern Wei was also licking its wounds.

The real battle is yet to come.

“If I issue this military order, it might backfire and force Sima Xiuzhi to rebel. Since he is behaving himself, we don’t need to push him too far.”

Liu Daogui did not adopt his bad idea.

Sima Xiuzhi has a good reputation and knows how to maintain the bigger picture; there's no need to push such a person to the brink.

Liu Daogui stared at the map, pondered for a moment, and then said, "Issue the order: Wang Zhen'e will march out of Wuchang and attack its south; Tan Pingzhi will march out of Nanyang and attack its west; Wang Zhongde will attack its north; and I will personally lead eight thousand elite cavalry to attack its east! We must join forces from all sides and not let a single bandit escape!"

With this configuration, it would be enough not only to deal with Sima Guofan, but also to launch another Northern Expedition.

The sudden rise of Sima Guofan and Huan Shisui made Liu Daogui realize that the south still needed to retain an elite force.

The powerful clans and aristocratic families have dominated Jiangzuo for many years, their influence deeply entrenched, and future rebellions are inevitable.

(End of this chapter)