Inheriting a Taoist temple, the story begins with Wu Zetian offering incense.

Chapter 327 The Song Dynasty Without Horses: Soon to Become History! [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

Throughout Chinese history, the border regions have constantly shifted between Sinicization and non-Han influence.

When the imperial court was powerful, Han Chinese were stationed on the borders, and the non-Han people on the borders would also be assimilated into Han Chinese. This is what is known as the Sinicization of non-Han people.

The "Han people becoming like Hu people" refers to the gradual replacement of areas originally inhabited by Han people by Hu people. For example, the four prefectures of Dunhuang, Jiuquan, Zhangye, and Wuwei, established during the reign of Emperor Wu, were originally inhabited by Han people, but by the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the Qiang people had migrated east across the Qilian Mountains, and the area gradually became a mixed area of ​​Han and Hu people.

After the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, the Hu people moved south one after another, and the four prefectures of Hexi were occupied by various ethnic groups in turn. It was not until the Sui and Tang Dynasties that they were brought back under the jurisdiction of the central government.

However, after the An Lushan Rebellion, the Hexi region was firmly occupied by the Tibetan Empire, beginning a period of decline that lasted for hundreds of years.

Now that Chen Tang understands the historical trend, he plans to find a way to stop this process. He proposes to establish small county towns in the flat and valley areas south of the Yellow River, where potatoes and other crops can be grown. As long as they can be self-sufficient, they can multiply generation after generation, and the Han population will gradually increase.

During this period, any Qiang people who refused to be disciplined were either executed or forced to work on infrastructure projects, while those who were compliant were gradually assimilated, thus maintaining the central position of the Han people.

These policies are not easy to implement, but there is still hope if several generations work tirelessly.

After all, the future emperor was Chen Tang's apprentice, and the chief minister was Chen Tang's adopted son. As long as they could get through this crisis smoothly, the Han Dynasty could live on for a second time, and then they wouldn't have to be held back by powerful families like Liu Xiu.

Wang Zhang was quite wary of the influence of aristocratic families:
"General, can we really establish a new order that will make the aristocratic families keep their tails between their legs?"

Chen Tang said with a smile:

"It's easy to make the powerful families keep their tails between their legs, but it's more difficult to establish a new order. Overall, though, there shouldn't be any major problems. As long as we keep in mind that the world belongs to everyone, we can overcome any setbacks."

With the token in hand, it would be easy to subdue the powerful families, but that's not enough. We also need to release the hidden population, redistribute farmland, establish a new talent selection mechanism, and get rid of the Oscar-style bad habits of recommending filial and incorruptible officials, scholars who have passed the imperial examinations, and outstanding talents.

Emperor Wu of Han established the system of recommending filial and incorrupt officials, which was essentially meant to encourage the people to do good. However, by the end of the Han Dynasty, this policy gradually got out of control, and the selected officials were all just performers.

For example, Wang Xiang would lie on the ice to catch carp. Every day, he would go around like he was going to work, first going around to everyone he met and crying that his stepmother wanted to eat fish but couldn't catch any. Then he would lie on the ice and repeat this for a month.

The more people gathered on the shore, the more excited he became, and he eventually won the title of "filial and incorruptible official." He went through major events such as Cao Wei's usurpation of the Han dynasty and Sima Yi's usurpation of the Wei dynasty, and built a large family.

The "Wang" in the phrase "Wang and Ma share the world" refers to the Langya Wang clan, whose famous figures, such as Wang Dao, Wang Xizhi, and Wang Xianzhi, were all members.

During the process of recommending filial and incorruptible individuals, any mathematical problem involving a system of two linear equations in two variables could halt the rise of these families.

What Chen Tang needs to do now is to add some math problems to the talent selection process, to put more pressure on the scions of aristocratic families and the Han gentry.

Soon, the Qiang people were brought over one by one, numbering over two thousand. Many of them glared fiercely at the Imperial Guards, their eyes filled with hatred, showing no awareness of being prisoners.

Chen Tang looked around, then randomly picked out a few who looked defiant, tied their hands and feet, and threw them into the Yellow River.

"I have limited time, so I will only say this once: your sneak attack on the Han cavalry is a heinous crime and you deserve to die. Now I will give you a way out: stay here and build a road for three years. After that, you will be released. If you agree, stand on the left; if you disagree, stand on the right. Now make your choice."

Soon, the left side was crowded with Qiang people, but nearly a hundred people still stood firmly on the right side, constantly cursing the Qiang people on the left for being spineless.

Upon seeing this, Chen Tang immediately ordered his men to set up the solar cooker and dragged the person who was cursing to the cooker's support frame.

"I love tough bones the most in my life, and I can roast even the toughest bones until they melt."

The sun wasn't too scorching yet, but the concentrated sunlight was still unbearable, especially when it shone on the brain. The man's hair quickly burned off, and the intense heat and light caused him to scream in pain, yet he still didn't die.

The remaining Qiang people quietly moved to the left, leaving only a dozen or so iron bars, looking like they would rather die than surrender. Chen Tang called over the team leaders and told them to take on one of them each, and that they would only be considered safe when they begged for mercy.

Soon, these teams began to make their moves.

There were all sorts of methods, from using torture to physically tormenting others to using fists and kicks in a fair and square manner.

Chen Tang didn't pay much attention. He walked to the side and began measuring the span of the Yellow River with a laser rangefinder, continuing to search for a suitable location to build a bridge.

Just then, a group of messengers followed the valley of the Qingshui River all the way to the Yellow River and brought a letter from Gan Yanshou.

Chen Tang opened the bamboo tube sealed with wax, took out the letter, and was immediately overjoyed:

"They actually found Zhao Feiyan. Old Gan is quite something. When we go to Hunyuan Palace tomorrow, we should put in a good word for him."

He took out his notebook, quickly wrote a reply with a carbon pen, and also wrote a memorial to Liu Shi. He sealed all of them in a bamboo tube with sealing wax and had the messenger take them back.

After finishing this matter, Chen Tang measured the distance, put away the instruments, and returned to the interrogation site. By this time, all the tough guys had started begging for mercy, and the one tied to the solar cooker had already died.

Chen Tang led all the Qiang people around to the solar cooker to see what would happen to those who were stubborn. Then he led them away from there to find a suitable campsite to set up and prepare for road construction.

However, these matters were not under Chen Tang's jurisdiction. He would soon lead the Imperial Guards to Shuofang, and the road construction had been entrusted to Lao Gan, with the General of the Guards' office responsible for it. The reason for tormenting the Qiang people today was to leave a shadow in their hearts, making them easier to control and discipline.

Inside the Hunyuan Palace, Wu Meiniang first told Ban Chao about the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and then began to recount the Three Kingdoms period and the Five Barbarian Invasions, which made Marquis Dingyuan's hair stand on end.

"How dare these mere barbarians disrupt our Chinese civilization?"

Wu Zetian said:
"After your death, the Western Regions rebelled again, and the Han Dynasty gradually lost control of the Western Regions. Therefore, we cannot simply appease the various countries. We must exterminate those that are not worth it, especially some small countries that are like clowns. As for the Northern Xiongnu, Dou Xian destroyed them and left, giving the Khangai Valley to the Xianbei people. For the next few hundred years, the Xianbei people rode on the backs of the Han people until they were assimilated during the Sui and Tang Dynasties."

After listening, Ban Chao was stunned for a long time before letting out a long sigh:
"I will tell His Majesty, but His Majesty is in the prime of his life... why would he suddenly pass away next year?"

Wu Zetian searched for relevant historical information on her computer:
"Guo Ju, the Chamberlain, had an affair with Empress Dou. Emperor Zhang of Han, Liu Da, caught them in the act. Guo Ju drew his sword to frighten Liu Da, who then fell ill and soon passed away."

Ban Chao decided to tell His Majesty about this matter. A subject should fulfill his duty. If the court were to send him to Luoyang to be questioned because of this, then he could use the imperial edict to purge the court of corrupt officials.

Wu Zetian suggested:

"Although Liu Zhao is now the crown prince, he is only seven or eight years old and not many people care. When you send a message to Luoyang, you can slip him a letter or two along with some gifts. In case Liu Zhao comes to Hunyuan Palace in the future, you two will not be too unfamiliar with each other."

Ban Chao felt that it was indeed necessary to plan ahead. He even wanted to remind his elder brother Ban Gu not to get too close to the Dou family.

Although Ban Chao was recommended to join the army by Dou Gu, now that the rise and fall of the Han Dynasty is at stake, he wants to save the Han Dynasty and make the country rise again, instead of gradually perishing under the attack of powerful families, relatives of the empress, and eunuchs.

At noon, Wu Zetian cooked noodles, and Li Qingzhao brought back a bunch of braised dishes from the shoes she bought in town. Ban Chao ate until he was stuffed.

Li Qingzhao also had a video call with Gongsun Da Niang and they saw each other's lunch.

In the afternoon, after Zhou Yi returned, Wang Ge drove a high-top truck and delivered the sweet elephant grass stems that had been harvested in the past two days. The various forage seeds that Zhou Yi had ordered online also arrived, and the quantities were quite large.

In the evening, the five wind turbines that had been ordered were delivered. Zhou Yi did not allow them to be installed; he let the deliveryman go home after unloading the truck.

Three of these generators were given to Xin Qiji, enough to power his eyes in the early stages. One was also sent to Zhao Xu's palace so he could have electricity and avoid damaging his eyes too early.

The last one is for Li Longji. He has recently accumulated a lot of merit, so it's time to reward him.

When Zhou Yi arranged these events, in the Later Zhou world, Guo Rong looked at the newly conquered city. Ever since the momentum started, the Khitans had been retreating step by step.

The Khitans did put up resistance, but both their men and their mounts trembled at the sound of exploding grenades and were completely unable to fight.

On the other hand, the Later Zhou dynasty, having gained a psychological advantage, once again created a situation where one Han person could defeat five Hu peoples... For thousands of years, as long as the Han people could overcome the psychological barrier of being unable to defeat foreign tribes, the foreign tribes could quickly weaken.

"Report! Zhao Kuangyin has captured Mizhou and killed its garrison commander, Yelü Mulu, in battle!"

"Report! Zhang Yongde has captured Sanhe, killed five thousand Khitan cavalry, and seized countless supplies."

"Report! Wang Yansheng has captured Xianghe. All the Khitans in the city have been killed, and not a single one has escaped."

"..."

One by one, messengers rushed in, reporting the results of the battle.

After two months of personal command, Guo Rong recovered the core area of ​​the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, and the Youzhou region will soon be under his control.

However, when he heard about Wang Yansheng's results, his vision went black:
"This person is extremely bloodthirsty; he will probably never be able to enter the central government."

Those with a strong desire to kill will either guard the Northeast, the grasslands, or the Western Xia in the future. These three places are the future spawning locations for alien races, so they must be well protected.

However, compared to the Northeast and the grasslands, Guo Rong preferred that Wang Yansheng go to the Tangut people... Since he had historically subdued the Tangut people, he should do even better now.

Eating ears and such is not very elegant. I'll have to talk to him about it later. He shouldn't eat just anything. What if something bad happens to him? We'll lose a great man.

After reading the battle reports from various regions, Guo Rong instructed Han Tong:

“Select five hundred good horses from among the captured warhorses. Our little brother who supplies us with grenades is short of horses. As the elder brother, I must help him get rid of the horse shortage!”

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(End of this chapter)