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

Chapter 340 Sima Qian was too eager to improve! [Seeking monthly votes]

The world of Emperor Wu of Han, Dingxiang North Camp.

As the weather gradually warmed up, the various camps began packing their bags and preparing to retreat back to Chang'an.

As spring arrives on the grasslands, the barbarians who migrated south scatter to various parts of the grasslands, and they will not plunder the people before autumn.

Inside the main tent, Wei Qing was reviewing a summary of the recent battle results.

Li Ju, Gongsun Ao, Gongsun He and others successively launched attacks to the north, destroying many Xiongnu settlements. The counties of Yunzhong, Dingxiang, and Yanmen all gained tens of thousands of able-bodied laborers.

In various places, roads were being built by these Xiongnu prisoners, following the road construction instructions issued by Wei Qing.

First, clean up the loose soil on the road, dig out the hard base, compact it, then lay a layer of stones, and then lay a layer of small-particle sand and gravel on top of the stones to fill the gaps. After repeatedly rolling and compacting, cover it with the soil that was removed, and continue to roll and compact it.

The road surface should be curved, higher in the middle and lower on both sides. Drainage ditches should be dug on both sides of the road to facilitate the rapid drainage of rainwater and prevent the roadbed from softening and affecting traffic.

This method of road construction is slow and consumes a lot of manpower, but its advantages are also obvious: it is sturdy and durable, and can be used for many years with just a little maintenance.

In the past, the Han Dynasty did not have the capability to build such roads, but now that the Xiongnu people were here, there was no need to worry about manpower.

Just then, Zhang Qian hurriedly walked in, carrying a bamboo slip:

"General, we have news of Li Guang."

Upon hearing this name, Wei Qing was taken aback, only then remembering that Li Guang was his subordinate, nominally under his command as the Grand General.
"Where is he?"

Zhang Qian put down the bamboo slips and said:

"The governor of Shuofang sent word that he had encountered a lost Li Guang in the desert of Sanfeng County and asked if he should be allowed to return to the Dingxiang North Camp."

Sanfeng County is located at the westernmost edge of the Hetao region, directly north of the Helan Mountains, outside the bend of the Yellow River, more than a thousand li away from the Dingxiang North Camp... Wei Qing was somewhat speechless. If he had run all the way north at this distance, he might have run into a few big fish. Instead, Li Guang plunged into Shuofang, into a corner where it was least likely to encounter the Xiongnu.

In 127 BC, Wei Qing launched the Battle of Henan, leading his army westward from Dingxiang, sweeping away the Xiongnu people who occupied the entire Hetao region, killing tens of thousands of enemies, and allowing the ancient lands of China to return to the Han Dynasty.

Liu Che ordered Su Jian to rebuild Shuofang City and establish the Shuofang Inspectorate. For this purpose, 100,000 people were relocated to the Hetao region. At this time, leading an army there to capture the Xiongnu would probably be harder than finding a three-legged toad.

Wei Qing, too lazy to concern himself with the matter, said to Zhang Qian:

"Report back to Shuofang and say that the battle of Dingxiang is over and Li Guang can return to Chang'an on his own."

Just as Zhang Qian was about to leave after receiving his orders, a towering figure suddenly appeared at the entrance of the main tent, followed by Dongfang Shuo's hearty laughter:
"General, His Majesty has ordered me to tell you a joke. What would you like to hear?"

Wei Qing found it somewhat strange:
“I’m about to retreat to Chang’an. What brings you here at this hour… Don’t just stand there at the door, come in and talk.”

Dongfang Shuo lowered his head and walked into the main tent. He was over two meters tall, wearing a full set of armor, and his imposing presence was undeniable. However, the moment he opened his mouth, it made people want to laugh.

"Huo Biaoyao said that many soldiers are homesick, and His Majesty has ordered me to represent the court to put on a performance to boost the soldiers' morale... Are there any battles recently? I have finally come to the grasslands, and if I don't bring back a few Xiongnu heads as souvenirs, the court officials will laugh at me for being incompetent."

Upon hearing about the performance, Wei Qing immediately understood:

"This matter is not difficult, but the army is currently scattered in various places and has not been concentrated. On the contrary, the Xiongnu prisoners are busy repairing roads in the prisoner camp, and some Xiongnu people returning from the south are responsible for guarding them."

Dongfang Shuo shrugged:

"I've traveled a long way here; surely I can't appease the Xiongnu people?"

Zhang Qian recalled the materials he had read and said with a smile:

"That's actually a good idea. There's a term called 'labor reform' in the Immortal's land, which means making prisoners undergo labor reform. To improve the prisoners' enthusiasm, they hold regular meetings and cultural performances. However, we don't need to do that with the Xiongnu. We can just give them empty promises and make them mistakenly believe that they have a bright future."

Upon hearing this, Dongfang Shuo patted Zhang Qian on the shoulder and said:

"No wonder Ziwen Gong was able to escape from the Xiongnu. He was very quick-witted... General, if I find a few assimilated Xiongnu to act as actors and announce in the prisoner-of-war camp that after labor reform, they have received a large house from our Great Han for free and can eat meat to their heart's content for just one coin, is that acceptable?"

Wei Qing thought it was worth a try. After all, these Xiongnu people would never be free in this life. They could build a road all the way to Chang'an, and then mine the mines until their lives were completely exhausted.

However, Dongfang Shuo's suggestion was good. It gave the Xiongnu people hope and something to look forward to, which made them more motivated to work.

Thinking of this, Wei Qing said:
"Let's rehearse first. Focus on describing the houses provided by the court, such as having courtyards in the front and back, plus a hundred acres of fertile land. We can also expand on the fact that meat can be bought for one coin, such as freshly fried chicken, unlimited fermented rice, etc. We can add more to completely arouse the desires in the hearts of the Xiongnu people."

Dongfang Shuo agreed and hurriedly left the camp. He planned to find a few Xiongnu people to rehearse with first, and once he was sure there were no problems, he would go to the prisoner camp to give a speech, to encourage the Xiongnu people, and to let them sacrifice their blood for the rise of the Han Dynasty.

Wei Qing instructed his personal guards:

"Before we withdraw, let all the armies gather here and watch Dongfang Shuo's performance to comfort the troops before returning to the capital." Dongfang Shuo has traveled thousands of miles to come here, so we need to give him a chance to perform and let the soldiers get used to this form of performance. This way, it can gradually become a regular practice.

Just after I finished arranging this, the walkie-talkie on the table rang, and Zhao Ponu's voice came through:
"Reporting to the General, we encountered a group of Xiongnu herders, numbering about a thousand, on the grasslands northeast of Dingxiang. They said they wanted to surrender to the General."

Wei Qing picked up the walkie-talkie and said:
"Confiscate their weapons and let them come over."

Zhang Qian sighed:
"Recently, more and more Xiongnu people have been surrendering south. From now on, all the prisoner camps can be handed over to the Xiongnu for management, which will divert their hatred."

Wei Qing nodded:

"However, we must still be careful to screen and identify those who have Han Chinese blood on their hands. We cannot let any of them go."

Meanwhile, Sima Qian and Su Jian had completed their mission and made contact with the Zhao Commandery Prefect sent by the court. Just as the decision was made to exterminate Jiang Chong's clan, Liu Che sent an envoy with an imperial edict and the Zhao Commandery Prefect to set off. The group waited for half a month in Liangqi County in northern Wei Commandery, and finally heard about the situation in Handan. They then set off without stopping to read the edict and change the name of Zhao State to Zhao Commandery.

After eliminating two vassal kings in succession, Liu Che worried that other vassal kings might join forces, so he had an envoy deliver a packet of rock sugar that Huo Qubing had brought to each of his brothers as a gesture of appeasement.

As soon as the Prefect of Zhao Commandery took office, he began to audit the accounts. Taking advantage of the fact that Su Jian and Sima Qian were still there, he executed a group of officials who were close to Liu Pengzu and his son overnight and confiscated their property.

A large amount of gold and countless grains were found in the palace of the King of Handan and the treasury of the State of Zhao... all of which had been accumulated by Liu Pengzu and his son over the years. Now that it has all been confiscated, it will greatly alleviate the financial pressure on the court.

Su Jian sighed:
"The grain and supplies accumulated by the Zhao state alone are enough to offset the losses of a major battle north of Dingxiang. If all the fiefdoms of the vassal kings were destroyed, the surplus grain and supplies would probably be enough for our Han Dynasty to drive the Xiongnu to the far west."

Sima Qian was also deeply moved:
"Fortunately, there is the Edict of Grace, which will gradually diminish the influence of the feudal lords until they are reduced to commoners."

He had always criticized the Edict of Grace in the past, but now that he was on Liu Che's side, he felt more and more that it was a brilliant design and that no one could find a reason to stop it.

As the two were talking, the Prefect of Zhao County came to visit, his words conveying a clear meaning:
"Everything in Zhao County is on track now, you two can lead your troops away."

With thousands of cavalry stationed in Handan, both the common people and officials were under great pressure.

Su Jian was a kind-hearted man and said that he would set off tomorrow, asking the prefect of Zhao County to prepare the provisions he would need for the journey.

After the governor left, Sima Qian had a new idea:
"General, wouldn't it be a bit of an anticlimactic for us to return to Chang'an now?"

To travel such a long distance just to wipe out Liu Pengzu and his son, as well as Jiang Chong's family, seems like making a mountain out of a molehill.

Su Jian asked:

"Do you have any good suggestions?"

Sima Qian actually found a way to earn military merit:
"When we return this time, we will travel along the Taihang Mountains. I have heard that there are many outlaws in the Taihang Mountains. If you and I use a large army to wipe them out, it will surely bring peace to the local people."

Upon hearing this, Su Jian thought that intellectuals really do have a lot of clever ideas:

"Zichang, it seems you're destined to be a marquis this time you lead the army into battle."

Sima Qian humbly replied:

"I only wish to advance my career, not to be ennobled. What was Huo Biaoyao saying again...? Ennoblement is not my desire, I only wish for peace on the seas!"

Inside Hunyuan Palace, Li Qingzhao was teaching Zhao Yan and Zhao Rui about modern life. The two sisters had learned to brush their teeth that morning and were now learning to tie their shoelaces and zippers.

Li Qingzhao taught diligently, and the two little girls were very interested.

During lunch, Zhou Yi said to Zhao Yan and Zhao Rui:
"Study hard, and I'll take you to the food street tonight to try some of the local snacks."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingzhao, who was enjoying cola chicken wings, immediately offered to take the two of them to eat stir-fried mung bean jelly so they could experience the warmth of everyday life.

Zhou Yi felt that what they ate was not important; the main thing was to go find Xu Wenhai's family, who ran a stall, and finalize the matter of the two little girls going to school.

This is where the advantages of private schools become apparent. As long as you pay, you can not only attend school, but also skip grades, get extra lessons, and so on. Once the money is there, everything is easy.

Li Qingzhao said to the two young maids, though not entirely truthfully:

"Sister, I really envy you all for being able to go to boarding school. Unlike me, I can only stay by the immortal's side all alone, and I'm not even allowed to go to school."

Zhao Rui immediately displayed her style:

"Sister, let's switch. I fall asleep as soon as I see words. Let me stay by the owner's side. I can bear this loneliness..."

Li Qingzhao: ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Good grief, so you're starting to play palace intrigue with me now, huh?
(End of this chapter)