Shuhan

Luoyang City, the capital of the Han Dynasty, is usually bustling and bustling with traffic.

However, on this day, the whole city seemed to be shrouded in a layer of haze, and the atmosphere was so depressing that it made people feel breathless.

Inside the palace, Liu Chan was reviewing memorials in the imperial study. He was wearing a bright yellow dragon robe and a crown on his head. He had a serious face and focused eyes.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried footsteps broke the silence in the imperial study.

"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! There is an emergency at the border!" A messenger, dressed in a gray official uniform, rushed into the imperial study in a panic, knelt on one knee, and said in a trembling voice.

Upon hearing this, Liu Chan suddenly stopped the brush in his hand, and ink dripped onto the memorial, leaving a black stain.

He slowly raised his head, his eyes as sharp as torches, staring at the herald, and said in a deep voice: "Why are you so panicked? Tell me in detail."

Liu Chan's voice was deep and powerful, with an unquestionable majesty.

The herald took a deep breath, calmed down his emotions, and said, "Your Majesty, the Xiongnu, Xianbei, barbarians and other ethnic groups have united to launch a fierce attack on the border of our Han Dynasty. Although the Han army fought hard, it is somewhat powerless in the face of the joint offensive of the ethnic groups. The situation on the border is critical!"

Liu Chan's face turned pale in an instant, and his eyes were filled with anger and shock.

He never expected that those powerful families would be so bold that they would collude with foreign races in an attempt to overthrow the imperial court in order to protect their own interests.

He stood up suddenly, clenched his fists, and shouted angrily: "These traitors are simply crazy!"

Liu Chan's voice echoed in the imperial study, full of anger.

"Your Majesty, please calm down." An old minister standing nearby, wearing a crimson court robe and with a gray beard, stepped forward, cupped his hands and said, "The most urgent task now is to come up with a response plan as soon as possible to resolve the crisis on the border."

Liu Chan took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"In Youzhou to the north, the Xiongnu and Xianbei are invading the border; in Jingzhou to the south, the barbarians are in rebellion. The internal and external troubles are coming in force." Liu Chan thought to himself, his young face full of worry.

"It must be that this land measurement policy has harmed the interests of certain people. They even went so far as to collude with foreign races in an attempt to disrupt the Han Dynasty." Liu Chan gritted his teeth, a look of determination flashing in his eyes.

He knew very well that this was not a simple foreign invasion, but that there must be domestic forces behind the scenes fanning the flames.

Liu Chan immediately ordered: "Call Zhao Zilong and Zhuge Liang to the palace to discuss matters immediately!" The voice echoed in the empty hall with unquestionable majesty.

Soon, Zhao Yun and Zhuge Liang walked quickly into the hall.

Zhao Yun has a tall and straight figure, his silver armor gleaming coldly under the candlelight. He has a resolute look on his face, revealing the heroic spirit of a veteran of hundreds of battles on the battlefield. Zhuge Liang wears a feather fan and a turban, his face is calm, his eyes are wise and deep, and his every move reveals his elegance.

The two knelt and saluted: "Your Majesty, we pay our respects to Your Majesty."

Liu Chan stood up, walked down the dragon throne quickly, helped the two men up, and said, "My dear ministers, the situation is critical now. The Xiongnu and Xianbei in the north and the barbarians in the south have all risen up in rebellion. The Han Dynasty is facing a crisis. I wonder if you two have any good plans?"

Zhao Yun stepped forward, clasped his fists and said, "Your Majesty, I think that there is no need to say more when dealing with these foreign races. I only need to lead the troops to conquer them one by one. The soldiers of the Han Dynasty are brave and fearless, and they will surely know how powerful the Han Dynasty is!"

After saying this, he clenched his fists, his eyes burning with fighting spirit, as if he had already seen the scene of the enemy's defeat on the battlefield.

Zhuge Liang gently waved his feather fan, frowned slightly, and said: "Your Majesty, General Zhao's bravery is known to the world. However, the foreign tribes' rebellion this time was instigated and used by disloyal people in the country. If our army mobilizes a large-scale war, although we can win, it will inevitably cost the people money and labor. I think the most urgent task is to find out those forces in the country that collude with foreign tribes and eradicate them completely. In this way, the foreign tribes will be like rootless duckweed, and the chaos can be quelled."

Zhuge Liang's eyes were calm and his words were clear and logical, revealing a sense of calmness and confidence.

After hearing this, Liu Chan fell into deep thought. He paced back and forth in the hall, sometimes looking up at the roof of the hall, sometimes looking down at the ground, weighing the two people's strategies in his mind.

"General Zhao's strategy can enhance the military prestige of our Han Dynasty and achieve a quick victory. But what Mr. Zhuge said also makes sense. If we can't find the mastermind behind it, I'm afraid there will be more trouble in the future." Liu Chan thought to himself.

After a long while, Liu Chan stopped, raised his head, and said with a firm look: "I have decided to take a two-pronged approach! General Zhao, I order you to immediately deploy troops on the border to deter foreign tribes. If they dare to invade further, give them a head-on blow!"

Zhao Yun knelt on one knee and said loudly: "Your Majesty, rest assured that I will fulfill my mission!"

Liu Chan looked at Zhuge Liang again and said, "Prime Minister, please send the people from the Military Affairs Department to secretly investigate the noble families and powerful people in the country to find those who intend to rebel. I want to catch them all in one fell swoop! At the same time, I will send envoys to the barbarians to use both kindness and force to explain the benefits and disadvantages, and try to break up their collusion with the domestic rebels."

Zhuge Liang bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty is wise and wise. I will obey your command."

After receiving the order, Zhao Yun did not dare to delay for a moment and quickly rushed to the army.

At this time, the neatly arranged tents in the military camp reflected a cold luster under the sunlight. The soldiers were in high spirits, waiting for the general's orders.

Zhao Yun strode onto the stage to review his generals. His eyes were like a sharp eagle's, quickly scanning every soldier below the stage.

Then, he suddenly drew out the sword from his waist, raised it high, and the sword flashed with cold light, like a flash of lightning.

Zhao Yun shouted loudly: "My men! How dare the Xiongnu and Xianbei, this group of shameless people invade the border of our Han Dynasty, wantonly kill our people, burn, kill, rob, and commit all kinds of evil! As men of the Han Dynasty, we have the responsibility to defend our country! Today, we will let them know that those who offend the Han Dynasty will be punished no matter how far away they are!"

The soldiers in the audience were furious when they heard this. They raised their weapons and shouted in unison: "Whoever offends us will be punished, no matter how far away they are! Whoever offends us will be punished, no matter how far away they are!"

The sound was earth-shaking, as if it was going to tear the sky apart. Zhao Yun looked at the soldiers with high morale and nodded with satisfaction.

Then, he quickly issued a series of military orders: "Infantry battalion, listen up, carry long spears and sharp blades, line up on both sides of the central army, and prepare for close combat! Cavalry battalion, listen up, tidy up the horse gear, check the bows and arrows, and follow me to charge into battle! Crossbow battalion, listen up, adjust the bows and crossbows, and prepare to suppress the enemy from a distance!"

The soldiers acted quickly, and the entire camp was busy but orderly.

When everything was ready, Zhao Yun mounted his horse.

The white horse under him was tall and strong, paddling the ground with its four hooves and neighing, as if it also felt the passion of the upcoming battle.

Zhao Yun rode on his horse with his eyes as sharp as torches, like a towering mountain, revealing endless majesty and confidence.

He looked up at the northern sky, where there seemed to be faint smoke rising, and his heart was filled with contempt for the enemy and the belief that he would win.

"Hmph, you Xiongnu and Xianbei, how dare you invade the border of the Han Dynasty? I will make sure you never return!" Zhao Yun said secretly, gritting his teeth, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, revealing a disdainful sneer.

The army marched towards the northern border in a mighty manner. Along the way, the military flags fluttered in the wind, as if announcing the arrival of the Han army to the enemy.

The horses' hooves raised a cloud of dust all over the sky, like rolling yellow clouds, covering the entire team.

Zhao Yun rode at the front of the team, with an upright posture, like a god of war descending to earth.

His eyes were firm and focused, and he was always observing the surroundings, not missing any details. Occasionally, a gust of wind blew, blowing up his cloak, making a rustling sound, adding to his heroic spirit.

As the army moved forward, the scene on the border became increasingly desolate.

The withered yellow grass trembled in the wind. The mountains in the distance were rolling, but there was no sign of life.

Zhao Yun knew very well that this place was once a prosperous land, but now it had become so dilapidated due to the invasion of the Xiongnu and Xianbei.

This further strengthened his determination to repel the enemy and recover the lost territory. He secretly vowed in his heart: "I must restore the vitality of this land and let the people live a peaceful life!"

In this way, Zhao Yun led the army, full of passion and firm belief, and rushed towards the northern border. A fierce battle was about to begin...

At the same time, Zhuge Liang returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion and immediately summoned the head of the military department.

"This mission concerns the safety of the Han Dynasty. You must be careful and cautious. Investigate those powerful families in secret and report any clues immediately." Zhuge Liang had a serious expression, and his eyes revealed unquestionable majesty.

The head of the military department cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, Prime Minister. We will do our best to catch those traitors."

On his side, Liu Chan carefully selected an eloquent envoy and ordered him to go to the barbarian area of ​​Jingzhou immediately.

After receiving the order, the messenger set out on his journey with generous rewards.

The envoy traveled all the way, sleeping at night, and finally arrived at the barbarian camp.

There were tents everywhere in the camp. When the barbarians saw the Han envoys coming, they immediately became alert and surrounded the envoys with weapons in hand.

The messenger remained calm and said with a smile, "Don't panic, everyone. I am an envoy sent by the Emperor of the Han Dynasty. I have come to discuss important matters with you."

The barbarian leader walked out of the tent. He was tall and strong, with a full beard, and his eyes were full of wildness and suspicion.

"Humph, an envoy from the Han Dynasty? You Han people usually bully us, what are you doing here now?"

The messenger smiled and said, "You are wrong, Chief. The Emperor of the Han Dynasty knows that you were instigated by traitors to start a rebellion. The Emperor is kind and does not want to start a war with you. As long as you stop colluding with the rebels at home, the Han Dynasty will not only forgive you for your past mistakes, but also give you many rewards."

After saying this, the messenger signaled his entourage to display the rewards they had brought one by one. The gold, silver, jewelry, silks and satins sparkled with alluring light in the sun.

When the barbarians saw these rewards, they couldn't help but reveal a hint of greed in their eyes.

The leader was a little shaken, but still pretended to be tough and said, "Humph, how can I believe what you big men say?"

The envoy was delighted when he saw this, knowing that there was a chance of a turnaround. He continued, "If you don't believe me, I can leave one person as a hostage. Besides, what good will it do you to be an enemy of the Han? Once the Han army approaches, you will probably find it difficult to resist. If you make friends with the Han, you will not only get these rewards, but you will also be able to trade with the Han in the future and gain more benefits."

The leader pondered for a long time, weighed the pros and cons, and finally said: "Okay, I will trust you for now. But if you dare to break your promise, I will not let you go!"

The envoy was overjoyed and said, "Don't worry, leader. The emperor's words are as good as gold and he will never break his promise to you."

While the envoys were dealing with the barbarians, Zhao Yun had already led his army to the northern border.

At the border, the wind was cold and the sky was filled with yellow sand. Zhao Yun looked at the camps of the Xiongnu and Xianbei in the distance, thinking about how to respond.

"Report - General, the enemy has set up camp ahead. There are a large number of them, and there seems to be signs of an attack." The spy reported.

Zhao Yun raised his lips slightly and said, "You are just in time! Pass on my order, the whole army is on alert, don't panic. When the enemy approaches, follow my command and give them a head-on blow!"

The soldiers shouted in unison: "We will follow the general's orders!" The sound resounded through the sky and morale was high.

On the other hand, the military officers sent by Zhuge Liang were also secretly investigating the powerful families in the country.

They collected clues everywhere, contacted with informants in various places, and did not miss any suspicious points.

After a painstaking investigation, the military officials finally found some clues.

Evidence of collusion with foreign races was found in a prominent family in Jingzhou.

It turned out that this noble family was dissatisfied with the land measurement policy, believing that it harmed their interests, so they secretly colluded with the barbarians, attempting to use the barbarians' power to overthrow Liu Chan's rule and restore their former privileges.

The military officials quickly reported the news to Zhuge Liang.

When Zhuge Liang learned about it, he immediately went to the palace to report to Liu Chan.

After hearing this, Liu Chan was furious: "How dare these traitors be so bold! Prime Minister, immediately send troops to surround this family and don't let any of them go!"

After receiving the order, Zhuge Liang quickly dispatched troops to surround the aristocratic family.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the people of the aristocratic families attempted to resist, but they were quickly suppressed under the powerful offensive of the Han army.

At the same time, on Zhao Yun's side, the Huns and Xianbei saw that the Han army was on high alert and did not dare to attack rashly.

The two sides confronted each other on the border for several days. After consultation, the leaders of the Xiongnu and Xianbei felt that it would be difficult to gain any advantage from this invasion, so they ordered a withdrawal.

Zhao Yun saw the enemy retreat and did not pursue them. He knew that although the crisis was temporarily resolved, the hidden dangers facing the Han Dynasty had not been completely eliminated.

As for the envoy, after successfully persuading the barbarians to stop their rebellion, he returned to the capital with a letter of peace from the barbarian leader.

After Liu Chan read the letter, he was overjoyed. Thanks to Liu Chan's decisive decision and everyone's efforts, the crisis was finally temporarily resolved.

However, everyone knew that this peace was temporary.

As long as the Han Dynasty still wants to measure the land, the rebels will continue to cause trouble.

Emperor Guangwu once wanted to measure the land, but finally gave up.

And the people of the world were forcing Liu Chan to give up like Emperor Guangwu.

(End of this chapter)