Honglou: This bastard is too persuasive.

Chapter 697 Bingzhou
Jia Changsheng led his men to the outskirts of Luoyang City. They saw the envoy dressed in gorgeous clothes, holding the imperial edict, standing there with a dignified look. Jia Changsheng led his men to kneel down and respectfully receive the imperial edict.

"Jia Changsheng, accept the decree!" The messenger read aloud, "The Emperor, in compliance with the Will of Heaven, proclaims: Today, the world is in chaos, and the four directions are in turmoil. I am worried about it. I heard that Jia Changsheng has made outstanding contributions in Luoyang, pacifying the people and rebuilding the city. I hereby appoint Jia Changsheng as the governor of Bingzhou, and hope that he will take up his post in Bingzhou, protect the territory and the people, and revive the government. I decree this!"

Jia Changsheng received the imperial edict with mixed feelings. He never thought that he would be appointed as the governor of Bingzhou. Bingzhou, located in the northern border, borders foreign tribes such as the Xiongnu. The situation is complicated, and there have been wars for many years, and people's livelihood is in decline. This seems to be an honor, but in fact it is a heavy burden.

After returning to the mansion, Jia Changsheng summoned his advisers to discuss the matter.

"General, this imperial edict comes in strange places." Advisor Li Ming frowned and spoke first, "Now that Dong Zhuo is in control of the government, there must be a hidden meaning behind appointing you as the governor of Bingzhou."

"Brother Li is absolutely right." Another strategist, Zhang Hao, echoed, "The situation in Bingzhou is complicated. There are Xiongnu invasions outside and conflicts among various forces inside. I'm afraid Dong Zhuo wants you to wade into this muddy water. If you are not competent, he can take the opportunity to punish you; if you can pacify Bingzhou, he can also reap the benefits."

Jia Changsheng pondered for a moment and said slowly: "No matter what Dong Zhuo's intention is, the appointment of Bingzhou Mu is both a challenge and an opportunity for us. Although Luoyang has gradually stabilized, our foundation is still shallow and we are caught in the cracks between various forces. If we can gain a foothold in Bingzhou, we will have more room for development."

"But, General, the situation in Bingzhou is too complicated. It might be dangerous if we go there rashly." Li Ming said worriedly.

"I understand." Jia Changsheng's eyes were firm, "but we can't retreat because of fear of difficulties. The people of Luoyang have suffered too long in the war. If we can establish a solid foundation in Bingzhou, we will be able to better protect them in the future."

After a heated discussion, Jia Changsheng finally decided to accept the appointment and go to Bingzhou to take up his post. He knew that the road ahead would be full of thorns, but he was ready to meet the challenge.

In the days of preparing to take up his post, Jia Changsheng arranged the follow-up affairs of Luoyang City, entrusted the affairs of the city to reliable subordinates, and set about organizing a team to go to Bingzhou. He selected a thousand elite soldiers, all of whom were warriors who had followed him through the baptism of war in Luoyang and were loyal to him.

Before leaving, the people of Luoyang City came to see him off, holding flowers and food, their eyes full of reluctance and gratitude.

"General Jia, what should we do now that you are gone?" A white-haired old man said with tears streaming down his face, holding Jia Changsheng's hand.

"Don't worry, old man." Jia Changsheng comforted him, "Although I am going to Bingzhou, I will always pay attention to the situation in Luoyang. As long as I, Jia Changsheng, am here, I will not let the people of Luoyang suffer from war again."

With the hopes and blessings of the people of Luoyang, Jia Changsheng led his team on the journey to Bingzhou. Along the way, he was full of thoughts, worried about the unknown road ahead, but also looking forward to the future. He knew that what was waiting for him would be an unprecedented challenge.

When Jia Changsheng led his team to Bingzhou, the scene before him made him feel nervous. The fields were barren, the villages were dilapidated, the people were pale and thin, and their eyes were full of fear and despair. After asking around, he found out that it was the Xiongnu, Xianbei and other foreign tribes from the north who often invaded the south, burning, killing, looting and committing all kinds of evil. The local officials were unable to resist, and the people were suffering.

"General, what should we do?" the deputy general asked anxiously, "The troops we brought are limited, and these foreign cavalry are highly mobile and come and go like the wind. It is difficult for us to deal with them."

Jia Changsheng frowned, thought for a moment and then said, "The most urgent task is to stabilize the people's hearts and make them feel safe. Pass the order to build fortifications in various towns, gather the people to organize militias, and strengthen patrols."

"Yes!" The deputy general took the order and left.

Jia Changsheng knew that these defensive measures alone were far from enough. In order to completely solve the problem of foreign invasion, he had to take the initiative. However, the disparity between the troops he brought and those of the foreign races was too great, which made him fall into deep thought. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind - to ask the Great Sui Empire for help.

Jia Changsheng still remembered that when he left the Sui Dynasty and came to the land of the Han Dynasty under the pseudonym Jia Shisan, although he did not have much contact with the Sui Dynasty court, he believed that with his identity as the emperor of the Sui Dynasty, if he asked for help from the country, the Sui Dynasty would definitely not sit idly by.

Jia Changsheng immediately wrote a letter, detailing the situation in Bingzhou and his predicament, and asked the Sui Dynasty to send elite troops for support. He selected an agile, loyal and reliable soldier, had him disguised, and rushed to the Sui Dynasty day and night with the letter.

During the days of waiting, Jia Changsheng was not idle. He had a deep understanding of the terrain of Bingzhou and the combat characteristics of the alien races, and formulated a series of combat plans. At the same time, he actively recruited local warriors, expanded his army, and gave them rigorous training to improve their combat effectiveness.

"Brothers, we must fight for the people of Bingzhou! In order for everyone to live a peaceful life, we must practice hard!" Jia Changsheng loudly encouraged the soldiers on the training ground.

The soldiers shouted in unison, their morale high.

In the Sui Dynasty palace, the prime minister was handling government affairs when he suddenly received a letter from Jia Changsheng. He opened the letter and his face became solemn after reading it.

"Come here, quickly summon all the ministers to the palace for discussion!" the prime minister immediately gave the order.

Soon, all the ministers gathered in the court. The prime minister told everyone the contents of Jia Changsheng's letter, and everyone started to discuss it.

"Your Majesty is in trouble on Han soil, how can we sit idly by and do nothing?" an old minister said excitedly, "We should immediately send elite troops to support you!"

"But," another minister expressed his concern, "The Sui Dynasty and the Han Dynasty are two different time and space after all. If we rashly send troops there, will it cause other changes?"

"Your Majesty is in trouble now, how can you care about these things?" Another minister retorted, "Besides, your Majesty's establishment of power in the Han Dynasty may not be a bad thing for the Sui Dynasty. If we can take this opportunity to strengthen ties with the Han Dynasty, we may be able to open up new territories."

Everyone was arguing, and the prime minister thought for a long time before saying, "Your Majesty has been kind to our Great Sui Dynasty. Now that he is in danger, we should help him. As for the possible changes, we can act cautiously and try to reduce unnecessary trouble."

In the end, the court decided to send 5,000 elite cavalry, led by an experienced general, to Bingzhou of the Han Dynasty to support Jia Changsheng.

In Bingzhou, Jia Changsheng finally waited for the reinforcements from the Great Sui Dynasty. Looking at the familiar Great Sui army flag, Jia Changsheng was very excited.

"Your Majesty, I am here to pay my respects!" When the Sui general saw Jia Changsheng, he immediately knelt down and saluted.

"No need to be polite!" Jia Changsheng quickly helped the general up, "Thanks to your support, the people of Bingzhou are saved." With the addition of the Great Sui reinforcements, Jia Changsheng's strength increased greatly. He carefully discussed the battle plan with the Great Sui generals and decided to launch a surprise attack on an important camp of the alien race first.

"We need to make a quick decision in this raid." Jia Changsheng pointed at the map and said, "The Sui cavalry is good at charging and outflanking from the flanks. Our Bingzhou soldiers will attack head-on to attract the enemy's attention. We must capture the enemy's camp before they can react."

"Yes, sir!" everyone responded in unison.

Late at night, under the dim moonlight, Jia Changsheng led his army to quietly approach the alien camp. When they were still some distance away from the camp, he ordered the soldiers to dismount and sneak in quietly.

"Remember, don't make any noise, keep quiet!" Jia Changsheng whispered.

When the army approached the camp, Jia Changsheng gave an order: "Kill!"

Suddenly, shouts of killing shook the sky, and the Bingzhou soldiers and the Sui cavalry rushed towards the foreign camp like tigers descending from the mountains. The foreign soldiers were sleeping, and were frightened by the sudden attack and panicked, and they all took up weapons to resist.

"For Bingzhou, for the people, kill!" Jia Changsheng rushed to the front, waving the spear in his hand.

The Sui cavalry took advantage of their mobility and quickly outflanked the foreign soldiers, cutting off their retreat. The Bingzhou soldiers were not afraid and engaged in fierce close combat with the foreign soldiers.

After a fierce battle, the alien camp was successfully breached, the alien soldiers suffered heavy casualties, and the remaining ones fled.

"We won!" the soldiers cheered.

Jia Changsheng looked at the cheering soldiers with a lot of emotion in his heart. He knew that this was just the beginning, and more efforts were needed to completely solve the problem of foreign invasion.
After successfully raiding the alien camp, Jia Changsheng knew that this was only a short-lived victory. The roots of the grassland aliens were on the vast grasslands. As long as their power remained, Bingzhou and even the border of the Han Dynasty would never be at peace. To completely solve the problem, he had to go deep into the grasslands and attack Huanglong. However, with his current strength in Bingzhou, it was far from enough to complete this arduous task. He once again set his sights on the Great Sui Empire.

In the temporary tent in Bingzhou, Jia Changsheng spread out a huge map of the grassland and sat together with the generals of the Sui reinforcements and his trusted advisers, discussing the next plan with serious expressions.

"Everyone, although we have won a victory, the grassland aliens are still strong. They are familiar with the grassland terrain and are highly mobile. If we cannot defeat them completely, there will be endless troubles." Jia Changsheng's finger slid across the vast area of ​​​​the grassland on the map, his eyes revealing firm determination.

"Your Majesty is right." The Sui general clasped his fists and said, "But fighting deep into the grasslands, food and grass supply, unfamiliar terrain, etc. are all problems. We need to make long-term plans."

Li Ming, the strategist, also nodded in agreement: "General, the grassland is vast. If we advance rashly, we may be surrounded by the enemy. Moreover, we have limited knowledge of the distribution and strength of the tribes on the grassland, which also increases the risk of fighting."

Jia Changsheng pondered for a moment and said slowly: "I plan to ask the Great Sui for help again, and ask the court to send more troops to go deep into the grassland, wipe out the foreign forces in one fell swoop, and occupy the grassland."

After hearing this, everyone was surprised. Li Ming hesitated and said, "General, this is a difficult task. Will the Sui Dynasty agree to it?"

Jia Changsheng's eyes were firm: "As the emperor of the Great Sui Dynasty, I am now fighting for the peace of this land. How can the Great Sui Dynasty stand idly by? Moreover, occupying the grassland is also a good opportunity for the Great Sui Dynasty to expand its territory and enhance its national strength."

Therefore, Jia Changsheng wrote another letter, elaborating in detail the strategic significance and battle plan of occupying the grassland. He wrote in the letter that the grassland was rich in water and grass, and if it could be occupied, it would not only eliminate the threat of foreign races to the Han border, but also provide rich animal husbandry resources for the Sui Dynasty, while expanding the strategic depth of the Sui Dynasty.

The messenger rushed back to the Sui Dynasty with the letter. In the Sui Dynasty palace, the prime minister and other ministers received Jia Changsheng's request again. In the court, the ministers had a heated discussion.

"Your Majesty's request is feasible." A young minister spoke first. "The grassland is vast and rich in resources. If it can be owned by our Great Sui, it will greatly enhance our national strength. Moreover, it can also relieve your majesty's worries and demonstrate the strength of our Great Sui."

"But," an old minister said worriedly, "fighting deep into the grasslands is extremely risky. The foreign tribes on the grasslands are brave and good at fighting, and they are familiar with the terrain. Our army is likely to encounter stubborn resistance or even get into trouble."

The prime minister listened to the debate quietly, weighing the pros and cons in his mind. He knew very well that this was a major decision that concerned the future of the Sui Dynasty.

Finally, the Prime Minister spoke up and said, "Your Majesty is in a foreign country, fighting for the interests of the local people and the Sui Dynasty. We should fully support you. Moreover, occupying the grassland is indeed beneficial to our Sui Dynasty. But we must be fully prepared to ensure that nothing goes wrong."

After discussion, the Sui court decided to send 50,000 elite troops, including cavalry, infantry and logistics troops, led by an experienced and resourceful marshal, to the grassland. At the same time, a large amount of food, weapons and horses were deployed to ensure the army's combat needs.

On the day of the army's march, the streets of the Sui capital were deserted, and the people came to see them off and cheer for the soldiers. The marshal rode a tall warhorse, wearing heavy armor, and stood majestically at the front of the team.

"We are carrying the heavy trust of your majesty and the glory of the Sui Dynasty on our shoulders during this expedition," the marshal shouted, "We must pacify the grassland and enhance the prestige of the Sui Dynasty!"

"Conquer the grassland and enhance the power of the Sui Dynasty!" The soldiers shouted in unison, their voices resounding through the sky.

The army marched northward, crossing mountains and rivers, and headed toward the grassland. After many days of marching, they finally arrived in Bingzhou. Jia Changsheng personally went out of the city to greet them and met with the marshal.

"Thank you, Marshal, for leading the army to support us." Jia Changsheng said gratefully, "With the power of the Great Sui, we will definitely be able to achieve our goal of occupying the grassland."

The Marshal cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my best."

(End of this chapter)