Chinese New Year

Chapter 1501 Passed By in a Flash
"The stone tiger is gone, it's not worth it." Shao Xun was fishing on the beach when he heard the news.

There are so many fish in this lake, but maybe because of the cold weather and the impending freezing of the lake, the fish are being lazy and not biting the hook much.

After saying this, Shao Xun skillfully prepared another baiting spot, then looked down at the tiny fish shorter than his fingers at his feet, and with unwavering determination, cast his line again.

In the pavilion beside him stood seven or eight officials, who came forward one by one to give their accounts.

An official from the Eastern Palace brought a newly completed copy of "Feng Tu Bing" (Treatise on Local Diseases) and requested its publication, which Shao Xun granted.

Another official from the Eastern Palace brought the first draft of "Kuodi Zhi" and requested to review it. Shao Xun told him to put it down and that he would invite martial arts experts to review the book in a few days.

The Crown Prince has been compiling books for the past few years. The final draft of the Book of Jin was completed at the beginning of last year and printing began. The first batch was small, only fifty copies.

The new Romance of the Three Kingdoms is still being revised. Since it is not being written from scratch, but rather with some added content, the first draft will be finalized soon.

Recently, someone has been organizing the lost parts of the *Dongguan Hanji*, and has proofread, revised, and added some content. It is said that the Crown Prince commissioned a continuation of the work after Emperor Ling's reign, in a style similar to the earlier text, with the aim of completing the work.

Shao Xun strongly agreed with this.

In fact, until the Tang Dynasty, the "Dongguan Hanji" was still a required subject for candidates taking the Ming Dynasty history exam. Its detailed content and rich details are truly astonishing.

Once this book is completed, it will become the official history of the Later Han Dynasty. Of course, it doesn't matter if someone continues to revise the "Book of the Later Han"; there will definitely be someone doing so, and more than one at that. Who cares?

After dealing with these matters, Shao Xun summoned Shao Zhen, the commander of the Imperial Guards, to report on Shi Hu's situation. After listening, Shao Zhen gave the above statement.

“Shi Hu also has clans,” Shao Zhen reminded him.

"Behead them all," Shao Xun ordered without hesitation.

Shao Zhen accepted the order and left.

In fact, Shi Hu still had a tribe; you wouldn't believe how much trouble such a person could cause. However, this tribe, a mix of Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, and Qiang people, has been defeated, and more than four thousand people have been captured.

Post-war statistics showed that the Qiang people actually made up the majority, but it didn't matter anymore; they were all treated as laborers to build roads.

Watching Shao Zhen's departing figure, Shao Xun refocused his gaze on the motionless fishing rod.

Wang Que'er looked around, took two steps forward, and said, "Your Majesty, although Shi Hu has been defeated, there is nothing to be happy about. I have heard that the previous Chanyu of Tuyuhun married his daughter to Shi Hu as his second wife, and the two have been in cahoots. The court has repeatedly reprimanded them, but Tuyuhun has ignored them. Such stubborn villains should be exterminated."

"Sit down," Shao Xun said.

Wang Que'er sat down on a stool to the side.

"Does Que'er still remember the Biyong Hall from back then?" Shao Xun asked.

"I remember," Wang Que'er replied, her expression becoming even more respectful.

“Back then, when you were the first batch of martial arts students following me to hunt down the Western soldiers, you were the one who showed no fear and whose spear moved like a dragon. Such decisiveness is rare in this world,” Shao Xun said. “I thought that after forty years of trials and tribulations, your temperament would have changed. But I didn’t expect that you, now in your fifties, would still be so sharp.”

Wang Que'er's expression didn't change much. She simply said, "I am considering the overall situation. The area occupied by Tuyuhun is quite important. Once they rebel, they can directly attack Xiping County within a few days. If Xiping is lost, they can go out to Dadouba Valley, enter Zhangye, and cut off the counties in Hexi. Since Your Majesty has ambitions for the Western Regions, you must not take them lightly. It would be better to take advantage of their weakness and uproot them completely."

Shao Xun hummed in agreement and said, "With your insight alone, you are capable of handling the affairs of state. However, the Western Regions have just been pacified, and the reserves in Guanzhong are not abundant. Let's wait a little longer."

“Yes,” Wang Que’er replied, understanding Shao Xun’s meaning.

Shao Xun glanced at him and laughed, "Is this all the fuss about that you had to make a special trip for?"

Wang Que'er's expression finally changed, and she said shyly, "I am worried that Your Majesty will let the Tuyuhun Xianbei go."

"What difference does it make whether we let them go or not?" Shao Xun shook his head and said, "Tuyuhun still can't even unify the various Qiang tribes. With the imperial decree bestowing titles upon them, it will probably be difficult to unify them for decades. There will be countless opportunities to deal with them, so don't be anxious. I heard that some of your men are even advocating for a campaign against Baekje?"

Wang Que'er's heart skipped a beat, and she said, "Although the King of Baekje has submitted to the Great Liang, he is actually just like Goguryeo, harboring wolfish ambitions. The king's ambitions are also growing stronger, so we must be wary."

"After defeating this one, you start attacking that one. When will this end?" Shao Xun laughed. "In August, the Rouran again spied eastward, sending vassal tribes to probe. My son Nianliu inspected the area behind the mountains and dispatched generals Xue Tao and Murong Ke to repel them. Tell me, should I continue to pursue and kill the Rouran?"

Wang Que'er was speechless.

"You are the Grand Councilor," Shao Xun said earnestly. "If you can't even control those warmongers under you, that's simply unacceptable. Who to fight? How to fight? When to fight? I will make the decisions, do you understand?"

Wang Que'er felt extremely uneasy and immediately replied, "Your subject knows his crime." "What's the big deal!" Shao Xun smiled gently and said, "You've received the jade plate and silverware?"

“Received,” Wang Que’er replied.

After conquering Linyi, Wang Que'er, as the Pingzhang Zhengshi, had made a great contribution in overseeing the overall situation. She was rewarded with dozens of jade and silver artifacts, which were quite valuable. Hence, Shao Xun asked this question.

“Tuyuhun is not like Linyi; it’s very poor,” Shao Xun said. “Go back and explain things properly. We’ve taken down all the easy targets and those with wealth. If you’re capable, go and garrison Linyi; you’re sure to find riches there. Yesterday, Sun He reported that some hereditary soldiers from Guangzhou were robbing the tombs of princes and nobles in Linyi. Those murderers are capable of anything.”

"Yes," Wang Que'er replied again.

Shao Xun then said no more.

The military force has truly grown in strength, and now they are even actively instigating attacks on this and that. Shao Xun never imagined that one day he would have to slightly suppress the military people's eagerness for military achievements. He also understood why the Tang Dynasty conquered so many countries in the early years; they were simply too eager to make a name for themselves.

After Wang Que'er withdrew, it was Huan Wen's turn.

Huan Yuanzi had just returned from Hanzhong and was assisting local officials in clearing up land registers and household registrations. He also dealt a small blow to several local tyrants and tribes—all remnants of Li Cheng's forces who had surrendered years before.

Seeing his travel-worn son-in-law, Shao Xun didn't say much and simply told him to go back and rest.

Perhaps because of his relationship with Yu Liang, Crown Prince Shao Jin had a good impression of Huan Wen and trusted him quite a bit. Of course, Huan Wen's status as a son-in-law of the emperor was also a factor.

Huan Wen was followed by Yu Mie, the Minister of Ceremonies, who spoke of the foreign envoys who had already arrived in Bianliang...

******
Shi Hu was killed silently, like a stray dog ​​on the roadside, with no one to mourn him or remember him.

Shao Xun mentioned this matter while having dinner with Liu Ye. The latter only said that Shi Hu was ambitious and ruthless from a young age, and that if the Shi Le tribe had been smaller, they would not have used him at all.

Shao Xun agreed upon hearing this.

No matter how capable a person is, they still need the right timing. If the timing is wrong, all their efforts will be in vain.

After capturing and killing Shi Hu, he looked around, utterly bewildered.

The Jie people's influence in Bingzhou has been largely eliminated. Over the past twenty years, some have been sent out to fight, some have migrated, and some have been registered as households. This place, which was once arbitrarily recruited by Liu Yuan and Shi Le at the end of the Jin Dynasty, has now been deeply controlled by the imperial court, and with the support of the local militia, it is as stable as Mount Tai.

Liu Runzhong's many sons were scattered to various prefectures, mostly in Jingzhou and Yangzhou, and gradually integrated into the lives of their respective regions.

The tribal leaders of Shangdang, led by Ma Qiu, served as officials and generals in various places, settling in other places and being submerged in the vast sea of ​​people in the Central Plains.

Shao Xun went through the major events of the year in his mind one last time and felt that he had had a relatively fulfilling year.

Dancing on three eggs, constantly balancing the forces of each side, and paying attention to the ebb and flow of one side, the overall operation was quite successful.

The conquest of the Kingdom of Lin-yi, a historical source of revenue for the Southern Song Dynasty for several years, was a significant achievement. To be fair, the claim of "hundreds of thousands of catties" of gold was likely an exaggeration. It's highly probable that such a wealthy yet incompetent patron would not exist again.

Transportation in Lelang is progressing steadily, carrying not only supplies but also thousands of civilians and soldiers. Although the seas are treacherous and ships inevitably encounter accidents, the probability remains relatively low. The direct reason is probably the extensive hydrological measurements taken in various locations, the recording of numerous meteorological data, and the standardization of operational procedures, which have truly transformed navigation into a science rather than merely a matter of oral experience.

Without demand, there would be no great development of these things. Later aviation regulations were developed through plane crashes, and the same is true for navigation, because there are some problems that you really can't figure out even if you sit at home and rack your brains.

The transformation of Zangke County is also in full swing, and everything is moving in a positive direction.

This is his empire.

After a heavy snowfall, the fifth year of Longhua (346) arrived as scheduled.

After the New Year's Day court assembly, Shao Xun only slightly moistened his lips, because he realized that he really couldn't hold his liquor.

He delegated more of the occasion to the crown prince, allowing him to receive the worship of the crowd.

Perhaps it was a case of what one thinks about during the day manifesting in one's dreams at night. On the night of the seventh day of the first lunar month, Renri (the seventh day of the first lunar month), he suddenly recalled many things from his youth, and remained lost in thought for a long time.

The passionate spirit and boundless enthusiasm of yesteryear had been gone for countless years, and he suddenly felt a strong urge to go and see them again.

(End of this chapter)