Three Kingdoms, I'm really not a general!

Chapter 561 Situation of all parties
After entering Xuchang, Xing Daorong and Guan Yu naturally discovered Cao Ren's last letter.

At this moment, Xing Daorong slowly unfolded the letter and whispered: "My wind is getting stronger, and the enemy's horn has sounded. I will put on my armor and fight the enemy to the death."

"This letter is my last. I hope that people in the future will know that I, Cao Ren, am honored even in defeat and have no regrets even in death."

"Cao Ren's last words, on the city of Xuchang, the wind swept away the remaining clouds, and the world mourned together..."

Thinking of this, Xing Daorong couldn't help but pause, and a complicated look flashed in his eyes.

Let’s not talk about anything else. The generals of the Cao family, Cao Hong... Cao Ren, and even Cao Zhen who was killed by Bao Long, were indeed not afraid of death.

If you are not afraid of death, it means you have a wealth and glory in your next life to protect you. These people are not afraid of death...they are really not afraid of death.

Xing Daorong also felt a bit of admiration.

Guan Yu stood aside, his eyes narrowed, his long beard fluttering in the wind. He was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke: "Although Cao Zixiao is an enemy, he is also a man of steel."

Xing Daorong nodded and sighed, "Brother Yunchang is right. Although Cao Ren is our enemy, his loyalty and bravery are admirable."

"He was trapped in an isolated city, knowing that he would be defeated, but he still refused to abandon the city and flee. This kind of integrity is indeed rare."

Guan Yu stroked his beard and pondered, gazing into the distance, as if he had penetrated through layers of clouds and mist and saw the figure of Cao Ren standing alone on the top of the city wall.

He said slowly: "Heroes in the world serve their respective masters, and there is no right or wrong. Cao Ren was loyal to the Cao family until his death, and this sense of loyalty is worthy of respect."

Xing Daorong carefully put away the last letter, put it in his arms, and whispered: "Brother Yunchang, today Xuchang has been pacified, the Central Plains has been settled, and the goals of the expedition have been achieved. I wonder how the Prime Minister is doing now?"

Guan Yu smiled and said, "Why should we worry about the Prime Minister? Just wait for the victory report!"

Xing Daorong nodded slightly.

It makes sense. The strength that Zhuge Liang faced in Xuzhou was probably far weaker than that in Chang'an and Xuchang.

Based on Zhuge Liang's ability...he can definitely handle it.

...

Xing Daorong and Guan Yu’s guess was naturally correct.

After Zhuge Liang took over from Xing Daorong and took charge of the situation in Jiangdong, the main focus was also on stability.

Originally, his brother Zhuge Jin had been serving as an official in Jiangdong, and the Jiangdong aristocratic families had long been on good terms with Xing Daorong, so it was only natural for him to control Jiangdong.

With the cooperation of the Jiangdong families, Zhuge Liang basically encountered no rivals since he sent troops to Xuzhou.

At this moment, they had entered the important town of Xuzhou, the city of Guangling.

Zhuge Liang still retains his old ways, which is standing on a hill outside Guangling City with a feather fan and a green turban, overlooking the city from afar.

Behind him, Lu Xun, dressed in a blue shirt and with clear eyes, was discussing in a low voice with several young men from Jiangdong's aristocratic families.

A breeze blew by, lifting Zhuge Liang's sleeves and blowing the feather fan in his hand, as if the wind and clouds between heaven and earth were all under his control.

"Mr. Kong Ming, the defense of Guangling City is strong. Although Cao's army has retreated, there are still remnants of soldiers in the city who are resisting stubbornly. A strong attack may result in heavy casualties." Lu Xun stepped forward, his tone respectful but confident.

Zhuge Liang smiled slightly, fanning himself with a feather fan, his eyes deep as the abyss: "Bo Yan is right. Attacking the city is inferior, attacking the heart is superior. The people of Xuzhou have been through wars for a long time and are already exhausted. If we can influence them with benevolence and righteousness, we may be able to defeat the enemy without fighting."

Lu Xun nodded in agreement, then turned to the young men of the Jiangdong family behind him and said, "Everyone, Guangling is an important town in Xuzhou. If you can win the hearts of the people with benevolence and righteousness, you will be able to lay a foundation for your majesty. Please follow me into the city, appease the people, and promote benevolent governance."

All the young men from the noble families responded in unison, mounted their horses, and followed Lu Xun towards Xuzhou City.

Zhuge Liang stayed on the hill and watched them go away, with a hint of approval in his eyes.

...

A few days later, outside the city of Guangling, Lu Xun and the young men of Jiangdong's aristocratic families took separate actions, either opening warehouses to release grain or pacifying the refugees.

Seeing that they had no hostility and were always thinking of them, the people gradually lost their vigilance. The remaining soldiers in the city saw that the situation was hopeless and they all abandoned their weapons and surrendered.

At the same time, Zhuge Liang led his army north, bypassing Guangling and heading towards Pengcheng.

As he walked, he ordered people to issue proclamations to publicize his benevolent policies and call on the people of Pengcheng to join in the great cause.

Seeing the people's support, the commander of Pengcheng knew he was powerless to resist and had to open the city and surrender. A few months later, Xuzhou was taken over by the Han Dynasty without a single bloodbath.

As a result, there were only two places south of Hebei: Yanzhou and Qingzhou.

The entire Central Plains...was almost completely lost!
...

Luoyang…Xuchang…Pengcheng…

When good news from all sides reached Chengdu, Liu Bei could no longer bear it.

In the third year after he became emperor, he prepared to move the capital!
Not to mention, there are quite a few places for Liu Bei to move the capital.

One is Chang'an, where Emperor Gaozu established his capital, and the other is Luoyang, where Emperor Guangwu established his capital.

Both places are legal, so no matter where Liu Bei goes, he will just let nature take its course.

It’s just that…moving the capital is indeed a big deal, and all aspects must be considered carefully.

There are two voices in the court right now.

...

The third year of Zhangwu, autumn.

The fragrance of flowers floated in the Chengdu Palace.

Liu Bei stroked the sword at his waist, and the mottled cloud and thunder patterns on the scabbard flickered in the moonlight.

The sheepskin map spread out under his feet turned yellow in the candlelight. The winding Qiaohan Ancient Road between Luoyang and Chang'an now looked like a silver snake lurking in his eyes.

"Luoyang." With a light sigh, Liu Bei stroked the palace mark outlined in cinnabar on the map with his fingertips.

On the desk was a memorial sent by Zhuge Liang. The edges of the bamboo slips were cracked by the post horses, but the ink was still visible on the back of the slips: "Luoyi is located in the center of the country, and the grain transport is connected in all directions. The grain from all over the country can reach the capital in three days."

good…

Even Zhuge Liang, who was far away, proposed moving the capital.

Only Liu Bei had not made a decision yet. He was walking in the Chengdu Palace, muttering to himself.

"Zhuge Liang proposed Luoyang, but most people in the court wanted to move the capital to Chang'an..."

"The court is so united that it is not easy to agree to move the capital, but do you want to go against the court's opinion?"

As mentioned before, many people in Chengdu are unwilling to move the capital.

That is a natural truth. As a noble family living at the foot of the imperial city, they are naturally superior to the powerful families in other places.

For their own interests, they naturally opposed moving the capital.

However, these aristocratic families also knew that Chengdu could not remain the capital for long.

Although it is known as the Land of Abundance, Chengdu’s geographical location means that it cannot radiate across the entire country, and it is impossible for Chengdu to be the capital.

Besides, Liu Bei had a tough attitude, so it was reasonable for him to return to Chang'an or Luoyang. Although the aristocratic families were reluctant, they had no choice but to agree.

However, even though we have to respond, we still have to make suggestions!
Compared with Luoyang, Chengdu has a closer relationship with Chang'an.

It is true that Luoyang is well connected, but that does not mean it has no bias.

In comparison, Chang'an is further west, so its focus is naturally biased towards the west.

Therefore, many people in the court suggested that Liu Bei move the capital to Chang'an, and even gave strong support.

in this way…

Liu Bei really found it difficult to make a decision.

After a while, I decided to ask Xing Daorong for advice...

(End of this chapter)