Control your ancestors and create an immortal family starting from the Eastern Han Dynasty

Chapter 20: Harnessing the Great River to Bring Success to the Western Regions

——It’s a perfect assist!
As soon as Gu Kang said this.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the hall suddenly changed.

The ministers understood instantly and first looked at Gu Kang, then secretly glanced at Liu Zhuang.

His lips trembled slightly, but he seemed to be choked by something and couldn't speak.

What else can I say?
The trend is achieved!

They had previously taken advantage of Liu Xiu's past behavior, and coupled with this astronomical phenomenon, they had forced Liu Zhuang into a desperate situation.

And now, they have to bear the consequences of the reversal of the trend.

The trend is irreversible!

Although only one of the four armies won a great victory this time.

Although the other three routes were fruitless, there were no casualties.

That's enough!

If you still want to use this as an excuse to stop Liu Zhuang, you should first ask yourself whether you are strong enough!
These officials were by no means stupid. After a brief silence, they all bowed down to Liu Zhuang and shouted in unison:

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!!!"

Liu Zhuang looked at Gu Kang and his smile grew even wider.

The reason why he favored Gu Kang so much was not just because of his talent.

It was also because Gu Kang could always stand on the same front with him and cooperate with him perfectly.

"Yeah!"

Liu Zhuang agreed repeatedly and immediately ordered, "Announce this matter to the world immediately."

"My Han army won!"

"And it was a big win!"

"Also, pass on my decree that all the troops participating in this northern expedition will be rewarded!"

At this moment, Liu Zhuang showed his demeanor as a wise ruler and carried out a series of reward measures in an orderly manner.

Dou Gu was directly promoted to General Zhenglu by him.

This was also expected. After all, Dou Gu was originally the Commandant of the Imperial Chariot. Now that he had made great contributions, it was reasonable for him to become a general of miscellaneous rank.

The surprising one was Gu Sheng.

Liu Zhuang actually wanted to appoint him as General Po Lu, and give him the same miscellaneous title as Dou Gu.

This decision was beyond everyone's expectations.

You know, although Gu Sheng also made great contributions this time, he was originally just a military Sima, far inferior to Dou Gu.

Logically speaking, it would be most appropriate to be awarded the title of Lieutenant General, while being promoted to the title of General of Miscellaneous Title would be a bit too much.

All the ministers were shocked.

Some people even immediately spoke out to advise that this move might cause instability on the border.

After all, both of them are generals of miscellaneous titles. Who should they listen to from now on?

But Liu Zhuang didn't care at all and directly suppressed everyone's emotions.

Although what they said may be correct.

But it doesn’t apply to the present.

Who is Gu Sheng?

He is Gu Xiao’s son!
His identity already has enough influence among these meritorious families.

Not to mention that the current Gu family is no longer what it was when Gu Kang and Gu Sheng first set foot in Luoyang.

In today's world, who dares to underestimate the Gu family?

What’s more, Gu Sheng has made such a great contribution this time?
Gu Kang didn't say much about this.

He naturally knew that Liu Zhuang was doing this to prevent Dou Gu from becoming the only one in power on the border.

If there were no suitable option, Liu Zhuang might not have done this, but now with Gu Sheng, he was bound to arrange everything.

He was such an emperor.

The mind of an emperor is the way of balance.

Afterwards, Liu Zhuang appointed Ban Chao as the military commander and rewarded all the soldiers on the trip.
Nangong.

"Hahaha, what a joy! Today is such a joy!"

After many days, Liu Zhuang's hearty laughter finally rang out again in Nangong.

He has been suppressed for too long.

Even if he was the emperor, it would be impossible for him to completely solve this kind of problem, and he could only suppress it in his heart.

Today, this knot in my heart was finally completely resolved.

It was a rare moment for Gu Kang to smile in front of Liu Zhuang.

Gu Sheng finally made a great contribution.

This is much closer to the goal he set when he returned to Luoyang that year.

As long as things continue to go smoothly like this, the entire Gu family may be able to achieve the status of having two marquises in the Liuzhuang dynasty.

By then, the Gu family will have the reputation of being among the most powerful families in the world!

How could he not be happy?
"Ji Shi, you will have your meal in the palace today."

Liu Zhuang was in high spirits and couldn't wait to speak, "You and I, the king and his subject, should have a good chat, just like we did in the past."

Obviously, the fact that Liu Xiu failed to accomplish his great cause and died at any moment left a deep impression on him.

He didn't want to waste any time.

"I obey your command." Gu Kang smiled and bowed in agreement.

The two of them had dinner together in Nangong, and then naturally talked about political affairs.

Now that the situation is set, their attention naturally turns to the Western Regions.

And things are just as history originally developed.

Liu Zhuang planned to send Ban Chao as an envoy to the Western Regions, and with the prestige of the Han army's great victory, he would pacify the Western Regions in one fell swoop.

Gu Kang strongly agrees with this.

Since Ban Chao and Gu Sheng became sworn brothers, he has had contact with Ban Chao many times.

People with high political level usually have one characteristic.

That is knowing people.

Gu Kang had long been aware of Ban Chao's talents, not to mention that he had now made great achievements.

But Gu Kang talked about another thing.

——Water control!
"His Majesty!"

"Since the reign of Emperor Ping, the Great River and the Bian Canal have repeatedly burst their banks and flooded, causing great suffering to the people and countless casualties."

"Then the world was in chaos and it has never been rectified."

"Now that a prosperous era has arrived, the people on both sides of the river are still suffering greatly. I have carefully investigated this matter. The people all hope that the court can rectify the river."

“This is what the people want.”

"I believe the time has come to control the floods."

Gu Kang told everything he was thinking without reservation.

In fact, he had this idea a long time ago.

Gu Kang was very knowledgeable about farming and was well aware of the harm that floods could cause to agriculture.

After gaining control of the land under the rule of the world, he became increasingly aware of the current conditions of the Yellow River and the Bian Canal.

Preparations were made for this, and a group of people with great attainments in water conservancy were gathered.

But water control will definitely have a huge impact.

He understood the ministers' thoughts too clearly and had been waiting for an opportunity.

Now, the time has finally come!
Hearing this, Liu Zhuang couldn't help but frown slightly.

He naturally knew about the flood disasters in the Yellow River and the Bian Canal.

I also understand very well that if I can really accomplish this, it will definitely be a blessing for future generations.

For the Han Dynasty, there are only benefits and no harm.

But what he was thinking was, does the Han Dynasty today really have the ability to take care of these two major things at the same time?
Although Ban Chao was sent to the Western Regions as an envoy.

But there must be a large army to protect them.

Of course, he did not directly follow Ban Chao to the Western Regions, but rather to give him a deterrent.

This matter can be big or small.

Liu Zhuang's original idea was to mobilize a large army directly, and once the Western Regions were pacified, he would immediately send troops to completely eliminate the Northern Huns.

But if we want to control the water, this matter must be put on hold.

Never deploy too many troops.

Managing the Bian Canal and the Yellow River was bound to be a very costly undertaking, and he could not afford to neglect it.

"Your Majesty, if you can really control the flood successfully."

"Not only will it benefit the people on both sides of the strait, but the additional arable land that will be created during this period is also a benefit."

"."

Gu Kang was still helping Liu Zhuang analyze the pros and cons. Liu Zhuang listened very carefully, and when Gu Kang finished speaking, he made a decision in his heart and nodded directly: "The threat of the river is the most pressing threat to our Han Dynasty."

"Now the world is at peace, and the threat from the Northern Huns has been temporarily resolved."

"If we can resolve this problem while pacifying the Western Regions, it will truly benefit the world."

Liu Zhuang was a very wise emperor.

Especially when it comes to treating the people, he is never stingy and never gets too entangled.

It's nothing more than putting the important things in mind for the time being and sending fewer troops.

In the past, Liu Xiu refused the "merit of engraving a stone for eternity" in order to pacify the people. How could he bring shame to Liu Xiu?

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Gu Kang bowed to Liu Zhuang again.

He immediately told Liu Zhuang about his plan in detail.

According to Gu Kang's calculations, at least 100,000 soldiers would have to be recruited, and hundreds of thousands of civilians would also have to be mobilized.
This is bound to be a big deal.

The two of them talked directly until late at night, just like they did back then.

Gu Yi had been watching all this silently, and his expression became more and more complicated.

——Compared to the people of the world today, he knows better the current strength of the Han Dynasty.

Control the Yellow River and pacify the Western Regions.

As long as Liu Zhuang does not launch a large-scale war, doing these two things at the same time will not cause any serious damage.

What really concerned Gu Yi was the time when these two things happened.

Everything is ahead of schedule!
The sudden emergence of the Gu family not only saved Liu Xiu from a lot of trouble during the founding period, but also reduced countless casualties.

Now Liuzhuang has become even more powerful.

Gu Yi remembered it very clearly.

In the original history, during the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, judging from the current time point, not to mention the Northern Expedition, even flood control would have to wait another two years.

As for the Northern Expedition, it had to wait until the 16th year of Yongping.

But now the Han people have the ability to do both things at the same time.

This shows how big the gap between the two is.

Gu Yi is now thinking, if it is true that the Han Dynasty had become so powerful during the Liuzhuang period.

So how much will change in the future?
If Gu had always been there.

Would such a powerful Han Dynasty end in the same way as it originally appeared in history?

Even he couldn't be completely sure about this question at this moment.
Neither Liu Zhuang nor Gu Kang were indecisive people, so they discussed all the details in detail that day.

The next day, the matter was announced directly.

In today's era, faced with wise rulers and virtuous ministers who are fully committed to their work, the world is destined to undergo tremendous changes.

In the temple, Liu Zhuang first announced the arrangements for the Western Regions.

After discussing with Gu Kang, he decided not to mobilize troops for the time being, but to leave only the existing troops behind and order the soldiers to cultivate land in Yiwulu City.

Taking advantage of the prestige of this great victory, we can gain as much benefit as possible for the Han Dynasty in the Western Regions.

When the ministers heard the news, they were all delighted.

Your Majesty, are you giving up on raising a large-scale military force?

The haze suddenly dissipated.

Each of them hopes to continue to maintain the current peace and focus on developing farming.

But immediately afterwards, Liu Zhuang directly announced the matter of flood control.

After hearing the number of people required to be recruited.

The government and the public were shocked!

Everyone's expression changed.

But in just a moment, they all calmed down again.

Compared with large-scale military mobilization, flood control is indeed easier for them to accept.

Because they can benefit too!

And the most crucial thing is that facing Liu Zhuang and Gu Kang who are now coming with great momentum, the ministers have no reason and dare not oppose them.

Liu Zhuang gave Gu Kang the "Classic of Mountains and Seas", "Book of Rivers and Canals", "Map of Yu Gong" and other maps in front of the palace.

He also ordered all counties and states to strictly implement conscription.

Any local tyrant who dared to exempt corvee labor through various means.

All will be punished severely!
The power of the Han Dynasty was fully demonstrated on this day.

It was clearly conscription.

But when the people heard that the river was going to be managed, especially when the person to manage it was Gu Kang, they still cheered.

You know, once a river bursts its banks, it will not only affect the people on both sides of the strait.

Qing, Ji, Yan, and even Xu, Yu and other states were all severely affected by it.

The people of the world have long hoped that the imperial court would one day come to govern the river!
Now, that day has finally come.

The most important thing is that the person who manages the river is still Gu Kang.

Today, Gu Kang is like an immortal in the hearts of people all over the world.

This is the immortal who can bring them a good harvest.

Now, he is here to manage the river again!
The whole world is watching!

From the moment the news spread, countless people throughout the world chanted Gu Kang's name and bowed towards Luoyang to express their gratitude for the emperor's kindness.

Gu Kang also quickly made all the arrangements and immediately led his men away from Luoyang.

Yiwulu City.

Ban Chao is saying goodbye to Gu Sheng.

"Brother, you don't need to worry."

"If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger's cubs?"

"My brother's journey will surely enhance the prestige of the Han Dynasty and shock the Western Regions."

Looking at Gu Sheng, who had a serious face, Ban Chao smiled and said, "Brother, you have told me many times what the fortune teller said to my brother and me in the past."

"Isn't this my chance now?"

There was no fear on Ban Chao's face.

Gu Sheng just looked at him, thoughts running wild in his mind.

He knew that this trip was dangerous.

He even thought about going with Ban Chao, but Ban Chao refused to agree and even rejected Gu Sheng's idea of giving him more men.

According to him, the thirty-six men he had before were enough. If an accident happened, more people would be a burden.

Gu Sheng was helpless about this.

What Ban Chao said was indeed correct.

The Western Regions are vast, and this mission is different from the last one. It doesn’t matter how many people are brought.

The only thing they could rely on was the reputation of the Han army.

Gu Sheng obviously knew this.

To this end, he had already prepared for another battle with the Northern Huns.

If this great victory cannot make the Western Regions understand how powerful the Han Dynasty is now.

Then let’s fight again!
Two games!

Only continuous victories can make Ban Chao safer.

After a moment of silence, Gu Sheng also revealed a faint smile.

Just like before, he patted Ban Chao's shoulder again and said loudly: "Okay!"

"Today, you and I, brothers, are parting ways here."

"One day, you will conquer the Western Regions, and I will annihilate the Northern Xiongnu. Then, we will meet again, brothers, no matter how far apart we are!"

The two brothers' eyes met and they immediately burst into laughter.

"Bring me the wine!"

Gu Sheng asked the soldiers to bring some wine.

The two brothers clinked their glasses and drank the wine in one gulp.

The two didn't say anything more.

Ban Chao simply bowed to Gu Sheng and said goodbye. He quickly turned around, mounted his horse, and rode away with everyone.

Lonely smoke in the desert.

The blood-red setting sun stretched the figures of Ban Chao and the thirty-six people to an extremely long distance.

Gu Sheng did not stop and turned back to the city.

If a man has made up his mind, why should he say more?

When the day comes for the grand meeting to be conferred upon me, I will drink and sing songs to reminisce about the good old days.

(ps: Ask for monthly tickets and recommendation tickets, and brothers, please don’t support the book!!!)
　This chapter is the most crucial part. Next comes the most crucial plot of Emperor Ming's reign.
　　I'm so tired, no matter how I write the transition chapters, they just don't feel right. I can only keep revising them, one after another.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)