Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 141 The Han and the traitors cannot coexist; the royal cause cannot be confined to one side.

The army surrounding the emperor swept eastward.

When they arrived at the place where Niu Jin was beheaded and Wang Chang drowned, the Han emperor, who was sitting high on his horse, finally stopped his pursuit. He entrusted the war to Zhao Yun and Wei Yan, and ordered Zhen Dong and Zhen Bei to each lead one of the late emperor's dragon banners to continue to pursue and kill the remaining enemies.

The battle has already been won.

But the battle is not over yet.

This place is still more than 200 li away from Tongguan, and the finishing work should take another three to five days.

If the emperor continues to follow, it will only prevent the soldiers from acting freely and fully embodying the spirit of "pursuing the enemy with the remaining strength."

Who knows, Sima Yi might suddenly fall from his horse and die, or be beheaded by a Wei general and presented to the emperor, and in the end, the Han dynasty might directly capture Tongguan?

Putting aside these unfounded fantasies, Liu Shan stopped his horse and stood quietly, surrounded by his imperial guards, watching the spot where Wang Chang and the others had drowned.

Since hundreds of Wei soldiers had all thrown themselves into the river while fully armored, and the canal was shallow and the current was slow, not all of their bodies that drowned were washed away by the water.

A large portion of them were pushed to the bank by the current, with several or even dozens of people entangled together. Under the murky canal water, there were likely some corpses piled up on top of each other, supporting the floating corpses above so they wouldn't drift downstream.

Liu Shan was filled with emotion.

But it wasn't for these people that I felt sentimental.

Instead, they were moved by the unwavering determination and resolute courage of the Prime Minister on another timeline, who launched six expeditions to Qishan despite facing death.

He also reflected on the real reasons and political significance behind the Prime Minister's insistence on the Northern Expedition despite repeated setbacks, which compelled him to persist in the expedition.

Why?

It's nothing more than four words.

The will of the people.

Cao Wei had only usurped the throne for a few years, yet it produced so many so-called loyal ministers and filial sons.

If the Great Han remains silent.

If the Han Dynasty abandons its northern expedition.

If the Han Dynasty stopped using war and northern expeditions to make its presence known to the world...

As one or two generations of elderly people who witnessed the waning glory of the Han Dynasty gradually pass away...
The younger generation, born, raised, and accustomed to the Cao Wei regime, will inevitably only know about Cao Wei and not about the Han dynasty.

Without the Northern Expedition, there would be no Han Dynasty.

The Han and the traitors cannot coexist; the royal cause cannot be achieved by merely occupying a corner of the land.

Now, the Emperor of the Great Han Dynasty personally led the expedition, just as Emperor Taizu Gaozu had done in conquering the Three Qin regions, recapturing the Western Capital, and returning to the old capital.

It had been no more than five months since the Han chancellor led his troops on the northern expedition.

It had been no more than three months since the Han emperor personally led his expedition.

Will the people of the world still remember the Han Dynasty?
...

When the numbing effect of adrenaline completely wore off, Wei Xing, who had been carefully carried to the Golden Guard banner by his comrades Guan Xing, Jiang Wei, and others, was in so much pain that he almost fainted, but he did not.

He continued to groan and scream in pain on the way there, but when he saw the emperor's worried expression, this strong man, who had been given the name Guanghan by the emperor, began to grind his teeth, swallow his pain, and no longer let out a scream.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, and due to excessive blood loss, his entire body, from his face to his limbs, was deathly pale, like a corpse.

"He's just a Wei general. If we had just held him back for a little longer, the outcome would have been decided. Why did you risk your life like this? Was it all just to kill the general and seize the flag? Now look what's happened, you're going to die, aren't you? I think you just wanted me to raise your son for you."

When the emperor, who was half-squatting beside Wei Xing, spoke, his tone was somewhat reproachful, and he seemed to be talking to himself, since it was hard to say whether this barbarian, who had been fighting so fiercely, could still hear him.

"To be honest, I had originally found you a father, hoping you would take care of him in his old age and see him off in his final days, but now it seems I will have to find someone else." The emperor muttered to himself.

"What father?" Wei Xing, who had been gritting his teeth and remaining silent, had actually heard everything, but he didn't ask about His Majesty raising a son. He was just a little surprised that he had suddenly been given a father.

I've heard of the emperor bestowing a marriage upon me.

I've also heard of emperors bestowing sons upon their children.

Have you ever heard of the emperor bestowing a father upon someone?

"Don't ask anymore. Whether you survive or not is none of your business." Liu Shan suddenly became dazed when he saw that Wei Xing could still hear and speak.

Anxi, an old soldier, survived being stabbed, and Miwei survived having his leg cut off. It was as if the emperor himself possessed some kind of healing aura. Any seriously wounded soldier he received, no matter how severe their injury, had a chance of not dying from infection.

Jie Conglongxiang Liu Tao is also...

Liu Shan suddenly looked gloomy again.

He saw Liu Tao's body.

To be honest, Liu Tao, as one of the ten loyal followers he promoted, was even a cut above Wei Xing in terms of courage and strength alone.

He still remembers some of the things that the man said when he first met him at the Wei River Wounded Soldiers Camp. He was clearly seriously injured but insisted on staying in the Light Wounded Camp.

For example, "Your Majesty will surely be able to reclaim the Han Dynasty from the hands of the Wei dogs."

For example, “I bet… if His Majesty comes down the mountain to see me today, I will surely survive. And indeed… His Majesty came.”

Liu Shan remembered what he had said to him. With his strength and courage, as long as he lived well, he was certainly capable of becoming a captain, regardless of whether he was literate or not.

Now that person is dead.

She died abruptly without ever seeing him again.

Upon realizing this, Liu Shan suddenly became inexplicably sentimental.

Liu Tao is not the only one who died in battle today.
Wei Xing is not the only one who is injured.
Why should I grieve and lament for Liu Tao and Wei Xing at this moment?

After a moment of self-reproach and introspection, the Han emperor, who, having only recently traveled through time, still retained the compassionate and empathetic values ​​of a modern person, quickly understood.

The reason was that Anxi Old Soldier, Liu Tao, Wei Xing, and dozens of other Longxiang Langs whom he knew well but who had died in battle that day were all specific individuals to him, the Emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Those soldiers who had never met him but died or were wounded in the war were, to him, just a vague concept, or a cold number in a battle report.

Yet these concepts and these numbers truly belong to the son of an old man, the father of a child, the husband of a woman, or the brother of a man or woman.

Upon realizing this, the emperor, who had just won a great battle and whose blood had been boiling with excitement as he pressed forward with the dragon banner and pointed at the front of the army, gradually lost his excitement, joy, and fervor.

But at this point, he felt like a modern person again.

Before long, several Tiger Riders brought back a large barrel of distilled liquor from the Crescent Moon Formation and carried it to the foot of the Emperor's dragon banner.

The accompanying imperial physicians followed the emperor's orders and used distilled alcohol to clean Wei Xing's wounds, then applied hot irons and herbal poultices.

In fact, the equipment and methods for distilling alcohol existed as early as the Han Dynasty, but distilled spirits were not popular.

Although Liu Shan knew that 75% alcohol was the most effective disinfectant.

They also came up with a method: using four parts of repeatedly distilled high-proof alcohol and one part of distilled water, they obtained medical alcohol with a concentration of approximately 75%.

But he couldn't guarantee whether this method would work, or what the alcohol concentration would be. An unsuitable concentration of alcohol might even have the opposite effect. For now, he could only do his best and leave the rest to fate.

As he was being irrigated with alcohol, Wei Xing, who looked like he was on the verge of death, finally couldn't bear it any longer and screamed and howled like a pig being slaughtered.

Liu Shan felt pain upon hearing and seeing him, and turned his head away from him.

Just then, the Longxiang Lang, named Ji Bachi, passed through the outer protective circle formed by the Huben Lang and walked up to Zhao Guang, the Longxiang Zhonglang, and said something to him.

Zhao Guang then approached Liu Shan and reported:
"Your Majesty, a surrendered prisoner claims to be Xiahou Mao, the General of Anxi of the pseudo-Wei state, and wishes to see Your Majesty."

Liu Shan paused, incredulous: "Xiahou Mao? How could he possibly be on the front lines? How could Sima Yi send him to the front lines?"

Given Xiahou Mao's status as the son-in-law of Princess Qinghe, Sima Yi probably arranged for him to go to Yaoguan before the decisive battle, or directly invited him to go from Yaoguan to Wuguan and return to Luoyang to recuperate.

Zhao Guang said, "I don't believe it either. Xiahou Mao is around forty years old, but Ji Shushi just said that the man who called himself Xiahou Mao, although he has a noble appearance, is young and handsome."

Liu Shan suddenly found it interesting and stopped thinking about it, saying, "Bring him up. I want to see what he intends to do."

Zhao Guang summoned a man named Long Xianglang and gave him instructions.

Before long, from the direction of the Crescent Moon Formation behind them, Liu Cong, son of Liu Bao, the Left Wise King of the Xiongnu, was pushing a prisoner who was bound by ropes and walked with a limp towards the dragon banner.

The young, handsome, and somewhat noble-looking Wei prisoner, after finally passing through the heavily guarded Tiger Warriors and successfully arriving under the Golden Guard banner belonging to the Han emperor, had a slight pause in his previously arrogant and disdainful expression.

Before a simple screen, a young general, still clad in silver-white armor, sat upright in a folding chair, quietly watching him.

A silver-white helmet was gently placed on his knee with his left hand, and the hilt of the sword at his waist was also gently pressed down with his right hand. He was calm and natural, exuding an aura of authority without anger.

A moment later, he snorted coldly and resumed his arrogant and disdainful expression.

Liu Cong ignored the man and stepped forward, bowing respectfully to the Han emperor: "Your subject Liu Cong greets Your Majesty!"

To be honest, this was Liu Cong's first time seeing the Emperor of Han. For a moment, he was just like the prisoner who called himself Xiahou Mao, stunned by this emperor who looked incredibly young and was incredibly brave, fully armed with swords.

Liu Shan nodded slightly to him.

The man, with a hint of self-satisfaction amidst his respect, said:
"Your Majesty, this man attempted to flee westward from the chaos of battle, but was caught up by several hundred Xiongnu cavalrymen."

"First, he tried to lure me with money, but when I refused, he claimed to be Xiahou Mao, the General of Anxi of the pseudo-Wei state, and promised me a high-ranking official position and generous salary from the pseudo-Wei state, or a way out for my future."

“I refused again. Only then did the man say that he was willing to surrender to the Han Dynasty and wanted to see Your Majesty. He said that he could take Yaoguan and Tongguan for Your Majesty. The vassal lord then dared not act on his own and brought the man to see Your Majesty.”

Such words are stating the facts.

This was also a way of showing the Han emperor that Liu Cong, a Xiongnu leader, was not the kind of person who would secretly let the enemy go for the sake of wealth and official positions.

As Liu Cong finished speaking, the Han emperor, seated upright in his armchair, straightened up and looked at the prisoner who clearly had no intention of surrendering, asking:

"Why do you say you are Xiahou Mao?"

The prisoner seemed surprised by the Han emperor's directness. He was taken aback for a moment, then his cold smile vanished and he looked at the prisoner with a stern expression: "You are the Han emperor?"

The Han emperor, seated upright on his armchair, neither answered nor denied the question, but after a moment slowly spoke:
"If you are determined to die, yet you cannot die for your country and sacrifice yourself, instead you falsely claim to be Xiahou Mao of the Wei state in order to survive."

"But if you say you are only concerned with survival, you falsely claim that you can capture Yaoguan and Tongguan for my great Han Dynasty and want to come and see the Han emperor."

What do you mean?
"Is it because if you meet the Han emperor, curse him, and then die a heroic death, you will leave your name in history?"

Upon hearing the question posed by this young warrior, who, though not answering his own question, was unmistakably the Han emperor, the handsome and dashing prisoner was first stunned, then filled with shame and anger:
"A true man should live a full life; how can he die nameless in the chaos of war?!"
"If I die in the chaos of war, people will say that I have failed my country!"

"If I die clearly today, there will surely be those in the world who will understand me!"
"Although it is true that I wanted fame as the Han emperor said, it was by no means like a shrew's cursing. Now that my wish has been fulfilled, you can kill me quickly!"

Liu Shan straightened up and nodded slightly:

"If that's the case, then who are you?"

The prisoner stood tall and answered solemnly:

“Wang Jun, also known as Wang Shizhi, was a member of the Wang family of Hongnong Lake County, whose family had held the rank of 2,000 shi for generations.”

Wang Jun?

This time, it was Liu Shan's turn to be slightly surprised.

The general who destroyed Wu, Wang Jun, whose warships sailed down to Yizhou and the imperial aura of Jinling faded away?

The name is correct, the place of origin is correct, the age is correct, and even the arrogant and fame-seeking personality matches that of Wang Jun, who destroyed Wu.

Historical records say that when he was young, he built a large house with a road dozens of steps wide in front of the gate, which some people said was excessive.

Wang Jun replied confidently, "I wish to make room for long halberds and banners."

Everyone laughed at him.

Wang Jun, however, scoffed: "As Chen Sheng said, how can a sparrow know the ambition of a swan?"

Long halberds and banners were used in the ceremony of bestowing titles and appointing generals.

Just like the story of Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, building a tomb for his mother.

When Han Xin's mother died, he was too poor to afford a proper burial. So he set up camp in a high and open place, making sure that ten thousand families could live next to her grave.

For ten thousand families to guard the tombs is the proper etiquette for princes and kings.

"The usurpation of Han by the pseudo-Wei dynasty lasted only two generations. How can your Hongnong Wang clan claim to have held official positions of two thousand shi for generations? Does serving as an official for two generations of the pseudo-Wei dynasty count as a series of generations?" Liu Shan pondered for a long time before finally asking slowly.

Wang Jun was stunned and speechless at the question posed by the Han emperor.

Upon seeing this, Liu Shan continued, "You just said you wanted to die clearly and honestly."

“But your Hongnong Wang clan has been favored by the Han for generations. You were born into the Wang clan, yet you became a minister of the Wei state and died for the Wei state. Is this clear enough?”

"Now that the Han Dynasty has recovered Guanzhong, the Wang family of Hongnong will soon return to the Han. You are willing to die for Wei. Do you think that is clear enough?"

Wang Jun was taken away in a daze.

Ultimately, the Han Dynasty has too few talented people, and this person in front of us is somewhat useful.

Leaving aside military affairs, in terms of governing prefectures and states, he can be considered a capable person, and he is also very popular with the people.

During his tenure as governor of Ba Commandery, the soldiers suffered from the war and forced labor because Ba Commandery bordered the State of Wu. As a result, male offspring were not raised and were drowned.

He then enacted strict laws and regulations, reduced corvée labor and taxes, and exempted those who gave birth to and raised infants from corvée labor, thus saving thousands of infants from death.

More than twenty years later, Wang Jun's warship sailed out of Yizhou. The infants he had protected had grown up and were ready to serve as laborers for the army. When they set off, their parents admonished them, "You were born of Lord Wang, so you must strive hard and have no fear of death."

In the Wei and Jin dynasties, when most officials were not human, it was truly rare to be able to maintain a conscience, do something for the poor, and gain their support and love.

Moreover, his father-in-law is Xu Miao, the governor of Liangzhou who is currently trapped in Liangzhou.

It might have some effect, who knows?

(End of this chapter)