Three Kingdoms: The Kingdom Cannot Be Partial

Chapter 309 A Man's Virtue Doesn't Match His Position, and He Sheds Tears

On the banks of the Wei River, drills were in full swing, exuding a vibrant energy unique to the military.

Wei Yan, the mighty general of the Han Dynasty, stood alone with his arms crossed, leaning against an old willow on the Wei River. He seemed preoccupied, or perhaps frustrated by the lack of progress in his troops, which made him stand out from the atmosphere.

This time, he returned south from Shangluo to the capital to report on his duties. In reality, he wanted to discuss with the Prime Minister whether they should take advantage of the fact that Cao Wei's main force was focused on Jing and Huai, and go east from Shangluo to Wuguan to seize territory.

After Guanzhong was fully recovered, he led the troops of Wang Ping and Ju Fu out of Yaoguan and captured the two cities of Shangluo and Shangxian. He was separated from Cao Wei's Wuguan garrison commander Wang Ling by two hundred miles of mountainous terrain.

Although they intended to seize Wuguan Pass in one fell swoop while riding the momentum of their successive victories, they were hampered by insufficient food and supplies, treacherous roads, and exhausted troops, and ultimately could not make the move.

Now, the summer harvest is just around the corner, the food and provisions are nearly sufficient, and the soldiers have been resting for almost a year. The people are eager for war, and the strategy of marching east has been on his mind for a long time. However, when he rushed back with great enthusiasm, the prime minister who summoned him back to the capital had gone to Fengyi to inspect the locust situation.

He could wait for the prime minister to leave the capital, but if the locust plague caused unrest in Guanzhong and the army could not provide for its own food and supplies, then the plan to march east would be out of the question.

Upon realizing this, all his hopes vanished, and Wei Yan felt completely uneasy, even finding the sight of the military academy students training an eyesore.

"You bunch of brats, you've been studying for half a year, yet you can't even set up a proper camp. If Cao Cao's elite cavalry suddenly arrives, you'll all be reduced to dust!"

He muttered a curse under his breath, but finally lost his patience. He abruptly stood up from under the willow tree, turned around and left, intending to return to Shangluo first and then make a decision.

Shangluo is only two hundred li away from Chang'an. Riding a fine horse, one can travel as fast as the wind and arrive in no time.

Wei Yan walked alone at a brisk pace, leaving the hustle and bustle of Weibin far behind, his mind already calculating the details of heading east out of Wuguan.

Just as this imposing and majestic cavalryman was moving further and further away, several riders came galloping in from the north end of the Wei Bridge, their hooves clattering, attracting the attention of many military academy students.

Zhang Yi saw Jiang Wei from afar, assuming he had finished procuring chickens and ducks and was returning to the capital to report, and paid no attention, continuing to focus on the training ground.

A moment later, Jiang Boyue spurred his horse toward Zhang Yi's banner, dismounted cleanly and nimbly, and greeted Zhang Yi respectfully.

Zhang Yi didn't presume and responded with a smile. However, when his gaze swept over the travel-worn but elegant scholar behind Jiang Wei, he suddenly froze.

"Chief Secretary?!" Zhang Yi exclaimed, ignoring the military academy students still drilling around him, and rushed towards Fei Yi in a few strides, his face full of astonishment. "Didn't you just go south? Why are you returning north? What about His Majesty...?"

Fei Yi reined in his horse, dismounted, and although his brows showed the fatigue of a long journey, his eyes could not hide his joy.

He stepped forward and grasped Zhang Yi's outstretched hand, exclaiming joyfully without exchanging pleasantries, "Bo Gong! Good news! Yiling has been captured! Captured in a single day!"

"What?!" Fei Yi's words were like a thunderbolt, and Zhang Yi was struck dumb. "Yiling has been captured?! Captured in a single day?!"

The Han Dynasty captured the two important cities of Wuxian and Zigui in a mere month, a feat that can be described as incredibly swift. However, this was a thunderous strike that the Han Dynasty had been planning for a long time. When the news of the great victory reached Chang'an, everyone was overjoyed, but it was also within the expectations of the many officials and ministers who had consulted with the Prime Minister on the war.

Yiling was the last barrier for Sun Wu's entire Jingzhou region, yet it fell in a single day?! This completely exceeded the expectations and imaginations of any normal person regarding the progress of the eastern expedition.

Although Fei Yi and Zhang Yi's voices were not very loud, the sensitive words "victory at Yiling" and "conquered in a single day" stirred up a storm among the military academy students like a boulder thrown into water.

Wei Xing, who had been boasting to his brothers, practically smashed through the guards surrounding him and rushed to Fei Yi and Zhang Yi in a few strides. Disregarding social hierarchy, he urgently asked:

"Chief Secretary?!"

What did you just say?!

"His Majesty has won another great victory?!"

Fei Yi and Zhang Yi clearly didn't say anything about His Majesty's great victory, but in Wei Xing's ears, the words "great victory at Yiling" and "conquered in a single day" all implied "His Majesty's great victory."

Zhang Yi's face flushed crimson, a mixture of shock and elation washing over him. Still unable to believe it, he repeatedly asked in a loud voice:

"Chief Secretary Fei, please tell us in detail! How did His Majesty manage to recapture Yiling in just one day?!"

Fei Yi looked around and saw a group of military academy students, their faces filled with eager excitement, instantly surrounding him. In no time, they had him and Jiang Wei completely surrounded. He quickly took a deep breath and shouted excitedly:

"Absolutely true!"

"Your Majesty is mighty! The soldiers are fighting with their lives on!"

"The fortified city of Yiling was recaptured by our Great Han in a single day!"

"—Roar!" This burst of excitement spread like wildfire across the entire Weibin training ground.

A tremendous commotion immediately rose into the sky.

"Your Majesty is victorious!"

"The great man is victorious!"

It is unknown who first became excited and roared, but then hundreds and thousands of soldiers raised their arms and shouted, and in an instant the sound was like a tidal wave, stopping the clouds in their tracks, and even causing the Wei River to ripple.

As Fei Yi recounted the general situation of the Battle of Yiling to the generals and soldiers, the crowd at Weibin gradually lost its order. The excited officers and soldiers surrounded Fei Yi, Jiang Wei, and Zhang Yi, bombarding them with questions.

"What?! General Zhao is here too?! Did General Zhao capture the city first?!"

"Has General Zhao once again charged into battle alone alongside His Majesty?!"

"Has that Wu dog named Zhu Ran been captured by His Majesty?!"

Although Fei Yi held a high position, he was always approachable and friendly, neither arrogant to his superiors nor bullying to his subordinates, and never acted like a high-ranking official.

Especially when he was in charge of the Military Academy, he often used some simple and interesting historical anecdotes, and even made up some fables to explain the great righteousness of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism to the soldiers. Surprisingly, these military academy students liked to listen to these stories, so he was deeply respected by these proud soldiers.

Surrounded by enthusiastic military cadets, he was not annoyed. He simply smiled and answered the soldiers' most pressing questions as concisely as possible.

On the other side of the Wei Bridge, Wei Yan, who had not gone far, was stopped in his tracks by a sudden burst of loud noise behind him.

Slightly taken aback, he turned to look north and saw a scene of turmoil on the north bank of the Wei River, his face showing some confusion and impatience:
"These brats, they're just setting up camp, what's with all the howling and wailing? Humph... Wan Sheng Wan Sheng, how can you win with a camp set up like this?!" He cursed and swore, feeling increasingly irritated, thinking that these young men were becoming more and more unruly.

After finishing his rant, Wei Yan continued toward Chang'an. However, after only a few steps, a military academy student, clearly overly excited, suddenly overtook him from behind and ran breathlessly toward Chang'an.

Wei Yan was finally somewhat surprised, and with his large, fan-like hand, he grabbed the rather burly military academy student and pulled him back.

Upon seeing that it was General of the Cavalry, the military academy student's face suddenly turned pale, and his emotions instantly shifted from surprise to horror.

Wei Yan frowned, gently pushed the military academy student in his hand back, and asked in a deep voice, "What's the panic! What happened?!"

The military academy student staggered back a few steps, trembling and gasping for breath: "General of the Flying Cavalry... General of the Flying Cavalry! Great news! Incredible news! His Majesty... His Majesty has won another great victory on the eastern front! Yiling... Yiling was captured in a single day!"

"What?!" Wei Yan's eyes widened, and he stepped forward and grabbed the military academy student, making the student grimace.

"Yiling... captured? In just one day?!" He wondered if he had misheard. Or rather, even though news of the great victory that the emperor had just recovered Wuxian and Zigui in a month had recently arrived, he still couldn't believe that Yiling had actually been captured.

Just as the military academy student was baring his teeth, the burly cavalryman caught a glimpse of a familiar figure coming from the north end of the Wei Bridge, and he froze. He quickly released the academy student and strode forward to meet him. Reaching the bridge, his gaze fixed intently on Fei Yi:

"Wenwei?! What exactly happened? How did you get here? The matter of Yiling..." He fired off a series of questions, his tone urgent, no longer showing the languid impatience he had just displayed.

Fei Yi was extremely popular in the court, and had a very good relationship with Wei Yan and Yang Yi, two people who disliked each other. They were even friends who could sit and drink together and have heart-to-heart talks in private. At least, that's what Wei Yan and Yang Yi, both of whom were somewhat arrogant and stubborn, and thus had few friends, thought.

Seeing that Wei Yan actually asked a question, he smiled and briefly recounted the general course of the Battle of Yiling to Wei Yan, selecting the key points.

Wei Yan listened silently, his expression gradually changing from initial shock to realization and excitement, and finally, under Fei Yi's gaze, it transformed into a rarely seen look of emotion on his face.

After Fei Yi finished speaking, Wei Yan remained silent, turning away in silence and walking alone towards Chang'an, abandoning Fei Yi.

His posture remained upright, and his steps were still vigorous, but no one could see that the sharp light in the eyes of this burly cavalryman, which were usually arrogant and disdainful, had been completely concealed, replaced by a hint of reminiscence, a touch of loneliness, and a sense of melancholy.

After a long silence, the burly Han general took a deep breath, clenched his fist, and looked up to the sky, muttering to himself, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty...The late Emperor...Yiling has been recovered. Surely your spirit in heaven is greatly comforted?! Like father, like son, indeed like father, like son!"

A mix of emotions surged within the heart of this valiant general, who knew he was unworthy of his position and achievements, ultimately culminating in the simple phrase, "Like father, like son."

He looked down at Chang'an, then at the sky, and finally strode towards the north gate of Chang'an, his back becoming more upright and his steps more determined.

As the group of military academy students rushed back to Chang'an, news of the great victory at Yiling spread like wildfire throughout the city.

People celebrated along the way, and joy filled the streets.

The alleyways were bustling with activity, and people exchanged congratulations with each other.

Before Fei Yi, Jiang Wei, Zhang Yi and others even returned to the Prime Minister's residence in Chang'an, the residence was already filled with excitement and joy.

The senior officials and ministers who remained in Beijing, including Chen Zhen, Fan Qi, Li Fu, and Hu Ji, though usually composed, could not contain their excitement at this moment, and their congratulations to each other echoed throughout the room.

"Yiling has been recaptured in a single day! Your Majesty is truly mighty! General Zhao and General Chen are both valiant!" Minister Chen Zhen clapped his hands and sighed, his eyes reddening, completely disregarding the dignity of an old minister.

"Heaven's mandate is with the Han, and the Han dynasty shall rise again!" Xiang Chong, the younger brother of Xiang Chong, the commander of the central army, couldn't help but look up at the sky and sigh, his voice trembling.

The officials and soldiers who used to move about in the corridors of the Prime Minister's residence all seemed to be walking briskly today. When they met each other, they would greet each other with their hands clasped in celebration, feeling honored. This excitement spread among them, and in their hushed conversations, words like "Yiling," "Great Victory," and "Your Majesty" were constantly heard.

The next morning.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

The official proclamation from the imperial court regarding the victory at Yiling was eventually posted by over a hundred officials and soldiers at various gates and major markets in Chang'an.

As soon as the notice was posted, crowds surged forward like a tide, and every place in Chang'an where notices were posted was packed with people.

Officials and soldiers on leave, scholars from the Imperial Academy, commoners, and soldiers from the inner and outer garrisons... men, women, and children thronged the crowd, numbering in the tens of millions.

Those who could read read aloud the contents of the notice, while those who couldn't read anxiously asked those around them for details.

Every place where the notice was posted, every recitation, and every interpretation elicited waves of amazement and cheers.

"General Zhao Zilong, braving arrows and stones, personally wielding a long spear, charged into battle, invincible in every direction. The Wu bandits were terrified and fled at the mere sight of him!"

"General Zhaoyi Liao Shi, though originally a Wu general, raised an army to join the Han, leading the Jingzhou soldiers to turn against their own side and scale the city walls. Despite being wounded several times, he fought fiercely and refused to retreat, shocking the Wu people and demoralizing the entire army!"

"The Longxiang Army has taken over the city..."

"Divine soldiers from Eagle Banner descend from the heavens..."

"it is good!"

"it is good!"

Last winter, the taverns and teahouses that had gradually sprung up in Chang'an suddenly became very popular. Even in the early morning, some people couldn't resist buying a bowl of wine and chatting and drinking with a few friends.

A jubilant and exhilarating atmosphere filled Chang'an, and this extraordinary scene of excitement drew astonishment from Kushan and Persian merchants who had traveled thousands of miles from the Western Regions.

Although unaware of the past grievances between Han and Wu, he understood that the Han, having driven out Cao Wei and reclaimed Guanzhong, was likely to be able to hold its position there securely, and thus he too felt joy.

Previously, due to impassable roads, they could only purchase small quantities of Shu brocade from wealthy and powerful families in Guanzhong and Luoyang. This involved numerous middlemen, resulting in prices that were 20-30% higher, or even more, than the Shu brocade sold to them by the Han Dynasty.

After the Han dynasty conquered Guanzhong, the quantity of Shu brocade they could buy increased, and the price also decreased.

Not only that, in addition to the extremely exquisite Shu brocade, which is more precious than gold, the Han Dynasty also had Chang'an brocade, which, although slightly less exquisite, was more cost-effective than Shu brocade.

On the banks of the Wei River, another "Jin Guan City" was set up last year, using the weaving techniques of Shu brocade and utilizing various products from Guanzhong, Longyou, Anding and the northern regions to weave Beijing brocade.

Due to differences in water quality, dyes, silk, and other raw materials compared to Chengdu, the quality of Beijing brocade produced there is slightly inferior to that of Shu brocade.

However, merchants from the Western Regions believed that the quality of this Jingjin brocade was comparable to that of gold, so they bought it at 60% to 70% of the price of Shu brocade.

It is said that after these merchants from the Western Regions brought the Chang'an Jingjin back to their respective countries last year, the response from the Western Regions was extremely strong, and the demand was enormous.

Because of the limited quantity of Shu brocade, it could only be supplied in small quantities to the kings and nobles of various Western Regions. Although Jing brocade was also exquisite when it was brought back to various countries, the kings and nobles were used to wearing Shu brocade and obviously did not appreciate it.

The wealthy, who were originally rich but powerless, discovered that they had the opportunity to enjoy oriental fabrics that were almost as noble and luxurious as the brocades worn by royalty and nobility. As a result, they competed to buy them from merchants, making Beijing brocade extremely scarce in the Western Regions.

As a result, the demand for Beijing brocade from merchants in the Western Regions was far greater than that for Shu brocade, leading to a complete shortage of Beijing brocade.

Merchants from the Western Regions arrived in February, and the Prime Minister did not expect the demand for Beijing brocade to be so great. He hurriedly ordered his officials to set up another brocade official post on the banks of the Wei River and urgently recruited hundreds of weavers from the countryside at high salaries.

Although these hundreds of weavers were skilled at weaving, the weaving techniques of Shu brocade and Beijing brocade were state secrets, and the craftsmanship was extremely complex. Each weaver, even though she only learned a few of the techniques, still needed several months of learning and practice before she could become a skilled craftswoman.

Moreover, the current loom structure is extremely complex. A loom with fifty warp threads has fifty treadles, and a loom with sixty warp threads has sixty treadles, which means fifty or sixty foot pedals. Weavers have to memorize the complicated treading sequence and operate the loom by using both their hands and feet. It often takes two months to weave a piece of brocade with an intricate pattern, which is extremely inefficient and a huge drain on the weavers.

Ma Jun and Ma Deheng, the chief clerks of the Imperial Workshop, are currently researching a new type of loom, which is said to have only twelve loops.

If he were to actually succeed, this exquisite and simple silk weaving machine could increase production efficiency by four or five times compared to the original.

At that time, the three items—Shu brocade, Jing brocade, and Chang'an paper—will truly be able to earn countless amounts of real gold and silver for the Han Dynasty from merchants in the Western Regions.

Another day.

The Prime Minister has finally returned.

Fei Yi brought several Great Han bonds bearing the emperor's signature and seal to the city to welcome him.

(End of this chapter)