Ancestors, please don't crawl out again.

Chapter 128 What the Emperor gives you is yours; what he doesn't give you, you cannot accept.
Emperor Taizu Gao's army to conquer Jin set off immediately afterward.

However, this time they won't directly open a spatial rift, since there are still a bunch of creatures along the way that need to be subdued.

It is indeed easy to quickly behead someone, but short-term chaos afterward is inevitable. In this era, it was best for the Han people to die as few as possible.

In truth, Sima Rui's establishment of the state was not easy. Although he managed to gain a foothold by appeasing the powerful families in the south and with the military support of the Wang brothers and the powerful families from the north who had migrated south, the resistance from the south never ceased. Local poor families, the influx of migrants from other regions, and internal strife among the aristocratic families—while these factors prevented the south from becoming a bloodbath like the north, war was never-ending.

The rebellion of refugees in Sichuan and Chongqing, led by Du Tao, had only recently ended.

Even Du Tao's remaining forces had previously entered Lingnan, but were suppressed by Tao Kan.

Prior to this, there was also the rebellion led by Chen Min, who were from impoverished families in the south and almost managed to establish a separatist regime in Jiangdong.

But in the end, it failed because of the betrayal of the Gu and Zhou clans.

Moreover, even within the aristocratic families, Zhou Qi once attempted to lead the refugees south, and then lead the Jiangdong aristocratic families to take advantage of the chaos to raise an army and kill all the aristocratic families from the north who had migrated south.

But the conspiracy was eventually exposed, and he died of anger...

Of course, it could also be done in a dignified way.

After all, it's not appropriate to kill someone of his status openly, and Sima Rui still needs the support of the Jiangdong aristocratic families. But if he dies from a carbuncle on his back, then both the North and South can have some dignity.

In this situation, a swift execution of Sima Rui would inevitably lead to a short-term collapse of order in various regions, followed by a chaotic war in the south. Unlike modern times, where information travels quickly and Emperor Gaozu of Han could immediately demonstrate his power and force everyone to kneel before him, in this era, if he directly killed Sima Rui, the news would be distorted in various ways as it spreads. Some might even believe that Liu Cong's army had captured Jianye. Furthermore, powerful local warlords who were unaware of his strength would inevitably attempt to establish their own independent regimes.

Various previously suppressed conflicts will erupt in the short term.

Just like when the Great General of the Universe besieged Taicheng, the entire south was plunged into chaos.

and so……

First, establish authority.

We must first intimidate all forces.

Then they went to Jianye to bring out the Sima family and publicly execute them.

Xinye.

Surrounded by the Han army, thousands of Jin soldiers, squeezed to the banks of the Baihe River, stood ready for battle. In front of them was an old general holding a bow and arrow, and behind him were two young generals, one with two swords and the other with a long halberd.

Then they all looked warily at the Han army opposite them.

The Han soldiers there were splitting up to the left and right, with two elephants slowly moving forward in the middle. Behind the elephants was a golden four-wheeled carriage, on which sat a huge throne. Bathed in auspicious light, countless gems shone like stars. On the throne sat a man wearing a twelve-tassel crown and a twelve-symbol crown robe. He held a strange, golden weapon in his hand and sat there languidly. Beside him stood a young girl, holding a fruit platter, looking helpless; she had clearly been forcibly taken from him.

The chariot was flanked by cavalrymen.

"Emperor Taizu Gao has arrived!"

"The lead cavalry officer shouted."

The surrounding Han soldiers immediately knelt down.

"Long live my emperor! Long live!"

They shouted in unison.

The sound shook the plains.

The elephant chariot stopped opposite the old general.

"What, you dare to shoot me with a bow and arrow?"

Yang Feng shouted.

The old general hesitated for a moment, but finally lowered his bow and arrow.

"Gan Zhuo, right? Who is Gan Ning to you?"

Yang Feng shouted.

Then he picked up a bunch of grapes from the fruit plate.

“My great-grandfather.”

Gan Zhuo said, his tone clearly lacking in confidence.

When did he die?

Yang Feng said.

"The twenty-fourth year of Jian'an."

Gan Zhuo hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"Gan Ning followed Sun Shiwan, and he can't really be considered a loyal minister of the Han Dynasty, but he still ended up as a Han official. You didn't commit any major crimes by following the Sima family, and your Gan family wasn't originally on the Book of Life and Death. So, would you like me to add your name to it?"

Yang Feng said in a cold tone.

Gan Zhuo dismounted as quickly as possible, then took a few quick steps forward and collapsed to the ground.

"Your humble servant Gan Zhuo pays his respects to Emperor Taizu Gao. Although my ancestors were forced to follow the Sun family and surrender to the Sima family, they have never forgotten the kindness of the Han Dynasty. Everyone has a heart; how could anyone forget the emperor who ruled for four hundred years and follow the rebels? It was only out of necessity that we pretended to comply. Today, I have the honor of seeing Emperor Taizu Gao. My ancestors and the three generations before me can rest in peace."

He lay on the ground, sobbing and wailing.

The two young generals behind him were caught off guard and could only lie on the ground and howl along with him.

"You're quite sensible. Alright, what official position do you hold in the Sima family? What official position will I give you? Take your troops back and inform the region that I have descended to the mortal realm by the decree of the Jade Emperor to restore peace and prosperity. Anyone who dares to cause trouble will be skinned alive. Also, find all my descendants in your region. I have only descended to the mortal realm temporarily. After I complete this task, I will return to heaven. The new emperor will be chosen from my descendants."

come over."

Yang Feng said with a smile.

Gan Zhuo quickly crawled forward on his knees.

"Thank you."

Yang Feng handed him the remaining bunch of grapes.

With excitement, Gan Zhuo raised his hands and received the grapes from Emperor Taizu Gao.

He held the grapes in his hands and turned to look at his subordinates behind him.

"Quickly, everyone kneel down and respectfully welcome Emperor Taizu Gao! With Emperor Taizu Gao's arrival, the sky over the Han Dynasty will turn blue!"

he shouted.

The soldiers behind, still in a daze, hurriedly knelt down in a chaotic manner to welcome Emperor Taizu Gao.

He was the governor of Xiangzhou, effectively ruling over eight commanderies including Hengyang. He was merely summoned by Wang Dun to lead the Xiangzhou troops on the Northern Expedition. With his surrender and return to Changsha, Hunan would have been relatively stable. That was truly the kind of integrity he possessed. He was a capable fighter, arguably the only one in the upper reaches who could truly worry Wang Dun. However, his indecisive nature led him to be reassigned as the governor of Liangzhou to guard Xiangyang. When Wang Dun marched on Luoyang, he initially observed the situation, but was later persuaded by Sima Cheng to join him in raising an army. However, when they were almost at Wuchang, he hesitated again, ultimately watching as Wang Dun captured Jianye.

Then, he was tricked by Wang Dun into retreating back to Xiangyang, where he was killed by Zhou Lu, the governor of Xiangyang.

How could such a person risk his life for the Sima family? In fact, he was an accomplice of Chen Min's rebellion back then. Together with the Gu and Zhou families, he planned to restore the glory of the Great Wu. He even married his daughter to Chen Min's son. But later, he was the one who betrayed Chen Min and stabbed him in the back.

Amidst the thunderous shouts of "Long live the Emperor!" from Gan Zhuo's troops, Emperor Taizu Gao's imperial carriage continued forward. Meanwhile, Wang Dun and his various armies on the Northern Expedition were fleeing. Only a small portion surrendered at Wancheng; the majority were scattered and stationed around the city. Upon learning of Wancheng's fall, their army collapsed like a house of cards. Yang Feng had only gone a short distance when he encountered another Jin army force engaged in battle with pursuing Han cavalry. The leading general charged forward wielding double halberds, leaping and bounding through the thousands of soldiers... "Fly? Can you fly higher than a bullet?"

Yang Feng held up the golden AK in one hand, looking at the general falling like a kite with a broken string, and said disdainfully.

He then switched to an RPG and fired a grenade into the Jin army, the explosion shaking the battlefield.

"Stop! Those who surrender will be spared!"

Yang Feng roared.

The car stereo made his roar echo throughout the battlefield.

Then the soldiers fighting on the battlefield all stopped.

"Drag him here."

Yang Feng pointed to the spot where the general had fallen and said.

Ran Liang immediately spurred his horse forward, charging directly into the midst of the two armies. The Jin soldiers didn't dare move, watching as he reached the general's side, moved to the right side of his horse, grabbed the saddle with one hand and the general's belt with the other, lifted him from the ground, remounted, dragged the man back to Yang Feng, and threw him to the ground. Although the man had fallen from a height of six or seven meters, he was still alive and seemed to be in good spirits. As for Yang Feng's spear, it had only struck his shoulder.

"Your humble servant Deng Yue pays his respects to Emperor Taizu Gao".

He struggled to his knees and said in a trembling voice.

"Isn't this a sensible person? Come here!"

Yang Feng shouted.

Deng Yue climbed up to the elephant carriage with some difficulty.

Yang Feng's nine-section staff appeared in his hand, then stabbed him in the body, and then released it. Deng Yue, who was completely unharmed, stared in astonishment at his own body.

"This guilty subject has failed to recognize the majesty of Heaven and has been disrespectful to the royal army. I humbly request Your Majesty to punish me."

He then threw himself down and said excitedly.

"Get up, take your men, and follow me to atone for your crimes!"

Yang Feng shouted.

This was Wang Dun's top fighter.

Deng Yue and Zhou Fu were Wang Dun's two most trusted henchmen, so it seems unlikely that Wang Dun and Zhou Fu had a bad relationship.

After all, Zhou Fu had always followed Wang Dun.

The elephant carriage continued to move forward.

Holding twin halberds, Deng Yue rode his horse, leading his men as the vanguard. Almost all the Jin soldiers they encountered surrendered without hesitation. Clearly, he held considerable prestige under Wang Dun. A general like him, who rose through the ranks purely through ability rather than family background, was an idol in the eyes of the lower-ranking soldiers. After all, they couldn't dream of anything else; the highest they could hope for was to be a henchman like him. They couldn't possibly aspire to be like those aristocratic families, becoming governors or commanders-in-chief.

Yang Feng thus arrived in Fancheng without any obstacles.

On the opposite bank was Zhou Fang, the governor of Liangzhou, who had just withdrawn. He led his men to manage logistics for Wang Dun in Fancheng. After learning that Wancheng had been captured, he directly retreated across the Han River.

As for the weekly visit...

The next morning, he and his son Zhou Fu were already kneeling outside Fancheng, waiting to pay homage to Emperor Taizu Gao.

He was a commoner from a military family in the Wu Kingdom, so why would he have any interest in risking his life for the Sima family?

His surrender allowed Yang Feng to board the numerous warships brought by Wang Dun, and the supplies previously stockpiled in Fancheng were also taken over, providing ample provisions. He then led his army, which had swelled to 150,000, downstream. The figure was 50,000 short, as Wang Dun's total force was only 120,000; the 200,000 was merely a figurehead. Yang Feng also led a contingent. In short, Emperor Gaozu of Han's fleet stretched for thousands of miles, its warships sailing straight down to Jianye.

But the forwards were blocked at Jingling.

Jingling.

"You want to be the governor of Jingzhou?"

Yang Feng looked at the envoy in front of him.

This was sent by Du Zeng.

After being recruited by the emperor, Du Zeng was appointed Prefect of Jingling. He originally called himself Prefect of Jingling, though strictly speaking, it wasn't entirely self-proclaimed, as he was actually appointed by Wu Yi, the fifth governor of the four prefectures of Jing, Liang, Yin, and Ning, whom Sima Ye had just sold to Wang Dun, who then sent him to Jianye. Clearly, this man, described by Tao Kan as an owl, was no longer satisfied with the prefectural position. After all, he controlled the Han River and had the leverage to negotiate; having defected, it would be unreasonable not to promote him.

Why would I switch jobs if they won't give me a raise?

Do you know what an emperor is?

Yang Feng said.

The messenger looked at him blankly.

"What the emperor gives you is yours; what he doesn't give you, you cannot accept."

Yang Feng said.

The next moment, he drew back the giant bow in his hand, and an energy arrow was rapidly generated. It then flew out, instantly transforming into a blue meteor of the ionosphere, striking the city platform of Jingling squarely. The platform exploded instantly, turning into dust and debris flying everywhere. The energy arrow that pierced through the platform continued forward, turning the drum tower inside the city into the same pieces. It didn't stop there, but with a terrifying whistling sound and debris from houses on both sides of the street, it crashed directly into the city platform on the other side of the city. The latter also turned into countless pieces, and only then did the blue meteor of the energy arrow dissipate in the open fields outside the city.

Thus, Jingling City was divided in two by a terrifying ravine.

The messenger knelt there, trembling, looking at the entire city that had suddenly been connected, and his whole body went limp.

"Go into the city, grab Du Zeng and behead him. He's a shameless bastard."

Yang Feng said to Deng Yue.

"kill!"

Deng Yue roared excitedly.

Deng Yue, who had suddenly transformed into a fierce general of the Han Dynasty, relied on his lightness skill, which was said to have been taught by immortals. In an instant, he leaped up like a Vajra pouncing on his opponent, wielding his double halberds to jump over the moat, and then rushed into Jingling City in the blink of an eye.

As for Du Zeng, he had already begun to flee, but he failed to escape and was caught up by his old rival Zhou Fang, who eventually shot him to death.

Meanwhile, Emperor Gaozu's army sailed down the Han River to Yangkou, and all along the way surrendered upon hearing the news. Before his warships even reached Jingzhou, the people of Jingzhou directly bound the newly appointed Wang Yi and then joyfully welcomed the Han army.

Yang Feng divided his troops in Jingzhou, sending Gan Zhuo with 30,000 men south to return to Xiangzhou to inform the people, including those in Jiaozhou and Guangzhou. At this time, Tao Kan was the governor of Guangzhou. As for Jiaozhou, it was in turmoil. The previous governor of Jiaozhou was Gu Mi of the Gu family of Jiangdong, who died in Jiaozhou. His sons, Gu Can and Gu Shou, were successively elected governors by their subordinates, but they also died of illness or were killed. So, Yang Feng actually wanted Gan Zhuo to deal with the situation.

This shows how highly they regard him.

Yang Feng led his army, which had swelled to a full 200,000, and marched directly towards Wuchang.

The one who stayed behind in Wuchang was Wang Dun's son, Wang Ying, who was actually Wang Han's son, but Wang Dun had no sons, so he was adopted.

Wang Ying did not hesitate at all to abandon Wuchang and flee to Jiangzhou.

At this time, the capital of Jiangzhou was Nanchang, and he completely disregarded Sima Rui's life or death.

Yang Feng deliberately lingered in Wuchang to ensure that Sima Rui could gather enough troops while simultaneously sending a separate force north to deal with the various regions north of the Yangtze River, which were still unsure of what to do due to his rapid advance. This was to ensure the peaceful takeover of these regions to the greatest extent possible. His strategy of moving downstream was so rapid that he couldn't even attend to areas outside the waterways; fortunately, the people in that area were sensible.

(End of this chapter)