Has the Han Dynasty been restored today?

If we look at this period of the Three Kingdoms from a higher perspective, temperature changes are the biggest factor affecting the world.

Since the end of the Han Dynasty, the temperature has been getting colder year by year. The north suffered from food shortages and disasters, which seriously affected the economic recovery of the Wei Kingdom. It also caused the spread of typhoid fever and plague, resulting in the deaths of countless common people and historical figures. The cooling temperature also had a significant impact on the military operations of various countries.

The most typical example is in the sixth year of the Huangchu era of Cao Wei, which was the third year of the Jianxing era of Shu Han. Prime Minister Zhuge Liang led troops to conquer the four commanderies in Nanzhong. In the same year, Cao Pi also led an army of 100,000 to attack Wu. However, in October, the waterway from Huai River to Yangtze River had frozen over, so Cao Pi's campaign against Wu was forced to stop.

Both the states of Wei and Wu were quite wary of this unusual climate.

While Prime Minister Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi were locked in a stalemate in Guanzhong, Sun Quan led a large army to attack Hefei once again. Upon hearing that Emperor Cao Rui of Wei was personally leading a large army to relieve the siege, Sun Quan hastily withdrew his troops from the new city of Hefei in August.

Hefei is still some distance from the Yangtze River...

Partly to avoid the Wei army's advance, and partly to withdraw the troops early and avoid the excessively cold weather.

After Wu's army withdrew, Emperor Cao Rui of Wei entered Shouchun to review the troops and reward the soldiers. Afterwards, he took a dragon boat and traveled north by waterway to return home.

That's right, it's by water.

In the present era, relying on river transport is the only reliable means of troop deployment and logistical support.

The State of Wu had a major river running through it from east to west, making water transport convenient. The State of Wei also had numerous rivers and canals, facilitating the deployment of troops.

Heading north from the Yellow River, one can reach Yecheng via Baigou, Licao Canal, and Zhangshui River. Going downstream along the Zhangshui River, one can reach Quanzhou and Jixian via Hutuo River and Pinglu Canal, thus reaching the heart of Youzhou.

Traveling south from the Yellow River, one can reach Junyi via the Cao Canal, then the Langdang Canal to the Wo River, and from there the Wo River and Ying River, eventually reaching Qiao County and Xudu. Whether following the Wo River or the Ying River downstream, one can enter the Huai River and reach Shouchun, a strategically important southeastern location of the Wei Kingdom.

From Shouchun, one can travel south, passing the Fei River to Hefei, then south again to Chaohu Lake, and then via the Ruxu River to the Yangtze River, eventually reaching Jianye, the capital of the Wu Kingdom.

The last waterway mentioned was the main battlefield where the states of Wei and Wu fought for nearly twenty years. With the added advantage of the waterway, objectively speaking, Wu posed a greater threat to Wei than Shu Han, and the scale of their battles here was often larger than that between Han and Wei.

When mentioning Emperor Cao Rui of Wei returning north from Shouchun, his dragon boat and hundreds of other boats sailed upstream against the current of the Wo River, accompanied by infantry and cavalry from the Wuwei, Zhongjian, and Zhonglei battalions on both banks. The scale of his entourage was truly magnificent.

When the dragon boat was still twenty li away from Qiao County, Zhong Yu, the Yellow Gate Attendant, hurriedly climbed the wooden ladder to the top of the four-story dragon boat to pay homage to Cao Rui.

"Your Majesty, the Grand General's envoy encountered the Imperial Guard on the left side of the road. General Zhaobo escorted the envoy before Your Majesty. Would Your Majesty wish to see him?"

Cao Rui stood before the wooden railing at the top of the dragon boat, wearing a crimson fox fur robe over a moon-white brocade robe. He wore no hair crown, only a simple jade hairpin piercing his hair bun, with half of his hair hanging down to chest and abdomen. His handsome appearance far surpassed that of ordinary people, and with the aid of imperial majesty, his demeanor became even more extraordinary.

But Cao Rui did not turn around upon hearing this; instead, he asked softly in a weary voice:

"Whom did the General send?"

Zhong Yu bowed and looked down at the ground, carefully replying, "He sent his second son, Sima Zhao."

Cao Rui remained silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Let Sima Zhao travel with the Imperial Guards, and we'll discuss this further when we reach Qiao County."

"If there is any urgent military intelligence..." Zhong Yu hesitated, wanting to offer advice but not daring to say anything that might displease Cao Rui.

"What urgent military intelligence is there?" Cao Rui scoffed. "Since the Shu troops invaded at the beginning of the year, the General has sent messengers to report several times, but this is the first time Sima Zhao has come. Would the General have sent his son if there wasn't something good to report?"

"Either it's a great victory, or Zhuge Liang has retreated. Uncle Zhi, you can go and ask him yourself."

"Your subject is foolish and dull." Zhong Yu bowed and said, "Your subject will go and convey the imperial edict immediately."

Zhong Yu then left.

Sima Zhao was still standing somewhat awkwardly and respectfully on the lower level of the dragon boat when he saw Zhong Yu coming down from the upper floor. He hurriedly went to greet him.

"Uncle Zhi, is there any news?"

Sima Zhao was two years older than Zhong Yu. One was the son of Sima Yi, the Grand General of the court, and the other was the son of Zhong Yao, the Grand Tutor. They had long-standing ties and were close friends.

Zhong Yu shook his head: "His Majesty will see you when he arrives in Qiao County."

Sima Zhao was momentarily taken aback. He held the wooden box up to face level and asked again, his voice now tinged with displeasure: "This is an urgent report from Guanzhong. How can an army of over 100,000 be unable to meet with the Emperor?"

"Silence!" Zhong Yu's face showed a hint of panic. He glanced around a few times before leaning closer to Sima Zhao and whispering, "Brother Zishang, have you gone mad? This is His Majesty's personal boat, almost like the palace itself. How can you speak like this!"

"I..." Sima Zhao was clearly still somewhat unconvinced, but seeing Zhong Yu's furrowed brows and frantic glances, he ultimately couldn't ask any more questions and simply nodded emphatically.

Zhong Yu was also starting to feel a bit troubled. According to his age, Sima Zhao was two years older than him, and was already twenty-four years old. How could he still be so unreliable? Zhong Yu even regretted bringing Sima Zhao onto the ship ahead of time.

But given the matter of national importance, Zhong Yu patiently asked, "What business does Guanxi have to report?"

"To be honest, Uncle Zhi, Zhuge Kongming is dead!" Sima Zhao said triumphantly.

Zhong Yu's eyes widened slightly: "Dead? How did he die?"

"Did he die of illness, or was he killed by the army?" Sima Zhao smiled slightly. "He died in late August, without a doubt. The Shu army then retreated south through the Xiegu Pass. The General found many books and maps in the Shu camp, which the Shu army hadn't had time to take. The General led his troops to pursue them to Chian, where they stayed for several days. Afterwards, some Shu soldiers fled from the south, saying that there was fierce infighting within the Shu army, with Yang Yi first killing Wei Yan and then seizing his troops. The General submitted a memorial preparing to take advantage of the situation to attack Shu. The military report and the memorial are currently in the wooden box in my hands!"

Such a momentous event...

Zhong Yu thought to himself, "Since the founding of the Wei Kingdom, the focus of its defense has always been on the southeastern Yangzhou region. And since Zhuge Liang, the Shu Chancellor, invaded Longyou eight years ago, not only has the Central Plains been exhausted, but the nation's military strength and resources have also been poured into Guanzhong like water. There are still hundreds of thousands of troops stationed there now… Zhuge Liang's death is absolutely good news for the current Wei Kingdom!"

"Brother Zishang, please wait a moment. Give me the letter, and I'll go up and ask again."

Zhong Yu took the letter and climbed the steps again.

"Your Majesty, Guanzhong..." Zhong Yu had only said a few words when he saw Emperor Cao Rui in front of the railing turn his head and stare at him with a cold gaze. He didn't dare to say the rest of the words.

Cao Rui said coldly, "Zhong Yu, I have already said that you should leave and not disturb me."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Zhong Yu was sweating profusely, and he immediately prostrated himself on the ground and kowtowed before retreating.