novelAbuy Chapter 1398 I don’t know how long
Chapter 1398 I don’t know how long
Chapter 1398 I don’t know how long
The road from Chang'an to Taiyuan is much easier to travel than in the past.
Chang'an was the center of the Han Dynasty, and Taiyuan was the center of Bingzhou.
The administrative centers of various counties and prefectures may not be able to be directly connected to Chang'an.
However, the capitals of each state must have a direct official road to Chang'an.
This is not only a need for the central government to strengthen its control over local governments, but also a need for national strategic security.
It was based on this consideration that the "figure maniac" Lao Ying built nine highways in one go right after he unified the six kingdoms.
The Qin Straight Road that leads directly to Jiuyuan is just one of the nine roads.
"Qin built a road across the country, east to Yan and Qi, south to Wu and Chu, and along the rivers and lakes, and along the sea. The road was fifty steps wide, with trees every three feet. It was thickly fortified, covered with golden stakes, and planted with green pines."
Who would have thought that Lao Ying exhausted the people's strength to build the Nine Kingdoms, but his own people did not benefit from it, and instead it all benefited Liu Han.
Especially in the Western Han Dynasty, the reason why it was able to create martial arts that were admired by later generations and the country's territory reached the limit of military expansion in the feudal era was due to the Chidao built by the "model maniacs".
But later on, the roads fell into disrepair due to age - after all, just maintaining these roads was a huge, long-lasting, and even labor-intensive project.
Coupled with the destruction caused by war, these roads gradually shrank and even disappeared, and were finally lost in the long river of history.
But then again, the Qin Straight Road, which was used for the longest time, was not gradually buried until the Qing Dynasty. This is enough to illustrate the quality of the construction of the highway ordered by the "model maniac".
The Three Kingdoms period was only about 400 years after the Qin Dynasty.
Except for the Qin Straight Road, these roads can still be used directly after a little repair.
Although the remaining eight are no longer as wide and magnificent as they once were, at least their traces are still there.
There are even many sections that are still the main local official roads.
One of the nine highways is called Linjin Road.
As the name suggests, it is a highway that goes directly from Xianyang to Jin.
Starting from Chang'an, heading northeast, we reached the Yellow River, crossed Puzhou, passed Puban, went to Hedong, and finally arrived at Shangdang.
However, the section from Hedong to Shangdang had long been destroyed due to various changes in Shangdang County.
Fortunately, in recent years, the engineering team has initially reopened the road in accordance with the court's outsourcing business, and is currently preparing to widen and reinforce it.
As for the route from Hedong to Taiyuan, Ji Han still inherited the practice of Emperor Zhaolie, vigorously developing the postal system and setting up a series of pavilions and halls along the way.
At the same time, the engineering team made use of the rich experience and skilled workers accumulated over the years to continuously build and widen the official road.
Especially after the Shangdang Campaign, the imperial court realized the importance of Taiyuan and used the Joint Reserve Bureau to issue a special national debt specifically for the construction of the official road between Hedong and Taiyuan.
Most of it was paid by the aristocratic families in Hedong and Taiyuan, and a small part was paid by the wealthy families in Shangdang whose property was confiscated.
Of course, this incident also caused some waves in the court.
For example, someone from Yongliang stood up and said, doesn’t the Qin Jiudao also have a western road (from Chang'an to Lintao in Hexi)?
Why not expand it a little bit?
For example, if we follow it to reconnect and repair the post road that led directly to the Western Regions during the Western Han Dynasty, it would be more convenient for people to travel between Hexi and the Western Regions. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?
The imperial court can issue another round of national debt. We in Guanxi, especially the people in Liangzhou, have money too. We can buy it all!
It’s not that the people of Yongliang are stupid and have a lot of money, but these days, the one who collects money is not considered capable, only the one who pays money is considered capable.
To be rich, build roads first.
Feng Da Sima had said this a long time ago in Nanxiang. He was never wrong when it came to spending money lavishly.
If the post road between Hexi and the Western Regions can really be built, then the whole road will be paved with gold!
Not to mention the initial investment, 50% to 60% of it can be recovered during road construction - the construction team does not bring their own food to work for free.
When the imperial court was building a large project, if one had some connections in the local area, one could fill his stomach even by selling vegetables.
Of course, this proposal was rejected at the court meeting.
The reason is also very simple.
No manpower.
The imperial court can raise food, and the people are willing to contribute money, but where can they find so many people to build roads?
So when they learned that the local people of Taiyuan had used the time difference to eat up the 50,000 laborers in the hands of General Zhendong in advance, even Hedong, which was originally a political ally, couldn't help but rant:
The Taiyuan guy is really not a human being! With such a big appetite, why doesn't he swallow all the shit? !
Dahan, there is really a shortage of people in all walks of life in all places.
So this is why collecting money is not considered a skill, but paying money is considered a skill.
After all, it concerns the dog's right to bark.
The more powerful a particular interest group is, the louder they bark in the court, and the more food they can get for their own territory.
As for political groups like those in Shu, which are ladies born as maids, there is nothing called power. You just eat whatever the court gives you.
It’s good enough to have something to eat, do you still want to order more?
Why were the aristocratic families in Hedong, Taiyuan willing to be bled again and again by Mr. Feng?
In addition to Feng's own means and the general situation of the world, he also wanted to use this opportunity to enhance his own power in the court and avoid the fate of the Shu family.
Of course, Mr. Feng no longer needs to bark like a dog in the court to highlight his presence.
He just showed his kindness in Taiyuan, and the Han emperor Liu Adou immediately sent people to reward him.
The angel sent over was named Li Xiang, who was the Shangshu Lang at the time.
Li Xiang’s husband was called Li Fu. He was the person who was urgently sent by A Dou to visit the prime minister when the prime minister was seriously ill, and to ask the prime minister about the country’s plans for a hundred years to come.
However, he died in office several years ago.
His son Li Xiang also had a reputation, and the emperor, remembering his father's past merits, appointed him as Shangshu Lang.
After all, the person who was sent by Adou to inquire about important matters when the prime minister was seriously ill could be said to be Adou's confidant.
The son of a confidant is still a confidant.
Li Xiang read out the imperial edict in public and rewarded the army. After completing the procedures, he found an opportunity to meet with General Feng in private.
"Xiong, meet the Grand Marshal."
This time, he bowed properly to show that he was not coming to meet him as an angel.
When Feng Da Sima saw Li Xiang coming to ask for a meeting, he was not surprised, but there was a trace of trance in his eyes:
"Minister Li, please take a seat."
"Thank you, Sima."
After Li Xiang sat down, Feng Da Sima took the initiative to speak, with a nostalgic look on his face, and said in a leisurely tone:
"Every time I see Minister Li these days, I always think of an old friend and an elder."
Li Xiang pretended to listen respectfully:
"Anyone who can be called an old friend by the Grand Marshal must be an extraordinary person, and if someone can be called an elder, he must be someone who people respect even more."
Although Li Xiang was younger than Feng Da Sima, the age difference was less than ten years.
Now, because of their status, Li Xiang is willing to put himself in the position of a junior.
Thinking of the so-called old friend, Feng Dasima couldn't help but smile:
"The old friend I'm talking about is none other than Li Shangshu's father, Li Pushe. Li Pushe is a man of great insight and a keen eye for politics. He is a capable official of the Han Dynasty and can truly be called extraordinary."
When Li Xiang heard that the person the Grand Marshal was talking about was his late father, he quickly stood up to show his respect and filial piety.
"If my father knew about this in the afterlife, he would be very happy to receive such high praise from the Grand Marshal. I would like to thank the Grand Marshal."
Li Xiang bowed respectfully to the Grand Marshal.
With this evaluation from the Grand Marshal, your reputation after death will be secure.
"I'm just telling the truth."
Sima Feng accepted his salute and motioned him to sit down again.
After the previous emperor entered Shu, Li Fu served as the governor of Baxi.
Afterwards, he served as the Governor of Jiangzhou and General Yangwei.
Then he entered the court, served as Shangshu Pushe, and was granted the title of Pingyang Tinghou.
Finally, he served as the former military inspector and the commander-in-chief of the generals.
None of the positions he held was empty, all of them were key. This shows his ability, which is indeed extraordinary.
"Since Minister Li already knows that the old person I'm thinking of is your late father, then do you know who the elder I'm thinking of is?"
Li Xiang wanted to shake his head, but an idea flashed through his mind and he blurted out:
"Could it be that the Grand Marshal is talking about the Prime Minister?"
There is currently only one prime minister of Ji Han.
If the Han Dynasty were to be revived for the third time, there would probably only be one person like this.
Sima Feng nodded, indicating that Li Xiang guessed correctly.
His eyes were looking towards the tent door, as if he wanted to see farther through it.
"Yes, it was the Prime Minister. I remember when we recaptured Chang'an, the Prime Minister refused to enter the city first, and sent someone to summon me to go to Chang'an with me. His sincere desire to protect me always makes me feel like boiling water is burning my heart every time I think of it."
Feng Dasima's voice seemed close yet actually far away. There was a hint of regret and sadness in his voice, which made Li Xiang dare not respond easily.
In fact, with his current status, he is not qualified to talk about this topic.
His relationship with the Grand Marshal was not even that close.
So he didn't understand why Da Sima mentioned this to him.
There was silence in the tent for a long time, and then the voice of Feng Da Sima continued:
"Recovering the old capital of Chang'an should be a cause for celebration, but who would have thought that the Prime Minister would become seriously ill due to overwork."
Li Xiang then spoke:
"The Prime Minister was appointed when the army was defeated and ordered to act in times of danger, but he was afraid of hurting the wisdom of the late emperor, so he devoted himself to the Han Dynasty and died for it. He is truly a role model for Han officials, and I am not even a fraction of him."
"Yes, I can't wait for the Prime Minister to come to me."
Feng Da Sima interjected, adding the word "wait" more than Li Xiang:
"The Prime Minister is seriously ill in Chang'an, and Your Majesty has sent Li Pushe to visit him and consult him on state affairs a hundred years from now."
At this point, he looked at Li Xiang and said, "I didn't expect that His Majesty would send you to see me again today. It reminds me of this old incident in Chang'an."
Hearing what Feng Da Sima said, Li Xiang's heart skipped a beat for unknown reason. He always felt that there was something else behind Feng Da Sima's words.
But for a moment, he was a little confused about the meaning behind Da Sima's words.
If you can't guess, you won't dare to speak easily.
There was no focus in Feng Da Sima's eyes, and he had no intention of forcing Li Xiang to speak. He just asked in a leisurely voice:
"Does Minister Li remember the former General of the Cavalry, Li Ping (i.e. Li Yan)?"
Li Xiang's heart beat involuntarily a few more times again.
Li Ping was one of the two regents appointed by the late emperor for Your Majesty. How could he not know?
Having said that, Li Xiang already had a vague idea of what Feng Dasima might be going to say.
In other words, why did Da Sima behave so abnormally a few days ago?
He couldn't help whispering:
"Grand Sima, it's not that bad, is it? Everyone knows that you are very close to His Majesty. Uh, His Majesty trusts Grand Sima to the utmost..."
As close as brothers, indeed, as close as brothers.
No, maybe Your Majesty is not as close to his brothers as he is to the Grand Marshal.
After all, they are brothers-in-law.
Feng Dasima's eyes finally focused and he looked over, then a faint smile appeared on his face:
"Does Minister Li think that I can be better than the Prime Minister? However, even if it is the Prime Minister, when he led the army to the Northern Expedition, the regent appointed by the late Emperor dared to hold him back."
"People say I'm cruel and ruthless, and they call me the reincarnation of the Ghost King. You can imagine how much they hate me. In this world, there are so many people who want to kill me."
"If there is a chance, I don't know how many people will spread my slander before your Majesty. As the saying goes, gossip can melt gold, and constant criticism can destroy a person."
"Emperor Xiaowen, who was as wise as he was, would call in an important official like Ji Bu based on one person's praise and dismiss him based on one person's criticism."
"Now in the battle of Hebei, all the people in our Han Dynasty, whether wise or foolish, believe that victory is certain and have no other thoughts."
"Especially since the news of General Zhendong's great victory in the frontier reached Taiyuan, there have been rumors outside these days that the recovery of Hebei is just around the corner."
"It seemed as if the army could fly over the Taihang Mountains in one day, and the rebels in Hebei would throw down their armor and surrender when they heard the king's army was coming."
Feng Da Sima stared at Li Xiang, "Li Shangshu, tell me honestly, is there anyone in the court who thinks this way?"
Li Xiang felt the intimidation of the Grand Marshal's gaze and did not dare to raise his head. He stammered, "Yes."
In fact, even he had some such thoughts.
There was even an optimistic statement in the court that the Han cavalry could completely conquer Hebei in three months.
Both the government and the people were extremely optimistic about this war.
In particular, the great victory of General Zhendong in subduing hundreds of thousands of Hu people pushed this optimism to its peak.
Therefore, the court was not at all surprised by the battle reports that the Grand Marshal captured a fort today, attacked a camp tomorrow, and captured dozens of people the day after tomorrow, and even felt that it was an exaggeration.
"But for me, this time's opponent Sima Yi is the biggest enemy I have faced since I led the army to the battle."
Feng Da Sima's voice was faint and vague, "Judging from the current situation, if the war goes smoothly, it would be fine. Everyone would take it for granted."
"But what if there are twists and turns? I'm afraid people will start to doubt and criticize." Feng Da Sima looked at Li Xiang and said meaningfully, "If something unexpected happens, I'm afraid people will be very angry, right?"
In addition, some people who always slander Feng Dasima added fuel to the fire.
There was also a queen who always wanted to return to the Weiyang Palace to live.
Jiang Wan was seriously ill and was almost unable to manage the affairs of the government.
Fei Yi, who succeeded Jiang Wan, did not have enough prestige.
The Secretariat may not be able to suppress the various interest groups in the court who are fighting for the right to bark.
What if Adou, the henpecked man, did what he did in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and called Feng, who was at the front line, back to Chang'an, saying that he was lonely and missed him, so he specially called him back to talk...
Don’t be afraid of ten thousand, just be afraid of what happens.
When Li Xiang heard what Sima said, he immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
Because what the Grand Marshal said not only accurately reflected the views and mentality of most people in the court today, but also pointed out some possible situations that might arise in the future.
Your Majesty really understands Sima!
No wonder he specially sent himself to see the Grand Marshal, ostensibly to reward the army, but actually to ask the Grand Marshal privately what was in his mind.
While thinking about all these things, he did not forget the purpose of his trip. He bravely asked, "Grand Sima has no confidence in this battle?"
"If I don't have confidence, why would I write the Three Departures?" The Grand Marshal snorted coldly, then softened his tone, "But even if I am confident, what does it matter? As the saying goes, war is dangerous, so be careful."
Li Xiang asked again:
"What does Da Sima mean?"
"This battle may be more difficult and longer than we imagined..." Feng Da Sima finally revealed his "true feelings". "I have already informed the Shangshutai. Please make sure to prepare more food and fodder."
"But apart from the Shangshutai, I'm afraid no one in the court has a correct idea of how long this war will last."
After hearing this, Li Xiang waited for a long time, but did not hear the Grand Marshal continue to speak, so he had to ask:
"Then according to Grand Marshal's estimate, how long will this battle last?"
"do not know."
Li Xiang: …
"But I know that the fight may take a long time, so Your Majesty must be mentally prepared."
"Xiong understands."
After Li Xiang was sent away, Sima Feng looked towards a certain direction with a distant gaze, and there was a hint of coldness in his eyes.
At the same time, he licked his lips subconsciously, as if preparing to grit his teeth and suck blood.