On August 16 of the first year of Daqin II, the Xianyang City vegetable market, which had not seen blood for a long time, ushered in the baptism of blood again.

More than 700 people over the age of six of the three clans of the Sima clan in Xianyang were beheaded by Long Wei in the vegetable market. This betrayal of the country and rebellion by the important ministers who shocked the entire Great Qin ruined the reputation of the Sima clan, which had been famous in Guanzhong for hundreds of years.

No one doubted the real surname of Sima Xin's case, which was announced by the imperial court. Not only because of the belief in the emperor, but also from the fact that the person who was beheaded was Meng Tian.

What's more, there is a news circulating in Xianyang that Meng Tian, who has always been known for his benevolence and loyalty, as well as Feng Quji, the left prime minister of the Great Qin, Li You, the right prime minister, the Taishi Wei Yu, the Taiwei Yao Jia and other important ministers of the Great Qin Qi asked the emperor to punish the nine clans of the Sima clan, and was finally rejected by the second emperor.

So many Great Qin ministers wanted to exterminate the nine clans of the Sima clan at the same time, which naturally confirmed the certainty of Sima Xin's crime.

The name of the emperor's benevolence spread all over Guanzhong again.

However, what the people of Xianyang didn't know was that although Hu Hai only killed the three clans of Sima Xin, he counted more than 10,000 people from all over Guanzhong who had something to do with the Sima clan, not limited to the nine clans, and sent them all to the three counties of Liaodong, Liaoxi and Youbeiping.

These three counties have just been plundered by the Xiongnu barbarians, and the three counties are almost barren. These more than 10,000 Sima clan people will take on the responsibility of defending the territory for Daqin, if the three counties are broken, the whole clan will be wiped out, and if there is merit in defending the territory, it is possible to restore the glory of the Sima clan. These are Hu Hai's original words to the more than 10,000 Sima clansmen.

The northern frontier originally belonged to the Yan Kingdom, and the rule of Great Qin has always been extremely weak. Sending more than 10,000 people from the Sima clan who were able to survive because of the emperor and were grateful to the emperor to these three counties could greatly promote the effective rule of Great Qin over the three counties.

Hu Hai was not worried that these more than 10,000 people would cause chaos for him, at least more than 1,000 Long Wei were filled into the Sima clan on various trumped-up charges, and they were Hu Hai's advance army to strengthen the three counties in the northern border.

Today, Hu Hai simply did not have the energy to effectively rule and control more than a dozen counties in the northern frontier. You can only wait until Xiangliang and the south are pacified, and then you can put your energy into this area.

Therefore, these more than 1,000 dragon guards also took on the important task of drawing a map of the vast land north of the Great Wall of Liaodong that has now become the territory of the Xiongnu for Huhai. This is naturally Hu Hai's preparation for the future use of troops against the Xiongnu. Of course, that's an afterthought.

The impact of Sima Xin's case has been enormous.

Many ministers of the DPRK and China were implicated and degraded. Among them, the most eye-catching is naturally the emperor's side, Lang Zhongling, who was demoted by the emperor to Xianyang and sent Bashu.

Although Zhang Han's position of Lang Zhongling was not removed by the emperor, everyone knew that since Zhang Han had been demoted from the court of the Great Qin Empire, the position of Lang Zhongling was already in name only.

Maybe Zhang Han had just walked out of Xianyang City, and before he got on the road, the emperor's will to remove Zhang Hanlang from the post of lieutenant commander had already been issued. Everyone thinks that Zhang Han's career has been completely ended because of Sima Xin's case, and this former emperor's confidant has lost the emperor's trust.

On the 17th day of August in the first year of Great Qin II, that is, the day after Sima Xin's family was beheaded, Lang Zhong ordered Zhang Han to lead dozens of guards alone on the road to Bashu.

The government and the opposition all knew that Zhang Han would leave Xianyang and rush to Bashu to take over Meng Kuo's position and guard the two counties of Bashu for the emperor.

Looking at the deserted Xianyang South Gate and the weaving flow of people, Zhang Han was silent. None of the officials in the court came to see Zhang Han off, even if Zhang Han had been serving in the Shaofu Mansion, none of Zhang Han's former officials came to bid farewell to this old boss who was about to be demoted and leave Xianyang.

"Brother, let's go!"

It was Zhang Ping who spoke, the emperor of Xianyang Palace was assassinated, although the matter had been clarified in the end, and then it was over, but Zhang Ping was still punished and removed from the post of general of the forbidden army, and he was idle in the house.

This time, Zhang Han was demoted out of Xianyang and went to Bashu, and Zhang Ping, who was idle in Canada, decided to follow his brother Zhang Han to Bashu. Zhang Han was demoted because of Sima Xin's case, and the entire Zhang Mansion was gloomy, and Zhang Ping was lazy to stay in Xianyang and be looked down upon.

Once upon a time, Zhang Han, as the emperor's most trusted confidant in front of him, was almost purple when he was red, how many officials in the court came to Zhang's mansion. Zhang Han never looked down on any official who came to visit Bajie because of his promotion. Being kind to others is Zhang Han's consistent way of life.

However, now that he is still in charge of Lang Zhongling, many ministers in the court who have come to talk to him have regarded him as a snake and scorpion, and they are afraid to avoid him. The taste of each, now Zhang Han really understands it.

The warmth and coldness of human affection are undoubtedly revealed at this moment.

The group silently followed the flow of people and stepped onto the avenue to Chencang. From Xianyang to Bashu, the Chencang Road, which starts from Chencang Pass, is the northernmost section of the passage to Bashu.

Outside Xianyang City, thirty miles of long pavilions, there are buildings of people.

From afar, Zhang Han saw that all the three princes and nine kings above the Great Qin Dynasty, including Meng Tian, Feng Quji, Wei Yi, and Li Youzai, were all present, including Fengchang Hu Wujing, who was supposed to stay in Xianyang Prison, and none of the Great Qin ministers were there.

In front of Meng Tian and the others, there was a figure standing impressively, it was Hu Hai, the second emperor of Great Qin.

At the moment when he saw Hu Hai, Zhang Han, who had aged almost ten years in just a few days, burst into hot old tears.

Because Sima Xin's case was demoted out of Xianyang, Zhang Han had grievances in his heart, but he had no complaints. Sima Xin was able to participate in many court meetings that only important ministers of the DPRK and China could attend, all because of Zhang Han's kind words in front of Hu Hai.

And it was precisely because of Zhang Han's kind words that Xiang Liang's hundreds of thousands of troops besieged Hu Hai in a corner of Chengwu, and he was almost in a different place.

If it were Zhang Han himself, he would definitely not make the person who spoke well of him feel better. Not to mention His Majesty the Emperor.

Zhang Han himself also thinks that he has completely lost the trust of the emperor. But at this moment, seeing the emperor personally go out of the city and lead a group of three dukes and nine kings to the thirty-mile long pavilion to see him off, the guilt in Zhang Han's heart almost made him ashamed to death.

"Old minister Zhang Han, meet Your Majesty! Long live Your Majesty! ”

Zhang Han had already turned over and dismounted a few feet away, and sobbed to Hu Hai, who was standing in front of people wearing a black brocade robe, like a son next door.

Looking at Zhang Han, who had almost aged more than ten years in just a few days, Hu Hai's heart trembled inexplicably.

"Zhang Aiqing is flat." Hu Hai said and walked a few steps to support the old tearful Zhang Han.

Zhang Ping, who followed Zhang Han to the south of the Bashu, and a group of people in Zhangfu, did not expect that the emperor would personally bring a group of important ministers from the court to see off Zhang Han, who was degraded out of Xianyang, and after a short period of shock, they all turned over and dismounted and saluted.

Holding Zhang Han in one hand, Hu Hai led Meng Tian, Feng Quji and other important ministers of the court to the long pavilion on the side of the road.

A huge bronze case had been placed in the originally empty pavilion. On top of the bronze case, there are more than ten bronze wine bottles.

"Serve!" Letting go of Zhang Han's hand, Hu Hai took the bronze wine bottle full of wine presented by Long Jiao, turned around and said, "Zhang Aiqing has been wronged these days. I'll give you a drink! ”

Hearing the emperor's words, Zhang Han was shocked, and hurriedly knelt down on one knee and said, "The old minister doesn't dare!" ”

Among the ministers, except for Meng Tian and Wei Yu, who were silent with a smile, the rest of the people, including Feng Quji, were shocked when they heard the emperor's words. From the emperor's words, they had already keenly heard it, it seemed that the emperor's degrading of Zhang Han to Xianyang was not as simple as he and others imagined. What's more, it seems that even the party Zhang Han himself doesn't know the reasons.

"The land of Bashu is my granary of Daqin, the chest and abdomen. Only by sending Aiqing to the two counties of Bashu can I let go of Xiang Liang's rebellion. Aiqing, don't be disappointed. Hu Hai said with a wave of his hand, and behind him, Long Mei, who was outlining a delicate figure in a black suit, handed Zhang Han a huge envelope sealed with red lacquer.

At this moment, the ministers of the court and the central government have already understood that Zhang Han is not degrading Xianyang, but that the emperor needs Zhang Han to go to Bashu to defend it. It's just that the two counties of Bashu are at the back of Guanzhong, and the rebellions in Daqin have not affected the two places in Bashu at all, and there is already Meng Kuo to guard it, so it seems that there is no need to send Zhang Han, an important minister, to Ah, and it seems that there is no need to make an excuse to demote Zhang Han out of Xianyang.

The emperor must have had other plans. Xuan Miao, I think it was in the secret letter that the emperor handed to Zhang Han.

Zhang Han, who originally thought that he was really degraded, heard Hu Hai's words, and at this moment realized that the emperor did not trust himself at all, but handed over the important land of Daqin to himself to guard, or that there were more important things to be done by himself.

Thinking of this, Zhang Han's depression was suddenly swept away, and his spirit was greatly lifted. Respectfully took the secret letter handed over by Hu Hai with both hands, and said solemnly: "Even if the old minister dies, he will definitely live up to His Majesty's trust." ”

"Haha, Aiqing is serious! Aiqing is the minister of my Great Qin, and I still need Aiqing to continue to serve me and my Great Qin for a hundred and ten thousand generations. Hu Hai patted the back of Zhang Han's hand, helped him up, and said with a smile.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Zhang Han choked up.

"In this way, Aiqing will go on the road earlier. Long Xuan, that is, you led ten dragon guards to guard Zhang Aiqing's side, if you go on a business trip, you don't have to come back to see me! Hu Hai turned to look at Long Xuan, who was standing outside the pavilion, a ray of warmth flashed in his eyes, and then he said in a deep voice.

Long Xuan has been by Hu Hai's side since Hu Hai took control of the Black Ice Platform, training troops in Bashang, going north to Jimo, bloody battles in Chengwu and assassination in the palace, Long Xuan has always followed Hu Hai, and his loyalty to Hu Hai is beyond doubt.

But because of this, Hu Hai sent Long Xuan to guard Zhang Han.

"Your Majesty obeys!" Long Xuan had already known two days ago that he was going to leave the emperor's side to guard Zhang Han's side in the future, but at this moment, his eyes were still full of tears when he heard it.

Hu Hai didn't say anything more, just walked forward slowly and gently patted Long Xuan's shoulder. Then he turned around abruptly and said, "I won't be far away." After drinking this glass of wine, Zhang Aiqing will go on the road. ”

(To be continued)