In July of the second year of Zhang Wu, Hanzhong.

After more than four years of governance, Hanzhong has slowly regained some vitality.

Although it still can't be compared with when Zhang Lu governed Hanzhong, today's Hanzhong can finally see the appearance of the village and the people living and farming in peace.

Four years ago, near the end of the Battle of Hanzhong, Cao Cao ordered people to move away nearly eighty percent of the population of Hanzhong to enrich Guanzhong, leaving Liu Bei with an empty Hanzhong.

There are good and bad things about this.

There is no need to ask about the disadvantages, if there is not enough dingkou, there will be no enough tax sources, and the land will only slowly become barren if it is not cultivated.

Today's Hanzhong really can't be compared with the Hanzhong governed by Zhang Lu.

But this does not mean that Zhang Lu's ability is stronger, which is caused by many factors.

One, it is indeed due to Zhang Lu's theocratic governance method.

Zhang Lu inherited the Five Buckets of Rice Dao, reformed the teachings, and formed a governance mode of integrating politics and religion, attracting a large number of landless displaced people into Hanzhong and enriching the population of Hanzhong.

In addition, at that time, it was when the Liangzhou princes led by Ma Teng and Han Sui were ravaging Guanzhong, and I don't know how many people in Guanzhong fled into Hanzhong, which also allowed Zhang Lu to enjoy a wave of population welfare.

In this way, when Zhang Lu governed Hanzhong, he relied on his special system to make the people of Hanzhong prosperous, and also allowed Zhang Lu to have the capital to divide Hanzhong and stand on his own.

A digression. As far as Liu Zhang's ability is concerned, sometimes I really can't understand how thick the faces of those who blow Liu Zhang is stronger than Liu Bei.

The second one, but Liu Bei's careful thinking.

For example, although there is chaos today, Shu is still stable.

Although under the rule of Liu Zhang, the Shuzhong family and the Dongzhou faction did not jump out to make trouble, but the duration was basically not long, except for Zhao Key's rebellion, the basic influence did not exceed one county, and it could be pacified soon, so Shuzhong was relatively solidified in terms of political pattern and land distribution.

Although a big fish named Liu Bei came to this solidified pond later, Liu Bei wanted to gain a foothold in Shuzhong, and he had to consider the interests of these Shuzhong families, and some things were not easy to do too much.

For example, redistributing land or something, it's a bit of a difficult thing to do.

Therefore, after Liu Bei defeated Hanzhong, he deliberately did not let the Shuzhong family interfere in the affairs of Hanzhong, just to use Hanzhong as a reserved place for himself to reward meritorious officials.

Shuzhong really can't take out so much land to motivate the soldiers under his command, and Hanzhong happened to be relocated by Cao Cao, isn't this a ready-made ownerless land?!

Of course, this is also thanks to Cao Cao, because Cao Cao migrated eighty percent of the population, and he packed up the slightly richer families, including some of the elite classes that were originally in Hanzhong, and those who stayed were basically some old, weak, sick or poor people, who had no value in being Dingkou, so they were left to fend for themselves.

This is the only benefit of Cao Cao's relocation of the population of Hanzhong - without the containment of the powerful and powerful of the family, Liu Bei can rest assured and boldly run Hanzhong according to his own ideas.

It may take a little longer, and the money and food invested will be more, but this place is a private place belonging to Liu Bei's group, and no one from the Shuzhong family is allowed to come and interfere.

And now, after more than four years of development, Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi, who had the rank of former general in the Ministry of War, finally found time to inspect Hanzhong together.

Zhongshuling personally went on patrol, representing Liu Bei's attention to Hanzhong, and it was also a signal to the outside world.

And the reason why Zhang Xi also came together was mainly because Hanzhong was the northward base of the entire Liu Bei group, and the next time he wanted to march into Guanzhong, the army would have to start from Hanzhong, so Zhang Xi, the secretary of the military department, must also come over to inspect military affairs.

So it's not a big deal for these two people to inspect Hanzhong together.

But Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi both know that this matter is not as simple as it seems on the surface.

On the way from Chengdu to Hanzhong, Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi had already chatted with each other a lot, and both of them basically guessed Liu Bei's intentions, so they were not in a very good mood.

As soon as the two of them arrived in Hanzhong, after seeing Hanzhong Taishou Huang Quan, they immediately pulled Huang Quan and began a secret discussion.

This made Huang Quan very incomprehensible.

These two want to inspect the local civil affairs or military, or to inspect the work of the Ministry of Planning, this Huang Quan can understand. As soon as he came, he pulled himself to discuss secretly, what's the matter?!

When will the central officials be able to conspire with the local officials?!

Aren't you afraid of taboos?!

But Huang Quan looked back and thought about the temper of the current Great Han Majesty, and then thought about the identities of Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi. It seems that there is really no need to be afraid.

The emperor is a straight-tempered person, and he knows how to use people well, he knows what kind of people should be given what kind of treatment, and no one will suspect Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi.

And Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi are also people who followed the emperor during the Xinye period, and it can be said that they have come through hardships and hardships with the emperor, and the character and temper of these two people do not have the possibility of colluding with local officials and rebelling against the emperor.

But. Huang Quan still can't figure it out, what is he going to discuss?!

Therefore, when he arrived in the inner room and sent away the servants, Huang Quan first asked, "Kong Ming, Yuan Chang, why is it so secret?!" ”

"Brother Gongheng, forgive me!" Zhuge Liang apologized first, and then said to Huang Quan, "Hanzhong is a critical place, and it is related to the great cause of His Majesty's Northern Expedition, and the affairs are close, so I have to be cautious." ”

Huang Quan was stunned for a moment, and then his face slowly became serious, and he quickly captured the key words in Zhuge Liang's words.

Northern expedition?!

What is the Northern Expedition?!

"Quan Zhen guards Hanzhong, and he doesn't know the important affairs of the DPRK and China." Huang Quan carefully considered it according to his own thoughts, and still said, "It's just that Quan thinks that now that the people's livelihood has not recovered, it is better not to make a big move in the past two years!" ”

There are some things that Huang Quan is not very easy to say clearly, and he doesn't need to say them too clearly.

The last Northern Expedition was only two years away!

The Northern Expedition was launched almost with the strength of the country, although it laid a lot of territory, but the northern part of Yongzhou and Liangzhou are places where money and grain are substantiated, and stability can be guaranteed in the past two years, which is already the result of a large amount of manpower and material resources, how can it be possible to launch the Northern Expedition at this time? !

Again, Liu Bei has only been on the throne for the second year, and the actual ascension to the throne is only one year and three months.

At this time, the use of soldiers, whether it is for the court or the people, is not a small burden, right?!

Huang Quan didn't understand why Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi came to Hanzhong to say such a thing as the Northern Expedition.

But Zhuge Liang and Zhang Xi are also helpless, there are some things, which are really not what they expected, and they can't be persuaded either.

Zhuge Liang was helpless and said to Huang Quan, "Brother Gongheng's words are reasonable, it's just . . At the beginning of the year, Guan Junhou of Jingzhou had a serious illness, and after being cured for nearly a month, Guan Junhou wrote to His Majesty, requesting another expedition to Wancheng. ”

Huang Quan was slightly stunned, as if he had thought of something.

And Zhang Xi also took the opportunity to say, "After Guan Junhou's watch seal was sent to Chengdu, Zhang Cheqi heard about it, and also said that after a year of formation, the northern and southern armies can be worthy of a war. Also requested the Northern Expedition in the above table. ”

Huang Quan's brows furrowed.

Zhuge Liang continued, "At the beginning of the year, Deng Bomiao returned from an envoy from Eastern Wu, bringing a letter of greeting from Sun Quan of Eastern Wu and an alliance between the two companies. Beidi made a detailed report, and Cao Wei gathered troops and horses in Yanzhou and Yuzhou, hoping to be unfavorable to Qingxu. ”

Zhang Xi added, "In March this year, Cao Ren, the governor of Yongliang of Cao Wei, died of illness, and the general Cao Hong was transferred back to Yecheng by Cao Pi, and after being deprived of military power, he was ordered to think about it behind closed doors, and Cao Pi sent Cao Zhen as the new governor of Yongliang to garrison Chang'an. ”

Well, needless to say, Huang Quan has all understood.

First, Guan Yu almost didn't survive a serious illness, which probably made Guan Yu realize his age, and wanted to take advantage of the fact that he could still fight to defeat Wancheng for Liu Bei and coerce Chang'an.

For a person as arrogant as Guan Yu, he can accept dying on the battlefield, but dying in bed is not the way Guan Yu wants to die.

probably realized Guan Yu's thoughts, so Zhang Fei also followed the book, obviously the Northern and Southern Army only lasted one year from recruitment to training, and Zhang Fei thought that he could participate in the actual battle.

Second, Jiangdong is in a very bad situation right now.

At the beginning of the year, I heard that Sun Quan sent an envoy to Yecheng to congratulate Cao Pi on his ascension to the throne as the emperor, but he was driven out of Yecheng without even seeing Cao Pi's face, and lost an adult.

At the same time, Cao Pi also issued two documents, announcing to the world, denying the legitimacy of Liu Bei and Sun Quan's claim to be emperor one by one, and at the same time sent envoys to both families to condemn them.

I heard that Sun Quan was angry with Cao Wei's envoys, so he brushed his sleeves away at the reception banquet.

Now that Cao Wei was stationed in Yanzhou and Yuzhou, the purpose of attacking Qingxu was clearly revealed, so Sun Quan deliberately called himself a junior to Liu Bei, recognized the fact that the two families called each other the names of the lords, and at the same time agreed to the request to establish a mutual market without thinking about it. Sun Quan obviously didn't want to fight on both sides, he wanted to stabilize Liu Bei, and then defend Qingxu with all his might.

For Liu Bei, Dongwu's side has to deal with Cao Pi's attack with all its might, so there is no need to worry about what Dongwu will do, and then make a backstab to attack Jingzhou or something.

And Cao Ren, the guard general of Chang'an, died of illness, and Cao Hong, who had prestige and could replace Cao Ren, was recalled to Yecheng because he offended Cao Pi, and was even relieved of his military power to let him think about it behind closed doors, and was replaced by Cao Zhen who did not have much experience in battle formations.

There was no pressure on the Dongwu side, Cao Wei's side focused on the competition for the Central Plains, and the Chang'an guard was replaced by a junior. Even if Huang Quan stood in Liu Bei's position, he would move the idea of the Northern Expedition.

But the problem is that you can't really do it when you want to.

Our foundation is thin, two years of recuperation is not enough at all, and we don't have so many troops, food and grass to launch the Second Northern Expedition.

The Northern Expedition is too much of a waste of money for the people and money.

(End of chapter)