69novels Chapter 1102 Unification of the World, This Is Just the Beginning?
Chapter 1102 Unification of the World, This Is Just the Beginning?
Ran Min wielded a double-edged spear twelve feet long and a hooked halberd nine feet long; the Right Wise King used a curved sword. After ten rounds of fighting, the Right Wise King's swordsmanship became chaotic. In the fifteenth round, Ran Min used his hooked halberd to lock the curved sword, and his double-edged spear thrust straight at the opponent's face.
The Right Wise King dodged hastily, his helmet flying off, his forehead slashed, and blood splattered across his face. The Golden Wolf Guards fought desperately to save their lord, retreating as they fought.
With their commander wounded, the morale of the Xiongnu army wavered. Lü Bu and Ran Min joined forces and seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack.
The battle raged from dawn till dusk, leaving the Xiongnu with over 40,000 corpses and forcing them to retreat fifty li. The siege of Yanmen Pass was thus lifted.
Despite the great victory at Yanmen Pass, Ran Min and Lü Bu were not satisfied.
"The Xiongnu have suffered such a heavy blow that they will surely retreat to the northern desert to recuperate. If we allow them to rebuild, they will surely make a comeback in a few years," Ran Min said at the military council.
Despite being covered in wounds, Lü Bu's heroic spirit remained undiminished: "I am willing to be the vanguard and march straight to Longcheng!"
The two jointly submitted a memorial to Gao Yao. The imperial edict arrived three days later: "Granted! The southern desert will be pacified, eliminating future troubles forever!"
After a five-day rest and replenishment of provisions and arrows, 80,000 cavalrymen marched north out of the pass.
It was the dead of winter, and the snow on the grasslands was deep enough to reach the horses' bellies. The Xiongnu assumed that the Huaxia army would not pursue them and set up camp on the northern slopes of the Yin Mountains to spend the winter.
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, under a dark and windy sky, the Huaxia army launched a night attack on the Xiongnu camp.
Ran Min led 10,000 elite cavalry straight to the Right Wise King's golden tent. Luan Di Huyan hastily engaged in battle, but Ran Min pierced his shoulder with a spear. He nearly lost his life if not for the desperate rescue by his personal guards.
The Xiongnu suffered a crushing defeat, abandoning countless supplies. Women and children wept and fled north.
The Huaxia army pursued relentlessly. They crossed the Yanran Mountains and the Gonglu River, defeating seven Xiongnu tribes along the way.
By the first month of the following year, the army's advance had reached the vast desert. The Right Wise King's forces scattered, with only three thousand surviving cavalrymen escaping into the depths of the northern desert.
In this battle, 80,000 Xiongnu were killed in battle, 50,000 were captured, more than 200,000 tribal people surrendered, and 3 million head of cattle, sheep and horses were seized. The Xiongnu tribes south of the Gobi Desert either surrendered or fled, and never recovered from this defeat.
Ran Min inscribed a stone tablet on Yanran Mountain to commemorate his achievements: "In the winter of the sixth year of the reign of Emperor Huaxia, General Lü Bu, the General of the North, and General Ran Min, the General of the Guards, led their troops on a northern expedition, defeating 200,000 Xiongnu at Yanmen Pass, pursuing them for three thousand li, and emptying the southern desert. Those who dare to offend the mighty Han, no matter how far away, shall be punished!"
In the spring of the seventh year of the reign of Emperor Huaxia, the three armies returned to the capital one after another.
The Central Plains army was the first to return to the capital. Ying Bu and Xue Rengui escorted Wei Bao and more than a hundred surrendered generals to the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Gao Yao personally welcomed them to the outskirts of the city and bestowed upon them three cups of imperial wine.
"Ying Bu pacified the Central Plains and made great contributions. He was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Huaiyin and granted a fief of ten thousand households!"
"Xue Rengui captured Wei Bao in battle, displaying unparalleled bravery in the army. He was enfeoffed as the Earl of Pingyang, with a fief of five thousand households!"
"Zhang Liang, through his strategic planning, subdued the enemy without a fight, and was rewarded with an additional three thousand households in his fief and a thousand catties of gold!"
The following month, the northern expeditionary army returned. Yue Fei, Huo Qubing, and Zhuge Liang rode side by side into the city, where the people burned incense and worshipped, their cheers shaking the heavens. A grand banquet was held at Weiyang Palace, where Gao Yao personally poured wine for the three generals.
"Yue Fei acted steadily and surely, pacifying five prefectures in May, and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Zhenbei and appointed as the Governor of Youzhou!"
"Huo Qubing was brave and skilled in battle. He did not retreat even when wounded. He was appointed General of the Cavalry and granted the title of Marquis of Champion!"
"Zhuge Liang was a brilliant strategist who used a counter-espionage plot to defeat the enemy. He was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Wuxiang, appointed as the Military Advisor General, and entered the central government to participate in military affairs!"
Finally, the Northern Frontier Army returned. When Lü Bu and Ran Min rode into the city side by side, the entire city was in an uproar. Their heroic deeds in battle had spread throughout the land, becoming legendary.
Gao Yao descended the steps to greet them, took their hands, and said, "You fought a bloody battle at Yanmen Pass and displayed your might on the vast sea; you are truly national heroes!"
He enfeoffed Lü Bu as Marquis of Wen and appointed him Governor of Bing Province; he enfeoffed Ran Min as Duke of Wudao and appointed him General of Chariots and Cavalry, both with fiefs of ten thousand households.
Three months later, a grand sacrificial ceremony was held at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Gao Yao proclaimed to Heaven, Earth, and the ancestors: "Since my ascension to the throne, seven years have passed. Now the northern frontier is pacified, the Central Plains are settled, the Xiongnu have fled far away, and the world is unified. I hereby change the era name to 'Zhenguan' and begin anew with the people!"
A general amnesty was declared, and taxes were waived for three years. Fallen soldiers received generous compensation, and those who rendered meritorious service were granted land and titles. Chang'an rejoiced for nine consecutive days.
With the world unified, everything needs to be rebuilt.
With the assistance of Zhuge Liang, Xiao He, and Zhang Liang, Gao Yao implemented new policies:
The northern frontier was divided into two major protectorates: Anbei and Andong. Huo Qubing served as the protector-general of Anbei, leading 30,000 cavalry to guard the southern part of the Gobi Desert; Yue Fei served as the protector-general of Andong, pacifying the five prefectures of Liaodong.
The Central Plains implemented the equal-field system, with Xue Rengui overseeing its execution. Land owned by powerful figures like Wei Bao was distributed to landless tenant farmers, with light taxes and corvée labor, allowing the land to recuperate and thrive.
Militarily, Lü Bu and Ran Min took turns guarding the capital and training the new army. Yue Fei summarized the Liaodong campaign and compiled the "Firearms Manual"; Huo Qubing improved cavalry equipment and developed new saddles and horseshoes; Zhuge Liang oversaw military industry, established an arms bureau, and mass-produced standardized weapons and equipment.
Economically, the Silk Road was reopened. Zhang Liang's mission to the Western Regions led to the re-establishment of alliances with thirty-six kingdoms, resulting in a constant flow of merchants and Chang'an becoming a bustling commercial hub.
In terms of culture, he established the Imperial Academy and collected classical texts. Xiao He presided over the compilation of the "Chinese Laws," unifying the legal system.
Wei Bao was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Anle and lived in seclusion in Luoyang, but was effectively under house arrest. His former subordinates and generals were appointed according to their abilities, and those who did not wish to serve were given gold and allowed to return to their hometowns.
In the spring of the eighth year of the reign of Emperor Gao Yao, the national treasury was full, and no one picked up lost items on the road. Gao Yao summoned his ministers to discuss the conquest of the remaining territories in the Western Regions.
By this time, Yue Fei had developed a lighter cavalry cannon, Huo Qubing had improved the logistics supply system, and the Huaxia Army's combat power was even greater than before.
Meanwhile, Gao Yao dispatched an army of 100,000 to the west. Huo Qubing was the commander-in-chief, with Xue Rengui as his deputy. Within three months, they pacified the Western Regions and established the Protectorate of the Western Regions. The Silk Road regained its prosperity.
Three years later, the Nanyang Fleet was initially completed, and its giant ships sailed to the Western Ocean, shaking foreign lands with their might.
Ten years into the Chinese calendar, Gao Yao ascended the city tower of Chang'an and gazed upon the lights of countless homes.
From a common soldier to the emperor, he has traversed a path no one could have imagined. Ten years of governing the country have left his temples streaked with gray.
Xiao He and Zhang Liang were by his side. Xiao He said, "Your Majesty, now that the world is at peace, we can follow the ancient custom and perform the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai to announce our success to Heaven and Earth."
Gao Yao shook his head: "The greatest good is when the people are at peace and happy. The Fengshan ceremony is a waste of resources and manpower, and is not something a wise ruler should do."
Zhang Liang smiled and said, “Your Majesty is wise. However, historians cannot record the achievements of a prosperous era without mentioning them. I suggest revising the history books to record Your Majesty’s merits, the achievements of your generals, and the hardships of the people in the annals of history.”
Gao Yao's gaze was fixed firmly on the north, as if it could pierce through the distant horizon. He thought to himself: The matter here has now come to a near-perfect conclusion. The current Chinese nation is prosperous, its flourishing surpassing that of any other nation in its early history. Advanced artillery technology has been continuously innovated and upgraded multiple times.
Meanwhile, more powerful firearms were successfully developed and put into service, and a large and well-equipped musket force was quickly assembled—a total of ten thousand brave and fearless warriors. This elite force undoubtedly possessed far greater firepower and deterrent power compared to traditional archers.
The once invincible Xiongnu are now powerless to pose a threat to China. They are not only willing to submit to the Han Chinese, but would even rather cede territory and people than provoke war again.
Meanwhile, the internal strife in the Peacock Kingdom was quelled through Gao Yao's skillful mediation. The so-called "cheap father-in-law" mentioned by Gao Yao ascended the throne, but the price he paid was obvious—the entire Peacock Kingdom submitted to China.