Liu Chan listened to the voices of the people and walked forward slowly. Liu Chen, not far away, ran towards him quickly.
"Father!"
"Father!"
Liu Chen ran up to Liu Chan and saluted Liu Chan: "I respectfully welcome my father back to the capital in triumph! Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"
"Chen'er!" When Liu Chen saw Liu Chen, Liu Chan's heart tightened. He did not make the very official gesture like before, but instead flicked his whip and jumped off the horse: "Chen'er, get up!"
"Thank you, Father!"
Liu Chen thanked Endao.
Originally, according to the procedure, Liu Chan should have ridden a horse or sat on a dragon chariot, and then accepted the welcome from civil and military officials and the people.
But when he saw his son Liu Chen, he instinctively jumped off his horse.
Looking at Liu Chen, Liu Chan frowned slightly.
‘Yuan’er! I’m back!’
Liu Chan raised his head slightly and said to himself.
When seeing Liu Chen, it is difficult not to remind him of his first queen, Zhang Yuan.
He has also experienced a triumphant return to Beijing before. The first time was the Battle of Guanzhong, and the second time was the Battle of Jinzhong. These two times when he returned to Beijing, among the crowds to greet him, there would be the woman he loved most, who was also him.
The first queen Zhang Yuan.
But this time.
He has been on an expedition for nine years, but Zhang Yuan will never appear in the team to greet him again.
Perhaps seeing the subtle changes in his father, Prince Liu Chen quickly grabbed his father's horse and walked slowly forward following Liu Chan.
That’s when!
Hundreds of people were waiting in front of him, and they neatly bowed to Liu Chan.
"I respectfully welcome His Majesty on his triumphant return to Beijing!"
"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"
"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"
"Long live my emperor, long live, long live!"
The cries of the officials pulled Liu Chan back from his thoughts. When he looked at the officials greeting him with joy, he was stunned for a moment.
At this time, there was only about ten steps left between him and the officials who were greeting him.
"Father!"
Liu Chan stepped forward quickly and came to an old man with white hair and wrinkles on his forehead. He said with pity: "My dear father, I'm back! I'm back!"
"I respectfully welcome your Majesty back to Beijing!"
The old man is Zhuge Liang, the Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty.
In just nine years, Liu Chan almost didn't recognize his minister, because when he left Chang'an, Zhuge Liang had just celebrated his sixtieth birthday. At that time, Prime Minister Zhuge already had strands of silver hair on his head.
p>
But now, nine years later.
On Zhuge Liang's head, there are very few silver hairs and more white hairs.
Xiangfu is old!
Xiangfu is old!
Listening to Zhuge Liang's slightly old voice, Liu Chan couldn't help but feel nervous.
I should have come back long ago.
I should have come back long ago.
"Father!" Liu Chan gently covered his wrinkled hands and swallowed: "I have worked hard these years to be a father-in-law!"
As soon as Liu Chan finished speaking, he let go of Zhuge Liang's hand, took a step back, and bowed deeply to Zhuge Liang in front of tens of thousands of people, hundreds of Han civil and military officials, and hundreds of thousands of Han army officers and soldiers.
Bow.
"Your Majesty!"
Zhuge Liang didn't expect Liu Chan to be like this, and was a little panicked, but Liu Chan stepped forward very respectfully, supported Zhuge Liang, and said: "My father has worked hard and made great achievements, so he deserves my respect!"
"I am worshiping my prime minister on behalf of the late emperor, I am worshiping my prime minister on behalf of the people of the Han Dynasty, I am worshiping my prime minister on behalf of the Han Dynasty for four hundred years, and I am paying my respects to my prime minister for his hard work for the Han Dynasty throughout his life."
p>
Listening to Liu Chan's brief words, Zhuge Liang was deeply moved, and his eyes couldn't help but moisten. He had watched Liu Chan grow up, and he had also watched Liu Chan grow up all the way.
Liu Chan also worshiped him before.
However, today's prayer was what moved him the most.
"I have been deeply entrusted by the late emperor to assist your majesty!" Zhuge Liang was moved and bowed to Liu Chan and said: "Thanks to your majesty for not giving up and your majesty's kindness. Even if my body is broken to pieces, I will never be able to repay your majesty's great kindness!"
”
"Xiangfu, get up quickly!" Liu Chan helped Zhuge Liang up and said, "Without Xiangfu, how could this great man be like this? I owe all of this to my Xiangfu."
While Liu Chan and Zhuge Liang were talking, the dragon chariot from behind also came over. Liu Chan immediately supported Zhuge Liang and said respectfully: "My dear father, follow me back to Beijing!"
"Your Majesty!" Zhuge Liang wanted to shirk. After all, the dragon chariot was reserved exclusively for the emperor. It was disrespectful for ministers to sit in the dragon chariot with the emperor.
"Xiangfu!" Liu Chan said with a smile: "Xiangfu's achievements are truly unprecedented and unparalleled. Please don't refuse and follow me back to Beijing."
This scene was naturally seen by the people on both sides of the official road.
Your Majesty is kind and kind as never before.
If the prime minister is virtuous, future generations should follow his example.
After Liu Chan's repeated invitations, Zhuge Liang slowly stepped onto the emperor's special dragon chariot with the support of Liu Chan and Prince Liu Chen.
In fact, this is not the first time that Zhuge Liang and Liu Chan rode in a dragon chariot together.
For example, when Zhuge Liang returned to Chengdu from his southern expedition, Liu Chan asked Zhuge Liang to drive back to Beijing with him, but this time, it seemed a little different.
Because after Liu Chan helped Zhuge Liang onto the dragon chariot, he did not follow him into the chariot. Instead, he took the riding whip from the guard driving the chariot and sat in the guard's seat.
"Your Majesty!"
Zhuge Liang was shocked. After all, Liu Chan was the emperor of the Han Dynasty, and he was just a minister of the Han Dynasty. So it is reasonable for the emperor to drive for his ministers.
But Liu Chan turned around and said with a friendly smile: "My dear father, please sit down safely. King Wen of Zhou Dynasty led a chariot to honor Jiang Shang. Today I will drive my car to pay homage to my dear father."
If Zhuge Liang was deeply moved by Liu Chan's public salute just now, then he was really grateful to tears at this moment.
Because Liu Chan compared him to Jiang Shang, who had flourished for eight hundred years in the Zhou Dynasty, this kind of courtesy was probably something that everyone in the world could only dream of.
However, there are very few kings who can sit like this.
"Long live your Majesty!"
"The Han Dynasty will last for ten thousand years!"
"Long live your Majesty!"
"The Han Dynasty will last for ten thousand years!"
"..."
The common people watched the emperor drive the car for the prime minister. Those who were closer naturally heard what Liu Chan said to Zhuge Liang. Of course, they had heard the story of King Wen of Zhou driving the car for Jiang Shang.
But that's just a story.
Now, they were watching the emperor of the Han Dynasty personally driving for Prime Minister Zhuge Liang. The emperor's benevolence and righteousness naturally infected them.
They were all moved by Liu Chan's actions and had no choice but to shout long live to express their respect for Liu Chan's benevolence and righteousness.
Liu Chan doesn’t care what the people think.
His act of driving for the Prime Minister was not just for show, but out of respect for Prime Minister Zhuge from the bottom of his heart.
Whether it was the respect he had for Zhuge Liang in history in his previous life, or in this life, Zhuge Liang worked hard to revive the selfless nature of the Han Dynasty.
This Western Expedition lasted nine years since he left.
In the past nine years, because of Zhuge Liang's presence in the Han Dynasty, he had no worries, allowing him to conquer the Western Regions with peace of mind.
The dragon chariot drove forward slowly, and the official roads on both sides kept shouting: "Long live the great man!"
The civil and military officials, concubines and concubines who came to greet him had no choice but to follow him respectfully.
It stands to reason that King Wen of Zhou led Jiang Shang for eight hundred steps. This is a story that has been circulating. The emperor of Han Dynasty drove the Prime Minister for a few hundred steps, such as a thousand steps.
.
But——
This time, Liu Chan drove for Zhuge Liang and drove a full thirty miles from Chang'an City, thirty miles west, until he drove the dragon chariot to the south gate of Weiyang Palace before he stopped.
The common people along the way were in awe every time they saw it, making them feel proud and proud that they were the people of the Han Dynasty.
With such an emperor who is courteous and virtuous, the Han Dynasty will surely last for generations to come.
......
Afternoon——
Nine years later, Emperor Liu Chan of the Han Dynasty once again appeared on the throne in the front hall of Weiyang Palace.
The civil and military officials of the Han Dynasty stood neatly in the battle hall.
Next to Liu Chan is Queen Zhang Yang.
"I see my emperor, long live, long live, long live!"
"Everyone is safe!"
According to regulations, when the emperor returns to the court, a court meeting is required, because the officials who stayed in the capital need to report to the emperor what happened in the court during the emperor's absence, etc.
It’s just that this is just a process.
Because Liu Chan already knew everything about the Central Plains as early as when he was in the Western Regions, such as the two biggest enemies of the Han Dynasty, Soochow Wu and Cao Wei.
Not long after Liu Chan's Western Expedition, Cao Wei launched an attack on Hefei. However, because Zhuge Liang sent troops to contain Wei in time, Cao Wei was in trouble. In the end, he had to cede territory and make peace, keeping Hefei in Soochow's hands.
In the following time, the Three Kingdoms were peaceful.
Perhaps Wei and Wu themselves knew that competing with the Han at this time would be self-destruction.
However, Liu Chan led his troops to the west, and the Han Dynasty temporarily did not have the energy to launch an attack on Wu and Wei.
So the two countries Wei and Wu took this opportunity to call a truce. They also wanted to take advantage of this rare respite to recuperate.
Although there has been no war between the three countries in recent years, major events have happened.
The first is Soochow. Three years ago, Soochow Emperor Sun Quan became angry because Prime Minister Lu Xun participated in the dispute over the appointment of a prince. He directly dismissed Lu Xun from his official position. Not long after, Lu Xun died of illness.
Let's talk about Cao Wei, the changes are even bigger.
In 246 AD, which was the seventh year of the rise of the Han Dynasty, Emperor Cao Rui of Cao Wei died of illness. Although he didn't know why, Cao Rui lived a few more years than in the original history, but he died young in the end, and the throne was finally passed to the prince.
In the hands of Cao Fang.
Cao Fang, who was only fourteen years old, ascended the throne and became the fourth emperor of Cao Wei. Before Cao Rui's death, he appointed Great Sima Cao Shuang and Great General Sima Yi as Minister Tuogu.
Because Cao Shuang had always been afraid of Sima Yi, Cao Shuang encouraged the emperor Cao Fang to promote Sima Yi openly and secretly, and worshiped Sima Yi as prime minister, but transferred the military power to Cao Shuang.
Perhaps because he was afraid of the military power in Cao Shuang's hands, and because Cao Wei's imperial power was relatively stable, Sima Yi handed over the military power to Cao Shuang without any resistance. Last year, Cao Fang even worshiped Cao Shuang as a general, commanding all the troops in Wei.
Horse.
In the current Cao Wei, Cao Shuang is in charge of the military affairs, while Sima Yi is in charge of internal affairs. It looks a bit like the layout of the Han Dynasty before Liu Chan's Western Expedition, forming a tripartite situation of the emperor, generals, and prime ministers.
But Liu Chan knew it.
As for Sima Yi, there is no way he would choose to just lie down.
After all, he is also the prime minister of Cao Wei.
As for the big man, Liu Chan was pleasantly surprised.
Before the Western Expedition, the Han Dynasty re-counted the population, and the population of the Han Dynasty surged. In the past nine years, under the careful management of Prime Minister Zhuge, the Han Dynasty developed rapidly. First, the population increased by more than two million people. In total, the population of the Han Dynasty increased by more than two million.
The population is close to 10 million.
The population increased, and Zhuge Liang also took the opportunity to expand his army.
Liu Chan took away 200,000 infantry and cavalry during his Western Expedition. At that time, the Han Dynasty still had more than 300,000 troops and horses left, which could be used against Wei and Wu.
After nine years of expansion, the Han Dynasty now has a total of 460,000 troops, not counting the 120,000 mixed troops Liu Chan brought back this time.
The Han Dynasty increased the total number of troops.
So what is the current military strength of Soochow and Cao Wei?
......
......
This chapter has been completed!