In the tenth year since the founding of the Chu Kingdom, the emperors of two dynasties established their capital in Chang'an.
The founding emperor of Da Chu was Tao Qian, the former Han Dynasty's Xuzhou Mu.
He was already seventy years old when he ascended the throne. To sit on the position of the founding emperor at this age cannot be said to be unprecedented, but it is definitely unprecedented.
Tao Qian ascended the throne as an old man, and after five years of service, he passed away and was passed down to his grandson Tao Ji.
Tao Qian's posthumous title was Emperor Wu, and he was also called Gaozu of Chu by later generations.
At that time, Tao Ji was young, only thirteen years old. According to the imperial edict of Emperor Gaozu, his uncle, the King of Yue, was assisted by Tao Ying, the general of the Hussars, who acted as the agent of the government. Taiwei Guo Jia and Grand Secretary Nong Chen Deng jointly assisted him.
Although the country of Chu was peaceful and the people lived a prosperous life, the first emperor was old and sick and died a few years after he ascended the throne. The second emperor was still young when he ascended the throne. Although the emperor's uncle who assisted him was kind-hearted, he
His abilities are relatively mediocre, and although Guo Jia tries his best, he is still a little behind in terms of prestige.
When the young emperor ascended the throne, some powerful officials from the Xuzhou and Jinling clans who had assisted Tao in founding the country were somewhat ready to take action and wanted to gain some benefits.
However, at this time, a letter of invitation came from the northern border. The content of the memorial was very simple, which was to ask the emperor Tao Ji to transfer Yizhou Mu, Wuxiang Marquis, and Zuo General Zhuge Liang to the court, and invite the emperor Tao Ji to join the imperial court.
Give Situ an important position and serve as co-director with Situ Guojia.
Zhuge Liang, the Marquis of Wuxiang, was outstanding in politics during his time in Shu. He not only managed Xichuan in an orderly manner, but also pacified the Southern Barbarians and wiped out the remnants of Zhou Yu. His hard work was a great achievement.
On the surface, the letter was a request for memorial, but the words in the letter were conclusive and could not be questioned. It was inevitably full of domineering words criticizing the imperial court.
But what is very strange is that when this abrupt, dictating letter to the imperial court was thrown into the court, no one dared to speak out against it, and no one dared to criticize it.
The reason is very simple, because this letter was personally sent by King Taiping, who was the protector of the Chu State when it was founded.
Although the protector of the country, King Taiping, is no longer in Central China, his illustrious kingly power is still there.
And the fiefdom that belonged to him, Nanjing City, which was the former Jinling City, is still his fiefdom, and no one dares to object.
The generals and soldiers who guarded the Thirteen States of the Han Dynasty were all direct descendants of him, and he could stir up countless smoke in China with just one word.
This is the difference between people. Even if he is not in the Central Plains, if he is directly involved in the internal affairs of the Central Plains, no one has the ability to stop him.
…
Slu Country.
The Chu Dynasty's expeditionary army, led by the pottery merchants, marched straight into the territory of the Slu Kingdom, which was the territory of the Silla Kingdom in history.
But at this time, Silla has not yet been established as a country. Although Slu is a country in name, it is actually still in the tribal stage.
Compared with the current Chu Dynasty, the productivity can be said to be pitifully low. In the eyes of pottery merchants and other Han people, these guys are no different from stinky beggars.
In the past few years, the Han army had pacified the thirty-six countries in the Western Regions. The reputation of King Taiping, who protected the country, had spread far beyond the Great Wall to all lands outside the Great Wall. The foreign nations around the Han Dynasty were all frightened.
When he heard the name of King Taiping who protected the country, even the children did not dare to cry in the middle of the night.
With little resistance, the Han army pacified the Slu Kingdom.
Under the protection of Xu Chu and Sima Yi, the pottery merchant entered the royal tent of Silu Kingdom.
After entering the king's tent, the pottery merchant turned his head and looked around, then came to the main seat, sat down with his sword upright, and sighed: "This is too shabby..."
Xu Chu laughed and said: "Be content. The people in this place are very poor. When they saw our soldiers and horses coming in, they didn't even resist and surrendered directly. A certain family was wondering why...it turned out that
They are hoping that we can give them some food rations!"
The pottery merchant let out a long sigh: "What about those who surrendered? Are they still respectful? There's nothing fishy going on, right?"
Sima Yi smiled and said: "The people here are all honest and tight. Compared with the people in China, they are actually both simple and loyal. Everyone is an honest gentleman."
The pottery merchant smiled faintly and said to himself: "A sincere gentleman? After two thousand years, people will be so awesome that everything about them is fake."
Sima Yi didn't hear it clearly and couldn't help but say "Huh?"
The pottery merchant smiled and said: "Zhongda, you and I have been wandering outside for several years. Now that you are not young, you might as well return to China and go to the court. That is where you should stay. It is time to go
You have made great achievements."
Sima Yi was stunned for a moment when he heard this, and then said hurriedly: "Don't worry, the teacher and I are outside pacifying the barbarians from all directions. It's quite interesting."
Tao Shang shook his head and said: "No need. Over the years, Tao has determined the thirty-six countries in the Western Region, the northern part of the country, the eastern part of Liaoning, the Yamatai, and now he has even determined the land of three Koreas. I don't know where to go next."
Go...you'd better go back to the court. Remember when you pass by Saibei, go to Shuofang to say hello to your mistresses and tell them that I will go home soon."
Sima Yi thought for a while and said: "Teacher, we have pacified all the foreigners in the north, but aren't there still foreigners in the south? Why don't we look back and look overseas in the south?"
The potter frowned upon hearing this.
"I'm already this old, and you still let me go out to sea? If my old arms and legs have problems, who will be responsible?"
Sima Yi laughed and said: "Teacher, you can really joke. How can you say that you are the one with old arms and legs? You are forty years old, but it is still a good time. You are young and young."
The potter snorted.
Suddenly, the curtain of the tent was opened, and a young man with an elegant appearance walked into the royal tent.
"Uncle, the leaders of Slu have been brought here. Do you want to meet them?"
The potter looked at his gentle nephew, and for some reason, he suddenly thought of himself back then.
When he traveled back to this era, he would be almost as old as Liu Xi is now, right?
It's a good year.
It's really enviable.
After the pottery merchant finished sighing, he nodded to Liu Xi and said, "We have occupied someone else's lair, and now we can't even see the master. It's a bit outrageous... It's better to meet him and let them in."
Liu Xi took the order and left, but when he was young, he saw him leading three people to the pottery merchant.
These men all have dark faces, are short and fat, and have rough calluses on their hands...
How does this look like the leader of a party? They are clearly three farm men who have experienced many vicissitudes of life.
The pottery merchant nodded towards them and said, "Are they all good?"
Among the three people, two could not speak Chinese, but one of them could speak Chinese. He said to Tao Shang in broken Chinese: "I have seen King Taiping of the Chu Dynasty. All the soldiers and civilians of the Silu Kingdom, including us, are willing to submit to the great Chu Dynasty."
The dynasty accepts the surrender."
The potter looked at him curiously and said with a smile, "Can you speak Chinese?"
"Back to King Taiping, when I was young, I also traveled on the border of the Central Plains."
The pottery merchant nodded suddenly and said, "What's your surname?"
The leader of Naslu was very polite and said: "Your surname is Pu."
The pottery merchant gave a thumbs up and said: "What a good surname!... All three of you have the surname Pu?"
Leader Slu nodded heavily.
"Are you three called Pu Yisheng, Pu Renmeng, and Pu Pu Le?"
The leader waved his hands hurriedly after hearing this.
He shook his head vigorously and said: "Dear King Taiping, you are mistaken. Our names are not Pu Renmeng, Pu Pule, or Pu Yisheng. These are not the names of our brothers."
The potter smiled slightly, of course he knew that this was not their name.
"Then dare I ask for the names of some great kings?"
The leader said: "My name is Park Datian!"
When the pottery merchant heard this, he was stunned.
Such a bad name, I might as well call him Pu Yisheng...
It took him a while before he came back to his senses.
"What are their names?" the potter turned to look at the other two people and asked.
The leader said: "These are my two younger brothers, one is named Park Dadi and the other is named Park Daeil."
The entire royal tent was silent for a long time.
After a while, I saw him letting out a long sigh.
King Taiping had a new look at the wisdom of the nation in front of him.
Just for the name, it's really amazing.
The pottery merchant said: "Come here, prepare some food and wine. I want to entertain three kings of Pu for dinner!"
"promise!"
These three heroes who dared to live up to the sun's righteousness were obviously at a loss, and they were so poor that they couldn't even afford to eat.
As soon as they heard that the pottery merchant wanted to arrange a meal, the three of them were so happy that they opened their mouths from ear to ear. They accepted the offer naturally and without any hesitation.
At the banquet, Tao Shang asked the three of them: "Tao came to conquer this time. You three are the masters of a country after all, with tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians. How did you surrender so easily?"
The three of them ate deliciously. They didn't hear the potter's words at all. They seemed to have ignored his words and just kept devouring them.
It wasn't until the potter repeated his words several times that the three of them finally came to their senses.
Pu Datian ate all the trenches, and he took a long beating. He replied: "Back to King Taiping, the reason why we came to offer our country without resisting is because there was a severe drought in the country this year and the harvest was very small. Many people have already begun to eat.
I can't stop the riot. I don't know what the consequences will be if it continues like this! The king's coming on behalf of the Chu State is God's will and the people's will. I heard that the central land is rich and full of food and grass, and it also has high-yield crops.
How can we not be convinced by this method, and how dare we not be convinced? Furthermore, I have heard for a long time that your great king has conquered all directions, never having an opponent, and using ruthless methods. How can we, the king of a small country, offend King Taiping?"
The pottery merchant raised his eyebrows, quite puzzled.
Park Datian's words are a bit careless.
Just after I surrendered, you said that my methods were ruthless. Isn't this looking for death?
"Where did you start saying this?"
Pu Datian hurriedly said: "Your Majesty's brilliant method of conquering Yamatai has been spread to our country for a long time. We are all frightened after hearing about it. How dare we disobey Your Majesty!"
The pottery merchant said doubtfully: "I pacified the tiny island of Yamatai, how could I be ruthless with my methods?"
Pu Datian trembled and said: "We heard that the queen of Yamatai, Beimihu, refused to surrender. After the city was broken, she was raped by the king first but not killed, and then raped again but not killed... and then she was handed over to the three armies for humiliation.
It can be said to be extremely vicious and truly frightening..."
When the pottery merchant heard this, his face turned dark.
This is such a terrible rumor.
That Queen of Yamatai, Himihu, is already quite old, several rounds older than the potter.
Isn’t this sincerity destroying people?
After the banquet was over, the pottery merchant immediately said to Sima Yi and Liu Xi: "Let's... go back to the Central Plains."
Sima Yi was stunned when he heard this: "Teacher, has he changed his mind?"
The potter shook his head and said: "I can't continue to be wild outside. If I continue like this, others will treat me as a lunatic. It's terrible. Now I have been rumored to be a pervert by the foreigners from neighboring countries. This
Where is the image? No more playing! Go home!"
…
In March of the fourth year of Jianxing, King Taiping Tao Shang sent his troops south and returned to Chang'an in the middle of the country.
After arriving in Chang'an, many old subordinates came to pay tribute to him.
Lu Bu, A Fei, Zhao Yun, Tai Shi Ci, Guo Jia, Chen Deng, Huang Zhong and others were all there. Although some of them were older, they still appeared to be in strong spirits. Huang Zhong in particular, who was already seventy years old, was still strong.
It's really admirable to be old and strong.
Naturally, Tao Shang also met his son Tao Ji.
Royal palace, inner chamber.
Eighteen-year-old Tao Ji is handsome and handsome. He looks very much like the pottery merchant, equally handsome, equally elegant, and of course, equally cunning at heart.
"My son meets his father!" Tao Ji bowed to the potter.
Tao Shangxu helped him up with his hands.
"Forget it, they are both father and son, why bother... I heard that since your grandfather passed away, with the help of Guo Jia, you have managed the world in an orderly manner. You have worked hard."
Tao Ji smiled and said, "It's just my hard work, but my father is out sightseeing and enjoying the scenery. It's so uncomfortable."
The potter stretched out his hand and flicked the Da Chu Emperor on the head: "You bastard, am I doing that for you? I was helping you pacify the foreign vassals and consolidate your rule. Why do you become less and less able to speak human language at such a young age?
Already?"
Tao Ji stretched out her hand, touched her forehead, and stuck out her tongue.
Emperor Chu, who was usually very prosperous, now looked particularly childish in front of his father.
"Is that Jia Xu useful?" the pottery merchant said calmly.
Tao Ji nodded and said, "The old man usually lives in seclusion, but whenever I ask him about anything, he always tells me everything."
Tao Shang nodded and said: "That's good. He is an outsider, he sees things more clearly, and he is older. He has no other pursuits in this life. I just want a good death and treat him well... and that one
Cao Ang, who surrendered, also wanted to give others a good ending."
"Don't worry, dad... Are mom and the others okay? I heard that dad has given me some younger brothers and sisters over the years?"
The pottery merchant raised his eyebrows: "It's cloudy and rainy, and it's idle to be idle. Will my giving birth bother you?"
Tao Ji shook his head vigorously and said: "That's not true. I'm just worried that my father will be overworked. Isn't my son filial to you? When will mother and the others come back?"
"Hurry, their team has entered Middle-earth, and you will see them in a while."
Tao Ji was silent for a while, and then suddenly said: "Father wrote a letter last time, and when he comes back this time, he wants to keep Sima Yi behind."
Tao Shang nodded and said: "Yes, Zhongda has been with me all these years... When you were still young, I was afraid that he would bully you if you left him in the court. Now you have grown up and have understood
Chao Quan, it’s time to let him stay by your side... As the capable men of my generation are getting older, Zhuge Liang and Sima Yi will be your two arms in the future, and they will also be the ones who will restrain each other in the court in the future. You are good
Make good use of it, and do not break the delicate balance between them in the court unless absolutely necessary."
Tao Ji's face straightened, and she bowed her head and said, "I will follow my father's teachings...but my father is also in charge of the court, so I don't need to worry too much about the child."
The potter smiled and said: "Stop dreaming, who said I want to stay here?"
Tao Ji's expression changed when he heard this: "If my father doesn't stay in the court, what do you want? Are you going to go out to conquer?"
"I won't go out on an expedition. There are too many rumors and I will lose face... I am the Taiping King who protects the country, and Jinling City is my fief. I naturally want to go to Jinling."
"Why don't father stay in Chang'an and help me?"
Tao Shang patted him on the shoulder: "There is no room for two tigers in one mountain. You are the emperor of Da Chu. If I stay here, you are not comfortable doing things? And I am in Jinling City. Although it is far away, it is like a tiger entrenched. The nobles in the world are wondering.
If you don’t follow my mind, it will naturally calm down a lot, and it will also allow you to relax and do things slowly... And there are many things I want to do in Jinling City... such as raising goldfish, practicing calligraphy, and making a few
Football team, wrestling team, etc... Sigh, good times are still there, who wants to stay in a shabby place like Chang'an."
Tao Ji looked at him quietly, and after a while he suddenly said: "Father, I have always had a question to ask my father."
"what is the problem?"
"The reason why my father is not the emperor is because of Brother Xi?"
Tao Shang smiled, then pointed to his heart and said: "In this life, you have to live for yourself, but you can't live entirely for yourself. While you are worthy of yourself, you must also be worthy of the people you should cherish... I
I don’t live without others, but I am lucky for others to live, so why should I take some things so seriously? Your father and I have achieved perfect merits in this life."
Tao looked at his father quietly, lost in thought for a while.