Chapter 70

As spring returned and the earth warmed, the grass and trees began to sprout. Today, with the weather warm and pleasant, Zhang Hao decided to take Cai Yan and others out of the city for a spring outing. The whole family was in high spirits as they enjoyed the outing.

At this moment, Little Dragon Horse was running around energetically, as if playing a game with people. It was especially excited when it saw Da Qiao and Xiao Qiao flying kites, and it eagerly joined in the fun.

In the evening, the family returned to the Prince of Qian's mansion. Zhang Hao received the intelligence from Luo An.

During the spring outing earlier, Luo An had already appeared, but seeing that Zhang Hao and the others were enjoying themselves, he did not disturb them. Clearly, the intelligence was not urgent, so Zhang Hao did not pay much attention to it.

However, after reading the intelligence, Zhang Hao, who had been smiling and in a good mood, immediately furrowed his brows.

"Alas, how can I describe this? These people will do anything for their own power. What right do they have to stand in the imperial court and be revered by the people? What right do they have to be supported by countless civilians!"

Zhang Hao's voice was filled with anger. Luo An bowed slightly and did not interrupt, allowing Zhang Hao to vent his fury.

"Summon the ministers!" Zhang Hao ordered.

In the main hall of the Prince of Qian's mansion, Zhang Hao waited for a while as the important ministers from Liyang gathered. They did not know what had happened, but seeing Zhang Hao's poor expression, they all became solemn. After all, they rarely saw Zhang Hao angry.

Once everyone had gathered, Zhang Hao gestured, and the attendants distributed the intelligence. The ministers quickly read it, and their expressions varied.

Since the battle with Zhu Jun and Huangfu Song last year, the Great Qian had been recuperating and regaining strength. Just before the New Year, in the twelfth month, Han Sui and other rebels from Liangzhou invaded the Three Auxiliaries. At that time, Zhang Hao had sent a letter to the Han imperial court, stating that within three months, the Great Qian would not attack the Han while they were fighting the Liangzhou rebels.

Although the Han could not fully trust this, when they dispatched Huangfu Song and the army to quell the rebellion in Guanzhong, they still had the Grand Commandant Zhang Wen lead an army to defend against the Great Qian. However, the Great Qian remained inactive, which made them feel more at ease, focusing their main efforts on Guanzhong.

Unfortunately, despite Huangfu Song being a renowned general and the court providing as much support as possible, Han Sui and others returned within less than a year, taking advantage of this rare opportunity to vie for power. The Liangzhou forces were well-prepared, with a large and strong army.

Although they were restrained by Huangfu Song and could not advance, they suffered some losses. However, these people were very resilient and continued to纠缠. Clearly, they believed that the Great Qian could not just watch indefinitely.

Han Sui and others thought this way, and the Han naturally had similar concerns. Regardless of whether they believed Zhang Hao's previous letter, it was almost three months, and the Great Qian, after such a long period of recuperation, would launch a powerful attack. The Han court, which was almost at the end of its resources, was deeply worried and racked its brains for a solution. At this point, someone proposed a seemingly feasible plan.

That was to first negotiate with the Liangzhou rebels. The Great Qian's forces were formidable, so they needed to gather all available forces to deal with them. Han Sui was indeed greedy, but it didn't matter. As long as he agreed to first fight the Great Qian with the Han, they would promise to give him Liangzhou and Guanzhong after defeating the Great Qian.

If they failed, there would be no need to say anything. If they succeeded, they could always turn on him later.

Additionally, the Inspector of Youzhou, Liu Yu, had good relations with the Wuhuan and Xianbei tribes. They could be mobilized to invade from the north, even bringing Xianbei troops to assist, in exchange for large amounts of money and women. These resources could be obtained from the Great Qian's territory.

Moreover, the Xiongnu in Bingzhou had been restless, but were suppressed by the Inspector of Bingzhou, Ding Yuan. They could also be allied with, under the same conditions, and they would not refuse. This would allow the elite border troops of Bingzhou and Youzhou, as well as Huangfu Song's army, to be mobilized to the south.

This proposal was considered extremely reckless. When the court had considered abandoning Liangzhou in the past, it had caused a lot of controversy. But at this moment, many in the court remained silent.

They all knew that this was the most dangerous time for the Han. The Great Qian was a different kind of enemy compared to rebels like the Yellow Turbans. If not quickly eliminated, they would only grow stronger and harder to deal with. The Han was already struggling, and this plan seemed like a last-ditch effort.

Moreover, even the most brilliant strategists did not know of a better solution.

As for developing cannons and military equipment, the court had already sent people to research this, but it was not an easy task. Building a powerful navy was ongoing, but without cannons, it was difficult to match the Great Qian's navy, though it could still be useful.

Many in the court did not know the fundamental reason for the Great Qian's strength. It was not the cannons, not the navy, not the advanced technology. It was the Qian Law. While technical advantages could create a powerful force to suppress discontent and create advantages, they could not ensure the stable and rapid development that the Great Qian had.

The Qian Law balanced the interests of all classes, protected the interests of the majority, and was unwaveringly enforced. This was the greatest foundation of the Great Qian. Even the faith in the Purple Star Sect was secondary, as true fanatics were few. Most people's primary concern was to have enough food and clothing and live better. The Qian Law could provide this.

Not everyone was blind to this. Some brilliant strategists had their suspicions, but could such matters be openly discussed? No, making the beneficiaries limit their own power was a dream.

So those who truly understood remained silent, even considering when to change their stance. The rest continued to struggle for their own power. Like this proposal that would cause widespread suffering, they preferred to use such vicious methods rather than limit their own power.

This was the face of most in the court. Of course, some might be loyal to the Han and wanted to make a final effort through this method.

In the end, in this era, even great scholars and ministers, who might care about the common people in daily life, would ignore them in major events.

Although the court had not yet decided on this plan, there were still some objections. However, most of the objections were about the restrictions and rewards for the barbarians, not whether to use this method.

When the intelligence was reported back, no decision had been made, but it would not take long. After all, the Han was in its most critical moment, and they were well aware that five of the thirteen provinces were already occupied by the Great Qian, and other rebellions were occurring. If they did not decide quickly, they would lose the country.

Zhang Hao also knew that, as an enemy, when cornered, any method could be used. Knowing this, he still despised the Han court's collusion with the barbarians, which violated his principles.

No matter how well they spoke, these barbarians would ravage the land as they moved south, not just in the Great Qian's territory, but along the way. Did the high officials in the Han court not know this? They knew, but in this era, there were few officials who truly cared about the people.

"The person who proposed this should be exterminated, and the others should be punished as accomplices," Man Chong said coldly.

Zhang Hao's officials understood his philosophy, which emphasized the welfare of the people and the subjugation, intimidation, and pacification of the barbarians. They naturally understood why he was so upset.

"It's just a desperate move. A drowning man will clutch at any straw, even if it means drinking poison to quench his thirst," Kan Ze said calmly.

"Your Majesty, should we mobilize the army to Liaodong and directly strike the Wuhuan in Youzhou, and through the grasslands, threaten the Xiongnu's homeland in Bingzhou? This would make the barbarians hesitant to move south," Gu Yong suggested.

"Currently, the Xianbei are divided and not as unified as they were decades ago. They enjoy simple raids, but a large-scale invasion would be difficult. The court's plan may not come to fruition. Moreover, coordinating with these forces would take a considerable amount of time," Tian Chou analyzed calmly.

"The court's decision is like drinking poison to quench thirst. The hatred between the Han and the barbarians has lasted for many years, and many in the military have fought against the barbarians. Thinking that an alliance will boost their strength is just wishful thinking.

Of course, they have no other choice. But such actions will only cause us minor trouble. The war situation has changed, and the barbarians are no match for the Han, let alone us," Gu Yong said.

"Zi Tai's analysis is correct. Even if the court thinks of this and can achieve it, it will take a considerable amount of time. This time is enough for us to do something," Zhang Hao said.

Sun Jian and Zhao Yun, among others, immediately requested to lead the charge against the barbarians. They did not need any动员. Those who colluded with the barbarians were even more despicable, as they betrayed their own people.

"Since they are preparing to do such a heinous act, I don't need to worry about the three-month period. And it's almost three months anyway," Zhang Hao said, seemingly answering a different question.

He then looked at Zhao Yun, Sun Jian, and others, "Zilong, Wentai, you mobilize the army and prepare to follow me to strike directly. Boning, Yuantan, and Zibu, you prepare and plan for the subsequent actions if we directly capture Luoyang."

After speaking, Zhang Hao saw the stunned expressions of the others and smiled.

"We have made good progress over the past year. My artifact, which can traverse time and space, has recovered some of its power. I can directly transport the army through the time-space gate to Luoyang. I think it will be a great surprise for the Han court."

The core members of Zhang Hao's faction, who had all been deceived by him before, had a basic understanding of the time-space gate. They knew that it could gradually recover its power as faith was restored.

The audience was shocked, then overjoyed. They were all far-sighted individuals and understood the immense power of the time-space gate.

Led by Gu Yong and others, they all knelt to congratulate Zhang Hao, their eyes filled with joy and fervor.

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