Chapter 89

Utilizing the beacon capability, armies were directly transported through the spacetime gate to various locations. This ability was almost unsolvable for the enemy and greatly amplified the advantages of the Great Qian. Zhang Hao naturally would not miss this opportunity.

It must be understood that such a capability was not just for military purposes. Truly witnessing the divine troops of the Great Qian descending from the heavens, and seeing such miraculous means, could strike fear into the enemy, intimidate those with ill intentions, and even solidify the reverence of those who supported the Great Qian. It was absolutely cost-effective beyond measure.

Liu Yan, who had cut off the Hanzhong栈道 (Zhandao) and thought he could establish his own rule by relying on the natural defenses of Sichuan, was the first to suffer a blow.

The intelligence agents of Suifeng had already delivered the beacon into the city of Chengdu, and the army appeared directly within the city. The outcome was already determined. What was slightly unexpected was that Liu Yan managed to escape the city with his family through a secret passage. Due to insufficient intelligence and Liu Yan's thorough preparation, they managed to escape.

But how long could he escape, and where could he go?!

Since the army had arrived in Sichuan, it was natural to take control of Yizhou. After capturing Chengdu, the army spread out to attack in all directions. Zhang Hao personally went to Yizhou to oversee the operations, using coordinates to coordinate the attacks. Beacons were not just in Chengdu but also in other counties and even in some strategic passes, which were delivered through various methods.

Thus, the divine troops descended one after another, and the defenses of Yizhou quickly collapsed.

After Zhang Hao appeared in Yizhou, many of the major families in Yizhou surrendered, which further accelerated the Great Qian's control over Yizhou.

Liu Yan's family was soon escorted to Zhang Hao by the governor of Guanghan. Liu Yan was executed, and the others were punished accordingly.

In just over a month, the entire Yizhou was replaced with the Great Qian's Star Dragon Flag. However, this was only a rough occupation. To truly incorporate Yizhou into the rule, it would require some time and effort.

With the strong military power and divine intimidation of the Great Qian, and with officials familiar with the laws of the Great Qian dispatched to manage the official system, it was believed that the time required would not be too long.

Since Yizhou was occupied, the problem of the Southern Barbarians in Yizhou could not be ignored. Speaking of which, Zhang Hao was very curious to see what Lady Zhurong looked like. Since this world was based on the Three Kingdoms, Lady Zhurong definitely existed.

If Lady Zhurong was truly a beautiful woman, King Zhang would not mind sacrificing his own "chastity" for the sake of ethnic integration and unity.

It was just that he didn't know how old Lady Zhurong was at this time. Thinking about the ages of Daqiao, Xiaoqiao, and Sun Shangxiang, King Zhang felt a bit helpless.

Many talents from Yizhou were recruited, such as Zhang Ren and Yan Yan, who were familiar with the local situation and could provide some assistance.

Since he wanted to quickly stabilize the world, Zhang Hao did not stay long in the picturesque Yizhou. After the situation in Yizhou stabilized, he returned to Luoyang.

Lady Zhurong was not immediately available, but he had other gains. Historically, Wu Mi, the Empress of Liu Bei, became one of his concubines.

This woman was praised by a physiognomist as incomparably noble from a young age, and Liu Yan had even proposed marriage for his son, though the wedding had not yet taken place.

King Zhang did not care whether the physiognomist's evaluation was accurate; he only cared about her beauty. It turned out that Wu Mi's appearance was quite charming, typical of the beauties of Bashu. So, King Zhang did not hesitate to take her. Neither Wu Mi's family nor she herself had any objections.

In a way, Zhang Hao was also a nemesis of Liu Bei. Wu Mi was not the first time he had taken Liu Bei's woman. In fact, Mi Zhu's sister had already entered the palace.

The Mi family had provided sufficient help during Zhang Hao's most difficult starting period, so King Zhang naturally had to give them a sufficient return.

In this era, what could be a more gratifying reward than taking their sister into the palace?

It must be said that taking a beauty and making others grateful was a truly wonderful feeling. King Zhang quite enjoyed this, wishing there were more. The only sad part was that Mi Zhen, historically known as Mi Fu, was still young and needed a few more years to grow up.

Wu Mi, on the other hand, was in her prime, and King Zhang did not hesitate to taste the charm of the Bashu beauty.

He did not linger too long in the pleasures of the harem. After returning to Luoyang for only three days, Zhang Hao set out on another campaign. This time, the target was Ji Province.

In fact, similar to Ji Province and You Province, the Great Qian had already prepared for the attack. Taishi Ci's army had already completely occupied Qing Province and Yanzhou, and was eyeing Ji Province. On the You Province side, Tian Chou and others had sent troops to sweep the Xianbei on the border and were ready to invade You Province at any time.

However, Zhang Hao temporarily halted the operation. That was because he planned to use the spacetime gate to employ a decapitation strategy, which would minimize casualties and save time.

In Ye City, He Miao had already moved out of the provincial governor's office and into the military camp, clearly wary of the Great Qian's divine troops.

But this did not have much effect, as he could not possibly gather all the troops in Ji Province to protect him.

For Zhang Hao, although a battle was still necessary, it would be much smaller in scale and casualties compared to a direct invasion.

The spacetime gate appeared outside the military camp in Ye City. Although it was discovered by scouts and an alarm was raised, what use was it?

The first to emerge from the spacetime gate were twenty armored vehicles, which quickly expanded the terrain and launched an attack on He Miao's camp. The power of rocket launchers and grenade launchers caused chaos in the camp.

Subsequently, the army that came through the spacetime gate began to trample the camp. After a brief battle, He Miao was captured, and many of the Ji Province generals and officials were also captured.

When the battle broke out in the camp, the defenders of Ye City were initially at a loss. Eventually, someone suggested closing the city gates, which blocked many Ji Province soldiers trying to escape into the city.

The city gates and walls provided no obstacle to the Great Qian army, as beacons also existed within Ye City. The army entered Ye City through the portal, and in a short time, the capital of Ji Province was occupied.

With He Miao captured, Ji Province was almost within reach. His head was sent throughout Ji Province, and although some still resisted, they were like moths drawn to a flame under the might of the Great Qian army.

Taishi Ci's army entered Ji Province to pacify the region, pursue the fleeing soldiers, and restore order.

While Zhang Hao was preparing for the next move, he received two pieces of news, both good.

First, Zhao Yun and Lu Bu had completely pacified Bing Province.

Ding Yuan was already dead, and with the tide turning, the major families and gentry of Bing Province, regardless of their true feelings, mostly submitted to the Great Qian army. The subsequent reorganization and management of the counties and states did not need to concern Zhao Yun, as officials from Luoyang would be dispatched to handle it.

Zhao Yun directly led the army to attack the Xiongnu, who, having been punished before, could not resist. Some surrendered, and others fled to the steppes. But Zhao Yun did not let them go. He pursued them into the steppes and captured the Left and Right Xian Wang and other Xiongnu leaders.

He also punished the Xianbei tribes who came to investigate before returning.

The Left and Right Xian Wang and the tribal leaders were sent to Luoyang, awaiting Zhang Hao's further handling.

For them, Zhang Hao had already planned the treatment. Similar to Yuan Shu but more severe, they would be castrated and sent to clean the sewers of Luoyang. This was suitable for them.

Second, regarding the situation in You Province.

Zhang Hao had intended to reduce casualties by using the spacetime gate for a decapitation strategy. He had this plan, but others did not necessarily follow it.

With Liu Yu's support, Gongsun Zan raised a large army and recruited a large number of cavalry from the Wuhuan. The Wuhuan, who had been punished by the Divine Army several times, were already afraid of the Divine Army. However, the Great Qian's rule over the ethnic minorities was difficult for the Wuhuan, who had enjoyed the lenient policies and environment of the Han era, to accept. Under Gongsun Zan's coercion, they had to support Liu Yu and Gongsun Zan with all their might.

Previously, Gongsun Zan had stationed troops on the borders of Liaodong and other areas to guard against the Divine Army. While Zhang Hao was sweeping through Ji Province, Gongsun Zan might have felt that his strength was sufficient or that delaying would only worsen the situation. In any case, he launched an offensive.

Gongsun Zan was very talented militarily and had a thorough understanding of the Great Qian army. His courage to fight was based on the high mobility of the cavalry, as artillery and other firearms were difficult to move, which he saw as an opportunity.

However, Gongsun Zan's thinking was still limited by the times. Even the previous Great Qian army would not have been defeated by him, let alone the Divine Army on the border of You Province, which had received a large number of military equipment from the "I Am Legend" world.

The outcome was predictable.

No matter how much Gongsun Zan refused to believe it, his gathered and led troops were defeated in one battle, and Gongsun Zan himself was killed on the battlefield by Xu Zhu.

Upon hearing this news, Zhang Hao felt a bit regretful.

Zhang Hao had a high regard for Gongsun Zan, regardless of his character, for his strong stance against the ethnic minorities, which aligned with Zhang Hao's preferences.

But war is war, and it is dangerous. Those who participate in it cannot guarantee their safety.

At this point, there was no need to think too much. Zhang Hao directly ordered Tian Chou and others to advance into You Province.

Gongsun Zan was the backbone of Liu Yu's confidence. With the news of the fall of Ji Province and Yizhou, Liu Yu did not wait for Zhang Hao to arrive and committed suicide in the provincial governor's office. With the two leaders of You Province meeting such an end and the Divine Army invading, there was no courage left for resistance in You Province.

It did not take long for You Province to be completely occupied.

The Wuhuan King was also captured and sent to Luoyang. He would join the Left and Right Xian Wang to learn how to clean the sewers. Perhaps in the future, they would have more companions, such as the leaders of the Qiang and Xianbei.

Huangfu Song had already pacified Liang Province, and with this, the thirteen provinces of the Han Dynasty were once again unified under Zhang Hao.

The Great Qian officially replaced the Han Dynasty!