Chapter 35 1. Great Southwest Plan

After the two unlucky relatives, Dou Ying and Tian Fu, were done playing, it was Liu Che who saved the most trouble.But Liu Che was not idle either.Next, he will implement a great national plan - building the Great Southwest. The planner of this national project is Panyang Ling Tang Meng.At the beginning, when Wang Hui attacked South Vietnam, Tang Meng sent an envoy to South Vietnam on behalf of the Han Dynasty to inform them.When Tang Meng arrived in South Vietnam, he was entertained with a special product called goji sauce.Tang Meng asked the waiter, where did this thing come from? He was told that this product was imported from upstream.Tang Meng seemed to have realized something, so he went back to the Han Dynasty.Back in Chang'an, Tang Meng recruited a few merchants from Shu to ask: Isn't goji sauce a specialty of Shu? Why did it go to Panyu in South Vietnam?

He was told like this: It is true that wolfberry sauce is produced in Sichuan.However, they were often smuggled to Yelang. Yelang has a river that leads directly to Nanyue and can be used by boats.And Yelang was embedded in South Vietnam, so he gave them goji sauce as a tribute.That's about it, that's it. After Tang Meng listened, a map of the country was drawn in his mind.A great and risky plan suddenly came to his mind.He immediately drew up a plan and ran to meet Liu Che. Tang Meng told Liu Che: Nanyue surrendered to the Han Dynasty on the surface, but its power expanded to tens of thousands of kilometers, which is quite dangerous.If South Vietnam rebelled, the Han Dynasty would always pass through Changsha or Yuzhang County, and the waterways would be difficult to win.Now, we finally found a shortcut to Panyu, South Vietnam.As long as the ship goes straight down from Yelang State, it can be inserted into South Vietnam downstream.The problem now is that we must open a road to Yelang Kingdom.When this road is completed, Yelang can be restrained, and then Nanyue can be restrained, and then the entire southern part of the Han Dynasty can be controlled.

Wonderful, really wonderful.Liu Che was full of joy, and excitedly approved Tang Meng's plan.At the same time, he worshiped Tang Meng as Zhonglang General and let him take full charge of road construction. If you want to build roads, you can't bypass King Yelang.The capital of Yelang Kingdom is located in Guanling County, Guizhou Province, and its jurisdiction includes the western part of Guizhou Province and the northeastern part of Yunnan Province.For a long time, Yelang has been controlled by Nanyue. No wonder Nanyue's hands and feet have been extended to Yunnan. anyway.If the Han Dynasty managed Yelang, not only Yunnan, but even the whole of South Vietnam would belong to them.This abacus, as long as it is in the second grade of elementary school, it will be calculated.The question now is how to deal with Yelang Kingdom.

Tang Meng knew this question well.As a general of Zhonglang, Tang Meng led an army of more than a thousand people and rich gifts from Chang'an to Bashu.Then, he crossed the mountains from Bashu to Yelang, and met the king of Yelang. No matter how arrogant Yelang is, he always knew how powerful the Han Dynasty was.When Tang Meng saw Queen Yelang, he first gave gifts, and then hinted that they would cooperate with the Han Dynasty.This Yelang king is called Wang Duotong.At this time, he also had a small calculation in his heart. He thinks like this: gifts are acceptable, but sincere cooperation is nonsense.Anyway, if there are benefits, take it first, and take a step at a time.

Wang Duotong agreed to cooperate and agreed that the Han Dynasty would build the road to Yelang Kingdom.People in the Han Dynasty thought about military strategy, while Wang Duotong thought about how more goods from the Han Dynasty could flow in. If you want to get rich, build roads first.For Wang Duotong, this proposition is basically valid. After Tang Meng and King Yelang reached an agreement, they returned to Chang'an to report to Liu Che.Liu Che agreed to start construction and open mountains to build roads.Liu Che agrees with two words, which is easy to sign; however, road construction is really not easy to do.

At that time, Qin Shihuang used the national army to build the Great Wall and highways.Meng Tian dispatched an army of 300,000 troops, day and night, and finally completed many tasks.The problem is that the Huns are afraid of Meng Tian, ​​a great general, and dare not harass him.That's why Meng Tian had the mind to open mountains and build roads. But now, the Huns are not afraid of the Han Dynasty.And Tang Meng is just a general.Most of the army of the Han Dynasty was prepared by Liu Che to deal with the Xiongnu in the Northwest.Therefore, if Tang Meng wants to open mountains and build roads, he has only one way, which is to recruit people's power.

Of course, Bashu migrant workers are more reliable in recruiting people.So, Tang Meng took more than a thousand soldiers with him, and recruited more than ten thousand migrant workers from Sichuan, and started working. But soon, there was a big problem in road construction. The problem arises in Tang Meng's management system.At that time, road construction was not mechanized.Digging mountains and moving rocks all depend on the hard work of migrant workers.However, the difficulty of the road to Shu and the difficulty of going to the blue sky are known to all people on earth. Tang Meng's problem is that he only cares about building roads, regardless of whether the migrant workers live or die.The mountains in Sichuan are high and the cliffs are deep, and the great migrant workers are like boatmen. The national highway is being extended little by little, but they fall into the cliff one by one in front of them.

It is estimated that Tang Meng did not count how many people were unfortunately killed.If someone died in front, he would pull him from behind.As a result, batches of people died on the front line, and Tang Meng pulled batches from the rear to the front line. Life is impermanent, and Tang Meng is ruthless.The poor migrant workers were scared.Some of them escaped for their lives.Those who are daring stay ready for revolution. Of course, they only wanted to kill Tang Meng.If he wanted to save Tang Meng's life, of course Tang Meng would not sit still.So, Tang Meng grabbed a batch and killed them.They also threatened the migrant workers, if you don’t think about building roads properly, you will end up like this.

Tang Meng's move is called killing chickens to scare monkeys.The people of Bashu feel cold when they think about it.The person in front is dead, and the person behind is going to die.Road construction is death, and rebellion is death.It's better to die more happily and start a big revolution.Tang Meng, if you can do the first grade of junior high school, I can do the fifteenth grade. I think the Bashu people at that time must have thought so in their hearts.In fact, they are prepared to do so. However, before the Sichuan migrant workers had time to rebel, a person suddenly came from Chang'an.

It was Comrade Sima Xiangru from Shu who came to Sichuan from Chang'an to appease the migrant workers.Liu Che sent him here because he heard rumors that Sichuan migrant workers were preparing to riot.Sima Xiangru is from Sichuan, so he was the first choice for sending him to do ideological work for fellow villagers. As soon as Sima Xiangru arrived in Sichuan, he first investigated the cause and comforted the labor brothers; then he publicly condemned Tang Meng for his improper management methods, and he should not treat our brothers from Sichuan as cattle, let alone treat them as human beings; The emperor is relieved.Sima Xiangru stuttered, so of course he couldn't speak in public.He used his expertise in good Fu to write a long and stinky essay.If simplified, one sentence can sum it up:

Migrant workers brothers, you have worked hard.The abuse of migrant workers is not an act of the government, let alone the emperor's will, it is entirely the behavior of Tang Meng, the general of Zhonglang.Now, on behalf of the Central Committee, I would like to extend my deep apologies and greetings to you.Please rest assured that the central government has ordered Comrade Tang Meng to reflect on his work attitude and improve his working methods. After Sima Xiangru issued the call to action, he returned to Chang'an to report on his work.Sima Xiangru left Sichuan, and Tang Meng continued to build the road.So, did Tang Meng reflect?Has he improved his working methods? Tang Meng did reflect and improved his working methods.He thought of a trick, recruiting troops to build roads.Don't count on the central army.Tang Meng could only put his abacus on the heads of Bashu and other garrison troops. Make up your mind, recruit troops, and continue to build roads.In the end, Tang Meng showed his entrepreneurial spirit of not being afraid of hardship, resentment, and spending money, and built a road full of blood and sweat to the door of Yelang Kingdom. When the people and soldiers in Sichuan looked at the national road that looked like a python, they couldn't tell whether it was sadness or joy.It's finally finished, and now I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. However, Tang Meng told the soldiers: You can breathe a little sigh of relief, but now is not the time to go home. Everyone was stunned.This Tang Meng, what on earth does he want to do.Could it be that he is crazy about building roads, and he still wants to build other roads? Tang Meng smiled slightly: You are right.Next, we will continue to build roads.While we are still motivated, we will open up all the roads in Southwest Yi.This, of course, is also a national plan and project. Sure enough, he is a road-building lunatic! Everyone is dumbfounded.Migrant workers are used as bullshit, and they can cry and cry.What right does a soldier have to shout when he is being used as a cattle envoy?If you enter the military industry, you have to suffer from the military industry.There was no other way, he gritted his teeth and had to follow the leader to repair the road. However, to open up the entire Southwest Yi, more money must be spent and more troops must be recruited.This matter, of course, has to be approved by the emperor.The report reached Chang'an, and Liu Che approved it. Liu Che agreed to allocate funds and Tang Meng to recruit troops.The scope of recruiting troops is limited to the southwest garrisons such as Bashu and Guanghan. With Liu Che's words, Tang Meng felt relieved. Tang Meng led the soldiers again and embarked on the journey of road construction.This time, Tang Meng recruited tens of thousands of troops, and the scale was huge.They worked day and night, successively, and worked for two years in one breath. To sum up, in the two or three years of Tang Meng, the roads were not repaired, and many soldiers died.The money spent is calculated in hundreds of millions.Originally, building roads was a good thing, but when everyone calculated the cost in this way, some people immediately became unhappy. As a result, the people of Bashu and the senior officials of the central government unanimously called on the emperor to stop road construction.That a lot of money, just spend it.But those batches of lovely junior soldiers just fell off the cliff, so sad. I believe Liu Che knows the money allocated; I believe Liu Che knows how many soldiers died.However, a lot of money was spent, and a large number of people died.You want to stop work now and waste all your work.Isn't the money spent in vain?Didn't the dead soldiers die in vain? If it continues to be cultivated, the people will feel uncomfortable; if it is not cultivated, Liu Che will also feel uncomfortable.So what to do?However, what happened next strengthened Liu Che's confidence in building roads. The thing is like this: two kings of Qiongdu and Ruodu in the southwestern Yi sent people to Chang'an and offered to be courtiers of the Han Dynasty.But the premise is that they must enjoy the same treatment as Nanyi, and they must also enjoy the generous gifts of the Han Dynasty enjoyed by Nanyi. The two countries of Qiongdu and Ruodu are actually emirates, and they are not at the same level as the Nanyi princes.However, it is much better for them to take the initiative to invite Hanchen than to pull the army out to conquer them.Of course, not all presents are taken back when they come.The question is whether they are worth Liu Che's generosity to send them on the road. Liu Che had no idea about this matter.He thought of another person, Sima Xiangru.Therefore, Liu Che summoned Sima Ru and asked him what he thought of the petition of the two emirates in Southwest Yi. Sima Xiangru replied: Qiongdu and other Southwestern Yi countries are very close to Shu, and it is very easy to open these roads.Because, the former Qin Dynasty once incorporated them into the national territory and set them up as prefectures and counties.When the Han Dynasty rose, it was a pity that it was abandoned.Now if we get through the Southwest Yi and reset the county, its value will definitely exceed that of the Nanyi. Between the Southwest Yi and the Nanyi, who is more valuable? It cannot be said in a few words.However, the first half of what Sima Xiangru said aroused Liu Che's interest. The former Qin Dynasty could set up the Southwest Yi as counties, why can't I set up counties?Since a county is to be established, Tang Meng has to build roads. So Liu Che nodded and approved Sima Xiangru's plan.He immediately assigned a homework to Sima Xiangru: let Tang Meng continue to work on the road construction.I will leave it to you to complete the task of the Southwestern Yi. The homework assigned by Liu Che hit Sima Xiangru's arms.If he didn't guess wrong, he must be promoted.Isn't it what Sima Xiangru dreamed of to be appointed an official and return to his hometown, to honor his ancestors? Sima Xiangru set off.Sure enough, Liu Che granted him an official title, General Zhonglang.On behalf of the central government, he went on missions on festivals.There are two or three deputy envoys behind the buttocks. Sima Xiang went on an envoy like this, in the words that are very popular nowadays, three words: awesome. Of course it's awesome.Sima Xiangru was riding in a large carriage, and all the officials from Shu County and Southwest Yi praised him as a star.For Sima Xiangru, getting the Southwestern Yi was not a problem at all.These mountain chiefs, after receiving the gifts from Sima Xiangru, nodded and bowed cheerfully, as if they had picked up a big bargain.Therefore, Sima Xiangru's mission as an envoy was accomplished extremely easily.Sima Xiangru decided to take the opportunity of a business trip to visit his father-in-law. Of course, visiting is a fake affair, and showing off is the real meaning.Back then, in the city of Linqiong, I opened a bar and worked as a sophomore, and my father-in-law didn't come out of the door, so I cut off my relatives.The scene is still vivid.Today, Sima Xiangru seems to want to tell the world that the stocks that fell below the issue price soared. The news that Sima Xiangru was going back to Linqiong to show off spread throughout the city overnight.Linqiong city is very busy.The county magistrate greeted him, and the county magistrate also bowed his back and opened the way in front of him.Father-in-law Zhuo Wangsun and the famous people in Linqiong City had already set up a banquet and lined up to welcome him, all of them smiling from ear to ear.Especially that Zhuo Wangsun, as if a blind cat caught a mouse and won a five million jackpot, he was so proud that his beard would fly off. Thinking back to the past, Su Qin traveled in poverty, exhausted his wisdom, and returned home with the seal of the six countries.At that time, relatives and friends were all kneeling at his feet, but Su Qin raised his head and sighed. It is indeed nothing more than that.People are not afraid of being rich, once you are rich, someone will give you money.Sure enough, Zhuo Wangsun also paid a sum of money to the well-developed Sima Xiangru.He took Sima Xiangru's hand and said, I really hate that I married my daughter to you late.Now, in order to express my regret to you, I decided that men and women should be equal.How much brother Zhuo Wenjun gets from me will naturally also be from your son-in-law. So Sima Xiangru accidentally got a share of Zhuo Wangsun's property. In one sentence, Sima Xiang made a lot of money by making such a trip.The official position is enough for him, the face is worthy of his heart, and the gift is enough for his face.As the saying goes, work smoothly, everything goes well, and money is smooth.So, Sima Xiangru came proudly, and returned to Chang'an proudly to report to Liu Che. But Sima Xiangru didn't expect that there was a big black pot in Chang'an, waiting for him to come back and carry it. This big black pot is bribery. Sima Xiangru reported the results of this mission to Liu Che, and the results are shown as follows: Including the Qiongdu Kingdom, which had offered to be a Hanchen before, and other Southwestern Yi countries, they all agreed to remove the checkpoints, open the borders, and open their arms to the Han Dynasty. For this result, Liu Che was of course full of joy.However, after the work report was over, someone ginsenged Sima Xiangru, saying that he enjoyed abnormal treatment along the way and received bribes from many local officials. Liu Che's face was suddenly covered with dark clouds when the sky was clear and clear just now.He sent someone out to investigate.This investigation turned up a messy account. Sima Xiangru enjoyed the so-called abnormal treatment.The prefect of Shu County greeted him, the county magistrate rode a horse to open the way, and the elders and villagers lined up to welcome them, which is the evidence.It is indeed a bit unfair to say that it was bribery.The money was given to him by his father-in-law, so what does it matter to others?That being the case, how did the crime of accepting bribes fall on Sima Xiangru's head? I looked through the history books, but I didn't see the details of Sima Xiangru's bribery, and the official did not announce the facts.After thinking about it, there is only one possibility: someone is jealous of Sima Xiangru. The people who are jealous of Sima Xiangru are probably the ministers who opposed Tang Meng's crazy road construction before.Their logic is roughly as follows: Is it beneficial to the Han Dynasty to open up the Southwestern Yi?No.what are the benefits?So many people died and so much money was spent, but the road was repaired and so many generous gifts were given to Southwest Yi.What did the Han Dynasty gain?Oh, it's just a title, being called the boss. Is it worth it to lose so many taxpayers and money for the title of the boss of the world?Since it's not worth it, why did Sima Xiangru insist on saying that it would be beneficial to deal with the Southwestern Yi?There is only one possibility, Sima Xiangru may want to take the opportunity to make a profit. I believe that based on the above logic, they must have placed spies in Sima Xiangru's mission team.As a result, Sima Xiangru was severely plotted against. Of course, if being framed, Sima Xiangru can't argue with words, at least he can argue with words with a stroke of a pen.But strangely, Sima Xiangru chose to remain silent.So, Sima Xiangru was dismissed by Liu Che and sent him to leave Chang'an. Why did Sima Xiangru choose to remain silent?I think he must know he was wronged. First of all, although he returned to Shu to enjoy the scenery, the fathers and villagers in Shu were kind enough to settle accounts for him, saying that it would not be of much benefit to the Han Dynasty to communicate with the Southwest Yi; second, when he returned to the court, the ministers said the same thing as the Shu people. Sima Xiangru thought, maybe they were right.However, he no longer had the courage to object.It is you who say that it is beneficial to understand the Southwestern Yi, and it is you who say it is not beneficial.This is of course unreasonable. Perhaps at this time Sima Xiangru suddenly realized himself: he is indeed a genius when it comes to literature; he seems to be far inferior to Han Anguo when he is engaged in politics.There is only one way to go: make mistakes and leave the officialdom temporarily. It's no big deal to lose the official.Where there is life, there is hope. One day, he will come back to Chang'an.