Chapter 843: Chaos Begins

The wind and waves in Bohaiwan were not very big, and the seagulls were calling, flying and foraging on the sea. The Great General Wang stood on the shore with his hands behind his back, the sea breeze blowing his dark green long gown, and the scattered bun ponytail was blown by the wind, which was really floating and independent, with a bit of fairy-like meaning.

Not far away, the soldiers took off their outer clothes, exposed their dark and strong upper bodies, each with a thick rope, gritting their teeth and burying their heads to pull a huge warship.

Yes, a warship. It was eighteen feet long, three feet high, and six feet wide, with a displacement of three thousand tons, which could be said to be huge in this era. The whole body was made of wood, and the surface had a thick layer of oil, and it even reflected light from a distance.

This was the first sea ship built after four years of continuous searching for great shipbuilders by Zhen Sheng, even including descendants of craftsmen who built fairy-seeking sea ships for the First Emperor four hundred years ago, as well as many scholars who studied various things, after multi-party research and testing, which could almost be said to be the peak product of creation in this era.

From the internal keel structure to the external anti-corrosion and waterproof materials, to the masts, sails, and internal space layout, power methods, transmission structures, etc., it basically reached the best of the current time.

The power source of the ship was naturally people. At the stern and bottom of the ship, there were turbines, relying on two hundred people to exercise and exert force in the cabin. Of course, this was only a preliminary experiment, and the internal transmission parts might not be able to support it. For the sake of insurance, there were also open portholes, and people rowed forward. If there was wind, it would definitely raise the sails and go with the wind.

The Great General Wang's investment in long-distance voyages could be said to be quite large. In the shipyard, from craftsmen to workers, the food was the highest standard, better than the army. And he also cultivated 5,000 young naval soldiers who were eighteen years old and had children. On weekdays, they specifically beat their bodies, practiced military formations, and when the water warmed up, they sat on small sampans and plunged directly into the sea to exercise their water nature.

Now that the first warship finally went to sea, after sailing out of Bohaiwan and into the Yellow Sea, testing until next year, and solving various problems, large-scale production would begin. Building ships at this time was very difficult, but it was mainly in technology, not in production. After all, a large pile of wood, various splicing, did not have such high technical content. He mobilized resources to support it with all his might. As long as the current ship could pass the test, a fleet could be pulled up in two years.

Standing on the side, Liu Bei sighed: "The Great General has great spirit. If it were an ordinary person, he would definitely not dare to build such a large ship for the ocean."

"I once dreamed of a fairy, who pointed to the east and said that there are two kinds of things on the other side, which can save countless people, and gave me the seed atlas. I was curious about where the east of the sea is, so I built sea ships, organized the navy, and went to sea to explore. This is not great spirit, it is just that I have the heart to do it."

"The General is too modest. Looking at the world, only the General is willing to spend four years and countless money and grain. How can there be no great spirit?"

Liu Bei spoke better than Hua Tuo. For Wang Yan's persistence in building a fleet to go to sea, Hua Tuo asked him if the fairy said whether there were any elixir of life outside...

With a huge sound, the big ship slowly but forcefully slid into the water. In an instant, the waves surged, and after a violent shaking, it finally stabilized slowly.

Seeing this situation, the people who were watching the excitement cheered. They all knew what the big ship was built for, and even many of their sons and husbands were naval soldiers selected to go to sea. The superstition of the Great General made them believe in the correctness of the Great General, and believed that even if the thousands of people

Only these common people who didn't understand anything were happy. The craftsmen didn't relax at all. It was certain that it wouldn't sink when launched; if it sank upon launching, they wouldn't need the Great General to deal with them; they would end their own lives, as they would truly be unworthy of the Great General's trust and support.

The real test was the subsequent sailing out of the bay to face the wind and rain; that was the top priority, deciding whether their work over the past four years was successful. It decided whether the Great General's great cause of sailing out to sea could truly set sail.

"Congratulations, General, on the success of shipbuilding." Liu Bei cupped his hands to offer congratulations.

Wang Yan waved his hand: "Without experiencing the wind, rain, and waves, it is too early to talk about success."

He saw it clearly, of course. After all, he had been preparing for more than ten years, preparing for multiple voyages out to sea. After all, it was ten thousand li away, and there were many variables along the way. No one knew if they could come back. So to ensure success, they could only send people to die in batches.

Sima Qian said that people have always died, some heavier than Mount Tai, some lighter than a feather. These pioneers of long-distance voyages were heavier than Mount Tai; they were seeking welfare for the Chinese people...

At this moment, a personal guard came to report: "Reporting to the Great General, there is a letter from Luoyang saying the Emperor is dead, Crown Prince Bian has ascended the throne, Great General He Jin is in power, and he has summoned Dong Zhuo to the capital. General of the Shang Army Jian Shuo and the Ten Eunuchs each have their own moves, the officials in the court each have their own thoughts, and Luoyang is bound to be in chaos."

Before Wang Yan could express anything, Liu Bei was startled.

Although Wang Yan had said more than once that Emperor Ling, Liu Hong, was in poor health, and had reached a conclusion on his wedding day last year that there would be changes this year. But now Liu Hong was really dead, and not only that, he had let the consort kin He Jin take power. That was fine, but He Jin actually had a brain cramp and summoned Dong Zhuo to the capital?

Back when the Yellow Turban Rebellion started, he had met Dong Zhuo once. At that time, Dong Zhuo was being chased and hacked by the Yellow Turbans, and it was the three brothers who rescued him. At that time, Dong Zhuo heard they were commoners and actually ignored the life-saving grace, being very rude. Just such a player, and he actually got promoted later.

Later, he also inquired about the news; Dong Zhuo had risen by relying on the Yuan clan, but he could ignore even a life-saving grace. Today, with Dong Zhuo's army in hand and great power in his grasp, would he still look at the Yuan clan's face?

Although He Jin was the Great General, commanding the world's troops, who could he command at this time? How many troops could Luoyang have? The Eight Captains of the Western Garden together had less than twenty thousand men, while Dong Zhuo had an army of one hundred thousand. Once he entered the capital, who would be the boss? What kind of brain was this?

Liu Bei was shocked and expressed that he couldn't understand the situation in Luoyang; he really couldn't understand...

Wang Yan didn't care what everyone in Luoyang was thinking that led them to do those things that seemed a bit brainless, because it had already actually happened. He just needed to make his own choices based on what others had done.

So Great General Wang smiled and said: "Pass the order, the Xuanwu Guard is to reorganize and head south, advancing to Linyu."

"Yes, General." The personal guard cupped his hands, accepted the order, turned, and ran off to arrange for people to pass the order.

"Is the General intending to head south to plot for the country?"

"When the Zhen clan entered the mansion last year, I said there would be changes in Luoyang. First, advance the troops to Linyu to plot for the lands of You and Bing. As for what Xuande calls plotting for the country, I have been plotting for five years, not starting today. The Xuanwu Guard entering Linyu is the first step. After the autumn harvest, there will be other mobilizations."

Wang Yan smiled, "Is Xuande unable to sit still and wanting to head south to establish a career?"

"What does the General think?"

"Send a letter to the grasslands, order Guan and Zhang to return to Tuhe, and the twenty soldiers who came with Xuande are also to be recalled." Wang Yan only instructed the personal guard and did not answer.

But Liu Bei knew that this was Great General Wang's answer. He naturally knew that Cai Yong had been kidnapped by Wang Yan and Hua Tuo had been forcibly kept, but the three brothers really hadn't reached the point where Wang Yan would forcibly keep them.

In terms of fighting, Wang Yan could beat the three brothers alone, and there were also Huang Zhong and Taishi Ci; both of them had fought Guan and Zhang one-on-one, and both were strong men. As for civil administration, he had been a General's Assistant for half a year now, acting as Great General Wang's secretary; no one knew the actual situation in Liaodong better than him. Similarly, no one knew Great General Wang's governing ability better than him. Everything was under control, and he dared to delegate power; of course, he dared even more to punish lawbreakers with heavy penalties, and the officials under his rule were all obedient.

Cupping his hands in thanks, Liu Bei asked: "How does the General think the situation in the world will develop?"

"The letter from Luoyang arrived here; an express delivery still takes a month. To this day, I believe He Jin and the Ten Eunuchs will inevitably be unable to tolerate each other. I heard He Jin was a butcher by trade and rose to the position of Great General because his sister was favored. He is uncalculating and indecisive, and also stubborn. His summoning Dong Zhuo to the capital must be a move to eliminate the Ten Eunuchs. With such a commotion, if I and Liaodong know, how could the Ten Eunuchs not know? Therefore, He Jin will surely die. Once He Jin dies, Yuan Shao and the others will surely execute the Ten Eunuchs.

I have also heard of Dong Zhuo; he only has today because he attached himself to the Yuan clan. At the beginning of the year, Liu Hong wanted to promote him to Governor of Bingzhou, but he was reluctant to give up military power. Huangfu Song did not kill him but reported the matter to the Emperor. He had to lead five thousand troops to take office, but he stopped upon entering Hedong, watching the situation in Luoyang. Now that Liu Hong is dead and He Jin has summoned him to the capital, he will inevitably send a letter to his old subordinates to rush to Luoyang.

However, by that time, He Jin will be dead and the Ten Eunuchs will all be dead. With Dong Zhuo's army in hand, who do you think will be the master of Luoyang? At that time, Dong Zhuo will surely usurp great power in the name of the Son of Heaven. However, looking at his past, he is surely an arrogant and domineering person, and he also lacks the ability to govern the world. Once he has great power in his hands, he will surely be rampant. The court is full of wealthy clans, and they will surely flee to the local areas and raise troops separately. Once the beacon fires are lit, the world will surely be in chaos, and the people will have no peace."

Liu Bei frowned as he listened to the development: "Does the General assert this?"

"If you wait here until next year, there will surely be warlords rising everywhere to march on Luoyang and attack Dong Zhuo. You just watch and see if what I say is true or not."

Casually using the advantage of foresight to show off, Great General Wang waved his hand, leaving Liu Bei with only an unfathomable back...

Guan Yu and Zhang Fei were now both under Liao Hua's command. These two brothers were more capable of fighting than the other. After a year, they had both become Captains leading fifteen hundred men. To put it bluntly, these two together could sideline Liao Hua.

Of course, this was just talk. No one in the world could poach the soldiers under Great General Wang's command. If Guan and Zhang had any ulterior motives, they would be tied up by their own soldiers and brought before the Great General the moment they started to act. This was where the hearts of the army and the people lay.

But this was just nice talk; to put it bluntly, it was because Great General Wang treated them well, letting them live lives they hadn't dared to imagine before, combined with long-term spiritual construction and the purpose for which the army was established, that they had such high loyalty.

They were not fighting for Great General Wang; they were fighting for themselves under Great General Wang's leadership. They were fighting for their own interests, and the goal of fighting was also to make themselves live better and let more people live better. This was the essential difference between the army under Wang Yan's rule and the current Han army.

The Han army wanted to learn this set of things but couldn't, because this was not just a simple military issue, but a political line issue for the entire organization.

Guan and Zhang were indeed capable of fighting, and cavalry warfare on the grasslands did not require large-scale overall movements, because the Xianbei and Xiongnu on the grasslands were in tribal forms. Only the troops near Yanshan moved in formations of ten thousand men at every turn, and Liao Hua could break such troops in one winter, leaving only small groups. So, powerful free fighters like Guan and Zhang were not to be wasted; they had to be used to death.

So these two had never stayed in the city except for the first month, and had been fighting on the grasslands all year round, regardless of winter or summer.

This was Great General Wang's grand strategy: the grasslands must be controlled. The purpose of Liao Hua still leading troops to fight on the grasslands was to plunder the grassland population, concentrate these people in one area, let them herd horses, raise sheep, and raise cattle, and bring the rules of the General's Mansion to the grasslands, trade with them, sell them grain, and provide rescue when they encountered white disasters, so they wouldn't have to mount their horses and head south to fight for grass because they couldn't survive.

In return, Wang Yan harvested the Xianbei people on the grasslands, harvested a relatively stable source of meat, as well as cheese, dried meat, and so on. He even let scholars study the production and manufacture of milk powder.

He wanted to bring civilization and stability to the nomadic peoples of the grasslands. Through constant exchange and integration, he was very confident that he could assimilate this nation within three or four generations.

In fact, the Wuhuan people under his rule now looked as if they had been assimilated. There were a large number of Wuhuan people in his army, and now Xianbei people were also beginning to appear bit by bit.

In fact, Xianbei and Wuhuan were of the same race, but after separating, one went to Mount Xianbei and the other to Mount Wuhuan, so they were named after the mountains.

Of course, those who should be killed had to be killed; many people died on the grasslands. Liao Hua's cavalry harassment tactics were very insightful. After all, he had been leading troops since he was eighteen, and he hadn't experienced a warm winter for so many years, so his strategic awareness was forged through killing. As for his own combat effectiveness, Wang Yan had taught him and used secret medicines to strengthen his body. Overall, he could barely rank among the first-class.

Compared to Liao Hua, Zhou Cang was much worse. He was already old and had no room for improvement. However, Zhou Cang won in steadiness. Leading the army to hold Changchun, his work of defending the north was done very well.

Guan and Zhang were just small matters; Wang Yan was now considering the subsequent troop movements more.

Under his rule, there were now a million soldiers and civilians, and they had developed to the Songnen Plain, barely occupying half of the Northeast Plain. As for Goguryeo and Fuyu, although they had already submitted and paid tribute, their pace of expansion northward had not stopped. Fuyu people also often moved their families to defect. Neither of these two families was a climate; as long as one guard of troops was stationed, the peace under his rule could be guaranteed.

As for the Liaodong Peninsula and the Korean Peninsula, they were basically empty land now, with not many people living there. There was no need to station troops here; relying on the militia under the age of twenty to defend themselves was enough to cope.

In the western grasslands, Liao Hua swept five hundred li, and the Xianbei people plundered also lived and produced within these five hundred li. There was one guard of troops stationed at the mountain pass, another guard of troops stationed on the grasslands, and another guard stationed in Tuhe.

The troops he could mobilize were not many, only three guards. Expansion was certainly impossible. The current military strength was already the limit that the current civilian strength and land production could support. If new soldiers were recruited, the people's livelihood would inevitably be affected. This kind of thing could not be done.

It was okay to let the current million soldiers and civilians suffer a little, but they couldn't suffer too much, and they couldn't suffer forever. This was the most basic thing, and it was also the political foundation he followed when he raised his army. This was the foundation that could not be shaken.

However, after thinking about the operations of Liu Yu, the Governor of Youzhou, Wang Yan felt relieved. For a person who was afraid of damaging villagers' houses and afraid of causing unjust killings, three guards and twenty thousand troops were already enough.

Although Wang Yan always looked three steps ahead, he obviously couldn't ponder three steps forever. He did things with plans, but not all of them were plans. Because he always knew that the more plans he had, the more changes there would be, and subsequent plans were meaningless except for wasting brainpower. So most of the time, his plans were thought of on the spot. After all, as long as he moved toward the big goal, he would never be wrong.

Without a doubt, in this world, the goal was to unify the world and enrich the people. The current goal was to take down the two provinces of You and Bing, plot against Ma Teng and Han Sui, and control the cotton production area of Gumo. Then unify the north, and finally head south to establish the foundation—a perfect three-step plan...

Speaking of cotton, Han Sui's reply arrived last year. Unsurprisingly, he did not agree to Great General Wang's crazy suggestion of drilling through the grasslands and opening up the grassland trade route. But he accepted the credit. They would collect cotton on their side first, and then trade after the trade route was opened.

This was not because Han Sui was generous, but because Wang Yan had clearly informed him of the planting methods and uses of cotton, and the old man took it to heart. After all, where didn't one need cotton clothes?

So his reply could basically be treated as farting. Han Sui, that old man, was definitely thinking that once the cotton was planted, he would process it according to the method Wang Yan told him, make cotton clothes, weave cotton cloth, and then do business himself.

Wang Yan naturally didn't care. He told Han Sui the uses of cotton and various manufacturing methods just to attract Han Sui's attention. Regardless, in the end, it would all be Great General Wang's. Being fat first didn't count as being fat; killing him would be just right.

Within ten years, there couldn't be any place to plant cotton under his rule except for the area around Pingguo, because there wasn't enough grain to eat, and it was impossible to use so much land to plant cotton.

But within ten years, he could settle Han Sui and control the Western Regions. Although planting cotton in Gumo, the long distance made the cost of cotton much higher, but compared to the benefits of actually controlling the Western Regions, that little cost could be ignored.

Thinking all the way like this, Wang Yan swayed back to the General's Mansion.

At this time, in the Council Hall of the General's Mansion, it was bustling with gongs and drums, and it was extremely lively. Male and female dancers were dancing in the hall, and a band of more than thirty musicians, which had grown in size, was performing.

And at the lower seat of the main position, Zhen Dao was sitting on a chair with her belly sticking out, watching the dance in the hall with a serious face and listening to the music. This was the Dance and Music Department, which had compiled a new program and came to find Zhen Dao, the leader, to take a look.

Since the Dance and Music Department was established last autumn and this matter was handed over to Zhen Sheng, letting her assist Zhen Dao, Zhen Sheng had found time to invite wealthy clans to appreciate singing and dancing under the Great General's tiger skin, and conveyed the Great General's instructions, letting them send some singers and dancers over. The wealthy clans were all very supportive and sent over two hundred people together, half musicians and half dancers.

Adding in the scholars who liked this set and would also stroll around when they had nothing to do, helping to come up with ideas, the Dance and Music Department was now very large. The people in the Council Hall now were just a part of it.

Liaodong was wealthy, so raising these people was not a big problem, and enriching the spiritual life of the soldiers and civilians was equally important.

Wang Yan just stood by the musicians performing at the door with his arms crossed, watching the dance in the hall.

This was a set of dances praising the harvest. People were beaming with joy, and their movements were open and closed, no longer the gentle kind as before. It very well fulfilled the Great General's instruction of "exerting spirit." It was happy to look at, and even if one didn't understand what kind of thing they were dancing, one was still happy.

Zhen Dao had long seen Wang Yan. After the singing and dancing stopped, she held her belly and asked: "General, what do you think of this dance?"

"Very good." Wang Yan waved his hand, signaling the people who were bowing to him to stand up, and smiled: "Now the Central Plains are in chaos, and war is about to start. You must compile dances of war and dances of victory. They must have power, must exert spirit, and must make people laugh. Next year, perform them for the soldiers to reward the army."

"Since the General has ordered, you must compile them urgently and must not be slack."

"Yes, General, Matriarch." The group bowed in unison.

In fact, the title of Matriarch was not appropriate. Because Great General Wang had never established a Matriarch, he had long made it clear that they were all equal wives. So the subordinates were clever; as long as they were in the Great General's room, they were all Matriarchs. It was smooth to call them that, and the women loved to hear it, so everyone was happy.

Wang Yan waved his hand to signal everyone to withdraw, walked to Zhen Dao's side, helped her up, and took her pulse by the way, before walking toward the back residence: "Be careful these days; my child will be born this month."

"Why does the General need to say more? I will be careful." Zhen Dao nodded with a smile, and then asked: "Just now the General said the Central Plains are in chaos and war is about to start. What is the reason?"

"The Han Emperor Liu Hong is dead, Crown Prince Bian has ascended the throne, and the consort kin Great General He Jin is in power. How can it not be chaotic? I have ordered the Xuanwu Guard to head south to Linyu. After the autumn harvest, there will be other mobilizations. From then on, there will be no days of peace."

"The General will surely take the world and save the people!"

Zhen Dao knew how to speak, and of course, she truly believed it. She had heard of many heroes, but none were one ten-thousandth of the Great General. She had never heard of anyone with such a broad mind, high aspirations, and brilliant methods as Wang Yan. He was generous to the people, considerate to the officials, and sincere to the soldiers, and even to her, a mere woman, he was very caring. Not to mention that he also let her take charge of a department, not confined to the General's Mansion, to exert her strengths to benefit the soldiers and civilians. Such a person, who could say he was not a hero?

"My wife knows me." Great General Wang laughed loudly and helped Zhen Dao to the back residence to chat.

He actually had more than one wife now. There were two other wives in the back residence, both of whom had married this year and were both pregnant. The next few years would be the climax of his marrying wives; there would have to be a few every year, otherwise, how could he say he had a harem...

A month passed, and Zhen Dao gave birth to a son. Wang Yan named him "Ren." Currently, he was prepared to name them according to benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, trust, warmth, kindness, respect, frugality, and yielding. It seemed he had used this name before... If there were more children later, then he would talk about it again. He had long been annoyed by naming them...

It was also at this time that Guan and Zhang returned from the grasslands. The soldiers who had been scattered and incorporated into various guards before didn't want to leave. They wanted to go back and bring their families to Liaodong. Liu Bei didn't force them; this was a result he had long accepted. Those soldiers had already headed south to Zhuo Commandery a month ago, wanting to bring their families to Linyu, and they would also be transferred to Linyu.

So on this day, the only ones Wang Yan saw off were the three brothers Liu, Guan, and Zhang. In order not to make them too shabby, Wang Yan picked three Ferghana horses from the stable and gave one to each of them.

"Xuande, do not forget that the people's livelihood is difficult. Yunchang, you must restrain your arrogance. Sanhei, you must restrain your temper and treat the soldiers well."

The three brothers all cupped their hands and thanked the Great General for his parting instructions. They had benefited a lot from their year in Liaodong.

Zhang Fei had a bitter face: "Great General, I have already admitted my mistake and submitted; why must you still call me that?"

"It is naturally to keep you fresh in your memory." Wang Yan laughed loudly and waved his hand, "We will meet again in the future; just go..."

"Xuande bids farewell to the General." Liu Bei cupped his hands, and Guan and Zhang followed suit.

Then they turned around without hesitation, galloped on their horses, and headed south.

Great General Wang watched their backs with a smile. The autumn wind suddenly rose, the three evil stars descended upon the world, and the world was in chaos...