Chapter 463 Liu Fan's Cooperation
Liu Fan's face was slightly pale, and his eyes were full of unwillingness and despair.
In the end, he was defeated, miserably, without any ability to fight back.
He glanced deeply at Li Yan behind him. Although he vaguely sensed something was wrong, the overall situation had been decided at this time and there was no need for him to think about it too much.
"Lord Boyu, His Majesty has been waiting for you in Chang'an." Guo Jia, dressed in a black robe, stood tall, with a faint smile on his face, and bowed.
When Liu Fan heard this, the heavy stone that had been hanging in his heart finally fell to the ground, but at the same time, a mixed feeling surged in his heart.
In his heart, there is a nostalgia for past power and glory, a reluctance to fail, and a uneasiness about the unknown future, but more than that, there is a sense of relief.
These days, carrying the shaky title of emperor and bearing pressure from all sides, he was already exhausted both physically and mentally.
Li Yan and others stood aside, their faces filled with unconcealed joy, their eyes gleaming with excitement, and their hearts leaping with joy.
They knew they had made the right bet.
Since Tian Ze left Lu Bu and Gongsun Zan behind, the rules of the struggle for hegemony changed. This is also the reason why most of Liu Fan's civil and military officials were willing to surrender.
Why do we have to fight to the death?
Wouldn't it be nice for him to be a king and expand the territory safely under Tian Ze?
"My Liu family's four hundred years of empire is gone just like that!" Liu Fan looked at Guo Jia with complicated eyes, and his tone seemed to contain both reluctance and relief.
Guo Jia smiled faintly: "Lord Boyu is obsessed. Your Majesty once said, is there any dynasty in this world that will last for ten thousand years? Even the Great Qi will be lucky if it can last for hundreds of years."
"The most important thing is that the lives of the people can gradually get better, and the Han people can gradually become stronger. The other things are not so important, right?"
Liu Fan was slightly stunned, then smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty is really broad-minded, and it is not unfair for my Liu family to lose. Forget it, forget it!"
He slowly bent down, slowly pulled out the Chixiao Sword, which symbolized the emperor's power, from his waist, held it in his hands with slightly trembling hands, and solemnly presented it to Guo Jia.
This sword once carried his ambitions and the hope for the Liu family's revival, but now it has become a witness to his failure.
"I am the guilty minister Liu Fan, and thank Your Majesty for your grace." His voice was low and hoarse, as if he had used up all his strength.
Guo Jia stretched out his hands and took the Chixiao Sword. At that moment, Liu Fan felt as if a weight had been lost in his heart. He felt a little empty, as if part of his soul had been taken away.
However, just as he was still immersed in this loss, the Chixiao Sword was put back into his hands by Guo Jia.
"Keep it." Guo Jia said softly.
"This sword is a symbol of the Han Dynasty and a witness to history. Your Majesty hopes that you can keep it to remember the past and look forward to the future."
Liu Fan raised his head, his eyes full of surprise and confusion. He didn't understand why Tian Ze made such a decision.
"Your Majesty has said that the Liu family has made great contributions to the Han people. Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Guangwu pacified the chaotic times, Emperor Wu expanded the territory, and Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing rested the people. Lord Boyu is qualified to wield this sword."
"Your Majesty has bestowed upon Lord Boyu the title of King of Han. I hope that Lord Boyu will live up to the expectations of the Han people and reproduce the spirit of Emperor Gaozu and Emperor Wu, expand the territory for the people, hold a three-foot-long sword, and establish unprecedented achievements."
These words were like a warm current that instantly flowed into Liu Fan's heart. At this moment, he completely let go of everything and bowed in the direction of Chang'an, saying, "Your Majesty, I thank you for your grace."
The benevolent are invincible.
Facing such a Tian Ze, Liu Fan no longer has any resistance or hatred towards him.
The people want the whole world to be united.
Li Yan and others standing behind Liu Fan were also very excited when they heard this conversation. They knew that their chance had come!
They are all ambitious, capable and determined people who are eager to do things. They were previously trapped in Yizhou, where there was no hope and internal friction was severe, and their talents could not be fully utilized.
Although Liu Fan was defeated now, it was like a new door suddenly opened, and they saw an extremely broad space for display.
The general trend of the times selects talents much more accurately than human selection. Those who just eat and wait for death and have poor talents will soon be eliminated by the tide of the times, and the internal strife that has existed for a long time under Liu Fan's rule will also be eliminated.
"As for them, they follow their own wishes. If they are willing to follow you, they can come together." Guo Jia looked at the civil and military officials behind Liu Fan and said.
"The same goes for the soldiers in the city and the people of Yizhou. However, the number of soldiers and horses should not exceed 100,000, and the number of people should not exceed 1 million."
Guo Jia's words made Liu Fan's heart surge.
It seems that what he lost after surrendering was not that important.
Although it seems that his strength has shrunk by more than half, you have to know that the strength under his command was not entirely his.
And in the future, these things that Tian Ze promised will belong to him completely.
With the support of the towering tree of Da Qi, as long as the general direction is not wrong, he will have enough confidence to do whatever he wants. Compared with the previous emperor who was hesitant and in name only, the road ahead is bright.
"However, we have to wait until Yizhou is pacified," Guo Jia added.
If Yizhou could be taken safely, what he promised would be nothing.
You know, today Yizhou is still the largest province in the south, with a population of no less than four million. Using Liu Fan's original Yizhou resources to make this promise to him is indeed a good deal.
Of course, the premise of all this is that Tian Ze has strong strength and is qualified to negotiate and make promises.
Liu Fan nodded slightly and said, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I will issue an edict to all directions to help Your Majesty pacify Yizhou."
Hearing this, Guo Jia nodded slightly.
Liu Fan’s cooperation is extremely important to them.
It would be absolutely impossible to take Yizhou without this condition.
However, Guo Jia also knew that the effect of Liu Fan's cooperation would definitely not be as great as he had imagined.
The southern barbarian tribes and Liu Bei's forces in Yizhou and surrounding areas would definitely not accept Tian Ze's rule so easily.
The tens of thousands of troops led by Zhang He were still unable to support Pang De's army, so they had to stay in various places and consolidate their newly gained rule as soon as possible.
However, no matter what, being able to capture Chengdu without bloodshed was a good thing for them, as it meant that at least half of Yizhou was in their hands.
Next, it depends on whether Pang De can capture Baidi City and defend it before Liu Bei arrives.
At this time, Pang De had already led his troops to the city of Baidi.
Baidi City was built on the mountain, with a dangerous terrain and tall and thick city walls. The defenders on the city walls were on high alert with flags flying.
Pang De looked at such a majestic city and felt relieved despite his headache.
How to take this place is indeed a big problem, but the more difficult it is, the easier it is to defend after you take it.
(End of this chapter)
