Chapter Eighteen: The Powerful Han

  Yesterday evening while having dinner, Li Zhēng heard some rumors from Xiao Cui and Xiao Liu.

  It is said that there have been some frequent conflicts between people below in the past two days.

  This made Li Zhong frown while also feeling relieved in his heart.

  When there are more people, contradictions arise, this is normal.

  There are contradictions that need to be resolved. Otherwise, when the contradictions accumulate to an extreme, no external force is needed, and it will collapse from within!

  From dawn till now, Li Zhēn has been kneeling for one quarter of an hour after another. Although he had gradually gotten used to this sitting posture, his legs and feet still felt numb and sore.

  He stood up, stretched his limbs, and before long, Zhao Wu arrived.

  As the main person in charge of government affairs under Li Zhong, Zhao Wu appeared to be extremely busy. The reason for this busyness actually lay in his own lack of ability. Previously, after Li Zhong had outlined the framework for the pasture, he was not at ease, fearing that the people below would not do a good job, so he specially went to supervise them. Unexpectedly, just as he was about to catch his breath, Li Zhong found him and had something to instruct him on, so he rushed over without stopping.

  "Your Majesty."

  Sit.

  Li Zheng gestured for Zhao Wu to sit down, but said: "You're also a leader now, no need to do everything personally. Relax a bit, I think you've been worn out these past few days."

  "Thank you for your concern." Zhao Wu was somewhat moved and said: "I just have that little ability, I don't feel at ease if I don't see it with my own eyes."

  "You."

  Li Zheng let out a faint sigh and turned to say: "I heard that there have been some conflicts among the people below recently, what's going on?"

  "Contradiction? Oh!" Zhao Wu was stunned for a moment, then reacted and laughed, saying: "Nothing big."

  Seeing Zhao Wu's relaxed smile, Li Zhong also relaxed and said, "Then tell me about it."

  "At first, it was like this," Zhao Wu organized his words and said: "A Qiang person in the Battle Army beat a child, the child's parents called someone to take revenge and beat that Qiang person. Later, the Qiang person gathered people to retaliate but failed and got beaten again..."

  It was originally a child who ridiculed and looked down on the Qiang people, was beaten by the Qiang people, and thus triggered a series of subsequent conflicts.

  Li Zheng listened, speechless at the same time, and also had a headache.

  It seems like just a trivial matter on the surface, but in essence, it has already become an ethnic conflict!

  But looking at Zhao Wu's words, it seems that he thinks the Qiang people being beaten is a matter of course, and his tone, apart from gloating, doesn't think there's anything wrong with it.

  "Then..." Li Zhong hesitated for a moment, but said: "Who do you think is in the wrong here?"

  "Of course it's Qiang people!"

  Zhao Wu hesitated for a moment, then resolutely and decisively.

  "A mere barbarian from the north, daring to lay hands on us Han people? You're simply looking for death!"

  Li Zhong couldn't help but stare in shock!

  What's going on?

  Zhao Wu saw Li Zhong's expression, was stunned for a moment, but then smiled and said: "Your Majesty doesn't have to worry about this matter at all. What are the Qiang people? Barbarian slaves, beat them and that's it! These lowly people, their deaths are not worth mourning!"

  Lowly person!

  Death is not worth grieving!

  Is this really the spirit and pride of the Chinese people in this era?!

  Li Zhong suddenly remembered the evaluation of the Great Han Dynasty in that world and the origin of the term "Han people"!

  Since Emperor Wu of Han defeated the Xiongnu and brought all four seas under his control, the Han people have become the highest-ranking and most noble ethnicity in this world!

  The spirit of the Han people, the pride of the Han people, was established at that time!

  Towards the barbarians, towards the Hu people, even if they are the lowest commoners in society, or just a mere child with a topknot, they still stand on the level of nobility, looking down on them with an air of superiority!

  Strong China! Strong China! If one person is like this, ten thousand people will be like this, everyone will be like this, why can't we be strong?

  The state of Yan was destroyed due to its weakness, while the Han dynasty perished because of its strength!

  In that world's history, even when the three kingdoms were vying for hegemony and fighting each other to the death, they still managed to suppress the four barbarian tribes. How could the Great Han not be strong?

  This spirit, this pride, is deeply etched in their bones. The continuous inheritance is the eternal and immortal spirit and heritage.

  We great Han nation, mighty!

  At this moment, Li Zhong felt his blood boiling, as if it was about to burn!

  At this moment, his sense of belonging to this world is so strong that it cannot be expressed!

  Perhaps this is what he returned to this era for, to seek and to experience!

  Yes, even after the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the Han Dynasty was still so tough on the four barbarians. And the four barbarians were still so fearful of the Han Dynasty!

  Now the powerful Xianbei people in the north, with pastures stretching tens of thousands of miles horizontally and vertically, have hundreds of thousands of armored troops! However, they still dare not launch a large-scale attack, but only make tentative probes.

  The Xiongnu people who are entrenched in the Hexi Corridor, just as Zhao Wu said, are like a dog! When called upon, they come; when waved away, they leave! In case of rebellion, the Son of Heaven issues an edict and lets the Xiongnu go quell the uprising. The whole lot is nothing but cannon fodder!

  The Qiang people of Xiliang were also powerful, but slightly disobedient, and the ones who welcomed them were repeatedly beaten. Like the defeated Qiang general, Taishi Duan Lie, who had won battle after battle, killing so many Qiang people that they couldn't find their way north!

  At first, Beigong Boyu and others rebelled, also wanted to hold Han Yang's famous scholar Yan Zhong, as the leader, under the name of clearing the monarch's side, they dared not to raise the flag of Qiang people! Even now, the war fire that is still burning in Liangzhou, its main military strength is Qiang people, but it is also led by Han Shui, nominally it is a struggle within the Han people!

  From this we can see one aspect of it.

  The four barbarians looked up to the Great Han with a mixture of reverence and fear, longing mixed with hatred.

  They yearn for and admire the grandeur of the Great Han civilization, but fear and dread the steel guns and iron arrows of the Great Han! From start to finish, they have always been subconsciously in a position of weakness, while in their eyes, the Han people are the true strong ones!

  Some are afraid of the strong, and on the surface they dare not resist, but secretly look for trouble to experience a thrill. Others try their best to get close to the Han Chinese civilization, from eating habits and clothing customs to etiquette and manners, even changing their surname, as if they want to bring everything that belongs to the Han people back home! This contradictory psychological state is a true reflection of the four Yi peoples.

  Make them involuntarily admire and yet cannot help but look up to in awe, this is the Great Han!

  Li Zhēng clenched his fists, his face flushed bright red.

  "Not bad! What is a Qiang person anyway? Also dare to touch the whiskers of us Han people!"

  With a loud shout, Li Zhēng stood up somewhat excitedly and said: "Zhao Wu, immediately pass on my order to have Zhang Shan arrest that Qiang person who caused the trouble!"

  "While saying this, he walked out: 'Let everyone in the pasture have dinner together tonight and make a break with the past!'"

  "Ah!"

  Back home, Li Zhong's mind was still hard to calm down.

  That powerful force originating from his bone marrow and soul made him extremely eager and excited. As for the reason behind this matter, Li Zhēn was no longer willing to ask more questions, there was only one outcome, and that was extermination!

  Those who commit crimes against the Han people will be punished no matter how far away they are!

  No matter what reason, as long as you offend me, I will retaliate tenfold, a hundredfold! If it's an individual, I'll take your life; if it's a country, I'll destroy your nation!

  Although it seems unreasonable to bully and humiliate the barbarians, Li Zhong has already figured it out: morality is something that applies to us Han people ourselves. The barbarians are just that - they don't understand morality!

  This is a very protective approach, yet to a great extent, it has enhanced the morale and backbone of the Chinese people. It allows people to have an unparalleled sense of cohesion towards this vast empire!

  Be proud of being Chinese!

  Such an empire, to be honest, as long as there are no major internal problems, it can continue indefinitely!

  But unfortunately, the internal contradictions of the Great Han Empire were too sharp, and it had really reached its end.

  Li Zhong thought of these things and couldn't help but sigh repeatedly.

  He wondered, if the Great Han Empire could continue, what would be the spirit of the Chinese people 2,000 years later? What kind of national spirit would it be 2,000 years later?

  After sighing, it's determination.

  What the great Han dynasty cannot accomplish will be done by Li Zhuang!

  Lunch is a red jade bird.

  Years ago, this domesticated bird was synthesized, and now the second generation is almost grown up. As the master of Shen Zhou Grassland, there is still the privilege of secretly eating a Red Jade Bird.

  Of course, Li Zhong himself also knows restraint. The population of the Red Jade Bird is still small after all, and it needs to multiply.

  With the two physical enhancements, internal organ functions have also been greatly enhanced. Each meal is not limited to three or five dou, and one dou of rice can be eaten with an additional red jade bird.

  Of course, Xiao Cui and Xiao Liu also followed suit and ate a lot.

  These two girls have been well-fed and entertained since they became maids for Li Jing, and are becoming more and more lively.

  After lunch, Li Zhong practiced the art of riding and fighting with his new spear for an entire afternoon, quickly adapting to its use. Riding on Qingyun, he seemed like a gust of wind galloping across the lawn, his long spear in hand as if it were an extension of his arm. With a single shake of the spear shaft, it hummed loudly; with a flick of his wrist, it was as if stars twinkled, and a killing aura emanated from him.

  As the sun was about to set, Li Zhēng finally dismounted and stopped practicing.

  Li Zhong's physical strength was originally slightly stronger than that of an ordinary young and strong person. Although he had practiced martial arts before, due to his neglect, it was just like that, with a total strength of about less than 200 catties.

  After the system's first activation, it was strengthened and doubled to over 300 pounds. During this period, the system function integrated, fully activated, and underwent another strengthening, doubling again. Now, his spiritual power exceeded 700 pounds!

  Such divine power, wielding a Blood Dragon Spear weighing over 50 kilograms, is just right.

  After an afternoon, Li Zhong didn't feel tired at all, but rather refreshed and invigorated. As for the warhorse Qingyun, it was equally spirited and energetic, as if it hadn't felt any fatigue at all. Of course, this was just ordinary training, not a real battlefield, but it was enough to show off the excellence of the warhorse.

  After washing up at home, Zhao Wu came over and said that everyone in the pasture had already gathered in the south section. Li Zheng didn't delay, bringing Xiao Cui and Xiao Liu with him as he followed Zhao Wu to head south.

  Because Li Zhuang ordered to have dinner in the open air, many people brought out all the pots and pans from their homes. When Li Zhuang arrived at the right time, smoke was already rising everywhere.

  The southern exit and forest boundary, this place used to be a forest, but due to the need for pasture construction, all the trees in this area were cut down.

  Later it was used as a training ground for soldiers and was made flat and tidy.

  When Li Zhong arrived, everyone stood up.

  Everyone bowed and gave Li Zhēng a salute.

  "Alright, alright, no need for more courtesy." Li Zhong laughed loudly, his booming voice echoing throughout the room: "Today I've called everyone together, indeed there's something to say. But before that, eating is the most important thing!"

  Everyone laughed after hearing it.

  Li Zheng called together Zhang Shan Zhao Wu, Meng Lao San, Gao Yuan and Wang Laohu, as well as the newly appointed department heads, and also summoned the three team leaders of the original hunting team and the warrior team, Kamu Ke, Nu Luo and Bai Lang.

  Lighting up a bonfire and roasting lamb, a group of people formed a circle around it.

  Li Zhuang spoke up, without leaving out a single word, asking about family matters and talking about trivial things, without mentioning anything else.

  However, Dagmu and two other Qiang people looked somewhat nervous.

  Today Zhangshan's affair of capturing people, they are aware of it. Similarly, the attitude of Han people towards Qiang people in the past, they also know about it. Although the current master is very good, after all, the master is also a Han person, what if...