Emperor Taizong's Growth Plan

Chapter 407
In the kingdom of Xia, in the imperial palace of Jinling City, there are many lanterns and festoons everywhere. Big red lanterns and peach charms are hung high up. At first glance, it looks very festive.

Although with the complete fall of Jiangzhou County, the situation in the southwest has completely collapsed, and there is no room for recovery.But tomorrow is New Year's Eve, such a folk festival, it can't be over, can it?

Of course, at this time, in Xiaguo Palace, it was just looking at the celebration.In fact, there was a dignified atmosphere in Xia Kingdom's palace, court hall, and even among the people.

At this time, in Jinshen Hall, there was a muffled "pop" and an angry reprimand.

Emperor Xia Yu Zhaoling slapped the imperial table furiously, and said angrily to Wen Wu in the hall:
"The Marquis of Deyang fought to the death and died for the country. Why can't I give him the honor he deserves?"

All the officials in the palace, seeing Yu Zhaoling's furious expression, couldn't help shrinking their heads slightly, lowering their heads even further.

At the front of the line of military officials in the Xia Dynasty, the old Xia Huang's confidant, Dong Wei, who is now a great general of chariots and riders, gritted his teeth suddenly, came out of the line and saluted, admonishing him:
"Your Majesty, we are also aware of Marquis Deyang's loyalty, bravery and blood. In the Southwest War, Marquis Deyang also did his best..."

"But Your Majesty, Jiangzhou County fell under the hands of the Marquis of Deyang. Between the government and the public, because of the defeat in the Southwest War, the subjects were dissatisfied and talked a lot. Now Your Majesty insists on honoring the Marquis of Deyang after his death. What will the subjects of the world do?" think?"

Seeing this, several veteran officials in the court also came out one after another, bowing to persuade:
"Your Majesty, you should estimate the hearts of the subjects of the world!"

"The honor of Marquis of Deyang can be given, but it might as well be after this period of time."

"Please think twice, Your Majesty!"

This Xia country, since the founding of the country by Emperor Taizu, when it was strong and prosperous, all nations came to court, even when it was the weakest, its national power ranked first among all the countries in the world.

The people of Xia Kingdom, who are used to the status of the upper kingdom, are naturally extremely dissatisfied with the defeat of the enemy Yun Kingdom in the southwest.

Zimmer used to be the deputy envoy of the Southwest Recruitment Department. He was responsible for controlling the civil and military affairs of the Southwest and the governor's war. The loss of Jiangzhou County was inseparable from him anyway.

At the moment when public opinion is boiling, Yu Zhaoling insists on honoring Zimmer after his death. What do the people of Xia Kingdom think?
Although Yu Zhaoling was in a fit of anger, after so many experiences, he was no longer the impulsive and reckless King Qi.

Listening to the persuasion of the ministers, Yu Zhaoling suppressed the anger in his heart, took a deep breath, and then gritted his teeth and said:

"Send envoys to Yun Kingdom immediately to ask for the corpses of my Great Xia generals, and return for burial!"

Yu Zhaoling served in the army for many years when he was King Qi, so he naturally knew that for those who joined the army, shrouding a corpse in horse leather was not an unacceptable thing.

But at this time, due to resistance from the government and the public, the only thing he can do for Zimmer is this...

A group of courtiers saw that Yu Zhaoling no longer insisted at this time, and it was not a big deal to ask the enemy for the general's corpse, so they no longer stopped them, and silently agreed.

After discussing many things, all the officials retired, and only Yu Zhaoling's former officials from the hidden residence stayed in the palace to continue discussing important matters.

Yu Zhaoling was sullen at this moment, glanced at the people left in the hall, and said in a deep voice:
"The Marquis of Deyang left a letter before his death, saying that Yunguo was a spy, and it is very likely that he will use the identity of Yongzhou Embroidered Clothes Envoy to act..."

As soon as these words came out, Zhong Zizhuo, who was hiding in the queue, raised his head subconsciously, showing a look of panic and fear.

Not to mention Yongzhou, under the secret cooperation of Zhong Zizhuo and Sticky, Jiangnan, Jin, Yu, Huainan, Yan, and Qi, it can be said that among the embroidered envoys of the counties in the Xia Kingdom, Those are more or less staffed by the staff at the sticky pole.

At this time, Yu Zhaoling suddenly mentioned this matter, how could Zhong Zizhuo, who already had ghosts in his heart, not feel frightened?
But immediately, Zhong Zizhuo realized that his terrified expression at this time might expose himself, so he forcibly restrained himself a little, and lowered his head slightly.

Fortunately, everyone in the palace at this time was also extremely shocked when they heard the news from Yu Zhaoling's mouth, which made Zhong Zizhuo, who was frightened in the crowd, not look so obvious and abrupt.

Yu Zhaoling looked at the expressions of the officials in the hall, and continued to say in a serious voice:
"I don't think I'm surprised by this matter. At the beginning of the Jin Dynasty...the abolished prince Yu Zhaoli, under the instigation of the sticky pole of the Yun Kingdom, set off a turmoil in the capital. At that time, the people of the Yun Kingdom had already extended their tentacles to the embroidery. Among the clothes envoys. Afterwards, Zhong Zizhuo cleaned the embroidered clothes envoys and caught many dark men from Yunguo."

Having said that, everyone in the hall subconsciously turned their attention to Zhong Zizhuo.

"I've gone through all the files you sent up. The roster of spies, bribes received, account books and other evidences are all available at the sticky pole. Even Feng Chu can't find anything wrong with it." Yu Zhaoling said in a deep voice. .

Before Feng Chu, he also suspected that Zhong Zizhuo used the excuse of thoroughly investigating the embroidery envoys in Gyeonggi to exclude dissidents.But after checking the files, he did not find anything wrong, so he let go of his suspicions.

No one would have thought that Zhong Zizhuo, a former official from the hidden mansion, and a high-ranking second-rank embroidered envoy, would be a secret agent of Yunguo!
Hearing Yu Zhaoling's words at this time, Zhong Zizhuo subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, wanting to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

But at this time, Zhong Zizhuo realized that everyone's eyes were on him.With a sudden change in his mind, Zhong Zizhuo immediately pretended to be terrified, fell to his knees with a plop, kowtowed and apologized:
"Your Majesty was negligent and failed to catch the secret agent of Yunguo hidden in the embroidered clothes envoy. I have violated His Majesty's trust. Please punish me!"

Seeing this, Yu Zhaoling said in a deep voice:
"At the beginning, I only gave you the right to thoroughly investigate the embroidery envoys in the capital, but I forgot that since Yunguo can infiltrate Jinling City, it is not difficult to infiltrate and win over the local embroidered envoys. I can't blame you. !"

Hearing this, Zhong Zizhuo finally felt completely relaxed, and leaned over to salute again, gratefully saying:

"I thank your Majesty Long En!"

With a sullen face, Yu Zhaoling continued:
"You did a thorough investigation of the Embroidered Clothes Envoy before. This time, I will entrust this matter to you again, starting with the Embroidered Clothes Envoy in Yongzhou, and digging out all the spies from Yunguo!"

When Zhong Zizhuo heard the words, his eyes lit up, he swallowed subconsciously, and immediately agreed:
"Sir, obey the order!"

Not only was he not suspected, but he was also ordered to thoroughly investigate the local embroiderer.Isn't this just an opportunity for me to continue to catch the "Yunguo Spy" to claim credit from Emperor Xia, and at the same time, conveniently place people at the sticky pole to ask for benefits from Emperor Yun, a chance to benefit from both ends!
What is a surprise?This is!

After talking about this matter, Yu Zhaoling paused, and continued:
"There is one more thing I want to discuss with you."

"Before the Marquis of Deyang withdrew from Hengyang Mansion, he had selected more than ten thousand elite soldiers under his command, and scattered them among the mountains in Shaoyang County and Jiangzhou County. The army has not yet gained a firm foothold, and the people of Jiangzhou County have turned their hearts to our Daxia court, do you want to take advantage of this opportunity to send out a large army to counterattack in order to recapture a few cities and boost the morale of the army and the people?"

After repeated defeats, the hearts of all officials, soldiers and civilians in the government and the public are all dependent on Xia Guo's past prestige.

But if things go on like this for a long time, the heart will be dissipated, Xia Guo will be like Li Chao who was afraid of Yun Guo back then, the government and the opposition would not dare to speak out, fearing the cloud like a tiger.At that time, it will be powerless.

That's why Yu Zhaoling at this time wanted to rely on a few victories to boost the morale of the people.

And Zimmer's arrangement before his death was that the Li Dynasty returned to the Yun Kingdom, and after accepting the title of King An, there were a large number of soldiers and civilians who cared about the Li Dynasty's community and hid in the mountains to resist the operations of the Yun Army.

Although some time ago, this group of loyal old Li soldiers and civilians were completely destroyed, but after all, it took a lot of Yunguo's energy, and Zimmer came up with this idea.

It was precisely because these people dispersed into the forest that they could only serve as a restraint and a sneak attack, and Yun Guo must not be aware of it. After repelling all the officials, Yu Zhaoling asked his confidants for advice.

When everyone in the hall heard the words, they were still hesitating, but Feng Chu stepped forward and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid this matter has to be discussed in the long run."

Hearing this, Yu Zhaoling frowned, and said:
"Why?"

Feng Chu replied in a deep voice:
"The Embroidered Clothes Envoy of the Northern Territory urgently reported that there was a sudden snowstorm on the grasslands of the Northern Territory this year, and the Turkic tribes lost countless cattle and sheep. The tribes are frequently mobilized, and there may be intentions to go south to plunder!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone in the hall frowned.

In fact, this incident is not too unexpected in the eyes of everyone, and they even feel that the Turkic reaction is a bit too slow...

The southwestern part of the Xia Kingdom lost successive battles, lost soldiers and generals, lost cities and lands, the government was in turmoil, and the country's power was greatly damaged.Seeing this, how can the Turks hold back their desire to go south?
Zhu Feiang, the former official of Yu Zhaoling's residence, said at this time:

"In this way, the soldiers and horses of Jin and Yan cannot be easily transferred."

The Turks have millions of elite riders. Although they are not as well-equipped as the Xia army, they are superb in riding skills and can run like the wind, but they are not easy to deal with.

Moreover, the grassland was hit by snow this time. In order to survive, the Turkic tribes may recruit the herdsmen of the tribe to go south to plunder together!If this is the case, the pressure on the northern border will be even more astonishing.And if the elite cannot be mobilized from the northern border, naturally they will not be able to launch a counterattack against Yun Kingdom...

Yu Zhaoling's eyes sharpened, and he snorted:
"Hmph, it's nothing more than Turkic bullying and bullying small countries like the Western Regions, Tubo, Koryo, and Bohai, but he dares to go south on his own initiative? I'm afraid they haven't remembered the lessons of the past few decades!"

When the Xia Dynasty was in chaos, the Turks went south many times, and they did take advantage of it.However, since the old Emperor Xia took over the throne and took over ten years to rectify the northern border, the Turks have repeatedly encountered obstacles in the northern border when they went south, and they have never been able to gain any advantage.

"Your Majesty, I feel that this may not be an opportunity!" At this moment, a voice suddenly sounded.

Gong Ying walked out slowly from the end of the queue, and bowed to Yu Zhaoling to salute.

Yu Zhaoling was very impressed with Gong Yingzong, whom both Feng Chu and Zimmer praised unceasingly, nodded, and said:
"what chance?"

"My Great Xia and Yun Kingdom, regardless of the national system and folk customs, are passed down from the Central Plains, so they can be called the same language and the same species. The dispute between the two countries is mostly regarded as a civil war in the Central Plains. Now the Turkic army is invaded by foreign enemies. Your Majesty can use this reason , agreed with Yunguo to cease the war."

Speaking of this, Gong Yingzong raised his head slightly, seeing that Yu Zhaoling was not unhappy because he wanted to stop the war with Yunguo at this time, so he continued:

"The emperor of Yun Kingdom has always been praised by the world for his benevolence. If he does not want to stop the war at this time, the name of virtuous and benevolent will be ruined, and the people of the world will betray him. If the Yun Kingdom ceases the war, my Great Xia can organize troops in Henan, Huainan, Jiangnan and other places. Ma, build a line of defense to resist the attack of the army of Yunguo!"

Yu Zhaoling has been through the battlefield for a long time, but his eyes are extremely vicious. At this time, he said in a deep voice:

"The two counties of Anshun and Shaoyang are newly attached. It is difficult to guarantee the logistics of the Yun army, and it is already in the depths of winter. It is difficult for the army to move forward. It is the limit to swallow Jiangzhou County. It should not continue to send troops!"

Gong Yingzong stood up slightly, calmly said:

"I also thought so before... But since the Yun army entered Jiangzhou County, it has been invincible all the way, and it is easy to handle. I am afraid that there will be another meritorious service!"

"Suizhou and Xiangzhou fell into the hands of the Yun Kingdom. The Yun Army can send troops at any time to attack Nanyang County in the north of Yudi. The Yun Army Anton General Yang Dayan led tens of thousands of troops to wander outside Yuzhang County. Heart. In Rong County along the coast, there are also Yunguo naval forces who are constantly harassing."

"On the other hand, our soldiers and horses in Great Xia have just evacuated from Jiangzhou County. Our foothold is not stable. The morale of the army is no longer. I'm afraid it can't be used. Your Majesty, I'm afraid no one can guarantee that the cloud army will accept it when they meet... Moreover, even if the minister Guess wrong, this strategy will only ensure that Yun Kingdom will stop fighting."

Hearing this, Yu Zhaoling's face darkened slightly.

Indeed, even if the Yun army planned to capture Jiangzhou City at the beginning, it would be over.But at this moment, the situation is so smooth for Yun Jun, no one is sure that they will just let it go.

It would be great if the Turkic army could be used as a reason to make Yunguo guarantee the strike.

Thinking of this, Yu Zhaoling no longer hesitated, nodded immediately and said:

"Okay, let's do it!"

"It's very cold in the north now, so it's not easy to send out troops. And order the north to fortify the walls and clear the fields, evacuate the people outside the city, and stick to the city. Wait until the winter is over before sending troops, attack the Turks in the north, and sweep the caves!" Yu Zhaoling said in a deep voice.

It's fine if I can't beat Yunguo, but I can't beat you Turkic?
Attacking the Turks in the north can also boost the hearts of the army and the people.It is obviously a good choice when you are not fully sure of defeating Yunguo!

When everyone heard the words, they immediately bowed down and saluted, and shouted:

"Come on, follow your orders!"

After deciding on a strategy, all the confidantes got up and resigned, and walked out of Jinshen Hall.

Just as Yu Zhaoling was about to continue processing the memorial, he saw that Feng Chu had turned back alone at this time, so he couldn't help asking:
"So you're back?"

Feng Chu shook his head slightly, and glanced at the palace attendants standing around him.

Yu Zhaoling moved his eyes, and immediately said in a deep voice:
"You all retreat first!"

Hearing the words, all the servants in the palace immediately bowed down and bowed, and walked out of the palace quickly.

After there was no one around, Feng Fang said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, the Embroidery Envoy has also received a piece of news. Today Emperor Yun plans to tour Jiangzhou County soon..."

"Everyone in the world says that the reason why the Yun Kingdom is so powerful now is because the current Emperor Yun, the Holy Son of Heaven, is in power. The two princes of the Yun Kingdom have just been born and are not yet one year old. If the Emperor Yun suddenly dies at this time, What does Your Majesty think of the Yun Congress?"

When Yu Zhaoling heard this, his eyes froze.

What about the cloud?Not to mention falling apart, it would at least be in chaos for a while.When the time comes to conquer the lost ground and wash away the shame, it will naturally be a matter of course!
Thinking of this, Yu Zhaoling understood clearly, and said in a deep voice:

"Got it, you can give it a try!"

"The minister knows, let's start to do it."

(End of this chapter)