Water Margin: Lu Bu sits on Mount Liang

Chapter 918: There is a plan for the locusts in the northern grassland (5400+)

"Aunt Zhao isn't going to go find Father?"

In the somewhat deserted room, Yelu Daribo looked at Zhao Zhaorong and finally asked the question in his heart: "I believe you have received the news about my father in Zhongjing."

Zhao Zhaorong hummed, leaned back, and had an indescribable expression on her plain face: "The Emperor of Qi informed me after he got the news."

Pursing his lips, he said, "He even told me that Yelu Yudu's army is guarding the south."

"That……"

"I've thought about this for a long time." Zhao Zhaorong interrupted her and looked at Yelu Daribo with a look of relief: "Don't go to Zhongjing to find His Majesty. Go to Xijing to find your brother instead."

"Brother Xi Nilie?" Yelu Daribo thought for a moment and nodded, "Indeed...it might be better to go find my brother. When will Aunt Zhao leave?"

"tomorrow."

The indifferent voice startled Yelu Daribo. Zhao Zhaorong's eyes fell on her: "We have to wait until you have established a foothold in the Qi Palace."

"..." Yelu Daribo was silent for a while, then he lowered his head and said softly: "I'm sorry to trouble you."

"Nothing." Zhao Zhaorong shook her head, stood up, and looked at the sky outside: "It's still early today, why don't you stay here with me for a while, in the future... I don't know if we will meet again."

"Yes."

Yelu Daribo responded. In his sight, Zhao Zhaorong stood up and walked to the wall to take down two swords. He threw one of the swords with its sheath to her and said, "I heard that the princess is also famous for her swordsmanship in the palace. Why don't we have a fight before I leave?"

"Please give me some advice, Zhaorong." Yelu Daribo took a breath, stood up, drew his sword and made a sword flower, his eyes lit up: "Good sword."

"It's not worse than your seven stars." Zhao Zhaorong smiled and walked into the courtyard first.

Soon, the sounds of two women shouting could be heard in the open space, along with the flashing lights of swords and voices of instruction.

……

White clouds in the sky were blown by the wind, and the sunlight shone into the imperial study. Dust was flying in the bright light.

Lu Bu didn't know that Zhao Zhaorong was about to leave for Xijing Road, and he even forgot that there was such a person still in the palace.

Li Zhu, Qiao Lie, and Fang Xuedu were all in the room. Looking at the figure walking back and forth in front of the table with his hands behind his back, they asked: "Did the army heading north engage in battle with the Liao army?"

"Not yet." Fang Xuedu said, "The Liao army is in the area of ​​the Heshi River. General Wanyan Loushi should have learned about it and is rushing there with all his might."

"Plans are not as fast as changes..." Lu Bu shook his head: "I wanted to take this opportunity to invade Zhongjing Road, but I didn't expect to be disrupted by the tribal soldiers in the north. But it's okay..."

The new emperor paused, turned around and patted the geomancy map hanging on the wall. "It's a good opportunity to sort out Youbeiping. Li Aiqing, how many professors of the Chinese Academy can be transferred now?"

Mr. Jin Jian narrowed his eyes slightly, twirled his beard and thought for a while: "Your Majesty, there are more than 120 people who can be mobilized, and there are 370 disabled soldiers in training."

"Transfer those 120 men to Youbeiping." Lu Bu stroked his short beard and thought for a while. "The morale of the Liao people has been taken away, so it is not difficult to defeat them. The difficult part is how to make the northern tribes integrate into our Great Qi. I want to send people to set up protectorates in Wugu and Dilie after the victory or defeat in the north to assist the management of the tribes. I don't want to finish the battle today and hear them rebel again tomorrow."

"Your Majesty, you want to learn from the Tang Dynasty's customs and attract talented people from all over the world to the court." Qiao Lie had a smile on his face and a hint of...

"That's not the case." Lu Bu waved his hands and took two steps with his hands behind his back. "Rather than saying I want to learn from the Tang Dynasty, it's better to say I want to recreate the prosperity of the Han and Tang Dynasties, so that the people will be proud to be Qi people."

He paused and said, "If we only talk about Han people, there are too few people under my rule. Moreover, since I started the army, I have also received support from many Bohai people. Wang Qing, Gao Qing, and Yang Qing have helped me a lot. There are also more and more Bohai and Xi people in the army. They are not much different from us..."

The world of this world is different from that of the Han Dynasty.

The words flashing through his mind made Lu Bu look a little disappointed. For these people in front of him, the presence of foreigners in the court might have been commonplace, but he...

All in all, I've only been watching it for ten years.

"Your Majesty is right. We should take the Khitan people's previous experience as a warning." Li Zhu put down his hand twisting his beard and said, "But the people on the grassland are more afraid of force. Your Majesty, why don't you go to the front and tell General Wanyan to fight harder and kill more young and strong men. When winter comes, most tribes will inevitably fall into trouble due to the lack of young and strong men.

By then, we will teach them with the help of the Han School and the governance of the Protectorate. After ten or twenty years, we should be able to achieve something. In fact, I have another method..."

He paused for a moment, then raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a few teeth. "People on the grassland live by the water and grass. Your Majesty wants to use it for your own benefit in the future, so destroying its water source is not an option. However, there is a lot of grass on the grassland. If we can reduce the amount of grass that livestock can eat, it will increase their dependence on our Qi State."

Qiao Lie and Fang Xuedu looked at him in confusion. Lu Bu walked over and asked, "How can we reduce the amount of grass?"

"Locusts." Li Zhu said: "We can cultivate some eggs, or take some adults to the grassland. These insects will mate as soon as they fly down, and give birth in a few days. They will grow up day by day. After a few days, some of them will emerge like small black ants, which will burrow into the ground and come out when the crops grow next year. Then they will cause a disaster. If a disaster occurs, all the grass and trees in the mountains and rivers will be destroyed."

Lu Bu hesitated and said, "If the locusts fly into the territory of Qi, wouldn't it be a disaster?"

Fang Xuedu, standing by, said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. This insect is not incurable. I remember that many insects flew up in Song State as well, but none of them caused disasters."

Qiao Lie also nodded: "I have seen a book in Master's temple, which records that in the tenth year of Xining, Emperor Shenzong promulgated the 'Law of Eliminating Locust Seeds', and in the first year of Yuanfu of Emperor Zhezong, there was the 'Law of Catching Locusts', which are corresponding laws."

Then he looked at Li Zhu and said, "Since Doctor Li said this, he must have a countermeasure."

"That's right." Assistant Li nodded and said with a smile, "I read a lot of books and I also liked to roam around in the rivers and lakes in my early years. I know a lot of prevention methods. Although I can't say that there will be no disasters in the country, I can guarantee that it can be prevented and controlled, and the losses should be reduced a lot."

“That means there will still be losses…

The locust plague..."

Lu Bu's face was uncertain. He slowly paced around twice and finally stood still. "Well, if it is a good thing to exchange a moment of pain for decades of peace, it will be a good thing. Li Qing will take charge of this matter. Remember not to let the insect plague spread in the counties of my Qi State, otherwise I will kill you without mercy."

Li Zhu bowed and said, "As your majesty wishes."

"Qiao Lie."

A man who already had a beard that was more than four inches long stepped forward and said, "I am here."

"You and Liu Min will be responsible for monitoring the movements of the nearby grasslands, as well as the conditions of the herdsmen's water, grass, and fields. If there is a disaster, provide relief, and if there is no disaster, provide protection."

"According to the order."

Then Lu Bu raised a finger and said, "One more thing. I intend to require all the people of Qi, whether they are Han or non-Han, to grow their hair long. What do you think?"

The three of them looked at each other, and Qiao Lie spoke carefully: "Your Majesty's intention is good, but I am afraid that some of the people are stubborn. After all, the concepts formed by the Liao people in the past two hundred years of rule are not easy to change."

"I suggest that we establish a law to implement this." Fang Xuedu frowned, then said, "By next year, anyone who does not grow hair will be fined 1,000 coins and sent to prison to work in the city camp to atone for his crime."

Lu Bu nodded slowly.

"I think it's better to do it in two steps." Li Zhu moved his thumb and index finger habitually, "We will implement it first in the court and the army. Foreign generals like General Xiao Haili will certainly obey your majesty's orders, and people like the Zeng family have lived in Song for a long time, and they have grown their hair long ago, so they look no different from ordinary Han people.

If, as Doctor Fang said, those who do not grow their hair will be stripped of their titles and rewards and expelled from the army, some officials and generals will follow suit. If we implement it among the people a year later, there will be less resistance.

"Very good!" Lu Bu laughed and clapped his hands. "Let's do as you say. You can raise the issue at the court meeting tomorrow and see if there is anything to add."

Then he took a breath and said, "The last thing is that all counties should encourage the reclamation of new fields and report the number of reclamation. Although we have gained a lot of cities in this year's battle, the food is consumed even faster. We thought that Shangjing could replenish some of it, but we didn't expect that Yelu Yanxi would be even more profligate and there is not much food left in the warehouse.

Also, if the Liao nobles come to buy things, do not touch them easily, and let the people below trade with them normally. I want to see how many Liao nobles are still only concerned with pleasure at this time. "

"Yes, Your Majesty." Qiao Lie nodded and kept the matter in mind.

"In the future, answer with a "yes"." Lü Bu said as if he didn't care much: "A slow response is "yes", and a quick response is "yes". Don't dare to refuse a "yes". I still think what is said in the Lu Song is beautiful."

The three of them looked at each other and bowed in unison: "Yes."

Outside the imperial study, Meng Qiu's light illuminated the figure who was walking out, and gradually went out of the palace.

At the court meeting the next day, Li Zhu, Fang Xuedu and Qiao Lie made proposals one after another. Soon after, an imperial edict was sent to the county government offices and military camps.

"I have received the favor of Heaven:

The body and hair are given by parents, and we dare not damage them. This is the beginning of filial piety. This is the teaching of the ancient sages, the way of benevolence and filial piety, which cannot be violated. Now that the country has just been established, the destiny is in my hands, and the hearts of the people are united. It is appropriate to educate the people with propriety and righteousness, so that the spirit of loyalty and filial piety will spread widely and the people of the world will be harmonious.

From today on, all officials, both high and low, and soldiers in the army, should grow their hair to show filial piety and respect. The court should base its education on etiquette. Those who are loyal to the country, respect their ancestors and are filial to their parents will be praised by future generations. Those who violate this will be regarded as disrespectful, disloyal and unfilial, and will be punished to serve as a warning to others.

Admire this! "

A few days later, a young man named Shi Xiu, carrying an iron cage, rode north with more than 20 companions and disappeared. …

Far away from the banks of the Heci River.

The Wugut and Dilie tribes are the only ones on the Una River. One of them is a huge force on the northern grassland, and there are other tribes to the west. However, under the suppression of the Liao Kingdom, the people here have long put aside their hatred for the Khitans and live here quietly.

At a glance, tents of all sizes were set up along the river bank. Their white tops and dark backgrounds looked like gravel by the river. Wanyan Loushi, Wanyan Zonghan, and Wanyan Zongbing, along with a total of 5,000 soldiers and horses, were resting by the river.

Some soldiers stood downstream of the river with their horses, brushing their mounts with water. Some soldiers who felt hot took off their armor, stood in the water with their upper bodies naked in only their underwear, and poured water on themselves with their hands. Suddenly, someone splashed water on others, and a water fight started in this resting place.

Far away from the noisy place, the door curtain of the central army tent was lifted, and several Jurchen generals stood in front of the feng shui map, pointing and talking.

"Xiao Yixue was in the area of ​​Jumu Ancient City at that time." Wanyan Loushi pointed at the geomancy map and said, "This fellow did not immediately go south after receiving the order from the Liao dog emperor. I wonder what he is dawdling here for."

Wanyan Zonghan touched his chin and said, "Maybe there are different opinions within the Wugu Dilie tribe, and this guy can't come down for the time being?"

The wind on the grassland blew the grass leaves, creating ripples. The heat in the big tent was blown away for a while, and then slowly gathered again.

"Humph, do you think everyone is as afraid of death as you are?" Wanyan Zongbing snorted coldly and glanced at the burly man over there: "You son of a bitch, you coward!"

"Wuzhu! Do you think I dare not kill you?" Wanyan Zonghan's face turned red, he reached out to draw the sword at his waist, pulled it out and pointed it over there.

choke--

"Come here! See who kills who!"

Wanyan Zongbing also reached out and drew his sword, and the two shining swords faced each other.

"Don't hit me! Stop it, Nianhan!"

"Wushu, you too, put your knife away!"

"As officials in the same court, let's be more friendly."

Wulindataiyu, Chulidi, Zengtu and Wuyanpuhanu who were standing nearby tried to persuade him, but before they could finish their words, they heard two sounds of swords being unsheathed. It turned out that the two lieutenants, Wanyan Bendu and Wanyan Poluhuo, also drew their swords.

"Put the knife away!"

"Wushu! Nianhan! Don't make any mistakes, this is not a joke!"

"Ben Du, Po Lu Huo, calm down, this is not the time to help!"

The four men who were trying to stop the fight were shocked and started shouting, while putting their hands on their waists and looking left and right at the four generals with their swords drawn.

"enough--"

Shouts like explosions rang out in the tent. Wanyan Loushi looked at the people who were making a fuss with a gloomy face: "Wuzhu! Nianhan! Put away your swords, don't force me to kill the generals in battle!"

Hua Hua Hua——

The sound of armor colliding was heard as they ran. More than a dozen guards, led by Tushan Hexi, ran over, raising crossbows and pointing them at the generals inside.

"Let me be frank with you." Wanyan Loushi slapped the sword at his waist and stared fiercely at the people in the tent. "The country is newly established. I am here to make contributions. If you two want to fight to the death, get out now and find an open space to fight. The one who survives can come in later. Don't try this on me in the central army tent!"

The air was somewhat frozen. Wanyan Bendu and Wanyan Poluhuo looked at their commander. Wanyan Zonghan snorted coldly, thrust his knife back, and clasped his hands together: "General, it's not that I don't know the rules, it's actually Wuzhu who went too far, and that's why I'm so angry. Please punish me, General."

After he finished speaking, he knelt on the ground. Seeing this, Wanyan Poluhuo quickly threw away his knife and knelt down with him.

Wanyan Loushi turned his gaze to Wanyan Zongbing.

The young man over there looked at Wanyan Zonghan stubbornly. Seeing this, Wanyan Bendu in the back hesitated for a moment, looked at the crossbow pointed over there, took a step forward and called out softly: "Brother Wushu, forget it, don't break the military rules."

Wanyan Zongbing glanced at him, and with a "humph" he retracted his knife. After a moment of silence, he knelt on the ground and said expressionlessly: "Wuzhu is angry about what happened before, please punish him, General."

Wanyan Bendu breathed a sigh of relief, quickly put away his knife, and knelt behind him.

“You four…” Wanyan Loushi’s facial muscles trembled, he closed his eyes, and pointed outwards: “Twenty lashes each, go and receive your punishment.”

He turned to look at Wulinda Taiyu and said, "General Wulinda, you go and supervise the execution."

"Yes!"

Wulin Datai did not refuse and turned around to look at the four people. Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Poluhuo stood up and left without saying a word. However, Wanyan Zongbing hesitated for a moment and only walked out after Wanyan Bendu poked him.

"General." Wuyan Puhanu looked outside and hesitated for a moment before saying, "It's too early to fight a big battle. Isn't it a bad idea to deal with the generals now?"

"I wish I could chop them both down!"

Wanyan Loushi snorted coldly, waved his hand and asked his disciple Hexi to take his guards away. He turned and glanced at Zeng Tu's face: "Knowing that we are about to fight the Liao dogs, you are here to cause trouble for me. Are there any ignorant people like them?"

Pointing his finger outside, he said angrily, "I will take note of this matter and report it to His Majesty after the battle. If they have made contributions, then it's fine. If not...

snort! "

The remaining generals in the tent did not dare to say anything. Soon, the sound of whips hitting flesh could be heard from outside. Wanyan Loushi softened his expression when he heard no one screaming. "He still has some courage. If he screams like a woman, I will send the four of them to repair the city wall."

Soon, four shirtless generals followed Wulinda Taiyu in. There were criss-crossing whip marks on their backs, and blood was oozing out. Their foreheads were covered with cold sweat, which was produced by enduring pain. The sweat was so dense and tiny that it fell like beads.

Wanyan Loushi's hand touched the geomancy map again: "Rest for a day, set out early tomorrow morning, and at nightfall, I want to see Xiao Yixue's head!"

"Yes--"

Several generals in the tent responded in unison.

The five thousand Jurchen soldiers and the fifteen hundred Han and foreign mixed soldiers under the command of the Jurchen General Lieutenant General roared with excitement when they received the order.

Taking advantage of the rest time, more people go to play in the water. Since there is a day to rest, they should relax well. The time to work hard will be left for another day.

Amidst the jubilant atmosphere, someone sitting in a tent was having medicine applied to his back. Wanyan Bendu looked at Wanyan Zongbing a few times and opened his mouth to speak, but swallowed his words back every time.

"Just say it if you have something to say." Wanyan Zongbing bent his body and let his personal soldiers apply medicine to him. Seeing his appearance, he looked at him unhappily and said, "Don't hold it in and cause any more trouble."

"Brother Wushu." Wanyan Bendu looked embarrassed and sighed, "Now is wartime, you'd better control your temper. If the general gets serious, we will suffer. Besides, His Majesty is now establishing a country. If something goes wrong, it will be embarrassing for everyone."

"Hum..."

Wanyan Zongbing snorted a few times in dissatisfaction, then fell silent and nodded: "I understand, I will resist the urge to clash with Nianhan again."

After a pause, he said, "In this Northern Army."

Wanyan Bendu was helpless.

Coincidentally, there were people talking in the tent on the other side.

"It's normal for the general to be angry." Gao Qingyi, who had an elegant face, smiled and looked at Wanyan Zonghan: "But the general should not show it immediately, otherwise it will inevitably give people a chance to criticize him."

"It's because Wuzhu is too bullying, cursing all the time." Wanyan Zonghan slapped his leg, then grimaced at the soldier applying the medicine, and then looked at the scholar over there: "I can't stand this humiliation. I left him first because I didn't want to die under the siege of the Qi army. I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Do you have a way to retaliate?"

"If the general wants to deal with Wuzhu, this is not the right time." Gao Qingyi shook his head and raised a finger: "After all, he is the emperor's vicious dog. But look at him, this dog seems to be uneasy now and has begun to bar its teeth at its own people."

Wanyan Zonghan looked at him thoughtfully: "You mean..."

"General, why don't you wait for some time?" Gao Qingyi lowered his eyelids: "Such a vicious dog will bite its master sooner or later. By then..."

"I'm going to crush this dead dog to pieces." Wanyan Zonghan stretched out his hand and squeezed it hard.

giggle-

The joints creak.

(End of this chapter)