Do you know: I have a different surname: Wang, uncle Minglan.

Chapter 339: We Can’t Let Another Hero Emerge from the Grassland

In the second year of Kaiwu, on the second day of the second month, the dragon raised its head.

Just when everyone thought that after Emperor Dao Zong of Liao passed away and Yelu Jun ascended the throne, he would definitely take a rest and recuperate.

After all, the Liao Kingdom had launched countless wars over the years, but had not achieved their goal of using war to support war.

Now that the Three Kingdoms have ceased hostilities, if we don’t take a break and recuperate now, when will we?
However, what Wei Yuan and others did not expect was that just one month after Yelu Jun ascended the throne, he made a high-profile announcement that he would recruit 300,000 soldiers.

At this time, inside the Xuanzheng Hall.

Wei Yuan and a group of ministers were discussing this matter.

"You're recruiting soldiers right after you ascend the throne. Aren't you afraid of ending up as a warmongerer?"

"I'm afraid this is not the original intention of the Liao emperor."

"It is said that Yelu Xin first became an assistant minister."

"His brother died in my Great Zhou. Is he recruiting soldiers to avenge his brother?"

"Using the interests of the country to settle personal grudges? Yelu Xinxian is not so stupid, right?"

"."

Many ministers, including Fan Chunren and others, began to discuss the matter.

Since the end of the war, the international situation has become simpler.

Before this, the most powerful enemy for the Great Zhou might be Western Xia.

After all, it was Li the thief who betrayed the Great Zhou and established Western Xia.

This was something that was intolerable for the dynasty, which had always been regarded as the orthodox regime in the Central Plains.

But as time went by, the Great Zhou suddenly realized that Western Xia only wanted to live in peace in a corner.

The kingdom with the strongest power and the one that most wanted to destroy the Great Zhou was actually Liao.

While everyone was discussing, Wei Yuan glanced at Yan Da, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial City.

The latter immediately said: "According to the information we have, when Yelu Hongji passed away, all the leaders of the ethnic groups in Liao went there, except for the Jurchen leader Wanyan Wugunai."

Wei Yuan took over the conversation and continued, "Whether the Liao Kingdom recruits soldiers or not, and how many soldiers it recruits, it is ultimately their own business. Even if we are the victorious country, we have no right to interfere according to the armistice agreement."

"There is only one thing that can be proved. Even if they recruit soldiers, they can't attack our Great Zhou again at this stage. We won once, and it doesn't matter if we lose again. But they can't afford to lose even once."

In the past, if the Great Zhou lost a national war like this, the cost would be immeasurable.

After all, Xixia and Liao have been eyeing them covetously.

"What the Marquis of Wei means is that the Liao Kingdom can recruit soldiers however it wants. The most urgent task for our Great Zhou is to reform the system. As long as the reform plan is successful and our Great Zhou's national strength is enhanced, we will not be afraid even if there is another world-shaking war."

Wang Anshi was the person who knew Wei Yuan best. No matter what Wei Yuan said, he could always guess Wei Yuan's intention at the first moment.

Vice versa is also true.

Although the current prime minister is Fan Chunren.

But in fact, it was Wei Yuan and Wang Anshi who were setting the stage and performing.

Zhao Xi had said more than once that when generals and ministers are in harmony, the Great Zhou will be at peace.

The generals and ministers here refer to Wei Yuan and Wang Anshi.

"That's right. Reform is the top priority of our Great Zhou."

"However, we still need to pay attention to the problems of Liao."

"The Jurchen leader Wanyan Wugunai has had a rift with the Liao. We can send envoys to negotiate peace with the Jurchens and start trade."

"Send people to Shangjing to spread rumors that the Jurchens will be the next generation of masters of the grassland."

Wei Yuan used a method often used by his ancestors, which was to make friends with distant countries and attack nearby ones.

"The strategy of forming alliances and making alliances has been used by our ancestors for hundreds of years, and it is still relevant today."

"But there is a big taboo in this art of strategy, that is, do not raise a tiger to cause trouble."

"No matter who will be the master of the grassland in the future, it will not be a good thing for our Great Zhou and the entire Central Plains, unless we become the master of the grassland."

Wei Yuan is well aware of the development potential of the grassland.

First of all, there is extremely fertile land in that land.

The Central Plains regime also tried to occupy that land, but the ultimate price was to return empty-handed or be defeated by the newly emerging grassland tribes.

And every time the races on the grassland were suppressed by the Central Plains dynasty, they would grow rapidly and become stronger.

In the early Tang Dynasty, warriors on the grasslands could not wear complete armor, but today, their war horses are stronger than those of the Central Plains dynasties, and their armor is no longer a shortcoming.

Even their arrows were stronger than those of the Central Plains Dynasty.

"In short, we must never allow another powerful leader to emerge from the grasslands. Otherwise, it will be a devastating disaster for our Shenzhou!"

Wei Yuan made the final decision, and from then on, the policy of the Great Zhou Dynasty regarding the grassland regime was determined.

The grassland is always in chaos, and where there is chaos, heroes will emerge.

If that time really comes, the Great Zhou may not be able to withstand it.
-
In the second year of Kaiwu, spring began in March.

The families of Wei Yuan and Xu Changzhi went out of the city for an outing.

One is second to none and the other holds great power. When the two marquises leave the city, the situation will definitely be different.

There were three to four hundred followers alone.

Zhao Xi doted on Wei Yuan very much, and treated him exactly like the princes during the Warring States Period.

Not only did he have his own fiefdom, but he also had slaves and personal soldiers.

Today, there are more than 300 slaves in the Guanjun Marquis’s Mansion alone.

As for Zhao Xi, with a wave of his hand, the number of his personal soldiers increased to a terrifying level of two thousand people.

Wei Yuan was given an imperial chariot by the previous emperor, and he relied on it for all his travels.

Xu Changzhi's wife was a princess and was also given an imperial chariot.

The two families' trip together represented the utmost power and nobility in the city of Bianjing.

They came to the peach orchard that Zhang Guifen had bought earlier.

Since they were going out for an outing, they thought it would be better to cook their own meals and experience a day in the life of an ordinary person.

Wei Yuan and Xu Changzhi went fishing.

Zhang Guifen and Minglan were responsible for lighting the fire and cooking.

Princess Chai had never been to the kitchen, and asking her to do these things was undoubtedly torture for her, so she might as well just let her take care of the child.

While Zhang Guifen was busy, Princess Chai felt a headache playing with Zhuang Ge'er and Jing Jie, so she said:

"Sister Zhang, these two kids are so noisy, they must have made you feel upset, right?"

Zhang Guifen smiled meaningfully, "You'll know when the princess has her own child."

Princess Chai sighed, "I heard from my elders that giving birth is very painful, and I am afraid of pain."

Zhang Guifen said, "Princess, how about you come to my house some other day and I'll teach you some sword techniques to strengthen your body?"

She also felt a bit of a difficult birth.

If he had not practiced sword skills in his childhood and had not had a strong physique, he would have been more seriously injured than Wei Shuyi.

It can be seen that keeping fit also helps with fertility.

Princess Chai asked curiously, "Practicing sword skills? Are you tired?"

Minglan covered her mouth and smiled, "It's not tiring, but calluses will form on my hands." Princess Chai quickly shook her head and said, "No, my hands are so beautiful, I don't want calluses."

As she was talking, she suddenly saw Zhuang Ge'er and Jing Jie'er running towards the lake, so she quickly stopped them.

"Don't run around. There are man-eating fish in the lake. Be careful they might eat you!"

Unexpectedly, Zhuang Ge'er laughed and said, "My dear Princess, it's already the second year of Kaiwu, why are you still telling such an old story?"

Originally, Zhuang Ge'er and Jing Jie'er should call Princess Chai "Aunt" according to the rules.

Princess Chai felt that this made her feel old.

Zhuang Ge'er called her "Aunt" again for some unknown reason. Princess Chai thought that "Aunt" sounded better than "Aunt", so she simply asked them to call her "Aunt".

Princess Chai pointed at Zhuang Ge'er, furious, "Sister Zhang, your child always bullies me, I can't stand it!"

Zhuang Ge laughed loudly and said, "My dear aunt Princess, it's obviously my sister and I who have been taking care of you, how come you are the one taking care of us?"

Princess Chai was ashamed and angry, "Where are you running to! I'm not going to beat your ass to pieces!"

They were laughing and joking.

Wei Yuan and Xu Changzhi were fishing, but both of them had serious expressions on their faces.

He seemed to be fishing, but actually his mind was still on the imperial court.

While watching the movement on the lake, Wei Yuan slowly spoke:

"The five major camps have been established, and the commanders of each camp have arrived. Tomorrow I will submit a memorial to the emperor, and you will serve as the inspector of the five camps and inspect the five camps on behalf of His Majesty."

"This time, you should go as deep as possible to the grassroots and understand what the soldiers want and need. You should also warn the commanders of each battalion that times have changed and they should stop forming cliques and factions."

Xu Changzhi nodded calmly and said, "When is the best time to set off?"

Wei Yuan raised the corners of his mouth slightly and said with a smile: "Don't worry, it won't be too late to leave after your wife is pregnant."

Xu Changzhi shook his head. "How can this be true?"

Wei Yuan thought for a moment and said seriously, "Let's set off at the end of the month and try to get back before the end of June."

"During this inspection, you must thoroughly promote the training methods in the training records to the entire army."

"Wang Anshi and his people are already working on abolishing the county system, and I'm sure there will be major moves this year."

"I plan to launch another northern expedition in the spring of the fourth year of Kaiwu, just as a training exercise."

Northern Expedition in the fourth year of Kaiwu? Military training?

Hearing these two key words, Xu Changzhi's expression became heavy.
"It's the beginning of spring in the fourth year of Kaiwu. It's been three years since the end of the war. In three years, it's been hard for the northern counties to recover. Wouldn't it be a bit of a stretch to launch a northern expedition at that time?"

Wei Yuan said: "In two or three years, the disturbance caused by the military reform will be stable. If we don't train the troops by then, how can we realize the benefits of the military reform?"

"Besides, previously it was the Liao army that marched southwards. Now, it is our turn to gradually nibble away at the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun."

Xu Changzhi said: "The Liao Kingdom recruited 300,000 soldiers, probably because they were worried that we would take action."

Wei Yuan said: "I don't care about that. Since this battle will be fought sooner or later, it is better to fight early than later."

Xu Changzhi asked curiously, "What is the intended outcome of the second Northern Expedition?"

Wei Yuan said: "At the very least, we need to recover the three states. The government is still willing to listen to our suggestions. We are afraid that Wang Anshi will not want to start a war for the sake of political stability."

Xu Changzhi said: "Wang Anshi wants to be a capable minister who can govern the country. As long as his reforms are not accomplished, he does not want to see war break out."

Wei Yuan snorted, "I can't wait, and I can't wait."
-
The second year of Kaiwu, the end of March.

Ningyuan Hou Gu Tingye returned to Beijing again to report on his work.

This time, Wei Yuan wanted to keep him in the capital. After all, he had accumulated a lot of experience after so many years of experience abroad.

You are fully qualified to hold a position in Beijing.

The first person Gu Tingye visited when he came to Beijing was Wei Yuan.

The latter said, "I went to Yanbian last year and didn't let you see me because I was worried that someone would say I was forming a clique for personal gain. This doesn't matter to me, but I'm worried that it will affect your future."

Gu Tingye bowed and said, "Marquis Wei is thoughtful and considerate. I admire you."

Wei Yuan said: "You don't need to leave this time when you come to Beijing. The capital camp is still short of a deputy commander, you can take up the post."

Gyeonggi Camp?

Central camp?

Gu Tingye was immediately shocked and said, "Marquis Wei, I am afraid I don't have the qualifications to take that position."

Wei Yuan took a sip of tea and said, "Your father, Marquis Ningyuan's prestige in the army has not yet disappeared. You are the current Marquis Ningyuan and have participated in the battle to defend the country. It is enough for you to go."

Gu Tingye was silent.

Wei Yuan said: "Just take it if it's given to you. If I knew you couldn't take it, I would have replaced you."

The Jingji Camp controls the lifeline of the entire city of Bianjing.

Of course Wei Yuan had to arrange someone of his own so that he could sleep well at night.

"Tomorrow Xu Changzhi will return to inspect the five camps. He will go to the north first. The central camp will be his last stop."

"When he inspects the central camp, he will help you gain a foothold in the camp. You don't need to worry about the rest."

Wei Yuan suddenly asked Xu Changzhi to inspect the five major camps. In fact, he also wanted to help the people of Daizhou Group to quickly gain a foothold in the five major camps.

He doesn't allow others to form cliques for personal gain, but he didn't say he wouldn't form cliques for personal gain.

"Go look for Minglan in the next two days."

After saying this, Wei Yuan closed his eyes and rested.

Gu Tingye couldn't be disturbed, so he had to leave.

The next day.

Gu Tingye brought many gifts and went to the Sheng family to visit Minglan.

Coincidentally, Lin Qinshuang was actually in Wei Shuyi's yard.

As the status of Wei Yuan and others rose, Lin Qinshuang no longer dared to cause trouble for Wei Shuyi.

After all, the Wei family can crush the entire Sheng family to the ground with just one finger.

Given this gap, who would dare to cause trouble to Wei Shuyi?

"Madam, I came to you today because I want to ask you for something. In the past, I was too harsh on you. It was all my fault. No matter how you beat and scolded me, I endured it."

"It's just that my two children, Changfeng and Molan, are innocent. Changfeng is a poor student and has little future. Molan is a concubine's daughter and can't find a good family."

"You are their little mother, can you help them?"

Lin Qinshuang asked in a pleading tone.

The next moment, he fell to his knees.

To be honest, if Wei Shuyi said a few words to Wei Yuan, the fate of Chang Feng and Mo Lan would be changed.

That's why Lin Qinshuang shamelessly came to ask Wei for forgiveness.

Just when Wei Shuyi wanted to say something, Minglan suddenly walked out of the room angrily, helped Wei Shuyi up from the stool, and said:
"Mother, you are not in good health. It is windy right now. You should rest inside."

What he meant was that he was unwilling to help Lin Qinshuang.

Just then, Xiao Tao came to report that Ningyuan Hou Gu Tingye came to the Sheng family with several large boxes of gifts, and also said that he specifically wanted to see Minglan.

Minglan frowned slightly and thought to herself, "Several boxes of gifts? Could it be that Second Uncle Gu is here to propose marriage?"

(End of this chapter)