The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 226 Rewarding according to merit, Genghis Khan's ambition

"If you don't take the throne, your civil and military officials won't be promoted. However, no matter how concerned you are about Mongolia's attitude, a war to destroy a country is no small matter. If you don't appease them, many unexpected events will happen."

"Teacher knows me!" Guo Jing's solemn face flashed a trace of solemnity, "Great merits must be rewarded, but..."

Su Ming immediately gave a solution, "Give me more land and money. If you can't get promoted, you can get a title. We can always find a way. You have made such a great contribution. You should report to Genghis Khan. The war to destroy the Jin Dynasty is not only revenge for you, but also revenge for the Mongols."

Guo Jing thought for a moment, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes, "Teacher, what you said makes sense. Let's put his contribution aside for now and give him enough money and land. When the reward from Mongolia arrives, we can reward him according to his merits. This is the only way for now. The old thing of wearing the yellow robe cannot happen again, and I will not be coerced by them."

"The rewards they deserve will come sooner or later. If they want to get angry or start a riot, then don't blame me. I should have realized this a long time ago!"

There are many factions in the army, including Henan, Hebei, Guanzhong, Three Jins, and even Jiangnan. His foundation comes from Three Jins and Guanzhong. With the fall of the Jin Dynasty, the war has come to a temporary end. After years of fighting, the three armies are exhausted, and the soldiers should take a break, but before resting, their military exploits and rewards must be arranged in place.

Guo Jing's problem now is that he is only a marquis, and the territory under his command is too large, far exceeding his status and position. He cannot move up, and neither can his subordinates, so they can only use land, money and materials as rewards.

"Well, as long as you have an idea."

"Teacher, disciple, please leave."

The two chatted for a while, and then Guo Jing got up and left. Su Ming held the scroll in his hand, and suddenly laughed as he read it. He didn't come here today to ask for advice, but to make a decision.

No matter how he rewards, he can't satisfy everyone. Besides, the Han army has a lot of problems. The reward for returning to the court is an opportunity. He needs to recuperate now and wait for the right time to destroy the Song Dynasty. Before that, he must first stabilize the country before fighting against foreign enemies.

……

"This martial arts style!"

In the front hall, Huang Yaoshi was dressed in a blue shirt, looking energetic, with gray beard hanging down, skin white with a rosy glow, and the demeanor of a hermit. At this moment, his eyes were fixed on Sha Gu.

Of course he could tell that this woman was insane. Her steps were unsteady and her body was unstable when she walked, but when she fought with others, she used the Peach Blossom Island methods.

"Where did you find this child? Whose descendant is she?"

"Dad, is she really using the martial arts from our Peach Blossom Island?" Huang Rong asked softly.

Huang Yaoshi stroked his beard lightly, with a hint of confusion in his eyes, "Well, although she hasn't got the essence, it is undoubtedly the true teaching. But why is she so crazy?"

Huang Rong looked a little sad. "According to Mr. Su, he met this girl in Niujia Village. My husband and I found the remains of Senior Brother Qu in Niujia Village. She might be Senior Brother Qu's daughter."

Upon hearing the news of Qu Lingfeng's death, Huang Yaoshi was stunned, with mixed feelings in his heart, "Dead? He is gone too."

Because Mei Chaofeng and Chen Xuanfeng defected, he took his anger out on others and expelled them from Peach Blossom Island and broke their legs. After he calmed down, he regretted it, but regret was of no avail. He created an internal skill called the Whirlwind Sweeping Leaf Leg Technique, which can replace the legs for walking. The purpose is self-evident.

However, it is easy to drive away, but difficult to find.

Lu Chengfeng died in Guiyun Manor, Mei Chaofeng and her husband passed away in the desert, Wu Mianfeng was long gone, and unexpectedly Qu Lingfeng also died, leaving only Feng Mofeng with no news.

Huang Rong knew that her father was upset, so she walked up to him, hugged his arm and said, "Dad, can we try to cure her?"

Huang Yaoshi looked at Sha Gu and sighed softly, "His mental state is damaged. I don't know whether it is hysteria or panic disorder. I will do my best." But in his heart he decided to go back and look through medical books to find a way to cure him.

……

Luoyang, Marquis’ Mansion.

A banquet was being held in the main hall, with civil and military ministers sitting on both sides. A group of beautiful dancers were dancing in the hall with their sleeves fluttering, and the sound of stringed instruments and wind instruments was endless.

Guo Jing was wearing a dragon robe and a golden crown on his head. He had a serious expression and looked intimidating without even getting angry.

Soon, the food and wine were served. He picked up the wine jar and looked at the ministers in the hall, "You all played an indispensable role in defeating the Jin Dynasty in this battle. Come, let's drink this cup together!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty." The civil and military ministers raised their glasses at the same time.

Except for Wang Shan, Lu Guanying, Zhang Rou and Shi Tianze who were guarding the enemy, almost all the other important generals had arrived.

"A hundred years ago, the Jin Dynasty rose to power and dominated the Central Plains. Later, it bullied Mongolia and threatened the Song Dynasty. Now, this country founded by the Jurchens has finally been destroyed by us, and I have avenged my father's murder."

"Without your concerted efforts, I would not be where I am today. Don't worry, it won't be long before the rewards come. Whether it's gold, silver, jewels, or land, houses, or beauties, I will not hesitate to reward you."

"It is too early to get an official position or a noble title. The Jin Kingdom alone is not enough. When the time comes, I will reward you with both."

Immediately afterwards, a waiter took out a document and read out the rewards. Most people in the hall received rewards, and some were even promoted to higher positions. The official positions and titles he was referring to were those who had made outstanding military achievements, not ordinary low-level soldiers.

People like Lu Guanying have made outstanding military achievements, but they cannot be granted the title of marquis. He himself is a marquis, so how can he establish a second core in the army? That would only make himself uncomfortable. You must know that there is no two suns in the sky, and no man has two masters.

Some people were happy, while naturally some were angry and resentful, but because of Guo Jing's prestige, no one dared to act rashly. The banquet was successfully concluded, and the generals from various departments left one after another, eager to receive their rewards.

What followed was a three-month-long mobilization of supplies, involving rewards for hundreds of thousands of troops. Guo Jing attached great importance to this, especially to the soldiers who originally had no land. All of them were granted land and transformed into government soldiers.

Large amounts of land were allocated to the government soldiers in the vicinity of Luoyang and in Henan and other places. Their rewards were also distributed, and the soldiers from various units returned home one after another, buying slaves, building houses, or marrying and having children.

The rewards of money and food given to the government soldiers injected vitality into the market. In recent years, the private economy has recovered a lot, but it is always weak. The reason is the lack of main consumers.

Those wealthy families had their own estates and were self-sufficient in most things. The scholar-official class had not yet been formed, and the salaries of officials could not support large expenses. When these hundreds of thousands of soldiers returned home, the entire market suddenly came alive.

Goods from all over the world flowed into the market through the canal, and were then purchased by soldiers. The government also benefited from the circulation of goods in the middle.

……

"Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. What the book says is indeed true." Guo Jing, who was leaning over the desk, suddenly put down the red brush in his hand and sighed. He thought the more money the government had, the better. But the incident with the government soldiers made him understand that sometimes the more money is not necessarily better. Money has to circulate to be meaningful.

Similarly, a complete taxation system is also imminent. Today, the taxation system of the Song State is still implemented in Guanzhong and the Three Jins. However, on this basis, he also issued a land restriction order. Whether it is officials or soldiers, the amount of land that can be exempted from tax is limited. Similarly, the amount of land they can own is also restricted.

Restraining land annexation is something that almost every dynasty has done, and Guo Jing is no exception. Although he has not founded a country yet, he is preparing for it.

……

Deep in the Western Regions.

Green grass can be seen everywhere on the plain, stretching as far as the eye can see. Yurts of all sizes stand here. An old man with a white beard sits in a golden tent, with a white wolf skin under his body. His eyes are as sharp as an eagle's.

He is the leader of Mongolia, Genghis Khan.

A young man was sitting nearby, holding a parchment scroll and reading it. Suddenly, he looked up and shouted happily, "Father Khan, the Jin Kingdom has been destroyed. Guo Jing and his men did it!"

"I know about this, Tolui. I'm afraid that after you return to Mobei, you will have to pay your respects to your Anda." As he said this, there was a teasing look in his eyes.

Tuolei was now a sturdy young man with a thick beard. "Haha, I'll pay my respects. Guo Jing and Mu Huali destroyed the Jin Dynasty, which is worthy of my respect. I don't know how Anda did it, to destroy the Jin Dynasty so quickly."

"When we evacuated the Central Plains, we didn't leave many troops for them."

"This is a letter from your uncle Muhuali. Take a look." After saying that, Genghis Khan took out another letter from under the pillow and handed it to him.

Tolui read the whole letter quickly, his face changing from gloomy to bright, his brows furrowed tightly, "Father Khan, is everything in this letter true? Why would Anda do that? Why would he betray us Mongolia?"

"Don't be angry yet. You are already an adult. You should think more about everything." Genghis Khan scolded him and continued, "Guo Jing practices Han Chinese law in the Central Plains. His soldiers are brave and good at fighting. Mu Huali dare not underestimate him."

"Let me ask you, if you were the Khan, how would you face Guo Jing?"

Tuolei thought for a while, but he felt confused and didn't know how to respond. He could only shake his head and said, "I don't know."

"You, don't forget that Guo Jing is still my son-in-law and a subject of Mongolia. As long as he doesn't rebel, he will be a subject of Mongolia. You must remember this firmly."

"Tolui, this world is not just a corner of the Central Plains." He walked out of the yurt and pointed to the grassland in the distance. "Look, the grass and water here are no less than that of the Onon River. Before this, could you imagine that there is such a lush land here?"

"The child doesn't know."

Genghis Khan looked up at the sky with a faraway gaze. "The world is too big, but we Mongols are too few. It is a pity to abandon such a vast land. Even if I transfer Guo Jing away and give you the Central Plains, do you dare to say that you can lead the army to destroy the Jin Dynasty like him?"

Tuolei calmed down now and answered honestly, "I can't do it."

At this time, an eagle was soaring and circling in the sky. Genghis Khan stared at it until it disappeared from his sight. Then he slowly said, "As long as he is willing to accept Mongolia as the leader of the alliance, what if we give the Central Plains to him?"

"But he doesn't use our Mongolian methods." Tolui felt that Guo Jing did not use the Mongolian system, went against the Mongolians, and had a tendency to deviate from them.

Genghis Khan laughed again, "We have fought so many battles from Mobei to here. Do we have to force people to believe in Changshengtian in every place we go?"

This really stumped Tolui. They had conquered so much territory but had never thought about caring about the beliefs of those people. Moreover, the beliefs west of the Western Regions were very complicated, and even the locals found it difficult to distinguish them clearly. It was simply impossible to get everyone to convert to the Eternal Heaven.

After a moment, he suddenly realized, "My son, I understand. Different places should follow different methods."

Genghis Khan smiled and said, "Let's not talk about the Central Plains for now. There is a big war going on right now. The nobles of various tribes of Russia are plotting against us. This is a big battle. Tolui, you go down and prepare well."

"Yes, Father Khan!"

After Tolui left, Genghis Khan walked into the yurt and ordered someone to open the map. He saw a huge map hanging in the middle of the camp. He looked at the location of the Central Plains and suddenly laughed, "This child gave me a surprise. It's a pity that he would be great if he was my biological son."

Genghis Khan had many sons, but only four were legitimate. The eldest son was impatient and unworthy of being used, and the second son was only suitable for military service and not capable of governing such a large territory. He liked his youngest son, Tolui, the most. Over the years, Tolui had been by his side and had made outstanding military achievements. He was a rare general, but he was not good at strategy and had made few achievements in government affairs. He was not as sharp and determined as Ogedei.

After years of observation, he has made up his mind to make Ogedei his successor. Only he is suitable to lead Mongolia forward. If it were someone else, the territory would surely be divided and everyone would become enemies.

To be honest, although he was surprised by Guo Jing's achievements in the Central Plains, he was not that shocked, because that was just a corner of the country. Since the Western Expedition, he had traveled through too many territories and conquered too many people. His heart was no longer bound by the grassland.

The bigger your heart is, the bigger your world is. If Guo Jing really wants the Central Plains, what's wrong with giving it to him? Could he dare to rebel?
This is the confidence of the great leader Genghis Khan. He believed that as long as he was there, Guo Jing would not dare to betray Mongolia and the grassland.

But his goal was further away. In comparison, in his eyes, Guo Jing's behavior was like that of a child.

……

At the same time, in Lin'an City, envoys from the State of Song came to the imperial city of Song to ask for an audience with Grand Tutor and King Mu Huali. The envoys led by them were none other than the Vice-Chancellor Zhen Dexiu and Qiao Xingjian.

As for their Duke of Ji, he had already retreated back to Nanchang Prefecture to serve the emperor.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Mu Huali played with the jade seal, with a hint of teasing in his eyes, "You want to renegotiate the alliance?"

In the main hall, Zhen Dexiu and others looked at the former emperor's throne being sat on by a foreigner. They felt sad and angry, but they could do nothing about it.

After all, it’s because our own army is not doing well.

Zhen Dexiu lowered his eyebrows and whispered, "Reporting to King Taishi, the Jin Kingdom has been destroyed. We should both fulfill our alliance and renew our friendship. It is no longer appropriate to use the previous alliance."

"Therefore, we want to renegotiate the alliance to show respect to Mongolia."

(End of this chapter)