The gods began by supporting Guo Jing to become emperor

Chapter 239: The Emperor Leads the Army in Person, Quanzhen Bet Again
"Father, the Mongolian forces have all retreated to the grasslands. The imperial court is sending officials to govern. Some powerful families in the counties of Hebei are inciting the people to revolt. The Shengjie Army has gone there to confiscate their property and exterminate their families."

In the main hall, Guo Chengping reported to Guo Jing in a serious tone.

In front of the imperial desk, Guo Jing was writing with a brush, each stroke was vigorous and powerful. After a while, he finished writing a piece of calligraphy, and then he looked up. "Kill those who should be killed, exile those who should be exiled, and order the government to relocate the local nobles to enrich Guanzhong."

"I understand, son." Guo Chengping understood his idea immediately when he thought of the past when the Western Han Dynasty relocated local nobles to guard the tombs. This move was to cut off the nobles' local roots. Without their homeland, no matter how rich they were, they would be nothing but rootless duckweed.

Guo Jing nodded and asked, "Is An'er fiddling with firearms again?"

Guo Chengfang showed a trace of helplessness on his serious face, "He just likes to study those firearms, and he is not afraid of hurting himself."

After Su Ming's reminder, Guo Jing quickly arranged for craftsmen to study firearms, and all the fireworks craftsmen in the north were recruited to Luoyang. As a result, Guo Cheng'an followed Guo Jing to inspect, and when he saw the muskets and cannons, he immediately became interested and devoted himself to them.

Thinking of the second son, Guo Jing also had a headache, "Forget it, let him be."

……

Night, harem.

Hua Zheng lay in Guo Jing's arms and said softly, "Guo Jing, Ping'er and An'er are not young anymore, it's time for them to get married. How about we arrange a marriage for them?"

Guo Jing was wearing thin clothes, and his eyes showed a rare tenderness. "In the blink of an eye, they have grown up and it is time for them to get married. I am almost overwhelmed by the choices for their marriages."

"All the officials and their wives have come to me for help, as have the tribes in Mongolia. I'm in a dilemma and don't know which one to choose."

At this point, Guo Jing could not help but frown. "We do need to be cautious with the important officials in the court. Mongolia also needs to be appeased, but their daughters cannot be married to their wives. Tuolei once told me that he wanted to arrange a marriage for his children, but I refused. The grassland is too far away, and it is beyond our reach."

It was naturally impossible for his children to marry into ordinary families. In this era, marriage alliances were common, and Guo Jing also needed this method to win over his important officials, mainly to reassure them.

Hua Zheng rolled her eyes at him for no reason. "Do you think everyone is like me? I chose a silly boy like you and traveled thousands of miles with you to the Central Plains. The last time I went back, my mother cried so much that her eyes were swollen. She said that I didn't go back to see her and I didn't write her many letters in a year."

Guo Jing stroked her hair and said nothing more.

……

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye it was 1229. During these two years, the Great Zhou did not launch any wars against other countries, but instead recuperated and increased its national strength. Shu, as well as Hebei, Henan and other parts of the south of the Yangtze River where the Mongols had withdrawn were gradually brought under its rule.

The imperial court held the imperial examination for two consecutive years to select talents for the country. The system generally continued the system of the Song Dynasty, with the addition of categories such as arithmetic and farming. Similarly, the military examination was also elevated in status and was paraded through the streets together with the imperial examination, with names called out at the Donghua Gate.

At first, Guo Jing wanted to have the military candidates and Jinshi directly recruited into the army to serve as low-level generals, but Su Ming dissuaded him.

Afterwards, a Taixue belonging to military men was formally established and called Wuxuejian, with King Zhou himself as the chief academic officer. All military officers who wanted to be promoted had to take the entrance examination of Wuxuejian. Students of Wuxuejian could not only take part in military examinations and join the army to become palace soldiers, but also serve in the Privy Council, the Ministry of War and other court offices.

From the very beginning, the imperial examination was a promotion step for scholars, and there were very few for military men. With the saying in the Song Dynasty that all other things are inferior except reading, the prelude to using literature to control military power was directly opened.

Guo Jing and other civil and military officials witnessed with their own eyes how the Song Dynasty lost its sovereignty and suffered humiliation. Having come to this point today, they naturally would not think of using civil officials to suppress military officials. Military officials and nobles could be used but could not be relied upon.

The character of the military generals and nobles of the Song Dynasty is clearly written in the secret records left behind by the Song Dynasty. What's more, even in the later Ming Dynasty, the military nobles were completely defeated in the struggle with the civil officials. In the final analysis, it was because there was no new blood, the class was fixed, the situation was stable, and there was no war, so each generation was worse than the previous one.

If the imperial court was unified and there were no external enemies, Guo Jing would face enormous resistance in carrying out this plan. Unfortunately, the current Great Zhou had not unified the entire country and was facing a behemoth like Mongolia. It was far from being able to put away its weapons and horses.

Of course, in these two years, Guo Jing's adult sons have married one after another. The two legitimate sons married the daughters of two important generals, Wang Shan and Zhang Rou. In terms of seniority and military achievements, Lu Guanying is the strongest one.

However, he never married and only kept concubines. Although he had children, they had no official status and naturally were not qualified to marry into the royal family.

Tai Chi Hall.

Guo Jing was dressed in robes and a crown on his head with tassels hanging in front of him like a pearl curtain. He had a three-inch long beard under his chin, and looked extremely majestic.

"My dear ministers, I have decided to send troops south soon to destroy the Song Kingdom and unify the world!"

In recent days, such voices have been spreading more and more in Luoyang. This is also the consensus of the government and the public. When Guo Jing said it, all the officials were not surprised at all.

Immediately, Pei Andao, the envoy of the Three Departments, stepped forward first and said, "Your Majesty, the Song Dynasty is cruel and the people have abandoned it. Our Great Zhou is the legitimate dynasty of the Central Plains and should inherit the great achievements of the previous dynasty and unify the world."

Minister of War Wang Shan was shocked, glanced at Pei Andao, and then stepped forward, "I second the proposal. Our Great Zhou has been preparing for war and waiting for a long time. The Song Dynasty is unjust, and our king should go south to unify the country and rebuild the world!"

"I second the proposal!"

The remaining ministers had no objection and reached a consensus.

The decision to attack the Song Dynasty was made in this way. In fact, as early as last year, someone had proposed to destroy the Song Dynasty, but it was suppressed by Guo Jing. Shu had not yet been digested and brought under his rule, so he did not want to be too hasty.

The war to destroy the Song Dynasty was something that was jointly promoted by the government and the people. Only by destroying the Song Dynasty and unifying the court could Guo Jing ascend the throne and become emperor, and officials like them could be promoted and go further. This was in the common interests of everyone from top to bottom.

……

Qinzheng Hall.

Prime Minister Huang Yaoshi reported, "Your Majesty, to destroy Song this time, we will need at least 200,000 troops, both by land and sea. May I ask, Your Majesty, who should lead the battle?"

As soon as the words fell, several generals in the palace looked at each other with burning eyes and excited expressions, "Your Majesty, I will fight you."

"Your Majesty, I will serve as the vanguard."

……

Guo Jing changed into his casual clothes. Seeing the generals arguing over the position of commander-in-chief, he smiled calmly, "No need to argue, I will lead the army in person!"

The power and fame brought by the war of annihilation of a country are incomparable. Guo Jing could not let a general take all the credit for such great military achievements. If he wanted to establish a country and ascend the throne to become emperor, he needed not only civil governance but also martial arts.

The military victory brought huge benefits to the emperor, not to mention that Guo Jing inherited the legal system of the Later Zhou Dynasty. Destroying the Song Dynasty was also a revenge for his ancestors, which was naturally righteous.

A founding monarch who cannot fight a war is not a good monarch, and this has been the case since ancient times.

Moreover, the emperor's majesty cannot exist only in the north. The literati and powerful people in the south will all be brought under his rule and reformed in the future. In this process, the emperor's prestige should be as high as possible.

Several generals froze in their tracks. In the Great Zhou, the most capable general was none other than His Royal Highness the King of Zhou. Huang Yaoshi had long guessed what Guo Jing was thinking, so he naturally would not object. However, other ministers thought that the king should not act rashly and should stay in the capital, but they were all suppressed by Guo Jing.

Ten days later, the Great Zhou officially declared war on the State of Song!
After two years of peace, the war finally broke out again across the country. When the news reached Nanchang Prefecture, the government and the public were in an uproar, and soon some powerful people fled the capital with their families and properties.

The air in the government hall was filled with a solemn atmosphere, and the prime minister was silent.

Emperor Zhao Hong sat in the main seat, and his resounding voice rang out, "The Great Zhou is about to raise an army. What are your plans for responding?"

Zhen Dexiu said immediately, "Your Majesty, the Great Zhou is coming with great force. I heard that the King of Zhou is going to lead the army in person. This war is a battle of life and death for our Great Song. The only solution now is to fight to the death. In addition, our dynasty can send envoys to Dali to borrow troops."

Two years later, Zhen Dexiu was already gray-haired. Several prime ministers had aged a lot in the past two years. The reason was not only the pressure from the Great Zhou, but also Zhao Hong's restlessness in the court.

When Zhao Hong first ascended the throne, he clamored in the court for a northern expedition, and then he clamored to clean up the imperial guards and investigate the problems of those who ate empty salaries and sucked the blood of soldiers. This scared several prime ministers half to death. Who dared to touch the affairs of the imperial guards?

The malpractices that have been passed down from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms to the present day have wide-ranging implications and are of great importance. Vested interests exist from top to bottom, and even the emperor who controls the court does not dare to take action against the Imperial Guards, let alone the new emperor who has just taken office.

Not long after he finished speaking, he was assassinated. At the same time, two of his princes also died.

After that, the young official finally restrained himself. Zhao Hong practiced riding and archery in the palace, squeezed out money to train a new army, and wanted to start a new army outside the imperial guard system.

The result, without a doubt, was a collective boycott by civil and military officials of the Song Dynasty.

Do you know how long it has been since the Emperor of the Song Dynasty held military power? Is this something you can touch?
Zhao Hong nodded in agreement, his fair face showing no emotion, "Just as you said, send an envoy to Dali to ask for help, and also send someone from Xixia."

"In the past two years, I have worked day and night, even cutting down on the expenses of the harem, just to support the soldiers on the front line. Everyone, this battle is a battle of life and death for our Song Dynasty. Our ancestors and the country will all depend on this battle."

After saying this, Zhao Hong bowed to the ministers in the hall.

Several ministers quickly dodged to the side, and Qiao Xingjian encouraged them, "Your Majesty, you are serious. The Great Zhou is just a vassal of Mongolia. Sooner or later, Mongolia will be wary of it and follow the footsteps of Shi Jingtang. As long as the emperor and his ministers of the Great Song are of one mind, we will win this war sooner or later."

After these words were spoken, no one in the room spoke, but just nodded silently. Everyone knew that this was just a consolation. With the current strength of the Song Dynasty, it was too slim to defeat the Zhou Dynasty.

……

In Lin'an Prefecture, Lu Guanying received a military report urgently sent from the court hundreds of miles away, and he was immediately overjoyed, "Good, very good, I have been waiting for this for more than ten years!" His voice was a little gnashing of teeth.

All these years, he has not married because he wanted to witness the collapse of this corrupt country with his own eyes. Now he can finally accomplish this goal with his own hands.

Leaving the city defense to his deputy general, Lu Guanying took a team of personal soldiers and sailed back to Luoyang.

At the same time, in the fields of Hebei, Guanzhong, Shanxi and other places, a group of knights were running from a distance.

"The soldiers of the palace must assemble and report to the camp outside the city in three days. Anyone who disobeys orders will be punished by military law!" After saying this, he rode away.

When the farmers in the fields heard the sound, they straightened their backs, and their originally calm eyes became sharp, like bloody swords. The farmers on the ridges looked at each other and quickly burst into laughter, their laughter full of joy.

The taverns in the city are always crowded at night, and the aroma of wine and food wafts through the restaurant.

"Hey, the fight finally started." A drinker said while burping.

"If you ask us, we should have wiped them out two years ago."

"Yes, even the Jin Dynasty was destroyed by King Zhou, so wouldn't it be easy to destroy the Song Dynasty?"

A young man said, "I heard that the military camp outside is recruiting soldiers. I plan to go and try my luck and make a fortune."

The people nearby glanced at him and sneered, "With your physique, you are not even qualified to be a palace soldier. You can only transport food."

"It's also good to transport grain. I heard that the court not only gives money, but also reduces taxes."

"Give money? Is there such a good thing? Is this true?"

"Really? It's written on the notice board at the city gate. I'll go there tomorrow."

"Let's go, let's go together!"

……

Zhongnan Mountain, Chongyang Palace.

Qiu Chuji sat on the throne of the headmaster at the top, with Tan Chuduan, Hao Datong and other Quanzhen Seven disciples on his left and right. Below him were the third generation of Quanzhen disciples headed by Yin Zhiping, Li Zhichang and others.

"Prince Zhou is heading south, and it's time for my Quanzhen Sect to take action." Qiu Chuji opened his eyes and said lightly.

Wang Chuyi looked puzzled and couldn't help asking, "Brother, King Zhou restricted my Quanzhen Taoist temple from preaching a few years ago. Do we still have to stick to it?"

Qiu Chuji said calmly, "This is a different time. Some Taoist temples below are harboring filth and encroaching on farmland, just like the Buddhist sects. Even if King Zhou doesn't take action, I will clean them up."

"Now, the world is about to be unified. If my Quanzhen Sect wants to truly unify the three religions, we must first take charge of the Taoist sects in the world. The Tianshi Mansion in Longhu Mountain is a hurdle that cannot be overcome. Don't forget the master's will."

"This time, we must go!" The ancient voice was full of determination.

"King Zhou is a man of great talent and vision, and his ability and generosity are extraordinary. The unification of the Great Zhou Dynasty is unstoppable. If it were not for his contribution, our Quanzhen Sect would not have reached this point today."

"But if we want to go further, we must place a bet. Junior brother, do you dare to take a gamble this time?"

Since this matter concerned the future of Quanzhen Sect, no one dared to speak rashly. Wang Chuyi, Hao Datong and others thought about it and decided to agree.

Although Guo Jing restricted the Quanzhen Sect's Taoist temples, he also restricted Buddhism, not just the other way around. The Quanzhen Sect's followers in the local area were increasing, but it had little effect in the south because there was a Longhu Mountain there.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was unified. If the Quanzhen Sect could take advantage of this favorable situation and spread its religion southward, it would benefit greatly in the future.

(End of this chapter)