Chinese New Year

Chapter 1420 Heavenly Abyss Pool

In early June, Henan was already quite hot. Despite the hardships, Shao Xun arrived at Quanshanfang in Bianliang.

His sister-in-law, Zhang, passed away, and he had to attend the funeral no matter what.

My nephew probably hasn't received the news yet. Shao Xun doesn't plan to demand an extension of the mourning period this time; let him stay home and observe the mourning.

Shao Xun stayed until mid-June before returning to Luoyang, where he rested in Tianyuan Pond and reviewed various memorials.

He was accompanied by Huan Wen, a censor; Feng Bi, a supervising censor; Liang Zong, a palace attendant; and Wang Xizhi, a secretary.

Huan and Feng's duties were to preview memorials, military reports, and even letters, and then categorize them. Wang Xizhi was on standby at all times to draft imperial edicts.

"The Chanyu Prefecture and Anbei Prefecture report that the various Xianbei tribes are filled with righteous indignation and are willing to send elite troops and cavalry westward from behind the mountains to assist the royal army." Huan Wen read aloud with a melodious and rhythmic voice, which was extremely pleasant to listen to.

Shao Xun suddenly pulled up his fishing rod, only to find he hadn't caught anything. So he cast another line into the water and casually asked, "Yuanzi, do you know how many men Tuoba Yiyi used when he launched his western expedition?"

“There may be as many as 100,000,” Huan Wen replied.

"The number of able-bodied men and women combined may have reached 100,000, but in reality, most of them did not engage in battle; no more than 30,000 were actually fighting on the front lines," Shao Xun said. "He first conquered the northern deserts, routing the various tribes there, who all surrendered. Then, he led a group of surrendered people westward like a snowball rolling downhill. He was a capable man, turning the tide of battle. Without him, the Tuoba Xianbei might have disintegrated thirty years earlier."

Huan Wen remained silent.

Even Shao Xun had never met Tuoba Yiyi, let alone someone his age, so he had no feeling for her.

"Advancing from the northern grasslands is feasible, but first we must transform the tribes that are going to war into 'Hu people'," Shao Xun said. "Those tribes that have already arrived should not rush westward to Liangzhou. Let them garrison in Henan, where they can raise horses and train. These 10,000 men will be temporarily under the command of Yang Hui, the Protector-General of Anbei. If the Tuoba Xianbei tribes are willing to send troops, then let them. Select 5,000 men. I was originally planning to let them off the hook, heh!"

With that, he flicked the fishing rod, and it fell into the water.

This route of advance must be utilized.

The entire Eurasian steppe is actually a continuous stretch of land. Countless tribes have migrated, moved, and even fought along this route since ancient times, which is why it is called the "Eurasian Steppe Highway." This is because the nomadic peoples followed the water and grass, and could graze their livestock as they moved. The pastures and rivers along the way were their sources of supply, while cattle, sheep, horses, and camels were their tools for production and supply.

While we still hold prestige on the grasslands, let's make a big splash. Future generations might still be able to command the tribes near Yinshan, but those further away might not be so formidable. Even if we forcibly drive the tribes on either side of Yinshan westward across the grasslands, we'll face resistance, because they might not be afraid of us, won't give us permission, and won't want to pass through our territory.

Making use of this "highway" is not a simple matter.

It's easy for a steppe Khan to achieve complete or partial unification, but it's much more difficult for the emperor of the Central Plains. In Shao Xun's memory, the only time the Tang Dynasty before the An Lushan Rebellion was able to mobilize the troops and supplies of the Hu tribes in this way was before the An Lushan Rebellion. Su Dingfang led the Tang army and the Uyghur and Turkic auxiliary troops to pursue the Western Turks for three thousand miles on the steppe and completely destroyed them.

Furthermore, even if the Han army could utilize the cattle, sheep, horses, and troops of the Hu people, the Han army itself still needed to be able to ride horses, otherwise they would not be able to keep up. This eliminated most of the armies in previous dynasties.

In his first battle, Su Dingfang's 5,000 men dismounted and formed a battle formation with spears pointing outwards and bows and crossbows fully prepared, inflicting a great defeat on the Turks. In his final battle, 10,000 infantrymen led 3,000 cavalrymen, who traveled 300 li in a day and a night, achieving the effect of a surprise attack.

This places high demands on infantrymen. First, they must be able to ride horses, that is, to be mounted infantrymen. This requires that the infantrymen are not too poor, have regular contact with horses, and have a certain level of basic riding skills.

Secondly, they are fierce and courageous in battle, with a thirst for fame and fortune in their hearts—this requires military men to be able to rise to high positions, and there is real room for advancement.

After careful consideration, Shao Xun realized that while the various units of the Liang Dynasty's Imperial Guards had a considerable number of infantrymen who could ride horses, they were still not as numerous as the local militia.

Even among the guards such as the Left and Right Golden Guards and the Feathered Forest Guards, who were nominally infantry, many were horse breeders, and even more were skilled riders; the pool of candidates was very large.

Perhaps we could select elite troops from Henan and Hebei to strengthen the Northern Route Army, while also giving these soldiers a chance to earn merit.

"Keep reading." He pulled himself out of his thoughts, his gaze returning to the fishing rod, and gave the order.

Imperial Censor Feng Bi stepped forward and reported: "The Transport Commissioner of Guanzhong, Lord Yu, reports that from spring to summer, Yongzhou has transported 1.1 million hu of grain to Wuwei. Qin and He prefectures have also transported 300,000 hu of grain to Jiuquan. In addition, last August, 30,000 hu of grain and beans transported from Hehui to Zhangye were robbed at Dadougu (Dadoubagu). It has now been determined that it was the work of the Tufa Xianbei..."

"You damned bastard!" Shao Xun couldn't help but curse.

He had initially thought it was the work of the Tuyuhun Xianbei, who had been his enemies for many years, but he never expected it to be the work of the Tuoba Xianbei, who had been granted titles.

Thinking of the bald man's submissive appearance, he now only felt disgusted.

Your mother and maidservant, are you putting on an act for me? Do you think I'm old?
Shao Xun was too lazy to even fish anymore; he had already imagined a hundred ways for Bald Man to die.

Feng Bili was close by and subconsciously sensed the dangerous aura emanating from the emperor.

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but the aging emperor seems to be getting more and more terrifying. He may no longer be as tolerant as he was when he was young...

"No rush, keep reading." Shao Xun picked up the fishing rod again, as if his outburst of anger was just a passing breeze.

This time it was Huan Wen's turn. He said, "The Crown Prince requests that two bolts of silk be bestowed upon the soldiers of the Right Golden Guard and the Right Dragon Tiger Guard."

Shao Xun nodded and said, "As before, approved."

"Yes," Huan Wen replied. The "precedent" that the emperor mentioned was the memorial previously sent by the crown prince, which mainly involved establishing military schools, county schools, and prefectural schools in the four prefectures of Shangdang, Taiyuan, Yanmen, and Xinxing, and granting some places for admission to the Imperial Academy and the National Academy.

The emperor agreed upon seeing this. This further convinced Huan Wen that the emperor had sent the crown prince north to Bingzhou to bestow favors, and that the fact that he was not to return until August clearly indicated that the emperor wanted him to consolidate his power there: bestowing favors upon counties, military prefectures, Hu people, garrison troops, and so on.

This road was so well paved that it would have been the envy of many princes since the Han Dynasty.

But it's hard to say. Emperor Wu of Han treated the crown prince very well at first and paved the way for him...

Huan Wen quickly dismissed the idea; this matter was not worth dwelling on, much less getting involved. As the imperial son-in-law, remaining uninvolved was the most appropriate course of action. Currently, Princess Jingfu held a high position within the imperial clan, giving him the leverage to stay out of it.

However, deep down he also harbored some ambitions and desires.

Having been stuck in the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary for so many years, he was really tired of it and even wanted to be transferred to a border prefecture as a governor.

Of course, it's just a thought.

The princess said that it was reserved by His Majesty for the Crown Prince, and her father, Huan Yi, had said the same thing. Both of them told him to be patient and not to rush.

Alas! There is nothing I can do.

We can only look on the bright side. At least in his position as a censor, he gained a deep understanding of all aspects of the country through the power to preview memorials and provide summaries. At the same time, he repeatedly pondered the solutions proposed by the three prime ministers and the emperor in the Council of State Affairs, and gained considerable insights.

Simply put, he felt that his horizons had been greatly broadened.

Remarkably, this political perspective, in turn, benefited the military sphere, giving him a deeper understanding of the causes, processes, and aftermath of many wars.

He felt that he would have more options if he were to lead troops into battle or pacify a region in the future.

After Huan Wen's death, the Imperial Censor Feng Bi stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, Li Gong of Jicheng reported that Murong Ren had repeatedly invaded Fuyu. Murong Han reprimanded him, but was instead ridiculed as a 'loyal dog'."

"What did Li Chong say?" Shao Xun asked.

"Li Gong believes it is not advisable to act rashly for the time being," Feng Pi said.

"What's the reason?"

“The soldiers of Pingzhou are already incapable of fighting, and even with the addition of the soldiers of Youzhou, there is no guarantee of victory. This is the first point,” Feng Bi replied. “After the Yuwen divided the country into three, Yi Dougui was greatly dissatisfied. Although he did not dare to act rashly, there were many complaints in private, which must be guarded against. This is the second point. The Hu tribes of Pingzhou are not loyal to the people. If they are forced to rebel against Murong Ren, it may lead to a rebellion by various tribes. This is the third point. Murong Ren once occupied Liaodong and defeated Murong Huang twice. He was once at the height of his power, but he could not advance into Jicheng. He only thought about establishing his own independent regime. This is called ‘planning for great things but being afraid of death, and seeing small gains but forgetting righteousness.’ He is not a hero. He has already sent someone to Xuantu to reprimand him. Murong Ren will not dare to rebel. This can calm the situation a little. It is not too late to deal with him after the court has dealt with the Western Regions.”

"Give it to me." Shao Xun put down his fishing rod, stretched out his hand, and said.

He submitted his memorial to the emperor.

Shao Xun took it, examined it carefully, and then handed it back, saying, "Li Chong is too cautious. When the imperial court conquers the Western Regions, most of its supplies are taken from the counties west of Tongguan, and there has been no disturbance in the east. Now that we have had two or three years to recuperate, what difference would it make if we conquered Liaodong again?"

Feng Bi felt a chill run down his spine upon hearing this.

Another campaign against Liaodong... Who will stop the emperor?!

The despairing thing is that it seems there is no one in the world who can sway the emperor, not a single one.

"So be it." Shao Xun sighed and said, "I am in Luoyang, and Li Chong is in Jicheng. He has the final say. Let's handle it this way."

Feng Pi breathed a sigh of relief.

The emperor was still rational. Although even if he issued another edict to conquer Liaodong, the country would not descend into chaos, there was really no need to do so.

He silently stepped back, giving his seat to Huan Wen.

Huan Wen cleared his throat and said, "Your Majesty, seven days ago, General Miao of the Right Feathered Forest Guard died at the inn while on an inspection tour..."

The emperor and his ministers spent the entire afternoon asking each other these questions, clearing up all the accumulated matters from the past few days.

As evening approached, Shao Xun glanced at the fish in the bucket, which was no bigger than the palm of his hand, and sighed silently.

Hou San just put a lot of fish into the pond a while ago, so why can't he catch any? This pond is too shady.

"Guards! Set up nets to catch fish!" he ordered. "After preparing the fish soup, send it to Chonghua Palace. I will dine there tonight."

Huan Wen and the others all lowered their heads and remained silent, as this matter was not their concern.

Upon hearing this from afar, the Grand Attendant Hou San responded loudly and then proceeded with the task with practiced ease.

(End of this chapter)