Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 528 The Sixth Year of Hongwu
"Clang... clang... clang..."

On the second day of the eleventh month of the third year of Hongwu (1386), Zhang Yichao, the Minister of Works, Grand Chancellor, General of the State, Founding Minister of State, Prince of Dunhuang, passed away at the age of seventy-seven.

Liu Jilong ordered the three provinces and six ministries to hold a posthumous conferment ceremony in the Qianyuan Hall, posthumously conferring the title of King of Liang on Zhang Yichao, with the posthumous name of Zhongwu, and to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. The court was closed for three days.

His eldest son, Zhang Huaiquan, was demoted to the rank of Duke of Liang, while his other sons were granted the title of Grand Master of the Silver Seal and Green Robe.

As the imperial court concluded its posthumous conferment ceremony, news of Zhang Yichao's death spread like wildfire.

For the people of the regions other than Hexi, few knew why Zhang Yichao received such a high-level posthumous title.

However, for the people of Hexi, Zhang Yichao's passing seemed to foreshadow the end of many military generals from Hexi.

"Your subject Zhang Huaishen, Grand Protector of Anxi and Prince of Jiaohe, pays his respects to Your Majesty..."

On the fifteenth day of the eleventh lunar month, after Zhang Yichao's funeral was over, Zhang Huaishen found Liu Jilong the following day.

Inside the Zhenguan Hall, Liu Jilong put down the memorial in his hand. He was clearly not well-rested, and his eyes were bloodshot.

He looked at Zhang Huaishen, who was bowing in the hall, took a deep breath, and sighed, "Are you leaving?"

"It's the dead of winter now, so let's wait until spring to leave..."

He wanted to keep Zhang Huaishen, but Zhang Huaishen shook his head: "It is alright for me to leave the Western Regions temporarily, but if I leave for too long, I am afraid the Western Regions will not be stable."

"If Your Majesty is reluctant to part with me, I may return to the capital every three years to report on my duties."

"That's enough..." Hearing Zhang Huaishen say this, Liu Jilong felt it was inappropriate to keep him, and he also did not want him to visit too frequently, lest it harm his health.

"Go ahead, I will fulfill all my promises. The cotton seeds and 500,000 strings of cash for military pay are ready. When you arrive in Liangzhou, Zheng Chu will naturally make them ready."

"The Crown Prince is still young and needs to serve in the army and as an official for four years before he can figure out all the intricacies of the situation."

"There's no need to bring him back. Let him get through these four years in Beiting first."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Huaishen immediately bowed deeply and said, "Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty. I will now withdraw..."

Under Liu Jilong's watchful gaze, he slowly withdrew from the Zhenguan Hall.

Watching his figure disappear through the palace gate, Liu Jilong closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

The following day, Zhang Huaishen returned to Anxi under the escort of hundreds of elite cavalry. Liu Jilong did not see him off, because he always felt that the two would meet again someday.

After he left, Liu Jilong rarely left Luoyang, focusing instead on handling memorials within the palace.

More than a month passed quickly, and with the arrival of the fourth year of Hongwu's reign, Liu Jilong announced the formation of the cabinet at the grand court assembly on New Year's Day.

The cabinet consisted of seven Grand Secretaries of the Hall of Supreme Harmony: Qianyuan, Zhenguan, Xuanzheng, Zichen, Wensi, and Wucheng. Their official rank was the upper fifth grade. There were no clerks or other specific staff members to ensure the confidentiality of their work.

The cabinet was mainly responsible for collecting and organizing memorials to the emperor, providing advice according to the importance and urgency of the matters, and drafting imperial edicts and decrees.

The criteria for selection as a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet include having experience serving in the military at the grassroots level and having experience in grassroots governance in local government offices.

The establishment of the cabinet signifies that the Han Dynasty has changed from a single-track system to a three-track system consisting of the cabinet, the three departments and six ministries, and the five military governorates. Politically, it is a dual-track system consisting of the cabinet and the three departments and six ministries.

The three departments still maintained the legal procedure of "the Secretariat issuing orders, the Chancellery reviewing them, and the Ministry of Personnel executing them," with the Grand Secretariat merely serving as the "Emperor's Secretariat."

Routine government affairs were handled according to the traditional procedures of the Ministry of Personnel, the Secretariat, the Chancellery, and the Emperor.

State secrets, such as military and national secrets, were submitted directly to the emperor by the cabinet, which drafted recommendations and then forwarded them to the Secretariat for further processing.

The first batch of Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet consisted mainly of seven people: Jing Xiang, Zhang Ying, Xie Tong, Shang Zhongfu, Zheng Gongquan, Duan Wei, and Guo Shu.

Apart from Xie Tong, the other six of the seven were all students from Guanzhong or Longyou, and most of them had experience as local officials or in the military.

With the establishment of the cabinet, the political landscape changed once again. Although the cabinet did not take away too much power from the three provinces, it did reveal the emperor's intention to reform the system.

In July of the fourth year of the Hongwu reign, Chancellor Liu Zhan retired due to old age. Liu Jilong specially granted him a residence, rewarded him with 3,000 strings of cash, and ordered the Six Armies of the Northern Army to escort Liu Zhan back to his hometown.

After Liu Zhan was removed from his post as chancellor, Liu Jilong promoted Cui Shu from Hedong to chancellor and appointed him as co-champion in the Southern Palace.

On the fifth day of the eighth month, the National Preceptor Wuzhen submitted a memorial to the court, stating that he had led his troops to Jincheng, and that Lu Danzeng had accepted the title of King of Tubo. He also stated that he had built fifty-six temples in fifty-six cities under his rule to express his devotion to Buddhism.

Upon learning of this, Liu Jilong immediately ordered the officials of Longyou Road and Jiannan Road to expand and repair the post roads and establish post stations connecting to the fifty-six cities under the jurisdiction of Duokang.

Concerned about the shortage of laborers, the emperor ordered that more people under Lu Dan's jurisdiction be relocated to repair the post road, and that the local officials provide three liters of grain daily as wages to the local people.

Upon learning that grain had been distributed, Lu Danzeng was not so worried. He still needed Liu Jilong's support to unify Tibet, so he dispatched 100,000 laborers to assist the court in expanding and repairing the post roads.

Seeing that the preconditions for clearing out monks and Taoists were met, Liu Jilong announced on the second day of the ninth month that the ordination certificates held by monks and Taoists were abolished, and he proclaimed the new ordination certificate examination system and the system of Dharma transmission monk officials to the world.

Compared to dealing with powerful and influential families, it would not take much effort to regulate the monks and Taoists of the world.

Liu Jilong set the dates for the national examinations for monks and Taoists on the Buddha's Birthday and the Xuanyuan Festival each year. At the same time, he ordered the clearing of farmland belonging to temples throughout the country, and the farmland to be reclaimed by the relevant government offices. He also ordered the distribution of corresponding rations to the remaining monks and Taoists.

If they fail to obtain a certificate of ordination within three years, they will be forced to return to secular life.

After the imperial edict was issued, more than 200,000 monks and Taoists across the country lamented their fate. Some devoted themselves to studying Buddhist scriptures, while others returned to secular life ahead of schedule. Some even prepared to venture to Tibet.

Even though some monks, Taoist priests, and their followers were dissatisfied with the court's actions, they dared not directly oppose the court and could only complain quietly behind its back.

Under such circumstances, the imperial court confiscated all the farmland of temples throughout the country, resulting in a staggering amount of nearly six million mu of farmland belonging to monks and Taoist priests.

With so much arable land, it would take at least 600,000 tenant farmers to cultivate it, which is equivalent to three tenant farmers supporting one monk or Taoist priest.

Liu Jilong directly distributed the farmland that the imperial court had reclaimed to the tenant farmers. He also ordered the relevant officials and the Censorate to inspect the land. If any monks were found threatening the tenant farmers to return the land, the monks would be exiled to the border to cultivate the land as garrison farmers.

As the officials acted in accordance with the imperial edict, many monks were soon exiled to the frontier. The remaining monks, seeing this, could only close their temple gates and study Buddhist scriptures even more diligently, preparing to pass the imperial examinations on the following year's Buddha's Birthday to obtain their ordination certificates.

With their diligent study, the fifth year of Hongwu arrived as scheduled, and monks from distant places began to travel to the various prefectures in advance to prepare for the imperial examinations.

After they arrived at their respective administrative centers and were accommodated by the officials of the temple, the Buddhist examinations were held on time on Buddha's Birthday.

To the surprise of all the monks, the content of the Buddhist examination was significantly more complex than that of the Buddhist examination in the Tang Dynasty. In addition to the main Buddhist scriptures, there were also less common Buddhist scriptures such as the "Yin Chi Ru Jing", "An Ban Shou Yi Jing", and "Guang Zan Ban Ruo Jing".

Many monks were already discouraged upon seeing the contents of these Buddhist scriptures.

After the imperial examinations were completed, many monks left Daozhi without waiting for the results to be announced. When the results were finally announced, many monks were filled with despair.

Each dish has only about two hundred people on the list, but there are tens of thousands of people who can refer to it.

For a moment, the monks were furious and even tried to storm the government office, but they were quickly caught up by the state soldiers wielding large sticks, and three blows were enough to bring them back to their image as high monks.

The monk who led the storming of the government office was sentenced to exile to the frontier and forced to return to secular life, while the rest of the monks were driven away.

With the conclusion of the Buddhist and Taoist examinations, the details were sent to Luoyang.

"More than 5,200 people passed, which is a bit too many. I didn't expect there to be so many eminent monks and masters who are proficient in Buddhism."

In July, inside the Zhenguan Hall of the Ziwei City in Luoyang, Liu Jilong, dressed in a casual robe, held the memorial sent by the Ministry of Rites and nodded with great satisfaction.

Of the nearly 300,000 Buddhist and Taoist practitioners, only 5,200 passed the first year. This was considered extremely difficult by others, but Liu Jilong felt it was just right.

Inside the hall, Li Shangyin, Cui Shu, and Xiao Gou exchanged bewildered glances, realizing that their emperor was truly planning to limit the number of monks and Taoists to tens of thousands.

"Your Majesty, the eight granaries and four storehouses in the two capital regions are now full of money and grain. However, the autumn tax will be collected and transported in three months. I believe that we should build four more granaries and two more storehouses."

Li Shangyin spoke slowly, and what he said indicated that the amount of money and grain stored in the two capital regions was no small sum.

"Approved!" Liu Jilong agreed without hesitation, and then asked, "How much money and grain are stored in the eight granaries and four storehouses?"

"More than 16 million shi of grain, and no less than 15 million strings of cash in cash, silk, brocade, gold, silver and rare treasures."

Li Shangyin answered respectfully, adding, "The granaries and Ever-Normal Granaries under the jurisdiction of the empire have accumulated a total of 22 million shi (a unit of dry measure) and over 4 million guan (another unit of dry measure)."

Five years after the founding of the dynasty, the granaries of both capital regions were already full of money and grain, while the local officials had stored even more.

These funds and provisions naturally need to be used effectively; otherwise, they will simply be taken from the people but not used for their benefit.

However, transporting such a large amount of grain was not convenient, and although there were many copper coins in the world, they were still too few compared to the population.

The most important thing the court should do right now is to promote the monetization of silver, and then send a fleet to keep Japan subservient and obedient.

Japan is currently in the Heian period, with a population of around five to six million, and its weaponry is inferior to that of the Han army.

If we were to launch an attack, the best route would be to take Liaodong and Silla, then cross the Tsushima Strait to land on Kyushu Island and head north to Kita-jima.

Alternatively, one could choose to travel via Zhejiang during Zheng He's voyages to the Japanese mainland, but this route presents significant challenges in terms of resupply.

If a shipwreck were to occur en route, Japan's agriculture would be simply insufficient to sustain the Han army's operations.

Therefore, sending troops to overthrow Japanese rule would be too costly and unsustainable for the Han Dynasty, and the final result would likely be the loss of both people and money.

They could occupy undeveloped gold and silver mines like Iwami and Sado, similar to the way troops were stationed in the Western Regions, and distribute the profits to the Japanese imperial family, thus uniting with the imperial family to restrain the local noble forces.

If we do this, we won't need too many troops stationed here; just protecting the silver mines and Kyoto will be enough.

With just a few thousand troops stationed there, and by employing Japanese civilians near the mines as miners, and using gunpowder and ash blowing methods for smelting, the Iwami and Ikuno silver mines alone could import more than two million taels of silver into the Central Plains every year.

It would only take a little over a decade to transform silver into currency.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong looked at Jing Xiang, Xie Tong, and the other seven people standing on the golden platform: "How is the East China Sea Navy's training going these days?"

Upon hearing this, Jing Xiang and the others all turned their gazes to Xie Tong, as he was mainly responsible for organizing military secrets.

Xie Tong stepped forward and bowed to Liu Jilong: "Your Majesty, the navy has trained 20,000 soldiers. Currently, there are 10 Fujian ships of 3,000 liang each, 20 sea ships of 2,000 liang each, 40 Fujian ships, 60 sea ships of 1,000 liang each, and 80 Fujian ships, totaling 210 ships."

"Since the beginning of spring, the East China Sea Navy has been building stone fortresses and warehouses on islands such as Daxie and Wuhu in the Bohai Sea, and has been patrolling the Liaodong coast. The Bohai Navy has submitted three memorials to the court to inquire why it is doing this."

The Great Han Dynasty now has two main naval forces: the South China Sea Navy of Lingnan Province and the East China Sea Navy of the East China Sea, with a total strength of 30,000 men.

The warships of the East China Sea Navy were naturally not as large as the treasure ships led by Zheng He, but in terms of scale, they were not small.

The Han dynasty ships, modeled after 17th-century Western ships, were no less capable than 17th-century Western ships, let alone the large Fujian ships.

Since the start of naval training in the East China Sea, there haven't been many long-range training exercises. Now is the time to train these naval forces to explore the South China Sea first, and then send them in batches to search for crops in the Americas.

However, before that, it is necessary to first recover Liaodong and form a pincer movement to deal with the Xi and Khitan people in the north.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong said, "Each of Henan and Huainan shall send 500,000 shi of grain to Qingzhou as soon as possible."

“Each of the provinces within the pass, the capital region, Longyou, and Hedong will send two armies to join the troops of the Henan Provincial Military Command to conduct military exercises in Qingzhou.”

"After the troops were dispatched, all provinces immediately recruited new soldiers to fill the vacancies."

Before the army moves, supplies must be delivered first. Grain was first transferred to Qingzhou, and then 20,000 troops were dispatched from various routes to Qingzhou, bringing the total number of troops to 30,000 with the Henan Military Command to conduct military exercises in Qingzhou.

Logically speaking, these were all veterans, and there was no need for them to practice and train together. However, since the emperor had given such an order, Li Shangyin and the others could only bow and agree.

"Your subject will heed the imperial edict..."

Officials from the three cabinet ministries responded one after another. Upon seeing this, Liu Jilong looked at Xie Tong and said, "How is the progress of the matchlock gun project at the Ordnance Bureau? Tell the three ministers about it."

Two years have passed since Liu Jilong instructed Chen Jitong to improve the matchlock gun. In those two years, the airtightness problem of the barrel and the powder chamber of the matchlock gun had long been solved.

With advancements in metallurgical techniques, the weight of matchlock guns was reduced to around twelve catties (approximately 6 catties). Although still heavy for soldiers, this represented the best possible improvement achieved by the artisans through collective wisdom.

With Liu Jilong's approval, Xie Tong stepped forward and introduced himself to Li Shangyin and the others:
"The matchlock guns made by the Ordnance Bureau are three feet five inches long, weigh twelve catties, and cost two strings of cash."

"This thing is similar to the way cannons are filled; it can injure people at eighty paces and penetrate armor at forty paces (about 60 meters)."

"Based on the training of craftsmen, each quarter of an hour is divided into fifteen minutes, and a skilled matchlock gunner can fire one bullet per minute."

“A skilled craftsman can make one musket in a month. The imperial court has been producing matchlock muskets in the military equipment bureaus of the two capitals for more than three months, and there are three thousand of them in the two capitals.”

As Xie Tong revealed the armor-piercing range, Li Shangyin and the others quickly realized the importance of this item.

Before this, the Han army could only break through enemy armor using cannons, catapults, or close-range shooting, and only as a last resort did the soldiers engage in hand-to-hand combat.

The range for close-range firing is within ten paces, while modern arquebuses can penetrate armor at forty paces.

While they may seem similar, if thousands of arquebusiers were arrayed to break through armor, a single volley of fire could likely shatter the enemy's formation.

Upon realizing this, Li Shangyin finally understood that his emperor was only mobilizing 30,000 troops to prepare for the recapture of Liaodong.

The Bohai army numbered only 100,000, and 30,000 Han troops were more than enough to recover Liaodong, not to mention the 20,000 naval troops that would follow.

Seeing their expressions change, Liu Jilong continued, "If we can persuade the Bohai Kingdom to return Liaodong to the court, that would be the best outcome. If that is not possible, then resorting to force is the worst option."

Despite saying that, Liu Jilong knew that what couldn't be obtained on the battlefield would be even less likely to be obtained at the negotiating table.

Only by forging peace through war, letting Bohai witness the difference between the Han and Tang armies, and inflicting a painful defeat on them, can we achieve our goal.

"Your Majesty is wise..."

Seeing that Liu Jilong had no intention of making a big fuss, Li Shangyin breathed a sigh of relief and, together with Cui Shu and Xiao Gou on his left and right, sang praises of the emperor's wisdom.

After they finished speaking, Liu Jilong immediately said, "Issuing an edict to the Military Equipment Bureaus of the two capital regions to transmit the manufacturing method of matchlock guns to the Military Equipment Bureaus of all provinces."

"Starting from May of the sixth year of the Hongwu reign, each department was allotted 5,000 suits of armor, 10,000 pieces of weaponry, 3,000 matchlock muskets, 50 cannons, 50,000 catties of gunpowder, 1,000 cannonballs, and 10,000 catties of projectiles annually..."

"Your subject will obey Your Majesty's decree."

Li Shangyin and others had no objections. The military equipment departments of each province already had a fixed annual production quota for military equipment as reserves, and now they had only increased the production of matchlock guns, cannons, and gunpowder shells.

Although doing so would increase the expenditure of the Ordnance Bureau by hundreds of thousands of kan, it is better than having no stockpile when war is needed.

"Go back."

Liu Jilong gestured for Li Shangyin and the others to leave. After they left, he turned his attention to Jing Xiang and the other Grand Secretaries of the Cabinet and continued to discuss confidential government affairs with them.

However, while they were discussing the matter, as Li Shangyin and others returned to the Southern Office, numerous imperial edicts began to be sent to various local authorities.

On that day, many people learned the contents of the imperial edict, and the military officers who had been idle for several years also sensed the opportunity to make a name for themselves from the edict to transfer grain and troops to Qingzhou.

However, what intrigued them even more was what the arquebus mentioned in the decree actually was.

Fortunately, their curiosity about matchlock guns did not last long. As Liu Jilong equipped the soldiers stationed in the two regions with matchlock guns from the military equipment depot, these military officers also witnessed the power of the matchlock guns.

In addition to arquebus equipment, Liu Jilong also commissioned the compilation of "Firearms Manual" based on his oral account, which mainly discussed three-stage firing and line formation tactics, as well as the coordination between musketeers and leaping and troop-riding soldiers.

After the woodblock printing of "Firearms Manual" was completed, it was quickly printed and distributed to the Five Military Commands, who then distributed it to generals of brigade commander rank and above.

Because the various regions of the Han Dynasty were far apart, the military equipment departments in remote areas such as Qianzhong, Lingnan, Anxi, and Beiting did not receive the craftsmen sent by the imperial court until the end of the year.

By the time the craftsmen spread their skills and the artisans of various regions were able to skillfully produce matchlock guns, it was already March of the following year.

"boom!!"

On the fifth day of the third month, as smoke rose from the training ground of the Gaochang Military Equipment Bureau, the first matchlock gun produced in Anxi was successfully test-fired.

The soldiers on the drill ground rushed to the targets covered with a layer of lamellar armor, picked them up, and ran to Zhang Huaishen.

"Reporting to the King of Jiaohe, the armor has been successfully penetrated at a distance of forty paces."

The soldiers reported on the power of the matchlock guns, and at this moment, Zhang Huaishen, Zhang Yanhui, Zhang Huairong, Cao Yijin, Li Mingzhen and others behind him all showed expressions of shock.

"If we could produce five thousand of these, we could probably crush the Uyghurs' morale in a single battle." "With these, a few thousand soldiers would be enough to recapture Huangcaobo!"

Cao Yijin, Li Mingzhen, and others spoke in turn, but Zhang Huaishen shook his head after listening and shared the thoughts he had heard from Liu Jilong.

"Although this weapon is formidable, it still requires the coordinated efforts of multiple armies to defeat the Uyghur cavalry."

"Moreover, this item is complicated to make. Even with the combined strength of Anxi and Beiting, they can probably only produce a thousand pieces per year."

"It will take at least several more years to recapture Huangcaobo and Suyab."

Zhang Huai gripped the matchlock gun tightly in his hand, seemingly unable to put it down. Zhang Huairong, standing beside him, remarked:
"Your Majesty has so easily bestowed upon us the skills of firearms and cannons. Aren't you afraid that we might rebel?"

His words left everyone speechless.

Liu Jilong dared to entrust the technology of firearms and artillery to the various circuits because the circuits had already completed the division of power among the three departments, and the methods of making firearms and artillery were all in the hands of the Provincial Administration Commission.

Unless someone can take control of all three government offices, there is no way to rebel.

The problem is that although Anxi and Beiting are nominally established as circuits, they do not have three offices under their jurisdiction, only protectorates.

In this situation, if Zhang Huaishen wanted to cause trouble, he only needed to relocate the people of Yizhou to Xizhou or Tingzhou to create a no-man's land stretching for thousands of miles to obstruct the imperial court and calmly establish himself as king in the Western Regions.

Therefore, after Zhang Huaishen finished speaking, everyone looked at him, and Zhang Huaishen pondered for a moment before saying:
"Your Majesty's willingness to bestow this item suggests that you have many more methods yet to be revealed."

"However, now that Anxi and Beiting have been established as circuits, the existence of the Protectorate General is somewhat superfluous."

He glanced at Zhang Yanhui and said with some reluctance, "Make your preparations. Soon you will lead troops to escort your relatives to Luoyang."

"After we arrive in Luoyang, we can ask Your Majesty to establish the Three Offices in the two provinces, citing the increased number of people in both provinces."

Zhang Huaishen's willingness to voluntarily delegate power has moved many people.

Once the Three Offices are established, the Western Regions will completely belong to the imperial court. Even if the Zhang family has the support of the people, it will be difficult for them to control the Western Regions again.

However, they did not speak up to stop it, since the Western Regions belonged to the Zhang family, not to them.

Moreover, after Zhang Huaishen's actions, with the court establishing the Three Offices in Anxi and Beiting, these original officials were either promoted to the position of chief officials of the Three Offices or transferred to Luoyang to serve as officials in the capital.

Zhang Huaishen's move was advantageous to them, and they had no need to stop it.

Lost in thought, Zhang Huaishen looked at the soldier who had come carrying a target and couldn't help but ask, "How do you think His Majesty will treat me?"

Upon hearing him speak, everyone in the room except Zhang Yanhui became curious, wondering why their prince was asking questions of ordinary soldiers.

In response, the soldier straightened his iron helmet, revealing his facial features, and said, "His Majesty probably won't abolish the Grand Protectorate, but the Three Offices will definitely be established."

"Insolence!" Cao Yijin frowned and shouted softly when he heard the soldiers speak so disrespectfully.

The soldiers remained unmoved, and Zhang Huaishen also smiled and said, "You have been serving in the army in the countryside for four years now. In a few days, you will return to Luoyang with Vice Protector-General Zhang. Please ask your father to transfer you to a local post as an official."

“You won’t learn much as a clerk in Anxi and Beiting.”

"Yes!" the soldier replied, and only then did Cao Yijin and the others realize that this person was a student sent to the countryside.

It was impossible for Zhang Huaishen to treat an ordinary student sent to the countryside so kindly. The only thing everyone could do was to send someone to find out about him afterward.

As they thought this, Zhang Huaishen put down his matchlock gun and then turned and left the training ground of the Armory.

The other officials followed closely behind, but their eyes were fixed on Zhang Yanhui, who had chosen to stay, and the ordinary soldier.

After they left, Zhang Yanhui smiled and looked at the soldiers: "Get ready, I'll be going back to Luoyang with you in a few days. I imagine your father misses you too."

As the soldier removed his iron armor, revealing his facial features, he took a deep breath and said, "Father cares more about the world than about us."

In the Western Regions, only Liu Lie, who used the alias Cao Yuanren, dared to say such a thing. Zhang Yanhui couldn't help but smile bitterly at his words: "In the whole world, only you dare to say such a thing."

He reached out and patted Liu Lie on the shoulder, then teased, "You'll be able to see Miaoyin in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Liu Lie felt somewhat embarrassed, as he was naturally aware of his engagement to Zhang Miaoyin.

Although he had been in the Western Regions for four years, he had never actually met Zhang Miaoyin. Now that he was finally about to meet her, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous.

"Wash yourself clean and freshen up. I will lead my carriage to pick you up and take you back to Luoyang in three days."

"it is good……"

After a brief exchange, the two parted ways, and the officials quickly learned Liu Lie's identity.

Upon hearing this "Cao Yuanren," they instinctively guessed that he was Cao Mao, and all assumed that he was Cao Mao's son.

Liu Lie ignored it, simply returned to the military camp to wash and rest for three days, and then boarded Zhang Yanhui's carriage at the camp gate.

After he got into the car, Zhang Yanhui was sitting inside. Zhang Yanhui joked, "Are you a little annoyed to see only me?"

"No, not at all." Liu Lie feigned composure, then changed the subject, talking about his intention to become a government official.

"Once you've been to the south, tell me personally where my servant should go."

In response to Liu Lie's question, Zhang Yanhui, based on his own experience and the information he had gathered, said:
"Although the north has suffered from severe drought for several years, it is still relatively close to the two capitals and the court has the strongest control over it. Therefore, the Censorate has the greatest inspection efforts in these areas, and the officials are very cautious."

"The same applies to Jiangnan, Jiannan Road, and Shannan Road. Therefore, if you were to become an official, you wouldn't gain much experience in these places."

"However, the southern part of Jiannan Road, Qianzhong Road, and Lingnan Road are constantly fighting because they are remote and have few resources. If you want to go there for training, I would recommend Yazhou, Rongzhou, and Lizhou in the southern part of Qianzhong Road and Jiannan Road."

"However, these places may be shrouded in miasma, and I'm afraid His Majesty will not allow you to go there..."

Zhang Yanhui explained what he knew, but as he continued to explain, Liu Lie became even more determined to go south.

“I know about Yazhou and Lizhou. Although they are mountainous and forested and plagued by miasma, the densely populated areas are no different from the north.”

"If all else fails, I will go to Jiaozhou. I have heard that Jiaozhou was once invaded by the Southern Barbarians and has not yet recovered its former prosperity."

"If I were to take up a post in the county government of Jiaozhou, Father would surely agree..."

Liu Lie had his own ideas. Seeing that he had made up his mind, Zhang Yanhui did not say anything to discourage him, but instead told him about the interesting things that happened during his years of serving in the army in the countryside.

While the two were chatting, the convoy had already left Gaochang City and headed southeast towards Liuzhong County, which had been renamed Liuzhong.

At the speed of the convoy, traveling forty li per day, it would take at least four months to reach Luoyang.

If a family member in the convoy collapses due to the arduous journey, the trip could be delayed for several months.

It's March now, and the Western Regions are still a bit cold; frost can still be seen occasionally on both sides of the official road.

By late April, the weather would start to get hot and dry, but fortunately, by then they would have almost entered the Hexi Corridor, so it wouldn't be that dry.

With that in mind, after traveling for most of the day, the convoy of over a thousand people finally stopped outside Liuzhong County, while Liu Lie and his group rested at the inn outside the city.

When they got off the bus, Liu Lie and Zhang Miaoyin met through Zhang Yanhui's introduction.

Sixteen-year-old Zhang Miaoyin had skin as white and rosy as mutton fat jade, and her eyebrows and eyes were exquisite. No wonder she became a famous woman in the Western Regions.

In comparison, Liu Lie's skin was as dark as an old farmer's, and if it weren't for his outstanding features, he would probably be mistaken for a coachman.

The two didn't have time alone; they only met briefly after Zhang Yanhui's introduction, and then parted ways in a hurry.

The next day, when the carriage set off again, Zhang Yanhui arranged for Liu Lie to ride with Zhang Miaoyin.

Although Liu Lie is quite easygoing in front of his friends, he held back his emotions the entire way after being arranged to ride with Zhang Miaoyin.

During this time, unless Zhang Miaoyin took the initiative to ask him about Hexi and Longyou, he remained silent.

Fortunately, as time went by and the car entered Hexi, Liu Lie gradually became more talkative.

He introduced Zhang Miaoyin to the local customs and culture of Hexi. Even though he had never been there before, most of the soldiers he had met in Linzhou were former soldiers from Shandan. They had told Liu Lie about the scenery of their hometowns, and Liu Lie had written down all of these stories.

The stories of the past appear before my eyes in the form of scenery; even the slightly hot wind in the air seems so gentle now.

However, in contrast to their composure, the Bohai Kingdom, which faced the Han Dynasty across the sea, gradually felt the pressure from the Central Plains as merchant caravans came and went.

"Dang, Dang, Dang..."

In June, as the temperature warmed up, news from the Central Plains was also sent to the capital city (Ning'an City) of the Bohai Kingdom via trade routes.

The Balhae Kingdom was administratively structured with five capitals, fifteen prefectures, and sixty-two counties. Its territory extended east to the Sea of ​​Japan, west to the Khitan, south to Silla, and north to the Heishui Mohe. It had a population of over two million and a standing army of one hundred thousand.

Although the Bohai Kingdom called itself the prosperous Kingdom of the East, only the upper class could live in the cities within its seemingly vast territory. The Mohe people in other areas could only live in places that were nominally cities but were actually villages.

Those houses on the surface were basically only inhabited by the upper class within and around the city. Ordinary Mohe people lived in semi-subterranean houses and continued their fishing and hunting lifestyle.

As a result, the gap between the rich and poor in the Bohai Kingdom was enormous, with the capital city, which had a circumference of more than 20 li, occupying most of the vast plains on the south bank of the Huhan River (Mudanjiang River).

Buddhist temples can be seen everywhere in the city, and the houses are mostly built of rammed earth and stone, with straw laid on top as the dwellings of ordinary people.

There were nearly ten thousand such houses, mostly distributed in the vast outer city, while the inner city, with a circumference of only about four miles, was much more luxurious.

The houses here are mostly brick and tile structures, and the residents are mostly nobles from the Bohai Kingdom.

Surrounded by the courtyards of nobles, the Bohai Palace, covering only a few hundred acres, stands out conspicuously.

The palace is located directly north of the inner city. The palace walls are built of river stones and are about ten feet high. There are palace gates on all four sides, and the palace also has a Meridian Gate on the south side, which is similar to the Central Plains. The palace is symmetrical and magnificent.

Art gardens were built on the east, west, and north sides outside the palace walls. The gardens contained various facilities such as lakes, artificial hills, palaces, and foundation stones.

Five main halls are arranged along the north-south central axis of the palace, commonly known as the Five-Tiered Hall. The first two halls are the largest and are used for ceremonies and court assemblies. The bases are made of stone and decorated with stone-carved dragon heads. The ground is paved with square bricks imprinted with lotus flower patterns, and green-glazed ceramic column bases are placed on stone column bases.

The three rear halls are slightly smaller in scale and should be sleeping quarters, with heating facilities such as tunnels and chimneys.

The five-tiered hall has many courtyards and buildings on the left and right sides, which were probably the residences of concubines, palace maids and eunuchs, as well as kitchens and warehouses.

Such a magnificent city and palaces are the largest in Northeast China since the dawn of civilization, truly deserving of the title of a prosperous nation in the East China Sea.

"With 30,000 troops gathered in Qingzhou and another 20,000 naval forces building warehouses and stone fortresses on the islands at sea, what is the Han Dynasty planning to do?"

Inside the Longquan Hall, a middle-aged man nearing forty, dressed in a bright yellow round-necked robe, sat solemnly on a golden platform, questioning the assembled officials.

Although Longquan Hall was not as tall as the Qianyuan Hall of the Han Dynasty, it could still accommodate hundreds of officials to discuss matters together.

After several generations of Sinicization, the upper-class nobles and the common people of the vast city of Balhae had long been Sinicized, and their court attire and everyday clothes were modeled after those of the Tang Dynasty.

After Da Xuanxi, who was in his thirties, ascended the throne, he followed the example of the Tang Dynasty by setting up the Three Departments and Six Ministries, and implemented a four-level management system of capital, prefecture, state and county in the local areas.

In addition, he began to implement a comprehensive Sinicization policy, not only requiring officials to use Chinese characters in official documents, but also requiring noble children to study Confucian classics such as the Analects and the Book of Documents.

Moreover, he introduced the Tang Dynasty's imperial examination system to select officials and continued the policy of Buddhism and Taoism coexisting in the religious sphere, building more than ten Buddhist temples and Taoist monasteries in the capital city.

Just as he was enthusiastically emulating the Tang Dynasty, news of the Tang Dynasty's downfall came like a bolt from the blue.

The Tang Dynasty collapsed, and the Han Dynasty was rebuilt on the foundation of the Tang Dynasty. Da Xuanxi also sent envoys at the first opportunity.

The two countries had been getting along quite well, but as the Han Dynasty gathered troops in Qingzhou and ordered the construction of warehouses and stone fortresses on the islands at sea, the ministers of Da Xuanxi and Bohai immediately sensed something was wrong.

This was in June of the fifth year of the Hongwu reign, the eighth year since Da Xuanxi ascended the throne.

Now nearing forty, his primary goal is still to promote Sinicization to advance reforms, alleviate internal conflicts in Bohai, and secondly, to prevent the rise of the Khitan in the west.

If he could, he would not want to go to war with the Han Dynasty, but the Han Dynasty's current actions were telling him that a war between the two sides was inevitable.

Thinking this, he glanced at the assembled officials. The Prime Minister of the State Affairs Department stepped forward and bowed to Da Xuanxi, saying:

"Your Majesty, I believe that instead of making wild guesses, it would be better to send an envoy to Luoyang directly to inquire about Emperor Hongwu's intentions."

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal..."

"I second the proposal..."

The officials all spoke the official dialect of the Heluo region, and although they had some accents, they were not obvious.

Faced with the prime minister's words, Da Xuanxi couldn't help but frown and said, "Sending envoys to Luoyang should not be the only means; at the very least, we should let the Han Dynasty see the strength of our country."

"An imperial edict ordered the garrisons stationed in Xijing Yalu Prefecture and Nanjing Nanhai Prefecture to rush to Liaodong, Beisha, Anshi and other cities to guard against the invasion of the Han."

Although Da Xuanxi's edict might escalate the conflict, the Bohai Kingdom was not afraid of the Han Dynasty.

This confidence mainly stemmed from the fact that the Balhae Kingdom had thwarted the Tang Dynasty's invasion in the past, and that its land routes had been blocked by the Khitan.

In their view, although the Han Dynasty had overthrown the Tang Dynasty, it was at best only slightly stronger than the Tang Dynasty and was completely incapable of crossing the sea to land in Liaodong.

As for the land route, the Han Dynasty would need to defeat the Xi and Khitan people before it could bypass the Liaoze River and attack Bohai.

No matter how you look at it, neither of these two paths is feasible.

"Your Majesty, I have heard General Li Juzheng's memorial, which stated that the Han army often patrols the Liaodong coast with large ships, so large that they blot out the sun. Therefore, I believe that the Han Dynasty must have the intention to recover Liaodong."

Suddenly, a famous official stepped forward from among the officials, bowed and greeted them. He was elegant and handsome, and his appearance was unforgettable.

Da Xuanxi thought for a moment and quickly realized his identity. He couldn't help but ask, "What Pei Shaojian said is true, but Li Juzheng may have exaggerated."

"Your Majesty, I believe that unless one has seen it with one's own eyes, one cannot assert that it is false."

Pei Ting answered respectfully, then continued to speak to Da Xuanxi:
"In my opinion, the emperor of the Han Dynasty will surely send troops to recover Liaodong. Therefore, the purpose of the imperial envoys should be to gather intelligence."

"If it is confirmed that the Great Han intends to recover Liaodong, Your Majesty may need to decide whether to go to war with the Great Han because of Liaodong."

Da Xuanxi frowned, and the other officials also spoke up, saying, "If the Great Han wants to invade Liaodong, it will naturally need to fight them!"

"Back in the Kaiyuan era, the Tang Dynasty also submitted to our country. This Han Dynasty has only recently ended its war; how dare it fight against our country?"

"If the Han Dynasty truly intends to invade Liaodong, we must fight them to the death!"

Faced with the indignant words of his ministers, Da Xuanxi did not immediately express his opinion, but he also knew that he could not simply cede Liaodong without doing anything.

There are still more than 200,000 people and hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland in Liaodong, all of which are taxes levied by the imperial court.

If he were to abandon it, it would inevitably make the already turbulent domestic situation even more turbulent, so he would not back down.

"What you all say is quite right. I wonder who would be willing to go on a mission to the Han Dynasty..."

When Dae Hyeon-seok asked the question, the ministers, who had been indignant, suddenly fell silent.

Although it is said that envoys should not be killed during war between two countries, too many envoys have been killed in history, and who knows if he will be the next one.

"Your Majesty, I am willing to go!"

Pei Ting volunteered, and Da Xuanxi nodded in approval. He had hoped that someone else would step forward, but he saw that all the ministers had their heads down, looking down at their noses and their minds.

Seeing their reaction, Da Xuanxi was somewhat annoyed, and could only look at Pei Ting in the end:
"If that is the case, then let Pei Qing be our envoy. We hope that you can find out the true strength of the Han Dynasty so that our country can make preparations as soon as possible."

"Your subject obeys the decree..."

With Da Xuanxi's approval, Pei Ting became the envoy to the Han Dynasty as he wished, while the other officials breathed a sigh of relief.

Due to the poor performance of the court officials, Dae Heonseok adjourned the court after finalizing the matter. With Dae Heonseok's permission, Pei Ting selected a delegation of over a hundred people to travel to the Han Dynasty in a few days...

(End of this chapter)