Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 536: Northern Expedition to Songmo
"First take the twelve prefectures of Yanbei, then send other generals to attack the yamen."

"Looking back, the Yan Pass is low as a horse, and gradually the Liao River can be seen flowing straight north."

"The might of Heaven sweeps across the Liao River, and the soldiers on their long march sing Han songs..."

On a clear autumn day, as the "Song of Joining the Army" resounded across the Yan-Yun region, countless Han soldiers riding in oxcarts sang loudly, their ranks stretching for hundreds of paces, resembling a long dragon surging into Gui-Zhou, Tan-Zhou, and Ying-Zhou.

As the northern frontier of the Han Dynasty, the eight prefectures of Yan and Yun have a garrison of 60,000 troops year-round, and their population has grown to nearly one million after years of recuperation.

Among these, Youzhou, a populous prefecture, did not see a significant increase in population. Instead, Yunzhou and Weizhou in Hedong, and Guizhou, Tanzhou, Jizhou, Pingzhou, and Yingzhou in Hebei saw continuous population growth.

The powerful families who were exiled in the "Doulu Zhuan Case" were scattered and resettled in these border areas. Each prefecture had a population of 70,000 to 80,000, and the important Ying Prefecture received 150,000 people.

The hardships of the past are over. Now, Yingzhou has been transformed by the Han army through land reclamation, creating a Liaoxi Corridor more than ten zhang wide, as well as farmland in the mountains and valleys.

Even the mountain paths were widened to five zhang by the Han army using gunpowder and manpower, making them much easier to walk on.

To the strains of "Song of Joining the Army," a force of nearly two thousand men is approaching Liucheng, the seat of Yingzhou.

Although the team consisted of nearly two thousand people, only about five hundred of them wore battle armor; the rest were just laborers wearing thin cotton-padded jackets.

Soldiers, armed with armor and weapons, rode in oxcarts, while laborers carried hundreds of kilograms of grain on their backs, following the procession northward.

They came from Pingzhou, but were just a drop in the ocean of the entire army.

As the group continued to advance, the view ahead gradually opened up, revealing a wide and flat river valley plain.

Liucheng is situated in this area, surrounded by farmland stretching for miles, completely unlike its former state of being covered in dense forests.

There were quite a few troops and laborers like these who came to Liucheng. Now, three military camps have been built outside Liucheng, with more than 30,000 soldiers stationed there.

As the army continued to arrive, Husi Guang, along with his generals, surrounded the sand table in the Liuzhou government office. Beside him were Husi Guang's sons Husi Lu and Husi Jin, as well as three military commanders including Li Keju and more than ten captains and lieutenants.

Hu Siguang, who was once a young general beside Liu Jilong, is now over fifty years old, and his two sons are approaching thirty.

Li Keju, by choosing the right side, rose through the ranks over ten years to become the military commander under the Hebei Provincial Governor's Office, a position second only to Husi Guang.

"Our army has 450,000 shi of grain stored in various granaries in Yingzhou, and the Changping Granary, military granary, and official granary in Liucheng alone have 300,000 shi of grain."

"From Liucheng to Muye Mountain, the distance is about four hundred li. At our speed, we can normally reach Muye Mountain in eight days."

"It is now the autumn of the ninth year of Hongwu, and there are still two batches of 150,000 shi of grain that have not been transported to Liucheng. By the time they arrive in Liucheng, it will be almost winter and snow will have fallen."

"Snow begins to fall in the Yanshan Mountains in late October and will not start to melt until around the end of January of the following year."

"If our army focuses its attack on Liucheng, we can send troops out in early February to first break through Muye Mountain, and then cooperate with the Prince of Shuofang (Anpohu) to search the mountains of Khitan and Xi tribes in the Yanshan Mountains. We can also send cavalry and infantry to join forces with Zhang Langjun in Liaodong to encircle and annihilate the remnants of the Khitan grasslands in Songmo."

Although the Khitan were a nomadic people, due to the Tang Dynasty's lax control over the Yanshan Mountains, all eight Khitan tribes engaged in farming, mining, and iron smelting in the Yanshan Mountains, with the Diela tribe being the most famous among them.

If they first conquer Muye Mountain, and then join forces with the troops from Hedong, they can then use 80,000 infantry to encircle and annihilate the Xi and Khitan remnants in the Yanshan Mountains.

After severing the connection between the Yanshan Mountains and the grasslands, the remaining Khitan forces between Song and Mo can be completely eliminated by using cavalry and infantry in conjunction with the troops in Liaodong.

When Hu Siguang finished speaking, none of the generals expressed any objection; instead, they all nodded in agreement.

For the Han army today, with cannons and muskets at their disposal, as long as they don't make fatal mistakes, they can form ranks and dig trenches to defend themselves even if they are attacked.

The decision to launch a military campaign in the spring was made by Liu Jilong, simply because the Yanshan Mountains experience little rain in spring, while the rainy season would begin in May.

We must seize Mount Konoha before May, surround the Yanshan Mountains, and then advance layer by layer. Only in this way can we be truly secure.

"Since there are no objections, then let us train our troops here properly and wait for the next February to launch our attack."

After giving his instructions, Husi Guang immediately took up his pen in the main seat and wrote a memorial, sending the plan to conquer the Khitan and Xi tribes to Luoyang.

At the same time that he sent his memorial, An Pohu of Hedong and Zhang Yanhui of Liaodong also sent their own memorials.

Their memorials finally arrived in September. After reviewing the memorials, Liu Jilong adjusted the tactics of the three men and gave them the departure time, arrival time, and tactical objectives for each of the three armies before sending the memorials to Hebei.

While Liu Jilong was finishing these tasks, Geng Ming, who had already returned to Luoyang and rested for several months, came to see him.

"Send him in!"

Upon learning that Geng Ming was requesting an audience, Liu Jilong immediately thought of the matter of exploring the Americas and urged him to hurry up.

Ximen Jun dared not delay and personally led Geng Ming from outside the hall into the Zhenguan Hall.

"minister……"

"But has the matter of the Eastern Tour come to a conclusion?"

Liu Jilong reached out to interrupt his luggage and asked the question directly.

Geng Ming nodded after hearing this, but his expression was somewhat off, which made Liu Jilong realize that something was wrong.

"Your Majesty, our naval fleet encountered a storm more than 30 days after sailing east from Japan, resulting in the destruction of three ships and the deaths of 274 soldiers."

"After the storm, the fleet sailed eastward for twenty-four days and encountered an archipelago, the largest of which was the size of a prefecture or county. On the islands, there were savages who fished and cultivated taro and bananas."

"According to the nautical chart provided by His Majesty, this place should be Honolulu (Hawaii)."

"Due to insufficient supplies, the fleet split into two groups. Four ships and three hundred sailors continued eastward, while the remaining four ships and more than six hundred people sailed south according to the nautical chart and returned along the North Equatorial Current."

"The returning fleet encountered a storm midway and had to rest in Luzon for three months. One hundred and forty-nine people died of disease there. They did not head north until the warships were repaired."

"Half a month ago, the warships sailed north and arrived in Quanzhou. Only today have the memorial been delivered to Luoyang."

"Your subject dares not be negligent and hereby submits this memorial to the palace."

Geng Ming bowed respectfully, and Liu Jilong, upon hearing this, was neither angry nor upset; instead, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Although he knew the general ocean currents, the Pacific Ocean was not a place one could safely navigate simply by knowing the currents.

The twelve ships and 1,200 sailors that set sail eastward, managing to send four ships to continue exploring the Americas while also bringing nearly 500 sailors back to Quanzhou to report the news to the imperial court, were already worthy of being recorded as meritorious.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong nodded and said, "Naval affairs are difficult. It is already good that we were able to explore Honolulu. Moreover, they can choose to split their forces and continue eastward."

"By imperial decree, all naval personnel on this eastern tour shall be promoted three ranks and each shall be awarded one hundred strings of cash. Those soldiers who die in battle or from disease shall be granted the title of Senior Seventh Rank Yunqiwei if they have children, and their brothers or parents shall inherit the title if they have no children. Those who are orphans shall build a shrine for the loyal and martyrs to be worshipped by their hometown for generations."

"Let these returning sailors rest and recuperate. After summarizing the experience of this eastern expedition, if there are any who are willing to continue the eastern expedition, let them form a fleet and set sail again next year."

Exploring new continents is no easy task, and bringing back and promoting crops is no easy task either.

Europe spent fifty years, aimlessly, bringing back and successfully planting the new crop.

The large-scale operation wouldn't take that long, because Liu Jilong was familiar with the planting and detoxification techniques for new crops such as potatoes, peppers, corn, and sweet potatoes.

In his previous life, he had grown many old varieties of crops with his family. Although the sowing and detoxification techniques were different, they were mostly similar.

If detoxification is not thorough, it can lead to crop degradation and reduced yield after planting.

Therefore, as long as he can bring back the new crop, Liu Jilong is confident that he can promote the new crop in the Tuntian Zhechongfu area within a dozen years.

As long as the agricultural settlements in Zhechongfu yield fruitful results, the surrounding people will naturally follow suit and plant crops. This is the benefit of the agricultural settlements in Zhechongfu.

He couldn't place his hopes on the soldiers on those four ships, so he had to cast a wide net; even if only one ship brought back the crops, the plan would still be considered a success.

For the Han Chinese, the only attraction of the Americas was the new crops; other resources such as gold, silver, and even abundant game were not important.

The Han Dynasty had a population of just over 40 million, yet it had Japan and Yunnan, two major gold, silver, and copper mines, right on its doorstep, and huge markets in the southwest and west.

The northeast and southwest directions near our home are both potential development areas; there's no need to look far away when we can find something closer.

However, although the imperial court did not intend to develop the Americas, the people could develop them on their own.

Lost in thought, Liu Jilong looked at Geng Ming and said, "This matter will require your continued attention. Also, how is the exploration in Southeast Asia progressing?"

The spice markets of Southeast Asia and India were very important. Although they could be obtained through the Silk Road at present, maritime transport would always continue to develop.

Rather than allowing the Arabs to intervene and take the lead, it would be better to let the Han Chinese intervene first to prevent the eastward spread of religious ideology.

"Regarding the situation in Southeast Asia, I have already dispatched many ships south and obtained a great deal of information."

"Nanyang mainly consisted of three countries: Srivijaya, Kalinga (Java), and Kedah (Malay Peninsula). These three countries had a population of one million and an army of tens of thousands, but they mostly used bronze and pig iron, and their armor was mainly chainmail and rattan armor."

"It would be easy for the imperial court to defeat them, but these places are rife with miasma and it is not easy to stay for long."

"I believe that we should first launch a military campaign against Champa in southern Annam, recapture Champa, and then relocate the people to settle there. It would be more convenient to travel from Champa to Southeast Asia."

After Geng Ming finished speaking, Liu Jilong pondered for a moment based on the available intelligence, and finally nodded.

Given the situation and climate in Southeast Asia, it would be inappropriate to attempt to use the imperial army to conquer these places. Southeast Asia is mostly an archipelago and a tropical rainforest, so there is no need to invest limited resources in those archipelagos that are off the shipping lanes.

If Champa could be captured, one could travel south from Champa directly to the Strait of Malacca. Therefore, the imperial court would only need to establish a Pacification Commission and an official office in the Strait of Malacca, just like the Ming Dynasty.

However, the control exerted by the Pacification Commissioner's Office and the officialdom was ultimately too weak. Moreover, there were not many Han Chinese in Southeast Asia at that time, so it was still necessary to station troops there.

"Let's put this matter aside for now, bring back the crops from the Far East first, and then discuss the recovery of the old territories of the Khitan, Xi, and Yunnan."

Liu Jilong gave a reply, and Geng Ming bowed to acknowledge it. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Liu Jilong, he left Zhenguan Hall.

As they left, Liu Jilong turned his gaze to Ximen Junsui: "When does the Crown Prince plan to return to the capital?"

"Your Majesty, the Crown Prince plans to return to Luoyang after his term ends. He should return and arrive in Luoyang next July."

After Ximen Jun finished speaking, Liu Jilong nodded. For some reason, he suddenly thought of Gao Pian and couldn't help but ask, "What has the Prince of Bohai been doing these days?"

"I have heard that the Prince of Bohai has been seeking immortality and consulting Taoist alchemists in recent years."

Ximen Jun then recounted Gao Pian's recent actions. Liu Jilong was speechless after hearing this, thinking to himself that God had given Gao Pian a good body, but unexpectedly, he had become a madman in his old age.

If this guy had taken fewer pills, he could probably have lived for another ten or twenty years.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong instructed him: "Tell the Prince of Bohai that seeking immortality and asking questions is nothing but a delusion. Tell him to dismiss those alchemists and focus on self-cultivation."

“Yes…” Ximen Jun nodded in agreement, and Liu Jilong then added:
"If he doesn't believe it, let him catch some chickens and ducks to feed those pills. It will only take a few days to find out if those pills are effective."

"This servant will give the order immediately..."

Ximen Jun respectfully agreed, but couldn't help saying, "Throughout history, many emperors and generals have pursued immortality and sought immortality through the Dao. Only Emperor Gaozu of Han and Your Majesty have been so open-minded."

Liu Jilong chuckled upon hearing this, picked up the memorial on the table, and said, "Emperor Gaozu of Han was naturally magnanimous, but I merely know that seeking immortality and asking about the Dao are all vain, and that all so-called elixirs are deadly poisons, which is why I take it all in stride."

After speaking, he lowered his head and continued processing the memorials. Ximen Jun then walked out of Zhenguan Hall and ordered someone to go to the Bohai Prince's Mansion.

More than half an hour later, when the eunuch in the Bohai Prince's mansion finished speaking, Gao Pian, who was standing in front of him, remained expressionless, but felt a little uncomfortable in his heart.

He thought he had been behaving himself at home, but His Majesty still sent eunuchs to cut off his path to immortality. Was it to avenge past grievances?

Gao Pian took a deep breath, and bowed with a forced smile, saying, "Your subject Gao Pian respectfully obeys Your Majesty's decree..."

Seeing that he agreed, the eunuch who delivered the imperial edict added:

"His Majesty also said that if the Prince of Bohai does not believe it, he can have the pills fed to chickens and ducks, and it will only take a few days to find out that these pills are extremely poisonous."

After adding the details, the eunuch looked at the soldiers behind him and said, "Expel all the sorcerers in the Prince's residence from the capital!"

"Yes!!"

More than ten soldiers began to act, and soon, amidst the commotion, they used sticks to drive the more than ten sorcerers that Gao Pian had hired at great expense out of the Bohai Prince's Palace, and sent people to escort them out of the country.

After doing all this, the eunuch bowed to Gao Pian and left, while Gao Pian walked back to the main hall alone, still angry.

The steward in the palace quickly followed him and then bowed, saying, "Your Highness, the people in the palace have taken the alchemist away, but the elixirs have been left behind."

"He stayed behind?" Gao Pian was slightly surprised, but quickly remembered what Liu Jilong had told him.

These elixirs are made from medicinal materials worth tens or hundreds of strings of cash. Ordinary people would never let chickens or ducks test the medicine; normally, it is people who are tested.

For this reason, as long as the people who participated in the drug trials are healthy, these pills can be consumed without worry.

However, Gao Pian couldn't help but have some doubts about what Liu Jilong had said.

After a moment's thought, he said with a heavy heart, "Have someone bring out thirty pills, select a poultry, and give it the pills three times a day to see if it is as deadly as Your Majesty says."

"This..." Jia Cheng couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache upon hearing this, as he knew the price of these pills.

"Keep a close eye on the servants. If anyone dares to secretly hide or consume the elixir, immediately hand them over to the authorities for punishment!"

The mention of punishing the servants made Gao Pian feel uncomfortable again.

In the early Tang Dynasty, killing a servant in one's household would at most result in a fine. But now, one cannot even discipline a servant personally; one must be sent to the yamen for punishment. This is truly frustrating.

Thinking of this, Gao Pian snorted and took out a storybook, quietly studying it.

Since Liu Jilong wrote "Journey to the West" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", vernacular stories have gradually become popular, and many writers have emerged to write them.

Among them, many former Tang Dynasty literati were unwilling to serve the Han Dynasty, so they wrote many vernacular stories to enhance their reputation and earn money.

This situation expanded its influence after the Han Dynasty began publishing newspapers. Many literati copied content from their own storybooks and published them in the newspapers to attract wealthy households to buy their storybooks.

The popularity of vernacular stories led to the gradual prosperity of local bookstores. Many bookstores would sign contracts with literati to cultivate exclusive vernacular stories and enhance their reputation.

However, with Liu Jilong's masterpieces preceding them, later stories often imitated "Journey to the West" and "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," leading to the emergence of many stories about gods, demons, monsters, and history.

Gao Pian enjoyed studying stories of gods, demons, and strange tales in order to find the way to immortality.

However, with Journey to the West preceding him, he always felt that other stories were somewhat lacking. Lost in thought, he couldn't help but say:

"The stories written by these mediocre writers are truly unbearable to read!"

After cursing under his breath, he picked up the Han Dynasty's "National Gazette" and "Capital Gazette" and began to study them. The news mentioned that the Han Dynasty was going to wage war against the Khitan and Xi tribes, which made Gao Pian feel itchy.

Although he was sixty-two, he was still full of energy, physically strong, and had a full head of black hair.

Seeing those mediocre talents who were less capable than himself winning battle after battle on the front lines, he naturally felt itchy to do so, but he couldn't bring himself to ask Liu Jilong for help.

He knew that as long as he asked, Liu Jilong would definitely arrange a job for him, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

Thinking this, he became increasingly agitated, and finally got up and walked towards the villa, intending to go fishing in the pond to temper his temper.

As he honed his character, time flew by.

A few days later, the steward suddenly found Gao Pian, who was practicing calligraphy, with a grave expression. After bowing deeply, he said, "Your Highness, the poultry have been suffering from diarrhea and refusing to eat for the past few days, their feathers are ruffled, and this morning one of them vomited blood and died. This..."

Upon hearing this, Gao Pian's brush trembled slightly, instantly ruining the calligraphy.

He raised his head with a gloomy expression, and the steward became even more respectful.

"Dead? What about the servants who were testing the medicine?"

"The servants are fine, but the poultry did indeed die from diarrhea, refusal to eat, ruffled feathers, and vomiting blood, just as the old servant had said."

The steward's words made Gao Pian uneasy. After thinking it over, he still felt that his life was more important, so he gritted his teeth and ordered, "Prepare the carriage. I need to go to the palace to see the Emperor."

"Yes!" The steward's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he quickly agreed and arranged a carriage for him.

Gao Pian nervously rode to the palace gate, and soon received a message that he was allowed to walk into the palace to go to the Zhenguan Hall.

Gao Pian steeled himself and headed to the Zhenguan Hall. Along the way, he encountered many officials entering the palace, all of whom stared at him in astonishment, making Gao Pian blush with embarrassment. For the past ten years, although Gao Pian had surrendered and been granted the title of Prince, he had spent his days in his residence, ignoring even the founding of the Han Dynasty and the annual grand court assembly.

Now that he has suddenly left his residence and entered the palace, the news quickly swept through the entire Southern Court like an autumn wind.

"Your subject, Gao Pian, Prince of Bohai, requests an audience with Your Majesty..."

"Enter--"

In front of Zhenguan Hall, Gao Pian braced himself and began to recite the rites. The eunuch at the hall gate announced the imperial decree, and only after receiving the decree was Gao Pian allowed to enter the hall.

Gao Pian strode into the hall and soon arrived at a side hall led by a eunuch, where he saw Liu Jilong leaning back in a chair, looking at him with great interest.

Ten years had passed, and Liu Jilong looked to be no more than thirty years old, while Gao Pian, even though he was physically strong, looked much older.

He was twelve years older than Liu Jilong, but his condition was thirty years worse.

"Your subject, Prince Gao Pian of Bohai, pays his respects to Your Majesty. Long live Your Majesty!"

"Be flat."

He shouted "Long live the Emperor!" three times to Liu Jilong according to Tang Dynasty custom, and was about to dance when Liu Jilong stopped him.

"Give me a seat."

Liu Jilong looked at Ximen Junsui, who then ordered a eunuch to offer Gao Pian a seat.

After Gao Pian bowed and sat down, Liu Jilong finally spoke, "Have any of the poultry in the manor died?"

He spoke softly, but his voice scraped across Gao Pian's face like a knife, making Gao Pian's old face turn red.

"Your Majesty, I would like to ask: I have been taking elixirs for fifteen years. Given my current physical condition, will I die like those poultry?"

Gao Pian was uneasy, while Liu Jilong was astonished when he heard that he could maintain such a state after taking elixirs for fifteen years.

Among the emperors he knew, only Wu Zetian, Liu Che, Xiao Yan, and Zhao Gou had taken elixirs for a long time and lived to the age of Gao Pian.

Even the Taoist emperor Zhu Houcong only lived to be sixty, so he really didn't know whether to praise Gao Pian for his long life or for his good health.

"Write down all three meals you eat each day and let me see them."

At this moment, Liu Jilong acted like a doctor, and Gao Pian did not sense anything was wrong. He respectfully took the paper and pen from Ximen Junsui and wrote down his three meals a day.

After Ximen Jun brought the paper, Liu Jilong read its contents and immediately lost his composure.

Gao Pian had people collect dew every day to brew tea and cook meals. Although most of his three meals were vegetarian, he ate all kinds of pastries and sweet drinks such as honey water and sugarcane juice as if they were water and food.

Living to 62 years old with such a high-sugar diet is already incredibly lucky; it means they were born with longevity genes, otherwise they would have developed gout or diabetes long ago.

Liu Jilong had experienced the severity of gout in his previous life, so in this life he basically maintains a simple diet, rarely or never eats pastries, and occasionally drinks rice wine and yellow wine.

His life was certainly luxurious in the eyes of ordinary people, but even among emperors, it was comparable to that of an ascetic.

Even so, he has had a string of minor health problems over the years.

In contrast, Gao Pian was taking pills and sugar, but nothing happened to him; at most, he was a little mentally disturbed.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong felt somewhat awkward, and then said:

"There is no need to drink dew. Just take more calming decoction, licorice and black bean soup, and Guipi decoction, and drink less alcohol."

"After two or three years of such treatment, although my body may not be fully recovered, it will be much better than it is now."

Having been ill for a long time, Liu Jilong has become a doctor himself. He has guided many medical students in their research and naturally has some of his own insights.

What Gao Pian needs to do now is detoxify and nourish the five internal organs, and at the same time use An Shen Tang to regulate his spirit is enough.

After giving his instructions, Liu Jilong looked at the energetic Gao Pian and couldn't help but think of the matter of using troops against Da Li.

"The imperial court is now preparing to attack the Khitan and Xi tribes, and at the same time recover the vast territory south of the Liao River."

"After the situation in the north is stabilized, we will head south to reclaim Dali. I have not yet decided who should lead the army. If you could be the commander, that would be the best outcome."

The court had many capable generals, but if we were to say who was most familiar with the grand ceremony, it would definitely be Gao Pian, Zhang Wu, and Wang Shi.

Wang Shi is now seventy-two years old and was nearly critically ill a few days ago, so he is clearly not suitable to be in command.

Zhang Wu is not bad, but he is still inferior to Gao Pian. If Gao Pian could be used, Liu Jilong would definitely prefer to use Gao Pian.

While Liu Jilong was pondering, Gao Pian breathed a sigh of relief followed by a moment of anxiety.

He breathed a sigh of relief because his problem wasn't serious, but he was also on edge because Liu Jilong wanted him to be in charge.

He was very clear about the current situation of the Han Dynasty. There were many generals who could command thousands or tens of thousands of troops, but in terms of commanding tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops, there were actually only four: Zhang Huaishen, An Pohu, Zhang Wu, and the rising star Li Yangchun.

Of the four, Zhang Huaishen was the most capable, but he was stationed in the Western Regions for most of the year.

Zhang Wu was good at defense but not at offense, and his ability to command troops was also somewhat weak.

An Pohu was mainly responsible for defending against the northern nomadic tribes, while Li Yangchun was relatively inexperienced.

If the Han Dynasty could discover some talented generals by conquering the Khitan and Xi tribes and pacifying Dali in the south, it could secure the Han Dynasty's military strength for the next twenty or thirty years.

Thinking of this, Gao Pian realized that his age was not much different from when Wang Shi attacked him, and if he refused this time, he would probably never have the opportunity to lead troops into battle again.

After much deliberation, Gao Pian still took the initiative to bow and said, "Your subject is willing to lead troops to conquer Dali!"

"Excellent!" Liu Jilong seemed to have known Gao Pian would agree, and he nodded slightly.

"Today, I hereby appoint you as the Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner of the four circuits of Jiannan, Shannan West, Lingnan, and Qianzhong, and concurrently as the Acting Minister of War and the Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Regions."

"Next spring, we will march south. You will personally inspect the three armies and plan the deployment."

"Your subject obeys the decree..."

Gao Pian never expected that, at the age of sixty-two, he would receive an imperial edict for his demise.

If I could lead my troops to destroy Dali, who had occupied the southwest for 150 years, and reclaim the southern lands from the Han dynasty, the history books would surely record my achievements in great detail.

Thinking of this, Gao Pian couldn't help but regain some of his spirits.

"I am no match for His Majesty. Everyone else is nothing but chickens and dogs..."

Liu Jilong noticed Gao Pian's changing expression. Knowing Gao Pian was prone to arrogance, he couldn't help but remind him:

"The imperial army is vastly different from what it used to be. After you arrive in the southwest, you will need to thoroughly inspect the various units and understand the uses of firearms in order to achieve twice the result with half the effort."

"Your subject obeys the decree." Gao Pian bowed in response, and Liu Jilong, seeing this, gestured for him to step down.

"Your subject respectfully withdraws..."

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

After he left, Ximen Jun then took the initiative to bow and ask, "Your Majesty, why not appoint the Prince of Bachuan as the commander-in-chief?"

Liu Jilong picked up his pen and let out a long sigh, explaining, "Zhang Wu is good at guarding the town, but we still need to send Gao Pian to deal with You Shilong and Da Li."

"After we recover Dali, we can send Zhang Wu or Li Yangchun and a prince to guard Yunnan..."

Many people believe that the Ming Dynasty's system of sending princes to govern regions was a system of enfeoffing princes, but in fact, it was a system created by Zhu Yuanzhang, who imitated the Yuan Dynasty's system of sending princes to govern regions.

In local areas, the three offices share power, and the princes can only manage their own palaces and their own guards, the number of which ranges from about five thousand to fifteen thousand.

If a prince is required to command troops, he will be granted a military command flag and given command of the military command.

Without flags, even the princes could not command a single soldier in the military command.

To say that this system has major problems would be an exaggeration.

Zhu Di's success in quelling the rebellion was mainly due to his independent control of the military forces in Daming, Beiping, and Liaodong starting in the 24th year of the Hongwu reign, which allowed him to cultivate many trusted confidants.

Even so, not all of the three major military commands were his men; at the beginning of the Jingnan Rebellion, the troops that besieged Zhu Di were basically from these three major military commands.

Zhu Di first defeated those who opposed him, and only then did he have the opportunity to recruit his trusted confidants who remained in the Three Military Commands.

If he cannot defeat the troops of the three major military commands, he will not have the opportunity to recruit them, and his confidants will only continue to obediently serve as Jianwen's subjects.

The system of sending princes to govern garrisons can be used as a reference, but the number of troops assigned should not be too large, otherwise they may become too powerful to control.

In places like Yunnan, Liaodong, Anxi, and Beiting, it would be ideal to have princes stationed there. Therefore, Liu Jilong planned to settle several capable princes in Yunnan after the reconquest of the region.

Zhu Yuanzhang did a good job in settling Mu Ying, but Yunnan has a complex terrain. The Hengduan Mountains cover one-third of Yunnan's area. Only placing a prince near Dianchi Lake can only affect the area north of the Ailao Mountains, and cannot affect areas further away.

Although the vast area west and south of the Ailao Mountains is tropical and has many miasma and poisonous insects and snakes, there are also several good river valleys and plains that can be developed.

Liu Jilong vaguely remembered that the Red River Valley Plain and the Longchuan River Valley Plain, as well as the area near the old city of Yongchang, had been almost fully developed. All he needed to do was conquer them and recruit the local barbarians to reclaim the wasteland.

If these areas are developed and a prince is stationed there, with the three departments sharing power and supervising each other, even if the prince wants to rebel, it will be difficult to defeat the governor-general's office, which has a force several times larger than his.

Moreover, the southwest is not like the north. Even the most outstanding military strategist would find it difficult to conquer the central plains from the southwest. At most, they would only be able to establish their own independent regime.

As long as the policy of relocating people to settle in the local area is implemented, even if this area becomes independent, it will still be under Han Chinese influence, and Yunnan will not be lost.

Thinking this way, Liu Jilong couldn't help but think of his nine sons besides Liu Lie.

The two sons, Liu Zhen, the Prince of Qin; the three sons, Liu Ming, the Prince of Jin; the four sons, Liu Xian, the Prince of Chu; and the five sons, Liu Wu, the Prince of Qi, have all gone to the countryside to join the army.

The remaining six sons, Liu Shou, the King of Zhao; Liu Qi, the King of Wei; Liu Di, the King of Yan; and Liu Bai, the King of Han, were still studying at school.

Unlike Crown Prince Liu Lie, Liu Jilong hoped that his nine sons would be given official positions and proper training after joining the army in the countryside.

They've had enough training. Then we'll examine their character more thoroughly and finally select a few to go to Yunnan.

"Bring me information on the nine princes; I want to see what kind of character they possess."

"Yes……"

At Liu Ji's instruction, Ximen Jun quickly retrieved the records made by Zhao Ying when he ordered the protection of the princes. Liu Ji took the time to peruse them, his brows gradually furrowing.

Among Liu Jilong's sons, only the last five sons grew up in Luoyang because they were too young or had not yet given birth. He often saw them and taught them many lessons, so they were generally well-behaved.

Due to Liu Jilong's busy political affairs at the time, he only taught Liu Lie and Liu Zhen. Liu Ming and Liu Xian were raised by Liu Lie and Liu Zhen.

When I left, Liu Zhen wasn't very old. Now, although he's been sent to the countryside, his personality is indeed as unconventional as Liu Lie described in his letter.

The document states that Liu Zhen often shirked his duties and cheated others during his time in the countryside, frequently borrowing money from government shops on credit, openly and secretly demonstrating his noble status.

He generally accepted bribes from all who came to him, and after joining the army, he repeatedly disobeyed military orders until Zhang Huaishen gave him a severe beating, at which point he became more obedient.

"Ugh……"

Liu Jilong didn't know what to say, after all, it was his own fault for failing to manage Erlang, and it was Zhang Huai who had gone to great lengths to teach him.

He continued reading, and Liu Zhen became much more obedient after being instructed by Zhang Huaishen.

Zhang Huaishen punished him by making him guard the beacon tower, which he has been doing since March of this year, seemingly to temper his character.

"That's fine too."

Liu Jilong pondered for a moment, then looked at Ximen Junsui: "Write a letter to the Prince of Jiaohe, asking him to extend the Prince of Qin's term of service, and to end the term of service only when he has become capable."

“Yes…” Ximen Jun agreed, and then Liu Jilong looked through the other three books.

Prince Liu Ming of Jin and Prince Liu Xian of Chu joined the army at the same time. They were assigned to Gumo in Anxi. They often huddled together and played around. During the year and a half they spent in the countryside, they basically made other students help them with chores. Liu Jilong's forehead veins bulged as he watched this. After trying his best to calm himself down, he looked at Ximen Junsui:

"I see that they like to stick together, so let the Gumo Tuntian Zhechong Prefecture send them to remote places to reclaim wasteland and cultivate the land themselves. Sending people to deliver supplies to them regularly will be enough."

"This..." Ximen Jun was speechless, and couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this punishment too harsh?"

"Heavy?" Although Liu Jilong knew it was because he hadn't taught his son well, he didn't want to have a beastly son.

They are only sixteen or seventeen years old. It's not too late for prodigals to turn back. If they are not punished, who knows what kind of villains they might become in the future?
"Issue each of them to reclaim five acres of wasteland. If anyone dares to help, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"I'll join the army when I clear five acres of wasteland."

After setting aside the three troublesome documents, Liu Jilong continued to peruse the documents of his fourth son, Liu Wu, the Prince of Qi.

Fortunately, Liu Wu was not as unruly as the previous three. He was quite obedient and followed the garrison soldiers to cultivate and reclaim wasteland every day. At most, he would go to the city to eat and drink meat when he was on leave, and then get so drunk that people would come looking for him.

Compared to the previous three, his getting drunk wasn't a big deal, as long as he didn't cause trouble while drunk.

"Tell Zhao Ying to prevent the King of Qi from getting drunk and causing trouble."

"Yes……"

Ximen Junsui breathed a sigh of relief; he had been genuinely worried that these princes would cause even bigger trouble than the last.

"Are the Prince of Zhao and his classmates fairly well-behaved at school?"

Liu Jilong suddenly asked, and Ximen Jun nodded in response: "The five princes in the capital have not done anything out of line. They are just young and playful at times."

"In addition, his grades at school were poor, for which he was often punished by the Empress and the Imperial Concubine..."

"Hehe," Liu Jilong chuckled, already imagining the scene of Feng Hui and Li Meiling disciplining the five boys.

As he laughed, he forgot the unpleasantness from before, put away the documents, and continued to work on the memorials.

Just as he lowered his head to process the memorials, a sound rang out from outside the hall.

"Your Majesty, Cao Mao, the Grand Commander of the Central Army and Prince of Jiuquan, requests an audience."

"come in!"

Liu Jilong put down his brush and gestured with his eyes.

At his signal, Cao Mao, dressed in ordinary clothes, entered the hall and bowed to Liu Jilong, saying:
"Your subject, Cao Mao, Grand Commander of the Central Army and Prince of Jiuquan, pays respects to Your Majesty. Long live the Emperor!"

"Ready to set off north?"

Liu Jilong asked with a smile, after all, it was already September, and he had just arranged a plan to encircle and annihilate the Khitan and Xi tribes, so it was time for Cao Mao to head north.

Faced with the question, Cao Mao bowed and said, "I have already mustered the six armies of the Northern Army and will be setting off north in three days. I have come today to bid farewell to Your Majesty."

"Hehe..." Liu Jilong saw that he was getting a little sentimental and simply laughed and said, "Go north and fight well, and lead the Six Armies of the Northern Army to show their might."

"Yes!" Cao Mao chuckled, and Liu Jilong continued to give instructions:

"After pacifying Yanbei, the court will establish the Daning Circuit in Yanbei. You and An Pohu and others will select those with high merit and good character in the army to serve as the governors of the Daning Circuit, in charge of the governor's office, and to guard against invasions by the Shiwei, Bohai and Li Keyong and others."

“In the future, all prisoners and civilians from Hebei and Hedong will be sent to Daning Road to cultivate wasteland and protect Hebei from the invasion of the barbarians.”

"Your subject obeys the decree." Cao Mao respectfully replied, and then, seeing that Liu Jilong had not given any further instructions, he slowly withdrew from the Zhenguan Hall.

After he left, Liu Jilong stood up and looked at the map behind him, his gaze fixed on the northern side of Yanshan and the Songmo region.

Once this land is secured, northern Hebei and Liaodong will be able to enter a period of rapid development. Liaodong currently has too little population and arable land; it needs to focus on development for another ten or twenty years...

(End of this chapter)