The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 364 Moving the Capital
Abandoned.

Following the anti-revolutionary era name campaign, throughout April, the emperor handled several other matters that were neither major nor minor, but necessary to be done.

On the fifth day of the fourth month, an imperial edict was issued to change the names of all the palaces and gates inside and outside Bianliang.

The larger inner yamen, Chongyuan Hall, was called Shengli.

The Yuande Hall in the East Office remains unchanged; the Changju Jinxiang Hall is renamed Xiangfu; the Wansui Hall is renamed Tianshou; and the Jinwu Gate is renamed Hongyang…

Zhu Wen claimed that he had attained enlightenment through metal, and therefore he needed to erase the traces of metal virtue he had left in Bianliang.

On the same day, at the recommendation of the Celestial Immortal Sovereign, the Sage held a dialogue with a group of military leaders and civil officials at the Rize Temple, and then issued the "Edict to Change the Capital".

The Xuanwu Army was abolished. Bianzhou was upgraded to Kaifeng Prefecture and renamed Dongjing.

Since the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty maintained five capitals for most of its history. These were Shangjing (Upper Capital) Jingzhao Prefecture, Dongjing (Eastern Capital) Henan Prefecture, Beijing (Beijing) Taiyuan Prefecture, Nanjing (Nanjing) Jiangling Prefecture, and Xijing (Western Capital) Fengxiang Prefecture. Chang'an and Luoyang were the capitals, the former called Jingji (Capital Region) and the latter Duji (Capital Region), while the others were secondary capitals. Chengdu briefly served as Nanjing, Luoyang was also renamed Zhongjing (Middle Capital), and Chang'an fluctuated between Shangjing, Xijing, and Zhongjing, creating a rather chaotic situation.

In addition to announcing that Tokyo would be moved from Luoyang to Bianliang, the two capitals, North and South, were also abolished.

Correspondingly, Luoyang was renamed Zhongjing (Central Capital). Chang'an remained Xijing (Western Capital). Barring unforeseen circumstances, the imperial court would henceforth reside permanently in Bianliang (Kaifeng)—at least during the reign of the Emperor. This was to utilize the geographical, human, and agricultural advantages of the city. Its excellent transportation links allowed for swift and decisive attacks, thus enabling the conquest of the realm.

The Central Plains boasts a long history of elite armies, consistently serving as a major force in China's historical wars against foreign powers. During the Qing Dynasty's campaigns against Nanzhao, Tubo, Jiaozhou, Cai Kou, and Hebei, Henan troops were also a key force. The saying goes, "Though the Xu Kou were annihilated, Henan was nearly devastated." Examples abound in this land: widows living in neighboring villages, and orphaned girls carrying the remains of their fathers and brothers from various front lines back to their hometowns thousands of miles away.

Before the Qianfu era, the people of Bianjing (Kaifeng) were worthy of the Tang Dynasty, but the Li family and their ministers failed them.

The relocation of the capital from Tokyo to Bianjing (Kaifeng) and the permanent residence of the imperial court would obviously enhance the political and economic standing of the region.

This boosted the morale of the surrendered soldiers, civilians, and scholars; at least those who had no enmity with them saw the pervasive eerie atmosphere dissipate somewhat.

Indeed, many people are dissatisfied with this and do not want to move the capital. But the sage will not yield. It's not like we're never going back. If the country can be pacified sooner, we can return earlier. Sometimes I want to go back for a visit; it's not far.

As you know, I have always loved Chang'an.

Of course, Bianliang still needed to be repaired, after all, it had to support the size of Chang'an and the Daming Palace. Emperor Li alone had hundreds of concubines and Taoist nuns with titles, as well as thousands of eunuchs and palace maids.

On the sixth day of the fourth month, an imperial edict was issued to pardon those who had fled, carried out forced labor, or had their hair shaved and tattooed.

The Zhu family, father and son, waged war year after year, with harsh military law leading to constant desertions. To curb this, almost every soldier in the Bian army was tattooed on the face, which only increased the number of deserters and routed soldiers. Later, when Zhu Wen first usurped the throne, conscription in the Later Liang Dynasty became extremely difficult, forcing Zhu Wen to grant a general amnesty and abolish many military laws.

Consider the chaotic soldiers now scattered throughout the Central Plains; while not all of them are deserters, a significant number are certainly not.

The saint granted a complete pardon.

This is a veiled notification that the Zhu family is dead and you are free.

Those who wanted to go home went home, and those who wanted to join the army went to Bianliang to await selection and appointment.

These people may be unhappy or indifferent to the Li family or the imperial court, but they are definitely even more unhappy with the Zhu family. If they are carefully selected and trained for a couple of years, they can still be useful.

On the seventh day of April, the edict was issued:
"Imperial Edict on Interviewing Sages, Warriors, and Virtuous Individuals from Hundreds of Schools of Thought in Henan, Hebei, Jianghuai, and Qilu"

"Selection of Personnel by the Horse Stance Instructor's Office and the Ministry of Rites"

On the eighth day, an imperial edict was issued ordering the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and others to discuss in detail the systems of the Mingtang, the altars of the gods of the land and grain, the round altar, and the shrines in the Eastern Capital.

The literal meaning is to first copy the corresponding items of the divine way to Bianliang.

This day was also the day of the King of Wu's engagement.

Following the emperor's instruction to "find him a good match first," officials quickly summoned several ministers for talks. The Grand Counselor Dugu Zhen, having heard rumors, was eager to curry favor and confided in the Imperial Clan Head, praising his second daughter, Dugu Yun, as a potential matchmaker. The Imperial Clan Head initially intended to meet her in Chang'an before making further plans. However, he was surprised to find that Dugu Yun had brought her family with her this time.

When Zongzheng saw the woman, he found her very beautiful. After an interview, he found no flaws in her character and reported it to the emperor. The emperor, who only wanted to find a woman for the Prince of Wu as soon as possible, had little to say. However, Consort Shu was somewhat displeased, feeling that Dugu Zhen's official rank was low and that she was a useless civil official. But upon learning that Dugu Zhen's ancestors had been wealthy and that her grandfather, Dugu Yu, was the son-in-law of the Yuanhe Chancellor Quan Deyu, she agreed.

So they proceeded with the six-step process of betrothal and name inquiry.

After seeing Dugu Zhen and her father, the sage was somewhat depressed.

The future daughter-in-law, Dugu Yun, was indeed very beautiful, with a shy yet lively charm.

He regretted it somewhat; he should have met with Dugu Yun before making a decision.

Dugu Zhen, Dugu Zhen, you have such a beauty in your household, why don't you send her to my harem?

"Fuck your mother, fuck your mother!" The emperor lashed out at Consort Shu. But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and formally confer the title of Princess Consort of Wu upon Dugu Yun.

Fortunately, another piece of good news dispelled the distracting thoughts.

On April 11, the Prince of Liang, the military governor of Shuofang Army, and the military governor of Changsheng Army led their troops to Bianliang.

After a fierce battle, the Jiuqu City region had been captured by Wu Xiong's forces. They captured the city lord and several thousand enemy soldiers, tens of thousands of people, and a considerable amount of livestock and valuables. In addition, during the conquest of this region, Wu Xiong also conscripted and appointed tens of thousands of Tuyuhun and Dangxiang auxiliary troops, both men and women. Based on the sage's saying that population is wealth, they discussed it and decided to bring them all back.

Therefore, it crawls along the road with difficulty.

The sages received good news at the beginning of the year, and they only arrived in Guanzhong last month.

With so many mixed-race people entering the pass at once, and the imperial court even fleeing to Bianliang, the resettlement became a thorny issue. Under the coordination of the Chang'an magistrate, Zuo Fengyi, and others, the livestock were sent to Shayuan for rearing. The people were distributed among several prefectures to various counties, with county magistrates assigned to temporarily oversee them. The men and women of the servant army were selected, carrying large and small bundles of valuables, and went to Bianliang from the main army.

Zha Zhu returned around this time. Besides his own army, he only had a few thousand prisoners of war, more than two thousand additional barbarian soldiers, and more than a thousand tribal troops from the Long tribe of Suzhou. Therefore, once Wu Xiong had settled in, the two armies joined forces.

Upon hearing of the triumphant return of the Prince of Liang and the two military governors, the Emperor, accompanied by Consort Zhao, personally went to the outskirts of the city to welcome them.

"Your Majesty, we are filled with fear!" The officers knelt down on one knee in unison: "Your Majesty, we congratulate the Great Sage! Congratulations to the Holy Tang Dynasty! The great thief is dead!"

"You've all traveled a long way and are exhausted." The sage looked at this one and patted that one, then laughed and said, "I won't say any more. Take your troops and settle them down. In a couple of days, after I've read the battle report, the rewards and the division of merits will be announced."

"Here!"

"Mother!" After the generals led their troops away and settled them in, King Liang leaped onto Zhao Ruxin, his eyes brimming with tears: "Your son almost died in the wilderness! I fell ill several times, my mouth turned purple with fever, and I saw stars. All I could see was you, sob sob sob..."

"Get down." Zhao Ruxin was also moved, tears streaming down her face, and said, "What kind of talk is this?"

Wu Xiong was momentarily embarrassed: "Great Sage, Your Highness, I am guilty..."

The sage stopped him: "This is normal when you're on the battlefield."

Seeing Li Zhengyang clinging to her in front of everyone, Zhao Ruxin hardened her heart, pulled him off, and held him up in front of her with both hands: "How do you feel?"

“Um…” King Liang thought for a moment, then sighed, “It’s hard to say.”

"He's thin, dark-skinned, and dirty, like a little beggar." After looking her son over for a while, Zhao Ruxin smiled gently with concern, reached out and pulled him close, quietly feeling his warmth.

"Over there, we hunt yaks and eat them, catch donkeys and eat donkey meat... How could we not be beggars? I'm lucky! I've always stayed by Wu Xiong's side. Many soldiers didn't die at the hands of that bastard, but died of illness or exhaustion..."

King Liang kept talking.

"Are you scared?" Zhao Ruxin's gaze swept over him, her eyes sparkling. "Even if Wu Xiong is scared, I've never been scared." King Liang patted his chest, showing off his strength. He then jumped, rolled, and thrashed on the ground, beaming with pride: "My martial arts are equivalent to the combined strength of three hundred generals!"

"Don't make me laugh." Zhao Ruxin covered her mouth and said, "When we get back, we'll have a match with you and your uncle."

"it is good!"

"Go and pay your respects to your father." Consort Zhao released his hand and nudged him toward the Sage who was talking with Zha Zhu and the others.

During his spare time, King Liang also carefully observed Laozi.

She still looks as haggard as before.

Judging from his expression, he was in a good mood and seemed satisfied with the military operations in the Western Lands and with himself.

"Still so energetic, that's rare." At this moment, the sage turned around.

“My son has indeed gained a lot of insights these past few months,” said Liang Wang Shunxin, knowing what his son wanted to know.

"Knowing is easy, doing is hard; to unite knowledge and action is to become a hero." The sage encouraged him, "There's no need to talk about insights; your return this time has still surprised me. Just remember to put the principles into practice."

"I have prepared a house for you outside the palace. You have been on the battlefield for a long time, so take a good rest first. Come to the inner palace to see your mother more often. Since you left, she has lost her appetite and plays with your sister. Your mother gave birth to a sister for you and your brother." The emperor said with a smile, "In addition, I have decided to promote you to Grand Master of the Palace, Prefect of Kaifeng, and Military Commissioner of the Turkic Army."

"Thank you, Great Sage." King Liang expressed his gratitude politely, then rose and asked quietly, "But, is this too much? What reward did Master receive? The battles were fought by Master and the generals; I was just a lowly soldier. What reward did Elder Brother receive? I was the Sixth Prince…"

His mind was truly meticulous. The sage smiled and replied in a low voice, "It's good that you have this intention. I have my own arrangements. Just accept it calmly."

“My elder brother has done nothing wrong. Harmony in the family is the foundation of everything. If this will affect my elder brother, then I don’t want it.”

The sage never expected that this child would be so profound at such a young age.

Some felt annoyed by being talked back to, but even more relieved. If this wasn't an act, I could die in peace knowing the world was in his hands.

Seeing his father remain silent, the King of Liang wanted to say something, but the Sage lost interest in conversation and waved his hand: "Get in the carriage with your mother and ride back to the palace together."

King Liang respectfully replied, "Yes."

He wanted to seize the throne, but the throne he desired was never, and would never be, stained with the blood of his siblings.

The suffering of generations must end with him.

"How's the west?" The sage strolled with Wu Xiong and the others.

"I have gone to Khotan, and the Queen treats me very well," Du Hu said. "King Yuchi said that he will send envoys to pay homage on New Year's Day to resume exchanges with Chang'an. Things are not going well in Khotan, as heretical forces are eyeing it covetously, and the country hopes that China will restore its garrison in the Western Regions as soon as possible."

“That is difficult. There may be no solution in three to five years. But surely Khotan will not perish within three to five years?” the sage asked.

"That's not the case. They also have a Uyghur tribe as allies to the north," Du Hu replied.

"The matter of Shazhou was quite remarkable." The emperor found Cui Xuan in the crowd, praised him, and said, "When I returned to Tongguan to provide reinforcements, I received your memorial in Jincheng. You said you were already on your way back with Zhang Shouxin, Song Huixian, and others. Where are you now?"

"We were supposed to go together, but they had to bring their entire clan to court and had many things to arrange, so the date was kept postponed." Zha Zhu explained, "I couldn't wait, so I left first. It should be around in the next two months."

The sage looked at the group and said, "The title of Marquis of Dunhuang has already been bestowed, but what if the people don't come?"

Upon receiving Cui's report, in order to show sincerity and win over the people, the court immediately issued an edict, granting Zhang Shouxin the title of Marquis of Dunhuang, and taking several powerful women, including Song Huixian, as his concubines and female officials.

"Great Sage, rest assured, our military might remains undiminished, and they dare not go back on their word." Zha Zhu confidently declared, "The Guiyi Army was already weak, and Zhang Chengfeng's death will be enough to deter them for a long time."

The sage sighed: "This fellow brought this upon himself. Alas, thanks to his righteous heart, the Zhang family bloodline has been able to continue. Fortunately."

"In Jiuqu City, I have appointed a chieftain to temporarily handle affairs," Wu Xiong reported. "We are just waiting for the dispatch of an official. However, the land there is barren and unsuitable for farming; it would be best used as a horse ranch. It borders Shu to the south and can serve as a springboard."

"We'll see." The sage gazed at the walls of Bianliang and said to himself, "We can't worry about Bashu right now. Although we've taken Bianzhou, there are still twenty-three prefectures: Shan, Guo, Song, Ying, Chen, Xu, Hua, Cai, Shen, Guang, Xu, Su, Si, Hao, Bo, Yan, Yun, Cao, Pu, Hai, Yi, Mi, and Hao. We don't know how many battles we'll have to fight."

"Take them down like autumn leaves in the wind," Wu Xiong said dismissively. "Should we head south first, or north? Or east and then west?"

After a moment's thought, the sage said, "I have known about Yang Shouliang for more than ten years. He is quite talented and brave, and has some ambition. Now he is surrounded on three sides by us and Hezhong. As long as the court does not cause any trouble, he will not cause any trouble except by not attending court."

"I second that we should ignore it for now," Du Hu interjected.

"The Zhongwu Army's wavering stance precisely exposes their cowardice." The Emperor spurred his horse forward and said, "I expect to come to court as well. The Yicheng Army is cooperating with the King of Wu in attacking Bianliang, and they are willing to submit, so we can let them be. My idea is that if Ge and Yuan do not comply, I will lead the Yicheng Army, the Zhongwu Army, and the Qingzhou Army to first pacify the two towns of Yan and Yun and Niu Cunjie of Songzhou."

“These remnants will definitely band together.” Wu Xiong replied decisively, “They really don’t know what’s good for them. Their father and master, Zhu Wen, have been exiled, yet they still haven’t given up. Let them rest for a month, then make their move.”

“No.” The sage frowned and said, “We are new here and unfamiliar with the geography. Moreover, the conquest of the Central Plains relies heavily on water transport. We don’t even have many boats right now. Are we going to walk all the way to Xuzhou to fight?”

“Our cavalry is strong and we don’t need ships.”

Upon hearing this, the sage immediately rebuked him: "Stubborn and self-righteous!"

Wu Xiong's expression froze.

"There are still many trivial matters to attend to. Let's first establish a firm foothold in Bianliang." The Sage said casually, "You can all take a break, haha. Since arriving in Bianliang, we have received the surrender of several troops. After more than a year of fighting, the losses of various military units are uneven. You have returned with so many tribal troops, plus the troops that the King of Wu and I each brought back... The military situation is quite chaotic. After the relief and compensation are completed, you generals will be responsible for taking the lead in reorganizing the forces."

“Yes,” said Wu Xiong, the representative.

"Furthermore, I plan to add seven infantry corps and five cavalry corps. Please submit your organization and corps number for selection."

"Oh?" The generals beamed with joy. Expanding the army was good; all the generals would become commanders. With twelve military commanders, there would be twenty-four positions available.

"How many troops are there?" Zha Zhu asked.

"The infantry will be tentatively numbered 5,000 men per army. The cavalry will number 4,000 cavalrymen per army, with 8,000 horses."

The army was expanded by approximately 50,000.

I didn't want to expand. But every time I reviewed the army, the number of non-Han people was already about half. Besides that, there were also groups like the Tibetans and Tanguts who were not very useful. If we went head-to-head with the Central Plains' incompetent troops, we would most likely be crushed at the first touch.

After waiting for a while, the generals, seeing that the emperor did not give any further instructions, said, "Your subjects obey the decree."

"The rewards have been distributed. I'm sorry to trouble General Wu, but you'll have to be the Marquis of Luo first." The Sage laughed and said, "Your daughter Wu Ayan and the Prince of Liang, I see that the two young children are very close. Don't let Ayan get involved in any marriage arrangements outside."

"This is hardly an injustice! I thank Your Majesty for your grace." Wu Xiong was greatly surprised: "I am unworthy of such kindness."

"Yes, yes."

"To have come this far, even death would have been worthwhile," Wu Xiong sighed.

"Your rewards will be distributed by the court simultaneously, so I will not go into details." The Emperor looked around.

"We, your humble servants, express our gratitude!"

(End of this chapter)