The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 366 June
Based on his understanding of Ge Congzhou in his previous life and his actions in this life, the sage was able to determine Ge Congzhou's true nature.

They simply listen to whoever has the most power and the best prospects, just like Wu Xiong and Sima Kanwu—not the type to suddenly go berserk. Such people, as long as they maintain power, can be considered ideal lackeys in the current climate.

As long as one obeys the imperial edict and shows sufficient sincerity, the emperor will not be in a hurry to dismiss him upon first meeting.

Upon hearing that the saint had been exonerated, Ge Congzhou and his party felt a great weight lifted from their shoulders.

"Give me a seat."

Attendants brought cushions and tea, and all the civil and military officials sat down one by one.

"How many soldiers does Yuncheng currently have?" the sage asked.

"Twenty thousand elite troops, one of the main forces of the eastern expeditionary force that previously led the eastern campaigns against the two Zhus and Wang Shifan," Ge Congzhou replied. "The remaining twenty thousand miscellaneous troops are newly recruited by me..."

The Taiping Army governed the three prefectures of Yun, Pu, and Cao, all of which were populous. But how could these three prefectures support 40,000 soldiers? How could these peasants possibly survive?

"Too many. Cut off the old, weak, sick, and young—" Before the emperor could finish speaking, a general interrupted, "Your Majesty, there are no old, weak, sick, or young. They are all brave warriors carefully selected by us. Although their fighting strength is lacking, we believe they are better than the Tibetans and Turks."

"Shut up." Ge Congzhou glanced at him and apologized, "Please forgive his rudeness, Your Majesty."

The sage seemed not to hear him and said, "You certainly have a sharp tongue. What's your name?"

"Zhang Yanshou".

The sage was surprised and quickly perked up, carefully examining the man's appearance: "Are you from Yuanju in Caozhou? I've heard that you're known as Zhang Pili in the army, and that hundreds of men often couldn't capture you. Is that true?"

As he spoke, the sage shouted to both sides, "You people are arrogant and self-important, always thinking that Xiang Yu has been reborn. Who dares to wrestle with Zhang Yanshou?"

Zhang Yanshou was both amused and exasperated.

He was pleased that his fame was so great that even Emperor Li knew about him, but he was also alarmed that the other party had immediately ceded his limelight. He quickly rose from his seat and bowed, saying, "Your subject does not dare to accept such praise; it is just a rumor."

“I still know you,” the sage said. “When the Grand Commandant was in power, the traitor Zhu often petitioned for rewards and honors for civil and military officials with him, and one of those petitions mentioned your deeds. It is said that you were able to abandon your horse and fight on foot alone in the chaos of battle, then leap to seize a horse and kill the general by following the sound of his voice. You are truly a talent!”

Ironically, these people were only in the lower to middle ranks of the Bian Army.

It's understandable that everyone was bullied by Zhu the bandit and dared not speak out, and that they were repeatedly driven to the brink of despair.

As a warrior, Zhang Yanshou was both apprehensive and proud to receive such recognition. He controlled his expression and said, "Thank you for your praise, Great Sage."

The sage looked at each face carefully, as if reciting a familiar list: "Therefore, although I have not seen most of you, I know you. Zhang Jun, the commander of Changzhi, is from Xuzhou; Chen Hui, the commander of the Mule Army, is from Yingchuan; Yang Yuan, the garrison commander of Zhengzhou, is from Qi; Jia Sheng, the commander of the capital, is from Henan; Li Jibu, the garrison commander of Henan, is from Luoyang... Where are you now?"

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, their laughter mingling with the stares of the others.

“Except for Jia Sheng and Xu Huaiyu, who were killed by the Emperor, they should all still be around, just scattered in different places,” Zhang Yanshou explained.

The atmosphere thawed, and seeing that the sage was not the tyrant of legend, everyone gradually relaxed and introduced themselves.

“This is the disgraced subject Chen Hui.” A burly man in black rose from his seat and bowed.

"This sinful subject Zhang Jun pays his respects to Your Majesty." A man with a turban and two moles on his left cheek introduced himself, his eyes filled with malice.

"Your subject, Wang Juan..."

"Your subject, Li Quanzhen..."

"Chenqiu Hongli..."

"Your subject, Yin Zitong, was originally a general in the Yanzhou government. After being defeated in battle, he was captured by the bandit Zhu..."

“Your subject Sun Xun and your younger brother Sun En are both from Zhongli, Haozhou. In the first year of Wende, an imperial edict was issued to punish Sun Ru. The rebel Zhu sent Pang Shigu on a southern expedition. On the way back, Shigu swept through Haozhou and, because my brothers were brave and strong, he recruited them as his personal guards.”

"Your subject, Yang Zhaoyang, was a cavalry general in Qingzhou. During the Guangqi era, when the bandit Zhu Zhen invaded Qi, the military government dispatched us to defend Jinling. However, we were defeated, and I was captured by Zhu Zhen... I was truly in Zhu's camp, but my heart was with Tang..."

……

"Alright, go back and sit down. It's just a casual chat, no need to be so formal." The sage dismissed everyone and said with pleasure, "Indeed, the Central Plains is teeming with generals. Now that all directions have come to pay homage, and heroes have gathered, the peace of the world is just around the corner."

The sage's gaze returned to Zhang Yanshou: "What official position did you hold under the traitor Zhu?"

“Infantry commander, commander of the army, formation commander, etc.”

"Oh? You even know how to set up formations?"

"know a little."

What skills do you have?

"I know a little about the Goose Formation, the Wedge Formation, and the Nine Formations Diagram, and also..."

"You come from humble backgrounds, where would you get so much knowledge?"

"Self-study. Accumulated soil forms a mountain, from which wind and rain arise."

"Hahahaha!" the sage laughed, then asked, "Can you use cavalry?"

“I myself am skilled in mounted combat and can command a few hundred riders, but I have never seen a few thousand or tens of thousands of riders, so I do not know how to use them,” Zhang Yanshou said truthfully.

"There are many cavalrymen in the Holy Tang Dynasty now, and there are many mounted battles. As long as you don't want to become a general, you're fine. You should also learn this. You can consult with colleagues who are skilled in cavalry, such as Qiyan Shu, Husuo Yue, Ashina Luoxue, Zhao En, and Xiao Xiu."

"The minister obeys the order."

"What position did he hold under Zhou's command?"

"Coach, Prefect of Puzhou."

"So..." The emperor grew increasingly pleased with him. He was handsome, around thirty-two or thirty-three years old. He wore a green round-necked robe, his long hair cascading down to his waist, possessing a refined and elegant air. The emperor pondered, "With your talent and ability, returning to Yuncheng would be a waste. As for an official position, I'll first give you the title of Attendant-at-the-Fields. Right now, I'm recruiting soldiers from all directions, and I'll have twelve new armies. I'll appoint you as the Grand Marshal of one of these armies, concurrently assisting Prince Liang in recruiting soldiers. Family, I'll send someone to bring you to Bianliang tomorrow."

Zhang Yanshou was stunned, then stepped forward and bowed deeply: "I'm afraid I won't do a good job."

"Where did your courage go?" the sage encouraged. "Are you worried that you're new here and things will be difficult to do? Or that King Liang is hard to get along with? Don't worry, King Liang has a reputation for virtue and is known as an elder. Besides, I'm here to support you!"

“Hmm…” Zhang Yanshou looked at the Sage.

"Yes!" he suddenly replied with a strong voice, "I swear to build a strong army and cultivate martial virtue, to serve the Holy Tang Dynasty, and to live up to the country's expectations!"

He then said no more.

"The rest are heroes, each given an honorary official post. Their assigned positions will be announced one after another."

"Thank you, Great Sage!" The generals all clasped their hands in a gesture of respect. This outcome, at least, made their risky journey with Ge Cong Zhou worthwhile.

This trip to the capital was indeed a great risk for them. If they hadn't been part of the Eastern Route Army Group within the Zhu-Liang system, and had almost never fought against the Emperor, they probably wouldn't have come at all.

Only Ge Congzhou was sullen, but there was nothing he could do. They were outmatched, and it was inevitable that his brothers would be taken away.

"Let's get back to the main point." The Sage swept his gaze over the generals, brooking no argument, and said, "The Tianping Army doesn't need to maintain too many troops; ten thousand is enough. The existing forty thousand men, including the miscellaneous soldiers, will all be sent back to farm. I have already appointed the Grand Minister of Agriculture, Li Qun, to specifically handle famine relief, and the funds for spring planting will be allocated on time. I have ordered the Imperial Guards and the armories of the two capitals to take weapons and armor and exchange them with the chief craftsmen to make hoes, plows, and cooking utensils. I have also ordered the Prince of Wu to oversee the surveying of fields and the cessation of wasteland for cultivation. I have also ordered the officials of the prefectures of Yong and Liang, the leaders of various tribes, the Minister of the Imperial Stud, and the Commissioner of Xuanhui to select cattle and horses from the western regions, the stables of the Western Capital, and the Shayuan to bring them eastward. I have also ordered Cui Jian, Zhao Chong, and other generals to go to the countryside and mountains to suppress bandits and capture local bullies. All of this is for the sake of the people's livelihood and production in the Central Plains. Everything is proceeding in an orderly manner. Therefore, there is no need to worry about resettlement."

Having said that, the people of Yunfu, who were already mentally prepared, had nothing to say and all agreed that he was wise.

"Can half of the 20,000 main force troops be cut?" the sage asked again.

Ge Congzhou hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Zhang Yanshou said, "These are all fierce and unruly killers who often draw their swords against us. Forcibly dispersing them will only cause great trouble."

"Oh? Not a single one is willing to retire and return to their rural homes?"

"Hard to say."

It's unsafe to take all these soldiers to Bianliang. Scattering them would affect the morale of the army. A compromise has to be reached.

“Those who wish to return home may do so.” The Emperor nodded. “The rest, select five thousand men to come to Bianliang to serve you. They will be treated the same as the Imperial Guards and given the title Zhaode Army.”

Then, the finance and civil affairs were clearly defined in one go.

"From now on, the income of the Taiping Army will be distributed among three sources: the income from the prefectures, the income from the envoys, and the income from the tribute. However, since the area is adjacent to Bianliang, the income from the prefectures and the income from the envoys need not be too much. We can keep three-tenths for our own expenses and send the rest to Tokyo. Any shortfall should be reported to the Ministry of Finance and then paid accordingly."

"Military expenses will be allocated in two installments, spring and autumn, according to the usual practice of 20 strings of cash per soldier per year. Additional rewards will be calculated separately."

"From this day forward, all administrative matters of the prefecture and county, including judicial affairs and corvée labor, shall be subject to the strict prohibition of military officials such as garrison commanders and military commanders."

"The remaining details shall be determined by the Secretariat and the Chancellery."

"The above must not be disobeyed. If any soldiers rebel, the punitive expeditionary force will arrive in a day. After returning, explain what I have said to your jurisdiction."

Suppressing his complex emotions, Ge Congzhou bowed deeply and said, "Your subject respectfully agrees!"

He was a little annoyed.

Because he received no reward, even his position as military governor of Tianping was significantly reduced. However, he had achieved his goal, at least the core objective of whitewashing his past had been accomplished. To maintain the status quo or advance further, he would have to rely on his future performance; after all, Emperor Li was not like his ancestors.

Then this "symposium" turned into a discussion about war.

The crowd seemed much more interested in this, and they became unusually talkative.

"Is there any possibility that Niu Cunjie, Pang Shigu, and Wang Jingrao will surrender?" This was the question the sage was most concerned about.

“Almost impossible.”

“Yes, Great Sage.” Li Quanzhen said vividly, “I once served under Pang Shigu. This man was Zhu Wen’s loyal dog. He always addressed Zhu Wen as ‘Great King’ and was always by his side. When the army was on a campaign, he would report day and night, and every military order had to be approved by Zhu Wen. Is he even human? So when he was defeated by the Sage in Hezhong, he was only scolded and dismissed by Zhu Wen, and was not punished.”

The sage stroking his chin could also be a sign of Pang Shigu's cautiousness, his seemingly foolish wisdom, and his fear of suspicion.

“That’s true, but he was also truly loyal to Zhu Wen.” Li Quanzhen said, “He even sent his wife and daughters to Zhu Wen for his campaigns; he sent me to deliver them.”

This is true loyalty!

"Where is Niu Cunjie?"

“That’s impossible. Zhu Wen once praised him as a divinely gifted general, the sharpest sword.” Yin Zirong immediately jumped out: “I served under him, and I ran to Yuncheng because I saw that he was determined to follow Zhu Wen to the bitter end.”

It was mostly the surrendered generals who were talking, with Emperor Li's generals occasionally interjecting. After a long conversation, Zhao Zhaoyi, who came to urge them to have lunch every half hour from noon onwards, came three times before the conversation finally ended.

"These scoundrels are still up to no good. Once the people's livelihood is settled and the military is reorganized, we should be able to recruit soldiers and reorganize the military by next spring. They will all follow me on the expedition and make their own contributions! The Zhongwu Army, the Fengguo Army, the Wuning Army, and the Taining Army, every single one of them."

"Long live!"

After the audience concluded, the generals gradually withdrew.

The sage doesn't expect loyalty from these people for now, but he can still try to build a closer relationship and improve his image in their minds. Besides, in this era, as long as you don't rebel, I'll assume you're loyal.

In addition, there are quite a few people in this group whose names contain the character "彦".

There was a Zhu Yanjie in Gebu, a royal general named Li Yanzhen, and a Cai army general from Hunan who had previously entered the court named Zhang Yanchao.

Du Yanlin, the second son of Du Rangneng.

Wang Yanzhang, Zhang Hui's lapdog.

Fu Cunshen had four sons, including Fu Yanqing.

There are two other concubines in the harem: Xi Zi Fu Yanling and Fox Lord Wei Yansi...

It really is true that nine out of ten countries have outstanding talents.

There are also people with the same name as both men and women.

Li Quanzhen, a general of Bian.

Decades ago, there was a Taoist nun named Li Quanzhen in the lineage of the King of Yue.

The female Taoist priest, whose real name is Li Quanzhen, had just given birth to a son in her own Taoist temple. She was an aunt of the Jiangwang lineage.

Tsk!
"Li Lang is all smiles, that's wonderful." On the way to dinner, Zhao Zhaoyi casually said, "My aunt just arrived. Since you're in a good mood, she's not in a hurry either."

"Which concubine? Miaowei? She's here? When did she arrive?" The emperor asked as he walked, his hands behind his back.

“Hedong isn’t far away, but I don’t know why we only arrived today.” Zhao Ruozhao massaged his back and shoulders. “I heard you were in Fantai, so we rushed out of Bianliang and arrived in Fantai. We were very nervous. The Imperial Concubine took charge and went to Fanghua Garden and Tianwang Temple to bring the Virtuous Concubine, the Prince of Dai, and the Prince of Chen here as well.”

Prince Chen was Li Tongyue, the second son of the deposed Consort Xian.

Before the ten royal residences in Tokyo were built, Wang Tuan arranged for the princes and princesses to reside in various locations around Tennoji and Ruriji temples.

"That woman!" the sage roared. "Does Ah Zhao know what that little beast Li Zaiji did to me? I really don't want to see him! When I'm a few years older, I'll send him to the Western Regions."

"The child is still young, and Li Lang is so fierce." Zhao Ruozhao comforted him, "Please don't think like that. Li Lang and Consort Xian have a deep affection for each other. You shouldn't have come to this. How could you treat her child like this?"

"I never imagined that the gentle and refined Consort Xian would give birth to such a fierce and wild child." The Emperor sighed, his tone softening. "How is she feeling?"

"She's doing alright. When you first sent her to the Fish and Algae Palace, she went crazy. But after you often brought her to your side and favored her, she improved a lot. I reckon she'll be pregnant soon. If she gives birth to a girl, she'll have both a son and a daughter."

"How fragile. What's she doing here?"

"Who?"

“Li Miaowei. I already told her and Guo Chongtao about the matter in Hedong.”

"Does it have to be done with some ulterior motive? Let's just do the Hajj normally."
"You pig!" Before the sage could reply, they encountered the King of Zhao as they approached the detached courtyard. The King, with disheveled hair and hands behind his back, was strolling leisurely through the alley outside the courtyard, looking as if I were walking down a main street. Hearing the shout, he pretended not to hear and turned towards a nearby alleyway.

"Li Zhu'er! Li Xiaozhu!" the sage shouted.

King Zhao turned around, looked at the couple, and smiled broadly: "Eh? Father? Mother?"

He walked over with one hand held flat in front of his abdomen.

The sage lowered his eyes: "What, pretending not to recognize me?"

"How dare I?"

"Then why are you running?"

"There were too many people inside, and I didn't recognize many of them, so I came out for a walk." "You brat!" Zhao Ruozhao grabbed him and said, "Your sixth and eighth brothers are here, and instead of talking to them, you're running around here."

“I see that the pig is living a carefree life,” the sage said. “After the Ullambana Festival, he will study with Prince Qi.”

We arrived at the Flower Bud Garden.

The women either slept in the shade of the trees, chatting and relaxing, or gracefully moved about, setting up the banquet.

However, Chen Jinfeng and Li Meiren seemed out of place, listless and quiet, as if they had not yet recovered from the grief of losing their husbands and children.

Upon hearing the announcement, the group immediately prepared to welcome them.

"Mother-in-law~" Chen Jinfeng was still immersed in her fear of Emperor Li. To this day, they had not yet been favored. It was because Emperor Li was afraid of being unsafe and ill, and also because he was afraid of having an illegitimate child in his womb, that they had always been kept in a state of deep seclusion as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law by Liang Gongchun, and rarely saw each other.

Upon hearing that Emperor Li had arrived, Chen Jinfeng leaned pitifully against Zhang Hui.

"Grandmother~" Zhu Chacha also hid behind her, tightly gripping the corner of Zhang Hui's waist.

Zhang Hui patted her granddaughter's head.

The sage strode in, looked around, and his eyes were fixed on Zhu Chacha.

The generational order is messed up!

The relationships between men and women in the Tang Dynasty palace are becoming increasingly chaotic.

That was really wrong!
"Brother-in-law." Her voice tinged with laughter, Li Miaowei hurried over, lifting her skirt. Clearly, she had been waiting for a long time, but upon seeing the Emperor's polite expression, the joy in her eyes faded. She slowly stopped, her gentle gaze sweeping over the Emperor: "Your Majesty."

My aunt has grown quite a bit older, and although she's still unmarried, her figure and demeanor exude the charm of a young married woman.

"Princess," the Emperor replied respectfully.

Li Miaowei forced a smile, her lips moving slightly, unsure of what to say.

"What about your father?" the sage asked.

“I am ill,” Miaowei replied.

"Is it permissible to die?"

Li Miaowei's heart skipped a beat, and she said in a hoarse voice, "He already knows he was wrong..."

The sage did not respond, but took his seat at the table: "What did Li Luoluo call you here for?"

"To pay homage." Li Miaowei lowered her head.

“If he wants to be a subject of the emperor, the Jin army must withdraw from Luzhou, Xingzhou, Mingzhou, and Datong. He can only be the military governor of Beijing. Can he make these decisions?” The emperor glanced at her and said, “There’s nothing more to say. Tell them to go back. If these things don’t work out, there’s no need to come back.”

Li Miaowei had a bitter face.

How could the military government possibly agree to this?!

"And Li Keyong. I have some good wine and meat here, take some back for him."

"Is there really no other way?" Li Miaowei cried out, "Why can Ge Congzhou and the others be pardoned, but my father must die?"

“If he had come to Bianliang to see me, I could have forgiven him. There was room for maneuver—after a six-month standoff, he had countless opportunities to turn back. He could have accepted the peace treaty of the four garrisons, confessed his guilt after the defeat, and followed my conditions, and that would have been the end of it. But it was he who insisted on putting me to death. He brought all of this upon himself.”

Since you've chosen to gamble everything, you must be prepared to lose everything.

"Besides, let me tell you, if it weren't for the fact that he wasn't one of you, he would only be like Li Maozhen and Zhu Wen."

Li Miaowei remained silent.

Without a doubt, this means war.

Killing Li Keyong alone is simple.

Shrinking territory by two-thirds is absolutely impossible. If Luo Luo dares to agree, the generals will immediately change their minds.

"Alright, alright." Li Miaowei wiped her face and bid farewell to Zhu Xiewusi: "It seems we'll only meet again in the underworld. Take care."

"Don't overthink it." The sage patted his aunt's shoulder and coaxed her, "I don't care about you. It's just that there are many things going on. Be careful when you go back. If anything happens, you can come directly to Bian. I always think of your sister. She'll be fine, don't worry."

"Consort Xian." He turned around and took Zhu Xiewusi's hand: "See my sister off."

"Mm." Wu Si nodded and picked up Chen Wang.

In the evening, the emperor received the envoys from Chengde and Weibo.

Weibo offered more than 200,000 pigs and sheep as tribute.

Chengde offered over 30,000 sets of farm tools and 20 beautiful women as tribute, not to mention the treasures.

Both towns are very important vassal states to the Holy Tang Dynasty, and proper etiquette cannot be neglected.

His gifts and certificates were also received by the families of Tian Xide, Wang Rong, Wang Zimei, Xiao Xiu, and others, who were far away in Yecheng and Changshan. Selfish motives were one thing, but everyone had them to some extent. He always remembered that these people had contributed greatly to the cause of the Holy Tang Dynasty.

The grain and farm tools were given to Li Qun as relief funds.

The sage also asked Weibo and Ziqing for one million vinegar cakes each, instructing them to prepare them within the towns and send them over as winter relief grain reserves.

To alleviate famine, simply providing porridge will cause six out of ten people to starve to death; people also need food that makes them feel full.

They also arranged Princess Pingyuan's marriage.

Previously, when discussing Princess Pingyuan's marriage with Consort Liang, she mentioned her cousin, Liang Zichu. She wrote home, and since the elders had no objections, they sent Zichu as an attendant.

That's not possible.

The Emperor sat at the same table with Consort Shu and Consort Liang, and after observing them, he found them indeed to be handsome and talented. Princess Pingyuan, who was peeking from behind the curtain, was also quite satisfied.

So the emperor made the decision and selected a son-in-law! And that was the end of it.

Zhang Hui, feigning weakness, also wanted to find a woman for her son Zhu Youzhen and marry off Zhu Lingya—this was entirely because Zhang Hui couldn't bear to face anyone. The number of times Shi Yuan, Zhang Hui, Zhu Lingya, Zhu Lingrou, and Fourth Mother had gathered at the same table was countless.

That kind of shame, humiliation, and embarrassment never fails to shatter the moral compass of the person involved.

Zhu Lingya's physical and mental health had deteriorated. Her mother, Zhang Hui, saw this and felt sorry for her.

Many times, the mother and daughter hugged each other and cried.

But the emperor didn't want to. Zhu Lingya had already been favored by him; how could she possibly marry someone else!
After they have children, the mother and daughter will each have their own affairs.

Besides, Huihui can't take it anymore? She hasn't reached her limit yet.

As for Zhu Youzhen, he should marry a commoner and let him fend for himself; it'll save him from the disgust of seeing him.

Furthermore, the envoys from the two garrisons were deeply worried, claiming that, based on their repeated observations, Liu Rengong was preparing for war and intended to annex Hebei, making them feel very insecure. They urged the court to be cautious and advised against getting involved in wars with the various vassal states in the Central Plains and Jiangnan for the time being.

The sage heard no great words.

We've really stirred up a hornet's nest.

They captured Sun Wukong, then another Sun Wukong appeared; they subdued Sun Wukong, then another Sun Wukong appeared!
But there's not much we can do about it. We'll see what happens when he actually heads south.

From late April to early June, and from early June to mid-June, the Emperor stayed in Bianliang. He either enjoyed himself at home, spending time with his sisters-in-law, children, and family. By the way, another sister-in-law returned home from Weibo; Tian Xide sent someone to personally escort her back. This whole affair was quite ugly. But it was Luo Hongxin who did it; the sister-in-law herself had fled to Weibo to make a living. So, it can't really be blamed on Tian Xide and his group.

Third Sister-in-law, named Ji Ning, is very lovely and tall. She has a charming and worldly air about her and a humorous personality. The Emperor greets her morning and evening, and he and Rou Nu search the palaces to find her a good place to live.

Or they would manage daily military and political affairs and raise offspring.

He didn't plan to do anything else for the remaining six months.

In short, it boils down to two words: digest and consolidate.

On the 20th day of the sixth month of the first year of Guanghua, the sun shone brightly and the sky was clear. The previously agreed-upon expansion of the army was finally implemented.

The newly built Jingyang Gate on the northern outer city wall of Bianliang was guarded by the imperial guards.

Large groups of infantry and cavalry, military officers, officials of the Liang Prince's court, and male and female attendants swarmed in and stood on both sides of the main road.

"Even a long farewell must come to an end. Mother, Father, please wait a moment." The Prince of Liang paused, pulling his horse along, and gently said to his parents, "Sooner or later, your son will have to venture out into the world on his own."

"I used the furs my girlfriend from Lingzhou killed as tribute to make you a fire- and water-resistant garment and boots. Wear them when you need them." Zhao Ruxin, as if she hadn't heard, continued rummaging through the luggage, "The journey is long, and the Wei people are fierce. You must strictly enforce discipline. Neither you nor your subordinates are allowed to forcibly take anything from the Wei people. If they ask you to worship at the Jiande Temple or the Four Saints Temple, don't say anything, just find an excuse to refuse... Wang Shifan is very hospitable. When you arrive, you must give him a grand welcome, but keep the pomp and circumstance small. Don't let the Qi people suffer because of you. Zhang Yanshou is new here, and he's probably still uneasy. Remember to be considerate of his feelings and don't let your subordinates embarrass him, especially that Wu Xiong! His mouth is the most hateful..."

As she spoke, she fell silent, tears welling up in her eyes. She wiped them away with her sleeve, turned, and glared at the Emperor: "Sending such a tiny person to the Western Regions is one thing, but sending him to recruit soldiers is another. Who couldn't you send? This vast empire is beyond our control, yet we need a child of such young age to do the work. If something goes wrong, even if it results in the death of both mother and child, I'd rather die myself!"

"Don't worry." The sage placed his hands on her shoulders, about to speak, when Ah Zhao tossed her hair and sighed, "You don't need to comfort me, I just..."

“Mother wasn’t like this last time,” King Liang laughed. “Don’t be like this, otherwise how can your son travel in peace?”

"Alright, alright." Zhao Ruxin waved her hand impatiently. "Go, hurry up and leave. Out of sight, out of mind."

“That’s how women are; when their emotions run high,” the sage said, handing the riding whip to King Liang.

"Well then, Mother, Second Brother, I'm leaving." King Liang patted Li Zhengquan, looked back at Zhao Ruxin, and led his horse out.

"Bring me some seafood when you come back," Zhao Ruxin said. "There's some in Qingzhou."

King Liang nodded and waved, saying, "Take care, Father and Mother."

It's no wonder that Ah Zhao couldn't hold back.

The recruitment route starts from Bianliang, roughly passing through the prefectures of Hua, Wei, Xiang, Wei, Qi, and Qing, and arrives at Haizhou, the intersection of the four towns of Ziqing, Huainan, Yanzhou, and Xuzhou. This is a tentative route; the actual route may be adjusted.

It's that far.

In terms of security, there were several thousand Imperial Guards, but it goes without saying that their main responsibility was to supervise new recruits.

Security is mainly guaranteed by Weibo and Zibo.

As long as Liu Rengong doesn't break through Cangzhou, it's fine.

Recruiting soldiers doesn't have to be so complicated. In the past, when Ximen Chongsui and Yang Fugong were in power, they mostly sent Shence Army generals and eunuchs to handle it themselves.

However, Emperor Li still wanted his son to gain experience in military construction on his own.

This is completely different from taking over Lao Tzu's army.

When Shi Jingtang and Liu Zhiyuan entered Bianliang, were their troops unreliable?

After Laozi died, the Jin army betrayed the emperor, and the Han army took their money but didn't fight. What about you?

The official is in danger? Let him die then, it's none of my business.

"Neigh!" The warhorse turned in circles, and King Liang cracked his whip: "Let's go!"

Li Zhengyang, the Prince of Liang of the Tang Dynasty, the Prefect of Kaifeng, the Minister of the Army, and the Turkic Military Commissioner, began his first imperial envoy after taking office.

*******
As the emperor ordered the nine ministers and generals to handle the aftermath in detail, the people of the Central Plains were overjoyed and jubilant.

Niu Cunjie, however, was filled with worry.

He said to his old friend Pang Shigu: "Zhu Zhou lost his virtue. Huang Chao, the Prince of Bian, and Li Ye changed masters three times and failed to maintain his integrity in his later years. Looking at history, there are few people like him. I would never want to be like him. Moreover, whether it is handing over the territory and troops to the court or becoming a military governor in name only, neither is something I can tolerate."

We conquer the world, killing countless people. What is our purpose?
Fame and fortune, land.

Fame and land can be passed down to one's descendants.

"Furthermore, being under Li Ye's roof, given our backgrounds, if someone wanted to harm me, there would be no way to stop them."

"Friend, friend, please give me some advice."

Pang Shigu lived a reclusive life in Songzhou for a period of time, with long flowing hair and wearing a Taoist robe.

He said, “The late king’s defeat was not his fault, nor was it due to the destiny of the Li family. It was due to geography. Throughout history, I have found it most difficult to conquer the north from the south, and the most difficult to conquer the west from the east. The south could not defeat the north because its population was smaller. The east could not conquer the west because of the strategic advantage of Guanzhong. How could one face the Qinling Mountains and the Yellow River with steel swords and iron hooves? Moreover, the late king’s diplomacy was flawed, and he made too many enemies. This is why his great undertaking was defeated halfway, which led to Li Ye’s resurgence.”

Now that Li Ye has moved the capital to Bianliang, the strategic advantage has been lost.

With such brilliant victories as the Battle of Shouyang Mountain, the Battle of Hezhong, the Battle of Jincheng, and the Battle of Tongguan, did he really think he could easily win them all?
The people have suffered under the Tang Dynasty for far too long!

If you can persuade the Zhongwu Army, Yingchuan King Jingrao, Liu the traitor, Shi Tai, and others to strengthen their military and political forces, unite against the Tang Dynasty, and drive Li Ye back to Guanzhong, it is not impossible.

Niu Cunjie asked, "What if we can't win?"

Pang Shigu glared at him: "There is only death. Since you do not wish to be a king, do your best and accept your fate."

“But I’m still worried about Xingmi,” Niu Cunjie said wistfully.

"You're overthinking it," Pang Shigu said. "It's clear that Li Ye is intolerant of the regional warlords. Xingmi is a powerful warlord to begin with, so naturally he won't willingly allow his power to be reduced. If he doesn't help you, so be it. Southerners are weak, how could they possibly make things difficult for you?"

As for Shi Tai and the others, apart from a small group who were still hesitating, they were indeed not Ge Congzhou.

If the price of surrender is like that of Ge Congzhou, then that won't do.

Although they once ran naked before Zhu Wen.

But back then, without land or power, one could simply be a remotely controlled military man under Zhu Wen.

Feeling uneasy, everyone except for the cautious Yuan Xiangxian who remained hesitant, reached a tacit agreement through the machinations of Zhu Wen's loyal henchmen like Niu Cunjie. They spread rumors within the army and government offices: "Liu Chengzhi and Yuan Zheng surrendered, yet they were still slaughtered. Even ordinary soldiers were beheaded. If we surrender, we'll likely suffer the same fate. The only option now is to turn against them!"

Fire first!

Let's talk about it after we get captured.

Let's talk about it when we can't fight anymore!

They then sharpened their knives and began planning the steps for the rebellion.

(End of this chapter)