Late Tang Dynasty Floating Life

Chapter 1662
The scenery of Luoyang has not changed, but the people have changed.

Zhu Quanzhong's younger sister, Zhu Shi, died.

Xie Bin, the envoy of the right wing of the Tianxiong Army, suffered a sudden illness and passed away a few months ago.

Shao Desheng, deputy envoy of the Nanya Privy Council, passed away after being ill for several months.

As for Shao Shude's original team of court ladies, within a few years, several people were quietly changed.

The overall age has reached this point, and there will be more in the future.

After the first court meeting in early June, he came to the temple of female Taoists in Anguo.

"You're getting old too..." Shao Shude subconsciously wanted to smooth the wrinkles on Tuobapu's face, but in the end he lowered his hand and did nothing.

Birth, old age, sickness and death, how can we heal?

"Your Majesty, wait a moment, I'll boil the pot of water." Tuoba Pu turned his face away and said in a low voice.

Shao Shu pulled her back and said, "Just let the female crown do some small things, why bother to do it myself?"

Tuoba Pu sighed softly, sitting opposite Shao Shude, he couldn't find anything to say for a while.

"Yichang has already joined the Crane Army and served as the envoy of the left wing." Shao Shude said, "He is skilled in martial arts and has a good command of military strategy. I also think he is very suitable for this position."

This position was originally held by Hua Wenqi, a descendant of Liang Jun.But he was not young, so he withdrew from the Forbidden Army a few years ago and replaced Shao Lun, the commander of Hedong Road, who had a stroke in bed, in charge of the Hedong Prefecture Army.

Tuoba Yichang was originally a small school in the bodyguard and pro-army. He fought in battle and guarded Shangyang Palace, and later served as the commander of the Yizhou State Army.Due to his meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion in Yizhou, plus some other reasons, he served as the young supervisor of Hongyuan Palace four years ago, and personally led [-] soldiers from the original Hexi Dangxiang, Liugu Tubo, and Liangzhou Gamo to the west. Engaged in a series of battles.

Until the second year of Tongguang, Tuoba Yichang was still leading his troops to farm in the areas of Qiuci and Gumo. At the end of last year, he was called back and transferred to the Imperial Army, where he served as a military envoy.

How should I put it, the Young Prisoner of Hongyuan Palace is the emperor's personal servant, and the imperial army is another system, which cannot be directly compared.Shao Shude personally asked Tuoba Yichang for his opinion, and it turned out that he was willing to join the Forbidden Army in order to obtain a better future, so the matter was settled like this.

In the second half of the year, the five armies of Longxiang, Konghe, Tiande, Jinglue, and Youguo will mobilize 6000 cavalry; the three armies of Feilong, Jindao, and Heiyu will mobilize [-] cavalry; plus [-] cavalry for the Feixiong army , a total of more than [-] people will be trained intensively, and after next year's Lantern Festival, they will go west for a large-scale rotation.

Tuoba Yichang will also join the expedition, this is the opportunity he has been waiting for for a long time.

"Isn't Persia finished yet?" Tuobapu asked softly.

"Their second batch of missions has arrived in Yanqi. If they go fast, they will arrive in Luoyang in a few months." Shao Shude said.

"Your Majesty, don't worry too much." Tuoba Pu said, "Big Xia has four seas, such a big place, if it was three or forty years ago, it would have been unimaginable. There is no need to be too reluctant."

Shao Shude smiled, and said again: "The most difficult thing is to unify the world. After this hurdle, everything will be easy to handle. Attacking Khitan, destroying Changhe, and conquering the Western Regions, the difficulty added up is not as good as sweeping the northern towns One-tenth, I just do it casually."

In his impression, Khitan is really not difficult to deal with, at least it takes much less effort than attacking the towns in Hebei.

At least, Abaoji really couldn't produce tens of thousands of warriors who were familiar with the flags, drums, bugles and excellent equipment.

The real advantage of the Khitan people lies in giving full play to their mobility advantages, making surprise attacks, setting up ambushes, and guerrilla attacks.In a frontal battle, I am afraid that Wei Bowufu will cut him to pieces, although the combat effectiveness of Wei soldiers will be greatly reduced after they leave the town.

The Khitan people are bad because they started to build cities and cultivate land. With altars and pots, they are reluctant to leave. They can't use guerrilla tactics when attacking them must be rescued. Just like when Liu Yu went straight to Guanggu, the Nanyan cavalry was forced to give up maneuvering Sexual advantage, as in a decisive battle with the Jin army, the defeat was terrible.

As for Bohai and Changhe, they were not worth mentioning at all, and did not leave a deep impression on Shao Shude.

Tuoba Pu silently nodded upon hearing this.

She knew that the saint didn't listen.Men always care about conquest and power, but as a woman, she only cares about this man who has left an unforgettable mark in her life, that she can live longer and feel more comfortable, that's all.

"Let's talk about Yichang again." After Shao Shude started talking, he had a lot to say, and he only heard him say: "I heard that the tribes of Oguz have repeatedly gone south to plunder, and Tocharistan is also a little unstable. The Persians must be anxious Seek peace. In fact, the battle in the west will not last long. If Yichang can grasp the opportunity, I will give him a promotion and become a general of the imperial army. It is not too difficult."

Tuoba Pu's interest was slightly aroused.

She has no children all her life, and has always regarded her nephew Yichang as her own child, and has been paying attention to his growth.

"Will Persia really ask for peace?" she asked.

"In the past few years, the internal problems have not been suppressed in Persia, but have become more serious. I heard that the monarch is also a little dissatisfied with the prime minister, and thinks that all the defeats are caused by him." Shao Shude said with a smile: "They brought a lot of gifts this time, and even dozens of horses. It seems that they have grasped my temper and want to end the war quickly so that they can concentrate on their internal affairs."

"Will His Majesty make them happy?" Tuobapu asked.

"That depends on what conditions the Persians offer." Shao Shude said.

Tuoba Pu hesitated to speak.

She was still worried about her nephew, worried that after he went into battle, he would encounter some fierce enemies, be injured or even die in battle.

In the battles between large armies these years, even the generals in the army have to be on the front line in person.Maybe you don't need to fight in person, but it is the basic requirement to be closer to the first-line fighting field and respond quickly.

In short, there is more emphasis on courage in combat than on resourcefulness.

She doesn't know whether this kind of atmosphere is good or bad, but she knows that if Yichang's nephew wants to climb up, he can't do without some scars on his body.

Man, huh, aren't you tired?
"Is there anything else you lack here?" Shao Shude noticed that Tuobapu was absent-minded, and changed the subject.

"Your Majesty is leaving?" Tuoba Pu asked.

Shao Shude really planned to leave, but after hearing this, he didn't move, and said, "No, we'll have dinner here tonight."

Tuobapu became happy, and immediately called two female crowns, told them to prepare ingredients, and brought tea with his own hands.

Commander Zhong Yanyou, the commander of Yin An Zhi, signaled with his eyes that several soldiers followed the female crowns, not leaving a single step.

"During your Majesty's expedition to the west, people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs came over, built an ice cellar, and brought a lot of sea fish and venison." Tuoba Pu's expression suddenly became more agile, and she poured a bowl of Mengding tea for Shao Shude, After sitting down, he said again: "I haven't eaten venison for many years. This reminds me of the time when I was a child hunting deer on the grassland. More than 30 years have passed, and the appearance of many people in my memory is blurred."

"It's fine if you like it." Shao Shude said with a smile: "I'll ask someone to send some more kelp over later."

Maybe it's because the sharpness of pepper is so strong that it has attracted too many people's attention, but dry goods such as kelp and gooseberries have increasingly become an important source of income for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

In later generations, kelp was introduced to China very late.In this time and space, Shao Shude sent people to Jinghai to search for his appetite, and then successfully introduced him to Liaohai.

But in artificial breeding, it encountered great difficulties.Whether it is wood or bamboo, it is always easily corroded by sea water, and it will not last long.

Later, the Ministry of Internal Affairs thought of a way to process the bamboo on the shore first, and then put it into the sea to cultivate kelp.How to put it, the durability has improved a lot, but it is still not good.

At present, most of the kelp obtained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs grow naturally in the shallow water near the sea - and can only grow in this area, because kelp is a sub-frigid algae plant, which is only suitable for cold water seas, and has not yet been cultivated to grow in warm waters. Kelp growing in water.

Shao Shude has used kelp as a welfare for officials for many years and distributed it regularly.

Now there are a lot of kelp and swan vegetables being harvested, and the amount entering the market is increasing year by year, and the price is quite high. Who makes the sage love it?

"That's enough." Tuoba Pu shook his head, and then smiled again: "Outsiders say that the most valuable place the saint has conquered over the years is Liaodong. There are too many whales, sea fish, sea animals, leather, and kelp. , Many people can’t do without these things.”

"The people you mentioned are probably rich people, right?" Shao Shude laughed.

After speaking, he was also a little proud.

Changing the living habits of a nation—at least in part—is not as easy as sweeping the world and mixing it up.In other words, it is the result of the second phase brought about by sweeping the world.

Cooking with kelp can enhance the umami taste, which has been well known by many officials' families.

The fur can keep out the cold, and people who wear it say it is comfortable.

The price of sea fish is so low that no one even knows it.

If there are refrigerated ships, the price can be even lower.Historically, in the middle of the 19th century, after the British colonized Australia and New Zealand, the sheep farming industry developed greatly. After people sheared the wool, they had no choice but to destroy or cook the sheep with little value. Yes, there is too much meat, you can’t finish it, you have to throw it away. This is the same as the early Argentines who killed bison, only took cowhide and tallow, and discarded beef.

Shao Shude also knew that it was wishful thinking to invent refrigerated ships in this time and space. In fact, he just lamented the abundance of virgin land resources—of course, Liaodong will become mature sooner or later, and resources will not be as abundant and cheap as they are today, but those are all descendants He can't control that far.

"Whether it's rich or poor, His Majesty has changed them." Tuobapu smiled and said, "Actually, His Majesty has done enough, so you can let it go. The common people have already recognized from the bottom of their hearts that 'Jianwen Shenwu is the Supreme Emperor'." This honorary title can even benefit future generations, why bother to fight like this? This world is already like an iron bucket..."

"Okay, I have my own measure." Shao Shude waved his hand and said: "After finishing Persia, there is really not much to do. The money and food in the whole country will be mainly used for immigration. Forget it, it's useless to tell you so much. Yi I’ll take care of Chang’s side. You—take care of yourself too.”

Tuobapu's sigh was as soft as if it came from Jiuyou.

In this life, do you regret it?She can't figure it out either, it seems to be a little bit, and it doesn't seem to be.

Yichang's children have grown up and often come to visit her.Every time she saw this calf-like boy, she recalled the carefree days in Youzhou Grassland.

Going back 40 years, if the father betrothed himself to a saint, maybe everything would be different, right?
After dinner, Shao Shude stood in the lonely courtyard, looking up at the starry sky.

When going on a mission to a foreign country, exchanging information is something that is on the mind.

Continued immigration, stabilizing the virgin land on the frontier, and even expanding the living space of the nation are also things that are on the mind.

Reforming the system and strengthening the foundation of the dual system empire is still a matter of concern.

Taking advantage of the lowest morale of the Confucian scholars, changing the political structure of the court and laying down the hundreds of years of "ancestral law" is even more on the mind.

The reform of the fiscal system, the exploration of the southern economic model, and the improvement of transportation infrastructure will follow...

Many things cannot be changed overnight, but need time to accumulate.Just like planting fruit trees, cultivate the soil thickly and take good care of it so that it can blossom and bear fruit.

The good news is that many reforms have actually seen results, and have a certain foundation, and will not be easily swept away by "storms".

Let's do it one by one, and now we must first solve the problem of the Western Regions - this was not a problem at first, but it was caused by him. It has been several years, and the opportunity to solve it may have appeared.

He turned his head to look to the west, his eyes were like the real "Lord of Lucky Meeting in the Constellation", penetrating through many spaces, and fell on a bald man.

"We came here with great sincerity this time." The bald man rode on the back of a camel, looking left and right.

Diagonally behind him, a middle-aged man's face was ashen, but his eyes were sneering.

His name was Samani, a "member" of the Persian mission.

(End of this chapter)