The rise of the prince

Chapter 855 Returning to Beijing + New Gunboat Project

Wu Zhengqing felt very uncomfortable, and finally left with a smirk on his face.

A few days later, Wu Zhengqing invited him to be a guest, accompanied by many big families in Shu. During the meeting, everyone agreed that they would actively cooperate with the court's actions, and each family would give some fields to help the poor and distribute them to those who had no land to cultivate. .

Li Xingzhou was very happy and gave them enough face. He praised them and said that he wanted to speak well in front of the emperor, which made everyone smile.

The previous resistance and worries have also been suppressed. After all, for people like them, it is not a big deal to just give up a hundred acres of land. The key is to close the relationship with the imperial court and stabilize the family's foundation.

By June, Li Xingzhou knew that his mission in Sichuan had been completed, and it was time to return to Jingguo.

It's not good to bring five or six hundred people here for free.

Then he told Wu Zhengqing and other senior members of the Wu family that he was planning to leave,

The elders of the Wu family are very sorry that Li Xingzhou, who is said to be a womanizer, did not even like a woman from the younger generation of the Wu family. After a few months, he picked out the most beautiful girl of the Wu family from time to time and dangled in front of him. .

Later, I also thought that it might be talent that I liked, so I found talented women in my family, and those who could read and write were recruited, but it still didn't work.

"Hey, you have to be generous, don't be shy, it's a matter of time, there is nothing taboo." In the Dongzhai compound of the Wu Mansion, the white-haired old lady of the Wu family leaned on a cane and spoke to the beautiful younger generations of the Wu family in front of her. She and Empress Wu belonged to the same generation, and now Wu Zhengqing, the head of the Wu family, is her eldest son. Although she doesn't care about things, everyone in the entire mansion respects her very much and understands her authority.

"The emperor's grandson is such a noble person, it is inevitable that he will not be able to speak, you have to take the initiative, don't be afraid, don't be shy." The old lady said earnestly.

"If you can be favored, you will be honored in the world in the future, and our Wu family will also ascend to heaven."

"But the emperor's grandson just doesn't like it. I've already made it clear several times." Someone pouted and complained.

"That's right, there are three beautiful vixens by his side, one left later, but there are two more with him."

"I heard people say in private that Qi Fang was a seductress who didn't obey women's ways, and she even asked the magistrate to persecute her enemies in private. The old master Yuan who reported the funeral before was killed by her."

"Grandma, we also want to, but His Highness just refuses, and there is nothing we can do." Someone said aggrievedly.

"."

The old lady couldn't help it in the end, after all, it all depended on the emperor's grandson's wishes, so she could only comfort her a few words, and then told them to work hard, because in a few days, the emperor's grandson would really leave.

On the other side, Li Xingzhou in the courtyard was enjoying the last leisure, and he was afraid that he would not be able to relax this time when he went back.

Yelu Yali went to instruct his subordinates to pack their things. At some time, Qi Fang who lives in another courtyard also came.

"Your Highness is really a flower." She said inexplicably.

Li Xingzhou was puzzled, then smiled and said, "You mean I'm good-looking?"

"Huh, I said you attract bees and butterflies!" Qifang said angrily, "Look at those beautiful little girls from the Wu family outside the yard, I feel sorry for them, they run to you every day, cousin I don't know what my cousin's name is."

"Hey, you're just envious of me." Following Qifang, he joked indifferently: "To attract bees and butterflies is to attract bees and butterflies, and you need capital. If I'm not handsome, how can I attract bees and butterflies. "

"Your Highness seems to be very proud? The cesspit attracts flies!"

Now there are probably only two people in the world who dare to talk to him like this, Qifang and Shiyu, but Shiyu doesn't know how to say that, so only Qifang is left.

Li Xingzhou was not angry, and half-lyed on the chair, "If you are jealous, be a fly yourself, anyway, we have been confused by you, and I have figured it out, since jumping into the Yellow River can't clean it up, Then don’t wash it, they say it’s okay.

The two of us are now dogs and men, so why don't we do what dogs and men should do. "He was blatantly teasing.

"Humph." Qifang just hummed twice, without answering.

"When you go out next time, you can join the army, and follow me to make some military exploits. Only then can I fulfill my promise to you and make many people shut up." Li Xingzhou said.

Qi Fang was surprised: "You still want to conscript yourself? Can't Di Zhi, Liu Ji, and Shen Lin all do it? With the current situation, why do you need your Highness to go down?"

"We should try our best to establish the prestige in the army while the emperor is still in charge of the court." Li Xingzhou said, "Otherwise, when I want to sit in the center in the future, I won't have that chance. Besides, I also want to visit the northwest."

"But there will be threats in war, you are the grandson of the emperor, you shouldn't be like this!"

Li Xingzhou pointed to the seat beside her for her to sit down, and then said: "The little ladies of the Wu family, you drove them away."

"So what." Qi Fang said: "Your Highness, please don't talk about him."

"Look, you also have selfishness. Everyone in the world has selfishness, no matter who is sitting in the position of general, so I must have prestige in the army."

Qifang didn't argue anymore, "Okay, that's a deal, I understand the situation in Xia Kingdom, if you want to send troops to the northwest, you must take me with you."

Li Xingzhou nodded affirmatively.

At the beginning of June, when Li Xingzhou left Shuzhong officially, the Wu family, officials and common people in Shuzhong all went to the riverside to see him off and watched them board the big ship.

Then it merges into the Dajiang River along the Minjiang River, goes eastward and northward, and returns to Kaifeng.

He has been away for half a year, and the mansion has long been looking forward to his return home. Li Xingzhou also wants to go home to hug his wife, and Yelu Yali also hugs him, but they have been hugging for half a year, and they have to change.

This time when he returned to the city, he was not as good as before, and he himself was very low-key. Except for the servants sent by the palace, almost no one knew that he was back.

Just like that quietly went home, Gillian and Shiyu were teasing two children in the yard, laughing and not knowing what they were talking about, they stood up exclaiming when they saw his figure.

Gillian came directly and hugged him gently, Shiyu was more reserved, Li Xingzhou stretched out his hand before she embraced him.

After returning home, as soon as he came home, the whole house became lively. He Qian and Pu Chaling had obvious signs of pregnancy, and they usually had to be taken care of.

He Qian was very excited, she was still very active and fussy after being pregnant.

Pu Chaling was much more lazy and quiet, more like a mother.

Li Xingzhou just came back, so he went to accompany the two of them. Is a mother more expensive than a child?

Then he accompanied Gillian and Shiyu to rest for a few days, and listened to Yan Kun and Shiyu's reports on the situation in the mansion.

By mid-June, Li Xingzhou officially returned to the court and began to serve in the court, but now his office has become the governor of Kaiyuan.

After he came back, the emperor successively granted Kaifu Yitong three divisions, grand masters, once again elevating his status to participate in and discuss state affairs, and at the same time allowing him to work in the palace with a legal basis.

Kaifu Yitong Sansi, Kaifu refers to the act of setting up the shogunate and staff subordinates in one's own name.In this way, Li Xingzhou has the right to set up his own staff and officials without having to ask the court for approval.

And now he is also the governor of Kaiyuan Mansion, and his office is in Kaiyuan Mansion, but if he doesn't go, no one will really force him to go, after all, now that the prestige is there, even if he farts, the fragrance will overflow.

This is a game of power. If he doesn't have those credits, even the crown prince has to be careful to do everything well, so as not to be impeached and lose the heart of the Sacred Heart.

But his credit is put there, even if he doesn't go, there is nothing wrong with letting the judge or Tongzhi do it.

Li Xingzhou doesn't care about it at all. Anyway, there are judges for big and small disputes, and other matters have consensus. The Kaiyuan Mansion is not far from the Wangfu. Poetic decision.

After the arrangements have been made, it's time to wrap up the restructuring of major events in the first half of this year.

In general, he restrained Shuzhong and asked Shen Lin to push it to the east with thunderous means, and then quickly transferred the offending Shen Lin to his side to protect him, and asked Wei Yubai to stand up.

You can participate in the forest at will. He is a warrior and has no background, but Wei Yubai is different. Her father is now the magistrate of Youzhou and the governor of the Guanbei Army. He holds an important town and is related to the stability of the country. offend.

But in another month, both Wei Yubai and Fang Xin will be able to return, because the restructuring has been almost implemented, and the officials have become conscious.

At this time, Li Xingzhou is preparing the plan for the second half of the year, which is to organize all the craftsmen in the palace to join the new army and design a real gunboat!

Further improve the combat effectiveness of the new navy.

By the end of this year, the navy of the new army will expand to 2 people, with two divisions. The large ships of the new army used to be a combination of landing ships and gunboats. It was a last resort, and now it needs to be improved.

There are two main reasons. One is that there is time now, and the surrounding area is stable. Jingguo will gain power in the first battle, and Jinguo is not an opponent, let alone other countries.

The second is that there will be no military use for the time being. The Xia Kingdom will fight, the Hexi Corridor, and the land of Hetao will be taken back. It is not this year, nor next year. In this era, the passability is far less than that of the big river, and the big ships of the palace can't get through, so we need to wait for the gunboats to be built and equipped with new troops before fighting.

Because almost all the important cities in the Xia Kingdom are on the banks of the big river.

Li Xingzhou estimates that it will take another one or two years, it depends on the efficiency of the palace.

Goryeo sent another two hundred beautiful Goryeo maidservants over during the Dragon Boat Festival, and the emperor rewarded them all. Li Xingzhou didn’t keep them, and the family was already full of resentment. He had already started making goji berries, so they were all rewarded to the soldiers who had meritorious service. up.

Dali, the Tubo kingdoms, and Xia Guo also frequently gave gifts.

But now the life of the Jin Kingdom is sad, the Mongolian army of [-] troops is overwhelming the border, and they are attacking fiercely in the Wushabao area.The Kingdom of Jin asked the court for help many times, and the court also consulted Yang Hongzhao, who stayed in the north.

Yang Hongzhao believed that although the Kingdom of Jin was beaten weakly by the Kingdom of Jing, it could still bear it for the time being. He believed that the fortress group in the direction of Wushabao was very strong, and that the Mongols were not good at attacking fortified cities, so they could kill each other without reinforcements for the time being.

If the Kingdom of Jin could not stand it as a last resort, the army could take the opportunity to go north and seize Shangjing before the Mongols, and if they couldn't hold it, they could loot it.

Of course, Yang Hongzhao said it more elegantly, saying that he "raises soldiers through war", but in fact everyone understands what it means, just like the most recommended supply method in the art of war, "getting food on the spot". Burning and looting.

In fact, since the beginning of "Sun Tzu's Art of War", it has been clearly stated that the most recommended supply method is to solve it on the spot. Only when large-scale use of troops is used, the army is really not enough to supply the army, and a long logistics supply line will be set up.

Wars in ancient times were so cruel and ruthless, so the common people said that thieves are like a comb, and soldiers are like a grate.

Most of the soldiers, no matter which country they are from, are basically organized burning, killing and looting, which is much more terrifying than sporadic bandits.

The court did not reply to Yang Hongzhao immediately, but waited until he came back. The emperor summoned him to discuss. Li Xingzhou felt that Yang Hongzhao's proposal was very good.

Li Xingzhou also believes that Jin Guo can still hold on and will not be easily wiped out.

Even if Mongolia rises, the countries in the east are different from the countries in the west at this time.

For the countries and tribes in the west, Mongolia can destroy a dozen or so every time it goes west, and it only takes a few years. However, in the eastern battlefield, several major countries are very strong.

It took 22 years for Mongolia to destroy Xixia, 23 years for the Kingdom of Jin, and 44 years for the Southern Song Dynasty, and a great Khan died in battle.

Therefore, Li Xingzhou has reason to believe that even if the Kingdom of Jin is about to be destroyed by Mongols, it will not be taken in a short time. There are Liu Xu and Pu Chayi in the west, and Wanyan Zongbi and Wanyan Yingge in the east. beat.

However, in order to keep hope for the Kingdom of Jin and contain the consumption of the Mongols, Li Xingzhou suggested that Yang Hongzhao tell the Kingdom of Jin that there was something going on in the Kingdom of Jing and that they could not take action, so that they could hold out for another year and would lend a helping hand to them next year.

This is to give them a hope of sticking to it and waiting for help. There may be some text traps in it.

It is said that they will support them next year, and there is a high probability that they will wishful thinking that next spring will start, but in fact, even if they support them next winter, they will still be support.

Furthermore, Li Xingzhou only talked about support, but didn't say anything about support. When the time comes, he will send them some food, and military supplies are also support.

The purpose of this move is to stabilize the morale of the Jin Kingdom's army and let them fight the Mongols well.

With the Jin Kingdom barrier in the east and the Xia Kingdom barrier in the west, they are all fighting the Mongols, so he can build new gunboats with peace of mind.

In late June, Li Xingzhou vacated a new factory building in the back hill of Wangfu and mobilized a company of soldiers to guard it.

More than 20 powerful craftsmen including Qiu'er, Zhao Si, Tieniu, Guan Zhong, and Zhu Rong from the palace were called together, and more than a dozen senior generals in the army, including Di Zhi, Liu Ji, Yan Shen, and Shen Lin, were called together to set up a temporary office.

Li Xingzhou named it the "Temporary Office of the New Battleship Project" and allowed everyone present to enter and exit here temporarily.The right to participate in the discussion, and requested that the entire project be led by Zhao Si as the deputy, and Di Zhi and Liu Ji as military representatives.

During the entire planning period, the military puts forward opinions, and the craftsmen are responsible for the implementation. The two sides can discuss the differences. Before the end of the year, a plan agreed by both parties should be come up with.

And start construction a year or a year later, this time the battleship is different from the previous big ships, it is designated as a gunboat, and the first requirement is firepower and mobility.

As for the other temporarily do not consider.

Since its establishment, the office in the back mountain has been in full swing, because Li Xingzhou can't afford Kaiyuan Mansion every day, so he comes here to sit here, ten people can see how much he attaches importance to this matter.

(End of this chapter)