marquis of jingan

Chapter 960 The Emperor's New Trick

It is easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go back from luxury to frugality.

This is the current situation in Northern Qi.

If Master Zhu Li is still fishing and hunting outside the pass for a living, and still being that "foreign race", then as the leader of Master Zhu Li, Emperor Yongping would not feel angry or feel ashamed in the current situation. .

but…

The Northern Qi Dynasty has been prosperous for more than 60 years.

More than 60 years ago, Zhu Lizhen's iron cavalry in the Northern Qi Dynasty, or the Northern Qi Iron Cavalry, almost swept the world. If he hadn't met Zhao Chong, if he hadn't met the scholar of the Southern Dynasty, the world today would not be the situation of the Southern and Northern Dynasties at all. Da Qi Already ruled the world!

Even so, during the more than 60 years of this confrontation, Daqi has always been in the upper hand. You must know that even in the seventh year of Hongde a few years ago, that is, in the 28th year of Yongping, the Southern Dynasty was still submissive to Daqi.

At that time, Emperor Yongping sent a princess to Jiankang to "give a marriage." Even if the emperor of the Southern Dynasty became angry like that, he had to admit it in the end.

During the more than 30 years of Emperor Yongping's reign, he has always been a superior to the Southern Dynasty, especially after Zhou Jin'an defeated the Northern Expeditionary Army of the Southern Dynasty 20 years ago, and made the emperor of the Southern Dynasty bed sick and depressed. The attitude of a superior person is even more obvious.

Even though the Emperor Yongping was sick in bed, he never took the Southern Dynasty seriously.

But these years...

To be precise, in the past two years, after the Huai'an army appeared in the south, the situation suddenly changed drastically!
Up to now, even Emperor Yongping has to recognize the reality, he is concerned about the Southern Dynasty...

It's getting a little out of hand.

The main reason for this situation is not because there was an extra Huai'an army in the Southern Dynasty, and there was an extra Shen Yi...

In the final analysis, it is Daqi who is continuing to weaken!
For more than 60 years, Zhu Lizhen's upper class nobles, and even ordinary Zhu Lizhen, have been corrupt and depraved visible to the naked eye.

This corruption is irreversible.

Because everyone has been fishing and hunting outside the customs for many years, and they have suffered enough from the white mountains and black waters. They finally entered the customs, became lords, and enjoyed countless glory and wealth. Who would want to go back to horseback?
The first-generation Master Zhu Li who entered the customs could barely retain some combat power, but after entering the customs, after a long time, in the gentle township, who would want to go back to hunting roe deer on horseback when Rouge was lying under the quilt?

There are not many people left.

Up to now, three generations have passed, there are very few Zhu Lizhen nobles in the Northern Qi Dynasty, and even ordinary Zhu Lizhen, who can mount a horse and shoot arrows.

As the emperor, Emperor Yongping himself had no way to change this situation.

Because their Zhao family also slept with a woman, and enjoyed the glory and wealth.

You can't just allow the royal family to enjoy the blessings and not allow others to benefit from it.

In that case, these Zhu Lizhen nobles will rebel.

As the emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty for more than 30 years, Emperor Yongping can be said to have witnessed the changes from the first generation to the third generation of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and also watched the national power gradually weaken.

Up to now, the national power of the Northern Qi Dynasty has weakened to a certain extent, and after the Southern Dynasty experienced a southward crossing, the speed of weakening has miraculously slowed down. Up to now, since Emperor Hongde took charge, it cannot be said how the national power has risen, at least...

It did not continue to weaken.

This is the current situation.

After a few violent coughs, Emperor Yongping threw the square handkerchief in his hand aside, panting uncontrollably.

In the business of the emperor, there is nothing more painful than watching his country become weaker and weaker.

If it was in the past, he could still indulge in the flattery of civil and military officials, deceiving himself and others, but now...

Shen Qi has already started to take the initiative to attack the territory of Daqi!

In the Warm Pavilion, His Majesty the Emperor of Great Qi was leaning quietly on a soft couch alone. Under the faint candlelight, His Majesty the Emperor's already cloudy eyes were reflected.

At this time, it was already Shen Shi, and the sky had already darkened.

I don't know how long it took before the emperor said slowly, "Liu Yi."

Liu Yi, the personal eunuch of Emperor Yongping, walked out immediately, bowed his head to the emperor and said, "Master, please order."

Emperor Yongping's voice was a little hoarse: "Go and tell Ma Cheng to come to the palace to see me."

Eunuch Liu lowered his head and was talking when he heard His Majesty's voice again: "Again... call the eldest prince into the palace."

Eunuch Liu was taken aback for a moment, and asked, "Master, do you come in one by one, or come in to see you together?"

The emperor closed his eyes and said, "Get the boss first. If Ma Cheng comes, let him wait outside."

Liu Yi nodded, and then went to work.

About half an hour later, the eldest prince Zhao Tong, who received the oral order in the middle of the night, rushed to the palace.

At this time, His Highness the First Prince was quite excited.

It has been several years since my father was ill.

Almost everyone in Yandu City knew about this matter.

The old father was seriously ill, so it stands to reason that he, the eldest son, should be worried, but he was born in the royal family, and his father was seriously ill, which was good news for him.

Because, as the eldest son of the emperor, he is already 35 years old this year!
In history, many emperors at his age have already been lying in the emperor's mausoleum, very naked.

And at this juncture, Dad suddenly called him into the palace late at night, could it be...!
Thinking of this, the eldest prince became even more excited. He almost rushed to the Nuan Pavilion, knocked on the door cautiously, and said in a low voice, "Father..."

Soon, Emperor Yongping's voice came from inside.

"Come in."

"Eh."

The eldest prince responded, pushed the door open and walked in, knelt on the ground with a plop, kowtowed to the old father and said, "Royal father, are you looking for me?"

At this moment, the lights in the Nuan Pavilion were already lit, and it was very bright. The emperor glanced at the panting eldest son, and frowned, "What are you panting for?"

Zhao Tong lowered his head and said: "Go back to the emperor, the son heard the call from the emperor late at night, so he came here in a hurry."

"It's not urgent."

Emperor Yongping lowered his head and took a sip of tea, then rubbed his somewhat dry eyes, looked at his eldest son, and said, "I have an errand that I want to entrust to you."

The eldest son of the emperor touched his head to the ground, and said in a respectful tone, "Father orders."

"I'm ready to..."

He paused, and said, "Rebuild a Zhu Lizhen cavalry."

His Majesty the Emperor said quietly: "The Zhu Lizhen cavalry of my Daqi was invincible in the world. Now six or seventy years have passed, and the cavalry has been abandoned. Every hometown in Beijing is indulging in pleasure. Ten out of ten."

"Boss, I want you to reorganize this cavalry. You are my eldest son, and I have sent you to lead this cavalry. There is no reason for each family to shirk."

"I gave birth to a son, and each of their families will also have a son."

The emperor said in a deep voice: "Back then, when I entered the customs, only tens of thousands of cavalry could push the entire Chen Kingdom. Now I don't want you to train tens of thousands of cavalry, I only need you to train ten thousand cavalry to come out."

Speaking of this, the emperor closed his eyes and said, "But there is one thing, I want to explain to you."

"In each of their families, there are quite a few horses in enclosures. For this cavalry, they have to bring their own horses."

The eldest prince was completely stunned!

He stared blankly at his old father and swallowed.

"Father, this..."

The emperor narrowed his eyes: "What is this?"

The eldest prince was about to cry, he lowered his head, and said in a stuttering voice: "This is too... offending people."

The emperor snorted: "How can you offend the law?"

The eldest prince didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and knelt on the ground and said, "Royal father, among the old families now, which one is not rich and happy, and who is willing to come out to join the army? Originally, your royal father gave you an order, from our Zhuli Among real people, it is not difficult to gather 1 people, but father...but the imperial court doesn't even have war horses, and..."

He swallowed, lowered his head and said: "Besides, I'm training soldiers at this time, I'm afraid I'm going to go to the battlefield..."

"If you don't go to the battlefield, what will I train soldiers for?"

The emperor was a little angry.

He patted the table, glared at the eldest son, and said in a low voice: "You are my son, why are you afraid of offending others? This is all for our family's country and society. You have enjoyed so many years of blessings, and you cannot replace the court. Contribute for me?"

The eldest prince Zhao Tong felt a burst of despair.

He is the prince, so it doesn't matter if he offends others, and no one will dare to do anything to him, but he knows in his heart that at this juncture, if the emperor's father sends him to offend others...

Then the throne probably has nothing to do with him.

Zhao Tong was afraid of the authority of the emperor, and he didn't dare to offend his old father, so he could only lower his head and kowtow: "My son... I obey my orders."

Only then did the emperor nod his head, and said, "For the specific regulations, think about it after you go back. In the first half of this year, the cavalry will be trained."

"Remember, it's not just the ordinary Master Zhu Li who wants to have a son, but the nobles."

"Not one can escape."

The emperor said in a muffled voice: "I have a son, and each of their families must have at least one son."

Zhao Tong kowtowed and said, "I understand."

The emperor waved his hand and said, "Okay, step back."

Zhao Tong was trembling and retreated cautiously.

After he left, Ma Cheng, the prime minister of the meeting office, knelt in front of the emperor and kowtowed, "Your Majesty."

The emperor glanced at him and sighed silently.

"Ma Qing, I want you to go to the north."

The emperor said quietly.

"Go and talk to the Tartar."

Ma Xiang bowed his head, his tone respectful.

"Old minister... follow orders..."

(End of this chapter)