Neon Clothes and Iron Clothes

"Sanlang!" Li Hong frowned in front of Wang Wenzuo in a rare move: "I know what you mean, but Dou Jiande is also a traitor after all. When he raised an army against Master Wang, he was really a treasonous sinner!"

"So he was defeated and died, and paid the price with his own life!" Wang Wenzuo said: "The person in the Xia King Temple worshiped by the people of Hebei now is not the traitor Dou Jiande, but the man who knows righteousness and respects benevolence, who values ​​loyalty and love. A virtuous, kindhearted King of Xia who loves his people. If your Majesty can make him the official priest, you can gain the respect of the people of Hebei and resolve the past hatred without paying any price. After all, Dou Jiande is dead and there is no way he can live again!"

"What if I don't agree?" Li Hong asked.

"Looking at it now, it won't be bad!" Wang Wenzuo smiled: "But if the world changes, Hebei will probably become an ulcer that cannot be healed in the Tang Dynasty!"

Li Hong's expression changed slightly. He stood up and walked back and forth a few times, then suddenly stopped: "Sanlang, I cannot agree with this matter about the Xiawang Temple. As for adding a few Hebei scholars to the Zhaowen Hall, this is a simple matter." , just let the people in Zhongshushe draw up the edict tomorrow!"

"Okay!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "Since the holy will has been decided, let's follow what His Majesty said!!"

Wang Wenzuo's attitude was so relaxed after being rejected, but Li Hong hesitated a little. He whispered: "Sanlang, I also know that you are doing it for the good of the Tang Dynasty, but the Xiawang Temple matter is really too involved -"

"Your Majesty, after you ascend the throne, you will be the emperor, and you will govern on behalf of heaven. I am just a minister. The relationship between your majesty and me is different from the past. Your majesty does not need to explain to me or anyone else. You only need to be worthy of heaven." Wang Wenzuo stretched out his hand and pointed upward.

"sky?"

"Yes! The Tian family is selfless!" Wang Wenzuo nodded: "To be selfish means to be biased, and to be biased is unjust. Regarding the matter of the Xiawang Temple, your Majesty, as long as you think it is better to do it, you can do it without thinking about it. More."

"But Sanlang, you clearly said that Hebei will become an ulcer that cannot be healed by the Tang Dynasty!"

"Yes! That's what I said and what I thought, but I can't always be right!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "In the final analysis, this world belongs to His Majesty, and I can only tell you what I think is right. Your Majesty, but it is you and only you who make the final decision, not others, including minor ministers!"

Li Hong nodded blankly. Before that, Pei Judao spent a lot of effort to persuade Li Hong to reject Wang Wenzuo's proposal to establish the Xiawang Temple as the main sacrifice.Li Hong felt quite guilty about this matter. After all, he had long been accustomed to obeying Wang Wenzuo's advice before, and even planned to give Wang Wenzuo the right to nominate scholars from Hebei to the Zhaowen Hall as compensation.But he didn't expect that Wang Wenzuo would act so nonchalantly when his proposal was rejected, even feeling a little relieved and happy to see it succeed.He was like a child who was about to break away from the support of his parents and walk independently. He found that his parents took the initiative to let go of his hands and applauded and encouraged him. Instead, he was a little frightened, afraid that his parents would let go.Pei Judao's original remarks that Wang Wenzuo was arrogant in taking power and acted arbitrarily were naturally self-defeating.

"After all, Shizhong Pei still doesn't understand Sanlang's character! Is he a person who is greedy for power?" Li Hong thought to himself: "Actually, this is not to blame. He has never gotten along with Sanlang before. How could he know Sanlang's character? It's different. Why did my mind waver after hearing a few words from others? I really shouldn't have!" Thinking of this, Li Hong couldn't help but apologize to Wang Wenzuo a little more.

"Sanlang, your current residence was given to you by the Emperor when you first arrived in Chang'an!" Li Hong said with a smile: "It's a little inappropriate for your current official status. Why don't you change your residence? How about in Anxingfang? It's so far away. Miyagi is also closer, making commuting much more convenient!”

"Isn't this necessary?" Wang Wenzuo was stunned when he heard this: "Besides, my residence is better than many of my colleagues in the Political Affairs Hall. No matter how big or nice it is, it is too much. The place where I live now is not far from the palace. It’s not far away, why bother changing places?”

"Then the casual officer can be promoted to two levels and become a general of the army? Or become a doctor of Ziguanglu?"

"I haven't accomplished anything, so how can I have the dignity to accept this salary-gifted official again?"

In this way, Li Hong tried his best to give him a house, a promotion, and a reward of money and silk. He wanted to use this to eliminate the apology in his heart, but Wang Wenzuo rejected them one by one. In the end, Wang Wenzuo also guessed something. , smiled and said: "Your Majesty, do you think you owe me something? Do you want to give me extra favors to compensate me?"

"This -" Wang Wenzuo guessed what was on his mind, and Li Hong couldn't help but blush slightly and stuttered: "Sanlang, I, I, I -"

"Your Majesty, please remember what I am going to say next!" Wang Wenzuo said in a deep voice: "You are the emperor, and you govern the affairs of heaven, so you will not owe anyone, including me! You have given me enough, and you do not need to compensate me. Me anything!”

Li Hong was stunned. He didn't fully understand what Wang Wenzuo meant. He was thinking about whether he should ask a question when he heard Wang Wenzuo's calm voice: "As the emperor, you can never be wrong. Remember, you can never be wrong." !”

"Never make mistakes?" Li Hong was stunned. Wang Wenzuo's words were completely different from the Confucian education he had received: "Yes, but is there anyone in the world who cannot make mistakes?"

"Yes, it is true that everyone makes mistakes, but the emperor is not a human, he is a god, at least a half-human and half-god!" Wang Wenzuo said with a smile: "As for why you don't make mistakes, that's very simple. Just never express your stance!"

"Not taking a stand?" Li Hong laughed: "That's true, but how can we govern the country like that?"

"It's very simple. You can choose a person you trust, or a few people, and let them run the country. If you feel that any of them does something you are not satisfied with, just change it to someone you are satisfied with!" Wang Wenzuo said: " Since you are in the heavenly position, you will never make mistakes or be stained with blood, so just leave those matters to the ministers!" Li Hong didn't fully understand the meaning of Wang Wenzuo's words, so he could only nodded blankly, and finally said: " Well, I don’t quite understand what you are talking about, Sanlang, so let’s wait until I think it over slowly! By the way, there is one more thing that I almost forgot. Last time Pei Shizhong and I mentioned the matter of Guanzhong’s soldiers, I remember, didn’t the Supreme Emperor leave this matter to you? I wonder what Saburo’s plan is? "

"Reorganizing the soldiers in Guanzhong?" Wang Wenzuo laughed: "Your Majesty, do you really plan to rectify the soldiers in Guanzhong?"

"What's wrong?" Li Hong was stunned: "Sanlang, do you mean you don't care?"

"Let's put it this way!" Wang Wenzuo said: "Guanzhong Fubing is like a rotten ship. If you continue to repair it, you may be able to sail for a while, but there may be new damage at any time. Spending money on such a rotten ship The hard work is completely worth half the effort!”

"The ship of decay? Why do you say that?" Li Hong asked in confusion: "I also know that there are many flaws in the Guanzhong Military Mansion, but it is not like what you said, Sanlang!"

"Okay!" Wang Wenzuo sighed and said: "My analogy is wrong. It should be said that the imperial troops in Guanzhong are a ship, but what your Majesty needs now is a carriage. Even if I renovate it, it will not be the same." It can’t be used as a carriage!”

"Hahaha!" Li Hong laughed at Wang Wenzuo's successive analogies: "Sanlang, you really know how to tell jokes. According to you, these Guanzhong soldiers are useless? Then why did the Supreme Emperor want you to correct them in the first place?"

Wang Wenzuo did not answer Li Hong's question, but asked: "Your Majesty, do you remember who first established the Guanzhong Fubing?"

"Of course I know!" Li Hong said with a smile: "Of course it is Zhou Taizu Wu Emperor Yuwen Heita!"

"Yes, then Yuwen Black Otter created the Fubing mainly to deal with whom?"

"He Liuhun of the Eastern Wei Dynasty, and Xiao Liang of the Southern Dynasty."

"Yes, Yuwen Heita is entrenched in Guanzhong. He fought so many battles with He Liuhun. The battlefields were either in Shayuan, Mangshan, or Hedong Yubi. Even Emperor Wen of this dynasty defeated Xue Xue in Qianshuiyuan. Ju, Shuquegu defeated Song Jingang, Hulao defeated Dou Jiande, and Luoyang defeated Wang Shichong. These places are only three or four hundred miles away from Guanzhong. The total time from dispatching troops to returning to the army is only two months at most. And from Chang'an to It takes half a year to march in Anxi, and it takes as little as two or three months to more than half a year to go to places like Longyou, Liaodong, Hanhai, and Beiting. And according to the military system of the imperial court, half of the soldiers of Tianxiafu are in Guanzhong. You Do you think this is appropriate?”

Hearing this, Li Hong already understood what Wang Wenzuo meant. As Wang Wenzuo said, although China in the medieval era had a vast territory, its internal wars for hegemony were actually limited to a very narrow geographical area. Generally speaking, it was mainly in southern Shaanxi and Henan. The reason for the northwest and southwest Shanxi is very simple. This narrow area is the intersection of the Taihang Qinling Mountains, the Yellow River Fenhe, etc., and it is also an important junction area where the Loess Plateau and the Shaanxi Plateau descend to the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River plains.

Naturally, major military and political groups centered on the Yellow River Basin will invariably accumulate heavy troops in this area, build forts, and attack and defend.Whichever side achieves a decisive victory in this area will gain the strategic initiative and be close to a comprehensive victory.Before the Middle Ages, the southeastern region had not been fully developed, and its status on the political map of ancient China was still very low. Therefore, most of the major battles in the war for hegemony at that time took place in this small area.

In this special form of war, the government army system at that time undoubtedly had great advantages: the war lasted short and the distance was short. As long as it was not launched during the busy farming season, even if all the people were in the army, it would not have much impact on agricultural production. Destruction; the government troops are concentrated in the Guanzhong area and mobilize quickly. After all, Shu is too far away from the main war area. Instead of recruiting soldiers from Shu to travel long distances to fight, it is better to let Shu bear more taxes and serve as money bags. Taxes in the Guanzhong area will be reduced or reduced to subsidize government households, allowing the Guanzhong area to bear most of the military service and blood taxes.

But starting from the late Taketoku period, the war faced by the empire was completely different. The fighting area changed from the original narrow areas of southeastern Shaanxi, southwestern Shanxi, and northwestern Henan to the distant Anxi, Liaodong, north and south deserts, and southwest mountainous areas.However, the imperial military system has not changed accordingly. More than half of the military headquarters are still located in the Guanzhong area around the capital to ensure Guanzhong's absolute military superiority over the two old hostile areas of Guandong and Jiangnan.

The military households found out in despair that in the past, after harvesting crops and going out to fight, they would continue to farm during the New Year and spring in exchange for tax exemption and exemption from labor. If they were lucky, they could earn some reward money and trophies to change their future. If they were not lucky, they would still have brothers taking care of their parents, wives and children in their hometown. The court will also provide some pensions, tax exemptions and exemption from labor until the son grows up; now he has to travel for half a year and a year once he leaves home. The battlefield is in a place with a completely different climate and culture. The disease alone can kill several percent of the robes, and it is completely unfamiliar to him. The enemy fought with each other, and the war lasted for three to five years. Once he went out, it was difficult to come back, and his family could not get any rewards. The scattered officials who had finally worked hard to get it were useless, and it was too hard to wipe the butt.

Take Wang Wenzuo himself as an example. If he had not worked hard in the Baekje Kingdom to scrape land, divide farmlands, dig mines, engage in trade, and distribute benefits to his men, these Shandong soldiers would have collapsed long ago. Even so, his men The proportion of Liyuan soldiers is also getting lower and lower. It's not that Wang Wenzuo doesn't want to use former soldiers with military experience, but that there are really few soldiers who are willing to leave their hometowns and work in such a useless place. Wang Wenzuo only You can supplement your army with Baekje people, Goguryeo people, Japanese people, Mohe people, bad boys, adopted sons-in-law, and children of merchants.In this case, Wang Wenzuo naturally does not want to waste his efforts on a military system that has no future at all. Instead of doing this, it is better to admit the reality early, take out the huge socio-economic resources occupied by the military system, and invest it in truly effective aspects.

"If you follow Sanlang's wishes, then you won't care about the affairs of Guanzhong Fubing?" Li Hong asked.

"Of course we have to take care of it, but we have to let it go first!" Wang Wenzuo said, "Wait until I figure out the water transportation issue!"

"How to say?" Li Hong asked.

"Your Majesty, the reason why Yuwen Heita and Emperor Wen of this dynasty deployed half of their troops in Guanzhong is, firstly, to go to Chang'an and guard the emperor, and secondly, to coerce the four directions. But now the border is in Seyi, and in Guanzhong It is useless and impossible to keep so many military mansions. Therefore, I believe that we should follow the example of the Later Han Dynasty and set up the Northern and Southern armies in Chang'an. The Northern army will guard the palace and the Southern army will guard the capital. Both the Northern and Southern armies will be selected from all over the world, and their food and clothing will be provided by the officials. .The remaining troops should be replenished to Longyou, Anxi, Liaodong and other places!"

"What about the military mansion in Guanzhong?"

"Find out the real numbers, or join the new army, or gradually eliminate them! Making them pay rent is no different from ordinary households!" Wang Wenzuo said solemnly: "But doing so will definitely cause turmoil, so I must first transport the water After finishing the preparations, make sure that Chang'an has enough food and clothing, and has enough food to feed the soldiers, and then we can attack the soldiers in Guanzhong!"