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After the battle with the Xixia soldiers, Sheng Changbai actually achieved his basic goal of going to the northwest.

But I have only been in Northwest China for less than a year, so I can’t just transfer my job.

According to the practice of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the prime ministers and assistants of the Great Zhou Dynasty generally need to settle in the local area for more than ten years.

Sheng Changbai's time abroad was far from enough, so he planned to stay in the northwest for one term.

Since he stayed, his tenure would still be long, so Sheng Changbai had to do something.

Although the key to the northwest counterattack is actually in the Central Plains and in the court.

The war potential of the northwest alone is still much lower than that of Xixia.

But in the northwest, there are actually many things to do.

Training soldiers, local warriors, and cultivating elite soldiers are the most basic aspects.

Equally important is the policy of encouraging land reclamation, encouraging farmers to cultivate mulberry trees, and organizing large-scale official farming in the northwest.

Compared with the materials produced in the northwest, the cost of allocating materials from the Central Plains and the South is several times higher.

Although there is not such a good foundation for the development of farming in the northwest, the land is not that fertile, irrigation is not that convenient, and the grain yield is not very high, but many transportation costs are eliminated, and the income from farming in the northwest is still very high.

In the following time, except for Sheng Changbai who went to stop the invasion of Xixia bandits and invade the border in winter, the rest of the time was spent on developing people's livelihood.

Sheng Changbai took office in Qinzhou for another two years.

Over the past two years, the results have actually been pretty good.

Qinzhou has experienced considerable growth in all aspects, including population, cultivated land area, grain output, and even the economy.

Except for population growth, which is not that fast, other aspects have doubled.

Facts have once again proved that as long as the people are not squeezed by big households, exploited by the government, or invaded by enemy soldiers, the people themselves can develop well.

One year plus two years, after the completion of the first general judge, three years have passed.

Sheng Changbai was originally planning to end his career as a general judge in the northwest and return to Bianliang to reform the law with the emperor.

Reform is never an easy matter.

The emperor, who was still relatively young, was a little unsure. If he couldn't keep an eye on him for a while, he would easily take too big steps and make mistakes.

After Sheng Changbai returned to Bianliang, he could supervise and advise the emperor not to be too eager for quick success and to do things in a hurry.

If you want to reform, you cannot avoid affecting the interests of some people.

Royal relatives, relatives, nobles, bureaucrats, landlords, big businessmen, no one is easy to mess with.

The new emperor is young, ambitious, enterprising, and bold, which is of course a good thing.

But this character is not so appropriate when used in political reforms.

In order not to arouse too many opponents, the reform cannot be carried out in all aspects simultaneously.

We can only separate the parties, defeat them one by one, and disintegrate them.

Take the method of boiling a frog in warm water and proceed step by step.

In the past three years, the emperor reformed the official system and promulgated the Recruitment Law, the Market Change Law, the Farmland Equalization Tax Law, the Farmland Water Conservancy Law, etc.

It has already affected the interests of businessmen and landowners.

The court needs to be stable, and it is not suitable to touch the interests of other ruling classes in the Zhou Dynasty in the near future.

It’s not too late to figure out the landlords and merchants who are the best class to deal with first.

But just when Sheng Changbai was about to let his father-in-law choose a suitable place for him and return to Bianliang.

The situation in the northwest has changed. It is not because there is something wrong with Dazhou.

The emperor of Xixia died, and he was succeeded by a young emperor. The throne of Xixia fell into the hands of an eight-year-old boy.

The actual power fell into the hands of the Xixia Queen Mother and her uncle, while the harem and relatives were in power.

Of course not everyone in Xixia was happy. There were many conflicts, the court was in turmoil, and the political situation was unstable.

It was obviously an opportunity that could be taken advantage of. Dazhou had just gone through various reforms and was recuperating. The situation was much better than before.

Various reforms have increased a certain amount of taxes, reduced a lot of redundancies, reduced expenses, and accumulated a certain amount of money and grain.

We eliminated redundant troops, strengthened our forces, and trained some combat-ready soldiers.

Seeing Xixia's own flaws, he wanted to rival the Emperor of Tang Zong and Hanwu.

It was immediately decided that the best way to use troops against Xixia was to destroy Xixia in one battle. The lowest strategic goal was to regain the wealthy Hehuang area.

There is going to be a war in the northwest, and Sheng Changbai has no intention of returning to Bianliang.

After returning, we have to worry about the northwest, so it is better to stay in the northwest.

"I moved to live as a minister, served as censor, and Qinzhou general magistrate Sheng Changbai... I knew Qinzhou."

Sheng Changbai didn't live in vain for three years in the northwest. His official rank was promoted one level, and he became the leader of Qinzhou, an important border town in Shangzhou.

It can be regarded as a high-level position. A magistrate who can do such an important frontier town can be regarded as a senior official.

It is also beneficial to have a good relationship with the emperor. The emperor trusts Sheng Changbai enough.

Sheng Changbai could also violate the Zhou Dynasty's customs of official turnover and prevent a courtier from serving in the same place for too long.

After serving as a magistrate in Qinzhou for three years, he can continue to serve as magistrate in Qinzhou.

Even because of trust, the emperor did not appoint another general judge to decentralize power, restrict and supervise Sheng Changbai, the top leader in Qinzhou.

Sheng Changbai was very familiar with Qinzhou. After being promoted to the governor of the state, he didn't even need to bother handing over anything except the official seal.

Seamless arrangements were made for food, armor, weapons, and arrows, and all kinds of pre-war preparations were made.

While making preparations, he was waiting for the arrival of the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition arranged by the imperial court.

The geographical location of Qinfeng Road where Qinzhou is located is indeed critical. Whether the Xixia goes eastward or the Great Zhou goes west, they must pass through Qinfeng Road.

The Qin Feng and Shaanxi Propaganda Envoys set up by the imperial court for the Western Expedition also directly placed them on Qin Feng Road.

The Xuanfu envoy had great power, and was considered the most powerful local official in the Zhou Dynasty. He was directly responsible for all military and political matters in several areas.

The power is far higher than that of ordinary road-level chief officials and transfer envoys, and the standard treatment of a prince.

Therefore, the Xuanfu envoys of the Great Zhou Dynasty were not permanent, but were sent on a temporary basis.

After the errand is done, he will leave office immediately.

This time the emperor set up a propaganda envoy to facilitate the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition and to mobilize all forces in the northwest.

The new boss arrived in the northwest, on Qinfeng Road where Qinzhou is located. Sheng Changbai, the governor of Qinzhou, had to go to the dock.

"Meet Gu Shuai."

"Ze Cheng, why should we two be so polite?"

"Zhong Huai, I was indeed right. The officials sent you to lead the troops during this Western Expedition."

Seeing that the emperor had indeed sent Gu Tingye as the commander-in-chief of the Western Expedition, Sheng Changbai was still happy to see it.

No matter how many faults Gu Tingye has, his thoughts on the Western Expedition are definitely pure.

Unlike the generals in the northwest region, who all have their own little ideas.

Moreover, as a good friend of the emperor, Gu Tingye led troops on expeditions and did not have to obey the orders of civil servants.This is also the person Sheng Changbai can most easily influence. With Gu Tingye as the coach this time, Sheng Changbai can have more influence on Xi Zheng.

"I have waited for decades and finally waited for today. How could I miss it? When I heard that the government was going to use troops against Xixia, I was the first to volunteer."

Gu Tingye is indeed a person who likes to go to the battlefield.

However, for this kind of thing, Gu Tingye is the most suitable person to command half of the elite of Zhou Dynasty without asking for help.

"Zhong Huai, when you command the troops this time, can the officials give you the power to make decisions on the fly?"

Sheng Changbai continued to ask, whether the general has autonomy is still very critical.

Before the Great Zhou Dynasty, they fought with foreign countries and often failed to gain an advantage.

This is a very important reason why the frontline troops must always accept Bianliang's remote control.

Although over the years, because the emperor did not know the military affairs and interfered, there was no previous emperor at the beginning of the country who directly issued the formation map and asked the generals to follow the steps step by step, when to march, when to camp, and when to cook, everything was so exaggerated.

However, the emperor and prime ministers of Bianliang would also directly arrange marching routes, fighting times, and regions for the army. This was actually a very absurd thing.

"Of course, officials are not people who don't know how to fight. They allow me to do things easily."

Except for Gu Tingye, it is really difficult for others to gain this trust in front of the emperor.

Even Shen Congxing, the emperor's uncle, was not worthy of the emperor's support due to his ability.

The reason why the commander-in-chief is not given too much power is not entirely because the Emperor Zhao does not understand military affairs.

This was the instinct of the Emperor Zhao to eliminate all threats to imperial power.

"That's enough. It seems that if everything goes well, next year we can capture Xixia's son emperor and go to Beijing to offer him as a prisoner to the officials."

Although the Xixia soldiers are said to be very strong, the Dangxiang people are nomadic people. They grew up on horses since childhood. They are skilled in bow and horse, and all the people are soldiers.

But after all, it only has a population of 300 million and is located in the barren northwest, so it doesn't have a very good economy and productivity.

As long as the Great Zhou Dynasty does not have any problems and can reach a certain level in all aspects, with its stronger comprehensive national strength, there is no possibility that Xixia will be in a stalemate with the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"Zecheng, you have been in the northwest for three years just for this day. Is there anything you can teach me?"

"Of course... If you want to be more stable, you can only open Hehuang. This time, you only want to occupy Hehuang. The Xixia court is so chaotic and has different thoughts. It is impossible to be as united as before. As long as I have 30 troops in the Great Zhou Dynasty , step by step, fight steadily, there is no possibility of invincibility.

If you want to get rid of it once and for all, you can choose to capture Hengshan directly and occupy the natural barrier of Hengshan. Not only will our court have a natural barrier to defend Xixia, but without Xixia's geographical advantage, our Zhou army can go straight to the enemy's nest at any time. Xixia is very important to us. Dazhou will be in the bag sooner or later. "

In fact, everyone who knows something about military affairs knows what Sheng Changbai said.

When Zhou wanted to use troops against Xixia, he always hoped to gain something.

It would certainly be a good thing if Xixia could be destroyed.

However, Xixia's land area is not small, and it is not something that can be decided in one battle.

Always set interim goals.

Either to occupy the wealthy Hehuang area, or to occupy the natural danger of Hengshan Mountain and seize Lingzhou.

Comparing the two, Hengshan is indeed of more military significance.

Xixia also occupied Hengshan at the beginning, so it had the confidence to challenge Zhou Dynasty.

Occupying natural dangers and having geographical advantages, independence was achieved and political power was established.

"I don't know Zecheng, what do you think?" Gu Tingye asked.

"Before Zhonghuai came, what was the attitude of the officials and the princes in the court?" Sheng Changbai did not answer, but asked Gu Tingye in return.

"The officials still hope to defeat Xixia and occupy Hengshan in one battle."

"It is indeed a decision made by the officials." Sheng Changbai nodded.

By occupying Lingzhou, where Hengshan is located, it can be said that Xixia has been solved, and Xixia will not pose a major threat to the Great Zhou.

Lingzhou is in the northwest, which is equivalent to Yanyun in the northern Xinjiang.

The significance of taking back these places is that with natural protection, the Zhou Dynasty does not need to hoard heavy troops in the northwest and northern Xinjiang, which consumes national power.

As long as a certain amount of troops are stationed, it will be enough to defend the enemy from the outside.

If the Great Zhou Dynasty had not been fatuous and decadent, there would have been no possibility for these foreigners to invade the hinterland of the Central Plains.

"But I still recommend occupying Hehuang first. If things go well, we may then consider taking Hengshan."

The emperor's idea was very good, and Sheng Changbai also hoped that Zhou could regain Hengshan.

But the reality is that Zhou's army never gained any advantage when fighting against foreign enemies.

The most they can do is bully the foreigners in the south and fight in the north.

The Zhou army encountered Khitan and defeated Khitan, and encountered Dangxiang and defeated Dangxiang.

In recent decades of war, the Zhou Dynasty has never won on a large scale.

Both soldiers and generals have a serious fear of the Khitan and the Dangxiang.

Morale is an illusory thing, but it does exist.

Judging from the superficial combat power, Dazhou can indeed capture Hengshan.

But in fact, it is not certain how powerful Zhou's army can be when facing the Dangxiang people.

It is still not easy to directly attack Hengshan, which is naturally dangerous. It is better to start with the easy and then the difficult, to eliminate some fear and gain some confidence.

"Zecheng, when did you become so cautious? If you plan to capture Hehuang first, wouldn't it put the Western bandits in Hengshan on guard? It will be even more difficult to capture Hengshan later."

Gu Tingye has always been big-hearted and bold, and he obviously has the same idea as the emperor.

They all want to pacify the northwest and directly deal with Xixia in one battle.

After all, organizing such a war would require the deployment of 30 troops and millions of civilians.

It can also be said that the Great Zhou Dynasty is the power of the Qing Dynasty.

The strength accumulated through various reforms in the past few years can only launch a war of this scale.

The economy only has this strength, and if more people continue to exploit it, civil unrest will inevitably occur in various places.

It was necessary to send troops to quell the chaos, which further affected people's livelihood and economy, and plunged the Zhou Dynasty into a vicious cycle.

"Yes, if you plan to capture Hehuang first, you may lose the opportunity to capture Hengshan. But if you use troops directly against Hengshan this time, if it doesn't succeed, what a big blow it will have to the prestige of the official family. Zhonghuai, have you ever had the opportunity to capture Hengshan? Have you considered it?"

Sheng Changbai didn't say it directly, he doubted Gu Tingye's ability to lead troops.

It is better to advise Gu Tingye from the perspective of considering the emperor.

The current Great Zhou Dynasty is simply relying on the emperor's prestige to implement various new policies.

If the emperor has experienced a defeat in a war, it will not only be a question of whether the emperor dares to use the strength of the country to launch another war.

If you lose your prestige, you will face countless difficulties in your life even if you want to implement the New Deal in the future.

Sheng Changbai did not dare to guarantee that Zhou's army could achieve its goal by seeking Hengshan.

But after removing the natural danger advantage of Xixia, we just want to take advantage of Hehuang.

Sheng Changbai is confident enough to complete it.