Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 362: Breaking the Formation (Thanks to the monthly ticket of book friend 2021…4453/寒风雪夜归人来!)

Prime Minister Zhang Qixian came out of class and said:

"Your Majesty, Holy Ming!
Things have their priorities and situations have their urgency. Once our Great Zhou has completely defeated the Starry Sky Sect countries, it will be easy to sort out Tubo.

However, I think it would be better to issue an order to improve the treatment of local serfs when implementing the new policy in Tubo. This will win the hearts of the people and lay a solid foundation for the abolition of serfdom in the future."

After some discussion in Chuigong Hall, Chai Zongxun issued an edict:

In Tibet, corvée labor was abolished immediately, and the court hired the people to work for them with money;
The land tax, livestock tax and commodity tax were all reduced to 30%, and all kinds of checkpoints and road passes between provinces were abolished to encourage people to do business and open various production workshops.

The serf trading system was abolished, and nobles were strictly prohibited from lynching, killing or maiming serfs. Violators would be severely punished in accordance with the "Great Zhou Criminal Code".

After the imperial edict reached various parts of Tubo, the local noble serf owners, who had been fighting each other for more than a hundred years, welcomed the new Zhou court when they saw that it not only did not intensify its plunder, but greatly reduced taxes and even paid the people to work.

The serfs of the nobles worked to build water conservancy projects and pave roads, for which the court paid them, but the money they earned went to the nobles. How could they not be happy?

Therefore, they agreed to the court's several regulations requiring the treatment of serfs well.

After the rule of the government offices and garrisons in various parts of Tibet was stabilized, the Royal Business Group sent personnel to various provincial capitals to find out the types and production of traditional Chinese medicine in each place, and then began to hire local people to pick and plant them.

Because Tubo is located on a plateau, although the climate is harsh and survival is difficult, it also produces some rare medicinal materials that are not found in other places, and there are thousands of precious medicinal materials.

At the morning court session on March 20, the 28th year of Kaixi, Prime Minister and Minister of War Zhang Qixian reported that the military supplies for the five Longxiang armies to march to Central Asia were ready, and the emperor and his ministers immediately discussed the strategy to defeat the enemy.

After several months of hard work by tens of thousands of craftsmen, the Royal Arsenal has produced 600 "Yansu Cannons" and 2,000 "Tiger Dun Cannons".

After several months of fierce fighting, Jingsheng led his army to capture Kesh, an important city in the eastern part of the Samanid Empire, two months ago, and it is less than 500 miles away from its capital.

Chai Zongxun looked at the ranks of military commanders and said:
"My dear ministers, you are all famous generals of our Great Zhou who are experienced in fighting. What good battle plans do you have for the current situation in Central Asia?"

Hu Yanzan, who was at the head of the queue, left the team and said:
“Your Majesty, since I returned to Bianjing, I have been studying the situation in Central Asia in my palace.

In my opinion, at present, the Samanid Empire and more than 20 other Star-Religious countries have gathered their armies to defend the area east of the capital Bukhara, with a total of more than 2 million people.

Although the enemy has a large number of troops, their daily expenditures far exceed ours. If the stalemate continues for a long time, the enemy will be at a disadvantage.

Therefore, the strategy of Mansur, the King of the Samanid Dynasty, was to use his superior military strength to fight a war of attrition with our army, while Governor Jing and other generals had to advance step by step.

In order to quickly break through the Xingxing Sect's defense line, I think we must open up a second front with the five corps under my command and attack Bukhara from the north or south! The enemy will panic and divide its troops to resist, but at this time our army will not fight with the enemy, but turn around to attack the weak Ghaznavid Empire or Khorazm.

The armies of the two countries in the Samanid Empire will not want to stay for long when they hear that their country is in danger. In this way, the defense line of the Samanid Empire against Governor Jing’s army will tend to collapse, and both fronts can be won! ”

Chai Zongxun was very pleased and looked at the other generals, saying:

"My dear ministers, what do you think of this strategy?"

Zhe Yuxun came out of the class and said:

"Your Majesty, my thoughts coincide with those of Governor Huyan.

I think that the Samanid Empire is surrounded by mountains and has a cold climate. It would be better to attack the Ghaznavid Empire in the south first.

The Ghaznavid Empire sent 300,000 troops to fight the Samanid Empire. At most, there are 300,000 troops left in the country. If we attack with five corps, we will surely capture the capital and destroy the country in one fell swoop! "The civil officials in the palace saw the emperor and the generals discussing the war. They did not understand the art of war and could not say a word. They felt helpless.

After discussing with the generals for a while, Chai Zongxun made the decision:
"Then follow Huyan Ailiao and Zhe Aiqing's plan!
First, capture the capital of the Ghaznavid Empire built by the Turks and destroy it!"

After more than a month of rest, the second batch of five corps of the Longxiang Army to fight in Central Asia set out from Bian Jing on March 26, the 28th year of Kaixi.

Chai Zongxun personally went to the Altar of Land and Grain to see the soldiers off.

Seeing the mighty and majestic 450,000-strong army and thousands of artillery pieces under the altar, Chai Zongxun said loudly:
"Today, the second batch of my Great Zhou army will set out to Central Asia to fight against the Star Religion coalition. I firmly believe that with the concerted efforts of the two batches of troops, my Great Zhou will achieve a decisive victory and crush the Star Religion!"

All the soldiers shouted long live the emperor, saying:

"Swear allegiance to His Majesty until death! Destroy the Star Cult!"

Chai Zongxun continued:
"At this moment, I feel a surge of passion and compose a poem to be practiced by all the soldiers!"

After the soldiers in the audience cheered, Chai Zongxun chanted:
"Pozhenzi: Sending Soldiers from Bianjing to the Persian Expedition
When drunk, he turned on the lamp to watch the sword, dreaming back to blow the horns and even camp.

Eight hundred miles away, under his command, the fifty strings turned over the sound of the cock, and the battlefield was in the fall.

The horse made Lu Fei swift, bow like a thunderbolt.

I have accomplished the king's business, won a good reputation in life and after death, but now my hair is grey. "

After expressing their gratitude, Huyan Zan and other generals drank the wine in the golden cups given by the emperor, then stood up and led the army to set off.

When the second group of troops led by Hu Yanzan set out for Central Asia, Kou Zhun, the envoy of the Great Zhou Dynasty sent to the Eastern Roman Empire, had just entered Constantinople.

In late September of the 27th year of Kaixi, Kou Zhun, accompanied by Hu Lian and others, set out from Gaochang City disguised as a Gaochang merchant.

After traveling for a month and a half, more than a thousand people arrived at the border between the Great Zhou and the Ghaznavid Empire.

Because the two countries had already gone to war at that time, the number of Ghaznavid border troops guarding the border had increased several times, reaching 10,000 people.

Hu Lian personally went out to ask for an audience with the general. He started a conversation with the general using the fluent Turkic language he had learned during his years of being stationed in the Western Regions. After a while, he won the general's appreciation.

Hu Lian took out the merchant documents of Gaochang State and handed a bundle filled with three thousand taels of silver to the general, saying with a smile:
"General, my family is the Li family, which has been doing business in Gaochang for generations. This time I am leading a caravan to your country to pay a visit to Prime Minister Huli. Please help me!"

The general reached out to take the bundle, but his eyes kept shifting towards the ten beautiful girls from Gaochang who were in the Zhou army, including Hu Lian.

The general weighed the bag, handed it to the guard beside him, and said with a smile:
"Master Hu is so generous and righteous, I will make a lenient move and allow you to enter our country.

It’s just that I noticed that there are quite a few Gaochang beauties in the caravan of Master Hu. I have never taken a Gaochang beauty as a concubine. I wonder if you can give me a beauty…”

Hu Lian cursed the Ghaznavids for their greed and shamelessness, thinking:

"You Turk villain! When our Great Zhou army invades the Ghaznavid Empire, I will personally cut off your head!"

Hu Lian put his hand into his arms.

(End of this chapter)