Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 562 King Ya returns to Beijing (Special thanks to book friend 2022…6725 for the monthly ticket!)

When Chai Zongxun was about to discuss with the Military Cabinet which three corps should be sent out, the Chief of the Military Cabinet, Zhang Ning, came out and said:
"Your Majesty, India is far away and its territory is quite large. It will take time for the Longxiang Army to complete its mission.

I took over as Chief Minister of the Military Cabinet in the 43rd year of Kaixi, and my ten-year term will be completed at the end of next year, the 52nd year of Kaixi.

Please also ask Your Majesty to arrange the next military cabinet chief in advance to avoid conflicts with the arrangements of the expeditionary corps."

Chai Zongxun immediately asked the generals for their opinions.

After being recommended by many military generals, Gao Hua, the Grand Commander of the 9th Corps, and Liang Ying, the Grand Commander of the 12th Corps, were the most popular.

Both of them participated in the war against the Star Religion and led their troops to conquer Angkor. They were both granted the title of Duke for their military achievements.

In the end, Chai Zongxun chose Gao Hua, who had more outstanding military achievements, as the next prime minister of the military cabinet.

Gao Hua was born in the fourth year of Xian De (957). In the seventeenth year of Kai Xi (976), when he was nineteen years old, he won the first place in the military examination and joined the Longxiang Army.

After consultation between the emperor and his ministers, Chai Zongxun decided to send Liang Ying of the 12th Corps as the commander-in-chief to conquer India together with the 26th and 30th Corps.

Now that Great Zhou and Tianzhu have many borders, we can attack from three directions:

The attack could be directed southwards from Tubo, but the local altitude was too high, making it difficult for marching.

You can enter India from Khotan to the southwest, but the route is mountainous and difficult to travel.

The other route was from Ghazni to the southeast and into India. The route was mostly plains, which was convenient for the Longxiang Army of the Great Zhou Dynasty, which had many artillery pieces, to march, and logistical supplies were also the easiest.

After a month of assembly and preparation of armaments, the three expeditionary corps set out from Bian Jing on July 6, the 51st year of Kaixi, and headed for the Ghazni area in Central Asia.

After arriving in Ghazni, the Talas Royal Arsenal in Central Asia will supply the army with "Yansu Cannon" and ammunition needed for the expedition.

Today, the army of the Great Zhou Empire, with more than three million soldiers, is entirely cavalry.

After decades of conquering the world and expanding territory, Chai Zongxun has acquired a large number of horse-producing areas, especially Hetao, Liaodi and Central Asia, which are the three major horse-producing areas.

The Royal Business Group built hundreds of horse farms in these three places. In addition to supplying the good horses needed by the imperial court, ordinary horses flowed into the private market and were sold to the people.

The annual supply of fine horses to the imperial court was more than 5, including about Arabian horses, and million ordinary healthy horses were sold on the market. The annual profit of all royal horse farms was more than million taels of silver. civilians were employed as workers, with an average monthly salary of taels.

On September 7, the 51st year of Kaixi, "Prince Ya" Chai Jijun led more than 100 people from the royal palace and 2,000 followers on a Royal Navy warship and arrived in Bianjing after more than four and a half months of travel.

Upon hearing the news, Chai Zongxun was overjoyed and ordered the chief eunuch in the palace, He Yao, to go ten miles out of the city to welcome "Prince Ya" Chai Jijun.

Chai Zongxun summoned Concubine Yi, Zhou Nuying, to come and meet Chai Jijun and his family in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

When returning to Beijing to visit his relatives, Chai Jijun brought along Princess Liu Chu, twelve concubines, three princes, and two princesses.

After the greetings, Chai Zongxun invited the King of Ya and his family to sit down and said with a smile:
“Jun’er is looking good, and he has three more children in the past few years.

I heard that you never disturbed the people in Maya, and you are quite wise and lived up to my expectations!"

Zhou Nuying waved to her five grandchildren to come to her side and cried:

"Jun'er, when we said goodbye in Maya, didn't mother tell you to return to Beijing as soon as possible to visit father and mother? Why did you come here with concubines and children after nine years?

How much my mother has missed you all these years!"

Chai Jijun bowed again and said:
"It is my fault that I caused my father and mother to worry about me!

Ever since his father, the emperor, and his mother returned with the army, the Mayan continent has been in ruins and the emperor has had to work hard with the officials to govern the country.

In the past few years, the Maya Continent has enjoyed a peaceful political situation and many projects have been put on the right track. The emperor misses his father and mother so much that he petitioned the emperor last year to come and visit him. "After Chai Jijun finished speaking, he presented the list of gifts he was bringing back to Beijing.

Chai Zongxun opened the gift list and glanced at it casually, then said with a smile:
“Jun’er is filial.

As long as Jun'er works diligently for the people in the vassal state and his family lives comfortably, I will be relieved.

How are people's lives in the Maya continent now?"

Chai Jijun said:

"My father, after the government's vigorous development in the past few years, encouraging the people to reclaim farmland and develop industry and commerce, the lives of the Mayan people have become increasingly prosperous, all people can have enough food and clothing, and nearly half of the families have achieved a well-off life.

Over the years, the government has built more than 7,000 water conservancy facilities and more than 60,000 miles of national highways.

There were more than 3 workshops and businesses in the private sector, and the minimum monthly salary for employees was three taels.

The three million Han people who immigrated to the Mayan continent by my father have now grown to more than six million people thanks to abundant land, a comfortable life and incentives for fertility.

The local Mayan population has also increased from more than 7 million to more than 8 million, and the Liao population has increased from more than 2 million to 3 million.

The three tribes usually live in harmony, committed to developing the economy and improving living standards, and there has not been a single conflict.”

Chai Zongxun nodded and said:

“Food is the people’s first necessity; when their granaries are full, they will learn etiquette.

As long as the government is committed to developing the economy and improving people's livelihood, the people will have enough food and clothing and hope in life, and all ethnic groups will be able to live in harmony. "

Chai Jijun said:

"Father, I am here with my family to see you. Some people from the Maya Yin tribe and the Maya Gong tribe have requested to follow me to see you. They hope to see the prosperity of our Great Zhou."

Chai Zongxun nodded and said:

"Very good. These Yin people were originally the remnants of our Chinese people overseas. Lord Maya was able to surrender his entire country to me, so he is also a meritorious minister.

I will arrange for someone to take care of their trip."

After the family chatted happily for many hours, Chai Zongxun said:
"Jun'er went to see the Queen Mother and the two queens, and took his family to stay temporarily in the Yuxiu Hall in the front yard of the Imperial Palace.

I finally returned to Beijing to visit my relatives, but stayed there for a year before returning home.

I will host a banquet for you in the palace tonight, and we can have a good chat as a family."

Chai Jijun immediately stood up and took gifts to the harem to meet Empress Dowager Fu and others. The princess and children were also summoned.

That evening, Chai Zongxun held a banquet in the Huangyi Hall to welcome the arrival of "Prince Ya" Chai Jijun and his family.

Empress Dowager Fu, Empress Fu, the Fifth Empress, Imperial Concubine Yi, as well as the Crown Prince's family and the Eldest Princess' family were all present.

After several rounds of drinking, the atmosphere became increasingly heated. Most people asked the people in Prince Ya's Palace about the affairs of the Mayan continent. The emperor's grandchildren quickly became familiar with each other and, after getting permission from Chai Zongxun, went out of the hall to play together.

As the night deepened, Chai Zongxun said:

“Jun’er, after returning to the country, I built a new “Time Hall” to commemorate the twenty-eight heroes, and erected a “Holy Zhou Ancestor’s Instructions” monument in front of the hall.

After a few days of rest, you can go there with your family to visit and pass on the ancestral precepts I have set for the King of Ya for generations."

(End of this chapter)