Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 61 The fourth year of Kaixi (Special thanks to book friends 2020...8634 for the monthly ticket of Emperor Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty!)

Before the end of the year, Han Hui, Zhang Yong, and Cao Bin left 10,000 imperial guards to station in Huaizhou and Yangzhou, and returned to Bianjing in triumph with the unified army.

Emperor Chai Zongxun personally went out of Chaoyang Gate and built the "Sheji Altar" to welcome the army.

After the whole army saw Li Shan and shouted long live, Chai Zong said:

"All the soldiers went to Yangzhou this time to defeat the Tang Dynasty and Han Ni, and to promote the power of the Zhou Dynasty. They are loyal and brave!
I will reward you greatly.

The whole army will be rewarded with ten taels of silver! Promoted to one level!
Han Hui was granted the title "Uncle Ping Nan", Zhang Yong was granted the title "Uncle Wu Sheng", and Cao Bin was granted the title "Uncle Xuan Ning". "

The whole army bowed to express gratitude and said in a thunderous voice:

"Thank you for your great kindness, Your Majesty! We are willing to die for Your Majesty!"

In Bianjing City, the celebration banquet was held for three days.

After the two Huainan states, Huaizhou and Yangzhou, and E, An, and Guangzhou taken from the Southern Tang Dynasty were placed under the direct jurisdiction of the Zhou Dynasty, under the instruction of Emperor Chai Zongxun, the Ministry of Industry gave priority to the construction of water conservancy facilities in these five states.

After three years of vigorous reclamation of wasteland and the "night market" new policy, the economy of these five states has also prospered. The people can now have enough food and clothing, and the tax revenue of the imperial treasury has also increased significantly.

On May 963, the fourth year of Kaixi (), Chai Zongxun in the Huangji Hall of the Bianjing Palace looked at the memorials presented by the governors of the five states and felt satisfied.

In the past three years, Queen Mother Fu's time to listen to politics behind the curtain has been greatly reduced. She only accompanied the emperor to the morning court on days when some important state affairs were discussed, and she safely handed over the government affairs to the eleven-year-old Emperor Chai Zongxun.

After years of diligent martial arts training, Chai Zongxun is nearly 1 meters tall and has a strong physique.

Under Zhang Yong's careful guidance, Chai Zongxun's archery skills were still not as good as Zhang Yong's, but he could still be said to be good at shooting.

The "Longxiang Army" and "Longxiang Guards" created by Chai Zongxun have been continuously recruiting orphans from all over the Zhou Dynasty for three years to expand the army. The "Longxiang Army" has expanded to two regiments and 180,000 people; the "Longxiang Guards" For a regiment, 90,000 people.

Chai Zongxun set a monthly salary for the sergeants of the two armies who were eighteen years old or above, which was one or two and eight coins per month. Such a high salary not only made the morale of the two armies high, and the sergeants pledged their loyalty to the death, but also made the people of the Zhou Dynasty envious. Many young people from common people looked forward to the early expansion of the two emperor's armies and recruited sergeants from the people.

The tax revenue of the treasury has reached 82 million taels of silver per year, and the grain revenue from the two seasons of the year has reached 2.5 billion jins, which is enough to feed a population of 70 million.

Due to sufficient grain production and the court's policy to promote business, various industries in Zhou society, such as garment manufacturing, breeding, wine making, and entertainment industries, began to develop rapidly, and the commodity economy began to flourish.

The birth rate of Dazhou people, who have solved the problem of food and clothing, has also increased significantly. According to household registration statistics from the Ministry of Household Affairs in March this year, nearly two million babies were born in three years.

Chai Zongxun was afraid of the disadvantages of favoring labor and favoring sons over daughters, so he issued an order to severely punish the abandonment and drowning of female infants throughout the Zhou Dynasty.

For those who really have difficulties in raising many children, the people themselves can report it to the "Longxiang Guards" stationed in various states and counties. After review by the court, the government will provide the people with food and monetary subsidies.

Since Chai Zongxun ordered the "Weapons Research and Development Institute" to step up research and development and improve smelting technology, it has been studying day and night. Finally, in September of the third year of Kaixi, it developed a new iron smelting technology, mixed with a very small amount of other ores, and improved quenching Craftsmanship.

The swords made with this method are tough and durable, extremely sharp and not easy to break, which is better than Rokutanban's swords.

Chai Zongxun was overjoyed after receiving the report, so he invested 50,000 taels per month and ordered the arsenal to produce swords and weapons made of this material. After several months of production, there are currently more than 30,000 standard swords equipped with the "Long Xiang Army".

Prime Minister Fan Zhi and Third Prime Minister Wei Renpu were nearly sixty years old, their energy was declining, and their qualifications were mediocre. They also knew that they were not Emperor Chai Zongxun's confidants, so they resigned in January and March of the fourth year of Kaixi respectively and returned to their hometowns.

Emperor Chai Zongxun promoted Li Tao to be Prime Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Wang Zhu to be the Second Prime Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and Lü Mengzheng to be the Prime Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Rites.

Lu Mengzheng also became the youngest person to worship the prime minister since the Tang Dynasty.

The next day, on May 8th, during the morning court, Prime Minister Li Tao came out and said:

"Your Majesty, news came the day before yesterday that Zhou Xingfeng, the envoy of the Wuqing Army and the separatist regime in Tanzhou, died of illness in October of the third year of Kaixi, and his son Zhou Baoquan ascended the throne.

When Zhou Xingfeng joined the Jingjiang Army as a young boy, he had "ten sworn brothers" and only one of them still has a written record.

In the first month of this year, Zhang Wenbiao heard that Zhou Baoquan was the military commander of the Wuqing Army. He refused to accept the offer and raised troops to attack Tanzhou.

Zhou Baoquan led his troops with general Yang Shifan to resist Zhang Wenbiao, and at the same time sent Bianbiao to Bianjing to ask for help from our great Zhou Dynasty. Only His Majesty will decide it. "

Chai Zongxun nodded slightly, then looked at Zhang Yong, the commander of the "Long Xiang Guard" in the first row of the generals' queue, and said:

"Zhang Aiqing, what do you think of the Wu Qing Army incident?"

Zhang Yong was now a tall and sturdy young man of 18 years old. He left the class and said:

"Reporting to your majesty, Nanping and the Wuqing army met in two places. Since the overthrow of the Tang Dynasty, they have been separated for nearly fifty years.

Now that the Wuqing army, Zhou Xingfeng, is dead, they are fighting for power internally, and their troops are weak. I think this is a good opportunity for Your Majesty to take over the Nanping and Wuqing armies! "

Chai Zongxun pondered after hearing this.

After the three-year rotation of senior officers in the army, by the end of the third year of Kaixi, Han Tong, Zhang Yongde, and Li Chongjin had rotated their posts.

Han Tong is currently the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Guard and Pro-Army Division, Li Chongjin is in charge of inspection in front of the palace, and Zhang Yongde is assigned as the commander-in-chief of the returning army.

No low-level generals in the army were mobilized. Chai Zongxun also wanted to gradually cut off the factional influence in the Zhou army.

Li Zhong walked in and out of the class and said:

"Your Majesty, I would like to have the former Secretary of Tongdian Palace march for your Majesty to fight against the Wu Qing Army!"

Chai Zongxun nodded slightly, without comment.

Wang Zhu left the class and said:
"Your Majesty, since the first year of Kaixi, when we conquered the three prefectures of Hubei, An, and Guang in the Great Zhou Dynasty, and were adjacent to the armies of Nanping and Wuqing, we have been oppressing the two places. They pay tribute to me with money and silk every year. The people are exhausted, and the two places are adjacent.

I have a plan to take these two lands into our Great Zhou Kingdom in one fell swoop! "

Chai Zongxun was overjoyed and said:
"Master, tell me quickly."

Wang Zhu smiled and said:
"Your Majesty, my plan is to "false Yu and destroy Guo"!
When we send troops to attack the Wuqing Army in Tanzhou during the Great Zhou Dynasty, the best way to go is through Nanping.

His Majesty sent the imperial army or the "Longxiang Army" to attack the Wuqing army through the road. Nanping Gao Jichong was afraid of the might of our Zhou army and would not dare to refuse.

Then our army can take advantage of the situation to capture Nanping in one fell swoop, and then go south to attack the Wuqing Army, which is to capture two places in one fell swoop. "

Chai Zongxun pondered in his heart:
"At present, my "Longxiang Army" and "Longxiang Guards" are strong enough. We no longer need to be tolerant to the local governors. It's time to cut down the vassal and completely take back local military power!

If the army does not return to the imperial court, the war will never end, and soldiers will emerge in endlessly.

It's just that I only had the power of the "Battle of Yangzhou" three years ago, and I am still a little young now, so it is better to collect the Nanping and Wuqing armies to establish their power first, and take the opportunity to train their troops.

Come back and deal with my Jiedu envoys from various places in the Great Zhou Dynasty. "

Chai Zongxun said:

"The Taifu's plan is excellent! Nanping and Tanzhou have been at war for many years, and the people have been longing for peace for a long time.

The Jiedu envoys in these two places were all newly mourned last year, and they were falling apart internally. It is a good time to bring them under my rule in one fell swoop! "

When the ministers in the palace saw that the emperor had decided on a strategy, they immediately discussed who would lead the army to go out.

In the end, Chai Zongxun made the decision and decided that Hu Yanzhan, the First Army of the First Corps of the "Longxiang Army", would lead an army of 30,000 people, and He Yao (Xiao Liuzi), one of Emperor Chai Zongxun's confidant eunuchs, would supervise the army.

The expedition is limited to five days.

(End of this chapter)