Chu and Han contend for the throne

Chapter 555
Cars rattling and horses whistling, a huge army was winding eastward along the road.

Wearing light armor and riding a white horse on his hips, Zhou Yafu walked in the middle of the marching ranks surrounded by hundreds of soldiers. Looking at the endless ranks in front of and behind the road, Zhou Yafu was suddenly in a daze.

Four months ago, when Zhou Yafu received the imperial decree, he still couldn't believe it. The emperor actually ordered him to lead 20 cavalry and [-] infantry to attack Goguryeo?How can this be? !You must know that Zhou Yafu is a general of the Han Dynasty, and the emperor has a hatred for killing his father with him. Isn't he afraid that he will lead an army to rebel? !
It was only later that Zhou Yafu found out that he was recommended by Prince Xiang Zheng.

Zhou Yafu's perception of the crown prince Xiangzheng is even more complicated. When he was in Qidi, Zhou Yafu suffered successive losses under Xiangzheng's command, which led to the complete collapse of the Lianheng Alliance. In this sense, the contest between Zhou Yafu and Xiang Zheng directly determined the outcome of the contest between Chu and Han.

Zhou Yafu accepted the imperial decree without hesitation, because he had the same thoughts as Bai Mo. Up to now, it is only possible to restore the Han Dynasty if he completely wins the trust of the emperor, and the best way to win the trust of the emperor is undoubtedly to establish Enough meritorious deeds made him the most prominent meritorious general in the court.

The preparations for the expedition to Goguryeo were complex.

Even a huge empire like the Huaxia Empire has been preparing for it for several months!

In April, the emperor issued a decree, and the army did not complete its assembly until June, and the army did not leave Liaodong until the end of July.

A group of scout horses came galloping from the front, and the leading officer bowed his hands to Zhou Yafu on horseback, gasped and said, "General, in front of you is the royal court of the barbarians. There is an earthen city with a radius of more than ten miles. The wall is about ten feet high, but this barbarian tribe doesn’t seem to be called Goguryeo, but some kind of Fuyu country.”

"That's right, that's it." Zhou Yafu said lightly.

Before the expedition, Xiang Zhuang called Zhou Yafu to make a prelude, saying that the country to be conquered this time may not be called Goguryeo, but the name is not important, anyway, it is a few barbarians between Liaodong and Jizi Korea. Established political power, how did the barbarians establish political power?It must be resolutely destroyed.

In fact, the so-called Goguryeo was a barbarian regime established by the Puyu people and the Woju people. As for when the name of Goguryeo was adopted, there are several opinions in the historian circles. Some say the first century BC, some say the second century BC. It is verified that there must have been Goguryeo in the early Western Han Dynasty.

Zhou Yafu raised the whip in his hand, and said calmly: "I will pass on my general order, the whole army will set up camp on the spot, and the supply camp will start to assemble the siege equipment, and after a day of rest, we will attack the barbarian royal court."

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At the beginning of October, Xiang Zhuang returned to Luoyang after visiting Danyang.

In Danyang County, the hundreds of mu of imperial land delineated by Xiangzhuang has achieved a bumper harvest. Half a basket of potatoes has turned into dozens of baskets, and half a basket of corn has harvested hundreds of stones. However, the biggest harvest is sweet potatoes, because the sweet potato species After cutting the seedlings, new seedlings can grow again, but half a basket of sweet potato seeds has been planted with an area of ​​[-] acres!

The growth cycle of sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn is almost four months. It is already early October, and it is too late to sow the second season. In [-], there were enough seeds in the four counties of Jiangdong to start large-scale planting.

As soon as Xiang Zhuang returned to Luoyang, he received a good news from Zhou Yafu.

On the resplendent Fengtian Hall, Prince Xiang Zheng is reporting to Xiang Zhuang: "Father, Zhou Yafu has broken through the Koguryo royal city, beheaded more than [-] people, and captured more than [-] women and children. Kill them all, and a few escaped into the mountains, chasing and killing them with rangers, and they will be defeated in a few days."

Xiang Zhuang nodded lightly, this result was already in his expectation.

Back then, with a population of less than 500 million, Qin was able to mobilize millions of troops to conquer the north and south, and wiped out six countries successively. What did they rely on?Relying on the power of the farming and warfare system!The current Chinese Empire has a population of 2000 million, and has a more complete and more warlike system of business warfare and farming than the farming and warfare system. Can it still destroy a mere Goguryeo?

Not to mention that Goguryeo at this time is just a barbarian regime that has just been established. Even though Goguryeo has the military and national power that is not inferior to that of Qin among the seven heroes of the Warring States Period, it will definitely not be able to withstand Zhou Yafu's 25 cavalry army. The 25 army is far superior to the Qin army in terms of weapons, training, and supplies!

As for why the Goguryeo males should be exterminated, instead of adopting an open and inclusive ethnic policy like the prosperous Tang Dynasty, Xiang Zhuang was also forced to do so, because the current population of the Huaxia people is only about 2000 million. The two traditional settlements are far from being saturated, let alone large-scale immigration.

Before the population has reached 6000 million and there is no large-scale immigration, the surrounding barbarians can only adopt a cruel and bloody reduction policy. When the population of the Huaxia people exceeds 6000 million, large-scale immigration can begin. It's not too late to try to integrate the genetic genes of the surrounding barbarians into the Huaxia people.

After all, from the perspective of biology and genetics, there is actually no benefit to maintaining the purity of blood. Only by continuously integrating the genes of other nations can a nation become better and stronger. For example, the Tang Empire, Even the matrilineal blood of the royal family comes from the barbarians of the grasslands.

Xiang Zhuang does not reject the introduction of barbarian maternal genes to improve the genetic lineage of the Huaxia people.

It is precisely because of the matrilineal gene from the grassland barbarians that the emperor of Li Tang has more pioneering spirit and expansion ambition than the emperor of any dynasty in the history of China, which makes the Tang Empire the most extensive dynasty in the history of China. Although the territory is wider than the Tang Empire, it is not a Chinese dynasty at all.

Xiang Zhuang looked at Xiang Zheng softly, and said, "Prince, you recommended a good commander."

"I dare not take the credit." Xiang Zheng said, "All this is due to Zhou Yafu and the soldiers who went to war."

Xiang Zhuang smiled slightly, and suddenly said: "Prince, do you still remember the three-year agreement that the emperor made with you? Count with your fingers, it's almost time, haha."

Xiang Zheng's heart beat slightly, and he didn't know how to answer for a while.

Said that the father was just a joke at the beginning?Are you kidding me? If you have the right way, you have no jokes. Wouldn't it be contemptuous of the father?It seems that it is not appropriate to go along with the father, so why not rush to grab the class and seize power?
The lower ministers also looked at each other in blank dismay, not knowing what the three-year agreement was.

Xiang Zhuang turned his gaze to the officials in the hall, and said calmly: "Three years ago, I made an agreement with the crown prince to hand over the throne to him after three years. Now that the three-year period has come, I should fulfill my promise." It's gone." Having said that, Xiang Zhuang paused for a moment, and said to Xiang Zheng again, "Come up, Zhenger, and come to the emperor's side."

The officials in the hall turned pale with shock, and Xiang Zheng also looked panic-stricken and said at a loss: "Father, my son..."

Xiang Zhuang smiled, stepped down the jade steps himself, led Xiang Zheng back to the steps, pushed Xiang Zheng to sit on the dragon chair, then turned his head and said to all the officials in the hall: "Don't engage in those vain tricks. From now on, I will officially abdicate, and Zheng'er will be the second emperor of the Huaxia Empire, and you still haven't kowtowed to the new emperor?"

"This, this, this..." Wen and Wu of the Manchu Dynasty looked at each other, at a loss, until Xiang Zhuang urged them again and again, and finally bowed down to Dan Chi and shouted long live.

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It's night, the study room in Dahua Palace.

After kowtowing, Xiang Zheng sat down respectfully opposite Xiang Zhuang.

Although he is already the emperor of the empire, Xiang Zheng is as always respectful and treading on thin ice in front of Xiang Zhuang, because Xiang Zheng knows very well that the authority of his father is definitely not something he, the second emperor, can challenge. If he does something wrong He had to abdicate obediently with only one word from his father.

All in all, the succession of the throne is only superficial.

Compared with before, the only difference is that Xiang Zhuang no longer sat in the court to listen to the government, and Xiang Zheng sat on the dragon chair on the jade steps from the prince's chair at the bottom of the jade steps.

Of course, Xiang Zhuang also knew that no matter how much he delegated power, no matter how the prince adjusted the cabinet officials, no matter how many generals and schools in the Jianwu Academy, he would never be able to challenge his authority, because he was the only one who did not use military talismans and only Privileged figures who can mobilize the three major forbidden armies and the prefectures of the counties with their faces.

Looking at Xiang Zheng, Xiang Zhuang said calmly: "Zheng'er, the Longevity Palace has been completed, and the emperor will move there tomorrow. This Dahua Palace will be yours from now on, ha ha."

Xiang Zheng hurriedly said: "Father, why don't you stay in Dahua Palace, so that your ministers can see you every day..."

"You and my father and son don't need to be hypocritical." Xiang Zhuang waved his hands and said slowly, "But before going to the Longevity Palace, Father wants to discuss with you about the crown prince. The crown prince is the foundation of the country, so this is a big deal. You can't be careless."

"Prince Chu?" Xiang Zheng said in astonishment, "Imperial Father, Chu'er is just full moon, isn't it too early?"

Xiang Zheng got married four years ago and already has three daughters and one son. The eldest son of the emperor, Xiang Chu, was born to the concubine of the crown prince, and he was just a month old.

"Chu'er?" Xiang Zhuang shook his head and said, "Chu'er is still in her infancy, her ability and temperament are unknown, and she doesn't even know if she can raise an adult. How can she take on the position of crown prince?"

Xiang Zheng said blankly, "Then Father means..."

Xiang Zhuang said indifferently: "Father means that among your more than a dozen grown-up younger brothers, one of them will be elected as the heir apparent by the cabinet ministers and meritorious generals of the martial arts academy."

"Ah?" Xiang Zheng said in shock, "Father, this...doesn't conform to the ancient system?"

Since the Great Xia Dynasty in China, there has been a system of succession from father to son, brother to brother, which means that when the old monarch dies, the son is the first successor. If there is no son, it will be the monarch's younger brother's turn. Now that Xiang Zheng clearly has a son, why choose a younger brother to be the heir apparent?So Xiang Zheng couldn't figure it out.

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PS: I asked Xia Du Niang, the East Factory was indeed set up by Zhu Di, the swordsman was wrong.

(End of this chapter)