Chapter 1042: The expansion of territory depends entirely on women
The sun is shining in the forest, and the birds are chirping and jumping on the branches.
Chu woke up from her sleep.
Zhang Hui had already finished washing up and was practicing calligraphy in front of his desk.
Mrs. Zhu from Pengcheng County also came. She was a woman who couldn't rest. She made breakfast by herself early in the morning, and then served it with Mrs. Wang, Mrs. Zhang, Mrs. Shi, Mrs. Qi and others. .
Seeing that Mrs. Chu had woken up, Mrs. Qi and Mrs. Rong stepped forward and helped her up.
The Chu family was pregnant again, which made these women very envious. Only after giving birth to a child can one have status, otherwise she would be an ordinary palace maid, working in the Yeting Bureau until she died. Wang Yanfan was not a kind person.
The King of Xia felt pity for the women he had kidnapped. He feasted on them all the time, made them pregnant, and then escaped from the sea of misery - well, at least that's what Shao Shude said.
"Chu Silang became the commander of the Xuzhou Army." Zhang Hui came over, sat on the bedside, and hugged Chu.
Mrs. Chu nodded. She received the letter, and her brother's joy and excitement almost came to life on the page. Mrs. Chu was also very happy.
She was very favored by King Xia, and she became pregnant three times in four years. When the children grow up, it is not a bad thing to have her uncle to take care of her.
"Mother Sheng, do you have many uncles and brothers in your family who are in the army?" Zhang Hui looked at the Qi family who was standing aside solemnly and asked.
Mr. Qi nodded slightly: "Most of them work under Wang Shaoyin of Chang'an. Recently, the clan has selected several sons who have been practicing martial arts for more than ten years to serve under Cong Ma Zhi."
The Qi family in Qianzhou, like the Chu family in Henan Prefecture, is not a scholarly family, but a local tycoon with a prosperous population and passed down martial arts skills. With many fields, many clansmen, and many martial arts practitioners, local generals have always been trying to win over them. target, because they continuously provide a large number of disciples who are skilled in archery and horsemanship. With a high base number, among dozens or hundreds of people, there may be one or two generals, which in turn further consolidates the family's power. The family is paying more and more attention to investing in martial arts, which is actually the same as investing in education in later generations, but in a different direction.
The Fengtian Qi clan originated from Shenzhou, Hebei. During the civil strife in Chengde, Boye's army was massacred, and the rest fled in panic to Chang'an. They were later settled in Fengtian County, Jingzhao Prefecture, and gradually developed into a local power.
Qi's current mood is very complicated and she doesn't know how to describe it.
Her father was killed by her husband Zhu Jin, and the rest of her family did not dare to stay in Yanzhou for a long time. They returned to Fengtian one year inland and have lost contact with each other since then. Last month, she received a family letter from the Qi family in Fengtian. There were many people who joined Prince Xia and wanted to gain fame, which made her even more confused.
"His Royal Highness defeated Yang Xingmi in Huainan and now goes north to Weizhou. If the thieves are repelled, something will happen. The position of the Crown Prince is as stable as Mount Tai. If the attack on Shu is successful, it will be a good way out for him to be promoted to the throne." Zhang Hui Said: "Don't think too much. Even a woman like me can understand the overall situation of the world. From now on, there will not be so many opportunities. The Qi family of Qianzhou voted a little late..."
Mrs. Qi raised her head and looked at Zhang Hui.
Zhang Hui smiled at her and said: "The king of Xia wants to move powerful people from all over the country to the capital. If the Qi family of Qianzhou can set an example, they may be taken seriously."
Qi was silent for a long time.
Zhang Hui did not rush her, but chatted with Chu about some interesting things.
"The nephew of Mo Zaisi, the governor of Annan, married a niece of my family. They just got married in Songzhou." Zhang Hui said with a smile: "The young man is powerful in martial arts and skilled in bow and horse. This time he came to Luoyang and presented many tributes, all of which are worth mentioning." It is a rare and rare thing in the Central Plains."
"What strange objects?" Chu asked curiously.
"Jiaozhou offers a hundred pieces of shark leather, fifty pills of anaconda gallbladder, thirty pieces of gold and silverware, and twenty bags of betel nuts." Zhang Hui said.
"Fengzhou offers silverware, tinware, rattanware, anaconda gallbladder, and some cardamom."
"Luzhou presented silverware, armor, incense, and tortoiseshell."
"Aizhou presented gold and silverware, ivory, rhinoceros horn, agarwood, green feathers and other items."
…
Shark leather is shark skin, and anaconda is actually a python. Cardamom and carapace can be used as medicinal materials and are also one of the raw materials of spices. Tortoiseshell, ivory, and rhino horn are also rare commodities in the Central Plains, and green feathers are the bright feathers of some tropical birds.
"Mo Zaisi has been going to Annan for a few years, right? I heard from His Highness that there was military chaos there, but I don't know what it is like now," said Chu.
"After Your Highness conquered the three towns of Yun, Yan, and Qi, the southern towns were frightened and sent envoys one after another to make peace." Zhang Hui said: "Although Mo Zaisi is a close confidant of His Highness, he may not be able to make the final decision in everything. This time he sent envoys to make peace." The envoys paying tribute are obviously inseparable from His Highness' repeated defeats of enemy towns."
Shao Shude has a bad habit.
He likes to rest his head on a woman's chest or thigh, close his eyes and meditate, and then let the women around him read official letters to him. Therefore, people like Zhang Hui and Chu are extremely well-informed.
Mo Zaisi had indeed been the military governor of Annan for some years. He replaced An Youquan, the Hedong general who had served as the military governor of Jinghai in history, and took the post with three thousand sergeants. After arriving in Jiaozhou, with his elite troops, he overpowered all parties. The local government was strong and managed to maintain the situation.
But the environment in Annan really made the northern warriors uncomfortable. Over the past few years, more than half of the three thousand soldiers were lost to disease due to fighting, and the loss was staggering. Even Mo Zaisi himself had a serious illness and almost didn't survive.
There was actually no other reason for sending envoys to the DPRK this time, except to recruit troops.
Shao Shude received the news on the way to Weizhou. He took it very seriously and immediately summoned his staff to discuss countermeasures.
Mo Zaisi's request to recruit troops, he will definitely agree to it.
To be honest, Jinghaijun, a vassal town, is quite submissive. Compared to the Central Plains vassal town, which often breaks out into military riots, they are quite well-behaved and have fewer military riots.
This may be related to the power of the Tang Dynasty. After all, just over thirty years ago, Gao Pian had just defeated the Annan rebels and the Nanzhao army locally. Moreover, the Annan people's rebellion was not because they really wanted to rebel, but because the former Jiedushi Li Zhuo was too greedy. Brutal, killing people at every turn, and looting property. In terms of their true nature, they were ruled by the Tang Dynasty for more than two hundred years. There were very few people who wanted to be kings and emperors.
Shao Shude knew deeply that it would be much easier to control Annan at this time than to destroy it after it became truly independent.
People's hearts cannot be changed, and once they have changed, it will be difficult to restore them. People in the eleven prefectures of Annan still recognize the Tang Dynasty brand. The local wealthy people are not well informed and may not know the current situation in the Central Plains. They think that the saints of the Li family can still be as good as those in their thirties.
How about mobilizing the troops of the five commanderies to suppress local areas like years ago? Yes, the five commanderies are originally one body. If something happens to a feudal town, the troops of the other four towns will be mobilized to attack. There is no need for the central government to mobilize additional troops.
But then again, after all, over the past thirty years, people have changed a generation. The weakening control of the Tang Dynasty can gradually be felt. Just like the towns in the Central Plains, Lingnan, Annan and other vassal towns
The power of the local tyrants and middle- and lower-level indigenous military generals will inevitably rise slowly, and they will gradually disobey the court's orders.
The three thousand party soldiers that Mo Zaisi brought over greatly delayed the process of Jing Haijun. After all, the Annan native soldiers were also registered sergeants in the imperial court. They still had inertia after more than two hundred years. There was no consensus among the top and bottom on the matter of rebellion and self-reliance.
People dare to start.
At this time, just sending a mere two thousand soldiers and horses can achieve an effect that a hundred thousand troops in later generations would be difficult to achieve - to put it bluntly, it is still a matter of people's hearts, and their ambitions cannot be allowed to expand unchecked.
Shao Shude agreed to Mo Zaisi's recruitment of troops for another very important reason: he wanted to usurp the throne.
After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, will these remote military towns still be obedient?
History tells us the answer: not necessarily.
The Dingnan Army was obedient and recognized the Central Plains imperial court. However, the Northern Song Dynasty did not play well and lost him due to his own mistakes and raised something like Xixia.
The Guiyi army was weak and was destroyed by the Uighurs. In fact, they were willing to obey. After all, the external threat was too great.
However, the towns in the south would basically not listen to the Central Plains imperial court. At the end of the day, they retained their semi-independent status, claiming to be ministers on the surface, but in fact they were authoritative and self-governing and took care of themselves.
Now there are bad signs in the fifth branch. The military governor of the Qing Dynasty just died of illness last year. As a result, the shogunate's marching army began to expand after he was appointed to stay, and the signs were very bad. He even tried to attack the Jinghai navy through the water channel dredged by Gao Pian.
, was repulsed by Mo Zaisi.
Shao Shude was worried that as soon as he founded the country and proclaimed himself emperor, vassal towns far away from the emperor would claim hegemony one after another, and the situation would be out of control.
Therefore, he planned to first maintain Annan, a place with relatively strong control, and slowly deal with Liu Yin in Guangzhou.
"Although there are many strange things in Annan, the five managements are restless, or there may be rebellion." Zhang Hui suddenly said: "Among the towns, only Jing Haijun is more submissive. His Highness is quite worried, and wants to recruit brave men from the Central Plains to go there.
Annan garrison."
The Chu family is also a smart person, and he knew something about it when he heard it, and said: "I am afraid that ordinary soldiers cannot be trusted. If what happened to Pang Xun happened again, it would be unsightly. I, a son of the Chu family, have been practicing martial arts for many years, but I have no chance. I don't know.
Maybe to Annan?”
"Your Highness also means the same thing." Zhang Hui said with a smile: "If the Chu family's children are willing to go, they will definitely be awarded general officers. If anyone from the Qi family is willing to go, they can also be awarded officers."
Mrs. Qi wanted to speak but stopped.
Zhang Hui smiled, stepped forward and took her hand, whispering: "It's not like you don't know His Highness's preferences. How the Chu family made a fortune, the Qi family can do the same."
Mrs. Qi's face turned red when she heard this, and she felt a little aggrieved. King Xia never looked at her. Fortunately, she was either in the flower field, by the river, or being pushed up on a tree trunk to enjoy herself, and her clothes were torn.
Everything is scattered.
But Zhang Hui is right. King Xia is a pervert, and he just likes it. In addition, the Qi family really misses their younger brothers and sisters. It would be good if they could be given a way out - go to Annan to serve as officials.
Although generals are remote, they can be transferred back to the Central Plains if they have performed meritorious services. It can be said to be a shortcut to promotion.
Moreover, Annan may not be so bad. Jiang Gongfu, the prime minister of the Dezong Dynasty, was from Aizhou (now Thanhhua, Vietnam) under the rule of Jinghai Haijun. In recent years, there have been Annan scholars in Chang'an and Luoyang who were able to train Jinshi
A place with so many scholars should be good at least in the city. Jing Haijun is among the five vassals and should be a relatively prosperous vassal town.
"Okay." Mrs. Qi lowered her head and responded.
Zhang Hui smiled, took Qi's hand and sat down, and then whispered something in her ear. Qi's face instantly turned red, and she also looked a little longing.