"Your Highness, it's time to set off." On the fifth day of March in the eighth year of Jianji's reign, Fu Zhangce, a Hanlin scholar and the Protector of the Saint County, reminded him softly in the Tongma Square of Peking.
Zhang Ce, a native of Dunhuang, is forty-five years old this year. His father, Zhang Tong, was an admonishment official in the Tang Dynasty and the governor of Shangzhou.
Cechang served as Han Jian's staff and behaved respectfully and lawfully. After Han Jian became the governor of Zhili Province, he was ready to appoint Zhang Ce, but he politely declined and took the scientific examination. Seven years ago, he passed the examination and passed the last Jinshi in the former Tang Dynasty.
After high school, he served successively as a cabinet minister, and he was relatively noble.
Considering that he was only twelve years old, Shao Shude ordered the recruitment of Wangfu.
It’s embarrassing. The knowledgeable and famous people are not willing to do it, and the level of those who are willing is worrying.
Shao Shude originally planned to give up and let Balang go to feudalism in two years, but Zhao Yu insisted. Since last year, she had been in poor health and was worried, hoping that her son would come to feudalism as soon as possible.
Shao Shude took pity on her and agreed, and then appointed Zhang Ce as the royal tutor to go to Ximi County, Protecting the Saint Prefecture, to continue teaching the prince's studies - you all don't want to, right, so I have to name him.
There is also a candidate for the royal palace army: Puzhou Military Academy Dongfang Ye.
Shao Shude heard this name when he was in Yingzhou. After a personal inspection, he felt that his martial arts and military strategy were acceptable, so he rewarded him with a lot of property and selected two concubines of Wang Rongji from Yeting to reward him together.
The palace's initial army numbered a thousand people, and they were recruited from the Forbidden Army and various miscellaneous forces. There was also very little response. In the end, there were only more than 400 soldiers, and they were all veterans over 40 years old. So he transferred another 300 recruits from the Shaanzhou Academy.
, selected more than 200 servants from the construction site of Peking Palace City, making up a thousand people.
As for the other left officials, they are also matched one by one, but their level is not as high as that of Zhang Ce. Most of them are students from the state school or the Imperial College.
Shao Shude even arranged a marriage for Ba Lang in advance: the daughter of the Song family in Xihe was, strictly speaking, the niece of Song Le, the assistant minister of Zhongshu.
As a father, I have done my utmost to make this arrangement.
"Okay." Shao Duanfeng glanced at the mansion with nostalgia and replied unhappily.
This mansion is not a royal palace.
Like Chang'an and Luoyang, the imperial court also held many houses in Peiping, either for princes and princesses to live in, or for prime ministers and senior officials to live in, all of which were temporary.
Shao Duanfeng has lived here for a year, but he doesn't really have much affection for the house. What he really misses is the colorful world of the Central Plains.
If he had a choice, he would rather not be the Protector of the Saint King than stay in the Central Plains, but he had no choice.
"Alas!" Chuck felt something in his heart after seeing it.
Prince Husheng was nostalgic for the Central Plains, so why didn't he? It's just that he was born in Dunhuang and had the experience of living in a "hard area" when he was a child, so he didn't have such a strong resistance to going to Hushengzhou.
Judging from the saint's actions, it is estimated that he will develop the Liaodong Road in the future. Once there is improvement, the Holy Protector Prefecture will also be developed, and his descendants should not be too bad living there.
Even if Liaodong Road does not improve, it does not matter. Husheng Prefecture is also very close to Yingzhou and Ruzhou. Its future prosperity may have a greater relationship with these two places. If you are lucky, Husheng Prefecture can also become the center of the Central Plains
, the connection point between the grasslands, it is enough to rely on commerce to support a more prosperous city.
Of course, none of the above is critical.
What Chuck valued most was the saint's guilt towards him.
Yes, the saint knows that everyone is not willing to go to the grassland to be an official, so he forcefully appoints him, and he will definitely feel guilty in his heart. This feeling of guilt is incredible! To put it to the extreme, life may be saved at a critical moment.
The most difficult thing for a minister to earn is not the official title, but the friendship with the king, which is priceless.
The servants quickly packed up their belongings, which amounted to hundreds of cars. They had everything, including food, clothing, books, daily necessities, weapons, armor, tents and even furniture. Everything was included, and it was almost ready to open a shop.
.
Chuck knew that Concubine Zhao had sent these.
Looking at some exquisitely made and even luxurious utensils, Chuck could only sigh.
At other times, he might even give some advice, but now, he couldn't open his mouth.
At the right time, everything was packed up, and the motorcade started slowly. After exiting the south gate, it stopped again.
"See your majesty, noble concubine." Chuck took two steps forward and bowed in salute.
"No courtesy." Shao Shude looked past him and towards his son.
"Grandpa, Grandma." Shao Duanfeng got out of the car and walked over, but hesitated to speak.
Zhao Yu looked a little sickly. He was wearing a fox fur and stood in the cold wind looking at his son, also hesitant to speak.
Princess Shao Guoer of Huile and Princess Shao Caiwei of Jiangling also came forward to pay their respects.
"Go well." Shao Shude patted his son on the shoulder and said: "The man is ambitious in all directions. Protect the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the Holy State, all under your rule. You must be careful and watch their lives get better little by little.
Nothing can compare to this sense of satisfaction that everyone respects you from the bottom of their hearts."
It’s more fascinating than playing with women! Shao Shude silently added in his heart.
"My son obeys his father's orders." After hearing what Shao Shude said, it was a boy's nature. Shao Duanfeng's mood improved inexplicably, and there was a smile on his face.
Zhao Yu took two steps forward and hugged his son into his arms, trembling uncontrollably.
Shao Guoer sighed secretly.
In her mother's mind, Si Wu, Cai Wei, and Duan Feng were much more important than her, just like He Gongya and Shao Shude were in her mother's heart.
"Is Leopard Slave feeling better?" Shao Shude keenly noticed the eldest daughter's mood and asked with concern.
Bao Nu was his grandson, and he had been suffering from cold recently. He sent his imperial doctor to diagnose and treat him, and prescribed some medicine.
"It's much better." The expression on Shao Guoer's face became vivid.
She looked at her father and thought to herself that this thought was more delicate than that of a woman. No wonder she could make her mother forget about He Gongya a little bit and become devoted to him. Power alone could not do this.
"That's good." Shao Shude breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "When my teacher comes back, I will bring you a few boxes of Bohai pearls."
Shao Guoer covered his mouth and smiled and nodded.
Shao Shude looked at Balang Shao Duanfeng again.
I saw him wiping his tears, saying goodbye to his mother, and then walked up to Shao Shude and said, "Master, I will govern Hushengzhou well and make the local people respect me."
When Chuck heard this, he stroked his beard and smiled. As a man in his forties, there was an impulse in his heart.
Have you wasted your life for most of your life? Have you lost all the poems and books you read in your early years in the rain, snow, wind and frost of society? I feel ashamed that my true heart is not as firm as that of a young man.
Shao Shude also smiled and asked someone to bring a pony and said: "You are twelve years old and already a man. The grassland does not pity the weak and does not pity the incompetent. If you want the people to live a good life, of course it is good.
But first you have to make them obey you. Come, ride on this horse and go all the way to Protect the Holy State."
The hot-blooded young man was deceived and couldn't find the north. He responded loudly and got on his horse skillfully. He looked around, but he didn't see the tip of the bow or the sword, and he suddenly felt anxious.
Shao Shude laughed loudly, and Zhao Yu burst into tears and laughed, which temporarily wiped away the sadness of parting.
****
In Dengcun, Huichuan Township, southeast of Peiping, Lu Yan also said goodbye to his family and followed a group of native villagers from Texas on the road.
"Quan Zhong, you don't need to be drafted this time. Do you blame me for reporting you?" Lu Yan asked, sitting on a grain truck.
"Sir, he has a lot of knowledge. It's good to study with him." Yelu Quanzhong replied: "Besides, there is no danger in settling accounts with him this time."
Lu Yan nodded and smiled and said: "In ancient times, the most important thing in battles was military food. Even if you become an official in the future, you must learn arithmetic and not be deceived by cunning officials."
"Yes." Yelu Quanzhong responded respectfully.
He was born in a poor family, not a rich boy who knew nothing. The trick was to cut off food, march and fight, and the most important thing was food and grass. When governing a country, most of the work is actually centered around the food and drink of the people.
If food and drink are not good, there will be civil unrest and rebellion.
At this time, on the post road, from far to near, as far as the eye can see, there are densely packed vehicles.
The small carts carried more than 20 hu of grain, and the large carts carried more than 30 grains. The rich land of Hebei produced the best quality millet and wheat, and now they are all sent outside Linyu Pass one by one.
There were many carriages lying on the side of the post road, food was scattered on the ground, and birds were pecking happily. Whenever they saw people approaching, they would fly away with a huff, but they would only hover not far away and never leave.
Yelu Quanzhong saw Yue Sanlang.
He was working in the fields and waved to him from afar.
He responded excitedly, but his mood suddenly dropped again.
Tu Er's house was empty, with the wood door closed and no one around. The ground was also overgrown with weeds, and it seemed that it had not been taken care of for a long time.
Yes, Tu Er died last year. He had not yet married a wife and had no heirs. Once he died, the family would be extinct. I heard Yue Sanlang said that there will be a group of immigrants from Lingzhou in a while, and maybe someone will occupy it.
Tu Er’s house and fields.
Yelu Quanzhong thought of himself again. He also had no wife. If he died, there would be no one to burn paper. The family's house and fields would probably be taken away by the court and redistributed to the newly arrived immigrants from Kansai.
This world!
"Dingle bell..." A bell rang not far behind.
Yelu Quanzhong turned around and saw a group of men who looked like Tibetan people, carrying bows and knives, heading eastward excitedly.
There seemed to be a lot of drinking water hanging next to the saddle.
Prepare your own food and equipment and go out with the army. This is a Youzhou tribe that has not yet completed household registration.
The horses belled leisurely, with a cheerful rhythm, just like their master's mood.
Alas, one after another people are leaving seclusion to die, just like Tu Er.
Is wealth so easy to earn?
This time we are attacking the Bohai Sea, but if we are attacking a city, the casualties may be greater than those of the Khitan attack, and they are much larger. I don’t know what excitement these people have.
The grain truck went up a high slope.
Yelu Quanzhong turned his head and glanced condescendingly behind him.
What a spectacular scene!
Outside the green and black Youzhou city wall, there are many flags and drums rumbling.
The long dragon composed of warriors swam slowly and then stood still. There was a faint cry of killing in the wind, and the air penetrated the sky. Even the sparrows not far away were frightened and flew into the sky in fright.
The post road can be seen to the end, and the vehicles can also be seen to the end.
Beside the vehicle, gray-black figures were rising and falling, their footsteps kept coming. The sun occasionally shone, reflecting the cold light of a blade.
Some Tibetan knights were rushing directly across the wheat field. The leader was so angry that he cursed and shot an arrow at them, scaring the knights back to the road.
The villagers in Tutuan chatted with each other obscene jokes, and sometimes even laughed at themselves. After returning from the expedition, they suddenly had a child, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
In fact, it’s not a big loss! When a daughter is raised, she can help the family with work before she gets married, and she can also receive a betrothal gift when she gets married.
The son would be even more profitable. Since it was impossible to give him a share of the family property, he could just be a free long-term worker. The family had so much land and livestock to take care of, it was too busy for them, and they were in urgent need of manpower.
Yelu Quanzhong actually admired them.
In this world of endless conquests, a strong will was forged, and he was more stoic and patient than the Khitan people. Walking on the road, he was as hardworking as a gray animal.
At the same time, he has an optimistic quality.
Year after year of expedition, no matter whether it ended in laughter or tears, I endured it silently. Sometimes I could have fun in the midst of hardship, make some jokes, and maintain a high morale.
Abaoji was not unjustly defeated!
There was a cry of wild geese in the sky.
Yelu Quanzhong raised his head and looked up, his eyes seemed to be attached to the wild geese, flying higher and farther.
Everything on the vast land can be seen at a glance.
On March 15th of the eighth year of Jianji, Tielin, Tiande, Yin'an and other armies and the Tibetan tribe had more than 100,000 soldiers and horses. The troops were divided into three groups: one went eastward from Linyu Pass, one went north from Tanzhou, and all the way passed Jizhou
, go northeast via Changxia Palace.
The three groups of men and horses were so powerful that they covered the sky and the sun, and rushed to the Bohai Sea with the momentum of destroying the country.