Outside the Suyu Palace in Shendu Garden, Shao Shude held his son's hand and strolled around. The toddler held on to his father's hand tightly and refused to let go.
Shao Shude took his son into his arms and played with it by pricking his beard. The son giggled and pushed it away with his hands. After a while, the father and son squatted on the ground and played with the ants with a magnifying glass.
Ms. Zhong walked over and gently brushed her hair around her ears. The young woman's charm became more and more intense. She looked at the father and son with some humor, but also felt a little moved.
Seventeen Lang was her child, and the saint liked him very much. He hugged and played with him as soon as he came back, and he pampered him to no end.
Of course, he doted on his six-year-old daughter Hui Wan even more. The saint even made a sachet for his daughter, just like a woman who was good at female beauty, which made Mr. Zhong secretly chuckle.
These are both her children.
Shao Huiwan was born in July of the fifth year of Jianji, and Shao Changyi, the Seventeenth Prince, was born in October of the seventh year of Jianji.
Thinking back to Zhao Dejun's house a few years ago, she was given to the saint as a gift, and she was so ashamed and angry that she almost died. Over the past few years, she felt that the saint was an indomitable hero, cleaning up the broken mountains and rivers, improving people's lives, and most importantly, when she followed the saint on his tour
, I saw light in the eyes of the people, which is a precious thing called hope.
She is different from other women.
Born in a family like the famous Zhong Fuzi in Hebei Province, the education she received since childhood was different from others. She did not like extravagant expenses, but only loved the heroes who served the country and the people in the history books. The actions of the saints generally fit her mind.
The image of a Chinese hero—well, it generally fits the image, except for being addicted to women.
"Go and play by yourself." Shao Shude put the magnifying glass into his son's hand, stood up and held Zhong's slender waist, took a few sips, and said with a smile, "I'm very lazy now, so you can do it by yourself tonight."
"Your Majesty!" Zhong glanced at his son and rolled his eyes at Shao Shude. "Haha." Shao Shude smiled.
Zhong is a very traditional woman from a scholarly family, so she is not suitable for making these jokes. He will not play perverted things on her, because he is not willing to destroy some beautiful things.
Speaking of which, Zhong, who is only in his twenties, has excellent qualities in all aspects and should be left to his son to be the queen. But a warrior with a crude culture like him just can't control himself in front of a woman who is full of literary and artistic atmosphere.
You have two kids, keep it for yourself and enjoy it.
It's not quite accurate to say that he enjoys it. Shao Shude wants Mr. Chun to accompany him, even if he does nothing. It's a bit selfish, but for a single man like him, what does selfishness mean?
"Is this the lens grinded by the Ministry of Internal Affairs?" Zhong asked curiously, looking at his son holding a magnifying glass. The sunlight fell through the treetops, was focused by the lens, and shone on the ants.
Shao Changyi drooled and kept chasing one ant after another. The ants panicked and fled in all directions, completely defeated.
"Crystal grinding is too expensive." Shao Shude smiled and said: "The Ministry of Internal Affairs dug out a large piece of foundation stone (marble) in another state. There was crystal underneath, so it was used to grind lenses. Some ministers were old and dim.
I need glasses. Unfortunately, crystal is still too expensive and too rare. The glass has too many impurities and the color is wrong."
"What a pity." Zhong also sighed.
Chen Cheng, the assistant minister of Zhongshu, has bad eyesight. I heard that he would scold a subordinate official if he saw his handwriting was too small.
"Zhou Zhizhong, the master craftsman of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, polished a pair of glasses, but they are still a little blurry after wearing them." Shao Shude added: "There should be some problems and it will take time to solve them. We can only take our time, don't be in a hurry."
Many volumes of the great book "The Book of Light" have been printed and distributed to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Imperial Academy of Sanjing.
Shao Shude's first request is to let people who come into contact with this book thoroughly understand the contents, reproduce various items and various phenomena mentioned in it.
From his perspective, this book refutes many fallacies of the ancient Greek era, but there are still some errors. But he will not say, and cannot say, such things must be discovered, denied, and corrected by students and craftsmen themselves.
, this makes sense.
You have to do everything by yourself. Time and energy are not enough, and he has no interest in it. Moreover, it will also hinder the development of science - you have to feed everything. No matter how you think about it, this method is problematic.
"When will Your Majesty go to Xijing?" Zhong held Shao Shude's hand and walked among the waves of pines.
"It's impossible this year. We'll see what happens next year." Shao Shude said, "I just returned to Luoyang and went out to wander again. No matter how I look at it, it's not appropriate."
Zhong chuckled.
She knew the poem written by the saint.
In fact, the saint has only written three poems so far. The first time was in the third year of Dashun in the former Tang Dynasty (892), when he wrote "Crossing the Yellow River" at the Yanshuiguan Ferry of the Yellow River. Among them, "There are more winds and dangers in the world."
"The Yellow River is a road to be feared" has a profound meaning.
The second time was in the eighth year of Jianji (908), when he wrote the poem "Salmon" at the mouth of the Tuomen River in Liaodong. This poem has some rhymes and uses Mohe dialect vocabulary. It is actually very ordinary, but Zhong thought it was very interesting.
The third time was in the ninth year of Jianji, when he wrote a poem "Khitan Customs" in Shuangliao County, Yingsheng Prefecture. The queen was very happy after hearing that she saw it. Zhong understood the queen's mood, and even she wanted to follow her.
Beside the saint.
"Do you want me to take you on a western tour?" Shao Shude asked. Zhong wanted to say yes, but was a little embarrassed.
"You can do it tonight, and I will take you there." Shao Shude looked at Zhong's delicate and dignified face and couldn't help but laugh. Of course, it can only go so far. Zhong's skin is thin, so it's nothing
***Wild woman, don’t go too far.
Mr. Zhong rolled his eyes for the second time today. Shao Shude laughed.
Teasing the little white rabbit makes him feel so happy, and his tense nerves can be relaxed a little bit. If it were a woman like Yu Lujiangu, he would almost want to walk around now, and he would be afraid.
He wanted to take Zhong and Gao with him. These two women were a breath of fresh air in the harem and could effectively cure his irritable mood.
******
On October 15th, after the Shuowang Dynasty Meeting, Shao Shude came to Shendu Garden again.
Last year, he met with the chiefs of Yanbei and Liaodong tribes in Beijing. This year, the chiefs of Guanbei and Daibei will come to Luoyang to meet the saint. It is already mid-October, and those who came early have already arrived one after another.
.
Zhuang Ao, Hun Changhe, and Qi Xinrang arrived yesterday. Shao Shude specially held a small banquet to entertain the three of them today. In fact, they are not outsiders.
Zhuang Ao is the patrol envoy of Yuanyuquan and Princess Shao Liu of Shangxinmi (daughter of Zhang Quanyi).
Hun Changhe is the son of Hun Shi, the inspector of Kedun City, and Princess Shao Yan of Shanglinqiong (daughter of Zhu Quanzhong). Qibi Rang's niece is the wife of King Yan Shao Mingyi - she is not yet officially married.
Strictly speaking, they are all relatives of the emperor.
"My words are not pleasant to listen to, but they are all for your own good." Shao Shude looked at the pieces of meat rolling in the big iron pot and said: "Over the years, you have focused on making money, and your fighting skills have declined a lot.
.We are about to go into battle later. If I am beaten to the point of running around, I will be disgraced, but you will also be despised."
Zhuang Ao and the other three looked embarrassed.
The once tough and agile prairie warriors are now living a better life, and they are no longer as able to endure hardships as before. The idea of lying on the ice, eating snow, enduring hunger and fighting bravely at the same time is a bit far away from them after all.
"Zhuang Langshen is visionary and knowledgeable." Shao Shude commented one by one: "Before anyone could react, he was the first to build cities on the grassland, reclaim wasteland, and recruit craftsmen from all ethnic groups. He had a taste of the Silk Road on the grassland.
You are full of oil. But in my opinion, the soldiers of Yuan Yuquan are the most invincible. They are like philistine businessmen, with no trace of the nature of a jackal or a tiger. Every time the Tatars go south to plunder, they always make you in a hurry.
.”
Zhuang Ao's face turned red.
What the sage said is indeed true. The Tatars continued to move eastward, and with the support of the Uighurs, they had taken back the former Uighur royal court. The people of the Zhuanglang tribe who stayed there were beaten to the point of running wild.
Later, it was plundered by people going south, and many people and property were lost every year.
But he was also a little aggrieved.
The situation has improved in the past two years. No matter how incompetent Zhuang Lang's tribe is, after being beaten for so long, it is time for them to practice better. In fact, they are now able to repel the Tatars who went south and caused them considerable damage.
After doing this several times, the Tatars no longer dare to go south to make trouble. "Let's talk about your Hunbu." Shao Shudeji
He continued: "We have close ties with merchants from Fengzhou, Lingzhou, and Xiazhou, and have opened up a trade route south to sell honey, skins, medicinal materials, and livestock. This is good, but you need to train your troops. You are also being attacked by the Tatars.
On two occasions, people were even rushed to the vicinity of Yinshan Mountain to plunder. Feng and Sheng prefectures urgently mobilized more than 8,000 town soldiers and government soldiers to repel the thieves. I have to ask, I can't guard the border for the country, so I need you.
What's the use? I promise you that the position of hereditary native official in your family will not make you complacent and corrupt."
Huan Chang and Huan Chang were equally blushing.
In fact, these businesses were all started by his father. I don’t know how, but his father and several uncles and brothers sold grassland goods to Guanbei, while purchasing daily necessities from Guanbei, and selling spirits to shepherds at extremely high prices.
, the quality was shoddy, and there was widespread dissatisfaction within the tribe.
To be honest, I feel a little embarrassed.
The herdsmen are not fools. Other tribes can use high-quality and low-priced products, but they cannot. Over time, morale has been low, and there has been an undercurrent within the tribe.
Shao Shude glanced at him and said: "Your grandfather is not young anymore. Come to Luoyang after the Chinese New Year to enjoy the blessings. You can shoulder the burden of Hunbu."
"Yes." Hunchanghe was surprised and happy when he heard this.
Surprisingly, Grandpa was stripped of his position as an inspector. This was the first time that the imperial court severely dealt with the Jizu tribe, and the Hunbu tribe had a big face.
Fortunately, he can take over as the chief of Hunbu, but the post of inspector of Duncheng is many years ahead of schedule. Well, it's hard to show it externally, but he is really very happy inside.
"Finally, let's talk about the Qibi tribe." Shao Shude turned his attention to Qibi Rang again, and his tone was much better, and said: "The Qibi tribe has participated in the conquest of the Khitan many times, and its combat effectiveness has been maintained well. I heard that your tribe also recruited farmers from the Central Plains.
The craftsmen have planted a lot of oats and sea beets, which are very good."
The "oats" mentioned by Shao Shude are actually naked oats, that is, oats.
The origin of oats is not in China, but the origin of oatmeal is China, and the term oats came into being at this time. It was named because the sparrows like to eat it. Liu Yuxi's "Revisiting Xuandu Temple": "Revisiting Xuandu, nothing will happen.
A tree can save the sunflower and oats from being shaken by the spring breeze."
The climate in Johor allows you to grow wheat, rye, and oats. The latter two are more suitable than the former, especially in the context of a cooling climate. If Liaodong becomes colder in the future, Meituo Lake will no longer be able to grow.
If rice can be grown, rye and oats are also good substitutes.
"Growing grain, pressing sugar, and grazing animals, these three things go hand in hand, and the combat effectiveness is still maintained, which is very good." Shao Shude said: "In the new year, the Lifan Yuan and the Beiya Privy Council will send people north to Rouzhou to reward tea and porcelain.
, some farm tools."
"Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty." Qibi Rang was overjoyed. Shao Shude looked at Hun Changhe again.
The Lifan Yuan and Bei Ya Privy Council formed a "joint investigation team" to go north, and of course they would also deal with Hu Shi's crime of dereliction of duty.
"You may have heard some rumors." Shao Shude finally said: "Yes, that's right! I am going to attack the Gaochang Uighurs, but not now. You can make preparations in advance. After returning, prepare your soldiers, armor, and forage.
After returning to youth, Zhuang Lang, Hun, Geshu, and Qibi jointly sent troops to sweep northward, first cutting off the flanks of the Uighurs, do you understand?"
The three of them were stunned when they heard the words, and said in unison: "I obey the order." Shao Shude nodded.
If you want to annihilate the Gaochang Uighurs, it is not enough to send troops in one direction. It is best to attack from two directions. This is also his old routine. The good and the strange complement each other. The routine is not afraid of old age, as long as it is easy to use.
In the early years of the former Tang Dynasty, when Gaochang was destroyed, the Tang army and its vassal tribes dispatched about 200,000 soldiers and horses, mostly cavalry. Compared with the Western Expeditions of the Han Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty's military operations in the Western Regions had a strong "Hu Feng" color
A lot.
The Western Han Dynasty fought on the grasslands and most of the time relied on horse-drawn carriages to transport food from the rear. The consumption was so great that it became unsustainable in the later stages. The country's population dropped sharply and was on the verge of collapse.
The population in the early Tang Dynasty was far less than that of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, and there was no way to save money. The mess left by Guangshen had not yet had time to recover. But they used correct strategies and tactics, that is, they first attacked the Turks and conquered the northern grasslands.
Obtain the allegiance of the Tibetan people, and then use the Tibetan people's cattle and sheep supplies to march westward with 200,000 cavalry to attack and destroy the enemy country.
The cost-efficiency ratio is actually very good
high.
Shao Shude now has this condition. He can even be more generous than Li Shimin and dispatch two groups of troops, including infantry and cavalry. Although the strength of the Gaochang Uighurs is much stronger than that of the Gaochang Kingdom in the Tang Dynasty, they are still at a disadvantage overall. He is confident of fighting
Take it, expand Daxia's sphere of influence to the Western Regions, and regain its homeland.
But at present, the road to the grassland in Qibei is not smooth. The first thing that needs to be done is to cut off the Tatar forces occupying the Uighur Palace and open up this roundabout route. Only then can they herd cattle while marching westward. This is