The scenery of Luoyang has not changed, but the people have.
Zhu Quanzhong's sister Zhu passed away.
Xie Bin, the commander of Tianxiong Army's right wing, suddenly fell ill and passed away a few months ago.
Shao Desheng, deputy envoy to the Privy Council of Nanya, passed away after lingering on his bed for several months.
As for Shao Shude's original team of court ladies, several people were quietly changed within a few years.
The overall age is here, and there will be more in the future.
After the first court meeting in early June, he came to the Anguo Female Taoist Temple.
"You are getting old too..." Shao Shude subconsciously wanted to smooth the wrinkles on Tuoba Pu's face, but in the end he lowered his hand and did nothing.
How can we heal birth, old age, illness and death?
"Your Majesty, wait a moment, I'll boil a kettle of water." Tuoba Pu turned away and said in a low voice.
Shao Shu pulled her and said: "Just let Nu Guan do some small things, why bother to do it yourself?"
Tuoba Pu sighed softly and sat across from Shao Shude, unable to find anything to say for a while.
"Yichang has arrived at the Controlling Crane Army and serves as the military envoy of the left wing." Shao Shude said: "He has good martial arts skills and is well versed in military strategy. I also think he is very suitable for this position."
This position was originally held by Hua Wenqi, a degraded general of the Liang Army. However, he was not young, so he quit the Forbidden Army a few years ago and took over the Hedong Prefecture Army, taking over the Hedong Province Commander Shao Lun, who had suffered a stroke.
Tuoba Yichang was originally a minor in the guard army, fought in battles, guarded the Shangyang Palace, and later served as the commander of the Yizhou Prefecture Army. Because of his meritorious service in suppressing the Yizhou rebellion, and for some other reasons, he was promoted to Si
He served as the young eunuch of Hongyuan Palace two years ago and personally led two thousand soldiers and horses, mainly composed of the former Hexi Dangxiang, Liugu Tubo, and Liangzhou Fumo, to go westward and participated in a series of battles.
Until the second year of Tongguang, Tuoba Yichang was still leading his troops to farm in Qiuci and Gumo. At the end of last year, he was called back and transferred to the Forbidden Army to serve as a military envoy.
How should I put it? The young eunuchs of Hongyuan Palace were the emperor's personal servants, while the Forbidden Army was another system and could not be directly compared. Shao Shude personally asked Tuoba Yichang's opinion, and he was willing to join the Forbidden Army in order to get a better future, so
That's it.
In the second half of the year, the five armies of Longxiang, Konghe, Tiande, Jinglue, and Youguo will allocate 20,000 infantry and cavalry; the three armies of Feilong, Jindao, and Heiyi will allocate 6,000 people; plus the Flying Bear Army, 1,200
A total of more than 30,000 people are training together. After next year's Lantern Festival, they will head westward for rotation.
Tuoba Yichang will also join the expedition. This is the opportunity he has been waiting for for a long time.
"Isn't Persia finished yet?" Tuoba Pu asked softly.
"Their second batch of envoys has arrived in Yanqi. If they go quickly, they will arrive in Luoyang in a few months." Shao Shude said.
"Your Majesty, don't worry too much." Tuoba Pu said: "Da Xia is about to reach the four seas. Such a huge place would have been unthinkable thirty or forty years ago, so there is no need to force it."
Shao Shude smiled and said: "The most difficult thing is to unify the world. Once this hurdle is passed, everything will be easy to handle. Attacking the Khitan, destroying Changhe, and conquering the Western Regions, combined, are not as difficult as wiping out the towns in the North."
One-tenth, I just do it casually."
In his impression, the Khitans were really not difficult to deal with, at least it took much less effort than when they attacked the towns in Hebei.
At least, Abaoji really couldn't produce tens of thousands of warriors who were familiar with flags, drums, and bugles, and well-equipped with weapons.
The real advantage of the Khitans lies in using their mobility, raids, ambushes, and guerrillas. If they fight head-on, they may be cut to pieces by Wei Bo Wufu, although the combat effectiveness of the Wei soldiers will be greatly reduced after they leave the town.
The bad thing about the Khitans was that they started building cities and plowing the land. They had pots and jars and they were reluctant to leave. They couldn't use guerrilla tactics when they had to attack and rescue them. Just like when Liu Yu went straight to Guanggu, the Nanyan cavalry was forced to give up their maneuvers.
Due to their sexual superiority, they faced off against the Jin army in a decisive battle and suffered a disastrous defeat.
As for Bohai and Changhe, they were not worth mentioning at all and did not leave much of a deep impression on Shao Shude.
Tuoba Pu nodded silently after hearing this.
She knew that the saint didn't listen. Men always care about conquest and power, but as a woman, she only cares about this man who has left an unforgettable mark in her life, so that he can live longer and feel more comfortable, that's all.
"Let's talk about Yichang." After Shao Shude got into the mood, he started to talk a lot. He just heard him say: "I heard that the Oghuz tribes have repeatedly gone south to plunder, and Tocharostan is also a bit unstable. The Persians must be in a hurry.
Sue for peace. In fact, the war in the west will not last long. If Yichang can seize the opportunity, I will promote him and become a general of the Forbidden Army. It will not be difficult."
Tuoba Pu's interest was slightly piqued.
She had no children in her life. She always regarded her nephew Yichang as her own child and paid close attention to his growth.
"Will Persia really sue for peace?" she asked.
"In order to fight against foreign aggression, we must first settle the internal affairs. In the past few years of fighting, Persia has not only failed to suppress its internal problems, but has become more serious. I heard that the monarch is also somewhat dissatisfied with the prime minister, thinking that all the defeats were caused by him." Shao Shude said with a smile:
"They brought a lot of gifts this time, and even dozens of feasting horses. It seems that they have figured out my temperament and want to end the war quickly so that they can concentrate on the internal affairs."
"Will Your Majesty make them happy?" Tuoba Pu asked.
"That depends on what conditions the Persians offer." Shao Shude said.
Tuoba Pu was about to speak but stopped.
She was still worried about her nephew. She was worried that after he went into battle, he would encounter some fierce enemy and be injured or even die in battle.
In the battles between armies in these days, even the generals in the army have to be on the front line. You may not need to fight in person, but you are closer to the front line and react quickly, but it is a basic requirement.
In short, there is more emphasis on courage than on resourcefulness in combat.
She didn't know whether this trend was good or bad, but she knew that if Yichang's nephew wanted to climb up, he couldn't do it without adding some scars on his body.
Man, oh, aren’t you tired?
"Is there something missing here?" Shao Shude noticed Tuoba Pu's absence and changed the subject.
"Your Majesty is leaving?" Tuoba Pu asked.
Shao Shude really planned to leave, but after hearing these words, he did not move and said: "No, we will have dinner here tonight."
Tuoba Pu became happy and immediately called the two female crowns, told them to prepare the ingredients, and brought tea with his own hands.
Yin'anzhi commanded Zhong Yanyou to signal with his eyes, and several soldiers followed the female crowns, not leaving even an inch.
"During His Majesty's Western Expedition, people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs came over, built an ice cellar, and sent a lot of sea fish and venison." Tuoba Pu's expression suddenly became more alert, and she poured a bowl of Mengding tea for Shao Shude.
After sitting down, he added: "I haven't eaten venison for many years. This reminds me of the time when I was hunting deer on the grassland when I was a child. More than thirty years have passed, and the appearances of many people are blurred in my memory.
."
"As long as you like it." Shao Shude smiled and said, "I'll have someone send me some kelp later."
Perhaps the sharp edge of pepper has attracted too many people's attention, but dry goods such as kelp and goosefoot are increasingly becoming an important source of income for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In later generations, kelp was introduced to China very late. At this time and space, Shao Shude sent people to search for it in the Whale Sea for his own appetite, and then successfully introduced it into the Liao Sea.
But during artificial breeding, we encountered great difficulties. Whether it is wood or bamboo, it is always easy to be corroded by sea water and will not last long.
Later, the Ministry of Internal Affairs thought of a way to treat the bamboo on the shore first, and then put it into the sea to cultivate kelp. How can I say that the durability is much better, but it is still not very good.
At present, most of the kelp obtained by the Ministry of Internal Affairs grows naturally in shallow waters offshore - and can only grow in this area, because kelp is a sub-arctic algae plant that is only adapted to cold waters. It has not yet been cultivated to grow in warm waters.
Kelp growing in the water.
Shao Shude has been distributing kelp regularly as a benefit to officials for many years.
Nowadays, there are a lot of kelp, goosefoot and the like being harvested. The amount flowing into the market is increasing year by year, and the price is quite high. Who would make the saint like to eat it?
"Enough stuff." Tuoba Pu shook his head, and then smiled: "People outside say that the most valuable place that the saint has conquered over the years is Liaodong. There are too many whales, sea fish, sea beasts, skins, and kelp.
, many people can’t live without these things.”
"These people you are talking about are probably rich people, right?" Shao Shude laughed.
After saying that, he felt a little proud.
Changing the living habits of a nation - at least partially - is not as easy as wiping out the world and mixing it up. In other words, it is the second stage of results after wiping out the world.
Cooking with kelp can enhance the flavor, which is already known to many official families.
Fur can protect you from the cold, and people who wear it say it is comfortable.
The price of marine fish is so low that you almost don’t recognize it.
If there are refrigerated ships, the price can be even lower. Historically, in the mid-19th century, after the British colonized Australia and New Zealand, the sheep raising industry developed greatly. After shearing the sheep, people had no choice but to deal with the sheep that no longer had value.
Destroy or boil the oil, and you get very little - yes, there is too much meat, you can't eat it all, you can only throw it away. This is the same as the early Argentinians who killed the bison and only took the hide and tallow and discarded the beef.
reason.
Shao Shude also knew that inventing refrigerated ships in this time and space was a wishful thinking. He was actually just lamenting the richness of virgin land resources. Of course, Liaodong will become mature sooner or later, and the resources will not be as rich and cheap as they are now, but that will be for future generations.
It's a matter that he can't control that far.
"Both the rich and the poor have been changed by Your Majesty." Tuoba Pu said with a smile: "Actually, Your Majesty has done enough, and you can let it go. The people have recognized from the bottom of their hearts the 'Supreme Emperor Jianwen, Shenwu'"
This honorary title can even benefit future generations, so why bother working so hard? The world is already like a barrel of iron..."
"Okay, I have my own sense of proportion." Shao Shude waved his hand and said: "After taking care of Persia, there really isn't much to do. Next, the country's money and food will mainly be used for immigration. That's all, it's useless to tell you so much. Yi
I will take more care of Chang. You - also take care of yourself."
Tuoba Pu's sigh was as soft as if it came from Jiuyou.
Do you have any regrets in this life? She couldn't figure it out, it seemed a little, but not at all.
Yichang's children have grown up and often come to visit her. Every time she sees this calf-like boy, she recalls the carefree days in the Youzhou grassland.
Going back forty years, if my father had betrothed himself to a saint, maybe everything would be different, right?
After dinner, Shao Shude stood in the lonely courtyard and looked up at the stars.
When traveling to a foreign country as an envoy and exchanging information, this is something that is on your mind.
Continuing immigration, stabilizing virgin frontier lands, and even expanding the nation’s living space are also top priorities.
Reforming the system and deepening the foundation of the dualist empire are still top of mind.
Taking advantage of the fact that the morale of Confucian scholars was at its lowest point, changing the political structure of the court and establishing the "ancestral law" that had existed for hundreds of years was something that was on their minds.
There will be reform of the fiscal system, exploration of the southern economic model, and improvement of transportation infrastructure...
Many things cannot be changed overnight, but require time and accumulation. Just like planting fruit trees, cultivate the soil thickly and take care of them carefully, so that they can bloom and bear fruit.
Fortunately, many reforms have actually achieved results and have a certain foundation, so they will not be easily swept away by "turbulent storms".
Let’s do it one by one, and now we should first solve the problem in the Western Regions - this was not a problem originally, but it started because of him. It has been several years, and the opportunity for solving it may have appeared.
He turned his head and looked to the west, his eyes like the real "Lord of the Stars", penetrating through the space and landing on a bald man.
"We come here with utmost sincerity this time." The bald man was riding on the back of a camel, looking left and right.
Diagonally behind him, a middle-aged man looked gloomy but had a sneer in his eyes.
His name is Samani, a "member" of the Persian mission.