Dongdu Garden in the Tang Dynasty was also called Huitong Garden in the Sui Dynasty. It was also called Shanglin Garden. It was changed to Fanghua Garden in the early days of Wude, and it was called Shendu Garden by Empress Wu.
In fact, it is a forbidden garden, a royal hunting ground.
The valley, where the two rivers of Luo meet, has a circumference of one hundred and twenty-six miles and a wall one foot and nine feet high. It has seventeen gates and eleven palaces inside, including Hebi, Longlin, Mingde, and Huangnu.
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During the reign of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty, the area of the Forbidden Garden was even larger, with a circumference of more than 229 miles and an area of 400 square kilometers. The pavilions, terraces and pavilions were so luxurious that people were stunned.
After the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong thought it occupied too much land and the capital was in Chang'an, so he destroyed it and gave it to people to live in.
However, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong, because he often came to Luoyang, he rebuilt the walls of Jinyuan, palaces, and the famous waterscape palace Shangyang Palace.
Anshi, don't say anything after the Huangchao Rebellion.
The current Forbidden Garden is covered with dense forests, overflowing rivers, numerous bones outside, and broken walls inside.
Shao Shude often trained his sergeants here, mainly the guards from the Imperial Guards, Yin'anzhi and the palace guards affiliated with Weiwei Temple.
The military capital, Yin'anzhi, has been merged into one, and is still called Yin'anzhi. The commander is Li Yixian, the deputy is Yang Hongyin, and the capital is Yuhou Chu Shenping, with about two thousand people.
The number of palace guards has now increased to more than 3,700.
In addition to the three thousand slave guards and pro-army members, there were also many children of the Tibetan chieftains and officials and generals.
Today is May 20th. Yin'anzhi Commander Li Yixian and Wei Weiqing Murong Fu have brought most of their men over for a military lecture.
Shao Shude stood on the Suyu Platform and watched carefully.
Xiao Dilu and Xiao Agu also sat aside and watched intently.
To be honest, Yin Anzhi's performance is not that outstanding. Half of them are used to being bodyguards and are no longer good at fighting.
The palace guards are not bad. The guards have actually fought with Liang Jun more than once. They are usually treated well and many of them have retired from work. Next time a group of 3,000 people will come over, the level will still be about the same.
But it's still not that interesting, probably because we haven't fought in two or three years.
Shao Shude waved, and Murong Fu trotted over.
Shao Shude whispered a few words, and Murong Fu understood immediately. It turned out that Shao Shude planned to transfer 500 sergeants over forty years old from various departments of the Forbidden Army to join the palace guards. This group of people should not be too incompetent.
Xiao Dilu and Xiao Agu looked at each other for a long time. Although their expressions were solemn, they were still able to hold on, because the combat effectiveness of these two armies was not ridiculously strong. Among the eight Khitan tribes, they could also pull off such a
The troops of the Khan were even more powerful.
"Since the envoy is a Khitan hero and has traveled all the way here, he must have something to teach me." Shao Shude suddenly turned to Xiao Di and Lu and said.
King Xia suddenly spoke, and Xiao Dilu almost didn't react. After calming down, he said: "His Royal Highness is the prince of the Tang Dynasty. He covers dozens of states and has tens of millions of people. He is the lord of the world. Khitan is a distant vassal.
He has always been a guard of the Tang Dynasty, and his loyalty can be seen in the sun and the moon. Hende Jinyi Khan was very angry when he heard about Li Keyong's rebellion. Now he is willing to go out with his highness to attack Ke Yong. When this thief is killed, your highness will get the Khitan in the east of the river.
Get Youzhou and get the best of both worlds."
"The envoy is quite direct." Shao Shude smiled, and after speaking, he gestured with his eyes.
Zhao Guangfeng understood, cleared his throat, and asked: "Ke Yonggu is rebellious and arrogant. However, the Khitan has not paid tribute for many years, so it may not be respectful. He is just talking in vain, just to earn us the opportunity to send troops. It's a good plan."
After hearing this, Xiao Dilu felt so full that he wanted to vomit, but he still remembered his responsibilities, suppressed the dissatisfaction quietly rising in his heart, and said loudly: "Ke Yong occupied Youzhou in the east of the river. There are dangers in the mountains and rivers."
, if the King of Xia wants to annihilate him, I'm afraid it won't be that easy. The soldiers of Youzhou are accustomed to battle formations, and they continue to march westward to the east of the river to fight with His Highness's soldiers. How long will it last? And I, the Khitan, have hundreds of thousands of heroes.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if one day we suddenly march southward and can contain a large number of Jin troops? I see that Your Highness is a heroic master, so I should know the pros and cons."
"In the second year of Wuzong Huichang, Zhang Zhongwu, the governor of Youzhou, defeated the Xi people and granted the Yaonan clan Khan the 'Seal of Fengguo Khitan' on behalf of the imperial court. Times have changed, and I wonder if Khan De Jin still recognizes Khitan as a vassal of the Tang Dynasty?"
Shao Shude asked.
Xiao Dilu choked.
At that time, the Khitan was not as strong as the Xi people. The Xi people danced too much and dared to take in the remnants of the Uighur Wujie Khan who had been defeated by the Zhenwu Army, so they were beaten violently. The Khitan seized the opportunity, handed over the official seal of the Uighurs, and replaced it with a large one.
The "Seal of the Khitan" given by the Tang Dynasty. Strictly speaking, the Khitan is a vassal of the Tang Dynasty, or a nomadic vassal town. What Shao Shude asked is whether the Khitan still recognizes this?
Xiao Dilu didn't expect Shao Shude to mention such an old story. With the Khitan's current attitude, of course he didn't want to be a vassal town that had once angered the Tang Dynasty, but it was hard to say it clearly, so he was stunned for a while.
"Your Highness, the Khitan is definitely a vassal of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty is here, and the Khitan is loyal. Now I have brought five hundred good horses, and I would like to donate them to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty." Xiao Agu only said.
These words were soft but hard at the same time. Shao Shude heard it.
Xiao Dilu glanced at Aguzhi secretly and frowned, as if blaming him for speaking without considering the importance.
Shao Shude waved, and a young military officer came over and saluted: "Your Highness."
This person is clearly Tuoba Yichang, the grandson of Tuoba Sigong.
Tuoba Pu, the master of Jinxian Temple, has no children and has always treated his nephew as a son, and has repeatedly criticized Tuoba Yichang. However, Tuoba Yichang does have some abilities. He took the young children of the Tuoba family to Yanbei
, joined the slave department, and was then selected as a palace guard.
"This is the direct descendant of Tuoba Dangxiang and Tuoba Sigong in the past. Now he is the guard of Shangyang Palace. Since the Khitan is a vassal of the Tang Dynasty, why does it not accept the pledge?" Shao Shude asked.
Xiao Dilu and Xiao Agu both looked ugly.
Shao Shude secretly thought. The Khitan's heart has indeed become wild.
Historically, they and Dangxiang, one was a restraining force, which later emerged, and the other was a Zhengerbajing Tang vassal town.
It is understandable that Khitan is self-reliant.
It would be a pity for Dangxiang to stand on his own. Apparently in the Later Liang period, the Tuoba clan suffered a blow from the traditional performing arts of Tang vassal towns: military chaos. Tuoba Yichang, the governor of the Dingnan Army, was killed by the Yamen general Gao Zongyi. Zhou Dewei and Zhou Dewei
Li Maozhen gathered 50,000 troops, defeated Dangxiang, and besieged Xiazhou. It was not until Zhu Quanzhong sent troops to rescue that he relieved the siege.
In the later Tang Dynasty, Tuoba Renfu was defeated again and Xiazhou was besieged.
Shao Shude was born in Lingxia, and party matters are no longer a problem. It can be said that it has been deeply integrated into his military and political group and is one of the communities of interests. However, the Khitan is still unruly and needs to be dealt with.
"Of course, the Khitan Mountains are high and the roads are far away, so it's understandable that we don't accept the offer." Shao Shude said again.
Xiao Dilu and Xiao Agu were the only two people who looked confused.
"After I returned, I told Shi Lu to gather his troops and come to meet me. Don't try to negotiate any terms. You can take the land outside Linyu Pass for yourself. Youzhou is absolutely impossible," Shao Shude said.
Xiao Agu only stood up suddenly and glared angrily.
Tuoba Yichang's waist knife had been half drawn out, and he was also glaring at him angrily.
"Your Highness is very thoughtful." Xiao Dilu suddenly laughed and said: "The tribes outside Linyu Pass have always been friendly to me and are willing to come and join me. Isn't it ridiculous for Your Highness to promise it to Khitan?"
Seeing that Li Keyong had no way to escape, a large number of Yan soldiers were transferred to the west. The land outside Linyu Pass should have been theirs. Now you still use this as reward, and want the Khitan to send troops to fight for you. Isn't it ridiculous?
Not to mention, there are still some old scores between the two parties that have not been settled.
Have you made it clear what happened when King Xi went to Zhu?
Have you made it clear about the ownership rights of the Yanbei tribe?
"That's it for now. It's up to you to listen or not. I always treat others with integrity, and I don't tell lies or make big talk." Shao Shude said, "Youzhou will never be handed over to you."
Xiao Dilu and Xiao Agu only looked at each other.
As expected, this trip was in vain. Shao Shude didn't even want to lie to them, so he refused outright. With the combined efforts of both parties, there was no possibility of dividing Li Keyong's territory.
Moreover, this person is too arrogant. What kind of "gathering troops to meet"? Did he treat the Khitan as a party member, Uighur, and Tuyuhun?
After returning home this time, it’s time to make a careful calculation. Capturing Youzhou is important, but curbing Shao Shude’s ambition is equally important. His expansion speed on the grassland is very alarming. In the end, Youzhou was not captured, and the old nest on the grassland was still occupied.
People paid for it.
****
Shengzhou City became lively again.
The summer harvest is just around the corner. Thanks to the continuous construction of waterwheels, even if there is a slight drought this year, the grain harvest has not been greatly affected. It is not a problem to harvest eight or nine buckets per acre - it is indeed less than before, but it is not bad.
Zhang Quanyi came to Shengzhou in person and participated in a high-level military and political meeting.
The host of the meeting was Old Man Yang Yue, the commander of the newly formed Rouzhou camp. It has almost become a routine that the Rouzhou camp is established in May every year and disbanded in October.
There was nothing new in the meeting, other than the recruitment of troops from various ministries, and the various states preparing food, grass, equipment, and preparations to receive the passing army.
The main force of the Rouzhou camp was the four armies of Tieqi, Dingnan, Feilong and Xinquan. Among them, the Xinquan army stayed behind, and the other three armies went out with 40,000 cavalry. The six inspection envoy tribes, two Hengshan troops, and the Rouzhou Qibi army sent out 40,000 men.
, the tribes of Yanbei, who had recently joined the army, jointly sent out 10,000 soldiers, a total of 50,000 people, carrying horses, vehicles, tents, weapons, hay, cattle and sheep, to cooperate with the army.
Zhang Quanyi was not qualified to hear the specific combat deployment, and he was too lazy to care.
Marching and fighting have been a lifelong shadow for him, and he really doesn't want to get involved in these things. If he has the energy, he might as well go back to the farmland of Sanzhou to see how the rye is growing.
He planted two new crops this year, rye and ryegrass. The former is grain and the latter is pasture. He is in a meeting, but his mind has already flown to Liangcheng.
His elder brother-in-law Jiang Xuanhui sat beside him, listless.
He used to be a close confidant of Liang Wang Zhu Quanzhong, but now he is working as a minor official in a border state outside the Great Wall. Not to mention this frustration.
Moreover, my brother-in-law Zhang Quanyi seems to have no future and is a very useless person.
I received a letter from King Xia a few days ago. Looking at the beautiful handwriting, it turned out that it was dictated by King Xia and written by Chu. The letter assigned a lot of things, and Zhang Quanyi looked as if he was listening to the letter, and his expression was extremely pious.
Jiang Xuanhui's sharp eyes saw that there were several large and small dots of ink at the end of the letter, and the handwriting had become crooked. He didn't know what state Chu was in when he wrote the letter.
That woman gave birth to a son, two daughters, and three children for King Xia in one breath, and Zhang Quanyi didn’t react at all?
"Let's go!" Zhang Quanyi pushed the distracted Jiang Xuanhui and whispered.
Jiang Xuanhui came back to his senses and saw that Yang Yue had left surrounded by the generals.
Liang Hanyong, who was recently promoted to the rank of military envoy of the Feilong Army, was chatting with others. He was faintly surrounded by people in the center, his expression was full of confidence and he was smiling.
Alas, there is an emperor and a minister. Shao Shude is in power, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, and the thirty-year-old son-in-law already commands 20,000 elite troops. I don’t know how high he will be in the future.
"This year we will continue to send 20,000 grains and beans to Rouzhou." Zhang Quanyi said: "You and my brother Quan En will escort the state soldiers together, and there must be no mistakes."
"Yes." Jiang Xuanhui answered with cupped hands. Finally, he asked: "This time the troops are sent to attack Yunzhou, right?"
"I don't know." Zhang Quanyi shook his head and warned: "It won't do you any good to inquire about these rights and wrongs."
Jiang Xuanhui nodded slightly.
My brother-in-law is like a twilight old man, cautious and pitiful.
"When you get to Rouzhou, get to know more of the chiefs of the tribes in the Yin Mountains." Zhang Quanyi lowered his voice and said.
Jiang Xuanhui was startled.
My brother-in-law is good at managing relationships. Is this a sign of something?
"In the past two years, I have devoted myself to research and came to a conclusion. The King of Xia may give rewards to the grassland. Qibizhang is the first one, and there will be a second one soon. Just other grassland tribes, the King of Xia's Nubu, and Liu
It’s true that the great inspection envoy tribes, the Hengshan Yeli clan, and the Wuzang clan have many friendships.” Zhang Quanyi explained: “The granddaughter of Qibizhang can actually marry the legitimate son of King Xia. You dare to say that these big tribes will not appear in the future.
One, two princesses, queens or something?"
Jiang Xuanhui suddenly realized.
He retracted his previous opinion, his brother-in-law is still okay. Now that he has reached this stage, he can still discover different things and slowly start to weave a network of relationships. This indomitable will is really powerful.
The two of them slowly walked out of the Shengzhou Yamen Hall. There were already sergeants running on the street. After being lazy in Shengzhou for so long, they were about to go out to work.