Chapter 75: The city is full of raw materials and linen clothes are like snow
Since the 'Luo Kingdom' failed to attack the hinterland of the 'Suzaku Kingdom' at the same time as planned, the joint attack between the 'Lihun Mountain' and the 'Wanling Tribe' was not so difficult for the 'Suzaku Kingdom' to resist.
Although the war on the frontline has been very unsatisfactory in the past few years, and cities and fortresses have been continuously captured, the overall situation has not endangered the foundation of the kingdom.
Yuan Jiang heard the dissatisfaction in the monarch's tone and was silent for a moment before saying:
"Your Majesty, among the two fronts in the west and north, although Commander Huo Wugou has retreated to the sixth front in the west, he still has the eight battalions of soldiers and horses that were just dispatched from the country. I believe that Commander Huo Wugou can use these troops to control the front.
Keep.
On the contrary, the northern front is more troublesome. Although the kingdom has produced many good generals in recent years, there are few who can stand alone like Commander Huo Wugou.
This is why the northern front was so severely invaded."
Having said this, Yuan Jiang hesitated for a moment and said in a deep voice:
"I suggest that Zhao He once again lead the troops to the northern front to take charge..."
Before he could finish speaking, Taiwei Jin Su shouted sharply:
"This is unreasonable. Zhao He was greedy for power and advanced recklessly, leading to the death of hundreds of thousands of soldiers. The soldiers in each battalion hated him deeply.
Moreover, he is a guilty person, and not beheading him is an act of mercy outside the law, so how can he lead troops to fight again!"
Zhao He was a chess piece introduced by the 'Prime Minister's Palace' to seize the power of military general. Of course, the 'Taiwei Palace' would not allow him to be reused.
After Jin Su finished speaking, several more generals spoke up to help.
Four years ago, when Zhao He bound himself and returned to the capital, the king, Shan Yin, was furious and wanted to put him to death.
However, Yuan Jiang barely spared Zhao He's life on the grounds that "if the battle fails, killing the general will easily lead to the general feeling sad."
However, the death penalty can be avoided, but the living crime cannot be escaped. In the past four years, Zhao He has been suffering the punishment of strong wind and bone erosion in the sky prison.
Yuan Jiang knew that Zhao He was a capable person, but it was only a moment of carelessness that led to a big mistake. He must have learned his lesson by now.
And the daughter was in tears all day long, so she wanted to take the opportunity to rescue her son-in-law.
Seeing that everyone was objecting, he did not immediately defend himself, but waited for everyone to finish speaking before continuing:
"Zhao He is indeed guilty, but this is war, and who dares to say that victory can be guaranteed as long as it is carried out.
In the past few years, our country has always been at a disadvantage whether on the northern or western fronts. Our generals who fought with the enemy basically lost more than they won.
Even Camp Commander Huo Wugou has been in constant retreat.
In comparison, Zhao He was only punished because his country lost its first foreign war at that time, and he has also learned a lesson in recent years."
After a brief pause, he continued:
"Zhao He is as famous as Huo Wugu. No one in the younger generation can match him in terms of strength or strategy. He cannot be used for life just because he has lost a battle.
On the contrary, it is precisely because he has been defeated that he will cherish the hard-won opportunities even more.
As the saying goes, it is better to make good than to make mistakes..."
Taiwei Jinsu couldn't stand listening anymore, so he took a step forward, raised his hand and hit Yuan Jiang on the head with his wooden stick, knocking his crown to the ground.
shouted sharply:
"Yuan Jiang, your heart is so selfish.
Our generals were defeated because they were unable to do anything and the enemy force was too powerful.
In war, everyone has his or her place.
A soldier must obey orders, a general must charge, and since he is the commander of the tenth battalion, he must strategize and command thousands of troops to fight.
However, Zhao He clearly had a superior force, and in order to make a name for himself, he made a fight with the enemy, resulting in the death of hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Windless Plains.
After being defeated, he returned to the capital alone. He seemed to be brave, but in fact he was too timid to fight and ran away. Where did he put the lives and deaths of millions of soldiers?
If a person with this kind of character could be reused, wouldn't the hundreds of thousands of dead soldiers crawl out of their graves with hatred?"
Yuan Jiang picked up the crown and did not wear it again. Instead, he turned to look at the topographic map of the 'Mountain and Sea Realm' in the main hall, and said calmly:
"The reason why I want to hire Zhao He is not out of selfishness. Please see..."
Yuan Jiang pointed at the map of Kanyu in the center of the hall and said in a deep voice:
"There has been no news since Princess Wanxiang led the Tenth East Battalion into the Eastern Territory two years ago.
But the number of signs representing foreign territories on the map is increasing every day.
And this also means that Princess Wanxiang's offensive in the Eastern Region went very smoothly, and can be described as overwhelming.
According to the rate at which foreign signs are increasing on the Kan map, Princess Wanxiang will be able to level the Eastern Territory in less than ten years.
When the time comes, Princess Wanxiang will naturally return to fight against the enemy, and with her ability, she can put an end to the war.
The current situation is that the Western Front is under the command of Commander Huo Wuguo, and the war situation is very stable, and the 'Wanling Tribe' has been held back.
However, due to the lack of capable generals to lead the war on the northern front, it is feared that it will be completely captured by the "Lihun Mountain" tribe in ten years.
My suggestion is to let Zhao He commit his crime and perform meritorious service, rush to the northern front to win these crucial ten years, and wait for Princess Wanxiang to return, and use the three fronts simultaneously to completely defeat the enemy who committed the crime!"
Taiwei Jinsu secretly hummed in his heart.
'If it weren't for you Yuan Jiang, Princess Wanxiang would be trapped in the Eastern Region and unable to turn around.'
However, Wanxiang was too powerful before, and even the 'Taiwei Mansion' participated in squeezing Wanxiang away. Now it is not easy to use this matter to attack.
What's more, Yuan Jiang made a mistake. He originally moved Wanxiang there under the pretext of preventing the forces in the Eastern Region, but he didn't expect that the "Luo Kingdom" would actually launch an offensive from the Eastern Region.
This incident inadvertently showed that Yuan Jiang was very far-sighted, which no one had thought of before.
After hearing what Yuan Jiang said, King Shan Yin looked at Kanyu Tu thoughtfully and said nothing for a long time.
In the Kantu map, 30% of the huge area in the Eastern Territory is blue. Judging from the front of the blue mark, everything should be heading towards the capital of the 'Luo Kingdom'.
After thinking about it for a long time, Shan Yin still didn't dare to risk using Zhao He.
After pondering for a moment, Shan Yin opened his mouth and said:
"There are too many variables in the future. Since everything cannot be returned for the time being, don't take it into consideration when making plans.
Shi Qing!"
There were many civil servants and generals with the surname Shi in the Manchu Dynasty, but only one person could be called this by Shan Yin.
Shi Gandang, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces in red heavy armor, took a step forward.
"I'm here!"
Shan Yin said in a deep voice:
"The war on the northern front is not going well. I ordered you to mobilize five battalions of soldiers and horses and go to the northern front immediately to preside over the war. Don't let me down!"
Shi Gan slapped his hands together and saluted.
"I obey the decree!"
After a brief pause, Shan Yin continued:
"Starting from today, in order to save food for frontline soldiers, a ban on alcohol has been issued!
Whether it is official or private, wine making is strictly prohibited, and those who violate the order will be punished by the three tribes!
Secondly, vigorously develop agriculture, smelting, silk and hemp, animal husbandry, ore refining and other industries to ensure the logistical supplies for frontline soldiers.
In addition, anyone over the age of sixteen is required to get married, regardless of gender, and childbirth is encouraged.
Citizens of each city, prefecture, prefecture, county, town, etc. must conduct a seven-day military training every three months, and this matter is carried out by the local garrison.
According to different town levels, each city is allowed to recruit soldiers and horses to prepare for war, but the total number of soldiers and horses must not exceed the limit.
In order to improve the knowledge of the heirs of each vassal state, the king, the three princes and the nine ministers sent their eldest sons and daughters to the country to study."
After thinking about the empty treasury, Shan Yin hesitated for a moment and spoke again:
"Starting next year, all taxes will increase by 10%..."
Yuan Jiang listened silently without saying a word.
There is no worry about Zhao He failing to be appointed. The war is still going on and there will be opportunities in the future. Today is just a foreshadowing and an impression on the monarch.
But when Shan Yin said this, he immediately interrupted:
"Your Majesty! You must not increase taxes!"
Shan Yin raised his eyebrows and said in a deep voice:
"After years of fighting, the war preparation resources reserved by the country are no longer enough. The increase in taxes is also for the development of the country..."
Yuan Jiang interrupted again:
"Your Majesty! It is precisely because of the continuous war that almost every household has had relatives die in this war, and the people's endurance has reached its limit.
Once taxes are increased, I'm afraid it will trigger resistance in the hearts of the people, and then I'm afraid..."
There is no need to read the words clearly, Shan Yin already understands the meaning of his words, but the treasury is empty, which may affect the normal operation of the country.
While he was thinking about it, he heard Yuan Jiang say again:
"I heard that the Imperial Master has returned to his ancestral home, why not send someone to ask for advice?"
Shan Yin's heart moved, this was a good idea, and he immediately said:
"That's fine. Shan Fang has an old relationship with the Imperial Preceptor, so let's send him to the ancestral land to ask for the Imperial Preceptor's advice!"
"According to the order!"
A few days later, Shanzhi led hundreds of imperial guards and rushed to the ancestral land with the monarch's greetings.
After a conversation with Zhang Ke, Shan Fu returned to the capital with a first-grade acquired spiritual treasure [glazed bottle].
This bottle forms a world of its own, with blue waves rippling in it, and a green jade-like bud containing infinite vitality floating up and down in the water.
The spiritual water in the [glass bottle] will flow out continuously as long as it is not overused.
It is an extremely rare treasure that has the ability to heal, nourish, and strengthen the body.
If it hadn't been taken away by Shrike in advance and destroyed its foundation, it might have grown into a legendary divine object.
Every time he thought about this matter, Zhang Ke felt itchy with hatred for Shlike.
Zhang Ke is willing to temporarily lend this treasure, firstly to improve the chances of the Suzaku Kingdom winning this battle, and secondly, to transform this treasure into a treasure of merit.
The water in the bottle can speed up the growth period of grains, increase yields, and have a certain chance of converting ordinary grains into spiritual grains.
It goes without saying what role the spiritual valley plays for practitioners.
The key thing is that the grains stimulated by this treasure will surely feed countless living beings and thus be transformed into a treasure of merit.
Of course, this is not easy. Among the things Zhang Ke has done over the years is to change the foundation of this treasure.
A few days later, Shan Yin, the king of the Suzaku Kingdom, issued six temporary laws in the name of the king to develop national strength and resist foreign invasion.
These six laws are the six suggestions Shan Yin put forward in the Suzaku Hall that day.
In the following years, the Suzaku Kingdom entered the most difficult and difficult period in its more than three hundred years of existence.
All resources produced by the country will be given priority to the western and northern fronts.
Every two months, gray-haired citizens bid farewell to their children with tears in their eyes, and their grandchildren rush to the two millstones of flesh and blood that never seem to be filled.
'When danger comes, the Shan clan will always stand in front of the people of the country!'
This was the promise Shan Qiao made in public at the abdication ceremony after he became the king.
And when the crisis really hit, the royal family also fulfilled its promise with its own practical actions.
Shan Yin had seven sons and six daughters. In the past few years alone, four sons, two daughters and eleven grandsons died on the west and north fronts. In addition, two sons were missing in the battlefield.
Only the third son survived because he was mentally deficient and, at the age of twenty-four, was as ignorant of the world as a six-year-old child.
Looking around the 800 large cities and 6,400 small cities in the Suzaku Kingdom, white cloth strips are hung on the lintels of every house.
The whole city is covered with raw materials, and the linen clothes are like snow!
Only when a crisis strikes is the moment for a civilization to highlight its heritage.
The education promoted by the ‘Suzaku Kingdom’ for more than three hundred years shows its power at this moment.
It’s just sixteen words, but it contains the essence of the Suzaku Kingdom’s three hundred years of popular education!
If you only care about life and death for the benefit of the country, why should you avoid it because of misfortunes and blessings?
In Zhang Ke's dream, the Song Dynasty was defeated at the Battle of Yashan, Lu Xiufu carried the young emperor Zhao Bing across the sea, and one hundred thousand soldiers and civilians followed him and died for the country.
Due to successive years of war, the war preparation resources prepared by the Suzaku Kingdom for more than two hundred years have been completely consumed. The grain depot of 800 Tun was so empty that even mice did not bother to enter it.
Wan Yuan Sa, the mother of all things, would allocate half of her small ration to the food collection department every day.
As a queen of a country, she has fainted from hunger several times in the past few years.
The royal family’s efforts are not unrewarded.
Feeling the royal family's desperate determination, the hundreds of millions of citizens of the Suzaku Kingdom devoted themselves completely for the first time.
There are two loaves of bread. If you eat one and you won’t starve to death, donate the other. If your family has two pieces of clothing, give one to the front line.
There are even countless old people who refuse to eat and kill themselves naked just to save a mouthful of food and provide an extra robe for the frontline soldiers.
At this moment, no one cares about their own interests. Everyone is gritting their teeth and working hard, squeezing out every ounce of their strength.
‘Country, country’, without ‘home’, where would ‘country’ come from?
In the same way, without a ‘country’, where can a ‘home’ come from?
When the iron hooves of the alien race trampled through the mountains and rivers, only countless "families" gathered together could withstand the danger of national subjugation and species annihilation.
For the first time, the word "country" took root in the hearts of every citizen.
The mountains can be shaken, but the will cannot be destroyed!
When a nation's will is not hesitated by external factors, then there is nothing to fear.
Although a large number of soldiers died every moment on both fronts, countless reinforcements were pouring in endlessly.
Among them are the troops formed by the kingdom, and many people who have lost their homes volunteered to come.
There are those with gray hair, there are young people who are no taller than a wheel, there are those who are physically handicapped and strong-willed, there are those who have their girls in buns and have lily and phoenix crowns.
Under the united will of the hundreds of millions of citizens of the Suzaku Kingdom who share the same hatred for the enemy, the two fronts in the west and north have always been as indestructible as steel poured into iron.