When Liu Bei clamored for a decisive battle with Yan Liang in Yecheng, Yan Liang had already led his victorious army back to Luoyang City in a mighty manner.
The first thing the teacher does when he returns to court is, of course, to reward him based on his merits.
Whether it was veterans such as Huang Zhong and Wen Chou, new ministers such as Zhao Yun, or young rookies such as Ma Su, Deng Ai, and Jiang Wei, Yan Liang did not hesitate to reward them generously.
The second thing Yan Liang did was naturally send Guo Huan to the Golden Bird Tower, adding another beautiful concubine to his place of pleasure.
Next, the third thing Yan Liang did caused a sensation in both the government and the public.
In the midsummer of the second year of Kaihuang's reign, Yan Liang issued an edict to abolish the imperial examination system since the Han Dynasty and to use the imperial examination system to recruit talents for the country.
When Liu Bei implemented the Nine-Rank Officials Law and gathered the support of the noble families in Hebei, Yan Liang had already prepared relevant countermeasures. Now that the Qin State was at peace, it was a good time to implement the countermeasures.
The biggest shortcoming of the Nine-Rank Official Personnel Law is that it easily allows aristocratic families to monopolize the power of being an official, cutting off the path from the lower class to the upper class. As a result, there is a lack of exchange of fresh blood between the upper and lower classes, which not only easily breeds corruption in the upper class, but also makes it easier for them to
Inciting resentment from below.
The imperial examination system is different. Scholarships are obtained through examinations, and official grades are determined by talent and learning. Whether you are a wealthy family or a commoner, as long as you have talent and learning, you can serve as an official and serve the country.
Over the years since Yan Liang invented bamboo paper, the promotion of paper books in Chu State has greatly increased. The number of adults who read to acquire knowledge has been decreasing year by year. The monopoly of knowledge by powerful families is being further weakened. This is also the reason for the implementation of the imperial examination system.
, laid the foundation.
Of course, the imperial examination system also has its own shortcomings, but now, it is a more advanced system than the Nine-Rank Officials and Persons Act.
Once the imperial examination system was implemented, it would naturally offend the interests of some people. After the decree was issued, many officials wrote letters expressing concern.
Yan Liang ignored these objections and relied on his arbitrary will to forcibly promote the implementation of the imperial examination system.
What Yan Liang wants to do is to become people with lofty ideals in the world. No matter how humble your background is, no matter how low your status is, as long as you are willing to work hard and as long as you have talent, I, Yan Liang, will put you to good use.
At that time, Cao Cao put forward the slogan of meritocracy. He wanted to win all the heroes of the world and the outstanding people from poor families. Unfortunately, Cao Cao had this ambition, but he had no long-term plan.
Now, Yan Liang, the king who destroyed Cao Cao, has inherited Cao Cao's ambition and turned the ideal of meritocracy into a realistic system that will be implemented for a long time.
Not long after the imperial examination system was implemented, Yan Liang quickly promulgated a fourth edict, determined to implement the "equal land system" in the Chu Kingdom.
Since the Han Dynasty, powerful families have seriously annexed land, and most of the world's grain fields have been occupied by powerful powerful people. However, since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, the number of households in the world has dropped sharply. There are unclaimed abandoned fields everywhere, and these abandoned fields are naturally owned by the officials.
Nowadays, although Yan Liang's Great Chu State controls two-thirds of the world, the number of households in the country is less than one-third that of the Han Dynasty. Especially in the Central Plains, the land is thousands of miles away and is full of wasteland.
Yan Liang's land equalization system is to give these ownerless wastelands to the people according to the number of men. In this way, not only can wasteland be converted into fields and the economy restored, but it can also help increase the country's household registration and increase tax revenue.
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After destroying the Qin Dynasty, Yan Liang used the power of thunder to implement various policies to strengthen the country and enrich the people. This series of actions was naturally in preparation for the Northern Expedition in the near future.
While refreshing his political achievements, Yan Liang was also preparing for the Northern Expedition in an orderly manner.
Since the destruction of Qin, the total strength of the Chu army's Chinese and foreign troops has reached an unprecedented 400,000. This number has far exceeded the strength of Liu Bei's Han army.
Because Jiaozhou has been pacified and Liangzhou has been settled, looking at the world, Yan Liang basically has no threat except Liu Bei as his enemy.
Therefore, Yan Liang could only station nearly 100,000 troops in several border states such as Jiaozhou, Yizhou, and Liangzhou, as well as in several important cities such as Chang'an, Hanzhong, Yingtian, and Wancheng, as well as in key passes such as Yangping Pass and Tongguan.
The number of troops used in the Northern Expedition has reached 300,000.
Among them, in addition to the 50,000 Liaodong Army Corps commanded by Lu Meng in Liaodong Province, the number of troops directly commanded by Yan Liang was as many as 250,000.
According to intelligence, after years of respite, Liu Bei's Han Dynasty could barely scrape together an army of 150,000.
Three hundred thousand versus one hundred and fifty thousand, Yan Liang has an absolute advantage in military strength.
In addition, after transporting war horses by sea from Liaodong, the number of Yan Liang's cavalry has grown rapidly. After wiping out Qin and seizing the horse source in the northwest, the Chu army's cavalry expanded even more rapidly.
In addition to the Liaodong Corps, the number of cavalry in Yan Liang's Central Plains Corps has reached 30,000, which is basically the same number as Liu Bei's cavalry.
The total number of soldiers and horses, the number of cavalry, the accumulation of food and grass, and other aspects, Yan Liang had great advantages.
For Yan Liang, the only difficulty in the Northern Expedition was the natural danger of crossing the Yellow River.
The Yellow River is no better than the Yangtze River, and the navy cannot play a key role here. It is naturally not easy to break through the natural dangers of the Yellow River.
Moreover, during the time when Yan Liang destroyed Qin, Liu Bei was never idle. He spent a lot of manpower and material resources to build a strong north bank defense line along the Yellow River. This line of defense undoubtedly made it more difficult for Yan Liang to cross the river.
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But none of this is a problem. Even the roaring Yellow River cannot stop Yan Liang's ambition to dominate the world.
What Yan Liang has to do now is to let his soldiers recharge their batteries and launch an all-out attack on Liu Bei after the autumn harvest.
At this time, there were still several months before the start of summer, and the soldiers were recharging their strength. Of course, Yan Liang could not treat himself badly.
Throughout the summer, Yan Liang spent most of his time on Jinque Terrace except for managing politics.
The Xinque Terrace is dozens of feet high. It is hot in summer below the terrace, but the cool breeze blows on the terrace, making it very cool.
Those beauties on the golden bird stage, the good days they have been waiting for for a long time have finally arrived this time. The emperor's rain and dew that they have been looking forward to for a long time can finally nourish their dry hearts.
On the golden bird stage, Yan Liang was lying on a bamboo couch with his chest high, and there were seven or eight large ice cubes placed in front and on the left and right. Several court ladies with good looks, slim figures, and "refreshing" clothes stood on the left and right, fanning themselves.
On the left and right, Mi Zhen was holding ice-cold wine and feeding it to Yan Liang's mouth, while Ganmei was peeling the fruit and carefully offering it to Yan Liang.
With the cool breeze blowing and the beauty waiting by her side, Yan Liang truly enjoyed a fairy-like day.
At this moment, the maid outside the door came to report that Mrs. Guan had met her outside.
"Let her come in." Yan Liang waved his hand and said calmly.
Mi Zhen and Gan Mei were both slightly startled, with a trace of discomfort flashing in their eyes.
The two of them knew very well who the lady Guan was in the palace maid's mouth. She was naturally one of Yan Liangji's concubines, Guan Yu's daughter Guan Feng.
Speaking of Guan Feng, he was trapped in Xudu Cao Cao's hands with Mi Gan and others.
At that time, Guan Feng was still young, and Mi and Gan took care of little Guan Feng for Guan Yu, and they loved each other like mother and daughter.
Later, when Mi Gan and Mi Gan heard that Guan Feng had fallen into the hands of Yan Liang and became Yan Liang's concubine like them, they were afraid of being embarrassed when they met, so whether they were on the Tongque Terrace or the Jinque Terrace, they both
I have never visited Guan Feng.
But he didn't expect that Yan Liang would summon Guan Feng to meet him today.
When Mi and Gan were feeling awkward, Guan Feng walked into the pavilion outside the door, Yingying said happily: "I pay homage to Your Majesty."
When Guan Feng raised his head, he met Mi Gan and his wife's eyes.
A slight blush suddenly appeared on the faces of Mi Gan and his wife, and they quickly turned their heads to the side, not daring to look directly at Guan Feng.
Guan Feng was at a loss for a moment, and suddenly recognized the two of them, and an embarrassed look suddenly appeared on her pretty face.
"Go and change your clothes first." Yan Liang waved his hand.
Guan Feng was taken to the side hall by the palace maid, and when she came out after a while, she had put on a thin gauze dress that was looming and invisible.
At this time, Yan Liang's hobby, the beauties on the Golden Bird Stage, whenever they serve Yan Liang, must satisfy his special taste.
Guan Feng, who was faintly visible, walked out somewhat nervously, his face already a blush.
In fact, since becoming Yan Liang's concubine, Guan Feng has long been accustomed to being "tortured" by Yan Liang in all kinds of ways. She has even served Yan Liang with other wives.
But now when facing Mi Zhen and Gan Mei, two old friends with whom he once had a mother-daughter relationship, Guan Feng can no longer maintain that composure.
"Come here and beat your legs for me." Yan Liang waved to her.
Guan Feng had no choice but to move forward and knelt down in front of the bamboo couch. He stretched out his snow-white arms and beat Yan Liang's legs.
Mi Zhen and Gan Mei also became uncomfortable at this time, their faces were alternately red and white, and they did not dare to look at each other.
Yan Liang was sipping the wine and admiring their awkward looks, which allowed him to enjoy a different kind of fun.
After smiling for a moment, Yan Liang said: "Come here, bring me my message and show it to the concubines."
After a while, the palace maid respectfully brought a document and placed it on the table.
Yan Liang raised his hand and pointed, and said with a sneer: "Speaking of this statement, it is related to you, so I will let you take a look at it first."
The three beauties were all startled, and suddenly felt confused. Then they suspiciously moved to the side of the case to read the message.
It doesn't matter at this glance, the expressions of the three beauties all changed, and their eyes flickered with a hint of surprise.
That document is called "Discussing Liu's Prosecution".
This document is Yan Liang's declaration of war to Liu Bei. After today, this document will spread throughout Hebei, and everyone in the Han Kingdom will be shaken by Yan Liang's intimidation.
Yan Liang made it very clear in his message that all those in the Han Kingdom who were disobedient would be killed if Chu's troops were directed towards them.
This also means that whether it is Liu Bei or Guan Yu, these two people who were once related to them will inevitably die.