The Emperor ordered Zhao Tang

Chapter 100 Chinese and Foreign Armies

On the third day of October in the first year of Jingfu, after finishing the tasks at hand, the emperor formally commended the heroes who pacified Feng.

In the Battle of Chongyang Valley, Sima Kanwu, the former governor of Fengxiang, was the first to defeat the enemy and won the first place in merit. He was promoted to the position of the instructor of the Imperial Guards. Xiao Wang, who had been granted the title of Kaiguozi of Daming County, was dismissed and had other arrangements. In the Battle of Jiecai Bay, Li Zan defeated Yan Shibalang's troops and beheaded more than a thousand people. He was promoted to the position of Yuwenlang of the Military Affairs Department. Zhao Fu killed the general Li Gongdi in battle and was promoted to Jinwu General.

Other outstanding officials and officers were also rewarded.

On the fourth day of the first lunar month, the court reported to the Privy Council, requesting the dismissal of the Xingfeng Defense Commissioner of the Ganyi Army and the abolition of the governors of Qin, Feng, Xing, and Chengzhou. The Qinfeng County was established, governing the four prefectures of Shunzheng, Mingshui, Changju, Liangdang, Liangquan, Liuba, Tonggu, Tianshui, and Shanglu. Qin and Chengzhou were not completely recovered, but this did not affect the court's change of their divisions.

In addition, the issue of Fu Daozhao, the remnant of Fengxiang, who had been entrenched in Qinzhou for several months was also confirmed.

After the great defeat at Mipi Ze, this warrior fought his way back to Guocheng, gathered more than 2,000 defeated soldiers and fled at night. Fearing that the sage would send troops to hunt him down, he fled to Jieting on the north bank of Lueyang River and became a bandit. He had only more than 2,000 people under his command, and he was afraid of being beaten, so he dared not look east to Fufeng. Of course, he did not intend to surrender and just eat and wait for death; but how to feed and defecate more than 2,000 Qi soldiers?
Before Fu Daozhao could come up with a plan, the bandits with bad habits began to "seek food" everywhere. After looting several Tibetan and Hu tribes one after another, they were attacked by the joint efforts of the local Tibetan and Han clans. At this time, Fu Daozhao was hiding in the mountains and fighting guerrilla warfare with the natives.

Considering the complicated situation in the West Land and the difficulty of the expedition, as well as the deteriorating relationship with Bianzhou, the sage was unwilling to provoke a war here and approved the court's plan - to appoint Fu Daozhao as the general of the enemy and the commander of Qin Fengwei. If you like to make trouble, go and fight the Tibetans. Whether Fu Daozhao and his gang were slaughtered or the local armed forces were beaten by the beast soldiers, the court was happy to see it happen.

Wei Zhaodu, Duke of Qi, was summoned to the court as Sikong and in charge of the affairs of the Eastern Capital, and was transferred to be the prefect of Qinfeng.

Can he be considered a man of both civil and military talents?

There is nothing to say about his literary skills. In the first year of Zhonghe, he was appointed as prime minister in Chengdu and served as prime minister for eleven years. He was well versed in all aspects of military and political affairs. As for military skills, it is hard to say. In the third year of Guangqi, Li Changfu rebelled, and the ministers supported Emperor Xizong to flee in a panic. Wei Zhaodu did not run away with them. He was alone in the chaos of the army and argued with the warriors, making a group of warriors obedient. Then he summoned the defeated soldiers who did not rebel and took their entire families as hostages in front of everyone. He said, "If the army is defeated, I will die with you." When the warriors heard this, they were brave enough to fight you.

In the end, the rebels were really defeated by him. Because of his performance in this battle, during the Wende years, he was promoted by the court to be the commander of the expeditionary camp, commanding more than 100,000 troops from various regions to attack Chen Jingxuan. This time, Wei Zhaodu failed, and after returning to the court, he was dismissed from his position as prime minister and sent to Luoyang to atone his sins.

But the sage felt that the fault did not lie with Wei Zhaodu.

Being able to organize more than 100,000 late Tang warriors in an orderly manner, leading them for three years, and fighting the enemy back and forth, can be called a talented general. Even a saint can't do it. In fact, almost no one has this ability at that time. Li Keyong felt very tired when commanding 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers. After entering Taiyuan, he felt annoyed in all aspects and disbanded many of them. Zhu Quanzhong was an outstanding military talent, but when he went on an expedition, he usually only supervised 30,000 to 50,000 soldiers. Basically, he delegated power to the people below. The generals and generals fought their own battles. Even so, farces like Doumen Sai often occurred. People like Guo Ziyi, Li Guangbi, Li Sheng, Pei Du, and Wei Gao are still a minority.

By appointing Duke Wei as governor of Qinfeng, the sage was able to gain peace of mind.

Beside Taiye Lake, under the old pear tree.

The saint lazily nestled in the rattan chair of his own design, with a fishing rod in his hand.

The warm sunshine in the autumn afternoon makes people feel very comfortable.

If there were no other things to do, the saint would want to stretch his back and take a nice nap. What if he wakes up and travels back in time?

This damned world was driving him insane. Only in front of a few trusted wives and concubines would he show a little worry, impatience or even fear.

"Everyone, don't sleep! Zhao Fu, Wang Congxun and others are here to see the emperor." The Privy Councilor came quickly. After saying that, she subconsciously glanced at the fish basket, which was empty...

After fishing for over an hour, this is it?
Laughing in silence, Zhao lazily sat down beside the sage, propping up her thighs, and stared leisurely at the ministers who were walking towards her in silence.

well.

As their prestige grew, these warriors dared to whisper to each other when they entered the palace to see the emperor, and made various small movements such as picking their noses, scratching their cheeks, looking around, or raising their eyebrows and laughing. Now, when they were summoned, they either followed the waiters with their heads down, taking small and quick steps to hurry, or looked solemn and said nothing.

"I will pay my respects to Your Majesty."

"sit."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." More than ten people including Wang Congxun, the founding son of Daming County, Wang Zan, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, Mo Zangqiqi, the envoy of the imperial city and the envoy of the two streets, He Chuyu, the envoy of the infantry, Zha Zhu, the general of the Jinwu Army, Zhao Fu, the lieutenant general of the Huben Army, Pei Chen, and Zhang Jide, the cavalry coach, took the cushions and knelt around the saint.

Zhao was in a very happy mood. Power was indeed an aphrodisiac for men. No wonder the saint became more and more energetic.

"This is the list of officers above the rank of colonel and below the rank of captain that we have discussed. Please take a look, Your Majesty." Xiao Wang handed over a thick stack of official documents.

Recently, the court's military affairs have been focused on three issues. The first is the diplomatic conflict with the people of Bian, the second is to transfer troops from seven vassal states including Xiangyang to the capital, and the third is the reorganization of the imperial guards with the establishment of the Tiance Army.

Zhao took the documents and placed them on the triangle between her legs, then picked up the top one and placed it in the saint's palm.

The saint squinted his eyes and reviewed each word.

Wang Congxun reported to him in person as a representative.

"According to your will, the Tiance Army is divided into the Central Army and the Outer Army. 20000 strong and brave peasants who are currently training in Jingzhao will be selected as the Outer Army. The Left and Right Longxiang and Left and Right Longwu Infantry Armies will be set up, with 2000 people in each army. The Left and Right Guangrui and Left and Right Feixian Cavalry Infantry Armies will be set up, with 1500 people in each army. The Flying Cavalry, Tuqi, Shooting Eagle, and Controlling String Armies will be set up, with light horses, heavy horses, crossbowmen, and archers, with 1500 people each. The military system will follow the previous example. In order to prevent generals from causing chaos, generals will not be appointed unless necessary, and only two judges will be used to manage miscellaneous affairs."

"After the troops from Jing, Xia, Xiangyang, Fu, and Feng arrived, the ten generals and above were sent to the Imperial Guards, the Cavalry and Infantry Du Yuhou Division, the Training Division, and the General Division, and were assigned to their respective duties. The ten generals and below were sent to serve as foreign troops and still served as military academies; the rest of the soldiers were dispersed to the 37 Cavalry and Infantry Divisions under the Imperial Guards."

"The 6000 infantry and cavalry from the six cities of Tiefu, Bawang, Changjian, Wansui, Yingwu, and Longjie, together with the 1700 Flying Dragon soldiers from the Northern Division, will form the central army. The military positions of the current military commanders, deputy commanders, ten generals, and deputy generals in each city will be abolished, except for the Du Yuhou who is in charge of military discipline. Each city will have a team of 50 soldiers and a team leader. Each city will have 20 teams and a chief and deputy lieutenant. A central commander will be appointed to supervise the schools and teams and assist in the military affairs."

"..."

The young king briefly introduced the sage and waited for his response. The list of officers submitted was accompanied by a memorial, which was the result of repeated revisions by the military and civilian officials of the Ministry of War and the Imperial Guards. It was very detailed. The specific organization, weapons and armor, and stationings were all described.

This adjustment is a further strengthening of the Saint and the court's control over the army. Through this change, combined with the Saint's previous work, anyone with a discerning eye can see that the possibility of a sudden rebellion by a certain warrior, or a small group of killers inciting the army to riot, is basically zero. Of course, you can still rebel, but compare the probability of success with the risk of killing the entire clan.

The officers and soldiers who came to the capital from the vassal states were naturally retained.

When they arrive in Chang'an, they will be promoted to some extent according to their personal circumstances.

There was too much room for maneuver in other personnel appointments and dismissals. The sage could not possibly interview all the officers at the level of colonel and lieutenant one by one. Except for the eight commanders and some important positions, the right to recommend the rest was given to the officials.

Wang Congxun, Mo Zangqiqi, Zhazhu, Zhang Jide and other military officers of the Imperial Guard and the Ministry of War "impartially and selflessly" drew up a list, waiting for the approval of the emperor. Of course, this would involve joint responsibility.

"This Chu Ang..." the saint said casually.

"My wife's younger brother is quite brave, good at archery and horse riding, and knows a little about military tactics." The little king bowed and said calmly under the gaze of everyone: "I think it is not necessary to avoid relatives when promoting relatives, so I recommend him to be the leader of the Long Sword Team of the Central Army to serve the saint."

"Oh." The saint nodded slightly, and then asked: "I heard from Concubine Shu that your wife is about to give birth, right?"

Wang's wife, Chu, was a female official who served He Yuqing for many years. Although they were the emperor and his subjects, they were like sisters. After marrying Xiao Wang, she often visited He Yuqing in the palace and talked about women's affairs. The saint heard Shufei talk about Xiao Wang's family affairs - Xiao Wang, a bad guy, treated his wife as equals. During meals, Chu would not pick up his chopsticks until she arrived. He usually called Chu "Qing".

The saint wants to ask, is it so sweet?
It’s really strange that many famous warriors who kill people without blinking an eye are extremely respectful to their wives.

Zhu Quanzhong is a toy puppet in Zhang Hui's hand. When Zhang Hui told him to go east, Quanzhong dared not go west. Zhang Hui told Quanzhong to go home immediately, but he abandoned the army and rode back at night; he was just a henpecked man, Zhu Riguang, is that it?
Li Keyong was the one controlled by Liu. No matter how much others said to him, Li Keyong would not listen and would even scold you for being noisy. Liu said - ah, yes, yes, yes.

After the cannibalistic devil Qin Zongquan was crowned as the emperor, he immediately summoned literati and poets to write poems for his wife Zhao and crown her empress. After the defeat, he rushed back to Caizhou in the chaos to find Zhao, fearing that she would be humiliated.

"Your Majesty, probably next month," the little prince replied. But he was a little confused, what did this have to do with recommending his brother-in-law?
The saint laughed and said meaningfully, "What else should I worry about for the person you like?"

Hearing this, everyone was a little envious. What kind of magic potion did Wang Congxun give to the saint? He has gained the saint's trust in just one year. He is also the martial arts teacher of the emperor's eldest son, and has arranged a marriage with the second brother of the concubine, He Chuyu, and was also granted the title of founding prince. Could it be that just because the saint was in trouble...

Yes.

In the saint's heart, no one can replace Xiao Wang, not even his beautiful wife and concubines. At first, he just tried to win over Xiao Wang, but Xiao Wang... At Chongxuan Gate, it was Xiao Wang who scolded the eunuch and helped him vent his anger.

The first battle of Qishan, which determined whether he was still the emperor, was won by the little king who led his personal soldiers. When the army was on the march, he shared a bed with the little king and was protected. He slept soundly, while the little king got up more than ten times a night. When the eunuchs were plotting rebellion, it was the little king who led his soldiers to squat outside the Penglai Palace every night, preventing Han Quanhui and his ilk from getting a chance.

The little prince was not good at speaking, and he never said anything about swearing allegiance to the emperor, but he——

Xiao Wang felt a little uneasy after the saint said such an intimate word to him in public.

"Didn't you feel shy when you were causing chaos before?" the saint laughed.

"Your Majesty..." This time, Xiao Wang's face turned purple. He knew that the saint teased him in public to express his love and care, but it was still quite embarrassing.

Zhao smiled charmingly and said, "When Zhou Chu was young, he was a bully and a troublemaker in the village. People hated him. Later, he killed a tiger and a dragon and sank into the water. The people thought that the disaster had been eliminated and sang and danced. Zhou Chu then changed his ways and became a loyal, filial, chaste and righteous hero. Wang Kaizi should be such a person. This is Zhou Chu, the saint given by God."

"Privy Councilor." Zhao was extremely beautiful, and she participated in the military and political affairs beside the saint, and was deeply favored by him. The little prince did not dare to look at her, but only raised his hands and bowed.

The scene was filled with a joyful atmosphere.

"I have read the imperial army's memorial and the list of officers." The sage asked Zhao to collect the documents. His movements were very casual, and his eyes were erratic while reviewing them, but he actually read them very carefully.

Among the senior military officers, all of the emperor's direct confidants were present.

The civil servants of the Tiance Army and the judges of the foreign army were also southern officials whom the saint knew and was relatively familiar with.

The captains of the central army were either cousins from his mother's family or nephews of his biological mother, Concubine Wang. For example, Wang Bin, Wang Gui, and Wang Chen, who had served as military officers in the Guanglu Temple and the Weiwei Temple for many years, were sons of his uncle Wang Gui and grew up with him.

Or they could be General of the Central Army from a family of the emperor's party or a noble, such as Du Luyi, the youngest son of the Grand Marshal.

Either they were trusted relatives, such as Fu Cunshen and Xiao who came from Jinyang as dowry, or Amonan from Tianshui, or they were young generals whose loyalty he had tested, such as Yin Shouzhi, Ma Quanzheng, and Cao Zhe.

This group of people is what the saints care about the most.

He expressed satisfaction with the plan proposed by the Imperial Guard and the Ministry of War.

Finally, there were eight candidates for the leadership. This matter was of great importance, and the two departments of civil and military affairs did not dare to fill in the names, so they could only ask the emperor to make the final decision.

Everyone was silent, waiting for the Holy Judgment.

"General Zhong..." The saint put down the fishing rod in his hand and picked up the red pen.

Zhao spread out a piece of rice paper with telepathy.

"Wang Congxun." He wrote down the first name, which was already decided by the sage.

"Zha Zhu." Zhu'er was second only to Xiao Wang in the Saint's heart. Moreover, he might fall out with Zhu Quanzhong at any time. The Saint and Li Keyong, a difficult couple, must hold each other tightly to resist. Mentioning Zhu'er was also a foreshadowing for the future conquest of the Hedong Group.

Of course, the premise is that there is a future.

"Mei Zang Qiqi." The Saint has been observing him for a year, but he brought his family to Chang'an last month. I don't know if he is using this as a way to show his loyalty to the Saint, or if he really wants to go all the way and let his parents and siblings enjoy a good life in the capital. Either way, it's great.

"Zhao Fu." Zhao's belly was getting bigger day by day. Her words and deeds, her cautious attitude in participating in military affairs, her ability to stand out among the concubines, her natural way of not competing for favor, and her feelings for the sage, the sage knew it. Zhao Fu's taciturn, sincere and solemn character, and her silent love for He Chuyu and other younger generations who were also relatives of the emperor, were also seen by the sage.

"He Zongyi." Compared to He Chuyu, he is more dull and only knows how to chop people in battle. If you ask him to do something, he will do it without saying a word, and he will not take credit for it afterwards. The saint thinks that the third brother does not have the talent of a great general, and he may only be a general in this life. He should lead the troops to guard the palace and protect his brother-in-law and sister's family. Well, the saint will not force the duck to do it. He Yuqing only has these two brothers. If He Chuyu dies in battle in the future, there is still He Zongyi to talk to.

"Zhang Chengye." When the eunuch fell, Old Zhang was grief-stricken. Although the sage still let him serve as the Flying Dragon Envoy and command 1700 Flying Dragon Soldiers, Old Zhang was in a daze all day. He bought a piece of land in the suburbs, picked fruits and vegetables with his adopted son, and became Mr. Wu Liu. The sage decided to win back the heart of this loyal official. How could he let this loyal minister, who was known in history, continue to fall?
Let’s just go with these six for now.

The remaining two seats are temporarily vacant, reserved for the interested candidates.

The saint believes that somewhere in this world, there must be a warrior born for him. When standing at the end of the cliff, he should not lose hope but hold on for one more day and wait for that man to appear in front of him like a gust of wind and lightning. Then the saint will mount on his horse, even if he is an evil ghost imprisoned by the Bodhisattva for a thousand years - uh, the imagination is a bit sensational and corny.

"Go ahead." The saint grabbed the fishing rod and said, "Reorganize the imperial guards according to this report. I will come to check on you often."

"Yes! We will take our leave now." Everyone responded in unison.

"Wait!" The saint suddenly asked, "If I fall out with Quanzhong and strip him of all his official positions, what is the probability that I will not be captured by him?"

Everyone wanted to laugh but didn't dare to.

"When the enemy comes, just defend yourself and fight with your spear in times of difficulty; success or failure depends on the virtues of the great emperors." Wang Zan, the assistant minister of the Ministry of War, shook his head.

"I have a worthless life, so I'll fight him. Anyway, I don't want to go back to the mountains to herd sheep, and I won't work for that evil beast Zhu Quanzhong. If he repays kindness with enmity, we Dangxiang people should peel off his scalp and drink his blood raw." Mei Zangqiqi said indifferently.

"Just fight. If we lose, we will die. What else can we say?" Zhao Fu looked at his pregnant sister. The Zhao family had no way out.

"The troops from Hedong, Hezhong, and Shanguo, plus the royal army, will be no less than 15 soldiers." Zhazhu estimated, "If things don't go well and the mandate of heaven is gone, the worst that can happen is that I will carry Your Majesty across Taiyuan."

"Is Tongguan just for show? I have 10,000 soldiers guarding it. How many lives will Quanzhong have to pay for it? The sage has mobilized the entire country's troops to fight to the death. I'm afraid that even if every household in Bian is mourning, they still can't take it down. Even if they break in, Quanzhong may still have a few breaths of energy left, and there's no guarantee that he won't be killed." Wang Congxun said.

"Go ahead." The saint waved his hand gently without replying.

"May Your Majesty remain resilient. As long as we are here, China will not change," said Wang Zan, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of War.

After they all left, the saint lay down on his back on the wicker chair.

Melancholy, melancholy!
Tomorrow we will have to call Hedong's memorial officials Xue Zhiqin, Guo Chongtao and Hezhong's memorial officials to have a chat. If my father-in-law is free and has the energy to serve the king, then we will be tough.

"You can spread the rumor that Zhu Quanzhong has been deprived of his power first." Zhao hooked her arm around the saint's neck, lowered her head to his ear, and pressed her soft, hot body against his back. "Let's see how the Xuanwu Jinzouyuan reacts. What if Quanzhong is a coward?"

After hearing this suggestion, the saint, who felt tempted, thought of something else.

"What are you doing?"

"Shuliang He and Yan Zheng had sex in the wild and had Ziqiu."

"I don't understand. Tonight I have to accompany Consort Xian, Consort Shu, and Lady Chen..." Before she could finish her words, a tall figure had already sat in his arms, clamping his waist. She seemed to be heated by the sun, with beads of sweat on her forehead, and a seductive fragrance emanating from her towering chest.

The saint's eyes went dark as the sweet and nimble snake entered his mouth and began to flutter.

"The late emperor died before he could complete his career—" The saint's vague excuse was interrupted and his shoulders were grabbed tightly.

(End of this chapter)