The emperor would rather have a

Chapter 185 Remembering My Brother-in-Law's Goodness
On the main road leading to Xia Cai, winding ruts and hoofprints were mixed with the footprints of marching troops.

The imperial carriage of Emperor Chai Rong of the Later Zhou Dynasty was slowly heading towards the north bank of the Huai River. Guarded by a dense forest of elite imperial guards wielding halberds and spears, it exuded an aura of supreme authority.

Before and behind the chariot, the majestic, armored knights silently controlled the reins, man and horse as one, even their breathing seemed to be deliberately lowered.

Only the red ceremonial guards and banners embroidered with dragon patterns fluttered in the damp Huaihe River wind, each wave of the flags seeming to be a silent declaration.

The destination of this expedition was the Hou Zhou pontoon bridge on the Huai River in Xia Cai—a vital passage for thousands of troops and supplies to cross the Huai River, and a key lifeline for containing the Tang army in Shouzhou.

Chai Rong originally planned to personally go to Shouzhou City to supervise the battle, but just as he set off, he received a report from Li Chongjin, informing him of the Tang army's night attack outside the city.

For reasons unknown, Chai Rong changed his mind and decided to inspect the pontoon bridge in Xia Cai first.

The emperor's carriage eventually came to a stop on the high ground on the north bank.

Chai Rong, dressed in brocade robes and a gold belt, stepped down from the carriage. He was not particularly tall or imposing, and his appearance was quite ordinary. He had traveled around doing business in his early years, and the hardships he had endured made him appear very mature.

But he exuded an imperial aura, especially his sharp eyes, which made it difficult to fathom his thoughts.

At this moment, Chai Rong turned his gaze to the surging Huai River below and the pontoon bridge under construction in the distance.

The scene of the pontoon bridge unfolded before my eyes: dozens of boats were linked together by iron chains, with thick hemp ropes mixed with iron chains, which were wrapped and twisted like giant pythons, firmly binding the boats, and then tightly bound to huge wooden piles driven into the ground on both banks.

Thick wooden planks were laid tightly together to form a passageway... Supply wagons, soldiers, warhorses, and livestock, like a flowing dragon, passed through the pontoon bridge in an orderly and tense manner, converging on the Xia Cai camp on the opposite bank.

Chai Rong's gaze was calm and deep, and he remained silent for a long time. The civil and military officials surrounding him stood quietly, not daring to make a sound, for fear of offending the emperor.

Everyone knew that the army that besieged Shouzhou City a couple of days ago had suffered a great loss at the hands of Tang general Liu Renzhan.

Although the emperor did not punish the generals who attacked the city, he instead sent someone to appease Li Chongjin, the commander of the Imperial Guard.

But was the emperor truly not angry? Probably not entirely!

After nearly two months of attacking Shouchun, the city remained as solid as a rock. A large amount of manpower and resources had been spent there, but there was still no progress. Anyone would be unhappy in that situation.

However, with the war at a stalemate and the emperor still relying on his generals to fight hard, being too harsh at this critical juncture could shake the morale of the army.

After all, the military men from the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty onwards were not exactly benevolent; to get them to risk their lives, you had to coax them rather than force them too much.

Especially those mid- to high-ranking generals should be given the utmost leniency.

Just like when the Imperial Guard was reorganized last year, a large number of incompetent officials were dealt with, but those most affected were mostly low-ranking officers.

At most, military commanders and above would be stripped of their official posts and given sinecure positions as a means of providing them with a nominal salary, which was equivalent to the court paying for their retirement.

Soon, sunlight pierced through the gaps in the clouds, casting leaping fragments of gold onto the surging, turbid waves.

Chai Rong's gaze pierced through the misty water, like an invisible knife yearning to cleanse the world, firmly fixed on the direction of Shouzhou.

After gazing for a moment, he suddenly spoke: "Go and convey my order, ordering Zhao Chao, the Left Wing Commander of the Tiger Swift Army, to lead two thousand infantrymen north along the Fei River to Wokou for defense. The remaining Tiger Swift Army troops will be temporarily placed under the command of Li Chongjin."

Chai Rong planned to transfer Zhao Chao away from Shouzhou City, mainly because of the report Li Chongjin had sent a few days earlier, which expressed his dissatisfaction with Zhao Chao and felt that Zhao Chao's killing of prisoners seriously affected the siege.

To prevent conflicts between the generals and to avoid any unexpected situations, the only option was to separate the two generals into different places.

As soon as he finished speaking, Prime Minister Wang Pu behind him responded with a nod.

Then, thinking of Zhao Chao's killing of prisoners, he hesitated slightly before speaking: "Your Majesty, please allow me to report. In recent days, we have received reports from various places in Huainan. As the army marches through the prefectures and counties, soldiers often take advantage of the chaos to enter the countryside and loot the homes of the people. Even worse, some soldiers have killed innocent civilians for minor quarrels or for the sake of money."

"Some Tang generals and officers who surrendered were often harassed and humiliated by our generals or fierce soldiers, and even wantonly killed, which made them feel disheartened and terrified. Such behavior not only tarnished the reputation of the royal army, but also threatened to shake the foundation of the people's loyalty in Huainan."

Upon hearing Wang Pu mention these things, Chai Rong couldn't help but frown deeply—how could he not know such things?
Since the beginning of the chaotic era, warriors have been bloodthirsty and plundering, treating human life as worthless, and arrogant and fierce soldiers have become the norm.

When Emperor Taizu raised an army to rebel against the Han Dynasty, he personally led a large army to attack Kaifeng. His soldiers plundered for several days, almost turning the entire capital into a dead city.

In contrast, Huainan is still the territory of the Southern Tang Dynasty. In the eyes of the warriors under his command, what are the soldiers and civilians of the enemy country?

They are nothing more than valuables to be taken on the road, prey to be taken at will.

As an ambitious and brilliant ruler, Chai Rong harbored a grand vision of clearing the world and restoring peace.

This vast land, stretching from south to north, will eventually become his domain. Even if the people here are currently in enemy territory, they will ultimately be his subjects.

But the soldiers may not have such awareness... The tiger and wolf army under their command is indeed very fierce when fighting. Wherever their cold blades point, they destroy cities and fortresses, and are invincible. They are truly the sharpest weapon of the country.

However, their bloodthirsty nature is hard to control. It is unrealistic to expect them to serve you to the death and not do anything wrong afterwards.

Seeing that the emperor remained silent for a long time, Wang Pu became anxious and earnestly said, "A few days ago, a report came from Shouzhou that Zhao Chao had slaughtered more than 3,000 surrendered Tang soldiers. After that, the Tang army in Shouzhou, which had been holding out for reinforcements, immediately went out of the city to launch a night attack on our camp. This was clearly a killing of prisoners, which aroused the Tang army's determination to fight to the death in the isolated city."

"If we do not strictly order all units to restrain their soldiers and prohibit killing and looting, I fear that the people in Huainan will rise up in rebellion, putting our army in a disadvantageous position."

The close ministers had many complaints about Zhao Chao's killing of prisoners, and many privately advised the emperor to severely punish Zhao Chao.

However, Chai Rong had other plans and did not punish Zhao Chao, but only sent someone to warn him.

As for why...

Firstly, when Zhou Jun had previously defeated the Southern Tang reinforcements led by Liu Yanzhen at Zhengyang, Zhao Chao led his troops to fight alongside Li Chongjin, helping to defeat the Tang army's vanguard and making a significant contribution.

Secondly, killing prisoners of war was all too common for the warriors of the Five Dynasties.

If Zhao Chao is punished for this, the other generals, even if they don't say anything, will inevitably have objections.

"Alas!" Chai Rong sighed softly. "Then let us follow Wang Qing's suggestion and send people to urge the various armies to strictly discipline their troops and soldiers so that they do not plunder or harm the people. As for the Tang soldiers who have surrendered in various places... let people gather them all together and hand them over to Li Gu, who is in charge of Huainan Prefecture, for resettlement."

At that moment, Chai Rong felt that being an emperor was very difficult.

Ministers like Wang Pu only needed to offer suggestions, but the emperor had to consider many more things... His arrogant and unruly soldiers sometimes couldn't follow instructions step by step.

In many cases, as long as there are no major mistakes in the overall direction, Chai Rong is not too willing to pursue these matters.

It all boils down to one thing: time waits for no one!
The opportunity to unify the country might be fleeting, and Chai Rong couldn't wait to realize his grand ambition. Under these circumstances, he would inevitably have to give up some things and pay a certain price.

The problems accumulated over several dynasties can only be addressed gradually after the country is completely at peace.

“Oh, right…” Chai Rong remembered something, gazed into the distance, and said, “A report came from Tokyo earlier, saying that Wang Pu had a new plan for expanding the capital. I approved it at the time. Have any new reports come in the last few days?”

Wang Pu replied, "There has been a lot of news coming from the capital, but most of it is about trivial matters. There have been no reports about construction projects."

Chai Rong nodded, then chuckled softly: "Although my brother-in-law is young, he is very prudent in his work. I think his suggestion about expanding the capital is excellent. It benefits the people in exchange for the smooth progress of the project, and at the same time, it can appease the people's dissatisfaction."

"When the late emperor was alive, he often admonished me to love the people like my own children, saying that the world had been at war for a long time and the people were suffering terribly. I should govern the world with benevolence. Indeed, as the report said, the system of wards and markets is no longer suitable. The world needs a new atmosphere."

"If the new street division implemented in the capital can achieve the expected results, it can be vigorously promoted to all prefectures and counties in the country in the future, so as to allow the people to rest and recuperate and greatly facilitate commerce."

Wang Pu was taken aback upon hearing this, but then immediately realized who the emperor's brother-in-law was.

He didn't know why the emperor suddenly shifted the topic from the war to the expansion of the capital, and even used such an intimate term as "brother-in-law" in his words.

Fortunately, the emperor was just expressing his feelings and did not ask any further questions, so Wang Pu wisely kept quiet.

"Let's cross the river via the pontoon bridge..." Chai Rong instructed, turning to walk towards the carriage. The reason he mentioned Li Yi was because the current battle reminded him of the earlier campaigns to recapture Qin and Feng.

Since the Later Zhou replaced the Later Han, it has been eliminating the ills of the previous dynasty, but has not truly expanded its territory.

Only after Chai Rong ascended the throne and took back the four prefectures of Qin and Feng from Later Shu could it be considered as expanding the territory... This is also Chai Rong's most praiseworthy achievement to date.

In this matter, who dares to say that Li Yi's contribution was insignificant?
Now, Chai Rong personally led an expedition to Jiangnan, with hundreds of thousands of troops fighting for almost three months, but they still couldn't capture even a single city, Shouzhou.

Even though they made considerable progress in various parts of Jiangbei and seemed to have occupied a lot of territory, many of these areas were occupied by Tang troops, and the territory was scattered and fragmented, so it could not be considered as actually being taken into their hands.

In comparison, the campaign to conquer Shu was initially unfavorable.

But when Li Yi led several thousand imperial guards on the expedition, it took less than three months to fully recover the territory of the four prefectures of Qin and Feng.

They even fought a brilliant blocking battle at Qingni Ridge, quickly extinguishing the Shu Kingdom's ambition and courage to advance eastward.

Even though Later Shu could not compare to Southern Tang in terms of national strength and military power, and its terrain was not as convenient as the Huai River line, which allowed the Tang army to quickly mobilize and deploy its defenses.

But how many men did Li Yi have under his command back then? And how many are attacking Jiangnan now?

Moreover, if the terrain restricts Shu's reinforcements, does that mean it doesn't restrict Zhou's offensive?

Although Chai Rong didn't say it, he couldn't help but think of Li Yi's good qualities.

Of course, more importantly, since the other party did not come to Jiangnan, Chai Rong naturally wondered: if his brother-in-law had come instead, would the war in Huainan have been in a better situation?
People... sometimes have unrealistic expectations.

……

After a snowfall, the weather in Tokyo gradually cleared up.

At dawn and dusk, the leaden-gray clouds slowly dispersed, revealing a sliver of pale sunlight.

The snow on the eaves of the imperial city began to melt, and water droplets dripped down the glazed tiles, making a crisp sound as they tapped on the bluestone slabs.

The corridor under the Xuanhui Academy government office.

Li Yi stood with his hands behind his back, his head slightly tilted back, his gaze fixed on the gradually brightening gray-blue sky where sparse stars were fading away.

A fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of lightness crossed his face.

Battle reports came back from the front lines in Shouzhou that Liu Renzhan, the Southern Tang general in charge, had used a feint attack, sending men to raid the Zhou army camp in the dead of night, causing Li Chongjin to suffer a great loss.

Admittedly, as a general of the Imperial Guards of the Great Zhou Dynasty and a relative of the royal family by marriage, Li Yi should not have any thoughts of gloating over the losses suffered by the Zhou army besieging Shouzhou City.

But upon learning of Li Chongjin's setback, he felt a sense of relief, almost as if it were none of his business, and even... a subtle sense of pleasure.

After all, that guy has always disliked me. Do you expect him to achieve some great feat and then take advantage of me?

Moreover, things have already come to this, and even if we beat our chests and stomp our feet in regret, it cannot change the established facts.

Since things have come to this, why not think of something that will make you happy... like imagining what kind of wonderful expression Li Chongjin must have had on his dark face back then?

"Sigh—" Xiang Xun's sigh came from behind him, breaking the silence under the corridor.

"Shouzhou's defenses are strong. The army has been besieging the city for so long but has not yet been able to break through, which is already detrimental to morale... This time, the sudden night attack has resulted in heavy losses of food, supplies and weapons, which may affect the situation on the front lines."

Xiang Xun strode out and stood beside Li Yi, his gaze also fixed on the east, which was gradually being illuminated.

He had no close relationship with Li Chongjin, nor any animosity or entanglement with him, so unlike Li Yi beside him, he naturally harbored a hint of schadenfreude.

At this moment, the only thing lingering in Xiang Xun's mind was the increasingly tense war in Jiangnan. The fortified city of Shouzhou was like a boulder blocking the way, with beacon fires burning for months, making it difficult to advance even an inch, and it was like a fishbone stuck in his throat.

Upon hearing this, Li Yi turned his head and saw Xiang Xun's slightly worried face, and the "secret pleasure" in his heart dissipated.

He knew in his heart that if Shouzhou City could not be captured quickly, Chai Rong's southern expedition plan would be greatly affected. The course of history is already unpredictable; even the slightest change could steer it off in an unknown direction.

Li Yi, who is currently stationed in Tokyo, has no time to worry about the war in Huainan. His most important task right now is to ensure that he does not make any mistakes and to be prepared to deal with any possible changes.

The morning breeze swept past the pillars, carrying the faint sounds of distant bugle calls and the clanging of drums during morning exercises.

Li Yi pondered and said, "Brother Xiang is right. Fortunately, our dynasty's four armies are advancing simultaneously. The Tang dynasty has already been captured by General Shi, and Deputy Commander Wang has also occupied Dingyuan, forcing Huangfu Hui's Tang army to retreat to Qingliu Pass."

"Wang Kui, the military governor of Langzhou in the southwest, also besieged Ezhou... It is said that Qian Hongchu, the King of Wuyue, also stationed troops on the border and was preparing to attack Changzhou, an important town in Jiangdong."

"Even though our army suffered some losses at the gates of Shouchun, compared to the predicament that the pseudo-Tang dynasty is now facing, it is not a major setback."

Xiang Xun nodded slightly after hearing this, but his expression remained solemn: "In the current situation, our army is indeed advancing rapidly, except that the battle in Shouzhou is somewhat stagnant and we have been unable to take it down for a long time."

At this point, he shook his head. "It's getting colder and colder during the day, and the soldiers on the front lines are enduring the bitter cold to fight. If the battle is delayed... I'm afraid things will get very difficult."

Seeing Xiang Xun's expression, Li Yi knew what the other was worried about.

He could only console them, saying, "Heaven is fair to both sides. Aren't the troops in Jiangnan afraid of the severe cold? Even if our army's progress is temporarily hampered, the Tang army will likely have little strength left to launch a counterattack. It shouldn't be difficult for our army to maintain the situation."

After a pause, he casually added, "The snow in Tokyo has already fallen, and I'm afraid the snow in Jiangnan... won't be far off."

……

After leaving the capital, Li Yi led his men to the outer city. His main focus now was not on the battles on the front lines, but on the expansion of Tokyo.

Since he made the suggestion to Wang Pu and subsequently received the emperor's permission, the four people left behind were able to implement it with confidence.

The burden on Li Yi's shoulders has become even heavier.

Because Wang Pu assigned him the additional task of planning the city's layout.

According to the existing plan, Kaifeng is to expand outwards from the inner city on all four sides. Due to residents encroaching on streets to build houses, there are very few roads accessible to large vehicles, and all these encroaching buildings need to be demolished.

Then, relevant departments will erect signs to demarcate the area inside and outside the capital. In streets 50 paces wide, residents on both sides are permitted to plant trees and dig wells within 5 paces. In streets 20 to 30 paces wide, residents on both sides may plant trees and dig wells within 3 paces.

It also allows people to open shops along suitable sections of the street, with special commercial areas and mixed residential and commercial areas designated.

And residential areas where only dwellings could be built, which are equivalent to high-end residential areas in later times, to house the high-ranking officials and nobles who could not fit in the inner city.

After all, officials were everywhere in the capital. The civil and military officials who had been granted titles by successive dynasties, even if they did not have specific duties, at least had a sinecure. Such personnel were numerous, and the area of ​​the inner city was really limited, so there had to be room for them in the outer city.

In addition, more than half of the more than 100,000 imperial guards and their families were stationed in the capital, and they also needed to be assigned separate areas.

Anyway, there are a lot of miscellaneous things to do. Li Yi leaves early and returns late every day. He leaves before dawn and doesn't get home until the middle of the night. He's so busy that his family rarely gets to see him.

However, in some ways, it is easier for outsiders to see him.

Sure enough, just as Li Yi and his group turned the corner and arrived at the Vermilion Bird Gate of the inner city, they were stopped by someone just as they were about to leave the city.

The person who stopped Li Yi's car was none other than Luo Yanhuan, whom he had previously rescued from Wang Pu.

(End of this chapter)