Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 579 Head of State? Head of the House! (12,000 words)

In Pingyang, the north wind always howls at night.

Mixed with the chill of ice and snow, the wind felt like a knife against one's skin, making it feel as if it were being sliced ​​open bit by bit.

The guest room of the Prince's mansion still exuded warmth.

The strong, spicy liquor and the burning bamboo charcoal dispelled the chill of the night, and coupled with Mei Wu's voice, it was mostly uplifting.

Song Yan couldn't help but raise an eyebrow slightly. He also wanted to eliminate these foreign tribes, but he could only do it one at a time. Mei Wu's ambition was quite grand; he actually planned to eliminate the Xiongnu and Jurchen all at once. Song Yan became interested: "How will you do it?"

“Simple.” Mei Wu pointed at the map: “Wanyan Guangzhi has not yet completely unified the Jurchens. Even if he does, his life will not be easy. If he cannot feed so many mouths, he, the Great Khan, could be kicked off at any time. Therefore, Wanyan Guangzhi will definitely agree to the Yang family’s request to borrow troops, and will also lend a large number of manpower.”

"Because the more soldiers he lent out, the more grain the Yang family gave him. Only when more Jurchens could have enough to eat could he prove himself to be a qualified Great Khan."

"The Jurchen population is not large to begin with. Once a large-scale mobilization is carried out, it will inevitably create an internal vacuum. We can take this opportunity to send an elite force to sweep through the tribes one by one."

Song Yan couldn't help but laugh.

This is a base raid... no, it's a tactical base swap, isn't it?

While the Jurchens were about to launch a pincer attack on the Prince of Yan's fiefdom from the north, they first destroyed Wanyan Guangzhi's stronghold.

If such a thing were to actually happen, I wonder what kind of expression Wanyan Guangzhi would have.

"Won't Wanyan Guangzhi be prepared for Pingyang?" Liu Yisheng frowned slightly and raised some different opinions: "If Wanyan Guangzhi takes precautions in advance, what will happen if the Prince's army sets off, the Jurchens sent to support them, along with the Yang family rebels, the Japanese pirates' reinforcements heading north to Pingyang, and the Xiongnu coming south from the north?"

Liu Yisheng was not a military general, but it must be said that his suggestions were quite insightful.

“Wanyan Guangzhi will be wary of Pingyang, but he won’t put too much thought into it.” Mei Wu thought for a moment and said with certainty, “In Wanyan Guangzhi’s eyes, Ningguo is currently in turmoil, and the prince’s mind is definitely on the Yang family, not on the foreign tribes; the Yang family will also try their best to persuade Wanyan Guangzhi to launch a large-scale military campaign. Moreover, since he hasn’t plundered for a year, Wanyan Guangzhi will eventually have to release his soldiers to vent their anger, otherwise something bad will happen sooner or later.”

"As for the Xiongnu, I'll deal with them."

Mei Wu's eyes gleamed with excitement. As a general who had fought on the battlefield for many years, he was now old, and the opportunity to fight against a powerful enemy like the Xiongnu was something he naturally cherished greatly.
"But this time, I'm not going to play pure defense like last time."

"My idea is that we can use the elite troops to go north and conquer the Jurchens. The prince can lead the army to wipe out the Yang family and set up a trap to lure Suochuoluo to attack, or even lure him into the city. Then, at the cost of sacrificing Yongchang City, we can annihilate the Xiongnu's elite troops... The specifics still need to be planned."

Sacrifice a city!

These words reminded everyone of Dehua County in the past.

Song Yan lured the Xiongnu prince Abalu's army into the county town, then set it ablaze, turning the entire army of 60,000 to 70,000 into charred remains.

Such methods are extremely cruel; once used, even ancient cities with hundreds of years of history can be wiped out. However, the effects are unimaginably good.

Liu Yisheng, Jia Yifei, and the others couldn't help but grin.

Look at Old Master Mei Wu, what a fine general he used to be! He was a man who fought honorably on the battlefield, defeating one enemy after another with his bravery. Now he's actually following the prince's bad ways.

“And there’s something else,” Mei Wu continued.
"Gentlemen, let us not forget the chaos caused by the Six Barbarian Tribes in China."

"What I'm most worried about now isn't whether the Yang family will rebel, but whether the Yang family's decision to bring in foreign tribes will prematurely ignite the Six Barbarian Invasions."

These words sent a chill down everyone's spine.

The idea of ​​the Six Barbarian Invasions in China, though it hasn't happened yet, is enough to send chills down your spine.

The Xiongnu, the Western Rong, the Southern Barbarians, the Jurchens, the Goguryeo, and the Japanese pirates!

There must have been some kind of agreement among them, and the timing of their invasion of the Central Plains should have been agreed upon as well. If the Jurchens, Xiongnu, and Japanese pirates had launched an attack on Ningguo ahead of schedule, the Western Rong, Southern Man, and Goguryeo would likely have followed suit immediately. At that time, the entire Central Plains would probably have been thrown into chaos.

In the vast Central Plains, with tens of millions of people, countless will become slaves, and countless will die exposed in the wilderness.

The dark ages of hundreds of years ago will once again engulf this land.

"That's why I said that we must take more proactive and drastic measures against the Jurchens and Xiongnus, and completely exterminate these two races in one fell swoop. In this way, even if the Six Barbarian Invasions really break out, the pressure we will face will be much less."

"According to my estimate, there shouldn't be any major chaos this year."

"In the next couple of days, the new emperor should ascend the throne and issue an imperial edict targeting the Yang family. Initially, the Yang family should adopt a defensive posture."

"This period will last for about one or two months."

"Once the troops borrowed by the Yang family arrive, they will likely adopt an offensive posture."

"That time should be around the Lunar New Year."

"In other words, we only have four to six months left. This timeframe is extremely tight. We must complete the recruitment and training of new soldiers, the forging of weapons and equipment, and stockpile as much food and clothing as possible within this timeframe. The city defenses must also be repaired, and the stockpile of thunderclap bombs must exceed 40,000..."

Mei Wu's words were like a mountain, weighing heavily on everyone's hearts.

For Song Yan, the research and development and preparation of new military equipment were also extremely troublesome matters.

That night, everyone chatted for a very long time in the Prince's mansion. They stayed in the guest rooms of the mansion all night and did not leave until the next day.

Song Yan then sought out Zhang Ci, Shen Qi, Kong Xingye, and Cui Yingying, emphasizing the issue of grain procurement.

In the vast city of Pingyang, Anzhou continued to operate as usual, but for a few people, the layers of dark clouds that shrouded the city of Pingyang could already be quietly seen.

……

Three days later.

A new imperial edict arrived in Pingyang.

The imperial edict contained no decree, but merely announced to the world that the new emperor had ascended the throne.

The emperor succeeded his eldest son, Luo Tianshu.

Upon receiving this imperial edict, Song Yan remained silent for a very long time. In the end, all he wanted to express was a helpless sigh. Even Luo Yuheng frowned, and a few strands of sadness flashed in his eyes. Only Luo Tianyi was not very knowledgeable about these matters and was confused, not understanding what Luo Tianshu's succession to the throne meant.

Luo Tianshu continued to use the reign title of Emperor Ninghe... This was a normal phenomenon, partly to express respect for the late emperor, and partly to avoid confusion in the calendar system. After a new emperor ascends the throne, he usually starts using the new reign title on the first day of the first month of the following year.

August 20th, the 20th year of Ninghe.

Luo Tianshu issued his first imperial edict, proclaiming it throughout the four seas:

"Emperor Taizu established the dynasty, and the reign lasted for 156 years. The Yang family of Langya, who had enjoyed a life of luxury and prestige for generations, were the most prominent clans. Yet, they harbored wicked intentions, poisoning the nation: they treated the common people like straw dogs, and murdered their father and ruler in the streets! Without father or ruler, what difference is there between them and beasts? Heaven is enraged, and gods and men alike are disgusted! This wicked regicide deserves to be torn apart by everyone..."

Behold the old scoundrel Yang Hexing: tyrannical and unrestrained, utterly despicable; a monkey in a crown, indulging in the desires of a wolf. Your grave is already overgrown with trees, what excuse do you, your mother and servant, have for yourselves! The one who started this, will he have no descendants? Now, nine-tenths of the people throughout the land despise you; you deserve to be punished by thunder! By special decree, the title of Duke is stripped, and the entire clan is reduced to the lowest social class. The Prefect of Dongshan is hereby ordered to immediately arrest and imprison the Yang clan and their associates, and send them to the capital in chains.

The proclamation was issued both domestically and internationally, so that everyone would be informed.

Beasts, ravenous wolves, jackals...

It's unclear who wrote this imperial edict, but it was quite harsh.

Song Yan could even imagine Yang Hexing trembling with rage and furious when he saw the imperial edict.

Not only were the insults directed at Yang Hexing extremely offensive, but the entire Langya Yang clan was also severely belittled. The Yang family highly valued its reputation as the foremost family in Ningguo, but Luo Tianshu directly removed the Yang family from the ranks of aristocratic clans. Not only was he to be brought back to Dongling for trial, but before the trial, he was also officially demoted to a lowly status.

If Yang Hexing had a weaker mental fortitude, he might have been driven to his death by anger.

Unfortunately, Yang Hexing was clearly a very thick-skinned man. He may have been very angry when he first received the imperial edict, but at least he was not angered to death. On the contrary, when the edict was delivered to the governor of Dongshan, he directly led his family servants, guards, and assassins to storm into the government office.

The governor, prefect, chief secretary, vice-prefect, and military commander of Dongshan, as well as the magistrates of many surrounding counties, were all arrested by the Yang family and escorted to the city walls of Dongshan Prefecture, where they were all beheaded in front of tens of thousands of people.

Song Yan greatly admired the Yang family's move. As expected of the once most prestigious family in Ningguo, though they had fallen to their current state due to a few missteps, they were still decisive and ruthless when it came to taking action, without any hesitation. According to information relayed by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, almost all the officials, high and low, in Dongshan Prefecture were the Yang family's most loyal lackeys, cultivated over many years, and had undoubtedly brought them countless benefits.

However, when it came time to perform the flag-raising ceremony, Yang Hexing did not hesitate for a moment.

It is said that when the officials were escorted to the city wall, their mouths were all gagged with strips of cloth so that they could not make a sound. When the ghost-headed broadswords cut off their necks and their heads fell from the city wall, tens of thousands of people inside and outside the city danced wildly with excitement, and some even shed tears.

It's probably because we were oppressed too badly in the previous years.

Taking advantage of this atmosphere, Yang Hexing raised the banner: "To punish the wicked and quell the tyranny; to uphold Heaven's mandate and pacify the rebellion, to comfort the people and punish the guilty."

Yang Hexing also took advantage of the situation to subdue the soldiers of Dongshan Prefecture.

That wasn't all. Yang Hexing also arrested all the wealthy and powerful families in Dongshan Prefecture, opened the city gates, and called on all the people of the city to condemn the crimes of these wealthy and powerful families. Anyone found guilty of murder, rape, or extortion would be beheaded and their heads displayed to the public.

As for the money of these wealthy families, it was all taken by Yang Hexing and used as military funds.

The farmland was distributed to the people of Dongshan Prefecture.

It can be said that during this period, the entire Dongshan Prefecture was almost in a state of morbid revelry.

Although Yang Hexing never declared himself emperor, many people in Dongshan Prefecture already referred to him as emperor, and a large number of people actively gathered in front of Yang's mansion, requesting to join the army.

Song Yan kept a close eye on these matters but did not take any action. He simply went to the armory and brought over a large chest of silver. His request was simple: any craftsman who could produce one of the following weapons—matchlock muskets, flintlock muskets, Minié muskets, tiger-squatting cannons, Hongyi cannons, or Franconian cannons—would receive the ten thousand taels of silver.

Song Yan even brought an unsigned letter of appointment issued by the Prince of Yan's mansion, stating that the craftsman who successfully developed the technology could directly serve as the director of the Institute of Natural Sciences within the Prince of Yan's fiefdom.

As for the Institute of Geology...

Well, it's not built yet.

However, it will be soon. Given Song Yan's control over his fiefdom, it won't take long to build it up.

Within the Yan fiefdom, the director of the Institute of Natural History held a rank and status second only to the two governors and on par with the prefect.

Although Song Yan had made promises before, they were ultimately not as effective as cash and a letter of appointment stamped with the seal of the Prince of Yan.

That day, the entire armory was almost completely in an uproar.

It is said that many craftsmen have already begun working day and night, resting for only one hour each day, and not going home to sleep at night.

In short, it's rolled up.

September 1st, the 20th year of Ninghe.

Emperor Luo Tianshu issued another imperial edict, ordering six prefectures near Dongshan to jointly send troops to form an army of 50,000 to punish the bandit Yang.

At the same time, another purge was launched against officials in the court who had ties to the Yang family.

The power of the Imperial City Guard was elevated to an unprecedented level by Luo Tianshu. Almost every day, officials, clerks, nobles, and wealthy merchants in the capital were arrested and interrogated by the Imperial City Guard.

Outside the imperial city, people were beheaded every day, and the pile of heads grew higher and higher.

Even the collateral branches of the Yang family, who were minor officials in remote places and whom Emperor Ninghe had failed to eliminate before, were all cleaned up by Luo Tianshu. In the court, people turned pale at the mention of Yang.

Luo Tianshu, having been emperor for only a month, already earned the reputation of a tyrant.

Song Yan, on the other hand, established the first official academy in Pingyang.

The establishment of the academy was relatively simple. Previously, the Huang family had been raided and exterminated, and many of their properties and gardens were confiscated. One of the gardens was repaired and modified, and thus the academy began to take shape. Regarding the academy's name, Song Yan originally planned to call it *Hua*, *Da*, or even Tsinghua-Peking University if necessary. However, these names were all rejected by Liu Yisheng, Liang Guangzong, and Gao Xingcai.

In Liu Yisheng's words, since Song Yan is the head of this academy, let's just call it the Yanwang Royal Family Academy.

All students studying in the academy, upon seeing the name of the academy, should remember who gave them the opportunity to study and should remember the kindness of the King of Yan.

Students who emerge from the academy are naturally, and inherently, Song Yan's disciples.

Liu Yisheng, Liang Guangzong, and Gao Xingcai's meaning was clear: if Song Yan wanted to achieve great things, he couldn't just rely on the strategists who came to him because of his reputation. Song Yan also needed to personally cultivate a core force loyal to him.

These students may not be as shrewd as those strategists who can stir up the world at any moment, and they are seriously lacking in experience. However, since they come from the Yan King's Royal Academy, they naturally have a certain degree of loyalty to Song Yan and can be considered Song Yan's confidants. When these students graduate from the academy, they may not be able to directly assume high-ranking official positions, but they can help Song Yan control the grassroots of his fiefdom.

Even if the policy of merging land tax and poll tax were to be implemented in the future, requiring gentry to pay taxes in the same way, if resistance were encountered and officials resigned, replacements could be arranged at any time to prevent the entire fiefdom from coming to a standstill. Liu Yisheng even suggested that a statue of Song Yan be erected at the main gate of the Royal Academy for students to admire, which would help cultivate their loyalty.

Song Yan adopted this suggestion, and currently the entire Yanwang Royal Academy has three branches: the Institute of Natural Sciences, the Institute of Ideological and Political Education, and the Military Academy.

Song Yan is the highest-ranking leader of the college and also serves as the dean of the School of Ideological and Political Education.

Speaking of the title "Head of the Academy," Song Yan felt a bit strange, as it sounded somewhat like the title of a certain head of state.

As for the textbook used, it was the one that Song Yan himself wrote.

Students at the academy apply voluntarily. Each selected student undergoes a thorough investigation by the Imperial Guards into their background and character; those of questionable conduct are rejected outright.

All students will have their food, clothing, lodging and transportation provided by the Prince of Yan's mansion without having to pay an extra copper coin.

The Gewuyuan (Gewuyuan) is temporarily vacant.

The military academy was headed by Mei Wu, who enrolled one hundred students in the first class. Mei Wu would dedicate three days each month to impart his experience in military campaigns and formations.

The first term of the Ideological and Political Academy also enrolled one hundred students. Every day, in addition to learning to read, they received ideological and political education from Song Yan. Even students from the Military Academy had to come to the Ideological and Political Academy to listen to classes in their spare time, in addition to Mei Wu's lectures.

Song Yan also erected a huge stone tablet at the entrance of the academy, which read: "To establish a heart for heaven and earth, to establish a destiny for the people, to continue the lost learning of the past sages, and to usher in an era of peace for all generations!"

The four lines of Zhang Zai from the Northern Song Dynasty, which frequently appear in time-travel novels.

The ultimate level of pretentiousness.

It's hard to evaluate Zhang Zai. When he was twenty-one, he wrote a memorial to Fan Zhongyan entitled "Nine Articles on Border Affairs," hoping to recover the lost territory of Taoxi occupied by the Western Xia. After reading it, Fan Zhongyan told him: "You should not join the army, but study literature."

He then took the imperial examination and passed the Jinshi examination along with Su Shi and Su Zhe. He served as the magistrate of Yunyan County, the academy secretary of Chongwen Academy, and the director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. However, he resigned and returned to his hometown because he opposed Wang Anshi's reforms. He then lectured and wrote books, which made him the founder of Guan School and the founder of Cheng-Zhu Neo-Confucianism. He was enshrined in the Temple of Confucius as the thirty-eighth sage in the west wing!

In his later years, he promoted the "well-field system" experiment, distributing land to the people. When he died, he was so poor that he had nothing to bury, so his disciples raised funds for his funeral!

In short, he was an extremely complex figure, but the four lines of Zhang Zai he wrote were truly thought-provoking and inspiring.

At Yanwang Academy, every student who saw the four sentences on the stone tablet would blush, as if a fire was burning in their chest, and at the same time admire Song Yan even more... Yes, that's right, Song Yan shamelessly plagiarized these four sentences and claimed them as his own work.

Song Yan even specially selected several instructors from the army to bombard the students in turn.

These instructors were so eloquent that even Song Yan couldn't match them. Whenever they mentioned who provided the students with their daily meals, academic gowns, writing materials, and even their rather nice dorm rooms, they could bring the students to tears.

The debt of gratitude owed to the Prince of Yan is something that can probably never be repaid in this lifetime.

Wait until early October.

The 50,000 troops from the six prefectures of Ningguo began the first wave of fighting against the Yang family of Dongchuan Prefecture.

The Yang family army, mostly composed of ordinary tenant farmers, was routed and repeatedly overrun by the troops of the Six Prefectures. If it weren't for Yang Hexing arranging for his family retainers and suicide soldiers to fight to the death at crucial moments, the Yang family rebels would likely have been wiped out.

In mid-October, the troops of the six prefectures launched their second offensive.

Just as they were attacking the city walls again, a large number of Japanese pirates suddenly emerged from the mountains and forests outside the city.

The first foreign tribe to invade China was the Japanese pirates!

We've cleared customs!
(End of this chapter)