My older brother is Gao Huan.

Chapter 331 General Tianzhu: Sword in hand, march to Luoyang!
The eighth day of June.

Gao Yu stayed at the seaside for several days before rushing back to Tuancheng.

The book Guanzi records that "at the beginning of late spring, the people of Beihai boil seawater to make salt." Since ancient times, people have relied on the mountains for sustenance, the water for sustenance, and the sea for sustenance.

The local people know how to make sea salt, so there's no need for Gao Yu to promote the method. He can easily obtain coarse salt in Shandong. What he needs to do is refine the coarse salt into refined salt, and then have Liu Taozhi's caravan take it to Jiankang in the south to rip off those wealthy and powerful clansmen.

To seize a continuous stream of benefits for themselves.

Upon returning to Tuancheng, Gao Yu immediately summoned Cui Xian to inquire about the progress of the Nanqing Prefecture's military construction.

"Issue my military order to summon all officers of brigade commander rank and above to the drill ground outside the city. I will personally instruct them in military tactics."

He needed to meet with these mid-level officers in person, and incidentally, use the name of the Military Academy to exert his influence in the army.

As for ordinary soldiers...

Gao Yu no longer has the energy to do things personally, as his territory is growing larger and his army is growing in number.

He could not, as he had done in Huai Shuo, personally teach all the soldiers to read and write, and teach them how to drill, form ranks, and various martial arts, just like he had done with officers.

The only way to exert influence is through officers at the brigade commander level.

Besides that... there was printing technology.

Gao Yu had to admit that under the production conditions of ancient times, he had somewhat underestimated the difficulty of developing movable type printing. At present, even developing woodblock printing was quite difficult, and the craftsmen were not gods.

They couldn't perfectly replicate something just by Gao Yu's few words; they could only keep trying and making mistakes.

and……

Even if he manages to get the books, he'll still need to find suitable content, which is books. But these books are treasured by every noble family, treated like family heirlooms. Getting the books from them won't be easy.

Gao Yu only regretted that he wasn't an eighth-level fitter before he transmigrated, otherwise he would have just handcrafted it himself and wouldn't have needed to rely on these craftsmen.

Seeing Gao Yu's anxious expression, Cui Xian couldn't help but advise, "Young master, you are truly a genius with so many ingenious ideas. However... human strength is finite, so why are you in such a hurry?"

He could tell that Gao Yu really wanted to get everything done in one go in a short period of time.

"You should know that haste makes waste."

Gao Yu gave a few bitter laughs.

He was indeed a bit too eager, but there was nothing that could be done about it.

In Luoyang, Yuan Ziyou and Erzhu Rong could clash at any moment. Regardless of who he helps, he must quickly strengthen his own power to deal with any possible emergencies.

"I suppose I was too hasty."

The next day.

Gao Yu arrived at the training ground outside the city.

He mainly relied on infantry. After arriving in Shandong, he was determined to develop his infantry force, with cavalry playing a secondary role.

Firstly, he lacked a stable supply of warhorses.

Secondly, there were no suitable recruits.

Cavalry, cavalry, warhorses are important, but riders are equally important. Mastering horsemanship requires extensive training, but all training will wear down the warhorse, and it may not be possible to achieve mastery in just one or two years.

They could only rely primarily on infantry.

The infantry, on the other hand, mainly focused on drills to continuously improve their organization.

"An army marches on its stomach; every decision must consider logistics and provisions. I will select suitable personnel to be assigned to the supply battalion, specifically responsible for transporting provisions. They will also be required to lead auxiliary troops to face enemy cavalry attacks on supply routes, and to quickly deploy supply wagons and grain wagons to meet the enemy..."

Gao Yu adopted a "cramming" style of education.

He repeatedly emphasized the important points to these mid-level officers.

As for future mastery and application, that depends on individual comprehension when the real battle begins.

The special supply troops were also a decision made after careful consideration by Gao Yu.

If the main battlefield in the future is in Hebei.

The terrain of Hebei is flat and open, and Gao Yu doesn't have enough cavalry to play with. The mobility of cavalry will definitely harass his supply lines, so protecting the supply lines is of paramount importance. Well-trained supply troops can not only protect themselves from enemy attacks, but also effectively protect the supplies they are transporting from accidents, which is very important for large-scale battles.

He handed over the solution to the middle and lower-ranking officers who came to the military academy.

This included personally setting up a grain transport vehicle to show them the formation. This was the kind of "cramming" education where all the knowledge was poured into them at once, followed by repeated training.

The time came to July.

After everything in Nanqingzhou was back on track, Gao Yu headed north back to Dongyang City in Qingzhou.

………………

Why won't Your Majesty give up?

Xi Yi was very dedicated, and following Erzhu Rong's instructions, he continuously and frequently transmitted intelligence from the Luoyang palace to Jinyang.

"Whether it's Wu Cheng or Yuan Long, they are my trusted confidants. How could they be easily turned against me by His Majesty?"

main……

Erzhu Rong believed that he had treated them well.

They would be able to enjoy the true benefits of following him wholeheartedly, and would surely be promoted and ennobled in the future, so they would have no reason to betray him.

"Why should a caged bird make a fuss? If it can live a peaceful and stable life, it might as well be a carefree prince and live out its remaining years in peace."

Erzhu Rong only said that verbally.

He is very clear.

Once the act of 'abdication' is performed, no matter how much he personally guarantees it, even if he swears by pointing to the Yellow River, Yuan Ziyou will not believe him.

There is no possibility of coexistence between the two.

"No... I must go to Luoyang ahead of time. Although I have control of the Imperial Guards in Luoyang, the Yang and Li families have close ties with His Majesty. What if they are secretly raising assassins..."

Erzhu Rong squinted.

He has been constantly scheming these past few days.

They were calculating the various forces within Luoyang.

Ultimately, Luoyang was not his territory. Even during the Heyin Incident, when he purged the Luoyang officialdom, the families behind these officials were deeply entrenched, and he did not eradicate their families completely.

Even a valiant warrior like Sun Ce, the Little Conqueror, died at the hands of the elite warriors of powerful clans.
This is also why Erzhu Rong rarely stayed in Luoyang for long.

For him, the safest solution was to move the capital!
First, forcibly relocate Yuan Ziyou to Jinyang, under my watchful eye, so that I don't need to worry too much about what I do.

After all, he had been operating in Jinyang City for many years, and any factors that might pose a threat to him had been completely eliminated.

Wang Xiang, who was standing beside Erzhu Rong, seemed to have noticed Erzhu Rong's concerns and immediately spoke up to remind him.

"Prime Minister, if you have any doubts, you might as well gather everyone together and pool your wisdom."

He is currently being kept in the Jinyang Ba Mansion by Erzhu Rong.

Most of them were people who offered him advice and strategies, including close associates like Yuan Tianmu. Back when they were near Heyin, Erzhu Rong's statement that he wanted to make Yuan Tianmu emperor completely broke the bond between Yuan Tianmu and Yuan Ziyou, and Yuan Tianmu became Erzhu Rong's absolute confidant and staunch supporter.

He summoned everyone to the Ba Mansion.

These were his absolute confidants, and all of them were his advisors. They had no real power and could only offer advice and suggestions. Therefore, Erzhu Rong did not hide his ambition.

"I intend to go south to Luoyang. When the Empress gives birth, I will have His Majesty abdicate in favor of her young son. What do you all think?"

Faced with such a 'heavyweight' statement.

No one was surprised.

They followed Erzhu Rong wholeheartedly, all for the sake of enjoying the benefits of his service and becoming founding dukes in the future.

Li Xian, Erzhu Rong's secretary, spoke up directly, "Prime Minister, this matter requires careful consideration."

"Oh?"

Erzhu Rong looked at him with great interest. "Tell me your opinion."

"Although the Prime Minister is currently very powerful, the court officials in Luoyang are deeply entrenched in their power, and many of them have received imperial favor for generations and still remain loyal to His Majesty. The Prime Minister should know the story of Cao Cao in the past."

This is normal.

Yuan Ziyou is the true emperor of the Great Wei, the ruler of all under heaven, and the sovereign of all court officials.

Back then, Cao Cao held immense power, but Guan Yu, the Marquis of Hanshou, flooded the seven armies in Xiangyang, shaking the entire land, and his army marched straight towards Xuchang.

Guan Yu hasn't even officially attacked yet.

At that time, in Xuchang.

Many courtiers who were dissatisfied with Cao Cao wanted to take Emperor Xian of Han south to join Guan Yu, which caused unrest inside and outside Xuchang, and Cao Cao was almost forced to move the capital.

It's important to know that Xuchang was Cao Cao's main base.

Even after so many years in its stronghold, there are still people who are loyal to the Han Dynasty and Emperor Xian of Han.

Not to mention Luoyang right now, there must be a lot of such people in the city. What if they were to "eliminate traitors for the country"?

Erzhu Rong nodded upon hearing this.

"The time is not yet ripe for a solution. The Prime Minister needs to appease General Tian Ce, who is far away in Shandong. Besides that, the most important thing is to force His Majesty to move the capital!"

"I had previously intended to move the capital, but alas..."

"Prime Minister!"

Li Xian shouted, "Things have come to this point. The fate of the nation rests in the hands of the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister truly intends to coerce His Majesty into moving the capital, who would dare disobey? The Prime Minister compromised only because his power base was not yet secure, but times have changed!"

Wang Xiang nodded repeatedly, "Why does the Prime Minister need to have so many concerns?"

Erzhu Rong's attempt to forcibly relocate the capital failed because he had not made any outstanding contributions and his foundation was unstable.

But things are different now.

"As long as His Majesty is taken away, what does it matter if the officials in Luoyang object? Do they think they can support a new emperor? If they do, they will only be helping the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister can then use the pretext of eliminating the false emperor to establish great merit and be granted the Nine Bestowments by His Majesty!"

Li Xian and others actually saw through Erzhu Rong's thoughts.

It was just to help him make up his mind.

Their strength speaks for itself.

You may be able to deceive the people by performing the act of 'abdication,' but you cannot deceive these powerful families.

It is impossible for them to inherit the legal system normally; they must commit treason.

Then don't worry about saving face.

"One should always try to conduct business in a more dignified manner."

If Erzhu Rong didn't care about maintaining a respectable image, he would have done something dishonorable long ago.

The reason I've been waiting for Erzhu Ying'e to get pregnant all these years is so that I can make things more respectable, isn't it?

after all……

Erzhu Rong knew very well that an illegitimate accession to the throne could easily lead to disaster.

He hoped that he was the one who was ordained by Heaven and in accordance with the will of the people, the one whom everyone hoped for, and the new ruler of the world who would replace the Yuan clan.

"If the Prime Minister truly desires to maintain appearances, I have a plan. The Prime Minister may take His Majesty out under the guise of hunting. Once His Majesty leaves the city, we can forcibly take him to Jinyang under the pretense of His Majesty's serious illness, and then order all officials to come to Jinyang for an audience. In this way, no one can find fault with it."

Forcibly abducting the emperor in the palace, in front of all the officials, was indeed not very dignified.

But once the emperor leaves the palace and Luoyang, wouldn't things be much easier?

If you don't pay, it's not illegal, right?

It would be quite respectable if they didn't abduct him in front of all the officials.

Erzhu Rong nodded in agreement; this was indeed a viable solution.

"In addition! The Prime Minister can also distinguish between loyalty and treachery... I propose that, in the name of the Prime Minister's office, everyone submit a memorial to His Majesty, requesting once again that His Majesty bestow upon the Prime Minister the Nine Bestowments."

Those who are willing to submit a petition must be supporters of Erzhu Rong.

People who are unwilling or uncooperative.

That means they have ulterior motives.

Erzhu Rong nodded again.

The reason he convened everyone in the Ba Mansion to discuss the matter was essentially to first unify the opinions within his own organization. After unifying the opinions here, the next step would be to deal with the people who served as governors in various places.

It mainly consisted of trusted confidants of the local authorities and people from the six towns.

The Erzhu clan members will definitely support his ascension to the throne.

After some discussion.

Next came dealing with some minor details.

This is something Erzhu Rong doesn't need to worry about.

He looked south, where Luoyang was located!

years ago.

He led the elite Qihu cavalry, swords in hand, to Luoyang, and made himself the prime minister and the king of Taiyuan!

This time...

He was going to lead the elite Qihu cavalry to Luoyang once again, swords in hand!

PS: The groundwork has been laid, and everyone now has a general understanding of the protagonist's strength.

The timeline is accelerating; next up is the matter of Luoyang!
(End of this chapter)