Do You Know?: I, the Little Cabinet Elder, Regent of the World.

Chapter 284 The Emperor was the only emperor who had ever visited Yanyun.

The 27th day of the 12th month of the fifth year of the Xifeng reign.

An imperial edict bearing the seals of the Imperial Seal, the Grand Secretariat, and the Privy Council was announced at the Meridian Gate and made public to the world.

The entire document, consisting of approximately two to three hundred characters, was jointly drafted by the Secretariat, the Chancellery, the Privy Council, and the Hanlin Academy. It was primarily rigorous but rather redundant and complex.

But the core message can be summed up in one sentence:

Grand Chancellor Jiang Zhao is hereby granted the authority to handle all military and national affairs, to lead all officials, and to temporarily manage the affairs of the state!
This single statement is nothing short of astonishing.

The Grand Chancellor is temporarily in charge of the government, but what about the Emperor?
The Emperor, naturally, marched his army into the border region and headed north to Yan and Yun!
As a result, the imperial edict of appointment spread with astonishing speed, from one person to ten, from ten to a hundred.

The entire society, from the highest officials to the common people, was greatly alarmed.

The most important matters of state are war and sacrifice.

From the 27th day of the twelfth lunar month onwards, the temple halls are filled with sacrificial rites for most of the day.

On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month in the fifth year of the Xifeng reign, a sacrificial ceremony was held at the Circular Mound Altar. The ceremony was to worship the Supreme God of Heaven, accompanied by the sun, moon, and stars, and to pray for unimpeded military campaigns and favorable weather.

On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month in the fifth year of the Xifeng reign, a sacrificial ceremony was held at the Imperial Ancestral Temple to worship the founding emperor, the founding emperor, and other ancestors and former emperors, praying for their protection and expressing the sentiment of "receiving blessings from the ancestors."

On the first day of the first month of the sixth year of the Xifeng reign, a ceremony was held to worship the God of War, including Chiyou, the Northern Xuanwu Emperor, and the spirits of fallen soldiers, in order to boost morale.

Offering sacrifices to Heaven was a way to establish legitimacy by borrowing the Mandate of Heaven.

Ancestor worship serves to build consensus within the clan.

The worship of the god of war was intended to intimidate and intimidate the army.

With all three factors in place, the trend is set!

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the three armed forces took an oath.

All civil and military officials who enter the border region are assigned to either the northern or northwestern routes.

This was mainly because the Liao and Xia states had launched a joint southward invasion, and their battle lines were simply too long.

In terms of the battle lines alone, all five routes—Xihe, Shaanxi, Hedong, Hebei East, and Hebei West—are likely to involve large-scale campaigns.

It stretches for one or two thousand miles from east to west.

If the army were to march all the way, even if the central army camp were set up in the very center to cover both the east and west, it would still be a journey of a thousand miles. The transmission of military intelligence by beacon fires alone could take about ten days, which would greatly affect the overall strategy.

Conversely, by marching in two routes, covering both the east and west, the distance is less than 500 li, and the transmission of military intelligence is more than twice as fast.
In this way, it was inevitable that the army would have to march along two separate routes.

Among them, the northern route, led by Zhao Ceying, the official, and Gu Tingye, the Duke of Ningguo, and assisted by Zhongjinghou, Funinghou, Liang Zhao, Jing Sili, Zheng Xiao, Yang Wenguang, and Yan Da, has an army of 100,000 and is heading towards Yanyun to attack the Liao Kingdom.

The Northwest Route, led by Marquis Wang Shao of Yongning and Duke Zhang Ding of Yingguo, and assisted by Yao Si, Zhong Shidao, Zhe Kexing, Guo Kui, Bao Shun, and Zhang Shouyue, marched along the Shaanxi and Xihe routes, primarily attacking Western Xia.

However, compared to Yanyun, Shaanxi and Xihe have always had plenty of soldiers stationed there, and the main army is already stationed on the frontier, so there is no need for large-scale military campaigns.

This is mainly because there are fewer dangerous areas along the Shaanxi and Xihe routes.

The Yan-Yun region is not lacking in dangerous terrain and strategic passes, making it unsuitable for garrisoning too many troops. The Shaanxi and Xi-He routes, on the other hand, have few large dangerous terrains and strategic passes, but they require a large number of troops to be stationed along the border for long-term defense.

The sacrificial ceremony and the oath-taking ceremony were all completed.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, officials saw him off.

And so, the army marched north!
……

February 11th, Weizhou.

In February, the water plants wither and flourish, and the northern foothills of the Qinling Mountains are a vast expanse of white, with occasional patches of snow that have not yet melted.

Chinese army camp.

Wooden pillars support the ground, with a geomantic map of the "Great Zhou-Western Xia-Tibet" hanging on top and spread out below.

Wang Shao, the commander of both Shaanxi and Xihe, would occasionally glance at something, pondering as he paced back and forth with his hands behind his back.

Below, on the left and right, there were about twenty or thirty people sitting solemnly on chairs.

After about ten breaths, Wang Shao looked down.

There were twenty or thirty people, some civil and some military, and they were mostly officials of the fifth rank or above, all wearing red robes.

Many of these unorthodox military generals and sons of generals achieved their extraordinary destiny by expanding their territories in Xihe, Xifeng, and Yanyun.

That's not surprising!
After all, it’s hard for a clever woman to make a meal without rice.

To gain momentum, both talent and opportunity are indispensable.

Among these, opportunity is more important than talent.

Otherwise, even with the abilities of Duke Ningguo Gu Tingye and Marquis Yongning Wang Shao, their talents would be wasted.

In the past, most military officers were promoted based on seniority, and their skill level did not significantly affect their promotion.

This is a typical example of a lack of opportunities to perform.

Since Jiang Da Xiang Gong rose to power, he has attached great importance to military affairs. Han and Jiang have expanded the territory three times in a row, and some people with real skills have had the opportunity to show their abilities, so naturally they have emerged.

All I can say is that Jiang Da Xiang Gong's entry into the cabinet as prime minister and his rise to power were absolutely the good fortune of a military family's son!

This is the era when it's easiest to stand out if you have real skills!
We should learn to be grateful!
"General Zhong, General Liu, tell me about the situation in Shaanxi and Xihe." Wang Shao looked at the two of them and called on them.

These two men were Zhong E and Liu Changzuo.

Many people have taken notice of the past.

Zhong E was a veteran who had made significant contributions to the expansion of the territory twice, and he was a figure who was highly regarded by the Grand Chancellor.

Since the expansion of the border during the reign of Emperor Xifeng, Zhong E has been stationed in the northwest for a long time, steadily rising in rank. He has now been appointed as a third-rank official in the Privy Council and concurrently as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Xihe Road Military Forces.

Generally speaking, hereditary succession is not granted except in the founding of a nation.

However, in the first year of the Xifeng era, Wang Shao was granted the title of Earl of Zhennan, a hereditary title that would last forever, making him the only military general since the founding of the country to achieve hereditary succession "after birth," thus breaking this pattern.

This also means that wild military commanders now have the opportunity to inherit their positions without fail.

However, if asked who is most likely to be the next military commander to win a hereditary title?

The answer is definitely not Earl Yao Si of Haifeng County!
The person who truly had the opportunity to achieve hereditary succession was Zhong E.

Zhong E possessed both seniority and achievements, making him far superior to Yao Si, who rose to power through luck.

As for its shortcomings, they are simply a lack of "great achievements".

Conversely, if he truly achieves great merit, Zhong E is quite likely to rise to prominence.

after all
Zhong E's younger brother is practically a disciple of the Grand Master!
As for Liu Changzuo, he was "half" a son of a military family.

Why is it said to be half?
The main problem is that his title was taken away!
His grandfather was Liu Tingrang, a famous general who helped found the country. His original name was Liu Guangyi. Later, to avoid the taboo of Emperor Taizong's name, he was given the name Tingrang and his courtesy name was changed to Guangyi.

Originally, Liu Tingrang was one of the "Ten Righteous Brothers" of Emperor Taizu. He had made great achievements and had considerable seniority. He once served as the Commander of the Imperial Guard Cavalry and the Deputy Privy Councilor, and was granted the title of Duke of Yan. Even among the founding generals, he was a prominent figure.

However, perhaps due to bad luck, not long after Emperor Taizong ascended the throne, during a northern expedition, Liu Tingrang acted rashly and carelessly, resulting in the near annihilation of the entire army.

As a result, he was demoted and sent out of the capital to serve as an official.

Unfortunately, Liu Tingrang was still dissatisfied and secretly went to the capital for recuperation without approval.

This reckless act thoroughly angered Emperor Taizong, who stripped him of his title.

Logically speaking, once the Liu family lost their noble titles, they should have disappeared without a trace, and no one should be found to exist.

Surprisingly, Liu Tingrang's descendants over several generations have all turned out to be quite successful.

Although they did not have hereditary titles, their descendants held high-ranking official positions for generations and had considerable connections among military and noble families, thus becoming "half" military and noble families.

Liu Changzuo, who was thirty-nine years old at the time, was a representative figure of the Liu family. He participated in the expansion of Yanyun territory and was promoted to the rank of Zhuangwu General, a fourth-rank official, and concurrently served as the Deputy Commander of Shaanxi Road.

Once their names were called, the two walked out one after the other.

Liu Changzuo rose and bowed, then reported: "Reporting to the commander, the garrison in Shaanxi currently numbers 63,000 men."

"On the Western Xia side, the main garrison is about 70,000 troops."

"Of these, 30,000 were concentrated in Xiping Prefecture, which should be the central army camp."

Du Dubu, that is, the top military commander appointed during a campaign.

However, this position is usually held by a civil official, who is often the "Pacification Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief," meaning he is in charge of both military and political affairs.

If one is not a military envoy but still needs to manage both military and political affairs, or is appointed in a time of crisis, then one might be a "pacification envoy".

In any case, most military officers are deputy commanders.

Deploying them individually is still quite rare.

Wang Shao was clearly an exception.

You want to ask why?
There's no other reason than that the Emperor and the Grand Chancellor trust you!

"Sixty-three thousand people."

Wang Shao pondered for a moment, then pressed his hand down.

The entire route through Shaanxi faces the Western Xia directly from beginning to end.

Currently, the two armies have not yet clashed, and military deployments have not yet been made. Apart from troop strength, there is no particularly noteworthy news at the moment.

"Reporting to the commander, there are 58,000 troops in Xihe Road." Zhong E raised his hand in a salute: "North of Xihe Road, there are about 30,000 troops stationed by Western Xia."

"Mm." Wang Shao nodded.

This number was not much different from what he knew.

Since the military reforms, a significant number of troops have been laid off in Shaanxi and Xihe counties.

The nominal number of soldiers was 300,000, but in reality, some were receiving salaries without working, and the actual number of soldiers was only around 250,000 to 260,000.

Among them, 80,000 to 90,000 were veterans of the Tibetan Empire who had made many contributions and had received rewards and fertile land, so they naturally chose to settle down and cultivate the land.

The remaining 170,000 to 180,000 soldiers, including some old soldiers who had fallen ill from overwork, all chose to retire from the army, farm, and live out their lives in peace.

In the end, only about 120,000 people remained in Shaanxi and Xihe. "In addition," Zhong E added, "according to scouts, more than 10,000 people from the Western Xia have gone west to attack the Gaochang Uyghurs."

"west?"

Wang Shao was taken aback, narrowed his eyes, and raised an eyebrow: "Are you looking for a way out?"

Despite the fact that the Western Xia was seemingly weak among the three major regimes of Liao, Zhou, and Xia, if a real war were to break out, any one of these regimes could almost always win against the others.

Ten thousand Western Xia cavalrymen were enough to sweep away the Gaochang Uyghurs!

The Western Xia's westward expansion without warning was clearly a move to find a way out.
"I think so too," Zhong E nodded.

“If it really is an attack on the Gaochang Uyghurs, then let it be.” Wang Shao shook his head: “In any war, one must have a firm and decisive spirit.”

"Once there is a way out, one will definitely hesitate and waver between advancing and retreating."

"That's fine."

Wang Shao pondered for a moment, then gave the following instructions: "Zhong E, Yao Si, Zhong Shidao, and Bao Shun will take command of the army in Xihe Road; Liu Changzuo, Zhe Kexing, Guo Kui, and Zhang Shouyue will take command of the soldiers in Shaanxi Road."

"Of the 120,000 troops, 40,000 should be left in Xihe Road, mainly for flanking maneuvers and surprise attacks, to try and capture Xiliang Prefecture. The remaining 80,000 will be used for the main frontal assault."

Wang Shao looked down and instructed, "Along the way, the main strategy must be to lure people in and lay bombs."

"If it's about attacking from a higher position or besieging a city, then we should just use cannons as the main weapon."

In large-scale military operations, the key is to respond to each move and take a holistic approach.

Zhong E, Liu Changzuo, and others were the true frontline generals.

Currently, the two sides have not yet engaged in battle, and Wang Shao has no intention of making complicated arrangements at the moment.

Of course, this is also due to the rapid changes in the war situation.

Unless the battlefront is short and the campaign is a straight push, or it is the final battle, the commander-in-chief should not assign overly detailed tasks.

"Yes." More than ten people bowed in unison.

(Map showing the relationship between Western Xia and Zhou. The circled area represents the achievements of Emperor Xifeng's expansion, but Xiliang Prefecture was not conquered.)

Xiping Prefecture, Western Xia Dynasty.

From time to time, Tangut merchants would walk back and forth, their faces filled with anxiety.

The main thoroughfare was bustling with people, and there were many signs that read "Three coins for the upper limit" or "Five coins for the upper limit," which were erected one after another.

A quick glance revealed that, without exception, all the signs indicated "going up," with no signs indicating "going down."

You want to ask why?
There's no other reason than border unrest!
Since the first year of the Xifeng era, when the ruler Li Liangzuo was killed in battle, Western Xia was forced to sign the humiliating Xifeng Treaty.

For the nation, losing sovereignty and paying tribute annually is undoubtedly a great disgrace.

However, for the Tangut merchants, it might not be a bad thing!
The Xifeng Alliance comprised four major treaties.

One of the treaties, namely the "Establishment of Border Markets," was particularly beneficial to merchants.

The establishment of border markets facilitated trade between the two countries, allowing Bactria to trade camels, horses, salt, ironware, grain, and medicinal herbs for tea, porcelain, and silk.

Thanks to this treaty, many merchants who were knowledgeable in border trade made a fortune.

The net profit can even reach more than three times!
Around August, when the water and grass are lush and the horses are at their best, you can get one from a herdsman for about 20 strings of cash, transport it to the market, and easily sell it for 30 or 40 strings of cash.

This business can continue until around November.

After that, one can spend fifty or sixty days at the border market, enjoying oneself until around February.

February is the season for "early spring tea," and the herders also happen to be short of tea, porcelain, and silk.

With thirty or forty strings of cash, tea, porcelain, and silk bought from the border markets could easily be sold for over a hundred strings of cash once transported to a prosperous city.

From August to February of the following year, in just about six months, one can earn 100 to 20 strings of cash. Even if the labor costs for entertainment and transportation are excluded, there is still a profit of 60 to 70 strings of cash.

That's more than three times the profit!

A business that's absolutely lucrative!

As the Zhou Dynasty's economy improved and people's living conditions got better and better, Liao and Xia also benefited a lot.

Merchants engaged in border trade were among the most fortunate to benefit from it.

However, all of this seems to be on the verge of collapse!

With unrest on the frontier, border markets were naturally no longer established.

Scarcity drives up prices; the prices of tea, porcelain, and silk have been rising almost daily.

"Why are there still merchants in the city?"

People's joys and sorrows are not always the same.

Standing atop the three-zhang-high wall, Prime Minister Liang Yili stood with his hands behind his back, his brow furrowed, a look of surprise on his face.

The military supervisor, Wei Ming A Wu, approached, staring intently at the scene, a strange glint in his eyes: "Since the establishment of the border market, many merchants have relied on border trade for their livelihood."

"Now that the two armies have not yet clashed, some merchants may think there is still room for them to linger, so they have stayed."

Weiming Awu was a member of the Western Xia royal family.

However, he was a kind and gentle person and never openly opposed or supported the Empress Dowager's regency, so he could be considered a neutral party.

This is precisely why he wields considerable power.

"Ah!"

"What is a merchant? A traveling merchant."

"When two countries are at war, it is not advisable to engage in trade. Merchants should obediently retreat and not remain in the city."

Liang Yili snorted coldly and retorted, "With people coming and going, bustling about, and merchants moving about unpredictably, sometimes coming and sometimes going, aren't they suspected of being spies?"

“Indeed.” Deputy Commander Li Qing held his folding fan, his face serious: “Since the Empress Dowager began to rule from behind the curtain, the country has prospered, commerce has flourished, and the world has thrived. It is truly a first-rate golden age.”

"Not to mention the late emperor, even Jiang Zichuan is like a naughty child, far inferior to him."

"The border market has been established for five years, and the border traders have made money for five full years, yet they still don't know how to be grateful?"

Li Qing, behaving like a lackey, waved his hand and said, "In my humble opinion, all merchants should be driven out."

"It's better to kill the innocent than to kill the guilty!"

Li Qing was a native of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

In the second year of the Zhiping era, he failed the military examination and, in anger, went to the Western Xia. Through the recommendation of Jing Xun, a scholar from the Great Zhou who had also gone to the Western Xia, he was appointed as an instructor in the Baotai Army.

Starting from this point, relying on his lackey-like behavior, he accidentally gained the attention of Liang Yili, and his career soared from there.

Even if Li Qing wasn't very capable, it wouldn't affect his appointment as deputy commander.

After all, the Liang family was ruled by the Empress Dowager from behind the curtain; ability was not important, loyalty was.

Liang Yili listened and nodded repeatedly: "Then let's expel the merchants."

With that, Liang Yili waved his sleeve and turned to leave.

Recently, he entered the border and took power, and is eager to establish his authority.

Merchants are just a small beginning!
"Yes." Li Qing bowed respectfully and followed after him in a few steps.

For a fleeting moment, a hint of disdain seemed to flash in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

Hedong Road, Yunzhou.

On the top of the two-zhang wall, there are occasional patches of white snow.

Zhao Ceying reached out and picked up the snow, her hand landing on it.

"Hoo~!"

With a gentle breath, a light mist envelops everything.

"In a century of national rule, it seems no emperor has ever visited Yanyun?" Zhao Ceying gazed into the distance with his hands behind his back, his tone a question, yet one of certainty.

Duke Ningguo, Gu Tingye, and Zhang Heng, the acting prefect of Kaifeng, both stood with their hands clasped to the left and right.

With just a word, the two exchanged a glance.

"Your Majesty has a good memory." Zhang Heng pondered for a moment, then said calmly, "Even the founding emperor never visited Yanyun."

“Indeed.” Gu Tingye stroked his short beard and echoed, “Your Majesty is the only emperor who has ever visited Yanyun.”

Emperors Taizu, Taizong, Zhenzong, and the late emperor never visited Yanyun.

The late emperor spent his entire life in the capital region, so it was impossible for him to travel north to Yan and Yun.

Emperor Taizu and Emperor Zhenzong, one died young and the other was almost captured by someone who went south, so it was impossible for them to go north.

As for Emperor Taizong, he never conquered Yanyun, so naturally he could not have set foot on Yanyun territory.

"Ah."

Zhao Ceying nodded, a hint of barely perceptible joy flashing in his eyes.

"I am obliged to complete the unfinished work of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong!"

(Map showing the distribution of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun)
Yanyun, Xinzhou.

Yelü Hongji stood atop the wall, hands behind his back, his gaze deep and unwavering as he looked out into the distance.

In the twenty-third year of the Hetong reign, Emperor Shengzong and Empress Dowager Xuanxian led a southern expedition, which led to the establishment of the Treaty of Chanyuan.

"Is there any chance for me to march south, capture the dragon, and establish the 'Yan-Yun Alliance'?"

……

(End of this chapter)