The night wind sent chills through the narrow cracks in the windows and invaded his body. Liu Chengyou shivered twice and couldn't help tightening the mink fur draped around his body.
Putting down the military newspaper in his hand, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but rub his eyes and raised his eyes to notice the slightly swaying candlelight. The red candle was almost gone and the light was dim. He raised his eyebrows slightly and called out: "Here comes someone."
"Official family."
"Add a new candle!"
"yes!"
Vaguely, Liu Chengyou seemed to hear the voices of the serving eunuchs being scolded by the stewards. He was so blind that he had to order the lamps and candles personally from the officials themselves.
After replacing the new candle, the room in front of the Imperial Palace was much brighter, and the sight was much clearer. The military report fell into his hands again. This battle report from Fengxiang, Liu Chengyou had read it no less than five times that night. For It was his first foreign war since he came to the throne, and he was really happy to achieve such a great victory.
Since last winter, when the Shu army marched northward, until the Battle of Jifeng Mountain, the Shu army mobilized a total of more than 60,000 troops and countless grain and equipment. As a result, more than half of them were lost. Among them, a large number of the Forbidden Army of Later Shu were included. According to Li Tinggui He led Fengluan Suwei and escaped too quickly in Xiegu Town, so the losses were not serious. The Wei Sheng and Kuang Sheng armies mobilized by Zhang Qianzhao suffered heavy losses. The Wei Sheng and Kuang Sheng armies suffered heavy losses. The main force of the Shu Forbidden Army, an army that existed when Meng Zhixiang founded Shu.
Although Shu had tens of thousands of forbidden troops, they were still exhausted after this battle. That is to say, the two Sichuan areas are uniquely advantaged and can withstand foreign invasion, but the Han army has no remaining strength, otherwise it can attack Xingyuan Mansion. Even so. , Sanguan, an important gateway in Sichuan and Shaanxi, was also lost.
Liu Chengyou could not help but feel a sense of fear when he scrutinized the battle reports. Although Wang Jun did not elaborate on the strategies, plans and battlefield situations before and after the fierce battle, Liu Chengyou, who had some military vision, could also detect the risks involved. .If you are not careful, you will lose everything. Defeat is not terrible, but if Fengxiang is lost and the safety of the entire Guanzhong is affected, it will be fatal.
Wang Jun's courage surprised Liu Chengyou for the first time. If he were to lead the troops in person, he would definitely look for other opportunities while firmly guarding Baoji. He would never take risks like him to force the enemy to force himself. There was almost no room left. Ever since his shocking adventure in Luancheng last year, Liu Chengyou had secretly made up his mind that he would never take risks again. After all, if you stand by the river often, your shoes will get wet.
Of course, risks are often directly proportional to benefits. The defeat of the Shu army at Jifeng Mountain can basically declare that the northwest of the Han Dynasty can temporarily eliminate foreign troubles. If the Shu army wants to go north again, I am afraid they will have to weigh it, and even have to worry about it. Will the army take the opportunity to counterattack Qin Fengjie into the four states?
At this point, Wang Jun's ambition was obviously aroused and a little bit too high. It was mentioned in the report that he was willing to launch an army, but he did not dare to take action on his own and asked the imperial court for instructions.
In this regard, not to mention Liu Chengyou, when he went to the Privy Council and the Political Hall, he was basically rejected and sent back. The Shu army had been pushed back and the peace was guaranteed, but enemies were encountered along the way. The imperial court's goal had been achieved, how could it be done again? Start the battle lightly.
At this time, recuperating, developing farming and weaving, and practicing hard internal skills are the top priorities of the Han Dynasty. Because of this battle, Liu Chengyou's position as emperor is temporarily secure! For an aspiring heir like Liu Chengyou, his butt is secure. , and immediately wanted to cause trouble.
At the moment, the only two most pressing issues before Liu Chengyou are the imperial court and the Forbidden Army. The imperial court has been temporarily stabilized and has to be put aside, while the reform of the imperial army has only just begun.
Today, among the senior generals of the Imperial Guards of the Han Dynasty, there are too many veteran generals with no moral integrity or insufficient ability. There are too few generals who directly serve him as the emperor. The soldiers are good and bad, and it is difficult to promote capable middle and lower-level officers.
Liu Chengyou had a strong desire for reform, but he also knew very well that there was no need to rush the matter. If he was too anxious, trouble would easily occur, and the army was the place where trouble was least likely to occur.
Moreover, if he wanted to reform the Forbidden Army, he still had a better chance. Thoughts were running through his mind, and Liu Chengyou's eyes couldn't help but fall on the other two official documents on his desk. One was a letter, and the other was sent by Wang Jun. The above is a secret explanation.
"Guan family, the queen is here." The waiter's voice slightly interrupted Liu Chengyou's thoughts.
Hearing this, Liu Chengyou did not show any anger. He calmed down the slightly gloomy expression on his face and said, "Xuan."
Soon, accompanied by two palace ladies, Dafu walked into the palace with elegant steps. The palace ladies were holding a food box in their hands. Obviously, they were bringing Liu Chengyou a midnight snack.
Liu Chengyou stood up to greet her with a gentle tone: "The queen is here."
"The official family." Da Fu smiled gently at Liu Chengyou: "I wonder if it will disturb the official family's management of politics?"
He waved his hand and invited him to sit next to him. Liu Chengyou touched his belly and said, "I am feeling hungry in my belly. The Queen is interested."
He glanced at the food he took out from the food box. It looked like soup or soup. The main ingredients were in the form of threads with a crystal-clear color. They were covered with some minced meat and condiments. They were fragrant and appetizing. Liu Chengyou pointed at the thread-like ingredients. He asked curiously: "This seems to be shredded fish?"
"The officials have good eyesight." Dafu's compliment was not flattering, and he explained to Liu Chengyou: "This dish is called crystal clam. It is made from fish, cut into thin strips, and cooked. This dish is famous in Tokyo. vegetable."
"Oh?" Liu Chengyou was a little surprised. Tokyo's folk dishes have become so sophisticated. He showed some interest and said, "Then I want to try what the people in Tokyo eat..."
In fact, Liu Chengyou knew that this dish may be popular in shops, but there are probably not many people who can afford it. With the entire country falling into famine, it is not easy to get a full stomach, except for those high-ranking officials and nobles. You guys, how many people are so particular about eating?
However, looking at Da Fu's good-natured look, Liu Chengyou restrained himself from expressing his nameless anger and bad mood. First, the eunuch tasted the food, and found nothing unusual. Then Liu Chengyou took the small bowl, spoon, and scooped out the food. Eat.
Seeing Liu Chengyou devouring the food, he didn't care about his image as the emperor. A soft light appeared in Da Fu's beautiful eyes, with a funny smile, and he couldn't help but ask: "What do you think it tastes like?"
"The taste is tender, smooth and refreshing, not bad. Confucius said, you never tire of fine food, and you never tire of fine meat, so that's probably it." Liu Chengyou picked up the silk scarf and wiped his mouth.
After thinking about it for a while, he still couldn't help but said something casually: "We are now in the lean season, and the country has little food reserves. The common people of the Han Dynasty have many hungry meals and no food to eat. Everyone in the dynasty should put frugality first. As the master of the country, I should set an example. When it comes to food, I don’t have to be so meticulous..."
What Liu Chengyou said was not very subtle. Da Fu was a smart woman. Her face turned gloomy, but she quickly regained her composure. She looked at Liu Chengyou with a clear look, showing a trace of respect, and said generously: "Officer's family." Heart, I understand."
Hearing this, Liu Chengyou showed a stiff smile to Da Fu. He was probably afraid that his smile would scare her. He reached out and grabbed her hand and rubbed it gently to show his affection. This is almost what Liu Chengyou can do. It was the ultimate level of tenderness, and Da Fu obviously felt it.
In addition, the queen's hands were so soft, and more importantly, the warmth in her palms easily aroused Liu Chengyou's heart.
Shaking his head to suppress the overwhelming thoughts in his mind, Liu Chengyou couldn't help but rub his eyes and took a deep breath.
He ordered people to remove the food box, and seeing the tired look on Liu Chengyou's face, Da Fu straightened up and knelt beside Liu Chengyou's seat, reaching out to knead the acupuncture points on his head: "Officials are diligent in their work, and they also need to pay attention to their health."
It was obvious that he had never served anyone before, and Fu's craftsmanship was very poor, far inferior to that of Geng. However, Liu Chengyou really enjoyed the feeling of respecting each other as a guest between husband and wife.
"Today's hard work is for future comfort." Liu Chengyou closed his eyes and sighed.
Seeing this, Da Fu couldn't help but ask: "During this period, the officials were worried about the war in Guan Nei. I heard that the imperial court won the battle in Fengxiang and defeated the invading enemy. The Western Frontier was now safe. Why were the officials still so worried? .”
"Foreign troubles have been eliminated for the time being, but internal worries are still there." Liu Chengyou said.
After saying that, Liu Chengyou opened his eyes, picked up one of the letters from the imperial case, and handed it to her: "Look at it!"
Da Fu shook his head. Although there was some curiosity in his eyes, he still adhered to the rules of women and expressed that he did not dare. Although the man did not explicitly stipulate that the harem was not allowed to interfere in politics, a truly smart woman would never touch that line easily.
"It's okay, I'll let you see it."
Under Liu Chengyou's instruction, the big talisman hesitated for a moment, glanced at Liu Chengyou carefully from the corner of his eye, took it, and began to browse. As soon as he raised his head, he reacted. His beautiful eyes were condensed, his tender lips were slightly opened, and he spoke in doubt. Voice: "How dare you do this?"