The late Shaanxi Duke Zhao Hui rose to prominence at the end of the Jin Dynasty and the beginning of the Han Dynasty and made great contributions to the imperial court. As the de facto advocate and initiator of raising troops to fight against the Liao Dynasty, he took the initiative to seek refuge in Hedong. After the founding of the country, he took the initiative to obey the central government and actively cooperated with Liu Chengyou to suppress the Liao Dynasty. Later, he led troops to defeat Hou Shu's second invasion of Guanzhong and consolidated the southwestern frontier of the Han Dynasty.
To sum up his resume, he is a late bloomer and was created by the times. Although he was allowed to perform for less than ten years, he still left a strong mark in the history of the early Han Dynasty and established considerable merits. Liu Chengyou had an affair with Zhao Hui One comment: The prosperity of the Han Dynasty was due to the power of the public!
In addition, I have to mention that Zhao Hui was also a general who was a personal soldier under Li Cunxu. Zhuangzong's product must be a high-quality product.
As the son of Zhao Hui, Zhao Yanjin was of course also favored by the emperor. Many generals fought bravely for the title of duke of the country and directly inherited it, and his official and military positions were gradually promoted. Of course, even if he did nothing, It is enough to live a lifetime of wealth and honor.
However, among the second-generation generals of the Han Dynasty, Zhao Yanjin can be regarded as a leader. In the early years of Qianyu, the emperor had several young generals around him, such as Zhao Yanjin, Zhang Yongde, An Shouzhong, etc., and now they are basically all generals. .
Zhao Yanjin, on the other hand, had served as the emperor's imperial bodyguard since the first year of Qianyou's reign, and had always been deeply trusted by Liu Chengyou. It was not until the eve of the Northern Expedition that he was sent to Yangzhou to assist Li Gu in preparing for the conquest.
When he was first recruited by the emperor, Zhao Yanjin was only twenty-one years old. More than ten years later, Zhao Yanjin has entered middle age and has become a man of grace, responsibility, wisdom, and an all-around civil and military talent who can be entrusted with important responsibilities.
Therefore, when he saw Zhao Yanjin again in the Long Live Hall, Liu Chengyou was not only happy, but also quite emotional, saying bluntly that people are old. Zhao Yanjin has always been a person who dares to speak, and directly broke Liu Chengyou's pretentiousness, and said heartily: "Your Majesty The Spring and Autumn Period are at their peak, so how can we talk about old age? Although I am nearly forty years old, I feel that it is time to establish my achievements!"
When he was generous, Liu Chengyou was extremely generous, and he was very satisfied with Zhao Yanjin's spirit and smiled: "I haven't seen you for more than three years. I miss you very much. Come and drink with me!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Listening to Liu Chengyou's kind words, Zhao Yanjin thought in his heart, bowed again, and then took his seat in an unpretentious manner.
What was on the dining table was just a few simple vegetables, fish, spring bamboo shoots, vegetables, tofu, plus two cups of chicken soup and a bottle of wine. Zhao Yanjin was a little surprised at this and said: "Your Majesty, this is what he eats on weekdays. ?”
In the three years after the Northern Expedition and the return of the dynasty, due to the lack of financial resources and the difficulty of national supplies, the Han Palace began to economize on food and clothing again. Liu Chengyou also practiced it and took the lead in setting an example. Today, he does not object to having enough food and clothing, but he should set an example. Sometimes, I have always been able to endure the cravings of my mouth and stomach.
Moreover, he is simple, and other nobles and ministers must follow suit, otherwise he will be dissatisfied, and this dissatisfaction will be reflected in all aspects. This is what is called recommending oneself to others. On this point, Liu Chengyou and Meng Chang, The contrast is especially obvious.
"Your Majesty's daily meals are relatively simple. That is to say, the Duke of Shaanxi returned and just added two more dishes!" At this time, the old eunuch Sun Yanyun who was waiting beside him took the initiative to speak up and praise the emperor.
"There are meat and vegetables, soup and wine, how can you say it is simple?" Liu Chengyou waved his hand, looked at Zhao Yanjin and said: "This time we will settle down for a while and pacify the south of the Yangtze River. I will be the hero of the banquet. I will entertain you well then." you!"
Hearing this, Zhao Yanjin said with emotion: "Your Majesty is like this, I feel ashamed!"
In Yangzhou, with its wealth and Zhao Yanjin's status, he would obviously not be treated badly in terms of food and clothing. Upon seeing this, Liu Chengyou looked calm and just raised his glass and gestured towards him to have an aperitif first. .
Inviting Zhao Yanjin to a separate banquet showed that he valued Zhao Yanjin's closeness. Of course, the purpose was obviously not to just drink and eat. After two glasses of wine, Zhao Yanjin took the initiative to ask Liu Chengyou: "Your Majesty plans to formally send troops to pacify Jiangnan." ?”
"Yes!" Liu Chengyou also nodded directly, and said in a relaxed tone as if he was not talking about a major military matter: "You must have guessed that I am calling the southern generals back to the court this time because I also want to hear your opinions. .You have been on the southern frontline for a long time, and your understanding of the military situation can also provide the court with a more comprehensive consideration!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yanjin said directly: "Your Majesty, I think it's time to wipe out the south and unify the world!"
Zhao Yanjin was confident and straightforward, with a decisive tone. Liu Chengyou was neither impatient nor excited, but looked at him: "Tell me about the situation in Jianghuai and Jiangnan!"
After organizing his speech for a while, Zhao Yanjin reported: "After several years of adjustments, the number of troops that can be sent out from the Jianghuai River has reached 30,000. Among them, the Yangzhou and Luzhou troops have received training all year round, are well-equipped, and are familiar with the local climate. The sharp soldiers. The Yangzhou Navy, after being reorganized by General Zhang Yanqing, has replaced and purchased hundreds of warships. It has outstanding strength and can be used for great purposes. Once the army moves south, the Jianghuai Division can be the vanguard of the army and advance across the river!"
"I have long planned to use the Jianghuai garrison as the main force in Pingnan!" Liu Chengyou's words made Zhao Yanjin excited: "However, you have been training intensively in Jiangbei and are watching with eager eyes. Jiangnan should respond!"
Zhao Yanjin nodded and his expression became more serious: "The leader of the Jiangnan Kingdom has Lin Renzhao as the general responsible for the defense of the river. This man indeed has certain general talents and he does his duty diligently. When Wang's army goes south, he is the biggest obstacle. There are two troops under his command. Wanshui army soldiers, trained by him, should have certain combat capabilities. In addition, the Jiangnan army is vulnerable, and Lin Renzhao is ultimately unable to stand alone. The Yangtze River spans thousands of miles, and he cannot stop it against the tide!"
"You and Mr. Li are in Yangzhou. I'm afraid you have been studying Pingnan's idea for a long time! Tell me about your strategy for entering the army!" Liu Chengyou chuckled.
Zhao Yanjin asked Liu Chengyou for a map, and Zhao Yanjin followed the map's instructions and said: "I think we can send out three armies. The first route is to send troops from the upper reaches, attack Ezhou by land and water, and then go east along the river to take Hukou and Chizhou; The second route is to use the Jianghuai land and water army as the main force, cross the river at an opportunity, and point directly at Jinling; the third route is to use the Wu and Yue troops to go north to attack Changzhou and Runzhou. Of course, Li Gong thought that this was just looking at the overall situation and specifically advancing troops. We should act according to the situation!"
Liu Chengyou seemed very satisfied with this. In fact, the Pingnan War and the cross-river battle have never escaped from the general strategy since ancient times. This is due to geographical factors. Of course, what is different from history is that both sides The balance of power is too disparate, and behind Jiangnan, there is also the force of Wu Yue who is backstabbing, making the situation facing the Jiangnan court even worse, almost a desperate situation.
"No matter what, the number of troops Jiangnan can mobilize is still no less than one hundred thousand, so we shouldn't underestimate it!" Liu Chengyou said this, his tone was cautious at first, but then he said domineeringly: "However, we should also show that we are a big man. The majesty of the Tiger Master swept the south of the Yangtze River in one fell swoop and unified the world!"
Liu Chengyou has always shown a cautious attitude towards the military. Every time he goes through a war, he often warns the generals not to underestimate the enemy. However, as time goes by, with continuous victories, with the strength of the country's military This habit still remains, but personally, he has already formed the self-confidence to conquer thousands of miles and be invincible. Just like Pingnan, he did not send troops before and was left to linger, but he did not have the opportunity. However, once he did After making the decision and sending the troops south, there is absolutely no reason to fail.
"How is Mr. Li's health?" Liu Chengyou asked with concern: "I heard that the situation is not very good!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Yanjin looked a little heavy and responded: "I dare not lie to Your Majesty. Li Gong suffers from wind paralysis and the symptoms are very severe, especially during winter snows. The pain is unbearable and he can hardly get off the ground. He can only use a wheelchair or a sedan to get around. Official affairs are mostly handled orally..."
Hearing the news, Liu Chengyou sighed with regret. It was not that he didn't know about Li Gu's condition, but if Li Gu didn't report it, Liu Chengyou could only pretend that he didn't know. He also knew why Li Gu worked so hard and promised him in the early years. He led his army to march south, but due to the current situation, it was delayed for nearly ten years, and it also dragged Li Gu into his sixtieth year.
After a long while, Liu Chengyou said: "I owe Mr. Li a promise, and I should give him a chance to realize my long-cherished wish!"
In fact, because of Li Gu's condition, Liu Chengyou was hesitant about whether to continue to appoint him as the coach of the Southern Expedition. After all, the pressure he endured during wartime and non-wartime was completely different. However, what came to his mind was Seeing the scene of the old man in his 60s, sitting in a wheelchair, still looking southward, he couldn't help but feel shaken.
