Chapter 285 Discussing Jing Lake over wine and barbecue
The next day, Wang Yan, who stayed in Xijing, sent someone to present the imperial jade seal to Yi Que. The emperor accepted it and passed it on to all the ministers to appreciate it. They all believed it to be true. It was a great joy and was awarded to the world.
In fact, even if this seal is fake, Liu Chengyou intends to treat it as real. It is just a tool to unite people's hearts. Jade may be precious, but more important is the inheritance value and symbol attached to the stone. Liu Chengyou could totally find another precious jade, carve it, engrave it, and give it the meaning of passing down the country. If he says it is true, then it is true.
"If you are ordered by God, you will live a long life!" Liu Chengyou murmured, with a smile that was always cynical at the corner of his mouth, and he was playing with the precious seal that civil servants treated with caution, as if he was really playing with a toy.
"Your Majesty has received this precious seal, which is indeed destiny. Not only the ministers of the court, but also the people of Tokyo are all happy and cheering for your Majesty and the great man!" Zhang Dejun, who was standing by, saw that the emperor was in a good mood, and complimented him.
Noticing the slight flattery on the eunuch's face, Liu Chengyou turned his head and looked at Zhang Dejun with curiosity: "Really? Is this the reaction outside the palace? All the fine works of yours have been spread outside the palace. ?”
Zhang Dejun is not very old, but he is already a well-known eunuch in the palace. At least in the Han Palace, he is very powerful and has real power. Moreover, under the instruction of Liu Chengyou, he secretly organized a group of informants to monitor Of course, things inside and outside the imperial city were not as formal as Wude Si. In this way, Liu Chengyou's eyes finally spread all over the place both inside and outside.
Facing the emperor's smiling gaze, Zhang Dejun's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't bear Liu Chengyou's intention. With a respectful and humble smile, he said: "I heard about it from the people who went out to buy the palace!"
"Oh!" Liu Chengyou responded, withdrew his gaze, put down the jade seal, waved his hand, and ordered: "Put it away!"
"Your Majesty, Privy Councilor Guo Rong and the commander in front of the palace, Murong Yanzhao, are asking for an audience outside the palace!"
"Prepare some wine and meat in the courtyard of the palace. I want to eat with my two ministers!" Liu Chengyou ordered.
"yes!"
Just under the verandah, a wide dining table was set up, and a charcoal stove was set up, which could be used for both heating and barbecue. Wine was warming beside it, and a dozen plates of skewered mutton were placed on several layers, and Sichuan peppercorns were prepared. , essential oils, salt and other condiments...
Snow fell again outside, not very heavy, and the cold wind was driven away by the brewing heat. The monarch and his ministers sat opposite each other, Liu Chengyou personally entertained the guests familiarly, and greeted Guo Rong and Murong Yanzhao: "Today you are on your own. Come on, the three of us, the monarch and his ministers, are having wine and barbecue! Speaking of which, it’s quite interesting to warm ourselves up and fill our stomachs under the snowy scenery!"
"Your Majesty is so elegant, I will accompany you!" Murong Yanzhao was not polite and directly picked up the wine bottle and poured it for Liu Chengyou and Guo Rong respectively.
"Don't dare to talk about elegance!" Liu Chengyou picked up a skewer of mutton, pointed at the wine glass, and said with a smile: "Literary officials and noble scholars talk about elegance, I am just here for the sake of wine!"
Hearing this, Murong Yanzhao said: "Your Majesty gives you wine and meat, and you two should enjoy it thoroughly!"
The three of them had a cup of wine and drank it. It was warm and royal wine, with a bit of sweetness. Guo Rong picked up a skewer of meat, put it on the fire, brushed it with oil and sprinkled it with salt. His movements were very skillful and his expression He felt a little more relaxed and said: "Your Majesty is busy with many things every day and rarely has time to spare. I am afraid that the two ministers who are here today are not just for wine and meat..."
"As expected of the well-known Prime Minister Guo at home and abroad, he opened his mouth and got down to business!" Liu Chengyou rarely joked to Guo Rong. He spoke harshly and sprinkled more salt on the mutton, trying to spread it evenly.
Looking up at the flying snow outside the palace, Liu Chengyou said with emotion: "It's already the twelfth lunar month, and if it doesn't last another month, the seven years of Qianyou will have passed. Zhao Pu is probably on his way to Sichuan. With this person's talent, this time The defeat of Shu will definitely end as I expected.
Things have happened in Hanzhong, and I am determined to reorganize our troops and horses in the southwest, hoard food, grass and weapons, open roads, stabilize the rear, and digest new prefectures and counties. But the Han Dynasty cannot stop the pace of unifying the world!"
After Liu Chengyou finished speaking, both of them looked more serious. After toasting Liu Chengyou with a glass of wine, Guo Rong said: "Your Majesty is planning to take action against Jinghu?"
"Not bad!" Liu Chengyou nodded, not hiding it. In fact, the emperor had been thinking about Jing Lake for a long time. This was almost universally known to the top officials of the imperial court. It was just because of Qin Feng that he had to solve the problem in the southwest first.
Now that the four states have been conquered, Hanzhong has also been captured, and the military and national strength of Shu have been severely damaged. Since Liu Chengyou said that he has no intention of destroying Shu for the time being, his strategy has changed, and only Jingnan and Hunan are the most suitable for the attack.
The aroma of meat had begun to dissipate, and Liu Chengyou couldn't help but take a deep breath and said, "I want to hear your opinions?"
"There is no need to elaborate on the benefits of Jinghu Lake. I agree with it! However, the war in the southwest has just ended, and the follow-up still needs the support of national strength. Whether the imperial court has the spare strength to send troops to Jinghu Lake and when to send troops need to be determined by your majesty and the princes. Got it!" Murong Yanzhao seemed very straightforward and expressed his attitude directly.
After taking a bite of the roasted meat, sipping a glass of wine, and showing a cheerful expression, Liu Chengyou looked at Guo Rong.
Guo Rong thought about it and suddenly said seriously: "If possible, it would be best to send troops next spring!"
Hearing this, not only Murong Yanzhao, but also Liu Chengyou couldn't help but frown: "Isn't it too hasty? Tell me your considerations!"
Guo Rong responded calmly: "The Gao family in Jingnan should not be a concern. Gao Baorong is a coward and a mediocre talent. He only succeeded to the throne based on his birth. According to the research of the Military Intelligence Department, in these years, the Han Dynasty has become increasingly powerful and full of edge. However, Gao Baorong became increasingly panicked and did not dare to be offended or disobeyed. He spent all day busy in state affairs and enjoying himself in the palace.
I suspect that Gao Baorong is actually ready to be captured by the Han Dynasty. If the imperial court sends troops southward, as long as it is properly controlled, it may be possible to capture all of Jingnan without losing any blood, and then march into Hunan!"
"If we can force Gao to surrender, that would be the best!" Liu Chengyou pondered: "Tell me about Hunan!"
"The key to the Jinghu strategy is also in Hunan. Your Majesty has heard about the current situation in Hunan. After all, Zhang Wenbiao is a man who cannot support him. He is extravagant and greedy for enjoyment. The soldiers and civilians under his rule have become disgusted with him. If it weren't for this year's Hunan University, Hungry, I'm afraid it will be overtaken by Zhou Xingfeng.
According to the news coming from Hunan, the famine in Hunan this year is the most serious in recent years. Many people can only eat grass and trees to satisfy their hunger. At the time of the disaster, Zhou Xingfeng was invited to buy people's hearts.
He opened warehouses in the Tan, Lang, and Heng prefectures to distribute grain and provide relief, and all the people were alive. Even the people under Zhang Wenbiao's rule went north to seek survival, and they were all given rations. This shows that Zhou Xingfeng has great ambitions. Although this person has a fierce character , but the means are extraordinary and the people are brave enough to follow him.
As long as he survives next year, he can go south at any time, easily capture Zhang Wenbiao, and reunify Hunan. But if we want to advance south, the obstacles and resistance will be even greater!"
Liu Chengyou took out two more skewers of meat, flipped them over the flame, sprinkled them with condiments, and stared at them in trance. In his calm eyes, the two skewers of meat seemed to have transformed. One was called Jingnan, and the other was called Hunan.
Guo Rong drank a glass of wine, became more interested, and continued: "The reason why I propose to mobilize the army next spring is precisely because of the great famine in Hunan, and Zhou Xingfeng sent out warehouses to help the people. When spring comes, there will be a need for grain. Its consumption will make its treasury even more empty.
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Even if he has some soldiers and horses under his command and has a little combat power, how can he withstand our army's offensive when he is short of food? The southwest expedition to Shu will consume a lot of money, but with the current national strength of the imperial court, he can send an infantry and cavalry southward. Still not many problems!
If the incident starts in Hunan, and the strategy of destroying Guo in a false way is to capture Jingnan first, then the Gao family can also use the troops, horses, money and food to help. Although Jingnan is a small area and the people are not rich, the Gao family has guarded it for many years and has rarely experienced war disasters. , after all, I have some savings..."
"Guo Qing, you have already regarded Jingnan as your own in advance!" Liu Chengyou finally spoke, with a more relaxed tone.
Guo Rong took a bite of the meat, chewed it slowly, and then said: "I know you should not be arrogant, but given the current situation of the Gao family in Jingnan, there is no need to pay too much attention to it!"
"How to mobilize the troops and horses, do you have any clues?" Liu Chengyou asked directly.