At the end of the first month of the lunar calendar, the local officials who stayed in Liangcheng were leaving the capital and embarking on their way home to their respective territories.
Sitting in the carriage, Guo Ziyi put her hands in her sleeves and closed her eyes to fall asleep.
Guo Ziyi's third son, Guo Xi, and sixth son, Guo Ai, were talking on the other side of the carriage.
Guo Xi rubbed Guo Yan's head with a doting look on his face and asked with a smile: "On the Lantern Festival, there was a lantern riddle in Liangcheng Palace. How many did Liu Lang guess correctly?"
Guo Yan pushed Guo Xi's big hand away and said angrily: "I guessed sixteen."
Guo Xi came closer and joked: "Liu Lang prides himself on being smart at home, but this time he only got third place in the riddle."
When this matter was mentioned, Guo Yan, who was only ten years old, became very angry: "The prince has a staff to help him. They are many, and I can't compare with him."
Guo Xi: "What about the other person besides the prince?"
Guo Yan: "That little household official named Zhou Shang is stupid and has no skills. It's just the food girl next to him who is good at guessing riddles, which makes him better than me."
Seeing Guo Yan's unconvinced look, Guo Ziyi, who had been silent all this time, opened her eyes and asked her two sons: "Do you know who the big-eating woman in palace clothes is?"
Guo Xi and Guo Ai shook their heads in confusion.
Guo Ziyi: "Your Majesty has four princesses, and the big food girl is one of them, but she never shows up on weekdays, so outsiders know very little about her."
Guo Xi: "I heard that your Majesty sent an envoy to Dashi in the early years and rescued tens of thousands of Tang soldiers. This princess probably came into being at that time..."
Guo Ziyi: "You two should stop asking about this princess, let alone provoke her."
After saying that, Guo Ziyi closed her eyes.
Guo Xi thought for a moment and then changed the topic: "Father, I heard that at the court meeting a few days ago, Yuan Dugong of Jinyiweinan Town Fusi and Henan military envoy Pugu Huai'en criticized each other in the palace."
Guo Ziyi said nothing.
Guo Xi: "Pugu Huai'en is a member of the Northern Fan. He once made great achievements, but now he is criticized by a newly powerful inspector. That Yuan Zai is too much."
Hearing this, Guo Ziyi slowly opened his eyes, looked at Guo Xi, and said coldly: "Why is it so strange to blame an eagle and a dog?!"
When Guo Xi saw his father angry, he quickly lowered his head and did not dare to speak.
Seeing this, Guo Ziyi breathed a long sigh of relief: "Your brother Guo Yao died in the battle at Tongguan. Since then, I didn't want you to know too much about what happened in the court. But now you will soon have to enter
It’s not necessarily a disadvantage to understand officialdom earlier.”
"In the Battle of Fanyang, Pugu Huai'en went to Uighur to borrow troops. After returning from the victory, he traded with the Uighurs in Beishoujiang City. Over the years, the Pugu family and the Uighurs traded frequently, and there were intermarriages between the clansmen, so they had a harmonious relationship.
...However, Pugu Huai'en was originally from Tiele and a border general. His family has roots in Shuofang and Hebei, and now has a close relationship with the Uighur people. The example of Anlu Mountain has been put there before, and the imperial court has no idea about this.
How could such a person not be on guard?"
"Before he ascended the throne, His Majesty ordered Pugu Huai'en to lead his troops southward and attack Henan via Laizhou, and appointed him as the military envoy of Henan. This move was actually a hint that Pugu Huai'en would gradually break away from Hebei.
, Please refrain. However, the tea business with Mobei was too profitable, and the Pugu family refused to let go. Pugu Huai'en also realized it later and ignored it. In addition, Pugu Huai'en's soldiers
, most of them are border residents, and robberies often occur on weekdays, which will naturally cause dissatisfaction to the court."
When Guo Xi heard this, he hesitated and asked: "Father, in your opinion, is there a possibility that Pugu Huaien will really rebel?"
Guo Ziyi shook his head and said: "Compared with the emperors of the Tang Dynasty today, in terms of means, popularity, and talents, only Taizong can be compared with the emperors since the founding of the People's Republic of China. Let's not talk about other people for the time being, let me compare myself.
Said. Others talk about the deputy marshal of soldiers and horses in the world, and also talk about staying in Chang'an. They only know that I have 150,000 elite soldiers, 10,000 cavalry, and more than 300 artillery pieces. Looking at the world, it can be said that the soldiers and horses are strong and unbeatable. But
, only I myself know the secret behind this."
"In the Battle of Fanyang that year, General Shuofang betrayed Your Majesty, raised an army privately, became an enemy of the Anxi Army, and placed the chief officer under house arrest. Although the rebellion was subsided and all the rebel generals were killed, this matter became His Majesty's fault.
It hurts my heart. After that, all key positions in the army outside the army and within the army will be controlled by the Anxi Army."
Having said this, Guo Ziyi asked Guo Xi: "You are responsible for the duties in the West Camp of Chang'an. Let me ask you, who is responsible for the duties of the magistrates and judges in the army?"
Guo Xi: "Among the Dian judges in Xiying, the highest-ranking Shangjunzheng is Zuoqiu Changsheng."
Guo Ziyi: "Where is he from?"
Guo Xi: "People from Anxi."
Guo Ziyi: "Who is the second ranked Shang Jundian? And where does he come from?"
Guo Xi: "Shang Jundian is Ding Wuzi, he seems... he seems to be from Anxi too..."
Guo Ziyi: "Not only the West Camp, but also other camps such as the East Camp, South Camp, and North Camp are like this. The judge of the Chinese Army is His Majesty's staff Kong Zhongcheng... Do you understand now?"
After thinking through these links, Guo Xi suddenly broke into a cold sweat.
Soon, Guo Xi thought of something else: "Father, Kong Zhongcheng left Chang'an this time and went to Liangcheng to take up a post. Does this mean that His Majesty trusts you and will not interfere more?"
Guo Ziyi smiled bitterly and said: "The truth is exactly the opposite. His Majesty transferred Kong Zhongcheng not because he trusted us old people, but because he planned to take action against the military town. In order to avoid the possibility of being connected with crime and punishment, he removed Kong You in advance."
Guo Xi was stunned: "Action against Junzhen?"
Guo Ziyi: "Your Majesty has set up the Jin Yiwei, with North Town in charge of imperial edicts and prisons, and South Town patrolling vassal towns. Among them, the biggest target of inspections in South Town is our military towns. In the future, Jin Yiwei will enter military towns to collect charges, and Your Majesty will then use
On the grounds of the crime, a number of generals were beaten, and local military power was gradually broken down and brought back to the imperial court."
Guo Xi was surprised: "Your Majesty acted like this. Aren't you worried that the generals in the military town would backlash and cause trouble?"
Guo Ziyi: "When the imperial court takes back military power, the generals in the feudal towns will definitely be dissatisfied. Maybe some people can't restrain themselves and will really jump out to make trouble. Maybe. However, His Majesty and Kong Zhongcheng beside him, how could he not think of this?
?Let me ask you, before the military generals left, why did Your Majesty take time to bring all the military headquarters and feudal towns to the school grounds to watch the musketry drill?"
Guo Xi: "The Anxi Arsenal has recently produced muskets, which are extremely powerful. Your Majesty distributes them to the army so that the soldiers can familiarize themselves with the muskets in advance and then use them to defeat the enemy."
Guo Ziyi looked at Guo Xi's face and said angrily: "Idiot, think about it carefully! The Yan Kingdom is now weak, and the Southern Tang Dynasty is in chaos. Li Guangbi and Pugu Huaien have an army of 200,000, and I also have ten
There are 50,000 troops, plus 80,000 Anxi troops, 30,000 Beiting troops, 100,000 Shuofang troops, 50,000 Hexi troops, and 50,000 Longyou troops for reconstruction. Prefectures and counties across the country are still stepping up their military training. The Northern Tang Dynasty has so many troops
The army has obvious advantages in fighting Yan State and Southern Tang Dynasty."
"At this juncture, His Majesty specially brought all the generals together to watch for a thousand muskets. Moreover, seemingly useless, he only allocated 200 muskets to each military town, and he even said something special
"The musket is very powerful, and its biggest advantage is that it is simple to train. To deal with heavy armored soldiers, a man who has never been on the battlefield can prepare an army in just three days of training."
"Don't you think about the reason why Your Majesty still does this despite knowing that the scattered deployment of muskets is of little use to the army?"
Guo Xi took a breath: "Is it possible... His Majesty's training and distribution of muskets is not for fighting at all, but a warning to the military and towns under his control?!"
Guo Ziyi nodded lightly and sighed: "Those two hundred muskets just tell us that if a vassal town has a second heart, no matter how many soldiers are under its command, it only needs a group of recruits who have been trained for several days, plus a soldier who is good at fighting.
The generals in the palace cannot get an advantage. What's more, the Jinyiwei Nanzhen Fusi, the military code officer, and the reserve army of Anbei Tingshuofang Longyou are all constantly reminding that the emperor in the palace has nothing to do with the indulgence of the feudal lords.
Unlike the late Emperor, we have been on guard against it for many years."
Guo Xi: "That servant is grateful to him...?"
Guo Ziyi closed her eyes again: "Let's accept our destiny."