The New Year of the first year of Xingguo's reign should have been a big celebration because it was the first New Year after the new emperor ascended the throne. However, this was not the case.
Since Guo Xu ascended the throne, the Imperial City Department has expanded greatly. The Imperial City Department's hawks and dogs have spread all over the country, using high-pressure tactics to arrest people who criticize the imperial court and the new emperor's accession to the throne. This has made people panic and everyone is in danger.
In the main state capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, people did not dare to have any discussion about the government, otherwise they would very likely become prisoners of the subordinates.
In order to make the fact that he killed his father and usurp the throne disappear, Guo Xu adopted the method of blocking the mouths of all the people. The warnings such as "It is better to guard against the people's mouth than against the river" were all forgotten by him. Some courtiers also advised Guo
Xu thought twice before doing so. This went against the relaxed and free way of governing the country in the Zhou Dynasty and was a retrogressive behavior. But how could Guo Xu listen to their remarks? What he wanted was to have his ears quiet, and he didn't care about the rest.
However, Guo Xu's move was actually an attempt to cover up. Originally, people in the world were still in a wait-and-see attitude towards Guo Xu's ascension to the throne and the rebellion of Lin Jue and Prince Liang.
The content of the notice posted by Guo Xu about killing his brother, his father, and usurping the throne is also dubious. After all, it may be a rumor-mongering method to discredit his opponent. However, under such high pressure, Guo Xu forbids anyone from talking about this matter.
It just made people believe the cruel and bloody fact. If it were not the truth, why was Guo Xu so nervous, and why did he use high-pressure means to block the mouths of people all over the world?
In this atmosphere, there was no excitement at all during the New Year in the Great Zhou Dynasty. The common people hid at home to have a New Year's meal to celebrate the occasion, and just went to and fro with relatives. The year was not good either, and the imperial court's taxes increased.
It’s very serious, and your livelihood has also been affected. In addition, there are people watching everywhere, and you will be blamed at every turn. You don’t know when you will be imprisoned. It is better to stay at home. Therefore, this year’s New Year’s Day can be said to be
This is the most deserted New Year since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty. The streets are deserted and there is no festive atmosphere.
Guo Xu didn't care about this. Although he said that his first New Year as the throne should be celebrated with great vigor and excitement. But Guo Xu's mind is not on this matter now. What he is doing his best at the moment is to prepare three
The matter of the army's expedition in the next month. That has always been his dream, to expand the territory, complete the great deeds that his ancestors failed to complete, become an emperor through the ages, and wash away the blood stains on his body. This is more important than celebrating the New Year.
too much.
From the very beginning, Guo Xu's plan was actually opposed by Lu Zhongtian and Yang Jun. After all, Lu Zhongtian was scheming. His evaluation of Guo Xu's plan to unite with the Jurchens to destroy the Liao Dynasty was: whimsical and self-inflicted. In front of Guo Xu, he
I said this without any politeness. I would like to add a sentence: What a great success.
Lu Zhongtian told Guo Xu that this plan was a gamble on Dazhou's country and state. The current financial situation of Dazhou and the spirit of the people in the world were not good. There was internal chaos again, and the Luoyan Army in Funiu Mountain raised its flag and rebelled.
Under such circumstances, using large-scale foreign troops is tantamount to sending Zhou Dynasty to a dead end. He warned Guo Xu that the consequences of doing so would be very serious and might lead to chaos. The correct approach should be to not participate in the Liao people at all.
Jurchen disputes, and tried their best to calm down the internal disputes
, do your own thing well.
It has to be said that Lu Zhongtian has been the prime minister for so many years, so he is certainly not a fool. He has indeed seen the huge harm of this matter. It’s just that he does not have Lin Jue’s ability to foresee the real danger. But he is right.
But they were all right. He was indeed deeply worried about Guo Xu's decision.
But how could Guo Xu listen to Lu Zhongtian at this moment? Guo Xu even believed that the reason why his grandfather tried his best to stop him was because he was afraid that he would make a great contribution. Once this happened, he would surely have a high reputation and be deeply worshiped by the people and ministers, and his throne would be completely destroyed.
Then, his grandfather's idea of controlling himself to control the government failed. Guo Xu could not help but think that his grandfather was actually worried that he would escape from his control. The more he thought about it, the more Guo Xu refused to do so.
Listen to Lu Zhongtian’s advice.
Of course, if you don't want to listen, you won't listen, but you can't refute your grandfather's face too much. My foundation is still shallow, and if I want to turn against others at this time, there is a high probability that my grandfather will destroy me. So I can't be tit-for-tat. Guo
The method Xu offered was to win over Yang Jun to persuade Lu Zhongtian.
Yang Jun is already the quasi-governor, and Yang Jun's daughter has been named a concubine. The queen's position is vacant, and Guo Xu has made a promise. Yang Jun's current position can be said to be extremely solid. Once he becomes the patriarch, he can even compete with Lu Zhongtian.
They are also on equal footing.
Yang Jun actually opposed Guo Xu and the Jurchens' joint plan to destroy the Liao, but the reason for Yang Jun's opposition was more specific. Based on Yang Jun's experience fighting the Liao people over the years, he believed that the Liao people would not be defeated so easily. Guo
Xu's plan is likely to fail. Although the Jurchens have some strength, it does not seem to be enough to be a weight for victory. Yang Jun believes that if he must participate, it is better to join forces with the Liao people than to join forces with the Jurchens to help the Liao people quell the Jurchens.
The chaos must be more sensible.
However, the Liao people did not know how to praise and were unwilling to exchange real benefits. They only allowed insignificant profits, so they angered Guo Xu. But even so, it is better to wait and see, and not to join the Jurchen alliance. This is
It seemed that Guo Xu acted on his own initiative.
In addition, the reason for Yang Jun's opposition was also based on the specific situation of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Although the Great Zhou Dynasty claimed to have two million soldiers, as the supreme commander of the Great Zhou army, Yang Jun knew his family background. If he sent troops to attack Liao, he could use them
There are only soldiers and horses on the Yanyun border. The 200,000 soldiers and horses in the northwest cannot be moved. The northwest military commander Yuan Zhenqian leads this soldier and horse to guard Xixia to prevent the various tribes of Xixia from causing rebellion. That is also Yang Jun
The direct line of the Forbidden Army cannot be moved. Once the war begins, the Forbidden Army will be the only force surrounding the capital, and the defense of the capital cannot be weakened. Moreover, the combat effectiveness of the Forbidden Army is also worrying. They have not fought against the Liao people yet, and they are actually not
Not trustworthy.
The only available soldiers and horses are the 400,000 troops on the Yanyun border. They have been stationed in the border towns for a long time and have fought against the Liao people many times. They have combat experience and capabilities. However, Yang Jun knows that these soldiers and horses are actually not good at fighting against the Liao people.
Gain the upper hand. If you really have the power to win, you won't be defeated often. Although the number of soldiers and horses is large, the quality is not high.
That's all. The real problem is military expenditure. Once there is a war with the Liao people and a large number of troops are dispatched, a lot of money and food will be spent. And this is not
It is a time when achievements can be made in a short time. If the war drags on for a year and a half, how can we support the military expenditures for this year and a half? This problem cannot be solved at all. When Yang Jun thinks about these things, he can't help but miss the thought of dying.
Fang Dunru and Yan Zhengshen came. Although the reform measures of these two people were hard to accept, at least they made the imperial court's treasury a lot richer in just two years. So far, the reason why the imperial court can still
Maintenance, in fact, is thanks to the two of them. If these two people hadn't stretched their hands over his head, streamlined troops and horses, and contracted military expenditures, he would have turned a blind eye. It was a pity.
If they insist on making trouble on their own heads, then they have no one to blame.
The above important issues forced Yang Jun to raise objections. In fact, he was not afraid of fighting. As a soldier, he knew that only fighting could strengthen and improve his position. Although he and Lu Zhongtian
On the surface, they are equal, but in fact Lu Zhongtian is obviously better than him. Lu Zhongtian holds the power of the government and is the only person who can influence Guo Xu. And if he wants to suppress Lu Zhongtian, he needs not only the status of the head of the country, but also the ability to pass
Fighting in the war made him an indispensable person in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Through his military exploits, he promoted a large number of cronies and let them take control of power. In terms of status and connections, he must be able to compete with Lu Zhongtian. This is the basis for his ability to sit back and relax in the court in the future.
.If he cannot do this, his current status will be a mirage. Maybe one day, Lu Zhongtian will be cruel to him after convincing Guo Xu.
Therefore, in fact, if the conditions are met, Yang Jun is willing to lead the army on the expedition. He is quite confident in his ability to lead the army in combat.
When Guo Xu summoned Yang Jun alone and asked him to support his plan, Yang Jun put forward conditions. He could support the emperor's plan, but the emperor must allocate sufficient military pay, allow him to mobilize soldiers at will, and allow him to follow his own plans.
Leading the battle with ideas. And the most important point is that since the emperor is determined to carry out this plan, if things are not harmonious, the emperor cannot blame himself, and he does not want to take the blame.
The requirements for military expenditures, troops, and command authority are just that, but the subsequent requirements are really excessive. It is like telling Guo Xu that if you suffer a defeat in the future, you will bear the responsibility yourself, but don't put the responsibility on me. The anger in Guo Xu's heart
It is conceivable that as a minister, he actually proposed such a condition to himself, the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty, which shows that he is actually nothing in his eyes. Guo Xu really wanted to reprimand him in person and ask him, if the plan succeeds,
Does he want this credit? But after enduring it for a long time, he still swallowed these words. He needs Yang Jun, whether it is to support his plan at this moment or to lead the army to go on an expedition later, he needs Yang Jun. Hundreds of thousands of troops are going out,
The stakes for such a large-scale operation with such big bets were huge. Apart from Yang Jun, he couldn't think of anyone who could do it.
Guo Xu told Yang Jun that he could agree to all his conditions, as long as he changed his tone, supported his plan, and persuaded Lu Zhongtian to agree to his plan. Everything else was easy to talk about. Guo Xu also promised Yang Jun that if the soldiers
If he fails, he will bear all the responsibilities and will not let Yang Jun take the blame. At worst, he will issue an edict to tell the world about his guilt. At worst, he will go and apologize to the Liao people in person.
