The fourth year of Zhonghe, the end of March.
The Tang court suddenly ordered Zhu Quanzhong to be the Prince of Pei, Han Zhi to be the Prince of Julu, Yang Xingmi to be the Prince of Runan, Liu Hanhong to be the Prince of Huainan, and Wang Jingwu to be the Acting Grand Marshal and Co-Prime Minister of the Secretariat.
People of different surnames were given the title of king, and so many of them were given the title at once, so the imperial court took action.
This move is really sinister and it is an open conspiracy. Since you, Zhu Quanzhong, are the Prince of Pei, and your fief is in Pei County, will you attack Xuzhou in the east to seize your fief, or will you hold on to Henan and dominate the country behind closed doors
The same is true for other people. For example, Yang Xingmi is the King of Runan. Where is Runan? It is in Caizhou. As for Caizhou occupied by Qin Zongquan, should you, Yang Xingmi, attack or not
Just as the vassal states in Guanzhong were on guard and ready to make a move, Fengxiang Jiedushi Li Changfu, on the grounds that Hezhong King Chongrong refused to pay annual tributes, brazenly sent troops to attack Hezhong.
Zhu Mei, the governor of Yan, dispatched troops and generals, eyeing Fengxiang covetously, as if he was trying to take advantage of the situation.
In Shuozhou, Zhu Li, Guo Qizuo, Guo Chongtao, Wang Yueyao and others rode their horses freely and leisurely strolled along the fields and canals, seeming to be very relaxed.
Wang Yueyao was the first to speak: "The court's generous reward to the Guandong vassal this time is intriguing."
"Han Zhi and his men's refusal to pay tribute must have thoroughly irritated a certain old fella in the court. This was a brilliant move. Without sacrificing a single soldier, it put Han Zhi, Zhu Quanzhong and the others on their guard. The Guanzhong vassal states were all preparing for war and were in a state of panic for a while." Guo Chongtao echoed thoughtfully.
Guo Qizuo, who was sitting on the horse beside Zhu Li, was not moved by the conversation. He bowed and said to Zhu Li: "It is almost March now. General, you should have made up your mind. Should we attack Hedong in the south or sweep the Beidi in the north?"
Zhu Li frowned slightly when he heard this, and then he said, "Sir, do you want me to be a rebel again by attacking other vassal states for no reason?"
He rolled his eyes at Guo Qizuo and continued, "Gao Su seems to be in trouble. The remnants of the Tanguts, the Uighur cavalry, and the Khitan warriors have suddenly gathered in Fengzhou. Their intentions are unclear."
"There are three fertile lands in Hejian, namely Yunzhong, Fengzhou, and Yinchuan. We have taken over Yunzhong now. Yinchuan County is not under our jurisdiction. We must take over Fengzhou, and even the entire Yinshan area." Zhu Li narrowed his eyes and said firmly. (Tang Dynasty: the front set belongs to Yunzhong County; the back set belongs to Fengzhou; the west set belongs to Yinchuan County.)
Zhu Li decided to launch a northern expedition to Fengzhou in order to bring this fertile land under his rule. How could this precious land, which was later praised as "Jiangnan on the Frontier" and "the granary on the Frontier", fall into the hands of the Di people
Every time, it was the nomadic peoples who rode thousands of miles south to attack the pass. Could it be that the Han army was not allowed to march far into the northern frontier and expand the territory to the north? Some people say it is difficult, but in Zhu Li's eyes, all difficulties are meant to be overcome.
Upon hearing this, Guo Qizuo frowned slightly, pondered for a while, and said, "The general wants to bring Fengzhou under his rule, and we will definitely support this with all our strength. If I am not mistaken, the general seems to be interested in an expedition to the frontier. I wonder if I am wrong?"
It's good to have smart people around you. They can draw inferences from one thing and understand the elegant meaning of music. Zhu Li looked at Guo Qizuo in a daze and asked, "That's what I was thinking. Why not?"
Seeing that Zhu Li really intended to do so, Guo Qizuo's expression suddenly changed, and he said earnestly: "The vast land of Liaoyuan is endless, but it is difficult for crops to grow on it. It is not wise to take it and not use it."
"Yes, General.
It is extremely cold in the northern part of the Great Wall, and it is difficult for crops to grow. Even if we conquer such a large territory, it will still be a grassland, which is in vain. "Guo Chongtao hurriedly rode forward and echoed Guo Qizuo.
Seeing the two great talents trying to persuade Zhu Li together, Wang Yueyao was a little worried. After all, she had spent a lot of time in contact with the two gentlemen and was very impressed with their abilities. Things that the two of them agreed on were usually not wrong. She was afraid that Zhu Li would be stubborn.
She had experienced this guy's character before. At the end of the year, Zhu Chun and Zheng unanimously asked Zhu Li to get married to Wang Yueyao first, but this guy resisted the pressure from his parents and refused.
In this era, most boys who are fifteen or sixteen years old have become fathers, but Zhu Li is different. She is already eighteen years old and still has no plans to get married. As a result, a grown girl, at the age of twenty-nine, is still alone. How can she not feel resentful
Although Wang Yueyao looked calm on the surface, she was already throbbing with anxiety inside.
She knew that Zhu Li had a crush on Yuchi Jin. If she could marry Zhu Li before Yuchi Jin, she would definitely be able to suppress that Yuchi girl in the future. This was her little thought.
Zhu Li did not refuse to marry her, but he also had no intention of getting married now, which made this beautiful lady worried.
"Gentlemen, is it because there are no suitable crops to grow on the vast land that you oppose Zhu's Northern Expedition?" Zhu Li turned his head and looked at Guo Qizuo and Guo Chongtao, wondering.
Hearing this, Guo Qizuo nodded, then shook his head and said with emotion: "General, you are only half right. Liaoyuan is vast and has no barriers. Even if we take over this land and work hard to manage it, once the Di people come to raid again, the people will inevitably suffer. As long as the Di people are there, Liaoyuan will be uneasy."
Zhu Li thought about it and said, "The north is bitterly cold, but it is not impossible to cultivate land."
Speaking of this, he thought of later generations. In later generations, many crops could be grown on a large scale in the north, and the yield was not low, such as corn, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, etc.
But it was the end of the Tang Dynasty after all, and most of the crops described in the Classic of Mountains and Seas were planted by the ancestors in the Yellow River Basin. Few of them were suitable for large-scale planting in the north. This led to the fact that although the Northern Plains were vast, few Chinese people dared to hope to incorporate them into their territory.
However, although there are few crops suitable for planting in the north, it does not mean that there are none, such as radish, cabbage, soybean, millet, sorghum, etc. Thinking of this, he said: "We can plant radish, cabbage, soybean, etc. in this area. As far as Zhu knows, there are spring and summer radishes, summer and autumn radishes, autumn and winter radishes, and winter and spring radishes. The growing period of radishes is very short, and they can be harvested once every two to three months."
"The Erya monograph written thousands of years ago, Qi Min Yao Shu written by Jia Sixie in the Northern Wei Dynasty, and Ben Cao written by Su Gong in this dynasty all talked about radish, introducing everything from planting techniques to edible and medicinal uses."
"Moreover, the yield of radish is not low. Not only can the fruits buried underground be eaten, but the leaves on the ground can also be used to cook porridge and dishes. As long as the people in my northern land are diligent, they can be planted here all year round, and supplemented with millet and other crops. Who says there are no suitable crops to grow in the northern frontier?"
Guo Qizuo, Guo Chongtao and Wang Yueyao looked at each other in bewilderment when they heard this. Zhu Li understood it so clearly and explained it so coherently. It was obvious that he had put in a lot of effort and was not just talking nonsense. It was obvious that using this as an excuse to stop the other party from the Northern Expedition would not work.
“Even if there is
Suitable crops, but facing the ubiquitous Di people, the people can't survive in this place?" Guo Chongtao did not give up.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Li glanced at him calmly and asked instead of answering, "What do herders on the grassland fear the most?"
The three of them were stunned when they heard this. Wang Yueyao was too lazy to think because she had a lot on her mind. She looked directly at Er Guo. Guo Qizuo had spent several years in the north and had a detailed and extensive understanding of the situation. After a little thought, he said, "The grassland herders are most afraid of plagues and natural disasters, especially livestock plagues; the next most feared are fires and wolves."
"That's right." Zhu Li looked at Guo Qizuo approvingly and continued, "The grassland warriors rely on fast horses, longbows and scimitars to conquer all directions. However, facing the agile, swift and gregarious wolves, these weapons are of little use."
"You know, wolves and dogs have very similar temperaments. We can raise dogs, so we can raise wolves." Zhu Li looked around at the three of them and said proudly, "The herdsmen can raise cattle and horses, so we can raise ferocious wolves, and we will specifically prey on cattle and sheep on the grassland."
"If herders were to graze in our time, they would be attacked by wolves. We could even send people with packs of wolves to frequently attack their tribes. Over time, would they still dare to graze in our time?"
Zhu Li looked at the three people confidently. He hadn't said anything yet. The wolf meat sauce was actually very delicious. The "Yinxiju Diet" of later generations said: "It nourishes the five internal organs, protects against wind and cold, warms the stomach, strengthens the yang and fills the marrow." It can be seen that wolf meat is a good thing.
Raising wolves was just a temporary idea of his, but the prerequisite was that the wolves must be controllable, which required professionals to operate.
"Raising wolves?" Guo Qizuo frowned.
Guo Chongtao and Wang Yueyao were equally curious. When Wang Yueyao heard about raising wolves, she even forgot some of her worries and looked at Zhu Li with an incredible expression on her pretty face.
The man I chose is indeed extraordinary. He really thinks of others in a way that they would not.
"Yes, that is to raise wolves. These wolves will pose a certain threat to nomadic peoples. If we manage the captured land within a certain period of time and use wolves to protect it, as long as we survive the difficult years and absorb enough people, we can build cities to live in. When cities are built one after another on the grasslands in the north of the Great Wall, it will be easier to resist the Di people."
Guo Qizuo, Guo Chongtao and Wang Yueyao all fell silent when they heard this. The second Guo was carefully pondering the feasibility of Zhu Li's idea, while Wang Yueyao was infatuated with him.
At the end of the Tang Dynasty, there were many ethnic groups of Di people outside the Great Wall, and they were not subordinate to each other. The more famous ones included Khitan, Xi, Tuhun, Tatar, Shiwei, Bai, Yujue, Niang, Jurchen, Uighur, Tubo, Gekun, etc.
As Zhu Li was preparing to clear out the Yin Mountains, he would inevitably have to face nomadic peoples such as the Khitan, Tatar, and Shiwei. Almost all of these three tribes had members living to the north of the Yin Mountains. Raising wolves became a nuisance, so his goal was to make these people relocate.
"Okay, if the general can successfully raise wolves, I will support the general's northern expedition to the grasslands. The foreign tribes have been lingering outside the pass, and they will sooner or later become a disaster for the people of the Central Plains."
"General, if you succeed in raising wolves, our situation of being on the passive defensive when facing nomadic peoples will be greatly improved. To a certain extent, we will take the initiative. Wolves are carnivorous beasts. I hope they have enough cattle and sheep." Guo Qizuo narrowed his eyes and was the first to speak out in support.