The tall, fair-faced civil servant turned his head to look at the tent door and called out excitedly. This young civil servant was indeed handsome, with a square face, fair skin, thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a tall stature. No matter what era people were from, they would not think such a man was ugly. His voice was magnetic and emotional, and Guo Shao estimated that it was very lethal to women.
He is not a sissy person, but a gentleman. He has a scholarly air, a serious demeanor, and a hint of officialdom. At first glance, he looks very upright.
The civil servant had fair and delicate skin, and at first glance he looked like someone who was well-maintained in a big city; on the other hand, Guo Shao had a heroic look between his brows, but now he looked like a rough man working on a construction site, the kind of skin that only a laborer exposed to the wind and sun could get tanned like that, especially his palms, which were big and rough.
The civil servant was named Li Liangyou, Bai Sanniang's ex-husband. He walked forward with a moved look on his face, while Bai Sanniang was already stunned and had not recovered for a moment.
Li Liangyou had a look of regret on his face: "My dear, I wronged you that year. It was all because I was too young and ignorant. When I found out that you were actually living in my friend's house, I misunderstood you in a moment of impulse.
He shook his head as he spoke, almost crying in pain.
Bai Sanniang couldn't stand such affection, so she said: You finally understand, how could I cheat on you and never do such a thing
Guo Shao glanced at Bai Sanniang's expression, turned to look at Zuo You, and muttered softly: It seems that being a woman is not easy, and those who are stupid will suffer.
Li Liangyou said: How did you get through these years
Bai Sanniang said with tears in her eyes: It's not easy to not mention it. Is my husband doing well in Chengdu? That lady from a wealthy family, don't let her down again.
Li Liangyou sighed: "Back then, I was married to her, and I thought I had failed you and couldn't find another one, so I had to let you suffer. Now I regret it too late and feel very sad. Now I can only let her be my concubine and my first wife my wife. From now on, I will treat you well."
Bai Sanniang cried with joy: Is everything my husband said true
Li Liangyou said: It is a pity that the country is now in ruins. As a minister of a fallen country, I don’t know if there is still a chance to make amends.
Bai Sanniang was slightly startled, looked up at Guo Shao and said:
It's hard for an honest official to judge family affairs. What can I do? Guo Shao put his palm on his forehead. He looked at Bai Sanniang with a sharp gaze. However, as an acquaintance, I still have to remind Bai Shengshou, why don't you think about the whole story carefully first
Bai Sanniang said: A prodigal son who returns is worth more than gold. He is my husband at all times, and I forgive him no matter what he has done.
Guo Shao put his hand on his chin and lowered his eyes, as if thinking.
Bai Sanniang said sternly: Marshal Guo, remember our promise: Lan'er helped your friend treat the disease, and you helped me find my husband. Now that you have found him, do you want to harm him? When Marshal Guo sees Lan'er in the future, what will you say to her
Guo Shao didn't want to waste too much time on such a trivial matter, so he cut the Gordian knot immediately, speaking quickly but clearly and fluently: "The fairness of merits and demerits is mainly to reward civil and military officials. Li Liangyou didn't commit any serious crime, and you forgave him even if he made a mistake. It's human nature to show some human feelings in such matters, and I'm not heartless; so I won't do anything to him, don't worry, Grandma Bai."
Thank you, Marshal Guo. Bai Sanniang said happily that although Marshal Guo was a military commander, he had a kind and righteous heart.
Guo Shao added: "Li Liangyou's life is safe, but you can no longer be an official. You will be dismissed immediately and will not be employed again. Take your wives and concubines home and live a peaceful life."
Li Liangyou was surprised: Why did Li Hao also
Guo Shao seemed not to be talking to Li Liangyou. He looked back at the generals on his left and right and said: What I need are people who can do practical things with their own abilities, and I need internal rules for fair competition, not people who are in a relationship with others. Otherwise, the strength of the Great Zhou will fall into a quagmire, lose its vitality, accumulate many problems, and be weak despite its size. The Liao Kingdom is a strong enemy, and we cannot blame the opponent for being too strong, but we must strengthen ourselves.
Zuo You said happily: "Heaven moves vigorously, and a gentleman should constantly strive to improve himself." Mencius said that a saint will appear every five hundred years.
It's over. Guo Shao waved his hand and said, you all go away. Wait until the troops entering the city are assembled, and then enter the city to accept the surrender.
Guo Shao sat in front of a rough chopping board made of wood and scratched the back of his head. He felt that he was still not at ease with his power, so he picked up a pen and wrote a few words on his booklet: The concept of governance, I agree with the Great Zhou.
The concept was set, and he thought it was the wisest direction. But he was still confused about how to implement it. He had to wait until he returned to the court and asked the experienced prime ministers for advice.
In the early stage of the occupation, Guo Shao thought about it and wrote: Reduce the damage caused by war in Shu. Maintain the status quo of taxation and other aspects, and do not act rashly; for military occupation, choose generals who can restrain the soldiers and have a kind heart.
Then he took out a large stack of papers from his cloth pocket. Seeing Zuo You looking at the files beside him, he handed them over and said: Please help me organize these reports on merit requests from the various armies and commanders.
Zuo You took it and said, "Yes, my lord. I will take a look at it as soon as possible."
Guo Shaodao: Compile a list of items that are simple and clear so that soldiers who cannot read can understand them. First, make public the merits and casualties of each unit in each battle. Don't decide how to reward them yet, so that everyone knows what merits they have made.
Then I will go around to each department and if anyone feels that there is something untrue, I will revise it.
Zuo You smiled and said: My lord, you are so fussy about details, I am afraid the soldiers will not care so much about them either.
Guo Shaodao: As long as conditions allow, it must be fair. We have to show that only by fighting hard can we get the rewards we deserve, and our army will have fighting spirit. Otherwise, no matter what we do, we will be treated the same. Who wants to rush to the front and die
Zuo You was thinking: So, Shi Yanchao’s contribution is quite great.
Guo Shao said: So he is very free and easy, his military rank cannot be promoted for the time being, and he will be given some concurrent official positions with more salary after returning to the court. After he said that, he cursed and won my mount, damn it.
Although he cursed, he still held his breath in his heart: the Liao army is not invulnerable to swords and guns, nor is it the great powers with giant warships and cannons. What can't be moved
The Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun have been a scar for a thousand years. For modern people who know a little about history, they all think it is a permanent scar. Not to mention that it has made people sigh for a thousand years, even the ancients have always been thinking about it. For example, the ambitious Chai Rong was determined to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, because it was a piece of land that could excite the world. Whoever could take it back would be regarded as a god-like figure, and his status would far exceed that of an ordinary monarch.
So the question is: If the country's national strength and combat capability are not as good as the Liao Dynasty, how can we take it back? Will it be useful to just shout about it
Guo Shao suppressed the burning ambition in his heart and endured it for the time being.
At this moment, Lu Chengyong walked in, bent down and whispered in Guo Shao's ear: An eunuch who came with the envoy from Shu Kingdom was called into Jingniang's tent.
Guo Shaodao: I understand. No need to ask, I trust her. She should come and tell me herself. If she doesn't come, she must have her reasons.
Guo Shao recalled the past when Zhao Kuangyin had been looking for Jingniang, and Jingniang had taken the initiative to tell him that compared to Zhao Kuangyin, whose conflicts were intensifying day and night, what was there to worry about with the eunuchs of the fallen Shu Kingdom