In late July of the fifth year of Xian De, 958, autumn had already arrived. The weather in Tokyo had been sunny for days, and the temperature was still high. Even so, the morning breeze had brought the coolness of autumn. The fallen leaves of the broad-leaved trees had drifted early in the wind, swirling in the wind, adding a bit of desolate atmosphere.
There are many people staying at the Shili Changting on the post road south of Tokyo.
The world always bears traces of the activities of ancient people, such as this long pavilion. It was originally a relic of the Qin and Han Dynasty system of one pavilion every ten miles. Later, this system no longer existed, but the long pavilion was given a new meaning. The willow long pavilion has been preserved as a symbol of farewell. Guo Shao turned around and looked outside the pavilion, and there were indeed willow trees planted.
The cavalry had stopped marching. A young general clasped his fists outside.
Li Chuyun turned around and said, "Dismount and rest." The young general said, "Yes, sir."
Guo Shao was relieved when he saw Li Chuyun's high-spirited and ambitious behavior after he got the opportunity to take military power. Guo Shao felt that the more a person wanted something, the easier it would be for him to get it. There was no reason, it was just a kind of intuition. Li Chuyun was eager to establish military merits and wanted to win, which was a good sign.
Guo Shao picked up a glass of wine from the wooden tray held by a servant. Several people around him, including Wang Pu, Li Gu, and Li Chuyun's daughter Li Yuaner, all took a wine glass. Li Chuyun picked up one last time.
This glass of wine is for Marshal Li. I am waiting for your victory news in Tokyo. Guo Shao raised his glass and said.
Several other people said: I wish General Li a successful start and a quick victory in conquering Wuping.
"I'm going to leave here with the good words from the inspectors of Guodu. I won't return until I defeat Wuping," Li Chuyun said loudly with full energy.
Everyone raised their heads and drank the whole glass. Even Li Yuaner covered her lips with her wide sleeves and drank a glass of wine. She put the glass down and said: "Father is going abroad to fight, so we must be careful and cautious."
Li Chuyun said: Don't worry, I will be fine.
Guo Shao glanced at the horsemen on the post road. About two hundred cavalrymen were waiting in the dust that had not yet dispersed. Li Chuyun did not need to bring his personal guards with him, and he did not even need to bring a large army. He could just go to Jiangling Prefecture to mobilize troops, both by land and sea.
I just got the news that the ruler of Southern Tang has obeyed the imperial court's order and transferred Lin Renzhao from Wuchang back to Nanjing. Guo Shao said, thinking that I can only help you up to this point, and the specific way to fight depends on Li Chuyun's on-the-spot decision.
Wang Pu said: General Li will not be threatened by the Southern Tang army on the water, so it will be easy to cross the river.
After hearing this, Li Chuyun laughed out loud: "In that case, the new emperor of Southern Tang is a soft persimmon and cannot be manipulated. The imperial court will establish its capital in the south of the Yangtze River in no time. Today, I will be the vanguard of Guodu and take action against Zhou Xingfeng first. With this victory in my hands, you all wait for my news. I will report back the victory report within two months."
When Li Chuyun laughed, his long sideburns and big beard trembled, and the sound was like a bell that seemed to shake the pavilion. He was also tall and strong, and Guo Shao once again had an illusion that if he used red paint to dye his face red, he could pretend to be Guan Gong, because the Guan Gong in the temple also had long sideburns and a big beard, and was tall and strong.
Li Yuaner, who was standing next to Guo Shao, was round and fair-skinned, and naturally did not have a thick beard like Li Chuyun. However, only Guo Shao knew that Li Yuaner still looked very much like Li Chuyun, but outsiders could not see it.
There is no time limit for attacking Zhou Xingfeng, but I still hope that Li Gong can return to Tokyo before he becomes a grandfather. Guo Shao smiled. Li Chuyun glanced at Li Yuaner, whose pregnancy was not yet visible, and smiled: That's too easy.
After everyone talked for a while, Li Chuyun clasped his fists and said: "My colleagues and I, Inspector Guo, please stay. I am about to set off."
Guo Shao and the others in the pavilion bowed again, and Li Chuyun returned the greeting and strode out of the pavilion, got on his horse, waved to Li Yuaner, and shouted: "Let's go!"
The rumbling sound of horse hooves gradually rose on the post road, and Li Chuyun's figure soon disappeared in the dust on the dirt road. After the horse team went far away, the group left the pavilion and walked towards the carriages and horses parked on the post road.
Guo Shao personally lifted the curtain behind a carriage and helped Li Yuaner get on. Everyone looked at him sideways. Of course, people in high positions would not be so graceful to women at this time, so Guo Shao's behavior seemed a bit inappropriate. However, when everyone thought that this woman was the daughter of Li Chuyun who had just left, they might understand. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Li Yuaner's cheeks also blushed slightly.
Slow down. Guo Shao did not forget to ask, "Do you get car sick?"
Ah Lang, I'm not carsick. Li Yuaner looked at him and shook her head gently, then lowered the curtain to cover the entrance of the carriage. Guo Shao subconsciously remembered one thing. The wheels of ancient carriages were made of wood, and the bottom of the vehicle was also a simple wooden board. There was no shock absorption at all. The carriage was very bumpy on the post road, but he had never seen anyone who got carsick. It was really a bit strange.
The woman rode in a carriage, while the others rode on horseback all the way back to Tokyo.
There were horsemen and guards in front and behind. Three riders rode side by side in front of the carriage. Guo Shao was in the middle, Wang Pu on the left and Li Gu on the right. Both were civil servants. The group rode slowly because the carriage would be bumpier if it ran faster. Guo Shao turned to the left and said casually: Zhou Xingfeng is on the south bank of the river. If we attack him, it is obvious that we are targeting the Southern Tang Kingdom. The ruler and ministers of the Southern Tang Kingdom would guess it, but they listened to our wishes. I didn't expect that they would transfer Lin Renzhao so quickly. When I suggested that the Queen Mother issue an order to send an envoy, I didn't have much hope.
Wang Pu stroked his sparse beard and said calmly: "The move by the ruler of Southern Tang is not a wise one. However, it is not easy for them to make up their minds to go to war with the Great Zhou. The people of Jiangnan may still be waiting and watching, after all, we have not yet openly attacked Southern Tang."
He paused, turned around and said: It is beneficial for us to delay for a while. Since the Southern Tang Kingdom responded in this way, I think that sending envoys to Wuyue Kingdom to contact them to attack Jinling together can be postponed to paralyze the Southern Tang Kingdom as much as possible.
Guo Shao nodded in agreement.
Wang Pu saw that his words were recognized, and he continued: "The military officers and officials sent by Shu must be cautious. Our country has just conquered Shu this year, and we can immediately deploy troops against Southern Tang because Shu has been peaceful since the change of ownership. Otherwise, it will drag down our rear."
I have read the letter that Wang Shijun wrote to me at the beginning of the year in detail and I agree with it deeply. Guo Shaodao.
After hearing this, Wang Pu's eyes brightened up: "Inspector Guo Du is so insightful, it's worthy of our friendship."
Guo Shao smiled and said: I am really happy to be regarded as a good friend by Envoy Wang. Please enlighten me on our philosophy of governing Shu.
Concept Wang Pu frowned slightly.
Guo Shao hurriedly said: It is a strategy, a true attitude towards the general direction.
Wang Pu nodded and said: Just a few words, maintain the status quo. He paused and explained that the Shu people lived the same way as before. Most people's property was not plundered, and the poorest people would not face the disaster of starvation, so they would not take risks and squeeze the bones of Shu for a little benefit. For example, if the salt policy was implemented in the Central Plains, with a pound of official salt costing 50 to 200 wen, and it was suddenly implemented in Shu, the people of Shu would feel too different, and there would inevitably be resentment.
The price of salt is so high, this item alone can really be called bone-sucking. Guo Shao whispered.
When Guo Shao was at his lowest point, he was not the poorest man of the time. After all, he was a strong young man, but he had lived in the market and was more familiar with the lives of ordinary people. The purchasing power of a penny is roughly equivalent to one dollar today, but the income of ordinary people at that time was very low. A pound of salt would be levied at least dozens of pennies, which was a very heavy burden. And not only this, but also various common exorbitant taxes and levies in ancient and modern times, just like the harsh government of the Tang Dynasty.
He said: The burden on the Central Plains is too heavy, and the only way to treat everyone equally is to reduce taxes in the Central Plains in the future; rather than copying the Central Plains' methods to the newly conquered territories.
Wang Pu said: "Guo Du Dianjian is right. This is why I couldn't help writing you a letter when I was seriously ill at the beginning of the year. There are indeed some scholars and officials from high-ranking families in the court. They have never touched mud and just want to eat meat. We must not let the Queen Mother listen to their nonsense.
Guo Shao clasped his fists and said: "Wang Shijun's words are sincere. I will echo Wang Shijun's words in front of the Queen Mother. However, national policies and strategies should be considered in the long run and should not be rushed. Wang Gong's words of maintaining the status quo are quite insightful. We should indeed adjust slowly according to the circumstances and stopgap measures should not be underestimated."
Wang Pu looked at Li Gu, who was riding a horse and listening but not speaking, and said: "I am the Privy Councilor, I don't care about government affairs. If I make random comments on government affairs, people will say that I am a dog trying to catch a rat. Li Xianggong is from the Political Affairs Hall and has such a good relationship with Guo Du Dianjian. Why don't we find a time for the three of us to sit down and see if we can talk to each other?"
Wang Pu's words were always a bit harsh, I really didn't know why, probably because he was too direct. For example, it was not pleasant to hear that Li Xianggong and Guo Du Dianjian were so close.
Guo Shao said nothing, but turned his head slightly to look at Li Gu.
Li Gu finally spoke: What was written in the letter that Envoy Wang wrote to Inspector Guo at the beginning of the year? I don't know what you two talked about, and I was confused when I heard it, so I didn't dare to speak rashly just now.
Wang Pu said: The letter is in the hands of Inspector Guo Du, you can do with it as you please.
How about coming to my house tomorrow afternoon for a cup of tea? Guo Shao said straightforwardly. He was a straightforward person and would do whatever he thought of. After hearing this, the two said that there was nothing important to do tomorrow afternoon. Guo Shao thought about it again. Wang Pu was still in Shu, otherwise he would have wanted to pull Wang Pu to participate in the discussion of political views. He then said, there are two more people, one is Zuo You, the junior minister of the Taichang Temple, and the other is Huang Binglian, the official of the left hall of Kaifeng Prefecture.
Wang Pu immediately said: Zuo You is General Guo's staff, I can understand
Guo Shao's forehead darkened slightly. He thought it was better not to say anything about the staff, but Wang Pu was just like that, so he had no choice but to endure it. The most important thing was that Guo Shao was now fearless and was not afraid of anyone saying that he was forming a clique. If he formed a clique, he formed a clique. What could they do to him
Then Wang Pu said: I also know Huang Binglian, a criminal judge who solves cases. I have something to talk to him about.
Guo Shaodao: I think this person is quite knowledgeable and reliable. It would be nice for us to get to know each other.