On the south bank of the Yangtze River, in Jiangning Prefecture. The snow has stopped, and the sun has come out, shining brightly on the snow. Some trees in the south of the Yangtze River do not lose all their leaves in winter, and the snow covers the treetops, adding a touch of bright and beautiful colors to the white and green.
Guo Shao stood on a mound and was looking at the clear snowy scenery. This was a village, and the houses nearby were all covered with green tiles and earthen walls.
Under the clear and clean sky, the sight was excellent. Looking west, Guo Shao could roughly see the outline of Yuhuatai, which was a commanding height south of Jiangning City. The Zhou army had not yet launched an offensive, and the place was still in the hands of the Southern Tang army.
Looking south, the rolling hills and forests over there are Niu Shou Mountain. Niu Shou Mountain is very close, and from here you can already see the ancient temples and pavilions in the forest, half-hidden and half-hidden in the woods, which is quite artistic.
But in the east, near the river, the scene was not so interesting. Large military camps were being built, with fluttering flags, standing swords and guns, and various military weapons, creating a noisy and violent atmosphere.
The Great Zhou army went to Jiangning City by land along the river, and the navy also came from the river to carry supplies; then there was a small river here that merged with the Yangtze River, and the supplies on the river were transferred to small boats and towed directly from the small river to the military camp. The shallow river that Guo Shao was still unknown to him became the inland river of the military camp, and several floating bridges were built on it to connect the north and the south.
On the road at the foot of Niu Shou Mountain, a stream of carts were crawling slowly like long snakes. They were the wood being cut down from the mountain. In the camp, the noise of shouting and clanging could be heard from far away. Countless people were digging the earth and building the village, and craftsmen were building equipment.
Wang Pu once said that Jiangning City was vulnerable. But that was only from the perspective of the situation and people's hearts. Although he had the confidence to attack the city, it was not possible to take down the city in one fell swoop. Jiangning City not only had tall and solid fortifications, but also had at least hundreds of thousands of troops, including the main force of the Southern Tang Dynasty's imperial guards. It would be a joke to attack such a heavily guarded capital with only tens of thousands of people.
Now, the Jiangnan Front Camp Military Headquarters under Guo Shao's command has been implementing the siege plan. On the one hand, they have sent people to explain the pros and cons and persuade them to surrender, while on the other hand, they are preparing to attack the isolated city.
The local soldiers and militiamen who had fought in various places in the early stage were gradually mobilized and gathered in Jiangning City. Together with the two naval forces of the Wu Yue Kingdom under the Imperial Guard Department, Guo Shao roughly estimated that the total force besieging Jiangning City was between 200,000 and 300,000.
It would take time to gather and deploy these troops; but the Southern Tang Kingdom had no way to do this because they had lost all the territory around the capital.
At this moment, Qin Shitou walked quickly to the bottom of the mound, clasped his fists and said: My lord, General Li, General Luo, and Zuo Shaoqing have arrived. I will take them to the main hall first.
Guo Shao withdrew his gaze from the distance, turned around and said, "I'll go meet them now. Ask someone to watch the area around the yard and don't let any strangers get close."
"Yes." Tan Shitou responded.
Guo Shao walked on the road between the houses. He could see soldiers standing guard everywhere, but not a single civilian. The people in this village saw the surging army coming, and heard the news of the war, so they almost all fled; although the Central Army of the Great Zhou Dynasty had strictly prohibited indiscriminate killing and looting several times, the people were still afraid of warriors. After the Zhou army requisitioned this village, the few remaining elderly and weak were resettled elsewhere, and this village completely became a military camp.
He walked into the courtyard, and Qin Shitou gently closed the door. Guo Shao subconsciously looked back, and there was no one around him. He walked forward alone from under the eaves, around the patio in the middle of the courtyard, and came to the door of the main room.
The three people sitting inside immediately stood up from the benches, clasped their fists and said together: Greetings, my lord.
Guo Shao also clasped his fists in return and stepped into the main room.
This place is the house of a relatively wealthy farmer. The mud walls are old and the furniture is simple. There is not even a decent chair, and the place is not very spacious. Guo Shao walked up and sat down on a round stool at the top. It is a bit strange to think about it. Today, several people are discussing the secret of seizing the world. The object of their desire is countless mansions, but they have to discuss it in such a broken village.
Guo Shao looked around, and they all turned to look at him. To become emperor, one person cannot do it; but at the beginning of the process, too many people involved and accidents are likely to happen.
Guo Shao had carefully considered the people present. Whether it was the civil official Zuo You or the military generals Li Chuyun and Luo Yanhuan, they were not promoted by the Zhou emperor, and they made their fortunes on their own; if they participated in major events, they would be crowned as the founding fathers of the country, and it would not be difficult for them to be crowned kings and prime ministers. There was really no reason for them to be unwilling. In fact, Guo Shao felt that they were more anxious than he was, and they had been looking forward to doing this kind of thing.
There are also two sworn brothers who are also trustworthy people, but Yang Biao and Luo Mengzi are in Tokyo and cannot be contacted at this time.
Guo Shaoxian said: Mr. Zuo has advised me many times, but I was a little hesitant. After all, I was a general under the late emperor and received his favor. Now I cannot protect his young son, and I feel ashamed.
After Guo Shao finished speaking, he even felt that it was fake. If he really hesitated, he wouldn't have gathered a few confidants to sit here and discuss how to rebel. But saying this can show a kind and humble attitude; even when facing one's own people, one cannot show an impatient look. Those who are legitimate successors have to be persuaded by others three times before they are reluctant to ascend the throne.
Luo Yanhuan immediately advised: "My lord, there is no need to be ashamed. The founding of the country has its own story. In fact, it was done this way. If someone else were in your position, they would not hesitate at all."
Li Chuyun said: In the previous dynasties, the world was in chaos, but now people are thinking about the situation of peace and unification of the world. The lord will create a great cause that will last for thousands of years. How can it be compared with the previous dynasties
Guo Shao hurriedly said: You are too kind. I am worried. I wanted to be a loyal minister of the Great Zhou, but I knew that my brothers had such thoughts, and I didn’t want to disappoint everyone. I was really in a dilemma.
Guo Shao looked at Luo Yanhuan with an anxious look on his face and thought that although this man was brave and resourceful, he was still far inferior to Li Chuyun's steadiness.
Luo Yanhuan said anxiously: My lord is right. If you don't sit on it, my brothers will definitely not agree to let us serve under you. But in name, we are ministers of the Great Zhou, so it is not easy for us to say such rebellious words. In fact, we are all looking forward to your coming.
Zuo You said: The power of the world belongs to the virtuous. Now that the lord has conquered the two great kingdoms of Shu and Nan Tang, and has more than doubled the territory of the Great Zhou, his great achievements are known to the world, so it is natural that he should take the lead. Who else should take the lead but the lord
Luo Yanhuan nodded in agreement: Who cares about that little emperor? If it weren't for our lord and everyone helping him in his battles, he would have been driven down long ago. The lord has conquered the world himself, so there is no reason for him to make wedding clothes for others in vain.
And the Queen Mother, if it weren't for the Queen Mother, how could I have the military power and merits today? Guo Shao said calmly. This sentence is not entirely a face-saving word, but a heartfelt word. Guo Shao does not have the ancients' idea of loyalty to the emperor. He has never thought about being loyal to the late emperor, but the Queen Mother's cultivation and trust cannot be denied regardless of the era.
Li Chuyun said: Brother Luo, please don't be impatient. The Lord is worried. Not only the Queen Mother, but there are many more people in the Great Zhou. Many of them are loyal to the court and not all of them are under the Lord's command. They may be intimidated by the Lord's martial arts and force and dare not speak out, but if they are not handled properly, it will be difficult to win the hearts of the people. We must think of a reason and a name as soon as possible.
Zuo You also said: My lord is a military general of the Imperial Guards of the Great Zhou Dynasty. He has received favors from the royal family and relies on the strength of the Imperial Guards of the Zhou Dynasty. Once he ascends the throne, he will be said to have usurped power in the future. No matter what he does, it will be difficult to justify that he has gained the country legitimately.
Luo Yanhuan slapped the broken wooden table and said, "My lord, your surname is Guo, the same as the royal family. That would save us a lot of trouble. We don't even need to change the name of the country. What family's surname did the little emperor originally belong to? Let him change it back to recognize his biological son. Since Taizu has no descendants, what's wrong with giving the throne to the Guo family?"
Hey, Guo Shao felt that what Luo Yanhuan said was not entirely right, but asking Guo Chai Zongxun to change back to his original surname was indeed a good idea.
He thought again, it's not good to attribute his life experience to Guo Wei's family. Although he is a time traveler, he has never lived with his biological parents who died early and has no family affection; but the ancients said that loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, righteousness, and trustworthiness are still very important. If he doesn't even recognize his parents in order to become an emperor, and finds someone else to recognize him, he will probably be made a laughing stock. No matter how much evidence he finds, it will be useless, and it will only give more room for imagination to those who like him.
At this time, Zuo You frowned and said: If you still recognize the Zhou Dynasty as the legitimate dynasty, then you will not be able to become the founding emperor.
Guo Shao glanced at Zuo You and thought: Don't be too greedy. You haven't even become the emperor yet, but you're thinking about becoming Taizu. The most important thing now is how to hold on to your position. Usurping the throne itself is risky. If you don't do it well, the whole country will rebel like a prairie fire. How will it end
Li Chuyun seemed to share the same opinion as Guo Shao and said: Our lord's Spring and Autumn Period is like the scorching sun in the sky. He will achieve even greater achievements in the future. It will not be difficult for him to leave a name as a wise and heroic ruler in the history.
Guo Shao had already expressed his humble attitude before, and now he was too lazy to pretend in front of a few people, so he said: Taizu called himself Guo Shu, the uncle of King Wu of Western Zhou. King Wu of Zhou granted him the title of Duke of Dongguo and granted him the title of Duke of Dongguo. Naturally, I also acknowledged him.
He pondered his life experience in this era. He was born in Yanzhou, Hebei Province. He came from a poor family and his parents died early. The local area had suffered from wars many times, and many houses were deserted and the people had changed several times. It was impossible to find out. Now he only remembered his grandfather's name, and he couldn't remember who his great-grandfather was.
Even Taizu Guo Wei was born in a humble family. His father's generation had been displaced, and Guo Wei himself had to seek refuge with warlords as a bodyguard. After he became emperor, he recognized the generations above him, and what branches they had, but I'm afraid even he himself didn't quite understand.
Guo Shao immediately said seriously: Not only that, my father also told me the name of my deceased great-grandfather, he was the grandfather of Yizu Yishun Emperor Guo Yun Taizu Guo Wei. In total, I am one generation younger than Taizu.
Guo Shao's expression was as if it were real. Everyone around was stunned after hearing this. Li Chuyun was the first to say: "So the lord is indeed a descendant of the ancestors of the Great Zhou Dynasty. In this way, in the future, won't it be enough to announce the true origin of his life to the world?"
The other two people quickly agreed after hearing this.