In June of the first year of Xuanren, Guo Shao discussed with the Privy Councilor Wang Pu and decided to launch the Northern Expedition in the spring of next year.
Most of the countries chose to launch wars in spring, starting from the Battle of Gaoping and the Battle of Qinfeng. This was because the Chinese New Year was the most important festival, and it was easier to mobilize troops and civilians after the New Year. The north was very cold, and it was also very difficult to use troops in winter.
But that was probably also the time when the Liao people were speculating and taking precautions, and it would have been more difficult to ensure the suddenness of the war.
At this time, there was still a full six months before the Northern Expedition.
Soon, local officials in Hebei reported to the emperor and requested credit for capturing several Khitan spies on the north bank of the Yellow River.
The process of capturing the spy was very simple. The patrol officer met a few strange-looking people on the road. He approached them for questioning and found that they could not speak Mandarin. After arresting them, he found that they were Khitans.
The Liao people's way of gathering information was not surprising. At that time, the countries did not seem to have the concept of spies. At most, they were called scouts, and they were the kind of people who were caught. I'm afraid the Liao scouts did not think they would be caught, because they were not going to sneak into Tokyo to gather information, but just to gather information near the Yellow River.
Because if the Zhou army wanted to march north at this time, they would have to cross the Yellow River and build a large number of pontoon bridges.
Observing the floating bridge on the Yellow River was the quickest and most direct way for the Liao Kingdom to determine that the Zhou army was moving north on a large scale.
The Liao Kingdom sent scouts deep into the country at this time, obviously having become aware of the Zhou army's intention to march north; but they did not know when exactly the Zhou army would march north.
Among the people in the Zhou Dynasty court who knew about the Northern Expedition, only a dozen or so people in the core were aware of it, and they only knew that the court had decided on the Northern Expedition but did not know the specific time. At this time, the only people who knew the whole story were Guo Shao, Wang Pu and Fu Jinzhan.
A minister suggested sending people to contact Goryeo and the Han generals in Hebei in advance, but the suggestion was rejected.
Goryeo was too far away from Tokyo and Youzhou, and could not directly affect the Youzhou campaign. Although Goryeo had always been ambitious about the old territory of Bohai Kingdom, it lacked offensive capabilities. The alliance only had long-term strategic benefits but no tactical benefits. The most disadvantageous reason was that it was easy to leak the approximate time of the Northern Expedition.
Similarly, contacting the Han generals in Youzhou would easily expose signs of the Northern Expedition.
Mid-Autumn Festival of the first year. Tokyo was ablaze with lights, and the scene of festive feasts and moon-watching was as usual.
The hot summer weather has passed, and the weather is getting cooler. When the temperature reaches the coldest, it is time for the Northern Expedition. The gradually cooling weather seems to be a signal that time is approaching.
The Military Equipment Supervisor Zan Jurun reported that the first batch of newly cast Dragon Roar Cannons had been tested.
The new cannon was almost identical to the old one in structure, both were large-caliber mortars that fired stone projectiles. The only difference was that the material was changed from cast iron to bronze, as the Military Equipment Supervisor believed that this would make the cannon more durable.
Soon after, the first batch of matchlock guns were manufactured. The barrel was still cast in bronze, and the bolt was improved several times and used matchlock ignition.
Only the ignition device has been improved, which is more convenient than the open flame to light the fuse, but the range and lethality of the musket are no different from before. Therefore, only the Shenhuodu is still equipped, because it is far less practical than the bow and crossbow.
In September, envoys sent from Tokyo arrived in Guangzhou, the capital of the Southern Han Dynasty, and ordered the ruler of Southern Han to come to Beijing, but were refused. The envoys reported that the ruler had been expelled from the Southern Han territory.
Soon after, the Privy Council established the Front Camp Military Office of Prince Xing's Mansion and mobilized officials to form a complete organization from top to bottom. At this time, they were in charge of exchanges with envoys from the Southern Han Kingdom and collecting news from the Southern Han.
So many people in the officialdom of Tokyo speculated that after the court recovered Hedong, its strategy would focus on the south, and it would gradually recover Southern Han, Wuyue and other places to complete the great task of unifying the world.
However, the organization of the Xingwang Mansion Front Camp Military Headquarters was perfect, and with just one imperial decree, it could be transformed into the Northern Expedition's staff headquarters.
Then the Privy Council ordered Sun Xingyou, the governor of Yizhou, to build a city in the southeast of Yizhou; and sent Fu Zhaoxu north to recruit a large number of militiamen from various states in Hebei to open a quarry near Yizhou to dig the foundation stones needed for the city.
In October, civilians from various states north and south of the Yellow River were conscripted to perform labor service and build the Yellow River embankment.
These actions are both confusing. As a big country, Da Zhou has some government orders every year, whether it is building a city or repairing a dike, it is not something worth paying attention to.
Several months passed, and there was no sign of a northern expedition in Tokyo, and even the officials in the capital did not believe that the court was preparing for a war.
However, the Zhou army needed a large number of stone bullets for their siege artillery and a quarry for building the city. They had to find a stone mine in advance and recruit a large number of stonemasons. This was something that had to be prepared in advance. Building the city required the conscription of a large number of able-bodied men, and the logistics of the war also required able-bodied manpower.
To build the Yellow River dike, even more militiamen were recruited, numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
Winter has arrived and the weather is getting colder. In November this year, it started snowing on the south bank of the Yellow River. By the twelfth month, the Yellow River Basin was already freezing cold.
On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Tokyo was still immersed in the festive atmosphere. The whole city was covered in snow, and the roofs and streets were covered with snow, but it was not deserted at all. Lanterns, flags, and people's clothes were decorated with various bright red colors. The market was crowded with people. Various performances and gongs and drums made the city the most lively during this period.
But the weather is still too cold, and it is exceptionally cold this year. It is still snowing lightly in the first month of the year.
Except in cities and villages, the countryside is almost deserted.
There were one or two hundred cavalrymen stationed on the bank of the Yellow River closest to Tokyo. These people felt all alone in the monotonous snow-covered world.
Guo Shao and the Privy Councilor Wang Pu were both here. They stood there and looked out. In front of them was a vast expanse of white flat land on the surface of the Yellow River, with nothing on it.
Guo Shao kicked away the snow with his feet, then squatted down and reached out to dig it open.
This year is colder than previous years, Guo Shao turned around and said to Wang Pu.
Wang Pu bowed and said calmly: "There is no need to build a floating bridge to cross the river." Then he raised his hand and waved.
A rider came over on horseback, shouted, kicked the horse in the belly, and rode forward. Guo Shao stood up and stared at the horse and rider for a long time, only to see the shadows getting smaller and smaller.
There was no wind, and the snowflakes fell from the sky, landing lightly on the ground, very quietly. The dull sound of horse hooves was very clear.
After a long time, the knight came back on horseback. Wang Pu waved his hand again, and a row of more than 20 knights lined up, slowly approached, and rushed forward in a sparse formation.
Let's set up camp here today and return to Beijing tomorrow, Guo Shao said to Wang Pu.
Wang Pu hesitated for a moment, and finally did not persuade Guo Shao. This place is on the south bank of the Yellow River, very close to the capital, and the surrounding area is very peaceful. There is also a group of elite cavalry around the emperor, so there is no danger in staying for a day or two.
Wang Pu only asked the soldiers to choose a camp and set up tents, and instructed the troops to take turns on duty.
When the army was marching and setting up camp, Guo Shao did not ask anything. He just waited for the tent to be set up and the fire to be lit before going inside to avoid the cold.
Wang Pu came in soon after and bowed. Guo Shao asked him to sit down, so he sat down by the fire and shook off the snow on his body. Wang Pu said: Tomorrow the imperial guards will be replaced. I have temporarily ordered the generals of the Palace Guards to not disband the soldiers who have been replaced. Gather all the troops that are going to the expedition, and then send money to each camp to reward the soldiers and let them say goodbye to their families. The day after tomorrow, we can gather the troops and go to the expedition officially.
Guo Shao nodded.
Wang Pu bowed again and said: "In this case, the news of the Northern Expedition will not be announced until tomorrow, and it will only be limited to the city of Tokyo. The Privy Council also ordered that Tokyo be under martial law for three days starting tomorrow, prohibiting anyone except the imperial guards from entering or leaving the city gates. Try to delay the spread of the news of the Northern Expedition."
Guo Shaodao: We have been preparing for half a year and have planned it very carefully.
Wang Pudao: Exactly. The New Year has not yet passed, and martial law may affect the hearts of the people in Tokyo, but in the face of the war, the people are not important.
I estimate that after the Great Zhou army is dispatched, it will probably take some time for Youzhou to know the news. According to the speed of the imperial army's march, it is very likely that they have already attacked Youzhou and the Liao people will be surprised.
After Wang Pu said this, he couldn't hide the excitement on his face.
Guo Shao pretended to be relaxed and looked at him and said: It is unprecedented that we can suddenly launch a war of this scale.
Your Majesty is wise. Wang Pu bowed deeply.
Guo Shao waved his hand: "We'll talk about wisdom after we win the battle."
He was restless. Desire gives people motivation, but when it comes, it is not necessarily a good thing. Instead, it can distract people. Guo Shao took a deep breath, looking at the leisurely snowflakes and the simple white snow scene, letting the various ambitions surging in his heart gradually cool down.
This was also the reason why he stayed here. Arriving in this uninhabited place in the afternoon, he felt far away from the world.
Guo Shao said to Wang Pu: "Now that we have started, it is useless to think too much. Focus on the task itself and do your best to do it well, and the rewards will come naturally."
Wang Pu seemed to be thinking about something, then came to his senses and bowed, saying: Your Majesty is absolutely right.
Dusk gradually falls. You can't see the sun setting, but you can feel the light gradually dimming.
Guo Shao looked outside the tent. In the direction of his sight, there were two riders standing on the hillside. They were in opposite directions, standing motionless in the snow, as if in a trance. They were holding bows and arrows instead of swords and guns. There was an open snowy field below the hillside, and if someone was at least a few hundred steps away, they would be able to see them.
However, if you look closely, you can see that the two riders are not in a state of meditation. They are leaning their backs against each other, their heads slowly turning, carefully observing the things within their field of vision.
A bird's cry was heard, and Guo Shao's attention was drawn to it, but he didn't know what kind of bird it was. The two sentinels were also attracted and looked up in the sky to find it.
But soon it returned to silence. At this moment, the scene was so lonely, without the grandeur of a war, and everything seemed to be deliberately covered in the endless snow.
Guo Shao sat there, closing his eyes and resting his mind in this ethereal yet vast world. His breathing gradually became even and slow, like a Taoist practicing inner alchemy.
After a long time, he heard the sound of wind rising and suddenly opened his eyes. The flag hanging outside the tent was blown up, swaying in the wind like a water dragon. The flag was unfolded, and a tiger with bared fangs and claws suddenly appeared in front of Guo Shao.
Roar Guo Shao seemed to hear a low and majestic roar.
In the depths of his heart, Hu Ru stared down at the earth with his eyes wide open. Guo Shao's eyes also widened, transforming into that momentum.
He is intimidating, brave, confident and fearless.