Mei Zang came to the palace twice to ask for an audience with Guo Shao, looking very anxious because Lingge was imprisoned there. Guo Shao did not meet her.
At this time, it was reported that the governor of Guiyi Army, Cao Yuanzhong and his son were rushing to Lingzhou.
Upon hearing the news that the Emperor of the Great Zhou was on a western tour, Cao Yuanzhong came in person with his men to meet the emperor. The tribute he brought was particularly generous, including two thousand fine horses from Hexi, which made Guo Shao extremely happy.
Of course, Guo Shao had to prepare more than two thousand horses' worth of wealth to reward Cao Yuanzhong. This was a form of reciprocity between the tributes from the military governors or foreign countries far away from the Central Plains, which was different from the tributes from the areas directly ruled by the dynasty. It was similar to a disguised form of trade. If the emperor did not give gifts in return, others would have no motivation to pay tribute.
Wei Renpu was also very satisfied with Cao Yuanzhong. He said to Guo Shao: Hexi is no longer what it was in the Han and Tang dynasties. Now the various tribes are surrounding it and pose a great threat to the Han people in Hexi. Cao Yuanzhong and other soldiers and civilians were unwilling to give up that fertile land. They still hoped that the dynasty would be strong and pay attention to the northwest so that they could have some protection. The hearts of the Guiyi Army were still towards the Central Plains.
Guo Shao agreed.
When Cao Yuanzhong arrived in Lingzhou, Guo Shao gave him extraordinary courtesy and personally went out of the city to greet him.
As soon as he left the city, he heard a man crying outside. Even Guo Shao was stunned for a moment. He saw a middle-aged man with a round face and a young general with a similar face kneeling on the ground, crying.
The soldiers behind who were wearing red clothes under their armor also dismounted and knelt on the ground.
Lu Dosun whispered beside the carriage: Your Majesty, the man on the ground is Cao Yuanzhong, whom I met when I was in Guazhou.
Cao Yuanzhong said loudly: I finally see your majesty.
Guo Shao didn't know him at all, but seeing him so excited, he was moved and thought that after all, his family members were more honest.
Cao Yuanzhong reported: "For a hundred years, the roads in Hexi have been blocked and the world has changed dramatically. I have led the people of Hexi to defend their homeland, which has been lost for many times, waiting for the day when the great rule will be restored. Today, I can see the emperor with my own eyes, and I will die with my eyes closed."
Guo Shao was very moved after hearing this, and he got off the car and personally helped Cao Yuanzhong. Wei Renpu said on the side: When the Han Dynasty opened up the territory and obtained Hexi from the Xiongnu, many young men left their homes and went west to guard it, and only then did this place come into being. Marshal Cao Jie defended this place for the country, and the court has not forgotten the contributions of the Cao family and the soldiers and civilians of the Guiyi Army.
Guo Shao said: "What Deputy Envoy Wei said is exactly what I am thinking. Get up quickly."
Cao Yuanzhong knelt with tears in his eyes and said: Thank you.
Cao Yuanzhong then introduced his son Cao Yangong to Guo Shao, saying that he wanted him to serve as a guard in front of the emperor to show his loyalty and let his son go to the court as a hostage.
Guo Shao invited Cao Yuanzhong to ride in the same carriage, and let Cao Yangong ride a horse with a sword beside the emperor, showing that he trusted him.
When they returned to the palace, Guo Shao and Cao Yuanzhong discussed the affairs of Hexi. They got along very well and felt that they had met too late. At night, they talked by candlelight, and the king and his subject were very close when they met.
Hexi Haner felt very insecure at this time. The territory he could control had been eaten away and only the two states of Gua and Sha were left. The Guiyi Army regime was surrounded by enemies on all sides and had no support from Buddhist forces within the country.
After Cao Yuanzhong came to power, he was forced to change his strategy of tough expansion because he had opponents on all sides and the cost was too great. He had to give money and women, and form marriages and alliances everywhere, only then was the situation temporarily stabilized.
The king and his minister first recalled how prosperous Hexi was during the Han and Tang dynasties, and lamented that it was not easy for their ancestors to open up new territories and countless people died. They could talk to each other and had the same feelings, so they were able to reach an agreement. The ancients relied on farming, and land was the basic means of production; as long as there was land that could be used for farming, everyone wanted it. Opening up new territories was the greatest achievement, and losing land was the greatest sin.
When Cao Yuanzhong heard that Guo Shaoxiang had obtained a supply of war horses from the west, he immediately said impatiently: As long as the Hexi Corridor and Guanzhong roads are opened up and a trade route is established, it will be profitable. We can get as many war horses as we want from the Western Regions.
Cao Yuanzhong urged: Your Majesty, please send troops here. The Guiyi Army will attack from the east and west with Your Majesty to drive away the Uighurs, Tibetans, and Dangxiangs in the east of Guasha. Then the trade route will be unblocked.
Guo Shao finally understood the general's inner stance. Cao Yuanzhong made alliances everywhere because he was forced to do so. In fact, he had long wanted to drive away the tribes in Hexi. The reason was very simple: the tribes had occupied more than half of their original territory and had posed a long-term threat to their survival. If the imperial court paid and sent troops to help him take back all of Hexi, they would of course be happy.
If the imperial court wanted to conquer Hexi, it would be beneficial for both sides for the Guiyi Army to attack from the west.
It has to be said that Guo Shao's general idea was affected many times, and he was also excited by what Cao Yuanzhong said for a while. Guo Shao stood up and stood in front of the map for a long time, calming down, and looked towards Youzhou, Hebei again.
If you have the strength, of course you want everywhere. The problem is that Hexi is too far away, and it takes money and soldiers. Guo Shao asked casually, "How many troops do you think the court needs to recover Hexi?"
Cao Yuanzhong pondered and said: Considering that the Xiazhou Dangxiang may form an alliance with the Liao Kingdom to rebel, Your Majesty only needs an army of 500,000 to occupy the territory east of the Western Regions.
I, Cao Guoshao, immediately cursed in my heart. Marshal Cao Jie was still very arrogant and only asked for 500,000.
If I had 500,000 troops and money and food to mobilize for an expedition, I would have headed straight to Liao. Why would I care about the northwest now
Guo Shao took a look at him and felt that Cao Yuanzhong still had great ambitions. He had been beaten to the point where he only had two states left and was making alliances everywhere, but what he was thinking about was having the court annex the entire northwest territory.
But Guo Shao did not want to dampen his confidence, so he said: After years of hard work, the Great Zhou is now rich and powerful, with millions of soldiers under its command. However, mobilizing so many people to fight requires more consultation with the court officials.
Cao Yuanzhong said: Your Majesty is absolutely right.
Guo Shao added: Moreover, I think that since the Liao Kingdom wants to interfere in the northwest, it would be better to defeat the Liao Kingdom first, then things will be much simpler.
After hearing this, Cao Yuanzhong clasped his fists and said enthusiastically: Your Majesty is at the peak of his career and has such a broad mind. We are willing to help Your Majesty.
Guo Shao tried to comfort them, saying: It is not appropriate to start a war right now. General Cao Jie, please guard the Guasha area carefully. Let's think of other ways to stabilize the situation first, and we will talk about it later. If the Guiyi Army has any problems, you can send someone to report to the court, and I will send people to mediate among the various ethnic groups so that they can coexist peacefully.
Cao Yuanzhong clasped his fists and said: I will follow your majesty's orders and fulfill my duties.
Guo Shao stood in front of the map for a long time, and did not think it was wise to change the established strategy. At this time, the northwest was unlikely to face the threat of a large-scale eastward invasion; and Youzhou was much more important in terms of strategic position and the attention of the world. If Guo Shao took Youzhou, he would get more.
The expansion of war horses was intended for a decisive battle with the Liao Kingdom; rather than putting the cart before the horse and moving the main battle line westwards.