The wooden carved and hollowed windows are a bit old-fashioned in their simplicity, but they are full of oriental elegance. The calligraphy and ink paintings on the walls are unique decorations.
But there were two sets of knives, forks and spoons on the table, and the fork was a three-pronged one made of sandalwood.
Guo Shaodao: I have read ancient books and found that the emperor of Zhou Dynasty used this kind of tableware to eat meat during the Western Zhou Dynasty, so I asked people to imitate two sets.
Dong Zunhui was very interested and answered seriously: Your Majesty is a master of martial arts, and you have read the scriptures. This kind of food utensils really opened my eyes.
After waiting for a long time, two male servants in cloth clothes came up with two pots of hot fried mutton, which were covered with brown sauce. Then Wang Zhong carefully placed two glass cups and poured purple wine into the cups.
Guo Shao picked up the knife and fork, held down the mutton on the plate with the wooden fork in his left hand, and sawed off a piece of mutton with his right hand. He dipped the fork into the soup, put it in his mouth and started chewing.
From the sawn surface you can see that the mutton is dark red in color, giving the illusion that it is not fresh. Anyway, it does not look very good, because the mutton was shot to death with a bow and arrow without bleeding, and the blood remains in the meat.
When you chew it in your mouth, it feels soft and lacks meat fiber texture.
But this kind of taste is what we want, to remind us how the sheep died and where it came from.
There was pepper in the soup, which avoided the fishy smell, so Guo Shaodao did not feel the bloody pleasure of revenge. He then cut another piece and put it directly into his mouth, chewing while closing his eyes in ecstasy.
The quiet house exuded an elegant scholarly atmosphere, but when Guo Shao was here, he imagined mad iron horses, blood-spattered blades, and deafening screams of fighting.
Guo Shao let out a breath, opened his eyes, and saw Dong Zunhui also starting to use the knife and fork in the same way.
Dong Zunhui was very excited and devoted. No matter what unusual things Guo Shao did, the people who accompanied him would be flattered and cater to them, and would really devote themselves to it, making Guo Shao feel very comfortable. This was probably one of the benefits of being an emperor.
Dong Zunhui studied very hard. He was a child of aristocratic family, so his sitting posture and movements were very proper, and his archery hand was very stable. He was able to learn the art quite well.
Guo Shao picked up the wine glass, and Dong Zunhui hurriedly raised the glass with both hands, "I thank your majesty for the banquet, and I will drink it first as a sign of respect." After saying this, he raised his head and gulped down the glass of wine.
Guo Shao smiled, and could see that Dong Zunhui was still a little nervous. He glanced sideways, and Wang Zhong stepped forward to refill Dong Zunhui's glass.
But Guo Shao was not in a hurry. He took a sip and tasted the mellow sweet taste, which was exactly the opposite of the salty taste of mutton. This wine reminded people of the tenderness and beauty of women.
At this time, Dong Zunhui and Guo Shao talked about giving the prey to the villagers, and the two had a very pleasant conversation.
Guo Shao was savoring the various flavors carefully. The peaceful state of mind that came with relaxation was like a sigh of relief after long-term tension.
After lunch, Guo Shao took out a folded paper from his sleeve pocket, handed it to Dong Zunhui, and said casually: "I have approved the appointment letter from the Privy Council. The 20,000 infantry and cavalry of the right wing of the Huben Army will be led by General Dong from now on."
Dong Zunhui hurriedly knelt on one knee, took it with both hands, and said: "I will definitely live up to the important task entrusted to me by Your Majesty."
Dong Zunhui saw Guo Shao nod and said nothing more. He immediately stood up, clasped his fists, thanked him and left. He took a few steps back, then turned around and walked out of the room. At the door, he couldn't help but look back.
Seeing the sunlight pouring in from the carved windows, the emperor sitting on the chair had a gentle smile on his face and was looking at him. That bright and majestic man, with a spring-like gaze, made Dong Zunhui's heart brighten, as if he saw a bright future.
In the southern courtyard of Youzhou, Xiao Siwen remained silent but had some complaints. He thought Yelu Xiuguo was not doing a good job in guarding Youzhou and blamed him for provoking the anger of Zhou and bringing trouble upon himself.
The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are connected by fertile fields for thousands of miles, and the southern people have a population of hundreds of millions. Now that the Zhou Kingdom is in power, it would be inappropriate for the Liao Dynasty to delay the attack.
Yelu Xiuge was dissatisfied and said: How powerful is Guo the blacksmith
Xiao Siwen said: "Guo the blacksmith started from humble beginnings. Today, you and I have seen how he used his tactics and tactics. He fought in many battles in the past few years, conquered several countries, and suppressed rebellions with lightning speed. He was a brave man. He was promoted to a high position quickly from a humble background, and defeated the more powerful generals such as Zhao Kuangyin and Zhang Yongde. He was able to gather the chaotic forces of the Zhou Kingdom, and convinced the people to unite the civil and military forces into one. It can be seen that he also has some mental means to govern the country.
Xiao Siwen paused, and said in a more serious tone: Regardless of whether Guo Tiejiang is a powerful leader, I think the rise and fall of the Liao Dynasty depends on this man.
After hearing this, Yelu Xiu'ge became furious and repeatedly challenged the Khan to a fight.
He did not achieve any success in this battle. He led his troops to attack Jinzhuo, but it was like punching a wall. He also tried to encircle and harass the Zhou army's light cavalry from the rear, but his attack was in vain. Yelu Xiuguo was very angry about Xiao Siwen's words, but he could only speak with his achievements to show his strength.
Unexpectedly, none of the ministers supported him.
Yelu Xiuguo looked around, and everyone avoided his gaze. Yelu Xiuguo was furious, and suddenly a cold smile appeared on his face. He thought: When I won, you all cheered me for slaughtering people in Yizhou, but now you turn your backs on me when I lose.
At this time, a minister said: Zhou is firmly holding the Zhuogu-Anxinjin defense line, and the Liao Dynasty will find it difficult to break through. The army should retreat to the grassland for the time being. The Zhou people may build new cities in Wenyu River, Sanggan River and other places. When they divide their troops to guard, we will find an opportunity to defeat them one by one.
Finally found a good excuse to lure the enemy into dividing their forces and defeat them one by one. Yelu Xiu'ge sneered, saying that he was the person who was most unwilling to give up.
The minister's face was a little stiff: Otherwise, with hundreds of thousands of Liao people and hundreds of thousands of horses stationed in Youzhou, if things go on like this, what benefit will there be in consuming the Liao national product? We can only maintain a stalemate like this, which is useless.
Yelu Xiuguo said: "Don't be short-sighted. Many of you enjoy the products of Youzhou every year. Why divide the troops? Youzhou City is on the bank of the Sanggan River. Once the Zhou people build a city on the north bank of Jinzhou, they can attack Youzhou directly. Now under the threat of our army, Zhou dares to come up and build a city.
Yelu Xiu'ge turned his head and looked at Xiao Siwen coldly. I remember that Deputy Envoy Xiao also said that Youzhou is of vital importance to the Liao Dynasty.
Xiao Siwen was speechless.
The Liao army stayed in Youzhou for the winter and was unable to launch an effective large-scale attack. The Zhou people also held their southern defense line, without any action or incident. The battlefield of hundreds of thousands of troops was like a pool of stagnant water.
After the Lantern Festival ended on the battlefield in Hebei, the Liao army finally withdrew its main cavalry from Youzhou and quickly headed north. Most of its infantry and baggage were left in Youzhou, and the Zhou army was helpless against the Liao army after learning the news.
Guo Shao immediately summoned ministers and generals to discuss the matter in Bazhou.
He first met with Prime Minister Li Gu alone, and asked Li Gu to go south to dispatch supplies in the near future, first by land transportation to replenish the grain reserves in various cities; once the ice on the river melted, he would transport food, fodder and building materials north by water.
When we arrived at the lobby, a large painting was already hanging on the wooden frame on the upper side.
After everyone paid their respects, Wei Renpu, deputy envoy of the Privy Council, walked up to the wooden frame and pointed at the simple lines on the picture: a Y-shape that was roughly tilted to the left.
This is the Sanggan River, and to the east is the Wenyu River. Wei Renpu got straight to the point and said, and then he drew a circle with a brush in the middle of the word "Y" near the left branch. Youzhou City is roughly here, with the Sanggan River to the south of the city, and the moat water also draws water from this river.
Everyone looked at it intently, and the picture was easy to understand. Guo Shao waited quietly for Wei Renpu to explain the strategy of the Front Camp Military Office.
Wei Renpu pointed at the word "Ya" with his finger freely. When the river freezes in spring, he builds three cities here. The three cities are located between the two rivers. The west one is Yicheng, the middle one is Xuanrencheng, and the east one is Weicheng.
Once the three cities are built, two balanced defense lines will be formed between the river networks in the Hebei battlefield. The northern line includes the five cities of Zhuogu, Anyi, Xuanwei, and the southern line includes Yixiong, Ba, and Xinjin.
The northern line uses Xuanren City as the base camp for attacking Youzhou, which is located in the middle of the Y-shaped river. The army sets out from Xuanren City and marches westward along the north bank of the Sanggan River until it reaches the city of Youzhou. The remaining four cities are to support and protect the two northern lines and the two wings.
The five cities on the southern line protected the river transportation and formed a depth of attack and defense, so that the army could attack when advancing and defend when retreating, with plenty of room for maneuver.
Guo Shao looked around, but no one said anything. Li Chuyun and other generals knew that this strategy came from Guo Shao, so they would not easily object. However, it was difficult to estimate how much it would cost to do so. Guo Shao was the emperor, and he could afford the money, so the generals had no objection at all.
Wei Renpu waited for a while and then said: In this case, the elite cavalry of the imperial army will be stationed to the north of the site of Xuanren City, and a pontoon bridge will be built on the Sanggan River and Wenyu River, and an infantry camp will be set up for defense.
Before the Liao army marched south, they stepped up the construction of the city. They followed the method of the two cities of Xinjin, first building the outer forts of military fortifications, which could be completed within a month; first they gained a foothold, and then they built the city walls.
The earthen forts in the cities on the southern line were demolished, and the main force of the local army moved north to the northern line to build forts for defense.
Before the main force of the Liao army moved south, the various infantry and rural troops retreated to the southern line to rest, and the main cavalry force was stationed on the northern line.
After Wei Renpu finished speaking, he bowed to his superior. Guo Shao nodded and said: "Vice Envoy Wei's arrangement is very appropriate. My dear ministers, do you understand?"
Everyone bowed and said: We will follow your majesty's orders.
Upon seeing this, Guo Shao stood up and left. He had always maintained the straightforward style he had when he was a military general. He would leave as soon as he had finished speaking. Unless there was a dispute, there was no point in dragging on for too long.
People immediately bowed and shouted: Farewell, Your Majesty.
When Guo Shao returned to the signing room, he received a memorial from Tokyo, which mentioned that the Arab envoys from the Southern Han Dynasty had come to Tokyo to pay homage. Guo Shao immediately remembered the Arabs' excellent sailing ships, and without hesitation, he wrote a letter in his own hand and sent it back to Tokyo.
If we have better sailing ships, we may have more strategic options. The Arabs can sail to East Asia from as far away as Arabia. Then, wouldn’t it be very easy for the same sailing ships to sail near the Bohai Sea