Guo Shao was wearing military uniform and armor, which looked similar to the attire of military generals at first glance, but newer and cleaner. Because Guo Shao did not need to go into battle, the armor and weapons were just attire, and he had never used his sword.
But Guo Shao must be like the warriors. He was born a military general, but his position has completely changed. Military generals only want military achievements, but he wants to consolidate and govern the territory he conquered. A pure military general cannot keep his position.
Sometimes the civil and military officials would discuss noisily in front of the emperor, or even argue endlessly. But sometimes they would remain silent, and at this time Guo Shao would come forward to say something.
He then opened his mouth and said loudly: In just a few years, I and you have fought from Youzhou in Hebei to the South China Sea, and now we have pacified Xiazhou and other states. The territory of Daxu has expanded more than twice compared to when the Zhou Dynasty was founded.
This sentence inspired the spirits of the ministers, and they all bowed and said: Your Majesty is a master of martial arts.
Guo Shao added: "However, our monarch and ministers must not be arrogant and reckless, and the lower plate must be stable. Now Pingxia has won a great victory, but the Pingxia army's firearms are worn out and need to be repaired, and the ammunition and food are insufficient; the northwest is a large area, and we should prepare properly before planning. When the states are stabilized, the imperial army will return to the court to reward the meritorious service.
When it comes to rewarding meritorious service, the military officers are happy again. After the founding of Daxu, the world has become more peaceful, but compared to the previous dynasties that completely relied on the military to protect power and position and rewarded at all costs, the current rewards have not been reduced. So this matter is really worth looking forward to.
Guo Shao didn't say some things because he felt that there was no need to say them out loud to dampen morale. The generals present were all veteran generals who had fought hundreds of battles since the founding of the country. They were experienced in battle formations, and Guo Shao believed that they could understand the situation of this battle and future wars.
The results of the Battle of Wuding River were astonishing, but unless the foreigners were extremely stupid, there would never be a chance to replicate this battle.
Matchlock guns and copper cannons were used in battles for the first time, and new tactics were born. If the opponent did not understand, they would cooperate with the battle and would conservatively use dense formations to fight a decisive battle. This was the only way to achieve a surprise victory and catch the Tangut-Khitan coalition off guard.
Otherwise, even if Guo Shao could win, it would not be so easy. If he wanted to set up a decisive battle, he had to ask his opponent whether he agreed or not.
And in future battles, the enemy will never be fooled again.
Xu's army was in the northwest, and the supply problem was huge. The total force was less than 100,000. With so many people, the cost of using troops and the pressure on the treasury were huge. Guo Shao was unwilling to become a mortal enemy with everyone at once.
If you don't give them even a little chance to survive, everyone will unite to attack you. Guo Shao should be prepared to slow down, not be too aggressive, divide and induce the situation.
Guo Shao did use new things at critical moments based on the experience of later generations, but in daily management, he still had to try his best to adapt to the rules. Firearms could not solve all problems.
But war does make many problems simpler.
He pondered for a moment, and then said: The northwest is very large, riding a good horse for a round can tire the horse to death. He said with a relieved tone, fortunately, our dynasty has occupied the Pingxia states, eliminating a major flank threat. I will discuss with my ministers to set up the Pingxia Xingzai Province in Pingxia, temporarily govern this place, let the court gain a foothold here, and then make progress.
The so-called "Xingzai" means temporary. For example, the official title conferred on Guo Shao during his expedition sometimes had the word "Xingzai" in it.
The crowd shouted: Your Majesty is wise
Guo Shao did not stay any longer, and immediately stood up and left the table, glancing at Zhe Dejian who had just arrived. After some courtesy between the emperor and his subjects, he turned around and went to the signing room behind the government office.
Not long after, the eunuch Wang Zhong said: Your Majesty summoned the Shuofang Jiedushi Lingzhou Zhe Dejian to come in for an audience.
Zhe Dejian immediately bowed and said: I obey your order.
As soon as Zhe Dejian followed the eunuch into the signing room, he heard a loud laugh. Guo Shao said with a smile: "General Zhe, it's been more than a year since we last met. Come and play a game with me to see if my chess skills have improved."
I am honored. Zhe Dejian also smiled when he saw the emperor was very happy.
Guo Shao asked Zhe Dejian to sit across from him and set up the chessboard with great interest. Guo Shao knew that although Zhe Dejian was a military commander, he came from a noble family and was proficient in archery, horse riding, shooting, chess, calligraphy and painting. At least he was much better at chess than he was, and he just let him win last time.
Guo Shao immediately said happily: If General Zhe wins this game against me, I will make you a Duke, and the title will be hereditary for your descendants.
Zhe Dejian was startled for a moment, with an expression of disbelief on his face, and he was unable to come back to his senses for a long time.
Guo Shao still had a very sincere smile on his face. He glanced at him and said, "Sir, I'm not joking."
Zhe Dejian hurriedly clasped his fists and said: "I dare not accept such a great favor, for I am afraid of criticism from the court officials."
Guo Shao pointed at the chessboard and said, "Come on, I want to confer a title, it is my power, what reason can you have to object to it?" He added, "Mr. Zhe and General Zhe both defended the northwest on behalf of the court, they were loyal and made outstanding military achievements; in this Pingxia campaign, I heard that General Zhe made Lingzhou's defenses impregnable and sent people to help me. Although he did not participate in the battle, he actually made great contributions to the overall victory. Although General Zhe was not conferred a title before, he will be rewarded sooner or later."
After hearing this, Zhe Dejian knelt on the ground and bowed, saying: "I bow to thank the emperor for his grace."
Guo Shao stood up and pulled him up personally, saying: Don't thank me yet, wait until you win.
Zhe Dejian's face flushed, but Guo Shao burst into laughter. Seeing this, he couldn't help but laugh along.
To be honest, Zhe Dejian had played chess with Guo Shao and felt that Guo Shao had indeed learned a lot of chess tactics, but after all, he had not practiced enough. Zhe Dejian thought he could beat him easily, but whether he won or lost, it was not easy to do it just right and make His Majesty interested.
Besides, is this game of chess worth winning or losing
Guo Shao placed a piece casually, and the two of them started playing very quickly. Because there are only a few routines in the early stages of playing chess, people usually don't place pieces randomly. No one would put a piece right in the middle at the beginning. People usually try to occupy the corners and then the sides.
Guo Shao started with ease and said in a casual tone: The only regret in this battle is that I failed to capture Li Yiyin.
Zhe Dejian said: However, your Majesty has been defeated and has lost all his strength. He is at the end of his rope.
Guo Shao said: The four barbarians are warlike and brave in battle, but in my opinion, their weakness is obvious, that is, they are very easy to split apart. General Zhe looks at the various Tibetan tribes now. For example, the Dangxiang are composed of many scattered clans. Without the Tuoba clan, it is indeed difficult to gather them together. General Zhe, do you know why
Zhe Dejian thought for a moment and felt that this was not a question to him, so he said: "I am stupid, Your Majesty, please teach me."
Guo Shaodao: The population of their tribes is attached to a family, which is a personal dependence relationship. The common people do not recognize others, and have no country in their hearts. They only recognize the nobles they are attached to. Therefore, it is very easy for each tribe to split up and govern themselves. Ordinary people and surnames cannot control them.
Zhe Dejian agreed first: Your Majesty's words make sense, and I feel enlightened.
His heart was getting more and more tense, and the chess piece in his hand became heavier. No wonder the emperor did not reward him directly, but added a condition to win the game.
This may seem like child's play, but in reality it is not at all. Speaking of this game of chess alone, the person who can determine the outcome is Zhe Dejian, and the decision-making power also lies with him.
So, should we win, or should we not win