It is easy to go from frugality to luxury, but it is difficult to go back from luxury to frugality.
Northern Qi is in such a situation now.
If Zhuli Zhenren is still making a living by fishing and hunting outside the customs, and is still a "foreign race", then as the leader of Zhuli Zhenren, Emperor Yongping will not feel angry or ashamed when facing this situation. .
but…
Northern Qi has been prosperous for more than sixty years.
More than sixty years ago, Zhu Lizhen's cavalry of the Northern Qi Dynasty, or rather the cavalry of the Northern Qi Dynasty, almost swept the world. If he hadn't met Zhao Chong, if he hadn't met that scholar from the Southern Dynasties, the world today would not be in the same situation as the Northern and Southern Dynasties. Daqi has long dominated the world!
Even so, in the more than sixty years of this confrontation, Daqi has always had the upper hand. You must know that even in the seventh year of Hongde a few years ago, that is, the twenty-eighth year of Yongping, the Southern Dynasty still had the upper hand against Daqi. Submissive.
At that time, Emperor Yongping sent a princess to Jiankang to "grant a marriage". Even if the emperor of the Southern Dynasties became so angry, he had to hold his nose and admit it in the end.
During the more than thirty years of Emperor Yongping's reign, he had always acted as a superior to the Southern Dynasties. Especially twenty years ago, Zhou Jin'an defeated the Southern Dynasty's Northern Expedition, leaving the Southern Dynasty emperor so angry that he lay ill in bed and died in depression. After that, this superior posture became more obvious.
Emperor Yongping, even though he was bedridden, never took the Southern Dynasty seriously.
But in recent years...
To be precise, within the past two years, after an additional Huai'an Army was added to the south, the situation suddenly changed drastically!
By now, even Emperor Yongping had to recognize the reality. His views on the Southern Dynasties...
It's getting a little out of control.
The main reason for this situation is not that there was an extra Huai'an Army or Shen Yi in the Southern Dynasty...
In the final analysis, Daqi is continuing to weaken!
For more than sixty years, the upper-class nobility of Zhuli Zhen, and even ordinary Zhuli Zhenren, have been visibly corrupted.
This kind of corruption is irreversible.
Because everyone has been fishing and hunting outside the pass for many years, and has suffered enough from the white mountains and black waters. After finally entering the pass, becoming a master, and enjoying countless glory and wealth, who would want to get back on horseback?
The first generation Zhu Li Zhenren who entered the customs could barely retain some fighting power. However, after entering the customs, as time went by, as soon as Yanzhi lay under the quilt in Wenrou Township, who would be willing to go back on horseback to hunt roe deer?
There are not many people left.
Now, three generations later, there are only a few Zhuli Zhen nobles in the Northern Qi Dynasty, and even ordinary Zhuli Zhenren, who can mount a horse and shoot arrows.
As an emperor, Emperor Yongping himself had no way to change this situation.
Because the Zhao family themselves also slept with women and enjoyed glory and wealth.
We cannot only allow the royal family to enjoy the blessings, but not others.
In that case, these Zhu Lizhen nobles will rebel.
As the emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty for more than thirty years, Emperor Yongping could be said to have witnessed with his own eyes the changes in the Northern Qi Dynasty from the first generation to the third generation, and also watched the national power weaken little by little.
Up to now, the national power of the Northern Qi Dynasty has weakened to a certain extent. After the Southern Dynasty experienced a southern crossing, the rate of decline miraculously slowed down. Until now, since Emperor Hongde took charge, it cannot be said how the national power has increased, at least...
It is no longer weak.
This is how we are now.
After Emperor Yongping coughed violently a few times, he threw the square handkerchief aside and breathed heavily.
In the profession of emperor, there is nothing more painful than watching one's own country become weaker and weaker.
In the past, he could still indulge in the flattery of civil and military officials and deceive himself and others, but now...
Shen Qidu has already begun to take the initiative to attack the territory of Daqi!
In the Nuan Pavilion, His Majesty the Emperor of Da Qi was quietly leaning on a soft couch alone. Under the dim candlelight, His Majesty the Emperor's somewhat cloudy eyes were reflected.
At this time, it was already Shen Shi, and the sky had already darkened.
I don't know how long it took before the emperor slowly spoke: "Liu Yi."
Liu Yi, the personal eunuch of Emperor Yongping, immediately came out, bowed his head to the emperor and said, "Master, please give me your orders."
Emperor Yongping's voice was a little hoarse: "Go and tell Ma Cheng to come to the palace to see me."
Eunuch Liu lowered his head and was talking when he heard His Majesty the Emperor's voice coming again: "Summon the eldest prince into the palace again."
Eunuch Liu was stunned and asked: "Master, should we separate them one by one, or should we invite them all to come in to see you?"
The emperor closed his eyes and said, "Find the boss first. If Ma Cheng comes, let him wait outside."
Liu Yi nodded and then went down to do errands.
About half an hour later, the eldest prince Zhao Tong, who received the oral order late at night, rushed to the palace.
At this time, His Highness the First Prince was in a very excited mood.
Because my father has been ill for several years.
Almost no one in Yandu City knew about this matter.
The old father is seriously ill. Logically speaking, the eldest son should be worried. However, since he was born into the royal family and his father is seriously ill, it is serious good news for him.
Because as the eldest son of the emperor, he is already thirty-five years old this year!
Many emperors in history were already lying in the imperial mausoleum at his age, which was very revealing.
And at this moment, my father suddenly called me into the palace late at night, could it be...!
Thinking of this, the eldest prince became even more excited. He almost ran to the Nuan Pavilion, carefully knocked on the door, and whispered: "Father..."
Soon, Emperor Yongping's voice came from inside.
"Come in."
"Eh."
The eldest prince responded, opened the door and walked in. He knelt on the ground with a plop, kowtowed to his old father and said, "Father, are you looking for me?"
At this time, the lamps were lit in the Nuan Pavilion, and it was very bright. The emperor glanced at the panting eldest son, frowned and said, "Why are you panting?"
Zhao Tong lowered his head and said, "Back to my father, my son heard his father's call late at night and hurried over in fear of something urgent."
"It's not an emergency."
Emperor Yongping lowered his head and took a sip of tea, then rubbed his dry eyes, looked at his eldest son, and said, "I have an errand that I want to leave to you."
The eldest son of the emperor touched his head to the ground and said in a respectful tone: "Father, the emperor ordered."
"I am ready..."
He paused and said, "Rebuild a Zhu Lizhen Cavalry."
His Majesty the Emperor said quietly: "The Zhu Lizhen cavalry of the Qi Dynasty was unmatched in the world. Now sixty or seventy years have passed, the cavalry has been abandoned. Every hometown in the capital is indulging in pleasure. Those who can mount a horse and bend a bow , ten do not save one.”
"Boss, I want you to reorganize this cavalry. You are my eldest son. I will send you to lead this cavalry, so each family has no reason to shirk."
"If I give birth to a son, each of their families will also give birth to a son."
The emperor said solemnly: "Back then, when our great Qi entered the pass, only tens of thousands of cavalry were able to overwhelm the entire Chen Kingdom. Now I don't want you to train tens of thousands of cavalry, I only need you to train 10,000 cavalry."
Having said this, the emperor closed his eyes and said, "But there is one thing I want to make clear to you."
"Each of them has a lot of horses in the enclosure. They have to take care of the cavalry and horses themselves."
The eldest prince was completely stunned!
He looked up at his old father blankly and swallowed.
"Father, this..."
The emperor narrowed his eyes: "What is this?"
The eldest prince almost cried. He lowered his head and stuttered, "This is so... offending."
The emperor snorted: "How can you offend me?"
The eldest prince didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He knelt on the ground and said, "Father, in this hometown, which family has a big business and a happy life, who else is willing to join the army? Originally, Father, you gave an order, and from our Zhuli It would not be difficult to gather 10,000 people among the real people, but my father...but the court didn't even send out war horses, and..."
He swallowed, lowered his head and said, "Besides, I'm training troops at this time, so I'm afraid I'll have to go into the battlefield..."
"If I don't go to the battlefield, what will I do to train my troops?"
The emperor was a little angry.
He patted the table, glared at the eldest son, and shouted: "You are my son, why are you afraid of offending others? This is all for the sake of our family's country. You have enjoyed so many years of blessings, and you cannot replace the imperial court. Do you want to help me?"
The eldest prince Zhao Tong felt despair in his heart.
He is a prince, so it doesn't matter if he offends people, and no one would dare to do anything to him, but he knows in his heart that at this juncture, if the emperor's father sends him to offend people...
Then the throne is probably no longer destined for him.
Zhao Tong was afraid of the emperor's authority, and he did not dare to offend his old father. He could only lower his head and kowtow: "Son... I obey my command."
The emperor then nodded and said: "You should think about the specific regulations after you go back. In the first half of this year, this cavalry will be trained."
"Remember, it's not just ordinary Zhuli masters who want to have sons, but also the nobles."
"No one can escape."
The emperor said in a low voice: "I have given birth to a son, and each of their families must have at least one son."
Zhao Tong kowtowed and said, "My son, I understand."
The emperor waved his hand and said: "Okay, just retreat."
Zhao Tongzhan was trembling and retreated cautiously.
After he left, Ma Cheng, the Prime Minister of the Council, knelt in front of the emperor and kowtowed: "Your Majesty."
The emperor glanced at him and sighed silently.
"Ma Qing, I want you to go to the north."
The emperor said quietly.
"Go and talk to the Tatars."
Ma Xiang lowered his head and spoke respectfully.
"Old minister...obey your order..."
(End of chapter)
