"I hope Han Xin can arrive in Luoyang as soon as possible, and the efforts we have planned for him to make up for the situation will not be in vain."
Lu Pheasant pondered, still having a question in his mind.
"It stands to reason that all this should be within His Majesty's expectations.
Since he dared to use Shu Sun Tong's strategy to test the princes and kings, he must have some backup plans and be prepared for these people to fall out at any time? "
Zhang Liang didn't say anything. He just took out a small diamond-patterned copper kettle from his pocket. He pulled out the cork from the spout with a bang and said, "Old minister, I've lost my manners." He raised his head and drank a few sips. .
The aroma of wine suddenly overflowed in the hall and lingered. Even though the two of them were discussing a life-and-death military matter, Lu Zhi couldn't help but smile.
"Isn't Taifu in the process of fasting? How can he still drink? If His Majesty sees it, I will ask you again."
Zhang Liang smacked his lips with satisfaction and chuckled,
"This is not an ordinary wine, it is medicinal wine, medicinal wine. I think back then, I dug it out from a pile of recipes left by the Shennong family, prepared the medicine according to the recipe, and brewed it according to the recipe.
Drinking a little during inedia will be of great benefit. If His Majesty saw it, he would just ask him to have a few bites. "
As he spoke, he carefully put the cork back in, pressed it a few more times, put the flask back into his arms, and said seriously,
"As for the Queen's guess, it's either right or wrong.
According to the observation of the old minister, despite His Majesty's prediction, if the seven princes and kings really join forces and attack in groups, no one can resist it.
Therefore, His Majesty's tests are tests, but in the end, he mainly focuses on caressing and divides and conquers. "
Lu Pheasant nodded slowly. Liu Ji was best at employing people. His understanding and understanding of people's hearts have been praised by countless emperors in later generations.
As shrewd as he is, he will naturally not put himself on the fire all at once, but will defeat them one by one, just like Qin destroyed the six kingdoms.
The first target of the princes and kings he planned to attack should also be the most certain and the one with the most guaranteed victory.
"Among the seven kingdoms with different surnames, Han Xin's Chu Kingdom, Han Wangxin's Han Kingdom, Ying Bu's Huainan Kingdom, Pengyue's Liang Kingdom, and Wu Rui's Changsha Kingdom were all feudalized by your Majesty.
By the way, there is also the State of Zhao, so there is no need to worry about it at this moment. After all, King Zhao Zhang Ao himself is still in Luoyang.
Then, the first person who can’t hold back is probably——”
Every time Lu Pheasant read the name of a country, he pinched his fingers. At this point, he stopped abruptly and only glanced at Zhang Liang quickly.
Even though she was unaware of this period of history, she still had a clear understanding of the current situation with the wisdom and experience accumulated in two lifetimes.
"Yes, I can't help but worry that the Yan State of Zang Tu in the north is not of my race, and their minds must be different."
Zang Tu was Xiang Yu's old subordinate, but he had always been at odds with Xiang Yu. He dominated the northern border area, and his territory spanned northern Hebei and western Liaoning. He ruled the entire old Yan Kingdom, with Jicheng as his capital.
In line with the policy of seclusion and self-preservation, Zang Tu always held an attitude of watching the war from the other side of the Central Plains. His stance also wavered, sometimes following Chu, sometimes following Han, and he only obeyed the winner and did not talk about loyalty.
Among the seven kings with different surnames who gathered in Dingtao to elect Liu Ji as emperor, Zang Tu was an outlier, and naturally could not gain the trust of Liu Ji and the Han officials.
"Zang Tu and His Majesty are not of the same mind. When I surrendered, it was only a temporary measure. Sooner or later something will happen.
What's more, they say it's easier to enjoy the shade with your back against a big tree. "Lu Pheasant said quietly.
In terms of the location of the land of Youyan, the old Yan Kingdom was located in the northeastern corner of the Central Plains. Since it was canonized by the Emperor of Zhou, it was forced between the Rong and Di in the northern grasslands and shouldered the important task of guarding the northern frontier of the Central Plains Dynasty.
But now, time has passed, and the vast prairie has an unprecedentedly powerful new overlord. Anyone with a discerning eye can clearly see who the big tree he is leaning on behind Zang Tu, King of Yan, who was already very similar to the Emperor of Han.
"If King Yan's rebellion is revealed this time, I expect that Your Majesty has a plan to deal with it, and the safety of the country will not be in danger.
However, while annihilating Zang Tu, we must also appease Zhao State, which is also in the north and borders Yan. I'm afraid..."
Lu Pheasant hesitated to speak, a trace of gloom could not help but creep into his heart.
Zhang Liangliang understood this and felt that he had nothing to do. He sighed and said,
"I'm afraid that the queen will prepare for Princess Lu Yuan's wedding soon."
***
Luoyang Nangong, it is forbidden to discuss affairs.
During this discussion, there was still no sign of the new Zhao King Zhang Ao, but a new member, Lou Jing, was added.
Lou Jing finally changed out of his smelly sheepskin coat and put on a straight ramie train that had been bleached until it turned white. However, due to his humble status, he did not dare to wear a crown, and only had a plain cap (zé) to cover his hair.
Liu Ji sat with his feet hanging down on a table. People in the Han Dynasty generally sat on their knees. Sitting with their feet hanging down is the most immodest posture and often arouses people's disgust.
But now it was the emperor who was sitting with his feet down, and everyone did not dare to say anything. They only looked at the new piece of furniture under him.
It was a double-layered gilt and jade wood pouf, divided into upper and lower layers. The four legs on the lower floor could be opened to various angles to adjust the height of the pouf.
What's even better is that the faces are actually carved from a single piece of jade, and the white jade faces exude a refreshing coolness in the hot summer.
Seeing everyone's curious faces, Liu Ji smiled and patted them a few times.
"This looks like an old thing from the Qin Palace. They found it somewhere. I thought it was good, so I used it.
Look at this exquisite workmanship. The rich have vast fields, the poor have no strength to stand upright, the people are poor but the master does not accept the charity, and the luxury is extremely extravagant. It is no wonder that the second generation died. "
At this point, he suddenly stood up from the table and walked around the room with his hands behind his back.
"So, I came to you today to discuss three things. One is the arrangements for the imperial meeting, the other is letting the main army return home, and the other is the matter of moving the capital."
Everyone looked at each other, then lowered their gazes, waiting for the emperor to continue speaking.
"Chen Ping, come and tell them how the various princes and kings responded to the great dynasty meeting."
Chen Ping, who was sitting on the left, responded and turned his body slightly to the crowd.
"At present, among the seven princes and kings, King Xin of Han, King Yingbu of Huainan, King Pengyue of Liang, King Wu Rui of Changsha, and King Zhang Ao of Zhao have successively come to the meeting, agreed with His Majesty's initiative of the Great Court Meeting, and promised to come to see him in October. Debrief.
But King Zang Tu of Yan has not responded yet, and King Han Xin of Chu—" Chen Ping paused, seeming to be thinking about how to word his words.
"Han Xin, oh, Han Xin, is on his way here and will arrive in Luoyang soon." Liu Ji took over the conversation,
"He used a fast horse to give me a seal, saying that this king of Chu is very boring. He wants to come to Luoyang City to stay for a while and doesn't want to go back to Chu land."
Everyone opened their mouths, and they could no longer tell whether they were shocked by Zang Tu's rebellion or shocked by Han Xin's dependence.
Fan Kuai couldn't help it, and shouted angrily,
"Then Han Xin is just hypocritical. I can't stand his pretentiousness. It doesn't matter if he lives in Luoyang, I will have three hundred fights with him every day to see who can win!
And that Zang Tu, your Majesty, don't worry, just give me 50,000 soldiers and horses, and take him from Jicheng to Luoyang to see you! "
Liu Ji chuckled,
"You can't stand Han Xin, and he can't stand you either. He always thinks you are a businessman.
As for Zang Tu, don't worry. "
Liu Ji walked back to the jade table and sat down, his eyes shining brightly.
"It's going to rain, and my mother wants to get married. We can't force it, so let's just stay the same and cope with all changes.
I sent him the second edict this morning and asked him what he wanted to do. Come or not come, why not come, at least there must be an explanation. "
He seemed a little distracted, but then he brightened up.
“Whether they come or not, the things we need to advance here cannot be delayed any longer.
The most urgent task is for all soldiers to give up and return home.
Six hundred thousand soldiers have fought with us for so many years. Those who deserve rewards will be given titles, and those who deserve to go home and farm will be given fields. "
Facing his eyes, Prime Minister Xiao He cleared his throat and said,
"According to His Majesty's wishes, we have drawn up several articles, divided into three parts: granting titles, granting land, and exempting rent, tax, and corvee.
I won’t go into details today. In short, all officers and soldiers will be awarded at least the fifth-class title, and the court will take 30% of the country’s land and distribute it to all officers and soldiers. On average, each person will receive a total of 50%. hectares of fields. "
Titles represented hierarchical status, while fields represented economic wealth. Everyone understood that this was an explanation of the nine-year campaign and a major reshuffle of the newly established early Han society.
“This money is so painful to spend, but it’s worth it.
If we calculate it as a family of five, then 600,000 soldiers correspond to a population of 3 million. "Liu Ji scratched his head,
"And these three million people are the foundation of our great Han Dynasty, Jinou, and the stability of the world."
The imperial court spent a lot of money, and even the emperor used old things from the previous dynasty, but in exchange for it, three million people from all over the world voluntarily and happily became the staunchest supporters of the Han Empire. It was indeed a good deal.
