…
Tuoba Hongye's expression was dull, and there was no emotion or joy in his deep facial expression. There was a deathly silence in the tent...
The soldiers who came to report the battle situation were kneeling on the ground without even daring to raise their heads. Feeling the suffocating and oppressive atmosphere, sweat soaked through their linen clothes in the blink of an eye.
I don't know how long it took, but Tuoba Hongye raised his hand slightly and said softly: "I understand, let's go down first."
As if they had received amnesty, the soldiers quickly stood up and exited the tent.
"You should also step back and let me be quiet..."
Tuoba Hongye waved his hand and sent out all the Mongluo Empire generals accompanying him in the tent. Soon, only Tuoba Hongye was left alone in the huge golden tent.
"Am I really wrong?"
Tuoba Hongye leaned back on the dragon chair, sighed, closed his eyes and began to think about the necessity of this war.
As a king who unified the grassland, how could Tuoba Hongye not expect all the unfavorable factors that would happen in this war? He also knew that this war might cause the grassland to fall apart.
However, Tuoba had no choice. Even though he knew the risks involved, he still resolutely launched the Southern Expedition because he knew that this war could never be avoided. This mistake was made by Liu Ce, but he stupidly jumped into it. .
This pit is the trade contract signed with Liu Ce back then, and the newly built Guining City is the sting in the pit, which can send you to hell at any time!
The reason why he agreed to trade with Liu Ce back then was that the grassland tribes suffered heavy losses due to natural disasters, so as to improve the lives of each tribe.
Secondly, the grassland ministries had little experience in governing cities and towns, so they took this opportunity to learn and cultivate many talents for future rule in the Central Plains and the West.
The third thing is to let all the grassland ministries see the true face of the profiteers in the Central Plains more clearly. After all, when they secretly traded with Da Zhou, the price of the urgently needed supplies on the grassland was ten times that of the customs. This group of profit-seeking profiteers can make Meng Luo Herdsmen from various tribes within the territory developed more hatred towards the Han people.
However, Tuoba Hongye never expected that none of the three steps he envisioned would be achieved.
In the first step, life among various grassland tribes has indeed improved significantly due to the expansion of trade, but only the aristocratic class has improved. Ordinary herders have not benefited much from it, but they can barely obtain food and clothing.
In the second step, his son Tuoba Si, whom he sent to learn how to govern cities and towns, was deeply attracted by the culture of the Han Dynasty. Even when Tuoba Hongye wanted to close Guining City and start a war with the Han Dynasty, Tuoba Si was the first to oppose it. Postscript!
In the third step, a complete judicial and taxation agency was established in Guining City in the Han Dynasty. All transactions were recorded, eliminating any possibility of inflation and allowing both the Han and Mongolian parties to purchase the materials they needed at reasonable prices. The so-called Once profiteers appear, they will be suppressed (fined) and have nowhere to hide.
As a result, all Tuoba Hongye's previous plans were shattered, and what was even more terrifying was that his reputation among the herdsmen and nobles on the grassland gradually weakened due to the existence of Guining City, until he proposed to close Guining City. At that time, he encountered strong opposition from the nobles of the Yawata tribe!
The closure of Guining City has already affected the interests of Hachiman's various tribes. Many of the Munro nobles have moved to Guining City to settle down. They are used to enjoying this comfortable life of gaining huge wealth without killing. Who is willing to continue to conquer everywhere? ?
The so-called transition from frugality to luxury is easy. Once they enjoy the dividends brought by the market economy, it is simply impossible for them to return to their previous lives!
In the end, despite everyone's opposition, Tuoba Hongye forced an end to all trade activities in Guining City and took all the Han people into custody. Although the Yawata nobles said nothing on the surface, one can imagine the resentment in their hearts.
They told all the Central Plains merchants in advance that trade in Guining City was to be stopped and that the Mongolian army was going to march south. After hearing the news, all the Han Dynasty merchants returned to the pass almost overnight and told the news to the guard of Xuanwu Pass. , causing the soldiers of Xuanwu Pass to prepare for the battle in advance.
In addition, these Mengluo nobles also spread rumors that were detrimental to Tuoba Hongye's prestige within their respective tribes, allowing the herdsmen to direct their resentment toward the royal court.
The herdsmen of this era were illiterate and it was foolish to expect them to understand the justice of the country. Most of them only cared about whether they could have enough to eat twice a day and whether their winter clothes could keep out the cold.
During the trade with Guining City, although the income of these herdsmen was not comparable to that of the nobles, they still used mare's milk, wool, cheese, and skins from hunting to exchange for much-needed salt, tea bricks, and even cloth and grain.
In recent years, many herdsmen have relied on trading with Central Plains merchants in Guining City to obtain survival supplies. Now that they have suddenly been cut off from a shortcut, it is impossible not to complain at all.
However, it is precisely because of understanding these actual situations that Tuoba Hongye is even more urgent to use a war to restore his reputation as the leader of the world and reshape his inviolable impression in the hearts of the herdsmen.
His words to win the hearts of the people are very simple. Don’t you like the colorful world of the Central Plains? Then come in with me and live there from now on. Wouldn't it be better than now?
I have to say that these words were indeed very effective. They suddenly made the originally dissatisfied herdsmen of the Yawata tribe focus their hearts on Tuoba Hongye again.
He overcame all difficulties and finally stabilized the people's hearts, assembled an army of 600,000, and marched towards Xuanwu Pass in a mighty manner.
However, as the war progressed, and several months of standing still under Xuanwu Pass gradually spread rumors among the army, and war-weariness filled almost every military camp.
For this war, Tuoba Hongye invested all the grain he had purchased from the Han Dynasty into the army, and also collected countless grains and grasses from various grassland ministries. But even so, the grains and grasses for 600,000 horses were like a bottomless pit. In just a few months, Falling into a food shortage situation.
Today, these 600,000 troops are like a powder keg. Tuoba Hongye is sitting on the powder keg. Once there is a spark, he can blow himself up to nothing.
At this moment, Tuoba Si slowly walked into the tent, saw Tuoba Hongye, and immediately knelt down and said: "Father, there is a shortage of food and grass in the army.
It is really impossible to continue to confront the Han Dynasty. Before autumn is over, we should make a truce with the Han Dynasty and let our people go back to recuperate. "
Suddenly, Tuoba Hongye stood up and clenched his fists: "No, I must not retreat! I am the common master of the world, the Holy Emperor who single-handedly created the glory of the Mengluo Empire. I am everything, how can I fail like this? I will never allow it!" "
Hearing this, Tuoba Si closed his eyes in pain, crossed his hands on his chest, and said loudly: "Father, please think about our 20 million people on the grassland. If we continue like this, how will they survive this winter?" ? Let’s make a truce and make peace, no more fighting!”
"Tuoba Si! Get out of here! I don't want to see you again!"
"Father!"
"Get out! I told you to get out, did you hear me?"
Tuoba Si sighed helplessly, bowed and then sadly exited the golden tent.
Watching Tuoba Si leave, Tuoba Hongye sat back on the dragon chair feebly and said to himself: "Even my son can't understand me. I know the current situation better than you.
But do you know that if we don’t enter the customs this time, the Munro Empire will never have a chance to compete with the Central Plains, and even the empire I built will be destroyed in one day!
You all don’t understand me, no one can understand me, I just want to find a comfortable land for our people in the Munro Empire, why don’t you understand my intentions! "
Tuoba Hongye took a long breath and looked at the vast map of the Central Plains drawn with sheepskin on a screen in the tent. Then he patted the handle of the dragon chair and his eyes became bright again.
"There should also be some movement in the Chu Kingdom in the south!"
