The autumn harvest was completed in October, and the kingdom immediately mobilized troops. The city of Qincongcan was in a commotion, and the horn of war sounded.
The Guakili Army marched south from Hekou County, traveling hundreds of miles a day, and arrived at the military camp outside the royal capital in two days. Twenty thousand garrison troops from Gyeonggi Province went south and were stationed in the south of Ivacio City. Orosh's Gyeonggi Army is fully prepared and ready to attack at any time. An artillery battalion was officially incorporated into the King's Guards Corps. The artillery battalion currently has five hundred gunners, ten condor cannons, and thirty squatting tiger cannons. The required gunpowder and projectiles are being prepared intensively and will be replenished soon.
The morning sun is rising and the smoke is curling up. The prayers of the Lord God sounded in the capital, just like the Kingdom of God coming to the world. This is a morning prayer, before breakfast begins. The sound of prayer was like a grand piece of music, reaching into the Palace of Winds and falling into Shulot's ears. He smiled cheerfully.
"Praise the Lord God! After several years of hard work, the Lord God's faith is finally solidified in the capital."
Then, the king continued to lower his head and looked at the sand table in front of him. This is the terrain sandbox of the southern part of the kingdom. Although it is roughly constructed, it is very intuitive to look at. In the sand table, towns, villages and easily accessible roads have been marked, both in Zicao County and in the southwestern mountainous area.
Around the sand table, there are three legion commanders: Bertard, Orosh, and Toltec. Ezpan of the Second Lancer Corps has been stationed in the southernmost part of Gyeonggi Province, always alert to the southern nobles. Everyone discussed it all night, and now they were a little tired. The maids served sweet and sour honey tea with sticky purple figs as a snack to relieve fatigue.
At this time, a personal guard came from outside the hall and lowered his head to report.
"Your Majesty, Chief Minister, Sage Jatiri, I request an audience!"
Hearing this, Shulot was a little surprised. He looked at the sky. The sun had just risen, so why did it come so early?
"Please invite the sage into the palace quickly!"
"As you command, Your Majesty."
The guards were about to leave when they heard the king change his words.
"No, I will go to the palace gate to greet you personally!"
One or two years after the Northern Expedition, the current prosperity and peace in the royal capital, the lake area, and even the entire kingdom depended entirely on the governance of the Jatiri sages and the missionary priesthood. In other words, the missionary priesthood is the "civilian official" who actually manages the kingdom, and the chief minister is the "prime minister" of the kingdom. Although the power of "civilians" and "prime ministers" in the Kingdom's Songun system was greatly weakened, their functions were irreplaceable.
After all, Shulot couldn't rely on military nobles to govern the entire country. He was also unwilling to hand over state affairs to the generals.
Outside the hall, Jatiri looked serious, holding the sage's staff and wearing the chief's robe. He is meticulous and has an unworldly temperament that makes people respect him at first sight. When he saw the king approaching quickly, he bowed his head solemnly and saluted.
"Your Majesty, I greet you!"
"Dear sage, the sky has just broken, and you are here."
Shulot said with a friendly smile.
"I haven't had breakfast yet, why don't you come with me and try the palace breakfast?"
Jatiri bowed deeply.
"Your Majesty, I request that I meet you alone!"
"Ah! A solo pair?"
Shulot was a little surprised. After pondering for a moment, he guessed the other party's intention, which was a bit tricky. In the entire kingdom, the only ones who are wary of war are probably Chief Jatiri and the missionary priests.
On the one hand, the kingdom's missionary priesthood has absorbed many elites from Prepecha and has connections with nobles from all over the south. Its determination to deal with the south is not firm. On the other hand, launching a war will consume a lot of financial and material resources and lead to the further growth of the power of the military aristocracy. The war taking place within the kingdom will also severely reduce the kingdom's commercial taxes. Many foreign businessmen in the capital had already smelled the news and left the kingdom early. All this is not conducive to the governance of "civilian officials"...
"Exactly. I request that I meet you one-on-one!"
Jatiri waited for a while, then knelt down on the ground and asked again.
"Okay, let's follow the wise man!"
Shulot quickly stepped forward and lifted the chief minister up. Then, he gave instructions while pulling the sage into the palace.
"Olos, Toltec, you go back to the legion to prepare. Bertard, come and guard outside the palace!"
The warrior commander was stunned for a moment, looked at the sage with a serious expression, and then went outside the palace. The two legion commanders also said goodbye and left. The surrounding guards dispersed far away, and soon only two people were left in the hall.
Jatiri knelt on the leather cushion, making his posture appear solemn. Shulot had no choice but to sit on his knees facing each other.
After a few breaths, the sage asked calmly.
"Your Majesty, do you want to lead the army south?"
The king answered calmly.
"Exactly."
"What do you want?"
"Purge the South."
"His Majesty!"
Jatiri sighed.
"The south is the land of the kingdom. Why did you raise such a large army and invite the violent canine legions?"
"Sage."
Shulot replied in a deep voice.
"This is a major military matter and must be violent."
"Your Majesty, please listen to what I have to say: you have acted too hastily."
Jatiri bowed and spoke solemnly.
"The kingdom is not yet stable, and the Northern Expedition consumes a lot of money. The canine descendants are settled, military merits are rewarded, and the treasury is empty. You also build new legions and forge new weapons...with 700,000 people, raise 30,000 standing troops, and the treasury expenses , at this time it was all supported by trade. And merchants from all over the world came from the south, worried about the war, and left the country one after another, and business taxes dropped sharply..."
"...The nobles in the south are afraid and are mobilizing private soldiers, recruiting young men, and building strongholds to collect grain. They have no intention of resisting, so why force them to start another war? If the war drags on for a long time, it will delay the next year. Spring plowing...Old minister, I am afraid that the foundation of the kingdom is shaken, and the overthrow is imminent!..."
Hearing this, Shulot remained silent. After a while, he spoke.
"Sage, the kingdom has just emerged, so it shouldn't be so urgent. It's just that the arrow is on the string and has to be fired. The promise of the Western Expedition has not yet been completed. The southern nobles colluded with each other, formed private alliances, hindered the spread of faith, and occupied the southward navigation waterway. ..."
"Sage, do you know? There are 200,000 people in Zicao County. The Zicao family and the Palm family alone account for 60,000 people! The other dozen or so big nobles control at least several thousand people, and at most they control hundreds of thousands of people. Thousands of people. More than 80% of the land's population is in the hands of the great nobles. And they don't pay tribute or give, and each has a warrior tribe, which makes me feel like there is a fish bone in my throat and I have to get rid of it!"
This time, it was Jatiri's turn to be silent. He lowered his gaze for a long time before admonishing again.
"Your Majesty, you once said that governing a big country is like cooking a small fish in a lake. After controlling the heat, the next step is to wait slowly. I deeply agree with this and will always remember it in my heart! I am already a rotten tree, and most of my body is buried in the earth. , It’s not urgent. Your Highness is just a new shoot, just like the sun rising, so why be so urgent?..."
Shulot shook his head and did not reply, but looked firm.
Jatiri sighed, speaking emphatically, with a tired look on his face.
"Your Majesty, the governance of the kingdom is like the growth of a sacred tree. A sacred tree is rooted in the soil, and only with deep and luxuriant roots can it be stable and long-lasting. If it is top-heavy, with shallow roots and luxuriant branches and leaves, the more it grows, the more dangerous it will be. What the old minister does day and night, It is for you to unify people's hearts, prosper culture and education, integrate culture, and lay a solid foundation...but it cannot keep up with the speed of branches and leaves, and I often feel fear in my heart."
"Your Majesty, why don't you wait for a moment? You see, the sacred tree grows, and within a radius of a hundred meters, the dwarf trees will naturally wither. Just because the sacred tree receives the sunlight from the sky, absorbs the vitality of the earth, and meets the rest of the world with the general trend, without revealing any flaws. . It is always in a silent place, eliminating everything, and can always stand firm!"
Xiuluo nodded but did not answer. Thick accumulation but thin hair is the right way in the world. If he had a choice, he also hoped to "build walls high, accumulate grain widely, and slowly become king." It's just...the king smiled and said calmly.
"Sage, there are always many roads in the world. During my northern expedition, I saw mountain fires. The mountain fires came raging, violently devouring everything, and turning large tracts of forest into ashes! Then, when I returned, I saw Above the ashes in the forest, new shoots are rising everywhere, growing day and night. The sunshine in the sky and the life in the soil are all owned by the new shoots."
Hearing the implication of the king's words, Jatiri was horrified and moved. he said immediately.
"Your Majesty, how can a mortal control a mountain fire? I have also seen a mountain fire. The violence of the mountain fire devours everything, leaving no escape route. If you are not careful, you will burn yourself and the rest of the people... not to mention , the big trees in the mountains also have good materials, and they are also your people!"
Shulot shook his head again.
"Sage, the big trees in the mountains are mostly rotten and full of parasitic vines and mushrooms. They are completely crooked. If they are not completely pulled down, they will not be able to leave sunlight, rain and dew for the new shoots! I only want to plant the new shoots with my own hands and watch them grow strong. growing up!"
Jatiri thought for a long time and finally advised.
"Your Majesty, the Zicao family has approached me and intends to make their daughter his concubine. The same is true for the Palm family. If they can get your Majesty's promise, they are willing to hand over half of their land and land, and exchange it with the country."
Shulot lowered his eyes, thought for a while, then shook his head.
"No. This generation has not made any achievements, how can I rest with the country? I have made up my mind. The king's determination cannot be shaken!"
Jatiri looked complicated and was speechless for a long time. He sighed finally.
"Now that your majesty has made up his mind, I should follow suit. The nobles of the south once donated several boxes of property, but I didn't use any of them. They were all handed over to the missionary priests... I'm just worried that the fire has been burning for too long, and all the old trees have been destroyed, and the new shoots have been destroyed. Not allowed to be born!”
Hearing this, Shulot smiled confidently.
"Sage, you don't need to worry! In my opinion, the nobles in the south are like dry bones in the soil. Once the army arrives, they will obey orders obediently! Those who dare to disobey will have no danger to defend and will be destined to die!"
"Your Majesty, what if the Tekos barbarians in the southwest mountains are involved?"
"It doesn't matter. Before the Northern Expedition, I was a little worried, but now that the Guakili Army has been established and the artillery battalion has been established, the tribal camps in the mountains are no longer resistance!"
After saying that, Shulot stretched out his hand and grabbed the sage's arm.
"This time, in order to appease the people of the South, I still have to ask the sage to help me!"
Jatiri nodded, feeling both regretful and relieved.
"Your Majesty's ambition is unshakable, as high as the eagle and as broad as the sun. The old ministers naturally support His Majesty. I have sent students to contact the priests and chiefs of the villages in various places. Now, even if they are unwilling to respond to Your Majesty, they will not Your Highness is the enemy. And when His Majesty sets the general trend, they naturally know how to choose."
"Good, very good!"
Shulot was quite satisfied. A liger and a tiger fight a rabbit, even with all their strength. Being able to divide the enemy before taking action is of course the best choice.
"Your Majesty, I have a request."
Jatiri bowed to the ground.
Shulot accepted it calmly. he laughed.
"As long as the sage's request does not violate the kingdom's general policy, I can agree to it!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Jatiri said in a deep voice.
"Please, Your Majesty, leave a way for everyone in the south to survive."
"Don't worry, sage. I am not a person who is easy to kill. I have already left a way to survive."
Shulot smiled, took out a volume of documents from his arms, and handed it to Jatiri.
"Sage, please look."
Jatiri opened the document, and right above it were five large characters: "Order of Reduction and Change of Seal". He was already proficient in Chinese characters. He finished flipping through it twice and nodded lightly.
"Your Majesty has mercy!"
The two chatted for a few more words, then the sage stood up, bowed and left. This sudden and important duel finally came to an end. All parties in the kingdom finally reached a consensus.
At the end of October, the spring plowing and harvesting are completed, and autumn blessings from various places are handed in one after another. There are still very few autumn poems in Zicao County. The king finally ordered that the Gyeonggi Army, the Guakili Army, and the Second Lancer Army move south at the same time and enter Zicao County!
The southern nobles were shocked. The chiefs of each tribe mobilized private soldiers to gather at Dingkou and guard them day and night. The nobles of the southwest even fled into the mountains and formed strongholds to defend themselves.
In early November, Shulot personally led the Guards Corps, heading south from the capital to the small town of Alto. Kuramo City and King Qin Congcan are three hundred and twenty miles apart, and this is the midpoint between the two places. The Guards immediately set up camp and set up the royal flag.
Then, the king issued an order to summon the nobles, clan chiefs and chiefs from all over the south: within ten days, they should come to the location of the royal flag and meet the king!
