Since it became the capital at the end of King Kang's reign, after decades of development, Luoyi has become the most prosperous city in the entire Zhou Dynasty.
There are more than 500,000 Chinese in the city. If you include the Wangji area distributed around Luoyi, including the nobles who own fiefs and the savages in the countryside, the entire population exceeds 1.8 million!
If Haojing is included, the population that the emperor can control reaches one-third of the entire Zhou Dynasty.
This is the fundamental reason why the princes surrendered to the emperor. Ji Wan's disastrous defeat was not only a serious blow to the emperor's authority. The elite army that could not be rebuilt in a short period of time would inevitably lead to the compromise of the royal power with the powerful princes.
Although the Luo Kingdom is also a member of the powerful princes, there is an ancestor in the Luo Kingdom, and the fundamental interests of the Luo Kingdom are different from those of the other princes.
The Luo Kingdom's interest appeal is that it hopes that the stable system of feudalism will exist long enough, instead of being like other vassal states, which instinctively devours all surrounding countries and becomes stronger.
From a materialist perspective, this is going against the trend of history.
As a Taifu, Luosu received the princes who came one after another. The first heavyweight prince appeared in Luoyi. He was one of the princes with the surname Ji, a powerful vassal in the Central Plains, and a prince of Jin.
He brought a total of 20,000 soldiers!
The clan branch has been established since the time of King Su, and the former Marquis of Jin once served as the third Duke of the previous king.
Every time the emperor summoned the princes, the Jin State responded positively and its troops were sharp, which was known all over the world.
But Luo Su frowned slightly. The relationship between Jin and Luo had gradually become strangers since the previous king.
The main reason is that the Jin State, which has grown in strength, wants to improve its status in the clan surnamed Ji, and the chief official of the clan surnamed Ji has been the king of Luo Kingdom since King Su.
The king of Jin once said to the king of Luo: "Our ancestor King Wu accepted the destiny and established the Zhou Dynasty. King Su assigned the concubines to various places in the Zhou Dynasty, and also gave us noble titles. Since you became the chief of the clan, the clan has been closely united. By the emperor's side, Bang Zhou was so prosperous.
Now the emperor has bestowed upon you the high position of the Three Dukes and asked you to assist the emperor in governing the country. Wang Ji is so large that he must be very busy. I hope that I can take over your position as Da Zongzheng and do some useful things for the clan surnamed Ji. "
The Marquis of Jin was willing to pay the price, but the former Marquis of Luo finally rejected him, because the great emperor was the bottom line of the Luo Kingdom, and he would rather not lose the high position of the Three Dukes than lose this position.
Da Zongzheng's influence on the princes surnamed Ji is unquestionable.
In the simplest way, Da Zongzheng could ask the princes named Ji to donate more goods and people to the emperor, effectively reducing the power of the princes.
There are many other legal and compliant methods. If done correctly, even those princes with small and weak countries will not be able to inherit the throne of the king.
Luohou in the past dynasties used this position to balance the strength of the princes surnamed Ji and prevent them from threatening the emperor's status.
In order to express his attitude, the former Marquis of Luo even told the Marquis of Jin that he could make suggestions to the emperor, give up the position of Taibao, and recommend the Marquis of Jin to take up the post.
As a result, the two countries gradually ceased to communicate with each other. Since Luo Su became the chief minister, the Marquis of Jin has made frequent moves within the Ji clan.
In particular, the Marquis of Jin tried to increase his influence in the Central Plains. Luo Su used Da Zongzheng's power to suppress the princes surnamed Ji who submitted to the Marquis of Jin. This led to deep resentment between the two parties.
Although there were many thoughts in his mind, Luo Su still personally received the Marquis of Jin and a group of princes named Ji.
Most of these princes surnamed Ji are the sons of the previous kings, or the descendants of great countries and powerful vassals. For example, among them are the countries established by other sons of King Su.
"Master."
As soon as the Marquis of Jin spoke, Luo Su said with a smile: "Marquis of Jin, don't be so polite. The people here are all princes with the surname Ji, clans and vassals, and among the same clan, just call him Gu Zongzheng."
The smile on Marquis Jin's face froze instantly. Luo Su was really trying to rub salt into Marquis Jin's wounds.
The other princes surnamed Ji didn't have so many worries, and they all greeted Luo Su respectfully. The county magistrate was not as good as taking charge now. Luo Su could control them in every aspect, so they couldn't help but be disrespectful.
The Marquis of Jin's face changed for a moment and then he adjusted, smiled at Luo Su and said: "What Da Zongzheng said is absolutely true. The two kingdoms of Jin and Luo are both powerful vassals. Now that the emperor is in trouble and the prince is young, we need to work together to I wonder if Marquis Luo has any suggestions for protecting the country and the country."
Luo Su took a deep look at the Marquis of Jin, pondered for a moment and then said: "I already know what the Marquis of Jin said. The Duke of Song and the Marquis of Qi have led King Qin's army to station in Yingkang, but this time Xiong Dun went north, and the threat was very wide. In the southwest of Luohe River in Bangzhou, the seventy-year feudal state was destroyed in one fell swoop, and it will probably be even more difficult to control him in the future.
Although Xiong Dun is brave and brave, he is just a monarch of a country. I am worried that he will wreak havoc and affect the destiny of our country Zhou.
King Wu established the Zhou Dynasty, and King Su promoted feudalism. Many of our countries with the Ji surname became rich and noble because of the two kings. The task set by King Su for us is to defend Wang Ji.
The emperor's six armies suffered heavy losses this time. Wang Ji could not suffer any more damage. Otherwise, how could the emperor's majesty be demonstrated?
The princes with foreign surnames in the world surrendered to the emperor, which is why we, the princes with the surname Ji, have the lofty status. If the princes with other surnames have thoughts of transgression such as Xiong Dun in their hearts, how will we deal with it?
The only plan now is to gather the power of the princes surnamed Ji to re-establish feudalism south of the Luo River and maintain the stability of the country. This is a major event for the Zhou Dynasty. We Ji must not stay out of it. Now there are still powerful vassals such as Yanhou who have not yet At that time, we will discuss a charter and each country will contribute the appropriate amount. "
Do this again!
This was the first thought of everyone present. Over the years, Luosu has often engaged in this kind of activity, called Zhu Ji's Affairs, asking each family to contribute. In fact, it is to take the manpower and material resources of the powerful vassal and distribute them to the small country named Ji. , to maintain the balance among the Ji clan.
This time Luo Su wants to use the national power of the princes surnamed Ji to wipe the emperor's butt. Naturally, everyone is unwilling to agree, but no one dares to say it. This shows how powerful Luo Su is.
The Marquis of Jin has suffered a lot of dumb losses over the years, but considering the emperor's strength and Luo Guo taking the lead, he couldn't refuse. But this time the emperor's strength was greatly reduced, so he had some other thoughts.
At the beginning of feudalism, the relationship between the countries was relatively close, but now the countries are basically the third, fourth, or even fifth generation princes, and the blood relationship between the princes surnamed Ji has become distant. This is also the reason why Luo Su The thing that worried me the most before was that simply relying on his efforts within the clan would not be able to reverse this drifting trend.
King Qin, the Marquis of Jin, was not so active just to wipe the emperor's butt. After thinking for a moment, he solemnly said: "Dazongzheng, King Su established the patriarchal system in Haojing, saying that the emperor of the emperor is the eldest son of all the concubines, and we are all the kings of the country. The great sects and feudalism spread, and each of them gave us land to defend the royal territory.
For decades, we have made many meritorious deeds, and all the previous kings have praised us. However, since the emperor came to the throne, he has no longer been close to the clan surnamed Ji. Even important ministers like Da Zongzheng have been degrading at will, which ultimately led to such a catastrophe.
The state of Zhou, the state of the concubines, is not the state of the emperor alone. If the emperor shakes the state of the state, he should give an explanation to us concubines, and then we can discuss reconstruction matters. "
There is evil intention in the words of Marquis of Jin. Haven't you, Marquis of Luo, always defended the emperor?
Now that the emperor has done such a big disaster, I want to see how you can defend it. Moreover, I will use the words of your own ancestors to try to convince you to see what you have to say.
Luo Su glanced at the whole place, feeling angry in his heart, and he couldn't help but say in his voice: "The Marquis of Jin opens his mouth to be the king, but shuts his mouth about the clan. It seems that you really don't know what the clan is. Bangzhou is indeed the kingdom of all concubines, and the Marquis of Jin What I said is not wrong, but I hope you will remember that the emperor is the head of all concubines.
In the isolated Luo Kingdom, Ji's surname is Luo. In the Kingdom of Jinhou, Ji's surname is Jin. Each of the princes here has his own surname, either based on the place he was granted a title or based on the official position of his ancestors.
According to the patriarchal tradition, surnames differentiate marriages and family names differentiate nobleness and lowliness, so those with a family name are noble and those without a family name are humble.
But have you forgotten that the emperor also has a surname but no surname?
All noble families in the world are descended from the Emperor. This is the deep meaning of the Emperor’s clan. All concubines, all concubines, only the emperor can have concubines. If there is no emperor, our names will not be recorded in the palace books. Thousands of years later, Who remembers where you and I come from?
Open your eyes and see, are there no descendants of the three kings and five emperors among the slaves who lived in the aristocratic kingdom of Bangzhou? Who can tell?
Although the emperor Wan is stubborn and does not have the image of a holy king, has he innocently deprived the country of Ji's surname since he came to power?
Now that the emperor is in trouble and the country is shaken, if the concubines do not unite, is it possible that they will give up the state to princes with other surnames? "
Naturally, the Marquis of Jin cannot admit this accusation. Otherwise, if word spreads, how will the Jin Kingdom deal with itself in the future? He immediately said: "Dazongzheng, you are the queen of Su. You have been in charge of the clan for a long time and served the emperor for many years. Of course, what you said is the golden rule, but Is it correct to maliciously accuse a prince who has repeatedly made meritorious deeds?
I just said inappropriate words in anger.
Since the time of King Su, if we, the princes surnamed Ji, are not in a good position in battle and cannot serve the emperor wholeheartedly, we will often be scolded by the emperor with edicts, and even seize the title and eliminate the country.
We have sworn an oath to treat the emperor with respect from generation to generation. Even so, can the emperor do wrong things at will?
Xiong Dun was in the Chu region far away from the royal city of Luoyi, so after the emperor made a big mistake, King Qin's army could arrive in time to rescue the emperor. What if the rescue failed? "
Although the Marquis of Jin's words were fierce, those who were interested could hear that he had given up and was now using offense as defense to give himself a chance.
After all, he was a powerful vassal, so since he gave in, Luo Su would not push him too hard. Moreover, what the Marquis of Jin said made sense. Of course, the emperor should be punished for doing something wrong.
Regarding Ji Wan's follow-up treatment, Luo Su had already had an idea. Now he revealed it to them to appease the emotions of people like the Marquis of Jin. , Li."
Um?
Everyone, including the Marquis of Jin, stared at Luo Su with some disbelief in their eyes.
Evil posthumous title!
The last time the king received a bad posthumous title was King Shang Zhou, the founder of the Yin and Shang Dynasties. Now Luo Su actually decided to give Ji Wan a bad posthumous title.
But if you think about it carefully, Ji Wan's life is really lackluster, without any achievements, and it's all ridiculous.
In the end, he was defeated in a personal expedition, shaken the country, and died among the rebels. It is really ridiculous.
If such a king cannot be given a bad posthumous title, the fairness of Bangzhou's posthumous title will be questioned.
Everyone just didn't expect that Luo Su, who had always upheld the emperor's authority and was even nicknamed the emperor's dog and horse by Zhu Ji in private, would actually give the emperor a bad posthumous title, and everyone could even hear the slightest hint of happiness.
This Taifu, Da Zongzheng and Luohou, who had served the emperor for many years, seemed to be quite dissatisfied with the emperor!
The Marquis of Jin no longer had any dissatisfaction in his heart. A posthumous title is a final judgment on a person. Giving an evil posthumous title to the emperor is equivalent to completely denying his life. Such punishment can slightly repay the turmoil he caused to the state, Zhou and the country.
And from Luo Su's tone, he could vaguely sense that Luo Su might not simply let Ji Wan go.
Through this meeting, Luo Su defeated the princes surnamed Ji who had slightly changed, such as the Marquis of Jin, so that the subsequent princes surnamed Ji could not make trouble.
He also met with other princes of different surnames many times.
In addition to Song Gong, those two kings and three Ke kingdoms with respected status, although their strength is average, their political status is very high, and they can represent the opinions of certain princes.
Luo Su appeased them, treated them with kindness and power, and swore an oath in the Ancestral Temple to promote the sanctity of Emperor Zhou as the co-owner of the world.
With Luo Su's unremitting efforts, these hundreds of teams who came to King Qin from all directions finally temporarily found their place in King Qin's army.
Until then, Luo Su was slightly relieved. The troops brought by these princes were too many. At the highest number around Luoyi, the number of soldiers alone was nearly 200,000.
Luosu tossed and turned every night, fearful in his heart, worried that these troops who did not belong to each other would suddenly riot.
Fortunately, as he summoned the princes one by one, under his arrangement, these armies have been stationed in various places south of Luoyi. The price is that the money and food in Wang Ji's treasury are being consumed rapidly. There is no way to do this. .
At the same time, Luo Su was still summoning those vassals directly affiliated with Wang Ji. Many of the owners of these vassals followed Ji Wan on the southern expedition. Now they do not know whether they are alive or dead, and are in great panic.
In particular, many people's fiefs were not hereditary, but were given to them by the emperor for farming, and their loyalty was rewarded with the output of the land, which was equivalent to paying a salary.
Luosu appeased them and told them that no matter what, the responsibility for the defeat would not be passed on to them, and all the fiefs would not be taken back. If they died in the battle, their eldest son could inherit these fiefs by continuing to serve the emperor.
The lowest nobles among these states were convinced and responded enthusiastically to Luo Su's request for service. The children of these Yuanshi families have been trained since childhood.
Soon Luosu obtained a group of relatively elite warriors, and took out the armor and equipment from the treasury. The royal army in Luoyi finally had the strength to resist the riot.
Luo Su felt relieved slightly and began to arrange for Prince Xi's relatives to train the army. Since Ji Wan had already married the daughter-in-law of the Lu family named Jiang as the queen, in accordance with the etiquette requirements of King Su, Prince Xi married the daughter of the Gui family named Chen. As the future queen, Qi State still married a noble daughter.
The strength of Qi State is already very strong, and now that Qi Jiang has become the Queen Mother, Luo Su naturally wants to balance Qi State's power among Wang Ji.
When Wang Jizhong was completely stabilized, Luo Su came to the front line of the confrontation between the two sides with the intention of taking overall photos of the Southern Expedition.
…
Killing innocent people is called Li; being cruel and cruel to people without relatives is called Li; being cruel and arrogant is called Li; supporting evil and violating the right is called Li. ——"Etiquette·Explanation of Posthumous Laws"
