Luo Cheng sent Duke Zheng of Jin to leave.
Walking out of the palace, the faces of Jin Gong and Zheng Gong were full of joy. They had received the power granted by the emperor to conquer unconquered subjects. This is the power to legally annex small countries. Jin and Zheng will experience a crazy expansion in strength. period.
The three of them walked along the broad avenue in the palace, with high city walls on both sides. Soldiers patrolled the city walls. The footsteps of the three of them could be heard clearly in the corridor.
Luo Cheng looked at the sky where only a sliver of light was visible. Thinking of Bangzhou's current situation, he felt a little depressed and said in a deep voice: "Duke Jin, Duke Zheng, the royal family is in decline, the Yi and Di are in trouble, who will protect the world?
The land of Zhuxia was obtained through hard work for more than two hundred years. If it is lost like this, will you be willing to do so?
The authority of the princes comes from the emperor. The emperor's throne is stable, so that our descendants can always enjoy the throne.
There are so many nobles in the Yin and Shang Dynasties, but only the Song line still inherits them. Is it because the other branches are incompetent?
Are there hundreds of princes named Ji in the world, all of them virtuous?
This is all because we are relatives of the royal family, so the surname Ji is noble, and that is why we are where we are today.
However, over the years, Zhou rites have declined in many vassal states.
Between monarchs, ministers, and fathers, the patriarchal system collapsed, and unethical incidents such as ministers killing the king and sons killing their fathers emerged one after another.
The Qi State was so powerful in the past, but it changed its monarchs three times in twenty years, and the officials slaughtered each other. As a result, the country's power has gradually declined.
Both Jin and Zheng were large countries with a land area of hundreds of miles. They had large populations and powerful military forces. They could be said to be very powerful.
For a big country like yours, even if it suffers several defeats, it is only the loss of one city and one place. It can make a comeback after a little rest and recuperation.
But if the royal family starts fighting each other, it will definitely mean that the royal family is in decline. No matter how strong a country is, it will only take one generation for it to decline.
Before fighting foreign affairs, you must first make peace at home. This time when you go back, you must reinvigorate Zhou etiquette in the country, choose your successor carefully, and don't rely on your own preferences.
It is necessary to clarify the status of the heir and not let some young masters have inappropriate thoughts. This is a major matter related to the survival of the country.
If this is not possible, even if the second prince is brave and wise, the country will be strong for a while, but the descendants will be unworthy, and it will eventually decline.
When the country's power is completely lost and it dies at the hands of barbarians or princes, it will really make the world smile. "
When the second Duke of Jin and Zheng heard this, the smile on his face also disappeared.
Marquis Jin, who has been on good terms with Luo since the Luo Su era, held his hand and said, "Luo is a country of etiquette. It has been passed down in an orderly manner for nine generations. I should learn from you. I will definitely act in accordance with Zhou etiquette when I return to the country."
Luo Cheng didn't know how much the two of them heard. If it weren't for the national strength of Jin and Zheng, which was so important to the survival of the Xia kingdoms and the royal family, he wouldn't have said his heartfelt words to these two people.
Luo Cheng sent the two Dukes of Jin and Zheng out of the palace and said with emotion: "Now that Yi and Di are prosperous, the war is not far away. The second Duke goes back to rectify the military affairs.
If you have something important, you only need to send a letter to Luoyi, and Guhui will handle it for you.
With you and me in Bangzhou, we will be as stable as Mount Tai. "
The two Dukes of Jin and Zheng said yes and got on the carriage to return to the country to reorganize their troops. Luo Cheng returned to the palace to teach Ji Fu and handle the affairs of Bang Zhou and Wang Ji.
…
As time went by, the unusual movements that had been detected earlier turned into pieces of military intelligence information, swarming towards the newly born Wang Ji.
"Your Majesty, the Lai Yi Kingdom is making a massive invasion, and the Marquis of Qi has led his troops to resist."
"The Di people have also invaded. The Duke of Jin, the Marquis of Wei, the Marquis of Handan, the Marquis of Xing, and the Marquis of Zhang, together with the princes of Bozinan, have led their troops northwards with great momentum. I'm afraid they no longer have the energy to pay attention to Wang Ji."
"The king of the state of Xu overrode himself and proclaimed himself the king. The Duke of Song and the Marquis of Chen had already led their troops to the front line. Xu Jun was brave and tyrannical, and the two countries were retreating steadily."
Xirong's attack on Haojing seemed to be a signal to the barbarians. Bangzhou's weakness was exposed in front of everyone, and these enemies from all directions took advantage of this opportunity to attack in groups.
The first country to cause chaos was the Lai Yi Kingdom.
Since King Su's Eastern Expedition, Dongyi has always been the key target of Bang Zhou.
Under the successive attacks of Qi State and Luo State, its power gradually shrank, but there was still a big country named Laiyi on the peninsula to the east of Qi State.
This is Qi's unrelenting enemy. This time, the leader of Laiyi gathered almost all the tribes in Dongyi to fight against Qi.
Qi State also took advantage of the opportunity of the emperor's decentralization of power to mobilize the power of Ji State and other eastern vassal states to deal with Lai Yi State.
The Qi State also came out in force, and even the aid it had been providing to the Yan State stopped, leaving the Yan State to deal with the Di and Hu people alone.
As military information was sent one after another, Luo Cheng explained the situation of the world to Ji Fu among Wang Ji.
"Your Majesty, the more urgent the military situation becomes, the more we need to calmly analyze the flaws. For example, among the situations in all directions, Qi's side is the least to worry about.
Although the Lai Yi Kingdom is powerful, the Qi State occupies a favorable terrain and can attack from a high position, and can also slowly drag the Lai Yi Kingdom.
The real danger is the State of Yan. Without the assistance of the State of Qi, the State of Yan is located in a remote area and has a small population. This time it depends on how strong the State of Yan is.
If the Yan State cannot resist the Hu people, then the Qi State will be attacked from both sides, and then the Qi State will fall into a bitter war. "
Jin, Wei, Han, and Xing faced the Di people who were moving from the north to the south. Jin, in particular, was the main force protecting Wang Ji.
The enemies in these two directions have been talking about each other for a long time. After so many years, they have won and lost each other. Jin and the others can just fight step by step.
Ji Fu looked at the map in front of him and asked: "Luo Gong, can the Western Zhou Kingdom fight against the Yiluo Army? Will they follow the Yishui and Luoshui to directly attack Wang Ji?"
Shen and Ying are both close to the land of Yiluo, and Zheng can go there directly by ship. Can they be allowed to go on an expedition? "
Luo Cheng shook his head and said: "The three countries cannot be moved. The Xu State rebelled. According to the news, the monarch of the Xu State was a natural commander. He defeated the Song army and relied on the reinforcements of the Chen State. Barely holding on.
Once the coalition forces of the two countries are defeated, the southeast of Wangji will be wide open. This is not allowed. Only by controlling the war outside Wangji can all unexpected situations be avoided.
Therefore, we must immediately let Zheng Gong lead a large army to support the Song Dynasty.
Zheng Gong is brave and brave, so Xu Guo's rebellion will not affect Wang Ji for the time being. "
"What about Shen Guo and Ying Guo?"
Luo Cheng sighed: "When Bangzhou was at his weakest, the Chu State had always disobeyed Zhou and had a grudge against Bangzhou, so how could he remain indifferent.
Counting the days, news that Shen State will soon invade Chu State will come.
I'm a little surprised, why is there no movement from Huaiyi?
Haven't we heard that they were preparing for war a few days ago, so why hasn't there been any news from Xiguo?
Are you preparing to launch troops against Wu Yue?
This is unreasonable. "
Ji Fu naturally didn't understand this and asked, "Mr. Luo, are Huaiyi strong?"
Luo Cheng pointed to the place south of Wang Ji and said: "North of Wu and Yue, Xu State east to south, all the way to Xidi, thousands of miles of land are Huaiyi's sphere of influence."
Ji Fu was shocked, a thousand miles away!
His royal territory is only six hundred miles away, but Huaiyi actually has a land of thousands of miles.
Luo Cheng said with some solemnity: "The Huaiyi people are good at using bows and arrows, their folk customs are strong, and they are excellent soldiers. They and Xirong have always been a serious problem for Bang Zhou.
There are dozens of vassal states with the surname Ji between Wang Ji and Huai Yi, but some of them have been gradually annexed over the years.
As Huaiyi grew bigger, I worried that these fragmentary concubines of Hanyang would not be able to bear the burden of defending against the enemy.
Therefore, it was decided to follow the strategy of Jin State to resist the north and Qi State to resist the east, and establish a large country spanning both sides of Yingshui between Shen State and Chen State, specifically to curb Huaiyi's northward movement. "
On the one hand, Luo Cheng explained to Jifu the current situation in Bangzhou, and on the other hand, he taught Jifu how to handle state affairs.
"Your Majesty, urgent military report!"
The eunuch hurried in from outside the palace, holding two bamboo slips in his hands.
"The King who has been appointed by Heaven:
The minister Shen Hou paused.
The minister was not guilty, but Chuzi raised an army to attack the minister.
The State of Chu is a Fang State in a barbaric land, and I am a relative of Ji's family. If he attacks without authorization, he does not take Zhou Li and you into his heart.
Shouldn't such a minister be punished?
I asked Wang Ji to send troops to make the Chu army aware of the unpredictable power of heaven. "
The emperor Ji Fu and Luo Cheng read it one by one. After Ji Fu finished reading, he said: "Luo Gong, what you expected was indeed correct.
Chu State raised an army on the grounds that Sui State and Shen State were rude to him. They claimed to have an army of 100,000 and marched in three directions.
The State of Shen has recruited all available troops from across the country to attack the State of Chu on the Han River. The State of Sui also began to fortify its walls and clear the country, and sent a letter to Wang Ji asking for help. "
Because Luo Cheng had already told him that Chu State would definitely raise troops, Ji Fu was not very panic now.
The State of Shen was still very powerful, and its terrain was very advantageous. It had successfully repelled Chu's attacks many times, and its request for help was just to get some benefits from Wang Ji.
Luo Cheng was not very worried about Chu's invasion.
Because he knew that these actions of Chu State were mainly to contain the military power of Shen Sui and other countries, and to hold back the country named Ji on the Han River Plain.
The nobles of the Chu State just wanted to see the Zhou royal family and the Central Plains princes suffer misfortune, so no matter who attacked the Central Plains princes, he would help them.
There is a high probability that he will not go to war with Bangzhou with real swords and guns, especially since he is in charge of Wangji, and the nobles of Chu State have a psychological shadow on Luo.
Laiyi, Huaiyi, and Xu may not believe it when it snowed in June in Haojing some time ago, but Chu State must be doubtful.
Xiong Dun's status in Chu State is comparable to King Su's status in the hearts of Zhou people.
This is a monarch who single-handedly made Chu a great nation. He actually suffered such a big loss. Who can not doubt this?
"Report!
Your Majesty, Duke Luo, there is military news coming from the country! "
A soldier covered in blood rushed into the hall. Luo Cheng's expression changed greatly and he hurriedly took the letter and opened it.
"Your Majesty, Huaiyi invades!
It's not that they didn't take action, but they broke through the defense line of Hanyang concubines in an instant.
There was no news at all in the Xi State. It was not until the fleeing countrymen and nobles from the vassal states went north that the news came from the Ying and Xu States.
This is terrible. There are so many Huaiyi warships. They go up the Yingshui River. Once Yingguo and Xuguo fall, they can directly attack the land of Yiluo.
At the top, you can contact the Rong of Yiluo, and at the bottom, you can guard the food routes of the concubines of Hanyang.
Even Shen State would have to face the attack from Chu State, Huaiyi and Yiluo Zhirong, and Wang Ji would be directly exposed to Huaiyi.
At stake. "
During the period of King Su, the princes of the four towns were ordered by the king to be responsible for regularly convening the princes in the area to conduct military training and respond to the attacks of Yi and Di.
As a result, with the expansion of the Xia's power, Yi Di no longer waged large-scale wars with the princes.
The emperor was also dissatisfied with the princes who held great power, so gradually such large princes were no longer established.
The concubines of Hanyang are all small countries, and they do not advance or retreat together with each other. Facing a behemoth like Huaiyi, they have the current bleak situation.
When he heard that Wang Ji would be in danger, Ji Fu couldn't sit still for a moment. He did not forget that his father was the one who was attacked by the Rong. He quickly asked: "Luo Gong, do you have any plans?"
“Currently, Wang Ji’s troops can only be transferred to Ying and Xu states. As long as this place is defended and Huaiyi is not allowed to connect with the Yiluo Rong and Chu states, the situation will be under control.
After the Haojing Incident, I was worried that Wang Ji's army was insufficient, so I brought soldiers from the Luo Kingdom to Wang Ji. These were the elites in the world, and I first sent them to Ying and Xu.
Your Majesty, a conscription order must be issued to the entire state. All princes and vassals must be mobilized. Anyone who does not act in accordance with the order will be punished when the matter is over. "
"Gong Luo, I have just ascended the throne and have no knowledge of military and state affairs, so I will leave this matter to you. You can carry out all the edicts."
Ji Fu is very different from his father Ji Nie. He is very self-aware and never interferes in things that he is not good at. Moreover, he adheres to the way of being a king. He is upright and kind by nature. He is considerate of his subordinates and never easily suspicious. At critical moments, he is very courageous and able to hand over power to those he trusts.
Such a monarch can become a wise king when he encounters virtuous ministers, but becomes dull when he encounters treacherous ministers. For Luo Cheng, he was too satisfied.
Huaiyi's matter was no small matter. Luo Cheng didn't waste a moment and immediately issued the highest-level conscription order, requiring the Wang Jiqing clan to send troops.
In the early stage, orders were also issued to transfer elite soldiers from Luo State to Ying State and Xu State.
When he issued this edict, Luo Cheng felt that his heart was bleeding. The troops brought to Luoyi this time were all truly elite, and the leaders were all the best of the royal families and members of the Luo Kingdom.
His eldest son and younger brother were also among them.
Many of these soldiers are small sects of the Luo clan. This is an army composed of old Luo people with extremely high loyalty and combat effectiveness.
Now that they were transferred to the frontline battlefield to face the surging Huaiyi, he was really worried about something happening, which would be a disaster for Luo State.
But if he doesn't transfer these people, he won't worry about the others at all, just in case Huaiyi is really connected with Yiluozhirong and Chu State.
The capital was destroyed on Tuesday, and all the Xia were overthrown. He could not escape the blame for his death, and even after his death he had no face to face King Su.
…
In the early years of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty encountered the biggest crisis since its establishment. Enemies from all directions launched a fatal blow to the dynasty that had just suffered a heavy blow.
In the face of crisis, the feudal system showed great vitality. These princes with extremely high autonomy showed tenacious vitality.
Faced with the fate of losing their title and exterminating the country, almost all the princes chose to resist desperately, which greatly delayed the attack of the barbarians from all directions.
Those with perseverance have perseverance. This sense of resistance can only be seen in a few loyal ministers with strong spirits after the large-scale implementation of the county system. It has to be said that it is a pity. ——"On the Advantages and Disadvantages of Feudal System and County System"
