The matter of personal expedition was discussed overnight, and time was spent to discuss the method of marching. It is different from sending a general to fight against rebellion. The army that went out first needed to be adjusted, and a new inner palace was added. Liu Chengyou had no intention of taking the powerful crane-controlling army with him this time, and wanted to use it to guard the safety of the imperial city. At the same time, the accompanying generals should also take advantage of the situation.
It wasn't until dawn, when the lights were almost gone, that the palace meeting ended. As for the ministers, they were still not allowed to rest and needed to quickly get involved in preparations for the personal expedition. Especially the three yamen, the Third Division, the Privy Council, and the Guard Division had the heaviest tasks.
When he set off for the expedition on the 15th, Liu Chengyou was given a day and night to adjust. He was in a hurry. Even though he had made a lot of preparations for revolt in the early stage, he was still busy.
At first light, Liu Chengyou took a short nap in the Chui Gong Hall and was woken up by the chamberlain on time. Up to now, the servants serving around him no longer dare to discount Liu Chengyou's orders, let alone be smart enough to understand His Majesty's hard work and let him sleep a little longer.
After briefly tidying up, Liu Chengyou went straight to Renming Hall to meet with Li. He wanted to personally conquer and must inform the Queen Mother.
Mrs. Li had already gotten up and took care of the emperor's grandson Brother Liu for a while, then she got the news that the officials were coming. During this period of time, Li's heart has been placed almost entirely on this grandson, for fear of any accidents.
Beside the food table, Liu Chengyou sat at the side, eating and drinking as usual. However, the atmosphere was less warm and solemn than before.
After peeling an egg for Liu Chengyou herself, Li sighed quietly: "Erlang, I know I can't persuade you. But you must think carefully and think twice before you act."
From what Li said, it was obvious that she didn't want Liu Chengyou to go into battle in person. Last year, she went out to Hedong in a disguise and went through many hardships, which already made her worried. Now, Liu Chengyou is the emperor, the head of the country, and the most important person in the world.
However, Mrs. Li also knew Liu Chengyou's temperament and knew that he could not dissuade him once his plan was decided. So, just a reminder.
"Mom, don't worry. My son has been planning the incident in the river for a long time. There are many temples, and the court is fully prepared for contingency. All Li Shouzhen's actions are under my eyes..." Faced with Li's reasonableness, Liu Chengyou also comforted him with gentle words.
Hearing this, Li Shiyong's doubts dissipated a lot and he nodded. Thinking that Liu Chengyou always made decisions before acting, I felt a little more relaxed.
"Tokyo is the heart of the Central Plains and the foundation of the country. If Tokyo is stable, the world will be safe. Before leaving Beijing, the court must make proper arrangements!" After thinking about it, Li reminded.
"My mother's teachings are correct, I have already made plans in my mind about how to arrange it!" Liu Chengyou had a humble attitude, his eyes flashed slightly, he raised his hand to salute, and solemnly said to Li: "However, if you want Tokyo to be stable, the Queen Mother needs to come forward to stabilize it. People’s hearts!”
Hearing Liu Chengyou's invitation, Mrs. Li frowned and subconsciously raised her hand to refuse: "I am a woman from the palace, and it is not for me to interfere in the affairs of the front court!"
Seeing this, Liu Chengyou said: "There are many discords among the ministers. My mother's virtuous name is known to the world, and everyone looks up to her. In Tokyo, only my mother can subdue all the ministers. For the peace of the court, the country Stable, I can only work hard for the time being, mother!"
Hearing what Liu Chengyou said, Mrs. Li nodded and sighed: "I will watch over you for a while and wait until you return as a teacher!"
Ms. Li is really a very smart woman, and she usually would not touch Liu Chengyou's "sensitive areas". This time, she only agreed after making sure that Liu Chengyou had no other intentions.
Last year Liu Zhiyuan went on a personal expedition, and Wei King Liu Chengxun was still there to supervise the country. When it was Liu Chengyou's turn, he had no choice but to ask the Queen Mother. In the entire city of Tokyo, this mother was the only one who could control the situation and gain Liu Chengyou's trust.
As for this, it will cause the influence of maternal relatives to rise significantly. For today's big men, this is only a minor problem. Compared with the stability of the capital and the country, it is nothing.
After withdrawing from Li's side, Liu Chengyou received good news from the front line. Yang Ye was in Fenglingjin, and at the same time, Zhao Hui had led 3,000 Shaanxi troops to the west to support him. There is no serious problem on the front line, and Liu Chengyou's side can be more stable.
With strong energy, Liu Chengyou visited the Privy Council and the Guards Department successively to inquire about the adjustment of the troops going out for the expedition. When a large army goes out for an expedition, the imperial chariots set out, not the horse and infantry troops. The efficiency of the Privy Council is not low, and the previous dispatch and preparations are not just talk. There are more than 10,000 soldiers of the Xiaodi Army and the Sixth Army, led by the capital commander Zhou Hui, and have set out to advance westward as the vanguard force.
In addition, according to the plan, the Xingjie Army and the San Command Second Army will escort some of the grain and equipment to follow them two hours later. Tomorrow, Liu Chengyou will lead the Holy Horse Guard Army and the Longqi, Neidianzhi and other armies to set off as the central army.
Fifty thousand infantry and cavalry are real and not mixed with water. As a result, after the army left Beijing, there were only a little over 40,000 imperial troops left inside and outside Kaifeng City, and their combat strength was slightly inferior.
As a capital that cannot be defended, it is already empty. In addition to consolidating Tokyo, this part of the army must also deal with possible threats from the Tang army from the south at any time. However, if the Tang army sent troops to reach Tokyo, it would be basically impossible...
On the upper floor of the Imperial City Tower, Liu Chengyou held on to the extremely clean railings and looked south at the Tokyo city wall. Although it is difficult to see the whole picture, I can vaguely imagine the scenery of Tokyo today. Early autumn is a beautiful time, the harvest season, when a large number of new products, such as food and clothing, are on the market. Tokyo's business atmosphere seems to have always been strong.
Recently, the atmosphere in the city has been the most peaceful in half a year. The main reason is that food prices have dropped. However, with the rebellion in Hezhong, food prices will rise again, and control in the city will be tightened.
"I feel a little regretful not to take you with me on this western expedition!" Liu Chengyou turned his head and looked at Xiang Xun, who was standing upright beside him, and asked.
As a confidant, Xiang Xun remained respectful but not too nervous in front of Liu Chengyou. Upon hearing this, Sa Ran said: "It's a pity that I can't follow your majesty to suppress the rebellion, but I feel honored to be able to defend the imperial city for your majesty!"
Xiang Xun is already a very mature talent. He is not as arrogant as a young man. He has a calm mind and is very discerning.
During this Western Expedition, Liu Chengyou's old troops, such as Sun Li, Ma Quanyi, Han Tong, and Li Chongju, all accompanied the army. Only Xiang Xun was left in Tokyo by Liu Chengyou. While still serving as the imperial city envoy, Liu Chengyou appointed him as the commander of the crane-controlling army! Xiang Xun, of course, knew Liu Chengyou's purpose of keeping him in Tokyo.
"The Crane Control Army is the most elite among the Tokyo Forbidden Army. I will hand it over to you. The Queen Mother, Ouchi, the Imperial City, and all the government offices are all under your protection!" Liu Chengyou was very satisfied with Xiang Xun's attitude. , solemnly entrust each other.
Seeing this, Xiang Xun took a step back, raised his hands and responded solemnly: "I will definitely live up to your majesty's trust."
"Of course I believe you, Xiang Xingmin!"
In Tokyo, Shang Hongqian was retained by Liu Chengyou and continued to command the Imperial Army and was in charge of Kaifeng's military affairs. He had been the Imperial Commander for more than two months and Liu Chengyou was very satisfied with his work.
Two uncles, Li Hongxin and Li Hongwei, one was the deputy commander of the bodyguard and the other was the commander of the cavalry army. They still held military power as a check and balance. The Li family was suppressing them. The other uncle, Li Hongjian, was called to accompany the army.
There is also the capital inspection envoy Gai Wan, who leads the inspection department and works with the Kaifeng Prefecture to jointly maintain public security in Tokyo.
Among the ministers, Yang Bin and Feng Dao accompanied him. Feng Dao joined the army to prepare for consultation. Taking Yang Bin with him is not a sign of favor. If he is kept in Beijing, Liu Chengyou is afraid that he will cause trouble. During the expedition, Liu Chengyou did not want any unexpected unrest in Tokyo.
The remaining ministers handle state affairs and stabilize the rear. Wang Zhang and Guo Wei, with Wang Zhang as the leader, coordinated all affairs in the rear and supported the Western Expedition.
In short, Liu Chengyou strives for a balance in Tokyo's arrangements.
The preparation time of day and night pushed the civil and military ministers to a tight limit, and Liu Chengyou himself was also very tired from carrying out the investigation and advancement of everything.
In the evening, Liu Chengyou summoned the military envoy Li Shaoyou to the imperial court. After some secret instructions, he went to the queen's place and spent the night.
Due to extreme exhaustion, I was unable to successfully fire a farewell shot.
