The place where the imperial commander camped was called Yongqing, which was a small town in the north-central part of Hebei Province. It is called Yongqing, and there is hope for eternal peace on the border. However, since the Tang Dynasty, the Central Plains has been in chaos and the northern barbarians are rampant. How can this border land be eternally clear?
The city on the plain is a vast expanse of water, with no danger to defend. It is currently considered the northernmost point of the area actually controlled by the Han Empire in Hebei. It is bounded by the Juma River to the south and the You and Zhuo lands to the north.
When Liu Chengyou went south from Hebei to Tokyo, he made some arrangements for the military defense of the northern border. He made an agreement that the Han army would not be able to reach the Yishui River in the south. However, after more than two years, as the main army generals in various states continued to improve the defense zones, and with the deployment and adjustment of the court, not only the Nanyishui River, but also the Juma River was crossed.
On the Yingzhou side, the original garrison envoy was Murong Yanzhao. In the process of moving the defense line northward, he established a flag to dominate the water and repaired the passes to benefit Jin. However, later, Murong Yanzhao was transferred to Tokyo to command the Forbidden Army, and Ma Quanyi took over.
As the emperor's Conglong general, he was highly regarded. Ma Quanyi also felt his kindness and accepted his trust. After taking office, he directly moved his headquarters north to Yongqing.
Originally, since there was no danger to rely on, the generals and ministers accompanying him advised Liu Chengyou that since it was far away from Beijing and the day was long, he should not go to dangerous places again to prevent any unexpected events. Liu Chengyou considered the advice of his ministers, but still decided to go north to Yongqing. The words were brilliant, and he wanted to patrol personally to comfort the hearts of the soldiers.
In fact, eternal peace is far away, but in terms of danger, it is not that serious. Otherwise, how could Liu Chengyou not hesitate. It's just that as the emperor, he can't sit in the center to stabilize the world. Being far away from the capital is not so stable after all, especially in the current situation of the Han Dynasty, where there is little peace in the country and unrest around the world.
Regarding this point, Liu Chengyou also thought about this in private. After thinking about it deeply, he also broke out in cold sweats. Although he had made some preparations before leaving Beijing, he still couldn't help but worry about what might happen.
Liu Chengyou has also made a decision in his heart. After this northern inspection, he has no plans to go out of Beijing for inspections in the next short period of time. Traveling to eternal purity, I have returned to my heart.
In Yongqing County, patrolling defense and garrison troops is inevitable. The scene effect was naturally good. Liu Chengyou was warmly welcomed by the Lin garrison soldiers, with endless shouts of long live and endless voices of loyalty.
Liu Chengyou also came out in person to talk and communicate with the lower-level generals, and also gave a loud educational speech in the school grounds to promote loyalty to the emperor, patriotism, and meritorious service. Of course, those inspiring speeches were written by Wang Pu.
As they walked, more than a dozen generals filed out of the tight defenses. Although their faces were different, they all had a bit of joy. These people are the cornerstone military envoys of the Han Dynasty on the Hebei defense line, the chief guards, and came to participate in the "Yongqing Military Conference" in response to the imperial edict.
Nowadays, if the northern invaders hear the news and invade south in a large scale, it will definitely cause a lot of trouble for the border defense.
The theme of the Yongqing Military Conference was naturally to make adjustments in response to the changes in the situation in the north in the past two years. Walking to the north, Liu Chengyou arrived early in each city
Although this military meeting was a symposium on northern border defense, Liu Chengyou's condolences, awards, and promotions to the garrison generals and military envoys accounted for a greater proportion. The Han Emperor's visit was Coming with lots of kindness and grace. After a cordial conversation, the emperor and his ministers enjoyed themselves happily. No matter how much the border generals were in awe of the young emperor coming from the north, at least on the surface, they were enjoying themselves.
When Liu Chengyou came, he dismissed many officials and dismissed many posts, but most of them were local officials. His attitude towards the army was obviously much more tolerant.
It's afternoon, the snow has stopped, the wind has subsided, and the westward-moving sun is releasing a slightly dull light, adding a little warmth to this cold northern land.
Standing in the porch, accompanied by Zhao Kuangyin, Zhang Dejun looked at the frontier general with a very kind attitude: "Dear envoys and generals, Your Majesty has something to say, please temporarily rest at the camp Zuobinyi to explain the journey and discuss the army. I'm tired. Later, Your Majesty will host a banquet in the palace."
Zhang Dejun's words were very helpful to the generals, and they became more relaxed. It was obvious that they had a good experience during this trip to Yongqing, and the emperor still cared about and valued them.
They are all garrison generals on the front lines of You and Hebei. Each is responsible for assisting in defense. They often face harassment from Khitan southern invaders, and they cannot help but cooperate in fighting to achieve the effect of protecting the territory and guarding the border. Therefore, they are indispensable on weekdays.
A group of brave men and generals greeted those who were acquainted with each other and walked away together. There was a faint sense of relaxation in the discussion.
Unlike others, Li Jun walked slowly alone, and suddenly a congratulatory voice with obvious compliments came to his ears: "Congratulations, Mr. Li, for your promotion to the nobility. As the emperor values you, you will go south to Beijing as a general in the future. It’s also something we can look forward to!”
After coming back to his senses, Li Jun turned his head and looked at the person beside him. He was dressed in black armor and wearing a red cloak. He was very heroic and too young. The person who spoke out was the commander of Qizhou, Luo Yanxuan.
At the imperial military meeting just now, taking advantage of the harmonious atmosphere, Liu Chengyou announced an adjustment to the border defense layout for the Youji front line, and made an overall plan for the military garrison along the border, along with the administrative divisions. Sort out, abolish states, merge counties, and establish armies.
For his two-year garrison work in Taizhou (today's Qingyuan, Hebei Province), Li Jun received many honors and was especially praised by the emperor. He was granted the title of commander of the military capital of Guangxin, a nobility, and a settlement of 100 households. He was in charge of the north of Dingzhou. , the military west of Mozhou.
To be honest, Li Jun can be said to be "proud of the spring breeze" because the previous dynasty retained the old generals. However, facing Luo Yanxuan at this time, Li Jun's plain tone could not help but reveal a hint of sourness, and he said a little reservedly: "The emperor is a young man, and General Luo is young and promising, so he has a promising future!"
Luo Yanxuan was one of the early talents who took refuge with Liu Chengyou, and was a trusted minister of the emperor. At this military meeting, although he was not rewarded with an exaggerated high-ranking official or title, he was promoted to the commander of the newly established Dujie Military Capital, commanding the troops. Three thousand, guarding the Heng and Shen areas.
In terms of age, Li Junke was more than one step older than Luo Yanxuan, but there was not much difference in his current situation. With his strong and proud character, even if Luo Yanxuan lowered his attitude to cater to her, he still felt uncomfortable.
Luo Yanxuan couldn't help but curse in his heart, but according to the central plan, Guangxin and Dujie armies would inevitably cooperate in defense in the future. The other party was a senior, so he tolerated it.
After a few pleasantries, it was difficult to get acquainted with each other, so Luo Yanxuan simply excused himself politely and left quickly.
Li Jun didn't take it seriously, but stared at the front side with some waning interest. There was a lot of noise over there, but there were several generals, surrounded by a veteran general with gray beard and hair, the former Yingzhou defense envoy - He Fujin.
Not long ago, Emperor Liu Chengyou personally announced that He Fujin would be deployed as the northern capital and responsible for coordinating the front-line military defense of Youji. It can be said that He Fujin will be Li Jun's direct superior from now on. This is the fundamental reason why Li Jun is unhappy.
In terms of qualifications and reputation, Li Jun may be inferior to He Fujin. However, in terms of brave generals and achievements in the past two years, Li Jun considers himself to be better. He was the one who took the initiative to lead people to defect to the Northern Han Dynasty and showed his sincerity to Liu Chengyou. .
In addition, Li Jun was getting older and more powerful, and the imperial court wanted to appoint a deployment officer. He had some expectations, but the reality was not as expected. The emperor appointed He Fujin, an old man in winter.
He was neither a minister of the Xinghan Dynasty nor a close confidant, but he chose He. As a result, Li Jun felt sour and jealous.
Not convinced!
Above the pavilion, Liu Chengyou put one hand on his waist and the other on the railing, standing under the winter sun, calmly looking at the atrium. As soon as they work together, the scenes of arm-in-arms and familiar affection can be seen at a glance.
With a serious look on his face, Liu Chengyou was also thinking about the adjustment of the northern military equipment. The establishment of the northern military deployment was a decision he made after repeated consideration. This means delegating power, and since he succeeded to the throne, the only thing he has devoted his efforts to is withdrawing power.
This is the paradox.
The country's strategy has been set, which is to go south. In the next few years, the court will focus on the south and have no time to look north. For the north, a proper arrangement is very necessary.
The decentralization of military power was a top priority, and Liu Chengyou hesitated several times. After several deliberations, it was decided that the power of autonomy and self-determination should still be delegated. To guard the soil and the border, when the situation in the north is not friendly, it is impossible for the center to control remotely and drive like an arm.
But when it came to selecting candidates for the general coordination, after several screenings, He Fujin was selected. According to the courtiers, he was a veteran on the battlefield and a talented general. As for Liu Chengyou's own judgment and inspection, he was worthy of the important task.
Of course, there should be no slack in the checks and balances that should be in place. For example, Li Jun's Guangxin Army, Luo Yanxuan's Dujie Army, plus the newly appointed Baoding Army of Ma Quanyi, as well as Chengde, Yiwu, and Henghai Jiedu are on the side, so there is no need to worry.
At this time, Ma Quanyi, the newly relocated commander of the Baoding Army, stood quietly beside Liu Chengyou, calmly and respectfully waiting for the emperor's instructions.
After a long time, Liu Chengyou turned around slightly stiffly, with a peaceful smile on his face, looked at the young confidant general, and said: "I have observed your performance after going north, and I have watched you prepare and train your troops. The imperial court's general strategy has been decided. From now on, it will guard the north and the south to expand the territory north of the Yangtze River. It is difficult for Youzhou and the imperial court to be united. If the northern invaders invade from the south, you in Mozhou will be the first gateway. You should try your best to assist He Shuai. Don't make any mistakes. I tell you from the bottom of my heart, place high hopes on you, and look forward to working hard to move forward. In the future, the army will head north, and the army will march out from the north. I allow you to serve as the vanguard!"
Liu Chengyou's heart-to-heart words made Ma Quanyi's emotions soar, his eyes turned red, and he solemnly bowed: "Your Majesty has entrusted me with such kindness and trust. I am extremely grateful. I will definitely live up to the name of 'Baoding'!"
