Xijing, Imperial City, Political Affairs Hall.
After moving to Luoyang, after more than three months of adjustment and transition, the imperial court was finally completely stabilized, all work was carried out, and military affairs were managed in an orderly manner.
Although the place has been changed, the Political Affairs Hall is still the highest authority of the Han Dynasty. Since the beginning of autumn, the biggest and most important things the court has faced are only two things.
One is the disasters in Shaanxi, Huai, Shanxi, and Jiangzhou. In recent years, various famines have occurred in various parts of the Han Dynasty. Last year, there was a rain disaster in the Central Plains, and in a few years, droughts occurred in different places. Obviously, it is difficult to prevent natural disasters from occurring in peaceful times. However, when it comes to disaster relief and disaster relief, the entire court has sufficient experience and a complete set of relief procedures. All you need to do is follow the regulations.
In addition, the frequency of disasters in Shanxi and Shaanxi has been very high in recent years. Previously, many officials were severely punished because of poor relief or improper handling, and even took advantage of the opportunity to make profits.
Therefore, this time, in the first year when the imperial court moved westward to Luoyang, the bureaucrats in the disaster-stricken areas worked very hard. Whether it was for their own fame and fortune, or sincerely for the people of Li, they fulfilled their duties.
As a result, although this drought affected several states, it did not cause large-scale famine. This was not only due to the effectiveness of the officials, but also to the completeness of the charity warehouses, which could control relief in a timely manner. The local censors and inspectors, as well as the officials sent by the imperial court to inspect, all reported the same caliber. After the disaster was under control, the Zhengshitang also issued a special commendation to several officials who were effective in disaster relief.
The second thing is naturally the crusade against Dali. After all, this was the largest military deployment by the imperial court in the Kaibao Year. On the surface, it was almost comparable to that of Pingnan.
Regarding this southern expedition, naturally there was no unified opinion within the imperial court, even with the decision of Emperor Liu and the management of the newly appointed prime minister Zhao Pu.
There was a lot of criticism from above and below. It was because of Dali's humble words and friendship. After all, they only brought heavy gifts to show their sincerity, but the big man turned around and invaded in a large scale. His appearance was a bit ugly, which was naked hegemonism.
Of course, the main reason is that most people feel that it is not cost-effective for the imperial court to invest so many troops, money and food to launch such a war of annihilation in the southwest. Many people use the analogy of the war between Tang Dynasty and Nanzhao in the last years of Tianbao, and many poems have even been created that use ancient metaphors to describe the present...
Judging from Emperor Liu's actions over the years, he was very happy with his achievements and never stopped making plans. These labels can also be attached to him. However, no matter how much talk there is underground, it cannot change the fact that the imperial soldiers marched south. They fought in the front and supported from the rear. All work was carried out in an orderly manner.
Public opinion was of no importance to Emperor Liu and he basically ignored it. After all, nowadays, there are fewer and fewer officials who dare to criticize directly, and some people who express their opinions through poetry can only wait for future generations to interpret them.
In contrast, there is only one person who is most affected and feels more pressure, Zhao Pu. Not everyone was convinced by his appointment as prime minister, but he was the most supportive of Emperor Liu's southern expedition, and was mainly responsible for assisting the prince in handling the rear affairs of the southern expedition.
Naturally, it attracted many envious and jealous eyes. If the Southern Expedition succeeds, that's it. If something goes wrong, or returns with no success, heavy losses, or even a complete defeat, then public opinion in the DPRK will really explode.
Under normal circumstances, no one would dare to target the emperor, settle old scores against the emperor's decision, or relegate him after the fact. But with Zhao Pu, it was different.
Zhao Pu is a mature and extremely shrewd politician, and he sees his situation clearly, so he feels deeply pressured. If the Southern Expedition really fails and the DPRK needs someone to take the blame, he is the most suitable candidate. Then he is very likely to become a prime minister who will be dismissed in less than a year...
Of course, with such a crisis, there are also opportunities. If the Southern Expedition is completed and successful, then he will be firmly established in the court, and his position as prime minister will be completely consolidated.
Zhao Pu has also weighed the pros and cons. The worst he can do is go home and be idle for another year or two, but there will definitely be a chance to make a comeback. Such a choice is not difficult for Zhao Pu to make.
In Luoyang in September, the weather is already very cold, and everyone's clothes are thicker. In the political hall, it was Zhao Pu who was on duty today. He was working on the desk, engrossed in writing official documents from various ministries and departments.
A map hangs on the side. Two figures, one tall, one short, one strong and one small, stand in front. They are the prince Liu Yang and the Duke of Rong, Zhao Kuangyin.
There is a natural marble map hanging on the wall. Judging from the map, it is a huge territory. Of course, this map is too rough compared to the more detailed map of the Han Dynasty states that has been revised and revised over the years.
Even the boundaries cannot be confirmed. There are only a few roads marked on it, as well as several major cities, mountains, and water streams in Dali. Not to mention that like the Map of the Han Dynasty, a supporting map of Daozhou has been specially compiled for you to browse and view the introduction at any time. The route taken by the West Route Army led by Wang Quanbin could not be reflected at all on the map.
"It's been five days again, and I haven't received any battle reports from the south!" After staring at the map for a long time and thinking for a long time, Liu Yang finally spoke.
Zhao Kuangyin, who was standing next to him, heard the words and said calmly: "It's far from here in the southwest. The mountains are high and the roads are long and rugged. It's inconvenient to travel. Even if the military report is urgent, it will take about twenty days in the best case. Come to think of it, the latest Battle report, on the way!"
As for Liu Yang, it's not that he doesn't understand the situation, he's just concerned and anxious. After pondering for a while, he sighed: "I don't know how the progress is going. Whether Wang Renfan has captured the lane and advanced to the enemy's capital!"
Although the imperial court gave frontline generals great autonomy in terms of tactical strategies, Wang Quanbin still reported to the imperial court and explained how to act. Subsequent battle situations were also reported regularly through the military post.
After hearing this, Zhao Kuangyin said: "The terrain is very restricted. If the Dali army insists on defending, even if our army has excellent weapons and weapons, it will take a certain amount of effort to break it. However, the East Route Army is well prepared, and Wang Renfan is also a good general." Or, as long as the supply of military supplies is ensured and there is no danger of retreat, with sufficient manpower and frontal attack and defense, the Dali army should be unable to withstand it!"
Zhao Kuangyin's words were meant to comfort. However, the imperial court's control over the southwest battlefield thousands of miles away was naturally not strong, and it was unavoidable to worry.
On the matter of the conquest of Dali, Zhao Kuangyin sided with some civil servants and held opposing opinions. However, during this period, he still tried his best to assist Liu Yang and pay attention to and analyze the southwest war. All matters that should be handled by the Ministry of War were handed over to his deputy Murong Chengtai. He, the Minister of War, is now more like the prince's staff...
"Compared with the progress in the direction of Nongdong, I am still more worried about the safety of West Route Army King Quanbin!" Zhao Kuangyin said seriously.
"Yes!" Liu Yang answered: "After all, it has been so long and there is no news. There are more than 25,000 sergeants. If..."
"Wang Quanbin is still too risky!" Zhao Kuangyin said.
In this regard, Liu Yang couldn't help but raise questions: "Rong Gong, I remember that when Wang Shi defeated Shu, the army on the north route also sent out partial divisions to take the mountain path to bypass the Shu army's stronghold defenses and attack directly behind them. They attacked from both sides and were defeated. Now that General Wang is adopting this kind of tactics, you don’t seem to be optimistic about it?”
"Your Highness, the two strategies are similar, but the situations are completely different!" Zhao Kuangyin shook his head: "The road Wang Quanbin took is longer and more dangerous. The losses of the march will be huge, and if we get lost in it, the army will be completely destroyed. Moreover, even if he successfully crosses the dangers and breaks into Dali, it is still difficult to predict whether he can successfully reach the city of Yangjume. Wang Quanbin wants to destroy the city and destroy the country in one fell swoop. His courage is commendable, but it is too risky to leave no way out... ..."
"In Duke Rong's opinion, isn't the West Route Army very dangerous?" Liu Yang frowned.
Zhao Kuangyin was silent for a moment, and then said in a relieved tone: "We have embarked on this dangerous road, and there is no possibility of turning back. Now, we can only wish Wang Quanbin and the soldiers of the West Route Army success!"
Zhao Kuangyin's words made Liu Yang frown even more tightly. Seeing this, he relented and said: "However, if we can succeed and catch people by surprise, the effect we can achieve must be significant. Even if we only enter the northwest of Dali and cannot directly raid the enemy's capital, we can still form a two-way flanking attack. With the cooperation between the eastern and western armies, the advantage of the war is still in the hands of our army!"
Perhaps Zhao Kuangyin's previous words had a profound impact on Liu Yang. These words of enlightenment could not relieve his worries.
