When Daozhou in the northern part of the Han Dynasty began to endure rounds of cold waves, the vast northeastern land was already a land of ice and snow, with wind and snow all over the sky and biting cold.
Although Prince Liu Yang has the intention to move the Liaodong administrative seat to Shenzhou in the north, for the newly conquered Liaodong, stability and recovery are the first priority. The current military and political center is still established in Liaoyang City in Heyin, Dongliang.
With the arrival of state and county officials headed by the Chief Envoy Song Xiong one after another, after several months of regulation, the pacification work in Liaodong has been effective. Although it is far from stable, the ruling order of the Han Dynasty has already been achieved. Initial build.
Compared with before winter, Liaoyang City was much deserted. The previous scenes of hungry people and refugees had disappeared. Under the arrangements of the Liaodong government, they were resettled in newly established villages to rebuild their homes and survive with difficulty. The war that swept through the entire Liaodong was cruel, but for the local people of all ethnic groups, what was even more cruel was this cold winter. That is to say, the Han government took responsibility and distributed some life-saving food to every township and village to give hope.
The biggest change in Liaoyang has to be the retreat of the army. The huge military camps outside the city have been emptied out, and the wood has been dismantled by the people to make fires for heating. Therefore, the several camps appear to be very dilapidated.
The Han army that was arranged to stay in Liaoyang was not small in number, with 20,000 infantry and cavalry, but they were all stationed in the city. There were enough neat camps inside for the soldiers to rest and train.
The remaining official and civilian population in Liaoyang City is even less than 20,000, which is even less than the garrison. They also include some strong laborers and young men and women selected from the refugees, which has just enriched the popularity of some dignified Taoism.
It can be seen from this that the serious damage caused to the local area by the fierce battle between the two countries in Liaodong can be intuitively reflected from the changes in the population. There is basically no doubt that among the Dahan Dao, the area with the least population is the newly established Liaodong Dao.
In accordance with the final decision on the aftermath of Liaodong, 60,000 troops were left to garrison Liaodong to defend the newly occupied land, maintain oppression of the remnants of the Liao army, and control the situation in the Northeast at any time.
The selection of 60,000 garrison soldiers was a test for Liu Yang. Which troops to stay and which generals to stay need to be carefully considered. After all, not many people are willing to stay in the Northeast, especially when Liaodong is in ruins. .
This cannot be enforced by forceful military orders. The issue of military morale must be taken into consideration, otherwise there will be setbacks. In this regard, it is necessary to consider comprehensively and weigh various factors.
Finally, based on Emperor Liu's instructions and supplemented by the advisors of Zhao and Gao, the decision was made. Among the 60,000 troops, 15,000 are the Forbidden Army. They are selected from the various Forbidden Soldiers accompanying the expedition. These people are the least willing. After all, they are the Forbidden Army, but their orders are also the strongest. They are accustomed to the prosperity of the two capitals. They must You have to hone your skills on the sidelines to get rid of the frivolity on your body.
Fifteen thousand soldiers are garrison soldiers of the northern frontier army. If the garrison period has expired or is about to expire, it will be postponed for one year. After one year, the court will adjust the garrison again and rotate it. Of course, we have to hope that this year will pass smoothly.
The rest mostly came from local Dusi troops and rural soldiers from Yanshan, Hebei, and Henan, including five thousand cavalry. Up to now, the Fan soldiers in the Han military system are becoming more and more useful. Every time there is a war, recruitment is inevitable. This Northern Expedition is the largest recruitment. These armies have little autonomy, but they are very useful. They are just one piece. Bricks were filled wherever the court needed them.
The Liaodong garrison was mainly stationed in four places. One of them was the newly captured Tongzhou area. Twenty thousand troops were left to garrison, controlling the central part of the Songliao Plain, threatening Huanglong Prefecture to the north, and defending Liaodong to the south.
The second one is of course Liaoyang. There are two remaining places. One is the far southeastern area of Liaoning. Against the Goryeo Kingdom, there are only five thousand troops stationed, which is not much, but they look down on the threat of Goryeo. The other is Jinzhou, which guards the end of the Liaoxi Corridor and controls the import and export of Yanshan and Liaodong.
The rest are mostly distributed in the cities of various states in Liaodong. Before the establishment of local officers and soldiers and the public security system, they assumed the responsibilities of garrison and public security and assisted local governments in managing local areas.
By mid-November, as the last batch of 5,000 troops set off from Liaoyang, the Liaodong withdrawal was basically declared over. This also meant that Liu Yang's errand in Liaodong was almost over. He was immediately away from Liaodong. Not far away either.
Although the Northern Expedition is over, the Eastern Route Army organizations have not been dismantled. The Northern Expedition camp is still set up in Liaoyang. The guards and horses directly under the camp are also being prepared. Military officials at all levels are also making final arrangements and preparing to return with the prince. .
In recent times, the two commanders Zhao Kuangyin and Gao Huaide have entered a state of relaxation. This has happened since the Battle of Tongzhou and the Battle of Laiyuan. They all consciously relinquished military power and let the prince handle affairs.
It has to be said that in the previous war in Liaodong, Zhao Kuangyin actually controlled the army and all military affairs. His Royal Highness was tolerant and generous, and dared to let go of power.
But it has to be said that this has caused some damage to the prince's authority. Although it is for war service, for military orders to be clear, and for victory, now that the war is over, we have to consider other factors. The most important thing is to consider the thoughts of the prince and the emperor. What is certain is that the emperor's informants are densely packed in the army. , the emperor must know about those situations.
Zhao Kuangyin, who has a high level of political awareness, certainly understands these truths. Even if his worries are unfounded, he must think more carefully to avoid violating taboos. Therefore, Zhao Kuangyin was transformed from the commander of the army to the role of an advisor.
There was a sense of freedom and carefreeness. Zhao Kuangyin and several close generals drank wine, ate meat, and perhaps went hunting in the countryside in the winter. Gao Huaide was more refined, and in addition to riding horses and archery, he also liked to play music.
The closer I get to the end, the more rushed I feel, the tasks are heavy, and there are many people to meet. In the Liaoyang official office, Liu Yang also received a group of officials, more than 20 of them, most of whom were tall and strong, with a somewhat powerful aura.
There was a shortage of officials in Liaodong, and state and county officials could be transferred from the interior. However, some official positions could not be filled within a period of time. Therefore, a group of military officials were directly selected from the army to enrich the place.
Liu Yang also personally met with these people, not only to appease their hearts, but also to give some instructions. After all, being an official in the army is different from being an official in the local area. Pay attention to the methods and methods. In this matter, the prince Liu Yang is still very careful. Liu Yang's influence on Liaodong unfolded silently through these subtle details, and it can be said that it pervades all aspects.
After some exhortations, Murong Defeng was ordered to lead them down, and they were given a meal and a meal. All the military officials were grateful to leave. He was the only one left in the study, and a sense of fatigue appeared on his face. Liu Yang couldn't help but raise his hand and pinch his forehead.
"Your Highness, the envoy of Song Dynasty wants to see you!" Ma Huaiyu came to report.
"Please!" Liu Yang immediately cheered up.
Soon, Song Xiong entered and saluted. Although he was not young, he was in good spirits and his body looked quite strong. Corporal Liu Yang Lixian personally helped Song Xiong up and said, "You don't need to be polite!"
After sitting down to talk and the waiter served tea, Liu Yang looked at Song Xiong and asked: "I will return to Youzhou and wanted to have a discussion with the envoy, but the envoy has already arrived!"
Putting down the tea cup, Song Xiong asked: "I wonder when your highness will leave?"
Liu Yang said: "The day after tomorrow!"
"At that time, I will lead the Liaodong staff to send His Highness off respectfully!" Song Xiong said.
Liu Yang smiled and said to Song Xiong: "These days, the arrangement of Liaodong has gradually become more orderly, which is all due to the envoy's dispatch. With the envoy here, Liaodong can be settled, and the court can be at peace!"
"I'm just taking care of some secular affairs for the first time. There is still a long way to go before Liaodong is safe and orderly. I really don't dare to take credit!" Song Xiong said: "Everything is not on track. The real governance will have to wait until next year when the weather gets warmer. . Agriculture is the foundation of the country, and food is the security of the people. Only when the farming affairs are straightened out can Liaodongfang truly be in peace and order, and the people can gradually return to their hearts!"
"With the envoy's words, peace and stability in Liaodong can be expected!" After listening to his words, Liu Yang showed a smile and agreed with his idea: "Liaodong is in ruins, and it will be difficult to restore governance. If you need help, please ask! "
"Money, grain, farming tools, seeds and other materials certainly need the support of the imperial court, but as I saw during my inspection of the various states, the lack of materials can be quickly made up. But to consolidate the development of Liaodong, the most important thing is the massive losses in Dingkou!" Song Xiongdao :
"I have asked that compared with before the war, the population of Liaodong is less than 3 out of 10. Nowadays, it is too sparse, and most of them are old and weak. If the population is not enriched, Liaodong will never be able to revitalize and be self-sufficient. It can only rely on the imperial court. Allocating support is acceptable in the short term, but in the long term, it may be a burden to the court..."
Hearing this, Liu Yang thought for a while, raised his eyes and said, "What the envoy said is the fundamental problem!"
