Wang Jing has always warmly welcomed talents like the Feng Guoyong brothers. He not only held special banquets to entertain them, but also intentionally entrusted them with important responsibilities so that they could have room to display their abilities.
It is a crime to leave top talent idle.
Time passed in the blink of an eye, and as we were about to enter the eighth year of Taichu, the number of top talents who came to join us still maintained the original number. After the Feng brothers, there were not many talents who could step into the ninth level.
December 20th, the seventh year of Taichu.
On this day, Wang Jing summoned his close ministers in the Qinzheng Palace.
Important ministers from three provinces, six ministers, and many generals in the army gathered together to report their duties to the emperor.
At the end of each year, as long as he was not on an expedition, Wang Jing would summon his ministers to summarize the year and prepare for the next year's governance and strategy.
"The chief envoy of Huaixi Province reported that the nine prefectures and seventy-four counties in the province have built Chidao, and 10 million acres of farmland have been reclaimed..."
As the bachelor in charge of government affairs, Shen Yi first stood up to report on the internal affairs of the major provinces.
Today's Daxia Dynasty has a total of fourteen provinces. No, if the newly captured Jiangxia land is also set as a province, it will be fifteen provinces.
At this time, except for Jiangxia in the west, the war in Daxia has not subsided, and other provinces in Daxia, including the four newly established provinces in the southeast, have returned to normal from the war.
The province that had just returned to peace was still in a state of exhaustion, and it would take at least two or three years to become prosperous.
The major provinces north of the Yangtze River have not experienced war for a long time since Wang Jing crossed the Yangtze River and headed south.
Therefore, the major provinces in Jiangbei are developing very fast, making rapid progress. Even the Huaixi Province, which was close to Cao Wei and needed to set up military defenses, has made great progress.
In all parts of Jiangbei, it is not an exaggeration to say that the people live and work in peace and contentment, and the prosperity is increasing day by day. While Jiangnan has not yet entered stability, Jiangbei has already lived a peaceful and leisurely life.
Wang Jing closed his eyes slightly and listened quietly.
"As of today, our Daxia has a total of 137.6 million soldiers and civilians... 2.3 million combat soldiers and 2.8 million guard soldiers... In the first seven years of Taichu, we collected a total of 90 million gold in taxes Yuan, 1.36 billion silver crystals!"
The number of towns within the territory, the number of soldiers, and the taxes collected.
After going through statistics from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Shen Yi reported them one by one.
Everyone in the hall listened quietly, but their eyes could see the uncontrollable shock, especially Zhang Juzheng, Han Qinhu, Feng Guoyong and others who had defected to Wang Jing not long ago.
Zhang Juzheng had some understanding of Daxia's national power and quickly calmed down, while Han Qinhu and Feng Guoyong, who were fortunate enough to be in the main hall with many important ministers, could not suppress the shock in their hearts.
Seeing is worth hearing a hundred times, this saying is indeed true.
Only by hearing and seeing it in person can we know the richness and power of Daxia.
"Yes, this year we have been able to continue to expand and grow even though wars have started one after another. Several great bachelors have contributed greatly to it! There are also six ministers, and the chief envoys and prefects of each province have also contributed!"
After Shen Yi finished reporting, Wang Jing opened his eyes and began to praise.
Civil servants who govern local areas are different from generals in the military. Their meritorious service mainly depends on their political performance. If they perform well, they will be promoted. If they are promoted and make money, they can be promoted without having to work hard. But correspondingly, they basically cannot get the rewards of titles.
In order to reward his ministers, Wang Jing would select three civil servants with the most outstanding political achievements every year and grant them the title of third-class court minister, which was considered a special favor.
The third-level imperial title belongs to the lowest rank, and the second-generation title will be downgraded and disappear.
Therefore, such a title will not arouse opposition and hostility from military lieutenant generals.
"The prosperity of Daxia today is entirely due to His Majesty's Sacred Heart. How dare I take the credit!"
Shen Yi, Wang Guangyang, Su Wei and other bachelors came forward and said.
When the monarch praises, the ministers must be humble, otherwise they will be arrogant and disrespectful of the king. These are all due etiquette.
After Wang Jing listened to the report from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Gao Xi came forward to report on behalf of the Privy Council.
What he reported was naturally the military situation in various places.
Except for the soldiers and horses of the Jiangxia and Eastern Han Dynasties, there were few fightings in other places in Daxia. The Southeast, which had just been pacified, was conscientiously accepted and reorganized under the strong intimidation of the Xia army and did not dare to attack.
Wei Rui and other generals, as well as Zhao Dezhao, Zhao Defang and others also returned to Jinling not long ago.
"Your Majesty, the large and small forces from Jiangxi and other places have arrived in Jinling, and now they are all placed in the posthouse waiting to be summoned!"
"There are also princes from Guangdong, Guangxi and other places who have also sent envoys to pay homage and present memorials, willing to surrender to me, Daxia..."
Finally, Gao Xi mentioned the forces in southern Jiujiang that had not yet been cleared up and the princes in southern Daxia.
When Daxia attacked Jiujiang, Chen Han formed the Jiujiang League.
In the southern part of Jiujiang, that is, within the territory of Jiangxi, many forces either joined the Jiujiang Alliance or were neutral. There were also a small number of forces who followed the persuasion of Daxia's envoys and joined Daxia's side.
After Daxia captured Jiujiang, the forces of the Jiujiang Alliance were hit. At this time, most of them had been eliminated, but there were still many neutral forces remaining.
After seeing the strength of Daxia, these forces finally let go of their dignity.
Before the New Year in the eighth year of Taichu, many people came to Jinling to congratulate Wang Jing and bring up the matter of joining Daxia.
As for the princes in Guangdong, Guangxi and other places mentioned by Gao Xi, they were all celebrities who had appeared in various dynasties. There was no strong force in Guangdong and Guangxi, so these people separated themselves from each other and built cities to defend themselves.
As for how ambitious they are, they all know themselves and know that they are no match for Daxia.
So before Daxia reached out to Lingnan, they took the initiative to send envoys to pay tribute! Just like Qiantang surrendered to the Central Plains in history.
If Daxia didn't go south, they would just live their own small life. If Daxia went south, they would be able to get a good end by virtue of their kindness of being a vassal and paying tribute.
"Enter these people well. Our army is unable to enter Lingnan for the time being, so it would be a good idea to make a decision on the justice of the emperor and his ministers first!"
Wang Jing listened and said casually.
There are many specialties in Lingnan and other places, especially in the world of China. Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and other places have a large population. The land can be developed, and there are various spiritual minerals, spiritual fruits and elixirs, and materials for monsters and beasts...
Daxia can choose to trade with them and earn a lot of wealth without sending troops.
Gao Xi responded and then retreated to his seat.
After all the reports were completed, Wang Jing stood up and said: "In a few days, it will be the eighth year of Taichu and the seventh year of Taichu. Only with the help of all my dear friends can I pacify the southeast, open up Jiujiang and Jiangxia, and expand the territory thousands of miles away. ..."
He summarized the events of the first seven years and praised the officials in the palace.
The several important ministers who were praised by him couldn't help but feel a little excited because of their strong character.
No matter how strong they are, they are all ministers of Daxia, and they have an indelible sense of loyalty to the monarch and his ministers. As the monarch, Wang Jing can shake their minds with just a few words.
"The eighth year of Taichu is coming soon. I hope that in the new year, you and I will still work together to make Daxia stronger..."
Wang Jing said a final blessing.
The most powerful person in the world will inevitably appear in the eighth year of Taichu, and the situation in the world will definitely be turbulent by then.
Wang Jing gave the ministers a warning first.
"I will remember His Majesty's teachings!"
All the ministers in the palace bowed in unison.
December 27th.
It was just after noon, and the originally cold weather was offset by the bustle of the streets in Jinling City. The air conditioning suddenly disappeared, and the entire city became much warmer.
The new year is coming. After receiving rewards for victory on the battlefield and rewards for the New Year, the soldiers of the army went home with a large amount of chickens, ducks and pork. It can be expected that they will definitely have a good New Year this year.
Some of the people, businessmen, and scholars on the street are taking advantage of the excitement of the New Year to sell more things, and some are selling more things.
are buying new year goods.
On the street where the official post house is located, there are several restaurants that are very lively.
The leaders of the forces and envoys from the princes who live in the post house these days like to order a pot of wine in the restaurant and collect news while drinking.
What they want to know is not some military secrets, but some ordinary situations in Jinling City and Daxia.
Smart people can discern subtleties from these ordinary messages and see what they want.
In the restaurant, two men were drinking and talking by the window.
While he was talking, one of the men saw a carriage, led by two officials, entering the post house in the distance. Behind the carriage was a flag embroidered with a toad.
"Another prince from Guangdong and Guangxi has come!"
"The prestige of Daxia spread far and wide, and princes tens of thousands of miles apart came to pay tribute..."
In the restaurant, there were envoys from the princes from Guangdong and Guangxi, who recognized the power represented by this flag. The new princes just said a few words casually and stopped paying attention.
After all, there are so many envoys from the princes coming to Jinling these days, it's no surprise.
After experiencing the prosperity and power of Jinling personally, these envoys from the princes, as well as the leaders of the forces in Jiangxi, had given up the idea of breaking up with Daxia deep in their hearts.
They are all thinking about how to join Daxia.
How can I serve as an official in the Xia Dynasty and continue to enjoy wealth? Many power leaders secretly decided that as long as the Xia Lord could ennoble them with the title of a third-class son or a first-class general, they would be willing to give up their troops and become citizens of Great Xia.
"Brother, you have been in Jinling for several days. You have seen the situation in Daxia with your own eyes. Haven't you made up your mind yet?"
The two people close to the window sill listened to all the nearby sounds while drinking.
After a while, the handsome young man sitting on the left side finally couldn't bear it anymore and asked.
This handsome young man is Chen Yucheng.
The eldest brother he mentioned was the man sitting opposite him, and his identity was Shi Dakai, the Wing King of the Taiping Army.
Shi Dakai doesn't look tall, but his eyes are like cold stars, his breath is like steel, and he has a tenacity that is unmoved by external objects.
He picked up the wine glass, took a sip, and didn't answer immediately.
His eyes swept across the streets of Jinling, and his ears listened to the smiling voices of the people on the streets, as well as the laughing boys and girls in the alleys...
"You are right. Daxia is indeed powerful, and the Xia Lord's political methods are also extremely superb. For Jinling to be what it is today, the Ming Lord and his virtuous ministers are indispensable! In the future, Daxia will definitely become the overlord of the south!"
Shi Dakai sighed.
He is not a stubborn old stubborn. If he is really stubborn, then he will not follow the Daxia envoy to Aurous Hill at all. He would not talk so much to Chen Yucheng.
He could see that the south of the river was Daxia's territory, and the Taiping Army had no hope.
If you want to find a good end for your brothers and sisters in the Taiping Army, the only way is to join Daxia.
Daxia allowed the people to live and work in peace and contentment, to marry and have children normally without being exploited. In Shi Dakai's eyes, this was the kingdom of heaven on earth, something that even the Taiping Army failed to achieve.
Therefore, Shi Dakai has nothing to be unwilling to do.
He has not agreed to join him until now. He just wanted to know more about Wang Jing out of caution.
As for whether delaying for so long before agreeing to surrender would lead to a decrease in his treatment... Shi Dakai had no worries in this regard.
"Brother said that, did you agree?"
Chen Yucheng felt the other party's tone and asked immediately.
"It's about the future of our brothers and sisters in the Taiping Army. How could I not agree? By the way, take all the money and treasures that the emperor promised to reward and distribute them to your brothers!"
Shi Dakai said.
Chen Yucheng looked happy, and he agreed no matter what Shi Dakai said.
Shi Dakai agreed to join, and their small Taiping Army group finally had some backbone.
Li Kai
Fang is a veteran of the Daxia Dynasty, but his abilities have limits. As the Daxia Dynasty becomes stronger, his status in the Daxia army will continue to decline.
Now he's almost taking a back seat.
Chen Yucheng's ability and potential are a bit higher, but his limit is that of a human realm general. Not as good as the top, but more than the bottom, but because of his status as a demoted general, he will not be reused in the short term.
Only Shi Dakai has high potential and extremely strong abilities. He will have the opportunity to further enter the realm in the future.
With Shi Dakai's support, those in the Taiping Army would have support and a future.
The last few days of the seventh year of Taichu passed quickly.
Dang Dang Dang!
Accompanied by the sound of Qingyue bells. The Qingyue bells rang in all directions, and it seemed that the entire Jinling could be heard. The city with a radius of several hundred miles became extremely silent at this moment.
When the bells stopped ringing, fireworks shot into the sky. Fireworks, trees and silver flowers, nothing more than that.
In the evening, the sky was bright as daylight with fireworks all over the sky, and the whole city was celebrating the coming of the New Year.
The eighth year of Taichu has finally arrived.
The first day of the new year.
The palace doors were wide open, and groups of guards wearing golden armor stood up straight inside and outside the palace. The maids hung red lanterns and various colorful streamers on some of the palace halls.
The leaders of the forces and envoys from the princes who came to worship, followed by the civil and military ministers of Daxia, filed into the palace.
This scene in this trip has the shadow of the nine heavens closing the palace, and the clothes and hats of all nations paying homage to the palace.
Of course, the strength of the Daxia Dynasty has surpassed that of the prosperous Tang Dynasty in history, but its prestige and prestige are still a little behind. The princes who come to worship are not the lords of a country...
