Chapter 373 As long as Ah Shang speaks
After praising Li Xian, the Emperor and Empress talked about the affairs of Dongluo.
Previously, when Japanese soldiers approached the waters of Dasheng, Dongluo concealed the fact and did not report it, which made the Dasheng court very shocked and angry, so it sent envoys to investigate the matter. However, Dongluo did not give a definite explanation.
But the messenger brought back other news. The old king of Eastern Luo died. After a bloody internal struggle in Eastern Luo, the new king of Eastern Luo was able to succeed to the throne. However, the turmoil caused by this internal struggle has not stopped to this day.
According to reports from secret officials planted by Dasheng in Dongluo, the new King of Dongluo has been secretly maintaining close contacts with Japan, and his smooth succession to the throne was suspected to be secretly assisted by Japanese forces.
At this point, the secret relationship between Dong Luo and Japan had become a fact before Dasheng's eyes.
"It seems that the new King of Dongluo has already colluded with Japan... No wonder he didn't report it before!"
"More than ten years ago, Dong Luo was almost destroyed by the neighboring country Bairong! It was our late crown prince who led troops to help, and only then did Dong Luo's worries about being destroyed were resolved! At that time, Bairong, who was in cahoots with the Japanese, asked Japan for help. The Japanese army led 80,000 naval forces to approach our territory, and it was the late crown prince who defeated the Japanese army at Baijiangkou with a small force! This battle not only saved Dong Luo, but also helped Dong Luo to avenge many years of shame and annex Bairong in one fell swoop. Since then, Bairong has been destroyed, and Dong Luo has finally stopped suffering from oppression!"
Since then, Dong Luo regarded Da Sheng as its suzerain state and paid tribute every year, and the two countries have always maintained friendly exchanges.
"Our dynasty has done many favors for Dong Luo, but now Dong Luo has colluded with Japan and wants to harm our dynasty. This is really ungrateful!"
All officials despised this.
But no matter how much you despise them, there are no eternal enemies or friends in this world. Only interests are the most lasting.
The change of monarchs has always been the most likely time for changes in diplomatic relations between two countries, and it happened to be at a time when Dasheng was in turmoil and weakened...
The Emperor of the Holy Ce looked at the officials and said, "What I am most worried about right now is that the new King of Dongluo is not only seeking to seize the throne of Dongluo, but also has the ambition to collude with Japan to invade Dasheng—"
Swearing will not solve the problem. This is the key thing that needs to be considered and dealt with right now.
Since the destruction of Bairong and Gaoyu, Dongluo replaced Gaoyu and became the only neighboring country bordering Dasheng's northeastern territory. If Dongluo raises an army, it will be much easier to seize the initiative than Wa, which is separated from Dasheng by a vast sea.
By then, the Japanese army would have pressed into the southeastern hinterland of Da Sheng, and the Eastern Luo army would have bitten Da Sheng's northeastern throat... The consequences of being invaded by foreign enemies on both sides would be disastrous.
Thinking of the consequences, all the officials were horrified as they talked to each other in private.
"Your Majesty, while the civil unrest in Eastern Luo has not yet been resolved, you must send a message to the Andong Protectorate as soon as possible, asking them to strengthen the border defenses in preparation for resisting Eastern Luo!"
There was no need for the court officials to remind him of this, as the Emperor of Holy Ce had already given the order.
If Dong Luo were to stir up trouble, the Heishui Mohe tribe to the north would probably not be able to keep quiet... If the rebellions of different ethnic groups were to connect, Da Sheng might face the danger of its mountains and rivers being torn apart.
Thinking about this, the Emperor of the Holy Ceme was in a heavy mood and did not dare to relax or be careless in the slightest.
Hearing that the emperor and all the officials had placed the focus of resisting the Eastern Luo on the eastern defense line of the Andong Protectorate, Master Chu concentrated on thinking for a moment. Just as he was about to speak, he heard a young voice speak before him -
Wei Shuyi, who was wearing a red official robe, stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, I think that if Dong Luo raises an army, it may not only be a land attack."
The Holy Book Emperor motioned for him to continue.
"As a vassal state of Dasheng for many years, Dong Luo knows that it cannot defeat the enemy alone and may not dare to fight against the important border town of Andong alone..." Wei Shuyi said seriously, "I am afraid that Dong Luo will go south to the sea and join forces with the Japanese army to attack the hinterland of Jiangnan."
"Minister Wei's concerns are not without reason." Ma Xingzhou pondered for a moment and said, "Although our northeastern territory is vast, it is sparsely populated and a cold and bitter place. In contrast, the south of the Yangtze River is rich and has just suffered from the rebellion of Xu Zhengye. In the eyes of Japan, it is at a weak point. How can we know that Dong Luo will not be tempted?"
Rich but weak places are most likely to attract jackals and wolves; this is an eternal truth.
Some court officials were worried when they heard this: "If this is true...how will the loyal and brave marquis and the governor Chang resist the combined attack of Wa and Dong Luo?"
Wei Shuyi raised his hand and said, "I ask Your Majesty to send more troops to Governor Chang to strengthen the coastal defense, to resist the Japanese troops, and to deter Dong Luo!"
As soon as these words were spoken, they immediately attracted opposition.
"More troops are needed? Minister Wei, do you know how many places we need troops now? The cost of maintaining troops is so great that the Ministry of Revenue cannot afford to transfer them!"
"The governor Chang now has 80,000 troops at his disposal, not to mention the defensive naval forces of the coastal states that she can mobilize. How many more soldiers does she need? When the Crown Prince defeated the 80,000 Japanese naval forces, he only used less than 40,000 soldiers in total!"
Wei Shuyi frowned slightly, "But the former Crown Prince led the Xuan Ce Army, which was far more elite than these 80,000 soldiers. The current situation is even more difficult and critical than it was back then. How can we generalize?"
An official sneered and said, "If you ask me, the most unpredictable person is the leader of the army! Back then, the crown prince of our Great Sheng Dynasty was famous far and wide. Even before the battle, he was enough to scare the Japanese army!"
"But now it is led by a 17-year-old girl. Those who don't know would think that our Great Sheng has no one to use. Under such circumstances, it is only natural for the Japanese army and the Eastern Luo army to think that our Great Sheng Jiangnan Navy is weak and can be bullied, so it is natural for them to join forces to attack us!"
These words made those officials who had long been dissatisfied with Chang Suining echo them one after another. Soon, someone proposed to change the commander. As for the candidate to be replaced, it seemed that as long as the name was a man, it would sound more intimidating than that of a weak girl.
"…The battlefield is different from other places. Appointing a woman as the commander-in-chief will only boost the prestige of others and destroy one's own morale. I sincerely hope that Your Majesty will choose a new commander-in-chief!"
"Your Majesty, please choose a new commander!"
Amid the calls for a change of commander, Ma Xingzhou fell into deep thought for a moment. When Wei Shuyi was unable to handle the whole situation alone, Master Chu stepped forward calmly.
He looked at the official with the loudest voice and asked in a discussion tone, "'Appointing a woman as a commander is to boost the prestige of others and destroy one's own morale'. I wonder how Lord Qiu got this idea?"
"Taifu, this is obvious..." The official did not want to argue with Taifu Chu, so his tone became much more submissive: "Women are always lacking in deterrence when they are in command."
Master Chu laughed and said, "The deterrent power you mentioned is probably not just your imagination."
The official choked and was about to speak, but saw that Master Chu had put away his peaceful expression and his brows gradually became solemn: "As far as I know, the Japanese army has been lingering on the sea for nearly two months before they dared to send troops to test. If it is true as Master Qiu said, they believe that our anti-Japanese marshal is weak and can be bullied, why did they dare to extend their claws so late?"
"The reason why the Japanese army waited and watched for a long time is because Governor Chang is a rare general who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Suddenly appearing out of nowhere means unknown, and unknown means unpredictable! Therefore, the Japanese army did not dare to act rashly, but instead sent spies to test repeatedly!"
"I don't think that if a male general with more experience and military achievements than a beggar on the street had been appointed as the commander, the Japanese army would have waited and watched until now!"
"What is deterrence? It makes the Japanese army wait and see for a long time, buying the maximum time for the navy to train and strengthen coastal defense. This is her deterrence!"
"Why do you mean 'destroying her own morale'? Governor Chang now leads 80,000 soldiers. At first, everyone wanted to stay with Governor Chang to fight against the Japanese invaders. In the end, they had to draw lots to keep them. This has become a good story in the army! Let me ask, for someone who is so trusted by the soldiers, what is the basis for Lord Qiu to say that she destroyed her own morale?"
Faced with these sharp questions, the official surnamed Qiu turned pale and was speechless.
Finally, Master Chu looked around and said in a tone that sounded like he was completely disgusted with stupidity: "As an official in the court, you are discussing important matters. You dare to propose a change of commander based on wishful thinking. This is an act that is unworthy of your position. You are a disgrace to the world and the people. You are both stupid and evil!"
If he was only scolding the person with the surname Qiu just now, now he is scolding all those who proposed to change the coach.
A disciple whispered, "Master, calm down..."
"Why should I calm down? I get angry just by listening to these selfish and stupid words!" Master Chu was still furious, and continued, "The current situation requires us to send more troops, so why not? Why did the former Crown Prince only lead less than 40,000 troops back then? How can we compare the events of that time? Many of you wore open-crotch pants 'back then', so why do you have to wear official uniforms now?"
"Besides, you all know that the former Crown Prince led the Xuan Ce Army. If the 20,000 naval forces in the Xuan Ce Army can be transferred to Jiangnan and handed over to Governor Chang for command, it would be fine to withdraw the 80,000 troops!"
Hearing this, the official surnamed Qiu, who had been scolded so much, finally seized the opportunity to vent his anger. He immediately faced the Holy Ce Emperor and bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, what Master Chu said is very true. Why don't we transfer the 20,000 Xuan Ce navy to Jiangnan and exchange them for the 80,000 troops to defend other places!"
No matter how elite the 20,000 navy is, it can't beat the Japanese army and the Eastern Luo! He has tolerated this old master for too long. The other party is really old and confused. He can even say such words! Since the other party dares to say it, he dares to follow. When he loses the battle, there will be a lot of fun to watch!
Lord Qiu, who bowed his head to ask for instructions, did not see the coldness that flashed across the emperor's eyes.
But he heard the emperor's cold rebuke: "Ridiculous, military affairs are not something you can use to fight and amuse yourself!"
The official surnamed Qiu felt a chill on his back and immediately knelt down.
The Emperor of the Holy Ce said solemnly, "Although there are 20,000 naval forces in the Xuan Ce army, they are not only good at naval warfare. They are now also responsible for guarding the capital. If I easily transfer them away, where will the safety of the capital be?"
Immediately, she said in a tone that took the overall situation into consideration: "What the Grand Tutor and Minister Wei said is correct. The times are different now. I will try to mobilize troops and do my best to allocate 20,000 troops to Jiangnan to resist the Japanese army and the Eastern Luo——"
But it won’t be Xuan Ce’s army.
Master Chu understood clearly.
It seemed that he spoke without thinking just now, but in fact he was deliberately passing the words to the man surnamed Qiu, using the mouth of that big enemy to test the emperor's attitude... Sure enough, he was still on guard.
Wei Shuyi vaguely sensed this and his heart was also stirred.
It seems that although the sage trusts "her", is this trust only trust in "her ability"? The reluctance to return the Xuan Ce Army to the former general's hands is a manifestation of the emperor's reservations in trust.
Without the Xuan Ce Army, she had a bad hand. While resisting the Japanese army, she also had to face the threat of the Eastern Luo... Could she win? The emperor had the answer in his heart - even without the Xuan Ce Army, Ah Shang could win.
She believed that since Ashang had volunteered to stay in Jiangdu, he would be able to do it.
If A Shang feels that he is no match for his opponent, if A Shang feels that he needs help from Xuan Ce's army... then A Shang will ask for help from her, his mother. As long as A Shang asks, she will be able to safely send the 20,000 Xuan Ce navy to A Shang.
As long as A Shang spoke, as long as A Shang was willing to come back to her, she would definitely not be a stingy mother.
She was now just waiting for Ah Shang to speak. As long as Ah Shang recognized her as his mother and was willing to stand together with her against the outside world, she would definitely agree - not to mention the Xuan Ce navy, even if it was this vast land, she would only wish to share it with Ah Shang.
After the morning court session, the Emperor of Shengce returned to Ganlu Palace. After swallowing a vermilion pill with the help of a eunuch, he asked Yu Zeng if there was any news from the Imperial Master.
Yu Zeng bowed his head and replied, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Master has not sent back any news yet."
The Holy Ce Emperor said in an ambiguous tone, "It seems that this evil star is indeed difficult to find. Let's wait a little longer... I believe that the Imperial Master will not let me down."
Yu Zeng felt a little nervous and replied, "Yes, I will definitely have someone protect the Imperial Master Tian Jing."
…
After the six ministries finished their shifts, Minister Zhan of the Ministry of Revenue was invited to a teahouse to have tea with Grand Tutor Chu.
On the way here, Minister Zhan was very nervous. He had repeatedly asked the teacher to come out for tea and chat, but the teacher always refused in annoyance. Every time, the reasons for the refusal were very natural and unadorned, sometimes two words, sometimes three words - either "I don't have time" or "I'm too bored, I don't want to go."
This time the teacher actually took the initiative to ask him out, which was really rare and something he could definitely brag about.
But Minister Zhan was worried that something must be wrong. Could it be that the teacher...didn't scold him enough during the morning court session and wanted to take it out on him? Although it was not very respectful to the teacher to think so, it did seem like something the teacher would do.
Before Minister Zhan got off the sedan chair, he took off his official hat. If the teacher had seen his balding head, he might not have the heart to scold him.
He is not trying to be pitiful, he is really miserable. After all, the leader of the six bald heads in the ministry today is undoubtedly their Ministry of Revenue.
Everywhere was asking for money, but there were only a few coins in the treasury, most of which were confiscated from the homes of the nobles... There were too many places asking for money, and how to divide it was a problem.
Although the Dasheng implemented the Two Tax System, the land tax was divided into summer tax and autumn grain, and the autumn harvest was coming soon, the autumn grain should have brought in a large amount of money, but this year the Central Plains and other major grain-producing states were hit by floods and no grain was harvested...
Unfortunately, the wars keep getting more and more frequent. If this continues, the finances will collapse...
Whenever Minister Zhan thought of this possibility, he felt his scalp tingling and was about to lose his hair again.
Fortunately, what was waiting for him in the teahouse was not the teacher's scolding.
Tutor Chu came to inquire about something, which was about the military pay and supplies that would be allocated to Chang Suining next.
He knew that the Ministry of Revenue was short of money, so he came to ask specifically. He couldn't take care of other things, but his students' fight against the Japanese pirates was the top priority. His unfortunate students had already been wronged, and he couldn't let her soldiers go without food.
"Teacher, you actually want to ask this..." Minister Zhan was very surprised, and immediately said, "What a coincidence, someone just reminded the students about this matter today, and it has been put on the agenda."
"Oh?" Master Chu raised his graying eyebrows: "Who is it?"
(Because a book friend mentioned the background of Japanese pirates last time, I did a lot of homework afterwards, and finally determined the setting logic: still use the Tang Dynasty background, the war between Tang Dynasty and Japan can be traced in history. The current battle in the text is still a political conflict between countries, not between China and Japanese pirates.
Another point is that according to the data, the rule of the Japanese shogunate appeared in the Yuan and Song dynasties and later. During the Tang Dynasty, the internal affairs of Japan also changed several times, but the ruler (and feudal landlords) were still in power. The power of the ruler was not hollowed out by the shogunate at that time. Therefore, the logic of the previous setting [After Ningning won a great victory against the Japanese army in the previous life, the Japanese emperor submitted a petition for peace] is valid.
The error in the article is that the names of Wokou and Wobing are occasionally confused. The term Wokou is increasingly regarded as a unified name for invaders from Japan, but the article should not be so imprecise, so the previous errors have been corrected~ Now the name is unified. From now on, the Wobing that appears in the article = official soldiers of Japan. Wokou = pirates from Japan (as for the saying that most of the Wokou after the Ming Dynasty were Chinese, this is not verified in the article because the background reference stays in the Tang Dynasty) The Dongluo Kingdom in the article is the historical Silla, and the reason for the fiction has been changed.
Although it is fictional, I welcome your comments. I will verify and modify any logical bugs and inconsistencies. The battle routes and geographical backgrounds in the article all have historical references (although I like to make up stories, there must be a basic logic of the times. For example, the title of A Ge Ge Ge appears in a fictional background. Isn't that nonsense?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
