Chapter 37 Huaiyi Rebellion
Luo Cheng saw the two dukes of Jin and Zheng off.
Walking out of the hall, Duke Jin and Duke Zheng both had happy expressions on their faces. They had obtained the power to conquer rebellious nations granted by the emperor. This was the legal power to annex small countries. The states of Jin and Zheng would usher in a period of crazy expansion of their power.
The three of them walked along the wide avenue in the palace. On both sides were high city walls. Soldiers were patrolling on the walls. The footsteps of the three of them could be clearly heard in the corridor.
Luo Cheng looked at the sky, which was only a sliver of sky, and thought of the current situation of Bang Zhou. He felt a little depressed and said in a deep voice: "Duke Jin, Duke Zheng, the royal family is in decline, and the barbarians are in turmoil. Who will protect the world?
The land of the Xia Dynasty was obtained after over two hundred years of hard work. If you lose it just like that, will you be willing to accept it?
The authority of the princes comes from the emperor. Only when the emperor's throne is stable can our descendants enjoy the honorable position forever.
Among so many nobles in the Shang Dynasty, only the Song branch is still passed down. Is it because the other branches are incapable?
Are all of the hundreds of princes with the surname Ji in the world people of virtue?
This is all because we are relatives of the royal family, and the surname Ji is noble, which is why we are where we are today.
However, over the years, Zhou rituals have declined in many vassal states.
The patriarchal system between the monarch and his subjects, and between fathers and sons, collapsed, and immoral acts such as subjects killing their monarchs and sons killing their fathers occurred one after another.
Qi was once so powerful, but it changed its ruler three times in twenty years, and the royal family slaughtered each other. As a result, the national strength has gradually declined.
Both Jin and Zheng were large countries with hundreds of miles of land, large populations, and strong military forces. They could be said to be very powerful.
For a big country like yours, even if you suffer several defeats in a row, the loss is only a city or a place. After a short rest and recuperation, you can make a comeback.
But if the royal family starts to fight among themselves, the royal family will surely decline. Even the strongest country will only take one generation to decline.
In order to resist foreign aggression, one must first stabilize the internal situation. This time when I return, I must revive the Zhou rituals in the country and choose the successor carefully, not based on my own preferences.
The status of the heir must be made clear, and certain young men must not be allowed to have inappropriate thoughts. This is a matter of great importance concerning the survival of the country.
If this cannot be done, even if the two gentlemen are brave and wise, and the country is strong for a while, if their descendants are not virtuous, it will eventually decline.
When the national strength is completely lost and it perishes at the hands of barbarians or princes, it will be laughed at by the world. "
When Dukes Jin and Zheng heard this, the smiles on their faces disappeared.
The Duke of Jin, who had been on good terms with Luo State since the time of Luo Su, held his hands and said, "Luo State is a country of etiquette. For nine generations, it has been passed down in an orderly manner. I should learn from you and will definitely act in accordance with Zhou etiquette when I return to my country."
Luo Cheng didn't know how much the two men had listened to him. If the national strength of Jin and Zheng was not so important to the survival of the other states and the royal family, he would not have spoken his heartfelt words to them.
Luo Cheng escorted the Dukes of Jin and Zheng out of the palace and said with emotion: "The barbarians are now thriving, and a war is not far away. The Dukes should go back and reorganize the military affairs.
If there is anything important, just send a letter to Luoyi and I will take care of it for you two gentlemen.
With the three of us, Bang Zhou will surely be as stable as Mount Tai."
The two dukes of Jin and Zheng agreed and got on their carriages to return to their countries to reorganize their troops. Luo Cheng returned to the palace to teach Ji Fu and take care of the affairs of Bangzhou and Wangji.
…
As time went by, the unusual movements that had been detected earlier turned into pieces of military intelligence information, swarming towards the new kingdom.
"Your Majesty, the Laiyi Kingdom has launched a massive invasion, and the Marquis of Qi has led his troops to resist."
"The Di people have also invaded. The Duke of Jin, the Marquis of Wei, the Marquis of Handan, the Marquis of Xing, the Marquis of Zhang, and the other lords, Bo, Zi, and Nan, have led their troops northwards. Their momentum is not small. I'm afraid they don't have the energy to pay attention to the royal capital."
"The ruler of Xu has usurped the throne. The Duke of Song and the Marquis of Chen have already led their troops to the front. The ruler of Xu is brave and powerful, and the two countries are losing ground."
The Western Rong's capture of Haojing seemed to have sent a signal to the four barbarians. The weakness of the Zhou Dynasty was exposed to everyone, and the enemies from all directions took this opportunity to attack it together.
The first country to fall into chaos was Laiyi.
Since King Su's eastern expedition, the Dongyi have always been the main target of attack by the Zhou Dynasty.
Under the repeated attacks from Qi and Luo, its power gradually shrank, but on the peninsula east of Qi, there was still a big country called Laiyi.
This was Qi's mortal enemy. This time, the leader of Laiyi gathered almost all the tribes of Dongyi to go to war with Qi.
The State of Qi also took advantage of the opportunity of decentralizing the emperor's power to draw on the forces of the eastern vassal states such as the State of Ji to deal with the State of Laiyi together.
The State of Qi also mobilized all its resources and even stopped providing aid to the State of Yan, leaving Yan to deal with the Di and Hu peoples on its own.
As military intelligence arrived, Luo Cheng explained the situation in the world to Ji Fu in the royal capital.
"Your Majesty, the more urgent the military situation is, the more we need to calmly analyze the flaws. For example, among the situations in all four directions, Qi is the one we don't need to worry about the least.
Although Laiyi was powerful, Qi occupied a favorable terrain and could attack from a high position, or slowly drag down Laiyi.
The state of Yan is in real danger. Without the help of Qi, Yan is located in a remote area and has a small population. This time it depends on how strong Yan is.
If Yan cannot resist the Hu people, then Qi will be attacked from both sides, and then Qi will be caught in a bitter battle. "
Jin, Wei, Handan and Xing faced the Di people who came south from the north. Jin, in particular, was the main force in protecting the royal capital.
The enemies in these two directions are already old tussles. They have won and lost against each other over the years. The Jin State just needs to fight according to the routine.
Ji Fu looked at the map in front of him and asked, "Lord Luo, can the Western Zhou state fight against the Yi and Luo Rong? Will they attack the royal capital directly along the Yi and Luo rivers?
Shen and Ying are both close to Yi and Luo, and Zheng can also go there directly by ship, so can we let them go to the expedition?"
Luo Cheng shook his head and said, "None of the three countries can be moved. Xu State rebelled. According to the news, the monarch of Xu State is a natural commander. He defeated the army of Song State and it was only with the help of the reinforcements from Chen State that they were able to hold on.
Once the coalition forces of the two countries are defeated, the southeast of the royal capital will be wide open, which cannot be allowed. Only by controlling the war outside the royal capital can all unexpected situations be avoided.
Therefore, Duke Zheng should lead a large army to support the State of Song immediately.
Duke Zheng is a brave and valiant man, so I think Xu’s rebellion will not affect the royal domain for the time being.”
"What about Shen and Ying?"
Luo Cheng sighed, "When Zhou was at its weakest, Chu had always been unyielding and had a grudge against Zhou, so how could it remain indifferent?
Judging from the date, the State of Shen should soon report the news of the invasion by the State of Chu.
I am a little surprised that there is no movement from Huaiyi.
Didn’t we hear some time ago that they were preparing for war? How come there’s no news from Xi State?
Are they preparing to launch an attack on Wu Yue?
This doesn’t make sense.”
Ji Fu naturally didn't understand these things, so he asked, "Lord Luo, is Huaiyi very strong?"
Luo Cheng pointed to the area south of the royal capital and drew: "North of Wuyue, east and south of Xu State, all the way to Xidi, a thousand miles of land is the sphere of influence of Huaiyi."
Ji Fu was shocked, a thousand miles away!
His royal domain was only six hundred li, but this Huaiyi actually had a territory of a thousand li.
Luo Cheng said solemnly: "The Huaiyi people are good at using bows and arrows, and they are tough and strong. They are excellent soldiers. They and the Western Rong have always been a major concern for the Zhou Dynasty.
There were dozens of vassal states with the surname Ji between the royal capital and Huaiyi, but some of them were gradually annexed over the years.
As the Huaiyi tribe grows stronger, I am worried that these fragmented Hanyang princesses will not be able to bear the burden of defending against the enemy.
That’s why we decided to follow the strategy of Jin to defend the north and Qi to defend the east, and to establish a large country across the Yingshui River between Shen and Chen, specifically to stop the Huaiyi from moving north.”
On the one hand, Luo Cheng explained to Ji Fu the current situation of Bang Zhou, and on the other hand, he taught Ji Fu how to handle state affairs.
"Your Majesty, urgent military report!"
The eunuch hurried in from outside the hall, holding two bamboo slips in his hands.
"The King Who Was Mandated by Heaven:
Your servant, Lord Shen, bows his head.
I have done nothing wrong, yet the King of Chu has raised an army to attack me.
Chu is a vassal state in a barbaric land. I am a relative of the Ji clan. He attacked it on his own, which shows that he does not care about the Zhou rituals and you.
Shouldn't such a minister be punished?
I ask Wang Ji to send troops to let the Chu army know that the power of heaven is unpredictable. "
The emperor Ji Fu and Luo Cheng each read a copy, and after Ji Fu finished reading, he said, "Lord Luo, your prediction was indeed correct.
The State of Chu raised an army on the grounds that the States of Sui and Shen were disrespectful to it, claiming to have an army of 100,000 and advancing in three directions.
The State of Shen has already called up all the soldiers in the country to stop the State of Chu on the Han River. The State of Sui has also begun to fortify its walls and clear the fields, and has sent a letter to Wangji asking for help.
Because Luo Cheng had already told him that the State of Chu would definitely rise up in arms, Ji Fu was not very panicked now.
The State of Shen was still very powerful and had an advantageous terrain. It successfully repelled the attacks of the State of Chu many times. Its request for help was merely to ask for some benefits from Wang Ji.
Luo Cheng was not very worried about the invasion of Chu.
Because he knew that these actions of Chu were mainly aimed at tying down the military power of Shen Sui and other countries and delaying the Ji clan countries on the Han River Plain.
The Chu nobles just wanted to see the Zhou royal family and the princes of the Central Plains in trouble, so no matter who attacked the princes of the Central Plains, they would help.
It is highly unlikely that he would go to war with Bang Zhou with real weapons, especially since he was in power in the royal capital and the Chu nobles already had a psychological shadow on the Luo family.
Some time ago, it snowed in June in Haojing. The Laiyi, Huaiyi and Xu states may not believe it, but the Chu state must have been skeptical.
Xiong Dun's status in the State of Chu was comparable to that of King Su in the hearts of the Zhou people.
This was a monarch who single-handedly made the State of Chu a great power, yet he suffered such a huge loss. Who could not be suspicious?
“Report!
Your Majesty, Lord Luo, military intelligence has arrived from Ying State!"
A soldier covered in blood rushed into the hall. Luo Cheng's face changed drastically and he hurriedly took the letter and opened it to take a look.
"Your Majesty, the Huaiyi are invading!
It's not that they didn't take action, but they broke through the defenses of the Hanyang princesses in an instant.
No news could be transmitted from the State of Xi until the fleeing citizens and nobles of those vassal states headed north, at which point the news came from the States of Ying and Xu.
This is too terrifying. The Huaiyi warships are extremely numerous. They will go up the Ying River. Once Ying and Xu fall, they will be able to directly attack the Yi and Luo areas.
It can contact the Rong people in Yi and Luo, and control the food supply routes of the princesses in Hanyang.
Even the State of Shen would have to face attacks from the State of Chu, Huaiyi, and Yi and Luo Rong, and the royal capital would be directly exposed to the Huaiyi.
Danger is imminent. "
During the reign of King Su, there were princes from the four garrisons who were ordered by the king to regularly summon the princes for military training to deal with the attacks of the barbarians.
As a result, as the power of the Xia states expanded, the barbarians no longer waged wars on a large scale with the princes.
The emperor was also dissatisfied with the princes who held great power in certain areas, so gradually such powerful princes were no longer established.
The Hanyang princesses all belonged to small countries, and they did not work together. Faced with a behemoth like the Huaiyi, they have come to the current bleak situation.
When Ji Fu heard that the royal capital was in danger, he could not sit still. He had not forgotten that his father's royal capital was breached by the Rong people. He asked hurriedly: "Lord Luo, do you have any plan?"
"At present, we can only transfer Wang Ji's troops to Ying and Xu. As long as we hold these places and prevent Huaiyi, Yiluo Rong, and Chu from connecting, the situation will be under control.
After the Haojing Incident, I was worried that the royal capital might not have enough military strength, so I brought soldiers from Luo State to the royal capital. These were the best troops in the world, and I sent them to Ying State and Xu State first.
Your Majesty, you must issue a conscription order to the entire Zhou state. All princes and vassals must be mobilized. Anyone who does not follow the order will be punished when the matter is over."
"Lord Luo, I have just ascended the throne and am not familiar with military and state affairs, so I will leave this matter to you. However, you can do whatever the imperial edict is."
Ji Fu is very different from his father Ji Nie. He is very self-aware and never interferes in things he is not good at. He also adheres to the way of being a king, is upright and honest, and is kind by nature. He is considerate of his subjects and never easily suspicious. At critical moments, he is also very decisive and can hand over power to people he trusts.
Such a monarch will become a wise ruler if he meets wise ministers, but will become incompetent if he meets treacherous ministers. For Luo Cheng, he is very satisfied.
The matter of Huaiyi was of great importance. Luo Cheng did not delay for a moment and immediately issued the highest level of conscription order, requiring the royal family and nobles to send troops.
The order to transfer the elite troops of Luo State to Ying State and Xu State was also issued.
When issuing this decree, Luo Cheng felt like his heart was bleeding. The troops brought to Luoyi this time were all truly elite, and they were led by the best of the royal family and clan members of Luo State.
His eldest son and younger brother were also among them.
Many of these soldiers are from small clans of the Luo family. This is an army composed of old Luo people with extremely high loyalty and combat effectiveness.
Now that he has transferred them to the front line of the battlefield to face the surging Huaiyi, he is really worried about any accidents, which would be a disaster for the Luo Kingdom.
However, if he did not transfer these people over, he would not trust the others at all. What if the Huaiyi really connected with the Yi and Luo Rong and the State of Chu?
When the capital of the Zhou Dynasty was destroyed and all the states of China were overthrown, he was to blame for the tragedy and could not face King Su even after his death.
…
In the early years of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, the Zhou Dynasty encountered the biggest crisis since its establishment. Enemies from all directions launched a fatal blow to the dynasty that had just suffered a severe blow.
In the face of crisis, the feudal system showed strong vitality, and these princes with extremely high autonomy showed tenacious vitality.
Faced with the fact that failure would mean the loss of their titles and kingdoms, almost all the princes chose to fight to the death, which greatly slowed down the pace of the attacks from the barbarians from all directions.
Those who have stable property have stable will. After the county system was implemented on a large scale, this resistance consciousness could only be seen in a few loyal officials with strong spirits. It must be said that this is a very regrettable thing. ——On the Advantages and Disadvantages of Feudalism and County System
The highlight moment of Ah Cheng’s life has arrived. Without the blessing of his ancestors, how can he tap his own potential and reach the peak of glory?
(End of this chapter)
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