Chapter 799 There has never been any dignity in the world!
The emperors made a great oath at the Luo River, and the record of Luo Cheng was written into the history books. During it, the people were united, the Emperor of Wei was devoured, the Three Sovereigns were shocked, and there was panic in the heart. The emperors and ministers from the four corners of the country, namely the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Western Wei Dynasty, the Southern Liang Dynasty and the Northern Yan Dynasty, gathered together to worship the Goddess of Luo River. After taking the oath, they dispersed at the Luo River, just like the flowers of Luoyang King that gradually dispersed. The emperors returned to their countries and fulfilled their oaths.
Xiao Yan of Liang State returned to Jianye from Luoyang along the Ying River and then to the Yangtze River. He immediately summoned Luo Youzhi into the palace. Luo Youzhi drove all the way in Jianye Palace. When the palace guards saw him, they all held sharp blades and looked straight ahead. Luo Youzhi had the right to pass through the Liang Palace, and even the queen and the prince did not dare to stop him. After Luo Youzhi jumped out of the car, he hurried to the palace.
The main hall was magnificent and mostly painted in gold. Xiao Yan was a Buddhist and his subjects would follow his superiors' preferences. In just a short period of time, the decoration in the palace changed. Auspicious clouds and beasts were mostly replaced by Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, and the atmosphere was filled with solemnity. After Luo Youzhi walked in, he saw that Xiao Yan was standing on a geomancy map that was two meters long and one meter wide, and was pointing and pointing with a brass stick coated with gold powder in his hand.
When Xiao Yan saw Luo Youzhi approaching, he immediately waved his hand and said, "Qingyun, come on. According to the Luoshui Oath, our Liang State must go all out. You decide which county's soldiers to recruit, how many people to recruit, and how much food and grass to collect. When I go out to fight, the rear of Liang State will be left to you to stabilize."
In the current Liang Kingdom, Xiao Yan is in charge of the wars. He is a mighty emperor on horseback, capable of commanding troops and unrivaled in the southern region. The person he trusts is Luo Youzhi, whom he appoints as prime minister to command all the ministers.
Luo Youzhi stepped forward and stepped on the geomancy map, looked at it carefully and said: "Now my Daliang has four states, Jing, Yang, Xu, and Jiao. Jiao is far away and weak, so it is not reliable. Yangzhou is the foundation of my Jiangdong and cannot be moved rashly. The militia cannot be recruited here. Your Majesty can take 10,000 Danyang soldiers and 5,000 Jiefan soldiers to go to war. Xuzhou and Jingzhou are both large states in the world with heavy populations. One part comes from Nanyang and the other from Pengcheng.
Now, Daliang has 1.5 million households and 7 million civilians. This war may not be over in a short time. The ratio of civilians to soldiers should be 100 at best to maintain the normal operation of the country. It must not be less than 50. During the Qin Shihuang period, it was less than 50. If it comes to that, Daliang will be annihilated in the anger of the people, and everything will be in vain. "
Xiao Yan naturally believed in Luo Youzhi's calculations, but he frowned and paced, then asked: "But isn't 70,000 troops too few? Do these 70,000 people include auxiliary soldiers and civilians? If there are these people, wouldn't the combat troops be only 10,000 or 20,000? The auxiliary soldiers can still fight, but the civilians..."
Luo Youzhi shook his head and said, "Of course, it does not include civilians, but auxiliary soldiers are included. However, Your Majesty, what I just said is the official households of Daliang. In my Jiangdong area, there are so many hidden households that no one knows about it. Doesn't Your Majesty understand this?"
Xiao Yan was a little embarrassed when he heard this. Before he became emperor, he was one of the largest aristocratic families. How could he not understand hidden households? Without hidden households, how did he get so many private armies? Where did the army that broke through the Chu royal family come from? Among the great aristocratic families in Jiangdong, probably only the Luo family did not have hidden households. The Luo family did not play this game. He quickly laughed and asked, "Qingyun, there is no need to embarrass me. Let's be frank. Although there are many hidden households, the country cannot mobilize them."
Luo Youzhi's eyes lit up and he said coldly, "Your Majesty is leading the army in person, can't the ministers not accompany him?
I request Your Majesty to select people from the various aristocratic families in Jiangdong to accompany the army in the war according to the clan records. Where in this world can one get wealth and glory for free?
It is natural that ancestors accumulate blessings and descendants enjoy the blessings. The wealth and prosperity of every family is just as it should be.
But the kindness of a gentleman will be cut off after five generations.
Since our ancestor, Duke Yuzhang, took the throne in Jiangdong, so many years have passed. It is time to redeem our merits and re-rank the clans in the clan annals."
Xiao Yan's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said excitedly: "Qingyun, great, under the Luoshui Oath, no one can refuse to go to the war, and as long as the news of the re-arrangement of the clan history spreads, no one will refuse to make meritorious deeds. As long as they follow the war, in order to make meritorious deeds, they will definitely bring a large number of troops. In this way, I can get tens of thousands of elite soldiers without any effort. After returning from the war, I can also use this war to redistribute the forces in Jiangdong, promote the new noble families, and suppress the old families."
Luo Youzhi's thoughts were not over yet, and he continued, "Your Majesty, it is thousands of miles from Jiangdong to the northern border. How can we transport food supplies from here? It would be better to use the southern food to supplement the northern food, and use the northern food to supply the military. I will write a report and give it to the coalition military supply officer for review and adjustment. This will save the people 30% of their labor and save money and food waste."
The coalition forces were naturally coordinated by the Luo family, especially the military supplies, which were supervised by Luo's people to prevent accidents. Xiao Yan was delighted when he heard this and said, "Great, Qingyun, you are really a talent for assisting the king, and the most important figure in the Luo family today. If I get you, it will be like Han Gao getting Marquis Wenxian and Marquis Ying. Now I am completely relieved."
Luo Youzhi nodded slightly and smiled. The aristocratic family that gradually formed a powerful family was both an advantage and a disadvantage. He could make full use of its advantages to achieve the political goal of killing three birds with one stone. Even though he often read historical books, he couldn't help but be proud of this move.
Xiao Yan quickly summoned all the officials of Liang State in the palace and issued an edict, saying, "I have made a great oath. The whole world will be in turmoil, and Liang State will not be spared. I have now made up my mind to send out 70,000 elite soldiers. I intend to personally lead the army. I am grateful that all of you are famous families. At this moment, you should all accompany me. You should pay tribute to your ancestors based on your achievements and judge people by their virtues. Those without achievements are inferior, and those without virtues are inferior. People should be judged based on this battle. Let everyone know about it."
Among the Jiangdong nobles, some were furious, some were full of confidence, some were silent, and some were worried about the future. There was a great number of people heading north, all from the 120 clans, with 30,000 elite soldiers, thousands of Liang ships, and a 100,000-man army. They crossed the Huai River and headed north. When they crossed the Yellow River, they looked at the rolling waves and raised yellow mud. The Jiangdong nobles all wrapped their clothes and curled their lips and said, "The water of the Yellow River is turbid, and we can't wash our feet. The water of the Yangtze River is clear, and we can wash our tassels."
The clear water of the Yangtze River can be used to wash one's hat and belt, but the turbid water of the Yellow River is not even suitable for washing feet, which fully expresses the Jiangdong gentry's disdain for the north.
However, Xiao Yan heard something else in it, which was some conflicts between the native gentry in Jiangdong and the gentry who later migrated from the Central Plains, as well as some confusion about the future.
Xiao Yan paused for a moment and said, "The water of the Yellow River is turbid, but there are thousands of miles of fertile fields and millions of people on both sides of the river. This is the land that Daliang must take. Since the time of the Duke of Yuzhang, this has been my great wish for Jiangdong. What do you think, my dear ministers?"
The Jiangdong scholar said no more. After all, Liang and Chu were different. There was no point in saying more. Let's wait and see what happens in the future.
When the Liang army from Xuzhou marched north across the border of Han, Han also conquered various states and counties, and selected good men, all of whom were young and strong. Han had a very large population, and sent out an army of 200,000. They marched in a mighty force with flags flying everywhere, across the Yellow River, through the vast plains and countless cities of Jizhou, across the Taihang Mountains that had not been crossed for decades, through the Taihang Jingxing Pass, and through the cities that stood in the Bingzhou Basin. After climbing the Taihang Mountains, looking at the flat and endless plains of Jizhou, the Han soldiers felt frightened. With that high ground and vast plains, how could they stop the Yan State from moving east in the future?
But this was not the time to think about this. The Han general looked at the big cities standing in the strategic pass, and then the countless black-armored cavalrymen. The Yan cavalry rushed out of the cities, followed by large carts. Tens of thousands of Bingzhou cavalry gathered together, and the leading general rushed forward and shouted loudly: "General, please pass the document!"
Han general Guan Hui raised the document in his hand high and said loudly: "The Han army was ordered here to pass through Taihang Xing, through the basin, and now through Taiyuan. It is all on the route indicated by your emperor and has not deviated at all!"
Passing through other countries' borders was inevitable for the Chu and Han states, which were located in the heart of the Chinese nation. So they naturally could not go recklessly. The marching route had been designed and planned long before and there could be no deviation. After checking, the Yan general said no more and let the Han army pass through. Not long after, the Yan army also set out to gather.
Looking down from the sky, the vast land of Xia was filled with people, including regular soldiers, auxiliary soldiers, and more than a million conscripted civilians. Countless supplies of food and grass were being transported on rivers and roads. This was an unprecedented war. Bound by the Luoshui Oath, the monarchs of various countries tried their best to avoid violating their oath.
All the countries in the Central Plains have sent out their armies. In the Winter City, although this place is in the extreme north, it is not a land of ice and snow all year round. In spring, there are also fragrant flowers all over the mountains and lush green forests.
Winter City is located on a steep mountaintop. Its walls are as smooth as jade and covered with moss. Although the city was built only a few decades ago, it feels like an old building.
The Luo Palace in the city also has a sense of the past. In front of the hall of the palace, Luo Chengzhi, who is in charge of Luo family's military affairs, and Luo Xizhi, the head of Luo family, sit opposite each other. A pot of water is boiled between the two brothers, and tea is placed in front of them, with a refreshing fragrance in the air.
The atmosphere between the two was a little stagnant. Luo Xizhi read the documents in his hand one by one. After a long time, Luo Chengzhi put down the tea in his hand. Luo Xizhi also read all of them. Luo Chengzhi said: "Liang State sent 100,000 Jiangdong elite soldiers, Han State sent 200,000 Jizhou and Qingzhou elite soldiers, Yan State sent 100,000 Hu Han iron cavalry, Wei State sent 150,000 infantry and cavalry, more than 500,000 troops, and the rest of the civilians are countless.
Since the end of the Later Han Dynasty, there has never been such a strong army. Almost the entire Kyushu world has been mobilized. With this kind of fighting power, it will surely be successful in sweeping away the Hu people."
Luo Xizhi didn't know much about military affairs, but he was the head of the family and could sense something different. He frowned and asked softly, "The grassland is so big, and 500,000 people are just a drop in the ocean. What if the Hu people flee far away?"
Luo Chengzhi took a sip of tea and said firmly: "The Hu people are strong and will not flee far. Under the Yinshan Mountains, the grass roots are the best and the essence is rich. The Hu people will only fight me. With my Luo family here, we have countless ways to find the place where the Hu people migrate and hide. This battle can only be fought head-on."
Luo Xizhi stood up and pushed open the door. Looking at the tall green broad-leaved tree in the yard, he asked in a low voice, "This time, the countries are attacking from four directions. Cao Wei is attacking from Guanzhong. Han and Liang are attacking from Bingzhou directly to Hetao. Yan is attacking from Bingzhou with cavalry to cover the two countries. It is attacking from Youzhou to cut off the grassland's return route to the east. It seems that my Luo family will also attack. Brother, how many people will you bring with you this time?"
Luo Chengzhi stood beside Luo Xizhi, was silent for a moment, and then slowly said: "I will take all the remaining brave warriors with me. All the young men and horses over the age of twelve in the city must follow me. The same goes for the direct descendants of the Luo family. Except for those under the age of twelve, all men and women must follow the army, about 30,000 people."
After the blessing of her ancestors disappeared, the Luo girl lost her natural fighting strength of eighty, but she still had outstanding talents and could serve as a military advisor.
The most important thing is that they have Luo's blood flowing in their bodies, and the holy marks are still engraved on their brows, just like Luo Yu who holds the Qianli Dao Sword, and the high priest who is blessed by God and holds the Five Thunders Law. He can destroy the destiny of the Hu people and activate the divine weapon, and is no weaker than men.
When it comes to sacrifice, the daughter of the Luo family will not let the son of the Luo family take all the credit. Blood will be shed in the blue sky, and that's all.
Um?
After hearing this, Luo Xizhi immediately turned his head and looked at Luo Chengzhi, his eyes full of questions. He didn't say anything, but Luo Chengzhi knew what he was going to say.
There are no more than 100,000 men, women, young and old in the entire Winter City. Even if you draw one out of ten, you can't hold out for long. It's basically a life-and-death struggle. The other four countries draw one out of every hundred people.
Of course, Winter City is not a country now, but a tribe in reality. It does not need a large number of off-duty officials. All the people can be soldiers, and women can engage in production, fishing, hunting, and farming.
But drawing one out of three is still too much, it will almost empty the City of Winter. After this battle, the City of Winter can be declared destroyed, and even its continuation will be difficult to achieve. In a cold place, it is difficult to have children and the fertility rate is low.
Luo Xizhi was an excellent doctor and naturally an excellent demographer. He only made a brief calculation and said in a deep voice, "Brother, absolutely not.
Now in Winter City, the old and the young are excluded. Even if fishing, hunting and farming are done by women in the future, it is still not enough. There must be men. Twelve years old is too old. "
Luo Chengzhi's hands trembled in his sleeves, and a trace of pain flashed in his eyes, but he did not let go. Instead, he gritted his teeth and whispered, "We are worried that there will not be enough people to fight on the grassland. Among the 500,000 troops of various countries, only 300,000 can fight on the grassland. Even if the marchers are capable, our Luo family has a heavy responsibility to go on the expedition. We must break the destiny of the Hu people. If we fail to break the destiny of the Hu people after paying countless prices, what should we do?
All men under the age of twelve will stay in Winter City. In six to ten years at most, the younger generation of Winter City will be able to recover. After a few decades, when this group of people have died, everything will be fine. "
Luo Xizhi rubbed his palms, and after a long time he shook his head firmly and said, "No, absolutely not. Fifteen years old is the limit that the family and everyone can bear."
Seeing that Luo Xizhi denied him again, Luo Chengzhi grabbed Luo Xizhi's arm and said, "Xizhi, don't be soft-hearted. At the critical moment of life and death, you must be willing to give up everything. I am the head of military affairs, you must cooperate with me!"
The most important task of the Luo family's attack this time is to break the destiny of the Hu people. As long as the destiny does not fall, everything is false. Luo Chengzhi always keeps this in mind.
As soon as Luo Xizhi pointed out, Luo Chengzhi felt a magical artifact appear in his hand - the God of Four Seasons.
Luo Xizhi said solemnly: "Brother, the results of some things are unpredictable, so don't do them, especially things related to population.
This artifact, named the God of Four Seasons, is the most powerful one currently retained by the family. It can summon wind and rain, drive away frost and snow, and is an artifact that can change the sky. King Zhaosheng used it to summon natural disasters on the grassland and delayed the national destiny and destiny of the Xiongnu.
But brother, you must remember, we are not King Zhaosheng who walks the mortal world on behalf of King Su's will. This artifact is too overbearing. Once it is activated, it requires the blood of the Luo family, and it will consume a lot of family resources very quickly.
King Zhaosheng used it to make heavy snow fall on the entire Hetao area. We cannot do it with the same consumption of resources. Every time we use it, it will be a pain that the family cannot bear. We must be cautious.
I will stay in Winter City and keep an eye on the changes in my family's heritage. I will retrieve this artifact when necessary. Human life is precious. It may be more appropriate to use the artifact and heritage to wear away the fate of the Hu people."
Luo Chengzhi held the God of Four Seasons in his hand and was about to speak, but stopped. He held it tightly, and then hesitated, "Nowadays, our family doesn't have many artifacts, and our heritage is not deep. Is it inappropriate to use it at this time?"
After using the Thousand Mile Talisman and the Five Thunders Method, the Luo family basically has no more magical artifacts that can intimidate. Only the God of Four Seasons is still relatively intimidating. However, if it is used now, once the foundation is insufficient, the deterrence of the God of Four Seasons will be greatly reduced.
With their military power declining and their magical weapons gone, what else can the Luo family use to resist future disasters?
Luo Xizhi forced a smile and said, "Our ancestors were far-sighted and migrated to Liaodong. Our family now stays in Liaodong, far away from the Central Plains. No one can threaten Winter City. As for the few Hu people, they are not worth mentioning after the countries have destroyed the Hu people. At most, they will appear again in a hundred or two hundred years. When all the current dynasties and countries have ended, my Luo family will rule the world again."
One hundred years, two hundred years.
In the distant Three Dynasties period, it was nothing, but since the Qin Dynasty, this is the time when a dynasty has existed.
As powerful as the Early Han Dynasty was, it only lasted two hundred years, and the Later Han Dynasty only lasted a little over a hundred years. If the Luo family really sealed off the city of Liaodong for a hundred or two hundred years, by the time they came out, all the dynasties today would probably have turned to dust.
Luo Chengzhi was relieved after hearing this. What Luo Xizhi said was not wrong. Winter City was very safe, much safer than the former Zhao City. He exhaled lightly and said with emotion: "Xizhi, I will leave now. If the Su Wang has mercy on me, we will meet again in the Ninth Heaven. If the Su Wang is still missing, we will meet in the underworld. I will be on the other side, waiting for everyone."
Luo Xizhi held Luo Chengzhi's arm. He wanted to say something, but he was completely speechless. Tears welled up in his eyes. Luo Chengzhi understood and patted his arm without saying anything.
The moment he walked out of the courtyard, he heard Luo Xizhi's extremely sad cry from the house. Luo Chengzhi looked at the clear blue sky with determination in his eyes.
In the room, Luo Xizhi slumped down at the table, the boiling hot tea spilled out. His wife and daughter hurried out from the inner room. One of them quickly found a rag to wipe the mess, and the other took him in her arms and asked anxiously, "Husband, what happened?"
Luo Xizhi trembled and said, "My brother has gone to die, and many of our clansmen are going to die too."
His daughter stopped wiping the water stains, opened her mouth and whispered, "Uncle..."
“That was supposed to be my destiny.
My elder brother was originally my uncle's son, and should have stayed in the cold winter to take care of the family, while I should have followed the army to face the family's disaster. My uncle passed the position of head of the family to me and gave me a great responsibility. This is my blessing and my brother's great misfortune.
At this point, the whole family went out, my brother went first, and there was no turning back. His death was not my fault. Is this fate? This..."
His wife then understood why her husband was crying. It turned out that he thought Luo Chengzhi had died in his place. She quickly consoled him, saying, "Husband, everyone has his own duty in this world. Your uncle has appointed you as a duke, which shows your ability and that you are of great use to the clan.
My elder brother has the ability to fight in battles, so my uncle makes him a general. My husband has the ability to be a doctor, so my uncle makes him the head of the family. If they were swapped, it would be disadvantageous to the family.”
These words were useless to Luo Xizhi, because as the head of the family, he knew best that this time it was not just his brother. In a war, no one knew the outcome, but this time everyone knew the outcome.
After Luo Chengzhi left Luo Palace, he quickly began to gather the men of the entire Winter City, including those from the Luo family and other clans. Looking at those faces, some young and some mature, Luo Chengzhi, who had been very strong just now, felt his hands shaking.
He himself was not afraid of death, or rather, he had already prepared for it, but these people...
Luo Chengzhi suddenly thought of an old saying: If you rise by this, you will fall by this.
All the joy and happiness that prospered because of the King and were obtained because of the King turned into sharp arrows at this moment.
I don't know how many people are surrounding him. Most of them have rough skin, not dark, but caused by wind and frost. With rough toughness, Luo Chengzhi stood among the crowd, thinking for a long time, facing the shining eyes and said loudly: "Men of Winter City, Luo's family is calling you here, no longer just brave warriors, but everyone.
We are now going to face an enemy more powerful than ever before.
How powerful is this enemy?
Every one of us, direct descendants, side branches, Luo family, and non-Luo family, may all die on the battlefield.
Ten people go, only one returns.
Ten people left, and no one returned.
I brought you out of Winterfell today, but I am not sure I can bring you back. Are you afraid?"
Are you scared?
There is great terror between life and death, and there is no one in this world who is not afraid of death.
But there are countless people in the world who are not afraid of death. When death is not just death, but merely a price, people will begin to weigh whether their death is worth it. If it is lighter than a feather, then it is not worth it; if it is as heavy as Mount Tai, then it is very worth it.
And now?
No one asked whether it was worth it or not. In the center of all people were the Luo clan members. Those with or without crowns were all there, except for the infants and children. Almost all the Luo clan members, whether they could be named or not, were here.
Among the sons of the Luo family are the daughters of the Luo family. What else do they have to say?
"Sir, there is no need to ask these questions. Just as our ancestors said when we migrated to Winter City, we have received the favor of Luo family for thousands of years. We have sacrificed our lives, blood, and souls, but it is still not enough to repay them. Luo family has summoned us, and we are delighted. All we can do is raise our swords and say, "The Su Wang is above."
These words made everyone feel emotional, and they all waved their sharp swords, "King Su is above!"
Amidst the earth-shaking calls, Luo Chengzhi slowly smiled and said loudly: "In this case, I, the Winter Boys, have all left Liaodong this time. Although you should know why, I will say it again. I will say it all today. In the future, I will not die in vain on my way to the underworld.
In the previous Luoshui Oath, all the countries swore a great oath together to jointly conquer the Hu people. This was to comply with the teachings of King Su and continue the Taoist tradition of the Xia Dynasty.
This responsibility has been the mission of our Luo family since ancient times. The sudden rise of the Hu people this time may be due to some guidance from fate. I have a question: can we tolerate the rise of the Hu people?"
The Hu people are prosperous?
That's a dream!
Asking this question in Luo's house was like dropping cold water into a frying pan. The noise instantly boiled over. Before Luo Chengzhi finished speaking, the roars in Winter City resounded through the sky. Among the countless roars that sounded like a landslide, there was only one answer, which was - "No!"
“Yeah, I can’t.
Even if it is the so-called Eternal Heaven that the Hu people love, even if the so-called gods of the Hu people really exist in the world, I, the Luo family, will wield the sharp blade and chop them down.
I, the Luo family, have been here for 1,400 years to prevent this very thing. If the Hu people want to prosper today, that is a dream.
Try your best, shed your blood, follow the teachings of your ancestors, and let the Hu people decline again, just as it has happened countless times before, just as the great achievements have been made countless times by following the teachings of King Su, and just as the figures have been on the road of respecting the king and expelling the barbarians.
In this world, only the place where the Su Wang lowers his eyes, in this world, only Zhuxia is the only paradise! "
Listening to the endless cheers, even the sons and daughters of the Luo family were immersed in it. Their eyes fell on Luo Chengzhi, and Luo Chengzhi looked up at Qingming, "Supreme and Holy King Su, ancestor, where have you been? Why didn't you respond to the prayers of your descendants? Is what the family is doing now, what we are doing now, correct?"
Ji Zhao did not respond.
In the heaven, Ji Lingjun sat on the jade steps under the peach tree. Peach blossoms fell one by one. She rested her arms on her knees and supported her cheeks, counting the falling petals out of boredom. She was also waiting for Ji Zhao to come back. She was the only one who knew that the ancestor was fine, God.
Deep in the vast peach blossom forest, in the magnificent Hall of Heroes, another piece of stone melted away and turned into light and disappeared. An entire arm of Luo Su's statue had melted away, and even the clothes on half of his shoulder had become lifelike.
Click.
In Valhalla, this sound was heard every moment, and pieces of jade fell.
————
This was a miraculous union, where several huge military empires made a solemn oath and then united to deal with a foreseeable disaster. We have never seen this in Western history. This inexplicable centripetal force may be the reason why our civilization fell into darkness after facing the grasslands, while the East became more and more shining like the sun. ——"Global History"
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
