Chapter 9 Ji Wan and Xiong Dun
After two generations of kings worked hard to govern the country, the emperor's authority became more and more majestic, especially in the Central Plains. There were many princes with the surname Ji. Duke Song had the royal mandate granted by the emperor. He initiated a meeting, and naturally all the countries had to participate.
Just as Luo Su and the other two were convening a meeting of the princes to prepare for the king's support, the Zhou emperor in Luoyi also began preparations for the southern expedition. He grew up listening to the stories of King Wu and King Su's eastern expeditions, and was yearning for the deeds of the two former kings. The full treasury and powerful army gave him confidence.
In the Luoyi Palace, ever since he dismissed the important ministers who tried to stop the southern expedition, Emperor Ji Wan has been pointing and commenting on the battle map with great interest.
"Marquis Ji, Marquis You, what do you think I should do to punish that Chu barbarian when I catch him, so as to demonstrate the majesty of the emperor?"
Ji Hou shook his head and twirled his beard, laughing, and said, "Why not imprison him in a carriage, expose his head, and send it to various countries. The princes of various countries will surely be afraid and be more respectful to the emperor."
You Hou also suggested: "The Chu barbarians have usurped the throne, which is extremely treasonous. When King Su was on the Eastern Expedition, he used castration on a large scale in Yan State. When he conquered the capital of the Chu barbarians, it would be better to follow the old system and castrate all the men and reduce the women to slavery."
Ji Wan was delighted, and then he heard the Marquis of Handan angrily say, "Your Majesty, please do not listen to the flattering words of You and Ji. Although Xiong Dun usurped the throne and committed an unforgivable crime, you should only kill him and his relatives.
Although the people in Danyang City are not Zhou people, they are Xia people who are familiar with Zhou rituals. It is the national policy of our Zhou state to make the Xia people barbarians and transform the barbarians into Xia people, and there must not be any damage to it.
Moreover, tens of thousands of Xia people can be enfeoffed among clan nobles in the future.
If he is killed, it will damage the emperor's benevolence, and the way of the Xia emperors and the people from the previous kings since King Wu may even be destroyed."
In the royal court, the Marquis of Handan agreed with Luo Su and opposed Ji Wan's southern expedition, but the emperor insisted on doing so, so he had no choice but to follow.
Although he is not good at commanding troops, he is still good at being a military strategist and offering advice on the battlefield. He just hopes that he can find out the shortcomings and fill them up so that the army will not suffer such a disastrous defeat.
He really didn't expect that when he discussed countermeasures for the first time, he would hear You and Hou offering slanderous words, and the emperor was actually tempted. He was so angry that his beard was about to stand on end.
Ji Wan thought what the Marquis of Han said made sense, so he hesitated and said to You and Ji, "Marquis You, Marquis Ji, I think what the Marquis of Han said makes sense. In the past, the heroes of our ancestors King Wu and King Su were enfeoffed on the new land. After I conquer the Chu barbarians, I will definitely reward them greatly. Although Chu is a barbarian land, it is a blessing to be the ruler of a country after all. Moreover, after enfeoffment, there is no need to reward them with more money and goods."
If Luo Su were present, he would probably criticize you in his heart, and even give you the nickname "The Money-Hoarding Emperor", saying that he treated his meritorious officials harshly and was stingy with money and goods. The important officials in the royal court are either your clan members or your in-laws. These people left their own countries, gave up their gorgeous clothes, beautiful women, and the highest positions in the country, and came to the royal court to assist you, but you are reluctant to give up even a little bit of money and goods.
Not having the ability to intimidate his ministers, and not knowing how to show favor to them, how can this be the behavior of a sage king?
The Marquis of Handan understood Ji Wan's character quite well and showed no expression at all. He was a vassal of the Gui clan who was granted a title during the previous king's period and was of the same clan as the Marquis of Chen. Because the previous king had been kind to him and he was one of Ji Wan's teachers when he was the crown prince, he sent his eldest son to Handan to establish a country, while he stayed in the royal court to assist Ji Wan.
When You and Ji saw that their suggestions were rejected, they could not help but feel angry towards Marquis Handan. In the past, Luo Su relied on the fact that he was the descendant of King Su and often scolded them. However, the Luo family was considered to be the most powerful among the many vassal states with the surname Ji, and their in-laws and old friends were even more powerful. The Luo family also had a high reputation, so the two naturally did not dare to talk back.
But they did not expect that the Marquis of Handan, a foreign vassal who had established his country for only twenty years, whose legitimate daughter was only one of the nine concubines, whose country was small and weak and whose bloodline was humble, would dare to humiliate the Marquis of the Ji clan. If it was a foreign noble like the Marquis of Qi, they would have endured it, but the Marquis of Handan dared to provoke them. The two men looked at each other and instantly reached some kind of consensus.
The Marquis of Handan did not know that just one sentence would make the Marquis of You and the Marquis of Ji raise murderous intentions against him. Seeing that the emperor accepted his opinion, he felt relieved and put forward his own suggestion. He pointed to the battle map and said, "Your Majesty, Chu is located in the southern barbarian land, much further south than the territory of the former Marquis of Hui. The former king sealed the ancestor of Xiong Dun there at random without knowing the mountains, geography, rivers and lakes.
But in recent years, other princes have also made some progress in expanding the south. According to their feedback, the southern barbarian land is very different from China. There are many rivers, abundant rainfall, and hills in the land. Because the population is small, there are many forests. I am afraid that our army will not be able to adapt to fighting in such a place in the short term. "
After hearing what the Marquis of Handan said, the Marquis of You and the Marquis of Ji actually smiled. The Marquis of Ji immediately interrupted what the Marquis of Handan was about to say, saying dissatisfiedly: "Marquis of Handan, Your Majesty is a wise man who has received the mandate from Heaven. How could you not know these commonplace things? I think you are stubborn and want to stop Your Majesty's southern expedition. Please punish the Marquis of Handan!"
The Marquis of Handan was startled, and then he saw that the emperor's face had also darkened. He felt a chill in his heart and said angrily, "Your Majesty, I am only offering advice and suggestions, and I have absolutely no intention of stopping your plan to march south. Please understand your plan."
After hearing the explanation from the Marquis of Handan, Ji Wan's expression eased a little, but he no longer had the heart to talk any further, so he waved his hand and asked everyone to leave.
"I'll take my leave!"
The three of them left the hall, glaring at each other. The Marquis of Handan snorted coldly, "You only flatter the emperor, but where is the ancestral temple? You are all princes of the Ji clan, the leaders of a clan. Why do you do something that hurts your relatives and pleases your enemies?"
You Hou had a sneer on his face and said disdainfully: "I don't understand what you are saying. When I return victorious after assisting the emperor in pacifying the southern barbarians, I will definitely let Luo Hou see that the Ji clan is not the only one who can rule the world. I will see how he can still rely on his status and look down on me in the future!"
Marquis Ji had the same expression, and said complacently: "Xiong Dun is not worthy of his title, he is just a viscount in the wild land. When the emperor's army arrives, he will be like a chicken and a dog, and will be vulnerable. Then we can take advantage of the situation to wipe out those remnants who refuse to obey the king. Such a great achievement has never been seen since King Su."
The Marquis of Handan really did not expect that these two people actually had such an idea. They were not deliberately deceiving the emperor, but they really thought that they could win as soon as the soldiers arrived. They wanted to establish merit in this way and not let King Su have all the glory.
The Marquis of Handan didn't know what to say for a moment. He couldn't believe that two high-ranking princes could be so stupid and arrogant. Xiong Dun annexed more than a dozen vassal states and defeated the powerful vassal state of Hui in the south in one battle, so that it dared not move south. These achievements were actually looked down upon.
Marquis Handan shook his head, said no more, turned and left the palace, ready to pass this information to Luo Su.
At this time, the emperor decided to march south, and the news that Taifu Luo Su resigned from his post and returned to his country finally spread to all the vassal states in the world.
The reactions of various parties were different. The border princes generally did not expect that the emperor would use such radical means as leading the army in person. They knew very well that the most common thing in war is accidents, especially leading a large army to an unfamiliar place.
But most of the princes were happy, and there was reason for their joy.
In the past, when faced with such a situation, the emperor usually dispatched a general from one of the four garrisons to lead an army of imperial guards from the royal capital. At the same time, the emperor issued an edict ordering each vassal state to send troops and bring their own armor, war horses, and food supplies. After the war, each country would be rewarded or punished based on its performance in the war.
This system can not only ensure that the emperor's imperial guards have actual combat opportunities, but also prevent the sudden destruction of all six armies, which would cause the emperor to completely lose the military power to suppress the princes. It can also consume the manpower and material resources of the princes on a regular basis. Part of the captured items can also enter the royal treasury to ensure the good finances of the royal capital.
Therefore, the princes have always regarded joining the army in the war as a difficult task with extremely limited benefits, and usually only a few people can get their money back.
This time the emperor is going to lead the six armies in person and mobilize the manpower and material resources of the entire royal capital, without requiring them to contribute troops or money. Who could not be happy?
No one thought that Ji Wan would lose. What a joke!
That was the imperial army that was raised with countless money and food by the princes. It could be seen that it was a strong army during the alliance meeting.
Ji Zhao was speechless after understanding everything. The policies he had worked so hard to come up with were prepared for normal people. There would be no problem as long as they followed the rules. But when he met a scumbag like Ji Wan, no matter how sophisticated the system was, it could not save him.
Among all the ministers in the royal capital, only Luo Su might be able to restrain him, but after Luo Su's persuasion failed, he simply gave up on him. In Luo Su's heart, the ancestral temple and the country of Zhou were more important than the emperor.
Since Ji Wan cannot rule the world, then he should find a qualified emperor. Ji Wan has two legitimate sons. If they are trained well, perhaps another sage monarch like King Kang can appear?
Chu State, Yingdu.
The news that Ji Wan was going to personally attack the State of Chu also reached Xiong Dun's ears. When he was practicing martial arts in the training ground, a minister hurried in to tell him the news. Xiong Dun was stunned and then laughed, "I haven't even bothered Ji Wan yet, and he dared to come to Chu to find me."
The important officials of the Chu State were actually still very worried. After all, the emperor's six armies had a large number of soldiers and horses, sufficient food and fodder, and the rate of wearing armor was also very high.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Six Armies of the Emperor are the most elite army group in the entire Zhou Dynasty, and they also have the largest number of people.
But Xiong Dun was not worried. He laughed so loudly that even his whole body trembled. His appearance had nothing to do with handsomeness and elegance. He was over 1.9 meters tall and his body could only be described as huge. There was a thick layer of fat on the surface, but he was definitely not a slow-moving fat man.
On the contrary, every time he swung the spear, it was full of power, and beneath the thick layer of fat were muscles that looked like a dragon.
He was extremely strong and could move very quickly. Not only did his thick fat allow him to withstand heavy blows, it also allowed him to wear heavy armor and fight continuously without exhaustion. He once fought from morning until dusk, relying on his powerful body functions.
If Ji Zhao could check his attributes, he would find that he was a natural god of war whose command and military strength had reached 99 points. The only person in real history who could reach this value was called the King of Western Chu, who was good at defeating the enemy with a smaller force and crushing the enemy's will.
After reading the intelligence from the north carefully, he couldn't help but laugh: "This Ji Wan is so stupid that he actually let Luo Housu abandon his post. I really don't know why the destiny has befallen him. This time I will test the quality of this son of heaven."
Although they were still a little worried, since their lord was so confident and they had unconditional trust in his ability to fight, these ministers who had followed Xiong Dun for many years all made themselves smile.
Xiong Dun was quite familiar with Luo Housu. When Xiong Dun had not yet usurped the throne, Luo Su had tried to bring Chu into the circle of upper-class princes. At that time, he was prepared to ask Xiong Dun to be conferred the title of marquis for his meritorious service in conquering the southern barbarians, and then find a noble lady of the Ji surname for him to marry.
Later, Xiong Dun usurped the throne and proclaimed himself king, which naturally touched Luo Su's bottom line. Although he was not familiar with military affairs, there was no shortage of people who were good at military affairs in Bang Zhou. Relying on his high position as one of the three highest officials, he contacted various countries, built a line of defense, supplied money and food, and fought a war of attrition with Xiong Dun.
This move really made Xiong Dun very uncomfortable. After the defense line was formed, he no longer tried to go north to Luoyi, but began to attack in two directions to the southwest.
Unexpectedly, Ji Wan not only voluntarily gave up the advantage of his strong national strength, but also took the initiative to fight in an environment he was familiar with, and even forced important ministers away.
This made Xiong Dun couldn't help but sigh: "Having a wise minister like Luo Housu but not using him, having the right method but not executing it, Ji Wan is really a monarch like Jie and Zhou. How could the heaven favor such a monarch? I guess he came to the south because the heaven let him die in the vast mountains and forests."
Xiong Dun's Prime Minister Xiong Lin said with a smile: "The time, the place and the people are all right. Two kings will hunt, and only one will be left. Maybe God has destined you, Your Majesty, to rule the world?"
Xiong Lin's words touched Xiong Dun's heart. Ji Wan and his father had insulted the State of Chu. Xiong Dun thought he had made contributions and hated the two father and son. Hearing the flattery of the ministers, he said, "In the place of offering sacrifices to heaven in Luoyi City, there are nine tripods cast by the ancient king Dayu. Legend has it that they carry the destiny of Zhou. If you can defeat Ji Wan, maybe you and I can go to Luoyi to test the nine tripods. I want to know which is more important, the tripod of the Zhou emperor or the tripod of my State of Chu?"
As soon as Xiong Dun said this, Xiong Lin's eyes flashed, and he said in surprise: "Your Majesty, if Ji Wan leads his army to come, I will send an envoy to relay your words to Ji Wan on the battlefield to provoke him. He will definitely not be able to tolerate it. If he leads his army to attack in a hurry, he will definitely be full of loopholes."
Xiong Dun was startled, stretched out his hand as big as a cushion and patted Xiong Lin, saying with a smile: "The Prime Minister has a brilliant idea. If it is useful, I will definitely not be stingy with the reward."
The king and his ministers of Chu were united in their efforts and had begun to set traps for Ji Wan, waiting for him to jump in. The war machines of various government offices in the royal capital also began to operate.
Ji Zhao was going to use up all the luck points he had accumulated over decades to enrich his inventory.
(End of this chapter)
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