Chapter 358 The Important Hexi Corridor
Princess Kangping’s little Hongdou is one month old. She is as cute as a carved jade and lively.
Luo Li, who has the gene of spoiling children, still insists on breastfeeding. After the confinement period, she personally changes diapers for her baby daughter and feeds her milk and water.
The Empress Dowager and Madam Luo are eager to take the opportunity to personally serve their baby granddaughter, but they can only occasionally get the job of changing diapers. The three-and-a-half-year-old little prince Zhao Wubing sneaks in every day after reading and practicing martial arts, lying beside the bed, teasing his sister and telling her stories.
Princess Yongqing came with her husband Yang Yanzhao. The Empress Dowager was still sitting in Ningxin Garden during the day. When she heard that her daughter and son-in-law were coming to visit, she happily asked her personal maid Wanting to quickly welcome the princess to Ningxin Garden.
Princess Yongqing knelt down and saluted to her mother who was sitting in the main hall, "My mother, I wish you all the best!" Princess Yongqing, who was already married, was still the same innocent, lively and lovely character.
The Empress Dowager smiled happily, "Yongqing, come and sit next to your mother. You are pregnant, so you must be careful when you move around."
Luo Li heard the noise and came out of the inner room with her baby daughter in her arms, smiling.
: "Yongqing, come and see your little niece, my precious daughter Xiao Hongdou is so pretty and cute!"
Princess Yongqing, who had just sat down, stood up quickly, looked at her little niece with love in her eyes, but hid back.
: "Sister-in-law, Xiao Hongdou is so pretty, a beauty, she will definitely be as beautiful as you when she grows up.
Sister-in-law, don't let Xiao Hongdou get close to me, the nanny said that if a baby in confinement is held by a pregnant belly, the milk will be taken away, and Xiao Hongdou must not be left without milk."
Although Luo Li did not believe in these feudal superstitions and rule-breaking beliefs, she obediently held her daughter away from Yongqing for the sake of her precious daughter. : "Then let Xiao Hongdou stay away from you, and let her get close to your aunt after you give birth to the baby."
The maid Yingchun hurriedly moved a cushioned chair and gave it to the princess.
In the Mo Yunxuan study in the front yard, Regent Prince Zhao Defang and his brother-in-law Yang Yanzhao were talking in secret.
Regent Prince Zhao Defang pointed to the sand table map and said, "Yanzhao, the Western Xia Kingdom was destroyed, and the Hetao Plain and the Hexi Corridor returned to the Central Plains. I have restored the original names of the four states of Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang."
Yang Yanzhao said in agreement, "Your Highness is wise, these original names are nice and have cultural connotations."
Regent Prince Zhao Defang smiled and said, "The Tang Dynasty The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty was due to the seizure of the Hetao Plain and the Hexi Corridor. The Silk Road's foreign trade boosted economic development. The decline of the Tang Dynasty was also largely related to the loss of these two territories.
Today, the Hetao Plain and the Hexi Corridor have been incorporated into the territory of the Song Dynasty, but the Uighurs and the Western Regions are still the biggest threat to the Hexi Corridor. "
Yang Yanzhao's eyes lit up!
: "Your Majesty, do you want to conquer the Western Region Uighurs and the Karakhanid Kingdom?"
Regent Prince Zhao Defang nodded and smiled, "Yes, that's what I mean."
Yang Yanzhao excitedly clasped his fists and asked, "Your Majesty, I am willing to lead the army again to fight for the Song Dynasty and Your Majesty!"
: "I will tell you this first today. After I plan and consider it for a few days, we will discuss this matter at the small court meeting."
The vast territory seized by the Song Dynasty has been gradually digested by the efforts of countless officials and soldiers. The political situation is stable, the country is prosperous and the people are strong. Another war to expand territory is planned in the mind of Regent Prince Zhao Defang.
After the implementation of the new policy reforms by His Royal Highness the Regent, various new policy details were continuously introduced for testing and improvement. The lives of hundreds of millions of ordinary people, who have a huge base, are getting better and better, with no worries about food and clothing, clean governance, and high efficiency in handling government affairs.
His Royal Highness the Regent's great plan was successfully passed at the small court meeting. The little emperor Zhao Wuji in the study was flushed with excitement, and several important officials in the court were also excited and full of ambition.
They believed that under the wise leadership of His Royal Highness the Regent, the Song Dynasty would create a prosperous Song Dynasty that would surpass the heyday of the Tang Dynasty!
The strategic guidelines were decided, and the specific tactical deployment was discussed and formulated by His Royal Highness the Prince Regent and the military generals. The preparation of military supplies needed for the war was the strong point of the civil officials.
Kou Zhun, who was already responsible for the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Personnel, was appointed by His Royal Highness the Prince Regent as the general commander of the preparation of military supplies in the rear. Although the old officials had some emotions in their hearts, Kou Zhun's outstanding talent and the vigorous energy of the young man made it difficult for them to object.
After three months of intensive preparations, the day for the army to set out arrived.
Regent Zhao Defang took charge of the government and sat in the capital. He appointed Yang Yanzhao, the commander of the first army of the new army
, as the general commander of the army and 10,000 elite Huoyun cavalrymen were assigned to him. Yang Yanzhao's first army and Cheng Yu's third army were the main forces. Li Yuanhao of the Dingnan Army of Xixia led 60,000 elite troops as the vanguard, and veteran Gao Huaide led 40,000 troops as the main commander of the rear army.
The brilliant generals, 150,000 powerful army soldiers, excellent war horses and various cutting-edge weapons formed a luxurious camp.
Cao Wei's New Army Second Army and Gao Yingxiong's New Army Third Army, one was withdrawn to defend the capital, and the other was stationed in the north to resist foreign enemies.
Luo Li looked at Zhao Defang who was holding his baby daughter and coaxing her, and made a suggestion, "Zhao Defang, you are a full man who never knows when to be hungry! Cao Wei, Gao Yingxiong and Ruoying, Yanqi have been engaged for more than two years, it's time for them to get married, right?"
The full man Regent Prince Zhao Defang couldn't help but "puchi" chuckled, pulled out the little hand that his baby daughter was chewing, and replied to the princess: "Princess Lao is thinking about this matter. Cao Wei's First Army has been transferred back to the capital to defend. There is no war, so he has plenty of time. Let him get married with Gao Ruoying! For
this matter, Princess Lao, you, as the matchmaker, will go to the Bohai County Prince's Mansion and the Duke of Lu's Mansion and discuss it with the elders of the two families."
"What about Yang Yanqi and Gao Yingxiong? They have both eaten their fiancée's embroidered shoes. We can't let Cao Wei hug his beloved wife every night, and Gao Yingxiong will be hungry and unable to sleep, right?" Luo Li fought for the opportunity for her friend Yanqi.
The regent Zhao Defang laughed out loud at the princess' words, and Xiao Hongdou also laughed happily with her father.
: "Princess, as a matchmaker, when you go to discuss the wedding date with the elders of both parties, you should not mention the embroidered shoes anymore, lest the parents worry about it and add a few hundred pairs of embroidered shoes to the dowry and betrothal gifts."
Thinking of the boxes of exquisitely crafted and extra-large embroidered shoes being used as betrothal gifts and dowry, Luo Li couldn't help but hit the naughty Zhao Defang and giggled.
: "After the army returns victorious this time, I will swap Cao Wei and Gao Yingxiong. Gao Yingxiong will return to the capital to marry Yang Yanqi, and Cao Wei will go to guard the border for him, so that the full man and the hungry man can exchange their posts."
Luo Li silently calculated the time. Poor Yan Qi, in another year and a half, she would become a 24-year-old old girl.