If the imperial court fails to defeat the rebels in one fell swoop, they will have the resources to establish a state, making it extremely difficult for the court to reclaim these two regions.
It seems the imperial court must prepare now to send troops immediately once the weather warms up to attack the forces of Ma Yuanhao and Huang Liang and eradicate these two malignant tumors.
After listening to the discussions of his ministers, the emperor finally spoke.
"My beloved ministers, I plan to send troops to recapture Louye and Lanwei next April. What do you think?"
The time to send troops to the northwest frontier should be sooner rather than later. We must not allow these two forces to gain momentum before dealing with them.
There are still more than three months until next April. By then, the weather will have warmed up, and we can send out troops.
"Your Majesty is right. Next April, when the weather warms up and the ice and snow melt, will be the best time to send troops."
"Then let it be so. We'll discuss the matter of sending troops again at the morning court tomorrow," the emperor said.
The following morning at court, the emperor announced the rebellion of Ma Yuanhao of Louye and Huang Liang of Lanwei, which shocked the civil and military officials.
"My dear ministers, you need not worry. Ma Yuanhao of Louye and Huang Liang of Lanwei are at most local forces of a few thousand people, and it is difficult for them to gain any real influence."
However, we cannot let our guard down. They are a malignant tumor in the Great Northern Dynasty, and once discovered, they must be eradicated as soon as possible.
I have decided that next year, when the weather warms up, I will send troops to Louye and Lanwei to quell the rebellion. I wonder which of my beloved ministers will lead the troops there.
At this moment, the hall fell silent, and no one answered. This greatly embarrassed the emperor, who quickly realized what was going on. The Great Northern Dynasty was no longer the Great Northern Dynasty it once was; it lacked both civil and military officials.
In fact, when the capital fell last time, the 100,000-strong garrison of the capital was almost completely wiped out.
In those battles, many famous generals of the capital's garrison died one after another. Even Wan Jinda, the commander of the capital's garrison, died for his country after the capital was captured, his battle robe stained with blood.
Of course, there were also some cowards who abandoned the city and fled after the capital was captured. Even after the capital was recovered, they did not return.
The capital's garrison is currently being built, with a total strength of just over 30,000. It will take some time before the total strength reaches 100,000.
Ma Yuanhao and Huang Liang's combined forces number only a few thousand. If they could mobilize ten thousand troops, their strength would be sufficient.
The key issue is that there are no capable generals in the imperial court. There is no general in the court who can command the army and lead troops into battle.
The Fourth Prince looked around, sighed, and said:
"Your Majesty, how about I lead ten thousand troops to the desert to quell the rebellion of Ma Yuanhao and Huang Liang's forces?"
Upon hearing this, the Emperor quickly shook his head and said:
“That won’t do. Your Highness is already old and can’t withstand any more hardship. Besides, the climate in the desert is harsh, and Your Highness’s body simply cannot handle it.”
If there is truly no one capable in the court, I will transfer troops from the border, and Your Highness will not have to worry about this matter.
Besides, there are still more than three months before the troops are dispatched. The imperial court can use this time to prepare, and there will surely be a solution by then.
That's absolutely true. There are currently 200,000 troops on the border, which means there are plenty of soldiers and generals. Sending them out to quell the rebellion would not be a problem at all.
Li Guang still has 100,000 troops in Shuixian Village. If Li Guang were to send troops, it would not be a problem to wipe out the foreign kingdoms, let alone two small forces in the desert.
The current commander of the garrison in the capital is named Xiahou Fang. He was previously the general of Baize Pass. This time, the imperial court rebuilt the garrison in the capital and transferred Xiahou Fang back to the capital, entrusting him with an important task.
Xiahou Fang was a steady and reliable man. During his tenure as the commander-in-chief of Baize Pass, he maintained strict military discipline, was skilled in military administration, and managed local military affairs in an orderly manner.
The emperor looked at Xiahou Fang and said:
"My dear Xiahou."
"Your subject is present."
Xiahou Fang quickly stepped forward.
"Since taking over the garrison in the capital, Minister Xiahou has worked very hard. In just a few months, he has grown the garrison in the capital from nothing to 30,000 men."
With just over three months left, Minister Xiahou must increase the garrison in the capital to 50,000 men.
The border has now been pacified, and I plan to reduce the size of the border garrison by transferring 50,000 troops back to the capital to supplement the garrison.
In this way, the garrison in the capital will reach 100,000. However, the garrison still has a shortcoming: a lack of capable generals. Minister Xiahou, you can use these next few months to select talented individuals from all over the country. As long as they are capable, the court will certainly give them important positions.
"I obey the decree."
"When spring arrives next year and flowers bloom, I hope to draw a large army from the garrison in the capital to quell the rebellion in the desert region."
"Your Majesty, please rest assured, I will make good use of this time to develop and strengthen the garrison in the capital."
The weather has been gloomy and cold lately, with light rain or snow. Tomorrow is the Little New Year, and there is still no sign of the weather improving.
After the Little New Year, the light snow gradually intensified, and soon large snowflakes filled the sky. Zhao Xian began to worry that if the heavy snow continued, the construction of the canal might have to be suspended.
Soon, Zhao Xian's worries became a reality. The heavy snow fell intermittently for four or five days, not only halting the construction of the canal but also covering all roads, making them impassable.
Zhao Xiaosheng, Liu Xuan, and Zhao Dani are still in Qing'an Prefecture. It seems that the three of them will not be able to go home for the Chinese New Year this year. The wedding they planned to hold for Zhao Xiaosheng and Liu Xuan after the New Year will have to be postponed.
Because of the heavy snow, not only did Zhao Xian's workshops and factories stop production, but even the village market lost business. With the snow blocking the doors, who would come out to buy things?
The villagers had originally planned to make more money during the twelfth lunar month, but it seems their hopes of making money have been dashed. So they'll just make some New Year's goods for themselves. After all, the New Year still has to be celebrated.
Finally, on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the rare heavy snow stopped, and the long-awaited sun reappeared in the eastern sky.
However, it will take at least ten days to half a month for the snow to melt and the roads to reopen.
Since that's the case, let's stay home for the New Year; that seems to bring out more of the festive spirit.
Just after the first day of the lunar new year, Li Guang mobilized the soldiers from the army camp and ordered them to clear the snow.
Shuixian Village is only so big, and so many people came out to sweep the snow. The scene was spectacular. In less than half a day, the soldiers swept all the snow inside and outside Shuixian Village clean.
The snow has started to melt, and the weather feels even colder, but this does not dampen people's enthusiasm at all. All the things that are needed for the New Year have arrived, and the shops in the market have opened their doors one after another, with shouts of buying and selling filling the air.
At this time, various lanterns, stilt walkers, Yangko dances, and drum teams from the village make their appearance, allowing villagers to enjoy folk arts with a strong local flavor without leaving the village.
This year marks the third Lunar New Year that Qin Shiyu and Qin Yingying have spent in Narcissus Village. Unlike previous years, their brother and parents are with them, and the family is finally able to celebrate the New Year together.
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