Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 78 Little Zhou Hou (Special thanks to book friends 2018...8530 for their monthly passes to Love Orthopedics!)

Zhang Yong knew that the pursuers of the Heyang Army were approaching, so he did not order the pursuit of An Siqian and other "Siwen Cao" people in Shu.

The more than forty Long Xiang Guards who survived the bloody battle cheered and followed Zhang Yong towards the Funiu Mountains a few miles away, and within a moment they had all entered the dense forest.

Emperor Chai Zongxun of the Great Zhou Dynasty was in the Bianjing Palace. On September 25, the fourth year of Kaixi, he had received a report from Wei Feng, the "Longxiang Guard" who came back on flying horses, and learned about Wang Quanbin, the governor of Heyang. Details of the impending rebellion.

Considering that the first corps of the "Longxiang Army" was sent to Nanping and Wuqing in the middle of the year, Chai Zongxun sent the second corps to train Wang Quanbin this time.

Han Hui, who had long been prepared for the expedition, immediately followed the imperial decree and led more than 20 generals including Yu Xun and Guan Mao, as well as a second regiment of 90,000 people, to march from Bianjing to Heyang Jiedu.

On the afternoon of September 28, Chai Zongxun summoned Prime Minister Li Tao and Deputy Prime Minister Wang Zhu to discuss matters in Huangji Hall.

After more than a month of busy work, Zhongshu Province and the Six Ministries of the Imperial Court made proper arrangements for the officials and garrisons from various places who were newly assigned to the prefecture directly under the jurisdiction.

After Chai Zongxun read through the files submitted by the "Longxiang Guards" on the details of the administration of officials in the five prefectures that originally belonged to the Tianxiong Jiedu Mansion of King Fu Yanqing of Wei, he sighed:
"The King of Wei is a relative of my great Zhou Emperor, and the officials under his rule are so lawless and rampant in the countryside.

We can see how much the officials in the Jiedushi Prefectures in various places squeezed the people and sucked the people's fat! "

Li Tao said:
"Your Majesty, this is really no wonder King Wei. The main reason is that our dynasty follows the "public recommendation" system from the Tang Dynasty:

Every year before the tribute officials go to the Gongyuan, ministers in the Taige can recommend the talented people they know. This system makes it easy to select people based on personal sentiments, which leads to numerous drawbacks.

The king of Wei and other military envoys who had previously guarded various places reported the selection of subordinate officials to the court, and the court approved all of them.

That's right. "

Chai Zongxun remembered what Fifth Chaolu had said about the plight of the people in Jinzhou, and said angrily:

"That's unreasonable!
These Jiedushi envoys and their subordinate officials from various places usually exert authority and blessings. Now that we have completely banned the Jiedushi envoy system, this "public recommendation" system that easily breeds corruption and nepotism should also be banned!
If the number of officials is not enough, just increase the admission rate at all levels of the imperial examination. As for the subordinate officials in various places, they were hired by the imperial court with monthly salary. "

Li Tao and Wang Zhu knew that in the past few years, the imperial court had vigorously promoted the new agricultural and commercial policies, and the tax revenue had been abundant. There were more than 30 million taels of silver in the national treasury. There was no problem in increasing the number of imperial examinations and providing salaries to subordinate officials. He agreed immediately.

In the past, the imperial court did not bear half of the salary for subordinate officials in the Great Zhou Dynasty. The source of income of these people came from collecting oil and water from the people when they performed official duties at the grassroots level, so the people suffered a heavy burden.

Soon after, the imperial edict abolished the "public recommendation system", added imperial examinations, and hired subordinate staff and was issued throughout the country. The burden on the people was greatly reduced. Emperor Chai Zongxun was praised as a holy king, and his actions were benevolent and benefited the people.

On September 30th, Zhang Yong and his party returned to Bianjing and reported their journey to Emperor Chai Zongxun at Yanfu Palace in the afternoon.

After hearing this, Chai Zongxun said:
"This Wang Quanbin has been arrogant and domineering for a long time. He relies on himself as a strong man on the battlefield. He dares to disobey my will and attempt to collude with the Shu Kingdom to rebel. He is actually bringing his own destruction!

Commander Zhang's trip has revealed Wang Ni's general layout, and our "Long Xiang Army" must defeat it. "

Zhang Yong bowed and said:
"Your Majesty, Holy Ming!
The ministers and others originally wanted to assassinate Wang Quanbin in one fell swoop, but they did not want to be prepared by this person and accidentally hit the passenger car.

Your Majesty, Luoyang is a fortified city. If Wang Ni refused to hold on to the city, I'm afraid it would take some time for the "Long Xiang Army" to defeat it. "

Chai Zongxun nodded and said:
"No matter how powerful Wang Quanbin is, he is the only one left, the Light Ear of Fireflies, who dares to compete with the light of the sun and the moon?
It is only a matter of time before my Longxiang army conquers him. "

Chai Zongxun thought that Zhang Yong had been the commander of the "Long Xiang Guard" for several years. He was smart and capable, but not as good as other officers. He got married at the age of sixteen or seventeen and said with a smile:
"Zhang Aiqing, this time Princess Yongning of the Tang Kingdom did not join forces with the Shu Kingdom to attack our Great Zhou Longxiang Guard. Did you spare her life during the last battle in Yangzhou and make her have a secret love for you?"

Zhang Yong reported every detail to Emperor Chai Zongxun every time he went on an expedition. However, he did not go into details about why Yangzhou let Li Fangyi go and how he eavesdropped on Li Fangyi's bathing in Luoyang.

Zhang Yong said nervously:
"Back to Your Majesty, I have been used to traveling alone in the world since I was a child. Since I met Your Majesty's favor, I have only wanted to bring peace to the world for Your Majesty as soon as possible.

"The Xiongnu are not exterminated, why should we take care of our family?" Chai Zongxun said: "Zhang Aiqing, you are my confidant and a chivalrous person with noble temperament.

Serving me and starting a family are not necessarily in conflict.

I will consider this matter for some time. "

Zhang Yong and others bowed and left the palace, and Chai Zongxun began to ponder:
Thinking of the time and space in the previous life, after the Southern Tang Dynasty was destroyed by the Song Dynasty, Princess Li Fangyi of Yongning was captured by the general of the Song army who went on an expedition. After Zhao Er usurped the throne with the sound of ax and candle shadow, he used her beauty to force her into the palace.

Gaoliangheche Shen was defeated and almost died. Li Fangyi, who accompanied the army on the expedition, was captured by the Liao army and was taken into the palace as a concubine by Liao Shengzong.

Li Fangyi died in the Liao Kingdom at a young age, which can be called a tragic fate.

Chai Zongxun immediately thought of the "Little Empress of Zhou" whose beauty has been passed down through the ages.

Xiao Zhou was the second daughter of Situ Zhou Zong of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and the sister of Empress Li Yu Zhaohui and Zhou Ehuang, named Zhou Nuying.

Both sisters have beautiful and fragrant appearance, are proficient in poetry, and are good at music, singing and dancing.

Chai Zongxun thought:
"Chao Lu once said that she gave Zhang Yong the dagger passed down by her parents for safekeeping. Zhang Yong had also reported this matter to me before.

The military police of the "Longxiang Guard" army also reported that Zhang Yong would touch a dagger in the army from time to time and remain silent.

Could it be that Zhang Yong actually fell in love with Chao Lu at first sight when he rescued her in Jinzhou? ! "

Chai Zongxun felt a flash of jealousy and anger in his heart, and then he thought:

"After all, it's impossible for me to kill my close friend Zhang Yong just for this?
With the alluring beauty of the morning dew, it is natural for Zhang Yong to be moved. Emotions are strange and uncontrollable things.

No wonder Zhang Yong has been reluctant to start a family.

If I didn't intervene in this matter, I'm afraid Zhang Yong would hide this secret love in his heart and be lonely for the rest of his life.

After all, Princess Yongning of the Tang Dynasty is a Han, and I cannot bear to have her sacrificed by Li Yu for marriage with the Liao Kingdom.

Since I'm interested in Zhang Yong, why don't I try to get along with them. "

Thinking that Zhou Nuying was only one year older than him, Chai Zongxun thought to himself:
"I have banned all the military envoys in the country, and Wang Quanbin is also a dead man in the grave. In a few years, when the country becomes stronger, it will launch an army to attack Shu, Tang and other countries.

Now Li Yu has not hooked up with Zhou Nuying. It seems that the two of them will meet in the Southern Tang Palace when Zhou Hou falls ill next year.

When the Southern Tang Dynasty is destroyed in a few years, I don't want to kill Li Yu, the poetry emperor. By then, Xiao Zhou will be captured and come to Bianjing. I will have grown up by then, and I will not be like Zhao in the previous life. Secondly, how could you force Xiao Zhouhou? "

Chai Zongxun pondered for a long time, and realized that he was already the emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and he would be a normal man with strong blood. With such a beauty as Xiao Zhou, it would be difficult not to rape Xiao Zhou.

That will leave a legacy in history.

After hesitating for a while, Chai Zongxun finally decided that since he couldn't control things, it was better to guide them well.

"Since I can't control myself at that time, why not take advantage of the fact that Xiao Zhouhou is still young and rush into my harem directly! This can also save the life of Zhou Hou and prevent her from being angry to death due to Li Yu and Xiao Zhou Hou's collusion. "

(End of this chapter)