Chapter 50 Yuwen
After the training was completed, Zhang Xuanning was allowed to come to the military camp and live in a house not far from the camp. The land was covered with snow, and as of January 25th, there was still no imperial edict. This was a good thing, as it reduced training to maintain physical strength and morale.
It was only afternoon, and at this moment, Li Chunfeng was outside saying, "My Lord, Chunfeng greets you."
"Brother, please come in quickly." Zhang Xuanning heard it and said hurriedly. At this time, a servant finally opened the door. As soon as it was opened, a handsome young man appeared, and behind him was a servant holding a large plate with a clay pot on it. An extremely fragrant smell came out: "Brother, what are you doing here? Please take a seat quickly."
Li Chunfeng smiled, ordered the servant to put the pottery on the table, bowed to Zhang Xuanning, and then sat on the side seat opposite Zhang Xuanning, saying, "Father, he said that the master has been very hard-working in the past four months. Seeing that I was coming, he brought me a pot of soup that the cook had just cooked. It was a soup with chicken , mushrooms, and fish heads. I think it's ready."
Zhang Xuanning listened and said, "Uncle is really thoughtful. Training soldiers is extremely hard. I just want to eat more!"
As he said this, he picked up the spoon and scooped up the soup to drink. Although there was no MSG in ancient times, these dishes were extremely delicious and it was just right without MSG. He ate it continuously and finished the whole chicken. Then he put down the clay pot and had a servant bring him tea, which he drank to clean his mouth.
Seeing Zhang Xuanning eating happily, Li Chunfeng also smiled to himself. The Li family he belonged to was not the Guanlong military aristocratic group. No matter what, it was an official family, so such a pomp was really nothing. You have to know that the family had eight cooks, twenty-one sets of gold and silver tableware, eight farms, and two hundred slaves. This was still considered frugal.
The lord in front of him is the grandson of Yang Su, but he does not have any of the airs and spirit of his former self. Yang Su's properties, mansions, shops, and fields numbered in the thousands. He had residences in the east and west capitals, which were luxurious and magnificent. Not to mention his numerous concubines, there were also thousands of servants.
When they were almost done eating, he said, "My Lord, I just came back from Juzhang Port and was looking at our ship."
Zhang Xuanning's eyes narrowed. "I have been training troops and not paying attention to foreign affairs for the past four months. I have seen Gao Zhandao several times. How is his fleet doing?"
"My lord, this is what I was talking about. With the two thousand taels of gold approved by my lord, I have obtained eleven large ships, each of which can carry two hundred people. They are ready for use."
"Oh, so fast?" Zhang Xuanning was a little surprised.
"Not very fast. We didn't buy a single five-tooth giant warship." Seeing that he had some doubts, Li Chunfeng began to explain one by one. It turned out that the shipbuilding industry of the Sui Dynasty developed rapidly during the material preparations for the war of unification in the early Sui Dynasty. Its scale was unprecedented.
After Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian founded the country, in order to achieve his strategic goal of destroying Chen and unifying the north and the south, he carried out long-term shipbuilding and naval training as the key work starting from the first year of Kaihuang.
Here, we have to mention that it was Yang Su who was ordered to supervise the construction of the five-tooth giant warship that could carry 800 people. It was also created under his leadership. Until the Sui Dynasty destroyed the Chen Dynasty, there were ships stretching for hundreds of miles, which shows the prosperity of the Sui Dynasty's naval fleet.
After the Sui Dynasty conquered the Chen Dynasty, its strategy shifted to the Turks and Goryeo, and the navy and ships became redundant. As a result, a large number of ships, sailors, and craftsmen flowed into the civilian population. This was only a dozen years ago, and they were just the right time to use them. Therefore, building and buying ships, and even recruiting sailors, were not big problems.
Seeing that Li Chunfeng was a little regretful, Zhang Xuanning also smiled and said, "Ships like the Five-toothed Ship are used by the imperial court. Of course, they are not easy to obtain. However, it doesn't matter. Have you recruited craftsmen and shipmasters?"
"We have recruited them. Although some of them have not come to us to avoid any reaction from the county, once the lord takes over Kuaiji County, we can build three shipyards for military use with just one order. However, we don't have the blueprints for the five-tooth giant warship, so it is difficult to manufacture."
"It doesn't matter. Kuaiji County is a big port. I estimate that if we take over the whole county, the county government will naturally have this record. Even if it doesn't, we can get it from other channels. You can do this now, which is already remarkable." Zhang Xuanning said with a smile. After a pause, he became serious: "No matter what, the imperial edict is approaching, and the county is already on alert to prevent any accidents. Now the county has expanded its army by 3,000. Although it is not as hard-working as me and has trained strong soldiers, it should not be underestimated. What do you think?"
Li Chunfeng also showed a serious look, and said carefully: "It is natural for the county to be on alert. Although what we do may not be completely taboo, they can't help but be nervous. My lord, what I mean is that we should openly repair the plank road and secretly attack Chencang. As long as there is no imperial decree to capture you immediately, you can obey the order and leave by sea first, and wait for the county to relax, and then take it in one fell swoop."
Zhang Xuanning listened and knew that this was actually a plan of the father and son. He nodded and sighed, saying, "It is indeed a good plan, but there are two points. One is that the county must place people to respond at critical moments. There does not need to be many people, dozens will be enough. Secondly, after going out to sea, the food and grass on the ship can only be used for seven or eight days. Therefore, in order to achieve the goal of relaxing the county's vigilance, we must stay at sea for ten or even fifteen days to relax their will. For such a large supply of food and grass, we must have a base, which can be farther away. Maybe the county will send people to Shanghai for inspection."
Li Chunfeng smiled and said, "My lord, your words are very clear, but my lord's manpower is probably under the attention of others at this time. I have a group of servants who have secretly entered the county city and can be your internal support."
Zhang Xuanning laughed and said, "Brother, you are indeed very thoughtful. You can do this. However, to do this, local people must be involved. Feng Shengji has a group of villagers who you can use. Of course, you will be the main person. Also, Feng Shengji knows a lot about the overseas islands. You can work with them. We have already transported some rice and grain, but we need to store more to prevent any accidents."
Feng Shengji, the military counselor, Li Chunfeng's heart moved and he said, "Yes, my lord."
"Also, Gao Zhandao, what do you think of this person?"
"He has some talent and works diligently." This person was Zhang Xuanning's old man. As a new minister, he did not dare to say much. He carefully evaluated him, paused, and then said, "My lord, the county magistrate Zhu Li seems to be interested in it. What do you think?"
"Hmm? What are you saying?"
"Zhu Li, the county magistrate, was originally the county magistrate. The lord took over the county and drove away the county magistrate and the chief clerk, leaving him alone. That's how he was able to take charge of the county. But this is a big taboo. Once the lord leaves, how can he face the original county magistrate? Although this is not his fault, it will be difficult for him to work with the lord again. From his tone, it seems that he wants to surrender."
"Surrender? This man has been in government for a long time. If he can surrender to me, I would certainly be more than happy. However, he is originally an eighth-rank county magistrate. There is no way he would surrender to me, a mere sixth-rank lieutenant, just for this. Do you think he has seen through something?" Zhang Xuanning was very sensitive to these two words and spoke with a slightly changed expression.
"Of course. Although my lord never leaves the barracks and does not interfere in state affairs, seeing how my lord trains his soldiers and how dedicated he is, one should be a little suspicious. Especially, how did my lord get so much money to buy meat and fish for the soldiers to strengthen their strength while buying ships? No matter how loyal and diligent he is, he would not do this, right? Zhu Li is right beside us, and he sees it in his heart. Of course, he will understand it. If he thinks that my lord is a hero, it is not surprising that he would surrender to me." These words really chilled people's hearts. Zhang Xuan stared at the wind outside. The wind brought snow, and the window frames rustled.
"What about the others?"
"But don't worry too much, sir. I bought a lot of ships and military supplies, which far exceeds the county warehouse. Of course, it is true that it can't be hidden from Zhu Li, the county magistrate who is in charge of the government. But other people are in charge of their own duties, so it is difficult to know everything. Even if there are doubts, there is no real evidence and it is useless. But the county lieutenant Ding Yuan often travels with the officials below, and his whereabouts are secretive. I am afraid he is a big threat."
"What does he know?"
"It's not a question of knowing something or not. County Lieutenant Ding Yuan was blamed by the lord and lost his power. He has long been filled with hatred. Even if he knows nothing, he will naturally frame the lord. If he gets even a little bit of rumor, he will definitely exaggerate it to the point of treason. Unfortunately, this kind of speculation hits upon our major event. Therefore, I ask the lord to make the decision." Li Chunfeng said coldly.
Zhang Xuanning thought for a moment and sneered, "That's true. Didn't he say that he was not healed from his injury and refused to work? Since everyone knows that he is not healed from his injury, then let him suffer a relapse in the next few days. Well, you can do this."
It was easy for Zhang Xuanning or Li Chunfeng to accomplish this task. At that moment, Li Chunfeng responded and said, "This is a small matter that can be completed this afternoon. Please be at ease, my lord."
"It all depends on my dear brother." Zhang Xuanning smiled.
At this time, several huge ships arrived at Yangzhou, and their own cavalry mounted their horses and headed straight to the county town. It should not take long for Yangzhou city to send officials to welcome them.
Yu Wenzhi stood prominently on the command deck of the warship. These five warships were personally supervised and built by Yang Su, the founding minister of the Sui Dynasty who has long since passed away. They were called Wuya warships. Each ship had five floors on the deck and was twelve meters high. Each ship could accommodate eight hundred soldiers.
Yu Wenzhi's eyes fell on the palace roof that rose out of the trees beside the shore. It was one of the more than 40 palaces built along the river by Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty 100 years ago.
Yu Wenzhi was about thirty years old, tall and thin, with long hands and feet, a rugged face, a cold expression, and a pair of deep and unfathomable eyes. He gave people the impression of being ruthless and cold, but also had a kind of domineering aura that shocked people.
Before he even got ashore, he saw the officials kneeling and bowing. He snorted coldly and said, "They are here early."
Zhang Shihe, his trusted subordinate standing behind him, said respectfully, "Your Excellency is the General of the Right Guard. Naturally, these people are acting under the emperor's order and should have paid their respects early. It is only . If the general manager can obtain the secret of longevity and present it to the emperor this time, it will be a great achievement."
Yu Wenzhi smiled inscrutablely, saying, "Your Majesty is obsessed with the Taoist alchemy technique of immortality, which is really ridiculous. If there really is such a strange technique, there should be immortal people long ago. However, looking at the Taoist sages, everyone is doomed to die. If this book was not woven with black gold thread and was not invulnerable to water and fire, we could have just found someone to forge a copy and we could have gotten away with it."
Zhang Shihe said with a smile: "The emperor has been investigating for more than ten years and finally found out that the book fell into the hands of Shilong, who was known as the best pusher in Yangzhou. It's ridiculous that Shilong hoped to survive by getting the book, but died because of it. It's really ironic."
Yu Wenzhi snorted coldly, whispered Shi Long's name, glanced at him again, and said, "In fact, the secret of longevity is important, but cleaning up Yangzhou is more important. Shi Long is also unfortunate. Your Majesty is going to visit this city, so you must naturally clean up the monsters and demons. Therefore, in the city, whether it is Shi Long or Yin Kaishan of the Bamboo Flower Gang, they must be cleared out."
When the emperor moved in, of course the area had to be cleared in advance, especially Emperor Yang of Sui. His intention was to first station in the south, which was out of reach of the Guanlong military aristocracy group and the Turks (at this time, the rebels in the south were much calmer than in the north), and then slowly regain the old territory. Therefore, he had long intended to stay there permanently, and this place of residence must not be taken lightly. It was natural .
"Of course, but these two are both first-rate masters, this..."
"How difficult is this? Shi Long has ignored foreign affairs in the past few years, and most of his strength in Yangzhou has been swallowed up by the Bamboo Flower Gang. Therefore, to kill this man, I just need to take action. The Bamboo Flower Gang has tens of thousands of people, and Yin Kaishan is a master himself, so it is really difficult to eliminate them immediately. We must wait for His Majesty to arrive. With two hundred thousand people, killing him is like killing a dog's ear. Finding a reason is enough."
At this point, he sighed and laughed again: "If Yin Kaishan had not occupied Yangzhou, given his position, he would be hard to shake, and even we would not be able to kill him easily. But he occupied this city, and the emperor is going to visit this capital. This person has already aroused the emperor's attention, and there is only one way to go, and that is death."
Zhang Shihe could only smile and wait for a while. Yu Wenzhi continued, "I must do something in Yangzhou. I must first station in the palace in the city, clear out the personnel, prepare the goods, and there is another imperial decree. You will be the one to issue it. I will give you a five-toothed warship and you can bring three hundred elite soldiers."
"Sir, are you talking about Shi Wuji? Or Zhang Xuanning?"
"That's right. This man is a disciple of Ba Dao. He disguised himself and came to the emperor's personal army. He has made great contributions and repeatedly defeated the Li family's plans. The emperor also remembers him. He has some talent and is famous for his poetry. I didn't expect that he went to the south to avoid disaster. You go, if he obeys orders, let him come to see me, if he refuses, just kill him on the spot." Yu Wenji said casually.
This was his attitude towards Zhang Xuanning. Although Yu Wenzhi himself was also a large part of the Guanlong military aristocracy group, there were actually many contradictions between them. Therefore, he was optimistic about the attack on the Li family.
Both of them forced Emperor Yang of Sui to go to the south, but the Li family's intention was to focus on the local area, while the Yuwen family's intention was to take advantage of the opportunity to control the 200,000 imperial guards. Both sides had their own intentions, and at this time, it was natural to recruit talented generals.
When Zhang Xuanning fled, he was alone with a few people. Although he fled to the south, he heard that the military headquarters had been rebuilt, but there were only a thousand new soldiers. He thought that he was an imperial envoy with three hundred elite soldiers, and there was support in the county. Even if tough measures were necessary, he could still win.
He is just a Zhechou Duwei, so naturally he doesn't need to go there in person.
Zhang Shihe immediately responded, saying, "Yes, sir, I respectfully send you off."
At this time, the governor of Yangzhou and others were already kneeling and waiting anxiously. Yu Wenzhi snorted coldly. When the emperor came, Yangzhou was at the feet of the emperor. How could such officials have the right to guard Jiangdu? Naturally, there was no need to show any color. He glanced at them like lightning and said with a sneer, "It is natural to let them wait for a while."
Having said that, he still managed to get off the boat. At this time, hundreds of imperial guards in full armor rushed in, spread out, and blocked all the passages below.
"Your Excellency, the Imperial Envoy!" At this command, everyone below bowed their heads and sang loudly: "Long live the Emperor!"
Then perform the ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows. After the ceremony is completed, lie on the ground and listen quietly to orders.
Although it was mid-February and there was no snow in Yangzhou, the ground had not thawed yet. There was a thin layer of frost everywhere. The people who knelt on the ground for a long time felt the cold rushing up, but they dared not move, and their faces turned pale.
The Yuwen family also proclaimed themselves emperors and established the Zhou Dynasty.
The Northern Zhou Dynasty was founded by Yuwen Tai, a powerful official of the Western Wei Dynasty, and was formally established by his son Yuwen Jue.
Emperor Xiaomin was young, and power was in the hands of his cousin Yuwen Hu. In September, Yuwen Hu killed Emperor Xiaomin and made Yuwen Yu the emperor (Emperor Ming). In the second year of Wucheng, Yuwen Hu poisoned Emperor Ming and made Yuwen Yong the emperor, who was Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou. In the first year of Jiande, Emperor Wu of Zhou, Yuwen Yong, killed Yuwen Hu, took control of the government himself, and carried out many reforms.
Yuwen Yong lived a simple life, aspiring to surpass the ancients in everything. He was harsh and unkind to his subordinates, but he was resolute and decisive, able to endure hardship, and personally led the troops in battle, winning their devoted support.
In the fourth year of Jiande, he planned alone with a few people including the King of Qi Yuwen Xian, and decided to attack Qi and personally led the army to besiege Jinyong City (now Luoyang, Henan). He returned due to illness. The following year, he led the army to attack Qi again, advancing from several directions and conquering Pingyang. When besieging Jinyang, the military failed and he barely escaped. Afterwards, he followed Yuwen Xin's advice of "surviving death and winning in defeat" and finally conquered Jinyang. In the sixth year, he entered Ye and destroyed Northern Qi. From then on, he owned the Yellow River Basin and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.
Unfortunately, after conquering Qi, in the first year of Xuanzheng, Yuwen Yong led his army to attack the Turks in five directions, but died of illness before the expedition was completed. Although he died of illness, there are many doubts about the cause, and his eldest son Yuwen Yun ascended the throne. Soon Yun gave up the throne to his son Yuwen Chan. Two or three years later, Yang Jian forced Chan to abdicate, usurped the Zhou Dynasty, and established the Sui Dynasty.
Gazing at the kneeling officials below, Yuwen Ji snorted coldly again. This was the joy of a real man. If the Yang family had not usurped his throne, he would not have come as an imperial envoy, but as the Holy Emperor. Back then, Yuwen Yong conquered the raw Hu and thought that Buddhism was too powerful among the Hu, so he destroyed Buddhism. As a result, he died and his country was destroyed. Unexpectedly, Emperor Yang of Sui was also hated by Buddhism and went on the road to destruction.
After thinking this in his mind, he stepped down.
