November 10, the twelfth year of Daye.
Zhang Xuanning woke up from his sleep on time. He got up and put on his clothes. A maid came forward to help him dress and wash his face. Everything was done. He went out of the courtyard and saw the remaining moonlight shining on . He squinted his eyes and looked up at the sky.
After turning around a courtyard, I came to the ten-meter-high artificial hill of the General Manager's Mansion. The view in front of me suddenly opened up. Although this hill was not high, there were no tall buildings in this era, so the view was endless, which immediately made me feel refreshed.
There was a pavilion on the hill. At this time, it was already dawn. There was rosy clouds in the east and a lot of purple air was faintly rising. Zhang Xuanning did not dare to delay and took a deep breath towards the purple air of the morning sun. This was a Taoist technique of nourishing qi and gathering light.
He stopped only after the sun had risen, and then took the absorbed purple energy into the Yuan Hai. Slowly, Zhang Xuanning returned to the courtyard, ate a little, and went to the government hall in front to work. At this time, it was almost the beginning of the [Chenshi], and according to the rules, work here starts at Chenshi.
A large number of officials have been seen coming to the government hall one after another. When they saw Zhang Xuanning, they all knelt down and bowed to him.
When they arrived at the Council of Government Affairs Hall, there was a group of armored soldiers and personal guards accompanying them, each with a long sword hanging from their waist. Zhang Xuanning glanced around and saw that all the officials had arrived. Although the seven ministries of Personnel, Revenue, Rites, Military, Punishments, Industry, and Commerce had been established, in fact, there was still a shortage of key personnel. However, there was nothing that could be done about it.
After another year or two, when the king comes, both the upper and lower levels will be in place, and naturally both the central and local governments will be put into good order.
It was not until this era that people realized that the time for court sessions was not the three to five in the morning that people were familiar with in later years.
In fact, the custom of holding court at five in the morning was created by Zhu Yuanzhang in order to govern his country diligently. Since the emperor had to hold court at five in the morning, he had to get up at four or even three in the morning, especially for officials who had to travel a long journey to the palace.
In the Qing Dynasty, one thing that must be affirmed is that the emperor often had to get up at three in the morning, and the princes also had to get up at three o'clock to study - in fact, in Zhang Xuanning's view, this was purely an act of sacrificing the body, and if this continued for a long time, it would be strange if the body did not deteriorate!
Of course, the same goes for holidays. In the Han Dynasty, officials were allowed to take one day off from work every five days. This holiday was called "Xiu Mu", and it was still practiced in the Sui Dynasty.
However, the Liang Dynasty in the Southern Dynasties once stipulated that there should be only one holiday every ten days. I remember that the Tang Dynasty followed this rule. These holidays are called ten-day holidays or ten-day holidays, and they are on the tenth, twentieth and last day of each month.
In order to promote diligence, holidays were further reduced during the Ming and Qing dynasties until the regulations on such holidays were completely abolished.
One day off in five days is too lenient for officials. After all, it is official business, especially now that the military situation is tense. It may delay the work. Therefore, after discussion, Zhang Xuanning and Li Bo stipulated that work should start at the beginning of Chenshi (7:00 Beijing time) and end at the end of Shenshi (5:00 pm).
It is also stipulated that there is one rest day every ten days, and personnel are arranged to take turns on duty on the rest days to prepare for any unexpected events.
In addition to these holidays, we will also set holidays for festivals in the future. Now we only set seven days off for the Winter Solstice and three days off for the Mid-Autumn Festival. Other holidays will be set in the future, but for the New Year, we set a ten-day holiday.
Although it is a time of chaos, human relationships are still indispensable. Officials' home visits, sons' coming-of-age ceremonies, children's weddings, the death of parents, the death of a teacher, etc. all have to be arranged. These are what Li Bo has to consider.
As usual, important matters were reported by the persons in charge, which took a full two hours. Generally speaking, except for special matters, these matters had to be submitted in advance through official documents to the Council of Government and Zhang Xuanning. They had already been considered and discussed, and now the decision had to be made on the spot.
Zhang Xuanning listened while playing a Ruyi. As it had been discussed long ago, a decision was generally made on the spot. It would be implemented after the seal officer and Li Bo signed it. Of course, the seal was engraved with "Wuzhou General Manager Seal" and the imperial seal would not be taken out at all.
After all the tasks were completed, noon time began (11 a.m.). The official documents were finished, an order for a rest was given, and the officials dispersed. There was an hour's rest time at noon.
After everyone left, Zhang Xuanning said, "Sir, Mr. Xu, and my brother, please come with me to the inner room. Let's have lunch first."
Xu Xingzhi and Li Chunfeng responded. At this time, Xu Xingzhi was in charge of the factory guards and had been promoted to the sixth rank commander of the factory guards.
Zhang Xuanning then said to the attendant: "Tell the people inside to start the banquet as soon as we arrive."
After saying that, Zhang Xuan Ning walked inside, and the armored soldiers and personal guards followed closely behind Zhang Xuan Ning. These people were holding long swords, wearing heavy armor, and equipped with crossbows, so their safety was not a problem.
At this time, there was no such thing as not talking while eating. That was a rule after the prevalence of Confucianism. The three of them were core members, so they ate with a smile, but it was just an ordinary meal, and they just finished their meal.
After they were transferred to the study, the four of them took their seats, and Li Chunfeng began to report the military situation: "The Donghai people Du Yangzhou and Shen Midi have been defeated by the Right Imperial Guard General Chen Leng."
"Well, it was defeated." Zhang Xuanning replied indifferently.
"Yangzhou Shilong was captured and killed by Yu Wenzhi himself. His family and disciples were killed. It is said that he wanted the secret of longevity. He has presented it to His Majesty. His Majesty was very happy and rewarded him with a jade ruyi."
"Yeah, I know that too." It took until now for Shi Long to be captured and killed. In fact, if there was time, they could have made arrangements long ago. However, the military situation has been extremely tense recently, and there is no time to make major arrangements. How could they possibly use precious manpower and resources just for a mere book of immortality?
It's already a big deal to send some people to pay attention. It's just the secret of immortality. No one can practice it except those two little strong men. Emperor Yang of Sui is no exception. Besides, the secret of immortality is indeed great, but how many people who have reached the level of a master can practice the four great books?
"Yu Wenzhi led the imperial guards at the same time to kill Yin Kaishan, the leader of the Bamboo Flower Gang. Other gang members were also strangled. Mr. Su's family, protected by our people, has broken out. Gui Xiliang and Xing Rong were among them." Li Chunfeng reported again. In fact, these people are not important at all. They just have some relationship with the lord.
"Well, now that Master Su is here, I will personally host a banquet and grant him the title of National Scholar, which will be hereditary. I will also reward him with 1,000 acres of land, a house, and 100 taels of gold. That's all I have to do. He doesn't have to hold an official position." Zhang Xuanning said calmly. Under his system, the crown prince was of super rank, the king was of super rank, the prince was of first rank, the duke was of second rank, the marquis was of third rank, the earl was of fourth rank, the viscount was of fifth rank, and the baron was of sixth rank. The title of National Scholar was equivalent to the seventh rank, which was already an extremely preferential treatment. It was also the rank for officials who stood out for their practical work.
It is also expected that he will be promoted twice in the future. One is when he becomes king, he will be promoted to baron, and the other is when he becomes emperor, he will be promoted to viscount. The rank of viscount is equivalent to the fifth rank, which is equivalent to a county governor in the future. It will be hereditary, which is enough to repay the kindness that Master Su has shown him.
"As for Gui Xiliang and Xing Rong, ask them that if they are willing to be officials, they will first be appointed as the ninth-rank county lieutenant and the ninth-rank secretary. If they are willing to join the army, they will be the chief and deputy chief of a 250-man garrison."
Zhou Feng is now a general of three thousand men, Gao Zhandao is the admiral of the navy, while Gui Xiliang and Xing Rong can only start from the ninth rank and climb up slowly. This is the difference between following the dragon early or late, and it is nothing more than a difference of one thought.
Now, these guys were no longer in his eyes. After they were dealt with, that was it. He only asked one question: "How much strength do you think the Bamboo Flower Gang still has?"
"The Lord came from the Bamboo Flower Gang, and seized three counties to establish himself. The Emperor hated him deeply. This time, he put a lot of effort into catching almost all of them. Bao Baiyou, Zuo Qiubi, Tong Changfeng, Yan He and other chief and deputy chiefs of the Bamboo Flower Gang were all killed. Among the four halls, only Shen Beichang (chief of the Fengzhu Hall of the Bamboo Flower Gang) and Luo Feng (deputy chief of the Fengzhu Hall of the Bamboo Flower Gang) retained some strength. Although Shao Lingzhou was the military advisor of the Bamboo Flower Gang, second only to the emperor, his strength was mostly in the main hall. Therefore, with the demise of the main hall, this military advisor has become a mere figurehead."
"So the Bamboo Flower Gang is actually finished?"
"Yes, if we really talk about strength, there is only about 20% to 30% left."
"Okay, I understand." Zhang Xuanning said slowly, indicating that the matter was over and there was no need to discuss it further.
"My lord, the following is a big event. Please allow me to report it in detail. In mid-September, Cao Shiqi, a Poyang native, led his people in an uprising. Lin Shihong was his minister. In October, Cao Shiqi captured Poyang County and proclaimed himself the King of Yuanxing, with the reign title of Tianchengdian. Then, the rebel army captured neighboring counties such as Fuliang and Pengze, and its force expanded to 30,000, and it was heading towards Yuzhang County!" Li Chunfeng reported, "The emperor was greatly frightened and has sent the Imperial Censor Liu Ziyi to lead troops to suppress the rebellion."
"My lord, Cao's army has already captured Poyang County. If they can capture the important town of Yuzhang County, they will immediately be able to compete with our army. Please make a quick decision!" Li Bo said seriously.
"Bring the map first." Zhang Xuanning said, and with a command, an attendant immediately brought the map. After looking at it, he saw that Poyang County was only separated from Zhang Xuanning's army by Dongyang County. After looking at it, he said in a deep voice: "Who is Liu Ziyi?"
"Liu Ziyi is from Pengcheng and once served as the General of the Palace of the Southern Qi Dynasty. He is good at fighting and has strategy. He also has sufficient soldiers under his command and should not be underestimated." Li Bo replied.
"Well, Your Majesty has been intercepted by Du Fuwei and Li Zitong in Jiangdu, and must go around a long way before he can attack Jiangnan. Let Liu Ziyi and Cao Shi beg for battle first. We must immediately take Dongyang and Zhu'an counties. No matter who wins or loses, we must take advantage of the situation. This time I will lead the army in person." Zhang Xuanning looked at the map and said coldly, "If time is running out, we must take Dongyang County first. If we win this battle, not only will Dongyang and Zhu'an counties fall into our hands, but Poyang County and Yuzhang County will also be empty because of the first battle, and they will fall directly into our hands. Then I can be king. My dear brother, is there any internal support in Dongyang County?"
"Yes, there is Yuan Bin's clan, who is just the right person to help us."
"Who is this?"
"Lin Shihong is good at martial arts and strategy. Cao Shiqi was born a farmer with a generous temperament and extraordinary martial arts. He usually has some children. At that time, there was a man named Yuan Bin in Poyang County who had always been against him. After Cao Shiqi and Lin Shihong started the rebellion, this man advocated the gathering of residents in the city to defend against the chaos. This man is very knowledgeable about military affairs and martial arts. He is actually responsible for the city defense work. However, after all, he organized too late. After failing to resist the bandit army, he has now fled to Dongyang County. It is said that his family members who did not have time to escape have been killed by Cao Shiqi. This man has hundreds of people following him. Once he comes into contact with us, he is willing to surrender to our army and can be an internal response."
He had never heard of Yuan Bin and Cao Shiqi, but his subordinate Lin Shihong knew them. He remembered that both in history and in this world, they proclaimed themselves emperors in Yuzhang and named their country "Chu". Therefore, Yuzhang County must be conquered. Since it was Lin Shihong who proclaimed himself emperor, and not Cao Shiqi, Cao Shiqi must have died. Whether he died in battle or in civil strife, at least this army had undergone a drastic change.
Zhang Xuanning liked to attack others when they were in a period of transition. He immediately made up his mind to take Dongyang County first. He would never let Lin Shihong develop smoothly. He vaguely remembered that he was the one who conquered Jiujiang and Luling counties, and united the four counties into one and called himself the Emperor of Chu. It's really frustrating to compare yourself with others. This guy's development is too fast!
Since he had made up his mind, Zhang Xuanning asked again: "Do we have enough food for our army?"
"My lord, the autumn harvest is enough to last the army for half a year. However, since we have just acquired Jian'an County, the land is very scarce due to the rampage of the bandit army. We can only provide relief. Fortunately, we have purchased some food by sea transport, and Song Shidao has brought in the first batch of 10,000 dan of food, which is just enough for use."
"Well, I understand. Is there anything else you want to discuss?"
"My lord, Taiyuan, which is under close surveillance, has received a message from half a month ago, saying that Li Yuan, the Duke of Tang, has expanded his army by 15,000 in the name of dealing with Zhen Zhai'er's bandit army. A dozen of our undercover agents have successfully taken advantage of this expansion to become fire captains of ten men, or even captains of fifty men."
"Well, the Li clan can no longer wait. If they don't start a rebellion, it will be too late. In fact, the attack on Zhen Zhai'er is just a cover. The key is to officially expand the army and prepare for the rebellion!"
I remember that next year, in the 13th year of Daye, Li Yuan would raise an army against the Sui Dynasty. To raise an army, one must naturally make preparations. Therefore, expanding the army this year was actually cautious to the extreme. However, since the Li family has a strong foundation, even if they recruit soldiers this winter, they will be able to use the troops by next summer. For others, it would be difficult. Rectification, reorganization, weapons and food are all extremely time-consuming tasks.
"Continue to observe, keep in touch, anything else?"
"In August, Li Mi joined the Wagang Army. His first plan was to capture Xingyang. As a result, Xingyang was captured, the Wagang Army prospered, and Li Mi's prestige increased greatly."
In fact, in the seventh year of Daye, Zhai Rang gathered people to revolt in Wagang. Shan Xiongxin and Xu Shiji from the same county also went to participate, but at that time the world was not in chaos and it could not develop at all. It was not until Emperor Yang of Sui moved south and the Central Plains was empty that the Wagang Army developed.
However, not many people in the Wagang Army could see this point. They had been rebelling for five years but had not made any progress. As a result, when Li Mi arrived, he took Xingyang with one strategy.
What is Xingyang? It is a strategic location in the Central Plains. To the east is a plain, and to the west is Hulao Pass. To the west of Hulao Pass is Gong County, where the Sui Dynasty's large granary Luokou Granary is located. Taking Luokou Granary not only means getting a large amount of food, but also close to the eastern capital Luoyang. Suddenly, the Wagang Army was greatly shocked, and Li Mi's prestige increased greatly, and he quickly gained a foothold in the Wagang Army.
"In October, the emperor sent the famous general Zhang Xuduo to guard Xingyang and suppress the Wagang army. Li Mi personally led the battle and first let Zhai Rang fight Zhang Xuduo head-on, pretending to be defeated and fleeing north. Li Mi led his elite troops to ambush near Dahai Temple north of Xingyang. Zhang Xuduo followed Zhai Rang for more than ten miles. When they arrived in the forest north of Dahai Temple, Li Mi's ambushes were everywhere and the Sui army was surrounded. Zhang Xuduo was too careless and was defeated and killed."
"Ah, Zhang Xuduo is dead?"
"Yes, he is dead."
"God really doesn't bless your majesty. The Sui Dynasty has truly reached its end." Zhang Xuanning closed his eyes and thought for a long time before he slowly said, "Is there anything else?"
"In October, due to Li Mi's plan, Zhang Xutuo was killed and the Sui army was defeated, so Zhai Rang ordered him to unify the army. Li Mi built the Pushan Public Camp. It is said that the military orders are strict and the rewards are generous. The soldiers are happy to serve him." Li Chunfeng said with a pale face: "According to the latest news from our inner circle, Li Mi suggested to attack Xingluo Granary, open the granary for relief, expand the team, and then advance to the Eastern Capital."
Generally speaking, depending on the distance, there is a delay of one month to several days in information delivery. This is unavoidable, so it is said to be the final news.
The Sui court has always attached great importance to the storage of grain, and has set up granaries to store grain in many important places across the country. Xingluo Granary is located in Luokou, west of Xingyang, just outside Luoyang. It is the intersection of Tongji Canal and the Yellow River. It is more than 100 miles away from Luoyang and is one of the strategic granaries of the Sui Dynasty. There are more than 20 miles around the granary, with 3,000 large cellars. The amount of grain is enough to cope with the Wagang Army for several years. Once it is obtained, it can immediately expand the army by hundreds of thousands and truly become one of the major forces qualified to take over the world. No wonder the faces of those present who have a clear view of the situation changed drastically.
Although Zhang Xuanning knew this would happen, he still let out a breath and sneered, "It's amazing. Li Mi is really a hero in the world. However, as a minister, his achievements are greater than his master's. Looking at the situation, he will inevitably kill his master to take over. Brother, have you contacted many generals of the Wagang Army?"
"We have already made secret contacts. If Li Mi really kills his master, I believe some generals will lead their troops to join our army, provided that our army is strong enough to attract heroes to join us at that time."
"Well, the Wagang Army is rising, the Li clan is rising, our army is rising, and other tribes are also rising. Hehe, this year and next year are really the critical moment. Whoever can take the first step will be able to seize the initiative." Zhang Xuanning stood up, walked around the study for a few times, and then sneered, with a flash of determination in his eyes: "I will immediately lead an expedition to Dongyang to see who can grasp the key to the fate of the world first!"
Fortunately, he had not yet taken Yuhang County, which had cut off its connection with Du Fuwei's troops. Since Yuhang County was Shen Faxing's hometown, no matter what, it was impossible for him to unite with Du Fuwei's troops and let them pass. Therefore, Zhang Xuanning could calmly lead an expedition to Dongyang County. This was a strategic layout.
"Yes, my lord. All the food and fodder has been prepared. As long as you give the order, we can set out in three days."
"Is the paper armor ready?" Zhang Xuanning asked. This is the top priority.
Paper armor is made of paper and cloth. It is mainly used by infantry in southern China. Because of its light weight, it is also widely used by sailors on warships.
The upper and lower body (below the knee) of the paper armor are the main protective parts. The length is set considering the many swamps and paddy fields in the south. The surface of the paper armor is made of fine cloth or paper. In order to defend against arrow damage, 3 cm of paper and hanging are used to increase the protection. Paper armor is very effective in defending against long-range weapons. As long as it is more than 20 meters away, it is likely to injure but not kill. However, it cannot withstand the slashing of cold weapons such as knives and guns in close combat, but it can also greatly reduce the damage.
Originally in history, this kind of paper armor was mentioned in "Southern History·Qi Jixia·Donghun Hou", but it was not implemented on a large scale. Paper armor became popular around the time of Emperor Yizong of the Tang Dynasty. In the Song Dynasty, it became the most important armor for soldiers. Until the end of the Ming Dynasty, this kind of paper armor was still active on the battlefield and never became extinct.
In my previous life, before I got sick, I used copy paper, cut it, glued 16 pieces of paper together, pressed them with heavy objects for three days, and then dried them in the shade (I had to turn them over constantly, otherwise they would easily deform), then punched holes, soaked them in oil, dried them in the shade, and sprayed them with paint... The armor pieces made in this way are more defensive than wooden armor, and the technical difficulty of processing is relatively low, and they are waterproof and moisture-proof.
Although there is no such good paper now, we can first beat the paper on a wheel, fold it into a thickness of three inches, nail four nails in each square inch, and then cut it into armor. If it is soaked by rain, it will be difficult for bullets and arrows to penetrate it.
Paper armor actually has very strong defensive power and is also very light. It is very effective in defending against long-range shooting. In "Ancient and Modern Weapons", there is a record that a local official applied to exchange 100 sets of iron armor for 50 sets of high-quality paper armor.
With current technology, it is possible to make this kind of paper armor, but no one has thought of it. It can be made as soon as you think of it, but it consumes tung oil. Therefore, Li Bo smiled proudly and said, "I have made 10,000 sets, all of which have been soaked with tung oil, and I can produce 2,000 sets per month."
This kind of paper armor can be made into patterns. People who have not seen it will not be able to believe the deterrent power and actual defensive power brought by tens of thousands of people wearing exactly the same armor. No wonder Li Bo is so proud of it.
Zhang Xuanning nodded. This one item alone was enough to equal 50,000 soldiers. Now everything was truly ready, just waiting to break out.