Standalone Northern and Southern Dynasties

Chapter 393 Chen Qingzhi's Proposal
Chen Qingzhi's suggestion made Xiao Yan think about it.

The situation in the Northern Wei Dynasty was not good, but the current situation in the Southern Liang Dynasty was actually not very good either.

After the Battle of Fushan Weir, Southern Liang fought a total of two tough battles.

One was the war when Yuan Faseng surrendered and conquered Xuzhou. Chen Qianzhi also participated in that war. Even though the enemy's main general surrendered, the Southern Liang army was still defeated and fled back to Jiangkou. Only Chen Qianzhi's troops suffered no losses.

The second battle was the Battle of Shouyang. The Southern Liang mobilized 100,000 people to attack Shouyang for a year before finally taking it.

Of course, Southern Liang also occupied a lot of surrendered land, but these two tough battles also showed the current situation of the Southern Liang army.

Xiao Yan was really long-lived.

Cao Jingzong, who followed Xiao Yan in the uprising and overthrow of the Southern Qi Dynasty, had died of illness twenty years ago.

Wei Rui was a second-generation general who came to prominence after Xiao Yan came to power and made great contributions in the Battle of Zhongli. He died of illness a few years ago.

Pei Sui, the main general who died in the siege of Shouyang, was considered the third generation general of the Southern Liang Dynasty. He was a minister of the Northern Wei Dynasty before the Battle of Zhongli. After the war, he surrendered to Xiao Yan and was entrusted with important tasks, but he was already dead.

However, the generals who grew up after Xiao Yan ascended the throne, such as his younger brother Xiao Hong and his son Xiao Zong, were all incapable of being used.

The world is becoming increasingly extravagant. Now some generals in the Southern Liang army cannot even ride a horse. This is why all the generals who surrendered from the Northern Wei were reused by Xiao Yan, because he really had no one else to use.

Chen Qingzhi performed outstandingly in two battles, so Xiao Yan rewarded him to build momentum. In fact, it was because there were few generals in the army, and Xiao Yan needed one of his own to become a rising star in the army.

It's impossible that Southern Liang always uses northerners as generals, right?

But Xiao Yan still didn't get excited.

Both Pengcheng and Shouyang were fought with great difficulty.

On the way to Luoyang, there are countless strong cities and dangerous passes. How long will it take to finish the battle?

If all the money is used for war, can we still hold our own Wuzhe Conference?
Chen Qingzhi had followed Xiao Yan for many years and saw what he was thinking. He immediately said:
"Your Majesty, the pseudo-imperial court in the north is now unpopular. Your Majesty only needs to enthrone an emperor. I, who have achieved great justice, only need a few soldiers and horses to lead the army to the north. The people in the north will surely welcome them with food and drink!"

Xiao Yan looked at Chen Qingzhi and asked:
"Just when the war ended, the war started again. I can't bear to see the people suffer. How many troops do you think it will take to launch the Northern Expedition?"

Bian Ji, who was sitting on the side, secretly sighed at Xiao Yan's hypocrisy. In order to hold the Wuzhe Conference, Xiao Yan invited all monks and nuns in Southern Liang to Jiankang. He also required that the post stations along the way receive them at the standard of officials and that the state would be responsible for their travel expenses.

There are more than 5,000 monks and nuns alone, and the cost along the way is more than that of a march of 50,000 troops.

Not to mention the manpower that Xiao Yan mobilized to build Tongtai Temple over the years, and the money that Tongtai Temple spent on collecting rare birds and beasts for the Wuzhe Conference.

Now he said that he was unwilling to march north because he cared about the people. Xiao Yan's hypocrisy made close ministers like Bian Ji feel a little disgusted.

Chen Qingzhi had followed Xiao Yan for many years, so how could he not understand his thoughts?

Chen Qingzhi gritted his teeth and said:
"Seven thousand! I only need seven thousand men!"

When he heard the number seven thousand, Xiao Yan's brows relaxed. If it was just seven thousand, then it would be easy to negotiate.

Support a puppet emperor in the north, and then let Chen Qianzhi lead the troops to the north. If it is really as Chen Qianzhi said, and the officials and people in the north are happy to welcome the royal army, then of course it would be the best.

If we can occupy some land, that would be a profit.

Even if the Northern Expedition failed, he had declared to his ministers his determination to unify the world and could also weaken the influence of the Northern Wei Dynasty.

Xiao Yan quickly figured out the pros and cons, but he still pretended to say:

"Only 7,000 people, isn't that too few? Chen Qing is my favorite general, and he cannot be easily put in danger."

Chen Qingzhi said quickly:
"I was originally a chess player, and Your Majesty promoted me from humble beginnings. Now is the time for me to die for my country."

"But please allow me to train the troops and gather information about the enemy, and then wait until the New Year to find an opportunity to march north!"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan nodded with satisfaction and said:

"This is the advice of an experienced man to govern his country. Let's train the army first, and then discuss the timing of sending troops after the Wuzhe Conference."

Chen Qingzhi quickly kowtowed to express his gratitude, and then continued to play chess with Xiao Yan.

At this moment, a sudden cold wind blew the curtains of the warm room, and the sound of eunuchs making a commotion was heard outside.

To be fair, compared with those neurotic emperors of the Southern Qi Dynasty, Xiao Yan could indeed be regarded as a tolerant and gentle monarch. He rarely took his anger out on people around him, nor did he often trouble the eunuchs around him.

After a while, one of Xiao Yan's personal eunuchs came in, kowtowed to Xiao Yan and said:

"Your Majesty, Bodhisattva! It's snowing! Auspicious snow means a good harvest!"

When he heard that it was snowing, Xiao Yan felt much better.

Although the ancients did not understand scientific principles, they did sum up their experience. If there is no snow in winter, fewer people will freeze to death, but the insect plague will be more serious the next year.

This heavy snow in December was exactly the omen of a good harvest in the coming year, and it was also a sign from heaven to him, the Bodhisattva Emperor.

As he got older, Xiao Yan believed more in omens, auspicious signs and dreams. Just when he was discussing the Northern Expedition with Chen Qianzhi, God sent down auspicious snow, which proved that Chen Qianzhi was indeed his lucky general.

Xiao Yan said on the spot:

"If you need any weapons, just tell me directly."

However, during this chaotic snowstorm, Xiao Yan did not know that the farmland near Jiankang was no longer used to grow grain, but instead was used to grow mulberry trees that could feed silkworms.

This trend is also spreading to the wealthy areas of the entire Nanliang. Landlords are more willing to grow cash crops with high added value, and people living near cities are also giving up farming with lower returns and moving into cities to earn money from various services.

With the injection of a large amount of iron money into the market, the entire Southern Liang economy began to operate in an overheated manner.
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December is the slack season for farmers. Su Ze, accompanied by his ministers, was inspecting a Zhechou Mansion near Yongle City.

Although it is the slack season during farming, ordinary people are busy all year round.

The first is clothing. The hemp harvested in autumn has to be processed by fermentation and other processes before it can be used to make linen cloth in the spring of the following year.

If the work is not done well in autumn and winter, it will be impossible to start work in the spring and there will be no new fabric to use the next year.

In addition, a lot of pickles were used in both the North and South during the Southern and Northern periods. Of course, seasoning was secondary, and it was mainly a means of preserving vegetables.

In addition, firewood should be cut before the ice and snow come to prepare for heating in the cold winter.

It’s just that compared to the busy farming season, these tasks can be spread out on a daily basis and seem less urgent.

According to the military system of the shogunate, a Zhechofu was equipped with a quota of 300 people, including a Zhechou brigade commander and a Sima, who were attached to the military department of the county governor's office and were the chief officials of the county governor's office, responsible for the logistics supply and arsenal equipment of the Zhechofu.

The commander of the Zhecho Brigade of this Zhecho Mansion is named Su Dajia, who is responsible for summoning a blue Yulin series follower.

[An impulsive Yulin cavalryman], Su Dajia was originally a cavalryman in the [Guards Camp], but he fell off his horse and broke a leg in a battle. He accumulated three ranks of honor and was placed in Xiazhou as the commander of the Zhechou Brigade.

Everyone knows that the [Guards Battalion] is Su Ze's old subordinate. Su Dajia calls Su Ze "Master" all the time and has a very close attitude. At this time, he takes Su Ze to check the daily training of Zhechong Mansion.

This Zhechoufu is specially used for training cavalry. Although Su Dajia broke his leg, he was still able to train soldiers. Looking at the riders training on the parade ground, Su Ze nodded with satisfaction.

After an inspection, they arrived at the Mingtang of the military camp of Zhechongfu, where the guards under Su Ze guarded the Mingtang.

The ministers who followed felt the atmosphere suddenly become tense.

"Su Dajia, you reported that the number of casualties in your Zhechongfu is higher than that in other Zhechongfu. What is the specific reason?"

Everyone was shocked. Casualties on the battlefield were normal, but the soldiers recruited by Zhechoufu were used in a concentrated manner. If the casualties of one Zhechoufu were more than those of others, that would definitely be abnormal.

Su Dajia immediately said:
"My Lord! I have already found out! This is a man-made disaster!"

Hearing this, everyone was shocked.

Su Dajia continued:
"The shogunate's military system requires that soldiers go to war not only with their own weapons and horses, but also with their own supplies. However, in reality, the length of each battle is uncertain, so it is impossible for them to carry too much food."

"So most soldiers only prepared weapons and horses, and then carried silk, gold and silver and other currencies before going on the road. Military rations and supplies were basically purchased along the way."

"This time, all the soldiers in my Zhechou Mansion are going to fight under General Yang. The one leading them is Li Xiaoli from Liangzhou. Li Xiaoli proposed that the soldiers give him the money and property they brought with them for safekeeping, and he would return it with interest after the battle. The soldiers agreed."

Su Ze said angrily:

"And Captain Li had the most casualties?"

Su Dajia nodded, but he said painfully:

"But Captain Li always took the initiative to fight in tough battles, and he also made military achievements under General Yang. He has now been promoted to cavalry commander."

"And what about the property the soldier gave him?"

"If he didn't, then Lieutenant Li was promoted to a higher position. Since he is far away from home, naturally no one would ask him for it."

"That's unreasonable!"

Su Ze also didn't expect that someone would treat his own soldiers as consumables for promotion and wealth.

But if you think about it carefully, it's not uncommon for such things to happen in the military.

Human nature is greedy, and the moral standards of the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties were low. When the Former Qin Dynasty destroyed the Yan State, Wang Meng led his troops to attack the Yan State. The Yan State's Taifu Murong Ping actually surrounded the mountain spring to prevent it from flowing out, and then sold firewood and drinking water in the army, making a lot of money, and the silk he earned in return piled up like a mountain.

And just as Su Dajia said, the captain was so secretive that if it weren't for the abnormal statistical data of the system, Su Ze would not have noticed this small Zhechoufu.

(End of this chapter)