The New Year of the first year of the rejuvenation of the country should have been celebrated greatly. Because it was the first New Year after the new emperor ascended the throne. However, this is not the case.

Since Guo Xu ascended the throne, the Imperial City Division has expanded greatly, and the Imperial City Division has its ears and eyes all over the country, implementing high-pressure policies, and arresting people who have complained about the imperial court and the new emperor's accession to the throne, which has made people panic and everyone is in danger. In the main state capitals of the Great Zhou Dynasty, people did not dare to have any discussion about the government at all, otherwise they were likely to become prisoners of the lower ranks.

In order to make the fact that he killed his father and usurped the throne disappear, Guo Xu adopted the method of blocking the mouth of the people. Warnings such as 'defending the people's mouth is more important than defending Sichuan' were all thrown away by him. Some courtiers advised Guo Xu to think twice, which violated the loose and free way of governing the country in the Great Zhou Dynasty and was a retrogressive behavior. But Guo Xu would not listen to their remarks, what he wanted was to have a quiet ear, and he didn't care about the rest.

However, Guo Xu's move is actually a move to cover up. Originally, people in the world were still in a wait-and-see and suspicious attitude towards Guo Xu's ascension to the throne and the rebellion of Lin Jue and King Liang's father and son, and many people were also suspicious of the content of the notice posted by Funiu Mountain in the whole territory of Dazhou that Guo Xu killed his brother and killed his father and usurped the throne, after all, it could also be a rumor-mongering method to discredit his opponent. However, under such high pressure, Guo Xu's behavior of forbidding anyone to talk about this matter just made people believe in that cruel and bloody fact. If it is not the truth, why is Guo Xu so nervous, why does he use high-pressure means to block the mouths of people all over the world?

In this atmosphere, there is still any excitement in the New Year of Da Zhou. The people hid at home for a New Year's dinner, and it was just a matter of relatives going back and forth. The year was not good, and the taxes of the imperial court increased very much, and the livelihood was also affected. In addition, there are ears and eyes watching everywhere, and you will be blamed at every turn, and you will be imprisoned at any time, so it is better to stay at home obediently. Therefore, this year's Great Zhou New Year can be said to be the most deserted New Year since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The streets are deserted and devoid of a festive atmosphere.

Guo Xu didn't care about this, although it was like saying that the first New Year of his ascension to the throne should be a vigorous celebration. But Guo Xu's mind is not on this matter now. What he was doing at the moment was preparing for the departure of the army in three months. That is his dream all along, to expand the territory, complete the great cause that the ancestors and ancestors failed to complete, become the first emperor of the ages, and wash away the blood stains on his body. It's a lot more important than having a New Year.

From the very beginning, Guo Xu's plan was actually opposed by Lu Zhongtian and Yang Jun. After all, Lu Zhongtian is scheming, and his evaluation of Guo Xu's plan to unite with the Jurchens to destroy Liao is: whimsical, set fire to self-immolation. In front of Guo Xu, he also said this unceremoniously. Take out a sentence: What a great achievement.

Lu Zhongtian told Guo Xu that this plan was a big gamble on the Jiangshan Society of the Great Zhou, and the current financial situation of the Great Zhou Dynasty was not good for the spirit of the people in the world. There was chaos inside, and there was a wild goose army in Funiu Mountain to raise the flag and rebel, in this case, the large-scale use of troops to the outside world was tantamount to sending the Great Zhou to a dead end. He warned Guo Xu that the consequences of doing so would be very serious and likely to cause chaos. The correct course of action should not be involved in the dispute between the Liao and the Jurchens at all, and try to calm the internal strife

and do your own thing.

I have to say that Lu Zhongtian has been the prime minister for so many years, so he is naturally not a straw bag. He did see the great harm of the matter. It's just that he doesn't have Lin Jue's prophetic ability, and he can't predict the real danger. But he was right. He was indeed extremely worried about Guo Xu's decision from the bottom of his heart.

But at this moment, how could Guo Xu listen to Lu Zhongtian's words. Guo Xu even believes that the reason why his grandfather tried his best to stop him was that he was afraid that he would make a contribution, and once this happened, he would be prestigious, deeply worshiped by the people and ministers, and his throne would be completely stable. Then, my grandfather's idea of controlling himself and controlling the government was frustrated. Guo Xu always couldn't help but think that his grandfather was actually worried that he was out of his control. The more he thought about it, the more Guo Xu refused to listen to Lu Zhongtian's persuasion.

Of course, if you don't want to listen, you can't refute your grandfather's face too much. His foundation is still shallow, and if he wants to turn his face and deny people at this time, there is a high probability that he will be abolished by his grandfather. So you can't go-for-tat. Guo Xu's method was to win over Yang Jun to persuade Lu Zhongtian.

Yang Jun is already a quasi-national abbot, and Yang Jun's daughter has been named a concubine. The position of queen is vacant, and Guo Xu also gave a promise. Yang Jun's current position can be described as extremely solid. Once he becomes the national ruler, he can be on an equal footing with Lu Zhongtian.

Yang Jun actually opposed Guo Xu and the Jurchen's plan to jointly intend to destroy Liao, but Yang Jun's reasons for opposing it were more specific. Based on Yang Jun's experience with the Liao people over the years, he believed that the Liao people would not be defeated so easily, and Guo Xu's plan was likely to fail. Although the Jurchens had some strength, it did not seem to be enough to be a weight for victory. Yang Jun believes that if he must participate, it is better to join forces with the Jurchens than with the Liao people, and it is wiser to help the Liao people quell the Jurchen rebellion.

But the Liao people didn't know how to lift up, and they refused to exchange real benefits, and only allowed insignificant small profits, so they annoyed Guo Xu. But even so, it is better to wait and see, and it will not be to ally with the Jurchens. This seems to be Guo Xu's willful act.

In addition, the reason for Yang Jun's opposition is also based on the specific situation of Da Zhou. Although the Great Zhou claims to have two million soldiers, as the supreme commander of the Great Zhou army, Yang Jun knows his family background. If an army is sent to attack Liao, only the soldiers and horses on the Yanyun border can be used. The 200,000 soldiers and horses in the northwest could not move. The soldiers and horses led by Yuan Zhenqian were commanded by the troops of the Northwest Xiang to sit in the Western Xia to prevent the Western Xia tribes from making rebellion. That is also Yang Jun's descendant. The forbidden army is also immovable, once the war opens, the forbidden army of the capital will be the only force to surround the capital, and the arch guard of the capital cannot be weakened. Moreover, the combat effectiveness of the forbidden army is also worrying, and they have not fought against the Liao, so they are actually not trustworthy.

The only available soldiers and horses are the 400,000 troops on the Yanyun border, who have been stationed in border towns for a long time, and have fought against the Liao people many times, and they also have combat experience and ability. However, Yang Jun knew that these soldiers and horses did not have the upper hand against the Liao. If you really have the power to win, you won't often lose battles. Although the number of soldiers and horses is large, the quality is not high.

That's not all, but the real problem that plagues us is the issue of military spending. Once the Liao people were at war and a large number of soldiers and horses were dispatched, a lot of money and food would be consumed. And it's not

If the war drags on for a year and a half, what will be used to support the military expenditure for a year and a half? This problem can't be solved at all, and when Yang Jun thinks of these things, he can't help but miss Fang Dunru and Yan Zhengsu, who went to die. The original change of the law by these two people was difficult to accept. But at least the two of them have enriched the imperial court's treasury a lot in just two years. So far, the reason why the court can still be maintained is actually thanks to the two of them. If it weren't for the fact that these two people put their hands on their heads, what they did to streamline their troops and horses, and what to do with military spending, they would actually turn a blind eye. It's a pity that they have to break ground on their own heads, so it's no wonder that they are self-inflicted.

The above important issues made Yang Jun have to raise objections. In fact, he was not afraid of war. As a soldier, he knew that only by fighting could he strengthen and improve his position. Although he and Lu Zhongtian are on an equal footing on the surface, in fact, Lu Zhongtian is obviously better than him. Lu Zhongtian is in control of the government, but he is the only person who can influence Guo Xu. And if he wants to suppress Lu Zhongtian, what he needs is not only the identity of the national ruler, but also what he needs is to make himself an indispensable person in the Great Zhou through war, and promote a large number of his cronies through military merits, so that they can hold power. In terms of status, in terms of connections, he must be able to compete with Lu Zhongtian, which is the foundation for him to be able to sit back and relax in the DPRK in the future. If he can't do this, his current status is a mirage, maybe one day, Lu Zhongtian will be ruthless to himself after persuading Guo Xu.

Therefore, in fact, if the conditions can be met, Yang Jun is willing to lead the army. He was still quite confident in his ability to lead the battle.

When Guo Xu summoned Yang Jun alone and asked him to support his plan, Yang Jun put forward conditions. He could support the emperor's plan, but the emperor had to pay enough to allow him to mobilize his generals at will, and allow him to lead the army into battle according to his own ideas. And the most important point is that since the emperor insisted on carrying out this plan, if things are not harmonious, the emperor cannot blame himself, and he is unwilling to carry this black cauldron.

The requirements for the command of military expenses and horses are sufficient, but the latter requirements are really excessive. That's like telling Guo Xu that if you lose the battle in the future, you will be responsible, but don't put the responsibility on me. The anger in Guo Xu's heart can be imagined, as a courtier, he actually put forward such a condition with himself, the emperor of the Great Zhou, which shows that he is actually nothing in his eyes. Guo Xu wanted to reprimand him in person, and asked him if he wanted this credit if the plan was successful. But after enduring it, I swallowed these words. He needs Yang Jun, whether it is to support his plan at the moment or to lead the army in the future, he needs Yang Jun. Hundreds of thousands of troops marched on the march, and a large-scale operation with such a big stake was very important. Except for Yang Jun, he couldn't think of anyone who could do it.

Guo Xu told Yang Jun that he could agree to all his conditions, as long as he changed his tone, supported his plan, and persuaded Lu Zhongtian to agree to his plan. Everything else is easy to say. Guo Xu also promised Yang Jun that if the army was defeated, he would take all the responsibility and would not let Yang Jun carry the black pot. It's a big deal, and he has made an edict to tell the world. It's a big deal to apologize to the Liao people in person.