Wagons and horses roared, and a huge army was winding east along the main road.

Zhou Yafu was wearing light armor, riding a white horse on his hips, and walked in the middle of the marching army column surrounded by hundreds of personal soldiers, looking at the endless queue in front of and behind the road, Zhou Yafu was suddenly in a trance.

Four months ago, when Zhou Yafu received the holy decree, he still couldn't believe that the emperor actually ordered him to lead 50,000 cavalry and 200,000 infantry to attack Goguryeo? How is this possible?! You must know that he Zhou Yafu is a general of the Han Kingdom, and the emperor has a grudge against him for killing his father, aren't you afraid that he will rebel with a large army? !

Later, Zhou Yafu learned that he was still the crown prince Xiang Zhengbao.

For the crown prince Xiang Zheng, Zhou Yafu's perception is even more complicated, at the beginning of Qidi, he Zhou Yafu suffered continuous losses under Xiang Zheng, so that the Lian Heng Alliance completely collapsed, and then there was a large-scale attack on the Han by the Ten Chu Army, so in a sense, the competition between Zhou Yafu and Xiang Zheng directly determined the outcome of the Chu and Han conflicts.

Zhou Yafu did not hesitate to accept the holy decree, because he had the same mind as Bai Mo, and now, only by completely trusting the emperor can it be possible to restore the Han Kingdom, and if you want to win the emperor's trust, the best way is undoubtedly to establish enough merits to make yourself the most prominent meritorious general in the court.

The preparations for the expedition to Goguryeo were complex.

Even a huge empire like the Huaxia Empire has been preparing for several months!

In April, the emperor issued an order, and it was not until June that the army was assembled, and at the end of July, the army left Liaodong.

A team of scouts suddenly galloped from the front, and the leading colonel waved his hand at Zhou Yafu on horseback. Wheezed: "General, in front of you is where the royal court of the barbarians is located, and there is an earthen city with a radius of more than ten miles, and the walls are high, but this barbarian does not seem to be called Goguryeo, but what is the country of Fuyu." ”

"That's right, that's it." Zhou Yafu said lightly.

When it was time to set out on the expedition. Xiang Zhuang once summoned Zhou Yafu to the prelude, saying that the country to be conquered this time may not be called Goguryeo, but it doesn't matter what the name is. Anyway, it is a regime established by a few barbarians between Liaodong and Jizi Korea, how did the barbarians establish a regime? It must be resolutely destroyed.

In fact, the so-called Goguryeo was a barbarian regime established by the Fuyu people and the Wofu people. As for when the name Goguryeo was adopted, there are several theories in the historical circles, some say the first century BC, some say the second century BC, and it can be verified that there must have been Goguryeo in the early Western Han Dynasty.

Zhou Yafu raised the whip in his hand and said indifferently: "Pass my general's order, the whole army will camp on the spot, and the baggage battalion will begin to assemble siege equipment, and then attack the barbarian royal court after resting for a day." ”

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Early October. Xiang Zhuang returned to Luoyang after inspecting Danyang.

In Danyang County, hundreds of acres of imperial fields circled by Xiangzhuang have achieved a bumper harvest, half a basket of potatoes has become dozens of baskets, and half a basket of corn has been harvested with hundreds of stones, but the largest harvest is still sweet potatoes. Because sweet potato seeds can grow new seedlings after cutting seedlings, but half a basket of sweet potato seeds is planted in an area of 50 acres!

Sweet potatoes, potatoes and corn all grow in about four months, and it is already early October, so it is too late to sow a second crop, but it is clear that at least two crops can be planted. Then the planting scale can be expanded by 10,000 acres, and by the next year, the four counties of Jiangdong will have enough seeds to start large-scale planting.

As soon as Xiang Zhuang returned to Luoyang, he received a good news from Zhou Yafu.

On the splendid Fengtian Palace, the crown prince Xiang Zheng is reporting to Xiang Zhuang: "Father, Zhou Yafu has broken through the Goguryeo royal city, beheaded more than 80,000 ranks, and captured more than 100,000 women and children. ”…,

Xiang Zhuang bowed slightly, such a result had long been expected by him.

At that time, the Qin State had a population of less than five million, but it was able to launch a million army to conquer the south and the north, and successively swept away the six countries, what did it rely on? It depends on the power of the farming system! The current Chinese Empire has a population of 20 million, and has a more complete and warlike system of business warfare and cultivation than the system of cultivation and warfare.

Not to mention that Goguryeo at this time was just a barbarian regime that had just been founded, even if Goguryeo had the military strength and national strength that was not inferior to the Qin State among the Seven Heroes of the Warring States, it was categorically unable to resist Zhou Yafu's 250,000 cavalry army, you must know that these 250,000 troops were far superior to the Qin army in terms of weapons, training and baggage equipment!

As for why he wanted to exterminate the Goguryeo men, instead of adopting an open and inclusive ethnic policy like the Tang Dynasty, Xiang Zhuang was also forced to do so, because at this stage, the population of the Huaxia ethnic group is only more than 20 million, and the two traditional inhabited areas of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River are far from being saturated, let alone large-scale emigration.

Before the population reaches 60 million and there is no large-scale emigration, the surrounding barbarians can only adopt a cruel and bloody policy of reducing the number of people, and when the population size of the Huaxia people exceeds 60 million, they can start large-scale emigration, and then it is not too late to try to integrate the genes of the surrounding barbarians into the Huaxia people.

After all, from the perspective of biology and genetics, there is actually no benefit in maintaining the purity of the bloodline, and a nation can only become better and more powerful by constantly integrating into the genes of other nations, such as the Tang Empire, and even the matrilineal blood of the royal family comes from the grassland barbarians.

Xiang Zhuang did not rule out the introduction of barbarian maternal genes to improve the genetic lineage of the Huaxia people.

It is precisely because of the matrilineal genes from the grassland barbarians that the emperor of Li Tang has more pioneering spirit and expansion ambitions than the emperors of any dynasty in Chinese history, and then makes the Tang Empire the most extensive dynasty in Chinese history.

Xiang Zhuang looked at Xiang Zheng softly and said, "Prince, you recommended a good commander. ”

"Erchen didn't dare to take credit." Xiang Zhengdao, "All this is the credit of Zhou Yafu and the soldiers who went on the expedition. ”

Xiang Zhuang smiled slightly, and suddenly said, "Prince, do you still remember the three-year covenant that your father made with you?" It's almost time, hehe. ”

Xiang Zheng's heart skipped a beat, and he didn't know how to answer for a while.

Said that the father was just joking? What are you kidding, there is a way that the king has no jokes, isn't it contempt for the emperor to say this? It doesn't seem appropriate to echo my father, so isn't it in a hurry to grab power?

The ministers also looked at each other, and they didn't know what the three-year covenant was.

Xiang Zhuang's gaze turned to the ministers in the palace, and said indifferently: "Three years ago, I made an agreement with the crown prince to give him the imperial throne after three years, and now that the three-year period has arrived, it is time for me to fulfill my promise." After a pause at this, Xiang Zhuang rushed to Xiang Zheng again, "Zheng'er, come up and come to my father's side." ”

The ministers in the palace were shocked, and Xiang Zheng was also anxious, and said at a loss: "Father, son, ......"

Xiang Zhuang smiled, personally stepped down the jade steps and led Xiang Zheng back to the steps, and sat Xiang Zheng on the dragon chair, and then turned back to the ministers in the hall and said: "Don't engage in those vain ceremonies, from now on, I will officially abdicate, Zheng'er is the second emperor of the Chinese Empire, don't you want to see the new emperor?" ”

"This and this ......" The Manchu Dynasty civil and military faces were at a loss, until Xiang Zhuang urged again and again, and finally bowed down under the Danqi and shouted long live.

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It was night, and the study was in the Dahua Palace. …,

After kowtowing, Xiang Zheng respectfully sat opposite Xiang Zhuang.

Although he is already the emperor of the empire, Xiang Zheng is still as respectful and walking on thin ice as ever in front of Xiang Zhuang, because Xiang Zheng knows very well that the authority of his father is by no means something that he, the second emperor, can challenge, if he does something wrong, his father only speaks, and he has to obediently abdicate the throne.

All in all, the succession of thrones is only superficial.

Compared with before, the only difference is that Xiang Zhuang no longer sits in the court to listen to the government, while Xiang Zheng sits from the prince's chair under the jade steps to the dragon chair on the jade steps.

Of course, Xiang Zhuang also knew that no matter how much he delegated power, no matter how much the crown prince adjusted the officials of the cabinet, no matter how many generals and colonels in the Jianwu Academy, he would never be able to challenge his authority, because he Xiang Zhuang was the only privileged person who could mobilize the three forbidden armies and the soldiers of each county government without military talismans and just by his face.

Looking at Xiang Zheng, Xiang Zhuang said calmly: "Zheng'er, the Wanshou Palace has been completed, and tomorrow my father will move over there, and this Dahua Palace will be yours from now on, hehe." ”

Xiang Zheng hurriedly said: "It's better for my father to stay in Dahua Palace, so that his sons can see him every day......"

"You and I, father and son, don't have to be hypocritical." Xiang Zhuang waved his hand and said slowly, "But before going to Wanshou Palace, my father still wants to discuss with you about the prince, the prince is the foundation of the country, and the matter is big, so you can't be careless." ”

"Prince?" Xiang Zheng was stunned and said, "Father, Chu'er has just been full moon, is it too early?" ”

Xiang Zheng got married four years ago and already had three daughters and a son, and the emperor's eldest son, Xiang Chu, was born by the crown princess and was just a full moon.

"Chu'er?" Xiang Zhuang shook his head and said, "Chu'er is still in infancy, her ability and temperament are unknown, and she doesn't even know if she can raise an adult, how can she take on the responsibility of the prince?" ”

Xiang Zheng said blankly: "What does the father mean......"

Xiang Zhuang said indifferently: "Father means that among your dozen or so younger brothers who have reached adulthood, one of the cabinet scholars and the meritorious generals of the Martial Academy will be promoted to be the prince. ”

"Huh?" Xiang Zheng was shocked and said, "Father, the emperor...... It's not quite in line with the ancient system, is it? ”

Since the Great Xia Dynasty, China has had a succession system of father and son, brother and brother, which means that the old monarch is dead, and the son is the first heir, if there is no son, it will be the younger brother of the monarch, and now Xiang Zheng clearly has a son, why choose a younger brother to be the prince? So Xiang Zheng couldn't figure it out.

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PS: I asked Xia Du Niang, the East Factory was indeed set up by Zhu Di, and the swordsman was wrong. (Your support is my biggest motivation.) )