Although the number of participants in the meeting was not as complete as in the past, the number of participants exceeded the minimum number of people required to form a resolution, which would not affect the normal conduct of the meeting and the validity of the resolutions reached at the meeting. After announcing the opening of the meeting, Zhang Weixin, who was still chaired by Zhang Weixin, first introduced the main topic of the meeting to the brothers in the congregation: how the Beiping Army, or the crossing team, should respond to major changes in the Later Zhou court, such as the death of Chai Rong, the coup d'état of the Later Zhou Dynasty's civil and military generals, similar to the "Yellow Robe" in the previous history, and the major changes in the attitude of the new Zhou court towards the Beiping Army.

On this issue, the traversers present can be said to have different opinions, and there is no very unanimous opinion for a while. Most of the participants in charge of administrative, jishu, and financial work, such as Zhang Weixin, Li Junwu, and Hong Yan, suggested that when major changes occurred in the Later Zhou court, the Beiping Army could stand alone and stay out of chaos and strife, so as to maintain the political stability of the 24 states of the Beiping Army, maintain the rapid economic development of the Beiping Army, and successfully complete the development and shiyan of new jishu and new equipment such as steam engines that were in the process of research and development. However, participants such as Xu Shao'an, Wang Feng, Xin Feiyu, Wu Peng, and other participants in charge of military and security work hoped that the crossing team would take advantage of the opportunity of the political turmoil in the Later Zhou Dynasty to actively intervene in it, so as to seize more territory and greater benefits for the Beiping Army and the crossing team.

Faced with two completely different ideas, Wang Kunjun pondered for a while, and then did not immediately express his opinion, but asked Hong Yan: "Seventeenth sister, how is our financial situation so far this year?" ”

Hong Yan asked, thought for a while, and then replied: "October has not passed yet, and the relevant data will have to wait a few days before the statistics can be collected." However, as far as the available data is concerned, the team's fiscal revenue and expenditure in the first nine months of this year are very good, with the fiscal surplus increasing by 80% compared with the full year of H.C.D.'s five-year year, and it is expected that the full-year fiscal surplus for the whole year will be twice that of H.Y.'s five-year year. Due to the impact of the battle of clouds, the financial income of the Xiande six-year crossing team has been greatly reduced, and the expenditure has increased significantly, which is an extremely special year, so the finance department and other functional departments usually compare the situation of the five years of Xiande when calculating various indicators and data, so as to more truly reflect the development of the economy and other work of the crossing team.

After listening to Hong Yan's introduction, Wang Kunjun still did not give his opinion, but changed his goal, looked at Xu Shao'an and asked: "Old eight, tell me, under the premise of not involving the newly occupied land of the former Northern Han Dynasty and eight states, under the condition of large-scale mobilization, how large can the military department train a new army in three to six months?" ”

Seeing that the fifth brother turned his head to ask himself about the urgent expansion of the army after asking about the team's financial situation, Xu Shaoan couldn't help but feel happy in his heart. Because in his opinion, the fifth brother's question must have meant that the whole army was mobilized, the army went south, and the Central Plains was chased, so he hurriedly replied: "Fifth brother rest assured." Today, there are nearly one million people under the rule of the 16 states of our Beiping Army alone. No less than 150,000 young and strong people who have joined the regular army, militia, and reserve forces, women, children, old and weak, and who can take up swords and guns and go into battle. Even if you choose one of the two, you can form thirty 'security regiments' and double the number of 'security forces'. If you add the eight prefectures of the former Northern Han Dynasty that have just been occupied, it should not be too much of a problem to finally assemble eighty 'security regiments'. ”

Speaking of this, Xu Shaoan paused slightly, looked at the eldest brother Li Junwu on the side with hopeful eyes, and continued with longing: "If the eldest brother can provide enough equipment for the military department, the brother can completely form a 'Flying Dragon Army' composite infantry division within six months, on the premise of doubling the size of the 'Security Army'." ”…,

As soon as Xu Shao'an said this, before Wang Kunjun could speak, Li Junwu had already waved his hand again and again: "Stop, old eight." If it is said that the Ministry of Military Affairs is provided with cold weapons such as knives, spears, arrows, and other weapons needed by 30 'security regiments,' it may be possible to complete the task by relying on the existing production equipment of the Ministry of Science and Technology. However, it is impossible to produce the hot weapons needed to equip a synthetic infantry division of the 'Wyvern Army' within six months, even if all the existing stocks are exhausted.

First, it has not been long since the formation of the Second Synthetic Infantry Division of the 'Flying Dragon Army' has been completed, and the inventory of various equipment has almost been emptied, and the remaining stock is enough to equip a division, and even equip a regiment. Second, although there was no large-scale operation in the battle to destroy the Northern Han Dynasty, because the production areas of these two raw materials were near the war zone, from the beginning of the Northern Expedition of the Later Zhou Dynasty to the time we conquered Taiyuan, the trade route from the Northern Han Dynasty to transport pyrite and saltpeter and other production materials to our Beiping City has been cut off, which has greatly affected the ammunition production of the Ministry of Science and Technology. Coupled with the large amount of training ammunition consumed in the formation of the 2nd Composite Infantry Division, although the current ammunition inventory situation is better than the equipment inventory, it is only enough for our army to fight a battle similar to the Battle of Youyun. If the scale of the campaign is larger and lasts longer, unless the new production base here in Taiyuan is completed and put into operation, and the steam engine Shiyan of the Power Division is successful, mass-produced and used on a large scale by all production bases, otherwise, I am afraid that the army under our command will be unsustainable in terms of hot weapons and ammunition. ”

Li Junwu, who knew very well that his eighth brother and a group of brothers in the military department had been looking forward to expanding the army and fighting the war, unceremoniously poured cold water on Xu Shao'an and Wang Feng, Xin Feiyu and others who had the same idea as him, lest these guys take the opportunity to persuade their fifth brother to agree to raise troops to the south as soon as possible, so as to realize their dream of conquering the world for a long time - although relying only on the existing personnel of the "Flying Dragon Army" and the "security army" with 60 to 80 regiments after completing the emergency expansion of the army, they also had the ability to compete with the Later Zhou court. The ability to compete in the Central Plains. However, considering that there were still Khitans in the north of the Beiping army, who had a deep hatred for themselves, it was impossible for the Beiping army to put all its armed forces on the south, and it was necessary to retain sufficient troops to guard against the Khitans and maintain the tranquility and stability of the areas under its jurisdiction, especially the former Northern Han prefectures and counties that had just been occupied. Therefore, the number of troops that can really be taken out of the southern command of the army is actually far less than the total military strength of the Beiping army, even if it can defeat the Later Zhou, the result may also be because the two sides are similar in strength and turn into a protracted war, tug-of-war, Zuihou Beiping Army and the Later Zhou court are both defeated, but will benefit other shili.

Li Junwu's words poured cold water on Xu Shaoan and other brothers in the military department, and at the same time answered the question about the supply of weapons and equipment that Wang Kunjun originally planned to ask, so Wang Kunjun skipped his eldest brother after listening to it, and asked Zhang Weixin directly: "Old Seven, as the director of the Ministry of Political Affairs, what do you think of our brother's reputation among the officials, officials, gentry and common people in the sixteen states of the Beiping Army?" ”

"Our brother's reputation among the gentry and common people in the sixteen states of the Beiping Army is naturally nothing to say." Zhang Weixin replied very confidently, "Since our brothers have been in charge of the Beiping Army for one year, whether it is the various political and economic policies they have implemented, or the brothers' ability to do things and the way of doing things, they have all been recognized and praised by the officials and gentry of the Beiping Army. Although today's Beiping Army does not dare to say that it is a peaceful and prosperous era, it can also achieve political clarity, economic prosperity, officials and ordinary people, which is also quite commendable in this troubled era. This can be seen from the fact that tens of thousands of gentry and merchants from other regions entered the Beiping Army last year, and most of them eventually settled in the 16 states of the Beiping Army. From Wang Kunjun's previous questioning, Zhang Weixin had roughly captured the thoughts of his fifth brother, and had begun to cooperate with the other party in his words. …,

After listening to Zhang Weixin's confident words, Wang Kunjun still did not clarify his opinion, but continued his "inquiry journey" and asked Zheng Zhiwei: "Brother Zheng, from the news sent by 'Dark Yu' in the various halls in the Later Zhou Dynasty, can you analyze the prestige and recognition of Chai Rong among the gentry and common people in the Later Zhou Dynasty?" Can you analyze the prestige and appeal of ministers like Zhang Yongde, Zhao Kuangyin, and others who have the strength and intention to get their hands on that dragon chair among the gentry and common people of the Later Zhou Dynasty? ”

"There's nothing wrong with that." Zheng Zhiwei replied, "It is one of the tasks of the 'Dark Feather' to spy on the people's evaluations, feelings, likes and dislikes of the courts, emperors and officials of various countries, and the information in this regard is still very detailed. Based on the relevant intelligence analysis of the previous years, in my opinion, after hundreds of years of feudal towns and frequent regime changes, the gentry and even the officials of the DPRK and China did not care much about who the person sitting on the dragon chair was. In their view, having food, clothing, and a place to live is far more important than which emperor comes to power and which minister is in power.

Specific to the Later Zhou court, because Chai Rong implemented a lot of policies that were conducive to political stability and the livelihood of the people after he ascended the throne, his reputation among the gentry and people of the Later Zhou Dynasty was not bad, and his prestige was relatively high, and he could be regarded as a Ming monarch who had basically been recognized by the gentry and people of his country. However, the support of the gentry and the people of the Later Zhou Dynasty was limited to Chai Rong, and if he died, it was difficult to say whether everyone's support could be transferred to his son, who was only a few years old.

As for Zhang Yongde, Zhao Kuangyin and others, their popularity and prestige in the Later Zhou court are good, and they can be regarded as important ministers and favored ministers. A group of civil and military ministers have gathered around them, advancing and retreating with them, and are willing to use them. Relatively speaking, Zhao Kuangyin has more courtier shili than Zhang Yongde. However, Zhang Yongde, with his status as a royal prince, as well as the advantage of being the former secretary of the palace and controlling the military power of the Later Zhou Dynasty, he can also fight with Zhao Kuangyin on an equal footing. can say that the prestige of the two in the people is far less than that in the court. After all, both of them were military generals, and the common gentry knew them only because of their military exploits, not because of the benefits they had brought to their lives.

The brothers thought that if Zhang and Zhao staged a coup d'état after Chai Rong's death, whether it succeeded or failed, for ordinary gentry and ordinary people, it would be just another repetition of the frequent dynastic changes that had occurred for decades, and it was not worth making a fuss. As I said just now, these ordinary gentry and ordinary people are not concerned about who becomes the emperor, but about their own lives. As long as this new emperor can keep them fed and clothed, and can give them a stable situation, then no matter what the new emperor is from, what he has experienced, what he has done before, and what achievements he has made, he will be supported and obeyed by them. ”

After listening to Zheng Zhiwei's analysis, Wang Kunjun, who had long been aware of these situations before, and asked this question just to let the brothers present have a more comprehensive understanding of the current situation in the Later Zhou Dynasty and the strength of the crossing team itself, Wang Kunjun finally stopped asking others, but after a moment of silence, he said: "Through the analysis and introduction of the brothers, I think everyone should have a general understanding of the current situation of my Beiping Army and the Later Zhou Dynasty. I don't know what you guys think after hearing this, but I see a huge opportunity in it.

First of all, as far as our Beiping Army itself is concerned. It is politically stable, economically prosperous, and militarily powerful. First, although the land of the Northern Han Dynasty and the eight states that we have just occupied still needs time to pacify and integrate, the sixteen states of the Beiping Army, which are our foundations, have already completed the integration and transformation, and all the work is on the right track. In addition, we are going to fight on the outside line this time, and it will not cause any damage to the foundation land, so the sixteen states of the Beiping Army alone can provide comprehensive support for us to establish a greater cause; Second, although the production rate of weapons and ammunition is still relatively slow, first, we are not going to war with the Later Zhou Dynasty immediately, and there is still a certain amount of time to manufacture weapons and produce ammunition. Second, we wiped out nearly 300,000 Khitan troops in one fell swoop with the same ammunition reserves last year, and I wonder if there is any other court in the world that can cobble together such a huge army to compete with us at one time; Third, although Chai Rong won the hearts of the people in the Later Zhou, our opponent was not him, but the Minister of the Later Zhou who coveted the throne after his death and intended a coup d'état. There is no obvious gap between the two sides in terms of popularity, and we do not suffer in terms of 'people'. …,

Secondly, as far as the current environment is concerned, it is also very beneficial to our Beiping Army. On the one hand, the Khitan in the north suffered a great defeat, and the battle of Youyun caused heavy losses, and there was no ten or eight years to recover its vitality. On the other hand, once Chai Rong died, the Later Zhou court would inevitably fall into the suspicion and turmoil of the main and young countries. The DPRK and China are ready to make moves, and they will inevitably attack each other and dump each other, and the DPRK and foreign parties will also protect themselves and watch at the same time, which is the weakest and most chaotic time for their countries. At this time, our Beiping army went south to Kaifeng and received the least resistance. Moreover, if we operate properly and arrange carefully, we can even describe our southward movement as a righteous act of raising troops to rebel and exterminate rebellious ministers and thieves. When the time comes, we will not only get reproach, but praise.

Third, after the possible turmoil and chaos in the Later Zhou court is over, whether it is Zhang Yongde, Zhao Kuangyin, or others sitting on that dragon chair, they will not ignore our Beiping army, which is powerful and has reached a terrifying point. Wooing, seducing, dividing and disintegrating, I am afraid that all kinds of means will be used to the extreme. When the time comes, how can we be out of the way if we want to stay out of the matter?

Therefore, I believe that the turmoil and chaos that may occur in the Zhou court after this time is an excellent opportunity for our Beiping army to establish greater achievements and obtain greater benefits. Our brothers should take advantage of the situation and take advantage of the situation just like the battle of Youyun last year and the battle of the Northern Han Dynasty that has just ended.

As the saying goes, 'heroes come out of troubled times', and when we first arrived in this era, we were also determined to be a creator of history rather than a witness. Now that an opportunity is right around the corner to turn us into heroes and immortalize our history, why shouldn't we seize it and take advantage of it? ”

Wang Kunjun's remarks not only made those brothers who advocated going south applaud loudly and agreed, but also made those brothers who advocated staying out of the matter and staying alone, and their hearts fluttered.

As a result, the enlarged meeting of the committee finally overwhelmingly passed the "Jianye No. 1 Action Jihua", which aimed to take advantage of the turmoil and chaos in the Later Zhou Dynasty to go south at the right time and create greater achievements.