Chapter 14: Conferral of Knighthoods

When Sima Wen got the princess's secret letter, Sima Wen had greater expectations for Ziyang and the others, and had a new plan in his heart.

Sima Wen said: "Ziyang Aiqing, strong martial arts, unfathomable skills, and can also use the sound of the qin as a weapon to carry out spiritual attacks, it is really a unique genius since the founding of the Great Jin Kingdom. In recent years, there have been frequent wars in China's northern frontier, and the Red Fang Khanate has been constantly harassing us, attacking our cities, capturing our people, and robbing our first two innumerable; even if Prime Minister Shi Chong and the emperor's uncle Generalissimo Sima Zhan personally conquered, they could not completely solve the bandit troubles, but our northern frontier did not have money and food, and the government decrees did not work. Fortunately, it is the luck of the country, the luck of the people, and the luck of me to meet the pillars of the country such as Ziyang Aiqing. Let's see that although Ziyang Aiqing is young, she is old and serious, and she is also excellent in martial arts, I hope that Aiqing can share my worries, reject strong enemies externally, and suppress bandits internally. What does Aiqing think?"

It's called inquiry, but it's actually an order, how can the new people in Ziyang not agree.

He replied in a high-pitched voice: "It is the duty of the minister to share the worries of His Majesty, and I am willing to go to the soup for Your Majesty." ”

Ziyang stepped forward and replied with a bow.

Ziyang Jing Zhuge Mou analyzed the domestic situation of the Great Jin Kingdom, and naturally understood Sima Wen's intentions. In terms of speaking, make enough morale, not only to give Sima Wen face, but also to get the greatest benefit for himself.

What Ziyang needs most now is the recognition of the imperial court, and only in this way can it develop and grow in the name of the imperial court.

Sima Wen said very happily: "Okay, with Ziyang Aiqing's words, I can sit back and relax." Today, the country is in a special period of internal and external troubles, so a special order was issued, and now I specially appointed Ziyang Aiqing as the protector of the country, commanding the six counties of Shenghu, Yunmeng, and Yanchi south of the northern death forest, and the six counties of Shiyi, allowing them to recruit soldiers and horses on their own, resist strong enemies externally, and suppress bandits internally. He was named the Marquis of Yunmeng, and he commanded the soldiers and horses of Yunmeng County to assist the Duke of Protector. Feng Yangxing was the Marquis of Yanchi, Shiyi Yanchi County, and commanded the soldiers and horses of Yanchi County to assist the Duke of Protector. ”

The three of Ziyang hurriedly knelt down to thank him.

As soon as Sima Wen's words came out, the ministers were shocked. You must know that the feudal prince and the marquis, and the fiefdom is also given, which is the courtiers who have made great contributions to have such an honor, and Ziyang and the others are just new officials, and it is rare for them to be able to confer knighthood and seal the city.

Although the ministers were shocked, they were all "old fritters" who worked hard in the officialdom and understood the emperor's thoughts and intentions.

Shi Chong and Sima Zhan, although they were dissatisfied in their hearts, but, as soon as they came, both sides wanted to win over Ziyang, and they didn't want to offend Ziyang, so it was better to push the boat down the river and send a favor to Ziyang. Second, the six northern counties and the cities they control are really chicken, not only are there many thieves, it is really difficult to command, but also the northern Red Fang Khanate often raids, if you defend the city, it will involve a large number of troops, and the gains outweigh the losses. Thirdly, the people's livelihood withered, the city was poor, soldiers and horses were scarce, there was no oil and water, and even the slightly richer Yanchi County was constantly impoverished due to the rise of thieves and the interruption of trade routes.

Shi Chong took a step forward and said, "My emperor is wise, and I believe that the Protector will be able to live up to his expectations." ”

Sima Zhan also took a step forward and said: "Congratulations to the emperor, I have obtained this good material, and I believe that the protector will be able to succeed." ”

When Sima Wen heard the two of them say this, his hanging heart relaxed, and all the words he had prepared were useless.

When the other ministers saw that their heads said this, they naturally did not offend Ziyang, and said in unison: "The ministers congratulate our emperor and obtain the best of the world; ”

Sima Wen laughed and said: "Okay, we and other monarchs and ministers work together to advance and retreat with the country, so why worry about the country not prospering." Let's retreat. ”

Today, not only the three of Ziyang were happy, but Sima Wen was also very happy.

The next day, Sima Wen summoned the three of Ziyang alone, which can be said to give full play to the emperor's grace and prestige. Ziyang secretly admired.

If Sima Wen was not born in troubled times, he was definitely a wise monarch, but the times did not favor him, the rise and fall and success or failure of a country could not be changed by an emperor, Sima Wen was destined to be a tragedy, even if he was talented and strategic.

In the days after Ziyang and others were sealed, they were constantly paid homage to officials and gentry from all walks of life, and Ziyang entertained them one by one. At this time, Ziyang is constantly accumulating contacts, and naturally he will not be closed to guests like he did when he obtained martial arts in Yanchi County.

Ziyang discussed with Zhuge Mou and others, made a plan, and prepared to leave for his post in three days.

The ninth princess asked Sima Wen for instructions and asked to go with Yang Xing, Sima Wen thought about it for a while, and thought that there were nine princesses by Ziyang and the others, and they could grasp the movements of Ziyang and others at any time, so they agreed, but they sent ten inner masters of the peak realm of Jindan to protect the princess.

Ziyang arranged for Zhuge Mou to bring all the recruited troops to the Shenghu County City, half of the grain and grass were transported to the Shenghu County City, and the other half was transported to the Yunmeng County City.

Zhuge Mou went to run errands alone, Ziyang rode a Chiyan BMW that traveled thousands of miles a day, and Dapeng, Huofeng, Yang Xing, He Ape, Ninth Princess Sima Yu and others rode a red-blooded BMW that traveled 800 miles a day and rushed to Shenghu County with official seals.

Ziyang and the others, eager to reach the fiefdom, galloped all the way, and the original four-month journey, Ziyang waited for less than a month to ride a BMW and arrived in Shenghu County.

When they entered Shenghu County, Ziyang and the others saw a large number of people dragging the old and the young and fleeing south.

Yang Xing intercepted an old man and asked only to learn that General Usur of the Hezhe tribe of the Red Tooth Khanate led 10,000 iron horsemen to kill the Tiemen Pass, and it is estimated that the Tiemen Pass has been lost now.

The Hezhe tribe of the Nachijah Khanate is located north of the Death Forest, with a tribe of nearly 50 million, and is one of the ten major tribes of the Red Jaya. He raided the Holy Lake County all the year round, and every time he raided, he returned with a load, but he didn't go deeper, and he retreated after only approaching the Holy Lake County City.

There is a narrow strip of more than 2,000 kilometers between the sacred lake and the dead forest, this narrow strip is like a wide horn, narrow in the north and wide in the south, the narrowest part is about 20 kilometers wide, and the widest part is about 1,000 kilometers. The Iron Gate Pass is located at the northernmost point of this narrow strip of land, bordering the territory of the Hezhe tribe.

The territory of the Hezhe tribe is like a hammer, stuck on the edge of the Death Forest. The hammer head is about 10,000 kilometers long, there is a Wusu city at the place of the hammer blade, it is more than 500 miles away from the iron gate pass, and the iron gate pass is far away, the general of the Usu is the city lord of the Wusu city, the Wusu city is also the frontier position of the previous Khan army, once the army breaks through the iron gate pass, it becomes a rear military town, hoards soldiers, horses, grain and grass, it is the only passage of the Red Tooth Khanate to the Great Jin Kingdom, the military, transportation, commerce and other roles are extremely prominent, it is one of the top ten most important towns of the Red Tooth Khanate. The hammer handle is about 30,000 kilometers long along the dead forest.

Within the Iron Gate Pass, the terrain is flat, the land is fertile, and it is close to the holy lake, and the irrigation is convenient, so the agriculture is extremely developed, but it is often looted by the Hezhe tribe, so that the people's livelihood withers. During the strong period of the Great Jin Kingdom, he guarded the Iron Gate Pass to ensure the safety of the people in the pass. With the decline of the state and the fierce attacks of the Red Fang Khanate, it was difficult to close the iron gate of a generation of dangerous passes.

The Red Khanate did not occupy the city, and the people of the Red Khanate were nomadic and not good at farming. Second, the Red Tooth Khanate has a strong city of Wusu, and it is defended according to the danger, and there is no need for an iron gate. Thirdly, the Great Jin Kingdom was weakened, and it never garrisoned heavy troops at the Iron Gate Pass, and 10,000 iron cavalry was enough to level the dilapidated Iron Gate Pass.

The Great Jin Kingdom has a vast territory, fertile land, and a humid climate in the south, which is suitable for farming. Therefore, symbolically send some old, weak, sick and disabled to defend this ruined city, once the enemy army comes to attack, these defenders immediately retreat.

The people living on these more than 100,000 fertile cultivated land are basically displaced people who are forced by life to flee the famine and live here at the risk of their lives.