The one in Shaye River can be regarded as the second western expedition, and the first contact battle is over, and the coach Zeng Hua is still staying in Chang'an. It's not that he doesn't want to go, but he is waiting for the gathering of the army of the Western Expedition and making arrangements after the Western Expedition.

According to the plan, this expedition to the west will mobilize more than 60,000 troops under the command of the garrison governors of Shuofang, Jinyang, Nanzheng, Chengdu, Jiuquan, and Xining, plus more than 140,000 subordinate troops mobilized from Shuozhou, Jizhou, Qinzhou, Yanzhou, and Liangzhou, totaling more than 200,000, which are constantly converging westward. According to the deployment of the Military Aircraft Staff Office, Shazhou set up three gathering points in Gaochang, Qiuci and Gumo, and the three departments of the War Department, the Household Department, the Transport Department, and the Military Affairs Department jointly set up a temporary organization in Gaochang, Shazhou, the Western Expedition and Transfer Bureau.

According to the "Budget Bill for the Western Expedition" passed last year, the household department began to allocate 5 million silver yuan for war expenses in the second year of Taihe, and 5 million silver yuan for the western expedition next year and the year after next year to continue the war. Except for the first 5 million silver yuan, which was spent from the official treasury of Beifu, the rest of the 10 million silver yuan were raised in the form of war bonds. But this time the war bonds were completely different from the previous ones.

The first Western Expedition Bond was an attempt by Beifu and Zeng Hua, so the design was very simple, and the interest calculation method was very simple, that is, the average of the capital preservation plus all the proceeds of the war, and the final result was that each war bond allowed the people who bought the land to obtain unexpected windfall profits. But this time, it will not be the case this time, presided over by Qian Fugui, a famous "master of making money" in Beifu.

Qian Fugui once mentioned the concept of "treasury bonds" in another world according to Zeng Hua, and finally designed the Taihe Western Expedition bonds. This time, the Taihe West Expedition bond is also a principal-guaranteed bond. The minimum interest is five percent, and then the final interest is derived on the final proceeds of the expedition according to a series of complex calculations. Zeng Hua, an understanding person, once calculated that no matter what, the final interest of the Taihe Xizheng bonds would not exceed 55% at most. This made Zeng Hua sigh very much, this ancient talent, give a little sunshine and it will be brilliant.

But that's it, the Taihe West Expedition bonds are still very sought-after, after the first year of the Taihe West Expedition bonds were passed through the routine spring plan in the second year of Taihe. The states of Beifu began to set off a wave of rushing to buy bonds for Taihe and the West. And this time, even many families in Jiangzuo were moved. The trustee bought it in Yuzhou, Qingzhou, Luoyang, Chang'an and other places, and this bond is not a registered place anyway.

According to the deduction of the Privy Council's military machinery and staff office, it took seven months for the Western Expeditionary Army and the government soldiers to gather at the three gathering locations in Shazhou, plus the mobilization of grain, grass, baggage and other materials, Taihe spent almost two years in the transfer of troops. Therefore, in the entire second year of Taihe, the road from Jinyang to Gaochang was full of "migrating" van troops and government soldiers. They rode war horses, drove cattle and sheep, followed the high carts, and continued to go westward, and the accents and folk songs from all over the country filled Longxi Avenue for a while, and perhaps this song will continue for many years.

However, in a sense, the first army of the Taihe Western Expeditionary Army was drawn from Hezhou at the beginning of the summer. But on the other hand, this army is not a real Taihe Western Expeditionary Army. Because they have a completely different mission.

In the spring of last year. Zeng Hua summoned the generals of Mobei and Northeast China, such as Ye Lixun, the governor of Langshan, Lu Zhen, the governor of Pyongyang, and Yao Jin, the governor of Pingzhou, to Chang'an. Secretly, and showed them a map that was extremely secret. On the way back, several of the general's guards occasionally heard their commander's mouth muttering: "Caspian Sea, Black Sea." ”

Immediately, Zeng Hua issued an order through the Privy Council as a general, with Omono Lixun as the chief of the march on the northern route of Yanze (Aral Sea), Lu Zhen and Yao Jin as the deputy commanders, and Ge Changyuan, Wei Chilian, and Gu Hun as the leading generals. Speaking of Bati, he has been on the run for nearly ten years, and no one knows where he has gone. However, he was in charge of the pursuit of the land field and never completed the task, although he led the troops to destroy the Qigu tribes, and every year put thousands of miles west of Ma Jianshui, and collected and killed no less than 300,000 unnamed people, but in the eyes of the Privy Council, he still did not complete the task, because Bati still did not see anyone alive and dead.

This time, Zeng Hua was ready to take advantage of the east wind of Taihe's westward expedition to let Ye Lixun do the largest northward expedition to the west, and completely pursued them in pairs. But few people know that Zeng Hua's task for Ye Lixun, Lu Zhen, Yao Jin and others was to move all the way west, find the old Xiongnu who moved west a hundred years ago, find two seas called "Caspian Sea" and "Black Sea", and the rich grasslands in their north, which will be the pastures of the warriors of Beifu. According to Zeng Hua's original intention, he wanted to "test the waters" of the vast steppe on the northern shore of the Caspian Sea and the Black Sea.

The western expeditionary army of North Shiozawa Province mainly recruited soldiers from the two counties of Haeju and Wuhe and the three counties of Heishui, Bohai and Korea in Hezhou, and signed three to one, bringing together a total of 70,000 cavalry, and also drove cattle and sheep to the west in the way of migration. After Ye Lixun, Lu Zhen and others returned to the Zhidi in the autumn of the first year of Taihe, they immediately began to mobilize troops by order of the Privy Council, and gathered in the Jianshui Valley, until the summer of the second year of Taihe, the soldiers of the Hehe and Pingzhou Prefectures, which had always been fast, were gathered, and then directly "purchased" a batch of cattle and sheep from Jinshan and Wuhe, and then waved their troops to the west.

However, Zeng Hua was busy in Chang'an to make adjustments and preparations before the Western Expedition. Zeng Hua issued a series of orders through the War Department to the Admiral of Kwantung and Guanlong

A big transfer, such as Duan Huan, the former governor of the Guards, was transferred to the Governor of the garrison Zhao Fu was transferred to the Governor of Guanggu, the Governor of the Harajuku Guards Liu was transferred to the Governor of Xuchang, the former Governor of Youzhou Yang Su was transferred to the right governor of the Guards, responsible for the defense of Luoyang and Sizhou, the former Governor of Qinzhou, Le Changshan, was transferred to the Governor of Pingzhou, the former Governor of Liangzhou, Wei Xingguo, the former Governor of Liangzhou, was transferred to the Governor of Jizhou, Zhang Qu, the former Governor of Jizhou, was transferred to the Governor of the Left Governor of the Guards, responsible for the defense of Yongzhou, and Xu Dang, the former Governor of Qingzhou Prefecture, was transferred to the Governor of the Guards, responsible for the defense of Chang'an and the vicinity of Gyeonggi. Feng Baoan, the former governor of Yanzhou, was transferred to the governor of the Suwei Army, responsible for the defense of the inner city of Chang'an. The former governor of Yuzhou was transferred to the governor of the state, Li Tianzheng, the former governor of Shuofang, was transferred to the governor of Pyongyang, and the former governor of Shuozhou, Hou Ming, was transferred to the governor of Youzhou, and so on. The commanders of various prefectures and counties, as well as the soldiers and armies of various prefectures and prefectures, have also made large-scale adjustments and adjustments.

In order to encourage soldiers to requisition their lives, Zeng Hua also officially promulgated the Beifu Meritorious Service Commendation System.

According to the new system stipulated by Zeng Hua, the lowest rank in Beifu is Shilang, which is divided into four types, Chengshi Lang, Xiuzhi Lang, Wenlin Lang, and Wuqi Lang. If the undertaker is a businessman, industrialist, or farmer who has made outstanding achievements, he can be awarded the Meritorious Medal of Honor. Bestow the Principal; Shushiro is a civilian official. Anything from the ninth grade or above. Those who have outstanding political achievements can be awarded the Medal of Merit and the Meritorious Medal; Wen Linlang is a county school teacher or above, who has been teaching and preaching for more than five years, and has outstanding teaching performance, or has outstanding achievements in studying the history of Wenlin can be awarded the Wenlin Medal of Excellence and awarded Wenlin Lang; Wu Qilang is a soldier. Regardless of the militia, government soldiers, and box troops, those who have made certain military merits can be awarded the Order of the Eagle and the Martial Cavalry.

All of them said that they had joined the noble clan and had the right to participate in the administration of the court, and they could make suggestions to the county magistrates, county lieutenants, prosecutors and other officials, and they could observe the judgment and trial of the county magistrate's office, that is, they could supervise the local administration and justice. They can directly submit a letter to the newly established Provincial Department of General Administration of the Chinese Book Bank and the Department of Provincial Participation in Political Affairs of the Ministry of Xiaxia, and appeal to these two institutions, which are specifically responsible for collecting information on local government affairs. The General Administration Department and the Counsellor Department will submit the information to the Central Writing Province and the Ministry of Counsel according to the local and local matters mentioned by the Shilangs. Then the opinions of the court councillor and the bong councillor of each branch will give their opinions. It can either be forwarded to the province and the prefecture, or to the ministries and prefectures for consultation, or directly to the Metropolitan Procuratorate and the Audit Office for processing. The two divisions of general administration and political participation will give feedback to Shiro on the letter.

The fourth Shirou is only the third class Shirou. The undertaker is the undertaker, the cultivator is the Chengzhilang, the Wenlin Lang is the Chengde Lang, the Wuqilang is the flying knight, and the above are the second-class Shilang, and then there are only two first-class Shilang of Di Gong Lang and Xiao Qi Lang, and the Chengshi, Chengzhi, and Chengde Lang are all combined into Di Gong Lang.

Shilang and above are the lords, and the lowest type of Beifu knighthood. According to the title system of Zeng Hua's Shangbiao Jiangzuo Imperial Court, Beifu is divided into five ranks: Xun, son, male, earl, and marquis, and each rank is also divided into three ranks, with a total of fifteen titles.

The lord is still divided into two categories: civil and military, and Lord Wen is divided into buses, Xuande, and Shouzheng; Lord Wu is divided into light cars, Xuanwei, and Anyuan, and there is no distinction between civil and military affairs above the viscount, but those with outstanding merits can be added to the title evaluation.

In addition, in addition to the meritorious medals that can be awarded in civil and government affairs, there are Jiayue, Excellence, Ronglu, Silver Purple and Gold Purple Special Advancement Medals, and military merits include iron and bronze Medals of Valor, Silver Leopard Tao Medal, Silver and Gold Tiger Medals, Silver and Gold Eagle Medals, Zhaoyong Xuanwu Medals, Zhaowu Jinwu Medals, Yuanlu Champion Medals, Loyal Hussar Medals, and Zhuguo and Shangzhu State Medals.

The silver and purple special advancement, pillar country and above medals must be recommended by the Shangshu Province, the Privy Council or a certain number of court councillors and Fengyi Lang, and then the Zhongshu Province deliberates and agrees, and the door down the province cannot refute and deny it, and finally it is awarded by Zeng Hua, which can be regarded as an honor for the country, and the name is all over the world. Later, many soldiers and civilians in Beifu preferred to exchange the marquis title for a special or pillar medal.

Chao Yilang was originally directly appointed by Zeng Hua from among the nobles above the lord, but because Zeng Hua wanted to lead the army to the west. Therefore, he used this as an excuse to stipulate that the court councillors of Zhongshu Province were to be elected by the Shilang and above the clan in various places, and the total number was still 365, and the number varied in each state, and the term of office was six years.

On the other hand, the Fengyi Lang of the Menxia Province is still elected by the local government, two people per county, and the term of office is also six years, and detailed regulations have been made. For example, the qualifications for being elected must be the local household registration of the county, the taxpayer has paid taxes for more than five years, and the person has a beginner's degree or above.

After Zeng Hua Songbu promulgated these regulations, he immediately presided over the new election of Zhongshu Province and Menxia Province from the first year of Taihe, and then stepped up the formulation of the Criminal Code and the Civil Code, but these two laws of the Northern Prefecture summarized many fields and were vast and numerous, and it was estimated that it would be impossible to complete them in three or five years.

This series of actions gives people the feeling that Beifu is preparing to raise the power of the whole river to march westward.

Such a large-scale action in Beifu is both happy and worried. What worries them is the Sogdian, Kangju, Dawan and other merchants who live in Chang'an, Beifu. After Beifu declared war on Kangju, Kangju merchants were temporarily arrested, and Sogdian, Dawan and other merchants were supervised by Juyi, and they were all strictly guarded by Beifu. However, these businessmen still have one thing to expect, they have been in Beifu for several years. All of them have some connections, and they have also gotten a little bit of inside information. They can stay in Beifu for so long, so they have naturally passed the strict review, and they have nothing to do with Hu Pan. These Kangju and Sogdian merchants hoped that they could get the merchants of the Western Regions to get out of the market, and those merchants of the Western Regions were destroyed in the Western Regions, and after they turned to the Northern Mansion to be loyal to the Northern Mansion, they enjoyed the treatment of the Northern Regions merchants, which was okay

。

The happy is the merchants of Beifu, and the war is a dozen. Natural wealth is rolling in. And if Sogdia and other places in the river become the territory of Beifu. Then there is no need to pay too many tariffs, and the profits earned by transiting Tianzhu and Persia will be greater.

I am also happy that the Jiangzuo court is up and down. Beifu's westward expedition with such fanfare shows that they really have no intention and plan to move south, and Beifu's tribute has become more and more abundant in recent years. In addition to the Jin Dynasty, everyone in the important ministers of the court had a share, and hundreds of carriages were filled with tribute gifts in the name of Zeng Huadi every year.

Except for a few far-sighted people, the Jiangzuo court felt that Huan Wen, who was getting tighter and tighter, was more dangerous than Zeng Hua. There are even some celebrities who actually sang praises for Zeng Hua while criticizing Huan Wen.

For Jiangzuo celebrities, Chang'an is a place they love and hate. As long as you are invited to give lectures by the Chinese culture there, you will not only be famous all over the world soon, but also get a lot of "pen remuneration". But once you go there, if you are not careful, you will be criticized by the students of Chinese culture as "incomplete", and then you will be able to "spread your name all over the world". Now in the academic circles of Beifu, especially in Chang'an Guoxue. There are many schools. The ideology is not active, there are "conservatives" of neo-metaphysics, and there are "Five Classics" of neo-Confucianism. There is the "Yongshan School" that combines the old metaphysics and the old Confucianism, and all of them give lectures and lectures in Chinese studies or several state studies, attracting national students and state students. Because according to the regulations of the Northern Prefecture, the county school was only allowed to teach the prescribed books and subjects of the six arts, and the only knowledge that could be regarded as "spiritual guidance" was the doctrine of the Holy Religion, which began at the beginning of many churches. It is understandable that in schools funded by others, it is understandable to teach a little preliminary doctrine, but it can only be taught at the beginning of the school, and the county school and the county school must learn "knowledge" honestly.

Compared with the exchanges in the academic circles, the exchanges between commerce and trade are even more turbulent. Beifu needs various materials such as porcelain, tea, silk, grain, medicinal materials, and groceries, and Jiangzuo needs ironware, paper, cotton, wool, glassware, and other items from Beifu. Therefore, the merchants of Beifu adopted the method of cooperative management, cooperated with local families in Jiangzuo, purchased local raw materials, and even helped local families set up workshops in Wu, Danyang, Huiji and other counties, and used some advanced technologies and processes in Beifu to produce porcelain, tea, silk and other finished products, and then transferred them to various places for sale. In the years of cooperation, these families have obtained huge profits, and in the face of these profits, they feel that the merchants of Beifu are closer than their "relatives".

With the help of these families, merchants from Beifu were spread all over Jiangzuo, and the intelligence officers of the various agencies mixed in with it drew maps and compiled information. With the help of these families, the Beifu Offshore Fleet established wharves in Yuzhou (present-day Lianyungang) in Donghai County, Xuzhou, Qiantang (present-day Hangzhou) in Wujun County, Yangzhou, the outer islands of Chengxian (present-day Ningbo) in Huiji County (present-day Ninghai, Zhejiang), Zhang'an (present-day Taizhou) and Yongning (present-day Wenzhou) in Linhai County, and Houguan (present-day Fuzhou) in Jian'an County.

At Zeng Hua's behest, the merchants of Beifu began to "invade" Jiangzuo on a larger scale from Taihe onwards, but they used "economic means". They co-opted officials and families from all over the country, trying to connect them with Beifu with benefits. and further bribed important ministers in the DPRK and China, sowed discord, instigated rumors, and did everything they could. Not to mention anything else, the confrontation between Jiangzuo and Huanwen's forces is even worse, and Jiangzuo's ministers and celebrities are increasingly resentful of Huanwen. And after Huan Wen was under this pressure, he became more and more urgent to Jiang Zuo.

In the autumn of the second year of Taihe, Zeng Hua issued an order: "Taihe's westward expedition, from me down, the officers and men of the three armies should move forward bravely, shame the snow country, and repay the hatred of the country." Beifu treats meritorious people with high honors, and the honor of all meritorious heroes will remain in history forever! Then he announced that he would lead the general manager of the march of Yanze South Road, and Zeng Wen, Deng Yao, Zhang, Murong Chui, Tuoba Shi Yijian, Zhuge Cheng, Guo Huai, Yan Shujian, Deng Qiang, Lu Guang, Yang An, Mao Dang and other generals would accompany the army. Jiang Nan is the head of the march of the North River Road, and Hu Lawyers' Association, Dou Lin, and Ulolanto are the deputy managers; Cao Yan was the chief of the march of the South Hezhong Road, and Xiahou Khotan, Tang Wu, and Chen Guan were the deputy commanders; Xian Lingbo was the head of the march of the West Road in Hezhong, Wang Xianqian, Yu Gui and Wei Ying were the deputy commanders.

And just as Zeng Hua was leaving, Wang Meng and the others were anxious, and finally asked something important, who would supervise the country and protect the seal? Who is the son? They all know that it seems that the "Ming monarchs" in history are unwilling to hand over power to the next generation prematurely. But this time, although everyone couldn't persuade them, they always had to leave someone in charge. At least three years now, at most I don't know, and the war is impermanent, who knows what will happen? This heir will be designated in general.

Zeng Hua knew that the ministers finally couldn't help it, and couldn't help but laugh proudly, it seemed that he still persevered to the end. But the business still has to be said, so he solemnly explained: "There is no prison country, the two gentlemen Wuzi and Wusheng protect the official seal of the Qin State, Mr. Jingluo and Mr. Su Chang protect the seal of the general, and the rest of the military and state affairs are as usual." ”

After finishing speaking, Zeng Hua handed Xie Ai a secret letter, which was sealed with fire paint and stamped with Zeng Hua's personal seal: "The name of the prince is in this letter, and it is kept by Mr. Bingtai." Once I unfortunately lost the war, I was met by the five gentlemen Jingluo, Wuzi, Wusheng, Suchang, and Bingtai, checked the damaged envelope, and then took out the letters inside, and supported Shizi to succeed him. ”

Everyone hesitated, but it was better to take the order.

After explaining these things, Zeng Hua kicked off, and Taihe's expedition to the west finally officially began.