Son of Song Dynasty

Chapter 73
The "Jinyang" that Zhao Dezhao specifically mentioned is Taiyuan, an important town in Shanxi.

In the third year of Qianyou's reign, the young Emperor Yin of the Later Han Dynasty, Liu Chengyou, committed suicide. First, he killed the family of the important general Guo Wei who had stayed in Kaifeng, and then sent envoys to kill Guo Wei, who was leading troops to fight abroad.

Guo Wei had no choice but to rebel and attacked Kaifeng in one fell swoop, thus destroying the "Later Han" in the Five Dynasties, establishing his own foundation and proclaiming himself emperor, and establishing the Hou Zhou.

At that time, Liu Zhiyuan, the younger brother of Emperor Gaozu of the Later Han Dynasty, who was the envoy of Hedong Jiedu at that time, Taiyuan Yin Liu Chong ruled the twelve prefectures of Hedong, took Taiyuan as the capital and proclaimed himself emperor, and continued to use the country name and year name of the Later Han Dynasty, which is the so-called "Northern Han Dynasty". .

As the remnants of the Later Han Dynasty, the Northern Han Dynasty and the Later Zhou Dynasty were naturally a pair of natural rivals, and it would not be complete if they did not strangle each other.

Forced by the powerful threat of the Later Zhou Dynasty, the Northern Han Dynasty fell to the Khitan people of the Liao Kingdom as soon as the country was established.

In the first year of Later Zhou Xiande, Guo Rong, the adopted son of Later Zhou Taizu Guo Wei, that is, Zhou Shizong Chai Rong, had just succeeded to the throne. The Northern Han Dynasty united with Khitan and marched southward together.

Zhou Shizong Chai Rong personally commanded the forbidden army to fight. Zhao Kuangyin, the emperor's father of Zhao Dezhao, was a general under Zhou Shizong Chai Rong's command at that time. He personally participated in this bloody battle. He led 2000 people to charge with Chai Rong, and finally defeated the Northern Han army in one fell swoop.

Later, the Hou Zhou army took advantage of the victory and marched, besieging Taiyuan City with heavy troops for more than a month.

However, the city wall of Taiyuan was strong and tall, and it was built according to the mountain. The terrain was very dangerous, and it was still unable to conquer it in the end.

After that, Zhou Erxing prospered in the Song Dynasty, and the rivalry between the Later Zhou Dynasty and the Northern Han Dynasty also continued between the Song Dynasty and the Northern Han Dynasty.

In the eyes of the monarchs and ministers of the Great Song Dynasty, the small imperial court of the Northern Han Dynasty, a small group of remnants of the previous dynasty, is like a thorn in the flesh. This is even more unbearable.

From the third year of Qianyou to the present, more than 20 years have passed. Although the situation of the Northern Han Dynasty is becoming more and more difficult, it is like an unbeatable Xiaoqiang. The male city of Taiyuan.

In the original history, Taiyuan City did not lead troops to conquer until after Zhao Guangyi succeeded to the throne, but then it was completely wiped out by the Liao army in Gaoliang River, so that Zhao Guangyi ran for thousands of miles on a donkey cart. escape.

But in this life, Zhao Dezhao certainly didn't intend to leave Taiyuan City to Zhao Guangyi to fight.

……

After staring at the sand table in silence for a while, Zhao Kuangyin turned his head to look at Zhao Dezhao, with a half-smile on his face: "I knew that you kid worked hard to make this sand table, and it wasn't just for my birthday gift, it must be an opportunity What idea, it seems that you kid is still thinking about leading the army, right?"

"Yes!" Zhao Dezhao admitted without hesitation: "My son said that political power grows out of the barrel of a gun! Dad also promised to help his son rise to power. But my son feels that thinking about power is not as good as being in the army. And rising in the army There is nothing better than winning the hearts of soldiers by virtue of your great achievements in defeating and attacking!"

"Erlang, you are too anxious, Taiyuan Jiancheng is not so easy to fight." Zhao Kuangyin looked dignified and slowly shook his head.

Zhao Dezhao smiled and didn't refute. He didn't expect to be able to persuade the emperor's father easily.

But according to the routine of the father and son fighting each other recently, after the emperor's father refused a certain big request from him, he would usually give some small sweets as a consolation.

Anyway, you can always get something, and you won't end up empty-handed.

Sure enough, Zhao Kuangyin pondered for a moment, then immediately said with a smile: "To win back the morale of the army, we can't just rely on commanding troops to go out and defeat and attack. There are simpler and easier ways. Can you guess?"

Zhao Dezhao was a little confused, unable to guess for a moment, he could only shake his head.

"Of course it's a reward!" Zhao Kuangyin revealed the answer himself, and then said with a smile: "Erlang, guess again, this birthday, the civil and military ministers, frontier generals, and concubines in the harem are rewarded everywhere. Why hasn't the imperial army been awarded a reward until today? Could it be that the 20 imperial guards guarding the capital are not as important as the concubines in the harem?"

After finishing speaking, Zhao Kuangyin smiled all over his face and winked his eyes at his son, which means that you don't need to think hard, your father has already planned it for you!
Zhao Dezhao still didn't understand at this time, and gave his father a deep gift in surprise.

"Daddy is far-sighted, so he has already thought about it for his son!"

"Tomorrow at the court meeting, I will publicly reward you for your contribution to handling the national tax. How do you know what to do next?"

"I know! My son will play in the hall immediately, and implore the 20 soldiers of the Imperial Army to issue rewards for the Longevity Festival according to the old regulations, and ask for the first batch of taxes collected to be used as rewards for the Imperial Army!"

"Ruzi can be taught."

Zhao Kuangyin nodded in satisfaction, and settled the score for his son with a smile:
"Nearly 30 guan, and 20 imperial troops will be rewarded. Each person will get more money than before, which is much richer than in previous years. This reward was originally raised by you through the deed tax, and you stood up in the court for the imperial army officers and soldiers. Please reward, I will appoint you as an imperial envoy to comfort the army, to comfort the three armies on my behalf, and distribute the rewards through your hands... In this way, how can those soldiers of the forbidden army not miss you? Isn't this just to win the hearts of the soldiers? Easy way?"

Zhao Dezhao smiled slightly, but did not take the emperor's father's words.

In fact, in his heart, he was a little bit disapproving of the practice of "giving rewards to win the hearts of the soldiers" that the emperor's father said.

In the original history, the Song court and the royal family have always relied on this method. The new emperor had to be rewarded for his enthronement, his birthday, and Zhengdan, and he had to give rewards to the imperial army. If the imperial court does not reward the forbidden army, the morale of the army will be unstable and they will make troubles.

And Zhao Kuangyin is the initiator of this set.

The imperial court's heavy rewards can only reap loyalty and obedience at most, and it is impossible to exchange for the combat effectiveness of the army. Instead, it has cultivated the army's heavy reliance on rewards!

At the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, how outrageous was the Song army's dependence on rewards?

The god-armed archers of the Song Army, every time they shoot a round of arrows before facing the enemy, they need to be rewarded again, otherwise they will never shoot the next round of arrows.

And because some soldiers did not get the golden bowl rewarded by the court in time, they scattered before the battle, and the famous general Zhong Shidao died in battle.

But those things haven't happened yet, Zhao Dezhao doesn't intend to compare the truth with the emperor's father even though he has a slander in his heart right now.

What's more, it is indeed an excellent opportunity rewarded by the emperor's father to inspect and comfort the forbidden army on behalf of the emperor, and it must not be let go.

Thinking of this, Zhao Dezhao earnestly saluted the emperor's father, and said sincerely: "Thank you for your painstaking cultivation!"

Zhao Kuangyin waved his hand, and said heartily: "What is there to be thankful for? You earned it yourself! If you hadn't managed to get the money, Dad wouldn't even be able to celebrate his birthday, so how could he give it to the Imperial Army?" Giving out rewards? That's called God's help to those who help themselves!"

Zhao Dezhao hurriedly said jokingly: "Father is right, the Son of Heaven will help those who help themselves!"

Zhao Kuangyin was startled and laughed.

Zhao Dezhao also laughed.

Both father and son laughed together.

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, it's time for the birthday banquet." A figure flickered at the gate of the palace, and Wang Jien came in with small steps, bowing to remind the emperor and his son.

(End of this chapter)