Chapter 561 Borrowing Guan Donglai
Chapter 561 Borrowing Guan Donglai
Xiao Xia paced back and forth in the official room with his hands behind his back. At this time, Liu Wenjing walked in quickly, "Your Highness, are you looking for me?"
Xiao Xia nodded and smiled, "It is estimated that the emperor has already decided on a plan to attack Goguryeo this year. According to the previous agreement, we also need to send troops to help, but our army will go by water. This is actually an opportunity for us. I plan to ask the emperor for Donglai County as a logistics base for the navy."
Liu Wenjing instantly understood Xiao Xia's intention, "Your Highness doesn't just want the navy base, does he?"
Xiao Xia nodded. "I've seen the plan the emperor made two years ago to attack Liaodong. They would send 400,000 troops, and at the same time mobilize 700,000 civilians from Hebei, Henan, and Shandong to accompany the army as logistics. They were almost using the whole country's strength to attack Goguryeo. I guess the plan won't change this year. This is likely to cause the North to lose control completely, and a large number of refugees will flee to the south of the Yangtze River. But the journey from the north to the south of the Yangtze River is too long. I thought it would be great if there was a transit point in the north."
Liu Wenjing smiled and said, "Your Highness wants to use Donglai County as a transit point?"
Xiao Xia nodded. "We can use large ships to transport the people to Donglai County, and then take the sea route from Donglai County to the Huai River. Donglai County is relatively remote, and the court is isolated from information, so it is not convenient to interfere."
"Why doesn't Your Highness settle down in Donglai County?"
Xiao Xia pondered for a moment and said, "I don't know how long the chaos in the north will last. If there are too many people, our finances will not be able to support them. We can only transport some of them to the south and let them fend for themselves."
"That's true, but I still have a question. Since the Yongding River was dug, why did they forcibly conscript 700,000 civilians?"
Xiao Xia sighed and said, "The Yongding River only reaches Zhuo County. There is still a long way to go from Zhuo County to Liaodong. He plans to use manpower to transport grain from Zhuo County to Liaodong."
"In fact, Your Highness can help the court!"
Xiao Xia nodded and said, "I will write a letter to the emperor, asking him not to transport the grain to Zhuo County, but only to the estuary of the Zhang River. I will use large ships to transport the grain to Liaodong. In this way, the court can reduce more than half of the civilian laborers, and only need 200,000 civilian laborers to accompany the army in Liaodong."
Liu Wenjing smiled and said, "I hope the emperor will appreciate your kindness!"
In the imperial study in Luoyang, Emperor Yang Guang was discussing the plan to conquer Goguryeo with Yu Shiji and Yang Da.
Yang Guang received a piece of news that last autumn, the Uighur tribe in the grassland joined forces with the Pugu and other tribes to fight against the Turks, and a civil war broke out in the grassland.
As a result, the Turks would not be able to distract themselves from plotting against the Sui Dynasty for a year or two, so Yang Guang decided to take advantage of this opportunity to concentrate his forces to attack Goguryeo.
"I just received a letter from the King of Jin, asking me if I want to attack Goguryeo this year. If so, he will need a naval base, build docks and warehouses, store food and grass, etc. The navy needs time to prepare. I think this request is reasonable. I am considering using Donglai County as a naval logistics base. What do you think?"
Of course, Yu Shiji would not refute the emperor's idea. He nodded immediately and said, "Your Majesty has considered it carefully. I agree with your plan!"
Yang Da replaced Yuwen Shu. He was a well-known good guy in the court and not as mean as Yuwen Shu. He also expressed his agreement with this plan.
However, Yang Da was experienced. He thought for a moment and said, "I heard that the southern sea transportation is well developed. Your Majesty, why don't you ask the King of Jin to dispatch more ships to help us transport food and grass?"
Yang Guang smiled slightly and said, "Lord Yang, do you think I am so magnanimous that I would give Donglai County to him just for a naval base? He promised me that he would be responsible for transporting food and grass from the intersection of Zhangshui and the Grand Canal to Liaodong by sea. In this way, the number of civilians we recruited can be reduced to 200,000. I gave Donglai County to him for a few years because the King of Jin was willing to contribute. He simply wanted to use Donglai County to resettle the refugees because there were too many refugees fleeing to Jiangnan and he couldn't bear it. Can his little tricks be hidden from me?"
Yu Shiji took the opportunity to flatter the emperor, saying, "Your Majesty is indeed very shrewd and has made every possible effort!"
Yang Guang stroked his beard and said happily: "It has been decided. Donglai County will be temporarily transferred to the jurisdiction of the Jiangnan Road General Administration Office, and the navy will be allowed to be stationed there for a period of three years."
Yang Guang was in a good mood, and he immediately summoned Cui Hongzhou. Cui Hongzhou was currently serving as the Minister of Guanglu Temple. The reason why he was so valued was entirely because he had a son-in-law who was a prince in charge of Jiangnan, and Cui Hongzhou knew this very well.
"Did Lord Cui return to his ancestral home to offer sacrifices this year?" Yang Guang asked with a smile. "Your Majesty, the Cui family of Boling offers sacrifices once every five years and will not return until the first month of next year."
"I see!"
Yang Guang smiled and asked, "Where is Cui Aiqing's son currently working?"
"Last year, my eldest son, Cui Huan, was appointed as the governor of Qinghua County, and my second son, Cui Ning, is currently serving as the county lieutenant of Xiping County in Runan County."
Yang Guang smiled again and said, "It's not good for both sons to work in other places. They can't take care of their parents. Why don't I transfer your second son back and make him a deputy minister of the Ministry of Personnel?"
Cui Hongzhou was immediately surprised and delighted. "The county lieutenant is only a ninth-rank official, while the deputy minister is a sixth-rank official. He has been promoted so many levels in a short time. More importantly, he is the deputy minister of the Ministry of Personnel! That is a position of real power that many people dream of."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"
Yang Guang smiled and said, "Yesterday I received a letter from the princess from Jiangnan, asking me to do something. I may become a relative of yours again!"
Cui Hongzhou's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately guessed that it must be about his second daughter, Xiaomei.
Cui Hongzhou was about to decline, but suddenly remembered that his second son had been promoted to the position of Yuwenlang of the Ministry of Personnel. For the sake of his son's future, he could not refuse. He could only force a smile and said, "It is an honor for me that your Majesty thinks highly of me!"
"In fact, you should also know that it is about your second daughter Cui Mei. Where is she now?"
"She is currently with Princess Jin."
"Does Lord Cui want her to come back to Luoyang?"
Cui Hongzhou smiled bitterly and said, "I will just assume that she has entered the palace and there is no need for her to come back!"
Yang Guang nodded, "I will not treat her badly. I will give the Prince of Jin another title of Liangyi and confer the title of Liangyi on your daughter, second only to the Prince of Jin's mansion. In addition, I will give the Cui family an additional betrothal gift, so that the eldest princess can act as a matchmaker and marry her off in a formal way."
"Thank you for your thoughtful consideration, Your Majesty!"
Cui Hongzhou returned to his mansion worriedly and paced back and forth. He had just agreed to the Pei family's marriage proposal a few days ago and was ready to marry his youngest daughter Cui Mei to Pei Ju's grandson, but he didn't expect something unexpected to happen again.
Well, the son is more important, the daughter doesn’t matter. I’ll apologize to the Pei family when the time comes!
At this time, his wife Zheng came hurriedly, "Husband, I will leave early the day after tomorrow!"
Zheng and her husband had already discussed that she would go to Jiangnan to bring her younger daughter back to Luoyang to prepare for her marriage to the Pei family.
Cui Hongzhou smiled bitterly and said, "I have something important to tell you. It's about Xiaomei."
(End of this chapter)