Just as someone was about to say something, Jin Xing pierced through the body.

The next moment, the front door of Prince Jin’s mansion was stained with blood again. After cleaning up, the disciples of Tongwenguan knelt on the ground and apologized, “Your Highness Prince Jin, I failed in my duty. Please forgive me.”

After a few breaths, Li Siyuan’s voice came from a distance, “This will not happen again. I don’t want anyone to disturb me again.”

For the next three days, soldiers patrolled the streets in Taiyuan City. The people were so scared that they hid at home and did not dare to go out. It was not until the fourth day that they secretly opened the windows and found that there were no soldiers and white figures on the streets. Only then did they feel at ease to go out.

Although the street bricks were as clean as ever, people still smelled the blood in the air.

At Caishikou in the East Market, hundreds of heads were strung together like candied haws and hung on flagpoles, creating a solemn and murderous atmosphere.

Taiyuan City was closed for three days. After three days, all the cavalry in the city left Taiyuan and went to various places in Hedong to deploy troops and encircle and suppress the rebels.

……

While the great purge was underway in Hedong, the imperial guards competition in Luoyang was also in full swing.

In the military camp, Su Ming was riding a white warhorse and wearing the Ming Guang armor of the Tang Dynasty. He looked heroic and imposing, especially the golden dragon pattern embroidered on the armor, which added a bit of awe-inspiring domineering aura.

Su Ming did not say anything empty. He drew out the Tang sword from his waist, pointed it at the sky, walked in front of the army, circulated his Qi, and shouted loudly, “May the Tang Dynasty win forever!”

The resonant voice immediately resounded throughout the venue, as if a loudspeaker was turned on, and it could be heard from far away.

There were 50,000 imperial guards in the parade ground. They were wearing armor and holding spears and large shields. Although they could not see the emperor in front of them, they were still very excited when they heard the voice and shouted, “Long live the Tang Dynasty!”

In an instant, the voices of tens of thousands of people rang out at the same time, one after another, lasting for a long time.

Su Ming has been using various means to brainwash and educate the imperial guards all along. They have to shout slogans during morning and evening exercises every day, emphasizing loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.

Now, they finally saw the emperor that their superiors had always talked about. How could they not be excited and thrilled.

After a cup of tea, the shouting gradually subsided.

Afterwards, Su Ming walked up to the platform, picked up the drumstick, and beat the war drum “dong dong”, which sounded like thunder.

“Army attack!”

There were no unnecessary procedures or actions, as everything was already mastered. Li Wentong, Shi Jingtang and many other generals left Luoyang with their soldiers and headed to various places to sweep the Central Plains.

With the support of the Bad People’s intelligence system, Su Ming easily obtained the situation of cities in various places, which places had not yet been brought under the rule of the imperial court, and which places were occupied by separatist forces.

Heluo had been managed by Su Ming for two years, and people’s livelihood had recovered very quickly. In addition, he asked the bad guys to buy food and fodder, so the imperial court now had no shortage of food to launch a war.

After this sweep, the core area of ​​the Central Plains centered on Heluo will be integrated into one, and its power will grow again.

Of course, recovering lost territory is one aspect, and training troops is another. They will be of great use in the future.

On the city wall of Luoyang, Su Ming watched teams of soldiers leaving Luoyang. Just as he was about to leave, he saw Yuan Tiangang.

“Can such a trivial matter as suppressing a rebellion arouse your interest?” Su Ming looked into his eyes and joked.

“Suppressing the rebellion is indeed a small matter, but establishing the military prestige of the Imperial Guards is the top priority. Your Majesty was imprisoned before, but he still insisted on training troops. Now there are 5,000 Imperial Guards everywhere, and we have these 50,000 Imperial Guards.” Although Yuan Tiangang’s voice was hoarse, his tone was still full of admiration.

Su Ming stood on the top of the city wall, looking at the afterglow of the setting sun in the sky. “Leading troops only requires enforcing orders and clearly distinguishing rewards and punishments. However, even with this point, many generals have ignored their soldiers for a little money.”

“The example of Li Cunxu is already very clear. In the past two years, I have fired countless officials who embezzled military pay. These 5,000 imperial guards are not the original 5,000 imperial guards.”

Yuan Tiangang was silent for a moment, then continued, “Li Cunxu was a hero, but unfortunately he became arrogant after achieving success. His death was not a pity, as he was just a pioneer of the true dragon. Your Majesty is taking the noble path. Li Siyuan started a massacre in Hedong, and his adopted son Li Congke and many generals rebelled.”

“The land of Hedong has been flooded with blood, and the rich and powerful have suffered heavy casualties.”

Hearing the last sentence, Su Ming showed a hint of smile in his eyes, “It seems that he really took my words to heart. He has passed this test.”

Chapter 277 I will let my child recognize you as his godfather

“Your Majesty is wise. You spared Li Siyuan’s life back then, and it has played its last role today. A living Li Siyuan is indeed much more useful than a dead one.” Today, Yuan Tiangang has to admit Su Ming’s approach.

Compared with his absolute power and tyranny, his grand and majestic way of kingly hegemony is more suitable for the current Tang Dynasty.

Su Ming nodded and continued, “The weapons workshop should not stop working for a day. Although the Imperial Army has no shortage of weapons and armor, the court will expand its army in the future, and these things will never be too few.”

“The artisans who made weapons in Jin and Qi have all moved to Luoyang. The weapons and armors from the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, as well as Tang swords and other weapons, should also be restored to the world. People have already forgotten the fame of the Mo Dao Formation.”

“These important materials have already been transferred away by the bad guys. The Weapon Storage Pavilion was established for this purpose. I have already prepared the armor, weapons and various equipment that Your Majesty wants, and the corresponding craftsmen are on the way.” Yuan Tiangang replied respectfully.

“You are thoughtful. The court is in need of manpower right now. The Military Equipment Bureau will be re-established. The more craftsmen, the better. War is fought on logistics. I don’t want to fight in the front while I can’t even gather military supplies in the back.”

Thinking of the fact that the Tang Dao and Mo Dao had been lost in later generations, Su Ming felt it was a pity. The Central Plains lost its heritage and was stolen by the people next door, who eventually made it their own.

“Your Majesty, rest assured. These craftsmen are inherited from father to son and have been hiding their identities among the bad people. If Your Majesty is willing, you can recruit a large number of apprentices, teach them weapon forging, and expand production.”

“I’ll leave this matter to you. These craftsmen will be removed from the Bad People. The Great Tang’s revival does not need them to work silently behind the scenes.”

“Over the past hundreds of years, they have paid enough.” Su Ming sighed and said lightly.

“Wei Chen understands.”

Then, Su Ming gave a serious exhortation, “It is only a matter of time before the Central Plains is pacified, but the key is whether the court can withstand the pressure from the Khitans. After the three kingdoms have surrendered, the Unruly People must block the borders. The later the Khitans know about this, the better.”

“The Bad People have been prepared for this matter. The border areas strictly control the passage of merchants. The Bad People have been mediating in the trade to prevent the news of contact between the two sides from leaking.” Yuan Tiangang had already prepared a plan in mind and answered in a deep voice.

“Well, I’ll leave this matter to you. I’m at ease.”

“Okay, let’s not talk about state affairs. We haven’t taken a walk together for a long time. Let’s go down and take a look.” Su Ming turned his head and looked at Yuan Tiangang behind him.

Yuan Tiangang did not hesitate and agreed directly, “I obey your command.”

Luoyang is still prosperous. As the New Year approaches, the festive atmosphere on the streets becomes stronger and stronger. Vendors can be seen everywhere and pedestrians come and go in an endless stream.

In the past, no matter how poor people were, they would take out some of their savings to buy some New Year goods. Maybe their clothes were still old, but their children would definitely wear new clothes.

In this era, the biggest reason why people live is to continue their descendants and leave some memories.

The two walked side by side on the street. Su Ming was wearing casual clothes today, so he was not very conspicuous. He looked at the pedestrians on the street and smiled, “It’s been more than three hundred years. Have you seen enough of this worldly atmosphere?”

Yuan Tiangang still had a cold expression, his eyes swept over the pedestrians on the street, “For more than three hundred years, new people have replaced old people, generation after generation. Compared with the fireworks of the world, I would rather see a prosperous empire and all nations coming to pay tribute. Only a strong country can make people’s lives better.”

Su Ming smiled and surprisingly did not refute. “When a country prospers, the people suffer. When a country perishes, the people suffer. This has been the case for thousands of years. Even if you and I understand, we cannot change it. The best we can do is to let the people living on this land pay less taxes, do less labor, and live a life that barely makes ends meet.”

Even later generations could not avoid exploitation, let alone the ancient times when productivity was low.

At this point, Su Ming suddenly lost interest in continuing to stroll. “By the way, ask Corpse Ancestor General Chen and Hanba to come to Luoyang when you have time. I have something for them to do.”

“Okay, I will pass on the message when I get back.”

……

Just as the two were shopping, the Youzhou border once again welcomed the Khitan envoys.

“What? The Khitan envoy is coming?” In the tent, Zhang Zifan was very surprised when he heard the report from his officials.

“What are they doing here?”

“Sir, the Khitans say that the trade in the mutual market is unfair and they want the terms to be changed.”

Zhang Zifan frowned, looking annoyed. “This trade has been going on for almost a year, and now they are telling me that the trade is unfair and they want to change the terms? Are they crazy?”

“My Lord, they are clamoring to see you now.”

“Okay, tell them to wait, I’ll be there soon.” Zhang Zifan waved his hand reluctantly, signaling his men to leave.

After his men left, Zhang Zifan threw the paperweight on the table to the ground. “What’s going on? I’m waiting to hand over my duties after the New Year and go back to Luoyang to take care of Lin Xuan. I don’t have time to waste time with them here.”

Calculating the time, Lu Linxuan is about to give birth. As a new father, Zhang Zifan writes to Lu Linxuan every month. He now wishes he could grow wings and fly to Luoyang.

But he has a job to do now and can’t leave.

However, Su Ming transferred him away from Luoyang in order to weaken the strength of the protagonist group around Li Xingyun. Now that everything is over, it is natural to transfer Zhang Zifan back.

Next year is a critical year. The imperial court will have to move south to occupy the Central Plains. The Tianshi Mansion can play an unexpected role in this process.

Zhang Zifan is a brick, he can be moved wherever he is useful. It can only be said that this tool is really useful, and Su Ming speaks highly of it after using it.

……

“Are you going to raise tariffs?” In the room, Zhang Zifan glared at the Khitan envoy and raised his voice several degrees.

The Khitan official in a long robe and leather armor said with a smile, “You people from the Central Plains make too much money on the grasslands. Our king is very dissatisfied with this. It is necessary to raise the tariff. Mutual trade should be fair. We can’t always suffer losses.”

After all this time, they just want to make more money.

Zhang Zifan understood their intentions and decided to push the blame on the imperial court. “Wait, it’s useless for you to tell me about this. The tax revenue from the trade is managed by people sent by the imperial court. If you want to increase the tax revenue, you have to go to Luoyang and talk to the imperial court.”

Originally, he had no control over the matter. But now, the trade between the Central Plains and the grasslands was becoming more and more prosperous. The transaction volume every ten days or month was not a small number. Everyone from the imperial court to the merchants was watching, and he could not make any decision at all.

“This matter was proposed by your Khitan leader, so it is naturally up to our emperor to decide. Neither you nor I can make the decision.”

When the Khitans heard this, they looked at each other and nodded. They had never intended to resolve the issue here, but just wanted to test the attitude of the Central Plains and throw a stone to test the waters.

“Okay, Brother Zhang is our Khitan’s son-in-law. Since you have spoken, we brothers will not talk about it here. After the New Year, we will go to Luoyang to have a good talk with your emperor. I believe he will be willing to agree to our king’s request.”

“Anyway, haven’t you found the legendary Longquan treasure? I believe you don’t mind this little money.” The Khitan man patted Zhang Zifan on the shoulder and said jokingly.

Zhang Zifan didn’t mind and smiled warmly, “Okay, okay, you guys spend the New Year in Youzhou first, I’ll report the news to His Majesty, and someone will discuss it with you then.”

After the Khitans left, he immediately put on a serious expression, “This matter is of great importance. I will report it to Your Majesty in a letter as soon as possible. You should keep an eye on them first and don’t let them run around.”

“My subordinate understands.”

After returning home, Zhang Zifan went into the study to write a letter without changing his clothes. He tied the letter to a carrier pigeon and released it. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. “I hope the Khitans are not here with ill intentions, otherwise, this will be difficult to deal with.”

As soon as the Khitans arrived, the bad guys on the border of Youzhou sent out the news.

A few days later, Su Ming looked at the secret letter from the Bad Man and frowned, “The Khitans are really good at taking advantage of others’ misfortunes. I didn’t expect that they also knew about the Longquan treasure.”

The empress sat on the couch and said with a smile, “The Longquan treasure has attracted worldwide attention. The news has spread all over the world. Even if the Khitans are far away, they must know about it. They want to increase the tariff on trade, probably just to make a profit.”

The empress also knew the transaction volume of border trade. Although she did not affect the economy, she knew that the Khitan was suffering a loss. The trade deficit was too large. It was still a small amount now, but when the transaction volume increased in the future, the tax revenue would be enough to make people jealous.

Su Ming had a playful smile in his eyes. “Yelü Abaoji probably doesn’t know the news from Hedong yet. He sent the envoy here for two reasons: first, to make money, and second, to deceive me and warn me so that I won’t get into trouble with him in the future.”

“Zhang Zifan did a pretty good job in this matter. He kept the Khitan envoys in Youzhou. Once they enter the Central Plains, it will be difficult to conceal the news.”

“Well, the trade tax is a small matter. If he finds out that I cheated him, he will definitely turn against me. I will just give them the share of the trade for the time being.”

“The court will send envoys to negotiate with them, and we can also use this opportunity to buy more war horses.”

The empress nodded. “This is the only way for now. As long as it can delay the situation for a few more days, it’s worth it.”

The next day, Su Ming mentioned this matter at the court meeting, but there was not much commotion in the court. The tax revenue from the mutual trade was just a small matter.

Soon the imperial court decided to send two assistant ministers from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue to the border of Youzhou to discuss the matter. The tax on the trade was a small matter, the main thing was that Su Ming wanted to get more war horses.

At the same time, it can also be regarded as an indirect admission of cowardice to the Khitan!

……

In the current imperial court, there is no one who can challenge Su Ming. Li Siyuan has already knelt, so who would be so blind as to jump out and seek death?