In February of the sixth year of Xiande of the Later Zhou Dynasty (959).

Later Zhou Dynasty ordered the Privy Councilor Wang Pu to go to Heyin to inspect the Yellow River embankments and erect a sluice gate at Biankou.

He also ordered Han Tong and Wu Tingzuo to send tens of thousands of people from Su, Song, Shan and other prefectures to dredge the Bianshui River. Han Lingkun led the Bianshui River from Daliang (now Kaifeng, Henan) to the east into Caishui to connect Chenzhou (now Huaiyang, Henan).

, Ying (now Fuyang, Anhui) water transport road; also recruited Dingfu from Hua and Hao two states, and supervised the dredging of Wuzhang Canal by Yuan Yan, flowing eastward to Dingtao (now Shandong), and Liangshan was moored into Jishui to connect Qing (now Shandong)

Yidu), Yun (now northwest of Dongping, Shandong) water transportation.

"Officials, the tea is cold!" In the palace in Tokyo, Emperor Guo Rong, who was in his prime, was holding tea. He was a little dazed at this time. He looked at the memorial in front of him and felt quite uneasy.

Empress Fu, who was carved from jade and pink, saw the official's appearance and couldn't help but remind her softly.

"Ah? What's wrong with the queen?" It had only been more than a year since he conquered Huainan, but the emperor in his prime seemed to be more than ten years older at this time. His back was a little bent, and Empress Fu felt a little sore.

"Housekeeper, the tea is cold, don't drink any more!" Queen Fu said with concern.

"Nothing, we're out marching, what does cold water mean?" As he said that, Guo Rong drank it all and said with a smile:

"I felt a little uneasy just now. I don't know why it happened! Mr. Wang still took a rest."

"Without him, there would be a mountain of memorials on my desk!"

"The official body is worth a lot of money, so you should take care of it. These prime ministers, who are already assisting the king, should be burdened with heavy responsibilities! Look, you have lost weight!"

Queen Fu said softly, with concern written all over her face.

"Recent water transportation matters are related to the stability of the world, so we can't be careless!" Guo Rong had a few more wrinkles on his forehead and said helplessly:

"The hundreds of thousands of people in Tokyo eat so much food every day. If water transportation is not smoothed out, the capital of this country will be in chaos!"

"When the world is unified, we will move elsewhere. Although Tokyo is prosperous, it really shouldn't be the capital!"

When it comes to political affairs, the Queen is very measured. She just smiles appropriately and does not get involved. She is a capable official and does not need advice from her as the master of the harem.

Guo Rong was very satisfied with this beautiful queen, who could control the harem well and maintain peace, so that he could better handle government affairs and concentrate on his energy.

"Your Majesty is uneasy, but..." the queen said softly, but before she could finish her words, she was interrupted by a burst of hurried voice, which made neither the emperor nor the empress happy.

"What's the matter?" Guo Rong suppressed the irritability in his heart and asked directly.

"Reporting to your Majesty, Mr. Wang fainted when he visited Mr. Li!" the eunuch said breathlessly. These words made Guo Rong pale in shock.

"What? Such a thing happened?" Standing up suddenly, Guo Rong couldn't think of what he would do if he lost his right-hand man.

"Let's go, prepare the sedan, ask for the imperial doctor, and let's go to the palace!" Unable to bear the anxiety in his heart, Guo Rong ordered eagerly.

On March 15th, Wang Pu died suddenly. Guo Rong burst into tears and hit the ground with his jade ax, crying bitterly:

"How can heaven take away my good minister!"

Eighteen days later, Guo Rong suddenly announced to the world in front of the ministers that the king's army was about to launch a northern expedition to Khitan, with the goal of taking back the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, a natural danger in the Central Plains that had been sold out by Shi Jingtang at a low price.

This is the plan to regain the sixteen states of Youyun in Wang Pu's "Pingbian Policy".

Baiguan actively tried to persuade him on the grounds that the world was not at peace, but Guo Rong insisted on rejecting it.

Wu Chengzuo, the envoy of Xuanhui Nanyuan, stayed in Tokyo, and Zhang Mei, the envoy of the Third Division, deployed for the inner capital and took charge of the palace.

Most of the generals followed Guo Rong northward, including Zhao Kuangyin who took advantage half a year later.

By the time Li Jia learned the news, it was already half a month later.

"Northern Expedition? Youyun Sixteen Prefectures, Zhao Kuangyin——" Looking at this letter repeatedly, Li Jia kept talking about it, and his heart was churning, which was difficult to express.

According to the course of history, if nothing else happens, after the Northern Expedition was abandoned halfway, Guo Rong died, and then Zhao Kuangyin took over the throne and established the Northern Song Dynasty.

To be honest, if it were not for the constraints of his own identity, Li Jiazhen would have wanted to accompany the most enlightened emperor of the Five Dynasties in the Northern Expedition to Youyun Sixteen Prefectures and regain the destiny of these Han people.

It's a pity that Guo Rong's life span was too short, leaving Zhao Heizi to find a great career.

In fact, Li Jia quite approved of Guo Rong's Northern Expedition, and this was indeed a more appropriate period.

First, at this time, the Khitan people were ruled by the famous Sleeping King Yelujing. He "played a good game but did not care about state affairs. He drank heavily every night and fell asleep until the end of the day. He was rising in the middle of the day. The people of the country called him the Sleeping King!"

Li Huan, the younger brother of Li Tao, the former Prime Minister of the Later Han Dynasty, who was once saved by the Khitans and went north, also revealed in a secret letter to Guo Wei that Ye Lujing, "Young and weak, pampered often, good Ji Ju, ministers divorced... Now the king is Jiaowan, only...

He likes playing ball and indulges in his inner favorites, but he has no ambitions in the world."

Secondly, at this time, the guests of the Southern Tang Dynasty were in submission, and Shu was frightened. The South was settled, and the external environment was superior.

In the end, it was Guo Rongxiong who had a great strategy. Due to the reform, the country was prospering, the treasury was full, the people were safe, the national strength was greatly increased, and he could afford the important task of the Northern Expedition.

Guo Rong seized the opportunity and launched the Northern Expedition. In later generations, Zhao Kuangyin and Sleeping King had been neighbors for nine years. Not only did he have no intention of attacking the Khitans, he was even prepared to spend 5 million yuan to peacefully redeem the sixteen states of Yanyun. As for Zhao Kuangyin

The so-called "protect the environment and the people, and do not want to cause trouble to the barbarians" is actually just an excuse.

Zhao Kuangyin lacked horses, could he not defeat the Khitans? No, the Khitans went south several times, but were beaten to the point of running away by Zhao Kuangyin. Zhao Kuangyin actually made plans to regain the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun, but was firmly opposed by Prime Minister Zhao Pu, and even spoke,

I would rather not have Yan Yun than have Wu Ren ascend to power.

"Which one takes Youyan, and who can replace it?"

Hearing these words, Zhao Kuangyin broke into a cold sweat. Environmental guards were picked up by force. Once a general is sent to recover Youyan, he will definitely be given military power. Zhao Kuangyin dreams every day about Shi Shouxin, Cao Han and other warriors wearing yellow robes.

.

Zhao Kuangyin would rather give up the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun and let the Han people in the sixteen prefectures become slaves of the Khitans than threaten the throne he had picked up for free. This was Zhao Kuangyin's bottom line.

Therefore, Li Jia has always despised the Northern Song Dynasty. In order to maintain their rule, the ruling class would rather give up territory, dignity, cede land and pay compensation, but also enjoy wealth and honor.

Li Jia thought to himself: "What is the difference between this and the Manchu Qing Dynasty in later generations?"

Sitting in the palace, what I fear most every year is that the Khitan envoys go south to Tokyo, either to cede territory, pay indemnities, or even give up their dignity and call them uncle.

When Li Jia thought of this, goosebumps fell all over the place.

The so-called wealth is just the wealth of the ruling class. The Northern Song Dynasty completely inherited the exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes from the Five Dynasties period and did not abolish them.
Chapter completed!