Chapter 124 Emperor Yu wants to march south?
"The war...has never stopped!"
"Nowadays, our soldiers in the four realms of Dayu are old and in need of fresh blood. They are in urgent need of fresh blood!"
"These 100,000 new troops in the capital are very likely to become the main force of my Dayu in the future!"
Emperor Yu's face was filled with a deep look, and he said softly: "There is not much time left for them. Perhaps, they should go to the battlefield in the spring of next year!"
Zhao Changying and others also nodded slightly, with a look of melancholy on their faces!
"Father, I heard that the Nanman envoys have arrived in Beijing?"
"good!"
Emperor Yu spoke in a solemn voice: "I will summon you to the court tomorrow morning. I will naturally know what your plans are then!"
"Second child, after the New Year, the fourth and seventh children will be dead!"
"What do you think?"
As soon as Emperor Yu said this, not only Ning Fan's expression changed slightly, but Zhuge Liang and others sitting next to him also had their eyes shining brightly.
For Fan, it means being exiled from the capital, but for the vassal princes, it means bidding farewell to the position of crown prince completely!
For example, the third prince, Prince Qi Lin, died as early as three years ago, but the fourth prince, Emperor Yu Ningshu, had already reached the age when he should have died, but he has been stranded in the capital!
Now, Emperor Yu intends to let him die with the seventh prince who has just grown up, and even asks Ning Fan about this matter. What is the deep meaning?
Zhao Changying and Liu Fengping looked at each other, lowered their heads, and continued to eat and drink in silence!
"Father, my fourth brother has been stranded in the capital for several years, and the officials have long had objections!"
"Now that I think about it, it's time to give up. My seventh brother has just grown up. If my father is worried, I can keep him for three to five months!"
"Um!"
Emperor Yu nodded slightly and asked calmly: "What about you?"
"Do you want to be a fan, or should you continue to stay in the capital and be your free prince?"
"Forehead!"
Ning Fan pondered for a moment and said, "My son is willing to obey my father's orders!"
"If my father intends to let me go down and have some experience, I should go on my own!"
"If the father wants to keep my son by his side and stay with me for a few more years, I have no objection!"
Looking at Ning Fan's words, Zhao Changying and Liu Fengping both showed a look of appreciation, while Emperor Yu also remained calm.
After a full meal, Emperor Yu looked at the empty wine bottles and asked softly: "What kind of wine is this? Why have I never drank it before?"
"This wine is more refreshing and fragrant than imperial wine. It makes people drunk without falling down, and makes people faint without pain. Not bad!"
"Your Majesty, this wine is called Yuqiongjiang, and it is sold by a wine shop in Beijing!"
"This pot is worth ten taels of gold!"
"Moreover, only a few pots are sold at a time, and only His Highness can take care of it!"
Zhao Changying showed a hint of drunkenness on his face, holding a wine bottle and complimenting him, and Emperor Yu couldn't help but cast his eyes on Ning Fan.
"Second brother, go back and prepare a hundred pots for me!"
"And the cook in your house will be sent to the palace for me..."
"Father!"
"You can't waste your time with nothing, those cooks are my lifeblood!"
"Can't give it!"
Ning Fan stopped working immediately. Not to mention Yu Qiongjiang, he personally trained the cooks in the house and was preparing to let them start their careers!
"Humph!" Emperor Yu snorted dissatisfiedly: "Aren't they just a few cooks?"
"I will give you some royal chefs later!"
"One for ten!"
"no!"
"Seven!"
"Five!"
Emperor Yu finally made the decision directly, and a smile appeared on Ning Fan's face. Seeing the two haggling over prices as if they were buying vegetables at a wet market, Zhao Changying and others also smiled bitterly.
"Second brother, what do you think of the situation in the ancient southern barbarian country?"
"Um?"
Hearing Emperor Yu suddenly ask about the Southern Barbarians, Ning Fan looked startled, and said after a while: "Father, there is a heavy snowstorm in the Southern Barbarians grassland, and this winter will be difficult!"
"What if I, the Great Yu, launch my troops against the Southern Barbarians now?"
Emperor Yu's eyes sparkled with a sharp light and he looked straight at Ning Fan.
"Initiating troops against the Southern Barbarians?"
Ning Fan's expression was shocked, his eyes swept over the three princes, and a look of surprise appeared on his face!
No wonder my father would summon the three princes to return to Beijing at the same time!
It turned out to be Nanman’s plan to start a fight!
"Father, I think this is not the best time to launch troops against the Southern Barbarians!"
"Why?"
Emperor Yu had a look of doubt on his face and said softly: "You also know that the snow disaster on the southern barbarian grasslands is a rare occurrence in ten years. Many livestock have frozen to death and the people are hungry!"
"If we miss this opportunity, I don't know how many years we will have to wait!"
"Father!"
Ning Fan's expression also became more solemn, and he said in a serious voice: "Are you planning to launch the border troops under the three princes to march south?"
"good!"
Emperor Yu did not hide the murderous intent in his eyes, and said softly: "In the past few years, the ancient Nanman Kingdom has repeatedly invaded our southern border, and the people on the border have suffered terribly!"
"This year, I, the Great Yu, will be able to stabilize the eastern border, and the southern grasslands are experiencing disaster. If I can take advantage of this opportunity, I will destroy the entire country, not to mention Zuo!"
"It will at least prevent the Nanman from recuperating for three to five years!"
Ning Fan also gradually fell into deep thought. Emperor Yu's plan was very timely, but now Huainan is a sleeping tiger!
"Kong Ming, Gongtai, what do you think?"
Ning Fan did not answer in a hurry, but looked at the two top think tanks under his command. Zhuge Liang looked thoughtful, and Chen Gong also bowed without being humble or overbearing, and did not speak in a hurry.
"If you have anything to say, it's okay to say it. Father will not blame you!"
"Um!"
Emperor Yu instantly understood Ning Fan's meaning and chuckled: "You two may speak freely, but even if you make a mistake, I won't care about it!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Chen Gong took the lead in saluting and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, Your Highness, all your lords!"
"In my opinion, the southern expedition at this time has both advantages and disadvantages!"
"Let me discuss its advantages first, and then its disadvantages!"
"The first benefit is that the southern barbarians encounter natural disasters, livestock freeze to death, and the people have no food to eat. This is the right time!"
"The second benefit is that the various tribes of the Southern Barbarians are constantly moving southward. The southern territory of our great Yu is stable. We can attack when we advance and defend when we retreat. This is a geographical advantage!"
"The third benefit is that the Southern Barbarians are a country composed of various tribes. They compete with each other and are at war with each other. Nowadays, when disaster strikes, tribal conflicts will inevitably intensify. However, we are unified internally and externally, and we are united as one. This is harmony!"
Chen Gong's face was calm, and he was able to speak eloquently without being arrogant or arrogant when facing some of the most powerful figures in the dynasty.
Emperor Yu and Zhao Changying looked at each other and nodded slightly: "Continue!"
"Your Majesty, I just had something to say!"
"The southern expedition has its advantages and disadvantages!"
Chen Gong pondered for a moment, then spoke in a solemn voice: "Your Majesty, the Eastern Territory has just been pacified. If we conquer the Southern Barbarians again, will the national treasury be able to maintain it?"
"If we want to conquer the south, we will need at least 300,000 fine armors. Now, even if we include 100,000 new troops and 200,000 border troops in the east, we can barely reach 300,000. If we fight, can we win?"
"Huainan..."