Chapter 1274 The Three Emperors of the Gao Family

Chapter 1274 The Three Emperors of the Gao Family

After the Battle of Jinyang, although the Northern Qi regime had been destroyed, its power had not been completely eliminated. A group of soldiers including Hulugu broke through and fled from Lingqiu to Youzhou in the east, and then continued to flee to the northeast.

In addition, there was Gao Zhan, who had abandoned Yecheng and fled to Shandong early, and now has a foothold in Qingzhou. As well as the troops deployed in the southern line of Ye before the Northern Qi, because the royal army entered Hebei too smoothly at that time, and then went north to attack Jinyang, there was no time to deal with this part of the armed forces.

Among these forces, Gao Zhan is the oldest of Gao Huan's legitimate sons who is still alive. In the original history, he ascended the throne after Gao Yan. Although the Northern Qi has been destroyed in advance, it still did not delay Gao Zhan's addiction to being an emperor. When the news of the fall of Jinyang reached Qingzhou, Gao Zhan immediately gathered his subordinates to ascend the throne in Qingzhou and recruited the Northern Qi survivors who fled south from Hebei.

But he ascended the throne as emperor on his own initiative, which was not as legitimate as Gao Ji, the King of Boling, who broke out of Jinyang. After all, Gao Ji had Gao Yan's last will, and was supported by Hulugu and a group of Jinyang soldiers. Both his appeal and power far exceeded Gao Zhan.

As for Gao Yu, one of the three emperors of Northern Qi, he was more or less forced to do something he wanted to do. Gao Yu was not Gao Huan's legitimate son, and his situation was much more dangerous than Gao Zhan and Gao Ji. Now Yenan was surrounded by several troops of the Tang army. It was really a bit strange for him to become emperor at this time.

But in fact, some seemingly unreasonable behaviors can be explained by putting them in the perspective and situation of the parties involved.

Yenan, where Gao Yu is now, is already surrounded by the Tang army, and it is difficult to break through the siege and move to other places. If Gao Yu was unwilling to surrender to the Tang Dynasty and unwilling to sit and wait for death, he would naturally have to find a way to expand his power.

Yenan is located in the hinterland of Hebei, the original ruling core of Northern Qi. Gao Yu wanted to expand his own power, so he could only absorb the remnants of Northern Qi. But now there is an emperor in the south and the north of Northern Qi. His power is not strong and his situation is still very dangerous. He can only increase his momentum by proclaiming himself emperor to attract the remnants.

Although Gao Yu was not born by Lou Zhaojun, he was a special one among Gao Huan's sons. His mother, Da Erzhu, was the daughter of Erzhu Rong and was once the queen of Northern Wei. She was the white moonlight of the soldiers in Beizhen.

Although the power of the Erzhu family had long disappeared, it still left a lot of personnel influence, especially on Eastern Wei and Northern Qi. As the grandson of Erzhu Rong, Gao Yu was more special than Gao Huan's other sons in the minds of some people.

In addition, Gao Yu himself had good abilities and was highly valued in Northern Qi, serving as an official in the capital for a long time. Even after Qi Lord Gao Yang killed his mother Erzhu in a drunken rage, he still appointed Gao Yu as the governor of Sizhou.

Among the three emperors of Northern Qi, Gao Ji and Gao Zhan both proclaimed themselves emperors shortly after the fall of Jinyang and the death of Qi Lord Gao Yan, but only Gao Yu ascended the throne in the first month of the following year. He was surrounded by a group of civil and military figures, including Murong Jianzhong, the son of Murong Shaozong, who had a deep connection with the Erzhu family.

Previously, Guanzhong was busy with the change of dynasties, and the military operations against the remnants of Northern Qi in Hebei were temporarily stopped. Now that the personnel order of the new dynasty is gradually on the right track, it is natural to sweep away the remaining bandits.

Based on the current situation in the Guandong region, Li Tai plans to first deal with Gao Yu, who has the smallest power and the most core position, and then Gao Zhan in Shandong. As for Gao Ji in the northeast, there is no need to rush for the time being. Although the current situation is very good, we should try to avoid fighting on two fronts.

Gao Ji has a part of the armed forces that broke out from Jinyang, and has also incorporated the border troops of the northeastern states. His strength should not be underestimated. Although it is not enough to compete with the current Tang army, if the Tang army wants to completely wipe it out, the dispatch of troops and the mobilization and transportation of logistical materials must be completed in Hebei.

Hebei has just been occupied and lacks a united front foundation. Once there is any unrest in the local area that affects the progress of the war, it will inevitably add more twists and turns. Moreover, even if this bone is forcibly gnawed off, it will inevitably cost a greater price, so there is no need to rush.

To suppress these remnant forces, Li Tai naturally does not need to lead the army in person. His most important task at the moment is to stay in Guanzhong and continue to improve the various personnel structures and policy implementation of the Tang court. The war will be handed over to the generals.

At present, the Tang army still retains a large number of soldiers in Hebei, and generals such as Yang Zhong and Wei Xiaokuan are still staying. Naturally, there is enough force to carry out the next pursuit and suppression operation. However, Li Tai still recruited 20,000 soldiers from Guanzhong and prepared to send them to Hebei.

In addition to participating in the next war, these 20,000 soldiers have another important task, which is to establish a military office in Hebei and carry out long-term garrison operations. In this way, the control over Hebei can be strengthened, and the next war mission can also recruit soldiers from Hebei locally, thereby greatly shortening the recruitment cycle and reducing the consumption of money and grain.

Since the development of the Fubing system, the organizational structure has become more perfect. For example, the military government in Guanzhong has gradually been divided into three government offices: upper, middle and lower. The level of the military government is divided according to the number of soldiers and the size of the jurisdiction. The local customs are different. Some places are sparsely populated, while others are densely populated. Since the basis of the Fubing system is the equal-field system, the size of the military government is also related to whether it is a wide or narrow township.

Compared with the Zhenbing of the Northern Wei Dynasty, although Fubing is also a professional soldier and belongs to the hereditary military system, it is much better than Zhenbing in terms of social status and economic level. Or it can be said that Fubing is the Zhenbing of the agricultural regime, Zhenbing is the tyrant in the border area, and Fubing is the landlord with military merit.

Of course, Zhenbing also had a glorious period. From the heart of the country to the service and the same inheritance, it is also a bitter tear. But whether it is Zhenbing or Fubing, the loneliness in the future is not enough to deny the original intention of its birth and the meaning of its existence. There is always a process for the development of things. Each stage has its own laws and characteristics, and the rise and fall and survival will not remain unchanged.

Although ancient society had a side of being attached to the land, driven by disasters and interests, migration activities have never stopped, especially during the chaotic Southern and Northern Dynasties, when the people moved south very fast.

Hebei can be regarded as the richest region in the world at present, so when the court announced that it would move the soldiers of the Fubing to Hebei to establish a military government, the soldiers of the military government also responded positively and did not have any negative resistance.

In fact, the court only needs not to worry too much about the Fubing leaving Guanzhong and reducing control, and there will not be much resistance to the migration of the Fubing of Guanzhong to Hebei in the people's sentiment. However, the Sui and Tang dynasties in history were still more cautious about this. Although there were also military governments established in Hebei, the real concentration of military governments was still in Guanzhong, Hedong and other places. The excessive concentration of soldiers can certainly strengthen the foundation, but it also limits the development and survival period of the Fubing.

After all, the agricultural development in Guanzhong has lagged behind other regions in terms of both current status and potential. Without a stable and solid material foundation, the organization of the Fubing would inevitably collapse quickly.

In later generations, there were many strange theories praising how hard Emperor Yang of Sui worked to get rid of the Guanzhong-based system, and that his several expeditions to Goguryeo were all to consume the military power of Guanlong. This kind of thinking is similar to the treatment plan of removing the heart and brain to prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Although it is ridiculous, the intention is very bold.

Li Tai knew very well what kind of prosperity the future Tang regime would usher in. The management of the vast territory alone would bring huge challenges to the past ruling experience. If you want to meet various internal and external challenges, you must have a broader ruling foundation, rather than deliberately impose restrictions for stability.

The large-scale migration of Fubing from Guanzhong to Hebei can not only obtain a broader development space and more favorable material conditions, but also a kind of relief for the situation in Guanzhong.

It should be noted that the Western Wei Dynasty's military was established on the basis of the power of the Guanlong nobles and the rural forces. There are too many factors such as hometown sentiment and party affinity. If it is confined to the relatively closed Guanzhong, such a military organization will inevitably give rise to various personnel problems. The smaller the circle, the more corrupt it will become in order to consolidate the channels for the transmission of various resources.

The 20,000 military soldiers are only part of the first batch of military soldiers that Li Tai intends to move to Hebei. He has set a quota of 50,000 for this first batch, mainly drawn from several narrow villages in the capital where there are many people and little land, and resources are relatively scarce.

At the same time, he also appointed a large number of young generals in the country. For example, the first batch of three guards, after several years of military experience, no longer need to take on tasks such as staying in the police station, and can be placed in more important positions. Including Liang Rui, Li Bing and other second-generation soldiers, they can also go to Hebei to serve in the military and political positions of the prefectures and counties.

There are more than 30 military offices established in Hebei in the first batch, with three grades: upper, middle and lower. The highest grade is the Cavalry Office, which has about 3,000 soldiers. The second grade is the Yingyang Office, which commands about 1,000 soldiers. The third grade is the Zhechong Office, which has between 500 and 800 soldiers.

It may seem that the number of soldiers is not large, but these soldiers are not ordinary military households, but armed landlords who own a certain amount of land and slaves. In this way, even the lowest grade Zhechong Office can integrate and dispatch considerable human resources, and its organization and combat effectiveness far exceed the rural tyrants originally distributed in Hebei.

Among the first batch of military offices established in Hebei, there are only five places for the highest grade of the Cavalry Office, which are established in Yecheng, Qinghe, Zhaojun, Boling and Bohai. The direction is also very clear, that is, the old capital of the Northern Qi Dynasty and the old nests of several Guandong clans. Other inferior military offices were also distributed based on this standard, suppressing these old money first, and then spreading to other areas.

Li Tai did not want to uproot these long-standing aristocratic families, but they were all relatives who had been married for generations and often visited each other. At this time of transition from the old to the new, it was only natural to send the soldiers to garrison the village to protect these families from the turmoil of the changing world.

As for the fact that these soldiers and generals may share the local sentiment and power they control after entering the village, this is also inevitable. If you want to gain something, you must pay something. If they have any resistance to this, they can just come to Chang'an, where they have their own tall houses.

Han Qinhu, Li Ya, Liang Rui, Yu Yi and Li Tai's nephew Li Yuxiang served as the military leaders of the Cavalry Mansion, while most of the other military leaders of the Yingyang Mansion and the Zhechong Mansion were young and strong generals.

Many of these people served as military chiefs for the first time, and they went to the Hebei area, which was newly developed and the situation was still relatively complicated. Therefore, before they left, Li Tai also took the time to meet them and send them a farewell message. And talk about the personnel principles after taking office.

"Hebei has been occupied for many years and has been ruled by thieves for a long time. There are bound to be many places where people's sentiments are difficult to reconcile. Although you are here to supervise the military, it is inevitable that you will have contact with the civilians. Military discipline must be strict and be careful not to commit violence. Of course, you need to keep in mind, You must not violate it, but if there are really cunning and unruly people, they should be deterred and not tolerated! This requires benevolence and courage. If there is a difficult matter, you need to use force first and then remedy it. "

Of course Li Tai would not condone the soldiers going to Hebei to bully the weak and abuse the people, but he was not blindly benevolent and imposed too many restrictions on the generals.

Since the Western Wei Dynasty, he has been emphasizing military discipline, so the military discipline of the Tang Army has always been maintained well, and there are few large-scale atrocities against civilians.

During this trip to Hebei to establish a military government, it was inevitable that he would come into contact with local village personnel in Hebei. The Tang army officers and soldiers did not lose control, and the ordinary people would inevitably make concessions. Even if there were some conflicts, they could be properly handled.

But if any conflict really intensifies and breaks out, the people we will face will definitely not be ordinary people, so Li Tai also emphasized that we should clean up the situation forcefully first, and then conduct investigations and characterization afterwards.

Because the military mansions established this time were mainly concentrated in the old capital of the Northern Qi Dynasty and the prefectures of the Guandong aristocratic clans, the sentiments of the people in these places were more complicated, and they could not simply be classified as a weak people but a strong army.

There are some aristocratic families who collude with powerful people to harm the countryside, which is particularly harmful. Li Tai learned this lesson when he went to Longyou in the past year. If he behaves too kindly from the beginning, he will be regarded as weak, and he will be regarded as weak in the future. Work is more difficult to do. Therefore, in such a situation, it is still necessary to use a sharp knife to cut through the mess, rather than letting it go in vain.

After hearing the words, all the generals quickly nodded in response: "Your Majesty, please rest assured. Since I have been ordered to do so, I will never insult the country's prestige! If people are not harmonious, teach them first. If the teaching fails, then punish them!"

Li Tai also believed in the guarantees of these generals. The reason why he appointed these young officers to go there was because they were bold, straightforward, and full of vigor. They did not have too many worldly scruples, and each had a high moral integrity and overall outlook. If they really encountered a public-private conflict, They won't worry too much about personal matters, and they will implement the court's decrees more thoroughly.