The emperor needs the loyalty of his ministers, but the emperor cannot expect the loyalty of his ministers, even for a sentimental emperor like Ying Zheng.

Even Ying Zheng was wary of his own son, not to mention the courtiers who were not related to him.

What Ying Zheng looks for in employing people is not loyalty at all - this is also the meaning of Gu Xun's words.

"The Imperial Master has great trust in him." Ying Zheng really did not dwell on this topic, so he commented.

Gu Xun chuckled and replied, "He is a smart person, and smart people are easy to deal with."

People like Han Xin are the most talented people who know how to understand current affairs.

Although he had looked down upon the empire in the past, now that he has fallen into Gu Xun's trap, he will not have any rash thoughts.

Ying Zheng nodded slightly and acknowledged this, "The empire's laws have their own rules, and rewards and punishments must be clear."

"Even when he went to Mount Yi, Han Xin has made many meritorious deeds. How do you want me to reward him?"

"Your Majesty will decide the matter of rewards and punishments. Even if it doesn't work out, you should ask him himself. It's not appropriate for me to speak." Gu Xun waved his hand and said in denial.

Ying Zheng paused for a moment, and then said, "According to law, he should be promoted to a higher rank, and given a bounty and jade. However, at such a young age, he has been promoted one after another in a short period of time, and I have no way of giving him another title. As for the

Gold and jade property... are not worth mentioning."

In less than a year, Han Xin was promoted from a commoner to a captain, with a rank of eight ranks, and further promotions required him to become a general and a rank of ninth rank.

What level is this?

For example, the original commander-in-chief of the Pingyang Heavy Armor Army, Wang Jue, happened to be at this level, with the rank of general plus the title of ninth-level rank, Zuo Shu Zhang.

This is already considered a very important figure in the imperial military. If Han Xin is promoted, many people will be dissatisfied.

Besides, the merits he has made are not enough to deserve such a big reward.

In fact, if Ying Zheng hadn't attached great importance to this Taishan enshrinement, Han Xin would have been able to reward him with some yellow and white things.

"It's really difficult for me to make a decision on this matter. He is someone you value, so I'd better listen to your opinion."

As for Gu Xun's plan to ask Han Xin himself, Ying Zheng didn't mention it directly.

Not everyone is qualified to stand in front of him, the emperor, to ask for rewards. Anyway, Han Xin is not qualified yet.

Seeing Ying Zheng's insistence, Gu Xun no longer refused. After lowering his eyebrows and thinking for a while, he replied with a smile:

"I wonder what your Majesty's next plans are for the armor-piercing soldiers?"

Ying Zheng raised his head when he heard this, his expression showed no change, and he asked calmly:

"Has the National Preceptor watched hundreds of armor-piercing soldiers?"

"Just an idea." Gu Xun was not polite and replied with a smile.

Ying Zheng thought for a moment and replied, "There are hundreds of thousands of disciples in the peasant army. They are lawless and defy the empire. They should be punished!"

"I will keep the Hundred-War Armor-Piercing Troops in the East County to guard against the peasants, but this does not necessarily require this troop."

"What do the Imperial Masters think?"

Gu Xun nodded slightly and responded, "Nowadays, the armor-piercing soldiers have suffered heavy losses. They may not be able to recover in a few years. It is really not suitable to carry out combat missions. It is appropriate for His Majesty to arrange for them to keep an eye on the farmers."

Normally speaking, armor-piercing soldiers, the best of the best, are used to carry out the most difficult tasks.

If something goes wrong in the war between the north and the south, Ying Zheng will most likely send the Hundred Battles Armor-Piercing Soldiers directly to attack - of course, this is before the Hundred Battles Armor-Piercing Soldiers are damaged.

But now that this army is not fully organized, it is no longer suitable to carry out high-difficulty battles. It is indeed the most suitable arrangement to keep an eye on rookies like farmers and train while keeping an eye on them.

However, Gu Xun felt it was still a bit wasteful - and too threatening to farmers.

As long as Wang Li doesn't lose his mind again, the crippled armor-piercing soldiers can still penetrate the peasants' stragglers.

So I'd better transfer him away.

Gu Xun expressed his suggestion, "But I think it is better to let the armor-piercing soldiers go south to central Fujian and join the Pingyang heavy armor army."

"Oh?" Ying Zheng's eyes flashed and he asked rhetorically, "The current situation of the Lingnan war should be very clear to the national division. What's the use of transferring the armor-piercing soldiers who have lost their vitality?"

Gu Xun explained, "The war in Lingnan is indeed stalemate now, the locals are resisting fiercely, and General Tu Sui himself has been in danger many times."

"However, Lingnan is already in your Majesty's pocket. The difference is just a few years earlier. Once the Lingqu Canal is dug, Lingnan's resistance will no longer be a concern."

"But Lingnan itself still needs your Majesty's attention!"

Gu Xun deliberately emphasized the last few words.

Ying Zheng frowned slightly when he heard this, obviously he had understood the meaning of Gu Xun's words.

As Gu Xun said, as long as the Ling Canal is built, the empire's military supplies can be quickly transported to the Lingnan area, and it will no longer make sense no matter how fierce the local resistance is.

After all, the arms can't twist the thighs.

But the resistance of the local people can be eliminated, but the special terrain of Lingnan itself cannot be changed by human power...at least not in a short period of time.

Gu Xun continued meaningfully, "The Lingnan area is thousands of miles away from the Guanzhong imperial court, and there are only a few major access roads, so we must be on guard against it."

Although Ying Zheng's attitude toward the Baiyue Land was the same as that of other areas in the Central Plains, and he resolutely promoted the system of prefectures and counties, he just hated the division of land and the enfeoffment of kings, and there was nothing wrong with his brain.

In any case, the Lingnan area cannot be completely brought under the management of the central court, and a certain degree of autonomy must be implemented.

And those who have this autonomy, whether they are selected from the local indigenous people in the Lingnan area or personally appointed by the central court, are not safe.

As I said before, even Ying Zheng would not really believe in the loyalty of his ministers.

There may not be one person in the world who truly trusts him, but Gu Xun is half of them - this is because Gu Xun has saved his life more than once.

But he couldn't send Gu Xun to manage the Lingnan area.

Others, Ying Zheng, really couldn't believe it, but it's no wonder that he couldn't believe it. The land in Lingnan was too easy to support the army and stand on its own.

As long as the few main access roads are controlled, it can be completely separated from the control of the central court.

If the empire wants to conquer it again, even with the Ling Canal, it will have to mobilize two to three hundred thousand troops.

If Ying Zheng has no problem with his head, he will definitely not want to fight another Lingnan battle.

Then you have to take precautions.

There is only one way to prevent it - garrison troops.

As long as troops are arranged in advance to guard the main roads in and out of Lingnan, there is no need to worry about Lingnan officials becoming independent.

However, a new problem arises - what should we do if there is a problem with the garrison?

Recruiting troops from the local area is obviously not possible.

Sending troops from the Central Plains may be fine in the short term, but over time the entire army will have strange thoughts.

Lingnan is so far away that if anyone goes there, it will be the same as being banished forever. This is enough for them to completely enjoy everything in the Central Plains and live there with peace of mind.

The best way to solve this problem is to change defenses regularly.

But again, Lingnan is too far!

It is simply impossible for the empire to frequently change its garrison and defense.

In this case, the only way is to arrange for the most elite professional soldiers to be stationed for a long time to guard the Lingnan strategic road.

Of course, it's still not a foolproof solution, but there is no perfect solution to this kind of thing.

The root of the problem lies in the changes in people's minds, and there is no solution to this problem.

Ying Zheng does not dwell on unsolvable problems, so his current question is which army to send to garrison the Lingnan strategic road.

"Well... don't you think the Pingyang heavy armored army led by Nei Shiteng is not enough?" Ying Zheng looked at Gu Xun and asked lightly.

Gu Xun spread his hands and said, "With Nei Shiteng's ability and the strength of Pingyang's heavy armor army, theoretically it is enough."

"But the terrain in Lingnan is destined not to be suitable for the Pingyang heavy armored army. It is not a bad thing to take an extra precaution. Anyway, the armor-piercing troops who have fought in many battles also need to rest and recover."

It is also appropriate to choose Lingnan as a resting area for armor-piercing soldiers who have experienced many battles.

Armor-piercing soldiers need to first complete the establishment, then practice and cooperate, and finally be tempered in actual combat.

Because the Luoyue and Xiou areas are still resisting, other places in Lingnan will be temporarily calm, allowing the armor-piercing soldiers to train with peace of mind.

After a period of time, when the entire Baiyue is completely defeated, localized and uninterrupted small-scale riots will most likely begin, which is suitable for the actual combat training of new armor-piercing soldiers.

If local officials are really disloyal, they can directly cooperate with the Pingyang Heavy Armor Army to fight large-scale wars.

"Hmm..." Ying Zheng pointed his finger and let out a soft hum, not commenting on Gu Xun's proposal.

Ying Zheng agreed with the reasons given by Gu Xun and felt that this arrangement was indeed appropriate.

But whether or not to do so is another matter.

He seemed to have not finished what Gu Xun said.

"What else do you have in mind, Imperial Master? I was talking to you about Han Xin's reward before. You talking about the armor-piercing soldier shouldn't be just on a whim, right?"

Gu Xun raised his hand and bowed his head, "Your Majesty, you have learned from this."

"I think... it would be better to let Han Xin continue to temporarily lead the armor-piercing troops to garrison Lingnan."

There was a slight fluctuation in Ying Zheng's eyes, but he still maintained a calm expression and did not respond to Gu Xun or say anything else.

He is thinking about it.
To be continued...