In years of famine and drought, their village even rejected fatty meat.

Chapter 922 The war breaks out

Time flies, and the end of the year is here again.

As expected, Qingzhou, Liangzhou, Youzhou and Mingzhou, which were under Yang Zheng's rule, all enjoyed a bumper harvest.

Even the cold weather at the end of the year could not dampen the enthusiasm of the people. With smiles on their faces, they walked into the fields to harvest the wheat that was growing well with their families.

Meanwhile, in Liangzhou Prefecture, a major meeting was being held in the Liang King's Palace.

Yang Zheng glanced at the civil and military officials below and slowly said, "A year ago, I had the idea of ​​sending troops to Jingzhou to completely overthrow the Xia Dynasty. At that time, the civil officials, led by Wei Qing, all advised me that the people were suffering and that I should focus on the people's livelihood and not rush to send troops to Jingzhou."

"I knew in my heart that the situation at the time was not suitable for launching a military campaign, so I adopted the advice of Wei Qing and others, choosing to remain inactive and focus on cultivating my inner strength. Now, a year has passed, and all four prefectures have enjoyed a bumper harvest. If nothing unexpected happens, the collected grain taxes will be enough to fill the granaries in various places."

Yang Zheng paused for a moment, then suddenly looked down at Wei Zijie: "Minister Wei, is it time to send troops to Jingzhou?"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the civil and military officials present became solemn.

The unspoken rule that one cannot claim the title of emperor without controlling Jingzhou has been established in the Nine Provinces for thousands of years. Jingzhou is the universally recognized center of the Nine Provinces, and in the hearts of all the people in the Nine Provinces, no one without the power to control Jingzhou is qualified to claim the title of emperor. Even if one forcibly claims the title of emperor, he will not gain the recognition of the people.

Once Jingzhou is occupied, it means that one has the right to establish a new dynasty and become emperor...

Thinking of this, the civil and military officials present were all involuntarily excited. Once Yang Zheng conquered Jingzhou and became emperor, their status would also rise accordingly, and being ennobled and appointed as prime ministers would be a given!

"Reporting to the King of Liang."

Wei Zijie was equally excited, but he managed to suppress his emotions and replied to Yang Zheng, "Most of the ice wheat planted in the four prefectures is now ripe and being harvested. I have calculated with officials from the Ministry of Revenue that the harvested grain will be no less than three times the previous grain production of the four prefectures! The collected grain tax will also be enough to supply an army of two million! Therefore..."

Wei Zijie declared emphatically, "In my opinion, the time has come to send troops to Jingzhou and completely overthrow the corrupt Xia Dynasty!"

Upon hearing this, the excitement on the faces of the people present became even more apparent. Some of them had joined Yang Zheng's rebellion because they were starving.

Some people chose to join Yang Zheng's team to showcase their talents because they felt they were not being recognized for their abilities;

Some of them simply had utilitarian motives, intending to follow Yang Zheng and seek a higher position.

Regardless of their motives, Yang Zheng's expedition to Jingzhou to overthrow the imperial court and establish a new dynasty was something they were happy to see.

This is a meritorious act of following the emperor's rise to power! Throughout history, those who have performed meritorious acts of following the emperor's rise to power have all been granted titles and honors, and their names have been recorded in history.

To become the most respected and prominent person in the world?

With the victory of joining the dragon so close at hand, how could they suppress their excitement?

"I share the same view as Prefect Wei; it is time to overthrow the imperial court."

"Seconded!"

"Seconded!"

"..."

At this moment, even the most conservative civil officials spoke up in agreement with Wei Zijie.

As for military generals, they go without saying.

A year ago, Yang Zheng had the idea of ​​sending troops to Jingzhou because his generals were eager to make a name for themselves on the battlefield and often wrote to Yang Zheng, hoping that he would send troops to Jingzhou.

Fortunately, Yang Zheng did not lose his mind. After consulting with the civil officials, he chose to remain still and focus on development. Otherwise, given the state of the Yang family army at the time, even if they were able to capture Jingzhou, they would likely suffer heavy losses and be vulnerable to attacks from forces such as the White Lotus Sect.

In short, at this moment, both civil and military officials hoped that Yang Zheng could send troops to Jingzhou and completely overthrow the imperial court.

Yang Zheng did not disappoint them, and made the decision: "Very good! After the Spring Festival, we will send troops to Jingzhou to completely overthrow the corrupt Xia Dynasty!"

Before anyone could react, Yang Zheng shouted, "Where is Bai Yong?"

"The end will be here."

"I hereby order you to lead an army of 100,000 and station it on the border of Mingzhou, keeping a close watch on the rebels within Yuzhou, and not giving them any opportunity to take advantage of the situation. Can you do it?"

Upon hearing that he could not participate in the battle of Jingzhou, Bai Yong's face fell, but he quickly replied, "I obey the order of the King of Liang, and I will certainly not fail in my mission."

"Very good! Where is Zhou Yingjie?"

"The general is here!"

"I hereby order you to lead an army of 100,000 to garrison in southern Qingzhou and keep a close watch on the White Lotus Sect in Yuezhou. Can you do it?"

"This humble general will ensure that the White Lotus Sect makes no progress whatsoever!"

Where is Yang Erlang?

"The end will be here."

"I hereby order you to lead an army of 20 to garrison in Taiqing County and await further orders. After the New Year, we will march eastward. Are you willing to accept this mission?"

Yang Erlang's expression brightened, and he quickly replied, "I will obey the King of Liang's order."

Where is Wei Zijie?

"The subordinate is here."

"..."

As Yang Zheng issued his orders in an orderly manner, the entire Liangzhou was mobilized. Civil officials were responsible for coordinating provisions and ensuring that the army had all the necessary supplies for its expedition.

The military commanders mustered their troops and led them to various locations to garrison, silently making preparations for the great battle.

…………

…………

The sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

The great battle officially broke out just after the Lantern Festival.

The Yang family army split into two routes. One route, led by Yang Erlang, started from Qingzhou and launched an attack on Jingzhou from west to east with 20 troops.

Meanwhile, another army of 200,000 men, led by Yang Zheng, set out from Youzhou and launched an offensive from north to south towards Jingzhou.

The flames of war were instantly ignited within the territory of Jingzhou.

The actions of the Yang family army, or rather the Liangzhou army, undoubtedly shook the entire world!

"Sending an army of 400,000 to attack Jingzhou? How could Yang Zheng, a cowherd, possibly support such a large army?"

"Hmph! It must be thanks to the high-yield grain seeds provided by Chenjia Village!"

"That wretched Chen family village! Without their help, how could the Yang family army have grown so rapidly?"

"The imperial court is probably doomed! With its current weak military strength, the court simply cannot withstand 400,000 Liangzhou troops!"

"Is the Xia Dynasty, which has lasted for three hundred years, about to fall?"

"..."

The news of an army of 400,000 shocked many who received the news, considering that the four states Yang Zheng occupied—Qingzhou, Liangzhou, Youzhou, and Mingzhou—were not exactly wealthy places.

Apart from Qingzhou, the other three states were practically barren due to the famine, yet Yang Zheng was able to muster 40 troops from these barren lands...

This is utterly unbelievable.

but……

Nowadays, Chenjia Village and the various magical grains and livestock produced there are no longer secrets to well-informed people.