Build schools in the Great Zhou, distribute teaching materials for free, and provide teachers.
He had spent a total of 29,760,000 taels of silver.
This was a huge expense.
This was out of Ji Hao's expectation.
He couldn't help but wonder if it was too early to make three years of compulsory education universal.
Now, the national treasury only had less than three million taels of silver left.
It was really making him unable to make ends meet.
In less than a year, they had swallowed Xixia, the Turks, the Wei Nation, and Tubo.
To create the invincible Great Zhou Navy.
Build schools and make three years of compulsory education universal.
Construction of the Field Division and nine foreign trade ports.
Now.
The steam airport division was also under construction. Once it was completed, it could be put into mass production.
In less than a year, Ji Hao felt that he had done too many great things.
His expenditure in less than a year had already exceeded the previous emperor's treasury income for fifteen years.
And the late emperor returned to heaven.
However, he was left with less than two million taels of silver.
To be honest.
With just this three million taels of silver, he was a little frugal.
It could even last for a year.
Currently, the annual income of the Great Zhou's national treasury was about 50 million taels of silver.
And as time passed, the national treasury's income would increase.
Since the national treasury was lacking money.
Ji Hao slowed down for the time being.
On the table.
A map of the Great Zhou territory was on it.
Ji Hao looked around at the map of Great Zhou and showed a faint smile.
However…
Immediately after, his gaze became sharp.
His finger pointed at a small island.
On the map, Goguryeo was marked.
Goguryeo was a scar to the late emperor.
That place was once a vassal state of the Great Zhou. The King of Goguryeo had pledged allegiance to the Great Zhou Emperor and paid tribute to him every year.
Probably when Ji Hao was nine years old.
Eight years ago.
King Haotai of Goguryeo had ascended the throne. Unlike other Goguryeon kings, he was extremely capable in both war and governing the country.
Eight years ago, King Haotai annexed Silla and Baekje, the two subsidiary kingdoms of the Great Zhou on the same island.
Moreover, he would no longer submit to the Great Zhou.
Ji Che was furious and actually chose to go personally.
It was very rare for the Great Zhou Emperor to personally lead an expedition.
The first emperor led 600,000 troops to attack Goguryeo.
The Great Prince only had 350,000 soldiers.
However, this war lasted for seven months!
In the end, Ji Che failed.
When Ji Che returned to Chang 'an, he only brought back 200,000 soldiers.
Among them, 400,000 Great Zhou lions died on the battlefield in a foreign country!
At that time, Ji Hao was still young.
He did not understand why his father, the emperor of Great Zhou, was hugging him in the middle of the night and crying.
Now.
The Great Zhou Emperor had already been formed!
Ji Hao decided to wage a war of revenge against Goguryeo!
To avenge the 400,000 Great Zhou soldiers who died in Goguryeo!
Revenge for the previous emperor!
The previous emperor was a good emperor who was diligent in his government and loved the people. Although he did not have any great achievements in the Great Zhou Dynasty, he was still a moderate emperor.
Defeat Goguryeo.
That was the only stain on the former emperor.
Morning court.
"Greetings, Emperor. Long live our Emperor.”
"All of you can rise."
"Many thanks, Your Majesty."
All the officials were standing in the hall. Not until now did they see Ji Hao's outfit, and they were all shocked.
Ji Hao was wearing a military uniform, holding the Heaven-cleaving Sword, sitting on the dragon throne, looking down at all the officials.
His eyes were filled with the aura of an emperor.
Don't be angry, you'll be dignified.
The officials were shocked.
Liu Jin announced that he would go to court and said,"If there is a memorial, I will go to court. If there is no memorial, I will leave."”
Li Si stepped out and said respectfully,""Old minister, I have something to report."
"Minister Li, you must be asking why I am wearing a military uniform today, right?”
Li Si respectfully replied," That is exactly what I mean. Your Majesty is a young and heroic ruler, but today, you are dressed in military attire and holding a sharp weapon. This reminds me of the previous emperor. That year, he went to war against Goguryeo. On that morning, the previous emperor was dressed in military attire and held the Emperor's Sword, intending to personally lead the army to Goguryeo.”
"I know that the previous Emperor personally led an expedition and was defeated by Goguryeo. Four hundred thousand soldiers of the Great Zhou lost their lives in Goguryeo, and all the officials in the court kept this matter a secret. If I were to say that I wish to personally lead an expedition to Goguryeo, what would Minister Li think?”
Hearing this, all the civil and military officials in the court were frightened.
The Emperor of Yongxing is going to personally conquer Goguryeo!
This was a huge matter for the Great Zhou.
Li Si knelt in the hall and said respectfully,""Emperor, this subject believes that this matter cannot be done. The emperor is the Son of Heaven, and the emperor has no dragon heir, no country. How could he risk his life on the battlefield with his status?”
The Minister of War, Baiqi, stepped out from the crowd and knelt on the ground. He said respectfully,"Your Majesty, the Great Zhou Empire is now filled with talents, so why would Your Majesty personally lead the expedition? Goguryeo is just a tiny place, and this subject is willing to send four hundred thousand soldiers to flatten Goguryeo and avenge the late Emperor and the soldiers who died in foreign lands!”
All the officials pounded their chests and stamped their feet, crying as they knelt in the hall and said in unison,""Your Majesty, you must not go on a personal expedition, you must not…"
Ji Hao held the sky dagger in his hand and looked down at all the officials. He saw Zhang Juzheng and Wang Shouren crying so hard that they almost fainted.
At this moment.
His desire to personally lead the army gradually faded.
Minister Li knelt down and sobbed,""If the Emperor wants to personally lead the army, then kill this old minister first. It wasn't easy for the Great Zhou to welcome a wise ruler who can recite through the ages. How can I return to danger? Even if there is a foundation of the country, this old minister can't let the Emperor personally lead the army. I hope the emperor will reconsider."
After Minister Li finished speaking, he started crying in the imperial court with snot and tears.
Ji Hao looked at Minister Li, who was surrounded by so many ministers, and thought to himself,'Was this decision really wrong?'
He only wanted to personally lead the army to avenge the former emperor and the 400,000 Great Zhou soldiers who had died in Goguryeo!
However, when he saw that the entire court was against it, he hesitated.
Thinking about it, the memorial was like a mountain.
If he personally led the army, who would handle the government affairs?
At that time, he felt that the government affairs could be handled by Li Si and the six ministries!
Li Si was only sixty-three years old this year, and he was loyal to him.
To him, this expedition to Goguryeo wouldn't take long.
Even if Li Si wanted to control the government, Zhang Juzheng, Baiqi, and Wang Anshi, who had always been at odds with Li Si, would definitely not agree.
Furthermore, there was Cao Zhengchun and Wei Zhongxian, the two loyal supervisors of the East and West Chambers.
This time, he personally led the army, although it was a last-minute decision.
However…
Even though he had prepared a foolproof plan.
However, when he saw the officials crying so hard that they looked like they were in tears, and many of the ministers had fainted from crying, he was shocked.
Li Si, the prime minister of the three dynasties, was crying like a pitiful old man.
He thought to himself.
Yes.
Great Zhou was filled with talents, and he knew that he was not as good as Baiqi, Xiang Yu, Han Xin, and Qi Jiguang.
There was no need to do so.
The emperor personally led the army!
He saw Bai Qi, and because he wanted to personally lead the army, his eyes actually began to tear up!
Forget it!
As an emperor, he still had to sit high in the court and prioritize the country!
"Pass down my decree. Baiqi will be the Commander-in-chief, Wei Qing and Xiang Yu will be the Deputy Commander-in-chief, Li Jing will be the vanguard of the left wing, Su Dingfang will be the vanguard of the right wing, and Li Yuanba will be the vanguard of the front wing. With six hundred thousand soldiers, we will flatten Goguryeo.”
"The Emperor is wise, the Emperor is wise!" All the officials knelt on the ground and said in unison.
"Pass down my decree. I order Qi Jiguang to command four hundred thousand Great Zhou Navy soldiers and set them up along the coastline of the island. We cannot allow the King of Goguryeo to escape from the sea.”
Li Si looked grateful and said respectfully,""Your Majesty is wise! The Emperor is wise! It is indeed the blessing of the Great Zhou Dynasty, the blessing of the country, and the blessing of the twenty-three states in the world!”
"Get up."
"We thank Your Majesty."
Li Si wiped the tears from the corner of his eyes and said respectfully,""Emperor, this old minister has something to report."
"Yes."
"The King of Tubo is currently imprisoned in the imperial prison. Why don't we execute him by a thousand cuts before we attack Goguryeo to boost morale?”
"Yes."
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