The closer the end of the year, Zhao Bing became busier and he became busy. He not only convened court discussions and hall discussions many times, reviewed the budget and final accounts proposed by various ministries, adjusted provincial and ministerial and local officials, arranged tasks for next year, and predicted possible changes in the situation. He also frequently summoned local officials and senior military officials to inquire about the local situation, border situation, understand people's livelihood and military preparations, etc.

Therefore, people often see the scene of the lights in Wenyuan Hall of the palace day and night, officials frequently enter and exit the palace gates, and the governors of the Secretariat were rushing. The emperor lived here for more than ten days, often falling asleep after three o'clock every day, getting up at the hour of Yin, and working in the side hall at the hour of Mao, meeting with his subordinates, and not taking a break until lunch at noon, and then he started working again.

"Your Majesty, the time is coming, it's time to start!" On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, the sky had just brightened, and Wang De entered the hall and urged.

"Yeah!" Zhao Bing agreed, took the military cap and put it on. Wang De put a big cloak on His Majesty, tied up his laces, and wore a bright yellow military uniform today. The officers and soldiers of the guard camp changed into big red military uniforms and were already waiting outside the hall.

After many days of discussion, the upper and lower levels reached a consensus on the expansion of the Five Army Imperial Guards. Today, the establishment ceremony will be held. General Zhao Bing personally gave the military flag and military talismans. After the next step, Xu Hong led the war horse, and he turned over the horse. After the guards of the officers and soldiers of the guard camp left the palace gate, Ni Liang had already led the guards to wait for the guards. With the order, the troops boarded the horse and took Luanyi Guards as the leader and left Lizheng Gate.

At the end of the year, the city has become a festive scene, with lights and decorations on both sides of the Imperial Street. Today, the emperor led his troops on horseback in military uniform, which also gave the people a chance to see the dragon face. Although the guards and brigades are sending troops to set up alerts, the people watching the people traveling are still crowded. Wherever Zhao Bing passes, the sound of shouting the mountains is endless.

The two places are not far apart, and the plaza is on time. As a series of New Year celebrations are to be held here, the officials have decorated the square. At this time, officials and officials above the fifth rank in the capital and foreign vassal envoys who were watching the ceremony are waiting outside the palace gate. Thousands of officers and soldiers lined up in line to wait for the orders. They were all drawn from the mountain brigade of the Guardian Army and the Imperial Army's First, Second, Third, and Fourth Army as the backbone of the new army to ensure that the new army can quickly form an army and have considerable combat effectiveness.

"Long live, long live, long live!" The sage came to his door, and Lu Xiufu and the prime ministers of the three provinces led all officials to salute, shouting long live, and the drums and music sounded.

"Magnificent, mighty, great Song Dynasty..." The officers and soldiers standing in the square also held military salutes and shouted loudly.

Zhao Bing dismounted and climbed up to the city tower surrounded by officials. He looked at the neat queues in the square and the crowds of people, and felt a different feeling in his heart. To be honest, he had never liked such flashy rituals, and even had some resistance, thinking that it was useless to make these things that were useless to waste the people and money.

But today, Zhao Bing looked at the solemn courtiers and enthusiastic people and suddenly felt that his thoughts were a bit extreme. Think about it from various national ceremonies, various ceremonies, celebrations organized by civil institutions, company opening ceremony, school graduation ceremony, and family weddings, etc. This is definitely not a false ceremony, but it still has a rich social role.

The ceremony was presided over by Xie Ao, Minister of Rites. First, the left prime minister of the Secretariat, Lu Xiufu, announced the imperial edict to form an army, and then Jiang Jin, deputy envoy of the Privy Council, announced the military name and organization of the newly formed imperial guards. Then, the Minister of War Chen Renweng read out the appointments of senior officers of each department. This process is not long or short. Zhao Bing heard it and was covered with clouds. It is very simple.

After everyone said a few words, the flag-raising ceremony began and the drums and music started again. Chen Dun, the newly formed 11th Army Commander, Yan Feng, the 12th Army Commander, Guan Hong, the 13th Army Commander, Huangfu, the 14th Army Commander, and Yang Zheng, the 15th Army Commander, climbed the city tower, took over the military flags and military talismans personally taught by the emperor, and waved them to the city. For a moment, the joy was thunderous.

"The Great Song Dynasty is mighty!" Zhao Bing raised his arms and shouted loudly.

"Your Majesty is mighty!" The ministers on the city tower responded in a voice.

"Long live, long live, long live!" The union of military and civilians came from the city, pushing the ceremony to climax.

After the ceremony, Zhao Bing naturally rewarded the three armies. Zhao Bing drank with the ministers. After the banquet, Zhao Bing joined hands with the prime ministers and had a talk with the new heads of each ministries, gave encouragement and advice, and introduced the local situation, as well as their respective combat directions and tasks.

The 11th Army stationed in Guizhou. Its current task is to target Zhuli in the Bozhou area. They will encircle Bozhou with the Shu army stationed in Chongqing. After arriving at the garrison, they will blockade the major traffic arteries entering and leaving Bozhou, cutting off all material access and losing their source of income. After their finances are weakened, they will start to recruit and pacify. This process will last for a period of time and there will be conflicts during this period, but at this stage, the main focus will be on blockade and there will be no decisive battle with them.

The 12th Army was stationed in Guangzhou and was responsible for the operations on Guangnan East Road. Its main task was to defend key coastal areas, work with the navy to attack invading foreign enemies, speed up landing and anti-landing combat training, and also take into account the maintenance of local public security; the 13th Army was stationed in Fuzhou and was responsible for the operations on Fujian Road. Its main goal was to resist the invasion of pirates on the coastal areas and the defense of important military centers.

The 14th Army was stationed in Qinzhou, responsible for the operations on Guangnan West Road and Qiongzhou. The main task was to shock Zhuli and resist invasions that might have come from Annan, Chameng and Myanmar; the 15th Army was stationed in Chengdu, responsible for the operations in the two directions of Xichuan and Dongchuan, which entered Sichuan in advance. Their current mission focuses on controlling the passage into Sichuan, resisting invasions from Tubo, and cameras to reinforce the operations in the Dali direction.

Judging from the current arrangement, the 11th Army has the heaviest task. The reality they face is to prepare to use troops in Bozhou, so they have to complete expansion, training and engage in combat in the shortest time. Not only are their combat areas complex, but they have to face the Zhuli who has always been dissatisfied with the kingly transformation, and the terrain is also extremely unfavorable. The mountains are high and dense, the rivers are crisscrossing, and the traffic is inconvenient, which is not conducive to large-scale corps combat.

Considering this, Zhao Bing also revealed a story in advance. The court was preparing to establish Guizhou Road to adapt to the current situation and cooperate with the use of troops against Bozhou. The reason why he made this proposal was because Guizhou and modern Guizhou are not the same geographical concept...

From the perspective of terrain, Guizhou is one of the rare special provinces of traditional "Eighteen Han provinces" with mountains, hills and basins. The Wujiang River, Beipan River, Yachi River and other rivers are crisscrossing, and it is known as "eight mountains, one water and one branch of fields". The roads that come and go are rugged and steep. If you just look at the terrain, people are likely to think of the same mountainous and higher altitude Tibet.

Modern Guizhou Province is located in the northern part of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, connected to Hunan in the east, Chongqing in the north, Sichuan in the west, and Guangxi in the south. Since ancient times, it has been one of the important channels for the Central Plains and the Two Lakes to the south and the Indochina Peninsula. Whether it is a business envoy or an army, if you want to go south to Yunnan and the Indochina Peninsula, without passing through Guizhou, you either go directly to Yunnan through the Bashu area or cross Guangxi from Huguang area. However, taking these two channels bypass Guizhou will lengthen the route and supply distance.

If Guizhou is controlled, then the Central Plains dynasty will have a stable strategic fulcrum to control the southwestern provinces, greatly shortening the supply distance, which is of great help to control and stabilize the Sichuan, Yunnan and Guangxi. However, Guizhou's geographical environment and ethnic distribution determine that controlling and managing the Guizhou area is not easy.

The Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau located in the southwest has made the local ethnic minorities far away from the Central Plains, with relatively few economic and cultural exchanges. Even due to the rugged terrain and limited exchanges with the surrounding Huguang area, it is difficult to "king" for a long time. The governance cost is also high due to the rugged terrain and complex ethnic composition, and it is often the government nominally manages the local area.

So in fact, the local tribes still control financial, judicial, administrative and other powers, and reached a tacit understanding and compromise. What is even more troublesome is that there is no ethnic group in Guizhou where the number of people is absolutely superior. The forces of various ethnic groups often fight each other due to interests, endangering the people. If ethnic issues are not handled well and separatist frequently occur, it will naturally threaten the public security and stability of Guizhou and even the entire southwest region.

However, the decision makers of the unified dynasty in history also realized the geostrategic value of the Guizhou area. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, the imperial court developed southwestern barbarians, advanced in diplomatic and military means, conquered the Yelang and Dian regimes that had been entrenched in Guizhou for hundreds of years, and established counties to rule. Since the Tang Dynasty, the imperial court has begun to set up Bozhou, Sizhou, Juzhou and other banished states in Guizhou area.

During the Song Dynasty, the Guizhou area was roughly under the jurisdiction of Kuizhou Road, Tongchuanfu Road and other places. Due to the words "Only Guizhou is far away from being deserted" in the imperial edict of Taizu of Song Dynasty, this is the earliest record of this area named "Guizhou". Juzhou was later renamed Guizhou. It was not until Tian Yougong, the military indigenous leader of Sizhou, was awarded the title of Guizhou Defense Envoy by the imperial court.

Therefore, Guizhou in the Song Dynasty was actually just a state. After entering the Yuan Dynasty, Guizhou area was still under the jurisdiction of three provinces: Huguang, Yunnan and Sichuan. Many Xuanwei Offices of Bozhou, Sizhou, Sinan and other prisoners were set up in Guizhou area, and they were officially managed under the chieftain system.
Chapter completed!