Volume 2
Xiangfan has been at war for four years, and there are no fishermen's songs or woodcutters' songs. How is the situation now? Gold is being worn out, and grain is being worn out.
Zhezhi doesn't need to dance gracefully, there can be many ugliness and evil! The rich are always busy with their wives. How is the military? How is the civil affairs?
Chapter 1: Summoning (Part 1)
In late February, on the Huai River, to the east of the Ru River mouth at the junction of Caizhou, Guangzhou and Shunchang Prefecture, a moderately large fleet was moving slowly upstream. On both sides of the river, with trees green and flowers blooming, tens of thousands of troops, on horseback and on foot, were also marching westward along the river.
At this time, on the north bank of the river, the Chief Censors Zhang Jun and Zhang Deyuan, who had come out to inspect military discipline, were walking and chatting with several of their subordinate supervisory censors, some idle officials who had recently surrendered, and even some lay scholars.
"Shunchang Prefecture was originally named Yingzhou. Together with Caizhou to the west, although it belongs to the west of Beijing, it has been the heartland of Huaixi since ancient times. It is almost a synonym for Huaixi. It is well deserved that General Han is the governor of Huaixi and resides here." Zhang Jun, who was in the lead, said casually and then shut up immediately, as if he respected his status and wanted to listen to others' comments.
It can only be said that although Zhang Deyuan is only in his thirties, after being tempered by the Jingkang Rebellion and the twists and turns of this year, he has firmly established himself as the number one confidant of Emperor Zhao in Hezhong, and has already acquired some of the bearing of a superior.
"What the Xiantai said is very true." A supervisory censor knew that the Xiantai above him had turned enemies into friends with Han Taiwei at Bagong Mountain, and they had been getting closer and closer recently, with a hint of alliance. In addition, the two prominent palace censors were vacant recently, so he was in a hurry to get interested. "As for Huaidong and Huaixi, it seems that Huaidong has more important jurisdiction, but Huaixi is closer to the imperial court. The emperor would rather let Han and Zhang exchange defense zones, but also want Han Taiwei to come here and put him in front of him, and use him to clean up Huaixi, Jingxi, Jingxiang, and try to open up a place for Nanyang to turn around. It can be seen that he is favored."
Zhang Jun twirled his beard slightly and nodded.
"How can you say 'favored'?" At this moment, a middle-aged man who was following behind suddenly stopped his horse and scolded him in public. "General Han is a famous general of the country. The emperor appointed him to Huaixi affairs for the sake of the overall situation in the future. How could he be appointed arbitrarily because of personal relationship?!"
Everyone looked back and saw that the man was about thirty years old, but had a distinguished look. Although he was dressed as a civil official, he had a long spear and a large bow hanging from his horse, and his waist and sleeves were tied with the recently popular leather belts, which made him look a bit out of place .
The censor was naturally dissatisfied with being scolded in front of his boss, but because his boss was beside him, he could not get angry, so he could only ask in a low voice: "Who are you, which year did you become a Jinshi, and what is your assignment?"
"Liu Ziyu of Jianzhou is not a Jinshi in any imperial examination. He is just a doctor of the imperial court and has no assignment." The man was not afraid when he heard it, and faced him directly.
The Supervisory Censor thought about it for a moment and knew the other party's background... He was not a Jinshi, but he could still be promoted to the fifth-rank civil official of Chao San Da Fu at the age of 30. He must have been born in an imperial family and had no assignment. He must have not kept up with the group after the Jingkang Rebellion, and only found the emperor at this time... So he couldn't help but feel a little confident and sneered at him:
"So it was Liu Yanei who came to seek an official position after hearing that the emperor was safe. I thought it was someone else, a talented person."
"During the Jingkang National Disaster, my father hanged himself and died for his country. As the eldest son, I should have carried the coffin back home. However, due to the hatred between the country and the family, we are mortal enemies with the Jin people. I hurried here. How can I become a person who seeks stability?" Liu Ziyu's face changed for a moment. "Let's talk about the facts. Why did the government settle Han Taiwei in Huaixi? Why do you want to attack a private person because of his family background? The country is in danger, and the imperial censors in the court are now all this kind of people?!"
This statement basically swept the whole thing under the carpet. But it also revealed that the man's father had just gone to the country in crisis and must be a well-known person in the world. So even Zhang Jun couldn't pretend to be deaf and dumb, so he took the initiative to bow and said, "I'm so proud of your profound opinion!"
"I dare not trouble the Censorate to ask you." Liu Ziyu did not seem to be an old angry young man. Facing the Chief Censor who was about the same age as him, he immediately bowed in return and walked down the stairs. "You must know that the mystery of Han Taiwei's appointment is actually more than the word Nanyang..."
Zhang Jun thought of the recent discussions in front of the emperor, and his heart was moved. He could not help but lean forward slightly on his horse and said, "Please explain in detail."
"This is a simple matter." Liu Ziyu, who stopped his horse on the river bank, also looked solemn . "The Emperor will know it after thinking about it. The Emperor has decided to stay in Nanyang to take charge of the overall situation. This is not wrong, because if you want to restore the world, you must get the strong soldiers of Guanxi and the financial resources of the southeast. But now the war is not decided. From a military perspective, there will be two major difficulties in Nanyang as a supporting capital. One is money. Specifically, it is how to ensure that the financial resources of the southeast and Bashu are gathered in Jingxiang to support the army. In this regard, the Emperor, with the important position of Li Gongxiang, has supported the Queen Mother and the heir to Yangzhou. This is already a brilliant move. I am not really a financial talent, so I will not say more... and the other is how to defend it!"
Zhang Jun's eyelids twitched.
"You must know that Nanyang is known as a basin. On one side, it is well connected, and on the other side, it is surrounded by mountains. It can be defended. But in fact, there is a huge gap on the northeast side of Nanyang, which leads directly to the Central Plains through Yingchang Prefecture (the area of ​​Yancheng, Luohe, and Xuchang in later generations). Through this flat passage, the army travels back and forth, and the cavalry gallops without any delay!" Liu Ziyu continued to speak calmly. "For this reason, the government not only set up defense zones in the north with Zong Liushou, Zhang Longtu, and Zhang Taiwei, forming a line for front-line use, but also used Han Taiwei as the waist and courage, based in Huaixi, to face this mouth, just in case, Han Taiwei was used as the last reliance, or relied on to resist the enemy, or used to close the door and beat the dog! Compared with this disposal, cleaning up the surrounding areas of Nanyang and opening up a place to turn around, it seems insignificant!"
After listening to this, some people twirled their beards and nodded, while others disagreed and just looked at Zhang Xiantai who was in the lead.
However, just as Zhang Jun was about to speak, he saw a large ship in the river suddenly approaching the south bank, and then several eunuchs and Ban Zhi approached the north bank in a small boat. When they saw the Chief Censor here, they waved from afar.
Zhang Deyuan knew that the emperor had summoned him for something, so he said no more. Instead, he dismounted and took out a small notebook from the backpack on the horse's butt. He picked up a small piece of fine charcoal from it and spread it out on the saddle. He leaned over to record and asked, "Liu Ziyu, a native of Jianzhou. May I ask what your name is? How old are you? And your father's name?"
"My name is Yanxiu, I am 32 years old, and my father is Liu Huiqian, the former Grand Secretary of the Council of State Affairs!"
Zhang Jun, who was lying there, looked up in astonishment: "You are actually Liu Zhongyan's eldest son?!"
Just as Liu Ziyu was about to say something else, the eunuch's boat on the river approached, and Zhang Xiantai hurriedly put away his notebook, carrying his backpack and heading down. When he reached the river, he hurriedly turned back and said, "Brother Yanxiu is a man of great talent, and a descendant of a loyal and honest man. Please be patient. When there is a chance, I will recommend you to the emperor! I will definitely give you a good assignment where you can display your talents!"
After saying this, without waiting for Liu Ziyu to react, Zhang Jun carried his bag and boarded the boat to the other side to look for Emperor Zhao.
After Zhang Jun left, they knew that Liu Ziwu was a person with a strong foundation, so the group of people looked at each other and simply dispersed. However, before leaving, they could not help but leave behind some ridiculous remarks such as "the Grand Secretary of the Zizheng Palace will also look for connections with the Xiantai" and "it is actually this person who is on the Xiantai's promotion list today".
Not to mention the disturbances outside, on this afternoon, Emperor Zhao suddenly stopped the big ship and convened an impromptu imperial meeting in Guangzhou on the south bank of the Huai River. However, the atmosphere of this meeting, which was held in a tent in the wild, was obviously no longer as festive and peaceful as before.
The reason is actually very simple. The so-called "insignificant" matter that Liu Ziyu just mentioned is already imminent.
"I'd like to let you know that Ding Jin is making unusual movements ahead."
The first to speak and introduce the problem was the Prime Minister Wang Boyan. After deciding to make Nanyang the secondary capital, he became more active and no longer cautious. I don't know if it was an illusion, but although he was clearly introducing a difficult matter, he always looked quite energetic, as if he was talking about something happy. "When the emperor entered Guangzhou, the Privy Council ordered him to come before the emperor, but he was hesitant and didn't dare to come easily. Finally, the emperor issued an order and he set off. He actually brought 30,000 people to see the emperor. At this time, he is stationed in Zhugao Town, 40 miles ahead, and seems to be the host."
"Ding Jinben can't be trusted."
After everyone heard this, the prime minister naturally spoke first, and probably because Li Gang didn't have to come, Lu Haowen seemed to be more energetic . "He was originally a bandit who took advantage of the chaos and was forced to surrender before the war. It's not surprising that he behaved like this."
"That's right." The third official Xu Jingheng also took the opportunity to speak. "If I remember correctly, this guy was supposed to be stationed in Zhugao Town. He was summoned here just now. It seems that he had retreated before. It can be seen that not all warriors are like Zhang Jun and Han Shizhong. Yue Fei and Zhang Rong are even rarer..."
The three prime ministers were talking some opening nonsense, but Chief Censor Zhang Jun, who was still carrying a backpack, couldn't help squinting at Emperor Zhao who was sitting still. Then he couldn't help but feel a jump in his heart... It turned out that Emperor Zhao, who was sitting under a peach tree with fallen petals everywhere, was motionless and had a calm expression. If it weren't for the red robe he was wearing, he would have been like a Taoist cultivator, seeming to be oblivious to everything.
However, Zhang Xiantai, who was good at observing people's words and expressions, understood that the emperor was waiting for someone to say something really useful - what Emperor Zhao wanted was how to deal with Ding Jin, not what Ding Jin should have done!
However, Zhang Xiantai understood that this time it was the old problem of the emperor that he did not understand what everyone said, because the two Dongfu officials had clearly expressed their solutions. And now was the time for him to come out and help the emperor explain.
But then again, Zhang Deyuan was about to speak, but he couldn't help but look at the motionless Xiaolin scholar beside him. After spending a long time with this extremely cunning Yutang scholar, he always felt that he was a little too aggressive...
Of course, human nature is hard to change. More importantly, Zhang Xiantai knew where his status and power came from, so he didn't dare to neglect it. While he was hesitating, he stepped out and asked:
"May I ask you two gentlemen, do you think that Ding Jin is just a warrior who came from a bandit family, and you don't need to care too much about these things, but you can pacify and settle him and keep him useful? So there is no need to use force?"
Emperor Zhao was finally slightly moved, as if he had come to his senses.
"I don't think this man is innocent, but if we can control him with the power of the court, why do we have to make trouble for him?" Xu Jingheng seemed to have not understood why the Chief Censor said such nonsense, but Lu Haowen had been in front of Emperor Zhao for a long time, and suddenly came to his senses. He couldn't help but explain to Zhang Jun and Emperor Zhao in a serious tone. "Your Majesty, I think Ding Jin can be shown some leniency, a little reward, and let him withdraw his troops... There are three reasons."
"Tell me." Zhao Jiu finally spoke after thinking for a while.
"First, the most important thing to do right now is to quickly reach Nanyang to calm people's hearts. Everything else can be considered after we have established a foothold in Nanyang. We should not get involved in disputes on the road and waste time."
"That makes sense." Zhao Jiu nodded slowly.
"Secondly, Ding Jin still has 30,000 soldiers, which is slightly more than the total number of soldiers in the imperial court. Moreover, our army is divided on both sides, and the strong soldiers are all on the north bank. Therefore, even if the imperial court wants to deal with it by force, it may not succeed. And even if it succeeds, if it is not handled properly, 30,000 defeated soldiers will scatter into Guangzhou, which will also harm the people."
"That makes sense." Zhao Jiu continued thoughtfully.
"Third, in Huaixi, Jingxi, Jingxiang, and after Jingkang, there are many bandits, rebels, vagrants, tyrants, defeated soldiers, and those who are unstable after being recruited, just like Ding Jin, who took advantage of the situation to rise up around Nanyang. We deal with Ding Jin today, but we don't know how to recruit the bandits in the future? The key is, if we take drastic measures now, how will Fan Qiong, who has the best troops of the court and is in Xiangyang, respond?"
"What Mr. Lu said is indeed very reasonable." Emperor Zhao nodded for the third time.
"So, I ask you to send an envoy to Zhugao Town to give him some rewards to appease his heart and ask him to withdraw his troops temporarily and clear the road." Seeing that the emperor repeatedly expressed his approval, Lu Haowen was relieved and reiterated his opinion. "After passing Dingjin's defense zone and arriving at Dingcheng, we will meet up with Yuwen Shumi and generals Liu Zhengyan, Miao Fu, and Liu Yan, and then we can make the next plan."
"Do you, Lord Xu and Lord Wang, think so too?" Lord Zhao continued to nod and looked at the other two.
Xu Jingheng and Wang Boyan looked at each other and felt that it was okay, so they nodded in agreement.
Emperor Zhao still nodded, but did not give any orders. Instead, he looked directly at Zhang Jun.
Zhang Xiantai's heart moved and he prepared to refute.
However, Emperor Zhao only glanced at Zhang Jun and Xiao Lin, and without turning his head, he blurted out to Yang Yizhong beside him: "Let Han Shizhong and Wang De come in."
In a moment, Han and Wang appeared under the peach tree to the astonishment of all the civil officials, as if they had been summoned before and the Marquis was nearby.
"You sent scouts to investigate Ding Jin's case, so I won't say more." Zhao Jiu easily exempted the two from courtesy. "And just now, you gentlemen talked about this matter, and you mentioned three difficult points. Let me ask you one by one... If you were asked to pacify Ding Jin, could it be done quickly and not drag on for a long time?"
Han Shizhong and Wang De were both powerful generals at the time, and they both raised their heads to obey orders. However, when they heard this question, the difference between them was immediately apparent. Wang De hesitated for a moment, as if he had no plan or calculation, but Han Shizhong simply bowed and said, "Don't worry, Your Majesty, I can finish this matter in three days at the least, and five days at the most!"
Zhao Jiu nodded slightly and smiled: "This is why I called a good minister to my side... Secondly, Ding Jin's army has 30,000 people, and they looted Guangzhou and Caizhou before. They have abundant military supplies and a lot of weapons and armor. The ministers are worried that if they lose control, the defeated soldiers will scatter to the surrounding areas and cause trouble to the local areas. Can you stop it?"
"I will never let the disorderly army disperse!" Han Shizhong pointed to the sky and answered again straightforwardly.
"That's enough. We have stopped two of the three evils. That's enough to do." Emperor Zhao smiled again. "Anything else you want to say?"
"I just want one of your trusted officials to trick Ding Jin here!" Han Shizhong ignored the blank expressions of the three ministers and Wang De around him and answered straightforwardly, but smiled awkwardly. "However, if the emperor can still calmly send the ceremonial procession forward, I will definitely be able to move faster and more steadily..."
"I would like to go and see Ding Jin!" Before Han Shizhong finished speaking, the Secretary of the Central Secretariat Hu Yin walked out of the queue and spoke proudly, which shocked Zhang Jun and Xiao Lin Xue Shi who were standing beside him.
I can only say that since leaving Bagua Mountain, the official has become more and more skilled and decisive. However, there are more and more husbands above him, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to control the brothers below him. It's difficult!
"That's it, let's not delay." Emperor Zhao raised his hand and stood up directly, as if he had already reached a resolution harmoniously with the two ministers.
At this time, Lu Haowen and Wang Boyan were fine, but the newly returned Xu Jingheng finally couldn't hold back and stepped out to greet him: "Your Majesty!"
"Mr. Xu!" Zhao Jiu stood up and suddenly spoke, holding his belt, interrupting the other party. "Today, I want to ask not only you, but also the other ministers... Why was the world in turmoil before, and how will it be peaceful in the future?"
Xu Jingheng and others were all stunned.
"In my opinion, the turmoil in the world is caused by the peace of the civil officials and the idleness of the military officials, and the endless resistance of the people. But the two saints surrendered before the world did." Zhao Jiu responded slowly, as if he had prepared his words. "So, if you want the world to return to peace, the civil officials must not love money, and the military officials must not fear death! And I must also strive to stick to the great policy, and never waver no matter how dangerous it is! Don't you think so?"
Lü Haowen, Xu Jingheng, Wang Boyan, Zhang Jun, Lin Jingmo, and many other civil officials who were increasing in number, as well as several military men such as Han Shizhong, were all awe-inspiring and quickly saluted to receive the order.
"Actually, I can tolerate other things," after plagiarizing a famous saying to calm the situation, Emperor Zhao blushed slightly and took the initiative to explain. "But Ding Jin was indecisive during the Shouzhou battle before, and even fled when he heard the news, which almost caused a disaster. I really can't tolerate it! You must know that you and Li Xianggong before, all regard warriors as useful as long as they don't cause chaos, but I can tolerate warriors in everything, but I can't tolerate them retreating in the face of battle! This time when we move to Nanyang, if we can't take advantage of the opportunity to enforce strict military discipline and tidy up the place, let alone how to use it as a confidant to resist the Jin army in the future, just say that Liu Guangshi, the Grand Commandant on Bagong Mountain, wouldn't it be too unfair?"
Many people, including Prime Minister Lu, recalled the situation that night after hearing the words, and some even felt that the emperor's behavior now was much more reasonable... This was progress!