Volume 2 Chapter 31 It's Too Late
In May, midsummer, everything grows.
During this month, the exiled Song Dynasty court did many things in succession with an efficiency that would have been absolutely jaw-dropping in Tokyo in previous years:
First of all, of course, there were several temporary palace examinations for selecting talents… No matter how many unqualified people there were, through the palace examinations held in batches, the small court of Nanyang finally selected and appointed a large number of officials to fill the central government;
Secondly, the fact that the Military Equipment Bureau successfully produced iron under the supervision of the emperor personally going to the south bank of the Han River was actually not important, because Emperor Zhao did not realize until then that although local iron production was of strategic significance, it was possible to obtain ready-made iron ingots from official smelters in various parts of Jiangnan through the Yangtze River. The key was still the craftsmen;
Of course, there is also the establishment of a gunpowder workshop... The government attaches great importance to this, but others think it is insignificant, because gunpowder is not really a secret weapon for the Song Dynasty. It seems that it was specially raised to this level for the government's personal likes and dislikes.
In addition, Nanyang and Fangcheng were also repaired and reinforced under the guidance and inspection of the new Minister of War Chen Gui. In the distance, with Yancheng of Yingchang Prefecture as the core, plus Linying, Changsha, Xiangcheng, Wuyang, Xiping, and Yexian, a total of seven cities, a large amount of military supplies and fodder as well as civilians collected from refugees were sent there, as if to build a solid defense line on the large gap in the northeast of Nanyang.
Overall, Emperor Zhao's statement that everything is for the war of resistance and the war of resistance is everything seems to have been put into practice.
Besides this, throughout the month of May, outside of Nanyang, apart from the death of Prime Minister Zhang Que, there seemed to be many good news.
First, in mid-May, Han Shizhong successfully fulfilled his promise. He joined forces with Da Zhai, Xiao Zhai, and Lu Xing to block Yang Jin in the Mangshan area and beheaded him for public display. Then he made a special trip to the now devastated Luoyang City, and finally, under the banner of successfully recovering Xijing, he returned to Huaixi for rest and recuperation.
Shortly after this incident, several documents were delivered to Li Gang, the Prime Minister of Yangzhou, stating that several rebel groups in the areas of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Fujian had been pacified or suppressed. He also proposed a series of financial allocation plans for the southeast, Nanyang, Lianghuai and Jingdong, and demanded the expansion of the rear army of the imperial camp to strengthen the defense of Lianghuai.
As for the official's private letter, Prime Minister Li did not mention it at all, as if he had not received it at all.
In short, since the emperor entered Nanyang, the situation in the entire Song Dynasty has been generally improving so far, even better than everyone expected.
By June, the Jingyuan Road commander Qu Duan first killed Liu Xiliang, a commander of the same rank, on the charge of desertion, and then, together with his subordinate Wu Jie, took advantage of the battle between a righteous army and a rebel army in Chang'an to launch separate surprise attacks, annex the two armies and recapture Chang'an, and the unrest in Guanzhong gradually subsided.
At this time, there was a student named Wanqi Xie who had successfully passed the palace examination and was appointed to the Privy Council. He could not wait to come up with the slogan of Nanyang Restoration and openly compared Emperor Zhao with Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu!
It is said that because of his outstanding performance in the palace examination, Wanqi Xie was circled several times by Emperor Zhao in front of several ministers. Only then was he allowed to be appointed as an editor of the eighth rank of the Privy Council together with Hu Hongxiu, who was number one in military strategy, and to assist in military affairs as an official of the Privy Council.
And it is precisely because of this special treatment that Wanqi Xie cares so much about the official's reputation.
However, Wanqi Xie's seductive glance was destined to be thrown at a blind man. Not only did Emperor Zhao turn a deaf ear to him, he rarely even went to the palace recently. He just left his notes every day and then accepted the notes every few days. Most of his time was spent in the military camp, gunpowder factory, and city defense projects... There was nothing he could do about it, because in June, with the end of the talent selection, the rebellions in various places gradually subsided, and the core work of the central government suddenly became a financial issue. It was not until this time that Emperor Zhao suddenly discovered something that caught him off guard, that is, the development and severity of the Song Dynasty's finances far exceeded his imagination.
As for the issue of the Song Dynasty's finances, Zhao Jiu had an even harder time than he did with the official system of the Song Dynasty before... He could still force changes to the official system as an official, and he could still roughly understand it, except that he would make jokes occasionally, but he really didn't understand economics and finance.
Therefore, these matters were basically discussed by the central government with the capital province (the name after the four provinces were merged) as the core, and then he listened to the final opinions and vaguely agreed with the majority.
Then, of course, we need to bring into play the outstanding capabilities of engineering graduates and enable the Song Dynasty to quickly enter the four modernizations.
"Last year, Chen Qing made a tubular firearm called a musket, and used it in the army?"
In the gunpowder workshop, Emperor Zhao looked at his new 'treasure minister' Chen Gui and was a little panicked for a moment... How could he not be panicked when he had pirated the original in front of the founder?
"Yes." Chen Gui, who was dressed in purple robes and was already 58 years old this year, twirled his beard and answered calmly. "Use a solid thin bamboo tube as a tube, wrap it with iron wire, and then stuff gunpowder into the tail. When the enemy is about to rush to the front, ignite the tail, and the gunpowder will spray out from the front, and can shoot several feet away. Then, a spear head is tied to the bamboo tube in advance, and the soldiers can use the bamboo tube as a spear to charge while the enemy is in a panic... I used this method to defeat a wave of chaotic soldiers."
It's a rear-loading gun and comes with a bayonet?
After listening to the story, Emperor Zhao was silent for a long time before he asked tentatively with a smile, "Mr. Chen, have you ever thought about using an iron tube instead of a bamboo tube? You see, if it is made of iron, the powder chamber and the ignition place can be separated at the rear where the powder is loaded, and bullets and arrows can be stuffed into the front. Even if it is the iron tube itself plus the spearhead, isn't it also a proper spear?"
"I have thought about it." Chen Gui's answer made Emperor Zhao feel ashamed as always. "But it is not advisable..."
"Because of the explosion?" Zhao Guanjia, who felt ashamed of himself, almost blurted out.
"That's exactly what I meant." Chen Gui was slightly startled, and after he had obviously digested the meaning of the two words "explosion", he responded. "For example, the reason why the firearms I use are clamped with iron wire is because when I first used bamboo tubes, eight out of ten would explode after being ignited, which is what the government calls "explosion". At that time, I thought of using iron pipes instead. But when I really used iron pipes, thin and thin iron pipes still exploded frequently due to the strong power of gunpowder. Thick iron pipes made the gunpowder lose its potency, and thick iron pipes were too heavy..."
Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly. This was not unexpected, because this was a very obvious obstacle in the development of tubular firearms, namely the forging technology problem of high-quality gun barrels.
Chen Gui saw that the emperor seemed unwilling to accept the situation, so he could not help but put his hands together and give some advice: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for speaking frankly. Gunpowder is of course a good thing and it is very useful in defending the city, but it is best used to start fires or assist bows and crossbows. It is actually useless to use it to make muskets... My muskets are only used to intimidate the ignorant bandits on the opposite side, not to kill them. After I defeated the bandits, I only kept a musket team of 60 people out of the 20,000 people in De'an Prefecture, using a total of 20 bamboo muskets... The so-called iron pipes are not short of this little iron, but after the Jingkang Incident, the craftsmen were dispersed. With these people, we should try our best to make armor plates and swords and guns, so that we can make the best use of them."
This is the professional dissuasion from the pinnacle of the times. Authoritative personal testimony says that there is no way out if you are a musket man, so you should change your major as soon as possible.
Zhao Jiu certainly knew what the right path was. But the problem was that Chen Gui, a treasure boy, had already used his creativity to the extreme, and the two taels of water in Zhao's stomach were of no use at all... As for the current smelting level, which was a stumbling block, he knew nothing about it and it was impossible for him to personally start technical research in a short period of time.
The more important point is that what Chen Gui said is very right. There is no time to do this right now. From the perspective of war and efficiency, it would be most appropriate for the craftsman to carefully make a few sets of armor.
In a word, you have to listen to the words of authority, and the sooner you change your major, the sooner you will be reborn.
With this thought in mind, Emperor Zhao naturally agreed immediately, then dropped the matter and took Nanyang's recognized 'Emperor's new love in May' Chen Shangshu to watch the gunpowder experiment... Compared to the smelting, steel pipes and other things that made him confused just thinking about it, the optimization of the black gunpowder formula was definitely a technological innovation with no technical content.
Try to remove as many impurities as possible, adjust the ratio as much as possible, then wrap them tightly in coarse cloth one by one, and then stuff them into the pile of soil to give it a try!
However, just as the muffled thunder in the field outside the gunpowder shop had just ended and the smoke was still filling the air, Yang Yizhong, who had disappeared for a moment, suddenly appeared and led two young editors of the Privy Council to the emperor. The two young men who were assisting the emperor in military affairs, one named Wanqi Xie and the other named Hu Hongxiu, were both "selected" by the emperor.
"Xin what sect?" Maybe his ears were a little deafened by the previous shock, Zhao Guanjia couldn't help being a little dazed when he turned around to listen to the report.
"Xin Qizong." The young and promising Wanqi Xie, with a righteous face, bowed to the red-robed official and raised his voice. "Good instructor, you know, this man ranks second among the Xin brothers, second only to Da Xin Defense..."
"It's Er Xin." Zhao Jiu suddenly realized, and then clasped his hands and sneered. "He came to Nanyang from Yangzhou (now the eastern part of Hanzhong), and brought five or six thousand Western Army? Did he escape from Guanxi after traveling thousands of miles?"
"Yes." Wanqi Xie hurriedly replied. "Privy Council Minister Yuwen is in charge of the Guanxi affairs and has sent me to ask the emperor how to deal with it."
Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment, but found that he had no way to punish this person... because, if calculated based on the time, when this person retreated from Guanxi, he should not have received the order from Emperor Zhao not to retreat; and if calculated based on the direction, an absurd fact is that this person fled from Guanzhong through Hanzhong to Nanyang, and fled for thousands of miles, but he was still "in front of" Emperor Zhao instead of behind him the whole time.
So, no matter what, this person cannot be considered a deserter, and there is no law to punish him.
"Incorporate them into the Imperial Camp." After much thought, Emperor Zhao could only do this. "Then send an order to Xingyuan Prefecture (now the core area of Hanzhong) to lock up Sanguan Pass, and not allow the generals in Guanzhong to go to Sichuan and Shu without permission, and not allow them to come to the imperial camp without military orders."
“Yes…” Wanqi Xie bowed but still did not leave.
"Anything else?" Zhao Jiu continued to ask with a smile.
Wanqi Xie hesitated for a moment, then took a half step back and gave the opportunity to his classmate Hu Hongxiu.
Hu Hongxiu also hurriedly bowed and reported: "If I were to report back to the emperor, there is also Wang Xie, the governor of Hedong. He also fled to Hanzhong through Dasan Pass when Wanyan Loushi attacked Guanzhong... In fact, as far as I know, the two Xin commanders came here because they were bullied by this man and could not gain a foothold in Hanzhong. As for Wang Xie, although he has not come to Nanyang, he has sent a memorial to the Privy Council, saying that he asked the emperor to tour Sichuan and establish a secondary capital in Chengdu Prefecture or Xingyuan Prefecture."
Emperor Zhao was silent for a moment, then he spoke: "Why didn't he invite me to Zunyi?"
Hu Hongxiu was speechless.
"Forget his Hedong governor..." Zhao Jiu was furious, but he knew what it meant to be out of reach, so he could only look at him with hatred. "Then send him to Fengxiang Prefecture and quickly go back to sort out Guanzhong!"
"Yes!" Hu Hongxiu quickly agreed and was about to leave.
At this moment, Wanqi Xie suddenly bowed his head again and reported something to the emperor:
"Your Majesty, there is one more thing. Commander Xin Yongzong, also known as Commander Xin, has just written to the Privy Council, suggesting that Dongting Lake be cleared out. He said that there is a man in Dongting Lake called Zhong Xiang, who has great power, but also spreads lies to confuse the people. He is indeed plotting something bad..."
"You're talking as if I don't know the details of Prime Minister Zhong." Zhao Jiu blurted out, but looked at Wanqi Xie and the somewhat panicked Hu Hongxiu with a half-smile. "But what do you think Commander Xiao Xin meant by this behavior? Do you really think that I and the ministers of the Privy Council don't know who Prime Minister Zhong is?"
"Your Majesty." The young Wanqi Xie said cautiously. "I think that Commander Xiao Xin had privately contacted Commander Er Xin a long time ago and knew that Commander Er Xin was coming. He also followed Your Majesty for a long time and guessed your temper. He was afraid that Commander Er Xin would be convicted, so he asked his acquaintances in the Privy Council for advice. He hoped that the army in the imperial camp would move again, so that his second brother could take advantage of the opportunity to make meritorious contributions and atone for his sins..."
"Oh." Zhao Jiu suddenly smiled again, but he ignored the acquaintances in the Privy Council and continued to ask. "Then, Lord Wanqi, do you think we should go and attack Prime Minister Zhong now?"
Wanqi Xie was uneasy when he heard this, but he still took a bold gamble: "I think that Prime Minister Zhong did have some disloyalty last year, but the Song Dynasty was appointed by heaven, and the emperor first defeated Jin Wushu on the Huai River and stabilized the country in Nanyang. It can be said that he has turned the tide and the signs of revival are already apparent. If there are some scoundrels who misjudged the situation, they have actually lost their courage. If the emperor can issue an edict to appease them, they will surely be convinced and dare not cause chaos."
Zhao Jiu nodded, and then smiled at the pale-faced Hu Hongxiu: "What do you think, Mr. Hu?"
"I have received the kindness of General Xin for many years, so I gave him advice, and the attack on Prime Minister Zhong was exactly what I wanted to advise before." Hu Hongxiu was so embarrassed that he could only bow his hands and face him. "Your Majesty, I did not intend to deceive you, nor did I collude with others to leak military information."
Zhao Jiu did not comment, but continued to ask with a smile: "So, Mr. Hu thinks that now is the time to attack Prime Minister Zhong?"
"Yes." Hu Hongxiu raised his head and answered seriously. "Your Majesty, Prime Minister Zhong has occupied Dongting Lake, has a deep foundation and is popular among the people, but he spreads lies to confuse the people, calls himself a great sage, and has people spread the announcement that he should be the King of Chu. His rebellious intentions are obvious. Dongting Lake is the heart of Jinghu and Hulu. If he causes trouble, the consequences will be disastrous..."
Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly, but before the Minister of War Chen Gui could speak, he looked at Wanqi Xie and said, "Mr. Wanqi, just tell Mr. Wang what you said to me before. That is what I mean."
Chen Gui on the side and Hu Hongxiu in front of him were both stunned, and then they had different expressions. However, when Wanqi Xie heard this, he forced himself to suppress his surprise and nodded in agreement.
Just like that, after the two people from the Privy Council left, Emperor Zhao and Chen Gui checked the remnants of the gunpowder packages again, and still designated a ignition point with the best effect as usual, rewarded the saltpeter maker in charge of this point, wrote down the formula ratio and mixing method, and then drove back to Nanyang City together to check the reinforcement of the city defense.
However, for some reason, there are always uninvited guests today.
Emperor Zhao had just walked around half of the city wall with Minister Chen and the supervisor Yan Shaoyin when another person came to see them. This person was far from being comparable to the two previous editors. He was none other than the Emperor's most trusted minister, Chief Censor Zhang Jun Zhang Deyuan.
"Your Majesty, I heard that Zhao Kai, the judge of Chengdu Road, wrote a letter to the emperor, pointing out the five drawbacks of the tea-horse monopoly system and asking for a complete change in the tea-horse monopoly system?" Compared to the two people outside the palace, Zhang Jun spoke in a much more relaxed and casual manner.
"That's true." Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly. "And I and the other gentlemen all think what he said makes sense..."
"Are there any generals from Guanxi who fled to Sichuan and caused trouble in the local area?" Zhang Jun heard this but did not discuss it in depth. Instead, he suddenly asked about another matter.
"I have just issued an order that generals from Guanxi are not allowed to enter Sichuan without permission." Zhao Jiu walked along the city wall, thinking.
"Your Majesty, since the Jingkang Incident, the North has been completely lost, the Central Plains is in chaos, and even the Southeast, Jingxiang, and Lingnan have countless rebels. Only Bashu is safe, and the transportation of grain, fodder, goods, and specialties is continuous. It should be cherished." Zhang Jun followed Zhao Jiu and talked freely, and Yan Xiaozhong and Chen Gui could only lag behind. "And even if you don't care about the whole of Bashu, just say that now that your Majesty is based in Nanyang, then Guanzhong and Lianghuai are the two arms of the court, and the Southeast and Bashu are the two branches of the court. From now on, if you can't properly control Bashu, Guanxi will not be stable..."
"Deyuan has been depressed in Nanyang for a long time and wants to go to Shuzhong?" The other party was still talking, but Zhao Jiu suddenly stopped and turned to talk to him.
"Yes." Zhang Jun also instinctively stopped, but after a moment of hesitation, he immediately nodded heavily, and then solemnly bowed his hands. "Your Majesty, I have received your great kindness, and I really want to share your worries."
Zhao Jiu sighed for a moment: "I believe you are sincere, and I know that you have been frustrated these days... But Deyuan, you should also know what I am most worried about."
"Without your permission, I will never interfere in the war in Guanxi." Zhang Jun replied sternly. "I am only trying to appease Bashu for the emperor, and do my best as a minister."
Zhao Jiu was silent for a moment, obviously hesitant… And with this Emperor Zhao's low level of knowledge of history, he naturally didn't know the glorious historical achievements of his trusted and important official. This could be seen from the fact that he almost mistook him for Zhang Boying, the governor of Huaidong at the beginning.
However, out of some prejudice and instinct, he was particularly wary of the civil officials' tendency to interfere in wars, which could lead to serious consequences.
However, having said that, in Bashu, where there was no war, there was no need to ask whether one knew the military or not, as long as they supervised the financial reform, watched over Sanguan, and transported supplies to Guanxi and Nanyang.
If one really calculates carefully, after Li Gang, aren't Zong Ze and Chen Gui the only weirdos who "know military affairs"?
"Your Majesty." Zhang Jun seemed to have figured out what Emperor Zhao was thinking, and spoke earnestly in time. "In the current situation, someone from Bashu must go. If we talk about military knowledge... Zong Liushou knows military knowledge, but Dongjing is more important; Chen Bingbu knows military knowledge, and Nanyang garrison cannot do without him; as for me, although I don't know military knowledge, can anyone else know military knowledge? And if military affairs are not the only decision, I am from Shu, so I should take on this responsibility."
Zhao Jiu nodded slowly.
In fact, if they did not interfere in military affairs, then Zhang Jun’s obvious advantage would be more than just being a Shu person.
As Emperor Zhao's most trusted confidant and also having the qualifications of Chief Censor, Zhang Jun was an excellent candidate to strengthen the central government's control over the generals in Guanxi through logistical dispatch .
In addition , in terms of stance, the words "anti-Jin" are still somewhat vague for Guanxi and Bashu. In any case, Zhang Jun's stance on this matter exceeds that of most people. Letting him go to Bashu can at least convey the government's serious stance.
In fact, this was also the biggest source of Zhang Jun's confidence to come to see the emperor immediately after hearing some serious news from Shu today... After all, Shu was short of one person, and if an important official was to be sent to Shu, who would be more suitable than him, Zhang Jun?
Li Gang and Zong Ze are more suitable, but their positions are more important.
How about Zhuge Liang?
But Emperor Zhao has been in Nanyang for several months and still hasn't found it.
They finally found Hu Hongxiu, who had some strategic and tactical skills, but was still a person who could not handle public and private matters. No wonder his father-in-law never recommended him until he was demoted to Jiangnan West Road.
Moreover, even if Hu Hongxiu had great strategies, it was impossible for him to let an eighth-rank editor who had just passed the palace examination and was transferred to a civil servant to serve as a transport envoy in Sichuan, right?
If Hu Hongxiu's immediate superior Liu Ziyu were to go, it would cause unrest in Shu.
But if you think about it carefully, the biggest problem in this matter is that Shu is an integrated whole. Once one person is let in, the power will be too great... Unless the situation is critical, a normal emperor should not entrust Shu, which is naturally closed, to anyone.
However, Emperor Zhao stopped to look at the hustle and bustle in Nanyang City. After thinking it over, he didn't seem to have thought of this. In the end, he simply turned his head and said, "You want to be the transport envoy of the four routes in Shu?"
"Five routes!" Zhang Jun gritted his teeth. "If I am not allowed to manage the Guanxi and Xihe routes, the tea-horse trade will be difficult..."
Emperor Zhao thought about the map and had nothing to say, so he nodded slightly, then frowned and asked again: "No matter what, given the current situation, we need someone who knows military affairs to assist us. Zhao Kai is in charge of financial affairs, so who will assist you in military affairs?"
"I'm sorry to ask for your pardon."
"Zhe family general?" Zhao Jiu was a little dazed again. "Where is he?"
"He is the son of Zhe Keshi, and he is in Changhua Army." Zhang Jun answered seriously. Seeing that the official was puzzled for a moment, he immediately explained. "The south of Qiongzhou is also the southernmost tip of the Song Dynasty, the end of the world... He was responsible for defending the Yellow River during the Jingkang period. As a result, when the troops heard that the Jin people were crossing the river in large numbers, they immediately dispersed, and he was convicted and exiled for this."
"Whatever." Zhao Jiu just asked casually, but then turned to a serious topic. "After you leave, who will be the Chief Censor?"
Hearing this, Yan Xiaozhong, Chen Gui and Yang Yizhong wished they could plug their ears immediately. After all, these three people, although one was a Jinshi from the imperial examination, one was a Mingfa from the imperial examination, and one was a military official from a general's family, they all understood the most basic rules.
Obviously, Zhang Jun and Emperor Zhao did not know the rules, so Zhang Deyuan hesitated for a moment and actually directly recommended someone: "I think that in terms of qualifications and reputation, the new Minister of Works, Lu Yihao, is the best, but Hu Mingzhong seems to be more suitable."
Zhao Jiu nodded slowly after hearing this: "Then go! Get ready as soon as possible and leave quickly. We will set off tomorrow after the Council of State approves it... If you can take good care of Shuzhong for me, it will be a merit."
Zhang Jun bowed and raised his head, his eyes reddened: "Your Majesty has placed great trust in me, I will never forget it, I only hope that Your Majesty will take care of yourself."
Zhao Jiu was bored and could only wave his hand: "You speak as if it were a farewell of life and death... If you feel grateful, do something for me."
Zhang Jun quickly solemnly greeted the Marquis.
"Go to Tangdu Province later and find Prime Minister Wang for me. Tell him secretly that Wanqi Xie is the most suitable person to recruit Prime Minister Zhong." Zhao Jiu said casually.
Zhang Jun was slightly startled when he heard this, but then he said seriously: "Your Majesty, although I don't know much about military affairs, I know that Prime Minister Zhong is a serious threat to Jinghu, and we must not let him go lightly!"
At this time, Chen Gui also hurried forward and bowed: "Your Majesty, I also think the same thing...Although Hu Hongxiu just made some mistakes, what he said is not without reason."
"Your Majesty." Yan Xiaozhong also stepped forward and raised his head to persuade him. "Chen Bingbu is a real military expert. He came from Jinghu and knows the details of Prime Minister Zhong... Your Majesty must trust him."
The three important ministers spoke at the same time, and only Yang Yizhong remained silent.
When Zhao Jiu saw this, he looked up to the sky and sighed: "Do you think I really don't know that Prime Minister Zhong is a serious threat, or do you really not know that Wanqi Xie is just trying to please me?"
Zhang Jun and Yan Xiaozhong instinctively looked at Chen Gui, who was knowledgeable about military affairs, and Chen Gui also seemed to be full of strategies.
"It's too late, and there's no need." Seeing that there was no one around, Zhao Jiu sighed slightly, and told the truth without waiting for Chen Gui to act. "Right now, the world is temporarily stable, and there are only two obvious rebels, one open and one hidden. One is Zhong Xiang of Dongting Lake, who has not yet officially raised his flag, and the other is the Miao rebellion in the Wuling area of southern Jiangxi, northern Guangdong, and northern Jiangxi... Needless to say, the latter occupies the mountains and has always had a tradition of rebellion. Once it is cleared, it must gather troops from the southeast, and then it will take a long time; while the former also has the support of the Dongting Lake, and it cannot be suppressed without repairing warships and mobilizing troops. But I ask you, what if the Jin people come back when you concentrate your troops to suppress it halfway?"
Chen Gui was immediately stunned.
"Also, why were there so many chaos before? Wasn't it because the Jin invaded in large numbers and the front was defeated, so the defeated soldiers were rampant and the army was full of bandits?" Zhao Jiu continued to speak slowly and seriously. "And why does it seem to be temporarily stable today? This is certainly because I stopped the Jin on the Huai River and blocked some ambitious people in the two routes of Jingdong. It is also because of several small victories on the front line, which made the chaotic soldiers fear the central government again. But in the final analysis, it is actually because the Jin retreated completely..."
Chen Gui and others all nodded solemnly.
"So, if the Jin people come again, not to mention Zhong Xiang and the Five Ridges in the south, even the southeast will be in chaos again! Even if the defeated soldiers from Guanxi enter Bashu again, Bashu will also be in chaos..." Emperor Zhao smiled bitterly and spread his hands. "This is why I dare not go to eliminate Zhong Xiang; this is also why I agreed to let Deyuan enter Shu right away; and this is also why I know that my ministers are being forced so hard right now, and everything in Nanyang is in a hurry, and all arrangements are not long-term plans, but I still pretend not to know the real reason as always... Because I am sure that it won't be long before the Jin people come back!"
The men became more and more serious, and finally Chen Gui said sternly: "May I ask Your Majesty, when do you think the Jin people will send troops to attack again?"
"Who knows?" Amid the cicadas' chirping, Emperor Zhao had a blank expression on his face, and he looked up at the sky with his hands behind his back. "We'll have to ask the Emperor of the Jin Kingdom and those powerful officials with the surname Wanyan... Anyway, it's going to happen faster than we thought!"
"Nianhan!"
Cicadas chirp constantly in midsummer.
In the Jin Dynasty's Yanjing, in the Xingtai Shangshu Province, because the Jin Dynasty's king, Du Bogile, Grand Marshal Wanyan Wuqimai and several other Bogiles were far away in Huining Prefecture, it was Hulu Bogile and Wanyan Aguda's eldest son Wanyan Woben who sat on the left, and Yilai Bogile Wanyan Zonghan who sat on the right, and the two sat on the upper seat together.
Then, the ministers of the royal family and generals of various clans who were currently in Yanjing sat on the left and right, with obvious differences in status.
However, just as the meeting began, everyone suddenly heard someone calling out the name of the leader, Yi Lai Bojilie. They all looked in the direction of the voice, but each of them was stunned.
It turned out that the person who called out to Wanyan Nianhan was Wanyan Wushu, who was sitting on a very thick cushion in the middle of summer.
These are the four sons of Jin Taizu Wanyan Aguda.
"Nianhan!"
Wanyan Wushu tilted his butt, twirled his beard and sneered. "Today, in front of everyone in Yanjing, tell me clearly whether you want to join forces to attack Nanyang?!"
Wanyan Nianhan is almost fifty years old this year, almost twenty years older than Wanyan Wushu. Being questioned in person like this, he was naturally furious. However, seeing Wanyan Oben beside him with a blank expression on his face, just lowering his head to drink tea, he actually endured it, and then smiled slowly:
"Wuzhu, I've already said that the west is also important. Xixia is there, the five routes of Guanxi of the Song Dynasty are there, and even the Mongols on the grasslands need our western army to deal with them, not to mention the unknown situation of Yelu Dashi... With so many things to deal with, how can we ignore them just for a little kid like you?"
In the Xingtai Shangshu Province, the laughter just started and then stopped abruptly because Wanyan Wushu stood up and drew his knife.
