manynovel Chapter 1265: War and Two Hands
Chapter 1265: War and Two Hands
Chapter 1265: War and Two Hands
Inside the West Hall of Zhongshu.
"Prime Minister, these are locusts caught in the suburbs."
Zhang Yue looked at the locusts handed to him by his subordinates and nodded. Cai Bian beside him said, "Prime Minister, the color is still green. It seems that the locust plague this year is not serious!"
When locusts live alone, their color is green, and they do not cause much harm at this time.
But once the locusts gather, they are doomed. When large swarms of locusts gather, they turn from green to dark brown, with their backs turning black and their abdomens turning brown.
At this time, there was a terrible locust plague.
Therefore, locusts living in groups and solitary locusts are two different creatures, and locusts are highly poisonous when they change color, so they must not be eaten at this time.
Therefore, the affected people should not be encouraged to eat locusts that have changed color.
Officials of the Song Dynasty knew basic common sense about identifying the colors of locusts.
Soon another official presented it and said, "Prime Minister, these are locusts from near Daming, Hebei!"
Zhang Yue picked it up, looked at it, and nodded.
Another official presented the message: "These are locusts sent from Yongxing Prefecture."
Zhang Yue carefully identified the locust and said, "Yes!"
The rest included locusts sent from Lianghuai and other places, but Zhang Yue just took a quick look at them.
"Luckily, Hebei and Shaanxi are relatively peaceful this year. Although there have been some minor disasters, at least there have been no locust plagues!"
Cai Bian came to a conclusion.
Zhang Yue looked at Cai Bian approvingly, he knew what he was thinking.
Zhang Yue said to Cai Bian, "Yuan Du! Why are locusts different when they live alone and when they live in groups?"
Cai Bian said: "I don't know. Could it be that the Prime Minister is trying to teach people about seclusion and officialdom?"
Zhang Yue smiled and said, "Yuan Du, this is one of them."
"The most fundamental principle in the world is yin and yang. In fact, the same is true for locusts. When a locust is alone, it is green because it wants to avoid enemies and hide in the grass."
"When locusts live in groups, they are still black. Now they are exposed in broad daylight to attract their companions and to tell their natural enemies that they are highly poisonous. Ordinary birds dare not eat them at this time!"
Cai Bian said: "I am grateful for your advice."
Zhang Yue smiled and said, "In fact, the world is so big, and it is like this. There are reasons for people to live alone, and there are also reasons for people to live in groups."
"You said a swarm of locusts was coming. What if I encountered one locust that refused to change its color to black? What should I do?"
Cai Bian said: "Prime Minister, Yuan Chang told me before that the Han system is used by kings and hegemons."
“Just as the way of heaven is to reduce the excess and replenish the deficiency, the way of man is to reduce the deficiency and serve the excess.”
"The way of man is good for the individual, but harmful to the family and the country. The way of heaven is of no benefit to the individual, but beneficial to the family and the country."
Zhang Yue smiled slightly. He was now testing a student and also passing on his experience in governing.
Cai Bian said: "Prime Minister, the way the court employs people is just like these locusts, they can be distinguished by their black and green colors."
"When a prime minister is in power, he does not necessarily use people who are completely like him, such as Cheng Yi and Lu Huiqing, just as locusts are different in color from black to green. As long as they are useful to the country."
"For example, Yuan Chang and Su Ziyou are at odds, but they must tolerate each other for the sake of the Prime Minister's overall interests. They should not be excluded just because of their different colors!"
Zhang Yue nodded and said, "It's good that you understand. In the future, if you want to promote unity, you must first tolerate differences."
"The court is full of different opinions, and you often feel that you are hindered, and you always think that once you have power, you can issue orders. But this policy is beneficial to the entire family and country, otherwise it will be harmful."
"Even you are right. For example, would you rather tolerate Feng Jing and Sun Gu as prime ministers, or would you rather have Sima Guang as prime minister in the future? So you and Yuan Chang must remember that things will turn into the opposite when they reach the extreme!"
Cai Bian said: "The way of heaven is like a drawn bow. I have learned from your teachings."
Zhang Yue nodded slowly and said, "That's right. If these people are different today, they may not be the same in the future."
"Leave a way out for yourself so that you can meet again in the future! Don't do things to the extreme."
"Just as if you want to fight with someone, you must first win him over. If you want to win someone over, you must first fight with him. These methods will achieve twice the result with half the effort."
"As long as you always remember that your original intention is always for the country and the world. And a one-man show is never the best solution at any time."
"I can only tell you these words. If anyone else hears them, they will become possessed."
Cai Bian said: "Bian has learned from your teachings."
As they were talking, someone nearby said, "Prime Minister, Su Shi has returned from his diplomatic mission to Goryeo."
Zhang Yue was overjoyed when he heard this.
"Here is Su Shi's handwritten letter to the Prime Minister!"
The official gave the letter to Zhang Yue, who read it quickly and said with great joy, "Zizhan has fulfilled his mission and accomplished the task."
All the officials were surprised and delighted when they heard this.
When the Liao Kingdom threatened the Song Dynasty with war, Su Shi must have been on an important mission when he was sent to Goryeo. Now that he has returned, judging by Zhang Yue's expression, he must have brought some good news.
I don’t know what great things Su Shi accomplished for Zhang Yue.
……
During this month, negotiations between Song and Liao have been ongoing.
The Liao envoy Xiao Xi has already made it clear that he will not return without the letter of credence and the oath!
The person in charge of the negotiations was still the Privy Councilor Sun Gu, but Sun Gu was often ill these days, and the deputy envoy of the negotiations was replaced by Hanlin Academician Chen Mu.
Now in Duting Posthouse, Chen Mu was very angry.
Xiao Xi was extremely arrogant, but the problem was that he saw through Sun Gu's strengths and weaknesses, putting the Song-Liao negotiations completely passive.
Chen Guan said to Chen Mu, "The Liao envoy seems to be full of confidence now. Xiao Xi is determined to write the matter of returning Liangzhou into the letter of credence!"
"Not giving in at all."
Chen Mu said: "The Prime Minister has indicated that the matter of returning Liangzhou may not be impossible to write, but let's polish it first."
"Xiao Xi said before that he would only give us three days!"
Chen Mu angrily yelled, "French dog!"
"If we really don't agree, will Liao really send troops to attack Song as soon as he returns?"
Chen Guan said: "The Liao Kingdom is targeting the Dangxiang now, so they are fearless."
Chen Mu paced with his hands behind his back and said, "That's exactly what happened. That's why you and I have to hold back our anger for now and continue talking with the Liao envoy!"
The officials below were all angry at the conversation between Chen Mu and Chen Guan.
The Liao envoys insulted them again and again and treated the Song Dynasty as nothing.
Just at this moment, an official came in and whispered a few words to Chen Mu.
Chen Mu said with surprise, "Zizhan really got it done."
Chen Guan asked, "What's the matter?"
Chen Mu said: "Zizhan was treated with courtesy by the ruler of Goryeo from top to bottom during his mission to Goryeo this time."
"In particular, our dynasty has promised to send Goryeo 1,000 rolls of cotton cloth by sea every year in exchange for Goryeo's agreement to open a market in Yizhou and trade with Liao for six months."
Chen Guan and the other officials were both happy and sad when they heard this.
The good news is that the relationship between our dynasty and Goryeo has become closer, but the sad thing is that we have to give Goryeo one thousand pieces of cotton cloth every year, which can be said to be a disguised form of annual tribute.
Use this condition as bargaining chip in negotiations with the Liao Kingdom.
Chen Guan said sadly: "The price of a piece of cotton cloth is three to five times that of silk, and there is still no demand. Every winter, many people freeze to death in the streets of Bianjing. If there were cotton cloth to make clothes, people would not suffer like this! How many lives could be saved."
Chen Mu said: "There is nothing we can do! Given the current state of our country, we have been enduring the Liao Kingdom for nearly a hundred years."
"It's ridiculous that the officials in the court keep talking about peace all day long. Whenever the court wants to revive itself, these people always oppose this or that."
"How many people can truly plan for the world like Jing Gong and the Prime Minister? It is impossible for us to make this humiliation public, and in the end, those scholars will only say that we have lost our rights and humiliated the country!"
Chen Guan said: "We can only talk about it first. I don't know if it can be done as the Liao envoy wants!"
……
After a while, Chen Mu, Chen Guan and Xiao Xi sat opposite each other.
As for the Liao Kingdom's deputy envoy Xiao Delite, he had long been tired of the negotiation life in Bian Jing, and was always nagging about going out hunting.
Now Xiao Xi looked at Chen Mu, and Chen Guan listened to the conditions they proposed.
When they learned that Goryeo allowed trade with Liao in Yizhou, Chen Mu and Chen Guan saw a flash of joy in Xiao Xi's eyes.
Both of them knew that this condition really impressed the other party.
Both of them showed a look of relief.
That's right, when Xiao Xi came to the Song Dynasty for negotiations, the Liao Dynasty's Prime Minister Yelu Po secretly instructed him about the Yizhou matter.
Yizhou and Baozhou are located east of the Yalu River.
Goryeo had always demanded these two pieces of land from the Liao Kingdom.
However, Liao refused to give it to Goryeo, and the two sides were in a stalemate. Because the land in Yizhou and Baozhou was very poor, and Goryeo refused to open a market, Liao had to send supplies from the east coast to the west coast over a long distance.
In addition, the merchant caravans were unwilling to go there, so it was very difficult for the Liao Kingdom to maintain its occupation of Yizhou and Baozhou.
To put it bluntly, it is a losing business.
This is the same as Sima Guang's original opposition to the expansion of Xihe Road. Taking these places would not be worth the cost for the Song Dynasty, and it would cost soldiers and money to maintain them. However, the Song Dynasty's economic strength far exceeded that of other countries, so it was not difficult to maintain it.
But the Liao Kingdom was not so good. It came to the Song Dynasty with armed forces to beg for food all day long.
Therefore, maintaining control over Yizhou and Baozhou for a long time would be a considerable expense for the Liao Kingdom.
For the Liao Kingdom, opening a trading market was an urgent matter. The Liao Kingdom had even threatened with war, but Goryeo remained steadfast.
But this time the Song Dynasty achieved this goal for the Liao Kingdom.
It was an exchange of chips among the three parties, and of course the Song Dynasty took the money to satisfy the three parties.
Xiao Xi looked at the two Song envoys and smiled, "I finally believe that your Great Song Emperor is sincere."
"You are truly in a friendly alliance with the Liao Dynasty, not some ignorant people who want to provoke war."
Chen Mu and Chen Guan smiled bitterly upon hearing this, but what else could they do?
Chen Mu said: "The envoy finally understood your majesty's good intentions, so our efforts have not been in vain."
"Your Excellency, can we draft the letter of credence?"
Xiao Xi held out his hand and said, "I remember that my Princess of the Liao Dynasty married the leader of the Tangut State, and your Majesty has not yet sent a gift."
"This really undermines the diplomatic relations between the two countries that have lasted for many years!"
"I think that you, the Song Dynasty, should give us another 200,000 strings of cash as a gift."
After hearing what Xiao Xi said, Chen Mu and Chen Guan were both furious.
Chen Guan wanted to stand up, but was held down by Chen Mu.
Xiao Xi ignored Chen Guan's provocation and said slowly, "These two hundred thousand strings of cash can be used as money, salt notes, or silk cloth."
"Our Majesty won't mind, but your sincerity must be shown to His Majesty."
"As long as you agree to this, you can temporarily not write anything on the letter of credence! Otherwise, you still have to write it."