Prime Minister

Chapter 1236: Battle and Defense Strategy (2 chapters combined into 1 chapter)

Chapter 1236: Battle and Defense Strategy (Two Updates Combined into One)

The fifth year of Yuanfeng.

Bianjing was still the same as before, with noise lasting until midnight and only stopping for a while when it was almost dawn.

Although there were no envoys from the Dangxiang and Khitan coming to pay tribute to the emperor during this year's New Year, the people of Bianliang still had a lively time.

Nowadays, the most talked about thing among the common people is the stock of Xihe Exchange, which has soared after the recovery of Liangzhou. After the Hexi Corridor was opened, the Beiji cloth of the Song Dynasty could be sold directly to the Western Regions. The Xihe Road Exchange was also opened directly in Liangzhou.

After the salt notes were linked to salt and bejib, the value of the currency continued to rise.

Thanks to the rise in salt notes, Jiaozi and stocks, the people of Bianliang had a good New Year.

During the Spring Festival, textile factories in Qinzhou, Xizhou, and Yongxing Prefecture did not stop production, and they were all busy weaving Beiji cloth. The new clothes that children and adults in Bianjing wore during the Spring Festival also began to use Beiji cloth materials.

The popularity of Beijibu further stabilized the value of Yanchao and Jiaozi. Now, half of the transactions in Beijing are in cash, and the other half are in Yanchao and Jiaozi. In Shaanxi, Xihe and other places where cash is scarce, Yanchao and Jiaozi are used more.

Zhang Yue got up early, and on the table where breakfast was placed, there were already official bulletins and various tabloids.

The court gazettes were published by the imperial court, while various tabloids were published by the public.

Originally, tabloids contained palace gossip and officials' experiences. In order to attract attention, the content of the tabloids was expressed in the first person, and even the expressions and mental activities of the parties involved were included.

As a historian and popular among the people, Zhang Yue often read about himself in folk tabloids. Whenever he saw those folk self-media imitating the tone of his conversation with the emperor, the empress dowager and officials, Zhang Yue read with great interest.

Although he was restricted in everything he did in the court, he was like Kong Ming in the eyes of tabloid writers. For example, when the government asked him to step down as prime minister, Zhang Yue read seven or eight versions of the story in the tabloids.

Although the content is all random, the Prime Minister's actions must have deep meaning, which makes people feel refreshed when reading it.

Bianjing had a well-developed folk community opera, and the interpretations of various folk stories, scripts, etc., such as Journey to the West, Water Margin, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, were actually not completed in the Ming Dynasty. Many of their story plots were taken from the vernacular novels of the Song and Yuan dynasties, and were finally compiled together by the authors in the Ming Dynasty.

Zhang Yue thought that his story would definitely be adapted from the tabloids and appear in future dramas.

Of course, with the development of Bianliang's economy in recent years, the tabloids have added a lot of salt, money, and stocks. The content of Beijibu has become a financial reading material, which is also a way for Zhang Yue to understand the people of Bianliang.

However, much of the content in tabloids is absurd, and some people even use tabloids to frame political opponents or write based on their own preferences and likes and dislikes.

Many officials advised Zhang Yue to ban it, but he did not do so. As long as it did not criticize the government or his own administration, Zhang Yue would always turn a blind eye to it.

The maid brought various candied fruits, fruit plates, sour and salty snacks, and butcher shops. Zhang Yue took a bowl of porridge that was just the right thickness and chewed it slowly. Eating porridge and reading the court newspapers and tabloids reminded Zhang Yue of the life of a petty official in the Qingshui government office. This was also the first-class life that he envied when he was outside the system before he traveled through time.

The same was true for the people of Bianliang. They had enough food to eat three times a day and all year round, and had some extra money for emergencies. They knew that there were officials and prime ministers, and when they woke up tomorrow, the government would continue in its original direction. Without the warlord unrest and foreign invasions as in the Five Dynasties, they could look forward to peaceful days.

Every year, people can get dividends from stocks. Whether they are hardworking and thrifty people or ambitious speculators, they can see hope for the future in the city of Bianjing.

When traveling, you can ride in carriages, listen to music in brothels, enjoy lanterns at Daxiangguo Temple, watch various arts at theaters, and eat at Imperial Street.

Every one of the people pursues life and loves life. It would be even better if there were no possible war with the Tanguts and Khitans.

Soon Zhang Cheng and Guo Xuan also finished their morning lessons and came to have breakfast. They were both going to take part in this year's Jinshi examination.

Although Zhang Cheng was granted the title of Jinshi by the government, the rules set by Zhang Yue for him were the same as those for his brother Zhang Gen. He was not allowed to be an official without passing the Jinshi exam. As for Guo Xuan, he was currently in the middle dormitory of the Imperial College, and only the upper dormitory of the Imperial College was eligible for exemption from the provincial examination.

However, Guo Xuan managed to pass the Kaifeng Prefecture examination and took part in this year's Jinshi examination together with Zhang Sanyanei.

Zhang Cheng does not have the ambition of his brother. He is the type of person who will work hard only when urged by others. He has always been careless in his studies since he was a child. This makes Shiqi Niang, who hopes her husband will become successful and her son will become successful too, very anxious.

Later, Shiqi Niang saw Guo Xuan's virtue of being eager to learn, so she came up with a plan and asked Guo Xuan to accompany Zhang Cheng to study. Zhang Cheng didn't want to work hard at first, but when he saw Guo Xuan working so hard, he felt ashamed and had to work hard.

Zhang Yue was filled with admiration after seeing Shiqi Niang's methods.

With Guo Xuan's companion in study, the two of them could not help but catch up with each other. It really reminded Zhang Yue of the days when he and his senior brother studied in the mountains, and they were also competing for time and were afraid that they would not read enough books.

That's how the two brothers chased each other back then.

Although Zhang Cheng often slacked off in his studies and was not diligent enough, Zhang Yue was very satisfied with the character of Guo Xuan and Zhang Cheng. Looking at their articles again, they were indeed much better than before. Zhang Yue said happily: "A diligent family prospers, and a diligent person is healthy. If both are diligent and healthy, the family will prosper. Your articles have indeed improved, and I am happy for you and for my senior brother."

"You two must remember that whether it is learning or doing things in the future, you must be diligent."

Guo Xuan knew that Zhang Yue was raising him like his own son or nephew, so he immediately stood up to thank him.

Guo Xuan had a huge halo in his heart for Zhang Yue. He admired him very much and kept every word of his words in his heart.

Zhang Yue was telling the truth. Scholars like Guo Lin and Guo Xuan who were diligent, studious, frugal and honest would sooner or later become successful and prosper the family. Seeing that Senior Brother Guo had such a good son, Zhang Yue was also happy for him.

……

Dutingyi.

Liao Embassy.

At this moment, Liao Linya Xiao Derang and the Liao envoy team were stationed here.

The Song and Liao dynasties treated each other's diplomatic envoys in the same way. Except for official meetings, envoys from each other were not allowed to go out privately to prevent them from secretly eavesdropping on news.

The last time Xiao Derang went out privately was when he won a great victory in Liangzhou. He heard several scholars talking about their "ambition to revive the country" and only then did he know that the Song Dynasty had the ambition to conquer the former territories of the Han and Tang dynasties.

This Dutingyi also has a history. When Zhu Wen wanted to kill Li Keyong, he set fire to the Dutingyi (then called Shangyuanyi) where Li Keyong was staying. Li Keyong escaped death, but in the end, the two sides had a grudge and fought against each other for decades.

In addition to Duting Posthouse, this time the Dangxiang also sent envoys to the Song Dynasty later than the Liao Kingdom.

Although the two sides did not come together and acted as if they had their own purposes, the Song Dynasty knew it well, and it meant that the two countries were exerting pressure at the same time. In addition to the Liao and Dangxiang envoys, there were envoys from the Qingtang tribe in Tongwenguan and envoys from Aligu in Huaiyuan Posthouse.

Zhang Yue had other intentions in keeping them here.

Among all the posthouses, the Duting Posthouse, which hosted the Liao Kingdom, was of the highest standard. The Liao Kingdom came frequently, and it was common practice for the two countries to congratulate their leaders on New Year's Day, birthdays, and winter solstice.

Now Cai Jing and Chen Guan, as the accompanying envoys, came to Duting Posthouse and Duting West Posthouse respectively to negotiate with the envoys from Liao and Dangxiang who came this time, and then reported to Zhang Yue who had just arrived at the West Hall of the Secretariat.

Cai Jing said to Zhang Yue: "The Prime Minister, the Liao envoy said that the Dangxiang have been feeling uneasy since they lost their territory and have repeatedly asked the Liao for help. The Liao ruler, Yelu Hongji, also suspected that the Song Dynasty also had the intention to recover Youyan."

"I answered at that time, 'The Liao Kingdom is causing trouble for some reason. The land of Liangzhou was taken by Cao Zhongshou, the governor of Guiyi Army, who asked for help from me. There is actually no need to argue about this matter. The two countries are at peace.'"

"The Liao envoy said, 'Today, Liao and Dangxiang have already had a marriage relationship, and the two families are like one family. So we should inform Xia that we must take back Liangzhou and return the territory we have seized.'"

"Your humble servant answered, although the Tanguts and Liao were related by marriage, they were subjects of our dynasty. Since Li Jiqian, the founding of the country and the granting of surnames were all favors from our dynasty. The territory of the Tanguts was also the land of the prefectures and counties of our dynasty. Return the fortress? It was our land, so how can we return it?"

Zhang Yue was very satisfied with Cai Jing's answer and said, "What you said is very in line with the national system."

Zhang Yue asked Cai Jing, "What do you think if we don't agree to the Liao envoy?"

Cai Jing said: "The Liao people came here to make terms in advance. If we really want to fight, we have to wait until autumn."

Then Chen Guan reported: "The Dangxiang envoy said that the Eastern Dynasty invaded and seized land, seized Liangzhou, and built fortresses near key points. This is harmful to the reconciliation between the two families. We request that the troops be returned, the fortresses be destroyed, and all the invaded territory be returned. Otherwise, we will raise an army to recover it."

"When I asked other questions, the Tangut envoy did not answer and did not discuss the amount. I wonder if he followed the Liao envoy's lead?"

Zhang Yue asked, "What is the attitude of the Tangut envoy? Are they really determined?"

Chen Guan said: "I think the Tanguts have said this many times since the Xining period, but the Khitan and Tanguts sent envoys together this time, so we can't take it lightly. As Cai Xueshi said just now, we don't expect to raise troops in spring and summer, but we do have the responsibility to prepare for autumn."

Cai Jing was able to get along well with both Wang Gui and Zhang Yue, and now he has been promoted to the position of Director of the Academy of Scholars.

Zhang Yue said: "This time the Khitan and Tangut countries have come together. The attitude of the Khitan is indeed different from when Xiao Xi came to fight for the territory."

"You two should keep quiet for now. I will report this to the Emperor and we will discuss this later."

After Cai Jing and Chen Guan left, Zhang Yue stood up to see the emperor.

At this moment, Wang Gui, Cai Que, Li Qingchen, and several other officials, including Fan Chunren, the head of the Censorate, were discussing matters in the East Hall of the Central Secretariat. This time, Li Qingchen was the head of the provincial examination in the spring.

Fan Chunren said, "Prime Minister, the reason I opposed the reform in the beginning was that I was afraid that Your Majesty would be like Wang Anshi; the reason I oppose the war with Liao and Tangut is the same."

"In recent years, the historian has been building fortresses to trap the enemy, but the transportation of money and fodder requires the use of guards and hired porters, which costs money. The court has wasted a lot of money because of this. Now the best policy is to give the people a rest and take care of the public and private forces."

"Our dynasty has been on good terms with the Liao Kingdom for eighty years, and the people of the two countries have not heard of war for a long time. Is it worth breaking this alliance for the sake of a Liangzhou city and a Yelu Yixin?"

Wang Gui just smiled and said nothing when he heard what Fan Chunren said. Seeing Wang Gui was silent, Fan Chunren said anxiously, "This is not just my opinion, but the opinion of many ministers."

"I heard that Lord Zhaowen is a gentleman. Although most of the court officials are silent, they do not criticize him in their hearts. I just don't know who will be the next in line after Lord Feng is demoted?"

Cai Que frowned and asked, "What do you mean?"

Fan Chunren glanced at Cai Que and said very straightforwardly, "What I am saying is that since Prime Minister Feng left, no one in the two governments dares to disagree with Prime Minister Zhang."

As soon as these words were spoken, Cai Que's face suddenly darkened, and even Wang Gui was displeased.

However, everyone knew that Fan Chunren was a loyal and upright person. As the second son of Fan Zhongyan, he always said what he thought. Over the years, Wang Anshi, Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu, Xue Xiang, Wang Gui and other ministers in the court were criticized by him. Even the two emperors Yingzong and the current emperor were scolded by him.

The government couldn't stand him, so they sent him to govern the local area.

Fan Chunren always put the people first when he was in office. When he was the governor of Qingzhou, he saw that the people were starving, so he opened the Changping granary to provide relief. Others advised him not to do so, but he said that he would bear the blame if the emperor blamed him.

When the government found out about this, they sent people to investigate him. The local people were afraid that he would be arrested, so they worked day and night to return the food and settle the accounts.

When he was appointed as the governor of Qizhou, he was lenient with criminal laws, loved the people and brought peace to the local area. In the end, Fan Chunren was recalled by the court because of his excellent performance.

Wang Gui had the means to control officials all over the country, but he had no way to control such an honest official, so he could only smile and say: "Mr. Fan is right, you can go back first!"

Fan Chunren stood up to say goodbye, and Wang Gui also stood up to see Fan Chunren out. The officials in the Secretariat were also respectful and polite to Fan Chunren, and did not dare to neglect him at all.

As the prime minister, Wang Gui was still too respectful to see the official off, but he found a way to say to his attendants: "I am honoring Wen Zhenggong."

Everyone sat down again, and Li Qingchen said, "Recently, the ministers have indeed been discussing a lot. The historian has been making a fuss about the border affairs for many years. This is a plan to protect the country. It was possible to deal with Qingtang and Dangxiang before, but what if Liao and Dangxiang come together?"

"A plan to consolidate our position?" Wang Gui shook his head. "As officials, without the trust of His Majesty, who can accomplish anything? So what if we consolidate our position?"

"As long as you can win, it's right."

Li Qingchen said, "But the Khitans are strong and powerful. Emperor Taizong and Emperor Zhenzong could not defeat them in the past. How can they defeat them now? Moreover, there are now Tanguts. I am afraid that the historian will insist on his own way."

Cai Que said: "Obtaining Liangzhou is indeed what the historian is most proud of. Now he is absolutely unwilling to withdraw from Liangzhou in exchange for territory. Your Majesty is also unwilling."

Li Qingchen said: "Your Majesty may not want to do so, but we are not willing to do so either. However, the situation is pressing. If Liao and Tangut join forces, how can we resist them? How can we risk the safety of the whole country and the country?"

"I think your majesty must have other concerns in his heart."

……

Inside the Jiying Hall, the emperor paced back and forth until someone announced that Zhang Yue had arrived. Only then did his expression ease a little.

"What does Dangxiang Khitan mean?" the official asked.

Zhang Yue said: "As mentioned before, it means returning the land. Judging from the urgency of the words, it is expected that if you do not agree, you will send troops south."

The emperor said, "I think the Tanguts are not as numerous as before after they left Liangzhou."

Zhang Yue said: "Nowadays, the court sees border reports that mostly say the Westerners are already weak. If they say the troops have retreated, then they will definitely say that this report is true. If it says that the Westerners are gathering troops, then the court will mostly say that this report is false."

"I think that although Westerners are not as good as before, they are not to this extent."

Zhang Yue's words hit the mark of the emperor's mind. The border situation was not good now, and in order to please the emperor, the officials and eunuchs below tried their best to say things that belittled the Dangxiang.

Zhang Yue saw the emperor's expression and said, "If my prediction is correct, Liao and Dangxiang will join forces and march south in late autumn."

"What can I do?"

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, we should strike first. The Tanguts were willing to negotiate peace before, but now they are unwilling to negotiate peace. Let's attack them first. I suggest that we can attack from three sides: Hedong, Fuyan, and Jingyuan."

"The most important of the three routes is Jingyuan. Your Majesty can gather troops from Xi, Qin, and Jing, and then build three camps to the north to provoke the Dangxiang to attack!"

After hearing Zhang Yue's words, the emperor did not agree and seemed embarrassed.

The emperor said, "The ministers all said that we must follow the Liao's proposal. It is difficult to defeat the Khitan and Tangut with our current national strength. Although I am not afraid of the Khitan, I don't want to cause this trouble before destroying the Tangut and being attacked from two sides."

Zhang Yue said, "Your Majesty, I think the Liao Kingdom has known about this for a long time. Its envoys have asked whether the Song Dynasty intends to recover Youyan since it has already taken Liangzhou. These two are the old territories of the Han and Tang dynasties. Since we will have to fight with the Liao people sooner or later, Your Majesty should not care about the gains and losses in the short term, but look at the long-term victory or defeat. Even if we cannot defeat the Liao people now, it doesn't matter. As long as both sides win and lose, our dynasty can be encouraged by this."

"If we work together, endure humiliation and work hard, we will surely become stronger. The worst thing is that we admit defeat before the fight even begins."

The emperor nodded and said, "The matter of defending against Liao and Xia is entirely up to you."

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, I have already made arrangements. Su Shi has already set off for Goryeo. As long as we can contact the Khitan Jurchens, I will not ask about the rest."

"Liangzhou and Lanzhou have newly established ten commanders of the Han-Fan cavalry, each with a strength of 500 men."

"In addition, the governors of Hebei, Hedong and Shaanxi must select capable and smart generals..."

The emperor suddenly asked, "What do you think of Zhang Dun?"

Zhang Yue was stunned. What the emperor said was not groundless. This time Feng Jing left his position, Xue Xiang passed away, and both the Secretariat and the Privy Council were short of people.

He had long guessed that the emperor wanted Zhang Dun to return to the court to serve as a councilor, and that this time he was testing his intentions.

The official said: "Among the court officials who advocated the new law at the beginning, people like Wang Anshi, Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu and others were truly public-spirited, while people like Lu Huiqing and Deng Wan were selfish. This is the consensus of the court and the public."

Zhang Yue said: "Zhang Dun does things with a public heart, but he is too talkative to court officials and is not polite to others. When he interacts with his colleagues, he likes to hurt others with his words."

The emperor smiled slightly after hearing this. He was of course well aware of Zhang Dun's character. It was precisely because Zhang Dun was upright that he liked or felt that such a minister was easier to control.

He liked to understand the characters of his ministers through their mutual evaluations.

Zhang Yue thought for a moment and said, "Zhang Dun, if we talk about his talents, his strengths lie in his courage, but his weaknesses lie in his arrogance. I think Zhang Dun's talents can be used to help people in dangerous situations, but he should not be used to help people in plain places; he can be used for his own benefit, but he should not be used by the masses."

"Why can't we use the masses?" the official asked.

Zhang Yue said: "If you can use him, if you let Dun take up a post, he will be promoted. If you let him be in charge of the Military Equipment Bureau, the Military Equipment Bureau will be well managed. If Your Majesty lets him be a commander in a local area, he will be able to handle the local affairs."

"But you can't use the opinions of the masses. The two ministries should employ gentlemen. Zhang Dun failed to learn from others' strengths, but was self-centered. He employed those who agreed with him and dismissed those who disagreed. In this way, he only employed people who were complicit, so villains were promoted and gentlemen were kept away."

The official nodded slightly.