Prime Minister

Chapter 928 The Embarrassed Shen Kuo

Chapter 928 The Embarrassed Shen Kuo

After being told by Zhang Yue that he was seeking a sword by carving a boat, and seeking a fish from a tree, Lu Huiqing and Zhang Yue were already at war.

Zhang Yue understood that the Song army's chariot warfare was unreliable, and it was only when Qi Jiguang made chariots that it flourished, but at that time the Ming army was already equipped with a large number of firearms.The level of firearms in the Song Dynasty was like that.

From a historical point of view, Lu Huiqing's idea of ​​using a car to break a horse is correct, but it is too advanced.

Moreover, car manufacturing is the business of the Military Weapons Supervision, which is the headquarter of the New Party, and it is even more relevant to Lu Huiqing.

And now it is Shen Kuo who is in charge of military weapons supervision.Shen Kuo's ability to win this position is closely related to his origin in the New Party, but at this time Wang Anshi had already begun to hate Shen Kuo.

Because after Wang Anshi dismissed as prime minister, Shen Kuo criticized Wang Anshi's household horse law.

Wang Anshi's idea was to abolish the official horse herding prisons and let the common people raise horses when there was no horse breeding land in the north.

Shen Kuo criticized this. He said that the horses in the Liao Kingdom were all grown on the grasslands and galloped freely, but the horses raised by the Huma Law were all raised in captivity in the homes of ordinary people. How could the cavalry trained in this way compete with the cavalry of the Liao Kingdom?

Is there any truth to what Shen Kuo said?

Still makes sense.

But the problem is that when Wang Anshi didn't dismiss his chancellor before, Shen Kuo didn't say a word, and when he dismissed his prime minister, Shen Kuo stood up and criticized Hu Ma's law.

After that, Shen Kuo was promoted to a direct bachelor, and after Zhang Dun became the envoy of the third division, he also served as a military supervisor.

At this time, Shen Kuo and Lu Huiqing got very close.

Wang Anshi also understood why Shen Kuo criticized the Huma law. At the same time, in order to echo Han Jiang and Zhang Yue, Shen Kuo also put forward the political opinion that the exemption law should not accept household exemption money.

In the end, Wang Anshi was so angry that he cursed Shen Kuo as a "renren".Wang Anshi is a gentleman, and he has never seen him scolding people like this, but this incident shows that Shen Kuo has gone too far.

After Lu Huiqing used Shen Kuo to judge the military weapon supervisor, he proposed the method of chariot warfare in today's palace meeting, which should follow Guan Zhong's punishment of halberds as a means of punishing the people in the past to supplement the country's combat readiness resources.

The intention is self-evident.

But Zhang Yue will not let Lu Huiqing fulfill his wish.

Lu Huiqing countered and said: "Why carve a boat and ask for a sword? When the Liao army attacked Chanzhou with tens of thousands of cavalry in Jingde Dynasty, Li Delong, the general of the dynasty, ordered his soldiers to dig trenches and form a formation with dozens of carts. Po, is this also an act of carving a boat and seeking a sword?"

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, today's carts are not yesterday's carts. The spring and autumn carts are driven by four horses, which is good for light speed. Today's carts are mostly remodeled by folk carts. They are pulled by oxen and cannot travel in a day." Thirty miles, if it rains or snows for a while, you can't do it."

"How can such a chariot resist Khitan cavalry?"

The official nodded slightly upon hearing this.

Lu Huiqing said: "In the past, Wei Qing used Wugang chariots to fight the Xiongnu, Ma Long's box chariots defeated Xianbei, Liu Yu defeated Nanyan with chariot soldiers as two wings, and Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei Dynasty sent 15 cavalry and [-] chariots to the Northern Expedition. Rouran dared not go south, even Han Wei Gong also advocated that chariots can cross Hebei."

"Although chariots and horses are slow, they are good for forming defensive formations on the plains to transport supplies."

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, in the past when Yang Su led the troops to fight against the Turks, he categorically destroyed his own vehicles, and denounced that this is the way to strengthen oneself, not the way to win. In the end, he ordered all the troops to form a cavalry formation and finally defeated the Turks."

"Li Jing is also good at using chariots, but he told Emperor Taizong that chariots are just for defense, and only cavalry can win. As for what Wei Qing said just now, Emperor Taiwu also won with cavalry.

"Although the car has the effect of preventing conflicts and being used for transportation, it is not enough to win without riding. Therefore, the minister advocates that riding by riding is the kingly way, not using cars to control riding."

Lu Huiqing was unwilling to speak again when he heard that he was not convinced, but the officials had already interrupted Lu Huiqing's words, and asked Zhang Yue, "Where is there any horse breeding land in Hebei? The horses raised by this family are fine for pulling carts. As for the conflict I'm afraid that Zhanzhen can't."

As soon as the official household horse law came out, it was exactly what Shen Kuo said, which made Wang Anshi lose face.

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, the local Fangjian now needs five hundred guan to raise a horse. If you buy horses from Tao and Hefan, it will cost only a few dozen guan. I think that the best policy is to adapt to local conditions. After His Majesty took the Xi River, there is this natural horse breeding land, why not take it seriously."

"Buying horses from the vassal department can save money, and it can also benefit the local people and let them know your majesty's kindness. If the carts are not built, they should be bought with materials. The work of hiring a husband and craftsman is both successful and difficult to transport. There is an ox and a horse for each cart, and the cost is unknown!"

The officials were overjoyed upon hearing this.

Seeing this, Lu Huiqing was furious.

Opinion and policy disputes are all competitions for the forces behind them.

Lu Huiqing wanted to "control horses with carts" in order to strengthen the military supervisory power, and Zhang Yue's "control horses with horses" was also to strengthen Xihe Road's position in the imperial court.

Lu Huiqing saw that Wang Anshi had never spoken out in support of her. As for Wu Chong, although Wang Gui did not speak out, he supported Zhang Yue more from the bottom of his heart, and finally retreated back to the class silently.

In the past, no one other than Wang Anshi could make Lu Huiqing so embarrassed when discussing politics before the imperial court.

But at this moment, the official was demoted and said to Zhang Yue: "You are a man who really knows how to fight soldiers. I will buy another [-] horses from Xihe Road, no, [-] horses, and enrich the troops from all walks of life in Hebei. This matter will be handled immediately."

Hearing the emperor's words that he is a man who really knows soldiers, Lu Huiqing's heart was burning with jealousy. Since he took part in politics, the emperor has never praised him for knowing soldiers.

Wu Chong stepped forward and said: "The armies in Hebei have not been in battle for decades, and there are not many cavalry left. They can use Xihe and Shaanxi's various strategic routes to transfer skilled generals to practice."

The official said: "As you played."

"The peace negotiation with Khitan needs to be discussed slowly, but if something unexpected happens, the preparations for war in Hebei and Hedong must not be delayed. The Privy Council will make plans for this matter early."

Both Chen Shengzhi and Cai Ting came and went because of illness, so the matter was mainly handed over to Zhang Yue and Zeng Xiaokuan.

As for Lu Huiqing standing beside the hall, he can feel that after Zhang Yue returned to the court, his status in the eyes of the officials has further declined, so let alone wait for the officials to fall out of harmony with Wang Anshi, I am afraid that there is no place for him in the court. .

What's more, even if Wang Anshi is dismissed, Wu Chong, the Minister of History, will replace him.

……

When he left the palace that day, someone suddenly sent a message to invite him to meet him at a restaurant outside the imperial gate.

Zhang Yue thought to himself, who is so ungrateful?

Now when ordinary officials want to see themselves, they go to the Privy Council for business, and they come to the mansion for private matters, but they can also invite themselves to meet in a small restaurant, just like an underground party.

It's not fair to meet in a restaurant, it's not private.

As soon as Zhang Yue saw that it was Shen Kuo, he suddenly realized that only he could do this.

Zhang Yue changed his clothes and went to the wine shop agreed by Shen Kuo.In the past, when I was a minor official, it was common for me to change into civilian clothes and go to a wine shop, but now as a deputy privy envoy, my every move is watched by countless people, this move is really too reckless.

When we arrived at the wine shop, Shen Kuo had been waiting here for a long time to meet Zhang Yue, and immediately greeted him and said, "Ms. Shen pays homage...to my husband."

Zhang Yue said: "Cunzhong, I haven't seen Xibei Yibie for many years, you don't need to be polite, let's sit down and talk."

Zhang Yue was a general in the northwest, and Shen Kuo had the highest official position in the shogunate.However, although Shen Kuo was recruited by Zhang Yue, the opponent did not treat Zhang Yue as a shogunate.

Zhang Yue also valued Shen Kuo, and treated him as a half equal, not like Wang Shao.

So Shen Kuo returned to Bianjing and immediately voted for Lu Huiqing. Zhang Yue also felt that it was understandable that everyone had their own ambitions.

But Shen Kuo bowed and said: "Shen is now sentenced to military weapons supervision, so... if there is any order in the future, I still... please just order it!"

Zhang Yue was a little surprised that Shen Kuo was suddenly so respectful, as if he would let him be urged in the future.

Zhang Yue didn't look surprised, nor was he in a hurry to help, but just waited and watched.

He sat on the chair first, and then said: "Sit first in storage! Speak slowly."

"Thank you... Thank you, Mr. Xiang."

But seeing that Shen Kuo was already blushing, sitting on the noodle chair opposite Zhang Yue, his face was unnatural.

Zhang Yue looked at Shen Kuo and said with a smile: "Cunzhong, the Military Weapons Supervision is under the jurisdiction of Zhongshu, not under the jurisdiction of the Privy Council. Lu Jifu will not be happy if you say that."

After hearing this, Shen Kuo said urgently: "Master, Shen and... and Lu Jifu... have no close friendship."

what?

This is no friendship?

You didn't say that at first.

Zhang Yue said: "Cunzhong, but seeing that Lu Jifu is about to lose power, are you here to seek my protection?"

Shen Kuo looked embarrassed when he heard the words, but when he saw Zhang Yue uttered his thoughts, he showed a look of relief.

Zhang Yue said to Shen Kuo: "Cunzhong, you are a simple and unpretentious person, like one of my senior brothers. But it is hard to find simplicity in an official, and you have to do it against your will in order to maintain the position and power."

Shen Kuo said: "Your Excellency sees that the teaching is right."

Zhang Yuedao: "In the middle of life, everyone with inner wisdom can reach it, only the outer fool can't. Since you have the strengths of the outer fool, why sacrifice your own strengths and exploit your own weaknesses."

"You first voted for Wang Xianggong, then Han Xianggong, then Lu Xianggong, and now you vote for me. When this matter spreads, everyone will think that you have no persistence."

The most annoying thing in the officialdom is the speculators who do not stand firm.

Shen Kuo said urgently: "Sister, you misunderstood... Misunderstood Shen, the matter of opposing the Huma Law and the Exemption Law is the right of the emperor, I will speak truthfully..."

Zhang Yue asked rhetorically, "Are you really blunt? It wasn't taught to you by others."

After hearing Zhang Yue's last sentence, Shen Kuo looked embarrassed.

Don't say that even a three-foot child can see through Shen Kuo's thoughts behind Zhang Yue.

Zhang Yue said helplessly: "Being clumsy is better than being ingenious. If you can be clumsy and treat people with sincerity, even if you make mistakes, others will forgive you. But... you are like this now, tell me the truth, are these not yours? Did my wife teach you to come here?"

Shen Kuo's expression changed, revealing an expression of how do you know.

Finally, Shen Kuo nodded and stammered: "That's right, I... my wife said that I have offended Wang Xianggong now, and in the future... Lu Jifu will lose power again. Only... Only Zhang Xianggong can take care of Shen in the court hall." certain."

"Ms. Shen is a shy person, not good at dealing with official affairs, and I feel in my heart... I feel that my wife is ten times better than me in seeing things... and there is absolutely no reason to harm me."

Zhang Yue covered his face with his hands when he heard the words, not to mention that Lu Huiqing hadn't lost power yet, and even if she lost power, it wasn't you, Shen Kuo, who offended her.

Not to mention that you have become a family slave with three surnames, you know?

What a short-sighted woman, but you, Shen Kuo, still obey.

Zhang Yue asked: "Cunzhong, I sincerely advise you, you should divorce your wife and marry again!"

Hearing this, Shen Kuo immediately shook his head and stopped stammering: "There is no such possibility, Shen only loves his wife in this life..."

(End of this chapter)