Prime Minister

"Your Majesty, there is a mistake in Zhang Yue's plan for Xihe!"

The speaker was none other than Wang Zhongzheng, who was transferred back to Bianjing from Xihe.

Wang Zhongzheng and Zhang Yue were at odds in Xihe, and were expelled from the seat inherited by Zouma and replaced by Li Xian.However, because Wang Zhongzheng made great contributions in overseeing the army in Baicheng, and at the same time carried out the orders of the emperor, regardless of whether he was right or wrong, he was quite pleased with the emperor, so he was added as the envoy of Xuanzhao, and he knew it when he entered the palace.

After Wang Zhongzheng returned to the court to report on his duties, he told the emperor about Zhang Yue's domineering.

The Son of Heaven knew clearly that Wang Zhongzheng and Zhang Yue were at odds, but he took his ancestors' opinions to stir up trouble, and often listened to his words and consulted Xihe's military.

Now Wang Zhongzheng saw the gap and said to the emperor: "Your Majesty, when Zhang Yue abandoned Yigong City, His Majesty thought that Zhang Yue had far-sighted plans, but now it seems that his heart is unpredictable."

"Yigongcheng ruled Taozhou in the south, and built stone troops in the north. Zhang Yue abandoned the important land and ignored it, so he was able to capitalize on the enemy's strength. He also appointed Bian Sibo, the grandson of Guizhang, as the leader of Guizhang's department. This person is Guizhang. Grandson, how can you sincerely submit to this lord?"

"Now that the rebellion of the side servants has appeared, what is the contribution of the imperial court to spend millions of money and food in Pingtao Prefecture before? The crime of impeaching Zhang Yue!"

The emperor was suspicious of Wang Zhongzheng's words, and called Zhang Zhi to inquire.

Zhang Zhi said: "Your Majesty, the land of Hehuang has been in the hands of the Qiang people for hundreds of years. There is no reason for it to be settled by war. If you rule it, you will rebel after a long time. My uncle wants to make Hehuang safe for the country for a hundred years. The imperial court has nothing to worry about."

Hearing Na Zhangzhi's words, the Son of Heaven happily shook his hand and said, "Fortunately, you have broken it down."

Although Zhang Zhijian listened to his words, he still had doubts and could not go.

Zhang Zhi turned around and asked Cai Que, Cai Que said: "The army is out, and rumors and rumors come into Beijing every day. Duty is the vision of the emperor and the prime minister, and he is responsible for Pingxia. If it is too late to make contributions, there will be resentment. The meritorious service is too great and suspicious, and there is a dilemma before and after, and it is the right way to return to the court as soon as possible, and not to serve as a general in Xihe."

Zhang Zhi listened to Cai Que's words and said: "If you don't want to, you can't. The matter of Xihe can't be abandoned halfway."

Cai Que thought about it and said: "Forget it, I guess it must be Wang Zhongzheng who started the rumors. This man is arrogant and greedy for money. You can ask people to bribe him to talk about it. Make sure he doesn't talk about it, that is to help Uncle Ling."

Zhang Zhi heard the words and said angrily: "This person has repeatedly slandered and framed my uncle, how can I flatter him and give him money."

Cai Que said with a sneer when he heard the words: "Those who want to achieve great things, there is no one who doesn't experience grievances and patience. Now that Du Zhi is ruling the army of Xihe, once he succeeds, it will be an achievement that will never be easy. Compared with it, what are these humiliations?"

"If you really can't swallow this breath, it won't be too late to take revenge on Wang Zhongzheng after Uncle Ling succeeds and returns to the court."

Zhang Zhi calmed down a little when he heard the words, and said: "There are many rumors in the court, and there may be more than one Wang Zhongzheng."

Cai Que smiled and said: "Except for Wang Zhongzheng, there is nothing to worry about... The people who ridiculed you in the initial arrangement are just the same group of people who will come to compliment you when you become famous in the future."

Zhang Zhi was startled, and then laughed out loud.

Immediately, Zhang Zhizhi said, Brother Cai didn't know what he had gone through to be able to be so insightful into people's hearts and see things in the world.

Zhang Zhi adopted Cai Quezhi's words, but he had his own ideas. He bribed the official Shi Deyi with money.After Shi Deyi got the money, he talked to Wang Zhongzheng. Wang Zhongzheng was afraid that Shi Deyi promised not to slander him anymore, but he secretly hated him.

The next day the Son of Heaven saw Wu Chong, and asked him again: "Now that the side servants are conspiring against each other, can it be said that Zhang Yue made a mistake in planning Taozhou?"

Wu Chong said: "Your Majesty, when Cao Cao attacked Yuan Shao's sons, Guo Jia said that Yuan Shao's sons would rescue each other if they were in a hurry, and fight if they were slow. Therefore, if you retreat and your son is in civil strife, you can decide at one stroke if you attack again."

"Now Biansi Bojie and Xibawen are like Yuan Shao's sons. If our army wins a duke, these two will join forces with Taozhou's tribe to fight. Now I have retreated a duke, but I have Xibawen to help Right now, we only need to wait for the side servants to show signs of turning around, and then we can unite with Xiba to attack them."

"Currently, there is no food in the prefectures and Tibetans for the winter, and there are constant internal struggles. This is His Majesty Tianyu's desire to win Hehuang. He can take over Taozhou in one fell swoop by abandoning every single city. Why not do it?"

The emperor thought it was true and said, "That's exactly the case."

……

At this moment in Yigong City, the side servant Bojie listened to Xi Bawen's confidant, but his heart was full of doubts.

But it is said that after Xibawen descended to the Song Dynasty, Zhang Yue sent him to live in Tabai City to recruit the Taozhou tribe.

After Xibawen was stationed, there were indeed many old Taozhou Fan tribes who came to vote, plus the tribes that followed him, more than [-] Fan tribe soldiers gathered in their hands.

Zhang Yue also generously took all the money from Hezhou to support him, and promised to let him replace Biansibo after Taozhou was peacefully appointed as the governor of Taozhou.

Xi Bawen expressed his gratitude with words.

Over there, Xi Bawen sent a reliable confidant to come to Yigong City secretly to tell Bian Si Bojie that the Song Dynasty will annex Taozhou sooner or later. Being Song Chen is not what I mean.

Therefore, Xi Bawen felt that he regretted surrendering to the Song Dynasty, so he told him about it.

He also said that the Song army is now empty in Hezhou, and now he is stationed in Baicheng again, and let the side servant Bojie lead the army to attack. He can serve as an internal response, and everyone will rebel against Song and divide Hezhou equally.

After hearing the other party's report, the side servant Bojie asked people to entertain the other party with wine and food first.

Bian Sibo summoned Han counselors to discuss.

The Han counselor said: "The matter of Xi Bawen is probably a trick of the Song people, it cannot be believed."

Bian Sibo concluded: "I also have this suspicion, but I feel that if it is true, it is not a good opportunity that was lost for nothing. Besides, it is true that the Song army withdrew from the states, but now the Song army in Xihe has few people."

The Han counselor said: "Your Majesty's plan is exactly what your Majesty is planning. Let's not talk about whether Xibawen's surrender is true or not. But the Song people did not allow us to trade in Taozhou and the aboriginal tribes. Now everyone is short of food for the winter, and the rest is also in short supply. If we don't When attacking the Song Dynasty, where does the food come from? The tribe does not blame the Song people, but the king."

Bian Sibo concluded: "That's right, in the final analysis we still want to attack Song! But attacking Hezhou is for fear of fraud. If the Song army really wants to ambush me in Hezhou, it's better to attack Minzhou with all its troops!"

The Han counselor said: "Exactly. But this matter requires Leng Jipu to follow us into the army."

Bian Sibo concluded: "He has been talking to me that there is not enough food. Since the Song people don't give us food, we will go and grab it. If he refuses to send troops, I will talk to Ali Gu."

Dong Zhan and Ali Gu also knew what it means to have a cold lips and teeth, Zhang Yue opened up the Hezhou market in Xizhou and said that he would help them regain Liangzhou Prefecture in Xixia.

But they thought that Zhang Yue would not be so kind. On the contrary, once the Song people annexed Taozhou, the next step would be to take Qingtang.So they let Leng Jipu stay here to guard against Zhang Yue's move.

No matter how the strategy is made, how vague the strategy is, but the person who can play chess is above the IQ.

So in the end, it is up to one's own strength to decide the outcome.

The Han counselor said: "However, once the king attacks Minzhou with all his strength, he will completely tear himself apart from Song Dynasty. Please think again, Your Majesty."

The side servant Bo Jie smiled, grabbed the good bow on the wall and said: "You Han people have a saying that there is no turning back when you shoot a bow. This is what I want to say."

……

Xihe six years, December.

Xizhou City is now in the depths of winter, and curfews have been imposed in the city and outside the city.

There are soldiers on the sculls in each city guarding and looking out, and the horns are hung around their necks. Once the enemy is found, they will blow the horns and sound the alarm.

In the streets and alleys of the city, there are iron cables running across the hanging bells, not only to isolate pedestrians, but also as a warning. Once someone touches the hanging bells on the iron cables, soldiers in the city will rush here from all directions.

The last time Guizhang broke through Tabai City, after which the Xizhou market was ransacked by the Tibetans. After this incident, the merchants were like a bird of fright, and the Song army also raised their vigilance on the market and the city.

This atmosphere caused many Han merchants to return to Qinzhou. Only the foreign merchants could only live temporarily, waiting for Han merchants to come to trade with them the next day.

If they can't wait, they can only sell all the goods in their hands to Shiyi Division at a low price.

War is like a dark cloud in the sky, which can fall on everyone's head at any time, which makes the daily transactions of Xizhou market drop by as much as [-]%.Both Han merchants and Tibetan merchants are looking forward to the early end of the war or simply don't fight it.

But this matter will not change with their wishes.

For the strategy and will of the entire country, the expectations of these businessmen are insignificant.

"Marshal, the side servant Bojie has dispatched troops! There is also Leng Jipu, and they have also dispatched troops!"

Zhang Yue was reading a book indoors, while the staff beside him were doing their own things.

After hearing the report, no one was too surprised, and some continued to deal with the matter at hand.Cai Jing glanced at the other party, took the official document from the other party's hand and asked, "Is it a kind of teacher's way that made you come? How many people did they dispatch?"

The other party nodded, looked at Cai Jing with a calm face and said: "It is said that there are 20 people, and the momentum is very large."

Xu Xi who was on the side said: "It is said that there are 20 people? Then there are still 10 people. The Qing and Tang tribes have always fought with the whole family, removing the old, weak, sick and disabled, and only [-] to [-] are strong!"

Seeing Xu Xi's boastful words, beads of sweat rolled down the forehead of the person who delivered the letter, and thought to himself that there were also 10 people, why did the other party not panic at all?

"Give me three pens of money, and give me another meal!" Zhang Yue said, he had just put down his book at the moment.

"Thank you, Commander!" The other party clasped his fists in great joy and stepped back!
Cai Jing came to Zhang Yue's side and said: "It seems that the servant Bo Jie did not fall for the trick, but led the whole army to Minzhou."

That's right, before Zhang Yue had indeed ordered Xiba Wen to surrender to the border servants, and then left elite soldiers in ambush in various parts of Hezhou, setting up a net to wait for the opponent to attack.

But Bian Si Bojie was not deceived, which made all his arrangements come to nothing.

However, Bian Sibo's attack on Minzhou is also within Zhang Yue's plan.Song Jun will not put all the odds of winning on one strategy.After all, Bian Si Bojie is not his own dog, so he can run wherever he wants.

Therefore, even if the plan fell through, they were not discouraged. The staff team at the Jinglue Mansion had already planned the overall situation in advance.

Zhang Yue walked in front of Xihe Yutu, and all the staff members gathered behind him at this moment.

Zhang Yue Miantu said confidently and firmly: "I was only worried that the side servants would not rebel, but if he rebelled against the Song Dynasty, he would die!"

After speaking, Zhang Yue struck the only road from Taozhou to Minzhou on the map with a wooden stick: "Where is this?"

Xu Xi said: "Sir, it's the iron city fortress guarded by a kind of general!"