Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

"My dear Li, how much do you think it will cost?" Emperor Xifeng also asked.

Li Meng secretly groaned in his heart and wished he could skin Jia Cong alive, but as the Grand Commander and the seal holder of the Five Military Commanders' Office, he dared not not express his opinion.

Yin pondered and said, "Your Majesty, I think if everyone is more frugal and plans more carefully, we can save two million taels of silver."

"Only two million? Haha... Commander-in-Chief Li is too joking. What use can this be?" The civil servants sneered.

Feng Yuan looked arrogant, stretched out his fingers and made a sign of eight, saying: "Grand Commander, don't worry. Yuan is a straightforward person. The Ministry of Revenue can offer a maximum of 8 million silver coins."

Li Meng's face darkened, and he frowned and said, "If that's the case, it's better not to fight this war, so as to avoid losing the Western Region and suffering a defeat. Lord Feng can even save eight million."

"Yes, what can eight million do? It's not even enough to feed and pay salaries to 200,000 people." The nobles started clamoring again.

Emperor Xifeng glanced at everyone indifferently, snorted coldly, and the hall suddenly became quiet.

Lin Ruhai coughed lightly and said, "My lords, please don't get too emotional. This is all for national affairs. Why get angry? It's best to discuss it and handle it properly."

"Lord Lin is right." Jia Cong first expressed his support, and then calmly shut up.

You can't always do the dirty work of bargaining with Feng Yuan yourself.

Li Meng had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "If we can win the battle quickly, we can save a lot of money and food. This way, we only need 15 million silver..."

"Too much."

Before he could say anything, all the civil servants shook their heads and sighed, as if Li Meng was an eternal sinner.

Li Meng also lay down, bowed and said: "Your Majesty, the military strategy says that food and fodder must be sent before troops move. If there are fewer than this number, I really don't know how to conquer thousands of miles of land in the Western Regions.

Please lead the army to the battle. I am willing to serve as a vanguard and die for your majesty."

"Master Li has given up his responsibility to the Emperor."

"Are the nobles who have been blessed by the emperor so willing to take on the easy tasks?"

"Let us, the literati, lead the army. What use is a general?"

The civil servants sneered and mocked.

Li Meng turned a deaf ear and said nothing. Whenever there was a battle, he would eventually go before the warriors.

Emperor Xifeng was used to seeing the faces of his ministers, and said coldly: "Did I summon you here to quarrel? Let's discuss it later."

"Yes. We acknowledge our guilt." The ministers bowed and pleaded guilty.

Jia Cong frowned. If they continued to hinder each other, the war would really be ruined.

He looked at Duan Zhun and the others, and said with a folded hand: "My Lords are well-versed in history and knowledge, and you know that it is no small matter to feed and feed 200,000 soldiers and march thousands of miles.

If we only care about saving money, we will be in trouble on the front line. If something goes wrong, it will be disastrous.”

Gu Tao said: "It would be better to reduce the number of troops and save on military expenses."

Wang Ning shook his head and said, "No. If we don't have enough troops, how can we defeat the enemy and destroy the city? We can fight quickly and decisively. If we delay for a long time, the cost will be even greater."

Guan Pu said: "That being said, fifteen million is indeed a bit too much. I wonder how long this money can last?"

Li Meng said: "It can support the army for at least six months."

Guan Pu said: "Can we shorten the war to three or four months? Wouldn't that save a lot of money?"

"Prime Minister Guan is right." The civil servants hurriedly echoed.

"This..." Li Meng frowned. If he was given three or four months to conquer the Western Regions, he was not sure.

After all, he was not very clear about the situation in the Western Regions. If he failed to take it and the money and food were cut off, he was afraid that the entire army would be wiped out, which would become the most tragic defeat since the founding of the dynasty. Who dared to make such a guarantee?
Jia Cong said: "Prime Minister Guan, you don't know that the battlefield is changing rapidly. Our army went out to fight, which is to use the fatigue to attack the rest and the majority to defeat the minority.

The enemy's forces are far inferior to ours, so how dare they easily engage in a decisive battle with us? Isn't this just hitting a rock with an egg?
Therefore, they will definitely hold on and try every means to delay time, so that our army will be defeated without fighting and defeated without being defeated. Therefore, the opportunity to win a quick victory is hard to come by, and we must make full use of it. "

"Mr. Jia is right." Wu Xun and others quickly agreed.

Jiang Feng said: "According to Master Jia's idea, how can we save money and ensure safety at the same time?"

Jia Cong smacked his lips, shrank back, and said tactfully: "This is the right time for us to discuss. Cong is young and inexperienced, and I would like to listen to the opinions of the elders."

What a cunning boy! When talking about the key points, he brought up the "old man". Jiang Feng glared at him unhappily and stopped talking.

No one could come up with a solution that would satisfy both parties. Everyone was thinking about ways to make or save money, and no one spoke for a while.

"Well. I have some superficial ideas and would like to ask for advice from you gentlemen." Prince Beijing smiled and bowed as he came out of the class.

"Your Majesty, please speak."

Prince Beijing pondered for a moment and said, "Since most of the army's food, chariots, and livestock must be purchased from the various vassal states, I believe that the vassal states have abundant food and fodder and there is no need to worry about shortages. Moreover, the national treasury is currently unable to make ends meet.

Why not pay 30% to 40% of the grain first, and then pay the rest when the army returns victoriously? Wouldn't that be more convenient? I think all the young princes are loyal to the emperor and patriotic, so why would you not agree? "

Everyone's eyes lit up and said, "Go ahead! This is a good idea!"

Everyone was smart and understood what Prince Beijing meant in an instant. Now that the old princes had all left, the young princes, women and children left at home knew nothing. Once the imperial edict was issued, there was no need to worry that he would not comply.

The imperial court wants to recover the lost territory and lend you some food. Do you dare to fight? Do you still have the heart to be loyal to the emperor and serve the country? Besides, it's not that they don't give money.

As for the idea of ​​replenishing the grain after the triumphant return, that is pure nonsense. The court borrowed the grain with its own ability, so why should it pay it back?

Feng Yuan smiled and said, "This method is very good. I think we should bring 20,000 people from the capital to follow them. This will be safe. If we cooperate with the nine border troops in this way, I think the princes will understand the difficulties of the court."

"That's quite true." Everyone smiled and nodded.

Jia Cong nodded in amazement, feeling deeply that his shamelessness was far from enough to stand proudly in the court.

Li Meng smiled and said, "If this method can be used, I think 10 million silver coins will be enough."

Emperor Xifeng nodded and said, "Minister Shui's method has solved the court's urgent need. I am very pleased. Let's do it this way. Can the Ministry of Revenue take out 10 million?"

Feng Yuan thought about it and still felt a little painful, but he also knew that it was inconvenient to shirk responsibility, so he could only bow and say: "Your Majesty, I will tighten my belt and go back to make ends meet. No matter how difficult it is, we must always put the overall situation first."

Emperor Xifeng glanced at him and asked, "You fat man, do you also understand the overall situation?"

"Well. Now that the strategy has been decided, who should take charge?"

"I recommend Shao Bao Jia. Shao Bao is a young hero who is no less heroic than Wei Huo. He has never been defeated since he led the army and is capable of conquering the Western Regions."

"I recommend you, General Wang, as you are a wise and capable commander. General Wang is a man of great military strategy, calm and steady, and has a good command of the troops. He is worthy of the position."

"I recommend Prince Beijing. Prince Beijing is a man of great foresight, with a wealth of wisdom and plans. He is also of noble birth and has a great reputation. He can easily defeat the barbarians." "I recommend..."

After a while, the crowd had nominated more than a dozen generals, each with his own reasons, and it was difficult to make a decision for the time being.

Prince Beijing waved his hand modestly and said with a smile: "Thank you all for your kindness. I can only talk, I have never touched a sword or a gun, let alone led troops to fight. How dare I steal the position of the commander-in-chief?
War is a matter of great importance to a country, a matter of life and death, a matter of survival and destruction, and it must not be treated lightly. "

Jia Cong also said: "You elders are really too kind. Although Cong has fought a few battles, how could he lead an army of 200,000?
Besides, I am young and inexperienced, and I have never been to the Western Regions. I don’t know the weather, geography, and people there, so how can I lead the army? I just want to be the vanguard and charge into battle.”

He has also learned to be smarter. Being appointed as Shao Bao this time is not a good thing in the first place. If he continues to show off and lead an army of 200,000, the outcome will be worrying.

If you win the war and become too powerful to be recognized by your ruler, you will certainly suffer misfortune. If you lose the war and lose sovereignty and humiliate your country, you will suffer even more misfortune.

He simply avoided it. As for the idea of ​​being the vanguard, it was just polite talk. Who would dare to let Jia Shaobao, Duke Dingguo, and the Left Commander be the vanguard? Unless the emperor led the army in person.

Wang Ning had just come to power and knew that he did not have enough grace and authority, so he did not dare to take on this heavy responsibility and declined.

When everyone saw that Jia Cong and others were refusing, they all knew what was going on and stopped trying to persuade them, but just discussed other candidates.

Emperor Xifeng sat high at the imperial desk, his eyes flickering, and no one knew what he was thinking. Seeing that Jia Cong refused, he felt slightly satisfied that Jia Cong knew when to advance and retreat.

As an emperor, he not only hated his subjects for being mediocre, but also feared his subjects for being too aggressive and stirring up trouble with their every move, which was the biggest threat to the supreme imperial power.

Once a person has been omnipotent and able to call the wind and rain for too long, he is bound to feel dissatisfied with being "under one person" and will easily develop rebellious intentions.

All wise rulers are well aware of this principle, so they are always on high alert against powerful ministers. They both use them and guard against them, or even kill them.

Prince Beijing suddenly bowed and said, "I recommend a man of noble status, powerful in the western frontier, well versed in military strategy, and experienced in many battles. He is qualified to take charge of the commander's seal."

Everyone was silent, wondering who he was referring to.

Emperor Xifeng asked, "Oh? Who is it?"

"Prince of Nan'an." said Prince Beijing.

The ministers couldn't help but recall the resume of Prince Nan'an, and nodded slightly. This is indeed a suitable candidate.

Emperor Xifeng was silent for a moment, then asked, "What do you think?"

Jia Cong glanced at Prince Beijing, pondered for a moment, and said nothing, which was considered as his agreement.

He was naturally familiar with the life of the contemporary Prince of Nan'an. At the age of seventeen or eighteen, he went to Turpan, Dihua and other places for garrison and training. He fought against Western Region horse bandits, rebels and robbers countless times and rarely lost.

It was not until he was thirty-four or thirty-five years old, when the old prince passed away, that he returned to Beijing to inherit the throne. Although he is over forty years old now, he is definitely an elite general.

Everyone said, "I think the Prince of Nan'an is qualified for this task."

The Prince of Dongping and the Prince of Xining both bowed and said, "Your Highnesses agree. The Prince of Nan'an is of high rank, has been stationed in the Western Regions for a long time, is experienced in fighting, and is familiar with the local customs and geography. He should be able to win the battle in one battle."

"My dear ministers, what do you think?" Emperor Xifeng looked at Duan Zhun and others again.

The six ministers understood a little bit at this time and said, "I also think that Prince Nan'an is the best candidate."

Emperor Xifeng nodded and said, "Good, I will order Lord Di to lead the battle!"

Nan'an County Prince Di Yan came out of the class and said, "I obey your order. I will not return until I conquer Loulan."

"Okay! I'm waiting for your good news in the capital." Emperor Xifeng said with a smile.

Di Yan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. We don't need to mobilize many troops from the capital to go to the Western Regions. I will only take 20,000 guards with me.

The generals of the Beijing camp are responsible for protecting the capital, so it is inconvenient for them to leave easily. I would like to recommend a few retired veteran generals to accompany the army westward. "

"Come on."

"Taihe Earl Li Gang, Nanfeng Zi Shiqing, Xiajiang Zi Wenbai, Yongyang Man Hao Hui..."

Di Yan named a dozen idle nobles in one breath, and said: "These people are all proficient in military tactics, skilled in archery and horse riding. When they were young, they all served as garrisons in the Western Regions. They are brave and good at fighting. I know them well. Now that the Western Regions are in danger, it is appropriate to recruit them."

Emperor Xifeng nodded slightly and said, "Approved. Lord Di has an important task ahead of him, and you can recruit any officers who are suitable. Instruct the Five Military Commands Office to prepare the troops, food, fodder, weapons, and other matters as soon as possible, and set out as soon as possible!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."

"The ministers obey the order."

Jia Cong bowed and completely understood the four princes' plans.

No wonder Prince Beijing is so concerned about the war in the Western Regions. It is obvious that the four princes want to take advantage of the opportunity to recover the Western Regions to regain control of the army.

This is also because he has seen that he is at the peak of his career and his power is too strong. Li Meng, Wang Ning and others cannot resist him. Your Majesty is already afraid of him, so he dares to act so high-profile.

Looking at the people chosen by Prince Nan'an, they are all former subordinates of the four royal palaces. It seems that after this battle, there will be a new force in the army, the Prince's Party!
Seeing that the major events had been settled, the princes finally found an opportunity to interrupt, and many of them clamored to go with the army to the Western Regions to see the world, with Sun Chi being the most eager.

"Your Highnesses, your bodies are worth millions of gold. You should not move lightly. It is better for you to plan your strategy in the capital." All the ministers advised with a smile.

Sun Chi smiled and said, "My brothers are so far-sighted and can plan and strategize at home. I am just a warrior, so I will decide the battle myself thousands of miles away."

All the princes laughed and cursed.

Sun Can bowed and said, "Father, I have studied military books since I was young. Now that the country is in trouble, I will serve in the army. I beg for your permission."

The eldest prince Sun Qiu also bowed and said, "Father, I am the oldest and should be a role model for my brothers. I am willing to follow the Prince of Nan'an to fight, destroy the bandits, and restore the Han Dynasty."

"Father, I am willing to go too!" The princes volunteered one after another. Some wanted to have fun, some pretended to be generous, and some wanted to take the opportunity to curry favor with others. They all had different ideas in mind.

Emperor Xifeng hesitated for a moment and said, "If jade is not polished, it cannot be made into a useful tool. I am very pleased that you have such a heart to serve the country.

However, an expedition to the Western Regions is no joke. There are thousands of miles of yellow sand, swords and snow, not to mention the fierce battles and wolves and wolves. Your life could be in danger at any time. Are you really willing to go?"

"Your son is willing to go." Many of the princes had already backed out in their hearts, but since the damage was done, it was too late to change it, so they had to persevere.

Emperor Xifeng smiled faintly, naturally seeing through the hearts of his sons, and said, "Okay. It's good to have this intention, but if you all go, I'm afraid that Lord Di will be distracted from taking care of you, and it will become a burden.

This time, let the eldest brother serve as the military supervisor to gain some experience, and you should study hard in the capital as well."

Sun Qiu was overjoyed and said, "Thank you, father, for your grace."

If I can join the army to recover thousands of miles of territory in the Western Regions, I will become famous in one battle and be unrivaled. My father will definitely look at me with admiration. Even if my second brother is the legitimate son, he may not be able to compete with me.

The princes breathed a sigh of relief, but they still pretended to be eager to fight and reluctantly "obeyed the order".

Only Sun Chi was truly upset and unhappy.

Sun Can was about to ask for a fight, but suddenly he felt a dissuading gaze coming from the side. He was moved and stopped talking. (End of this chapter)