The prince is more stable

Chapter 321: It is not advisable to raise troops
Zhao Xiaoqian finally understood why Zhao Xu summoned him to the Privy Council today.

It turned out that the real topic everyone wanted to talk about was the Liao cavalry's attack on the border.

The third seat in the Privy Council was obviously prepared for him.

He was the third-ranking official in the Privy Council, with the word "Ling" added in front of his title.

It was originally an honorary title, but judging from the chair Zhao Xu prepared for him today, perhaps the word "leader" will soon be removed.

At the same time, this chair also implicitly conveyed a signal to Zeng Bu and General Xu that Zhao Xu had intended to let Zhao Xiaoqian hold the real power of the Privy Council. You'd better be sensible and stop yelling.

Of course, judging from the expressions of Zeng Bu and General Xu at the moment, they did not seem to have much objection to Zhao Xiaoqian sitting on this chair. Perhaps all the civil and military officials in the court knew that since Zhao Xiaoqian was appointed as the secretary of the Privy Council, the word "領" in front of his title would be removed sooner or later.

The current government, at a time when the new and old parties are fighting fiercely, is supporting Zhao Xiaoqian. What does this indicate?
In addition to the new and old parties, the government also needs to rely on the power of the clan to maintain the balance of the court to the greatest extent possible and prevent the new and old parties from losing control when fighting.

If things get out of control, the third force in the court, the royal family, will intervene. When Zhao Xu let Zhao Xiaoqian take control of the Imperial City Bureau, it was not a random appointment without reason.

Anyone who can become an emperor is not an ordinary person. In addition to the affection for Zhao Xiaoqian as a clan member and the fact that Zhao Xiaoqian is indeed capable and competent, his clan member status is also one of the reasons why Zhao Xu decided to use him.

At present, perhaps the person Zhao Xu trusts most is not the New Party or the Old Party, but his cousin Zhao Xiaoqian.

Zhao Xiaoqian sat in his own chair, smiling and silent.

Although he is the third-ranking person in the Privy Council, he is not interested in talking in front of everyone. This is the time for the big guys to shine, and he, a little Karami, should be responsible for cheering and acting as a crazy fan.

The matter was not complicated. A small group of Liao cavalry raided villages on the border of the Song Dynasty, killed dozens of civilians, and stole some property, livestock, and food.

The border troops of the Song Dynasty did not dare to cross the border to kill the enemy without the military order of the court. After all, the peace between the two countries was hard-won after the Treaty of Chanyuan. Although the Liao people broke the rules, the Song Dynasty did not know what the attitude of the court was.

If the imperial court decided to swallow its anger, the border troops would have made a serious mistake by pursuing the Liao cavalry, and no one would be able to take the responsibility.

After Zhao Xu raised the topic, the Privy Councilor Zeng Bu said, "Your Majesty, the attack by a small group of Liao cavalry on border residents may be just an isolated incident. I think it is inappropriate to make a big deal out of it. The best approach is to settle the matter peacefully."

Zhao Xu glanced at him with a smile and said, "Mr. Zeng, do you mean to just drop this matter?"

Zeng Bu shook his head and said, "It's not that we should give up, but rather resolve it diplomatically. I think we should send envoys to the Liao capital to question the Liao cavalry's intentions in attacking the border and whether they intend to break the Treaty of Chanyuan. If not, the matter will be dropped. If so, the Song Dynasty will prepare for war with the Liao."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone present except Zhao Xiaoqian nodded.

Zeng Bu's method is actually very safe and rational.

If this proposal were brought up at the court meeting, perhaps most of the court officials would agree with it.

There is a very realistic problem that everyone in the Song Dynasty, from the emperor and his ministers to the common people, attached great importance to the Treaty of Chanyuan.

They hoped that the Treaty of Chanyuan could be observed and maintained from generation to generation. This situation of the world being divided into three parts was already satisfactory for the Song Dynasty.

Later generations all said that the Treaty of Chanyuan was a humiliation for the Song Dynasty, and they were furious when the annual tribute was mentioned in history textbooks. But the reality today is that the court officials and people of the Song Dynasty did not actually object to the annual tribute.

In their view, the court spent 500,000 taels of silver and silk every year in exchange for a whole year of peace in the Song Dynasty. This deal was really a good deal.

Compared to the Song Dynasty's annual treasury revenue of hundreds of millions, a mere 500,000 taels was nothing. Moreover, in order to save their reputation, the literati of the Song Dynasty changed "annual tribute" to "annual gift".

Thus, there is peace and dignity. Even though we are doing it behind closed doors, peace is truly achieved.

Zeng Bu's idea actually represents the vast majority of Song people. If possible, no one would choose war.

After Zeng Bu finished speaking, Zhao Xu smiled and looked at General Xu, the second-in-command of the Privy Council and the person in charge of its affairs.

Seeing Zhao Xu's gaze, General Xu also lowered his head and said, "Your Majesty, I agree with the proposal made by the Prime Minister Zeng. The Liao cavalry attacked the border, and the Song Dynasty should send an envoy to question the Liao. It is not appropriate to start a war over this matter."

Zhao Xu's expression remained unchanged and he always had a smile on his face, but Zhao Xiaoqian had been with him for a long time and could see that Zhao Xu was a little unhappy at the moment and was not satisfied with the answers of the two envoys.

So Zhao Xu turned his gaze to Zhao Xiaoqian again.

"Do you have any profound ideas?" Zhao Xu said with a smile.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled bitterly and said, "Your Majesty, I know that the Song Dynasty's firearms have given you confidence. Your Majesty's intention is to use this incident to have a small confrontation with the Liao Kingdom to test the weight of our Song Dynasty's firearms."

Zhao Xu actually laughed this time: "Haha, Zi'an really understands me."

Zhao Xiaoqian shook his head and said, "I am sorry to disappoint you, Your Majesty. I agree with the two envoys. It is not appropriate to start a war against the Liao Kingdom at this time."

"Why?"

"The Liao Kingdom is not the Western Xia. Although the Song Dynasty possesses powerful firearms, they are not powerful enough to ignore the Liao cavalry's imminent arrival. The relationship between the two countries is already somewhat tense. A slight misfire could lead to a war between the two nations. Your Majesty, is the Song Dynasty prepared for such a war?"

Zhao Xu paused, looking disappointed, and remained silent.

Zhao Xiaoqian said slowly, "The Liao Kingdom has been declining in recent years, but their army is still powerful. We cannot conquer the Liao Kingdom with muskets alone. Moreover, the struggle in our Song Dynasty is fierce, with the old and new factions hindering each other and suppressing each other. The internal strife continues, so how can we talk about resisting foreign aggression?"

"In recent years, the imperial court has been implementing new and old policies more frequently, and the people are struggling to breathe. If we go to war with the Liao Kingdom now, the burden on the people will be even heavier, and the national treasury will be overwhelmed..."

"I know your Majesty wants to make a move, but I beg you not to. It would be better to wait and see how the situation develops. If the Liao cavalry crosses the border and attacks, then our Song border troops will have no choice but to resist."

Zhao Xu nodded. He knew that what Zhao Xiaoqian said was true. If a country wanted to prepare for a war, it would never be like going on a trip.

There are too many complicated things that need to be prepared in advance, such as preparing military equipment and food supplies, training soldiers, deploying strategies and tactics, etc., and hasty encounters between countries rarely occur.

Zhao Xu had to admit that he was indeed a little impatient. Such an impetuous mentality was not a good thing for an emperor.

So Zhao Xu immediately gave up the idea of ​​starting a war. Reason told him that there was no need to start a war just because a small group of Liao cavalry attacked the border. If he did not fight with the Liao Kingdom, it would be fine. But if he fought, it would be a gamble on the fate of the country. Before placing the bet, it is best to think twice and not make a rash decision.

"Zi'an, do you mean that the Liao cavalry will attack the villages on the border of the Song Dynasty?" Zhao Xu asked.

Zhao Xiaoqian nodded. "Yes, I believe this Liao cavalry raid is a provocative test. If the Song border troops do not retaliate, the Liao will fail to achieve their goal and will inevitably launch another raid."

Zeng Bu stroked his beard and frowned, "Why are the Liao people trying to test us?"

"The outcome of the Song-Xia War has made the Liao people uneasy. They are now eager to know the true strength of the Song Dynasty and whether the Liao cavalry, once invincible, can still crush the Song Dynasty's imperial guards."

"So, sending a small force to attack the border is the best way to provoke. It will be easier to explain it later by finding someone unlucky enough to take the blame."

After Zhao Xiaoqian's analysis, everyone present agreed.

Zhao Xu calmed down by then and said slowly, "If a small group of Liao cavalry attacks our border, our Great Song will only need to send envoys to negotiate. After one or two attacks, the Liao Kingdom will probably be unable to provide an explanation. Then, even if our Great Song sends troops to resist, we will have a legitimate reason."

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "That's exactly what I meant."

(End of this chapter)