Song Dynasty Cannon Fodder Counterattack Record

Chapter 215 The Prophet Emperor

Li Buqi could be counted on Zhao Zhen's pulse.The emperor had been indoctrinated with Confucian classics by a group of old Confucians since he was a child, and he wanted to be a wise emperor, so he cherished his reputation very much.He can be cowardly, because cowardice can use sympathy for the people as a fig leaf, but it can't be said to be dishonest to others and disloyal to brothers.So after reading Li Buqi's memorial, the next day he hurriedly called Li Buqi and the prime ministers to Chongzheng Hall.

The emperor asked the eunuch to read Li Buqi's memorial, and then asked: "Zhu Qing, do you think it's time to stop giving the Xixia people the yearly gifts?"

Wen Yanbo immediately said: "Your Majesty, I think it is impossible. How can the two countries be discussed as brothers? When the Song Dynasty and the Liao Kingdom made an alliance, they did not specify what the Song Dynasty would need if there was a war between the Liao Kingdom and others."

The privy envoy Song Xiang immediately said: "I think you should be honest when dealing with others. I really can't ignore the war between a brotherly country and Xixia. However, it is inhumane for Liao to attack Xia when Xixia is in mourning. As a brotherly country, we should advise The Liao Kingdom should not watch the Liao Emperor do this unrighteous thing. It should not cut off the yearly gift at this time, as if the Song Dynasty is also taking advantage of the danger."

high!It's really high!After all, he was a scholar, so he immediately made the emperor look disappointed.

Pang Ji also said: "I think what the privy secretary of the Song Dynasty said is very true. Before that, someone in the court suggested to take advantage of the Xixia funeral to launch an expedition. Your Majesty thought it was against others and refused, and everyone in the world praised your benevolence. If you stop now Wouldn’t Xixia’s Suiyu go back on its word? And to stop the Suiyu after Liao’s notice to attack the Xia was even more suspected of taking advantage of others’ danger. Isn’t it the same as the Liao Kingdom? Even if you want to suspend the Suiyu, you can’t do it at this time .”

Li Buqi glanced at Pang Ji: Why haven't I heard anyone praise the emperor on this matter?
Xixia has always been Zhao Zhen's heart disease, so after reading Li Buqi's memorial, he immediately called Zaizhi to stop the gift while the iron is hot.But as soon as this big hat of taking advantage of others was buckled, Zhao Zhen didn't dare to stick to his original idea, and immediately turned his eyes to Li Buqi.

Li Buqi immediately stepped forward and said: "I think it is Song's own business whether to take advantage of the mourning and conquest. But since the Liao Kingdom sent people to inform about the Xia's attack, and Song and Liao are brothers, it would be unfair to ignore it." Damage to the reputation of the Song Dynasty. Although the country cannot be considered brothers, but there is no place for it! The Song Dynasty’s funding of the enemies of the Liao Kingdom is a betrayal of the alliance and stabbing the Liao Kingdom in the back. "

Pang Ji immediately retorted: "This is an act of inviting disaster. The Liao Kingdom attacked Xia last time and returned in a big defeat. If this is still the case this time, the Xia people will surely join the bandits with their grievances. When the time comes, swordsmen will rise again, which will waste money and food. What can I do?"

Li Buqi chuckled: "Secretary Pang only knows that Xixia will bring grievances into the bandits, but have you ever thought about what to do if the Liao Kingdom invades?"

Now the monarchs and ministers all stared: "The Liao Kingdom invaded? Is there any sign?"

Li Buqi said: "Whether the Liao Kingdom invades or not depends on whether the Liao Kingdom can extract oil and water from Xixia. Recently, I heard that the Liao Kingdom has also started to make spirits, and the grain used to make spirits is bigger than my Song Dynasty. There is a lot of grain used. Since last year, many people have been conscripted to cut trees and transport large logs, and sell them to Song Dynasty through the border market. There are fewer people who grow grain and herd. The Liao Kingdom originally produced less grain and consumed more. There will be a famine, but there will be less production. Last year, there was too much rain in the Liao Kingdom, and the harvest was reduced. This year, a large army was mobilized to go out. According to my calculations, there will be a famine in Liao this year. If the Liao people do not get enough benefits in Xixia The Liao people will not be able to survive, the easiest way is to go south to rob, and then give the Liao people an excuse at this time, I estimate that this autumn and winter, and tomorrow spring at the latest, the Liao Kingdom will once again gather a large army on the border."

"Hiss!" The emperor and the chief executives all gasped.

Wen Yanbo said: "This is all your estimation, and it may not come true."

Li Buqi said: "The lower officials think that this matter is likely to happen. Because Bao Tiju discovered a large amount of grain smuggling in Hebei, some officials actually smuggled disaster relief grain to Liao Kingdom with grain merchants. The minister also sent people to investigate the matter. It has been found that the grain smuggled into Liao has been increasing year by year, especially in the second half of last year and since the beginning of this year.”

Bao Zheng supervised disaster relief in Hebei, but he actually uncovered several major cases.There are so many hungry people in Hebei waiting to be fed, and there are even officials colluding with grain traders to steal and sell disaster relief food.This matter was found out by Bao Zheng at this time, the influence was too bad, and the government and the public were shaken. The emperor naturally knew about it, but he didn't know that most of the grain flowed to the Liao Kingdom.

Zhao Zhen hurriedly said: "Bao Qing has already dealt with the people who are greedy for ink, so can't he stop the smuggling of grain to Liao?"

Li Buqi said: "What Bao Tiju found out was only officials stealing and selling grain, but no private smuggling was involved. In fact, more grain was smuggled out through private smuggling. If all the grain flowing out of Hebei and Hedong Road were blocked, half of the disaster relief in Hebei would be saved." Food will probably be available."

Zhao Zhen couldn't help being angry: "No wonder food is in short supply every year. It turns out that so much has flowed to the Liao Kingdom. It seems that it is necessary to set up a police department. Don't give up. You have to investigate this matter strictly. I can't just watch rice grains flowed out, but my people were starved to death."

Li Buqi quickly agreed.Wen Yanbo and the others couldn't help but shake their heads secretly: You said that the Liao Kingdom is going to suffer a famine, if the smuggled food gets stuck again, won't the Liao Kingdom be forced to rob it?
But no one dares to say that grain smuggling is allowed.There are still a bunch of disaster victims waiting for relief in Hebei. Do you dare to say that it is right to sell grain to the Liao Kingdom?Politically correct!

Wen Yanbo said: "Your Majesty, please issue a decree to prohibit the purchase of large logs from the Liao Kingdom. In this way, the farmers and herdsmen in the Liao Kingdom can resume their businesses, and the Liao Kingdom will have more grain, so there is no need to worry about anyone smuggling grain into the Liao Kingdom."

Li Buqi said: "It's too late! It has been nearly a year since the imperial court ordered to stop the logging of big trees in Shaanxi and other places last year. Everyone knows that smuggling and trading big trees is profitable. Prohibiting the sale of large trees, I don’t know how many officials and merchants in Nanjing and Xijing of the Liao Kingdom lost their financial resources. It would be strange not to encourage the Liao Emperor to go to war. I am afraid that once this order is issued, the Liao army that has been assembled will not go to fight Xixia, but will directly send troops to Hebei .”

"..." Several monarchs and ministers were relatively speechless.We are not fools, we know that the Liao Kingdom can really do this.Didn't he blackmail Da Song when Song Xia was at war last time?Is it going to supply the Liao country with food this time?

Even Zhao Zhen knew that to allow food to flow into the Liao Kingdom was to put a noose around his neck.He didn't dare to open this hole lightly, so he looked at Wen Yanbo and the others: "What do you think?"

Wen Yanbo also had a big headache, but he couldn't say there was nothing he could do, so he could only say: "I think that Li Junjian's speculations about the affairs of the Liao Kingdom should be left to the guesswork of Li Junjian. We should first send more spies to find out the domestic situation of Liao, and then make further plans."

Song Xiang also said: "The minister thought that while inquiring about the situation in Liao, he ordered Hebei and Hedong to be more vigilant."

It's all correct bullshit.Just when Li Buqi despised Wen Yanbo and Song Xiang, the emperor probably felt that the two were unreliable, and asked Li Buqi: "Buqi, what do you think about this matter?"

Li Buqi said: "I don't have many ways to do it. But Hebei and Hedong are good for preparing for war. The emperor of Liao felt that the benefits of fighting with the Song Dynasty were not worth the loss, so naturally he would not easily raise troops."

The emperor nodded and said to Song Xiang: "Since this is the case, I will secretly order all the roads in Hebei and Hedong to be on guard secretly, step up their drills, and don't slack off. If there is something urgent, there will be no trouble."

PS: My eyes are not working these days, so I can only change it once a day, and then resume double changes after my eyes recover.

(End of this chapter)