White-robed Minister

Chapter 178, Chapter 0176: [A Righteous Man Arrives]

When Xu Lai woke up in the morning, his arm was numb.

After not seeing each other for two months, Pianpian and he had so much to talk about that they stayed up chatting until midnight.

His left arm, which had been pinned down by Pianpian, was now numb. Slowly, bit by bit, they pulled it out. Xu Lai sat on the bed for a while to recover before finally being able to lift his arm to get dressed.

"My lord!"

Yu'er was already waiting outside the door.

Xu Lai took the toiletries and said to Yu'er, "My wife only went to sleep late last night. We'll wake her up in a while."

"Mmm," Yu'er replied, bowing her head shyly.

Pianpian has already told her to prepare to serve him tonight.

After Xu Lai finished breakfast and went out, he arrived at the outer courtyard only to find that Bu Chao was still sleeping in.

Bu Chao also brought his wife. She usually lives in the outer courtyard and occasionally helps out in the inner courtyard. The couple hadn't seen each other for a long time, and they must have had a tough time last night.

Chen Xiaoyi was clever and quick-witted, and she followed Xu Lai closely without asking where he was going.

The master and servant went straight to the Chengji County government office, not to find Yang Shu, but to the sixth office: "Bring me the official gazettes from the last two or three months."

Two clerks from the county were eager to do the work, one of them carrying some official gazettes to deliver.

Xu Lai quickly flipped through the official gazette; the political landscape had changed so drastically that it was almost dizzying.

There are now only three prime ministers left: Zeng Gongliang, Zhao Gai, and Zhao Bian.

Wu Kui was demoted and banished from the capital for reasons unknown.

The newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Zhao Bian, was likely recommended by Zeng Gongliang. He was also a veteran official of the Qingli era, but spent half his time serving as a censor.

All I can say is that this administration is incredibly weak.

The number of Privy Council ministers increased to four: Wen Yanbo, Lü Gongbi, Chen Xu (Chen Shengzhi), and Han Jiang.

Chen Xu was likely recommended by Zeng Gongliang, who had consistently advocated for reform. Later, in order to push forward with the reforms, Wang Anshi even went to great lengths to have Chen Xu appointed as prime minister.

However, as soon as Wang Anshi's Green Sprouts Law was introduced, Chen Xu immediately changed from supporting to opposing it.

Han Jiang was the elder brother of Han Wei, the emperor's tutor.

Sima Guang had already stepped down as Imperial Censor and was sent to the Hanlin Academy to compile the "Zizhi Tongjian" and serve as the emperor's political advisor.

The newly appointed Imperial Censor is Teng Fu.

Xu Lai frowned deeply; the cabinet was too weak. Several ministers who had risen through the ranks of censors had already infiltrated the Secretariat and the Privy Council, inevitably leading to increasingly conservative foreign policy.

Xu Lai could even guess that if the Western Xia army attacked next year, Zhong E, who had taken the initiative to recover lost territory, would be severely punished.

Meanwhile, their own Tongyuan Army was still just a shell, and it could be disbanded by the imperial court at any moment.

Because the three prime ministers now are simply no match for the combined questioning from the Privy Council, the Censorate, and the Remonstrance Bureau.

Next year, Xu Lai will inevitably face greater pressure.

The real pressure doesn't come from foreign tribes, but from the imperial court!

Xu Lai was so frightened that he hurriedly wrote two memorials, one open and one secret.

The memorials were written for the court officials to read, and all contents could be discussed.

Secret reports contained things that couldn't be brought to light. He detailed the border situation to the emperor. He even told the emperor about things like levying taxes on smuggled salt and sharing the profits with military officers. Moreover, he was very careful with his wording, treating the emperor as one of his own, making it seem as if the emperor, Xu Lai, and the military officers were secretly doing bad things together.

Immediately afterwards, Xu Lai wrote to Gong Dingchen, hoping that Gong Dingchen, as the Minister of the Imperial Pastures, could help promote the tea-horse trade between Sichuan and Shaanxi.

After sending out these letters, Xu Laicai strolled home.

After Xu Lai left the county office, a clerk named Li Shen also went off duty.

Li Shen didn't go home for dinner; instead, he rented a horse and headed straight for the countryside of Qin Prefecture. He arrived at a small village and shouted, "Is Zhao Wulang home?"

A man in his twenties appeared: "Brother Jinyan, what do you need me for?"

Li Shen said, "Didn't you ask me about Tongyuan Army because you're looking to advance your career? Magistrate Yang (Yang Shu) is recruiting civil officials, and I plan to sign up to go to Tongyuan Army. I heard that next spring, Minister Cai will also be recruiting archers. Commander Xu arrived in Qinzhou City yesterday, and now is a time when he needs men. You can take this opportunity to serve him."

The man asked, "What kind of person is Xu Zhijun? I heard he is only a young man of twenty and knows nothing about military affairs."

Li Shen said, "I don't know about other things, but he is very humble. He treats even the clerks in the county government with kindness and gentleness. He is a true gentleman."

The man hesitated, muttering, "What use is a gentleman if one wants to expand territory?"

Li Shen laughed and said, "He's the top scholar in the imperial examination. Even the local people don't want to go to that godforsaken place, Guwei Village, yet he, a top scholar, dares to stay there permanently. Do you think he's just a humble gentleman?"

-

"That makes sense!"

The man said, "Brother Jinyan, please have a meal at my house. After the meal, we will go together to serve under Commander Xu."

The two entered the village and quickly finished their lunch.

The man then put on his homemade light armor, took out his bow and arrows and spear, bid farewell to his wife and children, and then knelt down to say goodbye to his parents.

His father said worriedly, "Why not wait and see for a few months? If there is progress in Guwei Village, it won't be too late for you to join the army."

The man said, "Sir, I have studied diligently for more than ten years, but I have not even passed the imperial examination. I can only achieve fame and fortune by riding a horse."

The imperial court now intends to expand its territory, and the military governor of Tongyuan is a top scholar in the imperial examinations. Even a scholar of such stature is willing to take risks; what do I have to fear?

His father remained silent.

The man continued, "My Zhao family of Tianshui is descended from the royal family of the Warring States period. Throughout history, the Zhao family has produced countless civil and military officials, but now it has declined to this state. I am determined to join the army to serve my country and restore the glory of my Zhao family of Tianshui!"

His mother wiped away her tears, fearing that her son would never return.

His father sighed, knowing he couldn't dissuade him, and simply waved his hand, saying, "Go."

The man kowtowed in farewell, then went to say goodbye to his elder brother and sister-in-law. He then mounted his horse and rode straight to the prefectural city with the clerk Li Shen.

This young man, who came from the Zhao family of Tianshui, was named Zhao Long, with the courtesy name Zijian.

The History of Song not only records his bravery in battle, but also says that he was not good at provoking border conflicts and had the "behavior of a gentleman." In other words, he had a sense of the big picture and would not act impulsively for the sake of military merit.

Led by Li Shen, Zhao Long entered the city and arrived at the house rented by Xu Lai.

When Xu Lai heard that some locals had volunteered to serve him, he immediately went out to greet them and said, "They are truly righteous men!"

"At this critical juncture for the nation, with the assistance of these two righteous men, we will surely be able to recover the Hehuang region and destroy the Western Xia. Come in quickly and speak with them."

Zhao Long was also secretly observing Xu Lai. This top scholar was indeed young. But his respect for scholars and his gentle demeanor made people feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze, so he should be a good superior.

Xu Lai kept both hands busy, pulling one person in with each hand and asking about their origins as they walked.

The two were classmates when they were teenagers.

Li Shen's family was poor, so he asked his relatives for help and found a clerical job in the county government. It was the lowest-ranking clerical position, and if he didn't seize the opportunity, his life would be just like that.

Zhao Long, however, came from the Zhao clan of Tianshui and studied literature and martial arts from a young age. His dream was to pass the imperial examination, but he failed the provincial examination three times in a row, and now he has finally decided to abandon his literary pursuits and take up martial arts.

Xu Lai immediately had an idea and explained the difficulties of Guwei Village to Zhao Long: "After spring, Minister Cai will be recruiting archers and civilians on a large scale to bolster the troops and population of Tongyuan Army. If Zijian can bring fifty archers and one hundred civilians, I will appoint you as the military agricultural officer, and you will command those fifty archers. Furthermore, I will recommend you to the court for a military officer position!"

Zhao Long's eyes lit up, and he quickly cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "To be so highly regarded by Minister Xu, I will do my utmost to persuade my clansmen and tenant farmers!"

There are only a little over a hundred archers around Guwei Village. If Zhao Longzhen can bring them over, Xu Lai's troops and population will instantly increase by one-third.

Li Shen, standing to the side, interjected, "Brother Zijian, you can recruit more people and even persuade other powerful clans."

Xu Lai smiled and nodded at Li Shen, then said to Zhao Long, "If other powerful clans can bring people to Guwei Village, I can also grant them official positions."

Zhao Long said, "I will try my best to persuade them."

Li Shen continued, "Lord Xu, although my family has long since fallen into decline, we still belong to the Li clan of Tianshui. I am willing to step forward and persuade the Li clan members!"

Xu Lai said happily, "With your two strong support, how can I not achieve great things?"

If the leaders behaved normally, the news of the newly established prefectures and armies by the imperial court would inevitably attract many frustrated individuals. In particular, the sons of prominent local families, among whom the most outstanding had long been eager to make their mark.

The Zhao family of Tianshui is undoubtedly the most prominent family in the area. After more than a thousand years of growth, its members have spread far and wide.

The Li clan of Tianshui, to which Li Shen belonged, evolved from powerful local gentry.

In the early Song Dynasty, Li Yi was nearly beheaded and had his family property confiscated by Zhao Guangyi for his tyrannical behavior in the countryside. Li Yi's son, Li Shiheng, was implicated and dismissed from his post, but was later reinstated by his connection with Kou Zhun, eventually rising to the position of Commissioner of the Three Departments.

There is also the Zhang family of Tianshui, whose ancestor was the famous Zhang Gui of the Former Liang dynasty.

Xu Lai continued his efforts to win over Li Shen and Zhao Long, who both left happily. For the next period of time, they would help Xu Lai recruit people and persuade members of powerful families to bring their followers to serve him.

Xu Lai has the ability to acquire money and grain, but managing the population is extremely difficult. With the help of local powerful clans, the task can be much more efficient.

Xu Lai was in a good mood. Even while eating dinner, he was still thinking about how to increase the population. After dinner, he wandered into the master bedroom in a daze.

Pianpian called out to him, "You've come to the wrong door!"

"Oh," Xu Lai suddenly remembered something and said somewhat hastily, "Then—then I'll go."

"Go ahead." Pianpian went into the house and closed the door.

Xu Lai hesitated for a moment, then stood at the door for a while before turning and walking towards Yu'er's bedroom.

Hearing the footsteps fade away, Pianpian was somewhat unhappy. Even though it was her arrangement, she was still displeased.

She could only console herself that her husband was a good man. Yu'er had been sent to Yingtian Prefecture to serve her husband for over a year, remaining a virgin and adhering to proper etiquette. Where could one find such a man?

Moreover, Yu'er is a close friend I grew up with, so the good stuff didn't go to outsiders.

Yu'er, on the other hand, was filled with anticipation.

Hearing footsteps outside the door, she hurriedly ran to open it, pulled Xu Lai inside to take off his clothes and warm himself by the fire.

Then, Yu'er took out a hat and said as if presenting a treasure, "The winters in Guwei Village are bitterly cold, and I've heard the sandstorms are also very strong. I sewed a hat that keeps you warm. It's lined with wool, so it's very cozy."

The "earless hat" is a type of warm hat that can be pulled down to cover the ears in winter.

Xu Lai tried it on, and it fit his head perfectly.

Yu'er stepped back to observe more closely: "This kind of hat is a bit ugly, not as dashing as a turban. But on your head, young master, you'll still look just as imposing."

"You're quite the smooth talker," Xu Lai said with a smile.

Yu'er brought out another pot of wine and warmed it up. She wanted to make tonight's event more ceremonial and didn't want to get things done in a muddled way.

The capital of the Western Xia Dynasty was Xingqing Prefecture (Yinchuan).

Last autumn, Li Liangzuo personally led tens of thousands of infantry and cavalry to attack the Song Dynasty, and Cai Ting, the military commissioner of Huanqing Road and prefect of Weizhou, met the enemy.

Li Liangzuo personally went to the front line to supervise the battle, but was wounded by a crossbow bolt shot by one of Cai Ting's soldiers.

His arrow wound had been slow to heal for over a year. Just last month, in retaliation for Zhong E's surrender of Weiming Mountain, Li Liangzuo once again personally led a large army on an expedition.

Halfway there, my old injury suddenly flared up again.

"How is His Majesty's injury?" Liang Yimai asked.

Empress Liang whispered, "He's about to breathe his last. Has he persuaded the Romans to leave?"

Liang Yi nodded: "We gave him a lot of gold and silver, and promised to let him command troops. He has already agreed to help us."

Empress Liang said, "Even if His Majesty dies, the troops cannot retreat; in fact, we must send even more. We must use the pretext of avenging His Majesty to silence the powerful officials and tribal chiefs. If we can achieve victory, we can completely control the court with the momentum of our triumphant triumph."

"What if there's no progress on the battlefield?" Liang Yi asked.

Empress Liang said quietly, "Then abolish the Han rites and restore the old Dangxiang rites."

77

Liang Yimai, a Han Chinese, hesitated and said, "If we do that, it will surely anger the Han officials in the country."

"Han officials have no troops," Empress Liang said. "If we restore the customs and systems of the Tangut people, the leaders of the various Tangut tribes will support us. Whoever has the troops calls the shots!"

"That makes sense." Liang Yi nodded.

The Han people learned the language of the barbarians, yet they cursed the Han people from the city walls.

The Western Xia, which had been trying to Sinicize, was about to completely stop Sinicization and revert to the old Tangut system.

The person who made this decision was actually a Han Chinese woman!

>