Prime Minister

Chapter 1220 Zhang Dun's Regret (2 parts combined into 1 part)

Chapter 1220 Zhang Dun's Regret (Two Updates in One)

Wang Anli was quite surprised. Why did Zhang Yue want to retire when his great achievement was not yet completed? Shouldn't the next step be to conquer the Dangxiang and achieve unprecedented success?

Of course, he also vaguely guessed that Zhang Yue was considering his own future, but he felt that a real man should not do great things and yet cherish his life.

"Liangzhou has been conquered, and the Tanguts will be destroyed within a year. Why is the Prime Minister saying this now?"

Can the Dangxiang be destroyed this year? You, Wang Anli, are also the Deputy Privy Councilor. Are you so optimistic?

This is a rather dangerous signal, Zhang Yue thought.

At this time, an official stepped forward and said, "First you conquered Liangzhou, and then you conquered Lingwu. The Prime Minister has accomplished such an unstoppable feat! No one after him can match it."

With all kinds of praises coming in, the officials were both optimistic and flattering.

However, seeing that the officials were optimistic about conquering Liangzhou and destroying the Tanguts, and congratulating Zhang Yue on this, Zhang Yue looked very solemn, and the officials did not know what he was thinking, and they did not know why Zhang Yue did not speak.

An official asked, "Is Prime Minister Zhang unhappy about the matter of Han Shumi?"

An official said: "Han Zhen is the Privy Councilor and has command over six armies. He plays a very important role outside the country."

"I'm afraid it's not Lord Zhang's turn to destroy the Tanguts."

An official said: "How can the central government not be able to mobilize the generals? Even the Privy Councilor should obey orders."

"Don't you know? Last time, the imperial court intended to order Han Zhen to attack the Dangxiang from the Huanqing Road to support the Xihe Road's attack on Liangzhou, but Han Zhen refused to obey the order, claiming that the Dangxiang were disturbing the border."

"This is true. Isn't it... Lord Han is so reckless. This is not just him holding the army to himself. Lord Han has always been like this. This time, Xihe Road has made great achievements. Although he is the Privy Councilor of the Six Ministries, he did not get much credit. Naturally, he is dissatisfied."

"Unless the court lets Feng Jing take over the army, no one can replace Lord Han."

The officials were busy speculating, not knowing what Zhang Yue meant, but each of them was becoming more respectful in their congratulations.

Zhang Yue couldn't say it directly. It was not a good idea to destroy the Tanguts now. This seemed to extinguish everyone's enthusiasm. The court's will to fight was finally consolidated through the "Rebuilding the Restoration".

Zhang Yue did not respond directly to the matter of destroying the Tanguts. Instead, he smiled and said to the officials who came to congratulate him: "Gentlemen, when governing a large matter, you must not be too hasty. If you are too hasty, it will lead to chaos. When governing a small matter, you must not be lazy. If you are lazy, it will lead to failure."

After listening to Zhang Yue's words, all the officials knew that these two sentences came from the Salt and Iron Discussions.

You must be diligent in small things, without which nothing can be accomplished. But you must not be impatient in big things, as once you are impatient you will lose your clue.

Be diligent in your art and be indifferent in your Tao.

Diligence does not mean haste makes waste, nor should we equate lying down with doing nothing.

All the officials suddenly realized, and many of them understood what Zhang Yue meant.

To destroy the Dangxiang is a major matter and we should not waste time on it.

Many officials who understood Zhang Yue's intention showed admiration. One official said, "The Prime Minister has already grasped the plan. Why should we bother to say anything? We will just follow the Prime Minister's will."

Zhang Yue smiled and said, "You can't say that. Only when you ask questions about politics can you have good governance!"

Many officials get annoyed when they hear others ask about politics, and they act as if they are not qualified to talk to them. This is actually wrong. Even if you have more comprehensive information than your subordinates, you still need to have a healthy interaction.

Officials should be receptive to good advice and have their own opinions when encountering major events.

The officials who came to congratulate left one after another, and on the way they all expressed their admiration for Zhang Yue's independent thinking and wisdom. The other officials who had just finished congratulating Wang Gui in the East Hall were also impressed when they heard this.

Officials dressed in red, purple and green official robes came to the steps to congratulate them one after another.

The officials who left all had happy expressions on their faces, and they even bowed to each other when they met.

"You also congratulate Zhang Jiangong!"

"Yes, all the officials can come."

The officials walked hurriedly, and the wind from their footsteps blew up the autumn leaves on the ground.

Huang Lu and Han Zhongyan were walking on the road.

Huang Lu said to Han Zhongyan, "When Du Zhi first became prime minister, he was appointed in a time of crisis. People's hearts were shaken at that time, and the court was not so festive. I just heard an old official say that it was like the scene when Han Fu and the other two prime ministers were appointed prime ministers, and all officials celebrated."

Han Zhongyan said: "Yes, although I don't admire him very much, but in just two years, the Prime Minister has completely controlled the Tanguts, and it seems that the destruction of the country is only a matter of time."

Huang Lu smiled and said, "Such an achievement, so many people are here to congratulate you. You and I don't need to join in the fun, go congratulate Mr. Zhang San. Let's find a place to sit down and have a couple of drinks."

"That's exactly what I want." Han Zhongyan laughed loudly.

The two of them turned around and left immediately.

There was a joyous atmosphere in the Forbidden City. Even the palace maids and eunuchs congratulated each other when they heard the news that Zhang Yue was to be appointed Duke.

The evening breeze blows, and the fallen leaves are everywhere.

Before we knew it, another autumn had passed.

……

Chenzhou.

In a thatched cottage, Zhang Dun, wearing a cloak and with a wine pot hanging from his waist, went with two followers to explore famous mountains and rivers, to seek out monks to ask questions, and to sit in meditation.

There is no intention of demoting him at all.

In fact, Chenzhou is only a hundred miles away from Tokyo and can be reached in the morning or evening, which means it is ready for use at any time.

It was understood in the officialdom that although Zhang Dun had left the court because of his discord with Wang Gui and Zhang Yue, he was still in the emperor's favor.

Although Zhang Dun was not doing well in his career, he did not feel depressed.

Whether he offended Wang Gui for saving Su Shi or offended Zhang Yue for insisting on the new law, he felt that he was acting according to his heart. As long as he insisted on doing what he believed was right, he would do it, and the result was irrelevant.

Zhang Dun had a handsome appearance, firm brows, and heroic eyes. Everyone he talked to along the way was impressed by his charm.

Zhang Dun was sitting in the thatched cottage to rest. When he was about to go upstream along the stream the next day, two uninvited guests came to the cottage in the distance.

Zhang Dun saw that they were two local scholars from Chenzhou. Zhang Dun liked to make friends with scholars the most. If he met a talented person, he would not hesitate to promote him, regardless of the distance of the relationship. For example, it was he who recommended Zhang Shangying to be the censor.

A scholar said as he walked, "Prime Minister Zhang's recovery of Liangzhou really makes us scholars excited!"

"This time, there will be at least one scholar in Xihe Road who will be awarded a title of nobility for his military merits. Thinking of this fame, I will not wait any longer and go to Bianjing to take the Imperial College entrance examination to try my luck."

Another person said, "Well, don't take it lightly. Imperial studies are not easy. This time the scholar is being made a marquis, so martial arts must be even more difficult. I think we should be more cautious."

"Let's go to this thatched cottage and rest for a while, and think it over carefully."

When the two saw that there was someone in the thatched cottage, they couldn't help but smile at each other. They loved visiting friends the most and seeing someone there couldn't be better.

"Can I sit here and take a rest?"

A scholar asked Zhang Dun politely.

Zhang Dun's face was solemn. He stretched out his hand and nodded, asking the two to sit down.

Although he had expected this, Zhang Yue's recovery of Liangzhou still made him feel uneasy for a while.

The attendants were roasting rabbit meat nearby, making a sizzling sound. Seeing this scene, the two scholars were very hungry. In fact, seeing that Zhang Dun was dressed in an extraordinary way, they had already had the intention of dating him.

Zhang Dun took out a knife and cut off a piece of rabbit leg. He looked up and saw the expressions of the two scholars. He immediately shared the remaining rabbit meat with them.

"My dear brother, how can this be so embarrassing?"

Zhang Dun said, "It's just a piece of rabbit meat. I have something I don't understand and would like to ask you two gentlemen. I just heard from you two that the court has taken Liangzhou."

The two smiled and said, "That's right, we just got the news too, and we're planning to go to the city to find some classmates from the county school to celebrate."

The two of them inadvertently showed off that they were students of the county school, and they felt quite satisfied, expecting to be valued by the other party.

Zhang Dun smiled and said, "So you are the scholar. I am sorry for the disrespect. I have a pot of snake wine here, which is just right for dispelling wind and replenishing blood."

Zhang Dun immediately took the wine jug and shared it with the two of them.

After they chatted for a while, Zhang Dun asked, "May I ask why the imperial court was able to take Liangzhou?"

One of them put down the rabbit meat in his hand and said with a smile: "After eating your rabbit meat, I will tell you everything I know. It just so happens that I am going to take the martial arts exam in the Imperial College, and I have studied this subject."

"Let's start with Prime Minister Zhang's appointment as Jixian Prime Minister in the second year of Yuanfeng. At that time, it can be said that he was appointed at a time of defeat and was ordered to act in the midst of danger. Why did the situation reverse and the offensive and defensive positions change after less than two years as Prime Minister?"

"I think that Prime Minister Zhang's military strategy is to 'attack shallowly and build up advanced forces', and the essence is what he often said, 'build a strong camp and fight a stupid battle'."

For some reason, Zhang Dun recalled the emperor's evaluation of Zhang Yue: "You can know his depth, but you cannot know his shallowness."

Zhang Dun did not refute. The two were surprised that others were so excited when they mentioned Zhang Yue's taking over Liangzhou, and regarded it as a great event for the restoration of the country, but this man was so depressed.

Is this just the character of this person?

The scholar continued, "Our army is good at defense but not at attack, while the Tangut army is good at attack but not at defense, so using attack to counter attack is exactly what the other side wants."

"So Prime Minister Zhang used his troops to first gain a foothold in an invincible position, and then to defend the place where the Tanguts would surely attack, and thus won by using defense as an attack."

Zhang Dun shook his head.

Another scholar said: "Prime Minister Zhang has always used a unique strategy when conducting military operations, and he has always used tactics that are beyond the expectations. It is really unexpected that he was able to win in this way."

Zhang Dun sneered and said, "This method can only defeat weak enemies, not strong ones."

The other party asked: "But have you ever thought about this? Are the Tanguts weaker than us?"

Zhang Dun discussed with the two scholars. After the three chatted for a while, the other two scholars were very impressed by Zhang Dun's knowledge and expressed their willingness to follow his opinions.

Zhang Dun thought to himself that he had only won in words, but not in morality.

He said to himself: "The nature of a gentleman is not different, but he is good at making use of things."

This is what he has always advocated. The officialdom and society are like this. It is like a series of stairs. Every time you climb a step higher, others will look at you with a higher eye. When you are at a lower level, others will look down on you.

There is no such thing as good wine needs no bush. He has understood this since he was a child. If a person wants to stand out, he must be good at taking advantage of things, that is, taking advantage of the situation. Otherwise, if a person does not reach a higher level, he is not worthy of being called a gentleman, but only a kind but useless person.

So he didn't think there was anything wrong with him turning to Zhang Yu. This was a first-class method.

Otherwise, if he was buried in Pucheng, a small yamen officer named Zhao would be able to crush him to death.

But whose power did Zhang Yue borrow?

Why did such a stupid brother suddenly become smart? The strategies he used in pacifying the Dangxiang seemed ordinary at first glance, but in the final analysis, he had no other choice.

It seems like they sent troops to dig fortresses and garrison in places where the Dangxiang would definitely attack, and then waited for the Dangxiang to attack, and finally defeated the Dangxiang in this way?

Even until the final conquest of Liangzhou, it was merely a matter of using force to suppress the enemy.

Where has there been such a military strategy from ancient times to the present?

This was a truth that Zhang Dun could not understand no matter how hard he tried. Could it be true, as the scholar said, that Zhang Yue won the battle by using a strategy that was beyond everyone's expectations without any special tactics?

How can such a thing be possible in the world?

When he was young, he looked down on his younger brother, who he thought was a loser and a hopeless person. However, his younger brother used the method that he now looked down on and even thought was useless, and he actually achieved unprecedented success.

That’s Liangzhou!

The homeland of the Han and Tang dynasties that countless people with lofty ideals yearn for.

Zhang Dun felt a little pain in his heart, and even some regret, an emotion that was difficult to explain for the time being.

Seeing that Zhang Dun was full of frustration, the two scholars didn't know what to say. The other party's vision and knowledge were far superior to theirs. They were afraid that they would not be able to reach such an extraordinary man.

That night everyone slept in the thatched cottage and set off at dawn the next day.

When they parted, Zhang Dun took out a letter and said to them, "You have already passed the Imperial College exam. Take this letter to the Imperial College. They will give you a chance to be admitted for my sake."

"Whether it succeeds or not will depend on you."

The two were overjoyed.

Zhang Dun waved his hand. He was always willing to appreciate and promote talented young people.

After saying this, Zhang Dun and his entourage walked away. The two opened the letter and were immediately shocked.

"It's him!"

The two men looked up and saw that Zhang Dun and his followers had disappeared into the depths of the woods.

……

The capital of the Dangxiang State.

Xingqing Prefecture was also called Xingzhou by the people of the Song Dynasty.

Dozens of senior officials discussed the matter in front of His Highness, while King Li Bingchang and Queen Mother Liang, who was sitting behind the curtain, listened to it all.

"Your Majesty, there is actually a way to deal with the Song people's fortress warfare tactics."

"Every time they build a fort, they waste a lot of manpower and material resources. Can their country sustain it? If it is possible, why didn't they use this method earlier?" said an old minister confidently.

Many ministers nodded in agreement.

"I have seen that over the years since the Song ruler ascended the throne, more than 200 fortresses have been built in Hedong Road, Fuyan Road, Huanqing Road, Jingyuan Road, Qinfeng Road, and Xihe Road, nearly half of which are in Xihe Road and Qinfeng Road. The Song people's intention is obviously to take Liangzhou first to seize the upper reaches, and finally merge to capture Lingzhou and Xingzhou."

"The next step for the Song army is to leave Huluchuan, and then build a city northward along the original route until they reach Mingsha. Finally, they will take boats eastward along the Xihe route, and the two routes will attack Lingzhou together."

When this old minister spoke, everyone looked at him solemnly.

If Zhang Yue were here, he would definitely admire the other party's foresight, as he actually explained in detail the strategy of pacifying the Tanguts that he had mentioned to the emperor several years ago. To be honest, there has never been a lack of far-sighted strategic masters among the grassland peoples.

"Then what should we do?" Li Bingchang asked.

The old minister said: "The Song people have limited financial and material resources. If they continue to build fortresses like this, the country will not be able to support it. We can use land to buy time."

"Let the city go!"

"Move the capital to Dingzhou in the north, or even to Keyimen, to get closer to the Liao Kingdom. The Song people have short legs and it is impossible for them to travel such a long distance!"

When the idea of ​​moving the capital was heard, the whole court was in an uproar.

Is the Song people's fortification tactics so unstoppable? Are they actually going to force them to move the capital?

But no one was willing to move the capital.

Xingqing Prefecture has been the capital of the Dangxiang State for decades. The land here is fertile and rich, and it is close to the Yellow River.

They are all used to living here.

But where is Dingzhou? It is at the foot of the eastern side of the Helan Mountains. The city here is small, how can it accommodate so many people?

Not to mention Keyimen further north, which is extremely desolate and almost reaches the border between Dangxiang and Liao.

Moving the capital here was even more unacceptable to them.

State Prime Minister Liang Yibu said: "Don't forget, the Song army couldn't advance deep into the country in the past because they had no cavalry. Now that they have captured Liangzhou, do they still lack horses?"