Prime Minister

Chapter 1057 Today’s country is Naifaxia (2nd update)

Zhang Gen met Huang Lu in the main hall.

Huang Lu smiled and said, "You said you are my unmarried son-in-law, but you want to marry into my Huang family."

Zhang Gen smiled sheepishly and said, "My father doesn't want to see me anyway, he will come to visit sooner or later."

Huang Lu laughed when he heard this and said, "Your temperament is just like your father's when he was in Imperial College. But he has been an official for a long time and has gradually lost his original appearance."

"But your father is shouldering the weight of the world now, and there is nothing you can do about it. It's like the sacred tree in the temple. It is worshiped, but it is difficult to get close to him."

Zhang Gen slapped his legs and laughed when he heard this. He was particularly happy to hear Huang Lu rant about Zhang Yue.

Huang Lu said: "Tell me, you don't go to see me at home, but go to the office to find me. Do you have something to ask me for that you can't let your parents know?"

Zhang Gen said: "It's Uncle Huang. I'll tell you the truth. I want to take the imperial examination, but my father won't allow it. Besides, I also want to... also want to..."

Huang Lu said: "Are you going to postpone the marriage until you win the Jinshi?"

Zhang Gen nodded, then bowed down and said, "Uncle Huang, please forgive me! In March next year, no matter whether I am a Jinshi or not, this marriage will remain unchanged."

Huang Lu said seriously: "Get up, there is gold under the man's knees, don't act like this."

After Zhang Gen heard this, he stood up and stood aside, but saw Huang Lu with a stern look on his face, and a pair of eyes that seemed to be staring at him, as if he wanted to see through him.

"It's not just about this, why should you be so solemn? I'll just agree."

Zhang Gen was stunned. He didn't expect Huang Lu to agree so easily.

Zhang Gen was taken aback, and Huang Lu stepped down from the case and said, "Your father is staying in a suburban temple now!"

Zhang Gen said: "Yes."

Huang Lu said: "Prime Minister Han passed away due to illness. The whole world knows that your father is Prime Minister Han's most important ally, but His Majesty did not allow him to pay homage and instead asked him to fast. This is unjustifiable!"

"Since Your Majesty is like this, then you don't have to worry about the words of the prime minister's son who does not serve in the official position and competes with the children of the poor family."

"As long as there is one more child of the Zhang family in the court, I can help your father in the future."

Zhang Gen was stunned and said immediately: "Uncle Huang, you understand everything."

Huang Lu smiled and said, "Can't I see through your thoughts? Otherwise, why would you call yourself a virgin son-in-law?"

Zhang Gen said: "Ginger is still old and spicy. Uncle Huang can clearly see my thoughts."

Huang Lu said: "I came here the same way you did back then. It's great that you have this kind of energy in your heart. Remember, it doesn't matter if you are the emperor, as long as you offend your Zhang family, you will do it! Don't be like your father, who just I want to be a loyal minister.”

"What's the use of being a loyal minister? You can't just put it on the table and eat cold pigs. This is what your father said to me."

Zhang Gen felt excited after hearing Huang Lu's words.

This was so right and so in line with his character.

"A real man, if you succeed with your determination, you can prepare for the rites examination with peace of mind. I will tell your father about it. Forget it, you don't want to go home. You will live in my house before the examination next year. I will take care of everything. Let me explain it to you."

"If your father refuses, I will fight with him for you. We haven't quarreled for a while anyway."

……

"In the five seasons, the map was lost, and the 玁狁hole was blazing. The ancestors of art built the country, and thought of punishing Ai. He established the inner palace, based on which he recruited soldiers, and his great-grandson protected him. He dared to forget his ambition."

This poem comes from the official mouth, word for word. This is a total of thirty-two warehouses in Jingfu Hall, and each warehouse is filled with mountains of gold, silver, money, and silk.

This warehouse was built since Wang Anshi's reform, and now Shi De has reported to the officials that all thirty-two warehouses are full.

After the official checked the warehouse in person, he locked the door and said: "Now that I have Xianying again, I decided to set up twenty more warehouses in the palace. The poem mentions, 'Every time I am pious and cautious, I will follow the legacy of my legacy without caring about it. Wu Zi, when will he become a Rongjie?'"

Xu Xi said on the side: "Your Majesty has such ambitions, and the country is so rich, it will only be a matter of time for the enemy to recover."

The official said: "However, the ministers objected and did not dare to allow me to accept Xing Ling. To avenge the shame of my ancestors, I am extremely disappointed. What is the use of the gold and silver treasures accumulated in this warehouse? How have I ever taken any from it? I’ve used every penny for myself.”

Xu Xi said: "Your Majesty's virtue of frugality will be well known to your ministers. In fact, it's not that the ministers are unwilling to fight for success, but they are afraid that the attack will not be successful and will lose the vitality of China."

The official said: "That makes sense. I'm not reckless. I don't dare to make a desperate move until I'm 70 or 80% sure. It's just that I don't force them. They don't know how to use their strength on this matter. They are only willing to take it easy and get by."

Afterwards, the officials returned to the private hall to rest and revise the memorials. Xu Xi said: "Your Majesty, Lu Huiqing, the envoy of Yanyan Jinglue, begged for a new type of knife. This new type of knife can be used to break the cripples and iron kites of the Western Thieves."

"Lu Huiqing please set up a factory in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian to make it, and first beg for armor, chest protectors, and tiger-wing armor for use."

After hearing this, the officials sighed in their hearts. It was Lu Huiqing who knew my intention. If I had ten Lu Huiqings, why would I worry about the Western thieves remaining alive and the Liao people dissatisfied?

The official said to Xu Xi: "Make it as Lu Huiqing said, and order the weapons supervisor to make it together with the required bows and arrows. After it is made, it will be taken to the army immediately."

After Xu Xi said yes, he stepped aside and drafted an imperial edict.

The officials continued to read the memorials, but they saw that Lu Huiqing was writing about something, and then Lu Wenqing was writing about something, and then Lu Shengqing was writing about something.

After that, Lu Huiqing came to discuss something again.

The official sighed with emotion, and said to Xu Xi: "It's really rare for a minister like Lu Huiqing to be able to do things, dare to do things, put me in front of me in everything, and not be afraid of complaints or questioning." The official has not had one for a long time. Which minister has ever praised so much in front of Xu Xi?

"Xu Qing, what do you think of the expedition to Xia?" the official asked Xu Xi.

Xu Xi had always won the emperor's appreciation for advocating the attack on Xia. It was not that he catered to the emperor's wishes like Lu Huiqing did. And like Huo Qubing and Wei Qing, he also had the desire to make great achievements and be famous in history.

Xu Xi longed for all this, he longed to leave his name in history, even if he was shattered to death.

Seeing the officials asking each other like this, Xu Xi said: "Your Majesty's Hongwu is not as good as the resurrection of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. How have I ever seen Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty asking his subordinates like this? Like Li Shiji, famous generals like Li Jing just need to let them do it."

When the official heard this, he was overjoyed and said, "Your words are enough, and my long-standing trust in you is not in vain."

After a pause, the official said with emotion: "However, Han Qing's advice when he was seriously ill was really true to his heart."

Xu Xi on the side has heard such contradictory words from officials many times. Xu Xi didn't think that the officialdom was so 'fickle'. He had read in history books that many emperors and generals would assess the situation in this way when making major historical decisions.

The official said to Shi De: "Now the country is going to conquer Xia. Let Zhang Qing pray for snow and come back to the palace to see me!"

Xu Xi thought to himself that the officials also had tricks on Zhang Yue. They were beating and pulling him.

At the same time, Xu Xi thought to himself, Mr. Zhang, I can only help you so far. The official family is now determined to conquer the summer. Not to mention that I also advocate the same wholeheartedly. Even if I don't advocate so, I don't dare to say no in front of him.

……

Zhang Yue handled the matter of praying for snow in the suburban temple with great sincerity.

He fasted for three days before praying for snow, and Zhang Yue also focused on using this matter to adjust his mood.

Zhang Yue felt very heavy when he learned that Han Jiang had passed away.

To him, Han Jiang was not only an elder, but also a leader in his official career.

But Qi Xue's incident not only made him miss seeing Han Jiang for the last time, but also made him miss the condolence and funeral for Han Jiang.

Zhang Yue knew that the officials intended to do this.

What's more, Zhang Yue also understood that Han Jiang never died of illness so early in history. After Yuanyou, Han Jiang had reappeared. This time Han Jiang's resignation was not approved by the officials, so he died in depression.

Although Han Jiang's death from illness was not intentional by the officials, some officials did so unintentionally.

It’s not that the officials dislike Han Jiang Zhangyue.

Zhang Yue guessed that any minister must have a line in mind not to interfere with the imperial power. Han Jiangzhangyue's ability to implement the military law this time has touched the heart of the officials.

Although the officials were reluctant, they still reluctantly agreed to Han Jiang's change of service law with him, which left a shadow of dissatisfaction, even if he said he would find the six million strings elsewhere.

In addition to Wang Anshi and Chen Shengzhi, they opposed the continued change of the new law. Officials were also worried that if Han Jiang continued to work with him to change the new law, the court's income would be greatly reduced and it would be unable to support the attack on Xixia.

Therefore, the decision was made to withdraw the major policies and return the focus to the right track of "conquering Xia", that is, the [national policy] shifted from benefiting the people back to benefiting the country.

First squeeze the common people to the edge of rebellion, and then think of other ways.

In the past, the officials seemed to be forcing the people to go to Liangshan, so they switched to Han Jiangzhang to slow down the situation a little bit.

These chapters are more understandable.

The officials want to win too much and are too impatient. According to his steps, I am afraid that next year, the second year of Yuanfeng, the officials will raise an army to conquer Xia.

In another time and space history, it was not until the fourth year of Yuanfeng that the officials sent out 350,000 troops in five directions to attack Xia.

He pioneered and forged ahead on Xihe Road and gained thousands of miles. The progress was so smooth that the officials had some illusions. He advanced the timetable for the summer expedition, which was in line with the timetable he had said that he would be able to calm down the summer in five years.

I spoke too much back then.

If he and Han Jiang were given another two years to ease the shortcomings of the new law and the pain caused by the reform, then he would be more confident in winning this battle.

Now...now it seems impossible.

Before the emperor attacks Xia, he will definitely clear out any opposing ministers from the two governments.

If you don’t change your thoughts, you should change your people. This is an irrefutable truth.

But in fact, Zhang Yue's attitude towards the expedition to Xia was somewhere between acceptable and unacceptable. The officials would send troops to conquer Xia next year. Although it was a bit hasty, the Song army's strategic posture at least on Xihe Road was far better than in history.

The Qing Tang Dynasty, which was at the opposite end of history, had completely surrendered to the Song Dynasty. This led Zhang Zhi to directly control more than 200,000 Han and Han troops. What would happen if such a heavily armed group joined the battlefield?

Even if it was just a side attack, Xixia would only dare to defend as the main attacker.

If we say that there were five expeditions against Xia in history, the outcome was a 50-50 ratio.

So in this time and space, next year's expedition to Xia will be between 60% and 70%. This is already a very high winning rate, so if the officials really want to fight, Zhang Yue will not firmly object.

But the official never asked him for his final opinion.

During the long night, Zhang Yue stayed alone in the Zhai Palace, looking up at the moon and stars, silently mourning his old friend in his heart.

Ps: Happy New Year, brothers and sisters, and good luck in the Year of the Dragon. I wish you all an early New Year greeting. See you on the first day of the new year!