Prime Minister

Chapter 456: Wang Shao
Jingshi No. [-] Tianshui Lane.

Not far from the alley is the Bianhe River. At the entrance of the alley, there is a tall and towering pagoda tree, whose lush branches and leaves cover the afternoon sun.

Every day, many hooligans gather here, talking about sticks, knives and guns while twisting fleas.

There is a small courtyard beside the locust tree, the door is closed tightly.

At this time, a man in his 40s and [-]s was walking towards the small courtyard with a pack of medicinal materials wrapped in oiled paper.

The idlers at the side looked at this man and said one after another: "Wang Taiwei, come and teach me how to wait for a spear!"

"Yeah, there are people like you in Tianshui Lane who are good at martial arts, we are really in your honor!"

The man glanced at these idlers and said: "My wife is sick, I don't have much time these days!"

"What a disappointment!"

"I waited for a few people to come here because of the reputation, and wanted to see your ability, but now I am going to leave in frustration."

"Yeah, let's pay [-] yuan this time, how about betting that I can support you five sticks? Haha!"

"It's really not good, ten sticks will do it!"

"It's not for money, I just want to see your skills!"

The middle-aged man ignored these people and pushed the door into the small courtyard, then closed the door and locked it tightly, slightly blocking the croaking outside the house.However, a few gossips still reached the man's ears.

The man held back his breath and walked into the hospital. Several children rushed forward and shouted: "Daddy, Daddy!"

The other party nodded and then went straight into the kitchen to put the medicinal materials into the earthen pot to boil the medicine, and then went to the courtyard to take off their clothes and play with sticks. A few children sat aside and watched their father juggle with sticks.

After dancing for half an hour, this person was sweating profusely. He went to the water tank to scoop up a ladle of water and drank it all. Then he went to the kitchen and poured the medicine boiled in the earthen pot into a porcelain bowl. In Zhou Zheng's room.

There is a woman sitting in the upper half of the room, it is this person's first wife Yang Shi.

Yang looked at the other party and said, "Did you ask me to borrow money in the same year again because of my illness?"

The other party said: "Don't worry about the money, the doctor said that you will be fine after taking a few more medicines, and you can't fall short."

Yang sighed: "It's really not worth it for officials to do this for my illness."

The other party said: "Don't say these words, our children still need you to take care of them."

At this time, several people outside the courtyard yelled: "Wang Taiwei, there is an outsider who wants to watch you juggle with spears and sticks. He said that as long as you beat his master of spears and sticks, he will give you twenty sticks!"

The man's face was ashen, Yang quickly said to him: "It's not worth it for officials to be angry with these people."

The man sighed and said: "I blame myself for being useless. I insisted on fighting against injustices to show off my skills that day. I have had the ambition of my ancestors since I was a child. I have been studying and practicing martial arts, but I have failed .”

"Living in such a place now, and living next to such a talented person, I am really ashamed of entrusting my wife to me for the rest of my life!"

Yang said: "Officials, don't be discouraged. You have so many people in the same year, and you also have Ouyang Gong, your mentor during the provincial examination. Isn't it an official now to participate in politics? If he says a word, you are afraid that you will have no way out."

The man sighed: "I don't care if I don't mention it. I received a reply letter from Ouyang's participation in politics yesterday. He said that my article... still needs to be pondered... It's not that I still need to ponder it, but I just don't understand it. Let me stop taking the exam."

"It's a pity that I have more than four years in Beijing. I can't afford it. I have exhausted my family's wealth. If I knew what martial arts and sticks I should learn? It would be better to concentrate on writing."

Yang comforted: "Officials, don't be discouraged. You are just out of luck now. If you meet a nobleman and get his support, you will be able to reach the sky. It just fulfills your wish to be a marquis."

The man smiled and said: "But I hope it can be as the lady said."

After speaking, there was a knock on the door outside.

But I heard someone ask: "Is the Jianchang Army manager Prince Chun here?"

After a while, there was a rage outside the door: "There is only Wang Taiwei here, how can Wang join the army?"

Yang said: "My husband seems to be looking for you."

The other party was suspicious: "Who knows that I live here? I didn't even tell about my same year."

But listening to the door, he said again: "Dare to ask if Wang Canjun is here?"

"Officer, go and have a look!" Yang urged.

The other party hesitated for a moment, then answered, stood up and fastened his belt, held a stick and asked by the door: "There is no Wang Canjun here, who is your Excellency?"

Fang Yan said: "I am writing Zuo Lang, Guan Gou and the supervisor Zhang Yue, and I am here to meet the Jianchang Army manager Wang Zichun, who joined the army. I wonder if you know where he is?"

Zhang Yue?

Startled, the man put the stick aside and opened the door.

But seeing a tall man about 20 years old standing outside the door, he glanced at the stick at his feet and said with a smile: "I have no other purpose here, but I have long admired the name of King Canjun, and I want to make friends with him."

This man was Wang Shao, he looked at Zhang Yue carefully and said: "I have heard the name of Mei Zhanglang for a long time, now I see that he is really handsome, come in and talk."

"Alright."

The other party led a burly companion into the room.

Wang Shao asked Zhang Yue to sit down on the stone bench in the courtyard and said: "my wife is sick and is recuperating in the house, only the courtyard is the place to talk. Please forgive me, I am Wang Shao."

Zhang Yue said with a smile: "Wang Canjun doesn't mind being abrupt."

After finishing speaking, Zhang Yue sat down and asked, "Why do people outside call Join the Army as Wang Taiwei?"

Wang Shao showed a slight look of embarrassment on his face and said: "Since entering Beijing as a candidate, I have run out of money and had to move to this poor alley. I dare not mention my status as a civil servant, so I can only say that I am a dissatisfied martial artist."

"Then those people outside?"

"I learned some sticks since I was a child. I saw someone playing with them a few days ago, so I competed with them and injured a few. Now I have caused a lot of trouble."

Zhang Yue laughed loudly when he heard the words: "Wang Canjun might as well talk about how to make a grudge."

Wang Shao said with a sullen face: "A few days ago, Beijing and China were gambling. I watched their sticks without any rules, so I said unintentionally, these sticks are mostly used in street fights, but they can't win battles, and they can't win against heroes. .”

"I didn't know they could hear me, so they dragged me into the ring. I couldn't push it at the time, and I was knocked over a few times. After that, people kept asking me to come to my house to learn sticks."

Zhang Yue was overjoyed when he heard the words, but he didn't expect that Wang Shao was also the master of both civil and military skills, which was never mentioned in the history books.

Zhang Yue said with a smile: "Wang Canjun is really good. I am also good at archery. Not long ago, I met a tiger on the way to Shaanxi. My usual skills are less than [-]% and I can't draw my bow. Thanks to me People shoot tigers."

"After this incident, I knew that this technique would not work. Only people like Wang Canjun are truly capable of both civil and military skills."

Wang Shao smiled and said: "Scholar Zhang laughed, yes, how did the scholar find this place? Is there a place for Wang?"

Zhang Yue said: "I came from Ouyang's political affairs office, and I happened to read articles about joining the army. Among them was an article on the use of troops against Xixia, which was exactly the same as what I saw."

When Wang Shao heard this, his eyes froze and he said: "It's just a scholar's opinion, hey, I was waiting for next year to make a plan to attack Xixia from the emperor, but Ouyang's participation in politics... said that my article is not hot enough."

Zhang Yue said with a smile: "At this time and at that time, today's superiors and court officials are not fond of military affairs. If you join the army and prepare for the frontier strategy, I'm afraid it will be difficult to be outstanding."

"Thanks to the bachelor's advice, otherwise it would have been a waste of time," Wang Shao asked with a sad expression, "So the reason why Bachelor Zhang came to me this time is for Xixia?"

Wang Shao heard that Zhang Yue poured wine on the faces of Xixia envoys at the beginning of the year.

Zhang Yue nodded and said: "That's right, Western Xia will soon be invaded this autumn, I would like to recommend Wang Canjun to Qinfeng Road to learn about soldiers."

"I?"

Zhang Yue saw that there was no surprise on Wang Shao's face, but a first-class look on his face.

Zhang Yue could see that the naked light was a man's desire for power and fame.

Zhang Yueruyi's plan is like this. In ancient times, the key to fighting and governing is the employment of people.

Because the army hangs thousands of miles away in battle, and with the backward speed of message transmission, it is impossible for the imperial court to strategize and win thousands of miles away.

Therefore, generals acting abroad have great power, and some generals are not allowed to accept military orders abroad.

Placed on the side of the Xihe River, this is the largest territorial expansion of the Song Dynasty since the end of the Five Dynasties.Expanding the land for more than two thousand miles, a total of six states were established, and the land of Hehuang lost to Tubo by the Tang Dynasty was conquered.

Among them, Wang Shao has contributed the most, and his ability is definitely beyond doubt.

The recommender of an official in the Song Dynasty had to bear the responsibility. For example, if the official you recommended made a mistake, you would be punished accordingly.

As long as Zhang Yue's "eyes and talents" recommended Wang Shao, then he must have his own share of the military exploits in the future.

In addition, Zhang Yue can also use Wang Shao to promote the salt money transferred to the Yinjian in the strategy of Tubo Xixia, and harvest it through currency means to achieve the purpose of supporting war with war.

In history, Wang Shaoxi used four strategies to open the river.

One is to convict and use, appease those who are obedient, beat those who are disobedient, trade with you if you use my salt money, and say that you have washing powder hidden in your home if you don’t use it.

The second is Tuntian.

The third is the tea-horse trade, where you exchange tea for your Tubo horses.

Finally, there was the Municipal Exchange, where the government lent money to merchants to allow them to trade with Tubo, and then used interest and market funds as military expenses.

For example, from the fifth year to the seventh year of Xining, Wang Shao received interest money of [-] guan from the market exchange, and [-] guan of market money.The ministries of Tubo are extremely supportive of the market exchange, saying that in the future, Hanbo will only have business, not vendetta.

Only trade can achieve peace, but trade is accompanied by war!If we can't agree, we will fight.Therefore, the opening of Xihe is a perfect match with Zhang Yue's monetization of salt money.

Zhang Yue saw that Wang Shao was moved, but the other party sighed and said, "Thank you, Bachelor Zhang, for your kindness. I'm afraid I can't accept this matter."

Zhang Yue asked, "Why?"

Wang Shao said: "My wife is seriously ill. The doctor said she might not survive this year. I don't want to let her go at this time. Master Zhang didn't know that my wife followed me when I was humble. marry me."

"How can I fail her now? Leaving her at this moment, I have failed your kindness, Mr. Zhang!"

It was a pity after Wang Shao finished speaking.

Zhang Yue didn't expect that things would go wrong in this way in the end.

Seeing this, Zhang Yue almost said that a man only suffers from fame but not a wife, but after thinking about it, it would not be good if Shi Qiniang knew this, so it was fine, and he could only come to persuade him another day .

Just as Zhang Yue was about to leave, he saw a child push the door open and enter.

The child was carrying a basket of charcoal. When he saw Zhang Yue, he was pleasantly surprised and said, "Grandfather! Why are you here?"

(End of this chapter)