Prime Minister

Bianjing.

In the Privy Council.

Wen Yanbo and Wu Chong sat in the hall, while Zeng Xiaokuan, a direct scholar and privy secretary of Longtu Pavilion, sat sideways.

The following are the officials of the three divisions taking turns to discuss.

"Zhang Longtu has not made an inch of merit since he led the army in the Northwest for the second time, and the documents he receives every day are asking for money and food, but this is not the way. Some words are really hard to say in front of the two ministers."

"What is there to say? Let me just say that Xihe Road used 500 million guan from the imperial court before, and now it will cost another 500 million guan, but what? Three months of food and salary have been spent, and Zhang Longtu has not done anything so far. It's just a confrontation, it's really frightening. I wish I could kick Xihe twice when I'm thousands of miles away."

"What you two said is very true. Our third division has tried everything to support the cost of Xihe Road. These days, we are all worried. We also tried our best to go from Northwest Fifth Road to Yongxing Army. , and even to the east of Tongguan to adjust grain for them, but now it is really unbearable, and it is really impossible to find a single grain of rice."

"Your Majesty and the Privy Council urge us regardless of these letters every day. It is because we missed the military needs and we need to stop our officials. However, there is no food in the northwest to adjust. Now is the time when there is no supply. Now even Qinzhou has a bucket of rice. It has reached more than 300 texts. Even the mice in the granary are starving to death."

"Third Division really has no choice. It is difficult for a clever woman to cook without rice. It is only serious to ask the Privy Council to order Zhang Longtu to retreat quickly. To say something that is not pleasant, even if Zhang Longtu really captured Xihe, it is just a false name. Is the life of the people on Qinfeng Road not enough? The life of the common people is not good, but the imperial court wants such a prestigious name, but it is infamous in the history books through the ages!"

Wen Yanbo expressed deep sympathy and said: "You guys are also tired, just rest aside and talk to you when you have something to say."

The officials of the third department saluted in unison, and then all retreated to the side to rest, shaking their heads and sighing, looking helpless.

Wu Chong wanted to say something, but Wen Yanbo drank a cup of tea leisurely, pressed his hand to the side and Zeng Xiaokuan asked: "Let some imperial officials come in too!"

Soon several censors arrived here.

The leading censor named Du Chun held a document in his hand and said loudly: "Before impeaching Xihe Road for excessive use of public funds, the lower officials have been ordered to dismiss it. Compared with the record, there are indeed many discrepancies, and the cost is also wasted."

"Immediately transfer Zhang Longtu from the Xihe front line back to Beijing for an interview!"

After hearing Du Chun's words, Wu Chong couldn't help but slapped the case and said: "The imperial court's tens of thousands of soldiers and horses are fighting in Xihe. You have ordered the general in front to return to Beijing for inspection because of such a trivial matter at this time. Isn't this a disaster for the country and the people?"

Without the slightest fear, Du Chun pushed back with a straight face and said: "Mr. Wu Shu's words are wrong. The daily consumption of money and food in Xihe is so huge, and the burden on the people of the entire Northwest Fifth Road is so heavy. Does the Xihe Economic and Strategy Department know nothing about it?" Thrifty?"

"I audited that many of its projects were unnecessary expenditures. The people in the rear were frugal to feed the army in the front to fight, but the army in the front didn't know how to cherish it. Such extravagance and waste, not only chilled the hearts of the people in the world, but also chilled the hearts of His Majesty. .”

"Zhang Longtu is responsible for creating the Northwest incident."

Wu Chong said angrily: "Okay, tell me which of the above should be used and which should not be used?"

Du Chundao: "The next official will give Wu Shu Xiang a statement on the spot."

Seeing the two arguing face to face, the other censors quickly pulled Du Chun down from the lobby of the Privy Council.

Du Chun also had a tough temper, and before he was pulled out of the door, he even yelled at Wu Chong, so angry that Wu Chong felt pain when he touched the tumor on his neck.

Wen Yanbo said to Wu Chong: "Chongqing, you have been in office for so long, why are you so angry. They didn't come here for you and Duzhi."

Of course Wu Chong understood that the reason why the officials of the third division criticized Zhang Yue was that the emperor was too eager to urge the third division to urge food and money every day in order to provide for the war in the northwest, and he often threatened the third division with a certain deadline, otherwise it would be so.

The officials of the third department were forced to jump over the wall. They didn't dare to turn against the emperor, so they cursed Zhang Yue for delaying the battle.

As for Du Chun, he is also an official with very good character and integrity. Before someone impeached the Xihe Economic and Strategy Department for spending money and wasting the court's money and food, the emperor asked the upright Du Chun to check whether there was such a thing.

Du Chun is also very upright. The emperor asked him to investigate, but he did the investigation carefully, and planned to list one, two, three, four, five.

Wu Chong said to Wen Yanbo: "Mr. Tang, I can save this matter, but my son-in-law is in charge of military and political affairs along the way. How can I make a clear calculation of the expenses and expenditures? You also know that these are all left to the people below. of."

"And some expenses can be saved. This person is too bookish, and he cares about it. He doesn't know how to calculate the big account, the account of the whole country."

Wen Yanbo said, I understand your expression very well: "Chongqing, we are going to suffer more criticism from this position. The officials below don't understand the inside story, and we don't understand either? They only know from their own official hats We have to worry about things, and what we have to worry about is the whole world and our country.”

"In the past two months, you have blocked so many open and hidden arrows for your son-in-law, so you have to think about whether it is true. If it is really not possible, I will accompany you to plead guilty to the officials."

Wu Chong did not know what Wen Yanbo meant when he heard what he said.

His son Wen Jifu was under Zhang Yue's curtain, but he opposed the use of troops in the northwest, and the bet on both ends would win no matter what.

Listening to the words of the two privy envoys, Zeng Xiaokuan shook his head, waiting for this moment to rush into the interior alone and said: "Xihe military situation...Xihe military situation..."

Hearing this news, the officials of the third department who were resting in the wing room got up one after another and pointed their heads towards the central hall.

As for Du Chun who was just pushed out, he immediately returned to the hall.

Zeng Xiaokuan took the military newspaper with trembling hands, then turned around and walked a few steps to hand it to Wu Chong.

Wu Chong also swallowed his saliva and opened the military newspaper tremblingly.

……

In the palace of senior officials.

While the official was reading on the bookshelf, he was talking to Li Xian. The slightly yellow map of Northwest China was in a conspicuous place in the study.

The official asked seemingly casually: "Li Xian, has Xihe come to the military newspaper?"

"Report to His Majesty has not yet."

The official pretended to be relaxed and said: "It seems that good things take a long time!"

After finishing speaking, the officials flipped through the book casually, and at this moment someone reported: "Your Majesty, Wang Xianggong, Wenshu is leading all civil and military officials into the palace to see Your Majesty!"

Hearing the words, the officials paused in the air for a while, and then didn't say a word.

The official tried to calm down his emotions and asked, "Did Xihe win or lose?"

When the officials came back to their senses, they saw dozens of eunuchs in the hall all knelt on the ground and said in unison: "Your Majesty, Xihe has won a great victory!"

Hearing this, the official took a deep breath, but when he wanted to speak, he found himself choking.

"This... this is finally a victory!"