Prime Minister

Chapter 813 Questions
This time Song Xia negotiated peace, but Zhang Yue had never heard of it.

Before Qingzhou was defeated, and then Linfu was attacked again, the three thousand riders from Xixia seemed to enter the land of no one, and returned after plundering people and animals.

After the Song army suffered a great loss, Xixia repeated the same trick, sending people to Bianjing to present horses as tribute, and asking the emperor of the Song Dynasty to grant the Tripitaka.

At the same time, Xixia paid tribute to Liao and Koryo, and actively contacted and competed for international aid.

Under this, Song Xia negotiated peace, and the two families stopped fighting.

This matter was instructed by Wang Anshi to Cai Yanqing, and Zhang Shen led the negotiation.

Now the officials no longer intervene in the border affairs in Shaanxi, and the leading power has returned to the two governments headed by Wang Anshi.

After Zhang Yue sent a letter to Wang Anshi, Wang Anshi also replied in a private letter, in which he told Zhang Yue that there would be no war on Xihe Road this year, and that Xihe Road was a new state with a radius of more than 400 miles and an annual cost of [-] million guan , It all depends on the supply of imperial funds.

Now the people in Shaanxi are struggling, and the imperial court's finances are also tight, so they will take a rest this year.

Zhang Yue was very happy when he heard this, he didn't want Xihe to have any more wars this year, if the emperor ordered him to fight Lanzhou, Liangzhou, or even Xingzhou, he didn't know what to do.

But Wang Anshi's letter...in the text is the tone of "it's all thanks to the old man's reforms to save money for you to fight this battle".But although Wang Anshi said so, he was willing to write back to himself, which was inexplicably moved.

Zhang Yue wrote another letter to Wang Anshi, detailing his thoughts on raising troops in Xihe and reopening the Silk Road.

However, Wang Anshi did not reply to this letter.

Zhang Yue had no choice but to guess that the prime minister was too busy with government affairs, so he forgot...

But since you didn't reply, I'll take it as Wang Anshi's acquiescence...

At this time, Li Xian had already arrived in Xizhou.Zhang Yue went ten miles out of the city to meet Li Xian in person.

There is a reception banquet in the road pavilion.

The place for receiving the wind banquet is also set up with ulterior motives. Looking from the pavilion, you can just see the scenery on both sides of the Tao River.

It was raining a little that day, and the mountains in the distance were covered with flowing clouds, and the wind from the Tao River was blowing the green rice fields by the river. Hundreds of Tibetans were braving the rain and camping by the river, with Han people on the side. The old farmer squatted on the ridge of the field and taught the Fan people how to farm.

In the distance of the farmland is a newly repaired pontoon bridge, on which vehicles, horses and pedestrians pass by from time to time.A dock fort and several fire piers were set up at both ends of the pontoon bridge. Song soldiers wearing felt hats stood guard on the fort.

Under the fort, there are also Sinicized fan riders patrolling to and fro, checking the luggage of passers-by.

Zhang Yue remembered that when Hezhou fell last year, the local Fan people in Xizhou set fire to the bridge and almost cut off the Taoshui channel.

In addition to these, there is also a naval division commanding the Song Army stationed on the Taohe River.

Zhang Yue glanced at Cai Jing beside him, and praised him for choosing a good reception place, and he really deserved to be his 'Secretary General'.

In the officialdom, it is not a trivial matter to welcome and see off, but also to show one's political achievements subtly.

At this time, Li Xian, who greeted him in front of him, had already arrived.

From a distance, Zhang saw a team of nearly a hundred riders slowly passing the pontoon bridge. As for Li Xian, holding the reins and wearing a red brocade cloak, he rode at the head of the team on a Hexi horse. He is holding a black canopy.

Zhang Yue looked at Li Xian's demeanor from a distance, which was quite similar to that of Dongchang Changgong he saw in the movie later.

Gentle and gentle, with some wounding femininity, like a soft sword.

When the two greeted each other, Zhang Yue asked the other party to sit down in the pavilion.

All kinds of melons, fruits and wines are placed in the road pavilion.

After Li Xianlue wiped his hands and face and sat down, although he was busy all the way, he still said to Zhang Yue: "This time I left Qinzhou, passed through the Tongyuan Army, then went to Weiyuan, and finally crossed Niaoshu Mountain to Xizhou .”

"I walked along the Weishui River and Taoshui River all the way, and the scenes of camping fields I saw along the way were very different from those when I came to Xizhou for three years!"

Zhang Yuexin, it was precisely because the two had the same views on the issue of farming at the beginning, which made the two of them get along very harmoniously in Xizhou.

Li Xian also noticed the scenery of farming by the river here, and said: "Great-grandson's crops are like trees like beams. Great-grandson's Yu is like Di like Beijing. It is for thousands of warehouses, it is for Wansi boxes. Shuji Rice and sorghum, the celebration of the farmers. Repaying Jiefu, longevity is boundless."

This is a sentence from Futian in the Book of Songs.

There is nothing more refreshing than seeing a busy farming scene.

Both of them laughed out loud.

"Three years ago, this place was full of vicious barbarians, but now there are barbarian families here, all relying on the master's strategy."

Zhang Yue said: "Zi Fan is polite. When you were in Xizhou, you and I complemented each other. Now that you go to Xizhou to serve again, Zhang is very happy. Now I will offer you this glass of wine on behalf of the 200 million soldiers and civilians in Xihe."

Li Xian laughed, raised his wine glass and clinked a glass with Zhang Yue.

The attendants of the two left and right, Yuan Sui, were sincerely happy to see how the two got along well with each other.

Li Xiandao: "In the third year of Xining, we were in Xihe, but an isolated village in Guwei, and now there are 200 million people. It's really unbelievable, so Li admires the foresight of Shuxue even more."

After a pause, Li Xian said to Zhang Yue: "Your Majesty asked me to bring a message. After the peace talks with Xixia, there will be no wars this year. You can just use your heart and mind to plan for Hehuang."

Zhang Yue cupped his hands and said: "The minister thanked His Majesty. It is indeed my wish to strike this year. After conquering Xizhou and Hezhou, the area from Weiyuan to Guwei has become mature land, with six or seven thousand hectares of farmland."

"As long as there is no war in Xizhou this year, land reclamation will be almost done. You can see that the valleys here are all planted with rice. If Xia Guo doesn't come from Lanzhou to plunder this autumn, I can get the army rations."

Li Xiandao: "Our family knows that Hezhou, Xizhou, Huizhou, and Minzhou are the front lines, and the farmland will not be too extensive. If we take Taozhou and Lanzhou, the situation will be perfect. At that time, we will not be afraid of the Xia people. Tubo will come. Come to Grass Valley."

After hearing Li Xian's words, Zhang Yue knew that the officials still hadn't given up.

Zhang Yue waved his hand and said, "Zi Fan is right, but he is not in a hurry."

Li Xian said with a smile: "Then, can you tell me about it? The Pinghehuang policy of the clerk, I have read it, it is the first policy in Pingxia, not only your majesty, but also the ruling governments of the two governments. Xia Yihe also obeyed your wishes."

Zhang Yue knew that Li Xian had complimented him a lot before, but what happened next was the highlight.In addition to Pinghe Huangce, he also urgently needs to know what he will advocate next, or the officials want to know what he thinks.

But Zhang Yue deliberately asked: "Oh? Isn't it because of the defeat of Linfu in Qingzhou?"

Li Xian smiled slightly and said: "There is also an inside story. First, the elite soldiers and generals of the Fourth Route in Shaanxi are all under your command. Second, after the second prefect Xixia entered the country, he also restrained the frontier army from launching a big counterattack. National peace."

Zhang Yue nodded and said: "So that's the case. If so, I, Xihe, will have a chance to recuperate for a year."

Li Xian said with a smile: "So next, you can talk about it with our family!"

Zhang Yue shook his head with a smile, the officials are really persistent, but he has to talk about Li Xian's affection.

He laughed and said: "It's nothing, now Xihe has two things to do, one is farming, and the other is business."

Li Xiandao: "I know about farming, what is business?"

"It is to reopen the Silk Road!"

Zhang Yue then told Li Xian his strategy for managing Hehuang.

In history, Xixia controlled the Silk Road, so after the land passage was cut off, the sea trade in the Song Dynasty was extremely developed. In the past, the merchants of Dashi all arrived in Quanzhou by boat.

In order to facilitate the settlement of Dashi merchants, the imperial court also specially set up Fanfang in Quanzhou.

At the time of Xining, Quanzhou's annual income was already quite astonishing.

But Zhang Yue didn't plan that way, not only the Maritime Silk Road, but also the land. This national policy has not changed until later generations.

Why do we need to reopen the Silk Road? We still have to go back to what Zhang Yue said in the Pinghehuang policy before, "Only by strengthening yourself can you weaken the other. If you want to harm the other, you must first benefit yourself."

Who would do something that is not beneficial?
I spent so much effort just for Pingxia?Never do something that hurts both sides.

Recovering the homeland of the Han and Tang Dynasties is a righteous duty, but it is necessary to open up trade, reopen the Silk Road, and make land commerce unimpeded!Let the people in the Western Regions speak Chinese and use the salt banknotes of our Song Dynasty. This is the real benefit.

Trade is the engine of war, and the coins (salt notes) prepared before are the fuel for the engine.

This is from economy to politics, and then from politics to war, and grasping all these is the grand strategy of the entire country.

As far as our court is concerned, exterminating Xia is just a means, not an end.

"Miexia is just a means, not an end?" Li Xian was dumbfounded when he heard this.

He felt that Pinghe Huangce was already shocking the world, but he didn't expect that there would be...

What is the money used to fight Xihe in the past few years? Once the Silk Road was opened, the whole of Shaanxi, Sichuan and Sichuan were revitalized. It won’t be a few years before Wang Anshi can earn the money back.

In the final analysis, the reform still divides the cake, trade and war are the cake, and this is also the standard for reviewing the results of the reform.

Therefore, if Hehuang is to be harvested, Xixia will be destroyed!

Zhang Yue said to Li Xian: "Zi Fan, let me tell you something from the bottom of my heart. You have also seen Wang Xianggong's reform this time. Cover up old problems."

"It seems to be calm right now, but after a long time, the disadvantages will definitely explode. Now His Majesty should also feel it."

Li Xian admitted that although he knew about military affairs, he still didn't know much about the politics of governing the country.But the emperor had growing concerns about Wang Anshi's reform, and he knew it.

A top-notch talent like Zhang Yue, isn't he the choice of the prime minister in the heart of the emperor?

Li Xiandao: "Shu Xue, our family has one last question? We also asked you this matter in private?"

Zhang Yue nodded.

Li Xian asked: "If Wang Xianggong is dismissed as Prime Minister, can Shuxue be returned to the court?"

Zhang Yue thought in his heart, even if Wang Anshi was dismissed now, it would not be his turn to be prime minister.But having said that, I am only one step away from 'four entry'.

Moreover, Li Xian's question shows that the officials have selected him as the prime minister's candidate from the bottom of their hearts.

Zhang Yue thought for a while, then pointed to the vast farmland by the Tao River and said to Li Xian: "A thousand hectares of good land is not in one mu. There is long-term ambition, not in angelica!"

(End of this chapter)