Fenghou

Chapter 886
Early the next morning, Chen Qing came to the official room where he had been away for nearly half a year, and immediately ordered someone to invite Guan Shigu and Zhang Miao.

Not long after, the two rushed over and bowed together, "See Your Highness!"

Chen Qing said with a smile: "I haven't seen you in half a year, it seems that everyone hasn't changed much."

Guan Shigu smiled slightly: "We haven't changed much, but Your Highness has changed a lot."

"What's changed in me? My skin has turned white. I looked in the mirror yesterday and it was still the same black!"

Zhang Miao said with a smile: "When you left, you were the county king. Now that you are back, you have become His Royal Highness King Yong. This is the biggest change."

The three of them laughed together, at this time, Jiang Yanxian and Zhao Kai also rushed over after hearing the news.

As soon as he entered the door, Zhao Kai yelled: "Where is the inventory? I heard that His Highness stripped Wei Guoshu's wealth. Where is the inventory?"

Chen Qing took out a thick booklet and handed it to him, and said with a smile, "I know you have the best nose."

"Of course, if you are not in charge of a family, you don't know how expensive it is. I have to support your hundreds of thousands of troops. I worry to death every month."

Chen Qing was taken aback, "Isn't it? Our family is so poor? Do we have to worry about it every month?"

Jiang Yanxian said with a smile: "Your Highness, don't listen to him. He calls everyone poor, especially at the end of the year. He just wants to take away a little bit of our welfare."

Everyone laughed, Zhao Kai rolled his eyelids and said: "When you meet people, you only talk a little bit, and you don't reveal your wealth. Do you understand? If you laugh and say all day, you have money! Spend it as you like! This old man would have made a fuss about it." It was squandered by you."

Chen Qing smiled and said: "The God of Wealth must be a qualified miser, this statement is true!"

Everyone laughed heartily.

At this time, Jiang Yanxian asked: "Why didn't Lu Qingshan come here with His Highness?"

"The situation on Sichuan Road is unstable now. I need him to sit in charge and implement the Shangshu Xingtai system, especially the Xingtai support envoy. Things are very complicated, so he will not come to Jingzhao for the time being. It is estimated that he will come to report to me in the spring of next year. At the same time, the transfer envoy, The Six Cao Envoys and Xingtai Support Envoys will also report to the Internal Affairs Hall."

According to Chen Qing's design, Shang Shu Xingtai Fuchang Shi is a high-ranking official parallel to the internal affairs counselor, and is directly responsible to himself, but the following offices and state Xingtai support envoys are still the same as before, reporting to the internal affairs hall.

Jiang Yan nodded first, "I'll report back to His Highness later, let the military department talk about big things first!"

Only then did Guan Shigu report to Chen Qing, "We just now know the real reason why Jin Guo signed a five-year armistice agreement with Song Dynasty."

"what reason?"

"The emperor of the Kingdom of Jin has decided to go to war against the Mughals. The emperor of the Kingdom of Jin, Wan Yanquan, is going to transfer Wanyan Wushu back to Beijing, but Wanyan Wushu refuses to go north because he is worried about being attacked by us in the Central Plains. Instead, he recommends Wanyan Nian It seems that Wanyan Nianhan is likely to come back and lead an army of [-] to attack the Mengwu tribe. Therefore, the Kingdom of Jin must stabilize the Song Dynasty and sign an armistice agreement with the Song Dynasty. But our chance out."

Chen Qing also knew the situation on the grassland. It was conquered by the Liao Kingdom before. After the Liao Kingdom was destroyed, the tribes in the grassland took the opportunity to stand on their own. Among them, the chief of the Mughal tribe, Boer Jijin Hebul, was the most powerful and was elected by all the tribes. For Hebul Khan, this person is Temujin's great-grandfather.

Hebul Khan refused to accept the jurisdiction of the Jin Kingdom and kept sending troops to harass the Jin Kingdom. In the year when Jin Taizong Wanyan Sheng died, the Mughal troops occupied the northern part of Datong Prefecture. Now the Jin Emperor Wanyan Quan has secured the throne and decided to Send troops to attack the increasingly arrogant Mongolian tribes, follow the example of the Liao Kingdom, and conquer the grasslands.

At present, the Kingdom of Jin has experienced internal and external troubles. The internal worry is that the Kingdom of Jin has been defeated repeatedly in the west in the past few years. It has only lost soldiers and generals, but has no profit. stable.

Foreign aggression means that the Kingdom of Jin is surrounded by three major enemies, the Mongolian Army in the north, the Sichuan-Shaanxi Army in the west, and the Song Dynasty Army in the south. Most of the land in the Central Plains signed an armistice agreement, which can be said to be humiliating and humiliating.

"The opportunity that Counselor Guan mentioned refers to Datong?"

"Exactly! Datong's [-] Jin soldiers will attack the Mughal army to the north, and the city of Datong will be empty."

Chen Qing pondered for a moment and asked, "Can we form an alliance with Habul Khan and properly support the Mughal Army?"

Zhang Miao shook her head, "I don't think it's right. Although the Mughal Army is fighting against the Kingdom of Jin, they are also unfriendly to us. They sent troops to attack our Fengzhou before, killing many Huihe herdsmen and robbing a large number of sheep. A few months ago, a group of [-] Mongolian cavalry marched south along the Helan Mountains to attack Lingzhou, killing more than [-] Han farmers and destroying thousands of acres of wheat fields. It will inevitably become a knife on our heads, just like Xixia back then, so the humble office opposes and supports them."

Fengzhou in Sichuan and Shaanxi is the Hetao Plain at the top of the Yellow River's "Ji" shape. It used to be the Heishan Governor's Mansion in Xixia. , there are more than [-] households, about [-] people.

After the Western Xia was destroyed by the Western Army, the Heishan Governor's Mansion was restored to the name of the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Fengzhou and Huihe slaves were also liberated, and became the people of the Song Dynasty like the Qiang people. Chen Qing exempted them from taxes, but asked them to use a relatively low tax The price is to sell fat sheep to the Western Army, and both parties can be regarded as benefiting from each other.

But the Mughals also took a fancy to the Hetao Plain, and began to send troops to harass. Chen Qing's [-] troops stationed in Fengzhou were no longer able to maintain the safety of Fengzhou.

Fortunately, the Kingdom of Jin decided to conquer the grassland, so the Mughals could not care about Fengzhou. The Western Army could not stand aside and watch the battle, but had to participate in the battle to protect their own vital interests.

The biggest benefit here is Datong City. If Datong City is empty, they must take the opportunity to occupy this extremely strong capital.

Of course, it is not as simple as directly attacking Datong City. There are more than a dozen state capitals including Xianzhou, Yingzhou, Daizhou, Shuozhou, Lanzhou, Linzhou, Fuzhou, Datongfu, etc., which are actually the north of Hedong Road.

Before Chen Qing's Western Army only captured Taiyuan Mansion in the central part, the Kingdom of Jin still had [-] troops in the north of Hedong Road, including [-] Jurchen Army and [-] Xie Congjun Army. The emperor drew a cake, promising the Xixia people to restore the country in Datong, so that some Xixia nobles still dreamed of restoring the country.

The northern part of Hedong Road also belongs to Wanyanchang's sphere of influence. Last year, Wanyan Helisa served as the governor of Xiping, commanding an army of [-].

Chen Qing walked a few steps with his hands behind his back and said, "Attacking the northern part of Hedong Road is our established strategy. Even if the Kingdom of Jin doesn't attack the Mughal army, we will still send troops, but I need information. Candidate Zhang, is the intelligence department dispatched?"

Zhang Miao nodded, "Information points in several southern states have already been arranged, but Datong City is a bit more difficult, but Beizhi has already arranged, and it is estimated that they have already arrived in Datong City, and Beizhi arranged for Sogdians this time, only they showed up It’s more normal in Datong.”

Chen Qing pondered for a moment and then said: "Immediately order Niu Gao, the commander of the capital, to return to Jingzhao to report on his duties!"

Everyone immediately understood Chen Qing's intentions, this time he was going to use Niu Gao, who had always been prudent, as the main general to attack the north of Hedong Road.

After everyone retreated, Chen Qing left behind Zhao Kai, who was in charge of finance, and he knew that Zhao Kai must have something to say to himself.

Zhao Kai said worriedly: "Now our army is about [-] yuan, and the average monthly military expenditure has exceeded one million yuan, including the soldiers' salaries, their food and drink, the normal update and replenishment of armor, and the iron fire thunder Manufacturing and so on, our annual military expenditure is [-] million guan, and if there is a war, the military salary will be doubled.

And Sichuan Road provides us with up to [-] million guan of finance and tax every year, our salt tax revenue other than Sichuan Road is [-] million guan, and the government and business trade profit is one million guan. In the end, there is still a shortage of [-] million guan per year. .

But the point is, it’s just military expenses. We still have government expenses, officials’ salaries, government expenses, care for orphans and widows, refugees, running schools, building bridges and roads, and buying food, livestock, etc., and we still need three million a year. Pass money.

In fact, our annual fiscal and tax gap amounts to as much as five million guan. Your Highness, Uncle Wei's Sichuan wealth and Lin'an wealth can only be used as a backup for war expenses and cannot be used to make up the gap. "

"Counselor Zhao, just tell me the truth! What exactly do you want to say?"

Zhao Kai said slowly: "His Royal Highness, the humble position means that the tax exemption period of Shanxi Road and Hedong Road will end, and tax collection will start, otherwise it will be unfair to Sichuan Road!"

(End of this chapter)