big song poppi

Chapter 147 0144 [Officials... are just blinded by traitors]

Back in the study room of the book hall, Han Zhen ordered his scribes to find a map of Qingzhou.

Compared with the map of Linzi County, the map of Qingzhou is not so detailed. Fortunately, the mountains, rivers and rivers are marked one by one.

Linzi County is surrounded by mountains and rivers, with two rivers, one small and one large, passing by on the left and right.

The small river on the left is Mianshui, and the big river on the right is Zishui.

Xiaodong River is a branch of Zishui River.

It is named Linzi County because it is close to Zishui River.

The Zi River runs through the entire Qingzhou from top to bottom.

Yidu is a little far away from the Zihe River, more than [-] miles away, but it happens to be in the direction of Zhenhai's barracks.

It is simply impossible to transport 12 grains back at one time.

It can only be temporarily stored in the Zhenhai barracks, and then transported back to Linzi County by water along the Zishui River.

You only need to inform Luo Sha about this matter, you don't need to explain clearly, he is a smart man, he has been in the officialdom for so many years, he knows what to ask and what not to ask.

For this night attack, 1000 people were dispatched enough to take a boat down the Zizi River.

……

But he said that after Liu Kai fled in shame, he took the dragon stick, rode his horse out of the barracks, and ran all the way towards Qiancheng County.

I walked and rested all the way until I finally returned to Qiancheng County in the evening.

The traces of the tragic war a while ago have not been completely eliminated, and the smoky and blackened area on the city wall is still vivid.

Although the corpses outside the city had been removed for many days, there was still a disgusting smell.

Seeing the sun set in the west, two guards guarding the city were about to close the city gate, but they saw a man galloping towards them on a horse.

Even though there was a distance, the two of them recognized Liu Kai at a glance.

It's just because the Coiling Dragon Stick is too eye-catching.

When Liu Kai approached with a horse, a yamen servant asked curiously: "Little yamen, where have you been these days, why haven't I seen you?"

With Liu Qi's character, he is destined to be able to get along anywhere.

In less than two months after coming to Qiancheng County, from archers to petty officials, he was not familiar with anyone.

Even more familiar than Xie Ding, the county magistrate.

"Go out and relax."

Liu Qiqiang pulled a smile.

Seeing that he was not in high spirits, the two yamen servants stopped talking.

In the backyard of the county government office, Xie Ding finished his day's work and was sitting in the courtyard having a meal.

Dinner was very poor, a plate of vinegared celery, a small plate of pickles, and a gruel.

The Xie family cultivated and read the family heirloom, and lived in poverty for many generations.

Although the salaries of officials in the Northern Song Dynasty were generous, when Xie Jiang was there, he often gave money to poor scholars. He had no money left and only a thin coffin after death.

In Xie Ding's generation, they still uphold the character of their grandfather, send part of their salary back to their hometown to support their wives and children, and use the rest to support poor students.

Although corrupt officials are rampant nowadays, there are still some literati who stick to their hearts and character.

However, the situation of these people is not easy.

Xie Ding was heartbroken by the current court situation, but there was nothing he could do.

He Changyan and Chen Guan are worth enough, one champion and the other third.

The results of it?
The two impeached Cai Jing several times, one was demoted to Tongzhou, and the other was dismissed.

He is a seventh-rank magistrate, so what?

Secondly, Xie Ding is actually very clear in his heart that the roots lie in the current officials.

"Alang, Alang!"

Suddenly, the old servant ran all the way into the backyard.

Xie Ding put down his chopsticks, and said in a deep voice, "What's wrong with being so flustered? What happened?"

"Ah Lang, Xiao Ya Nei is back!"

The old servant looked delighted.

A gleam of joy flashed in Xie Ding's eyes, and then with a straight face, he snorted coldly: "Hmph, does this bastard know how to come back?"

Seeing this, the old servant advised in a low voice: "Ah Lang, it's not easy for Xiao Ya Nei to come back, don't beat him any more."

"Leaving without saying goodbye, making the elders in the family worry, and expecting me to give him a good face?"

Although Xie Ding said so, his expression softened a bit.

At this time, Liu Kai walked into the backyard with the dragon stick in hand: "Uncle, I'm back."

Looking him up and down, Xie Ding couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief seeing that he was intact.

Liu Kai's biological mother is Xie Ding's biological sister, and he has loved her very much since he was a child.

Ai Wu Ji Wu, he is also very close to this nephew.

Xie Ding said sharply: "Do you know your mistake?"

"I knew I was wrong. I shouldn't have left without saying goodbye, causing my uncle to worry."

Liu Kai drooped his head, his expression depressed.

Seeing his pitiful appearance, Xie Ding couldn't bear to speak harshly any more, and said softly, "Can we have dinner?"

"Never."

Liu Kai shook his head.

"Don't wait in the small yamen, the old clumsy will go to serve the meal."

Without waiting for Xie Ding's order, the old servant walked towards the back kitchen, and came back with a big bowl of porridge after a while.

"Thank you Humber."

Liu Kai thanked him, sat down, and devoured the vinegar celery and pickles.

He was really hungry, he only ate one meal in the morning, and then he drove for another day, he was in a hurry when he left without any dry food, and he was already hungry at this moment.

A large bowl of porridge was finished in a blink of an eye, and the old servant knew his appetite, so he went to fill another bowl immediately.

After eating two bowls of porridge, Liu Kai felt much more comfortable in his stomach, but his mood was still low.

What Han Zhen said today made him ashamed.

At his age, when he is competitive and trying to save face, he can't bear it.

Even if Han Zhen didn't mention it, he would have no face to stay in the barracks and would leave voluntarily.

After all, it was Liu Kai himself who took the initiative to defect late at night, and Han Zhen treated him really well. In just a few days, he was promoted to the commander of the cavalry battalion, and he commanded more than 500 elite cavalry.

To be honest, this trust is even worse than his father's.

As a result, when discussing major issues, he was timid.

I don't know who the county magistrate will appoint as the commander of the cavalry battalion after I leave.

It should be Lao Jiu, this guy is originally from the Western Army, he is very skilled at once, and he can be regarded as a fierce general.

He watched the cavalry battalion develop and grow little by little. From the initial thirty or so people, it slowly expanded to more than 500 people.

Every cavalryman among them is an elite selected by him from among the infantry...

Thinking of this, Liu Qi couldn't help but sighed, and the lonely expression on his face became more intense.

Xie Ding thought that he had seen the danger outside, and was disheartened, so he couldn't help comforting him: "I said earlier, that Han Zhenying treats the wolf like a wolf, and is unruly, how can you be with him? But you go out for a walk this time." It’s okay to suffer, once you increase your knowledge, you know that the human heart is sinister, and you will be calmer when you think about it.”

"..."

Liu Kai's lips moved, wanting to explain.

At this moment, Xie Ding asked suspiciously: "Speaking of which, why did Han Zhen let you go so easily?"

In his mind, Liu Kai defected to Han Zhen, just like a sheep entering the mouth of a tiger.

If you don't bite off a piece of meat from Liu and Xie's family, how can you let go easily.

"I... I was kicked out."

Liu Kai looked ashamed.

drive away?

Xie Ding faltered in stroking his beard, and said in disbelief, "Kid Han Zhen took the initiative to drive you away?"

"Ok!"

Liu Qi smiled wryly and nodded.

He didn't say the reason for driving him away. He felt that the county magistrate was just, and he couldn't be a villain, even if the other party was his uncle who loved him.

At this moment, Xie Ding was completely stunned, and said strangely: "It's strange, the sun came out from the west."

Unable to figure it out, Xie Ding didn't bother to think about it anymore, and ordered: "This time when you come back, you can't be willful anymore, and study hard."

Hearing the word "reading", Liu Qi only felt a pain in his head, and hurriedly changed the subject: "Uncle, what do you think of the Jinren?"

"Golden man?"

With a trace of disdain in Xie Ding's tone, he replied: "The northern land is a barbarian, who drinks blood like a hair, and cannot be educated."

Hearing this, Liu Kai couldn't help but frowned slightly, and reminded: "But the Jin people destroyed the Liao Kingdom. The two northern expeditions last year were all defeated. The Jin people have seen through the falsehood and reality of our Great Song Dynasty. Liao Kingdom, I'm afraid they will send their troops south."

"When it's gone, it's gone. These barbarians are no different from Liao and Xia. You just need to give some old coins and open the exchange market. It won't take long. They will learn my Han characters, read my sages' poems, and learn from my Huabang." etiquette."

Xie Ding took this opportunity to educate Liu Kai: "Soldiers are weapons, and saints have to use them as a last resort. Not to mention the Han and Tang Dynasties, it is the Liao and Xia countries in front of us. ? The Liao Kingdom was destroyed by the more powerful Jin people, and Xixia is about to be torn apart. If the country does not control the country. Although the Jin people were powerful for a while, they will follow in the footsteps of Liao and Xia in a few decades."

Liu Qi was startled when he heard that.

This is my uncle, and it turned out to be the same idea.

Previously in the Qingzhou Army, he often talked with Nie Dong, Wei Da and others about Xixia and the Jin people. They all agreed that the Jin people would definitely go south.

The reason is simple, there is a rich, thin and cowardly neighbor living next door, how can the savage Jinren endure it?
And once the Jinren go south, relying on the current combat power of the Western Army, it will be like a mantis' arm.

Liu Kai retorted: "If the Jin people insist on going south, what should they do?"

"Don't be unfounded. At the beginning of the founding of the Great Song Dynasty, why didn't the Liao Kingdom go south every year?"

Xie Ding said earnestly: "I know you are dissatisfied with the matter of the old coins. You grew up in the frontier army, and you have been contaminated with the spirit of the army. It is not your fault that you have such thoughts. But you know, before the Tanyuan alliance , The people of Liao went south every year, and the states in Hebei were shocked three times a day. The people in the north were destitute, and every time they fought, they wasted millions of dollars. Five or six out of ten of the treasury's revenue was spent on the battlefield."

"In comparison, the money in old coins is just a drop in the bucket. Why not use some old coins to exchange for a hundred years of recuperation? What's more, after the opening of the mutual market, with the help of merchants, it will not take long to earn it back and return it to the people. "

Liu Kai was in a hurry, and hurriedly said: "Uncle, it is different from the time of Emperor Taizu. At that time, the Song Dynasty was established at the beginning, and there were many soldiers and generals, and they were all veterans who had experienced many battles. The land of Hebei had the tranquility of Tang Dynasty. The Serbian army guards. But now it is different, the forbidden army and the Xiang army in each state have long been corrupted and are unbearable to fight, only the Western army still has the strength to fight."

"However, last year's two Northern Expeditions, the Western Army suffered heavy losses, and none survived. Although another [-] soldiers were recruited, they were all recruits who had never been on the battlefield and had little combat power. How could they stop them like wolves? Tiger's golden man?"

Last year, even the [-] elite western army could not defeat the Liao people. Now it is a daydream to rely on a group of recruits to stop the Jin people who slaughtered the Liao people.

Xie Ding scolded: "Even if the Jin people go south, they will have Tong Guan, Zhong Shidao and other generals to deal with them. Why do you need to worry about it?"

"I..."

Liu Kai hesitated to speak, but there was a hint of stubbornness in his helplessness.

"Ugh!"

Xie Ding sighed, and said softly: "I know you like to serve in the army, but it's not easy to be a soldier in the Song Dynasty. Your father is a living example. Studying for the imperial examination and entering the civil service is the right way."

It was reading the imperial examination again, and Liu Kai felt agitated when he heard it, and replied: "What can I do if I become an official, uncle, you are a county magistrate, and you can control the poor people. , but still can’t do anything?”

"..."

Xie Ding was silent.

He spoke plausibly when he talked about Jin people and old coins before.

But Liu Kai's words were like knives, and they really pierced his heart, and the key point is that there is no way to refute it.

After a while, Xie Ding opened his mouth slowly, and said bitterly: "The officials... are just bewitched and deceived by Wang Fu, Li Bangyan and other crooks."

Liu Kai curled his lips and said, "Uncle, don't deceive yourself. If the upper beam is not upright, the lower beam will be crooked. It is because of the incompetence of today's officials that there are so many traitors in the court."

"Be careful!"

Xie Ding gave a loud shout.

Liu Kai was not convinced, and muttered: "You said that the county magistrate is an anti-thief, but under the anti-thief rule, it is infinitely better than under the imperial court. The people live and work in peace and contentment, and the subordinates are clear and diligent. It is simply as good as letting the county magistrate rule the world! "

"What did you say?"

Xie Ding's complexion changed drastically.

(End of this chapter)