I want to embrace the moon for nine days

Chapter 113: Prime Minister Zuo speaks, I, Wu Weiyang

"Hahahaha!"

The weather was beautiful and the emperor was traveling. A large number of forbidden troops had been deployed around. Dong Songchen led his masters to protect him personally.

People walked among the famous mountains and beautiful waters, admiring the inscriptions along the way, and looking at the temples and palaces in the distance, which made the emperor feel happy.

Especially Fan Zhong, the left prime minister, was full of witty remarks today, catering to the emperor's mood.

In the past two years, the emperor had been often admonished for his extravagant desires and lazy administration, and he complained a lot about Fan Zhong and others. However, he remembered that Fan Zhong and others were his ministers, and when he was alone, he also struggled in his heart.

Fan Zhong's words today made the emperor feel as if he had returned to the days when the emperor and his ministers were in harmony with each other in the past ten years, and he was very happy.

Therefore, when Fan Zhong invited the emperor to rest in a quiet hut in the back mountain and hinted that the emperor should retreat, the emperor didn't think much about it, and even Dong Songchen was sent outside.

With a smile on his face, Dong Songchen inspected the thatched cottage first, then turned around and came out, watching the emperor and Fan Zhong enter the thatched cottage.

He had already determined that there was nothing unusual about the thatched cottage, but when the two people entered and the door of the thatched cottage was closed, he immediately noticed something was wrong.

There are so few shabby thatched cottages, and the sound insulation effect seems to be too good.

With his master's level of hearing, he couldn't quite hear the conversation between the two people inside after the door was closed.

"Dong Gong, why do you want to hear so clearly when the emperor is talking to the emperor? Anyway, if there is any crisis, you can't escape your senses."

The speaker has bright eyes, a neat beard, and a leisurely attitude. He looks like he is in his forties. He is wearing a robe, with the silk ribbons that tie his hair hanging down from both sides to his chest. He is holding a folding fan, and he looks extraordinary.

This man's name is Qiao Feidu, he is the guard commander around Left Prime Minister Fan Zhong, he is also the chief weapons instructor of Fuyao Mountain, and he is proficient in mechanism construction.

As soon as Dong Songchen saw this man talking, he knew that the weirdness of this thatched cottage had something to do with him.

But if you rush in just because you can't hear the conversation between the monarch and his ministers clearly, it's really a bit of a fuss.

Dong Songchen calmed down and smiled softly: "What Commander Qiao said makes sense."

In the thatched cottage, the emperor had already sat down at the small table and looked at this humble room with curiosity.

“It’s so Zen.”

The emperor praised, and when he saw Fan Zhong reaching out to make tea, he couldn't help laughing, "Mr. Fan, let me do it."

Fan Zhong hurriedly handed over his hand: "The officials have betrayed the old minister."

"Hey! When you and I get along in private, we don't need to mention those things. It's just like when I secretly visited Fan's house. You call me young master, and I call you Mr. Fan. Isn't it nice?"

The emperor was just over 40 years old. Dong Songchen specially prepared elixirs for him to maintain his health and gave him some advice on Qigong. He looked only in his 20s, with black hair and beard, and a radiant face. It was not an exaggeration to call him a prince.

He was in high spirits, making tea with his own hands and fiddling with the small fire, taking his time.

When the atmosphere was at its best, Fan Zhong mentioned Meng Zhaoxuan's incident smoothly.

"The old minister also heard some rumors about General Xiao Meng's return to Lin'an."

The emperor paused slightly and said nonchalantly: "These servants in the palace are really lax in their mouths."

"Meng Qing is in the prime of his life. I think the so-called serious illness is just a bit tired. After he comes back, I will send the imperial doctor to nurse him back to health. In a year and a half, he will be the marshal of our great Song Dynasty. "

While the emperor was speaking, his hands kept moving.

"General Xiao Meng will burst into tears knowing that the officials are so concerned about him."

Fan Zhong said casually and then added, "But I also heard that General Xiao Meng has other important matters when he comes back this time?"

The emperor showed a bit of sadness on his face and said: "Yes, I heard him say that some generals who were entrusted by Mongolia in Yuzhou have secret intentions to surrender to him. As long as the Song Dynasty military forces are invested in it, Yuzhou can be recovered."

Fan Zhong asked: "Only the Young Master can decide such a big matter. What does the Young Master want?"

The emperor was silent and did not stop playing with the tea set, but his movements were much slower.

"The word Zhongyuan can be called the Great Jiuzhou, or it can also refer specifically to Yuzhou. It is also my hometown of the Song Dynasty, where Kaifeng, Luoyang, and Shangqiu, the three capitals, are located."

"If we can really regain it, of course I would be happy to do so, but I dare not forget the lessons learned more than ten years ago."

After the fall of the Jin Kingdom, the Song and Mongolia did not clearly agree on the ownership of the Yuzhou area. The Mongolian army was exhausted after many years of conquest and retreated northward. Only two armies and a large number of surrendered generals and generals from the Jin Kingdom were left in the Yuzhou area. Soldiers come to defend.

The emperor had not been in power for a long time and was eager to establish achievements. After research, he felt that after the upper echelons of the Jin Dynasty were corrupted, they could still rely on the Tongguan Yellow River defense line to resist the Mongols for more than 20 years, causing the Mongols to lose troops and generals. After repeated setbacks, he even took risks and attacked the Jin Dynasty from Song Dynasty. .

If the Song army could regain Yuzhou, it would not only be able to recapture the three capitals of the Northern Song Dynasty and boost the morale of the people, but also re-establish a line of defense, creating another solid barrier between the Southern Song Dynasty and Mongolia.

But at that time, many civil and military officials held different opinions from the emperor.

Because in those years, Huizi depreciated and the skyrocketing prices could not be suppressed. The people in Beijing and Hu were poor. At least [-]% of the maritime merchant gangs on the southeast coast were disobedient to the government, and more than [-]% were disobeying the government.

The Song Dynasty was unable to provide for a larger-scale multi-front battle, and Yuzhou's original deep foundation had been exhausted by years of military disasters and had not had time to recover. It was expected that after the troops were sent out, logistical supplements could be obtained from the recovered Yuzhou land. Not realistic.

The emperor insisted on going his own way at the time, and finally scraped together [-] soldiers, almost all infantry, to recapture Yuzhou.

At the beginning of this war, there were successive victories. Because the Mongols were brutal and the majority of the people in Yuzhou's homeland were Han people, they often even took the initiative to open the city to welcome the Song army when they heard that the Song army was coming.

Unfortunately, these Song armies were unable to withstand the fierce counterattack of Mongolia and ended up being defeated. They also gave Mongolia an excuse to launch a massive attack on Song Dynasty, which started a war that lasted for ten years.

"It's different now."

Fan Zhong advised, "After the Jin Dynasty was destroyed, the Mongols attacked the Song Dynasty. Many generals of the Song Dynasty fought bloody battles, but they were still unable to resist. General Xiao Meng led the army to victory alone, but it was like putting out fires everywhere, traveling thousands of miles, and was unable to do anything."

"But over the years, in the bloody battles, many civilian loyalists have been trained into generals and deployed in all aspects to defend the borders of the Song Dynasty, organize and train new armies, and recruit natives. The momentum is so great that it changes three times in one month."

"Inside, the society is stable, the economy and trade are prosperous, and various gangs in the southeast have formed a business alliance, which shares the interests of the country and complements each other. It is enough to support the war and cope with the Mongolian counterattack after the recovery of Yuzhou."

The emperor sighed: "Temujin has been dead for 20 years, but his descendants have not stopped. Now Mongolia's territory is vast, even more than that of the prosperous Tang Dynasty. I am not belittling myself, but with the Song Dynasty, we can defend one area." , we are lucky enough, why bother to take the initiative to send troops and provoke greater backlash?"

Fan Zhong laughed.

"It is true that Mongolia conquered thousands of miles to the west and became strong, but the khanates were far apart from each other, and they began to separate themselves and act in their own way."

"Looking from the top, after the death of Mongolian Great Khan Ogedei a few years ago, his six queens violated his edict and refused to make his grandson the Great Khan. They insisted on supporting their own sons without going through the Mongolian kings. Meeting, he seized power as regent, which has caused dissatisfaction among the khanates."

"If they weren't too far apart geographically, I'm afraid there would have been actual conflicts. The current situation is at least the beginning of a split."

"Looking at it from the bottom, after the Mongolian crusade against all parties and cruelty and violence, they frightened people, used inducements, squeezed the people's strength, and selected soldiers, which caused several internal divisions among the survivors of various countries. Those who can join the Mongolian army are naturally superior to others and are very different from the civilians. same."

"Although this approach can lead to temporary prosperity, the war will continue and we will not be able to impart enlightenment with peace of mind. After these two or three generations of heroes who established the foundation have passed, the power will not be able to expand again, and internal fights will be inevitable. There will be someone who uses the banner of the past. , inciting the common people and tearing the khanates apart."

Fan Zhong talks eloquently, and every word is based on facts passed back by expert spies from the Western Regions, making it difficult to interrupt.

"What the Song Dynasty actually has to face in recent years is the national power of Monan Mongolia, the Jin Kingdom, and the old territory of Xixia. Now that they are not stable internally and we are in a rare period of prosperity, it is by no means without a fight. force."

Fan Zhong's words actually have two meanings. It clearly means that the civil and military power of the Song Dynasty today far exceeds that of previous generations of emperors and is stronger than in the past.

Secretly, he was actually worried that if the emperor continued like this, hundreds of officials would take advantage of the opportunity, and the government would be ruined soon. I was afraid that within ten years, the country's power would decline to the point where it could no longer bear a fight.

despair!
The emperor put down the teapot and was speechless for a moment. After a while, his eyes suddenly lit up.

"Since Mongolia is showing signs of decline and division, then we can just watch the fire from across the bank. Why bother to get involved in the fire in person." The emperor said happily, "Yes, he is not the only barbaric opponent we have faced in the Song Dynasty. Liao Kingdom, The Kingdom of Jin might as well have been tortured to death by our Song Dynasty."

"I just said that in the past two years, I always have a hunch that it is better to stay still. Today, after listening to Mr. Fan's analysis, my intuition was confirmed. This is indeed the case."

Fan Zhong's expectant face suddenly froze, and he felt his blood flow was a little reversed, so he quickly used his energy to suppress it.

The Song Dynasty defeated the Liao Kingdom by sending money every year, which caused bandits in the territory to swarm and cause chaos. Xixia also saw the opportunity and took advantage of it to rise.

The so-called surviving the Jin Kingdom means surviving for many years after losing half of the country.

Now that you want to survive Mongolia, do you still have half of your country to lose?
We only have half of the southern sky left!

"Ha ha."

Fan Zhong laughed twice, touched his beard, calmed down, and threw out the last chip.

"The officials didn't know something. Those who secretly surrendered to General Xiao Meng were not just ordinary civil servants and generals from various places. The latest batch of secret contacts also included the Mongolian frontier official and the governor of Yuzhou, Fan Yongji."

"I felt that I was old and frail, so I asked to resign from the government many times. Sometimes I exchanged letters with Xiao Meng and mentioned this matter. Xiao Meng urged me to serve the court again, so I disclosed Fan Yongji's story. .”

"Because he has already set off to return to Lin'an, he may not have time to report this to the officials specifically."

Interaction between civil and military officials is a taboo.

But in those years, in order to train new recruits, Meng Zhaoxuan could only provide less than [-]% of the military expenses allocated by the court. Li Qiumian, a civilian righteous man, volunteered to lead the Southeast Business Alliance and donate money to the country.

The emperor appointed Fan Zhong to be in charge of the transportation and communication between Fuyao Mountain and Meng Zhaoxuan's army. It was unavoidable that there would be correspondence between them.

Fan Zhong made a special explanation, but the emperor did not delve into it.

"Fan Yongji, I remember him."

The emperor was unhappy and said, "He is a Jurchen. He was a minister of the Jin Kingdom. He once surrendered to the Song Dynasty. Later, when the Mongol army arrived, he surrendered to Mongolia. How can we trust such a capricious person?"

Fan Zhongku advised: "It was our system that made things excessive and made him be coerced by the general situation. He had no choice but to do it. If there had been a deed of surrendering to Mongolia, it would not be used, and the Jin Kingdom would not be able to sustain it for so many years."

"Now everyone in Yuzhou has fallen into fear under General Xiao Meng's sword. Whether Fan Yongji and others are sincere or not, the details of all aspects in Yuzhou cannot deceive General Xiao Meng..."

The emperor rolled his sleeves and said, "Okay!"

"Since they surrendered in fear of Meng Qing's power, if Meng Qing really cannot be saved this time or is transferred to another place in the future, who can guarantee that they can be cured?"

The emperor stood up and hummed softly, "Mr. Fan, you still need to pay attention to the inspection and dispatch of officials at all levels from various places and submit them to me regularly. With such an important responsibility, don't be distracted by border matters."

As soon as he finished speaking, the emperor turned around and left the thatched cottage.

The door of the thatched cottage was half open and half closed, swaying in the wind, and I could vaguely hear the footsteps of a large group of people leaving outside.

After Fan Zhong sat quietly for a while, he picked up the cup of tea on the table and took a sip. His mouth was full of bitterness and there was no sweet taste at all.

The light and shadow flickered in the thatched cottage, and for some reason, there was an extra person at the table.

He is a young man with eyebrows and temples, carrying a long sword, tiger eyes and long lips, tall and tall, wearing a gray cloth suit and long boots.

"You heard it all."

Fan Zhong sighed, "He has made so many excuses, but deep down in his heart, he is unwilling to bother with state affairs anymore."

"Even if you show your true face to persuade him, I'm afraid it won't be of any use. Do you still want to try?"

The young man was silent for a moment and said: "I made everyone think that I was still on the way and secretly came back early to make preparations for some old friends who might appear. I can't see him now."

"Originally I hoped that you could persuade him."

Fan Zhong smiled sadly: "It seems that I have disappointed you."

"if you want……"

Fan Zhong paused, "If your illness can be confirmed to be improved and you have a few more years to live, no matter what you do at the border or... in Lin'an, we will help you."

The young man seemed to laugh, with a bitter look on his face, and his figure disappeared again.

Qiao Feidu opened the door and came in, a trace of doubt flashing between his brows.

He seemed to have seen the left prime minister talking just now, but he only saw and did not hear any sound, nor did he notice that there was another person in the room.

Are you so frustrated by the emperor that you talk to yourself silently?
Fan Zhong stood up. There was no emotion on his face. He stretched out his sleeves and said, "Let's go back."

When they returned to the city, it was just after the emperor returned to the city that many Lin'an officials were visiting along the river. There was a lot of traffic, servants holding umbrellas, strutting in fine clothes, and people making a lot of noise.

Qiao Feidu and others protected Fan Zhong as he walked slowly. Many officials recognized Fan Zhong and came to salute him.

Fan Zhong smiled and returned the greetings to them, saying a few words to everyone, which was very lively.

Qiao Feidu shook his fan. On the front of the fan were the four big characters "Benevolence, Righteousness and Morality" written in gold paint, and on the back were the four hidden words "Murder and Arson" written in ink that only became visible when exposed to water.

Looking at the scenes in front of him, he turned the fan in his hand this way and that, and he felt inexplicably that there was a bit of desolation in this noisy market.

The capital is covered with crowns, but this person is alone and haggard.

When he was about to return to his mansion, Fan Zhong looked back and didn't know who he was looking at.

The young man carrying the sword stepped on a reed and walked upstream. He had already passed the small river in front of Shi Miyuan's manor.

There was no trace of bitterness on his face, only a cheerful and slightly curious smile.

"I have thought about living across from this old ghost before, but unfortunately I don't have time."

The young man jumped up, the water surface swayed slightly, and his figure had crossed the courtyard wall, passed through several roof ridges, and arrived in a courtyard.

There is a large locust tree in the courtyard, with lush branches and leaves, and the powerful fragrance of green grass and trees is coming to your nostrils.

Under the shade of the tree, there was a handsome and elegant young man in white robe, sitting at the stone table reading a book.

"He's alone and has no murderous intent. He doesn't look like he was sent by those guys."

Su Hanshan was calm and calm, covering his book and raising his head, "Why are our distinguished guests here?"

"I, Chen Weiyang, agree with 'I Wu Weiyang'. It has the same name as the place 'Weiyang' in Yangzhou, the successor of the Xunlong Sword Sect."

The man with the sharp blade on his back clasped his fists and smiled, "Come here because of your reputation!"

Su Hanshan raised his eyebrows slightly and invited with one hand: "Then please sit down and I'll look for some tea."

"Don't be in a hurry to drink tea. I heard that you are very interested in the manor on the other side of the river. I happen to want to use that manor too."

Chen Weiyang rubbed his hands, laughed, and said, "It's better to choose a different day than to hit the sun. Why don't you go and have fun now? Do you dare?"

(End of this chapter)