Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Jia Cong became extremely anxious. He knew better than anyone how important coastal defense was.

But how can we just give up the thousands of miles of land in the Western Regions? Any delaying tactics are nonsense.

This land is unstable to begin with, with few Han people and a large barbarian population. If it falls into the hands of foreigners, the Han people will be wiped out.

What do you mean by "leading troops westward in thirty-two years"? The affairs of the court are changing rapidly. In thirty-two years, Duan Zhun might be dead. Who will lead the troops? We have no money now. Will we have money in thirty-two years?
What's more, a navy needs to be built. The navy should be built, but it is a super money-eating beast. I have experienced this myself. I have cheated people everywhere and thrown tens of millions of silver into it before it has seen some improvement.

By then, let alone sending troops westward, even if we throw all the money we have for the westward movement into the navy, it will be nothing more than a drop in the bucket. Where can we spare the money to go westward?
Besides, it is easy to discard territory, but it is extremely difficult to get it back.

"Your Majesty, I have objections!" Jia Cong did not care about offending anyone and said loudly: "What Yuan Fu said about the greatest threat being in the sea borders, I agree with him, but the Western Regions must not be abandoned!

If we don't annihilate the enemy while they are still unstable, and wait until they are deeply rooted, then all our efforts will be over.

In my humble opinion, the imperial court has no money today, but will it have money in thirty or two years?

Lord Feng, can you guarantee that you can come up with money to recover the Western Regions in two to three years? If you can, I will have nothing to say."

Feng Yuan glanced at him, smiled bitterly and shook his head. No matter how much money the new law earned for the court, it would not be enough to spend.

As the saying goes, a horse cannot grow fat without night grass, and a man cannot become rich without unexpected wealth. The same is true for the imperial court.

The reason why Jia Cong had the money to support the Western Expedition this time was entirely due to the stolen money he obtained from the confiscated properties in Jiangnan and the capital, as well as the proceeds from the recovery of debts owed to the national treasury. It was impossible to expect to raise tens of millions of silver in one go through taxes alone.

Huo Peng said: "Young Master's sincere heart is admirable, but things have their priorities. The southeast is urgent and the northwest is not. Anyway, the land of the Western Region will not fly away. If three or two years is not enough, we can wait a few more years. We can always raise money and pacify it in one fell swoop."

Dong Yi also said: "Who doesn't want to rise up immediately to avenge the shame of defeat? It's not that I don't want to, but I just can't.

If the young guard can tell us where the money and food come from, where the troops come from, and can ensure that the nine borders are not in turmoil and the chieftains in the southwest do not rebel, we will all be happy to see it happen."

"Yes, does the young master have any good ideas?" asked the ministers.

Jia Cong was speechless. Who the hell can guarantee this? This is a war for the country, not for me. If I need money and food, I can go to Fatty Feng. I don't know how to deal with it for a while.

Feng Yuan saw him looking at him, and hurriedly waved his hands and said, "Don't look at me, Young Guardian. The Ministry of Revenue really can't come up with the money. Besides, such a big thing cannot be solved with just one or two million silver coins.

It's all because of one stupid general who exhausted the whole army and wasted tens of millions of dollars of the court's money. Damn it."

When Prince Beijing heard Fatty Feng talking about the cause of the defeat, he hurriedly explained, "Your Majesty, I learned that the army's food and grass were burned this time, which is extremely strange. Prince Nan'an is a veteran in the army, how could he not know to guard the granary?

What's more, the food and grass in the four cities were burned almost at the same time. Could it be that the enemy were heavenly soldiers and generals, and the government troops were clay puppets?
The news from Prince Nan'an and the eldest prince also confirmed that this great defeat was caused by someone in the court collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country, so they sent assassins to infiltrate the army and look for opportunities to burn the food and grass. Please investigate clearly, Your Majesty."

When it comes to this issue, all the ministers kept silent. They all knew that the water was too complicated and they couldn't control it. If they were not careful, they would die. How could they dare to get involved easily?

Anyone who dared to express a single word would either offend the four great princes and the eldest prince's party, or offend the "traitor" who was all-powerful as King Beijing called him. They couldn't afford to offend either side, so they had to keep their mouths shut.

Emperor Xifeng's eyes narrowed. If there really was someone obstructing the matter, it was obvious that he was vicious and cruel. The existence of such a person or party in the court would cause far more harm than the border troubles.

Duan Zhun said at the right time: "It won't be too late to study this matter in detail later, but for now, let's discuss how to reply to those two 'letters'."

"The Prime Minister is right. Let's not go off topic and forget about the main thing." The ministers breathed a sigh of relief. They were afraid that the Emperor would ask them to express their views on this matter. In this situation, only the Duke of Jun, who is highly respected, can control the situation.

Emperor Xifeng took a deep breath and said, "Good."

Jia Cong saw that abandoning the Western Regions was almost inevitable, and Li Meng and Wang Ning saw that the general trend was irreversible and had already laid low, no longer objecting, so he gritted his teeth and urged:

"Your Majesty, if you can't win on the battlefield, no matter how many words you use or how you whitewash the situation, it will be in vain! Dignity only exists on the edge of the sword, and truth is only within the range of the cannon!
If the Western Regions are lost, the Celestial Empire will be like losing a leg! The harm is not obvious now, but it will surely become a great hatred for all eternity in the future! "Your Highness..."

"That's enough!" Emperor Xifeng shouted, "How dare you, Jia Cong, roar in front of me! Come, take him out and order him to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors for a month!"

All the ministers looked at Jia Cong strangely, as if they got to know him all over again. Why was this kid so stubborn today?
He was willing to defend himself even at the cost of offending His Majesty and the Prime Minister, which was completely different from his usual cunning style.

Lin Ruhai also frowned slightly and winked at Jia Cong repeatedly, telling him not to be willful. The general situation in the court could not be changed by someone with a loud voice or high passion. Doing so would be disadvantageous to him.

Jia Cong tried his best, but seeing that he was powerless to save the situation, he could only sigh and follow the two big generals out dejectedly, his heart chilled.

If the Western Regions are lost, even if the coastal borders are defended, future troubles may not be small, not to mention that the coastal defenses may not be able to be maintained.

However, the people in the court were so frightened by the annihilation of an army of 200,000 that they had no idea that the Western Regions were more important than Mount Tai!
Although Jun Gong was far-sighted and anticipated the threat from the sea, he seriously underestimated the strategic significance of the Western Regions. He thought it was just a vast barren land, but he had no idea how important this place would be in the future.

Jia Cong returned home in a daze. He initially thought that the court would certainly fight again, and at most reduce the scale of the troops, not seeking a quick victory, but rather taking every step carefully, gradually nibbling away at the enemy's advantage and advancing steadily.

In the inner study, Jia Cong and Pang Chao sat facing each other in silence for a long time, and sighed: "Now it seems that Cong and Mr. have underestimated the impact of the defeat of the Western Expedition Army on the court and the emperor, but overestimated the importance they attach to the Western Regions.

In the eyes of most court officials, the Western Regions could not generate any taxes and were like chicken ribs, tasteless to eat and not a pity to discard. "

Seeing his dejected expression, Pang Chao knew that the situation had changed, and asked, "Are the officials in the court afraid of fighting?"

Jia Cong nodded and repeated what had been said in the Yangxin Palace today.

Pang Chao frowned and asked, "How will the matter in the Western Regions end? Can we just give up now?"

Jia Cong smiled bitterly and said, "I think they are discussing the two 'letters from the country'. I was kicked out and I don't know what will happen next."

"What letter?"

"One letter was from the Russians, who came to ask for punishment. They said that out of brotherly friendship, they saw that Yili was occupied by bandits and robbers, so they came from afar to defend it for us.

It would be fine if we were ungrateful, but we brazenly sent troops to attack, disregarding the friendship between the two countries, and demanding an explanation from the Celestial Empire and the signing of the Treaty of Ili before they would stop." Jia Cong sighed.

Pang Chao frowned and asked, "What is the gist of this treaty?"

Jia Cong sneered, "It's nothing more than ceding territory and paying compensation. They demanded that the imperial court pay 650 million silver coins in compensation and cede to them the fertile land between Lake Aibi and Lake Sailimu. In addition, they will lend them the Ili River Valley for 99 years of garrison. Once this matter is exposed, they will release the captured soldiers."

Pang Chao looked at the map and said in surprise, "Will the emperor agree to such a humiliating treaty?"

Jia Cong sighed, "I'm sure they won't agree to everything. It's just a matter of bargaining, but I'm bound to suffer a loss. The Rakshasa envoy is on the way and will arrive soon.

If you can't win on the battlefield, no matter how good your words are, they will be of no use."

Pang Chao nodded slowly and sneered, "Taizu has established the country for a hundred years, and has never signed such a humiliating treaty with anyone? If this gets out, scholars and common people will surely make a fuss. The emperor will probably have to think twice."

Jia Cong said: "I don't know how many times I have said these words. Yuan Fu and others said it was a delaying tactic, haha."

Pang Chao shook his head and stopped talking, saying, "What's the other one?"

"The other one was a fake letter sent by Abulai, implying that they had gathered together local tribes and the White Army who refused to submit to the king, and were planning to establish a kingdom in the Western Regions.

They used the ancient city and Hami as the boundary, saying that they were willing to accept the Celestial Empire as their suzerain, and forced the Celestial Empire to recognize them. They also required us to send our noble daughter to marry them, and give them a dowry of 5 million silver coins to show our sincerity.

And they promised not to invade the Western Regions again in the future, so they released the captured Prince Nan'an and others and submitted a letter of submission." Jia Cong said.

Pang Chaowei groaned for a moment and said, "I'm afraid the Luosha people and Abu Lai have colluded with each other."

"Sir, your guess is correct. It is written in both letters that if the Celestial Empire does not agree, they will send troops together to threaten Hami and Gucheng, completely expel the Celestial Empire's forces from the Western Regions, and no longer recognize the Celestial Empire's sovereignty, administrative power, and suzerainty over the Western Regions." Jia Cong said.

Pang Chao sighed and said, "The defeat of Prince Nan'an has caused the situation in the Western Region to deteriorate overnight. The court is in a dilemma. If we talk about war, we are not sure, and we can't provide money and food. If we lose again, I am afraid that the country will be unstable; if we give in, we will lose power and humiliate the country. It's difficult..."

Jia Cong said: "Although this is true, the Western Regions are by no means a dispensable place for the country. It is a place that must be fought for to defend the country's destiny!

"The barbarians are beasts, they fear power but not virtue. If we take a step back today, our descendants may have to take ten or a hundred steps back!"

Pang Chao nodded and said, "Brother Cong's words coincide with those of the ancient sages. Wei Zheng once said that the Xiongnu have the appearance of a human but the heart of a beast. They are not of our race. When they are strong, they will rob and plunder. When they are weak, they will be submissive and disregard gratitude. This is their nature."

Jia Cong slapped his thigh and said, "Wei Zheng's words hit the nail on the head. Therefore, we must be tough to the end when dealing with the barbarians. If we show any weakness, they will definitely beat us to death!"

Pang Chao sighed, "Since the court has decided to negotiate peace, our previous discussions have been in vain.

Next, we should focus on the Nine Feudatories, push for their dismantling as soon as possible, assist Prime Minister Jiang and Prime Minister Guan in placing personnel, and at the same time insert our own people into the border troops. This is a big pie, and the results will be immediate.

As for the affairs of the Western Regions, let Yuan Fu and others worry about it. You are not in a position to interfere in the affairs of the region."

Jia Cong sighed and nodded, deeply realizing the helplessness of the political arena. Even if he grasped the truth, he could not control the situation.

"Master, Lord Ruhai is here to visit you." Zhang Yuanba reported outside the study.

Pang Chao said: "It must be to bring you the latest news."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "Sir, please go behind the screen and listen to what my father-in-law has to say."

"it is good."

Jia Cong straightened his clothes and went out to greet Lin Ruhai in person.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two returned to the inner study to talk.

Lin Ruhai sighed, "Brother Cong, you were really reckless in front of the emperor today. Li and Wang both stopped insisting, so why did you have to step forward? The importance of the Western Regions, don't the emperor know? Don't the ministers know?
The situation is stronger than the people. We have just lost 200,000 troops. Even if we want to raise troops, we have to wait and breathe. Many things cannot be rushed. You can't eat a big fat man in one bite, so why rush it. "

Jia Cong smiled bitterly and bowed: "Father-in-law is right, Cong Meng is reckless, just thinking about the loss of the Western Regions, he can't swallow this breath, I also know that the national treasury is in a difficult situation, but no matter how difficult it is, can't we find a way? Why do we have to humiliate ourselves and ask for peace?"

Lin Ruhai said: "National affairs change with the times and circumstances. What's the value of being humiliated for a while? As the saying goes, it's never too late for a gentleman to take revenge.

Didn't the great rulers like Han Wu and Tang Zong rely on marriages to win over foreign tribes? Now that we have suffered a great loss on the battlefield, it is like a person being seriously injured. How can we be brave again?
You should endure hardships and recuperate, and when you are strong enough, you can take revenge.

I heard from Yu'er that you are quite disdainful of Goujian. This is heroic spirit. But if you were Goujian, could you destroy Wu?

The Overlord was tyrannical and committed suicide by slashing his throat at the Wu River. Gou Jian was patient and finally achieved his great cause. You are now of high status and should not act on impulse anymore."

Jia Cong had no choice but to accept the advice: "My father-in-law is right, I really can't be Gou Jian.

Even if we cannot start a war now, we can at least show a strong attitude, attacking the enemy’s strategy as the main thing and the army as the auxiliary, which is better than giving in in vain and letting others underestimate the Celestial Empire.”

Lin Ruhai smiled bitterly and said, "You, what you can think of, can't the officials in the court think of it? Whether it's the emperor or the prime minister, are they willing to suffer losses?
Now, pretending to be friendly is just a delaying tactic. In order to repel the barbarians, we must first stabilize the country. Wait until the Nine Feudatories are collapsed, the new laws are implemented, the national treasury is full, and the court has collected all the troops of the vassal kings, then we can launch the expedition. Isn't this the best strategy?

Could it be that the situation in the Western Regions will change in a few years? If we continue to act tough now, it will be like forcing the Luosha people and Abulai and other forces to join forces, and the Celestial Empire may not have a chance of winning. "

Jia Cong shook his head and said, "It's not easy to give up first and then take. The so-called delaying tactic also gives the other party time to recuperate. By then, it's hard to say who will be stronger or weaker."

Lin Ruhai said: "Don't worry, the Celestial Empire is vast and rich in resources, and the population is thriving. In the same amount of time, the power we can accumulate is far greater than that of the barbarians.

You have spoken frankly and sincerely today, and both His Majesty and the Duke have seen it.

When I came out, Jun Gong told me that Zilong was a man of great integrity and a true hero. He was afraid that you might feel aggrieved, so he asked me to come and comfort you.

You must have faith in the emperor and the other ministers. You are also aware of the benefits of the new law. Within three to five years, you will be able to accumulate a huge sum of money. By then, the court will surely send troops to the Western Regions. If you are willing, you can lead the army yourself."

Jia Cong sighed, "Cong naturally knows that the emperor is a man of great talent and vision, and the prime minister is wise and far-sighted, but... Alas, I hope that God will grant my wishes."

Lin Ruhai asked curiously: "Why do you value the Western Regions so much? No matter how important the Western Regions are, is it more important than the fertile land in the heart of the southeast? More important than the Nine Feudatories?" (End of this chapter)