Zhao Defang's road to the virtuous king

Defang cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty is wise."

"Your Majesty is wise!" The ministers also echoed

On the same day, Emperor Zhenzong decreed to send envoys to Fengzhou to give an edict to reward the Longyi and Mok tribes with many items.

In March, Huang Zongdan, the Prime Minister of Dali Temple, wrote a letter saying that Yingzhou’s ponds and wasteland cover an area of ​​300 hectares, and it is appropriate to recruit common people to cultivate them. .The imperial court decreed that Huang Zongdan was appointed as the general judge of Yingzhou to preside over the affairs of the camp.

In April, Pan Luozhi, the leader of Liugu in Xiliang Prefecture, sent envoys to Beijing for the second time to offer sacrifices, and once again requested to use [-] cavalry equipped by his own clan to join forces with the imperial army to attack Li Jiqian and recover Lingzhou.

"Dear dear friends, Pan Luozhi, the leader of Liugu, sent envoys to report Li Jiqian's harassment in February, and now he has sent envoys to request troops to attack Li Jiqian just two months ago. What do you think?" Zhenzong asked.

"Your Majesty!" General Cao Bozhong stepped forward and said, "The last general thinks that he should send troops to join us in the Great Song Dynasty and severely damage the party Xiang Li Jiqian."

"Oh?" Zhenzong looked at Cao Bozhong, "The general thinks it is feasible?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I would like to invite you to fight and lead the army to conquer Li Jiqian!"

Zhenzong nodded, "The general is loyal to the country, and I am very pleased."

Minister of the Ministry of War Zhang Qixian said, "Qizou Your Majesty, Liugu is located in Xiliang Prefecture. It has been attacked by Li Jiqian all the year round, and the loss of human and livestock has been huge. Although Pan Luozhi prepared [-] cavalry, the equipment is poor and the morale of the soldiers is low, which is not enough to defeat Li Jiqian. , I believe that it is not appropriate to send troops there."

Kou Zhun stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I agree with Mr. Zhang's opinion that the biggest enemy of our army is the Liao Kingdom, and it is not appropriate to send too many troops to the northwest."

Zhenzong thought for a while, looked at Defang and asked, "Brother Emperor, what do you think?"

"Returning to Your Majesty, I feel that what Master Zhang and Lord Kou said is reasonable. Our army suffered huge casualties in the battle against Liao. It has not yet recovered its original momentum. In addition, the Sichuan and Shu regions still need to be rectified, and decades of war turmoil , the common people are all thinking about stability. Although Pan Luozhi has prepared [-] cavalry, they are not strong enough. Our Song soldiers are too tired at this time. It is difficult for the two armies to unite. The Liao people took advantage of the opportunity to invade the south, and at that time, our Great Song generals were under the enemy's back, and it was difficult to support them."

Zhenzong sighed after hearing this, "Everyone's words are from the bottom of my heart. Although I hate Li Jiqian, I also hate the Liao people very much. I really want to send troops to crusade. However, the current situation is indeed unfavorable. According to the wishes of all lovers, how should I reply to Pan?" What about Zhi's envoys?"

"Your Majesty" Zhang Qixian said, "Two months ago, His Majesty appointed Pan Luozhi as Shuofang Jiedu Envoy and Lingzhou Surrounding Inspection Envoy, and gave him armor and coins. Now he can still do it again. First stabilize his heart, and then Figure out another strategy."

Defang nodded and said, "Your Majesty, I think it is feasible. Li Jiqian was defeated in the battles of attacking Hongdezhai and Pingxia City, but he still has a large source of troops. It is unlikely, but it is still a serious problem that cannot be avoided for the Fan Department of the border town. The minister believes that this time, more armor and weapons can be given to Pan Luozhi, and a small patrol army should be sent to his territory to teach drills. Soldiers, in this way, we can not only show our sincerity in treating him, but also help him improve his combat power, so Pan Luozhi will definitely accept it with pleasure."

-------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------