Horse on the World

Chapter 690
"So, Mr. Shang has a different opinion on the overall strategic policy we are implementing now?" Xiang Ping asked calmly. For Shang Haibo's stinging denial, the Luoyang bigwigs had to discuss it repeatedly before implementing it. I am very dissatisfied with negating the overall strategy.

I can see the dissatisfaction in the other party's heart, Shang Haibo doesn't care, it's a mediocrity not to be envied by others, no matter whether he is with Li Qing or with Tian Qi, the other party values ​​his talents, he cannot and does not need to be like that. Others are so careful and careful.

"Everyone's ideas are good. If this policy is changed to another opponent, it will work. But now, I want to say that it is absolutely wrong. Seeing that this policy has been implemented, what I want to say is that it is based on Everyone has no in-depth understanding of Dingzhou." Shang Haibo said.

"I would like to hear the details!" Tian Qi leaned forward, seeing Shang Haibo's seriousness, he couldn't help but also pay attention to it.

"If Li Qing didn't get Bingzhou, Fuzhou, Yizhou, Jinzhou, Quanzhou and other places, then these policies could effectively deter him, but now they can't. Bingzhou and other places are grain-producing areas. And from the very beginning, Li Qing noticed the shortcomings of the Dingzhou forces in terms of food, so he opened up countless fertile fields in Shanglin. Now Dingzhou is basically self-sufficient in food. It's useless to stop him."

"Everyone knows that Dingzhou's military strength is actually superior to ours, but why doesn't he take advantage of the situation and march into Xingzhou, for example, although Zhou Tong's troops are many, they are not organized. The Feng Group is pressing across the board, and Zhou Tong may resist? But why did Li Qing agree to a truce? That is because he is sure. If this continues, Dingzhou will become stronger and stronger, and the strength of the Central Plains will be infinitely close to or even surpassed. So he readily agreed to a truce."

Yuan Fang objected, "Li Qing's truce is because on one side, King Ning is watching. The three parties stand together and can form a short-term balance. Unless one side's strength exceeds too much, it is possible to break this balance."

Shang Haibo sneered, "Don't forget, if Li Qing's navy and his blockade chain on the outer islands want to attack King Ning, the thousands of miles of coastline are full of loopholes. Just launch an attack, and King Ning's hinterland will At the expense of the other, Li Qing now occupies an absolute advantage over the navy."

"The area ruled by Li Qing, if you count the grassland and Shiwei area, spans thousands of miles, it is not inferior to the Central Plains. Moreover, as far as I know, there are still many refugees from the Central Plains fleeing to Dingzhou every day. During the war, Dingkou was the most precious wealth, because they were the source of soldiers and wealth, so Li Qing attached great importance to the people at the bottom. This is precisely what the Great Chu Dynasty Hall did the worst. , the common people in Dingzhou, as long as you pay, you can see hope and see that good days are waiting for you."

Tian Qi's eyes turned to Yuan Fang, Yuan Fang nodded slightly, "Your Majesty, Mr. Shang's words are true. There are indeed many people fleeing towards Dingzhou every day. Although we have set up checkpoints everywhere, there are still people who cross the mountains and sneak across the border. "

Shang Haibo continued: "Secondly, in terms of military affairs, Great Chu also made huge mistakes, and among them, the most fatal one was the use of force in the Youyan area, which crushed Xiao Yuanshan out of breath."

As soon as this remark came out, everyone in the room was shocked, "Where did you start with this remark? The Xiao family controls the Youyan area and directly threatens Luoyang's heart. I don’t know what to say, I can’t sleep well, I don’t want to see the enemy cavalry appearing under the city of Luoyang again.”

Shang Haibo shook his head, "Your Majesty, forgive me for saying something outrageous. Your Majesty wants to take Youyan down. The real reason is that Xiao Haoran set fire to the imperial palace to seek His Majesty's favor!"

Tian Qi's face turned dark, and he was about to explode, but he suppressed himself.

"Why does Mr. Shang say this is our biggest military mistake!"

"Obviously, Your Majesty, Youyan is the military buffer zone between us and Dingzhou!" Shang Haibo spread his arms, and said, "Which is better between Xiao's control of Youyan and Li Qing's control of Youyan?"

"Why can't Youyan be controlled by us?"

"Because it is impossible for us to control Youyan!" Shang Haibo said decisively, "The more Qiu Hou Lord's troops entered Xiegu, the more he beat Xiao Yuanshan, the more likely it was that Youyan would fall to Dingzhou. Because Xiao Yuanshan knew that Xiao If the clan falls into the hands of His Majesty, all nine clans must be wiped out. On the contrary, if he falls to Dingzhou, he can at least become a rich man. At least Xiao Yuanshan has seen that the major clans that surrendered to Li Qing, including the barbarians, are all there. Dingzhou lived happily and without any fear of life. If it really came to the last moment, Xiao Yuanshan would definitely surrender to Li Qing, not His Majesty, and once Li Qing got Youyan, it would be a real worry for Luoyang !"

Tian Qi's face changed drastically.

Xiang Ping whispered: "Wouldn't it be better if Lord Qiu took Xiegu in one fell swoop and captured Xiao Yuanshan alive!"

"Let's not talk about how likely this is. Even so, so what? Why did Li Qing do everything possible to get Youyan's Xiangshan mansion, and arranged a heavy army group of Lu Dalin in Xiangshan? Could it be that he was just to guard against Xiao Yuanshan's attack on him? Is Dingzhou unfavorable? No, Li Qing is preparing. Once Lord Qiu breaks the inclined valley and the army enters the Youyan area, Lu Dabing's heavy army group will not hesitate to advance from Xiangshan Mansion to the east. Lu Dalin's troops, cavalry Mostly, Lord Qiu has a chance of winning compared to the opponent's speed. What's more, once Xiegu falls, the Xiao family in the Youyan area will desperately resist the imperial army, and at the same time quickly surrender to Li Qing. At that time, I am afraid that Qiu Hou Lord's army has not gone far, and most of You Yan has fallen into Li Qing's hands."

What he said made everyone feel shocked.

"Is there such a possibility?"

"It's not a possibility, but an absolute!" Shang Haibo said: "So, it's a good thing to keep Xiao Yuanshan, a dead tiger, to block Li Qing for us. We can even forgive Xiao Yuanshan and give him a certain amount of space Let him develop, the stronger he is, the greater the threat to Li Qing, of course, this is a double-edged sword, and it is also harmful to us, but, Your Majesty, you still have a sharp weapon in your hand to restrain Xiao Yuanshan!"

Tian Qi thoughtfully said: "You mean Xiao Haoran, an old man? I'm afraid he won't bow his head to me."

Shang Haibo nodded slightly: "There is no need for him to bow his head. Your Majesty only needs to show his majesty's intentions, and You Yan will know what your majesty wants. When the time comes, we will have a lot of room to display our strengths! Xiao Shi has to resist to the end, Xiao Shi The generals may not necessarily be of one mind."

Tian Qi suddenly realized, "I understand. What you said is very true. Humph, as long as the Xiao family can hold You Yan and not go to Li Qing, it doesn't matter if I let Xiao Haoran go. When Li Qing is dealt with, they can Get out of my palm."

"Xiao Haoran, Xiao Yuanshan is a talent for a while, and he will not bow his head to others until the end of his life. What's more, Xiao Yuanshan still has a knot in his heart. Since Li Qing can rise rapidly within a few years from the land of a state, then why is he No, losing to Li Qing in the early years has become Xiao Yuanshan's heart disease, as long as he still has this mind, then it will only benefit us to make him stronger. Your Majesty has such a heart, and I admire him very much!" Shang Haibo bowed Arched.

Tian Qi felt extremely relieved, and his complexion finally looked better.

"So, Mr. Shang, what is our general policy for the future?"

Shang Haibo said: "There is still no major change in the general policy. Military confrontation and intensified military reform. Strengthening the army is the first goal. Li Qing once said that the government is coming out of the barrel of a gun. The ministers think it is very reasonable. In the end, we still rely on swords and guns to speak. To strengthen the army, we need great changes in internal affairs. Without sufficient financial strength, a strong army is just empty words. Even if we can’t learn from Dingzhou to pile up a strong army with money , we can also have the quantity to make up for it. Economically, we still have to maintain the blockade of the forces in Dingzhou, and it needs to be strengthened.”

Xiang Ping interjected: "Didn't Master Shang just say that the economic blockade will not work for Dingzhou? Why do you want to emphasize the blockade at this time?"

Shang Haibo shook his head and said: "The blockade is not about fearing that our things will flow into Dingzhou, but that things from Dingzhou will flow into the Central Plains. The price of Dingzhou's products is extremely low. If there is no blockade, a large number of them will flow in. By the way, Li Qing said, what is this dumping? Dumping products at extremely low prices will bankrupt the people in the Central Plains. People who have no source of livelihood are potential disasters. This point , is fatal."

"So that's how it is!" Everyone in the room was extremely smart, Shang Haibo woke up a little, and everyone immediately understood the pros and cons of this.

"Politically, to strengthen the vertical and horizontal alliance, in addition to no longer imposing the high-pressure policy on the Xiao family we just talked about, we must also unite with King Ning in the south to maintain high pressure on Dingzhou. Military, political Economically and financially, we will work together to make Dingzhou overwhelmed!"

"Cooperate with King Ning?" Tian Qi's originally happy face suddenly pulled down, "This is absolutely impossible."

Shang Haibo knew where Tianqi's heart knot was, glanced at Emperor Tianqi, and said slowly: "Your Majesty, forgive me for being rude. The dispute between you and King Ning is a family matter. No matter you win in the end, the surname in this world will still be Qin. , and once Li Qing succeeds, the world will be named Li. At that time, the Qin royal family, under the overthrow of the nest, will have their eggs? Can His Majesty forgive Xiao Haoran, who set fire to the palace? King Ning joined hands to suppress Li Qing? Brothers join hands, fight off the foreign enemies together, why not settle accounts behind closed doors?"

"What's more, at that time, will King Ning still have the capital to compete with you?"

Tian Qi said slowly: "King Ning's wolf ambition is so easy to match, I am afraid that in the end, we will not lose money by stealing chickens."

"Competing in the world is like walking a tightrope. If you are not careful, you will fall off. The minister said that it is up to people to plan things, and it is up to heaven to achieve them. Each person is a hero according to his own ability. As for who will have the last laugh, what do we say now?" Are you sure? Your Majesty has the whole world in his heart, so is it possible that you don't even have the courage to do so?"

With a bang, Tian Qi slammed the teacup in his hand on the ground heavily, and the tea splashed everywhere. Everyone in the room, except Shang Haibo, knelt down on the ground, "Your Majesty, calm down."

Tian Qi glared at Shang Haibo angrily, "You are so brave!"

Shang Haibo stared at Tian Qi intently, pursed his lips tightly, and said nothing.

The air in the room seemed to be stagnant. After a long while, Tian Qi's face slowly eased, obviously trying to suppress his anger. Gradually, a smile appeared on his face, and finally he looked up to the sky and laughed loudly, "Okay, very good, how many years has no one Dare to speak to me like that, you are the first one, okay, you are right, I was willing to take the throne back then, how can I not have this kind of courage, King Ning was no match for me back then, and now he is even worse. Like you played."

Turning to look at the kneeling crowd, "Everyone, get up."

Everyone was sweating coldly in their palms, looking at Shang Haibo with admiration in their eyes, they really had the guts of a leopard, this courage is really nothing to say.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Shang Haibo said with a smile, "If we form an alliance with King Ning, we can greatly restrict the Dingzhou Navy and restrain a large part of Li Qing's energy."

"If you come to be the first assistant, within a few years, can you reverse the advantages and disadvantages of Dingzhou?" Tian Qi stared at Shang Haibo.

Shang Haibo hesitated for a moment. The government of Dingzhou is extremely efficient, with orders and prohibitions, and one mind. It is far from what the current bureaucracy of the Luoyang court can compare to. But when it comes to this, he can only boast , took the risk.

"In three years, we can hold a stalemate with Dingzhou. Of course, the premise is that there will be no major military problems on the front line, the current control line will be maintained, and there will be no major wars. In this way, we will have enough time to fully Mobilize the resources of the Central Plains to maintain pressure on Dingzhou from all aspects. Five years later, we will have an advantage, and if there are ten years, we can occupy an overwhelming advantage." Shang Haibo left a hole for himself.

"Can the front line be stabilized?" Tian Qi turned to ask Qu Yongjie.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, I will do my best." Qu Yongjie said.

"Very well, Mr. Shang, Chen Shoufu is seriously ill now, and you will temporarily take up the post of second assistant, in charge of regent affairs. I hope you can assist me as you assisted Li Qing in the past. In the future, the Great Chu will rule the world again. You are always indispensable to kings with different surnames."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Shang Haibo felt a little sad in his heart, the sea was filled with sorrow, the self back then, or the self a few months ago, would never have imagined that he would be where he is today.

"Yuan Fang, where do you think Mr. Shang's mansion is suitable? The former Anguo Duke's mansion and Qi Guogong's mansion are still vacant, choose one of them for Mr. Shang to live in?" Tian Qi said.

Yuan Fang stood up, "Your Majesty, Dingzhou is very anxious to hunt down Mr. Shang. Obviously, he would never be reconciled to not taking Mr. Shang's life. Hu Dongximenqing, the head of Dingzhou's secret spy, and others have all escaped without a trace. The case has not yet been brought to justice, so whether it is the government of Anguo or the government of Qi, it is not very safe, so I think it is better for Mr. Shang to live in the guest house in the imperial city. After the minister catches all the fish that escaped the net, It won't be too late to grant a house."

Tian Qi looked at Shang Haibo, "In this case, Mr. Shang will be wronged."

Shang Haibo shook his head, "It's okay, I think I'm in Dingzhou, it's just a small courtyard, it's good to be quiet."

"In that case, sir, please stay at the guest house for the time being, Yuan Fang, and send someone to protect Mr. Shang's safety. Mr. Shang has lost a single hair, I'm asking you!"

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, Mr. Shang and I have shared joys and sorrows along the way. We have lived and died together. For Mr. Shang's safety, I will naturally do my best to prevent my opponent from finding any loopholes." Yuan Fang laughed.

Hearing these words, Shang Haibo felt bitter in his heart.

A few days later, Shang Haibo and Xiang Ping, who were dressed in official uniforms of the Great Chu, came to the Imperial Prison of the Great Chu together. All the people imprisoned here were people who had once been famous in the Great Chu. Naturally, Xiao Haoran, Duke of Qi, lived there.

People who are locked up here because of political failures are generally given preferential treatment by the jailers. Because politics is like a tide, today's losers may turn around one day, return to the court, and hold great power, so generally no one Dare to treat them slowly, but Xiao Haoran is different. Everyone knows that although this old guy has a very high status and is an extremely human minister, he committed a serious crime of treason. The jailers naturally didn't want to see him, if it wasn't for the old Xiao's nail among the jailers, Xiao Haoran would have died silently in the prison long ago.

Through the small window on the iron door, looking at Xiao Haoran in the room, a complex look flashed in Xiang Ping's eyes. Xiao Haoran in the room had ragged clothes, tangled beard and hair, and he didn't know how long he hadn't showered or changed. , I don't know how long the room hasn't been cleaned, a foul smell came through the window, causing Tian Qi to frown, and Xiao Haoran, in such a harsh environment, actually sat on the straw mat, Holding a chopstick in his hand, he was writing or drawing something on the wall, and he was still chanting words.

"This old thief!" Xiang Ping cursed bitterly, "However, he is still alive and well after falling into such a situation."

Shang Haibo smiled, Xiao Haoran was born in the army, his mind has long been honed like steel, so naturally he will not be knocked down by the environment in front of him, looking back at the jailer on the side, he said: "Open the door!"

The door creaked and was pushed open, and the door hadn't been opened for many days. When the door hinge was pushed open, it made an extremely unpleasant and tooth-piercing sound.

Hearing the sound of the door, Xiao Haoran turned his head. The light in the room was not good, so he narrowed his eyes and looked at the people who came in.

"It turned out to be Master Xiang, hahaha, since I came here, you are the first old friend from the past to see me!" Xiao Haoran laughed, and turned to look at Shang Haibo, "This lord looks so good Very, I don't know who it is?"

"This is the new assistant minister of the imperial court, Mr. Shang Haibo!" Xiang Ping said loudly.

"Shang Haibo, this name is so familiar!" Xiao Haoran tilted his head and thought for a while. After all, he was old and lacked energy. After thinking hard for a while, he suddenly remembered, and said in astonishment: "Shang Haibo is not Li. The number one counselor under the command of the Qing Dynasty, why, why did he become the second assistant of the imperial court?"

(End of this chapter)