Fenghou

Just as Wang Hao was about to leave, Chen Qing called him back, "Wait a while before leaving."

Wang Hao stopped in his tracks, and Chen Qing pondered for a while and asked, "How about Zhong Huan at the inner guard?"

"Reporting to Dutong, the young man is excellent and very competent. It is thanks to him that he found the clues of the Jin Kingdom spies this time. He has made a great contribution. We are very satisfied with him from top to bottom."

Chen Qing smiled slightly and said, "How about transferring him to me?"

Wang Hao jumped up immediately, "Dutong, you can't joke like this. It was so easy for me to get a capable civil servant. You recommended him. Now I have to leave again. I can't explain to my subordinates!"

Seeing that he was sweating profusely in anxiety, Chen Qing couldn't help laughing and said: "Then I won't poach the corner of your inner guard, and lend me a while, and return to the inner guard after the Western Xia War, how about it?"

Wang Hao breathed a sigh of relief, "Is it because he is a child of the Zhong family?"

Chen Qing nodded, and took a letter, "This is the book he wrote to me, called Eighteen Strategies for Miexia. It is rare for me to read the full text. It is very incisive and practical. I have gained a lot. It is estimated that this is the information left by his ancestors."

"The humble official asked him to donate all the materials left by his ancestors. If Xixia can be conquered, it will also be a kind of comfort to the loyal Zhong family. He will definitely agree."

"I know he will agree, but I need to make up for him. Taking him to attack Xixia together is more meaningful to his ancestors."

Wang Hao thought for a while and said, "The humble officer should go talk to him, obey his wishes, and don't force him."

"Yes, I hope he will give me a copy of the materials left by his ancestors as soon as possible, and he will keep the original as a souvenir."

6 Chapter Fifty

Xianyang Grand Inn, the two assassins returned to the inn and reported to Murong Wenmu what happened last night.

"I want to report to the hall master, they have a loose perimeter and almost no guards. Dozens of female guards are deployed in the house. I saw that the house is very well-defended, but we found a loophole in the other side. There is a lake in the mansion, and the lake is connected Going into the house, you can sneak in from the bottom of the water."

Murong Wenmu nodded and asked: "What I am most concerned about now is whether you have been discovered by the other party?"

The two assassins looked at each other, and the lead assassin said: "It should not be!"

"What do you mean should not be? Is there really?" Murong Wenmu asked sharply.

The two shook their heads like rattles, "Surely not, when we left, we didn't see them search, and there was no confusion."

"Really do not have?"

"Humble Job Guarantee!"

The two assassins didn't dare to tell the truth. They knew the consequences of telling the truth. Moreover, they were not sure whether the other party had found them. They escaped in time without leaving any evidence. It is very likely that the other party thought they were two night herons.

Murong Wenmu nodded, "Go draw a map, and draw everything you have seen and heard."

After the two assassins left, the treasurer Li Lu asked in a low voice, "The hall master thinks they are not telling the truth?"

Murong Wenmu nodded, "Actually, they have already slipped their mouths. I didn't tell them that there were female guards inside, so how did they know? They also know that the female guards are all deployed in the house. These female guards must have rushed out of the house. found them."

"If they are found, how can they escape?"

Murong Wenmu said coldly: "That's what I told you. Chen Qing didn't mean to be prepared for assassination. His personal guards are all in the front house. When they rush over, it's too late."

"Then what should we do now?"

"Now we can only bear with it temporarily, and wait until their defenses are gradually relaxed before considering action."

Having said this, Murong Wenmu's gaze became cold and severe, "As for those two bastards, I'll deal with them later!"

……

The preparations for the Western Army are still going on, but the public opinion of attacking Xixia has spilled over to Lin'an. Chen Qing is going to lead the army to attack Xixia. They were all very excited. Ten years after the Jingkang disaster, the day of the counterattack finally came. Whether it was an attack on the Kingdom of Jin or Xixia, it was an exciting event.

At this time, another news came from nowhere. The Western Army defeated the Jin soldiers on Shaanxi Road, wiped out [-] enemies, and captured the Jurchen royal family Wanyan, Lisa and Wanyanqi. This news made Lin'an boil, Lin'an The people beat gongs and drums to celebrate the victory of the Western Army.

Just after dawn, the court meeting in the Daqing Palace was still going on. The court meeting was held every five days, and all officials above rank seven had to participate. The content of today's court meeting was how to respond to Chen Qing's request.

The light in Daqing Hall was dim, and hundreds of courtiers stood on both sides of the hall, above the tall Danbi, sat Zhao Gou with the same gloomy expression.

Zhao Gou received much more news than ordinary people and ministers. He already knew that the negotiations between Chen Qing and Jin Guo had broken down.

Going over the imperial court and negotiating with the Kingdom of Jin without authorization, this kind of thing is already irritating, but what makes Zhao Gou even more crazy is that Chen Qing actually wants to exchange the former prince with the two Jurchen royal families, Wanyan Helisa and Wanyan Xiyin Zhao Chen, even though the negotiations were unsuccessful, Zhao Gou was blown up on the spot when the news came, and all the teacups, inkstones, and memorials on the imperial case were overturned on the ground. Such a gaffe, such a rage.

The former prince Zhao Chen must be related to the succession of the throne, and any matter related to the succession of the throne is Zhao Gou's rebellion. Moreover, Chen Qing still made this request without authorization and did not report it to him at all, which made Zhao Gou feel murderous.

It's just that he conceals it better now, and the officials don't know his mentality.

"Zhang Xianggong, please introduce the situation first!"

Zhang Jun walked out of the line, bowed to the emperor, and said calmly: "Your Majesty, ministers, Chen Qing's letter was received five days ago, and he wrote a memorial in the way of flying pigeons. He will take advantage of the weakest time of Xixia this autumn and winter to attack Xixia in the north, but his troops and money are slightly insufficient. He hopes that the court will support 40 troops and [-] guan. In addition, he strongly condemns Liu Guangshi for betraying the court. I am willing to send troops to cooperate with the court to destroy the traitor Liu Guangshi."

At this time, Zhe Yanzhi, the new Tongzhi Privy Council official, came forward and said: "I would like to add one more thing, why is Xixia weakest now? The reason is that the civil war lasted for nearly two years. The Liao general Xiao Heda rebelled Xixia, independent, fought with the Xixia court for two years. According to the information we got, there are only less than [-] Xixia standing troops left, taxes have dropped by [-]%, the treasury is empty, and the population has lost at least [-]%. It was the weakest time since the founding of Xixia, and at the same time, the Jin Kingdom was hurt by the defeat on the Shaanxi Road, and the Jin soldiers on the East Road were also unable to support Xixia, so now is indeed a good opportunity to attack Xixia."

"This is taking advantage of other people's danger, not what a gentleman would do!"

University scholar Qi Yuanlu walked out of the queue and saluted: "Your Majesty, I have a word in my heart, and I will not say anything, please allow it!"

Zhao Gou nodded calmly, "Yes!"

Qi Yuanlu glanced at the crowd, and said slowly: "Just now I misheard, I thought the Western Army was going to attack the Kingdom of Jin, and I was overjoyed. Taking advantage of others' danger, it's worth not mentioning this, lest someone call me pedantic.

But I don't understand, what good is it for us to attack Xixia? Most of them are in the Gobi desert, and the national treasury is empty, and millions of people have become starving people.Everyone, tell me, what does it mean to us to fight Xixia?what is the benefit? "

Qin Hui laughed dryly and said, "Why is there no benefit? Xixia is immortal and always threatens Xihe Road. Only by destroying Xixia can we have peace of mind..."

There was an uproar in the court, and the officials whispered. Qin Hui's meaning was very clear. The extermination of Xixia was only to relieve the pressure on Sichuan and Shaanxi, and it would not benefit the court at all.

Zhang Jun was dissatisfied with Qin Hui's tone. He did not hesitate to refute Qin Hui and said, "Mr. There is nothing wrong with decompressing Xihe Road, besides, conquering Xixia has always been the dream of Emperor Shenzong, and it is also a consolation to our ancestors that we can realize Emperor Shenzong's dream."

At this time, Xu Yun, a senior admonisher from the right, came out of the class and said: "Your Majesty, the Admonition Court has received a large number of letters from the people in the past two days, a total of more than [-] letters. Most of the letters from the people hope that the imperial court will support the Western Army. Conquer Xixia, and wash away the humiliation of a hundred years."

"Your Majesty, my minister objects!"

"Your Majesty, I firmly support and assist the Western Army!"

There was a commotion in the main hall, Zhao Gou frowned, and the supervisor in the hall shouted, "Quiet!"

The hall was quiet for an instant, and the emperor Zhao Gou said slowly: "The court meeting only discusses the pros and cons. It is a matter of great importance and needs to be carefully considered. In addition, I appreciate Chen Xuanfu's clear attitude towards Liu Guangshi. If you have enough ability, you don’t need his help, left and right Xiangguo stay and leave the court!”

Chapter 651

Zhao Gou returned to the Imperial Study Room. Not long after, Qin Hui and Zhang Jun also rushed over. Zhao Gou was a little annoyed and said, "What does Chen Qing mean? Does he need that little money, or that little military force? The imperial court must come out." .”

Qin Hui bowed and said: "Your Majesty, on the surface, Chen Qing wants to cooperate with the imperial court to take Xixia, but in fact he doesn't take the imperial court seriously. It can be seen from the unauthorized negotiation with Jin Guo that he actually wants to exchange The former prince, what does he want to do? Is he a local official who can decide this kind of thing? Wei Chen clearly feels that he is a hero similar to Cao Cao, ambitious, and wants to use the former prince in exchange for his own political power. Benefit."

The anger in Zhao Gou's heart was aroused by Qin Hui again, and he said bitterly: "I knew that a general should never be in charge of the army, I only regret that I didn't obey the instructions of my ancestors and let him grow up."

Zhang Jun shook his head secretly at the side, "When the matter came out, we should find a way to solve it. But Qin Hui, as the right minister, not only did not share the worries and solve the problems for the emperor, but kept fighting and worsening the situation. This kind of attitude is very bad."

Zhang Jun stood silently at the side, at this moment Zhao Gou glanced at him and asked, "Why doesn't Mr. Zhang speak?"

Zhang Jun said indifferently: "Wei Chen is still waiting for Mr. Qin's conclusion. After talking for a long time, should he refuse or cooperate?"

Qin Hui felt a little displeased immediately. He could hear the sarcasm in Zhang Jun's tone, and he said calmly, "Your Majesty, of course the humble minister's opinion is to be rejected outright. There is no need for the imperial court to ignore his insincere invitation."

"If this decision is made, then the great achievements of destroying Xixia have nothing to do with the imperial court. Giving such a world-renowned reputation to Chen Qing and fulfilling his reputation, is this the result Qin Xianggong wants?"

Qin Hui snorted, "Wait until he can really destroy Xixia!"

Zhao Gou also gradually calmed down, and he also tasted it. Qin Hui's personal grievances are too heavy, and his suggestion may not be rational.

He pondered for a while and said to Qin Hui: "Mr. Qin, go first! I will talk to you slowly later."

Qin Hui nodded, Zhang Jun was beside him, and he also had a lot to say.

"Wei Chen retire!"

He saluted and stepped back.

Only then did Zhao Gou let Zhang Jun sit down, "Mr. Zhang can tell me frankly if he has anything to say. Sometimes I am really a bit of a fan of the authorities."

Only then did Zhang Jun slowly say: "Your Majesty, to understand Chen Qing's intentions, we need to start with the negotiations in Bashu. He has already captured Bashu, why is he still negotiating with us, and he also took the initiative to hand over the power of government affairs and criminal law to us? In fact, His Majesty also knows that Chen Qing is not Liu Guangshi, he wants autonomy, but he does not want to bear the charge of treason, this is Chen Qing's pulse, if he knows this, His Majesty will know how to deal with it."

Zhao Gou sighed, "I understand what you mean, the attack on Xixia is the same?"

Zhang Jun nodded, "I think that's what I mean. He has no shortage of troops or money. Why should he cooperate with the court? Of course, Chen Qing is not a good man or woman. He has his political demands. In my opinion, he is not short of money. Above all, they are making a deal with the imperial court."

"trade?"

Zhao Gou was slightly taken aback, "What deal?"

Zhang Jun pondered for a while and said, "Your Majesty, I believe that negotiating with the Kingdom of Jin is a gesture he made on purpose. It is said that the envoy from the Kingdom of Jin only went there for a day, and the negotiation broke down. What does this mean? It means that Chen Qing has no sincerity in negotiating." , he is actually doing it for us to see.

He offered to redeem the former prince. What does the former prince mean to him?Could it be that he could establish another Great Song Monarch? Without the approval of the court, the court would definitely not recognize the former prince. What is the difference between the former prince and a commoner?Weichen believes that he is not so stupid, he proposed to redeem the former prince, but he actually said it to His Majesty. "

"Xiangguo means that he is deliberately provoking me?"

"Isn't that the way to negotiate? If he doesn't advance the crown prince, then the value of this bargaining chip will be low. Wei Chen thinks that he actually wants to use Wanyan, Licha and Wanyan Qi as a high-value bargaining chip to negotiate with His Majesty." Trading."

"What does he want to trade with me?"

Zhang Jun shook his head, "I don't know, but I can send someone to Jingzhao to discuss with Chen Qing about attacking Xixia, and find out his details. What exactly does he want?"

Zhao Gou was persuaded by Zhang Jun that he really couldn't use righteousness to deal with Chen Qing, he must be controlled to the maximum extent, and he must not be allowed to leave the court.

Zhao Gou has already realized that Qin Hui really can't listen to this matter. Qin Hui is too selfish in Chen Qing's matter, and his suggestion will not benefit the court.

"Who does Xiangguo think is more appropriate to send?"

Zhang Jun pondered for a moment and said, "My minister recommends Zhe Yanzhi as His Majesty's special envoy to Jingzhao."

"Yes, I agree!"

Zhang Jun said again: "In addition, I have two things to remind Your Majesty."

"Which two things?"

"The first is about Empress Xiande. He is married to Chen Qing, but His Majesty has never expressed his position on this matter."

Zhao Gou obviously didn't want to mention this matter, he said impatiently: "I haven't forgotten this matter, but I still need time to think about it, what else is there for Xiangguo?"

Zhang Jun sighed slightly in his heart, the officials were still very resistant to Chen Qing, they did not want to recognize Emperor Xiande's concubine, and they also refused to admit that Chen Qing was already a relative of the emperor.

"One more thing is about the Lu family. This is one of the conditions of Bashu negotiations, but His Majesty has not moved."

This matter was indeed ignored by Zhao Gou. Zhang Jun reminded him immediately, and he quickly asked, "How is Lu Yihao?"

"Wei Chen went to see him at the beginning of the year, and his health is not very good, so I don't know what's going on now."

Zhao Gou pondered for a while and said: "How about this! You go to see him for me and ask him what he thinks. If the request is not too much, I can agree."

"The minister obeys the order!"

……

In the Lu Mansion, Lu Qingshan accompanied his elder brother Lu Yihao to sit by the pond. Lu Qingshan said with a smile: "Today, the court is discussing the matter of cooperating with the Western Army to attack Xixia. In fact, most of the court approves it, but Qin Hui opposes it, and the great scholar Qi Yuanlu also opposes it. I don't know, when did Qi Yuanlu hang out with Qin Hui?"

Lu Yihao smiled lightly and said: "You are wrong about this matter. Although their positions are similar, their starting point is absolutely different. Qin Hui is out of hostility towards Chen Qing, but Qi Yuanlu is not. Qi Yuanlu thinks it will increase the burden on the court. And it’s not profitable, I’m not wrong!”

"Brother is right, but how does brother know?"

"Do you remember that Qi Yuanlu resolutely opposed the Northern Expedition at the beginning of the year? What he said represented the aspirations of most officials. The Central Plains had been ruined by Jin Bing and Liu Yu. Once recovered, it would bring a huge financial burden to the court. There are so many hungry people waiting to be fed, and the imperial court can’t bear it at all. Don’t even mention it, his theory of burden is very popular in the imperial court, and many high-ranking officials agree with it, so I know his attitude when he opposes the attack on Xixia. It’s a pity The attack on Xixia is decided by Chen Qing, and the imperial court has no influence."

Lu Qingshan laughed again: "This time Chen Qing publicly condemned Liu Guangshi for betraying the imperial court, and was willing to send troops to assist the imperial court to destroy Liu Guangshi. Although the officials did not need him to send troops, his clear attitude won the unanimous appreciation of the officials and court officials. "

Lu Yihao laughed, "This kid is very experienced in this matter, which has greatly offset the adverse effects of occupying Bashu. He has indeed matured in the past two years, which makes me very gratified."

At this time, the eldest son Lu Wen quickly stepped forward and clasped his fists: "Father, Mr. Zhang is here to visit."

Lu Yihao smiled and said: "It seems that the officials have not forgotten the old man, please invite Zhang Xianggong to sit in the guest room for a while, I will be there soon!"

Two maids supported him to stand up, and Lu Yihao smiled at his brother: "Second brother, will you accompany me to sit?"

Lu Qingshan hesitated and said: "It is estimated that Zhang Xianggong will convey some officials' intentions to you, it is better for me to avoid it first."

Lu Yihao nodded, "Alright, then you can avoid it first, and come see me later."

Chapter 652

Seeing that Lu Yihao was struggling to walk, and even needed the maid's support to sit down, Zhang Jun sat down tremblingly, showing his old age, he asked with concern: "What's wrong with Lu Gong's leg?"

Lu Yihao shook his head and smiled wryly: "Leg disease is an old problem. It started when you were young. Now that you are old, leg disease will attack from time to time. You can't control it with medicine, so you can just let it go."

Zhang Jun nodded, "The officials are very concerned about Lu Gong's current situation, so they asked me to come and visit. If Lu Gong needs any valuable medicinal materials or imperial physicians, you can ask for it, and the officials will definitely try their best to meet it."

Lu Yihao bowed slightly and said, "Please thank the officials for their great love, I don't need it yet."

After a few words of pleasantries, Zhang Jun went straight to the point, "The officials originally wanted to invite Lu Gong to come out of the mountain again, but now it seems that it is more important for Lu Gong to take care of his health. Lu Gong can recommend talents. Dear, even recommending clansmen is completely fine."

Lu Yihao smiled slightly and said: "There is no one else now, Mr. Zhang just tell me straight! Is it related to Chen Qing?"

Zhang Jun also knew that Lu Yihao was treacherous and cunning, and he couldn't hide it from him, so he simply stopped covering it up and said to Lu Yihao, "I'm here today for three things. Visiting Lu Gong's body is a serious matter, and the officials really care about it. Second, The last time I negotiated with Chen Qing in Jingzhao about Bashu, there was an agreement to lift the restrictions on the Lu family. Since the officials authorized me to sign the negotiation agreement, they would naturally implement the terms. If Mr. Lu is not healthy Well, I can recommend others."