Chapter 235: Using Military Forces Against Xixia

Zhang Guifen confirmed that she was pregnant yesterday.

Not many people know about this matter so far.

Wei Yuan did not reveal it to anyone else.

But Zhao Zhen, who has lived in the palace for a long time, knew that there was only one reason to explain it. There were spies planted by the other party at home or the Imperial City Secretary was watching him closely.

Zhao Zhen told Yanda, the commander of the Imperial City Division, that there was no need to monitor Wei Yuan, but that was before, not now.

The emperor's health was getting worse and worse.

"The fact that Jing's wife is pregnant alarmed the officials and made the ministers panic."

Wei Yuan bowed quickly.

He wanted to tell Zhao Zhen about the 'armor' today.

If this matter is not resolved, there will be endless troubles.

But what does the emperor insist on talking about 'family matters'?

Zhao Zhen laughed and said, "I have watched the girl from the Zhang family grow up, and you are my good minister. I will naturally pay attention to your family."

"Since Uncle Ouyang Yong left the capital, what have people outside said about me?"

Wei Yuan's heart tightened, "I don't know what the people are talking about, but I have heard from many ministers in the past few days that Mr. Ouyang, as a central minister, has compromised his personal ethics and should indeed leave the capital temporarily."

Zhao Zhen asked curiously: "Do you also think that Uncle Ouyang Yong's personal morality has been damaged?"

Wei Yuan cupped his hands and said, "I just listened to others talk about it. As for what is going on, I dare not speak nonsense."

Zhao Zhen was half sitting on the bed and waved to Wei Yuan to sit closer. Then he smiled and said:

"I sometimes wonder, you have become famous at a young age and are so powerful. Why do you have to live so cautiously? Is it me?"

After hearing this, how dare Wei Yuan sit down?

He bowed deeply and said: "The officials are too worried, but I am not careful. I just want to do what needs to be done and say what needs to be said."

"As for discussing privately whether the personal ethics of ministers in the DPRK are compromised, I believe that this is not what I should do."

Zhao Zhen was very satisfied with this answer.

"When it comes to Uncle Yong, I also know that I owe him an explanation."

"I originally thought that when the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty heard that I demoted a Grand Prime Minister from the capital because of so-called personal ethics, they were going to receive some criticism."

"I didn't expect that all the talk about uncle Yong's personal ethics was damaged, and no one said anything on his behalf."

"Do I scare you that much?"

Wei Yuan said: "It is not so much that I am afraid of officials, but rather that I am in awe of them."

Hearing this, Zhao Zhen laughed twice and suddenly coughed violently.

Wei Yuan was just about to call for the imperial doctor when he saw Zhao Zhen wave his hand and said:

"I always have to cough several times a day."

"I heard that Uncle Yong's daughter-in-law attempted to hang herself many times?"

Wei Yuan sighed: "A woman regards her name as her own destiny. Ouyang Xianggong's eldest son died young and his daughter-in-law has not remarried, so there are already some rumors."

"Now that Mr. Wen has brought this matter to the court, how can Mr. Ouyang's daughter-in-law be humiliated?"

Zhao Zhen said thoughtfully: "After some time, I will build a chastity memorial arch for his daughter-in-law in Uncle Yong's hometown."

These things have little to do with Wei Yuan. After a pause, he asked:

"I have a preliminary guess that Xixia sold all these important military equipment to the Liao State, either because they want to invade the Zhou Dynasty with the Liao State in the near future, or because Xixia is really encountering difficulties."

From the moment he discovered that Xixia was selling armor to the Liao Kingdom, Wei Yuan had already planned to make a fuss about this matter.

Zhao Zhen shook his head and smiled, "I knew you wouldn't let it go until I fully explained this matter."

"Before the First World War in Daizhou, there was a disaster in Xixia. I asked officials from various departments to secretly visit Xixia to explore the cause of the disaster."

"A few days ago, the news came from Qintian Prison that the summer in Western Xia was colder than before. Without the help from the Liao Kingdom, the people of Xixia would not be able to survive the winter this year."

"Previously, the Xixia envoys wanted to take advantage of my serious illness to ask for winter food and grass. If it weren't for Han Zhang and you, the general who personally guarded the forbidden area, they would have got what they wanted."

The intuitive result of Wei Yuan's guarding the ban was to send a message to the Liao and Xia countries that Zhou Dynasty was not afraid of war.

But are you really not afraid?

Only Wei Yuan and a few central ministers knew.

This battle is really impossible to fight.

After what Zhao Zhen said, Wei Yuan understood the cause and effect.

Xixia was indeed hit by another disaster, but the court was unwilling to give them money or food for the winter.

Li Yuanhao also knew that since the founding of Xixia, the feud between him and Zhao Zhen had been forged, and there was no possibility of reconciliation.

After all, the founding of the Xixia Kingdom would definitely detract from Zhao Zhen's civil and military skills.

Once Dazhou gets a large amount of iron kite armor, it will be difficult for Xixia to maintain its advantage in front of Dazhou.

At that time, it would be evil not to raise troops to fight against Xixia because of Zhao Zhen's hatred.

Therefore, even if Xixia sells iron kite armor to Liao, it is impossible to sell it to Zhou.

"Xixia is having a hard time, how can we in Dazhou be better off?"

"Didn't Wei Qing realize that even Bianjing is colder than in previous years?"

"Qin Tianjian made calculations based on the changes in weather conditions recorded in Si Tiantai of the previous dynasty. The cold weather and freezing ground should have started during the chaos of the previous dynasty, and it is more obvious today."

"To tell you the truth, when I met with the Xia envoy and heard that Xixia was hit by a disaster, I was so happy that I fell ill."

After hearing what Zhao Zhen said, Wei Yuan suddenly realized that this year was indeed a bit colder than last year.

Did it start during the chaos of the previous dynasty?

To this day.

Why does it feel a bit similar to the famous Little Ice Age in the late Ming Dynasty?

The Little Ice Age was a time of exile for peasants and a golden age of rebellion.

We don’t have enough to eat, and everyone is dying on both sides, so why not rebel?

Thinking of the word "rebellion", Wei Yuan remembered that there were rebels in Yangzhou in "Do you know".

Rebellion can occur even in places like Yangzhou, and the situation in other states and counties is likely to be even worse.

Nowadays, the problems facing Da Zhou are also very simple. First, there are the three redundant problems in politics, then there are various natural and man-made disasters, and then there are foreign enemies surrounding him.

At this juncture, it is the best time for a military commander.

And this era is being built on the lives and deaths of countless people.

"Now that the alliance between Liao and Xia can no longer be disintegrated, how do the officials want to target the two countries?"

As the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Palace, you not only have to guard the city, train and manage troops, but you also have to know the situation of the enemy country thoroughly.

After all, he was the best general in the Zhou Dynasty.

against?

Zhao Zhen thought about this question for a while, shook his head and said, "Ignore it for now."

Ignore it?

Wei Yuan said in a deep voice: "The two countries communicate with each other. They want money and food, and sooner or later they will attack me, Dazhou."

The war between countries is nothing more than a matter of money and food, and the political struggle within the Great Zhou Dynasty also cannot avoid the word money and food.

For example, Wen Yanbo squeezed out Ouyang Yongshu, not just because of his 'power', but because the Ministry of Revenue was in charge of the world's money and food.

It can be said that no political struggle is purely due to personal grudges, and personal grudges will not rise to the level of political struggle. Behind everything, it is related to interests, money and food.

Wei Yuan is not a civil servant, so he does not need to care about the so-called party disputes, but he is a military commander and the commander of the palace. He must beware of the enemy's ambitions and attempts to covet the country's money and food. This is his duty.

"It's not that I don't know what Wei Qing said, but at the moment, I just want the Ministry of Civil Affairs to reduce the number of officials in each department as soon as possible, and solve the problem of redundant officials as much as possible, or as many as we can solve."

Zhao Zhen did not want to leave these difficult things to his children.

"Does the official mean to just leave the affairs of the two countries alone?"

Since ancient times, emperors have hoped to quell internal troubles first and then put an end to foreign troubles. The fact is that foreign troubles will not end but internal troubles will continue.

"Does Wei Qing mean to conquer Xia?"

Zhao Zhen frowned slightly.

Wei Yuan said: "As for winning two battles against Xia, it forced Xixia to give up its alliance with Liao due to domestic problems."

"If it weren't for the attack on Liao, the Liao country would just sit back and watch, hoping to reap the benefits."

"The matter of the Iron Harrier Armor is not a trivial matter. I hope your Majesty will investigate it carefully."

Zhao Zhen shook his head slightly, "It's okay if we win, but if we lose, can you afford the price?"

Wei Yuan said: "As long as the Liao Kingdom does not interfere, with the current situation in Xixia, I really can't think of the possibility that I, the Zhou Dynasty, will lose."

In marching and fighting, the battle is not about personal courage, but the strength of the country as a whole.

Xixia is short of food, and this is their most deadly problem.

Once he devotes a lot of energy to the war, even if it is delayed, Wei Yuan is sure to drag Xixia down.

Such a great opportunity will become rare once missed.

If the scholar-bureaucrats need a reason to go to war, then this reason is the Liao-Xia Alliance.

In the past, when fighting against the Xia Kingdom, the Liao Kingdom never intervened, just because the Liao Kingdom was powerful and not afraid that after the Zhou Dynasty took care of Xixia, it would turn to the north.

But Li Yuanhao of Xixia knew that if the Sixteen States of Yanyun were really recovered by the Zhou Dynasty, the Xia Kingdom would inevitably face a disaster.

"If we really want to challenge Xia, who will be the commander? Gu Yankai, who was most familiar with the situation in Xixia, has passed away. Your teacher is old, and you are about to become a father."

"If I ask you to be handsome, I really can't bear it."

Having said this, Zhao Zhen coughed a few more times.

Wei Yuan frowned, pretending to be deep in thought. After thinking for a long time, he said, "Zhong Shiheng's son, Zhong E, the governor of Yanzhou, has been guarding the border for many years. He often fights with Xixia. He may be a commander."

When Xixia was founded, Li Yuanhao sent troops to attack Zhou in order to get Zhou to recognize Xixia's status, which resulted in a major defeat at the Battle of Sanchuankou.

This matter has always been resented by Gu Yankai.

After that, Zhao Zhen ordered Fan Zhongyan to guard the frontier, and thus discovered many useful talents among the frontier generals, such as Di Qing and Zhong Shiheng.

After Fan Zhongyan left Yanzhou, Zhong Shiheng continued to reform the border army based on his suggestions, and eventually established a Zhong family army of about 30,000.

The name of the forbidden army of this Zhong family army is "Kangding Army".

Another problem with the problem of redundant troops in the Great Zhou Dynasty is that there are so many military numbers in various states that it is difficult to manage them uniformly and issue orders at the same time.

Unless it is during the period of gathering the army for an expedition, the army is integrated while marching, but as soon as the war is over, each army still returns to its respective garrison.

The "Kangding Army" is called the Zhongjia Army by the world. It is mainly the headquarters of this army, located in Yanzhou, and is under the control of Zhong Shiheng's son Zhong E.

The Danglu Army under the personal control of Wei Yuan is now gradually called the "Wei Family Army" by some people.

Zhao Zhen didn't think anything of this. After all, whether it was the Zhong family army, the Wei family army, or the former Yang family army, the troops they could command were only tens of thousands of people, and they couldn't make any waves.

Of course, this is just what he thought.

Today, Wei Yuan's power involves the southeast, Daizhou bordering the Liao Kingdom, and the rebel army in Bianjing City. Now, he wants to take advantage of this opportunity to insert his hands into Yanzhou.

The reason why he did this was to "settle down and settle down".

If Zhang Guifen had not been pregnant, Wei Yuan would have at most raised the issue between Xixia and Liao, but would never have offered to fight a few battles.

"Zhong E? If Zhong Shiheng hadn't passed away, I would be relieved to let him take command."

"It's just that this kind of stubbornness is more than enough to be enterprising."

Zhao Zhen shook his head, rejecting Wei Yuan's recommendation.

However, this played into Wei Yuan's heart.

"The reason why we are so worried is that we will lose the inheritance left by our fathers, so in the past years, we just took defensive measures against the nuisance of Xixia."

"But I still believe that he can fight a few good battles. If the officials are really worried, I have a candidate who can lead the Weizhou army, know Weizhou, and march into Xixia at the same time as Yanzhou."

Weizhou is far away from the border town and is not as forward as Yanzhou, but 30,000 Guangrui Army and Fanluo Army, commanded by Ma Junsi Yaoyuan, are stationed there.

Now Xu Changzhi has the final say in Ma Junsi, which is equivalent to Wei Yuan having the final say.

If Yang Huairen goes to Weizhou, with the help of Ma Junsi's power, he can quickly cultivate a team and take Weizhou into his pocket.

As the saying goes, don't use people you doubt and don't doubt people you employ. Wei Yuan firmly believed that Yang Huairen would be able to achieve the results he wanted when he went to Weizhou.

"Yang Huairen? Is he the current deputy commander of the Danglu Army and a descendant of the Yang family?"

Zhao Zhen glanced at Wei Yuan meaningfully and said with a smile: "Wei Qing really does not avoid suspicion when recommending talents."

Wei Yuan cupped his hands and said, "I know very little about Zhong'e, but I am quite familiar with Yang Huairen. If the two of them join forces, they can make Xixia have a better memory."

Zhao Zhen said: "If a war breaks out, have you thought about what the outcome will be?"

Wei Yuan said bluntly: "Let Xixia take the initiative to send envoys. As long as Xixia can be brought to the negotiating table, everything will be easy."

Zhao Zhen narrowed his eyes and asked, "Do you have any selfish motives in recommending Yang Huairen?"

Wei Yuan thought for a moment, bowed deeply and said, "Please punish the officials. I do have selfish motives."

Zhao Zhen was stunned, "Tell me about it."

Wei Yuan nodded and said: "Back then, Yang Wenguang was expelled from his title by the officials for committing crimes. I and Yang Huairen treated each other as brothers. I often heard Yang Huairen say that in this life, he only wanted to serve the country and regain his title. I want to give him a chance. "

"In this battle with Xixia, even if he wins successive victories, it will not be enough to restore him to the rank of nobility, but at least it can restore some of the reputation of General Yang."

"I believe in General Yang's ability, but I do recommend him out of selfish motives and ask the officials to punish him."

Hearing this, Zhao Zhen didn't care and said with a smile:

"I know that you have always been loyal and loyal. Otherwise, you would not have violated the taboo and led your personal guards to the house of Tongjuan to show off your power."

"Wei Qing, loyalty is a good thing, but it is inappropriate for you to recommend people without avoiding suspicion. You must change it in the future."

Wei Yuan nodded, bowed and said, "Thank you for your advice."

"But no matter what, Yang Huairen is a famous general who is good at martial arts and well-trained troops. He will definitely be able to accomplish something when he goes to Weizhou."

"It's just right. It's also a way to vent your anger for the official family."

If Zhao Zhen had not mentioned that he suddenly became ill because he was too excited about the disaster in Xixia, Wei Yuan would not have told the matter so quickly.

At the very least, it must be brewed, otherwise it will be easy to be suspected.

When you are in the position of an emperor, no matter what kind of emperor you are, you will always be more suspicious than the average person.

At that time, even the Fu Yan Kingdom was suspected of rebellion by Zhao Zhen, let alone Wei Yuan, who was a military general.

But as a close minister of the emperor, he thought that the emperor would vent his anger, so that Zhao Zhen could put down his guard. Moreover, he also pointed out that he had hidden selfish motives, which was to create an upright image for Zhao Zhen.

In fact, Wei Yuan had been pretending to be this way in front of him.

"I can agree to send troops to Xixia, but as for who to use, I still need to think about it."

Zhao Zhen wanted to send troops to Xixia.

Of course Wei Yuan knew that everything he said just now was just foreshadowing, and the purpose was to dispel some of Zhao Zhen's doubts, but if he really wanted Yang Huairen to go to Weizhou, he still needed help.

This help is Wen Yanbo.