The envoy from the imperial court arrived as scheduled. The envoy was Huang Guinian, Taichang Shaoqing and a member of Zhongshushe. Huang Guinian was about fifty years old and had a close relationship with Lu Yihao. It was Lu Yihao who recommended him to be sent as an envoy.
Jiang Yanxian and Zhang Miao went outside the city to welcome the Year of the Yellow Turtle.
Although Jiang Yanxian and Zhang Miao had no status at all in the court, and their names could not even be found in the official list, Huang Guinian knew that they were Chen Qing's right-hand men and people who could influence the current situation, so Huang Guinian
He was also quite polite to them.
A group of people entered the city in a large carriage. Huang Guinian looked at the bustling flow of people in the city and felt quite emotional.
"Twenty years ago, I was the Prime Minister of Xianyang County and came to Chang'an often. Now it feels like it was yesterday. Nothing has changed. Bianliang is gone, but I can still feel the old time here."
Zhang Xiao said lightly: "So the manager often said that all good things are worthy of our defense. We will give Shaanxi Road tax exemption for three years and tax reduction for five years. We hope to use these eight years to make Shaanxi Road
It can slowly return to the level during the Xuanhe period."
Huang Guinian pondered for a while and said: "It is certainly a good thing to provide tax exemptions to the people, but how can the army support it?"
Jiang Yanxian smiled and said: "Isn't this the problem Huang Shaoqing came to Jingzhao to solve?"
Huang Guinian was shocked. This was not his mission in Jingzhao!
He laughed dryly and said, "You two are serious. If you need financial support from the imperial court, you must report to the imperial court. It is decided by the imperial court and officials. I personally do not have this power, nor do I have this task. This time I came to Jingzhao mainly to announce the decree.
, learn more about the situation on Shaanxi Road and Xihe Road, and then return to Lin'an."
Jiang Yanxian and Zhang Miao looked at each other, smiled, and said no more.
The convoy came directly to the Jinglue Mansion, where Chen Qing had already set up the incense table to greet him. Huang Guinian immediately took out the imperial edict and read it out, formally canonizing Chen Qing as the Duke of the State of Qin, conferring the title of Minister of the School Inspection and Engineering Department, Jin Ziguanglu, Doctor, and serving as the governor of Shaanxi Road
make.
[Recommended, Chasing Books is really easy to use. Download it here. You can try it soon.]
Chen Qing kowtowed and accepted the imperial edict, and then invited Huang Guinian into the meeting hall.
Huang Guinian looked at this majestic Jinglue Mansion and was secretly surprised. He knew that this was a palace, and Chen Qing actually occupied the palace. It seemed that he was still living in the palace, so he was not afraid of being accused of trespassing.
?
But when Huang Guinian changed his mind, Chen Qing was actually in a semi-separatist state. He was still afraid of being impeached for tyranny. Even if he ascended the throne and proclaimed himself emperor, the court would not be able to do anything about him. Otherwise, why bother to appease him with high officials and noble titles?
?
The two parties sat down separately in the meeting hall. Chen Qing learned from Lu Yihao's letter that this Huang Guinian was his confidant and it was he who recommended him to be an envoy to Jingzhao. If he had any requests, he could directly raise them.
"Which way did Huang Shaoqing come to Jingzhao this time?" Chen Qingxiao asked...
"I went north from Xiangyang to Wuguan, and then took the Shangluo Road into Guanzhong."
"Have a good trip! I mean, you didn't encounter any harassment from bandits when you came from Xiangyang? I heard that there are bandits running rampant in Nanyang. They are all former Song soldiers. Now they go to the mountains to rob houses and intercept business travelers.
"
"Fortunately, Yue Dutong has wiped out all the bandits, and the area is very safe now."
Chen Qing nodded, "Besides issuing decrees, what other tasks does Huang Shaoqing have this time?"
"I came to Jingzhao this time for two main tasks. One is to promulgate the decree, and the other is to understand the situation of Shaanxi Road and Xihe Road. The main thing is people's livelihood and people's conditions. I hope that the Xuanfu Ambassador will provide convenience."
"No problem, I will arrange for special officials to accompany you, and I will also send military guards to ensure that Huang Shaoqing's passage is unobstructed."
"Then thank you very much, Ambassador Xuanfu."
Chen Qing pondered for a moment and said: "In my memory, Sichuan and Shaanxi are integrated, and generally there is only the Xuanfu envoy of Sichuan and Shaanxi. How come it has become the Xuanfu envoy of Shaanxi Road now?"
Huang Guinian saw Chen Qing's intention. He was dissatisfied that the imperial court only granted the title of Xuanfu envoy to Shaanxi Road. But how should he answer this? Can't he be granted the title of "Longwang Shu"?
Huang Guinian could only say vaguely: "I don't know much about this. It should be the official decision."
Chen Qing smiled and put the big seal of the Xuanfu Ambassador of Shaanxi Road on the table and pushed it back, "Please Huang Shaoqing go back and report to the officials, saying that I think I have little qualifications and am not qualified to hold such a high position as the Xuanfu Ambassador. I still
It would be more appropriate to serve as an emissary."
There are some things that need not be explained. Generally, they are granted the title of Xuanfu envoy to Sichuan and Shaanxi. Even Liu Guangshi can be granted the title of Xuanfu envoy to Sichuan and Shaanxi, but here he has divided Sichuan. This is obviously a fool.
Huang Guinian pushed the seal back again and said calmly: "Before I left, I also asked Xianggong Lu whether it showed that the court was not sincere enough to only grant the title of Xuanfu envoy of Shaanxi Road. Lu Xianggong said that the official family would never grant Chen Qing the title.
As an envoy of Xuanfu, if you want to seal him, you have no choice but to do so."
"So I earned this Shaanxi Provincial Envoy myself. If I want the Sichuan-Shaanxi Provincial Envoy, I have to earn it myself. Don't count on the sincerity of the officials."
Huang Guinian nodded, "That's true!"
Chen Qing ordered people to arrange for Huang Guinian and his party to rest in a distinguished hotel, and he invited Zhang Xiao and Jiang Yan to his official room first.
Chen Qing said to the two of them: "It seems that we thought things were too good. The imperial court is not a fool. The imperial court will not bear the military expenses for us at all. We can only rely on ourselves."
After a pause, Chen Qing said frankly to the two of them: "I want to seize Bashu and use the wealth of Bashu to support the army!"
Jiang Yan nodded first, "Jing Luushi's idea is right. Zhou Kuan and I have made careful calculations in the past few days. Even if we realize all our business plans, we still can't raise an army of 200,000, and Bashu can't raise an army of 200,000 in a year.
The tax revenue of Bashu is about 5 million yuan, and the richness of Bashu is enough for us to support an army of 200,000. The key is how we capture Bashu and pay the minimum price. After all, Bashu and Shaanxi Road are different. Shaanxi Road is from Jinhe.
The imperial court has nothing to say if we seize it from the hands of the puppet Qi State, but seizing Bashu is equivalent to cutting flesh from the imperial court, and the imperial court will inevitably react strongly. How to obtain the greatest benefits at the smallest cost, the knowledge in this must be carefully scrutinized."
Zhang Xiao also said: "There is another practical problem in capturing Bashu, and that is Wu Lin's 30,000 troops. I can say that with Wu Lin guarding Bashu, we should not count on it."
"Then we'll find a way to transfer Wu Gao away. We can make use of Lieutenant General Li Qiong."
Li Qiong was Liu Guangshi's confidant. He led 15,000 troops to retreat from Hanzhong to Bashu. However, the imperial court transferred Liu Guangshi away and appointed Wu Zuo as the Yongxing Army's Jiedu Envoy and Lizhou Road Defense Envoy. How could Liu Guangshi put Liu Guangshi there?
His army was handed over to Wu Gao in vain, and he was not willing to withdraw from Bashu like this, so Li Qiong stayed and continued to control an army of 15,000 people and became Wu Gao's deputy general.
Li Qiong was actually a nail planted by Liu Guangshi in Bashu, and he was also Empress Dowager Wei's eyes and ears to monitor Bashu.
Chen Qing saw this very clearly. If he wanted to transfer Wu Gao, he had to use Li Qiong. In fact, he used Empress Dowager Wei.
At this moment, a follower reported outside the door, "Qi Lue Envoy, Wu Dutong, the military envoy of Yongxing Army, sent someone to ask for an audience!"
Chen Qing laughed and said, "He should have received the news that the imperial envoy had entered Guanzhong, but he came just in time. We were dozing off, so he sent us pillows."
"Please bring in the messenger!"
Not long after, a sergeant walked in quickly, knelt down on one knee and saluted, "See Chen Dutong!"
"Where is Wu Dutong's letter?"
The sergeant took out a letter and presented it to Chen Qing. Chen Qing took the letter and read it. He pondered for a moment and said: "I can agree to demolish Eagle Pass, so be it! On the fifth day of next month, I invite Wu Dutong to meet in Xicheng County
, discuss some specific details.”
Chen Qing stopped writing a reply and handed it to the sergeant. He also ordered someone to reward the sergeant ten taels of silver. The sergeant then took his leave and left.
Chen Qing took the letter and smiled at Zhang Xiao and Jiang Yanxian: "Wu Ga actually wants me to withdraw my troops from Hanzhong and restore the front-line garrison at Dasanguan."
Jiang Yan shook his head first, "Of course General Wu wanted to take Hanzhong back, otherwise he, the Yongxing Army's military governor, would be in name only. But he did not expect that once his army was stationed in Dashan Pass, wouldn't it become a dagger to withstand it?"
We can stab us in the stomach at any time, how can we agree?"
Chen Qing said lightly: "It seems I have to send someone to see Li Qiong."
"What's the reason?"
Chen Qingyang read the letter in his hand, "The reason is this letter. He and I have joined forces to squeeze out Wu Gao. I want Hanzhong as a buffer and him as the general of Bashu. As long as he replaces Wu Gao, I will be 70% sure of taking Bashu."
Already."
Jiang Yanxian frowned, "I'm afraid the imperial court will send someone else here!"
"No! It must be Li Qiong."
Chen Qing said confidently: "He represents the interests of Empress Dowager Wei. The situation was critical before, and Wu Jie took away the right to speak. Now that the Jin soldiers have withdrawn, how can Empress Dowager Wei give up the right to garrison troops in Bashu to others?"
Zhang Xiao said with a smile: "The military envoy wants to capture Bashu, so we can make arrangements in advance now."
Chen Qing nodded slowly, "I have already considered it. We can use a two-pronged approach to capture Bashu!"
