The news of Liu Guangshi's defeat spread throughout the government and the public through Li Hui's memorial, which made the government and the public both shocked and angry. The shock was that the two Song armies were at war with each other. The two Song armies actually fought, which was emotionally difficult to accept. The anger was that Liu Guangshi was at war again.
Big defeat, in everyone's mind, it seems that Liu Guangshi has never won a battle before. Every time he was defeated miserably, big defeat, tens of thousands of people were lost, which made people extremely angry. Why did the court have such a mediocre and incompetent general?
It needs to be reused again and again.
The atmosphere in the meeting hall of the imperial study was very depressing, and all the ministers were silent. After a long while, the emperor Zhao Gou asked in a hoarse voice: "Is there any news from Yue Fei?"
Zhang Jun nodded, "Yue Dutong said that he was not well prepared. He did not have large siege weapons and could not attack Wuguan. At present, the logistics of the army cannot keep up and Xiangyang is empty. His army has retreated to Neixiang County."
"Let him withdraw!"
Zhao Gou said helplessly: "Don't worry about one thing and lose the other. The Jin soldiers attacked Xiangyang."
Now everyone is worried that it is not Chen Qing, but Liu Guangshi. If the content of Li Hui's memorial is true, then Liu Guangshi is likely to stay on Jinghu South Road and become another cancer.
"Excuse me, Your Majesty, what does the Queen Mother say about Liu Guangshi?" Xu Xiantu asked.
Zhao Gou smiled bitterly and said: "The Queen Mother said that Liu Guangshi has nothing to do with her, and the court will just handle it according to the system."
Everyone was speechless. If the Empress Dowager hadn't insisted again and again, the imperial court would have sent Liu Guangshi to attack Bashu? Now that something happened, and she denied that it had anything to do with her, what should people say?
"Mr. Qin, tell me! Don't be silent. I need you to solve problems now."
"I obey the order!"
Qin Hui stood up and said: "Your Majesty, what Liu Guangshi wants to do is just a guess at the moment, and his true intention cannot be seen yet. Although seizing taxes requires severe reprimand, everything has its own priorities. Wei Chen suggests that Chen Qing should be dealt with first.
, and then consider Liu Guangshi.”
"How should Chen Qinggai solve it? Does Qin Xianggong have any ideas?"
Qin Hui was favored by the emperor for a long time, not because he was a capitulator, but because he was good at figuring out the emperor's thoughts, spoke to the emperor's heart every time, and could find sufficient reasons to explain it morally, so that Zhao
Gou is very dependent on him.
Qin Hui knew that the emperor wanted to compromise, although he was very reluctant, but if he didn't say anything at this time, Zhang Jun would be the first to do so, and he would become Zhang Jun's good interpreter of the Holy Will. No matter how Qin Hui hated Chen Qing, he would not harm his own interests.
.
"Your Majesty, the problem can only be solved through civil and military means. If martial arts cannot solve it, then we can only consider it through literary considerations. Wei Chen suggested that Li go back to Jingzhao to explore Chen Qing's tone."
"What is Mr. Zhang's opinion?" Zhao Gou asked Zhang Jun again.
Zhang Jun pondered for a while and said: "Wei Chen agrees with Qin Xianggong's opinion in principle, but we need to pay attention to some details..."
"Can Mr. Zhang be more specific about the details?"
"First, if Li is allowed to go back to Jingzhao, he first needs to be relieved of his post as Sichuan Xuanfu envoy and transferred to another assignment. Otherwise, there will be no way to talk. Maybe someone else will be allowed to go to Jingzhao;
Second, Beijing-Zhao is a long way away, and finally a quick way of contact can be established, such as using pigeon mail to transit in Xiangyang. Otherwise, it will take several months to communicate, and negotiations will be meaningless;
Third, we need to prepare various plans first, clarify our bottom line, determine how much concession we can accept, and then hand over all plans to Li Hui;
Fourth, we also need to send a deputy envoy, and this deputy envoy must participate in the formulation of various plans, and he can deeply understand the court's intentions;
Fifth, if it is determined to negotiate with Chen Qing, then Lu Yihao's side had better handle it properly; the above five points are Wei Chen's opinions."
Zhu Shengfei said at the side: "Your Majesty, the minister believes that rebellious officials and traitors like Chen Qing must not be tolerated. If Liu Guangshi cannot destroy him, then let Zhang Jun go, or Han Shizhong go. If a hundred thousand troops cannot do it, then send two hundred thousand
,anyway"
"Xianggong Zhu, let's talk later!"
Zhao Gou couldn't bear it anymore and interrupted Zhu Shengfei. Now everyone was discussing how to negotiate, but Zhu Shengfei jumped out to oppose the negotiation, which really annoyed Zhao Gou.
Of course Zhao Gou knew that what Zhu Shengfei conveyed was the Queen Mother's opinion, but the Queen Mother was considering personal emotions, not the interests of the court.
Publicly declaring Chen Qing a treacherous traitor, publicly declaring him a traitor, isn't this forcing the establishment of an independent country? It's simply a stupid idea.
So on the issue of Chen Qing, Zhao Gou didn't want to listen to the Queen Mother's opinion at all.
"Xiangong Zhang's opinion can be used as a reference. Li will be removed from the post of envoy to return to Sichuan to appease him, and he will be appointed as envoy to Jinghu North Road to pacify him. He will go to Jingzhao on behalf of the imperial court and contact him first to understand the situation. As for the deputy negotiation envoy, he can go later.
Lu Zhi, the Minister of Household Affairs, will take over."
After a pause, Zhao Gou continued: "Xiangong Zhang will be responsible for taking the lead in Chen Qing's affairs, and Qin Xianggong will be concerned about Liu Guangshi's affairs. If there is any progress, please report to me immediately!"
Zhang Jun and Qin Hui bowed together and said, "I obey the order!"
Zhao Gou said to Xu Xiantu again: "The war on the Jianghuai side cannot stop. As Mr. Xu, as the Privy Councilor, you will be responsible for the war on the Jianghuai side!"
"I obey the order!"
"Everyone, please step aside! I want to stay alone for a while."
When everyone retreated, Zhu Shengfei's face turned red and white. He knew that he was completely excluded. He felt a secret hatred in his heart. The stupid woman was dazzled by hatred and harmed himself.
Li Hui accepted the task entrusted by the imperial court and set out from Xiangyang to Jingzhao. He naturally took the Shangzhou Road, passed through Shangzhou and entered Guanzhong. In the afternoon, Li Hui arrived at Jingzhao City. Jiang Yanxian went to the city in person.
Welcoming Li Hui's arrival outside.
"Your Excellency is Jiang Changshi, whom I have admired for a long time!"
The other party was Chen Qing's top civil servant, and this negotiation was probably with him. Although he still looked down on the other party, Li Hui still behaved very politely.
"I am here to greet Mr. Li on the orders of the Xuanfu Envoy. Please come with me!"
Jiang Yanxian's attitude was also lukewarm and very polite. He took Li Hui into Jingzhao City. Li Hui smiled and asked, "Taichang Shaoqing Huang Guinian has not returned to the court. Is he still in Jingzhao?"
Jiang Yanxian laughed and said, "Huang Shaoqing went out on inspection for a long time. He went to Hehuang and even Hexi. He just returned to Jingzhao yesterday. Mr. Li will see him later."
"I see, the emperor is more worried about him. Also, I have been appointed as the pacifier of Jinghu North Road."
Jiang Yanxian said happily: "That's good, otherwise it would be really difficult to continue the discussion."
When Li came back to the VIP hotel, Jiang Yan asked him to stay first and the two parties would discuss it in detail tomorrow morning.
In the inner hall, Li Hui met Huang Guinian, who had returned from his inspection tour. Huang Guinian had been inspecting Shaanxi Road, Xihe Road and the Hexi Corridor for three months. This was his duty, to visit the people, understand the territory, and talk to officials from various places. , he fell ill during the journey and spent a month recuperating in Lanzhou. When he came back, it was a different story.
"This time I went as far as the south of the West China Sea, where there is an endless salt lake, which is inaccessible. I also went to Hehuang to inspect the villages. I never imagined that there were more than 200,000 people in the Hehuang Valley and the Tao Valley combined. Han people, no wonder Chen Qing’s military rations can be solved, these two valleys are well developed.”
Li Hui knocked on the table lightly and said, "Huang Shaoqing, don't you know that Chen Qinghe captured Bashu? This is the big problem."
Huang Guinian smiled and said: "I heard about it yesterday, and I also talked with Jiang Yan about the situation in Bashu."
"What did they say?" Li Hui asked anxiously.
"Jiang Yan first said that the capture of Bashu was also a last resort. They have an army of 200,000. They cannot support such a large army on the Shaanxi Road and Xihe Road alone. I believe this. I have seen it with my own eyes. Everywhere is devastated and needs to recuperate."
"Is there any possibility of negotiating to take back Bashu?"
Huang Guinian smiled lightly and said, "Chen Qing doesn't want to fall out with the court. The extent of the negotiation depends on the sincerity of the negotiations between the two parties."