Chapter two hundred and ninety seventh preparation
The reason why this court meeting was held half a month after the agreement was reached was that the first reason was that the news would spread to the Northern Zhou Dynasty too quickly. If it was known that Lin Hu was not in the army, the morale of the Northern Zhou Dynasty would be even higher, so we had to wait until Lin Hu almost returned to the Eastern Zhou Dynasty.
Second, it took half a month to negotiate terms with the three major families and ask them to contribute money and efforts. The money from the treasury alone was really not enough.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Mo Dezheng said: "Two months ago, there was news in the north that the leader of the Tianlong Sect passed away. There were rumors in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. It was just that the person pretending to be the leader was exposed by the assassins of the Northern Zhou Dynasty when he was promoting Buddhism. The whole country in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty was shocked. The Northern Zhou Dynasty took the opportunity.
Send troops.
After instigating a large number of Eastern Zhou officers who were originally the imperial guards of the Zhou Dynasty, they gained overwhelming momentum and conquered the entire Bohai Kingdom in just one month. Currently, a hundred thousand troops are being assembled, aiming directly at Baicheng, the eastern capital!
Half a month ago, the Emperor of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty sent the King of Bohai and the Prime Minister as envoys to make an agreement with our country. The two countries worked together to attack the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Our Dynasty supported Helian Qingfeng to unify the Zhou Dynasty and gave him a certain amount of food and supplies. The Zhou Dynasty promised to return all the territory of Yanbei.
And Zhenyuan Pass!"
"Chen Yu, how is the food transportation situation?" Jiang Cong asked the chief assistant.
"Back to Your Majesty: There are three fleets in total. The first batch was sent out ten days ago. Lin Hu and Zong Huan went with the ship. The last batch left four days ago. It is expected to arrive at Heilong Port in half a month. There are two in total.
One hundred thousand shi of grain, 10,000 sets of ordnance, and some cotton clothes, socks, and other materials were sent together. The official warehouse in Quanzhou has almost been emptied!" Chen Yu replied. Quanzhou is the base for merchant ships that go to sea, and it is also a cash cow for the Chen family.
Jiang Cong said: "Very good. This secret meeting was led by the Privy Council and assisted by the cabinet. The contract has been concluded. The war with Beizhou is inevitable. Does anyone have anything else to say?"
"I'm waiting for you from the Ministry of Industry to start!"
"Why are you from the Ministry of Industry joining in the fun? Tell me." Jiang Cong frowned slightly. Although Pang Wan was promoted to the second rank, the real influence in Qingliu was Xu Qinghan.
Xu Qinghan has a white face and short beard, is tall and thin, in his forties, has an unparalleled handsome face, but the circles under his eyes are a little dark, and he has a tired look on his face: "Your Majesty, if it is as Master Mo said, we should indeed support the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, but what happened?
If we don’t send troops, we should discuss it. Now that the people are poor and the soldiers are not strong, even if we unite with the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, we may not have a full chance of victory. If the war continues for many years, I am afraid that once the war starts, the national strength will be difficult to support. Even if the war goes well, if we help the Eastern Zhou Dynasty
Unifying the northern border is tantamount to driving away wolves and welcoming tigers, and our country will face a greater crisis!"
"Now that the country is at peace and the people are prosperous, I will impeach Xu Qinghan for making false statements in court and shaking the morale of the army." Zhu Xinzhuan immediately said.
“Nowadays, taxes are getting heavier and fertile land is mostly occupied by the powerful and wealthy households. Many people sell their land and become tenant farmers. Since they have no savings, they will become refugees if they are hit by a slight disaster. They all rely on the government to provide relief. There have been two consecutive years of floods, and the government has spent a lot of money.
It's so huge that we can stop the flow of refugees. Ask the Ministry of Household Affairs how much money they still have in the treasury?" Xu Qinghan looked at Zhuan Zhuan with angry eyes. Although he didn't have any martial arts skills, he was full of momentum. As soon as he finished speaking,
Immediately, many Qingliu officials participated in the impeachment process.
Jiang Cong interrupted: "Xu Qinghan, what do you, a scholar, know about military and state affairs? I think you have made great contributions in dealing with disasters in the past two years, so I will not punish you for making false statements."
"Your Majesty, Zhang Zhiyuan would like to say a few words to Minister Xu."
"It's accurate." Jiang Cong said.
Zhang Zhiyuan said: "Secretary Xu, gentlemen, this battle must be fought. If Helian Qingfeng is allowed to unify the north, Hebei will be worried, Luoyang will be worried, and Daqi will be worried!
The first battle twenty years ago allowed us to regain half of the fertile land in Hebei. The reason why the Northern Zhou Dynasty has not dared to send troops to attack is because it is worried about the Eastern Zhou Dynasty behind it. Over the years, the war between them and the Eastern Zhou Dynasty has almost never stopped. Now Helian Qingfeng
Looking for this opportunity, how could he let it pass easily? His main force is in the northeast, and the Northern Zhou Dynasty is already riding a tiger. We can take this opportunity to seize Zhenyuan Pass! To avoid future troubles!
As for the promise to help Dongzhou unify the northern territory, just like the other party's promise to us, they are both illusory things. Mr. Xu, don't worry about it. It would be better if they both lose and fight into tens of millions of tribes again. Our goal is just
Drive away the Zhou captives and unify China!
As long as this victory is won and the northern fence is firmly established, there will be no need for so many soldiers or horses, and the country will not need so much tax revenue. Countless fertile fields in Yanbei can be cultivated normally... Therefore, this battle must be
We must fight and we must win!”
Xu Qinghan said: "If we can really unite as one, Xu is willing to take the lead and die for the country. I am afraid that when everyone is asked to contribute money and manpower, everyone will shrink back, just like when we were doing disaster relief and dam repair in the past two years."
Looks like!”
"Your Majesty Liu Yan also wants to say a few words!"
"allow."
"Your Majesty, Mr. Zhang and Mr. Xu all have a point. During the peace talks, I was in favor of this war. However, relying solely on the treasury and increasing taxes and labor is probably not the best strategy. I suggest that your Majesty borrow money from relatives and wealthy families.
For grain and grass, if we regain the northern land in the future, we will pay for it with fertile soil!" Liu Yan, the second assistant, said.
"If it doesn't work, what kind of compensation will be given to the people who taxed and fought? How will the people in the North make a living in the future?" Xu Qinghan asked anxiously.
Zhang Zhiyuan said: "You are just too upright! Why did Mr. Liu's brilliant plan become so unbearable when it comes to your mouth? Most of these lands are deserted. After driving away the Zhou captives, there are more than tens of millions of people that can be supported. With land
Not all of our dignitaries are so stingy. Now that fighter opportunities are rare, it’s time for us to join forces and go out!"
Xu Qinghan said: "The minister asked Your Majesty to set an example for the world by reducing the annual salary of the clan princes and levying taxes on the land..."
"That's enough!" Jiang Cong said angrily: "Today we will allow you all to express your opinions. From tomorrow on, anyone who makes false statements will be punished for shaking the morale of the army! Mo Dezheng, Zhang Zhiyuan, order your Privy Council to draw up a battle plan within half a month.
, select the leading generals and prepare logistical supplies; Chen Yu, Liu Yan, you and your six departments will fully cooperate with the Privy Council; Jiang Shan, you are responsible for coordinating the two sides; withdraw from the court!"
…
On the way out of the palace gate, Zhang Zhiyuan quickly caught up with Xu Hanqing, grabbed him, and whispered: "You don't want your life! Do you know who proposed the memorial last time?"
"I know." Xu Qinghan said, "Father-in-law, don't worry!"
"I know that you are not anti-war, but you just want to blackmail the royal family, but do you know that even Yang Zheng lost his life because of this, don't you want to get me, an old man, into it too?"
"One person has to do the work and one person is responsible. Someone has to take the initiative. If we don't take advantage of this opportunity, will there be a better opportunity than now?" Xu Qinghan said.
"How come you are such a prodigal?" Zhang Zhiyuan shook his head and said: "The old emperor protected you today and did not wait for the officials to impeach you. Do you know that there is no powerful person behind the civil and military officials of this dynasty?
Wait? If they spit on you, they will drown you. Even if you don't think about our Zhang family, you should at least think about Ling'er and the others."
"I……"
"What are you doing? Don't think about it this time. It's going to be soon anyway. We'll think of a solution then. If you can't rush it, I'm warning you, don't cause any more trouble. Now you're focusing on the war!"
Zhang Zhiyuan whispered something in a low voice and walked away.
…
As October approaches, the autumn mood is getting stronger, but the chill cannot stop the carriages heading to Taoranju. It has just fallen into the night, and the sound of silk and bamboo in Taoranju has dispersed into the imperial city along with the autumn wind.
In the secret room under the Huxin Pavilion, cups were smashed one after another. After Jiang Shan pushed the door open and went in, he happened to see Jiang Di smashing another wine cup. She couldn't help but said angrily: "Get out of here."
!”
Jiang Di didn't say a word and slammed the door. Hu Mao, the Minister of Civil Affairs, stood up hurriedly and said: "Your Highness, please calm down. Your Majesty's actions are really outrageous. It doesn't matter that you are not allowed to participate in the peace negotiation, but you actually let all the ministers do it in public."
Knowing that you did not participate in the peace negotiations is indeed a bit excessive."
"Master Hu, Your Majesty told those two families on purpose, so that they would have something to think about!" The person who spoke was none other than Jin Yue, the Minister of Household Affairs who took the lead in the morning.
"How do you say this?" Liu Yan asked.
"Master Liu, the Emperor knows that you are familiar with His Highness, so he does not want to hide the content of the negotiation from His Highness. He even hopes that His Highness will make suggestions, otherwise he will not drag you in. He just wants to let the Xiao family and the Chen family know that he and His Highness
Still estranged, Jiang Zhu and Jiang Feng still have a chance to board Dabao, so they can give their full support to his Northern Expedition," Jin Yue said.
Jiang Shan said: "My father's obsession with unifying China is deeply rooted. In this case, we will give our full support."
Liu Yan said: "The Zhang family has always been the main battler. They and the emperor have always had the same idea, and as long as the gap of Zhenyuan Pass is blocked, their foundation in the northwest can be more stable;
Although the Chen family is not willing to pay, they are happy to use the war to exploit the strength of the weak Zhang and Xiao families, not to mention that this is also an opportunity for them to extend their hands into the military;
However, the Xiao family may be the family that benefits the most. Xiao Jixiong himself is the commander-in-chief of the party, and his position has always been a backup. If the border town and the Royal Forest Army suffer too much, the Xiao family's voice will be more important in the court.
In addition, the emperor likes Jiang Zhu and asks him to go to Tuyuhun for training, so we still have to guard against him!"
"Ming'an's words make sense, Your Highness. Now that Maud is up for sale, we still have to win over him as soon as possible and arrange more of our own people in the army! And the emperor seems to be not just pretending, I'm afraid he really has to change his reserves.
Thoughts!" Hu Mao said.
"No, His Highness's virtuous reputation has long been known to the world, and almost half of the officials are ours. If the Emperor wants to conquer the north, he will definitely not shake the foundation of the country." Liu Yan said.
"What about quick victory or quick defeat?" Hu Mao asked.
Jiang Shan said: "My master sent a secret letter from Jinling. He said that if this war is won or defeated quickly, my position as the prince will come to an end."
"How do you say this?" Liu Yan asked.
"Ming'an, my father has been dissatisfied with me for a day or two. With such a quick victory, firstly, he has fulfilled his wish and will no longer have to worry about future consequences; secondly, unifying China will make his prestige so high that it cannot be increased.
, he can easily do anything he wants to do, so changing savings is not a difficult task."