On the same day, Zhao Si and his party continued westward along the Yellow River and marched to Lanzhou.
Encountering three small groups of Xia troops along the way, Zhao Si commanded the Red Cavalry Yi followers without hesitation to eliminate them all. He also took the opportunity to continue practicing tactics such as outflanking, two-wing attacks, and heart-breaking tactics.
On August 29, we rushed to Lanzhou.
At the same time, official edicts on several major cases were sent back to Weizhou.
The main culprits in the smuggling case, Zhang Yong, Wang Jiu, and Fan Si, together with 29 civilian and military generals including Li Tingji, who was in charge of the Yongxing Army Transfer Company, were beheaded and abandoned the market.
In the Baichuan case, twenty-seven people including the principal and accomplice, Du Chong, who was in charge of the transfer envoy on Xihe Road, Xin Xingzong, the commander of Xihe's former army, Wei Xian, the general of Huizhou Ministry, and Wang Ming, the general of Xizhou Ministry, were beheaded and abandoned the city together.
All the leaders were sent to the border prefectures, counties and fortresses.
In addition, Zhang Kai, Sun Lu, Hu Zonghui, Zhong Fu and others who were responsible for the oversight were each punished with a reduction in rank, a fine of salary, etc., but they were all allowed to "dedicate their crimes and perform meritorious services" in their original positions.
Lu Yuanzhong, the transfer envoy of the six capitals of Shaanxi, was transferred to Zhirunzhou. Jiang Zhiqi appointed the transfer envoy of the six capitals of Shaanxi as a bachelor of Guanwen Palace.
After reading the decree, everyone was extremely shocked.
"Killing is so heartbreaking!" Zhang Kai, who was sitting in the study, read the edict again and couldn't help but sigh, "Brother is right. King Jian is really a man with a bear's body and a fox's heart."
Sitting next to him is his third son, who was then the transport envoy of the Sixth Route of Shaanxi Province and was ordered to escort grain and grass to Zhangfan in Weizhou.
After hearing the exclamation, I couldn't help but say, "Sir, why do you say this?"
"Sanlang, what do you think after reading this edict?"
"The official tone was extremely harsh and the handling was extremely... More than two dozen civil servants were beheaded at the same time, and their heads were sent to the border, which was unprecedented. Especially Li Tingji, Du Chong and others, who were born as Jinshi and sang in Donghuamen. He was treated so cruelly, I heard that some literati were very dissatisfied."
"Dissatisfied?" Zhang Kai sneered a few times, "Did they never expect that this time instead of asking the civil servants to drink three drinks as a penalty, demote them to a certain place, and continue to enjoy the treatment of low-level officials, they would kill them all in one fell swoop? "
"Three drinks as a penalty?" Zhang Fan was puzzled.
"That was a joke from His Highness King Jian. At that time, he decided that these principal criminals, regardless of whether they were civil or military, must be treated equally and beheaded." Zhang Kai couldn't help but shake his head. His beard swayed with it, like a majestic head. The Lion King.
"Sir, it's against the law of the ancestors for officials to kill civil servants without permission, right?" Zhang Wei said with a frown.
"The method of the ancestors?" Zhang Kai burst out laughing, "His Royal Highness King Jian scolded your uncle Zihou in person at Chui Gong Hall. Whose ancestor is he? The ancestor of the Tian family or the ancestor of the civil servants?"
Zhang Wei became anxious and argued quickly: "Sir, how many seniors have tried so hard to persuade us that we have established an example of not killing scholar-bureaucrats. If we continue to make this exception, wouldn't everyone be in danger?"
"Sanlang, you are too young to still have such fantasies."
Zhang Kai sneered a few times, "Li Tingji, Du Chong and others, the highest is only the seventh-grade official rank, and they are not very famous. They are not enough to get a 'no-kill golden body' threshold. What about Jinshi? I am the Song Dynasty. The provincial and imperial examinations are held every three years, and hundreds or even thousands of Jinshi are admitted each time. There are also Jinshi who are gifted every year by their backgrounds. Speaking of which, there is really no shortage of such a few."
"What's more, they were all killed for serious crimes such as collaborating with the enemy and betraying the country, and sabotaging military affairs."
"Sir, my son understands that these crimes are completely different from ordinary crimes. If anyone is involved, even if he is the governor of the state, he will be killed."
"Sanlang, it's good that you know. Your Highness King Jian is right. The ancestral method of not killing scholar-bureaucrats is bullshit. It's all made up by literati who feel good about themselves."
Zhang Kai laughed twice, feeling a little sad and helpless.
"Only the civil servants killed by Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, His Royal Highness King Jian found several lists in the Secretary's Department. When he came to the Zhenmiao, Renmiao, Yingmiao, and Temple of God, several former emperors, they may not be like Taizu and Taizong.
The founder of the country was kind-hearted and soft-hearted. But it was not that he would not kill, but that he would not kill easily."
"If you encounter a serious crime and make the official family angry, you will be killed!"
Zhang Fan's words made Zhang Fan's face turn a little pale.
"Sanlang, remember. The king is the king, and the minister is the minister. The law is the law, and the crime is the crime! The most reassuring way in the world is not to treat everyone with exceptions, but to treat everyone equally and be fair and just."
"Sir, my son still doesn't understand."
"Exceptional treatment exists in people's thoughts. People's hearts are prone to change. If you are treated favorably and others are oppressed today, tomorrow they can certainly be treated favorably and oppress you. Only by treating everyone equally and being fair and just can we know what can be done and what cannot be done, and we can maintain peace in the long run.
It’s just a pity..."
Zhang Wei couldn't help but sigh, "Yes, it's such a pity."
"Sir, my son heard that the officials were severely punished this time, which was the result of King Jian's persuasion. Is this what you just said about murder and heart-breaking?"
"Yes, the so-called ancestral law of not killing scholar-bureaucrats is just a self-fantasy and self-comfort dream created by literati. Now in official edicts, the principal culprits of these major cases are...
Regardless of whether they were civil or military, they were all beheaded and abandoned in the city, and their heads were sent to the border. This dream was completely shattered."
Zhang Kai's triangular eyes were similar to those of his clan brother Zhang Dun, and his cloudy eyes shone with wisdom and transparency.
"Seeing the heads of Li Tingji, Du Chong and others, I believe that many people, including many generals and officers of the Western Army, will suddenly understand. We civil servants, who are usually aloof and look down on vulgar warriors, are actually like them
In the same way, they are all ants under the imperial power and divine power."
Zhang Wei opened his mouth and was so shocked that he couldn't speak for a long time.
The spies of Xia State who were buried everywhere on the Sixth Road of Shaanxi suddenly noticed something strange.
They secretly inquired and found that the various Song armies had begun to mobilize quietly half a month ago.
The route is unknown, the motivation is unknown, and the goal is unknown!
Investigate, investigate immediately, use hidden stakes everywhere, and explore at all costs!
The news is coming together bit by bit.
The passes along the five border roads were tightly blocked, and all the roads and trails leading to and from were patrolled day and night by Song troops, both openly and secretly.
It is strictly forbidden for one person or one horse to leave the customs. Violators will be killed!
The six prefectures and counties in Shaanxi Province used the aftermath of the major smuggling case to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who had liaison with Xia Guo and smuggled prohibited items. Many people who had liaison with Xia Guo were identified one by one, and Xia Guo was buried everywhere.
The spies were involved together.
The Shaanxi Sixth Route Xuanwei Envoy Department, taking advantage of the lingering power of the Baiyuan case, dispatched multiple military inspection teams to various armies to clean up military discipline, strictly enforce military law, and eliminate legacy poisons.
After Jiang Zhiqi, Shaanxi's six-way transshipment envoy, took office, he eliminated disadvantages, reorganized transshipment, cut waste, and improved efficiency. A large number of ordnance, soldiers, and grain were heading toward the four cities of Qin, Qing, Wei, and Qin along several water and land trunk roads.
transport.
The Imperial Guards, Rural Soldiers, Utility Soldiers, Fan Soldiers, and Archers of all armies in each state have all canceled their rotations and are ready to go. More than a dozen fresh troops have left their garrison, and their movements are unknown.
In order to find out this information, Xiandaotang paid an extremely heavy price. It lost more than half of its manpower on Shaanxi Sixth Road.
When the news came back to Xingqing Mansion, Li Qianshun, the leader of the Xixia Kingdom, was shocked and confused. What was the Song Kingdom doing?
He summoned his ministers and discussed it for several days. However, after many discussions, he could not figure out what the Song Dynasty's Western Army was doing.
Do you want to start a war? There is nothing unusual at the border post. The scouts who were ordered to go to the Song army's post to test reported that the Song garrison did not increase or decrease, and everything was as usual.
Li Qianshun was not afraid of the Song army's attack in his heart.
The two countries have been at war for many years, and Li Qianshun knew that the Song army was strong and holding on to the stronghold. If they really dared to leave the city and fight in the wilderness, Li Qianshun would not want it.
Zhang Dun is an old fox, and he is well aware of the fatal weaknesses of the Song army. He will never be so reckless.
So, what exactly does Song Jun want to do?
Whoever reminded him, Li Qianshun quickly sent someone to bring back Li Qingluan, the princess of Liangzhou who was on vacation in Helan Mountain.
After reading dozens of pieces of information, Li Qingluan couldn't make up his mind. Suddenly he opened a document and his expression changed when he saw the name on it.
"Brother Emperor, why did no one report to me that King Jian of the Song Dynasty came to Liulu, Shaanxi to express his condolences?"
Li Qianshun took the information, glanced at it, and said disapprovingly: "This prince of the Song Dynasty first came to Shaanxi Sixth Road, so I was a little worried. But within a few days, I ignored everything, climbed Kongtong, worshiped Qishan, and swam in the Weihe River. Traveling around the mountains and rivers, living happily. Yao Lin, Liu Zhongwu, such strong generals, were driven to serve as ceremonial guards. Hum."
"Brother Imperial, this Zhao Shisan is the most treacherous. He is indeed a dandy and fun, but what fun is there in the Kongtong Weishui River? If he really loves to play, he can go to the land of fireworks in the southeast. What is he doing in the bitter cold land in the northwest?"
Li Qianshun frowned, "What Qingluan said makes sense. You are saying that the Song Army's dizzying and confusing deployment of troops has something to do with King Jian of the Song Kingdom. He did this for What?"
"Hidden the eyes and ears of others and concealed his true purpose. Come and find me all the military reports from the military department in Weizhou."
After half a day, Li Qingluan found clues.
"Brother Imperial, look here. At Dabao Village in Douling, the patrol cavalry had an encounter with the Song army in Xiaoguan. There were also several small-scale encounters along the way from Huizhou to Lanzhou. And here, in Xizhou City After making a detailed report, the first patrol team of the Sixth Route Xuanwei Envoy of the Shaanxi Province of Song Dynasty, Zongze and Guo Yong, who ruined our plan to purchase grain, arrived there."
"Brother Emperor, there are various signs that King Jian of the Song Dynasty went to Xizhou. Where did he go and what did he do?" Li Qingluan took out the military reports from Zhuo Luo and Nanjian Military Division.
After reading it, his eyes lit up and he handed it to Li Qianshun.
After reading it, Li Qianshun was surprised and delighted. He immediately took out a map, lay on it and read it for a while, and finally said excitedly: "This Prince Jian wants to take advantage of the civil strife in Xisiluo to capture the land of Huangzhong and the West Sea! "
Li Qingluan said excitedly: "Brother Huang is wise! This Zhao Shisan is very courageous. No other Song people, including Zhang Kai, the old fox, have this courage. He is the only one who will definitely dare to take risks to gain great achievements!"
Li Qianshun raised his head and laughed, his voice sounding like a night owl.
"Okay, then let's be a yellow bird!"
Li Qianshun said excitedly.
"When the Song army captures the Huangzhong area in the West Sea, we will incite the Tibetan tribes there to revolt. When the Song army is trapped, we will cut off their retreat and cooperate with the Tibetan tribes inside and outside, so that they will never come back!"