Chapter 443: Big Brother Zhao Huan of the Black Society
When Ximen Qing saw Cai Jing, an old fox, shaking his head with regret, he immediately had the urge to go up and slap him in the face.
Can't you just talk nicely? Why do you have to sell it?
However, Cai Jing is the current Grand Master after all, and no matter how maverick Ximen Qing is, he cannot give this old guy a beating in the Grand Master's Mansion. Ximen Qing has some plans for Cai Jing, but it is not yet time to take action.
"What does the Grand Master mean by this?" Ximen Qing pretended to be surprised: "Please enlighten me!"
Sure enough, the old fox saw that Ximen Qing had fallen into the trap, and he looked thoughtful, and then slowly said: "Brother Chui Xue is amazingly talented, but it's a pity that he is not a scholar. He has been promoted to the highest level now. If he has the title of Jinshi,
I will definitely try my best to ensure that my virtuous brother will prosper and become rich beyond words."
After Cai Jing finished speaking, he looked at Ximen Qing with a hint of expectation in his eyes.
Ximen Qing secretly thought to himself, what this old fox said is indeed right. He has come to the end of his career in the Imperial City Division. He can't replace Prince Jia Zhao Kai and become the Imperial City Division by himself? Even so, he is only a fourth-rank official.
In the end, he couldn't even wear the scarlet robe of a third-rank official; if he really had the honor and fame, he would have been promoted one after another for his role in wiping out Tian Hu, and he might have been sent to guard the border somewhere.
But when the old fox mentioned this, with this look in his eyes, there was no doubt that there was something going on waiting for him.
This is to slowly lure me into the trap!
Ximen Qing smiled secretly: "The grand master didn't know that the official had a problem. He had a headache when he read, so he really didn't think about taking the Jinshi exam and couldn't do it. At the moment, he just wanted to abide by his duties in the Imperial City Division and serve as an official.
Share worries."
"What a man who sticks to his duty!"
Cai Jing was shocked by Ximen Qing's reaction, but there was a look of appreciation on his face.
If it were anyone else, I am afraid that I would be filled with gratitude and give a big gift to show my loyalty at this moment?
Cai Jing's original idea was to show Ximen Qing a golden road to promotion and wealth. As long as Ximen Qing takes the bait, what does it mean to be a mere Jinshi? Cai Jing only needs to say a word, and things will be done well; after that, Ximen Qing will become
A general under Cai Jing's command works for Cai Jing'an.
Among Cai Jing's eight sons, the eldest son Cai You is the least promising, and the two have fallen out; the most promising is the second son Cai Sui, whose temperament is somewhat similar to Cai Jing's own, and who is very wealthy; Cai Jing wins over Ximen Qing.
, not only for myself, but also for my son Cai Sui.
But what he didn't expect was that Ximen Qing refused without saying anything, and even said that "reading a book gives me a headache", which blocked Cai Jing.
"King Jia has a subordinate like Xiandi, so the operation of the Imperial City Department will naturally be stable." Cai Jing praised again and changed the subject without any trace: "I wonder what Xiandi thinks of today's situation?"
Ximen Qing smiled secretly, cupped his hands and said, "What can I say about your humble opinion? Your Majesty is all ears to listen to the Grand Master's advice!"
Cai Jing nodded slightly and pondered for a long time before saying: "Now that the Tian Hu rebels have been wiped out, the world is at peace, the country is peaceful and the people are safe. This is the prosperous age since the founding of the Song Dynasty!"
As expected, this old fox always talks about the "peaceful and prosperous age". It's no wonder that Liang Shicheng and others want to start from here to deal with Cai Jing.
"But there are Xixia and Tubo in the west, and Liao and Jin in the north." Ximen Qing deliberately frowned: "With these ill-intentioned neighbors, I, the Song Dynasty, must always be on guard."
Cai Jing chuckled and said, "Brother Xian, you don't know something! These are nothing more than trivial matters!"
"Want to hear the details!" Ximen Qing saw that Cai Jing regarded these as trivial matters. There really were no big things in the world.
"With Lieutenant Tong here, good news from the west comes frequently. Xixia and Tubo will be destroyed sooner or later, so why worry?" Cai Jing said proudly: "The Liao Kingdom is my brother's country to the Song Dynasty, what is there to worry about? Besides, the Jin Kingdom is not that good at all.
They are just Jurchens under the rule of the Liao Kingdom. It is said that the whole clan together only has tens of thousands of people. They are currently causing chaos in the north of the Liao Kingdom and will be wiped out sooner or later! Even if the Liao Kingdom has evil intentions, its vitality will be severely damaged by then, so how can it have the energy to attack?
"
At this point, Cai Jing, an old fox, came up with another sensational theory: "We, the Song Dynasty, are a great country, favored by heaven and earth, and have endless blessings that last for thousands of years!"
Ximen Qing couldn't tell whether the old man meant this statement or he really thought so, so he couldn't help but sigh slightly.
This kind of peace only lasts for a few years!
But as soon as Cai Jing finished speaking, a sudden response came from outside, and the voice was quite young.
"What a long-term empire!"
This voice seemed familiar to Ximen Qing. He couldn't remember it for a moment, but he saw Cai Jing jumping up from his chair at a speed that an elderly person should not have, and saluted outside the door: "I have met Your Highness!"
Come on, the Crown Prince Zhao Huan didn't even say hello, he just walked into the courtyard without a sound. He really regarded the Grand Master's Mansion as his own home!
Ximen Qing also stood up and saw a young man who was about the same age as Prince Jia Zhao Kai slowly coming in. He also had the same pretense of maturity. Could it be that he was the current prince Zhao Huan and later Song Qinzong?
Jingkang shame, Jingkang shame, is the first reign title of Zhao Huan after he ascended the throne!
This was not the first time Ximen Qing met Zhao Huan. He had already met him once before at Baihua Tower. But at that time, Zhao Huan concealed his identity and traveled with Gao Yanei... He was really enjoying himself with the people!
"I have met His Highness."
Zhao Huan came in with his hands behind his back, and when he saw Ximen Qing, he nodded slightly and said, "So the Imperial City Envoy is here too! The Imperial City Envoy exposed Lin Lingsu and put him in jail, which is very satisfying!"
Ximen Qing remembered that this prince, like King Jia, believed in Buddhism. No wonder they both looked down on Lin Lingsu. Zhao Huan even did not attend the ceremony.
"These are all matters within the lower official's scope!" Ximen Qing said with a smile: "It is also the responsibility of the Imperial City Department!"
"Oh?" Zhao Huan showed a half-smiling expression and motioned for Ximen Qing and Cai Jing to sit down. However, he took the seats and sat down carelessly: "The third brother is in charge of the Imperial City Division and has gained a lot of credit.
!”
Zhao Huan's implication was that he was a bit disdainful that Zhao Kai had not done anything, but relied on Ximen Qing to get a lot of credit, and he actually had a hint of wooing him.
"Could it be that I have really become a hot potato?"
Ximen Qing laughed secretly. He didn't want to comment too much on the brother's affair, so he could only say in a calm tone: "It's just to share the worries of the official family. Credit and other things are not the primary goal."
"Hahahaha!" Zhao Huan laughed suddenly, pointed at Ximen Qing rudely and said: "I like your attitude! How much credit is it to wipe out Tian Hu? Lun Ability, that Lieutenant Gao will carry your shoes
Not even worthy of it!”
Zhao Huan paused and suddenly said: "You are wronged for working under the third brother! How about following me...?"
"Your Highness..."
Cai Jingdu couldn't help but remind him.
Doing this... is too abrupt!
But the crown prince arrogantly held up his hand to prevent Cai Jing from continuing. He stared at Ximen Qing with his eyes, waiting for a reply.
To Ximen Qing, this posture made him feel like he was in some dark society-type movie.
"Your boss is not good to you, why don't you just follow me! Drink the hot stuff! Get a lot of money, and you can use any local or foreign horse!"
Ximen Qing was very suspicious of what Zhao Huan was reading all day long and what kind of things he was surrounded by. Even Cai Jing seemed to have a headache.
However, for this kind of childish trick, Ximen Qing had the answer without even thinking: "His Highness's promotion will undermine his subordinates."
It's not a categorical rejection, but it's a nail that's neither soft nor hard.
Cai Jing took a breath. Ximen Qing might not know the temper of the crown prince, but he knew it very well. As the crown prince, he personally tried to win over him, but Ximen Qing didn't even give him face, fearing that he would explode on the spot.
But what he didn't expect was that Zhao Huan slapped the table and laughed: "It was originally a joke, but the Imperial City envoy took it seriously!"
Then he turned around and asked Cai Jingdao: "What were you two discussing just now?"
Cai Jing was slightly shocked, and explained what had just happened in a concise and concise manner. The crown prince chuckled and said, "What the Grand Master said makes sense. What kind of tricks can the Western Xia, Tubo, Liao and Jin Kingdoms do? If my father allows it,
, I will personally lead an army of 500,000 to conquer the east and west, and I will defeat them in less than three years!"
Half a million troops!
This crown prince really treats war as playing house! He treats the Liao, Jin and other countries as paper!
Take the Liao Kingdom as an example. In terms of territorial scope and economic strength, it is actually not inferior to the Song Dynasty. Although the two countries have a peace treaty, they are all trying to conquer Nanshan. However, the Jin Kingdom is encroaching on the territory of the Liao Kingdom from behind. The Liao Kingdom has already
Entering a state of war, it is not difficult to raise an army of 700,000 to 800,000.
What's more, an army of 500,000 people? The monthly provisions and military pay are astronomical figures. What's more, if you fight abroad for many years, you must take turns to fight.
It is estimated that if the crown prince really went out with 500,000 people, he would have escaped with 100,000 people before encountering the enemy.
Faced with this idea, Cai Jing knew it was unreliable, so he could only say: "His Highness has lofty ambitions, but this kind of thing must be done by a leading general. Why should Your Highness put himself in danger?"
Cai Jing's words can be regarded as echoing, and he can also be regarded as secretly pointing out the unreasonableness of this idea.
"Of course my father will never let me lead the army on an expedition." Zhao Huan laughed and said, "But sometimes I really want to experience the feeling of riding a horse and crossing a sword!"
For people like Zhao Huan, Ximen Qing couldn't help but curse: It's not that you don't have a chance, it's just that you will be escorted all the way north by the Jin people, and you won't be able to return to this homeland even after you die.
Since this guy wants to play, then give him a chance to play!
"It's not impossible to do this." Ximen Qing said with a smile: "Isn't it better to draw troops from the Forbidden Army and let His Highness lead the team for exercises?"
Zhao Huan shook his head regretfully and said: "It doesn't have the feeling of thousands of troops...Forget it, there's no point in staying here, I'm leaving."
The crown prince came unexpectedly and left immediately, leaving Cai Jing and Ximen Qing hanging upside down.