"But!" Zhao Pu lowered his head slightly, changed the subject, and said calmly: "Hei Khan is a big man and a small man, but in the Western Regions he is strong. When conducting conquests, if you use few soldiers, it will be difficult to solve the problem. If you use many soldiers, it will be difficult to solve the problem.
It will be difficult to provide gifts.
From Hexi to the front of the army, there is a distance of two thousand miles. However, the more troops advance, the farther the journey will be. The losses will be huge. Even if we try our best in Hexi, we may not be able to sustain it for a long time.
Moreover, Hexi has been in turmoil for half a year and people's hearts are unstable. These situations need to be considered and weighed..."
Emperor Liu felt more and more uncomfortable with Zhao Pu's old words for seeking the country, so he couldn't help but interrupt him. Although there was still a smile on his face, his tone seemed a little shady: "Listen to what Zhao Qing means, isn't it?
Do you support the Western Expedition?"
Faced with the invisible pressure exerted by Emperor Liu, Zhao Pu said cautiously: "Your Majesty, the Han Dynasty has not used troops on a large scale for more than ten years. In a war, more temples will win, and fewer temples will not win. I hope your majesty will think about it as a whole."
!”
Seeing Zhao Pu's honest and forthright appearance, Emperor Liu didn't feel comfortable raising an issue. After thinking about it, he responded: "What Zhao Qing said makes sense!"
"However!" Emperor Liu also changed the topic and said firmly: "It is precisely because the battle formation has been neglected for a long time that the army should be moved to prevent the armaments from being weakened! I understand the principle that if you are willing to fight, you will perish, but if you forget to fight, you will be in danger.
The same needs to be kept in mind.
The Han Dynasty can never let go of Nanshan. The reform of the military system has also been going on for some years. It is just a good time to test the results of the military training under the new military system in these years and its combat effectiveness. Whether it is still the invincible king division that swept the world. Black Khan is a good grinding stone.
Knife stone!”
As he spoke, Emperor Liu waved his hands involuntarily: "As for the supply of military supplies, it is of course a top priority, but no matter how difficult and far it is, can it be compared to the Northern Expedition to Khitan? No matter how difficult and dangerous it is, it can't be compared to the Southern Expedition to Khitan."
Conquer Dali?
In my opinion, these are all surmountable difficulties! If instead of the Han Dynasty marching to the west, the Black Khan invaded the east, could Hexi use these reasons to avoid complaining and do nothing?
Zhao Qing said that people's hearts are unstable. I would like to ask, who is uneasy and who is unstable? A half-year-long anti-bandit operation has been carried out in the northwest. The reported results are fruitful and the public security has improved, but it is still unstable. Where did it come from?
If there is a problem, who has the problem?
Starting from the invasion of the northwest, Hexi has developed steadily for nearly twenty years. What it has accumulated is not enough to support a war? Even if Hexi is insufficient, what about the northwest? After the northwest, there is the entire Han Dynasty. How can Black Khan not defeat it?
!”
Emperor Liu's remarks were full of aggressiveness. What could Zhao Pu do about this? He silently observed Emperor Liu's face, sighed in his heart, and said with cupped hands: "Your Majesty is wise and decisive, and has a high position, but the old minister is ignorant and pedantic.
Failure to appreciate the divine will…”
Upon seeing this, Emperor Liu immediately waved his hand to stop him, and said with a smile: "Qing Zhao, you are serious! You have been working hard for many years on state affairs, and you are old, so it is inevitable that you will make some omissions. Furthermore, I and the court also need to
You are so experienced in planning for the country. Only in this way can Yin and Yang be reconciled and be as stable as Mount Tai..."
Although Emperor Liu gave words of comfort, these words always sounded a bit harsh to Zhao Pu's ears. Zhao Pu did not dare to show any strangeness on his face, but wanted to be touched by the emperor's consideration, but the bitterness in his heart became stronger.
In the past, even if there were some differences of opinion between the emperor and his ministers, Emperor Liu would never speak in such a strange and strange way, making people uncomfortable.
However, in the past few months, although he often smiled when facing Zhao Pu, Zhao Pu was really overwhelmed by the subtle targeting.
"The military in the Western Regions, as well as all the hard-working ministers, will give you full support!" Emperor Liu issued another concluding instruction.
"yes!"
...
After leaving the Chongzheng Hall, Zhao Pu walked alone, thinking and restraining his expressions, showing a dignified attitude. After more than a month of getting along with each other and careful testing, he was already sure that Emperor Liu did have some opinions about him.
In fact, Zhao Pu had noticed it a long time ago, but it had never been as explicit and heartbreaking as it is now, and the key change began after Lu Duoxun was killed.
After Lu Duoxun was killed, the Central Han Dynasty fell into a strange calm. The Lu Party was almost wiped out. Those involved were punished, and those who survived did not dare to publicize it anymore. The censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate was almost changed.
.
Logically speaking, Zhao Pu should celebrate the fall of the biggest hostile force. However, under Zhao Pu's suppression, the "Xiang Party" members also behaved with their tails between their legs, not daring to show off, but dedicated themselves to their duties.
Be responsible.
In this atmosphere, the court atmosphere became more Qing Dynasty, and administrative efficiency improved unprecedentedly. It was as if we had returned to the early days of Qianyou, and that positive and high-spirited scene of unity from top to bottom once again appeared in the Han Dynasty.
However, there is a key issue. After Lu Duoxun's death, the original power structure of the central government was completely broken, from the political hall to various ministries and even local states. However, the construction of a new balance was deliberately made by Emperor Liu.
Under the pressure, it appears slow and lagging.
The vacancies in various ministries, offices, and local positions can all be easily filled, and personnel personnel are already being carried out under the guidance of Zhao Pu. There is definitely no shortage of officials in the Han Dynasty.
However, some key divisions of labor and positions that affected the balance of power in the imperial court were beyond Zhao Pu's decision, and Emperor Liu did not have any instructions.
Therefore, during this period of more than a month, or in other words, within a few months after Lu Duoxun was imprisoned, a situation emerged within the imperial court where the "Xiang Party" was dominated by one family.
Whether it is Zhao Kuangyi or Wang Zhu, an honorary minister, they both keep a low profile, which further highlights Zhao Pu's power and status. This situation makes Zhao Pu, who is extremely sensitive to politics, really uneasy and even tortured.
Only now has Zhao Pu truly realized how important a balanced situation is to the court and himself. Although Lu Duoxun is disgusting and even constantly wants to bring him down, there is this person in front of the stage who attracts attention.
, but also shared his own pressure, making his power and position stable.
Once he collapsed, Zhao Pu stood out and was almost roasted on the stove. After a while, he actually felt longing for Lu Duoxun...
Feeling his own embarrassing situation, Zhao Pu had asked Emperor Liu for instructions more than once, hoping to add more ministers and share their powers to avoid neglecting state affairs.
Several candidates were even proposed, such as veterans such as Song Qi, Shi Xizai, and Li Fang, but Emperor Liu did not give a positive response. He only said that it needed to be considered and considered comprehensively.
Of course, before Emperor Liu can think about it, Prime Minister Zhao still needs to take care of the state affairs. It seems that he has monopolized power and one faction is dominant, but in fact he is surrounded by dangers.
Not to mention the Emperor Liu, the Crown Prince Liu Yang and the noble ministers who were watching from above, all of whom were invisibly restricting Zhao Pu. A smart person would naturally be able to detect that something was wrong with Zhao Pu.
He is just the prince. In these years of governance, the two of them have cooperated well and have a good relationship. However, there are definitely many others who want to overthrow him and replace him.
Of course, no matter how delicate the situation was, Zhao Pu still tried his best to maintain the current situation, intending to dispel Emperor Liu's concerns through his loyalty. How could the title of Prime Minister be so glorious and majestic, so easily given up.
But after constant testing, Zhao Pu's heart continued to sink, and he became more and more uneasy. He also knew what the best choice was. However, even if he expressed his wishes to Emperor Liu in a vague way, he still did not get recognition. Emperor Liu used