It would be unfair to really denigrate Wang Zhaoyuan to the point where he has no merit. In any case, he is indeed a very smart person. His views on everything can be justified, and his vision and insight do have their merits. If he is really mediocre As a disciple, no matter how stupid Meng Chang was, he would not still trust him and entrust him with military and political affairs when he suffered successive defeats and the national situation was urgent.
Wang Zhaoyuan's problems are probably that he has high ambitions but low abilities, lacks practical talents, knows himself but does not know the enemy, and takes everything for granted. With his thinking and eloquence, even in front of Liu Chengyou, he may be able to talk freely with him without any hesitation... ...
At this time, seeing the hesitation on Meng Chang's face, Wang Zhaoyuan said again: "Your Majesty, it is far from the time for peace talks. The Sichuan Road is high and steep and narrow, and the sword pavilion can be blocked by one man and ten thousand people cannot open it. As long as the people's hearts are cheered, it is enough to resist the Han soldiers.
Furthermore, negotiating for peace at this time is tantamount to begging for peace. How much humiliation must your Majesty endure? How much loss must Shu endure before the Northern Han Dynasty can stop its troops? Your Majesty must take a lesson from the story of the Southern Tang Dynasty two years ago!
In the Southern Tang Dynasty, the dangers of the Yangtze River and the advantages of the navy could not be brought into full play. The country was humiliated by the loss of its troops and the country was forced to cede territory for peace. Our dynasty still has the advantage of the land and natural dangers, so how can we negotiate peace without fighting?
The Northern Han Dynasty caused a war, invaded our country from the south, killed my children, and destroyed my home. All the soldiers and people of Shu hated them with gnashing of teeth. The public sentiment was soaring, and in order to protect our homeland, we must generously go to the national disaster and defend the enemy outside the pass. ....”
No matter what, Wang Zhaoyuan's slogan can always be shouted loudly. Seeing his upright and awe-inspiring face, Meng Chang seemed to be infected, and a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes.
"Your Majesty!" At this time, Prime Minister Wu Zhaoyi stood up and said with cupped hands: "In the past few years, due to the war in the north, our court has lost soldiers and horses, and has a huge amount of money and food. Even after years of accumulation, the treasury has been exhausted. Privy Wang has a general plan , The ambition is commendable, but it requires public and financial resources that the country cannot support. Your Majesty built the Crystal Palace..."
"That's enough!" Meng Chang interrupted Wu Zhaoyi loudly like a rabbit whose tail had been stepped on, and said angrily: "I have governed Shu for twenty years and raised scholars. The country is rich and the people are prosperous. However, when the country is in crisis, it is not enough? It's simply It’s ridiculous, the war against the Han Dynasty is a matter of life and death. The court must provide all the money, food, weapons, and people’s needs without shortage, otherwise, I will not be lenient.”
As he said that, he looked at Wu Zhaoyi, Li Hao, Ouyang Jiong and others, and said sternly: "You are the prime ministers, uphold the government of the country, receive the emperor's salary, and receive the country's favor. In these troubled times, I do not ask you to work hard and devote yourself to thinking. I hope you can fulfill your duties and be worthy of your conscience!"
He looked at Wang Zhaoyuan again, and with the same unpretentious words, he said solemnly: "This winter, the troops, horses, weapons, and defenses must be perfect. I don't want to hear any more reports of defeat!"
"Yes!" Judging from Meng Chang's attitude, it was obvious that he was still on Wang Zhaoyuan's side, but at the same time, it also put a lot of pressure on him.
Just as he was about to break up the discussion, an internal envoy hurriedly went to the palace. When asked, he was told that Zhao Jizha, the envoy of Xiongwu Jiedu, had fled back to Chengdu.
After hearing this, Meng Chang became even more furious: "Does he still have the nerve to return to Chengdu? I paid him with a powerful army, but he did nothing and just watched the success or failure. As a general, he abandoned his robe and fled back privately. Such a person should be left here." What’s the use?”
To the monarchs and ministers of Shu, although Li Tinggui lost consecutive battles, he was at least still resisting vigorously and fighting step by step. In comparison, Zhao Jizha seemed too incompetent. He had a large army and did nothing. He abandoned his army and left.
return.
Therefore, no one spoke for him to plead for mercy. Prime Minister Li Hao had a good relationship with Zhao Jizha, so he did not dare to say anything under such circumstances.
"Zhao Jizha was in a state of embarrassment. He knelt at the palace gate and asked to see His Majesty!"
"What's the use of seeing him?" Meng Chang flicked his sleeves vigorously, his handsome face full of ferocity: "Do you want me to listen to his detailed description of how he was defeated and how he abandoned the army?"
"Publish the imperial edict, escort Zhao Jizha to the entrance of the market in a carriage, and behead him to show the power of the army and to clarify the law of the country?" Meng Chang gave the order directly.
"Your Majesty, Zhao Jizha is guilty of his own crime, but if the case is decided without trial, is it..." Listening to his eyes, Prime Minister Ouyang Jiong couldn't help but speak.
Meng Chang turned his head away and said as if he had lost his patience: "Does this person's crime still need to be judged? Send the edict immediately and execute it without delay. Don't say more!"
"yes!"
After pondering for a while, Meng Chang said again: "The imperial edict was sent to the Xingyuan Mansion to seize the title of Li Tinggui, demote him to the rank of general, and keep him in front of the army. Let Zhao Chongtao be deployed as the defense capital in the north and command the armies in Hanzhong to resist the invasion of the Northern Han Dynasty!"
Originally, Meng Chang planned to severely punish Li Tinggui, but after Zhao Jizha's comparison, he changed his mind. Li Tinggui could not escape the blame for his defeat, but his actions and deeds in the north were still heard, and they could be considered.
Do your best to do your duty. Now, it is the time to employ people, and there is a shortage of generals. Meng Chang finally gives him a chance to make meritorious service, hoping that he will realize his shame and be brave enough to kill the enemy and avenge his shame.
"Your Majesty still trusts Wang Zhaoyuan and pays it with military and political power. If this continues, the country will be in danger!" After the disbandment of the dynasty, two veteran ministers went hand in hand, Li Hao sighed.
Wu Zhaoyi was dressed in luxurious clothes and looked a little helpless when he heard his words: "Apart from Wang Zhaoyuan, who else in the entire dynasty can take charge of military affairs and win the favor of His Majesty? Who else has the courage and ability to do this?
Come to take over the military affairs and fight against the Han army?"
Hearing this, Li Hao couldn't help but shake his head: "I have already told your majesty that the Northern Han Dynasty is powerful and invincible, so we should repair it immediately to ensure peace!"
Looking at Li Hao, Wu Zhaoyi's eyes flickered, and there was something strange in his old eyes, as if he was saying to himself: "Wang Zhaoyuan's remarks and opinions are actually reasonable. The Central Plains are strong, and the Han rulers are greedy and violent, so they will inevitably seek unification.
Sooner or later, we will be invaded by troops from Sichuan and Shu. How can we allow our country to settle here?
It's a pity that there are millions of people living in Sichuan. Peace has been at peace for a long time, and it is difficult to regain the days of Taining! Since the defeat in the North, many refugees in Xingyuan Prefecture and other places have fled south!
The difficulties faced by the country's treasury are clearly visible. Your Majesty still wants to recruit soldiers and prepare military equipment. Maybe it won't be long before everyone in the imperial court has to cut back on food and clothing!"
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Hearing Wu Zhaoyi's emotion, Li Hao subconsciously touched his jade belt and the jade ring on his hand. The country was in trouble and the territory was uneasy. They, the senior officials and ministers, even though they were still well-dressed and well-fed, felt equally uneasy.
"The imperial court should give full support to the military armaments, and the enemy must be kept outside the country!" Li Hao said firmly.
"Money and food are indispensable for everything. How can we replenish the losses in the national treasury?" Wu Zhaoyi sighed.
After being silent for a while, Li Hao said: "The only way to raise taxes is to raise military funds. The national crisis is at the forefront, and the people of the country should take action and work together to resist the enemy!"
A cool breeze blew past. It was not very cold, but Li Hao couldn't help but shiver. He looked up at the sky above the Shu Palace, which was pale, and his thoughts were far away. The current situation of the Shu Kingdom reminded him of the late Shu period.
Although the politics of Later Shu were not that chaotic and gloomy, the number of foreign enemies was even greater than that of Later Tang.
The hearts of the ministers were floating, and Meng Chang's mood could not be improved no matter what. His face was a little haggard, and the situation in the north made him extremely anxious. He had not slept peacefully for a day since Liang Quan's defeat was reported to the south.
Already.
After a leisurely stroll, I arrived at the Maha Pond. Looking around, I could see that a brand new palace was rising above the pond. After thinking about it last year, Meng Chang ordered the construction to be used to escape the summer heat.
Now it has reached a large scale. Although it has not been completely completed, it can be seen that it is luxurious and luxurious. Especially the several main halls, with nanmu as pillars, agarwood as the pillars, coral inlay windows, jasper as the doors, and the surrounding walls are not made of bricks and stones, but made of colored glaze.
Inlaid with pearls, the inside and outside are transparent and generate light day and night, so it is called the Crystal Palace.
However, now that the palace is about to be completed, there is no time to enjoy it with Mrs. Huarui, and the national crisis has arrived. Although Meng Chang is a little slack at this time, he has not yet completely fallen.
The cold wind was blowing, his clothes were fluttering, and he looked at the extremely extravagant Crystal Palace. Meng Chang suddenly became sober. Considering his years of hard work and frugality, and thinking about the difficulties of national affairs, he couldn't help but feel some guilt in his heart, which was very strong.
"Your Majesty, it's very windy and cold by the pool. It's better to go back to the palace!" The attendant took the initiative to step forward, put a fox fur on Meng Chang, and said with concern. Seeing him staring at the palace, he also said: "It won't take long, Your Majesty and I will be together."
Concubine Hui will be able to move into the Crystal Palace..."
Hearing this, Meng Chang couldn't help but frown. He looked at the scene outside Chishang Palace where greenery was still being planted and the red bridge was being built. He couldn't help but open his mouth. He had such an impulse that he wanted to order people to demolish the Crystal Palace to make up for the military. However,
After all, I couldn't be cruel.
After all, so much money was spent on food and rare treasures, and such a price was paid, it would be a pity to destroy them directly. After a long time, Meng Chang tightened his fox fur and said solemnly: "I pass on the order, from now on, all the expenses in the palace will be reduced.
Financial funds will be distributed according to the first year of Guangzheng!"