Chapter 20 Be the Crown Prince, Willing to Be the Sword
"Kuer, you have changed!"
Xiaozong didn't know what Gu Cheng had discovered. He was very surprised when he looked at his grandson whom he hadn't seen for three years.
He disliked Zhao Kuo's cowardice and incompetence very much, and believed that the throne could not be entrusted to such a person, so when the chamberlain informed that King Jia was coming to pay his respects, he almost thought he was deaf and had heard wrongly.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Kuo really came, and as soon as he entered the palace, he walked like a dragon and a tiger, with a heroic spirit. When he walked in front of him, he even had the extraordinary magnanimity of Yuan Ting and Yue Zhi.
“Isn’t it possible that there is more than gold and jade?”
However, once a bad feeling is formed, it is not easy to change it, so Xiaozong quickly began to take the school entrance examination.
Gu Cheng answered fluently and talked eloquently about the current situation in the temple and the handling of political affairs.
When he was in the Three Kingdoms of Xianwu, he was trained as a prince and received the teachings of a great Confucian. When he came to the Song Dynasty, Huang Shang taught him without reservation for half a year. In addition, he had the foresight from later generations. If he could not express some true knowledge and insights, then he would
It's called strange.
The more Xiaozong listened, the more shocked he became, and the more he listened, the happier he became. Finally, he simply stood up, came to Gu Cheng, stared at him and said, "Then what do you think about the Northern Expedition to capture the Jin Dynasty and restore our mountains and rivers?"
Perhaps the only stain in Xiaozong's life was that he ignored the advice of his ministers and insisted on the Northern Expedition. Although he was not defeated in the end, he was forced to make peace and signed a humiliating treaty.
Therefore, Xiaozong of the main war faction asked this question, which was the final test.
Gu Cheng fell silent and asked after a moment: "How does the emperor think our military strength in the Song Dynasty compares with that in the Tang Dynasty?"
Xiaozong raised his eyebrows and replied without hesitation: "It's natural to be strong!"
Don't think this is funny.
In the eyes of later generations, it seems to be a deep-rooted concept that the Tang Dynasty was strong and the Song Dynasty was weak. After all, the Song Dynasty valued culture over military affairs. But if you look at the history books and compare the two dynasties, you can find that the Tang Dynasty won less and lost more in foreign wars. On the contrary, the Song Dynasty won
The more you win, the less you lose.
Of course, war is not just about victory or defeat, there are many factors. In the Song Dynasty, most of them defended the city, so they should have won more, but looking at the overall situation, it can also trigger thinking——
The wars of the Tang Dynasty included three attacks on Goryeo and their destruction, and a counterattack against the Turks and their destruction. Although the process was tortuous, the results were all victorious, and great troubles were eliminated for future generations.
On the other hand, the Song Dynasty's overall military strength was really stronger than that of the Tang Dynasty. After all, it had developed for hundreds of years and was technologically advanced. It also learned from the lessons of the Anshi Rebellion in the Tang Dynasty, reformed the system, and the Forbidden Army maintained combat effectiveness at all times.
But why is it so miserable when looking at the Song Dynasty and the Northern and Southern Dynasties?
Because they lack strategic decision-making, they can win in peacetime, but when it comes to key wars that are a turning point in history, they lose miserably.
The Tang Dynasty was defeated at the moment and won at the end. It took the initiative to solve the surrounding potential dangers one by one. The Song Dynasty was won at the moment and lost at the end. They faced the battle passively. Even if they won, they would not get much benefit. If they lost, they would sign various humiliating treaties.
.
Two and one compete, and the decision is made.
These principles are actually not profound, but the authorities are confused and find it difficult to see them clearly.
The current foundation of the Song Dynasty is that if the world is to be unified, it can only be possible with a great victory in one battle.
If we rashly launch the Northern Expedition and fail miserably, we will really be unable to make progress and will no longer be able to make progress.
After Xiaozong was prompted, he suddenly understood and said anxiously: "Then what should you do?"
Gu Cheng's words are inspiring: "I will cultivate political affairs internally, consolidate the territory externally, recruit talents from above, and enrich the people's power below. I will select good generals, train elite soldiers, prepare equipment, and accumulate resources until the strength is ready."
, and there is an opportunity to take advantage of it, be invincible in one attack, and defeat it in one battle!"
These words sounded very ordinary, without the usual miraculous tactics of the time travellers, but they set the most important policy of governing the country in the Southern Song Dynasty. Xiaozong was finally moved and held Gu Cheng's hand: "I was wrong, you should be the prince!"
Done!
Although Gu Cheng had been confident for a long time, when Xiaozong said these words, he couldn't help but feel happy.
Originally, he would not be appointed until next year when Xiaozong was seriously ill, but now it will be brought forward nearly a year.
Don't underestimate this year, the gap is huge.
Because the prince and the king are two different concepts, the former can formally participate in the government and hold great power.
What's more, Xiaozong has been in power for nearly thirty years and has many confidants. It is evident that he can still interfere with the crown prince's position even though he retired as the Supreme Emperor.
Now that they have the support of Xiaozong, those ministers should be used by Gu Cheng. With this team, it is just a daydream for powerful ministers like Han Xuzhou to stand out.
Next, the grandparents and grandchildren were in harmony, and Gu Cheng stayed in Chonghua Palace for three hours and had lunch. It was not until Empress Li was worried and sent someone to ask about it that she reluctantly said goodbye.
But before leaving, Gu Cheng looked at the father-in-law and said with a smile: "My grandson is bold enough to ask the imperial grandfather for a man!"
Xiaozong was very fond of Gu Cheng now. Hearing this, he immediately said: "You say it!"
Gu Chengdao: "The people who serve me are old and are not doing things well. I see that the person beside the emperor's grandfather is capable and capable. Can he be used by my grandson?"
Xiaozong nodded: "Jinzhong, when you go with Prince Jia, you must serve him wholeheartedly. Do you understand?"
"Yes!" The father-in-law accepted the order and stood respectfully behind Gu Cheng.
It wasn't until he left the Chonghua Palace that his father-in-law, who was following closely behind, sighed: "Does His Highness really want to kill everyone?"
Last night, he wore a mask and used the Sunflower Book to show his arrogance. He thought his identity was hidden, but he didn't expect to be found out by Gu Cheng within less than twelve hours.
The turmoil in my heart cannot be described in words!
"My father-in-law is serious. With your unparalleled martial arts skills, there is no place in the world that you cannot reach?"
Gu Cheng kept walking and said calmly: "It's a pity that no one knows about your earth-shattering martial arts skills. What is your name?"
The father-in-law's face twitched: "If I return to Your Highness, my surname is Wei and my given name is Jinzhong!"
"Wei Jinzhong? Okay!" Gu Cheng suddenly turned around and looked at him with bright eyes: "Then are you willing to be loyal to me? Follow me to bring peace to the world and be famous forever?"
The light in Wei Jinzhong's eyes flashed, but it quickly faded away: "I should do my best to serve His Highness, and don't dare to think about anything extra!"
Gu Cheng smiled: "Don't be afraid! The disaster of eunuchs has existed since ancient times. Whose fault is it? The emperor is just weak! I am a great leader. If I don't even dare to use the people around me, how can I talk about ruling the world?
?”
If someone else had said these words, Wei Jinzhong would have just scorned him, but just now he had listened to Gu Cheng's analysis of the Tang and Song dynasties and his plan to balance the Jin Dynasty. As an old man who had followed Xiaozong for decades, this was the first time he had seen Xiaozong act so rude.
Ever since, when those heroic words echoed in his ears, Wei Jinzhong's heart actually surged with a long-lost passion.
Famous forever!
As a eunuch, is it possible?
Wei Jinzhong moved his mouth, but Gu Cheng had already said in advance: "Don't rush to answer, I don't like to listen to impulsive words. You have to think about what you can do for me and what you want to get when you are done, before you speak!"
"
Wei Jinzhong's pupils shrank, his hands were folded in his sleeves, and he was thinking.
The status of eunuchs in the Southern Song Dynasty was extremely low, mainly because of the strict laws of their ancestors and the weight of the prime minister, so Wei Jinzhong had time to practice martial arts, and finally created the astonishing unique skill of "Sunflower Book".
From a certain aspect, this also shows that he is very ambitious. If he does not gain power, he must have martial arts that is unrivaled in the world.
Of course, for eunuchs who are accustomed to seeing the authority of the royal family, no matter how strong their martial arts is, it is still a trivial matter, but power is more tempting. At the same time, leaving a name in history is an irresistible temptation.
So Wei Jinzhong thought quickly about what he wanted, but he didn't know that he had fallen into Gu Cheng's trap and unconsciously agreed to surrender.
The corners of Gu Cheng's lips raised.
He has perfected the five senses. Although he cannot yet find the door to advance to the sixth sense, he already has experience in observing faces. One look at Wei Jinzhong's face and he knows that this person is different from Huang Shang.
Huang Shang was willing to use it for himself because he was loyal to the Song Dynasty court, but Wei Jinzhong wanted to use it for his own benefit!
"What this old slave can do is kill people for His Highness with a sharp sword!"
Sure enough, when he arrived in front of Prince Jia's palace, Wei Jinzhong made a decision and knelt down straight: "I don't dare to ask for anything else. I only hope that in this life I can witness the Song Dynasty sweeping all directions and unifying the world!"