Chapter 1054: A minister should be loyal to his duties (two updates combined into one)
Chapter 1063: A minister should be loyal to his duties (two updates combined into one)
"Therefore, it is wise to feed the enemy. If you eat one bell of the enemy, you will be treated as twenty bells of mine; if you eat one stone of straw, you will be treated as twenty stone of me. Therefore, those who kill the enemy are angry; those who take advantage of the enemy are goods.
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The official immediately memorized Sun Tzu's Art of War when facing Wang Zhongzheng, and then said to him: "If you can really gain food from the enemy during this summer expedition, it will be a great achievement for you!"
Wang Zhongzheng was overjoyed when he heard this. He was suppressed by Zhang Yue and had to be demoted to Shaanxi. He was said to be a supervisor of the army, but in fact he was exiled. He dreamed of returning to Bianjing. Thanks to his friendship with Lu Huiqing, if he could get him
When Zhisuke returned to the capital, he finally got what he wanted.
At this time, a minister came in and whispered a few words to the emperor. It turned out that Zhang Yue had just reported his illness to Zhongshu, and someone immediately reported it to the officials.
When the officials heard that Zhang Yue was like this, they couldn't help but feel annoyed.
The official thought for a while and said: "I have always thought that I was not as good as my ancestors. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty both attacked the Huns and Turks from afar. Although I have submitted to the Qing and Tang Dynasties after ten years of reform, Xixia still refuses to bow. I think about it day and night.
I am ashamed of my ancestors."
After a pause, the official said to Wang Zhongzheng: "Do you think the Xia thieves can be defeated?"
Wang Zhongzheng gritted his teeth and said: "I think it is worthy of attack! I am willing to fulfill your majesty's long-cherished wish!"
As soon as Wang Zhongzheng said this, he knew that he had gambled his entire future. If he won the gamble, he would be able to regain the favor of the Holy Family.
The official heard this and said happily: "You are my confidant. This time I asked you to go to Shaanxi for experience. It has really gained your knowledge."
"Shen Kuo is indeed ignorant, but he has real talents. You went to Jingyuan Road to sign a book and manage some affairs with him, so you can help him!"
Wang Zhongzheng was overjoyed when he heard this. As long as he agreed with the attack on Xia, he would immediately be promoted to an official rank. It was too easy to obtain such an official rank.
Although Shen Kuo was the envoy of the official seal of the Jingyuan Road, he signed the official envoy of the Jingyuan Road and was also the emperor's supervisor. How could Shen Kuo dare to disobey the order? The Jingyuan Road would not be in his hands at that time.
This time, I made the right bet by betting on Lu Huiqing.
With Wang Zhongzheng's words, the officials' confidence in the expedition to Xia increased by a few percent.
In the past, he used Li Xian to supervise the military in Xihe Road, but after all, he was the supervisor of the army and did not dare to grant him the position of commander.
But now the eunuchs signed the documents and managed the affairs, half-ruling the military and political power of the province. Wang Anshi and Han Jiang were replaced. Zhang Yue would definitely object when he was there. Now Wang Gui is just a mouthpiece and he will not dare to disobey.
Didn't you, Zhang Yue, complain? It just so happens that it is convenient for me to decide the matter myself, so I won't discuss it with you.
Although he trusted Wang Zhongzheng, he was also worried about Zhang Yue's complaint, but then he thought that without Zhang Yue's help, he couldn't help but lack confidence in the expedition to Xia this time. It would be better to follow his wishes and send troops from Jingyuan Road to try
?
When I was looking for an official, I thought again, even if I don't have your help, Zhang Yue, wouldn't it be possible for me to accomplish great things?
However, Zhang Qing has repeatedly advised me that I should believe but not listen to others. This is quite reasonable.
The official thought of this, and then ordered: "Order Xu Xi to enter the palace to meet the saint!"
Xu Xi was a trusted minister of the emperor. On the contrary, he did not trust the privy envoy Feng Jing, the deputy privy envoys Zeng Xiaokuan, Xue Xiang, or Zhang Kai who signed the Privy Council affairs.
As long as all major matters are decided, please wait for my notification.
Officials often bypassed the Privy Council Office to discuss the plan to conquer Xia with Xu Xi, and then bypassed the Privy Council Office to directly issue orders to Lu Huiqing, Shen Kuo, Yu Chong, Cai Yanqing, Zhang Zhi and other front-line managers.
This is the emperor's daily operation, and the ministers are not surprised.
When the chamberlains saw Xu Xi, they were all smiling and enthusiastic. They all knew that Xu Xi was now a popular figure in the official family, so they all treated him with great respect and were very considerate before and after riding.
Xu Xi was just an ordinary scholar in Bianjing City at that time. When he saw an official, he took the initiative to sell his knowledge. Xu Xi was so showy that he was ridiculed by countless people and became a laughing stock in the eyes of everyone.
Although Xu Xi was annoyed, he said in his heart countless times that when he would bring all his cultural and military talents to the emperor's family one day, how could these people look at him?
Now he has become the emperor's confidant, and he can see Tian Yan at any time when he comes in and out, and he can give him private advice.
This kind of treatment is not even inferior to that of a prime minister.
Xu Xi knew this very well. This is where the Holy Family belongs. Even if Xu Xi only knows the Admonition Court (just promoted), the ministers will still respect you when they meet you.
But the Holy Family is no longer around, and even the prime ministers are unstable.
In the past, when Xu Xi faced those who used to ridicule him and look down on him, he was relieved. This was thanks to the fact that when he was in Zhang Yue's curtain, the other party gave him strict instructions and strict requirements.
Zhang Yue often told him that when you put your whole heart into things, in fact, personal gains and losses are just that.
Xu Xi still feels benefited a lot from these words.
Xu Xi arrived at the main hall first. When the official saw Xu Xi, he said angrily: "Xu Qing, come and see."
When the officials saw Xu Xi, he immediately took the back of his hand to the map. For Xu Xi, he was touched by the importance of the officials. The officials were the emperors who undressed people and pushed them to eat. This made him really repay him with all his heart.
meaning.
Xu Xi followed the official to the map, and the official said: "Look, this is Zhenrong Army! Seventy miles south from Zhenrong Army is Hanxiao Pass. In ancient times, there were four major passes in the pass, Donghan Valley.
, Xiaowu in the south, Sanguan in the west, Xiaoguan in the north."
Xu Xi said: "That's what your majesty said. Xiaoguan has been a land of troops since ancient times. When the Huns invaded during Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, they used this road to burn the middle palace. The Tubo and Uighurs often used this road to reach the Weishui pontoon bridge during the Tang Dynasty and invaded Chang'an.
.So if there is a failure in Xiao Pass, the center of the pass will be shaken, so we built a town army seventy miles north of Xiao Pass."
"Your Majesty wants to farm on Jingyuan Road? I have been to the Jinghe and Weihe Rivers. The valley here is wide and the terrain is flat. It is the most fertile land among the five roads in Shaanxi Province. When Cai Ting passed by Jingyuan Road, he settled here.
The army will vigorously cultivate the fields in the south!"
The officials heard from Xu Xi that the land on Jingyuan Road was fertile and conducive to farming, and this view was consistent with Zhang Yue's.
The official said to Xu Xi: "I am not going to farm. Once the Xiaoguan Road is lost, the Western Cavalry can divide Xihe Road, Qinfeng Road, Fuyan Road and Huanqing Road into two."
"In the past, when the Western bandits marched to Jingyuan, they always followed the Hulu River Valley. The route from here is wide and there is plenty of water and grass, so it is really a nuisance."
When Xu Xi saw that the officials asked him something unclear, the officials couldn't help but smile when they saw this. It seemed that Xu Xi didn't know about Zhang Yue's proposal to send troops to Jingyuan Road.
The official said to Xu Xi: "Someone proposed to send troops from the Jingyuan Road Zhenrong Army and build forts all the way to Mingsha City. What do you think?"
Xu Xi looked at the map. First of all, Zhenrong Army, Deshun Army and Yuanzhou were all densely packed fortresses of the Song Army.
Xu Xi said: "Your Majesty, this is very close to the Wuyan Gorge and Shimen Pass where the Westerners are stationed. Next to it is the Westerners' Tiandu Mountain Supervisory Army Division. In the past, Western bandits gathered at Tiandu Mountain. Our army left the fortress from here.
Entering the heart of the Western people, we must not be cautious in determining the defeat of Sichuan Village, but..."
"But what?"
The official asked after him.
Xu Xi said: "The reason why the Westerners marched on the Jingyuan Road was because they valued the abundant water and grass in the Huluchuan River Valley. If I follow this, then if the Westerners gather at Tiandu Mountain, all the food, grass and baggage will be short, and they will be unable to supply the army.
"
"But it will be too difficult for Your Majesty to build the city from now on. The Western thieves will definitely counterattack at all costs."
The official's eyes flashed when he heard this, and he himself was suspicious, so he just used words to test whether Xu Xi had communicated with Zhang Yue in advance.
But now it seems that the two of them did not discuss it in advance, and after hearing what Xu Xi said about the pros and cons of sending troops along the Jingyuan Road, they immediately saw all the conveniences he mentioned.
Xu Xi shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, from now on we have been building all the way to Mingsha City. The grain road is also difficult and dangerous. The Western thieves will send cavalry to plunder from behind. At least ten must be built. If ten are not enough, more than fifteen forts can be defended.
This consumption is too great.”
Officials heard Xu Xi talk about fifteen forts, which coincided with what Zhang Yue said.
It seems that Xu Xi has been in Zhang Yue's court for many years and has mastered all his military strategies.
"But once it is completed, not only can it occupy Mingsha, look north to Xingling, and border the West Bandit Weizhou, it can also be used as a springboard to attack the West Bandit's heartland with light troops and cavalry."
"You can also go west to capture Tiandu Mountain and Xihe Road Huizhou Unicom, and fully occupy the Tiandu Mountain area."
When the officials listened to Xu Xi's analysis, they couldn't help but look relaxed.
The traffic lines of Tongxihe Road and Jingyuan Road are flanked from east to west, which is a natural attraction for officials.
Capturing this place will not only serve as a three-sided barrier for Qinfeng Road, Xihe Road, and Jingyuan Road, but also destroy the supply base at Dianji in the south of Xixia, and take advantage of the situation to control the Tibetan tribes in this area.
In the end, he used his point to lead the way, completely intimidating Xixia.
The official asked Xu Xi: "How are the soldiers and horses on Jingyuan Road?"
Xu Xi said: "Since the Qing Dynasty, there have been many soldiers and horses on Jingyuan Road. Among them, the Zhenrong Army is at the frontier border county of Xixia. The soldiers and horses are the most elite, but the heavy troops are on the Weizhou line. After the art of war, a total of nine
The generals will be stationed in various places."
"This is a strategy to protect the inside and the outside! I will increase the nine generals to eleven!"
Xu Xi hesitated after hearing what the official said. The official saw Xu Xi's expression and said, "What do you have to say but it doesn't hurt to say it?"
Xu Xi said cautiously: "Your Majesty, please think twice about the Jingyuan Road matter. After all, the previous plan was to send troops from Fuyan Road and Huanqing Road to seize Hengshan and recover Yin, Xia and Youzhou."
Xu Xi's intention to send troops from Jingyuan Road was tantamount to shaking his previous decision, which was obviously not good given the official's habit of swinging back and forth.
Unexpectedly, the official was not angry but happy. Instead, he smiled and praised: "Xu Qing is really a loyal person!"
Xu Xi was overwhelmed by the sudden praise from the officials.
Xu Xi said: "I am reckless."
After Xu Xi left.
The officials thought carefully that although Zhang Yue's theory of delaying the attack was inconsistent with his theory of all-out attack on Xia, he was so good at using troops that neither Xu Xi nor Lu Huiqing was as good as him.
It seems that there is indeed a feasible place on Jingyuan Road.
At this moment, he remembered Zhang Yue's story about the ball in the bucket.
Although the officials don't know what Bayes' theorem is, nor do they know what Zhang Yue said about prior probability, they constantly add new information to arrive at a posterior probability, and constantly revise their judgments.
But officials understand what it means: "The more you practice, the more you know; the more you know, the more you practice."
If you want to know whether something is right or not, you must do it first before talking about it, then constantly use new information to revise the old perception, and then use the new perception to guide the next action.
As for new information, one side comes from listening to the words, and the other side comes from the correct understanding of practice.
In fact, if you dig deeper, Zhang Yue's theory is not that mysterious. I have obtained all its rules, but that's all. If you want to complain to Zhang Yue, just complain. I don't ask you to be strong, and you can still control the overall situation.
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Thinking of this, the official set his sights on the Shaanxi Road map, picked up the imperial pen from the side, searched along the Jingyuan Road in the direction of the Jingshui River Valley, and finally headed north in the direction of Zhenrongjun.
Finally, the imperial pen in the official's hand stopped for a moment at Wuyan Gorge and Shimen Pass, and then made a circle.
After this circle, hundreds of thousands of civilians were mobilized and drafted, and hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses prepared to march north.
The emperor's wrath lay dead for thousands of miles!
…
Within the Zhang Mansion.
Zhang Yue was 'recuperating' in peace and ease.
Although he is not yet forty years old, he has never had a cold or fever.
Zhang Yue was not worried at all that he would not be left behind by the power of Zhongshu. He had always taken the position of power as he had come. A man must be able to rise and fall, and it is normal for him to have ups and downs.
If an official is a "bad guy", there is no need to pamper him.
A person must dare to fall out. If a person lives cautiously and does not dare to have a conflict, in fact he will still offend the person who should be offended.
But having said that, there are also skills to turning against someone.
Remember one sentence, you can express anger, but you cannot express anger.
The reason why some people's interpersonal relationships are in a mess is that they have not found a balance between expressing anger and expressing anger.
Especially venting out words without hesitation is the most harmful thing. Before the hurtful words are said, you are his master. After the words are said, you will be his slave for life.
Defying the emperor in the court and making him unable to step down in front of the officials meant that he failed to find a good balance between the emperor and his ministers, so Zhang Yue chose to complain, not only to express his dissatisfaction, but also to save the emperor's face.
Those in power are also human beings, even if they are officials, do not choose to obey easily.
Zhang Yue lay on the couch and looked at the map of Shaanxi in front of him.
This was painted by him for the Xihe Road Administrator.
Zhang Yue was not in a hurry as to whether the officials would accept the dispatch of troops along the Jingyuan Road. This route had historically proven to be the only feasible route for the expedition to Xia, and no matter who it was, they would eventually go this way.
After fully occupying Tiandu Mountain and reaching the front line of Mingsha, they finally gathered powerful soldiers to break through Xingling's second mansion and complete the unparalleled feat of exterminating Xia.
Zhang Yue has been thinking about this ambition since he took command of Xihe!
Hold the sword in your hand to regain the old land for China, and create eternal peace for my descendants!
When I was reading the Romance of the Three Kingdoms when I was young, I also admired Zhuge Wuhou's seven expeditions to Qishan, and he learned it all by heart.
The Prime Minister has been practicing throughout his life, what exactly is "the Han and the traitors are not at odds with each other, and the king's industry is not at peace"!
Zhang Yue dared to say that his inner desire was no less than that of the officials in the court.
It is a pity that after being promoted to power due to military merit, he did not have this opportunity, but he did not want to see the hard work of several generations ruined by the hasty actions of the officials.
Therefore, he did not hesitate to bear the infamy and lose his holy family, but also resolutely opposed the official's move to conquer Xia in one battle.
It's a pity that no one knows about these thoughts.
As Zhongshu and participating in politics, the most important thing for him is not to destroy the country and eliminate the traitors, but to improve the livelihood of the country and the well-being of the people.
As a minister, you should be loyal to one thing!
Now Zhang Yue had no choice but to hold up an oil lamp and sketch with a pen in front of this hand-drawn map of Shaanxi and Xixia. He put all his plans in his heart for conquering the Xia Dynasty on paper.
