Zhao Zhen wanted to ask why the Liao people attacked Xixia.
But when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back. He felt that if he asked this question, Kou Zhun would think he was stupid.
Zhao Zhen tilted his head and thought for a moment, then said seriously: "The Liao people are going to attack Xixia, what should we do?"
Kou Zhun cupped his hands and looked at Kou Ji without replying.
Kou Ji moved a few steps, walked up to Zhao Zhen, and said loudly: "Of course I will go up to them and bite off a piece of meat from them."
A bright light flashed in Zhao Zhen's round eyes, and he said in surprise: "Recover Yanyun?"
Kou Ji was stunned for a moment and shook his head.
Conquering Yanyun was a worry for all emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty.
Zhao Heng should have mentioned Yanyun to Zhao Zhen frequently, otherwise Zhao Zhen would not have said the words of regaining Yanyun at this time.
"It is too early to recover Yanyun."
Kou Ji whispered.
Nowadays, the Liao people are in their heyday, while the Song Dynasty is in the midst of internal and external troubles.
If the internal troubles are not eliminated, even if the Song Dynasty fights to the death with the Liao people, it may not be able to win the Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures.
As soon as Zhao Zhen got interested, Kou Ji poured a ladle of cold water on him, causing his face to droop.
Seeing this, Kou Ji smiled and said: "But it is still very easy to take advantage of one or two states."
Zhao Zhen's little face suddenly lifted up again.
"Really?"
Kou Ji nodded heavily.
Zhao Zhen clapped his little hands and said excitedly: "That's really great..."
Kou Ji said with a smile: "As long as the officials are happy."
Kou Zhun saw this scene, glared at Kou Ji, and returned to the table filled with memorials.
Zhao Zhen shook his little hands excitedly and walked towards the dragon chair.
When Chen Lin passed by Kou Ji, she lowered her voice and muttered, "You look like a greedy minister..."
Kou Ji rolled his eyes and muttered, "You care about me?!"
Chen Lin twitched her nose, hummed twice, said nothing, and followed Zhao Zhen with small steps.
Not long after Zhao Zhen sat on the dragon throne.
Liu E, supported by Guo Huai, appeared in Zishi Hall from the back of the palace.
As soon as she arrived at Zishitang, before she sat down, she asked: "Huainan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang are facing a food shortage. How does the Grand Master plan to deal with it?"
The words Kou Zhun used to deal with her in Chui Gong Hall may have already fallen into her ears.
But there was no emotion or anger on her face, and she didn't seem to care at all about what happened in the Chui Gong Hall. She opened her mouth to ask about political affairs.
Kou Zhun bowed his hand to Liu E and said in a deep voice: "Queen Mother, according to my investigation, this food shortage may not only be limited to Huainan, Jiangsu and Zhejiang generations. I am afraid that food shortages may also occur in eleven states including Tang, Deng, and Dai.
"
Liu E sat on the chair while listening to Kou Zhun's words. After Kou Zhun finished speaking, she raised her eyebrows and said in a deep voice: "Did the Grand Master discover any clues?"
Kou Zhun nodded and told Liu E everything he and Kou Ji had discovered about the Liao people buying grain.
After listening to this, Liu E said thoughtfully: "So, the Liao people will definitely conquer Xixia?"
Kou Zhun nodded and said: "My veteran has said before that the Liao people will definitely conquer Xixia, but no evidence has been found. Now that the evidence has been found, we should make preparations in advance."
Liu E nodded slowly and said, "How does the Grand Master plan to respond?"
Kou Zhun said seriously: "On the one hand, we should open the warehouses to put food in and appease the people; on the other hand, we should secretly prepare for war."
Liu E pondered and said: "It is natural to open warehouses to put grains out and appease the people. The Grand Master will be solely responsible for this matter. As for secret preparations for war, we have to wait a little longer."
Wait until Tang, Deng, Dai and other eleven states report the food famine situation before making a decision."
Kou Zhun frowned and said, "But this matter should be done sooner rather than later."
Liu E said in a deep voice: "It's not like the Liao and Xixia will start a war right away. We have plenty of time and can afford to wait. Once the Liao and Xixia start a war, we can also send fast horses and send an expedient order to the two Zizhong families.
If they intervene in the war, the war between Liao and Xixia will definitely fall into a stalemate.
It will not be too late for the imperial court to send troops at that time.
This is what the Grand Master told the Ai family, has the Grand Master forgotten it?"
Liu E quoted Kou Zhun's words to convince Kou Zhun, but Kou Zhun was speechless.
Kou Zhun and his grandson stayed in Zishitang for a while and then left.
As soon as they leave.
Zhao Zhen couldn't sit down anymore.
Because the way Liu E looked at him had a different flavor.
Zhao Zhen didn't understand what was in Liu E's eyes when she looked at him, but he felt uncomfortable, so he didn't want to stay with Liu E in Zishi Hall.
"Madam, I'm going back to the palace first."
Zhao Zhen bowed his hand to Liu E, and without waiting for Liu E's consent, he ran out of Zishitang on his short legs.
"stop!"
Liu E shouted.
Zhao Zhen's body stiffened in the aisle of Zishi Hall.
Liu E reminded in a low voice: "Officials are now of the highest rank. They must walk, sit and lie down in a proper manner. Don't act in a hurry or lose your dignity."
When Zhao Zhen heard this, he took a deep breath, turned around, cupped his hands to Liu E and said, "I understand..."
"Go down."
Liu E waved her hand.
Zhao Zhen walked out of Zishi Hall step by step.
After leaving Shijitang, he looked back at Shishitang, then took off his short legs and ran towards his bedroom.
In the Zishi Hall, Liu E and Guo Huai were the only ones left in an instant.
"Bang!"
Liu E patted the armrest of the seat, gritted her teeth with a gloomy face and growled, "Everyone hates the Ai family for not dying..."
When Guo Huai heard this, he knelt on the ground with a thud and said mournfully: "I am very loyal to my empress."
Liu E lowered her head, glared at Guo Huai and shouted: "Get out of here!"
Guo Huai said in a trembling voice: "I don't dare."
Liu E said angrily: "Then keep kneeling. If you like being a slave, then you will be a slave for the rest of your life."
Guo Huai nodded quickly and said hurriedly: "I will definitely be a slave for the rest of my life and serve the empress for the rest of my life."
Liu E stared at the place where Zhao Zhen left, gritted her teeth and cursed: "You little heartless boy, the Ai family is scheming with those civil and military ministers in the court, for whom? It's not because of you little heartless boy.
You actually helped outsiders speak up and helped outsiders deal with the Aijia.
It’s really unreasonable.”
Hearing this, Guo Huai trembled and said in a trembling voice: "Queen Mother, the official family is your only support. You must not complain against the official family. Once the official family is in trouble, you will really not be able to take your position.
It’s stable.”
"Bang!"
Liu E kicked Guo Huai. Guo Huai rolled on the ground like a gourd twice before he got up.
Liu E scolded: "The Ai family knows that that little heartless guy is the Ai family's support, and you don't need to remind them. The Ai family won't do anything to him. But the Ai family can't sit still and wait for death."
Guo Huai knelt on the ground, raised his head slightly, and asked timidly: "What does the Queen Mother plan to do?"
Liu E patted the seat and said: "The Liao people's attack on Xixia is an opportunity. As long as the Ai family seizes this opportunity, the Ai family will definitely appear in Chuigong Hall again, and their power will surpass Kou Zhun.
At that time, if the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty dare to say that the Ai family is not good, the Ai family will kill them."
Guo Huai was startled by Liu E's idea, and he carefully reminded: "The Queen Mother, unless she has made great achievements in opening up new territories, is not enough to show her majesty in the court."
Liu E suddenly stood up and said loudly: "The Aijia is to open up the territory and expand the territory, and the Aijia is to establish the supreme achievements. With their assistance, the late emperor has not yet exhausted all the territory. The Aijia is to open up the territory and expand the territory to tell them
, all of them put together are not as good as Aijia.
By that time, the Ai family would like to see how they can have the face to impeach the Ai family."
Guo Huai trembled and said: "Queen Mother, opening up territory is a big deal. Do you want to discuss it with Grand Master Kou?"
Liu E's eyes fell coldly on Guo Huai, and she said in a deep voice: "If the Ai family is willing to discuss with Kou Zhun, they just discussed it with him, why are they mentioning this matter behind his back?"
Seeing that Liu E had made up his mind, Guo Huai said no more.
Liu E ordered: "Summon Cao to make use of it, and Ding Wei to enter the palace!"
Guo Huai was stunned when he heard this and asked: "What about Lu Sansi?"
Liu E was furious when she mentioned Lu Yijian. She said angrily: "He doesn't listen to the Ai family. What use does the Ai family have for him?"
Seeing that Liu E was angry again, Guo Huai hurriedly said: "Queen Mother, please calm down. I will go and invite Privy Cao and Prime Minister Ding to enter the palace."
Guo Huai left Zishi Hall and walked under the setting sun to Cao Mansion and Ding Mansion. He invited Cao Yong and Ding Wei to enter the palace.
By the time the two men entered the palace, it was already dark.
Liu E left them behind and plotted all night in the palace.
What the plot was about, no one knew.
The next few days.
The officials in the court did not take a break because the New Year's Eve was approaching. Instead, they were running around for disaster relief matters.
On a bright sunny morning, Lu Yijian said goodbye to the people of the Lu family who saw him off, put on the honor guard of the imperial envoy, and left Bianjing City.
He was busy going to various places to investigate and deal with corruption, and had no intention of spending time with his family in Bianjing City to celebrate the New Year.
In a pavilion ten miles outside Bianjing City.
Kou Ji was wrapped in a bearskin coat and sat on a stone stool. There were two food boxes placed on the stone table in front of him. They were sealed tightly and it was not clear what was inside.
Lu Yijian straddled his horse to the edge of the pavilion and reined in his horse.
He dismissed the guards, servants, and government servants who were following him, and went to the pavilion alone.
Looking at Kou Ji, whose cheeks were flushed by the cold wind, Lu Yijian shook the riding whip in his hand and joked: "In the past, Lu always heard stories about seeing each other off after ten miles, but never encountered this.
I didn't expect that the first time I met, it was you who gave me a gift.
You have no friendship with me, let alone a close friend. Why do you come to see me off?
Are you here to see my joke?"
Kou Ji didn't reply. He rubbed his frozen hands and asked Lu Yijian to take a seat opposite him.
After Lu Yijian sat down, he opened the food box.
The moment I opened the food box, two streams of hot steam came out.
In one of the food boxes, there was a basin of hot water. Because it had been left for a long time, the hot water had turned into warm water, and even the wine bottle soaked in the water was also warm.
In another food box, there was a bowl of wontons and a bowl of steamed meat, both of which were soaked in hot water, so they were all warm.
Lu Yijian stared at the things in the food box, his face changed slightly, and he gritted his teeth and said: "The wontons from Granny Sun's shop, the steamed pork from Lao Huangji..."
His eyes fell on the pot of wine.
Lu Yijian's voice was a little deeper, "Tianshui'an's peach blossom wine?!"
When Lu Yijian was at home, he ate delicacies from the mountains and seas every day.
But those delicacies are not his favorite.
His favorites are the wontons with sesame oil from Granny Sun's shop, the rotten steamed pork from Lao Huangji, and the homemade peach blossom stuffed from Tianshui An.
Lu Yijian glared at Kou Ji and shouted: "You know my preferences clearly. How dare you say that you are not humiliating me by taking these things to see me off? You are obviously laughing at me. You are laughing at me that after I leave Bianjing City, I will never be able to eat again. Here comes these things.”
Kou Ji looked at Lu Yijian and finally spoke.
He pointed to the meat, wine and wontons on the table, and said calmly: "My grandfather mentioned these things. He said you like to eat these three things the most, and asked me to bring them to you when I come to see you.
He said that if you leave Beijing this time, it may take three to five years before you can come back.
So I specifically asked me to bring you a portion so that you can try it before you leave.
He's afraid that if you stay out for a long time, you'll forget what it's like to eat in Bianjing City."
Lu Yijian stared at Kou Ji and said nothing.
Kou Ji continued to talk to himself: "It doesn't matter if you think it's humiliating you or making fun of you. It's up to you whether you eat it or not, and it's up to me whether you give it away or not."
Lu Yijian snorted coldly, picked up the wine bottle from the food box, took a swig, then picked up the meat with chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth.
Kou Ji saw that Lu Yijian was busy eating, so he continued: "My grandfather said that you are a good talent. If you had not voted for Liu E, the vacancy of participating in political affairs this time would be yours.
He doesn't want you to make a mistake at every step, so he sent me over to give you a few words of advice."
Lu Yijian threw down his chopsticks, spit out the meat in his mouth, and said coldly: "What is this? Tiger's tears? Pity? Or solicitation?"
Kou Ji seemed not to have heard Lu Yijian's words, and continued: "My grandfather said that you should patrol the world, investigate and deal with more corrupt officials, and clean up the government and the public.
When you return to the court, it will be the time when he will personally welcome you to sit on the position of counselor of political affairs."
Lu Yijian saw that Kou Ji ignored him and was talking to himself, so he picked up the spoon and started eating wontons.
Kou Ji looked at Lu Yijian who was eating wontons and reminded: "What I want to tell you is that after you go out, don't hold back and kill more. Those corrupt officials should all deserve to die. Living will only waste food and kill more people." Harm the people.
Don't hold back on them because of their reputation and prestige in the academy.
Don't hold back on them just because they have backers.
We are officials first, and scholars second.
We must take care of the common people first, and then take care of the scholars."
After Kou Ji finished speaking, he bowed his hands to Lu Yijian, who was eating wontons, and left the pavilion.
After leaving the pavilion and bypassing Lu Yijian's support, Kou Ji led his people and ran all the way to Bianjing City without looking back.
Lu Yijian just ate her wontons without even looking at Kou Ji who had left.