Chapter 0880 Great Song Gou Saint Seed Shiheng! (Tonight and tomorrow!)
"The officials should be able to sleep peacefully..."
Zhong Shiheng said lightly.
Kou Ji was stunned.
Before Kou Ji could speak, Zhong Shiheng took a hard bite of the mutton, chewed it and said, "As long as the official family can sleep peacefully, it's none of our business whether other people can sleep peacefully!"
At the end of the sentence, Zhong Shiheng's words were full of disdain.
Kou Ji laughed and said: "A person like me, who has great power and great achievements, is still alive. The people who have the most uneasy sleep are the officials, right?"
Zhong Shiheng glanced at Kou Ji, snorted and said, "It's okay to fool others with your words, but it's not okay to fool me? It's not okay at all!"
Kou Ji stared at Zhong Shiheng with interest and said, "Why do you think I'm fooling you?"
Zhong Shiheng twitched his lips, "Whether you have power over the government or the public, or whether you have great achievements, the trust of the officials in you has never diminished. If not, the hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses currently fighting in the Liao Kingdom would not be the same as the officials."
It won't be given to you.
You are responsible for the reform of the military system, you are responsible for the selection of soldiers and horses, and even the forging of armaments is your responsibility.
In terms of familiarity with the current military forces of the Song Dynasty, no one can compare with you.
Officials are not stupid, so they obviously know this.
Since he dares to hand over these soldiers and horses to you, it means that he trusts you very much.
Therefore, if you hold the military power of the Song Dynasty, the officials can sleep peacefully.
If someone else is holding it, the official family will not be able to sleep peacefully."
Kou Ji stared at Zhong Shiheng, speechless.
Seeing this, Zhong Shiheng sighed: "Sometimes I really don't understand why the officials trust you so much. You have the title of Bole again, and the officials you choose, whether they are military ministers or civil servants, will become officials after they enter the official career."
, all shine brightly.
They are either sitting on one side calmly, or they are fighting decisively on the battlefield and establishing unparalleled achievements.
They have now gradually taken control of a large part of the power of the Song Dynasty.
As long as you change your mind a little bit, maybe the Song Dynasty will change its color.
Under such circumstances, why would the officials still trust you?"
Zhong Shiheng seems to have written about the taste, so at the end of the sentence, it was a bit sour.
Kou Ji heard what Zhong Shiheng said and said with a smile: "I said I didn't know either. Do you believe it?"
Zhong Shiheng snorted coldly, "Do you think I will believe it?"
Kou Ji sighed: "Maybe the officials know that I have no idea about that position."
Zhong Shiheng stared at Kou Ji coldly, "Only a person who sits in that position and abandons it with great disgust can make people believe that he has no idea about that position."
Kou Ji put down the mutton in his hand, stared at Zhong Shiheng and said, "You insist on getting to the bottom of it?"
Zhong Shiheng said seriously: "I just want to know if the officials will kill you."
After saying this, before Kou Ji could speak, Zhong Shiheng added, "If the officials behead you, then I will be the next one to be beheaded.
After all, the three people with the greatest military exploits in the Song Dynasty are Cao Wei, you, and me.
Cao Wei is not far from death now, so it doesn't matter whether he is killed or not.
If the officials are afraid of you, they will kill you.
Then I probably won’t be able to live alone.”
Kou Ji sighed and said, "Don't worry... the officials won't kill me, and they won't kill you either."
Zhong Shiheng stared at Kou Ji without saying a word.
Kou Ji wiped his hands, rubbed his eyebrows, and said helplessly: "You are such a stubborn person. You have to give me a satisfactory answer."
Zhong Shiheng said solemnly: "There is no reassuring answer. After defeating the Liao Kingdom, I don't have the courage to return to Bianjing."
Kou Ji waved his hand and asked the soldiers around him to leave.
When he and Zhong Shiheng were left in front of the tent, he said quietly: "If you insist on forcing me to say it, I'm going to say it. Don't be scared to death."
Zhong Shiheng said disdainfully: "If I, Zhong Shiheng, could be scared to death, I wouldn't be alive until now."
Kou Ji sighed and sighed: "If my feeling is correct, the official family has considered giving me the throne more than once."
Zhong Shiheng's eyes widened in horror, the mutton in his hand fell to the ground, he stood up suddenly and shouted: "Impossible!"
Kou Ji glanced at Zhong Shiheng and said dissatisfied: "Why are you shouting? I haven't said anything more important."
Zhong Shiheng suppressed the panic in his heart, stared at Kou Ji, and waited quietly for the next sentence.
Kou Ji continued: "When the heir of the official family died young, the official family could not bear the blow. He once said this personally, but I slapped him back."
Zhong Shiheng exploded in an instant. He lost his mind and shouted: "Impossible! You are lying to me!"
"You actually used such a poor excuse to lie to me!"
"You're making up a story for me!"
"..."
Zhong Shiheng shouted somewhere for a long time.
Kou Ji looked at him quietly.
He knew that Zhong Shiheng couldn't accept it if he told the truth.
Not to mention Zhong Shiheng, other people in the Song Dynasty could not accept it and would not believe it.
But the truth is the truth.
Kou Ji has experienced it and remembers it clearly.
Zhong Shiheng shouted for a long time, and when he was exhausted from shouting, he suddenly sat down and said in disbelief: "Really?"
Kou Ji said calmly: "Of course it's true, but it seems like you don't believe me when I say it. If you tell me, no one will believe it."
Zhong Shiheng stared and shouted in a low voice: "Am I crazy to tell others such a crazy story you made up?! Abdication of the throne or slapping the emperor, which one is not earth-shattering to tell?
Which one thing will anyone believe if you tell it?
If I really tell the truth, all the officials in the government and the public will eat me alive.
The official family is now a sage who is the ancestor of the clan.
To smear officials is to go against everyone in the Song Dynasty."
Kou Ji smiled calmly and said: "Since you think this is a story, then treat it as one."
Zhong Shiheng sat there with a gloomy expression. After being silent for a long time, he suddenly whispered, "What does it feel like to slap an official?"
Kou Ji raised his eyebrows in astonishment and said, "Zhong Shiheng, your idea is very dangerous."
Zhong Shiheng coughed twice and said: "Since I am making up a story, I should make it more complete."
Kou Ji thought for a moment and said, "My hands are numb and the official's face is swollen."
Zhong Shiheng stared at his eyes and growled: "You really dare to fight?!"
Kou Ji rolled his eyes and ignored Zhong Shiheng.
Zhong Shiheng himself had no intention of shutting up. He hesitated and said, "Aren't you afraid that I will tell this matter?"
Kou Ji said calmly: "You also said that this is just a story. No one will believe it. When the time comes, I will not admit it, and the officials will not admit it. Your end will be to be eaten alive by the civil and military officials of the entire dynasty."
Zhong Shiheng took a breath and shuddered.
Kou Ji asked: "Now do you believe that the officials will not hurt you and me?"
Zhong Shiheng muttered: "Whether what you say is true or false, my eyes are only on you anyway. If you can live, I can live. If you die, I will run for my life."
After this expedition against the Liao Kingdom is completed, I will not go back.
I will find an excuse to sit on the border.
I will not go back until the officials have settled you properly and you no longer have any worries about your life."
Kou Ji said incomprehensibly: "Aren't you, Zhong Shiheng, the kind of person who is as timid as a mouse?"
Zhong Shiheng rolled his eyes and said: "I am not the kind of moth that flies into the flame. I can die fighting for the Song Dynasty, but I will never die in Bianjing City as a coward.
When I established Qingjian City in the northwest and stayed there for more than ten years, my purpose was to protect myself."
Kou Ji glanced at Zhong Shiheng and said, "You actually want to learn from Zhejia!"
Zhong Shiheng did not refute Kou Ji's words, but instead admitted openly, "Is there anything wrong with breaking up the family? Listening to the instructions but not the propaganda is the only way for me, the great military official of the Song Dynasty, to survive under the suppression of the imperial court.
.
If the Zhe family had followed the example of the Yang family and moved to Bianjing City.
After defeating Yu Qing, I'm afraid there won't be many generals left.
It is hard to say whether the Song Dynasty could withstand the repeated invasions of the Xixia and Liao people.
Therefore, if the Zhe family stays in Fuzhou, it will be good for the Zhe family and the court."
Kou Jidao: "The current court is different from the previous court."
Zhong Shiheng nodded and said: "Of course I know this, otherwise I wouldn't have entered the capital to be a Tongzhi Privy Councilor."
Kou Ji asked: "Then after you conquered and destroyed the Liao Kingdom, do you still want to stay in the Liao Kingdom?"
Zhong Shiheng said bluntly: "Now is now, and the future will be later. The matter of killing donkeys has been done in every dynasty. Who knows whether the court's favor to my military minister is just to let my military minister contribute.
Who knows whether the imperial court will kill the donkey after my military ministers have wiped out the enemy invaders."
Kou Ji opened his mouth, thinking about answering Zhong Shiheng's doubts.
Just when he was about to speak out, he gave up the idea.
Zhong Shiheng had completely different styles in dealing with the court and dealing with war.
When facing the court, Zhong Shiheng was as cautious as possible.
When fighting, Zhong Shiheng is certainly cautious, but he occasionally makes unexpected moves and is not overly cautious.
Kou Ji could probably guess why Zhong Shiheng was so cautious when facing the court.
It's just that the imperial court had previously emphasized civility and suppressed military force, and suppressed military officials too harshly.
You say that once bitten by a snake, you will be afraid of well ropes for ten years.
Although Zhong Shiheng has never been bitten by a snake, he has seen countless people bitten by snakes.
In order to protect himself, he can only act cautiously.
Kou Ji said a lot of taboo words, but he couldn't make Zhong Shiheng completely give up his caution.
It can be seen that Zhong Shiheng was always wary of the imperial court.
If it were in the past, Kou Ji would definitely give Zhong Shiheng a beating.
Now, Kou Ji has no idea of beating Zhong Shiheng.
It's not that Kou Ji had anything else on his mind.
But Kou Ji felt that Zhong Shiheng had fought many battles in the south and north for the Song Dynasty in recent years, and had outstanding military exploits against the Song Dynasty and deserved to be respected.
So he was unwilling to knock Zhong Shiheng.
Since Zhong Shiheng is wary of the imperial court, he can only use time to prove everything.
Kou Ji firmly believed that Zhao Zhen would not kill the donkey, so Zhong Shiheng must see a perfect ending.
After the two of them finished speaking, they stopped talking.
Instead, he ate some mutton in silence.
After eating.
Zhong Shiheng arranged for someone to take Kou Ji to a tent to rest, and he rode his horse to inspect the battlefield.
Kou Ji rested peacefully in the tent for two days.
On the third day, there was finally some movement.
The scouts under Zhong Shiheng encountered the Tuoba tribe's scouts ten miles away from the ravine, and the two sides fought.
The scouts under Zhong Shiheng lifted the head of the Tuoba scout back and told Zhong Shiheng a piece of news.
"Seven tribes, including the Ayan tribe and the Tuoba tribe, have announced that they have officially left the alliance of the nine new Khitan tribes and are preparing to march south?"
In Zhong Shiheng's tent, Kou Ji asked with a puzzled look.
Zhong Shiheng nodded and said solemnly: "That's what my scouts said."
Kou Ji pondered and said: "How many soldiers and horses does the opponent have?"
Zhong Shiheng opened his palms and said: "It is five times as many as ours. Only 30% of them are regular troops, and the rest are just a bunch of rabble."
Kou Ji asked: "Can we win?"
Zhong Shiheng said frankly: "We can win, but I can't guarantee that we can stop all their soldiers and horses. If they run south in a swarm, even if we lead our soldiers and horses to kill day and night, we will not be able to stop them in a moment."
Endless killing.
There will definitely be some fish that slip through the net and escape."
Kou Ji frowned slightly, "Nowadays, most of our soldiers and horses are on the battlefield, and the places we conquered are basically in a state of emptiness.
If they divide into small groups and cause trouble behind, it will be a trouble for us."
With the current strength of the Song Dynasty's soldiers and horses, they are not afraid of a head-on battle with the opponent, but are afraid that the opponent will engage in guerrilla warfare with them.
It is a very unwise choice to fight guerrillas on the grassland with a group of people who grew up on horses.
There will be some damage in the early stage and it will take a lot of time.
Kou Ji was not afraid of damage, but was mainly afraid of wasting time.
Zhong Shiheng said in a deep voice: "Di Qing will arrive in half a day. After he arrives, the soldiers and horses under his command will have to rest for at least a day.
Only after the soldiers and horses under his command have rested can they cooperate with the soldiers and horses under my command in combat.
I'm afraid the enemy won't give him time to rest."
Di Qing could fight hard for days and nights without sleep, but the soldiers and horses under his command could not.
After a long and fierce battle, soldiers and horses must rest and recuperate.
Kou Ji pondered and said: "Can you send some people out and set up some obstacles for them to stop them for a day or two?"
Zhong Shiheng frowned and said: "Beyond the ravine is a vast plain. Unless we send all our troops and horses out, there is no way to stop them."
Kou Ji suggested: "Send people to place some mine cannons to see if they can throw rat weapons and slow down the march."
Zhong Shiheng thought for a moment and said, "This is something you can try."
"Then send someone to do it quickly."
"Um……"
Zhong Shiheng nodded, walked out of the tent, and ordered his scouts to take some cavalry and go out to plant mines and cannons on the path that Ayan and the other seven tribes must pass through.
Not long after Zhong Shiheng left the tent.
Kou Ji's personal officer hurriedly entered the tent and shouted: "Privy Minister, Di Qing and his troops have arrived."
When Kou Ji heard the news, he quickly got out of the tent and ran down the mountain.
After running all the way to the south side of the ravine at the foot of the mountain, they saw Di Qing leading his troops and galloping over the grass.
More than 80,000 people galloped on horseback with great momentum.
Behind them was a billowing cloud of smoke.
Di Qing and others rushed to the ravine, reined in their horses and exhaled a white breath.
Di Qing saw Kou Ji from afar, and when he got close to Kou Ji, he jumped off his horse.
"Brother!"
Di Qing ran to Kou Ji and bowed solemnly.
Kou Ji looked Di Qing up and down and said, "I heard you were injured?"
Di Qing opened his shoulder armor with a bright smile, revealing a bandaged wound, and said: "While destroying a mature stronghold, I was bitten by a eagle shooter. It's not a problem."
Kou Ji nodded and said: "You are lucky. As far as I know, the archery skills of the vulture shooter are three points better than the average marksman.
Not many people can escape from the hands of the vulture shooter."
Di Qing smiled and said: "I'm not a vegetarian either. The eagle shooter is certainly very good, but I saw him when he opened his bow.
I dodged just in time, so his arrow only grazed my shoulder."
Kou Ji smiled and said: "As long as it doesn't get in the way. Take your troops down quickly to rest. The enemy will arrive in the next two days, and you don't have much time to rest."
When Di Qing heard that there was a war, his face immediately straightened, "Okay!"
Kou Ji waved his hand, indicating that Di Qing could go down, but Di Qing did not move. Instead, he smiled at Kou Ji and said, "Brother, I met a man on the way here. He came to see you, so I took him with me."
Coming over."
Kou Ji looked suspicious.
Di Qing looked towards where the soldiers gathered not far behind him.
Kou Ji also took advantage of the situation and looked over.
Then he saw an old figure, slowly riding his horse away from the soldiers.
Kou Ji was slightly startled when he saw that figure, "Chen Lin?!"
Chen Lin rode up to Kou Ji and said, "It's our family!"
Kou Ji asked suspiciously: "What are you doing here?"
Chen Lin didn't say anything, but got off the horse and straightened her clothes.
Seeing this, Kou Ji raised his eyebrows.
Di Qing bent down decisively.
After Chen Lin arranged her clothes, she took out a roll of imperial edict from her sleeve.
Kou Ji saw the imperial edict and bowed down.
The other soldiers all bowed and saluted.
Although the soldiers sitting on horseback did not dismount, they all bent down with their hands clasped.
Chen Lin unfolded the imperial edict and slowly read it out.
Apart from those fancy words, the message conveyed in the imperial edict has the same meaning.
Xu Kouji opened the government office and established the three departments of Yitong.
In the Song Dynasty, the title of "Kaifu Yitong Sansi" was often just a false name, and not many people actually went to open a government office to build a government office.
Even if you open a government or build a government office, you still have to do things according to the laws of the Song Dynasty.
If it is opened, it means it is not opened; if it is built, it means it is not built.
There is no other reason than that the starting point for establishing government offices in the Song Dynasty was too high.
The first mansion opened in the Song Dynasty was called Bafu.
The lord of Ba Mansion is called Zhao Kuangyin.
It was Emperor Taizu of the Song Dynasty.
Almost all the officials in Ba Mansion were the founding officials of the Song Dynasty.
The first yamen built in the Song Dynasty was called Nanya.
The first person in Nanya was called Zhao Guangyi.
Emperor Taizong of the Song Dynasty.
Almost all officials who came out of Nanya became important ministers in the court.
There is this government office in front.
Others opened mansions and built government agencies, so naturally they couldn't surpass them.
More importantly, both of them became emperors.
Others have to be careful when opening a government office.
After other people established government offices, they would only recruit some assistant officials to assist them in handling government affairs.
They do not want to enjoy other rights and are not willing to enjoy them.
Afraid of being remembered, afraid of being framed.
Kou Ji didn't think too much about it. After taking the will from Chen Lin, he bowed and thanked her.
After giving thanks.
Kou Ji ordered Di Qing to take the soldiers down to rest first, and then he took Chen Lin up the mountain and asked, "Why are you here? And what does it mean for the officials to allow me to open a government office?"
Chen Lin said frankly: "The reason why the officials sent us here is to see if you are injured. You were fighting in Xixia before and were almost assassinated. The officials were frightened.
So every time you go on an expedition, the officials will worry about your safety."
Kou Ji sighed: "The official family is really loving..."
Chen Lin curled her lips and said, "Don't say those embarrassing words in front of our family, we don't want to hear it."
Kou Ji rolled his eyes.
Chen Lin continued: "The reason why the officials allowed you to open a government office and build a government office was to appease people's hearts. In recent days, the atmosphere in Bianjing City has been wrong. Many people feel that your contribution is too great, and they are afraid that your contribution will be too great, so they have been
They are petitioning the officials to replace you, and some people are even petitioning the officials to use some means to check and balance you.
The officials were afraid that the soldiers at the front would be upset after hearing the news.
Therefore, I promised you the authority to open a government office and let the soldiers know that the official family has great trust in everyone who comes."
Kou Ji couldn't laugh or cry and said: "So my authority to establish a government office is just to calm the hearts and minds of the soldiers at the front?"
Kou Ji didn't expect that Zhao Zhen would actually treat him as a tool.
It's a bit hurtful.
Chen Lin said with emotion: "The official family went to Beijing twice and participated in the war twice. Although they did not intervene in the war, they learned a lot through the war.
Officials are well aware of the importance of the morale and the hearts of the soldiers at the front.
The officials were afraid that some gossip at the rear would affect the soldiers at the front, so they took action to appease people."
Kou Ji sighed sincerely, "The official family is becoming more and more like an emperor..."
Chen Lin subconsciously said, "Who says it's not the case..."
As soon as he said this, Chen Lin realized something was wrong. He glared at Kou Ji and shouted, "How can you and I criticize an official?!"
Kou Ji glanced at Chen Lin and said in a neutral tone, "I don't criticize you either?"
Chen Lin snorted and ignored Kou Ji.
Kou Ji didn't talk to him either.
Kou Ji took Chen Lin to the tent on the top of the mountain and ordered someone to prepare some food for Chen Lin.
After Chen Lin had eaten and drank enough, Kou Ji said, "You came just in time. I have something to ask you."
Chen Lin took a sip from the water bowl and said, "Ask!"
Kou Ji asked: "What do the officials think about the matter of being crowned king?"
Chen Lin was stunned, put down the water bowl, and said calmly: "How can we, a slave in our family, know what the official family is thinking..."
Kou Ji said in a deep voice: "The official family really wants to be crowned king?!"
Chen Lin did not hide anything, nodded and said: "This is natural."
Kou Ji asked: "Aren't the officials afraid of the influence of a living king with a different surname on our Song Dynasty?"
Chen Lin glanced at Kou Ji and said frankly: "Of course I'm not afraid."
Kou Ji was stunned for a moment, then nodded and said, "In this case, the official family should already have a complete set of countermeasures."
Chen Lin held the water bowl and took another sip without saying anything.
Chen Lin was not surprised that Kou Ji could guess that Zhao Zhen had a complete way to deal with the existence of a king with a different surname.
After all, Kou Ji also watched Zhao Zhen grow up.
The two of them often plotted to harm others behind their backs, so they were quite settled.
It's very common for Kou Ji to be able to guess some of Zhao Zhen's thoughts.