The continuous heavy snowfall approaching New Year's Eve does not fill people with the joy of "auspicious snow heralds a good harvest", but instead makes people feel the bitter sadness of the cold wind.
Zheng Pu, who looked deeply tired, slowly walked out of the door and stared blankly at the snowflakes flying in the sky.
When I was young, I opened my palm to take a piece, and watched the thin crystal melted away by the heat of my hand and disappeared, as if it had come to this world from the future.
Some things, such as the fleeting night-blooming night-blooming cereus or the passing comet, disappear in a blink of an eye and disappear over the years.
Only those who were lucky enough to have met it praised its brilliance and lamented its shortness.
"Mr. Lang, it's time to set off."
The retinue Qi Yacuo, who had been waiting with his horse for a long time, reminded him softly.
"good."
Zheng Pu nodded slightly, took the reins and helped the saddle to get on the horse, but he turned his head and looked back at the house, but he still didn't move the horse forward.
He had just come out of his wife Zhang Yan's hospital bed.
When she heard the bad news, Zhang Yan was so sad that she couldn't help herself. She had runny eyes all day long and was bedridden.
If the doctor had not persuaded her many times with the fetus in her belly, she would not even eat or drink.
Zhang Bao, who is much older and has a father-in-law, has always been the object of longing for her parents when she was orphaned as a child, but now she has no one to rely on.
No one can comfort this kind of grief.
Therefore, during these days, Zheng Pu could only stay by her bedside, giving her a shoulder to lean on and vent her emotions freely.
Zhang Zun, who also lives in the villa here, has already been ordered by Emperor Liu Chan to carry the coffin and embark on the journey back to Chengdu.
Empress Zhang earnestly requested.
Like Zhang Yan, when she learned the news, she was already lingering on the hospital bed, letting her tears wet her brocade quilt silently for a while.
But unlike Zhang Yan, she wiped away her tears after a while, called the palace servants to serve her meal, and swallowed her mouth without any regard for etiquette. Her face was full of tenacity and stubbornness. She even spoke to the patient in front of her bed.
The emperor begged Zhang Zun to be raised in the palace and study together with the crown prince Liu Xuan, and she would teach him personally.
Because Zhang Shao, the second son of the Zhang family, was weak in muscles and bones, it was difficult for him to do martial arts.
In other words, she unleashed her potential for survival when she was worried about her fate.
But everyone knows that if possible, she would rather stay on this bed and leave.
"drive!"
With a gentle squeeze of his legs, Zheng Pu rode off to the Prime Minister's office in Ji County.
The Prime Minister came to Ji County a few days ago.
However, on the grounds of physical discomfort, everyone can perform their duties and do not come to see him.
However, looking at his wife who was becoming increasingly haggard, Zheng Pu couldn't help but ask to see her.
Because before he went out, he hugged Zhang Yan gently in front of the bed and whispered a promise in her ear, "Wen Dai, I am so lucky to be alive. When you are one year old, you will see me avenge Brother Wen Rong!"
Hearing this, Zhang Yan, whose eyes were red and swollen, stopped crying abruptly.
He also forced himself to straighten up, smoothing Zheng Pu's slightly messy sideburns that had long been frosty white, and nodded heavily, "Well, husband, I'll be waiting!"
At Chen time, we arrived at Ji County.
Zheng Pu walked into the other office. After tidying up his appearance, he came to the Prime Minister's Office to look for his belongings and the clerk on duty said, "Excuse me, I would like to see the Prime Minister."
It also made the little official on duty look embarrassed.
The Prime Minister had already spoken, so he didn't dare to disturb him.
But Zheng Pu was the Prime Minister Si Zhi, the chief minister when the Prime Minister was away from Longyou, so he did not dare to refuse.
"Let's go and report it."
Zheng Pu also knew that he was forcing someone to make things difficult for him, so he softly comforted him, "Just say that I have something to ask for, and whether or not the Prime Minister does see me, I won't blame you."
The clerk on duty, as if he had received a general pardon, bowed and turned around to leave.
Zheng Pu, on the other hand, avoided the eaves and stood quietly with his eyes closed.
Because he knew that the Prime Minister would not see him, but he also knew that he had to see him.
In the department room, several braziers with burning charcoal fire warmed the room, but they could not warm the prime minister's body and mind.
Victory or defeat is standard issue.
The success of the ambush by Wei Wei and the loss of nearly two thousand soldiers was disappointing, but it could not shake the Han's military morale in the Hexi Corridor.
However, the death of Zhang Bao, who was both a great hero and a relative, made the Prime Minister sad that the young generals had fallen, and also disrupted the Prime Minister's plan to "have a successor".
The world has been in turmoil for decades, with the case of Yuan Shu and Cao Cao at the front, the death of the first emperor and the rebellion in the southern counties. The prime minister, who has always been cautious and cautious, felt that he needed to prepare for the emperor Liu Chan to control the military power before he died.
I just didn't expect the accident to come earlier than tomorrow.
And due to his identity, Zhang Bao is irreplaceable.
Be it Guan Xing, Zhao Guang or Huo Yi, without the identity of a foreign relative, his military prestige would not be comparable to that of Zheng Pu.
Yes, the Prime Minister had no intention of letting Zheng Pu replace Zhang Bao.
Although Zheng Pu and the emperor were brothers-in-law, the Han Dynasty did not need to welcome another powerful minister.
I don’t dare to welcome him again.
Because no one dares to confirm whether the person we welcome will join Huo Guang or imitate Wang Mang in a few decades.
Therefore, the prime minister came to Ji County after hearing the bad news.
After suppressing Jiang Wei's plea, he sent officials to appease the Shaodang people, and also thought about a proper plan and put it into action.
For example, which family should be the best to choose as the crown prince’s concubine? There are also several princesses like Emperor Liu Chan who will get hairpins a few years later. Which family’s nephews will be lucky enough to welcome them back?
This situation is just like the time when the late emperor passed away and devoted all his energy to ordering the wealthy people of Bashu to launch the Northern Expedition.
The difference is that now the prime minister's hair and beard are all white.
"Duh! Duh!"
A slight knock on the door interrupted the Prime Minister's thoughts, "Prime Minister, Mr. Zheng wishes to see you."
Zijin?
He raised his eyebrows slightly, and a hint of helplessness flashed in the Prime Minister's eyes.
With Zheng Pu's vengeful character, it is obvious why he came here: he was just asking the military governor to attack the Wei army in Helan Mountain to avenge Zhang Bao.
"not see."
After a moment of silence, the Prime Minister's voice sounded a little tired, "Tell him not to come again."
"promise."
The little official on duty walked out from the long eaves corridor and came to Zheng Pu who was standing outside the eaves. He said in a low voice, "Zheng Sizhi, the Prime Minister is missing, and I will not allow you to return my invitation."
Zheng Pu
"Yeah, I know."
After saying that, he continued to close his eyes and rest his mind.
The clerk on duty was speechless.
But he opened his mouth, but still did not dare to say anything to persuade Zheng Pu to go back. He had to return to his duty station and cuddle up to the brazier to keep warm.
As time passed slowly, the snow fell harder and harder.
A gust of wind roared in.
The clerk on duty, who was leaning against the brazier, could not help but tremble.
He is from Shu and has been in Longyou for some years, but he always finds winter and spring difficult.
But not everyone is as afraid of the cold as he is.
He shrunk his body, tightened his collar, and turned his head slightly to peek at Zheng Pu, who was still standing outside the eaves with his eyes closed.
I saw that snowflakes had already accumulated a thin layer on his shoulders, and a lot of them were also on his beard. Reflecting the frost-white temples that morning, and the deep tiredness on his face, he looked like a man.
An old man.
Zheng Sizhi is really not afraid of the cold...
A ray of admiration emerged in the young official's heart.
Immediately, another sigh arose: Zheng Sizhi is aging before he gets old, which shows how hard he works for the country in daily life...
If not, should I ask the servant to bring a charcoal stove to Mr. Zheng?
Putting his hands on the fire pot to keep warm, the clerk on duty hesitated in his heart, but soon his hesitation was interrupted by the sound of low footsteps.
It turned out that the butcher came with the food table.
Eat less and often.
This was the advice given by the imperial physician after the Prime Minister rested in the Dingjunshan Villa in Hanzhong County.
In this regard, under Huang's care and persistence, the Prime Minister gradually developed a habit of forcing himself to eat a little even if he had a loss of appetite.
He took the food table, walked through the long corridor and knocked on the door.
The clerk who entered the room gently put down the food table and did not immediately bow and leave. Instead, a few wisps of struggle flashed across his face, which turned into a soft voice, "Prime Minister, Zheng Sizhi is still waiting outside."
Upon hearing this, the Prime Minister, who was about to pick up the bamboo chopsticks on the table, paused for a moment.
After a while, he waved his hand gently.
"Let him alone."
The clerk didn't dare to say anything anymore. He bowed silently and quickly turned around and closed the door and left.
After returning to the duty station again, I no longer had the thought of asking anyone to bring a charcoal fire stove.
The days in late winter are short.
Not long after entering You, the sky became pitch black.
Torches or braziers were lit at the sentry posts and eaves of the Prime Minister's Office in Hebei County. After a busy day, Ji Zuo and Ling Shi left in twos and threes, replaced by the majestic Su Wei soldiers. They once again took over the care of the chef.
The clerk on duty who brought the food table to the Prime Minister did not forget to glance to one side with the corner of his eye as he walked forward.
In the dim light, Zheng Pu, dressed in white, could only vaguely make out his outline, as silent, tall and firm as the stone sculpture that originally stood in the small courtyard.
There is still the pride of standing between heaven and earth, letting the wind blow and rain, and not fearing the cold or heat.
"Prime Minister, please have a meal."
Putting down the food table, the clerk on duty bowed and stepped back from the door, but did not leave.
The Prime Minister, who was about to eat, noticed something. After looking up, he asked aloud, "Is Naizijin still waiting outside?"
"Back to Prime Minister, yes."
The clerk still lowered his head and whispered back, "It's snowing heavily today, and the snow is almost as deep as Zheng Si's knees."
"This is such a stupid thing!"
Immediately, the rarely angry Prime Minister cursed in a low voice.
This caused the officer on duty to panic for a while. While he lowered his head and held his breath, he secretly blamed himself for his meddlesomeness.
Just when he was thinking about whether it was appropriate to resign at this time, the Prime Minister's sigh came to his ears again, "Oh... that's all, let's go and ask the butler to add another meal."
"promise."
............
When he was young, Zheng Pu pushed open the door and walked in, lowered his head and bowed, "Pu, meet the Prime Minister."
"Well, let's eat."
The prime minister, who was having a meal, made a slight nasal sound and did not raise his head.
"Thank you, Prime Minister."
Different from the past, Zheng Pu ate slowly this time.
Even though the Prime Minister had already finished eating and stood up to rinse his mouth and hands, he did not put down the bamboo chopsticks as before and was still chewing slowly.
The Prime Minister did not rush, and walked slowly to the window and opened it a little, allowing the cold wind to escape and dilute the smell of charcoal in the house.
After a while, Zheng Pu put down the bamboo chopsticks.
After the officer on duty came in and removed the food table, the prime minister, who had closed his eyes for a long time and calmed down, said directly, "If Zijin came here to fight, don't waste your time talking." After saying this, he paused and did not wait for Zheng Pu.
In reply, he sighed again, "Oh, I really can't do it unless I don't want to."
Hearing this, Zheng Pu left his seat, stepped forward and bowed with his hands on his forehead, "Returning to the Prime Minister, although Pu is stupid, he also knows that 'the Lord cannot raise an army in anger, nor can a general attack in anger', 'if a small one cannot bear it, the big one will be in chaos'
"Mou' and other words. This time Feng Yan came to ask for an audience. It was Pu who invited him to take up the post of director, and asked him to be the governor of Hexi."
Um?
Involuntarily, the Prime Minister's long eyebrows twitched, and there was a hint of astonishment in his eyes.
Because the Prime Minister Sizhi was the Central Committee, Zheng Pu asked to resign, which was also a subtle statement: he did not want to serve in the Temple Central Committee in the future, but wanted to oversee a town like Guan Xing or Huo Yi and serve as a national vassal.
In this way, the "succession" that the Prime Minister was worried about just now can be easily solved.
The great Han Dynasty was able to quell even the rebellions of the Seven Kingdoms. As long as the center of the temple remained unchanged and the emperor's talisman checked and balanced all parties, there would be no worries about the rebellion of the outer governors.
Moreover, the disadvantages of having a relative as a general were proved by the Han Dynasty at the cost of several court bloodsheds.
As for why Zheng Pu asked for governor to control Hexi...
It’s also easy to understand.
Zhang Bao died, and Jiang Wei, as the governor of Hexi, was bound to be demoted.
No matter whether the battle of Qu Wushan was a scheduling error or not.
In fact, the Prime Minister is currently undecided on the candidate to supervise the war in Hexi.
It's not that there aren't suitable candidates.
For example, Ma Dai, who has not yet announced his return to Chengdu, and Wu Ban, who is guarding Ayang City in Longyou, can even transfer Deng Zhi back from Jiangzhou.
But none of them are as suitable as Zheng Pu.
Needless to say, Ma Dai had already petitioned to retreat to the rear a long time ago, and the court agreed. However, he was given a heavy responsibility again. He was not familiar with treating veteran ministers favorably and was suspected of changing orders overnight.
Wu Ban is also older.
Although he is still in good health now, after he is sent to Hexi, where the environment is harsh, who can be sure that he will always be fine?
Deng Zhi had only been in Jiangzhou for a few years, and there was really no one to choose from, so the prime minister didn't want him to be tired in transit.
Under this situation, it is most appropriate for Zheng Pu to supervise the battle in Hexi.
But after spending many years together, the Prime Minister knew Zheng Pu too well.
For example, after Zheng Pu supervised the battle in Hexi, how could he bear not to attack the Wei army in Helan Mountain...
For a moment, the Prime Minister's mind was filled with thoughts.
He quietly looked at Zheng Pu, who was still bowing his head, for a while, and then said in a calm voice, "Get up, Mo Yuli. Well, if Zijin is in charge of Hexi, what will he do?"
Zheng Pu straightened up in accordance with the words, but did not return to his seat. He looked solemnly and replied, "Returning to the Prime Minister, it is the same as the previous conclusion. If it is possible to fight, Pu will fight; if it is not possible, Pu will guard the border to protect the peace of the people, and urge the soldiers to practice martial arts in the fields."
Alas, sure enough.
If you can fight, fight, if you can't fight, defend. . . .
When you arrive in Hexi, "unfightable" will become "fightable"!
The Prime Minister sighed quietly.
"Zijin, the expansion of our cavalry has not been completed, and we have just lost more than a thousand cavalry."
"Returning to the Prime Minister, when our army first left Longyou, we didn't have many cavalry, but we were still able to recover Longyou and Liangzhou. And the art of war has a saying, 'Soldiers are more valuable than more elite soldiers.' Our infantry is invincible in field battles.
The cavalry is the driving force and the supporting force. There are Xiliang cavalry and Zhao Yihong's five thousand cavalry, which is enough!"
"Our army is short of food and fodder."
"Returning to the Prime Minister, Pu also thinks so. Just now Pu said that the opportunity to fight was based on the grain, fodder, troops and horses of the counties in Hexi, and he did not ask for support from Longyou."
"Our people's livelihood is in decline, and we urgently need to rest with the people; the national treasury is not rich, and it is not time to send out troops!"
"Returning to the Prime Minister, Pu secretly believed that the people in Ni Wei also deduced the same. If Pu's troops move quickly, he is well versed in the art of war and the unexpected! It is not difficult to achieve success in one battle!"
"Military strife is a matter of life and death for the country and should not be trivial!"
"Returning to the Prime Minister, Pu does not dare to have such an intention. Moreover, Pu just said that if you can fight, fight, and if you cannot stand, defend."
"Stop arguing with cunning words! Wen Rong died, and Zi Jin was in mourning. I am not so evil! However, I was entrusted by the late emperor to be alone, and Zi Jin was close to the emperor. I should think that it was difficult for the late emperor to start a business and the Northern Expedition was not easy. How can I be angry?
Raising troops will ruin the country’s success!”
"Prime Minister, Pu doesn't dare to defraud the country, but..."
"You! Presumptuous!"
The prime minister, who had always been sincere and sincere, could no longer suppress the irritation in his eyes and scolded Zheng Pu before he could finish his argument.
But Zheng Pu was not afraid.
He bowed his head again and continued to argue, "Prime Minister, why don't you wait until Pu tells you what's in his mind before you decide whether it's okay or not?"
The Prime Minister said nothing, but stared at Zheng Pu's shoulders and back angrily.
He had been angry for a long time, and if he hadn't seen Zheng Pu's meritorious service and willingness to kill himself to serve the country, and knew that his temperament had always been stubborn, he couldn't help but call the soldiers to beat him.
There was a long moment of dead silence.
The Prime Minister's eyes slowly softened.
But the helplessness in my heart did not lessen, and I still felt a vague pain in my knees and legs that was a bit unbearable.
Simply, he stood up and opened the window eaves, letting the new wind howl into the house to see if the chill that dominated the world could make Zheng Pu clearer and make the ray of annoyance in his heart disappear with the wind.
"call......"
After a while, the Prime Minister exhaled a deep breath.
He closed the window, walked back to his seat again, and his voice returned to its usual gentleness, "Tell me, how do you think?"
"No, thank you, Prime Minister."
After first bowing and apologizing, Zheng Pu straightened up and revealed the plan he had been thinking about for more than a month.
"Prime Minister, I have carefully questioned the soldiers who were lucky enough to return from the Battle of Qu Wushan, and I know that the Zahu tribe who joined the Wei Dynasty did not pretend to surrender, but the Wei Wei was able to set up an ambush in advance. This shows that the Zahu tribe must have deliberately forced the rebels against the Wei Dynasty.
It can also be seen that the person who rebelled against the Wei was so greedy for merit that he already regarded the soldiers as nothing more than grass! Since he was greedy for merit, Pu did what he wanted and gave him a merit that could change the shape of both sides' offensive and defensive wars! The one who fortified the city of Anyin
, is the gateway to the west of Hexi, and it is also the basis for the enemy and us to attack and defend, and it is like a pure and empty duck to lure..."
At this point, the Prime Minister raised his hand to interrupt him, "Zijin, stop it. In the battle of Quwu Mountain, Ni Wei was able to plot this, so it can be seen that he is a man of scheming. Even if Zijin lures him with the fortress of Guanyin, how can he do it?"
Falling into a trap?"
"Prime Minister, this is why Pu Qiu supervises the battle in Hexi."
When asked, Zheng Pu said without thinking, "Those who are good at swimming will drown in the water. Since the war, Governor Pu has been fond of deceit and many dangerous schemes. He is also aware of this rebellion against the Wei Dynasty. Since he is a man of great scheming, he knows that Governor Pu is fighting in Hexi."
, we must carefully find out the tricks of Pu's use of troops! If Pu uses his troops first as a deception, then as a real plan, and there is a subterfuge in the plan, so that he can control himself and understand what I want, and at the same time he is greedy for success, he will definitely
They will drive the troops into our midst!"
Planning first is deception, planning later is reality?
A plan within a plan?
Slightly drooping his eyes, the Prime Minister twirled his beard and thought for a moment before continuing to speak, "Zi Jin is good at planning military campaigns. Since joining the campaign, he has succeeded in many of his plans. I believe that Zi Jin will be able to counter Wei's troops in the Helan Mountains."
Defeat the enemy and enhance the might of our great Han Dynasty. However, has Zijin ever thought that with our army’s current food reserves, even if we attack and destroy the Wei army entrenched in the Helan Mountains, will it be of any benefit to our country?”
yes!
Now that the Wei army entrenched in the Helan Mountain area has been defeated, it will not be of any benefit to the Han Dynasty.
Because of the national strength of the Han Dynasty, all the farmland that was opposed to the Wei Dynasty, such as Lingzhou, Dingxicheng and Fuping County, was conquered. This was also the case of "the land cannot be cultivated but can be eaten, and the people cannot be used as subjects".
After all, the Southern Xiongnu Liu Bao is now entrenched in Shuofang County, and Yunzhong, Wuyuan and other counties have also been restored by the Wei State.
By then the Han had occupied the Helan Mountains, and went against the Wei Dynasty from Guanzhong to Kushui River and Bingzhou Shuofang County and Wuyuan County. They would attack from two sides. If the Han army garrisoned less troops, it would be unable to resist. If the Han army had more troops, it would sacrifice its roots and chase the weak - entering Guanzhong and returning to the capital.
The old capital was the most urgent priority for the Han Dynasty, and there was no need to waste the already stretched troops and food supplies on fruitless wars.
The reason for the intrusion by Jiang Wei and others was to train the cavalry.
To take a step back, the purpose of Wei's farming in Helan Mountain was to contain the Han army's strength in Hexi.
Even if they want to attack and destroy, they should wait until the battle to enter Guanzhong begins. Because they attack and destroy in advance, the Wei State can wait until the Han army retreats before sending a force to garrison and defend itself, allowing the Han army to continue to consume the war reserves.
"Back to Prime Minister, Pu has thought about his fault."
Zheng Pu bowed his hands in salute and said loudly, "This is also the reason for Pu's plan! Because Pu's sword dance at Helan Mountain this time is aimed at Gaoping City, Anding County! Prime Minister, Pu secretly thought that our army would not be able to rebel against Wei now.
As soon as the troops leave the Guanzhong to collect grain and fodder, within a year or two, everyone will focus on Huainan and Jiangdong fighting for the new city of Hefei. This is a good opportunity for our army to capture the city!"
"Brother Wenrong... you know my family background when you go against the Wei Dynasty, and you also know that I will retaliate against you. If I supervise the troops in Hexi, and the troops and horses in Longyou and Hanzhong are out of tune, they will think that I am
If you want revenge, don't take strict precautions against Gao Ping!"
"If everything goes well and our army goes to Gaoping City, it will be impossible to defend Longdong against Wei. If it is impossible to defend Longdong against Wei, then there will be no danger to defend in Guanzhong! They can only retreat into the city, build strong walls and clear the fields to wait, while our army can go to Baoxie Valley.
Chencang and Xiaoguan entered the pass, occupied open areas to farm, trapped the city and called for reinforcements, and slowly made plans."
"In this way, our army will not be in trouble with food or fodder! It can also be said that our army can enter Guanzhong three years in advance!"
.....................
It's quiet at night.
The heavy snow that lasted for several days finally stopped, but the wind was still howling wantonly.
There was still light in the Prime Minister's office. Although the cold and sleepy clerk on duty had been told to go back and rest long ago, he still insisted on staying outside and had quietly entered to add charcoal to the fire many times. However, the meal served was cold.
He took it back and heated it up several times, but he didn't dare to ask the Prime Minister to have a meal.
Zheng Pu has gone back long ago.
The prime minister was left alone, holding a bronze grease lamp in his hand, standing in front of the huge map and meditating.
He knew that Zheng Pu had said that he would enter Guanzhong three years in advance. Gein's previous plan was to send troops to Guanzhong and stay there until "three years of state-owned reserves".
He also knew that Zheng Pu's plan was not about quick success.
As long as Gaoping City can be captured, with the field capabilities of the Han army, no matter how many soldiers and horses the Wei State has, they will not be able to prevent the Han army, which has no worries, from entering Youfufeng, occupying the fertile fields and farming for self-sufficiency, and will no longer be trapped in the difficulty of transporting grain!
It will also make the long-cherished wish of "returning to the old capital" come true in advance!
Therefore, the Prime Minister did not feel sleepy at all.
Just when he suddenly remembered the opportunity for this plan, the Prime Minister inevitably felt sad and said, "Oh, Wen Rong..."
