Jiuxi

Chapter 85 084 [Monarch, Minister and Society]

The wind drove the torrential rain to sprinkle the high city, and the clouds pressed down lightly and the thunder sounded.

A burst of steep and rapid summer rain poured down from the sky, shrouding the majestic Yongjia City in a curtain of rain.

In the hazy sky, the capital of Qi State looked like a sleeping giant.

The rain sounded like drums outside, and the atmosphere in the Wende Hall of the Imperial Palace was also solemn.

"... After the Battle of Guangling, the spy system dispatched by the Puppet Yan Procuratorate in Huaizhou has been destroyed, and most of the spies have been eliminated. Our army won a great victory in the Battle of Qingxia and successfully pushed back the front. Now except In addition to the Panlong Army and the Feiyun Army who returned to reorganize, the remaining four armies are still stationed in the northern part of the Lai'an Defense Line. The losses of the Guangling Army are still acceptable, but the Shuangfeng Mountains need to be more alert to prevent the enemy from raiding Huaizhou's rear again. In summary , I think Governor Xiao’s petition is very reasonable.”

The Sutra Weaver raised Qin Zheng upright and reported the matter in a leisurely and unhurried manner.

The general on the right, who was over forty years old, had a calm expression, but in his heart he cursed Qin Zheng's wife fiercely.

This man's name was Li Jingda, who was worshiped as a general. He and Liu Shouguang, another general beside him, were in charge of the [-]th Army of Nanya.

The reason why he kept slandering Qin Zheng was because today he was discussing in court the issue of increasing troops in Huaizhou.

A few months ago, Beiyan sent his army south to invade the border. There was a long debate in the court about how to support Huaizhou.

This delay is because everyone knows that Xiao Wangzhi is in charge of the nearly [-] troops of the Huaizhou Seventh Army. In any case, the Yan people will not easily break through the defense line. They will definitely be as safe as a mountain in a short time.

The final result of the discussion was that Li Jingda detached half of his Sixth Army, nearly [-] troops, and headed north to Huaizhou to support the border war.

Li Jingda was reluctant, but this decision was unanimously approved by the emperor, the two prime ministers, the Privy Councilor Guo Congyi, and the general Wang Yan. After all, his arms could not hold up his thighs, so he had to mobilize his troops and send his generals north.

Before the three armies of Nanya reached the Hengjiang River, news came from the north that Huaizhou had two consecutive great victories and Beiyan's Dongyang Road army suffered heavy losses.

Li Jingda was overjoyed and immediately sent someone to urgently order the three armies to stop moving forward. At the same time, he asked the ministers close to the court to report to the emperor, hoping to transfer those tens of thousands of people back to Yongjia.

However, Xiao Wangzhi highlighted a few things in the battle report. One of them was that Huaizhou did not have enough troops to cope with the next stage of the war, and asked the court to increase the number of troops by [-] to [-] on the original basis.

What Qin Zheng said just now was in support of Xiao Wangzhi's petition.

However, after saying the last words, Qin Zheng bowed to the emperor on the dragon throne and immediately retreated to the corner, just like his style in the court for so many years.

If the emperor hadn't asked, he would never have said another word. It was rare to actively support Xiao Wangzhi like today.

Because of this rarity, many important officials in the palace had to treat it with caution.

They knew very well the status of Qin Zheng in the heart of the emperor, and many times his statements represented the holy will.

Your Majesty is willing to support Xiao Wangzhi's counterattack in the Northern Expedition?
This idea swirled in Li Jingda's mind. Although he was very disgusted, he could not take the initiative to speak. After all, the tens of thousands of soldiers and horses staying on the south bank of the Hengjiang River were under his command. It was unwise for him to be the first to jump out and object, so he kept silent. He turned his head and glanced at Liu Shouguang.

If we want to continue to increase troops to Huaizhou, we will only draw troops from the Sixth Army of Nanya, which Liu Shouguang is in charge of. This guy can't just sit back and watch.

However, Liu Shouguang, who was several years older than Li Jingda, stared at the ground in front of him, as if there was a peerless beauty on the bare gold bricks.

There was silence in the hall.

After a while, the emperor's calm voice came to everyone's ears: "Let's put this matter aside for the time being. Let's discuss the rewards for the soldiers of the border army."

In fact, not only Xiao Wangzhi had expected this war in Huaizhou, but also the Manchu ministers were not surprised.

After all, the Jing Dynasty behind Beiyan would not just sit back and watch Huaizhou be controlled by the Qi Dynasty. Judging from the scale of this war, it was obvious that the opponent was not just a test, but had a real intention to capture Huaizhou.

However, the two great victories in Guangling and Qingxia came just in time, which could at least temporarily dispel the ambitions of the north and allow the peace years to last for a few more years.

Privy Councilor Guo Congyi, who was over fifty years old, said calmly: "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, the rewards and pensions for the frontier army officers can be based on the old regulations. Generals who have meritorious service may be awarded titles and rewards."

"In Privy Guo's opinion, what title should Xiao Wangzhi be given?" the emperor asked again.

Guo Congyi's hair was slightly white at the temples, but his body was still strong. His old eyes were shining and he said calmly: "In the battle of Qingxia, the enemy lost nearly [-] troops. It can be said to be a great victory that inspired the government and the public. Such a great achievement should be rewarded with The prince of the county gave it to him as a gift."

The military merit titles of the Qi Dynasty were divided into eight levels, namely, Prince, County Prince, Founding Duke, Founding Duke, Marquis, Uncle, Son, and Male.

From the time when Li Zhongjing founded the Qi Dynasty to the present, in more than 160 years, no official outside the clan has ever been named a prince during his lifetime, and the prince is the end.

The royal family of the Qi Dynasty was very cautious about conferring military honors and titles. After the Emperor came to the throne, he only conferred the title to two dukes. One of them had passed away and the other had already entered the official position.

Guo Congyi himself is only a marquis, while Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun are only earls. This is related to the defensive national policy pursued by the Qi Dynasty. Without military exploits to expand territory, it is naturally difficult to improve the title.

The emperor on the dragon throne was silent.

A civil servant on the left calmly retorted: "Your Majesty, please forgive me for having different views. Governor Xiao indeed has merit, but if Governor Li of Jingzhou had not understood the conspiracy of the puppet Yan in advance, he ordered the most elite Feiyu camp under his command to cross the river. We are rushing down to support Guangling. I am afraid that this important rear town has fallen into the hands of the enemy. Governor Xiao's original intention was to bet that the enemy could not capture Guangling, and then fight the main enemy force in the Qingxia area. What if Guangling fell?" Everyone followed the news and went out. , I saw it was Ding Hui, Minister of the Ministry of War.

The man had a fair complexion and a mellow tone as he continued: "This is a risky move by Governor Xiao, and he relies entirely on the support of the Jingzhou Governor's Mansion. Of course, the victory in the Battle of Qingxia should be rewarded, but the position of Duke is obviously inappropriate."

Guo Congyi's face was calm, and he didn't seem to mind the other party's rebuttal, and said leisurely: "Then how should I award the reward according to Ding Shangshu's opinion?"

Ding Hui glanced at the man on the dragon chair, cupped his hands and said, "This is a serious matter, and it deserves a holy ruling."

Guo Congyi nodded and said yes.

The hall fell into silence again.

"Your Majesty, I think what Privy Guo and Ding Shangshu said are reasonable. It is better to adopt a compromise method and make Xiao Wangzhi, the governor of Huaizhou, a marquis, and other generals will be rewarded as usual."

A calm voice broke the slightly eerie silence.

The owner of this voice has a pale face and an upright body. He is Xue Nanting, the current right minister.

The emperor thought for a moment and then said: "Yes."

Xue Nanting added: "As for Xiao Wangzhi's previous petition, I think there is nothing wrong with it. Now that the morale of the newly defeated army of the puppet Yan is low, and the Jing Dynasty wants to sit on the mountain and watch the tiger fight, our army can use this opportunity to try to counterattack . I believe in the ability and vision of the two commanders-in-chief, Xiao Wangzhi and Li Tianrun. If things cannot be done, they will stop in time."

He paused slightly, looked around at the crowd and said, "But if we miss this opportunity and wait for the puppet Yan to reorganize its armaments, our army will be at great risk if we try to counterattack again."

Privy Councilor Guo Congyi, General Wang Yan in charge of the Sixth Army of Bei Ya, and General Liu Shouguang of Nan Ya all remained silent. Li Jingda hesitated for a moment, but finally said in a serious tone: "What the Prime Minister said makes sense, but Huaizhou is isolated in the north of the Yangtze River. Once the battle situation becomes dangerous, it will be difficult to rescue. In the eyes of the general, it is more important to secure Huaizhou."

Xue Nanting frowned slightly and said: "General, what do you mean, the soldiers of our dynasty are far inferior to the soldiers of the puppet Yan army?"

Li Jingda said flatly: "The general has no such intention."

Xue Nanting pressed forward step by step: "In the battle of Guangling, the 4000 defenders and the [-] reinforcements from Feiyu Camp fought against an enemy twice as powerful as our own. In the end, they defeated the enemy's generals and captured nearly [-] people, most of whom were captured. They are all the so-called veterans of the Jing Dynasty. In the battle of Qingxia, Xiao Wangzhi's troops only had [-] troops at full strength. Facing the [-] troops mobilized by the puppet Yan Dongyang Road, the final result was that [-] enemies were killed and nearly [-] were captured. "

"These two battles took place in the south and north of Huaizhou. They both started with our army being at a disadvantage, but ended with the enemy's defeat. Doesn't that explain the combat power of Huaizhou's seven armies? Now the enemy has been defeated like a lost dog. This Under all circumstances, we dare not counterattack and go north. Where will the general's words put our men in the border army?"

Li Jingda suddenly regretted that he wanted to jump out.

Although the Right Chancellor has never been known for his reputation, he is a civil servant after all. How can he compete with the other party's words?
He lowered his head angrily, but there was no fear in his heart.

"Cough cough..."

An old man in front of Xue Nanting coughed twice, and then said to the man on the dragon chair: "Old minister, I have violated the rules of conduct in front of the palace. I hope your majesty will forgive me."

There was a hint of concern in the emperor's voice: "What is the crime of the left prime minister? Do you want me to send the imperial doctor to make a diagnosis?"

The old man bowed his hands and said sincerely: "Your Majesty is so kind to me. I am very grateful to you. There is no need for an imperial doctor. I have a chronic illness. It happens every summer. Your Majesty does not need to worry about it."

The emperor said: "That's good. Prime Minister Zuo still needs to take care of himself. Neither I nor the court can do without you."

The old man was Li Daoyan, the left prime minister of the current dynasty. Before the Yuanjia Revolution, he was an official in the Daqi Dynasty. His family had branches in many places in the south of the Yangtze River. The culture was at its peak, farming and reading, and he himself was rich in experience and famous all over the world. .

When today's emperor can ascend the throne, the first contribution will be made by this left prime minister.

Li Daoyan coughed twice more, and then said slowly: "Xiao Wangzhi wants to launch a counterattack in the Northern Expedition. Of course Puppet Yan and Jingchao will also think of this. Huaizhou's defeat in both battles does not mean that the north has lost the ability to fight back. . Therefore, even if you counterattack, you must be cautious. Moreover, the supply of food, grass and ordnance is also very difficult."

He looked up at the man on the dragon chair and said sincerely: "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, we might as well let the three Nanya armies on the south bank of the Hengjiang River continue to cross the river and move northward, and cooperate with the Seventh Army of Huaizhou to implement the next strategy. Xiao Wangzhi can unify Command. However, we must also tell Governor Xiao that the imperial court is not ready for a large-scale Northern Expedition, so it will not continue to increase its troops. It would certainly be a good thing if he could take another bite of flesh from the Puppet Yan, but if things don't work Because, we are not allowed to forcefully push back the front because of our great success."

The Emperor said: "This is the Prime Minister Zuo's true knowledge and insight, so I will follow the words of the Prime Minister Zuo."

Li Daoyan bowed and thanked him.

Xue Nanting frowned slightly, and when he was about to speak, he felt a gaze staying on him.

He turned his head and looked around unintentionally, only to see Qin Zheng standing in the distance looking at him, shaking his head imperceptibly.

Xue Nanting sighed in his heart and had to give up.

This was the end of the small court meeting. There was still the sound of rain outside the palace. The palace people had already prepared rain gear for the important ministers and stood waiting in the corridor outside the palace.

Xue Nanting walked out slowly and looked at the gloomy sky outside, with a hint of desolation hidden in his calm eyes.

(End of this chapter)