Before taking office, officials must meet with the Holy Spirit to express their gratitude. When Han Zhen was appointed as the magistrate of Qinzhou, this process was omitted due to the outbreak of the Xixia War.
Zhang Yue now entered the palace to express his gratitude, and happened to see Lu Huiqing coming with a haggard look.
Zhang Yue heard that Lu Huiqing's father had passed away, so he wanted to go home to Ding You. It's hard to say what happened to Ding You. In addition to feeling sad, like Zhang Fangping, he had just become the governor of the imperial court and was about to develop his ambitions in political affairs. However, Ding You came back after a while and found that his position had been replaced by Wang Anshi.
In addition to this incident, Zhang Yue also heard that after Lu Huiqing left, Lin Dan and Zeng Bu were in charge of Sinong Temple. As a result, as soon as Lu Huiqing left, Zeng Bu changed Lu Huiqing's recruitment law.
After hearing this, Lu Huiqing was furious and had a very unpleasant quarrel with Zeng Bu.
In fact, compared to Zhang Yue, Zeng Bu was Lu Huiqing's biggest threat.
The two of them had been fighting each other in the palace for so long, and neither of them stepped on the other to get any further. They recalled how complacent they were when they first entered the ruling council. Now Zhang Yue has left Qinzhou, while Lu Huiqing has returned to his hometown.
"Brother Jifu!"
"It's Duzhi!"
When the two met, they were both in awe.
Lu Huiqing sighed: "Humanity is precious to me, but it is not my ability. This is due to time, luck, and fate."
Hearing this, Zhang Yue joked: "The virtuous and unworthy of people are like rats, it depends on where they are."
After hearing Zhang Yue's sarcastic remarks, Lu Huiqing's originally gloomy expression immediately turned into a hearty laugh.
Lu Huiqing just quoted Han Yao Fu and said that at this time, Ding You was really unlucky and missed the opportunity to become rich and famous.
Lu Huiqing's intention obviously has a second meaning. If I lose to you Zhang Yue this time, it will not be a matter of ability, but a matter of luck.
Zhang Yue satirized Lu Huiqing using Li Si's theory. The rat in the warehouse was bold and leisurely, while the rat in the toilet was timid and panicked. The reason was that the two were in different positions.
Zhang Yue means, Jifu, please don’t regard the platform as your ability. Your rapid promotion is not all due to holding Wang Anshi's thigh.
So Lu Huiqing laughed when he heard this.
Without the person in his position, Lu Huiqing's mood was open-minded.
Lu Huiqing said: "Duzhi, you and I are about to part ways. One has gone to the northwest, the other to the southeast. We have traveled thousands of miles. I don't know what year or month we will see each other again."
"To be honest, Lu thinks very highly of himself, and not many people in the world think highly of him, but I am willing to take a step back from you, Lu."
Zhang Yue was surprised, when did Lu Huiqing become so easy to talk to?
Zhang Yue said: "Ji Fu's words are serious. I'm not as good as my brother, just in case."
Zhang Yue also figured out that an official like Lu Huiqing could not believe even a word he said.
Lu Huiqing said: "Duzhi, you go to Qinzhou to take up the post. I also know the military situation in Shaanxi. First of all, soldiers are constantly changing. If you don't know how to adapt, you will only stick to the situation. Therefore, a general must go to the front line in person. Secondly, Han will participate in politics here. Going to the northwest, it would be a mistake to use the Han and Tibetan armies as separate armies."
Zhang Yue looked at Lu Huiqing and said, "Unexpectedly, Jifu is also so aware of the surrounding affairs."
Lu Huiqing said with a smile: "Those who want to be a leader must know a lot about Feng Shui, medicine, and childbirth, let alone military affairs. Lu has been interested in this for a long time."
After a pause, Lu Huiqing said seriously: "Du Zhi, I hope you will use these words in the future!"
Zhang Yue said humbly: "I don't dare to take it!"
After the two of them bowed to each other, Lu Huiqing left. Zhang Yue watched Lu Huiqing's background, and this last meeting before leaving Beijing somewhat helped the two of them put aside their past feud.
Zhang Yue entered the palace to express his gratitude.
Even if you are demoted, you have to refuse your kindness. Otherwise, how can you say that even thunder, rain and dew are all your kindness?
Generally speaking, meeting the emperor is just a process. At this level, you may not be able to meet the emperor. Ordinary officials stand in front of the palace, and then a chamberlain comes out to inform you that the emperor knows, and then you can go and take office.
When Zhang Yue arrived at the Chongzheng Hall, he waited for a while before the chamberlain came out and said, "The officials have summoned us!"
Zhang Yue thought to himself that before leaving, he had one last chance to meet the officials.
The chamberlain led Zhang Yue into the side hall, where he saw a map of Shaanxi and Xixia hanging on the entire wall.
The three prefectures and twenty-four prefectures of Shaanxi are clearly visible above, which are divided into four pacification envoy roads, namely Fuyan, Huanqing, Jingyuan, and Qinfeng.
The Qinzhou where Zhang Yue went to take office is on Qinfeng Road, located in the westernmost part of the Song Dynasty territory on the entire map, at the junction of Qing and Tang Dynasties.
Today, the military situation in the northwest is raging.
Officials will use whatever bargaining chips they can have in their hands, and the strategic defense situation in Shaanxi since the Song Dynasty will be transformed into a strategic offensive.
Among them, the biggest consumption was money, food, and the national power of the entire Song Dynasty.
The officials' eyes were fixed on the map. Although he was a young emperor who had only been in power for three to five years, his ambition was to become Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.
Zhang Yue followed the official's gaze and looked at the map. To the north of Hengshan Mountain was the Dry Sea, which is today's Mu Us Desert and the boundary of Xixia.
To the south of Hengshan are the four pacification envoy roads in Shaanxi and the Wuding and Weihe rivers, all of which are cut off by the vast Hengshan.
The so-called "appeasement road" means road traffic. The four roads are crisscrossed by river valleys and often blocked by mountains. Except for the Huanqing and Jingyuan 2nd roads, which are more convenient, the Yanyan and Qinfeng 2nd roads are very difficult to travel.
This made it difficult for the army to move and food supply was very difficult.
Therefore, the Shaanxi Fourth Road, Hengshan, and Hanhai constitute a situation of one horizontal and multiple verticals.
Without the shelter of Hengshan, the Fourth Road of Shaanxi would be an area that is easy to attack and difficult to defend, but it is the only line of defense to protect Guanzhong and defend the capital.
Therefore, we can see the urgency of capturing Hengshan for the Song Dynasty.
There are hundreds of bowl lamps on all sides of the hall, illuminating the picture.
The official personally held up a lamp and looked at the picture without saying a word, and Zhang Yue was also accompanying him. This scene was somewhat similar to when Wang Shao went to Ping Rongce before the emperor and his ministers played against each other.
At this time, a candlelight exploded in the hall, which interrupted the official's meditation and made him see Zhang Yue beside him.
"Zhang Qing!"
"I'm here." Zhang Yue quickly bowed.
"How successful do you think Han Jiang is in recruiting the Hengshan tribe?"
Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, I have always advocated that the princes use the barbarian rituals to control the barbarians, and when they enter China, they will be controlled by the Chinese. Regardless of whether the Chinese barbarians use Chinese rituals, they will belong to the Chinese! When Xianbei took over the Central Plains and adopted Han customs, now How can there be Xianbei?"
"So you think it's feasible to recruit the Hengshan tribe?"
Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, it is feasible to recruit the Hengshan tribe, but it is not as good as recruiting the Qingtang tribe."
"Why do you say that?"
"Although the Dangxiang Qiang and the Qing, Tang and Fan tribes both originated from Tubo, the land of Longyou River and Huang, where the Qing and Tang tribes lived, has been Han land since ancient times. After the decline of the Tang Dynasty, it was occupied by Tubo. As long as the court could teach grammar, This is not because they became Han Chinese over time, but because they were originally Han Chinese."
"Your Majesty, Hehuang is originally a Chinese land and has been the residence of Di Yi for a long time. It won't cost too much to run it now."
After hearing this, the official said: "Therefore, you have to go to Qinzhou to join Wang Shao to recruit the Qing, Tang and Tibetan tribes. Although you don't need any soldiers, money or food from the imperial court, what is the use of capturing Hengshan for the imperial court? ?”
"Your Majesty! Please lend me a lamp!" After Zhang Yue said this, he took a lamp from the official's hand and stood in front of Pingxia Tu, which was as tall as a person.
But I saw Zhang Yue holding up a lamp and drawing a line from northeast to southwest: "Your Majesty, this is Hengshan Hanhai! Ever since Li Yuanhao's uprising, he has blocked the way between Shaanxi Fourth Road and Lingxia!"
Zhang Yue moved the lamp a little lower than himself, then moved a little to the upper right corner and spoke.
"This is the ancient Wei village to the west of Qinzhou. Here, Dong Fei, the chieftain of the Qing and Tang Dynasties, also received state favor and admired us for a long time in the Song Dynasty."
Zhang Yue moved the lamp from bottom to top.
"I and Wang Shaoke joined forces with Dong Fei and led an army out of Qinwei to avoid the danger of drought and sea in Hengshan. They forced themselves between Lanhui (Lanzhou and Huizhou), herded horses in the Yellow River, and raided the territory of Xixia to help them. Your Majesty will seize Hengshan head-on!"
The official was surprised when he heard this and walked to the picture to take a closer look.
Zhang Yue's strategy was a combination of right and wrong. Han Jiang led the Song army's main force to attack Hengshan frontally, while Zhang Yue and Wang Shao led their partial divisions to bypass the Xixia people's frontal defense line at Hengshan, and attacked the Xixia people with the Dong Fei tribe, the strongest force in the Qing, Tang and Tibet. 's flanks.
The official asked: "Your Majesty, how will Prime Minister Han comment on this matter?"
Zhang Yue said: "Xiangong Wang already agrees with this proposal. Hengshan in the east and Xihe in the west. The two fronts can be pursued simultaneously, but the priorities are different. Prime Minister Han also agrees."
The official asked again: "How many men and horses do you need?"
Zhang Yue said: "There is no need for a single soldier from the court. Wang Shao has been operating in the ancient Wei Dynasty for six or seven years. Now he has recruited tens of thousands of Tibetan troops. He can raise a hundred thousand Tibetan soldiers at no cost to the court, but they can be used by his confidants."
"However, Dong Felt has not agreed yet. I am willing to go to the Qingtang Dynasty in person to persuade Dong Fei to send troops! If we can force the army to penetrate deeply into the Xia territory, the Xia people will be unable to look at each other. Hengshan can be captured!"
The officials couldn't help but ask, "What if Dong Felt doesn't go?"
Zhang Yue originally wanted to say that he would just run away if he couldn't fight, but seeing the official's serious look, Zhang Yue immediately changed his words and said: "I and Wang Shao also led a lone army to attack it. If you advance, you will not retreat, you will die but not live! "
Zhang Yue said these words with passion and moved himself.
Seeing that Guan Jia's eyes were slightly red, he tapped himself with his hand and said, "You must come back alive to me! You are not allowed to say such words in the future."
Zhang Yue said quickly: "I obey the order!"
After that, Zhang Yue discussed the strategy of attacking Xihe with the officials, and finally said: "Your Majesty, although the country has a young ruler this summer, the country is doubtful, and the power is left to foreign ministers, there are signs of decline, but if there is no veteran general among the urgent matters, Even with tens of thousands of strong soldiers, it is difficult to win. Your Majesty, please change the situation from quick victory to slow victory."
Seeing that Zhang Yue still admonished him, the official now rethought the other party's words and said humbly: "I just need to regain Hengshan and defeat half of Xixia. Even if I can't do it for a while, I can still accumulate small victories."
Zhang Yue saw that his advice was finally effective and said overjoyed: "Yes, Your Majesty, I will retire first!"
"Wait a minute!" the official said to the servant on the side, "Give Zhang Qing Shangfang a horse-killing sword and a pair of armored stomachs!"
After Zhang Yue thanked him, the official said solemnly: "Qing Zhang! Although you are a servant, it is your first time to lead an army. I have something to tell you. Soldiers are a major matter for the country. If something goes wrong with you here, Don’t blame me for not thinking about the love between the king and his subjects.”
Zhang Yue said: "I remember that if we are defeated, I will be willing to take the military orders. The military situation is urgent and I will not stay any longer. Please take care of the dragon body! I am resigning!"
"I will take care of myself, and I will wait for you to come back victorious!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
After saying this, Zhang Yue said goodbye to the official family.
The official family watched Zhang Yue leave in Linxuan.
