Southern Jin Dynasty, Jinling City, the imperial capital.
Sima Chong is fishing in the harem, which is something he likes recently. On the one hand, fishing can kill time without wasting national funds, and you will not be accused of playing with things to lose one's ambition; on the other hand, fishing can cultivate one's moral character and calm down to think things over carefully.
For an emperor like Sima Chong who restrained his desires, fishing was an excellent way to have fun.
Sima Chong looked at the fishing rod and thought about the battle on the front line.
When Qin sent troops to attack Qi, Jin arranged for General Shi Yu to send troops to attack Qi's rear. Compared with the Qin State, the Jin State was very restrained in sending troops. Only 30,000 troops went out to fight and invaded the Xuzhou border in the south of Qi State.
Sima Chong was actually quite shocked by Qin's dispatch of troops. In his impression, the Qin State had insufficient foundation and should keep a low profile, but for Lin Feng's sake, he directly sent 100,000 troops to attack Qi State and asked Qi State to give an explanation.
This is impulsive.
In his heart, Sima Chong actually didn't think highly of Qin. Once the Qin army is defeated in a fight, Qin's good situation will definitely be affected.
However, Sima Chong didn't care.
The state of Qin is the state of Qin.
The state of Jin is the state of Jin.
Although the two sides have concluded an alliance, in fact, once there is a conflict of interest between the two sides, war may break out between the two countries at any time.
Although Lin Feng was Sima Chong's son-in-law, Sima Chong knew one thing better. State affairs were the most important thing. All his decisions were based on the interests of the Jin State. He could not ignore the interests of the Jin State. He was willing to help Lin Feng as long as it did not affect Jin's interests.
Once the interests of Lin Feng and the state of Jin conflict, and the two can only choose one, they can only abandon Lin Feng.
Sima Chong stared at the calm lake with expectation in his eyes.
Suddenly, Sima Chong raised his eyebrows. When he saw the fishing line being pulled, he was overjoyed. He directly picked up the fishing rod and pulled it little by little. Originally, Sima Chong didn't know anything about fishing at first, but after gradually studying it, he already had considerable skills.
The bigger the fish is, the more patient you have to be, dragging it little by little and sawing back and forth. Only when the big fish is exhausted can you succeed in fishing.
In fact, this is also the way to control people.
Sima Chong pulled the fishing rod little by little. In a short time, a silver carp weighing four kilograms was hooked.
Sima Chong took off the fishhook and said with a smile: "I didn't expect that the first shot would be a big fish. Today's fishing luck is really good."
Jian Xingmao stood aside and waited, praising: "His Majesty's fishing skills have become more and more sophisticated. He has just started and he has already caught a big fish."
A proud look appeared on Sima Chong's face.
The moment the fish takes the bait, the sense of pride is unprecedented.
Sima Chong put down the silver carp and continued fishing. Just at this moment, there was a sound of hurried running, and a young eunuch quickly came to Jian Xingmao's side, whispered something in a low voice, and finally submitted a battle report.
Jian Xingmao's expression suddenly changed. His slightly old face showed shock and even more disbelief.
"Your Majesty, the war in the north has reached its final outcome."
Jian Xingmao spoke in a low voice.
Sima Chong raised his eyebrows and said: "The news was sent back before that Lin Feng, as the commander-in-chief of the Qin army, had his first confrontation with the Qi army at the border between the two countries. The fight at that time ended with the defeat of the Qi army. Although the Qi army The country failed in the first battle, but I still believe that both sides sent tens of thousands of troops to fight, and it is impossible to have a result in a short period of time. Is there a final result now? "
"Yes!"
Jian Xingmao nodded in reply.
He looked serious and said quickly: "In the northern war, our people in the Guards Department were a little slow and delayed for some time. The news coming back now is the end of the northern war. Emperor Tian He of Qi State died, and Qi State suffered losses. An army of hundreds of thousands.”
"ah!"
Sima Chong exclaimed in surprise.
His face was full of astonishment.
Tian He was the emperor of the Qi State. Even if he was the emperor of the Qi State, he would be protected by many Qi State soldiers. How could he die directly?
Sima Chong couldn't figure out why such a result happened.
Jian Xingmao handed over the detailed battle report and said seriously: "Your Majesty, the specific situation is in this battle report. Please read it."
Sima Chong took it and browsed it quickly. When he read the information in the letter, he sighed with emotion: "This Tian He is simply seeking death. You can still live if you do evil by God. You can't survive if you do evil on your own. As an emperor, he personally went to war, but because of the illness of a concubine in the harem , hurriedly want to return to Linzi from the military camp."
"This is simply ridiculous."
"I always thought that Tian He was a wise master, but I didn't expect that he acted so absurdly. After all, he was still too young. After achieving some achievements, he became young and energetic and self-righteous. The first battle between the two sides was because of Tian He's divorce. Go and start a war."
"In the first battle, Yan Fei died, and Tian He became a prisoner. Analyzing this move, Tian He is simply a waste."
Sima Chong shook his head and said: "The emperor is ruthless because he must treat everyone equally and can only be ruthless to everyone. The emperor is ruthless because all the people in the world are the emperor's subjects, and they are all the emperor must take care of."
"Tian He ignored the life and death of thousands of soldiers in the army because of his children's affair, and insisted on leaving. Where did he leave the thousands of people in Qi? Where did he leave thousands of soldiers in Qi? Such an emperor has been completely disgraced. The face of Qi State.”
"It would be fine if he became a prisoner, but Tian He betrayed his trust in the end."
Sima Chong shook his head and said: "Qi State clearly arranged envoys to negotiate and agreed to cede Jizhou and compensate Qin for food and money. However, at the border of Jizhou, as soon as Tian He was redeemed by Qi State, he sent troops to attack Lin Feng. , so that being killed by Lin Feng is really ridiculous."
Jian Xingmao said: "Tian He is a young emperor after all. He was so satisfied that he lost his mind."
Sima Chong thought for a while, and after waiting for a moment, Sima Chong said: "Go and inform Gu Xi, Xie Xuan, and Fei Gong to come to the palace to see you."
Among the three, Gu Xi is the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel and is in charge of all officials.
As for Xie Xuan and Fei Gong, they were both trusted confidants of the emperor.
Sima Chong stood up and went straight to the palace. He returned to the palace and sat down. Not long after, Gu Xi, Xie Xuan and Fei Gong entered together. Sima Chong looked serious and directly talked about the war between Qin and Qi in the north. After explaining the circumstances of Tian He's death, Sima Chong asked: "What do you think about this matter? Tian He is dead and the situation in Qi has changed drastically. How should we in Jin respond?"
Gu Xi, Xie Xuan and Fei Gong were all shocked when they heard this.
Tian He is dead now!
Too quickly.
The war between the Qin army and the Qi state had lasted less than a month. In a short period of time, Tian He was completely dead, and the Qi National Congress was in turmoil.
As a result, the situation has completely changed.
Gu Xi pondered for a while and took the lead: "Your Majesty, Shi Yu has already gone north to Xuzhou, captured a city, and is still going north to attack the border of Qi. Now that Qi has been defeated by the Qin army, it has no time to take care of the situation in the south."
"For us, this is the best time to take advantage of the fire. If we don't seize the opportunity now, it will be difficult to seize it when Qi State recovers. Therefore, I suggest that we should speed up the dispatch of troops to quickly seize the southern border of Qi State, and strive to seize a few more This city will enhance the territory and territory of Jin."
Sima Chong nodded, feeling quite moved.
Sima Chong agreed with Gu Xi's analysis, because the losses would be minimal if troops were sent now.
Xie Xuan thought for a while, shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, I object to Gu Shangshu's analysis and believe that we should not continue to expand northward."
As soon as these words came out, Sima Chong, Gu Xi and Fei Gong all looked over with surprised expressions on their faces.
Everyone knows that now is the best time to expand. The strength of Qi State is not weak. On this basis, further weakening Qi State will be beneficial to Jin State.
Sima Chong stroked the beard under his chin, thought for a while, and asked, "What's the reason?"
Xie Xuan said seriously: "I believe that the Qin State today is no longer the Western barbarian of the past, nor a weak country. Even in my eyes, the territory and strength that the Qin State controls now is enough to be called the most powerful country in the world. "
Sima Chong frowned slightly, his impression of Qin still remained in the past.
Qin is a barbarian.
The Qin State has insufficient foundation.
This is Sima Chong's long-held view, and this is even the view of most officials in the court. They believe that the people of Qin are fierce and brave, and that the people of Qin are barbaric.
Sima Chong's eyes were sharp and he said slowly: "Xie Xuan, what's your reason?"
Xie Xuan looked solemn and explained: "Reporting to Your Majesty, I have three reasons, which are explained from the perspective of government affairs, military affairs, and logistics. With these three aspects clearly explained, we will have a more accurate judgment on the overall understanding of the Qin State. "
"I have been in the Qin State in the past years. As an official liaison between the Qin State and the Jin State, I have a lot of knowledge about the Qin State. Over the years, I have also been learning more about it and discovered the truth about the strength of the Qin State through various news. .”
Sima Chong has always been diligent and quite open-minded. He tolerates different opinions and smiled: "Tell me, what do you think about it?"
At this moment, Sima Chong was looking forward to it.
Xie Xuan came from a noble family, but Xie Xuan had ideals and ambitions, so Sima Chong was willing to reuse him.
Most of the talents in the Jin Kingdom came from aristocratic families, although Sima Chong set up recruiting centers in various places. However, the money received by the Talent Recruitment Hall is just like that. He does not have enough ability and vision, and he is not an outstanding wise man.
What Sima Chong can rely on is, after all, the children of the aristocratic family. As for Xie Xuan, he was very ambitious among the disciples of the aristocratic family, and was even praised by Sima Chong.
Gu Xi and Fei Gong also looked over, both curious about what Xie Xuan could say.
Xie Xuan said slowly: "Let's talk about the political affairs of the Qin State first. In the past, the Qin State was dominated by the Qin State's nobles. Everyone from top to bottom attached great importance to the army and military merit. In fact, in the entire Qin State officialdom, there were not many real scholars. But It is said that there are only a few people.”
"No one in the world is willing to go to Qin. Therefore, although Qin is brave and good at fighting, the old nobles of Qin do not have enough vision."
"After Lin Feng went to Qin, although he was young, he received the full support of Ying Jiuxiao. He opened the imperial examination in Qin and obtained scholars for two or three consecutive years. He enriched the Qin State with countless scholars and made Qin's The overall strength has been greatly improved.”
"The talent reserve of Qin State is already quite large. The scholars of Qin State have vision and mind. In addition, Xunzi brought many people to build academies in various places of Qin State, so that people of Qin State can study .”
"It can be said that the Qin State is still the Qin State. In fact, it has already accommodated many scholars from our Jin, Qi, and Xia States."
"That's the biggest change."
Xie Xuan talked eloquently and said seriously: "This reform of the Qin State alone has an unparalleled effect on the Qin State. It can be said to have laid the most fundamental foundation. Today's Qin State is not the barbarian of the past. It has already A transformation occurred.”
Sima Chong's cheek twitched slightly.
Sima Chong also coveted the reform of the imperial examination. The more he heard about the reform of the imperial examination in Qin, the more uncomfortable he became. If the Jin State also implemented the imperial examination system and a large number of scholars emerged from the Jin State, everything would be different.
It's a pity that the Jin State cannot implement it, and there are too many aristocratic families to block it.
The court could not carry it out.
Sima Chong felt regretful and continued: "Xie Xuan, what about the second aspect?"
Xie Xuan continued; "The second aspect is explained from the military perspective. Everyone knows the combat effectiveness of the Qin State's army. It is a truly powerful army that dares to fight and kill. In the past, our Jin and Qin States also had There was a war.”
"Although it is not a big battle, you can see that Qin's military front is very powerful. Up to now, Qin has destroyed Xia and defeated Qi. The continuous victories have made the Qin army's morale high and they have become scornful."
"To put it bluntly, the Qin Army's combat effectiveness ranks first among all countries."
Xie Xuan said: "I believe there won't be much controversy on this point, and no one will think that Qin is weak."
Sima Chong stroked the beard under his chin and continued: "Xie Qing, this is the truth. You continue to talk."
Xie Xuan continued: "Third, it is the logistics of the Qin State. In fact, the most criticized thing about the Qin State is its insufficient logistics and lack of food supply. Although the land in the Qin State is said to be fertile in the middle, it is remote in the northwest. Shuzhou is closed again, and there are many foreign enemies around it. Moreover, Qin State has strict control over business, and business is not prosperous enough."
"Now, things have changed a lot."
"Qin's business is very prosperous, merchants are constantly coming in and out of Xianyang, and Qin has also introduced many good things. Whether it is medicinal materials, tea, down jackets, etc., they are all the best in Qin. Qin's business, It has begun to lead the fashion of the entire world."
"The prosperity of the Qin State is not as good as our Jin State for the time being. At least the Qin State is no longer desolate and a barbaric land."
Xie Xuan talked eloquently and looked confident.
Among all people, he is the most familiar with Qin and the one who values Qin the most.
Xie Xuan said: "Qin's business prospered, and Lin Feng changed the tax collection system, turning the original per-person tax into the current per-person tax. After many years of Qin's tax reform, wealth was hidden among the people, and the people With food, the enthusiasm for farming is higher. In addition, the Qin court's tax revenue is richer, and it is financially rich."
"It seems that Yanzhou was the only place where Qin destroyed Xia. The key is that Yanzhou is rich, fertile land, and has many farming areas, so Qin has accumulated a lot of food and has enough food to support the war."
Xie Xuan continued: "There are no problems with Qin's logistics. Since Qin has made up for its logistical background, what other shortcomings does Qin have? Qin's shortcomings have been greatly improved. To make up for it, the tiger has come out of the cage.”
"This is what I want to explain."
"Qin is no longer a weak country. All things considered, Qin is the strongest country."
"I think that on the premise that Tian He is dead, we should not unite with Qin to attack Qi. This will lead to the strong being strong and Qin getting more benefits. What we have to do now is to have a truce with Qi and help Tian Yu stabilized Qi and helped Qi resist Qin."
Xie Xuan bowed and said, "Your Majesty, please give me a clear warning."
In the main hall, it suddenly became quiet.
Everyone is thinking.
Xie Xuan's words contained too much information, and they had to think about it carefully.
After Sima Chong thought about it for a while, although he had always made a decision, he couldn't make a decision for a while. Do you want to say that Xie Xuan's analysis is wrong? Generally speaking, Qin's current strength is getting stronger and stronger.
This is indisputable.
However, the strength of Qi State has weakened, and now is the time to attack Qi State. Giving up the opportunity to attack Qi now is equivalent to giving up the meat that is on your lips.
This is a pity.
Sima Chong did not express his position for the time being and asked: "Gu Xi, Fei Gong, what suggestions do you have?"
Gu Xi shook his head and explained: "Your Majesty, I think that we should continue to fight at the moment and strive to capture Qi's city again. The reason is very simple. Although Qi is weak, it is not so weak that it cannot stop the Qin army from attacking. to the point.”
"The mainstays of the Qi State, Yan Zichu and Tian Yu, are still there. These two people have served as governors for many years and have rich experience and deep foundations. As long as they are here, they will not be defeated for the time being. The current Qi State is just that the emperor was killed, and there is a slight improvement. Just a little unrest.”
"Qi State can gather forces from all over the country again at any time and start another war with Qin State. Let us capture two or three cities first, then stop attacking and support Qi State. In this way, Qi State will still be grateful to us."
Gu Xi reminded: "If you go up the pole to help Qi, the other party may not thank you."
Fei Gong nodded and said: "I also agree with Gu Shangshu's suggestion. You can't be soft on what should be captured, you must capture it directly. Otherwise, wouldn't it be a missed opportunity. Qi will not be defeated yet. In my opinion, we can continue now Weaken Qi."
Xie Xuan became anxious after hearing this. Such an arrangement was simply ridiculous. If Qi is further weakened and Qi cannot stop it, will Jin be able to resist Qin?
Xie Xuan said again: "Your Majesty, please think twice."
After thinking in his mind, Sima Chong finally said: "I think Gu Shangshu's analysis is feasible, and I will proceed accordingly."
"well……"
Xie Xuan sighed in his heart.
In his heart, he felt quite regretful that the emperor was short-sighted after all.
How could the emperor not consider the overall situation?
Gu Xi said seriously: "I will obey your Majesty's instructions and will complete the arrangements and adjustments to the front line in the shortest possible time."
Sima Chong nodded and said: "Xie Xuan's analysis actually makes some sense. Qin has been developing rapidly in recent years, but we still need to keep an eye on it, be on guard, and not relax. So we arranged for people to keep an eye on Qin's changes and be on guard against Qin. The country is launching a surprise attack and we cannot relax."
"I obey the decree!"
Gu Xi, Fei Gong and Xie Xuan answered in unison.
The three of them bowed to each other, then stood up and walked out of the hall.
Xie Xuan looked at Gu Xi and said sternly: "Gu Shangshu, you know the changes in Qin's strength, why are you so short-sighted? It is very inappropriate to continue to attack Qi. The final result will only make Qin stronger, because it is strong Those who are always strong."
Gu Xi stroked his beard and said slowly: "The Qin State is indeed stronger, but are we weak? I still have the same view. Now that we can weaken the Qi State, we must seize the opportunity. The Qi State seems to be in turmoil, and Arita Yu With the support of Yan Zichu, the situation will naturally be stabilized. The advantage we deserve cannot be lost. You are too afraid of Qin and act timidly, which is inappropriate. "
Xie Xuan frowned, flicked his sleeves, and left.
Gu Xi chuckled, shook his head, and left directly.
Fei Gong, the Minister of War, has never spoken. Compared to Xie Xuan and Gu Xi, his influence is very low. He only needs to perform tasks.
