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The aide who broke into the lobby was named Zhang Su. This person was a veteran of the Trilateral Governor's Mansion. He not only assisted the current Trilateral Governor Wang Zheng, but also assisted the previous Trilateral Governor Liang Fuchen.
After Zhao Junchen took charge of the military administration of Shaanxi and Gansu, most of the staff in the Governor's Mansion were marginalized and could only deal with some insignificant matters. All important affairs were taken over by several staff brought by Zhao Junchen from the capital, but only Zhang Su was still reused. Not only was he not marginalized, he even became one of the core members of Zhao Junchen's staff. His status was second only to Niu Fude and Su Xiqing. Even Zhao Junchen often asked him for advice.
Zhang Su will be reused by successive Shaanxi and Gansu governors, so he naturally has some irreplaceable qualities.
First of all, Zhang Su is very familiar with the military and political affairs of Shaanxi and Gansu, and is well aware of everything no matter how big or small it is; secondly, Zhang Su has always maintained an impartial stance and is only loyal to the successive governors of the three sides and will never participate in factional disputes; Finally, Zhang Su has a calm and sophisticated character, and is meticulous and considerate when doing things, which can make the successive governors of the three sides worry a lot.
All the civil and military officials in the lobby were familiar with Zhang Su, a senior staff member, and had dealt with him more or less. They also knew that this person had always been calm and restrained, and they had a lot of trust in him.
However, Zhang Su, who has always been calm and reserved, is now so panicked, so something big must have happened!
During this period of time, with the advent of the war, everyone's nerves were tense. Now after seeing Zhang Su's performance, their expressions changed drastically. They subconsciously thought of some worst-case scenarios, and most of them were a little panicked. .
Zheng Jiadong couldn't care less about excusing Qi Bin for a while, and asked quickly: "Mr. Zhang, what is it that makes you so flustered? But the border war has changed?"
Zhou Bo asked anxiously: "What happened? Mr. Zhang, please tell me!"
He Zhang also quickly asked: "Did Longnan City be captured by the Mongols?"
Just when everyone was in a mess, Zhao Junchen's eyes flashed with an inexplicable look.
Then, Zhao Junchen looked a little colder, patted the table and said loudly: "Quiet! How can it be polite to get into chaos just when something happens?"
Following Zhao Junchen's scolding, everyone present finally calmed down a little.
At the same time, Zhang Su also calmed down a little and was about to report something to Zhao Junchen, but when he saw the civil and military officials in the lobby, he showed hesitation again.
Then, Zhang Su asked Zhao Junchen for instructions: "Your Imperial Envoy, the student has just received a piece of information. This matter is quite sensitive and should not be known to too many people. Can you please withdraw and let the student report it alone?"
Zhang Su's performance just now has aroused everyone's curiosity. Everyone can't wait to know the news Zhang Su has received, but Zhang Su now suggests that Zhao Junchen retreats and hides it from everyone. Reporting this to Zhao Junchen made everyone somewhat reluctant.
Zhao Junchen took in all the changes in everyone's expressions and said slowly: "All the adults present are the pillars of Shaanxi and Gansu. I trust them as I trust my own brothers and sisters. There is no need to hide anything from them... What's more, if something really big happens and you can't hide it from them in the end, you'd better tell it in public."
After hearing Zhao Junchen's decision, everyone looked grateful, but Zhang Su looked hesitant again.
Finally, Zhang Su gritted his teeth and said: "Your Majesty the Imperial Envoy, the students have just received the news. The imperial court has now learned about the changes in border defense this year, and appointed the elder Liang Fuchen as the full-power Imperial Envoy to come to Huamachi Camp to take charge of the overall situation of Shaanxi-Gansu border defense. According to the wishes of the imperial court, after Mr. Liang Ge arrives at Huamachi Camp, you, the imperial envoy, will only be responsible for disaster relief and will no longer interfere with local government affairs and border defense matters..."
As Zhang Su finished speaking, the faces of all the civil and military officials in the hall changed again, with different expressions.
Li Ru'an, Niu Fude and others were Zhao Junchen's confidants. Naturally, they were a little panicked and a little angry. They believed that the court's actions were a distrust and suppression of Zhao Junchen, and also disrupted Zhao Junchen's various plans.
Zhou Bo, Wu Qifan, He Zhang and others took a more neutral stance, and most of them had somewhat complicated expressions. They all admired Liang Fuchen's ability and character, and believed that Liang Fuchen's qualifications, experience, and reputation were much higher than Zhao Junchen's. There was no doubt that he was. The most suitable person to preside over the overall military and political situation of Shaanxi and Gansu, but at the same time, they have also witnessed Zhao Junchen's various achievements these days, and they vaguely feel that Liang Fuchen may not perform better than Zhao Junchen, and maybe he will break the current record. Good situation.
As for Zheng Jiadong, Qi Bin and others, they all looked happy - they undoubtedly trusted Liang Fuchen more than Zhao Junchen! It is believed that Liang Fuchen's decision to preside over the overall situation of border defense is the best choice for public and private affairs.
On the other side, Zhao Junchen, after taking in the changes in everyone's expressions, said in a slightly surprised voice: "Your Majesty sent Mr. Liang Ge here? This is a good thing! Mr. Liang Ge's experience, reputation, and Means, I am undoubtedly the best person to preside over the overall situation of border defense! ... I will not hide it from you. During this period of time, although I have tried hard to take over the military affairs of Shaanxi and Gansu, I have always been walking on thin ice. I feel the heavy responsibility and I am afraid that I will have any I made the wrong decision, but now that Mr. Liang Ge is personally in charge of the overall situation, I can finally breathe a sigh of relief!"
Then, Zhao Junchen's tone became lighter and lighter, and he turned to Wu Qifan and ordered: "Prefect Wu, you immediately send someone to inform Governor Zhang and ask him to arrange various matters to welcome Mr. Liang Ge; Niu Fude, you immediately start preparing for the handover, and wait until Liang After Mr. Ge arrived at Huamachi Camp, he handed over all the military and administrative affairs of Shaanxi and Gansu to Mr. Liang Ge as soon as possible. In addition, he sent people to inform the local governments to announce that Mr. Liang Ge had come to Huamachi Camp to take charge of the overall situation. I believe that the military and civilians of Shaanxi and Gansu I will definitely feel refreshed after hearing this news..."
Just when Zhao Junchen seemed to be "can't wait" to take off the heavy burden on his shoulders, Zhang Su looked embarrassed and said in a low voice: "Your Majesty, I am afraid that I will not be able to welcome Mr. Liang Ge now!"
Zhao Junchen frowned and asked, "What's going on? Why can't you greet Mr. Liang Ge?"
Zhang Su said in a bitter voice: "Students can know in advance that Mr. Liang Ge has come to Huamachi Camp to take charge of the overall situation, because the Governor's Office has just received a blackmail letter from horse bandits!"
On the side, Li Ruan was slightly stunned when he heard Zhang Su's statement, and then asked in a joking tone: "A blackmail letter from horse bandits? What does it mean? Could it be that Liang Ge was kidnapped by horse bandits on the road? And that The gang of horse bandits also used Mr. Liang Ge as a hostage to extort money from our Governor's Mansion?"
When talking about the latter part, Li Ruan couldn't help but laugh. It was obvious that he himself did not believe this inference.
Even if an ordinary horse bandit feeds on bear heart, leopard and gallbladder all day long, I am afraid he would not dare to kidnap a cabinet minister or imperial envoy! Even if the horse bandits are really crazy and intend to kidnap Liang Fuchen, the guards under Liang Fuchen are all soldiers who have fought in many battles. Ordinary horse bandits will never be able to succeed no matter how large their numbers are! To put it bluntly, even if the horse bandits kidnapped Liang Fuchen by mistake, they would never dare to extort money from the Governor's Mansion. Such an approach would only lead to endless pursuit by the court!
Seeing Li Ru'an's statement, Qi Bin, He Zhang, Zhou Bo and others all glared at him, thinking that Li Ru'an's statement was an insult to Liang Fuchen. However, they also did not expect that Liang Fuchen would be kidnapped by the horse bandits, and thought that Zhang Su had been kidnapped by the horse bandits. The blackmail letter may have another mystery.
But at this moment, Zhang Su's expression became more frightened and bitter, and he said: "Supervisor Li's guess is correct... Mr. Liang Ge... was indeed kidnapped by horse bandits!"
As soon as he said this, the whole room was shocked!
Qi Bin was Liang Fuchen's confidant and couldn't help but exclaimed: "How is it possible! What kind of horse bandit dares to kidnap Mr. Liang Ge! Mr. Liang's bodyguards are all elites of the border army, can't they protect Mr. Liang Ge thoroughly? "
Zhang Su smiled bitterly and said, "I'm afraid it's true! Today, a messenger from Zizhou County in northern Shaanxi came to Huamachi Camp to deliver an official document. He was caught by horse bandits on the way and asked to send a blackmail letter to the Governor's Mansion. ...At the same time, the imperial edict and seal on Mr. Liang Ge's body were also sent..."
After speaking, Zhang Su took out three things, namely a letter, a yellow silk imperial edict, and a fist-sized seal.
Niu Fude quickly handed over these three things to Zhao Junchen.
At this time, Zhao Junchen's expression had become extremely serious. He first took the seal and carefully identified it, then unfolded the imperial edict to examine it carefully, and then read the letter carefully.
During this period, Zhao Junchen's brows became more and more frowned, his expression became more and more serious, and there was a hint of anger. The civil and military officials in the lobby stared at Zhao Junchen closely, all with nervous expressions.
Finally, Zhao Junchen handed these three things to Niu Fude's hands again and ordered: "Niu Fude, give these three things to all the adults for inspection!"
Then, everyone in the lobby, regardless of etiquette, stood up and gathered around Niu Fude to check.
In the end, everyone turned pale!
The imperial edict was written by Emperor Deqing himself, and the content was the imperial court's decree to appoint Liang Fuchen as the plenipotentiary imperial envoy. The seal was Liang Fuchen's token as a minister of the cabinet. As for the letter, it was a blackmail letter from the horse bandits!
In the letter, the horse bandits asked the Governor's Mansion for one hundred thousand taels of gold, and asked the Governor's Mansion to deliver it to a barren mountain in Zizhou County, northern Shaanxi within half a month. After the horse bandits safely received the gold, they would let Liang Fuchen go. and their entourage, otherwise they will "rip off the vote"!
After careful analysis, everyone found that both the imperial edict and the seal were not forged, which meant that Liang Fuchen was really kidnapped by horse bandits!
Suddenly, everyone was as panicked as Zhang Su before!
The plenipotentiary imperial envoy of the imperial court was actually kidnapped by horse bandits under their rule. This incident must have shocked both the government and the public! At that time, not only will the entire court be humiliated, but their careers will also be affected!
The nature of this matter may be even more serious than losing the city and the land!
For a moment, everyone ran out of ideas and subconsciously looked at Zhao Junchen, hoping that Zhao Junchen would make a decision.
Wu Qifan said in a trembling voice: "Master Imperial Envoy, Mr. Liang Ge was really kidnapped by horse bandits... What do you think we should do now?"
Qi Bin's expression was full of eagerness and worry, and he asked Zhao Junchen urgently: "Your Majesty, the imperial envoy, please give an order to let the humble leader go to northern Shaanxi to rescue Mr. Liang Ge!"
After Zhao Junchen pondered for a long time with a serious expression, he raised his head and slowly glanced at everyone, and said in a deep voice: "First of all, everyone must keep it secret about the kidnapping of Mr. Liang Ge by horse bandits! Once the news of Mr. Liang Ge's kidnapping spreads, Going out will not only shake the morale of the military, but also damage the prestige of the court, and the careers of you and me will also be affected!"
After hearing what Zhao Junchen said, most people present nodded in deep agreement.
Then, Zhao Junchen said: "Secondly, no one should act rashly. Although the horse bandits asked us to send one hundred thousand taels of gold to Zizhou County, the horse bandits' lair may not be there, and Mr. Liang Ge may not be there either." , once we go to northern Shaanxi to investigate with great fanfare, it will easily arouse the vigilance of horse bandits, and may even endanger Mr. Liang Ge's life. If too many people are sent, it will also affect the border defense layout;
Once again, the top priority right now is to safely rescue Mr. Liang Ge first! Su Xiqing, you immediately prepare one hundred thousand taels of gold and send it to Zizhou County according to the conditions of the horse bandits! But we need to make some secret marks on the gold so that we can trace the traces of this group of horse bandits later!
Finally, we can't just let this group of bold horse bandits go! Hong Gaogong, you immediately dispatch experienced Jin Yiwei to go to northern Shaanxi to investigate the news, but you must hide your identity and do not make any moves to prevent alerting the snake. As long as you can find out the details of this group of horse bandits, wait until we secure Liang After Mr. Ge is safe, catch them all in one go! "
Seeing that Zhao Junchen issued a series of orders so decisively, and that they were comprehensive and without omissions, everyone in the lobby felt a little relieved. In addition, they could not find a better way for a while, so they all stood up to accept the orders. !
Among everyone, only Qi Bin had some objections, thinking that Zhao Junchen's method was too negative.
However, before Qi Bin could raise his objections, Zhao Junchen turned his attention to him and said, "Qi Bin, I know that you and Mr. Liang Ge have a deep relationship and are like father and son, but can you dare to guarantee that you will lead the troops with great fanfare?" Going to northern Shaanxi to investigate will not endanger Mr. Liang Ge's life? In addition, the war in Longnan is about to begin. What if it delays the opportunity of the war? If you think my method is inappropriate, can you find a better way? ?”
Hearing Zhao Junchen's question, Qi Bin opened his mouth, but in the end he had nothing to say and had to acquiesce to Zhao Junchen's method.
*
After everyone left the lobby of the Governor's Mansion with deep thoughts, Zhao Junchen looked at Qi Bin's back, a trace of hesitation flashed across his expression, but in the end he said nothing.
Originally, Zhao Junchen wanted to have a deep talk with Qi Bin and try to resolve the misunderstanding between the two parties.
But after seeing Qi Bin's performance today, Zhao Junchen knew that Qi Bin was very wary of him, which could not be solved by an in-depth discussion. Moreover, it was obviously impossible for Qi Bin to abandon Liang Fuchen and turn to Zhao Junchen, so Zhao Junchen I don't want to waste any more energy, as long as Qi Bin is willing to obey orders in the future.
What's more, because of Liang Fuchen's matter, now is not the best time for the two parties to have in-depth talks.
As for the specific reason why Qi Bin was suddenly on guard against Zhao Junchen, Zhao Junchen planned to inquire about the children of the Zhao family who he had placed in Qi Bin's new army - Zhao Junchen had a vague feeling that maybe the problem lay with these children of the Zhao family.
After making a decision in his heart, Zhao Junchen slowly leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes to rest. His expression was neither happy nor worried, but there was a hint of self-mockery.
Liang Fuchen's kidnapping was arranged by Zhao Junchen, and now this blackmail letter from the horse bandits was naturally also arranged by Zhao Junchen!
After all, the news that the imperial court arranged for Liang Fuchen to serve as the plenipotentiary imperial envoy could not be hidden for long. Sooner or later, it would reach Huamachi Camp. If the civil and military officials in Huamachi Camp did not see Liang Fuchen show up after receiving the news, it would inevitably be troublesome. After the kidnapping of Liang Fuchen was exposed, Zhao Junchen made the biggest profit during this period and would inevitably be suspected by many people.
That's why Zhao Junchen arranged this blackmail letter to let the news of Liang Fuchen's kidnapping be exposed in advance!
This approach has four benefits;
First of all, Liang Fuchen's kidnapping by horse bandits will completely destroy Liang Fuchen's prestige! During this period, if Zhao Junchen can handle this matter properly and make some breakthroughs in the border war, he can further establish his position. In this way, it will be difficult for Liang Fuchen to challenge Zhao Junchen's control of the Shaanxi-Gansu trilateral border. leadership position!
Secondly, after Liang Fuchen was kidnapped by horse bandits, not only Liang Fuchen's prestige was completely destroyed, but also local civil and military officials in Shaanxi and Gansu were implicated. Only Zhao Junchen temporarily took over the overall military and political situation in Shaanxi and Gansu, and he had little responsibility. If Junchen can finally suppress this matter, he will not only sell a favor to Liang Fuchen and Shaanxi-Gansu civil and military officials, but also seize their leverage, which will naturally bring countless benefits in the future.
Once again, by exposing Liang Fuchen's kidnapping in advance, Zhao Junchen could accurately arrange the time for Liang Fuchen to be "rescued" so that Liang Fuchen could arrive at Huamachi Camp just when the overall situation was about to be determined. In this way, Zhao Junchen could not only The smooth completion of his various plans can also allow Liang Fuchen to shoulder certain responsibilities with him;
Finally, after Liang Fuchen's kidnapping was exposed in advance, Zhao Junchen could take the opportunity to get the power to investigate the case in the early stage. At that time, he only needed to use some tricks to frame the matter on others and take the opportunity to take off his own. suspicion.
The plan has reached this stage, everything is going smoothly, and several of Zhao Junchen's goals have been successfully achieved.
But Zhao Junchen couldn't be happy no matter what.
After all, such a method is too despicable.
At the end of the Qing Dynasty, everyone accused Li Hongzhang of nepotism. Li Hongzhang once defended himself to Ding Ruchang: "They say that I, Li Hongzhang, rely on his cronies. But I want to ask, who do I need to use my cronies? Do I need to use someone I don't even know?" ?For a person I don’t know well, how do I know whether he can take on important responsibilities? It’s a joke to say that I cultivate private power and nepotism! If I don’t nepotize people, I will never do it? I must make my subordinates disobedient and contradict me everywhere If you go against it, wouldn’t that be called cultivating private power?”
In his previous life, Zhao Junchen once thought deeply after hearing these words.
But now, Zhao Junchen knows that Li Hongzhang's words are all sophistry!
Zhao Junchen's current approach is quite similar to that of Li Hongzhang. He also appoints nepotism and suppresses dissidents when the overall situation is in crisis.
Liang Fuchen, Qi Bin, He Zhang and others were all capable ministers and generals with high moral character, but just because they were not of the same mind as Zhao Junchen, Zhao Junchen did not dare to reuse them. Instead, he repeatedly plotted and excluded them, and even refused to do so. Even if it is temporarily reused, it still leaves many options for burning bridges.
In the end, it's all out of selfishness.
Of course, Zhao Junchen's various methods were carefully designed and did not affect the overall situation of border defense. They could be considered "both public and private".
Deep down in his heart, Zhao Junchen admired Liang Fuchen, He Zhang, Qi Bin and others very much, but in the end, this admiration was not worth his own selfish interests.
Zhao Junchen did not regret his despicable actions.
But I can't be happy either.
*
In the next few days, under Zhao Junchen's silence order, everyone made a tacit agreement not to mention Liang Fuchen's matter again, but to leave all this matter to Zhao Junchen, and to fully cooperate with Zhao Junchen's Longnan layout. .
Zhao Junchen did not care about other things during this time, he just focused on the Longnan war, constantly deploying troops and generals, and coordinating the overall situation.
Three more days later, seeing that both the new soldiers and Qi Bin's army had recovered their physical and morale, Zhao Junchen finally made a decision to personally lead the troops to Haiyuan City at the junction of Ningxia and Gansu, and also sent Hua The entire command team of Ma Chi Camp has moved over!
Haiyuan City is close to the battle situation in Longnan, and detailed information about changes in the battle situation can be obtained in the shortest possible time. After Zhao Junchen arrives there, he can also personally direct the battle!
And just as Zhao Junchen led his troops to Haiyuan City, the war in Longnan gradually entered the most intense and difficult period!
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