The Northern Inspection was about to begin, and many major matters needed to be handled and approved by Yang Guang personally. In order to save time to meet with the ministers of civil and military affairs, he had moved his official offices from the Anren Hall in the north to the side hall of the Zhonghua Hall a few days ago.
At that afternoon, Yang Guangduan was reviewing memorials in the study room of the side hall of the Zhonghua Palace. The emperor was in a good mood today. What he was reading now was the emergency report sent by Yang Zhiji from Jiangdu: Yang Zhiji said in the memorial that the heavy rain had passed. As the largest tributary of the Yangtze River, the Han River's first flood peak caused by heavy rainstorms is a rare occurrence in ten years. However, there are many lakes in the Yangtze River Basin, and their water levels have dropped seriously before the arrival of this year's rainy season. When the Han River's flood peak flows into the Yangtze River, At that time, the floodwaters were absorbed by these natural "reservoirs", and no floods occurred in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. The situation in the four counties of Yiyang, Huainan, Zhongli, and Jiangdu, which are located in the lower reaches of the Huai River and on the south bank of the Huai River, is relatively serious, but it is also within control. Now he is following the order of the imperial court and asking the officials of the four counties to mobilize the people and hurry up. Time to strengthen the embankment on the south bank of Huai River.
As for the navy at the Jiangdu base, they have already moved north along the coast a few days ago and will arrive at the northern naval base soon.
Apart from the above two points, there are no major events in Yangzhou counties for the time being, so he can rest assured.
"Reporting to the saint, King Wei is here." At this moment, Yang An ushered Yang Ji in from outside the palace.
Yang Guang raised his head and asked Yang Ji in surprise: "You have a heavy responsibility and are preparing for the expedition. How come you still have time to enter the palace?"
"The general direction has been set, and other things will be easy to handle. Details such as deployment and operations can only be determined when we arrive in Liaodong. I have a few small requirements for coming here this time." Yang Ji attaches great importance to the lives of soldiers and has always He did not treat war as a child's play. He always believed that making a little more seemingly trivial preparation before the war might reduce thousands of casualties. This was one of the reasons why he won the hearts of soldiers.
The same was true for the Battle of Goguryeo this time. After Yang Ji counted the supplies promised by the various clans in the car, he hurried into the palace to look for Yang Guang.
Although Goguryeo was powerful and should not be underestimated, its overall military strength and the abilities of its officers were far inferior to those of the Sui Dynasty. However, despite their inferior national power, they were able to defeat the Sui and Tang armies repeatedly in history. The main reason was that the terrain was steep and the The climate and environment are harsh. The difficulty of this expedition can be divided by the "Changbai Mountain Range-Qianshan Mountain Range". The Liaohe Plain in the west is easier to conquer, because the northern part of the Liaohe Plain already belongs to the Great Sui Mozhou. Yang Ji's advance can be carried out from the land. Entering the country will save you the most difficult and unpredictable battle of crossing the river. As for the eastern part, including the Liaodong Peninsula, it is extremely difficult because there are numerous fortress-like cities built on the mountains, which are easy to defend but difficult to attack.
Yang Ji had also thought about Goguryeo's advantages in time, location, etc. before, and even conducted many military exercises with his generals. Finally, everyone thought of some targeted weapons and equipment, hoping to use the equipment to make up for their own disadvantages, which may not be feasible. It may not be able to turn things around, but at least it can make the soldiers fight more easily and not have to work so hard.
"Sit down and talk." Yang Guang is now afraid that Yang Ji will make demands. Everything else is easy to talk about. Even if he is asked to give out gold and silver, he will do it. He is afraid that Yang Ji will ask for millions of stones of military rations in Liaodong. After saying that, he ordered Yang An to go outside and watch.
….
This move was not only to prevent outsiders from entering the palace to disturb and eavesdrop on the military situation, but also to create time for himself to think about countermeasures. When Yang An led the waiting servants in the palace to go out to check, he looked at Yang Ji and saw that he had taken A memorial came out and he approached, and he suddenly asked with some anxiety: "What is the small request?"
"It has to do with equipment! It has to do with talent." Yang Ji handed the memorial to Yang Guang and said, "This is what I have compiled. I hope brother can be satisfied!"
[It has been running stably for many years. It is comparable to the old version of the book chasing tool and is used by all old bookworms.
But this time he didn't want money, horses, or armor, but instead asked to reduce the number of cavalry and armor. Isn't this a waste of martial arts?
"Goguryeo is not a nomadic nation without decent defensive measures. They have absorbed the characteristics of offensive and defensive warfare in the Central Plains and improved them according to the unique terrain characteristics. More than 90 of the 100 cities were built against steep mountains. Opposite such a Enemy, cavalry is not of much use. Enough cavalry is enough, but too many will create huge pressure on our army's logistics and cause unnecessary losses to our Sui Dynasty!" Yang Ji looked at Yang Guang who was becoming more and more surprised. He glanced at it and then explained: "As for not wanting Hequ horses, the reason is that although Hequ horses are powerful and fast, they are not cold-tolerant, do not suffer from hunger, and are picky eaters. They are simply unable to carry out strenuous military operations in severe cold environments. The war horses in Bingzhou and northern Youzhou have become accustomed to the harsh environment of wind, frost, snow and rain, and can adapt to the environment of Goguryeo."
Yang Guang understood this, but he was surprised that Yang Ji's definition of this conflict seemed to be wrong. After Yang Ji finished speaking, he asked his doubts: "You mean fighting Goguryeo? Not Liaodong ?」
Yang Ji said: "There is no difference between the Battle of Liaodong and the Battle of Goguryeo. They are just names. There is no need to get too entangled."
Yang Guang shook his head: "The names are different, the difference is huge, and the meanings are also different."
"I know this too. However, the name of the battle is mainly based on the mentality of the soldiers, so that the soldiers subconsciously think that this battle is reasonable no matter how it is fought." Yang Jishuo explained to Yang Guang: "Our army is not as powerful as Goguryeo, and we do not have the advantages of time, location, and people. No one knows how long this battle will last or how far it will go. If it is named the Liaodong Campaign, the soldiers will think that it will be over if it is fought casually. , once the war reaches a stalemate, the mentality, morale, and will of the soldiers who thought they had accomplished the goal of the Liaodong Campaign will be greatly affected. However, if it is defined as an "expedition to Goguryeo," the soldiers will also have a preparation in mind for this battle. No matter how long the war lasts, No matter how difficult it is, we will never feel war-weary."
Yang Guang thought about it for a while, and after thinking about it, he nodded and said, "Your consideration is not unreasonable, so let's name it 'Expedition to Goguryeo.' That's it."
….
"Here!" Yang Ji felt confident.
Yang Guang continued to read. He read it three times and found that all of Yang Ji's requests were not asking for exorbitant prices, let alone forcing him to do so, but asking for some vital supplies within the scope that the court could immediately provide. personnel.
He took a long breath and said to Yang Ji movingly. "It is my great fortune in the Sui Dynasty and my great fortune to have Yang Guang, a brother like you who is dedicated and considerate of me. All the requirements are fulfilled... I hope to hear the news of my triumphant return, and I hope that when I arrive in Liaodong, You have already beaten Goguryeo to pieces."
Yang Ji said proudly: "I will definitely live up to my brother's expectations."
Yang Guang took a deep look at the high-spirited Yang Ji, and took the initiative to ask a question that made him more uneasy: "Where is the food? How do you plan to solve it?"
"Brother, you don't have to worry at all. I have completely solved the issue of military rations." Speaking of this, Yang Ji felt extremely proud. He said proudly: "I visited many noble families today. They all agreed to transport the grain to Liaodong and sell it to the military at the local market price. When I receive the grain in Liaodong, I will feed the data back to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Ministry of War, and the court will give them the full amount of money. Isn’t it surprising? Isn’t it a surprise? Huh?”
After hearing this, Yang Guang was dumbfounded and horrified. After a while, he stood up in a panic, looked at Yang Ji in shock, and asked in a trembling voice: "What a surprise! Tell me honestly, you Are you leading troops to surround someone else's mansion, or are you robbing someone else's children, or fighting someone's head on the neck?"
Having said this, and thinking about the style of the aristocratic family members, Yang Guang felt that it must be what he said. Otherwise, how could the aristocratic family members be so easy to talk to, and how could they agree so readily?
Yang Ji was speechless when he heard this and said angrily: "After all, I am also the King of Wei and Minister of the Sui Dynasty. Am I just like a robber? Really."
"It's not a matter of resemblance, you are the one." Yang Guang felt like his head was as big as a bucket and he was confused.
.
This is a big deal, this is a big deal! And his plan for the Northern Patrol was once again disrupted by Yang Ji, and he had to stay and clean up the mess; otherwise, the situation would enter an unmanageable chaos.
"Things are not what you think!" Yang Ji also realized that Yang Guang had misunderstood. He first handed the "total list" to Yang Guang who looked hopeless, and then explained to him: "We are not Do you want to drive a wedge between the three Guanlong sects? Didn't you say that you want to use the children of the Dugu sect and the Dou sect? I think simply using their children cannot make the Yuan family suspect that the two sects have betrayed them, and it seems very rigid and deliberate. And The Dugu sect and Dou sect also think that my move to activate their disciples is unkind."
Unable to avoid Yang Guang's surprise, Yang Ji told the story exactly as it was: "So I slightly changed our planned plan and said that the condition for me to use their children was to allow them to transport grain to Liaodong, and to They were sold to the military at the local market price, and I gave their children the opportunity to perform meritorious service during the war. After the war, I recommended these children who had performed meritorious service to you, so they believed in them."
….
"The Dugu family I visited yesterday, as well as the Dou family, Yu family, Li family, Wei family, Du family and other clans I visited today have all agreed to transport grain to Liaodong, and said that they will deliver what they promised before the battle. The food was delivered in full."
"That's it!" Yang Guang's hanging heart finally settled down. He breathed a long sigh of relief and sat back on his seat. When he carefully analyzed Yang Ji's conspiracy, he found that Yang Ji's plan was actually It's very simple and nothing shameful.
To put it bluntly, this is another shameless conspiracy that cannot be rejected, and Yang Ji uses human beings' fame, wealth and utilitarianism to do it. When he puts everything on the table, Yang Ji, who is opposite the family, Those promises simply cannot be refused.
Unless someone really cares about fame and fortune, they will all fall into this trap. However, there may be hermits in the world who are careless about fame and fortune, but they do not belong to the Gen family. Therefore, the Dugu family, the Dou family, the Li family, the Yu family and other aristocratic families were all targeted.
Thinking of this, Yang Guang was in high spirits and said to Yang Ji: "Now, your military rations and supplies have been solved, and you have also quietly torn apart the remaining three factions between Guanlong and Longxi. This trust can be said to kill two birds with one stone. After that, things will be easier to handle; we only need to target them as appropriate."
Yang Guang suddenly thought of something again. He looked at the proud Yang Ji with a strange expression and asked in a tentative tone: "Vajra slave, tell the truth, are you planning to break your promise?"
Yang Ji smiled awkwardly and said, "Is it so obvious? You can actually see it!"
"Haha, hahaha!" Yang Guang laughed loudly and said triumphantly: "You were taught by me, how can I not understand you? How can you hide your little thoughts from me? It's just a daydream."
"I really don't want to acknowledge this account. Of course, it doesn't mean that I want to blackmail these grains. The money should still be given, but I don't intend to honor the promise after the grain." Yang Ji saw Yang Guang enter. Narcissistic mode, feeling angry and funny, but also feeling relieved.
If you look at history, you will know that more than 90% of wise emperors prefer capable and loyal female ministers. On the contrary, they are not very interested in those upright, honest, peerless and independent officials. The main reason is that the emperor We are not afraid that important ministers will love money and money, they will not be afraid that ministers will love officials and be greedy for power, and we will not be afraid that ministers will love beautiful women. As long as you ask for something, the emperor can reward you and allow you to be used by him.
If you are a saint with no desires and high moral character, then what can he use to control you? If I can’t control you, how dare I use you?
Although Yang Ji's current approach is to solve the problem of military rations and plot against the opponent, it is also in line with the strategy of raising self-supply rations during wartime. However, if he trades official positions in the imperial court without Yang Guang's approval, he violates the system and the rules of getting along between monarchs and ministers.
It may not be the same now or after the war, but "people are not as good as a thousand days, and flowers are not as good as a hundred days." No one can guarantee what the future will be like. If you lose power in the future, this behavior and example now will often become fatal. Therefore, he planned to break the contract, ruin his reputation, and make his relationship with the aristocratic family even worse. But at the same time, he also knew
His reputation cannot be ruined because Yang Guang refuses to agree. This matter seems to be between himself and the aristocratic family, but behind it is closely related to the plan to divide and alienate the Guanlong nobles. And Yang Ji himself is now regarded as Yang Guang's spokesperson and mouthpiece. If he breaks the contract, the Dugu, Dou, Yu, Li and other families will definitely put this account on Yang Guang's head.
….
Once they think this way and once they are disappointed with Yang Guang, huge changes are bound to occur in the process of carrying out the successful division and separation plan, which may even prompt the three factions to unite sincerely again.
As far as Yang Ji is concerned, he has expressed his attitude and revealed himself. The decision of whether to breach the contract is already in Yang Guang's hands. No matter what Yang Guang decides, it has nothing to do with him.
As expected by Yang Jizhi, as soon as he finished speaking, Yang Guang shook his head: "No, no, you don't care, and you don't care about your reputation. However, this matter is not only related to you personally, but also to us." It’s related to the big plan.”
Yang Ji frowned and said, "If that's the case, I can do business as promised, but it would be an advantage to them. In my opinion, after I submitted the list, my brother just refused to agree. In this way, I have stopped betraying my trust and my reputation has been preserved."
Yang Guang was stunned when he heard this. He looked at Yang Ji with an incredulous look and said, "You're fine, but what should I do? If I follow your bad idea, wouldn't I become a fool who doesn't believe in rewards and punishments?" Do I want to lose my reputation? Oh, you act as a good person, but I have to take the blame and the bad reputation. Is that true?"
"You are the emperor, of course you don't have to carry it." Yang Ji chuckled and said with a wink: "When I submit the list, you can express your approval privately, but you can hint to the Ministry of War and the Council not to approve it! It's best! If it is implemented on a certain person, I think Pei Ju and Xiao Jue are good candidates. If they fail to pass, the conflict between the three parties will deepen."
Yang Guang's heart was pounding and he almost believed his lies, but when he thought that Pei Ju and Xiao Jue were not stupid, but also quite smart, he gave up this ridiculous idea and shook his head: "No, no, we are now Our stall is too big, so we need to be restrained, and we must not rush for quick success."
After saying that, he persuaded with sincerity: "Vajra slave, I know that you are disgusted with the Guanlong nobles and want to eradicate the Guanlong nobles in your dreams. However, our enemies are powerful and resourceful. We cannot make the slightest mistake when the situation is good. , you must abide by the agreement. Just follow your agreement and give those children of aristocratic families a chance."
Yang Ji said: "In this case, wouldn't it help the evil tyrants?"
"Come on, come on! It's settled." Fearing that he would be impressed, Yang Guang waved his hand towards Yang Ji as if he was sending away a beggar: "I'm very busy, and you hate it too. Go prepare for the march."
"Here! Farewell!" Yang Ji stopped and left the side hall of the Chinese Palace with a helpless and unwilling look.
"Although Vajra Slave is resourceful, capable in both civil and military affairs, and is a great Sui military god with unparalleled achievements, he is still a young man of about half his age. He is still restless and unable to cover everything, unlike me..." Looking at Yang Ji's back, Yang Guang shook his head helplessly.
This kid is really worrying. He needs to be taught more in the future. Otherwise, wouldn’t it be a disgrace to me?
Bihai Siyun
