The guards and eunuchs guarding the door saw Huang Qiong thinking about the problem in the courtyard. Knowing that Huang Qiong needed to be quiet when thinking about the problem, they hurriedly and quietly retreated. But Huang Qiong acted as if he didn't hear the guards and eunuchs at all. He just stared at the yard, a few camellias and a clump of bamboo, thinking over and over what he had missed.
It was only then that he remembered that he had not received any information about the man from the Western Regions from the Fan family for a long time. Let yourself know nothing about what happened to that person. On the contrary, he was a little passive in letting himself handle the matter. Could it be that something strange happened in the Fan family? Or maybe something happened to the Fan family because of that person's solicitation?
Looking at the slightly dark sky, Huang Qiong felt that from the capital, to Fujian Road, to the northwest, including the Shanchanhou Mansion, it seemed like a densely woven network was covering him. . And could the person behind the scenes be that person? Could it be that after finally quelling the rebellion of the pseudo-emperor, he would have to face the issue of fighting with his roommates again?
If the man behind all of this is really that person, what confidence does he have that he can successfully march eastward to the hinterland? Although he didn't know that person very well, he knew those things. Huang Qiong still believed that that person was not only vicious and unscrupulous in his actions, but also a man who made plans and then acted. Since he has done so many things, he will definitely have corresponding arrangements.
Even if he wanted to confuse his thoughts and completely muddy the waters around him, he would never put his hope in only the few tens of thousands of troops and horses at the corner of Fujian Road and those stupid pigs in the capital. He is definitely not that simple. He can control his own brother in the palm of his hand, fight for him from the front with the deposed prince, and eventually take the blame for him after his family is wiped out.
How could such a person do so many things simply by being ruthless? The old man's heart softened for a moment, but he unleashed an even more ferocious and cunning wolf. Compared with the body, there is a businessman's care about everything. It seems that he acts unscrupulously, but in fact he is more concerned about gains and losses than the false emperor. This hungry wolf that the old man let go is the one who really does everything.
There is only a goal in his heart. As long as he achieves his goal, all living things in the world can be his pawns and victims. Once such a person is really allowed to become big, it will definitely be a disaster for the subjects of this world. But how to deal with this hungry wolf has always given Huang Qiong a headache. It's easy to understand, but it's very difficult when it comes to taking action.
Back in the study, Huang Qiong looked at the map quietly, not even bothering to touch the dinner that was served. His eyes were fixed on the northwest area on the map. He has never liked to wait passively, but he is used to taking the initiative, but this time he really has no intention of taking the initiative. Not only is the household department now empty, it is basically unable to support itself, and it is opening a battlefield on its own.
The main battlefields of this counter-insurgency, Huguang South Road and Jiangnan West Road, and half of Jiangnan East Road are in urgent need of recuperation. The world really can't bear it, except opening up a new battlefield. Another important point is that the Western Region is vast and sparsely populated, with vast deserts everywhere. All the Central Plains dynasties' expeditions to the Western Regions were at heavy cost. If nothing else, a single supply of grain and grass would be difficult to support.
This time when we went south to quell the rebellion, one combat soldier required three auxiliary soldiers. But if we really want to send troops to the Western Regions, judging from the previous military deployments to the Western Regions in the Han Dynasty and the former Tang Dynasty, one soldier will need at least ten auxiliary soldiers. Moreover, the battle in the Western Regions mainly relied on cavalry. Not only is it difficult for the imperial court to support such a huge investment of manpower and material resources. Even an army that is constantly fighting needs to rest.
Under the circumstances that he is unable or simply unable to support the expedition at present, the next layout and how to operate it has become Huang Qiong's biggest headache at the moment. Thinking of this person, Huang Qiong couldn't help but sigh inwardly. I am undoubtedly wiping the old man's butt again. I have been wiping the old man's butt for most of my time since I started serving the prince.
The old man is soft-hearted, always thinking about old relationships, or having too many taboos, and doesn't know when to break them off, but he leaves himself with such a piece of trivial matter. When did this end? Looking at the names of the frontier defense envoys and military governors on the map, Huang Qiong's eyes were inadvertent. When he glanced at the name of He Yuanfeng, who was now the military governor of Shaanxi Road, he was slightly startled.
Looking at the name, Huang Qiong put his hands behind his back. When this person suppressed the rebellion in Longyou, he showed his stubbornness and ego. He is always lukewarm towards himself. Even though he was once his grandfather's right-hand man. But he has always kept a distance from himself. Even after he ascended the throne, he didn't show anything. He once wanted to be the commander of the former capital of Xijing Palace, but was rejected by himself.
At least on the surface, it seems to have completely ceased operations. But the question is, has he really given up? Did he really show that he has no desires and desires and plans to serve as the governor of Shaanxi Province for the rest of his life? But from the time when I worked with this person in Longyou, although this person had always hidden it very well, the ambition he occasionally showed was enough to tell me that this person was definitely not what he appeared to be.
After Gao Huaiyuan took over the Nanzhen Fusi, he also reported that this person had many complaints because he was unable to mobilize the army and generals at all levels during the rebellion. After he ascended the throne, after he was rejected by him for seeking the position of former secretary of Xijing Palace, although he didn't say anything on the surface and seemed very calm, privately he also expressed a certain degree of dissatisfaction to his confidants.
After knocking on the desk in front of him, Huang Qiong felt a little hesitant when dealing with this person. According to my own habits, once I have doubts about him, I should at least transfer him away from the position of Shaanxi Road Jiedushi. Even if the local guards have relatively low combat power, Huang Qiong will not give him the opportunity to lead them. But now Huang Qiong is a little hesitant about how to deal with He Yuanfeng.
It's not that Huang Qiong has any scruples about transferring He Yuanfeng away. It's just a Jiedushi. Let alone transferring him, it's not a big deal even if he is isolated and raised. Even though the imperial court is now poor, it can still afford a second-grade official. But Huang Qiong didn't like being led around by others. Even though he couldn't take the initiative this time, Huang Qiong still didn't like to wait passively.
If there is any doubt, just transfer a military attache. Then there are still a few military attaches in the world who can still be used. Huang Qiong, who is familiar with history books, knows that suspicion is a common problem among emperors throughout the ages, but it often becomes a fatal weakness. And if he had no fault, he would remove a second-grade military attache. This would also create a rift between the court and the military attache. At least for now, Huang Qiong doesn't want to do something that would cause pain to relatives and pleasure to enemies.
Thinking of this, Huang Qiong picked up his pen again and wrote a secret edict to Zheng Daoyuan and Du She respectively. Let these two people, one is about to take over as the Minister of the Ministry of War in Xijing, and the other is about to take over as the commander of the former capital of Xijing Palace. After taking office, He Yuanfeng must be closely monitored. If anyone discovers that he has any evil intentions, he can be locked up first without asking for an order. Huang Qiong did not explain the reason clearly.
After writing several secret orders, he put down the pen in his hand. Huang Qiong stared at the map for a long time, but then remembered what happened to the Fan family. It seems that the Fan family has become a little swollen. Do you really think there is nothing you can do against them? Do you dare to play tricks on yourself regarding the information from the Western Region? Although what he wants is not the kind of submissive Fan family. But we absolutely cannot raise a Fan family who is always half-hearted.
Especially now that the South Town Fusi has just been reorganized and the North Town Fusi, which is mainly engaged in external affairs, has not yet had time to adjust, and the collection of overseas intelligence is lagging behind, it is really unreasonable for the Fan family to do this. Huang Qiong wrote another letter to the head of the Fan family. The Fan family is required to give a reasonable explanation for the matters in the Western Regions, especially the situation where the King of Shu's intelligence is lagging behind and has even stopped providing information recently.
In fact, Huang Qiong understood why the Fan family was so hesitant in providing information about the King of Shu. To put it bluntly, even though the Fan family is holding the pot, they are still reluctant to throw away the bowl. Now, relying on the iron cavalry in hand, which has expanded to more than 100,000, it can be said that it has a considerable advantage in military strength in the face of the internal disintegration.
After several years of development, the power of the King of Shu has now expanded westward to the coastal areas of Atami and northward to the southern foot of Jinshan Mountain. To the south, the Jishi watershed has been controlled. He controlled the entire Western Region, the area between Tianshan Mountain and Jinshan Mountain where the water plants were the most abundant, and the entire Jishi River Basin. . The Fan family travels the Silk Road every year, and most of them are now in the areas controlled by the King of Shu in the Western Regions.
Or the Fan family is worried that the King of Shu is now a big player in the Western Region and has controlled most of the Silk Road. What obstacles should be set up for the Fan family along the Silk Road, or even completely cut off the Fan family's trade routes throughout the Western Regions. Either the King of Shu put some pressure on the Fan family, so that the Fan family did not dare to provide information about him in the Western Regions. King Shu can do this.
It may even be possible to do even better. His own brothers can be killed with one sword. He will be subjected to greater humiliation and torture before death. What else can't he do? Not to mention, in his eyes, the Fan family is nothing more than a merchant's home. Although the Fan family is now under threat and may not really dare to betray them, at least in terms of behavior, there will definitely be many taboos.
The main reason for this situation is that the Fan family is too greedy. Not only do you eat what's in the bowl, but you also think about what's in the pot. Outsiders can't get in, and they don't care whether their belly is full or not. He has supported them to go to sea and trade via sea routes that are more efficient and relatively safer. But they still refuse to give up the Silk Road, which is less efficient and has greater risks along the way.
In order to support his family and open up maritime trade routes as soon as possible, he not only gave all the discounts that should be given, but also asked the Privy Council to grant their family fifty crossbows and thirty thousand-jin cannons for the Fan family's merchant ships. , used for self-defense at sea. However, they are still not satisfied, and they still want to control the Silk Road. They have been delaying and refusing to implement their request for them to fully liberalize the Silk Road.
If it weren't for the sake of Nangong Mei and her son, this person would want to eat everything in his stomach, but he wouldn't want to vomit it out at all. To a certain extent, it was even more greedy than the Guilin County Prince's Palace back then. There is really no need for the Fan family to exist because they are always on both sides of things and are so cunning that people can't catch them. If the Fan family can't give a reasonable explanation this time, then?
Putting down the pen, he read carefully again the letter he wrote to the head of the Fan family. He sealed it with wax oil himself, and sent someone 800 miles away to rush it out together with the first two imperial edicts. Looking at the dinner that had gone cold, Huang Qiong didn't care. He just warmed it up and ate it wholeheartedly. After having dinner, Huang Qiong went to visit the girls again.
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