"The Yellow River changes its course..."
"Shh..."
"real?"
"It's not confirmed yet, but I heard that there were such rumors in the Sansi Yamen before, saying that they came from Hebei Road..."
"Silence."
There was a burst of whispers in the silent hall, but it soon returned to silence. After all, the impact of the Yellow River changing its course to the north was too huge, and no one dared to make random guesses.
But because the matter was so important, Zhang Guan, the imperial censor, could not help but ask: "Guan family, has the Yellow River really changed its course?"
Zhao Zhen felt a headache when he heard this.
In fact, the information the court had received so far was not accurate, so he and several other ministers from Zhengshitang kept silent. Unexpectedly, Zhao Yang accidentally revealed the truth.
Could it be that this kid saw it in historical documents? Aren’t you saying that you don’t understand my affairs in the Song Dynasty?
Zhao Zhen glanced at Zhao Yang and unconsciously thought that this boy didn't know his age but knew the location of his imperial mausoleum. He was so angry that he cursed secretly: Bastard, you don't remember the useful things, but you remember the useless ones!
He glanced at the ministers in the palace again and saw that everyone was looking at him. Zhao Zhen also knew that this matter should not be kept secret any longer, so he motioned to Chen Zhizhong and said: "Ms. Chen, it's up to you to explain it to the ministers."
"Yes." Chen Zhizhong bowed and accepted the order, turned around to face the ministers, and said in a deep voice: "My ministers, please be patient and listen to what I have to say. On the ninth day of June last year, the Yellow River burst at Shanghuxiang in Chanzhou, and the water It spread all over Jingdong and Hebei. However, because Chanzhou was a vast ocean at the time, no one noticed the Yellow River changing its course. It was not until mid-August that the water flow in the upper reaches of the Yellow River slowed down a little, and the floods in Chanzhou area gradually receded. At that time, Chanzhou was also in charge of hook-up repairs. It took Yandu and the others who were involved in the river incident to discover that the Yellow River was suspected of changing its course..."
Zhao Yang suddenly realized that he finally understood why Yandu was sent to Chanzhou to repair the river in July last year. It turned out that the Yellow River had already burst its banks in Chanzhou at that time.
At this time, Chen Zhizhong continued to tell: "To be precise, the Yellow River did not change its course at that time, but split into two. One branch still followed the old river course since the late Han Dynasty heading east, and the other headed north... During that period, Chanzhou and Several officials in charge of repairing the river tried to dredge the old road and cut off the northern branch, diverting the river water back to the old road after Wang Jingzhi of the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, there was a heavy rain in December, and the water level of the Yellow River surged again. , once again flooded the Chanzhou area... This is a natural disaster, beyond the control of human power, so the officials issued Deyin, changed the Yuan Dynasty to Emperor Blessing, and granted amnesty to the world. I hope God will bless our court..."
"Ms. Chen, has the Yellow River... changed its course?" Zhang Guan, the censor Zhongcheng, asked.
Chen Zhizhong shook his head and said: "It's still impossible to say for sure, but according to Chanzhou's report, the current branch of the 'Beiliu' river has more water and is more rapid than the old road since the end of the Han Dynasty..."
If the branch rivers are plentiful and fast, isn't that a sign that they are about to become the main branch?
The ministers in the palace were also talking about it.
"Quiet! Quiet!"
Chen Zhizhong shouted twice to stop the debate in the palace. At this time, another censor, Zhongcheng Guo Quan, also asked: "I wonder if Zhongshu has learned the direction of the 'Beiliu' Yellow River?"
Chen Zhizhong frowned and turned to ask the official for instructions. Seeing the official nod slightly after some thought, he said to the officials in a deep voice: "According to reports from Hebei Road in the past two months, the 'Beiliu' branch Compared with the old road of Wang Jing in the Eastern Han Dynasty, it was moved north for at least eighty miles, taking Nanle in Puyang, heading north to Damingfu, and then flowing through Guanxian, Zaoqiang, west of Liaocheng and Dezhou, and finally ended at Huichuan and Weihe... "
The hall became quiet again, and all the ministers were simulating the direction of the "Northern Current" of the Yellow River in their minds. After about ten breaths, Liu Kui, the direct bachelor of Longtuge and the right admonishment doctor, lost his voice and said, "Don't we go straight to Khitan?" Already?"
"What does Liu Gexue mean by this?" A courtier unfamiliar with geography asked.
So Liu Kui explained while gesturing with his hands: It turns out that the old Yellow River since the end of the Han Dynasty has basically been "east-west" since Yanjin and Fengqiu, while the "northern" Yellow River has been roughly flowing since Chanzhou. The "north-south" direction means that the Yellow River can no longer serve as a natural barrier for Bianjing. The Liao army can attack directly south along the east bank of the Yellow River and attack Bianjing in a roundabout way.
Of course, the premise is that we can break through the layers of defense on Hebei Road.
"How could this be?"
"What should I do?"
After listening to Liu Kui's explanation, the officials in the palace also realized that Bianjing had lost the natural moat of the Yellow River. They were shocked and talked a lot.
"quiet!"
"quiet!"
When Zhao Zhen frowned, Chen Zhizhong and Wang Shougui spoke at the same time to maintain order in the hall, but for a while they still couldn't completely suppress the noise of everyone in the hall, until a slightly immature voice sounded in the hall: "Beiliu is Beiliu, what's the fuss about?" ?”
The hall gradually became quiet, and everyone looked at Zhao Yang, only to see Zhao Yang glance at Li Dui, Liu Yuanyu, and Liu Shi who had been silenced by him before, curling his lips and mocking: "You have so much courage, how dare you What do you mean by advocating culture over martial arts?"
These words were like a group of taunts. Except for Li Dui, Liu Yuanyu, and Liu Shi, although they were angry but did not dare to express themselves, several other courtiers also turned red. Liu Kui, a direct scholar of Longtuge, even shouted loudly: "Zhao Do you know what it will mean if the Yellow River flows north?"
"If it's not that Bianjing has lost its Yellow River barrier, what else can it do?" Zhao Yang snorted.
"..." Liu Kui choked, and after a while he said: "Zhao Zhengyan said it lightly, this matter isn't big enough?!"
Zhao Yang snorted again and said: "Let me just say that you are used to being at ease. There is an old saying in my hometown, which is to rely on the mountains to fall and the water to flow... Doesn't this just happen? What did Mencius say? The right time is not as good as the right place. It is not as good as harmony, and the same is true in war. We fight for national strength, logistics, and armaments, but in the end, what we fight for is the quality and will of the people. The soldiers fighting on the front line, the logistics officials and servants transporting grain, grass, and materials in the rear, up to the emperor and ministers, Down to the people, if they can work together as one, the battle will be invincible! Isn't this better than a river?...Whether the Yellow River flows north has not yet been confirmed, but in my opinion, even if it flows north, it is not entirely a bad thing, at least in this matter It can make people understand the principle of "depending on the mountains and the water". People must rely on themselves, and the country must focus on national defense. Now that the Yellow River flows north, it may not be regarded as an opportunity to mend the situation. As long as the status of the sergeant is slightly improved and respect is given to him , there are millions of forbidden troops and soldiers in the country. Those who are loyal to the country and are loyal to the country will be grateful, willing to fight for the country, and even die generously. ... As long as a little moment..."
At the end of his speech, he raised his right hand and made a very small gesture with his thumb and index finger.
The ministers in the palace looked at each other, but no one questioned or objected. It seems that in addition to not wanting to have a grudge with Zhao Yang, they were more affected by the "Changing of the Yellow River".
Seeing that no one objected, Zhao Zhen asked: "Zhao Yang, do you have any suggestions?"
Zhao Yang cupped his hands and replied: "I have some ideas, but...I want to hear Mr. Gao's opinion first."
Gao Ruona, who had been listening for a long time, was stunned and felt secretly angry: This kid still refuses to let me go!
He looked at Zhao Yang hatefully, and Zhao Yang also looked at him, half-smiling but not smiling: "Xiangong Gao felt that taking this opportunity, the status of sergeants should be improved and given corresponding respect and honor, so as to encourage sergeants to serve the country. To kill? Or to put it more bluntly, should we slightly change the domestic culture of 'advocating culture and suppressing military force' since the founding of the People's Republic of China?"
After hearing this, Gao Ruona felt like his head was pounding.
After all, "advocating literature and restraining martial arts" is the national policy formulated by Song Taizu, and it is the consensus of most civil servants and scholar-bureaucrats. If he expresses his approval at this time, it violates the ancestral precepts formulated by Song Taizu, and there is no guarantee that he will not become a civil servant and scholar-bureaucrat. A traitor in the eyes of the group; but if he opposes... At this critical moment when the Yellow River was diverted, all civil servants in the Manchu Dynasty remained silent on Zhao Yang's proposal to "slightly improve the status of sergeants." As a deputy envoy to the Privy Council, how could he be so stupid? Raise objections? Doesn't this give Zhao Yang an excuse to attack him?
At this moment, he finally understood the embarrassing situation of Li Dui, Liu Yuanyu, Liu Shi, Wu Shi and others at that time, and a thin layer of sweat oozed from his forehead.
But it has to be said that Gao Ruona was able to sit in the position of deputy envoy of the Privy Council and become one of the prime ministers. He was indeed talented and learned. After some thinking, he came up with a countermeasure and said softly: "Zhao Zhengyan is too much." It is alarmist to say that the northward flow of the Yellow River only makes Bianjing lose a protection, but Hebei Road is the real northern barrier of our Song Dynasty. Since the fourth year of Chunhua, our Song Dynasty has worked hard on Hebei Road, and after thirty years of repairs, Ditches and rivers connect lakes and swamps to form defenses around ponds and rivers. They are like the Great Wall on the water. They are too deep for horses to cross and too shallow for boats to carry. They are enough to make it difficult for the Khitan cavalry to move forward. ...The Khitan explicitly prohibited us from building ponds and rivers during the Song Dynasty. The land is too close to the border between the two countries, which is enough to prove their fear! This is one of the reasons. Second, the Song Dynasty and the Khitan have an alliance in Chanyuan. Although it is shameful, it has also led to nearly fifty years of peace between the two countries. , I don’t think the Khitan would give up hundreds of thousands of military expenses every year to betray the alliance and raise unjust troops to invade the Song Dynasty.”
After saying that, he looked around the hall and saw that all the officials in the hall nodded in agreement. He glanced at Zhao Yang with increasing pride and sneered secretly: I won't let you succeed!
Zhao Yang glanced at Gao Ruona with some surprise, and chuckled: "Ms. Gao wanted to find another way, but unfortunately his remarks were full of loopholes...however, there are still people who agree with it, it's really puzzling."
Gao Ruone's face froze, and the courtiers who had nodded in agreement were also a little at a loss.
Zhao Yang did not wait for anyone to ask questions and analyzed them one by one: "The first statement is acceptable and can be regarded as a strategic strategy to resist the Liao State, but what is the second statement? Whether the two countries will start a war depends on the Liao State Wouldn’t you betray the alliance? This is like me standing in front of Xianggong Gao with a sharp sword, and Xianggong Gao bets with his bare hands that I can’t cut him off with one sword. Isn’t this ridiculous?”
The monarchs and ministers in the palace were stunned when they heard this: It is indeed not right to say this...
Gao Ruona quickly defended: "Don't confuse right and wrong. When did I say that the safety of the Song Dynasty should be placed on whether the Khitan should raise troops? Furthermore, I, the Song Dynasty, are by no means bare-handed. Even if the Khitan betrays its alliance and leads troops to invade, we will The Song Dynasty can also defeat it with the help of Hebei Road!"
Zhao Yang smiled and said: "You are just wearing a suit of armor. Maybe there are barbs on the armor, but I am the one holding the sharp sword. I have to chop off your armor and the barbs on it. ? Can’t I stab the gap in your armor? Besides, the barbs on your armor will hurt my hand at most, but if I stab my sword into the gap in your armor, you will either die or be maimed."
Zhao Zhen and all the courtiers in the palace were stunned again, and this time even Gao Ruona was stunned.
Pang Ji, a political advisor, couldn't help but interject: "What Zhao Zhengyan means... is that the Song Dynasty should have the means to counter the Liao Kingdom and make it surrender?"
"Exactly." Zhao Yang nodded and said: "If two countries that are not vassals want to maintain long-term peace, there is only one situation, that is, the national power of both sides is similar, and each has the strength to at least severely damage the other. But I heard Gao Ruonei talked eloquently about the Liao strategy. He could only defend and block, but he did not mention a word about how to counterattack, how to counterattack the Liao mainland and severely damage it. How could this make the Liao avoid war and not dare to start a war?... …Is this not a dereliction of duty?”
The ministers in the palace fell into deep thought, especially Zhao Zhen. After all, he had heard Zhao Yang mention that there would be a weapon in later generations that could destroy an entire city in an instant. He nodded thoughtfully.
Seeing that the officials and officials in the palace seemed to be persuaded by Zhao Yang, Gao Ruona felt anxious and blurted out: "If it is not beyond our power, don't I know that our Song Dynasty will have the power to counterattack the Khitan mainland?"
Zhao Yang grinned when he heard this and asked deliberately: "Why can't you do it?"
"..." Gao Ruona was at a loss for words and cursed in his heart: Damn it, we went back again!
He took a breath to calm down and said seriously: "Zhao Zhengyan does not take the chaos of the late Tang Dynasty as a lesson, but wants to speak out for soldiers and warriors. I don't ask what the meaning of this is, and I don't ask whether Zhao Zhengyan has any grudges against the Khitan, so It’s alarmist to talk about the Khitan, but I have to say that since the Chanyuan Alliance, the Khitan has not invaded our country on a large scale in the past fifty years. If you instigate discord between Song and Liao for your own personal grudges, causing wars that have not happened in fifty years to resume, and people will be devastated, you How can I bear it?"
"As expected of a former remonstrator, he is good at criticizing and frame-up. However, he has such a eloquent ability, but he did not dare to speak out for the virtuous people in the court." Zhao Yang clapped his hands and sneered, but in his heart he thought about Gao Ruona's mention. fifty years of peace.
Although he was not familiar with this period of history, he also knew that after the Chanyuan Alliance, the two countries of Song and Liao had generally been at peace for more than a hundred years. Therefore, strictly speaking, the signing of the Chanyuan Alliance between Song and Liao was also It's not entirely a bad thing. At least the 300,000 years old coins donated to Liao every year are much less than the war expenses. Even if it was later increased to 200,000 silver and 300,000 silk, which totaled 500,000 silver and silk, it would still be enough. Far less than the cost of war.
The real problem is that these hundred years of comfort caused the Song Dynasty to "forget the war and abandon the army." Including the Forbidden Army, the domestic army's combat strength plummeted and became eroded, and was eventually destroyed by the Jurchens of the Jin Kingdom. This is exactly what the saying goes: Life. Die in sorrow and happiness.
Of course, the Liao Kingdom did not fare well either. As a fellow sufferer who was ruined with the Song Kingdom in the later period, the Liao Kingdom was destroyed by the Jurchens of the Jin Kingdom before the Song Kingdom.
Because of knowing this, even though Zhao Yang knew that there would be at least fifty years of general peace between Song and Liao in the future, he could not continue to sit back and watch Song "forget the war and go to the army", even if it would arouse the vigilance of Liao. , affected the relations between the two countries, and even caused the Liao Kingdom to begin to rebuild its armaments.
Thinking of this, Zhao Yang suddenly asked Gao Ruona: "Gao Ruona, let me ask you, in your opinion, what are the prerequisites for the two countries of Song and Liao to maintain peace?"
"..." Gao Ruona frowned.
"Don't worry and say it boldly, I won't attack you with this matter." After saying that, Zhao Yang looked around the ministers in the palace and said, "You can also think about it."
No need to think about it?
When everyone in the hall looked at each other, Gao Ruona stopped talking and said: "You are not asking knowingly..."
"You want to talk about the annual coins that the Song Dynasty gave to the Liao Kingdom every year, right? Wrong! At least not all of them." Zhao Yang shook his head, then looked around the ministers in the palace, and said seriously: "The more critical premise is... Liao The land, food, wealth, etc. within the country can still feed its subjects!...The same goes for Xixia!"
"..."
The hall became quiet again. From the officials to the ministers, they all pondered Zhao Yang's words carefully.
