Of course not! Liu Zhang refused in his heart without even thinking about it.
Liangzhou is thousands of miles away and the situation is extremely complicated. Once you get there, you will immediately become the target of public criticism! Liu Zhang would not be so stupid as to take on such a hard job!
"Your Majesty, the Liangzhou rebels have become a prairie fire. If our army goes on an expedition, we will have to bring a large army! But according to Da Sinong some time ago, the national treasury can no longer afford such a large military operation!"
Liu Hong obviously looked distressed when he heard about the money issue. But this time the threat was too great, so I could only endure the severe pain and ask.
"How many troops does Liu Aiqing need? If it doesn't work, I can support you first."
Liu Hong's words were beyond Liu Zhang's expectation. He didn't expect that Liu Hong, who was addicted to money, would actually take the initiative to pay for it!
Looking at Liu Zhang who was deep in thought, Liu Hong felt extremely uneasy! He was afraid that Liu Zhang would say a number that was neither too high nor too low!
If it's less, Liu Hong will be happy to take the money, but if it's more, Liu Hong can refuse it directly.
"We need at least 200,000 troops! And prepare at least eighteen months of food and grass!"
Sure enough, Liu Zhang told the number Liu Hong didn't want to hear!
Two hundred thousand troops, nearly two years of food and fodder!
Only this number that is neither too high nor too low is the most difficult for Liu Hong to accept!
If you agree, it will be extremely painful! If you don’t agree, you can’t worry about the situation in Liangzhou!
"Isn't this too much? The burden of two hundred thousand troops to go on an expedition is too great!"
Seeing Liu Hong's embarrassed expression, Liu Zhang could only reply to Liu Hong with an apology.
"Your Majesty, Liangzhou is more than a thousand miles away from Luoyang? An army of 200,000 cannot be gathered overnight. Once all the troops and horses are gathered and it takes several months to rush to Liangzhou, it is difficult to say how the situation will develop! If we press the final With bad plans, Liangzhou may have already fallen!"
Liu Hong couldn't sit still anymore and couldn't stop making small movements with his hands. He looked hesitant at first glance.
Liu Zhang finally understood that Liu Hong was probably reluctant to take the money. This is Liangzhou, which will always invade Sanfu and threaten the Imperial Tomb and Luoyang. If it were Jiaozhou and Youzhou, Liu Hong would never be so hesitant and just let the states and counties handle it on their own!
At this moment, Liu Hong was not thinking about what to do if Liangzhou fell or the imperial mausoleum was threatened, but he was thinking about how he could earn it back if he took out the money!
I'm afraid that even if I sell all the officials, big and small, in Liangzhou, I won't be able to make money!
Liu Hong absolutely cannot do this kind of loss-making business!
Liu Hong had already made up his mind and refused to pay! But if we don’t send troops to Liangzhou, what will we do if the situation deteriorates?
"Your Majesty, if the treasury is tight, I have a solution!"
"Oh? My dear, please tell me!"
Liu Hong looked happy, as long as he was not allowed to pay, he would do anything!
"Your Majesty, no matter how hard the rebels are in Liangzhou, it is actually internal friction. In fact, what we are afraid of is that they suddenly attack from Liangzhou and we cannot respond in time. Before, Governor Geng informed us of the news, and we could respond in time. Now there is no If Governor Geng is killed, we may not know until the next time the rebels attack Chang'an!"
"In my opinion, we can guard the key points and garrison troops and horses to prevent the Xiliang rebels from sneaking past. In this way, we can definitely get the maximum results with the minimum consumption!"
Liu Hong nodded, agreeing with Liu Zhang's words, but he still felt uneasy.
"Liu Aiqing, this can prevent these rebels from making a surprise attack eastward, but as you said, what if all the Qiang people rebel and gather an army of millions?"
Liu Zhang smiled and said, "Your Majesty, please be patient. I haven't finished speaking yet!"
"Bordering Liangzhou is Yizhou, and the first to bear the brunt is Hanzhong County. Most of the counties and counties in Hanzhong are bordered by the Qiang people. If your Majesty can send generals to station in Hanzhong, it will definitely deter some Qiang people's evil intentions!"
"Liangzhou has only two ways to invade Sanfu. One is to use Anding County to attack Meiyang, and the other is to use Tianshui County to attack Chencang! If two generals are sent to lead elite troops to garrison here, Xiliang will definitely be held back. Army, give the court time to react! The most important and critical thing here is that Hanzhong County can go directly to Tianshui via Qishan Road! If the rebels dare to invade Sanfu, they can go straight into the hinterland of Liangzhou from Hanzhong County! Liangzhou will be lost by then. The Xiliang rebels are like rootless duckweeds, they can only be slaughtered by our army!"
The more Liu Hong listened, the more surprised he became. He didn't expect Liu Zhang to have such a cost-saving solution! Moreover, all the expenses of Hanzhong County are naturally provided by the Yizhou Governor's Office, and Liu Hong does not have to spend a penny!
"My dear, you are indeed the pillar of the country! How can you save money like this? Ah, no, such a perfect countermeasure!"
"I wonder if Liu Aiqing has a candidate?"
Of course Liu Zhang had someone to choose, and Liu Hong was waiting for him to ask.
"Your Majesty, Polu General Dong Zhuo is in Fufeng on the right. You can let him lead his troops to Meiyang. Huangfu Song was defeated before, so he can be punished for his meritorious service and go to Chencang to garrison. But this Hanzhong..."
It was difficult for Liu Zhang to do what he did, so he certainly couldn't recommend himself, lest Liu Hong have any ideas.
"Your Majesty, Hanzhong County is of great importance and needs a person who is both wise and brave! He must not only coordinate the relationship between the Qiang people, but also be able to seize the slightest opportunity. The most important thing is to have the courage to lead a surprise attack into Liangzhou!"
After Liu Zhang finished speaking, he shook his head, looking very embarrassed.
Liu Hong looked at Liu Zhang strangely, and his face even became a little angry.
"Why, after you marry my daughter, you don't want to worry about me anymore?"
Liu Zhang looked frightened and quickly handed over his hand to apologize.
"Ah? Your Majesty, what does this mean?"
"Liu Aiqing, among the civil and military officials of this dynasty, who can be better at fighting than you?"
this. . . Doesn’t this speak to my heart? Liu Zhang was very happy, but he still looked embarrassed.
"Your Majesty, I am young and have insufficient qualifications. How can I take on such an important responsibility? I just want to guard Your Majesty and listen to His Majesty's teachings every day!"
Liu Hong looked at Liu Zhang calmly and said nothing. This made Liu Zhang uneasy.
Damn it, what if Liu Hong really thinks that I can't bear to leave Luoyang!
Just when Liu Zhang secretly regretted it in his heart, Liu Hong looked moved.
"You are indeed my good son-in-law. I finally did not misjudge you! But now is the man's crisis, you must not be so kind to a woman!"
Liu Zhang didn't dare to talk nonsense anymore, and quickly followed Liu Hong's words.
"Your Majesty, even if I dare to take over this post, I'm afraid the ministers won't agree, right? After all, I'm not even in my prime, how can they trust me to take over as the prefect of a county?"
When Liu Hong heard Liu Zhang's words, he understood that Liu Zhang had agreed and felt relieved.
"Those ministers want you to leave Luoyang as soon as possible, so how can they stop you?"
"In that case, I will obey your Majesty's instructions!"
Liu Hong nodded with satisfaction. In his opinion, Liu Zhang was both a clan member and a son-in-law. Regardless of his identity, status, and abilities, he was the most satisfied person.
With Liu Zhang in Hanzhong, Liu Hong was absolutely at ease.
