There were many sentries outside the house, and the three monarchs and ministers were seated in the hall. Zhao Pu's stepmother Heshi personally served tea, and Emperor Liu politely expressed his gratitude. Such an attitude naturally made Zhao Pu's heart feel hot.
Even though Zhao Pu was already close to knowing his destiny, he was far from giving up on his career and fame. He was even obsessed with it and wanted to continue to do great things. The emperor's attitude was naturally extremely important to him.
"The place you chose is very good. It has green huts on the hills, lush forests and bamboos. It is a good place for self-cultivation. It has the style of an expert hermit!" Emperor Liu opened his eyes and told lies with a smile on his face.
Beside him, the corners of Liu Yang's mouth couldn't help but twitch twice. Only then did Emperor Liu say that this place was just average. Zhao Pu, as for Zhao Pu, didn't know what was going on, so he behaved modestly and respectfully, and responded: "Your Majesty's compliments are too great to deserve. As a minister living here, I only have three things to do: observe filial piety, study, and educate people..."
"I've heard about it!" Emperor Liu grinned: "As a teacher, you are quite comfortable doing what you do!"
After chatting for a few words, Emperor Liu's expression became serious, and the topic turned to business: "You have been patrolling the southwest for many years, traveling to various places, coordinating military affairs, and Sichuan and Shu have been stabilized. Your contribution is outstanding!"
"Your Majesty has entrusted me with authority and entrusted me with important responsibilities. I should work diligently and live up to your kindness!" Zhao Pu said immediately.
"Between you and me, the monarch and his ministers, there is no need to say these humble and polite words!" Emperor Liu raised his hand to interrupt him and said: "At the beginning of the peace of Sichuan and Shu, the peace of the three realms that I saw in my eyes was restored and order was re-established. You and the three chief officials have done a good job in promoting the legal system, especially the rectification of finance and taxation.
In recent years, I have been more concerned about the barbarians in the southwest. In remote places, barbarians are rampant and rebels are uncertain. Public security is often a big problem. Although the ethnic situation in the southwest is not as serious and tense as that in the northwest, it is equally complex.
Opening the Tubo trade route, exchanging tea goods for horses, infiltrating various ethnic groups, and expanding hundreds of miles of territory, this achievement of opening up territories also largely relied on the management of Qing. As for the implementation of Tusi, I am even more satisfied. Not long ago, I also met with Tusi Bo and Qian, and the results were good..."
"Your hard work in the southwest has been accomplished with my eyes and in my heart!" Emperor Liu's voice was full of affirmation.
Listening to Emperor Liu's detailed account of his achievements, Zhao Pu felt warm and moved. He raised his hands and solemnly said: "I am so grateful to you for being more trustworthy than your Majesty!"
Seeing his formality, Emperor Liu picked up the tea cup and showed respect to him. After drinking, he said: "I understand the situation in the southwest through local reports and imperial inspections for so many years. Until now, I still have one thing that needs to be done. Please give me some advice and let me hear your opinion!”
Hearing this, Zhao Pu immediately held up his hands and asked tentatively: "Your Majesty, are you worried about the conquest of Dali?"
"You are indeed smart!" Emperor Liu smiled a little.
Zhao Pu said calmly: "General Wang has been stationed in central Guizhou, sharpening his sword for nearly ten years. I am determined to conquer the south, and I understand it. Now, the situation in the southwest is stable, the barbarians have surrendered, and Tubo has come to annex. Can we The only thing that makes His Majesty hesitate to make a decision is this matter!"
After hearing what he said, Emperor Liu nodded and said directly: "A few days ago, I received another memorial from Wang Quanbin. He said that the time has come for the southern expedition. He asked for orders to attack Dali, eliminate the Duan family in one fell swoop, and regain the old land of Nanzhao. !”
As he said that, Emperor Liu couldn't help but sigh a few times: "Wang Quanbin has been garrisoning the southwest for ten years. He is good at the wilderness, working with the dense forests of Dongxi, and working hard without complaint. I am quite moved when I think about it. During these ten years, I have received his information about Dali and the southwest. There were dozens of memorials to the army, but no direct reply was received.
Qing came back from the southwest, went deep into central Guizhou, and had many exchanges with Dali. Qing thinks, should we send troops to Dali? "
When Emperor Liu asked for advice, Zhao Pu had a serious look on his face. After thinking for a while, he cupped his hands and said, "I dare to tell you what your Majesty's concerns are!"
"It's okay to speak out!" Emperor Liu expressed his open-minded attitude.
"First, Dali inherited Nanzhao, and the Duan family established the country for thirty years. There was no tyranny and harsh rule. The foundation was deep and solid, and it was not easy to defeat. He was always on good terms with the court, and he used humble words and courtesy to build national friendship. If he raised an army to attack, , I'm afraid the master will be unknown!" Zhao Pu said.
"Famous or not, I have the final say. Don't you care about some criticism!" Emperor Liu said immediately. Although he said this, it can be seen from his expression that he recognized his statement.
Zhao Pu continued: "Secondly, the southern Sichuan and central Guizhou areas are already remote, and Dali is even more remote. The mountains are high and the forests are dense, the roads are difficult, and the transportation of grain, grass and ordnance is inconvenient. If you rush to attack with a large army, it will be easy to overwhelm the troops. . Once the war does not go smoothly, it will waste national power. If it lasts for a long time, it will become a thing of the past when the Tang Dynasty conquered Nanzhao, and the southwest will be uneasy in the future.
If the two countries continue their conquest in two years, the current stability in central Guizhou will also be destroyed, and even the entire southwest will fall into a situation of corruption. Taking an unprofitable principle will plunge the court into the quagmire of war. Such risks, Weigh carefully! "
"The Han Dynasty is not the Tang Dynasty, and I am not Tang Xuanzong!" Emperor Liu said.
Glancing at Emperor Liu, Zhao Pu still maintained a calm attitude and continued: "Thirdly, since the unification of the north and the south, although the Han Dynasty has pursued the policy of relaxing the government and supporting the people, in the past five or six years, the conquests have not really stopped. . Although Hexi, Dangxiang, Annan, and Liuqiu were only local wars, a large amount of human, financial and material resources were still invested.
Especially last year, Annan had preliminary results. After less than a year, it once again raised troops in the southwest. Military operations were too frequent. Moreover, in recent years, the imperial court has been benefiting the people, so its finances and taxes have not increased significantly. The imperial government has done a lot of large-scale projects, such as Zhidao, river construction, Xijing, and other affairs, which have also consumed a lot of money and food from the imperial court. Therefore, if they use weapons again, they may cause trouble to the imperial court. It brings a certain financial burden..."
"The three points you discussed seem to be what I mean, but they are actually your personal opinions!" After Zhao Pu finished speaking, Emperor Liu pondered for a while, then smiled slightly and said: "As you said, I should reject Wang Quanbin. Are you going to give up on attacking Dali?"
Hearing this, Zhao Pu still shook his head, but this time he was very sure: "The imperial court will face such difficulties no matter when it attacks Dali, but these difficulties are not insurmountable, especially when General Wang has been in the southwest for many years. If you know yourself and the enemy, you will be able to overcome the situation.
Your Majesty and the imperial court have implemented policies to stabilize the southwest, so that the barbarians in southern Sichuan surrendered and were stabilized. This was to create a stable rear for the attack on Dali.
Let’s talk about the Dali Kingdom. The Duan clan arose when Nanzhao was divided and mostly followed its system. There were many clans in the country. The Duan clan was the leader of the country and did not have strong control over the clans. It still belonged to a tribal alliance. country.
In addition, the lineage succession of Dali is still an unavoidable issue. The contemporary king Duan Sicong was succeeded by Duan Siliang, and Duan Siliang originally colluded with powerful officials to usurp the throne of his nephew. This is also a stain that is difficult to erase. If the imperial court invades Dali, this matter can make a big fuss to divide the role within the royal family.
Another problem in Dali lies in the rise of the aristocrats of various clans. Their clansmen spread all over the government and the public, controlling the government and competing with the royal family for power, but Duan Sicong was unable to control it. From the Dong family in the early years to the increasingly expanding Gao family and Yang family, this is also a serious internal problem.
Finally, it is difficult to say that the thirty-seven tribes in Dali are loyal to the Dali royal family. In the process of communicating with them over the years, there are also many who have better intentions to join the imperial court. If the chieftain system of the Han Dynasty is implemented in Dali, and the situation of strength and weakness is clear, it can be fully accepted and even used as an aid in the march.
Therefore, the biggest difficulty in conquering Dali lies in the military restrictions imposed by the geographical terrain. As for the use of troops, I believe that General Wang will live up to His Majesty's trust..."
After listening to Zhao Pu's statement, Emperor Liu thought about it for a while, smiled, and said happily, "I understand Zhao Qing's opinion!"
With that said, Emperor Liu stood up, and Liu Yang and Zhao Pu quickly followed suit. After looking around, Emperor Liu asked: "Is there anything that needs to be sorted out? If not, Zhao Qing can go back to Luoyang with me!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Pu took two steps back and bowed: "Thank you, Your Majesty!"
