"But!" Zhao Pu lowered his head slightly, changed the subject, and spoke calmly: "Hei Khan is a big man and a small man, but he is strong in the Western Regions. When conducting conquests, if you use few soldiers, it will be difficult to solve the problem. If you use many soldiers, it will be difficult to solve the problem. It will be difficult to provide gifts.
From Hexi to the front of the army, there is a distance of two thousand miles. However, the more troops are advanced, the farther the journey is. The losses will be huge. Even if Hexi's efforts are made, it may not be sustainable for a long time.
Moreover, Hexi has been in turmoil for half a year and people's hearts are unstable. These situations need to be considered and weighed."
Emperor Liu felt more and more uncomfortable with Zhao Pu's old words for seeking the country, so he couldn't help but interrupt him. Although there was still a smile on his face, his tone seemed a little shady: "Listen to what Zhao Qing means, isn't it? Do you support the Western Expedition?"
Faced with the invisible pressure exerted by Emperor Liu, Zhao Pu crouched slightly and said cautiously: "Your Majesty, the Han Dynasty has not used troops on a large scale for more than ten years. In a war, more temples will win, and fewer temples will not win. I hope your majesty will think about it as a whole." !”
Seeing Zhao Pu's honest and forthright appearance, Emperor Liu couldn't find it easy to get angry. After thinking about it, he still responded: "What Zhao Qing said makes sense!"
"However!" Emperor Liu also changed the topic and said firmly: "It is precisely because the battle formation has been neglected for a long time that the army should be moved to prevent the armaments from being weakened! I understand the principle that if you are willing to fight, you will perish, but if you forget to fight, you will be in danger. Also something to keep in mind.
A big man can never let go of Nanshan. The reform of the military system is still a few years old. It is just a good time to test the training results of the army under the new soldier system in recent years. How is its combat strength? Whether it is still the invincible king division that swept the world. Black Khan is a good piece of steel. Knife stone! "
As he spoke, Emperor Liu waved his hands involuntarily: "As for the supply of military supplies, it is of course a top priority, but no matter how difficult and far it is, can it be compared to the Northern Expedition to Khitan? No matter how difficult and dangerous it is, it can't be compared to the Southern Expedition to Khitan." Going to Dali?
In my opinion, these are all difficulties that can be overcome! If instead of the Han Dynasty conquering the west, the Black Khan invaded the east, could Hexi use these reasons to avoid complaining and do nothing?
Zhao Qing said that people's hearts are unstable, but I want to ask, who is uneasy and who is unstable? A half-year-long anti-bandit operation has been carried out in the northwest. The reported results are fruitful, and public security has improved, but it is still unstable. So what went wrong, and who went wrong?
Since the invasion of the northwest, Hexi has developed steadily for nearly twenty years. Isn't the accumulated savings enough to support a war? Even if Hexi is deficient, what about the northwest? After the northwest, there is the entire Han Dynasty. How can Heihan not be able to defeat it! "
Emperor Liu's remarks were full of aggressiveness. What else could Zhao Pu do about this. Silently observing Emperor Liu's face, he sighed in his heart, raised his hands and said, "Your Majesty is wise and decisive, and has a commanding position, but the veteran minister is ignorant and pedantic, and failed to understand the holy will."
Seeing this, Emperor Liu immediately waved his hand to stop him, and said with a smile: "Qing Zhao, you are serious! You have been working hard for many years on state affairs, and you are old. It is inevitable that you will make some omissions. Furthermore, I and the court also need to Those of you who are experienced in planning for the country, only in this way can the yin and yang be reconciled and be as stable as Mount Tai."
Although Emperor Liu offered words of comfort, these words always sounded a bit harsh to Zhao Pu. Zhao Pu did not dare to show any strangeness on his face, but wanted to be moved by the emperor's consideration, but the bitterness in his heart became stronger.
In the past, even if there were some differences of opinion between the emperor and his ministers, Emperor Liu would never speak in such a weird and awkward manner, making people uncomfortable.
However, in the past few months, although he often smiled when facing Zhao Pu, Zhao Pu was really overwhelmed by the subtle targeting.
"The military in the Western Regions, as well as all the hard-working ministers, will give you full support!" Emperor Liu issued another concluding instruction.
"yes!"
After leaving Chongzheng Hall, Zhao Pu walked alone, thinking and restraining his descriptions, showing a dignified attitude. After more than a month of getting along and careful testing, he was sure that Emperor Liu did have some opinions about him.
In fact, Zhao Pu had noticed it a long time ago, but it had never been as explicit and heartbreaking as it is now, and the key change began after Lu Duoxun was killed.
After Lu Duoxun was killed, the Central Han Dynasty fell into a strange calm. The Lu Party was almost wiped out, and those involved were punished. Those who were spared did not dare to publicize it anymore. The censor of the Metropolitan Procuratorate was almost changed. .
Logically speaking, Zhao Pu should celebrate the fall of the biggest hostile force. However, under Zhao Pu's suppression, the "Xiang Party" members also behaved with their tails between their legs, not daring to show off, but dedicated themselves to their duties. Responsible.
In this atmosphere, the imperial court was in a state of Qing Dynasty, and administrative efficiency was unprecedentedly improved. It was as if we had returned to the early days of Qianyou, and that positive and high-spirited scene of unity from top to bottom once again appeared in the Han Dynasty.
However, there is a key issue. After Lu Duoxun's death, the original power structure of the central government was completely broken, from the political hall to various ministries and even local states. However, the construction of a new balance was deliberately made by Emperor Liu. Under the pressure, it appears slow and lagging.
The vacancies in various ministries, offices, and local positions can be easily filled, and personnel personnel are already being carried out under the guidance of Zhao Pu. There is absolutely no shortage of officials in the Han Dynasty.
However, some key divisions of labor and positions that affected the balance of power in the court were beyond Zhao Pu's decision, while Emperor Liu did not have any instructions.
Therefore, in more than a month, or in the few months after Lu Duoxun was imprisoned, a situation emerged within the imperial court where the "Xiang Party" was dominated by one family.
Whether it is Zhao Kuangyi or Wang Zhu, an honorary minister, they both keep a low profile, which further highlights Zhao Pu's power and status. This situation makes Zhao Pu, who is extremely sensitive to politics, really uneasy and even tortured.
Only now did Zhao Pu truly realize how important a balanced situation was to the court and himself. Although Lu Dosun is disgusting and even constantly wants to bring him down, having this person in front of the stage attracts attention, but he also shares his pressure and makes his power stable.
Once he collapsed, Zhao Pu stood out and was literally roasted on the stove. It had only been a while since he started to miss Lu Duoxun.
Feeling his own embarrassing situation, Zhao Pu has asked Emperor Liu for instructions more than once, hoping to add more ministers and share their powers to avoid neglecting state affairs.
Several candidates were even proposed, such as veterans such as Song Qi, Shi Xizai, and Li Fang, but Emperor Liu did not give a positive response, only saying that it still needed to be considered and considered comprehensively.
Of course, before Emperor Liu could think about it, Prime Minister Zhao still needed to take care of the state affairs. It seems that the power is monopolized and one faction is dominant, but in fact it is surrounded by dangers.
Not to mention the Emperor Liu who was watching from above, the Crown Prince Liu Yang and the noble ministers were all invisibly restricting Zhao Pu. Smart people would naturally be able to detect that something was wrong with Zhao Pu.
He is just the prince. Over the years, the two have cooperated well and have a good relationship with each other in governing the country. However, there are definitely many others who want to overthrow him and replace him.
Of course, no matter how delicate the situation was, Zhao Pu still tried his best to maintain the current situation, intending to dispel Emperor Liu's concerns through his loyalty. How could the title of prime minister, so glorious and majestic, be given up so easily.
But after constant testing, Zhao Pu's heart continued to sink, becoming more and more uneasy. He also knew what the best choice was. However, even if he expressed his intention to Emperor Liu implicitly, he still did not get recognition. In Emperor Liu's words, the court needed him.
Zhao Pu’s life is really sad!
