"What Prime Minister Yu said is absolutely true. Zhu Yuanzhang's envoy has been waiting in Lin'an for a long time. Since we have decided to form an alliance with the Ming Dynasty, we shouldn't worry too much about side issues!"
"The most important thing right now is to send troops northward to resist the Xia army's offensive together with the Ming army! Only by blocking the Xia army can we and the Ming army consolidate our territory..."
Another prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty, Zhao Ding, followed closely.
Zhu Yuanzhang had already sent an envoy, but the Southern Song Dynasty was not as decisive as the Ming army.
Despite the persuasion of Yu Yunwen and Han Shizhong, they must immediately go north to join forces with the Ming army.
However, many officials in the court have been making some noises. Some people want to let the Ming army take the lead first, so that the Ming army and the Xia army can consume each other. When the Xia army's front is weak, the Southern Song Dynasty will send troops north to harvest the battlefield.
People with a discerning eye, such as Yu Yunwen, Han Shizhong, and Zhao Ding, can see that this approach is very inappropriate. At present, the Ming Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty are at a loss. Only by sincerely joining forces can the two families stop the Xia army's attack.
If there is still some conspiracy in the minds of both parties when they join forces, causing each family to leave part of their strength to defend their allies, then the chance of winning this battle will be extremely small.
It is a pity that Yu Yunwen, Han Shizhong and Zhao Ding were very prestigious in the Southern Song Dynasty, but they could not reach the level of covering the sky with one hand.
Zhao Hao is not Liu Chan who just obeys the Prime Minister's advice. He has his own ideas.
At this time, I heard the words of Yu Yunwen and Zhao Ding.
A trace of embarrassment appeared on Zhao Yu's face, because it was his hesitation that prevented the Southern Song Dynasty from making any plans to send troops.
At this time, the Southern Song Dynasty and the Ming Dynasty had secretly negotiated an alliance, with only some details, such as how to command the Song army after it went north, and whether it should obey the orders of the Ming army general.
These issues may seem like details, but they are actually quite important to both the Ming Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty. After all, anything can happen on the battlefield.
If the Southern Song Dynasty agreed to follow the command of the Ming army when sending troops north, then when encountering certain situations where it was necessary to cut off the rear, the Ming army leader would retreat by himself, leaving the Southern Song troops and horses to cut off the rear, resulting in heavy losses for the Song army.
Whose loss is this?
Zhao Hao also knew that after establishing a dynasty in Daxia and sweeping across Zhenjiang and Jiangdong, he would sooner or later take action against the Ming Dynasty and the Southern Song Dynasty. But as the emperor of the Song Dynasty, he couldn't sacrifice his own interests to help the Ming Dynasty, right?
As long as you are a mature monarch, you will definitely have to care more about this aspect. Perhaps only top emperors such as the First Emperor, Han Wu, and Tang Zong have the courage and decision-making to not care about temporary gains and losses.
They also have the confidence to bear the loss of their own power.
Zhao Min was raised since he was a child. Although he is open-minded and enterprising, his childhood experiences have made him cautious in his heart. Especially when encountering major problems, his caution will appear involuntarily.
In the hall, Li Gang, Meng Gong and others stood with their hands down. Meng Gong, as a military general, would not speak directly on such occasions, but Li Gang, as an important figure in the main war faction, certainly agreed with what Yu Yunwen and Zhao Ding said.
However, in addition to being a militant, he is also a typical imperialist.
Seeing that Zhao Yan was a little embarrassed, he frowned slightly and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty also has his own considerations. Although it is necessary to form an alliance with the Ming Dynasty, we must not cause our army to suffer heavy losses just to go north to aid the Ming army!"
"In case the Ming army is defeated, we must have the power to protect ourselves!"
while he was speaking.
Yu Yunwen and Zhao Ding both listened quietly and respected Li Gang very much. After all, Li Gang was a world-famous official in the Northern Song Dynasty, and he also presided over the defense of Tokyo against the Jin army.
In the early Southern Song Dynasty, he tried his best to reject peace talks, rectify military affairs, and reform politics. Unfortunately, his ideas were completely opposite to those of Zhao Gou, a famous representative of the capitulation faction, and he was eventually dismissed.
In the Southern Song Dynasty, only Zhao Min could appoint such a famous official with such a great reputation that he was suspected of shaking the emperor.
In history, it was also Zhao Hao who pursued Li Gang and conferred him the title of Founding Duke of Longxi County with the posthumous title of Zhongsu.
After Li Gang knew his outcome in history, a civil servant like him who cared very much about his reputation after death was naturally very grateful to Zhao Xun.
Therefore, he became the backbone of the imperial party in the Southern Song Dynasty.
Of course, what he said just now was not entirely an excuse for Zhao Yu. This was also his true thought. The Song Dynasty itself also wanted to develop, and it also needed troops to guard the four sides.
If all efforts were made for the sake of the Ming Dynasty, once defeated, the Song Dynasty would collapse in an instant. Who can bear this price?
"What the two beloved ministers said makes sense. Mr. Li is also thinking about the Song Dynasty... but now it is indeed time to make a decision!"
Zhao Min spoke slowly.
He was raised in the palace by Zhao Gou since he was a child, and was later canonized as the crown prince and inherited the throne. Except for the intrigues in the palace as a child, he had never suffered any hardship in his life.
He has a graceful demeanor, and when he speaks, he is unhurried, upright and peaceful, giving people a feeling of royal style.
There was a glint in his eyes at this time, and he said in a deep voice: "Time is urgent, so I don't need to mention some side details, but how many troops will be sent, and how to cooperate with the Ming army after the troops are sent out, this must be made clear!"
"It is true that we are at loggerheads with the Ming army, but when the Xia army goes south, the Ming army will bear the brunt. The one who is most anxious should be Zhu Yuanzhang, not me!"
"If the Ming army agrees to sincerely join forces after our army goes north and does not harm the interests of the Song Dynasty, I will agree to send troops immediately. If Zhu Yuanzhang deliberately damages our troops when fighting the Xia army, I will Withdraw the army immediately... You can speak this directly to the Ming envoy!"
As the emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Yu would definitely study Zhu Yuanzhang's historical information carefully. Zhao Yan admired this Ming Taizu very much.
After all, he came from such a humble background, but in the end he was able to overthrow the invincible Meng Yuan, who was definitely the top wise king.
It's a pity that this wise king is extremely scheming and too ruthless.
If it is not necessary, Zhao Hao definitely does not want to deal with him. At present, he and the Ming army must form an alliance. In his heart, Zhao Hao is also worried that he has been plotted by the other party.
Despite the strong persuasion of Yu Yunwen and Zhao Ding, Zhao Min still did not relax his vigilance against the Ming army.
If troops are sent out in the future, Zhu Yuanzhang really uses the Song army as a backstop, and Zhao Hao really dares to withdraw his troops directly!
Zhao Min still regrets the last time he teamed up with Wang Jing to deal with Soochow.
He originally thought that after Soochow was gone, he and Wang Jing could share the land of Soochow equally and expand the territory of the Song Dynasty. Anyway, there were three forces of Southern Qi, Liu Song, and Zhu Ming to the west of Wang Jing.
Even if Wang Jing defies heaven, he can't defeat the three parties. Will he pose a threat to the Song Dynasty so soon?
As long as the several princes in the north restrain each other, those in the south will have enough time to expand and grow in the Song Dynasty. When the time comes, there is a certain chance that the princes in the north will be wiped out in one fell swoop...
Zhao Ding thought very well. None of the ministers, including Zhao Ding and Li Gang, objected to his idea. Although the Song Dynasty was destroyed twice, the lessons were heavy, but after all, Wang Jing was not the Jin Kingdom and the Meng Yuan Dynasty.
Unfortunately.
Zhao Xun and the officials of the Southern Song Dynasty did not expect that Wang Jing could wipe out Soochow and Liu Song in such a short period of time, causing Xiao Daocheng to defect and surrender...
The situation that was originally a mutual restraint suddenly turned into a situation where Daxia was the dominant one.
The lessons from history and the consequences of his alliance with Wang Jing not long ago made Zhao Min have a conditioned reaction to the word alliance, and he even had the idea of not forming an alliance with any force in his heart.
The Ming army took the initiative to come to the door. Zhao Min had learned his lesson before, and it was normal to think more.
"The officials clearly know that I am a little impatient...I personally discussed the conditions with the Ming army envoys. As the officials said, the one who is anxious now is Zhu Yuanzhang. As expected, they will definitely agree to our conditions!"
Seeing Zhao Xun insisting on his idea, Yu Yunwen was not angry, but instead smiled on his face.
Because Zhao Xun's attitude and opinions proved that he was indeed a wise king with his own ideas. It was a blessing to serve under such a wise king.
"Then the only thing left now is how to send troops and how many troops to send!"
Zhao Ding said.
Yu Yunwen pondered for a moment, briefly discussed with Li Gang, Meng Gong and others, and said: "At present, our dynasty has a total of 800,000 forbidden troops, more than 500,000 Xiang troops, and 200,000 navy troops..."
"The Xiang army is not strong enough and can only stay behind, and the Imperial Army cannot all go north, so some troops need to be left behind!"
"I suggest that when we send troops north, we can use 500,000 imperial troops and 50,000 naval troops! The remaining troops will stay in Lin'an, especially the navy, to guard against the Xia army's navy crossing the sea!"
Last time Soochow was quickly defeated by Wang Jing,
It had a lot to do with the Daxia navy crossing the sea and directly crossing the heavy defense lines to insert from the side and rear, which directly caused Sun Ce and Taishi Ci's army to be unable to return north.
Yu Yunwen later reviewed this battle with many people, and was deeply impressed by the Daxia Navy's crossing the sea and landing.
Lin'an, the capital of the Song Dynasty, was also close to the coast. Even the Daxia Navy could reach Lin'an City directly by sea... Yu Yunwen planned to place 150,000 naval troops on many islands inside and outside Hangzhou Bay.
Use these islands to form a defense system to block the possible appearance of the Great Xia Navy.
"Fifty thousand forbidden troops, and 50,000 naval troops! There are a total of 550,000 troops. We have dispatched most of the force, which is worthy of the conditions given by the Ming army!"
Zhao Ding said.
Everyone in the hall nodded when they heard this.
The Song Dynasty paid such a price. If it could defeat the Xia army, the Song Dynasty would definitely follow the alliance and go north to swallow up the land of Suzhou and push the Song Dynasty's territory to the edge of the Yangtze River.
Of course, if you lose, there's nothing to say.
Zhao Hao hesitated slightly, then gritted his teeth and said: "Okay, I will listen to the opinions of several Aiqings. In this war, Yu Aiqing is responsible for mobilizing the army, Zhao Qing is responsible for the food, grass and baggage, and Counselor Li is responsible for the military aircraft..."
"The fate of the country of the Song Dynasty is entrusted to a few of them!"
When Yu Yunwen, Zhao Ding and others heard this, they all looked moved and came forward to worship, "I will live up to the official trust!"
After Zhao Xin discussed with the ministers.
Yu Yunwen personally went out to negotiate terms with the Ming army's envoys.
While negotiating conditions, Zhao Ding had already begun to continuously distribute documents, mobilize a large number of manpower and material resources, and began to transport grain and grass, prepare equipment, and prepare for sending troops north.
The elite imperial army used by the Song Dynasty to conquer all directions began to move slowly and was ready to go.
As the students of the Song Dynasty who were most concerned about national affairs and the many scholars and scholars in Lin'an, many people also felt that the atmosphere in Lin'an was a bit tense.
People with information and connections already know the DPRK's decision.
When many scholars were talking loudly in brothels and restaurants, they couldn't help but mention a few words when they were excited,
Just these scattered words can let some spies lurking in Lin'an know the information they want to know.
It was almost a common phenomenon in the Song Dynasty that when the court made a decision like this, the people and scholars in the city quickly learned about it and even discussed it with each other.
Historically, when the Northern Song Dynasty collapsed, General Yao Pingzhong once suggested leaving the city for a night attack. However, before leaving the city, the news spread, and some people even started to celebrate the victory of the night attack...
As the saying goes, if a minister is not secretive, he will lose his identity; if a ruler is not secretive, he will lose his country.
The general's night attack on the city was supposed to be an extremely confidential military matter, but the news spread before he was even launched. In the end, the results of the night attack can be imagined.
Yao Pingzhong, who suggested a night attack, went out of the city, but only broke through two military strongholds before being surrounded by the well-prepared Jin army. Finally, he broke out alone and ran for 800 miles directly to the secluded mountains in the middle of Shu.
Judging from the subsequent imperial edicts issued by the Song Dynasty, asking Yao Pingzhong to serve, it is obvious that the emperors and ministers of the Song Dynasty knew that the failure of the siege camp was not Yao Pingzhong's fault, and they wanted to reuse him as a general.
Perhaps it was because of the failure to rob the camp that Li Gang was deposed, and then the Northern Song Dynasty was destroyed. He felt guilty. It was not until the Qianchun period of Emperor Xiaozong of the Song Dynasty that Yao Pingzhong came out of the mountains at the age of eighty...
At this time in the world of China, Yao Pingzhong was already a general in the Southern Song Dynasty army. Although his status was not as good as that of Han Shizhong, Meng Gong, and Lu Wende, he was still considered one of the top generals.
It is a pity that in the atmosphere of the Song Dynasty and the scholar-bureaucrats sharing the world, every scholar has the feeling of guiding the country.
He knew clearly that military and state affairs could not be disclosed or discussed casually, but he could not bear it any longer. He habitually wanted to write words of encouragement in the brothel, under the admiring eyes of the famous prostitutes.
…
In a relatively famous restaurant in Lin'an City.
In the private rooms on the second and third floors, there are many scholars gathering, especially in the private rooms, the sound of silk and bamboo can be heard from time to time. There are dedicated singing girls and musical instruments.
These private rooms are beautifully decorated and look relatively high-end. In addition, they are very close to Taixue, so they have become the first choice for many Taixue students to entertain parties.
In one of the private rooms.
Two elegant men, who looked to be in their twenties or thirties, were drinking tea. The charcoal stove in the pot was boiling the water in the pot. The aroma of tea overflowed and filled the whole room.
Although they may not appear to be very old, their spiritual power can be seen from their extremely bright eyes, which seem to penetrate all things in the world.
Especially the man on the left looks ordinary, but his eyes contain boundless wisdom, as if he can encompass everything in the world with just a thought.
