Cai Que frowned and said, "What do you mean?"

Fan Chunren glanced at Cai Que and said very straightforwardly: "My official is saying that since Feng Xianggong left, no one in the two mansions dares to disagree with Zhang Xianggong."

As soon as these words came out, Cai Que's face suddenly darkened, and even Wang Gui was displeased.

However, everyone knows that Fan Chunren is a loyal and upright person. As the second son of Fan Zhongyan, he always says what he says. In recent years, Wang Anshi, Fu Bi, Ouyang Xiu, Xue Xiang, Wang Gui and other ministers in the dynasty have not been criticized by him. Even

The two emperors Yingzong and today's emperor were also scolded by him.

The officials couldn't stand him and asked him to know his place.

Fan Chunren always put the people first in every place he served. When he was the governor of Qingzhou, he saw that the people were in famine, so he opened the Changping Granary to provide relief. Others advised him not to do so. He said that the emperor would blame it and I would bear it.

When the officials found out, they sent people to investigate him. The local people were afraid that he would be caught, so they sent the grain back day and night and settled the accounts.

During his tenure in Qizhou, he also lenient punishments and laws, loved and cherished the people, and maintained great local governance. In the end, Fan Chunren's political performance was so good that he was called back by the court.

Wang Gui had the means to control officials all over the world, but he had no way of controlling such an upright official, so he had no choice but to smile and say, "What Mr. Fan said is absolutely true. You should go back first!"

Fan Chunren stood up to say goodbye, and Wang Gui also stood up and sent Fan Chunren out. The Zhongshu officials were also respectful and polite to Fan Chunren, and did not dare to neglect him at all.

As the prime minister, Wang Gui was too respectful when escorting officials out, but he found his way to the steps and said to the people around him: "I only respect Wen Zhenggong."

Everyone sat down again, and Li Qingchen said: "Recently, the ministers have indeed been talking about it. The Minister of History has been arranging the emperor's border affairs for many years, which is a self-consolidation plan. In the past, with the Qing and Tang Dynasties, Dang Xiang could still do it. What if the Liao Dynasty Dang Xiang came together?

?”

"A plan to consolidate ourselves?" Wang Gui shook his head and said, "None of us officials can accomplish anything without His Majesty's trust. What about self-improvement?"

"As long as you can win, it's right."

Li Qingchen said: "But the Khitan has strong soldiers and horses. Emperor Taizong and Zhenzong could not win back then, so how can they win now? Not to mention the addition of a party item. I'm afraid that the historian will go his own way."

Cai Quedao said: "The acquisition of Liangzhou is indeed the political power that Mr. Shi Guan is extremely proud of. Now that he wants to withdraw from Liangzhou in order to exchange the territory, he is absolutely unwilling. Your Majesty is also unwilling."

Li Qingchen said: "Although Your Majesty is not willing, we are not willing, but the situation is compelling. If Liao and Dangxiang join forces, how can we refuse? How can we risk the safety of the whole world and the country with us?"

"I think your Majesty must have another concern in his heart."

…

In the Jiying Hall, the officials walked around and listened to the reports. Zhang Yue's expressions softened slightly.

"What does Dangxiang Khitan mean?" the official asked.

Zhang Yue said: "As I said before, it is to return the land. Judging from the tightness of the words, I expect that if we don't agree, we will raise troops to go south."

The official said: "I think after Dangxiang went to Liangzhou, there will not be as many as before."

Zhang Yue said: "Now when the imperial court receives a side report, it is said that the people in Yunxi are already weak. If the soldiers and horses retreat, it must be said that this report is true. If the people in Yunxi gather their troops and horses, it is said that this is a random report.

"

"I think that although Westerners are not as good as before, they are not like this."

Zhang Yue's words touched the minds of the officials. The situation on the border is now not good. In order to please the officials, the officials and servants below tried their best to say things that disparaged the party items.

Zhang Yue saw the official's expression and said: "If my prediction is correct, the Liao Kingdom and Dangxiang will join forces to go south in late autumn."

"What can I do?"

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, we must strike first to gain strength. Dang Xiang was willing to negotiate for peace before, but now he is unwilling to negotiate for peace, so we will attack him first. I suggest that we attack him from three sides: Hedong, Fuyan and Jingyuan."

"The most important of the three roads is the Jingyuan Road. Your Majesty, Shen Kuo can gather troops from the Xi, Qin, and Jing roads, and build three strongholds further north to provoke the party to attack!"

After hearing Zhang Yue's words, the officials did not agree and seemed embarrassed.

The official said: "The ministers all said that the Liao Kingdom's proposal must be followed. With the current national strength, it is really difficult to defeat the Khitan party. Although I am not afraid of the Khitan, I do not want to cause this trouble and be attacked on both sides before destroying the party."

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, I thought that the Liao Kingdom had known about it for a long time. Its envoys had asked the Song Dynasty if they had taken Liangzhou and if they had any intention of regaining Youyan. Both of them were the hometowns of the Han and Tang Dynasties. Sooner or later, we would have to deal with the Liao people.

If we fight, your Majesty should not care about the immediate gains and losses, but look at the longer-term victory and defeat. Even if we lose to the Liao people at the moment, it doesn't matter. As long as the two sides win and lose each other, this dynasty can be cheered up."

"If we work together, endure humiliation and work hard, we will be able to strengthen ourselves. What we fear most is that we will give up before the fight even begins."

The official nodded and said, "It's all up to you to control the Liao and the Xia."

Zhang Yue said: "Your Majesty, I have already made arrangements. Su Shi has already set off for Goryeo. As long as we can contact the Khitan Jurchens, we don't need to worry about the rest."

"Liangzhou and Lanzhou have established ten new commanders of the Fan-Han Horse Army. Each commander has a quota of five hundred people."

"In addition, the strategic envoys in Hebei, Hedong and Shaanxi must choose smart and capable commanders..."

The official suddenly asked: "What do you think of Zhang Dun?"

Zhang Yue was stunned for a moment. The official's words were not without purpose. This time Feng Jing passed away, Xue Xiang passed away, and both the Secretary of State and the Privy Council were short of people.

He had already guessed the official's intentions in letting Zhang Dun return to the court to participate in politics, and this time he was testing his own intentions.

Officials said: "Among the court officials who advocated the new law, Wang Anshi, Zhang Dun, Zeng Bu and others were indeed public-minded, while Lu Huiqing, Deng Wan and others were motivated by selfish motives. This is the consensus of both the government and the public."

Zhang Yue said: "Zhang Dun does things out of public interest, but the courtiers talk a lot and he greets people with little courtesy. When getting along with his colleagues, he likes to hurt others with his words."

The official smiled slightly after hearing this. Of course he knew Zhang Dun's character. It was precisely because of Zhang Dun's uprightness that he liked or felt that his officials would be easy to handle.

He likes to understand the character of ministers through their mutual evaluations.

Zhang Yue thought for a while and said: "In terms of Zhang Dun's qualifications, what he gains is his courage, and what he loses is his arbitrariness. I think Zhang Dun's talent can save people from danger, but cannot make them run smoothly; they can be used for their own use.

Don't use it for public use."

"Why can't it be used by the public?" the official asked.

Zhang Yue said: "Those who can be used for their own purposes. If Dun is allowed to take up a position by himself, he will be promoted to that position. If he is made to know the military weapons supervisor, then the military weapons supervisor will be able to rule the country. If your majesty makes him go to the local commander, he will be qualified for the job."

responsibilities."

"But do not use the opinions of others. The governors of the second government should be gentlemen. Zhang Dun cannot take advantage of others, but only does his own job. Those who agree with it will be used, and those who do not agree with it will be dismissed. Those who use it are all disobedient people, then

When a villain comes in, a gentleman stays far away."
Chapter completed!