June of the fifth year of Xining.

Bianjing City.

Cai Tianshen, the visiting envoy to Shaanxi Province, has returned to the capital. He met his father Cai Ting, who is the Deputy Privy Envoy, and his brother Cai Meng.

Many wood and stone bonsais brought from the south of the Yangtze River were planted in the courtyard.

Cai Ting asked slowly and calmly: "Is Shaanxi's deficit really as big as you said in your letter?"

Cai Tianshen said: "It is indeed not small. Zhang Muzhi said that the total deficit in purchasing grain, military horses, and salt fields is more than three million."

Cai Ting said: "If the superiors do something good, the subordinates must follow suit. If there are masters above who are fond of great achievements, there must be ministers below who are eager for quick success."

Cai Meng said: "It is just a land of battlefield size, but it is often called the homeland of the Han and Tang Dynasties. In fact, it has been occupied by the Tibetan people for a long time. The people's customs and customs are different from those in China. It is unknown how much manpower and material resources will be spent to manage these places.

"

Cai Meng sneered and said: "I heard that Zhang Jing's plan to govern Lintao was not to buy grain from the private sector at market prices. I don't know how much it cost. Now the price of grain in Lintao has risen to three to four hundred cents a dou, which is worth ten times to Bianjing! This is not a waste of the imperial court.

Money and food?”

After a pause, he added: "Now the Liao Kingdom knows that our dynasty has sent troops to the northwest and is at odds with Dangxiang. It has repeatedly sent troops to cross the border river, plunder our people, and kill and wound our soldiers. But now the whole court has not heard of it, and only boasts about the recovery."

The martial arts of Xizhou and Hezhou are weak on one side and tough on the other, which is really ridiculous."

Cai Tianshen said: "How is Xihe now?"

Cai Mengdao: "Xiangzi City was lost more than ten days ago, and there was no news about Wang Shao and Zhang Yue's army. Gao Zunyu reported to the Privy Council that Wang Shao and Zhang Yue's army had been completely wiped out. The Xia Kingdom also sent troops from Tiandu Mountain, and asked the Privy Council to dispatch troops and horses from Jingyuan Road.

aid."

Cai Tianshen changed his expression and said: "How could it be so? I also thought that although Zhang and Wang were good at seizing power, they could at least defeat Mu Zheng and take Hezhou, but now their entire army has been wiped out?"

Cai Ting sighed silently after hearing this.

To be honest, Cai Ting admired Zhang Yue and Wang Shao quite a lot. Both of them, like him, were scholars who knew military affairs. Especially since they established themselves in the ancient Wei Dynasty, they were sure to win every battle and capture every attack.

Cai Ting felt sympathy for the two of them.

Cai Ting is very scheming. It seems that he was favored by the officials because of his poem "Yuguan Renlao" and he was appointed as Privy Deputy Envoy. In fact, he deliberately let people publicize it, but the most important thing was the help of his in-law Zeng Gongliang.

.

Zeng Gongliang and many court officials opposed Xihe's use of troops, so Cai Ting had to follow Zeng Gongliang's advice on this point, but his own advice was more inclined to go out of Jingyuan.

Cai Ting said with a straight face: "Since the establishment of the Xihe Economic Strategy and Appeasement Department, Your Majesty has successively spent thirty million dollars. This has been criticized numerous times by the imperial court, but because of the official wishes, it has to be done like this."

"If Hezhou is defeated now, Wang Shao and Zhang Yue will be guilty of a big crime!"

…

Li Xian was walking in the palace at this moment. Because of his contribution to the capture of Xizhou, he was named the envoy of the Dongran Academy and the official of the Imperial Medicine Academy.

Now Li Xian has returned to Bianjing.

Li Xian really wanted to stay in Xihe and continue to make military exploits with Wang Shao and Zhang Yue. Unfortunately, the term of office for a zuma was usually only one year, and then he had to return to Beijing to report his duties to the emperor.

So Li Xian had to return to Beijing early.

Of course, Li Xian also gained the reputation of being a wise soldier among the eunuchs due to his military exploits in Xizhou.

Officials also admired Li Xian very much and often asked him to accompany them. If there was a battle report in the Western Xia, Liao and Qing Tang Dynasties that was difficult to judge, they would call Li Xian for discussion.

However, Li Xian was very cautious. After all, the eunuch Zhijun would be criticized by the civil servants. What he often said in his memorials was to let the officials trust the generals at the front and delegate power to them to achieve success.

Therefore, Li Xian has a good reputation among civil servants.

Li Xian came to the official's bedroom and saw that the royal meal had just been brought out. The chamberlain on the side said to Li Xian: "Your Majesty has not eaten much all day."

Li Xian heard this and said: "Go to the imperial kitchen and cook the sheep's heart again!"

The other party said: "Your Majesty may not be able to use it."

Li Xiandao: "You just go and take care of it."

The other party said that he was leaving, and Li Xianju stepped into the palace. At this moment, he saw the official holding a candle and illuminating the map of Qin Feng and Xihe Road on the wall. If the place the official is most familiar with at the moment is not Bianjing City, nor is it the inner city.

Palace, but Xihe Road.

Your Majesty might be able to shout out the names of the places on Xihe Road even when he is talking in his sleep.

When the official saw Li Xian, he immediately said: "Li Xian, please come and show me quickly. If Xiangzi City falls, will there be any chance for Wang Shao of Zhangyue to turn around?"

But Li Xian said categorically: "Your Majesty, I guarantee with my head that King Shao of Zhang Yue and his 20,000 troops will be safe and sound."

The official asked: "How can we see it?"

Li Xiandao: "Your Majesty, I have always known the temperament of the border commander when I was supervising the army in Xihe. General Gao Zunyu is cautious and thorough, and he is not willing to take risks easily. He was hesitant to build the Malle Fort before, and there was news of Xia Guo's gathering on the border. He

He must be holding on to Lintao and not leaving."

"Now that there is no news in Xiangzi City, he is worried that your majesty will blame him for not saving him. Therefore, he sent a message to Zhang Yue in Lintao City and on the border that Wang Shao's entire army has been wiped out, so as not to lead his troops to rush for reinforcements and be in danger."

The official nodded.

Li Xiandao: "Gao Zunyu knew about Xixia Dianji. Why did Zhang Yue and Wang Shao not know? Zhang Yue and Wang Shao attacked Hezhou because they expected Xixia to be unable to come. That's why Gao Zunyu..."

The official nodded and said: "I already understand. When I reported that the Xia Kingdom's Dian gathering was very prosperous, Lintao City was shocked overnight. Gao Zunyu rode alone outside the city, and Lintao City was safe. I returned to Gao Zunyu

It’s the style of being an ancestor! No wonder, no wonder!”

After the official finished speaking, he felt a little relieved.

But that's how people's suspicions are. Although he doesn't believe that Zhang Yue and Wang Shaozhi can be defeated by Mu Zheng, he still has such a worry about gains and losses.

Both Wang Anshi and Wu Chong said that Your Majesty should not worry and leave it to the frontline soldiers. However, another privy councilor, Cai Ting, objected. Many courtiers who were originally opposed to the invasion said all day long that Wang Shao of Zhangyue was finished.

, tens of thousands of troops have been lost, and perhaps even the newly defeated Xizhou, Tongyuan Army, and Huizhou will be lost.

People in the court were talking like this all day long, and the officials themselves were upset, and they were muttering in their hearts whether they should stop for a while.

After Li Xian's explanation, the officials understood that Gao Zunyu had indeed exaggerated, but they still hung on there and couldn't let go.

The official sat on the royal couch, and at this time the eunuch beside him served him boiled sheep heart.

Officials in the Song Dynasty liked to eat sheep. Emperor Taizu ate several bowls of sheep soup every day. Emperor Renzong wanted to eat sheep soup when he woke up in the middle of the night from hunger. Today's officials also like to eat it.

The royal meal's boiled lamb heart contains tempeh, green onions, tangerine peel, grass fruits, pepper, and long pepper. It is so fragrant that people on the side can't help but move their index fingers and want to try it impatiently. As for the officials, they also have an appetite.

Pick up the chopsticks.

The chamberlain on the side looked at Li Xian with great admiration, and with a few words he relieved the official's worries.

The officials and Li Xian were talking about the war in Xihe and eating sheep hearts.

Li Xian secretly lamented the frugality of the official family. Although it was not as frugal as the original Emperor Renzong, the official family really did not like fine clothing, fine food, fine food, and did not like to play. He could hide tens of millions in money without blinking an eye.

Zhang Yue and Wang Shao were asked to go to Xihe to fight, but their food and clothing were very simple.

Nowadays, many courtiers say that the official family and Wang Anshi worked hard to amass money, but it is true that they amassed money, but not half of it was used for the king's pomp and enjoyment.

Li Xian answered the official's memorial, and the official stopped his chopsticks and looked attentively. Li Xian said: "However, Gao Zunyu's caution is justified. Back then, Fan Zhongyan proposed a shallow attack method, and Qingli's defeat came from this.

."

The official said: "That makes sense."

Li Xiandao: "However, I watched Zhang Yue and Wang Shao used his troops to form a camp step by step. Although the Fan army was more numerous, they chose key places to defend them. When the Fan army was exhausted and the people were hungry, they would be invincible. Therefore, there was no way to defeat what Gao Zunyu said.

trouble."

The official said: "This is also the art of war. The most important thing is to attack the mind."

While he was talking, the chamberlain reported that the princes were here.

The official said to Li Xian: "You are familiar with the military affairs of Xihe, so please come with me to meet the ministers."

The official immediately put down the sheep's heart that he had only eaten a few mouthfuls of, and immediately came to the front hall.

At this time, Wang Anshi, Wen Yanbo and other prime ministers arrived, and they all said to the officials: "I congratulate your Majesty, there is good news ahead!"

The official Li Xian's words had already eased Cai Cai's emotions. He smiled as if he had a well-thought-out plan and said, "Really? I have already expected it."

Wang Anshi said: "Previously, Gao Zunyu reported to Zhang Yue that Wang Shao's entire army had been wiped out, which was not true. Now the two of them captured Xiangzi City, regained control of Hezhou, defeated the enemy army in Jingniu Valley, and then took advantage of the victory to attack An."

In Xinjiang Village, Dong Yu was provoked, and Wu Chila and Mu Zheng fought fiercely. When our army attacked, Mu Zheng was defeated and escaped and fled to Dong Xiang. His younger brothers Ba Xiangjiao and Ba Xiangmo were both captured alive and were sacrificed.

On the way to capture the palace, now Zhang Yue Wang Shao has captured the entire territory of Hezhou for His Majesty!"

Wu Chong said: "This matter should have been successful early, but King Shao of Zhangyue painted a map of the mountains, rivers, and country of Xizhou and Hezhou and presented it to His Majesty along with the report of success, so it was delayed for several days."

The official asked excitedly: "What is the map of mountains and rivers and the country, I want to see it?"

Soon the waiter brought a table, and saw that the sand and soil on the table were piled up to look like mountains and rivers, and mercury was used to imitate the shapes of rivers. The entire landscape of Xizhou and Hezhou was displayed on the table.

Wu Chong said: "The sand and soil here are all collected from Xizhou and Hezhou. King Shao of Zhangyue will present the soil to His Majesty!"

Accepting soil and offering soil is a sign of submission. In the past, when the Tibetan tribes surrendered to the Central Plains Dynasty, offering a handful of soil represented submission.

And the map of mountains, rivers and the country presented by Zhang Yue and Wang Shao already indicates that the entire territory of Xizhou and Hezhou has become the territory of our Song Dynasty!

The official's excitement gradually calmed down and he said: "It's so exquisite. The mountains and rivers of Xihe River seem to be in my eyes. Even if I am in Bianjing, I can enjoy the mountains and rivers of Xizhou and Hezhou here. This is such a generous gift.

I accepted it!"
To be continued...