The books were thick and the table was simple and unadorned. Birds were singing in the shade of the trees. The Careful Thinking Hall of the Qin Mansion's study had no gorgeous carvings on the eaves or luxurious gold and silver ornaments. However, a lot of thought had been put into the interior. The shade of the trees was like a canopy, and the light that penetrated through was comfortable and not harmful to the eyes. Even in such a summer, when the cool breeze blew by, the temperature in the room was still pleasant.
After noon, three to five friends gathered here, chatting and discussing while enjoying the cool breeze, iced drinks, and pastries. Although it was not as extravagant as the outside world, it revealed a commendable gentlemanly demeanor.
However, at this time, there was a discussion that could influence the entire situation of the world.
Although the matter of dealing with the Black Flag had not been confirmed, and before the whole plan was implemented, Qin Hui also had the intention to stay in the dark. However, such a big matter could not be accomplished by one person. After coming out of the imperial city, Qin Hui invited several high-ranking officials who were very close to him to his mansion to discuss the plan. Of course, although they were close, in fact, they were small groups with entangled interests. Qin Hui had also mentioned and discussed some of his ideas with them. Those who were close to him, such as Zhang Dao and Wu Biaochen, were confidants. Even those who were a little farther away, such as Liu Yizhi, who was a gentleman but different from each other, had different understandings with each other, but they would not go out and talk nonsense.
Since Liu Yu's black pot had been thrown onto the Wu dynasty's head. The opinion that the Black Flag was a serious threat and must be eliminated as soon as possible was no longer a topic in the outside world. However, it did not suddenly become mainstream. When Qin Hui, who was usually steady, suddenly showed his support and even secretly revealed that he had already submitted the plan, everyone understood that the other party had already chosen a direction. For a moment, some people raised questions, and Qin Hui explained them one by one.
"… Since the 14th year of Jinghan, the Jurchens have become powerful and the situation is difficult. We have no time to care about other things, allowing the Black Flag to grow. For the past ten years, we have not been able to exterminate the Regicide Monarch. Instead, many people have been secretly giving and receiving to him. To us, as subjects, it is truly a great shame and humiliation … Of course, if it is only these reasons, I will not talk about it in this dangerous time of war. However, ever since the court went on a hunt to the south, our Wu dynasty has had two major internal troubles. If we can't sort them out, sooner or later we'll encounter an unspeakable calamity. Perhaps it'll be even worse than our external enemies … "
As Qin Hui spoke, he walked through the crowd and refilled the bowls of Liu Yizhi and the others with sugar water. In such an occasion, the servants had already left, but Qin Hui had always been courteous to the wise, so he did these things naturally and did not stop talking.
"One of the internal troubles is the friction between the Southerners and the Northerners. In recent years, all of you have more or less had a headache because of this, so I won't say more. The second internal threat is the chaos that started when the Jurchen people went south. Now, it is already out of control. This is something that everyone is aware of. "
As soon as Qin Hui said this, most of the people present nodded in agreement. "With His Highness the Crown Prince's support, the commoners would also applaud him …"
"In places like Fujian and Zhejiang, military law is already greater than national law."
"Last year, when Hou Ting took up his post in the Wuwei Army, he was almost beaten back …"
"The matter of the Mighty Martial Army eating without pay and preying on the villagers is getting worse and worse …"
"It's not just the Mighty Martial Army!"
As he spoke, Qin Hui waved his hand and said, "After the Jurchen people went south, there was a reason why the army became so powerful. Our dynasty was founded on the basis of culture, so we were afraid that there would be chaos in the military. Therefore, we set up a strategy to control the army with civil officials. But over time, the civil officials who were sent out did not understand military strategy and acted recklessly! As a result, the army was plagued with problems and had no combat power. When faced with a strong enemy like the Jurchen people, the army was finally defeated. After the court moved south, it was only natural that this system should be changed. However, everything should be done in a neutral manner. Over the years, we have been overreacting. What good can it do? "
"In the past few years, war has been the general trend of the world. When the Wu dynasty reduced the Prefectural Army from 17 to 13, we added five new armies, including Beiwei and Zhenhai. After we lost the Central Plains, our army expanded to 2.7 million soldiers. These soldiers took advantage of the situation and abused their power in various places. They no longer obeyed the control of the civil officials. But have they ever reduced the problem of monopolizing power, eating without pay, and embezzling the wages of the lower classes? "Qin Hui shook his head." I don't think so. "
"The army has too many rules. It can't fight a war. Without rules, it can't fight a war either. Moreover, an army without rules is likely to have more problems than an army with too many rules! In the past few years, the closer the army is to the southwest, the more they have dealings with Black Flag. They privately buy iron cannons and firearms. Black Flag is committing regicide! "
Qin Hui's voice grew harsh. After a while, he calmed down and said, "Even if we don't talk about this and only seek profit, if it can really revitalize our Wu dynasty, we'll buy it. But is business really just business? The people of Dali think so too. Black Flag uses both the carrot and the stick, saying that it's just business. Back then, the people of Dali were still willing to make a move against Black Flag. But now, they don't even have this attitude. When the interests are too deep, they can't do it anymore. Everyone, we know that sooner or later, we will have to fight Black Flag. If we continue to do these business, will these generals dare to make a move against Black Flag in the future? When that time comes, I'm afraid they will do anything to protect themselves! "
Qin Hui paused. "These troops of our Wu dynasty, first, are not united. After ten years of power, do they still listen to the orders of the court? Or do they not give any discounts like before? You have to know that there are many officials who are willing to support them and be deceived by them. Second, other than the few troops that His Highness has raised with real money, I'm afraid it's hard to say how strong the others are. We eat the emperor's salary, so we can't not share the country's worries. And these things in front of us can be grouped into one. "
He raised a finger.
"Raising Black Flag can make their thoughts completely unified. At the same time, we can draw a clear line with Black Flag and no longer have any dealings with them. Don't delay! Otherwise, after fighting the Jurchens, my Wu dynasty will probably be eaten by Black Flag. Secondly, train the troops. It's hard to say how strong these troops are, but they have a lot of people. We can fight for the Ni tribe near Black Flag and the wilderness. We can also fight for Dali. We can fight in batches and drag them to the north after we're done training. Otherwise, if we drag them to the Jurchens, I'm afraid we'll be defeated in Bianliang again! "
After Qin Hui finished speaking, everyone was silent for a moment. Zhang Ji said, "The Jurchens are going south soon. Isn't this method of using war to nurture war a bit hasty?"
"Zi Gong, forgive me for speaking bluntly, but if we really fight the Jurchens, the outcome will not be decided in three to five years." Qin Hui sighed. "The Jurchens are powerful, and their battle power is not something our Wu dynasty can compare to. Even if the Beiwei and Zhenhai armies can fight a little, it will be extremely difficult for them to win. But these years, I've interviewed many generals. The situation in Jiangnan is different from that of the Central Plains. The Jurchens conquered the world on horseback. Their cavalry is the best. The Central Plains are flat, so the Jurchens can come and go unhindered. But Jiangnan's waterways are crisscrossed. Even if the Jurchens come, they will be greatly hindered. At that time, Zong Bi wreaked havoc in Jiangnan, but in the end, he still had to withdraw his troops. On the way, he was even trapped by Han Shizhong in the Yellow Heavens and almost capsized. Therefore, I believe that our Wu dynasty's greatest advantage in this battle is our foundation. "
He looked around and said, "Ever since the court went south, although our Wu dynasty has lost the Central Plains, His Majesty has made great efforts to rule the country. Compared to when we ruled the Central Plains, our economy and agriculture have increased several times. But looking at Black Flag and the Jurchens, Black Flag is safe in a corner of the southwest, surrounded by barbarians and barbarians. They rely on people to lower their guard and travel around to maintain peace. If we really cut off their trade routes, even if they can't win on the battlefield, how long can they hold out? As for the Jurchens, the old have all passed away, and the young have learned to live a comfortable life. Wu Qimai has a stroke, and the succession of the throne is imminent. Zong Fu and Zong Bi want to keep Jiangnan in check, and Zong Han wants to conquer Jiangnan … No matter how bad the battle is, delaying is enough. "
"Our path is extremely difficult," Qin Hui said with a sigh. "It's easy to say, but if we fight like this all the way, I'm afraid we'll be smashed to pieces. But other than this, I've racked my brains, but there's no other way. In the early years, all of you wrote to me about the shortcomings of the military dictatorship, and we argued endlessly. I don't have much to say, but I remember that Zhengzhong (Wu Biaochen) scolded me for being tactful last year. The late Prime Minister Qin Gong Siyuan and I are old friends. Although he produced a rebellious person like Ning Liheng under his tutelage and sullied his reputation, in all fairness, many of his words are insightful and penetrating. No matter how beautiful his words are, they won't work, and they'll be useless. I've been studying Duke Siyuan's methods for many years, and only now can I bring up the matter of raising the Black Flag and purging the troops. Even if it's His Highness the Crown Prince or Her Highness the Eldest Princess, they might agree. This way, our Wu dynasty will be of one mind, and great things can be accomplished. "
Although Qin Hui did make big moves in the court, he didn't do much. Sometimes, when the officials fought with the Crown Prince and Eldest Princess, or when there were conflicts with Yue Fei and the others, Qin Hui didn't participate directly. In fact, he was criticized by others. No one expected that he had endured until today to finally throw out his plan. After thinking about it carefully, they couldn't help but praise Duke Qin for enduring humiliation. He was really a stabilizing force, a mainstay. Speaking of Qin Siyuan, there were actually quite a lot of positive comments about Qin Siyuan in the officialdom. At this time, they couldn't help but praise Qin Hui for truly inheriting Qin Siyuan's mantle. In fact, he even had a better eye for people …
While they were praising him, they couldn't help but feel that a huge responsibility was pressing down on them. Once the arrow was fired, there was no turning back. The atmosphere of an impending storm was approaching everyone's eyes.
*****
The war was fierce and dangerous. In this huge imperial court, every faction had their own thoughts. Countless people were running around because of anxiety, responsibility, and fame. The Eldest Princess, who finally realized that the Southwest regime was no longer a friend, began to prepare for a counterattack. At the very least, she wanted people to be vigilant. The "Black Flag Crisis" in the world might not be without the shadow of this mentally and physically exhausted woman. She used to worship the man in the Southwest, and because of this, she increasingly understood and feared the horror of the two sides being enemies. The more this was so, the more they couldn't stay silent.
Just before they were about to publicize that Black Flag had caused the Bianliang massacre because of their own selfishness, urgent intelligence came from the north, bringing the news that the leader of Black Flag Intelligence had confronted Ali Shao and saved the people and officials of Bianliang. This propaganda work was interrupted, and it was difficult for outsiders to know the inner feelings of the leaders for a while.
Corresponding to Lin 'an, Jiangning, the city where Zhou Yong first started his career, was now another core of the Wu dynasty. And this core revolved around the Crown Prince, who was still young. With the support of the Eldest Princess's residence and the emperor, a group of young and vigorous people had gathered, and they were also working hard to shine.
After returning to Lin 'an to meet his father and sister, Jun Wu hurried back to Jiangning. In the past few years, Jun Wu had spent a lot of effort to prop up the supplies and armaments of several armies. Among them, the most eye-catching was Yue Fei's Beiwei Army, which was now guarding Xiangyang, and Han Shizhong's Zhenhai Army, which was now guarding the Huainan defense line. Zhou Yong was a coward, and he trusted his son the most. He sent his trusted troops to guard the frontline, which was the first to bear the brunt.
In a war, when both sides were well prepared, from the initial display of intentions to the advance of provisions and fodder before the three armies moved, to the assembly of the troops, to the close combat across a thousand miles, the interval of a few months, even half a year, or even a year — of course, the most important thing was that Wu Qimai's stroke was a major event, and the warning from those with ulterior motives, which gave people so much buffer time.
Even though he had obtained a large share of the resources of the imperial court, the young Jun Wu was not skilled enough in the art of coordinating various forces and unifying all the officials who had their own agendas. Therefore, during the initial period of time, he did not stay in the capital to wrangle with the officials who were previously at odds with him. Instead, he immediately returned to Jiangning and gathered all the available subordinates to make plans around the entire defense strategy. He did his best to maximize the efficiency of the work at hand.
Ever since Liu Yu's edict was spread, Black Flag added fuel to the fire, and all the Central Plains had made various responses. The first gathering point of this information was Jiangning on the south bank of the Yangtze River. With Zhou Yong's support, Jun Wu had the right to deal with this information immediately. As long as there was no major disagreement with the imperial court, Zhou Yong was naturally more willing to support his son.
Just like in Lin 'an, in Jiangning, within the Crown Prince's residence, and even among Yue Fei and Wenren Bu' er, who were old acquaintances with Ning Liheng, there were also discussions and vigilance against Black Flag. In fact, the more one understood Ning Liheng's personality, the more one understood how ruthless and heartless he was. The moment Yue Fei learned of the change in the situation, in a letter he sent to Jun Wu, he mentioned that 'the southwest Black Flag Army must be treated as a truly powerful enemy' and 'in the war of the world, there must be no mercy'. For this reason, Jun Wu had specially held a meeting within the Crown Prince's residence to clarify this matter.
In the past, because the Crown Prince and Ning Yi had an old relationship, and because the southwest regicide could not be mentioned in the same breath as the Wu dynasty, when people talked about the world, they always emphasized that the chess players were only the Jin, Qi, and Wu. They even thought that the fake Qi was an extra. But this time, Black Flag's identity as a chess player and an opponent was clearly emphasized.
Once this point was made clear, Black Flag's intention of capturing Liu Yu and calling the Central Plains to restore order could be seen even more clearly. Indeed, this was already the last chance for everyone to win. If Black Flag did not act, the Central Plains would completely belong to the Jurchens. If the Wu dynasty wanted to have any more chances, it would be even more difficult.
After several discussions in the Crown Prince's residence, Yue Fei also hurried over. He did not have much time, and after meeting with the other parties, he still had to return to Xiangyang to oversee the war and prepare with all his strength. That afternoon, after the meeting, Jun Wu kept Yue Fei, Wenren Bu 'er, and Cheng Zhouhai, who represented Zhou Pei. The old subordinates of the Right Minister's residence were actually the people Jun Wu trusted the most.
"In the past few days, I've been chatting with everyone and have a whimsical idea. It's not easy to say, so I want to close the door and let you all discuss it for me."
Over the years, Jun Wu's thinking had been relatively radical. In terms of power, he had always been the backing of everyone, but most of his thinking was not mature enough. At least, he was not cunning enough. In terms of many strategies, he mostly relied on the advisors around him for reference. But this time, his idea did not seem to have been thought up by others.
"Wu Qi bought a stroke, Zong Fu and Zong Bi went south, and Zong Han definitely had to follow. This war concerns the overall situation of the world. The Huaxia army's plan to capture Liu Yu was beautiful. No matter how well they put it, they still caught us unprepared and took advantage of the situation. When I returned to the capital this time, my royal sister was very angry. I also think that we can't be so passively manipulated by the Southwest … The Huaxia army has not had a good time in the Southwest. For the sake of money, they said that they would sell anything. Between them and Dali, they would even send troops to guard their homes and exterminate their strongholds for money … "
Sitting behind his desk, Jun Wu tapped the table lightly. "Our Wu dynasty and the Southwest have a feud of regicide and are absolutely irreconcilable. Naturally, we can't have any contact with them. But in the past few days, I think the situation in the Central Plains has changed. After Liu Yu's blood letter went south, we've secretly received a lot of news of defection. Then, can we do this … Hmm, Li Anmao of Xuzhou is loyal to our Wu dynasty and is willing to do whatever he wants? We can let him not do whatever he wants … When the Jurchens go south, Xuzhou is an important city and will bear the brunt. Even if we don't know how long we can defend it, it's tasteless to eat it and impossible to abandon it … "
He smiled. "We can give him a sum of money and have him ask the Huaxia army to send troops. Let's see how the Huaxia army responds."
"Our Wu Dynasty is a great empire, we can't let them throw the blame at us so casually. We'll throw it back." As Jun Wu spoke, he considered the problem. "Of course, we also have to consider many details. Our Wu dynasty can't be involved in this matter. Where will we get such a large sum of money? Or, is Xuzhou too big a target for the Huaxia army to accept? What if we find another place? But I think that the Jurchens must hate the Huaxia army to the bone. If the Huaxia army stands in their way, they won't let it go … Hmm, we also have to consider whether Li Anmao and the others are really worth entrusting. Of course, this is all my wild speculation. There may be many problems …"
As Jun Wu rambled on, the eyes of the others in the room lit up. Cheng Zhouhai was the first to speak. "Perhaps we can …"
"Huh?" Jun Wu looked up.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
