In the Imperial Garden of the Song Capital, the emperor and his subject were touring the winding pavilions.
The emperor was Emperor Song, Mu Zhuozhen, and the subject was Prime Minister Zi Pingxiu.
The matters of the nation, the family, and the world were all touched upon in their conversation. After going around in circles, Zi Pingxiu finally brought up the topic that Emperor Song, Mu Zhuozhen, did not want to talk about recently. "Your Majesty, this subject is still somewhat worried about the battle between the Jiang Fang and Meng Shanming."
Mu Zhuozhen frowned. "In terms of war, the Prime Minister should admit that he is not as good as Luo Zhao."
His words were not pleasant to hear. He had been sick of this topic recently. When Meng Shanming broke through the Jiang Defense, the officials were in an uproar. The call for Governor Luo Zhao to retreat and intercept Meng Shanming gained the upper hand.
The court was debating over this matter. One side supported Luo Zhao's decision and felt that they should take advantage of the Yan Kingdom's weakness to destroy the Yan Kingdom in one fell swoop. The other side felt that Luo Zhao was too rash and wanted to fight steadily. Both sides had their reasons. Mu Zhuozhen sided with Luo Zhao and wanted to achieve something that no one before him could do.
However, Meng Shanming's attack had reignited the officials' fear of Meng Shanming's tyranny. When the Jiang Defense was broken, the call for a steady and steady attack gained the upper hand. This made Mu Zhuozhen feel slightly angry.
The officials were selfish. They were afraid of endangering their own interests and sought stability. He was the ruler of the country!
The humiliation that the Yan Kingdom inflicted on the Song Kingdom in the past was his humiliation. All these years, he had placed the young and energetic Luo Zhao in an important position to train the Song Kingdom's troops. This was to avenge the humiliation. There was no reason for him to back down.
Fortunately, Luo Zhao had convinced the three major sects. With the support of the three major sects, coupled with his own support, the calls for a steady and steady approach in the imperial court were suppressed. Now that Zi Pingxiu had brought up this matter again, he was naturally unhappy.
"Yes, yes, yes." Zi Pingxiu said humbly, "Your Majesty is right. I am a civil official and the Governor is a military official. In terms of war, I am definitely not as good as the Governor. However, those in the army who understand war have a different opinion. Meng Shanming has been in the army all his life, and he is very good at fighting. He has gathered his old subordinates, and they are the elites of Yan Yan's army. Once the river defenses are breached, I'm afraid the entire Great Song will be in danger! "
Mu Zhuozhen: "Does Prime Minister mean to say that my elite army is not as good as Yan's elite army? Or is it that when my army is already close to Yan Jing, I still insist on withdrawing my troops to give Yan Yan some breathing room?"
Zi Pingxiu said, "Your Majesty, you have misunderstood. I am worried that the Jiang Defense troops will lose the battle with Meng Shanming."
Mu Zhuozhen said, "The situation is clear. Meng Shanming's rations are limited. It won't be long before he collapses. What is there to be afraid of?"
Zi Pingxiu said, "It's better to be safe than sorry. Meng Shanming is not to be underestimated. Now, the six million elite soldiers of our Song Kingdom have all been dispatched. Three million are attacking Yan, two million are defending Yan, and one million are defending Han. Our country is empty. Once Meng Shanming gets rid of the Jiang Fang and attacks, who can stop him? "
Mu Zhuozhen asked, "What is Prime Minister trying to say?"
Zi Pingxiu did not beat around the bush. He made it clear. "General Chen Shaotong volunteered to gather some domestic troops to defend the rear. Once Meng Shanming shakes off the River Defense troops, he can try to delay them. This will be beneficial for the River Defense troops to catch up again, so that Meng Shanming won't be able to go straight in! Soldiers are lethal weapons. This is a matter of national importance and we must be careful. It's never wrong to be cautious! "
Chen Shaotong is his son-in-law and was brought up by him. Because of him, Chen Shaotong is feared and ostracized. He can understand this. How can he monopolize the military and political power?
Mu Zhuozhen raised his eyebrows. He understood that Zi Pingxiu wants a share of the credit for destroying Yan. His eyes flickered and he laughed, "Prime Minister's words are reasonable. I have overlooked this. How about this? Tomorrow morning, Prime Minister will propose this." This is equivalent to agreeing.
Zi Pingxiu immediately cupped his fists and said, "Your Majesty!"
In fact, both of them were well aware that this was a naked deal. Luo Zhao is under the Emperor's orders to fight on the frontlines. I can help you settle the impediments in the court, but I also want a share of the benefits.
To a certain extent, Zi Pingxiu is also taking a step back. Since the general situation cannot be changed, he can only go with the flow. It is impossible for everything to belong to others. If he can't even hear a sound from his side, then wouldn't he, the Prime Minister, become a decoration?
Perhaps Luo Zhao had the final say on the battlefield, but in the imperial court, Zi Pingxiu's influence was decisive. As long as Chen Shaotong made a contribution, how much credit this contribution would turn into would still be judged in the imperial court.
Mu Zhuozhen is happy to accept this little compromise. As long as he can achieve his goal, giving Chen Shaotong some benefits is nothing.
The ruler and subject smiled at each other. Not far away, the Chief Minister of the Imperial Palace, Mo Gao, chatted with the person who presented the report. Suddenly, his expression changed. He turned around and said in front of Mu Zhuozhen, "Your Majesty …" His lips trembled and he could not finish his words.
Mu Zhuozhen saw his reaction and knew something was wrong. He looked at the report in his hands and asked in a low voice, "What is it?"
Mo Gao bowed and said in a trembling voice, "The River Defense Army has been completely annihilated!"
"What?" Mu Zhuozhen and Zi Pingxiu exclaimed in unison. Both of them turned pale with shock.
Zi Pingxiu stretched out his hand and almost snatched the report. Fortunately, he stopped at the crucial moment and pulled his hand back. Sweat dripped down his back as he quickly turned to the Emperor and bowed.
Mu Zhuozhen did not notice this at all. He snatched the report and quickly opened it. As he read, his hands began to tremble. His face turned pale, and his entire body swayed.
"Your Majesty!" Mo Gao and Zi Pingxiu were shocked. They rushed forward to support him.
"Two million elite soldiers of the River Defense Army are gone. Gone just like that?" Mu Zhuozhen, who had been silent for a while, finally let out a voice filled with grief and indignation. "Completely annihilated? How is this possible? How can this be, how can this be? Luo Zhao, ah, Luo Zhao, you have disappointed me! "
He knew very well what the loss of two million River Defense Army meant. The loss of two million River Defense Army meant that the entire Song Kingdom would have to face the wrath of Meng Shanming's army.
"Your Majesty!" Zi Pingxiu greeted and took the report. After reading it, he was shocked and lamented in his heart. Luo Zhao, ah, Luo Zhao, you have become the greatest sinner of the Song Kingdom!
He was not gloating. Luo Zhao had taken away nearly half of the Song Kingdom's elite soldiers. Even if he wanted to return, it would be difficult. Distant water could not quench the present thirst. The one million elite soldiers in the northwest could not retreat in time. They did not dare to retreat even if they could as they were guarding against the Han Kingdom.
At this stage of the Yan Army, there was still a great army guarding against the Han Kingdom in the north. If the Song Kingdom were to move the one million elite soldiers away, there would be no one guarding the border. With Meng Shanming wreaking havoc, it was easy to guess who the Han Kingdom would attack. Would the Han Kingdom give up on this opportunity and fight against the Yan Army in the north?
Therefore, the soldiers in the northwest could not be withdrawn. However, who could stop Meng Shanming's army?
Luo Zhao had three million elite soldiers under his command, but he had to watch the Song Kingdom suffer a catastrophe. How could he not become the greatest sinner of the Song Kingdom? Who would dare to speak for him in the imperial court?
He could imagine that Luo Zhao's wisdom all these years had been ruined by Meng Shanming!
Absentmindedly, Zi Pingxiu felt his wrist tighten. Raising his head, he found that His Majesty had grabbed his wrist and said earnestly, "What the Prime Minister said before is indeed a prophecy. It can be seen that the Prime Minister is wise. I will approve Chen Shaotong's decision to lead the army now, and the courtiers will not disagree. Prime Minister, immediately send Chen Shaotong to respond to the emergency, and wait for Luo Zhao to lead the army back!"
"…" Zi Pingxiu wanted to say something but stopped. He regretted it so much that he wanted to slap himself. The timing was too good. He did not mention it earlier or later. He just had to mention it now in front of the Emperor. Even if he mentioned it a little later, it would have been better. Now, he had shot himself in the foot.
The crux of the problem was that even two million elite soldiers could not stop Meng Shanming. How could his son-in-law fight Meng Shanming with a motley crew? Wasn't this asking for trouble?
This was his son-in-law, and he was the one who suggested it. Once Chen Shaotong was defeated, he would not be able to shirk his responsibility. He would be dragged down with him!
How could he agree to this?
However, when it came to military affairs, the emperor could not joke about it, and the emperor could not joke about it either. Some words could not be taken back once they were spoken.
Mu Zhuozhen looked at the Prime Minister with sincere anticipation. He knew that the Prime Minister had built up a powerful force over the years. At this time, he had to force the Prime Minister to use all his power to deal with the situation.
Zi Pingxiu was speechless for a while. His old face was in a daze. He had forced himself into a dead end and could not refuse. He cursed Luo Zhao's ancestors in his heart.
This defeat was too sudden and too satisfying. It was a defeat that caught him off guard. He, the Prime Minister, was also in a hole.
He could only accept the order with difficulty and said, "This official obeys Your Majesty!"
…
The Song army was still advancing toward Yan Jing. Luo Zhao, who had received the battle report, stood under a tree by the road.
Luo Zhao thought about the situation that the Song Nation was about to face. He thought about the pressure that he could foresee in the imperial court. He thought about the strategy that he had put so much effort into failing at the last moment. He thought about his illustrious reputation. Suddenly, Luo Zhao clutched his chest tightly.
Unfortunately, as he had expected, Meng Shanming attacked with water. He hoped that his judgment was wrong. His last hope was dashed. The urgent military order to the River Defense Army was one step too late. The River Defense Army was completely annihilated!
"Governor!" Su Yuanbai supported him and was about to recuperate his Qi.
Luo Zhao's eyes were dark and his throat was sweet. He was so angry that he could not hold back a mouthful of blood and spat it out.
"Governor!" Everyone exclaimed.
After the emergency treatment, Luo Zhao, who was lying under the tree, finally relaxed. He seemed to be on his last breath. The first thing he said was, "Order the vanguard to march faster. After we break through Yan Jing, we will slaughter everyone in the city! We will raise the morale of the Song Nation! "
The reason was simple. Meng Shanming wiped out two million Song Nation elites. If the Song Nation wiped out the capital of the Yan Nation, they would not be at a disadvantage!
The key was that he could answer to the Song Nation's imperial court. Otherwise, if he returned empty-handed without achieving his goal and caused the Song Nation to fall into such a dangerous situation, how could he answer to the imperial court, who had been resisting the pressure all along? He really could not answer to the imperial court.
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