Fu Song

As soon as he stepped out of the sedan chair, the icy cold wind blew, Xu Xiangqi shivered involuntarily, stretched out his hand to tighten his fox fur robe, and shrank his neck to speed up his pace.In front of the vermilion gate, a young man also dressed in a luxurious robe was waiting there.

"Xu Shangshu!" The young man bowed and bowed.

"Qimo, why are you waiting for me outside on such a cold day?" Xu Xiangqi stopped and said to the young man with a smile.

"If it was someone else, Qi Mo would naturally not, but when Xu Shangshu came, how dare Qi Mo not come? Otherwise, my father would definitely punish me to face the wall and think about it again!"

The one who was called Qimo was the second son of Si Junchao, the second assistant of the dynasty, Si Jie, with the word Qimo.

Xu Xiangqi laughed loudly, "Secondary's family style has always been strict, thank you for your hard work."

Si Jie smiled and said, "Qi Mo leads the way for Xu Shangshu."

The former appeasement envoy of Jiangnan East Road, now the second Fu Si Junchao of the dynasty is standing at the door of the study.

"East Pavilion." Xu Xiangqi bowed his hands. "Your legs can't stand the cold, come in, come in quickly."

"It's not a problem for a while, these legs are just an old problem, and they have been taking medicine." Si Junchao said with a smile.

The two gave each other at the door for a while, and after all, Si Junchao advanced to the house, and Xu Xiangqi followed.After Si Jie came in, of course, he only served with tea and water.

There are earth dragons in the house, which is very rare in Jiangning.Because Si Junchao has a pair of old cold legs, but he can't stand the cold at all.Therefore, the earth dragon was specially installed in this room.

As soon as Xu Xiangqi entered the door, he took off his fox fur robe, obviously familiar with the situation in the room.

It was cold outside, but it was warm like spring inside.

It is like two worlds separated by a door.

Looking at the small coffee table in the study, there were several dishes of side dishes and wine pots, Xu Xiangqi smiled and said: "Green ant new fermented wine, red mud small stove, it's going to snow in the evening, can you drink a cup of nothing? Dongting, it's so interesting! In such a season, three or five confidants and friends gather together and drink a few cups of warm wine, isn’t it fun?”

Si Junchao picked up the jug and poured a glass for Xu Xiangqi. It was not cheap green ant wine, but expensive red wine. This wine came from the Western Regions and was transported to Jiangnan, but it was not something that ordinary people could afford. .

"I think so too, but now our chief assistant, don't let us stop!" Si Junchao sighed and said, "Did you read the report from Liangjiang today?"

"When he went to Liangjiang, I knew there was nothing good!" Xu Xiangqi said angrily: "I finally survived, this is because I don't want everyone to have a good winter this winter. The first assistant gave me an order to let me I will immediately collect reward money and send it to the front line, so that I can send reward money to the soldiers. It will not be long before the Chinese New Year. At this time, is there any extra money there?"

"Young man, it's Shengmeng!" After taking a sip of wine, Si Junchao gently rubbed his knees and said, "In this weather, you can still patrol the ground and go to the battlefield to care for the soldiers, but I heard that , he went to Xiayi himself."

"Dignified chief assistant, not doing a proper job!" Xu Xiangqi said disdainfully.

"But I heard that those big-headed soldiers really bought it! After some operations, the prestige of the chief assistant among the soldiers has risen again."

Xu Xiangqi took a bite of the dish, chewed it slowly in his mouth, and said with a smile, "Why is this guy coming here? Who doesn't know that the official family is only under his orders now, and he won't be afraid of others if he makes trouble again. Saying that he invites people to buy people's hearts and plots to do something wrong?"

"Doing this just shows that his heart is selfless and generous!" Si Junchao said solemnly: "There are two sides to what you say, it depends on how you say it."

"In this regard, we have unique conditions!" Xu Xiangqi said: "The southwest is his world, but this Jiangnan, but we have the final say. Shilin Qingyi, how many people does he have, how many people do we have?"

Looking at Xu Xiangqi, Si Junchao said: "People don't care at all. Moreover, this battle was won cleanly, tens of thousands of enemies were wiped out, and even Huang Hai was captured alive by the lame man Wei. When the news of Lubu's good news came, the whole city cheered! "

"Liba people, what else do you know besides cheering!" Xu Xiangqian sneered: "If they know what it means to them after winning this battle, I would like to see if they can still laugh?"

Si Junchao chuckled: "As soon as Xiayi is taken down, the army will press on Shangqiu and Songcheng. Huang Chun's strength is limited, so he was hit by this major blow. I'm afraid that he can't defend Shangqiu and Songcheng. Force Kaifeng, if that's the case?"

"If this is the case, I'm afraid a war is inevitable!" Xu Xiangqi said: "How could Qu Zhen tolerate Kaifeng being threatened? How could the Liao people sit back and watch Kaifeng be taken down by us?"

"So, the First Auxiliary will inevitably deploy large-scale troops to the front!" Si Jun Chao said. "This is the real purpose of his attack!"

"Dongting, what do you mean?" Xu Xiangqi pondered.

"This time, if we don't agree to his request, he will transfer his direct line troops from Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangdong and Guangxi again." Si Junchao said: "It took us a lot of effort to stop him from sending more troops. The direct line army is transferred from Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi, how can you let him succeed?"

"Dongting is saying that he agreed to his request to transfer troops, but it was our troops who were transferred?" Xu Xiangqi asked.

"Exactly!" Si Junchao stuffed a piece of cold mutton into his mouth and chewed, "We will give him as much as he wants."

"But Dongting, our soldiers and horses in the south of the Yangtze River have not fought for many years, and their combat power is worrying. If they really go to the front line, I am afraid they will make mistakes? If you want them to fight against the enemy, I'm afraid that few can do it!" Xu Xiangqi said worriedly.

"I'm about to eliminate the inferior and save the superior!" Si Junchao frowned: "In this situation, the importance of the army will only become more and more important. Why is Xiao Erlang so arrogant in front of you and me, not because Xiangyang is His direct line, Xuzhou is also his direct line? If our people can't support the sky above the military, then we are born to be shorter than him when we speak above the court."

Xu Xiangqi nodded: "That's what I said, but the casualties of the people sent here are too high, or is the overall situation wrong? Lost Xuzhou?"

"That's the problem of the frontline commander!" Si Junchao laughed slyly: "This is just right to blame Gao Yingxiang, the general manager of the eastern army. This person is the former chief assistant of Dali, or the eldest son of the former emperor of Dali. It was Xiao Erlang who destroyed the country. It is easy to believe that he was resentful and deliberately harmed my army in the Great Song Dynasty. As for Xuzhou, I don’t think it will be lost. After losing the battle, as long as Xuzhou is not lost, it can still be saved. And do you think Qu Zhen and Liu Yu can really cross the Huaihe River and the Yangtze River? Dream! In the north, they can bully us with the help of horses and arrows, but in the south, this dense water system like a spider web can make it difficult for them to move an inch.”

Xu Xiangqi laughed and clapped his hands: "I'm relieved after Dongting said so, you still have a comprehensive view of the matter, make a thorough plan, and no matter what happens, it's all in our favor. If that's the case, then we have to do well. Think about it, in our pockets, who can replace Gao Yingxiang as the head of the Eastern Branch!"

"That's right." Si Junchao said, "This time, by agreeing to Xiao Erlang's request, we can kill two arrows with one stone. First, we can let the army in our hands experience some wars, so as to improve the combat effectiveness and prevent Xiao Erlang's family from being alone. Big. Second, if we can successfully bring down Gao Yingxiang, then we will have the opportunity to control the important place in Xuzhou. In this way, we will be able to compete with Xiao Erlang."

"I'm afraid Lu Wenhuan will nod his head on this matter!"

"Lu Wenhuan has always advocated the Northern Expedition. Therefore, we fully support the dispatch of troops. It's too late for him to be happy! How could he make trouble with it?" said Si Junchao.

"Okay, I'll go back and arrange the money and food." Xu Xiangqi said.

"No, no, no!" Si Junchao said: "There is no need to worry about money and food. The court has no money now!"

Xu Xiangqi looked at Si Junchao puzzled.

"If you don't have money, how can you send troops?"

"Raise salaries from merchants, squires, and officials in the southern regions of the Yangtze River!" Si Junchao said, "We will do what Shoufu asks for, give him money for money, give grain for grain, if there is no money, we have no grain, we will do it for him. Find a way to get him money and food! It must satisfy him."

Xu Xiangqi blinked, finally trying to understand, and gave Si Junchao a thumbs up.

"This is killing three arrows with one shot! But Dongting, there is one thing, we have to be careful, the regions in the south of the Yangtze River do not want to fight, and they do not want to fight. Once we recruit troops and send them to the front line, I am afraid that there will be trouble in the local area. , Now that Xiao Erlang is not in Jiangning, this responsibility falls on our heads."

"So what? Is the root still in the first assistant? Who doesn't know, the Jiangning court is the first assistant, and we can only be regarded as some embellishments. We are just executing the first assistant's order, something really happened, It also needs a first aid to solve it.”

"Yes!" Xu Xiangqi laughed, raised his cup, and said, "I still need to be a bell guy to solve the problem! This time, I looked at Shoufu's methods. It is said that Shoufu has the ability to turn corruption into magic, and I'm just waiting for it. Watching it up close is also good for students to learn and learn.”

What happens when a group of soldiers go to the battlefield?
What should the people do if there is trouble in the public due to payroll?
What if the front line is defeated?
These are the problems they deliberately gave to the first assistant Xiao Cheng.

As for Xiao Cheng, if there is a problem when answering the question, the whole situation will collapse, they are too lazy to think about the consequences.

In other words, they looked down on Qu Zhen and Liu Yu at all.

The next day, the DPRK meeting.

The imperial palace requisitioned the yamen of the former prefect of Jiangning Prefecture.

As the residence of the prefect, the original yamen was considered to be extremely magnificent and spacious, but as a palace, it immediately seemed cramped.

Except for some extremely important departments located here, other yamen now have to find another place to work.

Originally, Si Junchao, Xu Xiangqi and others wanted to requisition some houses on the left and right for expansion, but they were directly rejected by Xiao Cheng.

The reason is simple.

This is only the temporary residence of the official family. Our goal is to go to the Northern Expedition, to go back to Kaifeng, and to return to Tokyo City.

In that case, why are you still spending a lot of money here to build some palaces?
It's better to save money and food, recruit an extra soldier, build an extra knife, a spear, and a feather arrow, which will add a little chance to the victory of the Northern Expedition.

Under such a politically correct slogan, the proposal to build the palace immediately died down.

Don't look at the officials of the Jiangnan faction, they don't want to fight at all, and they don't want to go to the north at all, but these words can only be kept in their hearts and must not be spoken out. Mouth and pen.

Some things can be done, but must never be said or admitted.

Zhao An was only twelve years old. He usually went to the palace, that is, just pretending to sit there and listen to the ministers discussing matters, quarreling, and finally voting, and then when the results came out, he said yes, and it was over.

In the past, Xiao Cheng stood in front of him and made up his mind.

Now that Xiao Cheng is not around, it is the second assistant Si Junchao who is in charge of the overall situation.

The first thing, the first batch of [-] banned troops and [-] Xiang troops were sent to Xuzhou, and it was passed without any controversy.

The second thing is that the imperial court is currently running out of money and food, and without the need for additional pay and fu, it can ask for donations from merchants, gentry and the common people to make up for the lack of expenses, but this has caused everyone's controversy.

What's surprising is that the people who asked the people to donate happily were the recognized first assistant Xiao Cheng's faction, while those who insisted on donating happily were the local faction in Jiangnan.

In the end, after the sub-fusi Junchao announced that he would donate [-] yuan, everyone was silent, and this resolution was also voted.

As for people like Cen Zhong, Li Ge and others, they only have reservations.

Regardless of Cen Zhong, Li Ge holds the most power, but when the court needs to vote, he only has one vote.

And those who have the right to vote are all high-ranking officials above the rank of paternity.

When the centrists like Lu Wenhuan, Zhang Zhen, and Han Duan all agree, their opinions are irrelevant.

Unless Xiao Cheng is in court.

What Xiao Cheng opposed, generally Zhang Zhen and Han Duan, including the Minister of Personnel Cheng Shao, would only obey Xiao Cheng's orders.

But who made Xiao Cheng still in Xuzhou now?

And they also think it's a good thing.

It's not about paying and paying, it's just a donation. Those who have money donate more, and those who have no money donate less. It's not all for national affairs, for the great cause of the Northern Expedition, don't we all have to do our best!
The idea is very good, but the northerners like Zhang Zhen and Han Duan have never thought about whether the southerners want the northern expedition?In other words, are they willing to lose their own interests to support the Northern Expedition!

"There must be a problem here!" Zhao An, a small official who returned to the back, was somewhat inexplicable, and told Master Cen what happened in the court today.

Master Cen laughed and said, "Everyone has their own little ninety-nine, officials, you just watch, no matter what they want to do, they will only end up in vain."

"Do you know why?"

"I don't know, but I do know that they are plotting against your teacher, but if Xiao Erlang is so easily plotted, how could he have come this far?" Master Cen sneered.