Chapter 1,675 Crimes

Just when he said this, he saw Zhang Shiliang, an internal official outside the palace, walking quickly: "I would like to report to the empress, the officials, and Prime Minister Han. Chao Junji said that there is an urgent military intelligence report from the west. Please come to the door to ask for an order to see you."

"Did you tell me what happened?" Gao Taotao asked.

"This... I don't dare to ask, but I heard from Prime Minister Han that it was an apology letter sent by Tong Guan, Liu Changzuo of the Northern Front."

"Ah?" Zhao Xu couldn't help but asked anxiously: "Were they defeated?"

"Uh... that's not the case. Chao Junji didn't say anything further, and the minister also..."

Gao Taotao said to Zhao Xu: "Brother, hurry up and follow Shiliang. Why are you asking him? I'll come soon."

Zhao Xu left in a hurry. Gao Taotao looked at Zhao Xu's back: "Our brother has grown up..."

Xiang Tai said: "Yes, I am fifteen. I have grown very fast in the past few years. I have to make new clothes every year, otherwise they will not fit me."

Gao Taotao smiled and said: "That's not what I'm talking about. How did he know about what Colander just used his junior sister's lyrics to do? With Chen Wu Duanjing's temperament, would he tell him this?"

"So, it wasn't Colander's friend who told him. I'm afraid... it was a friend of the girl from the Li family who told him."

Xiang said to the Queen Mother: "Duan Yi will follow me every day. Don't worry, Queen Mother. Nothing will happen that will disgrace the Tian family."

Gao Taotao said: "I like Miss Meng's temperament. The two children have reached the marriageable age. How about we choose a date this year for them to get married."

He made a gesture of worship to the Queen Mother and said: "Amitabha, the empress has finally opened her mouth. Brother, you just think that I am the Queen Mother who blocks the seven fairies of Dong Yong in the play."

After speaking, she turned to Princess Zhu and asked, "Sister, do you think so?"

"Brother, how dare he?" Concubine Zhu smiled and said: "Even when Miss Meng did not enter the palace, I would still ask the Empress Dowager every day about her daily life. Filial piety is the most important thing in the Song Dynasty. The emperor should set an example and become a scholar. example."

"As for my brother's marriage, the Queen Mother cares about me and makes the decision. I really found a wonderful bride."

Gao Taotao sighed: "Let's leave now, I'll go to Gu Guan's house."

…

Wuyingdian, Han Zhongyan, and Chao Buzhi are reporting to Zhao Xu, and Lu Dafang, Liu Zhi, Zhang Dun, and Su Che are also there.

When Gao Taotao arrived, all the ministers asked about their daily life, and Zhao Xu relayed the matter to Gao Taotao.

Gao Taotao did not comment, but first asked: "What do you think, sir?"

Lu Dafang first said: "How could a majestic master like the king commit such a crime by massacring the city and even committing such an inhumane act? Liu Changzuo and Tong Guan deserve to be severely punished."

Liu Zhi said: "This matter is due to the lack of restraint by the military officials and the junior civil servants in the army. In the previous policy of Zhang Kai's plan to advance the north and the south simultaneously, the north road was originally made from unknown sources. The Xizhou Uighurs and the Black Khans acted differently. There is really no reason to criticize, and now we are committing tyranny. How do the cities in the Western Region view our dynasty?"

"I ask you to recall the unjust teachers from the North Road. They are wasting the people, ruining the wealth, and ruining the reputation. This is what a wise man would not do."

"What a joke!" Zhang Dun was furious with both Lu and Liu: "Before we agreed to advance the north and the south simultaneously, I proposed that Chao Guodong's cadres and Renduo tribes should be exchanged. Chao Guodong is a Jinshi of our dynasty, that is, a civil servant. But you think that Tu cadres are closely related to North Road Gaochang's trade and need to guard against the slightest change, but today it is your fault that there is no civilian check and balance?"

"The commander-in-chief at the front was just frightened by the civil servants. The two Tatars massacred the city, so he was so frightened that he hurriedly apologized. Haven't you all understood? It ended with the massacre of the city. Although it was not perfect, until this happened, I Beibei

The army of Lu has already taken over twenty-two cities in the Xizhou Uighur territory, extending the territory for three thousand miles! The Tang Dynasty established the Beiting Protectorate, which was never like this!"

"Ignoring such great achievements, it is unreasonable to first investigate the military officials' minor faults?"

Lu Dafang said angrily: "How can it last if an unjust army is launched thousands of miles away? I'm afraid that after this incident, there will be flames of war all over the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains!"

"The Song Dynasty conquered Western Shu and brutally brutalized the people. Later, the people of Shu turned against me and rebelled one after another. Scholars did not enter the court for decades! But the Song Dynasty conquered Qiantang and treated the Qian family with kindness and courtesy. The people still praise him and he produced talents in large numbers."

"Situ conquered the South China Sea, pacified Ningxia, and practiced benevolence and righteousness. Everyone in his hometown felt his virtues. In a few years, great governance was achieved. Aren't the advantages and disadvantages immediately apparent?"

Zhang Dun said: "The left prime minister needs to understand that the people who massacred the city were the Bai Ta and Zubu tribes, and they were affiliated with Liao."

"What does the massacre of the city by these two groups have to do with our great Song Dynasty? After the Song army learned about it, didn't they go to the north of the mountain overnight to stop this?"

Liu Zhi said: "What the right minister said is inappropriate. It is just an excuse to fend off the Liao Dynasty's questioning. Who in the palace knows this?"

"When a gentleman is self-reflective, how can he excuse himself by prevaricating?"

"The North Road Army is actually Liu Changzuo and Tong Guan are in charge. If this matter is not punished, why do the police come later?"

Zhang Dun sneered: "Then I would like to ask the left minister and the minister, how to deal with Menggantulak and Jida? Are they to be killed in the march?"

"If you can't deal with the two principal criminals, but deal with the commander who was implicated by them, can this be called justice? Expanding the territory for three thousand miles, you can't get any reward, and the army can't complain?! It's ridiculous!"

Lu Dafang and Liu Zhi were immediately speechless.

"Zhang Dun." Zhao Xu suddenly said: "Let's just discuss the matter and don't get excited."

Uh, the old habit happened again, and I lost points again.

Only then did Zhang Dun react and quickly bowed: "I have violated my decency, and I apologize to Your Majesty for this."

The Western Expedition to the North actually had nothing to do with Zhang Dun, but he was a hawk and had long been dissatisfied with the imperial court's subservient and overbearing behavior.

In his opinion, being as arrogant as the Qin Emperor, Han Wu, and the Tatars is what pleases the hearts of the people. The so-called people who openly offend the powerful Han will be punished no matter how far away they are!

What I hate the most is the kind of person I tell you that I will kill you no matter how far away you are, but you tell me that you will lose in every bet. That’s right, that’s the kind of person Su Mingrun!

Therefore, he insisted on making a bold move and spoke louder and louder, almost pointing his finger at Lu Dafang and scolding him.

However, what Zhang Dun didn't expect was that Zhao Xu was now in his second year of middle school. Although he looked as stable as an old dog, he had the poker face inherited from his grandfather and the sneaky dog ​​spirit he learned from his idol.

.

But deep down in my heart, I had already shouted a few times, "Zhang Aiqing scolded me well!" and I even got points added several times.

The right prime minister, the left prime minister, and the minister were all red-faced because of the argument. The rest of the people in the palace didn't even have a chance to interrupt. Only then did Gao Taotao say: "Prime Minister, Junji, and Minister Su, please tell me too."

Han Zhongyan said: "As your right prime minister said, in this battle, we conquered Xizhou, conquered Beiting, captured twenty-two states, and expanded the territory for three thousand miles without any effort and without damaging a single member of our army. This is a great achievement."

, a great achievement.”

"Of course, massacre of the city is absolutely not allowed, but this is also a mistake in Liu Changzuo's arrangement. After all, no one could have imagined that the Tatars would be so cruel."

"This is a barbarian act, but the Tatars themselves are barbarians. If they are not taught before, they cannot be executed suddenly later. Moreover, they are still important pawns in our fight against the Liao Kingdom."

Now that Zhang Kai's plan has been gradually decrypted to the lower levels, almost all officials in both systems already know the true intention of arming the Tatars in this battle.

Han Zhongyan continued: "But in theory, they are vassals of the Liao Kingdom. Liu Changzuo is in charge of Gaochang in the south of the mountain. He cannot restrain Beiting and Zhangbali in the north of the mountain for a while, but it is normal."

Chao Buzhi's strategic vision was higher: "In fact, the impact of this matter may not be as bad as Prime Minister Lu thought."

"Everyone can tell by looking at the map that the most abundant water plant in Xizhou is the Qianli Beiting River."

"This was originally an important Silk Road on the North Tianshan Road, but the lion king blocked the mountain pass and used it as a pasture for his own people. However, the herdsmen in the south of the mountain were not allowed to enter, and merchants could only go to the Gobi south of the Tianshan Mountains to do business.

oasis."

"Except for the east-west direction, there is only one valley that leads to Gaochang in the south of the mountain. The Lion King treats the cities in the south of the mountain as fat sheep and as his own cash cow on the Silk Road. He collects taxes and transfers them through Gaochang to build his own paradise in the Beiting River."

"This is the real reason why Wang Yande thought that 'there are no poor households in Beiting' when he was sent to Beitingchuan. It is also the reason why our army sent messages to the cities in Shannan, but no one was willing to sacrifice their lives to defend the city for the Lion King."

"Liu Changzuo apologized three thousand miles away and quickly reported to Shazhou. Su Yuanzhen then forwarded the telegram. We received it seven days later."

"Now the Lion King has fled west and joined Hassan. The two cities have been slaughtered. The matter has reached this point and is irreversible."

"Fortunately, the army has already taken Beitingchuan. We only need to use a small number of troops to guard the four valley entrances, just like the four passes in Guanzhong. This is the capital of Qin's domination and Han's prosperity."

"With good management, there will be Beiting on the north road, just like Khotan is the foundation on the south road. The king's army can attack when advancing and defend when retreating, and there will be no worries about laboring the army."
Chapter completed!