There are two large lavender cages burning in the imperial study, one east and one west, and the smell of Chiba incense permeates every corner of the house.

The emperor was wearing a bright yellow undershirt and reading on the couch, and a cup of tea was placed on the red sandalwood table in front of him, which was slightly bubbling up.

The great eunuch Cheng Wei bowed in and walked in, first reached out and touched the wall of the cup, probed the tea temperature, and then said to the emperor: "Your Majesty has been watching it for a while, look carefully." ”

The Emperor looked at the missing inscription in the corner of the table, then put the book down and sat up.

Cheng Wei put on his clothes for him and brought the tea to him.

The Emperor took it and tasted it, and said, "It's a bird's tongue." ”

Cheng Wei lowered his head: "Exactly." ”

The emperor hummed, and suddenly said: "I remember that Shen Mi also likes the tongue of a finch very much, you wrap it up, and someone will send it to him tomorrow." These days, he is busy with spring affairs, and he has also worked hard. I've read the article when he was going to try, and it's really all-encompassing, and I don't know if this time their father and son can pick out a few people for me to use. ”

Cheng Wei said: "The two Lord Shen are both pillars of talent, and they can naturally relieve His Majesty's worries. But-" Speaking of this, he paused, looked up at the emperor, and then continued: "Lord Xiao Shen is not often in the Yamen, these days in the Yamen of various ministries to apply for documents, two days ago I also went to the cabinet, with Guo Lao Ge Xu Ge Lao discussed the situation of the Eastern Liao war, the servants do not know where to go to find him. ”

The Emperor raised his head, his gaze already cold.

Eastern Liao and the Central Plains have been enemies for generations, although there are times when they are peaceful, but there are always times when there is war, Shen Mi is just a five-grade outsider, he actually overstepped his authority to the cabinet and discuss the war situation of other countries with the cabinet elders? "This Shen Mi!" The emperor stared at him for a moment and stood up: "Please enter the palace for Guo Gelao." ”

Here in the cabinet, Guo Yunze has not yet been lowered, because there is a military report in the northwest, he has recently been studying the map of the Eastern Liao that Shen Mi pointed out that day, and heard that the emperor was in the imperial study, so he stuffed the map into his arms, and then went to the Qianqing Palace.

The emperor sat behind the dragon case, looking at a fold in his hand, his hair was already a little gray, perhaps because of Chang Ningmei's eyebrows, there was an obvious Sichuan character between the eyebrows, and the nasolabial folds were also slightly deep, so it invisibly added a bit of solemnity, which made the palace people standing on the four sides of the study also hold their breath, and did not dare to move at all.

Guo Yunze walked in, leaned over and saluted first, and then smiled: "I don't know what His Majesty is summoning the ministers?" ”

The emperor first ordered the seat, then stood up and said with a smile: "Elder Ge is still in good health recently?" ”

Guo Yunze sat down and said: "Thank you, the old minister is tough, and it will not be a problem to serve Da Zhou for another ten years." ”

The emperor's facial muscles trembled, and then he smiled again: "How is the situation in the northwest?" ”

Guo Yunze said: "Dongliao is still divided, and there is no time to harass the border pass, but there is no guarantee that it will not be in the future." The strength of the Geltai Department and the Battle Department is not weak, and both have the ambition to dominate the grassland, and the old minister estimates that once a scuffle breaks out, both of them may ask for help from the Great Zhou. ”

The Emperor muttered, "The two countries are old enemies of each other, how can they come to us for help?" ”

Guo Yunze stroked his beard and said with a smile: "The emperor has never been to the battlefield, so he doesn't know that there are no permanent enemies on the battlefield, and there are no permanent friends. ”

The emperor was stabbed a little hot in the face, and after a while, he raised his head and said, "I heard that Shen Mi also discussed this matter in the cabinet a few days ago?" ”

"Oh, the old minister is about to talk to His Majesty about this!" When Guo Yunze said this, he stretched out his hand and took out the picture from his arms, spread it out on the imperial case, and said: "When Lao Chen and Lao Xu were arguing about this matter in the cabinet that day, Shen Mi happened to pass by, and Lao Xu caught him to comment, and I didn't want Shen Mi to say something extraordinary!" ”

After that, he pointed to the map and explained to the emperor one by one what Shen Mi said that day.

The more the emperor listened, the more solemn his face became, and in the end, he threw the previous anger out of the clouds.

"Is this really Shen Ziyan's idea?" He looked up at Guo Yunze.

Guo Yunze said with a smile: "The old minister doesn't dare to steal his work. ”

The emperor picked up the map that was marked in great detail, looked at it carefully for a moment, turned his head and said: "Shen Mi is a literati, he has never led troops into battle, and he was still a teenager in troubled times, it is really rare that he has such the ability to strategize the world!" ”

Guo Yunze bowed his head: "This is exactly the vision of His Majesty, and it is also the blessing of my Great Zhou!" ”

"Hmm!" The Emperor put down the map and paced happily.

"Recently, I have also been thinking about the war in the Eastern Liao Kingdom, this dark cloud is the youngest brother of the old Mongolian king, Geltai and Batel are strong and strong, it is not too easy to swallow the dark cloud together. But when the dark clouds united with the old Mongol king's tent against them, then the odds of victory increased greatly. This time they are in chaos, maybe it is an excellent opportunity for my big week.

"Aiqing and Shen Ziyan are really my lucky stars!"

The emperor turned around and stood still, and said excitedly.

Guo Yunze smiled and said, "Your Majesty's lucky star should be Shen Mi, and the old minister can't afford to be this word." ”

The emperor looked at him and smiled, but he didn't say anything.

Guo Yunze quit the palace.

After the emperor drank the cup, he said, "Pass on Shen Mi." ”

Shen Mi was busy in the Ministry of Rites, and when he heard that the emperor had summoned him, he had to put aside the affairs at hand for the time being and hurried to the imperial study. Seeing that the emperor looked at him with a slight smile, he was not as worried about the country and the people as he was usual, he couldn't help but feel a little cold, raised a little vigilance, and after saluting, he stood with his eyes and nose and nose, and did not move.

The emperor smiled and said, "I don't know what Ziyan thinks about the current situation in the Eastern Liao Kingdom?" ”

Shen Mi raised his head when he heard this, was silent for a moment, and said: "Weichen doesn't understand military affairs and doesn't dare to discuss it without permission. ”

The Emperor said in a rambling voice: "I already know about your affairs in the cabinet, and I will allow you to say it." ”

Shen Mi was stunned for a long time before he had no choice but to say, "It is advisable to brake quietly." ”

The emperor was silent, looked at the red pen on the table, and then said, "What if I want to brake with motion?" ”

Shen Mi paused slightly and raised his head, "What does the emperor mean, is it to use troops against Eastern Liao?" ”

"Shouldn't it?"

The emperor looked at him, stepped down from the Danqi, and said: "According to your analysis, as long as Wuyun and the old Mongolian king join forces to destroy Batel and Geltai, there will be a duel between the dark clouds and the old Mongolian king. ”

Shen Mi was silent.

He has long known the contradiction between the emperor and the cabinet, but this contradiction is inevitable, which dynasty and which generation of the patriarchs can completely abide by the etiquette of the monarch and the minister in front of the second emperor? An enlightened monarch will respect and humble without losing his principles, and now the cabinet elders are a little arrogant, but they have never threatened the emperor's prestige, and they have not even participated in the dispute between the emperor and the prince, so what's the big deal if the emperor just lets him go?

Now that he wants to use troops against Dongliao, he is obviously gambling with the cabinet, earning a military merit for himself, and regaining some majesty in front of the elders.

This is a good idea, but it is very unwise to lose the social system that has just stabilized.

He frowned and said: "The emperor's idea is reasonable, but a war involves many aspects, my dynasty has experienced nearly thirty years of turmoil and war, the mountains and rivers have long been full of holes, and now it is worth the period of recuperation, if you take the initiative to start a war again, you will be overwhelmed in terms of troops, material resources and financial resources."

"Secondly, all the tribes of Eastern Liao are brave and good at fighting, our dynasty is short of both soldiers and horses, and the short-term response to the enemy is acceptable, if you want to take the initiative to attack, I am afraid that the gains outweigh the losses. And the most important point is that the customs and customs outside the Guanxi are very different from those of the Central Plains, and it is not only a country in Eastern Liao, no matter how long a person's arm is, there is always a limit, even if the Mongols are eliminated, we can't govern the law, and sooner or later there will still be other tribes to invade.

"From this point of view, it is not appropriate for our dynasty to take the initiative to use troops against Eastern Liao at the moment, and it is even more unrealistic to want to exterminate them."

The temple fell silent as he spoke.

The emperor paced with his hands in his hands, and there was smoke in the incense burner, but the fragrance was still faint.

After a while, the emperor stopped under the curtain and said: "It seems that Ziyan is not only good at learning, but also admirable in his chest. ”

Shen Mi hung his head.

The emperor said, "Let's go back and get busy." I will let people go to the northwest according to your wishes, and act for the good life of the Duke of Wei. ”

Shen Mi bowed his head and thanked him and retreated.

Here, the emperor waited for the two of them to go out, and then summoned Cheng Yu, who was standing on the right: "Send a decree to the military department, and order the Duke of Wei to take advantage of the situation, help Wuyun seize the throne, and sign a peace letter with him." In addition, "

Speaking of this, he paused, and looked at Cheng Wei's gaze also deepened: "You immediately plan to seal the secret decree to the Duke of Wei, and he stared at Dongliao carefully, and in addition to acting according to the official document issued by the Ministry of Soldiers, he waited for the opportunity to send troops when he lured Wuyun to ally with the old Mongolian king, and fought to kill them in a battle!" ”

Cheng Wei's eyes flickered: "What does His Majesty mean is to repair the plank road openly and secretly cross Chen Cang?" ”

The emperor turned around calmly, looked at the deep palace, and said, "Although I am not the king of the prosperous era of Kaiyuan, at least I am worthy of the ancestors. Most of the civil and military forces of the dynasty are the old ministers left by the first emperor, heroes, these people rely on the old and sell the old servants and are proud, and there is no war merit in the hands of the deception, if the Duke of Wei succeeds in this battle, it is possible to help me really achieve the effect of the upper and lower branches!

"In order to have all the imperial power in hand, even if such a battle exhausts the treasury with all the strength of the whole country, what does it matter?"

Cheng Wei was solemn, turned around and retreated.

The emperor turned around, breathed a sigh of relief, and called him again: "Go down again, reward Shen Mi with the Eight Immortals crossing the sea jade screen, and then give him the set of Cai Minglan's golden stone solitary book that I got the day before yesterday." Shen Mi has real talent and learning, and he has a great sense of the overall situation, and he is not an old minister who followed the first emperor to fight, this person can be reused. ”

When Cheng Wei heard this, he couldn't help but say: "It is said that Shen Mi's private property is extremely rich, and it is not uncommon to think of gold and jade. If you want to reuse this person, it is better to reward something else, such as an official position. The slave heard that Shen Mi's wife visited the Xu family the day before yesterday, and Xu Ge Lao's wife was very enthusiastic about Shen Mi's wife, and the slave was afraid that Xu Ge Lao would also be suspected of wooing. ”R1152