In the Prime Minister's Mansion of Jinyang Palace, Guo Song was discussing the next step of the imperial examination with several important officials.

With the admission list of Ming Jingke and Guozijian coming out, then more than 70,000 scholars should leave Taiyuan and return to their hometowns.

How to make the best publicity effect of this imperial examination, everyone put forward their own ideas.

Zhang Qianyi said: "You can consider subsidizing them a little entanglement, for the children of rich families, this bit of entanglement may not matter, but it is very important for the children of poor families." ”

Pan Liao shook his head and said: "I don't agree with the subsidy money, if one person subsidizes the consistent money, it doesn't make much sense, if one person has two yuan, it adds up to 140,000 yuan, and we can't afford it." ”

Cao Wannian also said: "I agree with Pan Changshi's opinion, we have also investigated, scholars spend money in Taiyuan mainly on eating, drinking and visiting Qinglou, although not everyone is like this, but this is indeed a bad atmosphere, subsidizing their money, ensuring that they spend it before leaving Taiyuan." ”

Guo Song looked at Xue Fan and asked, "What is Xue Changshi's attitude?" ”

Xue Fan thought for a while and said: "As the saying goes, emergency is not poor, they may not be grateful to us if they take the money, if something happens, they will jump to scold us for doing too little, I think they have given each of them a good sheepskin before, it is already good, room and board are free, we have done our best, don't give too much, giving too much will be counterproductive." ”

Everyone was talking, some advocated a point appropriately, and some people were resolutely opposed, at this time, Guo Song coughed lightly, and everyone quieted down.

Guo Song smiled and said: "I have a plan, let's refer to it, since we promised to provide free food and lodging until the end of the month, it is only the tenth day of the first month of March, and there are still twenty days left, I think it can be like this, as long as before the end of the month, as long as the reference scholars are in our territory, the local government will continue to provide free food and lodging......"

"Wonderful!"

Without waiting for Guo Song to finish speaking, Xue Fan high-fived and exclaimed: "This is a wonderful plan, worthy of His Royal Highness the King of Jin, far-sighted, I might as well wait!" ”

Everyone's disdainful eyes unanimously turned to Xue Fan, this person's sycophants are so good that he actually touted King Jin in front of so many people, and he didn't blush.

Xue Fan felt the strange gaze of everyone, his old face flushed, and he explained with a dry smile: "Solving the problem of food and lodging on the return trip is actually a kind of entangled subsidy, which is indeed more clever than giving money directly." ”

Guo Song smiled, and asked Yan Shuo again: "Does Yan Shilang think it is feasible?" ”

"I think it's feasible, every scholar has a test guide and a board and lodging card, and they can use these two certificates to stay and eat for free on their return trip, even the states and counties outside our control may not be able to reach it."

"It's okay, I'll write a letter to Zhu Jun and ask him to take proper care of him, he will give this face."

Early the next morning, the examination institute issued a notice that it would arrange free food and lodging for the scholars returning home, and the announcement listed all the specific names of the states that provided free food and lodging.

This announcement is like a reassuring pill, which makes many scholars who spend too much money and are shy in their pockets rejoice, at least when they go home to report to the lady, the money spent in the Qinglou has an excuse to prevaricate.

...........

Just when Taiyuan's imperial examination entered the second stage of Jinshike, an abnormal incident also occurred in Chang'an, and the 30,000 Qin troops stationed in Chang'an left Chang'an overnight and headed for Tongzhou.

This news is indeed not a big deal for ordinary people, but for some sensitive people, it is a big deal.

Although the Tang Dynasty was forced to withdraw to Chengdu, their power in Chang'an was still strong, and they planted countless spies in Chang'an, ranging from officials to minor officials, who had been monitoring the movements of the Northern Tang Dynasty and the Zhuzhu Dynasty.

On the surface, he was loyal to Zhu Zhu and spared no effort to collect taxes for Zhu Zhu, but in fact, he has always shouldered the important task of investigating the intelligence of Chang'an and even Guanzhong, and he used the convenience of tax collection to transmit a large amount of important information to Chengdu.

Wang Yi was about 40 years old, very shrewd and capable, he spent most of his time as a tax supervisor, and more than a dozen of his henchmen were also intelligence spies, and he relied on Chang'an's tax system to collect and send out information.

As soon as the troops stationed in Chang'an left Chang'an, Wang Yi received this important information, and he immediately sent his men to track down the whereabouts of the 30,000 garrisons.

At noon, Wang Yi paced back and forth anxiously in the tax supervision hall with his hands in his hands, and he restrained his urge to send intelligence to Chengdu several times, after all, this event was too important, which meant that there were no soldiers stationed in Chang'an City, and an army of more than 1,000 people could occupy Chang'an, which was an unprecedented opportunity.

But he still gritted his teeth to restrain his impulse, he also needed to know the whereabouts of these 30,000 troops, this was a complete intelligence.

At this time, a tax collector rushed in and said, "Report to the chief, there is news from Xia Tai County that 30,000 troops have crossed the Wei River to the north and entered the territory of Xia Tai County. ”

Wang Yi slapped his forehead heavily, this is going to Tongzhou!

Xiatai County is the only way to Tongzhou, and it is obvious that Guo Song's army must have entered Tongzhou.

Wang Yi no longer hesitated, and immediately wrote an urgent and important piece of information, asking his subordinates to send an eagle letter to Chengdu.

An eagle circled twice over Chang'an City, flapping its wings and flying south........

The next morning, urgent information from Chang'an appeared on the desk of Li Shi, the son of heaven, who had been waiting for news from Li Bai, the king of Jiangling County, for the past few days, and he did not know that Li Li had been arrested and sent to Luoyang.

In terms of time, Li Li should have arrived in Chengdu in the past two days, but there are other possibilities, one is that Guo Song may not be in Taiyuan and is patrolling in other places, so Li Li needs to wait patiently; Another possibility is that Li Li did not go to Guanzhong, but went south to Xiangyang, and then entered Shu from the Three Gorges Road, which would be much farther than going through Guanzhong, and it would take at least ten more days.

Li Shi estimated that the former one was more likely, but he was really anxious, and he was very unfortunate to immediately recover Guanzhong and return to Chang'an, he even dreamed of the situation when he led the civil and military officials back to Chang'an, millions of people in Chang'an poured out of the city, and even hundreds of old people knelt on the ground and wept silently.

It's a pity that this is a dream, but he is too eager for this dream to become a reality, but Li Shi has to face a reality, what if Guo Song refuses to send troops?

There is indeed this possibility, Guo Song found various reasons to shirk, but he refused to send troops to help him recover Chang'an.

Li Shi was actually worried about another point in his heart, Guo Song established himself as the emperor after occupying Chang'an, so Li Shi suffered from gains and losses, and hoped that Guo Song would send troops, but he was afraid that Guo Song would send troops.

If Guo Song refuses to send troops to Guanzhong, it doesn't matter, he can also pour his troops north to recover Guanzhong and Chang'an, after all, Zhu Zhu has moved the capital, the main force has left Guanzhong, and there are only 30,000 garrisons in Chang'an and 10,000 garrisons in Tongguan left in Guanzhong, so you can give it a go.

At present, there are still 110,000 troops in the Southern Tang Dynasty, including 40,000 troops in Jiangnan, Jianghuai, and Jingnan, 20,000 garrisons in Hanzhong, and 50,000 troops in Bashu, including 20,000 Shence troops, 10,000 local state soldiers, and 30,000 Jiannan troops.

Li Shi then sealed Jiannan Jiedu to make Wei Gao the generalissimo of the Northern Expedition, and ordered him to lead 30,000 Jiannan troops to the north of Hanzhong, and at the same time made Li Yuanliang the deputy marshal of Hanzhong Jiedu, and the two combined 50,000 troops, ready to cooperate with Guo Song to recover Guanzhong and Chang'an.

In the imperial study, Li Shi opened the emergency information of Chang'an that had just been delivered, his eyes lit up, Chang'an's 30,000 garrisons rushed to Tongzhou, and Chang'an had no soldiers, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

With the blessing of the ancestors and the ancestors, he finally gave himself the opportunity to recover Chang'an.

Li Shi no longer hesitated, no matter whether there was exact news of Li Bai or not, he was going to send troops, and the 30,000 Chang'an garrison rushed to Tongzhou, which must be caused by Guo Song's army moving south.

Li Shi was anxious, he was afraid that Guo Song would enter Chang'an first, and he would have to seize Chang'an before Guo Song.

Li Yi immediately ordered: "Spread my hand, order Wei Gao to immediately lead the army into the pass and seize Chang'an!" ”

At this time, the privy envoy Song Chaofeng reminded again: "Wei Gao is afraid that he will shirk the general by not obeying the king's order outside, Your Majesty might as well send the gold medal to the prison army Tian Wenxiu, and ask him to urge Wei Gao to march!" ”

Li Shi immediately understood, and immediately sent the guards to expedite eight hundred miles, and handed over the Son of Heaven gold medal monk Fang Tianzi Sword to the prison army Tian Wenxiu, and at the same time ordered him to immediately urge Wei Gao to enter and exit the army, and those who did not obey the king's order were immediately beheaded!