…

From Zhao Jichao's move to promote Cai Ying, everyone can see that Cai is still a new political star in the Great Song Dynasty, and perhaps, in another ten or eight years, Cai will still replace Tong Guan.

In this regard, some people are envious, some people are worried, and some people have their own little calculations in their hearts.

But—

Regardless of these people, Cai's rise has become inevitable.

After everyone dispersed, only Fang Qiong, the secretary of the military department, did not leave - he deliberately stayed at the end and refused to leave.

Seeing this, Zhao Ji simply left Fang Qiong behind and asked, "Is there anything else Fang Aiqing does?" ”

Fang Qiong waited for Zhao Ji's words, he bowed to the ground, and said: "Your Majesty, now there is a God-given opportunity to reverse the situation of a strong place and a weak central government, and I hope Your Majesty will seize it!" ”

"Strong place and weak center?"

These words made Zhao Ji feel very harsh!

But Zhao Ji's city government is still good.

He asked quietly, "Why did Aiqing say this?" ”

Fang Qiong didn't answer and asked: "Your Majesty, which army is the strongest army in my Great Song Dynasty?" ”

Zhao Ji frowned slightly, but still replied patiently: "Everyone in the world knows that it is the Western Army. ”

Fang Qiong asked again: "What about the Central Forbidden Army?" ”

"This ......"

Although Zhao Ji did not have a clear understanding of how much combat power the Central Forbidden Army had.

But Zhao Ji also knew that the combat power of some of the Central Forbidden Army was far from comparable to that of the Northwest Forbidden Army.

Therefore, Zhao Ji groaned for a while, and then said: "It's not as good as the Western Army." ”

Fang Qiong said: "Isn't this just a strong place and a weak center?" ”

Zhao Ji was speechless!

After a while, Zhao Ji said: "What is the opportunity to change this situation that Aiqing said?" ”

Fang Qiong said: "It's Cai Ying, Your Majesty." ”

Zhao Ji said: "Cai is still? ”

Fang Qiong said: "Yes, it is Cai Yi, Your Majesty listened to me carefully." ”

Without waiting for Zhao Ji to agree, Fang Qiong said again: "The generals of the Western Army are generally inherited from generation to generation, and the family has served the Western Army for several generations, this kind of blood inheritance, there is no way to disassemble it, few officials and generals sent by the imperial court can really control them, and the marshals there are either from the Fold family, or from the Yang family, or from the Liu family, or from the Liu family, or from the Chong family, or from the Yao family, others can't command the Western Army at all, even Tong Taifu has to pass the generals of the Western Army to command the Western Army." ”

It's good that Fang Qiong didn't mention this matter, but as soon as he mentioned it, Zhao Ji's heart was pinched!

What Fang Qiong said was the biggest problem of the Western Army.

In fact, not only Zhao Ji, but also the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty wanted to take back control of the Western Army, which they relied on as a national defense force.

For this reason, the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty (even the Song Dynasty Qinzong) fought wits and courage with the major families of the Western Army.

It's a pity that the emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty tried their best, but they couldn't change the inheritance of the Western Army, nor did they really control the Western Army.

Zhao Ji couldn't help but look forward to it: "Aiqing has a way to change the Western Army?" ”

Fang Qiong hurriedly said: "How can a minister have this ability." ”

When Zhao Ji heard this, he couldn't help but be disappointed!

Seeing this, Fang Qiong hurriedly said: "However, although we can't change the inheritance of the Western Army, we can draw some talents from the Western Army to strengthen the Central Forbidden Army, and finally make the Central Forbidden Army's combat power stronger than the Western Army, and eliminate the hidden dangers of the Western Army." ”

Zhao Ji's heart moved, and said, "What does Aiqing mean?" ”

Fang Qiong said: "The stubborn inheritance of the Western Army has made the generals of the Western Army who are not from those big families have no future at all, in this case, why doesn't the imperial court support the generals of the Central Forbidden Army and let them absorb the undesirable generals of the Western Army to create a new Central Forbidden Army?" ”

Zhao Ji understood what Fang Qiong meant.

In fact, all along, Zhao Ji, who can also be said to be Tong Guan sent by Zhao Ji to the Western Army, did just that.

Under Tong Guan's many years of operation, in fact, tens of thousands of Western troops have been out of the control of the Western Army, and they have a new name - Shengjie Army.

The Shengjie Army is Tong Guan's pro-army.

It is precisely because of the Shengjie Army that Tong Guan was able to suppress several major families of the Western Army, so that the Western Army was controlled by Tong Guan and used by the Northern Song Dynasty.

Therefore, as soon as Fang Qiong made this suggestion, Zhao Ji was immediately moved!

Fang Qiong continued: "The current Central Forbidden Army, because there has been no war for many years, has been very slow to react, and Cai Guan ...... during this time Cai sent urgent letters to the Ministry of War three times before and after, hoping that the Ministry of War could urge the Anhua Army and the Wuning Army to go south as soon as possible. ”

As he spoke, Fang Qiong took out three letters of contention and presented them to Zhao Ji.

Zhao Ji looked at it, and the dates were four days ago, seven days ago, and twelve days ago.

Zhao Ji couldn't help but be furious, and said: "Eight days apart, the Anhua army and the Wuning army have not yet arrived in Xiuzhou?" ”

Fang Qiong said: "Not only haven't they arrived in Xiuzhou, they may not have arrived in Jinling now." ”

Zhao Ji said angrily: "I have to deal with the great crime of the commanders of these two armies, if they can arrive earlier, the results of this battle may be even greater." ”

Fang Qiong said: "Your Majesty is angry, it is true that the current Central Forbidden Army is like this, the officials may not know it, Tan Zhi and Liu Zhen are still in Yingtianfu and the whole army has not gone south." ”

Zhao Ji was really angry this time, he never thought that the front line was in a decisive battle, and the Central Forbidden Army had not set off yet!

Fang Qiong bowed to the ground and said: "Your Majesty, the minister has talked to Cai Zhen, he said that if he personally recruits and trains 100,000 new troops with the Western Army as the skeleton, he will be able to sweep the world for His Majesty, and now, Cai still has exactly the intersection with the Western Army, which can allow him to form a new Central Forbidden Army for His Majesty, and reproduce the invincible and loyal Great Song Forbidden Army at the beginning of the founding of the country!" ”

Not to mention, Fang Qiong's words did make Zhao Ji a little moved!

But it would be too child's play to let Cai Yi, a hairy boy who was only twenty years old, form a new army of 100,000 all of a sudden.

Therefore, Zhao Ji was silent to show that he did not agree with Fang Qiong's suggestion.

Seeing that Zhao Ji didn't have the courage, Fang Qiong couldn't help but be a little disappointed, but he didn't give up, but retreated and said: "If you don't form a 100,000 new army, it's okay to form a 50,000 new army, besides, Cai is still a recruit envoy on Jiang, Huai, Jing, Zhejiang and other roads, and there are only more than 20,000 horses in his hands, of which seventy percent are still Xiang troops, which is too little, even if he can fight again, he can't pacify the southeast for His Majesty." ”

Fang Qiong's words really poked Zhao Ji's weakness.

Zhao Ji's obsession with recovering Yanyun is unimaginable to ordinary people, it can be said that although the situation in the Great Song Dynasty has deteriorated to this extent, he has not given up his dream of recovering Yanyun.

And if Cai can still pacify the southeast with 50,000 new troops, Zhao Ji can completely continue his plan to recover Yanyun.

But—

Then again, even if Cai Yi, a hairy boy who is only twenty years old, can form a new army of 50,000, it is child's play.

So, after thinking about it, Zhao Ji said: "Thirty thousand, plus the soldiers and horses that Cai is still under control, it is already an army of 50,000, but only half of the new army is a forbidden army, and the other half must be a box army." ”

Zhao Ji also has his own considerations for doing this, the welfare and weapons of the forbidden army are much higher than those of the box army, and the money for forming a forbidden army can form three to five box armies, so converted, Zhao Ji actually gave Cai still the money to form a new army of 20,000.

There is no way, the finances of the southeast are gone, and the Great Song Dynasty has entered the period of eating soil, and Zhao Ji, who has never been able to live, has also begun to know how to save money.

30,000 is better than nothing, after Fang Qiong received the order, he immediately set out to do this.

And yet—

Not long after Fang Qiong transmitted Zhao Ji's holy decree to Cai Yan, he was suddenly attacked by many parties, and many people even grabbed Fang Qiong's slight mistakes and asked Zhao Ji to demote Fang Qiong outside Beijing.

Some people also deliberately mentioned that Fang Qiong had insisted that the cause of the uprising in Fang La was Huashigang, and had advised that the "Huashigang" should be abolished and the organization presiding over the "Huashigang" should be put under the bureau, and the limited resources should be diverted to strengthening the building of the national defense army.

As soon as this incident came out, Hua Shigang's culprit Zhao Ji was blamed, and of course, his impression of Fang Qiong was getting worse and worse, and he was no longer enthusiastic about Fang Qiong's plan to form a new army.

Fang Qiong knew that this must have been caused by Gao Yu and other people who had moved his interests, he was furious, and he was even more disappointed in Zhao Ji's performance!

At this time, bad news came from Fang Qiong's hometown, her father died and her mother was critically ill.

According to the Song system, Fang Qiong could only go home and worry about the system.

Fang Qiong used this as an excuse to ask to go home and worry about it.

In fact, Fang Qiong hoped that Zhao Ji could win the favor and save him from worrying.

But Zhao Ji never mentioned the matter of seizing love.

Fang Qiong could only leave the power center of the Northern Song Dynasty gloomily, return to his hometown, and fall silent for a while.

After Fang Qiong resigned, Wang Hao promoted his close friend Zhang Bangchang to the position of secretary of the military department.

Zhang Bangchang was not at all interested in Fang Qiong's plan to train the new army.

But Zhao Ji's decree has been issued, and Zhang Bangchang, who still has a good relationship with Cai, simply made a favor and let Cai still be responsible for this matter.

……

Mingluangtang.

Zhao Fujin's temporary residence.

Zhao Fujin and Zhao Fujin were looking nervously at an old man who gave Zhao Mijin a pulse.

After a long while, Lao Langzhong stood up, hugged his fist at Zhao Mijin, and said, "Congratulations to the emperor." ”

Zhao Mijin said excitedly: "Bengong is really pregnant?" ”

Lao Langzhong said with a smile: "If Xiao Lao'er is not wrong, Emperor Ji should be more than a month pregnant." ”

Zhao Fujin and Zhao Fujin pinched their fingers at the same time, and the time was right.

Zhao Fujin glanced at Zhao Fujin.

Zhao Fujin immediately understood and asked Xiaozhu to bring five garlic gold.

Seeing this, Lao Langzhong hurriedly said: "Xie Di Ji reward, little old man wishes Di Ji's mother and son safety!" ”

Zhao Fujin checked the garlic gold in his hand and said, "This reward can be given to you, but you can't take it for nothing." ”

The old man was stunned for a moment and said, "I don't know what else the emperor commands?" ”

Zhao Fujin said: "You have to go to the Cao family and report good news to the Cao family." ”

When Zhao Mijin heard this, he wanted to stop Zhao Fujin.

However, before Zhao Mijin could open his mouth, Zhao Fujin stopped Zhao Mijin with his eyes.

How dare Lao Lang ask more about the three emperors, he hurriedly said: "It is an honor for the little old man to be able to run errands for the emperor." ”

Zhao Fujin threw the garlic gold in his hand into Lao Langzhong's hand.

The old man was holding a heavy gold bar, and his old face was full of joy.

At this time, Zhao Fujin's voice sounded again: "Also, you have to remember, if the Cao family asks you how many months my sister is pregnant, you have to say more than two months, understand?" ”

Lao Langzhong has been a person all his life, and he has never seen anything, so he immediately understood that there must be something wrong with the child in Zhao Mijin's belly, and Cao Xiang is most likely happy to be a father.

The old man was a little annoyed in the center: "Why did you ask me to do such a thing again!" But he said unequivocally: "It's been more than two months, and it's just the wrong little old man's number......"

……