"Alas! Why hasn't it rained yet? If there is no more rain, the summer grain output in the north will be reduced by at least 40%. Wen Yanbo walked out of his duty room, looked up at the bright sun and couldn't help shaking his head, and secretly rejoiced in his heart. Fortunately, the Song and Liao countries are still in a state of war, and fortunately, the Qingyuan Academy publicized that disasters were a natural phenomenon a few years ago, otherwise it would have not rained for so long this year, and he, the prime minister, would have to resign, at least be demoted. But this year, although there are a few people who have written to the emperor and the emperor to be responsible for this spring drought, the voice is not loud and basically does not need to be ignored.

When he came to the famous hall of the Zaizhi Council, he saw that Pang Ji, Liang Shi, Gao Ruone and others had already arrived, so he sat down in the first place and asked Pang Ji first: "Mellow, is there any news from the Liao State?" ”

Pang Ji said: "Not yet. But since the Liao State sent the monk who did not prescribe the law to touch our details, there is a chance that we will not be able to fight anymore and want peace talks. ”

After speaking, Pang Ji picked up a military newspaper from the small table at hand: "I just received the Shaanxi Pegasus Express, and the Xia people asked for victory again with the victory over the Liao army, but the Shaanxi side refused again. ”

Gao Ruone asked: "This is the second time that Xia Ren has invited Xianjie this year, right?" ”

Liang Shi said: "The last time was in March. ”

Gao Ruone snorted: "The ambition of the Xia people and wolves, this is to let me continue to fight between the Great Song Dynasty and the Liao State, so that he can profit from it." ”

Pang Ji said with a smile: "Anyway, the Xia people did this to contain the Liao State. We don't take the Xia people's shoulders. The Liao army was pinned down in Hebei and Hedong, the Xia people in the west were constantly harassed, and there were pirates in the east who plundered the population. The next step is to strike the troops, but it is only a matter of what conditions will be negotiated in the end. ”

Wen Yanbo hurriedly asked: "Liao is also dry?" ”

Liang Shi said: "I just received information from the police department, saying that the pirates plundered the Liao State and obtained the soldiers and people of the Liao State, and I learned that since February, the Yanyun Prefectures under the Liao State have also suffered from a great drought. The reduction of summer grain production has become a foregone conclusion, coupled with the fact that last year, the Liao lord used troops against Western Xia, which cost a lot of money and grain, and this year he used troops again, and there was a spring famine, and the disaster in Yanyun Prefecture this year was not small, and now the people have fled. ”

Wen Yanbo asked Liang Shi: "With this information, it is indeed as clear as ears and eyes." What happened to the Privy Council in the establishment of the Faculty Division? It is possible to find out the intelligence of Liao? ”

Liang Shi was a little embarrassed on his face: "The establishment of officials and deacons has been completed, but those people who are transferred from the Police Department are required to act in accordance with the police department's regulations and cannot be changed, and more importantly, they refuse to make the details of the entry into the Liao State public." These people did not know the general situation of the imperial court's urgent need for information about the Liao State, and they were not allowed to use these detailed works, and there had been several conflicts with the officials on the original Privy Council. The Great Song Dynasty was at war with the Liao State again, and the information could not be communicated, so the Liao State had not yet received information. ”

Wen Yanbo's face turned cold: "Alas! Li Buqi's actions are domineering, and his subordinates naturally follow suit. What do you think of this? ”

Liang Shi said: "The old man thought that he should ask His Majesty for an order and ask the Police Department to hand over all the detailed work to the Staff Division. Their people should still be returned to the Police Division. Otherwise, the Privy Council's decree will not be smooth, and the prestige of the court will be damaged. ”

Wen Yanbo nodded, remembered something again, and said: "Now that Liao has the heart of peace talks, then this pirate should also be restrained and recruited as soon as possible." Otherwise, these pirates are all mercenary, since they can plunder the Liao State, who knows if they will rob the Great Song Dynasty, or even be used by the Liao State? ”

Liang Shi reminded: "Xianggong Wen is right, but now there is a need for money and food everywhere, but where is the money and food to recruit these pirates?" According to the report of the Dengzhou government, these pirates are divided into two kinds, one is real pirates, and the other is the sailors and coastal fishermen of various maritime merchants who come to rest on the shore and wave their flags behind the pirates. According to my humble opinion, it is better to temporarily send officials to restrain him, and when the money and food are abundant, he will do the work of recruiting peace. ”

Wen Yanbo asked: "Then who to send, but there is a fall?" ”

Liang Shi said: "It has been agreed that Qian Chongde, the director of the Guangxi Fang Shouque of the Privy Council, will raise this matter, and control the command of the Tiger Wing Navy to make Duan Fang handle it in the name of organizing and training the Navy to arrest thieves. ”

Wen Yanbo nodded, and then frowned: "The official family sent someone to ask how the matter of Li Buqi saying that the Yellow River will break the mouth is discussed." How do you think you should answer this? This matter has also been discussed for three months, and the official family probably can't wait. ”

As soon as Wen Yanbo mentioned this matter, everyone in the political hall frowned. Everyone knows that the Yellow River is easy to break, and everyone knows it, but if you don't say it, you can pretend not to see it, and wait until something happens. Anyway, whoever becomes the prime minister at that time will be unlucky.

If someone else shouts out that "the Yellow River is going to be diverted," it would be easy to do, and if such an order is given to officials of all sizes to write and say things, there will definitely be support and opposition to it, and it is basically certain that it will not be done.

However, this matter was raised by Li Buqi, and after the emperor issued an order for the court to discuss, the voice of denying Li Buqi was unusually small. It's really Li Buqi that this gold-lettered signboard puts too much pressure on people.

No matter how much people don't like Li Buqi, they have to admit that the gold content of Li Buqi's words is very high. Don't you see that there is a lot of traffic outside Li's house every day, and the people who ask to see are lined up in a long line, which is longer than the queue outside the Prime Minister's Mansion, and there are all three sects and nine streams who want to see, just to get Li Bu to give up a word of guidance. And everyone knows that Li Buqi is a person who does not hesitate to admit that he does not know if he does not know. Just rush this, who dares to take Li Buqi's warning as the wind in their ears?

If you accept Li Buqi's prediction, that is, the Yellow River has not been diverted within 20 years, you can also make a "cautious" comment, but if you do not agree with Li Buqi's words, and the Yellow River is really diverted again, it will be fatal, and it will definitely be a huge stain. Who would dare to take such a political risk?

But Gao Ruone still shook his head and said: "This matter is all based on Li Bu's words, and there is no evidence." But how can people believe? ”

Pang Ji glanced at Gao Ruone and said, "But Li Buqi has always been targeted." What he said was basically fulfilled. ”

Hearing Pang Ji say this, everyone was silent.

After careful calculation, even a person like Gao Ruune, who was extremely reluctant to give up Li Buqi in his heart, finally had to relent, choosing to believe Li Buqi's prophecy. In this way, Li Buqi's request to set up a pastoral supervisor in the lower reaches of the Yellow River would naturally be approved. But there is a serious problem in front of these people.

Pang Ji said: "Since more than ten prefectures and counties in the lower reaches of the Yellow River are in danger, they are no longer suitable for the people to live. But how will tens of thousands of people be resettled? Do they all have to be recruited as an army? ”

Wen Yanbo immediately shook his head: "How can there be so much money and food to recruit tens of thousands of troops now?" Moreover, this year's spring drought has already passed, and I don't know what the autumn will be, and it may be necessary to recruit troops from other affected places. No more taxes can be raised, otherwise something will inevitably happen. It is also difficult for Li Buqi to emigrate, and there is still no money and food. ”

Gao Ruone nodded again and again: "Yes, this year is another big war and another drought, and the imperial court is really unable to settle these people." ”

Wen Yanbo smiled slightly: "Since Li Zhongzheng proposed the method of immigration, and he is good at making money, it is better to see what he has in mind." If he can do this well, he can also be imitated by future generations. ”

Immigrant? How easy is it to say? This is a big pit, and if it is not done well, it will provoke a popular uprising. If Li Buqi admits that he has a way, Wen Yanbo doesn't mind pushing Li Buqi into this pit.