"Your Majesty, there are 135,000 people registered in the Tokyo Forbidden Army, and 62,000 people registered in Kaifeng Prefecture. The total number of forbidden troops that Gyeonggi was able to mobilize was about 250,000. It's just that... "Cai Jingzai has been in charge for so many years, and he has a good understanding of these data on the surface, and he also knows the inner things very well.

Zhao Ji heard the sentence "just", and said busily: "Just what?" ”

"Your Majesty, it's just... It's just that there is no money and food, and it is difficult to arrange the candidates for the troops, the government and the opposition know that Zheng Zhi is good at fighting, and now he wants to seek a general to fight with Zheng Zhi, I'm afraid it is... Not available. "Cai Jing is not Cai You after all, after decades of ups and downs, he is the only one who can make a plan and a means in this Great Song Dynasty.

But Cai Jing also had something to hide, that is, the number of soldiers was 250,000, and the actual number was naturally very different.

At this time, the Great Song Dynasty seemed to be peaceful and thriving, and Cai Jing was also trying to maintain this peace and prosperity, meet all the needs of Zhao Ji, say the words that Zhao Ji likes to hear, do everything for Zhao Ji, and try to satisfy Zhao Ji, but also to keep his authority for more than ten years.

But this Great Song Dynasty, after all, is still declining step by step, Zheng Zhi's current actions have made the situation that Cai Jing has maintained for so long collapse in an instant, fighting in the northwest, fighting in Hebei, and now he has to raise troops to fight Zheng Zhi, and the country can no longer afford it.

"Nonsense, why don't you fight, these forbidden troops have food to eat in Tokyo, and if they want to fight, they don't have anything to eat? What is the reasoning behind this? Zhao Ji stared at Cai Jing with his eyes, and only felt that Cai Jing was talking nonsense. Zhao Ji's reason is also simple, these forbidden troops are stationed in Tokyo, they have food to eat, and they will have no money and food as soon as they go out on the expedition, which seems to be really unreasonable.

Cai Jing was stunned when he heard this, and looked up at Zhao Ji slightly, Zhao Ji is not young now, and he is also a person with grandchildren, but he still wants Cai Jing to explain this kind of problem.

"Returning to Your Majesty, it is not that the ministers are talking nonsense, the soldiers have food in the garrison, just because there is a fixed supply in the garrison, and the merchants send grain to the barracks on time, and many fixed merchants send food for ten days and half a month each time. Moreover, the payment can be in arrears, and it can be settled once every month or two, or once a quarter. This would also ensure food supplies. If a large army is going on an expedition, this method is naturally impossible, and only a few months of food can be requisitioned at a time before the war can be started. Merchants do business, but also temporarily purchase grain merchants in various places, and cannot supply so much grain, and secondly, merchants are mercenary, and such a huge amount of grain must not be able to risk credit at one time. So this is where the difficulty of military rations lies. Cai Jing explained slowly.

The reason is clear, but Cai Jing did not say in detail about the matter. The chain of interests in supplying military rations is not so simple, and those who supply military rations are businessmen on the surface, but in fact there are many entanglements of official interests behind them. The food consumption of the Tokyo Forbidden Army was not really all purchased, most of the forbidden troops engaged in production were originally self-sufficient, and many of them were slaves in the homes of officials, and they did not need to be supplied. If there is no food in the treasury, it will be impossible for a large army to go on an expedition.

"Merchants are mercenary, now that the country is in trouble, how can the merchants not help but send a holy decree to go down, all the grain merchants in the city, all the grain will be taken out and handed over to the forbidden army, and the tax will be paid back after the autumn." Zhao Ji seemed to feel that he had come up with a genius-like idea. This country is all Zhao Ji's, and those businessmen are naturally nothing.

But Zhao Ji didn't know that these millions of Tokyo City relied on grain merchants to supply food, and if the food was conscripted into the army at this time, Tokyo City was afraid that it would become a mess. What's more, the grain merchants who can get along in Tokyo are not backed by officials, but the interests of officials behind them, and it is not so much the grain of the merchants as the grain of the scholars.

Cai Jing pondered for a moment when he heard this, frowned and replied: "Your Majesty, you may be able to requisition a lot of food in this way, but it is only the general who leads the troops, and it is difficult to decide. ”

Cai Jing could only admit that the war would inevitably be fought, and if it was not fought, the Great Song Dynasty might be overturned. As for what Tokyo will look like when the city is about to be full of storms, I don't want to think too much about it at this time. Cai Jing said these words in front of Zhao Ji, also to let Zhao Ji come forward and give a solution.

It is obviously impossible for Cai Jing not to know the solutions to the matter in desperation, but Cai Jing can't say these methods, if Cai Jing says it, he will offend the entire Tokyo City. It doesn't matter if Zhao Ji says it, it doesn't matter what Cai Jing does.

Speaking of the question of the general leading the troops, Zhao Ji immediately looked embarrassed, thought for a moment, and suddenly scolded again: "Rebellious ministers and thieves, you can't die well, and the heavens and the earth will be destroyed... ”

Cai Jing heard Zhao Ji scolding, lowered his head and didn't speak, scolding obviously couldn't solve any problems, only waiting for Zhao Ji to finish scolding.

There are millions of people in this Tokyo city, thousands of officials, and more than 200,000 soldiers, but they can't choose one person to fight Zheng Zhi.

Zhao Ji, who was scolding, vented the hatred in his heart, looked up at Cai Jing a few times, and said: "If Tong Guan is in Beijing, he will definitely be able to lead the troops." Now that Tong Guan is not here, Cai Qing can be a heavy responsibility? ”

Zhao Ji's circle of trust is actually not large, several eunuchs, such as Yang Jian and Li Yan. A few people who joked and had fun, Wang Hao, Cai You, Zhu Mian. A few people who do things, such as Cai Jing and Tong Guan.

It is obviously impossible to ask Wang Hao and Zhu Mian to go to war. It is also impossible to call a few eunuchs to fight. Who else could there be?

Cai Jing was shocked when he heard this, and was embarrassed: "Your Majesty, it's not that the minister doesn't dare to die, but the minister is old and less than the military, so I'm afraid it will be embarrassing." The stakes in this battle are very important, and I don't dare to make the slightest mistake, and I still need to select good generals, so that I can not fall behind against Zheng Zhi. ”

Zhao Ji suddenly remembered something, and said: "Cai Qing also knows that this battle is very important, so Cai Qing must supervise with the army, so that he can be as stable as Mount Tai." Aren't there still a few good generals in the Northwest? Quickly transferred to Gyeonggi to go into battle with Cai Qing, as well as tens of thousands of forbidden troops in the northwest, they were also transferred, and they were bound to kill a chaotic minister and thief like Zheng Zhi in a battle. ”

"Your Majesty, the generals in the northwest are still resisting the Tatars, even if they withdraw their troops at this time and return, it will be a few months before they arrive in Gyeonggi, and they can't solve the near fire far from water, and now the battle of Hebei can only rely on the generals of Tokyo. It is natural for the minister to go north with the army, but he is afraid of the generals in the army. . . Cai Jing was still weak-hearted, and suddenly asked him to lead the troops into battle, and he always felt that he had no confidence in his heart.

Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji suddenly stood up and said: "What is the reason for you to look forward and backward like this, hundreds of thousands of troops are going north, Zheng Zhi can have a few generals under him, the Hebei army generals are favored by the emperor, and there are a few who really help the abuse." It is to see that the army of the Son of Heaven is coming, and it must be more of the people who dismounted and surrendered, and you will draw up a text, which is the same as the text of Liao, the reward that should be rewarded, and the seal that should be sealed. Teach Zheng Zhi to see whose family this Great Song Dynasty is. ”

The more Zhao Ji said, the more confident he became. I only feel that I am an emperor who is diligent, benevolent and benevolent, how can I be a Zheng Zhizhi.

Cai Jing nodded stubbornly and said, "The minister obeys the order, and leads the troops to the expedition in half a month." ”

"Half a month? Why is it still half a month, and tomorrow will go on the expedition, and the dog thief Zheng Zhi will be caught off guard. Zhao Ji was obviously dissatisfied with the time of half a month.

Cai Jing looked embarrassed, and said busily: "Your Majesty, gather the soldiers and generals, distribute the treasury ordnance, and mobilize the military food and logistics, all of which will take time, I am afraid that it will be difficult to pull out tomorrow, and after seven days, the minister will definitely lead the troops north." ”

Cai Jing halved the time to send troops, saying that it was seven days. It's just that seven days later, I don't know how many troops this Tokyo can go north. The Tokyo Forbidden Army, which is scattered, has not been mobilized for more than 100 years, and when it is suddenly mobilized, half a month is not enough.

When Zhao Ji heard this, his face soothed a lot, and he said: "Okay, then seven days later, I will personally see you off in the north of the city to boost the morale of the army." In addition, the horse went to the northwest quickly, and he was called to ask for a quick return of troops, cross the Yellow River in the east, and go straight to the land of Hejian Fu. Let Zheng Zhi suffer from the enemy on his back and die well. ”

Cai Jing hurriedly nodded and replied yes, only thinking that Zhao Ji's words were really to the point.

After some arrangements, Zhao Ji, whose hands were trembling just now, suddenly felt a lot more at ease, only to feel that everything had been arranged, and Zheng Zhi was in a catastrophe this time.

Cai Jing came out of the imperial city, got on the frame, and always felt uneasy in his heart before and after thinking about it. Pick up the curtain of the car and the left and right guards and say: "Hurry up and call Qin Hui in the imperial history to the capital." ”

Hearing this, a guard rushed to Qin Hui's mansion.

When Cai Jing returned home, Qin Hui arrived at Cai's mansion in a while. The two talked for a while, and then went out together.

Cai Jing's face was not good, and Qin Hui was even more embarrassed. The two of them got on a carriage and headed straight for the outer city.

The carriage stopped at a newly renovated mansion at the foot of the city wall, and the two of them got off the frame, and one of the guards hurriedly stepped forward.

An old man also greeted him at the door, and asked, "I don't know where the noble man arrived?" ”

Hearing this, the guard said, "Taishi Cai is here in person, are the two of your family brothers?" ”

The old man was stunned when he heard this, glanced at his head, and hurriedly bowed down and said: "Master Cai is here, forgive your sins, please come to the hall later, and the little one will go to report it." ”

If it was an ordinary person, the old man would inevitably let him wait outside the door, but it was this Taishi Cai, where did the old man dare to slack off, and hurriedly went to the door to greet him. I suddenly felt a little happy in my heart, since the farmer arrived in Tokyo City, no local official in Tokyo has ever come to the door, and now Cai Jing is here in person, doesn't it prove that this declining farmer has hope again.

Cai Jing walked inside, Qin Hui looked reluctant, but he had to follow.

The two sat down in the hall in the front yard, and the old man hurriedly went to the inner courtyard. Cai Jing is here, obviously there is nothing else to do, that is, he wants to plant the master and the master to accompany the army to give advice.

After thinking about the war, Cai Jing thought about it, and in this Tokyo city, there are only two brothers from the seed family. Why do you want Qin Hui to come together, obviously you want to use Qin Hui to buy people's hearts.