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Western Xia was determined this time, and they didn't know the reason why Li Fugui suddenly launched an attack on them. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 infoEven if Li Fugui himself is in Western Xia now, they have no intention of inquiring, it doesn't matter anymore.

Some things, once the damage is done, are irreparable.

For the Western Xia, the Song army's attack had already made them angry. After all, they had just declared themselves vassals to the Song Dynasty, proclaimed vassals to the Song Dynasty, and asked for canonization. The Song Dynasty had just agreed to open the market for trade, but a few days later, they suddenly launched an attack.

Although it did not cause any serious losses to Western Xia, it could make Western Xia lose face. In particular, it caused a series of adverse consequences, making the Western Xia offend the two powerful suzerains of the Song Dynasty and the Liao State at the same time, and it was undoubtedly embarrassing to be caught in the middle.

Not only that, but even those small states under the control and influence of Western Xia began to be in turmoil, making the situation in Western Xia very bad. In this form, no matter what the purpose, it was necessary to go to war against the Song Dynasty. On the one hand, it can show the strength of Western Xia and save face, and at the same time, it is also a deterrent and demonstration to neighboring countries.

At the same time, domestic considerations are also important. Empress Dowager Liang finally calmed down the dissatisfaction of the party nobles with Liang Yiburi, and her control of power was not firm. In order to prevent internal regeneration, sending troops to war is undoubtedly the best option.

It conformed to the interests of the party aristocracy, especially the military, and alleviated internal contradictions through foreign wars. While turning everyone's attention to the Song Dynasty, they can also gradually grasp power and expand their influence in the course of the war.

Why not do something that kills two birds with one stone? At the same time, Empress Dowager Liang also tried to vent her dissatisfaction in this way. Save face.

Inexplicable rumors. It puts her in an awkward position. Even her son complained a lot, and Empress Dowager Liang was very helpless.

It is difficult to be a woman, it is even more difficult to be a widowed woman, and it is the most difficult to be a widowed woman who holds great power.

It is not easy for a weak woman to stand firm in Xixia, which is surrounded by tigers and wolves, and it is even more difficult to be able to be as good as a fish in water like now, and Empress Dowager Liang can be regarded as a heroine among women.

This dispatch to the Song Dynasty shows her courage. Empress Dowager Liang's idea is very simple, she wants to take this opportunity to save face. Suppress the Song Dynasty in order to seek greater benefits.

With a guide like Li Fugui in the presence, Western Xia was well aware of the Song army's deployment on the border. Therefore, the targeted attack is very effective. From the very beginning, the Western Xia had the meaning of breaking through, and the initial results were very good. Empress Dowager Liang was also full of confidence......

For hundreds of years, the Tangut people had become accustomed to being naturally aware of the fact that they felt that the Song Dynasty people were afraid of themselves. So as long as it doesn't go too far, the Song Dynasty will definitely settle things.

Is that really the case? Will it really develop as Empress Dowager Liang predicted?

The news reached Bianjing City. Emperor Zhao Ji was furious, and he was angry. It's how things are resolved that counts.

The matter was then brought to court for the opinion of the ministers. During the Great Song Dynasty, the emperor's power was not so great, and he could not decide such a major matter by himself. What's more, Zhao Ji doesn't have that courage, when it comes to war, if he wants to be arbitrary, he needs to consider risks and responsibilities, which emperor dares to joke about his own country? What's more, Zhao Ji is too young, and his shoulders are still a little immature.

Maybe before, his newborn calf was not afraid of tigers, maybe he dared to make some decisions. However, in the case of Lin Zhao, his performance was really bad, and although he cleverly covered up the past in the end, the ministers of the DPRK and China heard some things. When his prestige was damaged, Zhao Ji had to keep a low profile.

It is better to listen to the opinions of the ministers, so that we can better judge the saints.

But sometimes it was troublesome to listen to the opinions of the ministers, and as soon as the matter came out, the ministers immediately divided into two factions.

The main battle faction and the main peace faction, as always.

The meaning of the main battle faction is very clear, the Western Xia was a courtier and subordinate of the Song Dynasty, but now it is openly rebelling and attacking the Song Dynasty on a large scale, which is the following offense and must be severely punished. Otherwise, where should the dignity of the Great Song Dynasty go? The interests of the Great Song Dynasty in the northwest would also suffer as a result.

In a word, troops must be sent to fight back as soon as possible.

The Lords and factions also have arguments, they believe that the reason why the Western Xia sent troops was because Li Fugui was reckless and took the initiative to attack the Western Xia, thus destroying the peace between the Song and Xia. From a moral point of view, the Song Dynasty first canonized the Western Xia, and then sent troops to attack, which was an act of unbelief, and it was completely reasonable for the Western Xia to react in this way.

In a word, the Song Dynasty was the first to lose, and what was more needed in this case was to make peace, not to go to war. In their words, there are already mistakes in the first place, and things are more complicated, and you can't make mistakes again and again and make things more troublesome.

Of course, the Lord and the Pie, as always, have the same view. If it were to be carried out in full force, the damage could be even more severe. Isn't the Western Xia attack just for a face, for money? It's not the first time that they've spent money to avoid disasters, so why take it seriously this time?

The court was immediately divided into two factions, and the confrontation was very obvious.

Coincidentally, most of the people on the main station were old party officials, and these people were known for their integrity. They value their face very much, especially the dignity of the country, which does not tolerate provocation. Once it retreats, it will inevitably make Xixia more arrogant, and the situation will be worse as it advances more and more. They speak righteously, quote scriptures, speak eloquently, and have a very resolute attitude.

Relatively speaking, most of the officials who are in charge of peace are officials of the New Party. In addition to financial considerations, they have some selfish motives in this view.

Once the war will be, the consequences are self-evident, and one thing is most obvious: after the war, the attention of the dynasty will shift to the northwest. Everything in the country needs to serve the war, especially the military money, which is more expensive. You must know that they are now presiding over the reform and reform of the law, and they need to spend money everywhere.

If there is a war, the country's finances will inevitably be tied up by the war, which will naturally affect the implementation of reform and reform. Perhaps some of them are worried about the impact of this on the effectiveness of the reform, and many are worried that their interests in the reform will be lost.

Of course, this also has to do with the scale of the war. Small scale. Spend less money. If the scale is large. It is likely that many of the reforms in the interior will most likely stall.

Therefore, different people are bound to have different opinions on how to decide this matter. As for the motives and reasons, they are definitely not so pure, and before considering the country, the first thing to consider is oneself. This also caters well to some officials who have "summer phobia", so there are really many supporters.

Emperor Zhao Ji was very helpless!

This is where his dilemma lies, and he is ambitious, according to the initial enthusiasm of the head. He really wanted to go to war. But after thinking about it, I can't help but have a lot of concerns, it's okay to win this battle, but what if I lose? This is the largest military operation since his accession to the throne, and if defeated, it must have a very negative impact.

For future military planning, the ministers and soldiers, and even their own confidence are greatly affected. So Zhao Ji had to be cautious, to be honest, he really didn't have the certainty of victory now.

His initial idea was to forbear, and after a few years of continued strength. And then teach Xixia a good lesson. What has high hopes is the change presided over by Wang Anshi, but so far. The effectiveness of the change is really indescribable. However, it was a long process, and Zhao did not lose confidence because of this.

It was precisely for this reason that he didn't want to end the change because of the war, or because of it, there would be any adverse effects. Right now, for him, changing the law is the number one priority.

But Xixia's actions are indeed a little too much, and they don't move? How can you swallow this breath? It is a huge test for his face and prestige.

During the reign of Renzong, he was known for his peace, and many times he adopted an attitude of calming things down. Except for some actions in the northwest during the Qingli period, Fan Zhongyan and Di Qing were relatively peaceful.

Although the world is peaceful, it has been inactive, and it is inevitable that people will criticize it externally. To be honest, Zhao Ji looked down on his grandfather's actions.

He hopes to emulate a promising monarch like Taizu Taizong, or even surpass them. When he met Wang Anshi for the first time, he asked Wang Anshi to evaluate Tang Taizong. It can be seen that Li Shimin is Zhao Ji's idol, how can a king with great ambitions bear such humiliation?

Perhaps, some people say that Tang Taizong also has the shame of Bianqiao, and he can be angry and strong, and he will be ashamed of himself.

But Zhao Ji's situation is different, their father and son are inherited, and they succeeded to the throne as children of the clan. If you can't surpass Emperor Renzong of the previous dynasty, you will be looked down upon, and your status and face will be greatly affected.

Emperor Renzong died less than ten years ago, and Yingzong reigned for four years without accomplishments. Therefore, all the pressure is on Zhao Ji, he has a kind of rush to achieve, so he does not dare to relax in anything.

The matter of Xixia is both a pressure and an opportunity for him. On the one hand, it may be that the change of law will be affected by this, and on the other hand, it is related to one's own authority and dignity, and it is really difficult to weigh it.

As a result, after listening to the minister's opinion for a long time, he was still in a dilemma.

At this moment, Zhao Ji's mind was full of the matter of Western Xia, so he didn't notice that the court was already clearly distinguished, and each word was very obvious. The era of party strife has quietly come and gradually opened, but Zhao Ji didn't notice it at all. Didn't notice what this would bring to the Great Song Dynasty? Therefore, no measures were taken.

Of course, there are some neutral officials. Some people are neutral for the sake of neutrality, and they don't want to get involved in it. Some are detached and do not need to take a clear position at all.

Zhao Ji sighed secretly and looked at the arguing courtiers below. If this dispute continues, when will there be a result?

The officials below insisted on their own words, but several prime ministers and heavyweight courtiers did not speak.

"Zeng Gongliang, what do you think?"

Zeng Gongliang, a college student of Jixian Palace, was the prime minister of the dynasty, and his opinion was undoubtedly very important. Especially after rescuing Lin Zhao, Zeng Xianggong's momentum was better than before, and he gradually came from behind the scenes to the front of the stage, and he was no longer as mediocre and low-key as before, but he meddled in some things.

The civil and military forces of the Manchu Dynasty were obviously aware of Zeng Xianggong's comeback, in the past, he was mostly under the shadow of Wang Anshi, but now he wants to be a veritable prime minister.

In fact, Zeng Gongliang was biased towards Wang Anshi's side at first, and when Han Wei first asked Zhao Ji and Wang Anshi, Wu Kui, the then governor, criticized Wang Anshi. Zeng Gongliang was more objective in his maintenance, and he also supported Wang Anshi a lot in future matters.

Especially after the start of the reform, the new law has no provisions. There are many opponents. Zeng Gongliang often adopts a tacit attitude to show support. So much so that when Lu Xue was on the impeachment of Wang Anshi's ten crimes. It was also mentioned that among the prime ministers, only Zeng Gongliang supported it.

During that time, Zeng Xianggong seemed to be Wang Anshi's partner and supporter. But after a long time, it's a different story.

Zeng Xianggong's mentality and ideas are also slowly changing.

The most direct is the disappointment with the new law, and like Su Zhe and Chen Shengzhi, the understanding and attitude towards the change of the law have changed. It's been three years, what is the effect of the new law? On the contrary, it made the Great Song Dynasty a miasma, and many places were even more chaotic. It's even worse.

As prime minister, Zeng Gongliang has a better understanding of the situation in the country. He doesn't have Wang Anshi's stubbornness, so he looks at things more comprehensively. In particular, Lin Zhao's mention of the disadvantages of the Qingmiao Law in the previous book was even more touched. Lin Zhao was a magistrate at the time, and the specific implementation of the Qingmiao Law was naturally the clearest, and besides, he was Wang Anshi's cronies, and even he felt that something was wrong, which was evident from the facts. From then on, Zeng Gongliang began to waver. Attitudes are beginning to change, is it useful to just dissuade?

Zeng Xianggong could only smile helplessly. If it is useful, will Wen Yanbo and Sima Guang still need to be forced to leave your Bianjing? What's the use of being prime minister? It's just that retreating like Chen Shengzhi is not a way, something must be done, and Zeng Xianggong began to have this idea since the third year of Xining.

In addition, with the implementation of the reforms, Wang Anshi has become more and more powerful, and his influence and power are getting bigger and bigger. As a result, Zeng Gongliang's power and status continued to decline, and the prime minister became in name only. Zeng Gongliang didn't say it, but he was naturally unhappy in his heart. Therefore, some thoughts in my heart are even more firm, but there has never been a suitable opportunity to make a comeback.

Lin Zhao's case is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity, Wang Anshi was implicated and hit by this, Zeng Xianggong's role was not abrupt, just right, logical intervention, and then a logical comeback.

Standing in the court today, Zeng Gongliang has not spoken. Maybe he doesn't know much about military affairs, but he is a veteran in politics and power schemes, and he can see clearly at a glance what the people below are arguing about.

Zeng Xianggong felt that this was another opportunity!

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks that he should send troops to fight back, fight the ambitions of the wolf son of Western Xia, and defend the territory and dignity of my Great Song Dynasty."

Zeng Gongliang's words immediately caused a shock in the court. The Prime Minister's suggestion definitely carries weight.

In Zeng Gongliang's view, the situation in the northwest must be contained, and it is okay to spend money to buy peace, but if there is a bottom line. You can't let Xixia gain an inch like this, you must boost your morale, and then sit down and talk.

Moreover, Zeng Gongliang also wanted to take advantage of this to temporarily ease the change. Maybe both the official family and Wang Anshi should calm down and think carefully after the frenzy has dissipated. Based on the needs of domestic and foreign affairs, it is necessary to send troops to war.

Zhao Ji's expression moved slightly, and he also keenly felt that Zeng Gongliang was different from before. If it had been placed in the past, his words would not have been so direct, without a sense of tactfulness or even ambiguity, which means that there is no room for maneuver. Zeng Xianggong's speech undoubtedly gave the main battle faction the upper hand......

"Wang Anshi, what do you think?" Zhao Ji was a little helpless, and it was also very important what Wang Anshi, the most trusted person was, thought.

The hundred officials also suddenly came to their senses, isn't this a head-to-head confrontation between Zeng Xianggong and Wang Xianggong? The result may directly affect the future situation in the court, so everyone is waiting to see.

"The minister thought that he should send troops to counterattack and give Xixia a heavy blow!" Wang Anshi's answer surprised many people. Including Zhao Ji, there are a little incredible, I thought that Wang Anshi would insist on the main peace, after all, this is good for changing the law, but I didn't expect him to be the main battle?

They all ignored the fact that Wang Xianggong was the leader of the new law, but he was also a bloody and strong-tempered person. More importantly, Wang Xianggong has ideals and ambitions. Regarding the territorial issue of the Song Dynasty, he was not such a simple idea as recovering the sixteen states of Yanyun. Instead, they want to restore the old state of the Han and Tang dynasties, and their ambitions are self-evident.

How can such a person tolerate the border being so ravaged and attacked by an enemy country? Xixia's behavior was undoubtedly a great provocation, and Wang Anshi felt that it was necessary to fight back.

Because in his conception, the Liao State is the biggest enemy. If you want to defeat the Liao State, you must first cut off its right arm, that is, Western Xia. Without the response of Western Xia, the Liao State would not be so terrible. At the same time, without the containment of Western Xia, the Song Dynasty could go all out to fight against Liao.

Although it is not yet the time to start a full-scale war with Western Xia, it is necessary to curb its arrogance, otherwise it will be much more difficult to send troops in the future. Especially this time, the northwest frontier defense is in jeopardy, and if there is any mistake on the fourth road in Shaanxi, the consequences will be absolutely unimaginable.

Especially when Li Fugui is in Western Xia, his existence is a great threat. At the same time, it also deeply stimulated Wang Anshi's heart, it was precisely because of his support that such a situation was caused, and he was responsible for Li Fugui's huge destruction.

The situation has been created, and it must be reversed as much as possible, and it is necessary to send troops. Not to mention the heavy blow to Xixia, it would be nice if Li Fugui could also be brought to justice. To be honest, Wang Anshi really wanted to ask face-to-face, why did his former honest and loyal friend become what he is now?

Zeng Xianggong and Wang Xianggong have the same opinion, and they coincide, and it is self-evident what the minister's reaction is. Zhao Ji smiled helplessly, the answer was already there...... (To be continued.) )