Zhao Qi was sober-minded, could see clearly, asked directly, and obviously came prepared. Although there is a word in the first place, saying "regardless of the monarch and the minister", the imperial power and ambition have become a habit that goes deep into the bone marrow. Zhao Qi was also convinced of the principle of exchange of interests, and he knew very well that the high-ranking officials and dignitaries that others were flocking to were no longer attractive to Yang Zhi. What kind of price will Yang Zhi offer? Can he afford it? This is all a problem that Zhao Qi is very worried about and has been deeply disturbed by.

Yang Zhi was not in a hurry to answer his inquiry about the destruction of Chu, but retorted: "Why do you think that it makes no sense for me to be crowned a king and a marquis? At the very least, it reflects your recognition and respect for my ability and merit. You are a prince and have unlimited scenery, even if you eat and wait for death, you can ensure at least two generations of food and clothing. Whether to seal it or not is a matter of your attitude, and whether you accept it or not is my business. ”

Zhao Qi admitted calmly: "That's the same." If you're willing to be a carefree prince who eats and waits for death, that's a good thing for me. ”

He was not a person who would be easily led by others, so he returned to the previous topic and asked again: "If I let you be the commander of the extermination of Chu, how long will it take?" How many troops? How much does it cost? How can you be sure of success? If so, what are the conditions? Brother-in-law, you haven't answered me yet! ”

Yang Zhi replied seriously: "Southern Chu is not a small country with one city and one place, but a behemoth whose national strength is not inferior to that of Great Xia. It will take about two to three years to capture Changsha, the capital of Chu. If you want to take refuge in the whole territory, it will take more than ten years, to say the least. ”

"As for the number of troops, it needs more than 50,000 sailors and more than 250,000 infantry and cavalry, and the total cannot be less than 300,000. The consumption of grain, straw and silver is about 8 million taels to 12 million taels a year, depending on the progress of the war. ”

"There are no absolutes. All I can say is doing my best. There is no guarantee of success. I believe that whoever is the commander of the extermination of Chu will not and will not dare to play this package ticket. ”

Yang Zhi's answer was clear and concise.

The actual commander of the Great Xia and Turkic wars was Zhao Qi himself, and he made great progress in military affairs, so he was not overly surprised: "As long as the Chu capital Changsha is captured, it can be announced that Southern Chu has been destroyed." After that, it is just a matter of chasing and fighting. They are not allowed to play any remaining tricks of moving the capital, and they are not allowed to give them any respite. ”

"The troop requirements are also reasonable. I remember that when my father launched the war to destroy the Tang Dynasty, he used more than this number of land and water armies. It's just that why is it so huge? I have checked the archives of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Households, and the battle to destroy the Tang Dynasty lasted about a year, and the cost of food and salary was only six million taels? ”

Yang Zhi explained: "If you include the pre-war preparations and post-war rewards, it must be not far from 10 million taels. Needless to say, you also know that there is almost no comparison between Nanchu and Nantang. If you have to compare, because this battle is related to the national fortunes of Great Xia. It is about the survival of Nanchu, the front is longer, the scale is larger, and it will be more tragic. I can't guarantee that there will be no deaths, but I must try my best to fight for fewer deaths, and at least two million taels will be squeezed out every year to purchase artillery, heavy crossbows, bows and arrows, ladders and other ordnance, and the budget I said is still conservative. ”

Yang Zhi said very truthfully, and Zhao Qi also knew that every time there was a big war. is not only fighting for money and food, but also the lives of countless people. sighed: "One will be a success!" ”

Silent for a moment. He continued to ask, "What about your conditions?" ”

Zhao Qi was so persevering, Yang Zhi replied tentatively: "First, my first time commanding the army, I am just a newcomer to Xiangyang generals. It's not that I can't control the table, but I don't want to spend too much time and energy on them for no reason. It is said that there are three gangs of one hero. I will choose some of my right men to go with me. ”

"Wei Feiyang bravely crowned the three armies, and over the years, he has achieved a little success in martial arts and military cultivation, and he has the talent to be a commander, and he can be responsible in all aspects. Shen Zhong is honest and reliable, but he has some sends. It will be completed without compromise and in three inches. Liu Dang, a partial general of the forbidden army, was born in a merchant family, was good at planning and planning, and was responsible for the coordination of various departments, food and salary scheduling, and logistics coordination, which was competent. Zhang Desheng, a partial general of the forbidden army, grew up by the Yellow River since he was a child, and he is familiar with water nature, and he can adjust the water division as a general. Chen Zhun, the general of the forbidden army, was not only good at field warfare, but also had a lot of research in the application of ordnance, and he could use it to break through the city. In addition, the 60,000 horses of Ye Chuang's headquarters, plus the 10,000 Huainan Army and 20,000 Jinling Army reinforced later, must be controlled by me. ”

In Zhao Qi's view, Yang Zhi's request is not a requirement at all, it is simply avoiding the important and trivial, and answering the wrong question. However, the words were not clear, and he smiled and said: "Brother-in-law is really virtuous and does not avoid relatives!" Wei Feiyang has eight friendships with you, Shen Chong has a relationship with your uncle, Liu Dang, Zhang Desheng, and Chen Zhun are all selected and promoted by a lieutenant when you were driving back then, and Ye Chuang and you cherish each other very much. Even so, I promise you! ”

"Along with the troops and consumption, I also agreed. It's just that the big war has just been experienced, and both sides are a little tight, so you have to give me a little more time. ――What else? I'm talking about after you've done it. ”

Yang Zhi said calmly: "Don't be busy talking about the success." My second condition is that because my husband is old and homesick, he wants to move his family back to his hometown in Xinyang. Let me tell you the truth, instead of helping the old man return to his hometown and return to his burial after a hundred years, it is better to go back and live a good life for a few years when he is alive. At the beginning, we moved to Chang'an in a dignified manner, and we also wanted to go back to our hometown. ”

The family moved back to their hometown in Xinyang?! Joke! Don't even think about it! Zhao Qi was in a hurry, and subconsciously refused: "No! …… Absolutely not! ”

Yang Zhixiao asked, "You can't think about it anymore?" ”

Zhao Qi noticed Yang Zhi's wording, and asked with a smile: "Are you asking me to think about it?" Instead of negotiating? Are you sure it's a requirement? Instead of a request? ”

Zhao Qi's difficulty in agreeing was expected, but the reaction was unexpected by Yang Zhi, and said patiently: "You can send a favor decently, and we can go with peace of mind." ”

Although the words are tactful, they clearly indicate that they are not negotiable.

Zhao Qiqiang pressed the anger in his heart, and tried to persuade: "It is human nature to return to the hometown and return to the roots. It is an unwritten rule that the high-ranking officials of Great Xia will be appointed abroad, and their families will stay in Chang'an. If I set an example for my brother-in-law, how will I explain it to the civil and military officials in the future? ”

Yang Zhi insisted: "Returning to the hometown is still secondary, and returning to the roots of fallen leaves is the wish of my old man." The so-called high-ranking officials are appointed abroad, and their families stay in Beijing. It's nothing more than a hostage. If one person is convicted, it is undoubtedly more convenient to pursue the strain. If you really meet a ruthless and hard-hearted master, it is also blind, and it is not without suspicion of self-deception. Since the rules are all set by people, and since they are unwritten regulations, there is no legal basis for saying that they are justified. Allowed or not, there is still a between. ”

"Besides, the civil and military officials of the Manchu Dynasty had different morals, rich and poor, and not everyone had the ability to bring their dependents to buy a house in Beijing and settle down. As far as I know, as many as 60 percent of those who are officials in the DPRK and whose family members remain in their hometowns. Don't talk about others, let's just say that Li Wei, the cavalry general who died in this battle, is not low in terms of martial arts rank from the third grade, right? Does he have a mansion in Chang'an? Do you have any family members? ”

"If you don't feel at ease, say you don't worry, don't talk about any precedents. I can't explain anything to the civil and military officials. ”

"You?!" Yang Zhi's remarks made Zhao Qi speechless for a while, and simply said bluntly: "You are already famous in the world, you are in charge of the Great Xia Customs in the court, and you are in the same position as the princes in the wilderness, and now you will hand over most of the troops of Great Xia to you, if it is you, will you rest assured?" ”

Yang Zhi said leisurely: "What's not to worry about? It has been four generations since the founding of Great Xia. The country is strong and has won the hearts of the people. The foundation is getting stronger. Don't say that I have never had the idea of being self-reliant, even if I have, how can I succeed? Why are you so unconfident in Great Xia and yourself? ”

"Let me destroy the commander of Chu, so far it is only a hypothesis, and it has not yet become a fact. The final decision is you, not me. That's why I want to move my family back to Xinyang. Not an inevitable prerequisite. Why are you so nervous? ”

"Whether you use me to lead the army to destroy Chu or not, I don't want to be the Governor of Great Xia Customs for a long time. It started from scratch at the beginning, but now the structure is perfect, the officials are effective, and the operation is mature. Tax revenue is stable. By the end of last year, more than 60 million taels of silver had been handed over to the state treasury. To put it bluntly, I think I am worthy of my mission, worthy of Great Xia, worthy of the first emperor. I am very relieved to leave my post and hand it over to the imperial court, and it also saves you from being greedy from the sidelines and always thinking about yourself. ”

"My father, wife and children moved back to Xinyang, just to meet the old man's wish and fulfill his filial piety. Other than that, it's not much different from staying in Chang'an. The distance from Xinyang to Xiangyang is more than 500 miles, and the army marches south along Suizhou all the way, which will only be farther apart. Even if there is an eventuality, do you think that my family of women and children of all ages has the ability to fly? When the time comes, you will inevitably have my whole family stared at, do you think that the magistrate and the local garrison are blind? ”

Zhao Qideng felt a big headache, and waved his hand again and again: "That's it, that's it!" I'll admit I can't talk about you! …… If you say that the sky is broken, what if I just don't agree? ”

Yang Zhi sank his face and said coldly: "Then you are a scoundrel who bullies others." The reason why I go to such great lengths is to show you the greatest respect. I hope you don't let me waste my respect for you out of a momentary whim! If I insist on leaving, will you be able to stop me? Of course, you can completely transfer troops to besiege the mansion, or even secretly instruct the troops to slaughter the mansion, which is exactly what many people think about and hope for day and night. ”

"Once we get to that point, it's a decisive turnaround, and it's superfluous to say anything between you and me. You can slaughter my family, but looking at Great Xia, there are really not many people who can put me to death. You and all your concubines and children, plus the royal family surnamed Zhao, will always be in the shadow of my revenge and assassination, until all that is left is dead. I will devote my life to being the enemy of the Great Xia Dynasty, and I dare not guarantee whether I can overthrow the Great Xia, but I am still very sure that I will turn the Great Xia upside down and set it back by one or two decades. ”

Zhao Qi is familiar with Yang Zhi's temperament and ability, and this guy has always been able to do what he says, and he is not just scaring him. But he really couldn't do anything about him, so he said in a bold manner: "You...... Hello Born Bold! How dare you threaten me?! ”

But it's a big thing, are you concerned? Yang Zhi had no intention of backing down at all, and smiled contemptuously: "If the emperor doesn't remind you, Weichen will almost forget that you are me." A monarch is a monarch, even under the guise of treating him like a close friend, he can't change his brother-in-law's screaming. ”

Clasped the teacup with one hand and said: "The emperor wants to turn his face, but Weichen was forced to be helpless, so he had to reluctantly accompany him." Dare to ask the emperor, who is threatening whom? It's a big deal for Weichen to lose and start all over again, but the emperor asked himself if he could afford to lose? The short is three or five days, and the long is ten days and a half months, and the micro-minister will resign from the post of customs governor, and then take the old father, wife and children back to their hometown. If anyone dares to stop it, Wechen will definitely regard him as a mortal enemy! ”

As long as Zhao Qi still relies on the identity of the emperor to speak disrespectfully, Yang Zhi will not hesitate to serve tea to the guests. That means that Zhao Qi's hard work today has all been in vain.

Yang Zhi is not a madman, he used to be used to you, that is to give you face. When you were alive, if you wanted to throw your face in front of me, you had to weigh it in advance, I gave you face, right? Poor Geng Jin's father and son are heroes. In front of the old and new generations of emperors, they are obedient and obedient like pugs, when have you been at ease? Did you let Geng Chao go again? If you bluff twice, I'll pretend to be a grandson, really be addicted to being cheap or what?

There was no turning back from the bow. At this point, Yang Zhi didn't plan to give Zhao Qi too much time. At the end of the teacup, it is announced that the two have broken up. This is a huge test for Zhao Qixin's forbearance and quick wit.

Zhao Qi stared at Yang Zhi for a moment, and said with a smile: "It's me who lost my word, brother-in-law, don't blame me." It was good, but the more I talked about it, the more I talked, the more twisted it became! We have something to say. Does my brother-in-law have any other conditions? ”

Yang Zhi couldn't help but sigh secretly: You have such excellent acting skills at a young age, if you survive to your Lao Tzu's age in the future, won't the civil and military ministers of the Manchu Dynasty let you be like a child?

There is no such thing as the thickest skin, only thicker.

Yang Zhi's cold face turned clear in an instant, and he said with a smile: "I was also careless, and I made a little joke with you." What were we talking about? Let's not talk too far away just yet! ”

Play Tai Chi with me? You think I'm stupid? I talked about it for a long time with a dry mouth, and I almost didn't turn my face and talk about it. Do you think I'm a fart?

Zhao Qi hated it in his heart, and he clearly stated that he was willing to hand over the Yamen, the governor of customs. It's a quid pro quo. Said helplessly: "As my brother-in-law said, whether I agree or not, you have already decided." Yes! I promised! ――What about the next condition? Don't forget, you said you would never be king! ”

Yang Zhi said impatiently: "Why did you go back again?" Didn't I already say that it's your business to seal it or not, and it's my business to accept it or not? If I succeed. If you don't show anything at all, or if you don't show it properly, you're slapping yourself in the face! My third condition is very simple, after I have succeeded, I will resign from all official positions. Just nod your head and let me go. ”

Zhao Qideng was ecstatic: "Really?!" Brother-in-law, you're not going to play with me, are you? ”

"Is that something that can be played with? It's true. ”

Zhao Qi was still skeptical, and said with a smile on his face: "You said it earlier!" If you say these three conditions backwards, why is this so? ”

Yang Zhi asked rhetorically: "I said that this is still the case, if you say it upside down, will you believe it?" ”

Zhao Qi thought for a while, and said, "Brother-in-law, to be honest, even if we talked about this, I still don't dare to fully believe you." You help me achieve a thousand years of success and ask for nothing, how can you make me believe you? If what you say today is indeed from the bottom of your heart, why do you need to recommend yourself to take command and destroy Chu? After returning to Beijing to pay tribute to Geng Chao and Li Wei, he resigned and returned to his hometown with his family, I think I would agree. ”

"Not necessarily." Yang Zhi shook his head and said, "My ability and power have always been deeply feared by your father and son. If I do that, the first thing that comes to your mind is what my motives are. The customs are always under the rule of Great Xia, and it is only a matter of time before they are returned to the imperial court, so you have confidence. The islands off the coast of Shandong were originally not under the actual control of Great Xia, and they were won by me with my life, but I still handed over the household registration atlas to show my refuge. In the future, Yizhou will follow suit. The unification of the Chinese dynasty is a great righteousness, and I will never go against the tide and stand on my own. ”

"It's because you won't believe it that I want to build a miracle for Great Xia. I became famous for the bloody battle in the desert, because I defeated the former prince's counterplot and opened the customs and reported the favor of the first emperor, because I was based on the island to protect myself, and because I unified the army to destroy Chu. Someday, I'll be old and I'll die, but I don't want to spend my whole life fighting, killing, and calculating. And don't you think it's both ridiculous and pathetic to put the fate of yourself and your family in the hands of others, and to pin your hopes on the emperor's generosity and benevolence? ”

"With a great reputation, with so many merits, do you still dare to touch me? Do others dare to mess with me? I just want to live the life I want to live, I just want to do what I want to do, I just want to live a few quiet days. I'm ashamed to say that since my family moved to Chang'an, since I got married and had children, I have really been with my father, wife and children for a few days? The wife and children are hot on the kang, there are fish, meat, wine and wine, this is the most ordinary life of ordinary people. If I talk about fame and wealth, I am close to my peak, but have I lived such a life? No! No! ”

Zhao Qi was silent for a long time and asked, "What do you want to do in the future after my brother-in-law resigns from all officials?" ”

Yang Zhi sighed: "In my lifetime, if it weren't for your hard work, I would never have occupied an inch of land in the Chinese Dynasty." I am determined to be overseas, and after I resign from my official position and abandon my lordship, I will set sail and travel to sea. When he is tired and tired, he will return to his hometown to live in peace and serve the countryside. Then he opened a college to teach and educate people. When the time comes, you will be your emperor, and I will be my people, and each has nothing to do with it. ”

Zhao Qichang sighed: "My father once taught me that if you want to be a good emperor, it is a first-class drudgery in the world. I hope my brother-in-law will remember today's words and keep his promise! ”

Yang Zhi smiled bitterly: "There are countless heroes who have broken their heads one after another for the drudgery in your mouth, and even risked their lives!" People get along with each other, sincerity and trust are always mutual, and I hope you can keep it in mind! (To be continued.) )