It's night.

Su Zhe hosted a banquet for Zhang Ji at his temporary residence. The relationship between them is good, Zhang Ji was able to monopolize power in the northwest for nearly five years, it is absolutely impossible without the support of the court, and Su Zhe is undoubtedly one of the most important ministers in the Great Song Dynasty during the Yuanyou period.

In addition, Su Shi is also a lively person, and often takes his younger brother to various parties, and naturally becomes a friend after coming and going.

It's just that the Zhang brothers have a bad relationship with Su Shi, but their relationship with Su Zhe is a little colder. Even if he is a little colder, compared to Lu Huiqing, Su Zhe is undoubtedly a person who can tell the truth, but Lu Huiqing is not.

"Brother Qianfu, why did you stagger the topic several times in the mansion? Is there something wrong? Su Zhe was a cautious person, and found that Zhang Qi had exchanged words with the inconsequential Li Kui several times, and it seemed that he didn't mean to talk about military strategy at all. This made him very strange, and at the same time reminded him in his heart.

I was worried that Zhang Ji had other thoughts.

But Zhang Ji shook his head and said, "No, Ziyou." Will you support the war? The national war between the Great Song and Western Xia? ”

Zhang Qi's tone became heavier and heavier each time, which made Su Zhe silent, frowning slightly and pondering for a moment before slowly saying, "I support." ”

"Ha ......"

Zhang Qi snorted, and then coughed one after another, obviously choking on wine. After finally calming down, he stared at Su Zhe like a monster.

Su Zhe sneered uncomfortably: "Brother Qianfu, is it possible that the younger brother is wrong?" ”

"Before the Empress Dowager Xuanren was in power, Brother Lu and Brother Fan were quite responsible people, and the Western Xia repeatedly attacked and harassed my Great Song border, which is unbearable, and it is not surprising that you agree to use troops against the Western Xia. But now, you also know that my clan disciple is thick, stubborn, and arrogant. Too upright and less soft, the Great Song Dynasty was already ready to use troops against Western Xia, and had to be sent. According to what your brother understands about you, you should persuade Your Majesty to be cautious in using soldiers, why you? ”

Speaking of this, Zhang Ji shook his head at Su Zhe puzzled, it seemed incredible.

Su Zhe's face was a little unbearable, and he said in his heart: I used to be conservative, and that was because I couldn't see the hope of victory in Western Xia. This sentiment is shared in the hearts of many ministers. It's not that you can't win the Western Xia, but you can't solve the Western Xia once and for all. These are two concepts, which cannot be solved once and for all in the Western Xia, and if the Great Song Dynasty is dragged by the Western Xia, the annual increase in military spending will be tens of millions.

This is already a heavy burden for Da Song.

Why did Da Song change the law, it was not that the money was gone, so he had to change the law.

There is a saying that if you are poor, you will think about change, Da Song is like a son from a rich family, he used to be very rich, and it doesn't matter if he blooms. Suddenly, one day, there was not enough money. The Great Song Dynasty, which was accustomed to being lavish, was naturally in a dilemma. The interests of some people can only be sacrificed in exchange for the safety of the dynasty.

But if the sacrifice is worth it, the officials of the Great Song Dynasty, at least in the Shenzong period, still have responsibilities, and they will definitely not go against the court because of personal losses.

But what if there is no hope?

The shattering of Shenzong's attack on Western Xia was the last fuse for this desperate mood to get out of control. And Renzong also had to give up changing the law and finally seek stability. Su Zhe was also one of them, and it was difficult for him to convince himself that the Great Song Dynasty could destroy the possibility of Western Xia, so as to solve the problem of the northwest border once and for all.

But what if Western Xia is a soft persimmon?

There is no need for the emperor to persuade him at all, Su Zhe and others can also roll up their sleeves and do a big job. Now, after experiencing a big victory in the side plug, Su Zhe was in high spirits, and he finally found that the Western Xia was nothing more than that, and the idea that the Great Song Dynasty was likely to destroy the Western Xia within a few years was out of control.

Of course, it is impossible for Su Zhe to admit that he used to be a little cowardly!

Su Zhe said in a deep voice: "The bitter party in the northwest is suffering from different races, and the people are in danger, such a tragic situation, let me wait for the important ministers of the court, how can I bear to witness it." ”

"Load, keep loading." Although Zhang Qi said that he was friends with Su Zhe, he didn't believe that Su Zhe was the kind of person who would be so flexible.

Unexpectedly, Su Zhe said with a shy face: "The younger brother is ordered by His Majesty and appointed in danger, and he is sincerely afraid." One is the suffering of the people, like the pain of cutting flesh; and what the king desires, let him not be deceived. And now, the younger brother has just come to the northwest, but he has received this great achievement, if he doesn't do something for the people of the northwest, won't he be a son of man? ”

These words came from the mouths of important ministers of the imperial court, which is normal.

Su Zhe's words are nothing more than expounding a fact to Zhang Ji that cannot be ignored - he is also a person with military merits!

In other words, Zhang Ji smiled when he heard it, but Su Zhe was a little incomprehensible.

Zhang Qi was silent, he had a wonderful sense of familiarity, a bit like being with Su Shi.

Su Shi is the kind of minion who participates in a big event, obviously waving the flag and shouting, but there is a kind of magic like the aura of the protagonist descending on his head. Most of the time, of course, he is self-appointed. The reason is very simple, Su Shi is a person who is not willing to be lonely, and at the same time he is a talented person.

But Su Zhe, aren't you such a person?

Zhang Ji asked cautiously: "Ziyou, you won't have other plans, right?" ”

"Brother hostage, the younger brother has something to ask. Ten years to destroy Western Xia, is it feasible? After Su Zhe asked, he pursed his lips and looked at Zhang Qi, obviously he was also very nervous in his heart. Seeing that Zhang Qi didn't speak, he couldn't help but explain: "Brother Qianfu, there are good laws and evil laws to change the law. If the Great Song Dynasty could destroy the Western Xia within ten years, at least 30 million yuan of wealth would be used to open up the flow every year. Even if the court is turbulent, it can be safely passed. ”

"But if Xixia is like a bone appendage and doesn't go away, it will be really difficult for me."

Only then did Zhang Qi understand that Su Zhe was inflated on the one hand, and after a big victory, he had the illusion that Xixia was just like that. The second is the fear of turmoil in the court.

Since Emperor Renzong reused Fan Zhongyan, in the following 50 years, the court changed the law and the conservatives came and went, resulting in a miasma in the court, and the situation was mostly turbulent. If this goes on for a long time, the situation in Da Song will be very bad.

Just like a common problem of dynasties from prosperity to decline, the apparent prosperity of the Great Song Dynasty covered up huge shortcomings in military, strategy, and even system.

However, it is very difficult to change this defect.

"The strategy of destroying Western Xia, in fact, my brother shouldn't have come to ask me. Instead, you should ask Li Kui. When Zhang Qi went to the government before, he heard Li Kui's talk. He believed that Li Kui was also an official who advocated the destruction of Western Xia.

It's just this guy's official position...... It's a bit scary.

Seven products, from seven products, and then from nine products, and now I don't know how many products, the key is how much credit he can share after this big victory, and whether he can be sent to participate in the destruction of Western Xia.

If Li Kui can't be reused in officialdom in a short period of time, Zhang Ji doesn't mind letting Li Kui join the army as his own secretary and temporarily serving Li Kui as his think tank.

Su Zhe was slightly stunned and exclaimed, "He? ”

"Too young, huh?"

"Ambition is not old."

Su Zhe understood, and then said to his son: "Xun'er, go and invite Renjie to come to the house." ”

Su Xun hurriedly got up and left the house, and on the way here, Li Kui was quite unhappy. He's trying a case? Of course, his official is in Yangquan County, not Fushi City, and he is actually not a serious trial, but an interrogation of spies.

Don't look at the Western Xia as the world of the party members, but there are many people who can speak the official dialect of the Great Song Dynasty, and there are many Han people who have become the common people under the governance of the Western Xia due to historical reasons, and they can ask a lot of things that are interested in Li Kui.

For example, the gossip of Western Xia, the anecdote of Empress Dowager Liang's jealousy, and so on.

Of course, there are also the geography, terroir, and products of Western Xia that Li Kui wants to know.

"I said I just found someone interesting, and you were anxious to find me."

Su Xun said disgustedly: "Renjie, you are good at everything, but some fun is too boring." Although the Empress Liang of Western Xia is a foreign race, she is also the mother of a country, how can she be defiled? ”

"Di Yi has a king, it is not as good as the death of Zhuxia. I didn't treat them as human beings. ”

"Hey, Renjie, I'm not talking about you, the captives of Western Xia, the captives who can speak my official language, except for the betrayals, the others are all the sons of the powerful people of Western Xia, and they may be able to get an official and a half position when they go to Tokyo. If you humiliate them today and become an official in the same dynasty tomorrow, as long as you have some gossip, it is enough for you to eat a pot of truth. ”

Su Xun has dealt with Li Kui a lot, and knows that Li Kui has a strange personality and always likes to listen to some gossip.

To say that it sounds good is to be curious, and to say that it is difficult to hear is to tell the truth and wrong.

If this reputation spreads, his friends will immediately lose half.

Suddenly, Li Kui approached Su Xun and asked in a low voice, "Uncle Shi, what do you call uncle?" ”

"Uncle?"

"Zhang Gong."

Su Xun's face immediately turned red, and he gritted his teeth at Li Kui and said, "Get out." ”

After speaking, he covered his mouth a little nervously, he is not the kind of person who casually says foul words, but with Li Kui in everything, he can't help but naturally reveal his true feelings. Speaking of Su Xun and Zhang Qi are still relatives, Su Xun's father-in-law is called Huang Yu, Huang Yu's maternal uncle is Zhang Dian, and then Zhang Qi and Zhang Qi are brothers. Counting it, Su Xun should be called Uncle Zhang Qi's grandfather.

Then Li Kui was very shameless and called Uncle Zhang Qi, he also called it indiscriminately, and when he saw Fan Chunren, he also called Uncle Zhang. Anyway, if you count the seniority, he doesn't know what it looks like.

Inadvertently, Su Xun had a kind of heart plug that was taken advantage of by Li Kui.

When he was about to enter the mansion, he still kindly reminded: "Renjie, Zhang Gong is a free and unrestrained person, uninformal, but not rude." ”

"I know."

Li Kui entered the mansion with a haha, Su Zhe's temporary residence was definitely not as good as his mansion in the capital. However, there were many mansions in the official mansions of the Great Song Dynasty, and some of them were leased for the tenure of the officials. The place left for Su Zhe to live is not luxurious in the capital, but in Fushi City, it is also a rare large compound in the city.

Li Kui walked through the front hall, entered the front hall, bowed and saluted, and sat down.

Then eat it yourself.

I have to say that Su Zhe is the deputy prime minister! It's so good, and I take a cook with me when I go out, and I make mutton.

Su Zhe saw that Li Kui was not an outsider, and he was so angry in his heart! I couldn't help it, so I coughed and said, "Renjie, I asked you to come today because I asked you something." ”

"Uncle Shi, please give me!"

Li Kui's minimum politeness is still there.

Su Zhe bowed his head, and then began to ask: "Li Kui, when Lu Gong was also in the palace before, you said that the first line of Hengshan Tiandu was the lifeblood of Western Xia, whether you only need to seize these strategic places. Can Western Xia easily take it? ”

Zhang Qi shook his head when he heard this, Su Zhe still thought simply. Although the first line of Hengshan Tiandu is important, because this is one of the few grain-producing areas in Western Xia. Controlling this area can only make the grain and grass that is not rich in Western Xia even more tense. As a result, there was no supply of grain and grass for the soldiers of the Great Song Dynasty. That's all.

In other words, after the Great Song Dynasty controlled the Hengshan Tiandu line, the strategies of Western Xia and the Great Song Dynasty completely changed.

The Western Xia would lose the supply of materials for the offensive, while the Great Song held the strategic initiative. That's all, it's still far from the destruction of Western Xia.

After all, no matter how poor the Western Xia was, the population was also three million. The Western Xia was no longer a traditional steppe people, but had become a semi-agrarian and semi-herding economy. It is a bit like the Qin State during the Qin Xiangong period, and the Qin State at that time was not a pure farming nation, but a semi-nomadic, semi-agricultural nation. After all, the first generation of monarchs of the Qin State was made a prince by the King of Zhou because of his good horse breeding. If you don't know how to herd, how can you raise horses?

In fact, such a people is far less easy to deal with than pure nomads.

Because the advantage of the agrarian people was the use of technical tools, the Western Xia also embarked on this road. But at the same time, the semi-nomads made them warlike and martial.

So much so that the Western Xia inadvertently embarked on the road of self-sufficiency. From weapons to irrigation systems, the Tanguts could do it, but it was too rough compared to the Great Song Dynasty.

Coupled with the martial and belligerent character, there is really little hope for the Tanguts to surrender. Unless the Great Song Dynasty was as powerful as the Sui and Tang dynasties at its peak, the Western Xia could be threatened with extermination anytime and anywhere. will be completely subjugated under the Central Plains civilization.

Zhang Qi understands, and Li Kui also understands. After all, the Western Xia, with a population of 3 million, had conscripted more than 500,000 troops in two national wars, one against the Great Song Dynasty and the other against the Liao State, both of which allowed the Western Xia to win.

This shows that although the Western Xia is poor and poor, it is very difficult to mess with.

Li Kui shook his head and said, "Capturing the Hengshan Tiandu line has no meaning to the Great Song Dynasty. ”

"No point?" Zhang Qi exclaimed: "Didn't you say before that the line between Tiandu and Hengshan is the weakness of the Western Xia people? Why is it meaningless to say that you haven't seized this land? ”

Zhang Qi was disappointed and nervous at the same time. disappointed, Li Kui was not as amazing as he imagined, knowing that the answer was in front of him, but he turned a blind eye; The reason for the nervousness is that I am afraid that Li Kui is a boastful person.

Li Kui put down the mutton in his hand, wiped his hands, and swallowed the meat in his mouth, and then said: "The line of Hengshan Tiandu can directly threaten the eastern part of the Hetao Plain, which is the main grain producing area of Western Xia, and half of the grain of Western Xia comes from here. The Tangut people were inevitably reluctant to give up this land, and once they lost this land, for the Tangut, they would have to seek expansion into the West in order to gain space for survival. ”

"This anointed land carries the expectations of the party, a national achievement of a great country. In this case, why didn't the Great Song Dynasty let the blood of the Tangut people drain this land, so that the Tangut completely lost the last foundation to maintain the country. So when the time comes, where will the Western Xia go, whether to stay or destroy, isn't it all up to me to decide the Great Song Dynasty? ”

"Hehe, the short answer, the old man wants to see what you have planned." Zhang Qi also knew that if the Great Song Dynasty and the Western Xia fought back and forth on the front line of Hengshan Tiandu, they could indeed drag down the Western Xia.

But will Da Song be able to hold on?

Li Kui had thought about this question for a long time, and grinned: "I've been busy for a year and it's almost the New Year, and next year, I'm going to lead someone to break the embankment of the Yellow River irrigation canal in Western Xia, and then flood it first, anyway, I'm idle and idle." If you dig a few more times, you will have a chance to turn this area into mud, and the cavalry of Western Xia will not be able to step into it. ”

Silk –

Zhang Qi gasped and said in his heart: "What a poisonous boy! ”