After Fan Yunchao and Li Ming left the school field in the military city, they did not delay any longer along the way, and drove straight to the City Lord's Mansion in the inner city, and arrived at the City Lord's Mansion soon after. ◢ with ◢ dream ◢ small ◢ .lā

At this time, it was already noon, Li Ming turned over and dismounted in front of the gate of the City Lord's Mansion, threw the reins of his mount to a groom from the City Lord's Mansion, confessed to Fan Yunchao, and immediately entered through the door, and went straight to the back hall of the City Lord's Mansion to report the news.

Li Chengliang had already woken up after a nap at this time, feeling much better, seeing Li Ming walking into the study in a hurry, and after listening to Li Ming's report briefly, Li Chengliang asked Li Ming to lead Fan Yunchao to the second hall first, and then he went to the second hall to greet Fan Yunchao.

After Fan Yunchao arrived at the second hall, he stood upright in the middle of the second hall, the second housekeeper of the City Lord's Mansion had already made tea and asked General Fan to sit first, but Fan Yunchao still insisted on standing in the hall and waiting for the City Lord to come out.

Li Chengliang turned out of the back hall with some hurried steps, and Fan Yunchao hurriedly stepped forward to support Li Chengliang and said, "City Lord, your body has not healed yet, don't go in such a hurry." In fact, if there is anything, I can go directly to the back hall to meet you, you have to come to the second hall to greet you in person, it really makes the last general unhappy. ”

Li Chengliang said as he walked: "Yun Chao, you are too outside, this is not a mansion, can't you call me Brother Chengliang? ”

Fan Yunchao hurriedly changed his words: "Brother Chengliang, I don't usually call it smooth, I think that calling the city lord is a feeling of having a backer, and my heart is also comfortable." You sit down first, the second hall is relatively cold, you are not suitable to stay for a long time, if there is anything, you quickly give me instructions, I will do it, don't let you be infected with the wind cold again. ”

Li Chengliang sat on the first seat of the second hall, pointed to the seat next to him and said: "Yun Chao, you can also sit down, there are still a lot of things today, and it will not be clear for a while, it is already noon, I have already ordered the kitchen to prepare food, you can stay here at noon today."

While the meal is not ready yet, let's talk about the matter first, and talk while eating for a while, and we must decide a few important things today, and I am waiting to report to the imperial court here. ”

Fan Yunchao sat down and said, "Brother Chengliang, since this is such an important matter, then you can give me a rough idea first, so that the younger brother can also think about it in his heart." ”

At this time, a beautiful maid came out of the back hall and quietly handed a black fox fur to the second housekeeper, who hurriedly took the fur and walked over to put it on the head of the house.

At the same time, the four healthy servants brought four lit charcoal basins from the back hall and placed them around Li Chengliang and Fan Yunchao, and soon the temperature in the second hall rose a lot.

The second steward ordered someone to remove the previous tea, and sent new tea and snacks to the city lord and General Fan again.

Li Chengliang waited until the subordinates left before continuing to speak: "Yun Chao, since the barbarian coalition began to besiege Dunhuang to the present, the two of us have never had a chance to have a good chat, you are busy fighting to the death on the front line, defending the family and defending the country, while I am lingering on the sickbed and dying and struggling.

At the critical moment, my own body did not withstand it, which made you suffer a lot of blame and fatigue, and I am deeply ashamed of my brother, so I invited you here today to express my gratitude in person and ask you to be worshiped as a brother. ”

Fan Yunchao hurriedly jumped up to support Li Chengliang, who was about to bow to him, and said anxiously: "Brother Chengliang, you are trying to torment my little brother! You and I have known each other for 19 years, and we have supported each other for more than 10 years.

This siege of the barbarian coalition army has made me grow a lot, and now in retrospect, it was because I didn't do my job well, and the military strength of Dunhuang City was not well prepared, so it was very difficult to deal with it in the early days, so you were seriously ill twice in a row, and the little brother is really guilty!"

Li Chengliang hurriedly waved his hand and said: "Okay, Yunchao, I won't say thank you, don't thank me either, let's get down to business, summarize last year's gains and losses, and look forward to this year's situation."

The sudden attack on Dunhuang City by the Barbarian Coalition did make us encounter some small bumps, but now that it has passed, the Barbarian Coalition has also retreated, and I still have to stay in Dunhuang City for a year, so we both have to look forward. ”

Fan Yunchao said: "Yes, Brother Chengliang, now that Dunhuang City has just experienced a big war, it is the time when everything is in ruins, and you need to preside over the overall situation, and I will fully cooperate with my junior brother."

Now Dunhuang City needs to unite sincerely to build this place into a solid northwest city, and the purpose of our officials is not to let the people live a stable and prosperous life. ”

Li Chengliang shook his head and said: "Stability! Prosperity! How easy is it to talk to you! Brother Wei came to you today to discuss with you how to strive for more stability and prosperity for the people of Dunhuang under the major policies of the imperial court. ”

Fan Yunchao has always admired Li Chengliang's political sensitivity, and if Li Chengliang is not optimistic about the current situation, it means that the current situation in the DPRK is really unstable, and he can't help but be worried.

Fan Yunchao asked: "Brother Chengliang, I have been busy with military affairs recently, and I don't have time to understand the changes in the situation of the DPRK, so I hope you can give me advice." ”

Li Chengliang said: "I came to you today just to talk to you about the trend of the court situation and national policy, and by the way, the development strategy of Dunhuang Mansion for this year and even in the next few years has been set. ”

Fan Yunchao frowned and said, "Is it so serious?" ”

Li Chengliang said: "After the victory of Dunhuang, the pattern of the DPRK and China has undergone great changes, and Wang Xiangguo, who advocates paying attention to domestic development and maintaining a balanced balance of power abroad, previously suggested abandoning Dunhuang City and recovering the whole line to the front line of Suzhou Road for passive defense. ”

Fan Yunchao glared angrily: "This person is the minister of the country in vain, and he can brazenly say such a traitorous remark!"

Li Chengliang glanced at Fan Yunchao meaningfully and said: "Yunchao, don't be angry, after the victory in Dunhuang, Wang Xiangguo has been removed from his post by the saint, and the cabinet he controlled for twenty years has also resigned collectively. ”

Fan Yunchao said angrily: "This should be the end of the national thief, didn't the saint punish him?"

Li Chengliang shook his head and said: "No, the saint knows that Wang Xiangguo is old, not because he wants to surrender, but because he is not suitable for twenty years of auxiliary government, so he was exempted from punishment and let him retire."

Now that Niu Xiangguo, who advocates foreign expansion and military first, has come to power, many of the policies set by Wang Xiangguo and have been implemented for more than ten years will also change. ”

Fan Yunchao heard the worry in Li Chengliang's words, and asked a little strangely: "Brother Chengliang, why do I listen to the meaning of some worry in your words, Niu Xiangguo is forging ahead, is there anything wrong?"

Li Chengliang said in a deep voice: "Today's Tang Emperor is the youngest emperor in the Three Kingdoms of China, who has only been on the throne for 20 years, and has always dreamed that he can expand his territory and create a prosperous era in his own office, while Wang Xiangguo, who is old and serious, has been blocking the Tang Emperor's impulse, hoping to win more peace for the Tang Dynasty and save enough money for the future of the Tang Dynasty."

But the Tang Emperor did not appreciate it, he has been forbearance all these years, this Dunhuang victory gave him a good excuse, he took the old Wang Xiangguo on the grounds that the external environment deteriorated, and it was urgent to clean up the army and strengthen the armaments, and replaced it with Niu Xiangguo of the Shaozhuang faction, ready to show his hands and feet, and now I don't know whether it is a blessing or a curse. ”

Fan Yunchao said: "Could it be that Datang is a foreign powerhouse? And this Niu Xiangguo was not famous before, why can he suddenly rise and become the Xiangguo of Datang?"

Li Chengliang said: "Although Datang cannot be said to be strong in the outside world, but the current national strength of Datang cannot support large-scale external expansion, so once the new national policy is promoted, most of the people will suffer."

Okay, let's not talk about this, let's talk about this Niu Xiangguo! He is not a simple person, he was born in the name of a real name, he has served as a county commander, a government school, a general judge, and was transferred to the Ministry of Industry as a director, and presided over the invention of a variety of military equipment, some of which have been popularized and used in the army for many years.

Because of his meritorious work in the research and development of military equipment, he was appreciated by the secretary of the Ministry of War, and later entered the Ministry of War, but he was not willing to be only a person responsible for the research and development and management of ordnance, and resolutely joined the border army system, starting from the military horse, and finally promoted to the rank of deputy general with his military merits, which is at the same level as you now!

Because of his outstanding performance, he was transferred back to the Ministry of War as a squire, and then transferred to the Ministry of Officials, and the head of the household department, and finally became the current Xiangguo. ”

Fan Yunchao usually does not pay much attention to the senior officials of the DPRK and the Central Committee, and he has heard Niu Shangshu's name, but he does not know much about his political experience.

Fan Yunchao began to count with his fingers: "This Niu Xiangguo has really rich experience in politics and the army, such as a county official, a school official, a deputy in the state government, the director of the Ministry of Industry, the director of the Ministry of War, the deputy general of the border army, the squire of the military department, the servant of the Ministry of Officials, and the secretary of the household department! In addition to the Criminal Department and the Ministry of Rites, he has done almost all the key departments of the Tang Dynasty.

Li Chengliang said: "Looking at his promotion trajectory, you know that he is a talent deliberately cultivated by the saint, the key is that this Niu Xiangguo is still very young, only forty-eight years old this year!"

Fan Yunchao exclaimed: "Then isn't he the same age as adults?"

Li Chengliang sighed: "Yes, I am only six years older than you, do you know how old the retired Wang Xiangguo is this year?"

Li Chengliang shook his head and said he didn't know.

Li Chengliang said: "Wang Xiangguo is 74 years old this year, and he has been in charge of the government for 20 years. And Niu Xiangguo has been a border army, and his health is definitely better than Wang Xiangguo, even if he only works until he is seventy-four years old, then Niu Xiangguo will be in charge for at least twenty-six years. ”

Fan Yunchao asked with some incomprehension: "Brother Chengliang is good, but why do you count this? We are still far from entering the court, and it has nothing to do with us, right?"

Li Chengliang sighed and said: "Yun Chao, have you used all your talents in military affairs? Why are you so insensitive to the situation in the DPRK, I mean, the current saint is bent on expanding the territory, and the newly replaced Xiangguo is also a tough main battle faction, these two people can work together for at least more than 20 years, do you think you shouldn't study more about the direction of the future situation?"

Fan Yunchao suddenly realized at this time: "Oh! Brother Chengliang's lesson is that if the Tang Kingdom enters a period of outward expansion from now on, the first thing to be affected is a border city like our Dunhuang, and we have to make a prediction earlier, otherwise we will be caught off guard." ”

Li Chengliang saw that Fan Yunchao finally had some enlightenment, and continued: "I called you here today to discuss the changes in national policy that we will face soon, as well as the development of Dunhuang City in the future.

The first is the strategy of the imperial court to move west to the north, the second is the development plan of Dunhuang Prefecture itself, the third is the choice between the conscription system and the conscription system, the fourth is the opening of the city this year, and the fifth is the placement and management of the guest army. ”

When Fan Yunchao heard about these five topics, he really hit the nail on the head, it seems that the city lord didn't have a good rest during his illness, and his mind was spent here.

Just as Fan Yunchao was about to listen to him, the second housekeeper of the City Lord's Mansion reported outside the hall: "Family master, lunch has been prepared, are you and General Fan eating in the second hall or in the back hall?"

There are a total of three stewards in the City Lord's Mansion, the chief steward is responsible for overall scheduling, the second steward is responsible for internal affairs, and the third steward is responsible for external affairs.

Li Chengliang said: "Let's set up a table here, it will be a waste of time to move the place, so let people come up and arrange it." ”