Prime Minister

Chapter 1375 Manifesto
Inside the Golden Palace.

Empress Dowager Xiang was clearly wavering. In fact, the other party had previously used the construction of the garden and the celebration of her birthday to obstruct and subtly oppose this military campaign against the Dangxiang.

Of course, from Empress Dowager Xiang's perspective, she also had her reasons.

Based on Zhang Yue's achievements during the three years of the Yuan You era, coupled with her previous generous donation of 20 million strings of cash from the imperial treasury to support military funds to the Empress Dowager, the court was able to recover the important town of Lingzhou and subdue the Dangxiang. She was already worthy of being remembered by posterity and would be praised in history as a wise and virtuous empress.

But she no longer had the idea of ​​continuing to fight alongside Zhang Yue.

In the words of both the court and the public, the Tanguts have already surrendered, so why must their country be destroyed?

That's enough, there's no need to fight any further.

If the attempt to eliminate the Tanguts fails, given Empress Dowager Xiang's unwillingness to take risks and her conservative nature, it would indeed be a poor decision.

Besides, the current emperor isn't her own son, so there's really no need to take this risk and think so far ahead.

Most importantly, as Zhang Yue had previously stated, we should wait for a change in the world before launching an attack on the Dangxiang. Now that the Liao Kingdom has quelled the rebellion, Yelü Hongji has even threatened to lead a million troops to hunt in Lingwu, which not only increases the difficulty of this campaign but also terrifies Empress Dowager Xiang.

When the Empress Dowager objected, the Emperor tried to smooth things over by asking, "Minister of Works, should we postpone it for a while?"

Seeing the hesitation of the mother and son in the hall, Zhang Yue said solemnly, "Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager, war is a matter of vital importance to the state, a matter of life and death, a road to survival or destruction, and it is imperative to examine it carefully."

"Now everything is ready, only a proclamation is needed to make it public. How can we stop here? To do so would be to treat matters of national importance as child's play."

Seeing Zhang Yue's anger, the Empress Dowager also backed down, saying, "But Minister of Works, the Liao Kingdom has mobilized a million troops..."

Zhang Yue then said, "Your Majesty, the Liao Kingdom's military action is sufficient to change the fact that our army has sent troops."

"I have already deployed 150,000 elite troops under Lü Huiqing in Hedong. They will not do anything else but intercept the Liao reinforcements coming from Yunzhou. Even if the Liao army comes to our aid with the whole country, I have already prepared a countermeasure. Zhang Heng is stationed in the four routes of Hebei. His troops are well-trained. Although they are not as elite as the troops in the Western Army and Hedong, they can still delay the Liao's southward advance. Moreover, there are more than 100,000 imperial guards in the capital region."

"The next one is the Liao Kingdom. Has the Liao Kingdom quelled the Mogus rebellion? If the rebellion has truly been quelled, why would they actually send a letter to me? Is this just a bluff, or what?"

"Even if the Liao Kingdom truly quells the rebellion, with hundreds of thousands of troops mobilized, the Liao Kingdom is internally vulnerable and unable to immediately rescue Lingwu. On the other hand, if the Liao Kingdom is allowed to recover, the imperial court will likely never have the opportunity to annihilate the Dangxiang again!"

Therefore, I believe that the matter of pacifying the Dangxiang remains unchanged!

The emperor nodded slowly, agreeing that Zhang Yue's words made a lot of sense.

The sound of prayer beads clicking behind the curtain continued for a while longer before the Empress Dowager finally said, "While what you say is true, a decisive battle with the Liao army at Lingwu is of too great importance, and this move is far too risky. I believe that the matter of raising troops should be postponed for some time!"

"You might as well reconsider. If you are still determined to send troops tomorrow, we, a widow and her children, will have no choice but to agree."

After she finished speaking, a sound came from behind the curtain, and the Empress Dowager had already left through another door.

Zhang Yue and the bewildered emperor remained inside the palace.

……

Inside the capital.

Shen Kuo, Huang Lü, Xu Xi, Han Zhongyan, Xu Jiang and others rushed over upon hearing the news, all looking at Zhang Yue pacing in the center of the capital hall.

"Hundreds of thousands of troops have been deployed in Shaanxi and Hedong, and money, food and military supplies have been transported to the front line. Now the court suddenly says not to launch a western expedition."

"Isn't this extremely damaging to morale? What will the soldiers at the front think? What will the court and the public think? The Empress Dowager's words are truly... truly... treating matters of national importance like child's play."

Privy Councilor Shen Kuo said.

Han Zhongyan, who had already been appointed as the Censor-in-Chief, said, "What if the Khitan come to our aid with the entire nation?"

"The imperial court is not yet ready for a decisive battle with the Liao Kingdom."

Xu Xi said, "In the last battle of Yongle City, we were confident of victory, but the Liao Kingdom intervened and caused us to fail at the last moment."

As the commander-in-chief of the Battle of Yongle City, Xu Xi had a vivid memory of this event.

Xu said, "Due to the western expedition, ninety percent of the imperial army is currently in the north, and there are no more troops available to be mobilized."

Xu Xi said, "I think it would be better to postpone it. Now that it is autumn, it is the time when the Khitan and Dangxiang cavalry are at their fattest and strongest. It would be better to follow the original plan and launch an attack on the Dangxiang next spring or summer."

Zhang Yue listened quietly to everyone's words. The other gentlemen also spoke, some saying it was time to fight, others saying it wasn't and that they should wait.

But Huang Lu took a sip of tea and said, "Du Fu once said, 'The campaign was not yet won when the hero died, leaving heroes to weep with sorrow.'"

"We haven't even fought yet! The Liao army hasn't even left Yunzhong, but they've already terrified everyone, and they're all in tears."

"Besides, even if the Liao army comes out of Yunzhong, it may not be the entire army. Whether it's a detachment or not is another matter. Even if it is the entire army, they may not be afraid of a battle! Does Yelü Hongji really have a million men when he says he has a million?"

Shen Kuo said, "An Zhong is absolutely right. The Liao Kingdom will not recover so quickly no matter what. How could the rebellion of the Zubu in the northern desert be quelled so easily? What if there is another fire in the backyard? The five Jurchen kingdoms are also eager to make a move."

"In my opinion, even if the Liao Kingdom comes to our aid, it will be a detachment and nothing to fear. Our dynasty now has tens of thousands of elite cavalry from Liangzhou, which will be advantageous even when the autumn horses are fat and strong. We have nothing to fear from the Liao cavalry's attack."

Huang Lü said, "According to what the Chancellor said, the western expedition should be launched today. We should not delay. If we delay, it will be difficult to take Lingwu again once the Liao Kingdom has recovered."

Zhang Yue nodded slightly upon hearing Huang Lu's words.

Hearing Huang Lü's words, several people who were wavering couldn't help but say to Zhang Yue, "Minister, the decision is made today. Hesitation will only lead to more trouble."

Zhang Yue remained silent.

Empress Dowager Xiang's words, "A widow and an orphan," were too powerful, shutting down all his words. If he insisted on the western expedition, wouldn't he become a powerful minister who bullies women and children?

……

When Zhang Yue returned to the mansion.

The household is cooking.

Lu Yihao, a staff member of the Prime Minister's residence, stepped forward to report to Zhang Yue that everything in the Prime Minister's residence was ready.

This Lü Yihao was not from the Lü clan of Donglai, but came from a truly humble background. He failed the provincial examination and, with the intention of giving it a try, was recommended to Zhang Yue's household.

Upon hearing this person's name, Zhang Yue felt as if he had heard of him in history, and without hesitation, he brought this person under his wing.

Soon after, Li Kui and his son Li Gang also stepped forward to pay their respects, their faces filled with unspoken thoughts.

Zhang Yue knew that the news had already begun to spread.

There's no need to spread rumors. The shogunate was supposed to send dozens of people to Yongxing Prefecture and Luoyang, the western capital, today to prepare for the future campaign. Now that these people have suddenly been ordered to postpone their departure, someone must be wondering if something has gone wrong with the western expedition.

"I've met the Prime Minister."

Upon seeing Zhang Yue return to the mansion, all the staff members stood under the eaves and bowed to each other. This silent exchange was truly unsettling.

Zhang Yue returned to his study and stared at the map in the room for a long time without saying a word.

But then a knock came at the door.

"Daddy!"

"Erlang, come in."

The study door was pushed open, and Zhang Gen asked, "Father, has there been any change in the matter of the western expedition?"

Zhang Yue asked, "Where did you hear that from?"

Zhang Gen said, "Father, you don't need to hide it from me. Third Brother has told me everything."

Zhang Yue thought to himself, "As a storyteller in the Chongzheng Hall, Zhang Cheng must have told Zhang Gen about this matter since he has access to the palace."

Zhang Yue waved his hand, stood with his hands behind his back in front of the map, and Zhang Gen lit a lamp for Zhang Yue. Then he said, "Father, hundreds of thousands of troops have been deployed on the front line for thousands of miles. Military supplies and weapons have been transported to the front line. From generals to soldiers, and even civilians, everyone has been fully mobilized. If there is any change at this time, people's hearts will be unsettled."

Zhang Gen said, "Moreover, if the Liao emperor truly had the strength, he should have led his troops south from Hebei to directly attack Bianjing, employing a strategy of 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao,' which would have been the right path. He certainly wouldn't have gone northwest to directly confront our elite troops."

"This saying only applies when something is beyond one's power."

Zhang Yue nodded slightly and said, "You're right."

However, different people have different opinions because of the different responsibilities they bear.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, there was an example of a prime minister who advocated for a failed northern expedition and was beheaded. But throughout history, have there ever been emperors who advocated for a failed war and were executed by their subjects according to the law?
Therefore, the position of a prime minister is certainly different from that of an emperor.

The ass decides the head.

But... how could he be considered an ordinary prime minister?

Thinking of this, Zhang Yue said to Zhang Gen, "Walk with me for a bit."

The father and son walked into the courtyard, and by then it was already getting dark in Bianjing.

The lights were still on in the office of the Prime Minister's staff, and everyone was waiting for news.

At this moment, an extremely oppressive atmosphere enveloped the Prime Minister's residence.

As the evening breeze gently blew, Zhang Yue strolled in the courtyard, looked up at the night sky, and saw that as the night deepened, stars lit up one by one like lights, until countless stars were scattered across the horizon.

He suddenly said, "Throughout history, countless famous generals and virtuous ministers have been named after stars."

"Unfortunately, what they didn't know was that there were probably more stars in the sky than grains of sand on the beach."

"In the end, emperors and generals are all the same."

Zhang Gen said, "Father is right."

"The workings of Heaven have their own general trend, but the turning point of the world and the well-being of the people sometimes lie in the single thought of emperors and generals."

Zhang Yue looked at Zhang Gen and nodded happily.

At this moment, Peng Jingyi entered and reported: "Minister of Works, Minister Zeng, Minister Chen, and dozens of other ministers have come to the Prime Minister's residence to request an audience."

Zhang Yue said, "Let them wait in the hall."

"Erlang, come with me to the study to fetch pen and ink!"

"Jingyi, go and fetch the candles."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Gen was overjoyed, knowing that Zhang Yue had made a decision. He responded and immediately fetched pen and ink for Zhang Yue.

Zhang Yue immediately sat down in the pavilion and closed his eyes to rest. After a while, Zhang Gen brought paper and pen, and Peng Jingyi held a candle in the pavilion.

"Father, is it the Memorial to the Throne on the Eve of Battle?"

Zhang Yue nodded and said, "It is a memorial to the emperor, a piece of advice, and a proclamation. Now that things have come to this, it is meaningless to speculate on the outcome of this battle."

"We must not only open our hearts to Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, but also let all the people of the world know that 'Heaven's justice will prevail, and China will surely prevail.'"

After a moment of contemplation, Zhang Yue immediately picked up his pen, pausing on the paper for a full quarter of an hour before lifting it.

In an instant, countless faces flashed before his eyes.

Jing Sili, Zhong E, Zhang Shouyue, Wang Shao, Tang Jiu, Zhang Jie, Cai Que...

They stood vividly before him, one by one, until finally, Emperor Shenzong...

What if they were still alive?

Zhang Gen and Peng Jingyi dared not speak and stood silently to the side.

"Since the Qingli era, far too many people..."

Zhang Yue opened his eyes and began to write on the paper.

A gentle breeze blew through the pavilion, and the stars twinkled in the sky. Under the light of a candle, Zhang Yue wrote furiously in the pavilion.

(End of this chapter)