Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 380 The Northwest has become a mess!

Su Yun paced back and forth in the study, holding Ruan Chuanqiao's letter tightly in his hand, his eyes full of confusion.

He thought about it for ten days and ten nights... This is a bit exaggerated. It has been quite some time since he received Ruan Chuanqiao's letter, but he still couldn't figure out why the emperor and his ministers of the Song Dynasty would just hand him such an opportunity?

Yes, the Song Dynasty court appointed him as the governor of Yan'an Prefecture in order to make him bear the infamy of giving up part of Yan'an Prefecture's land to Western Xia. How could Su Yun not know the intention behind this?

But are they so sure that they cannot defend Yan'an Prefecture, and are they so confident in handing Yan'an Prefecture over to me that I will not take the opportunity to occupy it?
Ah, yes. The rulers and ministers of the Song Dynasty felt that what they could not do, it was naturally impossible for a rebel like me, who only had the tiny Suide Army, to do.

Su Yun figured this out and immediately grinned.

Su Yun did not care about the court's underestimation of him. For him, this was a great opportunity to legally expand the power of the Suide Army.

"Someone come here!" Su Yun called out loudly.

A personal soldier quickly walked into the study and bowed to ask for instructions.

"Immediately call the heads of the six houses and the generals here, and tell them that I have something important to discuss with you."

The soldiers took the order and left.

Su Yun looked out the window, smiled slightly, and secretly thought about his next plan.

Soon, the heads of the six departments and the generals gathered in the study.

When everyone saw Su Yun smiling, although they didn't understand why, they all sensed a hint of something unusual.

"Everyone," Su Yun said in a loud and powerful voice, "This is a secret letter sent back from Bian Jing by a spy. Everyone, take a look first."

The secret letter was passed from one person to another. Everyone was stunned at first, and then became very angry.

After reading the secret letter, Zheng Chaozong's face was filled with anger, and he said in a deep voice: "The Song Dynasty court is simply going too far!
They actually want to throw this kind of treasonous dirty water on us, let us bear the blame, so that they can hide behind and reap the benefits. How can this be justified! "

Ping Zicheng also frowned, and he slowly said, "Humph, those people in the Song Dynasty think they are smart, but what do they think of us? Are they chess pieces that can be manipulated at will?
Such calculations are too much of an underestimation of our Suide Army. They think we will surrender obediently and bear this eternal infamy, which is simply a daydream! "

After reading the secret letter, Bi Taihua's face turned red, veins popped out on his forehead, and he cursed, "Bah! Isn't this pushing us into the fire pit?
We have worked so hard to build the Suide Army in order to protect the local people and fight against foreign enemies. Now they want to use such despicable means to harm us.

Sir, we must not agree to this and fight them!"

At this time, Wang Baopu seemed to be thinking about something. Seeing that everyone was furious, he laughed and said, "Calm down. Why are you so angry? Didn't you see that the gentleman looked happy?"

Everyone was stunned when they heard the words, and they all looked at Su Yun. Sure enough, they saw a smile on Su Yun's face.

Everyone suddenly reacted.

They were all very smart people, and they were just outraged for a moment, but this reaction made them immediately think of the key point, and everyone was suddenly excited.

Su Yun smiled and said, “The imperial court is indeed extremely despicable. They want to use me to calm the anger of Xixia and transfer the blame to me.

But in my opinion, this is a great gift for us. This is a great opportunity for our Sui De Army to rise!"

Su Yun waved his hand and said with a smile: "Shou Zhen, you tell me."

Wang Baopu smiled, stood up, and nodded, saying, "I was actually very angry just now, but when I saw that you looked happy before I came in, I thought a little more about it.

This is certainly a conspiracy, but why can't we take advantage of it?

Once you take up the post of magistrate of Yan'an Prefecture, you will be able to integrate the resources of Yan'an Prefecture openly in the name of appointment by the court.

By then, we can legitimately recruit soldiers from Yan'an Prefecture, recruit civilians, prepare food and fodder, and expand our sphere of influence!
If we operate it properly, we can even swallow up all of Yan'an Prefecture, and our strength will be greatly improved!"

Zheng Chaozong immediately stood up, his eyes sparkling with excitement, his voice trembling slightly with excitement: "Shouzhen is right! With this appointment from the court, we have a legitimate reason to act in Yan'an Prefecture.

Those local forces that were originally suspicious of our Suide Army will definitely let down their guard when they see that you, as the governor of Yan'an Prefecture, have come to integrate them.

We can take this opportunity to recruit their strength and strengthen ourselves.

Moreover, when recruiting soldiers, the people will surely respond enthusiastically when they hear that they are recruiting to defend Yan'an Prefecture and resist Xixia. In this way, the problem of recruiting soldiers can be easily solved."

Ping Zicheng stroked his chin and added thoughtfully: "We can also do something about food and fodder.

In the name of knowing the affairs of Yan'an Prefecture, we can re-plan local taxation, allocate resources rationally, and increase food and grass reserves to a new level.

At the same time, it can also establish closer cooperation with surrounding merchants to ensure a continuous supply of materials.

In this way, we have solid logistical support for dealing with Xixia in the short term and developing and growing in the long term."

Bi Taihua slapped his thigh and said excitedly: "Yes! We have always been regarded as rebels by the court, and we have been restricted in our actions.

Now that I have this identity, I can let go and do my best.

I think, we should not only integrate Yan'an Prefecture, but also let the court see that our Suide Army is definitely not the mob in their eyes.

When we grow stronger, we will make the rulers and ministers of the Song Dynasty pay the price for their short-sightedness today!"

Ah Hui was also happy and said: "This is great, we have washed away our identity as traitors, and our Suide Army's goods can be sold anywhere!

From now on, not only will Yan'an Prefecture be the dumping ground for our goods, but we will also sell all of Suide Army's products to all the prosperous places in the Song Dynasty!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone burst into laughter.

Su Yun smiled and nodded, his eyes full of relief: "You are right. But there are also many difficulties.

First, we must stabilize the imperial court and pretend to accept their arrangements, so that they will think we have fallen into their trap and relax their vigilance.

At the same time, in the process of integrating Yan'an Prefecture, we will inevitably encounter various obstacles, whether it is from local conservative forces or interference from Xixia, we must not take it lightly. "

Wang Baopu frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Sir, I suggest that we should adopt a policy of both kindness and severity for the local conservative forces.

Those who were willing to submit were given generous benefits and official positions;
Those who are stubborn and hinder integration will be resolutely eliminated.

As for Xixia, they have always coveted Yan'an Prefecture. We must strengthen our border defenses. Once they make any unusual moves, we must respond quickly and not let them ruin our plans."

Su Yun nodded and said, "Well, it's okay. After receiving the imperial appointment, we will bring Yan'an Prefecture under our management as soon as possible. We must digest it as soon as possible!"

Zheng Chaozong clasped his fists and said, "Don't worry, sir. Leave the border defense to me. I will guard it day and night, strengthen patrols, and ensure that Xixia has no chance to take advantage.

If they dare to attack us, we will make sure they never return!"

Su Yun looked at everyone with a firm gaze, "Okay! Now that the plan has been decided, everyone should do their part and push forward with all their strength.

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our Suide Army, and it is also a tough game. Let us work together to create a world that belongs to us! "

Everyone stood up, clasped their fists and saluted, shouting in unison: "We are willing to serve you, sir!"

The voice echoed throughout the study, full of lofty sentiments and ambitions.

Then everyone dispersed, but Wang Baopu stayed.

"Sir, I don't quite understand why the Song Dynasty would make such a decision. It always feels a little unreasonable. Is there some conspiracy here?"

Wang Baopu asked.

Su Yun smiled and said, "I invited Xixia Prince Li Binglin to come here before, and reached a cooperation intention with him to act as the agent for our Suide Army's output, so Li Binglin has made great efforts."

Wang Baopu suddenly realized what was happening and said, "I was wondering why the Xixia people had such a big appetite. They wanted to swallow up most of Yan'an Prefecture in one go.
It turns out that Li Binglin played a major role in forcing the emperor and his ministers of the Song Dynasty to resort to such despicable means. No wonder, no wonder!"

Su Yun nodded slightly and said with a smile: "That's right, Li Binglin is a hero in the Xixia royal family. The Xixia royal family and the Liang family are not in harmony, and there are many conflicts in the court.

The reason why they put forward such harsh peace terms this time is, on the one hand, that they saw the value of our Suide Army and wanted to disrupt the situation and profit from it in this way.

But on the other hand, he also wanted to demonstrate his status in Western Xia!
Although his request was excessive, in the eyes of the Western Xia court, he was wholeheartedly fighting for the interests of the Western Xia court, which was naturally understandable.

If it succeeds, it would be a great thing. If it fails, there is nothing to regret. After all, the Song Dynasty has not suffered a major defeat yet.

But if it succeeds, it will be a pleasant surprise for the Western Xia court.

The Song dynasty's rulers and ministers were thrown into disarray by the sudden pressure, and in desperation they came up with the idea of ​​"driving the tiger to devour the wolf."

Wang Baopu seemed to be thinking about something, he walked to the window, looked at the city wall in the distance, and murmured: "This makes the situation even more complicated.

There was a dispute between the Li and Liang families within Western Xia, and a tense situation with the Song Dynasty outside. Our Suide Army happened to be at the center of the vortex of these forces.

But, sir, what exactly does Li Binglin want from cooperating with us? He can't possibly go to such great lengths just to make a little profit from being the agent of the goods, right?"

Su Yun stood up, walked to Wang Baopu, and patted him on the shoulder: "Shouzhen, Li Binglin is ambitious, he is not satisfied with being a prince constrained by Liang in the Xixia court.

There is one thing you may not understand deeply enough, and you may not understand what it means to be able to control the Suide Army’s cargo trade?
It means that not only can you accumulate huge wealth, but you can also make friends with various forces and expand your own network.

In the future, whether he is fighting for power in Xixia or dealing with Song, Xia, or even Liao, he will have more bargaining chips. "

Wang Baopu nodded, and suddenly understood: "I see. Then sir, how should we proceed with our cooperation with Li Binglin?

This person has a deep mind, and there is no guarantee that he will not have other plans behind the scenes."

Su Yun nodded and said, "It's okay. We should be cautious about the cooperation with Li Binglin, but we don't have to worry too much. In the final analysis, it all depends on the swords and guns in our hands. As long as Xixia can't do anything to us militarily, then there is room for maneuver for the rest!"

Wang Baopu seemed to be thinking about something, and asked, "Sir, are you also trying to divide the internal forces of Xixia to prepare for the future?"

Su Yun nodded with satisfaction and said, "Shouzhen, the fact that you can see this shows that you are growing very fast!
That’s right, Master believes that the conflict between the Xixia royal family and the Liang family can be exploited. Now that the Liang family is powerful enough, they can suppress the Xixia royal family and bring temporary stability to the internal situation of Xixia.

Therefore, I want to support the Xixia royal family. Once the strength of the Xixia royal family is equal to that of the Liang family, the internal balance of Xixia will be broken.

At that time, we only need to give it a slight push and Xixia will be in chaos. That will be our chance!"

Wang Baopu heard this and could not help but admire Su Yun's foresight and said, "Teacher, your opinion is profound and I am grateful for your advice.

In this way, we can find a ray of hope in this complex situation and gradually strengthen ourselves!"

……

Bianjing.

Chongzheng Hall.

Empress Dowager Gao sat behind the curtain, glancing sternly at the ministers below.

Zhao Xie stood in the center of the court, holding the drafted appointment edict in his hand, feeling a little nervous but also a little expectant.

"My dear ministers, Xixia is taking a tough stance and the peace talks are at a stalemate. The Song Dynasty must find another way to break the impasse.

Although the strategy proposed by Zhao Shumi is risky, it seems to be a feasible approach at the moment.

What do you think about the appointment of Su Yun as the governor of Yan'an Prefecture?"

Fan Chunren stepped forward, bowed and said, "Your Majesty, I think this plan is risky, but it is the only way for now.

But Su Yun was a rebel after all, so he needs to be cautious in this appointment.

I suggest that their duties and powers be clearly defined in the imperial edict, and that someone be sent to Suide Army to supervise their implementation to prevent them from taking advantage of the opportunity to cause trouble. "

Lu Dafang immediately echoed, "What Mr. Fan said is absolutely right. In addition, we need to enforce strict military discipline on the Western Army side and let them know that Su Yun's appointment was a decision made by the court.

Although he is nominally in charge of Yan'an Prefecture, the Western Army units must still obey the orders of the court and are not allowed to act on their own. "

Zhao Xie bowed slightly and said respectfully, "Your Majesty, what you gentlemen said is very true. I have selected capable people and are ready to go to Suide Army with the imperial edict.

This person is my confidant and acts cautiously. He will be able to accurately convey the court's intentions to Su Yun and keep a close eye on his every move."

Empress Dowager Gao nodded slightly and said, "That's great. Privy Councilor Zhao, you will be responsible for drafting the imperial edict, and it must be thorough and complete. Once the imperial edict is approved, send someone to deliver it to Suide Army immediately. This matter is of great importance and there must not be any mistakes."

"I obey your order!" Zhao Xie clasped his hands together and answered loudly.

After retiring from court, Zhao Xie rushed back to the Privy Council without stopping, quickly completed the internal procedures of the Privy Council, and then sent it to the three provinces for review. The appointment of a magistrate of Yan'an Prefecture was not something that the Privy Council could decide on its own; it had to be approved by the three provinces.

A few days later, the imperial edict was finally passed and came into the hands of Empress Dowager Gao.

Empress Dowager Gao looked through it carefully and saw that the edict clearly stated Su Yun's appointment, duties and supervision measures. It also had the seal of the Secretariat, the signature of its chief Fan Chunren, the seal of the Ministry of Palace Affairs, the signature of its chief, the seal of the Ministry of State Affairs, and the signature of Lu Dafang. She nodded slightly, signed the approval sign herself, and then stamped the edict with the imperial seal.

With the signatures and seals of the governors of the three provinces, any mistakes in the future can be blamed on them.

In fact, if the person in charge of Yan'an Prefecture was not a senior official, she would not have signed or stamped her name on it.

"Secretary Zhao, the journey to Suide is long, so the person you choose must be careful and cautious. Once Su Yun accepts the appointment, he will report back to the court immediately."

Empress Dowager Gao warned.

"Your Majesty, rest assured. I will do my best to ensure that this matter is completed smoothly."

Zhao Xie said solemnly.

Afterwards, Zhao Xie personally handed the imperial edict to the selected envoy, explaining the tasks and precautions in detail.

The messenger took the imperial edict and carefully placed it in a specially made brocade box. Then he mounted his horse and galloped towards the Suide Army surrounded by a group of guards.

In early summer in Yan'an Prefecture, the sun was scorching and the air was filled with a hot atmosphere.

In front of the residence of Liu An, the governor of Yan'an Prefecture, the soldiers were wearing light armor and holding spears. Although their postures were still upright, beads of sweat had already appeared on their foreheads and their expressions were full of solemnity.

The governor of Yan'an Prefecture, Zhong Pu, arrived early and waited in the main hall with Liu An. The two exchanged glances from time to time, both of which were filled with uneasiness.

Suddenly, a burst of hurried horse hoof sounds came from far away, breaking the silence around.

The imperial envoy was dressed in a single layer of clothing and had a stern look on his face. Surrounded by a group of guards, he came straight to the gate of the mansion.

The messenger dismounted, wiped the sweat from his forehead, straightened his clothes, and strode into the palace holding the brocade box containing the imperial edict.

Liu An and Zhong Pu hurried out to greet them with respect on their faces.

The messenger stepped into the main hall, glanced around, and nodded slightly. The incense table was simply but majestically arranged.

Then, he stood still, raised his hand and gently pulled at his collar to cool down, slowly opened the brocade box, and took out the bright yellow edict.

"Yan'an Prefecture General Manager Liu An and Chief Inspector Zhong Pu received the order!"

The messenger's voice was high and resonant in the main hall. Liu An and Zhong Pu looked at each other, both knelt on the ground, and bowed their heads.

The messenger cleared his throat, unfolded the imperial edict, and read aloud: "Your Highness: I have heard that the Western Xia is disturbing the border, the war has not yet ceased, and the border areas are in danger.

Today, Su Yun is specially appointed to be in charge of Yan'an Prefecture to resolve the urgent problem.

Liu An, Zhong Pu and others are all my loyal followers. They should assist Su Yun wholeheartedly and work together to protect the peace of Yan'an Prefecture. They have the responsibility to defend the territory and must not make any mistakes. Announce this to the world so that everyone will know. "

As the messenger read out, Liu An and Zhong Pu were shocked and looked at each other.

After the messenger finished reading, his eyes fell on the two men. Seeing that they did not move for a long time, he could not help but frowned slightly: "Two generals, why don't you accept the order?"

Liu An took a deep breath, took the imperial edict with both hands, and said in a deep voice: "Your Highness obeys your order."

Zhong Pu was somewhat bewildered and said, "As you wish."

Seeing that the two men were at a loss, the messenger quickly grabbed them and ordered the others to leave, leaving only three people.

The messenger quickly lowered his voice and explained the matter in detail to the two of them. Liu An and Zhong Pu were both surprised after hearing it, but immediately assured the messenger that they would obey the court's order.

The messenger nodded with satisfaction, then said goodbye to the two men. He still had to go to Suide Army!

After the messenger left, the atmosphere in Liu An's mansion became depressing and almost suffocating.

After a long silence, Liu An let out a long breath.

"Brother Zhongshi, the court's idea is extremely despicable!"

Liu An frowned, his face full of anger. "It's understandable to use Su Yun, a rebel, to block Xixia's knife, but in the end, we have to clean up his mess! It's ridiculous!"

Zhong Pu gritted his teeth and said in hatred, "That's right, uncle! Let's not talk about the insidiousness of this plot. Just talking about that fellow Su Yun, once he gets the title of the governor of Yan'an Prefecture, how could he give up so easily?
If he really wants to get his hands on Yan'an Prefecture, our years of hard work will be ruined in an instant."

Liu An paced back and forth in the hall, taking each step very heavily, as if he wanted to vent the anger in his heart through his feet.

“Although the imperial court has asked us to defend Yan’an Prefecture, given Su Yun’s ambition, how could he be willing to be just an empty shell with no substance?
He will definitely try every possible means to get his hands on our territory."

Zhong Pu's eyes flickered, and he approached Liu An and whispered, "Uncle, in my opinion, we must quickly plan a countermeasure and never let him succeed."

Liu An stopped, thought for a moment, nodded and said: "The imperial court's order is here, it is definitely not okay to openly resist, the imperial court also has to save face.

However, we can act under the banner of maintaining the stability of Yan'an Prefecture and executing the court's order to "defend the territory". If Su Yun dares to act recklessly, it is not our fault.

As for his attempt to seize power by underhanded means, we are not afraid. We have been operating in Yan'an Prefecture for many years, our officers and men are loyal, and many local gentry are on good terms with us. It will not be easy for him, a rebel from outside, to gain a foothold here!"

Zhong Pu nodded slightly, his expression gradually firmed, and said: "My uncle is right. We will immediately contact the trusted generals in the army and tell them about this matter so that everyone can be prepared in advance.

As soon as Su Yun arrives, we will delay the handover with various excuses to create obstacles for him.

If he pushes forward by force, we will punish him by military law, saying that he is disturbing the local order and intending to rebel."

Liu An's eyes flashed with a fierce look: "Yes, Brother Shi. You have close relations with local gentry. You should communicate with them and ask them to boycott Su Yun as well.

As long as our army and people are united, even if Su Yun has great abilities, it will be difficult for him to stir up trouble in Yan'an Prefecture."

Zhong Pu nodded and said, "Okay, let's do it. Uncle, this matter is of great importance. We must act cautiously and not let any news leak out. Once the news leaks out, it will be difficult to explain to the court. Su Yun will also be prepared in advance."

Liu An smiled and said, "Don't worry, my brother. After all, I am old and have some experience in dealing with these things.

If Su Yun comes with his army to fight, I would be a little afraid of him, but if he plays these conspiracies and tricks, I will not be afraid of him.

Moreover, for the sake of Yan'an Prefecture and the borders of the Song Dynasty, even if we risk our lives, we cannot let the traitor Su Yun get what he wants!"

(End of this chapter)