Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 385: Zhao Zhuge is the white jade pillar that supports the sky of the Song Dynasty! (6k ha, ha, interesting)
"What!" Zhao Xie stood up in shock. When he stood up, he pushed the table with him. The tea immediately fell to the ground and the teacup broke with a snap. However, he didn't care at all. Instead, he asked anxiously, "Weiming Awu lost?!"

"Yes, my husband! Su Yun not only defeated Wei Ming A Wu, but also took control of the Baoan Army. Now he has connected Yan'an Prefecture with the Baoan Army, and his power has greatly increased!"

Zhao Xie felt as if the world was spinning around him, and his heart full of pride was instantly replaced by panic and regret.

He paced back and forth with weak steps, muttering to himself: "How is this possible? How could Su Yun be so powerful that he could defeat tens of thousands of Xixia troops with only 3,000 Jingsai troops..."

You Zuo also turned pale, and said with forced calmness: "Brother Gongcai, things have come to this point, we must quickly plan a countermeasure.

Su Yun is in power now, and I am afraid he will have to gain a firm foothold in the northwest. As for the court..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhao Xie suddenly stopped walking, his eyes flashed with a fierce look, and it was unclear whether he was talking to the two of them or to himself: "No, we must not let Su Yun become so powerful!

If he takes root in the northwest, my future in the court will be completely ruined!"

After that, he turned his eyes to Luo Menghua anxiously and asked, "How many troops are there in the army that can be deployed now?"

Luo Menghua looked embarrassed, and after hesitating for a moment, he replied: "Sir, the military strength in various places is already tight, and we have to guard against Xixia and Tubo. It is really difficult to withdraw a large-scale army to deal with Su Yun."

Zhao Xie's brows were knitted into a knot, and he slammed his fist on the table. "Are we just going to watch him do whatever he wants in the northwest?"

You Zuo pondered for a moment and said, "Brother Gongcai, in my opinion, we might as well start from within the court.

Although Su Yun's move was a victory, it did violate some of the court's hidden intentions. We can make a big fuss about it and impeach him in the court for using troops without authorization and intending to split the country."

Luo Menghua sneered, "What bullshit are you talking about! Su Yun is a rebel to begin with. He is capable of doing such a thing, so why would he be afraid of someone in the court impeaching him?

He doesn't want to secede, he wants to rebel, rebellion, do you understand, huh, if you hadn't bewitched my husband, how could he be so confused..."

"Shut up!" Zhao Xie glared at Luo Menghua.

It’s not that Luo Menghua was scolding You Zuo angrily, but Luo Menghua’s words also included the scolding of him, and he couldn’t save face after all.

Luo Menghua looked at Zhao Xie and sighed inwardly. After all, he was unwilling to care about it. After thinking for a while, he suggested: "How about we secretly contact some Northwestern generals who are dissatisfied with Su Yun, promise them huge benefits, and let them create chaos in the army and disrupt Su Yun's deployment."

Zhao Xie shook his head and rejected the idea: "Su Yun is a meticulous person with a strong control over the army. This kind of trick will not work. Once he notices it, it will backfire."

Just as the three of them were frowning, another staff officer came hurriedly to report: "Sir, there is more news from the northwest.

Su Yun is reorganizing the army on a large scale. Not only is he integrating the former Baoan Army with the Yan'an Prefecture garrison, he is also vigorously expanding his armaments, seemingly intending to take the initiative to attack Xixia."

Zhao Xie was surprised when he heard this and said, "He has also taken over the city of Yan'an? Doesn't that mean that the entire Yan'an Prefecture is under his control?"

The staff officer said quickly, "The generals defending Yan'an City were expelled from Yan'an City by Su Yun. Dozens of them returned to Bianjing. That's why I just learned about this. It is said that they are going to kneel at the palace gate and ask the court to make a decision for them."

Zhao Xie's hands and feet suddenly turned cold when he heard this. He was shaking with fear and his voice was trembling. He said, "It's over! It's over! Once this matter gets out, I will definitely be finished!"

Zhao Xie fell into a chair, his face pale, and he just murmured: "It's over, I'm over, I'm over..."

Luo Menghua looked at the panicked Zhao Xie with a flash of contempt in her eyes, but then she took a deep breath and shouted, "Husband! It's not time to despair yet!"

Zhao Xie looked at Luo Menghua blankly.

Luo Menghua took a deep breath and tried to make his voice sound steady and powerful: "My husband, although the situation is critical now, it is not hopeless.

Those expelled generals have to kneel at the palace gate, but we can take action first.

As the Deputy Privy Councilor, you can take the initiative to apologize to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, take the responsibility on yourself, and say that it was because of your misjudgment of the situation that Yan'an Prefecture fell into Su Yun's hands.

At the same time, emphasize that you are actively planning countermeasures and will definitely bring Su Yun to justice and recapture Yan'an Prefecture.

In this way, you can show your responsibility and take the initiative in the court, so you won't be led by the demands of those generals."

Zhao Xie listened to Luo Menghua's words, and his originally blank eyes gradually brightened up, but then dimmed again in an instant: "Even if I take the initiative to plead guilty, can the Queen Mother and the Emperor forgive me so easily?

Su Yun is now extremely powerful, what can I use to recapture Yan'an Prefecture?"

Luo Menghua frowned slightly, thought for a moment and said, “My husband, although Su Yun’s power is great, he is not invulnerable.

His newly integrated army must have many internal conflicts. We can increase our infiltration into it, find those who are dissatisfied with Su Yun, and promise them high positions and generous salaries, so that they can become internal supporters and disintegrate Su Yun's power from within.

In addition, we can put pressure on Xixia, hinting that the rise of Su Yun would be detrimental to the Liao Kingdom, and let Xixia temporarily suspend its attack on the Song Dynasty, so that the Song Dynasty can free up its hands to attack Su Yun.

Moreover, if Xixia is willing to join us in attacking Su Yun, we can give Yan'an Prefecture to Xixia after we destroy Su Yun."

Zhao Xie was dumbfounded when he heard this and said, "Doesn't that make me a traitor?"

You Zuo, who had been silent until now, sneered and said, "Who said that it was because of your misjudgment of the situation that Yan'an Prefecture fell into Su Yun's hands?
My husband's accurate assessment of the situation is jaw-dropping!

The husband suggested that the court give Yan'an Prefecture to Su Yun. He had already anticipated that Yan'an Prefecture could not be defended, so he let Su Yun bear the blame.

Perhaps Su Yun had seen through the court's intentions and decided to go all out and occupy Yan'an Prefecture.

But this is an open conspiracy. It doesn’t matter whether Su Yun accepts it or not.

Therefore, your plan was not wrong, sir, because Xixia would never give up Yan'an Prefecture, and Yan'an Prefecture and Xixia would definitely continue to fight.

So, Sir, not only should you not plead guilty, you should also ask for credit, saying that the situation has completely gone as you planned, Su Yun has been fooled and occupied the entire Yan'an Prefecture, and now we in the Song Dynasty only need to watch Xixia and Yan'an Prefecture fight to the death. "

"Eh? Can you explain it this way?"

Zhao Xie looked a little confused, his eyes moving back and forth between Luo Menghua and You Zuo's faces, not knowing who was closer to the truth.

Luo Menghua also looked at You Zuo in astonishment. This man's ability to confuse right and wrong and call a horse a zebra was truly amazing. After he said that, even he himself felt that what he said made sense!
Zhao Xie noticed Luo Menghua's strange expression and immediately reacted, and quickly asked, "Huai Jin, what do you think?"

Luo Menghua looked at You Zuo deeply, and then said meaningfully: "Brother Zitong is indeed more skilled. You can do as he says. Although it may not be beneficial to the court, it will definitely be beneficial to you."

Zhao Xie was somewhat displeased when he heard this and said, "What are you talking about? Am I a selfish and treacherous minister?
Huai Jin, you have followed me for many years, you should change your sharp tongue and stop looking so depressed and frustrated. It makes people feel unhappy."

Luo Menghua sneered when he heard this, shook his sleeves and left.

Zhao Xie looked at Luo Menghua's back with a serious expression, and did not say anything to persuade him to stay. Then he looked at You Zuo, his expression became gentle, and said: "Brother Zitong, come on, tell me in detail..."

On the streets of Bianjing, the generals from Yan'an Prefecture who were expelled by Su Yun were walking in groups towards the imperial palace.

They were in tattered clothes and looked haggard. They cried all the way about Su Yun's "atrocities", attracting many onlookers.

An elderly general in the crowd shouted in anger, "Su Yun, the traitor, seized the military power of the imperial court and expelled us. If the imperial court does not uphold justice, we will die with regret!"

The officials around were whispering to each other, discussing the behavior of these many generals.

In the imperial palace, Queen Mother Gao Taotao was discussing state affairs with several important ministers.

Suddenly, a eunuch hurried in to report: "Empress Dowager, there are dozens of generals kneeling in front of the palace gate outside the palace, claiming to be generals of the Yan'an Prefecture garrison, crying that Su Yun had seized Yan'an Prefecture and expelled them, and asking the Empress Dowager to make a decision for them."

Gao Taotao's face changed slightly. He looked at everyone and said in a deep voice, "Do you know what happened?"

Prime Minister Lu Dafang frowned and said, "Queen Mother, Su Yun's move is clearly intended to secede from the northwest.

I think the most urgent task is to immediately send a large army to the northwest to quell the rebellion and never let his conspiracy succeed!"

Fan Chunren said, "Why not invite Zhao Shumi? He is in charge of this matter, so maybe he knows more?"

Empress Dowager Gao hurriedly said, "Send Zhao Shumi to Chongzheng Palace."

As soon as he finished speaking, a eunuch came running in and said, "Your Majesty, Zhao Shumi wants to see you!"

Empress Dowager Gao's eyes lit up and she said, "Please come in!"

The eunuch hurried out, and after a while, he saw Zhao Xie walking with his head held high, with a smug look on his face.

When he saw the other gentlemen in the palace, he actually laughed loudly, then bowed deeply to Empress Dowager Gao and said loudly: "Your Majesty! Great joy!"

Empress Dowager Gao looked at Zhao Xie's smug look and became even more confused. She couldn't help but ask, "Secretary Zhao, many generals outside the palace are crying and complaining that Su Yun has seized Yan'an Prefecture and expelled them. I am worried about this matter, but you are so happy. What does this mean?"

Zhao Xie took a step forward without panic and said loudly: "Queen Mother, the matter of Su Yun may seem like a crisis, but in fact, it has a hidden turning point. All of this is within the scope of my planning."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an uproar in the court, and the ministers whispered to each other, their faces full of suspicion.

Prime Minister Lu Dafang snorted coldly and said, "Zhao Shumi, are you confused?

Su Yun openly occupied Yan'an Prefecture, which is a serious crime of treason. How can it be said that it was your plan?"

Zhao Xie smiled slightly and explained slowly, "You gentlemen don't know. I have long known that Su Yun has always been ambitious. The court appointed him as the prefect of Yan'an with the intention of letting him check and balance Xixia.

I have calculated that Xixia is afraid of Su Yun and will definitely attack with all their might.

In order to protect himself, Su Yun will definitely try every means to expand his power.

Now that he has occupied Yan'an Prefecture, it seems that he has gained an advantage, but in fact, he has fallen into my trap! "

Fan Chunren frowned and asked, "Secretary Zhao, even if Su Yun occupied Yan'an Prefecture as you wished, what good would it do to the court? He now has his own army and may become a serious threat."

Zhao Xie said confidently: "Lord Fan, although Su Yun occupies Yan'an Prefecture, the conflict between him and Xixia has been thoroughly intensified. Xixia will never tolerate Su Yun becoming powerful on its border.

Now, we just need to sit back and watch the fight between the two tigers, and let Xixia and Su Yun consume each other. When they are both defeated, the imperial court will send troops to retake Yan'an Prefecture. Isn't it easy? "

Fan Chunren and Lu Dafang looked at each other, their expressions somewhat bewildered.

——It seems that this is correct...?
At this time, Zhao Xie laughed loudly and said, "Empress Dowager, Your Majesty, and all the gentlemen, my plan has been successful. All you need to do next is watch the flowers bloom and fall and the clouds roll and unroll in front of the courtyard. The rebellion in the northwest has been settled!
This period of time may be as long as one or two years, or as short as a few months. The traitor Su Yun will surely be disgraced and die without a burial place.

And Western Xia will also be seriously damaged. At that time, the Western Army of our Great Song Dynasty only needs to take advantage of the opportunity to drive Western Xia out in one go. By then, Yan'an Prefecture will still belong to our Great Song Dynasty!
In this way, even if our Song Dynasty does not have to make any effort, the rebels will be destroyed and the invasion of the enemy countries will be repelled by us, and the days of peace will come! ..."

Everyone in the hall looked at Zhao Xie who was talking eloquently, and in a trance, they actually thought of the image of Zhuge Kongming in "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" written by the traitor Su Yun.

Speaking of which, Zhao Xie's appearance is really good. He is quite tall and has a Taoist look, the only thing missing is a feather fan.

Empress Dowager Gao whispered to the palace maid beside her, "This Privy Councilor Zhao is indeed an expert in military affairs. Perhaps the Privy Councilor position, which has been vacant for a long time, is the right position for him to take."

Zhao Xie's performance conquered Empress Dowager Gao, and even Lu Dafang and Fan Chunren dared not speak.

It’s not that they can’t find faults, there are many, but what Zhao Xie said is not wrong.

After all, Yan'an Prefecture is indeed the place that the Xixia people want most. It is a strategic location. Whoever occupies that place will have the initiative. The Xixia people will never give it up.

And for the traitor Su Yun, that place is where he can make his living, so there is no way Su Yun would give it up.

So, this dog-eat-dog situation is bound to happen?
So, what Zhao Xie said about his plan having been realized seems to be true?
They couldn't figure out the problem for the time being, so they didn't dare to refute it rashly, for fear of being laughed at. If it really succeeded, it would also damage their prestige. It would be better to wait and see. Anyway, if there was a problem, Zhao Xie would be the one to bear the blame.

So the matter was suppressed, and Empress Dowager Gao asked Zhao Xie to quickly go and appease the generals outside the palace gate.

After leaving the Chongzheng Hall, Zhao Xie's back was already soaked with sweat. At this moment, he couldn't help but admire himself: Even if Su Qin came, he might not be able to do better than me, right?

Hey.

Zhao Xie smiled secretly, then his face turned ferocious and he looked outside the palace gate with sharp eyes.

"Humph! You are a bunch of trash! You were easily deprived of your military power by Su Yun, and now you dare to come to the capital to file a complaint. Let me show you how I will punish you!"

Zhao Xie rushed out of the palace gate with a menacing momentum.

……

The generals of Yan'an Prefecture knelt in front of the palace gate and bitterly denounced Su Yun's atrocities. The surrounding officials were talking about it. When the generals heard the officials' discussions, they immediately denounced more vigorously.

The old general in the lead, with his hair and beard all standing up, complained to the officials and soldiers who came to maintain order in tears: "...Everyone, this Su Yun is so ambitious and cruel!
As soon as he arrived at Yan'an Prefecture, he showed his ferocious face. He first detained us, the generals who had fought for the Song Dynasty for many years, one by one on trumped-up charges, hoping to get rid of us as soon as possible.

Fortunately, our brothers risked their lives to save us, and we were able to escape."

He paused, his face full of grief and anger, and continued to roar: "He is even more inhumane to the soldiers in the army.

In order to expand his power, he forcibly conscripted soldiers and tortured those who disobeyed.

I heard that some soldiers who were unwilling to join his rebellious team were skinned alive and hung on the city wall for public display. The blood was dripping and it was a horrible sight!
The people of Yan'an Prefecture also suffered greatly. Su Yun allowed his men to burn, kill and loot, leaving no one alive wherever they went.

Countless families were torn apart, houses were burned down, people were displaced, and cries of grief shook the heavens. "

Another young general, with red eyes, waved his arms and added: “This Su Yun also attempted to collude with Xixia and sell out the territory of the Song Dynasty.

He had frequent private exchanges with envoys from Western Xia, discussing how to divide the land around Yan'an Prefecture.

He didn't care about the country and people of the Song Dynasty at all, nor the hard work of us soldiers who fought bravely in the battles. He only wanted to satisfy his own selfish desires and become a local emperor.

Now, he implemented harsh policies in Yan'an Prefecture and levied heavy taxes. The people could not even get a full meal, were poorly clothed, and suffered terribly.

As generals of the Song Dynasty, we watched him do evil things in Yan'an Prefecture, but we were powerless to do anything. We beg the court to make a decision for us and the people of Yan'an Prefecture and severely punish this traitor Su Yun!"

The surrounding officials listened to these accusations with expressions of shock and anger, and whispered to each other, discussing Su Yun's evil deeds.

The generals knelt on the ground, kowtowed repeatedly, their foreheads bleeding, and shouted: "If the court does not punish Su Yun, we will die with regret!"

"Waste!" Amidst the numerous chaotic voices, a clear and angry shout suddenly came out.

Everyone looked in the direction of the voice in surprise, only to see a high official in purple, Zhao Xie, striding forward menacingly on the steps of the palace gate. He looked at the generals kneeling on the ground with his eyes wide open, like an angry lion.

Zhao Xie roared angrily: "You bunch of cowards! You still have the nerve to cry here? Look at what you have done, it is simply a shame for the Song Dynasty!"

He rushed to the leading veteran general, almost poking his finger in his face, and shouted: "As generals of the imperial court, you are responsible for defending the land and protecting the people, but when the Xixia army is approaching, what are you doing?
Su Yun went to Yan'an Prefecture, intent on integrating the army and fighting foreign enemies, but what about you? You refused to cooperate and hindered military affairs because of your own selfish interests.

The situation in Yan'an Prefecture is complicated now, but you have done nothing, resulting in numerous loopholes in the defense line. Is this your explanation to the court?

You dare to speak so shamelessly here, saying that you were expelled by Su Yun. It is clearly your own incompetence that has brought shame to the court!"

Zhao Xie turned around abruptly and faced the generals, his voice resounding like a bell: "You said Su Yun was cruel to the soldiers and forcibly conscripted them?

Humph, that was a necessary measure to strengthen the Song Dynasty’s military power and defend the country in times of crisis.

As for you, you are lazy in training, your soldiers are lax, and your military equipment is in disrepair.

At the critical moment, you failed to provide the court with available troops, and now you blame Su Yun for his rectification. Do you still have any sense of shame?"

He glanced coldly at each general with a sharp gaze, his words full of contempt and anger: "Not only have you neglected your duties, but you have also wantonly spread rumors and caused trouble, disturbing the people's hearts.

Do you know how your actions make the people view the court?

How can the ministers in the court plan their strategies to resist the enemy with peace of mind?
The Song Dynasty was almost destroyed in the hands of you bunch of rubbish!
If we do not severely punish you today, how can we convince the people? How can we reassure the people of the world?
If you still don't repent and continue to make trouble here, don't blame me, Zhao Xie, for disregarding our past friendship. I will definitely punish you one by one and enforce military law!
Hurry up and get out of here, go back and reflect on your mistakes, and be prepared to accept the punishment of the court!"

Zhao Xie waved his hand and shouted, "Catch him, throw him into the Privy Council, and give him a trial!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the generals in Yan'an Prefecture cried out for injustice, but were pinned to the ground by the imperial guards.

At this time, an official nearby shouted, "Secretary Zhao, although these soldiers failed in their duties, it is probably true that Su Yun had the intention of treason, right?
It's a bit inappropriate for you to speak up for him like this."

Zhao Xie immediately glared at the official and asked, "Who are you? Do you know the inside story or do I know the inside story?
It doesn’t matter what Su Yun is like now. What matters is that the court needs him to fight against Xixia!

Apart from this important matter, everything else is secondary. Don't mess up the court's plans!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the officials suddenly fell silent.

Zhao Xie snorted upon seeing this and said, "The right and wrong of this matter will be determined by public opinion after the dust settles.

Whether Su Yun is loyal or treacherous will naturally be judged by the public in the future.

But remember, all the officials in the court are working hard for this world!

As officials, at this time when the situation is turbulent, you must support the court more, complain less, work more, instead of just standing here to watch the fun and gossip!

All of you go away, do what you need to do! If you don’t let me, I will report your dereliction of duty to the Ministry of Personnel and the Censorate, and you will all be punished!"

As soon as these words were spoken, all the officials scattered like birds and beasts.

Amidst the hustle and bustle, a ray of summer sunset shines on Zhao Xie's face.

Zhao Xie smiled slightly.

One moment he was debating with a group of scholars in the Chongzheng Hall and rejecting all objections, and the next moment he was righteously punishing the guilty general and dismissing all the officials... There is no greater highlight in life than this!

Haha, after Western Xia destroyed Su Yun, the imperial court would take advantage of the fact that Western Xia was severely damaged, and the Western Army would drive the Dangxiang army back to Western Xia under its own deployment.

Hehe, by then, I will be the white jade pillar that turns the tide of the Song Dynasty!

By then, being the Privy Councilor would only be the beginning. Maybe I could go into those three provinces to see the scenery!
(End of this chapter)