Meishan Su family, Su Yun is the most virtuous

Chapter 401 Seize power!

Bianjing.

Dowager Gao sat behind the curtain with a stern look on her face, her eyes slowly sweeping over the ministers.

When his eyes swept over Zhao Xu who was sitting on the dragon throne, his face became even colder and he couldn't help but snort coldly.

Wen Yanbo was the first to come forward. He had an upright posture, and although he was over sixty years old, his vigor and vitality were still as strong as before.

Her voice was like a huge bell, echoing in the court: "Your Majesty, the situation in the northwest is extremely critical. Huanqing Road is of vital importance as the key point to resist the rebels.

The position of the General Manager is related to the direction of the war, so it must be handled with extreme caution."

All the ministers nodded and agreed with it.

Empress Dowager Gao nodded slightly and asked softly, "What Minister Wen said is absolutely right. In your opinion, who can take on this important task?"

Wen Yanbo pondered for a moment, glanced at Liu Zhi standing beside him, and said loudly: "I recommend Liu Zhi as the Minister of Justice.

Liu Zhongcheng had served in many places, had made remarkable political achievements, and had extensive research on Northwest affairs.

In his early years, he showed extraordinary strategy and courage in handling local affairs.

The northwest is in turmoil right now, and the situation on Huanqing Road is complicated. We need someone as calm and far-sighted as Liu Zhongcheng to go and stabilize the situation and ensure that nothing goes wrong."

As soon as these words were spoken, there was a lot of discussion in the court.

It is said that he is going to stabilize the situation, but Huanqing Road naturally already has a general manager Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu is very capable, so why does he need such a person to stabilize the situation?
So, this is just about sending someone to monitor Zhang Qie.

Some ministers showed their approval and whispered about Liu Zhi's past achievements;
Some frowned and looked doubtful.

Fan Chunren stood up, clasped his hands together, and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, Liu Zhongcheng is indeed talented, but the situation in Huanqing Road is special. General Zhang Yu has been operating in the area for many years and has many soldiers under his command.

If Liu Zhongcheng fails to coordinate properly during this trip, something unexpected may happen."

When Empress Dowager Gao heard this, her expression became stern. She looked at Liu Zhi and asked, "My dear Liu, what do you think about this?"

Liu Zhi hurriedly stepped out of the line, knelt down and kowtowed, saying earnestly: "Your Majesty, I know that the responsibility of Huanqing Road is heavy, and I also know that this journey is difficult.

But for the sake of the Song Dynasty and to quell the rebellion, I am willing to sacrifice my life.

I will act prudently and cooperate with Chief Administrator Zhang. If there are any unusual movements, I will be able to detect them in time and report them to the court."

Empress Dowager Gao stared at Liu Zhi for a moment and felt relieved to see that his eyes were firm and he had no intention of backing down.

He then turned to ask other ministers for their opinions. Although most of them still had concerns, they could not find a more suitable candidate.

Finally, Empress Dowager Gao coughed lightly and said in a deep voice: "Since this is the case, Liu Zhi will be appointed as the governor of Huanqing Road. He will set off immediately to take up his post in Huanqing Road and must live up to the trust of the court."

Liu Zhi received the order and rushed to Huanqing Road. As soon as he arrived at the post, he felt that the atmosphere was strange.

Zhang Qie led a group of his generals to greet them. On the surface, they were very polite, but their words could not hide their alienation.

That night, in Zhang Qie's tent, candlelight flickered. Wang Shunchen, Xu Jin and several other trusted generals gathered together, their faces gloomy.

Wang Shunchen slammed his fist on the table, shaking the wine cup. "First, the court transferred our 30,000 troops away, and now they sent Liu Zhi to monitor us. It's clear that they don't trust the general!"

Xu Jin also echoed: "That's right, we fought for the court, but in return we are only suspected. It's really aggrieved!"

Zhang Yu frowned, slowly stood up, and paced in the tent: "Everyone, please be patient, the situation is complicated now, and you must not act rashly.

Su Yun's rebellion has put the imperial court in a state of panic, so it is understandable that they are on guard against us."

Wang Shunchen disagreed and said anxiously: "General, we can't just sit there and wait for death.

Liu Zhi came here this time, ostensibly to monitor us, but in reality he was trying to seize power. We have to come up with a countermeasure!"

As he was talking, there was a sound of hurried footsteps outside the tent, and a soldier hurried in and knelt on one knee: "General, Liu Zhongcheng sent someone to send an invitation to invite you to a banquet tomorrow."

Zhang Qie took the invitation with a serious look.

Xu Jin sneered: "It's better not to go to this Hongmen Banquet! Maybe Liu Zhi is waiting for an excuse to deal with us!"

Zhang Yu pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice: "If I don't go, it will give people something to talk about and give the court a handle.

I will be at the banquet on time tomorrow. You all stay here and do not act on your own."

Although everyone was unwilling, they had no choice but to obey the order.

On the second day, Zhang Qie brought several trusted men to Liu Zhi's tent.

Liu Zhi greeted them warmly with a smile on his face, but Zhang Qie keenly noticed that there were hidden soldiers around the tent and the atmosphere was tense.

After three rounds of drinking, Liu Zhi changed the subject: "General Manager Zhang, I heard that the soldiers under your command have complaints about the imperial court's troop deployment?

The current situation is turbulent, and the court has no choice but to do this. I hope the general can control his subordinates and not cause trouble."

Zhang Yu was neither humble nor arrogant, and he saluted and said, "Don't worry, Liu Zhongcheng, I will strictly abide by my duties and discipline the soldiers under my command.

It’s just that the soldiers have fought for many years and have been loyal to the court. Now they are being suspected for no reason, so they can’t help but feel aggrieved.”

Liu Zhi's face suddenly changed when he heard this, but he suppressed his displeasure in an instant, raised his glass with a fake smile, and said, "General Manager Zhang is right. How could the court let down the loyal soldiers?"

This banquet was originally his opening to test Zhang Qie. Now seeing that Zhang Qie handled it flawlessly and had no intention of overstepping his boundaries, he could only endure it for the time being.

However, a few days later, Liu Zhi began to take action and made drastic adjustments to the military deployment of Huanqing Road.

He first transferred Wang Shunchen, Xu Jin and other trusted generals of Zhang Qie from their positions of commanding troops on the grounds that they had "other important tasks".

Afterwards, Liu Zhi found excuses to transfer prestigious generals in the army, such as Qi Keyong and Zhai Zhihe, to other places one by one.

As soon as the news came out, the Huanqing Road military camp was in an uproar.

The soldiers were outraged, and their discontent spread quickly like a prairie fire.

The atmosphere in Zhang Qie's tent was so solemn that it was almost suffocating.

The few generals who stayed here had angry looks on their faces and expressed their indignation in a flurry of words.

"Liu Zhi is clearly trying to dethrone the general! We have fought for the court for many years, but he is suppressing us like this. This is really too much!"

Zhang Qie's brows were tightly knitted into the shape of a deep "川" character. He looked at the dark clouded sky outside the tent and remained silent for a long time.

After a long while, he sighed and said, "I thought Liu Zhi came here just to monitor us, but I never thought he would press us so hard. It really makes the soldiers feel disappointed."

After hearing this, Xu Jin seemed to remember something. He suddenly looked anxious. He stood up abruptly, put his hands heavily on the table, and scanned the people in the tent with burning eyes. His voice was hurried and sharp: "General, brothers! Who is Su Jinglie? He is the nephew of Zhang Zongguan!
Now that Su Jinglie has openly rebelled against the imperial court, the imperial court has not yet directly taken down Zhang Zongguan, which is already quite restrained.

What about us? We are all former generals. How can the imperial court not be afraid of us? "

He paused, licked his dry lips, veins popping out on his forehead: "In the past few days, Liu Zhi has been mobilizing troops and sending generals, pressing forward step by step, and his intentions are obvious.

Now that our military power has been stripped away, if the imperial court really believes that we will defect to Yan'an Prefecture, given the imperial court's character, they will definitely do it without hesitation.

Once they have completely seized our military power, they might put us all in jail or even kill us the next second!
By then, we won't even have the chance to resist and can only be slaughtered by others. Isn't this a huge disaster?"

Xu Jin's words were like a heavy hammer, hitting the hearts of everyone in the tent.

The tent suddenly became quiet, with only the occasional crackling sound of the candlelight adding a bit of heaviness to the depressing atmosphere.

The anger on Wang Shunchen's face froze instantly, and a trace of fear flashed in his eyes: "Brother Xu is absolutely right!

The imperial court has already started to suspect us. If they really think we will rebel, once they start, we will be doomed!"

Zhai Zhihe crossed his arms, frowned, and said in a deep voice: "We have always been loyal to the court. Even when Su Yun rebelled, we never had second thoughts. How could the court be so suspicious?"

Zhang Qie slowly turned around, his eyes like torches, and scanned the crowd: "Everyone, don't lose your composure.

Although Su Yun is my nephew-in-law, my Zhang family has been loyal for generations and has never had the intention of treason. I have also made my position clear many times.

Even if the imperial court has some doubts, they won’t kill us just based on this.”

Xu Jin's face was filled with anxiety, and he took a step forward: "General, people's minds are hard to predict! Liu Zhi is pressing us step by step, transferring our trusted people away, and the next step might be to attack us.

Rather than sit and wait for death, we should take the initiative!"

When everyone in the tent heard this, they began to whisper to each other with uncertain expressions, and many of them showed hesitation in their eyes.

Zhang Qie slammed the table and said in a low but dignified voice: "Don't talk nonsense! If you act rashly, it will play into the hands of the court and confirm the crime of treason.

Wouldn’t all our years of loyalty and dedication be wasted?

Not to mention that most of our soldiers are concerned about the imperial court. If we launch an uprising rashly, how many people will follow us?

Once we fall into civil strife, the Su Yun rebels will surely take advantage of the situation and invade, and the people of the northwest will be plunged into dire straits. How can we be worthy of our ancestors and the people of the Song Dynasty? "

After hearing what Zhang Qie said, everyone lowered their heads and fell into deep thought.

At this moment, there was a sudden noise outside the tent. A soldier looked panicked and hurried in to report: "General, Liu Zhongcheng sent someone again, saying that there is an urgent military matter and wants you to go and discuss it immediately!" Zhang Qi's face darkened, and he had an ominous premonition in his heart.

Xu Jin sneered: "See, maybe this is Liu Zhi's Hongmen Banquet. If you go there, I'm afraid it will be dangerous!"

Zhang Yu took a deep breath, his eyes firm: "I have nothing to be ashamed of, so why should I be afraid? I will go meet Liu Zhi and see what he wants to do!
You must stay here and guard the camp strictly. Do not act rashly without my order!"

After saying that, Zhang Qie straightened his clothes and armor, strode out of the tent, and his figure disappeared into the night.

Everyone in the tent was nervous.

At the same time, the lights in Liu Zhi's tent were bright.

Trusted aides sat around and offered suggestions.

"Jinglüe, Zhang Qie has a very high prestige in the army. If we act this way, he will probably not easily swallow this anger."

An aide said worriedly.

Liu Zhi sneered, picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said, "If he knows what's best for him and cooperates, it won't be a problem;

If you dare to resist, you will be openly defying the Holy Order, and then all old and new accounts will be settled together!"

When Zhang Yu stepped into Liu Zhi's tent, he saw the flickering candlelight inside the tent, making Liu Zhi's shadow long and slanted, like a dormant beast.

Liu Zhi smiled and came forward enthusiastically: "General Manager Zhang, thank you for coming so late. The military situation is urgent."

Having said that, Zhang Qie was keenly aware that there was an unusual atmosphere of murderous intent in the tent. The guards around him had alert eyes, hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to act at any time.

The two men sat down as host and guest. Liu Zhi waved his hand, and the attendants filed out and lowered the tent curtain.

Although the servants had gone out, the atmosphere in the tent became increasingly solemn, as if even the air had frozen.

Liu Zhi picked up the wine glass and shook it gently, staring at Zhang Yu vaguely: "General Manager Zhang, I heard that the soldiers under your command are quite dissatisfied with the recent personnel transfers?

This is absolutely unacceptable. Now that Su Yun's rebellion has not been quelled, if the internal situation is disrupted first, how can we resist the external enemy?"

Zhang Yu was not in a hurry and responded with a cupped hand: "Liu Zhongcheng, the soldiers have served the country for many years. It is inevitable that they have some thoughts in their hearts after experiencing such a sudden change.

But I will definitely control them and never let them interfere with the court's affairs."

Hearing this, Liu Zhi raised his lips slightly, revealing a meaningful smile: "I hope so. Chief Zhang, to be honest, the court received a secret report that someone claimed that you and Su Yun were secretly communicating.

I have suppressed this secret report out of consideration for your loyalty over the years, but if this matter were to get to the ears of the Queen Mother and Your Majesty, the consequences would be disastrous."

Zhang Yu's heart trembled, knowing that this was Liu Zhi's test, and he immediately stood up and said loudly: "Liu Zhongcheng, please understand! Su Yun's rebellion against the Song Dynasty is hated by both humans and gods. I, Zhang Yu, have been favored by the court for generations, so how could I do such a treasonous thing?
If I tell you even a lie, I will be punished with death!"

Seeing this, Liu Zhi laughed and said, "General Manager Zhang, you don't have to be like this. I naturally believe you. But there are good and bad people in this army, and it is inevitable that some people have ulterior motives. General Manager needs to be more careful."

Liu Zhi's laughter gradually stopped, and his eyes suddenly became as sharp as an eagle, locking tightly on Zhang Qie. His tone seemed nonchalant, but in fact it was a sharp knife hidden.

"Manager Zhang, since you are so loyal, the important task of collecting grain and fodder for Huanqing Road will be entrusted to you.

As for the military deployment, I will make proper arrangements, and you don't need to worry about it anymore."

These light words were like a heavy punch, hitting Zhang Qie directly in the chest.

Zhang Yu's heart was shocked but he pretended to be calm on his face. He knew in his heart that this was Liu Zhi's first step to completely deprive him of his military power.

Before Zhang Qie could respond, Liu Zhi added casually, "Oh, by the way, Wang Shunchen, Xu Jin and other generals will also help you collect food and grass.

They are all talented people who can be used and will surely be able to show their talents in this area.”

Zhang Yu frowned slightly, and his hands unconsciously clenched into fists. However, he had to suppress the anger in his heart, and said with a cupped hand: "Since the governor has made arrangements, I will obey them."

Zhang Qie returned to the tent and told everyone what had happened, and the tent immediately exploded.

Wang Shunchen was immediately furious, punched the pillar hard, and shouted: "Liu Zhi is really going too far!
This is clearly an attempt to uproot us and completely seize our military power!"

Xu Jin's face flushed red, his eyes burning with anger, and he said quickly: "General, we can't just sit there and wait to die!

While we still have some military strength, let's just rebel!

If we take Huanqing Road, we will be able to surrender to the Jinglüe in one fell swoop. The Jinglüe has already controlled Yan'an Prefecture. We will merge Huanqing Road with it, and then the Northwest will be ours!

By then, with the ability of the general manager and your talent, we will be able to occupy the entire northwest. With Guanzhong as our base, we may be able to create another Xixia, and we can be considered the king of the land!"

Qi Keyong and the others were also shocked and angry, and they all echoed: "That's right, rather than letting others slaughter us, we'd better fight to the death!"

Zhang Yu looked solemn as he paced back and forth in the tent. After thinking for a long time, he suddenly stopped and scanned the crowd with his sharp eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Calm down!

Everyone here has been loyal for generations and has been deeply favored by the court. How could they bear the eternal infamy of treason because of a momentary impulse?
If they start a rebellion, not only will the lives of the entire Zhang family be in danger, but countless innocent people will also be caught up in the flames of war and suffer."

Wang Shunchen's eyes turned red with anxiety, and he shouted, "General, Liu Zhi is pressing us step by step. If we don't resist, he will kill us sooner or later!"

Zhang Qie sighed and said in a heavy tone: "I understand everyone's feelings, but acting impulsively at this moment has fallen into Liu Zhi's trap.

Let us be patient for now and wait for the right time to prove our loyalty to the court."

Although everyone was unwilling, they also knew that what Zhang Qi said made sense, so they could only swallow their anger in silence.

A few days later, at the grain and fodder collection office on Huanqing Road.

Zhang Qie led Wang Shunchen and others to carry out their work in an orderly manner.

On the surface, everything went according to plan and nothing unusual happened, but secretly, undercurrents were surging within the Huanqing Road army and discontent was growing wildly like weeds.

……

Hezhong Mansion.

Previously, Zhao Xie was ordered to suppress the rebellion in Yan'an Prefecture. He led tens of thousands of imperial guards and had just arrived in Hezhong Prefecture when he heard that Zhang Meng's 20,000 troops had been annihilated and Zhong Pu's 30,000 troops in Huanqing Road had been instigated to rebel.

This series of bad news was like a bolt from the blue, which frightened Zhao Xie so much that he hesitated and ordered the imperial guards to stay in Hezhong Prefecture.

Tens of thousands of imperial guards acted recklessly in Hezhong Prefecture, eating and taking things.

All the rice, grain and livestock in the city were looted, and the people suffered terribly.

Officials of Hezhong Prefecture appealed to Zhao Xie many times, but he turned them away on the grounds of "military secrets."

The old prefect risked his life to ask for an audience, and said in tears: "General, what the imperial guards did has made the people homeless and miserable.

How can we allow the people to suffer in dire straits when the rebellion has not yet been quelled?"

Zhao Xie waved his hand impatiently and said perfunctorily: "I have my own arrangements, you don't need to say more!"

The prefect was ruthlessly dismissed by Zhao Xie and left the tent in a daze.

Zhao Xie's adviser said: "The actions of the soldiers have already caused resentment among the people of Hezhong Prefecture. If we let the situation develop, we will be in chaos even without the rebels attacking.

The supply of food and fodder depends on the people. If the people are resentful, how can we support the subsequent battles?"

Zhao Xie frowned, feeling annoyed, and scolded: "The situation ahead is unclear, and if we are not careful, our entire army will be wiped out.

I am keeping my troops in place to preserve my strength. You are just a small soldier, what do you know? "

The military officer naturally didn't understand that Zhao Xie's mind was not on fighting at the moment. He just wanted to withdraw his troops quickly and not seriously confront Su Yun's rebels.

Zhang Meng's army, known as the strongest in the northwest, could not resist the rebels in Yan'an Prefecture. How could the tens of thousands of pampered Beijing soldiers he led defeat them?
So it is impossible to fight a war, so morale and so on are of no use.

However, not long after, a piece of news came that made Zhao Xie secretly happy - Wen Yanbo was here!

When Wen Yanbo arrived at Hezhong Prefecture and entered the tent, his expression was stern and his eyes were sharp. He immediately announced that Zhao Xie's military power would be taken back.

Zhao Xie did not say anything, but cooperated and handed over the military token, saying with a big smile on his face: "It is a blessing for the northwest that Duke Wenlu is here in person.

My ability is limited, and I have long been looking forward to Duke Wen Lu taking charge of the situation."

Wen Yanbo frowned slightly, his eyes lingering on Zhao Xie's face for a moment, as if he could see through his thoughts, but he said nothing.

However, just as Zhao Xie was secretly rejoicing, imperial edicts came one after another.

When the official who read out the imperial edict said "Appoint Zhao Xie as the prefect of Yanzhou", the smile on Zhao Xie's face instantly froze, like a wooden sculpture or clay statue.

Yanzhou is now the stronghold of Su Yun's rebels. This imperial edict is undoubtedly a punishment from the court for his passive avoidance of war.

Wen Yanbo didn't care what Zhao Xie thought and turned around to devote himself to the reorganization of the army.

He got up before dawn every day, patrolled the camp, checked the soldiers' training and living conditions, and solved any problems he found on the spot.

Under his strict requirements, the military discipline of Hezhong Prefecture gradually became stricter and the morale gradually improved.

(End of this chapter)