After traveling through time, I became Han Zhang’s grandson?

"Alas! This border trip can be said to have been a near failure."

Zhang Yuan's sigh echoed in the hall, and also made Mo Zang Epang's eyebrows tremble.

"Sir, are you saying that all the pawns we planted on the Song border are gone?"

Zhang Yuan sighed even more uncomfortably in response to Mo Zang Epang's question.

"How...how is this possible? Sir, you've been planning this for years, and it's never been noticed by the Song army on the border. How could it suddenly fail?"

Talking about the failure of this plan, Zhang Yuan's years of cultivating his energy could no longer suppress his anger.

"This is all Han Ming's fault!"

"Han Ming?!"

Mo Zang Epang looked at Zhang Yuan in confusion, wondering how he was related to the Shaanxi Pacification and Transport Envoy.

It turned out that ever since Zhang Yuan was invited back to Mo Zang Epang's mansion to serve as his aide, he had been planning to fight against the Song Dynasty again.

Unfortunately, at that time, Mei Zang Epang was always fighting for power and stabilizing the country, so he could not find a good opportunity at all.

It was not until Li Liangzuo ascended the throne that the internal situation of Western Xia gradually stabilized, and Zhang Yuan proposed a plan to the ambitious Mo Zang Epang.

That is to recruit the bandits and robbers on the border of Song State, bribe them with money, provide them with weapons and food, and then quietly accumulate strength, just waiting for the Western Xia to attack Song State, and then cooperate internally and externally to break through the border defense and occupy Guanzhong.

This was a huge plan designed by Zhang Yuan that was efficient and would save Xixia's military strength.

In his eyes, as long as the plan proceeds steadily and the opportunity comes, the now exhausted Western Army will most likely be able to break through the border.

By then, the entire Guanzhong region had become a territory that could be ravaged at will by the Great Xia.

This plan exactly fits Mo Zang Epang's ambition, as he has a more aggressive mentality than Li Yuanhao.

Not only did he provide manpower and food, he also planned to send his trusted generals into the enemy country to take charge of the work.

Zhang Yuanze, adhering to the principle that a gentleman should die for his friend, volunteered to carry out the plan.

In the original Shaanxi Road, due to the temporary transfer of the previous transport envoy, the current deputy envoy Xue Xiang temporarily took over the administration, resulting in a partial vacuum period.

This made Zhang Yuan see the flaw. With his eloquence, he was able to call the shots in the territory of Song State and gathered a large number of desperate criminals.

If things had gone according to plan, the border of Song State would have been infiltrated by him like a sieve.

Unfortunately, something went wrong within the Song court, but Xue Xiang was not promoted. Instead, a big boss was parachuted in.

Originally, to Zhang Yuan, Han Ming was insignificant compared to his former rival Han Zhang.

But I don't know what this guy was thinking, he suddenly demanded a complete elimination of the banditry in Shaanxi Road.

All local troops were mobilized, and like a swarm of locusts, they dug up the entire Shaanxi Province.

Relying on the dangerous terrain and spies in Shaanxi Road, Zhang Yuan led a group of bandits to resist several military encirclements in the early days.

Just when he thought the Song army would retreat, for some unknown reason, the soldiers surrounding the mountain suddenly became very motivated and attacked the mountain frantically, regardless of casualties.

What's even more immoral is that a black-faced general of the Song army, for some unknown reason, set fire to the mountain.

This made Zhang Yuan very angry. Doesn’t the other party know the power of wildfire?

Aren’t you afraid that both sides will perish in the end?

Seeing such a crazy Song army, Zhang Yuan was forced to disband the bandits and lead his confidants to flee back to Western Xia in a panic.

After listening to Zhang Yuan's experiences in recent years and the final battle, Mo Zang Epang also smiled bitterly and sighed.

"Sir, it is clear that fate is not in our hands. Don't get angry and harm your health."

Seeing that the usually arrogant Mo Zang Epang accepted the facts faster than himself, Zhang Yuan felt that he had also grown a lot.

"I was dissatisfied with the Prime Minister. I originally held a grudge against you, but seeing you now, I am greatly relieved."

It was the first time that someone looked at him with such a gratified look, and Mei Zang Epang smiled awkwardly.

Then he immediately composed himself and looked at Zhang Yuan.

"Don't worry, sir. In my opinion, that kid from Song Ting just made a mistake and caused all our efforts to go to waste."

"Since the method of cultivating an insider doesn't work, we might as well try a different approach."

Zhang Yuan, who was thinking about how to make up for his mistake, looked at Mo Zang Epang with some curiosity when he heard his words.

"Sir, since we can't do anything to the Song State with our schemes and tricks for now, why don't we take advantage of their weak position, march our elite troops across the border, and declare war directly."

Zhang Yuan frowned slightly at Mo Zang Epang's words. After all, as a professional strategist, he cared more about the gains and losses of war.

The less direct confrontation you have, the more strength you can preserve.

This is extremely important for post-war recovery and deterrence.

"Prime Minister, you know that if there is such a direct conflict, our Great Xia will also be in danger!"

Zhang Yuan was not exaggerating. After all, the roots of the two countries were there. How many resources did Xixia have to compare with the Song Dynasty?

Even in the founding war of the country, it was because the Song army had not fought for many years and was exhausted and weak, and the enemy army was divided and scheming against each other that the Song court finally made concessions and agreed to establish the country.

Today, Western Xia has also entered a state of declining people's livelihood, and there are even more problems in the army.

Otherwise, relying on the army that fought in the founding war, Zhang Yuan would have fully agreed.

"Sir, you know, Han Ming is just a young man in his early twenties, at the peak of his energy."

"The other side is vigorously promoting military reforms, which means they have the intention to conquer our Great Xia."

"If we don't nip this reform in the bud before it's complete, once they succeed, it will be a disaster for Great Xia."

"Besides, the Song army was severely damaged after the disastrous defeat that year. There is no way that a kid who hasn't even grown all his hair has the ability to change the situation."

"As long as we take the enemy by surprise and attack them when they are unprepared, we will surely succeed in one fell swoop."

Mo Zang Epang's passionate speech seemed to make Zhang Yuan see Han Ming's head hanging on the city gate tower of Xingqing Prefecture in Daxia.

But then he thought, the Song court has many capable people, and the generals guarding the border are even more powerful. Why would they let a little guy like Han Ming guard the border?

There is a problem, there is a big problem!

Zhang Yuan's caution has always been his life-saving magic weapon. It was thanks to this ability that he was able to live a carefree life to this day.

It was impossible for him to be convinced by just one sentence from Mo Zang Epang.

As a result, as soon as Mei Zang Epang finished his next sentence, the old fox took the bait.

"Sir, don't forget that this Han Ming is the grandson of Han Zhang, the former Deputy Envoy."

"Now he has reached the position of Prime Minister. If you can defeat Han Ming like you defeated Han Zhang back then, the reputation of the Song Dynasty will be completely shattered."

"And don't you want to announce to the Song Kingdom that you, the former Western Xia Grand Tutor, Minister of the Chancellery, and Minister of the Central Secretariat, are still alive?"

"Don't you want to let those Song Dynasty leaders who once looked down on you see that you are still the most powerful person?"

Mo Zang Epang's words rang in Zhang Yuan's ears like the whisper of a devil.

He couldn't help but recall his glory and majesty in the past.

That was during the Battle of Haoshuichuan in 1041, the fourth year of Yanzuo's reign in the Western Xia Dynasty.

At that time, Zhang Yuan assisted Li Yuanhao in defeating the Song army led by Ren Fu and others under Han Zhang, and the number of Song soldiers killed in the battle alone was as high as more than 10,000.

Looking at the corpses of the Song army scattered in Haoshuichuan, Xixia military advisor Zhang Yuan arrogantly wrote a poem on the wall of Jieshang Temple.

"Xia Shuo has never been so proud, and Han Zhang is not surprising enough. The river is full of dragon and tiger chariots, and they are still talking about military strategies."

He also used the mountains of corpses and seas of blood of the Song army to gain fame and honor, and his complacency was evident in his words.

He even wrote a final inscription mocking Han Zhang, signing his name with a long list of official titles: "(Western Xia) Grand Tutor, Minister of the Chancellery, and concurrently Minister of the Central Secretariat Zhang Yuan accompanied the emperor here."

This was the most glorious moment in Zhang Yuan's life. It could be said that no one in the entire Song Dynasty could surpass him.

Thinking about that old guy Han Zhang, who was the runner-up in the imperial examination, he was defeated by a poor scholar like me who failed the exam.

The resentment that had been suppressed for many years was swept away.

The Song court even reformed the imperial examination system to prevent people from failing the exam, for fear that people like Zhang Yuan would defect to the enemy country and endanger the Song Dynasty.

Zhang Yuan was moved by Mo Zang Epang's words, and the resentment and arrogance in his eyes were aroused.

"The Prime Minister is right. Han Zhang, a mere defeated general, was able to hold the position of Prime Minister. This shows that the Song court has no one left."

"He's the grandson of a loser, why should I, Zhang Yuan, be afraid?"

"If I could defeat his grandfather back then, I can take his head today."

Seeing the murderous Zhang Yuan, a hint of coldness appeared in Mo Zang Epang's eyes.

"Sir, you and I will work together to accomplish great things."

"Work together to achieve great things!"

Mo Zang Epang and Zhang Yuan looked at each other and laughed out loud, unable to conceal the madness in their eyes.

And in Mo Zang Epang's heart, a sinister idea came into being.

"As long as I can achieve a resounding victory this time, I can use this victory to suppress that brat Li Liangzuo, and he will eventually pass the throne to me."

"Then I will be the King of Xia, and Song will be the butcher's slave. This world will belong to me, the Meizang clan!"

"Hahahahahaha..."