Chapter 6 　　

Daoist, this game of chess was Xiao Wang's luck!In a Taoist temple not far from Yujin Garden, Zhao Hao said to Li Changji with a smile.In front of the two of them, there was a black and white chess game. Li Changji threw the sunspots in his hand into the small chess basket, and said with a smile: "It's Pindao who lost." I heard that Shi Yue's wife has left for Beijing.Zhao Hao said casually. oh?The dispute between the court and China was still undecided, so his family members were called into the capital first.After all, Shi Yue had no choice but to use Shi Yue today.Li Changji smiled as he picked up the chess pieces one by one.

Zhao Hao smiled, and said: The Daoist priest's idea, I have already spoken to the queen mother according to the words.And I have already told the queen mother that Gu is just worried about state affairs, and I don't want to make my brother feel suspicious because of his false fame, so I want to ask the queen mother to turn to Bai Yuhuang brother. That's right.Li Changji said lightly. The Taoist priest said that the emperor would know that it was Gu's words?Although Zhao Hao wanted to hide his concern, he seemed a little bit overwhelmed.It's not that he doesn't care about false fame.

Naturally will know.Li Changji glanced at Zhao Hao with a half-smile, and said slowly: "Chen Yuanfeng is only a famous judge, within Jiuchong, how do you know this person?"And how do you know that this person has a good relationship with Lu Huiqing, Su and Shi Yue have a heart-to-heart knot?Today is a very intelligent and enlightened person, how can this level be hidden from him? He shook his head secretly, Zhao Hao is not as good as Nai brother after all among the three brothers of the Zhaoguan family.After Zhao Xu thought of this verse, he would inevitably ask the servants in the palace, who the queen mother has summoned during this period of time, that is something that can be known.

Not only the emperor will know, but it won't take long before things will spread. Bianjing City is the place where these rumors are spread the most. After a few months, it will be known to the officials and the people that King Chang has made a plan. Why!Zhao Hao sighed in disbelief, and said: "Brothers are far apart, and this is the end." Pindao is still the idea.Li Changji put the last chess piece into the basket, and said: Your Majesty should not only keep a low profile, but also collect his reputation.Asking for land and asking for homes is not a big deal.Your Majesty only needs to act with the heart of serving the country and the country in everything, and give credit to others as much as possible for everything that has been built, and avoid false names.As long as this is the case, although the king does not want to be famous, he can be famous.The emperor may have suspicions at first, but after a long time, he will not believe him.As for the rest of the matter, I have a poor way to take care of the king.Having said that, he paused for a while, stared at Zhao Hao, and said leisurely: If the destiny is in the king's hands, then such management will surely see results.If the destiny is not with the king, he can protect his family with his whole body and leave his name in the annals of history.

The Chongzheng Hall, which was almost dusk, looked a little gloomy. At this time, there were only Zhao Xu with a tense face and a servant kneeling in front of him in the hall, looking more and more serious. King Chang!Zhao Xu's face was as cold as ice for a thousand years. The slaves dare not lie to the emperor.The servant said tremblingly: This servant is close to Song Lai from Baoci Palace. He saw with his own eyes yesterday that the Empress Dowager summoned King Chang, and he turned his back on the maids and talked for a while.Later, Chen Yan specially ordered him not to spread any rumors.

Chen Yan was a trusted eunuch of Empress Dowager Gao, and Zhao Xu knew about it.With the status of the servant in front of him, if there is no evidence, lend him the courage, and he will never dare to frame someone like Chen Yan indiscriminately.Therefore, Zhao Xu already believed in eight or nine points in his heart.No wonder the queen mother knew about a mere daming mansion!Chen Yuanfeng was recommended by Lu Huiqing. The queen mother had always disliked Lu Huiqing, but this time she even recommended Chen Yuanfeng, and she was compared with Fan Chunren. If there were no words from King Chang, it would be impossible for Zhao Xu to think about it in his heart, but his face became more and more serious. Uglier.

When did his younger brother have such a strategy? Zhao Hao is well known to him. He speaks of far-fetched principles, abides by the laws of his ancestors, and praises moral men. These aspects can indeed be called a virtuous king. Is there anything that King Chang can figure out? When did he actually grow up! If this suggestion had been advocated by the Empress Dowager, the beauty of it would not have been seen.If Zhao Hao built the Ming, then the beauty of it doesn't stop there?The few candidates he recommended actually took into account the interests of almost all the forces in the DPRK!Even the Queen's family didn't miss it!

Fortunately, he also knows not to sell this!Zhao Xu said coldly in his heart.The little servant kneeling at the emperor's feet suddenly shuddered. After Wen Yanbo came out from the Chongzheng Hall, seeing that it was getting late, he went straight out of the imperial city and rode back to his mansion.Judging from the content of the Chongzheng Hall's conversation with the emperor, Wen Yanbo guessed that the emperor had basically made up his mind about Shi Yue's becoming handsome.However, the tradition of general imperialism has always been deeply rooted in the emperor, although his performance has a certain degree of restraint.It is beyond reproach that the Privy Council recommends the commanders of various soldiers and horses.However, Wen Yanbo believed that he should listen more to the opinions of Shaanxi generals in terms of troop allocation, troop routes, and strategic goals of various troops.The imperial court has arranged everything properly, so what is the use of the coach Shi Yue?Moreover, the battle situation is unpredictable, if the commander does not have considerable decision-making power, it is very easy to miss the military plan.But the current emperor sometimes seems to wish he could lead his troops to conquer himself.

I hope that Shi Yue can have a little courage to act arbitrarily.Wen Yanbo thought almost contradictoryly.As the privy envoy of the Song Dynasty and the highest officer of the national army, Wen Yanbo believed that he had the responsibility to give the commander in front a relatively relaxed environment.But persuading the emperor to overcome his habit of directing war was no easy task.In a certain period of time, the emperor may suddenly wake up, but after a while, he will relapse.Some people think that it is the ancestral family law of the Song Dynasty to rule from the middle, but Wen Yanbo thinks it is just the emperor's character.Emperor Taizong and the current emperor, to say it disrespectfully, are unavoidably a little ambitious and talented, so they especially like to be controlled by generals, but Emperor Taizu, Emperor Renzong, and even Emperor Zhenzong did not have such a habit.Emperor Yingzong, who had not been on the throne for a long time, did not see such a tendency.

But even so, battling the emperor's bad habits was a rather troubling thing. Xianggong, Lord Wu, Shangshu of the Ministry of War, asks to see you.As soon as Wen Yanbo dismounted, his family members came to report.Master Wu has been waiting for Xiaoge in the living room for an hour. knew.Wen Yanbo was a little strange, but he ordered calmly: lead the way quickly.Tell Madam, stay Master Wu at home for dinner. This is what Wen Yanbo said and walked to the living room.Not long after, he arrived at the living room, and saw Wu Chong sitting there, but his brows were furrowed, as if he was absent-minded.Wen Yanbo didn't even notice it when he approached.

Chong Qing, I've been waiting for a long time.As Wen Yanbo walked into the living room, he clasped his fists at Wu Chong and said with a smile. Wu Chong came to his senses, stood up hurriedly, bowed back, and said with a sigh of relief: "Mr. Wen is back."Without waiting for Wen Yanbo to speak, Wu Chong said again: "The lower officials dare not talk about those empty articles. They really have something important to ask Wen Gong for advice." What's the matter?Wen Yanbo also rarely saw Wu Chong in such a anxious manner.Could it be that there was a mutiny somewhere?After finishing speaking, he sneered at himself, if there was a mutiny, Wu Chong would go to the emperor first. Sure enough, Wu Chong sighed and said with a wry smile: It's a bit more serious than a small mutiny.The official party secretary stepped up the paperwork, and there were two incompetent military officers in the Chang'an mansion official office, who secretly assassinated Ren Duohan's envoy. How big is this?Wen Yanbo smiled disapprovingly, Shi Yue can't deal with this matter? Of these two small military officers, one belongs to the Chong family and the other belongs to the Yao family.The messenger who was assassinated was Wen Huan.Wu Chong just couldn't help smiling bitterly. Wen Huan?Wen Yanbo was astonished. Exactly.Wen Huan was seriously injured, and his life and death are uncertain.Wu Chong said that if such a thing happened in the Ministry of War, the subordinate officials would have no face to continue to be the Minister of the Ministry of War.From the staff secretary to the relevant chief officials, none of them can get away with it.Needless to say.But how to deal with the two criminals is very difficult.At this juncture, such a thing happened! The Song Dynasty has its own laws and regulations!Chongqing, why are you so confused?Wen Yanbo slammed his palm on the table and shouted sharply. Wu Chong was taken aback. What about the Chong family and the Yao family?Do they dare to rebel? !Wen Yanbo said with a sullen face, if this matter is not punished, how can the country's laws exist?If it is appeasement, the disaster will be even worse than the feudal town.Chong Qing just went back to the mansion, waiting for all kinds of apologies from Zhu Yao, to see who would dare to intercede for his nephew?Shi Yue and Weiwei Temple will also hand over their memorials.The Great Song Dynasty is not the late Tang Dynasty, and there is no room for warriors to do anything wrong! It's just that the use of troops is imminent, which may shake the morale of the army.Do you want to suppress it and punish it after the battle?Wu Chong tentatively discussed. Wen Yanbo looked at Wu Chong and sighed: Chong Qing is so confused!After the battle, is there any reason not to make meritorious service in planting Yao?At that time, the situation will change, and it will be difficult to punish these two people again, it will be tantamount to appeasement!If I were Shi Yue, in Chang'an, I would be the first to behead these two men!To investigate after the war is to investigate how many accomplices are behind the scenes! Wu Chong didn't expect Wen Yanbo's attitude to be so firm, but he was a bit unexpected.If it was another person, Wu Chong would suspect that he was targeting him.After all, as Minister of the Ministry of War, Wu Chong also hoped to save some face for the Ministry of War.In addition, he also confirmed that when employing people, he should be kind to generals like Zhong and Yao. But Wen Yanbo has no scruples, and said: If the war is not imminent, the case should be dealt with and the staff should be rectified.This kind of thing is too much, and it must never be done again!However, it is inconvenient to involve too much in this fashion.The only way to appease Ren Duo is to punish the second offender first and deter the latter.Face to face tomorrow, Chong Qing must make up his mind! Wen Yanbo spoke so aggressively, Wu Chong couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable.Although Wen Yanbo was a veteran of the three dynasties and a privy envoy, in terms of seniority and status, he was indeed higher than himself.However, Wu Chong was also a political adviser and Minister of the Ministry of War. He was also a veteran of the three dynasties, and he was not a subordinate of Wen Yanbo in the Privy Council.Wu Chong has no intention of being in love with Zhan, but he can't help but have a little selfishness. He hopes that the Ministry of War can have a perfect record during his term of office.So from a public point of view, he was indeed worried that this matter would have a negative impact on Faxia; from a private point of view, he hoped that this matter could be resolved with dignity.That's why they hurriedly came to Wen Yanbo to discuss the matter early tomorrow morning. This matter must be reported to the emperor. Only with Wen Yanbo's understanding in advance can a decent solution to the problem become possible. But Wen Yanbo's attitude made Wu Chong very disappointed.He concealed his displeasure, and replied vaguely: The next official will be cautious.According to the official document, Zhe Keshi personally experienced this matter, and he will be in the capital in two days, so maybe you should ask him for clarification.In short, it must be done without neglect. Is it suitable for folding?Wen Yanbo was stunned and said: What is he doing in Chang'an? Both Wen Yanbo and Wu Chong were a little surprised that Zhe Keshi arrived in the capital the next day. Almost at the same time, he arrived at the capital with him, as well as Shi Yue's memorial and Zhong, and Yao's two generals. apology form.Zhao Xu was very annoyed when something like this happened suddenly when he was about to use his troops on a large scale.Although this matter involved military aircraft, only a few people in a very small range knew about it.But the emperor had to deal with it carefully. However, the Song court seemed to be a place where dissidents coexisted.Even if only the important chiefs of the Privy Council, the Ministry of War, and Weiwei Temple know about things, there will still be differences of opinion: Privy envoy Wen Yanbo and Tongzhi Privy Council member Sun Gu insisted that they should be punished by military law. To be an example to others; while Lu Gong, a member of the Privy Council of Tongzhi, and Wu Chong, Minister of the Ministry of War, believed that they should be imprisoned first, and then dealt with after the Xia incident, so as not to shake the morale of the army.In addition, several Fubu temple chiefs with backgrounds in the army simply believed that the circumstances and crimes were justifiable, and they advocated pardoning the two and allowing them to perform their crimes and meritorious deeds. Zhao Xu is more inclined to the opinions of Lu Gongzhu and Wu Chong.Although he didn't believe that the Zhong and Yao families had the possibility and strength to rebel, he also had something to worry about.Generally speaking, when people are needed, they should be given grace.Killing his family members at this time is likely to affect the morale of the courtiers, making them unable to do their best to repay the emperor's favor on the battlefield.Whether it is to put them in prison first, and then release them after they have made meritorious service; or directly let them serve the battlefield as guilty, it is an effective means to win the loyalty of courtiers.This kind of wrist has been commonly used by emperors and generals of all dynasties.Zhao Xu could almost imagine how grateful the Zhong and Yao families were when they were pardoned. However, Wen Yanbo and Sun Gu's determination made him quite embarrassed.And Shi Yue's memorial also has a clear attitude towards this.After reading Shi Yue's memorial carefully, it is clear that the two young military officials have already been convicted, and the crime is unforgivable. Their reasons are also very convincing. The ancestral family law of the royal family of the Song Dynasty, the most taboo is the disaster of the feudal town. The so-called calamity of the feudal town, in other words, is the chaos of the warriors. At that time, Shi Yue pointed out in front of Zhao Xu that the most important thing in the army is discipline and loyalty.Therefore, the first thing that the martial arts school should teach students is discipline.And loyalty comes from honor and promotion. The reform of the military system in the Song Dynasty, to a certain extent, can also be said to be a deepening and reform of the concept of army building since Song Taizu.The military laws appointed by Song Taizu put the most emphasis on discipline and obedience.The reform of the military system since Xining has further deepened this concept. Zhao Xu agreed with Shi Yue's opinion very much in his heart: if discipline and loyalty can be engraved into the bones of warriors, then the country will have warriors capable of fighting without the danger of warriors. Is it worth sacrificing the authority of military discipline because of the emperor's power? Which is more important, short-term benefit or long-term benefit?When Sun Gu spoke to the emperor, it could be described as presumptuous. While carefully avoiding the spittle that almost splashed on his face, Zhao Xu listened to Sun Gu's fierce words: Your Majesty, if it is for the sake of the city It is really short-sighted to corrupt the law and discipline!As a master, as long as the rewards and punishments are strict, the subjects will naturally be convinced.Rewards are not rewarded, punishments are not punished, all cause disasters otherwise!Wu Chong didn't wait for Sun Gu to finish speaking, he interrupted and retorted: "Everything has its own authority, and the laws of the country are nothing more than human feelings."Is there no reason for the second criminal to assassinate?Was there no mercy?And postponing the disposal is not without punishment, but an expedient measure, so as not to frustrate the border ministers.Ministers are not officials with swords and pens, but how can they stick to the laws and don't know how to adapt?Master Sun's words are actually the words of the Legalists.The art of Shang Shen deviates from the sacred teaching, what is there to rely on? His Majesty!Sun Guzheng didn't even look at Wu Chong, bowed his hands to Zhao Xu, and said sharply: "Wu Chong is a treacherous minister, what do you say!"The humble ministers were taught by themselves, and they dared not violate the teachings of the saints. "The Analects of Confucius" says that politicians are righteous. "Zhenguan Zhengyao" has a saying that if a husband can be polite and a minister can be loyal, he must be selfless inside and outside, and believe in it from top to bottom.It is also said that if you want to make a gentleman and a villain clear of right and wrong, you must treat him with virtue, treat him with faith, be strict with righteousness, and behave with courtesy.If the punishment is not as good as that of the guilty, the period of peril may not be guaranteed. What is the hope of Yongxi Zuoyin!Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty did not use power to control his subordinates, but had the rule of Zhenguan, and he was the lord of a generation.But why is the minister wanting to guide His Majesty to be honest and use power?What's more, did the calamity of Tang's feudal towns come about in one day?Gai is also a proud soldier and a mighty general, relying on his achievements to sell favors, and those in the upper ranks cannot guard against the passing of time, resulting in the gradual deterioration of the laws and regulations, and finally irreparable.What happened today is the time to prevent the erroneous from happening! As a minister, Wu Chong doesn't know the general situation, and uses sorcery to guide the master. Your Majesty, I beg your Majesty, to get away from this treacherous villain quickly!Wen Yanbo was also extremely dissatisfied with Wu Chong, and he showed no mercy.From his point of view, refusing him face to face, but turning around in front of the emperor was another way of speaking, which is indeed the behavior of a villain. The sharp words of Sun Gu and Wen Yanbo made Wu Chong's old face swell red, his snow-white beard trembled with anger, he knelt down with a plop, and tremblingly said: I have served Your Majesty for more than ten years. , No contribution to the community, no benefit to the sage, no tolerance to peers, dead body vegetarian meal, ashamed to Your Majesty!The minister is guilty, and the minister dare not say anything else, but I hope that your majesty will remember that the minister is old, and Xu Chen will be appointed, and the minister will always feel the grace of your majesty.After finishing speaking, I was already in tears. Zhao Xu only felt his head buzzing. Zhao Xu is all too familiar with the story of mutual attacks caused by differences of opinion, self-proclaimed gentleman, and the other party as villain and treacherous minister, and finally quarreled with each other, and simply resigned from office.He looked at his confidants a little annoyed.In all fairness, he couldn't tell who was right and who was wrong.Of course Wu Chong is not a traitor, at least he, Zhao Xu, believes that he still has this basic sense of judgment. Even Sun Gu and Wen Yanbo may not think so in his heart; but are Sun Gu and Wen Yanbo wrong?That may not be the case. Of course, who is right and who is wrong may not be as important as imagined. However, killing the family members of important generals before the war is enough to make people worry, but it is even worse for the Shangshu of the Ministry of War to put down the pick at this time.Not only do a lot of things in the Ministry of War require a capable and prestigious Minister of the Ministry of War, but such a situation is likely to deepen the resentment of the subjects towards the emperor or fear that the emperor will kill his family even if a minister of the Ministry of War is appointed. What kind of psychological hints to the Zhong family and the Yao family? Do you want these generals to be unable to sleep every night? In that case, I am afraid that Zhao Xu himself will not be able to sleep peacefully. But Wen Yanbo and Sun Gu were not so easy to dismiss. Wu Chong didn't take the Ministry of War Shangshu to heart, so would Wen Yanbo and Sun Gu care more about the privy envoys and Tongzhi Privy Council affairs?Although these two positions are the unattainable goals that countless people pursue throughout their lives, for Zhao Xu, who understands Wen Yanbo and Sun Gu's temperament, he knows very clearly that an official position above tens of millions of people under this person, Never let them wrong themselves too much. Wen Yanbo's reputation is already high, and he doesn't have much to pursue; but Sun Gu is a person who values ​​fame more than official position.In any case, let's talk about a handful of slime first. Zhao Xu thought helplessly. Zhe Keshi observed the daily training of the imperial guard class with great interest.He is full of curiosity about these legendary Ouchi guards who are highly skilled in martial arts, brave and good at fighting.There are eleven squads in the Royal Guards, seven of which are knights with armor and three without armor. The Guards are a completely different military force.All members of the imperial bodyguard class must be the children of martyrs!In other words, this is an army of war orphans.Among the various squads, the imperial bodyguard squad, the most elite and most trusted palace commander squad, and the inner palace squad composed of military officials' children constitute the three military forces most trusted by His Majesty the Emperor of the Song Dynasty. The Ouchi bodyguard among the Ouchi bodyguards! Ordinary soldiers in the imperial guard class, after serving the emperor for about four or five years, most of them will enter the martial arts school for training. After graduation, they will be dispatched by the emperor to various troops to serve as commanders and deputy commanders. .Or enter the Weiwei Temple system and become the chief military judge at the battalion level, the so-called Marquis of Yuying. These people, from a certain point of view, are not only the armed forces to protect the personal safety of the emperor, but also the armed forces to defend the safety of the emperor's regime.Through such a flow of personnel, the emperor can effectively place his cronies directly in each army, thereby strengthening his control over the army. Therefore, Zhe Keshi did not dare to underestimate these big inner guards.But he also couldn't avoid evaluating these Habayashi orphans from the perspective of a soldier. What he saw were the 330 imperial guards from the third class of the east.A squad is equivalent to a commander in the Forbidden Army, with 330 people, which is the basic establishment of a cavalry commander in the Forbidden Army. There are three hundred pairs of wooden horses neatly placed on the school grounds.Zhe Keshi can tell at a glance: the height and size of the wooden horse are almost exactly the same as that of an ordinary war horse.Habayashi orphans take the capital as the unit and divide it into three parts for training.The training was presided over by the military envoy of the capital leading the military envoy of the capital, two Chenggou of the capital, and general Yuhou, the military judge of each capital.Zhe Keshi was a little surprised that all officers below General Shi had to participate in the drill without exception, because in Hedong, during the drill at the command level, the military officer at the level of Dashi was to assist in presiding over the drill. The soldiers were neatly dressed in armor and holding spears, standing neatly on the left side of the wooden horse. The Deputy Capital Envoy roared: Get on your horse! The soldiers hung their guns on the side of the horse neatly and quickly, and jumped on the horse.Hundreds of people made this action together, showing a breathtaking momentum. dismount!The Deputy Capital Envoy roared again. Take the gun, change hands, turn over and dismount from the right side, all in one go! The sound of hundreds of soldiers getting off their horses and stepping on the ground made Zhe Keshi feel the ground tremble under his feet. Get on the horse! dismount! Get on the horse! dismount! The deputy capital envoy kept yelling, the soldiers mounted from the left side, dismounted from the right side, mounted from the right side, dismounted from the left side; dismounted from the back, and so on, repeating this seemingly simple action over and over again. action. Holding whips in their hands, the two contractors stared at the school grounds.A certain soldier was a little slower, then ran over quickly, and whipped him on the head.The orphan Habayashi who was beaten didn't dare to scream, but endured the pain and continued to mount and dismount! Zhe Keshi is very aware of the cruelty of this simple training. The Hedong Army has never had this kind of training. Most of the cavalry in the Hedong Army are used to riding horses since childhood, and their cavalry are not armored. Therefore, they usually train and pay more attention to the accuracy of shooting and the accuracy of horses. Technically speaking, they do not need to practice the skills of dismounting and dismounting.But the discipline brought about by this kind of training is not comparable to that of the Hedong Army.Moreover, Zhe Keshi thought to himself, even if the Hedong soldiers were proficient in dismounting and dismounting horses, they might not be able to beat these Yulin orphans. Does the imperial guard class only use wooden horses for training?Zhe Keshi tentatively asked the little servant accompanying him. The little waiter said with a shrill voice: Master Zhe was joking, how can we fight with only wooden horses?It's just that war horses are hard-won, so we have to cherish them.Charging with a spear, riding and shooting, throwing thunderbolts, all of which inevitably require real horses. I see.Zhe Ke expressed his gratitude in a neither humble nor overbearing way, but a kind of jealousy was born in his heart.Since the Song Army invented the tactic of throwing thunderbolt bombs, the Hedong armies have hoped to be equipped with this powerful weapon more than once, but they have never been able to win the quota.The Song Army is divided by region, and it can be said that there are actually several systems: the Gyeonggi Army, the Western Army, the Hebei Army, the Hedong Army, and the Southeast Army.Among the five major army groups, the existence of the Hedong Army has always been a bit embarrassing: it goes without saying that the Gyeonggi armies have the advantage of being close to the water; The most powerful enemy of the Song Dynasty was directly related to the safety of the capital, so it was naturally impossible to be ignored; the southeastern armies were nothing more than maintaining local law and order and suppressing small rebellions. They had never had a powerful enemy, and they were used to being underestimated; The Hedong army, sandwiched between Xixia and Khitan, took on a lot more responsibilities than others, but what they got, they always had to pick what was left by others.Even the equipment of the Shenwei Battalion stationed in Hedong is worse than that in Shaanxi.Moreover, Zhe Keshi had heard privately that the Shenwei Battalion stationed in Hedong was composed of a group of people with the worst grades in the martial arts school. Ouchi guards are Ouchi guards!Zhe Keshi looked at the imperial guards training on the school field, and thought with emotion, he could even wear such new boots for practice!Grandma's! Fold my lord!The official's house is coming soon. Come with us to meet the driver.A servant quietly appeared in front of Zhe Keshi, startling Zhe Keshi who was secretly indignant.He hurriedly straightened his clothes, cupped his fists and said: I'm sorry. The emperor received Zhe Keshi in a side hall. Zhe Keshi didn't have the usual nervousness of people meeting the emperor for the first time, he was just a little excited and regretful.During the interview in the side hall, it seemed that the emperor didn't attach much importance to himself, which was naturally normal. It was impossible for the emperor to attach much importance to a seventh-rank military officer in the frontier in terms of etiquette, even if he was from the Zhe family in Fuzhou.But for Zhekeshi, this is regrettable. The next time the emperor receives me, he will definitely be in Chongzheng Hall!He secretly swore in his heart. Zhao Xu was also looking at Zhe Keshi. This rising star of the Zhe family still looks very young, but he looks like he is in his thirties, with piercing eyes, a high nose bridge, and a dark complexion. According to Bianjing's aesthetic standards, he is not a handsome man.But the emperor clearly felt that this was a man who could be trusted by Pao Ze on the battlefield. Generally speaking, when courtiers met with the emperor, many people would be so nervous that they could not even remember the emperor's appearance, because raising their heads to observe the emperor carefully was a disrespectful behavior that might lead to punishment.Moreover, generally speaking, the emperor's reception of his courtiers is a kind of gift in itself. Most of the courtiers will be grateful for this kindness, which will make them emotional, and because they are afraid of being rude, they will become more cautious. In this regard, Zhao Xu has enough experience to judge the character of different courtiers with considerable experience. It cannot be said that there are no such courtiers, but they are still in the minority.There is no doubt that among the military officials, such people are even rarer. It is worthy of being the queen of the gate.The emperor sighed in his heart.An aristocratic family can last for more than a hundred years, and it must have its uniqueness in educating children. When Xining was ten years old, I once asked Guo Kui to recommend the children of military officials who could serve. On that day, Guo Kui recommended more than ten people, and the first one was Zheqing.Zhao Xu laughed loudly.He used such opening words to narrow the distance between the monarch and his subjects.At that time, I thought, this discount is appropriate, I don't know what kind of person is worthy of Guo Kui's attention.I saw it with my own eyes today, and it really deserves to be the queen of the general. The minister is a martial artist, how can he take His Majesty's words to kill the humble minister. You don't need to be too modest.It is also a blessing that the country can have talents like Qing.Now that the imperial court is employing men, it is at that time that men take fame and honor as Hou Yinzi.The Qing family has been generals for generations, and I want to rely heavily on them.You should encourage yourself! The minister's family has received the state's favor, even if his body is broken, he can't repay it in case.There is something wrong with the country, and even though my family is too dull to be useful, I am willing to serve as pawns and pacify the Western Territory for Your Majesty!Zhe Ke replied in a busy voice. Zhao Xu nodded in satisfaction, and said with a smile: I am relieved that you are interested in this.I have read Uncle Qing's memorial.I appreciate his loyalty.However, no matter who the imperial court appoints as commander in the future, the general must be single-minded and focus on state affairs.Zhejia is trusted by the imperial court, don't let me down. Please rest assured, Your Majesty.The courtiers are His Majesty's falcons and dogs, and they dare not disobey the imperial court's orders. I can rest assured about the Zhe family.Zhao Xu nodded and said.After a pause, he asked again: I heard that Daoqing came to Beijing from Chang'an? yes. Deliberately bypassing Shaanxi?There was no joy or anger in the emperor's words. Under the order of my uncle, I want to see who is responsible for the victory of Pingxia City and Suide.Zhe Keshi said it tactfully and bluntly. Zhao Xu didn't seem to expect Zhe Keshi to answer like this, he was startled for a moment, then laughed loudly, and said: Can you see whose credit it is? Wei Chen got a little bit. Why don't you come and listen to me?Zhao Xu smiled. Compliance.Zhe Keshi responded loudly, the minister thought that Mr. Shi might not be an excellent general, but he was indeed a good commander. how do I say this? But those who use soldiers use righteousness and surprise to win.Sometimes fighting is not just a battle of wits and courage, but also courage.When the two armies confront each other, sometimes it takes risks.A good general is often a good gambler.Mr. Yi Shi's character is more than cautious but not courageous.If such a person plays Guanpu, he will not be able to win a lot of money.Zhe Ke can talk eloquently and eloquently, but Mr. Shi has other advantages, which are beyond the reach of others. oh?Zhao Xu was a little fascinated. Mr. Shi is pragmatic but not boastful, upholding public affairs but not seeking personal gain, accepting advice but not being stubborn.With these three virtues, one is far superior to others.If the commander is pragmatic, then the generals will not be deceived, and it is not difficult to know oneself and the enemy; if the commander is public, then the generals will not worry about meritorious deeds and no rewards, and it is not difficult for the three armies to serve their lives; , this invincible teacher.Therefore, I believe that the victories of Pingxia and Suide were not due to luck. Zhao Xu nodded frequently when he heard it, and said with a smile: So, what do you think the odds of winning the battle against Xia are? The situation of victory and defeat is not to be questioned. How long does it take you to expect a complete victory? Zhe Keshi pondered for a while, and said: If Duke Di is still alive, and Duke Di is the commander, a complete victory can be expected within a year.It is unknown in two or three years that today's princes are handsome. oh?why? Zhe Keshi said frankly: My humble minister is just an intuition. Zhao Xu was stunned, and laughed again in an instant, jokingly said: If you are handsome, how many years can you win? one year.Zhe Ke replied in an adaptable voice, he is not modest. Zhao Xu liked Zhe Keshi a little bit, he didn't make fun of it, but encouraged him with a smile: In the future, Qing will never have a day to be a commander in chief!I also look forward to another Di Qing from Song Dynasty.After finishing speaking, he paused, changed the subject, and asked: I heard about the assassination in Chang'an Xiyi, and Qing was also there at that time? But in a proper way, he explained why he went to Chang'an West Station, how he saw Zhongzhu and Yao Feng, how he entered Chang'an West Station, and how Zhong and Yao assassinated Wen Huan, from beginning to end.The fact that he admires Dong Leniang is absurd from a common sense point of view, so it is inconvenient to talk about it.But Zhe Keshi is a person who knows the seriousness after all, and he didn't want to take the charge of deceiving the emperor for such a trivial matter, so he said it all out without any concealment. Zhao Xu didn't care about this kind of love affair, instead he repeatedly asked Zhong Zhu and Yao Feng's motives for assassinating Wen Huan several times, and he felt pity when he heard what Zhong Zhu and Yao Feng said in half .Hearing Zhang Fan reprimanding Zhuangzhu and cutting off his gown to judge righteousness, he couldn't help sighing again.He was also very contradictory in his heart, and he couldn't help sighing: It was just a crime of accidental injury. accidental injury?Zhe Keshi was stunned for a moment, secretly chewing on the word that the emperor said casually. Zhao Xu didn't intend to discuss the Chang'an West Station case with Zhe Keshi.It is impossible for Zhao Xu to say some things to Zhe Keshi who is neither a confidant nor an important minister, and Zhe Keshi's opinion does not have much reference value for Zhao Xu in this matter.Putting his troubles to the bottom of his heart for the time being, Zhao Xu changed the subject again. Zheqing just watched the drill of the imperial guard class? The minister watched the exercise just now, thinking that the imperial bodyguard class may not be inferior to the Yulin Orphan of Han Wu.Zhe Keshi was not flattering, but Zhao Xu was very happy, and said with a smile: Have you ever seen Tie Linjun, Qing? Chen once met at the border of Yanzhou. How do my imperial guards compare to the Iron Forest Army? Zhe Keshi groaned without answering, this Zhao Xu stared at Zhe Keshi, and said with a smile: You can speak bluntly. Then Zhe Keshi said: In the opinion of my humble minister, it may be worse.After all, the Iron Forest Army was fought on the battlefield of thousands of troops, but the imperial guards were less slaughtered in battle.But now the Xixia Tielin Army has been seriously injured, and it is almost no longer organized, so there is nothing to fear.After he said these words, he was worried that he would make the emperor unhappy, so he couldn't help but glance at the emperor, but he saw a thoughtful expression on the emperor's face.After a long while, I heard Zhao Xu sigh and say: You are right, that's why I want to send all the troops in front of the palace to go to the front to practice.An army that has never fought a war is not a real elite soldier after all! Zhe Keshi murmured in her heart for a while, but finally realized that some words were out of place, and swallowed what she wanted to say abruptly.As a soldier who was born, raised, and fought on the border, he was born to look down on the so-called upper three armies and the front division armies.But, who knows if this is their own prejudice?Before coming to the capital, didn't you think that the imperial guards would have such strict training? Shaanxi, Chang'an. Begonias are blooming, and the spring is pleasant.But such beauty is not for everyone. Son!Why do you have to be angry with people?Pan Zhaolin thought that Shi Yue's decision was simply unbelievable. There's always someone to complain about.Shi Yue said nonchalantly, I'm sure the imperial court can't handle this matter.The princes in the imperial court debated indecision, and in the end, nine out of ten, they just let it go. so what?Pan Zhaolin sneered, people like Wen Huan are punished by everyone.Why do you bother to mess with such nosy matters?Zhong Zhu and Yao Feng may not be pitiful and forgivable. Even if everyone gets it and punishes him, the person in charge of the party will not be punished either!With a sullen face, Shi Yue said: "They can kill Wen Huan today, but they will inevitably kill the court ministers in another day!"The embankment of a thousand miles collapsed in the ant nest.Whenever a system breaks down, it always starts with something that seems reasonable and excusable.If it is something that everyone thinks is wrong at the beginning, everyone will have a heart of embankment, but the harm will not be as great as this. Pan Zhaolin couldn't help but smile wryly, and said: "Young master is certainly right.But does the young master know whose son Zhongzhu is? Shi Yue turned his head and looked at Pan Zhaolin. This kind of Zhu was originally an illegitimate child, and was later adopted in the name of adoption.Among the disciples of the Zhong family, they are quite repelled, that's why they get very close to Yao Fengneng.This person is harmonious and humble on the outside, but he is paranoid on the inside, and it is reasonable to cause such a big incident.It's just that you hate this person, the young master knows that although he expresses his apology, he is still a selfish person after all. If it is the young master who intends to kill his son, this resentment may last a lifetime.Why bother to make enemies because of some things that don't matter? 因為職方館、職方司是我倡立的，我有責任使它們不走上歧途。這種責任，旁人可以推卸，我卻推卸不得。石越在心裡無奈地說道。 但從嘴裡說出來，卻變成了另一番話︰不行殺伐無以立威以儆來者！吾意已決，潛光兄無須再說。 yes!潘照臨嘆了口氣，無可奈何地接受。出於連石越也不能告知的考慮，他不希望石越樹立任何在軍隊中有影響力的敵人，但是石越卻一下子得罪了兩大將門。也許姚家與种詁、种誼還未必會因此而怨恨石越，只是會致使雙方的關係變得更加疏遠，但是對於种諤，潘照臨卻可以肯定，這是個有仇必報的人。 這次公子算是替皇上解決了一個大麻煩！潘照臨的話中，聽不出是譏諷還是自嘲。 石越的確是替趙頊解決了一個大麻煩。 按捺住窮治到底、辦成大案的衝動後，安撫司迅速果決的對种杼、姚鳳進行了秘密的軍事審判，二人違犯軍法證據確鑿。石越第一次行使自己的權力，行軍法先斬後奏。以令所有知情者瞠目結舌的果斷，快刀斬亂麻的處理了這件事情。同時具表彈劾職方司陝西房知事許應龍職方司陝西房知事是屬於朝廷的派出官員，石越沒有處置許應龍的權力。 石越的奏章送抵汴京後，兵部職方司乃至於整個兵部可謂顏面大失，吳充立即再次上表請求致仕，並且開始告病，直至四月分在自己府第內去世，再也沒有上朝理事。而一直拿不定主意的皇帝卻是暗暗鬆了口氣，內心的高興簡直是難以言喻。他一面順水推舟，將職方司郎中降職他調，罷免許應龍，著衛尉寺調查許應龍是否故意洩露機密、縱容屬下；一面卻竭力慰留吳充，同時下詔安撫种、姚二家，稱讚种、姚二家歷代為宋朝立下的功勛，褒揚他們對皇室與朝廷的忠心，加以金銀田地的賞賜。自然，种、姚二家是沒有人敢於真正接受這些賞賜的，這無非是表明皇帝的態度而已。趙頊又將一直上表請求去邊疆與西夏決一死戰的姚兕從講武學堂調至鐵林軍擔任副都指揮使，又加賜种詁功臣二字總而言之，在這件事上，皇帝是樂意讓石越去結怨，而自己來收恩的。 除此之外，石越還有意外收獲。以种杼、姚鳳的死，他總算暫時性的徹底解除了皇帝對自己的猜忌任何一個想成為權奸的人，都是絕不會做石越這種傻事的。除非他想有計畫的鏟除整個种、姚二家。顯然皇帝不認為石越有這個計畫，更不相信這樣瘋狂的計畫有可能成功。 在皇帝以外，石越的處分也得到了文彥博與孫固的支持。 皇帝的態度發生微妙的轉變，又得到一位樞密使、一位同知樞密院事的讚許，唯一有反對力量的呂惠卿的政治策略又似乎不是想要堅決阻止石越為帥，於是，朝廷中幾乎已經沒什麼反對以石越為帥的聲音了。 在熙寧十三年四月來臨的時候，趙頊終於決定，採納高太后的建議。 四月初一，在距離趙頊三十二歲生日還有九天的時候，一道《招諭夏國榜》，由汴京城出發的使者，快馬傳諭四方。 眷茲西夏，保有舊封，爰自近世以來，尤謹奉藩之職，恐奸臣之擅命，致弱主之被因，迨移問其端倪，輒自隳於信約，暴驅兵眾，直犯塞防，在神理之莫容，固人情之共憤。方切拯民之念，宜興問罪之師，已遣將臣，諸道並進。其先在夏國主左右、並嵬名諸部族、同心之人，並許軍前拔身自歸，及其餘首領，能相率效順，共誅國讎，隨功大小，爵祿賞賜，各倍常科，許依舊土地住坐，子孫世世，常享安樂。其或違拒天兵，九族並誅無赦。蓋天道助順，必致萬靈之歸；王師有征，更無千里之敵。咨爾士庶，久罹困殘，其肩向化之心，咸適更生之路。敢稽朕命，後悔何追！ 同一日，趙頊下詔，以端明殿學士、陝西路安撫使石越兼西討行營都總管，以內侍李憲為副都總管，以內侍劉惟簡為監軍都虞侯，以范純仁、向傳範並為西討行營都發運使，分督糧草與軍械。陝西路戒嚴。 內侍領兵與監軍，招致了以孫固為首的一部分朝臣最激烈的反對，但是即便一個血氣方剛的給事中因此為此事而辭職，趙頊在這一點上也沒有納諫的打算。而樞密使文彥博則似乎默認了這次任命。雖然在傳統的士大夫看來，所有的內侍都是不信任的，每個宦官都帶著原罪，但是若以務實的態度出發，相對而言，李憲與劉惟簡，在內侍中總算是次壞的選擇。 事實上，每一個行營都將有內侍的存在。上千年的傳統，不是成立了衛尉寺後，就可以完全改變的。任何改變都是需要時間的。 四月十日。同天節，趙頊著戎裝，與諸國使節一同檢閱拱聖軍。 當日，驍騎軍、鐵林軍秘密向陝西出發。在它們之後，宣武軍第一軍與第二軍，以及在同天節上被檢閱的拱聖軍，也將陸續進入陝西。 歷史的時鐘，被石越撥快了一年半的時間。 戰爭，一觸即發。 這是一場注定將要決定宋朝國運的戰爭。 這亦是宋朝為了徹變改變自己的國運，進行的第一場具有決定意義的戰爭。 《阿卡爾多東方見聞錄》第十六節： 如果只能讓我用一個詞來形容宋這個國家的話，那一定是不可思議這個詞。東方大陸上的這個國家，也許是這個世界上最強盛最富裕的國家。即便羅馬帝國的全盛時期，亦不曾有它那麼多的人民，即便是偉大的君士坦丁工，也只能堪比汴京的一半繁榮。它有一百萬的常備陸軍，還有上千艘可以進行數千海哩遠航的戰船。他們的陸軍裝備著精良的鎧甲，射程讓人嘆為觀止的弩弓，還有神秘莫測的火藥武器。他們訓練有素，待遇優良，一個最普通的士兵的收入，都可以在這個生活昂貴的國家養活一個四口之家。這些能征善戰的士兵們，喜歡在身上刺著刺青，或許是奇怪的漢字，或許是兇猛的野獸，以此來彰顯自己的勇武。他們的戰船彷彿擁有魔法，在漂泊不定的大海上，依靠一個小小的磁針，就永遠都可以準確的找到自己的方向。他們也同樣裝備有可以遠程攻擊的火器。我曾經親眼目睹一場追逐海盜的海戰，宋國的戰船，僅僅依靠遠程打擊，便擊沉了兇悍的海盜船。為了不讓讀者產生誤會，認為這個國家僅僅只是馬爾斯的四馬戰車，我要特別指出，這一切，在他們所創造的璀璨的文明面前，都將顯得黯然失色。對於宋國的偉大文明，我會在其後的卷章裡，用極大的篇幅來介紹。本卷要講敘的，僅限於我所親眼目睹的幾場戰爭。 宋曆五月七日，一個消息傳到宋國西北部邊境的延州，在它西面的環慶集團軍，聯合宋國西部最強大的屬國夏國的一個忠於夏王的軍閥，在數日之前，開始了對夏國叛黨的戰爭。按著宋人的奇特習俗，這種代表正義的戰爭被稱為討，所以這場戰爭後來也被人們稱為熙寧西討。西討軍的元帥石越（他同時也是宋國最偉大的人物之一，他還有另一類似教名的名字叫石子明），命令以延州為中心的延綏集團軍在東線向忠於叛黨的梁永能將軍統率的平夏軍發起進攻。 五月七日那天，是一個陰沉沉的夏日，延州的大街小巷隨著石元帥的命令而活躍起來。街上到處都是穿著紅色軍服的禁軍士兵。在此之前，為了保證糧食的供應，陝西路已經下達禁止用糧食釀酒的命令，而據傳帝國各個地方政府，都縮緊了以糧食釀酒的許可證頒放，酒館供應的酒，大都是從帝國南方一個叫湖廣四路的地方由商販運來的甘蔗酒以羅馬人的感覺而言，或者甘蔗酒更加美妙。可惜的是，每個酒館都有固定的配額，因為長途的運輸，加上供不應求，導致價格昂貴，每盎司的價格幾乎是汴京同樣酒價的兩倍，甚至三倍，並且還被勒令不得賣給軍士。（但一些不屬於精銳的野戰軍系統的廂軍，經常會偷偷違背這項軍令。）值得慶幸的是，我住宿的客棧掌櫃，因為預料到戰爭的即將到來，而通過賄賂購買到許可證，事先儲藏了整整一地窖的燒酒。儘管他的酒價也比戰前提高了一倍，但是依然遠遠要比外地運來的甘蔗酒便宜。因此，客棧中便聚集了大量的客人，絕大部分都是從外地來的商旅雖然陝西頒佈了戒嚴令，道路上到處都是關卡檢查行人，但這一切都比不過熙寧通寶的誘惑力。來自帝國各地的客人們在客棧的飯廳中，談論著有關這場戰爭的一切。 根據五月七日那天的傳聞，帝國在這場戰爭中，投入的總兵力達到三十萬，加上後勤補給人員，達到一百萬這個不可思議的數字！這個數字也許並不準確，在偉大的羅馬帝國，即便在戴克里先皇帝的時期，常規軍的數量也不過四十三萬多點。我從來沒有聽說過歷史上有在一次戰役中動用三十萬規模軍隊的記錄。而根據商賈們的傳說，帝國的藩屬國夏國，即便在軍事上屢次受到挫折，又有一個重要軍閥投向帝國，但叛軍能戰鬥的軍隊，也不少於三十萬，更有人相信是五十萬。但根據我在整個戰爭中，以後戰後的觀察，叛軍的數量很可能是二十萬到三十萬之間。但這個數量，也遠遠超過漢尼拔的軍隊。對於宋帝國而言，更為困難的是，叛軍是在自己的據點作戰，他們是本地的土著，可以依托渺無人煙的沙漠，還擁有著高度機動力的騎兵既使他們的步兵，往往也擁有座騎。相比叛軍而言，帝國雖然也有強大的騎兵，但是佔總體數量絕大多數的是步兵。他們有著漫長的，需要跨越崇山峻嶺與沙漠的補給線，卻沒有足夠的牲畜來進行運輸。大部分時候，帝國只能依靠徵集大量的人力，推著一種一個輪子的小車，將物資運往前線。我在延州的時間，見得最多的，便是這種獨輪車。它集中體現了宋帝國出色的後勤補給系統的精華部分。 當天，當我與我的一個同伴他有著高貴的血統，他的祖先曾經是宋帝國的前身周帝國的皇帝，直至現在，他的一部分堂兄弟，依然被帝國皇室尊為國賓私下裡談論時，我們都相信，決定這場戰爭勝負的關鍵是帝國如何有效地將軍糧、軍衣與箭矢送到前線。要知道，宋國與夏國的邊境地區，是連綿不盡崎嶇難行的山路，而當走完這些山路後，很快又會面臨著無邊無際的沙漠。歷史上任何一位羅馬皇帝，都不曾遇到過如此困難的地形。 這是一場前途未卜的戰爭。 但讓人不可思議的是，大部分宋朝的商人，對勝利都充滿信心。不過他們這種信心往往是建立在東方神秘主義的信仰之上的。與其說他們是相信帝國與帝國的軍隊，還不如說他們是相信石元帥。在這個受到印度佛教影響的國度，大部分的宋人相信，石元帥極可能是天上的某個星宿轉世，以率領他們來取得勝利的。以泰西地區的人看來，這實在是不可思議的信仰。 然而，戰爭開始的階段，似乎證實了人們的這種神秘主義信仰。十天後，從前線傳來消息，延綏行營的前鋒部隊，輕易的攻克了夏國的一座重要城池。素有威名的平夏兵只進行了微不足道的抵抗，便敗退了 《阿卡爾多東方見聞錄》卷三西湖書社印行 銀州城原西夏知州府，現在已成為雲翼軍第一營的中軍大營。第一營都指揮使吳安國正皺眉盯著一幅標滿密密麻麻記號的地圖。 grown ups!副都指揮使康時傑是個四十多歲的老軍頭了，與吳安國這個因為戰功卓著，又得到小隱君的賞識而青雲直上的軍中新貴也有數年袍澤之誼，可以說非常瞭解。他看到吳安國的目光所凝注的方向，便知道他心裡在想些什麼了。种帥的命令，是叫我們守好銀州城，等待全軍集結。 某知道。吳充國淡淡的回了一句，目光卻始終沒有離開地圖上的石州、橫山、夏州三城。康兄，你來看，銀州西面，有石州城和橫山城，還有長城，長城後面便是夏州。銀州以北，是彌陀洞。我們打銀州為何能輕易得手？是因綏德之戰後我軍攻佔米脂要寨，已佔形勝，梁永能知道他是斷然守不住城垣卑小的銀州城的，故此他撤走了銀州城的丁壯，搬走了全部的糧食與軍器，在所有的井裡投了毒，只留下一些老弱殘兵和婦孺守城。所以我們營一到，這城幾乎便是不戰而下。這根本不是我們打下來的，而是梁永能讓給我們的。 站在下首的一名營書記頗有幾分難堪，以區區一個營不足兩千人的馬軍，本來只是擔任前哨而不是前鋒的任務，便攻下了銀州如此名城，這樣的戰績，營書記當然有理由加以潤飾一二的。畢竟，這是自戰爭開始以來，除了仁多瀚的韋州外，宋軍佔領的第一座西夏城池。 確是如此。康時傑早就暗中慶幸過自己的好運氣了。 但是他們撤得也極匆忙。吳安國冷冷地說道，可見梁永能雖然知道朝廷必興義師，卻沒料到此次朝廷興兵數十萬，竟然速度如此之快。 康時傑聽到這句對大宋朝廷過去的作風頗有不敬的話，只得訥訥。但的確，以往的朝廷，休說出動數十萬禁軍，便是在陝西調個十來萬軍隊，也定要拖拖拉拉，等到西夏人做好準備後，這邊廂卻還沒有停當。 吳安國抿著嘴，凝視地圖半晌，忽然，猛地一拳砸向彌陀洞所在的位置，將康時傑與營中幕僚嚇了一跳。卻見吳安國側過頭望著康時傑，嘴角露出一絲冷酷的笑容。梁永能不敢守銀州，他敢守彌陀洞！ 可是彌陀洞靠近河東路邊界一個行軍參軍壯著膽子說道。 吳安國偏過頭看了他一眼，問道︰河東軍前鋒是何人？ 是致果校尉折可適。 是他呀。吳安國將犀利的目光從那個參軍身上移回到地圖上，打下個銀州城，卻沒有半點收成，一座空城有甚好誇耀的！只好到彌陀洞去找找梁永能的晦氣。河東軍遠道而來，必定鞍馬疲憊，打下彌陀洞，正好順便給友軍找個地方休整！ 康時傑搖搖頭，苦笑著壓低聲音說道︰一個監軍使與一個監軍都虞侯還在城中哩。 吳安國不屑地一笑，冷冷問道︰康兄還記得本部的任務麼？ 本營為全軍前哨，專責搜索大軍前方八十里至一百五十里以內之地界，將一切與軍情有關之內容回報中軍。 這便是了。吳安國悠悠說道︰某不過是率軍去刺探彌陀洞的敵情罷了。康兄，你留兩指揮人馬，領著那兩個指揮的廂軍繼續在城中打井，審問俘虜，防著那些夏狗作亂這裡是平夏党項的老巢，李家起家的根本，幾百年經營，可不比橫山。某帶三個指揮出去打點獵，去去就來。 銀州城內。 夏大人，這上面寫著何字？延綏行營監軍使辛梁還是首次來陝西邊境辦差，踩在銀州城的斷垣殘瓦上，他的心情顯得非常愉悅，指著撿到一塊刻著西夏文字的銅牌，向延綏行營監軍都虞侯夏時良問道。 監軍都虞侯夏大人對這位監軍使辛大人的怨恨與討厭，甚至較之綏德行營總管小隱君种詁還要深不，這種表達也許並不準確。因為對於因為戰功卓著而提升為行營總管的种詁來說，無論是衛尉寺系統的監軍都虞侯監軍，還是皇帝親自指派的內侍監軍，都沒有太大的區別，總之，肯定有一個人監軍就是了。 宋軍統帥石越早就有言在先，各行營的監軍使與監軍都虞侯可以與聞軍機、參議軍事，若有異議可以到帥司甚至是皇上那裡打官司，但臨陣決斷之權在行營總管。能夠攤上這麼一位明事理、又有擔當的主帥，對於种詁這樣的將領來說，不能說不是一種幸運。所以，對於目前表現尚還可以容忍的監軍使大人，小隱君是沒什麼怨恨的，最多有一種對閹人與生俱來的討厭罷了。 但是，夏時良卻有充分的理由去怨恨辛梁原本他才是延綏行營軍法系統的老大！他才是延綏五萬兩千多精銳禁軍的最高軍法官，可以與小隱君分庭抗禮的人物！但當辛梁到來之後，一切都發生戲劇性的改變。一個閹豎成了他的頂頭上司，他反倒成為了這個內侍的跟班，要向這個什麼也不懂的白癡，耐著性子解釋一些煩人的常識性問題。 若是章大人還在衛尉寺，必會據理力爭夏時良無意義的想道，一面擠出比哭還難看的笑容解釋道︰此乃敕燃馬焚四個字。夏時良根本不用看，就知道那銅牌是什麼東西，上面應當有什麼字。 敕燃馬焚？辛梁驚訝的重複了一遍，舉著銅牌翻來覆去的看了半天，笑道︰此是何意？ 便是敕令驛馬晝夜急馳之意，此牌乃是夏國傳遞詔令、軍情之符牌。夏時良耐著性子解釋，心裡暗暗罵了一聲白癡。 辛梁彷彿完全不知道夏時良的不快，亦並不為自己的不知為恥，恍然大悟的說道︰原來如此！夏大人果然是博學多聞。 dare not.末將不過是在邊關多呆了一陣。夏時良終歸沒有忍住，帶著譏諷的回道。但說一出口，便一陣後悔這些內侍可不是好惹的，他們代表的是至高無上的皇帝。 但辛梁卻似沒有注意，依然充滿好奇心的觀察著銀州城，耐心地詢問著一切不懂的事情。夏時良依舊竭力控制著自己的情緒，一一回答著他的問題。二人渾然沒有注意到，一支約千人的騎兵，已經離城而去了。 彌陀洞與銀州是西夏神勇軍（即左廂神勇軍司）兩座最主要的城池，但諷刺的是，在石越所來的那個時空，這兩座城池在後世都從地