Kongming rose to his feet and carefully examined the map behind him.
His long fingers moved slowly east from Luoyang, finally stopping at Youzhou, where he tapped lightly.
"The Liao cavalry can ride straight toward the Song capital. They could set out in the morning and reach it by night."
"Without Youzhou, the Song dynasty will never be secure."
At these words, Zhang Fei and Ma Chao both turned serious.
"Trying to take Youzhou by three separate routes, hoping to use clever tricks to achieve a great result, will only end in failure."
Zhang Fei also walked over. He spread his palms over the map, gesturing twice, then lightly traced along the Taihang Mountains.
"The troops in Shanxi are nothing to fear. Whether they win or lose, live or die, it will not affect the situation in Hebei."
"What truly matters is Hebei. That is land where cavalry can run wild and strike like lightning."
He paused, lowered his head, and thought for a moment before continuing.
"One option is to station heavy troops and build strong cities, supporting one another so that the Liao cavalry cannot shake them. Spend two or three years advancing step by step. Then Youzhou can be taken, and Hebei pacified."
"Another option is to pour all wealth into Guanzhong, buy good horses, and forge elite cavalry. Infantry and cavalry cooperate, using strong cities as bait. If the Liao elite cavalry are destroyed, then offense and defense will reverse their roles."
None of this surprised Kongming. He smiled, waved his feather fan, and nodded in approval.
The one who felt most gratified was Liu Bei.
He had watched his third brother go from helping Pang Tong break Hanzhong and pacify Yong and Liang, to single-handedly suppressing a rebellion just months ago.
Zhang Fei, once known for his impatience in warfare, was now speaking of spending two or three years advancing step by step.
Compared to the later reputation of Zhang Fei as a drunken brute who flogged his men and died from resentment, the man before him felt more and more distant from that image.
How could Liu Bei not feel gratified?
"Or perhaps it does not need to be that troublesome."
Ma Chao refused to be left behind.
He also measured the map, starting from the Yong and Liang regions he knew best, to get a sense of Hebei's scale. Then he spoke from his own familiar angle.
"The fact that Song can push infantry and cavalry all the way to Youzhou shows how sudden their move is."
"Seizing the initiative only to use it as a feint is a low-grade tactic. Instead, place a force in the Taihang passes, beating drums and shouting to act as a decoy, while the main army pours out in full strength."
"Concentrate everything on Youzhou. Once the city falls, Hebei will be settled."
Ma Chao's simple, brutal approach, making full use of overwhelming numbers, made Kongming nod again and again.
Only, that trick of having soldiers shout loudly in the mountains as a decoy felt strangely familiar.
Zhang Fei did not bother with that. He asked directly.
"What if Youzhou cannot be taken?"
"How could that be possible?" Ma Chao shook his head vigorously.
"Youzhou has always been Han land. Why would they die for the Khitans?"
Ma Chao had been called a mixed barbarian since childhood. Now that he commanded troops, no one dared say it to his face, but he clearly understood the importance of Han unity.
"With a heavy siege, if the Khitans suspect the Han people inside the city, they will lack enough defenders."
"If they do not suspect them, then with coordination inside and outside, Youzhou can be taken in a single surge."
Zhang Fei fell silent.
The logic made sense, but he could not shake the feeling that things would not be that simple.
...
In Ganlu Hall, when Wei Yu had cited the Crown Prince of Wei during his remonstrance, the ministers could not help thinking of the current Crown Prince.
And also of the Duke of Lu, who had not been seen for a long time.
Everyone more or less guessed where Hou Junji had gone, and there was much quiet sighing.
After all, everyone had seen how much His Majesty once valued this old comrade from the Qin Prince's residence.
If not for that incident, the Western Regions should have been where the Duke of Lu shined.
And at Li Jing's age, it was not suitable for him to stay in the Western Regions for long. In theory, Hou Junji should have been the most suitable future Protector-General of the Four Garrisons of Anxi.
But alas.
As for Li Chengqian, he was only twelve years old. The old retainers of the Qin Prince's residence had watched him grow up. It was hard for them to say anything too harsh.
The ministers dared not speak openly, but Empress Zhangsun had no such restraint.
There was a trace of worry in her eyes as she looked at her husband and said softly,
"In a couple of days, why does Your Majesty not set aside some time to personally guide Chengqian in martial training?"
What could Li Shimin say?
He could only nod and agree.
But in his heart, his dislike for Zhao Guangyi grew by another notch.
How could you not even teach your own son properly?
[Lightscreen]
[Zhao Pu's return, as we said before, was to stand in front and take bullets for Zhao Guangyi.
In fact, when people open the history books today, half of the bad reviews of Zhao Pu are concentrated on these three times he became chancellor.
As mentioned earlier, Zhao Guangyi never played small games. When he played, he always played big.
With just the Battle of Gaoliang River and the Yongxi Northern Expedition, he managed to gamble away the entire Song treasury. At this point, the Song dynasty had no strength left to fight.
But the large group of hawkish officials he had promoted earlier, in order to build his image as a heroic and mighty ruler, were still in court.
So what to do?
Let Zhao Pu come in.
After Zhao Pu became chancellor, the hawks in court, such as Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs Zhao Changyan, and Chen Xiangyu and Dong Yan, known as "Chen Three Watches" and "Dong Midnight," were demoted or sent away.
The Northern Song court's stance toward the Khitans shifted from war to peace, all driven by Zhao Pu.
Because of this, after the Jingkang Humiliation, Southern Song literati often attacked Zhao Pu, believing that his third term as chancellor was a strategic mistake, and that he should bear part of the blame for the fall of the Northern Song.
This was more the angry language of Southern Song scholars watching national disgrace unfold.
After all, under pressure from both inside and outside, no matter who Zhao Guangyi put in the chancellor's seat, the policy would have to be rest and recovery, and temporary peace.
Moreover, Zhao Pu's original unification strategy for Zhao Kuangyin was first south, then north, first easy, then hard. It was never about retreating and hiding after pacifying the south.
In some sense, Zhao Pu was truly unlucky.
The Zhao Kuangyin who had planned strategy with him died mysteriously, and Zhao Guangyi, ambitious but lacking ability, squandered everything.
Southern Song scholars poured out endless denunciations of Zhao Pu's peace policy, wishing to tear him apart.
Yet they selectively went blind to the one who fundamentally caused the defeats at Gaoliang River and the failure of the Yongxi Northern Expedition, Zhao Guangyi.
This is not strange.
After all, the main responsibility for Yongxi lay with Cao Bin, who did not even hold the office of Commissioner of Military Affairs. How could it be the fault of the wise and mighty Emperor Taizong?
Aside from the peace strategy, during Zhao Pu's third term as chancellor, he truly did promote many young talents.
Lü Mengzheng, Zhang Qixian, Kou Zhun, Feng Zheng, Wang Jiying, all well-regarded future chief ministers, were recommended and promoted by Zhao Pu.
The upright and famous early Song official Wang Yucheng also received much favor from Zhao Pu.
So it can be said that Zhao Pu truly did many practical things for the Northern Song, and was, no matter what, a capable minister.
As for Zhao Guangyi, the Qing emperor Qianlong later commented that he "lacked virtue," in simple terms, his moral character was poor.
Our own teacher once evaluated him as "unscrupulous and eager to seize the stage," and emphasized that he was "incompetent."
There was no attempt to confirm or deny Candle Shadow and Axe Sound or the Golden Casket Alliance. The focus was on Zhao Guangyi's urgency in seizing the throne.
Compared to that, Zhao Guangyi himself was quite open-minded.
For example, he once sharply criticized Tang Taizong, saying that Tang Taizong loved empty reputation, that for every action he first built up momentum, and that this was not natural.
In the Veritable Records of Taizong, he went even further, claiming in conversation with ministers that his achievements surpassed Qin Shi Huang, his talent exceeded Emperor Wu of Han, and his virtue surpassed Tang Taizong. His confidence was outstanding.
On evaluations of Tang Taizong, Zhao Guangyi and his sixth-generation descendant Zhao Gou were in rare agreement.
They both said that Tang Taizong could be called a worthy ruler, but that he exaggerated and loved fame, and that although he listened to remonstrance, he was still not as sincere as Emperor Wen of Han.]
[Server Chat Log]
[Liu Bei: Emperor Shizong had outstanding talent and quality, drove out barbarians abroad, repaired laws at home, personally practiced benevolence and punished the disobedient. His merits were so great they cannot be fully declared. Though he had faults of overusing the military, he also had the Luntai Repentance Edict. What talent do you have?
Zhang Fei: Our Taizu could sit on horseback and repel enemies. Who are you to flap your lips up and down?
Ma Chao: If we faced each other on the battlefield, I would surely behead you.
Li Shimin: Bah.
Pei Xingjian: I also say Bah.
Yuchi Jingde: Ma Mengqi, can your Liangzhou horse run faster than the Gaoliang donkey cart?]
Zhao Guangyi had completely wilted.
He lowered his eyes, not daring to look at the words written by those ancestors.
Especially that single word from Tang Taizong. With just one word, his disdain was expressed to the fullest.
Liu Bei spoke many words, but weighed both merits and faults. That alone was enough to make Zhao Guangyi unable to say more.
Zhang Fei's scolding was blunt. Thinking carefully, he might really be an ancestor, since both came from Zhuo Commandery. In a sense, they were fellow townsmen.
Ma Chao's words made his heart jump. Yuchi Jingde's mocking only made it worse.
If not for today, watching these names that only existed in history books joke and curse would probably have been entertaining.
But now that all of it was directed at him, he could not suppress the bitterness in his heart.
The hall grew quieter.
Zhao Kuangyin clearly heard sobbing behind him.
"I am ashamed."
Zhao Kuangyin sighed. He did not turn around to comfort him. After thinking for a moment, he said slowly,
"In the end, you did work for the Song. The descendants will not completely stain your name."
Then he straightened, his spirit rising.
"But now, the Imperial Guards have not yet been exhausted. We should use the grain and wealth of the south of the Yangtze to deal with Northern Han."
"Move slowly, and then retake Yan and Yun at Youzhou, so that China may be unified."
Zhao Kuangyin looked up at the light screen, his eyes full of undisguised longing.
As an emperor, who does not want to establish a unified foundation that later generations will remember?
And unlike his brother who only played with words, Zhao Kuangyin still remembered clearly that the strategy Zhao Pu had spoken of, first south then north, was something they had discussed on a snowy night ten years ago.
As for this younger brother, looking at Zhao Guangyi's dejected state, and thinking of the Imperial Guards he had wasted, Zhao Kuangyin could not help feeling anger rise again.
"If you truly had virtue surpassing Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, and Tang Taizong, then even if I yielded the throne to you, what would be wrong with that?"
Zhao Guangyi suddenly looked up.
What he met was his elder brother's gaze, completely without warmth.
"And yet what later generations say hits the mark in one sentence. You are incompetent."
All the filthy curses before, Zhao Guangyi had endured.
But hearing his brother call him incompetent, his hot blood surged to his head.
He wanted to make his brother understand what a man's rage looked like. He also had blood and backbone.
Dragging his broken leg, Zhao Guangyi roared and lunged at his brother, landing a solid punch on his brother's dark face.
But unlike the scene he imagined, with his brother falling backward, teeth flying, the Song emperor sat there unmoving.
The face pressed by the fist showed no expression at all.
Then Zhao Guangyi watched as his brother raised his right hand, clenched it into a fist, drew back his elbow, and then the punch came like thunder, straight toward his face.
Zhao Guangyi felt as if he spun in the air.
When his body hit the ground, it no longer felt like his own.
His ears rang. Sweet, metallic blood poured from his mouth and nose.
In his daze, he heard his brother's voice as if coming from the clouds.
"Your footwork is weak. Your punches are soft. You cannot even fight properly, yet you want to personally lead an imperial campaign?"
After a pause, he vaguely sensed his brother turning to ask in another direction.
"The Prince of Jin has rebelled and attempted assassination. Did you all see clearly?"
In an instant, Zhao Guangyi felt as if icy water had been poured over his head.
His limbs trembled slightly.
Then he could no longer hold on, and he fainted.
Neither Zhao Kuangyin nor Zhao Pu paid any attention to the Prince of Jin lying on the ground without movement.
Zhao Pu even took paper and brush from an attendant and wrote down, one by one, the names he had just heard.
These people might not be easy to find, and might still be young, but they were all potential pro-war talents.
Even if they could not be used now, keeping their names meant that if they were encountered in the future, good talent would not be missed.
After all, ten years ago, when the strategy of first south then north was set, it had already been made clear that this was a first easy then hard approach.
The sharpness of Khitan cavalry, and the deep moats and high walls of Taiyuan, were things both Zhao Pu and Zhao Kuangyin understood very well.
Even if there was now a chance to change direction, extreme caution was still required.
...
In Ganlu Hall, Li Shimin spat lightly through the air and no longer took it to heart.
To be honest, if it were praise or criticism from later heroic rulers like Zhu Yuanzhang, he would gladly accept it and correct himself accordingly.
Or if it were even more special, like from later founders of dynasties, he would only laugh and acknowledge it.
But Zhao Guangyi and Zhao Gou?
He shook his head. He did not place even a shred of importance on it.
He even vaguely suspected that if Zhao Guangyi truly recovered Yan and Yun and secured the Western Regions, his obsession with fame would far exceed Li Shimin's own.
Then he felt he was overthinking it.
Recover Yan and Yun? First, do not get beaten to death by Zhao Kuangyin.
Even though Li Shimin no longer cared, Yuchi Jingde, Zhangsun Wuji, and the other close ministers were indignant, listing Zhao Guangyi's failings one after another, quickly making the hall lively.
Even Empress Zhangsun spoke sharply.
"To know others is wisdom. To know oneself is clarity. One who knows neither others nor himself can be called foolish."
But thinking that this was a Song emperor, she sighed softly.
In the end, Li Shimin smiled and pressed the matter down.
"I truly am not as sincere as Emperor Wen of Han. I shall use this to encourage myself."
No one in Ganlu Hall objected. All bowed and praised.
...
Seeing that someone in Tang had called out his courtesy name in one breath, Ma Chao felt both surprise and regret.
"If I could drink and discuss warfare, spar and compete with the famous generals of Tang, that would truly be a great joy in life."
Zhang Fei hurriedly nodded.
"What Mengqi says fits my heart exactly."
Big brother said earlier he only wanted to join in the fun and maybe beat up the Song emperor. How could that be true? Old Zhang also has his own pursuits.
At this moment, whether Pang Tong or Jian Yong, both showed looks of anticipation.
If possible, forget the mysterious future.
Just being able to meet the ministers of the glorious Tang, drink together, and exchange a few words, would already be an unimaginable blessing.
Perhaps in the future, they could communicate more through written words?