Chapter 772: Looking to see

After hearing Zhao Ji's evaluation of Chen Ao, Wu Wencai didn't know whether to cry or laugh. He was a veritable "Xixi Selection Official" and a right-hand assistant under King Pingxi, so he must be on King Pingxi.

His Majesty's tone of speaking was not a complaint, but he always didn't think about Chen Ao well. Wu Wencai thought to himself, could this be the holy family?

Zhao Ji took another sip of tea, showing a bit of worry, and said slowly: "I have figured it out now. No wonder those vassal kings were so servile to me before. It turned out that it was the navy's expedition to Dayue, which scared them." Zhao Ji calmed down and continued: "But then again, Wu Wencai, why have these vassal kings been cold recently?"

The vassal kings have indeed become cold in recent days. At the beginning, they came to see each other day to please, but more than a month later, fewer and fewer people have come here. It is not without reason. The navy has been to Dayue for so long and has sent back a good news. It is also Zhao Ji's order to *** the news. Now there is no news on Dayue, and the vassal kings have long been suspicious. I am afraid that it may not necessarily be that the navy will suffer a defeat in Dayue.

If he really suffers a defeat, then he can predict that the Song Dynasty is actually an empty affair. On the surface, Kong Wu looks powerful and burly, but he can't even beat Yue Kingdom. Who is willing to curry favor with him?

The minds of the vassal kings were actually very simple. They were all small countries, and the national policy they had pursued for a long time. Whoever was strong would please anyone. The Song Dynasty often conquered Yue Kingdom, which really scared them. They thought that the Song Dynasty would have the confidence to win, but after fighting for so long, if there was a good news, it would have spread long ago. Now there is no movement, it would have encountered setbacks.

The Great Yue Kingdom's 200,000 soldiers were not easy to bully. Thinking of this, many vassal kings became snakes and rats again, and became cold to Zhao Ji.

At first, Zhao Ji was still immersed in the joy of the coming of the country. Now, when he recalled, he felt something was wrong, so he felt a little angry.

Wu Wencai said carefully: "The vassal kings must...because they are also preparing for the exhibition of the All Nations..."

Zhao Ji smiled coldly and said, "I don't think it's necessary. The exhibition is my Song Dynasty's business, so why do they have to prepare for anything? According to my opinion, they are afraid that my Song Dynasty will return from the Great Yue Dynasty and offend the Yue people at that time. After all, the Yue people are their neighbors, which is a big concern. I usually treat these vassal states well, but I didn't expect that this kind of kindness would be of no use."

Wu Wencai smiled awkwardly: "Your Majesty is so serious."

Zhao Ji said with concern: "I also heard that the vassal states ordered the vassal states to cut off relations with the great cannibals? Originally, I was reluctant to fight against the great cannibals, but I heard that those vassal states were still watching and still secretly interacting with the great cannibals, right? If the vassal states fail this time, I am afraid they will be more bold and arrogant, ah..." Zhao Ji sighed, as if he was also worried about the matter of the vassal state. Of course, what he was worried about was not whether the vassal state can maintain it, but whether his face could be saved. If the Song army really failed in the great Yue Kingdom, the 1000-country exhibition would probably turn into the 100-country exhibition exhibition, where would his emperor's face be put?

Wu Wencai comforted: "Your Majesty, you don't have to be too careful. King Pingxi has always been steady in his work. This time he brought the Nanyang Navy to the expedition, so there will be no mistakes."

"He is steady?" Zhao Ji couldn't help asking back, then shook his head and said, "I am in Quanzhou and have heard about Yue Kingdom. Yue Kingdom people regard themselves as a strong country in Nanyang, with 200,000 soldiers. They look at Dali and Zhenla. The national strength is quite good. The Nanyang Navy may not be able to win. Besides, our Song Dynasty was a long expedition. Quanzhou was thousands of miles away from Yue Kingdom, and the food and fodder turnover was huge. If we cannot fight quickly, once we fall into a deadlock, we will not only waste our national strength, but also our morale will be affected. If we continue to fight like this, it will not be a blessing for our Song Dynasty."

Zhao Ji looked at it very accurately this time. Yue people are definitely not easy to mess with. In fact, Wu Wencai also believed this. Therefore, he had opposed it before the war, but Chen Ao insisted on conquering Yue, so Wu Wencai could only follow Chen Ao's thoughts.

Seeing that Wu Wencai was silent, Zhao Ji pulled his face down and said, "Why didn't Wu Aiqing speak?"

Wu Wencai said with difficulty: "Your Majesty, since the war has begun, it is useless to say more. This battle is crucial to our Song Dynasty. If you win, the world will be in peace, and the world will be defeated..."

Zhao Ji interrupted him and sighed: "If you lose, you will laugh generously. Is it a laughing stock of the vassal state? It is related to the face of the Song Dynasty. This battle must be won."

For Zhao Ji, things that concern him face are very important. He couldn't help but stand up, hold his hands, pace back and forth, and after a long time, he raised his eyes and said, "Don't look at me being idle all day long..."

When Zhao Ji said this, Wu Wencai hurriedly said, "I don't dare."

Zhao Ji continued, "But I have always been worried about this matter. The 100,000 naval army looks arrogant, but in a foreign country, there are only 70,000 to 80,000 people who fight on land and the people of Yue, at most, there are only 70,000 to 80,000 people. If the Yue people are soaring, they can draw at least 100,000 people. It is so difficult to win the more with few. Moreover, the Yue people are full of miasma, with continuous mountains and numerous passes. If you are not careful, you will be wiped out by the entire army. In this battle, the Song Dynasty cannot afford to lose. I hesitate and, for the sake of being safe, I will simply go out to compete with the Yue people."

Wu Wencai was shocked when he heard this. It turned out that His Majesty had said so much to him, but he was actually making this idea.

Zhao Ji continued: "Now the border affairs in the north are still peaceful, and there is no need to worry about the Xixia disaster on the three sides for the time being. Therefore, my idea is to transfer the troops and horses from the three sides, join the imperial guards for 50,000, and then draw 200,000 troops from various places, send 400,000 troops to advance from Guangnan West Road to conquer Yue. I don't believe it. The navy and the 400,000 elite troops from the Song Dynasty were advancing together, so I can't do anything to a Yue country. What do Wu Aiqing thinks?"

Wu Wencai was speechless for a while and said for a long time: "Your Majesty, if you make such a big noise for the Yue Kingdom, I am afraid that the court will make a fuss again, so it's better to be safe."

Zhao Ji pondered for a while, but in fact he was also struggling in his heart. On the one hand, he felt that the Song Dynasty could not afford to lose, the war had already begun, and it was not the time to hold him accountable. Since he wanted to fight, he had to win. On the other hand, Yue State did not have much interest in the Song Dynasty and Zhao Ji. He mobilized many troops just to move a Yue State, and felt that it was a bit unworthy. What's more, if he spread his thoughts to Bianjing, the entire Bianjing would have had a loud voice.

After weighing the left and right, they still couldn't make up their minds. Zhao Ji had to sit back on the chair dejectedly and smiled bitterly: "It's not the left, it's not the right. If I had known this, I wouldn't have drafted Chen Ao's memorial, otherwise why would it be so difficult to get into this situation?"

He stroked his hand on several tables and said, "Wait a minute, when Chen Ao's memorial comes, if he really reaches the end of his life, I have to issue an order."

Wu Wencai nodded and said, "Your Majesty is right. The current situation is unclear. Let's wait a moment before talking."

The two agreed, Wu Wencai stepped out and returned to the front hall of the Haizheng Yamen. As soon as he sat firmly, the prefect Ma Yinglong came. Ma Yinglong's face turned a little blue, and he only slandered Wu Wencai, and then said, "What happened."

Wu Wencai frowned and said, "What happened again?"

Ma Yinglong said: "The prince of Sanfoqi killed a peddler in the street on the street, saying that the peddler bumped into him, but the prefect took the murderer who caused the accident..."

Wu Wencai's face suddenly changed: "Have you taken the prince too?"

Ma Yinglong said, "The prince didn't take it. Although he was instigating him, the beating him was some of the guards he brought. For such a big deal, the subordinates could only ask the officers to take back the guard locks and interrogate them carefully."

Wu Wencai sighed: "Why did this happen again at this moment?" He continued: "Since someone died, you can't give in. It's okay for the prince. Those guards naturally need to be sentenced to heavy sentences, otherwise how can they explain it to others? Once this example is opened, I don't know how many things will happen."

Ma Yinglong said with cold face, "The so-called princes say the same thing. The prince can ignore it, but since they have killed someone, they must punish the prince's guards. It's bad. The people of the Three Buddhas and Qi came to ask the prefect for people at this time, saying that they were from the Three Buddhas and Qi, and that they had nothing to do with the Song Dynasty. Now the prince is still making trouble, saying that if the prefect does not hand over the people, they will return to the country immediately and will not interact with the Song Dynasty from then on. They also said among the various vassal states that I bullied foreign countries. Lord, when things have come to this point, they are not the ones that the governor can do. What do you think?"

Wu Wencai raised his eyebrows and slapped the table and said, "It's really outrageous. I'm so inviting them to come. I dare to make trouble and kill people to pay for my life. We didn't take that prince, but now we're still getting more and more."

Ma Yinglong smiled bitterly and said, "The exhibition of all countries is imminent. If the princes and envoys of the Three Buddhas and Qi Kingdom run away with anger, I am afraid that there will be troubles again."

Wu Wencai's eyes closed at this moment and said lightly: "I am not worried about this, but the attitude of the Three Buddhas and Qi Kingdom. When the King of Xi was fighting for Yue, how careful the Three Buddhas and Qi Kingdom was? Why did it suddenly become so powerful now? Could this matter be related to Yue Kingdom?"

Ma Yinglong said: "The Kingdom of Yue is not far from the Kingdom of Three Buddhas and Qi. It is said that when the Kingdom of Three Buddhas and Qi was strongly supported by the Kingdom of Three Buddhas and Qi."

Wu Wencai's face turned cold and suddenly realized, "I know. I have supported him before. Now I have no news about the navy. I know that the Great Song Dynasty will definitely be in danger. It will be a matter of time before the Song Dynasty makes peace with Yue. In order to prevent Yue from revenge, I deliberately make some trouble at this time and express my kindness to Yue."

Ma Yinglong couldn't help but be stunned: "If this is the case, it would be even more difficult. Should you ask Your Majesty for instructions?"

Wu Wencai shook his head: "Your Majesty was also worried about the matter of conquest. The more conquest... the more conquest... the more conquest makes the whole Quanzhou unstable. Now the King of Pingxi is still far away in Yue. The victory or defeat of the navy is unknown, but in my opinion, it is probably a lot of luck. You and I are the right and right hands of His Highness Pingxi, so no matter what, Quanzhou must be stable, otherwise how can we explain to the King of Pingxi?"

A fine cold sweat oozed out from Ma Yinglong's forehead, and he kept nodding and said, "Yes, yes."

Wu Wencai continued: "So, we must be more cautious when dealing with these three Buddhas and Qi countries. The vassal kings in the South China Sea are all looking at each other with big eyes. If we deal with them lightly, we will inevitably indulge the vassal states and make them think that our Song Dynasty is easy to bully, but if it is heavy, it will inevitably make people think that our Song Dynasty is bullying people with power, especially at the forefront of the storm. There is no mistake in this. Your Majesty has arrived in Quanzhou. If many vassal kings and envoys return to the country at this time, how can your Majesty have the face?"

Ma Yinglong felt more and more that what Wu Wencai said made sense, and said, "Mr. Wu, since it is too light or too heavy, how can you have a child?"

Wu Wencai was silent for a moment: "As usual, the guards will be sentenced to re-sent. As for the prince of Sanfoqi, I will comfort him. At worst, I can give him some sweetness. No matter what, I will always be tough."

Ma Yinglong responded, "Okay, let's do it this way, then the judge will start the trial tomorrow. No matter what, you will always give the dead an explanation." He continued, "Mr. Wu, tell the truth, the navy is really defeated?"

Wu Wencai was also unsure and smiled bitterly, "How could I know? If I knew it. But if I had not heard of it for so long, is it possible to follow the character of King Pingxi? The only possibility is that the progress is not going well, either the attack is not enough, or there is a plague in the army, King Pingxi is also a very happy person. If there is a great victory, he would naturally be eager to send it here immediately. Now, he is probably embarrassed to speak out, and he can't return."

Ma Yinglong sighed and sighed: "I hope this is not the case. Lord Wu, the official has surrendered."

Ma Yinglong left in a hurry. Wu Wencai was still sitting on the chair and fell into deep thought.

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Chapter completed!