"Your Majesty actually asked Fan Zongyin to lead troops in the southwest. I can't understand it." Cai Mao shook his head.

Fan Zongyin is a proper civil servant with no experience in border affairs. If he goes to the southwest, he may not even be able to sort out the military and political logistics.

Zhao Guanjia is an extremely cautious and strict person about important matters. How could he be so careless about this matter?

"The lower official also feels that the official decision this time was too hasty." The speaker was Cheng Zhen, the right minister of the Ministry of Civil Affairs.

"The officials have been dazzled by the victories over the years. The Dali Kingdom is located in a remote mountainous area, and the barbarians in the southwest are barbaric and arrogant. The tribes of the Luo Clan Ghost Kingdom have treated us in two ways, and the Luo Dian Kingdom has good relations with the Dali Kingdom. This time our country has entered rashly.

Southwest, I'm afraid..."

Cai Mao sighed.

Because of the geographical mountains and rivers and the cultural customs of various parts of the southwest, conquering the southwest is no less difficult than conquering Liaodong.

In this farming era, the obstacles of mountains are simply a hellish difficulty for the army.

Not to mention that the interests of various regions in the southwest are extremely complicated. People there do not respect Confucianism. Their living customs are completely different from those of the Central Plains people, and the ideologies they recognize are also different.

In this era, Han people were regarded as outsiders.

If you are not careful, the army may get lost in the mountains.

"Fan Zongyin has always wanted to promote military and political restructuring and decentralize power to local areas. The officials sent him to the southwest. I am afraid that fighting is not the main thing, but to renegotiate the bond system with the southwest barbarians and resolve the bond between the southwest and the imperial court." Cheng Zhen said.

"Then who will lead the war against Dali?"

"We should use the barbarians from the Wumeng tribe of Luo's ghost country. They are more familiar with the terrain of the southwest." Cheng Zhen said.

"Zhao Ding is the most supportive of this crusade against Dali. He wants to get more tea from Dali. If the battle in Dali reaches a stalemate, neither the Admonition Court nor the Yushitai will let him go." Cai Mao said, "Zhao Ding

You really don’t know the seriousness of the problem!”

"The officials now trust him, and we have no choice but to wait and see how the war progresses."

"If there is a slight disturbance in the southwest, the admonishing officials in the capital will gather together to attack."

Regarding the crusade against Dali, there was a lot of discussion in Tokyo at first, but now it has slowly subsided.

For the Song Dynasty, which fought wars every year, the crusade against the southwest seemed to be less earth-shattering.

But the Tea War was promoted and executed by the Zhao Ding faction.

It not only involves the supplement of multi-party strategies, but also affects the competition for political power within the Song Dynasty.

As Cai Mao said, if the attack on Dali fails, the admonishers will line up to impeach Zhao Ding, and Fan Zongyin will also be implicated.

It was the sixth day of April in the ninth year of Jingkang.

After a summer rain, white clouds floated between the majestic Wumeng Mountains.

The strange peaks are scattered across the vast world like ancient giant beasts.

The lush greenery stretches to the end of the sky.

The sun shines through layers of water vapor, making the water droplets on the leaves of the trees in the mountains shine crystal clear.

This is the border between Song and Li, and also where the Wumeng tribe lives.

Du Zhi, the governor of Dongchuan County in Dali Kingdom, got off the carriage and walked forward.

He looked around and saw some people carrying bamboo baskets with some daily necessities in them, and children looking around in the bamboo baskets.

Since the Wumeng tribe in this area accepted the canonization of the Song Dynasty decades ago, they have had a lot of contact with the Central Plains.

"this way please."

"please."

Du Zhi arrived at the residence of the leader of the Wumeng tribe.

He was shocked to find that the mansion of the leader of the Wumeng tribe actually had the architectural style of the Central Plains incorporated into it.

Soon, he met Luo Yun, the Wumeng King of this generation.

"I have met the king."

"Your Excellency, why have you come all the way?" Luo Yun asked.

"Your Majesty, I am here on the orders of our king. I want to enhance our friendship with your Majesty and expand our trade."

Luo Yun said: "Your Excellency, you want to discuss with me to deal with the Song army together, right?"

Du Zhi was stunned for a moment and said: "Since the king already knows, I won't beat around the bush, it is true."

If not, why would the governor of a border county come in person?

It must be of great importance.

"Distinguished guest, please come back." Luo Yun directly rejected Du Zhi, "I, Luo, have accepted the title from the Celestial Dynasty and become a minister of the Song Dynasty. My father is loyal to the Song Dynasty. How can I join forces with outsiders to go against the Song Dynasty?

"

The father he mentioned was Wumeng Wang Luoxing.

When Wang Anshi carried out his political reform and various tribes in the southwest rebelled, Luo Xing became Wang Xuan's deputy general. He followed Wang Xuan in the southern expedition and flattened the Wumeng tribe. He was canonized as King of Wumeng and ruled the Luo ghost country.

This is a serious official of the Song Dynasty.

"Your Majesty, the Song army has come all the way, so it is bound to force soldiers from your department to enter our Dali. Dali's mountains and rivers are steep. If you and I fight, only our people will die. For you, the gain outweighs the loss. Don't be fooled by the Song Dynasty.

use."

Luo Yun said: "The Song Dynasty was very kind to my father, so you don't need to say more."

At this time, Luo Jing, the son of Luo Yun, said: "Father, what the Dali envoy said may not be unreasonable. Our clan is weak and weak. People live and work in peace and contentment. They finally got rid of the war. Now that the Celestial Empire is about to start another war, this will bring us great consequences.

disaster."

"Is it possible that forming an alliance with Dali and fighting against the Celestial Empire will not bring disaster?" Luo Yun said.

He knew very well how vast the population and wealth of the Song Dynasty were.

His father, Luo Xing, was actually of Han descent. When he was young, he followed Han generals to fight in wars. Naturally, he had seen it since he was a child.

The military strength of the Celestial Empire is endless, and the food and wealth of the Celestial Empire are unimaginable to them.

Now that the emperor intends to march south and fight against the Chinese dynasty, it is not a wise move.

Luo Jing said: "Father, the terrain of our country is as steep as the mountains and rivers. As long as we send troops to guard important official roads, the Song army will not be able to come in."

"You don't have to say anything anymore," Luo Yun said, "Send off the guests!"

Du Zhi left the palace, but he did not give up.

In the evening, people sent by Fan Zongyin also arrived, and Liu Shen, who joined the Changning army, came.

Luo Yun held a banquet and entertained Liu Shen warmly.

"The angel came from afar, but Xiao Wang didn't treat me well. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

Liu Shen was born in Luojing Military Academy and is a new student. He is only twenty-five years old this year and can be considered young and promising.

He picked up the wine glass and said: "I am deeply honored by the king's hospitality. How dare you be rude!"

Luo Yun drank it all in one gulp and said: "The little king heard that the capital is prosperous. Today, I have great talents and great plans. He loves the people like a son. I am very yearning for him. It's a pity that he is already old."

"That's why I came here. As a favor from the emperor, the tribes in the border areas can send their children to the capital to learn new things. The new things will be prosperous. When they come back, they can help the people of all tribes live and work in peace and contentment. This is a great virtue!"

"Okay! Okay! The Holy Virtue of the Son of Heaven! The Holy Virtue of the Son of Heaven!"

The Luo family and his son have been working hard throughout their lives to increase commerce and trade, learn Confucian culture, and integrate the southwest regions into the Central Plains.

Luo Yun was obviously very happy and drank a lot of wine.

"Father, you have drunk too much. I will help you go back." Luo Jing walked up and supported his father.

He said to Liu Shen: "Angel, it's getting late, you should go back and rest early."

"good."

In the middle of the night, there was a sudden loud noise in the palace.
Chapter completed!