When Wang Jinghui saw that there were some eunuchs around him, he whispered: "Wang Xiang, there are eunuchs here that are not convenient to discuss! Mr. Jiefu, Mr. Junshi, Mr. Kuanfu, here and Zhang Notes. After reading it, he will understand it in his heart. I will talk about it when the emperor comes up!" After that, he handed over the note that Fei Ge passed the letter to Wang Anshi.

After taking the note, Wang Anshi looked at it, his heart couldn't help but sank - locust plague! These two words are so dazzling. At the moment when the new law was just implemented, a locust plague occurred in the Song Dynasty. Although he did not believe in ghosts and gods, he also understood what the locust plague means to him and the new law. He didn't even want to hand this note to his friends, but Sima Guang and Wen Yanbo, who are already faintly opposed, are watching. However, the only thing that makes him happy is that the scope of locust plague is limited to the few small military prefectures at the northernmost end of the Hebei route, and has not been expanded to become a natural disaster.

As the leader of the Secretariat, he did not receive any news about locust plagues in the Song Dynasty. However, Wang Anshi would not suspect that Wang Jinghui would use locust plagues as an example, and it is even impossible to fabricate the fact that locust plagues against him and the new law. He also knew that Wang Jinghui's businesses were spread all over the country, and even the Liao Kingdom and Xixia also had his industries. The prince consort also had a very efficient information transmission system. Just from a very special pattern on this note, it can be seen that this must have been sent by a flying pigeon, so it is faster than the normal official channel.

Judging from Wang Jinghui's previous performance, although he has caused trouble for Wang Anshi, he believes that Wang Jinghui dare not lie about such an important thing. After all, the prince-consort is no longer sensible. Wang Jinghui's previous all kinds of nonsense things were all manifestations of young people's ignorance in Wang Anshi's eyes, and he should also understand that this is going to lose his head.

Wen Yanbo and Sima Guang saw Wang Anshi's face change drastically. After taking the note, they understood why Wang Anshi had such an expression. They naturally understood in their hearts what such news meant to Wang Anshi. However, as old ministers in the Qingli era, they did not bother to deal with Wang Anshi with such means. What they were worried about now is how to deal with the impact of the locust plague.

The four people in the Funing Palace are silent now. They know what the content on this note means. There are eunuchs in the palace, and they know too much about these eunuchs. They are all bribed by different ministers in the court for various purposes to find out some more secret things around the emperor, so that they can make arrangements in advance. Among the four people, Sima Guang is the one who can keep this at ease. He never despised any relationship with eunuchs, and Wang Jinghui is the best among eunuchs in the palace. Wang Anshi and Wen Yanbo are not clean either. Wen Yanbo was demoted for making friends with internal ministers and royal relatives in the Renzong era. At this time, no one dared to exchange opinions in front of these eunuchs with big mouths like funnels, so as not to leak the news.

Emperor Zhao Xu changed his dragon robe and came to Funing Hall soon. A fourth-rank guard with swords in the imperial straight squad was accompanied by Wang Jinghui. But Wen Yanbo and the other three knew the origin of this person. If they were told, Wang Jinghui would definitely be familiar with him. This person was the descendant of the Yang family general in later generations. Yang Chongyue, the grandson of Yang Yedi's grandson Yang Wenguang, was named Shouyi (fiction. Since Yang Yanzhao, the Yang family has finally fallen into the history of the middle-year Northern Song Dynasty, and Yang Zhi, the green-faced beast in "Water Margin", is definitely not the legendary Tianbo Mansion.

The descendant is said that Yang Cunzhong, a famous general of the Southern Song Dynasty, and his father Yang Zhen, were descendants of Yang Yanzhao of the Yang family. This can be verified. It is a pity that the experience of Yang Lao Linggong in "The Biography of Yang Ye" in "History of Song Dynasty" was arranged such a character, hoping that the Yang family will not fall into pieces. As for the information on the Yang family genealogy, it is difficult to verify. Please forgive me!) After the Emperor Zhao Xu sat down, he waved his hand and retreated all the local officials in the hall, while Yang Chongyue walked to the gate of Funing Hall to close the door and wait outside to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.

"Mr. Jiefu, let me tell you about the specific situation!" Emperor Zhao Xu said a little discouraged. Wang Jinghui explained the origin of this note to Sima Guang and others in detail, including the intelligence network where some of his own businesses in the Liao Kingdom could collect the situation in the Liao Kingdom. Of course, the main function of this intelligence network is to pay attention to whether there are locust plagues in the Liao Kingdom, to prove that the locust plagues flew over from the Liao Kingdom.

"Master, this is just a small-scale locust plague. Master, don't worry too much!" Wang Anshi bowed and said. At this time, he had to stand up and speak, because if this matter was revealed, the most passive one was the reformist faction.

"Prince Wang, I don't think so. This may not be a small locust plague! The specific situation of the Liao Kingdom has not been reported back, but I believe that the Privy Council will get news in a few days. If a large-scale locust plague broke out within the Liao Kingdom, then if there is a drought in the north of the Song Dynasty, the small locust plague will inevitably lead to a huge disaster in the coming year. You must know that the locust plague is a harbinger of drought, and a severe drought is the prerequisite for triggering a large locust plague!" Wang Jinghui said. Although he was not very clear about the relationship between drought and locust plague, he knew that a rare locust plague would occur in the north of the Song Dynasty next year. Now that there are such signs, he believes that the disasters in history are likely to come as scheduled!

Wang Jinghui also knew that Wang Anshi also had a cruel side in history, and it was not the example of an official who loved the people like his son in later history books. In order to promote the reform, he knew that the people were suffering and the Qingmiao Law was even implemented in the city, but he still disagreed with it. Even Emperor Zhao Xu was a little angry about it. This shows that Wang Anshi was likely to temporarily abandon the victims in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the new law when necessary!

After years of training and hearing, Wang Jinghui has already understood the "choose according to political needs". Sometimes he will exchange interests to realize his ideals. However, he always believes that the survival of the people is the most important thing, and this is absolutely not tolerated. Even for a lofty and great ideal, it is not possible to achieve it! But obviously Wang Anshi has already had such a devotion now, and he will not remain silent about it!

Sima Guang and Wen Yanbo were excited and bowed to Emperor Zhao Xu when they heard this: "Please give the people of the world first! Although what the prince-consort said was just speculation, it was necessary to be careful. The court would make preparations early as possible!"

Emperor Zhao Xu nodded and said to Wang Jinghui, "My dear, let's reveal your trump card!" Wang Jinghui invented playing cards and proposed many ways of playing. This was not only popular in the palace, but also one of the popular games in the upper class of the Song Dynasty. Even the literati and official class sometimes enjoyed playing cards. The word "trump card" was also "understood" by Wang Jinghui. Emperor Zhao Xu also borrowed this "new word".

Wang Jinghui bowed and said to the other three: "Even in the worst case, the court does not need to use too much financial resources to tilt towards disaster relief. This is also to ensure the need for the King's Reform. After all, there are many places in the court that need money!"

Wang Jinghui paused and looked at Wang Anshi. Wang Anshi naturally understood it and knew that the prince consort's almost condemnation just now did not obstruct the new law.

"The prince-consort had already stored a large amount of land and grain in Hebei and the fourth route of Shaanxi. The amount of these grains was still increasing. The prince-consorts bought them from Goryeo and Nanyang for money and transported them to the north at any cost. It is estimated that there will be about 1.5 million stones next spring. If there is no big problem in Huicang in various places in the north, then the two will be enough to provide disaster relief!" Emperor Zhao Xu suddenly took Wang Jinghui's words and said slowly.

Although Emperor Zhao Xu's voice was very gentle, anyone could hear that it contained a sense of disappointment. He had been with Wang Jinghui for many years. Wang Jinghui's "people-oriented" thought had a profound impact on Emperor Zhao Xu. Wang Anshi's meaning was not impossible to hear, but Emperor Zhao Xu felt a little harsh and was not very happy, so he could express this disappointment by following the words of the prince-consort. North of the Yangtze River is the essence of the Song Empire, and three-quarters of the population are in this area. The peasant uprising that a disaster broke out in the south was no matter how powerful it was, but if this happened in the north, the consequences would be unpredictable. The more deadly historical books must record his decision to ignore the lives and deaths of the people. This is what made Emperor Zhao Xu most afraid!

Wang Jinghui hoarded a large amount of grain and purchased land across the country. It was no longer a secret among the high-level rulers of the Song Dynasty. Before reaching an exchange of interests with various northern families, Wang Jinghui had already become the "No. 1 landlord of the Song Dynasty". It can be imagined that after a large amount of land for the northern families was purchased. Even the prince-consort himself did not know how much arable land he had in his hands. In fact, it was true that Wang Jinghui's industries were managed by the Xu family. In addition, this guy was very confused. Instead of asking him how much property he had, it would be better to ask Xu family. He only knew that he could find Xu family to reach out when he was short of money and food. It was hard to imagine how this guy could have mastered such horrifying property without the help of Xu.

What is the concept of 1.5 million shi? Although Sima Guang and others were concerned about people's livelihood, they still had no way to imagine so much food. You should know that in the second year of Zhiping, when disasters occurred in two relatively large states, the imperial court only used 100,000 shi of grain. 1.5 million shi of grain was used in the north, so there was no need to worry about the annual income. What's more, if the grain in Guanghui Warehouse in various parts of the north was added, it would be even more insurance!

Sima Guang, Wen Yanbo and Wang Anshi suddenly realized that the Grand Secretary was the chief minister repeatedly impeached the prince-consort and hoarded food on a large scale, but Emperor Zhao Xu didn't even look at such bullets. At first, everyone thought it was the emperor's favor for the prince-consort. Now it seems that the prince-consort and the emperor had already reached a tacit understanding. The "food is the sky" distributed under the prince-consort is another Guanghui warehouse in the hands of Emperor Zhao Xu!

Everyone in the hall was relieved after hearing this, but Wen Yanbo and Deng did not dare to relax because he was the brain of the armed forces of the Song Dynasty - the highest commander of the Privy Council! This old minister of "Qingli" can stand firm until now. After Han Qi and Fubi were demoted, he was still able to serve as Privy Councilor. This is not entirely because Emperor Zhao Xu needed an old minister of two dynasties to suppress the Privy Councilor. He discussed that this locust plague would also summon Privy Councilors in normal times, but it would be unnecessary to summon him again under the premise of disaster relief. Obviously, the reason for calling him here today is not that simple!

Sure enough, Wen Yanbo's vigilance immediately appeared on Wang Jinghui: "Although it is not yet certain whether there will be a major natural disaster next year, it is always necessary to prepare for the future. It is always wrong to consider the worst case of disaster resistance!"

Wang Jinghui's words were affirmed by the people in Funing Palace, and he continued: "There is no worries about disaster relief now, but the only thing that is worrying is my 'good neighbor' in the north of the Song Dynasty. Of course, I have a lot more clear in my heart about the Khitans' ambitions for me in the Song Dynasty!"

Wen Yanbo's face changed after hearing this. He understood the reason for summoning important officials to the palace to discuss matters. He had basically settled the disaster relief matters. The only thing he was worried about was that the emperor's northern power took advantage of the situation. If the matter was about to be held in court, the joke would be a big joke!

"I think we should increase troops in advance to the north. The Khitans may not dare to take advantage of their cherry blossoms under heavy troops!" Wen Yanbo said.

Although Wang Jinghui's face was still the same after hearing this, he looked very despised. He stepped forward and said, "After decades of slow evolution, the generation of Liao Kingdom was no longer as strong as the former empress dowager's rule. In fact, even if the Song Dynasty did not mobilize any troops, the Liao Kingdom might not dare to launch a war. After all, it costs money to fight. Based on the situation of Liao Kingdom that my ministers have, the Khitans cannot fight a war!"

"Oh?! How could the prince-consort come to such a conclusion? Liao; Yang City is a powerful enemy of our Song Dynasty for a hundred years. If the Song Dynasty had been under strict precautions, it might not have dared to come. But why did it say that there was no war?" Wang Anshi asked back.

Wang Jinghui smiled and said, "Since the second year of Zizhiping, the Song Dynasty had gradually relaxed trade restrictions on the Liao Kingdom. A large number of goods produced in the Song Dynasty appeared in large quantities on the Liao market through normal transactions or smuggling. From the cotton cloth worn on their bodies, the books they read in their hands, the oil used for cooking to gems and jewelry or glass products sought after by the Khitan nobles, all of which were produced in the Song Dynasty."

"Have you ever thought that this caused the inflow of things to greatly impact the Liao Kingdom's business itself and greatly reduce its commercial taxes. Although the Liao Kingdom's commercial taxes are not as high as the Song Dynasty's fiscal revenue, there are still 30% or 40%. After this trouble, the Liao Kingdom's border forces were greatly hit, and a large number of people who made a living were bankrupt. The Liao Kingdom's economy itself was underdeveloped. In terms of national strength, the Khitans were much poorer than the Song Dynasty. The preparatory cost for our Song Dynasty to fight was huge, not to mention the Liao Kingdom, so the Khitans could not afford it!"

"What the prince-consort said has been confirmed by spies sent to the Liao Kingdom. The king and minister of the Liao Kingdom live in extravagant life, and their national strength is getting worse day by day. I also agree with what the prince-consort said!" Wen Yanbo said from the side that the spies from the Liao Kingdom returned to the place of information. Although they were not concerned about these economic information, they used it to read it to gain some insight. I didn't expect that they would use it at this time.

"Although people in their hearts dare not start a war easily, there is still a deterrent force. After all, the Khitans have always been a major concern for the Song Dynasty for a hundred years. In addition, the poor performance of our Song Dynasty against Liao in the past has caused the ministers in the court to have conflicts with the Song and Liao Dynasty. If the Khitans increase troops to threaten the Song Dynasty, they will panic some ministers, and the people will not be at peace when the court and the country vibrate!" Wang Jinghui said slowly.

Wen Yanbo breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, and began to thank Wang Jinghui. He was sure that all this came from the head of the prince-consort. From predicting the occurrence of disasters to disaster relief, to the final prevention of Liao Kingdom, only this person in the court could deduce so clearly. Even if he was his friend Sima Guang and his current political opponent Wang Anshi, he might not have been able to think so thoroughly. This person's mind is so delicate and agile that he would not be the second choice in the Song Dynasty! As this young man said, he is not afraid of things happening, but is afraid of not being prepared. As long as he can predict the general development of the incident now and prepare for the future, even if it is really as the prince-consort expected, it will not cause much storm, and the political risks he will bear will be much smaller at that time!

"I think it is possible to use Duke Han Qi of Wei to manage all the Hebei routes, and to use the Korean Duke Fu Bi of Luoyang to manage all the Shaanxi routes. If these two people are famous, then the Dangxiang Khitan should not act rashly!" Wen Yanbo said.

Wen Yanbo felt very good about Fu Bi, but it was not the same thing about Han Qi. After all, he still had a very impression of Han Qi's dominance. Although he didn't like Han Qi, Fu Han and the two were both old ministers in Qingli like him. Now Fu Han was demoted, and Ouyang Xiu also hid in Huaying Academy to teach. The only remaining "Qingli Old Ministers" in the court were himself and Sima Guang. Due to his similar political views and the previous "Qingli Incense" relationship, he still recommended Fu Han and the two of them to come out again. In fact, only these two people could bear this important task.

Emperor Zhao Xu nodded after hearing this. Although in his eyes, Han Qi and Fu Bi were the most powerful obstacle in his reform and power, this did not hinder his military achievements against the two. After all, such people could make the enemy country scared just by their respective reputations. No one in the court would have the ability to do so. Although Sima Guang and Wang Anshi also had a high reputation in the Liao Kingdom, he had to admit that they were much worse than these two people! This is the prestige that Fu Bi and Han Qi had formed over the past decades of Liao Kingdom and Xixia. It was based on military talent and national governance. Even Wang Anshi himself had to admit that it was too much.
Chapter completed!