Zhang Shixun heard him talk about this matter again and said, "Old Prince, don't be so obsessed with becoming emperor. We have other options, such as a republic."

"There is no other option, Shixun. You must become emperor... I'm wondering why you reject the idea of ​​becoming emperor."

Zhang Shixun pointed to his head and said, "I have received a modern education since I was a child, and I always felt that the imperial system was decadent and decadent."

"This is the Song Dynasty. The imperial system is the best choice. If we choose a republic out of place, within two generations, someone will definitely stand up and overthrow the system and become emperor themselves."

Zhang Shixun was speechless.

Wang Dong said angrily, "If you don't plan to be the emperor, there's no need to bother with this anymore. Let's take our wives and board the shuttle now. Let's find a beautiful place to settle down, have a bunch of children, and multiply."

Zhang Shixun saw that he was angry, so he waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's sit down and discuss this issue after we drive away the Jin soldiers and unify the country."

"No! Let's settle this matter now. If you don't become the emperor, I will... Humph! Don't think that I will eat hairy pigs just because Butcher Zhang dies."

Zhang Shixun said indifferently: "Okay! As long as you like it."

"When I become emperor, I will select concubines every day."

"Excessive debauchery!"

"When I become emperor, I will build an Afang Palace."

“It’s a waste of time and money.”

"When I become emperor..."

"Shut up!"

Zhang Shixun was annoyed and sighed, "Forget it, I'll be the emperor."

"Who wants to be emperor?" A graceful figure walked into the courtyard and asked, "Are you two brothers planning a rebellion?"

When Zhang Shixun saw that it was Sun Sansi, he couldn't help but look her up and down.

Sun Sansi touched her belly and said, "Master Zhang, stop looking. I'm not pregnant yet."

"Madam Sun, it's been a while since we last met. I was here to see if you'd changed, not to see your belly." Zhang Shixun shook his head. "You two are a perfect match."

"You're right. We're a perfect match, perfect for each other." Wang Dong pulled Sun Sansi into his arms, looked up at Zhang Shixun and said, "You can go now. I need to have a private conversation with my wife."

Zhang Shixun curled his lips and turned to walk out.

He stopped after taking just a few steps.

"What the hell! This is my home, you are the ones who should leave?"

Wang Dong was stunned at first, then scratched his head awkwardly, "Fuck! What a fuss! I thought I was at home...Okay, I'll leave, you stay."

…

Zhang Shixun stayed in Zhang Xiaozhuang for two days and then returned to his home in the city.

There are still many things to deal with during this period before the war.

As soon as I entered the house, Li Gang came.

"Shixun, you're finally back. I've come to see you twice."

As Zhang Shixun led him into the living room, he asked, "What does Li Xiang want to talk to me about?"

"Of course something's wrong."

As soon as he sat down, Li Gang said, "I'm leaving the capital."

Zhang Shixun's expression was calm. "They finally can't tolerate you anymore."

Li Gang looked at him and smiled, "You don't seem surprised."

"There's nothing surprising about this. The court is full of people like Geng Nanzhong, all of whom are cowards and hopeless capitulators. You are the only one who is a staunch resistance fighter. How could they tolerate you?"

"Appointed as the envoy to Hedong and Hebei."

"He's a high-ranking official."

Li Gang smiled bitterly, "He's a high-ranking official, but he only holds an empty title. Without the power to control the army, he can't accomplish anything there."

"So, Prime Minister Li came to see me to say goodbye?"

"Well, I suppose I should ask you to go with me, but when I recommended you to the Emperor, he... well, never mind."

Zhang Shixun said, "Prime Minister Li, in their eyes, I am an alien. If I can be discarded, then so be it. You should know this better than anyone else. Why bother running into a wall again?"

Li Gang said with regret, "It's such a shame to leave such a talent like you unused. If you come with me to Hedong, I will definitely let you go free and realize your ambitions."

Zhang Shixun smiled slightly, "Prime Minister Li, do you know what my ambition is?"

"Tell me about it."

"If I say my ambition is the stars and the sea, that would be too far-fetched."

"hehe!"

Zhang Shixun looked at him and spoke word by word, "My ambition is to drive out the Tartars and recover the lands of the Han and Tang dynasties, leaving them intact."

"The former site of the Han and Tang dynasties?"

Li Gang stared at him blankly for a moment before he said, "Shixun, do you know what you are saying?"

"Of course I know."

"Back then, Taizu was obsessed with recovering the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. He even set up a special treasury in the inner treasury, intending to use money to redeem the lost territories. When Taizong ascended the throne, he planned to achieve his goal in one fell swoop and mobilized the entire nation to attack Liao. However, he was defeated in the Battle of Gaoliang River. By the time of the Retired Emperor, he had finally regained several prefectures, but lost them again in the blink of an eye..."

Zhang Shixun said disdainfully, "Originally, Yanjing wasn't conquered by the Song Dynasty, but by the Jurchens. At that time, the Jin Dynasty was newly established and was willing to abide by the Maritime Alliance. But when they saw how weak the Song Dynasty was, they completely changed their minds. Not only that, they even looked beyond Yanjing to the more seductive world further south. As a result, the Song Dynasty suffered."

"Shixun, you just said you wanted to recover the lands of the Han and Tang dynasties. That's nothing but a fool's dream. Putting everything else aside, if you can capture the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, it would be an unprecedented achievement, and it will be recorded in history books."

Zhang Shixun looked out at the bright sun and murmured, "In a year at the earliest, in two years at the latest, I must recapture the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and drive the Jurchens back to their homeland."

When Li Gang heard this, he thought it was time to end the conversation.

There's nothing to talk about with a big fool.

"Shixun, I still have a lot of things to do. Goodbye."

Zhang Shixun saw him off with a smile, and as he left, he said, "Prime Minister Li, it won't be long before we meet again. I hope you take care of yourself and look forward to the future."

Li Gang waved his hand, got into the sedan chair and left.

Zhang Shixun watched the sedan go away when he suddenly heard Wang Dong's voice: "Li Gang is a loyal and courageous man, but he lacks talent."

"Wang Dong, could you please get my consent before connecting? You're seriously infringing on my privacy."

"I didn't violate your privacy. It was you who opened up all the wireless modes. Anyone can contact you directly."

After being reminded by Wang Dong, Zhang Shixun remembered that he had loosened his authority a few days ago in order to be able to contact Li Shishi and Ding Dusai at any time.

"Wang Dong, you can't use the evaluation of future generations to judge Li Gang today. The whole court is full of treacherous officials. If you were Li Gang, you couldn't do better than him."

"Let's not talk about Li Gang anymore. I came to you to tell you that our intelligence system has been established. The personnel were selected from Gao Qiu's roster. I suggest that Gao Yanei take on the role of the first Director of the Intelligence Bureau. What do you think?"