Li Yanxian shook his head and asked casually, "Do you think it's absurd for the government to lend money to others, or do you think it's absurd for these nobles to lend money to the government for military expenses?"
"Both." Shao Yun answered earnestly.
"I don't think it's ridiculous." Li Yanxian smiled frankly. "Although the emperor is young and a little frivolous, he is determined to fight against the Jin Dynasty. He is also very determined. In order to raise military funds, the palace almost stopped receiving income... I have been in and out of the palace several times and I can see clearly that it is not fake... Now that Tokyo is gradually getting better, the rich and powerful are coming back with money. How can he not be embarrassed to borrow money?"
"The emperor is indeed a good emperor." Hearing this, Shao Yun sighed with emotion. "I often think that the emperor and the general are actually quite similar..."
"What are you talking about?" Li Yanxian was shocked. "Let's not talk about how to compare the emperor and his subjects. Even if we don't talk about these empty words, the emperor and I are different in age, experience, and habits..."
"That's not what I meant." Shao Yun explained seriously. "I just think that the general is the same as the emperor. Not only is he never vague about resisting the Jin army, but he is also very good to his subordinates... After the Heyin Oath of Brotherhood, the emperor allowed the commander to send a letter directly to the palace. My elder brother (Shao Long) and I discussed that even if we can't write a few words, we should pay our respects to the emperor every month. As a result, the emperor's replies were very detailed every time, asking if the army was short of money and weapons? If the soldiers' families had a place to stay? How are my family? Have the children married? Whether it's public or private, is there anything to worry about? These are no different from what you usually do, general."
Li Yanxian nodded slightly, but then smiled again: "Since you know that the emperor is a good official, why do you think it's absurd for him to borrow money?"
"Because I have always thought that the emperor and the general are very similar, and I also know that if it were the general, he would rather starve to death than ask those high-ranking officials for money, because the general is an arrogant person, and the higher the official, the more he will turn his face away..."
“…”
Since Li Yanxian remained silent, Shao Yun thought that he had said something wrong and did not dare to say anything more. Therefore, there was silence on the city wall, with only a slight breeze from the south and the usual noise underfoot.
After a while, the governor laughed again and again: "Maybe it's you, General Shao, who has a sharper eye... The emperor and I are really a bit alike, but those nobles are nobles to me, but in the eyes of the emperor, they are just idlers, so the emperor doesn't care and borrows them at will."
Shao Yun didn't understand at first and just nodded.
Li Yanxian also continued to sigh: "As for why those nobles are willing to serve the country, in fact, it is still the emperor's family, because the emperor is the emperor after all, and the people below are watching him... The emperor wants to fight against the Jin, and the people below do not want to fight against the Jin, but gradually they will also fight against the Jin; the emperor attaches great importance to the military, and the people below look down on the officers and soldiers, but gradually they will also look up to the officers and soldiers... It is reasonable for them to pay money this time."
Shao Yun nodded even more: "I know this truth... It's like marrying a wife. When she comes into the house, she has one personality, but slowly, her personality will be determined by the temperament of the mother-in-law and the husband."
Li Yanxian was confused for a moment, but after thinking for a while, he nodded repeatedly, because Shao Yun's analogy did make some sense.
People will change, whether they are influenced by what they see or hear, or flatter against their will, they will change unconsciously. Besides, they are talking about the emperor... The King of Chu loves thin waists, many people in the palace starved to death, the emperor wants to resist the Jin, so naturally the whole court is full of "righteous men"!
Just like that, the two of them sighed and talked for a while, slightly putting aside the matter of the official report, but eventually returned to the military affairs.
"Captain, I wanted to ask before, if the people of Liangshan Lake really settled down on the Yellow River, and the contribution of little Wu Sha was not fake, wouldn't there be no worries on the river in the future?" Shao Yun asked first. "Can we in Shanzhou also be more secure?"
Li Yanxian came back to his senses and shook his head repeatedly: "How much of the river can be controlled by only thirty ships and a hundred small boats? It's nothing more than protecting the river section in front of Tokyo. Even if you want to provide support, it's hard to go past Sanmenxia... And don't forget that the Pujin Floating Bridge in Hezhong Prefecture has always been in the hands of the Jin people, so it's useless to provide support."
Shao Yun looked slightly disappointed.
"It's not just that." Li Yanxian stared at the tail of the team that had already appeared in the distance, and sighed again. "Have you ever thought about it? If the river in front of Tokyo is controlled by Zhang Rong, the Jin army will lose this route of advance and will have to attack from both sides. We may even be attacked by the Jin army's heavy troops... And if they attack, it would be fine if it was someone else, but Wanyan Loushi is not that easy to deal with."
Shao Yun was slightly startled, then he looked at the troops under the city and whispered, "So that's why the commander ignored the New Year's Day and abandoned many towns in the north, and issued an urgent order for everyone to retreat as far as possible?"
"Yes, I always thought that the Jin army would still go south, and Wanyan Loushi would definitely come." Li Yanxian finally stood up from the top of the city wall, but he stood with his hands behind his back and looked north. "Today is the New Year, so let's take a break, but only today. Tomorrow I will personally take the elderly, the weak, women and children and some soldiers back to Henan... Here, I will leave you 5,000 people and enough food and grass. When the Jin army comes to attack, you are in Pinglu and I am in Shanzhou. We will try our best to stand on both sides of the river. This is the best way. But if the Jin army is strong, you don't have to be afraid. If you can defend, then defend. If you can't, cross the river back to Henan, or turn to Zhongtiao Mountain. It's the same way!"
Shao Yun was silent for a moment, then saluted solemnly on the city wall.
Just like that, since it was the New Year's Day that day, Li Yanxian, as the only commander in the Imperial Camp who had no organizational restrictions and had free disposal of a quota of 30,000 yuan in money and grain, took the initiative and ordered the distribution of rewards and food to comfort the many retreating soldiers and civilians inside and outside the city. The area around Pinglu was unusually lively and jubilant, and it was considered a relatively peaceful New Year's Day in the turmoil.
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