"Qu Duan! I asked you to come here to discuss matters properly, not to speak nonsense like this!"
"Let the two gentlemen know!" Qu Duan was not afraid of being scolded by the two gentlemen in person, but continued to shout at them in the hall. "For people like us in Guanxi, letting Xixia enter Yan'an is the most absurd theory in the world!"
The hall was silent for a moment, and many people were shocked, but Qu Duan continued to roar in the hall:
"My lord, you are talking so happily. Have you ever looked back before the sun sets to see if the faces of so many Westerners in the palace are red or white? Ask us Guanxi people what we think?! Today, I won't talk about how Yelu Dashi defeated Xixia, nor about how Xixia prevented our cavalry from winning over the foreign cavalry. Let's just talk about Yan'an Prefecture. Before, the Jin people were powerful and had many female soldiers. We were helpless, but how could we let the Xixia dogs take them?! Are we Guanxi people afraid of Xixia people? In my opinion, Minister Hu is from Changzhou. If there is a shortage of soldiers and food, let Changzhou increase taxes. If the taxes are not enough, let them borrow in advance. Ordinary states can borrow taxes for a hundred years. Are they still afraid of not having money and food? Why should we sit back and watch Yan'an being passed around like goods? People from Changzhou are people, but people from Yan'an are not people?!"
After a roar, General Hu Shi's face turned red with anger, but he forced himself to hold it back. Even several ministers and a Chief Censor were speechless... Because, when Qu Duan was roaring alone, many generals from the Western Army in the palace, from Wang De, Zhang Jing, and Qiao Zhongfu, had already led many people to gather behind Qu Duan. Even Wang Yuan, the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Camp who had always been lacking in spirit, took two steps towards Qu Duan with a long face.
In other words, although Qu Duan's words may seem absurd, they contain opinions that cannot be ignored - people from Guanxi, especially military generals from Guanxi, will never tolerate Yan'an being controlled by their arch-enemy, the Xixia people.
"Are you done howling?!"
At this moment, Emperor Zhao finally spoke coldly. "Can't you speak properly? Why do you have to be so sarcastic?"
"I am ashamed..." Qu Duan's scalp tingled, and he quickly stepped out of the shadows and bowed respectfully. "But I am really angry."
"Just wait after you've finished howling. I didn't ask you just now not because I didn't want to ask you, but because it wasn't your turn." Zhao Jiu ignored him and just looked at Wang Shu again. "Don't you have something else to ask, Minister Wang?"
"Your Highness, there is no need to ask anymore." Wang Shu just glanced at Qu Duan beside him, and then he felt helpless as if he had eaten a fly. "I was just about to ask Minister Hu. His words certainly make some sense, but have you ever thought about how the people of Guanxi view the Xixia people? Yan'an is an important town in Guanxi, a big town, and the core of several counties in northern Shaanxi. It was in the hands of the Jin people before, because the Jin people were powerful and had many female soldiers. It was indeed impossible to take it in a short time. But if the Jin people wanted to leave and give the place to Xixia, and the court had to sit back and watch... I'm afraid the people of Guanxi would be unstable."
"You and Qu Duan have finally reached an agreement on the Yan'an issue." Zhao Jiu finally sneered and looked at Hu Shijiang again. "Minister Hu, don't be angry. We are right to judge things based on utilitarianism in the government. But we must understand that if we go down from the central government, it means the lives and property of tens of millions of people. We must make choices... How does that saying go? In troubled times, a speck of dust falls on the shoulders of ordinary people, which is like the weight of a mountain. We may be crushed to pieces... Today's matter is nothing more than weighing the pros and cons. If it really doesn't work or is insufficient, even if General Qu yells, it will only be a waste of time."
"I am not howling nonsense." General Hu was about to respond, but Qu Duanfu spoke first. "Sir, if the Jin people really want to abandon Yan'an and lure the Xixia people over, I am willing to be the vanguard and recapture Yan'an... Yan'an is in my hands geographically and the people's hearts are in my hands. There is no reason for the soldiers of the Western Army not to fight and die in this battle."
Zhao Jiu just nodded randomly.
Then, the civil and military officials who were called spoke one after another, but after all, they still held their own opinions. Moreover, because the tone set by the ministers conflicted with the three senior officials Qu Duan, Wang Shu, and Hu Shijiang, the core arguments of the matter were concentrated on two issues.
One was the debate about whether the news brought by Yelu Yudu was true or false, that is, whether the Jin people would really give Yan'an to Western Xia. Both sides were arguing about it endlessly.
Another scenario is that if we assume that the Jin people really gave Yan'an to the Xixia people, and then the Xixia people really joined the war, there would be clear positions between the civil and military officials, and between the central government and the officers of Western origin... The central government and the civil officials really don't want to go to war with a big country again, and it is very likely to be a decisive battle with a large army, which would be too costly and not worth the cost. However, the military officials, especially those with a Western background, all have a clear attitude that once the Xixia people come, they will never tolerate it!
The former is rational and the latter is emotional. No one has a problem with this. It is a structural contradiction.
Even for a few people from Guanxi like Yang Yizhong who chose to be rational and defensive, their actions were not enough to change the balance between the two sides.
Zhao Jiu listened to the opinions for a long time but did not express his opinion. As the sky gradually darkened, the debate stopped for a while, and Ban Zhi and the eunuchs came in to light the lamps.
The first candle holder was lit, and according to the rules, only one candle was placed. The candle illuminated a small area in the hall. When Emperor Zhao saw a familiar face under the flame, his heart moved slightly, and then he directly called out the name: "General Hu, your family seems to have not said anything, I wonder what you think about this matter?"
Hu Hongxiu was caught off guard, and hurried out of the line, only to find it was pitch black in the middle, and he could not move forward or backward for a while.
"Let's talk under the lamp." Zhao Jiu was also a little tired.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Hu Hongxiu responded carefully, then bowed hastily and spoke quickly. "I think the key point of this matter is not whether Yu Du's words are credible, nor what we think in our hearts..."
Zhao Jiu was speechless immediately... The others also started to laugh. In that case, didn't they just talk for nothing for the whole evening?
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