Chapter 372 Talking about war
When the afternoon sun was a little hot, Emperor Zhao, together with Prime Minister Lu and President Wang, led the people to leave the Old Palace in Luoyang and return to the military camp outside the city.
Perhaps because they had just offered sacrifices to the last imperial attendant, Wang Boyan, who was riding a horse and carrying a bow and sword, the atmosphere was a little dull. The group slowly moved along the stream, and when they were halfway there, considering the age of Lu Xianggong, they stopped directly at a thatched shed by the roadside to rest for a while.
This thatched hut was probably used to sell tea, but now it was empty. The tables, chairs and other things were still there, and the owner had obviously left in a hurry. When Emperor Zhao, Prime Minister Lu and Governor Wang entered, the imperial guards had already hurriedly wiped the place with something, arranged the order and asked everyone to sit down properly. Then they went straight to the stove at the back, took some firewood and boiled some hot water.
Of course, for those below the rank of Zhongshu Sheren, there were no extra chairs if they wanted to sit, so they had to stand, but maybe they could get some hot water.
Once everyone sat down, they naturally started talking about the war, especially since Prime Minister Lu came from the south and was not very clear about many military arrangements in the north. He had been traveling continuously for days and had not been able to sit down and talk about the current situation.
"According to the military report, Han Shizhong should have crossed the river." Lu Yihao sighed. "The left army of his imperial camp is full of elite soldiers. After joining forces with Li Yanxian, there should be at least 60,000 to 70,000 people. I wonder if they can take down Hezhong Prefecture in one battle?"
After Prime Minister Lu spoke, at least half of the people around him looked at each other in surprise... Although Prime Minister Lu was courageous, decisive, and had always been good at riding, archery and swordsmanship, he was still far behind the professionals in military affairs.
Even Emperor Zhao felt that this was not right.
"Mr. Lu, you're overthinking." Seeing that no one around dared to respond, Zhao Jiu immediately laughed. "Hezhong Prefecture has a big city like Hedong City. As long as the defense is strict and everyone is united, even if the number of soldiers in the city is not as good as Han and Li, they can still defend for a month or two until the cannons are fired to attack the city."
Lu Yihao nodded slightly.
At this moment, President Wang Yan couldn't hold back any longer and suddenly interrupted: "Your Majesty, my lord, there is actually a lot of discussion in Guanxi about Prince Han..."
Zhao Jiu didn't say anything, but Lu Yihao instinctively twirled his beard and raised his eyebrows: "What are you talking about?"
Wang Yan hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "It's not that I am discussing my colleagues without authorization. It's just that there have been constant impeachments in Guanxi. I have heard about it many times in Guanxi in the past... It is said that after the Battle of Yaoshan, Prince Han was given the title of Prince, but he gradually became lazy. In the Battle of Pingxia, the emperor used Yue Fei, Qu Duan, and Wu Jie, but he didn't make much contribution. It seems that he felt that his merits were too great to be rewarded, and the emperor was deliberately unwilling to use him, so he became even more unbearable. He was complacent and perfunctory in military affairs, but he was also afraid of the current situation, and he was enjoying himself among the people. He even thought of retreating and seeking perfection, and started to write poems and ink..."
Lu Yihao didn't like what he heard and turned to face Zhao Jiu.
"It's all just an act." Zhao Jiu said expressionlessly. "He privately wrote many secret letters to report on his affairs, regarding the Northern Expedition as his lifelong wish, and his words were sincere. He even wrote a poem to express his aspirations..."
"Your Majesty." Lu Yihao suddenly became serious. "There is nothing in the world that cannot be discussed with the Prime Minister."
Zhao Jiu gave a dry laugh and looked back at his surroundings.
Yang and Liu understood and pointed casually, and all the people standing retreated immediately, which saved trouble.
"Han Shizhong did behave like this." Zhao Jiu was honest when he saw that only his confidants were left. "This is his usual problem, not just after Yaoshan. He was slack after returning to Guanxi before Yaoshan. It's just that it became more obvious after Yaoshan and Pingxia."
"Then why not withdraw this person?" Lu Yihao frowned. "Instead, entrust the military affairs to him."
"Because it was Han Shizhong who was slacking off, not the Left Army of the Imperial Camp." Zhao Jiu forced a smile. "Han Liangchen has a thousand faults, but there are always two good points. First, he is the most loyal and brave man in the world. No matter how dangerous the military situation is, he will not refuse or be perfunctory. Second, he is very strict in managing the army. Even if he is lazy and has many faults, it does not prevent him from being very strict in managing his subordinates. The Left Army of the Imperial Camp under his command has strict military discipline, and the soldiers are brave and able to fight... Therefore, it is enough to encourage them to be brave before the battle... The so-called courage of my waist, he and his troops are truly worthy of the name."
Lu Yihao sighed when he heard this, as if he remembered something, but he was still a little worried: "Will the commander's laziness really not affect the combat effectiveness of his troops?"
"Since we are talking about this today," Zhao Jiu paused for a moment, but continued, "I might as well give you another tip... In August, when I was leaving Nanjing for Tokyo with you, we talked with the generals and officials along the way, and praised and criticized several people... Do you remember, sir?"
"I remember that the emperor praised Yue, Wang, and Li, and criticized Wu and the two Zhangs." Lu Yihao answered without thinking, and then thought for a while. "Didn't he mention Han and Qu?"
"Yes, sir, do you know why?" Zhao Jiu asked back.
"Isn't it just a random thing?" Lu Yihao suddenly laughed. "There are both criticism and praise, and of course there must be neither criticism nor praise."
"Having said that, I really don't know how to praise or criticize them." Zhao Jiu finally told the truth. "Han Shizhong's army is strong but his generals are weak, while Qu Duan is a rare and handsome man among all the officers in the army. Qu Duan himself is both civil and military, Liu Qi is the only Confucian general who has withstood the test of war, and Li Shifu has a family of loyalty and bravery. Even the brothers Zhang Zhongfu and Zhang Zhongyan are rare and brave generals with political talents. The key is that they all know how to focus on military affairs... But the Imperial Camp Cavalry is indeed the weak point of our entire army. This cannot be changed by human power, but we have to invest a lot of effort and countless military resources into it."
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