Fang Zhonglian, the left prime minister, was nearly seventy years old. He had been a companion to the late emperor and was very good at both civil and military affairs. Later, because his father and brother committed corruption, his future was affected and he was exiled to Huguang by the late emperor. He worked hard outside for four or five years, and then, as soon as Fang Zhiheng ascended the throne, he made an exception and transferred him back to the capital. Fang Zhonglian was very grateful and loyal to Fang Zhiheng, and Zhong Zhiheng relied on him very much. He was named the left prime minister twenty years ago. Compared with the right prime minister who was always unstable, his position as the left prime minister was as stable as a rock.
"I have a different idea from the Right Prime Minister. What's private or public? As long as we can work for His Majesty, that's enough." Fang Zhonglian said with a smile, stroking his gray beard, and said, "Besides, the matter of Southern Xinjiang should not be publicized. After all, it concerns the stability of Southern Xinjiang and the face of the court. Transferring troops from Huguang to Southern Xinjiang to suppress it will cause too much noise and make the whole Zhou Dynasty restless. Since the Northwest Army of the King of Pingxi is waiting in Qinghai, it can't be better. This will save a lot of trouble."
Zhao Changrong looked at Fang Zhonglian's gentle smile. He felt disgusted. Fang Zhonglian always looked so kind, but he was actually a man with a sharp tongue. He never showed any mercy to Fang Zhiheng. When he was still the Minister of Personnel, Fang Zhonglian had never had any grudges against him. But after he became the right prime minister, the old man started to be rude to him. Zhong Zhiheng, however, relied on him a lot.
"What the Left Prime Minister said is very true," Fang Zhiheng nodded, and while eating a piece of chestnut cake, he sighed, "After all, it is not a glorious thing, so of course I have to keep it secret for now, otherwise the capital and the palace would have been in chaos. The Mid-Autumn Festival is coming soon, and I still want to spend it peacefully."
Yes, if the news was not blocked, the Xu family in the capital would have been in turmoil long ago, and the Queen Mother would be even more restless. Besides, the court would be noisy and annoying again. The most important thing is that although Xu Chengjin has ulterior motives, it does not mean that all the soldiers in the Southern Xinjiang camp have ulterior motives like him. If a large-scale killing is carried out, it will certainly chill the hearts of the Southern Xinjiang soldiers. Therefore, Xu Chengjin and his confidants must be captured quietly and brought back to the capital for punishment without implicated other Southern Xinjiang soldiers. Then suitable generals can be selected to go there. By then, with both kindness and force, Southern Xinjiang will naturally change from Xu family's Southern Xinjiang to the court's Southern Xinjiang. The reason why Zhong Zhiheng kept Fang Zhonglian and Zhao Changrong today was to discuss the selection of the new General Zhennan.
"With the Northwest Army here, I'm not worried about anything going wrong in Southern Xinjiang," Zhong Zhiheng said slowly, taking a sip of tea while looking at Zhao Changrong and Fang Zhonglian. "But we must be very careful in selecting the future General Zhennan. If the King of Pingxi hadn't discovered the clues early on, I'm afraid there would have been a big mess."
"Yes, Your Majesty is right," Fang Zhonglian took a sip of tea, paused and looked at Zhao Changrong, and said with a smile, "The Right Prime Minister was the Minister of Personnel for more than 20 years before, so he naturally knows the situation of officials in the court. I wonder if the Right Prime Minister has a suitable candidate for the Zhennan General?"
Zhao Changrong cursed Fang Zhonglian in his heart. He knew what was going on, but he threw him out first. Zhao Changrong smiled and said, "I have been thinking about this issue these days. I have a few suitable candidates in mind, based on their background and qualifications. But I still have to discuss it with the Ministry of War before reporting to His Majesty, right?"
"Don't waste your energy on that," Zhong Zhiheng looked at Zhao Changrong and sneered, "Which of the generals in the court is not a mediocre person who stays in the capital and eats his old money? Forget about commanding the southern border camp. I'm afraid they can barely even bend the bow and draw the arrow. Therefore, the selection of the General of Zhennan has to fall on those generals who have the ability to command troops and have experience in fighting in battles."
"Yes, Your Majesty is right, but..." Zhao Changrong said with some embarrassment, "Those generals who can fight in the battlefield are generally of humble origins. If we promote these generals from humble families to the position of General of Zhennan, I am worried that I will not be able to convince the public."
Yes, generals of high birth would never personally fight in battle. They all cherish their lives.
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