Chapter 176
Reuniting with friends is indeed one of the great joys in life.
Zhou Yi deliberately pushed off the afternoon errand, and had a good drink with Master Sun Zhu.
During the conversation, Zhou Yi knew that Lord Sun Zhu hadn't married yet, and this time he came to Beijing, in addition to preparing for next year's exam, it was also to seek medical treatment for his father. .
Zhou Yi sighed after hearing this, and the image of Master Sun Zhu's father emerged in his mind, with a stalk-like body, but he was quite elegant in his speech, and he had the same self-esteem as Master Sun Zhu.
Zhou Yi toasted Master Sun Zhu with a glass of wine, and immediately said: "I came to Beijing a few years earlier than you, and I am more familiar with the capital than you. If you can trust me, I will help you find a doctor." Master Sun Zhu hurriedly stood up and sincerely thanked him
. He doesn't want to bother others, even friends, but now it's about his father's health, so if he doesn't want to be troubled, he will be troubled.
Zhou Yi hurriedly stopped Sun Zhu's main gesture of saluting: "Didn't you say that I am your old friend, and friends help each other, so there is no need to say thank you."
Master Sun Zhu moved his lips a few times when he heard this, but he did not continue the thank you ceremony. go on.
After drinking for three rounds, Zhou Yi asked about the other students in Guang'an County. Sun Zhu said in a clear voice: "Yang Bufan is the father of two children. He failed to study, and he has been doing business with his father. Now he has established a silk workshop, and his business is getting better and better. Bigger and bigger. As for Wu Qi, he went to Tangyin and said that he became a teacher there, as for the other situation, I don’t know.”
Zhou Yi sighed deeply after hearing this, it seems that Wu Qi I still haven't let go, otherwise why go far away, in this era, how much courage is needed to leave one's hometown!
"Wu Qi has already passed the Juren examination. Even if he fails the general examination, being a squire in Guang'an County is enough, but he went far away to Tangyin. The Wu family even made a fuss about it, but in the end they didn't hold back Wu Qi. Really. Thinking about it, when he was a child, he was like a piece of dough, soft-tempered, crying at every turn, but he became the most stubborn one when he grew up." Master Sun Zhu sighed.
Zhou Yi drank a glass of wine silently. It seemed that Wu Qi had concealed it very well. No one knew that he had such thoughts for Yang Bufan.
"Then do you know the news about Zheng Zhi?" Zhou Yi asked Master Sun Zhu. Thinking of that arrogant boy, Zhou Yi felt a layer of worry. Boy, such a smart person, if there is no accident on the way to the imperial examination, he should be famous.
But so far Zhou Yi has not heard any news about him.
He asked Master Sun Zhu, but he didn't hold much hope. After all, Zheng Zhi was from Jiangyin, and he went back after studying in Guang'an County for a few years.
Unexpectedly, Master Sun Zhu sighed: "Zhou Yi, even if you don't ask me, I will tell you that Zheng Zhi is gone. He had been ill for several years before, and he went there last winter. I’m afraid he’s already on the high school’s imperial list.”
“No more?” Zhou Yi was in a daze after hearing this for a while, and he asked why he didn’t see Zheng Zhi’s name in the provincial and general examinations, and that awkward expression appeared in front of him. Yes, the classmates who yelled in the snow: "Are we friends now?" Unexpectedly, in just seven or eight years, things have changed.
"Heaven is jealous of talents." Master Sun Zhu sighed.
"I didn't know he's been sick for so long..." Zhou Yi picked up a glass of wine and drank it down.
"You are in the capital, busy with government affairs, and he is far away in Jiangyin. Let alone you, even I heard about it by accident. Zhou Yi, don't be too sad." Master Sun Zhu saw that Zhou Yi's appearance was not right, so he hurriedly comforted him .
Zhou Yi nodded.
The two talked for a long time before Master Sun Zhu got up and left.
After Master Sun Zhu left, Zhou Yi sat alone for a long time. Some of his childhood friends, one went far away, and he didn’t even know the other was gone. , only to find that the flowers have faded and the flowers have already changed the world.
Zhou Yi poured a glass of wine, looked ahead, and murmured: "I didn't expect you to die young. As your friend, I didn't even know the news of your death. At that time, you asked if we were friends already." , Now let me tell you, I am not worthy to be your friend, Zheng Zhi, have a good journey!" Zhou Yi sprinkled the wine in his glass.
"Sanggong, what's wrong with you?" Li Yingru knew that Zhou Yi was treating her friend, but why did she look so heavy after meeting her friend?
Zhou Yi waved his hand, "It's okay, let me think about it."
Li Yingru stopped asking, seeing Zhou Yi's face was a little blushing, and helped him to bed, seeing Zhou Yi closed his eyes, Li Yingru tucked the quilt for him Then he turned and left.
For several days in a row, Zhou Yi was a little depressed, and his usual smiling face disappeared, which made the commercial department tremble. Although Zhou Yi is easy to get angry, he is also easy to talk on weekdays, but the people below treat him with respect. There is awe in my heart.
But before he could continue to meditate, Emperor Chongzheng called him away. He thought that this time it would be the same as usual. Emperor Chongzheng was looking for him alone. All called.
Zhou Yi quietly stood at the end of the line.
"This is the urgent report of the Northwest Pass, please take a look." Emperor Chongzheng glanced at the dozen or so courtiers below, and handed the memorial in his hand to Xing Jing.
Xing Jing opened it, and everyone else looked at Xing Jing, not knowing what was in the memorial. Xing Jing looked at it, and his face became solemn, "Your Majesty, how could this be? Could it be a false report?
" Handed it to Yang Zhiwen behind him, and said in surprise.
Emperor Chongzheng sat on the dragon couch with a cold face and did not speak.
There was a moment of silence in the imperial study room. Standing here were the chief ministers of the cabinet, the six ministers, the heads of the three departments, and the generals in charge of the army. They could be said to be the most important ministers among the ministers.
Of course Zhou Yi is now on the same level as the six ministers, but he still consciously ranks at the bottom.
You don't need to think about this battle to know, the things in the booklet are unusual, Northwest Pass? What can happen at the Northwest Pass? It is adjacent to the Rong and Daqiang, and the Diyi from the north to the northeast. These three countries are the most powerful among Dayue's neighbors, and they have always been the most covetous of Dayue.
Could it be that there was some unusual movement there.
The book was passed on among these important ministers, and finally reached Zhou Yi's hands. When he opened it, his forehead wrinkled instantly. Sure enough, there was a report from the Northwest Pass, and the Great Qiang and Rong people frequently mobilized their troops, and some gathered at the Northwest Pass. Phenomenon.
No wonder Xing Jing asked if it was a false report. After all, the relationship between Da Qiang and the Rong people is not good. If the report is true, it not only means that they have plans to attack Dayue, but also that the two countries have united.
It seemed they couldn't stand it anymore.
"You have also read the memorial, what do you think?" Emperor Chongzheng looked at these courtiers and asked.
"Your Majesty, they are just mobilizing troops. It doesn't mean that they must attack my Dayue. In the past, they would come to our border to plunder from time to time. Maybe this time it will be the same as before." Said the Secretary of the Ministry of Justice.
"Hum..." a general snorted immediately after hearing the words of Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice: "Master Shangshu, you think too well. If it's just to fight grass valleys, why bother to unite and mobilize troops, Your Majesty, they are obviously preparing Unite to prepare to attack Dayue, don't take it lightly, you must make preparations early!"
Almost half of the people who agreed with him felt that the Daqiang and Rong tribes were ambitious and had to be guarded against.
As for how to prevent it, if it is true that the Great Qiang and the Rong people are united, whether it is a battle or a fight will have to be discussed.
"War, of course, is to fight to the end. My country has been peaceful and peaceful for the past year, and the national treasury is full. Why don't you take this opportunity to frighten these ambitious guys, so that they know that I am not easy to bully, so that they don't keep threatening war. We, people have come to our door, do we have to give in to them like before?" The generals said the same thing.
"General Han, don't be alarmist. Where did they come? If we really want to fight, at least give me a fight against Dai Viet. Now that I have finally recovered from prison, the most important thing I should do is to recuperate, although there is no shortage of national treasury. The money has been paid, but the soldiers have not been trained. I have lived in peace for a long time, and the soldiers have not experienced war for many years. The minister's opinion is that it is not appropriate to start a war now. The Daqiang and Rong people are doing the same thing as before. It is nothing more than I just want to get year-old silver and year-old food from me, if their conditions are not too harsh, we can agree to them first and give us time to increase our strength." Minister of the Ministry of War said.
"Hey" General Ma sneered and said, "I don't know how long ago, you used this kind of rhetoric, but in the end, it just made them push forward more and more. The majestic Da Yue, facing the enemy's provocation, dare not even fight It's no wonder that they are becoming more and more unscrupulous. Your majesty, I believe that since there is no shortage of military pay, they should face the challenge head-on. Only when they are scared can they truly surrender. .”
Emperor Chongzheng was a little moved by what he said.
He has long been fed up with the anger of those small countries.
"General Ma is so swearing, can you guarantee the combat power of my soldiers in Da Viet? If you are defeated, the consequences will be a hundred times more serious than the current peace. And the people of Da Viet, once there is a war, they will be destroyed. You can't just because you are a general , I look forward to fighting for the sake of meritorious service!" The Minister of the Ministry of War refused to budge.
Zhou Yi looked suspiciously at the Minister of the Ministry of War, when did this old man become so powerful and able to fight these generals head-on for so long.
The Minister of the Ministry of War tried his best to stop the war, but Zhou Yi didn't believe the truths he said, so as not to save the world from suffering, Zhou Yi sneered, thinking he didn't know the background of the Minister of the Ministry of War!
Since he opposed the war in this way, since it was not for the public, it was naturally because of self-interest. The Minister of the Ministry of War was in charge of the military manufacturing of weapons. It's a tricky thing. In the days when there is no war, the Ministry of War will be more strict and make some fake goods. Who knows...
Zhou Yi glanced at the Minister of the Ministry of War. It is because of this that the old man is afraid of war. , Those military artifacts are missing the stuffing.
As for these generals trying their best to stand on the main station, it is easy to understand that military generals themselves are more bloody than civilian officials. Apart from the reasons they just said, they naturally have their own plans. They are generals. If there is no war, the military power will be handed over. Only very few troops will be left in their hands, and there will be no battles. They are almost transparent figures in the court.
From their standpoint, it is true that they should fight both public and private.
"The combat power of a soldier needs to be tempered by blood. If he is often shrunk in a turtle shell, even a god general and a heavenly soldier will only be tempered with blood!" General Ma said with wide-eyed eyes.
"Xing Jing, Yang Zhiwen, what do you think?" Emperor Chongzheng didn't comment on the debate between the general and the minister of the Ministry of War. After looking around, he still asked two people from the cabinet.
Xing Jing stepped forward, "Your Majesty, I think what the two generals and Mr. Tang said are all reasonable. I think we should prepare for war in private, but we still have to fight for the possibility of peace. Look at the big Qiang What is the purpose of fighting with the Rong people? If we can make peace, I do not recommend fighting at this time. If the other party's conditions are too high, we will not rush to deal with it when we really fight.
" Supplementary, the consideration is indeed more comprehensive.
His words also coincided with Zhou Yi's meaning. If there is a possibility of peace, Zhou Yi does not recommend going to war at this time. His new policy has not been implemented for a long time, and it will take time to wait for it to grow. A stable and peaceful environment is of course crucial.
But if the opponent made an inch of progress, now Dai Yue has the power to fight, and the general's words are not without reason, blindly retreating will only make him fall into a situation where he cannot retreat.
Moreover, Zhou Yi heard unusual news from the joint deployment of troops from the Qiang and Rong tribes. This should be different from the usual extortion. The two countries are willing to let go of their old enemies. It seems that they have made up their minds in all likelihood. It's time to start an all-out war against Dai Viet.
Da Qiang, Rong, and Di Yi are like three hyenas, but the fat of Da Yue keeps dangling around their mouths, luring them to eat. This piece of fat is too delicious, and according to According to Zhou Yi's information, life in the northern countries was not easy last year, and there were internal disputes. Only by unifying the outside world at this time can the conflict be diverted. Da Viet is naturally their first choice.
External temptation and internal cause, Dai Viet's prosperity and richness have become their magic barrier. Even if they know that Dai Viet may have an "artifact", but encroaching on Dai Viet has always been the goal of these countries. It is impossible for them to give up, no matter whether they win or lose. , at least call again.
As the saying goes, those with bare feet are not afraid of wearing shoes. They are stubborn stones, and Dai Viet is fine porcelain.
"Yang Zhiwen, what's your opinion?" Emperor Chongzheng looked at Yang Zhiwen again.
Yang Zhiwen hurriedly bowed his head: "Return to the emperor, and my ministers will agree with the words of the Lord Xing."
Emperor Chongzheng nodded slightly, at this time he saw Zhou Yi who was always bowing his head in the back, and called his name: "Zhou Yi, how about you? Is there anything to add?"