Destroy Jin and conquer Song, and carry the Northern Expedition through to the end

Chapter 917 Family Affairs, National Affairs, and World Affairs

The grand alliance between the Jin Dynasty and the Mongol Empire could not be kept secret, and the news quickly spread in all directions.

Liu Huai received the news in early July.

The reason it was able to move so quickly was ultimately because the Loyal and Filial Army also accompanied Wanyan Yong's imperial entourage to Linhuang Prefecture.

As an important extension of the Embroidered Uniform Guard into the Dongjin Fortress, what the Loyal and Filial Army knew was essentially what Liu Yung-gu knew.

Once Liu Yung-gu found out, Liu Huai naturally found out as well.

"The alliance between the Jin and Mengwu states, which we postponed for a year, has finally come to an end."

Important matters are handled in small meetings. This military and political meeting was attended by only Liu Huai, Liang Su, and Shi Ju. However, the other two were somewhat dismissive and even helpless.

The two fellow disciples simply couldn't understand why Liu Huai treated a group of Mongols as if they were facing a formidable enemy.

But if their ruler is like this, then they, as his subjects, naturally have to be extremely careful as well.

Shi Ju had already made contributions by bringing several prefectures in Henan under his control. Later, he devoted himself to cleaning up corruption in Han areas and was promoted to judge of the Jiedushi Prefecture, effectively taking control of the central government.

It's harvest season now, and everyone's busy. Shi Ju's spirits are low, and upon hearing this, he shook his head and smiled bitterly: "It seems that Liu Ba and Hou Anyuan were wasting their time last year."

As the chief of staff of the Han army, Liang Su was in charge of military affairs. He naturally deserved credit for the achievements of Liu Ba and others. How could he allow Shi Ju to slander him?

He immediately retorted, "Senior brother, what you're saying makes no sense. If we had let the Jurchens and Mongols join forces last year and attacked from Hebei while our army was conquering Bianliang, wouldn't we have been attacked from both sides?"

Shi Ju yawned: "Meng Rong, what you're saying makes even less sense. Do you think the Mongols can fly over? Even if they come and go like the wind, won't they be slowed down by the river? Won't they be distracted by the armored cavalry? If they come, we'll just fight them. If the Jin army can concentrate its main force to fight, our army can wipe them out in one go. It's much simpler than searching for them everywhere."

Shi Ju had indeed commanded and trained troops, and had faced the political offensive of the Han army, so he knew exactly what kind of monster the Han army was.

His confidence was even greater than Liang Su's.

Liang Su did not immediately refute, but looked at Liu Huai: "Young Master, what is your opinion?"

Liu Huai shook his head and sighed: "Alas, in my opinion, this means that the decisive battle between our army and Dongjin is just around the corner."

"It's true... things keep chasing after people, and we can't even get two more years of development time."

Liang Su was somewhat taken aback, while Shi Ju also perked up.

Liu Huai explained: "The economic foundation of the Mongols is too weak. Their Khan cannot have foresight, and their army cannot be kept in place for long, otherwise even feeding them would be a problem."

I don't believe that the Eastern Jin Dynasty still has enough grain to supply the Mongol army with their gluttonous feasts. Especially the Western Mongols..."

Liu Huai pointed to Tuoli's name on the document: "If he leads a large army to Hebei to participate in the war, it would be good enough if he didn't seize Daizhou first. Even if Wanyan Yong had lost his mind, he wouldn't let the Mongol army stay in Jin territory for too long."

Shi Ju frowned: "Could it be after autumn?"

"It'll probably happen in the fall!"

Shi Ju couldn't help but hold his forehead.

He encountered this kind of thing right after taking over the central government affairs, which can be considered a blessing in disguise.

Although local officials were generally dutiful and several shipping routes were developed, and maritime trade flourished in Shandong, the Han army's treasury never accumulated a large amount of wealth and grain due to years of fighting.

Even in every major battle, it could be considered walking a tightrope. If a large amount of land was not recovered to settle the garrison troops and the shops and houses in the city were not taken back as rewards, the Han army might not even be able to distribute the rewards in full.

Especially after the relationship with the Song State became delicate, the legitimate trade routes in Lianghuai became somewhat blocked, and the large-scale grain trade was completely cut off. Now, they can only rely on smuggling trade to survive.

After Shi Ju took over the administration of the central government, he immediately admired Lu You immensely and wondered how Lu You had managed to persevere during the most difficult time for the Han army.

As a newly promoted official, Shi Ju had none of the foundation that Lu You possessed. If the Northern Expedition had gone wrong during his term, it would have been a blessing for him to live to a glorious retirement.

However, this is both a calamity and an opportunity.

As long as Shi Ju can handle all logistical matters properly, who will dare to underestimate him in the future? And who will dare to say that he is not a prime minister?
After discussing military matters further, Liang Su and Shi Ju took their leave.

However, just as he was leaving, Liang Su said to Liu Huai with a wry smile, "King of Han, are you really not going to do anything about the current political turmoil?"

“How can this be considered a political upheaval?” Liu Huai first waved his hand with a smile, then his smile turned somewhat bitter: “Alas, Mr. Liang is well aware of my family’s situation, so how can I possibly take drastic measures? Let’s wait and see.”

Liang Su had no choice but to bow and leave.

Something that can frighten two important figures is certainly not simple.

This story begins after Xin Qiji was granted a series of official titles and ranks.

At the time, there were many opponents. Most people had no opinion about Xin Qiji, but out of public interest, they felt that a subject should not hold such great power.

A small number of people, driven by selfish motives, such as those from the Taiping Army, worried that Xin Qiji's high rank and position would eventually overshadow the emperor, leading to a situation where "the Heavenly Father kills the Heavenly Brother."

These dissenting voices were also quelled by Liu Huai's suppression.

Now, the only one still jumping around is Wei Chang.

To be fair, Wei Chang was not an ignorant person, but who made Xin Qiji the successor to the military and political power of the Han army after holding several positions in succession?

Even if the position of military governor of the Jingnan Army was not held by Wei Chang's eldest nephew and great-nephew, it should have been held by Wei Jiao.

How could we give it to an outsider?

In an era when the country was ruled by hereditary monarchy, the Han army was not just a military and political group, but also the legacy left by his father, Wei Sheng!

Therefore, Wei Chang constantly gathered people to attack Xin Qiji, trying to persuade him to give up his position as military governor.

The civil and military officials in the central government tacitly accepted Wei Chang's statement and continued to offer advice to Liu Huai.

To be honest, if it were anyone else but Wei Chang, Liu Huai would have already reprimanded him and given him a piece of his mind.

However, Wei Sheng's status as his biological son made Liu Huai somewhat hesitant. Three or four years ago, Liu Huai would have given Wei Chang a good beating, but now, in his high position, he had to consider the political implications of everything he did.

Especially since this matter also vaguely involves Wei Jiao, we cannot act rashly to avoid causing political misjudgment.

Wei Rujun is currently recuperating, and Liu Huai doesn't want mundane affairs to bother his wife, so the matter has been delayed.

This kind of relationship, where the relationship between the emperor and his subjects is intertwined with that of family members, has always been the most perplexing since ancient times. If the emperor of Han did not speak, it was even more difficult for his subjects to say anything.

Because no one has come forward to make a clear statement, the political turmoil is showing a tendency to spread to the general public. Recently, some students from the vibrant fields of health and social sciences, as well as the Academy of Sciences and the Medical School, have started to make connections.

This is why Liu Huai hadn't established the Imperial Academy yet; otherwise, someone might already be kneeling before the palace gates.

Of course, if things get to the worst, Liu Huai will still take decisive action.

However, on the afternoon that the military council had just ended, Liu Huai discovered that he no longer needed to take action.

The men who could easily deal with Wei Chang had already returned from Bianliang City.

When Wei Chang arrived at the governor's mansion, he was about to try to persuade Liu Huai again when he was stopped by a female official.

Wei Chang recognized the female official as a trusted confidante of his elder sister, and followed her to the inner hall.

Upon seeing the two people sitting in the chairs, Wei Chang was overjoyed: "Brother, you're back!"

Wei Jiao was washing his face with a wet wipe when he heard this, and nodded slightly: "I just got back. I just finished dealing with the land grants in Kaifeng Prefecture the day before yesterday."

Wei Chang immediately sensed something was wrong. He glanced at Wei Rujun, whose forehead was wrapped in a headband and whose face was ashen, and his heart sank. He forced a smile and asked, "Why did you come in such a hurry, brother?"

Wei Jiao rinsed his mouth with tea, spitting out all the dust he had eaten along the way, before sighing, "I have to hurry, or I might cause a lot of trouble."

"Brother, sister..."

No sooner had Wei Chang finished speaking than Wei Jiao's face hardened, and he shouted sternly, "Kneel down!"

Wei Jiao, after all, had several years of experience governing local areas. Although his face was still somewhat youthful, he still possessed a certain imposing presence.

With the added weight of his elder brother's status, Wei Chang dared not refute and immediately knelt down.

"Your robe is precious, take off your upper garment!"

Wei Chang immediately took off his shirt, revealing his muscular, white body.

Wei Jiao, holding a riding whip, slowly walked up behind Wei Chang and lashed out, leaving a bloody welt on Wei Chang's back: "I'm asking you, who gave you permission to question the King of Han's military orders?"

Wei Chang grunted, his hands clenching tightly: "I didn't mean to question my elder brother! It's just... it's just that the acting military governor..."

Wei Jiao lashed Wei Chang's back with his whip again: "That's the King of Han!"

Wei Chang gritted his teeth, turned around and shouted, "That's our elder brother!"

Wei Jiao's cheek twitched, then he turned to Wei Chang's side: "Aren't you afraid of the Prince of Han?!"

“We grew up together, why should I be afraid of my brother?”

Wei Jiao finally flew into a rage, whipping Wei Chang more than ten times before shouting, "You should be afraid! The Prince of Han is our elder brother! He is also our lord! Why aren't you afraid?! Why dare you not be afraid?!"

Wei Jiao had traveled a long way and was a scholar by nature. After being whipped more than a dozen times, he sat back down in his chair, panting heavily.

"Do you still remember Jia Gu Qingchen, who deserves the most credit for recapturing Bianliang? Oh, he should be called Gu Qingchen now."

Wei Chang didn't know why Wei Jiao brought up this person, but his back was covered in bloodstains, and he was in excruciating pain. He gritted his teeth and endured the pain, but for a moment he couldn't speak and could only listen quietly.

"At the victory banquet that day, Gu Qingchen sat at the head of the table, but only ate with his hands. When others asked him about it, he claimed that he could not change his barbarian habits for the time being."

“Upon hearing this, his elder brother gave him a pair of chopsticks, and he immediately burst into tears and kowtowed to him.”

"At the time, I didn't understand this matter. I just thought Gu Qingchen was absurd. The Jurchens had ruled the Central Plains for decades. How could they not even use chopsticks?"

"Later, someone explained the story of Xun Yu of Cao Wei to me, and I finally understood. Gu Qingchen meant that he dared not accept the Han salary, but when his elder brother handed him the chopsticks, it meant that his elder brother was willing to accept Gu Qingchen as a Han official and give him the Han salary."

As Wei Jiao spoke, anger resurfaced on his face: "When Gu Qingchen was still in the Jin Kingdom, he was a general of ten thousand households. This time, he made a great contribution in protecting Bianliang City, yet he is still so cautious."

Now, what virtue or ability do you possess to dare oppose the King of Han on matters of military and national policy? Have you lost your mind?!

Wei Chang's face was deathly pale, whether from pain or fright was unknown.

"And then there are those hundreds of thousands of Jurchens! Those are the Jurchens who are known for their fierceness. Five or six years ago, they could stop children from crying at night!"

Now that they've been scattered and resettled, no one dares to object; they all obediently go to cultivate the land. Are they all afraid of me, a scholar?!

"So many people are afraid of you, brother, and you say you're not! How dare you say you're not afraid?!"

Wei Jiao stood up again: "Do you think you're fighting for me to become the acting governor? You're bringing disaster upon yourself! The seeds of future fratricide may well be sown by the very act you did today!"

Wei Chang slumped to the ground, shaking his head and muttering to himself, "No, brother, no."

"My brother doesn't know, but the King of Han does!"

Just as Wei Jiao was about to continue scolding, he heard Wei Rujun finally speak up: "Alright, stop scolding Achang. He's still young and doesn't know any better."

Wei Jiao turned around and said, "Little sister, at A-Chang's age, my elder brother is already a capable person who can stand on his own. How could A-Chang dare to do such a foolish thing? It's really..."

Wei Jiao was quite angry. Seeing this, Wei Rujun could only shake his head and say, "Achang, although what your brother said was a bit harsh, you still have to listen to him."

Go now and apologize to your elder brother. Remember, it's not a younger brother apologizing to his elder brother, but a subject apologizing to his ruler, understand?!

Wei Chang nodded blankly, then staggered to his feet and left.

(End of this chapter)