"For one hundred and fifty-six years in this dynasty, the national policy has been focused on military matters. Before the Chanyuan Alliance, the focus was on the north, and after the rise of Xixia, the focus was on the west. To this day, the national policy is still biased towards the west, and the south" Yuwen Huangzhong considered With his words, he overturned his previous thoughts. [This article comes from] Wang Chong is not the kind of Zhao Kuo who is stupid in reading and only knows how to talk. He has participated in pacifying the Bo rebellion and is in charge of the affairs of the Bo people. He is an official with practical experience. There must be deeper thoughts behind this astonishing statement, and he wanted Wang Chong to explain these thoughts in more detail. As for the "Begging for Determination of Southwest Affairs" written by Wang Chong, after all, it was something that was to be discussed openly in the court. It had its own version, and it was impossible to fully reveal Wang Chong's true intentions. "Whether it was the opening of Jing Lake during the Xifeng period or the opening of Maowen and Ronglu during the Chongguan period, as far as the country is concerned, it is just a cure for scabies. As far as people are concerned, it is just a ladder to enter the court. Once used, it will be useless. There is no way to investigate further. Shouzheng, why do you think of changing the imperial government's policy to the southwest?" Yuwen Huangzhong did not mention the value and feasibility of the policy itself, but directly asked Wang Chong's motivation for making the policy. This is what a courtier should do. of sensitivity. Wang Chong¡¯s answer was also carefully considered. Friendship is friendship, and when it comes to government affairs, stance must be involved. I have been dating Yu Wenbai for so long, and I know his father quite well. My stance is very different from that of my brother Yu Wencuizhong. I am not a party to Cai Jing, nor do I deliberately embrace the lap of any husband or favorite minister. It is just that we are separated by heart. I won't reveal my true feelings rashly. "Yi said, the sage is prosperous to enjoy God, and the tycoon is to nourish the sage. Xun makes the ears and eyes smart, soft and goes up, and gets the middle and responds to the hard, so it is Yuan and prosperous" Wang Chong responded with the Book of Changes, and Yuwen Huangzhong praised it. He nodded and said: "It is quite appropriate to use a tripod as a metaphor for military affairs." This hexagram is the Ding hexagram in the Zhouyi. The literal meaning is that with a tripod, wood can be used to make fire. Only by stewing food can we sacrifice, can we have children, can we be able to govern affairs, and can we establish virtue. Yuwen Huangzhong was also from Shu. He studied Zhouyi very deeply and understood the meaning of Wang Chong's words. ??What does this dynasty rely on for more than a hundred years? The establishment of imperial examinations and the rule of the world by scholar-bureaucrats and kings were only an inner aspect. But on the outside, it is about building a country through force. For more than a hundred years, they fought first with the Liao people and then with the Xia people. There were few peaceful years, and 60 to 70% of the country's tax revenue was spent on military affairs. Gentlemen and their ilk always call for a truce. Where there is benevolence and righteousness, there will be peace. This situation is particularly painful for this dynasty, which is the most important military affairs. They thought that by eliminating war disasters and reducing these expenses, the country would be peaceful and the people would be safe. But people who are well versed in state affairs know that it is precisely because of military affairs that the country can control the flow of taxes and taxes in the world. A lack of military strength is like a blockage of the veins in the human body. If the blood circulation is not smooth, it will either flow to places where it should not go, causing harm to the country, or it will escape the control of the country. Create a cancer that is different from the national system. The importance of military affairs and success or failure are another matter. The saying "If you are eager to fight, you will perish; if you forget to fight, you will be in danger" is also very appropriate here. Wang Chong used the tripod as a metaphor for military affairs and regarded it as one of the foundations of the founding of the dynasty. This understanding is far beyond that of others. The only person in the court who can understand state affairs to this extent is Yuwen Huangzhong. I'm afraid there are no more than a hundred people. And this metaphor is even more consistent with the fire under the cauldron and the boiling water in the cauldron. The shock in Yu Wenhuang's heart was far greater than the approval shown on his face. Seeing that Yuwen Huangzhong not only understood his metaphor, but also approved of his statement, Wang Chong further said: "The tripod that the boy talks about is not only about military affairs, but also about strategies from outside. From the boy's perspective, at most ten years, Things will be peaceful in the west, and the world will be at peace. If this cauldron is moved, there will be nowhere to place it, and there is fear of internal trouble" Looking at Wang Chong's too young face, Yuwen Huangzhong felt the urge to reach out and grab his cheek. , are you really only seventeen years old? Even I only started to have this feeling of grasping the main line of national affairs after working in prefectures, counties and courts for several years. And you started to experience it from your mother's womb? But Wang Chongzhi was wrong after all. It was not that his idea was wrong, but that his status was too low, he had no access to military secrets, and he was unaware of the changes in the situation. Because of this, Yuwen Huangzhong did not regard Wang Chong as a stranger who could make calculations with his fingers. "Shou Zheng, since you understand Yi, you should know that the sky is moving and the times are changing. You only counted the things in the west, but not the things in the north?" Yuwen Huangzhong said calmly, as Wang Chong said, Tong Guan He is in charge of the affairs of the six provinces. This year he has to declare power in Hebei and Hedong and fight with Xixia. Even if they lose every game, they can still drag Xixia to death. What's more, Tong Guan still knows how to employ people, and generals such as Zhong Shidao, Liu Fa, Liu Yanqing, and Liu Zhongwu also know how to fight. The Western affairs should have results within three to five years, not to mention ten years. But Yuwen Huangzhong also knew the current situation of the Liao Kingdom in the north, and had vaguely heard some rumors. If the situation continues to develop, the Northern Affairs is likely to replace the Western Affairs and become the new national policy in three to five years. "You Ling once said that those who return to Yanyun will be crowned king even if they have a different surname. You should know this." Yuwen Huangzhong simply pointed it out directly. He was just telling stories and could not be said to have revealed secrets. I wanted to see Wang Chong's surprised expression, but unexpectedly Wang Chong lowered his head and bowed, as if he was asking for advice humbly: "I wonder how Wuzhang can see things in the north?" Without thinking deeply about Wang Chong's reaction, Yuwen Huangzhong frowned and pondered. . This is a powerful question, and he must deal with it seriously. "It's not the time to talk about this yet, but I have thought about it. Just keep these words in mind and don't talk to outsiders" Wang Chong is an outsider, but firstly, it is out of his own heart, and secondly, he is also an outsider. After clarifying his position in advance, Yuwen Huangzhong believed that he could speak directly to Wang Chong. "The Chanyuan Alliance has been established. Although right and wrong have not been resolved, the Song and Liao countries have been at peace with each other for more than a hundred years, and people in the world regard the alliance as iron. If a country has no faith and cannot be established, taking advantage of the chaos to attack will only disturb the hearts of its own people, not to mention " The first half is just a general theory. Wang Chong was already very familiar with it in his previous life. Just as he was sighing that this was just a gentleman's theory, Yuwen Huangzhong said the second half, which shocked him. "Since you are already an official, I will not hide it from you. When the Nvzhi people first emerged, someone came up with a plan to unite the Nvzhi people to conquer the Liao Dynasty. In my opinion, this strategy is to attract wolves into the house! The Liao people are already very brave, but the Nvzhi people make Liao people afraid. It can be seen that the harm to the barbarians is greater than that of tigers and wolves! Can the Liao people keep a century-old alliance, but can the Nuzhi people destroy the Liao country and let Nuzhi stand by? Too much neglect of this person. In his previous life, he was not very clear about the decision-making process of the Song-Jin Sea Alliance, but he still had an impression of several opponents. One of them was not only like Yuwen Huangzhong, he predicted the future events accurately, and was not afraid of dangers. Dedicated to serving the country, he traveled between the Song and Jin Dynasties. After being retained as an official by the Jin people, he secretly worked for the Song Dynasty, but was killed in an incident and became a tragic hero. What¡¯s that person¡¯s name Yu Wenxuzhong! This name was finally dug out from the depths of memory by Wang Chong. Wang Chong almost shouted, Damn it, why didn¡¯t I remember this person earlier! ? The Yuwen Huangzhong in front of me should be Yuwen Xuzhong! Thinking about this person¡¯s ups and downs in the second half of his life. Wang Chong's heart was agitated, and the way he looked at the other party changed. Yuwen Huangzhong concluded: "Faith is on the outside, and interests are on the inside. When the outside and the inside are put together, it is when the Northern Affairs makes a decision. It is the beginning of putting the Emperor and Song Dynasty in danger! The Northern Affairs is not a cauldron, but a trap full of spears. Horse pit!" Wang Chong took a deep breath, calmed down, and said with a smile: "I also think that there should be no North things." What he said was "There should be no North things", not "There will be no North things." "This is also a statement. Oppose the Song Dynasty to take advantage of the situation and take advantage of the decline of the Liao Kingdom to recover Yanyun. Yuwen Huang Zhongzheng felt relieved, suddenly came back to his senses, and was stunned. There should be no north affairs. That¡¯s why I asked Southwest to turn the tripod over! ? The way Yuwen Huangzhong looked at Wang Chong also changed. Not only did he think about the North, he also thought about it more deeply than he did. No, not just thinking. He has taken action to prevent this! Too much intention, too sincere The two looked at each other for a long time, and Yuwen Huangzhong sighed: "Shou Zheng, Wuzhang is just thinking, but you are already doing it. It's hard for you. But even if I can turn the tripod to the southwest, I'm afraid it won't be easy." It's hard to stop this." Wang Chong's tone was calm, but he was resolute, as if he was talking about common sense: "If you can't stop it, you have to stop it, and you don't want to take credit for it. To achieve perfection, I just want to have a clear conscience and serve the common people in the world. Although there are thousands of people, I will go." These words are mixed with truth and falsehood, but the determination is not hypocritical at all. At first, Wang Chong wanted to go with the flow and enjoy happiness, but he failed. Then he just wanted to earn wealth and benefit from relatives and friends, but he failed. Why failed? Because he is not a complete Song Dynasty person, nor can he be a person who purely belongs to this era. He cannot fully integrate into this era. His body contains a soul from nine hundred years later. This cannot be Change. Whether to be swallowed up by the torrent of history, or to ride on the waves, walk before the torrent, and take history to a new direction. This choice was made by Wang Chong when he served as a utility and joined the army with his father. He could only choose the latter. . The Luzhou Rebellion was just the beginning, and Xingwenzhai was just a small cornerstone for him to gain a foothold and leverage. The Jingkang disaster ten years later was a major turning point in the history. If you want to change history, you must rewrite this turning point. Wang Chong does not want the Jingkang crisis to unfold, but to achieve this, it will be too late to act after ten years. Any great change has years of background accumulation behind it, and is formed by the convergence of the power of multiple nodes. What he wants to do is to pry these nodes one by one from the side and shake this historical force. Guding Southwest is just such a node. As Yuwen Huangzhong said, even if this strategy can be successful, it is unlikely that decision-makers will be distracted from looking north, but it is a constraint after all. The three strategies Wang Chong proposed were not to use large-scale troops in the southwest, but to do things on a large scale. To do things, you need people, money, and time and energy.?On top. Tasting Wang Chong¡¯s determination, Yuwen Huangzhong wanted to ask someone to serve him wine, toast him and have a hearty chat. ¡°But¡it¡¯s just wishful thinking after all. Back to Wang Chong¡¯s strategy itself, the two of them had already talked about it, and they no longer had any scruples about throwing cold water on Wang Chong. In Yuwen Huangzhong¡¯s view, consolidating the southwest of the tripod was too wishful thinking. Yuwen Huangzhong still said it very tactfully: "It is good to be upright and determined, but for the princes, what is the benefit of this policy to the country?" Wang Chong repeated what he said in the memorial: "The country is short of money, and the southwest "There is copper!" "Although Zhongyuan Copper Smelting is prosperous, the gap in copper coins is also very large. Otherwise, Cai Jing would not have used all his skills on money, big money, tin coins, and money guides, one move after another. The southwest, especially Dali, has abundant copper reserves. Yuwen Huangzhong shook his head: "The journey is too long and difficult, and the pits are not easy" Naturally, Wang Chong would not ignore these two points, and explained them in detail in the memorial: "That's why it is necessary to carefully analyze the affairs of the southwest, issue orders, and promote the development of the country." Merchants. " Six hundred years later, in the Qing Dynasty, the Yunnan-Guizhou copper mines supported the Qing Dynasty's large-scale copper coins. Compared with the Song and Qing dynasties, transportation and mining technology had not changed much, and could not even be said to have progressed. Why could the Qing Dynasty do it? Only when Yunnan and Guizhou can be effectively ruled and government orders are smooth, can merchants prosper. Yuwen Huangzhong sighed: "The imperial court is short of money, but the root cause of this matter is deep and cannot be solved with copper." Wang Chong secretly praised Xiaobai's father as a historical celebrity and he is really familiar with state affairs. The lack of money in the Song Dynasty has a profound background and is closely related to its summer and autumn tax system. It is said that this is also an essential flaw of agricultural society. No amount of copper can solve the fundamental problem. However, this is not an academic issue, but a political issue. The fact that Yunnan and Guizhou have copper is just a pretense. Wang Chong said with a smile: "But everyone in the world thinks that if you have copper, you will have money. Since it is what people want, it is false, and the country also It must be regarded as a practical benefit." Yuwen Huangzhong also smiled. This kid knew that he had a lot of intentions, but luckily he used them on the right path. He repeated again: "What practical benefits does this policy have for my husband?" This is the essence of this matter going to the court. Since the Song Dynasty, the southwest has been a place that has no intention to manage. If we want to change this national policy, it must be of sufficient value so that the princes think that they can obtain sufficiently generous benefits. The so-called "profit" naturally refers to Xianggong personally. "What is the actual benefit to the country" is the cover of Xianggong's personal profit. Wang Chong's answer was extremely concise: "Some people have no achievements, but Southwest has merit!" Yuwen Huangzhong brushed his beard, and his chuckle turned into a loud laugh. It turns out that's the case. No wonder this kid put on a posture that was clearly different from Wang Fu's, but he also Don't be afraid of Wang Fu's criticism. In Zuo Cheng's house, Wang Anzhong read the letter and frowned: "This matter is very difficult to achieve." Wang Fu said in a cheerful voice: "Is there any achievement in the world that can be easily achieved!? Just because it is difficult to achieve, it is a great achievement! The west is controlled by Tong Guan, Zhu Meng is in the southeast, Hebei and Hedong are also under the control of Tong Guan, but no one is willing to help in the southwest. This is a very good thing, and it will be done in two or three years. " Wang Anzhong whispered! He said: "After all, the achievements are not as good as those of the Holy Family, King Jia" He only said these two words and then stopped, but the meaning was very clear. Wang Fu waved his hand and said: "Of course the Holy Family has to ask for it, whether it is now or in the future. But you also understand that in today's world, even saints have to be wary of scholars. "" Scholars are divided into two schools. The so-called gentlemen always look down on me. No matter what I do, they will always scold me. Go ahead and take care of them. But the other faction can pull them over. How can they pull them over? I am just a deputy prime minister. I can't decide the government of a place. I can do something about it. It works." Caressing the copied memorial, Wang Fu smacked his lips and said, "Guding Southwest, that's good." This can be understood from both the national and personal levels. Wang Anzhong understood that Wang Fu's emotion was the latter. . Wang Fu praised again: "This boy is talented!" Wang Anzhong nodded: "If the bachelor agrees with this policy, this son will repay the bachelor's personal favor" Wang Fu said: "How can I disagree? He deliberately didn't come. He paid a visit to me and showed that he had no personal friendship with me, but it made everyone think that I had instructed him to speak out. This was my suggestion. " Wang Anzhong said: "Isn't this bad? The excitement dissipated, and he shook his head and said: "It's good, but I've been manipulated by this kid. I can't get rid of this feeling." "It's just a selection of people. After using them, you can try to deal with them. Bachelor Why bother?" Wang Anzhong said casually. Although Wang Fu felt better, this entanglement was deeply imprinted in his heart.