The more time he entered the right treatment, Wang Hou enjoyed it for the first time. However, when he walked in the Forbidden Palace with a young Xuanzan who was wearing a green official robe like him and carrying a strange-looking long sword, he did not have the slightest excitement, but felt a pressure that he had never felt before.

He is different from his father Wang Hou, his father is a civil official from Jinshi, and he is a military attache who has been in the army for half his life. The more civil officials enter the right place and get the credit of the Son of Heaven, they naturally have the opportunity to proclaim their mahjong and worship the prime minister and climb to the pinnacle of official life.

And military attachés enjoy such treatment...... I'm afraid I'm going to go to the battlefield to make a contribution. And he is in his early 50s this year, and his health is not very good. However, this is not what worries Wang Hou the most, what worries him the most is that he now knows that his late father Wang Shao's "Pingrong Strategy" is largely on paper.

The strategy of fighting and recruiting the Qiang and Tubo people was feasible, and it was realized in both the Shenzong and Zhezong dynasties. However, the annexation of the Qiang and Tibetan tribes did not bring about the collapse of the Western Xia kingdom of the Dangxiang people.

Wang Hou, who had dealt with Western Xia all his life, now knew that the country ruled by the party was actually quite tenacious. Moreover, there is Khitan support behind Western Xia, and it is completely possible to profit between Song and Liao. If you want to destroy Western Xia, there is no shortcut, you have to work hard to train the army, reserve supplies, and then push it all the way through steadily...... However, whether he can succeed or not, Wang Hou is still not sure.

At this time, the proclamation leading the way in front had stopped, and then reported to the temple in a poetic tone.

It didn't take long for a small yellow gate to come out of the hall and say hello to Xuanzan, who was leading the way: "Wu Xuanzan, why did you come to the Gate Division?" ”

The praise that led the way was Wu Haogu, and Wu Haogu smiled: "It's just to come to a door, and the official family has summoned Wang Dongmen?" ”

"It's announced, it's announced, let's go in."

Wu Haogu turned around and said to Wang Hou with a smile: "Wang Dongmen, don't let the official family wait for a long time, quickly follow me into the palace." ”

Wang Hou looked at Wu Haogu and thought to himself who this person was? But he didn't ask a question, but straightened his clothes and entered the palace gate with Wu Haogu.

Inside the main hall, Zhao Ji, a current official in regular clothes, was sitting behind the case, looking at Wang Hou, an old general who was old and had frosty sideburns.

Wang Hou bowed to the shrine, and Wu Haogu walked to Zhao Ji and stood up, looking at Wang Hou with blazing eyes.

Zhao Ji said in a deep voice, "Flat", and then said to the little yellow door in the hall: "The old general has come from afar to work hard, give me a seat!" ”

Wang Hou hurriedly said: "Weichen's official position is humble, where is there a place to sit in front of Your Majesty?" ”

After a few cases, Zhao Ji looked at Wang Hou and said with a smile: "You are not as good as others, you were born in a scholarly family, you threw your pen from Rong when you were a teenager, and you turned to fight in the northwest for half your life. ”

Speaking of this, Zhao Ji leaned forward, looked at Wang Hou and said: "Moreover, now that the DPRK and China are reforming the imperial examination, the next subject will be about the score, and both civil and military will be emphasized." You are the talent of Yunwen and Yunwu, so I should naturally pay attention to it. ”

O Holy Monarch!

Wang Hou listened to Song Huizong's words, and tears flashed in his old eyes. His father is Yunwen Yunwu, and he is also both civil and military. But neither father nor son have met the true Saint Monarch in the past!

Both Shenzong and Zhezong, although they were both determined to forge ahead, they did not think that the biggest reason for the weakness of the Great Song Dynasty was that a group of civil officials were too amateur to fight...... Since the Yingzong Dynasty, there have been three dynasties in the Great Song Dynasty that have not had a privy envoy from a military attaché. And among the many deputy envoys, the only ones who can really lead troops to fight are Guo Kui and his father Wang Shao.

Although there are also many civil servants who know soldiers in the DPRK and China who are in high positions, there is a difference between "knowing soldiers" and "proficient in battle formations".

If the military of the Great Song Dynasty wants to be really strong, it must have a prime minister and privy envoy who can lead troops to fight.

So today's saint is really a saint!

Zhao Ji looked at Wang Hou, who was almost in tears, but he was a little strange in his heart: Why did he cry? Could it be that you have been bullied all these years? But think about it, the old general of Rong Ma for half his life is a seventh-grade general, and Wu Haogu is only 25 years old this year, and he is already a seventh-grade ......

Zhao Ji said: "Wang Qing has been fighting horses for 30 years, he should really know the soldiers, right?" ”

"The minister only knows a thing or two."

Zhao Ji smiled: "Don't be modest, I have a temporary dispatch for you...... Do you know about Mu Daogang's martial arts? ”

"The minister knows."

"I want to appoint a few military attachés to preside over the military exercises." Zhao Ji said, "Are you willing to be this military attaché?" ”

"Yes." Wang Hou originally thought that Zhao Ji would ask about the two states of He, but he didn't expect to send himself to be a military attaché.

Zhao Ji pointed to Wu Haogu beside him, "This is Wu Haogu, I can have a knight in front of the emperor, and he has the greatest credit." This time, I will also play the military attache with you, and the two of you will discuss the matter of performing martial arts. ”

Wang Hou peeked at Wu Haogu, of course he had heard of Wu Haogu's name - profiteer, great Confucian, lucky, and able...... This is a bit mixed!

Zhao Ji saw it and said to Wang Hou with a smile: "Wang Qing, Wu Haogu is my capable minister, if you want to make contributions in the northwest, his cooperation is indispensable." You two, let's discuss the military affairs of the Northwest here. ”

Wang Hou was stunned, he was a general who was older than the battle array, what did he have to say to a businessman in Wuhaogu?

Wu Haogu smiled and arched his hand: "Wang Dongmen, the lower officials want to know whether my Great Song Dynasty Western Army has the strength to extinguish the Western Thieves?" If so, why did the battle for the Northwest drag on for so long. If not, then where is the Western Army? Where is the Western Thief strong? How can it be compensated? ”

The question was not complicated, but Wang Hou was stopped for a while.

The Western Army and the Western Thieves are actually on equal footing and want to be wiped out...... It's not easy to be honest! But where is the difference between the Western Army? Where is the Western Thief strong? How should the Western Army be strengthened? But no one has seriously considered it for many years.

No, no one in the Great Song Dynasty thought about this at all! This should be the case of the Privy Council...... But where do the civil servants of the Privy Council know how to do it?

"Wang Qing," Zhao Ji said with a smile, "If you have something to say, I want to know too!" ”

"Your Majesty," Wang Hou said thoughtfully, "the current Western Army does not have the strength to destroy the Western Thieves...... Otherwise, the thieves would have been wiped out long ago!

As for where is the difference between the Western Army? The minister felt that the Western Army had many shortcomings, training, equipment, and logistics...... There are also three military commands, all of which are deficient. But the biggest difference, in fact, is actually on the side of the imperial court. ”

"At the imperial court?" Zhao Ji asked, "Why?" ”

"Because of the uncertainties of the imperial court, the strategies formulated are difficult to implement, and they are often forced by the Khitans, which often overwhelms the front-line armies......"

Zhao Ji turned his head to look at Wu Haogu, "Da Lang, what do you think?" ”

"Your Majesty, the minister thinks that the matter of commanding the war should be divided into temple planning and decision-making. The ministers don't understand it, and the temple of the imperial court is ...... It seems that the minister still needs to be as thoughtful as possible. For example, before starting a war, you should think about how to deal with it in case the Khitan intervenes. If the thieves are defeated and move westward, and the walls are cleared, how can we maintain them? If the western thieves stubbornly defend Xingzhou and Lingzhou, how should our army fight quickly? ”

Zhao Ji nodded lightly, Wu Haogu was indeed more thoughtful. I not only thought about the problem of Khitan interference, but also thought of the possibility of the western thieves moving west......

"Wang Qing, can you answer?"

"Minister......" Wang Hou shook his head lightly, "Wu Xuanzan's question, the minister can't answer it now." ”

Wu Haogu said: "Your Majesty, these questions should be answered by the Privy Council, not by Wang Dongmen.

Now the western thief is still docile, and Shaanxi Sixth Road has also been able to rest. Therefore, the minister felt that if there was no comprehensive strategy, it would be better not to provoke war in the northwest. In fact, the great enemy of our dynasty has always been the north. If the strong enemy in the north is broken, how can the thieves in the northwest hold on independently? ”

"You mean first the north and then the west?" Zhao Ji frowned.

"The minister is not a general, but he knows about the transfer," Wu Hao Gu said, "If Your Majesty wants to use troops in the north, even if there are millions of soldiers coming to Yanjing, the minister can also ensure that there will be no shortage of food for the army."

However, with troops in the northwest, the minister did not know how to ensure logistics.

In addition, if we raise troops to march westward, the Khitan will not sit idly by and watch the party perish. Therefore, if the northwest starts a war, it is necessary to prepare for a decisive battle with the Khitan! And if I am on a northern expedition, what can I do with the western thieves? Raise troops to attack the fortress of Hengshan? It's impossible to win. ”

Zhao Ji was a little shaken by Wu Haogu's words, and he looked at Wang Hou. Wang Hou also said: "The most difficult thing in the northwest is indeed the transfer and raising of military funds. Often, ten years of savings are not enough to support a year of fierce battles. The reason for the great victory of the Battle of Hengshan in the Yuan Fu period was mainly due to the logistical problems of the Western Thieves.

In fact, they, like us, don't have much reserves. If we can build up a reserve to sustain three years of warfare, we should be able to force the thieves to move west. ”

"Moving west?" Zhao Ji heard from Wang Hou that the western thieves were moving west, so he frowned and asked, "Where did they move?" ”

"Go to the Western Regions," said Wang Houdao, "the four towns of Anxi in the Tang Dynasty were now Uighur territories, and the Uighurs were divided into the Western Uighurs and the Black Khan Uighurs because of their religious beliefs. Although the two Uighurs were of the same species, they were like enemies. If the thief abandons the spirit and leaves, the two Hugurs will be destroyed. ”

Wu Haogu also said: "I am afraid that the people of the West Thief alone exceed one million, plus the dependent Han people and the people of all ethnic groups, there are always three or four million people, including hundreds of thousands of soldiers who can fight. If such a strength moves westward, no one in the Western Regions will be able to stop it. ”

"What about the two states of He, Huang?" Zhao Ji asked, "Can you take it?" ”

Hearing Zhao Ji's question, Wu Haogu just sighed in his heart, why is Zhao Ji obsessed with the river and Huang? Just when he was thinking about how to dispel Zhao Ji's obsession, Wang Hou on the side spoke first: "You can take it!" The minister is willing to make a military order to collect the two states of Hehuang for His Majesty! ”