Chapter 1 The Truth

Zhao Jiu suddenly asked a question, but Zhang Jun was not caught off guard, because he had realized long ago that he had to answer this question... It's just that before, he thought he would hand over the answer to the Privy Council and public opinion. But after the imperial carriage began to inspect the Yellow River defense line on a large scale, he knew that he had to confess directly to Zhao Guanjia.

To tell the truth, Zhang Boying felt that the latter situation would be more comfortable, because he didn't need to consider so much, he could just tell the truth. Relatively speaking, facing the current public opinion and the rules of the officialdom, he couldn't understand it and felt a little afraid... a feeling of not keeping up with the new era.

Of course, the unexpected situation at hand was inevitably a little nerve-wracking.

"Guanjia, I'll tell you the truth." Zhang Jun said, getting up to carefully pour half a glass of wine for Zhao Guanjia.

"Private houses, private banquets, private drinks, there's no need to deliberately address me as '臣 (chén, your subject)'." Zhao Jiu took the wine glass and replied casually, "Just say what's comfortable."

"Yes." Zhang Jun sat back in his seat, sighed softly, and repeatedly expressed his feelings. "I... I really wanted to say that I instructed that kid to cross the river this time... If I said it, I guess everyone in the world would believe it... And according to the reports on the Dibao (official gazette), as a Jiedushi (military governor), I have the right to take the initiative to fight and respond... to..."

Halfway through, Zhang Jun couldn't remember what the word was, so he had to turn around to look at his son-in-law under Zhao Guanjia's strange gaze. Tian Shizhong also braced himself and whispered under Zhao Guanjia's gaze:

"Quanzé (authority and responsibility)."

"Right, Quanzé." Zhang Jun took the words and continued to turn his head, speaking extremely sincerely. "If I admit it, it will mostly be me losing some face, but Zhang Zongyan will be protected. Guanjia doesn't know, since Zigaibei (Zhang Zongyan's courtesy name) was placed in the Imperial Guard's Vanguard Army by Guanjia, basically, Xiaotian (Tian Shizhong) and he are in charge here... Moreover, he just wanted to make merit, so he underestimated the enemy. It can be regarded as a miscalculation on the battlefield, but his original intention was good. But then again, I'm afraid to admit it. Firstly, I lied to Guanjia after all, and I can't justify it in my heart. Secondly, I'm the commander of the Imperial Guard. If I admit it, people will think that the Imperial Guard's Right Army fights like this incompetent. It would tarnish the reputation that the Imperial Guard has worked so hard to build over the years."

"So, this matter was Zhang Zongyan's own doing?" Zhao Jiu more or less understood.

"Yes."

"You didn't suspect it at the time?"

"I was busy with a private matter at the time..." Zhang Jun explained helplessly. "It was a joint venture with the sea merchants of Jingdong East Road and the old relationships in Huaishang in the south. I was preparing to use the sea ships and sailors of Jingdong to sell the goods of Huaishang to Japan... At that time, I had to compete fiercely with that kid Li Bao for sea ships, so I believed Zhang Zongyan's evil, thinking that his deployments and scrambling for military equipment and materials were helping me! Who would have thought that he would take the opportunity to hide it from the entire Jingdong area?"

Zhao Jiu finally paused for a moment, lost in thought.

"Guanjia." Tian Shizhong also lowered his head and interjected, making a supplement. "Zhang Zongyan's crossing the river this time used mostly the logistical supplies assigned by the Privy Council and local authorities to the Imperial Guard Navy. He didn't use the large warehouses in Qingzhou... That's why we were deceived by him."

Zhao Jiu thought for a while, then picked up a meatball again, and then, while chewing, turned his head and smiled, "Boying, how big of a business did you do in Japan this time that you didn't even have time to take care of the things under your nose?"

Zhang Jun stood up awkwardly, but didn't dare not answer, "Thirty seagoing ships, 20,000 bolts of silk, 3,000 dan (unit of weight) of tea, 500 boxes of porcelain, ready to exchange for some silver and lacquerware... In addition, the ballast stones when going there were set to be boxes of copper coins, and the return trip was booked to use barrels of sulfur mixed with water."

Zhao Jiu couldn't help but wonder, "I heard Wang Qing (Wang Lun) of the Honglu Temple (Court of State Ceremonies) say that Japan has always been cautious about the Song Dynasty's credentials. Whenever there are words like 'great event' or 'tribute', they pretend not to know. Trade is also limited. You have so many things... Especially the silk, which accounts for the bulk of it, 20,000 bolts. Compared to the 800,000 to 900,000 bolts of silk that Lianghuai pays in taxes every year, it's naturally not much, but Lianghuai itself doesn't have much to sell externally. 20,000 bolts is almost the total annual maritime trade volume of Lianghuai in the prosperous years. Aren't you afraid that the Japanese won't buy it?"

"Guanjia, I've found out clearly." Zhang Jun quickly explained. "Firstly, after the Jingkang Incident, trade between the two countries has shrunk for many years, and they are indeed short of goods. Secondly, the situation in Japan is said to be a little off track... On the one hand, the central Bangfan (barbarian) court of Japan is increasingly neglecting things. On the other hand, the local Gun-Koku Bokushu (provincial governors) are doing their own thing, acting as arbitrarily as the feudal lords in the Three Kingdoms period... My idea is that if I can't sell it all in Kyushu Island in the east, I'll try to go further east. If it really doesn't work, it's not impossible to turn back to Goryeo."

"What if it still doesn't work?" Zhao Jiu asked seriously.

"Look at what Guanjia is saying." Zhang Jun immediately stamped his feet and explained. "Doing business, especially maritime trade, not to mention anything else, just exchanging copper coins for silver is a double profit. If it's silk and tea, it's several times the profit. Porcelain depends on the quality. Good porcelain can bring ten times the profit... Therefore, for thirty ships, as long as six or seven ships come back, I can guarantee the capital. If more than ten ships come back, I can double it. What if all thirty ships have exhausted all means, but only twenty ships were sold? Just come back!"

Zhao Jiu first pondered, then suddenly shook his head, "I know, after I came back, I vaguely heard Li Bao and several commanders of the Imperial Guard's Right Army talk about this, but I didn't expect you to do such a big business."

Zhang Jun was proud for a moment.

"Have the ships set sail?" Zhao Jiu asked seriously again.

"It was delayed by Zhang Zongyan's matter..." Zhang Jun retracted his posture and replied awkwardly. "Originally, we should have taken advantage of the fact that the Sea Dragon King was less angry in winter and set sail quickly."

The monarch and his subjects were answering each other, while Liu Yan, Tian Shizhong, and Zhang Zigai below were already dumbfounded... Because no matter how you look at it, the topic seems to be turning a little wrong, right? It's fine for Zhang Jun to be like this, but how can Guanjia be so concerned about doing business?

"Guanjia."

However, soon, with Tian Shizhong's slight nudge under the table, Zhang Boying immediately came back to his senses and quickly said solemnly in his seat, "I know that Guanjia is worried about the finances. I still have the same sentence... If Guanjia has any requests... any words, I am willing to use all my wealth to repay your kindness."

"Boying." Zhao Jiu slowly shook his head in his seat.

"I'm here."

"Let me talk about Zhang Zongyan's punishment first... He is somewhat a courageous general. I won't kill him. You submit a document to the Privy Council, taking half of the responsibility. I will issue an edict to demote him to a Dutou (low-ranking officer) and let him serve on the front lines! The dead and wounded must be properly compensated, and not a single penny can be missed!"

"I thank you for him..." Zhang Jun quickly agreed.

"Before today, the two of us actually talked in detail three times, right?" Zhao Jiu suddenly interrupted him.

"Right." Zhang Boying also changed back to the Guanjia's words again, still answering in response. "Once outside Yingkou Pavilion, once at night in Xiacai City, and once when Guanjia summoned me to the mulberry forest next to the fish pond. Wu Jie was also there that time."

Zhao Jiu nodded slightly, "Actually, in the previous three times, I had an implication that I would allow you to be slightly indulgent in money, but not allow you to delay the war, right?"

Like the other three in the seat, Zhang Jun became nervous again, but he still immediately responded, "Yes."

"I came here early today, not only because of Zhang Zongyan's matter. I don't think you dare to hide this matter from me." Zhao Jiu said with emotion. "The reason for coming here is mainly because I met Ma Kuo in He'yin and once again understood the difficulty of the Northern Expedition. And as I walked along the way, from Zhang Rong's Imperial Guard Navy, to Li Qiong's Imperial Guard Central Army Right Division (originally the Eight Character Army), to Yue Fei's Imperial Guard Vanguard Army, and finally to you... No matter how you look at it, the Imperial Guard's Right Army has the worst combat power, the worst military appearance, and the worst discipline."

At this point, Zhang Jun had already stood up, and Tian Shizhong also stood up with him. Then Zhang Zigai helplessly looked at Liu Yan, and then looked at his uncle and brother-in-law, but he could only learn from Liu Yan and lower his head to eat.

"Sit down." Zhao Jiu continued to sigh. "I actually know that your current actions can be considered as not letting me down... My meaning in the mulberry forest that day was to indicate that the lower levels can be slowed down if they can't be managed for the time being, as long as you take less from this side... And from the news I've heard, the commanding level here in the Imperial Guard's Right Army can already receive 80% of the salary of the Imperial Guard's Vanguard Army next door. And with 80% of the commander's salary, the commanding officer should be about 90%. You also have to support this Beiwei Army (elite unit) outside the city, intercept 10%, and release 90%, which is already very decent."

Zhang Jun sat down again, his mood rising and falling with the words of this Guanjia. At this time, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"But Boying." Zhao Jiu held the chopsticks and continued to calculate the accounts for the other party. "You released 90% here, which is indeed worthy of me, but what about the lower levels? The commanding officer gets 90%, the commander gets 80%, how much does the Dutou get? How much does it finally fall to the soldiers? Moreover, is this 90% and 80% really 90% and 80% of the full salary? It's 80% of the Imperial Guard's Vanguard Army! And the Imperial Guard's Vanguard Army also has to support the Beiwei Army and the Tabai Army (elite cavalry), but they publicly display the accounts in the military department, so that everyone is vying to become a Beiwei soldier! In addition, you have the biggest problem with using soldiers in your army! The soldiers at the bottom get 60% to 70% of the salary of their neighbors, and they don't train on weekdays. Instead, they have to build houses, work, and transport goods for their superiors. They are scolded for being useless... You are also an old soldier, you tell me, can your soldiers compare with the soldiers of the Imperial Guard's Vanguard Army when they go to battle?"

Some things, knowing them in your heart is one thing, but saying them face to face is another. Zhang Jun was ashamed and blushed, but he could only lower his head and listen.

Zhao Guanjia vented his anger in one breath, and finally came to an end, "Boying, I know that you have not violated our agreement. On the contrary, I have gone back on my word this time, but what can I do? If the Imperial Guard's Right Army is not rectified now, when the Northern Expedition comes one day, if the Imperial Guard's Vanguard Army is defeated, I will only be convinced and know that it is beyond my ability, but if the Imperial Guard's Right Army is defeated, I will only be remorseful to death!"

"Guanjia, I still have the same sentence." Hearing that Zhao Guanjia had stopped, Zhang Jun raised his head in his seat. "If Guanjia has any requests, I am willing to use my whole family to repay your kindness..."

"I don't need you to repay me." Zhao Jiu frowned. "I've said it all, you have done your best in everything I told you to do. On the contrary, I have gone back on my word and failed you..."

"Then I will focus on rectification..."

"Can you rectify it?" Zhao Jiu asked again. "Don't you want to take care of the business? Without you, can the goods of Lianghuai be connected to the ships of Jingdong?"

"Then I... am willing... willing to let... let someone else take over." Zhang Jun looked back at his son-in-law, and then finally said this difficult sentence. At the same time, Tian Shizhong, Liu Yan, and Zhang Zigai all stood up solemnly. "Take Zhang Zongyan's matter as an excuse, and Guanjia dismiss me! Then, then choose another high-ranking official... how about it?"

"I do have this intention."

Zhao Jiu responded, but shook his head instead, and his words were equally difficult. "But I can't do this... because I am an emperor, and I must be trustworthy to my subjects, especially you military officials who have risked your lives for me..."

The remaining four people standing in the empty main hall of Zhang's mansion were almost stunned.

"If it weren't for you in Xiacai, I would have been driven into the sea by Wanyan Wushu! Your merits are known to the world! Afterwards, many times, the battle of Yanling, the battle of Yao Mountain, you all did your best and did not delay the overall situation in the slightest! As for the private relationship between Zhang Qing and me, we have just said it several times. You have not failed me. On the contrary, I have gone back on my word..." Zhao Jiu became more and more helpless, but there was also a kind of determined feeling in the helplessness. "Zhang Qing, the Imperial Guard Army is now more than 200,000 strong, and the world's commanders are almost settled. You tell me yourself, if I easily move you today, how will I gain the trust of the other eight or nine Jiedushi in the future? Gain the trust of dozens of commanders? Gain the trust of the 200,000 Imperial Guard Army who finally have a little sense of honor and 70% to 80% of their salary? Let them believe that I will properly treat meritorious officials in the future and treat both civil and military officials equally important? Using civil officials to control military officials is a system design, but civil and military equality must rely on me to set an example!"

There was silence in the hall.

During this period, Zhang Jun was several times filled with emotions, wanting to muster the courage to express his feelings to this Guanjia and learn a section from the storytellers' interpretation of the relationship between the monarch and his subjects, the so-called self-sacrifice, completely giving way, but he was reluctant to give up the power, wealth, and various conveniences brought by this Dutong (supreme commander), and then he was repeatedly discouraged.

In the end, under layers of discouragement, this most experienced commander of the Imperial Guard apparently didn't know what to say, so he simply stood with his hands tied and said nothing.

"But Guanjia went back on his word for the sake of the overall situation!" At this moment, Tian Shizhong, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guard's Right Army, suddenly spoke behind his father-in-law. "When Guanjia confided in my father-in-law the first two times, what a desperate situation it was? Who would have thought that we could win at Yao Mountain in just three years? When he said it the last time, who would have thought that we could wipe out the Northwest so quickly? Guanjia is forced by the overall situation and is so difficult. If we, as subjects, rely on our merits and rely on Guanjia being reasonable and trustworthy, and do not know how to advance or retreat, that is the real way to bring disaster!"

Zhang Jun was stunned for a moment, then turned his head to look at his son-in-law and his nephew who didn't say a word. After another daze, he hurriedly turned his head, but knelt down directly, and then, while kneeling, he poured a glass of wine for Zhao Guanjia, "Guanjia! Everything is up to Guanjia! I know that Guanjia is so sincere to me today and spared Zhang Zongyan from death, there must be something in mind. Just say it, Guanjia, and I will listen, without any second thoughts."

Zhao Jiu looked at Tian Shizhong, then at Zhang Jun, nodded, picked up the wine glass in front of him and drank it all in one gulp, then crossed his fingers in front of him and said a series of reasons:

"I have two options... First, to stay in the open but leave in secret... The meaning is that I will not openly punish you, Zhang Qing. You are still the commander of the Imperial Guard's Right Army, but in reality, you have to hand over the military power of the Imperial Guard's Right Army to your son-in-law, Deputy Commander Tian, and let Deputy Commander Tian directly obey Yue Pengju's orders and let Yue Pengju control the Imperial Guard's Right Army. And this arrangement is only known to Yue Pengju and the five people in the hall today... In this way, we, the monarch and his subjects, will all have face, and you can continue to set up the framework and continue to do your business."

Zhang Jun knelt beside Zhao Jiu, thought for a while, but for some reason, he directly thought of the talk between the monarch and his subjects overlooking the Huai River in Yingkou, thought of the words of the stray dog on the roadside, and then couldn't muster any strength. In the end, he simply nodded, "I said, Guanjia, I will listen to whatever you say... But there is one thing, the Imperial Guard's Vanguard Army already has 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers, and I will give him my 25,000 personnel, so he will directly control 70,000 to 80,000 soldiers... Guanjia trusts this person, I have nothing to say, but there must be institutional defenses and a backup plan for Xiaotian."

Seeing that the other party agreed, Zhao Jiu naturally nodded and muddled through the rest of the words.

And after the other party finished speaking, Zhao Guanjia continued, "In addition to that, I have another option, that is, I can't let you suffer a loss... I've said it all, Zhang Qing's merits and qualifications are all here. Not only can I not openly fail you, but I also have to compensate you privately!"

Zhang Boying suddenly perked up.

"However, Zhang Qing must also know that I really don't have any money right now, so I have to make a long-term plan with you... How about this, starting today, I will do business in Japan with you! You can use my name and do it freely! If you make money, I will take it out from my share in the future and pay it back to you in installments?!"

Zhao Jiu leaned slightly and finally grabbed the other party's hand, and this action also completely dispelled Zhang Jun's doubts and fears, and also made the Grand Commandant Zhang forget to reply to Zhao Guanjia's question. Zhao Guanjia was able to continue to face each other:

"And not only the business in Japan, but also the business in South Vietnam! The grain in South Vietnam and the silver in Japan are like the warhorses in the west, they are all necessary things for the country in the long term! As long as it can be done, it will definitely be a long-term prospect like sitting and collecting rent!"

Hearing these words, Zhang Jun wanted to speak several times, apparently with countless words and ideas on this topic in addition to being moved, ready to have an exchange with Guanjia.

But Zhao Guanjia just held the other party's hands and continued to earnestly explain, "And if it can't be done, you don't have to worry. I have actually asked a long time ago. Now, east of Malacca, the sea is still dominated by the Song Dynasty! There is no need to rush to destroy countries and fight wars. Whoever dares not buy our goods and not sell us gold, silver, and food, let the Imperial Guard Navy burn their ports! Don't be afraid of the court's opposition. I will take the lead, and the two of us will bring together the various families of the Secret Pavilion and the Public Pavilion. Those who have money will be forced to contribute, and those who don't have money will also get some dry shares, and then we will run a big company to manage this maritime trade together! Can they not agree? As for larger countries like Japan and South Vietnam, I don't believe it. It's just trade, why should it be like this? The future world will inevitably be East Asia as one... No... The future will inevitably be a community with a shared future formed by China and the surrounding barbarians... This is the general trend! There must be people among them who understand the times and are willing to cooperate with us!"

Zhang Jun definitely didn't understand what a community with a shared future and East Asian integration meant. He didn't know where Malacca was, and he could only guess the meaning of dry shares, but he understood that the national dignitaries were gathered together to do big business under the banner of Zhao Guanjia, and he understood even more that if the Japanese didn't buy the goods, the Imperial Guard Navy would be sent to burn the Japanese ports.

Thinking of this, Zhang Boying couldn't help but feel annoyed. If he had known that his wealth would be tied to this matter, why would he have squeezed out Li Bao in everything back then?!

ps: Thanks to Ms. Mei for the second Moe!

Then, as usual, I offer a new book, *Da Yu Tian Xing*... Subduing demons and eliminating monsters is so dangerous, but Zhao Shanhe has a cheat! His bookshelf can manifest poems and lyrics, create talisman chapters, launch delicacies, and summon great powers! Similar to *Da Feng* and *Da Zhou Xianli*.