Xie Qian couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted: "Your Majesty is asking about the Trilateral General System and the Xuan Da General System. Sir Zhang, please don't pretend to be confused."

Zhang Zhou said: "In Mr. Xie Ge's opinion, am I just pretending to be confused?"

"you……"

Xie Qian was speechless.

We didn’t talk about feelings, why did we have a quarrel first?

What is this quarrel about? Does it have anything to do with what we discussed today? Or are you just trying to show your stance? You have to show off your opposing emotions like a mad dog before talking about things?

If I don’t fall into your trap, I won’t say anything anymore!

Xie Qian didn't come out at all, he just turned his head to one side and talked to Zhang Zhou again.

Zhu Youtang said: "Bingkuan, tell me what you think of the outcome of this battle at Pianguan."

Zhang Zhou said: "Back to Your Majesty, in my opinion, the recent battle at Pianguan was not very fruitful, but it was of far-reaching significance."

"Elaborate." When Zhu Youtang heard this, he realized that the monarch and his ministers were on the same page, and his words were so pleasing to the ear.

"Pianguan is now the weakest defense point in the northwest of our Ming Dynasty. The city pass cannot stop the Tatar cavalry, but under the control of Weininghou and Anbianhou, the Tatars dare not invade. Now they send troops to clear out hundreds of miles.

If there is a threat within, the next step is to send troops 200 miles away and build forts along the way."

In addition to acknowledging the contribution of Wang Qiong and Zhu Feng, Zhang Zhou directly mentioned the matter of building the fortress as if he was talking nonsense.

After hearing the previous words, Ma Wensheng had no objection.

Because as the Minister of the Ministry of War, he also feels that the Piantou Pass is really stable now. Even a city wall cannot be erected. Even if the tribes such as Huoshii don't invade, they don't even station their herds within a hundred miles? They can't plunder either? Is this what they are thinking?

It's true that Ming Dynasty can't hide in a side pass. They know that Ming Dynasty now dares to fight them head-on, and they also know that they can't get any advantage in such a front-line battle.

But after hearing what he said next... he felt that Zhang Zhou was "acting nonsense".

Ma Wensheng came out and questioned: "Zhang Shidao, you said that you want to build a fortress outside the Pianguan Pass. What's the point?"

Zhang Zhou asked curiously: "Mabu Tang, someone seemed to have suggested that we should establish a firm foothold and gradually build out the fortress... Could it be that I heard it wrong?"

Ma Wensheng frowned, realizing that Zhang Zhou was waiting for him with a trap.

It was Liu Jian who proposed building the fortress, but Liu Jian mentioned building it out from Yansui, while Zhang Zhou mentioned building it out from Piantou Pass.

Zhang Zhou said: "Build an earthen fort from the side pass and extend it to the grassland, so that you can advance, attack, retreat and defend..."

"Wait a minute." Zhu Youtang interrupted Zhang Zhou, "If you want to capture the Hetao, or even make achievements on the grassland, what's the use of relying on these earthen forts? Can you attack and defend freely?"

"Well……"

Zhang Zhou seemed to be stopped by the question, and then he glanced at Liu Jian.

The general meaning is that since Mr. Liu Ge came out to say this on behalf of the civil servants, it can probably be done.

Zhu Youtang said: "Either the whole army is sent out, or the pass is defended, why do we have to build a fortress and slow down the advance? Bingkuan, your proposal is not good."

"What your Majesty said is absolutely true. I made a mistake." Zhang Zhou admitted his mistake in front of the ministers present.

The ministers present felt as if they were being punched in the face.

Didn’t Zhang Zhou repeat Liu Jian’s suggestion and then be rejected by the emperor in person?

The emperor didn't have the nerve to say anything to Liu Jian before. This was just a double act between the monarch and his ministers, and they were playing tricks and scolding Sophora japonica.

Zhang Zhoudao: "If we want to achieve a certain degree of advance and retreat, I believe that the terrain of the side pass is not the most important defense for the Ming Dynasty border pass. Because of its favorable location, it is impossible to look around, and it is impossible to coordinate the front and rear in the center... "

Zhu Youtang nodded and said: "Pianguan is in the important town of Jiubian. Most of them are used as auxiliary passes and are not the most important strategic points. If troops are sent out from Pianguan, the terrain after leaving the pass will be very narrow and it will be difficult to reach a large army. When it comes to coordination, it’s easy to get stuck.”

Zhang Zhou followed the emperor's wishes and said: "So I think that in order to prepare for war, we should use Yansui as a basis."

"Yeah." Zhu Youtang nodded, "So you think that if the situation in the border area is stable, the trilateral military affairs should be consolidated and organized instead of declaring a large military affairs. Is this what you mean?"

Zhang Zhou did not answer.

This time, Li Dongyang came out to question: "Yansui is far away from the capital. If we use Yansui to send troops and raise food, grass and baggage, it will inevitably be delayed. If there is a strategic mistake, it will be difficult to mobilize reinforcements quickly." It was effective. Could it be that Zhang Shijiao never considered this issue?"

In terms of the defense proportion of the Ming Dynasty, although the three-sided defense was the focus, because the three sides were too far from the capital, it was also the most inconvenient to mobilize grain, grass, soldiers and horses.

Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "I don't understand what Mr. Li Ge means."

"What's not clear about this?" Wang Zongyi, the left minister of the Ministry of War, said, "To prepare for the war in Yansui, just the transportation of grain and grass, carriages and horses accounts for 60-70% of the total cost. How can we prepare for the war like this?"

Zhang Zhoudao: "Wang Shilang, you are right. It is more expensive to send troops from Yansui. But if we send troops to Hetao, where can we not go from Yansui? Is there a better choice? Now the Ming Dynasty salt tax They all rely on transportation from the capital, and the farmland in the northwest has been decreasing year after year. Even if we don't prepare for war and send troops, doesn't it mean that the imperial court doesn't have such a huge expenditure just by supplying the land on three sides?"

Wang Zongyi originally wanted to catch Zhang Zhou for his common sense mistakes, but now he found that Zhang Zhou seemed to be waiting for him to question him.

Zhang Zhou continued: "If we send troops to the Hetao, I can't think of a more suitable person than Yansui. But if we want to send troops to the grassland, why do we have to go all the way to the Hetao?"

"ah?"

All the ministers present were puzzled.

Zhang Zhou talked in circles for a long time, wasn't he talking about the suppression of traps?

Xie Qian smiled and said: "What do you mean, do you think you have a headache and are cured? If you don't go through the Loop, why don't you go to Liaodong?"

Zhang Zhou said: "What Mr. Xie Ge said makes sense. If you have a headache, treat the head, but not the mouth, right?"

"hehe."

Although Xie Qian was still smiling, his expression froze.

If you have a headache, treat your mouth. If you can't scream, it won't hurt.

Don't let him talk about the border troubles... Zhang Zhou was clearly mocking him for talking too much, and also mocking the civil servants for blocking the way of speech.

He deeply felt that as a cabinet minister, people in the court actually started to use words to ridicule him. The feeling... was probably the same as when he used to ridicule others, which made people uncomfortable to listen to.

Zhang Zhou then spoke seriously to Zhu Youtang: "I believe that by sending troops to the grassland from Xuanfu and taking a detour behind enemy lines, we may be able to surprise them!"
Chapter completed!