noveltune Chapter 89 Speaking Too Profoundly with Someone You Don't Know Well
Chapter 89 Speaking Too Profoundly with Someone You Don't Know Well
"It's unrealistic to rely on scholars to devise plans to recover the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun; we must fight them back with real swords and spears!" Gu Tingye said in a deep voice.
"You're right!"
Sheng Changbai nodded slightly and said, "But whether or not to mobilize troops, when to mobilize troops, and who will command the troops—these will all be decided by the civil officials, won't they?"
"..."
Gu Tingye remained silent.
"Moreover, even if we do send troops, the actual commanders will be civil officials. Even if you were Han Xin reborn, what use would you be if you couldn't directly lead the army?" Sheng Changbai continued.
The fact that the Great Zhou Dynasty valued civil affairs over military matters was not actually a major problem.
Because almost all dynasties in history, after achieving peace and stability, tended to prioritize civil affairs over military matters.
This is an inevitable trend, and no one can change it.
The real problem with the Great Zhou Dynasty was that even in war, it was almost always civil officials who commanded the troops.
Although Sheng Changbai was not familiar with the specific situation of the border troops, he was very clear about this point.
In fact, it's not entirely impossible for civil officials to lead troops.
During the century since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty, many civil officials with outstanding military capabilities have emerged.
However, once a civil official makes military achievements, his promotion is also within the civil service system.
Once they reach a certain position, the imperial court cannot send them to lead troops whenever there is a war.
However, civil officials mainly studied the Four Books and Five Classics, and only a minority studied military strategy and tactics.
Only occasionally do one or two people with exceptional military talent emerge.
Military officers are different; they are already part of the military system, and even those with connections, through exposure and learning, are better than civil officials who know nothing about military affairs.
Especially those military generals in high positions, they all had some ability.
However, this issue is too sensitive; even when Fan Zhongyan formulated the new policies, he did not touch upon this point.
Sheng Changbai naturally didn't think he could change that in the future.
However, this problem can also be solved by thinking differently: let ambitious and capable noble sons like Gu Tingye study literature, enter officialdom through the imperial examination, and serve as civil officials.
If there were more people like this in the court, they could lead troops as civil officials when they were in low positions, and once they were in high positions, they would have a voice and could influence the court's decisions to some extent.
At first, Sheng Changbai didn't have a good impression of Gu Tingye, but Gu Tingye's humble apology changed his opinion.
Even if Gu Tingye wasn't a spoiled brat, as the legitimate son of a marquis, he still possessed considerable arrogance.
His tone and attitude before would have made anyone else explode.
Gu Tingye fell silent again, wanting to refute, but really not knowing how to refute.
Because what Sheng Changbai said was indeed true; although his father held a high position.
He was once stationed in the northwest to defend against the Western Xia.
However, they had no autonomy whatsoever. Even if something happened in Western Xia and a good opportunity arose to destroy it, they could not send troops. They had to write a letter to request permission before they could send troops.
The idea that a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders simply did not exist in the Great Zhou Dynasty.
Zhou An remained silent, pondering why Sheng Changbai had done this.
Sheng Changbai's words do make sense, but after all, we've only just met, and it's a bit too forward for us to be so familiar with each other.
"I have learned a great deal!"
Gu Tingye said, "I've never considered pursuing a literary career; I need to think about it carefully!"
"That's natural!"
Sheng Changbai smiled and said, "I'm just offering a suggestion. It concerns Zhong Huai's future; the decision is yours!"
"Um."
Gu Tingye nodded and changed the subject, saying, "Huai De and Ze Cheng should have both heard the news of the Liao Emperor's serious illness. Do you think that if the Liao Emperor were to pass away, it would affect the situation between the Zhou and Liao states?"
"Not in the short term!"
Zhou An said, "The reason why the two countries have been able to maintain peace is not because the Liao Kingdom has given up its southward expansion, but because the Liao Kingdom is also powerless to expand southward."
Not to mention the considerable internal problems within the Liao Kingdom, the new emperor also needed time to stabilize his throne.
Therefore, it will not affect the relationship between the two countries in the short term. What happens in the future depends on the character and ambition of the new Liao ruler!
"What my brother-in-law said is true. The Liao emperor appointed his younger brother as crown prince in his early years, and a couple of years ago he appointed his son as the Grand Marshal of the Armed Forces. Once the Liao emperor passes away, the internal situation will be chaotic for a long time!" Sheng Changbai said.
Gu Tingye smiled and nodded, saying, "This is also a good thing for the Great Zhou."
"I don't think it's a good thing. If the Great Zhou had the ability to send troops when the Liao were in turmoil, it would indeed be a good thing."
"But the court clearly doesn't have that right now. The internal strife in Liao may be beneficial to the Great Zhou in the short term, but in the long run, it's not necessarily so!" Zhou An said, making a startling statement.
"Um?"
Gu Tingye and Sheng Changbai both frowned slightly. The former was thinking about why Zhou An said that, while Sheng Changbai was puzzled as to why Zhou An, who had previously agreed with this view, had suddenly changed his mind.
"As long as the Liao emperor doesn't harm his younger brother before his death, whoever succeeds to the throne will find it difficult to eliminate him, which would be detrimental to the Great Zhou!"
Zhou An said, "Throughout history, how many emperors who were able to seize the throne or deal with powerful ministers after ascending the throne were simple-minded?"
If the Liao emperor's brother and son maintain a stalemate, it will not only prevent the Liao state from waging war due to internal problems, but it will also demonstrate that both of them have limited abilities.
Throughout history, there have been many instances of members of the imperial family seizing the throne, or emperors eliminating powerful ministers after ascending the throne.
But almost none of these people are simple.
Because they have honed their abilities through the struggle.
On the contrary, most of those who inherit in order of succession are rather mediocre.
Not every emperor is like Jiajing, an emperor who was almost a puppet when he ascended the throne. After ascending the throne, he used the methods of dividing and winning over the court to force the chief minister to resign and completely control the government in just three years.
"A man of great talent and virtue!"
Gu Tingye pondered for a long time, then said with admiration.
Sheng Changbai looked at Zhou An with admiration.
Their perspective on the issue remained focused on the matter itself, lacking the depth of Zhou An's considerations.
Although there have been many incompetent rulers in history who seized the throne through various means, at least those rulers had some commendable qualities.
There are almost no emperors who are completely useless.
"Haha, Zhong Huai, you flatter me." Zhou An smiled.
The three chatted for a long time until Sheng Changbai's attendant came to inform Gu Tingye to take his seat. Only then did the two of them see off Gu Tingye and the young men in Sheng Changbai's study.
After seeing Gu Tingye and the others off, the two returned to the study.
"Zecheng, we've only just met Zhonghuai. What you said to him before was a bit too forward for someone we don't know well!"
"Does your brother-in-law have a way to resolve the court's bias towards civil officials and neglect of military ones?" Sheng Changbai asked in return.
Zhou An was silent for a moment, then shook his head and said, "It can't be changed!"
A system that prioritizes civil affairs over military matters is bound to emerge.
The Great Zhou was just a bit extreme.
However, as an emperor, preventing military generals from becoming too powerful is a necessary task.
For civil officials, military generals were indeed a destabilizing factor.
In fact, the imperial court had long been aware of the shortcomings of civil officials leading troops, but the solution was to order the compilation of the "Complete Essentials of Military Classics" for civil officials to study.
Rather than changing the existing pattern of valuing civil affairs over military affairs.