Chapter 297

In the Imperial Study.

The young Yongxing Emperor sat behind a yellow silk table with a solemn expression as he listened to the report from the new Grand Secretary, Grand Secretary Qian Qingshu.

After Wang Zhenwen recuperated from his illness, the Imperial Court elected him. After a series of battles between various parties, the position of Grand Secretary fell to Grand Scholar Qian Qingshu of the Martial Heroic Palace.

It was still the Royal Faction.

"There are many cases of bandits robbing the nobles. In Jiangzhou and Jianzhou, there are even cases of commoners colluding with the bandits to open the city gates and let the bandits into the city to loot.

"Roughly speaking, there are many of them in various places."

The white-bearded Qian Qingshu said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, please send troops to suppress the bandits or there will be chaos. If we can't stabilize the rear, the situation in Qingzhou will be dangerous. "

The members of the Royal Faction echoed.

Half of the members were silent while the other half agreed.

The bandits who robbed the nobles were undoubtedly a thorn in the minds of the officials.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"

Amidst the loud cheers, Liu Hong, the Left Censor of the Censorate, stepped forward and bowed.

"The war in Qingzhou is in full swing. The court should do its best to help Yang Gong to stop the rebels in Qingzhou. How can we waste the country's resources to suppress the bandits when the court is short of money and food?

"They are just a bunch of mobs. They won't be able to do much."

The former members of the Wei Faction immediately echoed and supported the advice of the current leader Liu Hong.

The members of the Royal Faction immediately retorted:

"A bunch of mobs? Now that the refugees are plundering and robbing, they are a force that can't be underestimated. If we don't do anything about it, before the rebel army of Yunzhou reaches the capital, those refugees and bandits will arrive at the city gate first. "

The two sides began to argue. The Imperial Study was also known as the "Minor Court Meeting". Compared to the Morning Court Meeting, it was more casual and the argument gradually turned into a war of words.

Yong Xing Emperor looked on coldly from the side. Up to this day, Wei Yuan and Grand Secretary Wang had died and Grand Secretary Wang was ill. The situation in the court was still two parties fighting, and all parties were joining in the fun.

He glanced at the officials and his gaze fell on the Dali Monastery Chancellor.

"What do you think, Chancellor?"

The officials inevitably looked at the Chancellor of the Dali Monastery.

The Chancellor of the Supreme Court was over fifty years old. There were no strands of white in his hair and beard. He had taken good care of himself.

"Your Majesty, I think that we can adopt the strategy of recruiting the refugees and bandits. We can bestow the position of the bandit leader and let him lead his men to Qingzhou to resist the rebel army."

The Chancellor of the Dali Monastery Chancellor said.

Yongxing Emperor was silent. After a long while, he said slowly,

"Put this matter aside for now."

He paused and said:

"The first line of defense of the Green State has been taken by the rebel army. Yang Gong was unable to deal a heavy blow to the rebel army of the Cloud State. Dear ministers, who can tell me whether this Qingzhou can be defended or not? "Chancellor, how long?"

"Minister"

Yongxing Emperor looked at the ministers of the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue with a sullen face.

"Dear ministers, I asked you to mobilize troops and provisions to support Qingzhou. Is there any progress?"

"

"I still need some time. Your Majesty, please give me another ten days."

Yongxing Emperor originally wanted to reprimand him, but when he saw the haggard appearance of the Minister of Revenue, he sighed in his heart and didn't do anything.

He turned around and looked at the Minister of War.

"Zhao Junru, who was recommended by Minister Xu, submitted a memorial to me yesterday, saying that he should lead the reinforcement troops in Qingzhou to attack Yunzhou. "Zhao Junru, who was recommended by Minister Xu, submitted a memorial to me yesterday. He suggested that the troops supporting Qingzhou should be led by him to attack Yunzhou.

They should destroy the base camp of the rebels.

"What a rare talent." The Chancellor of the Ministry of War was shocked. He saw the smile on the Yongxing Emperor's face, but his eyes were unusually cold. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

He said anxiously, "I have eyes but failed to see. Please punish me, Your Majesty."

The Yongxing Emperor ignored him and let him maintain his bowing posture. He glanced at the officials with an ugly expression.

"You don't have food or people who can fight. The imperial court has been nurturing soldiers for six hundred years, and this is what they have? Fortunately, the countries of the Western Region did not send troops into the country. They only harassed the border of Leizhou.

"Otherwise, the army of the Western Region would have reached the capital by now."

The Yongxing Emperor roared at the end of his speech.

The officials were silent. They knew that he was complaining about the lack of preparation of food and money, and the inability to send troops to Qingzhou immediately.

If the national treasury had the money, the reinforcements would have been on the way to Qingzhou.

The Ministry of War had been collecting taxes and plundering the wealth of the people. This was what the imperial court had to do in times of war. It had been the same for all the dynasties.

This kind of behavior would accumulate the resentment of the people and deplete the strength of the country.

If the war could be settled, everything would be fine. Once the imperial court was defeated, the people would retaliate and the country's luck would be depleted.

"The situation on the battlefield is changing rapidly. The soldiers at the front are resisting with their lives. Do you know how many opportunities will be wasted if you don't prepare food and troops?"

The Yongxing Emperor cursed.

The officials were still silent.

At this time, a clear light rose and a figure appeared between the dukes and the Emperor. It was Zhao Shou.

He was dressed in a Confucian robe that had been washed white, but not a single strand of hair was out of place. His grizzled hair casually hung down. Overall, he looked like an impoverished scholar, an old scholar at that.

Yongxing Emperor and the officials in the imperial court were shocked. They did not expect Zhao Shou to be able to "barge" into the imperial palace.

"Your Majesty!"

Zhao Shou smiled and bowed.

The Yongxing Emperor composed himself and squeezed out a polite smile.

"Director, you don't come without a reason."

Zhao Shou smiled.

"The matter is on the table, Your Majesty."

Yongxing Emperor lowered his head in a daze and saw that there was a memorial on the table. He picked it up in astonishment, and when he looked up, Zhao Shou had already disappeared.

The officials looked at the Yongxing Emperor and waited for him to speak.

The Yongxing Emperor opened the memorial. As he read, his expression changed dramatically. First, he was stunned, then he frowned. When he read the last part, his eyes widened as if he had seen something surprising.

Then, the surprise turned into ecstasy.

"Good, good!"

The Yongxing Emperor was delighted. "With the addition of the elites of the Gu tribe, the urgent situation in Qingzhou can be temporarily alleviated. Xu Yinluo has surprised me time and time again."

Elites of the Gu tribe? Xu Yinluo … The officials in the hall looked at each other.

Qian Qingshu's eyes flickered.

"Your Majesty, is there any good news?"

The Yongxing Emperor did not answer. He looked at Cho Hyun-jin, the eunuch of the Palm Seal, and said with a smile,

"Spread it to all officials."

Cho Hyun-jin took it respectfully. He was very curious, but he did not dare to pry into the content. He handed the memorial to the new First Minister, Qian Qingshu.

Qian Qingshu looked calm, but he took the memorial very quickly. He opened the memorial and read it carefully. After a while, he took a deep breath.

"Minister Liu can have a good sleep now."

Minister Liu was the Minister of Revenue who had aged several years since the cold disaster. His hairline had moved several centimeters upward.

Hearing this, Minister Liu suddenly looked over and said hurriedly,

"What does it say? Quick, let me see it. "

Not on the same side as you … Qian Qingshu calmly handed the memorial to Minister Sun of the Ministry of Justice behind him.

Minister Sun read it silently. His expression was extremely complicated. There was both joy and disappointment.

He was disappointed because the boy, who used to be regarded as a thorn in his side, was now an unattainable figure, a top expert in Nine Regions.

The memorial was circulated among the officials. Their old faces were either relieved or overjoyed. The most excited one was Minister Liu.

"Good, good. In this way, the situation in Qingzhou will be relieved. I can also breathe a sigh of relief and sleep well …" Minister Liu almost cried with joy.

"Xu Yinluo can make the Gu tribe and Daibun form an alliance. It's incredible, incredible."

He did not hide his admiration and appreciation in his tone.

The officials discussed in low voices.

"He can make the Gu tribe send troops at such a small price. How did he do it?"

"The hatred between the Gu tribe and Daibun runs deep. This time, they did not form an alliance with Yunzhou, but with Daibun?"

"He always makes people look at him in a different light. Although he is not like Wei Yuan, who can lead the three armies and be invincible. But as a Warrior, he is also a figure in the field of Transcendents. "

"With him and the Supervisor, there is still some hope for Daibun …"

The Yongxing Emperor said with a smile,

"The matter of the covenant will be drafted by the Cabinet. Do you have any objections? "

The officials said,

"Your Majesty is wise."

…

After the meeting, the Yongxing Emperor's heavy mood was slightly relieved. The alliance between the Gu tribe and Daibun was undoubtedly exciting news.

But there was still one thing in the Yongxing Emperor's mind.

"Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Qian asks for an audience."

Cho Hyun-jin stepped into the bedroom.

The Yongxing Emperor frowned and said, "Invite him in."

Since he did not mention it during the meeting in the imperial study, it meant that Qian Qingshu had something to report alone.

Qian Qingshu, who had a white goatee, returned to the imperial study under the guidance of a eunuch.

"What does Grand Secretary Qian want to discuss with me alone?"

The Yongxing Emperor asked with an expressionless face.

Qian Qingshu said in a deep voice,

"Your Majesty, bandits are rampant everywhere. If we do not send troops to eliminate them, it will lead to a disaster sooner or later. Now that the pressure on Qingzhou has decreased, we can divide our troops to encircle and suppress them. "

The Yongxing Emperor pondered and did not say anything.

Qian Qingshu said loudly,

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty thinks highly of me. I will sacrifice my life for Your Majesty."

The Yongxing Emperor was slightly moved.

"Alright, then we shall do as you say."

Such a straightforward reply stunned Qian Qingshu. He cupped his hands in delight.

"Your Majesty is wise."

The Yongxing Emperor nodded.

"My beloved subject, please withdraw first. I am tired."

Looking at Qian Qingshu's back, the Yongxing Emperor sat expressionlessly and did not move for a long time.

The matter that had been bothering him was the one that Xu Xinnian had once suggested. He wanted to secretly send experts to organize the refugees and make them bandits. They would plunder the merchants and the country gentry to quell the refugees who were wreaking havoc day by day.

If such a decision that betrayed his class was exposed, it would cause the Yongxing Emperor to be deserted by his family and friends.

After weighing the pros and cons, he chose to give up.

However, he did not expect that someone in the court would secretly implement this plan and reap great results. The scale of the plan was growing day by day.

"The rebels of Yunzhou are not my only enemies."

The Yongxing Emperor murmured in a low voice.

He knew very well who that person's enemy was.

At the same time, he secretly decided that he could not delay it any longer. The bestowal of marriage was already an urgent matter.

Xu Xinnian had already grown disloyal and secretly sided with the former Fourth Prince, who was now Prince Yan.

And his decision would inevitably affect Xu Qi 'an.

If Xu Qi 'an also sided with Prince Yan, his throne would certainly be unstable.

Xu Qi 'an was promoted by Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan and the Empress were old friends and firmly supported the Fourth Prince. Moreover, Xu Qi' an had a good relationship with Huaiqing.

Now, Xu Xinnian sided with the Fourth Prince …

The only way that the Yongxing Emperor could think of to break the situation was to marry his sister, Lin 'an, to Xu Qi' an.

In this way, the throne would be stable.

…

De Xin Garden.

Not long ago, Huaiqing made some changes to the study room. She brought in a sand table and a map of Qingzhou. The desk was full of military books, including the Art of War by Sun Tzu written by Xu Qi 'an.

Xu Qi 'an claimed that this book was written by his grandson. But Huaiqing knew that he did not have a grandson.

He was just fooling around.

As a princess, it was not easy to be so concerned about the war in Qingzhou.

Huaiqing was actually not proficient in the art of war. She was a layman when it came to marching and fighting. But these days, she had been reading military books and practicing sand tables. She had made rapid progress.

Of course, this was only an improvement in the overall situation. The actual arrangement of troops depended too much on experience. It was not meaningful to talk about military strategy on paper.

Behind the desk, Princess Royal, who was wearing a simple but elegant dress and had a cold temperament, opened the paper with her slender fingers.

There were two things written on the paper:

First, the Gu Tribe, under the influence of Xu Qi 'an, formed an alliance with Daibun and sent troops to assist Qingzhou.

Second, Zhao Shou personally sent a memorial to Qingzhou.

Huaiqing was not affected by the first piece of information because she already knew about it.

But she thought about the second piece of information for a long time.

The light at the door dimmed. A palace maid stood outside the study and said softly,

"Your Highness, Princess Royal, Prince Yan is here."

Huaiqing put the paper into her sleeve, got up, and went to the inner hall with the palace maid.

In the inner hall, the dignified Prince Yan was wearing a purple robe and a jade belt. He looked luxurious and imposing. He held a cup of tea in his hand and had a solemn temperament.

"Fourth Brother, why are you so free to come to my Dexin Garden?"

Huaiqing said lightly.

After Yongxing Emperor ascended the throne, he "chased" his brothers out of the palace, but his unmarried sister could still stay in the palace.

The princes would not enter the palace for no reason.

Prince Yan waved the palace maid away and said in a deep voice,

"I heard that Xu Qi 'an formed an alliance with the Gu Tribe and invited the elites of the Gu Tribe to assist Qingzhou at an extremely low price."

Huaiqing said coldly,

"That's a good thing."

Prince Yan nodded.

"It's indeed a good thing. To me, it's not a good thing, but it's not a bad thing either. At most, I'll wait for another opportunity. I'm here today for another matter. "

"Please speak, Fourth Brother."

Prince Yan said in a deep voice,

"Zhao Shou entered the palace today. The Supervisor has been suppressing the Yunlu Academy for two hundred years. Zhao Shou has only entered the palace twice in his life. The first time was to force Father to issue a decree to punish himself, and this time.

"Huaiqing, what do you think the Supervisor is trying to do?"

It was pardonable for him to enter the palace the last time, but this time, was he just to send a memorial?

Huaiqing raised her hand and let her sleeves slide down a little, so that it did not hinder her from holding the tea. She took a sip slowly and said lightly,

"Fourth Brother, I think you have some guesses."

The Flame Prince hummed in acknowledgement. He nodded and said,

"At this critical moment, the supervisor will probably have to come to a compromise with Yunlu Academy and allow Zhao Shou to enter the Imperial Court as an official. A great scholar at the peak of the third rank was worth the supervisor putting down his pride.

Prince Yan said bluntly. Huaiqing was half a student of the Yunlu Academy. She had studied in the academy for several years.

The reason why I came to you this time is that I want to go to Mount Qingyun with you and pay a visit to Dean Zhao Shou. "

Zhao Shou would definitely give her face.

Huaiqing nodded.

"Even if the Fourth Brother didn't come to me, I would go to you."

Prince Yan smiled. "Good sister."

…

Fengqi Palace.

Lin 'an passed through the courtyard with two personal palace maids and entered the cold and quiet Fengqi Palace.

She crossed the threshold and entered the inner hall. She found that the hall was as deserted as the courtyard. The number of palace maids and old maids was kept to the minimum.

Lin 'an knew that her mother was making things difficult for the Empress.

However, since her brother, the Emperor, ascended the throne, the Empress had completely lost her temper. No matter how her mother bullied her, the Empress ignored her.

Lin 'an originally thought that the Empress compromised and admitted defeat. But she once heard from her mother that after the death of Wei Yuan, that b * tch was like a dead person, which was really boring.

In the simple and elegant inner hall, the Empress in plain clothes sat at the table and looked at her expressionlessly.

Lin 'an hadn't seen the Empress for many years. But in her impression, the Empress was the same as Huaiqing. They were cold and not enthusiastic to anyone. But she was not as cold as she was now.

"Greetings, Mother."

Lin 'an respectfully bowed to her nominal mother.

The Empress was an extremely beautiful person. Even if she was no longer in her prime, time seemed to be unwilling to destroy her beauty. Her beautiful face did not have any trace, but the precipitation of time.

"His Majesty just came to see me."

The Empress looked at the person in front of her. Her face was round, and her peach blossom eyes were charming and affectionate. She was a woman who could seduce people without saying anything.

In contrast, her daughter, Huaiqing, was too cold even though her figure and appearance were not inferior to the Empress.

"Brother Emperor?"

Lin 'an was a little surprised.

The Empress nodded slightly and said in a flat tone,

"Lin 'an, you are also at the age of marriage. His Majesty came for your marriage."

Lin 'an's face suddenly changed.