Jingyang City.
During the morning court session, the officials were silent, and the atmosphere was extremely solemn.
Wu Ding stood solemnly and glanced at Ceng Yu. This Prime Minister was currently looking at his nose and his nose at his heart, looking as though he was in deep thought.
He knew that Ceng Yu was a great talent and was highly regarded by the Empress, but his slightly furrowed brows showed that he was troubled.
"The rebellion of the Southwest Barbarians was originally a small matter … but the North Frontier and the East Sea became unstable one after another. When did these uncivilized barbarians come together?"
As the Crown Prince, Wu Ding naturally knew more than others, and he knew it faster. He was very puzzled.
"The Sage has arrived!"
While he was thinking, a eunuch's hoarse voice rang out, and all the officials were shocked.
"Long live the Emperor!"
Even though Wu Ding was a son at home, in this great hall, he was still a subject. He had no choice but to kneel and shout 'long live the emperor'.
"Rise, my subjects!"
Wu Zhi was wearing a Nine Phoenix Imperial Robe and a crown on his head. He wore light makeup to hide his increasingly youthful face, making him look extremely graceful. He slowly sat on the Dragon Throne and waved his hand. His voice resounded through the entire hall.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
In front of the Empress who was a woman but had conquered the world and was rumored to have killed a Sky Immortal, the officials did not dare to breathe too loudly. They thanked her again and again before slowly getting up.
Wu Ding and Ceng Yu's seats were very close to the front, so they could see that there was another chair next to Wu Zhi's Dragon Throne. It was parallel to the throne, but it was empty. Wu Zhi had insisted on preparing it for Wu Ming. In order to carry it out, he had reprimanded a group of stubborn old men.
"Originally, I thought that the people needed to rest and recuperate, not to mention that if the Southwest Barbarians were civilized and submitted to us, they would be the people of the Celestial Empire, so I gave them a chance to live. I didn't expect those Chieftain Kings to be so crazy!"
Wu Zhi sneered and spoke in an extremely direct manner, causing the civil and military officials below to feel as if they had seen the arbitrary, overbearing, and decisive Lord of a military town.
"Today, who is willing to share my worries and destroy this monster!"
She said coldly, but the officials below immediately felt a chill on their backs. A thought came to their minds: "It seems that the Sage has been angry for a long time and is ready to solve this problem!"
"I am willing to die for Your Majesty!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the row of generals on the right side stepped forward to express their stance. Some of them even rubbed their palms together.
They were all old generals who had fought together. When it came to military matters, none of them were afraid. Instead, they were all eager to try.
"Chen Jingzong!"
Wu Zhi glanced around and seemed to be somewhat satisfied. In the end, he picked a person from among the civil officials.
"Your Majesty!"
This Chen Jingzong was a Saint of the School of Military, and he commanded troops like a god. In the early days of Wu Zhi's rise, he made many military achievements. Later on, in order to pave the way for his nephew, he switched to a civil position. But now, his influence in the army was astonishing.
Of course, at this time, he was already old. He only wanted to be the Minister of War and live out his old age peacefully. With Wu Zhi's generosity, bestowing titles and luxurious care was inevitable, which would bring great honor to his ancestors.
However, in front of Wu Zhi, Chen Jingzong felt as if he had become an ordinary person without any cultivation. Just a short sentence from Wu Zhi caused cold sweat to appear on his forehead.
"The power of heaven is unpredictable!"
Seeing this scene, Wu Ding murmured in his heart, "The Queen's cultivation is really becoming more and more unfathomable. Just by picking a name, a Minister of War, a first-grade official, and a Saint of the School of Military actually became so …"
He was very clear that this was not only the deterrence of the throne, but also the enhancement of Wu Zhi's own martial arts.
"Dear Minister, who do you think is appropriate to be the general?"
Wu Zhi asked faintly.
"Your Majesty, everything is under your control. In my humble opinion, it's better than a one-in-a-million …"
Chen Jingzong took a deep breath. "All the generals in the court can quell the rebellion, but the southwest is remote, easy to defend and difficult to attack. If you want to recover the county, you will need an army of 20,000 and 100,000 civilians. If you want to plough the court and wipe out the tribes in one fell swoop, you will need an army of 100,000 and 500,000 civilians!"
This judgment was more shrewd than Lin Feichong's, and some of his views coincided. Wu Ding secretly nodded.
"Hiss …"
However, many civil and military officials gasped when they heard this.
An army of 50,000 or 100,000 was nothing, but recruiting hundreds of thousands of civilians? The entire Great Wu would probably suffer a great blow, and the country would suffer a great loss if they were not careful.
"Since ancient times, it has been easy to find elite soldiers and good generals, but it is rare to have a well-organized logistics …"
Wu Zhi pursed his lips and sighed, his tone becoming slightly more serious. "But Minister Chen, you seem to have not said who you want to recommend?"
"I am ignorant. Zhang Ting, Bao Guo, and Chen Shuncheng are all qualified to be Generals and control the military!"
Chen Jingzong kowtowed.
"As expected, one does not avoid relatives!"
Wu Zhi smiled.
"Your Majesty, I have a memorial!"
At this moment, a civil official suddenly stepped out from the crowd and kowtowed.
"Hmm? Assistant Minister of Rites, Wu Yue? "
Wu Ding glanced at the civil official and immediately recognized him. "Why is this person interfering for no reason? How puzzling!"
However, what the other party said next made him even more restless.
Wu Yue said loudly, "General Zhang Ting and General Bao Guo are both Generals of the Imperial Court, not to mention General Chen Shuncheng. Why use a butcher's knife to kill a chicken? To deal with such barbarians, as long as the troops of the Imperial Court arrive, they will definitely bow down to us … I recommend Colonel Lin Feichong of the Crown Prince's Residence to be the commander! We will definitely be victorious! "
"Crown Prince?!"
In an instant, Wu Ding felt many doubtful and indeterminate gazes shoot over, and they lingered on him and Wuyue.
But in all honesty, this Wu Yue was not one of his men!
However, even if he was not one of his men, Wu Yue's appearance was like a bugle call. A dozen people from the civil officials' camp stepped out and knelt down. "I agree."
"You …"
A red light flashed in Wu Ding's eyes, but he managed to hold it in. He then looked at Ceng Yu, only to see the Prime Minister looking at the civil officials and the generals kneeling below with a hint of worry on his face.
"Really … really …"
The indignation in his heart was truly indescribable.
He knew that many people thought that Wu Yue had made a move, and the Crown Prince's faction had taken action. Once they made a move, some fence-sitters followed suit. Most importantly, he could not tell who was loyal and who was traitor among the crooks.
Moreover, did Wu Ding not know Wu Zhi's character? What I did was equivalent to forcing the Crown Prince to abdicate. It would definitely make the Crown Prince angry, and he would definitely vent his anger on me.
After all, even if I explained that it was not my intention, who would believe me?
And what would the Emperor's reaction be when he saw the Crown Prince's command?
"Crown Prince, what do you think?"
Feeling Wu Zhi's gaze on him, Wu Ding took a deep breath and said, "I … I think that even though Lin Feichong is capable, his position is low and I'm afraid he won't be able to do anything …"
"Since he is quite talented, he must be magnanimous …"
Unexpectedly, Wu Zhi waved his hand and said, "Also, I have seen this person's resume. He is not without foundation. Low position? The imperial court will record my decree and appoint Lin Feichong as the Conquering Barbarian General. He will also be given the Emperor's Order Token and lead an army of 10,000 soldiers and 100,000 civilians to quell the rebellion in the southwest! "
Even though it was just a surplus general with a title of 'power', which meant that it was temporary, the promotion still made many seasoned generals envious.
After all, since the establishment of the new dynasty and the establishment of the rules, it was rare to make an exception and promote someone.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Wu Ding was stunned when he heard this. He could not tell what he was feeling.
After all, Wu Zhi's unconventional actions made his thoughts even more chaotic.
…
After the court session.
Wu Ding had wanted to ask Ceng Yu for advice when he saw her carriage. However, when he saw the sharp gazes of the officials around the palace, he held back and returned to the Crown Prince's residence.
"Greetings, Your Highness!"
Lin Feichong was summoned. After hearing the news, he could not hide the excitement on his face.
"Hmm … I won't say anything else. This is your chance. If you succeed, you will soar to the sky! If you fail … "
Wu Ding leaned back on the soft chair and sipped on the sour plum juice. He rubbed the space between his eyebrows and looked a little tired.
"Your Highness, please rest assured. Even if I have to risk my life, I will fight for Your Highness's reputation!"
Lin Feichong said loudly.
"You are someone from the Crown Prince's residence. Of course, I want you to be well … However, please be careful!"
Wu Ding smiled bitterly and reminded him again.
In fact, he was already the Crown Prince and was extremely favored. Even if Lin Feichong won this time, what good would it do him?
On the contrary, the battle was dangerous. If he lost, he would be attacked and become collateral damage. At the very least, he would be labeled as a person who knew how to read people.
What would happen to a Crown Prince if he was labeled as a person who did not know how to read people?
At least, Wu Ding did not want such a large amount of negative political assets.
"I understand!"
Lin Feichong's expression was solemn. Obviously, he had heard the key points.
"Hmm, you can leave first. Ask Zhang Hanlin to come in!"
Wu Ding waved his hand and dismissed Lin Feichong. He then met with Zhang Hanlin. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and it was as though a bolt of lightning had flashed across the room. His eyes were filled with killing intent, "Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, Wu Yue, investigate this person thoroughly. Remember, investigate him thoroughly!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Zhang Hanlin naturally knew the seriousness of the matter and replied solemnly.
…
"It's done!"
Just as Wu Ding was worrying about this, a few Daoists gathered in a secret room. Their faces were filled with joy.
"Is there no problem with that Wu Yue?"
"Of course!"
Another Daoist replied with a proud look on his face. "Because he is not one of us! He even claimed to be a loyal official of the Crown Prince. However, he is a little stupid and can't see the situation clearly. I asked someone to hint at him and tried to influence him indirectly. Instantly, he thought that the Crown Prince needs to make military contributions in order to strengthen his position … haha … The fish took the bait! "
"Great!"
"Flawless!"
The few Daoists stroked their beards and smiled. "There are no traces left. Even if we fail, they won't be able to trace it back to us. Let's see how the Crown Prince will deal with such a loyal official … haha … Anyway, if I had such a person working for him, he would have killed him with a Palm Thunder. However, the human heart … haha …"
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