Several heads of aristocratic families left with their own thoughts.
Xiao Si, who stood aside and remained silent, said respectfully: "Your Highness, the eldest princess, after this incident, I believe they will cooperate with the court..."
“The best way to get someone to contribute is not to give them benefits.”
"Rather, let them know how much loss they will suffer if they do not contribute."
"I'm gone, and their life and death has nothing to do with me. But if they fail to seize the opportunity and solve the hidden dangers this time, what awaits them will be the annihilation of their race. What will they choose?"
"It's obvious."
Huaizhen picked up the tea cup and took a sip of tea. Her tone was neither sad nor happy, she seemed very calm, as if she was telling a fact.
"Your Highness Princess, you are so smart!" Xiaosi bowed and saluted.
"When will Zhou Zhenwen come back?" Huaizhen asked.
"Back to Your Highness, I don't know yet." Xiao Si replied.
"Tell me any news about Zhou Zhenwen as soon as possible." Huaizhen stood up and walked towards her courtyard without saying anything else.
"Yes, Your Highness Princess." Xiaosi said.
...
Capital City, Imperial Study Room.
"What did you say?"
"King Yu is dead?"
"A mysterious master entered Prince Yu's Mansion and killed several legitimate sons, leaving only one common son who survived by luck?"
"And the aristocratic family in Yuzhou, which is united by the concubines, is fighting for power with the ladies in Prince Yu's palace?"
Empress Liang Zhao's first reaction when she heard the news was...
impossible! !
Absolutely impossible! !
But when the dragon guard told the man's appearance, Empress Liang Zhao believed him.
Wearing a mask with a ghost face, a green face and fangs, and wrapped in a black robe...
It turned out to be him... Empress Liang Zhao quickly understood who this person was?
That mysterious masked man with a ghostly face was the man who rescued Marquis Yongwu from the hidden stronghold of the Black Lotus Demon Cult in Yuzhou...
"In other words, the man in the ghost mask has rescued Marquis Yongwu and killed King Yu and his heir?"
"Just a bastard who survived by chance?"
"In this case, there is no need for Zhou Zhenwen to station in Xuanwu City. After all, it is impossible for Yuzhou to rebel in its current state..."
The first reaction of the empress Liang Zhao was to ask Zhou Zhenwen to return to Qingzhou to continue dealing with the locust issue and return the general power to the prefect of the county.
But soon, Empress Liang Zhao rejected this idea.
The reason is simple. This is a great opportunity, right?
It is not easy to reduce the vassal status. The obstacles are huge. Any vassal king who takes back his power will have to pay a huge price!
But now that King Yu is dead, the entire Yuzhou is ownerless, and it is unknown whether a bastard can inherit the throne of King Yu and regain control of Yuzhou. Wouldn't it be good to take advantage of this good opportunity to take back Yuzhou in one fell swoop?
"The only thing we need to worry about now is the attitude of other lords..."
"Once troops are launched, how should the other vassal kings feel?"
Empress Liang Zhao fell into deep thought.
According to the simulation results of the last vassal king's rebellion, after King Yu rebelled, King You, King Ji, and King Yan responded to each other and rebelled together.
King Xu, King Yang, King Shu, and King Jing chose to watch indifferently and stood still.
"If I launch troops against Yuzhou this time, how can we dispel the fear of other vassal kings?"
"If King You, King Ji, and King Yan collude with each other and start an army together to cause chaos, and the Tianlang Kingdom takes the opportunity to invade...then the gain will outweigh the loss..."
Empress Liang Zhao was a little hesitant. She really wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to take back Yuzhou first, strengthen her own strength, and then slowly cut down the vassal, take back other territories, and completely control the wilderness.
But the reality is that the current situation is not suitable for using troops internally and using tyrannical means to reduce the vassal state.
The Heavenly Wolf Kingdom and the Nine Nether Kingdom are eyeing each other. Once the internal vassal reduction starts, it will be easy for the enemy country to take advantage of it, causing everything to be lost...
For a moment, Empress Liang Zhao couldn't think of a good way.
Suddenly, she had an idea.
...
An hour later, in the capital, in the inner city, in the west of the city, Liu Mansion.
"Liu Wanfu, a common man, has met His Majesty!!" Liu's father saluted quickly.
Empress Liang Zhao nodded slightly: "Okay, you're welcome, I have something to do with Liu Qing."
"Yes, yes, my daughter is studying in the backyard. I will take your majesty there right now..." Liu's father said quickly.
"No need, I'll just go there myself. Stop!" Empress Liang Zhao waved her hand and walked towards the backyard.
Seeing that the emperor was unwilling to disturb him, Liu's father stopped insisting.
Empress Liang Zhao walked through the garden and came to the backyard. She saw a beautiful figure reading quietly in the pavilion without hearing any footsteps.
"Liu Qing."
Empress Liang Zhao shouted.
Liu Qing woke up from her dream and quickly put down her military book. When she saw the empress Liang Zhao, she was obviously surprised. She quickly saluted and said, "People's daughter Liu Qing has met your majesty."
"Yeah." Empress Liang Zhao hummed lightly, glanced at the "Great Wilderness Book of War" on the stone table, and nodded: "Very hardworking, not bad!"
"Your Majesty is so flattering. This is what a daughter of the people should do." Liu Qing replied softly.
"I have something that I want you to help me with." Empress Liang Zhao also directly told everything about Yuzhou.
Empress Liang Zhao still trusts Liu Qing.
This woman was considered her confidant. Empress Liang Zhao felt that she did not need to be secretive about her.
Moreover, if you ask in the name of examination or consideration, when the other party knows about it later, he will definitely have a grudge, which is not good.
Instead of doing this, it’s better to be honest with each other!
After listening to Empress Liang Zhao's story, Liu Qing quickly guessed the emperor's meaning: "Your Majesty, what you mean is... you want to take back Yuzhou, but you don't want to blatantly use troops to arouse the rebellion of the vassal kings everywhere. fear?"
"Yes, I will also give you a thorough explanation. I will definitely do it and cut down the vassal vassal, and I will complete it within a few years, but not now. I don't want to give up such a good opportunity in Yuzhou, but I also don't want to do it because of Yuzhou. The incident caused other vassal kings to cause chaos."
"So, let me ask you, if you were to handle this matter, what would you do?"
Empress Liang looked after Liu Qing, waiting for her answer.
Liu Qing thought for a while, moved her lips and teeth slightly, and said: "Your Majesty, actually this matter is not complicated. We just need to change the name to deal with it..."
"Change the name?" Empress Liang Zhao was thoughtful, "Tell me more specifically, what do you think?"
"Your Majesty, the only contradiction in this matter is that we mobilized troops in Yuzhou to cut down the vassal state against the king of Yu. Everyone in the vassal kings everywhere is in danger and is afraid that the court will take action against them, so they may attack first and act against his will. It's okay, but what if we don't cut down the vassal state?" Liu Qing smiled slightly and said softly.
"Don't cut down the feudal vassal?"
Empress Liang Zhao squinted her eyes slightly, as if she had thought of something?
Soon my eyes lit up!
"What you mean is that we do not take action in the name of reducing the vassal state, but in the name of avenging the King of Yu and stabilizing Yuzhou, we send troops into Yuzhou to control some cities in Yuzhou and strengthen our control over Yuzhou. At the same time, in the name of the imperial court, we support The second son of King Yu, promised to help him succeed to the throne."
"What Prince Yu's second son needs most now is a name. His biggest problem now is that his name is not correct enough. But if I are willing to grant him a title, he will definitely agree with joy."
"Even if this decision may lead to him being removed from the vassal..."
Empress Liang Zhao said one after another.
