In the capital, in the imperial palace.
It was almost late autumn, and the weather was getting colder. Zhao Yizhi put a large mink fur on his body and smiled to himself: "Oh, this is the real thing. In future generations, I will never be able to wear it again in my life." It’s really warm.”
Wang Zhenliang walked in with small steps and said, "Your Majesty, Grand Tutor Chen Song would like to see you."
Since Zhao Yizhi left the palace last time, nothing major happened. Zhao Yizhi told the matter several times in the court. Chen Song also shrank his neck and stopped talking, and he felt calm for a few days.
"I haven't seen Mrs. Chen for a few days, why are you here again? Come in, Xuan!" Zhao Yizhi said casually.
"Your Majesty, the annual tribute from Nanhuai has not been delivered yet, and the treasury is empty... Where are you going, Your Majesty?" Chen Song came to see Zhao Yizhi to report the emptiness of the treasury. When he saw Zhao Yizhi wearing a big coat, he couldn't help but asked in confusion.
"I have nothing to do today. I want to go for a walk in the military camp. Do you want to come with us?" Zhao Yizhi replied.
After what happened last time, Chen Song couldn't bring up the matter of not being allowed to leave the capital anymore. Now when he heard Zhao Yizhi's inquiry, he thought he was deliberately using this matter to embarrass himself, and he felt a little unhappy.
"Your Majesty, I won't go. These are the accounts of the treasury. Your Majesty is invited to read them." After saying that, he handed over a dozen thick volumes of accounts. Wang Zhenliang took them and presented them to Zhao Yizhi. Chen Song bowed and backed out of the door.
"Your Majesty, the Tutor also has good intentions..." Wang Zhenliang hesitated.
Zhao Yizhi picked up the accounts and quickly flipped through each volume without paying attention to Wang Zhenliang's words. He turned the page faster and faster, and his frown became deeper and deeper: "There are only tens of thousands taels left in the treasury, what happened! Why haven't the annual tributes from various places been sent over yet!"
"Your Majesty, I have received news that Sui Gong in Donglu has been robbed by refugees; heavy rains have been pouring in Sichuan and Sichuan recently, and the plank road is also broken. We have been rushing to repair it; Sui Gong in Beidi is still on the road... As for several other places... ah , By the way, the annual tribute from Xigui will arrive the day after tomorrow!" Wang Zhenliang reported on the status of annual tribute from various places.
"Oh? Arrive the day after tomorrow?" Zhao Yizhi was quite surprised. "The highlands of Xigui Mountain are dangerous. How can a hundred thousand noble kings of Shanxi climb over? His loyalty is commendable! By the way, how is Nanhuai? This But the big head in Suigong."
Wang Zhenliang shook his head, lowered his head and did not dare to speak. Zhao Yizhi did not ask any further questions. He closed the account and said, "Okay, just put it here and look at it when I come back."
Wang Zhenliang stepped forward to sort out the accounts and followed Zhao Yizhi to accompany him.
Zhao Yizhi had just taken two steps when he suddenly stopped and said to Wang Zhenliang beside him: "Manager Wang, you go first, I will be here soon."
Although Wang Zhenliang didn't know why, he complied with the request. After leaving the imperial study, he thoughtfully closed the door, waved away the eunuch guards at the door, and waited alone outside the door.
Zhao Yizhi felt quite relieved about Wang Zhenliang. He walked to his desk, opened the drawer, took out the black-covered "Royal God", and flipped it open. There was still only the opening chapter and the second chapter in it as before. One chapter and nothing else.
"Why don't you take it with you and go to the military camp to do some insidious research? Maybe Zhou Ziru will know something about this book." Zhao Yizhi thought to himself and put "Royal God" in his arms.
The driver took Zhao Yizhi to the military camp with ease and familiarity. This time there was not as much fanfare as last time, and he was also very low-key when he arrived at the military camp. Because he had been here once, this time Zhao Yizhi went directly to Zhou Ziru and Pang Fang's tent.
"Your Majesty, why are you free to come today?" Zhao Yizhi opened the curtain and came in. Zhou Ziru was looking at the map. When he looked up and saw Zhao Yizhi coming in, he stood up to greet him.
"It's okay, you are busy with your business. Is Commander Pang not here today?" Zhao Yizhi said with a smile.
"Alas, the military rations are in short supply, and Commander Pang went to the city to argue with the money and grain officials." Zhou Ziru sighed helplessly.
Zhao Yizhi frowned: "Teacher Chen Song also submitted the treasury accounts to the palace. It's terrible. The imperial court only has tens of thousands of taels of silver left. It's not as rich as the wealthy businessmen in the city."
Zhou Ziru pointed to Nanhuai on the map and said: "If the annual tribute from Nanhuai can arrive, it will solve the urgent need..."
"The annual tribute from Xigui will arrive the day after tomorrow, which can alleviate the temporary embarrassment." Zhao Yizhi is the emperor of Daqi, but there is nothing he can do about this kind of thing. A penny can't help the heroic man.
While the two were chatting, someone from outside the tent suddenly announced: "Master Huang Baihuang wants to see you."
"Huang Bai?" Zhao Yizhi was startled and looked at Zhou Ziru. Zhou Ziru put his hand on his forehead and looked away, pretending not to see it.
"Call in!" Zhao Yizhi informed the Yulin Army, and then he hid behind the screen of the big tent, wanting to hear what Huang Bai was doing here.
Huang Bai rushed in from outside the door, saluted Zhou Ziru, and said: "Prime Minister Zhou, I have informed King Nanhuai of the court's intention to cut down the vassalage according to your instructions. But... King Nanhuai did not raise an army to rebel. The imperial court, the lower official received news that there was a fight with the Nanhuai family..."
Zhou Ziru winked at Huang Bai crazily, but Huang Bai was timid and had been trembling since entering the military camp. At this time, he did not dare to raise his head in the tent and did not see Zhou Ziru who was winking crazily.
Zhao Yizhi walked out from behind the screen and asked: "Prime Minister Zhou, Mr. Huang, what is going on?"
Huang Bai was shocked when he heard that there was a third person present. He looked up and saw Zhao Yizhi walking out from behind the screen. He was so frightened that he fell to the ground, "Your Majesty..." "Your Majesty" remained silent for a long time.
Zhao Yizhi stepped forward and asked: "Master Huang, why are you the only one back? Where is Yi Xiaodao?"
Huang Bai swallowed and looked at Zhou Ziru in front of Shuai's case, speechless. Zhou Ziru had no choice but to stand up again and said: "Your Majesty, this humble minister is guilty. Please punish him."
Zhao Yizhi walked towards Shuai An, sat down and said, "Tell me, what did you hide from me?"
Seeing that he could no longer hide it, Zhou Ziru said: "When the minister asked Mr. Huang to leave the capital, he acted according to the situation. If the King of Nanhuai escorts the annual tribute, that's it. If the King of Nanhuai refuses to escort the annual tribute, just tell Nanhuai King Huai, the imperial court intends to reduce the vassal status!"
Zhao Yizhi's expression remained as usual, showing no emotion or joy, and he asked calmly: "What's the motive?"
Zhou Ziru pondered for a moment and shouted outside the tent: "Come here, take Mr. Huang down and find a tent for him to settle down."
"Thank you, Prime Minister Zhou. Thank you, Your Majesty!" Huang Bai saw the donkey down the slope and thanked him repeatedly. At this time, he was no longer nervous.
The Yu Lin army outside the tent took away Huang Bai, and Zhou Ziru said: "Let Huang Bai inform the Nanhuai Dynasty that the court intends to reduce the vassal state, just to force him to rebel. Only when he raises the flag of rebellion can the court legitimately reduce the vassal state!"
Zhao Yizhi shook his head: "But now the imperial court only has tens of thousands taels of silver, how can it reduce the vassal status?"
"That's why we have to force him to rebel. If Nanhuai rebels, we will order the kings of the world to be diligent. You will know if the vassal kings in various places are disloyal or loyal. In addition, Nanhuai has been rich since ancient times, and there is no guarantee that other vassal kings will not be tempted. Until then At that time, vassal kings from all over the country enthusiastically competed for credit, and Nanhuai came down in one go." Zhou Ziru smiled and said, "If the imperial court regains Nanhuai, other vassal kings will not dare to have any objections. Nanhuai is a lesson learned from the past! We can slowly encroach on it, and the world Can be determined."
Zhao Yizhi cried and laughed: "Mr. Zhou, is it too simple to think..."
Zhou Ziru sat down on the chair at the bottom and replied: "If you have ten points of strength and ten points of planning, you can score nine points! If you plan five points, you can only score five points. Planning is about deciding on the best solution." The results will work.”
Zhao Yizhi thought about what Zhou Ziru said, and found it quite reasonable: "What Mr. Zhou said is not unreasonable, but why did Huang Bai come back alone?"
Zhou Ziru shrugged his shoulders: "This... I'm afraid I have to ask Mr. Huang to know..."
"Come here, bring Master Huang Baihuang here." Zhao Yizhi shouted to the Yu Lin army outside the tent.
"Your Majesty, spare your life, Your Majesty, please spare your life." Huang Bai was taken away and came back again. He was frightened. As soon as he saw the tent, he knelt down and crawled to Zhao Yizhi's side, holding Zhao Yizhi's thigh and begging.
Zhao Yizhi helped Huang Bai up and said, "Get up first. Let me ask you, Yi Xiaodao and others went with you, why are you the only one back? Where are they?"
After hearing this, Huang Bai's feet softened and he knelt on the ground again: "Da Xia Yi...I heard that he went to Yicheng, persuaded the two cities of Yijia to stop their troops, and also took the soldiers of the two cities to Hangzhou..."
"I know all this. I want you to tell me all the details of your trip to Su City! As a court official, you can't even say anything?" Zhao Yizhi interrupted Huang Bai's outdated news.
Huang Bai knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly: "Your Majesty, please spare your life. I, the humble minister, deserve to die. It's hard to refuse the Huai King's hospitality in the south of Suzhou City. He entertains me all day long, and the humble minister..."
Zhou Ziru stroked his forehead helplessly and turned around. Zhao Yizhi took several deep breaths before resisting the urge to drag him out and behead him. He waved his hand and said, "Okay, you can go down."
"Wei Chen, please retire, Wei Chen, please retire." Huang Bai was granted amnesty, kowtowed several times, and hurriedly left.
Zhao Yizhi looked at Zhou Ziru, who turned around and pretended to look at the screen, and said helplessly: "Mr. Zhou, what should we do now?"
Zhou Ziru turned around and said with a wry smile: "Sui Gong from Nanhuai is missing, Huang Bai ran back again, Yi Xiaodao is also missing, and I don't know what happened over there in Nanhuai..."
"Report! Report... Your Majesty, Prime Minister, urgent report from Nanhuai!" The messenger rushed into the military camp from outside, went directly to Pang Fang's commander's tent, and crawled into the big tent.
"Read it." Zhou Ziru turned around and said, Zhao Yizhi picked up the tea cup from the handsome desk, filled it with tea, and handed it to the messenger.
The messenger was startled and was about to retreat when Zhao Yizhi said softly: "Drink."
The messenger glanced at Zhou Ziru from the corner of his eye. At this time, he was indeed hungry and thirsty. He could still stand the hunger, but he couldn't stand the thirst at all. He didn't care about the difference between superior and inferior, so he picked up the teacup and drank it. After drinking, he pulled out the bamboo tube from the lining, took out a letter and reported loudly: "Your Majesty, urgent report from Nanhuai! The king of Nanhuai Li Rongqi was assassinated by an unknown person. Li Rongqi's eldest son Li Yaoyang massacred all the patriarchs and elders of the Nanhuai clan. He took the throne without permission and proclaimed himself the King of Nanhuai. A large number of scouts were sent out in Nanhuai to search for the murderer. Although Yicheng, Jiacheng and Hangcheng experienced wars, they did not harm the people's livelihood. The martial arts sect Lingyue Pavilion in Nanhuai has been disbanded, but Xiaodao It is reported that it has been merged into Xiu Fanfang, and the two factions have merged into one."
"Is there any other news?" Zhao Yizhi asked.
The messenger hesitated for a moment and replied: "Your Majesty, there are still many rumors that have not been verified..."
"It's okay, let's talk about it one by one."
"It is rumored that Sui Gong in Nanhuai was robbed by a group of beggars. Some villagers reported that they saw Sui Gong being escorted to the direction of Licheng. There was a man named 'Yi Xiaodao' who claimed to be an envoy from the imperial court and persuaded Nanhuai Huai Wang Li Rongqi escorted the annual tribute, solved the Jiacheng dispute in Yicheng, and conspired with the Nanhuai family to assassinate Nanhuai Wang Li Rongqi." The messenger also reported the gossip he knew.
"Yi Xiaodao assassinated Li Rongqi, the king of Nanhuai? How is this possible?" Zhao Yizhi frowned. Although he and Yi Xiaodao only met for a short moment in the courtyard he gave him, it was obvious that he was not that sinister and cunning person. , a person with ulterior motives.
Zhou Ziru said from the side: "Your Majesty, let's put Yi Xiaodao's matter aside for now. What did you say just now? The annual tribute from Nanhuai was transported to Licheng?"
The messenger shrank his head and replied: "Prime Minister Zhou, it's the villagers who came to report. It's hearsay and has not been investigated yet..."
Zhao Yizhi smiled and said, "This is easy to handle."
The sun had just set, and a group of hidden guards rushed out of the military camp. They disappeared without a trace as soon as they left the military camp.
