"Your Majesty, are you looking for me?" Yi Xiaodao came outside the imperial study room, asked for permission and entered the room.
Zhao Yizhi turned around and saw Yi Xiaodao and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work. Sit down."
Yi Xiaodao was not polite and sat down calmly: "Your Majesty, I heard that the martial arts competition in the capital did not go well?"
Zhao Yizhi paused after hearing this, and the smile on his face slowly disappeared: "I thought it was too simple. Not only did it not go well, it was just...sigh."
Yi Xiaodao nodded: "I met Confucius on the way back, and I only found out from their mouths... The various factions in the Jianghu have been in dispute for a long time. It is a bit difficult to resolve the old feud through a martial arts competition..."
Seeing that Zhao Yizhi's face was a little ugly, Yi Xiaodao said with relief: "It's not like there was no gain at all this time. After such a fuss, these sects who were suspicious or even hostile to the imperial court at least saw the imperial court's stance and His Majesty's attitude. Kindness, the rest can only be a matter of time."
Zhao Yizhi nodded: "That's all. By the way, how is the situation in the north?"
Yi Xiaodao hesitated for a moment and said: "I went to the north and met King Ding Liao and King Beidi. King Ding Liao was wise and wise, but he was located in a remote place and had no great ambitions. He loved to have fun. He made it clear to me that everything should be done with him. The other two kings will advance and retreat together, so don’t worry.”
"The king of the North is kind-hearted and cares about the people. He has made it clear that he only wants to sit and guard the North and has no other ideas. This person... must be guarded against." Yi Xiaodao recounted his impressions of the two kings.
Zhao Yizhi asked: "What? Please tell me in detail."
"The three kings of the north once built more than a hundred sand cities outside the border of Daqi. Your Majesty knows this, right?"
Zhao Yizhi nodded: "Of course I know this." Wouldn't it be ridiculous if even he, the emperor, didn't know about such a big movement in the north.
"The three kings... have abandoned more than a hundred sand cities before more than a month ago and retreated to the border." Yi Xiaodao said slowly.
Zhao Yizhi was stunned for a moment, then his eyes slowly widened: "They want to defect to Beiyi?!"
Yi Xiaodao shook his head: "Not really. The imperial court has been in stalemate with Chu Xiang for two years and invested hundreds of thousands of troops. Now that Nanhuai, Donglu, and Chu Xiang have all returned to the imperial court, how can the three northern kings not be surprised? They dare not deceive. Your Majesty, the two kings have made it clear to their ministers that if the imperial court sends troops to the north and does anything to the Three Feudatories, they...may be willing to join the Northern Yi..."
When Zhao Yizhi heard this, he remained silent. It was impossible to say that he had no idea at all about the land of San Francisco in the north. In the beginning, all the eight vassals were there, and Zhao Yizhi might not have any thoughts about the vassal king yet. After all, it had been six hundred years, and it would not be impossible if the situation could continue to be stable.
But with Yi Xiaodao's action and Zhou Ziru's persuasion, the imperial court returned to Nanhuai, pacified Donglu, and defeated Chuxiang. Only then did Zhao Yizhi realize that Daqi was not rotten at the root. If we could take back all the vassal lands and bring the entire world under the control of the imperial court, wouldn't it be a peaceful and prosperous era? Moreover, how many men can resist the temptation of virtually dominating the world?
Yi Xiaodao observed Zhao Yizhi's expression and said, "Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to dispatch heavy troops to guard the southern border of the San Francisco Land!"
"Do you think... they will really defect to Beiyi?" Yi Xiaodao had just returned from Northern Xinjiang. His opinion was very important, and Zhao Yizhi also paid attention to it.
Yi Xiaodao shook his head: "I don't think it would be possible to take refuge in the Northern Yi, but if they make such a gesture, the court has to be on guard. And I heard that a khan came out of the Northern Yi, and he has pacified and recovered all the tribes one by one, and went south. I'm afraid it will be a matter of time. The land of San Francisco may not be able to resist it by then."
"They are now defending themselves in the territory, and we have to take countermeasures. If the Northern Yi invades the San Francisco territory, the Central Plains will probably let them drive straight in. Even the King of the North is worried about whether he can hold the Northern Territory... "
Zhao Yizhi did not answer, but just pondered silently.
"Your Majesty, I heard that Meng Qianya, the daughter of the Beiyi Khan, is also in the capital. I heard that the Beiyi Khan dotes on his precious daughter. If possible, if we can get along with her, maybe the Beiyi will not go south..." Yi Xiaodao offered his advice.
It's okay not to say it. When Yi Xiaodao said this, Zhao Yizhi's brows furrowed even deeper: "The Beiyi Khan dotes on this precious daughter of his very much? Do you know how much he dotes on her?"
"If you want the bright moon, pick up the stars too!"
Zhao Yizhi took a deep breath: "If Meng Qianya died in the Central Plains..."
Yi Xiaodao was anxious: "Your Majesty, don't be impulsive! I once heard in Northern Xinjiang that this woman is restless by nature. She fought with all the generals in the army in Northern Yi and was very brave. If she didn't provoke her when she came to the Central Plains this time, It’s such a catastrophic disaster, but I hope Your Majesty will be given a lighter punishment!”
Before Zhao Yizhi could say anything, Wang Zhenliang came in at the right time: "Your Majesty, ah, Duke Wu Dinggong is here too. The coffin has been built and the burial place has been selected. Your Majesty, please choose a date."
"Coffin, burial place? Who died?" Yi Xiaodao's heart was beating wildly.
"Meng Qianya." Zhao Yizhi said helplessly.
The air became quiet for a moment. Yi Xiaodao looked at Zhao Yizhi and then at Wang Zhenliang. Neither of them looked like they were joking.
"Your Majesty, this matter must be strictly guarded and the news must not be leaked! It can be hidden for a while. To the south of Northern Xinjiang, heavy troops will be sent to guard and strengthen the city immediately!" At this point, Yi Xiaodao has no intention of exploring Meng Qianya's identity. How he died and how he dealt with the aftermath are the top priorities.
Zhao Yizhi nodded, and he and Yi Xiaodao thought together: "This matter will be arranged, you don't need to worry. There is one more thing I need to tell you... King Xigui may be rebelling!"
This blockbuster news was no less shocking to Yi Xiaodao than the death of Meng Qianya. Among the eight kings, King Xigui was known to be a die-hard loyal minister. If nothing else, let’s just talk about how difficult it is to transport the annual tribute from the hundreds of thousands of mountains. And it has never been delayed once. You know, even Nanhuai, which is very close to the capital, has been delayed several times!
"Your Majesty, is this news reliable?" Yi Xiaodao asked hesitantly.
Zhao Yizhi nodded: "It has been roughly confirmed that Zou Wu, the third son of King Xigui, led a group of Xigui assassins to attack and kill me and Prime Minister Zhou in the Zhou Mansion... Meng Qianya's death is also related to this matter."
"Third Young Master..." Zhao Yizhi rubbed his chin: "Your Majesty, do you remember the Fourth Young Master and Mr. Wu in Jietian Prison three years ago?"
"Of course I remember. Do you think the fourth young master also...?"
Yi Xiaodao said: "I have inquired occasionally in the past few years, but I have never heard of any fourth master in the Jianghu. Moreover, they robbed prisons and released prisoners. It is not what people in the Jianghu would do..."
"It makes no sense to talk about it now. It has been so long. The assassination of the Third Young Master is a certainty. Do you think it is better to use troops against the North or against the South?" Zhao Yizhi stared at Yi Xiaodao and asked his opinion.
Yi Xiaodao also frowned, this was a big problem. Xigui is in the southwest of Daqi, and Beiyi is in the northernmost part of Daqi. With such a long distance spanning the north and south, it is impossible to say that Daqi's troops should be divided into two groups and attack on both sides. In the event that one side suffers a loss, the other side will not be able to turn back in time to rescue them. The only way to go is to concentrate their forces to solve one area first and then one at a time.
"When fighting against foreigners, you must first settle down at home. This is an ancient law. However, things are also prioritized. There is one thing that I have not informed your majesty. When we came back, someone from Beiyi had sneaked into Guicheng in Beidi. This person was not an ordinary person. The spy is one of the Four Mastiffs of Beiyi, Duan Tong. He is so easy to come and go from Guicheng, and I don’t know how many spies there are in Guicheng.”
"There are hundreds of thousands of mountains in Xigui. Although they block the Central Plains from entering, they also block Xigui's way of sending troops. In my humble opinion, we must first focus on the north!" Yi Xiaodao said.
Zhao Yizhi nodded slowly: "It's not unreasonable. Xigui won't be able to threaten the Central Plains for a while, and Beiyi... is indeed a serious concern. I don't know how long Meng Qianya's death can be kept hidden. What if the news leaks one day? , but it’s troublesome.”
"Your Majesty, this is just the minister's idea. There are still many things that cannot be considered. Your Majesty, please discuss it with many ministers in the court and brainstorm ideas." Yi Xiaodao said modestly.
"This is natural. By the way, I heard that a young man came back with you. Who is he?" Zhao Yizhi asked.
When Yi Xiaodao heard Zhao Yizhi's question, he raised his brows and said as if offering a treasure: "Taiyi's eldest disciple, Bai Xinglong. This man has superb swordsmanship and good martial arts. This trip to Northern Xinjiang depends on his protection. !”
Zhao Yizhi pointed at Yi Xiaodao and said with a smile: "Oh, you have found all the treasures in the world! You have been here for so long and you haven't gone back to visit your little wife yet? Hurry up and go back to visit!"
"Thank you, Your Majesty, I will take my leave!" Yi Xiaodao received the imperial edict, and when he thought about seeing He Yue'er soon, his whole body seemed to lighten up.
Just when Yi Xiaodao was about to go out, Zhao Yizhi suddenly asked: "By the way, you once left a Gu worm from Fuyin Division, right? Is that worm still there now?"
Yi Xiaodao heard the words and stood still. He rummaged around in his arms for a long time and took out a small jade bottle: "Your Majesty, I forgot even if you didn't ask me. The voodoo is here! This voodoo is very evil and can bring the dead body back to life. Walk like a living person! I want to keep one for self-defense, but I dare not use it randomly..."
"As long as you're here. It's okay. You can go back." Zhao Yizhi waved his hand.
Yi Xiaodao stuffed the jade bottle back into his chest, nodded and left.
Wang Zhenliang stood aside, and only after Yi Xiaodao left did he approach Zhao Yizhi: "Your Majesty, do you think there was turmoil in Dongcheng that night..."
Zhao Yizhi glanced over, and Wang Zhenliang immediately closed his mouth, not daring to continue talking.
"It's just my imagination, and it won't do him any good. I just happened to be in Dongcheng, and he hid a Gu worm. Just ask." Zhao Yizhi shook his head. When did he become so suspicious? Suspicion came to Yi Xiaodao's head.
Wang Zhenliang seemed to be muttering to himself on the side, and seemed to be reminding Zhao Yizhi: "I'm afraid he is still thinking about Hu Lishan's revenge..."
This time, Zhao Yizhi did not interrupt Wang Zhenliang again...
Yi Xiaodao had just left the palace gate, and he was full of doubts in his heart: "Li Dingxing and I were the only ones present that night. How did your Majesty know that I hid a Gu worm?"
