Huang Qiong didn't believe it at all that the two kings were caught by the emperor because of what they did in the fiefdom, so they made a desperate move. Most of the clan members were doing the same things that the two kings were doing in their fiefdoms. Some even did more outrageous things than they did, and the emperor never punished any of them.
Everyone is like the crow before the pig, and no one is any better than anyone else. As far as what they did in the fiefdom did not include raising private soldiers, the old man would only confiscate part of Yongye Field as a punishment. And even if they include raising private soldiers, as long as they honestly admit their mistakes, the emperor may not really be determined to deal with them.
If what the old man said is true, there may be only one outcome. That is, someone is manipulating all this behind the scenes, forcing the two kings to rebel in order to protect themselves or something else. But who is this person and what is his purpose? Is it really as simple as getting rid of the two kings with the help of the imperial court?
The most important thing is, what means does he have to force the second king, who is a prince, to take this method in order to protect himself? Since he left the palace, the things he has experienced are like a dense cloud. Huang Qiong tried to grasp something several times, but he always felt that he was just a little bit behind.
If he said that this person was the prince, Huang Qiong would not believe it a thousand times. Judging from the experience of fighting that prince many times since he left the palace. The prince's limited means were limited to some small conspiracies that were not worthy of publicity. If he had this kind of ability, how could he be disgraced despite being in the right place at the right time and with the right people?
Is it just this person, or who are these people? This is not the first time Huang Qiong has asked himself. Being able to force the two kings to really rebel in order to protect themselves shows that this person is very capable. If the things that were targeted at him before were caused by this guy, then the things that were targeted at him at the beginning would now seem to be nothing more than a small fight.
Just when Huang Qiong was thinking wildly here and guessing the real cause of the two kings' rebellion. The emperor, who had calmed down over there, suddenly said: "Ajiu, if these two kings do not listen to dissuasion and insist on going their own way, how about I hand over Prince Jing of Zhengzhou to your disposal?"
The emperor's words were like thunder on the ground, and Huang Qiong was stunned on the spot. Huang Qiong's first thought was that the old man had a seizure, and the second thought was that the old man was digging a hole for himself. He quickly waved his hands and said, "Well, this is not good. To deal with the second brother, although military affairs are supplementary and political affairs are the main priority, sending troops is inevitable."
"If there is no overwhelming force on the battlefield, any appeasement will be useless. It is said that suppression and appeasement are used at the same time, but suppression has always been put in front of appeasement. Moreover, Zhengzhou is very close to the capital. Once this battle is delayed, it will cause damage to the capital. Turmoil. In other words, this battle must be resolved in the shortest possible time. Only a veteran general who is accustomed to fighting cannot take on this responsibility."
"My son has just left the palace. He has no experience in coordinating major events, has never commanded an army in combat, and knows nothing about marching operations. How can he command those veteran generals in the court who have been on the battlefield for many years? A layman can do great harm to an expert. Seriously. If you let your son go, he might even lose the Jingzhao Mansion. My son doesn’t think he has the ability of the former Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty."
"Besides, under the ancestral system of Qi, princes and princes are not allowed to lead troops in battle. Even Emperor Taizong at that time was only the commander and supervisor of the army. The king of Guilin was still the main commander in marching and fighting. Father, this dynasty has always governed the world with filial piety. , this ancestral system cannot be violated. There are many famous generals in this dynasty who are capable of fighting, so you should choose another wise one."
When Huang Qiong heard that the emperor asked him to kill King Jing, Huang Qiong waved his hands repeatedly. He doesn't want to do such a thankless thing? There are so many princes in the capital. If he leads the army on an expedition, not only the prince and the king of Shu will be so angry and jealous that they will go crazy, but other kings may also regard him as a thorn in their side. The old man obviously thinks that he is causing hatred. not enough.
Besides, what if I really did something to King Jing? Regardless of what the old man says now, who knows whether he will fall out of favor by then? Once this was done, the benefits were almost not mentioned at all, and hatred was stirred up everywhere. If you don't do it well, you will definitely not get any benefits from the old man. How can this be as simple as not being able to please both sides?
"If you are told to go, just go. Where does all this nonsense come from. As a prince, when I need your help at this time, you are here to push me back and forth. You don't want to share the worries of your father. Do you want to sit at home and enjoy the results? I asked you to go, so there is a reason why I sent you. I also selected people to assist you, so I don’t worry about it, so what do you have to worry about?”
The emperor obviously seemed a little irritable, and he seemed to be more than unhappy with Huang Qiong's rejection. And those two eyes, as if they could see through the heart and lungs, stared at Huang Qiong. These two looked at each other with strange eyes, which even made Huang Qiong a little confused. This was the first time Huang Qiong had seen the old man's wolf-like gaze.
But just when Huang Qiong raised her head and wanted to refute and talk to the old man about the dangers of amateur leadership and expert leadership, she inadvertently saw the well-hidden sadness in the old man's eyes. Seeing the sadness in the old man's eyes, Huang Qiong's heart trembled.
Seeing that the old man only used a hairpin and his hair was already half white, Huang Qiong couldn't help but sigh. Two months ago, when the old man came to his house for the first time, although the old man was already in his forties, he still didn't have a single gray hair on his head.
Unexpectedly, in just two months, the old man had already lost half his black hair to white hair. Losing three sons in a row within a month. No matter how determined the emperor was and how many sons he had, the blow would never be small. A person with white hair gives a person with black hair, and no one can bear the change. He was not only an emperor, but also a father.
What's more, among the three sons, the cause of death of at least two sons will make the old man even more heartbroken. The flesh-and-blood cannibalism has reached such an extent, this is the scene he least wants to see, both as an emperor and as a father. But these things happened right in front of his eyes, and even Huang Qiong could feel the pain in his heart.
Before the pain of losing three sons in a row had passed, the queen who had been with him for most of his life and who had been with him for most of his life passed away again. Such blows came one after another, and it was difficult for the old man not to grow old. Coupled with the fact that the situation is getting worse and worse, and the two sons are almost at war with each other, I am afraid that the emperor is now mentally and physically exhausted.
Seeing the faint sadness in the old man's eyes, Huang Qiong suddenly understood the old man's true intention of sending her there. If he went by himself, at least he wouldn't go too far. King Jing may not be able to be saved, but there is no problem in keeping King Jing's bloodline.
But if it were other brothers who went there, or those ministers who blindly greeted or catered to the intentions of their masters behind them. I'm afraid there might not even be a scrap left in Prince Jing's Mansion. Today's old man has reached the point where he doesn't trust anyone.
If King Jing and King Duan really rebel, no matter how many troops they have, they will focus on pacification rather than suppression.
Under such circumstances, the imperial court must definitely send civilian officials to serve as prime ministers, rather than simply sending military attaches. The fiefdoms of King Jing and King Duan are both within the territory of Henan Road. The two kings have reached the point where they are today, and the comfort envoys, inspection envoys, and Jiedu envoys on Henan Road cannot escape at least one charge of dereliction of duty.
Therefore, the ministers sent this time must be selected from the court. But the background of the civil servants in the DPRK is complicated. Although the old man has been thinking of ways to clean it up, how can this kind of thing be cleared up in a short time? If there is support behind the selected civil servants, then this group of guys who adhere to the concept of cutting weeds without eradicating the roots and regenerating with the spring breeze, it is estimated that the two kings will not be able to leave even a root.
This group of civil servants became ruthless, sometimes far more fierce than those straightforward military generals. This is probably what the old man wanted to send himself. Looking at the old man, half of his black hair has turned gray in a short period of time. Looking at the sadness in the old man's eyes, Huang Qiong suddenly felt a trace of pity for the old man in her heart.
At this time, does the old man still have a hint of imperial demeanor? What's the difference between ordinary fathers who worry about their troublesome sons and worry about their sons? Thinking of this, Huang Qiong's heart softened. Forget it, I'd better do what the old man expected. As for whether it can happen or not, it depends on God’s blessing.
After thinking about this, Huang Qiong stood up and nodded slowly but firmly to the old man: "If the father is really determined, then the son will do his best. But as for whether it can succeed, the son is really determined now. I’m not sure. After all, the second brother is a big man, and my son doesn’t know what he can do.”
The words came out, although no clear commitment was given. But Huang Qiong felt it, and the old man was obviously relieved. However, he hesitated for a moment, and before the old man could speak, Huang Qiong added: "If my father really wants his son to go to Zhengzhou, my son also has a few small requests, which I hope my father can meet."
"Do you want to bargain with me, or do you want to take the opportunity to blackmail me?" The emperor, who had finally breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Huang Qiong nodding, felt the hair on his body stand up again after hearing Huang Qiong's next words. got up. He stared at Huang Qiong with sharp, almost heart-piercing eyes.
"My son doesn't dare. I just want to meet my father's expectations, but the few things my son asked for are necessary." Regarding the old man's doubts, Huang Qiong said unambiguously. Although the emperor in front of him had a resolute temperament, he also had a suspicious problem that most emperors in the past had, but Huang Qiong had not forgotten it.
If you don’t say something upfront, say it clearly in advance. When the time comes, it won't be just King Jing who is unlucky, and he doesn't want to become another burial victim. Especially once the old man makes up his mind, he will take charge of the matter. Although he was not the first prince in Da Qi Dynasty to lead troops on an expedition, he was the first prince in this dynasty to lead troops.
Presumably, while I was charging and fighting at the front, there were definitely not a few jealous and gossiping people behind me. Duke Zhou was afraid of the day of rumors, but Wang Mang was humble and did not usurp the time. Although rumors stop among the wise, doesn’t it mean that if a lie is repeated a thousand times, it will become the truth? The lethality of rumors is not ordinary. I guess if I enter the military camp on the front foot, rumors will spread on the back foot.
The emperor did not answer him immediately, but stared at Huang Qiong for a long time. It wasn't until he saw Huang Qiong's doubtful eyes on him, with a calm face without any guilt, that he said in a voice almost squeezed out from between his teeth: "Just tell me, as long as it's not too outrageous, I will agree to it."
