"Are you running away again? Are all the fourth and fifth-rank officials in the imperial court running away?" The wrinkles on King Yu's aging face were condensed together.
"They are really disgusting. Please let me deal with them." Shen Liazhen knelt on the ground and said indignantly.
"No need, they don't want the official title anymore, and they won't want it in this life, and they will take all the house and property sales." King Yu sneered, and he could already imagine the regrets of these people.
"Yes, I understand." Shen Lianzhen became emotionless and loyal like a tool man. When he should be angry, he would be angry with King Yu. When he shouldn't be angry, he would be like a cold wooden man.
"I heard that bandits robbed the inn in broad daylight?" King Yu asked.
"It is indeed true. Most of the officials in Yin Du Mansion have taken leave and gone home, as have the soldiers and minor officials under them. Therefore, the security is empty, and the Imperial Army only regulates the night curfew." Shen Lianchen felt a thump in his heart, and had a bad feeling. .
"Zhuang Xiaolian didn't run away? I heard from the Imperial Master that he stayed at this inn, and when he returned home, he was robbed and killed. Fortunately, the Chengguo people took action, otherwise the Imperial Master would have personally taught these thieves a lesson." King Yu said lightly. .
"The humble minister deserves to die. I have transferred the manpower to protect Zhuang Xiaolian. Please punish me." Shen Liazhen reacted immediately and kowtowed quickly to ask for forgiveness.
"I asked you to send more people to investigate Prime Minister Yang. I don't blame you for this matter. It's just that I was remonstrated by the imperial master, which made me unhappy." King Yu said with a smile, and let him go gently. Shen Lianzhen.
"By the way, did the investigation of Prime Minister Yang reveal anything?" King Yu asked softly.
Shen Lianchen was not careless. He knew that King Yu had let Zhuang Xun go, and he wanted to get a response from Yang Xiang.
"The people on these lists have been recruited. I told Prime Minister Yang to tell them to stay close to him, and they can keep their glory and wealth when Youguo comes." Shen Liazhen took out a list and held it high.
King Yu took it and glanced at it.
"Not enough, too little, too little!"
These people are not enough to kill him.
"The rest are still investigating. This is just the first batch of lists. Those with high rankings are also well hidden, so it's hard to catch them." Shen Lianzhen said while sweating.
"I don't blame you. If these people were easy to catch, I would have defeated them long ago. I'm just a little impatient." I want to find some enemies to bury with me.
"The minor ministers are incompetent and cannot share the emperor's worries." Shen Lianzhen breathed a sigh of relief. The last Wanshou Banquet destroyed some of the dens in You Kingdom, and King Yu's favor for him has not yet faded away.
"If the imperial master hadn't told me, I would have thought that Zhuang Xiaolian had already taken refuge, but I didn't expect that he was still in Yindu." The emperor changed the subject.
Yesterday, the Imperial Preceptor came to complain, saying that he had not conquered Pizhuangxun for how many days and had been allowed to stay in the dangerous Yindu.
The emperor asked why it was dangerous, and received the news that the bandits dared to rob during the day, and Zhuang Xun was attacked and killed by the killer.
The first thing he felt was that he was surprised that Zhuang Xun was still in Yindu. The second thing was that he was a little angry. He told Shen Lianchen to pay attention to Zhuang Xun. As for the public security in Yindu, he had already heard about it, so he was not very surprised. .
However, his lack of ability is a bit lacking. One of his strengths is that he deals with the matter and does not express his anger. He thought of what he had told Shen Lianchen a few days ago to mobilize all his people to investigate Yang Xiang and send Yang Xiang to the underworld before he completely transformed into a demon.
It is considered the fault of my new requirements.
Zhuang Xun didn't suffer any harm, so he handled the matter lightly, provided that Shen Liancheng really found out something about Yang Xiang.
"Zhuang Xiaolian asked Mrs. Jiang to take his wife away while he stayed in Yindu." Shen Lianzhen revealed the information he knew.
"He also knew the danger. Why didn't he leave? Did the Imperial Master ask him to stay?" King Yu thought for a while and asked.
He didn't pay attention to Zhuang Xun's move to send his wife away. Among the officials who were still staying at the court, their wives and daughters had been sent back to their hometowns. They stayed behind either because they had defected to Youguo or because they were still waiting for a chance to escape.
It's too early to escape now. They are all under guard. It doesn't matter if they run later. If they really wait until the Youjun attack, they can surrender. These senior officials are not human beings. They are too impatient to run away now. , only those with low official rank, little power, and fear of the reputation of killing by the Youjun should not run away.
"Maybe, but even if Zhuang Xiaolian is persuaded by the national master, it is not easy to stay. He is not from one of these aristocratic families. He has a large number of guards to protect him. He only has one person who has rescued him with him. Whether he believes that the country can survive, His loyalty can be seen in his determination and the survival of the country."
In fact, Shen Lianchen did not completely give up taking care of Zhuang Xun, but reduced the number of manpower, with one or two people watching from a distance. When such an emergency occurred, naturally there was no time to react and no help.
By saying good things about Zhuang Xun, the Imperial Preceptor gained the trust of King Yu. Zhuang Xun was the favored person of the Imperial Preceptor, so naturally he would not say anything that the Emperor did not like to hear.
"You are indeed loyal. Let your subordinates collect documents and see if there are any officials with better positions of third rank or above who can't bear the pressure and run away." King Yu still had a feeling of cherishing talented people towards Zhuang Xun, especially after he The trusted national master appraised him and confirmed that Zhuang Xun was a good person.
"Not yet. Everyone knows that the Chengyu coalition did not suffer any losses. They just fought on the plains. Youguo is stronger than Chengyu, so the chance of winning is small." Shen Lianchen said the reason why the senior officials did not run away, but he was still feeling lucky. His family Send him away, and stay and continue to be a loyal minister.
"You're so clever!" King Yu said disdainfully. These officials are also the ones who don't let go of eagles when they see rabbits.
"Let's first recruit him as the right envoy of Hebei Province, and announce him to the palace." King Yu made a decision.
This matter has indeed been delayed for a long time. King Xihe rebelled and Chengdie Pass was captured. He was busy dealing with these things and never had the chance to conquer Zhuangxun.
Zhuang Xun did not expect that the emperor who had put him aside would suddenly launch a conquest. He thought that he would at least wait until the war with You Kingdom was settled.
My thighs were still limping and I couldn't get out of bed. I squatted for a day and everyone else was numb.
After receiving this news, I could only thank Long En, and I regretted practicing hammer martial arts even more.
Enduring the pain, he forcibly controlled his expression and came to the emperor.
He was awarded official uniform, seal and ribbon, and a symbol representing the emperor's inspection of the place.
Because he was so sore, his expression twitched. The emperor also saw that something was wrong, stopped the complicated conquest ceremony, and asked Zhuang Xun to come to the study to talk to him.
Zhuang Xun sat on the chair, feeling like he was sitting on a steel needle, but he didn't dare to show it because he was sitting opposite the emperor.
"My dear, what's wrong with you?" The emperor saw Zhuang Xun's twitching expression from time to time, which made him want to laugh.
"Weichen feels that he is weak. He worked out hard yesterday and now he feels sore all over his body." Zhuang Xun's face felt a little hot when he said it. He laughed so hard that his physical fitness is so poor.
Sure enough, the emperor smiled, feeling that Zhuang Xun in front of him was honest and honest.
"I heard that Aiqing was robbed by thieves the day before yesterday. It's not surprising that I have this idea. When I was young, I wanted to be perfect, and I struggled with it. It was not much better than Aiqing is now." The emperor recalled, as if before his eyes Zhuang Xun overlapped with his previous self.
"I am scared." Zhuang Xun didn't know how to answer. Emperor, are you talking too close to me?
"Don't be formal, just talk about family matters. Just think of yourself as my junior." The emperor's attitude was kind, and anyone who could be recognized by Ge Tan could be recognized by him.
"I don't dare." Zhuang Xun was ashamed, why did the emperor feel as friendly as the uncle next door.
"Why don't you dare? I am the head of the entire Yu Kingdom, and you are my junior. Okay, let's change the question. Why doesn't Aiqing leave? When I heard that Chengdie Pass was breached, most people have already fled."
The emperor was looking for a topic, and he simply asked Zhuang Xun to chat.
Before, he desperately wanted to transform into a demon. After he succeeded, he had a guarantee. Now his mentality is to drag those old ghosts who have been fighting with him for decades to the underworld. He can no longer handle national affairs. Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings.
"If I leave, what should I do if I encounter a situation like conquest? I have already thanked the emperor for his promotion at the banquet. I am already a minister of the Yu State. Naturally, I will coexist with the Yu State until the last moment." Zhuang Xun had rehearsed these words countless times and said them quite naturally.
This is the benefit of a good reputation. The emperor believed it immediately. Instead, he advised Zhuang Xun: "This rotten ship of Yu State can be used as a springboard. Don't be too serious. If Cheng State or other countries recruit you, you don't have to be stubborn. Satisfy All ministers in the court have a way out, so remember to prepare one."
Zhuang Xun's eyes widened. Is this what the Emperor of Yu could say?
"Don't worry, I'm not that boring to test you. Everyone can see that the Yu Kingdom will not last long. There is nothing to avoid. I heard from the national master that your ideal is to make the people under your rule eat well and have food all year round. Clothes?" The emperor saw more clearly than anyone else. In the current state of Yu, the sky is about to fall, and there is no one who can hold it back.
Seeing the honest and honest Zhuang Xun, his favorable impression of Zhuang Xun increased, as if he saw himself who was ambitious when he was young and had the same ambition to feed the people under his rule.
"Well, Wei Chen has seen the poverty in the world, and maybe he can't let them eat every meal, but Wei Chen wants them to have enough to eat." Zhuang Xun replied affirmatively, saying that he was no longer afraid of being laughed at for this ambition.
Even if there is only one generation, it will not be industrialized, but it will be the pinnacle of the King's rule. Every family will have food in stock and every household will have new clothes.
"What a good ambition. I had it when I was young. At that time, I really wanted the country of Yu to prosper in my hands. I didn't expect that in just thirty years, I would destroy the country." The emperor said these words. The words were spoken in a relaxed tone, already letting go, even a little self-deprecating.
"It's not too late now. With the help of good ministers, we will be able to restore the country's situation." Zhuang Xun comforted him. He didn't expect that the emperor could see things so clearly, nor did he expect that the emperor was so different from the moody one in the rumors.
"A bunch of insects, but a good minister! My dear, you are still young and cannot understand these flies and dogs. It is uncomfortable to be targeted by Qingliu, right?" The emperor said with a smile, which was considered to be sincere, and Zhuang Xun was considered someone he could trust.
"I don't quite understand. I obviously have no conflict with them." Zhuang Xun understood Si Qinmi's analysis, but he could only pretend not to understand in front of the emperor.
"Official position is a conflict. Every official position carries a kind of power. In order to compete for this power, people go to great lengths." The emperor said, looking at the ignorant Zhuang Xun as if he was seeing a piece of uncarved jade.
"It would be nice if this kind of thought was spent on people's livelihood." Zhuang Xun sighed, but he also knew that it was impossible. If officials were like this, it would not be the country of You fighting against the country of Yu, but the country of Yu fighting against the country of You.
"Don't think about it. If you are not greedy and don't take the people's things, you are already a very upright official. You still expect them to be kind to the people. As long as their own family is full, these aristocratic families have no control over what the people eat. That's why you are so valuable. ." The emperor said resentfully, and then praised Zhuang Xun.
"It's just a bit of conscience. The emperor has given you too much praise." Zhuang Xun said humbly in the face of this kind of praise.
"Hold on, my dear, hold on to your ambition. This is the right path." It is the road to becoming an immortal. Unfortunately, I can't go on. I can only watch you go on.
"It's natural. The humble minister will always move closer to this goal." Zhuang Xun responded. He didn't think about immortality. He just felt that it was his responsibility and obligation to govern a party well when he became an official. It was regarded as a rule established in his hometown. principles and beliefs.
"My time is running out, what do you think you lack to achieve this goal?" The emperor smiled when he saw Zhuang Xun's reserved look, as if he was looking at a junior.
"?" Zhuang Xun was a little numb. The emperor was not shy about what he said. Are we familiar with each other?
Will you give me whatever I need?
"Lack of money, lack of soldiers and horses, lack of power and position." The emperor said with a smile, like a kind old man, his own son might even drop his jaw after seeing this.
People are dying, and many things are no longer so important. Seeing that Zhuang Xun has this goal of benefiting the world, he wants to try his best to help.
Zhuang Xun thought for a while, looked at the emperor's kind expression, put down his guard, and showed an embarrassed expression: "It seems that they are all missing!"
"Hahaha, it's all missing! It's all missing! You are also candid!" The emperor laughed, finally allowing Zhuang Xun to say something bold.
Zhuang Xun thought he had made a mistake, so he got up to apologize. Then he couldn't get up, so the emperor stepped forward and held his shoulder.
"Let me see. You are going to govern a party. If there are still good officials in the place, I will promote you. If you don't have soldiers, I will assign you some forbidden troops. Three thousand armored sergeants are enough for you to suppress the opposition. You belong to a wealthy family. As for money, you still have a lot of money in your internal funds. Unfortunately, you are already married. You should be someone who is unwilling to divorce your wife. Otherwise, if you marry a princess in the palace, you can justifiably give away the money. you."
The emperor planned and said, Zhuang Xun was sweating while he was calculating. This was not a joke. He couldn't figure out if he was in a dream now, why the emperor suddenly sent money and equipment as if there was a system failure.
"The humble minister is frightened. Your Majesty, don't ask for jokes. Xun cannot shoulder the Emperor's high expectations." Zhuang Xun took the initiative to step down the stairs to the excited Emperor. He felt that the Emperor just spoke quickly.
"Yes, I have lost my temper. I love your wife so much that I even refused the beautiful Mrs. Jiang to recruit a son-in-law. I said such words and made your beloved unhappy." The emperor came to his senses and said, thinking of the longevity banquet. Looking at Zhuang Xun's theory of four virtues, Zhuang Xun obviously loves his wife very much.
"..." Emperor, is there something wrong with your temper? You are the emperor, why are you reviewing it?
"Fortunately, I don't have a princess, otherwise I wouldn't be betrothed to my beloved, otherwise it would be too regrettable." The emperor looked at Zhuang Xun with satisfaction and said.
"A humble minister cannot deserve your majesty's love." The emperor's words were too flattering.
"You deserve it. This ambition deserves this love. It can be regarded as compensation for the fact that I sent people to protect you but failed to protect you." The emperor looked at Zhuang Xun's gritted teeth and endured the pain, and couldn't help laughing.
"If the protection was in place, Aiqing would not be in this state."
Seek first determination
(End of chapter)
