In the Zichen Palace, everyone seemed to be waiting for her to speak.
At the top, the old woman in dragon robe seemed to be used to such quarrels in private imperial meetings. She put away the memorial without changing her expression and asked:
"Where are the northern garrison troops?"
Female officer Caishang immediately led several palace officials to move an exquisite landscape sand table from the back hall and placed it in the center of the main hall.
Xia Guan Shangshu Wei Sixing immediately stepped forward and pointed out a certain location on the map respectfully:
"Sage, please read the latest reports. These rebels have arrived in Hengzhou, and are still half way from Hongzhou and Jiangzhou where they threatened to return."
Wei Zhao lowered his eyes and nodded:
"It's been almost a month, and it's really slow."
Master Di put down his tea cup, held up his long sleeves with both hands, and nodded: "The sage understands clearly."
"Saint." Wei Jisi lowered his head slightly and reminded:
"The major affairs of the country are enshrined in the army, and there is no small matter in the army. The whole world is watching the saint. If it is handled improperly and indecisively, it will damage the majesty of the court and the face of the saint."
Shen Xisheng: "Dignity is not achieved by strong military suppression. The Great Zhou Dynasty should follow the king's way and be fair and clear, so that the world can return to its heart."
Wei Sixing, who was standing aside, suddenly said:
"I heard from people that Guizhou Governor Shi Lan Changhao has a heart for boxing. Since the imperial court promulgated the decree on Tianshu and the statue, he has actively responded to the call of the center, personally selected the site, and went to Jiangzhou to observe...
"I want to build an outstanding Buddha for the saint to spread the glory of the saint and the prestige of the Great Zhou Dynasty to the Tusi Yi people in the remote southwest.
"I heard that the reason why Guizhou garrison is advocated for a small extension this time is because Guizhou is remote and has a lot of indigenous people. It is difficult to collect taxes. The state government's finances are relatively stretched. Dismissing the garrison is a large additional expense.
"It is said that it is difficult to be a local official, let alone a local official in such a remote state capital. Lan Changhao had no choice but to prioritize and put the main financial source of the state capital on the construction of Buddha statues."
Shen Xisheng's heart thumped. Liang Han's previous concerns in his letter were correct. The two kings of the Wei family were indeed cunning and pulled off the tiger skin of "creating a statue for the emperor".
His expression remained unchanged, he turned around and chuckled:
"Why is His Highness Prince Liang talking more and more like Lan Changshi has a roundworm in his belly? He knows so clearly."
Wei Sixing showed no annoyance on his face and replied with a smile:
"Then Master Shen, whose belly is it like a roundworm?"
Ignoring the two "roundworms", Wei Jisi, who was the envoy of Tianshu and the supervisor of the Buddha statues, said with a straight face:
"Sage, I have read the transcript of Ouyang Lianghan's memorial, and what he said is not completely wrong. However, this person is a little too demanding of others by the standards of saints.
"Although Guizhou Lan Changhao is strict and impatient and a bit fierce in politics, what is wrong with his sincere heart to share the worries of the court and make statues of saints?
“Not everyone is as wealthy as Yangzhou and Jiangzhou.
"Looking at this matter, Lan Changhao made some small mistakes, but his attitude was correct. Anyone placed in his position would hardly have both.
"In addition, it is too coincidental that the Guizhou mutiny happened at this juncture. It is difficult for people not to think that there are traitors who are opposed to Tianshu and the statue, instigating the garrison behind the scenes, inducing mutiny, and deliberately causing trouble. , to interfere with the court's policy.
"This matter cannot be ignored."
Wei Jisi's tone was meaningful.
Wei Zhao raised his eyelids slightly.
Wei Sixing caught a glimpse of it from the corner of his eye and took the opportunity to say:
"Knowing that the imperial court was in trouble and the state capital was in trouble, yet they mutinied and returned home without caring about the overall situation. There must be thieves making noises and the garrison soldiers returning north to return home with malicious intent.
"If instead of suppressing it with thunder, we allowed the rebels to scold Changshi Lan Changhao harshly, other state capitals around the world that were creating statues and collecting copper tributes would see this, wouldn't they imitate it?
"Everyone will learn from the Guizhou garrison and return home with malicious intent. How will the court deal with it then? Will the central authority of the court still need to be dignified?
"The sage has a clear warning and can guard against the slightest change."
Wei Zhao closed his eyes and listened for a while, then slowly opened his eyes:
"Ji Si, what Si Xing said is not unreasonable." He turned around and said, "What do you think, Mr. Guo? You have something to say."
On the imperial stool, the fat old man with downcast eyes seemed to be in a drowsy state while listening to the argument. He opened his eyes, took his long sleeves out of his sleeves, and propped them on his legs:
"The kings of Wei and Liang really took the overall situation into consideration and shared the worries of the saints everywhere.
"However, since we have talked about guarding against the slightest possibility, we will not discuss for the moment whether the mutiny among the Guizhou garrison soldiers was provoked by Lan Changhao.
"Old minister is foolish and still has some confusion.
“What if all the governments in the world, seeing that Guizhou has no worries, start to imitate the example, under the guise of creating a Buddha, holding high the banner of the Holy Spirit, wasting people and money, lining their own pockets, and causing great trouble?
"How should the kings of Liang and Wei prevent this 'micro-graduation'?"
The expressions of Wei Jisi and Wei Sixing changed slightly.
Empress Wei Zhao tilted her head and placed her palms on her forehead.
Shen Xisheng took advantage of the victory and pursued it, saying:
"In the final analysis, it is nothing more than a fight between Ouyang Lianghan and Lan, Wang and Zhu to see which one is true.
"Then go check it out!
"Your Majesty can send a supervisory envoy to Guizhou to comfort the border guards and investigate the statues in Guizhou Hall.
“Let’s see if it’s true that we are short of money and food and forced to reduce military expenditures, or is it because Lan Changhaomei is bullying his superiors, selfish, and abusing official tools, which is why he was repeatedly postponed and forced to mutiny.
"The Supervisory Envoy will go to Hongzhou and Jiangzhou again to thoroughly investigate Lan Changhao's lobbying for an extension. He will also check to see if he bribed or gave gifts to the military commanders of the two states, and secretly conspired to create a den of snakes and rats."
Wei Jisi was dissatisfied:
"Currently, the rebel garrison is on the way. The central government should focus on how to deal with the military disaster. At this juncture, Master Shen is investigating thoroughly one by one. Xiao Wang is very suspicious whether Master Shen is taking the opportunity to eradicate dissidents."
Shen Xisheng sarcastically said, "His Royal Highness the King of Wei is really good at using the overall situation to overwhelm others. He stands on the commanding heights."
"You and I should put the overall situation of the imperial court first. We will wait until the urgent matters at hand are resolved. When the time comes, Xiao Wang will be the first to support you. Master Shen, don't forget the priorities and priorities."
The old woman in the dragon robe was sitting on her back, holding her forehead. She could not see clearly the expression under her drooping crown. She was quiet for a while and said:
"Yao Qing, Wei Qing, what do you think?"
"Sage, I am a ignorant and ignorant person. After listening to it, I feel that what Master Shen said is reasonable, but..."
Yao Gongyu glanced at the empress Wei Zhao above him, paused for a moment, and said:
"But His Highness the King of Wei said something very good, and Wei Chen deeply believed it.
"We should focus on the overall situation of the imperial court, and the top priority is how to deal with the garrison troops returning from the north.
"Now the whole world is watching the saints and the court. We need to make a decision quickly. Please note that the longer these military affairs are delayed, the easier it is to cause chaos. The example of Yingzhou is right in front of us."
Shen Xisheng frowned slightly, and in the mud, he was leaning towards Wei.
However, this Yao Gongyu is not entirely a member of the Wei family, but has always been on the side of Her Majesty the Queen.
When Her Majesty the Queen changed her position to become emperor of Zhou Dynasty, this person was the first to stand up and support her.
Because he was good at figuring out the holy will, he usually said what His Majesty wanted to hear, without offending both the Wei family and the Liberation faction too much.
So in a sense, this person's speech can roughly represent His Majesty's attitude.
"Ai Qing thinks whether to deploy troops to suppress it."
Wei Zhao asked.
"This matter..." Yao Gongyu hesitated slightly.
"Sage, I personally think it is inappropriate to mobilize troops to suppress this."
Wei Zhenzai spoke.
This old prime minister, who has always been taciturn, can be regarded as one of the senior ministers with the highest qualifications among the ministers Yi Zi present today, second only to Master Di.
"Wei Qing, please speak."
Wei Zhenzai coughed, waved his hand to reject the towel handed to him by the female officer, and said weakly:
"The garrison troops returning from the north have arrived at Hengzhou on the Jiangnan Road. The Jiangnan Road is no better than the Lingnan Road. It goes down the Yangtze River and connects to the Huainan Road. The Jianghuai River has been the richest region in the world since ancient times, and the world's taxation relies on two roads.
“Even if an order is immediately issued to deploy troops to suppress, and by the time the interception and garrison troops are returned to the north, they will still be close to the two prefectures of Hong and Jiang, which are the gateways to the southeast.
"Even if the officers and soldiers defeat the northern garrison on the road, if they cannot be wiped out and the resulting chaos breaks out and causes trouble, how should we deal with it?
"The Jianghuai River has been at peace for a long time. Once the defeated troops disperse to the southeast to cause chaos and disrupt tax and water transportation, the consequences will be disastrous."
Wei Zhenzai sighed: "Don't do it forcefully and force him down on the road."
Master Di nodded: "Good."
Wei Jisi and Wei Sixing frowned and stopped talking.
Shen Xisheng's face agreed:
"Mr. Wei is a man of true knowledge and insight, and is the pillar of the country. We should not use strong troops to suppress them. We should send envoys to appease them and allow the garrison soldiers to return to their hometowns. At the same time, we should severely punish the criminal officials involved in order to calm the minds of the troops and quell the mutiny."
Wei Jisi immediately refuted it:
"Master Shen indulged the arrogant and powerful generals, and paid off one criminal officer at a time. The little king appointed Songde Tianshu and the governor of the Buddha statues in all directions. Does it mean that even the little king is the criminal official in your mouth, and Master Shen must also punish him severely?"
Shen Xi said sincerely: "My lord, please don't be anxious."
Wei Sixing said calmly: "It's not impossible to send envoys to investigate and punish the guilty officials severely. I'm afraid that some people are jealous and have hidden intentions. The real goal is something other than the Guizhou garrison and obstructing the national policy of the court."
Wei Zhao turned around and asked, "It's all over."
Shen Xisheng, Wei Jisi, and Wei Sixing immediately stood quietly, bowing their heads and saying nothing.
Wei Zhao added: "What Wei Aiqing said makes sense, and you can give me some good advice."
"I have few talents and little knowledge."
Wei Zhenzai paused for a moment and repeated: "Don't suppress it forcefully, as this will lead to disaster."
Then he stopped talking.
Wei Zhao ignored the two kings of the Wei family and Shen Xisheng, looked around the audience, and asked, "Do you have any other different strategies?"
"Weichen thinks it's better to compromise."
Yao Gongyu suddenly spoke.
Wei Zhao nodded immediately: "Tell me."
When Yao Gongyu heard this, he felt a little relieved, and with a serious face, he spoke...
After a while, Yao Gongyu, the imperial censor, proposed a compromise plan, which was approved by the empress Wei Zhao. Everyone agreed and passed.
After the battle, the decision-making meeting ended.
The ministers of the Liberation faction and the two kings of the Wei family left with some reluctance.
In the Zichen Palace, after the imperial meeting was over, the empress Wei Zhao left no one behind.
All the female officials in Cai Shang disappeared.
The main hall was empty, and the old woman in dragon robe sat alone on the dragon chair, turning a round and green emerald Maitreya Buddha with her fingers.
She stared at the exquisite sand table of mountains and rivers below.
Eyes looking somewhere.
"Is it Southeast again?"
After a pause, he smiled: "Oh, the emperor is angry."
Wei Zhao picked up a brochure that was regularly delivered from Southeast Jiangzhou from the imperial desk next to him, browsed it for a while, and suddenly said:
"Rong Zhen."
An icy-cold girl in crimson palace clothes walked out, her figure as silent as a cat.
The old woman in dragon robe lazily raised her hand and pointed at the sand table of mountains and rivers in front of her.
"Go and help Miaozhen."
"Yes, saint."
…
The palace of Wei Wangwei's heir was in Lidefang, where the dignitaries of Luoyang gathered.
The carriage exits the East City Gate and faces Lide Square, which is very convenient for going to court and entering the palace every day.
The two brothers gathered for a small discussion in the car.
Not long after, the carriages separated from his brother Wei Sixing. Wei Jisi closed his eyes and rested his mind, and returned all the way to the palace of Prince Wei, which was unknown to everyone in the world.
"Ask Li Li to come to the study."
As soon as Wei Jisi entered the door, he pushed open the room of the beautiful maid and concubine who came forward, and said to the housekeeper.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
A quarter of an hour later.
Inside the study room where elegant bamboos are planted outside the window.
Wei Jisi, who was resting in his chair with his eyes closed, waited for a frightened Persian businessman.
"Good afternoon, Your Majesty." Boss Li knelt down and said with his head buried in his chest.
Wei Jisi did not open his eyes: "Where is Mr. Shaoxuan, where is Mr. Qiu, and where is my king's cauldron sword."
"Sixth Young Master and Mr. Qiu should be looking for the sword art in Yunmengze. The villain has sent the prince's qigong practitioners to look for it. For the time being... there is no news yet.
"Yunmeng Jianze is too old-fashioned and has harsh conditions. Those Yue girls are also difficult to deal with. It will be difficult for our people to sneak in and find people for a while, but there has been progress recently..."
"I have heard these words countless times, Li Li. You said I will hear them a few more times."
Mr. Li's body was crouched on the ground, shaking uncontrollably, and his back was wet with cold sweat:
"Young man... You must do your best to find the Sixth Young Master and Mr. Qiu."
Wei Jisi nodded: "Go ahead. If you can't find the man and the cauldron sword before the Great Zhou Songde Tianshu is built, you know the consequences."
After being given an ultimatum, Boss Li kowtowed three times: "The villain accepts the order, and the villain will definitely bring people back!"
Ignoring the Persian businessman whose head was bleeding from kowtow and whose carpet was stained, Wei Jisi opened his eyes, looked out the window in the direction of the Imperial City Square in the distance, and sighed.
He whispered to himself in a soft voice that no one could hear:
"The construction of Tianshu has started as planned, but the cauldron sword has not been delivered yet. Without the cauldron sword, Tianshu will be buying a coffin for a pearl, and working in vain.
“For so many years, Mr. Wei has spent so much money and raised so many people, just fetching water from a bamboo basket... I really can’t bear to do it.
"It's also getting harder and harder to guess what my aunt is thinking. What did the group of Si Tianjian and Qi Shi from Shangyang Palace say to my aunt that day, and their attitude afterward became so miserable...
"And the sudden revolt of that family in Jiangzhou, haha, Li Xian, Li Xian, I never thought I would have the chance to see you... Are you still so weak and henpecked?"
Wei Jisi suddenly turned around and asked:
"As Shaoxuan's letter said, that family in Jiangzhou really doesn't hate our Prince Wei and the Wei family?"
Boss Li was stunned for a moment, and then realized that it was the Sixth Young Master who suddenly showed up asking him to send a letter to report to the palace.
Without enough time to wipe the blood from his forehead to his chin, he nodded in haste and replied:
"The Sixth Young Master personally told the villain that Li Xian's young daughter, the little princess, has been fascinated by him. Moreover, in the Donglin Temple in Longcheng, the villain personally saw the Sixth Young Master hugging the beautiful woman's slim waist, and the little princess even I am willing to leave my family behind and fly away with the Sixth Young Master..."
Wei Jisi couldn't help but touch his chin: "Isn't this young girl Li Xian so innocent? She's not like the princess from Li Qian."
"After all, he grew up in a small place and spent a long time in a boudoir. He is quite pitiful, weak and kind-hearted." Boss Li nodded vigorously: "But the main thing is that the Sixth Young Master is so wise and powerful that she falls in love with him."
After a pause, the Persian businessman said with a flattering smile:
"Furthermore, the Sixth Young Master once secretly planned to save Li Xian's family, and the little princess turned a deaf ear to it. Now this family has a good impression of our palace, and is not as bitter and bitter as the Xiang Wang family."
Wei Jisi nodded slowly, with a hint of relief on his face:
"As expected of me, Lin'er of the Wei clan, who shares the family's worries, knows how to make moves, and is prepared for danger in times of peace."
(End of chapter)
