…
In the early morning, outside the Jinluan Hall, there were eight huge dragon pillars. The eight lifelike dragons seemed to be flying in the cold wind and gray fog.
At five o'clock in the morning, the ministers who entered the palace were already shivering with cold. It's been a long time. The former young emperor was lethargic and gluttonous, and it seemed that he hadn't been to the morning court for half a year, right?
I wanted to think about it, but no one dared to complain at this time.
The new emperor ascended the throne and was worried about striking a killing blow. At this time, no one wanted to be a fool.
An internal affairs minister stepped out of the Jinluan Hall, bowed and lowered his hands, and finally sang "Ascending to the Court".
All civil and military officials entered slowly.
The first civil servant was Xu Mu. Before he took a step forward, none of the civil and military officials behind him dared to move.
"Si Hu, wait for me at the edge." Xu Mu warned after taking off the big cloak he was wearing.
"know."
"Xu Zaifu is so domineering." Chen Changqing, the first military attache in thick armor, laughed under his breath.
"Shut your daddy's mouth."
Xu Mu replied coldly, which shocked all the civil servants behind him to tremble slightly.
Chen Changqing squinted his eyes and turned his head.
After exhaling, Xu Mu stepped forward and entered the palace steadily. From being a small boss to being the current prime minister, the time was too short and the steps were too big, which made him very uncomfortable for a time.
But to be honest, in this small and peaceful court, even if he was the prime minister, he did not feel that it was very glorious.
Yuan An should be used to sitting on the dragon chair in the palace. Wearing a dragon robe, it is rare to have the majesty of a silk dragon.
He raised his head and looked at the civil and military ministers in the palace, and his eyes quickly surged with heat.
The ministers shouted long live, and Yuan An hurriedly stretched out his hand to salute.
"Come with the original music, but retreat from the court without the original." The father-in-law was by the side and sang loudly at the right time.
"I have this memorial."
Xu Mu paused and noticed that behind him, an old minister with white beard and hair, hunched over, came out of the queue.
Xu Mu remembered that this man was one of the five honest old ministers left by Yuan Tao, named Yang Xiu. But it took a lot of effort to invite him back to the court again.
It is said that it was a mirror used to admonish the king, which made the late emperor displeased and he was dismissed from his official position previously.
Seeing Yang Xiu coming out of the queue, Yuan An covered up the displeasure between his brows and sat up again.
"Your Majesty, outside the inner city, the defeated army has occupied countless counties and counties, causing tens of thousands of people to be displaced and pouring into the inner city. I suggest that in the name of the court, the refugees should be taken in as tenant farmers and distribute the grain for the second season before the autumn harvest. This will not only appease the people's hearts, but your Majesty will also gain some popularity."
"I second the proposal." Xu Mu rarely smiled. Sure enough, the people Yuan Tao left behind were indeed loyal and good people.
"Thousands of people? There are hundreds of thousands of people. If every household is given two seasons of food, the court cannot afford it." Chen Changqing laughed coldly, "If the food is given to the people, what will the army eat? Besides, Yes, Your Majesty is planning to strengthen the army. As for food, it is better to recruit soldiers first."
"How about letting the refugees join the army? Kill two birds with one stone." Yang Xiu bowed again.
Unexpectedly, Chen Changqing started laughing.
"I have been fighting for ten years, but I have never heard that these hungry people have the ability to fight. Just think about those defeated armies. They are all such people, and they can't help but fight."
"Xu Qing, what do you think?" Yuan An raised his head and looked at Xu Mu's position.
"Your Majesty, Yang Yushi's words are very kind. Daji is worried about internal and external troubles, and it is really necessary to appease the people."
Xu Mu's words were actually understood by everyone present.
To put it bluntly, even though they are still in the capital of Changyang, Daji's influence is no longer what it used to be.
In addition to Liangzhou, Yanzhou and Shuzhou directly cut off the annual tribute. General Dingbian who was away did not follow the rules and return to the court to report on his duties in the first month.
Even among the twenty-three cities in the inner city... there are still eight cities occupied by the Yuzhou king.
But no matter what, the surnamed Hou continued the entire dynasty without any danger.
The rest is an unknown.
Xu Mu suddenly felt a sense of difficulty in his heart. In such a critical moment of life and death, if Yuan Anshang doesn't know how to save himself, he can only wait for death.
"Let's discuss it later. Marquis Dingnan is not wrong... At the moment, I, Da Ji, really need to recruit soldiers and step up preparations for war."
Xu Mu sighed silently in his heart.
"Retreat from the court——"
…
On the way out of the palace, Xu Mu and Yang Xiu walked side by side. The old minister with white beard and hair burst into tears as he spoke.
"Xu Xiang doesn't know. I went to inspect the disaster situation. Hundreds of refugees starve to death every day. Spring is about to begin, but they can't cultivate the land as far as the eye can see."
"Xu Xiang, Daji does not lack food. What it lacks is someone who dares to manage the world's granary!"
I heard similar words from Tsuneshiro.
After Xiao Yuanlu was executed, many granaries must have been found, but unfortunately they were all put into the national treasury.
"Xu Xiang, what should I do?"
A gust of cold wind blew, making the old minister in front of him shiver. Xu Mu could see clearly that apart from the new official robe on the outside, Yang Xiu's inner robe was not only thin, but also had many patches.
He remembered clearly that when these five honest old ministers were recruited to re-enter the officialdom, each of them received a gift box, worth at least several hundred taels.
"I asked my servants to pawn them in exchange for more than a dozen carts of grains to give to the victims, but they couldn't be saved at all. Mr. Xu, is it possible that I, Daji, am really hopeless!"
"Yang Yushi, be careful." Xu Mu said bitterly, taking out a roll of banknotes from his arms, vaguely remembering that there were several thousand taels.
"Wait a little longer and I'll think of a solution."
"On behalf of the people of the world, I would like to thank Prime Minister Xu."
Xu Mu nodded and looked at Yang Xiu in front of him, wrapped in an official robe, shivering and disappearing in front of him.
…
The carriage returning home passed through the bustling streets. The joy left behind in the first month is vaguely coming to an end.
"I look at Brother Mu, he's a little unhappy." Si Hu, who was driving the carriage, turned his head and kept chattering.
"How can I say..."
"In the past, Brother Mu would lead us to make wine and fight. He was like a chivalrous man and looked down on dog officials and big cannibals. If anyone didn't let me live, I would kill him with a knife."
Xu Mu was silent for a long time, with his head lowered, looking at the double-bird golden thread official robe he was wearing, and fell into deep thought for a while.
During this little half month, he felt as if he had lived in another world. After starting from a little-known little boss, breaking the fortified city and killing the traitor, the path seemed to have changed all of a sudden.
"Brother Mu, which way are you going?"
Xu Mu raised his head and looked at the fork in front of him. One is the people celebrating with lights and colorful decorations, and the other is a lifeless and empty street, probably just after a funeral. A dozen beggars huddled under the shed, shivering from the cold.
"Si Hu, help me choose."
"Of course it's a road that no one dares to walk. It's the most comfortable and comfortable way to walk, and it's also Brother Mu's temperament." Si Hu said carelessly.
Listening, Xu Mu, who was sitting in the carriage, slowly smiled.
