I really don't want to be a traitor

Chapter 527: Persuading Emperor Jiajing to Surrender

Daming Dynasty, Jinluan Palace.

"Long live Qi Zou."

"One hundred thousand [Guanning Iron Cavalry] have just been trained. They practiced with the wolf soldiers and won."

"However, the army's salary arrears are serious, the cavalry are only equipped with old-made armor, and the inventory of elixirs required for training will also be exhausted."

"If we don't replenish it in time, we may eventually be unable to compete with the Longlin Army of the Jin Dynasty and the Wudang Army of the Han Dynasty."

Yan Shifan's voice was loud and impassioned, and he had the aura of a capable minister in governing the country.

"But!"

"I urge you again and again, but His Royal Highness and Mr. Xu Ge push back!"

"The army is short of pay. If a war breaks out, should the [Guan Ning Iron Cavalry] be allowed to fight the enemy with wooden sticks and bamboo poles?"

"If the soldiers can't be given out pills on a regular basis, why should they be allowed to eat grass roots and soil to practice?"

Yan Shifan's voice echoed in the Jinluan Palace.

His accountability actually made dozens of Qingliu officials look ashamed and bow their heads in silence.

Helplessly, Yan Dang and Xu Dang have a clear division of labor.

The former trains troops, and the latter collects taxes and pays.

The current situation is that the Yan family and his son are successful in training, but the prince and Xu Jie are having trouble doing things!
The prince sent admirals to supervise the eunuchs, and Xu Jie also sent out capable officials.
The Ministry of War of the Ming Dynasty was in charge of Yan Song, and the training of the new army was naturally in charge of the Yan family's father and son.

Taxation is really the biggest nightmare for people.

Especially with the extra heavy taxes and the dispatch of wolf-like eunuchs, many people have reached a point where life is worse than death.

"Hey hey hey!"

"I have been holding in my anger for so many years, and I finally got rid of it today."

"Let you, these bastards who are just trying to gain fame, have a taste of what it's like to be criticized by thousands of people and be reviled by the common people!"

Yan Shifan sneered in his heart.

He publicly urged the army to pay in court. Although there was a suspicion of exaggeration, Prince Wanli had indeed not yet completed the tax collection task.

The great Confucian scholars and upright officials who are usually full of knowledge are indeed very bad at making money.

Even Xu Jie's tax collection methods are not very clever.

"Xu Jie sent his son Xu Fan back to his hometown in Songjiang to search for 500,000 acres of medicinal fields and make elixirs for Guan Ning's cavalry."

"In order to tax efficiently, Zhang Juzheng redrawn the "Fish Scale Atlas" and forcibly promoted the 'One Whip Method'. Although the results were significant, the number of landless refugees in various state capitals increased day by day and they became tenant farmers, and public opinion was boiling."

"But they are not as good as the admiral eunuchs sent out by the Prince's Palace."

"Those things with no birds in the crotch are so cruel that even I feel inferior to them!"

"In just three months, hundreds of tragedies involving confiscation of homes and genocide have occurred in the Ming Dynasty. Tsk, tsk, tsk!"

Yan Shifan felt secretly happy and felt no pain in his knees even while kneeling to perform.

In the Jinluan Palace, after a brief silence, the man on the dragon throne finally spoke.

"Oh?"

"Taxation, so difficult?"

Emperor Jiajing's voice seemed to be filled with dissatisfaction.

"I am raising taxes this time, and I also know that it will increase the burden on the people."

"But, am I doing it for my own selfish desires?"

"I don't want to build a large-scale construction project to expand the palace, nor do I want to be arrogant, extravagant, sensual and sensual."

"Who in the world doesn't know? I can't take more than eight sets of food in four seasons, and I can't eat more than five flavors."

"Practice the [Guan Ning Iron Cavalry] in order to defend the land and borders and protect the people of the Ming Dynasty!"

Speaking of this, Emperor Jiajing even looked angry!

He looked straight at Xu Jie.

"Mr. Xu Ge, tell me, is it my people who don't understand the general situation? Or is it that the tax officials are not doing their job well?"

Cold sweat fell from Xu Jie's forehead like rain.

The emperor's question seems to have two options, but there can only be one answer!
The Ming Dynasty must be united as one!
There is absolutely no quarrel between Emperor Jiajing and the people of Li!
Hence the conclusion.

The tax collection is insufficient, it’s just the officials who are ordered to do things poorly!
Xu Jie knelt on the ground with a pop.

"Thousands of mistakes are made, and they are all my fault... Please punish me, Your Majesty."

He was worried that Emperor Jiajing would take the opportunity to question Prince Wanli and wanted to take the responsibility alone.

"Punish you?"

Emperor Jiajing sneered.

"It's not necessary."

"Mr. Xu Ge still benefits from his work. Otherwise, if you are entrusted with secondary assistants and heavy responsibilities, wouldn't it mean that I don't know people well?"

Xu Jie smiled bitterly upon hearing this.

This terrible Ming Dynasty's second assistant, he worked for decades, and now it sounds like he still owes Emperor Jiajing?

"Mr. Xu Ge is considerate of the people below, but I must be aware of everything!"

Emperor Jiajing's voice turned cold.

"deliver an imperial order."

"Tax supervisors Zhao Lu, Wang Tai, Zhang Xian, and Xing Xiang served the emperor dishonestly, delayed state affairs, and even used their power for personal gain, enriching their own pockets in the name of tax collection."

"The crime cannot be forgiven."

"Search the house and destroy the nine tribes!"

After Xu Jie heard this, he felt like his soul was falling into the ice cave!
These four eunuchs were all from the Prince's Palace and were Wanli's confidants.

The prince claimed to be ill and refused to go to court. Emperor Jiajing confiscated the homes of these four people and exterminated their clans, which was no different from slapping the prince in public.

"His Majesty!"

Xu Jie still wanted to plead for mercy, but he happened to meet Emperor Jiajing's cold eyes.

He was so frightened that he no longer dared to say a word.

Whatever.

At least, His Majesty did not attack Zhang Juzheng and Xu Fan, finally leaving a little leeway.

"Mr. Xu Ge."

Emperor Jiajing spoke again, his voice slightly gentle.

"I... am here." Xu Jie responded tiredly.

"I know it's difficult for you, but it's difficult for me too." Emperor Jiajing seemed to smile. "If you continue to suffer the people, I believe you can complete all tax collection tasks this month, right?"

Xu Jie opened his mouth, only to feel a lump in his throat.

After a long while, he reluctantly nodded.

"I...accept the decree."

Tax the poor people?

How many drops of oil and water are left in the people's pockets?

It can't be squeezed out, really can't be squeezed out. If it continues to be squeezed, I'm afraid it won't be oil and water, but only blood and water.

"Rich households in the south of the Yangtze River, Shanxi merchants, powerful families, salt merchants, silk merchants... If it is still not enough, we can only imitate Cao Cao and add gold-touching captains..."

"The crown prince's position must be preserved, and His Majesty's mission must be completed."

"It's just that from now on, how will I, the Qingliu official, face the people of the Ming Dynasty?"

Xu Jie closed his eyes in pain.

no way.

He can only get through the current situation first, and then think about the future.

"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

suddenly!

A huge earthquake sounded in the sky outside the palace.

Not thunder!

It looks like a drum but not a drum!
The sound that clearly came from the sky seemed to have the weight of a mountain falling on the earth!

"Enemy attack?!"

The Ouchi guards quickly gathered, the palace's defensive formations were activated, and there were countless machine beasts in the dark ready to move!
But without the imperial edict of Emperor Jiajing, no one dared to act rashly.

The man on the dragon chair also looked outside the Jinluan Palace.

He stood up, thoughtful.

"One, two, three, four...there are actually four here this time?"

It seemed that Emperor Jiajing had expected it, and he strode out of the palace.

"Yan Song, Xu Jie, Lu Bing, follow us."

The first and second assistants of the Ming Dynasty immediately put away their thoughts of fighting openly and secretly, and followed Emperor Jiajing with serious expressions.

A figure came out of the back hall, it was Lu Bing, the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guard.

These three people are the strongest among the civil and military ministers of the Ming Dynasty, and they are all in the Mahayana realm!

In other words, except for the three of them, the other officials are not even qualified to become Emperor Jiajing's combat force?
Outside the palace, Emperor Jiajing looked up at the sky.

An old man with a celestial spirit.

Three middle-aged men, heroic and extraordinary in appearance.

"I am the Emperor of Ming Dynasty."

"Which fairy country are you from?"

When Emperor Jiajing spoke, Jiang Ziya and others were stunned.

"Do you know the fairyland?" Jiang Huanchu couldn't help but ask.

"I know." Emperor Jiajing nodded and sneered: "I even killed an emperor who descended from the immortal world, named Li Yu."

Jiang Huanchu's expression changed drastically!
"By you?"

"Can you kill the leader of the Southern Tang Dynasty?"

Emperor Jiajing had no expression on his face and simply said: "Even my queen killed someone named Shi Jingtang."

"what?!"

Jiang Huanchu was even more shocked!
"The leader of the Later Jin Dynasty is also dead???"

At this time, Jiang Ziya finally spoke.

"Dong Bohou, please be patient and don't be impatient."

"Li Yu and Shi Jingtang are just the masters of the Immortal Kingdom, and have not even reached the level of Immortal King."

"The two of them have been fighting in the immortal world for many years. They have suffered a lot of losses. There are only a hundred thousand remaining soldiers under their command. It is reasonable to be defeated by the emperor of the human world."

Jiang Ziya said, looking at Emperor Jiajing from a distance, with a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

"You see clearly."

"The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is at the pinnacle of cultivation, but his understanding of [Tao] is not as good as that of the immortals."

"In the human world, he is almost invincible."

"Li Changgeng died at his hands. He was indeed inferior to others."

Jiang Huanchu looked solemn.

After a long time, he nodded and admitted.

"No wonder."

"This one person actually needs our three great princes and Prime Minister Jiang to come down to earth in person."

Nanbohou E Chongyu also said the same.

"In this Ming Dynasty, there are quite a few people who are in the Mahayana realm and have the appearance of enlightenment." Beibei Hou Chongheihu said with a smile: "If the whole country rises, it can increase the combat power of our dynasty. Prime Minister Jiang, how about some kind words and advice?"

Of the three great princes, Chong Heihu looks the most rugged, but unexpectedly is the most calm and thoughtful.

Jiang Ziya nodded and spoke, his voice resounding throughout the world.

"Emperor Ming Dynasty, although you are guilty of killing angels and disobeying the destiny of heaven, for the sake of humankind's justice, I will give you another chance."

"Immediately prepare the whole country to ascend."

"Ascending to the Immortal Realm, surrendering to our Great Zhou Celestial Dynasty, receiving a vassal title, you can become the leader of a country. As time goes by, you will be promoted to Immortal King if you become more sophisticated."

"As said, I can, on behalf of the Great Zhou Emperor, forgive you for all your past crimes."

After saying that, Jiang Ziya raised his right hand and made a virtual support gesture.

All of a sudden!
The wind and clouds are rising, and all the spirits are gathering.

A treasured artifact appeared out of thin air!
Its appearance is a scroll, very similar to the Ming Dynasty [Apotheosis of the Gods].

If we talk about the difference, it is that the [God List] in Jiang Ziya's hand is more immortal and has no sense of being a mortal creature!

"Emperor Ming, express your stance."

"Enter my [God List] and become a vassal of the Celestial Dynasty."

"Or, pay for Li Changgeng's life."

Jiang Ziya was condescending, looking down at Emperor Jiajing and the ministers of the Ming Dynasty.

Gradually, his two white eyebrows knitted into a straight line.

disappointment.

Very disappointed.

Jiang Ziya could clearly see that countless fortunes from mountains and rivers gathered from all directions and merged into Emperor Jiajing's body.

This is Emperor Jiajing's answer!
Pangu’s giant body!

"Fight."

Emperor Jiajing's huge body flew high into the sky, and his voice resounded like rolling thunder throughout the world.

"I had expected that there would be a second wave of angels."

"I've been waiting for you for a long time."

Behind him, Yan Song, Xu Jie, and Lu Bing followed closely.