Jiuxi

Chapter 697 Chapter 695 [Backhand]

Imperial Palace, Chongzheng Hall.

The important officials of the dynasty gathered here again, and almost everyone could see the joy in the emperor's eyes.

Li Zongben turned around and gave a wink to Yuan Yuji, the Junior Supervisor of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who understood and withdrew.

"My dear ministers, don't worry. I have a happy event to tell you today."

The emperor's words surprised everyone. Could it be that the news of civil unrest in Jing State has been confirmed? But looking around, they did not find Su Yunqing.

About an incense stick of time later, Yuan Yuji walked into the hall with a middle-aged man in his forties.

The man knelt down respectfully and saluted, saying, "Foreign minister Yu Wenjun pays homage to His Majesty the Emperor of Daqi."

The ministers were stunned and their eyes instantly fell on the middle-aged man.

The word "foreign minister" is very meaningful.

Nowadays, Pseudo-Yan has been annexed by Jing State, and Shazhou has not yet been established. It is impossible for the Nanzhao envoy to enter the Chongzheng Hall openly. Who exactly is this so-called foreign minister Yu Wenjun?

Li Zongben seemed very satisfied with the ministers' reaction and said warmly, "No need to be polite, please stand up."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Yu Wenjun stood up carefully.

Li Zongben added: "Tell me about your origins and purpose."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Yu Wenjun's etiquette was impeccable, and he continued, "I am a foreign minister from Dai. I am here on the orders of His Majesty and the Privy Councilor to come to your capital to pay my respects to His Majesty."

Dai Kingdom?

Xue Nanting and Zhong Cheng couldn't help but look at each other.

Both prime ministers were great scholars with profound knowledge of both ancient and modern times. They could know everything about the world without leaving their homes. They were certainly familiar with the Dai Kingdom located in the northwest border of the continent.

Before the seventh year of Yuankang in the Great Qi Dynasty, the three northern tribes often invaded the border. The Dai Kingdom established by the Gaoyang tribe was one of them. The hands of countless Gaoyang soldiers were stained with the blood of the people of the Great Qi.

After the seventh year of Yuankang, as Jing State became the dominant power, Dai State gradually fell into silence, and for nearly twenty years thereafter, it retreated to a corner of the northwest and was isolated from the outside world.

Apart from the Dai Emperor Geshu Kui, Privy Councilor Geshu Songping and Zhongshu Ling He Zhu, there were very few people from the Dai Kingdom who were well-known in the world and whose names could be spread to the Central Plains.

Sitting on the dragon throne, Li Zongben smiled and said, "Your Excellency's visit here is not just to pay respects to me, right?"

"Your Majesty, please understand that this foreign minister does have another mission."

Yu Wenjun lowered his head and first presented the letter from the credible state. Then he briefly recounted the whole story of his contact with Lu Chen and how Lu Chen sent someone to send him to the capital. Finally, he explained the idea of ​​Geshu Kui and Geshu Songping to the emperor and his ministers in the palace.

Li Zongben glanced at the letter and said calmly, "Five thousand war horses... Your country is indeed sincere this time, but this matter is of great importance. I need to discuss it with the ministers in the court first. Your Excellency can stay in the capital for a while and wait for news."

Yu Wenjun said humbly: "I obey your order."

After he left, Li Zongben stood up leisurely, stood at the edge of the imperial steps with his hands behind his back, and said with confidence: "My dear ministers, what do you think of this matter?"

After a brief silence, the Right Prime Minister Zhong Cheng said cautiously: "Your Majesty, beware of fraud."

"Is it a scam?"

"The Dai Kingdom was founded by the Gaoyang tribe, which is no different from the Jinglian tribe. They committed numerous bloody crimes on the border of our dynasty. In the past twenty years, the Dai Kingdom has never contacted our dynasty, and there is no sign that the Jing Kingdom intends to attack the Dai Kingdom. The change in the attitude of the Dai Kingdom's monarch and ministers is not normal. At present, we cannot rule out a possibility, that is, the Dai Kingdom pretends to join forces with our dynasty and waits for the critical moment to stab us in the back."

There is no doubt that Zhong Cheng's opinion is mature and prudent. Before he ascended the throne, Li Zongben admired such civil officials who dared to speak out and make suggestions, but now he feels a little bit disobeyed and offended.

Of course, he also knew that Zhong Cheng was devoted to the country, so he did not show it openly.

Han Zhongjie, the Minister of Military Affairs, took the initiative to take over the conversation: "Prime Minister Zhong, the envoy just said it very clearly. The Emperor of Dai has great ambitions and wants to seize half of the grasslands owned by Jing in the north, so he wants to join forces with our dynasty. Besides, Jing has already annexed Zhao, and if nothing unexpected happens, Dai will be the next. How could they not feel a sense of crisis? For Dai, it is no longer a situation of lips and teeth being cold, but a sword and axe are about to be put on them. It is normal for them to want to seek a way out."

Li Zongben nodded slightly after hearing this.

Zhong Cheng frowned slightly and said slowly: "Marquis Yongyi, you want to drive the tiger to devour the wolf, aren't you afraid of seeking the skin of the tiger? You should know that the Gaoyang tribe of Daiguo is also not a good person, and has nothing to do with keeping promises. Even if they really want to deal with Jingguo at this moment, there is no guarantee that they will become the second Jingguo if they make a slight improvement!"

Han Zhongjie seemed to have suddenly come to his senses today, and said confidently: "Zhong Xiang's worries are not unreasonable, but that is only a matter of time. Now we can at least confirm one thing, there is a large territory of Jing between Dai and our dynasty. They cannot pose a direct threat to our dynasty unless they are mixed with the Jing army. But I believe that after the Jing army's sneak attack on the main cavalry of Zhao in the seventh year of Yuankang, the people of Dai will not repeat the same mistake."

Zhong Cheng remained silent.

He didn't mean to go against the emperor's wishes, even though he knew the emperor was very interested in Dai's request to form an alliance. It was just that everything had been going too smoothly during this period, making people feel a little unreal.

First, the border troops of Da Qi won victory after victory on the battlefield. Then, the Emperor of Jing State began to suppress Qing Yugong. Then, news of the sudden death of the Crown Prince of Jing State emerged. The trend of civil unrest in Jing State became more and more obvious. Almost at the same time, Dai State sent a request to join forces to fight against Jing State.

It seemed as if overnight, Da Qi had gained absolute advantage and regaining its homeland was just around the corner.

For Xue Nanting and Zhong Cheng, who had experienced the fall of Heluo and the overthrow of Jiangbei, the sudden change in the situation did take time to digest.

Han Zhongjie continued, "Your Majesty, Minister Li mentioned the advantages of time, place and people before, and I agree with him. Right now, our army is strong and the morale is high, while the people of Jing are in turmoil. Even the Dai Kingdom, which has been silent for many years, is unwilling to be lonely and intends to bite off a piece of meat from Jing. This is enough to prove that the offensive and defensive situation has reversed. Now it is the turn of our dynasty and the Jinglian tigers and wolves to settle the blood debt of the past!"

"My dear, your words are very much to my liking."

Li Zongben smiled, then looked at Xiao Wangzhi who was standing in the front and asked, "What do you think, Duke Rong?"

Xiao Wangzhi cleared his throat and said calmly, "Your Majesty, no matter how the Dai Kingdom's envoys argue, our dynasty cannot place high hopes on them, otherwise we will definitely suffer losses on the battlefield. Five thousand war horses may seem sincere, but in fact they are not worth mentioning to the Dai Kingdom. These Gaoyang people are clearly trying to get a bargain. From what I know about them, if our border troops have the upper hand, they may be able to add icing on the cake, but if our army is not doing well in the war, they will definitely not help us in times of trouble."

Perhaps because he was in a good mood, Li Zongben did not refute Xiao Wangzhi's suggestions. Instead, he nodded frequently to show his approval.

"As for the Northern Expedition——"

Xiao Wangzhi paused for a moment, bowed his head and said, "Your Majesty, I beg you to think twice before you act, and take your time."

"It's natural."

Li Zongben readily agreed, and then said: "I have sent people to Jiangbei to deliver a secret order, waiting for the reply from Lu Chen and Liu Shouguang. If we want to launch a northern expedition, they must be the candidates for the commander-in-chief. The Textile Bureau is also stepping up its investigation, and I believe that more accurate information will be sent back from the north soon. I hope that you will make preparations as soon as possible. Once the time is right, our army can march north and head straight for our homeland."

Although he left some room for maneuver in his words, the important officials in the palace knew that the Northern Expedition was unstoppable.

The ministers left Chongzheng Hall with different moods, only the Minister of Personnel Li Shizhi was left behind.

The emperor and his minister came to the Guanyun Terrace in the southeast corner of the imperial palace. Li Zongben looked up at the sky and felt very happy.

He turned to look at Li Shizhi, who looked calm, and asked, "In your opinion, what are the chances of our army winning this battle?"

To his surprise, Li Shizhi said succinctly: "Your Majesty, I think there is a 70% chance of winning."

"so tall?"

Li Zongben was slightly surprised.

Judging from the attitude revealed by Lu Chen in the secret memorial, he was definitely unwilling to preside over the Northern Expedition, so the responsibility of leading the troops would fall on Han Zhongjie and Liu Shouguang.

Li Zongben did not doubt the military talents of these two men, but they did not have the experience of commanding a large army to confront the Jing army head-on, unlike Lu Chen who had already proven himself on the battlefield.

Li Shizhi said calmly: "Marquis Yongyi and Commander Liu have a deep family background and decades of experience in leading troops. I believe they are capable enough to defeat the enemy. Even if we take a step back, I suggested to Your Majesty that you first ask the Duke of Shanyang for his attitude and then make this matter public. This will add another layer of protection to the Northern Expedition."

"Oh?"

Li Zongben couldn't understand this for a moment, and asked curiously: "What do you mean?"

Li Shizhi said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the Northern Expedition is in line with the will of the people. Even if the Duke of Shanyang is unwilling to lead the troops in person out of caution, if the Jingzhou Army and the Jingzhou Army encounter difficulties, can the Dingzhou Army really turn a blind eye? If the Duke of Shanyang does this, I wonder how the world will view him as a loyal minister of the Great Qi. By then, I am afraid that even the people of Jiangbei and the soldiers of the Dingzhou Army will secretly poke the Duke of Shanyang in the back."

Li Zongben was stunned, as if he was meeting this Minister of Personnel with a scholarly air for the first time.

Li Shizhi continued, "If the Northern Expedition goes extremely smoothly, it is because of your majesty's wisdom and foresight, and the bravery of the soldiers of the Beijing Army and the Jingzhou Army. It will also help the Marquis of Yongyi and Commander Liu to establish their prestige in the army. Even if the war situation is deadlocked or even unfavorable, the Dingzhou Army will have to support the Northern Expedition soldiers. This is what I am considering. Of course, this is indeed not fair to the Duke of Shanyang, but if he is willing to help your majesty recover his homeland, why should I resort to such a bad strategy?"

"This……"

This is not only unfair, it is also putting Lu Chen in a difficult position, forcing him to act according to Li Shizhi's plan.

Unless he does not want to continue to maintain the reputation of a loyal minister of the Great Qi, unless he wants to destroy the golden glow he had worked so hard to create in the past few years.

Li Zongben was obviously unable to reach the state where he was not ashamed but proud of it. After all, he was the emperor of the Great Qi Dynasty and he had to maintain his dignity.

Li Shizhi said sincerely: "Your Majesty, this is all my idea and has nothing to do with Your Majesty. Even if I am hated by the Duke of Shanyang, I am willing to accept it. As long as I can help Your Majesty overcome difficulties and restore the prosperity of Da Qi, I will not hesitate even if my body is torn to pieces."

Li Zongben looked at him quietly, his emotion clearly revealed. After a long while, he said seriously, "My dear, you are worthy of being my good minister."

"Your Majesty, thank you for your praise. It is the duty of a minister to share the worries of the emperor."

Li Shizhi bowed with great piety.

(End of this chapter)