Jiuxi

Chapter 968 966 [The Wisdom of Queen Ning] (Added for Alliance Leader Book Friend 16040909)

"To be honest with you two Prime Ministers, I never thought that the Prince of Huai'an could do this."

At this moment, apart from Yuan Yuji and several female personal officials, there were no other palace servants serving in the warm room, so Empress Dowager Ning did not hide too much and said frankly: "I originally thought that he could stop the joint attack of Emperor Jing and Qing Yugong, and defend Jiangbei would be a great achievement. Even if part of Jiangbei's territory is lost, as long as the desperate offensive of the Jing army can be crushed and Da Qi can continue to recuperate and improve its national strength, this is an excellent outcome."

Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo remained silent upon hearing this.

Xu Zuo was especially tormented. On the one hand, he still had a good impression of Lu Chen, and on the other hand, his intuition told him that the young prince already had the ability to shake the country.

Queen Mother Ning sighed with a complicated expression: "Who could have thought that he and Duke Rong would successively solve the two most powerful enemies, and then be invincible all the way, recover all the lost territories, and thus establish an unprecedented achievement, putting the court in a very difficult situation. At this point, it is meaningless to talk about trust or not. Even if I trust the Prince of Huai'an, I can't trust the arrogant soldiers and brave generals under his command. How many people in ancient and modern times can resist the temptation of following the dragon's merits?"

Xu Zuo asked: "If that's the case, why did Your Majesty decide to move the capital immediately?"

"I am not as knowledgeable as the two prime ministers, so I can only consider this matter from the most direct perspective."

Queen Mother Ning paused for a moment and said, "What Prime Minister Xu said just now is actually what I am most worried about. Once the court struggle begins, it will be difficult to stop. Whether it is the Prince of Huai'an trying every means to force the court to move the capital, or the central government countering it, it will eventually turn into a tragic internal struggle. The day before yesterday, the Minister of Rites Kong Yingdong came to the palace to ask for an audience. He suggested that I summon the Prince of Huai'an to the court to accept the reward, and that the military affairs in Jiangbei be temporarily handed over to Liu Shouguang and others. I knew that the contradiction would become increasingly intensified."

Xue Nanting shook his head and said, "Although Minister Kong is loyal, his words are too hasty."

"Yes, I rejected this proposal at the time, but of course I didn't scold him."

Empress Dowager Ning said softly, "Today, if the Prince of Huai'an returns to the capital, he will be in danger of death. He will certainly obey orders and not announcements. If I issue this order, the central government and the border troops will tear off the cover, and there will be no room for both sides to maneuver."

At this time, Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo gradually understood what the Queen Mother was thinking.

Xue Nanting sighed, "Your Majesty does not want to force the Prince of Huai'an to take risks."

"good."

Queen Mother Ning forced a smile, and then said, "Since ancient times, it has been said that those who have made great contributions to the emperor will not have a good end. Now the Prince of Huai'an is in the same dilemma. I cannot determine whether he has rebellious intentions, but it is difficult for him to escape unscathed after reaching his current position. There are countless bloody precedents in history books. Most of the ministers like him who almost completely controlled the military power were deprived of power, their property was confiscated, and their families were exterminated. For me, if the fate of the royal family is completely pinned on the loyalty of the ministers, the greatest possibility is that the country will change."

This is an almost completely unsolvable dilemma.

It was only because Lu Chen's performance in this battle was too perfect, which suddenly raised his status to the point where he could compete on an equal footing with the royal family. However, Empress Dowager Ning could not blame Lu Chen for this, after all, this young and powerful official was working hard for the Great Qi Dynasty.

She would indeed try to strip Lu Chen of his authority, but she had no hatred towards him personally.

"If we force the Prince of Huai'an to raise the banner of rebellion, of course the reputation he has built over the years will collapse, but what good will the court gain? Even if I recruit soldiers in the south of the Yangtze River, even if I can rely on the city passes to block the army from the north of the Yangtze River, in the end, the people of the south of the Yangtze River will suffer and blood will flow. The best outcome is that both sides will suffer losses and the Great Qi will be destroyed."

Queen Mother Ning's voice trembled slightly, but her expression was not panicked. She continued, "If we continue to fight over the relocation of the capital, we will inevitably end up in war. This is not the result I want to see. So why not avoid internal fighting from the beginning? At least we can maintain a superficially harmonious situation and retain a glimmer of hope that everyone will be happy. My idea may be naive, so I would like to ask the two prime ministers to discuss it."

Xue Nanting and Xu Zuo looked at each other, and said with guilt and admiration: "Your Majesty's proposal is not naive, on the contrary, it is an opportunity to turn passivity into initiative."

"Is it?"

"I am a foolish minister, and I have only just come to my senses. The court should act in an upright and just manner, and what Your Majesty said is in line with the right path."

Xue Nanting no longer hesitated and said decisively: "If the stalemate continues and the court still has to move the capital, then the initiative will be in the hands of Prince Huai'an. On the contrary, if the court takes the initiative to decide on the plan to move the capital and arranges all the details and schedules, Prince Huai'an will have no reason to refuse."

Queen Mother Ning still seemed a little uneasy. She looked at Xu Zuo and asked, "What do you think, Prime Minister Xu?"

Xu Zuo simply responded directly: "Your Majesty, this strategy is feasible."

Queen Mother Ning finally breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that doing so was actually very risky. If Lu Chen really had rebellious intentions and dared to go against the will of the world, then as soon as she and the young emperor entered Heluo, the situation would instantly get out of control.

But thinking from another angle, if the dispute over moving the capital came to a head, it would also be a result she could not accept, because Lu Chen's performance on the battlefield had already proved his strength.

If she chooses the former, firstly, she can show the world the court's trust in Lu Chen, and secondly, she can legitimately interfere in military arrangements.

"In fact, I decided to grant the Nine Gifts to the Prince of Huai'an because I wanted to do it more thoroughly, so that everyone in the world would know that the court had not treated the Prince of Huai'an unfairly. However, Prime Minister Xu's reminder made me realize that everything is excessive, and we should take it step by step."

Queen Mother Ning smiled apologetically and said to Xu Zuo, "But I still have to ask Prime Minister Xu to make a trip."

Xu Zuo bowed his head and said, "I have no choice but to do this."

Empress Dowager Ning said, "Xu Xiang was the governor of Dingzhou for two years. I think he has some friendship with the Prince of Huai'an. I remember that you both submitted memorials to advise the late emperor on the Northern Expedition. Therefore, it should be easier for you to communicate. I have thought about it and it is not impossible to move north, but I need to know the Prince of Huai'an's specific ideas, such as what arrangements he will make after the court moves north, how to deploy the more than 200,000 troops, how to define the powers and responsibilities of the Military Academy, whether the military system should be changed, and even whether the boundaries of various places in Jiangbei should be adjusted and how officials should be transferred. I want to hear what he has in mind."

Xu Zuo knew how difficult this task was.

Today, Lu Chen is no longer the Grand Commander of Dingzhou, but a powerful king of a different surname.

Moreover, based on Xu Zuo's understanding of Lu Chen, many people in this world misunderstand him as a hot-blooded and fierce soldier. In fact, he is deep-minded and good at planning. It would be very difficult to get all the answers that Queen Mother Ning wants to know from him. However, Xu Zuo's face did not show any hesitation, and he said sternly: "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, I will do my best."

"Thank you very much, Prime Minister Xu."

Queen Mother Ning spoke sincerely, and added: "There are a few more things. Please ask Prime Minister Xu to discuss them with the Prince of Huai'an."

"Your Majesty, please make it clear."

"First, even if the court returns to the old capital, Jiangnan will still be the main source of tax revenue for the court in the next few years, so it must not be neglected. Ask him to select a trusted general to lead 20,000 to 30,000 troops to the south and set up a Jiangnan camp outside Yongjia. This will deter the southern nobles and prevent the Jingjie Law from going to waste."

"I have noted it down."

Xue Nanting secretly praised it, and now he believed more and more that there are talented people in this world.

Empress Dowager Ning had never been involved in government affairs before, but now, having been in power for less than two years, she has already mastered the art of using one's own opponent to defeat him, which is extremely rare.

In comparison, her husband's behavior during his lifetime did have significant flaws.

Queen Mother Ning continued, "Secondly, since I have granted the Prince of Huai'an the power to supervise military affairs in Jiangbei, and have not revoked it until now, I approve of his deployment of the army before the capital was moved. No matter which generals he recommends to guard the border of Jinghe River, I will adopt them. However, I have only one request, that the defense of Heluo City must be jointly managed by him, Shen Yulai, Liu Shouguang and Chen Lanyu. I hope he can understand how difficult it is for me."

After hearing this, both prime ministers felt very heavy.

The empress dowager is also the emperor, and what's more, the Empress Dowager Ning is now in power and is not just a noble woman in the harem.

As a king speaking to his subjects, those words were extremely humble.

Xu Zuo stood up with a resolute expression and said, "Your Majesty, if the Prince of Huai'an is unwilling to agree to this, I will--"

"Xu Xiang."

Empress Dowager Ning quickly interrupted him and said earnestly, "Now my family is only left with orphans and widows, and we all rely on you loyal ministers to protect us. Regardless of whether this plan is carried out or not, please take good care of yourself, Prime Minister Xu, and don't let me and the emperor lose our arms."

Xu Zuo was extremely moved. With his unyielding will, his lips moved at this moment, and he could hardly control his surging emotions. He could only bow and say, "I am just a scholar from a poor family. I have received the emperor's grace many times but have no way to repay it. Now that I have received your majesty's trust, I dare not but serve you to the death! Please rest assured, your majesty, I will live up to your expectations!"

Queen Mother Ning said quickly, "I believe you. Please sit down and tell me slowly."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

About a quarter of an hour later, the secret meeting finally ended and the two prime ministers bowed and left.

"All of you go down."

Queen Mother Ning gave the order, unable to hide her tiredness.

Yuan Yuji and several female officials responded respectfully and retreated quietly.

Empress Dowager Ning leaned against the couch, recalling all the details that had just happened. There was a hint of melancholy between her brows. She was no longer as sharp and decisive as before, as if she had returned to her original state of a weak woman.

She raised her white fingers and rubbed her forehead, a trace of bitter guilt appearing on her pretty face.

"Prime Minister Xu, I am not trying to provoke you with my words. It is because you are different from Prime Minister Xue. In your heart, you always care about the people. If I don't do this, I am afraid that you will stand on his side because of this concern."

She murmured to herself and smiled sadly.

Soon, her eyes gradually became clear, as if that momentary weakness was just an illusion.

"Lu Chen, I am not a cold-blooded person, but Daowen is still young, and I must fulfill my responsibilities as a mother, protecting him so that he can grow up safely and take over the throne left by his father."

"I know that you may have guessed Li Shizhi's intention to kill the emperor before that night. You did not stop him because you were very disappointed with the late emperor. Whether you believe it or not, I do not hate you."

"If it really comes to that in the future, please don't blame me."

"This is our fate."

……

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(End of this chapter)