Do you know: I am the crown prince

Chapter 486 Too much is not enough
"A few days have passed. Can I go back now?" said Empress Dowager Xiao.

After living in the palace for a few days, she became a little scared.

Zhao Xing is in good health and enjoys himself very much.

But this made her feel a little lost, and she even thought that it might be okay to stay in the Song Dynasty.

She rejected this idea as soon as it came to her mind, but she was worried that if Zhao Xing brought it up again next time, she would hesitate.

"No hurries?"

Zhao Xing narrowed his eyes, feeling the softness in his hands, and said with a smile: "Keep playing the music, keep dancing!"

…………

Chuigong Hall is the front hall of the emperor's bedroom, and Zhao Xing would usually hold small court meetings here.

At this time, nearly a hundred officials were waiting outside the hall.

Sanshui came out and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is ill and needs to recuperate. Please let the ministers and the adults go back first."

"Your Majesty is not ill, but has been bewitched by a witch?" An official from the Censorate stepped out and said angrily.

Sanshui's smile disappeared upon hearing this, and he said in a cold voice: "Ma Jianguan should be careful with his words. Slandering His Majesty is a capital crime!"

"How dare I slander Your Majesty? The Empress Dowager of Liao entered the palace and has not left for several days. I heard that she has been staying in Your Majesty's bedroom. If this matter gets out, where will the face of the Song Dynasty be, and where will the face of Your Majesty be?" Ma Jianguan said righteously.

"That's right! There are so many beauties in our Song Dynasty, but Your Majesty is so obsessed with the Empress Dowager of Liao. Since ancient times, beautiful women have brought disasters, such as Daji of Shang Dynasty and Baosi of Zhou Dynasty. We must learn from the lessons of our predecessors. For the sake of the eternal future of the Song Dynasty and the dawn of the world, I am willing to die for this!"

An old man with a white beard from the Imperial Censorate said this passionately, and then knelt down: "If Your Majesty does not see me, I will kneel and die outside the Chuigong Palace!"

"If Your Majesty does not see me, I will kneel and die outside the Chuigong Palace!"

The other officials shouted in unison and knelt down.

Sanshui frowned slightly and could only go back to report to Zhao Xing.

However, Zhao Xing told him not to pay any attention to it and to send anyone who fainted directly to the Imperial Hospital.

…………

"His Majesty!"

Liang Guangchuan bowed.

"sit!"

Li Liangzuo rubbed his head tiredly, asked Liang Guangchuan to sit down and said, "I have received accurate information that the young emperor of Liao is in Hehuang now! Do you think Dong Zhen left him here, or is there another reason?"

Although he learned that the young emperor of Liao was left in Hehuang because he was frightened and sick, he did not completely believe it.

Liang Guangchuan pondered for a while after hearing this, and said: "Your Majesty, it doesn't matter why the young emperor of Liao was left in Hehuang. What matters is that this is an opportunity for Xia Kingdom!"

"Do you mean sending troops to Hehuang?" Li Liangzuo frowned.

At this moment, the relationship between the parties was like a powder keg, which would explode at the slightest touch.

If Xixia were to be the first to detonate, it might not necessarily gain any benefits.

He asked Liang Guangchuan to come to analyze Dong Zhan's intentions and how Xixia could benefit from the upcoming chaos.

"Yes and no."

Liang Guangchuan smiled and said, "Dong Zhen accepted Empress Dowager Xiao and others and sent them to the Song Dynasty. It must be said that this is a brilliant move. Empress Dowager Xiao and others are nothing, but the young emperor of Liao is a huge hidden danger to Yelu Yixin."

"Does the father-in-law mean to lure the Liao Kingdom to send troops to Hehuang?" Li Liangzuo asked in surprise.

"No, it is to contact the Liao Kingdom to send troops to the Song Dynasty. This incident has caused a rift between Dong Zhen and the Song Dynasty. Normally, the Song Dynasty will send troops to intervene even if there are rifts for long-term considerations. Once the Liao Kingdom sends troops, the Song Dynasty will be unable to take care of itself, let alone Hehuang." Liang Guangchuan said with a smile.

"The Liao Dynasty has been in civil strife for so long, Yelu Yixin will not send troops. Otherwise, when Empress Dowager Xiao and others fled to Hehuang, he would have sent troops directly." Li Liangzuo shook his head.

"Although the Liao Kingdom was badly hurt, Yelu Yixin still showed his attitude. The Song Dynasty feared the Liao Kingdom like a tiger, otherwise why would it spend a huge price to build the Great Wall in the north? As long as the Liao Kingdom's army pressed on, the Song Dynasty would definitely send more troops to the north, and then the Song Dynasty would be unable to control Hehuang."

Liang Guangchuan smiled and said, "Besides, Yelu Yixin's party doesn't dare to attack the Song Dynasty directly, but what if we, the Great Xia, help us?"

Li Liangzuo pondered for a while, then shook his head and said, "This is just the father-in-law's idea. Yelu Yixin may not agree to it."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Liang Guangchuan flattered him and said, "It doesn't matter whether Yelu Yixin agrees or not. When Your Majesty contacts Liao, you can also contact Song. You can have the best of both worlds, start a war, and fish in troubled waters!"

Li Liangzuo's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said with a smile: "This idea of ​​the Grandfather is very good. If we really send troops to Hehuang, who do you think is suitable to lead the troops?"

"I am a civil official and I am good at giving advice. However, I don't know much about military and national affairs and I dare not speak carelessly," said Liang Guangchuan.

Li Liangzuo nodded with satisfaction. When he launched the attack on the plateau, Liang Guangchuan had recommended many Han generals and wanted to get his hands on the military power.

However, at that time he wanted to support Liang Guangchuan to check and balance the Dangxiang nobles, so he had no choice but to agree.

However, this incident made him wary of Liang Guangchuan, which led to the subsequent warnings.

Just now, I asked Liang Guangchuan who led the troops, which was a test.

Liang Guangchuan's answer made him very satisfied and he felt that his knocking had worked.

"It's good to have the best of both worlds, but we may not be able to hide it from the Song Dynasty and Liao Kingdom at the same time," said Li Liangzuo.

"No need to hide, just be open and aboveboard." Liang Guangchuan said with a smile.

"Ok?"

Li Liangzuo looked at Liang Guangchuan with some confusion.

"No matter how covertly your majesty does it, it is possible that it will be discovered. Instead of doing that, it is better to be open and aboveboard. The envoys going to the Liao Kingdom can directly tell the Liao Kingdom that this is done to paralyze the Song Dynasty. The envoys going to the Song Dynasty can just say that this is done to paralyze the Liao Kingdom.

Neither country will fully trust Daxia, even if they are on guard. After all, the goal is to provoke a direct war between Liao and Song. "Liang Guangchuan said with a smile.

"What the father-in-law said is very true. Let Liang Yimei be the chief envoy to the Song Dynasty this time." Li Liangzuo said.

Although he chose another person among the Han officials to support to check and balance Liang Guangchuan.

But that person was far behind Liang Guangchuan in terms of intelligence.

He was also very satisfied with Liang Guangchuan's recent answer, and he had to give him some sweet treats.

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Liang Guangchuan said excitedly.

Li Liangzuo chatted with Liang Guangchuan for a while and then let him go back.

Liang Guangchuan bowed, took a few steps back, turned around and left the hall.

Li Liangzuo did not notice the sarcasm and disdain in Liang Guangchuan's eyes after he turned around.

…………

All the officials knelt outside the Chuigong Hall. In just half a day, more than a dozen elderly officials fell unconscious and were sent to the Imperial Hospital.

Whether it's fake or real, I don't know.

Zhao Xing had not left his bedroom for several days, so he had to come out now.

It’s not because of those officials, but because someone was sent by my father.

"Your son greets you, father!" Zhao Xing bowed.

"Do you still have me, your father, in your eyes?"

The emperor said with an unpleasant expression, "I thought you were the lord of the Song Dynasty's rejuvenation, so I passed the throne to you long ago. Although I disagree with many of the things you did after you ascended the throne, I never interfered. But you actually fell in love with a widow and ignored state affairs for several days. I am so disappointed!"

If Zhao Xingruo just liked women, he wouldn't care.

Even if he had a relationship with Empress Dowager Xiao, the emperor would not be so angry. But Zhao Xing was obsessed with women and ignored state affairs, which was completely unacceptable to the emperor who had been in office for decades and had always been diligent.

"Father, please don't be angry. Listen to me."

Zhao Xing quickly told his father what he and Zeng Gongliang had discussed.

After listening to this, the emperor was a little skeptical and asked, "Is what you said true?"

"If you don't believe me, you can summon Envoy Zeng to ask me in person!"

"That's not necessary. I'll trust you for now."

The emperor waved his hand and said, "The Great Wall in the north was built with the money you made from letting people do business over the years. Once a war breaks out, the consumption will be even greater. Where will the money and food come from? The people are suffering. If you increase taxes..."

"Don't worry, father. I have no intention of increasing taxes. Although building the Great Wall is expensive, I have saved a lot of money over the years, which is enough to support the initial needs. The Mint has already been minting silver coins in large quantities. Once the money houses are built and silver coins are introduced, the problem of lack of money will be solved soon." Zhao Xing said.

Not to mention that the emperor was unwilling to increase taxes, even Zhao Xing was unwilling to do so.

The people of the Song Dynasty have suffered so much that they can no longer bear the burden.

During my father's reign, he had been reducing taxes, which resulted in fewer cases of rebellion among the people.

"That's good."

The emperor's expression softened, and after a moment's hesitation, he asked, "What about those officials? If anything goes wrong, you will be blamed."

"The Liao envoy will arrive in Bian Jing tomorrow, and I have ordered people to keep an eye on them. If anyone falls unconscious, they will be sent to the imperial physician for treatment. Nothing will go wrong." Zhao Xing assured hastily.

He naturally knew the seriousness of the matter. If someone died on his knees outside the Chuigong Hall because of giving advice, the impact would be huge.

"Since you already know everything, I won't say more."

The emperor nodded slightly and warned: "Haste makes waste. I was too cautious back then, but your impatience is not a good thing either. You should think carefully about how to handle it. I am old and I don't know how long I can live. In the future..."

"Father, look at yourself, why are you saying such things again. You look very healthy now, and you look much younger. You will definitely live to be a hundred years old." Zhao Xing said hurriedly.

"That sounds nice, but maybe you're actually annoyed with me." The emperor scolded with a smile.

"How could that be? I am still young and need your guidance."

Zhao Xing chatted with his father for a while before saying goodbye and leaving.

"Your Majesty, Lord Shen and Lord Yu have gone to the Queen Mother for help."

Sanshui, who was waiting outside, saw Zhao Xing coming out and bowed.

"Ok?"

Zhao Xing frowned and asked, "How long have you been gone?"

"It's been a while. I just left not long ago."

"Ignore them."

Zhao Xing waved his hands and didn't care.

The two of them were sensible and did not come directly to ask for help from their father.

Zhao Xing was not worried about Zhang Guifen, as he still had some trust in her.

Although the harem was not allowed to interfere in government affairs, Zhang Guifen, as the queen, did not count as interfering in government affairs when she advised him when he was obsessed with women and ignored state affairs.

On the contrary, if you spread it, you will be praised.

Those empresses whose names were recorded in history books and who were praised by people, all of them advised the emperor many times when he was alive, stabilized the situation after his death, and assisted their sons in sitting firmly on the throne.

The fact that Zhang Guifen didn't come means that Zhang Guifen trusts him.

…………

The next day, the news that the emperor was obsessed with women and all the officials knelt to persuade him, and many officials fainted because they knelt for too long, spread in Bianliang.

In the afternoon, envoys from the Liao Kingdom arrived in Bian Jing.

The envoy from the Liao Kingdom on this mission was a Han official named Liu Bingcheng.

Liu Bingcheng was the Minister of Personnel in the Southern Court of the Liao Kingdom, and he had defected to Yelu Yixin early on.

Empress Dowager Xiao ordered people to clear out those who were loyal to Yelu Yixin in the city, but he noticed it early, hid himself, and escaped.

This is an opportunity for Liu Bingcheng to show his talents.

At this time, Yelu Yixin had not yet ascended the throne. After ascending the throne, he would definitely reward his ministers. If he could complete the task, he would definitely be reused.

After being placed in the Honglu Temple, Liu Bingcheng submitted a letter requesting an audience with the Emperor of the Song Dynasty. He secretly sent people to inquire about Empress Dowager Xiao and others and the attitude of the Song Dynasty.

During this visit to the Song Dynasty, Yelu Yixin met him in person and told him that it would be best if he could persuade the Song Dynasty to hand over the people. If the Song Dynasty was unwilling to hand over the people, he should find out the specific residences of Empress Dowager Xiao and others and assassinate them.

As long as Empress Dowager Xiao and others were dead, the Song Dynasty would not fall out with the Liao Kingdom over the dead.

In the evening, the people who were sent out came back and brought back some news.

Empress Dowager Xiao and Xiao Asu lived in a separate courtyard in the inner city, which was heavily guarded.

However, the little emperor has never shown up and is suspected to not be in the Song Dynasty at all.

It was normal that the guards were tight, but when Liu Bingcheng heard that the little emperor might not be in Song Dynasty, he frowned deeply.

To Empress Dowager Xiao and others, the most important thing was the little emperor. As long as he died, the lives of others didn't matter.

When Liu Bingcheng heard the news that Empress Dowager Xiao had not left the palace for several days in a row, and that the Emperor of the Song Dynasty was obsessed with her and had not attended court for several days, with all the officials kneeling to persuade him, he showed a look of ecstasy.

He was not worried that the Emperor of Song Dynasty would be unwilling to hand over the person because of his obsession. Instead, he felt that as long as he offered a little benefit, the officials of Song Dynasty would definitely agree to hand over the person.

Because in the eyes of the Song Dynasty's officials, Empress Dowager Xiao had become a scourge who seduced the Song Dynasty Emperor.

…………

When Zhao Xing learned that the Liao envoy had submitted a letter, he agreed to summon him the next day.

Everything is excessive or insufficient. The play has almost ended. If it continues, all the officials in the court will kneel down and faint, and the government will be unable to function.

"Go and tell the officials outside that I will go to court tomorrow. If there is anything, we will discuss it during the court session," said Zhao Xing.

"Yes!"

Sanshui responded and went to inform the officials who were still kneeling outside the hall.

There were nearly a hundred people when they came yesterday, and now they have been kneeling for more than a day and a night, and there are less than thirty people left.

When Sanshui said that Zhao Xing would go to court the next day, the remaining ones who had held on until now collapsed.

Sanshui quickly arranged for someone to send them to the Imperial Hospital, and then went back to report to Zhao Xing.

"It's okay, nothing serious will happen."

Zhao Xing waved his hand and said, "Have someone draw up a list of the officials who fainted before dark yesterday, and write it down for me in what order and with what age."

It’s funny to say, but before dark yesterday, the most people fainted due to succumbing to the disease.

After nightfall, until just now when he asked Sanshui to pass on the message, less than ten people had succumbed to coma.

Those who persist after nightfall and those who persevere to the end are certainly respectable.

But it also shows that these people are very stubborn.

On the contrary, among those who fainted early, except for a few who really couldn't hold on due to their age, most of them just took the opportunity to escape.

(End of this chapter)