The pork butcher is smoother than a pig butcher!

Chapter 368 The Struggle for the Throne

Huaiqing Prefecture, three thousand miles away from Ganlu River.

The New Year's Eve banquet at the Northwest King's Palace has just begun.

Before declaring himself king, Zhao Muyun made some preparations.

The old Marquis of Ningyang and his wife, who are retired in Shangdu, along with the family of the former Imperial Academy Chancellor, the maternal relatives of Princess Jiang, will face certain death if they are not taken away.

They sent someone to pick them up early on.

The old Marquis of Ningyang and his wife had no burdens, so they left as soon as they wanted, which was very carefree.

However, the Jiang clan still had more than sixty members, and the migration of the entire clan was not so easy.

They left Shangdu in several separate groups.

As a family of upright officials, the Jiang family has always lived a simple and frugal life.

Only books are truly plentiful.

More than a dozen truckloads were hauled away.

Those who interacted with Qingliu on a daily basis were certainly not illiterate peasants.

The princess's grandfather was the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy.

How many students he had studied under!

What is the workplace like now?

From the provincial administration to the various prefectures, the officials who took office were killed by the refugees in several rounds.

Needless to say, the situation of court officials was even worse.

Scholars educated in Confucian culture scorned the eunuch faction and the empress dowager faction.

Who can tell if a little emperor who is not even a year old is a wise ruler?

Before leaving Shangdu, Jiang's father managed to trick twenty-six scholars, seven provincial graduates, and two imperial graduates into leaving without much effort.

Including their families, there are more than 300 people in total.

Unexpectedly, on the way to the Northwest, they encountered a large-scale outbreak of toad plague.

They finally survived the epidemic and arrived in Huaiqing Prefecture just before the Lunar New Year.

The people and scholars of Shangdu have all made the most pragmatic choices at the moment.

The Ni clan, a distant branch of the Ni family, also came to seek refuge with the Northwest King, led by the elder brother of the former concubine, now Consort Ni.

Jiangnan is truly prosperous.

It was merely a branch of a thousand-year-old family that raised a huge sum of five million taels of silver as a pledge of allegiance.

They arrived in the Northwest around the same time as the Jiang family from Qingliu.

This way.

The families of the princess and her concubines were all present at tonight's banquet.

The banquet was divided into men and women, and the front courtyard of the Prince's mansion was now filled with the lively atmosphere of drinking and revelry.

The old Marquis left the table early, handing over the main stage to the King of the Northwest.

Zhao Muyun has been in a very high mood these past few days.

Talent and money are exactly what he urgently needs right now!

With the support of the Jiang and Ni families, this corner of the Northwest will eventually become a land of plenty.

Before the New Year, he spoke separately with the heads of the two families.

years later.

Jiang's father and the Jiang family members will build a Northwest Academy in Huaiqing Prefecture, which can accommodate thousands of students and will focus on cultivating talents for the Northwest Border Army.

Two Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and seven Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations) who had already achieved official rank were willing to join the army camp to help manage some non-military affairs.

After Zhao Muyun's assessment, these nine men were deemed capable enough to serve as the chief officials of a county or prefecture.

It really is true that anything you pick up can be used.

They really helped a lot.

The Wu Yue Ni family, a branch of the family, used to mainly manage the family's general affairs.

Zhao Muyun simply handed over the procurement of supplies for the five major guard posts to them.

At the same time, they were also required to keep the closed shops in Huaiqing Prefecture running.

Prioritizing agriculture and suppressing commerce?

nonexistent!

The Northwest's trade routes have been cut off, so there is a strong incentive for merchants to travel. Logically, both arrangements are quite appropriate.

Unfortunately, Consort Ni was quite audacious.

My son was previously dealt a severe blow by General Rakshasa, but he has made great progress in the last six months.

In her own mother's eyes, this was someone who could shoulder great responsibilities.

The prince's support with his elder brother's real money also gave Consort Ni a lot of confidence.

This is not.

After the banquet was halfway through.

Consort Ni's elder brother, now the head of a collateral branch of the Wuyue Ni clan, began to confide in Zhao Muyun:
"We, the common people, have come all the way from Jiangnan, and everywhere we have passed, we have seen people displaced and government offices deserted. It is hard to imagine that such absurd people's lives and conditions are happening in my Bei State."

Unexpectedly, upon arriving in this yellow sandy land of the Northwest, what I saw was a scene of peace and tranquility, as if I had entered a paradise.

"To have created such a peaceful haven, we owe it all to a powerful and decisive regional official like Your Highness."

It was practically a matter of stating outright that the King of the Northwest possessed the qualities of a wise and enlightened ruler.

Later, the other party added that he had written to various prominent families in Jiangnan about what he had seen and heard on his journey to the Northwest.

"I believe that by next spring, even more prominent families will migrate to the Northwest."

Don't tell me yet.

Compared to the rough men in the army, this brother-in-law was much better at talking.

Zhao Muyun's ambitions were certainly not limited to the Northwest.

To become the ruler of the world, the support of the powerful families of Jiangnan is crucial.

You know your own abilities.

He toasted with the other person repeatedly, drinking three large glasses before finally stopping.

In no mood.

This brother-in-law's compliments are as smooth as drinking wine.

Turning his head, he began to flatter the two only illegitimate sons in the Prince's mansion who were sitting below Zhao Muyun.

As the eldest son of a concubine, Zhao Rui was praised by his uncle for his feminine appearance, who also praised him for his intelligence and quick wit.

He also praised eleven-year-old Zhao Zhi for his calm demeanor and honest character.

In conclusion, both of the prince's sons were good heirs.

Heir?
The king of the Northwest has a throne in his family.

A successor is indeed needed.

So all this trouble was for the Northwest King to confirm the position of Crown Prince as soon as possible.

The attitude of the Ni family of Wuyue will undoubtedly influence other prominent families in Jiangnan.

No ambitious ruler who aspires to be the sole ruler of the world would resist the allure of wealth and connections accumulated over centuries, or even skills monopolized by local authorities.

Zhao Muyun glanced at his two sons, shook his head and smiled:

"With their current incompetence and lack of both literary and martial skills, they are far from capable of taking on the responsibilities on my shoulders."

Before the head of the Ni family could say anything more, he was interrupted by the elder brother of Princess Jiang.

This proper brother-in-law said without any politeness:

"Since ancient times, the succession to the title has always been based on the legitimate heir! The prince and princess are only in their thirties, how can we be sure they won't be able to have another legitimate son?"

"Hehe, Brother Jiang also mentioned that Her Highness the Princess is over thirty. Besides, there are quite a few cases where the eldest son is chosen as heir if there is one, and the eldest son is chosen if there is no eldest son."

The disputes in the front yard are unknown to those in the back.

When Princess Jiang smelled the braised carp with scallions, she finally couldn't control her nausea, which she had been holding back for so long.

He vomited with a "whoosh".

The women at the banquet were all stunned by her action.

Can't you?
At this age, can she still have a child?

Jiang suddenly remembered that she had already finished the two jugs of wine that General Gan had given her.

However, she had her period for the first two months, though it was only about half the usual amount.

She even thought she was going through menopause.

Tonight's feeling is very similar to the three months I was pregnant with Ran Jie'er more than ten years ago.

So, is she really pregnant?
(End of this chapter)