Three Kingdoms New Emperor

Chapter 196
Zhao Qi, who was bitten out by Pang Xi's words, really wanted to tear apart Pang Xi's bones at this moment, and then swallowed the whole lump in his stomach.He really felt that things weren't going well for him recently, and just when Duan Duan thought he could escape this disaster safely, Pang Xi, a blind person, was able to pull himself out.

At that moment, Zhao Qi suddenly realized that the feeling of being watched by thousands of people was not so pleasant.

However, although he dared to cast a vicious look at Pang Xi, that Yilang, he didn't have the guts at all to look at the young emperor sitting high on the dragon chair.After frowning for a long time, Zhao Qi made up his mind, took a step forward and said, "Your Majesty Qizuo, I have indeed been ordered to run around the Guanzhong these days."

Having said that, Zhao Qi found that his heart, which had just been swayed, was discouraged in an instant when he met the eyes of the emperor on the dragon chair who seemed to be smiling but not smiling.He really didn't think about whether he should yell at those bastards who cared about the emperor's grace, or knock out their teeth and swallow their blood.

"Oh, if Pang Yilang hadn't reminded me, I would have almost forgotten about it." In fact, how could Liu Xie forget about it?But having witnessed such a bloody and exciting drama with his own eyes, his heart has long been filled with joy, and he couldn't help molesting Zhao Qi again: "That's right, at the last court meeting, the imperial servant complained about the emptiness of the imperial treasury , and revealed the way to call on famous gentry from all over the country to donate generously. I don’t know how much food, fodder, gold and silver have been raised by Mr. Zhao to enrich the treasury?”

"Weichen, Weichen..." At this moment, Zhao Qi felt like his heart was bleeding, especially when his face was hot, he felt like he could fry an egg.He, Zhao Qi, has lived such an old age, and he has never felt the difficulty of making a choice like today.He muttered for a long time, but did not say a specific number.

During this period of time, Zhao Qi lost all his face and raised a total of almost 20 shi, grain and grass and 50 coins.On the surface, these materials are not too small, but when converted into actual uses, they seem to be stretched.

When Dong Zhuo was still in the Han Dynasty, he allocated 30 shi of grain and grass, 60 shi of coarse salt, and [-] qian of military expenses to the Xiongnu with a wave of his hand.And these military expenses were spent on the Huns' [-] Xunqi, which was only one month's expenses.

Of course, the ministers of the Han Dynasty at that time did not know that the cavalry of the Huns was the same as Ma Chao's nomadic herding method outside the Great Wall, and these military expenses were enough to support their half-year expenses.

However, that's not the point.

The point is, the supplies that Zhao Qi raised were thrown into Chang'an's [-] troops, which was less than a month's worth of expenses.This amount is really just a drop in the ocean compared to the hundreds of millions of money and food for any powerful family.This kind of cruel reality suppressed Zhao Qi, which made him ashamed to speak in the front hall of Weiyang Palace.

Zhao Qi, who was so entangled, had no choice but to be ruthless, adding to the family property he planned to part with before, feeling the pain of bleeding from his heart, trying to hold back the tears he didn't shed, and replied: " Your Majesty, I have recently raised 60 shi, grain and grass, and 150 million yuan."

Even though Zhao Qi posted his old book by himself, his voice when he said this was still like the buzzing of mosquitoes.If it weren't for Liu Xie's young age and sharp eyes and ears, he might not be able to hear Zhao Qi's words clearly from such a distance.

After saying this, Zhao Qi felt as if the energy in his body had been pulled out at once, and the cold sweat on his forehead suddenly flowed down in this scorching heat.He lowered his head, not daring to look at Liu Xie at all, like a humble ant waiting for the verdict of fate.

In fact, the situation at this time is almost like this.

As for the matter of raising money and food in the customs, it was originally an ambiguous task, and it completely depended on the relationship between Zhao Qi and Liu Xie.After all, Zhao Qi was only ordered to raise money and food, but Liu Xie and him did not agree on the specific amount.If the relationship between the monarch and his ministers is harmonious, the amount Zhao Qi said is pitifully small, but after all, it is better than nothing. Compared with other ministers who have nothing, he is still a hero.

However, Zhao Qi didn't have the slightest luck.During the last court meeting, he justly refuted Liu Xie's opening of the Guanzhong trade route, so it can be said that Liu Xie didn't save face at all.What's more, with Cao Cao's eye-opening essay refuting the gentry's power just now, Zhao Qi has long known that the young emperor has been sharpening his sword, waiting for the opportunity to take the gentry's big lord.

In this way, with his previous ignorance of current affairs, coupled with the oppressive momentum of the emperor at the court meeting today, how could Zhao Qi have a chance of luck?

But when this number was reported, Zhao Qi didn't hear a single word in his ears for half a stick of incense.All I could hear was the sound of needles falling in the hall and the rough and rapid breathing of other ministers.

Cold sweat flowed down his cheeks in strands, making Zhao Qi very uncomfortable.But he was like a stone figurine made of clay, and he didn't dare to do half-wiping movements.Zhao Qi knew that the current self was just a piece of fish on the chopping board, and it depended on whether Liu Xie's butcher knife cut him off or let him go.

This taste is really, really uncomfortable!

But just when Zhao Qi was trembling and felt that he was about to be crushed by the pressure of that silence, he suddenly heard a sound of smacking his lips, and then, the cold and emotionless voice of the Son of Heaven entered his ears Middle: "Well, 60 stones of grain and grass, 150 million yuan..."

Zhao Qi hurriedly replied: "Yes, that's all."

"Well, it seems a little less."

This is Liu Xie's evaluation of this number.

Zhao Qi's body trembled suddenly, he knew that the time had come to decide his own destiny, he didn't know where he got a burst of courage, and looked at the face of the calm emperor in the hall.Although he knew that he couldn't see the emperor's mind at all, he still tried his best to distinguish even the slightest change in the corner of Liu Xie's eyebrows. At the same time, he slumped his shoulders and replied flatteringly: "Yes, it's a little bit missing..."

At this time, Liu Xie, who watched Zhao Qi's every move, already fully understood Zhao Qi's psychological dynamics, and was afraid that if he continued to play, he would really turn this old man into another Wang Yun.Feeling that the time was almost here, he cleared his throat and said, "Lord Zhao Qi, please don't lie, I am not blind. These days, Master Zhao only raised 20 shi and 50. "

As soon as these words fell to the ground, the entire hall suddenly heard a uniform gasp: The emperor actually knows how much food Zhao Qi has raised during these days!
What does this mean? !

It shows that the emperor has secret and unknown surveillance methods for courtiers and officials!In the more than four hundred years of the Han Dynasty, in addition to the Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, there was also that majestic and powerful king, who had such a means? !

Even the embroidered clothes envoys in Emperor Wu's time only had the right to kill with integrity. Although the officials in the counties and counties they passed were all terrified, the embroidered clothes envoys only followed orders.How can Liu Xie be so powerful today, who even knows how much money Zhao Qi has raised these days?
Among these courtiers, the one with the most heavy heart was Yilang Pangxi.It never occurred to him that the dignified Jiuqing of the Han Dynasty and Zhao Qi, a well-known Confucian scholar all over the world, would only raise such a small amount of money and food when he went to Guanzhong in person.Before, he wanted to take advantage of Zhao Qi's meritorious service in raising money and food, hoping that Zhao Qi could stand up and counter Liu Xie's insinuating accusations openly.

But now it seems that he knows that he has completely offended Zhao Qi to death.As long as Mr. Zhao Qi still has breath, he will definitely use all the strength in his body and all the power of his connections to make himself half dead.

Pang Xike, who was a member of the gentry, knew that asking them to provide money and food might be like cutting their flesh.But asking them to put some eye drops on someone and make a stumbling block with a little effort, it is simply easy to catch!

As a result, Pang Xi's body was trembling even more than Zhao Qi at this moment.

However, no one in the hall would care about this little Yilang.Everyone is waiting for the emperor's final verdict.After all, the emperor's sudden change of color afterwards, to Zhao Qi and his gentry group, was the difference between a thought of life and a thought of death.They all have to change the family's future decisions based on the emperor's choice today for the mission of the family.

As for Liu Association letting Zhao Qi go, they never even thought about it.

Quite means is their general impression of Liu Xie.But at the same time, the word mean and ungrateful was also branded in their hearts.

However, when they were all sweating before Zhao Qi and themselves, they saw the emperor on the dragon chair sniffling his nose indifferently, and said: "Master Zhao's trip is for official business, why don't I Can Mr. Zhao even pay for his pension? And Mr. Zhao has been working hard for days, he is really a rare loyal minister of the Han Dynasty. Dezu, after retiring from the court, sent Cao Mengde from Yanzhou to taste fresh pears, tribute dates, etc. , send it to Mr. Zhao’s residence, and let Mr. Zhao have a taste of it.”

(End of this chapter)