The Prodigal Son

Ning Huang and Zhao Luan didn't have much to talk about.

After briefly explaining the situation to Zhao Luan, Ning Huang took his leave.

Before leaving, Ning Huang said with utmost seriousness, "Your Majesty, this boy is still hiding something from you about what happened in Yuwang Mountain! Don't let him get into your bed until he tells you everything!"

"Grandpa Ning..."

Zhao Luan blushed and looked at Ning Huang with embarrassment and annoyance.

Qin Yu was speechless for a moment.

That old guy, he even betrayed himself before he left!

What am I hiding?!

I'm telling you guys, you have to be able to explain it clearly!

"It's normal for men and women to have sex, what's there to be embarrassed about! I'm leaving!"

Ning Huang laughed heartily and strode away.

With Ning Huang gone, only the three of them remained in the Imperial Study, and Zhao Luan became much more relaxed.

Zhao Luan pulled Qin Yu down to sit on her lap, then gently pinched his ear, feigning anger, and said, "Tell me, what else are you hiding?"

"What can I possibly hide!"

Qin Yu put his arm around Zhao Luan's waist and said with a wry smile, "We retrieved something from that divine pool. I read in an ancient book that such a thing requires extremely advanced technology to manufacture, so I deduced that those so-called monsters are people who possess extremely advanced technology..."

Qin Yu racked his brains, trying his best to talk to Zhao Luan in a way she could understand, while also sending Ning Huang a friendly greeting in his heart.

Even so, Zhao Luan still didn't quite understand, "How powerful is it? More powerful than the cannons you built?"

"..."

Qin Yu's face twitched slightly. "Let me put it this way, my cannons are like an ant compared to an elephant compared to their weapons!"

There's absolutely no comparison between them, okay?

Ugh!

It's inexplicable, impossible to explain!

"real?"

Zhao Luan, half-believing and half-doubting, stared at Qin Yu with a smile: "Could it be that Empress Murong has given you some kind of bewitching potion?"

"Oh, is His Majesty jealous?"

Qin Yu teased, staring at Zhao Luan with a mischievous grin.

"Am I jealous of her?"

Zhao Luan scoffed, "Just an old woman, does she even deserve to make me jealous?"

Qin Yu shook his head slightly and said seriously, "Actually, Empress Murong isn't old at all. She looks like a ripe peach, very feminine."

"What did you say?"

Zhao Luan grabbed Qin Yu by the ear, her eyes suddenly turning fierce.

"Ha ha……"

Qin Yu laughed loudly and suddenly kissed Zhao Luan's lips.

Zhao Luan pinched him twice in annoyance, but quickly resumed responding to Qin Yu's enthusiasm.

Shangguan Youyi lowered her head and carefully retreated, afraid of disturbing the two of them.

Their kiss was like a thunderbolt striking the earth, and before they knew it, Qin Yu's hands began to wander.

"Snapped!"

Zhao Luan lightly slapped Qin Yu's hand away, abruptly parting their lips. Her face held a mixture of embarrassment and coquettishness. "Stay here tonight to serve me! Let's get down to business!"

Qin Yu put his arm around Zhao Luan's waist and teased with a mischievous smile, "How about I come with Your Majesty to the palace now? We can lie in the warm blankets and talk slowly?"

"Go ahead, do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Zhao Luan adopted the imposing manner of an empress, staring provocatively at Qin Yu.

"If that's how Your Majesty sees things, then I'll have to settle this with you today!"

Qin Yu naturally refused to admit defeat.

I'll go!

Who's afraid of who!

Let's get down to business without neglecting other things!

"Pooh!"

Zhao Luan spat lightly, then reluctantly sat up from Qin Yu. After adjusting herself slightly, she re-entered Empress mode. "Do you think Bei Qi might have some kind of conspiracy?"

"I haven't seen any conspiracy yet."

When it came to serious matters, Qin Yu put away his lustful thoughts and said solemnly, "Ghost Three and Ghost Four have already gone to investigate, and we should have results soon! You can hold off on making a decision for now and wait for them to return and report back before making a decision."

"Let's leave it at that for now!"

Zhao Luan nodded slightly and said, "I want to bestow the title of King upon Suhe Baoyin. What do you think?"

She originally intended to ask Xue Chengdao after he and his men returned to the capital.

But now that Qin Yu is back, let's ask for his opinion first.

Qin Yu pondered for a moment, then said, "The Yan region is so vast that it certainly needs a border king to guard it! As far as I know, Xiao Yanguang once sent someone to negotiate with Suhe Baoyin, offering to make him a king if he was willing to surrender! But Suhe Baoyin killed the envoy sent by Xiao Yanguang..."

Qin Yu was not familiar with Su Hebaoyin; he had only spent two or three days with her briefly at Huguan Pass.

He personally felt that Suhe Baoyin was still trustworthy.

Moreover, the hatred between Suhe Baoyin and Bei Qi runs too deep.

"Then let's tentatively appoint him as the Prince of Zhenbei!"

Zhao Luan quickly made up her mind, "Once the matter you discussed with Murong Wujiang is finalized, we will formally bestow rewards! He will still be in charge of guarding Jizhou! We will also assign him two deputy generals."

Let's shut it down!

A generous reward should be given where deserved!

As long as Suhe Baoyin is loyal to Da Ning, what does it matter if he is granted the title of "One-Word King"?

"That works too."

Qin Yu nodded slightly. "By the way, we have received definite news that Yu Jing intends to rebel and has already begun to carry it out! I have already told Fang Junji about this, and he has made the arrangements."

"It's nothing more than a desperate struggle by a cornered beast!"

When the topic of Yu Jing's rebellion came up, Zhao Luan's face remained completely unmoved. "If he manages to stir up trouble, I might as well just abdicate the throne to him!"

Qin Yu smiled and stopped talking to her about the matter, instead telling her about the situation in Yan.

Although he had already mentioned this to Zhao Luan in a letter, it would certainly be clearer if they spoke face-to-face.

However, when it comes down to it, there is only one most important problem facing Yan right now!

food!

Once the food problem is solved, all other problems can be easily solved.

Speaking of this, Zhao Luan couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. "The imperial court has already urgently transported 500,000 shi of grain from the sea, and negotiations with the Chu Kingdom are still underway regarding the subsequent grain supplies..."

Those 500,000 shi of grain were all purchased from the State of Chu at high prices after being coerced and bribed.

But she also knew that the 500,000 shi of grain would not last long.

For the remaining grain supplies, land transport can solve a small part of the problem, but the main source of grain will still be purchased from the State of Chu.

However, the food supply in the State of Chu was not unlimited.

It took a lot of effort to get these 500,000 shi of grain, and the price was 40% higher than usual.

Qin Yu had previously suggested in a letter that encouraging grain merchants from various regions to transport grain to Yan and sell it to the government was a solution, but on the one hand, the timeliness issue needed to be considered, and on the other hand, the cost issue also needed to be taken into account.

This can only add icing on the cake, not provide timely help in times of need.

The food shortage in Yan is too great!

Massive starvation deaths were inevitable.

Now, all the efforts the court is making are simply to prevent as many people as possible from starving to death in Yan.

After discussing this matter, Zhao Luan asked, "Now that the position of prime minister is vacant, who do you think would be most suitable?"

Qin Yu thought for a moment and replied, "Besides Lü Chunqiu and Du Zhiwen, it should be Su Yu, right? However, Su Yu is too old, and he is better at scholarship than governance! I personally think that Lü Chunqiu or Du Zhiwen would be more suitable."

"Hmm! That's pretty much what I was thinking."

Zhao Luan nodded slightly and then asked, "What are your opinions on the governance of the Yan region?"

Qin Yu replied, "If the transaction with Bei Qi is successfully completed, I suggest dividing the Yan region into four areas for separate governance. The three prefectures north of Panjiang will focus on military affairs, while the other three areas will focus on people's livelihoods..."