Chapter 135: Troubled Times

Chen Xinli has been staying in Zhiyou Palace.

The main reason is that after the young Jiang Yu gradually discovered that she was a treasure, he was reluctant to let her leave.

The boy's sincere eyes touched Chen Xinli's soul as an adult.

She didn't know if it was her illusion, but she always felt that the boy's eyes were meaningful every time he looked at her.

During these few months in Zhiyou Palace.

Chen Xinli finally understood the situation of the Dali Kingdom.

Let’s just talk about this plague.

Only the people in Shu and the northwest were infected with the epidemic.

The epidemic did not spread to the capital or even to the Jiangnan area.

This is not the court's credit.

But Emperor Xuanyi didn't care about the lives of the victims at all, and instead let them fend for themselves.

He directly sent people to block the people's escape route, and did not send any medical officers or deliver any medicinal materials.

Prince Jiang Yu once asked for help from the army stationed outside the Shu pass, but the other side ignored him and strictly forbade anyone to approach.

If Jiang Yu hadn't found the ghost doctor and come with her, these people would have had to rely on their righteousness to resist the epidemic.

In this society with clear hierarchy of imperial power, Chen Xinli felt chilled.

So, what has the new emperor been doing?

It was heard that since he came to the throne last year, Emperor Xuanyi had been obsessed with cultivating Taoism and becoming an immortal. Except for earth-shattering events, all government affairs were handled by Empress Xu and a eunuch.

Any minister who tried to dissuade him was beheaded.

End of February.

Under the rule of Emperor Xuanyi, who did not care about state affairs, and Empress Xu, who had an affair, the status of the Dali Kingdom changed greatly.

The cause was still the Beirong Kingdom, northwest of the Dali Kingdom.

Last year, the Beirong people suffered a large-scale drought, and countless cattle and sheep starved to death.

So he led his troops south to attack Dali.

After the Northern Rong cavalry reached Shu, most of the soldiers were ill due to the weather and plague in the south, so they had to temporarily retreat to the north of the Yueling Mountains for a long rest.

Just after the New Year, the second prince of Beirong, Zha Zha, went to the capital and signed a fifty-year alliance with Lirong:

“To maintain peace on the northwestern border of Dali for fifty years, the area north of the Yueling Mountains was officially incorporated into the Northern Rong border;

The Li State became a vassal state of the Northern Rong, and Dali promised to pay a certain amount of tribute to the Northern Rong every year.

The Li Kingdom provided Beirong with rare medicinal materials for the treatment of the epidemic.

Otherwise, the Northern Rong army will continue its attack on the capital, and Dali will be threatened with extinction. Emperor Xuanyi readily agreed."

Chen Xinli finally understood why the imperial army outside the pass neither entered Shu nor went north to attack the Rong people.

Emperor Xuanyi was not only worried about his son and the King of Shu fighting against the Northern Rong, but also worried about the King of Shu secretly plotting a rebellion.

"So the emperor's goal is to not delay my immortal cultivation. Apart from becoming an immortal, nothing else matters."

"It turns out that no matter where you are, this world is just a makeshift place!"

In the study of the palace, Chen Xinli looked at the imperial edict that arrived a few days ago, her heart filled with indignation.

The taxes on the people in Shu have increased by 20%. How are they going to survive?

"What's wrong?"

The young man, so busy that his feet were hitting his head, kept scribbling on the table. They were new laws and regulations, which were about the governance of the victims after the plague. The boy was adding and subtracting content as appropriate.

Thinking of the imperial court's decree, the young man's face showed a bit of fatigue.

While choosing his words, he looked up at the expression of the girl in front of him and asked his question.

Chen Xinli waved her hands repeatedly, "Nothing, just focus on handling government affairs."

The boy lowered his head and got back to work.

Chen Xinli looked at the young man sitting upright with extremely complicated eyes, not knowing whether she should place a glimmer of hope on him.

"Brother Qi, go ask Uncle Wang if the staff in the palace are available. We need to discuss the resettlement of the people.

Also, have the officials from all prefectures, counties, and states come to discuss important matters."

Ever since Jiang Yu took charge of the aftermath of the epidemic outside Zhiyou Palace, the King of Shu only occasionally asked about government affairs, but most of the time, he let Jiang Yu and the King of Shu's son Jiang Qi do all the work together.

After all, they are just a few children. What can they do? The King of Shu did not take it seriously.

"Brother Crown Prince, the staff...the staff have all been killed by father, and the rest who can escape have also escaped." A young man with red lips and white teeth looked at his cousin Crown Prince in front of him and said timidly.

"Forget it, then tell me, how should the people be resettled in the future?" The young man stood up and said with his hands behind his back.

"How would I know this?"

The boy was three years younger than Jiang Yu. He felt a little flustered and didn't know how to answer.

In the past, the prince Jiang Qi had long been afraid of the King of Shu's corporal punishment.

Whenever the young boy thought of his father's frown after asking questions and the beating on his buttocks no matter what he said, he no longer dared to say a word, and became increasingly afraid to express his true thoughts.

In the palace, the only thing that made him happy was playing with his little kittens.

If Jiang Yu hadn't insisted on dragging him along to discuss matters these days, he would have hidden in the corner to watch the kittens play.

"Don't be afraid. Just think about it. You have so many kittens. What if they have no food or water to drink in winter? What if they get cold?"

"I...I"

Chen Xinli understood why Jiang Yu was so patient with this cousin.

After staying in the palace for many days, the Prince of Shu, who was about the same age as her, seemed very autistic.

"It's okay, Prince Qi, just tell us, we all want to listen." Chen Xinli held her face with one hand and looked at him expectantly.

"I only know that kittens will fight for food every day." The young boy said courageously.

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