There are some things that you really can't go into deeply... You suddenly wake up and shout out out of instinct and impulse, but you will soon be silent, and then you have to hide some things deep in your heart.

If I really call people in to question them, I'll ask one person, saying that her husband was killed by imperial troops, and then ask another person, saying that her father and brother were killed and abducted by the anti-Jin army...how can I explain this to them?

“But this matter cannot be left alone.”

In the nameless stone pavilion, which was still completely silent, Zhao Jiu's expression remained unchanged. He turned directly to the end of the last booklet, signed his name, and then turned his head to face Yang Yizhong. "I want to know the approximate number and distribution of prostitutes in Tokyo City, so I'll go ask them, right?"

Yang Yizhong finally admitted his agreement and fled away like the wind.

"This is how the matter will be handled for now... but we need to give an explanation to those people whose names we can't even find." Zhao Jiu closed the list and looked at the ministers in front of him expressionlessly. "How about making an anonymous monument to martyrs? Millions of people died, so there should be a monument."

"It's not appropriate now." Lu Hao asked again, which made Zhao Ding and Zhang Jun feel even more ashamed. "Your Majesty, it's only a few days away from the Mid-Autumn Festival. There's no time to make a big stele. If we make a small stele, it will be perfunctory. Besides, now is just a transition from defense to offense, to stabilize people's hearts, not the time for real memorial service. After the Northern Expedition, when we recover the two rivers, pacify Yanyun, and rebuild the Jin Ou, why not make a big stele?"

"There has to be one." Zhao Jiu nodded, then shook his head again. "But what Mr. Lu said makes sense. Let's first order a large, conspicuous blank tablet. The Ministry of Rites will arrange it, and it must be placed in the center!"

Zhai Ruowen, who already felt a slight dryness in his mouth, quickly responded.

"Let's leave it at that for today. We can talk about it in a few days if there is anything else!" After explaining this, Zhao Jiu waved his hand as if nothing had happened, meaning to dismiss everyone.

Lü Haowen and the rest bowed together, and like Yang Yizhong, they left in a hurry without any delay.

Without mentioning how Emperor Zhao felt after driving away the ministers, nor how Yang Yi Zhong would deal with such an assignment, it is only said that the ministers walked out of the stone pavilion a few dozen steps away and then split up again. The close ministers went to the wing rooms behind Jingfu Palace inside Yingyang Gate, not far from the fish pond in the harem... That was the official residence where they were on duty in the harem. Although they were avoiding the emperor at this time, as close ministers they had to wait for orders here after all; and the prime ministers and important ministers including Lu Haowen took advantage of the sunset to go out of Linhua Gate to the west, then turned south and slowly returned.

"Prince Lu is the real Prime Minister."

Along the way, no one spoke a word, but halfway through, when they were about to pass Yiyou Gate, Zhao Ding suddenly spoke with emotion, causing the people around him to be slightly startled. "If it wasn't for Prime Minister Lu just now, we would have been almost unable to move forward."

"That's true." Li Guang also sighed. He always liked to argue in such occasions, but just now he was in a state of exhaustion. He wanted to refute but couldn't, and he wanted to stop but couldn't, which made him feel ashamed.

"What truth, public or fake, sir, I was forced to do it..." Lu Haowen, the copyist, was walking in front. Hearing this, he just glanced back and turned back while walking and speaking slowly. "Just like the emperor, I was forced to this position. I have to do it even if I don't want to do it, and I have to say it even if I don't want to say it. But to be honest, if sir Zhao could have said it first, why would I say it again? Just as if we could have said it first, the emperor might not have to say that."

Zhao Ding was half embarrassed and half helpless: "Some things are really unexpected."

This is the absolute truth. In fact, looking at Emperor Zhao's reaction today, he suddenly thought of it. It was purely accidental, so Lu Haowen just shook his head slightly and continued to move forward.

But for some reason, when he arrived at Yiyou's door, he suddenly stopped, and then attracted everyone to stop.

"Mr. Zhao, how old are you this year?" Lu Haowen turned around and asked seriously.

"Forty-seven." Zhao Ding was alert, but he responded.

Lu Haowen nodded and looked at Zhang Jun again: "Where is Mr. Zhang?"

"Thirty-five." Zhang Jun was caught off guard.

"Mr. Liu?"

"Forty-nine." Liu Ji answered quickly.

"Mr. Chen."

"I am almost sixty years old." Chen Gui twirled his beard and sighed. "I am grateful to the government for its kindness. Only three years ago, I never thought I could be a prime minister in my lifetime."

Lu Haowen didn't bother to pay attention to Chen Gui, and just continued to ask: "Mr. Li?"

"Fifty-three." Li Guang did not dare to be negligent.

"I'm almost seventy." Lu Haowen nodded slightly and replied solemnly. "Among the ministers, except for Zhang Xianggong who is younger, the rest are quite stable, even Chen Shangshu and Zhai Shangshu are the same... But do you know how old the people in Guanxi are?"

Everyone looked at each other, except Zhang Jun who was alert, the others seemed to be thinking about something.

Hu Yin, Liu Ziyu, and Lin Jingmo, the exact ages of these three may not be clear at the moment, but they are definitely younger than Zhao Ding, and much younger.

"How old are the eight generals who actually hold military power?" Seeing that everyone understood, Lu Haowen continued to ask, and without waiting for everyone to answer, he directly revealed the answer. "Zhang Boying is the oldest, forty-five; Wang Zihua (Wang De) is second, forty-four; Han Liangchen is third, forty-two; the rest, from Qu Da onwards, are all under forty, and Yue Pengju is only twenty-nine..."

"But they are all outstanding people." Zhang Jun couldn't help but interrupt in defense.

"That's exactly what he said." Lu Haowen nodded slightly. "They are all outstanding people... and the key is that the official is only 25 years old."

"What do you mean, sir?" Li Guang asked seriously.

"I have no other intention. Today I just want to ask you, since ancient times, have kings been as willing to compromise as the emperor?" Lu Haowen answered slowly. "After Yaoshan, with the emperor's power, he could have formed a team of young heroes to take the lead, a team that is more suitable for his temper, but why did he still use us? Can't he use Lin Jingmo, Lin Jinglie? Can't he use Hu Yin? Or take a step back and let Zhang Shuxiang be the prime minister of the capital province. Who can stop him? Take another step back and use a person with rich experience, Lu Yihao, who is more suitable for his temper, to shut up the people of the world. But why is it you and me? Why did you want to keep Li Zhongcheng so earnestly even after Shaoxing?"

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