Xi Zhicai quickly finished reading the secret letters and then returned them to Liu Hong.

After carefully putting away the secret letter, Liu Hong looked at Xi Zhicai and asked, "What do you think about these matters, Zhicai?"

These secret letters cover a wide range of matters, including the Yuezhi, Juyan, Dongqiang, Xiqiang, and the Western Regions.

Furthermore, the people Zhong Yao arrested in Chang'an and other places also urgently need to be dealt with properly; none of these are trivial matters.

Xi Zhicai pondered for a moment before speaking, "The situation in Dongqiang is stable for the time being; we just need to wait and see."

The Western Qiang might be able to increase their support for Shehetai, while also winning over several other tribes to prevent any one tribe from becoming too powerful.

Liu Hong pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Okay, continue."

Xi Zhicai nodded and continued, "As for the Xiaoyuezhi, I think we can have Cheng Zhongde deal with the caravan sent by Beigong Boyu and others, frame them, and then let Ma Yi of Dongqiang deal with them."

"Also, Baihu can't be idle. Now that Jincheng and other places need to repair cities and pave roads, we can send them to the Western Qiang and the Little Yuezhi to capture slaves."

Xi Zhicai's method was not complicated. In short, he found something for them to do, so they wouldn't be idle and they wouldn't have time to develop.

As for how to do it, I believe Fu Xie and Duan Jiong should have a wealth of experience.

Liu Hong then asked, "What about Juyan?"

Xi Zhicai thought for a moment, then said, "As for Juyan, I think that although Cheng Zhongde's method is a bit extreme, it is still a good way to avoid future troubles."

Furthermore, this could incite conflict between them and the Xiongnu, causing them to fight each other, while our Han Dynasty could simply sit back and reap the benefits.

Moreover, they have hundreds of thousands of people on their side. If we take over there now, we will need to send a large amount of supplies there, which would be a loss!

Moreover, after the war, the remaining able-bodied men of Juyan will surely be filled with hatred for the Xiongnu and can be used by our Han Dynasty.

Upon hearing this, Liu Hong looked at Xi Zhicai with great surprise. He never expected that Xi Zhicai, who appeared so refined, humble, and polite, would have such a ruthless side.

It seems that while Xi Zhicai was giving political education to the teenagers, he himself was also influenced to some extent.

According to Cheng Yu and Xi Zhicai's plan, they would buy up all the women of the younger generation to prevent them from multiplying and expanding their population. Then, they would use the profits to drive them to war with the Xiongnu, creating hatred between the two sides. Through war, they would deplete the Xiongnu's population. Finally, the Han Dynasty would come to their rescue as saviors, making the remaining people fight for them.

In this way, it would be only natural for the Han Dynasty to take over Juyan in the future.

Liu Hong thought about it carefully and felt that there was nothing wrong with the two people's plan. Besides, the Juyan people had followed the Xiongnu in causing a lot of trouble for the Han Dynasty in the past. Their current situation was entirely their own fault.

Liu Hong then laughed and said, "Hmm, Zhi Cai's words make sense. Let's proceed according to this plan!"

All the previous matters have been discussed and resolved. Now, only the Western Regions and the matter concerning the several inspecting censors remain.

"Your Majesty, regarding the Western Regions, the princess of Gaochang will arrive in Luoyang soon. Although the Han Dynasty cannot launch a distant expedition at the moment, creating some trouble is still not a problem."

Liu Hong couldn't help but ask, "Does Zhicai mean to spread rumors?"

Xi Zhicai nodded. "That's right. According to what Xun Gongda said, the current King of Gaochang, Lan Hai, only ascended to the throne with the support of the Later Cheshi. It can be said that his ascension to the throne was illegitimate. There must be many people in their country who are dissatisfied. A single rumor can cause turmoil in their country."

"Hmm, Zhi Cai is right. I think there are many officials in Gaochang who are also under the pressure of Lan Hai's tyranny. We can have Zhong De send someone to make contact with them to facilitate our future actions!"

Xi Zhicai respectfully replied, "Your Majesty is right!"

Liu Hong smiled and waved his hand, "Leave this matter to Zhongde! With him here, I am quite at ease."

"Your Majesty is right. Cheng Zhongde is decisive and thoughtful, and is indeed capable of this task."

Xi Zhicai nodded slightly. In his opinion, among all of them, Cheng Yu was undoubtedly a sharp blade in the Emperor's hands.

"Phew~ It seems like the wind is picking up outside!"

Liu Hong glanced up at the palace without thinking, then got up and walked towards the gate of Deyang Palace.

Xi Zhicai also quickly got up and followed closely behind.

Upon arriving outside the palace gates and feeling the cool breeze, Liu Hong felt his mind clear up considerably.

Looking at the rather deserted scene outside Deyang Palace, Liu Hong asked without turning his head, "Zhicai, how is the situation with Yuan Chang?"

"Your Majesty, thanks to Cheng Zhongde's efforts, Yuan Chang has already begun arresting their people."

Liu Hong nodded, then asked, "Okay! That's good. What about Sima Fang and Chen Qun?"

Xi Zhicai said in a deep voice, "Jian Gong's side has arrested more than forty people so far, and Chang Wen's side has arrested about the same number. However, most of the people arrested on their side are corrupt and lawless. No other problems have been found!"

Liu Hong chuckled lightly, "Just because we haven't found anything doesn't mean it's not there. Tell them to intensify their investigation! Relying on Yuan Chang alone won't be of much use!"

Liu Hong then continued, "Notify Wenhe and give them a hand!"

"promise!"

Xi Zhicai's expression shifted; it seemed the Emperor was preparing to mobilize a group of people!

With that matter settled, Liu Hong turned to Xi Zhicai and asked, "The Imperial Guards should be conducting their second round of assessments in a few days, right?"

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!