"Captain Pei won the first question. Do you have any objections?"

Xiao Zhiruo spoke with a smile.

Although the nobles were unhappy, they could not distort the facts. Pei Yun's unique interpretation of emphasizing agriculture and suppressing commerce really left them speechless.

Moreover, this involves national policy and is quite sensitive. Even a talented person like Xie Chen has been humiliated, so naturally, others would not bother to debate with Pei Yun and ask for trouble.

Yuan Zheng bumped into Pei Yun and said, "Brother, you are great. You can actually silence those nobles. I always say that my vision is not wrong. When we return to Qingyang County, we can get together more often."

Pei Yun was speechless. Is this a problem with your vision? It's as if I was discovered by you. This is not the way to flatter someone.

However, he somewhat likes Yuan Zheng's personality. Before, he called himself Pei Yun when he was about to embarrass himself, but now he has gained face and calls him brother. He has a clear distinction between love and hate.

"Is your beautiful bodyguard sick? Why is she always looking down?"

Yuan Zheng saw Leng Qingqiu keeping his head down. As a guard, he should have cheered for Pei Yun's victory in the first question, but the guard was indifferent. Could it be that the competition with the guards of the Xie family was too exhausting and he fell asleep?

This is not right. This is the prince's celebration banquet. Other guards can only stay in the side hall. You are the only guard allowed in. You should feel honored.

Even if you are a little tired, you should sit up straight. This is the most basic duty of a guard. How can you sleep when the master hasn't slept yet? Do you have any professional ethics?

Yuan Zheng felt that Pei Yunzhen should be properly disciplined, otherwise what would happen if the prince saw this.

Sleeping at the prince's celebration banquet, doesn't it mean that the celebration banquet is boring? If Pei Yun doesn't teach him a lesson, then only his boss can do it.

"Hey, wake up."

Yuan Zheng picked up the chopsticks and tapped Leng Qingqiu's head through Pei Yun.

Pei Yun was speechless. Captain Yuan, you are meddling too much. I didn't say anything, but you actually hit her on the head.

Leng Qingqiu looked up dazedly, with the chicken feet still in his mouth, his cheeks puffed up as he chewed them, his lips covered with juice.

These boneless chicken feet are so delicious. She hadn’t eaten them in the ten days she had been following Pei Yun. She had never thought that chicken feet could be so flavorful.

"What are you eating?"

Yuan Zheng saw that Leng Qingqiu was not sleeping but eating. His cheeks were puffed up and his mouth was full of oil. He looked like the food was delicious. He couldn't help swallowing.

To be honest, he was not used to the food at the palace's dinner, as there was too little meat. However, everyone knew that they came to the celebration banquet to build a relationship with the prince, so they did not have too many requirements for the food.

But seeing Leng Qingqiu eating so happily, Yuan Zheng felt that he was hungry too.

Leng Qingqiu blinked, swallowed the chicken feet in his mouth, and looked at Pei Yun. How should I answer?

Pei Yun coughed and said, "She ate the specialties I brought from the mountain. It's gone."

Leng Qingqiu nodded hurriedly. Such delicious food could not be shared, and she didn’t know Yuan Zheng.

Yuan Zheng was a little disappointed when he heard that Xiao Zhiruo spoke again. At this time, Yuan Zheng quickly focused his attention on Xiao Zhiruo.

When Leng Qingqiu saw this, he lowered his head again.

Yuan Zheng saw it from the corner of his eye, his face looked a little unnatural, didn't you say it was gone? Why did you lower your head again, you don't want to give it to me.

As a captain, he was too embarrassed to ask for it if the other party refused to give it to him, so he had to give up.

"The second question is related to today's theme. You are all here because you have made contributions in suppressing the barbarians. Although the barbarians have retreated, they will one day make a comeback."

"The common people will suffer at that time. You are all well-educated and will serve as officials in the future. I wonder if you have any good ideas to solve the problem of the southern barbarians."

Everyone was dumbfounded when they heard Xiao Zhiruo's second question. Why are each question more tricky than the last? Are you really choosing a husband?

Moreover, the barbarians are not only found in Yizhou, there are also the Jingzhou barbarians and the Yuzhou barbarians. Although they are in the form of tribes and have not established multiple regimes like the Northern Hu, they should not be underestimated.

Before the Jing Dynasty moved south, it had constant friction with the Southern Barbarians. After the move south, the conflicts further escalated. It had to deal with the offensive of the Northern Hu and prevent harassment from the Southern Barbarians, which was a headache.

Even the imperial court didn't have a good solution, and Xiao Zhiruo actually asked these aristocratic families about the issue of choosing a son-in-law. Isn't this embarrassing?

Many nobles even speculated whether this was the prince's idea. After all, shouldn't Xiao Zhiruo, a woman, be tested on romance, poetry, and songs? Why was she tested on military affairs?

Xiao Cheng was also a little confused. He didn't expect his daughter to have such a problem. However, the Southern Barbarians were indeed a big threat. Although he achieved his goal through this Southern Barbarian invasion.

But the Southern Barbarians must be eradicated, but he has no good method at the moment. Although the border troops and the palace troops are almost all under his control, he is not sure that he can completely annihilate the Southern Barbarians.

His daughter probably raised this question to gather ideas and share his worries, which made the old man feel very happy. It was a pity that Zhiruo was a girl. If she was a boy, she would definitely achieve something.

Xiao Cheng also wanted to hear what these nobles had to say.

The young men of the noble families began to whisper again, and the captains present felt that their chance to show off had come, as this question was clearly an easy way to give them points.

We may not be able to compose poetry or write couplets, but they are good at fighting.

Meng Chao immediately stood up and bowed to Xiao Zhiruo, saying, "Princess, the barbarians are indeed a major threat to our dynasty. If we want to pacify the barbarians and secure the border, the first thing to do is to strengthen the border defense, send more elite soldiers and generals, and strictly prevent the barbarians from invading."

"Secondly, the imperial court should send envoys to pacify the barbarians. If they can be brought to submission, the problem can be solved once and for all."

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