Capital city, the imperial palace of the Dafeng Dynasty, the Purple Palace.
The imperial power and ceremony of the former Dayin Dynasty seemed to have not completely dissipated, but the furnishings in the palace and the soldiers guarding it had changed into the flags and armor of the Dafeng Dynasty.
Li Jingang sat high on the dragon throne, wearing an ochre-yellow dragon robe. Although he tried hard to straighten his back, his brows could not hide the roughness and complacency brought by his humble background.
Conquering the capital and ascending the throne to become emperor, all this happened so quickly, like a dream.
Your Highness, two civil officials stand on your left and right.
On the left is the left prime minister Yang Yan, who had just arrived from Xijing, exhausted.
He had a gaunt face and deep eyes, showing fatigue from traveling all the way and deep worry.
On the right is the newly favored and arrogant Right Prime Minister Feng Liang.
His face was flushed, the corners of his mouth were slightly raised, and he looked very proud.
"Hahaha!"
Li Jingang let out a loud laugh, breaking the slightly dull atmosphere in the hall. His eyes fell on Yang Yan with a bit of teasing.
"Prime Minister Yang, my brother-in-law! Have you finally come out of that comfortable nest in Xijing?"
"I still remember when we were in Xijing, you kept trying to persuade me, saying, 'We can't just take the capital directly; it's just empty talk. We should first conquer Jiannan, control Bashu, and then follow the current to attack Jiangnan.' Hahaha!"
"If I hadn't defied all odds and decided to march east, how could I be sitting in this throne room today?"
He patted the armrest of the dragon throne, his pride evident in his expression: "Now it seems that you were too cautious, weren't you?"
"Didn't I easily take over this capital and this throne? What else do you have to say now?"
A trace of embarrassment and helplessness flashed across Yang Yan's face. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, bowed, and said in a steady but firm voice:
"Your Majesty is gifted with divine power and wise decisions, far beyond the reach of our humble servants. Conquering the capital is truly an unprecedented feat. I... have nothing to say but admire you."
He first affirmed Li Jingang's achievements, then changed the subject, his tone becoming serious: "However, Your Majesty, conquering the world is easy, but keeping it is difficult."
"Although we now hold the capital and command the four directions, our foundation is not stable and we are surrounded by powerful enemies."
"Although the King of Jin was defeated, his son and his generals established a false emperor in Hedong and put up a stubborn resistance."
"Di is ambitious and is eyeing the Central Plains. Jiangnan and Jianghuai have yet to accede, while Jiannan and Longyou are watching... and there's also Zhao Muyun of Shuozhou..."
Li Jingang's smile suddenly froze, and he was obviously unhappy.
He waved his hand impatiently, "I know all of this. With Lord Feng planning for me, we'll first stabilize the area south of the Yellow River and train elite troops. Then, we'll march north and wipe out Xiao Lie's pseudo-Dynasty. That's a piece of cake."
Feng Liang immediately interjected, his tone carrying a hint of disdain for Yang Yan:
"Left Prime Minister, you're worrying too much. Your Majesty's naval attack routed the Prince of Jin's army in a single battle. What can the destitute Yin Ji and Xiao Lie, gathering their few remaining defeated troops, accomplish?"
"According to spies, they're still fighting fiercely among themselves. Xiao Lie and the Crown Prince each have their own agenda. As for the Northern Di?"
He sneered, "Barbarians only know how to plunder and have no sense of the big picture. Once my army is trained, we will march north to recapture the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun!"
He stepped forward and addressed Li Jingang with an impassioned speech: "Your Majesty, the most urgent task is to dispatch Generals Niu Desheng and Ma Zongliang to conquer the south and the east with all their might, and completely pacify Jiangnan, Jiangdong, Huainan, and Jingxiang!"
"This is a treasure trove of wealth in the world. If we take it, our army will have no worries about money and food, and our foundation will be solid!"
"When the time comes, we will gather all the forces south of the Yellow River and march northward with the force of a mountain crushing an egg. With just one order, we can conquer Hedong and Hebei!"
"Why should we divert our attention to Zhao Muyun, who is far away in Shuozhou, or the internal instability of the old subordinates of the Prince of Jin?"
What Feng Liang said made sense. Li Jingang listened carefully and nodded slightly.
Upon hearing this, Yang Yan frowned and immediately retorted, "Prime Minister Feng is wrong! Haven't you heard the saying, 'I shouldn't allow others to snore beside my bed'?"
"Zhao Muyun controls ten states in Hedong and Guannei. Although he hasn't officially claimed the title of king or emperor, he maintains military and political independence and enforces his own laws. Furthermore, he decisively defeated the Northern Di Right Army, seizing countless trophies and earning a strong reputation!"
"This man is a man of great talent and vision, and is definitely not one to be inferior to others. He is holding his troops in place, not because he cannot, but because he is simply watching the outcome of the world and waiting for the right time to act!"
"If we focus all our efforts on the south and ignore the north, once Zhao Muyun and Xiao Lie reach some kind of tacit understanding, or simply annex the Jinyang forces and integrate Hedong, and then march south, our river defense line will be in danger! The capital will be in danger!"
As Li Jingang listened, his expression became more and more unsightly, but Yang Yan became more and more excited as he spoke, completely ignoring Li Jingang's gloomy expression.
"Your Majesty! I believe that Zhao Muyun must not be left alone!"
"While they are still young and their foundations are not deep, we should either send envoys to win them over, promise them high positions and generous salaries, and bring them under our command!"
"Or, we must decisively dispatch our troops with a thunderous force to wipe them out before they unite with Xiao Lie! This is the best way to eliminate this great threat!"
"Bribe? Exterminate?"
Feng Liang glanced at Yang Yan as if he had heard something funny. "Could it be that the Left Prime Minister has been in Xijing for too long and has lost his eyes and ears?"
"Then Zhao Muyun might not even buy into the King of Jin's account, so how could he be interested in the official title we promised him?"
"As for sending troops to wipe them out? Humph, Shuozhou is so far away, and there's also Hedong in between."
"Our dynasty is newly established, and much remains to be done. The south remains unpacified. Is it time to send our army on a long expedition to tackle this difficult challenge? Does the Left Prime Minister think our army is too numerous and our supplies too plentiful? Or does he wish to repeat the King of Jin's mistake of stationing troops in a fortified city?"
He turned to Li Jingang, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, the Left Prime Minister's words are truly groundless and pedantic!"
"Zhao Muyun is living in a corner of Shuozhou. What can he do? Xiao Lie is in internal turmoil and can't take care of himself."
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