Chapter 43 Hot Potato
Liu Zhihua lost face big time.
He was sent to deal with the disaster victims, but he fled in panic. His armor was torn at the shoulder, and despite being surrounded by guards, he was still injured.
This guy isn't very popular, and many people laugh at him.
He suppressed his temper and waited until they were laughing so hard their teeth were about to fall out before dropping a bombshell with a heart full of retaliatory intent.
"That one has shown up."
Those who are a little slower to react are still wondering which one?
"A goddess descended from the heavens."
It was like adding boiling water to boiling oil; it exploded instantly.
The imperial court was in an uproar.
It should be noted that the reason they praised her so highly was to use her to step on Gao Yang. They secretly believed that a young woman could not possibly fight her way through the chaos of war.
She died, and they will shower her with endless praise.
They felt troubled that she was alive; did they really have to discuss national affairs with that young woman?
The sudden emergence of the Vice-Commander-in-Chief provided ample material for their discussions, which lasted from morning till night, from the imperial court to the emperor's bedroom. They argued until their voices were hoarse, all in an effort to uphold the dignity of the high-ranking officials.
Liu Zhihua brought up Guan Zhiwei, but concealed another person—Gao Huan.
He didn't know the boy's surname was Gao; he only knew the first sentence of their private conversation.
The boy said, "Lieutenant Liu, you are in a life-or-death situation. I don't know whether I should save you or not."
Unsure whether the other party was bluffing, Liu Zhihua still humbly asked, "Please enlighten me, young master."
"Yingzhou was originally guarded by Grand Commandant Gao, who drove the Yan clan outside the city walls. The Yuan clan had been eyeing it covetously. After Grand Commandant Gao's death, the Yuan clan attacked Yingzhou under the pretext of dealing with rebellious officials, captured the city, and fled in panic when they realized the danger. Do you know what will happen next?"
"The Yuan clan occupied Yingzhou."
"..." The boy simply gave a meaningful smile.
Liu Zhihua kept pondering this smile, and in the middle of the night, he suddenly had a flash of insight and understood.
If Yuan Shi was truly a loyal subject of the court, as he claimed, and wanted to avenge His Majesty the Emperor, then his conquest of Yingzhou, direct occupation, and expansion of territory would have been perfectly justifiable.
But what if he wasn't a loyal subject?
He could never be a loyal minister. What loyal minister would simply carve out his own territory, collect taxes, raise an army, and wage wars without ever coming to the court to pay homage?
Therefore, what he should do is withdraw from Yingzhou, after which comes the imperial city.
Every winter, the Yan people would attack and plunder. This year, Yingzhou was uninhabited. They marched south and approached the capital. If they could, they would kill the young emperor.
The most prestigious person in the Great Zhou Dynasty is gone. What happens next is up to him.
When news of the Yuan dynasty's withdrawal from Yingzhou reached the court, the officials who had been arguing suddenly fell silent.
The young emperor calmly looked at the ministers and said, "At this moment, I really need you to give me some advice."
Everyone passed the buck, none of them wanting to say the most spineless thing.
There are always people who can't resist.
Someone jumped in and suggested, "Why don't we move the capital?"
Even the young emperor was so angry he laughed.
When Gao Yang was alive, he beat those Yan people like dogs, and could mold them however he wanted.
If he escapes at this point, wouldn't that just confirm Gao Yang's claim that he's a useless little emperor?
"Any other good ideas?"
The officials looked at each other in bewilderment.
Among the three prominent surnames of Chen, the most renowned was the Shuofang Chen clan. Chen Wen, the current Grand Master of Ceremonies, slowly stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to advance and retreat with Your Majesty."
He was in charge of ancestral temple rituals and astronomy and calendar, and was the most learned person in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Just by standing there, he exuded an aura that commanded respect.
With him speaking first, the other officials and ministers had no choice but to bow and pay their respects.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to advance and retreat together with you."
The young emperor smiled bitterly to himself. What use was it to show loyalty at this time? Yet he had to pretend to be grateful and write a beautiful story of a ruler and his subject.
Liu Zhihua watched coldly, thinking to himself, "If I hadn't been paying attention, I would have almost been fooled by you."
These nobles had long ago moved their clan members out of the country.
They were all old and frail, but by serving the young emperor, even in death they would leave behind a reputation for loyalty, and future generations of their clansmen who entered officialdom would share in the glory.
They had all made their plans, so they were naturally unhurried and just said some useless things.
"Your Majesty, I believe the most urgent task now is to appoint a commander-in-chief to deal with the Yan people." Liu Zhihua's words struck a chord with His Majesty.
The young emperor's face lit up with joy: "Minister Liu, would you like to request permission to fight?"
Liu Zhihua thought to himself, just like the boy said, he himself was now in the most danger.
Gao Chang is a useless coward. He's the best among the worst. He's already the most capable one among Gao Yang's sons. Expecting them to be able to withstand the attack of the Great Yan is simply wishful thinking.
The imperial court was well aware of this, and since there were no capable generals in the court, the responsibility of leading troops in battle would inevitably fall on his shoulders.
Would he be willing to risk his life for this crumbling court? Certainly not.
"Your Majesty is grateful for your kindness and willingness to entrust me with important responsibilities. However, I am not very talented and have little knowledge, and I am afraid that I will fail to live up to Your Majesty's favor."
The young emperor's smile faded slightly: "So, what does Minister Liu mean?"
Liu Zhihua said with certainty, "There is someone in the capital who is even braver than Gao Yang. Once she takes action, the Yan people will never return."
This hot potato should naturally be passed on to the person who is in a hot position.
So an imperial edict was sent directly to Xiahe Village.
Everyone was stunned. In their entire lives, the only people they had ever dealt with were the yamen runners and county officials, and even those were people they were terrified of. And yet, the most powerful person in the world had actually appeared before their very eyes.
Liu Zhihua came to deliver the imperial edict, which was roughly about the emperor praising Guan Zhiwei in a friendly manner and then requesting an audience.
"not see."
Guan Zhiwei is cold-blooded and ruthless.
Liu Zhihua blinked, declaring incredulously, "It is His Majesty who wants to see you. As a subject, how can I refuse His Majesty's summons?"
Although everyone knew the young emperor was on the verge of collapse, he held a prominent position, so Grand Commandant Gao initially kowtowed as a formality.
"I just don't want to see him, I haven't acted like..." Guan Zhiwei hadn't finished speaking when Gao Huan covered her mouth.
Gao Huan smiled and said, "Please wait here for a moment. I will have a private conversation with her and then come out to take you to the capital."
Liu Zhihua earnestly instructed: "Have a good chat, and don't say anything strange when you get to the capital."
As soon as the door closed, Guan Zhiwei lay down on Gao Huan's daybed, put her feet on the armrests, and looked like she was the boss.
Gao Huan thought to himself that the only way to get along with someone like Guan Zhiwei was through roundabout methods.
He curled the corners of his mouth, sat down on the edge of the bed, propped himself up with his hands, his face full of gentleness, his eyes lowered.
"Dr. Guan..."
"Don't do that, it gives me goosebumps. Every time you smile, I feel like you're plotting against me, and I just want to slap you twice."
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