Chapter 359: Asking for Punishment in the Palace
"The Grand Marshal has returned to the capital?" When Wang Yun received the news, he almost thought he had heard it wrong.
Ever since Qiao Yan reached a cotton deal with Cao Cao last year, she has never returned to Chang'an City.
When troops were transferred to Luoyang at the beginning of this year, she went directly south from Bingzhou to Luoyang and did not return to Chang'an.
Later, the Yangzhou Incident occurred. According to what she and Liu Yu said in the memorial, due to the urgency of the situation, she did not have the time to return to Chang'an to report the news. Instead, she chose to stabilize Cao Cao's side and create the illusion that she might advance from the east from Hulao Pass, and then immediately headed for Yangzhou.
Wang Yun originally thought that, as Luoyang continued to receive refugees from the surrounding areas, her first choice would be to stay in Luoyang after returning from Yangzhou and establish her own small court in the former capital of the Han Dynasty.
However, she did not expect that before the details of her meeting with Cao Cao at Hulao Pass could be reported to Chang'an, she was the first to return.
If she didn't return to the court to report on her work, Wang Yun would feel that no matter how useless Liu Yang was, he must let him take control of the situation in Chang'an as soon as possible and denounce Qiao Yan's domineering attitude.
But her sudden and obedient return to court made Wang Yun feel uncomfortable all over for no reason.
Perhaps it was not just Wang Yun who felt this way, but also other people in the court.
Qiao Yan reappeared in the court after an absence of several months. Perhaps it was because he personally participated in the battle in Yangzhou and Xuzhou, but he felt an increasingly oppressive feeling between his facial expressions and aura.
This may be because her growing age has brought about a change in their perception of her, or it may be because the news that has been reaching Chang'an since the beginning of the month has repeatedly shocked them, but it was not until today that the protagonist at the center of the topic reappeared in front of them, so that there is an indescribable weirdness in the collision between imagination and reality.
But there is no doubt that when she appeared here, her presence made no one present dare to ignore it.
What was even more shocking was that she did not just return to Chang'an from Luoyang, but the moment Emperor Liu Yu appeared, she stepped out in the court and knelt down to apologize.
"What does Ye Shu mean?"
Not only were the court officials shocked, even Liu Yu, who hadn't even sat down in his seat yet, was almost startled.
Liu Yu never expected that when he saw Qiao Yan again after nearly half a year, she would suddenly behave like this.
Liu Yu had already made up his mind to turn a blind eye to Qiao Yan's act of exceeding his authority.
For him, as a big man, this was a very difficult decision.
The more Qiao Yan demonstrated his command over the military and politics and his all-around management of the economy and culture, the more Liu Yu felt that a giant invisible net had been spread over the court in Chang'an, ready to completely envelop the court before him at any time.
Under the threat of such a huge network, Chang'an, which was tightly trapped by Tongguan, Wugu, Sanguan and other checkpoints, has become more and more like a chess piece in Qiao Yan's hand.
Silent plunder and tangible development became two competing forces in his heart in Chang'an. The letter from Lu Zhi that he received from Leping made Liu Yu feel even more uneasy.
But no matter what kind of struggling emotions he had, Liu Yu felt that he would not make a wrong judgment.
Qiao Yan's arbitrary decisions made her completely unable to be considered a loyal subject.
Even though she is still known for recovering lost territory for the Han Dynasty, it cannot change this.
But all he could do was to approve Qiao Yan's requests for imperial titles one by one, allowing the entire court machine to continue operating because of the emperor's existence, so as to prevent the people of the states under Chang'an's rule from returning to their original dire situation.
However, at this moment, the person who gave orders and whom he had long labeled as a hunter suddenly apologized in the court like a standard minister.
It also made Liu Yu feel an indescribable sense of unreality for no reason.
Perhaps it was because of the almost non-stop work after returning from Yangzhou, coupled with the rapid march from Luoyang back to Chang'an, Qiao Yan's face still showed a bit of fatigue, which made this sudden apology seem even more sincere.
Liu Yu subconsciously wanted to reach out to help the person, but suddenly realized that his position did not allow him to do so.
At this time, Qiao Yan had already answered his question:
"At the meeting at Hulao Pass a few days ago, Cao Mengde questioned whether I had the intention to emulate the Marquis of Huaiyin and claim the throne. In his accusations, I made my own judgments on the situation, dispatched troops and generals without informing the emperor, and lived in Luoyang to gather refugees. Even if I had no intention of treason, I was actually treasonous. I have been thinking about it overnight and feel that my behavior over the past six months is indeed inappropriate, so I have come to Your Majesty to apologize."
As soon as Qiao Yan said this, all the ministers looked at each other in surprise.
Faced with the words "Even if there is no intention to rebel, there is reality of rebellion", not only did everyone present not dare to say a word, they were even frozen in place like wooden stakes.
Can you just say this casually?
Except for a few who had endured hardships under Dong Zhuo to protect Liu Xie's safety, almost all the court officials in Chang'an came here to take up their posts after Liu Yu was brought back from Youzhou by Qiao Yan. They were inferior to Qiao Yan in ability, status and qualifications. Even if some of them had complaints about some of Qiao Yan's actions, they would never say them out loud in front of her unless they had a direct conflict with her like Wang Yun, Chunyu Jia and others did.
But no one expected that these words would come out of her own mouth.
Treason is no small matter!
It wouldn’t be the one I admit first!
It was because Huangfu Song, the Grand Commandant, had a close relationship with Qiao Yan and held a special position in the court of Chang'an that he dared to shout at him, "Ye Shu! This is not something you can say casually."
Liu Yu was also stunned by Qiao Yan's brilliant move.
In the face of the frankness in her words, he even felt that his previous speculation about her was an inappropriate accusation against her.
She raised her hand to signal Huangfu Song not to speak yet, and continued with the self-reflection.
"Thanks to your majesty's trust, the appointments of officials in Xuzhou and Yangzhou after the changes did not involve sending officials from the court to conduct on-site visits and investigations, and the Shangshutai made the decision, but I approved it in advance. Everyone says that I have the ability to judge people, but this is your majesty's trust in the ministers, not my merit in selecting talented people, so I should not be proud of it."
"Since I arrived in Luoyang, I have read the information about the February list and felt that there was a shortage of officials here. The first reaction was not to report to the Shangshutai and let Your Majesty decide on the official candidates in Chang'an, but to directly transfer You Fufeng to Hongnong County to take over."
"Luoyang and Chang'an both belong to Sili, but I first thought of being a dictator, and then I thought of being the emperor. This is not what a minister should do. If Cao Mengde hadn't pointed it out, I would have made another big mistake."
“This is one of them.”
What a great one!
To be honest, before Qiao Yan brought the matter up in the court of Chang'an, if she had simply said that she wanted to transfer Wei Ji from Youfufeng to Hongnong County, no one would even think there was anything wrong with it.
Even Xun Yu, who had heard Qiao Yan have such thoughts before, did not realize the problem.
But the moment Qiao Yan disclosed this act of usurping power in the court, everyone suddenly realized that the accumulated prestige and authority of the Grand Marshal over the past few years had reached such a point that they instinctively felt that this was within the scope of the Grand Marshal's decision-making.
But is it really so?
The Grand Marshal does have authority that overrides the Three Dukes, and can even hold both military and political power at the same time, but Qiao Yan is not Wang Feng, Wang Mang and others during the period of "Wang Feng's monopoly of power and the Five Marquises in power", and Liu Yu is not Emperor Cheng of Han who indulged in wine and sex and neglected state affairs.
The occurrence of such common acts of exceeding authority is, in a sense, a complete distortion of the court ecology.
One of the "culprits" who caused this situation has already apologized for his crime. Liu Yu and other court officials who allowed this situation to occur felt as if their heads were suddenly hit by a heavy hammer.
Before Liu Yu could respond, Qiao Yan continued speaking.
"In order to keep military operations secret and to follow the principle of speed, it is true that some generals may decide on their own when they are away from the king. However, when the world is in conflict, the advantage of weapons is the key. This matter can be concealed from the enemy, but not from the king."
"During the Liaodong War last year, the ships were equipped with sharp weapons such as poles and improved wooden bridges with hooks, but no information was given to Chang'an. The Divine Arm Archery Battalion never reported its crossbow equipment to the emperor, but it was already deployed to the battlefield in Youzhou to intimidate Jizhou. Now there is another weapon of thunder and fire used in Yangzhou to intimidate the ignorant people and eradicate those who promote Taoism, but it is still concealed from Your Majesty... It is really a great fault of mine."
"Explosives can kill people even if they are carried by a child. How can you carry a knife to defend yourself?"
“This is the second one.”
These words still sounded like a bolt of thunder striking the court.
During the nearly four years, the generals who intended to serve the imperial court in Chang'an actually knew that if they wanted to have a chance to make military achievements, they should directly serve under the Grand Marshal. Otherwise, they could only become a member of the Jinwu Guard guarding the city of Chang'an.
Therefore, most of the people in the court at this moment are civil servants.
For them, the changes in weapons in the army were something they could know or not know. They only needed to know which place the Grand Marshal had conquered today, and which battlefield victory the Grand Marshal had won tomorrow when he changed his route.
You don't know until you hear it, and you'll be shocked when you hear it.
In the battles last year and this year alone, several weapons whose names they had never heard of appeared on the battlefield.
Especially the explosives that Qiao Yan said could hurt people even if held by a child, it didn't sound like an ordinary thing.
Should this thing be handed over to the emperor?
According to the principle that all the land in the world belongs to the emperor, it should be handed over.
But it seems that just holding it in the hands of the Grand Marshal is not something that should be criticized. That is to say, Qiao Yan used it as a reason for her "rebellion" at this moment, which can indeed be listed together with the previous one.
She continued, "All the knowledgeable people in the world who have the potential to be officials should be disciples of the emperor. However, Leping Academy is independent, the examination method is set by me, and the officials are appointed by me. In the name of letting Leping live in the protection of the mountains, cultivating talents and cultivating knowledge in a secluded place, it is actually suspected of training private soldiers."
“This is the third one.”
When Qiao Yan said this, his tone did not convey any intention of taking advantage of the power he held to make threats, nor did he have the nervousness of an ordinary person asking for forgiveness.
At least from the perspective of Huangfu Song, who didn't want her to make such a conclusion about him, it would be more accurate to say that she was confessing in public her indeed cross-border behavior rather than asking for forgiveness.
Her meeting with Cao Cao at Hulao Pass prompted her to make this statement. After all, if this matter was brought up by Cao Cao, it would most likely become an excuse for others to sow discord within the imperial court in Chang'an.
So she had to get ahead of the curve.
Instead of waiting for someone to come and criticize the matter, it would be better for her to make a judgment herself first!
And now, she bowed to Liu Yu again, completely transferring the issue to him.
"I have indeed disrespected the law and behaved in a manner unworthy of an official. Your Majesty, please punish me as a warning to others."
To, warn, follow, or even?
Among the people present, some, such as Wang Yun, had the intention of suppressing Qiao Yan, and their expressions became complicated when they saw Qiao Yan's performance.
Whether Liu Yu can truly punish Qiao Yan is a foregone conclusion!
cannot!
As long as these three charges were brought up by other people, regardless of whether Qiao Yan's mistakes were intentional or unintentional, her position as the Grand Marshal might be shaken.
Since he already possesses power far greater than that of other ministers, he should not make any more presumptuous moves.
Regardless of whether Xuzhou, Youzhou, Yizhou and other places were taken back by Qiao Yan, as long as the world still belonged to the Liu family and the emperor was still Liu Yu, not Qiao Yan, she had to abide by the iron rules of the Han Dynasty.
But now she took the initiative to expose these one, two or three violations of the rules to Liu Yu, and Liu Yu could not touch her at all.
Such a meritorious minister, whose military achievements cannot even be compared to the Battle of Fenglangjuxu, only came up with some expedient measures when the news could not be conveyed in time and long distances, and when confronting the enemy required an unconventional approach. If she is to be punished for this, who else in this world can sacrifice their lives for Your Majesty and take it as their responsibility to restore the Han Dynasty?
Even someone like Wang Yun who had "prejudices" against Qiao Yan, if he put himself in Liu Yu's position, he would inevitably feel that in such an open and honest situation, the most appropriate way to deal with it was to impose a symbolic punishment and let the matter go. This would instead create a story of good relations between the monarch and his subjects in the outside world's rumors.
But when Wang Yun looked at Liu Yu, he suddenly felt that for the emperor sitting on the throne, Qiao Yan's sincere words might not only make it impossible for him to blame her for some of her actions, but might even make his perception of Qiao Yan change in ways that Wang Yun did not want to see.
Even if his doubts about Qiao Yan were not completely dispelled, a hidden seed of guilt would inevitably be planted in his heart.
Oops! This is not good news.
Wang Yun’s guess was not wrong.
After Qiao Yan ended with the powerful words "to serve as a warning to others", Liu Yu's fingertips moved.
Then he stood up.
The mental fatigue he had suffered during the past two years was bound to affect his body. If Xian Yu Fu, who was accompanying him, had not come forward to support him, he would have almost staggered for a moment.
But as he moved, everyone present shifted their gaze towards him, and subconsciously their eyes fell on the white hair beneath the twelve-tasseled crown.
If we say that when Liu Yu ascended the throne three years ago, everyone only felt a little vitality decline from his defeat in battle and the loss of his son, but could still see his demeanor as a governor, then today, this air of old age seems to have been clearly presented to everyone.
The average age of the emperors of the Later Han Dynasty was not high, and Liu Yu could be considered to be "long-lived" among them.
When looking at each other with Qiao Yan, the age difference was clearly displayed to everyone.
This also includes Liu Bei, who had just found an official position in the Zongzhengsi!
What he felt when he first came to Chang'an was by no means just an illusion.
But what everyone cares about at this moment is not the difference between the old and the young, but Liu Yu's response to what Qiao Yan said.
The appointment of officials came from Qiao Yan's planning, the development of cutting-edge weapons was in Qiao Yan's hands, and the cultivation of new talents mostly came from Qiao Yan's disciples.
Liu Yu should always say something.
He asked, "Yeshu, do you really think these are acts of rebellion?"
Before Qiao Yan could give an answer, Liu Yu continued to speak:
"You should be well aware of whether an official, general or commander is suitable for this position. When the judicial, ritual and examination teams in Chang'an were being built one by one, you knew very well that the level of official position could not be determined by closeness or distance. If not, you would not have to draw a line between yourself and the Qiao family of Yanzhou."
"If the latest achievements in weapon development cannot be shown on the battlefield first, but are presented to the emperor first, there is no guarantee that they will not be leaked and the news will be delivered to the enemy. It is secondary that the results of the battle cannot show their advantages. If they are turned into a tool for the enemy to restrain us, the casualties will be immeasurable."
"If Leping Academy is moved to Chang'an, where will the students who study behind closed doors go? Chang'an is certainly the place where the emperor lives, but with the interference of the prosperous scene, it is easy for students to have a conflict over whether to seek a career or gain knowledge first. Instead of this, it is better to stay in Bingzhou, which is far away."
Liu Yu sighed, and the moment he met Qiao Yan's gaze, a flash of hesitation flashed through his mind, but he had no choice but to go along with the apology and continue walking.
"If you really want to apologize, it would be better for me, the emperor who failed to recover the world, to apologize in front of the Mingtang Temple! It is because of my incompetence that you have to run around and serve me."
"It is because I am so mediocre as the emperor that the drought continues. The weather is not on my side."
"It's me—"
"Your Majesty!" Qiao Yan suddenly interrupted him, "Is it a matter of fate or a punishment from God? Please stop talking."
She had already explained all the scenes in the second year of Jian'an as the normal course of events. If Liu Yu wanted to take the blame for the drought on himself, all her efforts would be in vain.
Liu Yu obviously understood this truth, so he stopped his self-loathing words. When he clearly saw the worry in Qiao Yan's eyes, he suddenly smiled and said, "Let's not talk about this. If the Grand Marshal is accused of treason for working so hard for the Han Dynasty, it will really chill the people of Chang'an."
"But as Ye Shu said, some actions may make Cao Mengde, who is under the rule of the Yecheng court, feel that they have crossed the line. We must set a benchmark for those below us."
Liu Yu looked around at the faces of the people present, and seeing that everyone was waiting for him to give an answer at this moment, he continued, "Let the Grand Marshal be fined one year's salary, and from now on, any matters that require arbitrary decision-making must be reported to the court as soon as possible."
As Liu Yu said this, Wang Yun's expression could no longer be described as ugly.
A punishment like a one-year salary deduction is nothing to Qiao Yan!
Even though he had guessed that Liu Yu would never really punish Qiao Yan after her retort, whether it was delegating power to her or letting her move part of the Leping Academy to Chang'an, it would be much better than fining her one year's salary.
Among Qiao Yan's businesses, there were quite a few salt and iron businesses that should have been government-run, as well as transactions with aristocratic families in the areas of wine, sauces, paper, printing, etc. Each of them was a pillar industry that produced money. How could she lack the salary given to her by the court for the position of Grand Marshal?
But when Liu Yu sat back on the throne of the emperor, Wang Yun met his confused eyes and had to admit that, given Liu Yu's position, what he came up with was the most appropriate "punishment" for Qiao Yan.
It is also the most appropriate punishment for Liu Yu.
In the silence of the confession and the punishment, he heard Qiao Yan reply: "Your Majesty's leniency is not a reason for me to make a decision on my own. I will report the number of people to be accommodated in Luoyang to Your Majesty later, and it will never exceed the number of people accommodated in Chang'an. In addition, there are two things that Your Majesty still needs to personally review to see if they should be equipped in the Jinwu Guard."
There was really no need for Liu Yu to refuse the concessions she made once again.
When he nodded, whether they were worried that Qiao Yan's accusation would lead to punishment or worried that Liu Yu would be too gentle towards Qiao Yan, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Even Wang Yun felt that Cao Cao had given them an assist this time.
If he had not made the accusation first, Qiao Yan probably would not have given such a response.
But when the crossbows on one side pierced the targets and the deafening roar on the other side blew the stacked brick walls to pieces, even though he was already quite a distance away from those things, Wang Yun still felt cold all over in an instant.
He clearly saw the expression on Liu Bei's face near him.
From Liu Bei's unfamiliar attitude towards them, it was not difficult for Wang Yun to guess that none of these two things appeared on the battlefield in Xuzhou, but it still ended with Liu Bei's undisputed defeat.
If it was used to recover Jizhou and Qingzhou and conquer Yanzhou and Yuzhou, could Yuan Shao and Cao Cao really compete with it?
And at the moment when the glory of recovering the lost territory was all concentrated on Qiao Yan, no one could give a definite answer as to whether this was the world of the Han family or the world of the Qiao family.
What made Wang Yun feel even more chilled was that when he unexpectedly met Qiao Yan's gaze, he saw a hint of cheerful smile in her eyes, which was completely different from the attitude of her apology when she was making her statement in the palace just now.
At this moment, the boiling blood suddenly replaced the previous cold hands and feet.
"She didn't come here to ask for forgiveness, she came here to show off!"
It was really rare for Liu Yang to see that Wang Yun, this old fox, would actually behave in such an inappropriate manner.
He also didn't expect that, although he hadn't seen any other impacts from Qiao Yan's apology, one benefit had already been delivered to him.
When Wang Yun asked his subordinates to attend the meeting, it was hard to say whether he still had some reservations.
Considering that Wang Yun was a young man from a noble family with a good reputation, he probably didn't think highly of Liu Yang's abilities.
However, when Qiao Yan's words, which were ostensibly to apologize but were actually meant to clear his reputation, and when Wang Yun said that this was meant to show off his intention to attack, he resolutely switched sides.
Who else could he help if not Liu Yang?
Although Liu Yu may have seen the inappropriateness of Qiao Yan's behavior, he still retained some extravagant hopes for her.
As Liu Bei was once defeated by Qiao Yan, although he might still have the idea of avenging Zhang Fei and was loyal to the Liu family of the Han Dynasty, he did not have the position to gather people to work for him.
Seeing this, it turns out that there is only Liu Yang!
Fortunately, thanks to Chunyu Jia's advice to Liu Yang, he started with farming and won over Tian Chou, an official under the Grand Minister of Agriculture. From his recent performance, he seems to have shed some of the impetuousness he had in the past two years.
Perhaps because he had suffered repeated setbacks from Qiao Yan in the past few years, Liu Yang had realized that if he could not remove the huge mountain above his head, even if he was Liu Yu's only son, he would never be able to maintain his status as a prince, so he became more humble in his attitude.
He is not hopeless, there is still hope!
Qiao Yan needed Liu Yu, a member of the Han royal family, to be the emperor as a legitimate way for her to attack the various states. Wang Yun also needed Liu Yang, Liu Yu's son, as a bargaining chip to counter Qiao Yan.
So after expressing his dissatisfaction with Qiao Yan's preemptive apology, he turned to give advice to Liu Yang.
"You mean, after I finish my farming experience and observation, I should ask my father for permission to visit Leping Academy?" Liu Yang frowned. He was quite reluctant about Wang Yun's suggestion.
When he first met Yuan Yao, he had scoffed at the graduation examination of Leping Academy, but look at the current situation...
He, a prince, was still working under the Grand Minister of Agriculture. Yet, those guys who were not even half an adult were promoted to the position of governor of a state. What a strange thing!
Even if Yuan Yao did not publicize his evaluation of him, Liu Yang himself felt that it would be a shame for him if he ran to Qiao Yan's territory, or the place where those guys went to school.
"Your Highness, are you still afraid of losing face now?" Wang Yun asked seriously.
Faced with Wang Yun's extremely oppressive gaze at the moment, Liu Yang shook his head instinctively.
No, he has nothing to be afraid of losing face. If he was the only prince but missed the throne of the emperor, that would be a loss of face!
Wang Yun asked again: "Then Your Highness, do you think that you have enough manpower and weapons and equipment to match that of the great general Qiao?"
Liu Yang quickly shook his head again.
He was even very grateful that Wang Yun finally joined his team in person instead of through his subordinates. How could he possibly feel that there were too many people on his side?
Not to mention weapons and equipment.
Because explosives were too dangerous, Liu Yu did not accept them and left them in Chang'an City. He only sent a dozen crossbows to the Imperial Guards. They were all specially registered and controlled. It was not something Liu Yang could get hold of just by relying on his relationship with Xian Yu Yin.
As for Liu Bei, whom he particularly favored, it would take some time before he could get in touch with him because of Chunyu Jia's advice.
If he really wanted to confront Qiao Yan head-on, it would be almost impossible to do so.
Even if he was playing secretly, he was still short of manpower and equipment.
Wang Yun replied: "So Your Highness must make sure to meet some people through this trip to Leping Academy."
Liu Yang smiled bitterly and said, "What you said is totally irrational. As you said, Qiao Yeshu also said in the hall that the selection and cultivation process of the talents cultivated by Leping Academy were all arranged by her. It is not an exaggeration to say that they are her direct connections. It is because of this that she herself defined it as usurpation. Then what is the difference between letting me contact these people and exposing our plans directly to Qiao Yan?"
Wang Yun said firmly: "You are wrong. I am not asking you to get in touch with those students. I am asking you to get in touch with the teachers there."
He said to Liu Yang solemnly: "If you believe my judgment, then go and meet Lu Zhi and Lu Zigan in person."
Lu Zhi?
Who is the person who is half a teacher to Qiao Yan?
Liu Yang wanted to raise a few questions, but because Wang Yun said he believed in his judgment, he did not say it directly. He heard Wang Yun continue, "Don't say any of your judgments about Qiao Yeshu in the conversation with Lu Zigan. Just say that there are some situations that need to be consulted with Lu Gong. Then, please tell him everything you saw in Chang'an City, especially her words of apology today."
"Remember, be truthful!"
These two emphasized pronunciations made Liu Yang understand that Wang Yun was warning him not to exaggerate any statements, as this would have the opposite effect.
"You said, we can detect the abnormality, but Lu Zigan, who is in Leping but his heart is in Chang'an, really has no idea about it?"
I’m afraid not.
Wang Yun said: "If you can get his support, you don't have to worry about not being able to use Liu Xuande."
Wang Yun might still need to worry about young people like Lu Yu, wondering how much loyalty and recognition they have for the Han Dynasty. But as for Lu Zhi... thinking about how he went to Chang'an without caring about his own safety in the past, it can be confirmed that when it comes to those who are committed to the foundation of the Han Dynasty, Lu Zhi can be ranked high.
He and Qiao Yan did have a close friendship, and he even witnessed Qiao Yan's fate rising from the moment he became the governor of Bingzhou. But when it came to the fork in this road, he would never be a person who would sacrifice public interests for personal ones!
"Your Highness," Wang Yun's next words successfully stirred Liu Yang's blood, "The rise and fall of the Han Dynasty depends entirely on you!"
As for Liu Yu, just looking at the situation today, he really didn't dare to have any expectations of him.
If Liu Yang could make good progress with Lu Zhi, they might be able to completely change the current passive situation.
Experiencing the hardships of the people and all walks of life is indeed the best reason for them to let Liu Yang get in touch with different places. As long as Qiao Yan wants to recognize Liu Yu as His Majesty, she must acknowledge Liu Yang's status.
After finishing the visit to Leping Academy, he suggested that Liu Yang continue northward to take a look at the mineral veins in Bingzhou.
Doesn’t he still lack a suitable weapon?
If he remembered correctly what Qiao Yan said today when explaining explosives, this thing also had a place in iron ore mining.
This may be another way for them to get it.
You see, there is always a way out, they are not at the end of their rope yet!
However, after seeing the explosion of explosives, some people were planning to take it for themselves in another way, while some people were avoiding it like the plague and walked as fast as possible on the road from Yangzhou to Jiaozhou in the south.
He even caught up with Yu Ji, who had set out earlier than him, when he arrived at the border between Yangzhou and Nanhai County of Jiaozhou.
This encounter was something Zuo Ci had never expected, and Yu Ji was also surprised.
Seeing Zuo Ci like a vicious dog chasing him, Yu Ji couldn't help but twitch his mouth when he saw him. "Mr. Wu Jiao, if I remember correctly, before I left, I heard that you were so arrogant that you wanted to meet the Grand Marshal? But why..."
Why is he in such a miserable state today?
This is a really interesting contrast.
However, Zuo Ci was used to pretending on weekdays, and he would not put himself in a passive position just because of Yu Ji's question.
He smoothed the sleeves of his Taoist robe, still looking like an immortal, and replied calmly, "Because I later realized that competing with others for a little fame is not what people like me who practice Taoism should do, and there is no need to waste my energy by arguing with fools."
He pointed to the south and said, "This Jiaozhou is a place with poor mountains and bad waters. The people are trapped there. This is the right place for us to preach and solve their doubts."
The Jiaozhou governor, Zhang Jin, was also a hospitable person who could receive him!
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