The issue of annual tribute to Liao, Jin and Western Xia has always been a concern for Li Zhuo.
On the surface, it was said to be a reward to Liao and Jin, but everyone knew what the actual situation was.
Spending so much money every year just to get others to call you dad, but they are not really willing to call you that, it’s a loss no matter how you look at it.
Li Zhuo unanimously agreed that the treasury of the Great Qi was empty, and the annual tribute was the main reason.
Now that they had finally won the battle and had completely defeated the Liao and Jin, the first thing Li Zhuo thought of was to quickly cancel the annual tribute.
The money saved this year can be used to purchase more infrastructure for the country and build more gardens for him.
Especially when he said this in front of Gondor, Li Zhuo felt that he had never been so tough before. This was indeed the attitude that the Emperor of Da Qi should have!
What can Gondor say? The Liao and Jin dynasties have always followed the principle that whoever has the bigger fist is right. Since they failed to defeat the Great Qi, there is no need to talk about annual tribute.
In the current situation, it is no longer a question of whether to pay annual tribute or not. It is a blessing from heaven that he is still alive.
When had the officials of the Great Qi ever seen such a well-behaved Liao and Jin imperial teacher? They all looked at him as a rare sight.
It was only then that they realized that the Liao and Jin imperial masters were just like that, with one nose and two eyes. They didn't know what they had been afraid of before.
After the morning court session, Gondor quickly returned to the Honglu Temple with a grim look on his face.
The loyal servant beside him hurriedly came up and asked, "Sir, what's going on?"
"Tell Shangjing that Daqi is now at its peak of power and cannot be attacked. Ask the king to send someone to negotiate. I will also try to work among Daqi officials over the next two days to see if I can gain some benefits."
The old servant nodded, indicating that he understood. He dusted Gondor off and said, "Sir, someone just came with an invitation, saying they want to treat you to a drink."
"Hmm? Who is it?"
Gondor was also a little surprised. Now that Liao and Jin were defeated, his identity and status would have plummeted. No one should want to come up to him at this time. Could it be that they were here to humiliate him?
The old servant hurriedly lowered his head and said, "Although the other party didn't say it explicitly, I have seen that person before with the Third Prince of Daqi."
"The other princes of Da Qi? That's right, they must be unwilling to be suppressed by a little kid. Now that there is no external pressure, they have become active again." Gondor pinched his chin and said thoughtfully.
"So what do you think we should do about this? Do you want to go to the banquet?"
"Of course I have to go. I think this is a good opportunity to make a breakthrough. Go and pick out two gifts. I want to establish good relations with the princes of Da Qi."
Just as Gondor was thinking about how to win over the people of Da Qi, Li Zhuo looked at the queen in front of him with some impatience and said, "Stop crying, you're giving me a headache."
"Your Majesty, that's our child. Can you bear to send him away to his fiefdom? His fiefdom is too far away from us. I'm afraid this will be a farewell forever."
"What a joke! He's already grown up, does he really have to stay under our wings forever? Besides, he was primarily responsible for the defeat of Bazhou City. Fortunately, Yangxuzi took the blame before. Otherwise, do you think he would still be alive now?"
"Alright, don't dwell on this matter anymore. Let him get ready and go to the fiefdom as soon as possible."
Speaking of the eldest prince, Li Zhuo became furious. He was really bewildered at that time and actually handed over the military power to the other party.
The elite soldiers of Da Qi were wiped out by that idiot in one day, and even he almost became a stray dog. Li Zhuo now wants to drive the eldest prince away as soon as possible, as the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind.
Looking at his not-so-bright queen, Li Zhuo sighed and said, "Do you think I'm sending him to his fiefdom out of respect for our father-son relationship? On the contrary, I'm asking him to leave quickly to protect him."
"Hundreds of thousands of soldiers were killed or wounded, and the entire population of Bazhou City was slaughtered. Do you really think the entire court would have no objections?"
"So many people died, someone has to be held accountable. Fortunately, there's Yangxuzi, otherwise that evil creature probably wouldn't be alive today. You're his mother, if you really want to do this for his own good, talk to him and let him go to his fiefdom sooner."
"As for the position of crown prince, forget it. Even if I accepted it, the ministers would not allow such an incompetent person to take the throne and rule Da Qi."
After saying this, Li Zhuo waved his hand tiredly, indicating that the queen could leave.
But at this moment, the young eunuch outside shouted loudly: "The Queen Mother is here!"
Li Zhuo was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly went up to her and asked, "Mother, why are you here?"
"Why? I want to see my prince. Do I have to choose a special time?" The empress dowager was still as old and frail as ever, with white hair and a youthful face.
Compared with the queen, the queen mother's aura is much more stable.
After a few simple pleasantries, the two sides sat down. The Queen Mother looked at Li Zhuo and said, "This time, the foreign enemy invaded, thanks to your Majesty's wisdom and bravery. I believe that if our ancestors knew about this, they would be very pleased."
Li Zhuo blushed at this and waved his hands hastily, saying, "Actually, we were able to defeat the powerful enemy this time thanks to Xiang'er. My mother is in the harem and may not be aware of some things. Xiang'er has been fighting bravely on the city wall for a while now, and he didn't retreat even a single step even after being hit by more than a dozen arrows. He is truly worthy of being a son of the Li family."
"I've heard about this too. You're such a fool! Xiang'er is young and naive, and as a father, how could you let him do whatever he wants? As the saying goes, swords have no eyes. What would we do if something really happened?"
This is the art of conversation. The Queen Mother's casual remark changed the nature of Li Xiang's brave fight against the enemy on the city wall.
Li Zhuo's mouth twitched, and he didn't know how to respond. The Queen Mother didn't seem to want an answer either. She continued to talk to herself, "My birthday is coming up soon. I hope to be surrounded by people when I celebrate my birthday."
"I am getting older every year. Now I just want my grandchildren to be with me on my birthday."
"You are in good health, mother. You will surely live a long life. Don't worry, now that we have money, I will definitely make your birthday celebration a grand one. I will tell the people below to let your children and grandchildren stay in the capital for the time being."
"The emperor is thoughtful." The queen mother picked up the teacup, looking calm.
The queen on the side was stunned. Oh my god, is this how the King's Game works? It's really too strong!
At this time, the Queen Mother put down the teacup in her hand and said, "By the way, where is Yangxuzi now? The last time he came to the palace to tell me a story, he left a tail. If he didn't finish listening, I would feel like I was being scratched by a cat. Ask him to write down the rest."
Meanwhile, in a dungeon far away in Bazhou City, Lu Chen played with the knife in his hand and said, "There's an old Chinese saying, 'He who knows the current situation is a hero.' I hope you won't be so ungrateful. It will be good for both of us if you give up early. Don't you agree, Taoist Yangxuzi?"
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