"In this case, throw a stone to test the water... or make a move to alert the enemy!" The ministers discussed for a while and all had similar opinions. Zhao Jiu thought for a while and immediately made a decision. "Let Zhang Rong take the old Yellow River route and send the letter directly to Daming Prefecture to punish Nianhan! Let him return the envoy (Han Xiaozhou) who was detained before and surrender within a time limit! Otherwise, I will turn Daming Prefecture into another Yaoshan!"
Many people hesitated for a moment.
"It's just to alert the enemy..." Zhao Jiu hurriedly explained. "It's just to tease him. The biggest hope is to add fuel to the internal situation of Jin. It's not really to send troops."
Chen Gui and others were relieved.
After all, these people have no reason to panic. Since ancient times, there have been many emperors who became arrogant after winning a battle, and there have also been some who died soon after winning and their country was destroyed!
Of course, Zhao Jiu also realized this, and couldn't help but say a few more words: "Don't worry, my friends. Although we won at Yaoshan, it was extremely dangerous. After this battle, I didn't underestimate the enemy, but I was a little scared. Liu Ziyu, who insisted on persuading me to hold on before the battle, was rewarded and made a military commander. I already wanted him to be rewarded and made a military commander... And I can say it again today. After this battle, I really can't imagine how our troops will fight against the Jin cavalry on the Hebei Plain. We must conserve our strength and advance step by step to destroy the Jin people."
Everyone in the palace was finally relieved.
After all, Zhao Jiu had just returned from a long journey, so after asking two questions that could not be delayed any longer, he asked about the progress of the institutionalization of the Sanshe system, gave a few instructions to the ministers, and finally announced the dissolution of this "welcoming event".
But everyone dispersed, and the prime minister Lu Haowen, who did not participate in the discussion of the affairs throughout the whole process, was invited to the harem alone by the chief escort Lan Gui.
In this regard, the ministers were silent... After all, he was a prime minister with an exceptional status, and this was not a sensitive period. The position of prime minister had already been given out, and there was no story of a separate memorial to mention.
It's nothing more than the government asking a routine question to show favor to old and important officials.
As expected, when everyone dispersed, Zhao Jiu and others were in the small pavilion in the harem. When they saw Lu Haowen, they stood up to greet him and asked directly outside the pavilion: "Prince Lu, why do I always feel that the atmosphere in the palace is not right today?"
"Reporting to the emperor, I think there are many reasons for this."
The weather was crisp and clear in autumn. Lu Haowen's eyes moved from the yellow flowers around the pavilion, and then he raised his head slightly, only to see a group of wild geese flying south overhead. The prime minister raised his head and thought seriously, but surprisingly did not perfunctorily answer. "First, the emperor won a great victory in Yaoshan, and returned with the Eagle Shooting. The whole country was shocked, and the civil and military officials were in awe. Although this happened several months ago, the emperor had already adapted to it in Kansai, but for the civil and military officials in Tokyo, it was the first time they met the emperor after the war, and they were inevitably a little nervous..."
Even though Zhao Jiu knew that he shouldn't get carried away, he couldn't help but smile slightly and then nodded.
"Secondly, the government has made a large-scale replacement of prime ministers and has no doubt about its intention to reform the political situation. People at all levels don't know the government's intentions, so they can't help but wait and see." Lu Haowen was neither hurried nor slow, clasping his hands together.
Zhao Jiu seemed to be thinking about something, and his smile faded a bit.
"Three," Lu Haowen sighed. "Your Majesty shouldn't be analyzing the Goryeo envoy and Nianhan in public today based on 'benefits and disadvantages'... It's inappropriate."
Zhao Jiu finally frowned: "I know that these things are a bit too calculating, but when it comes to the enemy, isn't it right to use military tactics to confront each other and use cunning tactics?"
"I didn't say that your Majesty handled these two matters wrongly." Lu Haowen was still calm. "But since it is about the enemy and us, why can't you call the prime minister, the Privy Council, and the generals of the imperial camp to discuss it alone? Your Majesty, the cruelty and barbarity of the Jin people are known to everyone in the country. In this extraordinary time, we don't ask your Majesty to be a saint, but even if you are an emperor on horseback, you are more important than Mount Tai, and you still need to be a saint on the outside and a king on the inside... and today you must be both civil and military, and be listed in the Wende Hall!"
Zhao Jiu fell silent, and Lu Haowen also stood there with his hands behind his back, remaining silent. Lan Gui, who was standing by, had already started counting his own heartbeats, but after counting to about a hundred, Emperor Zhao finally spoke up: "Prime Minister Lu is absolutely right, I was too impatient!"
Lu Haowen looked calm, but Lan Gui was the first to breathe a sigh of relief.
"Does the emperor have anything else to say?" After Lu Haowen nodded, he continued to ask.
Zhao Jiu hesitated for a moment, but said frankly: "I wanted to talk to Mr. Lu about some old things, but as Mr. Lu reminded me, I am a little too impatient. Let's talk about it in two days..."
Lu Haowen finally laughed, but took two steps back and bowed: "You have worked hard to maintain the country. You have been gone for half a year. It is time for you to rest early."
Zhao Jiu said no more, but directly sent the other party out of the harem, and asked Lan Gui to follow. When he turned around, he saw Feng Yi had already come behind him and was waiting for him.
"Did Concubine Pan send you here?" Zhao Jiu came forward and asked.
"Yes." Feng Yi bowed his head.
"Are all those chrysanthemums beside the pavilion also arranged by Concubine Pan?" Zhao Jiu continued to stand facing him.
"It was Madam Pan who ordered it to be put there," Feng Yi responded immediately. "But it was not paid for by the government. It was sent by the wives of the rich and powerful who returned from Yangzhou... They came to the palace to pay a visit to Madam Pan, and when they saw that the place was run-down, they took the initiative to collect money and sent a lot of flowers and furniture to the palace."
Zhao Jiu nodded and said, "I will go to see Concubine Pan now. I will accompany her from now until tomorrow. But before I go out to do things tomorrow, you must return all these things that were sent to me. If anyone dares not to accept them, you will carry them to his home in person... Do you understand?"
Feng Yi was stunned for a moment, then nodded continuously.
"That's right." Zhao Jiu turned around and walked a few steps, then turned back. "Don't move the furnishings in Concubine Pan's room... Why not go to Concubine Wu's house and ask for some money to pay those people! Tell Wu Guozhang that I didn't take his money for nothing, and his homemade 'Blue Bridge Wind Moon' will be the national wine from now on. Starting from entertaining the Goryeo envoys, I will use his wine."
Feng Yi was stunned again, and it took him a long time to come around. Then he nodded, but Emperor Zhao had already walked away with his hands behind his back.
PS: Lanqiao Fengyue is indeed the brand of wine of Wu Yu's family in history... The Song Dynasty's monopoly on wine was based on the monopoly of koji. Theoretically, anyone could make their own wine after buying the koji. The fact that dignitaries made their own wine and formed their own brand was a strong proof of the developed commodity economy at that time... The trend was most popular during the Huizong period, and there were the most wine brands, but it was basically destroyed in the Jingkang period and became rare after the Southern Song Dynasty. However, Lanqiao Fengyue still appeared, which shows the financial strength and influence of the 'Pearl Wu' family.
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