"But anything, just say it!"
Liu Zhao behaved very magnanimously at this moment.
The ministers exchanged glances and reached a tacit understanding.
"However, the imperial court never asked the Northwest Army to march thousands of miles to attack the Western Liang Kingdom. Nor did it ever order the Northwest Army to destroy the Western Liang Kingdom."
"From the beginning, the imperial court only instructed the Northwest Army to strike back at Xiliang and defend the border. Yet, the Northwest Army took it upon themselves to pursue the enemy, advancing triumphantly and breaking into the Xiliang royal city. Even more incredible, the Northwest Army single-handedly annihilated the Xiliang Kingdom and killed the Xiliang King. Such courage, such a feat. However, the story behind this achievement must be investigated."
"I'd like to ask, who provides the logistical supplies for the Northwest Army? Tens of thousands of soldiers and generals march thousands of miles, and still have enough energy to fight a war of annihilation. This is not something that ordinary logistical supplies can provide."
"Minister of Revenue, shouldn't you hand over your Ministry of Revenue's accounts for everyone to review? How much food and fodder did your Ministry of Revenue give to the Northwest Army? Could it be that you've concealed the data and falsified the accounts?"
"The amount of money and grain recorded in the Ministry of Revenue's account books is probably less than 10% of the actual amount. Otherwise, it would not be enough to support the Northwest Army in its war to annihilate the country."
"Stop your nonsense! Go ahead and check the Ministry of Revenue's accounts. If you find any problems, you can take my head. If you can't find any problems, do you dare to gamble with my head?"
Lord Qin, who was promoted to Minister of Revenue just two years ago, was furious.
He was labeled as the trusted adviser of Emperor Jingming Liu Zhao and was promoted by Liu Zhao himself.
It was normal for the ministers to suspect that he was dishonest and had cooked the accounts.
"If the Ministry of Revenue's account books are correct, then the problem lies with the Minister of the Interior. The Minister of the Interior could have secretly provided food, fodder, and weapons to the Northwest Army under the guise of a caravan."
The new Shaofu Household Director, Liu Bao, known as the old and confused one by the clan members, is hard of hearing.
"What, what...did someone just mention Shaofu? Could you please say it again? I didn't hear it clearly."
When the ministers heard this, they felt disgusted and angry.
You must have done it on purpose!
Your Majesty must have deliberately appointed an old man with hearing loss to be the Minister of the Imperial Household.
The court officials bypassed the Shaofu and asked Liu Zhao directly.
"Without His Majesty's permission, how could the Minister of the Imperial Household dare to transport such large quantities of food, fodder, and military equipment to the Northwest Army?"
"Your Majesty, without telling the entire court, secretly ordered the Northwest Army to march out and wage a war to annihilate the nation. This is the way of a tyrant!"
"To lightly provoke border conflicts and wantonly destroy nations is the way of a tyrant. Throughout history, any emperor obsessed with military power has inevitably led to the suffering of the people. Your Majesty, please stop before it is too late and turn back."
"Instead of suppressing the Marquis of Lu and the Northwest Army, he assisted the Northwest Army in a war to annihilate the country, which made the Marquis of Lu's prestige unprecedentedly high. I dare to ask Your Majesty, how should we deal with the aftermath?"
"The Marquis of Lu has achieved such merits that there is no reward for them. This is not immortal merit, but a path to disaster."
"Xiliang is thousands of miles from the border, and as far from the capital as the horizon. I dare to ask, Your Majesty, what is the point of ordering the Northwest Army to destroy Xiliang? Could the court actually send officials thousands of miles away to govern Xiliang?"
"Xiliang is like chicken ribs to the Great Zhou. It's tasteless to eat, a pity to abandon it, and it's a waste of money and food to station troops and guard it. It's better to abandon it!"
Liu Zhao straightened his back and smiled coldly, "Are you done?"
"Your Majesty, please issue an order to summon the Northwest Army back to defend the city and to summon the Duke of Lu back to the capital."
Liu Zhao's face was filled with sarcasm. "Who just said that Xiliang was useless and could be discarded? I have always believed that the civil and military officials standing in the court right now should be the most intelligent, knowledgeable, and far-sighted people in the Great Zhou. However, your convincing remarks have made me realize how short-sighted and ignorant you are."
"Does Your Majesty really intend to manage Xiliang? The result will only be a waste of money and food, and an unnecessary burden on the people."
"Your opinions are all outdated. Stupid!"
"Your Majesty, please explain clearly."
"Think about it, everyone: how did the ancient emperors do it? And why did they achieve great unification?"
The throne room was as quiet as a chicken.
You can hear a pin drop in the hall.
"You only know how to cling to the old ways. You are stupid and short-sighted. I think you have all become stupid from reading too much." Liu Zhao roared, waking up the silent crowd.
Lord Lu knew how to seize the moment. He stepped forward and said loudly, "Your Majesty, do you intend to follow the example of ancient emperors in enfeoffing princes?"
Liu Zhao snorted coldly and said nothing.
Lord Lu continued, "We finally conquered Xiliang, spending a huge amount of money and food. It's hard to retreat like this! We are sorry for the blood shed by the soldiers, for the painstaking efforts of Your Majesty, and for the money and food we spent. However, the court is unable to govern Xiliang, and it is too far away, but we cannot give up on Xiliang.
"It would be better to enfeoff a vassal to govern Xiliang on behalf of the imperial court. This would not only solve the imperial court's problems, but after several years of governance, Xiliang would truly identify with the Great Zhou and become part of the Great Zhou territory. There's also a benefit: from now on, Xiliang would become the Great Zhou's defense against foreign invaders, pushing the border forward by thousands of miles. The border would become an inland area, and the Great Zhou's regional structure would undergo a profound transformation. This would be an unprecedented achievement!"
Double act!
To flatter.
Lord Lu has fallen!
Lord Lu is a good flatterer.
His Majesty was mentioned once at the beginning, and the rest of the text focused on the overall situation.
It seems that he is talking about something, but in fact, every word is flattering His Majesty.
If Your Majesty had not had foresight, courage, and the daring to think and act, how could you have achieved such extraordinary achievements today?
The Duke of Lu was at most a man who led troops to fight.
The person who truly plans and wins battles thousands of miles away is Your Majesty!
This flattery is really clever.
A man who can serve as the Minister of the Central Secretariat is indeed extraordinary.
While the ministers sincerely admired Lord Lu, they also sincerely despised him.
Shameless.
"According to Lord Lu, this is about dividing the land and conferring a title of nobility! Lord Lu, what are your intentions? How much benefit have you received from the Marquis of Lu in private?"
Lord Lu sneered and ignored the other party.
"Your Majesty, we shouldn't trouble two masters for one matter. Since the Northwestern Army is in Xiliang, why not issue an order for them to be stationed there and instruct the Marquis of Lu to govern Xiliang, quell the local unrest, and truly incorporate Xiliang into the Great Zhou's territory."
"Your Majesty, I beg you to execute Lord Lu. He is a traitor to the nation!"
"Your Majesty, please kill the traitor!"
"This is absurd! I am dedicated to the public good, and every word I say is for the country and the people, for the long-term survival of the Great Zhou. You who insist on abandoning Xiliang are the true traitors, fools, and short-sighted people."
"Lu, stop quibbling. Were you the one who deceived His Majesty into supporting the Northwest Army's expedition to Xiliang? Tell me, how much money, food, and military equipment were spent? Check the accounts of the Minister of the Treasury. This matter must be clarified."
"Without my permission, who dares to check the accounts of the Shaofu?"
Liu Zhao slammed the table heavily.
"The Shaofu is my private treasury. I can use the Shaofu's money however I want."
"Even if it's your Majesty's private treasury, every penny is the blood and sweat of the people."
Liu Zhao was furious, not caring about his status, and cursed loudly: "Bullshit! Do you have a brain? The interest earned by the Shaofu Bank is the people's blood and sweat? The money earned by the Imperial Bank is the people's blood and sweat? I think you have become stupid because of reading books. You blindly cling to the contents of books and think you are right. You are obviously stupid. Without the Shaofu Bank, usury would still be rampant in the capital, and countless ordinary people would be forced into bankruptcy.
Those loan sharks, what kind of people are behind them? Do you really think I don't know? Before you scold me for wasting the people's money, take a look at your own ass. You'd better not force me to dig up old scores, otherwise, every one of you will go to the Jinwu Guard for tea."
Although the Jinwu Guards have a bad reputation, they are still somewhat effective.
Some people visibly retreated.
But there is always a shortage of stubborn people.
"The Duke of Lu is a traitor to the country. Your Majesty, supporting the Duke of Lu is equivalent to supporting a traitor to the country. This old minister firmly opposes it."
"I object as well. No matter how important Xiliang is, no matter what the Great Zhou's territorial boundaries will be, Your Majesty, without the consent of the court, privately supporting the Northwest Army through the Ministry of the Imperial Household to fight and destroy Xiliang is wrong. Your Majesty, please go to Fengxian Hall and kowtow to our ancestors and apologize."
"roll!"
Liu Zhao's answer was only one word.
It's so infuriating!
He couldn't hold back some words in his heart, so he let them out in one breath.
"If Taizu were still alive, all of you short-sighted people who advocated abandoning Xiliang would have lost your heads. Don't use the ancestors of the Liu family to scare me. I have expanded our territory, and my ancestors would be deeply pleased if their spirits were still there. I did not increase taxes or labor service, and I fought this war of annihilation with the strength of the Shaofu alone. Aren't you ashamed? How dare you blame me? Who gave you the courage? Go home and reflect on your mistakes. I don't want to see your disgusting faces. Dismiss the court!"
Liu Zhao turned away and left.
If he doesn't withdraw from the court, he might lose control and start a killing spree.
After Xiliang was conquered, it was a happy time and I didn't want to kill anyone.
However, someone forced him to kill.
Liu Zhao returned to Xingqing Palace angrily.
After Lord Lu and several court officials arrived, the emperor and his officials held a small court meeting to discuss follow-up plans.
After Xiliang was conquered, the next step was to divide the land and crown the king.
It's simple to say, it's just a matter of will.
In fact, there are many things to consider.
If most of the people in the court are not appeased, there will be people who pretend to obey this decree but actually disobey it.
Perhaps nothing would have happened when Liu Zhao was alive.
When Liu Zhao passes away, all the efforts we have made now may be overturned.
In order to prevent this possibility and to clear obstacles for future generations, Liu Zhao must now deal with most of the people in the court and clear all obstacles in front of this decree.
Therefore, he cannot start a massacre at this time and leave hidden dangers for the future.
After finishing his official business, Liu Zhao went to Chang'an Palace to seek comfort and a hug.
Gu Jiu made him a cup of heat-clearing herbal tea and said, "I expected the court officials' reaction a long time ago. Why are you so angry? Is it really necessary?"
"I almost died of anger, and you still scolded me."
Liu Zhao felt very aggrieved.
Gu Jiu smiled and pushed the teacup forward. "Clear the fire. I asked the kitchen to make some soup. You can drink two bowls with me later. As for the court officials, if you tempt them with benefits, they will compromise sooner or later."
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