"Mr. Dou, great idea!"
Gu Jiu raised his teacup and said, "I would like to offer a toast to Mr. Dou."
Mr. Dou picked up the teacup with a look of trepidation, "Your Majesty, I am deeply ashamed to accept your compliments."
"Mr. Dou, you're too polite. As the most senior advisor to the Marquis of Lu, you must have extraordinary skills and vision! Seeing you today, I can see that your reputation is well-deserved."
"Your Majesty is exaggerating. I am just a nobody."
"Mr. Dou is too modest. Lord, what do you think of the double-track carriage?"
Pei Meng said with a serious face: "This artifact should be used for military purposes first."
Gu Jiu nodded repeatedly, "My Lord and I agree that military use should be prioritized. What are your thoughts on the current situation in the northwest?"
Damn, this topic changed too quickly.
Mr. Dou looked at Pei Meng with some concern.
Pei Meng frowned slightly, "The overall situation in the northwest is settled!"
Gu Jiu laughed, "Master, are you sure the situation in the Northwest is settled?"
Pei Meng's brow furrowed even more. "I'd like to ask your Majesty's opinion."
Gu Jiu put down his teacup, his face darkened, and his tone was cold. "Northwest China is the territory of the Great Zhou. Anyone who attempts to sever the Northwest China is the enemy of the Great Zhou. The Great Zhou will kill them at all costs!"
As soon as the words fell, the atmosphere in the flower hall became solemn.
Like a taut bowstring, it will break if you apply a little force!
Pei Meng held the soft armrests tightly with both hands.
In the flower hall, several eunuchs were facing a formidable enemy, their hands already in their arms.
If Pei Meng makes any unusual movement, he will suddenly attack and kill people.
"No one is trying to split the Northwest!" Pei Meng said firmly, leaving no room for doubt. "We have never wanted to split the Northwest! We just hope to avoid being abandoned by the cunning rabbit after its death. We don't want to be cursed for eternity and die with our bodies torn to pieces."
Gu Jiu tapped the armrest lightly. "Everyone who has come into contact with me knows that I am a generous person and never care about trivial matters. I despise the practice of abandoning the running dog after the cunning rabbit is dead. Only an incompetent and suspicious person would do such a thing."
Accident!
What a surprise!
Pei Meng exchanged a glance with Mr. Dou.
Mr. Dou hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty, are you suggesting that you provide the Northwest Army with a way out?"
Gu Jiu said solemnly: "The court has never thought of forcing the Northwest Army into a desperate situation. Your Majesty did not, the late emperor did not, and Emperor Wuzong Kaiyao did not have such plans."
Pei Meng asked, "Is this the promise the Queen made on behalf of His Majesty?"
Gu Jiu smiled and shook his head, "This is not a promise, this is a fact! I am just stating the facts."
Pei Meng then asked, "What is the attitude of His Majesty and His Majesty? What is the attitude of the court?"
Gu Jiu smiled faintly, "The court's attitude is very clear. The Northwest Army belongs to the court, not to a certain family or surname. Military power must belong to the court."
"The court wants to take away the military power of the Northwest Army?" Pei Meng's face was gloomy. He knew that Queen Gu had no good intentions in asking him to return to the capital for a meeting.
Gu Jiu emphasized, "This is the attitude of the court."
Mr. Dou asked before Pei Meng could, "Hearing what Her Majesty said, it seems that Her Majesty has different ideas."
Gu Ji smiled and spoke softly, but his words were particularly heartbreaking. "Of course, my uncle is unwilling to hand over the military power. If the court forces you and your son to hand over the military power, will you and your son rebel?"
Mr. Dou's face turned pale and he laughed, "Your Majesty has misunderstood."
"I didn't ask Mr. Dou. I wanted to hear the answer from the uncle."
She stared at Pei Meng intently.
In the flower hall, all the eunuchs were on high alert, as if facing a powerful enemy.
Pei Meng's face was expressionless as he asked, "What does your Majesty want to hear?"
"Of course it's true!"
Pei Meng laughed sarcastically, "Your Majesty knows it well."
Gu Jiu shook her head slightly. "I need you to say it yourself so that I can make the most accurate judgment. Sincerity is the premise of conversation. I have nothing to hide from you, Lord. We can say whatever we should and shouldn't say in this room. Once we leave this room, we will each return to our respective identities and positions."
Pei Meng hesitated for a moment, then said solemnly, "No one wants to rebel! However, I was born to be on the battlefield, and I will die on the battlefield. I will never surrender and die at the hands of a group of villains."
"Very good! I can see that this is what Lord Bo really said! A good man, when he dies on the battlefield, shows his true heroic qualities."
Pei Meng raised an eyebrow, "Your Majesty actually agrees with my idea?"
Gu Jiu nodded, "Of course I agree!"
"Why? My thoughts clearly run counter to the will of the imperial court. Your Majesty should understand that I will not surrender my military power obediently."
"I know, and I never thought of asking Lord Earl to surrender his military power. A skilled warrior should always stand on the battlefield, and die there, rather than living in a muddle-headed state, drained by wine and sex. That is the sorrow of a skilled warrior, and a loss for the court."
Accident!
Big surprise!
Is this the turning point for the Northwest Army?
Mr. Dou asked cautiously, "Does your Majesty support Lord Lu Hou continuing to control the Northwest Army?"
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Marquis Lu and his son can continue to lead the Northwest Army, but not in the Northwest."
I don't understand what you mean.
If the Northwest Army is not in the Northwest, where can it go?
"What kind of place is Xiliang?" Gu Jiu suddenly asked.
Of the three people present, only Mr. Dou had been to the Xiliang Royal City.
He considered and said, "The Xiliang Royal City is rich, but the people of Xiliang are poor."
"I've heard that west of Xiliang, there's a vast expanse of land, home to dozens, even hundreds, of nations and tribes. Further south and west of the northwest, I've heard the local nobles pave the ground and decorate their houses with gold. There's gold everywhere, with mines literally exposed on the surface, available for uncontrolled mining."
"Is there really such a place? I have never heard of it." Mr. Dou looked surprised.
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "I heard that place is called Shendu."
"Sindhu?" Mr. Dou's mind raced. "I seem to have seen a description of Sindhu in some miscellaneous journal. Is it really a land of gold?"
"Find their royal city, and you'll find it's entirely made of gold. More importantly, the people are docile. If you overthrow the royal family, they'll willingly submit to the new masters."
Mr. Dou became excited and said, "I will go back and look for information about Sindhu."
The groundwork was basically complete. Gu Jiu looked at Pei Meng and asked, "What do you think, Uncle?"
Pei Meng's face was serious. "Your Majesty, you have said so much. There must be a deeper meaning. Please explain it clearly."
Gu Jiu clapped his hands, and soon Xu Yousi came to the flower hall with a map.
Hang the map on the movable wooden board and fix the four corners.
The entire Great Zhou and the entire Western Regions are clearly visible on the map.
Mr. Dou's eyes widened.
Pei Meng stood up suddenly and rushed to the map.
"The imperial court actually has such a clear map? It even includes the Western Regions."
Gu Jiu's face was filled with pride. "The caravan has been operating in Xiliang King City for many years, working tirelessly to finally draw a topographical map of the Western Regions. And it took untold hardships to bring it back."
Pei Meng gritted his teeth, he knew that Queen Gu had ulterior motives when she chose to cooperate with the Northwest Army.
He actually secretly sent people to infiltrate the caravan and secretly drew a map of the Western Regions.
Pei Meng asked bluntly, "Bei Rong sent troops south, and Xi Liang followed suit. Was this the work of the Empress?"
"No! Although I can roughly judge the situation, I cannot influence the decision of the Beirong Royal Court and the King of Xiliang. Lord, you overestimate me."
"Your Majesty is too modest! Hopeless Bald Donkey is a qualified chess piece. If Your Majesty has any orders, he will definitely carry them out without compromise."
"On behalf of Master Wuwang, I thank the uncle for his consideration. There were early signs that Xiliang was sending troops. Over the years, we plundered a large amount of money from Xiliang through trade. Ambitious people in Xiliang have long realized that the Great Zhou is a jackal, a tiger, and a leopard, and that trade relations with the Great Zhou must be severed. With Beirong sending troops south, the pro-war faction in Xiliang seized the opportunity to rise to power. It was only a matter of time before Xiliang sent troops to cooperate with Beirong. I believe Marquis Lu and Mr. Dou had anticipated this situation, which is why the Northwest Army was able to dispatch troops in time to prevent Xiliang from joining forces with Beirong."
Pei Meng laughed heartily, "Women are as good as men. I am willing to admit defeat."
Gu Jiu waved his hand, "I am just an afterthought. I can't compare to you and your son who are in the middle of the situation and can see the whole situation clearly."
Mr. Dou stared at the map for a long time, pondering, "Does the Empress want the Northwest Army to continue westward?"
Gu Jiu stood up and walked to the map.
"Everyone says that the Marquis of Lu and his son are ambitious and will one day fight the imperial army. No matter the outcome, it will be a disaster for the Great Zhou. I believe that the Marquis of Lu and the Earl have already prepared for war with the imperial court. I am not wrong, am I?"
Pei Meng was silent and said nothing.
Mr. Dou broke out in a cold sweat and explained palely, "It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding. Your Majesty, don't listen to the words of a villain."
Gu Jiu raised an eyebrow and smiled, "No one would willingly hand over the power in their hands. This palace understands. The Northwest Army is a major concern for the court, causing sleepless nights for generations of emperors. If this continues, with the strength of the Northwest Army, one day they will take the step of secession. Therefore, this palace wrote a letter to arrange a meeting to prevent the situation from escalating to this point."
Pei Meng demanded sharply, "How can we avoid this? Let us, father and son, surrender our military power and return to Beijing to retire. Then the imperial court will take this opportunity to dismember the Northwest Army and kill our trusted generals?"
"This is the worst option!"
Gu Jiu said solemnly, "Only foolish court officials with no brains and only eyes focused on their own little piece of land would resort to the methods that Lord Bo has described. With constant pressure, anyone with blood in their veins would take up arms and rebel. Several dynasties have more or less encountered similar problems."
The end result, without exception, was a weakening of the dynasty's national strength, leading it from prosperity to decline and eventual collapse. New dynasties were established, continuing the old ways of the previous dynasty, repeating the cycle over and over again, seemingly unable to find a second way out. However, I, Your Majesty, have been scheming for years and have finally found a second path for the Great Zhou Dynasty—one that ensured the survival of the Northwest Army.
"What road?" Mr. Dou asked the core question of today's conversation on Pei Meng's behalf.
Gu Jiu pointed to the Western Regions on the map and said, "The imperial court will provide money, food, and weapons. The day the Northwest Army conquers Xiliang will be the day the imperial court will crown the Marquis of Lu as king. Splitting the land and being crowned king is the future for you and your son and the Northwest Army."
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