Pei Meng, the day Mr. Dou set off to return to the northwest, the capital was in a state of excitement.
This is because the entire government of the Duke of Lu and the entire government of the Marquis of Pingxi will leave the capital together and head to the northwest.
For this move, all movable items from the two mansions were moved away except for the houses.
Pack large items and have them shipped by Sanhe Express.
It is obvious that once he leaves, he will never come back.
For this reason, the two mansions went on a shopping spree during this period, as if they were determined to spend all their savings and not leave until they had spent them all.
From small things like a needle and a piece of hemp rope to large things like a four-wheeled carriage, various iron tools, seeds, books, and even carts of grain...
For anything that can be bought with money, except houses, my attitude is to buy, buy, buy...
Buy everything, pack it up and send it to the northwest.
Despite being in mourning, Pei Yun came to the Duke of Lu's mansion to see him off.
"After this farewell, I'm afraid we may never see each other again in this life." She burst into tears.
Lady Lu Hou, on the other hand, seemed very energetic. Apart from the panic in the first few days, she accepted her fate calmly.
Knowing that she would not have the chance to return to the capital after going to the northwest, she decided to empty her mansion.
Purchasing in large quantities and turning as much money as possible into supplies was also a decision she made after discussing with Pei Meng.
The Pei family had plenty of money. Years of trade with Xiliang had allowed the Duke of Lu and his son to accumulate a large fortune.
What they lack now are supplies, supplies to carve up a kingdom, and people, a large number of people.
Pei Meng could not hide the matter of dividing the land and enthroning the king from the wife of the Marquis of Lu, so he told her the truth.
So Lady Lu Hou made a straightforward decision, "Take all the servants away. They can reproduce and raise children, and they are the seed of population."
At the same time, he also bought a large number of male and female servants through human traffickers.
The palace did not stop them from buying people.
Even if they are not allowed to buy and sell human beings in the capital, they will do so in the northwest, and do it even more crazily.
Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao also hope that the Northwest Army can successfully take root in Xiliang, and population is the key.
"As long as they can afford to support these people, I will not interfere!"
This is Liu Zhao’s attitude.
In Gu Jiu's words, the diversity of the population structure is conducive to avoiding population risks.
Of course, Lady Lu Hou was very sensible. Although she bought male and female servants through human traffickers, she did not buy them in large quantities to avoid criticism.
But even so, the court officials were furious.
"Your Majesty actually allowed the families of Marquis Lu and Pei Meng to leave the capital and head northwest? This is like letting a tiger return to the mountains!"
"Your Majesty is confused! You cannot allow the Marquis of Lu's family to leave the capital!"
"Without these families, how can the court restrain the Marquis of Lu and his son?"
"A tyrant!"
Civil officials and military generals were filled with righteous indignation, their eyes red with anger.
If there were no royal family members who could restrain Liu Zhao, the court officials would definitely have to purge the court.
Liu Zhao's plan to advance westward and his plan to divide the land and become a king cannot be disclosed to the outside world at this moment.
He bore the stigma of a tyrant and angrily shouted, "I allowed my uncle's family to be reunited. This is filial piety. What's wrong with that?"
"Your Majesty is the Majesty of all the people of the world. How can you disregard the safety of the court for the sake of the happiness of one person and one family?"
"The Duke of Lu and his son are ambitious and have long been guilty of treason. If you allow their families to leave the capital, Your Majesty will surely suffer the consequences one day. If the Great Zhou Dynasty is in danger of unspeakable disaster, Your Majesty will be the culprit."
"How dare you! The Northwest Army is actively preparing for war and is determined to capture Xiliang in one fell swoop. I have only shown my gratitude, yet you short-sighted people have insulted me like this. Do you really think I dare not kill you?"
"Your Majesty, please send us to prison and execute us, but we still do not want to do that."
"It's true that the Northwest Army is actively preparing for war, but it's probably false that they're attacking Xiliang."
"Ridiculous! Do you think the Northwest Military Governor's Office is a pushover? Or are you all just good-for-nothings who think you can't defeat the Marquis of Lu and his son? You only boost others' morale while destroying your own prestige. What a role model!"
Liu Zhao was sarcastic and mocking, without any politeness.
Although he is not good at arguing, he is very good at confronting people!
"The Northwest Army has been entrenched in the Northwest for nearly a hundred years, passed down through generations. Their fighting style is unparalleled, and they are particularly adept at field assaults. It's not that we, the ministers, are trying to boost others' morale and diminish our own prestige, but rather that we have self-awareness. The Northwest Grand Commandery has indeed been very effective in its military restructuring over the years, but the chances of victory against the Northwest Army are slim! Keeping the Marquis of Lu's family in the capital was also a means of containment. Now, even this containment has been released by Your Majesty. How is this any different from squandering the family?"
Liu Zhao sarcastically said, "Do you really think that if we leave the Duke of Lu's family in the capital, he will be cautious? You really underestimate him."
How could a hero of today care about the love between young men and women?
If family members die, they die. At worst, you can just keep having children.
Besides the Marquis of Lu and his son, several of his other sons and grandsons were training in the Northwest Army. Are you still worried that the Pei family will be extinct?
This is truly absurd.
Liu Zhao pointed at the civil and military officials and said, "You are placing too much importance on the family of the Marquis of Lu and too little on me. It is too early to judge whether I am a tyrant or not. Wait three to five years, and then you can make a conclusion. I dismiss the court!"
Liu Zhao turned away with a look of anger on his face.
Qian Fu was on duty today, and he followed Liu Zhao closely.
Liu Zhao ordered, "The man who called me a tyrant, have the Jinwu Guards secretly investigate. If there is corruption or other charges, he will be sent to prison directly."
Qian Fu obeyed the order.
I secretly complained that His Majesty was such a stingy person.
Liu Zhao is such a vengeful and petty person.
He was unhappy and had no intention of reviewing the memorials, so he simply went to Gu Jiu for comfort and a kiss.
Gu Jiu pushed him away with a slap, "Don't bother me, I'm busy now."
"What are you busy with?" Liu Zhao asked aggrievedly.
Gu Jiu buried his head in the account book and said, "I'm busy calculating the Northwest Army's material consumption. This is a huge expense. How are you going to explain this to the court officials?"
Liu Zhao leaned over to the soft couch. "Don't mention it! This morning at court, everyone was saying I'd let the tiger go back to the mountains, that I was a sinner for the Great Zhou, and they were pointing fingers at me and calling me a tyrant. If I told them that the court would have to spend millions of taels of money and grain to support the Northwest Army's attack on Xiliang in the next few years, I'm afraid those civil and military officials would be so desperate that they would really try to purge the emperor."
Gu Jiu laughed, "Don't worry, I'll find a way for you."
Liu Zhao rolled his eyes. "I have ordered the Jinwu Guard to investigate the bastard who called me a tyrant. If they find any evidence against me, they will all be sent down as Zhaoyi."
Gu Jiu touched his face halfheartedly, and while looking at the account book, he said, "Don't be so stingy. If someone calls you a tyrant, slap them back tomorrow, and make them slap loudly."
"I can't wait that long."
Liu Zhao was so angry that he almost died.
This was only the first year of Jingming. He had been on the throne for less than a year, but he had already been pointed at and scolded as a tyrant by court officials countless times.
He was called a tyrant for building large-scale projects in the palace, he was called a tyrant for imprisoning court officials, he was called a tyrant for not following the ancestral system, and now he was called a tyrant again...
Liu Zhao said, "Soon there will be articles in the newspapers that will slander me with innuendos. I must have the Newspaper Bureau investigate this matter thoroughly."
"Don't worry. Wenqing Bookstore will publish a book called 'Journey to the West' soon. Sanyuan Gong and Zhou Shi'an have both lived in the northwest for many years. They both wrote prefaces recommending this book. It's hard not to be popular."
Liu Zhao hugged her and asked, "Has it started?"
Gu Jiu nodded. "Start with public opinion. Let the world know about the dangers and wealth of the northwest. Let adventurous people go to the northwest, open up trade, and plunder wealth. Let the world know the importance of governing the northwest. Then when you announce the dispatch of troops to Xiliang, the court's opposition will be much smaller."
Liu Zhao pinched his chin and said, "We still need the cooperation of the Northwest Military Governor's Office!"
"Of course, the cooperation of the Grand Commandery is needed. When will the Grand Commandery be able to drive Beirong towards Xiliang?"
It is in the interests of the Great Zhou to drive Beirong to Xiliang and let Beirong fight with Xiliang.
The prairie does not need a powerful nation, nor does it need a powerful royal family.
Beirong could not be destroyed for the time being, but could only survive. Forced to become a sharp sword in the hands of the Great Zhou, it stirred up chaos in the Western Regions and invaded the Western Regions.
Head west and kill wherever you go.
If Beirong has the ability to find a piece of land in the Western Regions and survive, it is also their ability.
The waters of the Western Regions are already muddy. If others can stir them up, why can't the Great Zhou do the same?
No matter what kind of army or fanatical warmongers you have, Gu Jiu and Liu Zhao are sure to get the Western Regions.
Liu Zhao whispered, "Beirong has sent someone to contact them. They need weapons."
Gu Jiu burst out laughing, "My Majesty, are you interested in being a weapons dealer?"
Liu Zhao frowned, "We really need to sell the obsolete weapons to Beirong."
Gu Jiu smiled and said, "Fight to support the war. You can neither give Beirong a chance to breathe nor let Beirong die completely. Train a thug, and at the same time train several opponents. When you let the thugs fight the opponents, you must at least give them some benefits and the necessary tools. You know, it's not easy to find a thug like Beirong. If you miss Beirong, you may not be able to find a second thug more suitable than Beirong in the next ten, twenty, or even fifty years."
"Aren't you afraid that Beirong and Xiliang will unite to attack us?"
Gu Jiu laughed heartily. "Bei Rong is a bunch of beggars. When they arrive in the glamorous world of Xiliang, the first thing they do is definitely not to cooperate but to plunder. Xiliang would have to be crazy to cooperate with a bunch of bandits and beggars."
Liu Zhao nodded.
This is in line with the characteristics of a nomadic nation.
No money, rob!
Hungry, grab!
Slave, grab!
Woman, grab it!
They just fight for everything and have no concept of fair trade in their minds.
They were just a bunch of uncivilized savages, just wearing clothes.
"What if Xiliang can't withstand Beirong's attack?"
"So we need the cooperation of the Northwest Grand Commandery. Beirong is only allowed to fight Xiliang, but not to occupy Xiliang. We must find a way to force them to continue their westward advance, like a sharp knife piercing the Western Regions. The timing of this matter must be perfect, and it must be completed just before the Northwest Army sets out."
Liu Zhao pondered the matter. "I will send a secret decree to the Northwest Military Governor's Office. The deal with Beirong can be agreed, but it must be postponed. Let Beirong endure another winter, let more people die, and weaken their strength as much as possible without destroying their clan."
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