Since Tan Min and the princess cooperated with each other remotely and quietly calmed King Zhou's anger, King Zhou's reward for Hua'an County came very quickly.
The imperial edict was read out at the court meeting the next day, commending and encouraging Hua'an County, especially their "peaceful" recovery of a large area of grassland, which was mentioned over and over again.
After receiving the imperial edict, the princess wrote another letter, expressing her sincere respect for the King of Zhou and her attachment to the Zhou Kingdom, and attributed all the credit to "the protection of ancestors and the kindness of her brother the king."
When this letter of thanks was delivered to King Zhou again, he was shocked.
Even though he knew that his own princess, who wanted to act recklessly, would probably write some nice words to appease him, he didn't expect to be greeted by such a flattering article...
It is also written with quotations from classics, and is so sincere and heartfelt.
Perhaps it was because the Zhou Kingdom had always suffered from many disasters, and people in the court and the country always spoke their minds. The sudden use of such cultured flattery made the King of Zhou somewhat uncomfortable.
He stared at her for a long time before smiling at Tan Min and saying, "I never thought that my sister would learn these flattering words. It's really..."
Tan Min said respectfully, "Her Royal Highness the Princess has published this article in the Zhou Kingdom's newspapers, and it has received widespread acclaim."
King Zhou paused for a moment, then continued, "Indeed, it is true. It's close to reality, the language is sincere, and the words are very down-to-earth."
Tan Min also laughed, "Your Majesty is wise." He paused, "But there is still one matter that requires your decision."
"My dear, please speak."
"Hua'an County has requested to rebuild the grasslands. According to convention, if a member of the royal family wishes to rebuild on their fiefdom, officials from the capital must be sent to provide guidance and arrangements. However, Hua'an County already has some dealings with Dechang County. Should we reconsider this matter?"
When he said this, he was actually careful.
In name, the capital sent people to guide the construction of the fiefdom, which was called concern, but in reality it was surveillance.
This is to prevent the fiefdoms from having their own troops and causing chaos.
The eldest princess had no interest in seeking power and usurping the throne, but she also had no good feelings towards the officials sent from the capital.
Because every time something like this happens, it is assigned to the children of aristocratic families.
And those people basically can do nothing except hold us back.
If he wants to achieve this goal, Tan Min has hundreds of ways, both obvious and hidden.
But he also knew that if he used too many tricks on King Zhou, even if his intentions were good, he would be regarded as a traitor.
Maybe even after death, their bodies will be dug out and whipped.
So Lord Tan was not subtle at all and directly pointed out Dechang County to his face, obviously wanting to bypass those guys in the capital.
He believed that his king could understand what he meant.
As expected, King Zhou only thought for a moment and said, "Since that's the case, let's pass down the order and have Dechang County send a deputy commander to be stationed in Hua'an County to protect the grassland tribes."
Tan Min got what he wanted, but his face remained calm as he replied respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
Seeing King Zhou pick up the teacup, he prepared to leave.
But just as he was leaving the palace, Tan Min heard his king's voice: "If the newspaper is published, please remember to send a copy to me." The voice paused, "Of course, I don't like to hear flattery, I just want to understand the people's feelings."
Tan Min smiled inwardly, but his face remained extremely serious as he said respectfully, "I understand."
He then left the hall, but instead of going to the newsstand in the capital to buy new newspapers early as usual, he handed the matter over to his confidant.
He himself hurried to the cabinet.
As soon as I entered the door, I saw Zhao Lin, a student from Langyun, already sitting inside.
Tan Min was very happy about Zhao Lin's arrival.
It's not just because the other party is an immortal from Langyun and has his own aura, but also because he feels that he and this person have a lot in common.
Similarly, Zhao Lin also admired Tan Min very much.
At this time, there was a map in front of Student Zhao, which showed the grassland that had just been returned by the barbarian country.
On the other side was a mobile phone with the same map on it, but it was an electronic version.
Zhao Lin was holding a charcoal pencil and marking the locations of various tribes on his mobile phone on the paper map in front of him.
When he saw Tan Min come in, he raised his head but didn't mean to speak. After nodding to each other, they started to go about their own business.
About half an hour later, Zhao Lin had filled in the map. Tan Min was also diligently reading the memorial with a serious expression. It was obvious that he was a dedicated worker.
So Zhao stood up and stretched, then asked curiously, "Are there any memorials about the grassland?"
Tan Min took out one and handed it over.
As everyone knows, Langyun has a transcendent status in the Zhou Kingdom. He can see everything and hear everything.
So at this moment, Zhao Lin took it without any psychological burden, opened it and took a look, then sat opposite Tan Min, spread out the map he had just marked, and talked to him about grassland construction.
Strictly speaking, these two people are liberal arts students and basically know nothing about science and engineering.
But they understand politics very well.
One was very smart since childhood and was the top scholar in the imperial examination when he was young, while the other had the Chinese nation's five thousand years of history behind him, and even understood the true meaning of endless joy in fighting with others. What they talked about was no longer where to build something, but more about the grassland and the barbarian country.
Tan Min was not polite at all: "The Second Prince of the Barbarian Kingdom has been promoted to the Barbarian King, but his position is not stable. He urgently needs recognition and support from neighboring countries. However, the strongest country in this area is Qi, and Qi and Zhou are already allies. In this case, out of consideration for Zhou's face, Qi will naturally not give them the slightest attention."
Zhao Lin continued, "Looking at Qi's behavior, I'm afraid the other small nations won't take any action." He paused, "So what are your plans?"
Tan Min smiled and said, "Reconciliation is possible, although there will be some twists and turns along the way. However, between countries, there are no eternal friends, only eternal interests."
Zhao Lin was stunned.
Does this sound familiar?
So he asked, “Where did you learn that?”
Tan Min pointed and said, "I also want to thank the immortals for giving me these books."
Zhao Lin looked over immediately.
Sure enough, I saw books related to international politics.
Several of them have obvious red covers.
Um……
Suddenly I am looking forward to this person's learning results.
But Tan Min didn't know what these books meant.
The task before him at the moment was still the pile of memorials.
Every time I pick up a book, I have to be careful not to knock over the others.
Zhao Lin also looked over: "Are these memorials from today?"
Tan Min smiled and said, "Yes."
“It looks like a lot.”
"Normally there are more than this, but now that everyone's focused on the Barbarian Kingdom, there are fewer," he said, pulling out a card. "Only this one is of any value."
Zhao Lin noticed that the cover of this document was different in color from the others, so he asked, "What is this for?"
Tan Min said calmly, "The Barbarian Kingdom submitted a letter hoping to gain the Zhou Kingdom's trust by returning the grasslands, thereby refraining from aggression and restoring normal diplomatic relations."
Zhao Lin nodded at first, then suddenly stopped moving, his expression somewhat puzzled. "It doesn't sound like anything at first, but if you think about it, is this like robbing something and then turning around to trade the stolen goods for peace?"
Master Tan still smiled: "Yes, in the words of the Immortal Lord, it is like getting something for nothing."
Zhao Lin curled his lips and thought to himself, this is quite a good plan.
Tan Min casually tossed aside this weighty memorial between states and said slowly, "This will definitely not pass unless the new king of the Barbarian Kingdom issues a confession of guilt, reflects on the past sins committed by the Barbarian Kingdom, and then sincerely apologizes and reflects on his actions. Otherwise, it will be absolutely impossible."
But Zhao Lin thought of another point: "But in essence, the Zhou Kingdom will not suffer any loss in this matter. What if the King of Zhou wants to agree?"
Tan Min smiled and said, "So we have to wait three days before sending this."
Zhao Lin was stunned at first, then he understood.
Now the King of Zhou is in high spirits, feeling very proud of himself. In addition, the Princess of Hua'an County was very considerate and wrote a soft article in the newspaper... Well, it was a sincere and heartfelt feeling, so the King of Zhou would naturally be happy. He was so happy that he gave some face to the new king of the Barbarian Kingdom. It was also for the long-lost peace, so he naturally didn't want to bother with him too much.
But what people fear is waiting.
The longer you wait, the more you look forward to it, and as time goes by, you will want more.
After three days, when King Zhou's excitement had almost died down, he handed over this letter of credence that had been obtained for nothing...
Zhao Lin could imagine how furious King Zhou would be.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but look at Tan Min twice more.
This made Master Tan raise his face again, revealing his delicate features, and he asked in a gentle voice, "Why are you looking at me, Immortal Lord?"
Zhao Lin studied him for a while before sighing, "Fortunately, you're a loyal minister and have read so many books. Otherwise..."
He didn't say the second half of the sentence, as he always felt it was inappropriate.
Tan Min added, "My senior brother once said that if I were to become a treacherous villain, you would definitely be able to leave your name in history."
Zhao Lin nodded immediately: "He really knows you well."
Tan Min laughed and said, "Thank you for the compliment, Immortal Lord."
In this happy atmosphere, suddenly, someone pushed open the door and walked in.
The national defense student who had been following Zhao Lin to protect him immediately took a step forward and grabbed the object on his waist with his backhand.
It was Tan Min who spoke again: "My two Immortal Lords, this is Lord Wang, my colleague." He looked at Lord Wang and said with a smile, "I wonder what brings you here, old lord?"
Lord Wang did not answer immediately.
His expression looked like he was looking for trouble, but when he saw Immortal Langyun was also there, he looked hesitant.
But Zhao Lin did not stand on his side just because he had a good relationship with Tan Min. Instead, he moved aside, took a slice of apple from the table, looked at them, and started watching again.
Upon seeing this, Lord Wang understood the Immortal King's attitude and immediately put his previous hesitation behind him.
He took a few steps forward and threw the newspaper on the table: "What do you mean by this!"
Tan Min was not angry or anxious at all. Instead, he reached out and picked up the newspaper and unfolded it.
Zhao Lin also looked over.
Sure enough, the front page headline was the princess’s soft article.
Lord Tan also laughed: "Why, Lord Wang, what do you think of what the princess said?"
This made Lord Wang choke for a moment, but he immediately said, "I'm not talking about this, but I want to ask you why you should vigorously promote trade!"
As he spoke, he pointed to a corner.
As expected, a piece of news only the size of a tofu block was published there. It was very brief and was just a notice to the people of Zhou in advance that businessmen would be encouraged in the future to increase employment.
Because the decree has not been officially issued yet, it is just an image now and does not take up much space.
Unexpectedly, it was discovered.
Tan Min, still smiling, put the newspaper aside and said seriously, "Your Excellency, this is puzzling. The purpose of opening trade routes is to increase Zhou's revenue and fill the treasury. How can that be inappropriate?"
Lord Wang gritted his teeth.
How is it wrong? Absolutely wrong!
The vast majority of Zhou Dynasty caravans were controlled by aristocratic families, and this model was tacitly accepted throughout the country.
As a result, we now want to encourage private caravans, which is tantamount to destroying the rice bowls of the aristocratic families!
There is a saying in the Zhou Dynasty: the royal family lasts for a hundred years, and the aristocratic family lasts for a thousand years.
The succession of dynasties may end in a few hundred years, but the aristocratic families have a long history and will not fall easily.
But the young man in front of them actually wanted to cut off their roots. How could they tolerate this!
Lord Wang immediately said, "Your actions are intended to shake the foundation of the country, and with such haste, how can you be sure there won't be any mobs or troublemakers?"
Tan Min spoke calmly, "Now that education has become universal across the country, people are more educated and knowledgeable. We should always be more considerate of ourselves. Simply suppressing them will only lead to more public resentment."
"But you are being too hasty. The King will certainly not..."
"I have discussed this with the king, and this will surely be accomplished."
Lord Wang's expression froze, and the next second he said viciously, "Your Majesty must have been deceived by you. I will go to see Your Majesty now and explain the pros and cons."
Tan Min, who had been sharp-tongued just now, suddenly fell silent. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but still didn't speak. Finally, he said, "Then, what Lord Wang said is right."
Lord Wang: ...
Suddenly I remembered what I said before about not arguing with fools.
I felt despised again.
So, Lord Wang snorted coldly, turned away, and even forgot to take the newspaper with him.
Tan Min quickly folded up the newspaper and put it away, muttering softly, "I didn't expect he came here just to give me the newspaper. He's really a good man. Don't blame me for giving it to the king."
He was really happy. After all, newspapers in Zhou Kingdom were now divided into two editions. The black and white ones were cheap, while the color ones were expensive. Lord Wang was not short of money, so he bought the color version, which cost more than ten copper coins.
Mr. Tan, who is incorruptible, said that he had saved some money and could have some more meat at noon.
But the sigh was too soft, Zhao Lin didn't hear it clearly and didn't care. Similarly, he didn't know about the quarrel between King Tan and the other two in front of the palace a while ago.
So after Mr. Wang left, Student Zhao frowned and asked, "Why is this old gentleman's attitude so bad?"
Only then did Tan Min remember that there was someone else in the room.
So, he paused his movements, looked up at Zhao Lin, and said bitterly: "It's nothing, it's probably because I did something wrong and made Lord Wang unhappy."
It was the first time that Zhao Lin heard this person speak in such an aggrieved tone, and he was stunned: "You..."
In the end, Tan Min just waved his hand and lowered his head sadly: "I just said a few more words to the king, and I'm afraid it caused him to misunderstand. It's all my fault."
Zhao Lin: ...
For some reason, I could smell the aroma of tea.
And Tan Min actually picked up the teacup and took a sip, which seemed to warm his wounded heart. Then he casually took out a few memorials from the book and threw them aside.
Zhao Lin took a look.
Very good, the signature is all surnamed Wang.
He knew that Lord Tan, who had reached a high position, would not give up.
Obviously, the Wang family wanted to deeply understand what it meant for a higher-ranking official to crush someone to death, and at the same time experience the beatings that come from officialdom.
High grade, just fun.
As for what the memorial specifically contained, Zhao Lin did not inquire too much, but simply asked, "Since you dislike the aristocratic families in the capital so much, why do you still indulge them?"
Tan Min did not hide anything and said frankly: "Now that the tail is too big to be cut off, we have to take it slow, and now is not the time."
Zhao Lin asked: "When is the right time?"
Lord Tan smiled and said, "Of course, we'll wait until the treasury is empty."
After hearing this, Zhao raised his eyebrows slightly, asked no more questions, and prepared to continue looking at his map.
Instead, it was Tan Min who took the initiative to ask, "Isn't Immortal Lord curious?"
Zhao Lin glanced back at him and said calmly, "I only know that pigs need to be fattened before they can be slaughtered for meat."
Just one sentence made Tan Min's eyes light up.
Because he could hear the extended meaning.
If the aristocratic families are greedy, let them be greedy. When they have achieved their goals, the money can be used to fill the national treasury, which can be considered a contribution to the people.
This coincided with Tan Min's own thoughts.
Afterwards, the two of them looked at each other, and simultaneously revealed a smile that was harmful to both humans and animals, with an indescribable mutual understanding.
Only Lang Yun, who was watching, subconsciously felt a cold wind on the back of his neck.
I reached out and touched it, feeling emotional:
As expected of two tacticians, their hearts are so dirty. I bow to you.
Tan Min’s three-day method was very effective.
As expected, after the letter from the barbarian country was submitted, King Zhou immediately became furious and sent a reply with only four big characters.
Take care of yourself.
The king of the Barbarian Kingdom was completely confused, but with the help of an unknown "confidant" who came undercover from the Zhou Kingdom, he finally understood what the King of Zhou meant, and hurriedly wrote another letter and handed it over.
This time, the feelings were genuine and sincere, and the apology was particularly appropriate.
The King of Zhou finally relented and published a joint statement with the State of Qi, mourning the death of the old king of the Man State and congratulating the new king on his succession to the throne, which was considered an open recognition of the new Man King's position.
Naturally, other small countries heard the news and congratulated the Barbarian King, which temporarily calmed the chaos.
Of course, these things that happened at high altitudes have little to do with the grassland people in Hua'an County.
They were hurrying to pack their bags and prepare to return to the grassland.
Among them, young Bob was quite reluctant to leave and kept walking back and forth in front of the new house.
Seeing this, Xia Ying walked forward and wanted to show some concern.
As a result, the moment little Bob saw him, he jumped backwards on the spot, more agile than a rabbit.
Instead, Xia Ying was startled: "What are you doing?"
Babu also felt that he was overreacting, and his expression was a little embarrassed. He replied in Zhouyu, which was now much more fluent, "I'm sorry, Immortal Lord, my arms hurt when I saw you wearing white clothes."
As he spoke, he covered his upper arm.
It happens to be the place where I got vaccinated before.
Xia Ying expressed his understanding of this.
Strictly speaking, Bob is quite brave.
On the way here, several grassland people turned around and ran away when they saw Xia Ying in a white coat, and some children cried loudly.
They can be collectively referred to as "injection sequelae."
So Xia skipped the question and asked, "What were you looking at just now?"
Babu answered honestly, "House."
Xia Ying also looked over and saw the neatly arranged new houses. He sighed, "That's right. It's a pity that you're leaving right after you finished building them."
Unexpectedly, Babu shook his head. "Before we built the house, the county government told us it was built for them. We work for them, get paid, and get food. There's nothing to regret." He paused. "I just feel bad. I don't know how long it will take to build such a warm house on the grassland."
Xia Ying wasn't worried about this: "You've already mastered all kinds of skills. Even without blueprints, you can build it yourself, as long as you have enough raw materials."
As he said this, he looked at the convoy on the side.
The grassland people had been preparing to leave since the day they arrived. Every grassland person wanted to go back to live their own lives, so they prepared a lot of things.
Food, clothing and daily necessities are all included.
Among them was a cart filled with all kinds of weapons and ironware. Although they looked a bit worn out and charred, there were still quite a few of them, making them quite impressive.
Xia Ying was surprised and asked, "Are these also what you are planning to take away?"
Babu nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes."
But this made Xia Ying look puzzled.
Although he was not a Zhou person, he was very clear about some of the laws of the Zhou Dynasty.
Here, ironware was strictly controlled, and only the imperial court had the right to distribute it. Ordinary people could only use farm tools like sickles and hoes. Even if they wanted to make a kitchen knife, they had to find their respective guarantors to register it for management.
But the grassland people are just ordinary people living on the grassland, and Tana is the only one who receives government food. It is really unreasonable to suddenly give them a lot of equipment.
So Xia Ying whispered, "Could it be that the Princess gave all of these to you specifically for self-defense?"
At that moment, Tana stepped forward and, having happened to overhear these words, smiled and said, "No, Princess. In fact, the Princess simply suspected the barbarians would break their promise and worried that my people and I would be bullied. That's why she gave these things to us to prepare for any future dangers." She paused, "Are these technically our... spoils of war?"
Xia Ying was slightly stunned: "Spoils of war? Who did you fight against?"
Tana glanced at Babu, who was looking at them eagerly, and after thinking for a moment, she could only say vaguely, "From the barbarians."
In Xia Ying's impression, there was actually no direct conflict between Hua'an County and the barbarians.
The only time was not long ago, when he used kerosene to teach the other person a lesson.
So, these are the spoils from that battle?
Tana, the only one among the grassland people who knew that they had the support of Qi and Zhou, spoke again: "I have to say, they are all very useful. I just don't know if they will come to send more."
Xia Ying: ...
Does this mean that if we don’t have warehouses or cannons, the enemy will make them for us?
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