"Yes." Everyone received the order, and Ning Feng went out personally to convey Jiang Muchen's order.
The rest of the people gathered around Jiang Muchen to discuss strategies to deal with Bai Wuhen.
When Ning Feng returned to the tent, he saw Jiang Muchen leaving Qu Yan alone and listening to him report on the whereabouts of the silver from the Ministry of Revenue.
"Your Majesty..." After handing the memorial in his hand to Jiang Muchen, Qu Yan looked as if he wanted to say something but hesitated, stammering, not knowing whether to say it or not.
Jiang Muchen glanced at Qu Yan standing before him. He looked as if he wanted to say something but didn't dare. With his shrewdness, how could he not see through Qu Yan's tricks? While flipping through the memorial in his hand, Jiang Muchen asked Qu Yan, "Just tell me what you want to say."
Ning Feng stood behind Jiang Muchen and observed Qu Yan silently.
Although Qu Yan stood respectfully before the emperor with a cautious look on his face, his evasive eyes showed that he was not as loyal to his master as he appeared to be.
Although Qu Yan had taken refuge with the Emperor, he wasn't like himself, having been by his side since childhood, so his loyalty naturally couldn't be the same. Furthermore, Qu Yan had repeatedly tried to insert Qu Jingqing into Prince Chen's residence, only to be rebuffed by the Emperor. There was no guarantee he wouldn't harbor a hidden resentment. Therefore, caution was the best course of action.
Thinking of this, Ning Feng's eyes looking at Qu Yan were filled with caution and scrutiny.
"Yes." Seeing Jiang Muchen finally ask, Qu Yan's half-closed eyes flashed with joy, but after a moment of hesitation, he slowly spoke, "Your Majesty, I believe that whoever hung Emperor Yugan's head on the city wall must have intended to discredit you. Although Your Majesty has ascended the throne, the aristocratic families in the capital may not be truly loyal to you. Hai Quan still holds the legitimate sons and daughters of these families in his hands. If Your Majesty does not win them over soon, I'm afraid there will be many unexpected events in the future. Moreover, Your Majesty, out of consideration for past friendships with these nobles, did not kill them. Just like in the case of the Prince of the State Mansion, even though Old Lady Gu did not sign and seal the petition for the throne, you still did not pursue the punishment. However, in their eyes, your kindness is probably just a show. Only when you are truly bound together with them and share common interests will these profit-oriented nobles truly stand behind you."
Qu Yan's analysis was all for Jiang Muchen's consideration, and he never mentioned his own interests at all. Coupled with the sincere expression on his face, it made people feel that he was very loyal to Jiang Muchen.
Even Ning Feng, who had been wary of him, showed a hint of recognition in his eyes after listening to Qu Yan's analysis.
Many ministers and counselors had raised this matter as early as when the emperor ascended the throne. However, the emperor still only had the Princess of Chu in his heart and was determined not to take the daughters of the prominent families into the harem. The ministers were also helpless.
Furthermore, with the empire now divided into three parts, the emperor needed to win over not only the aristocratic families imprisoned in the capital, but also the ministers and advisors who had helped him conquer the country. Without any benefits, these people would surely believe that even if they had followed Prince Chen to conquer the country, they would still not be given important positions. Over time, this would weaken their morale.
However, Qu Yan's analysis had singled out the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion, causing Ning Feng to cautiously glance at Jiang Muchen, unsure of the Emperor's thoughts. However, Ning Feng was extremely clear about Qu Yan's intentions.
At this time, Qu Yan wanted to show his loyalty to the emperor, and at the same time wanted to discredit the Fuguo Mansion without leaving any trace, so that the Fuguo Mansion would be the first to be exposed. It must be said that it was really difficult for Qu Yan to fulfill his intentions.
However, all these decisions still depend on what the emperor considers.
Thinking of this, Ning Feng's heart tightened secretly, and a holy face like a lotus appeared in his mind, but he paid more attention to Jiang Muchen's expression after hearing these words.
Jiang Muchen had already seen through Qu Yan's thoughts. He calmly let Qu Yan finish his words and asked calmly, "So, Minister Qu, what do you think I should do to truly win over the hearts of those great families? I'm sure you already have a great idea in mind."
Jiang Muchen easily bypassed the Prince of Fuguo's Mansion and directly asked Qu Yan for his brilliant plan.
As expected, seeing that Emperor Dexi had taken his advice to heart, Qu Yan couldn't help but feel delighted. However, he suppressed his elation and said loyally, "Your Majesty, in my opinion, it is best to fill the harem as soon as possible and establish connections between the royal family and the major aristocratic families. This way, we can conquer these noble families without spending a single soldier, show the people of Western Chu that they are on the right path, and furthermore, fill the harem of Your Majesty. Isn't it a hassle to kill three birds with one stone? Moreover, since Your Majesty was ambushed and injured last time, his wounds have not been properly healed, and he has no caring concubines to serve him. I am truly worried about Your Majesty's health. I hope Your Majesty can understand my thoughts!"
After he finished speaking, Qu Yan tactfully stopped talking, knowing that with Emperor Dexi's temperament, the more he spoke, the more likely he would arouse the emperor's suspicion.
Once the emperor decides to enrich his harem and recruit beauties, he will naturally not favor one over the other. He must not only win over the powerful families in the capital, but also appease the generals and meritorious officials who follow him. By then, Qu Yan will definitely have a share of the credit, and it will be easier for Jing Qing to enter the palace and become a concubine.
After listening to Qu Yan's harsh words, Jiang Muchen played with the unpublished letter in his hand, his eyes cold and without a trace of warmth.
Qu Yan was full of expectations, but he didn't get a response from Emperor De Xi at this time. He couldn't help but feel a little scared. He couldn't help but secretly looked up at Ning Feng, but found that Ning Feng's face was calm, but there was a hint of worry in his eyes.
This made Qu Yan's original confidence gradually turn into uneasiness, and he didn't understand what Emperor Dexi was thinking of writing.
"You are loyal." After a while, Jiang Muchen slowly uttered these words.
When Qu Yan heard this, a flattering smile immediately appeared on his face. Just as he was about to open his mouth to express his gratitude, Jiang Muchen spoke up, "However, you still do things without thinking. There are military doctors and imperial physicians in this military camp. With them taking care of my body, how could anything go wrong? Have you ever seen an emperor personally lead an army to war with his concubines? You let concubines who only know how to please the king accompany you. Is it really for the sake of my health? Moreover, knowing that Hai Quan only controls legitimate sons and daughters, you let me marry those concubines into the palace. Do you want the whole world to laugh at me for being incompetent and having to rely on concubines to consolidate my power? Or do you want Hai Quan, Chu Feiyang and others to laugh at me for being so eager to ascend the throne that I don't even care about the status of the women in the harem? Qu Yan, don't forget, you are the Minister of Revenue. You are neither a concubine nor the chief steward. It is not your turn to worry about the affairs of my harem, and I don't need you to interfere. Or are you tired of being the Minister of Revenue and want to switch to the chief steward? Do you want me to issue an edict to fulfill your painstaking efforts?"
Unexpectedly, Jiang Muchen's calm retort was extremely cold and sharp. After being questioned by Jiang Muchen, Qu Yan's face turned pale and his lips trembled. He fell to his knees on the ground, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead and cheeks into his clothes. He stared at the ground, not daring to look directly at Jiang Muchen. He begged for mercy tremblingly, "Your Majesty, I deserve to die. I shouldn't have guessed the emperor's will. I shouldn't have acted on my own. Please punish me, Your Majesty."
Seeing Qu Yan's cowardly look, Jiang Muchen's eyes flashed with disdain, and he issued a cold order, "Go out and give him ten blows with the military stick. This will be a small punishment but a big warning. If there is a next time, I will definitely not forgive you."
The punishment had been handed down, and although Qu Yan felt unwilling to accept it, he dared not say anything more. He immediately kowtowed and said, "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will obey your command."
After he finished speaking, Qu Yan stood up and left the tent. After a while, the sound of execution came into the tent.
Listening to the sound of the military stick hitting the flesh, Jiang Muchen frowned, opened the letter in his hand again, and looked at the contents carefully.
However, the more Jiang Muchen read, the colder his expression became, and his entire body was enveloped in a layer of icy aura. This made Ning Feng, who was standing by, feel nervous. He didn't understand what other information was contained in the letter that could have caused the emperor to change so much.
"Your Majesty, I wonder what other difficulties have made you so worried?" Ning Feng asked in a low voice, but his eyes were fixed on his toes, and he did not try to be smart and peek at the document in Jiang Muchen's hand.
"Dream... ahem..." Jiang Muchen clenched his fists, his face extremely solemn and dignified, his thoughts still lingering on the contents of the letter. He realized his slip of the tongue the moment he opened his mouth and quickly changed his words, "Someone spotted a group of people escaping from the valley at night. If my guess is correct, it must be the Princess Chu's carriage."
After he finished speaking, Jiang Muchen's face, which was full of frost when he faced Qu Yan just now, had already thawed. His two thick black eyebrows had already twisted, and his cold and bloodthirsty eyes hid deep worry and excitement. Even the tone of his voice when he said the three words "Princess Chu" just now was trembling slightly.
Ning Feng was shocked when he heard this. He immediately knelt down and pleaded, "Your Majesty, the Princess of Chu is just a woman. You can't give up the whole country for a woman. We are now at war with the King of Chu and the Sea King. The war on all sides of Western Chu has also begun. We no longer have more manpower to capture the Princess of Chu. Moreover, Your Majesty is a new emperor. Virtue is extremely important. How can you give up the whole world for a woman..."
Jiang Muchen had never expected that his words would elicit such a strong reaction from Ning Feng. The pent-up anger in his heart instantly erupted. Before Ning Feng could finish his words of advice, Jiang Muchen slammed the table with one hand, pointed at Ning Feng, and angrily shouted, "When did I ever say I'd give up my entire kingdom for a woman? Ning Feng, do you think that just because you've followed me for so many years, I won't dare to kill you?"
Ning Feng lowered his head and listened to Emperor Dexi's angry curses. His face was full of fear, but the expression in his eyes was as firm as ever. He advised Jiang Muchen without fear of the imperial power, "Your Majesty, I would never dare to have such thoughts. However, I have been by your side for so many years, and I still know a little about your thoughts. But no matter how much your Majesty likes the Princess of Chu, she is still the wife of the King of Chu. If you do anything to her, the people of the world will think that your Majesty declared the King of Chu a traitor for the Princess of Chu. Your Majesty, your lifelong reputation cannot be ruined by a woman."
Ning Feng became more and more excited as he spoke, and he decided in his heart that he must not let the emperor get confused about this matter.
In order to place spies around Prince Chen, the Queen Mother asked Emperor Xijing to arrange a marriage for Prince Chen and marry him to Yun Qianmeng, the daughter of Prime Minister Yun.
Prince Chen had finally gotten Emperor Yugan to retract Emperor Xijing's imperial decree, canceling his engagement with Yun Qianmeng. How could he regret it later? Furthermore, Yun Qianmeng was now the Prince of Chu's principal wife. If gossip were to spread between her and the Emperor, it would be a fatal blow to Emperor Dexi, who hadn't yet firmly established his throne.
"Enough." Jiang Muchen let out an angry growl. He suddenly stood up, pointed his finger at Ning Feng and said angrily, "I don't need you to teach me how to sit firmly on this throne. You just need to do your own job well. You don't need to interfere in my affairs."
"Your Majesty..." After hearing Jiang Muchen's words, Ning Feng raised his head in shock. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Jiang Muchen raise his hand to shut him up.
Jiang Muchen closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm himself. After a while, he spoke to Ning Feng, "Ning Feng, I know in my heart that everything you did was for my own good. However, the reason I mentioned Yun Qianmeng wasn't entirely because of her. General Xuanwu has ordered people to investigate the valley, but no trace of the Concubine Dowager has been found. In the entire valley, only one house was completely burned down. What exactly is hidden here, I'm afraid only those who escaped the valley will know. And now, a fleeing carriage was discovered. If my guess is correct, Yun Qianmeng must have left with the Concubine Dowager. The Concubine Dowager has suffered so much for me, don't you think I'm not worried?"
"Your Majesty... I have wronged Your Majesty..." Ning Feng did not expect that there would be such a thing. His face turned red and white for a moment. He felt that he had misunderstood the emperor and thought that the emperor was the kind of man who was greedy for women. He felt more and more guilty towards Emperor Dexi.
"Please get up." Jiang Muchen naturally understood Ning Feng's loyalty, and his angry tone gradually softened. He gently asked Ning Feng to get up.
"Your Majesty... who is outside?" Ning Feng was about to speak about Concubine Yuande, but his expression suddenly changed. He quickly turned around and walked out of the tent, with the long sword in his hand already unsheathed. He suddenly lifted the curtain of the tent, but saw Qu Yan standing outside the tent with his hands on his buttocks and grinning.
"Master Qu, is the execution over?" Ning Feng stared at Qu Yan coldly, not having the slightest fondness for him. He was clearly a member of the Qu family, yet he had defected to the Emperor in order to compete with Qu Lingao for the position of Marquis of the Fuguo Mansion. This kind of betrayal of his ancestors was what Ning Feng detested most.
Ning Feng's sudden appearance startled Qu Yan. Looking at the sword tip pointing at him, Qu Yan endured the pain in his body and asked Ning Feng in a flattering tone, "Guard Ning, I have finished my punishment and was about to report to the emperor."
Seeing Qu Yan's twisted smile, Ning Feng's eyes flashed with disgust, and he said in a cold tone: "I will inform the emperor that Lord Qu is injured. You should return to your tent to rest. Don't stay here any longer, otherwise the sword in my hand will not recognize you."
"Yes, yes, I understand." Qu Yan seemed to be blind to Ning Feng's coldness towards him. He continued to smile brightly, then limped away, holding his back.
Ning Feng stared at Qu Yan's back until he walked away, then he put away his sword and returned to the tent with peace of mind.
"What happened outside?" Jiang Muchen had put aside Yun Qianmeng's matter at this time and stood in front of the sheepskin map hanging in the tent again, studying the battle plan.
"The execution of Minister Qu Yan with the Ten Military Sticks has been completed." Ning Feng mentioned Qu Yan briefly and didn't say much about what was happening outside.
Seeing that Emperor Dexi was concentrating on studying the map, Ning Feng thought for a moment and then whispered, "Your Majesty, Qu Yan wholeheartedly wants to send Qu Jingqing to the palace as a concubine. Why does Your Majesty always refuse? Although Minister Qu's words today were selfish, they do make sense when you think about it carefully. Didn't Emperor Yugan also want to maintain the balance of power in the court and win over the various noble families? He even took women from merchant families like Rong Rong into the harem as concubines. Why don't Your Majesty take this opportunity to win over the powerful in the capital and make the generals who followed Your Majesty through thick and thin more loyal to you? This will also prevent Qu Yan from always thinking about the position of palace concubine."
"I'm not in the mood to take a concubine right now. The kingdom is in tatters, the two princes are in rebellion, and the Concubine Dowager is in Chu Feiyang's hands. How can I take a concubine at this time? If I do, the people of the world will think I'm a self-serving, incompetent ruler who doesn't even care about my mother's life or death. I'm afraid it will be counterproductive." Jiang Muchen shook his head and rejected Ning Feng's suggestion without hesitation. However, in those eyes, fixed on the map, a beautiful and ethereal face seemed to appear, which was unforgettable and lingered in people's hearts for a long time...
Ning Feng saw that Emperor Dexi had made up his mind and knew that further discussion was pointless, so he changed the subject and stopped harping on the matter of taking a concubine. "I don't understand. Ten blows of the military stick aren't severe. Since Your Majesty has no intention of taking a concubine, why not punish Minister Qu severely so that he never dares to entertain such an idea again?"
"Although Qu Yan has a lot of little thoughts, he is a good minister of the Ministry of Revenue. In the past few months, our army has been well-stocked with military rations and the silver in the account books is also very generous, which shows that he has the ability to manage finances. Since I have clearly rejected his request and cut off Qu Jingqing's hope of entering the palace, if I beat him half to death, I am afraid that Qu Yan may not be able to sincerely help me manage the Ministry of Revenue in the future. Now the world of Western Chu is divided into three parts, and even the officials in the court are divided into three parts. Although there are some advisers who are proficient in financial management, only Qu Yan is the most "I'm familiar with the treasury's money and the rules of the court. Now is the time to recruit people, and I don't want to create too much rift between me and my ministers over such a matter. Those ten military sticks today will serve as a lesson for Qu Yan, lest he constantly dwell on things that don't belong to him." At this point, Jiang Muchen had already picked up the Ministry of Revenue document that Qu Yan had just presented and began to examine it carefully. The document clearly showed the flow of money and all the expenses, making it easy to understand at a glance. A hint of admiration appeared in Jiang Muchen's discerning eyes.
"Your Majesty is wise." Seeing Emperor Dexi's satisfied look after reading Qu Yan's account books, Ning Feng immediately agreed.
However, Jiang Muchen's brows were still furrowed, and a hint of worry still lingered between his eyebrows.
Ning Feng looked at it and vaguely knew why the emperor was worried. After thinking for a moment, he whispered, "Your Majesty, since we have found the whereabouts of the Princess of Chu, why don't you let me go and rescue the Concubine Dowager?"
Jiang Muchen paused slightly as he was tracing the mountains on the map. He then turned to look at Ning Feng, his eyes icy...
"Dad, what's wrong with you?" Qu Yan had just returned to the tent when he saw Qu Jingqing, dressed as a scholar, coming to greet him.
Seeing Qu Yan sweating profusely and a hint of pain on his face, Qu Jingqing hurriedly added a cushion to the chair and carefully helped Qu Yan sit down. His beautiful eyes were filled with deep confusion as he asked anxiously, "Dad, what's wrong with you? Why did you go to the emperor's tent and return injured?"
"Ouch, my waist..." Qu Yan screamed after accidentally hitting the hard chair. His face suddenly wrinkled in pain and he kept taking in cold air. It took him a long time to calm down.
Looking at Qu Jingqing, disguised as a man, Qu Yan's physical pain hadn't subsided yet, and the pain in his heart surged again. If he hadn't wanted Jingqing to enter the palace as a concubine, why would he have let his daughter follow him to the military camp to suffer hardships? But now, several months have passed, and the emperor's mind is completely focused on the war, not even a hint of love between men and women. He had just made the first move, and he was warned and beaten with a stick. It was really anxious.
Thinking of everything he had just heard outside the tent, Qu Yan sighed heavily and finally spoke, "It was because I was trying to persuade the Emperor to take a concubine that I angered him and he punished me with ten military sticks. I originally thought that since the Emperor and the King of Chu were irreconcilable, the Emperor would no longer have such thoughts about Yun Qianmeng. But, ah, Jingqing, Daddy will send you back to the villa outside the capital tomorrow. How can a young lady like you always stay in this military camp full of men? If your identity is discovered, not only will your reputation be ruined, I'm afraid our whole family will be punished by the Emperor. You didn't see the Emperor's face just now, he looked like he wanted to eat someone!"
Having said this, Qu Yan's face had already turned pale, and it was obvious that he had given up on Qu Jingqing entering the palace as a concubine. It would be better to send her away before anyone discovered Jingqing, and then find her a suitable marriage.
Qu Jingqing listened to Qu Yan's advice, but a hint of sarcasm appeared on her delicate face. "Father, I will not marry anyone other than the Emperor in this life. Besides, the former Prince Chen has ascended the throne as Emperor Dexi. I have been waiting for so long. Do you want me to vacate my place in the harem and give it to someone else? I don't care what the Emperor thinks of that bitch Yun Qianmeng, but Jiang Muchen is the man I have set my eyes on, and I will never let another woman occupy him. Father, you should have a good rest. I have my own ideas."
After she finished speaking, Qu Jingqing ran out of the tent with the little servant behind her. Qu Yan wanted to call her, but as soon as he stood up, the pain in his back made him unable to utter a word.
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