Chapter 221 Our Own People
As the scale of the Great Xia's northern expedition against the orcs grew larger, Emperor Zhaowu became increasingly busy. He sought out Wang Yushi to play chess less and less, and each time he did come, it was mostly to discuss matters related to the northern expedition.
"Isn't Your Majesty being too hasty? It's already winter, and the north is bitterly cold, making it unsuitable for marching. Wouldn't it be better to wait until spring to launch a full-scale attack?" Kaihime was still playing with black pieces, and the white pieces on the board had already been scattered and destroyed by her, leaving them with no room to maneuver.
"Only by taking them by surprise can you win. In the past few years, you have provided your soldiers with cotton-padded clothes, boots, and even strong liquor. They are no longer what they used to be. What Qin Mo's private troops could do back then, they must be able to do as well." Emperor Zhaowu casually tossed down a white piece, signaling Wang Yushi to continue making her move.
"Each of the Elven Wrath gates weighs several thousand pounds. In a rush, I'm afraid it will be difficult to cross Ulan-Ude. That city has been altered beyond recognition by the orcs, and it may be difficult to succeed in a hasty attack."
Wang Yushi was telling the truth. A few years ago, the Great Xia army had the opportunity to recapture this formidable city on the coast of the North Sea outside Ulan-Ude. However, a plague destroyed all the efforts of both sides. The Great Xia army, which valued the lives of its soldiers, had to withdraw from the plague zone. It was not until a year later that they continued to besiege the city and confront the orcs and Rakshasa. But by this time, with the orcs' disregard for human lives in their construction efforts, Ulan-Ude had become even more fortified and harder to conquer.
Emperor Zhaowu waved his hand, stopping Wang Yushi from continuing to persuade him. In his mind, recovering the land lost by his ancestors was more important than anything else. What did it matter if a few more lives were lost? At most, he would just pretend to shed a few tears.
"I heard that several Zhu merchants went to Guangzhou, but were eventually picked up by your people?" The white pieces on the chessboard were powerless to respond, but Emperor Zhaowu still casually placed his pieces, relentlessly pursuing the matter.
"Yes, that's true. They've affected my business. Blocking someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents. Your Majesty isn't here to reprimand me, is he?"
With a fierce look, Danfeng placed a black piece on the chessboard, making a crisp "bang" that made Emperor Zhaowu's eyebrows twitch.
"Your Majesty, all the money I've earned has been turned into weapons, supplies, and Elven Fury. What are those who advised you doing now?"
"Oh! I am not blaming you. It is someone who has advised that Prince Heng has long since mastered the sea route to India, but he has not reported it to the court. He only cares about making money by reselling spices to Da Xia. Now other merchants have come to Da Xia and have been arrested without cause. This has caused a great uproar and damaged the reputation of our great nation."
Wang Yushi silently crushed a chess piece into powder, and said resentfully, "Reputation damaged? I'm afraid their interests are damaged! Nowadays, the imperial family dominates the spice business, and they want a share but don't know where to start, so they've set their sights on foreign merchants?"
"Indeed, the ministers advised me to reward those foreign merchants generously so that they could continue to trade with our Great Xia. But after all that, I still have to come to you to find them. And that's not all; they also want me to issue an edict to Prince Heng, instructing him to help the court build a fleet to sail the seas and spread the prestige of our Great Xia."
"Your Majesty, will those foreign merchants sell pepper and other goods to the Imperial Household? Will the profits from the Imperial fleet go to the Ministry of Revenue or to the private cellars of the officials? When that time comes, will the court officials allow me to continue to influence the spice trade of Great Xia?"
Emperor Zhaowu stopped making moves and, after thinking for a long time, said, "You are right. Opening up trade routes does make money, but the money doesn't go into the imperial pocket. If the money goes into those people's pockets, it's harder than climbing a mountain to get it out. These past few years have been tough on you. Everyone thinks you are domineering and greedy, but who knows how much money you have given me?"
"It's good that Your Majesty knows!"
Wang Yushi rarely lost her temper. Qin Mo kept sending her money, which she then converted into weapons and other items. Although the Empress's reputation was already very well-known in the army, who wouldn't get tired of doing something that loses money but gains publicity for a long time?
The exile of several officials to Yazhou by Emperor Zhaowu once again brought a group of money-obsessed civil and noble officials to their senses. They had only considered how easy it was to make money in the spice business, but they hadn't considered that the imperial treasury was now in Wang Yushi's hands. Moving Qin Mo was moving Wang Yushi, and moving Wang Yushi was moving Emperor Zhaowu's purse. It would be strange if he didn't get angry if the purse was touched.
The winding mountain road had been widened several times, but it was still incredibly crowded. The noble private armies that had been replaced on the northern battlefield wanted to go home as soon as possible, while the Shenji Battalion heading north was eager to reach Maimai City before the coldest weather arrived. Both sides were hot-tempered and neither would give way, leaving tens of thousands of people stuck there, unable to move.
"Commander, the leader opposite us is a retainer of Hou Hua's family from Hepu. I cannot reveal my identity and therefore cannot order them to make way. What do you suggest?"
Qin Yumu's Shenji Battalion was the biggest secret of this Northern Expedition. After leaving the Changping camp on the outskirts of Beijing, they disguised themselves as a supply corps, with nearly a thousand large carts stretching out in a line. If no one gave way, no one could pass.
"Damn it, I'm going to see who's so arrogant..." Qin Yumu was more anxious than anyone else. Five hundred cannons and twenty or thirty thousand men were stuck on the mountain road. The raw materials for gunpowder were all flammable. If anything went wrong, it would be a disaster.
"Which bastard is blocking the way?" Qin Yumu's curses had already reached them before she even arrived, indicating that a fight was about to break out.
When Hua Wuxing, the heir of the Marquis of Hepu, saw a rider galloping towards him, cursing loudly, he was furious. He had been so tolerant, yet they all thought he was a pushover.
Three years ago, Hua Wuxin's younger sister married Wang Renbi, the heir apparent of the Duke of Wuwei. As the maternal family of Wang Yushi's sister-in-law, the Hua family had thus climbed the social ladder to the Empress's family and temporarily lived as if they were royalty. Marquis Hua Guoqiu of Hepu sent many pearls to his son-in-law, asking him to use his sister's connections to secure a good future for his son.
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