Upon hearing this, Sima Lie quickly nodded and looked at Ma Shangtao beside him with satisfaction.
Ma Shangtao looked at Sima Lie with a fawning expression and grinned ingratiatingly.
Qin Yu stared at the two people, who seemed to be performing a duet like actors, and a strange smile appeared on his face.
He nodded. "You two ministers are right. Then let's do this: have General Zhao Hu immediately assemble the army and move to Youzhou to defend it!"
"If Zhao Hu can achieve a great victory on the frontier, he will surely be able to defend Youzhou and win again!"
"What?"
Upon hearing this, both of them exclaimed at the same time.
He looked up at Qin Yu, his eyes filled with shock.
How can this be! Even if Youzhou is lost, we can't let Zhao Hu defend it!
Zhao Hu is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Once his army enters Youzhou, how could he possibly withdraw? Wouldn't that be handing Youzhou over to Zhao Hu?
Sima Lie's face turned extremely ugly.
He stared at Qin Yu above him, his heart filled with boundless anger, but he could only suppress it.
Even if Youzhou were ceded to the Xiongnu, Zhao Hu would never be able to obtain it.
Thinking of this, Sima Lie quickly grinned and said.
"Your Majesty... there is no need to be so nervous. This old minister will discuss it with the Ministry of War again and then report back."
"What does the Prime Minister mean? Didn't you just say that the situation is urgent and the war is critical?"
Sima Lie wanted to slip away, but how could Qin Yu give him that chance? He immediately looked at him with feigned suspicion.
Sima Lie's face was ashen, his expression extremely embarrassed. This foolish emperor was utterly stupid! He even dared to ask! This was practically slapping him in the face!
However, even if we can't back down now, it's still better than handing over Youzhou to them.
Thinking of this, Sima Lie's face darkened, and he said coldly.
“Your Majesty, I just remembered that Youzhou is a long way from the Xiongnu, and I also remember that there are tens of thousands of troops stationed in the city. I suppose the Xiongnu will not be able to break through it in a short time.”
"What the Prime Minister says is absolutely right. The Xiongnu have traveled a long distance and have just suffered a defeat. They probably wouldn't dare to attack rashly. We are just thinking that it's better to be prepared."
Ma Shangtao quickly spoke up as well.
"General Zhao Hu has just finished a battle, so let him rest for a while."
Seeing the two people trying their best to dissuade him, Qin Yu's face showed a hint of disdain.
He immediately pretended to suddenly realize something and chuckled.
"Oh, I see. You two are wise and experienced in governing the country. Then let's follow your advice and observe for a while before making a decision."
Qin Yu stared coldly at the two people below the hall.
He knew very well that even if the Xiongnu army really wanted to go to Youzhou, it would probably take some time.
Moreover, Youzhou is not an empty city; Sima Lie, that old scoundrel, has quite a few loyal followers there.
Even if things really come to a standstill, it won't be too late for me to make a move then.
Sima Lie felt a great weight lifted from his heart when he saw that Qin Yu had agreed.
He chuckled dryly twice and quickly retreated.
Seeing that he had made a fool of himself, Ma Shangtao behind him had no choice but to retreat dejectedly.
Qin Yu snorted coldly and glanced at the two of them with disdain.
He turned to face the crowd and spoke softly.
"What is happening a thousand miles away is not a concern, but there is an extremely urgent matter right here in the palace."
Qin Yu paused, then frowned and said.
"Recently, I have been troubled by the matter of the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The first two candidates were both traitors and were not fit for important positions. This position is so important that I need a loyal and courageous person to serve me!"
After speaking, Qin Yu stared at the crowd below the stage, observing the expressions on their faces.
Sure enough, everyone had different expressions when they heard this.
Everyone has their own little thoughts.
But no one dared to say anything. Qin Yu knew that what they feared was not him, but Sima Lie.
In the imperial court, Sima Lie remained silent; no one dared to approach such a lucrative post.
After giving a cold glance around, Sima Lie immediately stepped forward and said in a deep voice.
"Your Majesty, I have a very suitable candidate."
"Oh? Please speak, Prime Minister!"
Seeing Sima Lie come out, Qin Yu sneered disdainfully and said.
“Your Majesty, Zhang Shichang is capable of this task. He is loyal to the emperor and loves his country. He is brave and decisive. Moreover, he has made great contributions by capturing the traitor Li Geng!”
As he spoke, Sima Lie turned around and glanced at the officials behind him.
Everyone immediately realized what was happening and began to echo Sima Lie's sentiments.
"Your Majesty! The Prime Minister's insight is keen. General Zhang has served in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for many years, and is utterly loyal. He is certainly capable of undertaking such an important task!"
"Yes, Your Majesty! After Jia Zhengjin was imprisoned, the person who wrote the most letters of denunciation and accusation was General Zhang, which shows his loyalty!"
...
Hearing the officials chiming in with their own opinions, Sima Lie's face lit up with a smug look as he glanced at Qin Yu.
In the imperial court, as always, no one dared to contradict Sima Lie when he said one thing.
Qin Yu watched all this with a cold eye, a sneer creeping onto his lips. After a long while, he shook his head and said, "Prime Minister, loyalty is not something you say, it's something you do."
"Made? What does Your Majesty mean by this?"
Sima Lie's smile froze instantly, and he looked at Qin Yu with some confusion.
Qin Yu chuckled: "As I have already said, the most important thing in this selection of the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is loyalty!"
"But how is loyalty demonstrated?"
Qin Yu turned around and walked to the middle of the crowd, raising his voice.
"I've come up with a brilliant idea: buy an official position! If you want to be an official, just put up some money! The one who donates the most will become the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"
Upon hearing this, the entire court was in an uproar, and everyone looked at Qin Yu with disbelief on their faces.
This is the Emperor! The Emperor leading the way in selling official positions? Are you kidding me?!
This is unprecedented since the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty!
But Qin Yu said with a face full of disdain!
"Whoever contributes the most money proves their loyalty to me. If they're not even willing to give me money, how can they be willing to give me their lives? Alright, it's settled then!"
"Half of the money you donated for official positions will go into my private treasury, and the other half will be used to support the front lines as military expenses for Prime Minister Sima."
Qin Yu waved his hand and made a domineering announcement!
Upon hearing this, the officials could hardly believe their ears and stood there dumbfounded!
First, he extorted money from the tutors of three emperors, and then he openly sold official positions and titles. With such a foolish ruler, it would be truly outrageous if the Great Xia Dynasty did not perish!
Sima Lie, who was standing to the side, was also stunned, but he quickly came to his senses!
He was worried about how to place Zhang Shichang in the position of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, since according to intelligence, Li Geng was the Empress's man! Now that Zhao Hu had won the victory, that woman Zhao Lan would definitely be even more arrogant and more confident in competing with him for the position of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!
Unexpectedly, this tyrannical emperor actually came up with such a brilliant idea to help him!
He bought his official position! Money was the last thing Sima Lie lacked! It was that simple!
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