Chapter 436 Why do you bother him for no reason?
Half a month later.
Far away in the Imperial Master's residence in Kyoto, a servant tiptoed into the study and handed the Imperial Master a letter sealed with wax and stamped with the private seal "Thanks." "Sir, thank you for the letter sent by the young master from Annan County in the southwest."
The Imperial Master was sitting at his desk flipping through astrological charts. Upon hearing this, he raised his hand to take the letter, his fingertips stroking the rough paper.
Judging by the time, there should be news.
He originally thought that the letter would say "Mission accomplished" or "The trace of the demon star has been confirmed", but when he opened the letter, the expectation on his face gradually turned into surprise, and then turned into depression.
Xie Qingyun wrote more than twenty pages of letter paper, pouring out all his experiences in the southwest over the past few months.
How the plague in Taohua Village was controlled, how Gu Jiayue set up a school to teach "new knowledge", how many "cognition-subverting" books he read in the library, and even the details of his argument with Gu Jiayue about the "origin of the world" were written clearly.
To sum it up, it means: "Master, hehe, I seem to have been assimilated by the people of this southwest. I didn't kill the person you asked me to assassinate. Instead, I was inspired by her teachings of 'materialism' and 'science' and found another path of cultivation. I won't be returning to Kyoto for the time being, so please take care of yourself."
No hehe!
The Imperial Master stared at the "hehe" in the letter, his fingers shaking with anger, and he slammed the letter heavily on the table.
The inkstone was shaken so much that it jumped, and a few drops of ink splashed out, staining the spread-out star map black.
"This traitor! I taught him for so many years, but he was bewitched by a 'demon star' and put the cart before the horse!"
He took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and said in a deep voice: "Someone come!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a man in black suddenly emerged from the shadows in the corner of the study.
He was wearing a black robe that clung to his body, his face covered with a black cloth, revealing only a pair of calm eyes. He knelt on one knee and said, "National Master!"
"You will immediately leave for Annan County in the southwest," the Imperial Master's voice was as cold as ice. "First, capture that brat Xie Qingyun and lock him up in the Jingxin Pavilion for reflection. Second, you will complete his unfinished mission for him, but leave no trace."
"Yes!" The man in black stood up and without any hesitation, turned around and disappeared into the shadows again, leaving no sound of footsteps. The study fell into silence again.
The Imperial Master picked up the letter that had made him furious, walked to a nearby brazier, and threw it in.
The flames shot up and quickly reduced the letter to ashes.
He stared at the dancing flames, a hint of sneer on his lips: "As expected of the 'Son of Fortune', your ability to bewitch people is even more powerful than I thought."
But so what? A ruthless look flashed in his eyes.
The national destiny that Dagan was pursuing and the "great road" that he was planning were all in his pocket, and no one could take them away from him!
Even if Xie Qingyun softened his heart, he had plenty of ways to make the "demon star" disappear.
At this moment, the voice of an attendant came from outside the door: "Master Imperial Master, His Majesty has ordered you to enter the palace immediately for a meeting."
The Imperial Master collected his thoughts, brushed off the non-existent wrinkles on his robe, and turned to look at the door: "Got it, I'll go right away."
In the imperial study of the Dagan Palace, the scent of sandalwood curled up, but it could not cover up the smell of medicine in the air.
The emperor sat upright on the dragon throne, wrapped in thick fox fur. His face was as pale as paper, and even his lips were bloodless.
He tried to straighten his back and look more energetic, but the occasional coughs still exposed his frail body.
In the past two years, there have been constant natural disasters and man-made disasters. He has worked day and night and his health has long been broken.
"My dear minister is here." Seeing the imperial teacher come in, the emperor forced a smile, his tone full of dependence.
If it weren't for the imperial teacher who gave him advice and calculated the timing to help him quell the rebellion, who knows who would have held the throne of Dagan.
"Your Majesty," the Imperial Master stepped forward and bowed, his eyes sweeping over the Emperor's hand on the armrest.
The hand was so thin that veins were bulging and it was still trembling slightly. Although the owner of the hand was trying hard to hide it, clues were still seen.
The Imperial Master nodded and offered sincere counsel, "Although state affairs are important, your health is even more important. If your health is not good, the foundation of the Great Gan will be truly unstable."
"I know." The emperor sighed, his voice filled with fatigue. "But the war at the border, the floods south of the Yangtze River, the plague that just passed in the southwest—everything weighs heavily on my mind. How can I sleep peacefully?"
The Imperial Preceptor stood up, his tone firm. "Your Majesty, rest assured. I have located the scourge that is disrupting the nation's destiny. It is in Annan County in the southwest. If we eliminate her, the nation's fortunes will surely flourish, and natural and man-made disasters will cease."
"Alas," the emperor shook his head, his eyes dimming. "It's so hard to find someone in such a vast sea of people. We can't pin all our hopes on this one thing."
He reached out and picked up a folded battle report from beside the dragon throne and handed it over. "This is the battle report that just came back from the border. Take a look."
The Imperial Master took the battle report, unfolded it, and his originally calm expression changed instantly.
The battle report stated that Da Chu suddenly had many siege weapons that had never been seen before. Not only could they easily climb the reinforced city walls, they also created "cannons."
One shot can create a deep pit, causing great damage.
"How could the Great Chu possess such powerful siege weapons?" the Imperial Master's voice was filled with disbelief. "Didn't the Prince bring cement to the border? Even a cement-reinforced wall couldn't stop them?"
"Cement can only reinforce the city walls, but the people of Great Chu are no fools." The emperor coughed twice, his tone heavy. "Those new weapons skip the siege altogether. Soldiers can climb up from under the city walls using their weapons. Not to mention the artillery. If they land on our ranks, they'll kill and wound scores of us."
He paused, then added, "According to spies, these items were obtained by the Great Chu Crown Prince from a 'talented and extraordinary person' while traveling across the mountains and rivers. The Crown Prince was previously being hunted by his enemies and had fled to the southwest of our Dagan, where he stayed for several months."
"Southwest? Southwest again!" The Imperial Master's eyes instantly became sharp, and his heart became more confident.
That disaster star must be hiding in the southwest!
Xie Qingyun also said that "everything is just the master's prejudice", but the facts are before us. The unusual movements of Da Chu and the disasters of Dagan are all related to the southwest. This is clearly the chaos brought about by the evil star!
"Yesterday's latest battle report said that two more cities were lost south of Yanshan. We're still not sure what the situation is on the front lines." The emperor's voice was filled with anxiety. "I called you here today to discuss this. Do we need more troops at the border? If we don't, I'm afraid everything south of Yanshan will be lost!"
It is necessary to increase the troops, but everyone present knows that Kyoto’s military strength is not large to begin with. If more troops are transferred from Kyoto, Kyoto will be in a situation of “no troops to defend”.
If someone takes the opportunity to rebel, the palace and the royal family will be in danger.
"We must increase the number of troops, but we cannot transfer them from Kyoto anymore." The national teacher quickly made up his mind and spoke.
"What does the Imperial Master think?" the Emperor asked hurriedly.
"Xiangzhou is closest to Yanshan." The Imperial Master walked over to the map hanging on the wall and pointed at Xiangzhou's location. "We can have Feng Weiguo, the military governor of Xiangzhou, recruit troops nearby. After integrating the local forces, he can immediately bring them to support the border."
"This..." The emperor hesitated. "Isn't it too risky to send new soldiers to the battlefield? They haven't even seen the basic battle formations. I'm afraid they can't withstand the attack of the Chu State."
"Your Majesty, this is a critical moment. We must resort to extraordinary measures," the Imperial Master said firmly. "Xiangzhou already has 50,000 standing troops, who can serve as the main reinforcements in the early stages. The newly recruited soldiers don't need to go into battle right away; they can serve as reserve forces, marching with the main force while being trained by veterans. When they arrive at the front lines, they will first handle logistics, transporting food and fodder, and digging trenches. Once they become familiar with the battlefield and gain combat experience, they can be added to the front lines."
The emperor thought about it and felt that this method was feasible.
It has to be done even if it doesn't work.
If this is not done, once Da Chu breaks through the Yanshan defense line, the entire Dagan will be in crisis.
He nodded. "Alright, as you say! Pass on my order. Have General Feng Weiguo of Xiangzhou immediately recruit troops and assemble them. Within ten days, they must march south of Yanshan Mountain to fight against the Chu State! In addition, he is allowed to recruit 100,000 soldiers and horses in Xiangzhou, Yunzhou, and Juzhou. He must gather enough troops!"
"Your Majesty, isn't this too much?" The Minister of Finance stepped forward hastily, his face filled with embarrassment. "One hundred and fifty thousand soldiers, the daily cost of food and fodder is an astronomical figure. The national treasury is now empty, I'm afraid we can't support it!"
He felt a pang of anguish. The emperor had simply added 150,000 soldiers, but he hadn't considered the difficulties faced by the Ministry of Revenue. He couldn't let the soldiers fight on an empty stomach, and he certainly couldn't let them bring their own food and fodder, could he?
The emperor was also stunned for a moment. Obviously, he had not considered the issue of food and grass. His tone suddenly weakened: "Then..."
"Your Majesty!" The Imperial Preceptor interrupted him immediately, his tone undeniably resolute. "This is a critical moment for the survival of the Great Gan Dynasty. We absolutely cannot skimp on food and fodder, and we cannot reduce our manpower! If we don't send enough soldiers, they'll die at the front. It's better not to send them at all. When the Chu cavalry breaks through the city walls and marches straight in, the first to suffer will be the wives, children, and grandchildren of the entire court!"
"You!" The Minister of Revenue's face flushed red from choking. He pointed at the Imperial Preceptor and couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time. Finally, he could only shout in anger, "Anyway, the Ministry of Revenue can't provide money or grain! In the past two years, there have been constant natural and man-made disasters. The Ministry of Revenue has been providing disaster relief every year, and there is no surplus grain anymore!"
"How can there be no money? It's only September and the treasury is empty?" The emperor frowned, his tone filled with confusion and dissatisfaction.
"Your Majesty, have you forgotten?" The Minister of Revenue sighed helplessly. "This year, Jiangnan was hit by a flood, and you issued an edict that Jiangnan's taxes did not need to be turned over, allowing them to use them for disaster relief and rebuilding. Jiangnan is a major taxpayer for our country every year. Without Jiangnan's taxes, the national treasury would have lost a third of its income. It would be a wonder if there was any money left!"
The emperor suddenly realized what was going on and looked a little embarrassed.
It was he who ordered this matter, but now he has forgotten about it.
He turned to look at the Imperial Master, his tone pleading. "Imperial Master, what do you think we should do?"
"Master Imperial Preceptor," the Minister of Revenue also looked at the Imperial Preceptor, his tone somewhat provocative, "Aren't you quite good at calculating? Why don't you calculate where we can get food and fodder for these 150,000 soldiers?"
The Imperial Master's eyes swept over the Minister of Revenue sharply, and then a strange smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He said slowly: "Since the Minister of Revenue asked me to calculate, then I will calculate it."
He closed his eyes, gently pinched the index and middle fingers of his right hand, and pretended to recite a few words that others could not understand. Then he opened his eyes, his tone was flat but every word was clear.
"Your Majesty, the Minister of Revenue has buried many antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and gold and silver in a house in West City. Also, the Minister of War has a secret passage beneath the rockery in his garden, leading to the dense forest outside the city. At the end of the secret passage is buried the gold and silver treasures he embezzled. Furthermore, the warehouse of the Rui'an Marquis's mansion contains grain embezzled from the disaster relief in Jiangnan three years ago..."
While counting on his fingers, he read out the names of officials and the places where they hid their valuables. He did not care about their official rank or whether the incident was true or not. He just "attacked" them indiscriminately.
The Crown Prince and the Grand Tutor standing by were stunned. They quickly stepped forward and covered the Imperial Master's mouth with their hands.
If he continues talking, he will offend all the civil and military officials in the court!
The officials whose names were called out turned pale instantly, cold sweat streaming down their foreheads. They fell to their knees, glaring at the Minister of Revenue with eyes full of resentment.
Why would you bother him if you had nothing to do?
Everyone knows that the national teacher is a "charlatan", and you still let him "calculate".
That's good now. If you don't have food, you can use your hidden silver to buy it! Are you satisfied?
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