The broken porcelain on the ground hadn't been cleared yet, which made it a perfect starting point for He Qing. "This is the Empress's favorite set of porcelain. Could it have been accidentally dropped? That would be such a shame. This set was made during the reign of Emperor Hui, and later generations never achieved such fine colors."
As she spoke, she squatted down, picked up a piece of broken porcelain, placed it in the palm of her hand, shook her head and sighed.
"Can't you see I'm angry? Instead of trying to comfort you, you're just looking at the porcelain." The Empress Dowager scolded her. But after being interrupted by He Qing, her mood calmed down a little.
He Qing then asked with a smile, "Who made the Empress Dowager so angry? She deserves to be punished!"
The Empress Dowager's voice sank. "The law doesn't punish everyone. He's got a good plan! I was just angry for a moment. If he really punishes me, I'm afraid I won't be tolerated in this court anymore!"
"What do you mean?" He Qing showed a bit of panic. "Your Majesty, are you worried about the affairs of the court?"
"It's about the Ruizhou incident," the Empress Dowager said. "It's a civil uprising. Since it has a cause, it just needs to be resolved. Wouldn't a real war be a waste of money and manpower? Yet, the ministers at court all seem to think war is necessary. They don't consider that the court is now somewhat stable, and if war breaks out, I'm afraid new trouble will arise."
"So it's about this." He Qing put down the broken porcelain pieces in his hand and said to the Grand Empress Dowager, "I don't understand what's going on outside, but if Your Majesty is not angry, I have something to say."
"What?"
"This battle really needs to be fought."
The Empress Dowager's face turned pale with anger. "Why, you're the one who's trying to persuade us?"
"I'm an outsider, and a woman at that. Who would ask me to be their lobbyist? Your Majesty, please listen to my explanation," He Qing said calmly. "Regardless of external affairs, it is precisely because the court is currently unstable that this battle must be fought."
"Oh? What do you mean?" Perhaps because He Qing was not a person with a vested interest, the Empress Dowager was more patient.
He Qing said, "During the Spring and Autumn Period, Chu was one of the Five Hegemons and a powerful nation. However, King Zhuang of Chu died young due to illness, and the ten-year-old King Gong of Chu ascended the throne, plunging Chu into crisis. To stabilize the situation, the Queen Mother, acting as the acting governor, consulted with the ministers and decided to ally with Qi to attack Lu. I've also heard that to alleviate internal divisions and conflicts, the grassland peoples often band together and launch military operations against the Central Plains. Grand Empress Dowager, please consider why this is the case."
The Empress Dowager had also read a great deal of history, so she naturally understood the meaning of the music. "Having a common enemy outside can smoothly divert conflicts, which is actually conducive to internal unity."
"That's right," He Qing nodded. "Ruizhou is certainly a minor problem, but if it can boost the prestige of the court and rally the ministers to work together, then even if we mobilize a large force, what's the harm? We need to mobilize a large force, so that everyone knows that the country remains stable."
It always saves effort to talk to smart people.
However, He Qing would not admit it voluntarily, giving people a chance to criticize her. She smiled and said, "How can this be considered helping me? Lord Gu is a pillar of the court. Isn't it his duty to save the country from danger and maintain the court's dignity?"
Gu Zheng laughed, "Master, you're really too quick to destroy the bridge after crossing it."
"Lord Gu already had this intention, so I am doing something unnecessary." He Qing said lightly without changing his expression.
Gu Zheng naturally wouldn't admit it. He just smiled and turned the topic back to Tang Lichen's matter, "Master, do you have any good ideas?"
"How can there be a foolproof plan for something like this?" He Qing asked. "Ruizhou may seem like a major commotion right now, but it's still all about the imperial court's response. We absolutely cannot back down from something like this. We should send troops to suppress it. Do we even have to reason with them?"
The more assertive the imperial court appears, the less likely the rioters will dare to act. Then, they can dispatch support. Tang Lichen is no fool; given the opportunity, he'll surely escape from the government office. Without the hostages, dealing with the rioters will be much easier.
Gu Zheng shook his head and said, "Given the current situation in the court, I'm afraid the Empress Dowager will not agree."
If a war breaks out, it will inevitably involve all parties and become a considerable burden for the imperial court. The Empress Dowager's attitude now must be "less trouble is better than more", and she will never take the initiative to take on such trouble.
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