Chapter 177 Return Journey
Mr. Wu's needles are simply miraculous.
Fu Mingyi said that Mr. Wu would arrive in five days, and it indeed came true.
Mr. Wu came alone, and when he arrived, he talked to the two about the situation in Yingzhou and Feng County.
Let's start with Zhao Ziyuan in Feng County.
Zhao Ziyuan was indeed not a blockhead.
Upon seeing the flying dragon on the jade, he quickly devised a plan.
If he wasn't mistaken, it was definitely a dragon talisman.
What is the dragon talisman? It is the symbol of the emperor.
He didn't want to die, nor did he want the elite soldiers he had painstakingly trained to die, so he remembered Li Qinghe's words and ultimately put them into practice.
At that time, there was no other explanation. He had hidden his troops, but none of you, the censors or Feng Zhengmin, could interfere or hold me accountable.
Why?
Because Lao Tzu was training troops for the emperor.
He said this without the slightest hint of guilt. He had actually done the same thing, but if he reported it to the imperial court, he would only face numerous obstacles.
Given the rare opportunity and his eagerness to attract talent, he had no choice but to take a risky approach and act first, then report to the authorities later.
If this matter hadn't blown up, she would have already been thinking of telling her nephew, who was the commander of the Imperial Guards in Nanhua Palace, about it, to see if she could get the matter directly to the Emperor.
Okay, now his wish has come true.
Having the Dragon Talisman in hand is the best proof.
Not to mention that Feng Zhengmin's furrowed brows could have trapped several mosquitoes, the censor was simply dumbfounded.
As an official from Nanhua City, he knew the significance of the dragon talisman better than anyone else present.
But how did the dragon talisman end up here?
In any case, all they could do was kneel and worship the dragon talisman, then watch as Zhao Youchen swaggered across the bridge with the talisman, and then, as a matter of course, cut the suspension bridge.
The censor realized what was happening and decided to cross the bridge to investigate.
Zhao Youchen muttered to himself, "I am training troops for the emperor. The emperor bestowed upon me the dragon tally, and only the emperor can inspect these elite troops."
The implication was clear: what are you, a mere censor, to think you can cross the bridge?
Feng Zhengmin felt a headache coming on.
Someone had previously informed on Zhao Ziyuan that he was secretly training elite troops in Fengqi Gorge, and the imperial censor was present at the time.
They rushed over with county government soldiers, only to find chaos ensuing. Before they even saw Zhao Ziyuan's private army, people had already died.
Feng Zhengmin and Zhao Ziyuan had no personal grudges; they simply had different perspectives and disagreed out of a sense of public duty.
Feng Zhengmin is a serious and strict person. Zhao Ziyuan has worked with him for many years and knows his temperament well.
In recent years, Yingzhou's tax revenue has been lower than that of Dingzhou and other places. Feng Zhengmin was unwilling to increase taxes on the people, and instead introduced preferential policies to attract people from surrounding counties and prefectures to relocate to Yingzhou. This further exacerbated Yingzhou's financial situation.
Zhao Youchen believed he had helped him, but the financial situation in Yingzhou was in trouble, which would naturally affect the troops stationed under his command.
He had no choice but to misappropriate a portion of the state tax revenue.
He had already said that he would treat it as a loan and return it in its original condition. But he never expected that Feng Zhengmin would be so persistent and even take him to the imperial court.
To be honest, he was full of resentment.
However, he knew that although his actions were for emergency purposes, they were indeed inappropriate.
If the imperial court wanted to punish him, he would not hesitate to speak out.
The premise is, don't touch his troops.
Unexpectedly, things got out of control in the end.
Fortunately, we have the Dragon Talisman.
Zhao Ziyuan stayed on the mountaintop with the dragon talisman, neither letting anyone in nor out; in short, he just waited.
After waiting for two days, the censor could no longer bear it.
He returned to Nanhua first to report the matter and instructed Feng Zhengmin to handle it seriously.
Feng Zhengmin could only manage a wry smile at this moment.
The idea to take the lead in submitting this memorial came from one of his subordinates.
He had a big argument with Zhao Ziyuan, and in the heat of the moment, he thought this idea was absolutely brilliant.
However, deep down he later regretted it.
The situation in Yingzhou is different from that in Dingzhou.
Yingzhou has a lot of land, but not a large population.
Before he had even considered the preferential policies to attract people from nearby prefectures and counties, Zhao Ziyuan readily borrowed the prefectural army, using it to train soldiers in their spare time and cultivate the land when busy, thus providing considerable assistance.
However, after rumors began to circulate that Zhao Ziyuan intended to recruit a private army, the rift between them grew wider and wider.
He was already worried that Yingzhou's state tax revenue was insufficient to be submitted to the imperial court, and Zhao Ziyuan actually embezzled the state tax revenue that Fengxian should have submitted without his knowledge, which really infuriated him.
But things have unfolded step by step, and it's come to this. He trained a private army for the emperor... He truly finds it hard to accept.
So the stubborn Feng Zhengmin stayed with him on the mountaintop for two days.
Mr. Wu said, "This matter has already been reported back to Nanhua."
Fu Mingyi nodded and then asked about another matter.
"Have you been able to find out the tax figures for each region?"
Mr. Wu nodded. "These things can be discussed on the way. However, the situation in Yingzhou is something that almost all prefectures and counties will face. This move..." Mr. Wu did not continue.
Xiao Qing understood that this move was too drastic.
She looked at Fu Mingyi, trying to discern some emotion from his eyes.
Fu Mingyi pointed to the small table next to him, "If they don't provoke us, waiting two years... isn't necessarily a bad thing."
After discussing the two matters, Fu Mingyi asked Xiao Qing to pack her luggage, leaving only him and Mr. Wu in the room.
Mr. Wu then said, "I went to the north and met... the young lady."
Fu Mingyi pursed his lips. "How is it?"
Mr. Wu lowered his head, looking somewhat depressed.
Fu Mingyi didn't urge him.
Mr. Wu lowered his voice, "Difficult."
Fu Mingyi turned his gaze away. "In a place like that, with no relatives or friends and surrounded by wolves, it's naturally difficult."
“Then…” Mr. Wu’s eyes lit up.
Fu Mingyi shook his head.
"What do those old guys mean?"
This made Mr. Wu even more depressed.
"Now that the young lady is the Princess Consort of the Northern Barbarians, they naturally won't interfere."
Fu Mingyi snorted coldly, "They cherish their reputation, so they naturally have to put on a show. In reality, as long as there's profit to be made, what wouldn't they care about?"
Mr. Wu looked at him, "You mean..."
Fu Mingyi seemed to sigh.
"I thought about it for a long time after receiving my sister's letter."
"It is basically impossible to get the northern barbarians to release the people."
"Sister can only be strong on her own. If she can get through these hardships, perhaps she will still have leverage to negotiate with the Northern Barbarians and the Fu family."
“But…” Mr. Wu frowned, veins popping out on his forehead.
Fu Mingyi looked at him and said, "I know you're worried about her, which is why I sent you to the north. Firstly, to investigate some things, and secondly, so you can see her."
Fu Mingyi turned his gaze away, "But you can look all you want, there are some things you need to understand in your own heart."
Mr. Wu lowered his head.
Fu Mingyi patted his hand, "Soon, the Fu family will release the news that the Fu family will no longer have Mingzhu, and the Great Xiao will no longer have Mingfei. The name Fu Mingzhu will only be buried in the dust, and in her place will be the Princess Consort of the Northern Barbarians."
He raised his head and said softly, "My sister has been intelligent and brave since childhood. Give her time, and she will understand."
People should always look forward.
They have no way to go back to the past.
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