"How long have you been waiting?"

Xiao Shuo was asking about Zheng Zhongming.

"Zheng Zhongming just came here at noon," Wu Ning reported in a serious tone, "and stayed in the Imperial Household Department. He didn't go anywhere."

Yesterday, the governor went out of the city to pick up the Zhenbei army and did not take him with him. Later, he did not come back all night. Wu Ning was worried for a long time. If the governor had not said that he could trust the King of Zhenbei as much as he trusted him, Wu Ning would have wanted to break into the King's mansion.

But even so, he was still not relieved. After a lot of effort, Zheng Zhongming suddenly came to the Silijian early in the morning for some unknown reason and sat there without leaving, which gave Wu Ning an excuse to come over.

Nowadays, Xiao Shuo spends most of his time in Dongchang next to Donghuamen instead of the Silijian. He has handed over the Silijian's affairs to others.

This is known to everyone in the court.

Zheng Zhongming went to the Imperial Household Department on purpose, which was obviously intended to remind him not to forget his "duty".

Of course Xiao Shuo couldn't get used to him.

Xiao Shuo waved to Chu Yuanchen and said, "Don't see me off. Meet me at Qingming Teahouse later." Then he said, "Let's go back to Dongchang."

Zheng Zhongming loves to wait, so just wait.

Wu Ning bowed and responded.

Xiao Shuo left the Zhenbei Palace and headed straight for Donghua Gate.

He and Chu Yuanchen have known each other for twelve years, and it was he who took the initiative to find Chu Yuanchen back then.

Because he knows that there are some things he cannot do alone, he needs someone to stand in the open and attract attention for him.

At that time, he had the intention of taking advantage of Chu Yuanchen.

After all, he can even use himself, let alone others.

But, this person Achen...

Xiao Shuo smiled faintly. His trust in himself has always been so unreserved.

What he just said was just like a child sharing candy with his good friends, but it was not candy, but military power.

Throughout the ages, how many people have fought and shed blood, and turned against each other for the sake of military power.

Xiao Shuo sighed barely audibly, and his smile became even gentler.

After he stepped into this dark hell, he never thought that he would be able to see the sunlight again. However, in the past twelve years, there has always been light before his eyes, and it has never gone away.

Everything at the Dongchang is in order, just as usual.

Wu Ning helped him change into a red Qilin robe, made him some tea, and handed him a booklet.

The booklet was handed over by the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, and it was a summary of all the memorials received from yesterday to today.

Xiao Shuo was flipping through the booklet. He read very quickly and from time to time he would ask Wu Ning to take a certain memorial for him to read carefully.

Around noon, someone came to report:

"Superintendent Zheng Zhongming requests an audience.

Xiao Shuo said slowly without raising his head, "Let him go to the side hall."

Wu Ning was waiting on the side. He knew Xiao Shuo's habits and knew that even if the emperor summoned him in the past, he would not disturb him.

By the time Xiao Shuo put down the booklet, it was already past noon, and he went to the side hall.

Zheng Zhongming's brows were already furrowed with waiting. He waited in the Imperial Household Department for almost two hours, but Xiao Shuo didn't show up. He then asked others, and found out that all the eunuchs in the Imperial Household Department were so arrogant that they didn't care about Xiao Shuo at all, relying on him to support them.

"We don't know when the governor will come. If you want to wait, then wait. Our eunuchs won't take care of the meals."

No matter how well-mannered Zheng Zhongming was, he couldn't sit still after hearing those weird words.

He just didn't believe that Xiao Shuo didn't know he was here.

Just like Xiao Shuo knew exactly why he went to the Imperial Household Department to find him.

This is the confrontation between them.

Since he returned to Beijing, he has always avoided his sharp edge. He originally thought that Xiao Shuo would be concerned about his intention to take the initiative to attack, so he came to the Ministry of Ceremonies to see him, but Xiao Shuo was unmoved.

This is just a warning to myself.

Zheng Zhongming sneered and said, "Master Xiao is really a noble man with many things to do."

"There are quite a lot of things." Xiao Shuo lifted his robe and sat down, always elegant and calm, not surprised by insults, "I wonder what Master Zheng wants to see me about?"

Without waiting for his answer, Xiao Shuo smiled faintly and said, "If there is nothing else, please go back, Master Zheng. I am busy with many things."

Xiao Shuo responded lightly using Zheng Zhongming's original words.

Zheng Zhongming silently turned his jade finger. He did not argue with Xiao Shuo about this matter. Instead, he said, "Master Xiao, I came here today because of the matter in Minzhou."

"The four guard posts in Minzhou submitted a memorial together yesterday. Has Governor Xiao seen it?"

Xiao Shuo nodded slightly.

The Imperial Household Department had clearly organized the contents of all the memorials, and Xiao Shuo had even asked Wu Ning to show him the memorial just now. This memorial was jointly signed by the four guards in Minzhou, and stated the current precarious situation in Minzhou and requested reinforcements from the court.

According to the memorials, after initially allowing the pirates to go ashore, Minzhou has now completely lost control of the situation. The pirates are burning, killing and looting, and the military households and civilians in Minzhou have suffered greatly. There are dozens of villages that have been massacred, and a few days ago, an entire small town was completely massacred and looted.

Half of the troops stationed in Fujian became addicted to the Shiquan ointment, and the remaining half were demoralized due to the severe damage to their military spirit.

The pirates tasted the sweetness and plundered from the coast of Minzhou to the entire Minzhou.

The troops at the Minzhou garrison had suffered heavy casualties and were exhausted from the constant fighting.

"I already know about this." Xiao Shuo said with a smile, "I was just about to discuss with Lord Zheng about dispatching 30,000 imperial troops to support Minzhou."

Zheng Zhongming looked at Xiao Shuo.

He could no longer remember when Xiao Shuo had made his sudden rise to fame. He had never taken this man seriously. By the time he noticed him, Xiao Shuo had already taken control of both the East and West factories and had reached a level that rivaled him.

Zheng Zhongming's eyes sparkled.

Xiao Shuo...

Xue Yao!

It's been twenty years. He's really patient.

King Lingnan was such a bright and upright person, but he never thought that his son would be regarded as a treacherous villain by the world, who would abuse power and harm loyal people.

Zheng Zhongming's eyes darkened slightly, and he did not respond to Xiao Shuo's words, but said: "The emperor is seriously ill, and the imperial guards have the important task of protecting the capital, and they cannot be mobilized at will. As for the reinforcements, it is up to Commander Xiao to figure it out himself."

Xiao Shuo smiled but said nothing.

Zheng Zhongming narrowed his eyes and continued, "Master Xiao, if Minzhou is in chaos and pirates roam the whole of Darong, causing heavy casualties among the people and making life miserable, then you will be the most guilty person and you will be punished even with death."

Wu Ning quietly held down the sword at his waist, his eyes sharp, "How dare you speak like this in front of the governor? Do you want to die?"

The guards around him also had gleaming eyes.

Xiao Shuo put down the teacup, still with a faint smile on his lips, but his eyes had become much colder.

Zheng Zhongming was not afraid.

He has the imperial guards at his disposal, and if Xiao Shuo really wants to confront him in a head-on fight, neither side will be completely sure of victory.

Now it all depends on who moves first.

Zheng Zhongming drank his tea leisurely and said, "Master Xiao, it is useless for you to be in charge of the government."

"You are not the one who decides the fate of this world."

Zheng Zhongming changed his low-key and steady demeanor after returning to Beijing, and spoke forcefully and provocatively. His attitude seemed to be saying: Without the imperial guards, I'd like to see what you, Xiao Shuo, will do.

After saying this, he changed the subject and said, "Master Xiao, how about we negotiate a deal?"

Xiao Shuo brushed his sleeves and said calmly, "I hate it most when someone negotiates with me."

"Zheng Zhongming." The smile on his face deepened a little, but the smile did not reach his eyes. His phoenix eyes were dark, as if there were endless whirlpools flowing in his eyes.

"If you kneel here, bow your head, declare your submission, and hand over the imperial guards, I will spare your life."

"If not, Wang Qinghong and Wang Qingyang are the future of your Zheng family."

Xiao Shuo was calm and relaxed, serving tea to the guests.

Zheng Zhongming stood up suddenly and glared at him.

Before he came, he had warned himself several times to stay calm. Xiao Shuo was best at controlling people's hearts, but he was still angered by his few words and almost broke down.

Zheng Zhongming calmed his disordered breathing, and said in a cold voice, "Xiao Shuo, don't be ignorant of what is good for you."

After saying that, he walked away without looking back.

Wu Ning collected the teacup used by Zheng Zhongming, handed it to a guard and said, "Throw it away. It's really unlucky."

His voice was shrill and he didn't control the volume at all. Zheng Zhongming, who had just walked out the door, heard it clearly. His face changed and he quickened his pace.

Xiao Shuo lowered his eyelids slightly, thought for a moment, and then asked someone to call Lin Shoufu and the Minister of War over and said to them: "From now on, the expenses of the imperial army will be reduced by 50%."

Fifty percent?!

The Minister of War Qian Hou was shocked and couldn't believe his ears.

To cut off 50% at once is a bit too much.

He said tremblingly: "Master, the imperial army has 560,000 soldiers. If the military pay is reduced by 50%, I'm afraid it will be difficult to maintain."

"Then reduce the number of troops."

Xiao Shuo's words sounded like a matter of course, but Qian Hou was overwhelmed by them.

The number of soldiers cannot be reduced just by saying so. Right now, during the Great Prosperity and Great Chaos, we have to rely on the Imperial Guards to suppress bandits and quell the chaos...

Xiao Shuo said, "Master Qian, do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?"

He said this with a smile on his face. Qian Hou's heart was beating fast. He said cautiously, "I don't know what the governor means."

"There are currently 560,000 registered soldiers in the Imperial Guard, but are there really 560,000 soldiers? How many soldiers are there in the three major camps of the Imperial Guard? Minister Qian, do you know?" Xiao Shuo said with a smile, "How many people in the Great Rong Dynasty are eating empty salaries? Do you need me to tell you?"

"If Minister Qian doesn't even know this, then you don't need to be the Minister of War anymore."

Xiao Shuo's last sentence was full of meaning, and Qian Hou was so frightened that his face turned pale and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

The Imperial Guards have been drawing salaries without doing anything for a long time, but the Imperial Guards have always been in the hands of Zheng Zhongming, who is deeply trusted by the Emperor, so even he, the Minister of War, cannot do anything about it.

It has long been unclear how much empty pay there was and how many actual soldiers there were.

Every year, military pay is paid according to the number of registered military personnel.

But even so, cutting military pay by half is too much!

Zheng Zhongming will definitely make trouble.

When he thought of this, Qian Hou's headache became even more painful. However, he didn't dare to say "no" to Xiao Shuo now.

When Xiao Shuo's eyes moved away from him, Qian Hou felt the pressure eased a little, and then he heard him say to the Prime Minister: "The reduced military pay will be incorporated into the national treasury. Last year, the Huai River burst its dike, so this year we should allocate funds to repair the dam."

"The Governor is right!"

Lin Shoufu suddenly became excited and said righteously: "The Imperial Guards have been in existence for so many years, and we have never seen them suppress bandits or quell rebellions. Apart from accompanying the emperor on the southern tour and winter hunting, they have not moved much, just waiting to gain weight. It is really not right to pay so much military pay every year. It should be cut."

He said from the bottom of his heart: "The Governor is wise!"

Today's Dayong is no longer the same as the prosperous times. The annual treasury income is less than 10 million taels, but 3 million taels are allocated to the imperial guards every year. These 3 million taels are only used as salaries. On weekdays, they have to allocate more for military equipment, weapons, food, rewards, etc. Once the imperial guards are dispatched to suppress bandits, even if they are only suppressing a few thousand bandits, money will flow out like water.

The emperor was on guard against the King of Zhenbei and was unwilling to let the imperial guards down, let alone reduce the number of soldiers. He was very willing to spend money on the imperial guards. In the past few years, more than half of the national treasury has been used to support the imperial guards.

He has wanted to cut it a long time ago!

Qian Hou: “…”

He wanted to cry but had no tears. However, if he had to choose between offending Zheng Zhongming and offending Xiao Shuo, there was no need to think about it.

Xiao Shuo said slowly: "Then there is no need to transfer the military pay for the next season."

Since the time of the previous emperor, the military pay for the imperial guards has been allocated quarterly.

The first quarter's military pay was paid at the end of the previous year. Now that it is March, it is time to pay the second quarter's military pay.

Qian Hou originally thought that the salary would be cut in half starting from the second season, but he didn't expect that he would simply not give any money at all. Zheng Zhongming would definitely be upset, right? !

Lin said as a matter of course: "Since we are going to cut, we will start from this year. We gave too much in the first quarter, so we won't give any in the second quarter. We will wait until June to adjust it."

He seemed to see the huge amount of silver flowing into the national treasury, and his eyes were filled with joy.

Xiao Shuo did not give him any room to refuse and said, "The Ministry of War has ordered all the guards to come to the capital to report on their duties."

Having said this, he sent them away.

Before sending him off, Xiao Shuo did not forget to mention to Lin Shoufu: "Lin Shoufu, whether the national treasury can have a surplus this year depends on you."

He picked up the retirement letter handed over by Lin Shoufu and said, "I will not approve this letter."

Hearing the word "national treasury", Lin Shoufu became excited.

He was supposed to retire in May this year, and Chief Assistant Lin submitted his memorial yesterday as per the usual practice.

Lin Shoufu had been exhausted physically and mentally over the years and had been thinking about retiring to live out his days. But ever since the emperor had a stroke, Lin Shoufu suddenly felt that everything was going smoothly and he was full of energy. When he heard that Xiao Shuo had rejected his retirement letter, he was not discouraged at all. Instead, he said with high spirits, "Yes!"

How much money the national treasury has depends on him. It is such a difficult and heart-pounding job.

After sending them away, Xiao Shuo finished reading the memorial in his hand, got up and went to Qingming Teahouse.

Chu Yuanchen was already waiting for him there.

The two stayed in Qingming Teahouse for the whole afternoon. When Chu Yuanchen returned to the palace, Sheng Xiyan happily told him that the Cheng family had agreed to the marriage.

When Jingle heard that the proposal was for Han Qianzhi, he immediately went to the warehouse to search it, prepared a very expensive gift, and went to the Cheng family in person.

Cheng Chuyu's parents already knew what their daughter was thinking. They were worried but also disapproving. They were afraid that Han Qianzhi's legs would not heal and their daughter would suffer for the rest of her life.

Sheng Xiyan said with a smile: "So, mother brought Doctor Zhou with her." She covered her mouth and smiled, "Mother asked Doctor Zhou to tell Uncle and Aunt Cheng about Han Qianzhi's situation in person."

There is no guarantee that Han Qianzhi's leg can be healed, but Doctor Zhou's confidence has increased to 70%, which is not easy for a person with a spinal cord injury.

Cheng Xianzhuo and his wife knew very well that Han Qianzhi was injured like this in order to save their daughter, otherwise, it would be their daughter who was lying on the bed and unable to move. Now that Han Qianzhi has great hope of recovery and Cheng Chuyu is very persistent, they are relieved.

Sheng Xiyan held his arm affectionately and spoke with a smile, feeling quite touched at how thoughtful Princess Jingle was.

"I have already asked someone to tell Han Qianzhi to follow Doctor Zhou's treatment."

Chu Yuanchen called a servant over and said, "Go and tell Han Qianzhi that if he doesn't want to ride in a four-wheeled carriage to pick up the bride, he can do it on his own."

The servant left in a hurry. Chu Yuanchen pulled Sheng Xiyan back and kissed her on the lips. He said, "Han Qianzhi is a lazy boy. He needs to be provoked."

Sheng Xiyan covered her mouth and chuckled.

Before the servant came back, someone came and reported, "Marquis Jingwei wants to see you."

Marquis Jingwei came here to divide the family.

Originally, Marquis Jingwei was afraid that Zhang had provoked Han Qianzhi, and that Han Qianzhi would change his mind and fight them to the end. As soon as he returned yesterday, he checked the account books overnight.

Zhang was really reluctant in her heart, and she was thinking about discussing with Marquis Jingwei whether she should keep it a secret a little bit. As long as it wasn't too excessive, it shouldn't be noticeable.

As a result, before the couple could discuss what to do, they received news that Princess Jingle had gone to the Cheng family to propose marriage on behalf of Han Qianzhi.

This time, they panicked.

Now that the marriage has been proposed, the Cheng family might require him to inherit the title before marrying their daughter to her. Otherwise, who would marry their daughter to a cripple? Thinking of this, he did not care about lying and hurried over with the account book and banknotes.

After Marquis Jingwei made apologetic smiles to Chu Yuanchen, Han Qianzhi finally came out.

Han Qianzhi did not go back on his word and agreed to split the family.

Chu Yuanchen asked the steward to call the accountant, and four or five accountants worked all night to count all the accounts. Marquis Jingwei and his wife did not go home, but stayed in the side hall of the palace, sitting there all night, listening to the sound of the abacus, which made their foreheads buzz.

If Han Qianzhi got 50%, that would be 370,000 taels of silver. Han Qianzhi wanted cash or silver notes, so Marquis Jingwei took all the silver notes in his home, mortgaged some of his shops, and borrowed from relatives and friends to barely get enough.

Marquis Jingwei asked the elders of the Han family to be witnesses, and the two signed the separation document and sent it to the government for record, which meant that from then on, Han Qianzhi and Marquis Jingwei became two families. Except for the heinous crime of exterminating the nine clans, no matter what stupid things Marquis Jingwei did, it would not implicate Han Qianzhi.

After the division of the property, Marquis Jingwei swallowed his saliva and said eagerly: "My Lord, that memorial..."

Chu Yuanchen ordered people to prepare the four treasures of the study. In front of them, Han Qianzhi wrote a memorial, voluntarily expressing his intention to give up the title.

Han Qianzhi put down his pen and smiled meaningfully: "Second Uncle, should I deliver this memorial or should you deliver it?"

"I, I'll do it!"

Marquis Jingwei took the letter quickly, fearing that he would regret it later and the family would be divided in vain.

It’s better to hand in the memorial yourself and feel more at ease!

Carrying the memorial and the account books, Marquis Jingwei and the elders from the Han family who came as witnesses left the Zhenbei Palace together.

As soon as he stepped out of the palace, he stroked the memorial with great joy and almost kissed it a few times.

In order to divide the family, Marquis Jing had not been to the yamen for the past two days. Now he hurried back and handed in the memorial.

As soon as he arrived at the Ministry of War, he heard something:

Xiao Shuo reduced the military pay of the imperial guards.

It's not just a little bit of cutting, but a big cut.

Directly cut more than one million taels of silver.

Marquis Jingwei was shocked on the spot. It was almost April and military spending was suddenly cut. There was no sign of this before. Zheng Zhongming would definitely turn against him.

Xiao Shuo's move caused an uproar in the court. Many people were waiting for Zheng Zhongming's reaction, whether he would accept it reluctantly or break up with Xiao Shuo.

Since the emperor suffered a stroke, Xiao Shuo has been in control of all power, while Zheng Zhongming has been in the backline. They originally wanted to see whether Zheng Zhongming would submit to Xiao Shuo, but as soon as the Zhenbei Army arrived, Xiao Shuo took the initiative to attack.

After receiving the signal from the Ministry of War, Zheng Zhongming locked himself in his study for a day and a night.

After he came out, he faced Xiao Shuo and openly said: "The Imperial Guards have the important task of protecting Da Rong, and the number of soldiers must not be reduced. Since the court needs money, the Imperial Guards have to cut their military pay, so the Imperial Guards can only find a solution on their own."

Zheng Zhongming first said that he was willing to accept the reduction in military pay, and then proposed: "There are still a few vacancies in the imperial guards, and we can exchange some silver for military pay."

There was a precedent for this in the history of the Dayong Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Taizong, because the national treasury was not abundant, the buying and selling of some empty positions in the court was allowed. However, as Dayong gradually prospered, this practice was gradually abolished.

It was because there was already a precedent. Although Zheng Zhongming's proposal was inappropriate, Xiao Shuo had cut military pay before, so the court could reluctantly accept it.

"However," Zheng Zhongming changed the subject and said, "The Imperial Army is short of money and cannot send troops. The chaos in Minzhou was caused by the care of Governor Xiao himself."

He clearly defeated Xiao Shuo's army.

Aren't you going to pacify Minzhou? Now the imperial guards can hardly protect themselves, and the soldiers are almost out of food, so how can they care about Minzhou?

He looked at Xiao Shuo in a frivolous and provocative manner.

The others looked at each other.

Although Lin Shoufu was thinking that these deductions... no, these saved military pay could be used as national treasury expenditures, the chaos in Minzhou could not be ignored.

Xiao Shuo and Zheng Zhongming have come to such a head-on conflict, will Minzhou become the victim in the end? !

"Lord Zheng." Lin Shoufu wanted to persuade him to put the overall situation first and that the military pay for the troops to go to Minzhou would be allocated separately by the Ministry of War.

As a result, just as he opened his mouth, Xiao Shuo said, "Since Lord Zheng can get the military pay, I am relieved."

Xiao Shuo turned around and told the Minister of War Qian Hou: "Reduce the salary of the imperial army by half again."

Zheng Zhongming flew into a rage, slapped his teacup, and blurted out, "Xiao Shuo, how dare you!"

It was eerily quiet all around.

No one dared to speak and lowered their heads.

Xiao Shuo sat at the head of the table and said calmly, "Minister Qian, the imperial army's pay will be cut in half again, and there will be no need to make further adjustments for the next three quarters."

After he finished speaking, he met Zheng Zhongming's gaze, as if answering him: Do you think I dare?

Qian Hou's eyes widened in shock and cold sweat ran down his face.

"Master," Wu Ning reported, "The King of Zhenbei has arrived."

After he finished his report, he slightly turned sideways, and Chu Yuanchen stepped over the threshold and strode in.

He had sharp eyebrows and eyes, completely different from his usual easy-going demeanor. He was like a sword unsheathed, carrying a murderous aura that came from the trials of life and death on the battlefield.