NFBE Chapter 241 Entering the game
Chapter 241 Entering the game
Emperor Wenjing, who had always neglected state affairs, summoned his officials to the palace without hesitation to discuss countermeasures.
In the imperial court, the ministers argued endlessly.
One side strongly advocated sending troops to conquer, hoping to use this to demonstrate the great power and prestige of the Great Zhao Kingdom.
They believed that the rebellion of the Mongol people was a blatant provocation against the imperial power of the Great Zhao Dynasty, and it had to be dealt with forcefully to let the world know that the Great Zhao Dynasty was inviolable.
The other side proposed sending envoys first to appease them and to investigate the reasons for the rebellion of the Mongol people.
Behind any rebellion may lie complex factors, and rashly sending troops could trigger even greater turmoil.
Emperor Wenjing sat upright on the dragon throne, his face ashen, his eyes filled with suppressed rage.
"The Mongol and Li people of Yuanbei River have always been loyal, so why did they rebel for no reason?"
A minister stepped forward and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, I believe there must be something hidden here. We should send someone to investigate immediately."
One minister sharply retorted: "What hidden reasons could there be? Those who are not of our race are bound to have different intentions. Although these Mongol people live in the territory of our Great Zhao, they have never considered themselves as citizens of Great Zhao. It is quite normal for them to harbor rebellious thoughts."
"Your Majesty, I am willing to lead troops to Yuanbei River to suppress the rebels! A mere ten thousand men are nothing to fear!"
For a time, the court was filled with a cacophony of voices, as everyone expressed their opinions and refused to yield to one another.
The princes, like cheetahs lurking in the shadows, quietly observed the ministers' every move and word. They took in everything, yet amidst the chaos, they tacitly remained silent, not uttering a single word.
As the commotion subsided, Emperor Wenjing's sharp, hawk-like gaze slowly swept across the faces of the crowd, finally settling on Prince Qi. His voice was deep and authoritative:
"King Qi, what do you think?"
King Qi stepped forward, bowed, and after a moment's thought, said, "Father, I believe we should not easily send troops to suppress them."
Emperor Wenjing stared at him, then raised his hand, "Continue."
"There are fewer than 10,000 Mongol-Li people in Yuanbei River. It would be easy to suppress them with troops. But the difficulty lies not in suppression, but in why these Mongol-Li people would rebel?"
"They stayed peacefully in Yuanbei River for ten years, spending their days with their horses, herding and raising them, leading a simple and monotonous life. Logically speaking, such a law-abiding group should not have any intention of rebelling."
"But they have now turned against us; there must be some hidden reason behind this."
"Furthermore, the warhorses bred by the Mongol-Li people of Yuanbei River over the past decade have been of the highest quality among all the horse farms in our Great Zhao. If we lose this support, the strength of our Great Zhao's army will surely suffer a severe blow."
"Therefore, I believe that the Mongol and Li people in the Yuanbei River area should be treated with benevolence and appeased, and should not be forcibly suppressed by troops."
After hearing this, Emperor Wenjing nodded slightly, his tense expression easing somewhat. However, he did not immediately express his opinion, but instead changed the subject, "Then, in your opinion, who should I send to appease them?"
King Qi lowered his head slightly, pondered for a moment, and then slowly replied, "Your subject recommends Minister Cui of the Court of State Ceremonial. Minister Cui has always been fair, honest, and self-disciplined, and he is quite experienced in dealing with people of various ethnic groups. If he goes there, he will surely be able to unravel the mystery, find out the truth, and properly appease the Mongol and Li people."
Prince Chen stood to the side, and upon hearing this, his originally bright eyes instantly darkened, like a deep, dark pool, making it difficult to discern his emotions.
Cui Huai-ren of the Court of State Ceremonial was born into the prestigious Cui clan of Huayang, and the Cui clan of Huayang had already secretly pledged allegiance to him.
Why did he recommend Cui Huai Ren?
Did Li Mubai genuinely believe that Cui Huai Ren was qualified for the position and have no ulterior motives, or did he have other purposes?
When Cui Huai Ren was publicly called out by the King of Qi, he dared not slack off in the slightest. He quickly took a few steps forward, bowed respectfully, and said loudly, "Your subject is willing to share your worries, even if it means going through fire and water!"
He was about fifty years old, with a slightly weathered face, a long beard under his chin that swayed slightly in the wind, and a slightly hunched posture. The marks of time were clearly visible on him, and he already showed signs of old age.
At this moment, King Xiang, who was standing behind King Qi, stepped forward and said, "Father, I think King Qi's actions are inappropriate."
"Lord Cui is indeed exceptionally talented, but he is already quite old, and Yuanbei River is thousands of miles away. The journey is long and arduous, and I am truly worried that Lord Cui's health may not be able to withstand it."
After much deliberation, I believe it would be more appropriate to select a young, promising, and energetic person from the Ministry of Rites to go.
King Qi frowned. "King Jin, don't forget that our trip to Yuanbei River is not just to negotiate with the Mengli people, but also to find out the deeper reasons for their rebellion."
"Which official from the Ministry of Rites do you think is suitable?"
The Prince of Xiang seemed to have been waiting for these words. He smiled and said, "Father, I think the newly appointed Vice Minister Yun of the Ministry of Rites is very suitable."
Emperor Wenjing's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the figure among the officials who stood out like a crane among chickens.
Yun Shang stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his deep red official robes making him appear like a burning flame, which further accentuated his cold and handsome face and extraordinary demeanor.
Even standing among a group of court officials who had been entrenched in the court for many years, he was in no way inferior.
Yun Shang slightly raised his eyes, his gaze calm, and said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Your Majesty, although I am not talented, I am honored by the recommendation of Prince Xiang and wish to travel to Yuanbei River."
Prince Chen glanced worriedly in the direction of Yun Shang.
When King Xiang saw this, his smile deepened.
King Qi watched this scene unfold without flinching, lowering his eyes slightly to conceal the mockery within.
The exact reason why the Mongol-Li people of Yuanbei River rebelled still needs to be investigated in detail, but the princes in the court today all have their own thoughts on their faces.
King Xiang recommended Yun Shang for two reasons. First, he wanted to keep Yun Shang away so that he would not be able to get involved in the case at the Dali Temple.
Secondly, they created the illusion of being close to and valuing Yun Shang, thus sowing discord between Yun Shang and Prince Chen.
After all, Yun Shang is now working in the Ministry of Rites, while Prince Xiang is concurrently serving as the Inspector of the Ministry of Rites. Since they are working in the same department, they have more opportunities to meet, which inevitably leads to some other thoughts arising.
Even though Prince Chen still trusted Yun Shang completely, Yun Shang did not betray Prince Chen.
But once this seed of doubt is planted, it will be used someday.
Li Ming is very calculating.
Seeing that the King of Qi and the King of Xiang were locked in a stalemate, the other princes all chose to remain silent.
After much deliberation, Emperor Wenjing finally decided to send Cui Huai-ren as an envoy to Yuanbei River.
Yun Shang was not surprised by this result.
Since the Prince of Xiang did not recommend him, given Emperor Wenjing's habit of favoring new officials in the court, he would probably consider sending him, as the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, to Yuanbei River.
King Xiang's recommendation, however, made Emperor Wenjing abandon the idea.
Although Emperor Wenjing neglected state affairs, he was by no means a foolish or incompetent ruler.
The current political situation is maintaining a delicate balance, and Emperor Wenjing will not allow the princes to become too close to the newly promoted officials, lest this balance be broken.