Chapter 328

Fifty-six, Malicious Return Home

Inside the Zichen Hall, the quiet crowd seemed to have been waiting for her to speak.

At the very head, the old woman in the dragon robe seemed accustomed to this kind of face-to-face dispute in private imperial meetings, put away the memorial with an unchanging expression, and asked:

"Where have the returning garrison soldiers reached?"

The colorful-robed female official immediately led several palace servants to move a delicate mountain and river sand table from the back hall and placed it in the center of the hall.

Minister of the Ministry of War Wei Sixing immediately stepped forward and respectfully pointed to a location on the map:

"Your Majesty, please look, the latest report, these mutinous soldiers have reached Hengzhou, and they are still halfway from Hongzhou and Jiangzhou, where they threatened to return."

Wei Zhao lowered her eyes and nodded:

"It's been almost a month, they are indeed walking quite slowly."

Master Di set down his teacup, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and nodded: "Your Majesty is wise."

"Your Majesty." Wei Jisi lowered his head slightly to remind:

"The great affairs of the state lie in sacrifice and war; there are no small matters in the military. Your Majesty, the whole world is watching. If handled improperly or with indecision, it will damage the majesty of the imperial court and Your Majesty's face."

Shen Xisheng: "Majesty is not gained by suppression with strong troops. The Great Zhou should practice the kingly way, be fair and clear, so that the world can return to its heart."

Wei Sixing, who was on the side, suddenly threw out a sentence:

"I heard people say that Lan Changhao, the Inspector of Guizhou, has a loyal heart. Since the imperial court issued the decree for the Heavenly Pivot and the statues, he has actively responded to the call of the central government, personally selecting the site, and going to Jiangzhou to observe...

"He wants to build an outstanding Buddha statue for Your Majesty, to spread Your Majesty's brilliance and the national prestige of the Great Zhou to the barbarian tribes in the remote southwest.

"I heard that the reason why he advocated delaying the Guizhou garrison soldiers a little this time is because Guizhou is remote, there are many indigenous people, taxes are difficult to collect, and the prefectural government's finances are relatively stretched. Dismissing the garrison soldiers is a large additional expense.

"Everyone says it's hard to be a local official, let alone a local official in such a remote prefecture. Lan Changhao helplessly prioritized, placing the main financial resources of the prefectural government on the construction of the Buddha statue."

Shen Xisheng's heart "clattered." Lianghan's worry in his letter was correct; the two Princes of the Wei clan were indeed cunning, pulling up this tiger skin of "building statues for the Emperor" to act as a villain.

His expression remained unchanged, and he turned his head and said with a light smile:

"Prince Liang, why do you speak more and more like the roundworm in Lan the Senior Secretary's belly, knowing it so clearly."

Wei Sixing did not show annoyance on his face and smiled back:

"Then whose belly is Lord Shen like a roundworm of?"

Ignoring the two "roundworms," Wei Jisi, who served as the Supervisor of Construction for the Heavenly Pivot and the Buddha statues, said with a straight face:

"Your Majesty, the copied draft of Ouyang Lianghan's memorial, I have read it, and what he said is not entirely wrong, but this child is a bit too demanding of others with the standards of sages,

"Although Lan Changhao of Guizhou is strict, impatient, and fierce in governance, where is the mistake in his sincere heart to share the worries of the imperial court and build statues for Your Majesty?

"Not everyone is as wealthy as Yangzhou and Jiangzhou.

"Looking at this matter as a whole, Lan Changhao has small faults, but his attitude is correct. Whoever is placed in his position would find it difficult to have the best of both worlds.

"In addition, the fact that the Guizhou mutiny happened at this juncture is too coincidental. It is hard not to associate it with whether there are villains who oppose the Heavenly Pivot and the statues, inciting the garrison soldiers behind their backs, inducing mutiny, and deliberately causing trouble to interfere with the imperial court's policy.

"This matter must be investigated."

Wei Jisi's tone was meaningful.

Wei Zhao raised her eyelids slightly.

Wei Sixing caught a glimpse and took the opportunity to say:

"Knowing that the imperial court has difficult times and the prefectural government has difficulties, yet still mutinying to return home without regard for the overall situation, there must be thieves inciting it. The return of the garrison soldiers north is a malicious return home.

"If we don't suppress it with thunder, but instead indulge the mutinous soldiers and go to blame Inspector Lan Changhao, what will other prefectures that are building statues and collecting copper for praise see? Wouldn't they follow suit?

"If everyone learns from the Guizhou garrison soldiers' 'malicious return home,' how should the imperial court handle it then? Does the imperial court's central majesty still matter?

"Your Majesty, please be wise, prevent it before it happens."

Wei Zhao closed her eyes and listened for a while, then slowly opened them:

"What Jisi and Sixing said is not unreasonable." She turned her head: "What does the State Elder think? Do you have anything to say."

On the imperial stool, the drooping fat old man, who seemed to be dozing off during the argument, opened his eyes, took his hands out of his sleeves, and rested them on his legs:

"Prince Wei and Prince Liang are indeed considering the overall situation and sharing Your Majesty's worries everywhere.

"However, since you mentioned preventing it before it happens, whether the Guizhou garrison mutiny was incited by Inspector Lan Changhao, let's not talk about it for now.

"This old minister is ignorant, but I still have one doubt.

"If all the prefectures in the world see that the Guizhou matter is worry-free and start to follow suit, holding the banner of building Buddha statues, raising the banner of Your Majesty, wasting money and people, filling their own pockets, and then causing a great disaster, what should be done then?

"How should Prince Liang and Prince Wei prevent this 'micro-gradual'?"

Wei Jisi and Wei Sixing's expressions changed slightly.

Empress Wei Zhao tilted her head and supported her forehead with her palm.

Shen Xisheng pursued the victory and advised:

"In the final analysis, it's nothing more than arguing about Ouyang Lianghan, and whether what Lan, Wang, and Zhu said is true.

"Then go investigate!

"Your Majesty can send a supervisory envoy to Guizhou to appease the border garrison soldiers on one hand, and investigate the construction of statues in the Guizhou main hall on the other.

"See if it is really a lack of money and food, forced to reduce military expenditure to build statues, or if Lan Changhao is flattering the superiors and deceiving the subordinates, acting out of selfishness, and abusing public instruments, which led to repeated delays and forced the mutiny.

"The supervisory envoy should then go to Hongzhou and Jiangzhou to thoroughly investigate Lan Changhao's running around and lobbying for delays, and see if there was any bribery or gift-giving to the military commanders of the two states, private collusion, and snakes and rats in the same nest."

Wei Jisi was dissatisfied:

"At present, the mutinous garrison soldiers are on the road, and the imperial court's central government should focus its energy on how to deal with the military disaster. At this juncture, Lord Shen is saying 'thoroughly investigate' again and again. I really suspect whether Lord Shen is taking the opportunity to eliminate dissidents."

Shen Xisheng mocked: "Prince Wei really knows how to use the overall situation to pressure people, standing on the high ground every time."

"You and I eat the state's salary, so we should take the imperial court's overall situation as the priority. Whatever needs to be investigated, wait until the immediate urgent matters are resolved. At that time, I will be the first to support it. Lord Shen, don't forget the distinction between primary and secondary, light and heavy."

The old woman in the dragon robe leaned back and supported her forehead, unable to see the expression under the crown, and after a moment of silence, she said:

"Yao Qing, Wei Qing, what do you think."

"Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble minister is ignorant and shallow. Listening to this, I feel that the Master and Lord Shen have a point, but..."

Yao Gongyu glanced at Empress Wei Zhao above, paused, and said:

"However, Prince Wei said something very well, and this humble minister deeply agrees.

"We should take the imperial court's overall situation as the priority. The top priority is how to deal with the returning garrison soldiers.

"Now the whole world is watching Your Majesty and the court. We need to make a decision quickly. You must know that the longer this kind of military affair drags on, the easier it is to cause chaos. The example of Yingzhou is right before our eyes."

Shen Xisheng frowned slightly. This was another case of mud-mixing, implicitly favoring the Wei clan.

However, this Yao Gongyu was not entirely a person of the Wei clan, but had always stood on the side of Her Majesty the Empress.

When Her Majesty the Empress changed Qian to Zhou and ascended the throne, this person was the first to stand up and support it.

Because he was good at guessing the imperial will, what he said was usually all that the Empress wanted to hear, while at the same time not offending the Wei clan or the Li faction too much.

So in a sense, this person's speech could roughly represent the Empress's attitude.

"Does the Minister think we should send troops to suppress?"

Wei Zhao asked.

"This matter..." Yao Gongyu hesitated slightly.

"Your Majesty, this humble minister privately believes that sending troops to suppress is inappropriate."

Wei Zhenzai spoke up.

This old Prime Minister, who had always been taciturn, was one of the old ministers whose qualifications ranked among the top among the purple-robed ministers present today, second only to Master Di.

"Wei Qing, please speak."

Wei Zhenzai coughed, waved his hand to refuse the towel handed by the female official, and said weakly:

"The returning garrison soldiers have reached Hengzhou in the Jiang Nan Circuit. The Jiang Nan Circuit is not comparable to the Lingnan Circuit. Along the Yangtze River, it connects to the Huainan Circuit, and Jianghuai has been a wealthy area of the world since ancient times, and the world's taxes rely on the two circuits.

"Even if an order is issued immediately to send troops to suppress and intercept the returning soldiers, they will have already approached the Hong and Jiang states, which serve as the gateway to the southeast.

"Even if the government troops defeat the returning soldiers on the road, if they are not completely eliminated, how should the scattered mutinous soldiers be handled?

"Jianghuai has been peaceful for a long time. Once the scattered soldiers disperse to cause chaos in the southeast, disrupting taxes and water transport, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Wei Zhenzai sighed: "We must not use force, or suppress them by force on the road."

Master Di nodded: "Good."

Wei Jisi and Wei Sixing frowned, wanting to speak but stopping.

Shen Xisheng's expression was in agreement:

"Wei Lao has true insight, a pillar of the country. We must not suppress them with strong troops. We should send envoys to appease them, allow the garrison soldiers to return home, and at the same time severely punish the guilty officials to stabilize the military heart and quell the mutiny."

Wei Jisi immediately refuted:

"Lord Shen is indulging arrogant soldiers and fierce generals, and still saying 'guilty officials' one after another. I serve as the Supervisor of Construction for the Heavenly Pivot and the Buddha statues in all directions. Does that mean I am also a guilty official in your mouth, and Lord Shen also wants to severely punish me?"

Shen Xisheng sincerely: "Prince, don't be anxious."

Wei Sixing said indifferently: "Sending envoys to investigate and severely punishing guilty officials is not impossible, but I am afraid that someone has ulterior motives, hides intentions, and the real goal is things other than the Guizhou garrison soldiers, obstructing the imperial court's national policy."

Wei Zhao turned her head and asked: "Have you all finished speaking."

Shen Xisheng, Wei Jisi, and Wei Sixing immediately stood quietly to the side, lowering their heads without speaking.

Wei Zhao said again: "What Wei Aiqing said is reasonable, do you have any good strategies to offer me."

"This humble minister is ignorant."

Wei Zhenzai paused and repeated: "We must not suppress them by force, so that the scattered soldiers become a disaster."

He said no more.

Wei Zhao ignored the two Princes of the Wei clan and Shen Xisheng, looked around the whole hall, and asked: "Do you ministers have any other different countermeasures?"

"This humble minister feels that it might be better to compromise."

Yao Gongyu spoke up suddenly.

Wei Zhao nodded immediately: "Speak."

Yao Gongyu felt a little relieved upon hearing this, his expression was serious, and he narrated...

A short while later, a compromise plan proposed by Censor-in-Chief Yao Gongyu was approved by Empress Wei Zhao, tacitly agreed to by everyone, and passed.

The decision-making meeting after the court ended.

The Li faction ministers and the two Princes of the Wei clan all left with some unwilling expressions.

Inside the Zichen Hall, after the imperial meeting dispersed, Empress Wei Zhao did not keep anyone.

The colorful-robed female officials all hid away.

The main hall was empty, and the old woman in the dragon robe sat alone on the dragon throne, her fingers turning a round, deep green jade Maitreya Buddha.

She stared at the delicate mountain and river sand table below.

Her eyes looked somewhere.

"Is it the southeast again."

She paused and smiled: "Heh, the aura of the Son of Heaven."

Wei Zhao picked up a small booklet routinely sent from Jiangzhou in the southeast from the imperial desk beside her, browsed for a while, and suddenly said:

"Did Rong Zhen."

A cold, icy girl in a crimson palace dress walked out, her figure silent and quiet like a cat.

The old woman in the dragon robe lazily raised her hand and pointed to the mountain and river sand table in front.

"You go on a trip and help Mistress Miao Zhen."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Prince Wei Wei Jisi's residence was in Lide Ward, where the nobles of Luoyang gathered.

The carriage left the East City Gate, and facing it was Lide Ward, making it very convenient to enter the palace for the morning court every day.

The two brothers gathered in the carriage for a small discussion.

Not long after, separating from the carriage of his younger brother Prince Wei Sixing, Wei Jisi closed his eyes to rest, and returned all the way to that Wei Prince's residence that everyone in the world knew.

"Call Li Li to the study."

As soon as Wei Jisi entered the door, he pushed aside the beautiful maid and concubine who came forward and said to the housekeeper.

"Yes, Prince."

A quarter of an hour later.

Inside the study where elegant bamboo was planted outside the window.

Wei Jisi, who was resting his eyes in the armchair, waited for a trembling Persian merchant.

"Good afternoon, Prince." Li Li knelt on the ground with his head buried.

Wei Jisi did not open his eyes: "Where is Shaoxuan, where is Mr. Qiu, where is my Ding Sword."

"The Sixth Young Master and Mr. Qiu should be looking for the sword technique in Yunmeng Marsh. The small one has already sent the Prince's residence's Qi refiners to look for them, temporarily... temporarily there is no news.

"The Yunmeng Sword Marsh is too conservative, the conditions are harsh, and that group of Yue women is also difficult to deal with. It is very difficult for our people to mix in and find people, but there will be progress soon..."

"I have heard this countless times, Li Li, how many more times do you want me to hear it."

Li Li's crouching body couldn't control its trembling, cold sweat wetting his back:

"The small one... the small one will definitely do everything possible to find the Sixth Young Master and Mr. Qiu."

Wei Jisi nodded: "Go. If you can't find the person and the Ding Sword before the Great Zhou Heavenly Pivot is built, you know the consequences."

Given the final ultimatum, Li Li knocked his head three times desperately: "The small one obeys, the small one will definitely bring the person back!"

Ignoring the Persian merchant who knocked his head until it bled and dirtied the carpet, Wei Jisi opened his eyes, looked at the direction of the Imperial City Square in the distance outside the window, and sighed.

He used a whisper that no one could hear to mutter to himself:

"The Heavenly Pivot has already been built according to plan, but the Ding Sword hasn't been sent yet. Without the Ding Sword, isn't the Heavenly Pivot just buying the casket and returning the pearl, a wasted effort.

"The Wei clan has spent so much money and raised so many people for so many years, is it all just water in a bamboo basket... I'm really not reconciled.

"And Aunt's thoughts are becoming harder and harder to guess. What exactly did those Qi-watching masters of the Astronomical Bureau in the Shangyang Palace say to Aunt that day? The attitude afterwards became so sentimental...

"And the sudden restoration of that family in Jiangzhou, hehe, Wang Lixian, oh Wang Lixian, I really didn't expect that there would still be a chance to see you... are you still as weak and afraid of your wife?"

Wei Jisi suddenly turned his head and asked:

"Is it true, as Shaoxuan said in his letter, that that family in Jiangzhou really doesn't hate our Wei Prince's residence and the Wei clan?"

Li Li was stunned, then reacted; it was the matter that the Sixth Young Master, who had suddenly appeared, entrusted him to send a letter to report to the Prince's residence.

Too late to wipe the blood flowing from his forehead to his chin, he nodded desperately and replied:

"The Sixth Young Master personally told the small one that Wang Lixian's youngest daughter, that little Princess, has been fascinated by him. And in the Donglin Temple in Longcheng, the small one personally saw the Sixth Young Master holding the beauty's waist, and the little Princess was even willing to leave her family and run away with the Sixth Young Master..."

Wei Jisi couldn't help but touch his chin: "Is Wang Lixian's youngest daughter so innocent and lively? She doesn't look like a Princess of Li Qian."

"After all, she grew up in a small place and has been in the deep boudoir for a long time; she is quite pitiful and weak and kind." Li Li nodded vigorously: "But it is mainly because the Sixth Young Master is wise and martial, causing her to fall in love."

He paused, and the Persian merchant flattered and said:

"And the Sixth Young Master once secretly designed to save Wang Lixian's family, and with the little Princess blowing wind in his ears, now this family has a good impression of our Prince's residence, unlike the Li faction, which is a deadly enemy."

Wei Jisi nodded slowly, his face showing slight relief:

"As expected of the unicorn of my Wei clan, sharing worries for the clan, knowing how to play idle chess, and thinking of danger in times of peace."

(End of chapter)