Chapter 178: Shuo Has a Plan

"Good!"

"Good characters!"

"They are truly good characters indeed!"

"If not for Grand Eunuch Zhou's explanation, we dull-eyed folk would never have been able to tell what these four characters were!"

"A realm, this is a realm! A style all its own!"

Under the lead of Liu Dahao, everyone else began to cheer as well.

This left Grand Eunuch Zhou with an expression of "you flatter me," looking smug and pleased with himself.

Liu Dahao immediately said, "Grand Eunuch Zhou's calligraphy is worth a thousand pieces of gold; have it framed, hurry and have it framed! Let it be hung right here in the mansion!"

This made Grand Eunuch Zhou even happier. As the saying goes, people lift each other up like a flowery sedan chair, and one does not strike a smiling face; Grand Eunuch Zhou also chuckled and said, "Aiya, Liu Prefecture Marquis, this matter must not be too flashy, it must not be too flashy... Hang it a bit higher! Aiya, people won't be able to see it there!"

"The lighting is better over here!"

Liu Zheng and the others had black lines on their faces.

And at this moment.

In the still-frenzied Yinzhou City, those wealthy merchants were all watching the arrival of this Imperial Envoy.

"Is there any news? Is there any news?"

"Is the Yinzhou Coin going to be investigated?"

"Speak quickly, it's already dropped over here!"

Fengming Tower, at this time, seemed to have become their trading floor. One person would come to report news, then another, and with each piece of news, the price of the Yinzhou Coin seemed to be changing at any moment.

"I've found out!"

"I've found out!"

"The Imperial Envoy inscribed characters for this Yinzhou Coin!"

"What?"

Those wealthy merchants were all filled with shock.

"Getting rich every day!"

Boom!

The whole place exploded.

"We're rich, we're rich, we've struck it rich!"

"Quick, quick, quick, go collect Yinzhou Coins!"

"Wait for the price to rise, do you hear me? Wait for the price to rise; at the current price, you absolutely must not sell!"

They were crazy again.

These people were crazy again.

And at this time, Liu Zheng did not care at all about how the Yinzhou Coin was doing. Once he had finished serving Grand Eunuch Zhou and arranged for him and a group of young eunuchs to stay in the superior guest rooms of the Yinzhou Prefecture, Liu Zheng instructed Liu Dahao to be sure to send at least ten thousand Yinzhou Coins to Grand Eunuch Zhou during the evening banquet.

Liu Dahao naturally understood these social niceties.

Afterwards, Liu Zheng rode his horse back to Yintan City and went straight to find Qingyang Shuo.

Qingyang Shuo had long known the contents of the Imperial Edict and looked at Liu Zheng with a smile, "Congratulations, Young Master, congratulations!"

Liu Zheng was stunned, "Where does this joy come from?"

Qingyang Shuo smiled, "Western Regions Commissioner—does the Young Master feel that this completely unrelated official title makes it hard for you to see through?"

Liu Zheng nodded with a bitter smile.

It was not that he could not see through it; in fact, he also understood that the old Emperor was giving them in Yinzhou a difficult problem, and a very difficult one at that!

Why say it like that?

During the most prosperous period of the Longyan Dynasty, the four corners of the world paid homage, and countless vassal states submitted.

Among them were the Xiongnu in the north, the Qiang, the Turkic, the Jurchen, and in the Western Regions, Loulan, Rouran, Qiuci, Qiemo, Cheshi, and so on and so forth...

These were all vassal states of the Longyan Dynasty, and every year they had to pay tribute to the Longyan Dynasty.

However...

As the Longyan Dynasty continued, its strength was not what it used to be, and thus its control over these vassal states was not as firm as before. The world is developing and changing with each passing day. The Longyan Dynasty was growing old and frail, while those countries were growing stronger every day. Therefore, it was only logical that they would gradually break away from the control of Longyan.

Over these years.

Loulan, Rouran, and Qiuci, three Western Regions countries, had openly broken away from being subsidiaries of the Longyan Dynasty and did not even come to pay homage anymore. This made the current Emperor fly into a rage.

And what was even more excessive was...

The Xiongnu and Qiang in the north would harass Zhongyuan from time to time.

This left the Longyan Dynasty unable to even take care of itself; how could it have time to "look after" those countries in the Western Regions?

Therefore...

The Western Regions Protectorate that the Longyan Dynasty had once established in the Western Regions had long existed in name only, and there was not even a single Longyan soldier left there now.

And yet today, you give me the official title of Western Regions Commissioner?

What does this mean?

Savor it!

Savor it carefully!

The Longyan Dynasty had not had a Western Regions Commissioner for many years.

However, the Longyan Dynasty also had a rule.

Every year during the Mid-Autumn Festival, these Commissioners stationed abroad must return to the capital to report on their duties.

Well then.

This is awkward.

If this were truly just a nominal position, it would be easy to talk about, such as Liu Zheng's position as a Hanlin Academy Reader, which in itself has no reporting of duties.

But a Western Regions Commissioner is different...

This is a serious official with real power!

When returning to the capital to report on duties, if you cannot produce one, two, or three results, then at the very least you will be punished, and at worst, you will be directly charged with a crime!

Therefore.

This current Emperor has truly presented the Liu Family father and son with a difficult problem!

"Sir, this Western Regions Commissioner is truly a hot potato; where is the cause for congratulations?"

Liu Zheng's face was full of worry.

Qingyang Shuo, however, said: "Young Master, moving west was originally our plan. Now that the Emperor has given you legitimacy, why does the Young Master hesitate?"

Liu Zheng smiled bitterly: "We have already signed a friendly agreement with Loulan. If we truly move west, conflict will be unavoidable."

In fact, this is what he is most worried about.

As for the Silk Road, Loulan is already his transit point, and in his view, this is enough. He is truly not interested in the other small countries of the Western Regions.

At this time, Yinzhou and Loulan are still in their honeymoon period.

If he really goes to establish that so-called Western Regions Protectorate, how will Loulan view it?

We in Loulan have finally managed to break free from the exploitation of your Longyan Dynasty, and you want me to go back?

Keep dreaming!

Don't look at how the current Loulan King and Empress Dowager have a good relationship with him; once it involves national interests and national dignity, all feelings are nonsense...

By that time, his entire plan would have to be scrapped and started over.

Not only that.

Seeing that the current situation is about to become chaotic, this old Emperor is actually using the Western Regions to exhaust his military strength!

Liu Zheng can imagine it.

As long as he goes to this Western Regions Protectorate, war will be unavoidable.

War...

That is war!

As long as there is war, there is no way to avoid bloodshed, and no way to avoid spending money.

If Liu Zheng had a choice, he would rather focus on managing his own little plot of land in Yinzhou first.

Liu Zheng felt once again that this current old Emperor is truly not old!

He had always been worried that Yinzhou's development was too rapid, which would surely attract the attention of the world, surely attract the attention of the various Feudatory Kings, and even surely attract the attention of the imperial court.

He had also always been worried.

If the imperial court truly could not tolerate a Yinzhou, how would they deal with him and his old man?

He did not expect.

This move by the old Emperor...

It is simply too ruthless!

Liu Zheng suddenly felt a bit agitated and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "Sir, teach me!"

Qingyang Shuo looked at Liu Zheng quietly.

This man, who was more beautiful than a woman, just looked at Liu Zheng quietly like that, and then said with a soft laugh: "Young Master, in all great matters, one must remain calm..."

"Shuo has a plan."

Liu Zheng was overjoyed: "Where does this plan come from?"