Chapter 327

A good idea flashed through Si Gui's mind.

He raised his hand and pressed down gently. The hall gradually quieted down, and everyone's eyes were focused on Si Gui.

"How could I, the Prime Minister, not know the patriotic hearts of my fellow colleagues?"

Si Gui's tone softened, "With Western Liang pressing on our borders, the Northern Frontier naturally cannot be allowed to fall into chaos; this matter indeed concerns the overall situation. His Majesty cares for the border people, Old Yan considers things thoroughly, and the concerns of my fellow colleagues are also not without reason."

"But sending an envoy to pacify, while it can temporarily comfort the hearts of the people, is difficult to achieve long-term effects. The Northern Frontier is bitter and cold, and the folk customs are fierce; it is not something that can be completely won over by a single imperial edict and a few carts of money and grain from the imperial court. Moreover, if the person sent lacks ability or harbors ulterior motives, not only will it fail to pacify, but it may instead provoke changes."

He said this to cut off the Yan Family's contact with the Northern Frontier. Why send an envoy? Better to take one step to the end!

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, and finally landed on Wei Xi Yuan, "Your Majesty, this subject has a strategy that may achieve several goals at once: it can pacify the Northern Frontier and also share the burden of the Western Front for our Da Qian!"

"Oh? What good strategy does my beloved minister have? Speak quickly." Wei Xi Yuan seemed to have his interest piqued and sat up straight.

Si Gui took a deep breath, "The imperial court is in a time of needing talent, and the rebels of Western Liang are hated by all under heaven! Why does Your Majesty not emulate the enlightened monarchs of old and implement a policy of recruitment and pacification?"

"What does my beloved minister mean?" Wei Xi Yuan's expression was calm, as if he were seriously discussing it with Si Gui.

"This subject believes we can issue an edict to confer upon this Jiang Jinshi the title of—King Ming! Order him to be the Governor-General of the Northern Frontier's military and political affairs!"

"King Ming?!" A gasp of surprise erupted in the hall.

A king with a different surname! Since the founding of Da Qian, only one person had received the honor of being a king with a different surname, and that was the Prince of the Northern Frontier.

That was only because the Prince of the Northern Frontier was loyal and guarded the Northern Frontier for more than ten years, which led the late Emperor to make that special exception.

Now, they were actually going to confer the title of king with a different surname upon a thief of unknown origin who occupied the mountains and called himself king?

Si Gui ignored the surprise of the crowd and continued: "Confer upon him the title of king, promise him the land of the Northern Frontier, and order him to raise his own troops and grain to guard the gateway of the Northern Frontier for our Da Qian.

At the same time, Your Majesty can issue an edict ordering Jiang Jinshi to send troops to harass the rear of the Western Liang rebel army from the north, forming a pincer movement with the garrison at Tongguan! In this way, the Northern Frontier can be pacified, the imperial court can gain a strong reinforcement, and the Western Liang rebel army will be attacked from both sides, naturally resolving the danger at Tongguan!"

On the surface, this was an extremely brilliant strategy! Using the empty title of a king with a different surname and a barren land that was already difficult to control, in exchange for a powerful regional force.

It pacified the Northern Frontier, found a possible external aid for the Western Front, and could also let the Northern Frontier and Western Liang consume each other, allowing the imperial court to reap the benefits as the fisherman.

But when Si Gui said this, he did not think that the Northern Frontier was now entirely in the hands of Jiang Jinshi; did he need this empty title?

What Governor-General of the Northern Frontier's military and political affairs? Wasn't Jiang Jinshi already doing exactly that?

Conferring upon the other party what they already had was an attempt to catch a wolf with empty hands!

Yan Chonggu never expected that Si Gui would pull such a move! Conferring the title of a king with a different surname? This was simply pushing the Northern Frontier toward independence!

He had intended to send people to infiltrate and win them over, gradually bringing the Northern Frontier into his sphere of influence, but this move by Si Gui was equivalent to directly acknowledging Jiang Jinshi's separatist status and giving him a legitimate excuse for expansion!

Where was this recruitment and pacification? It was clearly raising a tiger that would cause trouble!

Moreover, asking Jiang Jinshi to attack Western Liang? For an empty title, you want Jiang Jinshi to fight to the death with the King of Western Liang; do you think people are stupid?

Even if we take a step back and say Jiang Jinshi really does clash with the King of Western Liang. When two tigers fight, regardless of who wins or loses, the imperial court seems to be able to benefit, but if Jiang Jinshi uses this opportunity to grow powerful, or even annexes the forces of Western Liang...

"This strategy of the Prime Minister is inappropriate!"

Yan Chonggu immediately spoke to oppose it, "Conferring a king with a different surname is a major state ceremony; how can it be lightly granted to someone of unknown origin? Once this precedent is set, won't local power-holders follow suit and split the land to call themselves kings? Where will the dignity of the imperial court be then?

Moreover, whether that Jiang Jinshi is loyal to the country is still unknown. If he follows the order in name but defies it in practice after being conferred, or even colludes with Western Liang, wouldn't it be counterproductive?"

Yan Chonggu did not expect that Si Gui, this pig-brained man, was truly useless without Si Wushuang, to have proposed such a rotten idea.

"Old Yan is overthinking."

Si Gui had long expected him to oppose it and had already thought of an excuse, "In extraordinary times, one must use extraordinary methods. The rebels of Western Liang are the great enemies of the state; if we can trade an empty title of nobility for a strong reinforcement to help pacify the rebellion, why not?

As for whether Jiang Jinshi is loyal... Your Majesty can send an envoy with generous gifts and official seals to the Northern Frontier to confer the title, first to show grace, and second to observe his attitude.

If Jiang Jinshi happily accepts the title and is willing to send troops to fight against Western Liang, then his heart can be used! If he shows resistance, then his heart must be different, and the imperial court can also make preparations early. This is a strategy that kills two birds with one stone."

Si Gui was still smug about his quick wit, "Your Majesty, this strategy can solve the urgent need of the Western Front, pacify the rear of the Northern Frontier, and even highlight Your Majesty's virtue of employing talent without sticking to one pattern!"

Wei Xi Yuan pretended to be someone who didn't understand anything, "What Northern Frontier, Western Liang, king with a different surname... I am too lazy to think about it in detail! But this method of the Prime Minister seems to allow that Jiang Jinshi of the Northern Frontier to fight to the death with the King of Western Liang without the imperial court having to send too many troops or spend too much money immediately? Sounds good!"

As for conferring a king? Anyway, that broken place of the Northern Frontier is far from the Emperor; confer it if you want, it's just an empty title.

He didn't care about this at all; he had already dragged the Northern Frontier into the water according to the plan. The more chaotic the situation, the more favorable it was for Wei Xi Yuan.

"Hmm... what the Prime Minister said very much matches my wishes."

Wei Xi Yuan yawned and waved his hand, "Then... draft the edict! Confer upon that... Jiang Jinshi the title of King Ming, and let him guard the Northern Frontier well for the imperial court and go fight Western Liang. If he does well, I will have rewards! Retire from the court, I am tired."

He was afraid that if he delayed, things would change, so he decided to settle it while Si Gui's idea hadn't changed yet.

"Your Majesty is wise!" Si Gui was the first to bow.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Most of the officials, especially those in Si Gui's faction, immediately followed suit.

Although they felt that conferring a king with a different surname was somewhat difficult to understand, the Prime Minister's words seemed to make sense. At present, Western Liang was the great enemy; if they could divert the disaster to the north and let the Northern Frontier and Western Liang bite each other like dogs, the imperial court would indeed be happy to see it happen.

Yan Chonggu opened his mouth but could not say a word, because this matter was already a foregone conclusion and difficult to reverse.

He just didn't expect that he only wanted to contact the Northern Frontier to seek some way out for his family, and that bastard Si Gui had directly flipped the table.

This move by Si Gui disrupted all his deployments.

Now he had to adjust his strategy and think about how to seek the greatest benefit for the Yan Family, or... reduce losses, in this sudden "King Ming" conferral incident.