Steel Dynasty - Chapter 129

[Chapter 129 Poison Scheme]

The dazzling sunlight extended to the court hall, and fine dust could be seen floating in the air in the light.

The debate between the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs and the prince made Xiao Wenxuan feel irritable.

He knew as well as anyone else that Dayu was no match for the barbarians now. King Zhao came to Beijing a few days ago, and his words were full of fear of the barbarians.

Although King Zhao’s intention was also to provide Xiao Wenxuan with money and food, King Zhao’s lineage, which was once known as one of the iron curtains in the north of Great Chongqing, has shown that it is beyond its capabilities.

King Liang and King Yong were even more tired of dealing with the barbarian attacks. In recent years, the money from the treasury and the equipment of the Equipment Department were basically given to the three vassal kings in the north.

Coupled with the annual tribute, the treasury of the Great Chongqing Kingdom is empty, and now it is no longer able to support Xiao Ming. It is precisely because of this that the forbidden army cannot be easily used, because it is the last defense of Chang’an City.

So the second prince’s words touched his heart, and the fourth prince’s words made him a little unhappy. The prince’s retort to the fourth prince was exactly what he wanted to say.

“Okay, stop arguing. I’ve made up my mind. I can’t add more annual tribute this time. Now that the Chongqing treasury can’t make ends meet, how can we get the money to fight with the barbarians? Moreover, blindly giving in will only make the barbarians despise me, Chongqing.” We are not seeking to defeat the barbarians this time, but to let them know that we, the Chongqing Kingdom, cannot be manipulated by the barbarians.”

“Your Majesty is wise!” Luo Quan and other generals said in unison.

At this time, many civil servants looked as if they were mourning, and all of them looked pale. They were afraid in their hearts, fearing that the barbarians would invade Chang’an. By that time, they would no longer be able to enjoy the glory, wealth, gentleness and fragrance of their daughters. .

“Your Majesty, you can’t fight!” Cui Hao suddenly knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

Then half of the civil servants knelt down, and all of them shouted: “Your Majesty, we can’t fight. With this dispute, there will be no peace in the country of Chongqing, and the country will be destroyed…”

“Your Majesty, we can’t fight.” At that time, many military attachés also knelt down.

“You!”

Xiao Wenxuan suddenly felt a surge of anger in his heart. In the past, only civilian officials were like this, but this time there are actually so many generals among the military officers who dare not fight because of the threat of the barbarians.

He suddenly felt a sense of desolation. At that time, the whole country of Chongqing was already full of people who were greedy for life and afraid of death, and lived in an ignoble way.

“Father, my son and I have a plan that can prevent the barbarians from going south and prevent the barbarians from venting their anger on the court.”

The third prince suddenly said at this time.

Xiao Wenxuan’s eyes lit up and he asked: “Speak quickly.”

“Father, it is not convenient to discuss this plan in the court.” The third prince hesitated and said.

Xiao Wenxuan waved his hand and said to the ministers: “Retreat from the court. This matter will be discussed tomorrow.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

All the ministers stood up and left Chengqing Hall in order.

After all the ministers left, only the third prince was left in the hall.

At this time Xiao Wenxuan said: “What can you do?”

“Actually, it is very simple. The barbarians went south this time just to increase the annual tribute, to attack Cangzhou and threaten the hinterland of the Central Plains. Cangzhou is the fiefdom of King Qi, and further south It is the fiefdom of King Wei. For the safety of their respective fiefdoms, King Qi and King Wei will do their best to resist the barbarian attack. In this way, if King Qi and King Wei can defend Cangzhou, the barbarians will naturally go back in despair.”

“If Qi King .

If the king of Qi and the king of Wei cannot defend Cangzhou, it is not too late to make peace with the barbarians before the city is broken. After all, if the king of Qi and the king of Wei cannot stop the barbarians, the imperial army and the armies of other vassal kings rushing thousands of miles to help may be of no avail. , but the Great Yu Kingdom is in danger at this time. At this time, it is clearly stated that the King of Qi and the King of Wei disobeyed the emperor’s order and used troops to punish them without authorization in order to appease the barbarians and exchange for peace in the Great Yu Kingdom.” The third prince said slowly.

After talking about this plan, the third prince felt slightly proud. In his opinion, this was the wisest approach at present.

“Bastard, how could I have such a vicious son like you!” Xiao Wenxuan suddenly got angry, picked up the memorial in his hand and threw it at the third prince, “You are asking me to betray my brothers, my own son, and the entire world. Although I, Xiao Wenxuan, am not as good as the great ancestor Sheng Ming, I cannot do such a despicable and shameless thing.”

The third prince remained calm as usual, as if he had already expected Xiao Wenxuan to have such a reaction.

He said: “Father, can’t you see clearly above the court today? Standing behind the lord and ministers are King Zhao, King Liang and King Yong. They are afraid of the barbarians. If my father insists on having his own way, I am afraid that The northern vassal kingdom and the Great Yu Kingdom will share different dreams.”

Xiao Wenxuan’s expression changed. Over the years, the royal family of the Great Yu Kingdom and many vassal states have become increasingly distant from each other. .

In particular, vassal kings with different surnames have been passed down for several generations, and their relationship with the royal family has become increasingly estranged, and they are no longer obeying the royal orders.

It is precisely because of this that since Emperor Gaozu, the emperors of Dayu basically maintained their relationships with each other through marriages with many vassals.

The third prince’s words are not impossible.

Everyone in the Chongqing Kingdom knew that he and King Zhao were as close as brothers. In fact, the more so, the greater the drama between the two.

This King Zhao is the northern barrier of the royal family. If he secretly colludes with the barbarians, the barbarians can take Chang’an City directly. It is precisely because of this that he is very afraid of King Zhao.

The purpose of making Queen Zhao the queen and his nephew the prince was to appease King Zhao.

After all, among the many vassal states, King Zhao’s army is the most powerful. If used well, it can be a useful chess piece. If used incorrectly, it can be a life-threatening blade.

This is true for both King Liang and King Yong. In order to guard against the barbarians over the years, the treasury has given the three vassal kings a lot of money. If at this time…

Thinking of this, Xiao Wenxuan could no longer imagine that the ambition in the court slowly cooled down.

He was now over fifty, and had long lost the passion of the past. When he calmed down, he suddenly felt a little afraid. He was unwilling to throw away the throne and the glory and wealth in front of him.

The third prince saw Xiao Wenxuan’s expression in his eyes and sneered in his heart. He knew his father too well.

He loves this throne more than anything else.

“Father, the barbarians have repeatedly harassed me. It is impossible not to retaliate this time. But if we really start a full-scale war with the barbarians, the country of Chongqing will probably face the risk of falling apart. After all, the vassals in the world each have their own thoughts, so my son The minister proposed this plan, all for the sake of the Great Yu Kingdom, and for the sake of the father. Besides, it was just a pretense to punish the barbarians,” the third prince said again.

Xiao Wenxuan felt weak for a while, and he waved his hand, “Let me think about it carefully, you can go out first.”

The third prince agreed, bowed and left.

Outside the imperial city, Li Zhong was waiting for the third prince Xiao Zhen. When he saw the third prince coming out of the palace, Li Zhong stepped forward and asked, “Your Highness, how is it?”

(End of this chapter)