Situ Mingyue and the ministers are actually concerned about the current situation in Northern Luzon, which is far away from the center of the empire. Before the Luzon incident, many ministers did not even know the specific location of Luzon. Northwest County is already remote enough, and Luzon is still to the west of Northwest County. It is indeed difficult to understand its actual situation.
Situ Mingyue nodded slightly, seeming to accept Wu Feng's statement. No matter what, after all, sending troops to foreign countries to protect his own people won reputation for his country and greatly increased the prestige of the empire. This was unprecedented in the history of the empire in the past one or two hundred years. It is a glorious page that has never been seen before, and even a hundred years from now, it will be enough to boast to future generations. However, I have to keep this guy in check and not let him be arrogant. Otherwise, if a similar situation happens again, I'm afraid it will be a real threat to the empire's imperial power over his Situ lineage.
"My dear friends, Li Aiqing has just reported the situation of sending troops to Luzon. What do you think?" Although Situ Mingyue had accepted Wu Feng's explanation in her heart, her expression did not change on the surface.
"Father, I thought that Mr. Li was in the situation he was in at that time. It was helpless to send troops without the approval of the empire, not to mention that he had won such a huge reputation for the empire. I thought that Mr. Li's move was regarded as a reward rather than a punishment. "The sixth prince, Situ Biao, has been very proud of himself and has been in the limelight recently. His speeches are also concise, concise, sonorous and powerful.
Situ Mingyue snorted softly in her nose and turned to the other ministers without saying anything, "What are your opinions?"
After a slight cough, a thin old man stood up. It was Tian Yi, the Imperial Finance Minister. With a smile on his face, he walked out calmly and said: "Your Majesty, I believe that Mr. Li has not been informed by the Imperial Central Committee. Sending troops to a foreign country without permission without permission should be punished according to court regulations. However, since the incident happened suddenly and a prompt decision was required, Mr. Li's move was also an emergency. However, this trend cannot last long and should be strictly prohibited. Therefore, I think Mr. Li Wufeng can take credit. The excesses offset each other.”
This Tian Yi is indeed a treacherous and cunning person. He can guess Situ Mingyue's thoughts like no one else. What he said made Situ Mingyue nodded gently. The other ministers, not knowing what to do, all agreed with Tian Yi's words.
"Well, since you all have such opinions, I also feel that although sending troops this time is a helpless move, it must not be tolerated. However, I think that you are dedicated to serving the country, so I will forgive you for this offense. It is just the contribution of expanding the border. That’s fine, Li Aiqing, do you have any objections?”
"Your Majesty is wise, I would like to thank your Majesty for your grace." Wu Feng pretended to be grateful.
"Now that this matter has passed, I will not pursue it any further. I and you all are very unfamiliar with Northern Luzon. I would like to hear what you say about Northern Luzon now? What is it like? Where is it? How is it different from my empire?" Situ Mingyue looked interested.
"Your Majesty, although Northern Luzon is far away from the imperial capital and very remote, it is also a fertile land. However, it has a sparse population and a backward economy. It is far inferior to the land of the empire." Wu Feng saw that Situ Mingyue had already expressed his interest. After moving to the newly acquired land of Northern Luzon, I was secretly happy, "I have a few items that I want to present to His Majesty."
"Oh?" Situ Mingyue was very interested, "Send it up for me to see, what kind of rare thing is it?"
Wu Feng immediately asked the messenger at the entrance of the palace to go out and fetch the two boxes that had been prepared and send them to the main hall. After being inspected by the guards in front of the palace gate, he presented the imperial case of his superior Situ Mingyue. The two boxes are one large and one small. The smaller one is a jade box, and the larger one is about one meter long and is a rectangular wooden box.
Situ Mingyue happily opened the lid of the jade box and saw something that looked like a bamboo shoot. However, the color of the bamboo shoot was very light, white with a hint of golden. There is always a faint layer of smoke that lingers for a long time. Situ Mingyue looked at it for a long time, not knowing what it was, so he asked his attendants to show it to the ministers.
Seeing that many ministers were talking about this thing after seeing it, but no one could accurately name the thing, Situ Mingyue was a little surprised, "All of you are well-informed, don't you know this thing?"
The ministers argued for a long time but still couldn't explain the reason. However, Qin Yuedong, the Minister of Agriculture, hesitated for a while and stood up, "Your Majesty, I see this thing, it looks a bit like the bamboo shoots in the sky in "Strange Stories from Mountains and Seas", but I don't think so. I’ve never seen the real thing, I’ve only seen pictures in books.”
"Oh? Is this bamboo shoot a rare thing?" Situ Mingyue asked with interest.
"There is a book in "Stories of Mountains and Seas" that says: 'In the mainland, there is a large swamp, with a radius of thousands of miles, and a place where clouds are locked and covered with fog, which remain there all year round. In the depths of the floating mud, there are strange things, shaped like bamboo shoots, with the first color It is light and will turn gold after a hundred years, so it is called sky bamboo shoots. I thought it might refer to this thing." Qin Yuedong shook his head and explained after memorizing an article.
"Then what's so strange about this object?" Situ Mingyue asked with a smile. Since it is an object written in "Strange Stories from Mountains and Seas", it must not be an ordinary object.
"It is said that this bamboo shoot in the sky is a gift from heaven. It is a rare thing that can be found but not sought. In the vast swamp, it is difficult to find it with clouds and fog, and the fallen leaves are also sinking in the mud. I have never heard of anyone getting it. It is said that ordinary people can gain wisdom and energy by taking this product, and it has the effect of rejuvenating the youth, which is beyond the comparison of ordinary supplements. After taking it, people with weak body can strengthen their essence, consolidate their marrow, replenish their qi and increase their vitality. Eliminate the disease." Qin Yuedong shared all the knowledge he had learned.
"Is that true? Li Aiqing, is this a bamboo shoot from heaven?" Situ Mingyue turned her gaze to Wu Feng.
"Master Qin is indeed very knowledgeable. This thing is a sky bamboo shoot. It was presented by the ethnic minorities living around the green sea swamp. For decades, I have only obtained this one. I present it to your majesty. I wish your majesty good health and long life." A hundred years old." Wu Feng pretended to be surprised, making Qin Yuedong very proud, and then answered respectfully.
"Well, it's rare that I accept your love because of your love." Situ Mingyue's face turned cloudy and her mood improved obviously.
"Then what are these?" He opened the lid of the big wooden box again, and inside were a picture, a letter, and a dark crutch-like thing.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, these three items are the most important gifts brought back by the minister from Northern Luzon. They are formal gifts dedicated to Your Majesty. They are far more valuable than the previous sky bamboo shoots." Wu Feng sold it out.
"Oh?" Situ Mingyue and all the ministers were very surprised. Just now everyone knew how precious the bamboo shoots were, but they were only supporting roles. What kind of treasures were these three items that deserved such high praise
Situ Mingyue picked up the dark crutch and looked at it carefully. There was nothing strange about it. Just when he was about to ask, Wu Feng had already taken a step forward and said, "Your Majesty, this item is called a scepter, and it is from Northern Luzon." The leaders of each ethnic group asked the most famous local sculptor to carefully carve the wood of the black bone tree, a specialty of Northern Luzon, to symbolize the imperial power, that is, the empire's sovereignty over Northern Luzon; and the letter was two hundred pieces of wood from Northern Luzon. The letters of allegiance signed by representatives of tens of thousands of people of all ethnic groups and the armistice agreement reached with the Grand Duchy of Luzon express the eternal allegiance of the people of all ethnic groups in Northern Luzon to the empire and the procedures for the transfer of sovereignty; as for that picture, it is a schematic map of the mountains and rivers of Northern Luzon , symbolizing that Northern Luzon belongs to our Tanghe Empire from now on."
Wu Feng's words in one breath immediately set off huge waves in the hall. Although Situ Mingyue and the ministers also estimated that Wu Feng would definitely gain huge benefits by sending troops to occupy Northern Luzon, they did not expect that in just two short days, they would gain huge benefits. Within a few months, Wu Feng was able to bring this land and more than two million people living on it under the rule of the empire, and even signed an agreement with the Grand Duchy of Luzon. This is really shocking. It’s hard to accept!
I felt a surge of hot blood from my face. His Majesty, who was always gloomy, couldn't help but stand up. His face was flushed and he seemed to be breathing urgently. "Okay, okay, okay! Li Aiqing, you have made such a great contribution." , I am very pleased. Li Aiqing opened up the territory for our empire and gained great prestige. The local people have attached themselves to it and the people's minds are determined. I will reward the meritorious personnel generously. My dear friends, what do you think?"
His Highness's ministers were also stunned. Although the occupation of Northern Luzon was expected, it is a miracle to win the support and loyalty of all the local people in just two months! Looking at other leading examples, it is sometimes more difficult to win the hearts and minds of local residents than to occupy. Which place does not require years or even decades of rule and management to make the occupied areas surrender? There are even repeated instances of riots and riots in the occupied areas. It’s not new, but this problem was solved easily in front of Li Wufeng.
Seeing that His Majesty the Emperor was so excited, it was natural that people who wanted to understand him would come to cater to him. Zeng Guohong, the Imperial Minister of Commerce, came out and said: "Your Majesty, Mr. Li has worked hard and made such great contributions to the empire. I think that Mr. Li should be promoted to the title of title as a reward. "
"Yes, Sir Li is still a Marquis. I also think that Sir Li should be promoted to Duke. Please make your decision." Another person who came out to agree was Wei Zhongxing, the Imperial Minister of Culture, Education and Health. After establishing a relationship with him, the relationship between the two quickly became closer. Wu Feng also sent people to deliver various local specialties from the northwest from time to time, which made the attitude of the DPRK and China veteran who had established a relationship through Gu Ji obviously tilt towards Wu Feng.
Situ Mingyue nodded slightly. Being promoted to Duke was just a trivial matter. He was about to issue an edict when another figure stood up and said, "Lang'er, do you have any other opinions?" The one who came out was the Ninth Prince Situ Lang.
"My son thought that it was a matter of course for Mr. Li to be promoted to an official title. Now that Northern Luzon has been included in the jurisdiction of the empire, it can also be regarded as an administrative region of the empire. However, in this new area of Northern Luzon, external forces are complex and there are many local ethnic minorities, not to mention the It is far away from the center of the empire, separated by the Great Hengduan Mountains that are difficult for birds to cross, and is only connected to Mr. Li's northwest territory, so I think that the status of Northern Luzon should be clarified first, and the main administrative officials should be identified as the top priority." The high-spirited Situ Lang said confidently.
"Well, very good, Lang'er's words make sense, so in your opinion, how should Northern Luzon be dealt with?" Situ Mingyue was in a happy mood, with a smile on her face.
"I believe that the situation around Northern Luzon has not been completely clear yet. We do not need to rush to turn Northern Luzon into an ordinary administrative region of the empire. This may intensify the hostility that already exists in this region. We can temporarily designate it as an administrative region." Special area, we will make a final decision after the situation stabilizes in a few years. As for the candidate to take on the important responsibility of this Northern Luzon area, it is naturally decided by your father, but I think that the geographical location of Northern Luzon is too remote, and our Tang Dynasty The tribe is not very powerful, and military control must be strengthened. Mr. Li should be the best candidate, please make a clear decision." Situ Lang had a smile on his face.
"My dear friends, what do you think?" Situ Mingyue calmed down her ups and downs and asked.
"Veteran, I think what His Highness Ninth Prince said is absolutely true. The empire's prestige has spread far and wide through this incident, and Mr. Li has contributed a lot to it. Moreover, the geographical location of Northern Luzon is special. If we want to ensure a smooth transition, Mr. Li should be responsible for the Northern Luzon region. Please give your Majesty's advice as to the best candidate." Imperial Finance Minister Tian Yi added fuel to the fire.
Seeing this situation, some other ministers also agreed with the two people's opinions. Who is willing to pour cold water on His Majesty the Emperor? What's more, now that Li Wufeng is at the peak of his power, it is hard to win.
"Well, Langer and all of you love me deeply in my heart, Li Wufeng!"
"Wei Chen is here!" Wu Feng had already kneeled on the ground.
"I designate you as Duke Bai Sheng, and concurrently serve as the governor of Northern Luzon. I hope you will not disappoint me and guard the border for me!" Situ Mingyue said solemnly.
"Thank you for your kindness, your majesty. I will definitely live up to your great trust!" Wu Feng suppressed the joy in his heart and replied respectfully.