Yan State invaded the border? Hua Zhiji thought she had heard wrongly. She had always thought that the most stable border between Daqing and Yan State was the southern part. After all, Yan State was not strong and had a population of only three million. Even if he had the guts, he would not dare to attack Daqing.
But now they are taking action.
Hua Zhi did not care about anything else and immediately stepped forward to take the urgent report from the prince. She took every word on it seriously. It turned out that the Yan Kingdom was so bold as to invade the border!
She looked at Xue Liang, the head of the Fourth Department, who had delivered the letter, and asked, "Who is delivering the letter?"
"The last time the leader went to Yan Country to investigate, he felt something was wrong and left someone to keep an eye on Yan Country's ruler, Ruan Xijiang. It was he who sent back the news."
Yes, Hua Zhi remembered that Yan Xi went there to steal the iron arrowheads from Yan State. He once said that Yan State must be in collusion with someone, but the clues were cut off and no results were found.
But the taboos of the time were no longer necessary. Hua Zhi did not mention this matter concerning the reputation of the royal family in front of the new officials, but reminded them: "I suspect that the Chaoli clan is behind this. If this is true, the north and the west may not be safe."
The prince was also calmed down by the Grand Tutor. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Grand Tutor, what you mean is that the Chaoli tribe has colluded with all the neighboring states of Daqing, and they may all launch an uprising?"
"Yan Country is hot all year round. It has no other advantages except abundant food. It is located in the mountains, so it is very inconvenient to get in and out. According to the geography records I have read, many people in Yan Country have never left the place where they were born. The nomadic tribes in the north depend on the weather for their food. Last year, there was a drought, so they had to slaughter most of their livestock. It was also a severe winter. I heard from the regent that many people died. Daqing is a piece of fat meat for them. They are already drooling over it. If someone instigates them, they will definitely take action. As for the west."
Hua Zhi paused, "I don't know much about the situation over there, I only know that the terrain is dangerous, but I can exchange hearts. If there is a chance to leave such a poor and remote place, who would not want to? Given the current situation, I would rather think of them with the greatest malice than be caught off guard."
The prince gasped when he heard this. If this was true, if this was true, how could Daqing resist!
The newly graduated scholars present at the scene looked at Hua Zhi who knew three things from one thing, and suddenly realized that the late emperor obviously did not like the eldest daughter of the Hua family and did not like it to be known to the world, but still wanted to appoint her as the prince's tutor before his death. However, in such a short moment, she had thought so far, while they were just thinking about how to resolve the danger in the south. This is the difference.
"Summon all the ministers to the Baohe Hall to discuss matters." The prince walked out. "The Grand Tutor is with me."
The newly-appointed scholars looked at each other in bewilderment. Shen Qi's mouth was bitter. He couldn't help but think of how the teacher had never said a word of blame when he went to Yinshan Pass. From beginning to end, he only said with regret, "Shen Qi, you missed it."
Yes, he missed the best girl in the world.
How wonderful it would be to be by her side, to stand shoulder to shoulder with her.
But he had already lost this qualification.
Lai Fu came in again, "The prince has ordered that all the adults be present to listen."
Everyone was delighted and hurried to follow.
At this court meeting, no one mentioned that the late emperor had left a will that the Grand Tutor was not allowed to participate in politics, and the prince's accession to the throne was a foregone conclusion. Even the most conservative ministers knew that there was no need to disturb the new emperor because of the late emperor's affairs, and the Grand Tutor's surname was Hua, which was more or less one of the reasons why they were willing to turn a blind eye to this matter.
Duke Dingguo stepped out and took the lead in expressing his views, "Yan Country has been a vassal of Daqing for a long time, but now it has such unreasonable thoughts. We must not let it off easily."
"I second your opinion. If there is no severe punishment, such incidents will continue to happen in the future."
"I second the proposal. We must kill the chicken to scare the monkey."
"I second the motion."
"I second the motion."
"… "
The prince could not sit on the throne as he had not ascended the throne yet, so a wide chair was placed under the throne. Hua Zhi did not follow him, but stood at the side steps, looking at the civil officials and military generals below, all of whom were full of fighting spirit. Her heart beat faster. This was Daqing, where even if they were fighting to the death among their own people, they would clench their fists when facing outsiders and would not be afraid of fighting.
The prince was obviously also aroused. He stood up, walked to the middle of the seat and said, "Although Yan State is only a small country, it should not be underestimated. Before Zheng Yangcheng, the defender of Xinyu Pass, sends the latest battle report, the court must also make preparations for support in advance. Zhu Aiqing, the pressure is all on your Ministry of Revenue."
"I will do my best." Zhu Bowen stepped out and said, "I have a request, please grant it, Your Highness."
"Just tell me."
"I beg you to borrow the position of Grand Tutor."
The ministers were surprised but also not surprised by Zhu Bowen's request. The young lady's ability to make money was obvious to all. She had been relied upon during the reign of the late emperor. Now that the war had broken out, the Ministry of Revenue bore the greatest responsibility, so it was reasonable to use her.
Can…
Zhu Bowen added: "I dare not ignore the late emperor's will, I just need the Grand Tutor to give me more advice."
"Yes." The prince waved his sleeves, "Although my father has ordered the Grand Tutor not to participate in politics, it is not a violation if he just gives advice."
"Thank you for your permission, Your Highness." Zhu Bowen returned to his original position without any expression. Since Zhi'er stood up, she must have some ulterior motive, so he would lend her a helping hand.
After the court meeting, the prince directly gave the tutor a token, allowing her to enter and leave various departments freely. Hua Zhi thought about it and accepted it. She could do without it, but she had to have it at the critical moment.
"I have something to report."
"Master, please speak."
"The last time Yan Xi came back from Yan Country, he said that Yan Country and the Second Prince might have some connection, but the clues were cut off and it was delayed later. Your Highness might as well go and ask the Second Prince. I think the Second Prince would be willing to contribute to Daqing after knowing the current situation."
The prince's expression changed, "Second brother?"
"yes."
A big part of the reason why the Taifu's health was so bad was because of the serious injuries he suffered at Yinshan Pass, and the man behind the lawsuit was his second brother. The prince lowered his eyes, seemingly no different from usual, "I know."
The Crown Prince did not go to see the Second Prince in person, but just sent Lai Fu to him. Now is not the time to settle the accounts.
Lai Fu replied quickly, "The Second Prince said that he did have some dealings with a prince of Yan Country in the past. If necessary, he can reconnect with that party."
The prince thought for a moment and said, "Tell him to be patient. I will find him when I need him."
"yes."
The bad news came faster than expected. The offensive of Yan State was so fierce that even though Qishusi had delivered the news in advance, Xinyu Pass, which had not seen a war for many years, was still in chaos. After losing two lines of defense, they defended the innermost pass, and the defending general Zheng Yangcheng was seriously injured. More than 30% of the soldiers were killed or wounded.