General Shen did not dare to make the decision without authorization, so he sent people to Beijing quickly to report to the Empress Dowager Zhou and the new emperor.
The Empress Dowager Zhou summoned the ministers to discuss the matter. The ministers had different opinions. Some advocated war and some advocated peace.
In the end, it was Empress Dowager Zhou who made the final decision and decided to agree to the rude request of Eastern Qin and pay annual tribute to Western Chu every year.
She couldn't just watch the late emperor die, and she couldn't let everyone accuse her of being selfish in supporting Mo Chuan to ascend the throne.
However, as a result, the burden on the Western Chu State suddenly increased. The annual tribute almost exhausted most of the national power of the Western Chu State. This made the Western Chu State decline year by year and become more and more weak.
The Eastern Qin State took advantage of Western Chu, and the envoys who came to collect annual tribute became more and more arrogant and rude every year.
This year it got even more serious. The envoy they sent actually proposed that they would set up questions to compete with Xi Chu in three games. If Xi Chu lost, the annual tribute would be doubled!
It is tolerable, but what is intolerable
Since Mo Chuan came to the throne, he has been diligent in governing and keeping the entire country in order. Over the years, the people have finally escaped the pain of war and lived a life with enough food and warm clothes.
In order to cope with the huge annual tribute money from the Eastern Qin State, he would rather reduce the expenses in the palace than increase the taxes on the people. He can be called a good emperor who is diligent and loves the people.
However, despite this, the national power of Western Chu was gradually weakened. Fortunately, General Shen was guarding the border. In the battle of Baishui Pass, he was so majestic that he killed everyone in the Eastern Qin army.
Eastern Qin has not dared to invade Western Chu all these years, and it is precisely because of General Shen's illustrious reputation.
After listening to the past story told by the eldest princess, Shen Ning couldn't help but let out a long breath and figured out the cause and effect.
She felt even more distressed for Mo Chuan.
I remembered that when I was a teenager, I lived a carefree youth, but Mo Chuan was shouldering the important responsibility of a country at such a young age. No wonder he said that he had never heard or told stories. , because he has no childhood and youth at all.
As an emperor, his role was not glorious, but full of shame.
So he was taciturn and endured humiliation. When she first met him, he was a silent gourd.
It wasn't until he gradually opened his heart to her that a smile slowly began to appear on his face, but she would still often find the inadvertent gloom between his eyebrows. He was hiding things in his heart, and even he couldn't bear to tell her. .
Now she finally understands.
But the more she understood, the more she felt sorry for Mo Chuan.
"Princess, what kind of questions did the Eastern Qin envoy ask? Isn't it certain that our Western Chu can't defeat their Eastern Qin?"
"Well, the emperor brother is having a headache over this matter. At the palace banquet last night, the envoy did talk about the first test question, which is called 'Wandering Horses and Viewing Monuments'. I, the princess, have never heard of this before. What does it mean to watch a monument on a horse? The princess asked the envoy, what does it mean to watch a monument on a horse? The messenger sneered: If your country doesn't even know how to watch a monument, then there is no need to compete in this competition and just admit defeat. "
When the eldest princess said this, she was so angry that her eyebrows stood up. She suddenly pulled out the sword from her waist and waved it twice in the air.
"I was so angry that I almost wanted to chop off his head. It was Tingxuan who held me back. Otherwise, how could I have allowed him to be so presumptuous in front of me!"