Study, cigarettes and birds.
When Luo Qingzhou arrived at the door, the honorable Queen was sitting at the table, carefully reading the memorial in her hand.
Luo Qingzhou took a look through the beaded curtain, bowed his head and said, "Qingzhou pays respect to Your Majesty."
Nangong Huoyue raised her head, looked at him dignifiedly and said, "Come in."
Luo Qingzhou took off his shoes, pushed aside the bead curtain at the door, lowered his head and walked in, and stood in front of the table.
Nangong Huoyue stared at him dignifiedly for a while before slowing down her tone: "Sir, please take a seat."
Luo Qingzhou knelt down opposite, lowered his head slightly, and looked straight ahead.
Nangong Huoyue placed the memorial in her hand in front of him and said calmly, "I was not feeling well this morning and did not attend the morning court. The Imperial Censor Wang Jian wrote a letter to impeach my husband, saying that he harmed the king and disregarded the country, and that he deserved severe punishment. Sir, tell me, should I punish him in a show of kindness, or should I just execute Wang Jian, who meddled in other people's affairs?"
Luo Qingzhou looked at the words on the memorial, paused, and said: "The Imperial Censor is loyal to the country, so he should not be executed. As for... Your Majesty's husband, he did nothing wrong."
Nangong Huoyue looked cold and asked, "Sir, how do you know that he is not wrong?"
Luo Qingzhou bowed his head and said respectfully: "It's normal for newlyweds. If this is wrong, then what in the world is not wrong?"
After a pause, he continued, "Qingzhou feels that since Mr. Chu had just married His Majesty yesterday, he was so excited that he couldn't help but not know the severity of the situation. If His Majesty gives him some advice afterwards, he will restrain himself in the future. If a couple is punished for something like this, it would be too... too heartless."
Nangong Huoyue looked at him coldly, her eyebrows moved slightly, and said, "Sir, you are right. However, he was too presumptuous last night, so I still have to punish him a little."
Luo Qingzhou lowered his head and said nothing.
Nangong Huoyue retracted her gaze, pushed a letter on the table in front of him, and said, "This is news from Huoyue Country. The coalition forces of the seven major vassal states will begin to besiege the city today."
Luo Qingzhou unfolded the letter and read it carefully.
"With the Fire Moon Nation's military strength and food, it should be no problem for them to hold out for a month. A hundred miles away from them, King Thailand's 100,000 troops are stationed outside Youcheng, watching from the sidelines. We can only take out 80,000 troops to rescue them now, and the rest of the troops need to be stationed in various places. After all, I have just ascended the throne as a daughter, and various places are still not obedient, including Kyoto, so the troops stationed in these places cannot be withdrawn until the critical moment..."
While he was reading the letter, Nangong Huoyue explained the current battle situation they were facing and the conditions in various places.
"There are still some soldiers on the border, and the King of Thailand was not able to take them all away. Of his 100,000 soldiers, at least 20,000 are under my command, and the remaining 30,000 are probably hesitant. The rest are his real strength."
"So, after the coalition forces of the seven princes turned around and attacked the Fire Moon Kingdom, he immediately stopped advancing and did not dare to attack Kyoto alone."
"The forces of the seven coalition armies are all the princes' own armies, all very loyal, with a total of about 150,000 people. They suddenly gave up coming directly to Kyoto, probably because they were afraid that the army of Huoyue Kingdom and the army of Kyoto would attack from both sides, so they planned to break through Huoyue Kingdom first..."
Luo Qingzhou finished reading the letter and listened to her story carefully.
Nangong Huoyue explained the respective military strengths and defenses one by one, and asked: "Sir, do you think I should send troops to rescue Huoyue Kingdom immediately, or wait a little longer? Or, should I defend Kyoto and not take any risks? Also, how should we deal with King Thailand now?"
Luo Qingzhou pondered for a moment, looked at the map on the wall, and said: "The King of Thailand's intention should be very simple. He knows that His Majesty's prestige in the army naturally shouldn't lead the army alone and go deep into the enemy's territory alone. He probably wants to wait for the coalition forces of the seven vassal states to act together. Or, he wants to wait for His Majesty to transfer the troops in Kyoto to rescue the Fire Moon Kingdom, and then take the opportunity to attack Kyoto..."
"As for whether His Majesty will send troops to rescue the Fire Moon Nation... Qing Zhou thinks that of course he should send troops to rescue, and the sooner the better, without any delay."
Nangong Huoyue raised her eyebrows and said, "Oh? Sir, your idea is somewhat different from mine. I think we should just delay. The longer we delay, the better it will be for us. Huoyue Nation can hold out for a month, and when the coalition forces of the seven vassal states are exhausted, we will suddenly attack, and naturally we will win. If the coalition forces of the seven vassal states are defeated, King Thailand's army will naturally be terrified and have no will to fight. By then, they will naturally not be my opponent."
Luo Qingzhou looked at her and said, "If it was before, Your Majesty was not the emperor, but only the eldest princess, and only the general in charge of suppressing the rebellion, this method would naturally work. But now..."
"What now?"
Nan Honghuoyue's eyes turned cold.
Luo Qingzhou said: "Now, your majesty has ascended the throne as a daughter, which is unprecedented in history, and many people in the world are dissatisfied. Now all parts of Da Yan are watching this war, and we must fight and resolve it quickly to reassure others. The longer it drags on, the more shaken and uneasy the garrisons and other vassal states will be, and it is likely to cause a riot. What's more, Huoyue Kingdom is your majesty's former fiefdom, and the tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians there are loyal to your majesty. If your majesty wants to achieve victory in this war at their expense, what will others think?"
"Your Majesty is cold-blooded and ruthless, even to the soldiers and civilians who are loyal to Your Majesty, and even to Your Majesty's own people. The other princes and defenders who are already hesitant will no longer trust Your Majesty. They are likely to all follow the King of Thailand and the seven vassal states in rioting..."
"Even these soldiers in Kyoto may be disappointed with Your Majesty..."
"Your Majesty used to lead the army and won every battle. That was for the country, and everyone was united, so as long as the strategy was appropriate and the command was correct, there would not be too many problems. But now, Your Majesty, it may not be enough to just have strategy and be able to fight. You also need to win the hearts of the people..."
"People's hearts are very complicated and fickle. If Your Majesty hesitates and procrastinates, if you fail to win them over as quickly as possible, then they will disperse, or perhaps be won over by others..."
"By that time, even if Your Majesty has great military talent and is good at fighting, you will be alone and unable to reverse the situation..."
The door was not closed.
Yueying and Yuewu both stood at the door, listening quietly.
The expressions on their faces kept changing as they followed his words.
The study was silent for a long time.
Nangong Huoyue said, "Sir, what do you think I should do now? I only have 80,000 troops to mobilize. If I use all of them to rescue, the coalition forces of the seven princes are now at their peak and it will be difficult to defeat them all at once. If the Thai king's army suddenly attacks from behind or suddenly attacks Kyoto, wouldn't it be dangerous?"
Luo Qingzhou asked: "How many silver-armored cavalrymen does your majesty have?"
Nangong Huoyue said: "Eight thousand."
Luo Qingzhou looked at the map on the wall and said, "Outside the city of Huoyue Kingdom, all the way to Yumen Pass is flat, which is very suitable for cavalry charge. Qingzhou thinks that Your Majesty only needs to send a reliable general with 8,000 silver-armored cavalry and 20,000 elite soldiers. The rest of the troops can all be stationed in Yuncheng to strangle the throat leading to Kyoto, and can intercept King Tai's army at any time to prevent him from rescuing the coalition of the seven princes..."
"Of course, after the eight thousand silver-armored cavalry and twenty thousand elite soldiers have passed, don't attack immediately. Set up camp outside and build defense works. It's best to occupy Yumen Pass as quickly as possible to put pressure on the coalition forces of the seven princes and directly form a pincer attack with the defenders in Huoyue. But only defend, don't attack..."
"If the coalition forces of the seven princes attack separately, both sides will defend to the death. If they attack one place together, the other side will immediately send troops to harass..."
"Then you can delay. The longer you delay, the better..."
"At the same time, Your Majesty will immediately issue a new decree to abolish the Enfeoffment Order, grant amnesty to the entire nation, and reward other vassal states and garrisons. You will also make a promise with the Empress Dowager's and the Emperor's decrees that as long as they do not participate in the rebellion, they will not be held accountable for any consequences afterwards..."
"Of course, if someone is willing to join the rebellion, Your Majesty must also promise greater benefits. At this time, you must not be stingy with any land and money. Your Majesty can tell them that if someone brings troops to join the rebellion, no matter how many troops they bring, after Your Majesty defeats the Thai king's army and the coalition of the seven princes, the land of the Thai king and the seven princes will be divided with them, and the court will not take an inch..."
"Of course, this will be very dangerous, but that is for the future... Wait until Your Majesty has completely stabilized the situation, and when everyone is united, then we can weaken them one by one..."
"Also, Your Majesty must win the sympathy of the people and the army. Your Majesty once had great prestige in the army and a high status in the hearts of the people. So at this time, Your Majesty must put aside his dignity and announce to the world the reason why he ascended the throne. As for the reason, the more tragic the better. It must be a last resort. Your Majesty himself must not want to be the emperor, but there is no other way. For the sake of the people and the world, Your Majesty was forced to the throne by the Queen Mother and the ministers in the court..." Lan
When Luo Qingzhou said this, Queen Da Yan's eyebrows twitched a few times.
"Also, Your Majesty must promise with the Emperor's will and the Queen Mother's decree to tell the King of Thailand and the soldiers of the seven vassal states that as long as they stop the rebellion in time, no soldier will be held accountable afterwards... At the same time, let your own people spread rumors and tell those low-level soldiers that their hometowns have started to distribute land and money. As long as they have a registered permanent residence and the men at home, they will get a few acres of land and some money... If there are no men at home, not only will they get nothing, but their wives, daughters and sons will also be given to other men..."
"Your Majesty, think about it. Why do those low-level soldiers join the army? Isn't it because they can't survive at home, so they want to have a bite to eat and not starve to death? As long as they have food to eat and land to farm, who would be willing to pick up a knife and fight to the death?"
"This way we can disintegrate those armies from the inside..."
"By then, I'm afraid that without your Majesty's army, the rebels will collapse on their own..."
Yueying Yuewu, who were standing outside the door, were listening with fascination. The expression on their faces kept changing, and their hearts were shocked.
In the study, Nangong Huoyue also listened in silence, sitting there motionless, even wanting to pick up the teacup to drink water, she held back, afraid of disturbing him, afraid of missing something.
Luo Qingzhou continued talking for a long time before he stopped because his mouth was dry.
He picked up the teacup on the table, but found that there was no water in it.
Nangong Huoyue suddenly came to her senses and quickly picked up her teacup and handed it over.
Luo Qingzhou was talking excitedly and didn't think much about it. He took the teacup and drank it all in one gulp. There was still a faint fragrance on the edge of the cup.
After he finished drinking, he finally reacted, was stunned for a moment, and quickly returned the teacup.
Nangong Huoyue silently picked up the teapot, poured him another cup, then picked it up and handed it to him.
Luo Qingzhou glanced at her, hesitated for a moment, took it, and drank it all again.
Drink three cups in a row.
Nangong Huoyue put down the teapot, looked at him with complicated eyes, but did not speak.
Luo Qingzhou bowed his head slightly and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, do you think these suggestions of Qingzhou are feasible? Of course, Qingzhou is just a scholar who has never been on the battlefield. He may only be able to talk about war on paper. This war is of great importance. Your Majesty just needs to listen."
Nangong Huoyue was silent for a long time before she spoke: "I will think about what you said, sir."
After she finished speaking, she stood up and said, "It's getting late, and I have things to do, so I won't keep you for dinner. I wanted to have lunch with you, but you were talking so brilliantly that I really didn't want to interrupt you. Let's wait until next time."
Luo Qingzhou quickly stood up and bowed to take his leave.
Yue Wu sent him to the outside gate, and suddenly looked at his back and said, "Mr. Luo."
Luo Qingzhou turned around and looked at her, and said politely: "Miss Yuewu, what do you want?"
Yuewu looked at him with sparkling eyes and said, "I listened to every word that Young Master Luo said to Your Majesty in the study. Your talent is rare in the world. If you lead the army, you will definitely be a marshal; if you are in politics, you will definitely be a prime minister. With your assistance, Yuewu believes that Your Majesty will definitely win, and Dayan will definitely be better."
Luo Qingzhou bowed and said, "Miss Yuewu, you are too kind."
Yuewu looked at his handsome face and gentle and elegant temperament, her expression was dazed for a moment, and her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but held it back.
Luo Qingzhou said: "Miss Yuewu, goodbye."
After saying that, he left quickly.
Yuewu stood at the door and stared at him for a while, until his back disappeared around the corner, then she turned back with a lonely look.
She entered the study and Yueying was standing inside.
Nangong Huoyue glanced at her, a hint of sarcasm appeared on the corner of her mouth, and said: "Why, are you reluctant to let him go?"
Yuewu bowed her head and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, Yuewu feels that what Mr. Luo just said..."
"I'm asking you if you're reluctant to let him go!"
Nangong Huoyue interrupted her coldly.
Yue Wu suddenly knelt on the ground, lowered her head, and said with a red face: "Your subordinate... Your subordinate just wants to listen to what Master Luo has to say..."
Nangong Huoyue sneered and did not pursue the matter any further. She looked at the letter on the table, read it for a while, then turned her head and looked at the map on the wall. She was silent for a while, muttering as if talking to herself: "Senior sister, thank you... Thank you for helping me discover such a genius... Thank you for giving him to me... I have seen so many geniuses, but none of them is as... perfect as him..."
She suddenly turned her head and said, "Yueying, you and Gu Qin lead the silver-armored cavalry and 20,000 elite soldiers, set out tonight and rush to the Fire Moon Country immediately! You should have heard what Mr. Luo said, so do as he said!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Nangong Huoyue looked at Yuewu again and said, "Go and invite Yuchi Ling here and tell him that I need him to lead the troops to the battle! If he refuses, I will kill his entire family..."
At this point, she paused, and suddenly thought of what he just said about the human heart...
There was silence for a while.
She slowed down her tone and said, "Tell him that I and the people of Dayan need him. If he doesn't come... then forget it, release him and his entire family, and don't worry about them anymore."
Yue Wu was slightly startled when she heard this and said, "Your Majesty..."
Nangong Huoyue said calmly: "Go ahead. If he doesn't come..."
At this point, she raised her head and said, "I will let Mr. Luo go, and you follow and serve along the way, how about that?"
Yuewu suddenly froze, lowered her head, and blushed.