The next day, Zhao Zun went out the door refreshed, humming a little song, completely different from the decadence of the previous few days, wearing a dark blue official uniform made him look dignified and arrogant, his eyes slightly raised , with all her brilliance, she stands out from the crowd of officials.
Right Prime Minister glanced away, and Zhao Zun immediately offered a flattering smile, his eyelids twitched, and an ominous premonition lingered.
"Your Majesty, Halloween is coming soon, and many envoys from other countries have come to congratulate. Princess Fanbang and the prince are due to arrive in Kyoto in two days, and the third son of Dongchu and the eldest prince are also here to celebrate their birthday with gifts. .”
"Dong Chu?"
The crowd quickly exploded. Eastern Chu has been fighting with Xiyue for the past few years. Both sides have been fighting endlessly, and each has suffered casualties. Before, Eastern Chu and Xiyue were originally a family.
Xiyue has always been thinking about recovering the lost land, so he has been entangled with Dongchu endlessly. Dongchu's foundation is not stable, and it is a new country. If it continues to consume, it will definitely be swallowed by Xiyue.
So Dong Chu had no choice but to come out to find allies, and visited neighboring countries to seek help. Some countries were unwilling to participate in the war and chose to avoid it, while others had a wait-and-see attitude, obviously with ulterior motives.
The new monarch of Eastern Chu is the eighth son of the old emperor of Xiyue. He has always been ambitious and disturbed by the status quo, and wants to get rid of the shackles of Xiyue.
It's a pity that he happened to encounter a difficult problem, and met the prince of Xiyue, Xiao Zhan!
The prince of Xiyue, Wen Tao and Wu Lue, is very good at infantry formations. In just one year, East Chu lost five cities in a row and retreated steadily.
This prince has a high reputation, and he is the queen's son. The emperor of Xiyue loves him very much. He has been named the crown prince since he was born, and he has been with him all the time. A child prodigy, never surpassed.
The prince of Xiyue has a very high status. In the whole of Xiyue, except for the prince, the remaining princes are all covered up, and their power is limited. The emperor of Xiyue will never allow anyone to endanger the status of the prince.
Therefore, in Xiyue, no one dared to challenge the prestige of the prince, and the princes did not dare to compete with him, and they lived in peace for many years.
This time, Emperor Xiyue deliberately trained the prince to fight, and gave him a lot of military power, which shows how much he loves this son.
The reason why Emperor Xiyue did not do anything is said to be because the first emperor ordered his brothers not to kill each other before his death. Now that the prince has grown up, Emperor Xiyue released the power and directly handed it over to the prince. It is not a violation of the original promise to let the prince crusade against Eastern Chu. .
"East Chu was originally a part of Xiyue, but after being separated for so long, and a prince of evil spirits was added, why should we offend Xiyue for Dongchu!"
"What Master Li said is very true. Since Eastern Chu can't reach it, it's enough to bow down and become a minister as soon as possible. Why bother to bind yourself."
The people below began to talk about each other, but the general meaning was that they didn't want to get involved in the troubles between Xiyue and Dongchu.
Emperor Dongchu has many heirs, but none of them can compare to Prince Xiyue. With internal and external troubles, it is clear who is superior and who is inferior. If you agree to Dongchu, you will offend Xiyue. There is no need for Dongming to fight against Xiyue .
"Your Majesty, Xiyue has been in the limelight in recent years, and there are constant battles. It seems that there is a tendency to dominate the world. When Xiyue merges and annexes Eastern Chu, then we will be very close."
One of the ministers stood up and said the opposite opinion, "If there is a separation between East and Chu, we can be peaceful for a few years. Although we can't talk about peace of mind, we don't have to guard it every day. In case one day Xiyue sends troops to attack Dongming , how can this be good..."
"Master Chen is too unreasonable to worry about the sky. Are we, Dong Ming, afraid that Xiyue will fail?"
"Xiyue is patient with Dongchu. Even if there is no war, if this tactic is used on Dongming, what if it delays Dongming?"
Mr. Chen is a civil servant of the elders of the three dynasties, and he still has a certain status in the court. Compared with some ministers in the hall who are too lazy to get into trouble, his vision is much higher.
"If Xiyue and Dongming switched their tunes today, can you guarantee that Xiyue will not agree? Even if Dongming doesn't make a move, can you be sure that Xiyue will not attack in the future? It's so stupid!"
Mr. Chen turned pale when he scolded several officials, but he had no words to refute, so he could only stand firm.
According to Mr. Chen, he meant to borrow troops to help Dongchu tide over the difficulties, and let Dongchu go to waste with Xiyue. Dongming only needed to adjust from it.
"Your Excellency Chen, you can't generalize. If Dong Chu is uneasy and good-hearted, sows the relationship between Dong Ming and Xiyue, diverts troubles from east to east, and turns the finger on Dong Ming, so what?"
Prime Minister Right suddenly asked a question in a calm and calm tone.
"That's right. Emperor Dongchu has always had a bad reputation. What if, as Xiangye said, he turned his back on us?"
The ministers who were scolded just now seemed to have found a breakthrough, and their waists straightened up suddenly, with a feeling of elation.
Mr. Chen was choked all of a sudden, he didn't know how to refute, he mumbled for a long time without saying anything, who can guarantee that this kind of thing won't happen
Prime Minister Right glanced at the few flattering officials just now, "The truth has not been finished yet, why should you ministers worry, this person has not entered Beijing yet, our generalization here is nothing but speculation, it is too much Arbitrary, it's not too late to mention it when someone arrives."
The ministers immediately turned into eggplants beaten by frost again, with their heads drooping. A word from the right minister can make you happy, but also a word can make you completely disappointed.
What the right minister meant was that it wasn't Dong Ming who was fighting anyway, so why worry about it, wait until someone comes.
"This time Dongchu brought a princess here, the purpose is to borrow troops with relatives, isn't that obvious."
One of the ministers muttered.
Emperor Dong Ming nodded, and glanced at Prime Minister on the right, "Master, Dong Chu is indeed here to borrow troops this time, and wants us to help tide over the difficulties. If we help, Dong Chu will be regarded as an ally in the future , if East Chu really did that, how will he gain a foothold among the nations in the future, and who would dare to lend a helping hand?"
Prime Minister on the right smiled slightly, "What the emperor said is true, but Dongming didn't choose Dongchu to fight against Xiyue, I have a suggestion, why not send an invitation to Xiyue on this Halloween. "
Emperor Dong Ming's eyes were dark, as expected of an old fox, he was indeed treacherous and cunning!
"Your Majesty, I think what Xiangye said is very true. We must first understand the intentions of Dongchu and Xiyue, and we cannot blindly follow the wishes of the envoys of Dongchu. At least we must ensure that Dongming's interests are not damaged, and it is worth the risk." .”
Zhao Zun quickly echoed Prime Minister Right's words, Prime Minister Right glanced at Zhao Zun angrily, he was the only one who was clever!
Xiyue or Dongchu will naturally choose whoever benefits Dongming the most. Dongming is not afraid of fighting, but wants to take advantage of the fire.
If Dong Chu gave enough benefits, Dong Ming would extend his hand to help. If it was not enough to impress Dong Ming, then he would cooperate with Xi Yue from inside to outside, and it would not be a disadvantage no matter what.
This battle will come sooner or later, and it cannot be avoided.
Qin Yu who was behind him couldn't help but twitched the corners of his mouth. Master Zhao is really pervasive, why didn't he speak just now
Emperor Dongming nodded, "What Aiqing said is very true, first settle down the station and wait for people to come to discuss, there is no need for us to worry about it, and the official department will immediately draw up an invitation and send it to Xiyue immediately, sincerely Invite Xiyue to Dongming to participate in my Halloween."
"Yes, Weichen will let people prepare."
He quickly withdrew, the right minister was left behind by Emperor Dong Ming, and the rest of the people left the hall.
Emperor Dongming glanced at Prime Minister Right, "Master Xiang, there are not many princes and grandsons of the right age at the moment, and Prince Qi and the Third Prince are not in the capital. If Dong Chu proposes a marriage, I wonder if Prime Minister Right has a satisfactory candidate?"
Emperor Dongming also wanted to find out what Prime Minister Right meant, a barbarian princess and a Dongchu princess, both of them came to marry each other, even the queen mother would not let this opportunity pass.
After all, the position of Prince Chen's concubine is still vacant, and if even the Queen Mother gets involved, it will definitely be troublesome. Emperor Dongming doesn't want to give the Queen Mother a chance to increase her power.
Prime Minister on the right raised his eyebrows slightly, and looked at Emperor Dongming solemnly, "Isn't the emperor's harem still empty? Let alone the two princesses, ten or twenty of them can fit in. Besides, the emperor is upright and mature, and the harem is full of people. As it should be, it is not a problem that the position of the fourth concubine is always vacant."
Emperor Dongming almost choked to death with a sip of tea, he waved his hand, "No, no, no, the two princesses cannot enter the palace together, I only accept one person is enough."
Emperor Dong Ming didn't want the harem to be lively, a right minister and the Empress Dowager Lian would be enough for him to worry about, and if he was distracted by trivial matters in the harem, Emperor Dong Ming really had the will and powerlessness, and it would be troublesome if someone took advantage of his loopholes.
The reason why King Qijun's biological mother, Concubine Lin, was allowed to dominate the harem at the beginning was because Concubine Lin had a simple mind, had a relationship with her for twenty years, and was at odds with Empress Dowager Lian, so Emperor Dongming didn't worry about the two of them. will conspire.
If there were two princesses with evil intentions, even if the queen mother took advantage of them, Emperor Dongming would not be able to sleep comfortably. If he had a choice, he would rather not take either of them into the palace to raise them.
You Xiang looked at Emperor Dongming with a smile that wasn't a smile, "At present, only the Second Prince and Prince Chen's son who are about to return to Beijing to celebrate their birthdays are the most suitable ages. Princess Yi and Concubine Xu Yizheng are the most suitable."
Emperor Dongming didn't expect Prime Minister Right to say it directly, he just wanted to take one into the palace as a concubine, and give the other to the second prince as his concubine, so that the Prince Chen's son could not take advantage of it and gain power from either party.
Emperor Dong Ming knew that he would never be able to hide the truth from the right minister, so he was seen through, and was exposed mercilessly.
Emperor Dongming's face was a little embarrassed, "Naturally, the prince is the most suitable, and his identity is also suitable."
Prime Minister Right glanced at Emperor Dongming, "Your Majesty, what if Xiyue also sends a princess to marry him?"
Emperor Dongming choked, Xiyue was more powerful than the two countries, it was too uneconomical to pick up watermelons and lose sesame seeds.
It is very likely that Xiyue will also send a princess to marry him in order to prevent Dongming from intervening, and temporarily stabilize Dongming. What the right minister said is not without basis.
Emperor Dongming glanced at Prime Minister on the right, saw that he was not in a hurry, the corners of his mouth twitched violently, cursed the old fox secretly, and then licked his face and asked, "I don't know what trick Master Xiang has? I'm really worried, It is not what I want to offend any party, so please give me your advice."
Emperor Dongming had already made preparations for heartache, just like what Prime Minister Right said in the court hall, whichever side is beneficial will follow, Prime Minister Right will not offer advice in vain, Prime Minister Right will definitely demand equal returns.
Even so, Emperor Dongming could only bite the bullet and let the Prime Minister rule over him. Instead of letting the Empress Dowager Lian gain power, it would be better to let the Prime Minister gain power.
For more than ten years, Emperor Dongming has gotten used to it. Every time he would talk to Prime Minister Right alone, he dismissed all the servants, including Eunuch He.
But every time at this time, Emperor Dongming's imperial prestige has never been maintained, and he has always been in a weak position. It is a transaction with a clearly marked price. This habit has been maintained for ten years.
At first, Emperor Dongming would also feel shame and resentment, but after a long time, he naturally got used to it, because every time the right minister took the big head, he would not forget to leave three points for Emperor Dongming, and the two cooperated very happily.
The Prime Minister on the right was also not polite, "Your Majesty, as long as the Emperor agrees to one thing, that is all I need."
Emperor Dongming raised his heart, and when Prime Minister Right opened his mouth, it was absolutely unusual, his voice tightened, "Master Xiang, please tell me..."
The Prime Minister on the right glanced at Emperor Dongming, raised his eyebrows and smiled, "If one day Eastern Chu wins over Xiyue, and Dongming is facing this battle, please ask the emperor to send a minister to the battlefield. Send one hundred thousand troops."
Emperor Dong Ming smiled, "Master Xiang said that Dong Chu defeated Xi Yue, how is this possible?"
"If there is no such matter, it will be regarded as invalid, and the humble minister will be regarded as the emperor who has fulfilled his promise." The right minister said lightly.
Emperor Dongming looked at Prime Minister Right suspiciously, a little uncertain, Prime Minister Right let such a big good thing go, a bit disapproving of Prime Minister Right, Emperor Dongming thought carefully about Prime Minister Right's words, and asked Once, "Xiangye said just now that Eastern Chu defeated Xiyue, did I hear correctly?"
Prime Minister Right looked at Emperor Dongming contemptuously, "Your Majesty, how about setting up a document between you and me?"
"Okay!" Emperor Dong Ming directly agreed, Xiyue has a prince Xiyue, and there is a huge difference in strength between Dongchu and Xiyue, how could he win against Xiyue.
Besides, Prime Minister Right is just a guess, Emperor Dong Ming smiled again, and suddenly looked at Prime Minister Hesitantly, "Then there must be a deadline, if it takes a long time..."
If ten or twenty years later, Eastern Chu's national power will develop rapidly, that's not certain.
The right minister stretched out two fingers, "Two years!"
Emperor Dongming slapped the table when he heard the words, and immediately agreed, wrote down the written statement without hesitation, and stamped his private seal, as if he was afraid that the right minister would deny it.
Wanting to defeat Xiyue in just two years is simply a fantasy!
Emperor Dong Ming didn't take Prime Minister Right's words to heart at all, and laughed completely when he saw Prime Minister Right stamping his private seal.
A bright smile flickered across the corner of Prime Minister Right's mouth, "Your Majesty, before the princesses come to Beijing, why don't we choose a marriage for the eldest son first."
"The Empress Dowager will not agree." Emperor Dong Ming blurted out, even the Empress Dowager agreed to be a ghost, a concubine who is of no use to Prince Chen's son, even the Empress Dowager would never let her in.
But the Prime Minister on the right smiled, "Let's leave this to the humble minister. This marriage cannot be refused by the eldest son. Maybe the elder son will ask the emperor to agree."
Emperor Dongming looked at the right figure in disbelief, and suddenly felt a chill on his back, and began to sympathize with Prince Chen's son.
"Who is this person that the right minister said?"
Emperor Dongming didn't want the concubine to be seated by the daughter of a powerful minister, and to win power for the prince of the prince in vain.
The Prime Minister on the right looked at Emperor Dongming with disdain, and said calmly, "How about the eldest daughter of the Zhen family? The Zhen family is the second prince's maternal ancestral home, so there is no reason for the second prince not to support him, but to support a eldest son."
"The Zhen family?" Emperor Dongming was a little unpredictable.
Prime Minister on the right nodded, "That's right, it's Zhen Yan, who doesn't have to be picky about her appearance and temperament, and the eldest son is a dandy and sentimental, which princess will be able to bear it, I propose to let Prince Jingnan's son come to the capital, if It would be the best to be able to save the beauty with the barbarian princess as a hero."
Emperor Dongming was stunned by Prime Minister Right, "But you are not allowed to enter the capital unless you are ordered... What Xiangye said is very true. This Halloween should be celebrated with the whole world. Let everyone in the world see the prosperity of my Dongming. I will come down immediately." Purpose!"
Emperor Dongming solved several serious problems at once, especially King Jingnan was still Emperor Dongming's person in private, and being married to Prince Jingnan's heir was more comfortable for Emperor Dongming than being married to a prince.
As for the pairing of Chen Wang's son and Zhen Yan, Emperor Dongming felt that it was the most suitable move. It was a dead move, wasting the position of a prince concubine, and missing a chance to win connections. It's wonderful!
Since Prime Minister Right had proposed it, Emperor Dong Ming believed that this matter would definitely come true. If Prime Minister Right was not sure, Prime Minister Right would not mention it. Emperor Dong Ming still trusted Prime Minister Right's ability on this point. Emperor Dongming suddenly remembered something, and habitually looked to Prime Minister on the right, "If Xiyue really sends the princess over to make a kiss, who does Prime Minister think is suitable?"
The corner of Prime Minister Right's mouth curled up into a smile and looked at Emperor Dongming, who was covered in hairs. After all, Princess Xiyue, even the Empress Dowager, would never give up, and she would definitely not let go easily.
But saw that the right minister had a serious face, "What does the emperor think of this humble minister?"