Without money, what is the point of being a traitor?

Chapter 522 The Earthly Country
Zhu Houzhao immediately frowned and asked, "Pei Yuan, what do you mean?"

Pei Yuan said bitterly, "Please forgive me for being frank, but the current dire situation in Shandong has made Luojiao too big to fail."

"With the Luo Cult here, the people will still have some restraint and can have some hope. Those evil forces will also be afraid of the Luo Cult's power and dare not easily show up. The court can also take advantage of this opportunity to rest and recuperate, and slowly win over the people's hearts."

"Your Majesty, please think about this. If there is no Luo Cult, and a huge evil cult spread all over Shandong falls apart, how many suppressed ambitious people will take advantage of the situation to rise up?"

"Especially those Luojiao followers from all over the country. Once someone starts a riot, the whole Shandong province will surely respond in unison and sweep across the country in an instant."

"A mere horse family in Bazhou can cause such great harm to the world, let alone the Luo Sect, which is countless times larger?"

Zhu Houzhao angrily shouted, "Ridiculous! This is totally unreasonable!"

Zhu Houzhao then looked at Pei Yuan angrily, "I have used you to do things, and I have adopted almost all of your suggestions and approved everything, but what have you accomplished?"

Seeing Zhu Houzhao's displeasure, Pei Yuan immediately said, "Your Majesty, I have a surprise that I have not yet reported."

Zhu Houzhao looked at Pei Yuan with anger still lingering, "What surprise?"

Pei Yuan said quickly, "After I realized the dangers of the Luo Cult, I immediately sent a large number of capable people to infiltrate the Luo Cult. Then, with the advice of the Western Factory Supervisor Gu Gonggong and the cooperation of Shandong Governor Wang Gong, I successfully became a high-ranking member of the Luo Cult."

Zhu Houzhao had not expected such a development, and his anger turned into joy, "What? There is actually such a thing!"

Seeing that Zhu Houzhao was overjoyed instead of suspicious, Pei Yuan immediately added, "That's right! And the Jinyi Guards' General Flagman Chen Toutie, who was in charge of this matter, also seized the opportunity to attack boldly, bringing a large number of Jinyi Guards who sneaked in secretly, trying to capture the leader of the Naluo Sect alive."

Zhu Houzhao was suddenly worried when he heard this.

The Luo Cult that Pei Yuan had just described was so powerful that it made him feel extremely heavy-hearted. He did not expect that in a sudden turn of events, the elite Jinyiwei deployed by Pei Aiqing could actually capture the leader of the Luo Cult directly.

He quickly asked, "Did you catch the thief?"

Pei Yuan said with a little regret, "No."

The expectation on Zhu Houzhao's face froze.

But Pei Yuan said, "The leader of the Naluo sect led a group of high-ranking people in a desperate resistance, but was killed by Chen Toutie and his men."

Zhu Houzhao's expectation, which had just solidified, immediately turned into a smile.

He clapped his hands and shouted, "Great, great! Chen Toutie's move has saved the court from the scourge of war, and his contribution is no less than Lu Wan's! I will reward him handsomely!"

As he said that, he looked at Pei Yuan happily and said, "I will reward you handsomely too!"

Pei Yuan showed some joy when he heard this, and then said, "Your Majesty, the Luo Sect's problems cannot be solved by killing the Luo Sect leader."

"Every word I just said is true."

"I can overthrow Luojiao in an instant, but even if Luojiao is gone, we will still have to face those problems."

"The people of Shandong are now living in poverty, and there are many disaffected people lurking in the countryside. Once unrest breaks out, it will definitely threaten the grain transport, terrify the capital, and unsettle the border troops. Your Majesty must act with caution."

"I was also worried about this, so after Chen Toutie killed the leader of the Luo Sect, I kept it a secret. Fortunately, the leader of the Luo Sect usually likes to play tricks and often wears a black robe. No one noticed the flaw in a short period of time."

Zhu Houzhao quickly went over the matter in his mind, and suddenly thought of what the two had just talked about. He couldn't help but ask Pei Yuan, "What does Pei Aiqing mean?"

Pei Yuan said quickly, "This is a major plan for the country. I am just a warrior who protects the emperor. How dare I say more?"

Zhu Houzhao half-jokingly said, "Haven't you said enough in the past?"

Fearing that Pei Yuan would misunderstand, he dared not say more, and comforted him, "You are my personal soldier, you are my man. How can those ministers be as reliable as Pei Qing?"

"Besides, I already know your talents. There is no need to avoid suspicion at this time."

Pei Yuan repeatedly spoke of his identity as a member of the Jinyi Guard today in order to deepen Zhu Houzhao's impression of him.

It was precisely because Zhu Houzhao was reinforced with this impression that he subconsciously distinguished between insiders and outsiders in the fight between Pei Yuan and Jiang Bin.

It was precisely because of this impression that Zhu Houzhao did not think too much about it when Pei Yuan mentioned Chen Toutie's actions.

Because those were all Zhu Houzhao's personal troops, all of them were Zhu Houzhao's men, and they were Zhu Houzhao's henchmen.

Chen Toutie's actions were, in concept, Zhu Houzhao's actions.

Who would doubt themselves? It's just laughable.

Pei Yuan saw that the time was almost right, so he said, "Your Majesty, I have said before that Your Majesty does not like to go against the teachings, but because those 'classics' and 'Taoism' cannot provide any help to Your Majesty."

"Now the people of Shandong worship Luo Zu, and Luo Jiao is controlled by your majesty's personal army, so why can't this 'Luo Zu' be you?"

Zhu Houzhao was overjoyed as this was exactly what he had thought.

He asked calmly, "You mean, take this Luo Sect back into the imperial court? Let me formally enthrone the Luo Sect?"

Pei Yuan quickly said, "That's not the case."

"What I mean is that this Luojiao cannot be taken back by the court, but it can be taken back by Your Majesty."

"Those people are your Majesty's subjects. There is no difference between you using the county magistrate to manage them and using the Taoist priest to manage them."

"Moreover, those priests who serve as priests on behalf of Your Majesty do not need to be appointed by the Ministry of Personnel. Shandong has always had the important task of protecting the capital. If it is so close, Your Majesty can bypass the six ministries and gain control of such power. It will definitely help Your Majesty's great ambitions!"

Zhu Houzhao was so delighted after hearing this that he couldn't help laughing out loud.

After the failure of Liu Jin's new policy, his political power was greatly reduced and he could only seek a military breakthrough.

This method of military breakthrough may even have to rely on the underworld method of adopting a son to extend one's influence to the military.

But unexpectedly, Pei Yuan, who had previously given him the "adopted son strategy", gave him a new surprise today.

Zhu Houzhao couldn't help but blurt out, "In this way, Shandong, where Luojiao is spreading, will become my country on earth?"

Pei Yuan immediately flattered him, "The origin of the saints and the achievements of the kings all come from one. Being a saint inside and a king outside is nothing more than this."

Zhu Houzhao was overjoyed when he heard this and became even more delighted.

He did not bother two masters with one thing, and quickly continued to ask, "Then what should I do?"

Pei Yuan asked tentatively, "If Your Majesty has this intention, there is no need to let the seven ministers of the cabinet know some specific details."

Zhu Houzhao said as a matter of course, "Of course it is so. Otherwise, why would I ask Pei Qing for advice? This time, we must act in secret."

Pei Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Keep it a secret, right?

——Okay, then let this be a secret between the two of us forever.

In order to seek stability, Pei Yuan added, "In addition to the reasons I just mentioned, there is actually another factor. The people in Shandong are suffering and chaos may occur at any time."

"If Luo Jiao fails to control it, it will damage your majesty's wisdom."

"The best way for now is to restore Shandong's vitality as soon as possible and let the people live a good life. Only in this way can we gradually make progress and completely let Luojiao serve Your Majesty."

When Zhu Houzhao heard this, he thought of the tedious chores and felt a little embarrassed.

As he was hesitating, he heard Pei Yuan say, "When I was in Shandong, I heard that Wang Qiong, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, was visiting the people and asking about their sufferings."

"When I went to visit Shandong Governor Wang Chang about Luo Jiao's affairs, I also heard Wang Gong say that Wang Qiong seemed to have a great idea to benefit the world."

"Your Majesty may wish to wait a little longer."

"If Wang Qiong's method is indeed commendable, it might be better to try it out in Shandong first. It may have a good effect."

When Zhu Houzhao heard about Wang Qiong, he showed no shame, but said hesitantly, "Wang Qiong was hated by the ministers because of his private interference."

"If I come forward to recall him again, I am afraid that not only will it have no effect, but it will increase the difficulty of Wang Qiong's return to the court."

Wang Qiong had other tricks up his sleeve, but Pei Yuan was not worried about that. Now was the time to take advantage of Zhu Houzhao's good mood and ask him for policies.

Pei Yuan changed the subject and said, "The situation of Luo Sect is very complicated now. Chen Toutie is secretly leading this matter. I think the most urgent thing is to seek stability rather than change. Let Chen Toutie take charge of that side first."

"We will make plans after the situation in Shandong stabilizes."

Zhu Houzhao understood this and said, "Of course. You must keep it confidential. Since Gu Dayong and Wang Chang are both involved in this matter, you can give them some advice and ask them to cooperate closely on Luojiao's affairs."

"Gu Dayong is one of us, so you can speak frankly. But Wang Chang is a civil servant..."

Zhu Houzhao hesitated.

Pei Yuan said quickly, "Wang Chang was a member of Liu Jin's party back then. He was implicated and transferred from the Seven Ministers to a local position. I don't think he would go along with the others."

When Zhu Houzhao heard that Wang Chang was a remnant of Liu Jin, he breathed a sigh of relief with a complicated expression.

What are Liu Jin’s remnants?
They are all victims of his failed reforms.

It seems that Wang Chang has good roots.

Zhu Houzhao pursed his lips and said, "Tell Wang Chang to do his job well. I trust him. I remember that he is not old. As long as he does a good job, I will still use him."

After the military breakthrough, it will be time for him to take back the power of the court...

Pei Yuan took the initiative to remind him after hearing this, "This matter is of great importance and must be handled with an imperial decree. Your Majesty, please give me an imperial decree and let me secretly tell the two of them."

Zhu Houzhao said, "Okay, I'll write you a handwritten letter when we get to Yongshou Marquis's mansion."

As he spoke, Zhu Houzhao gestured to Pei Yuan to walk with him to the Yongshou Marquis's Mansion.

He also said to Qian Ning who was a little further away, "I have something to say to Lord Pei, please don't let anyone else get close."

Pei Yuan also bowed to Qian Ning, pointed at the human skin saddle on the ground and said, "This is the saddle given by His Majesty. Please ask the commander to find a few Jinyiwei to help deliver it to the Zhihua Temple office."

Qian Ning had just beaten up Jiang Bin together with Pei Yuan, and he had long regarded the Pei brothers, who "actually fight when there is trouble", as his staunch ally.

Hearing this, he smiled and said, "No problem."

He and Zhu Houzhao had a special close relationship, and he was also Zhu Houzhao's personal bodyguard, so he didn't bother with so many details and just ordered people to do the job.

Pei Yuan followed Zhu Houzhao, walking slowly towards the Yongshou Marquis's Mansion, while continuing to ask the emperor for policies to support the Luo sect.

"Although Chen Toutie is now pretending to be the leader of the Luo Sect, he will inevitably have to deal with local people from time to time. He is only a general flag of the Jinyiwei. If a flood washes away the Dragon King Temple and causes any loss to your majesty's Luo Sect, it will not be worth the loss."

"But such a confidential matter cannot be bothered by Your Majesty all the time, nor can it be made public."

Zhu Houzhao thought for a moment and asked, "Do you mean to say hello to the Shandong governor?"

Pei Yuan shook his head and said, "The Dusi Guard had already been sidelined by the Bingbei Dao. After informing the Shandong Dusi, the news soon spread like wildfire."

"When that time comes, the imperial court will certainly demand the abolition of Luojiao, or guide Luojiao back to the right path. Does your majesty, as the Luozu, have to accept the canonization from the Ministry of Rites at that time?"

"Even if Luojiao returns to the imperial court, the transition will be completed smoothly. But without Luojiao, we still have to face those problems."

"Those people who have been ravaged by the rebels and are in poverty have already been disappointed with the court. We must give them another hope and some hope to persevere."

Zhu Houzhao walked slowly for a while before asking again, "What do you mean?"

Pei Yuan said, "Perhaps we can find a position for Chen Toutie in Shandong. In this way, if the situation really becomes desperate, Chen Toutie can still mediate and not alarm Your Majesty about everything."

Zhu Houzhao thought for a while and praised, "This is a good idea!"

He then said, "Chen Toutie was able to suppress the scourge of the Milo Sect, and he has made great contributions to the country. Even if he is given the title of Commander-in-Chief, it is not enough to show his merits. How about I make him the Commander-in-Chief of the Shandong Military Region?"

Pei Yuan didn't dare to ask for more after hearing this.

If you want to be the commander-in-chief, you must have bloodline, otherwise it will be difficult to convince other "bloodline people".

If Chen Toutie tried to become the commander-in-chief of Shandong Military Region, he would surely be caught up in endless internal strife.

When Pei Yuan returned to the capital this time, he just wanted to set foot in the court when he saw the assistant minister who plotted against the minister, the Hanlin scholar who stabbed the grand secretary in the back, and the commander-in-chief who beat the general of the border army.

In such an environment, there is no need to waste the energy of Chen Toutie, a loyal younger brother, on political infighting.

Besides, the actual power of the commander-in-chief is restricted by the military preparation department. Sometimes it is better to directly arrest the commander of the army.

Now is the time to seize real power while the dynasty is struggling. The benefits that can be grasped are the real benefits.

Two years later, when Zhu Houzhao moved his troops to Xuanfu to establish the second court, the struggle at that time became as intense as boiling oil.

Pei Yuan said hurriedly, "Luo Jiao's contribution should not be publicized. The Shandong Dusi is an important position, and I am afraid it will cause unnecessary trouble. I plan to demote him by one level."

Zhu Houzhao thought about it and said, "Then let's give him the title of deputy commander of Shandong."

(End of this chapter)