Strange Tales from the Northern Qi Dynasty

Chapter 258 Nan Chen
Inside the palace, the ministers were already prepared.

It is an auspicious time.

With the appearance of the ceremonial officer, the coronation ceremony is about to begin.

The ceremony always felt a bit sloppy. Perhaps it was because the Great Qi had never paid much attention to this aspect. Even at the coronation ceremony, there were gaps, officials were absent, and even words were mispronounced.

rough.

No one showed much joy over the new emperor's ascension to the throne. Perhaps only the Hu family felt somewhat relieved at this moment.

Outside the hall stood many ministers, who were dressed luxuriously and surrounded by many fully armed soldiers.

Rituals and music were performed together, and the ritual officials played and recited loudly.

All kinds of ritual vessels were lifted up from all directions and gathered together.

The little emperor was wearing a crown and looked at the people around him timidly. There was a eunuch accompanying him, who kept telling him the next steps.

Everything looks luxurious and extraordinary.

But the faces of those groups of officials were exceptionally calm. Many of them looked calm, showing no respect for the new emperor, nor any reluctance to let go of the retired emperor. They were neither happy nor sad, and did not have the slightest emotional fluctuation.

The soldiers around seemed empty under their tall and sturdy armor, and no emotions could be seen on them.

Even the royal family members who supported the emperor to ascend the throne had solemn expressions and frowned brows at this moment.

Outside Yecheng.

A large group of people had already been driving on the road.

The major events in the palace had nothing to do with them.

Liu Taozi rode a warhorse and walked in the front, followed by various carriages and many people following in the team.

The road to the destination was extremely long, and the cold wind blew, causing the carriage to shake violently on the uneven road.

They didn't raise any big banners.

They walked hurriedly into the distance, with Zu Ting and Shi Yao following on Liu Taozi's left and right respectively, whispering something at this moment.

"Then Miss Lu must want to support the prince. He is trying to win over the old man, mainly to win over the lord."

"This woman is not simple. The current queen is stupid and I'm afraid she is no match for her. Although the prince was supported and is young and has no power, if someone relies on him and does things through him, he can really accomplish a lot."

Zu Ting analyzed it seriously and said, "I think this woman wants to deal with the Queen Mother first, take charge of the harem affairs herself, and then use the master and the old man to kill Gao Rui, deal with Gao Yu, and support a new group of nobles to take charge of Yecheng."

"However, I think Gao Rui seems to have some ideas. Maybe he is also trying to do something big."

Zu Ting finally said: "My Lord, tell the old man not to get involved in these things. If they want to fight, let them fight first, and we should not interfere. If we can manage the border states well, our power will not be comparable to that of Yecheng."

Zu Ting is full of confidence in the future.

He smiled and said: "Hengzhou produces war horses, Shuozhou produces copper and iron, Yanzhou has arable land, and Anzhou has people."

"This time when I go back, I will have many talented people to help me. At present, the lord has eight states under his command, and Ying, Xian, Si and other states can actually be included in his command."

"With these talents, we will implement the policy of granting land and soldiers to the government, and one year later."

Zu Ting laughed and said, "I'm sure I can give Yang Zhong a big surprise."

"Yang Zhong leads a hundred thousand troops here, but we don't know what we will face!"

Shi Yao was not as confident as Zu Ting. He was worried. "Grandfather, although there is a lot of land on the border, it has just experienced war and is sparsely populated. If Yang Zhong comes to attack with 100,000 elite troops, it will be no joke. Moreover, governance has always been difficult to achieve results. A year may not be enough just to arrange officials."

Zu Ting waved his hand and said, "You don't understand."

"Do you know what the lord's strongest point is right now?"

Shi Yao was stunned for a moment, then slowly said, "My lord is a brave man, with many brave generals and over 40,000 elite soldiers under his command, marching across the north."

Zu Ting laughed out loud.

"Although the lord's army is strong, Duan Shao alone has more than 50,000 elite soldiers!!"

"And the lord's 40,000 elite troops have to defend various places, and there are only more than 10,000 people in the field. Duan Shao's 40,000 to 50,000 people can all be deployed for field battles. Moreover, these soldiers are extremely elite and the generals are extremely fierce. In terms of military strength, the lord may not be stronger than Duan Shao."

"Isn't it because the imperial court has strong military forces that Gao Yu, Gao Rui and others are not worried about the lord?"

After hearing Zu Ting's words, Shi Yao asked again, "Is it because the lord is kind and loves the people?"

Zu Ting laughed again, "It is true that the lord is benevolent and loves the people, but isn't that also true of Gao Yu and Gao Rui? There are many people in the court who are benevolent and love the people. If you really think about it, Gao Rui did many more benevolent things than the lord during his years at the frontier!"

Shi Yao glanced at Liu Taozi secretly.

Grandfather, is it really okay for you to belittle the Lord like this?

Liu Taozi's face was calm, and she was obviously not dissatisfied with Zu Ting's words.

Shi Yao said, "Thank you, ancestor, for telling me."

Zu Ting then said proudly: "The lord's strongest point is the scattered officials under his command."

"what??"

Shi Yao was a little confused.

Zu Ting continued, "No matter how much Gao Yu, Gao Rui and others love the people, their hands cannot reach the clerks. At most, they hover around the officials, but it is these clerks who really do the work."

"My Lord's policy of dispersing officials from the school is truly admirable!"

"The lord has set up schools in various places and trained many officials. Whenever he conquers a place, he first lets the officials take up positions. The lord's orders can reach the officials directly and be carried out thoroughly."

"Most of these scattered officials come from poor backgrounds. Even if there are bad people, they are a minority. Most of them have suffered and know good and bad, and can distinguish right from wrong. They can also report the local situation directly to the lord through the teachers in the school. It is difficult for officials to suppress these legal schools."

Shi Yao was stunned when he heard this.

He had worked as a grassroots official, so he could understand what Zu Ting meant.

He frowned and asked, "Grandfather, if this is the case, won't they hold the officials hostage? If the local officials become powerful, the officials will be sidelined by them."

Zu Ting laughed, "Isn't that better? Help us pick out the unqualified officials. In this day and age, are we still worried about not being able to find people to be officials?"

He became confident again, "Just wait and see, in one year, the border will definitely be turned upside down. When those stupid guys in Yecheng fight to the death, we will open their eyes."

"Yang Zhong failed to defeat the lord this time, but there won't be a next time. Next time, he should think about how to survive the lord's hands."

Zu Ting laughed, his teeth showing.

Shi Yao didn't say anything else. He always felt that this person was a little too arrogant.

This is simply not taking the people of the world into consideration.

Zu Ting was following Liu Taozi at this moment, and explained his thoughts in detail.

"My lord, the divisions of the border states are too detailed and too complicated. I think they can be slightly modified. When so many states were established, they were forcibly split up because they were afraid that local officials would seize power. We are not so distressed. The division of states will increase the burden on officials and the salary problem. I think it would be better to redivide them. The government can just keep it a secret and they won't dare to do anything."

"The towns under our jurisdiction are currently scattered and the defense lines are redundant. They can be re-established."

Zu Ting took out a long map from his sleeve and handed it to Liu Taozi.

"My Lord, this is what I am thinking now."

Shi Yao followed not far away, looking at Zu Ting in doubt. He thought that his act of abandoning his official position and joining Liu Taozi was already a heinous act, but he didn't expect that there was something even more serious here, the redivision of local states, prefectures and counties???
Isn't this a clear sign of rebellion?

This is more serious than appointing officials privately. According to the laws of the Northern Qi Dynasty, this is considered private appointment, one of the ten unpardonable crimes.

He looked around. No matter whether it was the soldiers following the general, the scholars farther away, or even the King of Qinghe who was carrying a lance beside him, none of them showed any surprise or fear.

They looked calm.

It seems that everything is as it should be.

Qi, Jiangzhou.

The office of the governor.

"Cough, cough, cough"

There was a coughing sound from the inner room.

Qian Zhubu held the bowl and walked carefully to the door. The two soldiers at the door saw him and immediately made way for him.

Qian Zhubu walked into the room. Lu Yao was sitting on the bed, wearing a coat that was not properly put on. He had his legs crossed and was holding a document in his hand, sweating profusely as he read it.

Qian Zhubu hurriedly handed him the medicine bowl, secretly glanced at the documents in his hand, and said with a wry smile: "My lord, don't look at it anymore. Take some medicine first."

Lu Yao put down the documents, took the medicine handed to him by the other party, and took a few bites.

He breathed a sigh of relief, "Gao Zhan dismissed me here, which can be considered a good deed."

"Look at what Liu Taozi did. If he stayed in Yecheng, wouldn't we be scared to death by him?" Qian Zhubu asked curiously, "What horrifying thing did he do again?"

Lu Yao gently rubbed his forehead and said, "Forget it, I won't say anything. It's useless to say anything."

Looking at Lu Yao taking medicine, Qian Zhubu hurriedly said, "My lord, recently many scholars in the city have been singing a poem about General Wei defeating the bandits. I heard it was written by Wei Shou, recording the story of General Wei defeating Yang Zhong. Everyone thinks it is well written and is singing it everywhere."

"Wei Shou??"

Lu Yao was stunned for a moment, then said disdainfully: "This is not surprising. Wei Shou was able to accept bribes and write nonsense when compiling history books, let alone just writing prose? This is his strong point!"

"It seems that he is ready to follow Liu Taozi?"

"It seems so. Recently, we often hear a lot of essays and poems written about General Wei. Several county magistrates reported that the scholars who have worked in the office recently are going to the border, and they dare not stop them."

"Liu Taozi is trying to trick these scholars into going to the border!"

Lu Yao shook his head again.

Soon, Lu Yao finished all the medicine in his hand.

He wiped his lips, looked at Qian Zhubu standing beside him, and his expression became slightly serious.

"How is the matter I asked you to investigate going?"

Qian Zhubu put on a familiar bitter face, "Master, Master, Master. I, I, I."

Lu Yao was a little angry, "Can't you even handle this?"

Qian Zhubu knelt down hurriedly, "My Lord, this is not my fault. Everyone here does business with the southerners. The common people, soldiers, officials, big families, and even the ministers have come all the way here to do business with the southerners. After all, we are outsiders. I don't have any confidants here, let alone minions. They protect each other and shield each other. I really can't find any loopholes! ”

Lu Yao shook his head. "It's normal trade. You don't have to stop it or investigate it."

"I asked you to investigate those illicit trades."

"Selling war horses, cavalry, and food to the southerners is all aiding the enemy. I also heard that some people are even trafficking people to the southern country!!"

"How can we let these people go?!"

Qian Zhubu looked up at Lu Yao and said timidly, "My lord, didn't General Wei ask you to go to the border to seek refuge with him? I think this is not a good place. It is close to the enemy and there is chaos inside. Why don't we go to seek refuge with General Wei and do whatever we want under his command? I think he will not treat us unfairly."

"Humph!"

Lu Yao snorted coldly and said angrily: "If I didn't know about this, it would be fine. But now that I know the situation in several states and counties in the south, is there any reason to continue to let them go?"

"I will recuperate for a while, and you can use this time to investigate me thoroughly!!"

"All the counties in the south are suspected of aiding the enemy! Don't let them off easily!"

"only!!"

Qian Zhubu didn't dare to say anything more. He knew his master's character. He had always been like this. Although he looked like a good and gentle man, he was extremely serious in doing things and would not tolerate any sand in his eyes.

At that time, Lu Yao had just arrived here and was having some difficulty acclimatizing to the climate there. His health had not been very good to begin with, so he could only rest first.

Many matters were handed over to Qian Zhubu for thorough investigation.

After receiving the order, Qian Zhubu took care of Lu Yao for a long time before leaving the office.

As soon as he walked out of the office, he saw an official jogging towards him.

It seemed like she had been waiting for him for a long time.

Qian Zhubu looked at the official in front of him and felt that he looked familiar, but he could not remember his name.

"Mr. Qian!! I found the evidence!"

"what??"

"I found a large ship with many iron objects in it."

"Where?!"

"Please get in the car!"

The clerk waved his hand, and immediately a carriage stopped in front of him. Qian Zhubu got on the carriage hurriedly, and the clerk followed him in.

Qian Zhubu looked very excited. "If we really find evidence, then the governor can rest assured!"

The clerk nodded with a smile on his face.

Qian Zhubu asked about the specific matters again, and the clerk told him one by one in great detail.

The carriage drove out of the city gate and hurried along the road. The roads on both sides became narrower and narrower, and there were fewer and fewer people.

Suddenly, the carriage stopped. The clerk stuck his head out and looked over. "Mr. Qian! We're here!"

Qian Zhubu hurriedly jumped out of the carriage and was about to speak.

"Oh!"

The clerk hit him hard on the back of the neck with the handle of the knife, and Qian Zhubu fell to the ground. The clerk looked around and saw many people coming out from the bushes on both sides. They carried Qian Zhubu and quickly left the place.

Qian Zhubu felt a headache.

He touched the back of his head and it seemed like someone had entangled it with something.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw the blue sky.

He struggled to get up and looked around blankly.

correct.

The clerk said that he spotted the pirate ship, followed it, and then was attacked.

At this moment, Qian Zhubu's eyes suddenly became terrified. Oh no! Those people who were in the smuggling business wanted to murder him!

He looked around in horror and found himself at a dock.

Many large ships were docked around, and in the distance there were fishermen walking around. Those fishermen were wearing short clothes and had bare legs. There were several soldiers around them, who were wearing paper armor and holding hook shields.

There is a small market in the distance, and I can hear many people chattering.

He didn't understand a word.

Qian Zhubu looked confused.

What the hell is this? Is this still Da Qi?

"Hey."

Someone called out, and Qian Zhubu slowly raised his head and saw a man in armor standing not far away. Several soldiers were standing around him.

The man looked at Qian Zhubu, who was not young, but was tall and had a resolute expression.

“Who are you guys??”

"Look, the other side is your Qi State."

"Southerner!"

Qian Zhubu immediately understood his situation. He stood up and looked around, "I'm just a minor official."

"I know who you are. You are Lu Yao's confidant."

Qian Zhubu felt cold all over. He looked at the soldiers around him and then at his own body. This group of people came prepared. He had always been weak and if he was tortured by them, he might not be able to endure it.

He suddenly gritted his teeth, closed his eyes and rushed towards the water in the distance, but after running a few steps, he was knocked to the ground by the soldiers and pressed to the ground again.

The general was a little surprised. He smiled and squatted in front of Qian Zhubu, "Why are you running? Can you swim to the other side?"

"Don't be afraid. I don't want to kill you or murder your master. I want you to tell your master a message. There's nothing wrong with the people on both sides of the river doing trade and selling things. Almost all the officials along the coast do this business. Lord Lu is not a simple person. He just took office and he wants to send people to investigate thoroughly? Do you want to arrest all the officials along the coast?"

"There is no need for that. We have always been on good terms with you. If they can trade with peace of mind, then let them trade. If Lord Lu is stubborn and wants to ruin the good things between the two sides and force us to go to war, then I won't be polite either."

"During these days, many officials of your Pseudo-Qi have sent people to contact me. They all want me to send troops to attack and kill Lu Yao."

"Lu Yao's case has done nothing but harm and offended everyone. It's not worth it just for his reputation."

"When you go back, tell him to be a governor and not to worry about too many things. Otherwise, I will lead the troops to attack. By then, many casualties will be caused by him."

Qian Zhubu turned pale and nodded, "I'll remember that."

"May I know the general's name?"

"I am the governor of Jiangzhou, Wu Mingche."

(End of this chapter)