Guiyi Fei Tang

Chapter 451 Zhu San's Ambitions
"Pattering..."

In mid-April, after more than half a year without snow or rain, rain fell not only in Guanzhong but throughout the entire north.

After a long drought, the cracked land gradually healed as the rain washed away the soil, and the mountains and forests became lush and green overnight. The river water flowing from the mountains into the valley filled the dry riverbed, and the muddy water surged into the main channel.

The once silent rivers seemed to come alive, carrying countless silt downstream.

The rain over the past two weeks has brought about the revival of all things in the north, making everything lush and green.

Countless poets sang praises because of the heavy rain, and farmers who had previously suffered a complete crop failure finally got a moment's respite.

"What a downpour, what a downpour..."

Inside Chang'an City, as the torrential rain that had lasted for twelve days gradually stopped, and the sunlight pierced through the dark clouds to illuminate the earth, Lu Guimeng and the others couldn't help but laugh heartily.

At the same time, several officials from the Waterways Bureau entered the province and met with Lu Guimeng, Luo Yin, and others. They immediately reported:
“Reports from various prefectures and counties stated that the river water overflowed its course and flowed into the canals.”

"The dikes in the prefectures and counties that were originally affected by the disaster are now full of rainwater, with 767 dikes fully filled."

"The summer harvest is secured, and with ample rainfall, there is enough water to last until the autumn harvest."

The words of the Ministry of Works Water Management official brought another burst of hearty laughter to the hall, everyone was delighted.

What makes you so happy?

"Prime Minister Gao..."

Gao Jinda walked out with a benevolent smile, and everyone bowed to him before reporting the report from the water department officials.

Upon hearing this, Gao Jinda couldn't help but stroke his beard and say, "This is indeed a joyous occasion. I must personally go to the Prince's residence to report to His Highness."

"It just so happens that the Imperial Household Department under the Ministry of Rites is also on track, so we can bring the first edition of the 'newspaper' to Your Highness for review."

"The Imperial Household Department? Newspapers?" Many officials, puzzled, looked at Gao Jinda. Gao Jinda, upon hearing this, smiled and said:

"This Di Si is a newly established government office under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Rites. It performs the duties of the former Di Si Liu Hou Shi. The Di Si Lang Zhong is a fifth-rank official and will be in charge of military and political affairs as well as newspapers from various regions."

"As for this newspaper, it is the former 'Jinzouyuan Report,' only the content is more general."

Gao Jinda explained to everyone, while looking at Lu Guimeng: "His Highness has appointed you as the Director of the Imperial Secretariat. The transfer order will be issued in a few days. Prepare well, as His Highness may want to question you at that time."

"Yes, yes..." Lu Guimeng was clearly not expected to be promoted three ranks at once, from the lower fifth rank to the upper fifth rank.

It should be noted that the position of a senior official in various departments is generally a fifth-rank official, while he himself, though only a senior official in various departments, is now a fifth-rank official, which shows that the position of the Director of the Imperial Household Department is not low.

The officials on either side also looked at Lu Guimeng and then began to offer their congratulations.

Gao Jinda chuckled and nodded, then looked at Luo Yin, who was standing not far away: "Zhaojian, you shall come with me to the Prince's Palace."

"Yes..." Luo Yin replied respectfully upon hearing that he would be accompanying them. He then sent someone to arrange a carriage, and he and Gao Jinda traveled to the Prince of Han's residence.

On their way to the Prince of Han's residence, they could see the people on the street through the windows.

Today, the rain has stopped and the sky has cleared, bringing smiles to many faces, as fresh vegetables are now available.

Thanks to Liu Jilong's permission for small vendors to hawk their wares in various neighborhoods and alleys, people no longer needed to go to specific locations to buy and sell vegetables. Vegetable farmers had more freedom, and vegetable prices became cheaper due to the heavy rain.

For ordinary people, food, clothing, housing, and transportation are the things that are most closely related to their lives, so when vegetable prices drop, people naturally smile.

"Prime Minister Gao, this newspaper from the Imperial Residence is probably not just for military and political officials and those in various circuits to read, is it?"

Seeing that Gao Jinda was happy, Luo Yin cautiously inquired about it.

Gao Jinda nodded upon hearing this, stroked his beard and smiled, "The government's newspapers come in many varieties, some of which are for the general public."

"In the future, township heads and other officials will be required to popularize the contents of the newspaper to their subordinate village heads and ward chiefs, at the same level as the patrol inspectors popularizing the law."

In the Han army's yamen, each village was assigned three officials from outside the local government: a village head, a patrol inspector, and a grain manager. This directly cut off the opportunity for local powerful families to control the village head and other official positions.

The three officials from outside the area were responsible for various tasks, including tax collection, legal education, community granaries, and patrolling and setting up checkpoints in the village.

In addition, the official documents and passes required for merchants and ordinary people to leave the country, which were handled by the prefectural and county governments according to the Tang system, have now been delegated to the county and township governments.

The content is much simpler than before, and the new rule that no public inspection or checkpoint is required within a hundred miles of the city has made things much more convenient for the people within a hundred miles of the city.

Overall, the people of the five provinces under Liu Jilong's rule enjoyed a much greater degree of freedom than during the Tang Dynasty.

Now that Gao Jinda had personally spoken up and revealed the matter of the Imperial Household Department and the newspapers, Luo Yin couldn't help but frown and say:
“If there are few corvée labors, the people will be at peace; if the people are at peace, there will be no powerful subordinates; if there is no powerful subordinates, power will be extinguished; if power is extinguished, virtue will prevail.”

"Your Highness's exemption of corvée labor, leniency in travel, openness to speech, and encouragement of satire are all good policies. However, the people are foolish and easily misled, so only severe punishments can be used to prohibit indulgence in pleasure."

"However, Your Highness favors strict discipline over corporal punishment, yet the ignorant masses cannot be controlled. I believe..."

Luo Yin paused, seemingly realizing he had been a bit too blunt, but Gao Jinda encouraged him:

"I have also spoken to Your Highness about what you have said, but Your Highness believes that by reducing taxes and levies, the people can live in peace and prosperity, and the people will become rich naturally when the emperor has no worries."

"If the people are wealthy, they will naturally not want to cause chaos; poverty makes the people ignorant, while wealth makes them wise..."

Luo Yin emphasized the problems caused by lax systems, while Liu Jilong emphasized the problems of governance of the entire country.

Luo Yin believed that the common people were foolish and easily misled by evil people, so it was necessary to strictly enforce the law to prohibit them from indulging in pleasures, thereby preventing them from causing trouble out of nothing.

But in Liu Jilong’s view, only by reducing taxes and levies can people live and work in peace and contentment. If people live and work in peace and contentment, and the government does not make things difficult for the local people, they can gradually become rich through their own efforts.

As long as the people are wealthy and have more knowledge, they will naturally not do things that are likely to cause trouble. On the contrary, when the people are poor, they are more likely to take risks.

Luo Yin naturally dared not refute Liu Jilong's remarks, but he still felt that there were too many ignorant people and that strict laws were needed to keep them in line.

This wasn't Luo Yin's fault. After all, the world Luo Yin witnessed was one where peasants were foolish and easily misled, often led astray by a few words from wicked people.

Given the historical context, Luo Yin naturally did not believe that people living in peace and prosperity would not cause unrest, especially since there were quite a few wealthy families who had joined the bandits.

"Here, get out of the car."

Before Luo Yin could fully grasp Liu Jilong's ideas, he felt the carriage stop. He and Gao Jinda then got off and walked into the Prince of Han's residence.

The Prince's mansion was guarded by elite cavalry, with eight hundred of them providing impenetrable protection. In addition, the Imperial Guards patrolled the area, ensuring its safety.

"Your Highness, your subject Gao Jinda, along with Luo Yin, a court official, requests an audience."

"come in."

Inside the main hall, Liu Jilong heard the voice outside the door and responded without hesitation.

Gao Jinda and Luo Yin entered the main hall and, as expected, saw Liu Jilong sitting in the study on the left side of the main hall.

At this moment, he was processing the memorials sent by the three provinces and six ministries. The number was not large, only about sixty, and he had already processed most of them.

"Sit down."

Seeing the two bow, Liu Jilong gestured for them to sit down, while several attendants beside him personally poured tea and set out refreshments for them.

Tang Dynasty officials loved to eat sugar, but in the past, Longyou did not produce sugar, so there were not many desserts.

Now that the city of Chang'an has gained access to the major sugar-producing region of Sichuan and Chongqing, and with the local officials developing new purification methods, there is no longer a shortage of sweets in the city.

Gao Jinda loves sweets, and he couldn't take his eyes off these pastries.

Seeing this, Liu Jilong chuckled and nodded, saying, "Eat if you want, there are no so many rules."

"However, it's best to eat less of these pastries. Since the Han Dynasty, the nobility of our Han people have consumed a lot of sugar, especially at the beginning of the dynasty."

“A few days ago, I looked through the daily records of the Tang court that were not taken with them. I saw that Emperor Taizong, Emperor Gaozong, and many other emperors and meritorious officials all died from illnesses caused by excessive sugar consumption. Therefore, sugar consumption should be moderated.”

He wasn't trying to scare Gao Jinda. After all, he knew about the dangers of excessive sugar consumption in his previous life. In addition, he had read a lot of daily records and court archives. With a little association, he could roughly figure out why those nobles in the early Tang Dynasty died.

With their diets heavy on oil, salt, and sugar, and drinking sugarcane juice like water, they would hardly live to seventy, let alone in the Tang Dynasty or even in later generations.

"In that case, I'd rather not eat..."

Gao Jinda was about to make a move, but when he heard Liu Jilong say that, he immediately withdrew his hand.

He is now over fifty years old. Although he is not considered very old, he is still over fifty and his health is not as good as before.

Right now, he still wants to follow Liu Jilong and watch Liu Jilong unify the world and enable the people to live in peace and prosperity, so he naturally has to pay attention to health preservation.

"Your Highness, these are several newspapers produced by the Imperial Household Department. Please take a look."

Gao Jinda opened the long box he had brought, inside which were several rolled-up newspapers.

The court attendant took them and presented them to Liu Jilong, who then opened and read them one by one.

In terms of format alone, these newspapers, which were drawn by Liu Jilong and then engraved by the Imperial Household Department, are not much different from newspapers of later generations.

Aside from the inability to achieve perfect neatness, the biggest difference lies in the paper material.

The newspapers Gao Jinda brought included military newspapers, national newspapers, Beijing newspapers, newspapers from various provinces and prefectures, as well as official gazettes for civil officials to peruse.

Military newspapers simply reported on military affairs, national newspapers reported on affairs in the five circuits under the jurisdiction of the Han army, capital newspapers mainly reported on affairs in the capital region, and newspapers of various circuits such as Longyou Circuit, Guannei Circuit, Jiannan Circuit, and Shannan West Circuit.

The newspapers of the various prefectures and the newspapers of the various circuits had the same content, but were more regional. The official gazettes, on the other hand, reported on changes in the court, such as which officials the Censorate had arrested, how much money and grain an official had embezzled, and what their fate was.

How much did these newspapers cost to produce?

Liu Jilong asked Gao Jinda, who was already prepared and confidently replied, "Each newspaper costs seven coins to produce, but that's the price in the capital. If it were sold in other places, it would be cheaper."

"It's not cheap either." Liu Jilong nodded in response, naturally aware that the price was not cheap.

Nowadays, it's considered good for ordinary people to earn four strings of cash a year, which averages out to only eleven or twelve coins a day.

If it's for covering basic needs like food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, saving two or three hundred coins a year would be considered quite good, so naturally, people wouldn't be willing to spend so much money on a newspaper.

In fact, newspapers today are not intended for ordinary people, but for future generations of readers.

Currently, in the five provinces under the Han army's rule, only four to five hundred thousand people have escaped illiteracy, representing a literacy rate of only four to five percent, and among them, seven out of ten can read no more than one thousand characters.

However, with the expansion of government-run schools, it is estimated that over 100,000 students will graduate from these schools within the next ten years.

These newspapers primarily served this group of people.

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong said to Gao Jinda, "Throughout history, the change of dynasties has simply been a change of a new batch of kings, nobles, generals and ministers."

"Those officials in the prefectures, counties, and townships usually succeeded to the next dynasty without incident."

"The official schools in Longyou are related to whether our army can control the prefectures and counties of the country in the future, while the official schools in the five circuits are related to the collection of taxes and the dissemination of political principles in the prefectures, counties and villages of the five circuits."

"The official schools in the five provinces have not yet opened due to the severe drought this year."

"Now that the drought has finally ended and the rain has come, this year's tax revenue should be higher than the estimates of the three provinces and six ministries."

"The recruitment and enrollment of students in the Five Paths should be put on the agenda soon."

Liu Jilong gestured to Gao Jinda, who understood what Liu Jilong meant.

Although the official schools in the five provinces enrolled children of commoners, their teaching standards were not aimed at literacy, but at training officials.

Students in Longyou who have undergone ten years of education are being trained to be officials.

What Liu Jilong wanted to do was to completely replace the remaining officials from powerful and influential families in the Tang court, from top to bottom.

If this matter succeeds, it will sweep away the decadent atmosphere of the mid-to-late Tang Dynasty, and many other things will be broken.

If it weren't for this, Liu Jilong wouldn't have needed to spend so much money to train these students from the Five Paths.

If the goal was simply to eradicate illiteracy, he could have easily sent a primary school graduate with five years of formal education to serve as an instructor, allowing eligible children in various counties and townships to learn using sticks and sand trays.

If one feels that the conditions are too simple, one can follow the example of the Han army's literacy campaign and write on wooden boards with a brush dipped in water. There is no need to provide expensive paper, brushes, inkstones and ink.

He wanted to initiate a comprehensive reform, extending his influence to the countryside.

Even if you fail in the end, at least you tried...

Thinking of this, Liu Jilong put down the newspaper: "Almost there. Have the Imperial Household Department make preparations to receive some officials who graduated from Longyou at the end of the year, and then start publishing them in the military newspaper, the Imperial Household Department newspaper, the capital newspaper, and the national newspaper."

"The woodblock printing for the Daobao and Zhoubao newspapers is good, but we don't have enough manpower and resources to support it for the time being, so we'll put it on hold for now."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jinda bowed. Seeing that he had agreed, Liu Jilong looked at Luo Yin, and then at Gao Jinda, as if asking him the purpose of bringing Luo Yin with him.

Upon seeing this, Gao Jinda immediately explained, "Recently, Zhao Jian has been doing well in the Secretariat."

"I have heard that Your Highness intends to send Commander Husi to Dengzhou. I believe that if the two routes in Shannan are combined into one, it would be too large. It would be better to temporarily place Dengzhou, Junzhou, and Shangzhou in one place, and let Zhaojian assist Commander Husi in governing them."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yin remained outwardly calm, but he knew clearly that Gao Jinda was helping him enrich his local experience.

He knew very well that Liu Jilong cared a lot about whether officials had experience governing local areas; without such experience, it was usually difficult for them to rise to high positions.

If I had experience serving in local government, and then returned to Chang'an a few years later, I could at least be appointed as a vice minister in one of the six ministries.

Thinking of this, Luo Yin felt a little uneasy and waited quietly for Liu Jilong to speak.

The atmosphere in the hall was silent for a moment, but Liu Jilong's words poured cold water on Luo Yin's enthusiasm.

"I have already made arrangements for the governance of Shannan East Circuit, so there is no need for the Three Departments and Six Ministries to concern themselves with this matter."

"Yes……"

Gao Jinda felt a little regretful, but still respectfully accepted.

Seeing his dejected expression, Liu Jilong also looked at Luo Yin: "You have only been in officialdom for a short time. The fact that you were specially promoted to the position of Attendant Censor was already an exceptional promotion. For now, you should familiarize yourself with the duties of the Secretariat."

"That's how it should be." Luo Yin could only reluctantly agree, and then he saw Liu Jilong pick up the brush.

Upon seeing this, Gao Jinda immediately took Luo Yin to say goodbye and then left the yamen.

Just as they left, Zhao Ying walked into the hall from outside and took the initiative to bow, saying, "Your Highness, don't you also admire Luo Yin very much? Why not take this opportunity to transfer him to Shannan East Circuit?"

In Zhao Ying's view, Luo Yin was not young anymore, at thirty-seven years old, and should be very steady in his dealings, making him very suitable to help Husi Guang take charge of Shannan East Road.

However, Liu Jilong calmly lowered his head and, while replying to the memorial, explained:

"He has been frustrated for a long time, and given his arrogance, if he were allowed to soar to great heights, it might cause trouble."

Although Liu Jilong and Luo Yin were the same age, Liu Jilong experienced far more setbacks than Luo Yin.

A person like Luo Yin, with his proud and aloof personality, would inevitably make enemies and grudges if promoted too quickly.

Shannan East Circuit does indeed need manpower, but Liu Jilong has already made arrangements. Thinking of this, Liu Jilong said to Zhao Ying:
"Li Yangchun was promoted to the position of Provincial Governor of the Southern East Circuit, responsible for supervising the collection of money and taxes within the circuit."

"Yes!" Zhao Ying readily agreed, and soon left the central hall with the imperial edict written by Liu Jilong.

As he left with the imperial edict, the people of Guanzhong were overjoyed because the dikes and canals were full of rainwater.

However, compared to the people of Kansai, the Tang Dynasty in Kanto was not overjoyed by the rain.

The drizzling rain fell outside Jiangdu County, washing away the dried bloodstains from countless corpses, which flowed into the Yangtze River.

Jiangdu, the seat of Yangzhou, was surrounded by tens of thousands of troops at this moment.

While the north used heavy rains to irrigate the land, this place used a gentle drizzle to thwart the Qi army's attack.

"Bam—"

"A mere eight thousand men have managed to hold off our army for more than half a month!" The sound of a hammer slamming against a table rang out. Huang Kui sat coldly in his tent, while Zhu Cun, Huang Ye, and other generals bowed their heads, unsure how to explain.

At the same time, the rustling sound of armor plates rang out, and Zhu Wen, dressed in armor, walked into the tent from outside, his eighteen-year-old face filled with ruthlessness.

"My lord, Hailing has been captured, and we have obtained over two hundred thousand coins worth of grain and money!"

"Good news! Finally, we have good news."

Upon seeing Zhu Wen appear, Huang Kui, who was initially taken aback, immediately became happy after hearing his words.

The two hundred thousand coins and grain were enough to sustain their more than ninety thousand troops in Huainan for three months.

Thinking of this, Huang Kui even found Zhu Wen more agreeable and said frankly, "I want to commend you for your achievements!"

"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Zhu Wen bowed in response, and at the same time suggested:
"My lord, our army has now captured Hailing and has blocked the canal."

"If the Tang emperor knew this, he would surely send troops south to provide assistance. Now that the summer harvest is approaching, if the Tang army obtains money and provisions, it will be difficult to deal with them."

"It would be better to take this opportunity to withdraw to Liuhe County, reorganize the troops, and wait for the rainy season to end before launching an attack to besiege Jiangdu."

Zhu Wen thought his suggestion was good, but Huang Kui frowned slightly after hearing it: "Our army is short of money and food right now. Even with your spoils, it can only last for a few months."

"Only by conquering Jiangdu, building ships, and sailing south to Jiangnan can we have a chance to contend for supremacy!"

"Moreover, the summer harvest is just around the corner. If we lift the siege now, the money and grain from Jiangnan will be transported north, and wouldn't the Tang emperor's strength be greatly enhanced?"

"But..." Zhu Wen wanted to say something, but Huang Kui interrupted him: "Alright, you have returned from conquering cities and seizing territories, you must be tired, so get some rest!"

Seeing that Huang Kui did not want to listen to him, Zhu Wen could only bow and leave the tent.

Seeing him leave, Huang Kui dismissed the rest of the generals, leaving only Huang Ye behind.

“What Zhu Sanlang said makes sense, why not listen to it?”

Seeing everyone leave, Huang Ye couldn't help but offer some advice, but Huang Kui frowned and said, "His Majesty said long ago that Zhu Wen is very opinionated. I didn't take it seriously at first, but now it seems that it is indeed true!"

“As a general, his opinions naturally carry weight.” Huang Ye was puzzled, but then he saw Huang Kui glance at him slightly:

"If he dares to question me today, he will dare to question Your Majesty tomorrow."

Before Huang Ye could speak, Huang Kui sat back in the main seat, picked up his wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and then said:

"I have heard that recently there have been rumors in the army that when Zhu San was born, there were strange celestial phenomena, and red mist rose up above the house where he lived."

"What kind of thing is Zhu San? Does he deserve to witness celestial phenomena?"

“I think these are all tricks of his; this man must have rebellious intentions.”

"I originally wanted him to go to Hailing and be rebuffed, but now that he has taken Hailing, his prestige is even greater..."

After Huang Kui finished speaking, he pondered for a moment, stroked his short beard, and continued, "Since he can take Hailing, then let him go north and seize Chuzhou."

"If we fail to capture Chuzhou, we will be subject to military law!"

"Isn't this a bit..." Huang Ye wanted to speak up for Zhu Wen, but seeing Huang Kui's unfriendly expression, he finally shut his mouth.

Seeing that he had shut up, Huang Kui looked at the soldiers at the entrance of the tent: "Send an order to Zhu Wen, telling him to rest for three days, and then go north with Zhu Er. He must take Chuzhou and Sizhou before June."

"Yes!"

The soldiers bowed in agreement, then went into the tent, took Huang Kui's military dispatch, and headed towards Zhu Wen's headquarters.

When the general's order was delivered, Zhu Wen frowned upon receiving it. Besides him, there were two other people in the tent.

One was his second brother, Zhu Cun, and the other was a handsome young man in a green robe, who was only twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.

“Sanlang, Zeng Yuanyu is stationed in Chuzhou and Sizhou. That guy is incredibly brave. With our two forces of less than 10,000 men, we simply cannot defeat Zeng Yuanyu.”

Upon learning the contents of the military intelligence report, Zhu Cun was so angry that he stood up abruptly, while Zhu Wen also frowned, knowing that this task would not be easy to handle.

He was about to say something when he saw the young man's calm demeanor and couldn't help but frown, saying, "Mr. Ziming, do you perhaps have a brilliant plan?"

"A brilliant plan? Never before has such a thing happened..."

The young man laughed, which displeased Zhu Cun, who couldn't help but say, "If you have no brilliant plan, are you here to mock my brother and me?"

“This is a dead end, what brilliant plan could there be?” the young man retorted to Zhu Cun. Zhu Cun was about to retaliate when Zhu Wen reached out and stopped him.

Before Zhu Cun could speak, Zhu Wen bowed and said, "Teach me, sir."

The young man was Xie Tong, a scholar who had met him in Chenzhou when he led his troops south. Xie Tong had taken the initiative to join him.

He claimed to be a collateral descendant of the Xie clan of Chenliu, but Zhu Wen did not believe him at all. He only thought that he needed a scholar to manage his provisions, so he recruited him.

However, after recruiting him, he repeatedly instilled in Zhu Wen the idea that "Huang Chao's reign will not last long," while advising him to surrender to the Tang court.

Although Zhu Wen knew that Huang Chao and his men would not entrust him with important responsibilities, he was still very reluctant to join the declining Tang court.

Since then, Xie Tong has stopped offering advice. It wasn't until today, when he returned to camp and heard about the strange phenomena surrounding his birth, that he realized what Xie Tong had been doing all this time.

For this reason, Zhu Wen naturally respected him even more, and now he even bowed to ask for his advice.

Seeing Zhu Wen's attitude, Xie Tong also put away his smile and said solemnly, "In my opinion, the Qi army is short of money and food, and the Qi ruler is stubborn and self-willed. If he does not give up Luoyang, he will surely give up the whole country."

"If you do not seek your own future, you will surely perish along with it in the future!"

Xie Tong repeated the same old story, simply expressing his pessimism about Huang Chao.

However, this time Zhu Wen dared not evade the issue as before, and could only state his position clearly: "I understand what you are saying, but the Tang court is also in decline. If I join the Tang court, I fear I will be retaliated against by Huang Chao."

"Revenge is inevitable!" Xie Tong admitted without hesitation, and then continued to explain, "However, if you, my lord, were to join the Tang court, although the Tang court is in decline, Huang Chao would still have the strength to confront it."

"At that time, the Tang court will be unable to destroy Huang Chao and will inevitably rely on you, my lord, and the generals of the various towns."

"If you, my lord, can seize this opportunity, then you will be like a dragon entering the sea, its golden scales unfurling!"

Xie Tong's words made Zhu Wen tempted, but he also knew that Huang Chao was not the only powerful figure at the moment, but also Liu Jilong in the west.

"What do you think of Liu Jilong in the west?"

Zhu Wen asked humbly, but Xie Tong hesitated for a few breaths before speaking to Zhu Wen as he slowly straightened up:

"Liu Muzhi was a man of decisive action in military campaigns and had a keen understanding of the enemy's situation, which is why he was always victorious. However, he also had his shortcomings."

"Even so, he is still an unparalleled hero. If your troops approach Guanzhong, I will certainly persuade you to join him."

Xie Tong spoke highly of Liu Jilong, which made Zhu Wen somewhat competitive: "I've heard that Liu Jilong came from a background of a herdsman. Am I not as good as him?"

Zhu Wen was familiar with Huang Chao. He believed that he was just too late in life. If he had been born a few years earlier, he would have started his rebellion long ago, which led to Huang Chao's actions.

Even though he acknowledged Liu Jilong's strength, he felt that he was no less capable than him.

Now that Xie Tong said this, Zhu Wen felt a bit unconvinced and his competitive spirit was aroused.

Xie Tong couldn't refuse him, so he could only say tactfully, "Liu Muzhi joined the army and made meritorious contributions before he even came of age. He is nineteen years older than you, sir. If you had been born at the same time as him, it would be difficult to say who is superior. However, now that Liu Jilong has established his power, I'm afraid it will be difficult for you to do so..."

Zhu Wen felt slightly better upon hearing this, and continued, "So what if the situation is already settled? My advantage lies in my youth, and I will surely defeat him in the future!"

Seeing his confidence, Xie Tong didn't know what to say, so she could only bring the topic back: "Is Your Excellency willing to pledge allegiance to the Tang court?"

"This..." Zhu Wen hesitated upon hearing this, but Zhu Cun advised, "Huang Chao only cares about his own relatives. We have no chance of advancement. Why not surrender to the court? Maybe we can get a regional military governorship!"

Seeing that even his second brother said so, Zhu Wen couldn't help but look at Xie Tong: "Let me consider this matter carefully."

Upon hearing this, Xie Tong didn't say anything on the surface, but she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Fortunately, Zhu Wen remained calm for a while, and just as the two were about to run out of patience, he took the initiative to speak:
"If you want to surrender, you must first make our troops lose faith in our lord!"

Zhu Cun was puzzled and was about to ask when Zhu Wen raised his hand and said, "I have already made a plan for this matter. Erlang, you don't need to worry for now. Just wait three days to lead the army north!"

"Okay!" Zhu Cun didn't really understand, but he trusted his younger brother.

Seeing that Zhu Wen had an idea and hadn't asked her, Xie Tong couldn't help but become curious.

Zhu Wen said nothing, only that he would head north in three days and then gradually find out the outcome.

Seeing that he wouldn't say anything, the two of them didn't press him for details and could only change the subject to money and food.

However, while they were discussing money and supplies, Qin Zongquan of Dengzhou was startled when Husi Guang sent troops into Dengzhou.

Originally intending to wait for a higher price, he no longer cared about anything else and immediately led his troops eastward, preparing to abandon Dengzhou and return to Caizhou.

Moreover, Qin Zongquan personally wrote a memorial and ordered it to be sent to Heyin by fast horse.

In his memorial, Qin Zongquan claimed that the soldiers of Shannan East Circuit wanted to advance eastward to suppress the rebels, but were stopped by Prime Minister Liu Zhan.

The soldiers were indignant, so they elected him to expel Liu Zhan. Now that he has expelled Liu Zhan, he has learned that the Yellow rebels' troops are advancing eastward and threatening Zhengzhou. Therefore, he is willing to lead his army eastward to attack Tangzhou to relieve the court's worries.

Qin Zongquan's quick wit earned him a way out, and it also caused Li Cui of Heyin to start making a mistake.

"Gentlemen, how credible do you think Qin Zongquan's memorial is?"

Li Cui sat in the main seat of the county government office, questioning Xiao Gou, Lu Yan, Qi Yuanjian, and Yang Xuanjie.

A few days ago, Ximen Jixuan passed away. Qi Yuanshi, who went to visit him, was also infected and is now bedridden at home.

Before the Northern Division could elect four new nobles, Li Cui urgently summoned them.

"Your Majesty, I believe Qin Zongquan's words are not credible!"

Although Xiao Gou did not understand Qin Zongquan, he did understand Ya Jiang.

It was common for military commanders to be arrogant and drive out regional governors. Although driving out a prime minister was somewhat shocking, it was not without precedent.

Qin Zongquan has been driving Liu Zhan away for nearly a month. If he really wanted to punish the traitor, he would have moved east long ago. Why did he wait until now?

"Your Majesty, I do not think so."

Lu Yan openly contradicted Xiao Gou, which caught Li Cui's attention.

He stepped forward with an air of righteous indignation, bowed, and at the same time produced a memorial to the throne, saying:

"Liu Xiang previously commanded 20,000 troops, and his being besieged in Nanyang was already suspicious."

"Now, after heading south to Jiangling, we will tell the court that Jiangling is prosperous and can supply grain after the summer harvest."

"However, when the court urged us at the beginning of the month, yesterday Prime Minister Liu submitted a memorial, saying that the leaves of trees in Jiangling had suddenly turned into the shape of swords and knives. When people broke them, they found solid ice inside, and seven or eight out of ten crops were damaged..."

"Leaving aside the fact that there was ice and snow in April, the crops were damaged by seven or eight out of ten times and could not be transported; isn't this Liu Xiang deliberately making things difficult for the court?"

Lu Yan produced Liu Zhan's memorial, which even Xiao Gou was unaware of, so he was quite passive after hearing it.

If Xiao Gou was already in such a passive position, then the situation for Li Cui, Qi Yuanjian, and Yang Xuanjie was even worse.

"Jiangling is usually hot, and the idea that it would be covered in ice and snow in April is utter nonsense!"

It is true that Qi Yuanjian was born in Guanzhong, but he was familiar with the tributes from various places and naturally knew the climate of Jiangling Prefecture.

April isn't even considered cold in the north, let alone in the sweltering heat of Jiangling.

Liu Zhan's remarks were tantamount to making a fool of the imperial court, which naturally angered Qi Yuanjian.

After his anger subsided, he bowed to Li Cui and said, "Your Majesty, Liu Zhan has probably already failed to live up to Your Majesty's favor. I believe that he should be escorted to the capital now!"

"Your Majesty, I second that proposal!" Yang Xuanjie echoed Qi Yuanjian's suggestion.

"Your Majesty, I second the proposal."

Lu Yan naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass, and although Xiao Gou was unwilling to impeach, he had no evidence to exonerate Liu Zhan, so he could only keep quiet.

Seeing the silence of the group, Li Cui took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to cough, and said coldly, "Issue an order to Xiao Ye to send troops to arrest Liu Zhan and escort him to Heyin!"

"Your Majesty is wise..." the crowd chanted in unison, and Li Cui seized the opportunity to speak as well:
"Heavy rains have fallen in the north, and crops are reviving. Heaven has truly spared the dynasty."

"The summer harvest is of utmost importance and must not be neglected."

"Once the summer harvest and grain are deposited into the granary, the imperial army can march out of the pass and wipe out the Yellow rebels. Thank you all for your hard work..."

"Your subjects obey the decree." Lu Yan and the others responded in unison, genuinely hoping that Heaven would not forsake the Tang Dynasty.

If this severe drought continues, even for just half a month, famine will strike the north.

Just then, a heavy rain came and lasted for more than half a month, saving many rice seedlings and turning the famine into a food shortage.

Even in times of famine, there is still food to eat. Even without crops, there are grass roots and tree bark to eat. Therefore, after the heavy rain, the number of refugees around Heyin County has decreased significantly.

In the eyes of Li Cui and others, this was indeed a sign of Heaven's favor upon the Tang Dynasty, giving it hope of quelling Huang Chao's rebellion.

"Once Liu Zhan is escorted to Heyin, I will personally interrogate him... Ahem! You may all leave!"

Li Cui spoke excitedly, and couldn't help but cough.

Seemingly not wanting them to see his embarrassing state, he coughed, signaling for the court to adjourn.

"We take our leave..."

Lu Yan and the others took their leave, but Li Cui's coughing could not be suppressed at all. Even after they left the yamen, they could still hear the coughing, as if he was coughing up his lungs.

"His Majesty's health..."

Hearing the coughing sounds around him, Lu Yan couldn't help but tentatively ask Qi Yuanjian and Yang Xuanjie, and even Xiao Gou listened attentively.

After all, the Northern Division knows the emperor's health better, and now is a critical moment for the Tang Dynasty. If something really happens to the emperor, the Tang Dynasty will truly be in trouble.

"The imperial physician said that all I need to do is rest and recuperate."

Qi Yuanjian brushed it off lightly, and Lu Yan and Xiao Gou breathed a sigh of relief. They then bowed and parted ways with the two men.

After they left, Yang Xuanjie stepped forward, frowning, and asked, "Has His Majesty's health really improved?"

Li Cui's health condition was classified information even within the Northern Division.

Although Yang Xuanjie and Qi Yuanjian were of equal status, Qi Yuanjian was still the head of the Four Nobles, so even if Qi Yuanjian didn't say anything, Yang Xuanjie wouldn't know about the emperor's health condition.

Faced with his words, Qi Yuanjian stood still, expressionless, until he was sure that Lu Yan and the others were completely far away, before he spoke softly:

"You princes are all grown up now. If something really happens, with the Shence Army at our disposal, what else do we need to worry about?"

“That’s true.” Yang Xuanjie nodded, but after he nodded, Qi Yuanjian’s brows relaxed slightly:

"However, just in case, there are still some people we need to win over."

"I'll leave Gao Qianli's situation to you..."

"Alright!" Yang Xuanjie agreed without hesitation, then parted ways with Qi Yuanjian and returned to their respective residences.

Soon after, countless fast horses emerged from Heyin and galloped south...

(End of this chapter)