Madam, please listen to my explanation.

Chapter 124 As expected of Chief Minister Xu!

The moon was bright and the stars were few; the night sky was clear and bright.

A flock of ravens crossed the void and landed in the Floating Cloud Cottage.

The little girl in my arms was already fast asleep.

To avoid causing a disturbance in the palace, Xu Jinhuan did not choose to send him back to Tian Shu Pavilion immediately.

Under the tree by the pond, the chubby orange cat, which had been tied up there for two whole days, saw who had come and howled pitifully at the sky:

"Meow-!"

The chubby orange cat kicked its four legs, trying to get closer.

Unfortunately, he couldn't break free from the rope wrapped around the back of his neck, and could only stand there in a helpless rage.

"Uh, are you hungry?"

As soon as Xu Jinhuan had a thought, a large, fat fish in the pond leaped out of the water and landed in front of Fatty Orange.

"Meow."

Fat Orange looked mournful and even took a few steps back, showing great resistance.

But eventually, its nostrils twitched, and it uncontrollably snatched the food in one bite, devouring it with gusto.

"That was truly an oversight. If we had returned any later, we might have accidentally let this 'Saintess of the Southern Frontier' starve to death."

He shook his head and turned to go into Yun Ci's boudoir.

The previous mess had been carefully cleaned up, and brand new bedding had been replaced.

Xu Jinhuan bent down and blew out the candle, then gently placed Gu Niaoniao on the couch.

Suddenly, I noticed something glistening on the other person's chubby face.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be some sugar residue stuck to my face.

"Kids are such a hassle. I wonder if a seventh-rank expert will get cavities."

Xu Jinhuan muttered to himself, reached out, and grabbed him.

The girl frowned, sniffed with her small nose, and seemed dissatisfied.

Just as she was about to leave, two small arms wrapped around his arm.
Looking at that sleeping face, Xu Jinhuan gave a bitter smile.

Not far behind, the chair that Yun Ci had fought with moved closer to him on its own.

Xu Jinhuan let the other person put their arm around his arm and sat down.

Those thin, curved eyebrows finally relaxed.
-
After the court session ended, the officials dispersed.

Although His Majesty did not say it explicitly, everyone knew that the days to come would likely be turbulent.
Yu Huai, from the Ministry of Rites, led a group of people to escort the foreign envoys out of the palace.

"Foreign Envoy Han, please come with me to the post station. Someone, go and get two more thick quilts for the Foreign Envoy."

Having said that, he tightened his official robes, saying, "What a fine autumn day!"

Xu Xinnian, Chang Wei, Zhang Longxing, and others were kept behind inside the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

Zhao Ruoxi got up and went down the jade steps.

"Lord Chang."

"Chen is here!"

"How does the military strength of my Great Yan compare to that of the Zhou Kingdom?"

Upon hearing this, several people sighed inwardly.

Your Majesty, you are determined to fight the Great Zhou at all costs!
Chang Wei dared not be negligent and bowed, saying:

"Your Majesty, in terms of military strength, armor, and siege equipment, the Zhou Kingdom is far inferior to my Great Yan. The only thing we need to be wary of is the Zhou cavalry, who are swift as the wind, exceptionally brave, and especially skilled at breaking through enemy lines and beheadings."

Moreover, the surrounding area is mostly plains, making it extremely difficult to kill cavalry even if they are outnumbered.

Zhang Longxing was horrified.

How did things suddenly escalate from a disagreement to a nationwide manhunt?
He thought that at most it would just be a contest between the two countries on their border, as in the past.

After all, if the Great Zhou Kingdom were so easy to conquer, it would have been destroyed by the Yan Kingdom long ago, over the centuries.
"I see. So, how should An Qing deal with Chu Yunlu?"

Surprisingly, His Majesty did not reprimand the other party for being greedy for credit and reckless.

Zhang Longxing then realized that his friend had precisely understood the Emperor's thoughts, which was why he had said those words.
Thinking about this, he couldn't help but admire the other person; they were indeed a master at reading people's expressions.

Chang Wei pondered for a moment, then said again:

"General An has been famous for many years without a single defeat, so his strength is beyond question. Chu, on the other hand, has only recently begun to show his talent, but judging from his style of doing things, he is also a ruthless character not to be underestimated."
I dare not presume to judge the relative strengths of their troop deployments, but in terms of battlefield experience, General An is undoubtedly superior!

"His Majesty."

Xu Xinnian spoke at the opportune moment.

If he doesn't speak up soon, the next step might be for the two of them to discuss how to attack Qin Que City.
"This old minister believes that since Your Majesty has just ascended the throne, some remote prefectures and counties throughout the country may not have even received the news yet."
Moreover, in warfare, provisions are paramount, and the regions have just suffered from disasters, leaving many starving. Furthermore, Ning, during his reign, frequently engaged in large-scale construction projects, depleting the national treasury. To rashly initiate war at this time would likely trigger internal strife.

Zhao Ruoxi seemed to have anticipated that the other party would try to stop her, and shook her head, saying:

"I am not acting on impulse to initiate war."

Lord Xu, can't you see that Zhou is already itching for a fight after hearing about my national teacher's death, and may attack at any moment?

Regarding the matter of provisions, we still need the help of all the ministers to come up with a solution. As for the empty treasury, there is no need to worry too much.

The late Emperor has passed away, and there is no need to keep so many idle people in the harem. They shall all be dismissed! From this day forward, the palace shall follow my example and reduce its expenditures!
In addition, the golden statue that Ning, the traitor, cast by collecting all the gold in the world, is enough to fill the national treasury to prepare for war!

"My mind is made up. If the Great Zhou remains peaceful, I will allow them some more time to recover. If they do not, I will spare no expense to conquer several of their cities!"

Dismiss the imperial harem and reduce expenditures.
Everyone could see that His Majesty was truly enraged.

Moreover, His Majesty's birth mother has long since passed away, and there is indeed no one in the harem whom he cares about.
It's just tough on the officials in the capital. Even the emperor has started to tighten his belt, so which official would dare to spend money recklessly?
Once word gets out of today's events, countless officials will immediately offer up their gold, silver, and valuables to replenish the national treasury!

There's no need to be in such a hurry.

Xu Xinnian slowly said, "In this old minister's opinion, Your Majesty might as well agree to the bestowal of a marriage first."

Swish!
Everyone in the hall looked at the old man.

In other words, if it were someone else who said those words, they would probably be beheaded and displayed to the public right now!
Zhao Ruoxi's expression immediately turned cold. "What do you mean by that, Grand Secretary?"

Xu Xinnian seemed oblivious to all of this, and slowly said:
"Didn't the Great Zhou intend to offer warhorses, gold, and cloth? This old minister believes there's no reason to refuse these fine things; we should accept them."

In any case, all Zhou needs is for His Majesty to grant the marriage. As for whether the other party accepts it or not, Mr. Xu is proud and refuses to accept the order. What can His Majesty do?

"Even if we concede that Princess Junruo were to die young, before she could be married, would the Great Zhou Kingdom be so shameless as to demand that we return our dowry?"

Everyone in the hall was dumbfounded.

That old fellow... there's a reason why he's been able to hold power in the court for so many years!

Zhao Ruoxi smiled and said, "As expected of Chief Minister Xu."

Suddenly, her smile froze on her face again.

Thinking of that person's unscrupulous face, Zhao Ruoxi's eye twitched.

What if that lecherous man agrees?
"The dowry must be accepted; as for whether to grant the marriage, that requires further consideration."

As they were talking, a palace maid trotted up and whispered in Zhao Ruoxi's ear:
"Your Majesty, a servant near Fuyun Xiaozhu reported that they saw Mr. Xu entering and leaving in front of Yuanhualou."

(End of this chapter)