If you're made a fake emperor, why did you change the country's name?

"Your Majesty! You mustn't!"

As soon as Zhao Yu finished speaking, Wu Xun's ranks erupted in chaos.

"Your Majesty, please reconsider! If this precedent is set, the nation will cease to exist!"

"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"

"Your Majesty, please rescind your order!"

The other military officers also knelt down, their emotions running high, their shouts even drowning out the earlier argument between the civil and military factions.

They were really in a hurry.

Ten thousand soldiers in one city doesn't sound like much, but how many cities does the Great Liang have?

If all of these were added together, the five major families could instantly raise an army of a million!

At that time, it's hard to say whether the world will belong to the Zhao family or to the five families.

"My dear ministers, what is going on? Rise!"

Zhao Yu raised his hand, his voice calm.

But the commotion inside the hall subsided immediately.

He glanced around at the kneeling generals, a knowing look on his face.

"I know why you oppose me."

Zhao Yu's tone became earnest and meaningful.

"You're worried that these civil officials, who are only good with books and not with weapons, might not be able to quell the bandits if you rashly ask them to recruit an army. Instead, they'll just create a mob, wasting money and supplies. If it leads to new military troubles, that would be a real problem, wouldn't it?"

Upon hearing this, the kneeling military officers were all stunned.

right?

It seems right, but something also seems off.

That's not what they were thinking at all!

They feared that these civil officials, by wielding military power, would become too powerful and threaten imperial authority, potentially leading to another period of national crisis.

"Your Majesty, I believe..." A general stepped forward, wanting to reveal the real reason.

"Alright, I understand what you're thinking."

Zhao Yu didn't give him a chance to speak at all and interrupted him directly.

He nodded, as if he fully understood the military officers' "good intentions," and then turned to face the civil officials' ranks.

His gaze slowly swept across the faces of Li Qiang and the others.

"My esteemed ministers, did you all hear that?"

"The generals' concerns are not without merit. Can you command these troops well? I am also very worried."

Li Qiang and the others' expressions changed slightly.

Is all that easy money I just got going to slip away?

Zhao Yu continued speaking.

"Moreover, you ministers already hold multiple positions, handling complex political affairs while also devoting your attention to training the army. Can you manage to keep up? If you neglect one for the other, won't both political and military affairs be delayed?"

Now, the faces of the civil officials in the hall turned completely ugly.

They never expected that Zhao Yu would come full circle back to the topic.

Just as their hearts sank, thinking that Zhao Yu was going to back out.

Zhao Yu then changed the subject.

How about this?

He suggested.

"I will dispatch a group of experienced generals from among the military officers to various regions to assist you in commanding and training troops. What do you think?"

"In this way, we can both ensure the army's combat effectiveness and relieve the worries of you, my dear ministers, achieving the best of both worlds."

Upon hearing this, the civil officials were so angry they nearly twisted their noses out of shape!

What are we trying to achieve by going through all this trouble? Isn't it all for military power?

If you send a military general over, what's the point of our game? Who will the soldiers ultimately listen to?

"Your Majesty! Absolutely not!"

Without a second thought, Li Qiang, the Minister of War, immediately stood up and bowed in opposition.

"This is merely a trivial matter of training troops; there's no need to trouble you generals! Our five clans are full of talented individuals, and many of them are currently unemployed, including some who are well-versed in military strategy. If Your Majesty is concerned, you may simply appoint some of our unemployed members to official positions; there will be no problem at all!"

"That's right!" Minister of Revenue Lu Wanliang immediately echoed, "Several members of my Lu family have served in the military in their early years, making them perfectly suited to lead troops!"

"I second that proposal!"

"I second that proposal!"

The other civil officials also spoke up one after another, vying to recommend their own relatives.

It seems that if we speak up any later, we'll miss out on this incredible benefit.

Seeing their impatient expressions, Zhao Yu pretended to ponder for a moment, then put on a reluctant look.

"Since that's the case... then let's do as you gentlemen say."

"But there is one condition."

He emphasized his words.

"For this recruitment, no one may be a serving official concurrently holding a command position! They must be unemployed members of your clan or those who have never held an official post."

The civil officials exchanged glances, their minds racing with calculations.

Those currently in office are all direct descendants; there are very few direct descendants who are not in office, and more or less they are at odds with the family.

If they are unemployed, it's highly likely they won't be employed.

However, it is not permissible for incumbent direct relatives to directly command troops.

It wouldn't be a bad idea to let those unemployed collateral relatives take the lead.

The five major families had strict clan rules, with clear distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate children, and between the superior and inferior.

When it comes time to use troops, isn't it just a matter of a single word from the loyalists?

Ultimately, military power remained firmly in his own hands.

Thinking of this, Li Qiang was secretly delighted, but he pretended to be embarrassed on the surface, and finally solemnly cupped his hands.

"Your Majesty's decree is excellent. It allows everyone to make the best use of their talents and also prevents officials from being distracted. We... obey the decree."

Behind him, a group of civil officials nodded in agreement, their faces beaming with undisguised smiles.

But their smiles didn't last long before Zhao Yu frowned, revealing a worried expression.

"However, I have another concern."

"Your families are ultimately connected by blood. If we now appoint unemployed people to command troops, they will benefit. But what if the officials in office become fickle and go off to help train the troops? If that happens, their loyalty will slacken, causing problems in the various prefectures and counties, and harming the livelihoods of the people? What will we do then?"

Zhao Yu shook his head, feigning reluctance. "Garlic Bird, Garlic Bird, let Wu Xun send someone to train your troops."

Upon hearing this, the civil officials felt a sudden unease.

Why are you here again?

Li Qiang panicked. Seeing that the cooked duck was about to fly away, he immediately stepped forward and patted his chest to guarantee it.

"Your Majesty is overthinking it! We have received the Emperor's favor for generations, and we will certainly distinguish between public and private matters, and devote ourselves wholeheartedly to the cause! We will never let personal matters interfere with public duties! If we were to violate this, I would be willing to stake my head on it!"

"We, your humble servants, are also willing to vouch for this!"

Other civil officials also expressed their opinions, each speaking with great conviction.

Zhao Yu shook his head and sighed.

"A verbal guarantee alone is probably not enough."

"If something goes wrong and affects the autumn tax revenue, shaking the foundations of the nation, I, the emperor, will become a sinner for all time. Who can bear that responsibility?"

Seeing that Zhao Yu was still hesitating, Li Qiang was extremely anxious.

He knew that if he couldn't finalize the recruitment rights today, he might never have such a good opportunity again.

He gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and shouted loudly.

"If Your Majesty is still worried, why not issue a decree?"

"If any prefecture or county is affected by the recruitment of soldiers, resulting in tax revenue shortfalls and damage to the livelihoods of the people, it shall be punished as disobeying imperial orders! We will have no complaints!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured into boiling oil, and the entire hall fell silent for a moment.

Disobeying an imperial edict is a capital offense punishable by the confiscation of property and the extermination of one's entire clan!

But at this moment, the civil officials, blinded by their military power, had no time to care about such things.

The Vice Minister of Revenue stood up excitedly.

"That's right! Your Majesty, please issue the decree! If we fail to comply, we are willing to accept punishment!"

Minister of Rites Zhang Wen also expressed his opinion.

"We, your humble servants, are willing to sign a military pledge; if there is any mishap, we will not shirk our responsibilities!"

"Please issue the decree, Your Majesty!"

"Please issue the decree, Your Majesty!"

For a moment, the crowd in the hall was in an uproar, with the civil officials speaking passionately, fearing that Zhao Yu might change his mind.

They were completely unaware that the Prime Minister Wang Zhang at the front of the line and the Prince of Zhennan Qian Zhentian, who had remained silent in the ranks of military officers, were looking at them with a strange expression.

"this……"

Zhao Yu pretended to be troubled, his face full of hesitation.

"Since you ministers are so sincere, if I do not agree, it would seem as if I do not trust you."

He paused, looked around, and finally let out a long sigh.

"Since that's the case, then I... will reluctantly agree to this."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

The civil officials immediately erupted in thunderous cheers, and Li Qiang was so excited that even his beard was trembling.

They won!

In this struggle against imperial power and military generals, they achieved an unprecedented victory!

Looking at their smug faces, Zhao Yu's lips curled into a subtle, unnoticed smile.

The trap has been set; now it's time to remove the enemy's fuel supply!