Empress Mi Benji

Chapter 160 Meeting King Zhao

"Great merit?" Lan Qiu asked doubtfully, feeling vaguely bad and feeling a little hopeful.

"That's right. Since you are already in the Zi family and have learned the art of change, you can marry on behalf of the Ai family."

Mrs. Jiang's words did not surprise Lan Qiu. When she talked about great merits, Lan Qiu had guessed that Mrs. Jiang said she would not marry after all.

"The other party is the one destined for His Majesty the King of Wheels, and he will see through it." Lan Qiu said subconsciously, and then blushed, because she didn't even think of rejecting her, so she just imagined the scene of getting married.

"It doesn't matter if you find out. I want you to be an informant to monitor them, to prevent Zhuang Xun's Xia State from having any thoughts, and from the Zhao State you represent, they dare to say anything."

Mrs. Jiang smiled like a hibiscus in full bloom, fulfilling her promise to Zhuang Xun, and at the same time placed an eyeliner beside him.

"This matter is also of great benefit to you. King Xiayou is a kind lord, a benevolent king, and his wife is talented. He foresees that he will accumulate a lot of merit. You will get a lot of merit by marrying him. Secondly, as an informant on the bright side, you also Helping Zhao Guo stabilize Jizhou and Zhao Guo unifying nine states are also immeasurable merits."

There was no coercion, but a naked inducement. Mrs. Jiang mentioned the benefits and added a few words: "Don't worry, it's okay. My treasure will help you cover it up. He won't be able to see through it for a while."

"It seems that you don't hate King Xia You today. If you do, you can expose it on the wedding day and just keep an eye on them as an eyeliner. Do you hate King Xia You?"

In order not to offend Lan Qiu, Mrs. Jiang further said that she should try to reduce her resistance as much as possible. The main purpose of pretending is to appease Zhuang Xun without breaking her face.

Xia Guo, you say he is very important, but not that important. You say he is not important, but he is also quite important. It is just right to marry Lan Qiu and serve as a monitor, which will earn Lan Qiu a lot of merit.

"I don't hate him. A few people with King Xia You's personality can hate him, but I'm just not worthy of it." Lan Qiu shook her head.

She didn't want to deceive Zhuang Xun, and she didn't know the reason. Is it just because Zhuang Xun was a good person?Different from the aristocratic families of Zhao State.

"Why don't you deserve it? You will inherit my current status. Empress Dowager Jiang's cousin, Jiang Xianshu, will be given the title of princess and married to Xia as a marriage alliance."

"Besides, you are a practitioner, and Zhuang Xun is just a mortal. Even if he is the king of a country, he is the one who commands you."

"You have entered the Purple Mansion at a young age, and the gathering of three flowers is just around the corner. It is when you need luck and merit, and the opportunity is right in front of you."

Mrs. Jiang further spoke in a rather oppressive manner, explaining all aspects to Lan Qiu. Lan Qiu remained silent and twirled her fingers, as if he was hesitating.

"The empress can find a reason to deny his request. For example, the elders are not satisfied with it and need to be investigated. The servant can also be sent over to act as an eyeliner."

Lan Qiu felt very sorry for deceiving Zhuang Xun like this, even though Zhuang Xun also deceived her, saying that he was kidnapped and only came out after being rescued by Xuannv.

Maybe he didn't want to treat Zhuang Xun as an enemy. Zhuang Xun's personal ideals and harmless temperament made it difficult to treat him as an enemy.

"This is a gift to you, and it is also a way to appease King Xia You and keep him in the Zhao Kingdom. It only takes three months at most to sign the alliance, but it will take half a year to prepare for the marriage, and it will take several years to plan for the princes of the Yu Kingdom to join forces. Months, it will take half a year to win the battle against King Yu, which will just keep King Xiayou in Zhao."

This reason also seems more tender. Although Zhuang Xun and his men knew that it was hostage coercion, they seemed to be okay on the surface. Just like Mrs. Jiang, she did not reveal Zhuang Xun's original purpose, but cooperated with him and approved it. He came to Zhao State for help from Xuannv.

In this way, I gave an explanation to Xuannv who was in seclusion, and I also took advantage of this time to deal with Xuannv. Like a feudal patriarch, Xuannv wanted to push Mrs. Jiang into Zhuang Xun's arms, so this was also Mrs. Jiang's resistance.

Being tense is not suitable for politics. Even if you want to stab someone, you still need to touch the person's back with a smile, so that no one will ever know who stabbed someone.

Letting Lan Qiu get married was not something that was taken for granted. Such a decision was made after achieving several benefits. It was good for Lan Qiu, Zhao Guo, and even Zhuang Xun (from Mrs. Jiang's perspective), forming a strong Insurance, everyone profits.

Of course, it would be best for her to marry her. Even if she reveals her identity and marries her, it will give Zhuang Xun a great sense of security. She will definitely be able to fulfill her promise, and she will also be able to be more aware of the subtleties and prevent any small moves from Zhuang Xun's Xia Kingdom in time to stabilize the situation in Jizhou. , and also guarantee the quality and quantity of the fulfillment of Xuannv's promise.

But going back to the sentence above, Zhuang Xun is not as important as imagined in Xia State, nor is it that unimportant. Now that Zhuang Xun has come to Zhao State to become a fish on the chopping board, he can be slaughtered by others.

At the same time, we don't want to force Zhuang Xun to jump over the wall. If the other party succumbs to a force that he does not fully control, then he should give priority to comfort and supplement with intimidation.

But Mrs. Jiang kept her status, age, etc., and did not want to marry Zhuang Xun, a fish. Although this fish looked pleasing to the eye and swam gracefully, a fish was just a fish and not a human being. It was not that she looked down upon her, but that she just felt unsuitable.

It's just that she doesn't know what her decision will cause her to lose in the future. Choice may be more important than calculation and hard work, which I'm afraid Xuannv didn't calculate.

"Lan Qiu understands, thank you madam for the gift." Lan Qiu took a deep breath and agreed.

Having said this, she had no reason to refuse. She just agreed, but she still felt a little uneasy.

Thinking about marrying Zhuang Xun, her heart beats faster, thinking about getting eyeliner nails but feeling helpless, she seems to be in a dilemma.

Mrs. Jiang didn't think much about her expression. She said several good words in a row, thinking that everything was under control.

"You have been with the Ai family for many years, and you understand the character and temperament of the Ai family best. I believe you can play the role well, but there are some things I have to explain to you. What you have to do is to try your best to prevent the Xia Kingdom from expanding beyond Youdi..."

Seeing that Lan Qiu agreed, Mrs. Jiang immediately began to tell her the things to pay attention to, from the purpose of preventing Xia Guo's expansion to the things to pay attention to when imitating her.

When the carriage entered the palace, Mrs. Jiang took Lan Qiu to go directly to King Zhao, who had dealt with Zhuang Xun's matter and was about to deal with his son's matter.

"Mother, are you back? Thank you for your hard work!" King Zhao was drinking tea in the garden. When he saw Queen Mother Jiang, he quickly stood up and saluted.

Empress Dowager Jiang raised her hands and retreated to the left and right. Lan Qiu and the attendants retreated away. However, because Lan Qiu was a practitioner, even if she retreated far away, Empress Dowager Jiang could still hear her scolding King Zhao.

"A hundred miles of purple and gold gauze silk, how many people can you reward with this, and you use it as a walking barrier?" Mrs. Jiang said with anger, in a tone of scolding the prodigal, and sat down on the stool.

"Queen mother, calm down, queen mother." King Zhao stood aside with a smile. The supreme figure of a country was still like a child in front of Queen Mother Jiang, not daring to be disrespectful.

"My son, I have three reasons for doing this. First, the purple and gold silk is exclusively for the royal family. It has been stored since my father's time and has been piled up in the palace. It cannot be rewarded casually. Your mother, you have said that gold and waste cannot be used. There is no difference between iron and steel, it is just used once and for all, and it does not mean that it cannot be recycled after use."

King Zhao slowly explained that although Queen Mother Jiang was still frowning, she was no longer so angry.

"It's my fault. The amount of tribute should be reduced, but giving Baili is still too much." Empress Dowager Jiang admitted her mistake at first, but she still could not fully accept it.

"Second, it is to demonstrate Zhao's national power to Xia You Wang Zhuang Xun. We cannot temporarily mobilize the army from the Western Territory, and it is impossible to invite Zhuang Xun to the Western Territory to meet our warriors. The hundred-mile purple and gold gauze silk can be regarded as a deterrent method. , and it’s also the least costly.”

The same statement, coupled with labels such as cheap and saving money, makes the feeling less annoying. When Empress Dowager Jiang compared it like this, she felt much better indeed. It was not a grand achievement or a deliberate spending of money.

"What's the last reason?" Queen Mother Jiang said with a smile as most of her anger was gone and the person became pleasant.

"To suppress the aristocratic family, Hao Taipu and Song Feng often fight against the rich. Hao Taipu uses a forty-mile step barrier, Song Feng often uses a fifty-mile step barrier, and the son-in-law uses a hundred-mile step barrier to stop their fight and let them know that no matter how hard they fight, they can't beat the royal family. "

King Zhao finished speaking carefully and carefully observed Queen Mother Jiang's expression. Seeing that she was thinking, he did not continue.

"Suppressing the aristocratic family? It's fair to say. If you just suppress the aristocratic family, you have other methods, but for the first two reasons, it is true that you have grown up."

Queen Mother Jiang showed a relaxed expression, feeling somewhat relieved that King Zhao had clear thinking and was not influenced by others. He knew what he wanted and what he wanted to achieve.

"My son, I also thought about it for a long time and felt that it would cost the least, so I made the decision. It would be great if my mother can approve it."

King Zhao breathed a sigh of relief and passed the test with Queen Mother Jiang, just like avoiding the teacher's random homework check.

"Did the Ai family approve it? The last reason, have you ever thought about it? The shock has shocked the family, but what if it stimulates their desire to compare? You are the King of Zhao, and you will play a guiding role in the entire country."

Queen Mother Jiang's expression changed, and she began to scold her son unceremoniously. King Zhao was obedient. This supreme figure in front of thousands of people was just a child in front of his mother.

"Mother, her sons and ministers will use frugality as an example, strive to build a country on their own, lead by example, and eliminate this influence."

King Zhao admitted his mistake and made a guarantee. This was the method he thought of to eliminate this possible influence.

"Then let's rely on this time to exert influence, reward the recycled yarn and silk, and issue an edict advocating rewards and frugality. This is to lead by example."

Empress Dowager Jiang followed King Zhao's words and gave her own opinion. It is meaningless to accumulate wealth in warehouses. It is meaningful to spend it and reward it to achieve a certain purpose.

"But this is for the royal family!" King Zhao was stunned, shocked by Queen Mother Jiang's thoughts.

"Didn't you, Queen Mother, say that hierarchy is the order of the Zhao Kingdom? If it is easily changed, the generals of the Zhao Kingdom will not be able to rule the country?"

Empress Dowager Jiang taught him these things. Clothes are a symbol of status and a part of order. Any arrogance of aristocratic families needs to be strictly restricted. "rigid."

Mrs. Jiang frowned and snorted. She knocked on the table with her beautiful hands and glanced at her son. She had learned a lot, but he was not very thorough yet.

"Empress Mother taught me." Fortunately, King Zhao did not become complacent and arrogant even though he was in charge. When Empress Dowager Jiang was angry, he immediately became a good student who listened to her teachings.

"I have said many times where the majesty of the monarch comes from. It is punishment and reward. The source of punishment is the army, and the source of reward is the country's finances and taxes."

Queen Mother Jiang said what she had taught King Zhao again. As before, King Zhao nodded. He had heard these words countless times.

"During the time when the Ai family served as governor, I won the financial power for you. Each family paid taxes according to the nine-level Zhongzheng system, tying the taxes to the family's status. At the same time, it also formed an army for you that can wipe out the world. In name, it is Being restrained by the aristocratic family, in fact, you can call it if you want, you know it, and the aristocratic family also knows it."

Mrs. Jiang talked about the things she had prepared for King Zhao over the years. King Zhao was grateful and said, "Thank you, Queen Mother."

This is why he is as obedient as a child, because with such a mother who allows him to take charge of political resources, he really can't find anything to fault. Even if he scolds him, he must take care of his dignity and stand aside. .

"You know these things, and the aristocratic family also knows it. This is where their fear of the royal power comes from.

You have an army and you have money, so you can arrange their clothing and promulgate an effective clothing hierarchy, because you are the strongest and you are the emperor. "

"But this set is not used to restrain you, it is used by you to restrain them!
You know that these silk fabrics are sitting in the warehouse and gathering dust, but you can think of putting them to good use.

Continuously using the army to beat the noble family will cause rebellion, so it is not bad to beat the noble family in this way. "

"Have you thought about how to achieve the maximum benefit? Since you want to shock them, send the silk to all of them and tell each of them that you have done this."

"Clothes are part of the hierarchy, and only a part. As long as you hold the finances and taxes and the army, your majesty will not be damaged.

Moreover, it can also be said that this has been used by you and has been reduced by one level, so giving it to them as a reward is not considered overstepping.

In this way, frugality is promoted and wealth is reduced to the next level. This not only demonstrates strength but also plays a role in benefiting the people. "

Empress Dowager Jiang explained that silk yarn was piled up in warehouses and could not be circulated, so it was better to let it maximize its effectiveness.

"I understand, but the aristocratic family is greedy and may not follow this approach." After hearing this, King Zhao understood. Mrs. Jiang wanted him to take the lead and form the habit of selling part of the benefits to the lower class, but he had no hope.

"The main thing is to put an end to this unhealthy trend. You can openly ridicule them in the court, compare your generosity with their stinginess, and make them feel embarrassed. Let's see who dares to compete with each other in the future. Even if we compete with each other, Finally, the lower level also gets benefits and can rule stably.”

Mrs. Jiang used damaging tactics to deal with the aristocratic family. She has been dealing with them for 30 to [-] years. She knows how to embarrass the aristocratic family best.

"My son, I understand, my mother has worked hard, she made you work hard, and now she makes you worry again." King Zhao said filially.

"Sit down. This is for the sake of the State of Zhao. It's not a big deal. It's mainly because of Empress Xuannv. The Guojunzhuang of Xiayou State found out the reality of our situation in the northwest of Youdi. It was extremely shaky. Thanks to the Empress using her magic power, she finally came over. Yes, I have to thank you."

Empress Dowager Jiang was not greedy for credit, and she changed her story to cover up Xuan Nu.

"It's a blessing that he came, otherwise the army would crush the Xia You Kingdom later. How could he be treated like a king? The ministers from the aristocratic families in the country are still shouting that being a king is too polite and generous."

King Zhao sat down and then stood up, taking two steps in front of Queen Mother Jiang, expressing the family's hostility towards this kind of thing.

None of you are qualified to be crowned king. How come you, a barbarian, can actually be crowned king by surrendering?

"What do they know? What are the opinions of the important ministers?" The conditions for the title of king were proposed by Mrs. Jiang. From her point of view, it is quite cost-effective. These idiots know how to use a hammer.

"No one has an opinion. Even when the court meeting was mentioned, other people objected. I feel like these important ministers also have opinions."

King Zhao is not a novice. He has been in charge for many years, and he still has a good grasp of the family. These important ministers are attached to various aristocratic families. Without the approval of these important ministers, how dare the small aristocratic families below dare to speak nonsense.

"That's okay. These people do realize the importance of Zhuang Xun and have no objection to the recruitment method after reunification. However, Zhao State does have regulations that no one without Ying's family can be king. It's because they feel that they get too little. , years of loyalty, and Zhuang Xun, an outsider, can be crowned king. This is a way of protest and should be ignored."

Mrs. Jiang disagreed. She had become accustomed to the greed of these aristocratic families. She thought about it and said again: "Find an opportunity to tell them that in the process of unifying the world, those who have made great contributions will be granted the title of marquis or king. As long as they are willing to contribute, these are not question."

"I have thought about it too, and I am about to tell the Queen Mother this time." King Zhao also nodded and agreed with Queen Mother Jiang that there are brave men who are rewarded with great rewards. After unifying the world, the prince is not a very valuable thing. The worst is. It's time to cut the title.

"As long as you are clear-headed, remember that the Aristocratic Family is just your tool, a tool that is difficult to control. Don't be controlled by them."

It always sounds the alarm to King Zhao. The emperor and the aristocratic family are opposite and unified. They can be used, but cannot be relied on. If you rely on them, you will be controlled by them.

"I understand, I will see the koi raised by Queen Mother tomorrow, and I am still looking forward to it." King Zhao knew that Queen Mother Jiang cared about him, and he did not dislike Queen Mother Jiang.

"What did you expect? You will be disappointed. He is a good man. He doesn't have the temperament of a monarch, but he looks like a noble prince."

Empress Dowager Jiang thought of the Zhuang Xun she saw today, who was dressed like a rich man. She was right. Zhuang Xun and Si Qinmi had learned the style of a rich man from a high family. In addition, he himself led It looks peaceful and natural.

"Then there must be something extraordinary about him. This is the first time you mentioned it, mother. He was still an envoy of a certain place, and now he is the king of a country. Mother, you have really good vision."

King Zhao could not help but sigh at Zhuang Xun's climbing speed. He was quite curious and had also learned that Zhuang Xun had climbed all the way from a commoner to the point where he was about to become a king. It was difficult for a noble family to imagine, let alone a commoner.

"If you have a good wife, I'll be relieved when you have such ability." Empress Dowager Jiang choked King Zhao in a neutral tone.

"Forget it, you probably won't be able to find a good wife. You two are fundamentally different. He dares to be a hands-off shopkeeper, but you don't. I'm not saying that you are not, but I'm complimenting you."

Comparing the two people, they are worlds apart, and so are the countries.

Zhuang Xun is more like a glue that sticks to everything in the country, while King Zhao is like a pair of puppet-controlling hands, holding everything in the country.

Zhuang Xun's country fell apart at the first touch, because his bonding effect was not strong. Although Zhao State governed the country through the threads of the aristocratic family, it firmly controlled the country. The pyramid was unbreakable without strong external intervention.

The same is true for the ministers. Zhuang Xun's ministers have few famous ministers, and the aristocratic families have been killed. Zhao's ministers are full of talents. The aristocratic families have shortcomings, but the cultivation of talents here is unmatched by others.

After comparing in her mind, Zhao Guo was victorious. Looking at her son's funny expression, Queen Mother Jiang said again: "He has another advantage. He is very popular with women. Most women will not have any bad feelings towards him."

"Very handsome? No wonder it attracted the daughter of General Cheng Guo." King Zhao was puzzled and couldn't understand, imagining Zhuang Xun's appearance.

"It's hard to say. It should be beyond your expectation. There is no danger. He looks calm and gentle. He is kind and respects women."

Queen Mother Jiang's praise aroused the curiosity of King Zhao. King Zhao looked at Zhuang Xun the next day and kept looking at him. Zhuang Xun felt strange.

"King Xia You came to Zhao from afar. He was tired of traveling and traveling, so he rode with me."

After some polite greetings from the edge of the city, King Zhao invited Zhuang Xun to get in the car. While he was still watching, Zhuang Xun finally frowned.

He came today in the mood of the Hongmen Banquet and tried his best to look ordinary. When he found that the other party looked at him like this, he felt both guilty and guilty.

"Don't be surprised, King Xiayou. I heard that King Xiayou is very handsome and attracts women's love and affection, so I look at him more." King Zhao said frankly, but he was muttering in his heart. It was ordinary and he didn't know how he deserved the praise from his mother.

"Your Majesty, you don't need to pay attention to the rumors. The little king has been subject to rumors and has been rumored all the time. He is used to it. I didn't expect it to bother Your Majesty."

This rumor is true. After all, few people have met Zhuang Xun. Zhuang Xun eats the soft rice of the Li family so deliciously. I can't figure it out and I can only make up the idea that Zhuang Xun looks better than Pan An and Song Yu.

"It's okay. Seeing is better than hearing a hundred times. I have heard the name of King Xia You a long time ago. He was born in a rough place but he was able to establish a clan and a temple. He is truly a hero. I am lucky to see him today."

The polite compliment was that the vehicle had no partitions around it, and it was intended to let Zhuang Xun see the prosperity of Jinyang, the capital of Zhao.

I believe that the hundreds of miles of purple clouds have already shocked Zhuang Xun, and now I want to use the endless city to shock Zhuang Xun a second time.

"I can't call you a hero. It was created by the current situation, and it was also thanks to the help of the State of Zhao. Mrs. Jiang helped the young king in the grass, and provided property in Jiannan. Later, under the guidance of the State of Zhao, he besieged the Kingdom of You and beheaded the King of You. Today I come to express my gratitude to Your Majesty. .”

loyalty.

(End of this chapter)