Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

When the New Party members saw that Huo, Dong and others had not expressed their opinions, they all remained silent and let Jia Cong and others make a fuss. After all, those who were going to be killed were nobles.

Prince Beijing looked at Prince Xining and Prince Dongping with a slight smile in their eyes. They just stood there like old monks in meditation, as if they didn't hear anything.

Dong Yi glanced at Duan Zhun and saw that he was frowning slightly. It was obvious that he had not expected that Jia Cong would suddenly attack today. It was not because he felt sorry for Prince Nannan, but because he was afraid that it would affect the overall situation of the peace talks in the Western Regions.

Seeing the prime minister's look, Dong Yi hurried out and said, "Your Majesty, although the Prince of Nan'an has committed a serious crime, we still have to wait until he returns to the court to investigate and punish him. At this moment, he is thousands of miles away, so it is useless to punish him.

The most urgent task is to stabilize the situation in the Western Regions first. The peace talks had been concluded the day before yesterday, and the envoys from the Rakshasa Kingdom and Abu Lai and others had signed the contract.

Killing the ministers who were married to the emperor at this time may cause the Western Regions to suspect that the Celestial Empire is changing, which will cause trouble. Why not discuss the crime of the Nan'an Palace later?"

Emperor Xifeng nodded slightly. Before he could speak, Jia Cong said loudly: "Prime Minister Dong is wrong. We have already given the territory that the Russians wanted. It has nothing to do with the life and death of the Di family.

Even though Di Yan is in the enemy camp now and is of little value, we can follow the example of Li Ling. We should first kill the remaining members of the Di family and confiscate their property, and then bring him back and kill them all together.

As for the marriage alliance, wouldn't it be enough to keep a girl from the Di family?
If Abulai and others are suspicious, let us ask ourselves, what does the Celestial Empire's killing of guilty ministers have to do with the barbarians?

Does the imperial court have to do things according to the Western Regions’ barbarians’ wishes? Cong was puzzled. "

Dong Yi was choked by him and couldn't speak. He took a deep breath and said coldly: "Young Master, be careful with your words. How can we play with the affairs of the court? Moreover, the so-called Nannan Wang's betrayal is all your one-sided words. How can you gain people's trust?

Jia Cong was determined today and no longer cared about the old friendship. He sneered and said, "Since Prime Minister Dong is convinced that Di Yan is loyal and that the Jinyiwei's intelligence is false, let's not discuss this matter for now. The truth will come out in the future!

Just talking about the first two points, may I ask Prime Minister Dong, what crime should the Di family be charged with?" After saying this, he took out a roll of yellow silk from his bosom and handed it to Dong Yi. It was the imperial edict ordering the Nan'an Palace to send someone to marry.

Dong Yi glanced at the imperial edict and remained silent. After the defeat, they did not know how to behave themselves and even dared to deceive the emperor. The Di family was really courting death.

Seeing Jia Cong's aggressive attitude, Huo Peng knew that he could not bear the humiliation from Concubine Nan'an, so he impeached the Di family.

Yin came out of the class to advise: "Young Master, the Nan'an Prince's defeat and the Nan'an Concubine's forgery of the imperial edict to deceive the emperor must be discussed, but there is no need to rush.

For now, we should put the overall situation first and personal grudges second, and wait until the Western Region is stable before punishing the criminal severely."

Jia Cong smiled coldly, closed his eyes slightly, and ignored them. At his current level, naturally someone would speak for him.

As expected, Niu Jizong spoke at the right time: "Prime Minister Huo is wrong. Punishing the Di family will not only not affect the overall situation in the Western Regions, but will also stabilize the Nine Borders.

Could it be that Prime Minister Huo forgot that the troops for the Western Expedition were all personal guards drawn from the nine frontier princes? Now Prince Nannan has destroyed an army of 200,000 in one breath without even saying a word, and the court is still reluctant to punish him. How would you feel if you were the successor prince?

I'm afraid I can't help but wonder, is this a plot by the imperial court to kill someone with a borrowed knife? Deliberately seeking defeat in the Western Regions to weaken the power of the vassal kings.

If we think about it more deeply, why did the imperial court do this? We may even misunderstand that the imperial court intends to reduce the power of the feudal lords. In this way, wouldn't it force the feudal lords to become alienated from the imperial court, or even unite to protect themselves and fight against the imperial court? "

"That's right." All the ministers nodded in agreement and whispered that this was a reasonable thing to do.

"This..." Huo Peng pondered for a moment, not being able to refute for the moment. He also didn't dare to say that Jiubian would be absolutely fine.

Liu Fang said, "Killing a guilty minister to bring peace to the world, I really don't know why it's wrong, please make a wise decision, Your Majesty."

"Your Majesty, please make a wise decision." Dozens of civil and military officials said in unison.

Li Meng and Wang Ning looked at each other. They were happy to see Jia Cong take over the Nan'an Palace. After all, it was Jia Cong who was going to offend people.

This was of no harm to them. With one less prince in the army, there would naturally be a power vacuum. They were afraid that Jia Cong would not be strong enough, so they all secretly signaled to their younger brothers.

Immediately, more than a dozen military officers came out and said, "We second the proposal. The Di family's crime is unforgivable and they should be punished more severely. Please make a decision, Your Majesty."

Seeing the powerful momentum of the "anti-Wang" movement, the New Party carefully weighed in their hearts whether they should express their stance and how to express it. For a while, the court was filled with voices calling for severe punishment and criminalization, and no one spoke for King Nannan.

Emperor Xifeng sat at the imperial desk, taking in the whole situation in the court. His expression was as calm as a well, and he asked, "What does the Prime Minister think?"

Duan Zhun hesitated for a moment, and seeing that Prince Beijing and the others did not plead for mercy, he knew that the three princes were determined to cut off their arms in order to survive.

After a brief consideration, he realized that this was a turbulent time and it was not appropriate to have a head-on conflict with Jia Cong, Jiang Feng and others over the affairs of the Di family. What Niu Jizon said made sense, and the situation in the nine borders had to be taken into consideration. It would not be worth much if a mere royal palace was lost.

He then said, "I think the Nan'an Palace has failed the emperor's expectations and has persisted in its evil deeds. This is the most unforgivable thing. I ask Your Majesty to punish them severely to serve as a warning to others."

"We second the motion." Upon seeing the big boss express his stance, the New Party officials hurried out to make a report.

In this way, everyone in the court reached a consensus except Prince Beijing and others who had not expressed their opinion.

Emperor Xifeng nodded and said, "Since this is the popular opinion, I order you to be stripped of your title as the Prince of Nan'an, all your past honors and privileges will be revoked, your entire family will be executed, and your female relatives, except for those who are to be married off to the emperor, will be demoted to the Jiaofang Division as slaves."

"Our emperor is wise." All the civil and military officials in the court said in unison.

A sinister smile appeared on Jia Cong's lips. No matter whether Concubine Nan'an was being used as a gun or she was just confused, I would kill you if you dare to touch my reverse scale.

In this world, if you want to gain a foothold in the court, everything is fake, only power is real. Having offended the New Party this time, you have to be careful in the future.

After the crimes of the Nannan Palace were decided, the Ministry of War also reported the rebellions of the chieftains in Qinghai, Hunan and Guangxi.

There was no objection in the court to the chieftain rebellion. They were familiar with such matters and knew how to fight them. They could not just negotiate peace in the Western Regions and then negotiate peace with the chieftains in the hinterland. The court could not afford to lose this person, and the current emperor could not afford to lose him even more.

Although Feng Yuan felt heartbroken, he had no choice but to reluctantly allocate 500 million taels of silver as expenses for suppressing the rebellion, including 200 million for Qinghai and 300 million for Hunan and Guangxi.

After the major policies were decided in the court, it was the turn of the Five Military Commanderies to select capable generals to send troops to quell the rebellion.

Li Meng was well prepared. He came out and said, "I recommend Xu Ming, the deputy general of Gansu Town, and Yue Zilin, the general of Sichuan, to lead 20,000 elite troops to enter Qinghai to suppress the rebellion. Both of them are well versed in military strategy, have experienced many battles, and are familiar with the geography of the place. This is just a minor problem and can be quelled within a few months."

Emperor Xifeng nodded and said, "Alright, order him to mobilize his troops and attack immediately."

"The minister obeys the order."

Wang Ning was a little jealous and wanted to recommend two of his own people, but he came from a poor family and had no connections among the soldiers. He was not even familiar with the troops in the capital, let alone those in other provinces. He could only watch Jia Cong come out to recommend them.

"I recommend General Su Qing of Guangzhou and Deputy General Cao Zhengxiong of Hubei to lead 30,000 troops each to Hunan and Guangxi to help suppress the rebellion. Both generals are experienced and prudent, and are familiar with the tactics of war. They should be able to quickly defeat those barbarians."

Emperor Xifeng did not say anything more and approved Jia Cong's request. In fact, there was no good choice. Nowadays, the generals in the army were either from the lineage of Wu Hou, the lineage of Guo Gong, or the lineage of Wang Ye.

Now that the prince's party has been defeated, no one dares to come forward to recommend anyone, so the only choice can be made from Li Meng and Jia Cong's people.

As for Wang Ning, his foundation was too shallow. Even if he was given the opportunity, he would not be able to find anyone to take over. After the officials in the capital had finished discussing their affairs, it was the turn of the officials from other provinces to come to the court according to their ranks.

The officials of the Honglu Temple sang: "Announce that Qiu Zhixin, the governor-general of Shaanxi and Gansu, is here to see the emperor."

Qiu Zhixin came into the palace and bowed his head. Emperor Xifeng looked at him and asked, "Why didn't you summon Qiu back to the capital? What's the matter?"

All the officials in the palace who were not on good terms with him were laughing secretly. The subtext of the emperor's words was obviously: if there is no reasonable explanation, then prepare to be punished.

Qiu Zhixin's expression remained unchanged as he said loudly, "This is indeed an important matter concerning the rise and fall of the country. I dare not delegate the matter to others, so I hurried back to the capital to report to His Majesty."

Before he finished speaking, a buzzing sounded in the hall. Everyone laughed at the man who was trying to attract attention and was crazy about wanting to gain merit. What big deal could there be in Shaanxi and Gansu?
Dai Quan stood at the foot of the imperial steps, looking at Qiu Zhixin with a sneer on his face. Because he had not received any filial piety from Qiu Zhixin, and considering the previous conflicts, he was already thinking about how to punish him.

"What's the important matter?" Emperor Xifeng's eyes flashed with brilliance, as if he was thinking about the major events that might happen in Shaanxi and Gansu.

“I believe that the things that need to be planned and decided in current affairs are coastal defense in the east and frontier defense in the west. Both should be given equal importance and should not be neglected.

Just like a person has two feet, if one is missing, he cannot walk. Therefore, although coastal defense and the nine frontiers are important, the Western Regions must not be abandoned!" Qiu Zhixin said firmly.

The ministers were in an uproar. This old man was so bold that he dared to jump out and oppose the established policy after the peace talks were already completed. He was looking for death.

Minister of War Meng Huacai said: "What Lord Qiu said is wrong. The southeast is the heart, and the western regions are the limbs. The southeast is the root, and the western regions are the branches and leaves. There is a huge difference in importance. How can they be compared?

Moreover, the imperial court has not given up the Western Regions. The current postponement is actually a long-term plan. Moreover, the loss of the barren land of the Western Regions will not damage the vitality of the Celestial Empire. If the fertile land in the southeast is damaged, the whole world will be shaken.

Since our national strength cannot take care of both, we should give up the fish and take the bear's paw when comparing the two. "

Minister of Works Dou Xiu sneered, "Master Qiu hurried back to Beijing just for this matter?

The court had already decided on the issue of the Western Regions. Peace talks would bring only benefits and no harm. Trying to do it at this time would be tantamount to taking a risk and trying to fish in troubled waters.

The border defense policy should be implemented according to one's ability to alleviate the current urgent needs and benefit the country's long-term plan, rather than being impulsive and empty talk to gain fame and integrity. "

Lin Ruhai also came out and said: "I think that although what Governor Qiu said is a loyal minister serving the country, his concerns have already been thought of by the important officials of the court at that time.

Now that the peace talks have been finalized, the imperial court will not be fickle and give others leverage. I think there is no need to discuss this matter further."

Although he spoke more politely, his attitude was as firm as the previous two. There was no room for negotiation regarding matters concerning the Western Regions.

The three core members of the New Party came out to express their opinions, and all the ministers said, "We second the motion. The matter of the Western Regions has already been decided and cannot be easily changed."

Jia Cong glanced at Lin Ruhai, and there was no point in talking about the relationship between father-in-law and son-in-law in the court, so he stepped out and said, "Since Governor Qiu has gone through so much trouble to come back from thousands of miles away just to report this matter, regardless of whether it is reasonable or not, I think we should not block his way of speaking.

Moreover, Governor Qiu has been at the border for a long time, so he may have some opinions that the whole court has not thought of. Please allow him to make it known to Your Majesty."

"I second the proposal."

Seeing Jia Cong's statement, Feng Yuan, Yan Ning, Wu Zizhen, Dai Zhixing and other neutral or academic party leaders came out of the class together.

The New Party members frowned slightly, looked at Jia Cong, then looked at the several ministers in front of them, and slowly retreated.

Lin Ruhai was also surprised. Just now, Jia Cong's overthrow of the Nan'an Palace was just an internal conflict among the nobles, but now that he saw him interfering in the established affairs of the Western Regions, he couldn't help but feel depressed.

This is because postponing the matter of the Western Regions is the consensus of the New Party, and it is also the major policy set by the Yuan Fu to focus on the southeast first and the northwest second, to stabilize the country first and then resist foreign aggression, and to consolidate the foundation first and then expand the territory. How can anyone be allowed to challenge it?

Lin Ruhai was thinking when he suddenly saw Jiang Feng come out and say, "I think that Governor Qiu has returned to Beijing despite the crime of deserting his post. He must have some profound ideas. Please allow him to present them to the emperor."

Guan Pu also said: "The ancients said that listening to both sides will lead to enlightenment, while only listening to one side will lead to ignorance. Governor Qiu's words may be helpful to the government. Please allow the emperor to report it."

"I second the motion." Upon hearing the two chancellors speak, dozens of officials hurried out of their posts and made their reports.

The New Party members frowned even deeper, and they all saw in each other's eyes the deep fear of Jia Cong. This boy must not be allowed to stay for long.

Emperor Xifeng fixed his eyes and looked at Jia Cong deeply. He had not realized that the young man who had fought against a tiger in the past could now make the world turn the tide in the court. He said calmly, "Approved."

Qiu Zhixin hurriedly said, "I obey your order. I have heard a little about what my colleagues said just now while on the road, and I have thought about it again and again. In the end, I think the Western Regions must not be abandoned!
In the past, Taizu pacified the Western Regions and expanded the territory by 20,000 miles. To the west of the northern route, Yili was the military headquarters, and to the west of the southern route, Kashgar was the military headquarters.

At that time, many ministers in the court were suspicious of the increasing consumption of troops in the process of expanding the border. However, the emperor was broad-minded and was not moved. After all, establishing a country and setting borders and formulating strategies all have their own merits.

When Emperor Taizong took charge of the western border, he won the hearts of all the tribes. Under the might of heaven, the evildoers surrendered, and the Hui people were thus taken over.

After the fertile territory is obtained, we can set up garrisons there and use the tax revenue to support the troops stationed there. Then the troops in the Western Regions will be self-sufficient.

If we now draw a line in the sand and defend ourselves, withdraw our borders and no longer plan to attack the Western Regions, there will be no more strategic points to defend west of Hami. If we retreat an inch, the enemy will advance a mile. Not only Longyou will be in danger, but even places like Qinghai may not be safe either.

Therefore, stopping the war and saving money may not be beneficial in other places, but it will greatly hinder the frontier. The benefits and disadvantages are significant, so we should think carefully about it. "

Huo Peng said calmly: "Although what Governor Qiu said makes some sense, the national treasury is insufficient and we are unable to coordinate and take care of the Western Regions. We must always prioritize.

Governing a big country is like cooking a small fish. You can’t always expect to eat a big fat fish in one bite. You can’t always expect to have this and that. Is there anything perfect in the world?

Everything has to be done one by one, and we must not act on impulse and mess up the overall situation."

Qiu Zhixin said: "Your Majesty, I have heard that the reasons for negotiating peace in the court are: one, there is no money, two, there are no soldiers, and three, there is no profit.

Please forgive me for speaking frankly, but these are all the views of those who are high up in the government and sit on the golden tower, which are blinded by a single leaf and are based on empty imagination. They are misleading the country and the people, and are really unworthy of being refuted..."

"You! Presumptuous!"

"How dare you speak nonsense in the Golden Palace!"

"Does Lord Qiu mean that we are all just eating for free?"

"Even if we are ignorant and incompetent, could it be that you, the masters, are also blinded by one leaf?"

……

Before Qiu Zhixin finished speaking, countless court officials had already stood up and criticized him verbally and in writing. Some even tried to fish in troubled waters and implicate the university scholars, wanting to put him to death. (End of this chapter)