Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 770: Bo Lang's Attack

Everyone rushed to pass the letter around and saw that the gist of the letter was that Goryeo was a country of poor people, and that successive rulers were incompetent, which had caused the people to live in misery and the country's vitality to be severely damaged. Now it was difficult for the country to move forward and was unable to stand on its own. It could not defend itself against external enemies, and could not comfort its people at home.

We earnestly request to be incorporated into the Celestial Empire and receive the Emperor’s grace to relieve the suffering of the people. We hope that His Majesty the Emperor of the Celestial Empire and His Royal Highness the Regent will grant our approval.

"This is truly an unprecedented feat in expanding territory. We, the ministers, congratulate His Majesty." Everyone knew that it was Jia Cong who conquered Goryeo, and they all congratulated him in unison.

Jia Cong waved his hand and smiled, "It's not worth much. Let's talk about this today. I will go to the palace to discuss this matter with Zhun Gong and others."

"Yes, we respectfully send you off, Your Majesty."

When Jia Cong stepped into the Grand Council, he found that the core of the empire was already in an uproar. From the Grand Secretary to the clerks and scribes, all were cheering and crying for joy.

Seeing Jia Cong come in, they all hurriedly greeted him.

"See you, Your Majesty."

"No need to be polite." Jia Cong asked knowingly, and smiled, "Why are you all so happy?"

Gu Tao smiled and said, "Your Highness, don't you know that Goryeo has surrendered? It's a true surrender, requiring to be incorporated into the territory of Great Wu and abolishing the country's name."

Jia Cong naturally knew that this letter was also written at his instruction, so he smiled and said, "This is a good thing. It shows that although the new emperor is young, he has the assistance of wise ministers, and his prestige will spread far and wide to all countries.

Isn’t this exactly what the saints said, “Inner saintliness and outer kingliness, those who are near are pleased and those who are far away are attracted?”

"Your Highness, this is absolutely true." Everyone laughed.

Feng Yuan smiled and said, "If it weren't for your majesty, the power of the Celestial Empire would probably not be as great as it is now. Your Majesty should be credited with the greatest achievement in this matter."

Everyone present was smart. They knew that Jia Cong's new army had already conquered Goryeo, but they kept it to themselves and said hurriedly, "Prime Minister Feng is right."

"Does the Empress Dowager know?" Jia Cong asked.

"Someone has been sent to deliver the letter to the Yangxin Palace, and the envoy has also met with the Empress Dowager." Duan Zhun said.

"What does the Empress Dowager mean by that? Do you want to accept it?" Jia Cong asked.

Guan Pu smiled and said, "Of course, the Celestial Empire is open to all, so we will naturally accept them."

Jia Cong casually pulled a chair and sat down, saying, "Okay, let's discuss this matter while everyone is here today."

All the ministers and officials from various departments hurriedly sat down and said, "Please give your instructions, Your Majesty."

Upon seeing this, other officials and clerks hurriedly retreated quietly. This was a matter of great military and national importance that not ordinary people could hear about.

Jia Cong got straight to the point and said, "To be honest, Goryeo has long been in Cong's hands. This time, I ordered them to surrender in order to eliminate trouble for future generations, so that they won't be afraid of power and will not be loyal to me. Sometimes they will obey me, sometimes they will rebel. One day, they will be so shameless as to steal the customs of the Celestial Empire for themselves, and even follow the orders of other countries to check and balance the Celestial Empire."

All the ministers looked at each other in bewilderment. Does Goryeo have the guts to do this?
Feng Yuan smiled and said, "Your Highness is far-sighted and thoughtful, which is beyond the reach of us. It is hard to imagine that a mere Goryeo would dare to be so audacious."

Jia Cong sneered, "Who says it's not true? Gu Cong has already issued an order to destroy their national destiny and orthodoxy, kill the powerful, burn books, destroy clothing, abolish writing, and replace it with the Han system. After a few decades, there will be no Goryeo in the world."

Everyone was shocked. Jia Cong's move was too big, equivalent to completely destroying an entire country.

The ancients said that even if three households of Chu could destroy Qin, the King of Qin was so cruel that he could not destroy all the people of Chu. How could Jia Cong accomplish what even Ying Zheng could not do?
Duan Zhun took a deep breath, looked at Jia Cong and said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, I wonder what the situation in Goryeo is like now?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Now, 80% of the powerful people in Goryeo have been killed, and 20% are left as offspring to avoid chaos in the country.

All his property and land have been distributed to the poor. Now that the people's hearts are with me, the tough bones of the new laws such as the equalization of land tax and the integration of gentry and officials can be easily chewed over.

The Li family was almost wiped out, and several wealthy families took the initiative to surrender, helping the Celestial Empire to control government affairs and promote the policy of sinicization. "

"What is the strategy of sinicization?" Jiang Feng asked hurriedly.

"That is to turn the Koreans into Han people, abolish their language, writing, customs, systems and laws, and replace them all with Han rules. After one or two generations, there will be no Koreans in the world anymore." Jia Cong said with a smile.

"Good, good, good, this is the kingly way." Feng Yuan clapped his hands and smiled, "To educate billions of people without killing a single person is something that even a saint could not do after his rebirth."

Everyone felt incredible and very excited. Jia Cong actually secretly accomplished such an amazing feat. How could he just give so many fields to the peasants for free?

God, is he crazy? If he wants to win the hearts of the people, renting the land to tenant farmers at a low price is already merciful enough.

Jia Cong said modestly: "It is our unshirkable responsibility to educate the barbarians with the teachings of the sages."

Everyone smiled and nodded.

If Jia Cong was simply ambitious and warmongering, they would still oppose it, because scholars naturally cannot tolerate this.

If it is to promote the teachings of the saints, no one would disagree. If it is to promote the stubborn ideas of Confucius, can it be called war? That is called benevolent government and the kingly way.

Duan Zhun bowed and said, "Your Majesty, you have great talent and strategy. I admire you. I wonder what to do next?"

Jia Cong said: "I was just about to discuss this with you gentlemen. I think at least a few things should be done.

First, depose Li's position as the head of state, pack him up and take him away, and send him to the Western Regions, so that he won't miss his homeland in the future, and cut off this thought first."

All the ministers nodded and said, "This is absolutely right. It can be said to be a preventive measure."

"Secondly, abolish the name of Goryeo. Since it is south of Changbai Mountain, it can be renamed Shannan Province and incorporated into the territory of the country. Re-establish prefectures, counties and government offices at all levels. Ask the Military Affairs Council to quickly send officials to govern."

Jia Cong looked at the Left Censor-in-Chief Tan Cheng and said with a smile, "General, when I was in prison last time, there were several cellmates. Are they still here?
If they are not guilty of a capital crime, they can be sent to Shannan to take up posts and make meritorious contributions while serving their sentences. They are all capable officials trained by the court for decades and they still have some talent. It should not be difficult for them to govern such a small place.

If they don’t govern well, they will be punished for both crimes and beheaded.”

Tan Cheng smiled and said, "It's amazing that Your Highness still remembers that these people are all second- and third-rank officials who were impeached and imprisoned by the censors for corruption and dereliction of duty. They are not sentenced to death. If they can learn from their shame and then be brave, it may be effective."

Naturally, there was no need for the ministers to disobey Jia Cong over such a matter, so they all quickly agreed.

"That's settled then. As for the other levels of officials, you can decide for yourself. For the time being, it's decided that the officials sent by the Celestial Empire and the local officials in Shannan will each account for 50%, leaving some meat for the aristocratic families there.

The General's Office will transfer more than a hundred officers to lead the troops, abolish the combined military system of soldiers and farmers, and replace it with a recruitment system, which does not seek quantity but quality. "

He despised the Goryeo military system, which was useless because it only focused on having large numbers of people but not on fighting ability.

"Yes." Everyone said hurriedly. The official hat means money. They wish they could have this kind of good thing which is purely welfare every day.

“Third, I intend to order Wu Lang, the governor of Liaodong, to lead 30,000 elite troops to station in Hancheng, and to appoint him as the governor and commander-in-chief of Shannan. I will promote Lieutenant General Wei Wuji to be the deputy general to ensure the stability of the situation in Shannan.

As for the Liaodong Jiedushi vacancy, it will be taken over by Deputy General Wang Jin."

"This is a mature and wise opinion on state affairs. We have no objection," said everyone.

This was a military matter and it was not their turn to interfere. It was polite of Jia Cong to be willing to discuss it.

"Just these three things. As for the rest of the governance and people's welfare matters, I'll leave them to you gentlemen." Jia Cong bowed.

"We will obey the prince's orders." Chen Ji bowed along with everyone else. In his heart, he was very upset at Jia Cong's behavior of taking on so much, and even more uneasy about his expanding power. However, he looked very happy and admired him sincerely like everyone else.

"Everyone is busy. I will go and report to the Empress Dowager."

"Yes, I send you off, Your Majesty."

Chen Ji followed the crowd and sent him into the inner right gate. When he turned around, he saw the kings of Xining and Dongping coming through the Longzong Gate. He stopped slightly and bowed to the two men from a distance.

Because Jia Cong did not touch the three kings for the time being, the three kings still had the right to "walk" in the Military Affairs Office. Of course, it was just walking. Before Jia Cong made a clear statement, they would never dare to speak carelessly on military and national affairs.

"How are the two princes these days?" Chen Ji asked with a smile.

King Xining said with a smile: "I haven't been to the palace for a long time. Today my brother and I came to the palace to pay our respects to the uncle."

Chen Ji raised his hand slightly and said, "This is not the place to talk. Let's go to the small courtyard next door and have a cup of tea."

"Uncle, please come in." The two said hurriedly.

The three of them pretended to be nothing, walked to the small courtyard next to the Military Affairs Office and sat down while chatting and laughing. With a creak, the clerk just closed the door.

"Uncle, what did Prince Jing say?" The two men immediately changed their expressions and asked anxiously.

Chen Ji sighed, shook his head and said, "For this matter, I was even scolded by the Empress Dowager, who blamed me for interfering in Prince Jing's affairs."

Prince Xining said hurriedly: "I will never forget your kindness, uncle, and I will repay you in the future."

Prince Dongping also hurriedly agreed.

Chen Ji waved his hand and said, "I acted impartially, so why should I expect any reward? The other day I risked my dignity to plead for the three princes in front of Prince Jing, but... Alas."

The two of them were on suspense and were shocked when they heard his words. They thought Jia Cong was going to fight to the death, and they both asked in trembling voices: "Uncle, could it be that Prince Jing... is unwilling to be flexible?"

Chen Ji nodded slowly and said, "I tried my best to persuade him and almost offended the Grand Tutor before he finally agreed not to pursue the matter of the two princes. But Prince Beijing... Sigh."

The two looked at each other and breathed a sigh of relief. It was better for the poor Taoist to die than for the Taoist friend to die. What did the King of Beijing have to do with them? As long as they didn't get into trouble, it was fine. They stood up and bowed deeply, saying, "Uncle, you are so kind. We should repay you for your kindness."

Chen Ji's eyes moved slightly, he raised his hand to help the two people up, and said: "I have failed to fulfill the important task entrusted to me, how dare I accept such a great gift, I can't do it, I can't do it."

"We have already trusted the emperor's uncle with our favor, how dare we ask for anything else?" the two said hurriedly.

"It is inconvenient for me to contact Prince Beijing. When you two princes return, please inform him and let him prepare in advance to avoid being stabbed by the axe without knowing it.

I will not tell you two about your affairs, so as not to hurt the friendship between the three royal palaces." Chen Ji said with concern.

Xining and Dongping looked at each other and said, "Don't worry, uncle. No need to tell us anything. We will take care of it."

The two men did not dare to talk to Chen Ji for a long time. After asking for the key information, they left the palace immediately. They didn't even want to "walk" around the Military Affairs Office.

"Brother Shi, what do you think the King's uncle meant by his last words?" King Xining whispered.

Prince Dongping sneered, "Of course he wants to borrow the sword to kill someone, and he has nothing to do with it."

Prince Xining said with a smile: "It seems that the uncle of the king also has some complaints about His Royal Highness Prince Jing. He wants to do us a favor and use you and me to hint to Brother Shui to start a rebellion.

If it works, everyone will be happy, if it doesn't, it won't be his fault."

Prince Dongping said: "This is an open conspiracy, Brother Shui cannot refuse. Since Prince Jing has already made up his mind to kill, does he have any choice?
Zhenzhener is dead today, he will die, he will surrender, he will die, he will die if he makes a big plan, it is better to kill him. "

Prince Xining nodded and said, "That's right. Brother Shi, do you think what the uncle said is true or false? Did Prince Jing really agree to let us go? Is Prince Jing so easy to talk to?"

Prince Dongping pondered and said, "This statement should be somewhat credible. First of all, we two have no deep hatred with Prince Jing. Although there are disagreements, they are just different political views. There is no need for a life-and-death struggle.

Secondly, now that Prince Jing has the most power in the world, it is time to recruit people. There is no need to hold on to the little braids of us two. Wouldn't that put everyone in danger? It would also be detrimental to the government;
Thirdly, he was a man who did great things, so he always had to consider his reputation. When Cao Cao was defeated in Wancheng, his beloved son and generals were killed by Zhang Xiu, but Zhang Xiu still accepted him in, didn't he?
Liu Bei took in Lu Bu in Xiaopei, and when he took Xuzhou from him, didn't he welcome him with a smile?

Compared to Zhang Xiu and Lu Bu, you and I are truly sincere gentlemen. What good is it for Prince Jing to kill us for no reason? Aren't you afraid that the morale of the army will be unstable?

Brother Shui is different. Not only has he repeatedly plotted against Prince Jing, he has also tortured the woman he liked to death and returned her body. We have long been enemies."

King Xining's eyes turned and hesitantly said, "Brother Shi is right. If it's Brother Shui's place..."

Prince Dongping glanced at him and said with a smile, "Since my brother has made up his mind, I am willing to follow his lead."

Prince Xining said with a smile: "It seems that my brother and I have similar views. If I can show my loyalty, I think His Royal Highness Prince Jing will not feel comfortable attacking us two anymore, right?"

"This is true."

"Then let's go to Brother Shui. If he asks..."

"The three of us naturally share happiness and difficulties together. How can we leave Brother Shui alone to bear this great disaster?"

"That's right. Being able to help Brother Shui one last time can be considered as fulfilling our century-old friendship." The two smiled at each other.

At that moment, the two of them hurried to Prince Beijing's mansion and had a secret discussion with Prince Beijing in the inner study.

"Brother Shi, something terrible has happened. We just went to the palace to meet the King's uncle and learned that Jia Cong has ill intentions towards our three families. No matter how the King's uncle pleads, he won't give in." King Xining said.

"Jia Cong is not taking action now because the political situation has not yet been completely stabilized. If we delay for a year or two, by the time he takes control of the situation, we will surely follow in the footsteps of our brother, Prince Nan'an, and die without a burial place! Brother Shi is resourceful, why don't you think of a way to turn the tide?"

"At this critical moment of life and death, I completely rely on you to come up with a surprise victory."

The two men pretended to be in a hurry and worked together to lift King Beijing up. Even Shui Rong, with his wisdom and concentration, felt a little dizzy for a moment.

"Don't be anxious, my two brothers. Let me think about it for a moment." Shui Rong said in a deep voice.

He was silent for a long time. He knew that with Jia Cong's character, he would never let him go. Asking the emperor's uncle to intercede was just a way of doing things. Since the situation could not be resolved, he was not a person who would sit there and wait for death.

Yin said slowly: "I want to fight with the waves, but unfortunately there is no brave Qin warrior."

Xining and Dongping looked at each other and said in unison: "I am willing to follow you through life and death!"

"Good! This matter is of great importance and should not be taken lightly. We must proceed with caution."

"It's all up to you, brother. We will just follow your orders." said the Second King.

"Thank you both brothers for your trust." Shui Rong bowed.

"Brother Shi, you are a man of great foresight. We have always admired you." The two kings returned the greeting.

Politicians never say goodbye when they abandon their partners, and most likely stab them in the back so they can make a fortune off their dead bodies.

(End of this chapter)