Please call me Your Majesty!

Chapter 141 This imperial court, this Great Zhou, seems a little strange.

Whether the Great Zhou Dynasty was strong or not has always been a mystery to Chu Shizhao.

Because if you really concentrate all the power of the Great Zhou Dynasty in one place, they will definitely be able to fight, just like the government armies in the late Tang Dynasty and the late Ming Dynasty. It's not that they can't fight, they just don't want to fight with you.

In the entire Great Zhou Dynasty, the three most powerful border armies were Li Jin, the governor of Jinyang, Huan Jie, the governor of Liangzhou, and Ma Su'an, the governor of Fanyang.

Among them, Ma Su'an was an open rebel.

In almost every simulation, he would first tear off the superficial loyalty and flattery.

The positions of Li Jin and Huan Jie are both erratic.

They had been loyal ministers of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and they had also been its gravediggers. It all depended on the current situation.

Different situations will lead to different patterns.

When Chu Shizhao woke up, he heard that Huan Jie was about to lead the army from Liangzhou to the capital to support the king.

The ministers argued endlessly about this matter.

When the Huns were about to attack Chang'an, the Jiedushi who came to the defense of the king were the royal army. When the Huns retreated, the Jiedushi who came to the defense of the king were no longer the royal army, but a third-party force that could pose a secondary threat to Chang'an.

After all, the central and local governments have been disconnected for too long, and no one can be sure of the loyalty of the border troops. What if an ambitious guy comes in and there are not many soldiers in Chang'an, wouldn't that be inviting a wolf into the house?
When it comes to direct battle, the ministers are useless, but when it comes to fighting for power, they stand up and have something to say.

Chu Shizhao tidied his appearance and immediately went to the Taiji Palace for meetings to ask for an audience with his father.

The eunuch at the palace gate went into the palace to report, and Chu Shizhao would soon be able to enter the palace to meet his father.

After the siege of Chang'an was lifted, Chu Shizhao's status changed drastically from before. It seemed as if his popularity suddenly improved, and many people were willing to show goodwill to Chu Shizhao.

After entering the palace, most of the ministers nodded to Chu Shizhao.

When Emperor Yongjin saw Chu Shizhao regain consciousness, he immediately waved and asked with a peaceful look, "Fourth Brother, you've come just in time."

"Huan Jie, the governor of Liangzhou, is about to arrive in Chang'an. He wrote a letter to me in advance, saying that after a long march, he hopes that the entire army can be stationed in Chang'an to rest and defend Chang'an to prevent the Huns from returning. Do you think I should let them in?" With just a few words, Emperor Yongjin made clear what the ministers were discussing at the moment.

"I think you can let him go." Chu Shizhao said after thinking for a moment.

As soon as the words fell, the other ministers exploded.

"Your Highness, no, this will only bring disaster." The first person to come out and speak was Wei Yan, the top leader of the Wei family in the court.

After Yang Gong was invited by Emperor Yongjin to retire and return home, he now took over Yang Gong's position and served as the Minister of Personnel.

"First, the people of Liangzhou are tough and domineering, often associated with the Hu people. Many Qiang people even join the army in Liangzhou. They are also a threat to the government and the people."

"Secondly, Chang'an is now short of troops. The troops sent by Liangzhou to support the king are far superior to those in Chang'an. If we invite them into the city, we may end up usurping the throne."

"Third, the people and soldiers of Chang'an have just experienced such a huge upheaval and can no longer withstand the turmoil. Allowing the Xiliang army to enter the city will probably cause unnecessary panic."

"In my opinion, we should just let Huan Jie and the other key generals enter the city to meet the emperor. There is no need to let the Liangzhou troops in."

absurd!

After hearing this, Chu Shizhao felt that this approach would truly force the other party into submission.

With such a plan, aren't you deliberately making others suspicious?

The Jiedushi had no soldiers and entered the city unarmed. If the court arrested him directly, Huan Jie and others would be isolated and helpless and would be placed under house arrest on the spot.

Any normal person would feel that there is something fishy going on and therefore would not dare to enter the city.

If Huan Jie gave a little face, he would retreat on his own. However, if the Huns besieged Chang'an again next time, Huan Jie would definitely not help Chang'an to break the siege.

Huan Jie will not give you face and think that you are humiliating him or threatening him, which may even directly lead to a bigger crisis.

The covert strategy Sima Zhao used at that time was to appoint Zhuge Dan as Sikong in the name of the court, hand over the military power and return to the capital Luoyang to take up the post.

A general who is stationed on the border without military power means he is intent on taking other people's lives. Even if he has no intention of taking other people's lives, he will still be placed under house arrest.

Now Chu Shizhao understood why the Great Zhou Dynasty could become increasingly alienated from its moral integrity. It was because they kept scheming against others and openly wanted to cheat them. The military governors were not stupid and would not give in. Given the temperament of military officials, don't blame them for turning the table if you try to do this.

"Father, if we do this, I'm afraid it will discourage those who have lofty ideals all over the world." Chu Shizhao expressed his thoughts truthfully.

"Huan Jie led the people here with the original intention of serving the king. If he had any ill intentions since entering the city, he would be despised by the people of the world."

"If Huan Jie is not allowed to enter the city, then next time Chang'an is besieged by the Huns, will anyone be willing to send troops to defend the king?" Chu Shizhao said again.

Emperor Yongjin thought about it and felt that what Chu Shizhao said made sense, but the Great Zhou Dynasty had very little control over the border troops, so he felt that what the ministers said was reasonable.

"Your Highness Prince of Jin, if we let Huan Jie into the city, he has rebellious intentions and the Great Zhou will lose its country. If we don't let him in, at most we will lose the hearts of the people in Liangzhou. You should think twice about the pros and cons, which is more important." Wei Yan said earnestly.

"Then Chang'an has no defenders?" Chu Shizhao asked again: "Chang'an still has defenders, I am still here, and my father is still here."

"I have heard a truth before: only when the emperor truly regards his subjects as his own subjects, will his subjects regard him as their own father and ruler. Only when the emperor truly regards his ministers as his own loyal ones, will his ministers regard him as their own father and ruler."

"Now that Chang'an has just been settled, the Liangzhou Army has entered the city to garrison in the name of serving the king, but we are all here weighing the pros and cons and trying to figure out people's hearts. The king is not a king, and the minister is not a minister."

"I have never heard of a monarch who was worried about or afraid of his subjects. I have only heard of subjects who were respectful and obedient to their monarch."

At this point, Wei Yan sneered, "I'm afraid that your highness and Lord Huan are in collusion, right?"

When these words were spoken, everyone in the room was shocked.

"I heard earlier that you and Huan Sheng are close friends. He wants to marry his sister to Your Highness. When Your Highness and the Huan family become relatives, won't Huan Jie belong to Your Highness?"

"At this time, we only need to cooperate with the outside world. I am afraid that the saint will change and the country will be overthrown."

"After all, most of the Chang'an defenders admire your military achievements. Maybe you have already won the hearts of the soldiers. Now you have Huan Jie's help. It's really amazing."

Having said this, the ministers were even more afraid to respond.

Wei Yan's words were so violent that he almost wanted to put Chu Shizhao to death. After all, he was openly discussing the issue of the throne, which was an attack that completely violated the rules.

Chu Shizhao had no choice but to kneel on the ground and said, "I hope your Majesty will understand."

Emperor Yongjin could not help but stroke his beard, staring at Chu Shizhao and then at Wei Yan. In fact, he was well aware that Wei Yan's words were more serious in their intent to add fuel to the fire.

It is a gamble on Emperor Yongjin's trust in Chu Shizhao.

However, Wei Yan misjudged one thing, that is, Emperor Yongjin had already made up his mind about his sons, and it was not that he could not accept Chu Shizhao's succession to the throne.

As long as Chu Shizhao doesn't do anything too extreme and directly forces his father to abdicate in order to seize the throne, Emperor Yongjin can actually accept it.

This is equivalent to saying that Emperor Yongjin himself was willing to give up the throne, and he was willing to accept all the subsequent responsibilities. If he doesn't give it to you and you force it, Emperor Yongjin will not give it to you, no matter how capable you are. "Fourth Brother, tell me your opinion again." Emperor Yongjin still did not give a precise idea.

He wanted to see whether Chu Shizhao wanted Huan Jie to enter the capital out of personal motives or out of public interest.

Furthermore, since Emperor Yongjin had already seen that Wei Yan was adding fuel to the fire, he could take this opportunity to see clearly the true nature of his fourth son.

"I think that in addition to Liangzhou Jiedushi Huan Jie, Jinyang Jiedushi Li Jin is also on his way to serve the king."

"We still have 20,000 soldiers defending Chang'an, and we have recently recruited 30,000 young and strong soldiers. We can bluff and make Huan Jie believe that our Chang'an garrison can stand alone."

"Father, you can first secretly tell Huanjie that the troops from Jinyang will arrive in Chang'an soon, and then mobilize the troops in Chang'an to patrol the city in an urgent manner to confuse Huanjie."

"In addition, I also think that we can ask my elder brother to personally go out of the city to welcome Lord Huan Jie, and arrange for the people to line the streets to welcome the troops from Liangzhou who are coming to support the king."

Chu Shizhao explained his deployment one by one.

"The people lined the streets to welcome them, and the soldiers from Liang Province knew that they were loyal to the king and were doing righteous things. Huan Jie did not dare to risk the loss of morality in the world by betraying his master."

Emperor Yongjin narrowed his eyes and said, "Let's follow the Fourth Master's advice and welcome this loyal minister of mine who has come from afar."

"Your Majesty..." Wei Yan pleaded again with a regretful voice: "No..."

Emperor Yongjin left.

Since his will was already made, there could be no change. Before he left, he said, "Your brother won't have to go and greet him in person. Fourth brother, you go and greet the governor of Liangzhou."

Chu Shizhao knew in his heart that Emperor Yongjin was studying his background, but from any perspective, Chu Shizhao had no selfish motives.

Because Chu Shizhao had not become a relative of the Huan family as Wei Yan said, and now Chu Shizhao and Huan Sheng had indeed entered a honeymoon period, forming a faction with each other, but the relationship was not yet close enough for the Huan family to risk their lives on it.

After receiving the order from Emperor Yongjin, Chu Shizhao immediately went to the camp of the Three Prefectures Army and dispatched his 3,000 Northern Prefecture troops to go a hundred miles out of the city to welcome Huan Jie. However, after this battle, only less than 2,000 of the 3,000 Northern Prefecture new troops were left. However, they had experienced blood and fire, and in just one day, they had undergone a drastic change compared to the previous new troops.

The current Northern Palace New Army is truly elite. Unlike the previous new army which only had sophisticated equipment and regular training, it is a strong army that has been blessed and killed people.

After these matters are prepared.

Chu Shizhao put on his armor again, rode his horse and led his troops out of the city to meet this elite army from Liangzhou.

From the perspective of Chu Shizhao's simulation and deduction, it is obvious that Huan Jie's coming to the capital is not as simple as it seems on the surface, to serve the king. At least Chu Shizhao feels that the other party has some intention of intimidating the court and the temple.

At this time, there is no possibility of showing weakness.

Showing cowardice would have lost the dignity of an emperor, just as the sacred authority of the Zhou emperor was ended by a single arrow shot by Duke Zhuang of Zheng.

You can be weak, but you must never let others know that you are weak.

Emperor Yongjin asked Chu Shizhao to meet Huan Jie. In fact, there was another reason why he asked him to go. He was afraid that his other sons would not be able to control the situation. Chu Shizhao was brave enough to fight against the Huns and even dared to take such a risky approach to fight. He was an excellent choice in terms of courage and bravery.

The deeper intention was that Emperor Yongjin wanted Chu Shizhao to shock this Xiliang hero whom he had never met.

Chu Shizhao led the new Northern Army out of the city to welcome them, and the elite troops of Xiliang in the distance soon appeared in Chu Shizhao's eyes.

Huan Jie, who was also looking forward, also noticed the troops coming out of the city to greet them with the royal flag.

Huan Jie deliberately let Xiliang's most elite cavalry march in front, letting their black iron armor maintain order.

Chu Shizhao saw the Xiliang troops and immediately rode out to greet them. He asked in a loud voice, "Is the coming general Huan Jie, the governor of Liangzhou?"

Huan Jie originally wanted to wait until Chu Shizhao approached his troops before he started questioning them, but he did not expect Chu Shizhao to gallop towards him on horseback and interrogate him from a distance of dozens of meters.

"Who are you?" Huan Jie asked in a loud voice.

"Prince of Jin, Chu Shizhao." Chu Shizhao showed no fear as he walked towards the camp of the Xiliang Iron Cavalry and came to Huan Jie. "I have come here with an imperial decree."

Huan Jie immediately dismounted to greet him. In terms of face, Huan Jie would not give anyone a chance to criticize him.

"I, Huan Jie, the governor of Liangzhou, pay my respects to His Majesty the Prince of Jin. Long live the emperor." Huan Jie quickly knelt on the ground.

After all, Chu Shizhao was carrying the imperial edict.

As a minister of the Zhou Dynasty, Huan Jie had to observe etiquette.

When Huan Jie knelt down at the same time, the generals beside him also knelt down immediately. When the soldiers who followed the army saw their commander do this, they all knelt down together.

Such instant action surprised Chu Shizhao. No wonder it was said that in the simulation of Huan Jie's entry into the capital, the Liangzhou Army was like kicking a wild dog on the roadside to death, and kicked to death all the defenders and ministers of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Such cohesion is indeed not comparable to those famous families of Jingzhao who fight each other in the court.

Chu Shizhao immediately read out the imperial edict, which was full of praise, as well as the reward for Huan Jie's service to the king.

Although Huan Jie did not engage in direct battle with the Huns, he must be commended simply for the act of serving the king.

It was not until Chu Shizhao read the last paragraph, expressing the court's willingness to allow the Liangzhou Army to enter Chang'an, that Huan Jie showed a look of surprise.

He really didn't expect that the court would agree to such a thing. From the beginning to the end, Huan Jie didn't think that the current Great Zhou Dynasty would have the courage to agree to let their Xiliang Army enter Chang'an.

"After you enter Chang'an, you should not harm the people. The court will prepare three meals for you during these days. Please follow me to Chang'an to welcome you." Chu Shizhao finished the imperial edict, and immediately took Huan Jie's hand and said, "My brother and I have a deep friendship. General Huan has come thousands of miles to stabilize the country's crisis. It's really hard work."

"After entering the capital, I will personally arrange for the general's travel."

"Come to think of it, Sister Yi also misses the general very much."

It was not until then that Huan Jie realized that the court was actually sincerely welcoming their Western Liang army to enter the capital.

Not only were rules for entering the capital established, but preparations were also made for their travel.

After Chu Shizhao said these words, he signaled his friendly attitude to other generals in Liangzhou.

"The people of Chang'an have long heard of the names of you generals. We have learned that you have come thousands of miles to serve the king and are waiting for you at the city gates. When the time comes, you can take the rice and honey water offered by the people." Chu Shizhao bowed and said again. He had already given you enough in terms of both face and substance.

Speaking of this, the new Northern Army that had just emerged from the sea of ​​blood was standing guard in a battle array in the distance.

"Please--" Chu Shizhao waved his hand.

Huan Jie suddenly felt that this imperial court, this Great Zhou, seemed a little strange.

Not right.

Something is wrong.

(End of this chapter)