Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 234 The General Becomes King, the Order to Slay the Barbarians Is Issued

Princess House.

Inside the main hall, Lu Wubing and Princess Ji Wenxiu sat down on the left and right, respectively, while officials in two rows stepped forward to pay their respects.

Although it wasn't during the morning court session, there was no special summons.

These newly promoted civil and military officials were all present and accounted for.

They all stood solemnly.

Lu Wubing immediately understood that these people probably knew about what had happened at the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Those who can catch Lu Ping'an's eye and be promoted to higher positions based on their reputation or personal ability.

It can be said that none of them are incompetent fools who have usurped high positions.

Even if money comes knocking on his door, Lu Wubing won't approve of someone if they're not a good person.

If by this point they are still kept in the dark, unaware that the emperor has been deposed and imprisoned, then they might as well give up their official positions.

They arrived at this time.

Whether it's to show loyalty or to gauge public opinion, it's actually a good thing.

This proves that they truly care about national affairs.

"Since everyone has arrived, I, the princess, have something I must say, and I hope you all hear it clearly."

Ji Wenxiu had a gentle smile, with her delicate eyebrows slightly curved, indicating that she was in a good mood.

This wasn't feigned; it was a genuine sense of tranquility and comfort from the heart.

Although she was not present at the battle at Yangxin Hall, she heard how absurd her father was and how tragically he ended up.

She even went to the imperial prison to see her father, despite all the advice against it, and heard him plead with her.

It felt as if the past was just a dream.

A huge mountain that used to weigh on my heart has been completely removed.

No more waking up in the middle of the night, fearing that they would be escorted to an enemy country for a marriage alliance.

Although it was called a marriage alliance, in the eyes of those Northern Zhou barbarians, it was really no better than a maidservant.

When she first arrived in Northern Zhou, she tried every means to escape. It was under the strange gazes of everyone that she finally woke up, broke free from her self-pity, and decided that she no longer wanted to obey the court's orders.

Unfortunately, it was too late to realize this.

Not only was it difficult for him to escape, but he also caused the deaths of several senior sisters of the Bright Moon Sect who followed him, and almost caused his aunt Ji Changge to perish in the Northern Zhou.

Fortunately, the Third Prince of Northern Zhou was a man who loved men and did not rush to humiliate her. He simply wanted to wait until the wedding to go through the motions.

Otherwise, she might not have lived to see the day when the Great Li summoned the princess back.

Recalling the terrifying experience of being in danger three times a day, Ji Wenxiu was unwilling to look back.

Fortunately, all of this is finally over.

Someone supported her through everything.

"All matters of the court, large and small, will be handled by the General's Mansion. You no longer need to use the name of the Princess's Mansion."

"Princess?"

The courtiers below were slightly agitated, but did not show any particular surprise.

These days, nominally the princess's residence is in charge of the government, but in reality, how could they not know who this regent really is?
In their hearts, the seventeen-year-old general and the little princess were already one and the same, and there was no difference between them.

At present, it is merely a nominal transfer.

There is no difference.

Some people even felt a great sense of relief.

It wasn't just admiration for Lu Wubing's martial arts skills and methods, but also a great relief that the princess, being a woman, had finally given up on coveting power.

Although he is of Ji family blood.

There's no problem with his identity.

But no matter what, in this era, it's hard for anyone to accept a woman ascending to the throne and becoming an emperor.

This prejudice has persisted for thousands of years and cannot be ignored simply by claiming to be of "legitimate bloodline".

Furthermore, Ji Jiufeng's reckless behavior over the years has completely ruined the fortunes of the Dali Dynasty.

The number of truly loyal and filial ministers and sons of the Ji family was actually not as many as one might imagine.

"The minister obeys the order."

The ministers kowtowed.

"Meet the General."

Chen Tongxi and other senior officials led the way in bowing again.

Thus, the ruling core of the Dali Dynasty, headed by General Lu Wubing, was established, starting with this ceremony.

It was as if it were child's play.

This is the consequence of the Ministry of Rites officials joining the surrender faction, following Grand Secretary Zhang Zhongchu, and then being wiped out by the Golden Scale Guard, all of them imprisoned and their homes confiscated.

Those officials in the Ministry of Rites, every day they spoke of "ancestral rules" and "regulations."

However, when faced with the actual southward advance of the Northern Zhou army, they were all terrified, like turtles. They all cowered, only knowing how to persuade the little princess to offer up treasures, cattle, horses, gold, and silver to win the favor of the Northern Zhou…

In Lu Wubing's view, there was really no need for such officials who only engaged in empty talk.

Wasting the imperial court's salary.

Therefore, after the Ministry of Rites was completely wiped out, Lu Wubing did not really put his heart into rebuilding it.

Then, the imperial court became a makeshift troupe.

Major decisions are usually made in just a few words. There's no need to worry about rules or regulations.

Lu Wubing chuckled and turned to look at Ji Wenxiu, only to see the little girl looking at him with a hint of smugness. Clearly, this decision was not made on a whim, but rather a surprise attack.

She didn't say it beforehand.

Presumably, they were afraid of being rejected.

He simply handed over power in front of all the ministers, allowing himself, the Grand General, to handle state affairs, which was both legitimate and proper.

It was also a way for him to see the true thoughts of the people and the officials in the court.

Let's not talk about the surname.

Now, any commoner or official in the capital who has even glanced at something will not be wrong about one thing.

That is, only General Lu can save Dali.

No, not anyone else.

"Huofeng Pass held out for only two days before it was breached. Lian Chenghu turned and surrendered to the enemy. After the Northern Zhou barbarian soldiers burned and killed everyone, they slaughtered officials along the way and drove refugees to the capital, attempting to overthrow the central government. Do any of you have anything to say about this situation?"

"Kill! We must not show weakness in this battle. We must fortify our defenses and clear the fields, then march our troops to the Blazing Fire Plains and fight a great battle against the Northern Zhou barbarians."

Chen Tongxi's eyes lit up slightly, and he immediately shouted sternly.

As for confidence...

He certainly doesn't have it.

As a martial artist who had just broken through to the Innate Realm and whose strength was not particularly formidable, he had long lost the bravery of the first Marquis of Changxin and could not be considered a seasoned veteran with the ability to deploy troops.

He expressed his stance at this time because he had long since figured out his nephew's thoughts.

Compromise is out of the question; only war will prevail.

Regardless, as the commander of the Beijing garrison, he would certainly be at the forefront.

As for how to win?
He believed that Lu Wubing had his own way.

"What Marquis Changxin said is quite right, however, there is no need for a scorched earth policy."

The newly appointed Minister of War, Cui Hong, stepped forward and said righteously, "The key to this battle lies not in the barbarian soldiers, but in the experts under the King of Jinyang."

If we can kill this fiend, our mere 100,000 troops can be resisted by the Beijing Garrison and the Imperial Guard alone.

However, we must not lose the hearts of the people. If we ignore the millions of refugees scattered across the land, we will surely become a laughingstock. Even if we win this battle, it will be a bloodbath, and I believe we should not do it.”

"Minister Cui is mistaken. A million refugees are not a million plants. After their homes were destroyed, they fled along the way, and I heard that they have been eating dirt and mud, and every day they lie prostrate on the ground."

Even if the people of the capital tightened their belts, they couldn't afford to feed all these refugees scattered across the mountains and fields. Moreover, if the refugees weren't stopped, and were swept up and attacked by the Northern Zhou army, the capital might fall.

Minister of Revenue Zhang Yushu was not acting out of selfishness.

This person has a tough backbone.

On that day, Lu Wubing wielded the butcher's knife... He came from Baima Academy and single-handedly suppressed the attacks and alliances of many scholars.

Furthermore, expelling more than thirty radical students from Baima Academy and removing them from the academy saved Lu Wubing a lot of trouble and also saved him the subsequent trouble of wielding his sword to kill the scholars.

Afterwards, Zhang Yushu visited Zhang Yushu to recommend himself and speak about business matters.

Furthermore, he strongly advocated opening granaries and urgently transferring grain from all directions to the capital...

The policy of stabilizing grain prices was proposed by him.

Whether he genuinely loves the people or is seeking fame and self-importance, Lu Wubing felt that this person deserved a chance.

Therefore, promoting Zhang Yushu to the position of Minister of Revenue was a meteoric rise.

From a lowly clerk in the Ministry of Revenue to rising through the ranks to become a first-rank official, it was as if his ancestral graves had caught fire.

As it turns out, this scholar did have some skills.

He has been conscripting 100,000 soldiers, pacifying displaced people, and stabilizing prices in the capital. He has done a good job and has not yet aroused the rebellious intentions of some wealthy and powerful families.

His approach was actually quite simple.

It involved acquiring all the land in the country and then openly selling official positions at fixed prices.

Wouldn't this create a lot more official positions? And these are officials in the capital, so you can imagine how valuable those positions are.

As soon as the word is spread that some wealthy merchants are encouraged to provide gold, silver, and grain in exchange for official positions, some people are willing to give up all their wealth in order to obtain even a minor official post.

This plan was extremely vicious.

Even the legitimate and illegitimate sons of the twelve noble families couldn't resist it.

If you don't buy and I don't buy, then naturally people will ride roughshod over us.

In the end, the family property will belong to someone else.

Having immense wealth without power is utterly useless.

Moreover, if the strategy of collecting land but not money is implemented, there will be less resistance.

Even though they lost their land, at least they kept their money.

If we don't hand over the land... soldiers will storm our homes and wipe out our families in no time.

How to deal with it is a good choice.

By the way, this Minister Zhang Yushu came from a humble background.

Only those from poor families can carry out this plan of eliminating their own lineage without any psychological burden.

Lu Wubing reluctantly agreed, and under the unanimous persuasion of the court officials, he once again wielded the butcher's knife.

In just a few days, all the gold, silver, money, and grain in the capital were in his own hands, and the national treasury and private coffers were practically overflowing.

In terms of the wealth of the capital and the imperial court alone, this period was undoubtedly the richest in all dynasties.

Lu Wubing's feigned agreement to the scheme of selling official positions and acquiring land was not, as others might have thought, a reluctant act.

This was exactly what I wanted.

Even if he wasn't good at history in his previous life, he didn't get into politics or become an official.

However, I still understand basic common sense.

The biggest problem throughout history, in essence, is the issue of land annexation.

Powerful and influential families, officials, and nobles wield influence and have a voice.

No matter what land policies the imperial court employs, in the end, these means of production will inevitably find ways to be completely seized by a few.

The poor, having nowhere to stand, are the root of all suffering in the world.

Throughout history, there have been countless uprisings that started from the bottom up; some succeeded, and some failed.

Without exception, all those who succeeded did so by using the slogan of "distributing land and equalizing wealth."

Regardless of how it was phrased, that's the core meaning.

Therefore, as long as the land is controlled and redistributed according to merit, with a limit on the total number, so that everyone in the world has land to cultivate, the world will not collapse no matter how it is managed.

Of course, in previous years, due to natural disasters and man-made calamities, the harvest was poor, and grain had to be controlled. It was distributed according to the number of people, and anyone who objected was dealt with by force.

Then the world will be at peace.

The policy is this: with just this one move, one can sit in the imperial court and bring peace to the world.

The only difficult thing is...

It requires a powerful, unified dynasty to support it with the strongest military force.

Anyone who disagrees will be annihilated.

Given the current situation of the Northern Zhou invasion, it is simply not realistic.

But doesn't this mean that all the land and money in the world has been consolidated?
Under the reward, there must be a brave man.

"Issue the 'Kill the Barbarians' Order. Regardless of whether you are a soldier or a civilian, as long as you kill a Northern Zhou barbarian, you will be rewarded with one hundred taels of silver and thirty mu of land."

Those who acquire more than 300 mu of land can be rewarded with silver and official rank and title.

Land can be passed down through generations, and no taxes will be levied for three years. After three years, only 40% will be collected, with no further levies.

Lu Wubing thought for a moment, then gave the order in a deep voice.

boom……

The faces of all the ministers below changed color.

The rewards were so generous that they were simply unbelievable.

They could imagine that once this decree was implemented, people all over the country, even the thinnest laborers, would be eager to kill a Northern Zhou barbarian with bloodshot eyes.

As long as one person is killed, the whole family will immediately become rich and their blessings will extend to future generations.

That would drive people crazy!

"General, your plan is excellent. We are completely convinced."

Upon hearing this, Chen Tongxi was overjoyed.

Although the family's thousand acres of fertile land had to be harvested, considering that all the family members had rendered meritorious service in killing the enemy, if each of them had three hundred acres, it wouldn't be a loss in the long run.

Moreover, the most important thing is the money and official position gained if we win this battle.

Even the two maternal uncles were secretly delighted, and all the military generals present knew that their chance had come.

Even the civil officials didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

Most people bought their official positions with money; every family was overflowing with wealth, and their children were all trained in martial arts and literature, producing numerous skilled retainers and servants. If it really came down to seizing the heads of the Northern Zhou barbarians, who could possibly defeat them?
Therefore, sometimes, what appears to be a loss may not actually be a loss.

The order to kill the barbarians had just been issued.

It immediately stirred up a massive wave.

First the news spread to the vicinity of the capital, and then it spread to various prefectures and counties.

The people of the land, especially the military, were all gnashing their teeth and filled with envy as they flocked to the Northern Zhou army.

Lu Wubing heard that on the day the "Order to Kill the Barbarians" was issued, a large number of the refugees who were swarming in from the front actually stopped, preparing to fight a big battle with the Northern Zhou army.

The imperial relief grain had just arrived and everyone had eaten it all when some civilians spontaneously led a raid, howling and beheading hundreds of barbarian soldiers.

……

"Didn't you ever think about becoming an empress or something?"

Lu Wubing looked at Ji Wenxiu, who was hopping around with her hands behind her back, and asked curiously.

If someone like myself, who has lived two lives and knows all too well the brevity of life and the fleeting nature of imperial ambitions, has this kind of understanding, then it's somewhat understandable.

However, Ji Wenxiu was a native of the area, who had neither seen through the illusions of the world nor understood the meaning of life and death. How could he be so indifferent to power?

She should know that she doesn't really care about titles or honors.

Having reached this point, cultivating martial arts for immortality and pursuing the highest mysteries of the universe have become my lifelong pursuits.

Even without this title, with military force in hand, no one in the world would dare to disobey them, and they would live a carefree and happy life.

Then what was her reason?
"What is the throne? Would you like to have a brother who is healthy and well?"

Ji Wenxiu smiled sweetly, then turned her head to look at him helplessly. She then turned around and threw herself into Lu Wubing's arms, her two little tiger teeth gently biting his chest.

I'm telling you to play dumb.

I'll bite you to death.

……

(End of this chapter)