Crown Prince of the Empire, I quit!

"Your Majesty, this is bad. They have deployed many forces in various places to resist us, and now they have all begun to take action. Should we send troops to suppress them directly?"

That night, several internal affairs officials rushed into Hua Yunhong's palace and reported to him what had happened in the past few days.

Although Hua Yunhong lived in the deep palace, he basically knew everything that happened outside.

After hearing what his subordinates reported, he glanced coldly at the document in his hand.

He shook his head and said:

"These people simply don't want to pay the money. If they don't pay, we will directly send troops to defeat the rebels."

"By the way, go ask Qin Ming for help. Now we can let Tongbao Pavilion go."

At this time, Hua Yunhong was at his wit's end.

Even he could not withstand the turmoil of these big families.

You have to know that these big families have a lot of resources in their hands.

Especially silver and armed forces.

After these forces gather together, it would be easy to deal with if it was just one force.

But now there are signs of rebellion everywhere.

The Shenmu Kingdom originally conquered a large area by relying on military force.

The major families in these areas are clearly no longer on the same page with them.

In this case, we can only deal with their problems first.

There is a difference in importance between external and internal.

Hua Yunhong believes that internal problems should be dealt with more quickly.

That's why he chose to ask Qin Ming for help first at this time.

As for the conflict between him and Qin Ming, it can be put aside at this time.

When they heard this, many of the interior officials around were stunned.

They were all a little confused because Sun Jinshan was still on his way at this time.

If Sun Jinshan came here and Hua Yunhong wanted to hold another Hongmen Banquet for him, conflicts between the two sides would probably arise again.

So it might not be a wise move to ask Qin Ming for help now.

"Your Majesty, isn't Sun Jinshan coming here? If we want to make peace with Qin Ming, what should we do with Sun Jinshan?"

Hua Yunhong slammed the document in his hand reporting the rebellions in various places on the imperial desk, causing a few drops of ink in the inkstone to splash out.

His eyes were bloodshot. The exhaustion of the past few days and the anger at the moment made his already weak body even more shaky.

But he forced himself to straighten his back, like a broken flag that refused to fall in the wind.

"How to do?"

His voice was hoarse and filled with a fierceness that was almost desperate.

His hawk-like gaze swept over the silent interior officials below.

"Sun Jinshan is coming, then let him come! Perfect!"

He took a deep breath, suppressed the fishy-sweet feeling rising in his throat, and said word by word:

"Pass the decree down. First, order the commander of the Imperial Guards, Yuwen Tuo, to immediately lead his elite troops and cooperate with the garrisons from all regions to deliver a thunderous blow to me and purge all the powerful families who dare to cause rebellion! Tell them that not a single cent of my silver can be spared! Anyone who dares to delay will have their entire family exterminated! I will use their blood to extinguish this wildfire!"

"second……"

He turned his gaze to the Home Affairs Officer in charge of foreign affairs.

"Immediately send a letter to Emperor Qin Ming of Daqian at an expedited rate of eight hundred miles! Be sincere and explain that our Shenmu Kingdom has been suddenly attacked by rebels, fearing that the peace on the border will be affected. For the sake of our diplomatic relations, I implore His Majesty, the Emperor of Daqian, to remember the principle of 'lips and teeth,' and quickly send elite troops to help me quell the rebellion! Upon success, I will reward you handsomely! As for Tongbao Pavilion... mention it in the letter, saying that I appreciate their commercial contributions and am willing to reconcile with them and overcome these difficulties together!"

As soon as this order was issued, the hall fell into dead silence.

The internal repression was bloody and merciless.

But he bowed his head and asked for help from his mortal enemy Qin Ming, and even took the initiative to express goodwill towards Tongbao Pavilion?

This is simply ice and fire!

"His Majesty!"

The interior minister who was worried about Sun Jinshan's problem couldn't help but speak again.

"Sun Jinshan is on his way and will arrive tomorrow. If he attends the banquet while we are discussing borrowing troops from Daqian to quell the rebellion... how can we even hold this Hongmen Banquet? If he knew about the rebellion raging among us, wouldn't he..."

"What?"

Hua Yunhong interrupted him, a cold and weird smile appearing on his lips.

"It's a good opportunity to show him that my kingdom is as solid as a rock. Let him see that even if a fire breaks out in my backyard, I can summon strong reinforcements and put it out in an instant! As for the Hongmen Banquet..."

There was a glint of madness in his eyes:

"Who says the Hongmen Banquet must be filled with swords and spears? Tomorrow, I will hold a peace banquet! A peace banquet for Sun Jinshan, for Qin Ming, and even more so for those ignorant rebels and that hungry wolf from the Western Regions! I want everyone to know that my kingdom is as solid as a rock! My reinforcements will be here soon!"

He stood up suddenly, his figure swaying a little, but his momentum suddenly rose:

"Go! Make the banquet grand! Spread the word louder! Let the entire capital, no, let the entire Shenmu Kingdom know that I will host a grand banquet in the Imperial Palace tomorrow for Sun Jinshan, the distinguished guest of Tongbao Pavilion! At the same time, I will also be receiving the special envoy sent by Daqian! Do you understand?!"

"Your Majesty, Holy Might!"

Several veteran officials instantly understood the intention of Hua Yunhong's risky move.

bluff!

Although this method is a bit cliché, it works very well.

The next day, Shenmu Palace, Linde Hall.

The luxury of the banquet far exceeded Sun Jinshan's imagination.

Inside the magnificent hall, there were pleasant music, graceful dancers, and delicious delicacies were served like flowing water.

Hua Yunhong sat high in the main seat. Although his face was still pale, he seemed to be in much better spirits, and even had a deliberately created warm smile on his face.

Sun Jinshan was arranged to sit in a seat second only to Hua Yunhong, a prominent position.

He smiled and responded appropriately, but alarm bells were ringing in his heart.

The atmosphere is so weird!

Hua Yunhong wanted to eat him alive yesterday, but today he treated him so politely.

He keenly noticed that a more distinguished seat was reserved at the side and back of the hall.

It seems to be prepared for more important guests.

"Boss Sun."

Hua Yunhong raised his glass in a loud voice, ensuring that everyone in the hall could hear him.

"There may have been some misunderstanding in our correspondence the other day. I have considered this over and over again. Tongbao Pavilion has made an indelible contribution to the prosperity of Shenmu's commerce. I am hosting a banquet today, firstly to apologize, and secondly to discuss the strategic plan of coordinating the management of finances and grain. I hope you will put aside your past grudges and join us in this great event!"

Sun Jinshan sneered in his heart, but raised his glass respectfully.

"Your Majesty, you are too kind. Tongbao Pavilion is a merchant's duty. We have done our best to facilitate the exchange of goods between the two countries. I dare not take credit for it. Your Majesty is so kind to me. Jinshan is in awe."

The two of them pretended to be nice to each other and drank three rounds of wine.

At this time, many royal nobles around them had already noticed the situation on their side.

They were all very curious about how today's farce would end, and that was why many people's eyes were shifting back and forth between Hua Yunhong and Sun Jinshan.