Fearing being killed for his overwhelming merits, the empress decided to marry him.

After saying this, He Yong broke out in a cold sweat and looked at Li Hong cautiously, afraid that he would lose his head if he said the wrong thing.

However, Li Hong remained surprisingly calm, simply nodding and saying, "Continue."

"Yes."

He Yong responded and then said, "Your Majesty, although Wu Zhao Kingdom has suffered such a great defeat this time, it may also be an opportunity."

"The army of Chu has shown me that its once-mighty force, composed of elite warriors, has reached its end. My Wu Zhao Kingdom can emulate Chu's military system and introduce advanced firearms."

Then equip them to the army. I've inquired and learned that if they are trained according to the Chu army manual, within six months, with the strength of my Wu Zhao state, we can raise an army of tens of thousands again.

Your Majesty, think about it, isn't this much less strenuous than spending ten or twenty years training a single elite force?

After hearing He Yong's explanation, Li Hong smiled with satisfaction: "He Yong, I really underestimated you. I didn't expect you to be so knowledgeable about military affairs."

He Yong bowed and replied, "This servant has been highly regarded by His Majesty and has been by your side for a long time, so I have naturally learned some basics."

Li Hong: "Very good. If there were more loyal ministers like you in the court, how could Wu Zhao Kingdom have ended up like this?"

"Your Majesty's words are too kind to this humble servant."

"He Yong, you may leave. I will send you my decision in an hour. Then you can give it to Shen Lang. I believe he will not make things difficult for you."

"Slave takes orders."

After kneeling and kowtowing three times, He Yong tiptoed out of the Yangxin Hall.

Not long after he left, Zhang Gui, looking weary, entered the hall.

Before he could even bow, Li Hong waved his hand and said, "Sit down and talk to me."

Zhang Gui sat down silently next to Li Hong, still keeping her head down and not saying a word.

Li Hong glanced at him: "Why aren't you saying anything? I was hoping you could say a few more curses, which would be better than this pretentious act. Just say what you want to say."

Zhang Gui: "Your Majesty, I haven't slept a wink these past few days. I've been thinking about how Wu Zhao Kingdom has become like this. It was so...sigh..."

Li Hong gave a bitter smile: "And what about me?"

Zhang Gui: "Your Majesty, please allow me to speak from the heart. Today's defeat is not due to the incompetence of my Wu Zhao soldiers, but rather because the hearts of the people are not with my Wu Zhao Kingdom."

Even if Wu Zhao possessed the same military equipment as the Chu army, if the people abandoned Wu Zhao, Wu Zhao would still be unable to defeat a powerful enemy like Chu.

Li Hong: "Are you going to be sarcastic again?"

Zhang Gui: "Your Majesty, if this servant dares to ask, how long has it been since you carefully reviewed the memorials regarding the local conditions? Many places have suffered disasters, and public resentment is rising."

His Majesty ordered the garrison to suppress the rebellion without even understanding the full situation. This will not solve the problem, and the people's hearts will not return to Wu Zhao Kingdom because of military suppression.

Li Hong: "Are you saying that I disregard the suffering of the people?"

Zhang Gui: "His Majesty has exempted local taxes and levies amounting to as much as 200 million taels of silver, which is unprecedented in any previous dynasty. But why are the people not grateful to His Majesty?"

Li Hong fell silent; of course he knew the reason.

The tax exemption was merely a way to gain fame, but it couldn't solve the immediate problem of the disaster victims' most urgent need for money and food. He used all the money in the national treasury to wage war and consolidate relations with the border regions, and was unwilling to give any more to the local areas.

Then, he transferred the relief funds that should have been provided by the Ministry of Revenue of the Imperial Court to the surrounding prefectures and counties of the disaster area. Li Hong had already foreseen the consequences of doing so.

However, he believed he had the situation under control, relying on the military families and garrison supervision of the major cities to prevent the spread of popular uprisings.

But now, the unexpected intrusion of the State of Chu has brought the anti-people policies established by Li Hong and even by successive Wu Zhaojun kings to the brink of collapse.

The folk society formed in Jintian, Haixi, began to study the national policies of the State of Chu and criticize the cruelty of Emperor Wu Zhao, which was already known to Li Hong.

But he had no choice but to be angry and could only instruct officers and soldiers in various places to pay close attention to the Jintian Society.

Why? Because they had no troops left to use for the encirclement and suppression. The only hope, the several thousand elite troops under Fu Heng, were scattered and held captive by the Chu army in various parts of Southern Zhili. They could not be mobilized before an agreement was reached with Shen Lang.

Moreover, even if Fuheng's thousands of government troops were to attack Haixi, would they necessarily be able to solve the problem of the people and society?

impossible.

After a long silence, Li Hongcai replied, "I understand. You may go back now."

Zhang Gui stood up: "This servant takes his leave."

After saying that, he sighed and left Qingliang Palace.

"Father!"

Just as Li Hong was feeling sleepy and was about to take a nap before replying to He Yong, Li Yan's cries broke the silence.

Li Yan was seen kneeling beside Li Hong, crying, with snot and tears streaming down her face.

"Father, I am heartbroken and want to have a good talk with you."

Li Hong looked at the successor he was so eager to groom with a cold expression.

I thought that after so many years of teaching, Li Yan should have some of the bearing of a monarch, but now it seems that he is just petty and narrow-minded, and is unlikely to amount to anything.

But apart from Li Yan, none of his descendants seemed more suitable to inherit the throne than him, which inevitably made Li Hong feel a sense of sorrow.

"What else can you do besides cry?"

A calm, cold rebuke immediately silenced Li Yan.

"The Wu Zhao Kingdom isn't finished yet, and you're just crying here? What good will crying do?"

"Your Majesty, I feel extremely distressed just thinking about how you have been humiliated."

"Then go and save face for me. Coming here to cry and complain to me, will that solve the problem?"

Li Yan quickly shook his head: "Father, I had no such intention. I just wanted to show my concern for you."

"If you really care about me, then study the ways of a ruler properly and think about how to solidify the foundation of Wu Zhao Kingdom, instead of crying like a woman. Besides, you are not even as good as that woman."

Li Hong pointed to Jiang Mengxuan's portrait.

"She's not even as old as you now, but at seventeen she was already the ruler of a country, shouldering the responsibilities of the dynasty. Now, before she's even thirty, she's already led the Chu Kingdom to force my Wu Zhao Kingdom to cede territory and pay reparations."

And you? What have you accomplished at thirty-three? You spend all your time associating with those ungrateful bastards like Wang Shanshui and Guan Mao.

I've told you more than once that these kinds of despicable people can't help you at all; you should stay away from them.

"They are merely my royal dogs, yet you insist on associating with these inhuman beasts. Where is your regal bearing?"

Li Yan: "Father, I was wrong."

Li Hong: "I've heard that Wang Shanshui and Guan Mao are still spreading rumors about the great achievements of my Wu Zhao Kingdom throughout the capital. Inform the Ministry of Personnel to dismiss them from their posts."

The Imperial Clan Court was then ordered to remove their Di (barbarian) status, demote them to commoners, and confiscate their bestowed residences. Such people should return to their rightful place.

Li Yan nodded: "Your subject will take care of it immediately."

Li Hong's tone softened somewhat: "My son, the kingdom of Wu Zhao will eventually be in your hands. However, you will face challenges after your ascension to the throne."

"You'll have to shoulder this burden yourself. The last thing I can do for you is to hold this empire together; the rest is up to you."

"Father!"

Li Yan burst into tears, but in her heart she was cursing the old man to the core.

For a time, the Qingliang Hall was at least filled with a sense of paternal love and filial piety.