SFS Chapter 288: Diverting trouble to the east
Chapter 288: Diverting trouble to the east
The envoy fell silent. Unless it was a critical moment, he would keep it to himself and would never reveal a word.
If the King of Qi finds out, it will probably ruin the whole situation.
"Your Highness, the Great Zhou has suffered from natural disasters and constant warfare on the border, which has long since emptied the national treasury. Even the money to settle the disaster victims in Guanzhou was donated by Zhao Yi and wealthy merchants."
"We dare to push our luck in the marriage alliance because we are certain that the Great Zhou cannot afford military expenditures."
"Throughout history, many countries have perished because of empty treasuries."
"Externally, there is no food or pay to supply the soldiers to defend against the enemy. Internally, there is no way to appease the disaster-stricken people."
"When the people can no longer make a living, they will rise up in rebellion. Foreign enemies will seize the opportunity, and under the attack from both inside and outside, the court will have no power to resist."
Although the envoy was merely placating King Qi, it was also a reflection of his true feelings.
The Great Zhou Dynasty won a great victory, but it was also severely weakened and needed to recuperate.
Otherwise, the Great Zhou would never accept the surrender of the Northern Qi and would instead march directly on the capital of the Northern Qi to bring Princess Yizhen back to the country.
The fact that Emperor Jing'an sent the Prince of Zhenbei to support the northern border shows that the Great Zhou was short of supplies and could not sustain itself, which is why it wanted to win a quick battle.
King Qi was no fool; he could easily see that the envoy was deliberately concealing something.
He had previously tried to gauge the situation with the envoy, but hadn't gotten the desired result. So he went to the other envoys who were accompanying him, but they all knew nothing about it.
King Qi, no longer wanting to make things awkward, said, "We've been in the Great Zhou long enough. When will we finalize the marriage alliance?"
The envoy uttered a few words: "Royal autumn hunt."
King Qi calculated that, based on the usual time of the Great Zhou's autumn hunt, it would take no more than a month.
Once the autumn hunt is over and Guangning's marriage is settled, the secrets he wanted to know should be answered.
-
After leaving the palace, Zhao Yi returned to the Duke's mansion. It was already late at night, and he walked into Lanxue Garden under the cold, white moonlight.
He paused, surprised to find cat-shaped lanterns hanging from the eaves and trees.
It added a touch of fun and warmth to this quiet courtyard.
Zhao Yi quickened his pace, pushed open the door and went inside, and immediately saw Shen Qingtan leaning against the couch reading a book.
She looked as if she had just emerged from a bath; her fair cheeks were flushed with the steam, and she wore a waistcoat and a pale white veil, like a light mist shrouding the vibrant flowers.
It is beautiful and fragrant, delicate and charming.
Zhao Yi walked toward Shen Qingtan, but suddenly stopped, realizing that she had already taken a bath. He was covered in dust, so he went into the inner room.
He took out clean casual clothes from the closet, stood behind the screen, and was about to unbuckle his belt.
Suddenly, a soft body pressed against his back, and a pair of soft hands reached out from behind his waist, groping to undo his belt.
Zhao Yi could almost smell the light fragrance emanating from her, and said in a low voice, "I came back from outside, and my clothes are covered in dust."
“You’re such a spoilsport.” Shen Qingtan took off her belt, walked around to him, and helped him remove his outer robe. “I’m worried that Prince Rui is unreliable and might implicate you, making the Emperor think you’ve taken sides.”
Zhao Yi smiled helplessly and apologized.
“Prince Rui asked about matters of the court, which have nothing to do with me.” Zhao Yi draped his outer robe over the screen. “The Emperor only spoke with me and we played a few games of chess. He didn’t ask me about the Ministry of War.”
Upon hearing this, Shen Qingtan felt that Emperor Jing'an truly loved Zhao Yi and didn't ask him about matters concerning the Ministry of War, probably because he didn't want to involve Zhao Yi.
When Emperor Jing'an asked the question, Zhao Yi had no choice but to offer advice. Once he did, he would truly be drawn into this mess and find it difficult to extricate himself.
After all, Emperor Jing'an would casually ask Zhao Yi about other state affairs. But today, he summoned Zhao Yi to the palace without asking a single question, which was to ask Zhao Yi to avoid suspicion.
"My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, can finally rest easy," Shen Qingtan said softly. "It is said that true feelings are hard to find in the royal family, but I don't think that's entirely true. His Majesty is a man of great affection and righteousness."
Zhao Yi naturally knew what Shen Qingtan was referring to. He couldn't help but recall what Eunuch Deng had said about Emperor Jing'an's poor health, his constant handling of state affairs, and his inability to properly rest.
The follow-up matters in Qingzhou have not yet been properly handled, and the empty national treasury also urgently needs to be addressed.
Zhao Yi plans to meet with the Grand Secretary tomorrow to discuss this matter and share the burden for Emperor Jing'an.
“My mother says I have many benefactors in my life,” Zhao Yi said gently, a smile in his eyes. “The Emperor is like that, and so is the Lady.”
Shen Qingtan: "..."
She poked his chest: "It's getting late, go take a bath and go to bed."
Zhao Yi chuckled and took the clothes to the bathroom.
Shen Qingtan was lying in bed when she glanced at a box of ointment next to her pillow with the words "Jade Skin Ointment" written on it.
This is the gift that the Fourth Madam sent from West Mountain, along with instructions on how to use it.
You need to melt the ointment in your palm and then slowly massage it into your skin to nourish it. This can remove the dullness that accumulates on your skin and make it white, tender, and smooth.
Zhao Yi then took on this important task, applying the ointment to her every night before bed, which naturally enhanced the relationship between the couple.
Thinking of this, Shen Qingtan felt a flush of heat in her ears and quickly stuffed the ointment under her pillow before curling up in the blanket to sleep.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but the man lay down beside her, one arm around her waist, and pulled her into his arms.
Immediately afterwards, she felt a cool sensation on her waist as the man's hand covered it, gently rubbing the ointment into her skin. Her bones felt as if they had melted.
Shen Qingtan buried her face in the quilt and secretly made a decision: she would never accept anything from her fourth aunt again.
-
Emperor Jing'an issued an edict ordering Prince Rui to thoroughly investigate the Ministry of War and to have the Embroidered Uniform Guard assist in the investigation.
When the news reached Prince Yu's ears, he didn't react much and calmly continued practicing calligraphy.
"Your Highness, once the Embroidered Uniform Guards get involved, they will definitely find out," the Grand Secretary said anxiously. "What should we do?"
After writing a piece of calligraphy, Prince Yu finally looked up at the Grand Tutor: "Shift the blame eastward."