As the Southern Zhou Dynasty was the least powerful among the three kingdoms, spending money to buy peace was an established national policy.
Every year, the Southern Zhou Dynasty would pay tribute to the Northern Liao Dynasty and the Tang Dynasty, euphemistically called it a New Year's gift.
The gifts are valuable, and Xu will personally review the gift list every year.
The people who gave the congratulatory gifts were the emperors of the two countries.
He Lianfeng and Li Mi opened the gifts and looked at them one by one.
An aphrodisiac...
Are you mocking me for not being a man?
Nian Xu's face turned red.
He asked himself, if he received such a congratulatory gift, he would probably be furious.
Han Bi said: "Not only that, the man also left a note. I don't know what was written on it. But I know the general meaning... Your Majesty heard that the Emperor of the Tang Dynasty was declining in power, so he gave aphrodisiac as a gift..."
This was a slap in the face to Li Mi in front of his face, which was a great shame and humiliation!
Nian Xu took a deep breath, "Who did it?"
Han Bi said: "That man is dead."
He slowly looked at Peng Jing and Fang Chong, "Does Prime Minister Peng know?"
Peng Jing frowned, "What do you mean by that? This is the first time I've heard of this."
Han Bi sneered, "First heard of this? Since the beginning of the New Deal, you and others have frequently taken action and obstructed it. But the New Deal has won the hearts of the people, and His Majesty fully supports it, so someone thought of a way..."
Nian Xu looked gloomy.
"Since you can't stop the New Deal, why not find another way? Provoke the Tang Dynasty. Once the Tang Dynasty sends troops, you and others can impeach you accordingly. This is a disaster caused by the New Deal."
Sun Shi fired, "I want to ask, in your eyes, where is Dazhou?"
Han Bi sneered and said: "In the eyes of these people, what does Da Zhou have to do with them? The New Deal and New Deal ruined their good deeds. For this reason, they would not hesitate to beat Da Zhou to pieces... they would rather be the lackeys of the Tang people!"
"Han Bi!" Peng Jing narrowed his eyes, "Who gave you the courage to slander me in court? Do you want to be a powerful minister?"
Nian Xu was silent, holding his right hand tightly.
"Slander?" Han Bi took a step forward, "One of the officials who prepared the gifts committed suicide the day before yesterday. It is said that it was corruption. Do you think you can cover up this matter by paying off the gangster? I have good hands around me, and he can tell at a glance
Said this person’s neck bone was broken…”
"Who killed him?" Sun Shi hugged the wat board and said, "I think this is murder and silence!"
"Check!" Peng Jing raised his head, "If it is found that I am responsible, I will pay with my life. If not, Your Majesty." He saluted Nian Xu, "Please make the decision for me."
The matter was ultimately left to Nian Xu.
But what can he do?
Scold?
Without evidence, if he dared to scold Peng Jing, he would dare to beg for his body in front of the court. Then those who opposed the New Deal would roar, and the whole Bianjing would be in panic.
Therefore, all he can do is: "Check!"
Peng Jing stepped back with a calm look on his face.
Disperse later.
Peng Jing and Fang Chong arrived at their check-in room together.
"Who did it?" Peng Jing asked.
Fang Chong shook his head, "I don't know either."
"You should know." Peng Jing suppressed his anger, "Without Prime Minister's approval, how could they dare to do such a big thing? Otherwise, when the thunder comes, who can protect them?"
Fang Chong said somewhat uncomfortably: "This matter is the work of some people below."
"You..." Peng Jing's veins popped up on his forehead, "That's the Tang Dynasty! Humiliating Li Bi is humiliating the Tang Dynasty. Don't you know the consequences of this move?"
Fang Chong said calmly: "Your Majesty is determined to have his own way. Sun Shi and others are ambitious and have sinister intentions... The so-called New Deal is just to peel the skin off our bodies. Do you know how many people outside are dissatisfied? If you ignore it, those people will
He will roar, he will... rebel!"
"They have no soldiers, are they rebelling?" Peng Jing resisted the urge to slap the table, "This time Li Mi has been angered and the army is pressing down. Aren't you afraid of the collapse of the Zhou Dynasty?"
"Peng Xianggao looked at Datang." Fang Chong said with a smile: "First, the Southern Xinjiang army only has a few troops. They dare to send troops because the Southern Xinjiang rebels have recently ceased their activities.
When the two sides reach a stalemate, if our people encourage them, the Southern Xinjiang rebels will rise up. At that time, the Southern Xinjiang army will be attacked from both sides, and in this battle... a great victory can be expected!
Secondly, the Liao Dynasty would not sit back and watch the Tang Dynasty destroy the Zhou Dynasty. I bet that when the Great Zhou Dynasty was in danger, Helian Feng went crazy. He knew that once the Tang Dynasty lost the enemy of the Great Zhou Dynasty, it would then be able to devote all its efforts to the north.
At that time, who will win... is yet to be determined!"
Peng Jing sneered, "What if Datang doesn't care about it?"
Fang Chong said coldly: "Then, let's just ignore it. The Tang Dynasty destroyed the Zhou Dynasty, and the Liao Dynasty destroyed the Tang Dynasty!"
Peng Jing was furious, "If the Zhou Dynasty destroys the country, what good will it do to us?"
Fang Chong said coldly: "If this Great Zhou wants to eat our flesh and blood and take away our benefits, then why does it still exist? It will be destroyed, just right!"
Snap!
A crisp sound came from the check-in room.
Fang Chong covered his face and said, "Don't forget who is behind us. What is the purpose of Sun Shi and others' implementation of the New Deal? They are to rob the rich and give to the poor. Whose rich are they robbed? We will wait! Whose poor are we to help? Those mud-legged people! "
Peng Jing's face turned livid, "But even so, Da Zhou should not be used as a chess piece!"
Fang Chong sneered, "If the New Deal continues to be implemented, the world will be in chaos in just a few years."
Peng Jing patted the table and said, "There will be no chaos!"
"Why do you deceive yourself?" Fang Chong said: "Whose hands are the money of the Great Zhou? Them! Who is in the hands of the land of the Great Zhou? They! They are throughout the entire Great Zhou, in the army, in the officialdom, and their people are all Everywhere.
When Your Majesty wants to cut off their flesh and blood to help those clay legs, I tell you, they will rise up and overthrow this great Zhou."
"Don't they care about the loss of life?" Peng Jing's face turned pale.
Fang Chong smiled easily, "They just want the lives of all people to be devastated. There will be no roosters crowing for thousands of miles, and the bones will be exposed in the wild. Those who died are all mud-legged people who support the New Deal."
"The Tang Dynasty will destroy the Great Zhou Dynasty!" Peng Jing felt helpless. "The Great Zhou Dynasty is in civil strife. They only need to kick it and the Great Zhou Dynasty will fall."
The most important thing that the Southern Zhou Dynasty could withstand the pressure of the Tang Dynasty for hundreds of years was that there was no internal trouble.
"Does Prime Minister Peng know what they are talking about?" Fang Chong said calmly: "They said that if this great Zhou cannot protect their money and land, then it would be better to change their master."
"Shameless!" Peng Jing roared.
He slowly looked at the expressionless Fang Chong, "What do they want to do?"
Fang Chong said: "Stop the New Deal and exile Sun Shi, Han Bi and others. In addition, some people say that Sun Shi, Han Bi and others should be killed as a warning to those who come later!"
Because the New Deal involves the interests of these people, the political dispute has evolved into a life-and-death struggle.
Fight until death!
"Get out!" Peng Jing pointed to the door.
Fang Chong stood up and said, "If you think about it carefully, once these things are revealed, both sides will fight to the death. By then..."
"go out!"
Peng Jing gritted his teeth and raised his tea cup.
Fang Chong went out, turned around and closed the door.
He saw Peng Jing lying on the table, trembling all over, and said in pain:
"What a great week!"
There was a smile in the corners of Fang Chong's eyes, a cold smile.
Then, he slowly closed the door.
Squeak...
The room fell into darkness.
…
"It's definitely them who did it, and there is evidence."
It has to be said that the Qing Dynasty is very powerful. After Nian Xu lifted the ban on monitoring the prime ministers, the evidence was quickly found.
"The dead official was silenced, and someone behind him... an acquaintance, just held his head and squeezed it hard."
"Whose instructions?" Nian Xu asked calmly.
The young scholar lowered his head and said, "He is just a sixth-grade official."
"I...get it."
This voice was filled with helplessness and desolation.
The young scholar couldn't help but raise his head and said, "Your Majesty, this matter has nothing to do with Peng Jing and his group."
"I understand." Nian Xu waved his hand, "This matter is over."
"Your Majesty!" Nian Ru whispered: "This is a traitor and traitor!"
For rebellious officials and traitors, killing is the first choice.
Nian Xu was a little helpless, "What can I do? Capture Peng Jing and others, exile or kill them. Then the people's voices for their injustice became louder. If I don't vindicate them, memorials will fill the palace. I, I think,
But can’t!”
The young Confucian knelt down and choked with sobs: "The Lord humiliates me and I will die. I... will die!"
"What does it have to do with you?" Nian Xu smiled bitterly and said: "At the beginning, Emperor Taizu set the national policy of sharing the world with the scholar-bureaucrats. Nian used this to stabilize the civil servants, and then used the civil servants to suppress the military men. In this way, the great power of the Zhou Dynasty was
Gradually it stabilized.
But now it seems that this is a dose of poison, hurting others and hurting ourselves."
There was a stern look in the young scholar's eyes, "Your Majesty, the secret agent's ability to hide is unparalleled in the world. Please... monitor the Prime Minister!"
Nian Xu was a little moved.
"They will be extra vigilant recently...be careful."
The young scholar bowed his head and said, "If it fails, it will all be my fault."
If the incident failed, in order to appease those people, Nian Xu had to throw out an important minister to take the blame. Nian Ru was very suitable.
Back at Lover's Department, Nian Ru called for a call.
"I have something important to do here, it's confidential."
The last time Zhong Sheng failed to capture Yang Lue, it was Nian Ru who protected him afterwards.
"When ordered by the commander-in-chief, subordinates will go through fire and water without hesitation!"
"Go..." Nian Ru stared at him, "Peng Jing and others will have a secret meeting recently, so keep an eye on it."
"this……"
A while ago, I was just monitoring Zaifu and keeping an eye on Zaifu. This has never happened before.
"This matter is what I did."
Nian Ru's words made Zhong Sheng understand.
Young scholars can only be cannon fodder, but he is not even qualified to be cannon fodder.
"I'll take my orders."
When night fell on the second day, Zhong Sheng sneaked into Fang Chong's house with two of his men.
We approached the study room without any danger.
Fang Chong was talking with two officials, and next to him sat a man in his fifties. The man had black hair, fair skin, and a calm expression.
"This time the Tang Dynasty sends troops, the transportation of baggage and supplies is the top priority. We must find a way to get these errands." Fang Chong took a sip of tea.
"What Prime Minister Fang means is..." an official thought for a while, "I have the food and grass in hand. If the battle ahead is in order, there should be some accidents on the way."
Another official laughed and said: "It was set on fire by thieves or the road was damaged, making it impossible to move forward."
Fang Chong smiled, "This matter..."
The man suddenly said, "Mr., there is someone here."
Fang Chong glanced outside, "Who?"
The man stepped forward and said, "The sneaky ones are probably the wandering spirits from the Lovers Division."
Fang Chong asked: "Is it possible to solve it?"
The man smiled, "It's a small matter."
The man's name is Meng Zhang, and he is an expert at Fang Chong's side.
"Don't leave anyone alive," Fang Chong explained.
"I know."
Fang Chong coughed dryly, and the two officials began to talk, and their words were vague and specious.
Meng Zhang sat there on his knees, closed his eyes, and stretched out his hands, as if sensing something in the air.
Outside, two spies quietly approached the back of the study and listened.
"Someone is impeaching Prime Minister Fang today, and the reason is laughable."
"Oh! What's the reason?"
Zhong Zhen was on the other side, looking carefully at the study door. He knew that Peng Jing would come later.
Who Peng Jing would bring here was the news he wanted to find out.
A figure floated out of the study room, like a wisp of blue smoke.
As soon as the green smoke surrounded him, he went around to the back of the study.
His heavy heart was shaken and he screamed.
The two spies reacted instantly, one stayed and the other flew away.
Meng Zhang went around to the rear, and the spy who was left behind quietly approached and slapped him away.
Meng Zhang gave a backhand punch.
The secret agent hit him, but as if to see him off, the green smoke floated faster and faster. And the punch retreated right in front of the secret agent's forehead.
The spy groaned and slowly knelt down, revealing his figure, and then gray-white brain matter flowed out from his nostrils.
Another secret agent had just rushed out ten steps when a strong wind came from behind.
He tried to dodge, but his body moved a few times. Just as he was about to turn around, he received a slap on his shoulder.
Meng Zhang's body flew back.
This series of movements is as fast as lightning.
Shen Zhan turned around and ran away without hesitation.
The two of them left quickly, one behind the other.
There is a wall in front of you, and there are people covering you when you get out.
Behind him, Meng Zhang punched him from a distance.
puff!
He opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood, which fell under the wall.
Two spies caught him.
"Let's go!" Zhong Zhong gritted his teeth and said, "Use the crossbow!"
Someone roared.
Then, there was a loud noise from ahead.
Bang!
A thick crossbow arrow was shot at Meng Zhang who was flying in mid-air.
Meng Zhang's figure froze, he stretched out his hand and slapped hard.
Boom!
The spear-like crossbow arrow was shot away, but Meng Zhang's figure fell down.
When he flew up the wall again, he had lost his target.
He returned to the study.
"How?" Fang Chong asked.
"Two died, and the other was seriously injured by me and escaped. By the way, they used crossbows!"
Fang Chong looked outside with a calm expression.
"emperor!"
…
"Failed!"
The young scholar went to the palace to plead guilty.
"Two spies were killed and one was seriously injured."
"No one alive?" Nian Xu asked.
"No."
Nian Xu breathed a sigh of relief.
He knew that this was Fang Chong's explanation.
——As kings and ministers, you stab me and I kick you, but the fight will be a fight and cannot be broken.
Commonly known as: Fight without defeat!
Nian Xu waved his hand, "Go!"
Since both the monarch and his ministers are aware of the other party's hints, there is still room for maneuver.
"His Majesty."
Just as Nian Xu was about to lie down and rest for a while, Nian Ru came to see him again.
"What's the matter?"
"The Southern Xinjiang Army...the entire army has assembled."
"We are getting ready to attack." Although he knew that this battle was inevitable, Nian Xu was still a little nervous when it was about to come.
"Gather the ministers together."
That night, officials of the fifth rank and above in Bianjing gathered in the palace.
When the officials saw the emperor in military uniform with a sword on his waist, they couldn't help but be stunned.
"The Tang army is about to attack, and Zhou's only response is... to end the war with war!" Nian Xu's opening remarks were very passionate.
But the officials remained silent.
"Your Majesty, I am willing to unite the army to defend against the enemy!" Sun Shi went out without hesitation.
Nian Xu nodded happily, "I know Sun Qing's loyalty. However, someone asked me to fight before, and I couldn't bear to refuse him."
Who is it?
Sun Shi turned around.
Nian Xu said calmly: "Peng Qing."
Peng Jing's body was shaken and he left the office, "I'm here."
"Fang Qing!"
"I...are here!" Fang Chong left the class.
"I would be very happy if the two noble families took the initiative to invite you!"
But Peng Jing swore that he had never expressed his opinion on this matter at all, let alone asked for help.
That is the Tiger Tiger of the Tang Dynasty. How can those thieves and armies of the Great Zhou Dynasty be their opponents?
But he couldn't refuse!
Otherwise, under the threat of national subjugation, the emperor would tear apart the harmony between monarch and ministers and reveal the whole story.
Fang Chong was also stunned, but then he woke up.
They planned the gift incident, causing the army to press on the border. Just when they thought the emperor would take this breath... Come on, you two will lead the army to go out. If you win, then everything will be easy.