"Your Majesty." Zhang Cunxian, the governor of Huaizhou, spoke first, breaking the silence, "I wonder what your Majesty's generals and ministers are summoned here to do?"
Zhang Cunxian is a middle-aged man with a simple appearance. He looks honest, loyal and patriotic.
Bai Yutian heard Zhang Cunxian's words, glanced at him, and sneered softly.
"Humph, I summoned you here just to ask you about the good things you have done!"
Judging from Bai Yutian's tone, it didn't sound like he was asking, but he was clearly asking for help.
In an instant, everyone was on their knees, not knowing what mistake they had made.
Especially Zhang Cunxian and others, their hearts pounded and their hearts started to beat faster, thinking that maybe those things were known to Bai Yutian.
Their mountains are high and their emperors are far away. Many of the policies implemented by Tailin City and Qizhou Yongzhou involve their interests, so they operate in secret and change many policies, which makes the people in the territory even more miserable.
Of course, there are also people who are calm and have a clear conscience, such as He Kang, the governor of Qizhou, and Bai Yuzhan, the governor of Yongzhou.
They were the closest to Tailin City, and everything they did was watched by Bai Yutian, and they were also loyal to Bai Yutian, which made Bai Yutian feel relieved that he had not done anything extraordinary.
Therefore, they have no worries about Bai Yutian being held accountable.
Sure enough, Bai Yutian turned his attention to Zhang Cunxian and Zheng Kaiji.
"I ask you, how many troops and horses do you have in your territory?"
The two Jiangbei states occupy natural dangers and have an important geographical location, so they are also allowed to cultivate part of the army.
Zhang Cunxian and Zheng Kaiji looked at each other and reported the number of soldiers and horses in their respective territories.
There are 30,000 soldiers in Huaizhou and 20,000 soldiers in Chanzhou, making a total of 50,000 soldiers.
"With all the efforts of your two states, the total army is only 50,000!"
"And the refugees you expelled totaled almost 100,000 people. All of these people were expelled into Nanchuan and formed a force to resist the imperial court. Do you two know your guilt?"
"One hundred thousand people, how many soldiers and horses does the imperial court have now?"
Bai Yutian roared angrily, and the voice gradually got louder, making everyone panic and uneasy.
"Your Majesty, I don't dare!" The two of them shouted in unison, trembling in fear in front of Bai Yutian.
They did not expect that Bai Yutian would know everything about these secret things, which was simply incredible.
"Can you plead guilty?" Bai Yutian's eyes glowed with a dangerous light.
Dian Wei and Zhao Chuxue next to them also showed their swords, making them even more panicked.
"Your Majesty, it's unfair. These refugees left Huaizhou and Chanzhou forcibly, and I couldn't stop them."
At this time, Zhang Cunxian was still defending himself.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I sent the army to suppress it, but it couldn't be suppressed at all. I was worried about harming the people, so I let the army retreat." Zheng Kaiji also added.
Bai Yutian smiled coldly, "Then why did these refugees leave Jiangbei? You know best. You abuse your power, embezzle money, and oppress the people. How can you have the dignity to serve as a prefect?"
"Also, if you are complaining that you are wronged, I have evidence here."
After Bai Yutian finished speaking, he picked up the account book from the table, which recorded the corruption records of the two people, as well as their daily crimes.
At this time, Zhang Cunxian and Zheng Kaiji also knew that the evidence was solid, and there was no point in continuing to deny it.
So, they began to plead for mercy, hoping that Bai Yu Tianwang would open up and bypass them, and promise to never do it again in the future.
Zhang Cunxian and Zheng Kaiji have been inherited in Jiangbei Province for a long time. Their family history is as long as that of the Zhou Dynasty, and their family power is not weaker than that of the Gu family.
Although they are not the first noble family, they are at least a family that has been personally granted territory, so naturally they have some background.
"And you, Bai Yuxiao, as a member of the royal family, Mingzhou's army suffered a blow, but you also deducted food and embezzled military pay, leaving the soldiers without enough food, clothing, and combat effectiveness. What crime should you be responsible for?"
Bai Yutian did not answer them, but changed the subject and pointed directly at Bai Yuxiao.
As a member of the royal family, Bai Yuxiao was a descendant of the original King Chong, but now he is in such a bad state, which makes Bai Yutian extremely disappointed.
Bai Yuxiao was secretly glad at first, thinking that it was nothing to do with him, but when he heard Bai Yutian's name being called, he immediately became worried.
Bai Yuxiao did not deny it and directly admitted his crime.
"Zhang Cunxian, Zheng Kaiji, and Bai Yuxiao continue to kneel, while the others stand up."
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" When the others heard this, they stood up, and the stones hanging in their hearts finally let go.
Most of them were able to climb to this position because they were guilty. If they were to be traced, almost everyone would be sentenced.
The three of them could not fathom Bai Yutian's thoughts and did not dare to raise their heads. They could only continue to kneel and wait for Bai Yutian's next words.
"According to the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty, you should all be dismissed from office. In serious cases, you may even be sentenced to death!"
Hearing what Bai Yutian said, the three people's hearts suddenly jumped up, and the expressions on their faces were panic. They had not lived enough and did not want to die.
"However, because of your hard work and your contribution to the court, I can forgive you."
After hearing what Bai Yutian said, the mood of the three people immediately relaxed, and they were full of expressions of surviving the disaster.
Zhang Cunxian and Zheng Kaiji were secretly happy, thinking that Bai Yutian really didn't dare to punish them.
The Dashun Kingdom and the Dachuan Kingdom combined have a total of 800,000 troops, but the current number of troops that Dazhou can mobilize is less than 400,000.
If another conflict breaks out, I am afraid that the internal strength will be depleted and it will be even less able to resist the enemy.
Moreover, the two Jiangbei states have always occupied natural dangers and can block the army going north. If they lose it, it will be a huge blow to the imperial court.
As for Bai Yuxiao, he didn't think much about it. He was blessed by the halo of King Chong. Without King Chong, he was just an ordinary collateral descendant of the royal family.
If you make a mistake, you are no different from the common people.
King Chong played a great role in annihilating the Lotus Sect with his wise and martial skills. He won the final victory at the minimum cost and has always been talked about by everyone.
Bai Yutian glanced at the three of them, taking in all their expressions.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will definitely dedicate myself to governing the Zhou Dynasty and share Your Majesty's worries. I will be willing to accept any punishment from Your Majesty."
The three of them were in perfect agreement and almost spoke in unison.
For them, as long as they are not severely punished, that's fine.
However, what Bai Yutian said next shocked them.
"I plan to merge the prefectures and cities, establish provinces, and re-divide the major territories of the Zhou Dynasty."
The re-division of territories is a major event for the entire Zhou Dynasty and will involve the interests of many people.
The three of them looked at each other. The secret was not good. Bai Yutian seemed to let them go, but in fact, he was probably dividing their provinces to further weaken their power and eventually eliminate them.