Chapter 1,181: Bringing the Thief Back to Earth (Additional update because I am only willing to persevere for you)
Dalong Capital.
The storm came with ferocious force, and its power was no less powerful than that of Yingzhou. In just half a day, water accumulated in the city, enough to submerge the feet.
The autumn floods have arrived.
The continuous autumn rain in March is not just talk.
"drive!"
"drive!"
Yiqi didn't even hold an umbrella but rushed towards the palace despite the violent storm. His clothes had already been wetted by the rain and clung tightly to his body. The visitor didn't care about the rain hitting him and hugged him tightly.
I dare not let go of the bamboo tube in my arms.
The Imperial Guards wearing raincoats who guarded the palace gates stood outside the city gates to protect the safety of the palace.
Hearing the sound of galloping horses' hooves, everyone's expression changed, and they drew out their swords from their waists and prepared for battle.
"Stop those who come, tell your name! The imperial city has been sealed, dismount immediately!"
"Song Yu, Minister of the Ministry of War, urgently needs documents from eight hundred miles north of Xinjiang. Release them as soon as possible!"
"Song Dynasty Minister?"
"Eight hundred miles of urgent documents, release them quickly!"
"Song Shu, the imperial city has been sealed. Without His Majesty's oral instructions, I dare not open the city gate due to my humble position. Please forgive me, Lord Song."
"call"
Song Yu directly tightened the reins of the horse, and the horse's hoofs were raised high, making a neighing sound. Song Yu pulled the reins on the horse to steady his body, showing his superb horsemanship.
As mentioned at the beginning, Dalong has never had absolute civilian officials and military generals.
They all have existences in which a country can be established by mounting a horse, and a country can be governed by dismounting a horse.
It's just that civil servants are slightly inferior to military generals.
Song Yu immediately stood up and dismounted, holding the bamboo tube in his arms and looking anxiously at the general guarding the city gate: "General Ping, there is an emergency in Northern Xinjiang. It is an urgent document related to Wu Guogong Wan Buhai and the 300,000 Northern Expedition Army. There is no delay at all. We will start immediately.
The city gate allows me to enter the palace to meet the saint!"
General Ping looked shocked: "What, documents from the Northern Expedition Army?"
"That's right, open the city gate quickly!"
"Yes, brothers, quickly open the city gate and let Master Song enter the palace."
"General Ping, thank you very much. If Your Majesty blames this minister for all the blame for delaying military affairs, I won't be able to chop him off even if he has 10,000 heads."
"Sir Song, the military aircraft is an important matter that cannot be underestimated. Come in quickly!"
"Okay, I won't say any more nonsense here. I will go to the palace to see the Holy Spirit first. You send the brothers to disperse and go to the other five ministers. The left and right prime ministers and 12th ministers will make an announcement at the general's palace in Beijing, asking them to come to the city gate.
Wait, and as soon as you receive His Majesty’s orders, you will immediately go to the palace to have an audience.”
"I know it!"
Song Yu no longer hesitated, immediately got on his horse and galloped towards the palace.
After half a cup of tea, the chief steward rushed towards Li Zheng and the Queen's palace. He ignored the maids who were keeping watch and stopped in front of the screen outside the bed: "Your Majesty, Northern Xinjiang is eight hundred miles away!"
Li Zheng, who was sleeping soundly, suddenly sat up, his deep eyes revealing a terrifying light.
Queen Nangong Meng was naturally awakened by Li Zheng's actions, and looked at Li Zheng in bewilderment with her exposed body covered by a brocade quilt: "Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
Li Zheng raised his hand to signal the queen to be silent, and turned to look at the screen: "Old Zhou, why don't you say it again?"
"Master Song, Minister of the Ministry of War, rode into the palace. There is an emergency in the eight hundred miles of northern Xinjiang!"
"Eight hundred miles?"
"yes!"
Li Zheng hurriedly walked towards the bed, put on his shoes, grabbed the dragon robe on the hanger and put it on his body: "Pass the decree, the remaining five ministers, the left and right prime ministers, and the twelve generals will come to the palace to pay their respects immediately. I am in the imperial study room.
Wait for them!"
"According to the order!"
"Your Majesty, I will help you change your clothes!"
The queen tightened her tight clothes and asked her to serve Li Zheng and put on the dragon robe. Li Zheng shook his head directly: "No need. It's an urgent matter to rush for eight hundred miles. There can't be any delay. I'll put it on while I'm walking. You can
Let’s rest first!”
"I know it!"
Li Zheng took the clothes and walked towards the door: "Fuhai, ask Song Aiqing to wait in the imperial study immediately. I will arrive soon, and then I will inform the prince to come to the palace to see you!"
"According to the order!"
After half a stick of incense, Li Zheng stepped into the brightly lit imperial study.
"Veteran Song Yu is here to see you"
"No gift!"
Li Zheng looked at Song Yu, who was soaked, with a scruffy look on his face, and was shivering from the cold but still hugging the bamboo tube. He waved to the eunuch beside him: "You, go find a clean plain clothes for Song Aiqing to put on, and make charcoal."
Use the basin to keep Song Aiqing warm and dry!"
"obey"
"Your Majesty, you can't. How dare I wear your Majesty's clothes? If Yushi Xia finds out,"
"Oh, Song Aiqing, this important matter is not a trivial matter at the moment. You are shivering in wet clothes and your slurred speech is what is delaying the military aircraft. Don't say more, my clothes are just a piece of clothing and it means nothing."
"Okay, sir, thank you, Your Majesty!"
During tea time, Song Yu, wearing Li Zheng's undressed clothes, sat on a chair nearby. Li Zheng was already sitting on the dragon chair, holding a piece of paper in his hand and looking at the light carefully.
After a while, Li Zheng's face darkened and he slapped the rice paper on the table: "The Northern Expedition is about to come to an end, but there is a problem with food and grass because of Qiu Yu. It's really the sky that has no eyes."
"Your Majesty, hundreds of thousands of grain and grass have been delayed for a long time due to the continuous autumn rain. Duke Wu's grain and grass will soon dry up. If they are not replenished in time, the 300,000-strong Northern Expedition Army will be exhausted."
"Is it too late to mobilize food and grass from other places?"
"More than 120 prefectures and towns north of the capital have entered the flood season, with continuous autumn rain. The official road leading directly to northern Xinjiang is too muddy and difficult to travel by, let alone other roads!"
"Especially, there is no way of knowing whether there are ministers of food and grass in other state capitals. This depends on the wishes of the temporary Hubu Shangshu Changshou Zhangchang."
Li Zheng's face was uncertain: "It doesn't matter how many nights or even ten days, the old prince will definitely have a way to deal with it, but if the grain and grass sprout on the road due to the autumn rain, there will really be no way to save it!"
"Veteran Wei Yong, Tong Sansi, Du Chenghao"
"My dear friends, please excuse yourself and take your seats."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
"My dear friends, what can you do to urgently rush me when I arrive eight hundred miles north of the border?"
Li Zheng explained the matter concisely and clearly in a few words, and everyone present except Song Yu became worried.
Li Zheng looked directly at Chang Shouzhang beside him: "Chang Aiqing, you are currently acting as the Minister of the Ministry of Household Affairs and are in charge of the world's treasury affairs. Can you tell me about the state capital closest to the old Duke? Where else can it be closer?
Gather food and grass?”
"Your Majesty, the autumn taxes have been collected and are on the way. The other treasuries only have surplus grain and no grain to adjust. Moreover, the tax revenue transported to the treasury has been delayed by the autumn rain. It is everywhere in the state capitals. Where has it arrived now?
The local government has no idea that it would take two months to notify them if they want to mobilize them locally.”
"In two months, the day lilies have become cold."
Everyone looked even more embarrassed. They were all crowded together on big and small matters. God was not kind to them.
Li Zheng wandered around the imperial study room with his hands behind his back. After a while, Li Zheng sat down on the dragon chair with a helpless expression.
"With funding from the national treasury, grain and grass will be purchased locally from the treasuries of the wealthy gentry in various prefectures in northern Xinjiang and shipped to the old prince. No matter how expensive it is, we must buy it. We must ensure that the Northern Expedition army has enough grain and grass."
"Your Majesty, there is no extra money in the treasury. If the autumn taxes are not paid, where can you ask me to get money to buy food?"
Li Zheng slapped the dragon case and glared at Chang Shouzhang angrily: "This is a matter for you, the Minister of Household Affairs. You are in charge of the world's wealth, but you ask me what to do. What use do I have for you, the Minister of Household Affairs? Jiang Aiqing is here
He wouldn't say that, I don't have any money to build a palace and kill him, but when it comes to the Northern Expedition, he can dig out food and grass for me even if he breaks his teeth."
"He is the Minister of Hubu, and you are also the Minister of Hubu. If he can do it, you must do it!"
"Your Majesty, when Mr. Jiang was in office, the national treasury was full. Now the treasury is in such a state that even if you kill the old ministers, you won't be able to get any money out of it!"
"There is silver! There are also three million taels of silver!"
Du Chenghao, the Minister of Civil Affairs, suddenly said something.
Li Zheng's eyes lit up and he turned to look: "Du Aiqing, where can I find the three million taels of silver?"
"The Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Industry still have three million taels of silver in total!"
Chang Shouzhang was stunned and stood up quickly and looked at Du Chenghao: "Master Du, that is the money used to build His Majesty's mausoleum. How can you touch it?"
"The imperial mausoleum is related to the state. Once it is used, it will be against the ancestors."
Li Zheng looked angrily at Chang Shouzhang, who was pinned to the ground by his feet: "I'm sorry, you don't even have one-tenth of Jiang Aiqing's abilities."
"Hundreds of thousands of soldiers are hungry on the frontier, waiting for food and grass. Do you still care about the rules?"
"No more repairs. Work on the imperial mausoleum will be stopped immediately. All the money will be used to buy grain and transport it to northern Xinjiang."
"Official staff!"
"Old minister is here!"
"Remove Chang Shou Zhang from his post and transfer Jiang Aiqing back from Youzhou and Tongzhou. The Ministry of Revenue cannot do without him. I was wrong, I was wrong!"
"Old minister, I obey the order!"
"Military Department!"
"Old minister is here!"
"During Jiang Aiqing's return to the court, you and Miao Ji and Miao Aiqing will be jointly responsible for the Ministry of Household Affairs."
"After a hundred years, I will be exposed in the wilderness. I cannot let hundreds of thousands of soldiers recover the lost territory on an empty stomach. I cannot let the subjects of the world point at me and scold me for being an unjust and foolish king."
"Use all your strength to bring back the thieves!"