Phi-Fic Chapter 216 Civil and military officials are in the same hall, and conspiracies and plots emerge tog
Chapter 216 Civil and military officials are in the same hall, and conspiracies and plots emerge tog
Upon hearing this, Lu Tingen immediately stood up from his seat and knelt on one knee:
"The Lu family has been blessed by the Emperor for generations. Guarding Yunzhou is my duty. How dare I accept His Majesty's reward again!"
Xiao Chongjing waved his sleeves and said, "You deserve it. Come, announce the decree!"
As soon as the golden words were spoken, Zhuoqing, who had been waiting outside the hall for a long time holding the imperial edict, immediately walked into the hall with two young eunuchs holding seals and iron certificates.
"Yunzhou Commander-in-Chief of Military Affairs Lu Ting'en received the order~"
Zhuoqing's shrill voice filled the hall, and the others immediately stood up and looked at Zhuoqing solemnly.
"The emperor is destined to be transported by heaven, and the edict says..."
"General Lu Ting'en has been a loyal hero for generations, guarding the southern border of the country. He is truly a loyal and devoted minister! According to the facts, Lu Ting'en has guarded the southern border for more than ten years and has made great achievements! I hereby grant you the first-rank Yunzhou Marquis, hereditary and unchangeable! I hope you will be loyal to the country and keep your integrity. I will temporarily grant you the military uniform to commend your great achievements and to satisfy my wishes. I decree this!"
After the imperial edict was announced, Zhuoqing raised his eyebrows:
"Marquis of Yunzhou, please accept the order!"
After hearing the decree, Lu Tingen felt a little panicked and even worried. He sighed deeply and thought to himself:
"You've been entrusted with a task in a time of crisis, and you've used both kindness and force. Haha... Emperor Tai'an, you're far from being as good as the late emperor!"
Although he felt so disdainful in his heart, Lu Tingen still put on an expression of being flattered as he accepted the imperial edict:
"I thank Your Majesty for your great grace! I will repay Your Majesty's grace with my life!"
Xiao Chongjing was very satisfied with his attitude and raised his hand:
"My dear, please stand up. This is what you deserve. It's just that I haven't had the opportunity to summon you to the palace in these years. General Lu, please don't blame me!"
Lu Tingen held the imperial edict in his hands and said in fear, "How dare I!"
Although the other civil and military officials present all looked envious, their hearts were not entirely the same...
There were disdain, surprise, envy, and of course some people had already anticipated this step.
That was the censor Xu Wei sitting at the last seat on the right. He always had a stern face and sneered at the emperor and the two ministers who were fawning on him.
The one with disdain on his face was naturally Xiao Chongjing's brother-in-law, the palace commander Mu Liuyun.
He is good at marching and fighting.
Xiao Chongjing was very satisfied with Lu Tingen's attitude. He turned his gaze to Mu Liuyun and said:
"General Mu, the Imperial Guards and the Jinwu Guards inside and outside Tianqi City are all under your command. I have entrusted my life and property to you!"
"Don't be jealous of Lord Lu. Besides, you are my uncle, and we are family. If you achieve great things in the future, I will confer the title of Marquis on you!"
When Mu Liuyun heard the emperor speaking to him like this, he immediately knelt down on the ground:
"I dare not. Your Majesty has wronged me. I will do my best to obey your orders and defeat the enemy!"
Xiao Chongjing calmly winked at Zhuoqing, who immediately understood. He stretched out his hand and waved, and the eunuchs and palace maids who were serving him immediately bowed and left the hall.
"My dear ministers, the four southwestern states now belong to Baili Luochen. This is a done deal. Aside from sending troops to suppress them, I don't think there is a better solution!"
"If he had been given a few more days, he would have also plundered the three southeastern states, and half of Beili would have been under the control of Baili..."
"Today I summoned you all to the palace to discuss important military and national affairs, one of which is the defense of the four southwestern states."
"However, I am certain that with General Lu, the Marquis of Yunzhou, here, he will be able to contain Baili Luochen and prevent him from taking care of the southwest."
Lu Tingen immediately stood up and saluted:
"I will definitely live up to the emperor's orders and defend Yunzhou!"
Xiao Chongjing nodded and said, "Great! I have General Lu, it's like having another arm!"
He gestured for Lu Tingen to sit down and continued:
"The second thing is to attack Baili Luochen from north to south and recapture the four states. This matter..."
Xiao Chongjing paused, his eyes swept towards Mu Liuyun:
"Mu Liuyun is in charge of the troops. Except for the Jinwu Guards and the Imperial Guards, the remaining 100,000 are under your control."
"Also... the three northern states of Qing, You, and Shuo, totaling 200,000 troops, are now under your command. You have two weeks to prepare for battle. Then, march south and join forces with the Marquis of Yunzhou to attack Baili Luochen from both north and south!"
Mu Liuyun suddenly felt the pressure doubled. He had no ability to command the army. He only got this position by inheriting the glory of his ancestors and the influence of his sister.
"I will obey your orders and will certainly live up to... Your Majesty's high expectations."
Mu Liuyun responded somewhat reluctantly, which made Censor Xu look down on him even more.
Xiao Chongjing coughed lightly. He knew clearly how powerful Mu Liuyun was, but there was no one available at the moment.
Moreover, it was his old habit - suspicion! He could not trust anyone except his own family, otherwise there would not have been such a thing as Ye Yu's family being destroyed.
After arranging the generals to command the troops, it is naturally time to take care of the logistics support.
Xiao Chongjing's eyes darkened, and he shifted his gaze from the Minister of Revenue Gao Shuyi to the Minister of War Zhang Taiyue:
"The Ministry of Revenue is in charge of finances and grain, and the Ministry of War is in charge of the manufacture of military equipment and the distribution of salaries. These matters are as important as fighting the enemy!"
"Gao Shuyi and Zhang Taiyue, you two are veteran ministers who have served in two dynasties. I know you are calm and steady. Military and national affairs are matters of life and death. If there is any trouble here, even if I don't care, the laws of the country will not tolerate it!"
Gao Shuyi and Zhang Taiyue immediately got off their chairs and leaned over to say:
"I understand, Your Majesty, please don't worry!"
Xiao Chongjing nodded with satisfaction, and then said something high-sounding:
"Although I have summoned you all to the palace, I must say one thing beforehand: when you return, do not disclose what happened today!"
"Zhenxi Hou Baili Luochen is my sworn brother after all. Although he has done something wrong, I am willing to believe that he was just confused for a moment. Perhaps one day he will come to me and apologize."
"But I am the ruler of a country. As a king and a father, I have responsibilities for the people of the world. That is why I must prepare for the worst."
"My dear ministers, I'm sure you will understand what I've done..."
As soon as these words were spoken, shouts of "Your Majesty is wise and decisive!" came from the steps below, which made Xiao Chongjing very happy.
The civil and military are well-equipped, and the soldiers and horses are strong. Moreover, today's favor has been shown and the power has been displayed. Xiao Chongjing feels comfortable from the inside out.
After all the civil and military officials left, Xiao Chongjing sat on the dragon chair and drank tea leisurely.
Zhuoqing approached Xiao Chongjing lightly and said:
"Your Majesty, the imperial edict has been drafted. I wonder if we can send someone to Qiandong City now?"
Xiao Chongjing smiled with determination upon hearing this:
"What are you waiting for? Go now!"
"I want to see whether Baili Luochen is obeying the imperial edict and entering the capital, or is he rebelling against it."
Zhuoqing smiled grimly and echoed:
"Once he follows the imperial edict and enters the capital, he can never return. If he disobeys the imperial edict and plots rebellion, the armies deployed by His Majesty from the north and south will attack him from both sides, and he will be doomed!"
Xiao Chongjing clapped his hands and laughed:
"Zhuoqing, no wonder you can be my eunuch!"
……