After the flood diversion of the canal was completed, Zhao Shui had a rare moment of leisure. He returned to the post house arranged for him by the local government, bathed, changed clothes, and took a short rest.
"There is news from Dongsheng Capital that you have done a good job in diverting the flood this time. The king is going to increase the number of food towns for you and plans to grant you the title of Protector of the Country."
Zhao Mo soaked in the bathtub and relaxed his mind and body, while Jiang Ru read letters and newspapers through the screen and relayed various news.
"Now I have really become Master Zhao." Zhao Shu rubbed his face and laughed at himself: "The imperial court has so much free time, why not think about what to do with this year's grain harvest. It has rained intermittently for more than two months, and several counties
The rice seedlings are almost drowning, but you still have the thought to increase my food supply."
Jiang Ru smiled bitterly and said, "Don't say that. Thanks to your intervention, the flood diversion of the canal was completed so quickly. Hepu County, which has the most dense population and the most generous taxes in Huaxu Kingdom, was saved, and countless people were saved.
If the imperial court doesn't give you big rewards, it will only make other people feel cold."
"Rescuing people? It's better than nothing." Zhao Shu sighed: "People will die not because of floods, but because of hunger and cold."
When Jiang Ru heard the sigh behind the screen, she had to pick up another newspaper and said, "Oh? Wang Shangshu has been dismissed from office. The reason is that the relief effort is not enough. The Wang family of Chiyang will probably be overthrown as well."
"To say they were overthrown is just to ask them to give up their power in a dignified manner." Zhao Shu made an immediate judgment.
Jiang Ru looked solemn: "The king can't wait to take action. What do you think?"
"This is not a real action. The king is trying to test. If the master shows his eagerness, a big chaos will happen immediately." Zhao Shu felt deeply anxious: "At the moment, I am completely relying on the remaining power of the master in the past.
, just to make the king fearful.
I just learned from General Wei that the king used the connection between Queen Zhou’s family and Huanbo Palace to invite many masters from various water houses and sects in the East China Sea in order to deal with Chongxuan Hall and the Imperial Master.”
Jiang Ru was shocked at first when she heard this, but then she calmed down: "No wonder Donghai Sea Palace has cut off contact with Chongxuan Hall one after another. It seems that the king has been preparing for this for a long time."
"But as long as the master of the state does not come out of seclusion for a day, the king will not dare to take action." Zhao Shu said: "As long as the two sides do not break up, civil strife will not break out in Huaxu Kingdom."
Jiang Ru reminded: "This stalemate cannot last forever. Although the leader didn't say it, you should take action."
"I understand." Zhao Shu raised his hand and pressed his forehead: "There are not many mandalas to be arranged in the south. We will set off for Lingtai Ruins later."
"You...are you scared?" Jiang Ru heard the uneasiness in Zhao Miao's words.
"How could you not be afraid?"
Zhao Shu vaguely predicted that Liang Tao's ascension to the throne would inevitably lead to a major outbreak of conflicts among all parties. Even if he did not know that Zhao Shu and Liang Tao were secretly conspiring, knowledgeable people could see that chaos was coming.
But the opportunity for this kind of chaos to break out lies in when Zhao Shu can complete the layout of the altar site. The rise and fall of a country, the misfortunes and blessings of all people, all rest on Zhao Shu's shoulders. The future success or failure is even more unpredictable, even for Zhao Shu.
Feeling deeply terrified.
Compared with the sudden chaos, this kind of disaster that is almost destined to come makes people feel more desperate.
No matter how hard Zhao Shu tried, it was impossible to reverse the deterioration of the situation. Even his efforts were making chaos approach step by step. How could this make him not worry?
As General Wei said, Zhao Miao did not need to be too involved in this sudden flood in spring and summer, let alone help dig the canal personally, because in the eyes of everyone in the government and the public, the monks of the National Training Center were not allowed to
They're here to do this kind of hard work.
In fact, before Zhao Shu personally assisted in digging the canal, the monks in other monasteries only relied on their quick communication and let them be responsible for delivering disaster news. There were droughts and floods in previous years, and no monks in other monasteries were able to take care of it.
.
Since Zhao Shu was obviously capable and pragmatic, he could not just sit back and watch the floods cause man-made disasters. Secondly, he also had the intention of procrastinating for time.
If there is chaos in the future, the people may also be affected by the war. Zhao Shu really can't bear to see the people experience the flood first and then fall into the war in the next moment, so he personally participated in the canal digging and tried to reduce the suffering of the people no matter what.
.
It was just that Chongxuan Hall was indifferent to such a flood, which really chilled Zhao Shui. Chongxuan Hall may have acted on its own initiative, and in order to retaliate for the frequent suppression by the monarch in recent years, it deliberately sat back and watched the people fall into the waves without taking action.
As for Liang Tao, Zhao Shu felt that he had no regard for the common people. If he hadn't pretended to be unpredictable, he probably wouldn't have allowed Zhao Shu to delay digging the canal for half a year.
Jiang Ru on the other side of the screen noticed that Zhao Shu was silent for a long time, and couldn't help but feel worried. She originally planned to go in to comfort him, but when she heard the sound of water, Zhao Shu got up to change clothes.
"What's wrong?" Jiang Ru knew that Zhao Shu had not had a good rest in the past few months.
"I sensed that someone was coming." Zhao Shu was so angry that he dried his hair and put on his robe. Jiang Ru helped him tie his hair into a bun.
"There are people looking for you all day long." Jiang Ru complained: "Most of them are people who want to be around and give gifts. They either ask for your help or claim to have a grievance to complain. If you don't want to see me, I will help you."
Just send it away."
"It's not someone else, it's the former Wang Juncheng of Xingluo County." Zhao Shui was changing clothes when a servant came to report from outside the house:
"Marquis Zhenming, a squire named Wang came to see you, claiming to be your old friend. Do you want to drive him away?"
"Let him wait in the front hall for a while." Zhao Shu replied, and the servant said he was leaving.
Jiang Ru asked in confusion: "That Wang Juncheng has already resigned, why do you see him?"
Zhao Shu shook his head: "You don't know, I didn't understand anything back then in Xingluo County. Many things were taught by him, otherwise I wouldn't have achieved the power and status I did later. I have a lot of confusions, and I'm worried that I can't find them.
The right person will answer the question, and it’s just an opportunity for him to visit!”
Jiang Ru sighed in her heart, it was expected that Zhao Shu had a high level of cultivation and was proficient in magic, but he could not only gain insights from the creation of heaven and earth, but he could also learn from ordinary people, and he was not ashamed of it.
The point really made Jiang Ru feel incomparable.
After Zhao Miao changed his clothes, he hurried to the front hall and saw Wang Juncheng dressed in a simple blue shirt. He did not look like a rich and noble man.
"I didn't expect that Wang Juncheng would come to visit in person. It's a shame to welcome him from afar!" Zhao Shu came forward and bowed in obeisance.
"Oh! You don't have to be like this, Marquis Zhenming, you are embarrassing me!" Wang Juncheng quickly returned the greeting: "I am just a white man now, and I am no longer a Juncheng. I don't deserve to be so polite as Marquis Zhenming."
Zhao Shu sighed helplessly: "I would rather not have the status of Marquis Zhenming. There are many restrictions of etiquette and laws that make human relationships different."
"Marquis Zhenming seems worried?" Wang Juncheng asked.
"Sure enough, I still can't hide it from you." Zhao Shu asked his servant to serve tea and then left.
Wang Juncheng nodded slightly and said with a serious face: "I'm sorry to talk too much, but Marquis Zhenming had previously opened an altar to patrol the territory and defeated the powerful people. Although it was somewhat successful, it also caused resentment."
"The four surnames of the Immortal Clan of Chongxuan Hall are occupying the land and plundering the people. If we continue to ignore them, the foundation of the country will be hollowed out by them." Zhao Shu frowned and said.
"That being said, does Marquis Zhenming know that although half of the fields belonging to the four surnames of the Immortal family have been confiscated in the past two years, not all of them have been used for land equalization?" Wang Juncheng said, "Do you know the final destination of these fields?
"
"Where did you go?"
"Take Jiujiang County as an example." Wang Juncheng said in a low voice: "Originally, more than half of the Zheng family's land and estates were classified as public land. They were nominally owned by the imperial court, but in fact they became the property of the king and the descendants of the clan!
"
Zhao Ming's face darkened, and Wang Juncheng continued: "Originally, there is nothing wrong with taking the wealthy family's farmland as national public land. On the one hand, it can enrich the national government's wealth and tax, and secondly, in times of disaster, part of the public land can be borrowed or borrowed under the guise, or
Give it to the people affected by the disaster.
However, the state's public land should be managed and managed by an official office set up by the imperial court, rather than directly awarded to the descendants of the clan. In this way, it is called public but is actually private. It seems to weaken the powerful people of the four surnames of the Immortal family, but it messes up the national laws and is detrimental to the country's laws.
The authority of the imperial court!”
This situation was indeed beyond Zhao Shu's expectation. He had not personally participated in the local land equalization plan and did not expect that such a situation would happen again.
"Isn't this just competing with the people for profit?" Zhao Shu said with an ugly face: "If the clan members dare to act so recklessly, I'm afraid they have the permission of the king!"
"Be careful what you say, be careful what you say!" Wang Juncheng said cautiously.
"Is there anything else?" Zhao Shu asked again.
Wang Juncheng continued: "There is also the land restriction order. I wonder if Marquis Zhenming knows about it?"
"Of course, this is to prevent powerful families from occupying large amounts of land, and the number of acres of land must be limited according to official rank." Zhao Shu said: "The four surnames of the Immortal family rely on their power and position. In the past, they donated a lot of land in an attempt to exempt them from taxes.
They do corvee labor, but they don’t know that it will shake the foundation of the country, so they should naturally be restricted.”
Wang Juncheng shook his head and said: "Does Marquis Zhenming know that when local land restrictions are implemented, there are often private give-and-take actions, such as tampering with the land register, allocating part of the land amount to other households, or demoting good land?"
For poor land. There are so many methods like this that I can’t even finish them in a few sentences.”
Zhao Shu was disappointed because his actions, which seemed to serve the people, failed to reverse the situation in the end.
"I am here to visit you. Firstly, on behalf of my fellow villagers, I want to express my gratitude to Marquis Zhenming for digging the river to divert the floods and save the people from being displaced." Wang Juncheng said: "Secondly, I also advise Marquis Zhenming not to get involved in the affairs of the DPRK for the time being. The Lord of the Kingdom and
Discord has arisen in Chongxuan Hall, and there will be chaos soon!"
Zhao Shu sighed: "I also see that the current situation in Huaxu Kingdom is uneasy, but I am already involved in it, and I feel quite dilemma."
When Wang Juncheng heard this, he asked cautiously: "According to Marquis Zhenming, is there another mystery behind the opening of the altar to patrol the territory?"
Zhao Ming nodded, but did not elaborate. Wang Juncheng thought for a moment and asked: "Normally, Marquis Zhenming acted according to the order and should not have any scruples. I am in a dilemma. Could it be that the arrangement of the altar is a hidden cause of trouble?"
Zhao Shu smiled bitterly: "I'm afraid the disaster will be serious, but I have to do it."
"Is Marquis Zhenming thinking of quitting?" Wang Juncheng asked.
"It doesn't count." Zhao Shu originally attached great importance to the Tao Kingdom in the world: "I'm just confused and can't make up my mind."
Wang Juncheng was silent for a long time, and then said: "There are some things that should not be said to others, but Marquis Zhenming is a smart man, and he can understand it if he thinks about it. Chongxuan Hall has become a disease focus in Huaxu Kingdom, entangled in the internal organs, and it is difficult to cut it off without a saw or sharp edge.
Suffer.
However, this kind of action is equivalent to cutting open the patient's chest and abdomen. If the disease is not removed, the patient will die first. However, if the disease is not removed for a long time, the patient lingers on the bed, and even the slightest wind, cold, dampness and heat will kill him.
Since you will die sooner or later, it is better to take risks while you still have a breath, and maybe you can still save a glimmer of life."
Zhao Shu understood clearly: "You mean, instead of delaying the situation, it is better to let the chaos come as soon as possible?"
"There are no two days in the sky, and there are no two masters in the country. There is no room for change in the conflict between the king and Chongxuan Hall. There is destined to be a war." Wang Juncheng said bluntly: "Now the king is using you, Marquis Zhenming, to cut off the Chongxuan Hall fairy line.
The wings of the four surnames are to prevent the chaos from being too widely involved, otherwise Huaxu Kingdom will be at war all over the country and will only attract the covetousness of other countries."
Hearing this, Zhao Shu immediately understood that this was also Liang Tao's intention. The four surnames of the Immortal family were entangled with the Huaxu Kingdom in the past. If the four surnames of the Immortal family could not be separated from the government and the public of the Huaxu Kingdom, once a conflict broke out between the two,
But it was not just Liang Bao who had resisted Hongguan who would raise an army and start an uprising.
But that kind of chaos is something Liang Tao cannot tolerate. He should hope more than others that the situation can transition smoothly so that the foundation of the world can be laid safely.
"How do you think the chaos will evolve in the future?" Zhao Shu asked.
"In fact, the best situation is that either side can use thunderous momentum to establish victory in one breath, completely overpowering the other side, and thus putting an end to chaos." Wang Juncheng said: "To be honest, I don't like Chongxuan Pavilion, but what if?
I don’t think it’s surprising that the Tianliang clan changed its dynasty. But the worst thing about this kind of thing is that they are evenly matched and they are at a stalemate, and they will do anything to win. When the time comes, everyone will be in ruins, and no one wants to see it.”
Zhao Miao thought about it and found that Chongxuan Hall seemed to be powerful, but now most of the disciples were scattered to various places to protect the altar and could not gather in a hurry. Moreover, everything in Chongxuan Hall was centered on Liang Tao, and Liang could not be defeated.
Tao, the lord of the country will definitely not give up.
It's just that Liang Tao's cultivation and magic power are now more advanced than before. The more complete Zhao Shu's altar is, the more powerful Liang Tao can mobilize the energy of heaven and earth.
Even though General Wei said that the king had invited many experts from the East China Sea, Zhao Shui still did not think that these people could deal with Liang Tao. Instead, it would only make the battle more intense and the implications greater.
"Marquis Zhenming, I know you care about the common people, but sometimes when faced with complicated situations, your kindness turns into the cause of disaster." Wang Juncheng reminded: "The current situation can no longer tolerate playing both sides. You must make a decision as soon as possible.
.”
Even though Zhao Shu didn't say it clearly, Wang Juncheng still guessed that Zhao Shu opened an altar to patrol the territory, and he was probably secretly involved with Chongxuan Pavilion. Considering that Zhao Shu was able to break the barriers in order to deal with the rebellious bandits in Xingluo County.
, took the initiative to make friends with Liang Shuo of Chongxuan Hall, so it is not completely impossible to join forces with Chongxuan Hall again.
"I understand." Zhao Shu thought hard for a long time and nodded heavily.