Outside the Imperial City, a prison car was driving slowly toward the city gate.
After entering April, it rained continuously. Due to Emperor Yuanchen's personal expedition, the road that had just been paved with a layer of loess had now become bumpy and muddy again.
Cloud-turning carriages are not affected, but ordinary carriages suffer.
And just as they entered within ten miles of the Imperial City, they could already see that both sides of the street were full of refugees. Most of them were naked, with sallow complexions, thin bodies, hungry and desperate.
"Why are there so many refugees again? Why don't those big households come out to give porridge?"
On top of the prison car, Zhang Li, the inspector of the ninth grade criminal department responsible for escorting prisoners, looked at him in astonishment.
What I saw was simply hell on earth.
"What else can we do? Almost everyone in the court is saying that today is the era of great commerce and the resurgence of great commerce, and Emperor Yuanchen is the emperor of eternity. At this time, the country is singing and dancing, and the people are living and working in peace and contentment. Which family would turn their backs and run out of the city.
Giving porridge? Isn’t this
Are you trying to make His Majesty look bad? It is a rare thing for you to rule the world, but you go to help these unemployed people. Aren't you afraid of people saying that they have ulterior motives? Even if Your Majesty doesn't care, these big businessmen will be responsible for the crime of winning over people's hearts.
I'm sorry."
The voice came from the small cage at the back, and the words were full of sarcasm.
The muscles on Zhang Li's face twitched and he looked behind him. He saw a fat man sitting in the prison car. Even though he was a prisoner, his face was still red and he was sneering.
"If we continue to govern with virtue, the people under our rule will not be able to make a living, but we will attack other countries on the charge of going against the grain. Can this supply of food be sustained? With tens of millions of troops marching in one month, there will be countless more desperate people in the world!"
Zhang Li was listening, but he smiled bitterly. If these words were heard by others, what would happen?
He is just a ninth-level patrol inspector, how can he afford it?
He deliberately blocked Jin Buhui's mouth. However, he knew that this person had a strong background. Even if he was embarrassed at this moment, he was not someone Zhang Li could offend.
"Master Jin! Please be careful what you say!"
Jin Buhuiwu, however, still had some unfinished thoughts, so he pretended not to hear it and continued to talk: "Obviously, millions of refugees have gathered near the imperial capital, but Your Majesty is completely unaware of it. No, it's not that he doesn't know, maybe he turns a blind eye, he clearly knows
, but pretending not to know——"
"Most of the granaries and tribunals in the world were sold out by the officials, leaving at most only 20% of the book value. Your Majesty thought that it was the beginning of his accession to the throne, when he was reforming the government. He was worried about the destiny, and was afraid that he would lose his moral integrity as a soldier, and that the world would be ruined.
There will be chaos. But I don’t know that the more scruples you have, the more you will lose.”
"The army of Great Shang nationwide totals 47 million, but all the troops in the interior are at least 40% vacant. However, this time Great Shang conquered southern Xinjiang, the 18 million army mostly came from the elite frontiers.
It's okay if the army wins, but if it loses, how can such a great dynasty be maintained?"
"It is said in the military manual that before fighting, you must first think about defeat and then think about victory. Such a desperate move, regardless of the consequences. Is it that I, Jin Buhui, can't understand, or is Your Majesty crazy?"
"Then Zhu Xi can be killed! He knew that the world was in turmoil and was in danger. He did not advise His Majesty to recuperate, comfort his exile, and rest on internal affairs. Instead, he mobilized the army because of his own personal grudges. What kind of saint is he-"
"Zong Shou raised his army when he was young, and he was invincible in every battle! Now that he has Kong Yao as his assistant, how can he be easy to give to him? Even if he drags him down in southern Xinjiang, he can bring down the great merchants! This battle is a sure defeat!
If the great merchant wins, he will gouge out my Jin Buhui's eyes!"
Every word he spoke made people's hearts tremble with fear. Beside the prison car, several police officers from the Criminal Department all had faces as pale as paper.
Any of these words can be described as treacherous. If others knew about it, they might also be implicated.
Jin Buhui suddenly stopped talking and looked up. He saw a sword light flying towards him from a distance.
"Senior Brother Su Chen?"
Above the sword light, stood a figure in a green shirt. It was Su Chen of Hanshan Gate. At this time, he was frowning and looking at Jin Buhui with complicated eyes.
Jin Buhui smiled slightly when he saw this: "But Master, he asked you to come find me?"
"Your master asked me to rescue you and leave as far away as possible!"
Su Chen sighed slightly: "They were in an inconvenient position and couldn't take action, so they had to inform me. Your master regretted it and said that he thought you had the most slippery temperament and was the most suitable for officialdom, so he let you go down to become an official. Unexpectedly, in the end
Such an ending. Your Jin Buhui's temperament is actually so soft on the outside but strong on the inside."
"I didn't expect it myself!"
Jin Buhui shook his head slightly, his face full of self-mockery: "Every time I want to turn a blind eye, I always think of my master's teachings when I was young. Although I don't study much, the awe-inspiring righteousness in my chest can never be erased. What can I do?
"Haoran is upright? You really know how to brag about yourself."
Su Chen laughed, shook his head, and then said solemnly: "Do you know that you are seeking death? The great merchants were ordered by Zhu Zi to march south, and everyone in the world sang praises for this battle and praised Emperor Yuan Chen's righteous deeds. But you don't understand.
, you received such a memorial. Not only Emperor Yuan Chen became angry because of shame, but even your Confucian sect Zhu Zi, the forefather of Confucianism, may also be angry with you. Why bother?"
Ever since Su Chen arrived, Zhang Li and others have been unable to move or make a sound under the pressure of his sword intent.
When they heard the words at this moment, they were all shocked. They were said so openly and without any cover-up.
This sword cultivator surnamed Su probably never thought about saving their lives.
"In other words! Your Majesty, has he developed a murderous intention towards me, Jin Buhui? Is this my head to appease those noble families and vassal towns?"
Jin Buhui raised his thick eyebrows lightly, not surprised, and his expression remained as calm as before: "Before I submitted the letter, Buhui had already expected it."
"Since you already know, then come with me!"
When Su Chen said this, his heart sank slightly, and he had a very bad premonition.
"Not only your disciple, but also your sworn brother Zong Shou is extremely concerned about your safety. Let me tell you that a great chaos is imminent in Da Shang. It is best to escape as soon as possible."
"A big chaos is coming, get out as soon as possible?"
Jin Buhui murmured in his mouth and lost consciousness for a while: "He is indeed sure! Since he can unify the east in two years, it is not difficult to defeat the 18 million army."
Immediately, he sighed softly and said apologetically: "I'm sorry, Senior Brother Su. Rong Jin does not regret being willful again, and still wants to give this a try. Let's see if this big businessman still has room for redemption."
Zhang Li was listening and couldn't help but secretly curse. Listening to the words of these two people, it seemed as if the great merchant was in danger.
But in this world, there are just some unruly people causing chaos. The problem of scabies will not take long to be quelled. How could the two of them be so exaggerated?
Su Chen was startled, and then his expression became serious: "Good birds choose trees to roost in! It was Emperor Yuanchen who betrayed you first, so why do you need to be buried with the great merchants? Even if you want to be an official, go to Daqian
It can only be better.”
After ten years of ups and downs, he, Su Chen, is also the core figure of the Sword Sect and the future head of the Hanshan Sect.
Naturally, they knew that everyone in Jianzong was ready to rely on Da Gan.
Although I didn’t know the details, I expected that the upper echelons of the Sword Sect must have some support to do this.
It is said that Zhenren Hua Ruo, who was the most proficient in magic and arithmetic in the sect, lost his spiritual power and lost his life span for decades just because he looked at Zong Shou's destiny.
His good friend from the past must have a very precious destiny! He might be the master of this Chinese state in the future, maybe.
"I am not doing this for big businessmen! I am doing this for the people of this world."
Jin Buhui shook his head: "If Da Shang is in chaos, I don't know how many people will be displaced in Central Yunlu, and I don't know how many people will die in the war. Zong Shou is the king of Da Qian, so he doesn't care. Jin Buhui can't. Don’t care!”
Knowing Zong Shou's character, as long as the country is safe, the life and death of the people of other countries has nothing to do with him. Unless he also captures Central Yunlu.
Su Chen frowned and wanted to persuade him again, but suddenly his thoughts moved and he disappeared.
Just a few moments later, in the direction of the city gate, a group of knights in bright clothes and angry horses were seen running out of the gate, guarding dozens of cloud-turning chariots.
Just as they were passing by the prison car, several people in front of the cavalry suddenly stopped.
"Oh~, isn't this Lord Yushi Zhongcheng Jin Buhui Jin? How come he has become a prisoner -"
The speaker was a young man in green who was riding a lion beast. He was looking at the prison car with a sneer.
"That's wrong! Now the former imperial censor Zhongcheng Jin Buhui has been demoted to the county magistrate two years ago. Today, he has been deprived of his official status and is treated as a commoner."
After saying these words, the curtains of the cloud-turning carriages were opened one after another. However, all of them inside were wearing official robes of the fifth rank or above, or they were the female relatives of officials.
"It turns out to be him!"
"The one who wrote to reduce the number of vassal towns and reform the abuses in the imperial examinations."
"This man is so bold and ridiculous. He actually wrote a letter to accuse the monarch and cursed the sage Zhu Zi."
"It is said that Da Qian's politics are clear and his country is at its peak. If I, a great merchant, raise an army to attack, we will definitely be defeated and return."
"It is said that before he became an official, he was friends with the tyrant Zong Shou, so he tried to write a letter to stop him."
"You are eating the king's salary, but you care about your personal affairs and don't want to repay the king. You deserve to end up like this!"
Jin Buhui glanced at everyone with an expressionless face. He knew many of them and were officials in the same dynasty.
But the person who spoke was a descendant of the Yang family, one of the five great merchants of Dashan.
Because of his impeachment, more than ten people in the Yang family resigned from their posts. Among them were many important officials, so it was right to hate him to the core.
"Are you going for an outing to appreciate your lips?"
Jin Buhui shook his head slightly: "The war in southern Xinjiang is still going on, there are countless refugees in the country, and the national crisis is not over yet. You guys actually still want to go out for fun. How can I, a great merchant, not be defeated?"
As soon as this statement came out, everyone's expression changed slightly.
"shut up!"
"This - nonsense!"
"Are you speaking for that Confucian enemy? You are treasonous and unethical!"
There were a lot of scoldings, and the green-shirted young man even laughed coldly: "I, Emperor Yuanchen of the Great Shang Dynasty, are wise and powerful. I lead an army of tens of millions and face the enemy with the overwhelming power of Mount Tai. A small and big man can be destroyed with a snap of his fingers. I guess. It won’t take long to win and return with great victory!” (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to register as a member of Piaotian Literature to recommend this work. Your support is my biggest motivation.)