After the celebration banquet, the county magistrate Zhu Qing said goodbye to his fellow villager Mr. Qiao and planned to return to Guanyi to rest before leaving Beijing and returning to Yuncheng the next day.
Mr. Qiao took out a purse and gave it to Zhu Qing, saying that he wouldn't buy any gifts and it would be more economical to take some money back to supplement the family income.
One of them stopped, the other said that it would cost more in the capital and refused to accept it. When the two fellow countrymen were pushing back and forth, Eunuch Lu from the palace came over.
Mr. Qiao forcefully stuffed the purse king Zhu Qing's hand into his hand, and then with a warning look in his eyes, he quickly asked Eunuch Lu: "But what are your orders, Your Majesty?"
Eunuch Lu smiled: "The Za family is indeed here on His Majesty's orders. Your Majesty wants to see Magistrate Zhu."
Master Qiao didn't expect that he wasn't looking for him. He was stunned for a moment and came to his senses, and quickly reminded Zhu Qing to tidy up his official robes.
Zhu Qing came to Beijing this time on orders because His Majesty wanted to hear reports from local officials on the situation there.
Yuncheng under the jurisdiction of Zhu Qing is close to the three cities of Langcheng, Peicheng and Xuzhou. However, those three cities have become a place where no one cares about them due to the war with neighboring countries.
We had already summoned Zhu Qing yesterday, and now we have to meet him again, just after the celebration banquet. Does this mean that the emperor wants to send officials there to take charge?
Similarly, Zhu Qing's thoughts at this moment are the same as those of his fellow countrymen.
However, he was not particularly looking forward to it.
As I followed Eunuch Lu to the palace, I was thinking about the content of the report the day before and thinking that I would not be wrong if the emperor asked me about it again later.
Zhu Qing thought that the emperor was meeting him in the political hall, but he didn't expect it to be the case. Eunuch Lu took him to the imperial study room.
When Eunuch Lu went in to resume his duties and came out to announce his entry, he noticed that in addition to the emperor, there were also Prince Ji who had toasted at the banquet, and several other adults whom he had not remembered.
"Sit down and talk." Seeing that he was about to pay homage, the emperor spoke first.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." He thanked her quickly and sat down at the seat indicated by his father-in-law.
After sitting down, he glanced at King Ji again. He had already remembered where he had seen similar eyes, but now was not the time to talk about this.
"King Ji, if you want to know anything, just ask him directly," the emperor said.
I feel really guilty and happy for this son.
His mother and concubine were murdered when he was young, and later he himself was poisoned and blinded. Even so, he still wholeheartedly helped his father, the emperor, with his affairs. Even if the truth was later found out and the prince was deposed, the child still did not change his character.
He didn't want the position of prince, and he went to do the most difficult and dangerous work, going around to quell rebellions.
The son next to him said that whoever is satisfied with the position of crown prince can do it, but that is not what they actually think in their hearts.
However, as for the son in front of him, even if he said nothing, he knew that this son was not greedy for the position of crown prince.
People who are greedy for power actually cherish their lives, because if their lives are lost, all planning and efforts will be in vain. Even if sometimes it is necessary to risk one's life to fight, but King Ji does not need it. In the past ten years, his reputation has increased.
He has already saved enough.
The most important thing is that every time he pacified a place, he never arranged for his own people to take over, nor did he interfere with the personnel arranged by the court to take charge.
After returning to Beijing to rest for a while, he immediately rushed to the next place where there was war and chaos.
It is precisely because of this that even if the other princes feel uncomfortable, they cannot find anything wrong with Prince Ji.
Then, let him do what he wants to do.
"Magistrate Zhu, please tell me the situation over there again," He Zexu said.
King Ji pressed the question, and Magistrate Zhu quickly repeated what he had said in the Council Hall the day before.
In the middle, King Ji did not interrupt, but the expression on his face changed. He frowned and was surprised.
When Magistrate Zhu finished speaking, Prince Ji did not ask anything, but looked deep in thought.
After a while, Mr. Yang from the Ministry of War couldn't bear it anymore: "King Ji wants to take control of Xuzhou? There is just a woman and a few people in the world. The so-called garrison is composed of remnant soldiers from three countries.
I think there is no need to beat him, so your majesty can just send an official there and maybe they can hand over Xu Cheng directly."
After hearing these words, everyone in the imperial study room looked at King Ji, but saw him looking at Magistrate Zhu: "What do you think?"
What? Why are you asking this little county magistrate for his opinion? Zhu Qing was a little surprised and stood up quickly: "Xiaoguan, I think the matter in Xuzhou City is a bit tricky. Sir, please don't think that the woman is a woman.
The Jianghu people are a ragtag group of people. In such a short period of time, they were able to take care of the three cities including Wolf City and Peicheng City from chaos and almost empty cities to what they are now. They have order and laws to restrain the residents, which shows that they are somewhat capable.
.
I'm not being alarmist or exaggerating. I've been to those three cities in disguise. Although they can't be said to be prosperous, they are orderly.
It now attracts not only refugees, but also some businessmen.
By the way, in their current military camp, there are not just some lightly disabled wounded soldiers, most of them are able-bodied and they are all refugees who volunteered to serve as soldiers.
Because when you enter the military camp, you will have food to eat and pay.
Also, they have caravans.
Hey, how should I put it, anyway, it’s pretty decent anyway.” When Zhu Qing said this, he suddenly realized that he had lost his composure.
The day before at the Council Hall, there were many more civil and military officials present than there are now. Isn't what I stated quite normal?
"Magistrate Zhu, hearing your tone, it sounds like you are very envious, and you are quite yearning for it?" A minister next to him couldn't help but said.
Zhu Qing panicked when he heard this and waved his hands quickly: "No, no, it's just that I just think it's incredible that a woman can hold up such a scene.
"Magistrate Zhu, are you already in cahoots with that woman?" Another minister spoke, with a stronger tone than the one just now.
Zhu Qing didn't mind mocking him, but when such a big hat was slapped on him, Zhu Qing's face suddenly turned red: "I am your Majesty's official, and you receive a salary from the imperial court. How could you do such a thing?"
Ahem, the emperor behind the desk seemed a little out of control when he saw this scene. He coughed twice at the right time, and the imperial study room immediately became quiet.
"King Ji, what are you thinking? Are you planning to go to Xuzhou?" Seeing that his son had not spoken, the emperor couldn't guess what he was thinking, so he asked directly.
He Zexu shook his head: "Father, since Magistrate Zhu said that the woman took care of the three cities in Xuzhou pretty well, I think this is not a bad thing, so I just don't care about it for now.
Compared with the three cities in Xuzhou, it is more important that there are still war-torn areas. It will not be too late for Erchen to calm down all the war-torn areas before assisting officials to take over Xuzhou.
However, Xuzhou still needs to arrange for someone to keep an eye on her. I suspect that the woman is just a puppet being manipulated, and there is someone else behind her."
Everyone nodded in agreement with King Ji's words.
Only Magistrate Zhu, who had the smallest official position, murmured in his heart, King Ji, your plan is very good, and your analysis seems to be very reasonable. However, after you have recovered the other war-torn places in Anyu State, you want to take over the three people in Xuzhou.