By now, the courtiers in the palace already knew it very well. Not only did they know that the eighth prince was resistant to suing for peace, but he was quite resistant to it.
Otherwise, how could he come up with such a so-called "gift" that can be described as "crazy"?
The set of women's clothes was clearly a mockery of them, the courtiers, who were bloodless and unworthy of serving as officials.
Fortunately, I advocated declaring war...
You, the Minister of Rites, swallowed his saliva with lingering fear, because he saw the face of Li Huan, the Minister of the Ministry of War. This old man in his fifties, his complexion was alternately black and white, with a look of shame and anger on his face, and he was staring at it.
The wooden box in front of him made his whole body tremble.
It's no wonder, after all, they are women's clothes. It is a shame and humiliation for any man to receive women's clothes, let alone the dignified minister of the Ministry of War. But the fact is that these ministers who received women's clothes were ashamed and angry in their hearts.
I wanted to die, but I couldn't say anything to refute.
Who told them to pin the fate of the Wei Dynasty on Princess Yulong's marriage, as the eighth prince Zhao Hongrun said?
Mr. Li is not guaranteed for the rest of the year...
You, the Minister of Rites, sighed secretly.
It is not difficult to imagine that if this incident were to spread, then all the officials in the palace who were subjected to women's clothing would become the laughing stock of the whole country of Wei. What's worse is that no one would sympathize with them and would only scold them for being greedy for life and afraid of death.
, it is your own fault.
Even if they pass away one day, perhaps the government and the opposition will give them a derogatory posthumous title of "fear".
A lifetime of shame!
However, His Highness is too courageous, right?... It is understandable to stimulate the ministers of the DPRK and China in this way, but it is also... to send His Majesty such an insulting gift...
Many ministers who had not received the "gift" sighed with emotion and quietly watched Emperor Wei's attitude.
As they said, Emperor Wei was really angry, quite furious, because no one had ever dared to humiliate the emperor like this, but he could not say anything to reprimand his son.
Because his son Zhao Hongrun only expressed his position and attitude in a formal way, even though the method was shocking and deviant.
"Who else wants a gift from this prince?"
The understatement made all the courtiers in the palace fall silent.
Because they have understood that as long as they dare to propose peace, marriage, etc., they will immediately receive a "gift" from the Eighth Prince that will put them at risk and their reputation.
Look up.
Seeing this, Zhao Hongrun looked around at the ministers and finally turned his attention to the emperor.
"One vote was against peace, and thirty-two abstained!...This is the result, Father."
…
Emperor Wei glanced at the ministers in the palace silently, and saw that all the ministers who had been interested in seeking peace just now lowered their heads and did not dare to speak. He was inevitably a little shocked.
What a good means... what a good means!
Emperor Wei was once again shocked by his son.
He knew very well that since Zhao Hongrun wanted to protect Princess Yulong, he would never sit back and watch the courtiers discuss the result of peace. For this reason, he also wanted to hear what his son had a better view.
But it turned out that his son was smarter than he thought. He never said anything against the marriage from beginning to end, he just gave him a gift.
Yes, just sending a gift silenced all the ministers who advocated for peace.
Even he, the emperor of the Wei Dynasty, couldn't say anything to support the marriage when he looked at the women's clothes placed in the wooden box on the dragon table.
After a long time, the emperor asked calmly: "Hongrun, are you opposed to the marriage, or are you opposed to the Yulong marriage?"
This question can't help but be a bit heartbreaking.
No, Zhao Hongrun raised his eyebrows and replied calmly: "Of course I am against marriage! If the fate of a country needs to be pinned on the body of a woman, in my opinion, this kind of country will definitely perish!"
…
All the courtiers in the palace looked at Zhao Hongrun in horror, thinking that the eighth prince really dared to say anything.
"Do you mean to declare war on Chu?" Emperor Wei asked calmly.
Zhao Hongrun chuckled and said: "Father, the emperor doesn't understand any big principles. The emperor only knows that if someone hits you, you should fight back. You can't back down just because the other person is strong... Once you back down, the other person will be hit.
They will bully you wantonly because you are weak and can be bullied."
Emperor Wei was silent for a moment and suddenly asked: "But what if you are not that person's opponent? Do you still want to fight back?"
"You have to fight, and you have to risk your life to fight!... Not many people are really not afraid of death. If you can't beat them, bite them, then tear them. Bite off the person's nose, tear off the person's ears, and poke them blind.
That person's eyes!... No matter how many punches you receive, once you bite, you will never let go and bite off a piece of the other person's flesh!"
…
Emperor Wei was slightly moved and asked, "But what if there is someone behind you who wants to hit you?"
"Kill the chicken to scare the monkey, use the most violent means to defeat the opponent in front of you. The person behind you does not dare to move."
"This is so crazy!" Emperor Wei thought for a while and shook his head.
He understood Zhao Hongrun's metaphor, but declaring war on Chu was really a very dangerous thing.
What if instead of frightening the Chu State, we provoked the northern Korea?
"Yes, however, only madness can make people afraid!"
"..." Emperor Wei remained silent.
After a long time, he asked in a deep voice: "Can you guarantee that I, the Wei Dynasty, can repel Chu?"
"Your Majesty can't guarantee that...but your Majesty believes that the survival of a country should not be entrusted to a woman."
After all, it’s still for Yulong!
Emperor Wei glanced at Zhao Hongrun irritably. He really couldn't figure out what Yulong had done to deserve his son's protection of her.
"Declaring war on Chu is easy to say! ... Do you understand that my thoughts are related to the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers in our Wei Dynasty? Do you think you can make the decision on the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers?"
"The emperor cannot make the decision for the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers." Zhao Hongrun lowered his head, then raised his head and looked at the emperor with bright eyes, cupped his hands and said: "In that case, let the tens of thousands of soldiers decide for themselves, as the father and emperor wish.
how?"
The emperor was stunned and said in surprise: "What do you mean..."
"Your Majesty, please kindly ask your father to give your Majesty a chance to persuade the tens of thousands of soldiers in the military camp on the outskirts of Beijing..."
The emperor thought deeply after hearing this. He glanced calmly at the Ministry of War officials in the palace who looked mournful because they had received "special gifts" and asked after consideration: "Are you sure you can persuade the hearts of tens of thousands of soldiers?
"
"Even if it's not possible, the emperor will try his best."
"..." The emperor took a deep look at Zhao Hongrun and said in a deep voice: "Okay, I will give you this opportunity. But if you mess up, you will stay in the palace and never interfere in this matter...
how?"
Zhao Hongrun hesitated a little, as if he understood the hidden meaning of his father's words.
"……Can."
With Zhao Hongrun agreeing to this matter, today's military discussion has come to an end for the time being.
All the ministers in the palace left Chui Gong Hall one after another.
As for the "special gifts" received by some of the ministers, they were all abandoned in the palace. Not to mention that no one took them away, even the boxes were not dared to be opened.
When Zhao Hongrun was about to leave with twenty clan guards, Yu Ziqi, the right prime minister of Zhongshu, chased him out and whispered beside Zhao Hongrun: "Although His Majesty's methods are brilliant today, he has undoubtedly offended the officials of the Ministry of War...
…Your Highness, please be careful.”
…
Zhao Hongrun glanced at Zhongshu Youcheng, who he usually had a good relationship with, raised his hands and said, "Thank you, Mr. Yu."
Yu Ziqi nodded and went back to Chui Gong Hall.
Just as Yu Ziqi expected, the ministers of the Ministry of War returned to the headquarters of the Ministry of War with a sullen face.
When they were in the Chui Gong Hall, these ministers did not dare to make mistakes, but when they arrived at the headquarters of the Ministry of War, these people could not hold back. Some of them criticized and complained, while others cursed in low voices.
Even Li Huan, the Minister of War, looked livid and kept patting the table.
"How unreasonable! How unreasonable!... I wholeheartedly consider my great Wei, but I was humiliated by that boy like this!"
Although before the courtiers left the Chui Gong Hall, the emperor vaguely warned them that today's events should not be mentioned to outsiders, Li Huan, the Minister of War, was still a little worried.
Because he noticed that the ministers who advocated declaring war on Chu looked at him with gloating eyes before leaving.
Not only he, the Minister of War, but almost all important officials of the Ministry of War received strange looks from his colleagues.
If this matter spreads out, I am afraid that the entire Ministry of War will become a laughing stock, let alone Li Huan, the Minister of War.
And all of this is thanks to the eighth prince Zhao Hongrun!
"My lord, please don't be angry, gentlemen, please don't be anxious, I have an idea." Xu Guan, Bu Zuo's assistant minister, said in a low voice: "Didn't your majesty promise the eighth prince to go to the outskirts of Beijing tomorrow to convince the soldiers and generals?... I'll wait.
As long as one piece of news is released, the Eighth Prince will be defeated and returned!"
"What do you think, Mr. Zuo Shilang?"
The officials of the Ministry of War asked one after another, and Li Huan, the minister of the Ministry of War, couldn't help but look at Xu Guan.
Seeing this, Xu Guan lowered his voice and said: "We just need to spread the news to the military camp that the eighth prince Zhao Hongrun advocates declaring war on Chu just to protect his sister Princess Yulong... For this reason, the eighth prince did not hesitate to send tens of thousands of troops to the camp.
The lieutenant generals pushed into the flames of war, and they did not hesitate to put the safety of the Wei Kingdom into danger... In this case, among the soldiers and generals in the camp, who would listen to the eighth prince?"
The officers of the Ministry of War were stunned when they heard this, and then looked at each other and smiled.
"What a great idea! ... To sacrifice tens of thousands of people for one person, even if the eighth prince is sharp-tongued and eloquent, he still cannot withstand the wrath of tens of thousands of Wei soldiers and generals..."
"Let's see how he ends up tomorrow!"
All the officials of the Ministry of War nodded in agreement, and immediately turned their attention to Li Huan, the Minister of War.
I saw Li Huan, Minister of the Ministry of War, an old man in his fifties, closing his eyes and thinking for a moment, gritting his teeth and saying righteously: "There is no way that this little kid's short-sightedness will destroy our Wei Dynasty... Okay, let's do it like this.
!”
That night, news spread in the military camp stationed on the outskirts of Daliang.
It is said that Zhao Hongrun, the eighth son of the emperor, wanted to protect Princess Yulong alone. Regardless of the disparity in power between Wei and Chu, he intended to declare war on Chu and regarded the lives of tens of thousands of Wei soldiers as nothing.
This news spread throughout the entire military camp, and the tens of thousands of soldiers and generals in the camp were immediately filled with anger and cursed the eighth prince Zhao Hongrun.