Entered Liaoyang Mansion.

Zhong Shiheng and others were driven down by Wang Zeng to pack up their honor guards. Kou Ji took Wang Zeng into the Liaoyang City Lord's Palace alone.

After sitting down, refreshments were served.

Wang Zeng suddenly said, "Kou Xiaozi, have you discussed it with the officials in advance? Is it your idea for the officials to enfeoff the kings?"

Kou Ji laughed and said: "Prince, you think too highly of me. The matter of enfeoffing kings is the exclusive power of the official family. I can't get involved, let alone discuss it with the official family, and the official family won't do it."

Discuss with me.

Besides, I've been on an expedition for a year and a half, and I haven't seen as many officials as you have.

There is no time to discuss with the officials."

Wang Zeng said disdainfully: "You think I am a three-year-old child? If you didn't discuss it with the officials, why did you let me thank you for the boy who was given by God just now?"

Kou Ji said frankly: "Others may not know, but you should know. The Guan family and I still have big things to do, and it is impossible for the Guan family to let me leave before the big things are done.

Therefore, as a prince, I am afraid that my son will fall upon me when I turn around."

When Wang Zeng heard this, he fell into silence. After a long time, he stared at Kou Ji and said, "You really have won the trust of the officials. Now, you and the officials can guess what the other person is thinking without having to talk to each other.

I admire you very much."

Kou Ji curled his lips and said helplessly: "What's there to admire? I worked hard for more than ten years and got a prince, but in the end I couldn't sit still for a day, so I had to pass it on to that kid Kou Tianci.

I won't even be able to snatch it back from that kid in the future.

I felt like I was the long-term employee hired by that guy.

Help him make money, help him accumulate family property, and help him build a successful career.

In the end, he didn't have to do anything to enjoy his wealth and the feeling of being a prince.

Do you think I am at a loss?"

Wang Zeng was stunned and laughed out loud, "What you said is true. You are really a long-term employee hired by that boy Kou Tianci."

At this point, Wang Zeng seemed to realize something, and the smile on his face disappeared.

"Are you kidding me?"

Wang Zeng asked with eyes wide open.

Kou Ji said in astonishment: "Why did the prince say this?"

Wang Zeng snorted coldly and said: "Your ten years of hard work is called hard work. Is my decades of hard work a waste of effort?!"

When Kou Ji heard this, he laughed and said, "My lord, you have misunderstood."

Wang Zeng snorted: "I didn't get it wrong. Your son has been in office for more than ten years and has already become a king. I have been in office for decades, and now my position as a political advisor is not secure.

By complaining and complaining in front of me, aren't you secretly accusing me of being a useless person who has done useless work for decades?"

Kou Ji sighed and said seriously: "I really didn't mean that."

Wang Zeng glared at Kou Ji and said, "That's what you mean!"

Seeing that he couldn't explain clearly, Kou Jixian could only shrug his shoulders and said: "Okay...that's what I mean..."

Wang Zeng stood up suddenly and shouted: "Seniors can be killed but not humiliated. Go, go out and make gestures."

Kou Ji rolled his eyes and said quietly: "Prince, can we talk about business?"

Wang Zeng glared at Kou Ji and sat down again.

Kou Ji sighed and said, "I know you are unbalanced, but our prince is obtained in exchange for merit, not for nothing.

So it’s useless no matter how unbalanced you are.

If you can use your life to help the Song Dynasty build a territory of thousands of miles, I believe the officials can also grant you a king.

Furthermore, when the officials give us the title of king, it is not just a reward for us, it also has some other meanings.

You should know it very well.

It is far more beneficial to the court to leave a group of highly accomplished generals in the wild and let them fend for themselves than to stay in Bianjing and interfere with the government's affairs."

When Wang Zeng heard what Kou Ji said, he sighed and said, "I don't feel that my heart is unbalanced. I just feel that after serving as an official for decades, I feel like I have worked in vain for decades, and I just feel uncomfortable."

Kou Ji raised his eyebrows and looked at Wang Zengjing waiting for the next step.

Wang Zeng did not sell out, and said frankly: "When I became an official, my long-cherished wish was to take back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun and make the Song Dynasty rich and powerful.

After I became an official, I have been working hard on this for decades.

But as the country gets richer, there is no money left in the treasury, and there are even debts in arrears.

The people are indeed strong, but there is only my hometown and Bianjing City.

Not only did the Sixteenth Prefecture of Yanyun fail to be recaptured, they also almost lost Hejian Prefecture and Daming Prefecture.

If it hadn’t been for your appearance, I might not have been able to fulfill my lifelong wish in this life.”

Speaking of this, Wang Zeng stared at Kou Ji and said: "You are still very good. After becoming an official, you have gone through countless things, big and small. Not only has the country become rich, but the money in the treasury has piled up. The people have also become rich, not only my hometown and Bian

Every city in the capital, and many cities and villages in the Song Dynasty, have become rich because of your boy.

Even Hexi, which used to be filled with killings, has now become a huge granary of our Song Dynasty.

As for regaining lost territory, your boy can do better.

Your boy not only took back Yanyun, but also Dali, Xingqing Mansion, and even the entire Liao Kingdom and Korea.

This increased the territory of our Song Dynasty by 160%.

You, my boy, have been my number one hero since the founding of the Song Dynasty."

When Kou Ji heard that Wang Zeng praised him so highly, he felt alarmed. He stared at Wang Zeng suspiciously and said: "My lord, what you said is wrong. The success of the Song Dynasty is due to everyone's credit.

It’s my own contribution.

If it was my fault alone, it would be enough for the officials to make me the king. Why would they make others?

The fact that the officials are preparing to confer so many royal titles shows that the Song Dynasty is what it is today, which is the credit of all of us."

Wang Zeng stared at Kou Ji and said: "But these people who are crowned kings are either promoted by your boy, or they follow your boy to get the credit."

Kou Ji said decisively: "Mr. Cao relies on his own strength..."

Before Kou Ji finished speaking, Wang Zeng interrupted him, "If it weren't for you to innovate the military system and create muskets and artillery, even if Cao Wei lived another twenty years, Yanyun Sixteen Prefectures would only be able to watch.

look."

Kou Ji slowly shook his head, "Muskets and artillery just happened to meet. This thing has already taken shape. Even without me, it will be built sooner or later.

As for the reform of the military system, it is also the result of the hard work of the officials.

I'm just helping."

Wang Zeng glanced at Kou Ji and said, "If you say you have merit, you will have merit. Why are you so humble? Do you think that if you push out all the credit, no one will know what you have done and what merit you have accomplished?"

?”

Kou Ji curled his lips and said nothing.

Wang Zeng said bluntly: "If you have done meritorious service, you have done meritorious service. There is nothing to shirk."

Kou Ji stared at Wang Zeng and said: "My lord, from what I know about you, you are not the kind of person who likes flattery. Now that you are saying such flattery, do you have something to ask me for?"

"cough!"

Wang Zeng coughed dryly and said calmly: "I'm just telling the truth."

Kou Ji stared at Wang Zeng suspiciously.

Wang Zeng coughed again and changed the subject: "By the way, the officials are recruiting troops aggressively, do you know?"

Kou Ji thought for a moment and confessed: "I reported this matter to the officials. Now I, the Song Dynasty, have taken over Liao and Goryeo. All of a sudden, we have nearly doubled our territory.

Now that we have captured these territories, we cannot let them go to waste.

Someone must be sent to govern.

It's just that there are many prisoners here. If you want to govern this place, you must have heavy troops.

The imperial army is an important weapon of the country and cannot be stored here.

So we need to recruit some local soldiers to stay here."

Wang Zeng stared at Kou Ji closely and said in a deep voice: "It is indeed you who reported this matter to the officials."

Kou Ji asked: "Is there something wrong?"

Wang Zeng gritted his teeth and said, "Then do you know that the government will recruit two million local soldiers at one go?"

Kou Ji stared in astonishment.

"Two million?! Can the imperial court afford it?"

You must know that the soldiers of the Song Dynasty were all professional soldiers. They had to be paid when they entered the military camp. Without pay, they would not be able to contribute to the court.

It is precisely because of this that before the reform of the military system, there were often incidents where the army was not receiving pay, or the superiors had embezzled military pay, causing the army to become lieutenants, generals and soldiers.
To be continued...