Unlimited estates for rural beauty-Chapter 687: The Second Child was Born (2)
The Prime Minister’s face betrayed no emotion, but inside he was very anxious. He agreed with the Emperor of Luo’s proposal, yet also disagreed; it was a great contradiction. While standing quietly to the side in the great hall, the Prime Minister said nothing, only listening. He glanced at the Emperor, then quickly averted his gaze and silently contemplated his strategy.
Dugu Chen sat on the Dragon Throne, quietly listening to the Ministers debate below. Observing their starkly different reactions, it was clear that some supported the proposal, some opposed it, and a large portion, neutral, contributed to the cacophony of opinions.
"How goes the discussion?" After observing their reactions for a while, he finally asked the Ministers below.
Minister of Revenue Ludong stepped forward and loudly responded, "Your Majesty, your humble servant believes that we can annex the Sunset Kingdom."
"Your Majesty, your humble servant disagrees," the acting Minister of Works Yang Jian spoke out in opposition.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant also disagrees," Minister Tian Qing of the Ministry of War stepped forward and replied.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant agrees with the Minister of Revenue, we can annex the Sunset Kingdom."
"Your Majesty, your humble servant,,,."
Dugu Chen furrowed his brows, watching as the Ministers, one by one, voiced their agreement or opposition. With a wave of his hand, the Ministers all stood quietly in their places, not daring to utter another word.
"Yang Jian, you explain why you disagree," he commanded.
Addressed directly, Yang Jian took half a step forward, "Your Majesty, if Xueyan Country accepts Luo Kingdom now, what happens when the Emperor of Luo regains his strength, bites back, and starts a rebellion? If he then turns to attack Xueyan, would we not be,,,putting ourselves at a disadvantage?"
Dugu Chen looked intently at Yang Jian, then turned to the speaking out against Minister Tian Qing of the Ministry of War, "Tian Qing, it’s your turn to speak."
"Your Majesty, I’m a straightforward man, unfamiliar with politics, but I have read and understood a thing or two about military affairs," Tian Qing moved half a step forward, calm and fearless, his eyes locked on the Emperor atop the Dragon Throne.
Dugu Chen’s interest was piqued, and he quirked a thick eyebrow, lifting his chin slightly, "Hmm! Let’s hear it then."
"As ordered, if Sunset Kingdom is annexed by Xueyan Country and becomes part of our homeland, then, our country will have to face several smaller neighboring nations." Having said that, and seeing that the Emperor seemed not to be angry, he continued based on what he had just said, "Because in the eyes of the smaller nations, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse. Even though Luo Kingdom has suffered a drought, it still has more resources left than those small countries. Thus, those smaller states will be closely watching Luo Kingdom, and indirectly, they will be keeping a close eye on Xueyan Country as well. Eventually, we might face some military conflicts. On the other hand, if we do not agree to merge with Luo Kingdom, we wouldn’t have to pay attention to those small nations."
"Anything else?" Seeing that there were others eager to speak, he decided to listen to them all at once to resolve the matter more efficiently.
"Your Majesty, your humble servant believes that even if the small countries were to raise an army and invade, Xueyan Country would not be afraid. However, I have heard that the lands of Luo Kingdom have drastically reduced their crop yields, and moreover, most of the businesses in Luo Kingdom are in the hands of Zi Weijiang, who can be said to have wealth that rivals nations. If he were to contemplate rebellion... that would truly be getting attacked both in front and behind, losing both the wife and the soldiers. Therefore, Luo Kingdom is currently a burden for our country."
Upon hearing this, the Minister of Revenue’s face turned pale, his fingers tensing and then relaxing, tight then loose again, the knuckles turning white, and it was not until he could no longer bear to listen that he bravely stood up, his tone dignified: "Your Majesty, this minister disagrees with the words of the Minister of War and the acting Minister of Works."
"Oh? Speak," Dugu Chen said, a hint of a smile crossing his eyes, as he had been waiting for this moment for a long time.
Ludong, filled with indignation, clenched his fist and said, "There are seven points in total. First: even if our country annexes Sunset Kingdom, they will not be able to retaliate against us in the short term, since Sunset Kingdom is facing a famine, with people living in fear and many unable to even eat their fill, leaving them with no strength to wage war. That is the first point. Second: Replace generals and marshals of Sunset Kingdom’s army with our own commanders. That is the second point. Third: If the Emperor of Luo wishes to designate himself as a Vassal King, then we should empty his power and make him an idle Prince. However, we need a hostage to bind him. That is the third point. Fourth: The land within Sunset Kingdom is not incapable of growing crops, it is just that the yield is not as good as before. But with the Empress’s guidance, they have already managed to grow food on what was previously considered barren land and have successfully harvested, indicating that the land can still produce high-yield grains. Moreover, they do not have reservoirs like our country does, which led to complete crop failure when the drought hit. That is the fourth point. Fifth: Luo Kingdom’s coffers are depleted, and they cannot pay their military’s salaries. To bite us back in this state would be quite difficult for them. By the time they have the strength, we will have already dismantled their internal forces. That is the fifth point. Sixth: Although Zi Weijiang is the richest man in a country, he is still a subject. If he shows the slightest inclination of acting against our country, then we can completely throw him into the Sky Prison for a thorough investigation. That is the sixth point. Seventh: Even if we, Xueyan Country, do not annex Sunset Kingdom, in their hunger, those small nations will still risk attacking our borders. After all, among all nations, only our country is prosperous and has not suffered from disasters. Thus, we are their primary target, whether we annex Luo Kingdom or not. It has nothing to do with the merger."
Dugu Chen’s eyes gleamed with a smile, nodding with each point, seemingly very satisfied with what was said.
"Hmph, you speak so lightly. Just take the second point you mentioned: if we remove the commanders of Luo Kingdom for no reason and replace them with our own, will those soldiers from Luo Kingdom follow the commands of our generals?" Minister Tian Qing remarked sarcastically with a smirk in response.
However, the Minister of Revenue scoffed and said, "Didn’t the Minister of War claim that he is somewhat familiar with military matters? How come such a little thing has stumped you? Or are you saying that you can’t handle even this minor issue and are just spouting empty words in the court?" While speaking, he bit down particularly hard on the word "somewhat familiar."
"You... you’re utterly unreasonable," said Minister Tian Qing, his face turning deathly pale, pointing at Ludong but his eyes sweeping towards the Emperor sitting on the Dragon Throne. Seeing that His Majesty was looking down, seemingly not angry, his sudden surge of anxiety finally began to subside.
"Whether I am unreasonable is for His Majesty to judge, not for you to say," retorted Ludong, flicking his sleeve at him before turning to stand with his back straight, casting only a brief sidelong glance at him.
The person on the Dragon Throne, seemingly tired of their bickering, sat up straight and turned to look at his uncle, the Prime Minister Xiao Yiran, who had been silent, "Prime Minister, being a veteran of three dynasties, let’s hear your opinion."
The Prime Minister, as if he had expected to be called upon, did not show even the slightest embarrassment or hesitation and instead stood up confidently and with composure, bowing and said, "Your Majesty, your old servant agrees with the Minister of Revenue that we can annex Sunset Kingdom."
"Good, let’s hear your thoughts."
