Chapter 926 Tribute from the Prince of Pingxi!

"Yuan Tugê's paintings really understand your taste."

Ji Chengyu was appreciating the painting.

When Li Fusheng died in Liangdi, before the Prince of Pingxi crossed the Wangjiang River, he met a retired Yan official who was good at painting erotic pictures as a refined hobby;

Moreover, this person also had the integrity to ruin his family for the country's sake. He originally wanted to motivate the Prince of Pingxi to quell the rebellion, but was later convinced and willing to dedicate his paintings.

The painting was completed a little slowly because he fell ill in the middle. Even now, his health is not very good, but he finally submitted the work as agreed.

The scene in the painting can be said to be unsightly, but you can also say that it is "beautiful beyond compare," art, and a treasure;

This thing mainly depends on the status of the evaluator.

In this album of paintings, most of them are women with plump figures and natural charm, which is exactly what someone likes, isn't it?

However, after the painting was sent up, the person it was intended for didn't even have time to look at it, and the emperor took it over and enjoyed it with gusto.

"There's still the return journey," the Prince reminded.

The emperor heard this,

And his hand immediately trembled, putting the album aside as if he had seen some terrible monster.

Immediately afterward,

The emperor said;

"Just tell the Empress that I suffered a bit of an injury? Internal injury, yes, internal injury, need to recuperate, recuperate."

"That won't do. Wouldn't that mean I didn't take good care of you in Shanggu County, disregarding the safety of your imperial body?"

"Zheng, are you still a brother? Are you still a brother? If you're a brother, you have to share the burden!"

"True warriors must dare to face the bleakness of life. Besides, this doesn't count as anything tragic."

"So you're just a well-fed man who doesn't know how hungry men suffer."

"Hehe."

"Aren't you tired?" the Emperor asked curiously.

In his harem, there's only one Empress and one Imperial Concubine;

But in Zheng's Prince's mansion, including the Princess of Fu, there are already four.

The Prince shook his head indifferently and disdainfully said, "This is nothing."

The Emperor's lips curled up slightly, a cold smile, obviously, the Emperor didn't believe it.

"Who told you not to exercise more in your early years?"

"Alright, alright, stop showing off your strength as a fifth-grade peerless martial artist. You're really shameless to keep flaunting it."

"With others, I can't flaunt it. Isn't it obvious how big the gap is with you, who are not even ranked?"

The carriage stopped.

The Emperor and the Prince got out of the carriage.

The Sword Saint was sitting not far away, and Eunuch Wei was serving beside him.

Xue San and Fan Li were preparing beggar's chicken,

A'ming was setting out wine cups;

Further out, there was a group of guards not wearing brocade uniforms patrolling.

The Emperor returned after inspecting the east to the Wei River, picked up the Empress and the Crown Prince at Fengxin City, and the imperial carriage set off for the capital;

But in reality, the Emperor himself and the Prince of Pingxi took another route in a "private visit" and went west to the Wangjiang River.

With the imperial carriage, the Emperor refused to sit in it. He just wanted to have fun.

"Sigh."

The Emperor sat down on the ground and sighed:

"Zheng, after this farewell, I don't know when I'll see you next."

The Prince also sat down next to him and said;

"Maybe it will be when you are dying. I will lead the army into the capital, and you will lie on the dragon bed, hold my hand, and entrust your orphan to me."

The Emperor rolled his eyes at the Prince of Pingxi;

The Prince continued:

"According to your nature, you might even feign generosity at that time and say, 'If the Crown Prince is not fit to be supported, you can take his place.'

Seemingly generous, but in fact, you're using our sentimentality to block my path before you die."

"I say, Zheng, are you thinking so far ahead? You've arranged my funeral so clearly?"

"Isn't that how the drama always goes? Don't worry, when that day really comes, I'll try to come a little later, a little slower, so you can hold on to the end, until Eunuch Wei excitedly shouts, 'The Prince of Pingxi has arrived!' and you can close your eyes, saving you from having to act when you're about to die."

Eunuch Wei, who was spreading the carpet to the side, shuddered slightly when he heard this;

Fortunately, Eunuch Wei was already used to it, used to the recklessness between the Emperor and the Prince of Pingxi, which was even more terrifying than that between the late Emperor and the two Princes.

"Zheng, let's talk about something practical. The Wangjiang River is ahead. After I cross the river and reunite with the imperial carriage, I'll have to become '朕' (Zhen, the imperial 'I'). Some things are more appropriate to say face-to-face than in letters in the future.

Wei Zhonghe, step aside."

"Yes."

Eunuch Wei stepped aside, and on the carpet he had spread out earlier, was a map of Zhuxia.

"I sleep with this carpet every day. This is to constantly remind myself of the unfinished great cause."

The Emperor pointed to the carpet and said somewhat proudly.

The Prince curiously pointed to a damp stain in the corner,

"Here..."

"Don't mind that." The Emperor's "old face blushed," and he immediately returned to the topic, "Let's get down to brass tacks.

I estimate that in another five years, we can basically make up for the previous losses, and the lives of the people in Yan and Jin can return to normal, even if there's not much savings, even if they haven't been stable for long;

But it's enough to cope with a foreign war."

"Provided we can win," Zheng Fan reminded.

Five years of accumulation is enough to start a war, but the frequency of wars is still too high. The seemingly stable but fragile livelihood that has just been established will soon suffer extremely serious damage due to a new round of war.

But it's not that we can't fight like this,

Just like the late Emperor's continuous foreign wars, they were basically fought like this.

It's hard in the early stages, but as long as we can win, the army can gain military merit, and the imperial court can gain territory. Gaining benefits through war victories can still support this cycle.

It's like climbing a hill to the top. When going downhill, it will be smooth.

The biggest problem in Dayan was during the previous Three Kingdoms War,

The food and grass supply at Nanmen Pass was cut off,

This means that Dayan's national strength was so poor that it couldn't even complete the initial push uphill.

"Yes, so it's not realistic to directly destroy one in one go." The Emperor looked at the Prince, "So..."

The Prince gently waved his hand in front of him,

And said:

"We can cut off half first."

"Pa!"

The Emperor reached out and slapped the Prince's hand,

And said:

"Yes."

Zheng Fan knew that the reason why the Emperor suddenly brought up this topic of grand strategy again was because the Emperor had to modify it after learning about his physical condition.

Call it selfish or greedy for historical fame,

In short,

The Emperor was not willing to simply be a guardian emperor, paving the way for the next generation.

Although when he was a Prince, the Emperor had often complained that his father had done too much and didn't trust his descendants enough.

People,

Even the Emperor,

Cannot escape double standards.

"Which half to cut off first?" The Emperor asked.

"No one knows what the world will look like in five years, but I prefer to attack Qian first. I can suppress Chu with my old connections;

Moreover, Qian is also rich.

Take down the Three Borders, take down half of Qian's northern territory, and turn Qian into Southern Qian, then it will be much easier to either further devour its remaining meat or use this foundation to attack Chu."

But the Emperor shook his head and said, "But I think Qian has always been tender meat. If we can solve half of Chu first, then it will be much easier to turn back.

Just like my father, remove the most difficult thorn first and leave the less difficult ones to the descendants."

"Ji Lao Liu (Sixth)."

"Hm?"

"It's your body that has a problem, not mine." Zheng Fan glanced at the Emperor, "In five years, how to fight will still be my decision."

"Isn't that obvious? Of course, you'll be the commander."

"So, there's no need to argue about this. Just focus on storing grain and organizing the corvée and logistics."

"Can't you be a little more polite to a sick person?"

"Is there a need?"

"No."

"That's right then."

"But even if you pretend, and then I refuse, I'll feel better."

"Dramatic," the Prince said disdainfully.

"Hey, how dare you, a crow, call others black?"

"Let's talk about other things. We can't decide the overall direction in five years now."

"Okay, in terms of livelihood, it will take three years to restore the basics, and then two years to select usable soldiers for replenishment and restoration, striving to be able to use troops in five years.

In terms of logistics, auxiliary soldiers, and even war soldiers, we can match the level of the Yan-Chu War back then, at least twice over."

Because Ji Lao Liu was the one who organized the logistics during the Yan-Chu War, he was very clear about the actual cost, and he dared to say this, which meant he had the confidence to do it.

The Emperor tugged at his belt,

And said:

"I'll give you the treatment of the Jingnan Prince when he fought the national war twice. If after two times, Qian and Chu still haven't lost half of their territory..."

The Prince interjected:

"Then that means Qian and Chu are not destined to die."

"Damn it, couldn't it be because you, Zheng Fan, are useless?"

"Heh."

"When I go back, I'll continue to expand the cabinet. Since my father started the imperial examination, it has been several years since the imperial examination officials entered the government, which has greatly filled the court's vacancy after the collapse of the clans. After that, the succeeding emperor may gradually move closer to Qian, with the emperor and officials co-ruling the world."

This is actually paving the way for the Crown Prince, so that after the Crown Prince ascends the throne, although the constraints he faces will be greater than his father and grandfather, the situation will be easier to appease and stabilize.

"The matter of the desert must also be sorted out again. The current young Prince of Zhenbei is too cautious. The court still needs him to be tougher, at least to further suppress the ashes of the desert, so that the court can calmly free up its hands to deal with the upcoming war of unification."

"Mm," Zheng Fan nodded.

"If nothing else, Xu Wenzu can stay in the position of magistrate of Yingdu for another two years. In the third year, I will transfer him back to the capital and into the cabinet.

Spend a year to endure, and within two years, let him at least sit in the position of Vice Minister.

What do you think?"

Xu Wenzu himself has the qualifications and ability for this. Most importantly, Xu Wenzu and Zheng Fan have a very good relationship.

"You decide."

"This is not a matter of whether I decide or not. You, Zheng, are unwilling to die with me. I have to arrange for the worst-case scenario, where I leave first, but you are still alive and kicking."

Zheng Fan shook his head,

And said:

"There's no need for that.

Whether you arrange it well or not, once you kick the bucket, there's no one who can stop me from doing what I want."

Nowadays, the Ji family emperor can rely on righteousness and the old foundation to form a suppression of the Pingxi Prince's Mansion in Jidong on the surface without breaking out into a face-tearing conflict.

After all, Jidong's territory is so large, and the population is so large.

But the problem is that, with the decline of the Zhenbei Army and the Jingnan Army already flirting with the Prince of Pingxi, plus the combat power of the Jidong iron cavalry under the command of the Dayan Military God, even the most optimistic person would only estimate a 50-50 chance for the imperial court.

And once the Emperor dies and a new young emperor takes over…

The imperial court can really just lie flat.

"Zheng, can't you be gentler? Chuanye called you godfather for a year, after all."

"This is not a matter of being gentle or not, just stating a fact."

"Alright, alright, alright, damn it, why didn't my father remove you when he was removing thorns, but instead left me with the biggest thorn in Dayan."

"Hahahaha," the Prince laughed loudly.

"However, Zheng Fan, seriously, if I really feel like I'm about to die one day, I'll leave an imperial decree, you can enter the capital and help Chuanye stabilize the situation, as a Regent.

I can't rest assured about them, a widow and an orphan."

"You're going too far."

"Mm, I've said my side, what about you? In five years, to what extent can your Jidong develop?"

"One hundred thousand iron cavalry that can be drawn out at any time without affecting the garrison situation, plus one hundred thousand auxiliary soldiers that can be brought along."

After a pause,

Zheng Fan continued;

"Food, military supplies, and logistics can be self-sufficient."

The Emperor began to calculate with his fingers,

And said:

"That is to say, if we choose to start a war with Chu in five years, you can pull out 200,000 war soldiers?"

The reason for this calculation is that once the decision is made to attack Chu first, then because a large number of barbarian auxiliary soldiers need to be mobilized, most of the garrison at Xuehai Pass can be transferred out. At the same time, the garrisons in Zhennan Pass, Fancheng, Fengxin City, and other places will all be drawn out to use troops against Chu in all directions.

In short, as long as we win at the front, there's no need to worry about the home at all. Therefore, there's no need to guard the home, and all the Jidong troops are put on the table.

"More or less," Zheng Fan nodded.

This is the prediction given by the Blind Man and Si Niang. Zheng Fan believed in these two.

Moreover, when it comes to fighting a national war, Jidong's system, similar to the Eight Banners system, can almost achieve a state of universal conscription.

Two hundred thousand is the regular army, and there can actually be more auxiliary soldiers and barbarian soldiers.

Of course, this is also betting everything. Once we don't win, not only will Jidong's own ecology face collapse, but it may even lead to the rot of the situation on all sides of this important place.

"You're still the one who can do it," the Emperor said with emotion.

The Prince remained noncommittal.

"Counting like this, the soldiers are enough."

The Prince had no choice but to say:

"Dayan has never lacked soldiers."

"I understand, I understand, I'll do my best, I'll do my best, don't worry, when the time comes, even if I refine the oil on my body, I'll support you in fighting a rich battle at the front."

"Heh."

"In fact, five years is also enough to happen some changes that we can look forward to.

On the Chu side, the Xie family's sole dominance seems very well-behaved, but how long can it really be well-behaved?

If we don't do anything and keep accumulating strength, there may be problems within them.

That Chu counterpart is probably very uncomfortable. Continuing to attack the already declining nobles means that he's afraid they'll really jump over the wall in desperation. If he doesn't attack them, he can only keep dragging on.

As for the Qian side, it's actually more worthy of anticipation. You broke his capital, which has greatly reduced that official's prestige. In addition, Qian's century-old emphasis on literature and suppression of martial arts, and in recent years, under the external coercion of our Dayan, has greatly increased the status of martial artists, it's easy to see an imbalance.

Comparatively speaking,

After a Three Kingdoms War,

The most united and determined inside is actually our Dayan.

Having survived the most difficult hurdle,

We can understand that the situation my father left me, although broken, is really stable."

"Mm."

The beggar's chicken was ready,

Eunuch Wei personally helped to tear it open,

The Emperor and the Prince ate the chicken and continued to chat for a long time.

Then,

It seemed that everything that needed to be discussed had been discussed,

Even the sun,

Was starting to set in the west,

The time they had been sitting quietly like this had exceeded half an hour.

The Emperor suddenly overturned the wine glass in front of him,

And said;

"Zheng, I've been explaining my funeral for so long, and you actually accepted it like this, damn it, I'm still so young, I've only been Emperor for two years, my life, really damn it!"

The Emperor's hidden emotions finally erupted.

This emotion first took shape when the Blind Man helped him check his imperial body at the Prince's mansion in Fengxin City, was revealed on the wall of Xuehai Pass, and then ignited all the way to here, when he was about to cross the Wangjiang River and return.

What the Emperor was sad about was that

He knew,

That once he crossed the Wangjiang River and was no longer in front of Zheng, he would not be able to find a second person to resolve this emotion in his heart.

Not even the Empress.

The Prince turned his head,

Looking at the Emperor whose face was red with anger;

"When my father was dying, I told him that I would not become an Emperor like him. He was really ruthless, I can't be ruthless, and I'm not ruthless enough to myself."

The Prince said calmly:

"I said, it can be cured."

"Open the skull? I also said that I couldn't do this kind of treatment. Besides, the probability of success is 50%, too low, really too low."

"Oh."

"Then what? That's it?" The Emperor asked.

"You refused," the Prince replied.

"Why is it that you're always dramatic? When I want to be dramatic, you're not willing to cooperate with me!"

"Because I don't have time," Zheng Fan said.

"No time?" The Emperor's face was a little ferocious, "I'm about to go, and you tell me you don't have time? You heartless bastard!"

"Mm."

Zheng Fan nodded,

And then,

Stood up,

Standing up was not only his figure, but also another aura.

At the same time,

Eunuch Wei nearby, and the Sword Saint far away, immediately raised their heads;

Fan Li and Xue San, who were eating beggar's chicken, immediately glared here, and A'ming, who had been drinking silently as if he was not tainted by human dust, also shook out the wine in his glass;

After the Prince stood up,

He patted his python robe,

And stretched greatly,

Letting out a sigh:

Say I'm heartless?

Bastard,

I'm busy,

Isn't it all for you?

At this moment,

The Prince of Pingxi enters the fourth rank!