In the fifth year of Taiping, mid-June.

When Zheng Ze, the governor of Yingzhou, withheld taxes and money from Jiangnan for the second time, Emperor Zhao Zhi was furious. He immediately issued an edict and angrily accused Zheng Ze of being unruly, and then frequently summoned all the prime ministers to discuss matters.

On the fifth day of the seventh lunar month, Emperor Zhao Zhi summoned his ministers to publicly discuss the matter of Zheng Ze, the governor of Yingzhou, who had withheld tax money and grain from Jiangnan.

Liu Jie, the Left Chancellor of the Political Affairs Hall and the Minister of War, had the most violent attitude. He angrily accused Zheng Ze of being treasonous and ignoring the imperial court and should send troops to attack him. He also presented the memorials of Jiangnan Jiedushi Deputy Envoy Hong and Jiang Jiedushi Zhao Bo'an, saying that he could not bear Zheng Ze's incompetence.

The behavior of the king without his ministers shows that he is willing to send troops to attack.

Right Prime Minister Yang Daosi also agreed to send troops, but the opposition sent the Fengjing Forbidden Army to crusade, and instead hoped that Zhao Zhi would issue an edict to dispatch military envoys from other states to encircle and suppress Zheng Ze.

Since the death of Wu Zong, the leader of the ZTE generation, there have been three dynasties: Xizong, Yizong, and Pingzong. Every sixty-two years have passed. These three emperors all have a common characteristic: they love great achievements, have great ambitions and talents, favor eunuchs, and love villains.

The virtuous ministers were fond of ostentation and loved women, which led to the decline of the government, the villains in power, the disappearance of loyal ministers, political corruption, and rampant corrupt officials. The Jin Dynasty, which was once the most powerful in the world, has been in great decline.

Until Zhao Zhi succeeded to the throne, the Jin Dynasty finally ushered in a decent emperor. Although Zhao Zhi had average abilities and was not a great sage or wise emperor, he was extremely diligent and frugal, good at managing political affairs, decisive, and good at accepting good people.

Internally, he suppressed the power of the eunuchs, and externally, he dared to delegate power to the ministers. Under his hard work, the Jin Dynasty, which was on the verge of collapse, finally had some signs of recovery.

However, the power of the Jin Dynasty has finally declined. In the ninth year of Tianshuang, Pingzong listened to the lies of his ministers and intended to eliminate the vassal towns in Hebei. As a result, Hebei was in chaos. Pingzong ignored the opposition of the Manchu civil and military forces and mobilized the country's troops, leading 300,000 central

The Forbidden Army led a personal expedition, but the entire army was destroyed. Pingzong returned to the court seriously injured and died of his injuries soon after.

Although the five major vassal towns in Hebei were closed at the first sight and had no intention of destroying the Jin Dynasty. They later apologized and reconciled with the court, but the 300,000 elite forbidden troops were all killed and injured, and the court had no strong troops at hand, and the governors from all over the country were ready to move.

, many of them commit crimes.

After Zhao Zhi ascended the throne, he could only endure it again and again. He appeased the military governors from various places with high officials and generous titles. At the same time, he relied on Jiangnan taxes to reorganize the central imperial army. After more than ten years, it gradually gained a certain scale and power.

However, it was a pity that during the White Turban Rebellion in the 15th year of Guangyuan, all 50,000 imperial troops were wiped out, and the imperial army suffered heavy losses again. It was not until five years later that Zhao Zhi reduced the expenses of the imperial court and saved food and clothing himself, and then he recovered.

After regaining their strength, the Central Forbidden Army returned to its strength of 150,000.

It can be said that in the twenty years since Zhao Zhi became emperor, the Jin Dynasty did not perish in the wind and rain, but gradually improved in his hands. In addition to Zhao Zhi's courage to employ people and the help of many good ministers around him,

In addition, the taxes and money in Jiangnan are also an extremely important factor. If the annual taxes in the world are divided into 10%, the land in Jiangnan alone will account for 50%, so Zhao Zhi can tolerate what happens in other places.

There is turmoil, but Jiangnan is absolutely not allowed to have any accidents.

This year's taxes from Jiangnan Province will be transported to Fengjing in seven batches over a two-month period from April to May. The first two batches went smoothly, but by the third and fourth batches, they were all destroyed.

Yingzhou Jiedushi Zheng Ze intercepted him, and the Zhengshitang issued a document to question him, but Zheng Ze ignored him, neither admitting his mistake nor explaining the reason for his behavior. Zhao Zhi couldn't bear this, and finally

He thought of sending troops to annihilate them.

The taxation of Jiangnan was related to the fundamental destiny of the country. The civil and military attitudes of the Manchu Dynasty were very unified, that is, such rebellious people must be eliminated. However, in terms of the form of sending troops, they were divided into two groups.

One group, represented by Liu Jie, the Left Chancellor of the Political Affairs Hall and the Minister of War, suggested that General Huang Sheng of Anguo should be appointed as the governor of Pingnan, leading an army of 50,000 to go to the south of the Yangtze River to annihilate Zheng Ze.

The other faction, represented by the Right Prime Minister Yang Daosi, strongly opposed sending out the Forbidden Army to fight, but hoped to use other military envoys to eliminate Zheng Ze. Even Anguo General Huang Jie himself agreed with Liu Jie's point of view and opposed The Imperial Guard went out to fight.

Zhao Zhi was extremely dissatisfied with this. He scolded Huang Zhu on the spot for not being brave and loyal to the emperor, and said angrily that he would never take you as the leading general, and immediately announced the disbandment of the dynasty.

Li Xun had eaten lunch and was about to take a nap when a eunuch hurriedly arrived and told Concubine Li to invite Li Xun to the palace to discuss matters.

As the eunuch entered the imperial city and headed towards Changle Palace, he met an official with his head lowered and hurried towards him on the way.

Li Xun grabbed him. He knew this person as Wang Zhong, the head of the Ministry of War. Seeing that he was holding some books and papers in his hands, he knew that he must have just come out of the Emperor Zhao Zhi's place.

"Master Wang, did you just come out from the Emperor's place?"

Wang Zhong looked up and saw that it was Li Xun, so he nodded with a smile and said: "Your Majesty is discussing matters with all the prime ministers and ordered me to convey the latest Jiangnan Memorial Chapter. I have just been busy and am preparing to leave the palace."

Li Xun had no official title, so he was not expected to have any interactions with Wang Zhong. However, Li Xun liked to read history and was very interested in military matters. He often asked Wang Zhong to ask questions. At first, Wang Zhong was also very impatient. Regardless, one time something happened at Wang Zhong's family and he had no money to turn over. After Li Xun found out, he generously lent him five hundred taels of silver. It had been several years since Li Xun had asked him to ask for it. Wang Zhong was very grateful for the loan, and his attitude towards Li Xun changed a lot.

"Sir Wang, recently the emperor often convenes the ministers in the political hall to discuss matters. The discussions last for several hours, but what happened?"

Li Xun asked softly. In the past month or so, Li Xun had gone to his aunt's house several times. During the conversation, he learned that Zhao Zhi seemed to be in a very bad mood and very busy recently. He had not gone to her place for several days. Li Xun Xun just guessed that something big must have happened in the DPRK.

Wang Zhong thought for a while and realized that this matter was not a secret, so there was no harm in telling it to Li Xun, so he whispered: "There is something big going on over there in Jiangnan, and the imperial court is probably going to use troops against it."

Li Xun became interested: "Which Jiedushi is causing trouble?"

Wang Zhong said: "The Jiedushi of Yingzhou intercepted taxes from the south of the Yangtze River. Your Majesty wanted to send the imperial army to quell the chaos. However, many ministers opposed it. Even the ministers in the Zhengshitang had different opinions. Your Majesty convened the Zhengshitang. All the prime ministers have tried to persuade me and want to unify the opinions of the Zhengshitang first."

Li Xun laughed and said: "There are dozens of military governors in various places. How can there be any day when no one does not make trouble? I have never seen the emperor care so much before!"

"This time is different. The stability of Jiangnan Road is related to the foundation of the country. How can your Majesty allow others to interfere with it?"

Wang Zhong shook his head and said: "I can't talk to you anymore. I have to rush back to the Ministry of War. There are still many things waiting for me to do!"

"Master Wang, walk slowly! I'll treat you to a drink when I have time."

Li Xun nodded and said with a smile.
Chapter completed!