Traveling through time and space and becoming a deposed prince, he just wants to survive!

Chapter 481 Bingzhou Military Power

Kyoto,

The atmosphere in the Chuigong Hall was solemn and depressing.

Between the carved beams and painted buildings, golden light shines through the window lattices, but it cannot dispel the tension and anxiety that permeates the hall.

Zhao Hui sat upright on the dragon throne. The recent news from Bingzhou hung over him like a dark cloud. The disputes among the court officials made him upset, as if there were countless silk threads entangled in his heart, which were difficult to sort out and even difficult to cut.

Wei Rong, the chief minister of the cabinet, stepped forward with a solemn expression, clasped his hands, and said, "Your Majesty, the lost Bingzhou was our territory, and now it has been occupied by the Xiongnu. This is a great shame and humiliation.

I believe that we must send troops to bolster our national prestige and recover lost territory; we cannot sit idly by."

His words were sincere and his eyes were firm, as if he had already seen the scene of the mighty army marching towards Bingzhou and defeating the enemy in one fell swoop.

Fan Wenyuan frowned slightly, clasped his fists, and retorted, "Although what the Prime Minister said makes sense, the current state of the national treasury is not optimistic.

In my opinion, Pingyang's existing military strength can still protect itself if it can obtain sufficient weapons and rely on its terrain and manpower.

Sending troops rashly would only worsen the financial burden on the national treasury."

He was worried about the empty treasury and knew that sending troops would cost a huge amount of money and was unbearable.

At this time, Si Shitong of the Ministry of Revenue stepped forward respectfully, a look of helplessness on his face. "My Lords, both of you are right. However, the treasury is currently empty. Although we have manufactured a lot of weapons, they are only enough to equip the troops guarding the capital. There is no spare to support Bingzhou."

He secretly groaned in his heart. As an official in the Ministry of Revenue, he was well aware of the financial difficulties and every expenditure had to be carefully calculated.

Qin Lian, the current Minister of War, is particularly concerned about the defense of the capital.

But the critical situation in Bingzhou was like a sword hanging high in his head, making him worried. He knew that if he continued to delay, it would only be a matter of time before Pingyang City fell.

Based on his understanding of Zhao Hui, he guessed that the emperor might want to use this opportunity to deplete Bingzhou's military strength.

The Ministry of Revenue could not afford to send troops; he thought Fan Wenyuan's proposal had some merits.

Qin Lian bowed slightly and said cautiously, "Hey! War is bound to cost money. What Prime Minister Wei said is right. We should send troops to recover the lost territory. We can't wait until Pingyang City is captured before sending troops. That would cost even more."

After saying this, he secretly raised his eyes to observe Zhao Hui's expression. Zhao Hui, who was standing in the hall, had a calm face, and his expression was difficult to read.

Fortunately, there was no sign of anger, so Qin Lian felt relieved and continued, "The Ministry of Revenue is indeed a little stretched right now. The large-scale production of weapons is really emptying the national treasury.

Nowadays, in wars, having more people does not necessarily mean an advantage.

I think we should send a team to deliver some of the imperial weapons to Pingyang, and supervise their defense of the city."

Zhao Hui listened to Qin Lian's words and weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

He knew that if Pingyang did not get the support of the court, its fall was only a matter of time, and he could not let local officials lose trust in the court.

Zhao Hui was about to respond,

"Your Majesty, I think this is another way..." Before Zhao Hui could finish his words, Qin Lian interrupted him anxiously.

When they were in Yanzhou before, Qin Lian often interrupted like this, and Zhao Hui was actually used to it.

But now that he is the emperor, Qin Lian's behavior is obviously against the rules.

Zhao Hui wanted to get angry and stop Qin Lian with words, but he heard him continue:

"...I think we can do this. Let Mayi and Daijun send troops at the same time to cut off the Xiongnu army behind them. I estimate that at this time, they can only leave 100,000 people."

This sentence hit the mark exactly what Zhao Hui wanted, because he originally wanted to send troops from Mayi, where the Wang family was stationed.

Zhao Hui nodded slightly, a hint of imperceptible satisfaction on his face:

"Well, what Minister Qin said makes sense, but some subtle methods still need to be improved. That's all for today. Later, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Ministry of Works will discuss the matters of mobilizing troops and weapons."

Zhao Hui felt that enough was enough. He had been fed up with the affairs of Bingzhou these days. Du Ziqing was so incompetent, but there was really no better solution at the moment.

After the court was dismissed, Zhao Hui came to the imperial study with a little fatigue.

Just as he sat down at the desk and took a sip of his tea, the palace guards came in and said, "Your Majesty, Minister Zhao of the Ministry of Personnel wishes to see you."

"Oh, please come in." Zhao Hui put down the teacup and his expression relaxed a little.

Although Zhao Zhiqiang also has the surname Zhao, he is not from the Zhao family of Handan, but he can be considered a member of the same clan as the royal family.

When Zhao Hengzhen was alive, he planned to have Zhao Zhiqiang included in the royal family tree.

Soon, Zhao Zhiqiang walked into the imperial study with steady steps. "Your Majesty!"

He saluted respectfully, leaning forward slightly.

"Uncle, there's no need to be so formal." Seeing Zhao Zhiqiang saluting, Zhao Hui immediately stood up and raised his hands in a gesture.

"Your Majesty, etiquette cannot be abolished!" Zhao Zhiqiang knew in his heart that Zhao Hui called him uncle out of courtesy, and he did not dare to really regard himself as a royal relative.

He and Zhao Hengzhen have a close relationship, but now facing the new emperor, he is clear about his own identity.

"Uncle Emperor, do you have something to talk to me about?" Zhao Hui retracted his politeness and asked softly, guessing in his heart what Zhao Zhiqiang was coming for.

"There are some things that are difficult to say in the court just now. They are about the Bingzhou governor Du Ziqing." Zhao Zhiqiang hunched his body slightly and looked around vigilantly.

Zhao Hui instantly understood what he meant and immediately ordered Wang Defa to take the other palace guards away.

After everyone left and they were the only two left in the study, Zhao Zhiqiang slowly spoke:

"Du Ziqing was formerly the Grand General of Bingzhou. Based on his seniority, he's clearly qualified to be a provincial governor. But Your Majesty, you also know that without your own power in Bingzhou, it's difficult to gain a foothold and achieve anything."

"Then what should we do according to the emperor's uncle's opinion?" Zhao Hui asked with a puzzled look on his face, staring at Zhao Zhiqiang, trying to find the answer from his expression.

"The Emperor originally wanted Hong Kui to be the Grand General of Bingzhou. After all, his family was in Bingzhou and he had deep roots there. However, some people were worried that Hong Kui would collude with the Wang family and harm the court, so they kept him in Kyoto."

Zhao Zhiqiang spoke slowly, his eyes revealing a hint of deep meaning.

When Zhao Hui heard this, he understood that Zhao Zhiqiang wanted to let Hong Kui go to Bingzhou.

"Since my father doesn't want Hong Kui to go to Bingzhou, why would he let me send him there?" Zhao Hui frowned slightly, feeling a little doubtful.

"Your Majesty, Hong Kui is already fifty-four. How many more years can he remain in office? Moreover, this promotion, while seemingly no major change, is actually tantamount to depriving him of his command of the army.

Besides, Hong Kui has always been very supportive of the Eighth Prince, not because he wants the Eighth Prince to seize the throne, but because his hometown is in Bingzhou. However, the Eighth Prince has always been influenced by the Lu family, and he really can't go to Bingzhou. "

Zhao Zhiqiang explained patiently, hoping that Zhao Hui could understand the interests involved.

After hearing this, Zhao Hui completely understood what Zhao Zhiqiang meant. He wanted Hong Kui to go to Bingzhou and, if possible, replace Du Ziqing's position.

"If we replace Du Ziqing at this time, will Bingzhou be in chaos?" Zhao Hui asked with a worried look on his face. After all, the situation in Bingzhou was already complicated, and he was worried that this move would cause even greater turmoil.

"Your Majesty, Hong Kui cannot directly replace Du Ziqing this time, but..."