The most romantic little emperor

Chapter 336 The Threat from Liao

Su Zhengfang was not discouraged when his plan failed. He knew that victory and defeat were common in the court, and as long as he had sharp means and mastered the art of compromise, he would eventually get the result he wanted through constant calculations. This was the experience he had summed up over his many years of official career.

He slowly withdrew his gaze, with a cunning gleam in his eyes, like a cheetah staring at its prey. He turned his eyes lightly to the Minister of War Wen Tai, who had been silently observing the situation.

Wen Tai was a smart man. He immediately noticed Su Zhengfang's eyes, and his heart moved, and he immediately understood.

He straightened his robe, stood up, bowed to Qin Hao, and said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, the Ministry of War received an urgent report last night that a locust plague had occurred in the Liao territory. The disaster was serious, and the people had no harvest and suffered. And on the Yanyun border, there have been many vicious incidents of Liao people openly plundering the food of our people in Daxia, causing dozens of innocent people to be killed and injured."

At this point, Wen Tai's tone became heavier. He took a deep breath and continued, "What's more urgent is that the Liao Dynasty has assembled 100,000 cavalrymen on the border, eyeing us with evil intentions. Yelu Lingxiao, the Southern Court King of the Liao Dynasty, personally led a delegation to rush to the capital of our dynasty to ask for food day and night. They will arrive in the capital soon. This matter concerns the diplomatic relations between the Great Xia and the Liao Dynasty, and even more so the safety of the people of our dynasty. Please make the decision, Your Highness!"

As soon as Wen Tai finished speaking, there was an uproar in the court.

All the civil and military officials in the court were talking about it, and they were obviously shocked by this sudden news.

Su Zhengfang stood there quietly, with a barely perceptible sneer on his lips, as if everything was under his control.

Qin Hao's heart trembled suddenly, and an ominous premonition arose spontaneously. He muttered to himself: "Damn it, this is really a ghost, why would the Liao Dynasty interfere at this critical moment, it's simply trying to kill me! Damn it, these Khitan dogs, do they want to bully me?"

At this time, Wei Zheng, who was known for his outspokenness, strode up to Qin Hao. He said angrily, "Your Highness, the Liao Dynasty's evil ambitions are obvious. They robbed the people of Daxia of their food, causing dozens of innocent people to be killed or injured. How could they need to gather 100,000 cavalry just to ask for food? These damn Khitan dogs are clearly threatening Daxia. They are simply going too far! Your Highness, please be vigilant and deal with them decisively!"

Kong Boli, the left assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, stepped forward at this moment. He advised earnestly: "Your Highness, our dynasty has just suffered an unprecedented drought. The lives of the people have fallen into dire straits. Where can we use the extra food? Moreover, Gao Gongxiang is in rebellion now, and the domestic situation is turbulent. We must not go to war with the Liao Dynasty at this time!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zheng frowned and angrily retorted: "Minister Kong, it's easy for you to say that! You also know that the court is short of food now, so why don't you tell me how we can avoid going to war with the Liao Dynasty?"

Kong Boli was choked speechless by Wei Zheng's questioning. He looked embarrassed and didn't know how to answer for a moment.

At this time, an official from the Ministry of Revenue beside him whispered, "Sir Kong, perhaps we can consider raising the grain tax to raise grain and lend it to the Liao Dynasty."

Kong Boli's eyes flashed with hesitation when he heard this. He knew that raising the grain tax would inevitably cause dissatisfaction and resistance among the people, but the court was in urgent need of grain to deal with the crisis at hand.

He took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "Your Highness, our Great Xia has a vast territory and abundant resources. Now is the golden autumn harvest season. If the court can increase the grain tax at the right time and lend the surplus grain to the Great Liao, it will be enough to resolve the danger of war and maintain peace between the two countries."

Upon hearing this, Duke Zhu Gui's face darkened. He took a big step forward, cast a dagger-like gaze at Kong Boli, and sneered disdainfully, "Kong Boli, your plan is really brilliant! Have you ever thought that lending grain to the Liao Dynasty is equivalent to aiding the enemy? How can you be so weak and incompetent? I think you should change your name to 'Ruan Boli', so as not to embarrass yourself in the court and bring shame to your ancestor, Confucius."

Zhu Gui's words were as sharp as a blade, piercing Kong Boli's self-esteem. Many court officials present couldn't help but laugh secretly in their hearts when watching this scene.

"You...you..." Kong Boli was so angry at Zhu Gui's words that his face turned blue. He even stuttered and couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

Li Mu stood in front of Kong Boli, his hands clenched into fists. The blue veins on his arms bulged like a dragon, showing his inner anger and excitement.

He interrupted Kong Boli's stuttering coldly, and said in a loud and firm voice: "Your Highness, you must not believe Kong Boli's slander. Two years ago, the Liao Dynasty massacred 300,000 of my troops and forced my Great Xia to cede the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun. If we don't avenge this, how can we be human beings? If they want to start a war, we will fight! There are tens of thousands of men in my Great Xia, and there is not a coward. How can we be afraid of them?" His words were loud and clear, full of firmness and determination.

Su Zhengfang felt nervous when he saw Zhu Gui and Li Mu, two military leaders, attack their trusted confidants as soon as they appeared. He knew very well that if he didn't come out to save the situation quickly, Kong Boli would be in a desperate situation.

So he took a deep breath, stepped forward, and asked, "Generals, please allow me to ask you a question. Now that the treasury is empty, with no silver and no food, how can we go to war with the powerful Liao Kingdom? Do we really want our soldiers to go to war on an empty stomach and in a cold and harsh environment?"

His words were very weighty, causing everyone present to fall into deep thought.

Su Zhengfang watched the changes in the expressions on everyone's faces with satisfaction. He smiled casually and continued, "Even if we raise enough money and food, can the two generals have full confidence in defeating the Liao Dynasty? Don't forget, we suffered heavy losses in that tragic war two years ago, and it is still vivid in our minds. Do you want to repeat the same mistakes? Let the soldiers bleed and sacrifice again, and let the people fall into dire straits?"

Although his voice was not loud, every word he said was very important and he immediately gained the support of many ministers.

What Su Zhengfang said was true. The brutal war between Great Xia and Great Liao two years ago severely damaged Great Xia's vitality, and it has not recovered yet.

Now, the Hedong area was hit by a severe drought, the people were displaced, and banditry was rampant in various places. What was even more troublesome was that Gao Yingxiang, the rebel, took the opportunity to cause chaos, which made the court feel pressured and anxious.

The court is now facing internal and external troubles, like a small boat in a storm, shaky and likely to capsize at the slightest mistake.