Fostering apprentices

"It's really unreasonable." Yan Nan was in a hurry, coughing constantly: "I have to go to the palace." The emperor is eager to take power, but squandering the centuries-old foundation of Nanling, what is the difference from a faint king?

Su Qing heard his words and quickly stood in front of him: "You used to be my father's accomplice. The emperor was afraid of your military power. He weakened the military expenditure in order to force you to surrender the military power."

For more than a year, she has been to various places in Nanling, and each place is different, but as long as the army in charge of the General's Mansion, they wear thin clothes even in winter, and the conditions in the places where they are stationed are even more difficult.

The army is the foundation of Nanling, and the soldiers are the souls inside.

The emperor was very suspicious, he couldn't tolerate sand in his eyes, and the people in the court were soliciting dissension, so he attacked the Yan family, valuing civility over martial arts.

Su Qing looked at the injury on his arm, and all his worries were replaced by a sigh: "You should rest first, and let's wait and see what happens. If the people are suffering because of this, then they will go against the sky as Yun Jing said. , another day for another fate.”

"Yan Nan, you have to know, what is the reason why Yun Jing and Yan Yangru have to protect you no matter what?"

"Do you know the reason why the Northern Emperor and His Majesty Mobei are willing to follow behind you, are they just falling in love with you?"

She watched him closely, as if she wanted to see through him.

Then, Yan Nan listened to her and said: "It's because 27 years ago, the national teachers of the four countries calculated that an emperor star would descend from Nanling, and this emperor star appeared in the general's mansion."

"In order to protect you, your father swore that the Yan family will always be a courtier. If you violate the Yan family, you will die a bad death. This is how you are protected. Over time, this rumor will be broken."

Yan Nan lowered his voice. It's not that he hasn't heard of these things, but he has never believed in gods and Buddhas, let alone the arrival of emperor stars.

"But your excellence made Yunqing feel a sense of crisis, and with your little apprentice, Yunqing couldn't tolerate your existence at all, even if you only wanted to be a courtier to assist the king." Su Qing said lightly.

"The Yan family will always be the subjects of Nanling." Yan Nan clenched his hands, but finally let go.

He stared at the beautifully blooming narcissus in front of the hall, and there were weeds that hadn't been removed for a long time beside them. These were flowers planted by his brother. He didn't allow anyone to approach them, and just placed them in the open air to be irrigated by the rain.

Before his father left, his father had told him that even if something important happened in Nanling, the Yan family would still be a courtier. He didn't have that much ambition, and he didn't have much interest in the so-called throne. The only thing he could do was to dispel Yun Qing's concerns.

—— Surrender the military power.

The Yan family at that time was just resigned to fate.

In the early court, Yan Nan once again put forward the idea of ​​restoring the military pay. As expected, the emperor still disagreed, and he also insisted on his own opinion, as if he would not give up until the goal was achieved.

For several days in a row, more than a dozen ministers went to the emperor together, demanding to restore the issue of military pay. The emperor was furious, and all the ministers lowered their heads and dared not say a word.

The prime minister came out and cupped his hands and said, "The emperor is very angry. General Yan just doesn't know that our country's treasury is empty. The people's taxes have been reduced for less than two years. The general should be considerate of his soldiers."

On the surface, the words were enlightening, but in fact, they gave Yan Nanan the title of not doing business properly and not knowing the truth.

Yan Nan sneered, and said, "The general is terrified. Officials below the fifth rank in the imperial court all have ordinary family backgrounds. I don't know if the Prime Minister, as the head of the three princes, cares about the health and well-being of each of them?"

"The general heard that the prime minister's house sings and sings every night, father and son enjoy together, and spends the day among the flowers. I'm afraid this violates the emperor's oath of diligence and thrift?"

"What nonsense are you talking about!" Cheng yelled on the spot: "General Yan's ability to talk nonsense has increased a lot."

Yan Nan said again: "Your Excellency, the fragrance of Chunfeng Tower still remains on your body, anyone who has been there can smell this smell."

"Nonsense, this is clearly the Baihua Pavilion..." He shut his mouth abruptly, and looked up at Yan Nan with a half-smile, knowing that he had been tricked by this kid.

"It turns out that the prime minister went to the Baihua Pavilion..." The old man wanted to drag him into the water, so he would not be very polite.

Yun Qing slapped down the dragon chair fiercely, and said angrily: "You guys really have the guts of a bear and a leopard. Do you still take me seriously when you discuss such dirty things in the court hall?"

"I am terrified, please the emperor to make amends."

"The emperor calms down." Civil and military officials knelt on the ground one after another, Yan Nan glanced at the prime minister, a little disdain flashed in his eyes, the old man wanted to fight him, but he was a little tender.

Yun Qing was also very angry. In addition, the person he was looking for in the past few days was not found, and the original plan was in vain. Yan Nan's pressure in the court and the repeated memorials of the local army made him They all have big heads.

He doubted whether the prime minister's opinion was right or wrong.

Yan Nan came out again and said: "Your Majesty, please approve the opening of the warehouse to release grain. The soldiers have already spent a difficult winter, and now the soldiers at the border gates even have very few basic supplies. If some people with ulterior motives take the opportunity to attack the border defense line, it is not a problem that can be solved by opening warehouses and releasing food."

"This matter..."

"Your Majesty, this matter cannot be delayed any longer. All the officials in the imperial court are full of rich clothes and fine food, but the soldiers in Nanling are still living on the waste. Even if we continue to pursue the policy of diligence and thrift, we must not lose money to the soldiers." The Ministry of War Shang Shu said.

Yun Qing frowned slightly. Yan Nan was putting pressure on him. Most of the ministers in the court had submitted a memorial to request the release of grain. All plans are in vain.

"Your Majesty, I have a way to ensure that the national treasury is full and the supplies of the soldiers are sufficient." Yan Nan looked at Yun Qing, and guessed in his heart what this person was thinking about. He absolutely could not let Nanling's century-old foundation be destroyed In the hands of a fool.

"Say."

"The emperor's policy of diligence and thrift is naturally for the good of Nanling. It is better to reduce the salaries of officials of the fifth rank and above in the court. The yamen set up a collection box. Only those who are in office can donate valuables at home to enrich the national treasury. Different ranks High-level officials set different donation amounts, such as the Prime Minister, who donates at least 1000 taels of silver a month, of course, this is just a hypothesis, if the official has other properties under his name, it is another matter."

As soon as this method came out, more than half of the officials in the court changed their faces, especially the civil servants of the prime minister and the party. .

In this way, it can actually be seen which minister is loyal and which minister's family is rich, so Yun Qing naturally agrees with the method.

He glanced around at the humble ministers: "Let's do it this way, General Yan will handle this matter."

"Your Majesty, this veteran thinks this is inappropriate." The Prime Minister said, "Of course the Yan family has a big business, so it's not a problem to take out the money. If someone uses this to embezzle and oppress the people, isn't this going to be in dire straits?"

Yan Nan looked at the prime minister, and a sneer flashed in his eyes: "Your prime minister, don't worry, this matter has nothing to do with the people. Besides, this time we are only doing it in the royal city. At the feet of the emperor, who would dare to make a mistake? Or say The Prime Minister thinks that if you donate it to the national treasury, you can't go to Chunfeng Building to have fun?"

"Yan Nan, you..." The Prime Minister was so angry that he blew his beard and stared at his eyes, and wanted to say something more, but Yun Qing waved his hand impatiently: "Just do what General Yan did, and retreat."

"The minister leads the decree." Yan Nan glanced at the prime minister contemptuously. He touched the interests of some people and naturally he would not be flattered.This method is only temporary, Yunqing only has one treasury in his hands now, and it is also a difficult problem whether to give him the rest.

After all, he was still worried about Nanling's foundation.

After coming down to court, Yan Nan did not take the carriage in the mansion, but asked the servant to bring a horse, intending to go to Huguo Temple.

"General Yan, general and so on."

He looked back and saw that it was the Minister of the Ministry of War and some other officials. Looking at their appearance, Yan Nan probably guessed something in his heart.

"My lords, you want to ask me why I propose such a method?"

"General, to be honest, if this method is really implemented, it will naturally take a lot of money from the ministers, but doing so will also offend many people."

Yan Nan lowered his head and smiled, he naturally knew that doing so would offend many people, and even make the prime minister and party target him even more.

"Then, do your lords know that there is something wrong with the frontier fortress in Nanling? Not only are the soldiers not warm enough to eat and eat, but they can't even make the most basic weapons. The emperor puts more emphasis on culture than military. clear."

"My Yan family is now the only one left to support me. If I don't become this villain, who will do it? If one day there is a war with another country, the gap between the rich and the poor is huge, and the soldiers have no strength at all, who will do it? Want to stay here?"

First, he wanted to see how greedy the high-ranking officials in the royal city were, and took the opportunity to pull out this moth for the court, and second, he wanted to take the opportunity to uproot the prime minister's wings.

This is also one of the few things he has done for Nanling.

The Minister of the Ministry of War said: "The emperor's move is really inappropriate, but the general must not say that he is a villain. If you hadn't saved the whole family seven years ago, the general, I am afraid that it is too late to regret it now."

"Yes, the general has not been here for a few years, and the eldest son has often taken care of the orphans you took care of. The Yan family has been kind to me. General, I will do what you say, and I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Yan Nan cupped his hands towards them and said, "Yan Nan thanked the adults on behalf of the soldiers, and I will discuss this matter with the adults after the specific regulations come out."

He led the horse and walked towards Huguo Temple.