coobybook Chapter 239: General's Death
Chapter 239: General's Death
Everyone present was very happy, except Li Siming, who couldn't help but clench his fists when he saw Li Siqi being praised by the emperor again.
Damn it, not only did I fail to bring down Li Siqi, I even made things difficult for him.
I've made note of this matter, and I'll get it back from you sooner or later.
Li Siming said this in his heart very unwillingly, but on the surface he had to pretend to be very happy to congratulate Li Siqi.
"Ninth brother is really amazing. He solved such a difficult problem with just one move. I am really ashamed!" Li Siming praised Li Siqi against his will.
"Your Majesty, you are too kind. You are much more capable than me." Li Siqi was also polite.
The morning court ended with hypocritical praises from the brothers Li Siqi and Li Siming.
After the cholera caused by people from the Western Regions was eradicated, the entire capital city gradually returned to its normal life.
The people who went to Shangjing were more optimistic and willing to endure hardships. They did not complain about the injustice of God at all. Instead, they actively participated in economic construction. Shangjing gradually returned to its former prosperity.
Li Siqi and Xu Yingying also moved out of the palace and returned to their respective mansions.
noon.
Li Siqi and Xu Yingying had just finished lunch when the servants rushed in hurriedly.
"Your Highness, Master Xu, there is a man outside who claims to be your friend and wants to see you for something important. He says his name is Cui Jiangyuan."
The servant said to Li Siqi very respectfully.
"Cui Jiangyuan? Why is he here?" Li Siqi asked with a hint of curiosity.
Xu Yingying on the side also looked curious. Cui Jiangyuan usually liked to eat and drink in Baihua Tower. Why did he have the leisure to visit them today?
"Let him in quickly." Li Siqi ordered the servant.
As soon as Cui Jiangyuan entered the room, he said to Li Siqi anxiously: "Brother Li, can you help me? I can't contact my brother. Did something happen to him?"
Li Siqi and Xu Yingying's faces suddenly changed after hearing this.
This is no small matter. Cui Jiangke was appointed by the emperor as the General of Cavalry to guard the border and repel the invaders from the Western Regions.
If he can't be contacted, doesn't that mean the situation on the border is precarious?
"Don't worry, I will send my men to find out about your brother as quickly as possible." Li Siqi comforted.
After saying that, he ordered Xu Ruohao to find someone to find out more about Cui Jiangke's situation.
Several hours passed.
Xu Ruohao came back to report.
"Did you find my brother?" Cui Jiangyuan walked up to Xu Ruohao and asked excitedly as soon as he saw him.
Xu Ruohao nodded. "Your brother is still alive, but his condition is not good. He is now trapped in the valley without food and grass, and there is no reinforcement. If the situation continues to develop like this..."
Xu Ruohao didn't finish his words, but everyone understood the rest of his meaning.
Cui Jiangyuan panicked when he heard this, "What should I do?"
He had no soldiers, and if it was just a problem of food and fodder, it would be easy to solve. He wanted to find a way to raise some money to support his brother, but unfortunately it was not just a problem of food and fodder.
"Brother Cui, don't worry. I will go to the palace to report this matter to my father, and then ask him to allocate some men to your brother. This will solve your brother's urgent problem." Li Siqi said decisively.
Li Siqi's words were undoubtedly a timely help to Cui Jiangyuan.
Cui Jiangyuan looked at Li Siqi gratefully after hearing this, "Thank you."
Li Siqi made a prompt decision and entered the palace. Coincidentally, Li Siming and several old ministers were in the imperial study.
The emperor was slightly surprised to see Li Siqi, "Ninth Prince, why are you here?"
Li Siqi reported the whole story to the emperor.
The emperor did not give Li Siqi an immediate reply. Instead, he turned to several ministers and Li Siming to ask for their opinions.
Li Siming did not disappoint Li Siqi. He was the first to stand up and oppose.
"Reporting to my father, General Cui has made great achievements in battle and has rich experience in fighting. This little test is nothing to him. Are we not trusting General Cui too much? Are we making a big fuss out of nothing?"
"Also, our capital is currently recovering and there are places that need money and manpower everywhere. How can we have extra money and manpower to support General Cui?"
Li Siming spoke in a righteous and reasonable manner, which immediately attracted the agreement of many ministers.
"Yes! What the prince said makes sense!"
"That's right. Where can we get so much money to give to General Cui?"
"Yes! The top priority should be to restore Shangjing's economy."
……
Of course, there were also ministers who supported Li Siqi's opinion.
"Your Majesty, I think what Ninth Prince said makes sense. If we do not support General Cui, if General Cui's entire army is wiped out, our dynasty will suffer heavy losses."
"Yes, Your Majesty, General Cui and the army are in need of your support and the civil and military officials. If we reject his proposal at this time, wouldn't it disappoint millions of soldiers and General Cui?"
"Your Majesty, I also feel that we need to support General Cui. General Cui rarely asks for help on weekdays. I'm afraid that the situation has gone beyond his control when he asked for help today."
……
Seeing that there were still a few sober ministers among them, Li Siqi nodded with relief.
"Father, General Cui went there this time to pacify the border and repel the people from the Western Regions for the stability of our Dafeng Dynasty. If General Cui loses this battle, then the border will be unstable, and how can our Dafeng be stable? Although we are far away in Shangjing, we are far away from the border."
"But everyone has heard of the story of the lips and teeth being cold. If we don't stop the people from the Western Regions now, it may be too late to stop them later. Moreover, the people from the Western Regions are very greedy and violent by nature. After they take over the border, they will definitely invade Dafeng. If things get out of control, it will be bad."
"As the saying goes, 'A thousand-mile dam can be breached by a single ant hole.' 'A three-foot-thick ice doesn't form overnight.' So I want you to reconsider, father!"
Li Siqi spoke to the emperor in a sonorous and powerful voice, word by word.
The ministers who had originally opposed Li Siqi fell silent after Li Siqi said this.
Even Li Siming, who had originally wanted to refute Li Siqi, forgot for a moment what he had originally planned to refute Li Siming.
"Okay, okay, okay, the Ninth Prince has grown up, so just do as the Ninth Prince says."
"I hereby declare that all matters concerning the redress of the traitors in the Western Regions will be solely the responsibility of the Ninth Prince. There is no need to ask for my opinion. The Ninth Prince's opinion is my opinion."
The emperor waved his hand.
Li Siqi heaved a sigh of relief when he heard this. "Thank you for your trust, Father. I will definitely fulfill my mission."
The emperor's words made Li Siming very angry, but because there were so many people around, he did not dare to show his dissatisfaction. He could only pretend that he supported Li Siming.