He was just angry and wanted to kill Liang Xiao and others, but he forgot one thing: it is easy to kill Liang Xiao and others' families, but it is difficult to kill them himself. These people are all in the Western Regions and have no plans to return to Chang'an at all. How can he kill? Killing their families will only give them a reason for rebellion, and if they are not rewarded for their contributions, they will be killed by the clan. People in the world will also feel that they are wronged and think that their rebellion is forced by the court.

Isn’t this helping Liang Xiao recruit people even though he knew that Liang Xiao was going to rebel? As the court explained, others would not believe it. Because they refused to be officials, you would have to kill their whole family. What kind of tyrant can do such a thing?

The emperor thought about it the more terrible he felt, and he couldn't help but look at Master Yan gratefully. If Master Yan hadn't reminded him, let alone whether he could really kill Liang Xiao, Li's family members, as long as this imperial edict was issued, his reputation as a foolish monarch would be confirmed.

This is not a resignation, it is a pitfall.

When he thought of Liang Xiao laughing at him as he was stupid, he gathered his troops to fight towards Hexi and Longyou, the emperor was shuddered.

Liu Ling led Liang Yu into the Jiaofang Hall. Queen Chen immediately greeted her. The two ladies Chen followed closely. For a moment, the hall was filled with orioles and smirked, making a happy scene.

Empress Chen took Liu Ling's arm, took her seat together, and whispered: "I heard that the champion Hou is not planning to come back?"

Liu Ling glanced at Queen Chen and chuckled softly, "Where did you hear the news?"

"Isn't it that my brothers said?"

"What else did they say?"

Queen Chen was stunned for a moment, a little embarrassed. Liu Ling saw it in his eyes, raised his eyebrows, looked around, and smiled and said, "Okay, where is the emperor? Please come out, why hide it? The dignified emperor, do you want to hide it?"

The hall suddenly became silent. After a while, the footsteps sounded, and the emperor walked out from behind, glared at Liu Ling, and said, "Isn't my sister too confident?"

Liu Ling seemed to be vague. "Even if my husband and wife are obedient now, they are still fearless in the eyes of His Majesty."

The emperor was speechless and didn't know how to answer Liu Ling for a moment. Liu Ling was able to speak eloquently, and today he was even more sharp and straightforward, and he didn't leave any detour for the emperor. He forced the emperor to the corner as soon as he opened his mouth.

Anger flashed in the emperor's eyes, and his face turned gloomy. Liu Ling narrowed his eyes and looked at the emperor with a smile. "Does your Majesty feel offended and have the intention to kill people?"

The emperor was silent for a moment and said with a forced smile: "You and Liang Boming are indeed natural couples. Liang Boming drew his sword in front of me to seek battle. Although you did not draw your sword, these words are also a heart-killing argument. You said so badly, I can't be angry. If you are angry, you have the intention to kill people. Are I so easy to kill?"

Liu Ling said lightly: "Who can guess accurately when a person's heart is separated from his belly? I was spoiled by my father since I was a child, and I really refused to forgive others. My husband, let alone, he is a martial man, and he doesn't have so many intestines. He can talk about it, but he can't talk about it, and he can't talk about it, and he can kick anyone who scolds him. He can shoot someone with an arrow. Do you know what he says most often?"

“What is it?”

"It is not too late for a gentleman to take revenge for ten years. It is not too late for a villain to take revenge from morning to night."

The emperor's heart tightened. "Is he a gentleman or a villain?"

"He..." Liu Ling raised his voice. "I would rather be a real villain than a hypocrite. His Majesty drove him to the Western Regions to be considered a good person. People like him are not suitable for being in the court. Sooner or later, they will cause trouble, so it is better to go to war."

The emperor was angry and left. He was really angry. Liu Ling had no rituals between the king and the ministers in his eyes. She was obviously provoking her on purpose, but he did not dare to do anything to her. She was right. Liang Xiao was born in a rash and was not a gentleman. A gentleman could deceive him, but a villain would be anxious to jump over the wall.

The Lord Father Yan followed behind without saying a word. He could hear the conversation between Liu Ling and the Emperor clearly and not write down a word. He knew the emperor's mood at this moment, but he didn't say anything.

Good strategies are waiting for a price, and his wisdom cannot show his true value until the emperor is desperate.

Empress Chen chased out of the hall and looked at the emperor's back as he was leaving, and regretted it. She wanted to be a peacemaker and take the opportunity to show her value. She never thought that Liu Ling was so arrogant, angered the emperor and brought her great trouble.

She returned to the hall and was about to meet Liu Ling coming out of the hall. "Master, you..."

"Are you scared?" Liu Ling covered his mouth and smiled: "I am barefoot now and I am not afraid of wearing shoes. If the queen wants to live a peaceful life, it is better to stay away from me in the future."

"Look at what crazy things you say."

"This is not crazy talk, but the truth." Liu Ling raised his eyebrows lightly. "The emperor has always been used to being rampant. My husband and I finally got him in after making such a big plan. I was not proud at this time. When did I be proud?"

"You... layout?"

"That's right, this is a game. Not only the emperor is in the game, but your Chen family is also in the game. If the queen wants peace, she can only rely on herself, and others are unreliable."

Queen Chen was bloodless and held Liu Ling's hand and refused to let go. "Master Weng, what are you talking about? Why is my Chen family in the game? What's going on?"

"Empress, do you know why my husband can pacify the Western Regions with one as ten or four hundred horses?"

"Then...that's of course the champion Hou is like a god and is invincible."

"It is a fact that my husband is good at using military force, but if it weren't for the iron smelting skills of your Chen family, and the armor and swords provided by your Chen family, would they have such combat power?"

Queen Chen's eyes were straight and cold sweat was flowing. The iron smelting technique was not so much from the Chen family, but was sent by Liang Xiao. At that time, she thought Liang Xiao was generous. Now it seems that this is simply a trap.

"Empress, don't worry." Liu Ling comforted: "Now your Chen family is an indispensable help from the emperor. If the emperor wants to conquer the world, can he leave your Chen family? Even if he doesn't use it, how can my husband not use it in the Western Regions? In the Han Dynasty, he can still go to the Western Regions. My husband will definitely welcome it."

Queen Chen thought for a moment, breathed a sigh of relief, her legs became weak, and she almost sat on the ground. She took two steps back and leaned against the pillar, trying to laugh a few times, but she couldn't laugh.

"In addition to iron smelting, the scholars of Chen and Dou families also traveled out of their husbands. Now these people have become the eyes and ears of the emperor. Every time they publish articles, they broaden the emperor's horizons and broaden the horizons of our great scholars. Can the emperor leave them?"

Queen Chen blinked her eyes, shook her head, and felt much more relaxed. She knew the emperor's temper. No matter how much he was resentful, he would not lose his composure. However, the longer he endured, the more ruthless the revenge he would be in the future.

Perhaps, some people should be arranged to go to the Western Regions to surrender to Liang Xiao and leave a way out for the Chen family.

Liu Ling saw through Queen Chen's worries at first glance. "These are good strategies my husband has presented to the emperor, but the emperor refused to follow his own considerations. Now that my husband is far away from the Western Regions, the sky is high and the birds are flying, can he not implement these good strategies that benefit the country and the people? If the emperor wants to not fall behind, in addition to relying more on Chen Dou, he can also tie his own hands and feet? Hehe, if this is true, more people would rather travel west than go back to Chang'an."

After Liu Ling finished speaking, he pinched Queen Chen's hand and showed a cunning smile. Queen Chen had an idea and finally understood what Liu Ling meant. She couldn't help but feel relieved and laughed out loud.

The emperor sat in front of the imperial desk, looking at the newspaper in front of him, with a sad face.

Although he deliberately did not promote it, the news of the great victory in the Western Regions soon became the hottest topic on the streets and alleys. Liang Xiao's legendary deeds of pacifying the Western Regions with 400 cavalry in the west and spent two years to pacify the Western Regions became the most talked about by the peddlers, and how to reward these heroes also became the focus of people's concern.

If there is no worldly merit, there will be no worldly rewards. These ordinary people do not understand the principle of great merit and do not like this principle. They eagerly hope that Liang Xiao will create another miracle, especially the families of the golfers who followed Liang Xiao to war. They all looked forward to the news of the reward from the court.

If you can't delay it anymore, people will have more suspicion, and Cao Shi and others' preparations for conquering the grassland will also be seriously affected.

However, the emperor has not found a suitable solution. How to reward Liang Xiao has become the most troublesome thing he has recently. The reward is exactly what Liang Xiao wants; if he doesn't reward, he is also exactly what Liang Xiao wants.

At this time, Dou Ying asked for a meeting.

The emperor hesitated for a while. Since Dou Ying said he was going to travel to the Western Regions last time, the emperor has never seen him, and Dou Ying has never come to see him. This time it was a bit sudden, and I am afraid there was nothing good. But after careful consideration, the emperor still sent someone to tell Dou Ying to enter the palace.

Dou Ying came hurriedly with a scroll of silk book. When the emperor saw it, his heart skipped a beat. Since the introduction of new paper in Huainan into Chang'an, paper has replaced expensive silk book. People who write with silk must not be the ones who often write articles in newspapers recently.

As expected, Dou Ying said as soon as he opened his mouth, "Your Majesty, Dongfang Shuo sent someone to send an article."

The emperor felt nervous. "What article?"

"The article is very long, but in the final analysis, there are only a few sentences: First, the saints govern according to the times, and should not be confused by the ancients. Second, the saints govern the country with the first priority. If they win, they will prosper, and if they lose, they will perish. These two sentences are both the foundation, and the real focus is on the last sentence: moving to the vassal state."

"Move the vassal?" The emperor quickly took the silk book and quickly browsed it, saying, "Isn't this the strategy that Liang Xiao had mentioned before?"

"Yes, Dongfang Shuo's suggestion can be said to be a refinement of Liang Xiao's plan to move the vassals. He said that Zhou ruled the world, five hundred miles of patriots, five hundred miles of patriots, five hundred miles of patriots, five hundred miles of patriots, five hundred miles of patriots, five hundred miles of patriots, a total of 2,500 miles of patriots. Now the Han Dynasty has 20,000 miles of east and west, so naturally there is no need to follow the Zhou system, and it needs to be corrected."

“How to correct it?”

"If you don't have a marquis for thousands of miles, you won't have a marquis for thousands of miles."

The emperor was stunned for a moment, suddenly raised his head and sneered: "No marquis is not granted a thousand miles, and no monarch is not granted a king? Is he asking the court to grant Liang Xiao the king?"

Dou Ying shook his head calmly. "Your Majesty, Dongfang Shuo's article does not mention the word Liang Xiao. However, to the west of the Pamir Mountains, there are no less than dozens of kings, one more king and one less king, which is normal. Even if the court wants to take care of it, it is probably beyond the reach. However, if this example can be implemented and the kings in the Han territory will be a good thing that benefits the country and the people. Your Majesty, what do you think?"

The emperor stared at Dou Ying, but Dou Ying was extremely calm, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.

The emperor did not speak for a long time. He was moved by Dou Ying. If this strategy was implemented, all the kings would be moved thousands of miles away, and the princes would be moved thousands of miles away, which would indeed be more beneficial to the court than to harm the court. There were wilderness thousands of miles away. The Han Dynasty did not know how many kings there were, and there was no energy to care about it. It would be better to let the descendants of the Liu family expand their territory than to destroy each other.

With Liang Xiao, a king of different surnames, before, if the kings of the same surname are not clear about moving abroad, then we cannot blame the court for being ruthless.

As for Liang Xiao, this is probably his condition. If he is granted a king, he will not be able to enter the east of the Palacio Mountains, otherwise he will be dissenting his oath. In this way, Liang Xiao's threat to the Han Dynasty will be minimized, and the court can also give an explanation to the people of the world. Look, I have given him the king, are you sorry for his military achievements? If there are still people who say that the court treats meritorious officials in a low manner, it would be unreasonable.

If this is Liang Xiao's decision, it at least means that although Liang Xiao is arrogant, he has no intention of being an enemy of the court. What the court has to worry about is not Liang Xiao, but the kings of the Liu surname who asked them to leave their fiefdoms and migrate to a wild land thousands of miles away. Can they be willing?

The emperor felt inexplicably relieved.

"Du Gong, do you think this plan is feasible? Will the kings agree?"

"I'm afraid many people will not agree, but the court can divide it. Those who are willing to move the vassal states will favor it and send generals to help them expand their territory and expel barbarians. Those who are unwilling to move the vassal states will either cut off land or reject favors. In short, it will take him ten years to make him feel uncomfortable. There will be few kings within a thousand miles."

"Then... what should Liang Xiao do? The king of a different surname violated Emperor Gao's promise to be a white horse."

Dou Ying smiled. "Your Majesty, with Liang Xiao's ability, he can be called king if His Majesty is granted a king or not. The only difference is that if Your Majesty gives him a king, then he is the vassal state of the Han Dynasty and morally cannot be enemies with the Han Dynasty. Even if he is so majestic in the Western Regions, he is still a minister before His Majesty. If he proclaims himself as a king, then..."

Dou Ying didn't say anything more, but the emperor already understood. Liang Xiao was west of the Pamir Mountains, and he wanted to be king, but the court could not stop him. Instead of letting him compete with the court at that time, it would be better for the court to make him king and set the title of monarch and minister. In this way, we can also take Liang Xiao as an example to put the mouths of the kings and make the kings and ministers.

"Can other ministers agree?"

"I don't know, but I think I can at least discuss and see who agrees and who disagrees."

The emperor's eyebrows gradually raised, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. Without discussion, he already knew who would raise his hands to agree and who would firmly oppose it.

"Okay, let's discuss it first."

As soon as Dongfang Shuo’s article was published, Chang'an City was in a turmoil.

Of course, Dongfang Shuo's articles are good. It is easy to introduce the past and discuss the present, and it has the right to deduce the final conclusion. But what really makes people excited is not the theory, but the unfinished meaning behind the court's permission to publish this article.

The court intends to be granted the king of a different surname. As long as the military achievements are sufficient, the king of a different surname can be granted the king.

Of course, such military achievements cannot be easily obtained. Not everyone is willing to go thousands of miles away, but there are many people who want to go, especially those heroes who have always been walking on thin ice. For decades, they have long lost the prestige of their ancestors and only have wealth and honor. Now they have the opportunity to escape from the control of the court and make a fortune for themselves. Although the risks are very high, they have gained a lot.

If they succeed, not only will they no longer have to worry about the threat from the court, but they can also take the cause of their ancestors forward and become kings who dominate the country. Isn’t it better to be a cautious and vain prince in Chang'an?

Although there are not many such people, there are definitely ones. Cao Shi, the Marquis of Pingyang, was one of them. However, he was steady and would not reveal his intentions before the emperor issued a clear edict. But after hearing this news, he finally went to the palace again to report to the emperor about the preparations for the Northern Expedition, and he was more attentive than before.

After Cao Shi's two-hour report, the emperor stood in the corridor outside the hall, looked at Cao Shi's excited steps and sighed.

"A article by Dongfang Shuo has aroused the ambitions of countless people, but I don't know whether it is a blessing or a disaster."

The master Yan smiled and said, "Your Majesty has too much work recently, has insufficient energy to nourish his energy, and his mental strength is a little weak."

The emperor was slightly stunned and turned his head. "Why do you say that?"

"Your Majesty, even Rome thousands of miles away is included. Which country's territory can be compared with my great man's household registration?"

The emperor remained silent, but his expression was obviously a little relaxed.

"Which country can have more talents than our great Han? In terms of ability to govern the country, who can compete with Your Majesty?" Master Yan asked several questions in a row. "The national strength is not as strong as the great Han, the talents are not as many as the great Han, and the ability is not as superstitious as the great Han, why do they threaten our great Han? A thousand miles away, even the cavalry who is best at moving, I am afraid that they can only sigh at Chang'an, right?"
To be continued...