As Shen Jing was led away from the imperial court, today's morning assembly finally returned to normal.
How to quickly suppress the rebellion?
Facing Emperor Zhou's question, everyone fell silent.
How to quickly defeat the enemy?
Crossing the river, it's impossible. Whether building pontoon bridges or gathering boats, both require time.
Attacking Yuping Pass without enough large siege equipment, and building siege equipment on site, also requires time!
Moreover, if they offer suggestions now, what if the front line suffers a defeat and they are blamed?
Everyone had their own thoughts, looking at each other.
Finally, almost everyone's gaze converged on Pei Ji, the Minister of War.
There was no other way; he was the Minister of War!
Pei Ji sighed and could only brace himself to say, "I do have a plan! However, this plan may harm the heavens and bring huge losses to Qu Prefecture. I dare not use it without permission."
"Oh?"
Emperor Zhou immediately became interested. "What plan?"
Pei Ji hesitated slightly, then said in a deep voice, "Cut off the Yi River..."
"No!"
Before Pei Ji could finish, Right Prime Minister Lu Sui vehemently objected: "By the time the Yi River is cut off, it will already be winter!"
"Once this strategy is adopted, the low-lying areas upstream of the Yi River will all turn into a flooded land!"
"By then, even if Prince Ji's rebellion is quelled, countless common people will be displaced and freeze to death, and the imperial court will inevitably spend a large amount of money and grain on disaster relief..."
If Pei Ji's plan were adopted, Prince Ji's rebellion would be quelled, but what about the common people?
The common people upstream of the Yi River did nothing, yet they would suffer undeserved calamity?
Pei Ji's strategy was indeed a deadly move.
But it would harm both the enemy and himself!
"Of course I understand!"
Pei Ji snorted, "That's why I thought of this plan long ago, but dared not use it!"
Emperor Zhou hesitated for a moment, then gently shook his head: "Do not mention this plan again!"
Although he wanted to quickly suppress the rebellion, he couldn't resort to all possible means.
The reputation of the imperial court and himself was one aspect, and the money and grain for disaster relief was another.
If he really spent that much money and grain on disaster relief, he might as well give it to Yong Country!
Yao Jian was silent for a moment, then suggested, "Can we increase the rewards and try to persuade Yuping Pass to surrender..."
"Don't even think about that!"
Pei Ji shook his head and said, "Prince Ji himself is stationed at Yuping Pass..."
Yao Jian thought for a moment, then said, "Then announce to the rebel army that anyone who opens the pass and surrenders, or offers Prince Ji's head, will be heavily rewarded by the imperial court, even directly ennobled as a marquis! This way, even if we cannot break through the pass, we can create a crisis of trust within the rebel army and buy time for the frontline army to break through Yuping Pass!"
"Right!"
Right Prime Minister Lu Sui expressed agreement and added, "Your Majesty can secretly order the officials in the areas where the Yong Country Delegation passes through to find a way to delay them for a few more days, so that the Yong Country Delegation arrives in the capital later, and try to buy more time for the front line."
As they spoke, the officials also began to offer their suggestions.
Emperor Zhou couldn't help but lower his brows in thought.
He wasn't panicking now, but he had a vague sense of worry.
What if the people he had arranged by Prince Ji's side were useless?
He couldn't really drag it out for three months, could he?
Yao Jian and Lu Sui's suggestions were not bad.
But he couldn't rely entirely on these strategies.
He now needed a definite plan, in case the people he had arranged by Prince Ji's side couldn't be relied upon, so he could quell Prince Ji's rebellion in the shortest possible time.
...
Although Shen Jing had not completely escaped Emperor Zhou's entanglement, he was much more comfortable being able to leave the wretched imperial court.
Without having to listen to those people babbling in court, Shen Jing also had time to calm down and think.
From the current situation, Emperor Zhou should have indeed known about Prince Ji's intention to rebel early on, and several important ministers in the court also knew.
Of course, it was also possible that Emperor Zhou had communicated with them beforehand.
But for Shen Jing, this was no longer very important.
Now, he needed to figure out what this dog emperor ultimately wanted to do.
Was it really just for the method of making white sugar he possessed?
However, after long contemplation, Shen Jing couldn't think of anything else and could only sigh: The Emperor's heart is like the sea!
If this dog emperor's thoughts were so easy for him to guess, he wouldn't be the emperor!
Having understood this, Shen Jing no longer engaged in internal mental exhaustion and simply leaned against a pillar in the imperial garden pavilion, dozing off.
Unconsciously, Shen Jing fell asleep.
It wasn't until the eunuch guarding him gently kicked him that he groggily opened his eyes.
Seeing Emperor Zhou approaching with Yu Rang, Shen Jing yawned and stood up to salute.
"Enough! This is not in court, no need for such formalities!"
Emperor Zhou sat down on his own, then motioned for Shen Jing to sit, and then asked with a chuckle, "Should I call you Shen Jing, or Zhou Xibai?"
Shen Jing feigned panic, stood up again, and said, "This junior was blind yesterday, did not recognize Your Majesty, and spoke presumptuously many times. I ask Your Majesty to forgive me."
"Sit down!"
Emperor Zhou slightly raised his hand, then showed a meaningful smile, "Did you not recognize me, or did you pretend not to recognize me?"
After talking with Ye Li yesterday, he suspected that Shen Jing had seen through his identity.
After seeing Shen Jing's performance in court today, he was even more suspicious.
"This junior truly did not recognize Your Majesty!"
Shen Jing smiled awkwardly, "It was this junior who told You Rong about the conversation with Your Majesty. Only after You Rong asked this junior to draw Your Majesty's appearance did this junior realize it was Your Majesty."
He absolutely could not admit it!
Besides, he really hadn't suspected that old man was the emperor before.
"Oh..."
Emperor Zhou was half-believing, "I almost forgot, you are very skilled at painting! I have seen the portrait you drew for Qinghe, and it is better than those drawn by the court painters."
"Your Majesty overpraises me."
Shen Jing smiled humbly and changed the subject, "Has Your Majesty and the ministers discussed a strategy to quickly suppress the rebellion?"
Emperor Zhou shook his head and sighed: "Some useful strategies have been discussed, but currently no single strategy can guarantee the rebellion will be suppressed within a month..."
Now, his greatest hope was the people he had planted by Prince Ji's side.
If those people could cooperate with the imperial army from within and without, or directly capture Prince Ji, the rebellion could be quickly quelled.
"Your Majesty doesn't need to be too hasty. No one can predict the situation on the battlefield. Perhaps Prince Ji will surrender on his own in a few days."
Shen Jing symbolically comforted Emperor Zhou, but secretly slandered him in his heart.
They knew Prince Ji had intentions of rebellion, yet they let things get this far, and they still had the nerve to blame him for causing trouble?
"You don't need to comfort me, I understand in my heart."
Emperor Zhou glanced at Shen Jing, then asked, "Do you know why I concealed my identity and talked with you yesterday?"
Hmm, the main topic has arrived!
Shen Jing shook his head: "This junior is dull and truly does not know."
"Two reasons!"
Emperor Zhou no longer hid it from him, "First, I heard some things about you from Qinghe, and combined with some things Yu Rang brought back from Luochuan Prefecture, I became interested in you and wanted to meet you and talk with you."
"Things brought back by Eunuch Yu?"
Shen Jing was slightly surprised.
What did Yu Rang bring to Emperor Zhou?
"It's those principles of governance that Young Master Shen comprehended!"
Yu Rang took over the conversation, saying with a chuckle.
"..."
Shen Jing was dumbfounded.
Yu Rang actually brought parts of the Dao De Jing to Emperor Zhou?
Damn it!
It seemed that old Yu Rang had done a lot behind the scenes when he went to Luochuan Prefecture to deliver the imperial decree!
Amidst his surprise, Shen Jing quickly and humbly said, "What this junior comprehended is merely superficial stuff; it cannot be called principles of governance."
"You don't need to hide your talent. Whether they are principles of governance or not, I understand in my heart!"
Emperor Zhou waved his hand, then continued, "Second, I want to sell you an official position!"