During the reign of the previous emperor, there was also a plague. To soothe the people's hearts, the previous emperor sent the former crown prince, Qi Xiao, to handle the disaster.
The former crown prince was a man of great strategy and extraordinary intelligence. In less than three months, he successfully contained the spread of the epidemic. However, on his way back to the capital, he unfortunately contracted the disease and died in a foreign land...
The current situation was similar to that time, but even worse. For the refugees from a thousand miles away had already reached the capital, indicating that the situation was more severe than before.
The person sent to the northwest not only had to have the intelligence of the former crown prince but also had to have sufficient authority to intimidate the local officials!
Feeling the expectant looks of the officials, the crown prince knelt down respectfully and bravely volunteered:
"Father, please let your son go!"
The current situation was complex, and he couldn't afford to hesitate any longer!
In the face of the crown prince's self - nomination, Emperor Qi Hong looked gloomy and didn't speak for a long time.
The front was full of unknown dangers. The crown prince was his proud eldest son and the future heir of the Liu Kingdom. He simply didn't want the crown prince to take risks!
However, the situation was urgent, and he had to make a decision quickly!
Seeing this, Lin Hai, the uncle of the crown prince and the minister of the Supreme Court, knelt down nervously and said with a solemn face:
"Your Majesty, please think twice! Although the crown prince has the heart to share the country's worries, he is still young and inexperienced. Whether he can handle the situation is another matter. If something unexpected happens to him..."
Lin Hai didn't finish the following words, but the meaning was clear. He took a deep breath and said:
"Your Majesty, for the stability of the Liu Kingdom, we must not let the crown prince go!"
Emperor Qi Hong's wavering heart became heavy and uneasy again after hearing Lin Hai's words. His cold and sharp eyes swept across the officials in the hall and finally landed on Prime Minister Yun Sheng.
"Minister Yun, what's your opinion on the crown prince's going to the northwest?"
Yun Sheng, the leader of the hundred officials, was quick - witted and good at strategizing. He could always relieve the emperor's worries. His words naturally carried a lot of weight in the emperor's heart.
Understanding the emperor's thoughts, Yun Sheng frowned slightly.
"Your Majesty, how about I accompany the crown prince?"
The emperor had two sons. The second prince was still young, and only the crown prince was capable of taking on this important task.
"Ability is secondary. The most important thing is to intimidate the local officials and soothe the people's hearts. Otherwise, even if the epidemic ends, there may be riots in the local areas of the Liu Kingdom, which would be a disaster for the country and the people and would shake the foundation!"
Yun Sheng's words were so powerful that the officials were shocked, and the emperor's face suddenly turned cold. He tightly grasped the armrests of the dragon throne until his knuckles turned white.
Yun Sheng was the leader of the officials and the brain of the Liu Kingdom. The court simply couldn't let him leave at this moment. Now, the emperor had to reluctantly issue an order to let the crown prince go!
The emperor's eyes were cold, and his face was solemn. Just as he was about to issue the order, a lazy voice suddenly came from outside the hall:
"Your younger brother is willing to go to the northwest in person to relieve the elder brother's worries!"
Qi Rong walked into the hall without wearing official robes, with a leisurely smile on his face all the time.
The emperor's eyes flickered slightly. He didn't care about Qi Rong's rudeness but focused on his words.
"Seventh brother, do you know what you're saying?"
"The northwest is a dangerous place, and the people urgently need to be resettled. It's not a place for you to play around. If you handle the situation badly and let the disaster spread, I will issue an order to punish you!"
Lin Hai, who had been at a loss just now, saw Qi Rong's self - nomination and took the opportunity to advise:
"Your Majesty! The King of Xian is a member of the royal family, so he can naturally represent the royal family to soothe the people's hearts. It's not necessary for the crown prince to go! Moreover, the King of Xian is extremely intelligent and has excellent means. He will surely be able to intimidate the local officials and achieve victory by unexpected means!"
As soon as Lin Hai said this, the officials, who were good at guessing the emperor's thoughts and currying favor, immediately echoed and praised Qi Rong.
The crown prince frowned tightly when he saw that the officials were protecting him while pushing Qi Rong forward. He wanted to speak up to stop it, but Qi Rong interrupted him.
Qi Rong curled his lips slightly and looked at the officials in the hall with a sneer:
"This king didn't know until today that in the eyes of you ministers, this king is so excellent?"
Then Qi Rong shifted his gaze to Lin Hai.
"Especially Minister Lin. Your words are so sincere that this king can't help but wonder if you also want to go with this king?"
Lin Hai's rare praise of Qi Rong was naturally to force Qi Rong into this difficult situation. However, being asked like this by Qi Rong, he suddenly turned pale and stammered, unable to find a single word to refute.
If he refused in public, wouldn't it just show that he was afraid of death and only cared about protecting himself? How could the emperor dare to reuse him in the future?!
Ignoring Lin Hai's embarrassed look, Qi Rong bowed to the emperor.
"Elder brother, since your younger brother dares to speak up, he is naturally not afraid of punishment! However, if your younger brother completes the task, what reward will elder brother give him?"
As soon as Qi Rong finished speaking, the hall fell silent. The officials looked at Qi Rong in disbelief.
Almost everyone in the hall knew that Qi Rong was bold and reckless and always regarded rules as nothing. However, he was the first one to ask for a title from the emperor in public before going to war!
He really wasn't afraid of death!
The emperor narrowed his eyes and didn't speak for a long time. It was hard to tell whether he was angry or happy, but the others were already sweating nervously and secretly worried about Qi Rong.
However, Qi Rong seemed completely unaware that his words and actions were inappropriate. He calmly met the emperor's gaze.
"Good!"
Emperor Qi Hong slapped the dragon throne and suddenly laughed.
"I always make a clear distinction between rewards and punishments. If the seventh brother can really pacify this snow disaster, I will surely promote you and satisfy one of your requests!"
The art of being an emperor lies in knowing how to make good use of people. He didn't dislike ambitious and greedy officials because only when they had something to gain could he better control them.
Just like the hawks and hounds he had tamed, they would only sincerely attach themselves to him when there was bait.
On the contrary, if an official had no desires and was more meritorious than the emperor, he should be more vigilant.
Because the deeper one hid, the greater the plot would be.
Just like when he had once endured and bided his time, praising Qi Xiao, and finally, no one had expected that it would be him who would seize the world!
"Then your younger brother thanks Your Majesty first!"
Qi Rong bowed and a confident smile appeared on his lips.
Just like this, the people going to the northwest were decided. Besides Qi Rong, there was also Lin Hai, whom he had temporarily dragged along, and two other officials from the court.
To enable Qi Rong to handle the disaster better, the emperor gave him the greatest power this time. Even Lin Hai was required to follow Qi Rong's arrangements.
Lin Hai, who had been involved in this incident innocently and had no way to express his grievances, gritted his teeth in hatred when he heard this requirement.
After all, he was the minister of the Supreme Court and the emperor's uncle, but he had to submit to a young and inexperienced boy. No matter how he thought about it, he felt extremely aggrieved!
However, the matter was already a foregone conclusion, and he couldn't refute it. He could only sincerely pray that this disaster could be resolved smoothly.
There was less than a day left before their departure. He had to make full preparations and strive to return to the capital safely as soon as possible!