Chapter 802: A Dragon Swimming in the Sea

Translator: Atlas Studios    Editor: Atlas Studios

Moving the refugees to the three northeastern provinces was a good idea. Not only could they settle the refugees and give them a way out, but they could also resolve a disaster and throw the refugees to King Yue Fei.

However, the problem was!

King Yue Fei was not stupid.

After the rebellion in Shandong and the case of King Li of Zhou, Yue Fei had already established his authority in the court. In particular, the cabinet was especially afraid of him.

Elder Yu looked expectant of them. “All of you usually look quite smart, but when it comes to big matters, why did you make a mistake? Think about it. When the Great Zhou Dynasty was first established, Emperor Gaozu set up an army town in the Liaodong area. The sea was in the east, and Liao was at the border. Since China was peaceful, they definitely had to guard it. He also issued a series of national policies to ensure strong borders and external defense. He even moved a large number of refugees who had been displaced by the war to the North.”

The court officials gradually came to a realization.

Lord Qi was even more excited and slapped his thigh. “That’s right. The North is vast and sparsely populated. Migrating refugees and developing the population to increase productivity is also in line with the national policy of the strong borders. Since it’s a national policy, King Yue Fei can’t refuse.”

A “national policy” had resolved the worries of the court officials. The court officials immediately became happy.

“Elder Yu, that’s a brilliant idea…”

“As expected, the older the wiser…”

“Elder Yu’s plan is very high…”

“…”

Elder Yu had a calm expression. “King Yue Fei is a vassal lord, so it’s not appropriate for him to interfere in the government’s matters. However, it’s not easy for the government to control a large number of refugees who have moved to the North. We still need King Yue Fei to step in and intimidate them. We can’t let him use his status as a vassal lord to wash his hands of it. If anything happens, no one can take responsibility.”

Lord Qi’s eyelids twitched. Was he asking King Yue Fei to interfere in the government’s matters?

The court officials were also stunned and couldn’t help but think carefully about these words.

Elder Yu saw the expressions of the court officials. This was because after reading the contents of the national policies issued by Emperor Gaozu and talking about such sensitive words, he did not pant or panic.

“Since it’s a national policy, everyone should follow it. King Yue Fei can’t stay out of it. Back then, Emperor Gaozu advocated the relocation of the refugees with the help of the Liaodong capital.”

Immediately, an eunuch left the hall.

Not long after, he brought over a stack of books that were all about the national policies issued by Emperor Gaozu.

The court officials immediately began to flip through it.

Elder Yu picked up his teacup and leaned back in his chair to drink his tea.

About 15 minutes later, a court official said, “Elder Yu, you’re right. Since it’s a national policy, everyone should follow it. The North is under King Yue Fei’s rule, and there are often external enemies at the border. Only by dealing with the internal and external problems can we be at ease. Although it’s the responsibility of the government to settle the refugees, King Yue Fei also has to do it. You have to know that in extraordinary times, you have to do things very differently.”

It was a little inappropriate for King Yue Fei to interfere in the settlement of the refugees.

However, compared to the hidden dangers brought about by the frequent riots of the refugees, this outcome seemed to be more acceptable.

Moreover, with Emperor Gaozu’s example, it made sense.

At the thought of this, the court officials quickly reached a consensus.

Elder Yu continued, “When refugees first enter the North, they will also need the acceptance and relief of the North’s nobles. We have to give an order for them to fully support the government and King Yue Fei’s arrangements for the refugees. Those who disobey the order will be severely punished.”

Immediately, many court officials chimed in. “Elder Yu, you’ve thought it through. Since it’s a national policy, if everyone in the North follows it, the nobles are no exception.”

Military officials couldn’t do political work other than those involving war. At this moment, the Marquis of Zhen said, “The Di people have also suffered from a drought. Last year, more than ten small-scale battles had already erupted in the North in succession. I think after spring, the Di people won’t stop and will continue to disturb the North frequently. King Yue Fei wants to lead the war in the North and also take into account the resettlement of the refugees. We can’t lose too much because of a small matter. The nobles have to cooperate. Those who disobey will be killed for undermining politics.”

As soon as these words were spoken, the court officials instantly realized the severity of the matter.

Only when the border was stable would they have a peaceful life.

On this matter, the court officials quickly reached a consensus.

Most of the nobles in the North had a lot of connections in the court, but refugees were indeed a big problem for them. Since they could throw out the hot potato, no matter who it was, at least they would be safe.

The most important thing now was to deal with the refugees first.

As for the rest, it wouldn’t be too late to talk about it later.

There was a place for millions of refugees without the Imperial Court providing any money. Not only did it resolve a huge problem, but it also did not make things difficult for them. The court officials, who had always delayed serious matters and were proactive in scheming for personal gain, displayed a rare swift and decisive side. They immediately drafted a memorial and handed it to the Longevity Palace.

The emperor was obsessed with alchemy and had been ignoring political matters for a long time.

After not going to court for four to five months in a row, the court officials felt that it was strange and secretly inquired about the news in the palace.

However, the harem was controlled by the Empress Dowager and Concubine Lan together, so it was not easy to investigate. However, the more they could not find out, the more the court officials felt that there was something wrong, and the more unwilling they were to give up. After taking many turns to investigate, they finally found out that the emperor had a fire boil on his face because he had been eating medicinal pills for a long time and had lost his face. He had even sealed the palace gate.

As it was not a glorious matter, the Empress Dowager ordered the palace servants not to spread it.

The court officials felt that it was ridiculous.

However, under the absurdity of it, they felt that it was only right.

The emperor was the Son of Heaven. His sovereign authority was divinely bestowed. How dignified was that? How could he accept the Heavenly Enlightenment if his face was harmed? Why did he not go to court for a long time? He even had to hide the news tightly.

They did not even choose people with damaged faces and crippled bodies in the imperial examination to prevent them from losing their dignity.

How could he be the ruler of a country?

This was the only reason that could explain the recent commotion in the palace.

Therefore, just like the Empress Dowager, the court officials kept this matter a secret. All the matters in the court were discussed by the cabinet and decided by the Empress Dowager.

The Empress Dowager looked at the memorial in the cabinet and stared at the words “national policy” for a long time. “Yin Huaixi’s leg has recovered. He’s like a dragon swimming in the sea, in the sky, in the ground, in the rain, and in the clouds.” The brush dipped in cinnabar hung above the memorial for a long time. The high-grade cinnabar ink of the Dragon Spring was wet but not condensed. It had been sitting there for a long time and did not dry. She sighed softly, and her expression became very complicated. Finally, she signed. “Forget it. I have to rely on him in the future.”

Eunuch Zhu lowered his head and bowed to the side. He held the golden plate, which had a carving of nine dragons playing with pearls, with both hands. There was mud on it, as well as the heirloom seal, brush, and other imperial items.

The Empress Dowager placed the red brush on the pen holder, which was on the golden plate. She took the jade seal and gently stamped it. “Give it to Eunuch He!”

Eunuch Zhu quickly bowed and left.

The Empress Dowager leaned against the large pillow in low spirits and looked at the smoke rising from the incense burner on the incense table. Her eyes were a little blurry, and for some reason, she thought of King Li of Zhou’s biological mother, Concubine Hui.

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