si-mexico Chapter 1624 is enough
Chapter 1624 is enough
Inside the Linde Hall, Empress Wu Zetian stared at the departing backs of the heads of the eight aristocratic families. The gilded hall door slowly closed behind them, and the last wisp of cold wind disappeared through the crack of the door.
A meaningful smile appeared on the corner of her lips, and her fingertips unconsciously stroked the night pearls inlaid on the armrests of the dragon throne.
These aristocratic families that had dominated the Great Zhou for hundreds of years finally lowered their proud heads in the chess game played jointly by her and Chu Ning.
"Do you think they will go back on their word?"
Wu Zhao suddenly turned her head, and the twelve jade tassels hanging from the phoenix crown cast swaying shadows between her eyebrows.
She saw Chu Ning leaning against the golden dragon pillar, the dark patterns on his black dragon robe faintly visible under the light of the palace lanterns.
Chu Ning chuckled when he heard this: "They don't have the courage."
"My Jinyiwei has already figured out their cards. The Longxi Li family has 30,000 private soldiers, and the Qinghe Cui family has 26 salt fields in Jiangnan. But these are not enough reasons for them to go back on their word!"
As soon as he finished speaking, hurried footsteps were heard outside the hall.
Chu Ning's eyes suddenly turned cold, and his whole body burst into energy.
At this time, Zhao Yu's voice came from outside the palace: "Your Majesty, the heads of the eight great families headed in the same direction after leaving the palace. It seems to be the Zuixian Tower on Suzaku Street."
"I know, keep keeping an eye on them!" Chu Ning said calmly, not surprised by this.
But Wu Zhao's pupils shrank slightly when she heard this, and she dug her nails deep into her palms, and said worriedly: "They are meeting in private, are they planning something?"
She wanted to merge the Zhou Dynasty into the Chu State simply because she didn't want the people of the Zhou Dynasty to suffer.
In addition, her personal relationship with Chu Ning can make the Chu State treat the people of the Great Zhou well.
But if these families disagree, or even go back on their word, this will anger Chu Ning.
She even knew Chu Ning's temper and personality. Once Chu Ning got angry, it would be like thunder and lightning, and these people from the aristocratic families might all disappear.
Just as he was worried, he saw Chu Ning placing his hands on the gilded animal-head incense burner to roast them. The rising flames made his eyebrows look as sharp as knives.
"Does Her Majesty know what they are discussing?"
He leaned close to the Empress's ear, his warm breath brushing against the dragon-scale beads around her neck: "They are vying for a share of the future Chu State's salt and iron monopoly."
"Businessmen are businessmen after all." Wu Zhao breathed a sigh of relief, and her tense shoulders finally relaxed.
She looked at the man who had conquered five countries in seven years, and a hint of tenderness flashed in her eyes.
Everything was in the hands of this man, and she completely let go of her worries.
As long as the people from the aristocratic families are only interested in profit, there will be no more twists and turns in this matter.
Chu Ning suddenly grasped her cold fingers: "You Zhou people always like to complicate simple things. In the Chu State, there is only one way to deal with the aristocratic families that refuse to obey the rules!"
He made a throat-wiping motion with his other hand and sneered, "The grass on the grave of the Longxi Li clan leader is now three feet high."
The Li family has 30,000 private soldiers. If it were in the State of Chu, he would never allow someone from a noble family to have so many private soldiers.
Once there are family mercenaries, the only outcome is genocide.
At this time, the sound of the night watch came from outside the hall. Wu Zhao glanced at the copper kettle and saw that the water clock showed that it was almost the end of the hour of Mao.
"Well, you won this matter anyway, so you can say whatever you want."
After she finished speaking, she was about to call the maid to prepare court dress, but she was caught off guard and picked up by the waist.
The hem of her gilded skirt swept across the pile of memorials on the desk, and they fell to the ground with a clatter.
"Chu Ning, you...what are you going to do!"
She lowered her voice to scold him, but he held her earlobe in his mouth: "One hour is enough for us to have a go!"
Then, a sound that was not to be told to outsiders came from the hall.
At dawn, Wu Zhao looked in the bronze mirror at Chu Ning tying her hair.
His fingers, which were used to holding swords, were surprisingly nimble, and he tied his long black hair into a tall, cloud-like bun.
"It's all your fault. I don't have enough time now." Wu Zhao frowned, her face still a little flushed.
Chu Ning laughed heartily: "I don't know who was so cooperative just now..."
His voice stopped abruptly because Wu Zhao had smashed the rouge box on his chest, and the bright red powder spread like blood on his robe.
Chu Ning chuckled and continued to tie her hair.
A moment later, inside the Golden Palace, all the civil and military officials had already lined up waiting.
When Empress Wu Zetian walked into the hall as the morning clock struck noon, the ministers keenly noticed that something was unusual today - the empress was rarely wearing a bright red dragon robe, and Chu Ning, who was supposed to be in the guest seat, was actually sitting on the newly set up rosewood throne to the right of the dragon chair.
"I have decided to merge the Great Zhou into the State of Chu." Wu Zhao's straightforward voice resounded in the hall.
The situation under the jade steps was like cold water dropped into a frying pan. The court officials in scarlet robes and jade belts ignored etiquette and started whispering to each other.
A white-haired old minister stumbled out, his ivory tablet trembling in his hands. "Your Majesty! This matter concerns the foundation of the country. How can we..."
"Did Lord Wang forget?"
Wu Zhao nonchalantly twirled the black jade ring on her thumb and said, "Your grandson is currently studying at the Imperial Academy of Chu."
The old minister's face turned pale and he staggered back to the line.
This is a threat!
The young and energetic Chief Censor stood out with his neck stiffened: "The eight great families will never agree! Without their support, who will cover the taxes and expenses of the various prefectures?"
Wu Zhao narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "Why, you don't dare to object now, so you want to put the blame on the eight great families and wait for them to stand up for you?"
This is clearly a mockery of the ministers for not having the courage to speak out in opposition!
As soon as Empress Wu Zetian finished speaking, the palace was in an uproar.
The ministers looked at each other, then stepped out one after another, knelt on the ground, and spoke harshly.
"Your Majesty! This is absolutely unacceptable!"
An elderly minister bowed tremblingly, his voice hoarse but firm: "The Great Zhou was founded by Emperor Gaozu. How can we easily annex it to another country? This would be a betrayal of our ancestors' foundation!"
Another young censor even kowtowed, resting his forehead on the ground, and shouted, "If Your Majesty insists on doing this, the people of the world will surely become disloyal! Then the country will be in turmoil and the nation will be in danger!"
"Although the Chu State is powerful, it is still a foreign nation after all!"
Another minister said angrily, "If we annex Chu, won't the people of our Great Zhou become vassals of Chu? Your Majesty, please think twice!"
Wu Zhao sat upright on the dragon throne, her face calm, only the rhythm of her fingertips tapping on the armrests quickened slightly.
She glanced at the ministers and saw that they were very emotional, some even had red eyes, which was obviously not fake.
Seeing the empress remain silent, some people turned to Prime Minister Di Ying, who was standing at the head of the group, and looked for help: "Prime Minister Di! This matter concerns the foundation of the country. Don't you have anything to say?"
"Yes, Prime Minister Di is highly respected. Please advise Your Majesty!"
However, Di Ying just lowered his eyes slightly, put his hands in his sleeves, looked indifferent, and said nothing.
The hall fell into an eerie silence for a moment.
Wu Zhao's gaze slowly fell on Di Ying, and a slight sneer appeared at the corner of her lips.
She knew that the old prime minister's silence was the best answer.