In the famine, others ate Guanyin soil, but he had space to build a farm.

Chapter 221: The Sound of Cannons in Kyoto

In the Forbidden City in Kyoto, the hardworking Emperor Chongming was reviewing memorials by candlelight, as well as reports secretly sent over from the Ministry of War.

Emperor Chongming had sunken eyes. He was obviously not in good spirits. Ever since these barbarians broke through the border defenses and entered the heart of Dakun again, Emperor Chongming had not slept well.

Emperor Chongming now felt powerless. He thought he was very diligent. He went to court every morning and never missed a day. He would review memorials until very late at night. However, the national strength of the Dakun Dynasty was getting weaker day by day. The barbarians in the north were growing stronger and stronger. Even the drought-stricken countries in the west were unable to save them. All of this showed that he was not a leader of revival, not a capable monarch. This even made him fall into deep doubt.

"Is Zhou Qiqian coming?" Emperor Chongming stopped writing with his brush. After all, he was still worried about the battle outside the city!

The eunuch serving on the side immediately reported back!

"Your Majesty! Chief Steward Zhou is already waiting for you at Xuanwen Hall!"

"Have Yang Chen and Lord Yang arrived?" Emperor Chongming asked again at this time. These two were the two great cities of his inner palace and the imperial court. They could also be said to be the two people who could be used now.

"Lord Yang is also waiting for His Majesty in Xuanwen Hall!" The eunuch who was close to Emperor Chongming reported carefully at this time. This emperor was not easy to serve! If he aroused his suspicion, he would probably drag him out and beat him to death. This also made everyone in the palace cautious.

Emperor Chongming put his pen on the pen holder. The maids and eunuchs who served him knew that the emperor was going to Xuanwen Hall. So everyone was very discerning and started to prepare. As an emperor, even walking in the palace is very complicated. The guards had to check in advance whether there would be any danger on the route. The maids and eunuchs had to prepare the sedan chair and the things to be carried.

"Let's get started!" Emperor Chongming said that when he took over, the treasury was relatively empty, so many things could be avoided. Many rules had been reduced. So he just sat in a simple sedan chair and headed towards the emperor.

The palace maids and eunuchs led the way with lanterns. The guards had already checked every location along the way to ensure the safety of Emperor Chongming.

When he arrived at the entrance of Xuanwen Hall, he saw a man kneeling on the ground far away on the white marble steps.

"Your servant! Zhou Qiqian greets His Majesty!"

Emperor Chongming ignored him, got off the sedan chair, walked through the front hall, and went straight to the back hall of Xuanwen Hall, where he sat down on a dragon-carved chair with a yellow cushion in the east room. Zhou Qiqian followed him in, knelt down again, and performed the usual court ceremony of bowing once and kowtowed three times. If he were an ordinary eunuch, who served the emperor all day long, he would not need to perform so many etiquettes. But now he was not a eunuch serving the emperor in the palace, but a general military commander specially appointed by the emperor to supervise the troops fighting against the Qing army.

Emperor Chongming did not see Yang Chenhe. He could not help but frown and ask the eunuch in charge of this hall!

"Why don't you see Lord Yang?"

"Your Majesty! Lord Yang sent someone to inform us! He said he needed to check the city defenses and would be here soon!" Zhou Qiquan replied at this time.

After hearing Zhou Qiqian's report, Emperor Chongming nodded slightly, expressing his approval of the Prime Minister. In the Dakun Dynasty, literati were not completely subordinate to the emperor. They often bravely expressed their personal opinions. Some imperial censors even regarded it as an honor to be executed by the emperor, because it meant that they could leave their names in history books. Therefore, the emperors of the Dakun Dynasty usually did not easily execute ministers unless they committed heinous crimes.

"How is the battle going? Where is the army coming to support the king now?" Emperor Chongming asked softly while sitting on the couch.

Zhou Qiqian replied respectfully: "The barbarians who attacked this time are obviously their elite troops. They will soon approach the capital. The troops from various places are on the way and are expected to arrive soon."

Emperor Chongming was naturally aware of this information. He had many secret intelligence agencies and was well aware of the situation. However, he still chose to confirm it from Zhou Qiqian, which was both a trust in Zhou Qiqian and a recognition of his ability.

The emperor took a sip of tea from the blue and white porcelain teacup, and the faint fragrance of Longjing tea before the rain filled the entire hall. The palace maids and eunuchs in the hall lowered their heads and stood in silence, not daring to make any sound.

"You all may leave." Emperor Chongming waved his hand, and the palace maids and eunuchs cautiously left the hall, all feeling relieved. The atmosphere just now was too depressing.

After everyone left, Emperor Chongming turned to Zhou Qiqian and said firmly: "The reason why I chose you as the military supervisor this time is because of your loyalty and prudence. I know that you are familiar with military books and have some understanding of military affairs. The important task of guarding Kyoto this time is entrusted to you. I hope you can live up to my trust and complete this mission well."

Emperor Chongming knew that the current situation was grim, and there were few generals available. Although those generals were brave, they were hard to trust, and there were very few talented civil officials. At this time, he thought of Sun Ting in the Northwest County, where he had quelled the rebellion in just two months and demonstrated his outstanding military talent.

Zhou Qiqian knew his strengths and weaknesses. He was not good at leading troops in battle, nor did he have the courage to charge into battle. But Emperor Chongming valued his prudence and steadiness, hoping that he could restrain those hot-blooded generals. Emperor Chongming knew that although these barbarians were coming aggressively, their goal was only to plunder property and people. As long as they did not threaten the imperial power and national stability, the emperor did not intend to fight them with all his strength.

"I will do my best to live up to the emperor's grace." Zhou Qiquan replied respectfully.

Emperor Chongming nodded and motioned him to stand up. Zhou Qiqian stood up and waited for the emperor's next instructions. Under the bright palace lanterns, people could see Zhou Qiqian's appearance clearly: he was tall and strong, without a beard. Although he was over 40 years old, he was well maintained and looked only in his early 30s. This was in sharp contrast to Emperor Chongming's pale and tired face.

"Although we have a large number of troops to support the king," Emperor Chongming changed the subject, "we need to deal with both internal and external threats at the same time, so we must act with caution. In recent years, the country has frequently deployed troops, and the national strength has been depleted. If we are not sure of victory, we should still be cautious." He advised Zhou Qiqian: "As the general commander, you must act according to the situation and make sure to keep an eye on those generals and don't let them act rashly."

Zhou Qiqian guessed right. The Chongming Emperor wanted to preserve his strength and at most sacrifice some civilians. There were also gold and silver treasures to make the barbarians retreat!

"Your Majesty! Since you trust me so much, I will definitely let you down! Even if it costs my life, I will ensure that the army of the Da Kun Dynasty is safe!" Zhou Qiquan immediately expressed his opinion at this time!

"These barbarians grew up in the white mountains and black waters! They grew up on horseback! Even with tens of thousands of troops, it is difficult to surround them! On the contrary, it will increase our losses! You must act with caution! It's a pity that these barbarians harass us every year. Otherwise, give us a few years to develop. When we recover, we will naturally be able to deal with them!" Emperor Chongming. Your words reveal that you want to negotiate with these barbarians.

"Your Majesty! The powerful dynasties of the past all had to seek peace with the northern nomadic peoples! Now in the Dakun Dynasty, there is a severe drought in the west and floods in the southeast! Now is not the best time to fight these barbarians! Why don't we follow the example of the ancient sages and reach an agreement with these barbarians first, recuperate and terminate the contract, and then destroy these barbarians in one go!" Zhou Qiqian is the best at figuring out Chongming's thoughts. Otherwise, he would not have been appointed as the military supervisor.

Emperor Chongming's consideration at this moment reflects his foresight and concern for the country's long-term interests. He realized that the continued war not only consumed a large amount of treasury resources and manpower, but also failed to effectively solve the problem of harassment by the barbarians. On the contrary, through a temporary peace agreement, he can gain precious time to recuperate and solve other domestic problems, such as the western rebels and drought.

Zhou Qiqian's words were obviously deeply recognized by Emperor Chongming. He understood the emperor's inner struggle and considerations, and put forward a reasonable suggestion. This suggestion not only conformed to the emperor's ideas, but also conformed to the long-term interests of the country.

Emperor Chongming began to think about a temporary ceasefire with the barbarians through peace talks to gain a breathing space. He knew that this was not an easy decision and that he needed to weigh the pros and cons. However, he also believed that as long as the country could recover and strengthen its strength during this period, it would be able to defeat the barbarians in the future.

This decision is of great significance to the Dakun Dynasty. It can not only buy precious time for the country to solve internal problems, but also lay a solid foundation for future wars. This dialogue between Emperor Chongming and Zhou Qiqian reflects their determination and wisdom to work for the interests of the country.

But no one dared to tell others about this. After all, since the establishment of the Dakun Dynasty, there has never been an emperor who married a princess or paid tribute to the northern nomadic peoples. This is why Emperor Chongming has been very hesitant. This was only said through Zhou Qiqian's mouth. But if they really want to implement it, I am afraid that not many civil and military officials in the court will agree.

"You must keep this a secret! The defense of Kyoto is in the charge of you and Yang Chenhe! You can discuss the details with him! But you can't let any rumors out!" Emperor Chongming warned again! If the rumors were leaked, his reputation as an emperor would be ruined.

He now wanted to protect his reputation and reach a peace agreement with the barbarians! So he specially arranged for Zhou Qiqian and Yang Chen to cooperate with two people. One of them was responsible for the city defense command, and the other was responsible for the military supervision. They were the most suitable for this kind of secret negotiation.