novelkee Chapter 233 The Chinese have always loved holding meetings
Chapter 233 The Chinese have always loved holding meetings
As soon as the proposal to hold the ceremony was put forward, a minor official came in to report it.
"My lord, we have received an urgent report by fast horse that the Xuan Kingdom has dispatched an imperial envoy to Andu, and they are expected to arrive in Andu the day after tomorrow."
"So fast?"
The Anguo officials, who were not well-informed, did not know that the imperial envoy had already set off before Anguo surrendered, but that the purpose was not to accept Anguo's surrender as they thought, but to order Lu Zhen to withdraw his troops.
Those who already knew the purpose of the Xuan Kingdom's imperial envoy couldn't help but show a mocking expression, glancing at Shen Qing's reaction with amusement.
Shen Qing merely raised an eyebrow, seemingly unconcerned. What was there to fear about such a resounding victory? Xuan Kingdom had gained a piece of land for free without lifting a finger. Moreover, he had prepared an even bigger surprise for the court. As long as the blame was pinned on An Kingdom, their unauthorized military campaign would be transformed into a valiant fight against the enemy, not only for their merit in defending the border but also for expanding the country's territory.
Two lines in history books, a few strokes of the pen throughout the ages, right and wrong, merit and demerit, all depend on strength.
The official who had just made the suggestion spoke up again: "The arrival of the imperial envoy is just in time, making the ceremony even more legitimate."
Shen Qing then looked at him properly, "I wonder what this gentleman is like..."
"My surname is Shen, my given name is You, and I am the Minister of Rites."
Shen Qing nodded slightly, indicating that his expertise was a good fit. "In that case, all matters will be handled by Minister Shen."
"I will certainly live up to the general's expectations."
Shen You's face was beaming with joy, which appeared to others as an eager attempt to curry favor with the new nobles of Xuan State. He looked extremely obsequious, which drew disdain from many former officials of An State, who felt that he was disgraced and lacked any dignity of a noble.
Shen You seemed oblivious to the changing gazes of those around him, secretly rolling his eyes and too lazy to argue with these old fogies who were just as bad.
The reason for this situation is that not all officials participated in the coup. They woke up to find the world had changed, and they were completely passively dragged into it. Now, after hearing the true purpose of the Xuan Kingdom delegation, many people's thoughts began to stir again.
Why has political struggle and factional strife been so constant throughout history? Because it is impossible for everyone's interests to be aligned and satisfied at the same time.
Shen Qing ignored the complicated situation below, focusing on reviewing documents and leaving get off work on time. Finished? Impossible, there's never enough work to finish.
Back at the Xuanjun camp, Shen Qing convened a meeting of the three army generals. He noticed that everyone's spirits showed no signs of the tension they had displayed when they went on the expedition. Even the most cautious and prudent Mu Qi seemed somewhat relaxed.
"You all seem to be having a rather comfortable time lately~"
Shen Qing knew that after taking control of Andu, many officials secretly tried to win over and curry favor with Xuan Army, sending money, gifts, and beauties. Almost all the generals of rank accepted these gifts.
What's that saying again? After fighting so many wars, can't I finally enjoy myself?
In this day and age, there's no such thing as a noble style of not taking a single needle or thread from the masses when fighting a war. Shen Qingyi could only do as the locals do and turn a blind eye.
Lu Yuan scratched his head a little embarrassedly, "Andu has been pacified, so I'm taking the brothers to relax a bit~"
"Ahem~" Qi Shang coughed twice to interrupt Lu Yuan, and glared at him fiercely. You dare to say anything? You really don't treat General Shen like a woman!
Shen Qing snorted coldly, "Don't let anyone loosen your head!"
"This...this can't be, General, you're being too cautious."
Mu Qixian sensed something was wrong and asked, "General, have you discovered something?"
Qi Shang also realized, "Could it be that something has changed in An Du?"
"Even a chicken will flap its wings a couple of times before it dies, let alone snatch food from a tiger's mouth?"
A single word can be a wake-up call. Yes, everything is going too smoothly and peacefully. Still waters run deep. If you are deceived by the calm appearance, you will surely suffer a great setback!
After realizing what had happened, a chill ran down their spines. The enemy might be waiting for them to be most relaxed before launching a fatal attack!
"When does the general think they will make their move?"
"It's either a grand ceremony or a palace banquet."
Why?
Shen Qing smiled without saying a word. The grand ceremony was just a large meeting. The power struggles and political upheavals of the Chinese people since ancient times have always been so simple and unpretentious. Yu the Great killed Fangfeng and called him to a meeting. Empress Lü killed Han Xin and called him to a meeting. Kangxi killed Ao Bai and called him to a meeting. Even the Xuanwu Gate Incident happened on Li Jiancheng's way to a meeting.
This shows that meetings can really kill people; all bosses should take note.