Upon hearing this, the assembled officials fell silent.
To be honest, they were also very conflicted. On the one hand, they remembered the Xie family's contributions in conquering the Central Plains and making great contributions in the Delta, but on the other hand, they were afraid that the Xie family would become a faction that would divide up the territory of the Western Jin Dynasty.
The Western Jin Dynasty was like a newborn baby, needing the care of the Great Jin Dynasty. Although they were physically weak, they shared the same desire for unity in the Central Plains and the restoration of the Jin Dynasty.
Now Wu Qiu had made his point clear. Xie Changwang and the other members of the Xie clan looked at these ministers with complicated expressions. They had known for some time that these people had repeatedly targeted the Xie clan, but they assumed it was because the Xie clan feared being usurped.
Now that Wu Qiuyi has spoken, they realize that the ministers never considered them as their own people.
Immediately, Xie Changwang said indignantly, "You esteemed officials, Lord Zhao, Lord Lu, Doctor Lu, Grand Tutor Qin, aren't you going too far? At most, my Xie family can only improve our social standing and squeeze into the government."
"I have never dared to dream of becoming emperor, and besides, even if I were emperor, I would need someone to lead me. Do you really doubt the marshal?"
These words left the ministers speechless. They had never doubted Marshal Xie.
From the moment Marshal Xie quietly withdrew from the Golden Palace, they recognized her as a benevolent and righteous person loyal to the country and the emperor. No one doubted her.
I just didn't expect the Xie family to put forward the marshal.
The ministers immediately explained, "Lord Xie, you misunderstand. That's not what we meant. We were simply reminding His Majesty not to wield too much power."
“If we also show any signs of partisanship, we are also opposed. What we oppose is partisanship and infighting.”
"Aren't the lessons learned twenty years ago and four years ago profound enough?"
Xie Changwang and the others calmed down. The two sides stopped arguing.
Taking everyone's attitudes into account, Si Xitong finally spoke: "You all are also worried about the founding of the Western Jin Dynasty. I know your concerns."
"I might as well explain to you my upcoming policies in the North."
"After you hear this, perhaps you will be able to resolve your inner turmoil."
Si Xitong established the goal of transforming the north and waging war against foreign lands, followed by the establishment of a customs office and foreign trade. Afterwards, the Western Jin Dynasty no longer relied solely on domestic production and sales; it also had to sell all its goods overseas to earn foreign exchange.
Si Xitong brought up the Shenyas pirate group, warning everyone that in the Western Ocean, there was a very powerful kingdom called Anluo and the old, established empire of Dixi. They were already capable of building super warships, and their national strength clearly surpassed that of the Western Jin Dynasty. He asked, "If one day these two empires were to cross the ocean and invade the Western Jin Dynasty, what would you all do then?"
Is it a case of giving one free and sacrificing a large number of soldiers and depleting national strength to fight two empires? And they might not even win.
Si Xitong even dragged out several ministers who had traveled on super warships and asked them to share their thoughts.
Finally, the ministers' focus was brought back to the main issue. Now is not the time for disagreements; if there are any, it's best to resolve them now. In any case, no one on our side should hinder the development of the Western Jin Dynasty.
The Western Jin Dynasty was established through the hard work and dedication of everyone involved. It took four years to implement new policies and maintain its operation day and night.
The Western Jin Dynasty was the most unique dynasty in history. It should not follow the old system and repeat the same mistakes, but should innovate and expand overseas.
Because no dynasty had the military strength to open the iron box at sea, nor did it have the high grain yield and powerful artillery of the Western Jin Dynasty.
The ministers were all impressed by the strength of the Western Jin Dynasty, whose military power was now unmatched across the land. But the Western Jin was already so powerful at the very beginning; if it continued to develop, it would become even stronger.
The Western Jin Dynasty now has over 800 roads, totaling 10,000 li (approximately 5,000 kilometers). These were all built in the last four years.
Previously, the outskirts of Tianjing were just two counties away. Now, the new Tianjing boasts 36 counties, over 700 towns, and more than 1,000 villages, all connected by a comprehensive road network. This interconnectedness fosters prosperity for all.
The beneficiaries of the new Tianjing city number at least 40 million. The total population of the Southern Central Plains is only 80 million. The road construction in the new Tianjing city has already enriched half of its inhabitants.
The new highway is still under construction. Si Xitong's goal is to build roads throughout the entire South Central Plains, creating a project that connects the south and north.
This time it's a construction project.
Si Xitong even gave an example: "It used to take me twenty days to get from the palace to Luzhou Prefecture, but now it only takes three days, or even one day."
“When you go to the central prefecture, it takes more than seven days, but recently it only takes half a day to get from the outskirts of Tianjing to the central prefecture.”
Merchants from all over the country would bring their goods to Tianjing, and then Tianjing would buy them and circulate the money around the country, generating revenue in each region. The revenue generated in each region would then be used to develop the local area.
“The local people are wealthy, and the taxes they pay and the money they spend bring countless taxes to the imperial court. As a result, the imperial court is rich enough to operate.”
"This is a mutually beneficial and win-win situation. I hope that the Xie family and all the ministers can also bring this to the north, so that the Western Jin Dynasty can flourish!"
These words were spoken.
Empress Xie and her ministers understood Si Xitong's ambition, and they all knelt down, excitedly shouting, "Your Majesty is wise!"
"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"
Who doesn't dream of becoming a great power, let alone a world power?
The ministers and Xie Shi share a common aspiration with Si Xitong, and by working together to achieve that aspiration, they can join hands and conquer the stars and the sea!
Wu Qiu couldn't help but nod in approval.
Li Ling was overcome with emotion, tears streaming down his face. He recalled that the late emperor had once harbored similar ambitions, but sadly, he passed away before he could realize them. Now, His Majesty had inherited her father's legacy, which filled him with a mixture of surprise, joy, and even sorrow.
After the court session ended, Xie and the ministers shook hands and made peace, leaving the palace arm in arm.
Before long, Xie Changwang and Xie Guang led most of the Xie clan members to migrate to the north.
As they moved north with their families, a war had already broken out.
Ma Hong, leading 5,000 imperial guards, unleashed a barrage of fire from a hundred cannons, including captured silver-shield cannons. There was virtually no possibility of peace talks.
According to Ma Hong's previous tactics, he would persuade first and then attack. Now, he launched an attack without saying a word, catching everyone off guard.
The Xie clan of the capital's garrison launched an attack on the Yi army with mixed feelings. Many of them were soldiers who had retired from the Yi army. But for the sake of the Western Jin Dynasty, they had no choice but to fire on these former allies.
After a series of attacks, many enemy soldiers were killed or wounded. Ma Hong sent men to persuade them to surrender.
As expected, the men sent to persuade him to surrender were killed by firearms. Yelü Lili was reminding Ma Hong that he would not surrender.
There are still a thousand firearms left over, and ten Type 94 cannons.
The Type 94 cannon had long been phased out by the Beijing garrison, and now they're still using it as a treasure, which is completely useless.
The soldiers pushed the Type 94 cannons and fired fiercely, but it was all bark and no bite; no Beijing garrison soldiers were injured.
Ma Hong also gave up on persuading them to surrender. He had already received intelligence that Li Li would not back down.
He was a soldier, and more importantly, a general of the Great Jin Dynasty. He understood the bitterness of national subjugation and the destruction of his home. Fortunately, the Great Jin Dynasty was saved by His Majesty and is now newly established as the Western Jin Dynasty.
The Western Jin Dynasty needed a war to establish itself. Naturally, this meant pacifying the Northern Xiongnu.
But one Northern Hun is not enough! The only remaining force is the Northern Regions! The Northern Regions Luochuan and the Northern Desert army are naturally no match for them; they can easily surrender after a good beating.
However, the situation was different. This was the most stubbornly resisting force since the founding of the Western Jin Dynasty a few months prior, and Li Li had no intention of submitting!
No one wants their country or their people to disappear from this land.
Li Li's perseverance is the soul of a nation, and Ma Hong admires him from the bottom of his heart.
However, he must kill Li Li! To shatter the spirit of this nation!!
Ma Hong stood at the front lines, his eyes blazing with murderous intent. He would not tolerate any other ethnic group around him with a stronger sense of unity than the Central Plains! Such a nation must be destroyed!
"Because I am from the Central Plains, I must protect my homeland and eliminate all forces that threaten the Central Plains!"
Ma Hong could not allow traitors like the Northern Hu, the Huang Mang, or even Zheng Fu of Yue to reappear. He had to extinguish even the smallest spark of trouble.
"Xie Ying".
"Do not hesitate, this is a brutal war! If you don't fight to the death, you will be the one who dies!"
Xie Ying stood beside him, her gaze complex as she looked at the other side of the Red River, thinking that the leader who was stubbornly resisting on the other side was Qi Qi's brother.
She couldn't help but bite her lip, her voice trembling slightly as she said, "If, if the Crown Prince were to agree to surrender..."
Ma Hong finally managed to shatter her illusions: "I will kill him without hesitation."
"I hope you understand."
"War is a matter of life and death for a nation; it's either you die or I live. The Tianjing Incident was a bloody lesson for the Central Plains!"
Xie Ying lowered her head and remained silent. Ma Hong's eyes instantly sharpened.
He pulled Xie Ying in front of the cannon and said to her, "Now it's your turn to attack!"
Xie Ying looked up at him instantly, somewhat incredulous.
Ma Hong glared at him and said, "Do you want to disobey the general's orders?"
"Remember this: Your identity! Your mission!"
Xie Ying closed her eyes and remained silent for a while. When she opened her eyes, she no longer struggled, but instead pushed a shell, which exploded directly in front of her.
After a series of deaths and injuries, only two thousand of the seven thousand remained.
Li Li abandoned the artillery barrage and led the remaining two thousand men to outflank the base. The two sides instantly engaged in hand-to-hand combat. A bloody battle ensued.
When Xie Ying saw Li Li, her eyes were filled with complex emotions. Just as Ma Hong kicked her in the waist, the enemy soldier's sword missed its mark.
Ma Hong immediately roared, "You bastard! What are you doing? Kill him right now!"
After saying that, he killed two more enemy soldiers.
Because their own men and the enemy soldiers were entangled in a brawl, the artillery dared not fire any further, and the musketeers hesitated. Some skilled musketeers managed to take down one or two, while others killed their own men. This instilled fear in the musketeers, who dared not continue firing. Instead, they drew their swords and charged towards the enemy soldiers.
The fierce barbarian soldiers were almost one against two, and instantly killed five hundred of the capital's guards.
The Imperial Guards were terrified and were horrified by the ferocity of the foreign soldiers in individual combat.
Xie Ying rushed in front of Li Li, who had already killed the thirty-fifth person. He hesitated for a moment when he saw Xie Ying, but quickly slashed her with his sword.
Xie Ying blocked his attack with the hilt of her knife, but Li Li immediately pushed her over the shoulder and threw her to the back, then finally managed to cut off Xie Ying's hair with a knife.
Xie Ying's hair instantly became loose and short, shoulder-length.
Li Li was now in a killing frenzy, like a wild beast out of control, staring at Xie Ying. He then casually killed a few more Imperial Guards.
Xie Ying finally gripped the knife handle and rushed over to save the soldier who was about to be slashed. She pulled the soldier behind her and managed to bump into Li Li.
Li Li was hit hard and fell backward. Instantly, two or three burly men rushed over to pin Li Li down.
Unexpectedly, Li Li possessed immense strength, kicking Xie Ying away and slamming the burly man's head against another person. Then, with a swift backhand strike, she severed both their heads.
Ma Hong killed more than twenty enemy soldiers and found Xie Ying lying on the ground. For a moment, a look of disappointment flashed across his face before he rushed over and pulled Xie Ying up.
The next moment, his left arm was slashed by Li Li.
Ma Hong immediately released Xie Ying and kicked Li Li in the stomach, but unexpectedly Li Li caught his leg and slashed at it.
Seeing this, Xie Ying drew her knife to block Li Li's weapon. This time, facing Qi Qi's brother's fierce killing intent, Xie Ying knew that there was no going back. It was a fight to the death!
Xie Ying's eyes immediately filled with tears. The next moment, Ma Hong was thrown out by Li Li and crashed into a tree, where sharp branches pierced his shoulder.
Ma Hong cried out in pain, "Xie Ying! Do it now!!"
He could no longer protect her.