Now the answer was obvious. Xie Changwang didn't ask any more questions, and suddenly found the courage to face his current predicament.
"Marshal, I'll take my leave now." Xie Changwang returned the greeting and left after receiving her consent.
Xie Lanzhi didn't stay long; she left the Military Affairs Pavilion directly.
The moment she left, the news spread throughout the Military Council.
The assistants and their entourage began to discuss among themselves: "The Xie family has been ostracizing us for a long time. Now that we're lagging behind, they're bound to hold a grudge."
"What does this have to do with us? The Xie family is a complete mess. Even a master with eyes wouldn't employ them."
"Don't say that. Without the Xie family, Tianjing might still be in chaos. They are still meritorious to Tianjing."
"The Xie family's status has declined and they are being ostracized, which may not be entirely their fault. Their anxiety is understandable."
"That's how officialdom is; it's either you die or I live. I bet those people have had a few days of peace and quiet, and now they're going to start causing trouble again!"
This news quickly reached Jianzhang Palace.
The people of Xiwei reported the matter to Si Xitong.
Si Xitong told the Western Guard to stop keeping an eye on the Xie family and let them go as they pleased. The Western Guard already had members of the Xie family; Xie Meixiang was the Commander of the Western Guard.
As long as the Xie family doesn't commit any major offenses, any trouble they face will generally not affect them. The reason they're having such a hard time now is because they've been living too comfortably before. It's time for them to hit a wall and learn how to navigate social situations. Once this period of pain passes, the Xie family will enjoy good fortune and prosperity.
However, it remains unknown how many talented individuals the Xie family still possesses.
The Xie family's problem wasn't actually that serious, but it did indicate that factions were secretly forming within the court. (Underlined)
Si Xitong put down his pen and issued an order, instructing the Ministry of Personnel to transfer several people to different positions.
Let Xie Shi take their place, and then Jing Chen will take Xie Shi's place, until they are proficient. If anything else happens, simply integrate them together.
Si Xitong's orders directly shook the nascent factional circle of officials in the capital, and Xie himself also showed signs of factionalism. It's just that he wasn't as conspicuous as before, which made him seem harmless.
at the same time.
When Xie Guang returned from the entrance of Jiujin City, he found a long line of people waiting outside his house, carrying gifts in their hands.
As soon as he arrived, he saw his former cronies and old subordinates. Everyone's eyes turned red when they saw him, and they rushed towards him.
"General, you're finally back!"
"You look much more haggard than I have seen in just one year."
"General, I've brought you your favorite ginseng wine."
"This is your favorite knife. I brought one back from the Southern Region. Do you like it?"
"I thought it was rouge that Madam brought, saying I wanted to give her a piece."
"I brought the spear that the young lady kept in the clan. General, please examine it."
Xie Guang was completely surrounded by people, utterly dumbfounded. What day was it today? Why was it so lively, with everyone rushing to curry favor with him?!
Before, people were all clamoring to kill him. Now, the sun has risen in the west.
Xie Guang had also seen the people who ostracized him. Although he felt wronged, he knew exactly what was going on.
It must have been the marshal's doing!
Xie Guang was ultimately soft-hearted and didn't blame his clansmen, because he was in the wrong first. These were the clansmen who had lined up in long queues, as well as the families of the innocent soldiers from Xi Kingdom who had sacrificed their lives.
He invited people in to sit, but the small thatched hut couldn't accommodate so many people. Xie Guang listened to a few sentences and then moved on to another person, basically listening to everyone and remembering what they said.
Over time, the Xie family finally discovered that their general seemed to have become much more friendly and had also improved a lot.
Soon, the Xie family of Tianjing welcomed Xie Guang back, though he had not yet been reinstated as Grand General. However, his return invigorated the entire Xie family.
When Xie Lanzhi received news that Xie Guang had returned to the Xie family, she did not express her opinion, but that was tantamount to her making a statement.
The security situation in Xintianjing has been good recently, and the surrounding towns and villages are developing rapidly.
After the merchant delegation represented by Si Bogong visited the four Southeast Asian countries, they sent a reply indicating that they had obtained the consent of the four countries.
The good news brought great attention to the entire city of New Tianjing. Everyone awaited further news from Master Sibo. As long as Master Sibo opened up trade routes with the four Southeast Asian countries, merchants would soon be able to travel abroad to trade.
Just when everyone was full of anticipation, the news that came back was devastating.
The merchant delegation, represented by Si Bogong, initially believed that the king's agreement would establish trade with the Great Jin Dynasty. However, that very night, Si Bogong was detained by General Maiti of the Four Southern Ocean Kingdoms. Gongsun Feng was nearly assaulted, but fortunately, her friends from the Four Southern Ocean Kingdoms rescued her. She is currently staying at her friend's home.
Xie Wei's whereabouts remain unknown.
Of the four Southeast Asian nations, three sent envoys in alarm to the new Tianjing to explain that they had not detained Sibo Gong. Instead, they sent the head of the four nations, Yinzuo.
The subsequent states were Xin Yin, Lu Yin, and Du Lan Yin. The seal holder detained the Minister of Works.
This was because the throne was embroiled in a royal power struggle, and the old king was imprisoned by the new king, Rolidel, Vanment.
Over the years, Yinzuo made a fortune by trading goods with the island of Dajin, and gradually, over the course of twenty years, he replaced Dajin's voice in the four Southeast Asian countries.
The Yinzuo has strengthened its national power by monopolizing trade with the Great Jin's other islands. Now that the Great Jin wants to break the monopoly and trade with the four countries, it has already touched the interests of the Vanment.
Fanment was unwilling to let his twenty years of hard work be disrupted. He was ambitious and wanted to kidnap Sibo Gong and drag the other three kingdoms into the scheme. He wanted the three kingdoms to cooperate with him in eliminating the influence of the Great Jin Dynasty in Southeast Asia.
The three kingdoms weren't fools and naturally dared not oppose the Great Jin, so they all sent envoys to explain, hoping that the new Tianjing would understand their situation.
Si Xitong made it clear that the envoys from the three kingdoms should return and take good care of their merchant delegation. As long as the delegation remained intact, it would be considered a redemption. The envoys from the three kingdoms all breathed a sigh of relief.
However, they never had the chance to return after going back, because the Yinzuo Strait was blocked. The Three Kingdoms were located after Yinzuo, and Yinzuo only became powerful because it was close to the outermost island of the Great Jin Dynasty.
In an instant, the Chinese business delegation that went to the four Southeast Asian countries was wiped out.
Upon learning of the situation, the new Tianjing was immediately enraged by the small country's arrogance and rudeness!
The officials in the capital all advised attacking the Jin capital, saying that anyone who offends Jin, no matter how far away, shall be punished.
Since only Xie Xia's troops in the new Tianjing had naval experience, Si Xitong specifically summoned Xie Xia back to the capital for a detailed discussion.
People across the new Tianjing began to pay attention to the wind direction.
As soon as Xie Xia returned to Tianjing, the news spread among the people.
In the streets and alleys, teahouses, restaurants, and even street vendors, everyone was talking about it: "His Highness has summoned General Xie to the capital. It seems there will be another war."
"Although our Great Jin is said to be at peace, it is not really at peace. The war in the first two months has already consumed a lot of money and food. If the war continues, I am afraid that Great Jin will deplete the strength that has been painstakingly recovered."
"Who says otherwise? Our Great Jin has suffered so many disasters. We finally looked forward to good days, but some tiny country outside made a fortune and dared to shit on our heads."
"Your Highness will certainly not sit idly by and wait for death. In recent years, our Great Jin should also focus on developing its external affairs! There's also the Other Shore Island and the trade in the South Seas, all of which are part of our Great Jin's territory. We must take them all back!"
"We've had a bumper harvest in recent years, so Your Highness won't be in any trouble even if we fight. If we're short of food, I'll donate the rice from my own jar to support our Imperial Guard."
"If there isn't enough food, I'll donate it too."
"I'll donate!"
"Count me in, let's donate together!"
The public discussion was in full swing, and the students in the academy were all full of vigor and high spirits, all supporting the idea of giving the small country a good beating and showing off the power of the Great Jin Dynasty.
The Confucian scholars, however, began to worry about the national treasury. They all believed that having just fought the war against the Central Alliance, the nation lacked the strength to press its advantage and advance directly north. Even if they were to attack that overconfident little country of Yinzuo, the distance would be too great, requiring a significant expenditure of military resources.
Because their Great Jin Dynasty simply doesn't have a proper navy. The sailors they have now are just a bunch of civilians who can swim; they haven't received any professional training.
Even if Your Highness is wise and makes advance arrangements, it cannot make up for the loss of experience.
"I think we can win this battle, and we will definitely fight it, but we need to consider the cost."
"Winning at any cost is certainly possible, but our national treasury is not full. Even if we have some money, we must keep it to guard against the Northern Huns. It's not worth it to sign the seal now. It would be better to pay some money to temporarily acknowledge the seal's status, and next year, when we have recuperated and recovered, we will definitely not let them go."
"If the Northern Hu and Xiongnu were gone, the seal seat would not be a problem."
"Public sentiment is high right now, and we shouldn't dampen it."
"That's still better than blindly going to war. We haven't been to the four Southeast Asian countries for almost twenty years. Who knows what the situation is like there?"
"Teacher is right. Sibo Gong was detained because he was unaware of the country's situation in the past."
Si Bogong's family members went to the palace that day, crying and wailing. His son, Si Ning, even requested to go to Southeast Asia, wanting to personally rescue his father.
Si Xitong sent her cousin back home.
Xie Xia happened to enter the palace and saw a royal prince returning home with horse urine dripping down his face.
The moment he stepped into Jianzhang Palace, looking at the imposing and dignified prince, whose imperial aura was palpable, he felt a little unaccustomed to it.
"This humble general, Xie Xia, greets Your Highness!"
Si Xitong helped him up: "How is the training of the sailors in Weidu?"
Xie Xia said, "The sailors are trained according to the methods left behind by the Weidu Navy. As long as you can swim, you are basically considered a qualified sailor."
Simply knowing how to swim makes one a sailor; the requirements are far too low. No wonder the renowned scholars outside are not optimistic about this battle.
Si Xitong looked up and rubbed her temples: "In your opinion, can the Weidu navy win a voyage to the South Seas?"
Xie Xia felt that the situation was both simple and complex, because the Great Jin already had advanced cannons, as well as the Changhong cannon, which was famous among the Northern Hu and Xiongnu. It would be no problem to fight a small island nation.
The difficulty lay in the long journey, the complex situation at sea, and the fact that the sailors were greenhorns with no experience in dealing with the lords, whose ancestors had all been sailors for generations.
Moreover, Yinzuo is close to Anluo and I heard that he has already purchased Anluo's cannons.
The sailors from Weidu, having traveled such a long distance to reach Yinzuo, would likely only end up as cannon fodder.
Xie Xia really didn't want to dampen his spirits, but he said, "But we have to fight! Only by fighting can we gain experience. If we're afraid of naval battles, we'll never be able to move forward!"
"At that time, let alone show the prestige of our Great Jin, we will probably lose face as soon as we leave the country."
These words were spoken.
Si Xitong rose and descended the cloud ladder from the throne. She walked up to Xie Xia, who quickly lowered his head, afraid of offending the noblewoman's countenance.
Si Xitong turned her head and paced back and forth in the hall. In truth, she wasn't without solutions. It was just that her methods were too advanced for her subordinates to keep up with.
The reality is that you have to eat one bite at a time. A solution isn't something you can come up with immediately.
Si Xitong specifically told Xie Xia, "A famous scholar among the common people has heard about the matter of the seal seat. This great scholar has submitted a memorial to Jianzhang Palace, hoping that the palace can postpone the matter for a while."
"General Zuo, what is your opinion?"
Xie Xia detested delaying tactics and clandestine maneuvers, which were completely against his nature. He always believed in the swiftness of war. Furthermore, the military strength and firepower of his Great Jin were not weak.
It can easily destroy a mere seal base.
However, the navy is a significant weakness for the Great Jin. The current strategy isn't to exploit the Great Jin's strengths, but rather to exploit its weaknesses to ram the enemy. While a forceful victory might be possible, it would result in a situation where a thousand are wounded while eight hundred of the enemy's own are lost.
For the first time in his life, Xie Xia had to admit, due to reality, that the great Confucian scholar's method was feasible.