Securing the Home Front Before Expelling Foreign Threats

Chang Kong would never introduce Baili Hongzhu to Ma Feifei, since the two are husband and wife and he should avoid suspicion. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked Zhang Yunji to talk to Ma Feifei about this before.

"My dear wife! You're making things difficult for your husband!" Chang Kong said with a bitter face. He was getting on in years; how could he possibly ask Ma Feifei for favors?

Baili Hongzhu did not answer, but glanced at his daughter Baili Chuxue. Baili Chuxue was already six months pregnant, her belly was fully formed, and she would give birth soon. As the pregnancy progressed, Baili Chuxue's face was full of radiance.

"My dear daughter, look at your heartless father. He cruelly abandoned us, leaving us to depend on each other. Later, he insisted that he didn't know anything about it and kept promising to take care of us for the rest of our lives and grant our every wish. Now, all I ask him to do is ask him to talk to that Mysterious Bookstore owner, and he makes all sorts of excuses and refuses. If that's the case, why did he make that stupid promise in the first place!"

As Baili Hongzhu spoke, his eyes reddened, which made Zhang Yunji and Chang Kong, who were standing beside him, both amused and exasperated. Zhang Yunji was alright, after all, he was just a son-in-law, but Chang Kong was different. These words pierced his heart and slapped him in the face. No matter how thick-skinned he was, he couldn't resist them.

"Madam, we need to be reasonable. You're taking things out of context!" Chang Kong walked behind Baili Hongzhu, ready to massage her shoulders to curry favor.

Baili Hongzhu's eyes widened, Chang Kong's hand immediately stopped in mid-air, finally trembling as he withdrew it.

"Do you think I wanted this? The Empress has been on the throne for less than half a year, and she has already convened three 'Twelve Kings Conferences.' The implication is that she wants to reclaim the twelve 'Spirit Crystal Vein Mine' that Emperor Chu the Conqueror allocated to us back then, and to stifle the development of our 'Twelve Kings.' Moreover, judging from the Empress's current attitude, she is determined to return these twelve Spirit Crystal Vein Mine to the country sooner or later. When that time comes, it will inevitably have a great impact on our Twelve Kings families."

"This is not just about a Spirit Crystal Vein Mine; it's a signal from the Empress that if we don't find a way to resist, the next step will be for Empress to confiscate our assets and leave us penniless." At this point, Baili Hongzhu sighed softly, her eyes filled with resentment.

The people around remained silent upon hearing this. This matter had already spread throughout the upper echelons of the Chu Kingdom, and given their status, they naturally knew everything.

In fact, it wasn't just the Twelve Kings of Great Chu; many families and kings who had been rewarded with Spirit Crystal Vein Mine by Emperor Chu the Conqueror were also summoned by the Empress. It is said that this event caused quite a stir in the capital. However, since the Empress ascended the throne less than half a year ago, she has gradually taken control of the entire Chu Kingdom, so much so that even if people had ideas in their hearts, they dared not directly confront the Empress.

Since they dare not, the outcome of this matter is basically set. They only need to wait for the Empress to give the order and send people to take over the Spirit Crystal Vein Mine they have been mining for thousands of years.

Of course, although Spirit Crystal Vein Mine is a fixed asset, it may not have a particularly big impact on these people. Each family has been operating for thousands of years and has long had its own source of income. In fact, many families have more than one Spirit Crystal Vein Mine, so losing one is not a big deal at all.

The Empress seized upon this point, using her power and coercion to ultimately complete the reconquest. Although these families were all unhappy, they were all within their tolerance, which is why the process went so smoothly.

But is the Empress's big move merely to acquire a few Spirit Crystal Vein Mine? Obviously not. Many people understand that the Empress is about to start targeting these 'feudal kings' and 'vassal kings'.

"Actually, this is the trend of the times, so why are you so insistent?" Chang Kong suddenly sat down, and Zhang Yunji quickly stepped forward to pour him a cup of tea. Chang Kong drank it all in one gulp and advised him.

"What trend? The Chu Kingdom has been established for over five thousand years. Starting with Emperor Chu the Conqueror, the 'Twelve Kings' have stood on this continent for five thousand years without decline. That is the real trend!" Baili Hongzhu said sternly, clearly unconvinced by Chang Kong's words.

Chang Kong shook his head, glanced at the sky, where snowflakes danced and the world was a vast expanse of white. He sighed and said, "This is not five thousand years ago. This world is bound to change."

"Does Father mean that the continent will eventually be unified?" Baili Chuxue asked softly, her eyes flickering.

Baili Hongzhu also frowned and stared at Chang Kong with a puzzled look on his face. Only Zhang Yunji seemed to understand something and stood aside without saying a word.

Upon hearing this, Chang Kong nodded slightly and sighed, "Indeed, in recent years, the Azure Dragon Continent has been rife with undercurrents. Qin Shi Huang's ambition to unify the world is obvious to all. King Qi Wen of Qi is gentle, and King Zhao Kang is diligent and hardworking, secretly developing his power, also intending to compete with Qin Shi Huang. Although Crown Prince Crown Prince Yan State is weak, his younger brother Yan Xun is quite shrewd and unwilling to fall behind. It can be said that the rulers of Qin, Zhao, and Yan all have considerable ambitions, and they happen to be living in the same era. Thus, the tripartite balance of power among the five kingdoms will definitely be broken."

"Not to mention..." Chang Kong turned her head and glanced in the direction of the capital, saying meaningfully, "Our new emperor is also an extraordinary woman, and her ambition may not be any less than that of Qin Shi Huang."

"Have you ever heard the saying 'Respect the King and Expel the Barbarians'?" Chang Kong suddenly asked them.

Baili Chuxue and Zhang Yunji looked completely bewildered, not understanding what Chang Kong meant.

"I know, it comes from the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals, one of the Four Books and Five Classics. It's a quote from Guan Zhong during the Spring and Autumn Period," Liu Ying replied from the side.

Upon hearing Chang Kong, Chang Kong gave Liu Ying an approving look and said, "Not bad! Looks like you've read quite a few books."

"Hehe!" Liu Ying was very happy to be praised by her master, and her eyes narrowed into crescent moons as she laughed.

"What does this sentence mean?" Baili Hongzhu was completely bewildered. She considered herself to be well-read, but she had never heard of this sentence before.

Chang Kong did not directly answer Baili Hongzhu's question, but instead said to himself, "This book, the Spring and Autumn Annals, is one of my favorite books to read in my spare time. When I first read it, I didn't quite understand this sentence, so I specifically sought out the shopkeeper to discuss it. In the end, I benefited greatly from the shopkeeper's advice, and my understanding of this sentence became much deeper."

"Smack!"

Baili Hongzhu slammed his hand on the table, almost splashing Alto Mare. His willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed as he glared at Chang Kong and said in a deep voice, "Speak like a human being."

"To quell external threats, one must first secure internal stability. The new emperor is preparing to consolidate the internal affairs of the Chu Kingdom in preparation for her conquest of the world!" (8)

Welcome to Dajia Reading Academy