HLnovel Chapter 968 The Fourth Prince is Gone Too
Chapter 968 The Fourth Prince is Gone Too
Even veteran officials like Grand Tutor Qian strongly agreed.
"Most of the northern nomadic peoples suffer from the cold. If it weren't for the late emperor's wisdom and benevolence in granting their request for trade, how could they have the abundance and prosperity they enjoy today? I've heard that their children are now being raised by the royal court without the herders having to spend any money. As a result, the herders are very willing to have more children, and their population has increased by 30% compared to ten years ago. This is clearly an attempt to preserve the seeds of future generations, and their ambition to destroy the Great Zhou is still alive!"
Although the matter of the hibiscus ointment has not yet been completely resolved, it proves this point. Since they are unjust, they shouldn't blame us for being unjust. The trade treaty can be completely cancelled, and I don't think they will say anything.
Furthermore, our Great Zhou is now powerful and strong, with a well-equipped army and iron cavalry guarding our borders. We have no reason to fear their petty tricks.
At this point, Grand Tutor Qian paused for a moment, and after seeing Zhou Pu deep in thought, he continued, "However, everything must be done step by step. Closing everything down at once would probably not work and would cause unnecessary unrest. My suggestion is to close them down gradually, like boiling a frog in warm water."
Zhou Pu was initially hesitant about closing the border markets. He had actually thought about it for a long time yesterday afternoon, since the substantial tax revenue brought by the border markets was an important source of income for the national treasury. However, the words of the court officials at the morning court session this day also made some sense.
It's not the theft itself that's worrisome, but the thief's lingering interest. Now, the foreign tribes are clearly still plotting against us, watching us with predatory eyes. Under these circumstances, continuing trade is rather inappropriate.
Therefore, after a brief consideration, Zhou Pu nodded in agreement to the proposal, and the border markets in Datong and other places would be closed one after another.
To prevent unrest caused by the closure of the border trade, Zhang Ping'an needs to make advance preparations for city defense and troop deployment.
Although on the surface the decision seemed fine, Zhang Ping'an couldn't help but sigh with regret. He knew that if Zhou Ziming were still alive, he would never have done this.
Zhou Ziming is never one to run away from difficulties, nor is he afraid of any powerful enemy; he always finds a way to solve problems.
The reason why Grand Tutor Qian agreed to close the border market is probably because he saw that Zhou Pu was not capable enough and was only suitable for maintaining the status quo, not for expanding the territory.
In this situation, the imperial court must remain at peace.
Although he worked under Zhou Pu for less than a year, Zhang Ping'an often felt that it was much more tiring than working under Zhou Ziming, and he thought about things more, always feeling a sense of unease.
With things having come to this point, Zhang Ping'an had no choice but to accept the order.
In the midst of all the busyness, half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
The case of the Hibiscus Ointment was quickly resolved thanks to Cui Ling's swift and decisive action. Minister Fan was convicted of forming cliques for personal gain, his property was confiscated, and apart from himself and some of his confidants who were beheaded, all his family members were made slaves.
This was only because Cui Ling indirectly considered the Fan family's reputation, and because he thought that other members of the Fan family were officials in the court, so he let it go a little.
If these people were willing, they could redeem these families, but once the incident occurred, most people avoided it like the plague and severed ties with Minister Fan's faction.
The fourth prince, as the mastermind, fared even worse. He was executed on the spot by the Eastern and Western Depots during the rebellion, and his family members also met the same fate. They are currently being escorted to the capital.
It quickly became major news in the capital, and people talked about it everywhere they went.