Traveling through time and space and becoming a deposed prince, he just wants to survive!

Chapter 427 Zhao Hui's Doubts

After Hu Yimu's death, his remaining 30,000-odd troops quickly became scattered and were defeated in an instant.

There were only about ten thousand people who escaped from the city, and they were in a very miserable state.

Zhang Heng knew very well the seriousness of the matter, so he hurriedly left Chang'an with his subordinates, dragging his shoulder which he had deliberately stabbed.

He thought that after he returned, Sima Ling would remember their old friendship and show leniency to him.

But the result was beyond his expectations. Sima Ling had already known that it was Hu Yimu who was too arrogant and was the first to hurt Zhang Heng.

For this matter, Sima Ling called Dalaxinbu and Ulanda to discuss it with them.

Later, it was confirmed by the Qiang soldiers who escaped back that it was indeed Hu Yimu's fault.

Although the matter seems to have been left unresolved, it has left the seeds of hatred and distrust in the hearts of both parties, like deeply rooted thorns that may hurt each other at any time.

After the Qiang soldiers and Zhang Heng's troops evacuated Chang'an, Zhao Qin brought his men here with great joy.

However, Shi Yongzhi eventually became fed up with the collaboration between Zhao Qin and Sima Ling, especially with the help of foreign tribes. Disillusioned, he decided to bid farewell to Qian Dazhuang.

"General Shi, you have made great contributions in this battle. Why are you leaving now?"

Although Qian Dazhuang suspected that Shi Yongzhi was dissatisfied with Zhao Qin's behavior this time, he still wanted to verify it from him personally.

"General, I'm tired. Although I'm from the Qin Army and you're from the Border Army, there are some things you should understand. What is the purpose of our military service?"

Shi Yongzhi's words were heavy and firm, as if every word was filled with deep thought.

These words touched Qian Dazhuang's innermost thoughts, and he kept asking himself whether joining Zhao Qin was the right choice.

Now that Chang'an has been recaptured, it is also the critical moment when Zhao Qin has entrusted him with an important task. He does not want to miss this great opportunity.

Besides, it doesn’t matter who you work for, as long as you keep your original intention.

Looking at Shi Yongzhi's resolute attitude, Qian Dazhuang understood that he was determined to leave and no longer tried to keep him.

"General, where have you decided to go this time?"

Qian Dazhuang couldn't help but ask.

When Shi Yongzhi heard Qian Dazhuang's question, to be honest, he himself had not thought it through completely.

They hadn't been in touch since Yan Ruxiang left, and he felt particularly lonely now.

After a brief thought, he replied, "There aren't many roads left. I plan to retire to Hancheng."

"Hancheng?" Qian Dazhuang looked confused, not understanding why Shi Yongzhi chose to go there.

But if you think about it carefully, it is not a bad place to go.

"It's fine for General Shi to go to Hancheng. Bring your guards with you and become the garrison commander of Hancheng."

Qian Dazhuang said sincerely.

Upon hearing this, Shi Yongzhi also understood Qian Dazhuang's good intentions.

As for whether to become an official, he actually doesn't care much about it, but having an official position is always a good choice.

"I thank the General."

Shi Yongzhi bowed, said goodbye to Qian Dazhuang and left the military camp.

Within two days, Shi Yongzhi slowly left Chang'an with his personal guards.

……

The news that Zhao Sheng transferred 100,000 people from two counties under Weizhou to Quyang soon reached the ears of Emperor Zhao Hui.

"What do you think Dingzhou meant by doing this?"

Zhao Hui held the information tightly in his hand and asked sternly to Xu Hu, Fan Wenyuan, Wei Rong and others sitting at the desk.

As the leader of the Dark Cavalry Division, Xu Hu naturally served the new emperor after the old emperor abdicated.

However, with many ministers present around him at the moment, it was not convenient for him to speak rashly.

Seeing that everyone else was silent, Zhao Hui glanced at Xu Hu again.

Xu Hu felt his heart tremble under the emperor's gaze, and instantly felt the urge to urinate. He knew that the emperor was asking him to speak first.

"Your Majesty, a normal transfer wouldn't involve so many people leaving, and they're all from Bingzhou. Does Dingzhou want to give up these two counties?"

Xu Hu said cautiously.

Zhao Hui actually had the same idea at the beginning, but these two barren areas were managed quite well by Zhao Sheng.

Although it was not as prosperous as the areas within the Great Wall, at least the people's livelihood there did not require him, the emperor, to worry too much about it.

Thinking carefully, this kind of thinking might not be correct, but he couldn't directly deny Xu Hu's guess.

Wei Rong had actually thought of some key points in his mind, but he was now in the cabinet, a position without power.

So he suppressed his thoughts, swallowed his saliva, and refused to say it out loud.

Fan Wenyuan felt that several pairs of eyes were staring at him closely, and he knew who they were without even having to think about it.

"Your Majesty, Lingqiu and Guangling were originally defeated by the Weizhou army due to the rebellion of the Wang family of Bingzhou, and ultimately requested compensation for their rule. Now that half of the troops have been withdrawn, I believe this is a redeployment because the war is no longer underway."

The other ministers also agreed. After all, 100,000 troops stationed in two counties was not too many.

The key point is that 100,000 soldiers and civilians left, which is an astonishing number.

The population of the Great Zhou was not large to begin with. The total population of Lingqiu and Guangling counties was no more than 50,000 at most, and that was when the situation was better. The total population of Guangchang County was no more than 20,000 at its best.

Wei Rong saw that everyone had spoken, so he slowly stepped out and said, "Your Majesty, I understand that those who went to Quyang this time were retired and resettled, and they were all members of the Li family army and their families."

This sentence was like a sharp sword, instantly cutting into the crux of the problem and giving everyone a clear direction for thinking.

Zhao Hui, upon hearing this, couldn't help but ask, "According to your words, is this a normal phenomenon?"

"No!" Wei Rong denied without hesitation. He stood there respectfully and continued:

"According to the usual practice of hoarding populations in border counties, even if the border troops were to retire, the only people left behind would be the government soldiers and the garrison troops. They shouldn't be relocated elsewhere. It's clear that Dingzhou brought these people over to stabilize the rear."

"Stabilize the rear?"

Zhao Hui took a deep breath when he heard this.

"Could it be that someone is going to do something bad to Dingzhou?"

Zhao Hui couldn't help but ask this question, which shocked everyone in the house and made them dare not speak easily.

"Judging from the current dynamics of the situation, neither the Xiongnu nor the Xianbei have shown any signs of plotting against Dingzhou. Even if there were some minor frictions with the Xianbei recently, they were quickly quelled."

Fan Wenyuan said calmly.

"So, who else can threaten Dingzhou?"

Zhao Hui asked again, his eyes full of confusion and worry.

This time, no one answered.

Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent.

Seeing this scene, Zhao Hui suddenly thought of something and his face instantly became a little ugly.

Looking at the expressions of the other ministers, Zhao Hui already believed that his guess might have been what these people had thought of as well.

The person who can threaten Dingzhou is himself.

But what had he done to make Zhao Sheng so alert? Was it the battle in Yanzhou, or...?

Zhao Hui didn't dare to think about it any further. The more he thought about it, the more frightened he felt.

Zhao Hui dismissed everyone else and left Fan Wenyuan alone in the study.

"Prime Minister, do you think Mr. Zhao is suspicious of me?"

After everyone left, Zhao Hui asked impatiently, his tone full of anxiety.

"Your Majesty, I have thought so before, but the court has not done anything special to make the Sixth Prince so fearful."

Fan Wenyuan spoke very carefully and did not dare to call Zhao Sheng the prince consort, for fear that it would further intensify the conflict.

"I guess during the battle of Yanzhou, the imperial court ordered the Dingzhou army to assist, but afterward the court didn't commend or reward them, and they suffered substantial casualties. Xing Shuren's attitude towards them was also inappropriate."

Zhao Hui carefully analyzed all the possibilities, and the only thing he could think of was the Yanzhou matter.

As for helping the King of Qin, well, it seems the situation is similar.

However, the benefits that Shangjun brings to them should be equal to the losses.