After some negotiations, Jiang Xian had a little bit of a score in his heart, but-

He was still puzzled, and other thoughts were circling in his heart, and he didn't say anything to Yu Nanshen.

Because, if he listened to Yu Nanshen, it would be equivalent to standing on the side of the Empress Dowager Cao, so ...... It also means that he, Ling Yongcheng, are going to be enemies of the current Holy Sect Zhengze.

This was something he never thought of.

In this place where the emperor is far away, and he only has to deal with the Qin cha from the capital every year, as well as the rich border field where taxes are paid, he could have taken care of this city in an orderly manner, and he could have lived a peaceful life without getting involved in the power struggle of the imperial court.

Now, Yu Nanshen threw him a difficult problem. In other words, this problem was actually thrown to him by the Empress Dowager Cao.

Empress Dowager Cao thought that she had stretched out an olive branch to him, but in Jiang Xian's eyes, this was not only not an olive branch, but more like a hot potato.

If he insists on refusing to cooperate, he will offend the Empress Dowager Cao, and the emperor will also have suspicion and suspicion of him. In other words, that is-

If he insists on refusing to cooperate with Yu Nanshen and Empress Dowager Cao, then it means that he, Jiang Xian and the entire Ling Yongcheng, will be in a thankless situation in the future, and it will be difficult.

But what if he agreed?

Such a risk is not much smaller than not cooperating.

After all......

This Huayin's world has always been the Zongzheng clan, and against the people of the Zongzheng clan, such a risk is not something that a small person like him can bear.

After all, the army of the Zongzheng clan and the imperial court was still stationed in Lingyong City, while themselves, the City Lord's Mansion and the entire Lingyong City, did not have their own army.

They never engaged in military affairs, only agriculture and commerce.

…… While the Zong Zheng clan gave them the privileges of the Jiang family, they also limited the power they should have.

Even in the peaceful and prosperous times, each state capital and county had its own army, more or less large, small, and they were deprived of military power in the border fields that seemed to be not under the vertical management of the imperial court.

Cha Cha –

Military power is one of the most important things for a place.

Of course, if they do not have the heart of rebellion and do not do things that violate the rules of the imperial court, who owns the army and whose military power belongs to them, there is nothing to them.

But the premise of "no rebellion", which they have adhered to for decades, faces a huge challenge today.

Rebellion, or guard, is only in a thought.

But this "one thought" was enough to make Jiang Xian think for a long time...... he couldn't make a decision so quickly, he could only sway from side to side like an unbalanced scale.

In the past, if there was any major event in Ling Yongcheng, if there was any major decision, he would gather all the major merchants in Ling Yongcheng to discuss and make a decision, but this time, ...... Yu Nanshen specially emphasized that this matter does not need to be publicized for the time being, but must be taken slowly.

What does it mean to "not have to"? Jiang Xian's understanding is not that it is not necessary, but that "can't", "don't", "can't", "don't allow"....

After taking Yu Nanshen to the guest room, Jiang Xian went directly to the study and fell into deep thought.

After thinking about it, he turned over the emperor's handwritten letter that he brought when he came to Qin last time, and read it carefully from beginning to end.

Most of the letters are sympathetic, but when you read them carefully, they have an extraneous meaning. It is said that the king's heart is unpredictable, and the emperor's voice is not something that a small person like him can guess at will. Jiang Xian folded the letter, put it back in the cabinet intact, and locked it.

But now it's different from the past, what the emperor is thinking, he can still guess him, and it's better to guess than not to know anything.

Buckle –

With two door knocks, Jiang Ying entered from outside the study.

Jiang Ying is Jiang Xian's eldest son, Jiang Yiru's eldest brother, just now a batch of silk cloth came back from the Western Regions, and it happened to catch up with such a big event.

After listening to Jiang Xian's general story and Jiang Xian's repeated advice, Jiang Ying probably understood what his father was struggling with.

But in fact, this matter is not worth dwelling on.

"Why do you say that?" Jiang Xian looked at Jiang Ying and asked. What does it mean to not be worth dwelling on?

If such a big thing is all made at once, then what else in this world is worth careful consideration?

Why isn't it worth dwelling on?

It's clearly a thing that deserves careful consideration.

Because......

If you are not careful, not to mention the Jiang family, I am afraid that the entire Lingyong City will become a barren ruin.

That's a hard thing to decide.

Jiang Xian looked up at Jiang Ying, only to see Jiang Ying smile, walked to the bookshelf and took down the map of Lingyong City and its surrounding layout, etc., and put it on the desk.

"Here, Jin Sheng, does my father know what place it is?" Jiang Ying asked.

"Isn't that Jin Sheng, it's clearly written on it, and besides, you've said it all." Jiang Xian was very puzzled, and he didn't know why Jiang Ying asked him to ask this.

Now he can't take care of Ling Yong City, where does he have the heart to take care of other places, it has nothing to do with him, he just wants to guard his Ling Yong City - this small but rich land.

"Father is wrong," Jiang Ying said: "It's really good that this is Jinsheng, but this is the border between the Western Regions and Southern Xinjiang, and to be more precise, this is the territory of Miao Jiang." ”

"Miao Jiang's...."Jiang Xian thought for a while and asked puzzledly, "What's wrong with Miao Jiang's?" ”

He really couldn't figure it out, he was obviously discussing Ling Yong's affairs with him, why did he always mention things from other places? What's their business?! Only the stability of Ling Yongcheng is none of their business.

"Father, don't worry." Jiang Ying opened his mouth to stabilize Jiang Xian's emotions, and continued: "Didn't you just say it? Is Yu Shizi here to discuss with you on behalf of Empress Dowager Cao about trade with the countries of the Western Regions? Empress Dowager Cao wants to control Huayin's trade with the Western Regions, and the emperor also wants to, then..."

As he spoke, Jiang Ying raised his finger on the map again, and his finger fell on Jinsheng, and then said: "And this place, up to the Western Regions, down to the Southern Xinjiang, across the Jinjiang River and connected with our Ling Yong——"

Jiang Ying paused, looked at Jiang Xian, and said, "What did Father think of?" ”

Jiang Xian seemed to be empowered, and looked at Jiang Ying, "Is this so?" ”

Perhaps, what Ying'er said really makes sense.

The silk cloth of the Western Regions is what the imperial court wants, and the precious medicinal herbs and tea in the southern Xinjiang are cloudy...... The imperial court also wanted to get involved.

Yu Nanshen came this time and said that he would send troops to Lan Liang.... Of course, this "sending troops" is naturally not a war in the serious sense.

But Yu Nanshen's purpose is very clear, that is-

Take control of Yinsheng.

Yinsheng is the border area of the Lanliang Kingdom in the Western Regions, adjacent to Jinsheng of the Miao people in southern Xinjiang.

So, Yu Shizi.... No, where is the target of the Empress Dowager Cao, where is the trade with the Western Regions, it is clearly Jinsheng, and it is clearly the territory that Huayin has never set foot in in Miaojiang.

Her ambition is too big.