TGPSAC – Chapter 112

The Grand Court Assembly was convened, and Emperor Shengyuan made a rare appearance.

Yu Jiuzhou sat below the dragon throne, her wide robes concealing her belly.

Many were counting the days, well aware that she was close to giving birth.

However, with Beining attacking Great Zhou with an army of 800,000, everyone’s attention was captivated by this matter.

The last time Beining had invaded with a large army was more than seventy years ago, wasn’t it? And now they were back.

Emperor Shengyuan wasted no time. “Minister of War, you may speak.”

The Minister of War immediately stepped forward. “An urgent dispatch arrived last night. Beining, claiming an army of 800,000, has already reached the outskirts of Heshan Pass.”

As soon as the Minister of War finished, the court erupted into chaos.

“An army of 800,000? How is that possible?”

“Indeed, how could a place like Beining possibly support an army of 800,000?”

“The Great Khan of Beining just died. The successor is Daluoyan. He’s launching an invasion right after taking the throne?”

“Most importantly, where would Beining get an army of 800,000?”

“That’s right. Beining is vast, but its people are nomadic. Daluoyan has at most a hundred thousand troops under his command. Even if they merged with others, they shouldn’t have 800,000.”

Hearing this, someone immediately said, “They claim 800,000, but it would be a stretch if they actually have two or three hundred thousand.”

Chi Wan raised an eyebrow at this. It seemed this was how ancient battles were fought. In the Battle of Red Cliffs, Cao Cao claimed to have an army of 800,000, but in reality, he only had two to three hundred thousand.

And when Emperor Yang of Sui campaigned against Goguryeo, he had over a million troops but claimed two million.

It seemed that’s how warfare worked. You start by bluffing. If the bluff works, great. If not, you fight for real.

The Minister of War waited for the voices to quiet down before continuing, giving a general overview of the situation.

It was safe to say that the Minister of War knew less than Chi Wan did.

Chi Wan had received a report the previous night. Beining claimed an army of 800,000, but the actual number was only 230,000.

Beining’s core troops numbered only seventy to eighty thousand, with about 180,000 combat-ready soldiers in total. The commander was the younger brother of the Beining Chancellor, known as Beining’s God of War.

It was because of this man’s existence that the Beining Chancellor had complete control over Beining. Daluoyan may have become the Great Khan, but he held no real power.

The decision to attack Great Zhou must have been made by the Beining Chancellor.

However, an army of over 200,000 certainly couldn’t come from a single faction.

Beining had three major powers, along with a smattering of smaller ones.

Back when the previous Great Khan was still alive, she had once dispatched 100,000 troops to subdue the other two major powers, successfully forcing them to acknowledge her as their suzerain.

An army of 100,000 was the most Beining could muster even at the peak of its power throughout its history. One could imagine the previous Great Khan’s determination to subjugate the other two powers.

That Beining could now deploy seventy to eighty thousand core troops was a testament to the former Great Khan’s capability.

Adding 50,000 logistics troops, suicide squads, and the like, the numbers were already substantial. The suicide squads, for instance, were likely composed of troops from smaller factions that had been absorbed.

The other two major powers could each contribute 50,000 soldiers, so 230,000 was the absolute limit of what Beining could field.

To mobilize to this extent, they must have been preparing for a long time, perhaps even before the previous Great Khan of Beining had died.

The former Great Khan was a formidable figure. Her tribe had been in decline, but after she took power, she single-handedly transformed it into the largest tribe in Beining and became the Great Khan herself.

The intelligence Chi Wan received confirmed this. Beining had long been preparing to attack Great Zhou, but the Great Khan hadn’t lived long enough. On her deathbed, she probably wished she could borrow another five hundred years from the heavens.

Fortunately, Yanbei had a garrison of 200,000. Combined with local forces, they could scrape together 300,000 defenders and hold the line.

But no one was a fool, and the people of Beining certainly weren’t. Since they had deployed so many troops, they must have had a plan long in the making.

Emperor Shengyuan looked at Yu Jiuzhou and asked, “Zhou’er, how do you think we should respond?”

Yu Jiuzhou feigned contemplation for a moment. “Replying to Your Majesty, this subject believes that the Duke of Xin must return to Yanbei as soon as possible and lead his troops to Heshan Pass.”

“The Marquis of Pingliang should lead 100,000 troops to garrison the eastern defense line of Yanbei to prevent the Beining army from splitting up or concentrating their attack on a single point. With the Marquis of Pingliang and the Duke of Xin positioned to the east and west, they can also support each other.”

She didn’t trust Prince Bao’an’s people. The Marquis of Pingliang was clearly on her side, while the Duke of Xin probably wished the Marquis of Pingliang dead.

But some things had to be said.

Because at this moment, the Duke of Xin might not want to leave the center of power. After all, the Emperor’s health was deteriorating daily, and no one knew when he might die. Given Prince Bao’an’s behavior, the Duke would not feel at ease leaving.

More importantly, the mid- to low-ranking officers in the 100,000-strong army previously commanded by the Duke of Xin had all been promoted by him personally.

To put it simply, if a high-ranking general didn’t listen to him, that general would be isolated and rendered powerless.

The appointment of high-ranking military officers was the responsibility of the Ministry of War.

The Ministry of War and the Five Army Camps Chief Military Commission were distinct. The Chief Military Commission was the highest military command and management body, responsible for commanding and mobilizing the nation’s armies, as well as allocating forces and determining tactics during wartime.

The Ministry of War held the authority to deploy troops, select military officials, manage logistics, and establish regulations for the army.

Essentially, the Emperor would issue an order, the Chief Military Commission would select a general to lead the army on a campaign, and the Ministry of War would handle most of the remaining matters.

The two departments checked and balanced each other, which greatly increased the Emperor’s control over the military, as the Chief Military Commission acted on the Emperor’s orders.

When the two sides argued, the final decision rested with the Emperor, but the discussions in between were unavoidable.

The Emperor was asking for Yu Jiuzhou’s opinion. According to the optimal plan, the Duke of Xin had been stationed on the Yanbei border for a long time and had fought many battles against Beining.

To not send such a general and instead send someone completely unfamiliar with the situation would be to treat the lives of ordinary soldiers as a joke.

Unless these people were willing to hand over those 100,000 troops to the Marquis of Pingliang, to be commanded by her as well.

It all depended on whether the Duke of Xin was willing. Go to the border, and he would have to leave the center of power. Don’t go, and he would have to hand over his army.

Even if An Yizhi couldn’t take full control of the army in a short time, she could at least control half of it.

Sure enough, as soon as Yu Jiuzhou finished speaking, someone stepped forward. “Your Majesty, the Duke of Xin is advanced in years. I fear the rigors of a military campaign would be too much for him to bear.”

“I disagree. The Duke of Xin is old but not weak. He is certainly capable.”

“Although the Duke of Xin has led troops for many years, he has had no major victories. This subject believes it is time for the Duke of Xin to enjoy an honorable retirement.”

This statement made things a bit awkward.

Now that it was mentioned, everyone realized that apart from a major victory many years ago, the Duke of Xin hadn’t seemed to fight any significant battles.

Beining raided the border every year, and the Marquis of Pingliang would go up and give them a sound thrashing. The Duke of Xin, however, always arrived late to fight the already scattered Beining forces.

In other words, over the years, the Duke of Xin had neither great merits nor great faults, yet he firmly controlled an army of 100,000.

This was undoubtedly because he had handsomely bribed the high officials of the Five Army Camps Chief Military Commission and the Ministry of War.

But to bring this up in the middle of the court, where was the Duke of Xin to put his face?

The court fell silent for a moment, then someone suddenly burst out laughing. “So he’s just been picking up others’ leftovers.”

Commonly known as picking up scraps. By reporting minor merits, one could always scrounge up some rewards.

Everyone wondered who could be so bold. They turned to see it was Old Prince Kang.

Commandery Mistress Jiacheng had already successfully divorced the Duke of Xin’s only daughter, and everyone knew the two families were on very bad terms.

If Her Highness the Grand Princess hadn’t rescued Commandery Mistress Jiacheng from the Duke of Xin’s residence, the two might still not be divorced.

Commandery Mistress Jiacheng had been placed under house arrest by the Duke of Xin’s household. Old Prince Kang had no real power and couldn’t even force his way in to get her. Fortunately, Yu Jiuzhou had Jiacheng come out to receive the diplomatic mission, otherwise the trouble would have dragged on.

Most interestingly, right after Jiacheng’s divorce, the Duke of Xin’s only daughter died. It was said that while his daughter was gone, the Duke of Xin took several more concubines.

Countless people mocked the Duke of Xin behind his back for this, but he didn’t seem to care in the slightest, content as long as he successfully got a concubine pregnant.

But with Old Prince Kang’s outburst, the focus of the matter shifted to the private gossip between the two families.

The point that had just been raised—that the Duke of Xin’s power was actually not that impressive—was instantly overlooked.

No wonder Old Prince Kang couldn’t win against the Duke of Xin. With that, the bombshell had turned into a dud.

Yu Jiuzhou and Chi Wan exchanged a look. Who let the old prince come here?

Chi Wan glanced at Commandery Mistress Jiacheng, who was not far away. Understanding, Jiacheng quickly led Old Prince Kang away.

Old Prince Kang had originally come to court on official business, but now no one was paying him any mind.

At this moment, an unexpected person stepped forward to volunteer. “This subject requests to go to battle!”

Prince Bao’an stepped out, looking full of righteous indignation.

The fellow had recovered quite quickly to be attending court already.

Emperor Shengyuan’s attitude had changed so rapidly that he had no choice but to hurry back to work. What would he do if the Emperor forgot about him?

Chi Wan narrowed her eyes. Was Prince Bao’an genuinely volunteering, or was he trying to achieve some other goal?

Emperor Shengyuan’s expression improved significantly. He had waited so long, and finally, someone had volunteered. But how could he possibly let Prince Bao’an go to the border? “Enough. You know nothing of warfare. Say no more.”

After a moment, he looked at Yu Jiuzhou again, wanting to ask something but not knowing what to say.

This was the result of prioritizing civil matters over military affairs—there was simply no one to use.

Emperor Shengyuan’s main hesitation was that he didn’t want to send the Duke of Xin back. Since the Duke of Xin was allied with Prince Bao’an through marriage, it was no longer appropriate for him to command a large army. Yet, he was also unwilling to let the Marquis of Pingliang control an army of 200,000 all at once.

That was too many. Even if he trusted the Marquis of Pingliang, he couldn’t place an army of 200,000 in the hands of one person.

“Your Majesty.” The Right Chief Military Commissioner of the Five Army Camps stepped forward. “This subject believes the most urgent task is to mobilize troops from across the realm and send them to the Yanbei border.”

“How many do you think is appropriate?”

“Yanbei has nearly 300,000 troops, and our border regions also have two to three hundred thousand, but they are too spread out. The only forces that can be assembled are those of the Marquis of Pingliang and the Duke of Xin. Since the Duke of Xin’s forces currently lack a commander on site, let the Marquis of Pingliang command them for now. A division can be made once the central government selects a new commander.”

“However, the two forces, totaling 200,000, cannot all go to Heshan Pass. Yanbei still needs reinforcements. The capital camps cannot be moved, so we can only draw troops from across the realm. This subject requests that Your Majesty mobilize 100,000 troops from the interior to reinforce Yanbei.”

Herein lay the problem. It wasn’t that Great Zhou lacked soldiers; it was that Great Zhou lacked generals. Mobilizing troops was easy, but finding someone to command them was difficult.

Especially since the troops drawn from various regions would not readily submit to a newly appointed commander.

However, Emperor Shengyuan listened to the Right Chief Military Commissioner’s words and felt his arrangements were sound.

“Then who do you think should command the mobilized army of 100,000?”

“This subject believes the Duke of Xin should go to Yanbei to command his own division. As for the mobilized army of 100,000… Xu Chenlu.”

Xu Chenlu, the young daughter of the Duke of Xu’s family, had fought alongside her father in the East Sea against Japanese pirates, accumulating countless merits, both large and small. However, because Emperor Shengyuan did not want to promote the Xu family, she was currently only a fourth-rank General of Manifest Might.

With so many merits, she had earned enough for an enfeoffment, which just went to show how biased Emperor Shengyuan was.

The Right Chief Military Commissioner’s words infuriated the Emperor. He hated using the Xu family the most. Was it possible that without the Xu family, he couldn’t even find a single commander?

“Xu Chenlu is merely a fourth-rank military officer. How can she command an army of 100,000?”

“In times of crisis, the capable should take charge.”

The Right Chief Military Commissioner was not intimidated in the least. From the beginning until now, his reason for mentioning the Xu family was for the sake of Great Zhou winning this war. He had no selfish motives.

Emperor Shengyuan asked Yu Jiuzhou with a grim face, “Grand Princess, what are your thoughts?”

Yu Jiuzhou answered without hesitation, “The mobilized army of 100,000 will come from all over. They will be unruly, and they will need to be brought into line before battle. An ordinary person would likely fail. General of Manifest Might is young. This subject believes the Duke of Xin is more suitable. The Duke of Xin has commanded troops for many years and can surely ignore regional differences, enforce orders throughout the army, and quickly forge them into a combat-ready force to support Yanbei.”

Emperor Shengyuan: “…”

The Duke of Xin, always the Duke of Xin. Could they not survive without the Duke of Xin?

This was Emperor Shengyuan. No one was good enough, but when asked to think of someone, he couldn’t.

Great Zhou had only so many commanders. The only newly risen general was An Yizhi, who had fought her way up.

It wasn’t that the Xu family had no generals—they had earned many merits fighting pirates in the East Sea—but Emperor Shengyuan refused to use them.

After hearing Yu Jiuzhou’s words, Emperor Shengyuan looked at the Duke of Xin. “Duke of Xin, you speak.”

The Duke of Xin had no choice but to step forward. “This subject thanks Your Majesty and the Grand Princess for your high regard. However, this subject is advanced in years and fears he cannot integrate a new army. But this subject is still able to go to Heshan Pass.”

He had been hesitating between staying in the capital and going to Yanbei. If he were made to command a motley army, he would definitely choose to go to Yanbei.

Emperor Shengyuan’s eyes grew cold. He suddenly saw Chi Wan. “Chi Wan, what do you think?”

Chi Wan cupped her hands. “This subject believes the Right Chief Military Commissioner is correct.”

“You also think Xu Chenlu is capable?” Emperor Shengyuan’s tone was harsh.

Chi Wan looked up. “The reinforcement army, after defeating Beining, will have to return to their respective homes. As the Right Chief Military Commissioner said, they come from all over, and conflicts and friction are inevitable. They need someone who can control them. This subject does not know the General of Manifest Might, and thus dares not jump to a conclusion.”

Since the Right Chief Military Commissioner had brought up Xu Chenlu, he must have already reached a conclusion.

Emperor Shengyuan’s tone was slightly cold. “The Duke of Xin will lead his personal guards back to Yanbei. The reinforcement army will assemble in the capital, and a commander will be chosen then.”

After saying this, he was about to dismiss the court, but the Right Chief Military Commissioner stepped forward again to ask, “Your Majesty, with three commanders on this campaign, who will be in overall command?”

There had to be a supreme commander. It wouldn’t do for them to all refuse to obey one another.

The military system of Great Zhou was too poor. It had to be reformed in the future.

Yu Jiuzhou frowned. If it were up to her, the army would have already set out by now, instead of still being debated in the court.

Chi Wan glanced at Yu Jiuzhou, knowing what she was thinking.

Fortunately, they had sent people to find An Yizhi last night to make arrangements in advance. In particular, the Duke of Xin’s troops needed to be dealt with.

If they didn’t send someone over quickly, who knew how long the court would debate this.

Especially the matter of who would be in overall command, which was sure to cause another argument.

The Marquis of Pingliang was young but had countless merits. The Duke of Xin had few merits but was a senior veteran.

Emperor Shengyuan was speechless as well. He couldn’t let the 300,000-strong army fight their own separate battles. What was he to do?

He frowned and thought for a long time. Among the three commanders, there was no doubt that the one he trusted most was the Marquis of Pingliang, An Yizhi.

Emperor Shengyuan looked at Yu Jiuzhou, wanting her to recommend the Marquis of Pingliang, but then he remembered she had just been pushing for the Duke of Xin. So, he turned back to the Right Chief Military Commissioner. “What do you think?”

“This subject believes the Marquis of Pingliang is suitable. Furthermore, the Duke of Xin need not return to Yanbei. This would save the Duke of Xin from the impropriety of being commanded by a younger person at his age. Besides, with the Duke of Xin present, those generals might not submit to the Marquis of Pingliang. It would be better if he didn’t go.”

The Right Chief Military Commissioner was right. If the three armies had to have a single commander, the Duke of Xin’s forces would certainly not submit to the Marquis of Pingliang’s command. If he didn’t go, then the Marquis of Pingliang would be the highest authority, making it easy for her to execute generals or do whatever was necessary.

This made sense. Emperor Shengyuan didn’t understand military affairs, but he wasn’t stupid. “Then it is decided. In addition, Li Bao will lead five hundred guards from the Imperial City Division to Yanbei to supervise the army. Chi Wan, you will handle this matter.”

“This subject obeys the decree.”

Emperor Shengyuan still didn’t feel at ease entrusting an army of 200,000 to one person.

Chi Wan’s heart felt heavy. To have such an emperor was a misfortune for the soldiers at the front.

Yesterday, she had shown Yu Jiuzhou the plans for military reform. The 300,000-strong garrison in the nine strategic border towns of Yanbei would remain unchanged. However, the inland garrisons would be downsized. The distribution of garrisons would not change, but each would be reduced to five thousand men. The forces fighting pirates in the East Sea and guarding the southwest would remain unchanged. Furthermore, the Dragon Guard Army would be disbanded. Those willing to remain military households would be reassigned, while those who were not would be distributed throughout the country to live as commoners.

The main goal was to reduce the number of inland garrison soldiers and concentrate military power in the capital camps, expanding them to between 200,000 and 400,000 men. This force could then be used to defend the capital or be sent on campaigns. This way, they would avoid the situation of having to mobilize troops from all over, only for the commander to first have to win their submission.

Chi Wan’s suggestions for military reform could be summarized in one sentence: reduce inland garrison troops and increase the capital camps’ army.

There were too many ghost soldiers on the payrolls of the garrisons. Few actually did any work, and so many positions were wasted. It was better to downsize them and expand the capital camps.

This would not only improve Great Zhou’s military system but also save a considerable amount in military pay—killing two birds with one stone.

Yu Jiuzhou had also shared her views, and they had held a meeting based on this, further refining the reform plan.

Mobilizing soldiers from various regions was the beginning of this reform. After the war, they would directly expand the military camps and logically downsize the garrisons across the country.

After the court assembly ended, Yu Jiuzhou went to the Empress’s palace, while Chi Wan was summoned by the Emperor.

After attending court, Emperor Shengyuan appeared listless. His body was reaching its final limit.

Seeing Chi Wan, he snorted coldly. “Xu Chenlu is a young lady of the Xu family. The Xu family already holds a large army in the East Sea. If we let the Xu family extend their reach to Yanbei, what do you think will happen?”

See? With Emperor Shengyuan’s petty mind, he still had to question her about a matter that had already been decided in court.

Chi Wan immediately said, “Your Majesty, Yanbei is a vital region that cannot be lost. It doesn’t matter who it is, as long as they can make the Beining army retreat.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” Emperor Shengyuan shouted in anger. “Am I to believe that without the Xu family, I have no other generals?”

He really didn’t.

Chi Wan knew this in her heart, but on the surface, she merely lowered her eyes and listened.

Her silence seemed to quell some of Emperor Shengyuan’s anger. “Speak. If Xu Chenlu is truly sent, what then?”

Chi Wan suppressed her inner frustration and feigned a thoughtful expression. “Your Majesty, send a military supervisor. Li Bao is taking five hundred guards from the Imperial City Division to supervise the Marquis of Pingliang, so Xu Chenlu must also be monitored by someone.”

Just a supervisor. If one wanted to kill them, there were plenty of ways.

Emperor Shengyuan studied her, his gaze probing. “Who do you think should be sent?”

“This subject is not familiar with the civil and military officials of the court.”

She would not make a recommendation. Otherwise, this old man, Emperor Shengyuan, would surely suspect her.

Seeing that Chi Wan did not recommend anyone, Emperor Shengyuan’s expression softened considerably. “What about the Earl of Huai’an?”

Chi Qing?

Chi Wan showed a surprised expression. “Chi Qing is my elder sister. I should not comment on this matter, but my sister is serving as a prefect outside the capital and is not skilled in military affairs. How can she be a military supervisor?”

The more she resisted, the more Emperor Shengyuan felt the matter was settled.

“It’s just a supervisor, not asking her to fight. I will assign her a few capable people. Don’t worry. Mobilizing the army will take at least a month. Chi Qing can return to the capital just in time. I will promote her. Then, you can register your sister’s child under your name, which will count as leaving you an heir.”

Chi Wan: “…” That’s quite unnecessary.

She had no desire for descendants. Besides, she would have her own children. Why would she want someone else’s?

“This subject’s life is for the country, the sovereign, and the people. Offspring are of no concern.”

“That is up to you. You are currently the Earl of Shangyu. I will enfeoff you as the Marquis of Shangyu. Your fief will not be increased. Since you hold a noble title, you must have someone to inherit it.”

Emperor Shengyuan always felt that some things needed to be inherited, and by someone who would recognize him as their father figure.

Chi Wan did not think so. “Your Majesty, this is a matter for my sister and me to discuss. I do not wish for my sister to feel that I am pressuring her.”

“Very well.” Emperor Shengyuan was silent for a moment before saying, “Chi Jinzhao, you must remember, everything you have was given by me. Zhou’er is who I’m leaving behind to check the new emperor, and you are the one to check Zhou’er.”

How disgusting! He wouldn’t even let people rest in peace after he was dead.

Chi Wan assented, feeling faintly that Emperor Shengyuan’s mind was growing muddled. In the past, though he was suspicious, he would never have said such things so openly.

Emperor Shengyuan now seemed ill, acting and speaking more directly, and also more confused.

She left Daming Palace and waited for Yu Jiuzhou on the required path out of the palace.

Before long, Yu Jiuzhou arrived before her. Chun Gui leaned in and whispered, “Someone spilled oil on the path just now. It was the Noble Consort.”

The Noble Consort was connected to Prince Bao’an. It seemed their recent seclusion had made Prince Bao’an anxious, and he was seizing any opportunity to strike.

“Then let’s detonate her bomb!” Some people just deserved to die. Did they really think they were easy to bully, or that their own hands were clean?

Chi Wan narrowed her eyes and helped Yu Jiuzhou down from her transport and into the carriage waiting outside the palace gates. Then, she recounted her conversation with Emperor Shengyuan.

Yu Jiuzhou clenched her fist. “Before His Majesty passed away, his mind was very confused. He even tried to reclaim my authority. Prince Bao’an and I confined him in the palace together to prevent him from doing anything foolish.”

As long as Prince Bao’an didn’t interfere, she was confident she could confine the Emperor now. But Prince Bao’an had also been reborn and would certainly not sit by and watch her do so.

They had to be cautious about who Emperor Shengyuan met with from now on. Otherwise, anyone could say something that might change his mind.

A fierce battle was brewing on the border, and another fierce battle was brewing in the capital. It seemed both wars were unavoidable.

Chi Wan and Yu Jiuzhou were about to face an extremely dangerous trial.

---

Get instant access to all chapters now.