pappabearbooks Chapter 14 Rear Reaction
Chapter 14 Rear Reaction
"Your Majesty, I hereby impeach the Commander-in-Chief of the Western Expedition, Duke Rongguo Jia Daishan, and the Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Prince Xining!"
Sure enough, immediately after these matters were discussed, an imperial censor stepped forward and launched an impeachment against the commander-in-chief and deputy commander of the Western Expeditionary Army.
"Oh, what did they do wrong?"
Emperor Anping looked down at the censors and composed civil officials below, seemingly unaware of their schemes.
"The commander-in-chief of the western expedition, Duke Rongguo Jia Daishan, and the deputy commander, Prince Xining, after entering the Hexi Corridor, carried out a large-scale massacre of the Khoshut people, committing heinous crimes and violating the teachings of the sages!"
Upon hearing this, not only did Emperor Anping and the military generals' expressions change, but even the civil officials' faces turned grim.
Where did this guy come from? How dare he speak up for the Oirat people in the Great Zhou court?
Do you even know that the two families are sworn enemies? By saying this, he is not only slapping the face of the emperor and the military general, but also the face of all the people of the Central Plains!
"Then, Imperial Censor Guo, tell me, how did the Duke of Rong and the Prince of Xining slaughter the people of Huite?"
A military officer stepped forward with a dark expression and questioned him.
When the censor saw that all the officials in the court were looking at him with grim faces, he knew that he might be finished this time and that he had impeached the wrong person.
Since the start of the western expedition, the civil officials in the court have been impeaching him every now and then, and all sorts of things, such as delaying military operations and wasting supplies, have become commonplace.
Although the emperor would ignore these accusations, he rarely took his anger out on the civil officials who impeached him.
But this was the first time since the founding of the Great Zhou Dynasty that someone had spoken out in defense of the Oirat people.
"How dare you!" Although the civil officials were a step behind, they all rebuked the censor.
"Fortunately, the root cause isn't rotten, otherwise we would really have to consider cleaning up the court." Emperor Anping nodded calmly as he watched the civil and military officials stand up and angrily rebuke the censor.
I have already restrained myself greatly. Look at the Tumed tribe now. Apart from those who fled to the northern desert, how many people are left?
Even after all this, some people still say that you wantonly commit murder. Go and talk to Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong, and see if they will exterminate your entire family.
That censor was a coward; seeing all the officials glaring at him angrily, he collapsed to the ground.
Emperor Anping gave him a disdainful look: "Take him away and throw him into the imperial prison!"
Several imperial guards immediately entered and dragged the censor out.
"Your Majesty, spare my life..."
After the censor was dragged away, the Minister of Rites stepped forward again.
"Your Majesty, after the recovery of the Hexi Corridor and the Western Regions, the court will be short of a large number of officials. I request that Your Majesty hold a special examination next spring to make up for the missing officials."
"We second that proposal!"
The civil officials immediately seconded the motion.
Now that the newly recovered territory has been under the court's long-standing discussion about how to govern it, the military generals support the establishment of a protectorate.
The civil officials, however, felt that the Protectorate General was prone to causing regional separatism and supported the establishment of prefectures for direct administration.
The civil official is planning to act first and report later! How can that be allowed?
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
"Leaving aside the Hexi Corridor for now, the Western Regions and the Plateau are far from the Central Plains. If prefectures are established there, they will become a burden on the imperial court in the future!"
Civil officials wanted to establish prefectures in those areas to strengthen their power, while military generals wanted to establish protectorates to create more career paths. As a result, the imperial court immediately turned into a marketplace.
"Report..."
"Your Majesty, this is an urgent dispatch from the Western Expeditionary Army, traveling 800 li!"
The court immediately fell silent. An urgent dispatch of eight hundred li was no small matter, and the Duke of Rong and his men would not use it lightly.
If an urgent message has been sent now, something big must have happened at the front.
"Send a messenger quickly!" Emperor Anping said hastily.
Soon after, the messenger was helped in.
"Your Majesty, the Oirat allied forces of over 100,000 men entered the Hexi Corridor a month ago and are currently locked in a stalemate with our army at Jiayuguan."
Upon hearing the messenger's report, the entire court was in an uproar.
Although I had anticipated that the Oirat people would form a coalition, I didn't think this far ahead!
After reading the battle report, Emperor Anping immediately handed it to the eunuch beside him: "Dai Quan, read it aloud!"
"Your Majesty, I, Jia Daishan, the Grand General of the Western Expedition, respectfully inquire after Your Majesty's well-being: Since the commencement of the Western Expedition, I…"
"A month ago, the Prince of Xining led his army to capture Ganzhou. The various Oirat tribes held an alliance at Yumen Pass, acknowledging the rebel chieftain Gushi Khan as their leader. They then gathered 120,000 Oirat cavalry and marched eastward to Suzhou, where they confronted each other at Jiayuguan..."
"It seems that the Oirat people are also afraid of being defeated one by one by the Great Zhou, and intend to finish the battle in one fell swoop and settle the score with a decisive battle with us."
"Let's all discuss this and see how we should fight this battle?"
"If we win, the Oirat will no longer pose a threat to the Great Zhou; if we lose, the Great Zhou's borders will never be peaceful again."
Emperor Anping looked solemn at this moment.
The Minister of War immediately stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, although the Western Expeditionary Army has 200,000 troops, after this period of fighting, and with the troops left behind in the newly recovered territories, only about 130,000 soldiers can continue to participate in the campaign. We do not have an absolute advantage over the Oirat."
"The Oirats are only defending and not attacking, clearly stalling for time. Once winter comes, the Great Zhou will have no advantage left. I urge Your Majesty to issue an immediate decree ordering the Duke of Rong and the Prince of Xining to immediately dispatch troops to fight the Oirats. We cannot let it drag on until winter!"
"Minister Lin is knowledgeable in military affairs?"
No sooner had the Minister of War finished speaking than Jia Daihua, the commander of the Beijing garrison, immediately retorted with a question.
Although he and Jia Daishan had some political disagreements, they were ultimately family. The Ning and Rong mansions were bound together by mutual loss and prosperity, and besides, he was the head of the eldest branch of the Jia family.
Although he had not experienced war for a long time, he was, after all, of military merit and had been carefully groomed by the Duke of Ningguo as his successor since childhood.
Knowing that the worst thing on the battlefield is blind command from the rear, no matter what, these civil officials could not be allowed to hold Jia Daishan back.
"Your Majesty, the situation at the front is changing rapidly. Since Your Majesty has chosen the Duke of Rong, you should trust him."
"The Duke of Rong is a seasoned general who has seen many battles; he must understand the situation at the front better than Minister Lin. We only need to take care of logistics and must not interfere with the front lines lightly!"
"General Jia is right. You civil officials know nothing, yet you want to meddle in everything. Do you intend to repeat the old ways of the Song and Ming dynasties, where civil officials controlled the military and usurped power in the court?"
Niu Cheng, the current deputy commander of the Beijing Garrison and a native of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, also stepped forward and questioned the Minister of War.
"General Niu, stop talking nonsense. When have we ever done anything to usurp the power of the court?"
The Minister of Personnel, Wang, the current Grand Secretary, immediately glared at Niu Cheng and reprimanded him.
He then turned and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, as Minister of War, how can Minister Lin not speak of military matters?"
As expected of a cunning old fox, Chief Minister Wang silenced all the military generals with just one sentence.
If military officers dare to say that the Minister of War is not allowed to discuss military affairs, then will they still need their military pay in the future?
"Your Majesty, General Niu did not mean that at all. He meant that the rear should not arbitrarily command the front-line battles..."
Just as Jia Daihua was about to defend Niu Cheng, he was immediately interrupted by Emperor Anping.
Since Emperor Anping dared to entrust all the troops that the Great Zhou could mobilize to Jia Daishan, he naturally trusted him. Moreover, there was also the Prince of Xining keeping him in check at the front line, so it was unlikely that Jia Daishan would do anything he couldn't bear to admit.
But now the situation is that the Oirat are actually using all their strength to fight the Great Zhou to the death. Even if he trusts Jia Daishan, he can't help but feel uneasy.
This battle is undoubtedly the biggest test he has faced since ascending the throne.
If he wins, he will become a great ruler; if he loses, although he may not become the Yingzong Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, the Great Zhou will be burdened by the constant warfare on its borders, and its national strength will decline.
"Should we send more troops from the capital?" Emperor Anping was undecided for a moment.
But then he shook his head, saying that the 200,000-strong army on the western expedition alone had already put the court in a difficult position.
If another 100,000 troops are sent, those gentry in Jiangnan might become even more demanding and use this as a pretext to threaten the court into relaxing restrictions on them.
If that were the case, wouldn't the Great Zhou become just another Great Song?
"May you do good and not fail the emperor's kindness!"
After making his decision, Emperor Anping immediately ordered: "The matter at the front should not be discussed any further. The Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War shall immediately requisition grain and fodder from Jiangnan to ensure the supply to the front. The Ministry of Rites shall appease the surrounding countries and prevent them from causing any further trouble at this time."
"The Five Military Commands order all border garrisons to strengthen their defenses and refrain from provoking any border conflicts. Everything will be discussed after the Western Expedition is over."
After assigning responsibilities to each department, Emperor Anping surveyed his assembled officials and solemnly declared, "Now, the western expedition is of utmost importance. You all should take good care of yourselves."
"Court adjourned!"
"Your Majesty, we obey!"
The news that the Great Zhou and the Oirat Mongols were about to engage in a decisive battle spread immediately after the morning court session.
"Brother, Daishan this time..."
As soon as Jia Daihua returned home, Jia Daishan's wife, Jia Shi, along with Jia Daishan's relatives, rushed over in person, looking extremely anxious.
"Sister-in-law, please be patient. Daishan is a veteran of many battles and leads 200,000 troops from the Lantian Camp and the Hexi Army. I believe he will be able to defeat the Oirat this time."
Although Jia Daihua was also very worried about Jia Daishan, as the head of the clan, he could not show it and could only pretend to be calm and comfort him.
"That's good, that's good..."
Jia Shi sat down, took a few sips of tea from the maid, and then said, "Ever since we learned that the Oirats had amassed an army of over 100,000, our old relatives have been coming to our door one after another. Although they say that Daishan and his men will definitely win this time, they all look hesitant and sighing, which makes us women feel uneasy."
Hearing Jia Shi's words, Jia Daihua was furious. These guys, they didn't even pick the right time to make a fool of themselves.
If the western expeditionary force is truly defeated this time, the Jia family will certainly suffer, but these military merits will be much better off.
"Alright, sister-in-law, just relax and wait for good news."
After sitting in Ningguo Mansion for a while, Jia Shi and the others were still a little worried, but at least they felt a little more at ease.
A few days later, a gatekeeper announced that the village steward, Lai, had brought a woman to see her.
After Jia Shi had someone invite the person in, they saw Steward Lai walk in with an old woman in her forties from the countryside, who was holding a baby in her arms.
"This humble woman, Liu, greets Your Excellency!"
As soon as the woman entered, she was about to kneel down and kowtow to Jia Shi.
Lady Jia was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly had her maid help Lady Liu up.
"You've misunderstood. I thought Steward Lai had done something to wrong Lan'er (Lai Mama in the original story), and that he had brought his mistress's family to our door!"
Jia Shi muttered to herself, carefully examining Liu Shi and the child in her arms, then looked at Steward Lai with a puzzled expression.
"Madam Qi, this is the mother of Liu Hu, the master's personal guard, and the girl in her arms is her daughter."
"I heard that things aren't going well for the master, and he's worried about Liu Hu, so he sent me here to see if there's any news from the madam."
"oh!"
After listening to Steward Lai's introduction, Madam Jia finally understood that these were Liu Hu's mother and sister!
Although she hadn't met Liu Hu in person, she had stayed at the Jia family mansion for several months. As the mistress of the Rongguo Mansion, how could Jia Shi not know about this young master who had caught the eye of the Emperor and the Master?
I heard that Liu Hu, in just a few months, was no match for Zhang Wannian, the most capable fighter under his master. In the end, he was even personally summoned by the emperor and appointed as a centurion.
A while ago, the master wrote a letter asking the family to take good care of Liu Hu's family. He also said that after this war, Liu Hu would be able to win a first-rank title based on his military achievements.
Thinking of this, Jia Shi's face became even more polite.
Although Liu may not seem respectable now, her son is quite promising. Before long, she will be the matriarch of a family. If we can establish a good relationship with her in advance, it will be good for our family to have someone to look after us.
"Oh, it's you, Elder Sister Liu!"
Jia Shi quickly had her maid bring Liu a seat, and disregarding Liu's unease, she took her hand and said affectionately.
"Your Tiger is doing very well; he's done a great job following my master."
"My master said in his letter that this time when your son Tiger comes back, he'll at least earn you a first-rank imperial title. You'll probably be able to enjoy a life of luxury!"
"Forget about titles and honors, as long as the cat comes back safely, that's all that matters." Liu was a little unaccustomed to Jia Shi's enthusiasm, so she pulled her hand away, waved it off quickly, and said anxiously.
"There's only one cat left in the house. I was hoping he would grow up safely and carry on the family line."
"I never expected that he would still join the army in the end. From then on, I have never felt at ease for a single day."
Looking down at the girl in her arms, Liu's eyes reddened as she spoke.
"Why!"
Seeing Liu's state, Jia Shi sighed as well. She hadn't slept soundly for the past few days, constantly worrying about her husband.
Although Jia Daihua told them not to worry, after learning about the situation her master was facing these past few days, how could she not be worried?
However, in order to keep her family at ease, she could only force a smile every day, which prevented the family from becoming anxious.
Looking at Liu wiping away tears, she couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
Other people's sons are successful; if nothing unexpected happens, they can come back and become matriarchs, crying when they want to cry and laughing when they want to laugh. Unlike me, I can only bury everything in my heart.
But she only grieved for a moment, then looked at the girl in Liu's arms and asked with a smile, "Is this your daughter? She's so pretty!"
"Here, I didn't prepare anything this time. Here, let the girl take this little gadget to play with."
As she spoke, Jia Shi took off the jade bracelet from her wrist and stuffed it into the girl's arms.
"No, madam, this is too precious, you mustn't..."