Ch. 570 - The Veterans are Abler than Recruits

Upon hearing that Dai Quan was summoning him, Sun Shaozong's heart immediately became uneasy.

It wouldn’t be the matter of Prince Yizhong, who has further tricks, that they needed him to handle the aftermath, right?

Although Sun Shaozong had just thought of prying into the secrets behind Prince Yizhong's tragic death, he had no intention of directly getting involved.

However, with orders from his superiors, no matter how reluctant he was, he could only be cautious and think of countermeasures and followed the little eunuch step by step to the door on the right.

Entering the room, Sun Shaozong saw Dai Quan leading two young eunuchs, standing in the deepest part of the middle section. He hurried a few steps and was about to come forward to pay his respects, but suddenly realized that the atmosphere was inexplicably eerie.

The first thing that made him feel strange was the current state of Dai Quan.

He saw him take off his three-mountain hat on top of his head, revealing a head full of grayish-white hair, a hunched back, hands facing him, dull and lifeless eyes, and a lazy and desolate expression. If it weren't for him being wrapped in a robe and jade belt, his temperament would be almost the same as that of an old farmer in the countryside during the leisure season.

As the head of the Imperial Household, he has always been known by His Majesty. In terms of his imposing demeanor, even the Minister and General were slightly inferior by three points.

Today, for the first time, this fatigue was revealed, as if something supporting the spine had been pulled away by someone.

What was even more eerie was that in the face of Dai Quan's state, the two young eunuchs next to him neither avoided it nor spoke of comfort. Instead, they stared at Dai Quan with a pair of eyes, staring blankly at him.

At first, Sun Shaozong thought that these two people were looking for trouble, but upon closer inspection, he found that it seemed not to be the case.

The expressions of those two were mixed with some unease and fear. Obviously, they knew that in such a situation, if they were still staring at Dai Quan intently, it was like playing with a mouse.

But they still stared intently, as if... acting on someone's assignment.

Upon this thought, Sun Shaozong's heart couldn't help but become even more horrified. Among the entire imperial palace, only Emperor Guangde dared to openly send someone to monitor Dai Quan!

Could it be said that the death of Prince Yizhong yesterday meant Dai Quan was actually implicated?

But this shouldn't be either!

Dai Quan was an elderly man who had been with Emperor Guangde for decades. In terms of kinship, he could be said to be the only one in the Palace whom he trusted. Since taking charge of the Northern Town Governor's Office, his involvement in secrecy has been incalculable.

After experiencing so much right and wrong, what else could make him fall into the trap of being closely monitored overnight?

With a thousand twists and turns in his heart, Sun Shaozong's movements were only a brief pause, and then he bowed and saluted like nothing else, saying, "I, Sun Shaozong, have seen the Commander!"

After more than ten seconds, he finally heard Dai Quan's faint reply, "Let's go; come with me to Qianqing Palace."

Speaking, he picked up the three-mountain hat with golden threads from the desk next to him and carefully put it on his head.

When the red velvet rope around his neck was tied up, his waist also straightened up again, and he took steady steps with his legs as if he had regained some of his former dominance.

But Sun Shaozong followed behind, always feeling that Dai Quan's figure had been rendered a bleak layer by this late autumn.

In the blink of an eye, he couldn't care more about these things.

Since Emperor Guangde personally summoned him, it was likely that the matter that needed to be dealt with would be much more troublesome than previously imagined!

And now it seemed that even Dai Quan had fallen. How could he dare venture into this muddy water without knowing the depth?

But if the Emperor personally did the dirty work, who could refuse it?

"Just wait outside."

As Sun Shaozong was pondering what kind of job he would be doing today, he suddenly heard Dai Quan's command from before. He realized that he had unknowingly arrived outside the study room of the Qianqing Palace.

Seeing Dai Quan entering to report, he quickly restrained his mind, tidied up his appearance, and prepared to welcome the Emperor's summons.

After a while, a rhythmic voice could be heard coming from inside, "His Majesty has an order to present to Sun Shaozong, the Governor of the Central Judicial Office."

Sun Shaozong quickly arched his body forward, crossed the threshold over half a foot high, turned over, knelt, and greeted, while secretly observing the situation in the imperial study.

Unexpectedly, at this time, in addition to Emperor Guangde and Dai Quan, there were also five high-ranking officials in the imperial study.

The top leader was not anyone else; it was the one who had been imprisoned before, causing his son's head to be dyed green. He was the second in command of the Cabinet and was known for his actions.

The two who were accompanying the last seat were Zhao Hong, the Minister of Revenue, and Lu Yanbin, the Minister of War.

The other two people, due to their angles, he couldn't see their faces clearly for a while, but based on their positions, it could be inferred that they were both cabinet scholars.

In this way, except for the first assistant, who was recovering from illness, and Xu Furen, who has submitted his resignation but has yet to fully complete the process, all three scholars have arrived.

In addition, the two court officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War…

The anxiety in Sun Shaozong's heart immediately dissipated for the most part.

Because no matter how this lineup looks, it didn’t seem like it was about discussing palace secrets.

From the joint attendance of the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of War, while the other four did not participate, it could be inferred that the content to be discussed at this meeting was likely related to the Wuxi barbarian rebellion.

Upon further reflection, convening a military conference at this time was indeed a good way to calm people's hearts. At least it could show that the Emperor was in control and had not been treated too seriously for the "national funeral" for Prince Yizhong.

Of course, in this way, they might have to negotiate a result today; otherwise, such a big battle would have been fought during the national mourning period, but in the end, there would have been no sound, which would have made the ministers outside doubt us out of thin air, wouldn’t it?

As expected, after finishing the ritual, he heard Emperor Guangde's instructions and said, "Lord Sun, please retell to all the adults what you said in Jingren Palace that day."

Sun Shaozong quickly responded with a respectful voice. He was planning to use a small number of elite troops to choose the weak tribes among the Wuxi barbarians as a breakthrough point, carrying out asymmetric surprise operations, and then instigating the internal turmoil of the Wuxi barbarians. He explained the battle strategy in its original form.

This was originally a last-minute and hasty idea, but after thinking it over these days, it has naturally improved a lot compared to the original version.

After he said the opposite, the five important officials in the imperial study gave four different responses.

Zhao Hong, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, nodded happily.

The Minister of War, Lu Yanbin, was busy saying that it was absurd, and he didn't know what to say.

The two grand scholars who finally showed their faces remained silent as if they had already understood everything, but they seemed not to have understood it at all.

As for Cabinet He, at first, his head was twitching slightly as if he was in agreement with his words. However, after finishing speaking, he still occasionally lowered his head.

This old man…

Shouldn't he be dozing off, right?

"Your Majesty."

Sun Shaozong was still trying to figure out whether Cabinet He was awake or not when the Minister of War, Lu Yanbin, decisively stated, "The population of the Wuxi barbarian tribe is not less than 30000. Moreover, the former has conquered prefectures and counties, slaughtered officials appointed by the court, and now, with high morale, they will inevitably be on guard against the retaliation of the official army."

"At this moment, how can we hope for the bravery of just a few hundred people when we should build a strong army and suppress it with thunder?"

"If there is any discord in the matter, the thieves will wield the power of two victories, but the official army will continue to decline and exhaust. I'm afraid this will ruin the entire province of Hubei and Guangxi!"

As he spoke, he bowed and clenched his fists, saying, "This is just a child full of nonsense. Where will he know the dangers of war? Please do not believe his empty words, Your Majesty, which may harm military and state affairs."

"Haha!"

Before Emperor Guangde could even speak, Zhao Hong, the Minister of Revenue, sneered twice, brushed his robe sleeve, and sneered, "Since Lord Sun took charge of the Capital's public security crimes, countless cases of various sizes have been solved. He is known for his shrewdness and courage, but how can he become an unbrave individual in your words?"

As he spoke, he also stood out and saluted Emperor Guangde, saying, "Your Majesty, I believe that Lord Sun's strategy of suppressing thieves is not entirely unreasonable. Why not give it a try..."

"Absurdity!"

Lu Wenbin also threw his big sleeve and almost slapped Zhao Hong's face, saying, "Those who live in the deep mountains and rivers, with a large number of people and a reputation for bravery, and whose official troops come from afar, are not superior in terms of timing, location, and people. How can they be confident in winning the battle?"

"This is not..."

"However..."

Zhao Hongzheng was about to retort, but Lu Wenbin rushed and said, "If you, Old Zhao, are willing to use your wealth and life as collateral for him, then I will have nothing more to say."

Zhao Hong's words were immediately blocked. Although he was inclined to support Sun Shaozong, he still had little confidence in using one enemy against a hundred.

If Lu Wenbin were to retire at this point, it could be considered a victory and return.

But in the past two years, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue have argued with each other countless times over food and salaries. Lu Wenbin has been repeatedly angered by Zhao Hong, and at this time, he finally gained the upper hand in the professional field. Would he be willing to withdraw?

He couldn't help but sneer, saying, "Normally, it's just fine. Nowadays, when it comes to military and state affairs, Lord Zhao is only concerned with calculating small profits. It seems that you are really from the background of a family of scholars."

Zhao Hong was able to become the Minister of Revenue, and his background as a merchant was beneficial, but he disliked others talking about it.

As a result, his neck became thicker and his face turned red as he retorted, "Little profit? You're talking lightly. Currently, the six states in southern Xinjiang are unstable, with 80000 troops going out to Zhenyun and Guang; the Black River Mohe in the north is in chaos, and the court has to increase its troops by 50000 to Liaoxi; and Prince Teng, to suppress bandits, imposed a sea ban in the southeast and confiscated tea leaves and silk, reducing the court's annual income by two and a half."

"These piles come one by one, which one doesn't need food and money?"

"Thanks entirely to His Majesty's benevolence, frugality, and frequent use of internal funds to subsidize the government, our Ministry of Revenue has spared no effort in opening up resources and reducing expenses, which has barely maintained the situation."

"But now, your big mouth is wide open. What kind of grand army are you going to raise again? You are still talking brazenly to go to that barren mountain and vast expanse to pursue those mountain barbarians!"

"Let me ask you, if the rebellion cannot be quickly quelled, where should we raise this food and money?! How should we replenish the military equipment?!"

The more he spoke, the more excited he became, almost smearing saliva on Lu Wenbin's face.

Lu Wenbin took a step back in disgust, but he refused to give up at all. He sneered, "Grain and money are the responsibility of your Ministry of Revenue, and our Ministry of War is only responsible for weapons."

"You..."

"Enough!"

Zhao Hong was still waiting to catch up and continue to output in front of his face, but Emperor Guangde couldn't help but scold, "You two are at least second-class high-ranking officials. How could you be so impolite in front of the younger generation?"

Since the Emperor spoke up, the two could only accuse each other in unison, returning to their original positions and exchanging eyes through the air.

Emperor Guangde's gaze fell on Cabinet He, who was dozing off like a chicken pecking at rice. He directly called out, "Cabinet He, what do you think?"

Cabinet He was startled. First, he let out a confused "ah," and then he saw that everyone was looking at him. He asked slowly, "My ears have been a bit out of control lately. I dare ask Lord Lu, you just said you want to build a strong army, right?"

"Exactly."

After receiving a positive answer from Lu Wenbin, he slowly turned his attention to Zhao Hong and said, "Your Excellency Zhao, what you mean is that the court is facing financial difficulties and cannot afford the army to go into the mountains to suppress bandits, right?"

"Exactly so."

Zhao Hong also responded respectfully.

Cabinet He nodded and turned his gaze to Sun Shaozong, grinning and asking, "As for Lord Sun, who disregards life and death and is devoted to sharing the worries of the country, I must have heard him right."

Without waiting for Sun Shaozong's answer this time, Emperor Guangde became impatient and scolded half truthfully, "What kind of trick are you playing with, old man? I am asking you which opinion you agree with!"

"Your Majesty."

He saw Cabinet He bowed and calmly said, "In my opinion, what the three lords said makes sense, and I agree with all of it."

As he spoke, he twisted his fingers and calculated meticulously, "This army definitely needs to prosper..."

"Cabinet He! The food and money..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Hong couldn't help but speak out and refute, but he heard Cabinet He changed his tone and said, "But it's not necessary for so many people to go. Let Lord Sun choose an elite of three to five hundred first..."

"I'm afraid this is..."

This time it was Lu Wenbin's turn to change his color suddenly, but he heard Caninet He saying, "Then he will serve as the vanguard of the army. He said he wants to explore the nearby terrain so that he can pave the way for the 100000 army behind him."

"If Lord Sun fulfills his mission and has truly made remarkable achievements, he naturally does not need to burden the imperial army anymore."

"Even if there is a conflict, with Lord Sun's intelligence and bravery, coupled with his elite subordinates, it is not a problem to kill and injure barbarians several times."

"At that time, we will find a way to mobilize a large army. Not only will it not weaken its momentum, but it will also make the thieves wrongly judge the strength of the official army. Who knows, the army might surrender before it arrives."

At this point, he arched his hand to Sun Shaozong and said, "But in this way, I'm afraid we'll have to mistreat you, Lord Sun. Not only can we not bring the royal flag to control the place, but we must also lower the official rank and assume the position of an ordinary fifth-grade Thousand Household Inspector."

He knew it; veterans were abler than recruits.

In just a few words, He Tiren solved the crux.

The reason why Lu Wenbin strongly opposed it was mainly because he was worried about the chaotic troops of the imperial court. If they were to suffer losses again, it would completely shake the morale of the people in Hubei and Guangxi and then allow the barbarians of Wuxi to take advantage of the opportunity to expand.

If the troops and horses used to quell the chaos in the court were changed to be the vanguard horses of the army, the form would be very different.

Even if Sun Shaozong were truly defeated and died in battle, in the eyes of Huguang, it would only be the loss of an unknown general and hundreds of scattered soldiers, which was not worth mentioning compared to the tens of thousands of troops behind him.

Moreover, with Sun Shaozong's martial prowess and the selected elite under his command, even if the plan failed, it should not be a problem to achieve a loss of 500 by killing two thousand enemies.

In this way, not only would it not affect morale, but it would also give the officials and civilians of Hubei and Guangxi more confidence in the subsequent army.

Perhaps it would also lead to the misjudgment of the strength of the Wuxi barbarian army.

At that time, whether it was sending a large army to conquer or waiting for opportunities to send people to recruit and divide, it would only add assistance, and there would be no harm.

The only one who would suffer from this plan was probably Sun Shaozong. Others released from the Capital were promoted by one level of official rank, which was good. But he even has to be demoted by one level.

As for things that couldn’t be controlled, there were pros and cons for Sun Shaozong; at least he didn't have to share the responsibility of guarding the land.

But even if he suffered losses, how could he recoil at this moment?

Immediately flipping over and kneeling, he solemnly promised, "Your Majesty! I am careless and understand the truth of battles! Even if it is a fifth-rank position or a seventh or eighth-rank military position, I am willing to take it!"

"Okay!"

Emperor Guangde immediately stood up and praised, "What a brave warrior. With just one sentence, you can leave a lasting impression on history!"

It seemed that he accidentally did a copycat job.

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