Chapter 292: Marching to War

“Eldest Brother received Father’s decree, didn’t you?”

The Sixth Prince asked while warmly pouring wine for the First Prince.

“I just received it. I was planning to enter the palace later and ask Father for instructions.”

“Among all us brothers, Eldest Brother is already capable of standing on your own. Little Brother offers his congratulations!”

The Sixth Prince raised his wine cup.

The First Prince, however, shook his head, poured out the wine in his own cup, and refilled it with tea.

“The Zhenbei Army’s military regulations forbid drinking while on campaign.”

“But you haven’t set out yet.”

“The moment I received Father’s decree, the campaign had already begun in my heart.”

The Sixth Prince nodded.

“Eldest Brother is right.”

“Don’t take offense.”

“Eldest Brother knows what sort of person I am. Heh. Your little brother has had a thick skin for years.

“Besides, if we’re talking about brotherly affection, when we were children, Eldest Brother was the one who liked taking me out to play the most.”

“Back then, it wasn’t only me. Even...”

The First Prince stopped halfway through the sentence.

The older princes all remembered how much the Emperor of Yan had once doted upon his sixth son.

That affection had been so obvious that more than a few people had begun wondering whether the Emperor might ignore primogeniture and choose the most capable son instead.

Then, almost overnight, all that favor had transformed into disgust.

“I know a little about the savages, so I came specifically to tell Eldest Brother what I could. Consider it my small contribution.”

The Sixth Prince drew a memorandum from his sleeve and handed it over.

The First Prince’s eyes sharpened slightly.

He stood and accepted it solemnly with both hands.

“Many thanks, Sixth Brother.”

“We are members of the Ji Clan. This is something I ought to do.

“Years ago, some of the businesses under me reached as far as the snowfields. Inside are accounts I gathered concerning the snowfields and the savages.

“Some are accurate.

“Some are conjecture.

“But the most important point is that the savages have been changing.

“What they look like now may already be very different from what they were before.

“Eldest Brother can use it as general reference.”

“I understand.”

“There is another section inside.

“It comes from a letter written by a friend of mine and concerns the savages.

“This should be the freshest intelligence available.”

“Zheng Fan?”

“Oh? Eldest Brother knows him too?”

“How could I not know a great military thinker capable of writing *The Zheng Treatise on War*?”

“Heh. Eldest Brother, you wouldn’t believe it. When I first met that brat, I truly couldn’t tell he had this kind of ability in him.”

“You could be considered his Bole.”

“No, no, no.

“Little Brother doesn’t have the face to call himself that.

“Everything he has today was earned by his own saber, one fight at a time.

“Since it’s only the two of us brothers here, I’ll say something a little taboo.

“If Zheng Fan had originally come from Second Brother’s household, his current situation would definitely be far better than it is now.

“What kind of place is Shengle City?

“Poor mountains and harsh waters.”

“I remember Zheng Fan once accompanied the Marquis of Jingnan on campaign into the snowfields.”

“Yes. They fought there for nearly half a year.”

“This time...”

At that point, the First Prince swept his gaze around the room before continuing, “This time Father did not appoint the Marquis of Jingnan, who has already fought the savages, as commander.

“He did not order the Jingnan Army to campaign either.

“Instead, he appointed me and Li Bao as principal and deputy commanders.

“I...”

“Eldest Brother, Father is training you.

“Among all us brothers, you’re the only one still allowed to touch real military authority.

“Even Second Brother—although the Imperial Guards in the capital were once placed under his supervision—lost what little military authority remained to him once the recent troop rotation began and the Imperial Guards were transferred north.”

“That was punishment because he failed to manage the Imperial Guards properly,” the First Prince said.

“Eldest Brother, you and I both know how deep the waters are in the capital.

“Forget Second Brother.

“Even Father himself, before he became Emperor, would have had to weigh matters carefully before touching the Imperial Guards’ interests.

“Second Brother entered the Eastern Palace.

“Handing over military authority was only natural.”

“Whether he handed it over or not, what difference does it make?” the First Prince asked.

A hundred thousand Zhenbei Army troops were now stationed in the great camps outside the capital.

They were the dowry of the Commandery Princess from the Marquis of Zhenbei’s estate.

The Sixth Prince nodded.

“That is true.”

“You came to see me just to hand me this memorandum and freeload a meal?”

“What else would I be here for?” the Sixth Prince asked.

“I thought you had come to lobby for Zheng Fan.”

“Now you’re treating me like an outsider. That hurts.”

The Sixth Prince shook his head and sighed.

“The Marquis of Jingnan isn’t commanding this campaign.

“You cannot move the Jingnan Army.”

The First Prince said nothing.

The Sixth Prince continued, “Rather than saying I came here to lobby for Zheng Fan—to ask you to promote him a little and let him pick up some military merit—

“I would say that once Eldest Brother truly reaches the Jin lands and arrives at the border with Dacheng, you should take the initiative to ask him for help.”

“I need to ask him?”

“If you don’t ask him, you won’t be able to command him.

“Without a military order from the Marquis of Jingnan, Eldest Brother can try and see whether you’re capable of moving even a single soldier of the Jingnan Army.

“It may sound rather dispiriting for members of the Ji Clan to admit something like that, but facts are facts.

“And Zheng Fan himself is actually somewhat similar to me.

“There is one difference.

“He can kneel.

“He can stand in front of you and speak very pleasantly.

“But he cannot endure being wronged.”

“Cannot endure being wronged?”

“Exactly.

“So if Eldest Brother needs his help in the future, don’t put on airs.”

“Heh. I have always respected men in the army who know how to fight.”

“I know. I know.”

“And besides, Zheng Fan is not merely your man.

“He is also the Marquis of Jingnan’s man.

“I may not need to give face to some General of Shengle, but how could I possibly refuse to give face to the Marquis of Jingnan?”

“Hahaha. Right.

“Then, Eldest Brother, what preparations do you intend to make for this campaign?”

“For this expedition, I plan to take Li Fusheng’s command from the capital with me.

“Li Bao’s formation will coordinate as well.

“Counted together, that already gives me a hundred thousand iron cavalry.

“It is enough.”

“How much water is there in that hundred thousand?

“Both formations fought through the previous great war all the way to Shangjing.

“Their losses were enormous.

“It has not even been a full year.

“Even if their authorized strength has been replenished, are they truly still the same Zhenbei cavalry they used to be?”

“To fight savages, it is enough.”

“Situ Lei thought the same thing.

“Eldest Brother, don’t put on your elder-brother airs with me.

“You’ve commanded troops for many years.

“True, you haven’t actually fought a war yet, but you should still understand some of the principles involved.”

“You came here to lecture me?”

“Oh, how would I dare? Absolutely not.

“For this campaign, Little Brother has one suggestion.

“Take as many troops as you can.

“Li Bao’s command has to remain stationed at Quhe City.

“At most, you can pull twenty thousand cavalry from him.

“You could mobilize all of Li Fusheng’s men, but there is really no need.

“We only just brought a hundred thousand Zhenbei troops back and now we would immediately pull fifty thousand of them away again.

“That would look far too impatient.

“Take thirty thousand.

“That should be about right.

“That gives you fifty thousand Zhenbei cavalry.

“Then on the road east from the capital, aren’t there still some Imperial Guards left behind from the last time, the ones who weren’t transferred north?

“Perfect.

“Clean out the rice jar completely this time and take them all to the Jin lands.

“You should still be able to scrape together another twenty or thirty thousand.

“Along the way, take the commandery troops from Tiancheng Commandery.

“Take the commandery troops from the other commanderies too—whichever ones you think look decent.

“That should pull together another seventy or eighty thousand.

“The First Prince of Great Yan is personally leading an expedition.

“You should have an army of at least a hundred and fifty thousand to build momentum, shouldn’t you?”

The First Prince looked at his sixth brother.

This accounting seemed to turn the hundred thousand troops he had originally planned into a hundred and fifty thousand.

But the loss in combat effectiveness would be far more than marginal.

Local commandery troops.

The remaining Imperial Guards in the capital.

The fighting strength of those troops simply could not be compared with the Zhenbei Army or Jingnan Army.

Naturally, however, the First Prince understood that this sixth brother of his would not throw out such a suggestion merely to amuse himself.

After pondering for a moment, he asked, “What do you mean?”

“Father isn’t using the Marquis of Jingnan this time.

“Let’s set aside all that nonsense about suspicion between sovereign and subject.

“There really isn’t much worth discussing there.

“We should look at the matter from another direction.

“When the cavalry trampled the great clans, what was being cleaned up?

“The realm.

“Land.

“The court.

“Population.

“To put it plainly, Father cleaned out both the local powers and the central court.

“After the last great war, Father already seized firm control over the situation.

“So naturally, the next thing to be moved is... military authority.”

“You truly dare say anything.”

“Heh-heh.

“If Father really wanted to roast me on the bronze pillar, would he need to wait until I committed some crime of speech?”

“This is an expedition.

“This is war.

“If political considerations from the court interfere too much in military operations, then...”

“Zheng Fan once said something.

“He said war is the continuation of the court by other means.”

The Sixth Prince leaned forward slightly.

“Eldest Brother, Beifeng Commandery originally had an establishment of three hundred thousand Zhenbei Army troops.

“Half of them have already been pulled away.

“Yes, the Imperial Guards you brought north replenished some of the numbers.

“But locally, hasn’t the Zhenbei Army already begun drawing elite men from the surrounding forces to replenish itself?”

“Yes.”

“Then isn’t that the answer?

“Great Yan’s military system is a complete mess.

“You’re a man who actually commands troops, Eldest Brother.

“You understand that better than I do.

“Tiancheng Commandery is still somewhat respectable.

“But beneath the other commanderies and feudal territories, those local military bosses have been living far too comfortably for far too long.

“It is time to clean them up.

“For this expedition, take the entire lot with you.

“If they fight well, then you will have reforged them into elite troops.

“If we take another step back, then for certain people, finding an excuse to clean them out would actually be even better.”

The First Prince lifted his teacup and took a sip.

“Is that your way of telling me to leave?” the Sixth Prince asked.

“I’m thirsty.”

“Oh. Heh-heh.”

“You came here specifically to remind me of this?”

“Yes.

“There are some things Father cannot conveniently say to you himself.

“We sons have to understand them on our own.

“Perhaps this is also one of Father’s tests for you.”

“I only know how to command soldiers.

“I don’t know the rest.”

“Eldest Brother is being modest.”

“If Father discovers that I am capable of guessing his intentions, what do you think Father will think?”

Since ancient times, imperial princes who became great commanders generally met one of two endings.

Either they became Emperor themselves.

Or they died very, very badly.

“Eldest Brother thinks I’m digging a pit for you?”

The First Prince shook his head.

“Not that far.”

“Exactly.

“If I were going to dig a pit, I’d dig one for Second Brother.”

“Heh. If Second Brother heard those words, I wonder how furious he would become.”

“If I stop angering him now, do you think that means nothing will happen later?”

“Words that kill the heart.”

“I understand that Second Brother of mine reasonably well.

“Forget it.

“Forget it.

“Let’s not talk about him.

“Eldest Brother, you can relax.

“Father will not grow suspicious of you over this.”

“Why?”

“Didn’t you abduct the old Barbarian King’s youngest daughter and bring her back to the capital?”

The First Prince’s eyes narrowed.

He stared at the Sixth Prince.

“There’s a young cook in your residence.

“When I leave later, can I take him with me?”

“The one who makes flatbread?”

“That one.”

“Leave him here.

“She likes the flatbread he makes.”

“Eldest Brother doesn’t mind?”

The First Prince shook his head.

“You and I both understand.

“I can never sit in that position.”

“Eldest Brother is broad-minded.”

“Although from now on, when Father punishes you again, I won’t need to feel sorry for you in my heart.”

“Fine.

“There’s also an assistant steward at your gatehouse.

“Eldest Brother may want to keep an eye on him.”

“Heh.

“So all of you have been mixing sand into my residence?”

“Who told Eldest Brother to establish a household first?

“All your younger brothers have been living in neighboring imperial-prince residences this whole time.

“Even if we wanted to mix sand somewhere else, there was nowhere else to put it.

“Eldest Brother, I imagine once you return from this campaign, Father will arrange the formal wedding between you and that elder sister-in-law of mine from the desert.”

The First Prince fell silent.

Yes.

Father would not suspect him.

Because the moment he formally married a barbarian princess, every possibility every single one would be cut off.

The people of Great Yan and the desert barbarians carried centuries of blood feud between them.

The whole of Great Yan would never allow a prince with a barbarian wife to sit upon that throne.

“You came to see me today.

“I’m entering the palace tonight.

“If Father learns about it, he’ll be angry.

“He’ll probably have you beaten again.”

“Then let him beat me.

“I already submitted a memorial asking to go down to Nan’an County and serve a term as county magistrate, just so I can get some air.

“This is a perfect opportunity for Father to demote me again and throw me out there.”

“You did this deliberately?”

“Once you’ve been beaten with the board often enough, you learn how to stick your ass out properly.”

“Why torment yourself?”

The Sixth Prince pointed at his own face.

“Brother.

“You’re asking me why I torment myself?”

The First Prince shook his head.

“Based on Father’s temperament, I’ve already prepared to buy myself a good saber.”

“What for?”

“To become a Chief Constable.”

As he spoke, the Sixth Prince leaned back slightly.

He pointed ahead.

Then slowed his voice, imitating their imperial father.

“Heh.

“Look at him.

“He still wants to sit in a yamen and hold court?

“In Our opinion, he’s only fit to be a Chief Constable.”

...

The First Prince entered the palace.

Wei Zhonghe personally led him into the imperial study.

Inside, the Emperor of Yan was eating.

“Wujiang.

“Come. Eat with Us.”

“Father, this son already ate before coming to the palace.”

“You ate already?”

“Yes.

“This son has a large appetite.

“If I ate together with Father, I would not get enough food, and Father would not get enough either.”

“Heh-heh.”

The Emperor of Yan shook his head helplessly and set down his chopsticks.

Wei Zhonghe offered tea for him to rinse his mouth, then presented a warm towel.

The Emperor pointed at the dishes on the small table.

“Leave them.

“We will finish eating after the discussion.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Wujiang.

“Come with Us.”

The Emperor walked behind the imperial desk and sat.

Then he pointed toward the First Prince.

“Give him a seat.”

“Yes.”

Wei Zhonghe carried over a chair and set it beneath the First Prince.

“Thank you, Father.”

The First Prince sat.

“The Situ Clan submitted a memorial requesting internal submission.

“We have already approved it.”

“This son congratulates Father!

“Congratulations to Great Yan!”

In terms of legal legitimacy, the lands of the Three Jin now belonged to Yan.

“For this campaign of yours, We will not say too much.

“You grew up in military camps.

“When it comes to fighting wars, you are better than We are.”

“This son is unworthy of such—”

“If We say you are worthy, then you are worthy.

“We named you Wujiang—Without Borders—because We hoped that once you grew up, you would expand Great Yan’s territory.

“Now, you are grown.

“And We are giving you that opportunity.

“Do what you need to do.

“Do not disappoint Us.”

“This son will not shrink from ten thousand deaths!”

“Don’t die.

“Live.

“You are not one of those scholar-officials.

“Stop hanging death from your lips every time you speak.”

“This son accepts the lesson.”

“We have already sent orders to Li Bao.

“As for the Zhenbei Army troops stationed around the capital, take one command east with you.

“Li Liangshen or Li Fusheng.

“Choose one.

“Now tell Us.

“How do you intend to fight this war?”

“Father, this son believes that although the savage uprising appears enormous, they are not the desert barbarians.

“Although the Situ Clan appears to have suffered a disastrous defeat, that defeat cannot be blamed entirely on inferior fighting strength.

“The first priority should be stabilizing the situation.

“The Situ Clan has already submitted internally.

“Whether in sentiment or principle, Great Yan cannot exterminate them completely.

“First help the Situ Clan regain its footing.

“Then proceed gradually.”

“Proceed gradually?”

“Yes.

“Proceed gradually.

“Suppress them with the greater strategic situation.

“Do not seek quick achievements.”

“Interesting.

“Other generals boast before Us about how quickly they can defeat the enemy.

“You, on the other hand, give Us ‘proceed gradually.’”

“Father, this war will be fought on Situ Clan territory.

“Once our armies enter Dacheng, everything they require can be supplied locally.

“Great Yan can afford this war.

“And Great Yan can sustain it.”

It was a method that killed two birds with one stone.

While striking the savages, it would also consume what little foundation remained to the Situ Clan.

“Furthermore, the savages are cunning.

“That Savage King is certainly no ordinary man either.

“This son does not dare boast of how quickly I can defeat him, only to create needless pressure upon myself.

“Suppress them with the greater trend.

“Press them.

“Force them.

“And finally, drive them out.

“As long as our side makes no mistakes, the savages have no possibility of winning.

“So this son boldly believes that for this campaign, only fifty thousand cavalry need be drawn from Li Bao and Li Fusheng’s Zhenbei formations.

“This son wishes to take the remaining tens of thousands of Imperial Guards from the capital, along with the commandery troops from several commanderies, and build the army to a total strength of one hundred thousand.

“With fifty thousand Zhenbei cavalry holding the line behind them, driving out the savages should not be difficult.

“Most importantly, this son believes Great Yan cannot depend on only the Zhenbei Army and the Jingnan Army whenever there is a war.”

“Continue.”

“Yes, Father.

“This son also believes that if too many Zhenbei troops are transferred into Dacheng, then if changes occur elsewhere, having so many elite forces far away in the east may prevent us from responding in time.

“So...”

*Smack!*

The Emperor of Yan threw down a memorandum.

“Look.”

The First Prince bent down and picked it up.

On the document was a register listing the Lieutenant Commanders, garrison officers, Assistant Generals, and troops belonging to the various commanderies and feudal territories.

“You and We truly thought of the same thing.

“Good.

“That saves Us the trouble of wasting more words.

“Remember this.

“Once you reach the front line, how the battle should be fought and how you choose to fight it are yours to decide.

“We may not know much else, but the one thing We do know is not to meddle blindly in frontline military affairs.

“As for all the criticism that will come from court and countryside, you need not care about any of it.”

“This son thanks Your Majesty for your boundless grace!”

The Emperor of Yan nodded.

Then he leaned back in his chair.

“Chengjue came to see you today?”

“Yes, Father.

“Sixth Brother learned that this son was about to lead an expedition, so he came to see me off.”

“What touching brotherly affection.”

The First Prince immediately knelt and bowed low.

His breathing involuntarily quickened.

“A while ago, Chengjue submitted a memorial asking Us to let him serve a term as magistrate of Nan’an County.

“He said he wished to do something practical for the people of Yan.”

“This son has heard of it.

“Sixth Brother has always been highly capable in mundane affairs.”

“Heh.

“Look at him.

“He still wants to sit in a yamen and hold court?

“In Our opinion, being a Chief Constable is already the highest he deserves.”

[End of Chapter 292]