Mercenary Princess - Chapter 84
She glanced indifferently at the hypocritical old eunuch, gave a cold laugh, and quickly averted her gaze, as if afraid of being tainted by something filthy, turning her eyes to the vast and boundless space...
Her reaction angered the old eunuch below the stage, who gave her a look, and the guard beside her stepped forward and poured all the fuel he was carrying into the burning pile of firewood...
Sizzle! Flames leaped up, roaring and howling as the raging fire frantically devoured the nutrients that sustained its life, instantly engulfing the entire platform and staining half the sky red...
A terrified shout of "No!" suddenly rang out in the peaceful afternoon. Tuoba Jieyou sat up straight on the bed, his eyes wide open, his forehead and neck covered with fine beads of sweat.
Hearing the shout, the servants guarding the door rushed in: "Prime Minister, what is it...?"
"Get out!" Tuoba Jie roared, his face dark.
Feeling the chill emanating from the room, the servants shivered slightly, bowed in acknowledgment, and withdrew.
He secretly regulated his breathing, and when the dark red in his eyes turned grayish-black, he coldly ordered towards the door, "Go and call Wei Zhong in!"
Half an hour later, Wei Zhong strode into the bedroom, stopped a few steps away from Tuoba Jie, and bowed respectfully: "My lord."
After fastening his belt, Tuoba Jie got out of bed, walked to the sandalwood table in front of the pear blossom screen, poured himself a cup of tea, took a big gulp, and lazily asked, "Has any news come from over there?"
He pulled a bamboo tube sealed with white wax from his sleeve and presented it with both hands: "This is a secret letter that just came from over there."
After removing the white wax, Tuoba Jie poured the letter out of the bamboo tube. Looking at the contents of the secret letter, his eyes gleamed with unfathomable brilliance: "Wei Zhong, your chance to serve me has come."
Wei Zhong bowed respectfully and said, "Your subordinate is willing to sacrifice his life for your lord, even at the cost of his life!"
...
Rongyue had a plan in mind. Chairman Mao once said, "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun." Although times have changed, this profound truth remains politically significant in any era and any country. Take the Southern Kingdom, for example. To secure General Shi Luo's loyalty, the old emperor bestowed Shi Luo's two daughters upon his only two princes. While the crown prince disliked Shi Ni Chang, he repeatedly indulged her out of fear of Shi Luo's military power, letting her slanderous accusations against Yu Yan go unpunished. The General held nearly half of the Southern Kingdom's military power; if he harbored any disloyalty, the resulting turmoil in the kingdom was unimaginable. Therefore, while the royal family relied on him to fight for the country and defend their homeland on the battlefield, they also feared him and always gave him some leeway…
If she can achieve something in the army and become Yu Yan's strong support, then wouldn't that mean Yu Yan's status in the Eastern Palace will be improved and she will no longer be bullied by others?
Half a month later, news of the rebellion by the nomadic tribes in the north reached Ziye, causing a great uproar in the court.
Normally, the Nansha Kingdom, with its million mercenaries, wouldn't have taken this mere nomadic tribe seriously. They could have easily dispatched their ever-victorious general, Shi Luo, with tens of thousands of troops to rout them and send them fleeing back to their northern homeland. But just a few days ago, Shi Luo's horse, for some unknown reason, suddenly went mad. Carrying Shi Luo on a hunt in the forest, it rampaged wildly through the dense woods, refusing to stop no matter how much he shouted or tightened the reins. If Shi Luo hadn't leaped off the horse in time, he would have been dragged off the cliff by the mad horse!
He survived, but his forced leap from his horse resulted in severe injuries, leaving him bedridden and unable to walk. And wouldn't you know it, the General suffered this misfortune at this critical juncture, causing panic and anxiety among the officials in the court.
Some might question this, saying that if there's no Grand General, there can be other generals like the Lieutenant General, the Left and Right Generals of the Cavalry, etc.! Does that mean the war can't be fought without a Grand General? Well, that's exactly right; without a Grand General, the war truly cannot be fought! This is something Rongyue only learned upon arriving in the Southern Kingdom. It turns out that the system of enfeoffing civil officials in this era was relatively complete, with clear divisions of labor. However, the enfeoffment of military officials was crude and had many flaws. In the court, there was only one Grand General who could be called a general. The other military officers, except for the Imperial Guard directly under the emperor's control, were of equal status, totaling fifteen, all called Military Guards. They were directly under the Grand General's command and obeyed his orders. Each Military Guard had a number of soldiers under their command, and their soldiers only obeyed the Military Guard's orders. Each Military Guard had its own set of rules for officers and soldiers, and no one else could interfere. Therefore, the military power held by the Imperial Guards was something that those in power were quite wary of. In order to prevent internal strife caused by jealousy and resentment due to unfair treatment, a law was established from their ancestors, stipulating that all Imperial Guards should be treated equally. Moreover, although Imperial Guards members could serve for life and enjoy this honor, they were not allowed to be promoted to Grand General.
What Rongyue found even more unbelievable was that, though she didn't know which dynasty it originated from, the Grand General had to personally attend every campaign, a practice known as "the general advances and retreats with the soldiers." Therefore, without a general, battle could not be fought. Given this, where could the court officials, who lacked generals, find a Grand General capable of commanding thousands of troops in such a short time?
Opportunities are fleeting! So when an opportunity comes, you must be quick and decisive, and seize it firmly in your grasp. Don't wait until the opportunity slips away and then regret it in vain!
After receiving Tuoba Jie's signal, Wei Zhong took a deep breath and stepped to the left: "Your subject..."
"Your Majesty, I presume to recommend myself for the position of Grand General!" Rongyue's loud voice cut off Wei Zhong's words.
Wei Zhong, his face alternating between pale and red, glared fiercely at Rong Yue, who had pushed him aside and was kneeling to request the imperial decree. He couldn't stand, nor could he turn back, so he simply knelt down next to Rong Yue and also requested the imperial decree: "Your subject also humbly requests the position of Grand General!"
On the palace platform, Tuoba Jie could no longer express his feelings with mere rage. Staring intently at the petite figure below, so determined and resolute, seemingly unwilling to give up until she achieved her goal, Tuoba Jie truly wished he could drag her out on the spot and beat her to a pulp with a wooden stick! General? Has she gone mad!
A look of appreciation flashed in his clear old eyes. He stroked his beard and said calmly, "Minister Jian, could you explain to me what it means to recommend oneself?"
"Your subject obeys. The idiom 'Mao Sui recommends himself' originates from an ancient dynasty called the Warring States period. At that time, the Qin state..."
At that time, there were thousands of guests, enough to make a great contribution, yet they couldn't even muster twenty. Then a man named Mao Sui recommended himself. Zhao Sheng had never seen Mao Sui before and had no recollection of him, so he asked, "How many years have you been studying under me, sir?"
“It’s been three years,” Mao Sui replied.
Three years? You've been here so long and still remain unknown. How can you be considered talented? Zhao Sheng coldly replied, "Talented people in this world are like awls in a bag; the point will naturally show. You've been under my tutelage for three years, and no one has praised or recommended you. It's clear you have no ability. You're not suitable to go. Stay here!"
Mao Sui dismissed this argument, retorting, "If I had been in the bag earlier, I would have stood out, not just shown my tip."
While listening, the old emperor nodded repeatedly and asked, "So later, did Zhao Sheng send Mao Sui along?"
"Your Majesty is wise." Rongyue respectfully kowtowed and continued, "Zhao Sheng and his entourage arrived in Chu, but their persuasion efforts were quite unsuccessful. From sunrise to midday, they explained to the King of Chu the importance of uniting against Qin, but the King remained hesitant. Mao Sui, quite annoyed, stepped forward with his sword... Mao Sui's words left the King of Chu speechless. The humiliation of Chu's failure to send troops to resist Qin's attack was not something to be erased, and it was a double loss of face. Therefore, the King of Chu and Zhao Sheng and his entourage swore a blood oath, establishing an alliance. After completing his mission, Zhao Sheng returned home and sighed, 'I dare not claim to be able to recognize talent again.' From then on, Mao Sui was treated as an honored guest."
The old emperor's eyes showed even greater admiration, but his face remained expressionless: "So, Minister Jian, you've volunteered yourself?"
"Your Majesty, I have the same intention, though I am not talented!"
"But how could I possibly know that Minister Jian is an awl hidden in a cloth bag?"
"Your Majesty must have heard of my archery contest with the Second Prince in Yangcheng, and I believe Your Majesty already knows the answer to how skilled I am. Although I lost the contest, I never believed that my archery was inferior to the Second Prince's. I dare say that if my archery is second, no one in this world would dare to claim to be first! Of course, a general must possess both courage and strategy!"
"Courage without strategy is merely the mark of a reckless brute, not a worthy general. Your Majesty, if you doubt my wisdom and strategy, you are welcome to test me right here in court!"
"Then I shall pose a question!" The old emperor narrowed his eyes to slits, pondered for a long time, and then said, "Then talk about your understanding of military operations!"
Military campaigns? Rongyue quickly searched her mind for relevant books she had read before, pondered for a moment, and then came up with an answer: "The general principles of warfare are: a thousand chariots, a thousand armored wagons, and a hundred thousand armored soldiers, with provisions supplied from a thousand miles away. Then the expenses, both internal and external, for guests, for glue and lacquer, and for the maintenance of chariots and armor, will amount to a thousand gold pieces a day. Only then can an army of a hundred thousand be mobilized..."
Volume Two: The Resolute Heroines' Chronicle, Chapter Twenty: Rongyue Becomes a General (Part Two)
The power of Sun Tzu's Art of War was indeed extraordinary. With these words, the entire court was convinced. The fifteen guards who had just looked at him with disdain were now filled with awe, silently acknowledging the brave young civil official. Wei Zhong, who had previously glared angrily, gradually dimmed his eyes after hearing Rong Yue's words, realizing he had been defeated by this seemingly insignificant second-rank civil official beside him. Shaking his head in self-reproach, he glanced guiltily at Tuoba Jie before slinking back into the ranks…
As expected, Rongyue was appointed General Who Subdues Barbarians, in addition to Tuoba Jie, Tuoba Chen, and Tuoba Ling. Three days later, she led her army to the cold northern lands to subdue the barbarians and destroy the rebels.
In the martial arts training room of the Jian residence, Tuoba Chen was furious. He roared at Rong Yue, who was practicing her fighting techniques, "Little San! Such a big thing, and you just made a fuss about it out of nowhere! General, ha, big, you're quite capable, aren't you?! Jian Xiaosan, do you think this General is a joke?! Not only are swords indiscriminate on the battlefield, but you've also been exposed to the wind and sun, sleeping in the wilderness all this way. Do you think your body is made of iron? Moreover, you spend every day surrounded by men. Are you so confident that you can escape the eyes of all these men?! Once your identity is exposed, do you have no idea what will happen to you?!"
With a shout, as the final movement concluded, Rongyue spread her legs a few feet apart, palms down, and slowly pressed her hands down her chest...
He exhaled, picked up the towel hanging on the crossbar, wiped the sweat from his forehead and neck, and replied casually without lifting his eyes: "A true man should have ambitions in all directions, not be afraid of hardships, make achievements, and win fame before and after his death! How can he stop moving forward and waste his years because of a little setback?"
"A minor setback?" Tuoba Chen felt like his head was about to explode. "Can losing your head be called a minor setback?! Jian Xiaosan, in your eyes, is your life so worthless that you can treat it like this?! Besides, what kind of man are you, you're nothing..."
"Your Highness, Second Prince!" Rongyue interrupted Tuoba Chen abruptly, her voice icy cold: "I'm afraid you've forgotten what I said in the restaurant that day! I said that in this life I only wish to be that wobbly male rabbit. I hope Your Highness remembers this well this time and doesn't forget it again!"
"Mistress, this world isn't where you can just do whatever you want..."