Mercenary Princess - Chapter 88
With a wave of her hand, Rongyue dismissed the two armored soldiers. She slightly broke free from Tuoba Chen's chest, took a few steps forward, and stood in front of Tuoba Jie: "Get to the point. Don't play tricks or have any inappropriate thoughts!"
"Flower, flower, intestines, zi?" he spat out, each word distinct and sharp, his phoenix eyes flashing with fury. Jian Xiaosan, how dare he speak to him like that!
Understanding the meaning of the raging waves, Rongyue smiled coolly. What was there to be afraid of! The questioning looks from those two soldiers made her realize that in this army, she was the boss; her words were law. Tuoba Jie and Tuoba Chen were merely her subordinates, and from now on, they would have to act according to her wishes! With that in mind, what did she have to fear?
"That mistress really hit the nail on the head! 'Playing tricks'? Ha, what else could this person be but a playboy! Full of treachery, yet he pretends to be a loyal subject all the time..."
"Shut up!" he shouted coldly, cutting off Tuoba Chen's words.
Tuoba Chen, who had just been gloating, was startled by Rong Yue's shout. When he came to his senses, he was extremely displeased and, unable to save face, was about to retort: "Third sister! How dare you..."
"This general told you to shut up!" Ignoring Tuoba Jie's surprise and Tuoba Chen's anger, Rong Yue walked with her hands behind her back on the sandalwood table, took out a stack of paper scrolls, and spread them out on the table.
Raising her delicate eyebrows, Rongyue glanced at the two men before her and coldly reprimanded them: "With a great battle imminent, you two supervisors have disregarded your mission, betrayed His Majesty's trust, and acted arbitrarily, indulging in your own selfish desires and verbal sparring. What further do you intend to do, to stir up trouble and create chaos? I ask you, what are your intentions! One is the Prime Minister of the nation, and the other is a prince. Is this the kind of example you set for your soldiers and for the people of the world? To do what is unwise is tantamount to knowingly breaking the law, a crime compounded! Although you are first-time offenders, the law is impartial, military regulations cannot be disregarded, and even the Emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners! Take these two supervisors away and give each of them twenty strokes of the cane!"
"You mistress, how dare you have someone hit me?"
"Jian Xiaosan, how dare you!"
Tuoba Jie and Tuoba Chen roared at Rong Yue in shock and anger at the same time.
Smack! Rongyue slammed her hand on the table: "Are you rebelling?! You dare not? There's nothing this general wouldn't dare to do! What are you waiting for? Drag her out!"
Realizing that Rongyue was serious, Tuoba Chen's finger trembled slightly as he pointed at her. His lips twitched for a long time, but he remained silent. Angrily, he flung his sleeve and kicked the soldier escorting him aside: "Get out of my way! This prince has legs; I can walk by myself!"
His sharp gaze swept back and forth across Rong Yue's face, which was as clear as a lake, a cold smile flashing across his lips. Picking up a small beetle from his vest, Tuoba Jie raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Your wings haven't even fully grown yet, and you're already trying to get close! You really don't know what's good for you! Thinking you're so powerful, you probably don't realize you're about to die!" With a soft crack, Tuoba Jie crushed the small beetle between his fingers.
As the tall, slender figure disappeared from sight, Rongyue's lips curled into a faint, sarcastic smile. Intimidate her? Tuoba Jie, you truly underestimate her courage!
The dull thud of a cane striking echoed immediately from outside the curtain. Tucked a strand of hair from her shoulder, Rongyue's mind raced. Undeniably, Rongyue's actions carried a sense of swagger. Now that she held power, she wielded it arbitrarily. Whether you say she wanted to issue orders now that she had power, or that she wanted to vent her pent-up frustrations, she admitted it all. But that was secondary. The primary reason was that she wanted to use this opportunity to establish her authority within the army. Strict discipline, clear rewards and punishments—whoever violated military regulations would be dealt with according to military rules! Intimidated by this strict discipline, they would also strictly restrain their words and actions, strictly abiding by the law. At the same time, they would also have more respect for her; after all, there were probably few in the world who dared to beat a prince and prime minister! With such absolute impartiality, how could the soldiers underestimate their general?
Killing several birds with one stone—that is the purpose of Rongyue's actions.
"Someone come here." Rongyue called out calmly towards the blue curtain.
No sooner had the words been spoken than a soldier in black armor strode in, lifting the curtain and bowing respectfully: "What are your orders, General?"
"Go and summon Wu Wei Shangguan Ping."
"Understood!"
After a short while, Shangguan Ping entered the tent: "General, do you have any instructions for me?"
Dipping the wolf-hair brush in thick ink, Rongyue handed it to him: "I'll read, you write."
Although he harbored doubts about why the general needed him to write on his behalf, he dared not ask, being accustomed to obeying orders. He stepped forward to the table and respectfully accepted the wolf-hair brush. He never expected the general to be such a decisive and ruthless person, daring to administer corporal punishment to two influential figures in the court. He asked, "Who in the Southern Kingdom wouldn't he dare to touch?"
His demeanor became even more respectful, and he bowed deeply over the table, his head bowed as he quietly awaited Rongyue's words.
"The first rule of military regulations is that anyone who gambles in a group will be punished with thirty strokes of the military rod."
Article 2 of the military regulations states that anyone absent without cause shall be punished with twenty strokes of the cane.
Military Regulations Article 3...
..."
Before the three armies, Shangguan Ping held a long scroll and read aloud: "Article 221 of the Military Regulations: Anyone who spreads rumors and undermines morale will be executed! Article 222 of the Military Regulations: Anyone who steals secrets and colludes with the enemy to betray the country will be executed! These are the Military Regulations, totaling 222 articles. I hope the three armies will remember them well, strictly abide by them, and be self-disciplined. Anyone found to have violated them will be dealt with according to the Military Regulations!"
Qinghan's gaze swept over the three soldiers, and Rongyue frowned and said seriously, "Two hundred and twenty-two military regulations, did you hear them clearly?"
"clear!"
"Alright, then the military regulations shall take effect immediately! Shangguan Ping!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Order a copy to be made and posted in a prominent place in the barracks so that soldiers who are still unaware of the situation can understand it clearly!"
"Understood!"
(Later, this military regulation was regarded as sacred by various countries, passed down from generation to generation, and became known as the '32 Military Regulation'. Of course, that's another story.)
...
Since the Twenty-Strike Incident, Tuoba Chen and Rong Yue have been in a cold war. However, it's more accurate to say that it's Tuoba Chen's own stubbornness rather than a cold war.
For three days straight, Tuoba Chen didn't exchange a single word with Rong Yue. Whenever they met, Tuoba Chen acted as if he'd never met Rong Yue before, striding past her with his head held high and nonchalantness. At first, Rong Yue would greet him politely. But seeing her enthusiasm met with such coldness, why bother making a fool of herself? She might as well be a familiar stranger! He ignored her? Well, she didn't want to talk to him either! These past few days without his constant nagging had been so peaceful for her!
Lying on the wooden bed, after waving away the servant who had finished applying the medicine, Tuoba Chen shifted his body to the side, propped his chin on one hand, lazily stroked the tassels hanging from the gauze curtain, and casually asked, "Tell me, how is the general today?"
After cautiously glancing outside the tent, Shangguan Ping stepped forward and lowered his voice: "Reporting to the Second Prince, this morning the General rose at the exact hour of Mao (5-7 AM), participated in morning exercises with the army for half an hour, returned, ate some pastries and drank some porridge, and then discussed the grand plan of conquering the barbarians with three of us, the Imperial Guards..."
His expression suddenly froze: "She discussed battle strategies with you?"
"Since the general has ordered me to do so, I dare not disobey..."
"Nonsense!"
"Your subordinate deserves to die!" Shangguan Ping knelt on the ground, filled with fear.
"Get up, I wasn't talking to you! Go on."
Getting up from the ground, Shangguan Ping bowed to his side and continued, "At the second quarter of noon, the general had lunch, which consisted of one meat dish, three vegetable dishes, a bowl of porridge, and a bowl of rice. After resting for a quarter of an hour, the general summoned his subordinates and asked... asked His Highness..."
"She mentioned me?" A glint of light flashed in his bright eyes: "What did she mention about me?"
Realizing his emotions had run too far, Tuoba Chen closed his eyes slightly and said casually, "Why did she mention me?"