Chapter 244 Complaints

Led by Lieutenant General Wang, and with a few other familiar brothers from the camp also joining him, the group of seven or eight headed in a grand procession towards Zuichunlou in Pingkangfang.

The group entered their usual private room by the window.

Lieutenant General Wang sat imposingly in the main seat, slamming his hand on the table and shouting.

"First, bring out a jar of ten-year-aged Shaoxing wine, then bring out all your restaurant's signature dishes, such as braised pork hock, drunken shrimp, and crystal cake! Today it's my treat, so eat as much as you like!"

"Alright! Please wait a moment, sir!" The waiter replied with a smile, turned around and quickly went downstairs to give instructions.

Before long, the waiter brought over a jar of wine and a dozen or so exquisite dishes.

After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the faces of the group flushed, and they began to speak more freely.

Lieutenant General Wang gulped down a mouthful of wine, slammed the bowl down on the table, and cursed, "Damn it! Ever since that woman surnamed Ru came to the Dragon Martial Army, we haven't had a good life! Before, when we were off duty, we could drink or gamble whenever we wanted, but now, she won't even let us come to Pingkang Lane! Who does she think she is?"

A soldier with a goatee standing nearby sighed, "Who says otherwise! A few days ago, a few of my brothers were caught playing dice in the camp and were punished with twenty strokes of the cane. They still can't get out of bed! That woman is too cruel!"

"Ruthless? I think she's just looking for trouble!" A soldier surnamed Zhang shook his head. "Isn't it just because she has His Highness the Crown Prince's connections? If it weren't for His Highness's backing, she'd be nothing! We've been in the army for so many years, how are we inferior to her?"

A younger soldier suddenly lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "Have you noticed? There are more and more female officers in the barracks lately. The other day, during the selection of captains, even though you, Brother Zhang, have more seniority, a woman still got the position! Think about it, there weren't any women in the barracks before, it was all men! Now, not only can they join the army, but they're also stealing our credit and taking our positions! What's going on here..."

"In the end, it's all because Her Highness the Crown Prince is a woman!" Upon hearing this, the soldier surnamed Zhang became even more indignant, and his voice rose even higher. "If it were a prince who ascended the throne, none of this would have happened!"

These words immediately caused an uproar among the crowd. Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, from Ru Mo's strict military discipline to the female soldiers, generals, and officials, but in the end, they all circled back to His Highness the Crown Prince.

His words were full of dissatisfaction and complaints, and he even showed some resistance to the upcoming coronation ceremony.

Just then, a loud knocking sound rang out, startling the group so much that they instantly sobered up.

The group looked at each other, all feeling a bit shaken.

Lieutenant General Wang turned pale.

What they just said was utterly treasonous. If the Imperial Guards patrolling the streets or His Highness the Crown Prince's men heard it, the consequences would be unimaginable!

General Wang hurriedly shoved the wine jars on the table under it, then gestured for everyone to tidy themselves up. He then shakily moved to the door and opened it.

To everyone's surprise, when the door opened, it was none other than Zheng Xinglang.

Although Prime Minister Zheng is currently under investigation and confinement, Zheng Xinglang's position as Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guard was bestowed by the Emperor himself at the New Year's Eve banquet, so it cannot be faked.

Therefore, he still holds the position of Deputy General of the Imperial Guard. Although he has been largely sidelined by General Ru Mo, his official rank is still quite high.

Moreover, although he came from a prestigious family, he was very approachable, always greeted people with a smile, and was extremely generous to his subordinates, which is why many people liked him.

The moment everyone saw him, their hearts, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly settled down.

Lieutenant General Wang hurriedly opened the door, a fawning smile plastered on his face: "General Zheng, what brings you here? Please come in."

Zheng Xinglang, dressed in a royal blue brocade robe and wearing his signature smile, entered the private room and cupped his hands in greeting.

"I happened to be drinking with my brothers here when I heard the commotion inside, so I came to check it out. I didn't expect it to be some brothers from the Dragon Martial Army. What a coincidence."

Everyone quickly invited him to sit down, and Lieutenant General Wang personally poured wine for Zheng Xinglang, speaking in a solicitous tone: "General Zheng, please sit down! You are a rare guest! You must have a few drinks with us brothers today!"

Zheng Xinglang didn't stand on ceremony and sat down next to Lieutenant General Wang. He picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and said with a smile, "Of course, I'd love to drink with my brothers. Waiter, bring five more jugs of the finest Zhuyeqing liquor. This table's bill is on me!"

"Oh dear, how could I possibly trouble you to spend so much money!" General Wang said quickly, though he was secretly overjoyed.

Zheng Xinglang is known for his generosity; with him around, we can save money on drinks today.

"We're all brothers, no need for formalities!" Zheng Xinglang said, raising his wine bowl to clink with everyone's. "Come on, let's drink until we drop!"

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the table returned to its previous relaxed state.

Zheng Xinglang chatted casually, "I heard that since General Ru Mo took over the Dragon Martial Army, military discipline has become much stricter?"

As soon as Ru Mo was mentioned, everyone started complaining again.

General Wang frowned and said, "General Zheng, you have no idea how strict she is! After duty, drinking and gambling are not allowed. If caught once, you get twenty lashes, and if you do it again, you're exiled to the frontier! Tell me, what kind of logic is that? What's wrong with us soldiers relaxing a bit after duty?"

“Exactly! Now we have to sneak out to Pingkangfang like thieves even when we’re off duty and have a drink, for fear of being caught by her people! There’s no way to survive!” The soldier surnamed Zhang also complained.

"Really? That strict?" Zheng Xinglang looked puzzled and sighed, "Strict military discipline is a good thing, but General Ru's method is indeed a bit too harsh. When General Feng was in charge, although the discipline was a bit loose, the brothers were united and harmonious, weren't they?"

"That's right!" Lieutenant General Wang slapped his thigh, agreeing wholeheartedly. "She's clearly using His Highness the Crown Prince's influence to deliberately make fun of us! Does she really think our Dragon Martial Army brothers are easy to bully?"

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Zheng Xinglang's eyes as he echoed, "The brothers have indeed suffered hardships in the military camp. I imagine things will improve considerably once His Highness the Crown Prince ascends the throne and the court stabilizes."

"Good? That's not going to be good!" Lieutenant General Wang snorted heavily, leaning back in his chair. "General Zheng, you're on duty at the Imperial Guard every day, you probably haven't heard what's going on outside..."

"What did you hear?" Zheng Xinglang leaned forward, feigning curiosity, and pretended to be all ears.

Wang Zhonglang glanced around and, seeing that the door to the private room was tightly closed, lowered his voice and said, "Everyone in and out of the court is talking about it, saying that His Highness the Crown Prince is clearly trying to promote female officials and forcing us men to make way for women! Look at the two escorts for this enthronement ceremony, they were both women! Isn't that blatant evidence?"

"And in our military camp, it used to be a place where women weren't even allowed! But now, female soldiers and female officers are springing up like mushrooms after rain, taking our places!"

"Not to mention your uncle, Prime Minister Zheng. Who doesn't know that Prime Minister Zheng has been a loyal minister who has served His Majesty for twenty years? Just because he opposed His Highness the Crown Prince posthumously honoring Empress Shen as Emperor, he was imprisoned on charges of being an 'accomplice of the Cui family'! This is clearly clearing obstacles to make room for those female officials! Everyone in the court knows this perfectly well, but no one dares to say it!"

Zheng Xinglang looked helpless. "Come on, let's drink! Let's not talk about these troublesome things anymore! We brothers should get together more often in the future!"

"Of course, we still need General Zheng's guidance!"

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