Chapter 405: Return of Military Power
Su Wan was silent. It turned out that she had been misjudging and overthinking before.
The emperor doesn't care who she marries. All he cares about is the 100,000 troops that are enough to shake the foundation of the country.
Now that the foreign nations have been pacified and the territory of Jin State has expanded to a certain extent, the achievements of his generation will be sufficient to be recorded in history books in the future.
But he didn't want any more accidents to happen during his years in power, so he had to be on guard.
In a prosperous country, there is no need to worry about wars, so what is the use of those military generals?
What’s the point of those generals holding these military powers?
This matter is really hard to weigh. Who would easily give up the power of 100,000 troops?
Once given up, the Duke of Jiang's Mansion will be just a shell with no substance, no different from those marquisates and earl's mansions that are in name only.
That's why Jiang Yu said that the turning point of this matter lies in his father.
As his son, he has grown up but has not fulfilled the responsibilities of a prince. He can't just ask his father to give up the military power, right?
If it really doesn't work, he will take Su Wan away from Kyoto and go to Zhongzhou.
At worst, I can never return to Kyoto in this life, but what will Su Wan’s family do?
Is he selfishly asking her to give up her family and hide in Zhongzhou with him for the rest of her life just to be with him?
So this matter also made Jiang Yu very distressed. There were some things he didn't know how to say, not because he didn't understand.
Everyone understands the truth, but no one has a stance.
"Are you feeling better now?"
Su Wan changed the subject and asked about his health instead.
Now that she knows, she should understand that the emperor's purpose is to take back the military power, not her.
Inviting her to attend the ceremony was actually just to force them and make them anxious.
Since I don't have to worry about marrying Murong Huai, what am I worried about? It's just a matter of dragging it on. I've waited for so many years, so I don't care about these few months.
"I'm much better now. I'll be able to get out of bed on my own in a few days."
The beating was real, it was no joke. Thirty lashes of the cane were enough to take the life of a weak woman.
Fortunately, he was a martial artist and handled the situation promptly, so the problem was not serious.
After all this time, it turned out that Su Wan was just worrying for nothing. It was all for nothing.
Afterwards, Su Wan stayed with him here for half a day and then went back. He couldn't keep his elder brother and sister-in-law waiting all the time, right?
On the way back, Su Wan told his elder brother about what happened.
Su Jing was not surprised. He had thought of this, but he didn't expect it to be true.
He didn't know what to say about this matter.
All I can say is that the timing was just right. If he were in the emperor's shoes, he would do the same.
"Wanwan, I can't help you with this matter. It involves military power, and neither you nor I have the right to interfere."
Su Jing wanted to help, but this matter concerned military power, and as a civil servant, he had no say.
Su Wan nodded. She had never thought of asking her elder brother for help. She wanted to help but didn't know where to put her efforts. It was really troublesome.
…
Duke Jiang returned to the Duke Jiang Mansion very late. When he came back, he packed up all the things he had left in the military camp.
There were weapons used for daily training, spare armor, and a lot of other miscellaneous things.
He moved back to his second home in the military camp.
The next morning when he attended court, Duke Jiang held a box and put on his bright red official robe.
Jiang Yu originally wanted to discuss this matter with him after he left the court, but unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better.
In the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the eunuch had just finished shouting, "If you have something to say, stand up and report it; if not, dismiss the court," when Duke Jiang stood up.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
The emperor looked at Duke Jiang who came out and knelt down, raised his eyebrows, turned the yellow jade dragon-patterned ring on his thumb, and unconsciously showed a hint of good mood.
"Duke Jiang, what do you want to say? Tell me!"
The emperor is really an old fox. Everything is clearly under his control, but he pretends to know nothing.
"Your Majesty, the country is now peaceful and the people are safe, without the turmoil of war. I have thought over and over again, and I have reached old age. Now my old illness has relapsed, and the pain is unbearable. I have long been unable to contribute to military affairs. Now I only want to retire early, recuperate at home, and look forward to my children getting married and having grandchildren around me. Today, I am returning the tiger talisman to the court. I hope that Your Majesty, considering my life's hard work and the chronic illness I have suffered, will allow me to retire!"
In the palace, Duke Jiang said this and presented the box containing the tiger talisman with both hands.
When he said this, Su Jing and Su Chen were both shocked. They thought that this matter would have many twists and turns, but they didn't expect that Duke Jiang would compromise so quickly.
At the same time, Duke Tang, as well as Murong Sheng, Murong Huai and other princes were also shocked.
Once Duke Jiang decides to hand over the military power, it means that his lineage is no longer useful, and they can no longer rely on winning over Duke Jiang's Mansion to gain control of the 100,000 troops.
For a moment, everyone had their own thoughts.
There are advantages and disadvantages to asking Duke Jiang to give up his military power.
The emperor did not respond immediately, but remained silent for a moment before speaking:
"Duke Jiang's old illness has relapsed. Do you need an imperial physician to see you?"
I really don't quite understand the emperor's policy of appeasement.
It was as if he was not worried about whether he could get the military power back.
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. However, there is no need to trouble the imperial physician. Since this is an old illness, it is a recurring one. It is useless to see an imperial physician. Your Majesty, I just want to go home and recuperate now. I hope Your Majesty will grant me this."
Duke Jiang lowered his head even more, and every word he said was sincere.
The emperor stopped playing with the jade ring and started stroking his beard.
After hesitating and thinking for a while, he winked at Eunuch Lu, indicating him to get the military order.
"Duke Jiang, please think carefully. Once you take back this military command, you can't regret it. This is the honor bestowed upon your Jiang family by our great ancestor. Your Jiang family has protected our Jin Kingdom for three generations. Now that the military power has been taken back, is returning home to recuperate the only thing you ask for? If you have other requests, I can also consider satisfying them and will do my best to satisfy them."
The emperor felt that he was not the kind of person who was unreasonable. Since he had achieved his desired goal, he naturally could not go too far.
After a blow, you will be rewarded with a sweet treat. It’s up to you to seize the opportunity.
"Your Majesty, this is a decision I have made after much deliberation. I have reached my current position by taking from the people and giving back to them. I have received your grace and have earned a great deal of honor. Now that the war is over and the world is at peace, keeping this tiger talisman will be of no use. It would be better to return it to the court. However, before doing so, I have one wish, and I hope Your Majesty will grant it."
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