Chapter 115 Taking Power and Covering the Sky
The soldiers, fresh from the battlefield, were covered in blood. Jiang Chen sat firmly in the main seat, his expression both authoritative and sharp as he looked at the generals. The generals standing opposite him either wore solemn expressions or avoided his gaze, but the entire room was silent.
Only the King of Wu, who was completely clean, stumbled into the council hall. His expression was panicked, and his eyes were bloodshot. He went straight to the head seat, his trembling hands gripping Jiang Chen's wristband tightly. His voice trembled as he said, "Fifth Brother, Eldest Brother... Eldest Brother just vomited blood. The military doctor can't stop it. Fifth Brother, please go and see him!"
Jiang Yu vomited blood? Jiang Chen's eyes flashed, then he immediately helped Jiang Lin up and walked outside: "Take me to see him."
The walk from the council hall to the room where the two were being held wasn't long, but with each step, Jiang Chen's emotions churned. In that silent scene just now, everyone was scheming for control of the Northern Frontier military and calculating gains and losses. Although Jiang Lin had barged in recklessly, he wasn't looking for the Crown Prince, but for his brother.
A single cry of "Fifth Brother" interrupted all of Jiang Chen's plans.
Jiang Chen's gaze fell on Jiang Lin, who rushed ahead to push open the door. His eyes were full of complex emotions. Born into the royal family and with a maternal family like the Qi family, how did Consort Qi and the King of Tai raise a son like the King of Wu?
As soon as the wooden door opened, a strong smell of medicine mixed with the stench of blood wafted out of the room. Jiang Chen frowned instinctively upon seeing the scene inside. Rather than describing Jiang Yu as seriously ill, it would be more accurate to say that he was on the verge of death.
With his eyes closed, face pale, and expression serene, at first glance, if one ignored the crimson bloodstain on the corner of Jiang Yu's lips, an uninformed person would definitely think that the person lying in front of him was a corpse. However, Jiang Chen's pupils suddenly contracted the moment he saw Jiang Yu's condition.
He had seen a similar situation with Shen Yujiao last year.
"What is the current situation of Prince Huan?"
The military doctor was already terrified when he saw the crown prince in his golden armor. When the prince asked about Prince Huan, he could barely speak: "Your Highness, Prince Huan has not been well since he fainted three days ago. Every time I take his pulse, I find it to be extremely irregular, but I cannot say for sure what caused it. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"
As the military doctor answered, he kowtowed repeatedly, fearing that the Crown Prince would punish him for his lack of medical skills. However, Jiang Chen did not consider this possibility at all. Even the most skilled physicians in the Imperial Hospital had failed to diagnose Shen Yujiao's illness, so he naturally did not expect a doctor accompanying the army to be able to find out the cause today.
He stepped forward and reached out to check Jiang Yu's temperature. It was warm to the touch, just like Shen Yujiao's condition back then. After a moment's thought, he turned to He Zhiju and said, "Order the Golden Dragon Guard to find Doctor Luqiu within three days."
When Consort Rong was seriously ill last time, he sent the Eastern Palace's secret guards, the Golden Dragon Guards, to secretly search for Doctor Lüqiu. However, due to the Duke of Cheng's admonition and the information he had found, he abandoned the plan. But when the Golden Dragon Guards returned, they brought him the specific location of Doctor Lüqiu.
He didn't care about others, he didn't want Shen Yujiao to risk her life for Rong Zhaoyi, but he knew he owed Jiang Yu a consultation fee.
He snapped out of his thoughts and was about to turn around and say a few words of comfort to the King of Wu when he saw He Zhiju standing there motionless—this was the first time He Zhiju had disobeyed his orders.
"Ziwang, order the Golden Dragon Guards to bring back Doctor Lüqiu within three days."
Jiang Chen's tone became slightly more forceful. Others might not understand the meaning behind his words, but He Zhiju, as the only one who knew the inside story at the time, did not move an inch even after hearing Jiang Chen repeat the order.
“Your Highness,” He Zhiju’s tone was somewhat stiff, “Please consider the overall situation.”
The two stared at each other in silence for a moment, then Jiang Chen looked away. He Zhiju silently turned and left. Jiang Lin, who had witnessed everything, sat by the bed, somewhat lost in thought.
This obvious confrontation inexplicably made him feel guilty. Although he didn't know why, he knew from General He's expression that he had caused trouble for his fifth brother.
"Little Nine..." Jiang Chen was about to speak when Jiang Lin immediately stood up: "Fifth Brother!"
Seeing his nervousness, Jiang Chen softened his tone: "Don't worry. I have a general understanding of what has happened in the Northern Frontier these days. Father will not blame you for what the Qi and Liu families have done. You have endured so much in the Northern Frontier, it has not been easy for you. Go and rest."
Jiang Lin imagined countless possibilities, guessing that his fifth brother might blame him for not taking good care of his eldest brother, scold him for not being able to hold onto power, and reprimand him for giving Generals Qi and Liu an opportunity to take advantage of the situation when the army needed rest the most, almost causing tens of thousands of soldiers to perish on the battlefield... He hadn't figured out how to face it yet, but his fifth brother said to him, "You've had it tough too" and "You've worked hard."
He had been in the northern frontier for half a year, and everyone was pressuring him to take the lead, be at the forefront, and shoulder the heavy responsibility. From Xiajing to the northern frontier, they were as close as parents and brothers, as close as comrades-in-arms on the battlefield. No one cared whether he could bear this weight. The only one who noticed him was his fifth brother, who had just arrived today.
Suddenly, Jiang Lin felt a lump in his throat. He quickly raised his hand to wipe his eyes, then nodded heavily. With Fifth Brother's arrival, the army now had someone who could take charge of the overall situation, and he no longer had to live in constant fear.
After Jiang Chen had someone send the Prince of Wu back, he returned to the council hall. As he had said, Qi Mao and Liu Ziyue had taken full responsibility for their mistakes. Whether they were willing or not, they would be sent back to the capital early the next morning. The Crown Prince would accompany them with a memorial, leaving them no chance to defend themselves before the Emperor.
The generals in the army were surprised that the Crown Prince had not taken the opportunity to completely overthrow the faction of King Tai and King Wu, and instead allowed Qi and Liu to return to the capital, thus giving these two families a chance to make a comeback. On the other hand, they were also shocked by the Crown Prince's swift and decisive action. In any case, Qi Mao and Liu Ziyue were both generals who held military power, yet the Crown Prince directly dismissed them from their military posts.
Despite their surprise, no one dared to question the Crown Prince. The victory they had just witnessed, a comeback worthy of being recorded in history, served as the best deterrent.
In the military, the strong are always respected.
After resolving the biggest farce of the night, Jiang Chen handed over the internal affairs of the Northern Frontier Camp to He Zhiju. He Zhiju did not disappoint him and reorganized the long-chaotic military affairs in just one night. When the King of Wu got up early the next morning and saw the well-ordered military camp in the city, he was greatly surprised.
"Your Highness."
"Your Highness, the King of Wu."
Jiang Lin had been up to something for several days and was exhausted last night. He finally fell asleep in the middle of the night, and when he opened his eyes again it was noon. It was lunchtime in the army, and when the soldiers walked past him with two large porcelain bowls, he couldn't help but be tempted by the aroma of the food.
During his time in the military camp, Jiang Lin was not as good as his older brothers in leading troops into battle, but he was the only one who was down-to-earth. Not to mention princes and noblemen, even soldiers who rose from commoners to high positions in the army could not do this.
Jiang Lin walked against the flow of people to the courtyard where meals were served, just in time for the last group to arrive for their meal. Seeing Jiang Chen and He Zhiju standing on the steps behind the cooks, he waved to them with great delight. Jiang Chen saw him and nodded with a smile.
Like all the soldiers, Jiang Lin went to the tableware area and took two porcelain bowls and a pair of chopsticks. He then lined up at the end of the queue to wait for his meal. Today's lunch consisted of a bowl of mixed grain rice and a coarse grain pancake. The pancake was topped with a gravy made from minced meat. The other bowl contained three dishes: stir-fried pork with chili peppers, stir-fried bok choy with mushrooms, and stir-fried potatoes, green peppers, and eggplant.
Although the dishes cooked in a large pot were not fancy, they were extremely fragrant. Jiang Lin did not have a specific camp, so he carried his meal to a bench in the corridor and sat down. He placed the bowl on the railing and ate his food with great relish. When soldiers came over to greet him, he smiled and nodded in response.
This scene was witnessed by the two people in the distance, and He Zhiju couldn't help but sigh, "His Highness Prince Wu is quite a good person."
Jiang Chen and He Zhiju exchanged a smile: "Yes, with him taking the lead, it saves us a lot of trouble."
Upon arriving at the Northern Frontier Camp, Jiang Chen didn't have such a strong feeling, but He Zhiju discovered the biggest problem in the camp compared to the past—the atmosphere in the army had been thrown into chaos by Qi Mao, Liu Ziyue, and others.
The two princes who led the troops to the front lines were one unpretentious and the other cautious. As princes, they did not seek any special privileges, but the other generals from the capital were used to a life of luxury, which caused widespread discontent in the already unstable army.
After He Zhiju finished explaining the problem to Jiang Chen, Jiang Chen made a decision without hesitation: "Then everyone will eat the same food, and their accommodations will be strictly arranged according to their rank. Whether it's the Northern Frontier Camp, the army from Xiajing, or the local army, everyone will be treated equally, and there will be no difference in their place of origin."
The order caused a stir as soon as it reached the generals. Some were dissatisfied, some were unwilling, and some stayed behind because they did not want to cause more trouble. So before the news reached the centurions, the top officers were already arguing. He Zhiju watched all this with a cold eye and did not do anything to stop it. It wasn't until the bugle call for drills sounded that everyone realized that there was no breakfast today.
“Since none of you are willing, then none of you should eat,” He Zhiju said, his smile vanishing as he looked sharply at the people opposite him. “I will only say this once: this is the Northern Frontier Camp, not your previous military posts. If you are not obedient, you should go back now.”
A general was about to retort that he had no right to do so, but was pulled back by someone next to him and came to his senses. He Zhiju might not have that right, but the Crown Prince did! It was unknown what kind of authority the Emperor had given the Crown Prince for this expedition, and although the general in front of him was a young man, he was a close and trusted minister whom the Crown Prince relied on.
The He family, a prominent military family, was traditionally a staunch supporter of the emperor, but the young General He before them was a true member of the crown prince's faction.
Circumstances dictate that no one would act foolishly at this time. Just as everyone was still hesitating, they heard someone outside requesting an audience: "Shen Xun, Minister of Agriculture, requests an audience with General of the Valiant Cavalry."
Shen Xun, who was in charge of all the supplies and provisions for this battle, has arrived.
As the footsteps behind them drew closer, the generals exchanged glances. Every step Shen Xun took weighed heavily on their hearts, and their tension grew with each approach. Finally, one of them stepped forward and took the lead, bowing just a step before Shen Xun entered the council hall and saying, "Your subordinate obeys."
The northern frontier is now truly the Crown Prince's territory. With capable generals like He Zhiju leading the charge at the front lines and competent ministers like Shen Xun managing internal affairs, the Crown Prince can control the entire northern frontier with a mere wave of his hand.
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