The next morning, Chang Sun Dechong saw Chu Zhenglin holding a memorial in his hand and walking towards him calmly. Chang Sun Dechong's eyes were immediately drawn to the memorial, and he felt an ominous premonition.
Chu Zhenglin handed the memorial to Changsun Dechong with a smug smile on his face. He said to Changsun Dechong with a smile, "Uncle Changsun, take a look."
Changsun Dechong took the memorial and read it carefully. It was written by Chu Zhenglin himself, requesting the emperor to confer him the title of General of the Expeditionary Campaign. The more Changsun Dechong read, the more he felt bad. The handwriting on the memorial was all too familiar to him; it was Chu Zhenglin's.
What shocked him even more was that at the bottom of the memorial was Chu Zhenglin's own approval, and it was stamped with the jade seal symbolizing imperial power.
This scene made Chang Sun Dechong feel as if he had eaten a fly. He had worked so hard for so long to recruit 200,000 talented soldiers, and he thought everything was under control, but he didn't expect Chu Zhenglin, the sixth brother, to take advantage of him.
However, Chang Sun Dechong would never ask to see Chu Fan to deal with this matter. He was well aware of his own strength. He believed that he was not as good as Chu Zhenglin in leading troops in battle. These soldiers were more useful in Chu Zhenglin's hands than in his own.
However, seeing the soldiers he had painstakingly trained and commanded taken away by Chu Zhenglin through a means he had personally approved and written, Chang Sun Dechong felt heartbroken. This sense of loss and helplessness weighed heavily on him.
After finishing his shift, Changsun Dechong returned to his warm home. Changsun Pinqing saw a deep sadness on her father's face, so she couldn't help but ask what had happened.
Seeing his daughter's concerned look, Chang Sun Dechong told her the whole story.
After listening to her father's narration, Changsun Pinqing felt relieved.
She took a deep breath and said to her eldest grandson, Dechong, "Father, I know you've put in tremendous effort and hard work to keep these 200,000 troops. But have you ever considered the consequences of commanding 200,000 troops near Kaifeng, as the Minister of War?"
Changsun Pinqing's words were full of worry. She understood that her father had a heavy responsibility, but she also knew clearly that such a military deployment might cause suspicion and anxiety inside and outside the court.
She hopes her father will realize this and take appropriate measures to avoid unnecessary trouble and conflict. In this turbulent era, every decision may have a ripple effect on the entire organization, so she hopes her father will handle these sensitive matters more carefully.
Changsun Pinqing continued, "If those people were still ordinary citizens, then they should be managed by you, father. After all, His Majesty has already given you full authority to handle the affairs of the disaster victims in Hedong Jiuzhou.
However, once the Royal Government Office officially recognizes them as an army, they should no longer be under your jurisdiction. If these 200,000 people are still under your leadership after becoming an army, do you think other ministers will suspect you of having ulterior motives?
Moreover, His Majesty has generously gifted our family with many precious items, while the royal family members have received nothing."
Seeing his father lost in thought, Changsun Pinqing continued, "Father, do you still remember the inventions and rewards His Majesty bestowed upon us? For example, the widespread use of cement, the life-saving benefits of penicillin, the improvements to saddles and stirrups, the huge profits from the refined salt business, and the colored glass gifted to me. These things had a profound impact on the development of the nation, yet the royal family received no due benefit from any of them.
Now, His Majesty has finally decided to allow the royal family to participate in government affairs in order to obtain some of the power and rewards they deserve, but you appear dissatisfied. Father, I want to ask you, how much will you require to be satisfied? Do you truly desire to sit on the supreme throne and replace His Majesty in order to feel satisfied?
When Changsun Pinqing said the last sentence, Changsun Dechong reacted quickly and covered Changsun Pinqing's mouth. He knew very well that some words should never be said casually because they might bring fatal consequences.
After carefully listening to Changsun Pinqing's words, Changsun Dechong's mind gradually became clear. He realized that he didn't need to be too concerned about Chu Zhenglin's seizure of leadership of the 200,000-man army.
After all, as a loyal subject of His Majesty, I only need to respectfully obey and implement any decision made by His Majesty. There is absolutely no need to worry about other miscellaneous matters.
Furthermore, the current situation at Wei's borders was already unstable, and he lacked Chu Zhenglin's superb martial arts skills or his remarkable strategic vision. Under such circumstances, if he forcibly took control of this army, he would probably only render it useless, and might even bring greater crisis to the country due to his incompetence.
On the contrary, if Chu Zhenglin were to lead the army, with his ability and wisdom, he would surely be able to effectively defend the country and ensure the stability and security of the border. This would not only allow him to better fulfill his duties as a subject, but also contribute to the peace of the country. Therefore, Changsun Dechong decided to put aside his grudges and fully support Chu Zhenglin in their efforts to jointly contribute to the prosperity and stability of the country.
At this time, the royal family members scattered in other cities also received urgent orders from the clan elders. Chu Anping, grandson of the ancestor Chu Yuanwu, was sitting leisurely by a clear river, fishing rod in hand, enjoying a peaceful moment of fishing.
However, when his eyes fell on the guards of the elders approaching from a distance, Chu Anping's face showed a faint smile. He asked casually, "Is the clan preparing to have another feast?"
Chu Anping spoke in a nonchalant tone, as if all this had nothing to do with him. In his sixty-plus years of life, the only news he'd heard from his clan was about returning to worship their ancestors or holding a banquet for an ancestor's birthday. Chu Anping had long been accustomed to these things.
The guard said respectfully, "Your Highness. The elders did not send me here to inform you of the banquet. In fact, they hope you can go to the palace to handle some important government affairs."
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