The general was humiliated, and General Wen was also indignant and said, "How can a mere seventh-rank official dare to order a fifth-rank general to act? It's nothing more than the urgent situation of the battle, and he was just thinking out of his own wits."
Chief Minister Ge scoffed, "Even thinking quickly is better than just sitting there and waiting to die."
"You, Prime Minister Ge, are really eloquent. I can't compare to you." General Wen was so angry that he beat his chest and stamped his feet, and his blood pressure rose a lot.
"Same here, General Wen, you're no less capable. There are so many generals on the frontier, but they're not as effective as a county magistrate. If this were to get out, it would be laughable. A great country can't even find a decent general."
The emperor stopped the farce in time. "Okay, stop arguing. Fu Yao, go on."
Fu Yao said, "I still have a question. Even if the city gate guards followed Magistrate Jiang's instructions, the Jiannu outside the city are not idle. Didn't they take advantage of the situation to loot?"
The soldier replied. "It is indeed as you said, sir. The enemy general, Yelu Qi, sent his troops to attack the city. With only a thousand men, they were completely defeated and decimated. At that crucial moment, it was sir Jiang who turned the tide and saved the people from disaster."
Fu Yao said coldly: "Speak to the point."
The soldier was startled and said cautiously, "Lord Jiang used his muskets to kill over a hundred people who climbed onto the city walls, delaying the enemy's siege."
"Musketeer?"
This statement caused an uproar in the audience.
Since the invention of gunpowder, its military applications have been rare. While artisans at the Ministry of War crafted weapons like red-coated cannons and fire muskets, their effectiveness remains uncertain. Coupled with the extreme lack of attention paid to weaponry by the upper echelons, fire muskets have become mere playthings for aristocratic disciples.
No one would have thought that the tools used by nobles for hunting would one day be used on the battlefield.
Fu Yao grasped the key point and continued to ask: "How did County Magistrate Jiang kill people?"
The soldier stammered and couldn't explain why.
Fu Yao saluted the emperor. "I, Your Majesty, would like to borrow your musket. Would Your Majesty be willing to lend me yours?"
The emperor agreed and asked the eunuch to go to the Purple Palace to get his long-treasured toy - the musket.
The musket was handed to the soldier, who gave a brief demonstration. He gestured with his hands as he explained, "Jiang Magistrate loaded the musket with ammunition, aimed it at the enemy, and pulled the trigger. From just two or three meters away, he killed the Jiannu soldier."
Fu Yao pressed on, "You can kill someone with one strike from just two or three meters away. Is this true or are you making this up?"
The soldier was sweating profusely. "Every word I said is true. I wouldn't dare lie."
"In that case, County Magistrate Jiang's ability to shoot accurately from a hundred paces is a waste of his talent in the civil service. He should be doing his best for the country."
Fu Yao's words were echoed by General Wen. "Master Fu is right. This man is as skilled in both civil and military tactics as Luo Ying. I think it would be better for him to join the frontier army as a civilian first, then rise to the rank of general after achieving merit. Wouldn't that be a great benefit to both the country and the people?"
Prime Minister Ge immediately refuted General Wen's words. "General Wen, you are wrong. If it weren't for Magistrate Jiang's leadership, Muhe County would have fallen to the enemy long ago. His martial arts skills are just a small bonus, not surprising. If he were transferred to a border camp, it would be a waste of his talent. Your Majesty, why not reward Magistrate Jiang generously to set a good example for other talented people and fulfill your Majesty's care for him? What do you think?"
Emperor Mingguang thought for a moment and asked, "Fu Yao, what do you think?"
What could Fu Yao do? Of course, she would be the one pushing behind the scenes to push County Magistrate Jiang to the forefront. As for whether he could survive, it all depended on his ability.
"In my humble opinion, Magistrate Jiang should be rewarded handsomely."
How to reward was a headache. Giving money wouldn't be respectful enough, and promotions wouldn't convince the generals. Emperor Mingguang could only throw the problem to Fu Yao. "According to your suggestion, how should I reward them?"
Fu Yao's eyes were cold as she glanced at the civil and military officials present. She found many gloating over Jiang Xuqing's misfortune, while many were jealous and resentful. Such a good thing had happened to Jiang Xuqing. Even a kind word, let alone a reward of a few taels of silver, would have these officials devouring him alive.
In that case, he would take drastic measures to help Jiang Xuqing.
"In my humble opinion, Muhe County is too close to the Jiannu's Xianghe River, and has been plagued by Jiannu raids year after year. Rather than trying to stop the fire with more water, it's better to retreat and build a network. Promoting Muhe County to a prefecture and placing Baiji and Chishui counties under the jurisdiction of the prefecture government would be a win-win situation for everyone, wouldn't it?"
Prime Minister Ge treated him coldly. "Master Fu, your appetite is truly outrageous. Are you suggesting that Jiang Xuqing, the county magistrate, be promoted to prefect, and that Muhe County be treated as if it were under the jurisdiction of a prefecture? May I ask, Master Fu, what benefit did Jiang Xuqing give you to warrant such consideration for him?"
"Yes, what benefit did he give you to justify your worrying about him?" General Wen was also dissatisfied. It was the military officers who shed blood, but it was the civil officials who were promoted. How could this be justified?
Under attack from both sides, Fu Yao calmly said, "With the promotion of Muhe County to a prefecture, its deployment has been greatly improved. The original number of defenders has been increased from 1,000 to 3,000, greatly enhancing our defenses. We can now easily deal with the Jiannu. Isn't this much better than the 50,000 troops proposed by General Wen to annihilate the Jiannu?"
Commander Wen snorted coldly, mentally making a note of Fu Yao. This damn eunuch was too good at talking, and since he couldn't defeat him, he had no choice but to find another way out.
Fu Yao glanced at the Minister of Revenue and said slowly, "Without anyone leading troops to war, the Ministry of Revenue won't have to rack its brains to find ways to get money. Lord He, won't the national treasury you care about be saved?"
Chief Minister Ge said, "That's not the case. Jiang Xuqing has only been the Magistrate of Muhe County for a year. It's totally unreasonable for him to be promoted to the Magistrate out of thin air."
Fu Yao scoffed, "The Jiannu's nighttime attack on Muhe County is justified. If it weren't for this man's strategy to save Muhe County, I'm afraid Muhe County would have been a river of blood and a mountain of corpses. Will Prime Minister Ge be held responsible for the huge losses caused to the court with just his words?"
"You've gone too far," said Prime Minister Ge, kneeling down with trembling hands. "This old minister impeaches Fu Yao for his lack of etiquette and his outrageous remarks. He speaks without restraint and makes arbitrary decisions about important matters at court. I hope Your Majesty will punish this man severely to serve as a warning to others."
"I second this motion."
The Prime Minister knelt, and the civil officials also knelt on the ground. They echoed Prime Minister Ge and demanded an explanation from the emperor.
General Wen watched coldly, but inwardly he was beaming with joy. These civil servants, for their own benefit, were actually trying to drag Fu Yao into this mess. As expected, all crows are evil. It's always more satisfying to watch dogs fight each other.
Fu Yao said calmly, "These are all sincere words from the bottom of my heart. I hope Your Majesty will make a wise decision. There is no reason in the world to disappoint those who have worked so hard. The credit should go to Jiang Xuqing."
"What about Luo Ying and the others?" General Wen stopped watching and joined in the criticism of Fu Yao. "Luo Ying cut off the enemy general Yelü Qi's head, so he should have been promoted. Why was he overlooked?"
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