Chapter 255 A Triple Win
There were few military generals in the court, and those with military achievements and fame were even rarer.
Compared to the rampant bandits and the suffering of the people, the emperor naturally cares more about his country and his own life. Even if there were capable generals to be found, he would still keep them to deal with the Northern Frontier King.
Hearing Eunuch Chu say that there was only one person who could be the leader to suppress the bandits, and that he could also solve his troubles, really piqued his curiosity.
Since the Emperor had asked directly, Eunuch Chu could no longer keep him in suspense, so he smiled slightly.
"Meng Xingyuan".
The Emperor frowned and said, "Minister Meng is a civil official, and he is old and frail. Tasks such as dispatching troops and suppressing bandits have always been assigned to military generals. Assigning these tasks to Minister Meng is against the rules. He has neither military prowess nor experience in leading troops. Sending him there would be sending him to his death."
Sending a civil official to suppress bandits is like a scholar encountering a soldier. What could Meng Xingyuan possibly do? Could he possibly reason with bandits?
Moreover, Meng Xingyuan has other uses; keeping him by our side might help restrain the King of Northern Frontier.
The corners of Eunuch Chu's mouth curved up even higher. "The rules were set by Your Majesty. There is a severe shortage of military generals in the court. Those inexperienced young generals are not as courageous and bold as the civil officials. As the head of the civil officials, Meng Xingyuan should share the burden for Your Majesty. The key is, after the news of Meng Xingyuan leading troops to suppress the bandits spreads, guess what the Prince of the Northern Frontier will do?"
The emperor's eyes lit up.
With his hands behind his back, he gestured for Eunuch Chu to continue.
"If the King of Northern Frontier ignores this, it means he has truly severed all ties with the Meng family. Meng Xingyuan is indeed in trouble, but it proves that he is truly loyal to the Emperor. The Emperor even sent his most favored civil official to suppress bandits, which shows his love for the people. On the contrary, the King of Northern Frontier's cold-heartedness towards his former father-in-law is enough to show that he is a greedy and unscrupulous person. Sacrificing Meng Xingyuan's life will reveal a truth, improve your image among the people, and let others know the true face of the King of Northern Frontier. It is a very worthwhile deal."
"If the Prince of Northern Frontier goes to Guandu Prefecture to save Meng Xingyuan, it will kill two birds with one stone. The banditry in Guandu Prefecture can be eliminated, and the Prince of Northern Frontier will have a weakness. As long as he rescues Meng Xingyuan, it will confirm that the two are colluding. The Emperor will put all the Meng family members who remain in the capital under house arrest, which can then be used to deal with the Prince of Northern Frontier in the future."
The Emperor sat back down at his desk, gently tapping the tabletop with his fingers.
Eunuch Chu's method does have its merits, but he made a mistake. The fact that the Northern Frontier King did not rescue Meng Xingyuan will not have much impact on his reputation. After all, Meng Xingyuan was not only his former father-in-law, but also the one who made his daughter divorce the Northern Frontier King when the Anshun Prince's Mansion was at its lowest point. It is only human nature for the Northern Frontier King not to rescue him, and it cannot be considered that he was blinded by greed and did not resort to any means.
Instead, he sent Meng Xingyuan to suppress the bandits. The common people did not understand the hidden meaning behind this. They thought that as long as he sent soldiers, it would be fine. However, the civil and military officials would definitely suspect him in private and think that he had evil intentions.
Making this decision will do more harm than good to his reputation.
The emperor understood this, and after much deliberation, he still issued an imperial edict.
Because he is now more inclined to believe that the King of Northern Frontier will go to rescue Meng Xingyuan.
Meng Lingge has not been found. According to intelligence from spies, there is a woman who is very close to the King of the Northern Frontier. This woman is of unknown origin and always wears a veil in the military camp, which makes the emperor very suspicious. The woman beside the King of the Northern Frontier may be Meng Lingge.
If his suspicions are true, then sending Meng Xingyuan to suppress the bandits would definitely make Meng Lingge restless. She would instigate the Northern Frontier King to rescue Meng Xingyuan. In this way, the bandits could be wiped out, the Northern Frontier King would also lose some troops in the battle with the bandits, and he could further solidify the evidence against the Meng family.
This achieves three goals at once.
The imperial edict arrived at the Meng residence at noon.
Meng Xingyuan felt uneasy whenever he heard the words "imperial edict," and he had a very bad feeling when he saw Eunuch Chu.
After leading his entire family to kneel down in fear, Eunuch Chu began to recite in a rhythmic and melodious tone.
"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: I have heard that bandits are rampant in Guandu Prefecture, robbing and plundering the people, disrupting their lives, and committing heinous crimes. If these stubborn bandits are not eliminated, the nation will be in turmoil, and the people will have no hope. However, military generals are scarce in the court, and it is difficult to find capable commanders. Prime Minister Meng Xingyuan has always been my right-hand man, quick-witted, intelligent, and brave. I hereby specially order him to lead 5,000 elite troops to suppress the bandits. Respectfully yours!"
After Eunuch Chu finished reading the imperial edict, Meng Xingyuan was still completely bewildered.
The Emperor ordered him to suppress the bandits?
He's over fifty and has never touched a sword in his entire life. This banditry is already extremely heinous; can he really be reformed by his talent and wisdom?
Moreover, the imperial edict did not mention surrender or amnesty, but rather the suppression of bandits.
Guandu Prefecture is hundreds of miles away from the capital. Let alone suppressing bandits, the long journey on horseback alone might not be enough for his old bones.
"Hmm? Why hasn't Lord Meng accepted the imperial decree yet? Does he intend to defy it?"
Eunuch Chu placed the imperial edict heavily in Meng Xingyuan's hand, and said meaningfully, "Among all the civil and military officials in the court, the Emperor only trusts Lord Meng. This great honor is truly enviable. The young master and the third young lady in your household must be proud to have a father like Prime Minister Meng."
Meng Xingyuan could not help but understand the warning in those words, so he had no choice but to kneel down.
"I obey the order."
Eunuch Chu sneered and helped Meng Xingyuan up.
"That's right. Civil officials suppressing bandits is a first in this dynasty. When the matter is accomplished, the Emperor will surely reward those who have made contributions. For someone your age to achieve such merit is truly a testament to the Emperor's boundless grace."
Meng Xingyuan suppressed the urge to curse, composed himself, and then pulled Eunuch Chu aside, asking in a low voice.
"May I ask, Eunuch Chu, how many bandits are there? Besides myself, has His Majesty sent any other military officers?"
Eunuch Chu said calmly, "Of course not. The imperial edict is still in your hands. You were appointed as the commander-in-chief. There should be tens of thousands of bandits, but they are all a rabble. How can they compare to the elite troops you bring? They might flee at the first sign of trouble as soon as you arrive with your men."
If too many people are given the opportunity, how can we lure out the Northern Frontier King behind the scenes? The key is to make everyone aware that Meng Xingyuan's plan is doomed to fail, so that the Northern Frontier King will step in to help.
Meng Xingyuan found it even more absurd.
Even though he had never been on the battlefield, he could tell from this imperial edict that the local banditry had reached a considerable scale, and the number of bandits reported by local officials was probably just an estimate, with the actual number likely far exceeding that figure.
The emperor only gave him half the number of elite troops he had anticipated for the bandits. How was he supposed to fight them?
Seeing that Meng Xingyuan's face was pale and he couldn't say a word for a long time, Eunuch Chu snorted and said, "Lord Meng, hurry up and pack your bags. The task of suppressing bandits is important and time is tight. The Ministry of War is already counting the elite troops to be dispatched. We will depart in two hours. As the commander-in-chief, Lord Meng, you must not be late."
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