Chapter 181 Military Merits
"Heh, 'between men'? What's that? Does it mean you all have a shared interest in male homosexuality?" Mu Xi scoffed. "Really? I bet most of the men here aren't into that sort of thing, are they?"
Zhu Mingjun didn't care much about his reputation in this regard: "Whatever it is, it's just a harmless little hobby of a man, so what?"
"There's nothing we can do, it's just that so-called 'good stuff'... General Dai, because of that 'carefree pill,' not only became obsessed with it but also fell into a brothel, and was even used by the pirates." Mu Xi snorted coldly, then bowed to Prince Yu again, "Your Majesty, the reason I fabricated the story that Dai Rong was poisoned by the pirates, although somewhat inaccurate, was out of necessity..."
King Yu had no choice but to patiently ask, "What other reason could there be for such a serious crime?"
Mu Xi, on the spur of the moment, spoke: "Firstly, it's for the sake of the King, for the sake of our Great Yu, and for the sake of General Dai's reputation; secondly, the morale of the soldiers in the southern border was low at the time. If they knew that their commander was so arrogant and dissolute, and had ties with Zhu Mingjun... and even the pirates, it would be even harder to muster their morale to fight the pirates. In the end, it was all Zhu Mingjun's fault, but it harmed Dai Rong's entire family. General Bai is a victim..."
The courtiers were completely silent, while King Yu's expression remained uncertain.
Mu Xi delivered a powerful speech, striving to preserve Dai Rong's reputation while simultaneously condemning Zhu Mingjun: "Dai Rong became addicted to 'Xiaoyao Pills,' and Bai Su, as his wife, was heartbroken. It was only out of desperation that she kept Dai Rong under house arrest to help him break his addiction. Dai Rong's overdose ultimately led to his death, and Bai Su, as his wife, was equally devastated. She… a mere woman in your eyes, in a desperate situation where her husband was terminally ill and the army was leaderless, with her frail body, donned armor and went into battle. It was she who rallied the scattered troops and stabilized the situation at the critical juncture of the city's fall and the destruction of their home. It was she who personally took up arms, leading the charge, her battle robe stained with blood, driving the pirates into the sea. It was she who protected the southern border, reclaimed the lost city, and, most importantly, rescued Zhu Mingjun from the pirates' den of debauchery. Your Majesty, do you still intend to punish such a person?"
King Yu still had time to think.
Zhu Mingjun refused to let it go: "Even if you embellish your story, it is a fact that Bai Su imprisoned the commander of the Zhennan garrison and usurped military power. His Majesty will find out as soon as he investigates, and you will not be allowed to cover it up with your words."
this……
Mu Xi was somewhat aware that, if you looked at it carefully, Bai Su had indeed made contributions, but he also had faults.
Bai Su felt an overwhelming surge of grievance and resentment in his chest. An indescribable surge of emotion rushed to his eyes. He bit his lower lip tightly, trying his best to hold back the tears from falling.
At this moment, Gao Quan, who had been silent until now, spoke up again: "Merit is merit, and fault is fault. Even if Dai Rong brought it upon himself, Bai Shi's act of forcibly seizing her husband's military power was an act of subservience against superiors, a major taboo in the military. If such a usurpation is not investigated, who will respect the king's orders in the future?"
As soon as Gao Quan spoke, a group of ministers echoed his sentiments.
Turning his head, Gao Quan glanced sideways at Mu Xi: "On the other hand, even if someone has made some minor contributions, if it is actually a woman leading troops, that is unprecedented in history. Who can believe it? Bai's actions cannot cover up her faults. She did not investigate during the Crown Prince's trip south, and now she is even praising her, which is really shaking the foundation of the country. If Bai is not severely punished, the discipline will be ruined, and the country will cease to exist."
Mu Xi knew that Gao Quan would never let her off the hook, no matter what he said.
After his speech, the calls from the courtiers to punish Bai Su grew louder and louder, overshadowing the matter of Zhu Mingjun's collusion with pirates.
Mu Xi was indignant and about to argue again when Bai Su behind her could no longer bear it and stepped forward.
Her voice, though not loud, carried a steely, battle-hardened quality, piercing through the clamor of the discussion: "Your Majesty, I, Bai Su, dare to plead my case. Though I am a woman, I was born into a military family and raised in the army. From childhood, I have practiced martial arts and studied military texts. While I dare not claim to be an expert in strategy, I know to be loyal to the emperor, serve the country, and protect the people. The calamity in the southern border is not a recent event, but a long-standing and deeply entrenched problem. The pirates are rampant, yet the lord of the southern border and the general in charge are inactive. Morale is low, the generals are helpless, and the people are suffering. In such a situation, it is not just men and women who cannot stand idly by."
Bai Su's words were powerful and resounding, like thunderclaps.
The ministers were so intimidated by his imposing manner that they did not dare to speak up for a while.
Bai Su looked around, his initial anger and indignation turning into pride: "Military achievements... every single one... were accomplished by the soldiers of my Southern Border, not something I, Bai Su, dare to claim alone. But my actions are also witnessed by my comrades who fought alongside me, by the hundreds of thousands of people in the Southern Border who have regained peace, and even by the scars on my body..."
Before he could finish speaking, Bai Su suddenly raised his hand, tore open his silver armor, and ripped open his collar, revealing a deep, bright red scar on his left shoulder and collarbone, where the bone was visible.
The wound looked like it had just healed; the rolled-up flesh and deep grooves indicated the severity of the injury.
A collective gasp filled the hall.
Mu Xi was stunned for a moment. Bai Su's injury was obviously fresh, but when she was in the Southern Territory, she had never heard Bai Su mention it, and she had never even noticed that Bai Su had suffered such a serious injury.
Bai Su paid no attention to the various gazes, some of which were shocked, some of disdainful, and some of which were complicated. He then rolled up the arm guards on his left and right arms, revealing crisscrossing scars on his arms, one of which was particularly deep and long, almost encircling his entire forearm.
Bai Su showed the scars to everyone around him, then laughed self-deprecatingly, "Alas, I am but a mere woman and child, and I cannot display the scars on my chest, back, and thighs. You may simply pretend they don't exist. But there are plenty of generals who have fought on the battlefield, aren't there? I want you to take a look at these visible ones. Are they knife wounds? Are they knife wounds from pirates? Are they new or old wounds? Are they wounds from battle?"
Pang Ming and Pang Yi, the father and son who had been the most vocal and aggressive earlier, remained silent.
Gao Quan glanced at it and pretended not to see it.
The other officials also pretended to be dead.
At this moment, a man stepped forward from below Bai Su, his eyes red: "Your Majesty, this humble general Dai and his deputy Guo Tong can testify that the scars on Madam Bai's body were inflicted when she led the army in a surprise attack on the pirates' stronghold, 'Ghost Tooth Island'."
Although Bai Su did not bring the seven generals who had fought alongside him, it was precisely in case of the current situation, fearing that if anything went wrong, all seven of them would be wiped out.
But at least two "pragmatic" deputy generals, Dai Rong, were brought along. Their original intention was to testify about Dai Rong's death, but unexpectedly, they were able to stand up and speak at this time.
One of them stepped forward, and another lieutenant followed suit, vouching for him: "Your Majesty, I can also testify that the ambush at Qixia Beach that resulted in the great defeat of the main force of the pirates and the beheading of a thousand was initiated by Lady Bai. At that time, Lady Bai was stabbed several times and covered in blood, and she fought until she fainted."
Every scar on Bai Su's body was a testament to his military achievements.
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