Turning public opinion around
Fu Zhi Qiao and Sheng An exchanged a glance; the real show was about to begin!
“Yes, the cavalry suffered a defeat in the northern frontier. We’re wondering if this topic will be on the essay questions for next year’s imperial examination! Do you have any brilliant ideas, sir?” Fu Zhiqiao deliberately guided him to express his opinion.
The man in the long robe became interested. He waved his hand and said, "I wouldn't call it a brilliant insight, but this question will definitely not be on the imperial examination essays. This is not a simple defeat, not because the soldiers below were not capable, but because the general made a mistake in decision-making, which led to the defeat."
Sheng An stood up and bowed to the man in the long robe, saying, "This brother knows a lot. May I ask your name?"
Sheng An's flattery made the man in the long robe feel somewhat smug, so he simply took his wine glass and sat down.
The two then discussed the matter.
"Brother Xiao, you are truly knowledgeable and experienced." Sheng An raised a glass of wine to him, then lowered his voice and asked nervously, "Brother Xiao, do you think the rumors are true? Does that person really harbor rebellious intentions?"
Although the man in the long robe was flattered, he didn't lose his temper: "How dare you say such a thing? You're asking for it!"
Sheng An chuckled twice: "I was just curious, it's rare to run into someone as capable as Brother Xiao..."
Fu Zhiqiao also pretended to be eager to hear the details, and finally, with their deliberate guidance, the topic really got going. Not only were they discussing it, but other guests in Taibai Tower were also talking about it.
"How despicable! Aren't the lives of ordinary soldiers also lives? To risk so many lives for one's own military merits, I spit on them!"
"He is largely to blame for this defeat."
"His wrong decision caused the deaths of so many soldiers; it's a terrible tragedy!"
Sheng An and the man in the long robe echoed each other, both criticizing Xie Zhuo's mistakes. Fu Zhi Qiao, sitting next to them, raised her voice: "I don't believe it. You can't just make things up without evidence!"
"Evidence?" The man in the long robe looked at Fu Zhiqiao as if he had heard a joke, and said, "You young man are obviously inexperienced. What need is there for evidence in this situation? Isn't suffering a defeat the best evidence?"
“But we don’t have to put all the blame on him. He’s just a deputy general. There’s a general above him!” Fu Zhiqiao argued.
"Stop talking! If General Luo hadn't been seriously injured and unable to fight, he wouldn't have had a chance!"
The man in the long robe meant to say that Xie Zhuo was not capable enough, but everyone else interpreted it as: Xie Zhuo took advantage of General Luo's injury to try to lead troops and steal credit, but his cleverness backfired, exposing his lack of ability.
Amidst the cacophony of angry curses, a scholar blurted out, "The general is incompetent, and the soldiers are fearless; the ancestors were right!"
The man in the long robe clearly agreed with this statement: "If he hadn't been so stubborn and greedy for merit, he wouldn't have been outmaneuvered by the barbarian army. This defeat was either due to the young and impetuous general being incompetent, or he was acting under orders..."
The man in the long robe made a pointed remark, leading everyone to speculate that Prince Duan intended to rebel. Could it really be that he deliberately lost the battle?
"How do you know? Did you see it on the spot?" Fu Zhi Qiao retorted sarcastically without any politeness. "Did you personally see any slacking generals in the elite cavalry? Did you personally see that lord deliberately lose the battle? Our soldiers are loyal to their duty and fight bravely on the battlefield, yet they are suspected like this. Aren't you afraid that your words will chill the hearts of the soldiers at the front!"
Fu Zhiqiao said indignantly, "With the enemy at our doorstep, they are still spreading rumors and disrupting morale. Their intentions are despicable!"
With such a serious accusation of disrupting morale, who would dare to speak up?
The people around them were all shocked. They realized that what they had been discussing over tea and meals had caused such serious consequences.
The man in the long robe was taken aback by Fu Zhi Qiao's sudden aggressiveness. He was speechless and his momentum weakened. "I... I heard it from someone else."
"Oh! So you just heard it from someone else, and you don't have any evidence!"
"You can't say things like that next time, or you might get..." Fu Zhi Qiao made a throat-slitting gesture.
"No, I didn't..." The man in the long robe was clearly frightened.
"That's good." Fu Zhiqiao's gaze swept over everyone: "You are all sitting in warm rooms drinking wine, while our soldiers are out in the freezing cold, suffering from the northwest wind. It is they who paid the price of their lives to bring us peace today. If you have any conscience, you should not be mocking them for their defeat at this moment!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone in the lobby fell silent.
"Our soldiers paid the ultimate price to fight on the battlefield, only to be slandered like this by their own countrymen. It's truly heartbreaking. And what about those soldiers who have already given their lives for their country? Their bodies are barely cold..."
Fu Zhiqiao stood up as she spoke, her voice trembling with emotion: “No one here has the right to criticize them. The soldiers are only human. You can call them incompetent for losing the battle, but you can’t say that they were instructed to deliberately lose. That would be an insult to all the soldiers!”
She raised her voice: "No one wants to lose a battle, but no one is invincible!"
Fu Zhi Qiao delivered her speech with great emotion, and everyone present was moved by her performance.
Yes! Soldiers are made of flesh and blood. Besides being soldiers, they are also husbands, fathers, and sons. Soldiers are ordinary people too! Thinking of this, they seemed to be awakened and lowered their heads in shame, unable to utter those words of accusation anymore.
Seeing that the atmosphere had been built up enough, Sheng An stepped in to add fuel to the fire: "That's not right. The soldiers have suffered a defeat, which has also threatened the safety of our people. What's wrong with me saying a few words to them?"
His words have angered many.
Now, without Fu Zhiqiao even needing to lead the way, someone immediately objected: "Do you have any conscience? Our soldiers risk their lives on the battlefield, and you just open your mouth to slander them?"
Once it happens, it happens again, and people start to stand up and express their opinions.
"Our soldiers are fighting on the front lines, and we should not criticize them behind their backs. That is not the behavior of a gentleman."
Someone on the spot immediately started wiping away tears, saying, "That's right, my son went to the battlefield to defend our country. He's only fifteen years old. Even if he loses the battle, he's still my family's hero!"
"That's right, my son-in-law is also fighting on the front lines. I hope he can get away with it safely."
“My elder brother’s limp was caused by a battlefield injury. He has been devastated ever since. I want to go back and tell him that he was injured while protecting everyone. His limp is not a disgrace, but a medal for defending his country!”
Just now, Sheng An and the man in the long robe had used the most offensive language, and after the tide turned, everyone looked at them with extremely unfriendly eyes.
The man in the long robe quickly distanced himself, saying, "Don't talk nonsense, I'm not the kind of person who doesn't know what's good for me."
Sheng An quickly echoed him: "I was just... just deceived."
“Our peaceful life today was bought with the lives of our soldiers. Instead of being grateful, you are here slandering and defaming them. Is this something a human being would do?” Seeing that the others were stunned by her words, Fu Zhiqiao continued, “I simply don’t believe that Prince Duan would rebel. If he really had the intention to rebel, why would he send his only son to the battlefield?”
The northern border region is a harsh and cold place. Fighting in such an environment can easily lead to death. When everyone heard this, it seemed to make sense!
Even tigers don't eat their cubs, so it's impossible for Prince Duan not to care about his son's life.
That was his only son!
*
In the courtyard of Taibai Tower, in Fu Zhiqiao's private room.
"Have you found all the people I asked you to?"
"We've found them. Once this is done, they'll change their names and leave the capital forever." Sheng An had already returned to his normal attire. As per Fu Zhi Qiao's instructions, he had found several people to pose as ordinary citizens and spread the message that Fu Zhi Qiao had prepared in advance.
At first, the people of the capital only talked about the defeat as a topic of conversation. But after Fu Zhiqiao deliberately steered the tide, more and more people began to speak out for the soldiers.
Public opinion, which was unfavorable to the Prince Duan's Mansion, gradually turned around.
Anfeng Town was held, wasn't it? Liangzhou City is doing well, isn't it? So what if we suffered one or two defeats?
The battle is still undecided, and there is always a chance to turn defeat into victory.
Soon, Fu Zhiqiao's plan took effect. At least among the common people, there was no longer any talk that Xie Zhuo had deliberately lost the battle under the orders of Prince Duan.
As the topic gradually gained traction, more and more people regained their senses, and the streets of Beijing were filled with people speaking out for the soldiers on the front lines. No one blamed them for their defeat anymore.
The Prince's Mansion noticed the change in public opinion immediately.
Xie Heshan summoned Sheng An.
Facing the old prince, Sheng An dared not hide anything and told him in detail about Fu Zhi Qiao's plan and the course of events. After listening to what Sheng An said, Xie He Shan seemed to be deep in thought.
This woman is quite clever. If it weren't for her poor family background, she could be a good helpmate to Zhuo'er. Of course, Xie Heshan's comment was just a fleeting thought.
The people sent by the Prince's Mansion have arrived in Liangzhou. He originally planned to wait for them to gather information before taking action, but now that public opinion has turned in his favor, he can no longer let things continue unchecked in the court.
The prince's involvement in a plot to usurp the throne made the atmosphere at court increasingly tense. The crime of usurpation was too sensitive, and the ministers dared not voice their opinions until the emperor's attitude was clear.
The matter of treason is of great importance. Although the emperor did not send troops to guard the Prince's residence, Xie Chi has not attended court for several days and is practically under house arrest in the Prince's residence.
"If there is anything to report, please speak; otherwise, the court may adjourn!"
After a moment of deathly silence, someone stepped forward.
Grand Censor Kuang Boming bowed and said in a deep voice, "Has Your Majesty heard of the recent rumors about Xie Zhuo, the heir apparent of Prince Duan?"
Kuang Boming comes from a prominent family and belongs to the same aristocratic faction, so he naturally stands on Prince Duan's side.
Kuang Boming remained composed and dignified: "The barbarians have invaded, and the situation is urgent. Hundreds of thousands of soldiers of our Great Wei are guarding Liangzhou to protect the safety of the people. Your Majesty must not listen to slander and chill the hearts of all the soldiers!"
Kuang Boming's words, on the surface, were out of sympathy for the frontline soldiers' hardships, but in reality, they were an attempt to exonerate Xie Zhuo, implying that he had no intention of rebelling.
The Chengde Emperor's expression remained unchanged, revealing neither his joy nor anger.
"I second that proposal!"
"I second that proposal!"
Several ministers who were on good terms with the Prince's Palace spoke up.
"Enough!" Emperor Chengde interrupted the arguing courtiers.
For a moment, all the officials fell silent, waiting for the emperor's final answer.
"This matter has not yet been investigated thoroughly, let's discuss it later!" Emperor Chengde waved his sleeve and left, leaving the ministers standing there dumbfounded, looking at each other in bewilderment. What did His Majesty mean by this?
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