The emperor's intention was naturally to send Lu Baichuan, Qin Jian, and some experienced veteran generals, with the experienced generals as commanders-in-chief and Lu Baichuan as deputy commanders-in-chief. This powerful alliance would crush the Eastern Court, bringing peace for a few years.
However, the people in the court were not united, and many were dissatisfied. Whenever the emperor mentioned this matter, many people stood up to oppose it.
There were quite a few reasons for the opposition, saying that Lu Baichuan had no experience in leading troops into battle and that it was not advisable to take the risk.
They said the old general was getting on in years and should be enjoying his retirement instead of working so hard.
It was also said that the emperor's favoritism towards Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian was a sign of the country's impending doom.
The censors in the court were like mad dogs, fearless and biting anyone they saw. In any case, Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian were the ones who suffered the most.
This war was expected long ago. The emperor had already decided on the personnel to be sent, which is why he was so anxious to get Qin Jian married as soon as possible so as not to delay the time to go to the border.
As a result, these officials stood up to stop it and even said such treasonous things.
"Your Majesty, this old minister does not deny General Lu's ability and merits, but General Lu is young and inexperienced. He cannot joke with the lives of millions of soldiers!"
"This matter needs further consideration. Our Northern Yan has more than just these two generals. His Majesty should give other generals the opportunity to make merits!"
"Your Majesty, in the court, we must not show favoritism or discourage the other generals!"
...
These officials were eloquent and adept at sowing discord. Even the military officers who originally had no such thoughts were incited to believe that the emperor was indeed too biased. They were all generals, so why should the opportunity to make merit be given only to the Lu family?
The Lu family has made so many contributions, can't they give the opportunity to someone else?
Everyone felt that this negotiation had greatly thwarted Dongting. Even if war broke out, Dongting would not be a match for Beiyan. Who wouldn't want such a great military achievement?
At first, only the civil officials were arguing, but later the military officers who had been provoked also began to complain, and the court was as noisy as a marketplace.
The emperor was very troubled. These civil officials were really afraid that the world would not be in chaos. At this time, they actually stirred up a civil war. What were their intentions?
If there were more suitable candidates, would he have kept sending Lu Baichuan and Qin Jian?
It was clearly because the others weren't capable enough. Even if they could win, it would only consume more food and kill more soldiers. As the emperor, he only wanted to minimize the sacrifices and let the soldiers suffer less.
"snort!"
Just as things were getting heated, a cold snort came from the crowd.
Lu Baichuan didn't even need to turn his head to know that Mr. Kang couldn't hold back any longer.
Sure enough, Mr. Kang stepped out from the crowd, looked at the official in the middle spouting nonsense, and said in a very contemptuous tone: "Gentlemen, you have served the court for so many years, do you not even have a little self-awareness?"
"Dongting was originally the leader of the four kingdoms. Even though it has suffered some losses in recent years due to our Beiyan attacks, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Who can guarantee that we will definitely win? Or rather, who dares to say that they are more capable than General Lu?"
"General Lu came from humble beginnings, yet he rose to the rank of a second-grade minister at a young age entirely through his own abilities. Last year's palace coup was easily resolved by General Lu and his wife. I ask you, who among you here has such abilities?"
"Not to mention Lord Qin, who just returned from the border not long ago. He defeated tens of thousands of enemy troops with only a few dozen men and returned unscathed. Who else could have such an ability?"
"Gentlemen, your words are truly laughable. You asked General Yuan to lead the team, but you said he was too old to suffer any more. You asked General Lu and Lord Qin to accompany them, but you said they were too young. You always have your reasons!"
As soon as Mr. Kang stepped in, he asked if there was any.
Lu Baichuan felt that it was a waste of his talents to work as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. He should be sent to the Censorate. In the entire court, he was the most eloquent, and no one else could out-argue him.
The court was in complete chaos, and the emperor didn't want to deal with it. Seeing how far things had gotten, he simply adjourned the court session.
Of course, he still summoned his trusted courtiers to the small council hall to discuss the matter in detail.
Before becoming the crown prince, the emperor lived a hard life and was supported by his trusted confidants to rise to power. So even if he was angry in court, he would be all smiles in the small council hall.
It was already lunchtime, and he understood that everyone was hungry, so he ordered the dishes to be served. The emperor and his ministers sat around a table, eating and talking.
"General Yuan, what do you think?"
The emperor personally served food to General Yuan, who thanked him respectfully before saying, "This matter is clearly aimed at Generals Lu and Qin. They are currently enjoying great success, so it is understandable that they are being made difficult for."
"In my humble opinion, they are stubborn and won't turn back until they hit a wall. Let them try it themselves and they will know how difficult it is."
General Yuan had spent most of his life fighting on the battlefield, so he took these things lightly. Even when people talked about him, he wasn't angry at all.
Why would he stop someone who's rushing to their death?
He could think that way, but the emperor, as the ruler of a country, could not. He sighed, "But I cannot gamble with the lives of my soldiers."
Lu Baichuan said, "Your Majesty, I also think it would be better to let them try, so that I can spend more time with my wife and children."
Qin Jian nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, yes, I am about to get married..."
It's not that they lack compassion, it's just that they can't possibly have enough compassion for everyone.
Originally, they planned to defeat the Eastern Court so that they could go home and enjoy their wives and children. However, the court was not united and people felt that the emperor was biased. They even said that it was a sign of the country's demise. So what were they fighting for? They would be scolded by the civil officials until they could not lift their heads.
Before launching an attack on foreign fronts, it's best to deal with those in the court who have their own agendas; otherwise, if a traitor emerges, the consequences will be unimaginable.
The emperor was so worried that he couldn't stop them from causing him trouble, and he immediately lost his appetite.
"What do the other ministers think?"
The emperor didn't want to look at them, so he turned to look at others.
The others then shared their ideas, such as suggesting that Lu Baichuan and the others could bring along the prominent generals, as more people means more power.
Before he could finish speaking, the emperor interrupted him: "No, too many generals will lead to defeat before the battle even begins."
They are all generals capable of being commanders. If they were to work under Lu Baichuan, would they be willing to accept it?
Furthermore, it's not just this one border that needs guarding; other places can't be ignored either. If everyone is sent to defend against the Eastern Court, what will happen to the other places?
Isn't this ridiculous?
The emperor's face turned cold. He put down his chopsticks and stared expressionlessly at the table of people who were giving him a hard time. He asked, "Are you all full?"
Qin Jian replied honestly, "Not yet, I just picked it up..."
"Now that you have all eaten your fill, my dear subjects, you may return home."
"..."
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