Chapter 7: Encircling Cizhou
Xu Gong was shocked to hear this. He had never expected Zhu Yuhuan to say such a thing. He immediately bowed and said, "I dare not speak nonsense."
Zhu Yuhuan raised his hand to signal him to stand, saying, "The position of commander-in-chief should be filled by the most capable. When the Imperial Examination selected Liu Mian to succeed Master, it was precisely because of his talent that he was selected. But Liu Mian has been so derelict in his duty, so the position of commander-in-chief cannot be given to him. The Empress Dowager and His Majesty will surely select a suitable candidate from the Imperial Guard to succeed Liu Mian. Don't you have any ideas?"
People go to high places and water flows to low places. It is impossible to say that Xu Gong himself had no idea about the position of the commander of the Jinyiwei, but Xu Gong did have some hesitation.
He didn't know much about the affairs of the palace, but he did understand one thing: Princess Shunde's power would inevitably be met with backlash from the emperor after reaching a certain point, and it was impossible for Empress Dowager Zhang to have no vigilance against Princess Shunde. Although he was a member of the Jinyiwei, his relationship with Princess Shunde was closer than others, which was undoubtedly his "disadvantage".
Xu Gong raised his eyes to look at Zhu Yuhuan and said, "The commander has ordered me to serve as your highness's personal guard. How dare I leave my post without permission?"
Zhu Yuhuan understood his implication. Xu Gong had been Zhu Yuhuan's bodyguard, and the position of commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard required absolute loyalty to the emperor. Naturally, he could not arbitrarily choose someone related to Zhu Yuhuan.
Zhu Yuhuan smiled slightly, looking at Xu Gong with calm eyes, but revealing a glimmer of light. She said, "I only ask if you are interested in this position. If you are, I will naturally find a way to provide you with an opportunity. Of course, you also need to work hard on your part."
Xu Gong met her gaze, took a deep breath, and said, "Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your appreciation. I sincerely ask Your Highness to lend me a helping hand. A drop of kindness is repaid with a spring, let alone Your Highness's recommendation."
Zhu Yuhuan's eyes flashed with admiration as he said, "That's excellent. After we capture the ringleader, General Liu, Censor Wang, and you will conduct a joint trial. As for trying cases and interrogating criminals, this is the Jinyiwei's job. Just act impartially as usual and don't let me down."
"yes."
After Xu Gong left, Huai En asked hesitantly, "Your Highness, what about Xu Gong..."
He had been in the palace for so many years and had learned a lot in the inner study hall, so he naturally understood the difficulty of this matter.
Zhu Yuhuan turned to look at him, smiled, and said, "Are you asking me how I can ensure that Xu Gong can take over as the commander of the Jinyiwei?"
"Xu Gong was right. He has served as Your Highness's personal guard for several years. Old Madam Zhang will certainly consider this matter and will not easily agree to it."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded repeatedly and said, "While this is certainly true, the reality may not be so. Liu Mian was personally selected by the Emperor during his lifetime as the commander of the Imperial Guard, so he has some popularity. Zhang Puxiang's rebellion wasn't entirely his fault, but we should use this opportunity to rectify the government and officials to prevent him from being used as a scapegoat. The Empress Dowager wanted to restore the court ethos of Great-Grandfather and the Emperor's grandfather, even going so far as to eliminate the entertainment in the palace. How could she miss such a good opportunity?"
Huai En immediately understood and said, "But Liu Mian was left behind by the late emperor. If we want to take him down, we have to choose another person who has been trusted and valued by the late emperor like him to take over the position of commander."
Xu Gong was appointed as Zhu Yuhuan's personal guard by Zhu Zhanji. Although he was Zhu Yuhuan's personal guard, he was also a soldier who had accompanied Zhu Zhanji on border patrols. Not to mention that the personal guards he led were not Jinyiwei, who were of the same background as him, but were the young soldiers who had once followed Zhu Zhanji.
The young soldiers who followed him knew clearly whether Xu Gong and Zhu Yuhuan were colluding or not. If there was any problem, they would have reported it to Zhu Zhanji long ago. If Zhu Zhanji knew, he would have transferred Xu Gong away earlier and would not have kept him by Zhu Yuhuan's side to strengthen the relationship between the two.
In terms of identity, Xu Gong was still very clean in the eyes of the deceased Zhu Zhanji and Empress Dowager Zhang.
Her deceased father was still of some use, at least in clearing her identity.
"The Jinyiwei are arrogant and domineering externally, and they're not much better internally. Liu Mian himself is well aware of the public backlash, so he naturally hopes the next Jinyiwei commander will be someone who can stand with him." Zhu Yuhuan said this with a smile, "But in this situation, who would dare to associate with Liu Mian? His colleagues in the Jinyiwei have probably already stayed away, or at least they don't dare to communicate with each other openly. Even Liu Mian himself can only settle for the next best thing."
Huai En suddenly realized and said, "Liu Mian also knows this. He knows that his position as commander will not last long and he needs to make plans for the future in advance. So he will contact others privately and try to nominate someone who is close to him or has no connection with him to succeed him as commander, so as to avoid being liquidated later. No wonder His Highness asked Xu Gong to act impartially..."
"Xu Gong isn't someone who flatters his superiors or overthrows his subordinates. Let him handle this normally. The most important thing is to show the Empress Dowager and the cabinet that he's capable." Zhu Yuhuan rested his chin on his hand and said, "The cabinet naturally hopes the commander of the Imperial Guard will be impartial, and the Empress Dowager only needs a suitable reason and excuse to crack down on those who violate the rules and establish Your Majesty's authority. Someone like Xu Gong, who has no obvious faction within the Imperial Guard and is trusted by the late Emperor, is the perfect choice."
"I see."
Zhu Yuhuan picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip of tea and rinsed his mouth. Then he said, "Besides, Xu Gong is also going on the expedition this time. He has made military achievements and will participate in the trial later. I don't worry that he will have any connection with Liu Mian."
"Your Highness is right."
It was not far from Shunde Prefecture to Zhangde Prefecture. The army traveled day and night and it took only four days to meet up with Cao Tai, the commander of Zhangde Prefecture.
Although Cao Tai had long known that Princess Shunde would be accompanying him, he was still surprised to see the princess in person, dressed in military uniform, and hurriedly greeted Zhu Yuhuan. A few days ago, Cao Tai had seen people from Shunde Prefecture delivering food, claiming that Princess Shunde had written a petition requesting it, and he had assumed they were just trying to get the honor on her behalf. However, he had never expected the princess to actually travel day and night to come personally to Zhangde Prefecture, a place considered a "front line."
Zhu Yuhuan asked him to excuse himself, then said, "General Liu, Censor Wang, I have reviewed the military situation in Shunde County over the past few days. Commander Cao has been suppressing the rebellion for many days. In your opinion, when is the most appropriate time to attack Cizhou?"
Cao Tai was surprised by Zhu Yuhuan's directness and replied, "Nearby prefectures and counties have returned to normal. In my opinion, we should wait until Your Highness and General Liu's troops have rested for a day, then besiege Cizhou and cut off all contact with the outside world. We can then attack the city tomorrow."
He had assumed that the imperial court would primarily resort to appeasement, hoping to resolve the rebellion in Cizhou without bloodshed. Furthermore, he had limited troops to muster, so he first conquered the nearby prefectures and only then laid siege to Cizhou. Unexpectedly, Zhu Yuhuan immediately attacked Cizhou directly. Fortunately, he had been prepared and did not hesitate.
Zhu Yuhuan looked at Liu Yongcheng and asked, "What do you think, General Liu?"
Liu Yongcheng first asked Cao Tai about the strength of his army, and then replied: "With our army's strength, it is no problem to surround Cizhou. We just need to rest and then we can attack Cizhou."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded slightly, then said to Cao Tai, "Tomorrow we will attack Cizhou. The government troops, the Jinyiwei, and the youth troops will all go into battle. We must capture Cizhou and apprehend the bandit leader Zhang Puxiang and his men. I will oversee the battle, and I will personally report to the emperor and request a reward for those who perform meritorious deeds."
When she said this, the local officers and soldiers beside her took a deep breath.
Let alone military achievements on weekdays, it is considered good for these soldiers not to be bullied by officers of higher ranks. It is not easy for them to get a chance to be commended and be rewarded by the state government. However, Princess Shunde wants to submit the merits to His Majesty, which is a great matter to bring honor to the family!
In the future, I can brag about it and say that I am a meritorious official praised by the emperor!
Cao Tai was stunned at first, but then he realized that this was Zhu Yuhuan's words of encouragement. He bowed and said, "Serving the country with loyalty is our duty. Your Highness, you are too kind."
Zhu Yuhuan personally reached out and helped him up. He glanced around and raised his voice, saying, "Your Majesty has ascended the throne, yet before the reign was changed, these rebels are causing trouble. How arrogant and hateful! Commander Cao and his officers and soldiers have dedicated themselves to suppressing the rebellion. Your Majesty has seen it all, so how could you not reward them? Shunde Prefecture, Baoding Prefecture, and other places have already dispatched grain. Not only does this serve to appease the bandits, it also serves as an encouragement to the officers and soldiers."
"I understand."
In reality, attacking Cizhou wasn't a difficult task. Zhang Puxiang and his men were just a motley crew, the only capable one among them being Chai Wang, a former soldier. But now, trapped in Cizhou by Cao Tai, they couldn't leave. The surrounding prefectures and counties had been pacified by Cao Tai, leaving them powerless to fight back. It was only a matter of time before they were wiped out.
However, morale boosting is still necessary. Zhu Yuhuan and Liu Yongcheng do not need to fight in person. They are mainly responsible for managing the overall situation and ensuring smooth transmission of information. The combat situation at different city gates must be analyzed at all times to facilitate military mobilization, etc.
Zhu Yuhuan had only learned the basic theories from Saihazhi, but this time, along with Liu Yongcheng, he finally saw a corner of the real battlefield. Although he was watching from a distance, he could still see the situation on the battlefield clearly.
Liu Yongcheng couldn't help but feel a little worried about Zhu Yuhuan. After all, it was her first time on the battlefield. Although she didn't fight the enemy personally, the bloodiness of the battlefield was still visible. For a pampered princess like Zhu Yuhuan, it was still a little too bloody.
However, Zhu Yuhuan's reaction was unexpectedly calm, and he seemed unaffected by the scene before him.
Zhu Yuhuan noticed his master's gaze and smiled slightly, saying, "Master, don't worry. I'm not that fragile yet. If we simply appease them without using force to suppress them, there will inevitably be more changes later. It's better to use force to deter them and solve all the problems at once."
After all, she didn't want to wait until she entered the city to pacify the people, only to have a few well-prepared people suddenly show up and assassinate her.
With sufficient food and fodder and high morale, the government troops captured Cizhou in less than a day. Furthermore, Liu Yongcheng had repeatedly stressed military discipline beforehand, so when Zhu Yuhuan entered the city, the troops were disciplined and there was no disorder. The rescued people of Cizhou even lined the streets to welcome him.
Zhu Yuhuan rode into the city and looked at the various bloodstains left on the city wall. He also glanced at the corpses on the roadside that had not been collected yet. Some of them were shot by arrows, some had their heads and bodies separated, and some had fallen from a height and their heads were broken. Even though the blood had dried up, it was still bloody.
Zhu Yuhuan only glanced a few times, then stared straight ahead at the road, and only dismounted when he arrived at the Cizhou government office.
The government office had been occupied by bandits for over a month, and the interior was already in chaos. There were traces of rummaging everywhere. I didn't know if it was left there when they first broke into the office, or if it was left there when someone tried to escape during the siege.
Xu Gong's armor was still stained with blood. He pulled a chair over and asked Zhu Yuhuan to sit down. Zhu Yuhuan sat upright on the chair, first glancing around, then looking at Wang Qiang and asking, "Censor Wang, has the appeal been posted and read in the city?"
Wang Qiang bowed and said, "Your Highness, rest assured. I have sent people to recite the sutras everywhere. Most of the people have already surrendered and are accepting the management of the government troops."
Cao Tai also said: "The officers and soldiers have separated these people and managed them separately. Every place in the city is heavily guarded. No one will dare to take advantage of this opportunity to cause trouble."
Zhu Yuhuan nodded slightly and said, "That's great. Have all the bandit leaders been captured?"
"Zhang Puxiang, Chai Wang, Zhang Yu, and others have all been captured and taken to the prison for strict custody. The trial will officially begin tomorrow."
Zhu Yuhuan looked at Xu Gong behind him and said to Wang Qiang, "Your Majesty has ordered that I, along with Censor Wang and General Liu, take charge of this matter. I also need to appease the people in the city. The trial of Zhang Puxiang will be handed over to Jinyiwei Xu Gong. Afterwards, I will compile the preliminary trial process and results into a book and submit it to Your Majesty."
Wang Qiang breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yes. From now on, the daily trial results will also be submitted to His Highness for his review."
The trial of such a bandit would be even bloodier than a siege. After all, Zhu Yuhuan was a princess, and it was not appropriate for her to go to prison to participate in the trial of a traitor.
Besides, Xu Gong was from the Jinyiwei, so he should be more professional in trying bandits than these people.
Besides, the so-called trial was mainly to investigate whether there were any officials in the court who were colluding with Zhang Puxiang and others. Wang Qiang did not really want Princess Shunde to go.
The scene would surely be extremely bloody, and the interrogation would be at close range. If the princess was frightened to death, how could they bear the responsibility for that?
With the presence of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the authenticity of the trial process can still be verified.
Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Zhu Yuhuan nodded with satisfaction and said, "This is a very good arrangement."
She knew the purpose of the trial very well and had no interest in it at all. Its only purpose was to make Xu Gong show up, so she happily accepted it.
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