Chapter 124: Holding the Vassals to Command the Emperor?

The newspaper under Great Han Media quickly reported on this matter, with the front-page headline written in bold large characters:

"Sang Hongyang and Jin Ridi fled to the south, murdered the King of Chen, kidnapped the young heir, proclaimed they would occupy the imperial ancestral lands, and dreamed of overthrowing the court!"

Once the newspaper was issued, it was like a heavy bomb, causing a huge reaction among the populace.

On streets and in alleys, people were discussing heatedly, their faces full of anger and shock.

Upon hearing this, Liu Ju was even more furious, his hair standing on end.

His face turned dark as iron, he immediately summoned a court assembly; above the great hall, the atmosphere was so heavy it seemed water could drip from it.

Liu Ju sat upright on the dragon throne, his eyes revealing unprecedented firmness and majesty.

He glanced over the assembled ministers and said loudly: "The actions of Sang Hongyang and Jin Ridi have seriously threatened the stability and dignity of our Great Han; I cannot tolerate what they have done! At today's court assembly, the primary task is to purge their remaining influence in the court, allowing these traitors no opportunity whatsoever!"

No sooner had his words fallen than a murmur of discussion arose in the great hall.

Some ministers stood up one after another, expressing their support for Liu Ju's decision.

Chancellor Tian Qianqiu stepped forward and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, the deeds of Sang Hongyang and Jin Ridi are intolerable by heavenly principle; their followers remaining in the court will surely become a major hidden danger for the court. Now is the perfect time to purge them; I am willing to assist Your Majesty fully in investigating this matter."

The newly appointed Minister of Works, Wei Xiang, also echoed: "Your Majesty is absolutely right; if these traitors are not eliminated for a single day, our Great Han will not have peace for a single day. We must act decisively and wipe them out completely."

However, some ministers also expressed opposition.

"Your Majesty, Sang Hongyang and Jin Ridi have operated in the court for many years, with numerous followers and great power. If we rashly launch an investigation into them, it is likely to cause turmoil within the court, possibly affecting the progress of the southern development. I believe this matter requires careful deliberation."

"Your Majesty, the court is now in a turbulent autumn; we need stability, not turmoil. If purging these followers causes internal chaos in the court, would we not be losing more than we gain?"

Liu Ju heard the ministers' differing opinions and could not help but sneer.

After a moment, he raised his head and said firmly: "My resolve is set; the followers of Sang Hongyang and Jin Ridi must be eliminated. I will adopt cautious measures to avoid causing turmoil within the court as much as possible."

"As for the progress of the southern development, I will also assign a dedicated person to oversee it, ensuring it is unaffected. I believe that as long as we work together, we will surely overcome this difficulty."

Under Liu Ju's imperial order, the operation to purge the followers of Sang Hongyang and Jin Ridi officially began.

The court dispatched a large number of personnel to conduct a comprehensive inspection of all departments.

Officials who had colluded with Sang Hongyang and Jin Ridi and intended rebellion were arrested one by one.

After eliminating these hidden dangers, Liu Ju turned his attention to the issue of talent appointment in the court.

He decided to boldly employ graduates of the new-style schools.

The talents cultivated by these new-style schools are open-minded, have accepted new knowledge and ideas, and are full of vigor and vitality. Liu Ju believes they can bring a new atmosphere to the court.

After arranging the court's internal affairs, Liu Ju looked toward Wei Qing and said solemnly: "Wei Prince, the southern rebellion is now rampant; I order you to lead the great army southward at once, and you must bring Sang Hongyang, Jin Ridi, and others to justice, completely quell this rebellion, and restore to our Great Han an era of peaceful prosperity!"

Wei Qing immediately accepted the order and said loudly:

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will not disgrace the mission!"

Wei Qing led the mighty great army southward, pacifying several strategic strongholds, advancing southward in an orderly manner.

But when the army entered the borders of Yu Prefecture, the mountains and rivers crisscrossed, the waterways intertwined, the roads wound and twisted, and miasma spread everywhere.

Already some soldiers had begun to suffer from maladaptation to the local environment.

The complex terrain before him made Wei Qing realize that this pacification war was far more difficult than imagined.

At this moment, Jin Ridi rode a black warhorse, observing from the mountains and forests the distant court army gathering.

His mind kept echoing the scene from when Liu Ju, in the court, spoke at length about politics and military affairs; now times have changed.

He never imagined it would turn out like this; it felt like a dream.

"General, the court army is moving again!" the anxious voice of his deputy general beside him interrupted his thoughts.

Jin Ridi came to his senses, took a deep breath, and loudly ordered: "According to the original plan, disperse and engage in guerrilla tactics, avoid their sharp edge!"

Immediately he involuntarily froze; this mode of warfare, is it not the military thought of the Son of Heaven Liu Ju?

And yet he had unconsciously employed it.

Yet when the news came that the court army was unable to advance a step, being resisted outside Yu Prefecture, and seeing the local clans and Sang Hongyang exhilaratedly discussing, Jin Ridi could not feel happy at all.

Sang Hongyang led the clans, together with the King of Chen, personally welcoming Jin Ridi's triumphant return.

He wore a look of delight, laughing as he patted Jin Ridi's shoulder and said loudly: "General Jin, you have managed to keep the court army outside Yu Prefecture this time—you are truly deserving of the highest credit! Your use of guerrilla tactics is simply superb, leaving the court army powerless to retaliate."

"Yes, General Jin, your military talent is truly admirable. Though we had only heard of the court army's strength, we never imagined that under your command we could make them unable to advance a step. This guerrilla tactic is truly a stroke of genius!"

"General Jin, you are our great savior! Without you, these local clans of ours would probably have long been crushed by the court's oppressive policies."

The local clans beside them also echoed in agreement.

Some young clan soldiers' eyes were full of admiration.

Jin Ridi's face bore a forced smile, he slightly nodded in acknowledgment, but his inner feelings were tumultuous like a raging sea.

In his heart he felt bitter; these words of praise sounded so piercing, each like a sharp knife cruelly stabbing his heart.

These tactics originally came from the Son of Heaven Liu Ju.

Sang Hongyang was still eloquently expounding the subtleties of guerrilla tactics when suddenly he seemed to notice Jin Ridi's oddness, and his words stopped abruptly.

Looking at Jin Ridi's feigned smile, his heart involuntarily tightened.

Recalling the use of these tactics, his smile gradually faded, his face showing a pensive expression.

After everyone had dispersed.

Sang Hongyang looked at Jin Ridi's painful struggle, secretly thinking that if the other's will wavered at this critical juncture, all previous efforts would be wasted.

He needed to quickly find a way to steady him.

He took a deep breath and slowly said: "Brother Jin, I know what you are thinking; these tactics indeed come from the Son of Heaven Liu Ju, and we both used to be his servants, holding him in reverence and loyalty."

"But think again: the court today is no longer the one we once served. Although the Son of Heaven possesses great talent, villains hold sway around him, and his policies increasingly deviate from the people's welfare; we local clans have suffered greatly from this."

Sang Hongyang paused, observing Jin Ridi's expression; seeing him slightly frown, thoughtful, he continued: "Although this guerrilla tactic was proposed by the Son of Heaven, using it now to oppose unjust rule also makes good use of it. Our aim is to establish a more fair and just regime, so that the people may live in peace and prosperity."

He stepped forward, patted Jin Ridi's shoulder, and said earnestly: "General Jin, we have no retreat left. If we give up now, the only thing awaiting us is a dead end, and the local clans that trust us will also suffer utter destruction."

"We hold the fates of so many people in our hands; we cannot discard all our prior efforts because of temporary guilt and conflict. We must believe that, once we succeed, the people will remember our achievements, and history will understand our choices."

Jin Ridi pondered for a long time, then finally lifted his eyes to look at Sang Hongyang and said:

Sang brother's words are extremely correct, it is my woman's benevolence!