Chapter 245: Believe Me, I

The old emperor distrusted the meritorious nobles and for years had sought to sow discord between them and the military generals, hoping to detach the generals into a third force in court, standing equal to the noble faction.

But the results had always been poor.

There were many martial elites, but not every one possessed the talent of a great general, let alone the ability to command an entire army. After searching far and wide, the commander-in-chief still had to be drawn from among the nobles.

Thus, the generals could never escape the nobles' control; to rise in rank and wealth, they still had to rely on the nobles' patronage. The generals remained an extension of noble power. Statistically, the probability of a noble family producing a general far exceeded that of a martial elite.

The civil officials faced a similar situation: the old emperor had long tried to divide the second-generation officials with family backing from the humble-born officials without connections, but with little success. The two factions were constantly intertwined, each within the other, united against the old emperor.

Since division was impossible, he might as well create a third party—Jiang Tu. Use Jiang Tu, this corrupt minister, to brutally suppress the civil officials and relieve the old emperor of pressure.

When Yu Zhaoan stood in the Taiji Palace, he had already understood everything clearly and knew precisely why the old emperor had summoned him.

Clearly, the old emperor did not want Pingjiang Marquis to lead troops a second time. Losing didn't matter—but if he won, his prestige in the military would be uncontested, and noble power would achieve unprecedented cohesion and expansion.

The old emperor would never accept that.

But…

The nobles' growth benefited him! The Crown Prince likely thought the same. The stronger the nobles, the more secure the Crown Prince's position. Yu Zhaoan pondered the benefits he could extract from this.

"Pingjiang Marquis is old and unsuitable to command troops again. Instead, promote his deputy general. Though his seniority and prestige are lacking, appoint Pingjiang Marquis's eldest legitimate son, Chen Guanlou, as deputy general."

Hm?

The old emperor was stunned—he never expected Yu Zhaoan, the so-called genius, to propose such a terrible idea. It truly was terrible.

The deputy general lacked seniority and prestige—he could never control the arrogant frontier troops. As for Chen Guanlou, a young man, even though he was Pingjiang Marquis's heir and heir apparent, he was still young and would surely fail to command the frontier troops. Moreover, he had spent years in the south and was unfamiliar with the climate and terrain of the northwest. This was a guaranteed losing combination.

The old emperor's eyes turned fierce; he suspected Yu Zhaoan was mocking him.

Yu Zhaoan's face remained calm, his expression open and unshaken. "I have another suggestion."

"Speak!" The old emperor's tone was now impatient—if Yu Zhaoan dared speak nonsense again, he would not be spared.

"Reinstate Pingjiang Marquis. He won the first campaign; he can win the second. But send a civil official capable of standing equal to him to Jinzhou to oversee civil administration. All grain, supplies, and military equipment must pass through the local government's accounts. Pingjiang Marquis shall be responsible solely for overseeing military affairs in the Northwest Province."

"Excellent!" The old emperor finally smiled. Yu Zhaoan was still useful. "Who do you think is suitable to oversee civil affairs in the northwest?"

Yu Zhaoan stepped forward solemnly two paces. "I humbly request to be sent to the northwest, to relieve Your Majesty of this burden."

"You?" The old emperor was astonished.

Yu Zhaoan raised his voice, speaking with gravity: "The Left Chancellor is elderly and cannot withstand the fatigue of travel, and the court cannot do without him. The Right Chancellor, meanwhile, is unlikely to control Pingjiang Marquis—he may even be subdued by him. Other ministers and grand secretaries are all indispensable at present; the capital needs them to coordinate logistics for the northwest campaign. As Left Assistant Censor-in-Chief, my rank and seniority are sufficient to match Pingjiang Marquis in authority. I am confident I can cooperate harmoniously with him, swiftly eliminate the rebels, and never betray Your Majesty's trust."

The old emperor was bewildered; his previously clear thoughts had been thrown into chaos.

He had always known Yu Zhaoan was ambitious and capable—but never imagined he was this… confident. What gave him the audacity to believe he could balance Pingjiang Marquis without being subdued by him? Pingjiang Marquis may appear cheerful every day, but he commanded fierce frontier troops—how could he be taken lightly? Hundreds, if not thousands, of soldiers had died under his hand. His fearsome reputation was not built on words—it was forged in blood.

"You… are good." The old emperor Mianqiang praised. "This matter requires further deliberation. I will convene a court assembly to seek the ministers' opinions. You may withdraw."

"Your servant takes his leave."

Yu Zhaoan bowed respectfully and exited the Taiji Palace. After stepping beyond the palace gates, his lips could not help but curl upward—then he forced them down again.

Before he had even left the Taiji Palace grounds, a eunuch called out to him, asking him to wait—Grand Eunuch Qiu had something to say.

Moments later, Qiu Defu appeared. "I'm just about to leave the palace. If you don't mind, shall we go together?"

"An honor," Yu Zhaoan laughed heartily, both men understanding without words.

As they walked out of the palace, nearing the gate, Qiu Defu spoke again: "War cannot proceed without grain and funds. The Ministry of Revenue constantly cries poverty. The grain and funds issue is too vast—delaying it means we may never launch the campaign against the rebels. Why not find another path, gather provisions sooner, and relieve Your Majesty sooner?"

"I humbly seek your guidance, Grand Eunuch."

"Jiang Tu is skilled at seizing wealth." Qiu Defu smiled mysteriously. "You, Lord Yu, surely have a way to extract grain and funds from him."

Yu Zhaoan smiled faintly. "Grand Eunuch, you're putting me in a bind! What merit or ability do I have to intercept funds from Lord Jiang? Unwise, very unwise."

Qiu Defu silently cursed—Yu was a sly old fox; he wouldn't act unless he saw the rabbit.

"If you can extract grain and funds from Jiang Tu, I shall personally ensure your appointment as overall civil administrator of the northwest."

Yu Zhaoan raised an eyebrow. "And what benefit will you gain from this?"

Qiu Defu chuckled. "I cannot stand street ruffians prancing about in court." This was absolutely sincere.

Yu Zhaoan understood fully. He gazed at the palace gate ahead and said solemnly: "Understood. Then, may our cooperation be fruitful." With that, he stepped forward and exited the gate first.

Chen Guanlou finished his duty and received a message from Master Du: his grandfather wished to see him.

Chen Guanlou freshened his attire, as always, and entered the Hou Fu through the back gate.

Having come and gone from the Hou Fu several times, he no longer felt the initial curiosity. He was led directly to the study and, after being announced, was invited inside.

Inside the study were only two people: the Grand Master and the Chief Steward.

"Nephew greets Grand Master, pays his respects."

"No need for formalities. Sit and speak."

"Thank you, Grand Master."

Chen Guanlou sat on the right-hand chair, assuming the posture of a respectful junior.

He was still confused—he did not know why the Grand Master wanted to see him. Master Du had given no clear reason.

The Grand Master studied Chen Guanlou, nodding inwardly. No wonder he was a Chen. He was truly handsome—handsomer even than the last time they met. His features radiated vigor; he looked less like a jailer and more like a wandering martial hero.

"You've had prolonged contact with Yu Zhaoan. What do you think of him?"

The Grand Master cut straight to the point.

Chen Guanlou was slightly surprised—the Grand Master was asking him about Yu Zhaoan?