Chapter 412

The midday sun baked the central barracks of the Twelve Division Camp like an upturned steamer, the bluish stone on the roof seemingly softened by the heat, giving off a smell mixed with dust.

The curtain at the barracks entrance was half-rolled; wind seeped through the gaps, bringing only a wave of heat, with no hint of coolness.

Inside, more than ten people were seated, arranged on either side, their armor glimmering with a dark, dull sheen in the yellowish light.

Zhu Que sat in the chair to the right of the commander's desk, fully armored, a long sword at his waist, sitting upright and proper.

Ma Guocheng sat at his right hand, short and sturdy, dark-skinned, his expression stern, like a stone blackened by the sun, lips pressed together in silence.

The commanders of the twelve divisions took their seats in order: first, the newly appointed central officer who also commanded the Brave Martial Division, Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding.

Next, the commander of the Bold and Brave Division who remained in the capital after victory in the northwest, Earl First Class You Shiyong.

The four transferred back from Liaodong.

Acting commander of the Gallant and Brave Division, Third‑rank Earl Feng Ziying.

Acting commander of the Obedient and Brave Division, Third‑rank Earl Han Qi.

Commander of the Drum and Brave Division, Second‑rank Earl Hou Xiaokang.

Commander of the Establish Might Division, Second‑rank Earl Liu Fang.

Plus three from the founding martial lineage who originally served in the Capital Division.

Commander of the Extend Might Division, hereditary Second‑rank Baron of the Dingcheng Marquisate, Xie Jing.

Commander of the Exalt Might Division, hereditary First‑rank General of the State‑Repairing Duke's Manor, Shi Guangzhu.

Commander of the Vibrate Might Division, hereditary First‑rank Baron of the Pingyuan Marquisate, Jiang Zining.

As for the Radiant Martial, Training Martial, and Prominent Martial Divisions, they are respectively held concurrently by Jia Jing, Zhu Que, and Ma Guocheng.

At this moment, under Zhu Que's military order, the commanders of the twelve divisions gathered in the central barracks, with several guards standing around.

Everyone's faces were solemn and silent, though one could faintly see that Shi Guangzhu and Jiang Zining seemed to show a hint of displeasure toward Zhu Que.

As time passed and the assembly grew somewhat restless, Zhu Que's expression remained cold, his gaze sharp as he swept over Jiang Zining and Shi Guangzhu seated below, and he spoke in a low voice:

"General Shi, General Jiang, the Exalt Might and Vibrate Might Divisions have not conducted a single drill in three days, and you two have openly led the troops to gamble within the camp."

"In three days, five gambling sessions, the total stakes exceeded ten thousand taels; the camp's judicial officers warned repeatedly to no avail, yet you assaulted them—did this happen?"

The eighteen thousand troops of the Twelve Division Camp were formed by merging the Bashang Great Camp and the Capital Division.

The Bashang Great Camp plus the troops brought back from the northwest totaled about over one hundred thousand, while the Capital Division, after the rebellion was quelled, still had about eighty thousand.

After Zhu Que weeded out the coarse and kept the elite, he retained eighteen thousand as regular troops, the remainder serving as auxiliary forces.

The eighty thousand troops of the Capital Division were mainly assigned to the units of the original Capital Division commanders Xie Jing, Shi Guangzhu, and Jiang Zining,

Because Feng Tang and Han Wu were former deputy military governors of the Capital Division, a portion of the Capital Division soldiers were also assigned to the units of Feng Ziying and Han Qi.

The main elite of the Bashang Great Camp were respectively led by Zhu Que, Ma Guocheng, and You Shiyong, among others.

Most of Jia Jing's Radiant Martial Division consisted of meritorious officers brought back from the northwest and the Xuanjia elite cavalry.

During this period, Zhu Que, acting on orders, has been conducting rectification of the Twelve Division Camp, including strict discipline and intensified training,

while also secretly having personnel observe the situation of the original Capital Division officers and soldiers.

After several rounds of close investigation, Zhu Que found that although the Capital Division had been tidied up by Wang Ziteng for a few months, the effect was limited.

Because Wang Ziteng's main actions were to investigate empty rations, streamline redundant staff, prohibit proxy service, and severely punish corruption.

These four measures indeed effected a thorough turnover among the lower‑rank soldiers, essentially eliminating empty rations, but they failed to strictly purge the middle and upper officers, letting the strong rise and the weak fall.

Among the officers, a few without background were either dismissed as examples or heavily punished to establish authority, but the corrupt military commanders of the founding lineage who had patronage and entrenched interests remained untouched.

Thus, the middle and upper officers of the Capital Division remained filled with many background‑connected, relation‑laden but incapable mediocrities, and some bad practices in the Capital Division were not thoroughly changed.

In particular, Jiang Zining and Shi Guangzhu stood out as the foremost among them.

After rising to become commanders of a division in the Twelve Division Camp through their ancestors' residual influence, they still found it hard to change their old habits.

One relied on having a sister who was a concubine in the palace; the other relied on being a relation by marriage to the Prince of Nan'an, and both frequently acted arrogantly and high‑handedly in the camp.

These days, the two paid no heed to Zhu Que as deputy military governor, behaving honestly for less than ten days before reverting to their old ways.

A few days ago, unable to endure the relentless drills, they unilaterally halted training in the camp and started mass gambling.

Moreover, the commander of the Extend Might Division, Xie Jing, was also extremely close to the two.

Although he did not participate in the gambling violation, in recent days his execution of Zhu Que's orders has been only half‑hearted.

At this moment, Shi Guangzhu, wearing a dark‑blue armor with a subtle pattern, a fine mutton‑fat jade pendant at his waist, and a Feicui thumb ring on his finger, faced Zhu Que's reproach,

He leaned back against the chair, his face stiffening, then gave Zhu Que a contemptuous glance and drawled lazily:

"So what if there is?"

Jiang Zining likewise kept his expression unchanged and replied nonchalantly:

"The training arrangement in the camp is unreasonable, the intensity too high; previously in the Capital Division we drilled once every five days, and even after Wang Ziteng became military governor it was only changed to once every three days."

"Now it's drills from morning till night every day, wearing down our brothers to the point of ruin; resting a few days is only natural! We are also thinking of morale—what's wrong with that?"

Zhu Que's face was like iron, and he spoke coldly:

"How daily drills are conducted and the prohibition on gambling are hard rules of the camp; you openly defy them, even assaulting the judicial officers—do you not know that military law is merciless?"

When Shi Guangzhu heard Zhu Que mention military law, his face instantly darkened; he lifted his head to stare at the imposing Zhu Que above, his eyes carrying a hint of gloom and menace:

"What's with these rules, who are you trying to fool?"

"As a commander, I only know that when soldiers are tired they should rest—that's looking after the troops! In the Capital Division we always did that. As for military law, humph… who are you trying to scare?"

Shi Guangzhu let out a cold snort, his eyes showing a hint of contempt for Zhu Que!

His family is that of a ducal house, wealthy and noble for over a hundred years from his ancestors, and he looks down from the bottom of his heart on Zhu Que, a low‑born household warrior!

If it weren't for sheer luck, latching onto the thigh of the Duke of Jingguo, picking up some military merit to fluke a marquisate, how could he have the chance to issue orders here and throw his weight around!

He's merely a petty man who has gotten lucky, yet still dares to put on airs!

Zhu Que's face turned cold, a flash of icy light in his eyes, and he shouted sternly:

"All regulations in the camp were personally drafted by the senior general; no one may violate them."

The marquis had already read it out publicly at the drill field several days ago; you're pretending to be clueless like this—are you trying to defy orders?

Shi Guangzhu couldn't help but let out a cold laugh and said:

"You say defy orders, then defy orders? What do you think you are?"

Zhu Que slammed the table and rose up, his voice like a great bell echoing throughout the barracks, and said:

"You have a lot of nerve! The marquis has received the Grand General's order, fully commanding all military affairs in the camp; you show no respect for your superiors—do you really think the marquis can't deal with you?"