Chapter 495: Let Them Both Suffer Defeat!

The fifteenth day of the eighth month, Mid‑Autumn Festival.

Shenjing, however, lacks any of the festive bustle of previous years.

The sky grows dusk, and the evening clouds are as heavy as lead.

A full moon hangs over the gray‑washed buildings, veiled by a thin layer of autumn mist, casting a sickly, dim yellow glow.

On the street, rows upon rows of houses lie quietly, their tiled ridges like arched black spines.

The autumn wind brushes the bluestone road, stirring up a few dead leaves that fall silently.

A few shops along the road remain open; their signboards sway feebly in the wind, as if they could fall at any moment.

Pedestrians are sparse, hunching their shoulders and hurrying along, with no one looking around.

City patrol soldiers are several times more than before, holding long spears and pacing the street corners, their spear tips glinting coldly in the moonlight.

Occasionally a carriage speeds by, its wheels grinding the bluestone, a rumbling sound rolling from afar before being quickly scattered by the wind.

All throughout Shenjing, because of the Prince Nan'an's edict titled "Purify the Ruler's Side" issued yesterday, a strange, taut silence has settled.

In Xiong Cili's ministerial residence, the front hall is brightly lit.

Outside the second gate, seven or eight sedan chairs are parked, and the horses are all tethered to the posts at the entrance.

Servants inside the residence come and go, adding tea and delivering water, their footsteps exceedingly light.

In the front hall, a dozen or so officials are seated, all dressed in civil official robes—blue, red, purple trims reflecting the myriad candlelight, flickering on and off.

They are mainly officials from the Ministry of War, Ministry of Rites, and the Imperial Academy, all relatively close to Xiong Cili.

With the 12th Regiment dispatched to suppress the Guard Posts of the Capital Region and the Prince Nan'an's edict to Purify the Ruler's Side, officials throughout Shenjing have focused their eyes on the looming war, and as time passes, various rumors begin to circulate among them!

For example, rumors say the Prince Nan'an commands four or five hundred thousand troops, and the Guard Posts of the Capital Region and southeastern commanders all back him!

Another says Lan Yu suffered a great defeat at the front, and the Prince Nan'an has already led his forces into Shenjing, soon to besiege the city!

Yet another claims Jia Jing knows he cannot match the Prince Nan'an, dares not fight, and hides within Shenjing!

Such rumors spread throughout Shenjing, causing the officials' thoughts to diverge.

Xiong Cili, clad in a purple official robe, sits in the reception room of the front hall, and, illuminated by candlelight, speaks in a deep voice:

"Everyone, today is Mid‑Autumn. Instead of gathering with family at home, you have hurriedly assembled at my residence. For what purpose?"

The hall falls silent for a moment; Chen Sheng, Deputy Minister of War, clears his throat lightly, rises, clasps his fists, and says:

"Minister, in these perilous times for the court, we who live on the ruler's stipend cannot sit peacefully with our families, eating mooncakes and admiring the moon!"

"The Prince Nan'an raised troops yesterday in Jizhou to Purify the Ruler's Side; it is said he has gathered tens of thousands of Guard Post soldiers and horses."

"Jizhou is only two hundred li from Shenjing, reachable within a day; yet the Prime Minister's Military Office not only fails to act prudently, but has sent the obscure Lan Yu to lead an expedition. Should he suffer a great defeat, Shenjing would be in imminent danger!"

He grows increasingly agitated, leaning forward, his voice rising a few notches:

"Matters of war are no child's play! Duke Jingguo first issued harsh edicts, forcing old meritorious officials to rebel; then he employed mediocre generals, recklessly engaging in futile battles."

"If, because of one man's miscalculation, Shenjing is placed in peril, can Jia Zi Jie bear the responsibility for this national disaster?"

Chen Sheng, having recently had the Ministry of War's authority repeatedly encroached upon by the Prime Minister's Military Office, already harbors deep grievances against Jia Jing!

Upon hearing this, Xiong Cili does not rush to reply; he gently stirs the tea surface with the lid, as if waiting for the next person to speak.

"Your words are absolutely correct, Minister Chen." Kong Lingfang, the Principal of the Imperial Academy, steps forward. Over sixty, his hair and beard white, a gaunt old face bearing unmistakable resentment, he sighs long and says:

"The Prince Nan'an is our dynasty's first second‑rank Grand General, with decades of cavalry experience, a veteran of the camps. That Lan Yu, however, emerged suddenly; no one in the entire court has ever heard of him."

"Just because of this man, you think you can confront the Prince Nan'an? As the Art of War says, a single incompetent commander can doom an entire army. If fourteen hundred thousand troops collapse, the gates of the Capital Region will be thrown open, and every man, woman, and child in the city will likely suffer."

Kong Lingfang, naturally of the Kong clan, due to the Kong Ying incident, the whole Kong family now harbors strong hostility toward Jia Jing; it is said the current clan head submitted a memorial a few days ago impeaching Jia Jing for usurping authority and misgoverning.

Yuan Kai, Deputy Minister of Rites, known in official circles as the "Gentleman," sees the crowd's agitation and, after deliberation, interjects:

"Perhaps we need not be so pessimistic. The 12th Regiment indeed has fourteen thousand men and horses; as long as we advance steadily, even if we cannot win, we will not lose catastrophically."

"Sir Yuan."

Kong Lingfang turns his head, his gaze bearing a frustration like iron that will not become steel, and says:

"You know nothing of warfare; war is not a contest of counting heads. If the commander does not know when to advance or retreat, does not set ambushes, does not employ troops wisely, then no matter how many soldiers there are, it is all in vain!"

"The Prince Nan'an bears the people's expectations, adopts a strategy of waiting for the enemy's fatigue, and as a veteran commander, excels at scheming! Meanwhile, Duke Jingguo, youthful and reckless, looks down on everyone, hastily appoints generals, and thus falls into the classic pitfall of defeat. This battle will be difficult!"

In short, all these people have little confidence in Lan Yu facing the Prince Nan'an!

Xiong Cili smiles, gently places his tea cup on the table, and, in an unhurried tone, says deeply:

"Everyone, remain seated! Even if Lan Yu is defeated at the front, does Duke Jingguo not still hold his position in Shenjing?"

"Moreover, the city still has tens of thousands of troops, the Imperial Guard and the Royal City Office are also present; even if the Prince Nan'an's army reaches the city walls, breaching them will not be easy. Moreover…"

He pauses, his gaze drifting over the hall, and says meaningfully:

"You have all read the Prince Nan'an's edict; he is clear—he seeks to purge the ruler's side, targeting Jia Jing, not the court."

"Even if he truly breaks into Shenjing, the unlucky ones will be Jia Jing and those martial officials who command troops; what does that have to do with us civil officials?"

With that sentence, it is as if a window has been opened in the hall, and the previously held breath of tension dissipates.

Chen Sheng understands, the anger on his face fades, revealing a faint smile:

"Minister, you are right! The Prince Nan'an and Jia Zi Jie's conflict is an internal military rivalry; at its core, it's just dogs biting dogs."

"If Jia Zi Jie wins, he will become even more arrogant; but if he loses, the emperor's and Jia Zi Jie's prestige will be shattered."

"The court has broken that 180,000‑strong New Army; military reforms cannot proceed, and the Capital Inspection and New Policies will naturally fall into oblivion."

"By then, could he still arbitrarily strip the innocent and confiscate families and titles? The world will ultimately return to the hands of us civil officials."

"That is precisely the principle." Another senior officer of the Ministry of War says softly:

"Since the Prime Minister's Office was established, the Ministry of War's staff have been like walking corpses. The emperor is beguiled by those warriors, who readily impose harsh punishments."

"If this defeat occurs, the emperor will understand that state affairs must rely on scholars and statutes, not on swords and troops."

"It would be best if Jia Jing meets no end, and the Prince Nan'an also loses troops and commanders, so that both are defeated and wounded; then all affairs return to normal, which would be a blessing for the realm."