Chapter 116: The Chanyu's Distress

The higher-ups knew of his actions in Yangzhou but did not intervene to stop them, which was clearly a choice of tacit approval.

This kind of indulgence was definitely not aimed at any one person, but at the entire group of military officers.

Li Mu had understood Marquis Wuyang's implication: the court was encouraging military officers to expand their military power.

To raise military funds, occasionally stepping over the line was something everyone could pretend not to see.

"Marquis, has the matter of using troops against Liaodong been confirmed?"

Li Mu asked tentatively.

According to the customs of the Great Dayu Dynasty, military expenditures had always grown passively.

Because of the war, this year's military expenditures were already significantly higher than in normal years.

Continuing to increase military expenditures on a high base could only mean one thing—the court was going to use troops externally.

Even if they didn't fight next year, they would fight the year after.

Otherwise, the long-term high military expenditures would crush the Great Dayu's finances.

"The court wants to use troops externally; the Five Chief Military Commissions cannot be left out.

Your uncle is the Right Chief Commissioner, and your father-in-law is the Left Chief Commissioner; could they not tell you?

Why are you asking about this?

Could it be that now that the Yangzhou Regiment is trained, you want to go to the Liaodong battlefield to test your skills?"

Marquis Wuyang said half-jokingly.

Once the court used troops against Liaodong, it would be at least over a hundred thousand troops, and at most twenty or thirty thousand.

In a battle of this scale, a single regiment's strength on the battlefield could only go with the flow.

Based on his understanding of Li Mu, he would definitely avoid such a battle full of uncertainty.

"Marquis, I haven't even gotten engaged yet, and the news has already spread so fast!"

Li Mu complained with a depressed look.

A major event like a marriage between two families has a set of cumbersome procedures, usually only made public after completing the third step, the 'Na Ji' (betrothal).

Although the result of this divination was predetermined, the process was still indispensable.

"The news naturally hasn't spread, but I am the matchmaker personally appointed by the Emperor; are you feeling a bit flattered?"

Hearing this news, Li Mu was startled.

Although he had long known that a marriage between the two major power-holding families of the nobility camp would have a great political impact, he hadn't expected Emperor Yongning to get involved.

After a moment of distraction, Li Mu reacted quickly.

A marriage between top-tier nobles with the Emperor personally bestowing the marriage was not without precedent in the Great Dayu Dynasty.

Especially after the decline of the nobility group, this kind of bestowal of marriage became increasingly frequent.

After experiencing the Great Explosion in the capital, the nobility group became increasingly weak in the court, and the imperial relatives had even less presence.

If they didn't make changes, in a few years, these two groups would be squeezed out of the court.

Both the nobility and the imperial relatives were the basic foundation of imperial power, belonging to the force used to overturn the table at critical moments.

The Emperor might not use this power that breaks the rules, but he couldn't afford to be without it.

Appointing Marquis Wuyang to act as a matchmaker was undoubtedly an attempt to facilitate an alliance between the three families to maintain balance in the court.

In a sense, the alliance of the three families was also an attempt to sow discord in the Jing-Li family alliance.

The Emperor is a suspicious creature; with the greatest power-holding factions among the nobility coming together, Emperor Yongning wouldn't be at ease without sending someone to watch them.

The three families now seemed to have equal momentum, but the gap in their true strength behind the scenes was very stark.

As old-school nobles, the Jing and Li families had great influence in the military, which Marquis Wuyang couldn't compare to.

If it weren't for Emperor Yongning speaking up, he wouldn't be bringing this nouveau riche imperial relative along to play at all.

It wasn't looking down on people; it was purely that the political lifespan of the Great Dayu's imperial relatives was too short.

Especially with the Emperor in poor health, if the brother-to-brother succession occurred, Marquis Wuyang could still enjoy the addiction of being an imperial relative once more.

If Emperor Yongning adopted an heir from the imperial clan, the Empress Dowager would become the Grand Empress Dowager, with an Empress Dowager sandwiched in between.

For the sake of the new Emperor's authority, he wouldn't let the Grand Empress Dowager listen to politics from behind the curtain.

Entering the era of regents, only a resounding title would remain.

If one were sensible, one would retire quickly; even then, retreating unscathed would be difficult.

This was the fault of the Founding Emperor; to limit the imperial relatives from becoming too powerful, he stipulated that imperial concubines must come from the common people.

Without sufficient talent reserves, even if the Emperor wanted to support the imperial relatives, it would be very difficult.

In fact, the decline of the nobility group was also the work of the Founding Emperor.

Not only did he establish a strict system of hereditary titles, but he also broke the tradition of nobles guarding the frontiers.

Even more ruthless was the concoction of the two measures: "Prohibiting military officials from interfering in civil affairs" and "Civilian control over the military."

Any political force that looked threatening was restricted.

So much so that after the civil official group rose, the Emperor lacked the power to compete with them and could only support eunuchs to charge into battle.

Pushing for an alliance between the three families at this time might even have the Empress Dowager's intentions behind it.

In the face of an uncertain future, one must always leave a way out for one's maternal clan.

If the guess was correct, the three families would continue to intermarry to strengthen the ties.

Both sides could be considered to be getting what they needed.

The nobility needed the political influence of the imperial relatives to ensure their right to speak in the court.

The imperial relatives needed the military support of the nobility to make their empty shell look full of power.

With the three families forming an alliance, even if a change occurred in the future, they would have cards to play.

In another historical period, this combination would be a thorn in the Emperor's side, capable of influencing the succession of imperial power to a certain extent.

In extreme cases, playing with the deposition and enthronement of monarchs was not impossible.

However, the national conditions of the Great Dayu were different; the strongest military power was in the hands of the Nine Borders' military families.

The nobility had too many shackles on them; while they seemed to have significant influence in the military, they hadn't been able to extend their reach to the Nine Borders.

They belonged to the kind that had military power in their hands, but the military value wasn't strong enough.

The influence of a single noble family in the military was only concentrated in a certain area and couldn't radiate to the whole country at all.

Only by huddling together could the nobles be considered a political force; taken individually, they were only fit to be bullied by civil officials.

From the founding of the Great Dayu until now, there had been civil officials who dominated the court, and eunuchs who dominated the court, but never had the nobility and imperial relatives performed.

Standing from the Emperor's perspective, if the war progressed smoothly, he would adopt an imperial clan member to inherit the throne.

With eunuchs and the cabinet alone, the regents wouldn't be stable enough; this was a ready-made third-party force that could form a tripartite balance in the court.

If the battlefield situation was unfavorable and there were no conditions to enthrone a young ruler, this combination would be the key to ensuring Prince Fu's smooth ascension.

Leaving Marquis Wuyang's mansion, Li Mu's head was still buzzing.

The amount of information in the conversation just now was too large, and he needed to digest it well.

Logically speaking, such a major event involving the three major families would be the responsibility of the elders to worry about.

It just so happened that he was unlucky, and as a junior without decision-making power, he had deduced it in an inadvertent conversation.

The more you know, the more you worry.

He couldn't even find anyone to confide in; political alliances required weighing too many pros and cons, and it was impossible to decide in a single word.

At the moment, there were at most a few signs, and the three families might not even have had formal contact.

Li Mu's analysis was only the benefits of a successful alliance; if the alliance failed, the three families might all end up finished.

In politics, many times, once a step is taken, it can never be taken back.

After shaking his head, Li Mu finally concluded: all worries stem from insufficient power in one's own hands.

If he were like the Nine Borders' military families, holding tens of thousands of elite troops to guard one side,

he wouldn't need to worry about the storms in the court at all.

Relatively speaking, the political struggles of the Great Dayu were still harmonious.

Basically, they stopped at the point of impact; as long as you didn't court death, you wouldn't die.

Most officials who failed in political struggles were demoted or sent home to farm.

Those who were raided and exiled were those who didn't stand upright and had their handles grabbed by enemies.

Liaodong.

"Great Chanyu, we have received news from the Yu lands that the enemy is reorganizing and preparing for war.

Not only have they replenished the losses from the previous Liaodong battle, but they have also additionally formed five new regiments.

It is said that Emperor Yongning's health has failed, and he is attempting to provoke a major war again in his death throes!

The intelligence gathered from the Guifang people can also corroborate this from the side.

In just the last three months, the Yu people have purchased at least thirty thousand warhorses from the major tribes of Guifang."

Er'de reported with a grave expression.

To the Tatar clan, the Great Dayu was a behemoth.

Even though they had just won the previous Liaodong battle, they still had to be careful when facing this giant.

"Er'de, how is this possible?

The Yu people just suffered a disastrous defeat in Liaodong, directly burying one hundred thousand troops; how dare they provoke a major war again so quickly!"

Ni Chilege immediately retorted.

One hundred thousand troops—to the Tatar clan with a population of less than three hundred thousand, this number was already the limit of what they could imagine.

When the Liaodong battle just ended, they, who believed they had wiped out the elite of the Great Dayu, had even planned a great strategy to destroy the Great Dayu.

The result was that they hit the city walls and ended up with broken heads and blood, obediently returning to their old lair.

"Ni Chilege, be quiet!

Do not look at the Great Dayu with your narrow vision.

They are ten times, a hundred times, or even more powerful than all the enemies we have encountered in the past.

If it weren't for the fact that this giant is now ill, they could crush us with just one finger.

There are so many books captured from the Yu people; you should all go read and learn when you have nothing to do.

Only by understanding the enemy can you better defeat the enemy."

Great Chanyu Hugjile immediately reprimanded.

The Tatar clan had risen too quickly, and its internal political structure still remained in the primitive era.

Influenced by their living environment, the strategic vision of the tribal high-level officials had always remained within their own one-third of an acre.

They had no intention of opening their eyes to look at the world, which made Hugjile very distressed.

The younger brothers under his command were all fierce generals, making the surrounding alien tribes flee at the sight of them.

But there were few with brains; once they started playing with strategy, he had to go into battle himself.

The last Liaodong battle was a great victory largely due to luck.

How long this protection from heaven could last, no one could guarantee.

The Great Dayu could lose ten or twenty times on the battlefield and still make a comeback, but they couldn't afford to lose even once.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 117 =====