Chapter 211: Forced into a Corner

Not every matter can be remedied after the fact.

Even though Emperor Yongning granted Grand Secretary Pang posthumous honors, the rumors still spread like wildfire.

To dispel the rumors, several Grand Secretaries came forward together to testify to the officials that Pang Hengsheng had died of natural causes, yet the Qingliu faction still refused to buy it.

In the past, while Pang Hengsheng was alive, many in the Qingliu faction found him disagreeable in every way.

They felt that after becoming the Senior Grand Secretary, he had forgotten his roots, focusing only on balancing the court's factions and failing to reserve good positions for his own people.

Now that the man was dead, the situation changed immediately.

With a powerful figure supporting them from above, the Qingliu group had been the court's primary faction.

With Yin Zuo and his accomplice executed for treason and Xu Wenyue returning home to observe the mourning period, Pang Hengsheng's sudden death left the Qingliu group instantly detached from the center of power.

Those who had cursed Pang Hengsheng behind his back were either those who hadn't received their share of the benefits or those who felt their gains fell short of expectations.

Human greed is a bottomless pit; no matter who takes the position, it is impossible to satisfy everyone.

Regardless, during Pang Hengsheng's tenure as Senior Grand Secretary, the Qingliu group's influence had further expanded, and many officials of Qingliu origin had advanced in their careers.

Now that the man was suddenly gone, the Qingliu group was cut off from the center of power. When similar matters arose in the future, there would be no one left to help them fight for their interests.

Involving their own vital interests, the officials of the Qingliu faction naturally had to take the opportunity to make a scene.

The crying child gets the milk; only by making a greater commotion now would the Emperor be more likely to appease them.

Their demands were not high: as long as the Emperor granted Xu Wenyue a dispensation from mourning to fill the position of Senior Grand Secretary, and then gave the vacant spots in the Grand Secretariat to officials of Qingliu origin, that would suffice.

Of course, if the Emperor were willing to give more, they wouldn't mind accepting it all; it would be best to turn the entire civil and military court into their own people.

Without a doubt, what the Qingliu group wanted was something Emperor Yongning did not want to give, and other factions were equally unwilling to see happen.

Political struggle allows for no sentimentality; having finally waited for the Qingliu group's decline, everyone was too busy kicking them while they were down to offer any help.

As soon as Xu Wenyue's petition for mourning leave was submitted, Emperor Yongning approved it immediately.

For an emperor who had taken personal control of the government, such a creature as a regent simply should not exist.

With a reasonable and legitimate chance to drive such a person out of the court, why would he ever grant a dispensation from mourning?

To the officials, such a move was the clearest political signal.

Those factions long suppressed by the Qingliu group became active at once, launching attacks against the Qingliu camp.

Yet, the Qingliu faction only shouted their slogans loudly; in essence, they were just like officials from other factions, possessing a mountain of dark history.

Once the old accounts were dug up, the scandals came rolling in.

Emperor Yongning, however, was an emperor who could not tolerate a grain of sand in his eye; in a short time, a large number of Qingliu officials were dismissed from office, and those with serious offenses were sent directly to the Imperial Prison.

For a time, a scene of everyone pushing a falling wall unfolded.

The political struggle in the court also affected the front lines.

Ever since the news arrived that Grand Secretary Xu's mourning leave had been approved, Li Mu clearly sensed that Army Supervisor Jia Bo was distracted, and when facing the Provincial Governor, he no longer possessed his usual arrogance.

When other ministers observed mourning, they might be recalled by the Emperor with a single petition once the period ended.

As a regent, Xu Wenyue had no such opportunity.

The late Emperor, fearing his brother could not hold the situation together, had granted the regents vast powers.

Even after the Emperor took personal control, the power held by the regents far exceeded that of ordinary Grand Secretariat ministers.

The Emperor could find excuses to dismiss worse ministers, but as long as the regents committed no major errors, they could only be treated with deference.

To Emperor Yongning, the existence of regents was a restriction on his own power.

Involving a struggle for power, there was simply no possibility of reconciliation between the two sides.

The earlier execution of the notorious Zuo Guangen had already left behind numerous hidden dangers. Unless absolutely necessary, Emperor Yongning did not want to raise the butcher's knife again.

Taking the opportunity of mourning leave to smoothly send Xu Wenyue out of the court was undoubtedly the best choice.

However, this left Jia Bo in a miserable spot.

With his backer suddenly gone, he was just an ordinary official.

Fortunately, he had previously secured the position of Provincial Administration Commissioner, entering the ranks of Senior Rank Three; otherwise, his career would have been in jeopardy.

"Commander Li, the rebels are withdrawing from Guilin. If we launch a counterattack now, we can surely deal them a heavy blow!"

Jia Bo proposed.

With no one left to rely on, he could only rely on himself.

Compared to other officials of the Qingliu faction, he had military achievements to his name.

Plus, with Guangxi located in a remote area, the political turmoil in the court would not reach him for some time.

Against this backdrop, to stand firm, he had to establish more merit.

The officialdom has its own operational laws; even when striking at competitors, one must follow the basic rules of the game.

Attempting to dismiss a meritorious official without cause would incite public anger.

In essence, no matter which faction dominates the court, everyone shares one common bottom line: the empire must not be allowed to collapse.

"We need to wait a bit longer. The rebel army is currently only testing us; their main force has not yet withdrawn from the city.

Attacking now would indeed allow us to gain an advantage, but recapturing Guilin would be difficult.

If possible, the recapture of Guilin should also be delayed.

The court is in the process of changing commanders; reporting military merit at this time is somewhat inappropriate."

Li Mu shook his head and said.

Military affairs must serve politics.

Grand Secretary Xu was returning home to observe mourning; the credit for recapturing Guilin was dispensable to him.

But the new Viceroy would be different; as a newcomer, this was exactly when he needed merit the most.

It wasn't that he wanted to curry favor, but the army's logistics were in the other party's hands. To obtain more supplies, he had to maintain a good relationship with the new Viceroy.

"Commander Li, do you know who the new Viceroy is?"

Provincial Governor Zhang Sihan asked with concern.

Guangxi was poor as a church mouse, and all expenses for the Provincial Governor's office required court appropriations; he, as the Provincial Governor, could not afford to be tough.

Against this backdrop, finding out who the new Viceroy was in advance seemed very necessary.

Theoretically, civil officials had a network of classmates and mentors, making them better informed than military officers.

However, there are exceptions to everything; when it comes to large-scale military operations, the Regional Military Commissioner's office cannot be bypassed.

The Regional Military Commissioner's office would participate in the discussion of candidates. Li Mu's backer was in the Regional Military Commissioner's office, so it was normal for him to receive the news a step ahead.

"As to who exactly it is, I am not certain.

However, the number of civil officials in the court who understand military affairs is small to begin with. Those with sufficient status are even fewer.

The few who are stationed at the Nine Borders certainly cannot be moved.

If the new Viceroy wants to get up to speed quickly, he must understand the front-line situation in advance.

The candidates who meet the basic criteria are none other than the Nanjing Minister of War, the Jiangxi Provincial Governor, and the Huguang Provincial Governor."

Li Mu answered calmly.

The news came from the capital; various factions were nearly coming to blows over the Viceroy's appointment.

Unlike in the past, there was now a vacancy in the Grand Secretariat.

Serving as Viceroy to lead the suppression of the rebellion was equivalent to having one foot inside the door of the Grand Secretariat.

With the factions deadlocked, the Viceroy candidate was stuck in a difficult birth.

Fortunately, this situation could not last; Emperor Yongning wanted to drive Xu Wenyue home and would not allow the officials to drag their feet.

If it dragged on too long, and the front lines achieved a great victory, the returning Xu Wenyue would not be so easy to dismiss.

"If it is one of those three, then we are in trouble."

Zhang Sihan said, frowning.

The Nanjing Minister of War had the highest status, and as a direct superior, he certainly understood military affairs, but no one could say for sure what his actual level was.

In any case, he had no shining achievements; whenever trouble arose, he pushed it to the Ministry of War in the capital—a typical official who avoids responsibility.

As high-ranking Provincial Governors, both the Jiangxi and Huguang Provincial Governors were qualified to advance further.

However, their military standards are also subject to doubt.

One only needs to look at the performance of the provincial imperial armies to know that it can only be considered mediocre.

If they were to command a coalition of various provinces, no one knows what might happen.

"These problems are not for us to consider.

Provincial Governor, the most urgent need in Guangxi right now is to settle the refugees and hurry to restore production.

While there is still time, we must organize the people to rush the planting of crops.

Once the season is missed, if a grain shortage appears later, it will be a huge problem."

Li Mu couldn't help but remind him.

Through their contact during this period, he had gained some understanding of Zhang Sihan.

This Provincial Governor had ability, but his main focus was always on the court, rarely on the people's livelihood.

Even when providing relief to disaster victims, once the work was arranged, he rarely followed up.

Such an approach directly affected the enthusiasm of the officials below.

A common ailment of the Great Dayu officialdom: only matters closely watched by the leadership can be done well.

"Many thanks for the reminder, Commander Li!"

Zhang Sihan responded with a blank expression.

Being reminded by a military officer to organize the restoration of production was undoubtedly very shameful.

Yet, what was said was the truth, and he had no way to refute it.

He could only suppress his anger in his heart; encountering a strong military officer like Li Mu, venting his anger on others would only be asking for trouble.

"Holy Emperor, the imperial army has not pursued us.

It seems the news is true; that muddled emperor of the pseudo-dynasty has changed commanders in the face of battle, leaving the imperial army below at a loss."

Chancellor Wu Zekai said with delight.

Fate favored the Bai Lian Holy Kingdom.

Encountering difficulties early in the uprising, they had Yin Zuo and his accomplice to help them complete their initial accumulation.

As the anti-encirclement war entered a critical moment, the Yu Emperor changed commanders again, adding thirty percent to their chances of victory out of thin air.

In the eyes of those who cared, this was the Mandate of Heaven.

"Haha...

It seems Great Dayu has truly reached the time for its end!

Since that is the case, let us not be polite; let us immediately rush to join forces with the Eastern Expedition Army.

Next, I will sweep across the south of the Yangtze and capture Nanjing!"

Shi Rongxuan said with high spirits.

He had thought that this withdrawal would reduce him to a stray dog.

He had even prepared for the failure of the uprising, ready to hide his name and go up into the mountains to become a bandit.

He never expected the turning point to come so quickly.

No matter who the new Viceroy of the imperial army was, problems would inevitably arise during the transfer of power.

Any mistake during this period was an opportunity for the Bai Lian Holy Kingdom.

With the main army departing in a grand procession, Guilin city suddenly became deserted.

Shi Qichuan, who had volunteered to cover the retreat, took a lingering look at the city.

"Pass the order down: have the soldiers stack firewood along the houses on both sides of the main street; I want to send the imperial army a grand gift."

In the process of fighting for the world, any means to strike at the enemy must be utilized.

What he cannot obtain, he would rather destroy than leave to the enemy.

"Marquis, something... is wrong...

The imperial army... the imperial army is attacking!"

Upon receiving this news, Shi Qichuan, who had been lingering over the city, instantly changed color.

"Light everything in the city that can be lit, then the whole army withdraws!"

Knowing that the few thousand men in his hands could not possibly stop the imperial army, Shi Qichuan had no intention of holding the line.

The rear-guard mission was complete; if he didn't run now, once the imperial army surrounded the city, he wouldn't be able to leave.

He led the army in a hurried retreat from the city, but unfortunately, he was a step too late.

Two legs cannot outrun four; facing the imperial cavalry blocking their path, the rebel soldiers instantly panicked.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

The familiar sound of muskets rang out, and in an instant, the rebel soldiers charging in the front were killed or wounded in droves.

The screams of the wounded became the final blow that shattered their morale.

"Run!"

Someone shouted, and countless rebel soldiers instantly scattered and fled.

Everyone knew that as long as they fled into the mountains, they could escape the pursuit of the imperial cavalry.

Each one fled for their lives, ignoring the orders of their generals.

Seeing this scene, Shi Qichuan's face turned green with anger.

The performance of the troops under his direct command was simply disgraceful.

The main army was in the process of withdrawing and had not established any supervisory detachments.

Encountering such a turn of events, he didn't even know who to send to intercept them.

After a brief moment of distraction, Shi Qichuan also joined the ranks of those fleeing for their lives.

The collapse of military morale had been seeded early on, starting from the withdrawal of the main army.

If the main force had to run, they, the unlucky ones covering the retreat, were even less of a match for the imperial army.

The seeds of fear had been planted early; now they were just taking root and sprouting.

Nanjing City.

Looking at the imperial edict in his hands, Zhu Jingyi felt as if the sky were collapsing.

Unlike other officials who still had political ambitions, he had long ago settled into a life of retirement.

As a master of Taiji, whenever he encountered trouble, he always pushed it away.

If you don't do anything, you won't make mistakes.

During his tenure as Nanjing Minister of War, although Zhu Jingyi had not achieved any shining merits, he had never made any major blunders either.

Even when he occasionally encountered trouble, he would find ways to keep a lid on it, never adding to the court's problems.

In Emperor Yongning's eyes, such a performance was a sign of reliability.

When all parties were arguing endlessly, Emperor Yongning made a unilateral decision and directly tapped Zhu Jingyi.

Facing the Emperor's trust, it was impossible not to be moved.

However, the thought of dying for the monarch was something he could never generate.

Reason told Zhu Jingyi that the Viceroy's position was not easy to hold.

Xu Wenyue could suppress the monsters and demons of the southern provinces because he held the status of a regent.

If anyone disobeyed orders, Xu Wenyue truly dared to kill.

Only by using his own power to exert pressure could he integrate the team.

"The court's appointment does not take the actual situation into account.

Secretary, draft a document for me refusing this appointment!"

Zhu Jingyi thought for a moment and said.

Offending the Emperor was better than causing a huge mess, which would not only cost him his life but also implicate his clan.

His past self-proclaimed understanding of military affairs was just for face, pure bragging.

He had never led troops; asking him to command thousands on the battlefield was clearly making things difficult for him.

"Master, I'm afraid that won't do.

The meaning of the imperial edict is for you to depart immediately, rush to Wuchang to complete the handover with Grand Secretary Xu, and it even specifies a time limit.

This student has carefully checked; this imperial edict bears multiple seals, and there are no flaws in the procedure; it is definitely not a private decree.

If you refuse, that is resisting an imperial order!"

The middle-aged secretary's words shattered all of Zhu Jingyi's fantasies.

(End of chapter)