Chapter 77: Political Alignment

The military meeting ended, but the five battalion commanders stayed behind.

There is no such thing as unexplained love or hatred; merely disliking someone is not enough to make them choose to betray their comrades.

That group of aristocratic brats may lack ability, but their backings are substantial.

Even if they were sent up here to be sacrificed, selling them out carries significant risks.

Especially for Commander Wuyang, should any of his subordinates suffer defeat, he too would be held accountable.

“The bait has been set—now you five must seize control of what comes next!”

Commander Wuyang said with a solemn expression.

Luring the enemy has always meant sending small detachments.

He had combed through every military text and found no precedent for deploying a bait force larger than the main army.

Yet all five of his battalion commanders had sworn solemnly that this was exactly how it must be done.

War is not merely military—it is also political.

If the provisional battalion is sent out alone and annihilated, investigations will make it impossible to explain clearly.

But once Yangzhou’s troops are tied in, the situation changes entirely.

With seven thousand troops, if they still suffer a crushing defeat, it proves the general is incompetent and dooms the entire army.

With such a cautionary example, others will later rally to aid in revenge, thereby highlighting their own competence.

“Commander, after months of effort, the East City Battalion has expanded to fifteen hundred men—all selected for their bravery.”

The other battalions have also grown rapidly in strength.

These soldiers have all seen blood; compared to two months ago, our strength has undergone a revolutionary transformation!”

As Zhao Yawei spoke, four of the five battalion commanders smiled.

The Yangzhou Defense was not fought in vain.

The most outstanding soldiers were absorbed into their ranks, and each unit has made substantial gains in both quality and quantity.

Their deep resentment toward the Nanjing Ministry of Military Affairs stems largely from the insufficient armor they supplied, which hindered everyone’s expansion.

Su Battalion Commander sat awkwardly aside, having missed frontline action and received only a rabble as his troops.

He had to rely on connections and beg the other four battalions just to scrape together a thousand men.

Fortunately, the North City Battalion has always been the weakest among the Five City Military Commands—being last again doesn’t matter.

“As long as you all understand the stakes, I am not a harsh commander.

The next battle, we may choose not to fight—but if we do fight,

then we must win, and we must not lose!”

Commander Wuyang said sharply.

Perhaps because he had spent so long in the camp, his aura had grown noticeably stronger than before.

But since all present were familiar with him, they barely noticed this subtle change.

“Commander, rest assured—the rebel forces have suffered a crushing defeat and are now demoralized.

Their combat effectiveness, at best, can only reach four or five tenths of its full capacity.

Meanwhile, our troops have just shattered the rebel main force and are at the peak of morale.

With seven thousand frontline troops and countless support soldiers, facing a band of low-spirited rabble, how could we possibly lose?”

Tang Jincheng said with supreme confidence.

Morale and spirit are forged in battle; the Yangzhou Defense was bloody, but only the rebels suffered heavily.

Poor preparation meant hastily built siege engines were barely functional and inflicted minimal damage on the defenders.

Government forces suffered fewer than a thousand casualties, and when spread across units, the losses were negligible.

The heaviest losses were suffered by the suicide squad that launched the night raid.

But since those men died outside the city and none had witnessed it firsthand, the impact was muted.

All they saw were the silver rewards issued by superiors.

“Do not count the support troops—Yangzhou must be defended.

Seven thousand frontline troops can easily defeat a rabble in open battle; the real challenge is luring them out.

So…”

Li Mu broke off mid-sentence and smiled without speaking.

You can betray your comrades, but you must never say it aloud.

To force the enemy to fight outside the city, you must make them believe victory is within reach.

This kind of task cannot be done by elite troops.

“Commander, Xu GeLao’s carriage has appeared outside the city.”

The soldier’s report interrupted the military meeting.

Since ancient times, kings do not meet kings; having two imperial envoys simultaneously in one city is never a good thing.

On one side is the Five City Military Command Commander, holding substantial troops; on the other, a senior cabinet minister.

If conflict erupts between them, it would be catastrophic for the officials below.

But the Yangzhou officials had no such worries—they were all locked in jail, awaiting judgment.

“Hmph!”

“Why didn’t he come earlier? Why didn’t he come later?

Just as I’ve cleared the mess, he shows up to pluck the fruit—Xu Wenyue has the audacity!”

Seeing their leader furious, everyone lowered their heads.

The power struggles between bigwigs were not for mere foot soldiers like them to join.

In terms of real authority, Commander Wuyang could not compare to a cabinet minister.

“Issue orders: everyone acts as if they know nothing.

Whoever dares to leave the city to greet him is defying me.

You five keep watch—anyone caught secretly associating with that Xu fellow will be charged as a rebel!”

Commander Wuyang's order startled Li Mu—it was clearly a stance of outright confrontation.

The only thing that could drive him to this decision was the confidence granted by his military achievements.

“Commander, Xu GeLao’s arrival now is not merely about seizing control of Yangzhou.

The salt merchants in prison and the detained officials must be dealt with swiftly!”

After much hesitation, Li Mu chose his side.

No matter how powerful Xu GeLao was, Commander Wuyang was his direct superior.

To resist pressure from the civil official bloc, the aristocracy and imperial in-laws had long formed alliances—they could not betray their own interest group.

“Commander, Li Battalion Commander speaks wisely.

Xu GeLao left the capital in an eight-man palanquin, dragging his feet, then suddenly switched to a carriage and rushed forward—clearly, he comes with ill intent.

We must clean up all traces and leave him no grounds to use against us!”

Zhao Yawei hastily agreed, sounding uneasy.

All were aristocratic sons; Li Mu’s reasoning applied equally to him.

Deep inside, he cursed Li Mu’s entire family.

It was utterly despicable—during normal meetings, everyone spoke in order.

He had merely paused for a moment, and Li Mu had snatched the chance.

Regret was useless; in political alignment, being first and second meant entirely different things.

Once the two had spoken, the remaining three battalion commanders quickly voiced their support.

“You’re right—we cannot leave any loose ends.

A subject must ease the Emperor’s burdens.

But everyone is in prison; if they all die at once, we cannot explain it to the court.

After Xu GeLao takes over Yangzhou, I will lead troops out to suppress the rebellion.

Civil officials know nothing of warfare; if rebels infiltrate the city and rescue their imprisoned comrades, it would seem perfectly reasonable.”

Hearing the commander’s implication, everyone’s faces twisted in discomfort.

This letter of allegiance was no easy task.

Yet Commander Wuyang had invoked Emperor Tianyuan—whether they wanted to or not, they had to comply.

(End of Chapter)