Chapter 294: A Good Man

The Emperor had spoken so clearly that Yue Fei had already understood, and now he quickly pulled his foolish son to rise and step aside, then clasped his hands in the pavilion: "Your Majesty, this boy is crude and dull-witted—how could he possibly be worthy of a princess?"

Hearing this, Tian Shizhong and Yang Yizhong each remained expressionless, clearly having understood long ago as well, but Zhang Xian was visibly startled before he too caught on, while Yang Zaixing and Guo Jin were still bewildered, no better than Yue Yun in their reaction... One could only say that in certain areas, there was still some gap between people.

"No matter," Zhao Jiu said, as if he had long anticipated this reply, picking up an apricot as he responded. "Not to mention that our dynasty has long had precedents of imperial clans marrying meritorious officials—even if there are some obstacles, you need not worry, because after the Shaoxing Incident, I made up my mind to establish a new set of rules. Marrying a princess won't hinder his proper promotion and work in the future."

Yue Fei breathed a slight sigh of relief, but still had some concerns: "People outside will inevitably gossip..."

"If gossip were useful, the Jin would have been gone long ago, and I would have been struck by lightning by now." Zhao Jiu rubbed the red apricot in one hand, still casual. "Rather, Minister Yue, with you pushing back like this, could it be that you think my reputation is poor and don't want any connection with me?"

Yue Fei was taken aback; this time it was his turn to be momentarily slow to react.

"The nation has lost half its rivers and mountains; the people south of the Yangtze only see me as an oppressive, foolish ruler; after the Shaoxing Incident, I've soured many scholar-officials; my reputation here in the capital isn't great either, with hints of being a tyrant..." Zhao Jiu said with a relaxed expression. "In such a situation, if I didn't hold onto you military commanders and grasp military power, I'm afraid I couldn't even keep my throne steady. That's why I'm urgently seeking marriage ties with you and Grand Commandant Han."

Yue Fei knew the Emperor was joking, but such a joke was not something he could bear, so he could only bow awkwardly: "Your servant absolutely has no such intention. If Your Majesty truly has taken a liking to this boy, then I can only accept this great favor."

"Saying it like that makes it sound as if you're reluctant," Zhao Jiu continued with a smile. "Surely you don't think my daughter is hard to marry off?"

"Your Majesty." Yue Fei could no longer bear to listen and had to look up and speak seriously in admonition. "Such words really should not be said anymore... I know Your Majesty is joking now, but if some muddle-headed wretch hears them and truly believes Your Majesty is in a difficult position, thinking that we can bully the imperial house, they might harbor evil intentions... 'Three people spreading a rumor make a tiger,' 'Zengzi killed a man'—rumors should still be curbed a little."

Zhao Jiu nodded with a smile, and only then did Zhang Xian and the others realize the Emperor had been joking.

Joking aside, the matter still had to be settled, so after nodding, Zhao Jiu asked again: "Foyou and Shenyou are both eight years old—I have to choose one. But an eight-year-old daughter is truly just a little girl; bringing her out wouldn't be much to see. As the future father-in-law, just pick blindly!"

But how could Yue Fei pick blindly?

Or rather, although both princesses were eight, there was still an order of precedence—how could he skip the eldest princess and choose the second? And the closer in age, the better.

So he immediately pressed Yue Yun's head down and bowed: "I am honored by Your Majesty's favor, and I beg that the eldest princess Foyou might look kindly upon my worthless son..."

Zhao Jiu nodded repeatedly and had Feng Yi, the eunuch Feng Erguan, take Yue Yun to see the two Empresses Dowager and the two Imperial Consorts, saying that the Empresses Dowager would make the decision, but everyone knew the betrothal was already settled... Were the two reclusive Empresses Dowager mad enough to meddle in such a thing?

With the betrothal settled, and everyone knowing that given the princess's age, it would be seven or eight years before the marriage could actually take place, and with the Emperor present, only Tian Shizhong stood up and gave Yue Fei a perfunctory clasp of the hands in congratulations. Then the Emperor said no more on the matter, but took the opportunity of Yue Fei's earlier admonition to casually speak a few words about the rumors in the capital.

"I deliberately let some things run loose for the sake of the Jingdong campaign, but now that the war is going so smoothly, it's indeed time to rein things in a bit," Zhao Jiu said frankly. "However, the pacification of Jingdong has already diluted the previous rumors, so there's no need to worry too much... The official gazette is still somewhat useful... And besides, I have other preparations."

This was not something a military official should have spoken about, but having been forced to open his mouth, and with the Emperor having responded, Yue Fei bowed and agreed, saying no more.

But just then, Tian Shizhong, the Vice Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Camp Right Army, seeing that it was time to get down to business, unhesitatingly seized the moment to rise and bow: "Your Majesty, your servant has something to say."

"Speak." Zhao Jiu finally took a bite of the apricot in his hand. He had to admit, this big red apricot was sweet with little sourness, full of juice, and truly delicious—but such apricots were good for steeping in wine, not for making dried fruit or preserves. They would have to be quickly harvested and sold before autumn truly arrived, or else only the kernels could be used.

"Your servant impeaches Yue Fei, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Camp Forward Army, for acting out of selfish motives, using allied forces as a moat. In the Zichuan-Longshui battle, because my unit was an external force, he thrust my unit to the very front, causing my unit to fight the longest and suffer the heaviest casualties..." Tian Shizhong's words were steady, just like in his memorial, without any excessive vehemence—aside from the inevitable probing of motives in any impeachment, it had a somewhat factual tone.

"I've read your memorial. Your unit did indeed suffer the heaviest casualties, and your position in that battle was indeed at the very front." Zhao Jiu nodded slightly, tossed aside the apricot pit, and looked directly at Yue Fei. "What do you have to say, Minister Yue? He has impeached you to my face in court; you need to give an account."

Yue Fei was silent for a moment, then could only clasp his hands again: "The unit under Vice Commander Tian of the Imperial Camp Right Army did indeed suffer the heaviest casualties and had the greatest merit in this battle. But my actions that day were, first, as a Military Governor on the battlefield, I had the proper authority to deploy the Imperial Camp Right Army and other units; second, I judged that General Tian's infantry had the strongest combat capability and should be the vanguard of the entire army, so I placed them as the first in the oblique formation—this was not out of selfish motives."

Zhao Jiu nodded, then looked back at Tian Shizhong: "Did you hear that?"

"Yes."

"Do you have anything to say?"

"Nothing to say." Tian Shizhong replied respectfully.

"Good. There should be less factionalism in the army. For example, in this battle, the two Military Governors had their separate assignments—the Imperial Camp Right Army was to go east, the Imperial Camp Forward Army to go west. Your unit happened to be left in the middle, and being deployed was only natural."

"Yes." Hearing the words "separate assignments," Tian Shizhong knew that his purpose—using his merits to offset his father-in-law's strategic misjudgment—had been achieved, and he immediately relaxed.

"Then sit down." Zhao Jiu's smile returned.

Yue Fei and Tian Shizhong both sat down, but the next moment, the Emperor's following words, spoken with a smile, made both of them tense up.

"However, I've also been thinking—things absolutely cannot be done this way in the future. After all, when I established the Imperial Camp forces, it was to unify the entire army, to make it like an arm responding to the body. There should never again be talk of 'other units' and 'my unit.'" At this point, Zhao Jiu sighed with a slight smile. "But every unit has its origins—I've led troops myself, how could I not know? For example, the Imperial Camp Rear Army is made up of the old Western Army; the Imperial Camp Forward Army is mostly from the old Tokyo Defender Command; the Imperial Camp Right Army is based on the old troops of Zhong Shidao from Taiyuan, then built up by Zhang Boying in Huaidong; the Imperial Camp Left Army is fundamentally Han Shizhong's trusted followers brought back from Hebei, supplemented by his own recruits in Huaixi; as for Zhang Rong and Li Yanxian's forces, they started from scratch, building their own bases locally without the court—one is based on Liangshan bandits, the other on the volunteer armies of the Shaan-Luo region... These units have tangled roots, and most only recognize their own commanders. Even I find it difficult to easily reassign or break them up, or it would cause mutinies."

At these words, Yue Fei and Tian Shizhong, who had just sat down, both rose again and stood solemnly aside.

But Zhao Jiu did not tell them to sit again this time. Instead, he continued speaking slowly from his seat, looking at the two standing men: "But I must also say this... Just as Pengju said earlier, if those muddle-headed wretches hear my jokes and develop treacherous thoughts, that makes me think more about it... Because I can't guarantee other things, but when it comes to the great generals of each army, I think I have some judgment. Men like Han Shizhong, you Yue Fei, Li Yanxian, Zhang Boying, Qu Duan, Zhang Rong, Wu Jie—though their temperaments are completely different, they all have loyalty, and when I need you to fight and die, you can all fight. You are all famous generals of this era. So I say, just having you men would make many emperors throughout history envious."

Yue Fei exchanged a glance with Tian Shizhong, who represented Zhang Jun, and it was Yue Fei who finally clasped his hands: "Your servants are ashamed."

"No need for shame." Zhao Jiu turned his head to look at the shimmering fish pond beside him and sighed. "I am truly grateful to you men from the bottom of my heart... Minister Yue! Minister Tian!"

"Your servant is here." Yue Fei's heart tightened, and he immediately stepped forward half a pace.

"Your servant is here." Tian Shizhong, politically astute, also felt a jolt, vaguely anticipating something, and stepped forward half a pace to stand solemnly beside Yue Fei in the pavilion.

"Though you are all famous generals of the era, do you know that among these commanders, some are a level above the others?" Zhao Jiu picked up another red apricot and asked seriously. "Just like when Cao Cao and Liu Bei discussed heroes over wine—Cao and Liu were three parts higher than Yuan Shao, Yuan Shu, Liu Biao, Liu Yan, Sun Quan, and the other warlords of the late Han."

Tian Shizhong had long since fallen silent, and Yue Fei had no intention of picking up this thread either. Yang Yizhong, as usual, said nothing. Only Zhang Xian and Yang Zaixing and Guo Jin, standing solemnly before the pavilion, showed clear interest... The Three Kingdoms—it was very popular!

Guan Yunchang slaying Yan Liang at White Horse—pity White Horse had been changed to Shaoxing.

Zhao Jiu waited for a long while, and seeing that Yue Fei and Tian Shizhong were both unwilling to speak, he understood. He smiled slightly, then composed himself, and holding the red apricot, looking at the fish pond, he spoke seriously: "In my opinion, among the commanders of the realm, Han Shizhong first had the merit of supporting my ascension, then several acts of saving my life—breaking Wushu on the Huai, holding Talan at Changshe, shooting Loushi at Yaoshan—he has been the first in many things. His seniority also makes him the foremost of the Western Army. I consider him the number one commander of today, unparalleled in the world, and I often rely on him as my backbone and courage... Do you agree?"

"The Prince of Yan'an Commandery is truly deserving of this." Yue Fei quickly clasped his hands in agreement.

Tian Shizhong's suspicions were further confirmed, and he also quickly clasped his hands in assent.

Zhao Jiu nodded, then spoke seriously again:

"Beyond Han Shizhong, there is a man who sacrificed his family for the nation, repeatedly slighted by the court, yet repeatedly saved the great situation from crisis. He rose from Shanzhou, building from nothing, spanning both sides of the great river, linking east and west of the Xiaoshan Pass, yielding not an inch, ensuring that at the most critical time, the Great Song was not split east and west, and the Jin were not joined east and west—these are his achievements... This man at Shanzhou—heaven could fall and he would not move, earth could split and he would not shift—truly laboring with great merit. Is this not so?" Zhao Jiu asked seriously.

Yue Fei sighed and responded from the pavilion: "Your servant often thinks that Commissioner Li's merit cannot be measured by the number of heads taken or territory recovered. Your Majesty's gift of the banner 'Midstream Pillar' was truly fitting."

Tian Shizhong still clasped his hands, but gradually grew tense.

Zhao Jiu nodded, then replied: "There is also another man. Born in the Heshuo region, he fought north and south, drifting from place to place, for seven or eight years, over two hundred battles, sometimes losing, sometimes winning, but his will to resist the Jin and campaign north never faltered for a moment. Moreover, this man governs his army strictly, with discipline second to none in the realm; he is pure and upright in character, with personal virtue the highest among the commanders... I often regard him as a kindred spirit! Minister Yue, at this point, your merits and toils need no further mention. More importantly, your virtue and ability can no longer be questioned by anyone. I believe you are also worthy to rise above the other commanders and stand alongside Han and Li. What do you think?"

"Your servant is ashamed! How could I stand alongside Han and Li?" Yue Fei rarely showed a hint of agitation.

"Minister Tian?" Zhao Jiu did not rush to continue with Yue Fei, but looked directly at Tian Shizhong.

"Your servant also believes so." Tian Shizhong, who had just impeached Yue Fei to his face, now seemed prepared and answered without hesitation.

Zhao Jiu nodded and grew somewhat serious: "I have something to say to you."

"Yes."

"Since Jingdong is pacified, the Imperial Camp Right Army should abandon its garrisons at Xuzhou and the like and move north to the vicinity of Qingzhou—this is something you and Minister Zhang must have long anticipated... The Bureau of Military Affairs must have already issued some notices."

"Your servant has indeed heard something and long anticipated it."

"And once the Imperial Camp Right Army moves north, facing the Jin army in Hebei, it will inevitably have more joint operations with the Imperial Camp Left Army and the Imperial Camp Navy. This is unavoidable, and I think you should have anticipated it long ago."

"Your servant and Commander Zhang and others within the Imperial Camp Right Army have indeed long speculated about this."

"Also, regarding the seagoing ships at Dengzhou, I already told Zhang Boying long ago—seagoing ships and river boats are completely different. I want to establish a separate Imperial Camp Navy in the Deng-Lai area... The organization won't be large, and it may not need a dedicated commander-in-chief, but it will operate independently, with its sequence parallel to the Navy, the Right Army, and the Forward Army."

"Yes, the commander-in-chief made it very clear to me early on."

"That's good." Zhao Jiu paused briefly, growing even more serious. "I have already written a private letter to Zhang Qing. When you return, tell him in person again... He is, of course, still the commander of the Right Army of the Imperial Camp, a Military Governor in his own right. But from now on, when the Forward Army and the Right Army fight together, tell him not to argue with Yue Qing over precedence anymore. In all matters, Yue Qing will take the lead!"

Having said this, Zhao Jiu paused once more before continuing: "I consider his seniority and do not wish to issue an official document that would embarrass him. But I must make this clear in the letter and here. You must convey it without error... This is my intention. If he feels aggrieved, he must come and speak to me in person. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly clear!" Tian Shizhong had long anticipated such words, so when the moment came, he actually showed a hint of relief.

Zhao Jiu then turned to Yue Fei: "Pengju, I know your heart and your ambition. Adding a few more Military Governor posts means little to you. Let the Privy Council handle it as they see fit... The reason I insisted on calling you here today for a face-to-face talk is that I have something else to say to you."

"Yes!" Even though Yue Fei was a man of deep composure, at this moment of extreme solemnity, he could not help but show a trace of excitement.

"Li Yanxian holds the center, unshakable. West of Li Yanxian's jurisdiction, Han Shizhong naturally commands the overall situation. East of Li Yanxian, from today onward, if the central government issues no clear decree or document, you will take charge of all on-the-spot decisions..." Zhao Jiu said slowly. "I will give clear instructions to Zhang Rong, Zhang Jun, Wang De, and Li Qiong separately, telling them to defer to you in battle. I have also chosen your former subordinate Li Bao as the first commander of the Imperial Navy. From today, my eastern flank is entrusted to you, Yue Pengju!"

This was the formal transfer of on-the-spot command authority over the lower Yellow River to Yue Fei. In other words, aside from Han Shizhong and Li Yanxian, in the absence of a clear imperial decree or Privy Council order, Yue Fei effectively had the right to temporarily command all other commanders.

"Your servant will spare no effort, even unto death!" Yue Fei bowed his head in response.

Zhao Jiu nodded, then resumed his earlier smile, and turned to look at Yang Yizhong. Yang Yizhong understood and looked back at the Imperial Guard behind him. One of them immediately stepped forward, holding a folded banner.

"This is for Han Liangchen. I was muddle-headed; I only just remembered it. Pity I couldn't give it to him in person." Zhao Jiu said lightly with a smile. "But it won't hurt for Yue Qing to take a look."

As the Emperor spoke, several Imperial Guards unfurled the banner on the spot. It was a large standard embroidered with the words 'Unrivaled Under Heaven,' of the same design as Li Yanxian's 'Mainstay in the Midst of the Torrent'... Yue Fei, who had been mildly curious, was momentarily struck speechless. Though he was usually indifferent to such things and had already received a tremendous prize today, he could not help but show a hint of envy.

Soon, the banner was folded, placed into a wooden box, and sealed with the Emperor's personal vermilion seal... It was clearly meant to be sent to Han Shizhong.

However, as if sensing Yue Fei's thoughts, the Emperor Zhao soon waved his hand again: "There are two more things for Yue Qing."

Yue Fei quickly looked, and saw the first person step forward.

"This is Zhang Zigai, the most accomplished nephew of Zhang Boying. He has been in the palace guard for a year. Today, I send him to your army as a general." Zhao Jiu quickly revealed the answer, clearly adding weight to Yue Fei's side, especially against the most senior Zhang Jun.

At this, Yue Fei immediately understood. Meanwhile, Zhang Zigai, under the complex gaze of Tian Shizhong standing nearby, made a deep bow to his new commander, then immediately went to stand behind him, side by side with Yang Zaixing and Guo Jin, who had been watching the proceedings like a play.

"The second item..."

Seeing another banner being carried over by an Imperial Guard and handed to Zhang Zigai, Yue Fei, Tian Shizhong, and the others all showed expressions of 'as expected' mixed with great curiosity. But the Emperor Zhao suddenly laughed, ready to tease them. "I thought to let Yue Qing open it after returning home. But as the saying goes, a good man should have his name proclaimed outside the Donghua Gate. Some things are meant to be shown off. I like this boy Yue Yun very much. Qing, don't wait. Today, carry this standard and go back through the main gate of Xuande Tower... Just this once, no refusal. Zhengfu (Yang Yizhong's courtesy name), see to it. Make sure Yue Qing gets to indulge and be proud for once."

With that, before Yue Fei could say anything more, Zhao Jiu simply waved his hand to dismiss him.

And so, leaving aside how Yue Fei was urged by Yang Yizhong to mount his horse outside the Yiyou Gate and have his ceremonial escort arranged, then stared blankly at the large standard unfurled behind him... A quarter of an hour later, within the palace, the entire Grand Council at the Chongwen Institute was in an uproar. Officials from the Six Ministries, Nine Courts, Five Directorates, and the Censorate all came out to watch.

Even Zhao Ding, Zhang Jun, Liu Ji, Chen Gui, and others could not sit still. They also stepped out of the Chongwen Institute's main gate, and were all left dumbfounded.

It turned out that Yue Pengju, clad in brocade, rode on horseback in the center, flanked by over a hundred Imperial Guards, displaying the ceremonial escort of a Commandery Prince, swaggering directly through the palace... That was one thing... But what drew the most attention was the large standard erected behind this commander of the Forward Army of the Imperial Camp. Its design was similar to Li Yanxian's standard, but the key was that it bore four large characters written vertically by the Emperor's own hand: 'Utmost Loyalty to Serve the Country'!

With such a magnificent escort and such an eye-catching banner, they passed directly in front of the main gate of the Chongwen Institute, then turned left ahead, exiting through the rarely opened main gate of Xuande Tower, whereupon music and gongs began to sound.

Then, under the dumbfounded gazes of even more Dongjing citizens, scholars, and officials, they continued to parade through the gates and have his name proclaimed on the Imperial Avenue.

Like everyone else in the Grand Council, Chief Councilor Zhao Ding watched for a long time, until the sound of gongs had completely faded away, before stroking his beard and sighing: "From today onward, there is once again a fine man who can ride his horse before the Xuande Tower! The Emperor's methods for winning over these commanders are truly unprecedented!"

Privy Councilor Zhang Jun shook his head beside him: "With this, there is no need to worry about those rumors in Jingdong. It is always a good thing!"

Vice Councilor Liu Ji wanted to chime in, but then remembered that he had only shaken hands and exchanged pleasantries on Fangcheng Mountain. He could not help but feel a pang of sourness, and was the first to turn back and return to the Grand Council to work.

PS: Thanks to the 119th leader, Senior Qinglin!

Also, I'll continue to sacrifice a new book, "The End of Han: Dominating the World," with the son of Lu Boshe as the setting...