Fu Shanhe

Chapter 447 Rebellion
The Hall of Nourishing Heart.

"The northern barbarians have invaded again. What do you think of my personally leading the expedition?"

Emperor Yongning asked with a slight hesitation.

In recent days, the capital has been in an uproar due to the invasion of the Northern Barbarians.

Civil and military officials vied to offer their strategies, as if everyone were a reincarnation of Zhuge Liang.

More than half of the strategies are just empty talk and have no reference value.

However, some plans still tempted Emperor Yongning. The most unusual of these was the suggestion that he personally lead an expedition.

The reasons are very valid.

The loss of military power is detrimental to the stability of the country. The quickest way to regain power is for the emperor to personally lead an expedition.

Only by going to the front lines and having close contact with frontline commanders can one cultivate trusted confidants within the military and seize military power.

He doesn't need a great victory; just stopping the Northern Barbarians' attack will bring him immense political prestige.

Compared to the previous two invasions by the Northern Barbarians, the Great Yu Dynasty is now undoubtedly the most well-prepared.

The imperial court deployed sixteen garrisons to recruit soldiers along the northern frontier, including five garrisons in Liaodong, three garrisons in Jizhou, three garrisons in Xuanfu, three garrisons in Datong, and two garrisons in Shanxi.

These troops either came from military families in Liaodong or were direct descendants of nobles; they were all top-tier elites of the Great Yu Dynasty.

If the emperor were to personally lead the expedition, he could bring with him over 200,000 troops from the capital's garrison, bringing the total number of troops deployed to the front lines to nearly 400,000.

Including logistics and transportation personnel, claiming an army of one million is not an exaggeration.

Judging from the data on paper, Yu's army is undoubtedly far stronger than the Northern Barbarians. As long as they perform normally, defeating the enemy is almost a certainty.

The fact that the Great Wall defense line blocked the first wave of the Northern Barbarians' attack is the best proof of this.

Emperor Yongning was naturally unwilling to leave such readily available military merits to the nobility, and he was also uneasy about entrusting them to civil officials for command.

"Your Majesty, it is absolutely impossible!"

"The battlefield is extremely dangerous, and all sorts of unexpected events can happen at any time. You are..."

Halfway through his persuasion, seeing Emperor Yongning's unpleasant expression, Xu Zhongen decisively chose to shut up.

This isn't asking for advice; it's clearly that they have an idea in mind but lack confidence and want to gain more support.

If he were a high-ranking official, he would naturally argue his case based on reason, but he was a eunuch.

His position dictated that he could not go against the emperor, even if he knew there were risks involved.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Throughout history, most great rulers of the past had the experience of personally leading large armies and being invincible on the battlefield.

Your Majesty, since ascending the throne, you have eliminated treacherous officials within the country and quelled rebellions without, thus bringing about the peace and prosperity of the realm today.

The Northern barbarians, oblivious to their own mortality, repeatedly provoke Heaven's Grace..."

Wang Yifeng's praise greatly pleased Emperor Yongning.

Upon witnessing this scene, the eunuchs began to extoll the benefits of the emperor's personal campaign, praising Emperor Yongning to the skies.

"Your Majesty, this old servant was confused just now. I only thought about the risks and ignored the benefits of Your Majesty's personal command of the expedition. I deserve to die for this crime."

Realizing the situation was dire, Xu Zhongen decisively changed his political stance.

"Ha ha……"

"You old codger, you should read more books when you have nothing to do."

Today's Dayu is no longer the Dayu of yesterday.

Since the expansion of the northern armies, our military strength has greatly increased, and now is the time when our army is strong and well-equipped.

If the Northern barbarians come knocking on our door now, they're just asking for death.

"How could I possibly let such a golden opportunity slip by!"

Emperor Yongning said with a smile.

Military spending is not wasted; the imperial court has invested so much money in the military, so naturally there will be corresponding returns.

After the aristocratic faction came to power, they reorganized military affairs in various regions and focused on military training, which is common knowledge.

Although he was dissatisfied with Jing and Li's monopolization of power, Emperor Yongning still highly approved of their military reorganization efforts.

It was the initial investment that gave Emperor Yongning the confidence to personally lead the expedition.

After his initial joy, he soon became worried again. Leading an army in person was never a simple matter.

The emperor's willingness is only a basic requirement; the support of all the officials in the court is also necessary.

Based on past practice, Emperor Yongning did not believe that the civil and military officials in the court would support him on this issue.

The powerful aristocratic faction, in particular, would strongly oppose this issue.

Once the emperor personally leads an expedition and achieves a great victory, extending imperial power into the army, the greatest political capital of the meritorious nobles will be gone.

However, it is difficult to bypass the noble faction on this issue.

No matter who leads the troops, the nobility are always among those charging into battle.

Without the cooperation of these people, even the best battle plan cannot be implemented.

……

Wenyuan Pavilion.

"Colleagues, His Majesty intends to personally lead the expedition. What do you all think is the best course of action?"

Jing Guoliang asked, frowning.

War is not a game on paper. If having more soldiers could guarantee victory, there would be no great generals in the world.

In response to the invasion of the northern barbarians, they have been busy mobilizing troops and preparing to gather the nation's elite forces to inflict heavy damage on the enemy.

Before the local armies sent to defend the emperor could even set out, the emperor himself jumped out and demanded to lead the expedition in person.

He fully understood Emperor Yongning's desire to regain power and, to some extent, cooperated with him.

However, the transfer of power is a long process, and at the very least, the emperor's political acumen must be elevated to a higher level.

He couldn't really trust someone who would dare to personally lead an expedition just because they were encouraged by others.

"Your Excellency, our Great Yu Kingdom was founded on military might."

There are numerous precedents of emperors personally leading military campaigns, and all of them achieved remarkable results.

"His Majesty has such lofty ambitions; we should support him."

As soon as Bai Jilin finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room became heavy.

When the emperor personally leads an expedition, regardless of the outcome of the war, the noble faction is always the biggest victim.

The emperor's personal presence at the front lines boosted morale primarily because the emperor could witness everyone's achievements, eliminating the possibility of middlemen profiting from the difference.

If they achieve a great victory, Emperor Yongning will be able to promote a group of trusted generals and break the monopoly of the nobility over the army.

If they were to suffer a defeat, the noble faction would also suffer the most severe losses.

Given the inevitable defeat, jumping out to support the emperor's personal campaign at this juncture would undoubtedly put them on the opposite side of the nobility.

"Your Excellency, Lord Bai is right."

"It is rare for Your Majesty to have such ambition; we, as your subjects, should naturally give our full support."

Jiang Shuhan then spoke up, and all the civil officials responded in unison.

Half of it was for partisan struggle, and the other half was out of public interest.

The imperial power of the Great Yu Dynasty has declined drastically. If it cannot restore its imperial authority and dignity, the end of the dynasty will not be far off.

While it may seem risky for the emperor to personally lead an expedition, it is actually entirely controllable.

The emperor leading troops into battle does not mean that the emperor will personally fight the enemy; even military command can be delegated to others.

The emperor's ceremonial procession, whenever it appeared in the military camp, was the greatest boost to the morale of the troops.

"The Grand Secretary and the Second Grand Secretary, what you gentlemen say makes sense."

Your Majesty, since you have made up your mind to personally lead the expedition, we, as your subjects, cannot stop you.

Rather than hindering His Majesty's personal campaign, it would be better to formulate a comprehensive battle plan in advance to minimize the risks.

Bao Linghou's words infuriated Jing Guoliang and Li Yuan.

There are no permanent allies in politics. The Marquis of Pauling, representing the maternal relatives, betrayed them at this time, putting them in an awkward position.

"Since you all say so, if we continue to obstruct him, it will only make us look bad. However, His Majesty ultimately lacks experience in leading troops. When we actually get to the battlefield, who can guarantee that things won't go wrong?"

Li Yuan coldly questioned him.

The emperor's personal command of the expedition posed no risk; the greatest risk lay with Emperor Yongning himself.

Getting him to stay out of the war and act as a spectator is extremely difficult.

No matter how much the imperial power declined, its influence over the lower and middle-ranking officials and soldiers remained enormous.

Not everyone has the courage to say no to the emperor's edict.

"Second Minister, nothing has happened yet, so who can guarantee that the worst-case scenario will definitely occur!"

Gao Jingfeng retorted.

After being echoes for so long, it's time for them to shine.

As members of the cabinet, their authority is not much less in law.

The emperor sounded the charge to seize power, and they naturally had to follow suit quickly.

"Alright, we understand what you mean."

Now that everyone has made up their minds, let's go and prepare!

Jing Guoliang immediately interrupted.

He wasn't worried about the voices in the court; what was truly worrying was the situation within the nobility faction.

Wherever there are people, there are conflicts of interest, and the nobility are no exception.

When seizing power from civil officials, the aristocratic group was a unified entity, but when it came to the internal distribution of benefits, disputes were not uncommon.

Top nobles drank and ate meat, reaping all sorts of benefits, while the middle and lower-ranking nobles received far less.

Unless a few families produce exceptional talents who receive a share of the meat, the rest of the family simply drink the soup.

Those with above-average abilities often only reach the middle ranks in the military.

Lacking both exceptional ability and a strong backing, his promotion was mainly due to catching up with the trend of military expansion.

Some slow-reacting nobles had their clansmen join the army late, missing out on the era's benefits, and there were no representative figures to be found in the military.

If nothing changes, this pattern will continue for a long time.

For the top nobles, the emperor's personal expedition was a risk, but for them it was an opportunity.

One meritorious deed performed before the emperor is worth more than ten meritorious deeds performed in the past.

No matter how the situation changes, the emperor can never do without the support of the nobles.

Suppressing one group of nobles and promoting another is necessary to ensure the stability of imperial power.

As long as you excel on the battlefield, you won't have to worry about your career prospects.

You can't even criticize them; loyalty to the emperor and patriotism are politically correct, and you can't bring them out into the open to find fault.

After all, the top nobles account for a very small percentage of the entire noble group; the majority are the middle and lower-ranking nobles.

While individual families may seem insignificant, this group has contributed the largest number of mid- and junior officers to the nobility faction.

No matter how powerful the Jing and Li families are, they cannot possibly stand against so many people.

Since we can't stop it, we might as well let go.

He believed he had done his job well and was worthy of the salary he received from the imperial court.

Jing Guoliang agreed, but the court officials were dumbfounded.

Contrary to their expectations, they were all prepared to make a big splash at the court meeting, but the result was finalized at a high-level meeting.

The civil officials who were arranged to die for their country, and the nobles who were secretly turned against the government, all became futile efforts.

The worst part is that the nobility faction did not turn against the emperor, so Emperor Yongning would not risk the downfall of the country by taking action against the top leaders of the nobility faction.

Given this trend, although the post-war political landscape may change, it is unlikely to change according to their will.

……

The Marquis of Hanshui's Residence.

The turmoil in the court had not yet reached Annam, and even news of the assassination of the cabinet minister had not yet arrived.

Without these worries, Li Mu could focus his energy on governing the Protectorate.

After ceasing its external expansion, the army began to hunt down bandits and outlaws in various places.

In just a few months, the Protectorate General's office gained another 300,000 free laborers.

Some were genuine bandits and outlaws, but most were remnants of the previous dynasty.

However, none of this matters. Li Mu treats all these disruptive disputes that threaten the security of his territory equally.

Whether it's building bridges and roads or undertaking water conservancy projects, a large amount of labor is required.

"The population of the Protectorate has exceeded ten million, which is a remarkable achievement, but the proportion of Yu people is really too low."

Even including military households in various regions, the current proportion is only 30%.

In particular, in the twenty newly recovered prefectures, the local Yu people accounted for less than 10%.

Even though the exchange and splitting broke up the local community, the situation is still far from optimistic.

The diverse cultures and customs that coexist in a region are ultimately a threat.

After the First Emperor unified the six kingdoms, he promulgated the decrees of "standardizing the written language, the gauge of carts, the weights and measures, the ethical norms, and the territories," which led to the unification of the land of China today.

The answer is right there; do you need me to teach you how to copy it?

Li Mu addressed the crowd, giving them a warning.

Annam Protectorate developed rapidly, and in just a few years it had a population of over ten million.

Unfortunately, population does not equal national strength; the increase in population mainly stemmed from external expansion.

Even with a series of measures implemented to stabilize the local area, many local people still lack a sense of identification with the Protectorate General.

The indigenous population is even larger, and if measures are not taken soon, it remains to be seen who will assimilate whom.

Throughout history, Chinese people have established countries overseas on numerous occasions, but none of them have achieved significant success.

The main reason is that ethnic integration has not been done well. Instead of assimilating the locals, the locals were assimilated by the locals due to policy mistakes.

He gave up a good life in China and went to the Indochina Peninsula to develop his career, just to become a local tyrant.

"My lord, we have been promoting the unification of language and writing, but the language barrier is causing trouble."

Within the Protectorate General's territory, there are over a hundred languages, both large and small, and more than ten different scripts.

The biggest challenge we are currently facing is a severe shortage of translations.

Especially after the implementation of population splitting, several languages ​​can appear in a single village.

Disputes arising from language barriers occur daily in various places.

Wei Xinzhi immediately complained.

Unifying the language and script is something that rulers throughout history have wanted to achieve.

Even during the Great Yu Dynasty, multiple languages ​​and scripts still existed within its territory.

There are countless dialects that have emerged from different regions.

What the imperial court has failed to accomplish for centuries cannot be solved simply by a few policies.

"The imperial court exiled a group of Confucian scholars, none of whom were strong enough to do heavy work. They were perfect for being put to good use."

Language schools were set up in various places to teach indigenous languages ​​and scripts, with the teaching materials limited to loyalty to the monarch and patriotism.

Remember to keep them separate from the other schools in the Protectorate General's office; we can't let these pedantic scholars corrupt the next generation of soldiers.

Li Mu said with a serious expression.

The schools in the Protectorate General's Office were completely different from the private schools within the Great Yu territory.

The traditional Four Books and Five Classics are relegated to a secondary position here, and the new teaching materials that take the lead are all compiled under the personal supervision of Li Mu.

The main subjects in primary school include Chinese classics, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and ideology.

Because he severed ties with traditional Confucian education, Li Mu was not well-liked in literary circles.

(End of this chapter)