Tiger Guards

Chapter 593: Supervising the Queen
Regardless of Zhao Ji's thoughts, once the summer heat subsides, the entire army will regroup as planned before the autumn harvest.

Zhao Ji had reached the pinnacle of his career and could not be granted any further titles, but the vast majority of meritorious officials still had a long road ahead in their careers.

If the imperial court is unable or unwilling to bestow rewards, then they will find someone who can!

In reality, the imperial court could offer nothing more than empty titles.

All material rewards, including land, still require Zhao Ji to make sacrifices when they are implemented.

The same applies to official positions. Even if the imperial court appoints you as a county or prefectural official in Ji, Jing, or Yi provinces, you will not have a good ending if you go to take up the post.

Therefore, the final implementation of material rewards and official titles could only be undertaken by Zhao Ji.

Before Lü Bu left, the court could have placed meritorious officials in the two provinces of Yan and Yu as prefects or magistrates. But if that were the case, how could Lü Bu maintain the cohesion of his troops?

Rewarding meritorious officials and soldiers requires Zhao Ji's cooperation and efforts, so if Zhao Ji is not given a princely title, why should he cooperate?
The large-scale mobilization before the autumn harvest is related to the interests of every meritorious person.

Therefore, the mobilization was very enthusiastic, and anyone who stood in the way of this 100,000-strong torrent of officials and soldiers would be trampled into dust.

After Zhao Yan's words of comfort, Zhao Ji felt completely at ease and set sail from Jinyang, traveling down the Fen River to return to his fiefdom of Pingyang.

Pingyang was the assembly point for the massive mobilization of the army at the end of July.

Inside the renovated Temple of Emperor Yao, Zhao Ji, dressed in a brown-yellow robe and wearing a crown, led his entourage of civil and military officials to pay their respects to the tablet and statue of Emperor Yao.

After the worship ceremony, Zhao Ji walked out of the cool Yao Emperor Temple and stood on the steps under the corridor. Looking into the distance, he suddenly saw five long-feathered pheasants take off from the pine and cypress forest outside the temple, flapping their wings and flying away in different directions.

Zhang Hong, the chief secretary of the shogunate, was probably nearsighted. Pointing at the long-feathered pheasants that were flying away, he asked his attendants with excitement and doubt, "Was that a phoenix?"

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. Sun Zi, the grain supervisor, immediately replied with certainty, "It is a phoenix. The Grand Marshal was worshipping Emperor Yao, hence it perched here!"

"Great fortune!"

Zhang Hong's excited exclamation drew Zhao Ji's attention. The man spread his arms wide, looking around as if trying to welcome the auspicious phoenix into his embrace: "Great fortune!"

Others became skeptical, and some even became agitated.

On the contrary, Zhao Ji watched these people perform with a calm expression, leaned back slightly and turned his head to ask Gao Yanglong, "Who did it?"

Gao Yanglong has replaced Guan Shang as Zhao Ji's personal guard captain.

Gao Yanglong hesitated slightly, but still answered, "It is the Prime Minister."

The Prime Minister of Pingyang, Guanqiu prospered.

Seeing no clear stance from Zhao Ji, Gao Yanglong whispered again, "He sent it here, saying it represents the will of the people of Pingyang."

As the Chancellor of Pingyang, Guanqiu Xing had the obligation and responsibility to push Zhao Ji, the ruler of the Marquisate, against the Han dynasty. This was also the responsibility of every official and citizen of Pingyang. They could rightfully assist and push their own ruler to replace the Han dynasty.

Zhao Ji simply nodded, then stared intently at Guanqiu Xing in the crowd on the steps. Guanqiu Xing seemed oblivious to his gaze, lost in the joy of the moment with those around him.

The news of the phoenix appearing in Pingyang spread like wildfire. As Zhao Ji left the Yao Emperor Temple in northern Pingyang, officials and commoners who heard the news flocked to the temple to worship and behold the auspicious blessing of the phoenix.

Nighttime, the Queen's Palace Estate.

More than thirty young tiger warriors had thoroughly searched the entire manor and then took up their posts at each gate.

Inside the main hall, Empress Fu Shou burned incense and hosted a banquet.

The banquet was not lavish; only three kinds of meat—mutton, goose, and fish—were laid out on Zhao Ji's table, along with other seasonal fruits and vegetables.

The eldest prince, Liu Feng, was also at the banquet, sitting in a low, semi-enclosed baby chair.

Perhaps due to the intrusion of too many strangers, his wet nurse was terrified, which is why the emotionally sensitive Liu Feng cried and struggled.

However, inside the main hall, the palace maids continued to serve dishes in an orderly manner, without stopping because of his crying.

Meanwhile, on one side of the hall, a band of musicians brought by Zhao Ji were playing the Qiang flute, their melodious tunes seemingly able to suppress the cries of Prince Liu Feng.

As the instruments and music changed, Liu Feng cried until she was exhausted and stopped struggling. She simply lay back in the baby chair and fell asleep.

After the palace maids who served the dishes left, Zhao Ji picked up a cup of wine and raised it to Fu Shou: "With this cup, I congratulate you on your victory over the Hu."

"Grand Marshal, please."

Fu Shou also raised her cup. Her voice was clear and resonant, her presence no less imposing than Zhao Ji's, and she wasn't afraid of waking Liu Feng. After they had drunk their fill, Fu Shou finally spoke: "I am quite puzzled. After the Grand Marshal achieved a great victory at Fushi and killed the Xianbei king, why didn't he stop there? Although I am not knowledgeable in military affairs, I know that sending an army that has been exhausted from repeated battles to conquer thousands of miles beyond the Great Wall is extremely dangerous. If I were the Grand Marshal, I should have recovered the three commanderies and observed the court's movements before taking further action."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ji poured himself a glass of wine. Looking at the dark red wine, he recalled the battle, as if what was being poured into his glass was blood, and he could still smell the blood.

After careful consideration, Zhao Ji replied, "I regard the border region as my own homeland. Now that an opportunity for war has arisen, I will naturally strive to defeat the various barbarian tribes in one battle and bring peace to the border region for a hundred years. As for the court, even if I am defeated, the court will be overjoyed, so why would it want to harm me?"

The fact that Zhao Ji wasn't afraid of losing battles was the fundamental reason why he dared to bet everything.

As for victory, at that time we were in the middle of the battle, so we fought as long as we could. The snowball had already started rolling, and if we suddenly slammed on the brakes, the one who would suffer the most would definitely be our own side.

Faced with Zhao Ji's reply, Fu Shou sighed deeply: "I have only known the Grand Marshal for three years. Is the fate of the Han Dynasty about to end?"

"Your Majesty, if the Han Dynasty is restored three times, wouldn't the common people and nobles of the world become servants of the Liu family for generations to come?"

Zhao Ji's question baffled Fu Shou: "What's wrong with that? It's the Mandate of Heaven, the world is at peace, far from disasters, and the people are happy. What's wrong with that?"

"Of course not. Man should contend with heaven and earth. If we submit to the Liu family, how can the people and heroes stand tall and create a new world if they are enslaved for generations?"

Zhao Ji raised his cup and said, "I am very pleased that the Empress has lived in Pingyang and has never conspired to cause trouble. This cup is to the Empress."

Fu Shou didn't understand anything about standing tall and upright, but now she understood something else. She frowned and stared intently: "The Grand Marshal wants to send me back to Xuchang?"

"With this idea in mind, not only the Empress, but also the eldest son Liu Feng, as well as my seals as Left Minister, Grand Marshal, Governor of Bingzhou, and Marquis of Pingyang, will be sent to Xuchang."

Zhao Ji spoke calmly, but Fu Shou was already gripped by panic.

Despite the excellent cooperation between the emperor and his father-in-law, the Grand Secretary Fu Wan, in Xuchang, if Fu Shouzhen were truly sent back by Zhao Ji, the Fu clan would be finished.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, Fu Shou asked, "Does the Grand Marshal have no intention of abdicating? Does he intend to carry out a revolution?"

There are advantages to abdication, and Fu Shou was not surprised at all. She knew that she could not grasp Zhao Ji's thoughts and interests, but she did not expect Zhao Ji to be so resolute in cutting ties with the court.

This made her feel like she was being threatened, but she couldn't afford to gamble.

"It seems the Empress has heard of it, and I suppose the Emperor knows about it as well."

Seeing that she refused to take the cup, Zhao Ji said, "I knew Zhong Yao was not an honest man. In fact, on the day of the military remonstrance, I only had the banner of reform, not the banner of revolution. The so-called reform that failed, so we will carry out revolution, is just using Zhong Yao's words to intimidate the officials. Obviously, the officials are all cowards."

Upon hearing this, Fu Shou raised her cup and forced a smile: "In the eyes of the Grand Marshal, am I someone with courage?"

"By opening up the chest and abdomen, one can naturally know whether there is a gallbladder or not."

Zhao Ji raised his cup again. At this moment, Fu Shou glanced at Consort Zhao and Consort Song, who were accompanying him. The two understood each other, got up, and left with Liu Feng's wet nurse, carrying Liu Feng away.

Consort Zhao glanced at Zhao Ji a few more times as she left. Consort Song's steps were unsteady; she was truly afraid to return to Xudu.

She had been living a comfortable life with plenty of food and drink, and she really didn't want to go to Xuchang to die; even if the emperor didn't kill her, given the current situation, there probably wouldn't be any stable life in Xuchang.

When the hall was empty, Fu Shou lowered her voice: "I know that it was the Grand Marshal who saved the court from its crisis, and it is His Majesty and the court who owe the Grand Marshal. But now that the Grand Marshal has returned his official seal, how will he command his subordinates? I know that the Grand Marshal is strong and capable, and his subordinates are all fierce and valiant generals, but if some of them harbor disloyal intentions and join forces with the court to rebel on the battlefield or in the heart of the court, how will the Grand Marshal protect them?"

"So what suggestions do you have?"

Fu Shou replied: "He will be granted the title of Duke, the Nine Bestowments, the establishment of ancestral temples and altars, and the four prefectures of Yong, Liang, Bing, and You as his fiefdom, with the titles of Grand Tutor, Grand Commandant, Minister of the Imperial Secretariat, and Commandant of the Capital Region."

Fu Shou hesitated for a moment before raising his wine cup: "The heroes of the world are difficult to gather in a short time. The Grand Marshal should give them some time."

"That's fine too. Please address me as Grand Tutor Zhao, Your Majesty."

Zhao Ji also raised his cup in acknowledgment. The two looked at each other, and the atmosphere gradually changed. Zhao Ji then said, "His Majesty has been held hostage by Liu Bei. Only with the Empress overseeing the country can the officials be stabilized. If the Empress is willing to bestow rewards, I and the officials and soldiers of the four prefectures will henceforth obey the Empress's edicts."

Fu Shou was taken aback, but joy welled up within him. As long as they didn't go to Xudu, he would agree to anything.

She immediately drank the wine, picked up the jade pot to pour it, rose and went to Zhao Ji's table to pour more, asking in a trembling voice, "Regent?"

"His Majesty has been kidnapped by treacherous officials, and the prince is still young. In such a turbulent time, only the Empress overseeing the country can stabilize people's hearts."

As Zhao Ji spoke, he raised his hand and grasped hers: "Pingyang is shabby, so please, Your Majesty, move to Jinyang later."

Fu Shou tried to pull her hand away but couldn't, and said urgently, "Please, Grand Marshal, show some respect."

"You're wrong. I am Grand Tutor Zhao, appointed by the Empress."

(End of this chapter)