Tiger Guards

Chapter 700 Layer by Layer Cleansing
In the afternoon, Zhao Ji had a simple meal and then went to the Changshi camp.

Zhang Hong came out to greet them, and together they entered the barracks.

Inside the barracks, six long-legged tables were pieced together to form a simple sand table platform, on which was a detailed map showing the distribution of each camp, granary, and armory.

Zhao Ji glanced at the simple sand table and said, "The situation is dire. Today we conducted a brief test, and at a glance, less than half of the people are reliable."

"Why should the Grand Tutor have any doubts?"

Zhang Hong brought over a bamboo basket containing palm-length bamboo slips inscribed with people's names. Zhao Ji reached out and grabbed some, seeing that they were written with names, corresponding military ranks, and places of origin.

At this moment, Zhao Ji couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief, saying with slight disappointment, "Dividing friend and foe by region is truly disappointing."

"Grand Tutor, there are no more than ten people plotting rebellion in the camp. The rest are at most aware of the plot but are merely feigning innocence. Now that you have returned to the camp, the officers and soldiers will be loyal and follow you without hesitation. There is no need to worry anymore."

Zhang Hong spoke in a tone of admonition, but his hands never stopped as he took out stacks of bamboo slips from the bamboo basket and arranged them on the table according to the rank of these people's military titles.

This was his pool of reserve talent, which could be used to replace those military officers whose stances were unclear.

The ten people he mentioned were naturally mid- to high-ranking military officers who commanded a battalion or a division or higher.

Zhao Ji looked down at the bamboo slips. These people could be considered as those recommended by Zhang Hong after investigation and confirmation.

Zhao Ji said nothing more, and selected six familiar military officer name cards from the list. He stared at the suspicious military supervisors, camp commanders, captains, and lieutenants on the sand table.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Ji picked up a wooden pole and pushed the name cards of the seventeen men out of the enemy commander's camp. He then replaced them with the six name cards in his hand and said, "Bring me pen and ink."

Wen Hui, who had come with Zhao Ji, quickly went to fetch pen and ink. Zhao Ji opened some name cards and wrote the names and military ranks of the recipients on the back.

These names, written on the spot, are all military officers who made meritorious contributions and followed him back from the Liangzhou battlefield.

After writing eleven name cards in succession, Zhao Ji then swapped the other military officers on the sand table.

Apart from those military officers who came from the ranks of those who rescued border residents, everyone else was directly transferred regardless of their background or place of origin.

The eleven vacant positions were filled by his own central army officers.

After filling in the gaps, Zhao Ji put down the wooden pole and said to Zhang Hong and Wen Hui, "That's all for now. Immediately draft a military order and make the necessary deployments. Send orders to each messenger to lead more than ten elite cavalrymen. Anyone who disobeys will be executed on the spot."

"Here."

Zhang Hong and Wen Hui bowed in acceptance, and Zhang Wei and other clerks from the shogunate also bowed deeply.

Some of the shogunate's clerks were also sent away on official business by Zhang Hong under a pretext.

Zhang Hong has dispatched any of his shogunate subordinates he suspects to distant locations on official business in the past few days to prevent further leaks.

These people immediately went to write the corresponding transfer orders, with an average of two military orders to be written for each position.

The first step is to remove someone from office; the second step is to appoint them to office.

The same applies to the seventeen military officers who were selected to be stripped of their military power. First, there was the first demotion document, which announced that the recipients would become idle military officers with titles but no official positions. Then came the second new appointment and transfer document.

However, these seventeen people were not given new positions as commanders of the army, but were instead transferred elsewhere, such as being recruited as military advisors or councilors in the central army.

After Zhao Ji finalized the first list of people to be suppressed and stripped of their rights, he began to draft military documents and official correspondence around these individuals.

Promotions in military positions are made at each level, and even subsequent transfers, promotions, and selections involving centurions require Zhao Ji's review and approval.

Once the prepared military dispatches were filed, knight squads were immediately dispatched to escort idle shogunate officials to deliver the orders.

The central army cavalrymen set out in formation, heading to their respective camps.

After returning from the central army, Colonel Zhang Heng was alone in his barracks in the rear army headquarters.

The rear army commander returned with him, but this commander immediately began to meet with the battalion commanders, military officers, and centurions of each camp, and began to report on the great victory on the Liangzhou battlefield, as well as a series of news such as the Grand Tutor's return to camp. The military commander's report was very timely, and when the central army cavalry squad rushed into the rear army camp, the military officers and guards on duty near the gate all stood by and watched.

"By order of the Grand Tutor, where is Zhang Heng, the Commandant of the Rear Army?"

The messenger shouted outside Zhang Heng's barracks. Zhang Heng's guards looked around, completely at a loss, some of them trembling with fear.

Not a hundred of Zhang Heng's personal guards came out to greet him. The minor official turned his cold gaze to the accompanying cavalry of the central army and said, "Go and invite Commandant Zhang out of his tent."

"Here."

Five elite riders immediately stepped forward. Two of them lifted the tent flaps on the left and right, while the other three, not daring to draw their swords, cautiously entered.

The indoor lighting was poor, and they couldn't see anyone else.

With a wave of his hand, the two cavalry guards responsible for lifting the tent flaps quickly stepped forward and headed towards the bedroom and study.

The reconnaissance was completed quickly. The sergeant strode out and glanced at the assembled officers and soldiers of the rear army, numbering seventy or eighty: "Sir, Commander Zhang and his guards have committed suicide."

"Suicide?"

The messenger was also slightly surprised and looked at the Rear Army Commander: "Commander Hu, please move over."

"Alright."

The rear army commander was also mentally prepared for this, but he did not expect Zhang Heng to be so decisive, and his heart trembled inexplicably.

This kind of thing is very difficult to judge. Zhang Heng's death may have been a quick and painless end, but it makes it hard to explain the innocence of many of the rear army officers.

But if Zhang Heng were alive and subjected to torture and malicious accusations, the harm he would cause would be even greater.

Between two evils, choose the lesser. Zhang Heng's suicide, while potentially affecting the innocence of others, also protected the majority.

The rear army commander took a deep breath and followed the messenger into Zhang Heng's camp.

There was no obvious smell of blood in the barracks. After moving to the dormitory, they saw that Zhang Heng and his guards had chosen to hang themselves.

The messenger raised his eyebrows to observe the tongues sticking out of Zhang Heng and the other man, then turned to look at the Rear Army Commander: "Since Commandant Zhang has committed suicide out of fear of punishment, then I have no choice but to let it go. However, in addition to Zhang Heng's military dispatch order, there is also a military dispatch order from Commander Hu."

"Understood, I am willing to obey your command."

Hu Ji, the commander of the rear army, bowed deeply. Seeing the messenger turn and leave, he turned and followed. Before leaving, he looked back at the corpses of Zhang Heng and the other man hanging in mid-air.

No one would suggest putting him down for resuscitation; if he were actually saved, that would be a problem.

This is bad for Zhang Heng, and also bad for the other officers in the rear army.

After leaving the barracks, Hu Ji led the five battalion commanders of the rear army, along with the army commander, grain officer, flag officer, and some senior centurions, a total of more than sixty people, to stand in a row and listen to the orders given by the messenger on the wooden platform.

The messenger opened the military dispatch: "The Grand Tutor orders that Hu Ji, the Rear Army Commander, be relieved of his post and reassigned."

"Your humble servant obeys the order."

Under the watchful eyes of his subordinates and colleagues, Hu Ji knelt on one knee and accepted the lightly written military dispatch with both hands.

Then the messenger took out a second military order, lowered his eyebrows and announced loudly: "The Grand Tutor orders that Hu Ji, the Commander of the Central Army, is to be transferred to the position of Commander of the Vanguard Army. He shall take up his post immediately upon receiving the order and shall not delay."

"Your humble servant obeys!"

Under the envious gazes of his subordinates, Hu Ji responded loudly.

(End of this chapter)