Dugong

Chapter 87 Three Strategies for the Northern Frontier
early morning.

It was misty.

Empress Dowager Zhou slowly opened her eyes and saw Xiao Anzi attending to her by the bedside. She felt inexplicably at ease, as this had become a habit.

Li Ping'an narrowed his eyes slightly and swayed slightly.

The eunuchs serving nearby saw that the Empress Dowager had woken up and were about to touch her to remind Chief Eunuch An.

Empress Dowager Zhou waved her hand to stop him. Xiao Anzi, who was so skilled in martial arts, was so tired and exhausted. It was obvious that he had used up too much energy yesterday when he was paid.

I got out of bed quietly, my clothes and bedding making a rustling sound.

Li Ping'an instantly woke up from his drowsy state and hurriedly knelt down to beg for forgiveness: "This servant fell asleep while on duty, please punish me, Your Majesty."

"Xiao Anzi, you've worked hard!"

Empress Dowager Zhou personally helped Li Ping'an up and said with concern, "You hold three positions and have heavy responsibilities. Take good care of the Imperial Horse Administration and the Capital Garrison. Rest more here with me."

With tears in his eyes, Li Ping'an said, moved, "This servant thanks Your Majesty for your grace."

Li Ping'an got up to help Zhou Taitai wash her face and get dressed. The sky was overcast and the room was a bit stuffy, so Li Ping'an helped her to the south window to get some fresh air.

There is an ancient pomegranate tree outside the window, which is said to have been planted by the royal family of the previous dynasty and is over two hundred years old.

The flower buds only began to form in mid-March.

Perhaps it was the palace eunuchs who took good care of it, for the tree was full of buds, a sign of a bountiful year.

Empress Dowager Zhou, who was originally all smiles and chatting with Li Ping'an, suddenly turned gloomy after seeing the pomegranate buds.

"I'm tired, Xiao Anzi, go and do your errand!"

After a moment's thought, Li Ping'an understood why the Empress Dowager was displeased. Pomegranates have always symbolized many children and good fortune, which created a subtle conflict with the Empress Dowager's loss of her son and widowhood.

They then sent people to uproot the tree and replace it with a pine tree, symbolizing longevity, and a Bodhi tree, used for Buddhist worship.

Li Ping'an quickly changed the subject: "Your Majesty, there are quite a few military officer positions available in the capital garrison. Do you have any juniors you would like to arrange?"

Empress Dowager Zhou asked, "Several marquisate families have quite a few talented young men, but are they suitable?"

Li Ping'an said, "Your Majesty, do you think His Majesty trusts the founding nobles who have been loyal to the court for generations, or those rebellious ministers who have become arrogant and treacherous after gaining power?"

Empress Dowager Zhou said with a smile, "The founding nobles share the fate of the nation, so of course they can gain His Majesty's trust."

"Your Majesty, please compile a list. I will make the necessary arrangements."

Li Ping'an reminded her, "The military power of the Beijing Garrison is of great importance. Your Highness should not make promises lightly. You must stand firmly with us."

The founding nobles, who had enjoyed wealth and honor for a century, also fell into decadent and dissolute ways generation after generation; otherwise, they wouldn't have failed to produce even a single duke.

The highest rank was Marquis Jingzhong, the Marquis Zhongyong from Empress Dowager Zhou's maternal family. He was granted the title after the late emperor ascended the throne, but he had no real power despite holding the title.

"Of course I know."

Empress Dowager Zhou smiled again, pondering how to win over and unite the founding lineage. Even though their former glory had faded, their profound foundation meant that, when joined forces, they were no weaker than anyone else.

Li Ping'an appeased the Empress Dowager, left Cining Palace for the Imperial Horse Stables, and soon led his eunuchs away from the capital, heading straight for the Southern Six Guards' training ground.

Before leaving the palace, one leads a horse on foot; after leaving the palace, one rides a horse through the streets.

Leading the way was a black steed, its body as black as ink, its four hooves snow-white, the crimson robes on its back fluttering in the wind, and its cloud-patterned cloak billowing in the breeze.

At noon.

Li Ping'an led over a hundred cavalrymen into the training ground and saw a vast expanse of unarmored soldiers, each with a burning desire to receive their pay.

He rode his horse to the high platform ahead, and the snow-white steed's front hooves lifted into the air.

Howling!
Li Ping'an looked down at the military officers of the Southern Six Guards with a cold gaze.

The generals, whether overjoyed, fearful, resentful, or helpless, dared not resist in the slightest and all knelt on one knee to pay their respects.

"Greetings, Lord Commander!"

……

The first year of Yongning.

March.

Commander An beheaded thirty generals, his power shaking the capital garrison.

April and May.

With double pay being issued for months on end, the soldiers of the Beijing garrison all shouted "Long live the Emperor!"

……

Zhenbei City. Built on the site of the former Golden Wolf King's tent, it stands majestically amidst the mountains.

The Buddhist and Taoist masters of Dayong jointly established regulations, which were square on the outside and round on the inside, embodying the three powers and the five elements, and boasted that they could forever suppress the fate of the barbarian tribes.

at this time.

The royal palace in the city.

The Prince of Zhenbei sat at the head of the table, his eyes lowered as he stared at his nephew kneeling below.

The son of the third sister in the clan once served as the deputy general of the Aowu Camp. He was dismissed from his post by Li Ping'an for embezzling grain and salary. He escaped with his life by kowtowing repeatedly.

Harboring resentment, Lü Jing came to the northern frontier to seek the help of the Prince of Zhenbei.

"Uncle, that eunuch said he would behead my cousin Shensi right in front of you..."

Upon hearing this, the military officers seated on the left and right were immediately enraged, shouting and clamoring for revenge. Some even shouted that they should lead troops back to the capital to purge the emperor's corrupt advisors.

Those mere eunuchs were trampled into mincemeat by the army.

After a long silence, the Prince of Zhenbei waved his hand and ordered, "Mr. Jia, please stay and have a chat. Everyone else, please leave. Jing'er, go to the Greedy Wolf Guard to visit your brother. Come to the Prince's residence for dinner tonight."

Everyone bowed and withdrew, leaving only two people in the hall.

"Mr. Jia, what do you think I should do?"

Jia Yu said, "The worst strategy is to lead the troops back to the capital, the middle strategy is to fight in the court, and the best strategy is to endure humiliation and bear the burden!"

What would be a worse option?

The Prince of Zhenbei led his troops in battle for thirty years, destroying countless large and small kingdoms. He was a proponent of using military force and war to solve problems.

Jia Yu said, "The court will send out eunuchs, behead them as a warning, and persuade the prince to withdraw his troops. Then they will gather a large army and march north!"

The Prince of Zhenbei did not ask what would happen if he did not retreat. The Northern Frontier Army was strong, but it could not break through the capital. Moreover, there were many military generals in the army who were loyal to the court.

Once the imperial army gathers, the Prince of Zhenbei will surely die and his clan will be exterminated.

What will happen to the Central Policy Committee?

Jia Yu replied, "There are plenty of civil officials in the court who are good at fighting. If they are lucky, the prince will live a life of wealth and honor; if they are unlucky, their family will be wiped out and their clan will be exterminated."

The Prince of Zhenbei nodded in agreement, stating that in terms of forming cliques and suppressing dissent, civil officials naturally outperformed military generals by a great deal.

Jia Yu added, "His Majesty is kind and benevolent. If the prince chooses to compete in court, he will most likely enjoy a life of leisure and wealth."

"A true man should never be without power, even for a day. I would rather die than be preyed upon by others!"

After a moment of contemplation, the Prince of Zhenbei realized that no matter how the Zhang family tried to win over the important officials in the court, as long as they did not resort to military force, the struggle would end in failure.

His Majesty's will is the key to victory or defeat.

"What is the best course of action: to endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens?"

Jia Yu said in a deep voice, "The prince is using a strategy of retreat to advance, submitting a memorial to plead guilty for his poor judgment in appointing officials, and sending Lü Jing back to the capital to demonstrate his loyalty to the emperor and the country."

The Prince of Zhenbei did not refute: "And then?"

Jia Yu said, "This approach will win the sympathy of the late emperor's former officials. If Your Majesty pursues this relentlessly, they will surely feel a sense of shared fate."

The late emperor's body is barely cold, yet the new ruler slaughters loyal ministers, making the court unstable.

The Prince of Zhenbei said, "His Majesty is benevolent and will certainly not force me excessively. He might even bestow upon me various useless honorary titles."

Jia Yu licked her lips and said softly.

"In this way, Your Highness can build high walls, amass a large army, and delay declaring yourself king!"

A glint flashed in the eyes of the Prince of Zhenbei, and he stood up and bowed.

"Please enlighten me, sir."

"Gaozhucheng means expanding the town's northern city, developing the trade of salt, iron, and leather goods, and attracting and gathering barbarian tribes that roam the northern frontier."

After the destruction of the Golden Wolf King's tent, the barbarians became subjects of the Dayong Kingdom, continuing to live a nomadic life according to their past customs, except that the tax collectors became Dayong officials.

Jia Yu continued, "At the same time, the prince submitted a memorial to His Majesty, requesting a reduction in the number of troops stationed on the borders to alleviate the pressure on the imperial court's food and provisions..."

The Prince of Zhenbei continued, "I will take the lead in reducing the number of troops to show loyalty, disbanding the generals and soldiers in the army who are loyal to the court, and recruiting barbarians to join the army."

Jia Yu agreed, saying, "Your Highness destroyed the Golden Wolf King's tent and seized its centuries-old accumulation, which is more than enough to support an over-strength army."

"Sir, are you truly the limb of this king?"

The Prince of Zhenbei did not ask what "delaying the proclamation of kingship" meant. If the first two things could be accomplished, whether or not he proclaimed himself king would not matter.

(End of this chapter)