A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 117 Poison
A ruler must always demonstrate his ability to employ people and his tolerance for them.

Now, the people of the land have endless dissatisfaction with the Han dynasty's system of granting official titles and ranks. The death of any one person could be the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

Over the past forty years, Li Guang's performance has truly earned him the title of "capable general".

The fate of "Shuqi" evokes sympathy from countless people, but this cannot be a reason to deny Li Guang's merits.

Regardless of Li Guang's true intentions in requesting the division of troops to open up the eastern front, it was in accordance with the principles of military strategy.

Those inside the tent, including the emperor, questioned Li Guang because they feared that Li Guang's "unlucky fate" would strike again, resulting in a major defeat and heavy casualties among the empire's light cavalry.

This is just speculation!
Just like Li Guang's firm belief that he would capture the enemy chief and be granted a title and generalship in this battle, it was all speculation.

It is something that has not yet happened.

If a capable general is punished or even executed for something that has not happened, isn't that making a baseless accusation?
Even though Su Jian didn't believe Li Guang could be ennobled in this battle, he was willing to risk the dissatisfaction of his comrades to speak out in order to protect the emperor's reputation.

Not only did he say it, but he also proposed a solution: to divide Li Guang's army into three groups: Li Guang with 4,000 cavalry, Li Gan with 3,000 cavalry, and Han Shuo with 3,000 cavalry, and to send them off on separate routes.

In this way, even if Li Guang's "misfortune" strikes again and he runs headlong into the main force of the Xiongnu Left Wise King, Li Gan and Han Shuo can still lend a hand or preserve their strength, reducing the losses to a level that the empire can bear.

Li Gan and Han Shuo were two young generals whose abilities were even acknowledged by Huo Qubing. They were outstanding in cavalry combat and had neither the "unlucky fate" of Li Guang nor the arrogance that comes with talent.

If they go to the battlefield and fight steadily, they can definitely cause a lot of trouble for the Xiongnu Left Wise King's forces, diverting some of the Xiongnu Left Wise King's, and even the Xiongnu Chanyu's, attention.

With both the left and right wings under attack, the Xiongnu Chanyu would certainly save his son, the Left Wise King, first. This would allow General Wei and Marquis of Champion Huo Qubing to completely set aside his concerns about the flanks and rear, and focus all his efforts on eliminating the Xiongnu Right Wise King's forces and opening up the Hexi Corridor.

"General Right, these are wise and insightful words for governing the country," Liu Ju praised.

He was one of the few generals in the Han Dynasty who could fight on horseback and govern the country by offering advice on how to govern. He was a true dual-talented individual.

Huo Qubing, Gongsun Ao, and the other generals nodded in agreement, agreeing that the Right General's words made sense.

The division of troops was reasonable, as it increased the chances of victory on the western front and reduced potential losses.

However, this greatly increased the likelihood that Li Guang's four thousand cavalry would encounter danger.

The generals sighed deeply for the lives and fate of those four thousand cavalrymen.

"Your Majesty flatters me."

Su Jian dared not accept it and said again: "Your Majesty, Li Guang's ten thousand light cavalry mostly came from the former Southern Army. They were trained by the Northern Army before the expedition. Those soldiers had many complaints about the strict military law of the Marquis of Champion. They only trained reluctantly because they were afraid of the Marquis of Champion's power, and they were full of complaints."

Li Guang, as a general, often outwardly complied but inwardly defied orders. When the Marquis of Champions wasn't looking, he would lower the difficulty of training and end it early...

Huo Qubing sat up straight.

Since being promoted to the rank of General of the Guards and taking command of the military forces of the South and the North, he frequently traveled between the South and North of Chang'an, shuttling between the Southern and Northern Army camps. Most of the time, he would formulate training requirements for the soldiers and then hand them over to the Southern and Northern Army generals for training. The training of the new military equipment such as stirrups and horseshoes was slow, and he thought it was because the soldiers were not used to it. Little did he know that Li Guang was playing a trick of paying lip service while secretly winning over the hearts of the army.

Generals like Gongsun Ao and Zhang Qian were also shocked. Everyone was well aware of the enhancement that the new weapons would bring to the cavalry. It could be said that this had bridged the gap between the Han cavalry and the Xiongnu cavalry, and was a real boost to combat power. On the battlefield, every bit of strength increased the chances of soldiers surviving.

With the expedition imminent, there was little time left for soldiers to train and become proficient in the new weaponry. Yet Li Guang still allowed his soldiers to slack off, sleep, and rest. What exactly is this thing made of?
"Therefore, Li Guang won the hearts of ten thousand light cavalrymen of the Southern Army."

Su Jian shared his observations, leaving the other generals speechless.

Previously, the Southern Army was only responsible for the defense of Chang'an. As the capital of the Han Dynasty, there were basically no battles, and the laxity of the Southern Army soldiers was common knowledge. The sudden deployment stemmed from His Majesty's desire to establish a banner for Li Guang, Li Gan, and Han Shuo to compete with the Northern Army of the Crown Prince's Palace. The Northern Army did not have enough light cavalry, so the Southern Army's light cavalry was used. With Li Guang's presence, the Southern Army's light cavalry did not change their mindset at all. In other words, they did not take going to the battlefield seriously. They rested when they were tired and slept when they were sleepy, just like when they were stationed in Chang'an.

After arriving at the Northern Army, I trained with the Northern Army's light cavalry. I learned how hard the Northern Army soldiers trained and saw how they were covered in sweat all day long. After comparing the two, how could I not appreciate Li Guang's goodness?

The question is, what do we do when we get to the battlefield?
More sweat in training, less blood on the battlefield, and vice versa.

"Many light cavalrymen in Li Guang's army were loyal to him and could be considered his die-hard supporters. There are rumors that..."

Su Jian was almost speechless.

Liu Ju realized something was wrong and asked, "Go on."

"I do not carry the military tally, but only obey the orders of General Fei."

Su Jianyan fell silent.

The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly changed.

Only then did the generals fully understand Li Guang's status among those cunning and deceitful Southern soldiers. They wondered how many heads he had to have for such treasonous words to have been circulated.

Liu Ju looked at Huo Qubing. The emperor and his brother exchanged glances and immediately understood each other's meaning. The capture of Chang'an and the takeover of the Southern Army's military power had been too smooth, so they had not carried out a major purge of the "poisonous influence" in the Southern Army. They never expected that the factionalism in the Southern Army had reached the point where they could disregard the emperor's orders and military tallies and only recognize one person.

"Champion Marquis!"

"Your subject is here," Huo Qubing replied, rising to his feet.

"Give the Southern Army's light cavalry captains the right to choose their own missions, and let them, in their battalions, decide whether to fight alongside Li Guang, Li Gan, or Han Shuo."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Huo Qubing accepted the order.

When it comes to the issue of stance, it is necessary to screen out those who are loyal to Li Guang. Those soldiers who are disloyal or disobedient should either die on the battlefield or be purged.

"The Grand Master of Ceremonies!"

"Your subject is here," Zhao Chongguo replied respectfully.

"After the army sets out, immediately launch a purge of the Southern Army. Any disloyal or disobedient generals and soldiers will be executed without mercy!" Liu Ju said with murderous intent.

Those matters requiring combat should be resolved post-war; those not requiring combat should be resolved immediately.

The Southern Army is the army of the Han Dynasty. Instead of fighting to serve the country, the soldiers in the army think about becoming someone's retainer to make a name for themselves. If this continues, will these tens of thousands of soldiers belong to the court or the Li family?

Absolutely intolerable!

Big purge!
A major cleanup is necessary!
From top to bottom, eradicate the pernicious influence.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

(End of this chapter)