Chapter 129

Chapter 129

Disaster relief and warfare proceeding simultaneously—upon hearing this, the military officials in the court found it absurd. If things had come to war, it meant the conflict between both sides had run deep. The true battlefield changes in an instant. His Highness the Crown Prince indeed had experience from the Jiangling relief efforts, but the current situation was that the refugees in Liangzhou City had already revolted. Any encounter meant battle—where was the room for negotiation?

“Your Highness, you may not be aware, but once bandit soldiers appear, peaceful negotiation becomes extremely difficult,” one military official stepped forward to say. “If the common people in Western Shu distrust the court, how can we proceed with orderly disaster relief without forcibly controlling the local prefectures?”

For the refugees, seeing soldiers meant war, and any engagement with bandit soldiers would inevitably lead to casualties.

Even if the Dayuan army personally delivered relief grain to Western Shu, would the bandit soldiers simply submit meekly at the sight of them? With Western Shu’s vast territory, would the people truly trust the court enough to lay down their arms? Those bandit soldiers were not all refugees—many were privately raised troops of the Prince of Qin. In other words, when real fighting broke out, the common people would only be dragged into it passively.

Qi Hanzhou looked at the speaker, a military official from the Lu family. His point hit the crux of the issue. No matter how the court approached disaster relief, the Prince of Qin could easily stir up conflict between the court and the people.

He glanced at Ying Fusheng and noticed a glint in the other’s eyes, clearly recognizing the key point in the official’s words.

“May I ask you, sir, how many troops have rebelled in Liangzhou City, and how many prefectures in Western Shu have turned?” Ying Fusheng turned to address the military official. “This drought has erupted in the heart of Western Shu, far from the capital. If everyone here rushes into war without understanding the true situation in Western Shu, it will only cause the entire region to fall.”

The military official was taken aback. If they could know the bandit troop numbers, there would be no need for this debate.

If they knew how many troops the Prince of Qin had, they could simply send an equal number to suppress him…

“Everyone, the amount of grain needed for relief and the number of troops needed for war are both unknown at this moment. That means, based solely on a few reports from Western Shu, sending troops to suppress would be counterproductive.” Ying Fusheng met the military official’s gaze. “You also understand, sir, that the essence of this matter is not a popular uprising, but the Prince of Qin’s rebellion.”

Meng Jinyuan and Hu Buyu exchanged surprised glances at this young crown prince. From the very beginning, the debate in court had never simply been about war or relief. The court could wage war or provide relief—the crucial point was how to do both effectively. Because once started, there could be no stopping. If Dayuan were dragged into a protracted war of attrition… and then encountered another natural disaster or external threat, the empire would truly be doomed.

Ying Fusheng turned to the emperor. Looking at the sovereign on the high throne, he knew his father was always wary of foreign enemies. He said, “War is for striking rebels; relief is for saving the people. Your son is willing to sign a military pledge, and I ask that Your Majesty entrust this entire matter to the Eastern Palace.”

Given that there might be moles from the Secret Faction among the court, there were things Ying Fusheng could not say openly. But while he couldn’t state some matters outright, he could still obtain authority.

Before he had taken the position of crown prince, he needed to persuade others in court, and his strategies had to be clearly stated.

But with authority, things were different. All he had to do was secure the emperor’s delegation of power.

“Thirty thousand elite troops,” Ying Fusheng said.

Thirty thousand?! Ji Wuming immediately looked at Qi Hanzhou upon hearing this. Others might not know, but the Jinyiwei had personally scouted the Prince of Qin’s troop hideouts. The Prince of Qin likely had more than thirty thousand troops. What could the Crown Prince’s thirty thousand elite soldiers accomplish?

Qi Hanzhou remained still, because he knew that Ying Fusheng’s request for thirty thousand elite troops had been carefully considered.

The emperor was well aware of Western Shu’s situation. Precisely because of that, he knew how many troops could be moved and how many could not. Thirty thousand elite troops happened to fall right at a threshold that would tempt the emperor.

“Hu Buyu, the troops the Crown Prince needs will be mobilized by your Ministry of War and General Lu,” the emperor said, scanning the civil and military officials. His gaze landed heavily on the Minister of Revenue, then he added, “As for disaster relief, let the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Personnel coordinate with the Ministry of Revenue. All shall follow the Eastern Palace’s directives.”

The emperor asked, “What else do you need?”

“Your son needs the Jinyiwei,” Ying Fusheng bowed. “The situation in Western Shu is unclear in territory and details. I request the Jinyiwei’s assistance.”

The emperor’s eyes shifted to the young man standing aside—silent and still, like a sword yet unsheathed. “Qi Hanzhou.”

Qi Hanzhou stepped forward. “Your subject is here.”

The emperor, lofty and majestic, said, “In the matter of Western Shu, you shall assist the Crown Prince.”

The civil and military officials were astonished. His Majesty was entrusting the entire Western Shu rebellion to the Crown Prince.

Some officials wanted to caution the emperor to be careful—the Crown Prince had only requested troops without presenting a concrete plan—how could this be?! They looked at Meng Jinyuan and Xiao Yan, hoping these senior officials would speak up, but neither said a word.

Xiao Yan voluntarily said, “Your Majesty is wise.”

This time, it appeared that the Eastern Palace was taking the lead, but the emperor had deployed the heads of four ministries and General Lu. All officials in court were included. It seemed like he was delegating power to the Crown Prince, but in reality, he was using men he trusted. Even the Minister of Revenue was being checked by the Ministers of Works and Personnel. The emperor understood that too many policies in the court had been interfered with by the Secret Faction. At such a time, a clean Eastern Palace was exactly what was needed to handle this matter.

It wasn’t just about resolving Western Shu—it was also about keeping the internal troubles of the court in check.

As soon as court adjourned, the officials buzzed with unrest, especially the military officials. Their opinions had been dismissed in court by the Crown Prince’s words. Now they had to coordinate with the Ministry of War to draw elite troops—thirty thousand garrison troops from the capital’s outskirts were to be dispatched to Western Shu. If the person in charge had been Hu Buyu, they might not have been so agitated, but the Crown Prince had never fought a war.

Where was the strategy? The Crown Prince had only spoken vaguely in court—no clear plan. How could they be convinced?

“It’s His Majesty’s command—just obey!” General Lu barked at them.

The military officials harbored resentment but had no choice but to comply.

As soon as court ended, the Eastern Palace officials quickly assembled. All current officials of the Eastern Palace had been vetted and appointed by Weng Yanqing. Among them were former Guozijian students who had long pledged allegiance to Ying Fusheng, ordinary officials from the six ministries who worked cautiously, and—most importantly—men with clean backgrounds, untainted by the Secret Faction.

Ignoring the dissent in court, Ying Fusheng returned directly to the Eastern Palace.

“Wang Guanzhi,” Ying Fusheng called back. “Why stand so far? Come here.”

Wang Guanzhi was startled. He had been temporarily stationed in the Ministry of War after delivering intelligence from Jiangling. Today, Weng Yanqing had specifically summoned him. Seeing a crowd around the Crown Prince, he had intended to keep his distance, but Ying Fusheng called him over. He stepped forward and heard the Crown Prince’s introduction: “Lord Liu, this is Lord Wang Guanzhi from the Jiangnan officialdom. He has been working on the dikes in Jiangling for two years and understands the conditions among the people on both sides of the border.”

“It’s you!” Liu Yunshi felt an instant kinship. “You were the one who handled those Jiangnan accounts, weren’t you, Lord Wang? I’ve heard of you for a long time!”

Wang Guanzhi, who had spent most of his life repairing dikes in the southern borderlands and had always looked down on the court’s empty talkers, no longer harbored the bitter resentment of a few years ago when he arrived in the capital. Now, looking at the officials around Ying Fusheng, he realized that many things had changed. The case files he had organized back then had indeed been used in the capital and had become key evidence in the Fei family case.

He humbly bowed to Liu Yunshi, then looked up to see several officials from the Ministry of Works behind Liu Yunshi gazing at him with admiration.

“What exactly is the situation in Liangzhou City? Which prefectures and counties have been affected by the drought? Wang Guanzhi, go with Lord Liu.” Ying Fusheng looked at the stunned Wang Guanzhi. “Handle the relief matters. I need a report on the drought damage in Western Shu within seven days.”

The Ministry of Works officials were already accustomed to working under Ying Fusheng. The normally cautious Ministry of Personnel officials, who always prioritized rules, were about to say that relief required consultation with the Ministry of Revenue, but they were pulled away by the Ministry of Works officials.

“We just do the work. Leave the money matters to His Highness,” a Ministry of Works official said.

A Ministry of Personnel official stammered, “This—this goes against protocol!”

Matters of the Ministry of Revenue were best handled by Meng Jinyuan and Liu Yunshi.

The emperor had assigned these two to assist the Ministry of Revenue, telling Ying Fusheng they could keep things under control.

As for how much grain and labor the relief effort required, the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Personnel would produce an answer. And with them squeezing the Ministry of Revenue, the grain and labor would be provided. But there was another matter.

Seeing the men leave, Ying Fusheng turned to the Ministry of War.

Hu Buyu and Shen Changcun were there, having come about the thirty thousand elite troops he had mentioned at court.

“I only need twenty thousand elite troops,” Ying Fusheng told them. “I said thirty thousand for the court to hear, but keep ten thousand in reserve when you mobilize.”

Hu Buyu was slightly startled and immediately glanced at Qi Hanzhou.

But he quickly averted his gaze. “Your Highness, that’s too few men.”

The Prince of Qin’s rebellion—the bandit soldiers hiding in the mountains—were all threats.

“Twenty thousand are the overt force. The other ten thousand need to be men your Ministry of War can trust.”

Ying Fusheng intended to keep those ten thousand troops for emergencies. He spoke a few words in a low voice. After thinking it over, Hu Buyu exchanged a look with Shen Changcun. They understood that His Highness was asking them to handle the preparations. The military officials’ wariness and resistance toward the Crown Prince were obvious. They knew Ying Fusheng saw it too, yet he still chose this approach—which meant he had his reasons.

The officials who came to the Eastern Palace had never seen such efficient coordination. The civil officials left in less than two hours. The Crown Prince wasted no words and urgently pushed to get the relief work done. Weng Yanqing arranged everything according to Ying Fusheng’s instructions, and soon the Eastern Palace had emptied out.

Watching the civil officials depart to handle relief, Ying Fusheng turned to see Qi Hanzhou. He had speculated many times about the emperor’s intentions, but he had dared to request the Jinyiwei because he knew, from that night in the palace, that the emperor was aware of the secret alliance between him and Qi Hanzhou. Yet under those circumstances, the emperor still allowed the Jinyiwei to form the Eastern Palace guard.

“My father is a deeply suspicious man, but when it comes to war, he knows how to delegate trust.” What Ying Fusheng had said at court today was not meant to convince the officials—it was meant to convince the emperor. “I only needed to gain authority.”

"Qi Hanzhou, I've never fought a battle," Ying Fusheng admitted, aware of his own shortcomings. Confined to the palace as a child, he only gradually saw the outside world, and even though he'd heard of the Qi family's strategies in his past life, he was never a military commander. "Asking Hu Buyu for twenty thousand elite troops is a real gamble, so I need you."

Once the others left, he grabbed Qi Hanzhou's hand and led him to the rear of the Eastern Palace's council hall, where a full map of Western Shu was laid out. It had intel from the Imperial Guard on hidden troop positions, civilian reports gathered by Vice Prefect Xu of Jiangling, and secret dispatches Wang Guanzhi brought from Prince Jin.

"In Jiangnan, you've got Marquis Cen'an. Those princes and marquises are being kept in line by Prince Jin and don't dare rebel, but once the war in Western Shu erupts, they'll inevitably turn on us," Qi Hanzhou said, pointing to the border areas with Jiangnan on the map, pointing out a few spots, including Jiangling. "If war breaks out in Western Shu, these spots in Jiangnan could easily become supply lines for the Prince of Qin. You're right to ask for thirty thousand elite soldiers—the larger the initial force, the more likely it is to spark a full-scale war."

Western Shu couldn't be wrapped up quickly—terrain, drought, refugees... the wider it spread, the easier it turned into a war of attrition. That was something nobody wanted to see, but it was exactly what the Prince of Qin and the Secret Faction behind him were desperate for.

"What you should worry about is the generals," Qi Hanzhou said. "The better the general, the more careful they are with orders. You can't hand this military authority to Hu Buyu or the Imperial Guard."

Ying Fusheng only understood how to use people, not how to command troops. He also knew that the Lu family's generals were unruly and hard to control.

"I know, so I'm giving the troops to General Lu," Ying Fusheng said, seeing the surprise in Qi Hanzhou's eyes. "Power is important, but trusting the people you use is key—my father gets that, and so do I."

It took Ying Fusheng years to win over the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War, and now he had the Ministry of Personnel, driven by Meng Jinyuan, on his side. By taking this military pledge, he aimed to tighten the court's forces and deny the Secret Faction in Western Shu any chance.

"In your opinion, which part of Western Shu is good for our army to fight in?" Ying Fusheng asked.

Qi Hanzhou glanced at him, seeing the sincerity in the young man's eyes, and only spoke once he was sure of his resolve to fight: "Stay away from the mountains. The Lu family troops the Ministry of War can deploy are mostly good at fighting on flat ground; the more mountains, the easier it is to lose the edge."

Ying Fusheng looked at the rest of the map and muttered, "Then that's the only way."

Qi Hanzhou noticed he was still in his official robes. Since the Western Shu crisis started, he had been diligent about taking his medicine, carefully managing his daily routine to avoid burning out. Back in Jiangling, Ying Fusheng pushed himself too hard. Seeing him lost in thought now, Qi Hanzhou worried, "Your Highness."

Ying Fusheng snapped out of it, seeing the worry in Qi Hanzhou's eyes. But even so, Qi Hanzhou didn't stop him from overthinking, because both knew this tough fight in Western Shu was unavoidable.

The vast lands on the Western Shu map hid corrupt officials, rebels from the Prince of Qin's mansion, and the Secret Faction.

"Qi Hanzhou, I don't know how to fight, but I've been to Jiangling, and I get the displaced people."

Ying Fusheng let out a deep sigh, then looked up with a spark in his eyes and said, "The land of Western Shu is dead, but the refugees are living."

...

On the fifth day after the Western Shu rebellion started, other court officials expected the Eastern Palace to bring it up again at court, but it didn't. Instead, the Ministries of Works, Personnel, and Revenue had already gathered relief grain. When the news reached the court, the other officials were stunned. Dayuan had faced natural disasters before, but never had grain been assembled so quickly.

Before the Lu family's military officers could grasp the Crown Prince's intentions, they received orders from the court: Minister of War Hu Buyu commanded them to lead troops with grain supplies and set out immediately for Western Shu.

No strategy, just orders to take grain on the road? Was this so reckless?

"The Crown Prince said relief efforts follow his orders, but battle plans follow yours," the Eastern Palace messenger relayed.

The Lu family generals were stunned. What did that mean?

Soon they learned that the military authority for the elite troops accompanying the grain was actually in General Lu's hands, not the Crown Prince's. Even General Lu found this unusual. "The Crown Prince has no other arrangements?" What about troop deployment and advance strategies? Aside from meticulous grain logistics, there was nothing.

"The Crown Prince has everything prepared; the rest will be decided upon arrival in Western Shu," Weng Yanqing said, handing General Lu a sealed letter. "His Highness instructs you to open this only upon reaching Western Shu. This is the safe route for grain transport."

The Eastern Palace was quiet. Aside from the relief grain and transport route, nothing else was arranged.

The generals thought, well, the Crown Prince was washing his hands of it, leaving matters to them and sending a weak scholar to deliver the message. General Lu, realizing he could get nothing more from Weng Yanqing, knew he was the Eastern Palace's envoy accompanying the army and stopped asking. Rather than pressing further, the Lu Family Army focused on doing their duty.

General Lu had no choice but to order the entire army on wartime alert and set out with the grain.

Deep in Western Shu, news of the court's grain convoy departure quickly reached the Prince of Qin's mansion. The Prince of Qin wasn't surprised—the new Crown Prince's reputation in the south was built on disaster relief and popular support, so the court would inevitably send aid. But whether the relief succeeded wasn't for the court to decide. "Notify those prefectures. They know what to do."

Relief? A few deaths would suffice. Once conflict erupted between refugees and the army in the relief areas, the court could be accused of either aiding or massacring—whichever served their narrative.

"Some civilians have gotten wind of war rumors from unknown sources," the Prince of Qin's spy reported. "Should we stop them?"

The Prince of Qin waved dismissively. He wanted this panic; when war truly broke out, it could be pinned on the court. "No need." They needed to seize the court's grain shipment and ensure the war happened.

"Could the court's army be a trick?" the strategist asked.

"The commander is surnamed Lu. Our spies report they've been highly vigilant since entering Western Shu, seemingly delivering grain but clearly prepared for battle," the strategist said, handing the Prince of Qin other intelligence. The arrangements looked like the Lu Family Army's style—thorough and cautious, not unprepared. "My nephew is clever, knowing how to use military men. Don't let our guard down; wait until they get closer."

For days, the Lu Family Army advanced along a specific route.

"Your Highness, Elder Master Fei requests an audience."

The Prince of Qin waved him in. Since the Jiangnan incident, Fei Xun had been kept at arm's length. He entered and asked directly, "Why hasn't the Lu Family Army reached the heart of Western Shu yet?"

Fei Xun was still sharp, and the Prince of Qin, needing his Secret Faction connections, didn't hide the truth. "They're cautious. The Imperial Guard likely has Western Shu's terrain mapped out; they're taking detours, avoiding many of our ambushes."

Fei Xun looked at the map, his expression shifting. "No, why are they taking the long way?!"

If they were rushing to provide relief, they'd choose the fastest, safest route. The Prince of Qin couldn't afford to clash with the court on the road—the old foxes at court knew that. But the Lu Family Army's route wasn't the shortest; it was longer, mostly through complex paths.

"Choosing such a route... can only mean they're preparing for battle," Fei Xun thought.

But then he dismissed the idea. According to his intelligence, the Eastern Palace was coordinating this. He knew Ying Fusheng's style—between war and relief, Ying Fusheng would prioritize relief. So why this route?

"Have you scouted the court's troop numbers?" Fei Xun asked.

"Elder Master, the court has sent thirty thousand elite troops—a sizable force, indeed," the Prince of Qin's men replied.

Before the words faded, a messenger arrived at the Prince of Qin's mansion. Seeing him, the Prince of Qin's expression turned cold. "Tell Marquis Cen'an to handle his own affairs. The priority is the Lu Family Army."

The messenger's face changed. "No, Your Highness! A court relief convoy has been spotted in Jiangnan!"

The Prince of Qin shot to his feet. "Western Shu is the disaster zone—why is the court in Jiangnan?!"

"We don't know how they navigated, but they bypassed all our eyes, taking hidden mountain paths. We only noticed when they reached Western Shu's border. The grain escort numbers in the thousands, and they split up!" the messenger reported. "They're providing relief at Western Shu's edge, and there are many drought refugees from Western Shu there!"

Fei Xun turned sharply to the Prince of Qin, realizing the problem. "Did you spread the war rumors among the people?"

"The people in Liangzhou rebelled. Is it strange to spread war rumors?" the Prince of Qin countered.

"That's not from the people—Ying Fusheng spread it!" Fei Xun said, looking at the map. "He's diverting refugees away from the battlefield. We wanted the refugees as pawns to spark chaos. He used the Lu Family Army as bait to fix your attention there, while he actually went via Jiangnan to Western Shu's border to provide relief!"

"Impossible! How could such a large grain shipment reach Jiangnan unnoticed?" the strategist argued.

Zhou Qingyuan, standing beside Fei Xun, spoke up. "It's simple—switching at relay stations."

Moreover, the Deposed Crown Prince and the Ministry of Works had used this method for covert transfers before. Ying Fusheng pulled off a classic misdirection. He pointed to several relay stations on the map. "...Don't forget, Ying Fusheng has Shen Changcun, the former Minister of Imperial Stud."

"Crazy? Using tens of thousands of elite troops as bait?" the strategist asked incredulously.

Fei Xun replied, "He's exactly that kind of madman."

If the drought in Western Shu is extensive, the fleeing refugees will only go to two places: one is Jiangnan, also in the southern border, and the other is the northern region. To reach the northern border, they must pass through the capital. Ying Fusheng widely spread news of war to encourage refugees to seek refuge. News of war is the easiest to spread and distort via hearsay, so most refugees will not go north but southeast.

And that place already had the imperial disaster relief teams. Ying Fusheng wanted to provide relief, so he had to do it along the refugees' escape routes. Going deep into the hinterland would spark conflict, but making the refugees leave the hinterland was not difficult. The Prince of Qin's government, for the sake of popular support, would never dare to stop the people, and the news of war was beneficial for the Prince of Qin to build an image of serving the people.

Ying Fusheng was certain the Prince of Qin craved popular support, so the Prince would take the bait.

The people of Western Shu did not believe the court would provide disaster relief. He did the opposite: he let the military generals divert most of the Prince of Qin's attention, secretly detouring to Jiangnan to provide relief. He made the Lu Family Army take the long route precisely to buy time for the grain transport team to detour to Jiangnan!

The people of Western Shu did not believe the court would provide disaster relief, so Ying Fusheng had to make the relief a success!

Not only did it have to succeed—it had to be widely publicized!