Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The Great Zhou Palace, Fengtian Hall.

In the spacious and solemn grand hall, the colorful paintings on the domed ceiling are endless and magnificent, and the dragon and phoenix patterns swirl on the beams and pillars. The officials stand in orderly rows, solemn and dignified.

Emperor Jiazhao was an extremely diligent ruler. Even though the three northern passes were engulfed in war and a major military case had occurred in the capital, causing turmoil both inside and outside the capital, he still held court every morning without fail.

Today, as usual, officials from various departments reported on political affairs. Emperor Jiazhao either consulted the emperor in court or issued edicts to make decisions. The dialogue between the emperor and his ministers involved both confrontation and consultation.

However, the officials attending court today are all somewhat unsettled. The earth-shattering battle outside the city yesterday was witnessed by thousands of soldiers and spread throughout the city within a day, causing quite a stir.

The officials were terrified that tens of thousands of enemy troops were stationed near the capital. The invasion and coveting of the capital by an enemy state was an outrageous and shameful act.

His Majesty must be furious and will certainly hold the officials accountable. However, half of the morning court session had passed, and Emperor Jia Zhao had only engaged in routine political discussions, without mentioning the matter at all.

This puzzled many officials, but they also recalled the rumors circulating in the city yesterday that Marquis Jia Cong of Weiyuan had arrayed his troops outside the city to fight against tens of thousands of Mongol cavalry, and that the battle was extremely fierce.

Some say Jia Cong faced tens of thousands of Mongol cavalry with only 800 troops, while others say he had only 2,000. Although there are many different opinions, it is true that he fought against overwhelming odds.

Some even say that in yesterday's battle outside the city, Jia Cong was like a god of war, invincible, and in less than half an hour, he killed two thousand remnant Mongol cavalrymen and escaped unscathed.

Some say that although Jia Cong killed many enemies yesterday, the number of remaining Mongol cavalry was too great, and he ultimately could not escape the pursuit of the Mongols and died in battle, sacrificing his life for his country.

……

However, the descendants of the four kings and eight dukes, including Niu Jizong, a first-class earl, and Liu Fang, a first-class viscount, knew more about the background than others because they had old friends and relatives in the army.

I heard that Jia Cong was not fighting alone yesterday. Marquis Zhongjing led several thousand elite cavalry out of the city to provide support. Shi Ding returned to the city safely and unharmed.

He led several thousand elite soldiers out of the city, but returned with only a hundred or so personal guards. The whereabouts of the other several thousand men were unknown, which sounded very strange and seemed odd.

Since Shi Ding went out of the city to reinforce Jia Cong, if Jia Cong had really died on the battlefield, why would Shi Ding have returned to the city as if nothing had happened? Moreover, no bad news had come from either of the Jia family mansions.

Today, Shi Ding attended the morning court session as usual. The Shi and Jia families are related by blood and marriage. Judging from Shi Ding's calm and composed appearance, he doesn't seem like someone who has just lost a relative.

Although Niu Jizong and Liu Fang were rough men, they were convinced that Jia Cong was definitely not in any danger. As long as he was still alive, killing two thousand enemies against a small force would be a great achievement.

Moreover, considering the strange things Jia Cong had done over the past two years, he was bound to make a name for himself this time. The two thought that after court, the two families should have more contact...

……

When the morning court was about an hour in progress, Emperor Jia Zhao suddenly said, "The Dali Temple investigated the case of the leak of secrets from the military granaries a few days ago. The case is now clear and should be announced to the court and the public."

After Emperor Jiazhao finished speaking, he glanced at the officials of the Three Judicial Offices lined up. Wei Guanyao immediately understood and stepped forward, saying, "As Your Majesty has said, the truth of this case has been revealed."

The main culprit in the military depot leak case, Duan Chunjiang, was originally a Darughachi, a commander of a thousand households under Anda Khan. He was ordered by Anda Khan to disguise himself as a grain store manager and sneak into the capital to spy on military intelligence.

The main culprit in the military depot leak case, Chen Ruichang, was a fifth-rank military officer in charge of military depots under the Right Army Commander-in-Chief's Office. Instigated by Duan Chunjiang, he leaked information about Donggang Town, which led to the military depots being suddenly attacked and seized by the Mongol invaders.

The two individuals have now been apprehended, and their accomplices and associates have all been captured. The case is currently under trial by the three judicial authorities, and convictions will be announced to the public soon.

……

As soon as Wei Guanyao finished speaking, the courtiers were in an uproar. Almost all the officials knew exactly who Chen Ruichang was; he was the second grandson of Chen Yi, the Duke of Qi.

The Dali Temple originally intended to enter the Duke of Qi's mansion to arrest Chen Ruichang. If things had developed in this way, it would have become common knowledge. Unexpectedly, they encountered his carriage on the way and seized him.

Because the Dali Temple was wary of Chen Ruichang being the second grandson of Chen Yi, and Chen Yi being the deputy commander of the Northern Three Passes Anti-Mongol Army, it did not publicize the matter before the case was concluded and the defendant was convicted.

Since the three judicial departments have not yet made the matter public, the Duke of Qi's mansion naturally harbors a glimmer of hope and remains even more tight-lipped about the matter, only secretly maneuvering its connections in an attempt to exonerate Chen Ruichang.

Chen Ruichang had been missing for several days, and the officials of the Five Military Command quickly found out. However, out of respect for Chen Yi, the Left Army Commander, no one dared to say anything more about the matter.

Moreover, this matter involves a major case of leaking military secrets, which enraged the emperor and attracted widespread attention. The Court of Judicial Review summoned officials involved from various departments, causing a great uproar and making all officials deeply wary.

With Chen Ruichang emerging from the Five Military Commands, it was already difficult to escape suspicion. These military officers who knew the truth would avoid him like the plague, and none of them would willingly invite trouble by talking nonsense.

Therefore, even though Chen Ruichang has been in prison for many days, many people in the know are still reluctant to speak out. Moreover, the trial by the three judicial authorities has not yet been finalized, and no one can guarantee that there will be no changes. Naturally, it is best not to say anything.

For these reasons, many officials in the court were unaware of the situation. This illustrates the strange and treacherous nature of officialdom, which is nothing more than a common tactic for officials to protect themselves.

……

Now that the three judicial departments have revealed this matter in court, and under the emperor's instruction, it is a foregone conclusion that Chen Ruichang, the second grandson of the Duke of Qi, was the main culprit in the leak of military secrets.

Many officials in the court had this thought: the Duke of Qi's mansion is finished. As a high-ranking military officer and a well-known veteran general of the Great Zhou, Duke Chen Yi of Qi will probably never be able to turn his life around.

Among the four kings and eight dukes, the prestige and power of the Duke of Qi's mansion have always been second only to the Jia family of Rongguo. Their connections and old friends in the military are deeply entrenched and their potential is considerable.

In the years before Jia Cong rose to prominence after the death of Duke Rongguo, Jia Daishan, Chen Yi still held a high position, and the prestige and influence of the Duke of Qi's mansion even showed signs of surpassing it.

Many of the military officers and nobles present at the early morning court session had connections with the Duke of Qi's mansion. Upon hearing this news from the Dali Temple in court, all the military officers fell silent in unison.

At this point, which military officer would dare to speak out? Wouldn't that invite suspicion? Even though Niu Jizong, Liu Fang, and others had been on good terms with the Duke of Qi's family for generations, they all wisely kept their mouths shut.

……

But the civil officials present were not at ease. Many of them were indignant and stepped forward to submit memorials impeaching Duke Chen Yi of Qi for his poor management of his family and for his sons leaking military secrets, which led to the defeat of the army and the loss of the country.

Sun Shouzhen, a seventh-rank censor of Yongzhou Circuit in the Censorate, stepped forward to impeach Chen Yi, arguing that Chen Yi was lax in managing his family, morally deficient, and that his children were rebellious, bringing disaster to the country and the people, and that his crimes were unforgivable.

The remnants of the Mongols invaded and occupied military camps, breached the military town of Xuanfu, and caused the deaths of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians. The cause of this disaster was Chen Ruichang. Chen Yihe shamelessly served as the deputy commander-in-chief of the campaign against the Mongols and should be dismissed from his post and investigated immediately.

Sun Shouzhen's extremely bold impeachment silenced even the civil officials who had just impeached Chen Yi.

Impeaching him for his faults is the proper course of action, but removing him from his military post during the campaign against the Mongols involves matters of great importance to the nation and the people. Civil officials would not speak up easily, so it is His Majesty who should make the decision. Why get involved so deeply?

However, all the civil and military officials in the early morning court knew that Sun Shouzheng of the Censorate was a notorious troublemaker. It was he who impeached and exposed the major case of cheating in the Spring Examination, which caused a huge uproar.

Sun Shouzhen thus gained great fame, becoming known for his outspokenness, fearlessness, and willingness to cause trouble. Emperor Jiazhao particularly praised him and promoted him exceptionally, and no one dared to offend him.

Seeing him launch into a tirade, many civil officials wisely kept quiet, observing the situation from the sidelines and letting Sun Dadan make his move first before deciding what to do next.

Zhou Xianyang, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and Liu Yuqing, the Deputy Censor-in-Chief, both frowned deeply upon seeing Sun Shouzheng's eloquent and unafraid-of-problems manner, each feeling a headache coming on.

If the Duke of Qi's mansion hadn't fallen this time, it would have surely become a mortal enemy of the Censorate. But isn't the Emperor's intention in having the Court of Judicial Review expose this matter in court clear enough?
Sun Shouzhen may seem like a hothead, but he's not a fool. No wonder the Emperor took a liking to him. Zhou Xianyang and Liu Yuqing exchanged a glance and then stepped forward to second the impeachment motion.

When the civil and military officials of the court saw that the Censorate had come out in full force to impeach and request the removal of Duke Qi, Chen Yi, from his military post, Emperor Jiazhao on the Golden Throne remained silent and pondered, but did not utter any objections.

The civil and military officials who could attend the morning court session were all outstanding figures in the officialdom and were not fools. If anyone could not see the emperor's intentions at this time, they would have been wasting their time.

Soon, civil and military officials, in twos and threes, stepped forward to second the Censorate's impeachment proceedings. The atmosphere at the morning court was surprisingly consistent, sharing a common origin and blending in harmony.

……

However, the civil and military officials who subsequently stepped forward to second the proposal had different intentions. The civil officials' purpose was relatively clear: they naturally wanted to demonstrate that they were of one mind with the monarch.

Some military officers had more complex thoughts, because if they seconded the impeachment and dismissal of Chen Yi, the position of deputy commander-in-chief for the campaign against the Mongols would be vacant, and many military officers would have a chance to gain an advantage...

Emperor Jia Zhao, seated on his throne, coldly surveyed the court, his gaze sharp and gloomy, as if he could see through all the demons and monsters. A slight twitch at the corner of his mouth revealed a hint of mockery and disdain.

He said, “Chen Ruichang’s defeat has harmed the country, and Chen Yi has lost his virtue. He is no longer suitable to serve as the deputy commander-in-chief of the army that is going to fight against the Mongols. I approve the proposal of the Censorate and my beloved ministers to dismiss him from his military post immediately. However, with nearly 100,000 troops going to fight against the Mongols, the deputy commander-in-chief Shi Ding needs to be stationed in the capital, the Grand Commander Liang Chengzong needs someone to assist him, and Chen Yi needs someone to replace him after his dismissal. Do any of you civil and military officials have any recommendations?”

Upon hearing Emperor Jiazhao's words, the military officers in the hall were secretly delighted, while the civil officials seemed to be deep in thought. After a short while, both civil and military officials stepped forward to recommend candidates for deputy commander-in-chief.

Those recommended included veteran generals and nobles, as well as high-ranking military officers. In short, they all had considerable backgrounds and connections within the military, and once they took office, they were likely to rise in rank and influence.

Even Wang Ziteng, who had long been somewhat lonely, was overjoyed to have military officers recommend him, despite his position as a second-rank military commander of the capital garrison.

Li Chongmao, the Prince of Zhao, who had been out of the public eye for a long time, was the eldest son of the emperor and a renowned military general with outstanding military achievements. Many civil and military officials also supported him and submitted memorials to recommend him.

…………

Among the officials in the court, only Shi Ding, Gu Yankui, Wang Shilun, Chen Mo, and others remained unmoved, observing coldly, seemingly ignoring the rush of officials to recommend them.

Before sunset yesterday, a military report came from outside the city that Jia Cong had led 4,000 firearms cavalry and 2,500 archer cavalry to besiege Wawu Town and annihilate 2,000 remaining elite Mongol cavalry.

When the news reached the palace, Emperor Jiazhao was overjoyed. He not only summoned Shi Ding to the palace again, but also summoned Gu Yankui, Minister of War, Chen Mo, Minister of Personnel, and Wang Shilun, Grand Secretary, to the palace to discuss matters.

Therefore, they all knew the truth of the matter long ago. The emperor already disliked and was estranged from the four kings and eight dukes, and now that Chen Ruichang had leaked secrets and misled the country, how could the emperor lightly forgive the Duke of Qi's family?

If Duke Chen Yi of Qi is dismissed for his involvement in the incident, the newly appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Expedition against the Mongols will still be a member of the old merit system of the 48 Dukes. Wouldn't that be just a change in name only for the Emperor?

The candidates recommended by the civil and military officials were all veterans with extensive military experience and established official positions and reputations, and almost all of them had deep connections with the Four Kings and Eight Dukes.

The fact that someone would recommend Prince Teng, who was ambitious but incompetent, cunning and ruthless, and relied on his relatives and friends to gain a high position, and who lacked general skills, made Shi Ding and others secretly sneer at him.

Therefore, they were eager to recruit civil and military officials, recommending their own close associates as generals, and naturally had no interest in getting involved, because the emperor had already made his decision.

……

Shi Ding saw that the civil and military officials were enthusiastically recommending him, but Emperor Jia Zhao remained expressionless, silent, and neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

He then stepped forward and said, “Your Majesty, I recommend Earl of Weiyuan, Jia Cong, to succeed Duke of Qi, Chen Yi, as Deputy Commander-in-Chief. Although Jia Cong is young, he is outstanding in military strategy and is a first-rate general.”

Yesterday, outside the city, he led two thousand troops against tens of thousands of elite Mongol cavalry, killing two thousand and retreating unscathed. His courage and strategic brilliance are extraordinary; he is perfectly capable of serving as deputy commander-in-chief.

Shi Ding's words caused an uproar among the court officials. Jia Cong had been shining brightly for the past two years, rising rapidly in rank, winning titles and honors for his military achievements, and ranking second in the imperial examinations. He was a peerless figure with two titles.

However, no matter how outstanding he was, the officialdom was still a place where seniority mattered. He had only served as an official for three years and was only sixteen years old. To appoint him as deputy commander-in-chief was simply too shocking.

However, a few astute officials suddenly realized that the Emperor had suddenly ordered the Dali Temple to announce the results of the leak case in court, which led to the impeachment of Duke Chen Yi of Qi.

Chen Yi's resignation was a matter of course, and the selection of a successor as the Commander-in-Chief of the Expedition against the Mongols naturally came to the forefront of court discussions. Civil and military officials enthusiastically made recommendations, but the emperor neither agreed nor disagreed.

At this critical juncture, Shi Ding submitted a memorial recommending Jia Cong. Everyone in the court knew that Shi Ding was a loyal minister who had followed the emperor and could speak for him. His recommendation of Jia Cong was by no means unfounded.

It turns out that His Majesty had gone through all this trouble, and had already established a dictatorial rule, simply digging a pit for his officials to fall into...

Although military generals such as Niu Jizong and Liu Fang possessed the ruggedness of military generals, they were, after all, born into families of old merit and had been nurtured from a young age, so they were not lacking in shrewdness.

The Zhenguo Duke's Mansion and the Liguo Duke's Mansion, along with the Rongguo Jia family, are all eight dukes and have always been on good terms with each other. Since they are not suitable to be the commanders-in-chief for the campaign against the Mongols, it is better for Jia Cong to do it than for anyone else.

They watched coldly from the sidelines, and then they all came to their senses, thankful that they hadn't recommended any relatives or friends, otherwise they would have been made fools of by the emperor, just like those fools.

…………

Among the military officers, when Zhao Wang Li Chongmao heard Shi Ding recommend Jia Cong, his face turned gloomy and inscrutable. He looked at his father, the emperor, on the throne, and felt a great deal of unease and resentment.

When Emperor Jiazhao learned that Xuanfu Town had been captured, he was so shocked that he vomited blood and fell into a coma. Because of a secret message sent by a palace eunuch, Prince Zhao completely lost the opportunity to select generals to fight against the Mongols.

Li Chongmao had been resentful about this matter, but for the sake of long-term planning, he had kept his power hidden and endured it without making a move. He never expected that Duke Chen Yi of Qi would cause such a disaster.

This was a turning point for him. Although he had a grudge against his father because of past events, this was a family matter between father and son. Even if his father had some resentment, he would never abandon their family ties because of it.

Now that the position of deputy commander for the campaign against the Mongols is vacant, I am the best choice among the younger generation of generals in the Great Zhou Dynasty, both in terms of reputation and achievements. I will not be the commander-in-chief, but will only serve as the deputy commander.

I believe that by condescending myself like this, my father will surely understand and allow me to return to the battlefield to fight for the country and make new contributions. The gloom accumulated in the past will surely be swept away!
But to his utter surprise, at this critical juncture, an unexpected obstacle appeared out of nowhere: Marquis Zhongjing, Shi Ding, recommended Earl Weiyuan, Jia Cong, to succeed Chen Yi.

It turns out that during yesterday's battle outside the city, Jia Cong managed to escape with his life despite being pursued by a large force. He was truly blessed with good fortune, but now he has become his own stumbling block!

Prince Zhao, Li Chongmao, had always valued Jia Cong's talent and had long harbored the intention to win him over. Although Jia Cong often avoided him, Li Chongmao simply assumed that it was excessive caution expected of a scion of a prominent family and did not take it to heart.

For the first time, however, he felt a sense of dread and disgust towards this outstanding young man. Among the young generals of the Great Zhou, only he could rival him, and he even felt a sense of dread, as if the world had both Zhou Yu and Zhuge Liang...

……

As soon as Shi Ding finished his recommendation, Minister of War Gu Yankui and Minister of Personnel Chen Mo stepped forward to second his opinion, but several other officials submitted memorials opposing the matter.

The reasons for the opposition were nothing more than that Jia Cong was too young and, although he had made remarkable military achievements, he would probably not be able to win the support of the people if he were to become the deputy commander-in-chief. There were other capable generals to choose from in the court.

Grand Secretary Wang Shilun stepped forward and reported: "Your Majesty, as the ancients said, ambition is not limited by age. Although Jia Cong is young, his literary and military talents are extraordinary and cannot be judged by ordinary standards."

The quality of a general lies in his strategy and military tactics, not in his seniority. Jia Cong once fought a fierce battle in Liaodong, and with the strength of a thousand troops, he quelled the Jurchen Three Guards, expanding the territory of the Great Zhou by more than a thousand miles.

Based on this achievement alone, I believe that few in the Jiaqing and Zhaoqing reigns could match it. Now, the remaining Mongol cavalry are secretly lurking within the pass, coveting the capital. This threat from within casts a shadow over the war against the Mongols.

Jia Cong, with the strength of a thousand troops, faced an enemy force of ten thousand. Despite being outnumbered, he annihilated two thousand enemies, retreated unscathed, and led the enemy northward in pursuit, thus relieving the capital from military crisis. This achievement was tantamount to protecting the emperor.

Your subject believes that although Jia Cong is young, he is exceptionally brave and resourceful, a genius in military strategy, and a natural-born general who has repeatedly achieved great feats. When the country is at war, it is crucial to select capable generals. To speak falsely and belittle talent is to harm the country.

I also recommend Jia Cong to succeed Chen Yi as the Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Three Passes of the army fighting against the Mongols. If there is any general in the court who believes his military achievements are superior to Jia Cong's, I may also recommend him.”

……

Upon hearing Wang Shilun's words, all the civil officials were speechless. Wang Shilun was a Grand Secretary of the Cabinet and also held the position of head of the Six Ministries, making him the undisputed leader of the civil service.

He was a great Confucian scholar of the time, highly talented and learned. What civil official would dare to debate with him? Even if they didn't care about their career prospects, they would most likely be showing off their limited skills in front of an expert and bringing shame upon themselves.

Moreover, Wang Shilun's words were meticulous and flawless, and it was really difficult to find any flaws. Some civil officials disagreed with Jia Cong being appointed as deputy commander due to various reasons, and for the time being, they had nothing to say.

Among the military generals of the court, there were many who were skilled in battle, but the four words "expanding territory" in Wang Shilun's words silenced many people. These four words were the pinnacle of a military general's life glory.

Therefore, it would be shameless for them to claim that their military skills surpass those of Jia Cong. Not only will they fail to become the deputy commander-in-chief of the campaign against the Mongols, but they will also become a laughingstock of the court and the public for their arrogance and ignorance.

Therefore, after Wang Shilun spoke, there was a brief, awkward silence in the court. Only Sun Shouzhen, the censor of Yongzhou Circuit, stepped forward and, regardless of the consequences, seconded Jia Cong to succeed as the commander-in-chief of the campaign against the Mongols.

Zhou Xianyang, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, and Liu Yuqing, the Deputy Censor-in-Chief, were quite troubled by Sun Shouzheng's reappearance and his tendency to break conventions.

However, judging from the current situation in the court, although the winds of change are turbulent, the emperor's heart has already been won over. With Jia Cong succeeding as deputy commander-in-chief, the overall situation is settled, and both of them have stepped forward to support Shi Ding.

Zhou Xianyang and Liu Yuqing seconded the motion, and four or five more censors from the Censorate came forward to second the motion for Jia Cong's succession. Wei Guanyao, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and other important officials from the three judicial departments also seconded the motion.

The tide in the court turned instantly, and those who had previously opposed the government wisely fell silent...

Seeing this scene, Emperor Jiazhao remained calm and said, "Yesterday's battle outside the city will make Jia Cong famous throughout the capital. Since all the ministers prefer him to succeed him, I will grant his request."

After the morning court session, I will summon officials from the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Personnel to discuss this matter, draft an edict of commendation and investiture, and issue a proclamation at the three northern passes. Then the court session will adjourn…” (End of this chapter)