The prince is more stable

Chapter 711 Resisting the Request for Instructions
The process of building a cannon is actually not difficult. Compared to the mechanism of a flintlock musket, a cannon is even simpler, although it uses a larger amount of iron.

A single red-coated cannon weighs anywhere from a thousand to several thousand or even tens of thousands of kilograms; it is indeed a beast that devours iron.

Therefore, building two hundred cannons would require a considerable expenditure on materials, and this matter had to be carried out in secret from the imperial court. Neither procurement nor transportation could go wrong, which would be a great test of ability.

At least with Zhao Xiaoqian's current abilities, he cannot deceive everyone for the time being.

The forces he can mobilize are all overt, and with so many people and so much gossip, it's impossible to hide it from Zhao Xu. Therefore, it's most appropriate to leave this matter to his father.

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't even imagine how sunny and cheerful his father would become if he knew his son had created such a powerful weapon.

Back in the valley, Zhao Xiaoqian gathered the blacksmiths and gave them a lesson, teaching them every detail of the cannon-making process until all the blacksmiths confidently declared that they understood. Then Zhao Xiaoqian led Chen Shou and the Imperial Guards away.

Having been away from the Prince's residence for two days, Zhao Xiaoqian was being watched by countless spies from the imperial court. He couldn't hide it for too long and claimed to be recuperating in the backyard. His absence for two days would inevitably arouse suspicion.

…………

Xijin Prefecture, outside the city, the Song army camp.

The recovery of the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun was proceeding steadily. With Zhao Xiaoqian's serious injury, the Song army tore off its pretense of benevolence and began a bloody massacre on the Yan and Yun lands. The Khitans, clan landlords, Liao officials, and others in the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun all became obedient.

When the butcher's knife is held to their necks, few people can truly face death without fear. On the Yan-Yun region, there are almost no armed forces left that dare to fight the Song army head-on.

Some disbanded on the spot and returned to their hometowns, while others simply surrendered to the Song army, hoping to get a government job.

Some clan landlords had their power bases under their control, and even the clan elders had knelt before them. They had no reason to exist, and without the support of food and weapons from the clan landlords, they simply could not survive.

In the process of recovering Yan and Yun, the Song army has now gradually been handed over to the civil officials of the Song Dynasty.

In order to take over the power of Yan and Yun, the Bianjing court urgently transferred many officials with official salaries or those who were not in favor from all over the Song Dynasty to various prefectures in Yan and Yun, and sent them to take over the power of Liao officials in the cities, so that the government could continue to operate.

Of course, this must have involved a brutal struggle.

The new and old parties still exist in the court, and both camps are well aware of the true value of taking over the various prefectures of Yan and Yun.

Local power often influences the central government. Simply put, taking over the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun was a new opportunity. The old and new parties placed their respective officials in the positions, just like warlords fighting for territory, showing absolutely no mercy.

News from Bianjing reached Yanyun in bits and pieces; it was said that the New Party and the Old Party in Bianjing were fighting tooth and nail over the selection of officials.

But what's even stranger is that when the fighting got intense, for some reason the two sides stopped fighting, and then the list of officials, including prefects and judges of various prefectures, was successfully released from the government office.

The list is quite meaningful, with New Party officials making up the majority, even two-thirds, while Old Party officials make up only a small portion, along with a few inconspicuous fence-sitters.

Surprisingly, this situation was roughly the same as the ratio of officials from the old and new parties in the Bianjing court.

It is certain that this must be the result of some shady agreement finally reached between the old and new parties.

Of course, it's more likely that Zhao Xu couldn't stand by and watch, so he directly intervened in the struggle between the two parties, forcing them to reach an agreement.

The Song generals outside Xijin Prefecture were not concerned with matters of the court; they were concerned with something else entirely.

Early in the morning, a messenger arrived by fast horse with a transfer document from the Privy Council in Bianjing, which listed the names of more than thirty generals.

The Privy Council issued a decree that more than thirty generals be assigned to the 100,000-strong garrison in Yanyun, each leading troops.

Some of the original generals were transferred back to the Palace Guard in Bianjing, while others were reassigned to the Northwest Army, the Hedong Army, and so on.

The person who received this official document was Xu Jiang. When Xu Jiang received the document, he was shocked and looked incredulous. Then, as if he remembered something, his expression turned gloomy.

After carefully reviewing the official document several times and confirming that its contents were correct, General Xu sighed, shook his head, and remained silent. He then summoned Generals Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze, as well as Generals Zhe Keshi, Di Zi, Zhang Rong, and others, and together they went out of the camp for ten miles to welcome the more than thirty generals sent from Bianjing.

Autumn has arrived, the weather is getting cooler, and even a gentle breeze carries a hint of chill.

Xu Jiang led the way, while Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze stood behind without saying a word. Zhe Keshi, Di Zi, and the others had frosty expressions and their eyes were fixed on the end of the road ahead.

Among the generals, Zhe Keshi had the most volatile temper. After remaining silent for a long time, he seemed unable to bear the low atmosphere among the generals and suddenly roared.

"Why send dozens of people here when things were going perfectly fine? Do they not trust us, or are they here to reap the benefits?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Di Zi, standing nearby, twitched his eyelids and hurriedly covered Zhe Keshi's mouth, saying in a low, stern voice, "Shut up, or I'll kill you!"

Zhe Keshi was about to fly into a rage, but the person who covered his mouth was Di Zi. They were comrades in the army, and Di Zi was also Zhao Xiaoqian's father-in-law. Zhe Keshi had been getting along well with him lately, so his furious expression immediately subsided.

But Zhe Keshi still retorted, "Did I say something wrong? Since we set out, we have never been defeated. We have conquered cities and killed enemies, sweeping away everything in our path. How have we done anything to displease the court?" "What exactly does the court mean by sending dozens of people to replace our original comrades-in-arms? What are they here for?"

At this moment, Zhong Jianzhong turned his head, glared fiercely at Zhe Keshi, and said sternly, "Shut up! You unruly brat, how dare you speak ill of the imperial court!"

As he spoke, Zhong Jianzhong quickly glanced at Xu Jiang, who was standing silently in front of him.

Following Zhong Jianzhong's gaze, Zhe Keshi also saw Xu Jiang. Only then did he seem to remember Xu Jiang's identity, so he snorted sullenly and stopped talking.

After a long silence, Xu Jiangcai slowly said, "You don't need to be wary of me. To be honest, I didn't know that the Privy Council would send these dozens of people down here. In the memorials I submitted to the court, I never said a bad word about Zian or you. I did submit several memorials to request merits for you, but the Emperor has not yet approved them."

Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze hurriedly bowed and said, "We naturally trust Vice Envoy Xu's character. Zhe Keshi is impulsive and speaks without thinking. Please forgive him, Vice Envoy Xu."

Xu Jiang smiled faintly: "I have been in this army for more than half a year. How could I not know the character of you people? ... I can only say that there are some things that I am just as powerless as you are to change."

The words were spoken in a veiled manner, but all the generals understood them.

Although they were military men, they were not without political acumen. They understood better than anyone what the sudden replacement of more than thirty mid-level generals in the Privy Council meant.

A sense of sorrow welled up in everyone's hearts at that moment.

It is said that once the rabbit is caught, the dog is cooked; once the birds are gone, the bow is put away. But now, the Liao Kingdom has not been destroyed, and the Song Dynasty has only recovered Yan and Yun. The court is already busy cooking the dog and putting away the bow. Isn't such behavior disheartening?

In particular, the generals felt more clearly that the Privy Council's target this time was obviously His Highness the Prince.

Indeed, ministers who wield excessive military power rarely meet a good end.

At this moment, the generals harbored strong resistance towards the dozens of generals sent by the imperial court, and each of them felt incredibly heavy-hearted.

They knew that fierce infighting was about to begin in the army, and that the unit would no longer be as harmonious and united as it once was, sharing life and death.

The problems that once plagued the Song army have been almost completely eradicated under the Prince's command. However, with the Prince recovering from his injuries and the court's intervention, it is likely that all those problems that were once eradicated will return to the army.

A tense atmosphere lingered in everyone's hearts. After a long while, Zong Ze suddenly asked, "Does Your Highness know about this transfer document from the Privy Council?"

Xu Jiang said calmly, "Zian should know. Such a big matter cannot be kept from him by the Emperor and the Privy Council."

Zong Ze's heart tightened, and he pressed on, "Has Your Highness given any orders?"

Xu shook his head: "Zian is recuperating in Zhen Ding City, and no military orders have been issued."

Zhong Jianzhong glanced cautiously at Xu Jiang and whispered, "Regardless of what the Emperor thinks, at least for now, His Highness the Prince is still the Pacification Commissioner of Hebei West Circuit. The court has not dismissed him from his post, and he remains the commander-in-chief of our royal army..."

Xu turned to look at him and said calmly, "What do you want to say?"

Zhong Jianzhong looked directly into Xu Jiang's eyes and said slowly, "With such a significant transfer of generals in the army, the commander-in-chief must say something, otherwise it wouldn't make sense."

Zong Ze chimed in, "Why not send someone urgently to Zhen Ding City to ask His Highness for military orders on how to deal with these dozens of people in the future? That way, we'll have a clear direction."

Xu Jiang remained silent for a long time after hearing this. His position was that of an informant planted by the government in the army. Strictly speaking, what Zhong Jianzhong and the others said was really a bit excessive.

After a long while, Xu Jiang suddenly slapped his ears hard, turned his head to one side, and looked pained. He muttered, "Perhaps I'm getting old, my ears often go deaf, and I can't hear a single word people say. I don't even know what you just said..."

Zhong Jianzhong and Zong Ze were taken aback, but then they understood what was going on. A look of joy flashed across their faces. They turned to look at the generals, and Zhong Jianzhong immediately asked, "Where is Di Zi?"

Di Zi was taken aback, then stepped forward and clasped his hands in greeting: "Your subordinate is here!"

"We must hurry to Zhen Ding City to request instructions from His Highness, and also to inform him that he is still the commander-in-chief of this royal army, and 100,000 soldiers await his orders."

Di Zi excitedly clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Yes! This subordinate will head to Zhen Ding City immediately."

After speaking, Di Zi stepped forward, led a hundred or so personal guards, mounted his horse, and galloped off towards Zhengding City.

It wasn't until Di Zi's figure disappeared at the end of the road that Xu Jiang's hearing seemed to return. He turned his head and looked at Zhong Jianzhong and the others with a blank expression.

What did you just say?

Zhong Jianzhong chuckled: "I didn't say anything. Vice Envoy Xu, please take good care of yourself. I'll find you a good doctor to treat your ear later."

Xu stroked his beard and smiled: "Very good, very good. It's time to treat him."

(End of this chapter)