Ask the mountains and rivers

Chapter 443 Zhao Yuan (3)

Feng Chang had drunk quite a bit of alcohol, and at this moment, a thousand thoughts rushed to his head. Fueled by the alcohol, he broke down in tears, filled with regret and lamentation.

Looking at Wang Erhe again, his face turned black with anger, and he gritted his teeth and said, "You've really lost your mind! Putting aside the Emperor's kindness to you and me, just considering the Pei family army and the Bohai army, the Pei family army, with its strict discipline and unparalleled combat power, has the advantage. How could you be misled by the Zhang family's persuaders?"

Feng Chang felt increasingly ashamed. Tears streaming down his face, he poured out his heart to his closest former brother: "I was too narrow-minded. I held a grudge against Gu Lian for overshadowing me, and I was also resentful of Sun Cheng's rise to power. The Zhang family sent envoys who offered me the position of a fourth-rank military officer in command of the army. I don't know why, but I wavered..."

Wang Erhe snorted angrily: "Facts have proven that Gu Lian is more loyal and stronger than you, and Sun Cheng is indeed superior to you. Zhang sent out envoys everywhere to persuade them, so why didn't they waver? Only you had such thoughts?"

"It's only because you were quick to realize the danger and didn't commit any actual acts of betrayal. Otherwise, you would have been disciplined by the military long ago."

Feng Chang was in tears.

"When I heard that Pei Feng was leading troops to Fang County, I felt something was wrong. I could only ask you about this in person when we met. That's why I've held back until today." Wang Erhe became angrier as he spoke: "No way, I have to give you a good beating. Otherwise, we can't be brothers anymore."

Feng Changhong, his eyes red and choked with sobs, said, "Go ahead and do it! I will never fight back!"

Wang Erhe clenched his fists but held back: "We can't fight now, lest we alert everyone and arouse suspicion. You can't let word of what you've done get out. Otherwise, how will you ever face anyone again? Get up early tomorrow and go to the training ground for a sparring match."

No matter how angry or upset I was, I was still thinking of him in the end.

Feng Chang hugged Wang Erhe tightly and started crying again.

It was nearly four in the morning when Wang Erhe, having barely calmed down, tiptoed back into the house.

Gu Lian rolled over to the inside and yawned: "You went to see Feng Chang? He really did do something to betray the Pei family army?"

Wang Erhe: "..."

Gu Lian looked at Wang Erhe, whose expression was stiff and awkward, and sneered: "If Feng Chang hadn't done anything wrong, why would the Emperor have let the young Pei Feng lead the Fang Army? Since the Emperor didn't investigate further and was willing to keep him, we, as his subordinates, shouldn't say anything or cause trouble."

"It's so late, go to sleep! I'll go to the training ground with you tomorrow."

……

The next day, Pei Qinghe got up half an hour later than usual.

Pei Yan, acting as the commander of the personal guards, performed his duties admirably. Upon arrival, he reported, "At dawn, Gu Lian and Wang Erhe, along with their wife, went to the training ground. Feng Chang also went. I heard that Feng Chang was given a severe beating by Gu Lian, a truly horrible one!"

Pei Qinghe nodded slightly and glanced at Pei Yan: "In your opinion, why did they take action?"

Pei Yan was taken aback by the question: "Isn't it normal to spar? Do we need a reason?"

Pei Qinghe: "..."

Keeping Pei Yan by my side as the commander of my personal guard was indeed the right decision. With her rough exterior and even rougher interior, she was simply no match for being a commander-in-chief.

Pei Qinghe decisively changed the subject: "Let's go! Come with me to court!"

The newly established court had just over a hundred civil and military officials. They stood in several rows, one for civil officials and one for military officials. On the civil officials' side, Prime Minister Pang and Minister Qin led the way. On the military officials' side, Pei Yun and Mao Hongling stood at the very front.

Pei Qinghe led his troops in endless battles for many years. When he was silent and unsmiling, he was quite cold and stern. After putting on the dragon robe, he became even more majestic.

All the ministers bowed to the emperor with their hands clasped.

Pei Qinghe said calmly, "My beloved ministers, please rise."

"Today is the first formal court assembly since the establishment of the new dynasty. It is also rare for the military generals to gather here, as they will soon return to their respective camps to take command of their troops. There are some things I need to say beforehand."

"I have established a new dynasty to provide a ruler for the north, end the chaos, and bring peace to the people. In the future, we will also consolidate our military forces to fight the Xiongnu and quell the chaos in the south."

"I don't care what rules you had in the army before. Now that you've become my generals, you must obey my rules. I've already given you the Pei family army's regulations. After you return, implement the new regulations and rectify military discipline. Whoever's soldiers plunder and oppress the people, I will hold them accountable!"

"All local taxes must be paid to the Ministry of Revenue of the Imperial Court, which will then calculate the military expenses and allocate them to the Ministry of War, which will then allocate them to the various armies."

"In addition, we must focus on training the troops. I have personally compiled the training manuals for the Pei family army and sent a copy to each of the generals. I will not force you to do this. You can use whatever you find useful and do not use what you do not find useful. In a few months, I will personally inspect the military camps and see how well you are training the troops."

A new official takes office and makes his first bold move. Emperor Zhaoyuan, who established the new dynasty, targeted his military generals with his first act of rebellion.

Pei Yun was the first to cup his hands in response: "This humble general will obey the Emperor's command."

Mao Hongling immediately responded. Pei Xuan, Pei Feng, Gu Lian, and Sun Cheng also loudly accepted the order. General Song and the others did not dare to hesitate and bowed in agreement.

Pei Qinghe's gaze swept over the group of military officers, each with their own thoughts and expressions. She knew very well that there were many among them who outwardly agreed but inwardly disagreed.

Enforcing military discipline is no easy task. To think you can control all the generals with a few empty words is wishful thinking. One must take things one step at a time, just as one must walk one step at a time.

Pei Qinghe then looked at the civil officials, his voice slow and clear: "I rose to power through military force, and all I know is how to conduct myself in the military. Rewards and punishments are fair, and military discipline is strict. Those who violate military discipline don't even need to be questioned; their hands and feet are cut off, and they are hung from a tree."

"I've heard some of the rumors circulating outside. They say I'm a female assassin, ruthless and merciless, killing without hesitation. That's not entirely wrong. I have never been afraid to kill."

"I am not very knowledgeable about court affairs and daily life, so I have to learn from scratch. If anyone tries to play tricks under my nose, I can get away with it, but if they slip up and I notice, I will have to use military regulations."

The last two sentences, though seemingly casual, exude a chilling murderous intent.

Even Prime Minister Pang felt a chill run down his spine. Compared to the suspicious and weak Emperor Jian'an, Emperor Zhaoyuan, who was now sitting on the dragon throne, possessed both formidable military strength and the ruthless cunning to kill at any moment.

This was Emperor Zhaoyuan's reminder to his civil officials, and also a warning to them. The emperor could use them, smoothly transforming them from officials of the old dynasty into important ministers of the new. He could also bring them down to earth, leaving their corpses scattered. The court's established practice of valuing civil officials over military ones was no longer valid.

Pei Qinghe, sitting on the dragon throne, is the most powerful military general and the largest military leader in the north.

"Your Majesty, we will certainly do our best in our duties and serve the Emperor with utmost devotion." Prime Minister Pang solemnly bowed.

Minister Qin and other civil officials clasped their hands in unison and shouted, "Your Majesty, we serve you wholeheartedly and devotedly!"

(End of this chapter)