As Vice Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs, Li Pu supervised the campaign to suppress the Anning Palace rebels, but he was stationed in Chuzhou and hadn’t rushed directly to Chaozhou.

Apart from having self-awareness about his abilities in frontline command, more importantly, Li Zhigao had been commissioned as Commander-in-Chief of the Forward Army Camp, with overall control of military and administrative affairs for attacking Chaozhou city. Naval commanders as well as Imperial Guard cavalry and infantry generals like Gao Chengyuan, Chen Mingsheng, and Gao Long were all under his command. If Li Pu went over, he could only offer suggestions and couldn’t take over command authority.

Rather than rushing to Chaozhou to find unpleasantness, it was better to remain in Chuzhou supervising grain and fodder transport.

The two commands of troops from the Right Divine Martial Army garrisoned in western Chuzhou, with Li Xiu and Li Qi as generals respectively—although these two were quite unwilling in their hearts, Li Zhigao’s current attack strategy on Chaozhou city was to gradually squeeze and exhaust the defenders’ strength, leaving no room for them to display their abilities.

However, this aspect appeared especially important for Li Pu.

That is, court officials and eunuchs as well as aristocratic families from Jiangdong who were now rushing to send people across the river to Chuzhou city and near the Imperial Guard encampments to claim land all had to first pay their respects at his doorstep.

And as long as they paid respects at his doorstep, it worked.

The newly appointed Chuzhou Prefect Wei Zhen was like a transparent nobody.

The officials large and small under the prefecture office might not even dare to easily leave Chuzhou city, much less think about getting a share of benefits from this matter.

For Li Pu at this time, apart from continuing to consolidate the power and position of his faction at court, probably only estates and beautiful companions held the greatest attraction for him.

Chen Ruyi, bearing Yang Yuanpu’s decree under the pretext of offering consolation, first crossed the river to rush to Chuzhou city to see Duke Changguo Li Pu.

With the court restoring rule over Chuzhou city, the situation in the surrounding area had stabilized. This caused nearby refugees and displaced people to spontaneously gather toward this direction, making Chuzhou city—which had been taken without attack with city walls basically remaining intact—seem somewhat overcrowded.

Local aristocratic families and clans, even if they had previously been forced to pledge loyalty to the Anning Palace rebels, were still targets for purging. And even if commoners returned to their homes, their previous land deeds and property contracts were all invalidated.

If they didn’t ruthlessly annex now, when else would they wait?

This meant that all refugees gathering here either became dependent on the aristocratic families and imperial relatives who crossed the river, becoming slaves and servants, or could only continue enduring famine and wandering in all directions.

At this time, apart from claiming land near Chuzhou city, quite a portion of aristocratic families from the capital region counties also came over to purchase slaves and servants to compensate for labor losses during the Jinling warfare.

As Chen Ruyi entered the city surrounded by his escort, he could see both sides of the main street crowded with people begging and with markers for sale. This made him recall his childhood wandering the streets of Yangzhou.

Many buildings along the street bore burn marks.

Although it was taken without attack, when the rebel troops withdrew from Chuzhou city they had also set fires everywhere. Many buildings of the prefecture office and along streets and alleys had burned down.

Therefore, although Chuzhou city’s walls were completely intact, the interior was still devastated everywhere.

Although Chen Ruyi was young with shallow qualifications, he represented the Great Chu Son of Heaven in coming. Arriving at the military supervision headquarters of Duke Changguo Li Pu, the mansion gates stood wide open. Wen Ruilin, Li Xiu and others represented the distinguished guests and nephews of the Li mansion standing on the steps, while Duke Changguo Li Pu led Minister of Works Zhou Yuan, Chuzhou Prefect Wei Zhen and other officials in respectfully awaiting in the front courtyard.

After Chen Ruyi proclaimed Yang Yuanpu’s edict commending the various officials, he followed Li Pu and the others into the inner hall. Only after Wei Zhen and others tactfully took their leave did he turn the topic to the matter of Xuzhou merchant ships entering Yangzhou.

At this time in the hall, apart from Li Pu and Chen Ruyi, only Zhou Yuan, Wen Ruilin and Li Xiu remained as company.

Chen Ruyi also came from Wanhong Tower and Xinchang Marquis Manor, and knew Zhou Yuan and Wen Ruilin’s trusted relationships with Li Pu intimately.

After Yang Yuanpu inherited the throne following the recovery of Jinling, Zhou Yuan was granted the position of Minister of Works. Although Wen Ruilin was a surrendered official who had come over from the Ma clan, after献策 and achieving great merit in the campaign to reduce feudal power, he had long been qualified to be granted official position.

However, Wen Ruilin had never taken office, always remaining by Li Pu’s side in the capacity of a guest.

After hearing Chen Ruyi’s words, Li Pu finally understood His Majesty’s true intention in sending him over. It wasn’t actually to commend the various generals and officials, but rather full of worry about the matter of Xuzhou and Huaidong colluding.

It was just that whether so-called imperial edicts or secret decrees, the palace needed to keep records of them. Some words inconvenient to say directly, questions to ask, required someone able to transmit between them.

Hence Chen Ruyi making this trip across the river.

Li Pu had learned several days ago about Xuzhou merchant ships mooring in Yangzhou, and had also confirmed this undoubtedly represented Xuzhou and Huaidong cooperating to some degree, and also represented that Xuzhou and Huaidong would join hands to resist pressure imposed by the court.

However, in Li Pu’s mind, Han Qian had always been an ambitious person with schemes and methods. Therefore, Han Qian colluding with Huaidong, he didn’t feel had too great significance.

Currently with the recovery of Chaozhou imminent, after recovering Chaozhou, the situation commonly faced by Huaidong and Xuzhou gave them motivation to set aside past grievances and collude together.

Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan was somewhat obstinately self-willed, but before Han Qian led Chishan Army in their unusual rise, who dared say they could block the military might of the obstinately self-willed Yang Yuanyan?

Yang Yuanyan was absolutely, absolutely not a fool.

As for whether Han Qian and Huaidong would secretly collude with the Anning Palace rebels and Liang State, they had also discussed this. But Wen Ruilin felt this possibility was extremely low.

Han Daoxun’s death was full of many twists and turns, but in the eyes of the people and mid to low-ranking generals, officials and gentry, Empress Xu and Anning Palace were the true chief culprits who executed Han Daoxun.

After Han Qian escaped back to Xuzhou from Shu State, he used the name of observing mourning not to go take up his post in Yueyang, thereby succeeding as Xuzhou Prefect, forming the accomplished fact of father-to-son succession in Xuzhou. Afterward, in the later period of the Jinling Incident, he again used the name of observing mourning to refuse discussion of marriage with Wang Jun and left Fanchang without permission.

Throughout this process, Han Qian had acted multiple times in the name of observing filial mourning rites. If he didn’t want to be utterly disgraced, he couldn’t possibly directly collude with the Anning Palace rebels.

At least before reaching the end of the road, Wen Ruilin concluded Han Qian wouldn’t collude with Anning Palace.

As for Han Daoxun dying under torture, although Wang Wenqian’s schemes were a factor, it was ultimately indirect. And the public as well as the vast majority of mid to low-ranking officials didn’t know the inside story, so Han Qian secretly colluding with Huaidong wouldn’t receive any criticism.

At this time Great Chu had continuous internal troubles and external threats. If Xuzhou and Huaidong joined forces, they could make the court wary of taking action. There was also no need to further collude with Anning Palace rebels or Liang troops.

Moreover, if they truly colluded with Liang troops, after Liang troops swallowed up Chu State, would they tolerate Prince Xin Yang Yuanyan occupying Huaidong as a warlord? Would they tolerate Han Qian occupying Xuzhou as a warlord?

Under Wen Ruilin’s hints, Li Pu also conveyed verbatim the views they had previously discussed to Chen Ruyi, hoping Chen Ruyi could promptly transmit their views to Emperor Yanyou’s ears.

At this step, Chen Ruyi’s purpose in coming to see Li Pu was achieved. Claiming he needed to see Li Zhigao as quickly as possible, he declined Li Pu’s evening banquet. As the sky darkened, he led his escort in rushing out of the city overnight toward the northwest of Chao Lake, in the direction of Luyang County city, the administrative seat of Chaozhou.

After seeing off Chen Ruyi, Li Pu walked back into the inner hall with Wen Ruilin, Zhou Yuan and his nephew Li Xiu, asking in puzzlement: “His Majesty had Chen Ruyi make this trip, really just to ask our views and then be done with it?”

“Naturally it won’t be so simply finished,” Wen Ruilin still wore a scholarly cap with flowing ribbons, dressed as a Confucian scholar, appearing refined and elegant as he said, “But His Majesty should be waiting to clarify our views as well as General Zhigao’s side before making other decisions, right?”

“Ruilin, what do you think Zhigao’s side will think about this? And what do you think His Majesty will ultimately decide?” Li Pu asked.

“General Zhigao is utterly loyal to His Majesty and extremely trusted by His Majesty. Even if he’s unwilling to be hostile toward Xuzhou, he will tell His Majesty his views verbatim. But they should be similar to what we just said,” Wen Ruilin said. “As for His Majesty’s judgment, it’s not difficult to fathom…”

“Oh, what thoughts do you say His Majesty will have?” Li Pu leaned forward, looking at Wen Ruilin and asking.

“His Majesty worries that delay will breed changes,” Wen Ruilin said. “Additionally, even though we conclude Han Qian won’t directly collude with the Anning Palace rebels, we also cannot rule out that Xuzhou and Huaidong might in the future borrow strength from each other with Anning Palace, nurturing bandits to preserve their own importance. His Majesty will also have such worries…”

“Delay will breed changes? You mean His Majesty will adjust the established rebel suppression strategy?” Li Pu asked hesitantly.

“If General Zhigao, Prime Minister Shen, the Prince of Yuzhang and others oppose it, His Majesty may hesitate somewhat. But His Majesty will undoubtedly have such thoughts without question,” Wen Ruilin said. “His Majesty having Chen Ruyi come over shouldn’t just be to inquire about the Duke’s views on the matter of Xuzhou and Huaidong colluding. More importantly, he hopes the Duke can share his burdens…”

“How should I share His Majesty’s burdens?” Li Pu asked.

“If the Duke can say words His Majesty finds inconvenient to speak directly, that would be sharing His Majesty’s burdens. This way, even if General Zhigao, Prime Minister Shen, the Prince of Yuzhang and they firmly oppose it, His Majesty also won’t become estranged from his ministers over this matter and end up unhappy. Even if the strategy the Duke献s ultimately proves unfeasible, as long as His Majesty knows the Duke’s sincerity, that will be sufficient,” Wen Ruilin said.

Li Pu pondered for a moment, looked toward Zhou Yuan and asked: “What do you think?”

“Master Wen speaks truly.” Apart from also worrying that delay would breed changes, Zhou Yuan also extremely agreed with Wen Ruilin’s view about sharing His Majesty’s burdens.

In terms of directly controlled authority, the Xinchang Marquis Manor faction had never been equal to the Zheng clan early on. Later, Chai Jian in Hunan was even suppressed by the three commissioners of the Hunan Provincial Secretariat.

This situation determined that their power and influence depended even more on His Majesty’s favor and trust.

Since they had now fathomed His Majesty’s thoughts, how could they not share His Majesty’s burdens?