Seven days later, the main force of the Dragon Sparrow Army—five thousand soldiers—arrived outside Xiangzhou under the command of Deputy Chief Commander Chen De, Supervising Army Commissioner Guo Rong, and Chief Administrator Shen Yang.
At this time, north of the Fangcheng Gap, the main force of tens of thousands of Liang troops assembled at Ruzhou were advancing through the wilderness toward Caizhou territory to the east.
Although Shouzhou’s army was currently bearing the greatest pressure, the situation in Dengxiang had also become tense with rumors flying.
Small detachments of Liang troops had already passed through the Fangcheng Gap into the interior of the Nanyang Basin. Standing atop Xiangzhou’s city walls, Han Qian and the others could occasionally even see Liang army scouts in black leather armor wandering the wilderness north of Fancheng.
The main force of the Dragon Sparrow Army was garrisoned at Niushou Stockade, over ten li east of Xiangzhou, awaiting orders. Chen De, Guo Rong, Shen Yang, as well as Guo Liang and Gao Chengyuan, surrounded by their guards, entered Xiangzhou to pay their respects to the Third Prince and await further appointments.
Also entering the city were over a hundred youths Shen Yang had selected from the army.
Although the military households organized by the garrison system only obligated adult males aged sixteen and above to military service, there were currently quite a few youths under sixteen substituting for fathers or elder brothers who had died from plague, accompanying the army on campaign.
Han Qian had sent someone to see Shen Yang, using the pretext that the Left Bureau was requisitioning personnel on Yang Yuanpu’s orders, requesting Shen Yang’s help in selecting a group of youths of clean background from the army. He hadn’t revealed the truth.
After Shen Yang, Guo Rong, Chen De, and the others entered the city and discovered that the guards inside and outside Jinxing Ward were all Left Bureau scouts with no sign of the original Guard Battalion soldiers, they reined in their horses before the ward, looking toward Han Qian, who had come to receive them on behalf of the Third Prince, with puzzled incomprehension.
“Han Qian, what’s going on here?” Shen Yang’s eyes fixed on Han Qian as he asked in a deep voice.
“Once you gentlemen have seen His Highness, you’ll know. Where is Vice Commander Zhou Shu? His Highness summoned them to enter the city together to discuss matters!” Han Qian said gravely.
The Dragon Sparrow Army had five vice commanders in total, led by Li Zhigao. Apart from one who remained at Taowu to oversee the normal training, organization, and defense of the garrison system, Guo Liang and Gao Chengyuan, like Shen Yang, knew nothing of the true secrets of the Marquis of Xinchang’s mansion and could be considered neutral at this point. Vice Commander Zhou Shu, however, was one of the household troop leaders of the Marquis of Xinchang’s mansion, the blood brother of Works Staff Officer Zhou Yuan, and one of the core loyalists the Marquis of Xinchang’s mansion and Evening Red Tower had placed to control the Dragon Sparrow Army.
Chai Jian, Zhang Ping, and the others ultimately chose to submit, handing all Guard Battalion soldiers over to Li Zhigao to take to Jingzikou for garrison duty. Li Zhigao finally selected over thirty men from his trusted confidants and gave them to Han Qian to temporarily serve as guards alongside some elite Left Bureau scouts, ensuring that Jinxing Ward maintained surface calm and didn’t give Du Chongtao or the Ministry of Personnel an excuse to forcefully intervene.
Though Han Qian hadn’t imprisoned Chai Jian, Li Chong, Zhang Ping, or Yao Xishui, and Chai Jian and the others appeared to behave normally in Xiangzhou these past few days, seeing Zhou Shu remaining at Niushou Stockade instead of entering the city with Shen Yang and the others indicated that Chai Jian and company hadn’t been very obedient over the past few days—they had at least managed to send word to Zhou Shu.
Han Qian guessed that Zhou Shu’s lack of other action was because he knew Xiangzhou was filled with troops, leaving him no opportunity to show off his strength. He was waiting to see how events developed after Shen Yang, Chen De, and Guo Rong entered Xiangzhou.
“Han Qian, what qualifies you to speak on His Highness’s behalf? Go quickly and call Chai Jian out to see us!” Chen De had always looked down on Han Qian. His hand resting on the sword at his waist, he demanded in a deep voice with a menacing glare.
Guo Rong squinted as he scrutinized Han Qian and the dozen or so elite scouts beside him who had quietly gone on alert. Any perceptive person could guess that something had definitely happened within Jinxing Ward, though he didn’t know if this was excellent news for Anning Palace.
However, seeing no Guard Battalion soldiers—only Han Qian and his men standing at the Jinxing Ward gate to receive them—Guo Rong didn’t dare easily enter Jinxing Ward, fearing he might enter alive but leave dead.
“If Masters Chen and Guo lack the courage, then you may remain outside while Master Shen follows Han Qian in to see His Highness first,” Han Qian said without inflection.
“You all wait here for now. I’ll go see His Highness first.” Shen Yang dismounted, handing the reins to his old family retainer behind him. Reasoning that Han Qian couldn’t possibly commit such outrageous treachery, he followed Han Qian alone into Jinxing Ward.
Upon reaching the mansion’s secondary residence, Shen Yang saw that the duty guards were also unfamiliar faces rather than those who usually accompanied His Highness. His expression grew increasingly grave as he turned to look at Han Qian and asked, “Will I die without reprieve once I step through this door?”
“Master Shen worries too much. Our public explanation is that the Guard Battalion was infiltrated by Liang Kingdom spies, so Vice Commander Li Zhigao took all the original Guard Battalion personnel to Jingzikou,” Han Qian said with a mocking smile.
“And what’s the private explanation?” Shen Yang stared intently into Han Qian’s eyes and asked in a deep voice.
“Master Shen, you may not yet know from being on the road, but the Internal Service Bureau issued another order for Internal Attendant Zhang Ping to replace Guo Rong at His Highness’s side to oversee mansion affairs. However, Internal Attendant Zhang Ping has close ties with the Marquis of Xinchang—his appointment was actually secretly manipulated by the Marquis. His Highness could no longer endure having the Marquis of Xinchang’s mansion dictate everything around him, so he wishes to ask Master Shen to remain at His Highness’s side to oversee matters,” Han Qian said. “I sent someone to see Master Shen requesting you select over a hundred youths from the army precisely because we plan to newly organize them into the Guard Battalion…”
“How could Chai Jian possibly agree to let you do this?” Shen Yang asked in shock.
“What can Chai Jian do if he doesn’t agree? It’s not yet his turn to dictate matters. Moreover, Vice Commander Li Zhigao and I conducted very peaceful and friendly persuasion of Chai Jian, Zhang Ping, and the others,” Han Qian said.
“…” Shen Yang found it hard to believe Li Zhigao would conspire with Han Qian to force Chai Jian to submit. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.
“Even if three to five years from now Master Shen still feels that His Highness participating in the succession struggle is a calamity for the realm, having Master Shen remain at His Highness’s side to oversee matters is always better than having everything manipulated by the Marquis of Xinchang,” Han Qian said. He wasn’t worried that Shen Yang would refuse.
Shen Yang was actually the same type of person as his father. This type of person, once you gave them the high-minded pretext of acting for the good of the realm, became relatively easy to persuade.
Shen Yang naturally understood what Han Qian meant.
The Marquis of Xinchang had staked everything on the Third Prince. If the Third Prince succeeded in the succession struggle, the Marquis Li Pu might become an ambitious, powerful minister. But if the Third Prince failed in the succession struggle, the Marquis who controlled the Dragon Sparrow Army would become even more dangerous—he might even kidnap the Third Prince to launch a military coup.
By remaining at the Third Prince’s side to build a new Guard Battalion, he could at least ensure that the terrible situation of the Third Prince being kidnapped wouldn’t occur.
Thinking this, Shen Yang couldn’t help but sigh deeply. He glared at Han Qian and demanded in a lowered voice, “Could things really be as simple as you claim?”
No matter how Han Qian explained, Shen Yang wouldn’t believe things were as simple as Han Qian described. He even felt the situation had become a tangled mess, finding it incredibly thorny.
“Master Han, have Master Shen Yang and the others arrived yet?” Yang Yuanpu’s voice came from the front courtyard.
“Shen Yang pays respects to Your Highness.” Shen Yang pushed through the door, his expression grave as he bowed to Yang Yuanpu while secretly observing whether Yang Yuanpu showed any signs of being coerced by Han Qian.
Yang Yuanpu was extremely excited and enthusiastic to see Shen Yang, while Chai Jian, Li Chong, Zhang Ping, and the others stood in the front courtyard with ugly expressions, waiting for Shen Yang to arrive.
From the very beginning of organizing the garrison system, Shen Yang had braved hardship and the dangers of plague with meticulous personal attention and exhaustive dedication. This gave Shen Yang an influence among ordinary military households that far exceeded anyone else’s.
Now that Shen Yang could oversee matters at the Third Prince’s side and select guards from ordinary military households, it meant that affairs around the Third Prince would no longer be directly under their control. But this was still better than having everything controlled by that scoundrel Han Qian.
“Whether my words are true or false, Master Shen can inquire directly of His Highness, Master Chai, and Master Zhang,” Han Qian said. “Once Master Shen transfers the young guards in for reorganization and takes over protection duties around His Highness, we’ll also be relieved of one responsibility.”
“Everything is entrusted to Master Shen,” Chai Jian and Zhang Ping could only say through gritted teeth at this moment.
“Han Qian, have all your Left Bureau personnel withdraw from His Highness’s residence immediately.”
Since the mid-to-late previous dynasty, military men had repeatedly raised armies to cause chaos, resulting in constant turmoil throughout the realm and people living in misery. Shen Yang deeply detested this.
Shen Yang could naturally guess that the true situation was far more complicated than Han Qian described. At the same time, he didn’t believe that Han Qian and Li Zhigao using force to strip Chai Jian and the others of command over the Guard Battalion was appropriate.
Since Han Qian and Li Zhigao were determined to have him oversee matters at His Highness’s side, Shen Yang’s first decision was to have Han Qian withdraw all his subordinates from the mansion’s secondary residence.
“Master Shen, don’t be hasty,” Yang Yuanpu didn’t want to slight Han Qian and felt Shen Yang’s urgent haste to have Han Qian withdraw all Left Bureau personnel was somewhat unreasonable.
“The rules are thus. That is, if Your Highness hopes for Shen Yang’s service,” Shen Yang insisted.
“Your Highness, Master Shen Yang’s arrangement is proper,” Han Qian said, seeing Yang Yuanpu about to argue on his behalf. He persuaded Yang Yuanpu to respect Shen Yang’s arrangement.
At this moment, Han Qian truly disliked people like Shen Yang who were quite clever yet iron-faced and ruthless. He thought darkly—doesn’t he consider who risked losing their head to make it possible for him to wield this power?
However, no matter what, Han Qian clearly understood in his heart that even if Yang Yuanpu trusted him without reservation, he wasn’t qualified to remain at Yang Yuanpu’s side overseeing everything.
Setting aside that the Marquis of Xinchang’s mansion would never sit by and watch this situation develop, everyone up and down the court, including Emperor Tianyou, would probably never accept seeing everything around the Third Prince arranged by the hands of an unknown youth, would they?
Even Li Zhigao wasn’t qualified to remain at the Third Prince’s side overseeing matters.
Only Shen Yang could barely be considered a famous minister and great scholar of his generation. He himself was the tutor Emperor Tianyou had designated for the Third Prince and served as Chief Administrator of the Dragon Sparrow Army. If one day the Third Prince succeeded in the succession struggle, he would naturally become a regent minister. Only with Shen Yang remaining at Yang Yuanpu’s side to oversee matters could things be considered back on the right track, and only then would it be possible to pull events back onto the right track.