Shen Yang didn’t say much more. His coming with Han Qian to visit Yang Jian at the same time already demonstrated his change in attitude.
Of course, while Han Qian’s words could be called heart-piercing, when Shen Yang thought carefully about it, Yang Jian might not completely disregard what Han Qian had said.
Yang Jian maintaining neutrality and following only Emperor Tianyou’s lead was naturally fine, but the question was whether Emperor Tianyou would truly believe that Yang Jian had no other plans in his heart.
Comparatively speaking, Emperor Tianyou might not be eager to depose the heir apparent and establish a new one, but as a minister, Yang Jian following Emperor Tianyou’s intentions and fully assisting the Third Prince in taking Tanzhou would truly be called following the imperial will, wouldn’t it?
Thinking this far, Shen Yang sighed inwardly—the imperial will was difficult to fathom!
Han Qian wouldn’t force Yang Jian to give them an answer today. He took his leave with Shen Yang and returned to Xishan Main Camp.
Upon returning to Xishan Main Camp, Han Qian first accompanied the Third Prince on an inspection tour of the camp, then returned to his own tent to rest in the afternoon.
Learning that Han Qian and Shen Yang had rushed to the Water Camp early in the morning to visit Yang Jian, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu could no longer sit still. Taking advantage of when the tent was quiet, he sneaked over to see Han Qian.
“If you dispatch elite troops to Yunpan Ridge to join with the Wuling Army, what chance of success do you have in taking Wuling City within three months?” As soon as Marquis Xinchang Li Pu entered the tent and sat down, he went straight to the point.
“Where in the world is there a certain victory? If that were the case, why wouldn’t the Ma Yin father and son surrender early and stop their futile struggles?” Han Qian said with a laugh.
“How do we know this isn’t your father and son wanting to preserve the Wuling Army’s strength, unwilling to suffer heavy losses in a direct assault on Wuling City?” Marquis Xinchang Li Pu asked.
“The Wuling Army not attacking Wuling City while at Yunpan Ridge is also a great achievement. Marquis Li, aren’t you judging a gentleman’s heart with a petty person’s mind?” Han Qian countered.
Marquis Xinchang Li Pu was at a loss for words, unable to refute Han Qian’s statement.
Compared to the slow progress in other directions, the Han father and son along with Zheng Hui had taken Chen and Xu Prefectures, heavily defeated over four thousand Tanzhou elite troops, and tied down nearly ten thousand Tanzhou forces in various cities on the western Dongting Lake plains. This already exceeded Emperor Tianyou’s assigned mission for the Wuling Army to pin down Tanzhou forces.
A direct assault on Wuling City would make the Han father and son’s achievements even more brilliant, but if they held their troops back from now on and stationed the Wuling Army at Yunpan Ridge merely to watch over the western Dongting Lake plains, their achievements after eventually quelling the rebel forces wouldn’t be any dimmer than others’.
Han Qian sighed softly at this moment, took the teapot from Xi Ren’s hands, poured more tea for Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, and asked in a lowered voice: “Marquis Li, don’t you truly find that Jinling at this time—the Anning Palace, Eastern Palace, and Shouzhou and Chuzhou—are all unusually quiet?”
In truth, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu was the easiest to convince.
Wanhong Tower and Marquis Xinchang’s Manor over the years had been like venomous snakes hidden in dark shadows, exhausting all efforts to scheme conspiracies while what they guarded against most were actually others’ conspiracies and schemes.
Before Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, Han Qian could speak more transparently about certain matters.
He didn’t even need to deliberately remind him—Han Qian believed that if Wanhong Tower and Marquis Xinchang’s Manor weren’t too foolish, they should also be watching for any movements from Anning Palace and Chuzhou.
Sometimes, no movement was the greatest movement, making it even more difficult to feel at ease.
Seeing Marquis Xinchang Li Pu remain silent, Han Qian handed the scalding tea cup to him and said: “No matter what conspiracy Anning Palace, the Eastern Palace, and Shouzhou and Chuzhou have, if we quell the Tanzhou rebellion at the fastest speed, we can seize the initiative and thus respond to all changes with constancy in Tanzhou. Otherwise, if there are any changes in Jinling and at that time Tanzhou hasn’t fallen, I must ask the Marquis—what can we do then?”
Marquis Xinchang Li Pu pondered for a long while before saying: “I can also support dispatching elite troops to enter the Yuan River, but one of the generals must be Zhou Shu!”
“I was afraid the Marquis would preserve his strength and be unwilling to contribute,” Han Qian laughed heartily, indicating he absolutely wouldn’t mind Li Pu transferring Zhou Shu’s troops to Yunpan Ridge to share the military achievements. He added: “However, I must ask the Marquis to send someone to see Zhang Xiang, hoping that Jingzhou’s forces can make a show of crossing the river to attract some of the Tanzhou naval forces over there.”
Zhang Xiang’s relationship with Marquis Xinchang Li Pu wasn’t particularly close, but after all, he was a general promoted by Prince Li Yu of Zhedong, so Marquis Xinchang Li Pu still had some influence over Zhang Xiang.
“That’s natural—you needn’t worry too much about it.” Since Marquis Xinchang Li Pu had agreed to support sending troops and was letting Zhou Shu lead his forces to follow Han Qian and the others to Yunpan Ridge, naturally he also hoped this expedition would go more smoothly without any mishaps.
……
……
With Shen Yang and Marquis Xinchang Li Pu shifting from opposition to support, and Han Qian promising to first have the Xu Prefecture Water Camp force their way through Dongting Lake to join them at Yuedong Main Camp, Marquis Zhenyuan Yang Jian had no grounds to stubbornly maintain his position. Everyone’s opinions quickly unified, and next came formulating specific battle plans and preparing for the preliminary stages of military operations.
“Master Han has only been here two days—how did you convince Master Shen and Marquis Zhenyuan to change their attitudes?” Yang Yuanpu kept Han Qian in the main tent, excitedly inquiring about the specific process of how Han Qian had persuaded Shen Yang and Yang Jian.
“We’ve now entered the rainy season, which is unfavorable for a frontal assault on Yueyang City. If the military operations drag on, who knows how many soldiers and civilians in the various prefectures of Tan and Xiang will have to die before the rebel forces can possibly be eliminated. Opening a new battlefield on the western Dongting Lake plains will facilitate rapid progress in military operations. Master Shen Yang cares about the common people, so convincing him with the advantages and disadvantages of the military situation wasn’t difficult.”
Han Qian spoke of his private meetings with Shen Yang and Marquis Zhenyuan Yang Jian, informing the Third Prince.
“As for Marquis Zhenyuan, while he is indeed dedicated to His Majesty, His Majesty hopes even more that Your Highness can establish great achievements in Tanzhou. If Marquis Zhenyuan is negligent, how can that be called following the imperial will? With the Feng family’s calamity as precedent, I didn’t even need to state it explicitly—Marquis Zhenyuan could grasp the meaning.”
“How did Master Han convince Marquis Xinchang?” Yang Yuanpu asked.
Marquis Xinchang Li Pu was Yang Yuanpu’s father-in-law, but Li Pu had once wanted to strengthen his personal control over him through Zhang Ping. This resentment hadn’t faded with time.
From that point on, Yang Yuanpu addressed Li Pu by his title and rank. Comparatively, he was closer to his brother-in-law Li Zhigao.
Han Qian glanced at the Third Prince. He wasn’t clear how much the Third Prince knew about Marquis Xinchang and Wanhong Tower’s secrets, so he only said: “The Crown Prince and Prince Xin haven’t made any moves—the Marquis actually worries that delays breed changes, so he wasn’t difficult to convince.”
“Delays breed changes?” Yang Yuanpu pondered these four characters and asked Han Qian: “What changes does Master Han worry might occur?”
“One must guard against others, but excessive speculation is unnecessary,” Han Qian said. “And no matter what conspiracy the Crown Prince and Prince Xin have, as long as Your Highness can quickly quell the Tanzhou rebel forces, you’ll hold the initiative.”
Yang Yuanpu hesitated for quite a while before finally walking to the tent curtain to peer outside, confirming no one else was approaching the main tent. Only then did he return and ask Han Qian in a lowered voice: “What does Master Han truly think about Wanhong Tower in his heart?”
Han Qian thought the Third Prince was finally asking this question. He sat calmly and composedly behind the long table and said: “Back then, in order to place Li Chong by Your Highness’s side, Marquis Li wanted to create an accident involving me but failed. To protect myself, I had no choice but to participate in their secret schemes, and thus had the fortune of becoming acquainted with Your Highness. However, over these years, my relationship with Marquis Li and the others hasn’t been harmonious, so I’ve had no way to glimpse what secrets Wanhong Tower truly hides.”
“After the previous dynasty’s Emperor Zhaozong ascended the throne, he strove diligently for good governance but didn’t trust the outer court ministers. He specialized in relying on eunuch officials for everything, not only having eunuch officials command the Divine Strategy Imperial Guards but also establishing Shenling Si outside the Divine Strategy Imperial Guards. He employed eunuch officials to monitor regional military governors, train scouts and secret agents, and even assassins, hoping that one day he could abolish the regional military governors and revitalize the empire. However, Emperor Zhaozong and his sons all died at the hands of the Emperor of Liang, and Shenling Si split into pieces with the fall of the previous dynasty. It’s just that Great Chu was founded only sixteen years ago, so inevitably there are some generals and ministers in the court who have countless connections to the previous dynasty’s old affairs,” Yang Yuanpu said. “Perhaps Mother Consort and the others hope to destroy the Liang Kingdom in their lifetime?”
“Shenling Si?” Han Qian pondered this secret service organization he had never seen in any historical texts nor heard others mention. He thought that with the previous dynasty secretly establishing such a special service organization controlled by eunuchs, the origins of people like Zhang Ping could now be explained.
Then the biggest question now was whether Emperor Tianyou truly knew nothing about Shenling Si’s existence, or had long been aware of it, or even further—had long known that Consort Shi and the Third Prince were involved with Shenling Si?
Thinking this far, Han Qian broke out in a cold sweat.
“What’s wrong? Does Master Han find something abnormal?” Seeing Han Qian’s expression suddenly become grave, Yang Yuanpu couldn’t help but become alarmed and asked in a low voice.
“His Majesty now knows that Marquis Xinchang’s manor secretly trains secret agents. If His Majesty previously knew of Shenling Si’s existence, it would be difficult for him not to connect Marquis Xinchang’s manor with Shenling Si’s remnant forces.” Han Qian said with furrowed brows.
“Ah!” Yang Yuanpu also became somewhat panicked and asked: “Then is it possible that Father Emperor also suspects Mother Consort and me?”
“This probably hasn’t happened yet—otherwise His Majesty wouldn’t give Your Highness the opportunity to independently lead a large army to campaign against Tanzhou,” Han Qian analyzed the available intelligence methodically and said: “Within the court, there are inevitably quite a few generals and ministers who could be called officials of the previous dynasty, but Great Chu has been founded for sixteen years—with changing times and people’s hearts settling, there probably aren’t many who think about the previous dynasty’s old affairs. His Majesty likely doesn’t pay particular attention to Shenling Si’s remnant forces either.”
Emperor Tianyou rose from Jianghuai, merged the forces of Guangling Military Commissioner’s Office, and successively annexed Shengzhou Military Commissioner’s Office, Xuanxi Military Commissioner’s Office, and Jiangxi Observer’s Office to found the Chu Kingdom. Afterward, he quelled the forces of King of Yue Dong Chang, annexed Jingxiang and Tanxiang, and brought Qianzhong under loose control, thus establishing Great Chu’s current territory.
In this process, Emperor Tianyou had blood all over his hands but also accommodated a large number of generals and ministers who weren’t from the Jianghuai core faction.
The Han family in earlier years were military officials of Xuanxi Military Commissioner’s Office. Prince Li Yu of Zhedong, Marquis Xinchang Li Pu, and even General Zhang Xiang were all subordinate officials and military officers of Jiangxi Observer. As for Shouzhou Military Commissioner Xu Mingzhen, he was even the young master of Guangling Military Commissioner, while Empress Xu was the eldest daughter of the former Guangling Military Commissioner and Xu Mingzhen’s older sister.
With Great Chu’s generals and ministers having such complex origins, even if the previous dynasty’s eunuch-controlled Shenling Si still had remnant forces in Chu territory, they wouldn’t receive more attention than others.
Of course, if Consort Shi and the Third Prince were involved with Shenling Si, especially if Shenling Si still harbored fantasies of revenge or even restoration and had been positioning themselves within the palace for so many years, then the nature of things would be completely different.
At this moment, Han Qian couldn’t help but think that perhaps Emperor Tianyou’s death was what many people most looked forward to right now, wasn’t it?
As for the chaos and broken mountains and rivers after Emperor Tianyou’s death—that could be considered after Emperor Tianyou died, couldn’t it?