65: Party Struggle (Subscription Request)

Chapter 65: Party Struggle (Seeking Subscriptions)

On January 15th of the fifth year of zhengyong, the New Year was approaching.

Emperor Zhengyong's imperial uncle, the late emperor's fourth elder brother, was assassinated by an assassin and passed away inside the prince's estate in Yan City.

At that time.

Yan City was locked down and placed under a curfew for seven consecutive days, with 100,000 soldiers surrounding the city to capture the rebel assassin!

"You've worked hard, Elder Chen."

In the capital, Qiankun Hall.

Through Chen Liancang's account, Zheng Yi finally understood that so many things had happened to them in Yan City.

The Prince of Yan truly intended to rebel!

Fortunately, he did not show womanly benevolence and directly had Chen Liancang and the others lead a secret assassination of the Prince of Yan in Yan City.

It was clean and neat, leaving behind no evidence at all.

Although this matter was somewhat inglorious, it after all covered up the major event of the Prince of Yan's rebellion and ensured the stability of Great Yu. Zheng Yi did not feel anything was inappropriate about it.

"That's right, Elder Chen, where are Little Gui Zi and the others?"

"this servant killed them."

"What? Killed them!"

Zheng Yi asked in surprise, "Why?"

"Little Gui Zi is extremely loyal to me, and he was working for me..."

"Your Majesty!"

Chen Liancang said respectfully, "Those who accomplish great things do not sweat small details. The matter of assassinating the Prince of Yan is of great consequence, and this servant had to be careful."

"On this trip, Little Gui Zi took a total of five Jinyi Guards. Once the news leaked, I fear it would be unfavorable to Your Majesty!"

"For the sake of Your Majesty and the realm of Great Yu, this servant had no choice but to make this decision."

"Your Majesty can rest assured, this servant handled it very cleanly. The corpses of Little Gui Zi and his group have long been devoured completely by wild beasts in the mountains."

After a few breaths, Zheng Yi could only let out a long sigh and said, "Sigh... Since matters have come to this, it can only be so."

"Pass down the order, bury these few people with generous gifts in a cenotaph, and heavily issue their severance pay, understand?"

Chen Liancang's heart tightened, and he immediately said, "Understood! Your Majesty!"

"Elder Chen went to Yan for over a month, did you observe the civilian riots in Youzhou?"

"Replying to Your Majesty, now in the bitter depths of winter, most of the rebellious commoners have gathered in occupied cities such as Guang'an City, Siping City, and Shun City to recuperate and wait for the coming year."

Chen Liancang said, "Throughout the entire Youzhou, only a few major cities like Yan City, Yuyang City, and Linshui City remain in the hands of the government troops."

"Who is currently in charge of Youzhou's military forces?"

"Gongsun Bo. This person is from a local major clan in Youzhou, well-versed in military affairs, and has 6,000 Dragon Horse cavalry under his command. At this moment, he is currently following Grand General Xu Mujun at Canglong River to confront the military forces of Wu Country."

"Dragon Horse cavalry?"

"The Dragon Horse is a fine steed produced in Youzhou. Rumor has it that it carries the bloodline of the Dragon Clan in its body, stands over seven feet tall, can carry five hundred catties as if walking on flat ground, and travels a thousand li a day. It is an extremely rare fine steed."

Over two meters tall? A horse that can carry a load of five hundred catties?

"Wu Country, it's Wu Country again..."

Zheng Yi's eyes narrowed slightly, a flash of killing intent passing through them.

If he wanted to completely pacify the civilian riots, he must first drive Wu Country out.

Otherwise, with Grand General Xu Mujun's army constantly being held back by Wu Country, when would the civilian riots in the six northern prefectures ever be resolved?

The most major problem was still the separatist warlords and powerful aristocratic families in the various northern prefectures; the majority of the rebellious commoners had intricate connections with these people.

Wanting to mobilize heavy troops from the capital to suppress the rebellious commoners was unrealistic.

In that case, the only thing left to do was...

"Summon Minister Zhan Liang."

"Understood!"

Chen Liancang strode away. Half a day later, Minister Zhan Liang, looking travel-worn, appeared before Zheng Yi.

"Your humble subject Minister Zhan Liang greets Your Majesty!"

"Rise."

Zheng Yi slightly raised his hand and said, "I ask you, what is the current production output of the arsenal?"

Minister Zhan Liang said with an excited expression, "Replying to Your Majesty, with the addition of over 3,000 skilled blacksmiths from Yu Jian Villa, the arsenal's daily output has at least increased tenfold!"

"Currently, the arsenal has over 23,000 Thunderbolt Mines, 72 Red Barbarian Cannons, and over 3,000 divine fire sprayers and poisonous dragon divine fire sprayers in storage."

"Because of the improvement in the metallurgical technology of Yu Jian Villa, these Red Barbarian Cannons far surpass the previous ones in both power and sturdiness."

"And under the efforts of my colleagues in the Ministry of Works, we have finally developed the latest model of matchlock musket!"

"The matchlock musket has been successfully developed?!"

Zheng Yi's eyes suddenly lit up. With his experience from his past life, he directly abandoned plans like hand cannons and matchlock bird guns, handing the matchlock musket plan straight to the Ministry of Works.

After several months of research, it finally allowed them to research something out.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Minister Zhan Liang said, "This matchlock musket is about three chi long, straight on the outside and tubed on the inside, made of metal. The interior is connected with a sealed bottom end, and it has a curved rod on one side as the path to ignite the fire."

"This musket has a range of about thirty zhang, shattering leather armor completely and even piercing iron armor. Truly a Sharp Weapon for major battles!"

"Good!"

Zheng Yi immediately said, "You gentlemen have worked hard, I naturally have rewards for you!"

"Many thanks, Your Majesty!"

"Now it is the early fifth year of zhengyong. By after April, how many Thunderbolt Mines and how many Red Barbarian Cannons can your arsenal research and produce?"

"This..."

Minister Zhan Liang calculated silently in his heart, and after a few breaths said, "Replying to Your Majesty, if the Materials are sufficient, three months from now the arsenal can produce 100,000 Thunderbolt Mines, 200 Red Barbarian Cannons, and around 10,000 other firearms."

"100,000 Thunderbolt Mines... That's enough!"

"If you can deliver this many firearms after three months, the position of Senior Vice Minister of Works will be yours!"

Minister Zhan Liang immediately knelt down in excitement and shouted, "Many thanks, Your Majesty! Many thanks, Your Majesty!"

"You may withdraw."

"Understood!"

"Chengen."

"this servant is here."

"Summon... Chen Hongxiu, Zhao Tieshan."

"Understood."

Soon, the two newly promoted Imperial Guards walked in one after another.

"Subordinates Chen Hongxiu and Zhao Tieshan pay respects to Your Majesty!"

"Rise."

Zheng Yi raised his hand and said, "I have a task here to entrust to the two beloved officials. I wonder what the two of you think?"

Chen Hongxiu immediately said, "Please give your orders, Your Majesty. No matter what it is, this subordinate will do her utmost to complete it!"

Zhao Tieshan followed closely behind, "Me too!"

Zheng Yi smiled and said, "It's a very simple task. It's not asking you to go kill enemies or anything, but rather... training troops!"

"Training troops?"

"Correct."

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "I have privately established a personal guard unit named "Shenji Camp". Inside are all elites from the military; although there are only a little over a hundred men, they are equipped with the most advanced firearms of our Great Yu Dynasty, enough to match a hundred foes each!"

Firearms?

What are those?

Zhao Tieshan was completely baffled, while Chen Hongxiu's eyes lit up as she said, "Dare I ask Your Majesty, are those firearms the heavenly thunder that breached Yu Jian Villa?"

"Correct."

Zheng Yi continued, "I intend to hand the Shenji Camp over to the two of you to command. What do the two of you think?"

Chen Hongxiu immediately knelt to the ground, paying a grand bow and kowtow as she said, "Thank you for Your Majesty's trust! This subordinate will surely be loyal and dedicated, smashing her body to pieces and dying for Your Majesty!"

Zhao Tieshan also scratched his head, simply knelt down on the ground as well, and shouted, "Your Majesty, me too!"

"Hahaha..."

Zheng Yi burst into laughter at Zhao Tieshan's naive and honest expression, and said, "Shenji Camp currently only has a little over a hundred men. I need you to expand it to three thousand men within three months!"

"And they must undergo my special training in order to master the firearms, understand?"

"Understood!"

Three thousand men was Zheng Yi's initial plan for the Shenji Camp.

In his past life, that was merely the scale of a reinforced regiment.

Yet in Great Yu, the Shenji Camp equipped with advanced firearms was the nightmare of all armies!

Even facing a charge of thirty thousand or three hundred thousand men, the three thousand men of the Shenji Camp could completely block them.

After all, advanced firearms were truly a Sharp Weapon for slaughtering ordinary armies.

Even a Martial Artist would perish when facing a siege of firearms.

It's just unknown whether a First Grade Realm Martial Artist, a Grandmaster Realm Martial Artist, or even an Innate Realm Martial Artist... would die from them?

Over the next few days, Chen Hongxiu and Zhao Tieshan, acting on Zheng Yi's orders, began selecting qualified soldiers from the capital's Imperial Guards, the Jinyi Guards, as well as the imperial capital region and the surrounding commandery troops of Jizhou, Youzhou, and others to form the Shenji Camp, subsequently starting training and mastering firearms.

As for Zheng Yi, he also threw himself into the construction of the Shenji Camp.

He imparted all the modern military knowledge he knew from his past life—such as modern training methods, basic military training styles, exercise regimens, and the three-three tactic—to Chen Hongxiu and Zhao Tieshan.

Although Chen Hongxiu did not quite understand, she still diligently studied and memorized them.

As for Zhao Tieshan... he completely let loose.

Upon seeing the Thunderbolt Mine and the Red Barbarian Cannon, this kid was shocked beyond measure.

Afterwards, he spent every day mingling within the Shenji Camp, familiarizing himself with the operation methods of artillery and matchlock muskets, and loudly shouting how thrilling it was.

On the most exaggerated occasion, he wore full armor and used his Physical Body to hard-resist a Red Barbarian Cannon from a hundred zhang away.

At the critical moment, he hurriedly dodged away, but was still struck by the artillery's shockwave, crashing down in a most undignified tumble and covered in a messy state.

"Red Barbarian Cannon! Red Barbarian Cannon! This is simply immortal arts..."

Afterward, Zhao Tieshan said excitedly, "Even if old man Zhao here takes a cannon shot, if I don't die I'll be crippled!"

The matter of Zheng Yi extensively forming the Shenji Camp and developing artillery ultimately could not be kept hidden and leaked out.

However, under Chen Liancang's secret control, the secret of the artillery did not spread out on a large scale.

Some scouts who wanted to investigate were also easily dealt with by him.

Some ministers knew that Emperor Zhengyong had established the Shenji Camp and the arsenal, but they did not know what they were specifically doing.

As for the matter of Yu Jian Villa, everyone thought it was immortal arts and merely exaggerated rumors.

The Eastern Depot was still established.

With Chen Liancang as the Director, a terrorist organization shrouding the entire Great Yu gradually took form.

However, their most important task right now was still to protect the arsenal and prevent scouts from other forces from snooping around.

Half a month later, with the New Year approaching, yet another major event occurred, forcing Zheng Yi to return from the Shenji Camp and hold a grand court assembly!

On February 1st of the fifth year of zhengyong.

Without obtaining an imperial decree from the court, the Prince of Yan's third son, Zheng Yuantao, actually killed the Heir Apparent of Yan, Zheng Yuanyuan, and the Prince of Yan's second son, Zheng Yuanjiang, and declared himself the Prince of Yan!

Under his command, he actually gathered more than one hundred thousand troops and began capturing cities and seizing territory in Youzhou.

The roving bandits entrenched in the surrounding major cities also began to rally under Zheng Yuantao's command, occupying one-third of Youzhou's cities in a short period of time.

While capturing cities and seizing territory in Youzhou, he also sent fast horses to submit a surrender memorial to the court, using pretexts such as "avenging his father and guarding the borders" to make the court acknowledge his status and officially request the title of Prince of Yan.

Furthermore, he demanded the restoration of his great feudal lord powers!

In Zheng Yi's view, the Great Yu's vassal king system was actually quite similar to the Ming Dynasty of his past life.

Vassal kings in their respective fiefs possessed no military or political power, and were even held in check by local commandery troops and chief historians.

Youzhou was located on the border, bordering Wu Country and Wei Country, so the Prince of Yan's power was slightly greater. With the duty of guarding the northeastern frontier, he wielded a small amount of military power in his hands.

What he did not expect was that after someone assassinated the Prince of Yan, extinguishing the Prince of Yan's intention to rebel,

his three sons actually began fighting each other in Youzhou for power and profit.

They each raised large armies and attacked one another.

In a short span of over half a month, the Prince of Yan's third son emerged victorious, killed his two imperial elder brothers, and declared himself the Prince of Yan!

This Prince of Yan was no ordinary vassal king, but a true feudal lord!

At Taihe Hall, a grand court assembly was held.

The many ministers had already argued until the heavens were turned upside down, each spittle flying as they expressed their opinions.

Some advocated raising the entire army on a campaign to capture the Prince of Yan's third son, Zheng Yuantao, alive.

Youzhou had been Great Yu territory since ancient times, and it was extremely close to the capital; it must never be left in the hands of others.

Others advocated agreeing to the demands of the Prince of Yan's third son, conferring upon him the title of Prince of Yan, and letting him lead his troops to join forces with the Xu Mujun to resist the Wu Country army.

Still others actually suggested moving the capital, and were almost drowned by the spittle of the many ministers.

Looking at the court hall, which was as bustling as a vegetable market, Zheng Yi helplessly shook his head.

Today's Great Yu was in a precarious situation, buffeted by wind and rain.

Compared to the Great Ming of his past life, it was simply too similar.

Natural and man-made disasters, aristocratic families, separatist regimes of vassal towns, and foreign invasions.

With Wu Country in the northern frontier, Nanzhao Kingdom in the southern frontier, coupled with internal civil unrest, Zheng Yi felt as if he could already foresee the scenes of the Dynasty's end.

Zheng Yi believed that within the realm of Great Yu and its thirteen provinces today, there were also a large number of hidden restless elements.

Only a single spark was needed for the entire Great Yu to explode.

Corrupt officials, aristocratic families, powerful gentry, land separatist regimes, vassal kings and towns...

Great Yu had been founded for over three hundred years; the apocalyptic scenes that a dying Dynasty should have were everywhere.

The rebellion of the Prince of Yan was merely a fuse.

The difference was that he was not the Chongzhen Emperor, and Great Yu was not the Great Ming!

Great Yu had powerful Martial Artists and hidden immortal cultivators.

As for him, he also possessed the Yin Yang Treasure Mirror and firearms that he valued greatly!

As long as he was given a certain amount of time, he could pacify the chaos of war.

Whether through forceful suppression, or... letting things run their course and recreating the heaven and earth!

After more than three hundred years of development, the class contradictions were simply too great to be completely resolved.

It could only descend into chaos first, and then calm down afterward.

Wasn't the five thousand years of history in his past life all like this?

Feudal private ownership and uneven land distribution.

Long periods of division must lead to unity, and long periods of unity must lead to division.

Only after a batch of people died and patches of land were cleared could the days of peace and tranquility under heaven be ushered in once again!

After a full stick of incense's time, the entire court finally quieted down.

Zheng Yi also rubbed his head and said, "My beloved ministers, have you discussed any good solutions?"

Lu Xiangqing immediately stood up and said, "Your Majesty, the act of the Prince of Yan's third son, Zheng Yuantao, is truly a grave disrespect and a rebellion. This subject advocates war!"

"Mobilize the imperial Forbidden Army along with the armies of Jizhou, Xu Province, and other places to annihilate the Pseudo-Yan rebels!"

"No!"

Just as Lu Xiangqing's voice fell, he was rejected by Cui Jinghao.

Stepping out of the ranks, Cui Jinghao respectfully said, "Your Majesty, Yan City is far too close to the capital. If we advocate war, the Pseudo-Yan cavalry can gallop beneath the walls of the capital in less than three days."

"Who can block them then? Who can fight them?"

"Therefore, this subject suggests that we first agree to the request of the Prince of Yan's third son and confer upon him the title of Prince of Yan!"

"Once invested as the Prince of Yan, he will inevitably be grateful to the court. Then the court can order him to pull up his troops and head to the Canglong River to resist the Wu Country invasion together with General Xu. This is the utmost superior strategy!"

"We ministers second this!"

Just as Cui Jinghao's voice fell, seven or eight ministers stood up and chimed in agreement.

Following that, they began arguing again.

Zheng Yi felt his head throbbing a bit. They say three women make a drama, but damn it, this group of men wasn't settled either.

And they were a bunch of old men at that!

Most importantly... factional strife!

The Lu Family represented by Lu Xiangqing and the Cui Family represented by Cui Jinghao finally stood on opposite sides, fighting for power and profit for their respective interests.

This move was disadvantageous to the country, but it was something Zheng Yi was happy to see happen.

As they spoke, they actually started throwing punches, fighting so fiercely that they were locked in an inextricable brawl.

Zheng Yi couldn't be bothered to think anymore and watched with keen interest.

Among them, the one who fought the most enthusiastically was none other than Tian Wenjing, the Junior Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel.

It was truly a miracle that this person, situated in the Ministry of Personnel, was not implicated in the rebellion of Yang Reverse.

At this moment, he was grabbing an official from the peace faction, beating him while cursing loudly:

"Fuck your mother, the Pseudo-Yan are rebelling, and yet you guys still want to acknowledge their status! Where does this place His Majesty, and where does this place Great Yu!"

"How can our Great Yu's millions of brave lions allow the Pseudo-Yan to sleep soundly on the side of our couch!"

As they fought, two bloody scratches were once again clawed onto Tian Wenjing's face, yet he still angrily shouted, "Your Majesty! You must never agree to the Pseudo-Yan's request... Ah!"

"Fuck your mother... kicking me in the lower paths, I'll fucking kill you!"

Zheng Yi could not help but smile, and finally burst into loud laughter.

"Hahaha, hahaha... Quick, quickly separate the various ministers."

At the order, the surrounding eunuchs and guards hurriedly rushed forward, separating the ministers who were fighting together.

Many people had bloody scratches on their faces, their court robes disheveled, glaring angrily at each other.

On the ground, someone's boot was left behind in a complete mess.

Zheng Yi patted the table and said, "Alright, my beloved ministers, We know that you are all loyal to the sovereign and patriotic to the country, but We already have Our own plans."

He stood up and said, "Our Great Yu was founded on martial prowess and has existed for over three hundred years; when has it ever bowed its head to foreign powers?"

"Though We are lacking, We shall emulate Our ancestors and fight for every inch of land!"

"Starting from today, this statement of Ours must be passed down."

"Throughout the Great Yu Dynasty, there shall be no peace by marriage, no cession of territory, no indemnity, no tribute, and no submission as a vassal state, strictly adhering to the teachings of 'the Son of Heaven guards the nation's gates, and the monarch dies for the altars of state'!"

"Whoever violates this shall be forsaken and pursued by both heaven and mankind!"

Below the court, among the many ministers, there were those who were shocked, those who were excited, and those who were disdainful, but in the end they all split into two sides and cupped their fists in salute, saying, "We subjects obey the imperial decree!"

"Chen Wannian!"

"This subject is here!"

Chen Wannian was the former commander of the Shenji Camp.

After Zheng Yi transferred Chen Hongxiu and Zhao Tieshan into the Shenji Camp, this person was once again transferred back to the Forbidden Army, becoming one of the three major commanders of the Forbidden Army.

"Reorganize the Forbidden Army and purge the city. All those within the city who commit crimes, act as spies, or engage in espionage must be captured completely. Once their identities are verified, execute them immediately without hesitation, so as to ensure the safety and security of the capital."

"Understood!"

"In addition, dispatch guerrilla forces to patrol outside and constantly monitor the movements of the Pseudo-Yan army in Yan City."

"Understood!"

"Summon those who are proficient in military arts from the commandery troops of Jizhou, Jingzhou, Yuzhou, and other places to rebuild the Forbidden Army!"

Zheng Yi wanted to reorganize the Forbidden Army and increase its number to one hundred thousand troops!

Lu Xiangqing suddenly stepped out of the ranks and said, "Your Majesty, should we recall General Xu? With General Xu holding down the fort, the capital will be absolutely secure!"

Zheng Yi nodded and said, "General Xu has long been aware of this matter, and has already dispatched a contingent of troops to march toward the Pseudo-Yan's Yan City to pin down their army."

"This is simply wonderful. Your Majesty is far-sighted and resourceful; we cannot compare."

"Where is the Minister of Rites?"

"This subject is here."

Kong Xiangsi immediately stepped out and respectfully said.

"Draft an imperial edict for Us and send it to the Pseudo-Yan's Yan City."

Zheng Yi said, "Inform Zheng Yuantao that this act has provoked the wrath of both heaven and man. Order him to quickly abolish his royal vassalage, disband his army, strip himself of his rank to become a commoner, and come to the capital to await disposition."

"Otherwise, the royal army will surely trample through Yan City and smash his bones to dust!"

Kong Xiangsi immediately said, "Understood!"

"Court dismissed~!"

The ministers withdrew, and Zheng Yi, surrounded by numerous eunuchs and palace maids, headed toward Qiankun Hall.

Halfway there, he suddenly noticed a young eunuch constantly peering toward his direction, and he looked somewhat familiar.

Shadow Guard?

He waved his hand, signaling him to come over, and motioned for the other eunuchs and palace maids to keep away.

"this servant, Anhe of the Shadow Guard, greets Your Majesty!"

"What is it?"

"Moying, who works in Jiao Fang Palace, has submitted a booklet and instructed this servant to deliver it personally to Your Majesty."

"Jiao Fang Palace?"

Zheng Yi's heart stirred. Consort Cui?

"Bring it up."

"Understood!"

A booklet recording matters concerning Consort Cui was grabbed firmly into Zheng Yi's hands.

"Consort Cui... just what secrets do you hold?"