Chapter 48
Lu Siling agreed after all, to something that had never happened in her previous life.
To be precise, ever since she realized the young Emperor had changed, many things had changed along with her. The scales in Lu Siling’s heart, which had been balanced between a dream and a rebirth, were finally beginning to tilt.
When she heard Lin Jiayue say she wanted to become the Grand Marshal of the World’s Armies, she was shocked. It was indeed a way for an Emperor to quickly seize military power, but it also exposed the fact that the Emperor had no one to use, and the Great Zhou had no generals to field. It was the truth; if this allowed her to control the military, it would be a good thing for the little Emperor.
The Emperor was clever, but becoming the Grand Marshal was only the first step. Armies admire the strong. There is a saying that “the mountains are high and the Emperor is far away”; if soldiers truly all listened to the Emperor, then so many rebellions throughout history would never have occurred. Generals idolize those who lead them to victory, so even for an Emperor, military merit was essential.
Thus, the little Emperor thought of leading the campaign personally. But an imperial expedition was easier said than done.
“Does Your Majesty understand warfare?”
“Does Your Majesty know what a battlefield is like?”
“True, an imperial expedition is a shortcut to military power, but what happens if you lose?”
If she lost, the little Emperor would likely remain a puppet for the rest of her life. If she won, it would trigger a frenzy of assassination attempts from those in power.
Lin Jiayue tugged on Lu Siling’s sleeve, thought for a good while, and then spoke: “An imperial expedition isn’t just about power. It’s because I am the Emperor; sitting in this position, defending the land and protecting the people is my sacred duty. Besides, our Great Zhou has no commander to use. Otherwise, during the council just now, wouldn’t you have already sent someone to take command, Teacher Lu?”
“When I go on this expedition, I will leave the Imperial Seal with you. If I fall, simply crown another Emperor. If I do not go, no one will be dispatched, the army’s morale will collapse, the court will fall into chaos, and the very foundation of the state will be shaken.”
“The Son of Heaven guards the gates of the country, and the Sovereign dies for the state. The blades of the Great Zhou soldiers have grown dull; only if I, the Emperor, stand forth can the subjects and the monarch act as one heart.”
Lin Jiayue had, of course, considered this deeply. She didn’t know warfare, but she knew history. Even though many in the court wished for her death, if she led an imperial expedition, at least during that time, no one would want her to die. If the Emperor were to fall, it would be the final straw that broke the Great Zhou’s back. The Great Zhou was currently hanging on by its last breath, and the Emperor was the key to that breath.
Lu Siling silently repeated the phrase: The Son of Heaven guards the gates of the country, and the Sovereign dies for the state.
Seeing Lu Siling’s stance soften, Lin Jiayue smiled and tugged her sleeve again. “The late Emperor and you trained so many young generals. Now is exactly the time they need military merit. If they follow me on this expedition, I will certainly listen to their advice. Otherwise, no matter who is appointed commander, they won’t listen to the words of these young officers.”
She never believed that young generals lacked good ideas. Look at how great the famous ministers and generals of the Three Kingdoms period were, or those who fought alongside Li Shimin, or the civil and military officials who helped the Great Zhou’s Founder unify the world. Many were only in their late teens, or more commonly in their twenties and thirties.
Currently, the upper echelons of the Great Zhou were controlled by people like that bastard Right Commander—completely useless aside from being old. The top brass were all people like him; if she let them lead, she’d be the one who was crazy.
When Lin Jiayue mentioned the young generals, Lu Siling recalled the wretched state of the high-ranking military officers. That was precisely why she and the late Emperor had trained so many young talents; that year’s martial examinations had gathered all the young people in Great Zhou who understood tactics. They might not have been the best individual fighters, but they certainly had their own understanding of warfare.
Of course, those who were great fighters could serve as vanguards. Even those who didn’t rank at the top were placed in various armies as long as they weren’t too bad, though they didn’t bear the title of “Disciple of the Son of Heaven.” Only the Martial Jinshi (successful exam candidates) earned that title. Unfortunately, the military’s top ranks were occupied by old fossils or those with connections, making it impossible for the youth to rise.
But under the protection of the late Emperor and herself, that year’s Martial Jinshi had squeezed into middle-management positions. If they followed the little Emperor on an imperial expedition and established merit, she would promote them even if the Emperor didn’t. At least for the next twenty years, the Great Zhou wouldn’t have to worry about a lack of generals.
Thinking it over, whether for the Great Zhou, for the little Emperor, or even for herself, an imperial expedition was a good thing. However, there was one prerequisite: the little Emperor had to win.
Lu Siling fell into deep thought for a moment. “The Beidi claim an army of 300,000, but in reality, they have about 170,000. Though they’ve split their forces, the group attacking Yang County has 100,000 men. By now, Yang County may have already fallen. If we have to retake it while they defend, the situation will be grim.”
Lin Jiayue shook her head. “As long as Huai’an doesn’t fall, the Beidi can only reach the foot of the capital from Yang County by passing through Yang County and Chengning. If Yang County is lost, we station troops in Chengning. I will lead the army to block the Beidi’s path out of Yang County, leaving a pocket to trap them. We can surround them until they’re dead.”
She had studied the map. Thanks to Lu Siling’s early arrangements to send people and supplies into Huai’an, the capital would have been in peril if Huai’an had fallen. Since it hadn’t, things were much simpler.
Lu Siling raised a question: “What if the Beidi didn’t attack Chengning but chose Huai’an instead?”
Originally, Huai’an, Yang County, and Chengning, plus Changsheng Pass, formed a triangle. Any of the three could reach the capital directly. Before Changsheng Pass fell, Huai’an, as a fortress city, ensured its safety. But Huai’an was hit by the disaster; a major city was paralyzed by a blizzard. Yang County and Chengning were just small counties; if they weren’t strategic military points, they would barely be considered towns. Once Changsheng Pass fell without support from Huai’an, those two counties were like fish on a chopping block. Therefore, the Beidi’s first target had to be Huai’an; they only turned their attention to Yang City because Huai’an had not fallen.
Lin Jiayue spread out the map. “How many men can I take?”
“Five thousand from the Forbidden Army and fifty thousand from the Capital Camp—that’s one hundred thousand. Additionally, we can mobilize fifty thousand from each of the two neighboring garrisons, making a total of two hundred thousand troops.”
“Two hundred thousand against one hundred and seventy thousand. The advantage is mine.”
Lin Jiayue knew it wasn’t that simple. She was taking away one hundred thousand men from the capital region; with the twenty-five thousand in Huai’an, the troops left to guard the capital would be less than one hundred thousand. These men had to guard against the regional Princes, so she couldn’t afford to dally at the border for too long. Great Zhou was beset by internal and external troubles and couldn’t endure a long stalemate. Otherwise, the years of recovery during the reforms would be dragged down by the war.
Lin Jiayue spoke with confidence, but the exhaustion in her eyes couldn’t be hidden. Historical references are one thing; actual warfare is another. War involves death; it isn’t a simulation. Suggesting an imperial expedition was merely a measure of last resort.
Even as a modern person—or even as an ancient recruit prepared for the field—the moment they truly step onto a battlefield, they feel fear. Do veteran soldiers not feel it? Of course they do; they just fear less, and they know that fear is useless in a place where it’s either you or me. Naturally, they’d prefer it be “you.”
Lin Jiayue was also afraid, but some things had to be done by her. She was in the position, so she had to perform the duties. Besides, until the Great Zhou was at peace, she, with no strength of her own, had nowhere else to go.
Lu Siling stared at her for a while. “Then I wish Your Majesty a victorious return in advance. The ministers in court will still be waiting to select an Empress for you.”
Lin Jiayue: “?” That topic again. “Teacher Lu, pressuring people to marry is undesirable.”
Lu Siling arched an eyebrow. They had discussed the Empress issue; she knew what “marriage pressure” meant. “Your Majesty’s marriage concerns the state altars, and the heir concerns the national foundation…”
“Stop. If you want to give birth, you do it. I’m not doing it.” Lin Jiayue raised both hands in refusal. Was everyone crazy? She didn’t even want to get married, and they were already talking about kids?
Seeing her so repulsed, Lu Siling stopped pushing that point. “Your Majesty is the Sovereign. How can a Sovereign not have an Empress?”
“Then I won’t be the Emperor anymore. I’ll pass the throne to you, Teacher Lu. You can be the Emperor, and you can marry whoever you want.”
Lin Jiayue was so annoyed she started talking nonsense. Luckily, only the two of them were in the Hall of Literary Brilliance; otherwise, if such words got out, people wouldn’t know whether to call her a faint-hearted ruler or Lu Siling a treacherous official. A faint-hearted ruler and a treacherous official—a perfect match.
Lu Siling spoke coldly, “Your Majesty, watch your words.”
“No,” Lin Jiayue refused flatly. “Otherwise, I’ll just crown you as my Empress, Teacher Lu.”
“Your Majesty!”
She ignored Lu Siling’s angry glare and continued to provoke her: “I’ll give the court two choices: either I never marry for life, or I crown you as my Empress. Teacher Lu, guess if the ministers would turn around and try to convince you to become my Empress instead?”
This was what’s known as the “Broken Window Effect.” Lu Siling’s face grew colder. “Shameless!”
Finally! It wasn’t “Your Majesty, watch your words” or “Your Majesty is improper.” She actually started insulting her. Lu Siling had always been mindful of the distinction between ruler and subject, keeping a layer of distance between them. Now, she was finally cursing at her. Who in the world dared to scold an Emperor to their face? Lu Siling, that’s who.
“Teacher Lu, well scolded.” Lin Jiayue suddenly became happy, her face full of mischief, looking like she was asking for a beating. “You see, ‘do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you.’ You don’t want to marry me, yet you want me to marry someone else—that’s just not right.”
Lu Siling turned to leave but couldn’t get away; her sleeve was still in Lin Jiayue’s hand.
“Let go.”
“I won’t.”
Lin Jiayue tugged her sleeve. “Teacher Lu, a cold war is undesirable.”
Dog Emperor!
Lu Siling looked at her coldly. “Do you think I am the one pressuring you? You are the Emperor. Selecting an Empress and producing an heir are duties the Emperor must perform.”
Lin Jiayue sighed. “I know.”
That was why she thought that since she couldn’t give up the throne, she would seize absolute power to make those people shut up. Historically, when Emperor Ren died without an heir, the factional fighting in his later years became disastrous. History served as a mirror; an Emperor without an heir truly shook the foundation of the state.
She let go of Lu Siling’s sleeve and sat down weakly in the chair. “But I just don’t want to marry someone I don’t love.”
Lu Siling fell silent. She understood that feeling of being helpless against one’s circumstances. If the little Emperor didn’t want to be at the mercy of others, she had to seize greater power. But no matter how great the power, if there was no one to inherit it, it could only bring stability for a lifetime, not for eternity.
But Lin Jiayue only wanted stability for a lifetime. She didn’t intend to stay in the position of Emperor for long anyway; she would leave the moment she had the chance.
“I’m sorry,” Lin Jiayue apologized softly. “I shouldn’t have spoken that way.”
She only thought Lu Siling would understand her. She had shared her inner thoughts with her before, yet the other party still said such things. It was like an argument with a friend; right or wrong didn’t matter. When she talked to her “bestie,” she didn’t want logical analysis; she wanted someone to stand firmly by her side and complain with her.
Lu Siling looked at her. She was like Bai Heng (the dog), knowing she had done something wrong and gently pawing at her, begging piteously for forgiveness. That kind of pathetic look always made one’s heart soften.
Lin Jiayue put on a pitiful face, eyes brimming with tears. “Is Teacher Lu going to become estranged from me?” She knew her tone just now was too sharp, so she frantically sent out peace signals: “Teacher Lu? Sister?”
Lu Siling: “…” When were we ever of one heart, to speak of estrangement?
“I will prepare everything necessary for Your Majesty’s expedition and stabilize the rear. I will ensure nothing is lacking at the front. I only hope Your Majesty returns victorious as soon as possible.”
Though Lu Siling spoke only of business and her tone was calm, Lin Jiayue could tell she was no longer angry.
“Teacher Lu is the best after all.” Lin Jiayue hurriedly rose and helped Lu Siling sit down. “Teacher Lu, please sit. I’ll pour you some tea.”
Drink some tea and cool down; no more being angry.
Lu Siling: “…”
Dog Emperor, always knowing how to act spoiled.
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