Children of the Holy Emperor - Chapter 141: The Grand General Needs the Merits

After meeting Lin Kunshan, Han Ruzi finally understood the magnitude of his previous mistakes: simply because it was Chai Yue who was trying to persuade him, he had assumed the crux of the problem lay solely with him. Consequently, he overlooked an important fact—Chai Yue had nothing; even if he sought revenge, there would be nothing to fear. The real key figure was one and always the same.

Only Grand General Han Xing could dictate terms.

Han Ruzi became more composed. Upon returning to the city, he treated Chai Yue with increasing indifference. However, there was a group of people he couldn’t ignore—those noble sons who had already presented lavish gifts. Witnessing the Weary Marquis’s men transporting carts laden with gifts outside the camp, it signified his agreement to the collective plea: to return to the Capital before winter set in.

Cui Teng was the first to come knocking again.

No longer did Han Ruzi have to reside in a tent within Mayi City; he now possessed a spacious room, albeit still rather rudimentary. Yet, it was far more comfortable than the luxurious tents amidst the sandstorms.

Cui Teng had truly begun to treat Han Ruzi as family, showing even less formality than Prince Donghai. He walked in without ceremony, helped himself to the tea on the table, then sat opposite, eagerly staring at the Central Protector Commander. “When can I leave?”

“Where do you intend to go?” Han Ruzi feigned ignorance.

“Back to the Capital.”

“That matter should be directed to Grand General Han Xing.”

“That’s not correct. I’ve already inquired. You’re the head of the Noble Camp; it’s up to you to submit the report. Then, Grand General Han will decide. If you don’t submit the document, even if Grand General Han wishes to release someone, there won’t be anything official for him to seal.”

Han Xing might not excel in chasing down the Xiongnu, but when it came to pushing responsibilities, he was an expert. Han Ruzi found himself unwittingly pushed into an awkward position. If he submitted the document, he would have to suffer the reputation of being lenient with nobles. If he didn’t, he would be blamed for preventing everyone from going home for the New Year.

Cui Teng leaned on the table, his eyes barely a foot away from Han Ruzi. “Brother-in-law, I consider you family. You wouldn’t treat family as outsiders, right?”

“Of course not.” Han Ruzi leaned back slightly.

“Family helps each other out. You help me return to the Capital, and I’ll help you… So, tell me, what do you want?” Cui Teng finally avoided mentioning “look after my sister.”

Han Ruzi pondered in silence.

Cui Teng chuckled, reached out his arm, and gave Han Ruzi’s shoulder a heavy pat. Then, he returned to his original position, furtively saying, “I’ve heard.”

“Heard what?”

“For the sake of sustaining that thousand-strong private troop of yours, you’ve nearly depleted your family’s money. My folks from home wrote to me, saying your sister practically asks for money and goods every day. Everyone, or at least half of your troops are being supported by the Cui clan.”

Han Ruzi felt a pang in his heart but managed a smile. “Yes, I never expected the expenses of a single army to be so immense.”

“How much more do you need? Give me a figure, and I’ll help you out,” Cui Teng said brashly. “Actually, you don’t need to be so polite with me. We’re family; being overly formal only creates distance. Our requests aren’t unreasonable; we just want to go home, visit our elders, and have a peaceful New Year. When Elder Laojun is happy, she’ll give your sister even more. Besides, with military orders in hand, and such a good opportunity to make a name for ourselves, everyone will surely be back before spring.”

Han Ruzi chuckled. “Since you put it that way… Alright, let me make the calculations, and I’ll give you a figure in a couple of days.”

“Don’t take too long. I need to leave some time for my family to pick out gifts.”

“Maximum of three days.”

“And when you report the numbers, I’ll arrange for people to gather the money. If anyone else tries to give you money directly, don’t accept it. There aren’t many good people in the Noble Camp; you never know who might try to harm you.”

“I only trust family,” Han Ruzi said with a smile.

Cui Teng bid farewell happily, his impression of his brother-in-law even better now.

Han Ruzi was merely stalling. Over the past two days, Chai Yue had been coming particularly frequently, at least five times a day. It seemed he couldn’t contain his impatience. Han Ruzi guessed that within three days, Grand General Han Xing would surely intervene.

But he guessed wrong. Han Xing didn’t intervene, and Chai Yue stopped coming. A large number of troops had been dispatched to various places, and the Noble Camp remained inactive, seemingly destined to spend the winter in Mayi City.

Most of the noble scions were relatively satisfied with this arrangement, but those who wished to return home early grew more anxious.

Early one morning, Cui Teng arrived, his face solemn. Without knocking or announcing himself, he walked in, not caring about the servants present. He stood coldly before Han Ruzi and held up four fingers on his right hand. “Four days, brother-in-law. You haven’t told me how much money you need, nor have you submitted a request for leave…”

“Don’t worry.” Han Ruzi flipped through some documents on the table, then pulled out one. “Accounting is quite troublesome. I still don’t have the exact numbers from my private army, but the request for leave document is ready, just lacking the names. I’ve reserved fifty spots. Is that enough?”

Cui Teng immediately smiled. “More than enough. Brother-in-law, you need to hurry. Han Xing has a big appetite. The previous tributes don’t count. If you want him to let us go, you’ll need to sweeten the deal. Ah, they say the Cui clan’s influence is overwhelming, but I don’t feel it. It’s such a hassle just to go home for a visit. If you or Prince Donghai were emperor, I shouldn’t be in such a pitiful state.”

“Don’t speak so recklessly,” Han Ruzi cautioned.

“I know my limits. Between us two, I dare say it.” Cui Teng disregarded Zhang Youcai and Ni Qiu completely.

Cui Teng complained for a while longer before finally bidding farewell. “Brother-in-law, don’t play around with me. My impression of you has always been quite good.”

After Cui Teng left, Ni Qiu couldn’t help but say, “Is it really that difficult to spend the winter in Mayi City? Life here is ten times better than the Fishing Village!”

“But compared to the Cui clan, it’s more than ten times worse,” Zhang Youcai chuckled, but he was somewhat worried. “Master, you need to be careful. Despite Cui Teng’s current appearance, he’s a different person when he loses his temper. The other day, I saw Zhang Yanghao with bruises all over his face, definitely from Cui Teng’s beating.”

“Why didn’t he fight back? Cui Teng doesn’t seem that formidable,” Ni Qiu said indignantly. He didn’t like Zhang Yanghao, but he couldn’t stand Cui Teng’s bullying.

“People aren’t afraid of Cui Teng; they’re afraid of Grand Tutor Cui,” Zhang Youcai understood things. “Grand Tutor Cui commands a large army and wields considerable power in the court. If he submits a memorial requesting someone to be demoted, the court must agree.”

Han Ruzi just smiled, neither confirming nor denying it.

That afternoon, Han Ruzi finally welcomed Grand General Han Xing.

With only tens of thousands of troops left in Mayi City, Han Xing took turns inspecting various camps. Today, it was the turn of the Noble Camp. Regardless of how much they longed to leave the border, the noble sons never showed it publicly. They adorned themselves in bright armor, rode sturdy steeds, and lined up to welcome the Grand General.

Han Xing was very pleased.

After checking the roster in the military tent, the other officers tactfully withdrew, leaving only the Central Protector Commander and the Grand General. Han Ruzi personally poured tea for Han Xing, showing respect as a junior.

As Han Xing watched Han Ruzi pour tea, he sighed softly. “Doing such things is below your status.”

“Why would the Grand General say that? Being able to pour tea for the Grand General here is better than idling in the Capital,” Han Ruzi said with a smile.

Han Xing chuckled twice. He sat in the main seat, gesturing towards a nearby stool for Han Ruzi to sit. Han Ruzi moved the folding stool and sat across from the Grand General.

Han Xing gently rotated the teacup in his hand, his aged face showing signs of exhaustion. “When I saw the Founding Emperor’s sword, I knew it was you who sent it.”

Han Ruzi was taken aback. This was something from over a year ago; he hadn’t expected Han Xing to bring it up now.

“But even gaining merit depends on timing. If the timing isn’t right, merits can turn into faults.”

Han Ruzi remained silent, waiting for Han Xing to steer the conversation towards Shattered Iron City.

After a moment of silence, Han Xing didn’t elaborate on last year’s events. Instead, he said directly, “I need some military merit.”

“Next year, the Xiongnu…”

“No, it must be this year. With three hundred thousand troops under my command, the court has incurred huge expenses, causing unrest throughout the country. Yet we haven’t even engaged the Xiongnu in battle.”

“Grand General… why didn’t you pursue the Eastern Chanyu back then?”

Han Xing shook his head. “You don’t understand the Xiongnu. Their way of warfare has no set rules. Today, they might retreat, but tomorrow, if they see an opportunity, they’ll immediately turn around and attack. Weary Marquis, the Chu army is no longer what it used to be. Of the three hundred thousand soldiers, only less than a hundred thousand are truly under my command. The Northern and Southern armies both harbor their own intentions, each wanting to preserve their strength. They would dare to pursue victory in a rout, but are fearful of a hard fought battle. Pursuing the Xiongnu in such a situation would lead to disarray, giving the Xiongnu an opportunity.”

Han Xing sighed heavily. “I may be old, but I’m not yet too old to be afraid of battle. I just didn’t want to find myself deep in enemy territory, only to discover there was no protection on either flank, resulting in unnecessary losses for the Chu army.”

“The Grand General and the court are in a difficult position,” Han Ruzi said in a perfunctory manner.

“The most difficult thing is that others can’t see how difficult my situation is. The memorials in the Hall of Diligent Administration criticizing me have piled up. The politest ones merely accuse me of being timid and unsuitable for the position of Grand General. I never wanted to be Grand General in the first place, but I can’t just return to the Capital like this. Being criticized is one thing, but if the court replaces me with an impulsive commander, it may lead to a catastrophe.”

Han Ruzi thought carefully for a moment. “Is there no other way to encircle and annihilate the Xiongnu who have remained?”

“The Xiongnu are very cautious. They are divided into dozens of factions, and they engage in minor skirmishes without clear objectives. It’s difficult to get them to gather, but if you act… it might work.”

Han Ruzi didn’t believe in Han Xing at all, but he did believe that Han Xing truly needed a victory that could pass muster in court.

“I don’t want the court to change commanders either,” Han Ruzi added.

Upon hearing this, Han Xing couldn’t help but show a hint of joy. “I can’t guarantee anything else, but of the entire imperial court, there’s no one else who would dare to give you such an important position in the army.”

Sensing that the timing was right, Han Ruzi continued, “Alright, perhaps it’s worth a try, but if the Xiongnu don’t fall for it, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Of course, plans are made by men, but success is up to the heavens. No one should blame you for such matters,” Han Xing replied.

“I have a thousand-strong private troop outside the city…”

“I’ll allocate funds and rations for a year, provided by the court,” Han Xing agreed promptly.

“I want to bring the Noble Camp with me to defend the city,” Han Ruzi stated.

Han Ruzi originally thought that Han Xing would negotiate on this matter, but unexpectedly, Han Xing lightly tapped the table and said, “It should be so. These noble sons should also endure some hardships, and perhaps it will attract more Xiongnu.”

After contemplating for a moment, Han Ruzi continued, “I want to transfer a few people from both the Northern and Southern armies to assist.”

Finally, Han Xing showed some reluctance. “This… I’m afraid my transfer order won’t have much effect.”

“I don’t need to transfer high-ranking officials, and the numbers won’t be large,” Han Ruzi reassured him.

Han Xing’s tired face finally showed some vigor. “In that case, I think I can manage it. Regarding the Noble Camp, if Marquis Weary wants to send anyone back to the Capital, just let me know.”

Han Ruzi smiled. He didn’t want to let anyone go back to the Capital, even if it meant offending a large number of people.

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