The Child Emperor - Chapter 131: Receiving an Appointment

“Weary Marquis, we have an imperial edict for you!” A horseman shouted from afar. The scene before him both puzzled him and made him nervous. If you called these people, they lacked armor and their clothes were ragged, stained with mud. They resembled mud men who had just emerged from the ground. Yet if you called them refugees, they formed clear lines, walked in formation, and many of them wielded weapons.

The horseman doubted if the Weary Marquis was really among them. He decided to shout three times. If there was no response, he would immediately turn back to his team. Just as he shouted the second time, two figures emerged from the front of the ranks, equally covered in mud, their original clothes indistinguishable.

“The Weary Marquis is here, who is the one who will proclaim the edict?” Prince Donghai shouted loudly, volunteering to act as the spokesperson for Han Ruzi, not out of willingness towards staying under his command, but out of sheer curiosity. He believed this imperial edict was not only crucial for Han Ruzi but would also have a significant impact on himself.

The horseman hesitated, stammering in reply, “It, it’s from Chief Commander Han, wait a moment.”

After carefully observing for a while, he rode back to report.

“The edict’s not from a eunuch from the palace, it’s from Han Xing.” Prince Donghai was surprised. “Something significant must have happened in the court. Perhaps my uncle has other reasons…”

Han Ruzi turned to Chao Hua and Jin Chunzhong, saying, “Prepare yourselves, be ready to follow my orders at any time.”

Both bowed and silently ordered their men to pass on commands to the various squads.

“What do you intend to do? Refuse to accept the edict? That’s rebellion. Had you followed my plan earlier, you might have been on the throne by now,” Prince Donghai said.

A small troop of horsemen approached from afar. When they were about a hundred steps away, most of the horsemen stopped, leaving only one to continue forward, reining in his horse in front of Han Ruzi. It was Chief Commander Han Xing.

Han Xing smiled and said, “Come help me dismount.”

Prince Donghai widened his eyes. Though he and Han Ruzi were younger, they held a higher title than Han Xing. There was no reason for him to assist this old man.

Han Ruzi stepped forward, and Prince Donghai whispered behind him, “Let the guards help him.”

Still, Han Ruzi walked to the horse’s side, reaching out his hand. Han Xing slowly dismounted, his entire weight pressing onto Han Ruzi’s hands, quite heavy. Once his feet touched the ground, he let out a sigh, “I’m getting old, can’t even handle a trip outside the city.”

Han Ruzi smiled but remained silent. He remembered this elder of the imperial family, often taciturn in the Hall of Diligent Administration. Last year during the palace coup, it was Han Xing who eventually obtained the founding emperor’s sword, claiming it was sent by the Empress Dowager.

Han Xing untied a silk purse from his neck, extracting an imperial edict from within. Instead of immediately reading it, he glanced at the crowd on the official road. “Are these the militia gathered by you?”

“Does the court already know?”

“Heh, if the affairs within the capital region were unknown, then the court wouldn’t be a court. Yes, indeed, quite impressive. Well-organized and high-spirited.”

“Get to the point, no need for sarcasm.” Prince Donghai walked over, eyeing the edict.

“Sarcasm? Why would Prince Donghai say such a thing? With invasion of the north and the world in chaos, at this critical moment, the Weary Marquis and the people of the Capital raised the banner of righteousness, leading the way for the entire empire. They are admired by both civil and military officials alike.”

“Hmm, well-said. So, are you here to grant appointments?”

Han Xing nodded with a smile. “Exactly.” He handed the decree to Han Ruzi. “Read it yourself, Lord Marquis.”

Han Ruzi received the edict without the need for kneeling, but it was still strange to read it himself. Taking the edict, he read it over, growing more puzzled.

Prince Donghai watched alongside. “This… what’s going on?” He snatched it, reading it again. “What in the world is this?”

“Let’s proclaim the edict first,” Han Xing chuckled.

“You may do it,” Han Ruzi said calmly to Prince Donghai.

Prince Donghai suppressed his doubts, turning to face the crowd. He proclaimed, “The imperial edict declares: We know that it is a great and ancient practice to commend virtue and reward talent. The Weary Marquis, with loyalty and righteousness, has submitted a petition volunteering for battle to secure the empire. We greatly commend this. He is hereby appointed as the Northern Protection General, with an additional grant of one thousand households.’”

The militia gathered around, breaking their formation. Most of them didn’t understand the meaning of the edict, their faces filled with confusion.

Prince Donghai sighed. “Weary Marquis… that’s him. He’s been appointed as the Northern Protection General, and you are all now official soldiers of the great Chu Dynasty.”

Only then did the people begin to realize, cheering in unison. Some whispered to Chao Hua, “We originally gathered at Riverside Village to avoid conscription, how… how did we become official soldiers again?”

Chao Hua waved his hand, using his prestige to suppress dissent among those around him.

“I accept the edict,” Han Ruzi said, taking the edict from Prince Donghai’s hands.

Han Xing’s smile faded slightly. “You seem unhappy.”

Prince Donghai intervened, “He was trapped in the wilderness for several days, under attack but with no help, in complete darkness, unaware of events in the court. Now he’s suddenly appointed as the Northern Protection General – could anyone be happy about that?”

Han Xing put away his smile. “Please, Marquis, a word.”

Han Ruzi grunted in acknowledgment, turning to signal to Chao Hua and Jin Chunzhong to reform ranks, then followed Han Xing to the roadside. Prince Donghai followed, but Han Xing shook his head slightly at him.

“I’ll ask one thing only, how is my uncle… Grand Tutor Cui?”

“Grand Tutor Cui? All is well. He has submitted a petition volunteering for battle and been appointed as the Grand General of Conquering the Barbarians.”

Prince Donghai stood dumbfounded.

Han Xing led the Weary Marquis a few dozen steps away, where there were no others around. He spoke in a low voice, “Marquis, you’ve suffered quite a bit these days, haven’t you?”

“It was not too bad. We’ve made it out, haven’t we?”

Han Xing nodded with a smile. “I won’t beat around the bush with you. Much has happened in the court these past few days, and some of it concerns you.”

“I’m puzzled. Please, enlighten me, General.”

“Grand Tutor Cui and Prince Donghai were planning a rebellion. You are aware of that, aren’t you?”

Han Ruzi nodded. He didn’t entirely trust this man and preferred to listen more than speak.

“Fortunately, the Empress Dowager was prepared, and fortunately, you… put a stop to a major upheaval.”

“The Empress Dowager was prepared?”

Han Xing didn’t explain further. “You will understand later. Just yesterday, Grand Tutor Cui, as Grand Marshal of the Southern Army, took a risk and conspired with the Champion Marquis, Grand Marshal of the Northern Army, intending to attack the Capital.”

Only now did Han Ruzi express astonishment. “The Champion Marquis?”

Han Shi, the Champion Marquis, was promoted by the Empress Dowager. How could he conspire with Grand Tutor Cui for rebellion? Han Ruzi found it hard to understand.

“Of course, neither of them admits to rebellion, and they’re very cautious. They incited Marquis Hengyang to attack the militia, intending to kill you and Prince Donghai in the chaos, then proclaim everything as the doing of the imperial court, stirring up public sentiment and providing an excuse for the Northern and Southern armies to enter the city.”

Han Ruzi was stunned for a moment. “If the Grand Marshals of the Northern and Southern Armies conspired together, who could oppose them? Do they still need an excuse?”

“Of course, they do. You may not know much about the two armies. From the Grand Marshal down to even a ninth-ranked military officer, all of them require appointments from the Ministry of War. Of course, the Grand Marshal is able to make recommendation, but final approval has to be given by the imperial court. Despite the Grand Marshal’s authority increasing during the Martial Emperor’s reign, it wasn’t to the extent of absolute control. The lists of officers for both armies are held by the Chief Commander’s office. Based on my estimation, the respective Grand Marshals had nominated two-fifths of the officers in the Northern Army and four-fifths in the Southern Army, with the remainder appointed directly by the Ministry of War.”

Han Ruzi understood. The Northern and Southern armies weren’t entirely loyal to their Grand Marshals. Most officers still obeyed the orders of the court. He immediately raised a question, “But when Grand Tutor Cui secretly returned to the Capital to seize control of the Southern Army, the court seemed helpless.”

“The situation was different then. Grand Tutor Cui served as the Grand General of the Southern Army during Emperor Wu’s reign, and his influence in the army was substantial. Last year, he returned to the capital with the remaining power of the defeated Prince Qi, receiving much support from the military and officials. Also, at that time…” Han Xing wore a troubled expression, unable to speak certain truths, regardless of whether in public or private.

“I understand,” Han Ruzi said. Last summer, he and Prince Donghai, as the only surviving sons of the Graceful Emperor, were the most qualified to inherit the throne. It was legitimate for the Southern Army to support the Cui clan and Prince Donghai. But this year, the throne changed hands, and the bloodline of the Graceful Emperor no longer held sole legitimacy.

Han Shi, the Champion Marquis, Grand Marshal of the Northern Army, as the surviving orphan of the first Crown Prince of the Martial Emperor, held an even higher status.

“Since the palace coup, the court has been striving to reclaim full authority over the appointments of both the Northern and Southern Armies. Grand Tutor Cui has been a bit anxious, but I didn’t expect the Champion Marquis to be equally impatient, to the extent of being persuaded by Grand Tutor Cui. Sigh… he’s still…” Han Xing sighed with a bitter smile, shaking his head with a hint of disappointment.

“Regardless, the Weary Marquis and Prince Donghai are unharmed, and Grand Tutor Cui’s plan has once again failed. The Champion Marquis regretted his actions, immediately pleaded guilty to the court, and confessed everything. Grand Tutor Cui also submitted a plea of guilt to the court this morning. His Majesty believes that at the current critical juncture on the border, it is not appropriate to execute the grand marshals. Therefore, he has pardoned the two grand marshals and tasked them with redeeming themselves in the northern border.”

The so-called “court” and “His Majesty” both referred to the Empress Dowager. Han Ruzi tried hard to recall. He had seen many military appointments in the court bulletin, but it would not state whether it they were “recommended by the Grand Marshal” or “appointed by the Ministry of War”. As for the appointments of junior military officers, they would not be mentioned in the court bulletin at all.

To think that the Empress Dowager had indeed revoked the military authority of the two Grand Marshals by using the court officials. Prince Donghai always mentioned the “hundred-thousand- strong Southern Army,” but in reality, Grand Tutor Cui couldn’t command that number.

Han Ruzi still had many doubts, but Han Xing would not confide in him. Han Ruzi could only temporarily hold back his questions and asked, “If both the Northern and Southern Armies go to the northern border, who will guard the Capital?”

“The court has its arrangements. Please accompany me back to the Capital to express gratitude for your appointment. You have initiated a good trend by submitting a petition volunteering for battle. Before this, the petition for battle were all submitted by generals, with a large number of aristocrats watching from the sidelines. After the Weary Marquis set an example, the number of volunteers for battle suddenly increased…”

“Have you submitted a plea for battle?” Han Ruzi didn’t ask who had helped him write the petition.

Han Xing chuckled, “Though I am old, I still have a loyal heart. How could I dare lag behind others? The first petition volunteering for battle was submitted by me, but His Majesty has yet to respond.”

With all crises temporarily resolved, Han Ruzi finally breathed a sigh of relief. “Very well, please guide me back to the Capital, Chief Commander.”

“After you return to the Capital, he will receive even more rewards. Since ancient times…” Han Xing promptly swallowed his words, as he had wanted to say that deposed emperors since ancient times would not receive such generous treatment.

The two returned to their original position together. Han Ruzi helped Han Xing onto his horse.

“I will have some horses sent over later. The volunteer army can camp outside the city. I have already arranged the campsite.” Han Xing spurred his horse to join his group of horsemen.

“What did the old man say?” Prince Donghai asked.

“Nothing much. It seems that the problem has been resolved. We can return to the Capital now.”

Prince Donghai hadn’t heard Han Xing’s various explanations, only the final conclusion as told by Han Ruzi. His brow furrowed involuntarily. “The Empress Dowager wants us to return to the Capital to express gratitude?”

“She asked me to return. You were not mentioned.”

“It’s the same. If you go back, I have to go back too.” Prince Donghai suddenly grabbed Han Ruzi’s arm. “We can’t go back to the Capital. Absolutely not. Once we enter the city gates, we’ll never be able to leave again.”

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