The Child Emperor - Chapter 139: New Appointment

Han Ruzi received his appointment exactly as rumored: he was appointed as the Central Protector Commander, commanding 500 nobles of the Noble Camp and 3,000 men of the Clear Defense Company. His most important responsibility was not leading troops into battle or surveying terrain or garrisoning a region, but escorting the personal belongings of the Grand General.

Among the 3,000 soldiers, two-thirds were horse-groomers and laborers, with only a thousand being true soldiers.

According to Han Ruzi’s observations, this phenomenon was not uncommon among the Chu army. Many generals used servants to fill the ranks of soldiers, using the court’s rations to support their own retinues. The number varied, with the Grand General holding the highest position and the largest retinue. In comparison, the Northern and Southern armies were more organized, even the poorly reputed Northern army had very few such impostors.

Han Xing entrusted his retinue to the Weary Marquis, a sign of trust.

The appointment process was exceedingly simple. Han Xing sat on a chair, looking even more fatigued. He weakly smiled at the Weary Marquis, waved his hand, and someone brought over the official seal and relevant documents. Han Ruzi took them, handed them to two attendants, bid farewell, and left. The appointment was then considered official.

The Clear Defense Company was located adjacent to the Noble Camp. After leaving the central military tent, it was just a short walk away.

The Central Protector Commander had his own military tent. The registrar, military aides, and captains had long awaited their new superior, respectfully welcoming him.

As the Chu army prepared to withdraw to Mayi City, not a single item belonging to the Grand General could be left behind. The tasks of the Clear Defense Company were heavy, especially during this busy period. The handover and arrangements took an entire day, with Han Ruzi mainly listening and issuing orders, while the specific tasks were managed by the captains.

Prince Donghai was right once again. Han Xing had received numerous bribes, some delivered to his family in the Capital, but most were directly presented to him. They made sure he laid eyes on them, significantly increasing the amount of goods they had to move during the withdrawal.

Though the items were numerous, they couldn’t afford to be disorganized. From tents to ropes, everything was meticulously recorded, with main and backup ledgers kept by different individuals. They cross-checked regularly, and each person had their assigned task during transport. If a piece of silver fell to the ground, no one could touch it. Only the designated personnel could pick it up; otherwise, it would be a breach of military law.

Managing personal belongings according to military law left no room for error.

Han Ruzi ate lunch alone in the military tent at noon. Prince Donghai wandered in alone, flipping through a thick stack of ledgers. He said, “The old man has gathered enough money for his grandchildren.”

“You shouldn’t be here,” Han Ruzi said. Although there were many issues within the Chu army, the military laws within the camps were strict. No one was allowed to move freely between camps. The nobles could do as they pleased within their own designated areas but dared not enter others’.

Prince Donghai chuckled, “But I’m your little brother. Now that you’re the Central Protector Commander, I’m your chief strategist.”

Pointing at the food and drink on the table, Han Ruzi asked, “Have you eaten?”

Prince Donghai glanced but showed no interest. Instead, he asked, “Have you thought it over?”

“Not yet. There’s too much going on. We’ll talk about it when we reach Mayi City.”

“Too much going on? Haha, do you know your own status? The Weary Marquis serving as Han Xing’s personal steward, heh.”

“Well… Being a steward can also teach me a lot. It’s no different from the logistics of transporting provisions in the army.”

“Heh, you’re quite open-minded.” Like most noble sons, Prince Donghai would rather do nothing than submit to a powerless position. “Han Xing is cunning. Appointing you as the Central Protector Commander seems like trust, but it’s also a precaution. Given your status, petitioning the court will be incredibly difficult.”

Han Xing had taken too many bribes and now needed to cover it up.

Han Ruzi sensed there was more to Prince Donghai’s words. “You think I won’t be able to petition the court and take the Noble Camp to Shattered Iron City?”

Prince Donghai refused to answer directly, laughing, “The Noble Camp also fall under your command. Don’t play favorites. Go take a look later; everyone has prepared some gifts for you.”

Before Han Ruzi could ask anything, Prince Donghai had already turned and left.

It wasn’t until evening that Han Ruzi returned to the Noble Camp. There was also a military tent here, inconspicuous among the luxurious tents that vied for extravagance. There were about a dozen officers, but none of them were in charge. They handed over their rosters and retreated to the side, meticulously inspecting their own boots.

The gifts hadn’t even been delivered to Han Ruzi’s personal tent; they were stacked directly in the military tent. The registrar and others carefully recorded the inventory, with many items accompanied by notes added by the gift givers themselves. Some congratulated, some sought to strengthen bonds, and some made direct requests, mostly aiming to return to the Capital before winter.

Han Ruzi quickly scanned through them. Among the gifts he received, there wasn’t much actual gold or silver; most were furs, jewelry, calligraphy, and paintings. Zhang Youcai and Ni Qiu would definitely struggle to carry them.

Turning to the roster, Han Ruzi found that there were a total of 487 “miscellaneous generals” and 864 “attendant soldiers”. Soldiers who had official positions only numbered 120. This gave a total of only around 1,500 men accounted for in the roster. Yet, Han Ruzi knew that there were at least 2,000 people permanently stationed in the Noble Camp.

Compared to the bribes received by the Grand General, the Noble Camp was truly full of loopholes.

There weren’t many tasks within this camp. The order for the army to retreat had already been issued. The task of the 120 proper soldiers was to ensure that all the private belongings of the noble sons were properly taken care of and ready for departure the day after tomorrow.

Although this seemed like a simple task, it was quite troublesome in execution, and the officers needed their superiors’ assistance.

After reviewing the relevant documents, Han Ruzi was approached by the registrar, who handed him another list with a flattering smile. “This is a small token of respect from your subordinates, General.”

Taking the list, Han Ruzi saw that the gifts listed were rather modest, just a few sets of armor and dozens of weapons, along with three hundred taels of silver.

Han Ruzi didn’t refuse and smiled, “Thank you.”

Accepting the gift was a good sign. More than a dozen officers breathed a sigh of relief. They had thought that the Weary Marquis, not known for his love of revelry, was a solitary and peculiar general. Now, they were delighted to find that he was also accommodating. The registrar respectfully said, “The camp will set off the day after tomorrow. The military have been issued, and there’s no room for delay, sir…”

Han Ruzi nodded to indicate understanding. “Rest assured, everyone will be prepared tomorrow.”

With a reasonable and understanding new superior, the officers felt even more at ease and emitted approving laughter. However, many of them secretly thought: No wonder the Weary Marquis couldn’t hold onto his position. “Reasonable and understanding” was not a quality an emperor should possess.

Shortly after nightfall, Han Ruzi prepared to return to his tent to rest. But as he reached the door, Prince Donghai pulled him into a large tent nearby.

“On your first day in office, you can’t just work without having any relaxation,” Prince Donghai said.

Inside Prince Donghai’s tent, the lights were on, several tables arranged in a row, laden with delicious food emitting steam. Over a dozen noble sons greeted Han Ruzi warmly, congratulating him and respectfully pushing him to the main seat.

Among the nearly five hundred noble sons in the camp, only fifteen were eligible to attend such gatherings, based on their status and their relationship with Prince Donghai.

Han Ruzi had a feeling that although he had become the Central Protector Commander, Prince Donghai was benefiting quite a bit from it. It was akin to those fate seers who, if used correctly, could wield “helping” others as a form of power. Prince Donghai was providing this kind of “help.”

Cui Teng was naturally one of those who congratulated Han Ruzi. Sitting on either side of him, he and Prince Donghai were responsible for toasting and creating a cheerful atmosphere, never mentioning the gifts or the return to the capital.

Cui Teng had woken up in the middle of the night, sent away in a daze by his attendants. When he woke up in the morning, he had completely forgotten the events of the previous night. He behaved properly, and with him around to liven the mood, the banquet went perfectly from start to finish. Everyone left content, including Han Ruzi, who drank enough to feel slightly intoxicated, finding every face in front of him amiable.

After midnight, Prince Donghai and Cui Teng personally escorted Han Ruzi back to his tent. Watching him lie down on the bed, Cui Teng whispered, “Do you think he’ll renege once he wakes up?”

“Do you think everyone’s like you?” Despite being two years younger than Cui Teng, Prince Donghai wasn’t polite when speaking. They had grown up together and were true friends, true brothers.

Prince Donghai glanced at the bed. “Hey, we should thank the old man Han Xing. He’s been too greedy. Anyone who sees it will be tempted. This one here is desperately wants the funds to maintain his thousand-strong retinue. Of course, he won’t refuse… Let’s go.”

As they walked out, Cui Teng said, “What can a thousand people do? It would be interesting if he really took that thousand people to serve as bait…”

Han Ruzi was half asleep, half awake, and heard these words. Instead of getting angry, he found it amusing because he was about to do something even more “interesting.”

After Prince Donghai and Cui Teng left, Zhang Youcai and Ni Qiu could finally enter to attend to their master, helping him remove his outer garments and washing his face and feet. Han Ruzi vomited once and felt much better.

“Master, Young Master Chai Yue has visited twice,” Zhang Youcai said.

“What did he say?”

“Nothing. Seeing that you were drinking, he took his leave. Oh, someone surnamed Zhang also came.”

There were many nobles surnamed Zhang, and Zhang Youcai himself shared this surname. However, when he mentioned “someone surnamed Zhang,” there was only one person in his mind—Zhang Yanghao, who had previously plotted against the Weary Marquis several times.

Han Ruzi chuckled. There was no need to ask; Zhang Yanghao must be afraid.

“Ni Qiu, has someone been bullying you?” Han Ruzi asked.

The boy from the Chao Family Fishing Village had been working with a cold face. Now he threw the cloth into the basin and said loudly, “I thought you were a good emperor, or at least an honest official. Turns out you’re no different from the others.”

Although he had been reminded many times, Ni Qiu sometimes still uttered the words “emperor.” Zhang Youcai scolded, “What do you know? How dare you be disrespectful to the master.”

Han Ruzi waved his hand to indicate he wasn’t bothered, then asked Ni Qiu, “You’re good at catching fish, right?”

“Of course,” Ni Qiu said proudly. He did not understand what the Weary Marquis meant, but when it came to his expertise, he was still very proud. “I don’t even need a fishing net; I can catch big fish with just my hands.”

Han Ruzi smiled. “I don’t know much about fishing, but I suppose you have to first spot the big fish and then swim over, right?”

“Well…usually. Sometimes I’ll hold my breath and wait a bit longer until the big fish swims closer, then grab it in one go.”

“Exactly, there’s a big fish swimming towards me right now. Should I act immediately or wait for it to come closer?”

Han Ruzi fell asleep deeply on the bed, while Ni Qiu remained perplexed, whispering to Zhang Youcai, “What does the Weary Marquis mean?”

Zhang Youcai chuckled softly. “In a couple of days, you’ll have a big fish to eat.”

Ni Qiu scratched his head, still not understanding, but his discontent with the Weary Marquis gradually faded away.

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