Chapter 39: General of the Northern Garrison

Li Ye had just returned home from the morning court session and had not yet had a moment to rest when the imperial decree arrived.

"Why has the Emperor issued another decree? Is there something he couldn't have said during court?" Although Li Ye was puzzled, he had no choice but to receive the decree immediately.

"By the grace of the Heavens, the Emperor decrees: The Sixth Prince, Li Ye, is hereby appointed as the General of the Northern Garrison, commanding five thousand troops. Thus it is decreed!"

Li Ye was stunned on the spot. In the Dayuan Dynasty, no prince had ever been granted direct military command. At most, they could only curry favor with generals to join their factions. He had merely fought one battle, and yet he was being allowed to continue leading this army. What was the Emperor thinking?

Seeing Li Ye standing there in a daze, the Chief Eunuch reminded him with a smile, "Your Highness, the Sixth Prince, please accept the decree!"

"Oh, thank you, Your Majesty!" Li Ye stood up and took the scroll.

The Chief Eunuch’s attitude was now exceptionally servile. Since the Emperor had allowed Li Ye to command an army, he must be highly favored. "Congratulations, Your Highness. To have earned the Emperor's favor, your future is surely boundless."

Li Ye wore a bitter expression. "I know nothing of leading troops in battle! I truly don't understand why the Emperor has made such a decision!" Despite his reluctance, he pulled a gold ingot from his pocket. "The journey here must have been exhausting for you, Eunuch. Please, take this to buy some tea." He firmly pressed it into the official's hand.

The Chief Eunuch weighed it slightly and realized it was a ten-tael gold ingot. His heart bloomed with joy. Everyone knew the Sixth Prince was incredibly wealthy and generous, and it was certainly true. He had merely come to deliver a decree, yet the reward was more than his annual salary. Not to mention that the Emperor now held Li Ye in high regard, so naturally, he needed to maintain a good relationship.

Feigning modesty, he said, "Your Highness is too kind. How could I accept your money?"

"Please, you must accept it. I shall have to rely on your care in the future."

"You are too polite, Your Highness. If you have any instructions in the future, just say the word." After a show of hesitation, he immediately tucked it away, his face breaking into a wide, wrinkled smile. "I must return to report back to the Emperor, so I shall not linger!"

"Safe travels, Eunuch!"

Once the Chief Eunuch had departed, Xiao Cui complained with a pained expression, "He is just a eunuch; giving him ten taels of gold is far too extravagant."

"You don't understand! He is the Chief Eunuch. If he puts in a good word for me at the right time, it could save my life! It is never wrong to grease the palms of those in the palace. Furthermore, one must maintain proper respect for them! Even if they don't help us, it is enough if they simply don't speak ill of us in front of the Emperor," Li Ye explained.

Lin Yue curled her lip, not taking it to heart at all. Her personality was always straightforward, and she scoffed at such dealings. Xiao Cui, however, felt it made sense; as long as it ensured Li Ye’s safety, any amount of money was worth it.

Master Xiao took a sip of wine and said with a faint smile, "Now that Your Highness has military power, I fear the imperial court will no longer be tranquil."

"I really don't understand why the Emperor issued this decree. To have me lead the army—and an army of the old, the weak, and the disabled at that? What exactly is this about?" Li Ye was quite distressed.

"Even if they are old and disabled, after your training, they have become a respectable force. At the very least, the morale of the entire army is excellent." Master Xiao smiled broadly. Things were starting to unfold exactly as he had predicted. From now on, Li Ye would find it impossible to live a life of obscurity.

"It doesn't matter, as long as the military pay is distributed on time," Li Ye decided, choosing to continue his path of indifference.

However, the entire capital was buzzing with talk about him. Many had initially assumed that Li Ye’s victory at Bald Eagle Mountain was merely him stealing credit from others. No one expected that he had actually used a vast sum of money to bribe the bandits. This led many to look down on him.

The Crown Prince, Li Zheng, sneered, "I knew Li Ye was mud that couldn't be plastered onto a wall! It’s ridiculous! To think he made such outrageous promises to bandits just to get them to surrender. He is simply bringing shame upon the Imperial Court."

"Indeed, he has become the laughingstock of the court! Some censors have even petitioned against the Sixth Prince, claiming that such actions break all protocol. If every enemy were to surrender under such standards, the national treasury would never be able to afford it." The Crown Prince’s tutor stroked his beard leisurely, in high spirits, having already dismissed Li Ye as a threat.

"Your Highness, this is bad!" Just as they were speaking, a subordinate came running in at full speed. Li Zheng’s face darkened, clearly displeased at the interruption. "What is the meaning of this rush?"

"The Emperor has just issued a decree appointing the Sixth Prince as the General of the Northern Garrison, commanding the five thousand troops he previously led."

Li Zheng could not believe his ears. "Where did this news come from?"

"Just arrived. The Chief Eunuch has already gone to his residence to deliver the decree."

Li Zheng and his tutor exchanged glances. "Tutor, why do you think the Emperor has done this?"

"I don't know, I cannot fathom it either! Although the Sixth Prince won a battle, the methods he used were truly contemptible. He received no rewards in court, which shows the Emperor does not approve of his achievements. Yet, why would he let him command an army? Could it be that all future wars will be won by paying off enemies?"

"Hmph, regardless, the fact that the Emperor has begun to show him favor means we cannot be careless."

"Indeed. Even the Crown Prince has no military power, yet the Sixth Prince is allowed to lead five thousand soldiers. Most importantly, this army is stationed right here in the capital. This is far too dangerous for the Crown Prince. If he cannot be brought under the Crown Prince's control, he must be eliminated early." A flash of murderous intent appeared in the tutor's eyes.

"I shall leave this matter to Shi Wushuang. With the power of the Yunlu Pavilion, taking care of him will be child's play." Li Zheng had already revealed his killing intent.

"That is not wise. Now is not the time to act! The Emperor is in his prime; one must not act rashly. After all, the assassination of a prince is a world-shaking event. Once the investigation begins and it leads back to the Crown Prince, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"Then what should we do? Controlling such a large army is too great a threat to me."

The Crown Prince’s tutor said with great confidence, "As long as the Emperor is here, he cannot stir up any trouble. The key is to find ways to make the Sixth Prince commit more mistakes. As long as he angers the Emperor, his end will be even more miserable."

"That makes sense. It seems that is the only way!" Li Zheng agreed with his tutor's suggestion.

At the Qin residence, Qin Qingxue and Shi Wushuang also received the news. "What? The Emperor is actually allowing Li Ye to keep military power?" Qin Qingxue was deeply shocked, looking at Shi Wushuang in disbelief.

She finally believed what Shi Wushuang had said earlier. The Emperor was likely very displeased that she had discarded the Sixth Prince. He had stripped her of her military power only to let Li Ye command five thousand men—it was a blatant slap in her face.

Shi Wushuang’s expression was grim. From the very beginning, Li Ye had been at odds with him; the conflict between them was now completely irreconcilable. Now that Li Ye possessed military power, it was extremely detrimental to his plans.