Chapter 781: Good News After the Great Victory

Outside Qinghua Prefecture, the naval forces set fire to the barriers blocking the river and numerous ships caught off guard, while the land forces defeated tens of thousands of troops under Chen Tianbao’s command. Now, with troops stationed both by land and sea outside Qinghua Prefecture, Marquis Anyuan Liu Sheng, though triumphant, knew that forcing an attack on this strongest fortress in Jiaozhi was not the best strategy. Thus, when Zhang Yue suggested shooting arrows with propaganda scrolls into the city to persuade surrender, he agreed without hesitation. Still, the army couldn’t just idle outside the city wasting food supplies; if the persuasion failed, they would launch a forced attack in three days.

Having made this decision, Liu Sheng wouldn’t overlook the previous incident. He immediately summoned Chen Feng and his son Chen Hua in the temporary command tent. He and Chen Feng had once served under Zhang Fu, and because he admired Chen Feng’s straightforward nature, he had entrusted the naval forces to Chen Hua. Had it not been for Zhang Yue’s foresight in seeing through the scheme, not only would this campaign have been fruitless, but they might also have fallen into extreme danger. So despite the great victory, Liu Sheng was still furious.

“Old Chen Feng, if it weren’t for you, I would have slain that traitorous boy with my sword right now! The whole army still doesn’t know about this, but secrets can’t be kept forever—don’t think you can hide it forever!”

Glancing at his son, who had tied his own hands and remained silent, Chen Feng sighed deeply before kneeling down as well. “General, it’s my fault as a father for failing to teach him properly. I didn’t realize he had such a nature, nor should I have allowed him to inherit the position of commander. But the previous victory came from the enemy’s surprise at his rebellion. At that time, we could simply claim he pretended to surrender, and rumors would settle things down. After this battle, I’ll take him back, and the commander’s position will be returned to the court…”

Zhang Yue glanced at Chen Feng’s pleading face and thought that if he hadn’t ordered Chen Feng to summon some key naval officers overnight and then secretly taken him aboard the ship before setting off, even if Chen Feng had deceived Chen Hua with lies, he still wouldn’t be able to command the naval forces effectively. Though this was indeed a great victory, Chen Hua’s crimes were undeniable. Even if Chen Feng tried to atone for his son’s actions, how could Liu Sheng tolerate such rebellion in a region constantly plagued by war? The army couldn’t tolerate such offenses, but the Chen family was a prominent clan, and for the sake of pacification, they had to be accommodated.

“Great Marshal, the recent great victories on land and water will spread throughout the land in no time. With a little more spreading of the word, everyone will know that Chen Hua feigned surrender to defeat the enemy. It’s really not appropriate to pursue this matter any further. Now that Lord Chen has arrived at the army, we might as well release the news that Lord Chen is worried about General Zi and wants to take command personally to first strip Chen Hua of his military power. After pacifying Jiaozhi, let Chen Hua submit a letter claiming illness, and then Lord Chen can choose another member from the Chen family to be appointed as a military commander by the imperial court.”

Liu Sheng walked back and forth a few times with his hands behind his back, thinking it over. He felt that Zhang Yue’s reasoning wasn’t entirely unfounded. But whenever he thought of how this kid always came up with irrefutable arguments, he couldn’t help but cast a disdainful glance at him. Then he stepped forward, pulled Chen Feng up, and snorted coldly, “Since someone is interceding, I’ll give you, old man, this favor and take him back under careful watch! If anything goes wrong again, things won’t be as easy as this time!”

Hearing such a promise, Chen Feng was overjoyed. He hurriedly thanked him and then turned to thank Zhang Yue as well. After that, he quickly untied the ropes binding his son’s hands and kicked him hard. “Rebel son! If not for my good fortune, I would have been killed by those sent by the rebels along the way. Just for that, I should kill you! It’s only because your dead mother had you as her only son that I bother to care about your life! Stop standing here and come with me right now!”

Seeing Chen Hua kowtowing and thanking him in a hoarse voice, then being dragged out of the tent by Chen Feng, Liu Sheng couldn’t help but curse, “Damn it! Old Chen Feng’s entire reputation was ruined by this son. When I get back, I must give my own son a good lesson—eat according to your capacity, keep an eye on what’s in the bowl and what’s in the pot. Otherwise, the whole family will suffer! And Chen Feng too—how could he keep such a disaster around? How can he be so lucky to always have kind people helping him?”

At that point, Liu Sheng looked at Zhang Yue. Seeing him quietly retreating outside the tent, he called out, “Why are you leaving so quickly? I haven’t allowed you to go yet! I’m not someone who doesn’t know good from bad. This time I admit my mistake—I shouldn’t have dismissed Li Qing’s words, nor should I have changed commanders at the last moment, nor should I have transferred you to the naval forces. Is that not enough? Although I sent you to the ship, it was for your own good, to avoid trouble from swords and blades on land. In the end, didn’t you still contribute valuable strategies and achieve great feats? As for that old Li Qing, he really speaks without any consideration for others!”

Only then did Zhang Yue helplessly turn around. Seeing Liu Sheng sit down on the chair in the center with a huff, he thought of Li Qing’s usual temperament and shook his head—this man had caused panic throughout the Ministry of War when he transferred from the Ministry of Works, showing just how strict he was. It wasn’t surprising then that he was left in the Nanjing Ministry of War after advising Zhu Zhanji against hunting. But that was also in line with the old minister’s style; if he changed easily, he wouldn’t be Li Qing anymore.
“I wouldn’t dare be angry with the commander-in-chief. Besides, this great victory was thanks to the commander’s willingness to listen to advice. As his military advisor, it’s only right for me to offer suggestions. There are still many matters to handle outside. Now that the matter concerning the Chen family has been settled, I need to go take a look. Otherwise, with only Shi An and Chen Yong, it will be hard to deal with those powerful clans.”
Hearing this, Liu Sheng immediately grew amused: “The two of them are at least twice your age—how could they lack such skills?”
“In terms of ability, they are certainly better than me. But most people in this world value titles and ranks. For example, when the commander-in-chief speaks, his words carry great weight. If it were me, everyone would doubt me. The same goes with those powerful clans—they have little influence. As for using power to suppress others, I’m more skilled at that than they are.”
“All these years, you’re still as cunning as ever!” Liu Sheng joked, and with that, his last bit of resentment disappeared. He then said, “I’ve already sent a report of the victory to the capital via urgent courier, giving you a generous reward… As for Li Qing, forget it. I’m sure the emperor doesn’t want to recall him to the capital and keep him around just to annoy him! I really can’t stand dealing with those powerful clans—deal with them however you like!”
Seeing Zhang Yue bowing with a smile and about to leave, Liu Sheng added, “Remember to thank Peng Shisan on my behalf. He was crucial this time!”
Zhang Yue agreed and left the command tent. It was already the middle of the night, but it was still very bright. Around the command tent, there were fully armed bodyguards, and outside, there were squads of soldiers on patrol. Further away, soldiers could be seen polishing their swords; some had blood on their battle robes, others had wounds on their faces and bodies, and some were whispering to their companions. When they saw him pass by, they would stand up and salute. When he reached the camp area assigned to the civil officials, he heard Peng Shisan standing outside a tent, listening intently while sneering.
“What are you doing?”

As soon as Peng Shisan saw Zhang Yue, he immediately stepped forward with a smile and said, “I just found the conversation among those people inside quite amusing. One of them said in a fearful tone that it hadn’t rained for days, all because of the arrival of the imperial army—so even the rain dared not get in the way. He also brought up the example of rain falling during the British invasion, allowing ships to sail on dried-up riverbeds, flattery after flattery. If our lord were here, he’d probably be helpless too. But aside from flattery, they were very cautious. Dr. Shi played both the stern and the lenient roles, trying to get out whether Chen Tianbao was in the city, but they all claimed to know nothing.”

“Although we’ve just achieved a great victory and surrounded Qinghua, the south hasn’t been fully pacified yet. Of course, they won’t make a decision so quickly. Their presence here is merely to show their stance, so as to prevent our army from taking revenge on them after this victory. As for Chen Tianbao, since he rose to power with the help of Champa, he’ll surely rely on these powerful clans if he wants to get rid of Champa. Naturally, they’re not afraid of him.”

As he spoke, he lifted a corner of the curtain to peek inside, then suddenly pulled it aside and stepped in. This movement immediately caught the attention of those inside. Shi An and Chen Yong were already hoarse from talking. When they saw Zhang Yue enter, Shi An immediately called out, “Lord Zhang!” Instantly, those representatives of the powerful clans, dressed in fine silk robes, flocked around to pay their respects.

There was no other reason—in Jiaozhi, the surname Zhang carried immense weight!

Ancient Annam had been part of the Central Plains territory since the Qin Dynasty. During the Song Dynasty, it became weak, with Dali existing in the south. Reclaiming this region was even more difficult, and the Yuan Dynasty fought numerous battles here but still failed to bring Annam and Champa back under its control. This situation continued until the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty. Despite having been independent for hundreds of years, both ancient Annam and modern Jiaozhi had long emphasized Confucian studies, with the upper classes taking pride in their knowledge of Confucianism. Three hundred years ago, Chinese characters became the official script of the country. Since the establishment of the Jiaozhi Administrative Commission, many students from Jiaozhi have been sent to the imperial academy.

At that moment, there was a powerful clan whose son had been selected as an academy student. Judging from his speech and behavior, which resembled that of scholars from the Central Plains, Zhang Yue could hardly detect any local characteristics. However, knowing well that these powerful clans were opportunistic and self-interested, he merely tried to pacify them while playing it safe. Only after they all left and he thought carefully did he realize that although Zhang Yue’s words sounded pleasant, not a single one of them could be trusted!

Zhang Yue didn’t bother to care about how these powerful families slandered him behind his back. Before he could even catch his breath after sitting down, Chen Yong handed him a sealed official document, saying in a low voice, “This is an imperial edict. I and Dr. Shi dare not open it without permission.” Hearing it was an imperial edict, Zhang Yue was about to open it, but remembering the two people beside him, he quickly glanced at them. It wasn’t until Shi An pulled Chen Yong away that he used a paper cutter to break the seal and took out the document with its plain cover. Peng Shisan, aware that the imperial edict meant solely for Zhang Yue might contain important information, said nothing and quietly left the tent to wait outside.

“…Jiaozhi has rebelled and caused chaos; it must be suppressed. However, officers should be instructed not to harm innocents. Even from rebellious families, young men should not be killed—they should be driven inland to become commoners or slaves, thus demonstrating heaven’s virtue of sparing life. If any are talented, they should be secretly investigated and recommended… Once Jiaozhi is pacified, I will summon you back to the capital immediately. I will also send you Du Zhen’s memorial for careful study.”

The entire edict was filled with red ink in tiny script. The beginning discussed lenient selection of officials, but at the end there was this addition, which puzzled Zhang Yue. Upon closer inspection, he noticed another document with a plain cover tucked inside. Due to its similar color, he hadn’t noticed it before. After unfolding it and glancing through it, he realized it was a copied version, not the original submitted by Du Zhen, and its content dealt with officials’ salaries. After reading it thoroughly, he closed the document and thoughtfully closed his eyes.

He had discussed this matter with his father-in-law back in the capital. Other things could be changed, but the salary amounts were set by Emperor Hongwu Zhu Yuanzhang and were difficult to alter. However, converting salaries into paper money was the worst policy in the land; it had to be abolished for officials to feel at ease. Though the court seemed stable at the moment, introducing such a major change…

“Good news! Excellent news!”

Just as Zhang Yue was pondering the resistance his father-in-law’s plan might face and what he could do to help, a loud shout suddenly reached his ears. Looking up, he saw Peng Shisan rushing in like the wind, shouting, “News from Marshal Liu—ships have arrived by sea. It seems Chen Tianbao tried to flee south by boat but was caught red-handed!”

“How coincidental!”

Surprised and delighted, Zhang Yue stood up abruptly. “Were they from the Divine Might Guard?”

“That’s right. The messenger from before didn’t tell the truth. Actually, Eunuch Zheng was cautious and had already sent ten more ships to protect the sea routes for food supply. When the messenger returned, he brought news of Qinghua Prefecture’s fall. So, several Divine Might ships kept an eye on Qinghua Prefecture and chased after any ships that appeared. Who would have thought they’d happen to capture Chen Tianbao! It’s said that an arrow from a divine weapon hit the sails. If not for the people on that ship frantically trying to put out the fire, the whole ship might have burned down. After that, Chen Tianbao fainted upon hearing the news, and the people on the ship surrendered.”
“This is truly the best news ever… Now that the so-called legitimate heir of the Chen family is gone, things in the south will be much easier. With Eunuch Zheng pressing Champa at sea, Jiaozhi is likely to be pacified within this year! By next spring, we’ll be able to go back and reunite with our wives, children, and family!”
Even Zhang Yue, after walking back and forth a few times, couldn’t help but laugh heartily. Peng Shisan tilted his head, thinking of his wife and children back home, his face filled with joy.
If it weren’t for necessity, who would want to go to war?