Chapter 502: Chapter 486: Eighth Prince’s Request
After dismissing the soldier who delivered the military intelligence, the young Emperor then handed the intelligence over to Lin Yi.
Lin Yi was also shocked after reading it.
In the intelligence, the Eighth Prince requested that the court provide an additional fifty thousand troops to guard Yumen Pass, citing increased training frequency by the Hu people.
To better safeguard Yumen Pass, it was necessary to increase military strength in preparation for unexpected situations.
“How absurd, is he asking me for troops to guard Yumen Pass? It’s clearly a plot to rebel!”
The young Emperor was furious. The Eighth Prince, not focusing on training the hundred thousand troops already under his command, still thought of diverting fifty thousand from the Emperor, thereby maximizing the disparity.
Once the Eighth Prince led his great army back to the capital, the troops under the young Emperor’s command would hardly withstand a strike; the only choice would be to hand over the throne submissively.
What’s more infuriating was that the Eighth Prince’s wording in the letter was quite forceful, making it seem like taking these fifty thousand troops was a certainty.
Lin Yi scoffed coldly and threw the intelligence onto the table.
“Haha, the Eighth Prince’s calculations are indeed cunning, not to mention the unknown amount of national reserves he has shifted; now, he also seeks to weaken our military strength. It seems he is ready to close the net.”
Upon hearing Lin Yi’s analysis, the young Emperor sighed deeply.
“My Eighth Imperial Uncle has always been a great threat to me. Today he dares to boldly ask me for troops, tomorrow he might ask for the throne, why not?”
Lin Yi knew the heavy responsibilities on the young Emperor’s shoulders, naturally, he would not allow the Eighth Prince to bully his most beloved woman.
Thus, he reported to the young Emperor everything he had investigated in the past few days.
He also suggested that the young Emperor discuss the matter of the Eighth Prince requesting fifty thousand troops in the court tomorrow, and take the opportunity to see clearly which side the Civil and Military Officials would take.
One should never underestimate these Civil and Military Officials; they tend to sway like wall grass, changing sides in an instant.
“What should I do then?”
The young Emperor’s reliance on Lin Yi had been growing over time.
Of course, Lin Yi’s decisions were often better than hers.
Lin Yi lovingly looked at his woman and assured her with a pat on his chest.
“My dear great wife, just leave these matters to me. Your most, most, most crucial task right now is to take good care of yourself and peacefully give birth to our precious son.”
With Lin Yi as a strong support, the young Emperor suddenly felt a sense of security.
Following Lin Yi’s plan, tomorrow the young Emperor would seek the opinions of the Civil and Military Officials before agreeing to provide fifty thousand troops to the Eighth Prince.
However, they could not be provided immediately; a Recruitment Order would need to be issued, and the troops had to be trained well before they could support the Eighth Prince.
This strategy essentially played a game of Tai Chi.
The Eighth Prince was anxious for troops, yet there was no actual crisis reported from the battlefields.
The young Emperor could not refuse outright, so the solution was to delay. There weren’t many people originally, adding fifty thousand troops would take the court at least three months to implement.
Including training time, that would be another three months, so all in all, half a year’s time would be needed.
As for who would command these troops after half a year, that would no longer be for the Eighth Prince to decide.
After arranging everything, Lin Yi hurriedly rushed back to the General Mansion.
It couldn’t be helped; there were too many matters to investigate, and when Zhang Ting woke up again, he needed to switch out personnel to investigate Yuquan Mountain.
The next day in court, despite Lin Yi’s absence, it did not affect the enthusiasm of the Civil and Military Officials in their discussions.
The first to stand up in opposition was Old General Mu.
“Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince’s great army has been stationed at Yumen Pass for many years and there has never been a need to increase troops.
Furthermore, even if the Hu people invade, our great army, led by General Lin, is capable of defeating them. I believe with General Lin present, the Hu people would not dare to launch a rash attack.”
Old General Mu naturally hoped that the young Emperor’s reign would remain stable, so he could continue his role as the royal father-in-law with peace of mind.
Before the young Emperor received the military intelligence from the Eighth Prince, the Fourth Prince had received a secret letter from the Eighth Prince.
He would try all means to have the young Emperor divert fifty thousand troops, or stir up trouble between the young Emperor and Lin Yi, or even eliminate Lin Yi.
If Lin Yi were not by the young Emperor’s side, the master of the Dragon Chair might have changed long ago.
“Your Majesty, the Eighth Prince has been stationed at Yumen Pass for several years with a hundred thousand troops. In this humble official’s view, it is essential to refresh the blood in the army at the border.”
As soon as the Fourth Prince made this statement, those with discerning eyes could see his aim was directed at the Eighth Prince.
This world belongs to the Imperial Family; their squabbles as uncle and nephews should not involve the Civil and Military Officials, so they exchanged whispers, likely discussing team strategies.
At this moment, the Sixth Prince was unusually calm, showing no intention of speaking up.
But the young Emperor would not let him off.
“Sixth Imperial Uncle, what is your view on this matter?”
Given the current situation, the Sixth Prince’s power was at a disadvantage, and he naturally knew to avoid the sharp edge.
Being named, the Sixth Prince had no choice but to step forward and clear his throat.
“This humble official is ignorant; these first-rate military and political matters should still be decided by Your Majesty.”
There was a stir among the crowd, followed by a silence as still as death.
Is there no justice left? If even the Sixth Prince confesses ignorance, then the seated Civil and Military Officials are even less qualified to speak.
At this moment, Old General Mu knew that the Sixth Prince was not picking sides. Having prepared many words, he could only hold them back.
The Fourth Prince, of course, understood what was on ‘Old Sixth’s’ mind and fiercely glared at him.
‘You, Old Six, not only back out at the critical moment but also hand the decision-making power to the young Emperor, purely to spite me, aren’t you?’
The Sixth Prince certainly knew the Fourth Prince’s dissatisfaction, but still maintained an indifferent demeanor.
Now that the court’s pattern had changed, if the Fourth or Eighth were on the Dragon Chair, he might very well not be able to continue being a Prince.
After all, having openly and covertly competed against the Fourth for so many years, both sides held dirt on each other.
It’s better to maintain the status quo on the surface while quickly building up his own power in secret.
The young Emperor waited for a long time, and the Civil and Military Officials didn’t speak.
So she announced the decision she had discussed with Lin Yi.
“First, I will levy fifty thousand troops, then have them train in their registered residence, and later send them to join the hundred thousand troops defending Yumen Pass.”
Upon hearing the young Emperor agreeing to dispatch troops, the Fourth Prince was so pleased he almost laughed aloud.
However, Old General Mu, instantly understanding the young Emperor’s intention, immediately stood up.
“Your Majesty is wise. After the fifty thousand troops are levied, keeping them in their registered residence will neither disrupt agricultural affairs nor training.”
By the time the Fourth Prince fully understood the young Emperor’s words, he realized it was a stalling strategy.
More cunningly, the young Emperor could use the training of fifty thousand troops for Yumen Pass as an excuse to expand his own military power.
‘Hmph, to think that I underestimated my nephew, becoming so crafty. Had I known, I would not have assisted the Eighth compete.’
‘At this moment, I am merely making arrangements for this brat, ah.’
The Fourth Prince regretted his previous decisions and, suppressing a bellyful of anger, could only grimly step back half a pace.
The Sixth Prince was also shocked; he clearly saw the young Emperor’s ambition, yet he had already let the young Emperor decide.
Now, having to accept slight losses.
Then, Old General Mu took the opportunity to praise the young Emperor’s decision extensively, and the Civil and Military Officials gradually began to respond.
Seeing this situation, the young Emperor was very satisfied.
“Since all lords have no objections, then this matter will be handled by the Ministry of War; the fifty thousand new troops will be managed by the Right Martial Guard!”
“Your Majesty is wise!”
After the ministers’ shout, there was nothing more to report.