CHAPTER 457: CHAPTER 457: MILITARY DRILLS (PART 2)

Jiang Shaohua regarded military training as highly important and stayed in the Personal Guard Camp without any intention of leaving. Every morning, she and the trusted aides went to the Martial Arts Training Ground together. The trusted aides took turns practicing cavalry drills, and she personally supervised them. Sometimes she even joined the field, practicing alongside them.

Training was extremely tough, and injuries were inevitable. Recently, the kitchen of the Personal Guard Camp was very busy, ensuring the soldiers had enough to eat and drink to maintain their strength for training. The military doctors were so busy they could barely keep their feet on the ground.

Sun Zelan and Sun Guangbai, the sibling pair, only slept for two or three hours each day. Lin Huiniang and others were the same, rarely having a chance to sleep through the night.

Yu Chong soon began leading his soldiers to train together.

Within two days, a military general sustained a minor arm injury. This general, named Sun Tong, had followed Yu Chong into the military camp since his teenage years and was Yu Chong’s most trusted confidant.

Concerned about Sun Tong’s mild injury, Yu Chong personally accompanied him to the injured soldiers’ tent.

That day, Yu Chong went to see the Commandery Princess, with red eyes: "Commandery Princess, our Nanyang Army has four thousand soldiers but only four military doctors, and those four doctors are quite mediocre in their skills. Usually, they can barely handle minor injuries during training. But faced with serious illnesses, these doctors are useless."

"The Personal Guard Camp has more than twice as many military doctors, plus there are over a dozen young and beautiful attendants whose medical skills are quite proficient. When the injured soldiers rest while gazing at them, they recover halfway merely from the sight. It’s too extravagant, too wasteful!"

"I won’t compete with the Personal Guard Camp for anything else, but I must compete for military doctors and attendants. The Commandery Princess must not favor one over the other like this!"

He was a Fourth-rank General in his forties, wiping his eyes as he spoke; what was the meaning of this?

Jiang Shaohua, both amused and irritated, responded: "Alright, alright! Do you really have to pull such tricks in front of me?"

"To be honest with you, the Personal Guard Camp’s military strength already greatly surpasses that of the Nanyang Army. Moreover, the trusted aides rotate to deliver food to the North, secretly protect the Tang Family Grain Shop, and frequently engage in battles, resulting in particularly numerous injuries. Despite the large number of military doctors and attendants you’ve seen, they are not sufficient. It’s impossible to assign them to the Nanyang Army."

Yu Chong looked distressed, about to speak, when the Commandery Princess interrupted: "However, it’s true that the Nanyang Army lacks military doctors. How about this: I will send someone to hire several doctors to serve in the Nanyang Army Camp. They will live in the camp, work for twenty days each month, and rest for ten days to reunite with their families."

Yu Chong instantly buoyed up: "I’ll defer to the Commandery Princess’s decision."

Thus, maintaining an army is indeed no easy task. Considerations must cover money, provisions, weapons, warhorses, and military doctors, attending to every aspect of life from food, clothing, to shelter.

After Yu Chong left, Jiang Shaohua summoned Ma Yaosong to assign tasks.

Ma Yaosong laughed: "This can be handled easily. Stationary doctors are difficult to find, but I’ll look for some traveling doctors. They roam around for a living, a steady job with ample silver coins will ensure their arrival."

Jiang Shaohua praised with a smile: "It has to be Ma, clever in handling tasks. Thinking about how you will remain in the Prince Mansion for duties later and won’t be by my side often, I truly can’t bear it."

Ma Yaosong, flattered, glanced instinctively at the smiling Chen Sheren, then quickly collected his thoughts: "No matter where I serve, I am always the Commandery Princess’s subject. I am willing to sacrifice myself and work hard for the Commandery Princess."

The tasks are urgent, and getting married is even more urgent.

Jiang Shaohua, knowingly smiling, waved to indicate for Ma Yaosong to proceed with the tasks.

At this moment, Qin Hu brought over a small bamboo tube: "Commandery Princess, Chief Historian Chen has sent a letter."

Chen Jinyu stepped forward to receive the bamboo tube and presented it to Jiang Shaohua. After opening the bamboo tube, Jiang Shaohua extracted the letter paper and after reading, her expression slightly darkened.

Chen Jinyu noticed this, and his heart sank with a thud: "Commandery Princess, has something happened on the court’s side?"

Jiang Shaohua nodded: "General Fan has led the troops to the border, after the imperial envoy announced the decree, Left General relinquished the Tiger Talisman and official seal and returned to the Capital City with the envoy."

Whether she agreed or was pleased, the change of main general for the border army was already decided.

The end of Chief Historian Chen’s letter specifically reminded her not to comment further on this matter to avoid causing dissatisfaction from Duke An and his sons or the Grand Empress Dowager Zheng. This meant it was best not to mention the matter again in her subsequent petitions.

Indeed, the change of Left General was fully pushed by Grand Empress Dowager Zheng and Duke An’s sons.

Chief Historian Chen, politically astute, clearly had sensed the change in stance of the Zheng Family from the series of transformations in the court. The Nanyang Prince Mansion and Prime Minister Wang are adversaries, and should not become estranged with the Zheng Family, nor provoke Grand Empress Dowager Zheng.

Ultimately, it’s due to lacking sufficient strength to go all out.

Chen Jinyu softly advised: "The Commandery Princess has done everything possible, a clear conscience is enough. How the court evolves, we will watch patiently."

Jiang Shaohua exhaled slowly and nodded.

...

A month later, Left General was escorted to the Capital City, where Emperor Taihe personally questioned him about the border army’s defeat at Peng City and the massacre there. Left General, bearing immense guilt, requested severe punishment.

Emperor Taihe, mindful of Left General’s years of steadfast duty at the border, stripped him of his official position and ordered him to reflect privately. The sons of the Zuo Family holding critical posts within the army were implicated, either demoted or reassigned.

The Zuo Family, hit hard by this, saw its status fall from one of Da Liang’s elite military families to the ranks of the second-rate.

The faction led by Prime Minister Wang also suffered an unprecedented blow, while the fence-sitters secretly aligned themselves with Grand Empress Dowager Zheng’s faction more than can be counted.

Even more distressing was the rampant rumors in the Capital City, claiming Prime Minister Wang was too self-interested and made poor personnel choices — evidenced by both General Wei in the past and now Left General — proving he is unworthy to be Da Liang’s Chancellor.

Misfortunes never come singly.

The eldest son of Prime Minister Wang, Wang Yi, who served as an Inspector in the prosperous Jiangnan area, was exposed by his subordinates for bribery and embezzlement.

The Wang Family, acclaimed as Da Liang’s top family, with vast wealth, was considered unparalleled in their opulence. Logically, Wang Yi shouldn’t be a person blinded by money. Yet Wang Yi was precisely such, loving silver to the extreme, collecting large sums as an Inspector. Leveraging his father being the Chancellor with extensive influence in Jiangnan, he was indulgently corrupt and unscrupulous.

In fact, all court officials knew Wang Yi’s true nature. Prime Minister Wang was also quite displeased with his money-obsessed eldest son, sending him off to Jiangnan as an Inspector years ago to avoid seeing him. With his father’s protection, Wang Yi was extracting silver, living in luxury.

No one expected that now Jiangnan officials submitted petitions accusing Wang Yi of embezzlement, with multiple pages of evidence. Over a dozen local officials pressed handprints on the petition; among them, two were close subordinates of Governor Wang.

Once this petition appeared, the court was astir with astonishment.