CHAPTER 86: CHAPTER 86: DISCIPLINE (PART 2)

With the first one, soon came the second and third. Clanging sounds were incessant, and soon, the bright long knives were scattered all over the ground.

Just as the Commandery Princess said, this is the Jiang Family’s domain, and the young girl before them is the master of Nanyang County. They are all part of the Nanyang Army; raising a knife against the Commandery Princess is nothing short of rebellion, is it not?

They are indeed loyal to their own Left General, but they dare not bear the title of treason that would bring calamity to their families, let alone implicate the Zuo Family.

A dozen personal soldiers silently retreated six feet, and one of them retreated too hastily, accidentally stepping on a military general hiding in the corner. The military general gasped in pain, but dared not utter a sound.

Zuo Zhen, curled up on the ground and sweating from pain, was unable to care about these matters amidst his tears and snot.

Song Yuan was overjoyed, and the group of trusted aides looked at their Commandery Princess with eyes full of admiration.

Only Chen Zhuo slightly relaxed his expression, but a hidden concern emerged in his heart.

The Commandery Princess dealt with Zuo Zhen in such a manner, which is quite satisfying at present. However, in the future, it will inevitably stir up turmoil because of this incident.

"Commandery Princess," Chen Zhuo whispered a reminder, "when hitting a dog, one must consider its master. Enough has been done today, it’s not wise to create more trouble."

Jiang Shaohua appeared adept at accepting advice, "Chief Historian Chen speaks reasonably; I was indeed a bit impulsive just now."

Just then, Doctor Sun hurried in, and Jiang Shaohua immediately said, "Left General just exchanged moves with me and suffered some minor injuries; I trouble Doctor Sun to examine and treat Left General’s wounds."

Everyone: "..."

Alright then! What the Commandery Princess said could be counted as leaving a final bit of face for the Left General who was kicked to the ground.

Doctor Sun agreed, quickly squatted down, and carefully examined the Left General’s injuries.

With a face swollen red like a pig’s head and a tooth knocked out, it was no matter; these were all surface wounds, a matter of healing for ten days or half a month. Yet the bruising on his midriff was quite frightful, how much force would it take to kick such severe external injuries? If his internal organs were displaced or injured from the kick, it would not be ideal...

While Doctor Sun muttered in his heart, his face remained composed and steady as he applied pressure around the bruises.

The Left General screamed miserably as if a pig being slaughtered.

Shan Wu, the trusted aide nearby, did not dare to breathe heavily, staring eagerly at Doctor Sun, "Doctor Sun, Left General is not in serious trouble, right?"

Doctor Sun did not speak immediately. After a careful examination, he finally let out a sigh of relief, stood up, and said, "The Left General’s injuries are all external, without any internal injuries. Move him to a bed to rest. I’ll apply a dressing to the wounds and prescribe a potion to relieve pain and calm the nerves, to be taken for five or six days. With half a month of bed rest, he should recover."

Everyone collectively sighed in relief.

Shan Wu wiped his eyes, summoned two personal soldiers, who lifted their master like a dead dog to a bed. The remaining personal soldiers hesitated briefly, then followed along.

Doctor Sun followed closely to apply medicine and tend to the wounds without further mention.

Inside the central military tent, there was complete silence.

Shan Wu dared not speak, and the military generals whom Zuo Zhen had assisted remained collectively silent as well.

Yu Chong noticed the Commandery Princess’s gaze drifting over and forced himself to step forward, "I dare to ask the Commandery Princess, what is the plan going forward?"

Jiang Shaohua calmly stated, "Since I am here at the Nanyang Army Camp, I intend to stay for a few days to inspect the camp."

In other words, not only did the Commandery Princess beat up Zuo Zhen, but she also intended to openly reside in the military camp. Was the Commandery Princess not worried that the soldiers might rebel or provoke chaos?

Yu Chong, after a brief thought, felt a tingle on his scalp and cautiously suggested, "The military camp is full of soldiers, and for someone of your noble status, settling here might be inconvenient. The county government in Wan County is only half a day’s journey from the camp, perhaps the Commandery Princess could settle there..."

"Is General Yu instructing me on how to carry out my duties?"

With just a short question, cold sweat trickled down Yu Chong’s back, and he quickly changed his tone, "Please don’t be angry, Commandery Princess. I understand your intentions now and will immediately go to organize the Personal Guard Camp."

The Commandery Princess dared to beat even Zuo Zhen, so what was he as a mere Guerrilla General worth? If the Commandery Princess got angry and raised her hand, he would only be able to endure the beating without fighting back, for then it would be insurrection and rebellion!

Jiang Shaohua glanced at Yu Chong, "Such a trivial matter, no need for you to bother. Shan Wu! You go!"

Shan Wu, suddenly called by the Commandery Princess, reflexively accepted the order and withdrew.

Jiang Shaohua then instructed, "General Yu, summon all the military generals above the eighth rank in the camp; I wish to meet them."

...

An hour later, the military tent was packed with people.

The Nanyang Army’s roster listed six thousand soldiers and thirty-six military generals above the eighth rank. Aside from Zuo Zhen and two others out on patrol who couldn’t return in time, the remaining thirty-three generals were present.

Faction divisions were evident within the camp. One group was composed of those supported by Zuo Zhen, numbering about a dozen. Another group was the original Nanyang Army faction, also with around a dozen members, led by Yu Chong.

Finally, there were seven or eight neutral generals.

The standing positions of these three groups were clear from the divisions. They didn’t even bother to disguise it; they were split into three camps.

Jiang Shaohua sat in the black ebony chair that Zuo Zhen usually occupied, with Chen Zhuo and Song Yuan, one civil and one military, at her sides, while Chief Clerk Wen stood beside Chen Zhuo, wishing to reduce his plump and round figure by half.

The military generals, on their way here, had already heard about Zuo Zhen being knocked down by the Commandery Princess. Some were skeptical, some filled with awe, while others secretly rejoiced.

The varied expressions fell into Jiang Shaohua’s eyes.

Jiang Shaohua spoke at a leisurely pace, breaking the silence, "I plan to stay in the camp for a period, and today, I invited you all here to meet you first."

"Starting with General Yu, everyone should say a few words."

Yu Chong gathered his spirits and was the first to speak, "I am Yu Chong, having served in the Nanyang Army for eighteen years, occupying the fifth-rank Guerrilla General position."

On the other side, another general spoke up, "I am Li Tie, having been with the Nanyang Army for twelve years, also holding a fifth-rank position."

Afterward, all generals introduced themselves in order of rank. Even with each person saying two sentences, it consumed the time of an incense stick.

Jiang Shaohua listened patiently, then first asked Yu Chong, "General Yu, I heard that there are issues with delayed and reduced military salaries in the camp—are such rumors true?"

As soon as the Commandery Princess spoke, she hit the crux of the matter.

Cold sweat instantly appeared on Yu Chong’s forehead. Before he could speak, the Commandery Princess’s voice sounded at his ear, "Don’t play tricks before me, Commandery Princess; I want to hear the truth."

Yu Chong bit his teeth, bowed, and said, "Reporting to the Commandery Princess, the camp has indeed not issued military salaries for a long time. The last time salaries were issued was three months ago, and only half was given. The soldiers are full of complaints, yet they dare not speak out..."

"Yu Chong!" A military general from Zuo Zhen’s faction, Li Tie, interrupted coldly, "This is a matter within the camp, why bother the Commandery Princess with such worries?"

Jiang Shaohua curled the corner of her mouth, letting out a cold chuckle, "Today, I intend to listen carefully! General Yu, continue!"