Chapter 69

Chen Qing did not change his principles; he executed 245 prisoners of war who had committed crimes, and handed over the rest to the governor He Jian. Three days later, Chen Qing led 1,500 soldiers to leave Muzhou and return to Lin'an.

Before this, Hu Yan had already led over 200 soldiers to escort the bandit leader Li Shizong, and at the same time, sent the bodies of the fallen soldiers back to Lin'an.

At the West Bridge of Lin'an City, a bustling commercial area with dense shops, numerous taverns, and various brothels and music halls, in a private room on the third floor of Luoshen Tavern, the sound of stringed instruments was pleasant. A singing girl played the lute and sang softly. At the wine table, Wang Bo filled a cup of wine for his clan brother Wang Huan and smiled, saying, "This trip to Muzhou was hard on you, Brother."

Wang Huan waved his hand and smiled, "It wasn't that hard. It was just part of my duty. Besides, Muzhou is quite close. Going to Guangzhou or Leizhou would have been a headache!"

Wang Bo asked cautiously, "What were the results of this trip to Muzhou?"

"Probably disappointing!"

Wang Bo's heart sank, "Does that mean he had no problems at all?"

"Not exactly. Who doesn't have problems? I could find fault with him even in his eating and drinking. But his issues are ambiguous. For example, he privately distributed the spoils of war. If you say it's a serious problem, everyone does it. If you say it's not serious, he did violate the court's regulations. And the killing of prisoners of war—he did it, but there was no mass execution. He Jian can vouch for him. The key is whether he successfully suppressed the bandits. If he failed, these would be major issues. If he succeeded, pursuing these issues would be meaningless."

Wang Bo was truly disappointed, "So you mean this investigation has no hope?"

"Not necessarily. It depends on whether Chancellor Fan can tolerate it. If Chancellor Fan cannot tolerate his brutality, his disregard for the court, and his private distribution of spoils, then even if he successfully suppressed the bandits, he will be judged for his merits and faults, and rewarded or punished accordingly."

"Brother, you mean the key is with Chancellor Fan Zongjin?"

Wang Huan nodded, "This case was proposed by him. After I complete the investigation report, I will submit it to him, and he will decide whether to impeach."

"How likely do you think it is that he will impeach?"

"I don't know. It depends on how Chancellor Fan evaluates Zhang Jun's report. If he approves of Zhang Jun's report, he won't make trouble. This trip to Muzhou would have been in vain. Conversely, if he disapproves of Zhang Jun's report, he will certainly use Chen Qing's case to indirectly pressure Zhang Jun."

Wang Bo opened his mouth wide, "It's that complicated?"

"What did you think?"

Wang Huan sneered, "The power struggles and factional conflicts in the court are never simple. Chen Qing is just a military student. If he weren't Zhang Jun's confidant, do you think Chancellor Fan would be interested? The chancellors are busy with myriad affairs every day. Anything that catches their attention must be related to their interests."

"I understand. Chancellor Fan Zongjin is targeting not Chen Qing, but Zhang Jun."

Wang Huan finished his cup of wine in one gulp and smiled faintly, "Chancellor Fan Zongjin is a well-known advocate of peace. He was demoted for strongly opposing Li Gang. The emperor promoted him to balance the power of Chancellor Lu. After the Fuping defeat, Chancellor Fan strongly demanded the punishment of Zhang Jun, but the emperor did not agree. So I think there's still a chance with Chen Qing's case. Don't be too disappointed, just wait and see."

Wang Bo was delighted. He waved to the singing girl in the distance, and she and the musicians hurriedly got up and left.

"Should I ask Aunt for help again?" Wang Bo lowered his voice.

"Better not!"

Wang Huan was much more astute than Wang Bo. He understood the various balances in the bureaucracy. If Qin Hui were to intervene, it would turn into two chancellors against one Zhang Jun. How could the emperor allow that?

The close relationship between Fan Zongjin and Qin Hui was already a source of criticism. If they both targeted Zhang Jun, it would cause trouble.

Wang Huan understood this but did not mention it, only smiling, "Chancellor Qin has been back in the capital for less than a year. I think it's better to be low-key. Brother, don't put your uncle in a difficult position."

"I understand. I won't go to Aunt."

"Two different things. It's good to visit Aunt and maintain a good relationship. You don't have to go only when you need her help."

......

Chen Qing led his army back to Lin'an in triumph. He had already had Hu Yan deliver the official report on the suppression of the bandits to the Military Council.

The soldiers returned to the barracks to rest, and Chen Qing, seeing it was still early, went to the Military Council to report.

To Chen Qing's surprise, the official who received him was Li Hui, the head of the Military Council, who also held the title of Chief of the Secretariat.

"Student Chen Qing, I greet Chancellor Li!"

Li Hui was about fifty years old, of medium build, and had a gentle and refined appearance. He always wore a smile, giving a sense of warmth.

He had read Chen Qing's official report two days ago and had been waiting for Chen Qing's return.

"You are an extraordinary military student! You have solved the heart of the court's troubles. Truly, you are the most valued young general by Lord Zhang, and you have not disappointed everyone!"

"Reporting to Chancellor Li, my personal abilities are limited. The key is the bravery of the soldiers. Without their sacrifices, it would have been impossible to suppress the bandits. Zhang Kui and his 300 loyal soldiers were indeed very fierce."

Chen Qing's humility pleased Li Hui, who sighed, "There was a mistake in the dispatch of troops. The Military Council made an error by assigning the Western City Militia to you for the suppression of the bandits. I only found out later, and I was very worried, fearing the worst. I couldn't have faced the emperor if the entire army had been wiped out. I didn't expect you to lead this weak force to suppress the bandits. It was a great surprise!"

Chen Qing smiled, "That's why it took me a month to suppress the bandits. In fact, the actual suppression only took three days. The rest of the time was spent training the soldiers. They are now excellent, with high morale and well-trained, a capable fighting force."

Li Hui chuckled, "Then don't disband them for now. The Military Council will organize a military drill and competition soon. There will be seven teams from the military academy and new recruits from other armies. You can lead them. If you need any weapons or equipment, just come to me!"

Li Hui was indeed pleased. Although the mission to suppress Zhang Kui was given to the military academy, it counted as the Military Council's achievement. Chen Qing's success was also his success. The Military Council had been a bit stingy with the equipment given to Chen Qing, and now Li Hui wanted to make up for it.

Chen Qing hurriedly bowed, "Thank you, Chancellor Li, for your concern. If there is a competition, my team indeed needs some additional equipment."

Li Hui stroked his beard and nodded, "Go back and rest well. I will report your achievements to the emperor. The rewards you deserve will not be neglected, but you will need to wait a few days."

"The army has no name, whether it is a militia or another army, and the garrison is temporary. What procedures do I need to follow?"

"Don't worry! All the issues you are concerned about have been arranged. An official will contact you early tomorrow morning."

......

As Chen Qing came out of the Military Council, he saw Hu Yan standing outside the gate. Chen Qing smiled and walked over, "What are you doing here?"

Hu Yan smiled bitterly, "I heard you were back, so I went to the barracks to find you. Old Zheng said you were at the Military Council, so I came here."

"Did you... find out something?"

Hu Yan nodded, "This isn't a place to eat. Let's go! I'll buy you a drink."

......

Hu Yan led Chen Qing to a seat by the window on the second floor of the Tiger Mouth Tavern. Chen Qing noticed that the waiter and the innkeeper were particularly friendly to Hu Yan. He understood and smiled, "Is this your family's tavern?"

Hu Yan smiled and nodded, "This is our family's tavern, opened during the reign of Emperor Renzong. We bought the land at a lower price last year and reopened it in Lin'an."

"Why is it called Tiger Mouth Tavern?"

"To be honest, I don't know."

The two laughed, and Hu Yan filled Chen Qing's cup with wine, then said slowly, "You were right."

"Right about what?"

"The relationship between Wang Huan and Wang Bo. They are clan brothers."

"Is that all?"

Chen Qing raised his cup and smiled, "Wang Bo is unhappy with me, so Wang Huan came to investigate me?"

"Of course not. Your case is related to Chancellor Fan Zongjin. To be precise, Chancellor Fan is unhappy with you. However, when appointing the censor, the Wang family manipulated it, so Wang Huan was assigned to investigate you."

Chen Qing finished his cup of wine and smiled, "Clear wine is indeed better than turbid wine!"