Chapter 83

Chapter 82

Throughout the vast territory of the Great Wei, there were six permanent military camps, located in key geographical positions such as Nanyan, Chenggao, Dangshan, Suiyang, Fenxiong Pass, and Daliang.

These six armies were organized by battalions, with each location having two to five battalions, and each battalion consisting of five thousand soldiers. They were the main forces of the Great Wei, often referred to as the "elite," totaling around eighty thousand soldiers.

Of course, the vast Wei Kingdom could not possibly have only eighty thousand troops. This number was derived after excluding the local garrisons. In other words, these eighty thousand troops could be mobilized at will without causing the local defenses to become paralyzed, making them available for military campaigns.

If all the soldiers in the Great Wei were included, the number would exceed three hundred thousand. However, unfortunately, about two hundred thousand of these soldiers were part of the garrison forces, distributed across the large and small cities and border fortresses of the Wei Kingdom, responsible for local security, law enforcement, and the opening and closing of city gates. Under normal circumstances, they would not be mobilized.

The military camp located in the suburbs of Daliang, the capital of the Great Wei, was named the Junsui Camp due to its location north of the capital, near the Junsui River. It had five battalions, totaling twenty-five thousand soldiers, making it the largest military camp in the Great Wei, nearly one-third of the eighty thousand elite troops. It was responsible for defending the capital and supporting the border regions.

On the morning of the fourteenth day of the ninth month of the sixteenth year of Hongde, Prince Zhao Hongrun, accompanied by ten of his own royal guards and ten more borrowed from his younger brother Hongxuan, left Daliang for the first time and arrived at the Junsui Camp in the suburbs.

Accompanying him were not only the imperial carriage of the Wei Emperor but also many other officials.

For example, there were military officials who were purely there to see how Zhao Hongrun would handle the situation, as well as officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue who were curious about how the Eighth Prince would persuade the soldiers of the Junsui Camp. Additionally, there were the Left and Right Chancellors of the Secretariat, Lin Yuyang and Yu Ziqi, who accompanied the Emperor.

Moreover, the news had also attracted the Yong Prince Hongyu, the Yan Prince Hongjiang, the Sixth Prince Hongzhao, and the Ninth Prince Hongxuan.

Upon arriving at the Junsui Camp, the Wei Emperor and the others rested outside the camp while Zhao Hongrun led the twenty royal guards into the camp to negotiate with the Commander of the Five Battalions, Bai Li Ba.

From a distance, Zhao Hongrun saw Bai Li Ba waiting outside the command tent and hurriedly quickened his steps, bowing respectfully.

Bai Li Ba, the Commander of the Five Battalions of the Junsui Camp, was a special figure, having been one of the ten royal guards of the Wei Emperor before he ascended the throne. According to the close relationship between princes and their royal guards, Zhao Hongrun could have called him "uncle."

However, since they were within the Junsui Camp, Zhao Hongrun respectfully addressed him by his military title.

"Commander Bai Li."

Bai Li Ba also smiled and returned the bow, inviting Zhao Hongrun into the tent.

Once seated, with Bai Li Ba on the main seat and Zhao Hongrun on the guest seat, the royal guards, including Shen Yu and the ten royal guards from the Ninth Prince Hongxuan, could not help but admire Bai Li Ba, who was dressed in armor and exuded a commanding presence.

It was no wonder, as Bai Li Ba, a former royal guard, was their senior. After the Wei Emperor ascended the throne, he rose to the position of a powerful general. Undoubtedly, he was the goal and aspiration of all the royal guards serving the princes.

Bai Li Ba noticed the eager gazes of the twenty royal guards behind Zhao Hongrun and smiled, nodding to them. Having been a royal guard himself, he understood their thoughts.

"Your Highness, the Emperor informed me of this matter yesterday... I am sorry, but I cannot help you."

Bai Li Ba's first words were an apologetic statement of his position.

Zhao Hongrun was not surprised, as the Emperor had already made it clear. As a former royal guard and now a trusted general, Bai Li Ba would not dare to privately assist Zhao Hongrun against the Emperor's wishes.

"Commander Bai Li, I had anticipated this before making the bet with my father. However..." Zhao Hongrun's eyes twinkled as he asked, "What is your opinion on our Great Wei seeking peace with Chu?"

Bai Li Ba frowned slightly, then smiled and said, "Your Highness, there is no need to test me. As a general, I cannot tolerate the Chu barbarians invading our Great Wei... However, the condition is that you must persuade the soldiers in this camp according to the agreement with the Emperor."

Bai Li Ba clearly stated his position, indicating that he was in favor of declaring war on Chu, provided that Zhao Hongrun could win the bet.

Zhao Hongrun was satisfied. Knowing Bai Li Ba's stance, even if the general would not offer direct help, he would allow Zhao Hongrun to take some bold actions.

"Commander Bai Li, rest assured, I will give you the opportunity to strike against the Chu."

Seeing Zhao Hongrun's confidence, Bai Li Ba was somewhat surprised and warned, "Your Highness may not know, but the news of your agreement with the Emperor spread throughout the Junsui Camp yesterday evening. The soldiers are furious, thinking you are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect Princess Yulong. To put it bluntly, they are ready to tear you apart!"

Zhao Hongrun was taken aback but then laughed. "Your camp's information is quite reliable... Do you know who spread the news?"

"Who else but the Ministry of War?" Bai Li Ba said dismissively.

"Ministry of War..." Zhao Hongrun muttered, then turned to his royal guard, Lu Mu, and said, "Lu Mu, remember to record the names of all the officials of the Ministry of War above the rank of Langguan."

"Yes, Your Highness." Lu Mu bowed.

Bai Li Ba watched this scene with interest. As a former royal guard, he knew the Eighth Prince's character well. He was not one to endure humiliation. The reason for recording the names of the Ministry of War officials was obvious.

However, Bai Li Ba was not concerned. Although the army was under the Ministry of War, they were not in a direct hierarchical relationship. Moreover, Bai Li Ba had never been fond of the Ministry of War officials, so he would not interfere.

What he cared about was whether the Eighth Prince could achieve the impossible and persuade the soldiers who were already furious with him.

"Your Highness seems unconcerned that the soldiers in my camp hate you?"

Zhao Hongrun smiled. "Love and hate are just a matter of a moment... What I fear is that the soldiers in your camp know nothing about me, which would be the worst scenario. ... The Ministry of War thought they were tricking me, but in fact, they have done me a great favor."

"Is that so?" Bai Li Ba smiled. "I will be watching."

Seeing that the general was about to leave to gather the soldiers, Zhao Hongrun called out to him.

"Commander, wait... Please give me ten sets of armor from the Junsui Camp soldiers."

"Armor?" Bai Li Ba looked at Zhao Hongrun in surprise, then thought for a moment and said, "This can be done... Is there anything else?"

"Yes... Your camp's military flag!"

"..." Bai Li Ba was taken aback and hesitated for a long time before nodding. After all, the Emperor had informed him that he could meet Zhao Hongrun's other demands as long as they did not affect the soldiers' attitude toward the Eighth Prince.

"The military flag is the soul of the army... I hope you know what you are doing."

Given the importance of the matter, even treating Zhao Hongrun like a nephew, Bai Li Ba could not help but warn him seriously. The Eighth Prince's character was known to be eccentric, and if he disrespected the Junsui Camp's military flag, it could lead to a mutiny.

Zhao Hongrun nodded calmly.

Bai Li Ba then prepared the items. He sent ten sets of armor to Zhao Hongrun, who had his brother Hongzhao's ten royal guards, including Zhang Ao, Li Meng, and Fang Shuo, put them on and mix in with the soldiers.

After all, for a speech, it was best to have a few supporters in the audience to boost the atmosphere.

Zhao Hongrun had asked Bai Li Ba not to arrange the soldiers in their usual formation but to have them stand randomly to avoid Zhang Ao, Li Meng, and Fang Shuo being recognized.

Bai Li Ba agreed and had a wooden platform built on the north side of the camp's parade ground. He then summoned the twenty-five thousand soldiers to wait for Zhao Hongrun to address them.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Zhao Hongrun led Shen Yu and the other ten royal guards up to the wooden platform.

The platform was only about ten feet high, but at this moment, it became the focal point of the twenty-five thousand soldiers, who stared at it coldly.

It was undeniable that being stared at by twenty-five thousand pairs of cold, angry eyes made even the royal guards, including Shen Yu, feel their scalps tingle, as they could sense the soldiers' murderous intent.

"Your Highness, we... are ready," the royal guard Gao Kuo swallowed and whispered.

He had never imagined he would be so terrified.

Zhao Hongrun nodded and looked at the large "horn" set up by the royal guards.

Since his voice was not loud enough to reach all twenty-five thousand soldiers, Zhao Hongrun had asked the Ministry of Works to craft a horn as tall as himself the previous day.

The "horn" was actually a simple amplifier, a wooden frame with a horn-like structure, a child's toy, but in this context, few could have thought of such a device.

"Testing, testing, cough... "

Zhao Hongrun tested the amplifier and then said something that made the twenty-five thousand soldiers below the platform pause.

"Um... Soldiers of the Junsui Camp, hello, I am the one you hate because of a certain message... Zhao Hongrun!"

"..."

The soldiers, who had been whispering and speculating about Zhao Hongrun's identity, fell silent.