Chapter 227
Book 20 Chapter 10 – Heartfelt Words
Three days later, Xiao Pan, Xiang Shaolong and the rest returned to the capital.
The Dowager, with Lao Ai, led all the court officials out to welcome them.
Looking at their expressions, Zhu Ji’s joy is one that comes from the heart while Lao Ai’s smiling face looked quite strained.
Lao Ai is not an idiot, in fact he’s a very cunning and despicable man. Naturally he knows that he’s an outcast among the Crown Prince’s political group.
The day that the Crown Prince gets coroneted will be the day the Dowager Zhu Ji loses her governing power, and it will be the time where he will lose all authority.
Xiang Shaolong has once again stabilized Xianyang. He is the most able leader in the military, helping Xiao Pan strengthen his hold on his throne. Once he gets rid of Pu Hu, what is left is only Lu and Lao’s factions.
But over the last 10 years, Lu Buwei has been concentrating on growing his supporting faction and privately using people for his own ends so his influence is something that should not be belittled.
Xianyang may be the capital city but it still needs the support of the surrounding counties in many areas.
The local militia at the capital reports to the Chief Commandant. The Magistrate only takes care of administrative matters while the Chief Commandant is in charge of military affairs. Theoretically the military should be under the sole control of the ruler and sometimes the ruler will give orders to mobilize the troops. As for military supplies and conscription, each family will be taxed according to headcount in the family and all men, once they have reached a certain age will have to be conscripted into the army for two years; one year as active servicemen and another year as garrison soldiers to guard the borders, and they are called the Standing Army.
On top of that there are professional soldiers, who have become the main force of Great Qin.
Lu Buwei took the opportunity when repairing the Zhengguo Ca.n.a.l to obtain the authority to mobilize the local standing armies and this has helped him strengthen his power and control in local areas. This situation where Lu Buwei had absolute control was only broken after the birth of the Black Dragon and Xiao Pan’s establishment of the Three Lords and Nine Ministers system.
But Lu Buwei has already established his own local bases during the early years. So if there is a rebellion, he’ll be even more difficult to deal with compared to Cheng Qiao or Lao Ai.
So he’s not worried about Cheng Qiao succeeding in usurping the throne at all, because by then he can rally his troops using the excuse of crus.h.i.+ng the rebel forces.
But even in his wildest dreams would he never imagine that he is up against the rarest and ultimate ruler in all of China’s history, the most formidable Emperor Qin.
After their return to Xianyang, it is customary to pray to the ancestors first followed by a feast.
The next morning, after the court session, Zhu Ji summoned Xiang Shaolong to Sweet Spring Palace.
Xiang Shaolong had no other choice but to brace himself to see Zhu Ji.
This powerful Dowager whose reputation is declining day by day in Qin received him at the side hall in the inner palace. After she dismissed the maids, Zhu Ji said with a solemn expression, "The Marquis of Changxin, Lao Ai, said that he was totally not involved at all in this mission to quell the rebels. Even I, as the Dowager, was kept in the dark. What is this all about? It made us all worry for nothing."
Xiang Shaolong was secretly thinking to himself who don’t she go and ask her own son instead of interrogating him.
But of course he won’t say it out loud. Instead he answered respectfully, "The administrative and military matters are kept separate, it’s quite normal that the Marquis of Changxin won’t know of this matter."
Zhu Ji stared at him, displeased, "Then why is the Chief Commandant not aware of this as well? Han Xie didn’t even know you’ve gone out of the city into battle and so he was unable to coordinate with you at all."
After Guan Zhongxie left for the military expedition, Han Xie was promoted as the Commander with Xu Shang as his deputy.
Xiang Shaolong replied calmly, "We could emerge victorious this time because of the four words ‘take them by surprise’, and in order to become legendary troops, we must have various tricks to confuse the enemy and let the enemy obtain wrong information. As our enemy has a lot of ears and eyes in the capital, we have to use extreme methods and I hope your Majesty will understand."
Zhu Ji was quiet for a moment before saying with a sad sigh, "Please don’t use such pretentious words on me? Zheng’er and you can hide it from everyone else but how can you lie to me? If both of you did not want the Marquis of Changxin to find out, I will not tell him."
Xiang Shaolong did not expect Zhu Ji to suddenly talk to him with such a tone of voice and att.i.tude and the old feelings he kept hidden deeply welled up as he sighed and said, "The Crown Prince us growing day by day, he’s no longer the child of the past. Now he is most concerned about how to govern the country well and unify the world. Any obstacle on this path of his will be cleared by him sooner or later. This is the road that all rulers must go through as they mature and this is something very clearly stated in history."
Zhu Ji’s pretty face suddenly paled as she asked in alarm, "Shaolong, what do you mean by those words, is Zheng’er going to deal with me?"
Xiang Shaolong knows that she is having a guilty conscience because she has bore two b.a.s.t.a.r.ds for Lao Ai and answered with a wry smile, "Of course his Highness won’t be so unfilial towards your Majesty, but to other people, there’s no need for him to be filial at all. Regardless of foster father or fake father, they’re all the same."
Zhu Ji looked at him at a loss, and lowered her head to ask, "Tell Zhu Ji, will Xiang Shaolong deal with her?"
A surge of feelings welled in Xiang Shaolong as he said with certainty, "Even is someone puts a sword at my neck, I will never harm the Dowager."
Zhu Ji asked quietly, "What about the Marquis of Changxin?"
Xiang Shaolong was taken aback for a moment before he answered in a tone that even he himself found to be sarcastic, "If he is loyal towards the Dowager and the Crown Prince, I can guarantee that nothing will happen to him."
Of course fate would not end up like that.
The rebellion of Lao Ai is the last internal struggle just before Emperor Qin’s coronation and Lu Buwei will be implicated because of this and return to the north defeated.
Suddenly, he knows that he has become an important person who can affect the political scene in the Qin empire, that’s why Zhu Ji had to lower herself to ask this question and to seek his opinion.
And he has become the only person that Xiao Pan will totally trust.
Even when he released Han Chuang, Xiao Pan did not take it to heart. If it was someone else, he would have ended up being removed from