Zhang Luo walked hastily towards the Western Yong Palace.
The Chief Imperial Physician stood waiting in the corridor, his expression showing little urgency. Zhang Luo felt somewhat relieved. Upon entering the room, he noticed that the Emperor was already able to sit up and was perusing memorials on the couch.
Wen Yanlan, unwilling to wear the imperial crown, had instructed her attendants to tie her hair up in a simple style, giving her a somewhat exotic flair.
After entering the room, Zhang Luo bowed respectfully and proceeded to report on the situation in Jianping over the past few days.
As expected, rumors concerning the Emperor were spreading throughout the city, and several arson incidents had occurred. Fortunately, all wards were under strict vigilance, preventing any major disasters from taking place.
“Have the provisions been shipped out yet?” asked Wen Yanran.
Zhang Luo replied, “Although some mishaps occurred along the way, they have already been dispatched to Gu Province.”
The Great Zhou Dynasty had a well-established grain storage system, with state granaries set up in various regions. In addition to the imperial granary in Jianzhou, various cities also maintained their own reserves. Although six thousand metric tons of grain seemed like a substantial amount, it was not necessary to open the imperial granary specifically for this purpose, as the stores in the Imperial Household were sufficient.
Being naturally meticulous and having received specific instructions from the Emperor, Zhang Luo made sure to inform Yan Xiaolou when transporting the grain, requesting the Imperial Guard to remain extra vigilant. As expected, a group of “bandits” attempted to raid the convoy en route.
With preparations in place, how could these scattered troublemakers stand a chance against the elite Imperial Guard? Within a few confrontations, they were completely routed. Seeing the situation turn against them, the leader, to avoid capture, decisively bit his tongue and took his own life. As for the rest, they turned out to be mere ruffians hired for the job.
Wen Yanran nodded. “Minister Yan has truly had a difficult time.”
Indeed, Yan Xiaolou had faced considerable challenges. Since her accession to the throne, the Imperial Guard had encountered frequent issues. Following the incident at the Northern Park, the position of the Central Guard Commander had remained vacant. As the right candidate was hard to find, Zhong Zhiwei and Yan Xiaolou had initially taken turns overseeing its duties. However, with Zhong Zhiwei delayed in returning from the Left Camp, Wen Yanran had shifted more of the Central Guard’s responsibilities onto Yan Xiaolou. As for the Inner Guard, it was now managed by Bi Ting, Zhong Zhiwei’s former deputy. Wen Yanlan had carefully studied the prominent clans across the Central Plains and ultimately selected a few younger members from the recently declining Jianzhou Cheng clan to serve as junior officers in the Imperial Guard, thereby barely maintaining a balance among the three divisions.
She chose the Cheng clan precisely because she had never seen any commentary regarding this family in the reviews.
A simple, honest smile spread across Zhang Luo’s round face as he shared some light-hearted anecdotes, hoping to amuse the Emperor. “Commander Yan was so exhausted the other day that he nearly fell off his horse while on patrol.”
Wen Yanran glanced at him. “And what happened next?”
Zhang Luo replied, “All was well in the end – a junior officer reached out in time and steadied Commander Yan.”
After a moment of reflection, Wen Yanran asked, “The junior officer you mentioned -was his surname Zhang or Qi?”
Zhang Luo answered, “It was Captain Qi indeed.”
He was deeply impressed. For the Emperor, aside from the three division commanders, the remaining officers of the Imperial Guard were merely minor officials. Yet, she remembered even the close aides around Yan Xiaolou with such clarity – this required not only careful attention in daily affairs but also an exceptional memory.
Zhang Luo had no idea that although most of Wen Yanran’s system features remained locked, a notepad-like function had been updated early on, making it perfect for the player to use as a memo.
Wen Yanran smiled. “And how has the City Bureau been faring lately? This department was re-established not long ago, with limited personnel. I imagine it hasn’t been easy for either of you.”
Zhang Luo bent at the waist. “As humble servants within the palace, our duties are ordinary and unremarkable. Yet, now favored by Your Majesty’s trust, we dare not slacken day or night. Everyone in the department is deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s benevolence.”
As soon as his words fell, Zhang Luo noticed the smile on the Emperor’s face seemed to deepen slightly. Then, she raised her hand and beckoned in his direction. He immediately took two steps forward and knelt respectfully before the emperor’s couch.
Not daring to lift his head, Zhang Luo felt a hand gently rest upon his tall ceremonial cap. After a moment, a voice finally came from above.
“The position of Central Guard Commander has remained vacant for some time. You shall temporarily assume this role.”
Zhang Luo’s heart skipped a beat, and he immediately prostrated himself on the floor. “I, this lowly servant…” Having held a formal official rank for quite some time, he had long abandoned such self-referencing, but in that moment, he could not help reverting to his old way of address.
Leaning against the soft cushion, Wen Yanran interrupted him. “Rise. The City Bureau is still short-handed, and it must be inconvenient for you in your daily duties.”
When she mentioned being short-handed, she was referring to the fact that the City Bureau’s office lacked troops that could be deployed.
“As for the Inner Guard, Ah-Yi shall attend to it more diligently on my behalf.”
Both Chi Yi and Zhang Luo understood that their assumption of command over the Imperial Guard was only temporary and would be revoked once the eastern military affairs were settled. However, with their capabilities, even just a few months would be enough to cultivate some influence.
In the Great Zhou Dynasty, the ability to deploy troops relied not only on one’s official position but also on personal prestige and favor. Sometimes, the latter could even outweigh the former.
Wen Yanran, aware that Chi Yi and Zhang Luo were busy with their duties, dismissed them and slowly began reviewing the selected critical memorials.
In truth, most of her attention at the moment was not on the memorials before her. According to the [War Sandbox], there had been significant fluctuations in the morale at the front lines.
The army dispatched to suppress the rebellion in the east had now split into three routes. The left route was led by Chen Ming, the central route by Tao Jia and his son, and the right route by Shi Zhuhe and Ren Feihong.
Unexpected events occurred in the central route.
Fluctuations in local battles were common, as the eastern region had numerous cities of varying sizes. Tao Jia also dispatched small units to conduct sweeps and eliminate scattered rebel forces. Several days earlier, Tao Jing led a thousand cavalrymen in pursuit of a small southern cypress city. The city’s defenses were so poor that its outermost wall was practically non-existent. Initially, Tao Jing believed it could be captured swiftly, but after several days of attacks, he still failed to take it. Eventually, with insufficient provisions, he had no choice but to withdraw.
[System:
[Battle] [Battle of Nanbai] failed. Cavalry quantity reduced by 36. Total provisions decreased by 7.7 metric tons. Morale reduced by 10 points.
Victory and defeat are common in warfare. We encourage the player to persist.]
Although it was only a minor battle, the drop in morale was too significant to ignore. During the previous military exercises in the Western region, the morale loss after each defeat was typically less than five points.
Wen Yanran suspected that the sudden decline in their morale was not entirely due to the defeat. The enemy likely took advantage of the battle to launch some psychological attacks, such as spreading rumors like “the Emperor has been cursed, is gravely ill, and bedridden,” which unsettled the troops and forced them to temporarily retreat.
It seemed the news of her illness had spread quite swiftly.
To reassure the soldiers, Wen Yanran picked up her brush and wrote a letter to the front lines. The main message, of course, was that she had almost fully recovered, urging them not to worry excessively. She also took the opportunity to inquire about the situations on the left and right flanks.
In the main military tent.
Ren Feihong felt as though her bones were on the verge of falling apart. As a longtime resident of Tai Province, her horsemanship was certainly proficient, but she sorely lacked experience in enduring long, grueling rides on horseback.
Shi Zhuhe was discussing the next phase of their attack plan with her. “…The path ahead is blocked. Where do you all think we should strike next?”
After a moment of thought, Ren Feihong responded lazily, “General, you command the entire right flank army alone. The success or failure of this route rests entirely on your shoulders. Currently, the most convenient cities to attack are Dayi and Gufeng. Dayi has ample grain reserves, deep fortifications, and sufficient troops, while Gufeng is considerably weaker.”
These basic facts were also known to the advisors. One of them reported, “In that case, why don’t we first clip their wings and then move against Dayi? Otherwise, with Gufeng acting as a supporting flank, it might be difficult to crush Dayi in one decisive blow.”
Starting with the wings and proceeding gradually seemed like a rather prudent suggestion.
Ren Feihong, however, shook her head. “Most of the enemy’s forces are concentrated in Dayi. Choosing to attack Gufeng would likely waste time and might not even lead to its capture.”
The advisor frowned. “Such a minor city…”
Shi Zhuhe interjected, “With over ten thousand defenders stationed there, it can hardly be considered insignificant.”
A junior officer offered his advice, “Based on what we’ve seen these past days, those rebels lack combat experience. Even if they had thirty to forty thousand defenders, if they clashed head-on with our troops, they’d be routed in a single battle. Why not seize it first to secure our supplies?”
This military campaign had not been launched with heavy logistical support. However, as the eastern region was prosperous, capturing a few cities had reliably replenished the army’s provisions. The only issue was that Shi Zhuhe had pushed the right flank army quite deep into enemy territory. Apart from their current location in Xinzhi City, the surrounding areas were all controlled by enemy forces.
Shi Zhuhe remarked, “In a straightforward battle, we naturally have no fear. However, those in Gufeng are well aware of our strength and will likely avoid engaging us head-on.”
Fighting outside the city walls was one matter, but besieging a city was entirely different. Since ancient times, if the side occupying a city was determined to defend it and had strong fortifications to rely on, it was never easy to capture completely.
Hearing this, Ren Feihong grasped Shi Zhuhe’s meaning. In the past, while accompanying the Emperor in games at the Western Yong Palace, Wen Yanran had often favored tactics that concentrated full force to break the enemy in one decisive strike.
Shi Zhuhe continued slowly, “In terms of sheer strength, the only force in this area capable of standing against us – and possibly even defeating us – is the one stationed in Dayi City.”
It wasn’t just the imperial court that wanted to deal with the rebels. Since the eastern forces had raised the banner of the Marquis of Quanling, they naturally sought to overthrow the new emperor’s rule and taste imperial power for themselves. In their minds, the desire to defeat the imperial troops was likely as urgent as the court’s desire to suppress the rebellion. If Dayi City had the potential to defeat Shi Zhuhe, its commander would be more inclined to take the initiative and engage the imperial army compared to Gufeng City.
The issue now was not about who they could defeat, but rather who was willing to face them. If it came to laying siege to a city, that was precisely when they would be most vulnerable to withdrawal due to unsustainable logistics and supplies.
