Chapter 255 The Deputy Commander Gives Directions, the Vice General Requests to Fight

Ha ha!

After hearing Lu Jiang's answer, Vice Commander Chang laughed heartily and said, "It seems that what I want to tell you and what you have heard about are the same thing."

As he spoke, Chang Yuchun picked up the imperial edict conferring the title of Marquis Zhongyong upon Lu Jiang by Emperor Chen Huai'an, and said slowly, "General Lu, the Emperor has issued an edict conferring the title of Marquis Zhongyong upon Lu Jiang, the vanguard commander of the Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army."

"You are the first person in the new dynasty to be granted a marquisate since the emperor ascended the throne! Congratulations!"

thump!

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Jiang knelt down before Chang Yuchun with a thud, and said sincerely, "I owe my current position entirely to the recommendation and promotion of the Deputy Commander; I will never forget it."

"Vice Commander, please accept my bow!"

After saying that, Lu Jiang kowtowed straight to Chang Yuchun.

Um!

Looking at Lu Jiang kneeling and kowtowing before him, Chang Yuchun finally showed a satisfied smile.

He waved his hand and said, "General Lu, please stand up and speak!"

"How dare a dignified marquis kneel before me, the deputy commander? Wouldn't that be a disgrace to your dignity?"

Unexpectedly, Lu Jiang, who was kneeling in front of Chang Yuchun, did not dare to get up. Instead, he cried out, "Please, Vice Commander, show me the way and save my family!"

Um?

Lu Jiang's inexplicable words immediately caused Vice Marshal Chang Yuchun to freeze in surprise. He said, "General Lu, what exactly happened? Let's start from the beginning."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jiang raised his head, tears welling in his eyes, and said, "Vice Commander, I am well aware that I have little seniority and few military achievements in the Longcheng army, and I am also a surrendered general."

"Even if you kill the emperor of Nanzhao on the battlefield, it's still not enough to qualify for a marquisate!"

"Now, thanks to His Majesty's divine grace, I have been exceptionally granted the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery in the new dynasty, and I am even the first person in the new dynasty to be granted a marquisate and appointed prime minister. I am truly unworthy of such an overwhelming favor!"

Hahaha!

Chang Yuchun burst into laughter again.

After a long silence, he stared intently at Lu Jiang and said, "General Lu, are you worried that becoming the first person in the new dynasty to be ennobled will arouse jealousy among the civil and military officials in the court?"

Um!

Lu Jiang nodded heavily, but still dared not get up, remaining kneeling before Chang Yuchun with a look of pleading and expectation in his eyes.

Chang Yuchun said, "Indeed, with your background, qualifications, and military achievements, even with the added bonus of killing the enemy emperor on the battlefield, it's not enough to be granted a title of nobility or prime minister."

"In terms of background, connections, and personal relationships, Chen Qingzhi, the deputy marshal of the left wing of the Longcheng army, the valiant general Pang Xianchu, and even myself, the deputy marshal, are all far more qualified than you to be the first person to be ennobled in the new dynasty."

"In terms of military achievements, both Liu Xinwu, the Prince of Wuning of the previous dynasty, and Liu Ziyu, the garrison commander of the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, have rendered great service to the Emperor."

"Without their help, the second emperor of the previous dynasty, Zhao Gan, would not have suffered a crushing defeat at Tumu Fortress, and the collapse of the Xin Dynasty would not have come so quickly."

"Logically speaking, they also have the qualifications and experience to be the first to be granted a marquisate in the new dynasty."

"but--"

Then, Chang Yuchun changed the subject and continued, "The Emperor has chosen this exact moment to bestow upon you the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery in the new dynasty. I believe the Emperor has his reasons for doing so."

"What His Majesty is considering is naturally beyond our ability to presume to guess or speculate about!"

"Based on my understanding of the Emperor, what the Emperor fears most is someone trying to speculate on his will in private."

"so--"

Chang Yuchun stared into Lu Jiang's eyes and said, word by word, "What I mean is, since the Emperor has already announced to the world that he has bestowed upon you the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, then you should accept the Emperor's decree with peace of mind."

"However, the things you are worried about are unavoidable. My advice to you is to avoid arrogance and impetuosity, and to act with humility. Under no circumstances should you flaunt your title of marquis."

"We must be even more careful with our words and actions, lest we give those with ulterior motives ammunition for slander."

"Always be grateful and loyal to the Emperor and serve the court!"

Finally, Chang Yuchun declared with unparalleled confidence, "General Lu, as long as you can accomplish the above three points, you can confidently return to court to receive your reward."

"No matter what, you are a vanguard general under my command and a part of the Dragon City Southern Expeditionary Army. If there are people in the court with ulterior motives who want to harm you, I will naturally not stand idly by!"

"This humble general thanks Vice Commander Chang!"

Lu Jiang kowtowed to Chang Yuchun once again, and the weight that had been hanging over his heart finally lifted.

With Vice Commander Chang as the new dynasty's backer, Lu Jiang's position as Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery was secure.

In fact, Chang Yuchun also secretly intended to protect Lu Jiang.

Regardless, Lu Jiang was a vanguard general under Chang Yuchun, and the memorial requesting merit for him was personally written by Chang Yuchun and submitted to the new emperor Chen Huai'an.

In addition, although Lu Jiang was of average talent, he was not a great general.

However, he was loyal, brave, and valued relationships, so he was a promising talent.

Therefore, Chang Yuchun generously offered his advice and pointed Lu Jiang in the right direction.

Let's look at it from both sides.

While Lu Jiang was filled with fear and trepidation, another army from Longcheng, which was far away on the front lines of the Southern Yue Kingdom, also received an imperial edict from the emperor conferring upon Lu Jiang the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery of the new dynasty.

The imperial edict caused a great uproar among the generals of Longcheng who were on their way to conquer Nanyue.

Some people exclaimed that Lu Jiang, who came from the background of the Liangjiang New Army, really had incredible luck to be able to kill the Nanzhao Emperor on the battlefield and thus become the first person in the new dynasty to be ennobled and appointed as a general.

Some people were indignant, wondering why Lu Jiang, a surrendered general, was able to surpass a group of veterans of the Longcheng Polu Army and become the first person to be ennobled in the new dynasty.

The person who felt this sentiment was none other than Tang Ziyi, the former deputy general of the Tiger Warriors New Army.

The indignant man was clearly Fan Wuji, a general of the Polu Army who had been among the first to rise up in Jingnan with Prince Chen Huai'an, the heir of the Prince of Jin, in Longcheng.

As for Pang Xianchu, the commander of the Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army who was leading the expedition to Nanyue, he remained silent and preoccupied after receiving the imperial edict.

That evening, inside the central command tent of the Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army.

Vice General Fan Wuji rushed over and, after finding General Pang Xianchu, volunteered: "General, in the upcoming siege of Yangcheng, the capital of the Southern Yue Kingdom, this humble general requests to personally lead the Trapped Camp to attack the city!"

oh?

Pang Xianchu seemed somewhat surprised to hear that Fan Wuji wanted to personally lead the Trapped Camp to attack the city.

After a moment, he realized what was happening and said with a serious expression, "General Fan, do you want to personally lead the Trapped Camp to attack the city? Do you want to emulate Marquis Lu Jiang, the Loyal and Brave, and kill the enemy emperor on the battlefield?"

Um!

Fan Wuji nodded heavily and said without hesitation, "General, we have been comrades-in-arms for many years. To be frank, Lu Jiang, a mere surrendered general, was granted the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Valor simply because he killed the emperor of Nanzhao."

"I'm envious. I, Fan Wuji, have spent twenty years in the military, countless times teetering on the brink of death, and even risked the lives of my entire clan to follow the Emperor in raising an army in Longcheng to quell the rebellion."

"What I pursue is nothing more than being granted a title and high office, and having my wife and children enjoy privileges and benefits."

As he spoke, Fan Wuji stepped forward and continued, "General Pang, I was wrong last time, but this time, please, for the sake of our many years of working together, entrust me with the task of conquering the capital of Nanyue."

"General Pang, I'm begging you!"

After saying this, Fan Wuji actually knelt on one knee and bowed deeply to Pang Xianchu.

Looking at Fan Wuji, whose eyes were blinded by fame and fortune, Pang Xianchu was filled with mixed feelings. He really couldn't understand why the temptation of being ennobled and appointed as a prime minister was so great.

At the same time, he also knew very well what Fan Wuji meant by the previous incident.

That was a petition jointly submitted by civil and military officials from the Sixteen Prefectures of Youyun, led by Prince Liu Xinwu of Wuning, to the Empress Dowager, requesting that Princess Shujun be made Empress of the new dynasty.

Pang Xianchu only found out afterward that Fan Wuji had secretly gotten involved in his scheme to be promoted to a high-ranking official position as soon as possible.

As everyone knows, the matter of the emperor establishing an empress ultimately came to nothing.

Pang Xianchu had tried many times to advise Fan Wuji to get less involved in court affairs and just focus on his duty of leading troops into battle.

Don't they know who our Emperor is? With a mere 8,000 soldiers, he dared to raise the banner of pacifying the rebellion and fight against a 100,000-strong army pressing in. How could he be threatened or controlled by others?

However, facing Fan Wuji, who had long been blinded by titles and honors, Pang Xianchu hesitated to utter these words.

Even if he spoke, Fan Wuji might not listen.

But this time, when faced with Fan Wuji's initiative to attack Yangcheng, the capital of the Southern Yue Kingdom, Pang Xianchu could no longer refuse Fan Wuji.

He simply told the truth, saying, "General Fan, are you aware that the Southern Yue Kingdom has already enlisted the help of the barbarians from the Atlantic Kingdom? It is said that they have also brought new barbarian weapons to defend the city. Are you sure you want to personally lead the Trapped Camp to break through the city?"

"What? The Southern Yue Kingdom has actually invited barbarians to help them in the war?"

Fan Wuji was also startled when he heard the news.

In the minds of these Longcheng generals, the foreigners from overseas were all tall and long-armed, ferocious and bloodthirsty like wild beasts, and also had the ability to forge divine weapons and hard armor.

Back then, when the young Fan Wuji, Pang Xianchu, and others followed the late Emperor Chen Polu on two expeditions to the Western Regions, they had seen enslaved barbarian soldiers in the Western Regions, whose performance on the battlefield was incredibly brave.

They had also captured the armor of the barbarians, which looked empty even when worn by the tallest soldiers in the Polu Army.

Therefore, when Fan Wuji learned from Pang Xianchu that the Southern Yue Kingdom had actually invited barbarians to help in the war and brought new weapons to defend the city, his expression clearly froze, and his eyes, which had originally been eager to be ennobled and appointed as prime minister, became much clearer.

Fan Wuji asked, puzzled, "General, is this news reliable?"

"In my humble opinion, these barbarians should be active in the Western Regions. How did they manage to sneak into this godforsaken place, the Southern Yue Kingdom, without anyone noticing?"

"Moreover, they have colluded with the Southern Yue Kingdom to oppose our Longcheng army!"

Pang Xianchu frowned slightly and said, "This general just received intelligence from scouts that a group of over a thousand barbarians landed off the coast of Yangcheng and subsequently entered the city carrying a large amount of weaponry and equipment."

"As for how these barbarians managed to get to the Southern Yue Kingdom, I believe they came by boat; the scouts don't have much other intelligence on them."

"The only thing that is certain is that with the help of the barbarians, our Longcheng Southern Expeditionary Army's attack on Yangcheng, the capital of the Southern Yue Kingdom, will probably not be as smooth as we have anticipated!"

After a pause, Pang Xianchu asked, "What, General Fan, do you still intend to personally lead the Trapped Camp to attack the city?"

Forehead--

This really stumped Fan Wuji.

On the one hand, the fact that the surrendered general Lu Jiang was granted the title of Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery did indeed deal a great blow to Fan Wuji and also inspired him.

At present, the only place in the new dynasty where there is still war is Nanyue, and only the head of Emperor Tiande of Nanyue, Li Zongmin, is left for Fan Wuji to behead. Nanyue is his last chance to accumulate military merits and receive rewards.

On the other hand, Fan Wuji was also somewhat wary of the barbarians who came to help him from the capital of the Southern Yue Kingdom.

In his early years, when the young Fan Wuji was just a centurion in the Po Lu Army, he had the experience of fighting against barbarian slaves during the two expeditions to the Western Regions with the late emperor. Those blond-haired and blue-eyed guys were not easy to deal with.

If things go wrong, you might end up getting yourself involved.

Today, Fan Wuji took the initiative to volunteer for battle because he had already witnessed the power of the Shenji Battalion's red-coated cannons under the walls of Yongzhou City. He was overjoyed to believe that with the Shenji Battalion's assistance, conquering the capital of Nanyue would be an easy task.

His original intention was to stand on the shoulders of the Shenji Battalion and cut off the head of the Southern Yue Emperor, using it as a stepping stone on his path to becoming a marquis and prime minister.

But now, a bunch of barbarians from the Atlantic Kingdom have suddenly appeared out of nowhere, which increases the risk of personally leading the Trapped Camp to attack the city.

It's entirely possible that I might die in battle beneath the walls of Guangzhou.

With the emperor about to hold his coronation ceremony, followed by the founding ceremony of the new dynasty, the Fengshan ceremony to worship Heaven, and the conferment of titles, if one were to die on the battlefield at this time, then all the suffering of most of one's life would have been for nothing!

But if he didn't take this gamble, Fan Wuji really wasn't entirely confident that he could be granted a marquisate at the new dynasty's investiture ceremony.

Pang Xianchu also noticed Fan Wuji's hesitation.

As a comrade-in-arms for many years, he was unwilling to see Fan Wuji fall before the founding of the new dynasty, so he advised, "General Fan, in my opinion, the task of leading the Trapped Camp to conquer cities and seize strongholds should be handed over to the younger generation of the army."

"As for the matter of being ennobled and appointed as prime minister, let's not think about it too much for now. Think about the brothers who have died on the battlefield over the years, what kind of reward should they receive?"

"We're already considered lucky!"

"No--"

Unexpectedly, Pang Xianchu's words not only failed to change Fan Wuji's mind, but instead made him more determined.

With a determined look in his eyes, Fan Wuji said, word by word, "General Pang, I, Fan Wuji, must take the credit for conquering Yangcheng, the capital of Nanyue!"

"Not for the title of marquis or prime minister, but so that I, Fan Wuji, may serve the Emperor on the battlefield one more time before His Majesty's enthronement ceremony!"

"Please grant my request, General Pang!"