Chapter 251: The Emperor’s Wisdom

The Emperor sat in the small pavilion within the Imperial Gardens, conversing with his sons. He had just finished criticizing the Crown Prince, telling him he needed to elevate his perspective and that he didn’t need to worry about such trivial matters; the Emperor would handle them.

“Thank you for your profound care, Imperial Father. I only wished to share your burden. You have aged so much recently!” the Crown Prince said, bowing respectfully.

“Sit down, all of you,” the Emperor instructed.

“Thank you, Imperial Father!” the Princes replied as they took their seats.

“Old Four did well today. He demonstrated a singular focus on the nation’s welfare. You should all learn from him,” the Emperor smiled at the Fourth Prince.

“Thank you, Imperial Father!” The Fourth Prince started to stand, but the Emperor gestured for him to remain seated.

“Sigh. You must understand, when I spoke of national annihilation and the extermination of our people earlier, I wasn’t exaggerating. It is a very real threat. All the nations of the Central Region are in grave danger. If we misstep, the Eastern Spirit Empire’s 800-year legacy might end with my generation.

“Therefore, you brothers must think more about the Empire’s future. When you discover useful talent, recommend them to me. We cannot rely on those military clans!” the Emperor declared.

“Yes, Imperial Father!” the Princes responded.

“Those clans have grown complacent after a century of peace. Their only concerns are enriching themselves and ensuring their sons maintain control over the military. As a result, the truly capable generals of our Empire are completely suppressed!

“Whenever exceptional talent emerges, they immediately beat it down, even colluding to do so. Just look at how they treated Hu Hao today!

“I would rather use commoner generals than rely on them any longer. Using them will not only get them killed by their own mutinous subordinates, but it will also doom my Empire.

“Crown Prince, and the rest of you, remember this: you are sons of the Imperial Family. The Imperial Family’s duty is to protect the entire Empire. I know you squabble amongst yourselves privately. Squabble all you want, but when it truly matters, you must prioritize the Empire. If you fail to do so, do not blame me for striking your names from the Imperial lineage!” the Emperor warned them sternly.

“Yes, Imperial Father!” the Princes chorused.

“Very well. Crown Prince, stay. The rest of you may leave,” the Emperor ordered.

“Yes, Imperial Father.” The other Princes stood up, bowed to the Emperor and the Crown Prince, and took their leave.

Once they were gone, the Emperor stared intently at the Crown Prince.

“Imperial Father?” The Crown Prince stood up, a sense of dread washing over him.

“You have grown far too close to the Grand Marshal. I originally intended to strip him of his position today, but I held back for your sake. I ask you this: are you working for the Tang clan, or for the Imperial Family?” the Emperor demanded.

“For the Imperial Family, of course! But Imperial Father, what choice do I have? My younger brothers have all come of age. Second Brother has the support of the Ma clan. Third Brother is backed by General Feng of the Middle Army. Fourth Brother is manageable, and Fifth Brother hasn’t even married yet, but he will undoubtedly secure powerful backing soon. What am I supposed to do?” the Crown Prince confessed his fears.

He had obviously noticed the Emperor targeting the Grand Marshal during the assembly, and he was terrified that his primary backer was about to fall.

“Fool!” the Emperor cursed angrily. The Crown Prince flinched but remained silent.

“What do you care who supports them? Hm? You have my support! My support is all you need! You have been Crown Prince for over thirty years, and you still haven’t figured this out? Are you trying to anger me to death?

“Those generals? I can replace them whenever I please. I grant them power, and they have power. I take it away, and they have nothing. Do you truly not understand this?” the Emperor berated him, thoroughly exasperated.

“Ah?” The Crown Prince looked up, startled.

“You are my Crown Prince! Your duty is not to squabble with your brothers, but to assist me in governing this nation. Is it even possible to stop them from competing? They aren’t the Crown Prince; do you expect them to just accept their lot without a fight? Do you want me to lock them all up?

“Furthermore, when you eventually become Emperor, will you not need your brothers to assist you? If they are completely useless, how will they help? Hm? Why are you afraid of their ambition? Why are you afraid of their political backers?

“I divided the High Command into so many factions, and I did the same with the Civil Administration. Why? Hm? Precisely so they wouldn’t unite! As long as they are divided, you can manipulate them however you see fit!

“Did you actually think High Command was a monolithic bloc? Did you really believe the Grand Marshal had absolute control over the military? Is that even possible? Would the Imperial Family ever permit such a person to exist? A ruler must give everyone below him a chance to advance, and in doing so, maintain a delicate balance of power.

“The Grand Marshal thought he could control the entire army, so I elevated Jiang Kai to challenge him. If Jiang Kai ever thinks he can control the entire army, I’ll elevate someone else to challenge him.

“What I need is for my subordinates to know their place and fight this war effectively!

“You are the Crown Prince. I have told you countless times: the world is yours. Your task is to understand the intricate mechanics of power and ensure that the people below you never spin out of control! Do you understand?” the Emperor lectured his eldest son patiently.

“Yes, I understand now. Thank you, Imperial Father!” the Crown Prince bowed his head.

“Sigh. Zhili, if there were no war, none of this would be an issue. But war is upon us, and you must consider how to protect this nation. Whoever is capable, we use them. We just have to ensure they remain under our control. Never let one person monopolize all the power. If someone proves incompetent, we remove them and replace them!

“Stop obsessing over factions. I know your brothers all covet my throne. But you are the Crown Prince. As long as you commit no major blunders, do you really think I would casually replace you?

“Your position is secure. Their posturing is nothing more than an attempt to pressure you into making a mistake. If you still cannot grasp the political landscape, I will truly be disappointed!” the Emperor warned him.

“Yes, Imperial Father. I will engrave your words on my heart!” the Crown Prince promised.

“Sigh. I am nearing sixty. I don’t know how many more years I can hold on. You must grasp these concepts quickly. The world is in chaos. If you do not mature, what will become of the Eastern Spirit Empire in the future?

“Zhili, you are the Crown Prince. The people of this world are your people. Who holds power and who does not is entirely up to you. If you misjudge a person’s character and appoint them to a position of power, the Empire will suffer.

“Take the Grand Marshal. He is a mediocre. During peacetime, anyone can be Grand Marshal. But now that war has broken out, he is completely unsuited for the position. The problem is, I haven’t found a suitable replacement for him yet.

“Jiang Kai won’t do. The front lines rely entirely on him right now; I cannot recall him.

“Ma Zhenling won’t do either. He is an old fox. Unless his own interests are threatened, he won’t lift a finger. And his command capabilities are merely average.

“He Jingzhong is even worse—practically useless. He simply parrots whatever the Grand Marshal says. I doubt he knows the first thing about actual warfare.

“Vanguard General Yu Hongyu of the Army has a very weak family background; he wouldn’t be able to control the military clans.

“As for the Navy and Air Force generals, they cannot serve as Grand Marshal. This is a land war; they lack the expertise to coordinate massive ground campaigns.

“I am currently agonizing over the lack of usable talent. Hu Hao appears incredibly capable, but he is too young. I dare not give him too much power at once. I fear you wouldn’t be able to control him. After all, he is younger than you, yet he would wield immense authority. I worry it might lead to instability.

“Furthermore, I cannot be the one to grant him ultimate authority. I will elevate him to full General. How you choose to use him in the future is something you must carefully consider. Sigh. The Empire is tottering on the brink of collapse, yet the Grand Marshal and his cronies are still squabbling over their petty positions! Tell me, is it laughable? Or is it tragic?” the Emperor sighed, looking at the Crown Prince.

“I am useless. I have failed to share Your Majesty’s burdens,” the Crown Prince lowered his head in shame.

“I will be speaking with Hu Hao via video link shortly. As the nominal Principal of his academy, you will be present. I will utilize this man for now. If he proves loyal and capable, I will leave him for you to elevate further when the time comes,” the Emperor decided.

“Yes, Imperial Father. But isn’t he…?”

“There are no ‘buts.’ He is your man now. How do you still not understand? Hm?!” The Emperor flared up again the moment he heard the hesitation. He knew exactly what the Crown Prince was going to say—that Hu Hao was Jiang Kai’s man, and Jiang Kai was the Grand Marshal’s enemy.

“Yes… I… I momentarily forgot myself!” the Crown Prince hastily corrected himself.

“You! What do you care how Tang Long and Jiang Kai fight? Hm? What does it have to do with you? It’s good that they fight! If they don’t fight, how am I supposed to control the army? How will you control the army in the future?” the Emperor pointed an exasperated finger at his son.

“Yes, I understand now!” the Crown Prince nodded emphatically.

Meanwhile, it was just past 11:00 AM. Hu Hao was still reviewing documents in his command center. The officers were gathered around the sand table, actively war-gaming the defense of Yonghe City, just as he had instructed.

“Hao-ge, Commander Jiang Kai is on the line!” a staff officer approached with a phone.

“Ah?” Hu Hao took the receiver. “Greetings, Commander. This is Hu Hao!” he answered cheerfully.

“Hahaha, Hu Hao! I must congratulate you!” Jiang Kai’s booming laughter echoed through the phone.

“Congratulate me? For what?” Hu Hao was utterly baffled. He was currently completely encircled by the enemy; what was there to congratulate?

“General Hu! Full General Hu! Commander Hu! Hahaha!” Jiang Kai continued to laugh uproariously.

“Hold on, Commander. You can’t joke about things like this. Don’t pull my leg!” Hu Hao demanded.

“I wouldn’t joke about this. I am genuinely thrilled! Hu Hao, I just received a telegram from His Majesty. You have been appointed Commander of the 1st Group Army of the Eastern Spirit Empire and promoted to the rank of full General! The 1st Group Army will consist of five corps, totaling 300,000 troops. You are to assume command immediately!” Jiang Kai explained between chuckles.

“Commander of the 1st Group Army? Me? Commander, seriously, stop joking around. I’m completely surrounded here. Where am I supposed to go be a Group Army Commander?” Hu Hao was still incredibly skeptical.

“You are to form the 1st Group Army yourself! I just ordered my staff to transmit the official appointment documents to your command center! You’ll understand once you read them!” Jiang Kai laughed.

(End of Chapter)