Inside the Zhenbei Army's main tent.
"Five of a kind!"
"A pair of treasures!"
"Three at the Peach Garden!"
"Seven of a kind!"
"Eight horses!"
"Come, come, drink up!"
"Mr. Ding, what are you doing? Are you raising goldfish?"
As soon as Shen Zhao and the other arrived, they immediately began a meeting with the army's generals.
The meeting at the table brought them closer together.
In just a short while, the few men, their faces flushed from drinking, had already begun calling Ding Buer their brother.
After three rounds of drinks, Shen Zhao finally took the wine Lü Yue offered and gave each person a cigar. He then said in a serious tone, "Brothers, we've drunk the wine and eaten the food. Now, we should talk about business.
I won't hide anything from you. Today, I, Shen, have come here. Besides my official position as a Pacification Envoy, I also have another identity."
Hearing this, the generals looked at each other, not understanding what Shen Zhao meant.
Ding Buer immediately said, "Listen here, you don't need to be so nervous. Lord Shen is very easy to talk to."
Shen Zhao surveyed the surroundings and continued, "Brothers, I, Shen Zhao, also come from the military. I know the hardships and suffering that we in the military endure – things those bastards in the court can't understand.
Do you know why the court has sent me to the border this time?"
Lü Yue asked, "Lord Shen, aren't you the pacification envoy, here to reward us, the border army?"
Shen Zhao patted his shoulder with a smile, "General Lü, are you truly naive, or are you pretending? At this point, do you really think the court would randomly send a pacification envoy to reward the troops?
Actually, another one of my identities is the Shadow Guard Commander of the court, here specifically to collect evidence of treason against the Zhenbei Army!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone, including Lü Yue, sobered up considerably. They all placed their hands on the swords at their waists, glaring coldly at Shen Zhao.
Seeing this, Ding Buer hurriedly said, "What are you doing, everyone? We're all brothers here. Relax! Lord Shen won't harm you. What's there to be nervous about? Sit down quickly..."
Lü Yue cautiously probed, "Sir Shen, the Zhenbei Army is absolutely loyal to the court, with no ulterior motives. How could we possibly commit treason? Please, Sir Shen, investigate thoroughly."
Shen Zhao's hand, which was resting on Lü Yue's shoulder, exerted a little more pressure, and he smiled. "Don't you know in your own heart whether you're plotting treason?"
"Sir Shen, you..."
"Hahaha!"
Seeing Lü Yue's face turn ashen, Shen Zhao was satisfied. He patted Lü Yue's shoulder, then continued, "Brothers have guarded the border for so many years, far from the prosperity and clamor, defending the country's borders, but not understood by the court. I understand this in my heart.
You have grievances to vent, to find back what you've lost. I understand this feeling too. If I were you, I'd do the same thing."
As he spoke, he picked up a box of matches, struck one, and offered it to Lü Yue.
Lü Yue instinctively put the cigar in his mouth, letting Shen Zhao light it for him.
After extinguishing the match, Shen Zhao continued, "However, with all due respect, I must say that things haven't reached that point yet. You can tell me what you want. As long as it's reasonable, I'll try to accommodate you."
As soon as he finished speaking, a general sitting opposite immediately stood up, looking indignant. "Since you're asking us to speak, then we will.
Sir Shen, you've served in the military, so you should know how tough it is in the barracks. The soldiers' monthly pay is meager, and it's often deducted.
My brothers can barely make ends meet. We had no choice but to resort to this!"
Another general added, "That's right. Recently, the court has announced plans to disband the old army and train a new one. I have to ask, are you planning to abandon us?
How many brothers in the Zhenbei Army have guarded the border for over a decade without seeing their families? And now, are we not even to be given this last chance to survive?"
The generals began to voice their grievances to Shen Zhao, one after another.
Shen Zhao's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile. From a psychological perspective, once these fellows started venting, the plan would proceed smoothly.
But at this moment, disbanding the old army to make way for the new... Heh, Yu Xiyan had no idea what she was thinking. Anyone belonging to the old army would feel resentful.
He gave Ding Buer a look, and Ding Buer, understanding, quickly took out a small notebook and began recording the demands of these generals.
After they finished speaking, Shen Zhao spoke again, "Yes, those parasites in the court are truly despicable. The brothers of the Zhenbei Army defend the country and the people, guarding against the Northern Barbarians,
yet they sit comfortably in high positions, pontificating. They should switch places and spend a few days on the frontier, see if they can handle the hardship!"
Ding Buer agreed deeply, "Exactly! Those fellows, all they think about is making money. Let them stand on the city walls of the frontier for a day, and their legs would be soft."
Shen Zhao slammed his fist on the table, rolled up his sleeves, and said resolutely, "Damn, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. This kind of court is not worth staying in. Today, I, with all the brothers, will swear an oath, and simply rebel!"
As soon as these words came out, all the generals were stunned.
Lü Yue hurried to say, "Sir Shen, you've had too much to drink. Please sit down and talk."
The other generals also spoke kindly, urging Shen Zhao not to get agitated.
After finally "persuading" Shen Zhao to calm down, Lü Yue sighed and slowly said, "Since Sir Shen is the Shadow Guard Commander, you probably know the Zhenbei Army's intentions, so there's no need to hide anything."
Lü Yue finished speaking and took a deep drag of his pipe, then picked up his wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
Then he continued, "Sir Shen, the brothers are really driven to the end of their ropes. If there was any other way out, we wouldn't take such a risk, wouldn't do such a rebellious thing!"
Ding Buer, seeing the time was right, quietly took out a sound-recording stone and placed it in a hidden spot.
"Sir Shen, the brothers haven't received their military pay for half a year. General Huang said that His Majesty has already decided to completely abandon us, planning to establish a new army to replace us.
What do you think we can do? The brothers in the army rely on that military pay to survive. Without this livelihood, everyone can only starve to death. At this point, what else can we do but rebel?"
After speaking, Lü Yue raised his cup and downed the liquor again. The other generals also sighed, their faces filled with helplessness.
After all, rebelling was a high-risk endeavor, with a success rate close to zero. One might experience the "benefit" of having their entire clan eliminated, a one-time offer. No one would be willing to take such a risk unless absolutely necessary.
Shen Zhao heard this and sighed, saying, "I understand your feelings, but to be frank, the court is indeed facing some difficulties now, but the military funds allocated to the border troops have never been reduced by a single penny.
In addition, it's not wrong for the court to disband old troops to train new ones, but those being disbanded are the old and weak soldiers. Moreover, the disbanded troops will receive retirement pay based on their years of service, enough to buy a few acres of land to settle their families.
As for what you said about the court abandoning you, frankly, it's the first time I've heard of it."
Of course, the latter half about disbanding the old and weak and properly settling them was completely fabricated by Shen Zhao; he didn't know how Yu Xiyan actually handled it.
But it didn't matter. As long as he could fool these guys for now, what happened later wouldn't be his problem.
"Are you telling the truth?"
Lü Yue asked, his face a mask of disbelief.
"Whether it's true or false, can't General Lü think about it for himself?"
Ding Buer chimed in, "That's right, General Lü, think about it. Are those in the court fools? Don't they know the importance of the border?
Even this strategist knows what the consequences are if military pay isn't issued. Are those cunning people in the court vegetarians?
They wouldn't even owe the border army's pay, even if they owed the Prefect. Think about it again, which court would force the border army to rebel against itself?"
The generals thought carefully and agreed it made sense.
Then a general asked, "So where did our military pay go?"
"You should be asking yourselves that," Ding Buer said, word by word, "The court issues sufficient military pay to the Zhenbei Army every year. As for how the Zhenbei Army distributes it to you, I don't know."
The implication was obvious; even a fool could tell that Huang Tianhu had embezzled the military funds.
Shen Zhao seized the opportunity to add fuel to the fire, saying, "Brothers, I am here under the Empress Dowager's orders to thoroughly investigate the Zhenbei Army's deficit in military funds. I initially thought it was just a rumor, but it seems there's some truth to it. If you have any information, you can share it with me."
Everyone lowered their heads, afraid to speak, since Huang Tianhu's power was not something they dared to provoke lightly.
Shen Zhao continued, "The court is only targeting the masterminds behind this. All others will be absolved, and if you cooperate, you may even receive rewards."
After speaking, he glanced at Lü Yue and said earnestly, "General Lü, you've been in the position of Deputy General for several decades, haven't you? The court intends to promote you, but the time hasn't been right."
Lü Yue's eyes lit up. What kind of promotion was this "promote"? Wasn't it to the position of Zhenbei Army General?
Although the difference between a Deputy General and a General was only one word, the treatment, status, and power between the two were worlds apart!
"And you all, too. According to the Empress Dowager's secret decree, the Zhenbei Army's treatment will be increased by twenty percent on the original basis, and thirty percent for you, the Deputy Commanders and above."
The moment those words left his mouth, excitement and greed flashed in the eyes of many.
Seeing that the atmosphere was sufficiently charged, Shen Zhao stood up directly. "Brothers, think carefully. Whatever you decide, I, Shen, will support you. But don't make the wrong choice. Some paths, once taken, offer no return. Be cautious."
After speaking, he gave Ding Buer a look and strode out of the tent.
"One step."
"Two steps."
"Three steps."
Just as Shen Zhao was silently counting to the fourth step, Lü Yue immediately spoke up, "Sir Shen, wait! This subordinate has something important to report!"
Shen Zhao and Ding Buer exchanged a smile, then turned and asked, "What is it, General Lü?"
Lü Yue said, "We are impeaching General Huang Tianhu to Lord Shen. He has abused his authority, colluded with the Northern Barbarians, and intends to rebel!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the other generals also knelt, cupping their hands towards Shen Zhao. "We are willing to be witnesses and jointly report Huang Tianhu!"
Got it!
Shen Zhao wasn't surprised by the scene before him.
After all, a guy like Huang Tianhu, who only wanted to hog the benefits, would have been taken down long ago if the Pang Family hadn't been cleaning up after him.
It wasn't that no one in the Zhenbei Army knew what kind of person Huang Tianhu was; they were just afraid of the Huang Family's power and didn't dare to speak up.
Now, Shen Zhao had immediately taken control of the core generals of the Zhenbei Army with just a meal's worth of effort. Huang Tianhu could no longer jump around.
-----------------------
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