webnovelvip Chapter 198 Zhang Fan Takes Command of the Army? The Court Officials Are in Anger!
Chapter 198 Zhang Fan Takes Command of the Army? The Court Officials Are in Anger!
As the former head of the National Security Bureau, Zhu Feng's methods are naturally extraordinary!
"A clown jumping around like a dog, oblivious to his own mortality."
He turned off the surveillance camera, and the entire office instantly fell silent.
Zhu Feng slowly stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the continuous mountain range outside.
"Alright!"
He muttered to himself,
"It's much easier for them to step out on their own than for us to go looking for them."
He turned around, picked up the military cap from the table, and put it on his head.
He straightened his crisp military uniform, his gaze becoming incredibly resolute.
"Their reign won't last much longer!"
Zhu Feng strode steadily and powerfully toward the door.
"I'm going to the central command!"
He spoke to the guard at the door in a deep voice.
"This time, we'll cooperate with Comrade Zhang Fan!"
"It's time to put a final, complete end to this blood feud that has lasted for thousands of years."
……
The next day, early morning.
During the Qin Dynasty, the bright moon hung high, and the sounds of morning bells and evening drums resounded throughout Xianyang.
In the Hall of Qilin, officials stood in rows.
The atmosphere, however, was no longer solemn; instead, it was tense and ready to fight!
Just now, His Majesty personally drafted the edict!
[Imperial edict appoints Zhang Fan as "Protector of the Nation," granting him command of three thousand new troops and the authority to mobilize them!]
Before the imperial edict was even finished being read, Zong Yu, the Junior Minister of the Imperial Household, who ranked among the Nine Ministers, was the first to step forward, kneel down, and shout in a stern voice:
"Your Majesty, you mustn't!"
Followed by.
The civil and military officials in the main hall knelt down in a dense, dark mass.
"Your Majesty, please reconsider!"
"Your Majesty, please rescind your order!"
The resentment, as loud as a mountain and as powerful as a tsunami, echoed in the Qilin Hall.
Ying Zheng, seated high on the Dragon Platform, had a somber expression.
Those deep eyes revealed no emotion.
He simply looked silently at the kneeling officials below, without uttering a word.
Shaofu Zongyu kowtowed and said in a deep voice:
"Your Majesty! Master Zhang Fan's offering of potatoes, his search for coal, and his smelting of iron are all acts of divine merit!"
"To bestow upon them a fiefdom of ten thousand households and a reward of a thousand yi of gold would not be excessive!"
"However, military power is a vital instrument of the state, and its entrustment to certain individuals must be approached with utmost care!"
"Master Zhang Fan is merely a sorcerer; he is probably completely ignorant of military formations, strategies, and ranks!"
"To entrust the lives of three thousand soldiers to them would be no blessing for the nation!"
"For a sorcerer to command an army is illogical and has no legal basis. If this precedent is set, it could shake the very foundation of the nation!"
"We implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Marquis Wang Ben of Tongwu stepped forward, knelt on one knee, and spoke in a booming voice:
"Your Majesty! This humble general also believes this is inappropriate!"
Everyone looked at Wang Ben in shock.
Wang Ben rarely speaks!
Even the military group is against it?
Wang Ben ignored the gazes of the crowd and simply clasped his hands in a fist salute to Ying Zheng, saying:
"Military power is not a game!"
"A general must be battle-hardened, knowledgeable in military strategy, and able to share life and death with his soldiers before he can lead troops into battle!"
"Master Zhang Fan has rendered great service to the country, and I deeply admire him!"
"As for leading troops, forgive my bluntness, but he is not capable of it!"
"To appoint a mere sorcerer as commander of the new army is not only irresponsible towards the lives of the soldiers, but also an insult to the countless soldiers of our Great Qin who have fought valiantly and risen through the ranks based on their military merits!"
"Your Majesty, I implore you to rescind your order!"
"This humble general secondes it!"
"We second that proposal!"
All the military officers knelt down, their attitudes resolute.
The military officer wasn't jealous of Zhang Fan; rather, he genuinely felt that the whole thing was utterly absurd.
If word got out that a sorcerer was to be made a general, wouldn't the whole world laugh at him?
What face do they have left?
In an instant, the entire Qilin Hall was filled with excitement!
Apart from Ying Zheng and a few others, almost everyone knelt down.
In this suffocating silence.
Ying Zheng, who sat high on the dragon platform, suddenly smiled.
He spoke slowly.
"Prime Minister, what do you think?"
These seemingly casual words instantly weighed heavily on Li Si's shoulders.
Li Si suddenly felt a headache coming on!
I felt that familiar feeling coming back again!
Why am I being dragged out again?
This is so worrying!
How could he not know what His Majesty was thinking?
It's obvious they're biased towards Master Zhang Fan!
However, the officials, both civil and military, are currently indignant. If he were to openly stand against them, he would surely offend them.
But if we follow the wishes of the officials, we will inevitably go against the emperor's will...
In a flash, Li Si's mind raced.
He slowly straightened up, bowed deeply to Ying Zheng, and then spoke loudly:
"Your Majesty, I believe that what the officials have said is not without merit!"
"But Your Majesty's decision also has a deeper meaning."
He first offered words of reassurance to both sides, and then changed the subject.
"The immortal master's forging of steel has rendered a great service to the nation; this is one of his achievements!"
"However, the immortal master does not have any experience in leading troops. Suddenly granting him military power may make it difficult for him to win over the troops. This is the second point."
"Therefore, I have a suggestion."
Li Si's voice was steady and organized.
"We can summon the immortal master to Xianyang, to the Imperial Academy, to study military strategy and tactics with the other scholars, thus making up for his shortcomings!"
"At the same time, the immortal master must demonstrate in front of all the officials whether the steel he forged is truly as legendary as it is, far superior to bronze and comparable to steel refined a hundred times!"
"If his steel is genuine, his talent is promising. At that time, when the matter of military power is discussed again, there will naturally be no more controversy between the court and the public!"
These words caused silence to fall over the Qilin Hall once again.
The ministers who had been kneeling and pleading for their lives were now stunned.
Li Si's words were perfectly succinct and reasonable.
It acknowledged Zhang Fan's contributions, took into account the feelings of the officials, and ultimately placed the final decision on the authenticity of the "steel."
How can they refute that?
To refute it is tantamount to questioning the value of 100-strength steel and denying the possibility of military innovation!
But the military officer disagreed!
now.
Ying Zheng remained calm and dignified.
He knew that these ministers would not agree directly.
The plan proposed by Li Si was perfect, and it perfectly matched his own plans!
He was indeed looking forward to seeing if steel could unleash its full power!
"good!"
Ying Zheng slammed his hand on the armrest of the dragon throne, "Since none of the ministers have any objections, then we shall proceed as the Prime Minister has said!"
"By imperial decree! Summon Zhang Fan, the National Protector, and bring the refined steel to the capital immediately!"
"Court adjourned!"
With a loud announcement from the eunuch.
With mixed feelings, the officials slowly withdrew from the main hall.
After the court session, several familiar civil officials gathered together, feeling that something was amiss.
"Don't you all feel that something is amiss about what happened today?"
A civil official frowned and said, "His Majesty was so resolute before, insisting on issuing a decree directly!"
"Although we backed down in the end, I still have a feeling... that His Majesty wasn't that resistant?"
"good!"
Another person chimed in, "It's more like going with the flow!"
"His Majesty agreed to the Prime Minister's proposal far too quickly."
The crowd discussed it amongst themselves, all feeling that something was amiss.
However, the thought of Zhang Fan coming to Xianyang again made me inexplicably uneasy.