kingnovel Chapter 1072 Rising Up in Rebellion
Chapter 1072 Rising Up in Rebellion
Xiaoyuer was still pondering, "I'm not very familiar with the generals guarding the northeast, southeast, and southwest, but I know Uncle Lin and my great-aunt's husband very well. They don't seem like people who crave power, and they're wholeheartedly devoted to the country. Why haven't they been transferred this time?"
“They were in positions of power and had no choice but to accept it. Everyone has their own difficulties,” Zhang Ping’an sighed, his expression somewhat solemn and melancholy.
"What do you mean by that?" Little Fish asked humbly.
“Think about it, if those two really obey the transfer order and relinquish their military power, where would they be transferred to?” Zhang Ping’an looked up at his son and said.
"Hmm..." Xiaoyuer rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, and replied, "I guess it's in the southeast direction. Since ancient times, in order to prevent military generals from seizing power, they would choose a place relatively far away from their original garrison when they were transferred!"
“Yes, it’s probably in the southeast. They have to go from the northwest to the capital to report back, and then from the capital to the southeast to take up their new posts. It will take at least half a year. Anything can happen in half a year. What if the military officers in the southeast don’t want to leave their posts? Or what if, like now, there’s a riot on the border? What will their situation be then?” Zhang Ping’an patiently guided his son to think deeply.
Little Fish was clever; he understood immediately. "I understand, thank you, Dad!"
Then he stood up relaxed and stretched, "It seems His Majesty is in a difficult position now. This situation is not easy to break. If one side does not move, the other three sides will not move either. Otherwise, they may end up in an awkward situation of having no power, and will also be feared by His Majesty and hated by the powerful families. It is really not worth it."
Zhang Ping'an nodded: "Yes, they are already in this position, they can only move up, they can't go down. Besides, the security of the border is also of utmost importance. That Su Zheng, the third-ranked scholar, does have some talent, and his methods are in the right direction, but he lacks experience, which leads to his deployment not being careful enough. He also didn't encounter a good superior, which has instead put him in such a passive situation."
He then shook his head again and continued in a solemn voice, "Let's not talk about them anymore. I think the situation is about to change, and we need to speed things up. I spent so many years in the Privy Council, and I know the temperaments of the generals stationed in various places quite well. Among these four, the most impatient is Yang Chun, the general guarding the southeast. He is hot-tempered, has superb martial arts skills, and is a brave and valiant commander. He has fought against the Japanese pirates in the southeast for many years and has achieved remarkable military exploits. However, there is only one thing: he is easily provoked. What he cannot tolerate most is others coveting his family. This hostage situation has touched a nerve, and with powerful families backing him up, I think he is going to be in trouble."
"Are they going to rebel?" Little Fish guessed.
"It's really hard to say," Zhang Ping'an said seriously. "For now, we can only wait and see. All we can do is to make Huainan more heavily armed. You have to understand that Huainan is located in the heart of the country. No matter which side has a problem, we will inevitably be affected in the end."
When it came to serious matters, Xiaoyuer became serious as well. “Since Caiwei married into the family, she has provided great help in the field of firearms. The firearms manufactured under her guidance are now comparable in power to the latest firearms developed by the imperial court. In addition, we have money, and the procurement of raw materials and recruitment of workers are going very smoothly. The rest is just a matter of time. As long as we have enough time, Huainan will definitely be an impregnable fortress.”
Xiaoyuer reports these developments to Zhang Ping'an almost every day, and today is just another reminder of their importance.
Even Zhang Ping'an could see the problem, so it was impossible for old foxes from aristocratic families like Grand Tutor Qian not to see it either, but they all stood by and watched, happy to stir things up even more. In the power struggle between the emperor and his ministers, there always have to be sacrifices.
Although Cui Rong was angry that her brother had messed things up, there was nothing she could do since it had already happened, so she could only try her best to salvage the situation.
However, after alerting the enemy, these generals turned out to be extremely cunning, both tough and shrewd, leaving Su Zheng unable to think of a good way to resolve the matter safely.
Just as the stalemate was at hand, Zhang Ping'an's worst fears came true. The southeastern region was already impoverished and had long been harassed by Japanese pirates, making it difficult for the people to live and work in peace and making their lives miserable. After this border riot, Yang Chun secretly conscripted soldiers to replenish the army, but there was not enough food and silver, which finally aroused public anger.
A small group of people rose up in rebellion, causing unrest.