blenderwars #137 - Chapter 137 Questions and Answers between Generals and Ministers
#137 - Chapter 137 Questions and Answers between Generals and Ministers
Upon the colorful platform.
Grand Preceptor Cai Hongwen's eyes narrowed slightly, but the features of his face twitched almost imperceptibly.
He looked at the Dragon骧 Marquis, the focus of everyone's attention.
Fortunately, the Dragon骧 Army did not, as the Grand Preceptor had feared, draw their sabers and rush up to chop him into pieces.
This eased his mind slightly.
Cai Hongwen first steadied his own mind.
Striving to maintain the demeanor befitting a Grand Preceptor of Great Liang.
However, when his gaze met the icy stare of the female Marquis.
His heart couldn't help but tremble again.
He could feel the chilling hatred in the Dragon骧 Marquis's eyes.
The Grand Preceptor inwardly cried out, realizing that his and Jingxu's plan had likely been discovered by the Dragon骧 Marquis.
The fact that the Dragon骧 Marquis wasn't attacking him now was probably only because it was inappropriate during the triumphal ceremony.
Watching the female Marquis cheered by the people lining the streets.
The Grand Preceptor's eyes were gloomy, but his mind was racing.
Now that the matter was exposed, he had already fallen out with this female Marquis.
It was impossible for him to grovel and apologize to her.
The best course of action now was to quickly devise a way to counter the Dragon骧 Marquis.
Ideally, he could also suppress the Dragon骧 Army's arrogance.
Letting her know that he, the Grand Preceptor of Great Liang, was not to be trifled with.
Only in this way could he have any leverage to negotiate with her.
How to suppress her was easy.
He was currently in charge of the triumphal ceremony and the military review outside the North Gate.
He had the authority to examine the Dragon骧 Army's reported military achievements in front of tens of thousands of people outside the North Gate.
The Grand Preceptor simply didn't believe that the Dragon骧 Army's reported achievements at the Redwater River were entirely true.
The Dragon骧 Army, plus 25,000 military households, could completely annihilate the Tiele army?
How was that possible?
Therefore, there must be many falsehoods in the Dragon骧 Marquis's reported achievements.
As long as he could find fault with the military achievements and publicly reprimand the Dragon骧 Marquis for falsely reporting them.
Then the power she had created with her troops would instantly collapse.
As the Grand Preceptor, he would have room to maneuver.
Although doing so wouldn't look good for the court's reputation, the Grand Preceptor couldn't care less in order to protect himself.
Thinking of this, the Grand Preceptor straightened his robes and took a majestic step forward.
Then he pressed down with his hand in the air.
In an instant, the surrounding clamor of the people quieted down.
The Grand Preceptor cleared his throat and asked loudly towards the platform below.
"Who is the commander of the returning army?"
This question meant that the question-and-answer session of the military review outside the North Gate had begun.
Hearing the question, the Dragon骧 Marquis looked up at the platform.
"Dragon骧 Marquis Bai Jing,奉诏出征赤水河, leading the army back, specially reports to the court."
The Grand Preceptor on the platform nodded slightly, then lengthened his tone with official authority and continued to ask.
"Did our army achieve victory?"
The female Marquis knew that this was a necessary procedure, so she could only patiently reply loudly.
"This general was fortunate enough to not disgrace her mission, leading the army to defeat the Tiele soldiers at the Redwater River!"
"Our army has won a great victory!"
As soon as this was said, countless people on the scene cheered in unison.
The Grand Preceptor on the platform looked at the Dragon骧 Marquis with narrowed eyes.
Then he pressed down with his hand again, allowing the cheers to gradually subside, and asked loudly again.
"Then Dragon骧 Marquis Bai Jing, I ask you!"
"How many heads did your army take in this battle?"
"Answer truthfully!"
The Grand Preceptor's question seemed somewhat deliberately difficult to outsiders.
So-called defeating the enemy, or greatly defeating them, actually just meant routing and chasing away the enemy.
In Great Liang, being able to chase away the Tiele army with 30,000 cobbled-together soldiers was already a great achievement.
But the Grand Preceptor insisted on asking how many heads the Dragon骧 Army had taken.
But taking heads wasn't just about routing and chasing away the enemy.
It required fighting to the death and killing the Tiele people.
Many officials watching the ceremony also believed that the Dragon骧 Army's achievements would inevitably have some exaggeration.
But as long as it was confirmed that the Dragon骧 Army had indeed won, that was enough.
There was no need to delve into the number of heads taken.
Therefore, the Grand Preceptor's question made many officials behind him show puzzled expressions.
They didn't understand why the Grand Preceptor was so strict with the Dragon骧 Army.
After asking the question, the Grand Preceptor narrowed his eyes and stared at the female Marquis, watching her reaction.
The Dragon骧 Marquis, on the other hand, replied loudly in public.
"In the battle of the Redwater River! Our Dragon骧 Army won a great victory!"
"The number of heads taken is 27,000!"
As soon as these words came out, there was an instant sensation outside the Victory Gate.
The surrounding people didn't have the calculations that those officials had in their hearts.
Since this celestial-like female Marquis said that 27,000 heads were taken, then it must be 27,000.
Therefore, the people on the scene naturally cheered loudly.
At this time, the Grand Preceptor on the colorful platform.
His lips curled slightly, revealing a faint, imperceptible sneer.
He thought to himself.
Dragon骧 Marquis, I have already given you the opportunity to tell the truth, but you didn't cherish it.
How could such an absurd record of taking 27,000 Tiele heads be possible.
The Grand Preceptor had consulted the Ministry of War's documents.
The last time there was a major battle at the Redwater River, just to kill or wound a few hundred Tiele cavalry.
Great Liang paid the price of seven valiant fighting generals and the casualties of more than 3,000 elite prefectural soldiers.
This was already considered a great victory in the Ministry of War's records.
How could the Dragon骧 Marquis completely annihilate the 30,000 Tiele army with just the 5,000 Dragon骧 Army and more than 20,000 military households in her hands.
Therefore, this must be the Dragon骧 Marquis falsely reporting military achievements.
The Grand Preceptor had already determined that the Dragon骧 Marquis was exaggerating her achievements and deceiving the court.
What he had to do was to publicly expose the fact that the Dragon骧 Marquis was falsely reporting military achievements.
And take the opportunity to suppress the Dragon骧 Army.
After making up his mind, the Grand Preceptor pressed down on the cheering people outside the North Gate with a solemn expression.
Then he took another step forward, but a burst of sneering came from his mouth.
The voice was not loud, but it was very cold.
Attracted by the sneering, everyone looked up at the colorful platform.
At this time, the Grand Preceptor had a solemn face, with no surprise or joy in his expression, and slowly said.
"Dragon骧 Marquis, I know you have contributed to the war."
"But the court has its own laws."
"Although you were lucky to win, you should not deceive about the number of heads taken."
Speaking of this, the Grand Preceptor glared angrily and shouted loudly at the Dragon骧 Army in front of him.
"This old man, in the name of the court, asks you one more time."
"Dragon骧 Marquis, is the number of heads taken!"
"Really can have 27,000!"
"Do you have evidence to prove it!?"
The Grand Preceptor suddenly launched an attack on the colorful platform.
Causing the hundreds of officials behind him to frown.
They didn't understand what wind the Grand Preceptor was drawing.
According to past practice, you can symbolically check how much the commander reports.
Why deliberately make things difficult for the Dragon骧 Army, isn't this asking for trouble?
Why is this Grand Preceptor like this?
Isn't this obviously trying to embarrass Dragon骧 Marquis Bai Jing?
A few flexible minds looked at each other, could it be that this Grand Preceptor has some private feud with the Dragon骧 Marquis?
At this time, the Grand Preceptor didn't care about the doubts of the hundreds of officials behind him and the discussions of the people under the platform.
He was determined to embarrass the Dragon骧 Army.
At this time, the female Marquis's face was somewhat angry.
She also saw that this Grand Preceptor Cai Hongwen was deliberately making trouble.
Evidence of taking 27,000 heads?
Even if the Dragon骧 Army really cut off 27,000 Tiele heads.
The female Marquis couldn't possibly transport those stinky Tiele heads to the capital.
The Grand Preceptor seized on this point.
As long as he insisted on not recognizing the Dragon骧 Army's military achievements, the Dragon骧 Marquis really couldn't do anything about him.
After all, the current Grand Preceptor is indeed doing things according to the laws of Great Liang.
The Dragon骧 Marquis led a horse and said loudly to the Grand Preceptor on the platform.
"Our army took the heads of Tiele people! 27,000!"
"The truth is certain, heaven and earth can testify!"
The Grand Preceptor on the colorful platform just continued to sneer.
He had already determined in his heart that the number of heads taken must be false, so he sarcastically said.
"Dragon骧 Marquis went on an expedition for the country, which can be regarded as hard work."
"But you can't falsely report military achievements."
"You say that 27,000 heads were taken, then it is 27,000?"
"Dragon骧 Marquis, do you take the people of the world as fools?"
"As the saying goes."
"Empty words are no proof, words without evidence."
"I can't stand villains who falsely report military achievements the most."
"This official here advises Dragon骧 Marquis."
"It doesn't matter if you really deceive the court and exaggerate your military achievements."
Then the Grand Preceptor narrowed his eyes and said to the female Marquis persuasively.
"As long as you apologize to the people of the world in front of this Victory Gate."
"Say that you Dragon骧 Marquis temporarily coveted military achievements and falsely reported the results of the battle."
"The number of heads taken is indeed overreported."
"As long as you sincerely repent."
"This official will naturally not make things difficult for you."
"The honors that should be given to you will not be less."
"The people of the world will also praise you Dragon骧 Marquis as a trustworthy person who knows his mistakes and corrects them."
"Bai Jing, what do you think?"