The War Between Two Nations, Summoning Qiu Yan

"Have you heard? Yet another tribe has been defeated by Qiu Yan's army!"

Before the morning court session began and the emperor took his seat, the court officials had already gathered in the Golden Hall.

They chatted casually, but in reality, they were trying to gather information from others and deduce the direction of the court.

The most captivating event recently was undoubtedly the rise of a massive army of 200,000 in the Northern Frontier Great Rui a little over a month ago. They marched towards the Grasslands to fight the Rouluo and wipe out the northern threat.

With such a large force, the logistical requirements are extremely stringent. The transportation and mobilization of the entire dynasty will be a severe test. If things go wrong, not only will there be setbacks in the military, but the very foundation of the dynasty may be shaken, triggering social unrest.

This was also a concern for many ministers, who used it as an excuse to obstruct the emperor's plans. They also realized that the emperor intended to use military force to launch a military campaign and take the opportunity to reform the military system.

However, with the smooth progress of the diplomatic mission to Three Rivers, there were many unexpected gains. With the opportunity presented, even the military became restless. With the support of the military, the emperor's back was undoubtedly straightened even more.

One side sought posthumous fame and an opportunity to reform the military system, while the other side saw the signs and wanted to expand its territory, reward its wives and children, and earn great military merit. They immediately hit it off, and with many court officials wavering, the west wind quickly prevailed in the court, causing the wind to shift and leading to the decision to send troops.

However, after the troops were sent into the Grasslands, things did not go as smoothly as Li Kun had expected. Instead, they encountered many Original Edition problems. Due to logistical issues, the battle lines could not be stretched out in time, and the situation became deadlocked.

This was undoubtedly a major setback for Li Kun's ideas, to the point that many court officials who opposed sending troops had already written memorials, preparing to use this matter as a breakthrough to force the army to return.

Great Rui Li Kun Supreme Realm prepared for this, intending to withstand the pressure from his ministers and hold out until the army achieved some success before launching a counterattack.

Neither side, though well-prepared, anticipated the completely unexpected turn of events. Before the ministers could even launch their attack, surprising news arrived from the Grasslands—

It turned out that Qiu Yan, leading a Slave Army, had successively conquered three Grasslands tribes, freeing all the enslaved people in the tribes. This caused a huge uproar on the Grasslands.

However, when the news reached the Great Rui, many people saw it as disrupting the overall plan and intending to cause trouble. But Li Kun took advantage of this and said it was part of the strategy to attack Rouluo in the north.

In this way, not only was Qiu Yan saved, but the ministers who had planned to launch an attack on the army but had achieved nothing were also silenced.

However, the Peace Faction courtiers regarded this matter as a minor setback. They believed it was merely a slight postponement of the event, and they did not think that Qiu Yan, with his limited manpower, could really do anything to reverse the situation. After all, Qiu Yan was originally a civil official. Even though he had written Military Canon, theory and military command are two different things.

However, they never expected that their temporary retreat would make it difficult to regain the upper hand. In the following days, news of Qiu Yan conquering a tribe came almost every day.

It's important to understand that Grasslands tribes are different from those in the Central Plains. They don't build cities; instead, they live by following the water and grass. If their tribal settlements are breached, even if there aren't many casualties, their morale will decline, and they will be targeted by other tribes, leading to a series of chain reactions.

The people on the frontier felt this impact most directly. Tribes that lost their pastures often wanted to raid southwards, but they were met by the well-prepared and armed troops of the Great Rui!

These officers and soldiers were originally intended to cooperate with the overall northern offensive strategy, but due to logistical and intelligence limitations, they could only be stationed on the frontier, serving as both a border defense force and a reserve force to deal with changes in the Grasslands.

However, these are the views of the decision-makers. As for the generals and soldiers in the army, they could only watch helplessly as the front-line troops made merits, without achieving anything themselves. How could they not be anxious? And at this time, the southward-moving tribes were exactly what they wanted. How could they not do their best to resist?

In this way, not only were the people of the Northern Frontier protected, but the situation in the imperial court was also improved, and the military was no longer ineffective. However, it was quite strange that the troops at the front only fought a few small battles, while the garrison troops in the rear suffered heavy casualties.

Of course, no court officials brought it up at this time, because they all saw through the emperor's thoughts, and the border army did indeed have a record of victories. Even if others advised him to withdraw the army, they would hardly have anything to say.

It is worth mentioning that some of the officials in the Peace Faction were inclined to withdraw troops out of a comprehensive consideration, while others had received benefits and thus fueled the movement; how could they not do their utmost?

Seeing that the situation was beyond saving, someone quickly noticed a key factor—

Qiu Yan.

His achievements on the front lines were not visible, and his record in garrison duty was meager. The one who truly made contributions was Qiu Yan, the compiler.

He led a group of the Slave Army, moving erratically across the Grasslands, striking fear into the hearts of the various tribes. A little over a month ago, the imperial court finally made contact with him, with a special envoy from the Governor-General's Residence's office joining the effort, thus maintaining communication. As a result, reports of victory immediately poured in like snowflakes, greatly shocking the entire court.

At first, some people used the pretext of the turbulent situation on the Grasslands to impeach Qiu Yan and prepare to forcibly bring him back. However, after hearing that Qiu Yan had defeated the coalition of seven major tribes in one fell swoop and forced the Tulang Tribe to flee in all directions, such voices became much quieter.

Instead, a series of proposals were put forward to bring him and his Military Canon back to China.

Indeed, a saying has been circulating in the court that Qiu Yan was able to defeat the various tribes so easily because of an Original Edition he had written. Now that the imperial army is exhausted and tied down by the Rouluo, it is in a dilemma and needs the guidance of this book. Therefore, many ministers have submitted memorials hoping that Li Kun can issue an edict to allow Qiu Yan and the book to return to the capital as soon as possible.

As time went on, more and more people joined in petitioning for an imperial decree. Many of them did not have ulterior motives, but genuinely believed that Qiu Yan's classics could help the court break through its current predicament. There were also well-informed and quick-thinking War Faction who hoped that Qiu Yan could accept the imperial decree and go to the front lines to assist in the war effort with his Military School Order.

"This time, Qiu Yan and his army were even more formidable. They defeated two tribes that had protected Tu Lang, causing those two tribes to decline from their former glory. I heard that one of them was devoured by its subordinate tribes that very day! The rise and fall of dynasties changed in the blink of an eye!"

"Speaking of which, the news these days says that Qiu Yan's stirring up trouble on the Grasslands is aimed at the Tulang Tribe. I wonder what the reason is."

"I'm not entirely sure about that either. However, there are many rumors circulating among the people. Some say he did it to avenge his father, but that's absurd. Qiu Yan is from Jiannan. His father was said to have died at the hands of the Marshfolk soldiers. Why would he seek revenge against the Grasslands people?"

"I've heard that this was all for the sake of a beautiful woman. You probably don't know that among the delegation was a daughter of a noble family, and one of the young masters of the Tulang Tribe. It was in Dingchang City that he harassed this princess, which led to his death. And Qiu Yan is still not satisfied; he wants to eradicate the entire Tu Lang tribe!"

"There seems to be something wrong with your information. I heard it's because of an old soldier? I heard that the Tulang Tribe took advantage of the situation when Marquis Maishan launched his surprise attack to sneak in..."

The courtiers discussed the matter in hushed tones, sharing what they had heard, exchanging information, and trying to reconstruct events by analyzing and observing the expressions of those around them.

In a corner of the main hall, Di Ai stood silently in the crowd, head bowed, though she was quite resentful.

A month and a half ago, the delegation returned. Chief Envoy Meng Qingbin received many rewards and his position in the Ministry of Ministry of Rites was secure. It was said that he would be promoted. The officials in the delegation also rose in rank. Thanks to Qiu Yan's two letters, they all won the emperor's praise and were promoted.

Di Ai was no exception. He not only gained a rank in the Hanlin Academy, but was also given an official title and transferred to a powerful department. He had the opportunity to attend court assemblies, although he was ranked last and not qualified to speak freely. However, it was still a step forward and a good start.

But it was precisely because of this that he became increasingly unhappy, feeling that it was Qiu Yan's way of winning people over.

In fact, regardless of Qiu Yan's purpose, after this action, the entire delegation completely changed their opinion of him. Not only did they lose all hostility, but they also often brought up the fact that they had accompanied him on the mission as an honor.

This is just a microcosm; in reality, Qiu Yan is currently riding high, and although he is not physically present, his reputation is rising every day!

Now that he is fighting on the Grasslands, his prestige among the people has greatly increased, and even the court is becoming more cautious in its view of him. The court officials no longer speak of him casually, and even when they do, they show some respect, clearly indicating that they are slowly acknowledging his status Grandmaster of Military School strategy. This is especially evident among the Military School generals.

"What a brilliant scheme! One mission caused him so much trouble, even instigating war between two countries, yet he seized the opportunity to rise up..."

As he pondered, Di Ai deliberately ignored the emperor's intentions and the growing momentum in the Central Plains and the Grasslands, attributing the cause of this Military Contest entirely to Qiu Yan.

As he pondered this, his gaze slowly shifted, scanning the chaotic crowd before finally settling on the civil officials in the middle. It swept over Pan Xiang and Tian Youqing, and he remembered that in the past few days, the two had sent people over to convey their messages to him.

"However, his sharp and outspoken nature is a double-edged sword. He is not without political enemies. Once he returns to court, a storm is likely to break out."

Just as he was thinking, from deep within the palace, a eunuch announced that the emperor had emerged, taken his seat on the dragon throne, and the morning court session had officially begun. The hall immediately fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

After a series of formalities, the presentations on court affairs and policies began. The process was lengthy and tedious, but all the officials present listened attentively, trying to glean insights to adjust their future course of action.

Midway through, disputes inevitably arose between the New Party and Old Party, which has become the norm.

After the audience concluded and things calmed down, Li Kun surveyed the hall and said, "Regarding the matter of several ministers jointly petitioning a few days ago, I have carefully considered it and have decided to approve it. Qiu Yan will be recalled and rewarded." (To be continued...)

P. S.: Thanks to "Dao Keqi" and "Adventurer * Tian Yun" for their monthly votes!

I got home too late today, so the update is late.