Only these three men promoted by the Duke of Dai had ability but little backing. They had remained stuck at the sixth and seventh ranks, which had left them disheartened. Instead, they seldom involved themselves in the Imperial Feather Guards' internal struggles. Who would have thought that these three would reap the benefits this time!
This was no stroke of luck. These three must have secretly formed ties with the Duke of Dai without anyone noticing.
At that thought, everyone cast sidelong glances at them.
Of the three men named, Wan Qiao and Lou Yuanbai both looked delighted. They stepped forward promptly. "Your subordinates thank you for your great favor, Commanding Officer."
Only Bi Xin hesitated. He was the last to speak. "Your subordinate obeys!"
With that, two Thousand-Household Commanders and one Assistant Commander joined the neutral faction.
"By elevating these three directly, he has broken down the Imperial Feather Guards' existing power blocs as far as possible." The sharper men were inwardly alarmed.
Xu Wei in particular had intended to speak up, but immediately withdrew the half-step he had taken.
Under these circumstances, even the former Commanding Officer had been rebuffed. Anyone who spoke would only be asking for a snub, and might even be made an example of to establish authority. He was a clever man; he would not step forward.
Flattering the two princes was meant to advance his prospects. If he was stripped of his post, the loss would outweigh the gain. Even if the two princes compensated him, he would be firmly planted in their camp, which ran contrary to the stance of the hereditary nobility. Their titles were already hereditary; they had already eaten their share of the meat. Even if they leaned one way, they would not commit themselves completely to a faction.