Chapter 382: Chapter 206: The Aristocratic Families’ Submission
Translator: 549690339
Yang Jing had every reason to be angry.
After all, he came across Lu Yuan, a man of great potential, at the Inescapable Meeting.
Out of goodwill, he brought him into his plan and actively recommended him to the court, ultimately including him in the list of potential candidates.
This should have been beneficial for everyone. The court could gain an Inborn Grandmaster, and Lu Yuan would have more prospects for his future. It was a win-win situation.
However, who would have thought that Lu Yuan, who seemed loyal and sincere, would become an Inborn Grandmaster, with just a little bit of maturity. Instead of serving the court, he was the first to rise in rebellion.
Now, Lu Yuan commands hundreds of thousands of soldiers, occupying the land of Dongting Prefecture in Jiangnan. He confronts the court across the river, terrifying the Western Expeditionary Army into immobility at Xunyang.
Tell me, who wouldn’t feel angry in such a situation?
At this moment, Yang Jing remembered how, over the past two months, the officials and aristocratic families from the court incessantly sent him accusatory letters, asking what went wrong?
On the way here, he was chastised by Shangguan Ming for his selections of the top ten Grandmasters.
Those accusatory words, the countless letters, and the imperial orders were like knives constantly scraping at his heart…
Scraping away his pride, his confidence, and his self-esteem.
Therefore, when the court summoned him, the instigator, to resolve this predicament, he was already full of anger when he met Lu Yuan for the first time.
However, when Lu Yuan heard this, he remained indifferent. He simply responded, “I am merely answering the call of the court to restore peace in the military. Since I was appointed as the South Conquering General two years ago, I have defeated a hundred thousand enemy troops, suppressing the rebellions in Yuzhang and three other states, and subduing the Miao rebellion in Wuling.”
Ever since the fourth year of Hongdao, I have been delaying this for years, causing havoc all over the prefecture. The rebel Miao, who had gathered hundreds of thousands, creating chaos over four years, were quelled under my command.”
Such great achievements are indeed due to my military prowess.”
As the above statement indicates, Lu Yuan did not feel the slightest shame over his service to the court.
If Lu Yuan had not decisively suppressed the tens of thousands of Miao rebels in Shaoyang Prefecture during the initial rebellion, Shaoyang Prefecture would not have been held.
Had the Five Poison Sect revolted at that moment, the five prefectures, both north and south, would have been united.
By that time, hundreds of thousands of Miao soldiers would have been able to flow unimpeded, marching eastwards, invading Changsha, Hengyang, and Luyang.
If those prefectures were lost, Dongting Prefecture would have inevitably fallen as well.
At that point, with hundreds of thousands of Miao soldiers occupying eight prefectures, and with granaries like Changsha and Hengyang, they would be able to support an army of three or four hundred thousand. How could their momentum be the same as before?
It couldn’t be… at that point, the court might not only have been unable to defend the prefecture, but Southsea and Yuzhang would also be ravaged by the Miao soldiers.
If the Miao really succeeded, not to mention the court’s standoff with the Zhou People across the river, even the Altars of Soil and Grain could have collapsed.
Hence, Lu Yuan raising troops to sever the Miao rebels’ north-south connection in Shaoyang Prefecture and preventing their massive armies from merging was truly a great service to the court and Dongting Prefecture.
Following the rebellion of the Seven Star Sect, it’s highly likely that without Lu Yuan, the court wouldn’t have been able to protect Hengyang and Changsha.
And without these two prefectures’ supply, Bai Mengyang’s Army of Pacifying Shu probably would have been defeated sooner.
Then, Shangguan Ming would have had to transport food supplies from hundreds of miles away in Yuzhang Prefecture, at great cost.
Within Dongting Prefecture, another rebel force of tens of thousands spanning three prefectures would have risen.
By that time, it would be a question of whether the court could even defend the Yangtze Defense Line.
Lu Yuan crushing the rebellion of the Seven Star Sect was another great service in restructuring national fortunes.
Let’s talk about the recent situation, specifically, the desperate battle against the north-south Miao forces last year.
At that moment, Lan Zhaoyun led sixty thousand Miao soldiers, merging with Li Yanjing’s forty thousand Zhou soldiers, directly confronting Yang Jing with a force of a hundred thousand at the Yang Mansion.
At that time, with the Miao People’s assistance, Zhou People’s army flourished. Even though the court’s river navy blocked the Yangtze River, they still found opportunities to transport troops and supplies from the northern side of the river from time to time.
If the situation had been prolonged, I’m afraid that by now, the Zhou army in Jiangnan would have already exceeded a hundred thousand.
This is precisely why Shangguan Ming constantly urged Lu Yuan to dispatch his troops, to help him lighten the pressure and dislodge the Zhou People.
Hence the subsequent meritorious act of mobilizing two hundred thousand men by Lu Yuan, pacifying the three rebel prefectures in the south, stabilizing Wuling in the north, receiving the surrender of the Miao People, and the marriage alliance with the Five Poisons.
This incident was once again Lu Yuan rescuing the court from collapse.
Adding up these three incidents, three times he saved the country from peril. How could anyone deny the greatness of Lu Yuan’s achievements and his prestige?
Thus, in regards to the court, Lu Yuan could confidently say that he bears no debt whatsoever.
After all, apart from the secret tips to breakthrough to Innate that Yang Jing had shared with him during the Inescapable Meeting, the court truly offered him nothing else.
What about titles and official positions?
Yes, the court did confer him the Military General and the South Conquering General titles.
But every one of these ranks and honors were only awarded by the court after Lu Yuan had distinguished himself with his exceptional contributions.
In other words, all these were achieved through his battles, with the blood of his enemies, and countless victories.
Even if the court did not offer these titles and honors, with his soldiers and weaponry, Lu Yuan could have still achieved his current success.
The only difference would have been that, if that were the case, the court would have been left with even more embarrassment than they face now.
Therefore, given his many contributions and the lack of any debt to the court, it could even be said that it’s the court that owes him.