Chapter 282: Chapter 282

If there is no sound, it’s nothing; if there is sound, it’s earth-shattering.

A beautiful maiden in white stood amid the ministers in the court, confronting Prime Minister Wang and others with her own strength. Not only did she not fall behind, but her words were sharp and pressing, leaving the three of Prime Minister Wang speechless.

Prince Dongping and Prince Huaiyang exchanged glances, seeing the sentiment of sigh and admiration in each other’s eyes.

Among the vassal kings, Prince Nanyang was the most impressive and domineering. This Nanyang County Princess indeed seemed to surpass her predecessor. Their granddaughters or daughters might be considered outstanding, but they couldn’t compare to Jiang Shaohua before them.

The Crown Prince was astonished.

Several companions of the Crown Prince were equally shocked and speechless.

Wang Jin felt as if Nanyang County Princess was glowing, capturing his gaze firmly, unable to look away.

Zheng Chen stared intently at Jiang Shaohua. The cousin Shao Hua in his memory was clever beyond measure, firm and decisive. These qualities hadn’t changed. Yet, the sharp-edged Nanyang County Princess before him seemed so unfamiliar.

In the past three years, she had stayed in Nanyang County, transforming quietly out of his sight into a stranger...

Jiang Shaohua didn’t look at Wang Jin or Zheng Chen at all.

She raised her head to the Crown Prince: "The situation in Pingzhou is urgent, the chaos must be quelled soon. Please, Your Highness, make a quick decision!"

The Crown Prince steadied his mind slightly: "The Nanyang County Princess’s words are reasonable. The chaotic army in Pingzhou has already spread out, committing atrocities in nearby counties. The court must respond quickly to quell the chaos. Otherwise, the northern states will follow suit."

"General Wei has returned to court, and the court must immediately dispatch military generals to take over and reorganize the Heroic Guard Camp. Minister Zheng, do you have anyone to recommend?"

Duke An, finally recovering from the shock, glanced at Nanyang County Princess with a complex mood, quickly calculating in his mind for a moment and spoke: "Da Liang has a wealth of fierce generals, but presently, only General Fan can lead reinforcements and suppress the Heroic Guard Camp amidst the chaos in Pingzhou."

Da Liang has over a dozen military generals who can lead troops independently, but only three hold the title of Great General. One is the Left General of the border army, another is General Bao of the Imperial Army, and the third is General Fan, Commander of the Divine Martial Camp.

The Second Prince’s mother, Consort Fan, is the niece of General Fan by kin.

However, General Fan did not rely on Consort Fan to reach this position. Instead, when Emperor Taikang selected consorts, he chose a female from the Fan Family, bringing her into the palace with favor and affection, largely due to General Fan’s face.

The Left General belongs to Prime Minister Wang, but General Bao and General Fan are loyal only to the Emperor. Speaking of which, the border army is far away, most of the Capital City’s garrison is under the Emperor’s control, which is a key reason for the Imperial Family’s stability.

Duke An’s recommendation of General Fan is indeed made without self-interest, making him an impeccable choice in the eyes of everyone.

The Crown Prince nods slightly, turning to Prime Minister Wang: "What do you think, Prime Minister Wang?"

Prime Minister Wang, having been verbally ousted by a teenage girl today, and considering the Heroic Guard Camp’s defeat leading to Pingzhou’s chaos, must bear some responsibility as Prime Minister. It’s hard to contest Duke An over the choice for quelling the chaos: "I believe Minister Zheng’s proposal is very prudent."

It’s rare for the two parties to agree without argument.

The Crown Prince discreetly sighs in relief and turns to General Fan: "General Fan, please mobilize your troops immediately and lead twenty thousand troops from the Divine Power Camp to Pingzhou."

General Fan, around fifty years old, with dark skin and a straight posture, exudes the unique sharpness of a military general. Upon hearing this, he bows and speaks: "I dare to speak frankly. The Heroic Guard Camp left twenty thousand troops in Pingzhou, yet couldn’t stop the chaotic army. I fear taking only twenty thousand more will be insufficient."

"If we are to quell the Pingzhou chaos swiftly, please, Your Highness, decree for our entire Divine Martial Camp to proceed."

The Capital City has four garrison troops: the Divine Martial Camp, Heroic Guard Camp, Brave Camp, and Imperial Army, each with about fifty thousand troops.

General Fan’s words directly hit the Heroic Guard Camp’s successive defeats, lack of morale, and low combat strength, showing no mercy.

Prime Minister Wang’s face darkened but remained silent.

Duke An glanced at Prime Minister Wang’s grim face, feeling very pleased, and spoke: "I believe General Fan’s words make a lot of sense. If we are to dispatch troops, let General Fan take full manpower. As for the Heroic Guard Camp, they must obey General Fan’s orders."

The only opposition came from Minister Ji of the Ministry of Revenue.

With just one sentence, Minister Ji rebuffed both General Fan and Duke An: "The five thousand soldiers of the Divine Martial Camp require too much grain, supplies, and military expenses; the Ministry of Revenue has no silver."

General Fan, not to be easily impressed, retorted fiercely: "Your Highness, I am a military general and only handle leading troops in battle. The military expenses are not my concern. If the Ministry of Revenue cannot support this, Your Highness should thoroughly inspect the Ministry’s accounts to see where Da Liang’s annual taxes are going."

Minister Ji, clearly exasperated, retorted angrily: "The accounts are all piled up in my signature room; General Fan is free to check them out. Last year’s taxes were only collected at about fifty percent due to northern drought and war. Even if I have ten pairs of arms, I can’t conjure military expenses."

General Fan, towering over Minister Ji with his height, scorned: "That’s your Ministry’s problem. I only fight."

Seeing Minister Ji and General Fan on the verge of quarreling, the Crown Prince felt a headache coming and quickly said: "General Fan, please hold your tongue."

He then addressed Minister Ji: "I know the national treasury is empty, and it is very difficult for the Ministry of Revenue to pull together military expenses. However, given the chaos in Pingzhou, the court must dispatch troops. These military expenses must be found. Minister Ji, please return to the Ministry of Revenue, calculate the accounts, and see exactly how much is still needed. I will then find a solution."

Minister Ji had no choice but to accept the order.

After concluding the official business, General Fan and Duke An went to the Ministry of War, Minister Ji to the Ministry of Revenue office, and the military supplies involved the Ministry of Industry, so the Minister of Industry couldn’t rest idle. The remaining people all returned to the mourning hall.

"Cousin Shao Hua, please stay for a while."

Jiang Shaohua nodded slightly.

Soon, the ministers and vassal kings left, and the Crown Prince’s companions reluctantly withdrew, leaving only the Crown Prince and Jiang Shaohua with complex expressions in the side hall.

"Is my cousin displeased with my overbearing demeanor today?" Jiang Shaohua spoke proactively.

The Crown Prince hesitated for a moment, then said softly: "Regarding the offering of grain seeds, you indeed suffered grievance. The Grand Empress Dowager privately spoke to me about it twice, however, Father was gravely ill at the time, and major court affairs depended on Prime Minister Wang. So, we had to follow Prime Minister Wang’s suggestion and suppress the petition from Nanyang County."

"I am aware of this in my heart. When Father is buried and I ascend the throne, when the court is stable, I will promote the new grain policy of Nanyang County."