Chapter 488: Its Equal to Dying

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

In truth, I must express my grat.i.tude to the Emperor. Thank you for not imposing severe punishment on Su Bin because of me, Minister Lin expressed with grat.i.tude.

The Emperor intended to reiterate his point to Minister Lin but was interrupted by Lord State Duke.

Your Majesty, rebels in the south have been causing unrest for some time now.

May I suggest issuing a decree to dispatch troops to quell the rebellion?

The civil and military officials joined in, urging, Your Majesty, please issue the decree to quell the rebellion!

The Emperor suppressed his inner turmoil. He recalled the anonymous letters warning about not directly confronting the Public House when his own resources were lacking.

It seemed improbable to retract Su Bins transfer order.

Inwardly sighing, the Emperor inquired, Esteemed ministers, which general should lead this campaign?

Before the ministers could voice their suggestions, Lord State Duke preempted them.

Dispatching troops from the capital poses a lengthy journey, and the soldiers may struggle to acclimatize to the southern climate, which could detrimentally impact their combat readiness. I find it more suitable to deploy troops from the closest military camp.

The other ministers unanimously agreed, saying, Lord State Dukes insight is astute.

The Emperor had no choice but to follow Lord State Dukes suggestion. Are you proposing sending troops from the nearest military camp?

Lord State Duke nodded. Your Majesty is wise, thats precisely our recommendation.

Unbeknownst to the Emperor, the nearest military camp was the 200,000-strong army stationed at the southern border. The supreme commander hailed from the Public House, and the Public House held dominion over the military force.

Lord State Dukes suggestion of deploying troops from the southern army prompted speculation regarding potential ulterior motives. It was a well-known tactic employed by the Public House. Whenever they wished to promote someone, theyd propose that this individual take charge of suppressing riots or besieging bandits in a specific area. These actions, whether quelling unrest or encircling bandits, were typically straightforward tasks. By deploying additional soldiers to stage an ostentatious show of force and achieving a significant victory, those in command would naturally receive promotions.

The question remained: who were they seeking to promote on this occasion?

The Emperor furrowed his brow slightly and queried, The number of troops already guarding the southern border is limited. In addition, the terrain is intricate, and a distributed defense is essential. Would deploying troops from there not compromise border security?

The recent outbreak of unrest occurred in a southern county, and the scale of the disturbance was quite substantial. To address it effectively, at least ten thousand troops would need to be dispatched.

The Public Houses actions appeared unusual. Under normal circ.u.mstances, they wouldnt recommend relocating soldiers from the southern camp to other locations.

Lord State Duke offered clarification, The southern border is currently well-protected, with no immediate threat from enemy forces. Deploying a smaller force to address the turmoil is feasible.

Ive heard that a valiant young general has recently emerged at the southern military camp. Despite serving for less than two years, he has already made significant contributions.

He has ascended from a decurion to a tribune solely on the basis of his abilities.

His name is Qin Silong, and he is the younger brother of Su Bins wife, Qin

Zhenzhen.

Lord State Duke then proposed, I suggest entrusting him with leading the troops to quell the disturbance.

The Emperor found this suggestion rather surprising.

The Emperor began to question the Public Houses motives. They appeared to be targeting Su Bin while also lauding Qin Zhenzhens younger brother, Qin Silong.

What was their strategy? Were they aiming to extend their goodwill to Qin Zhenzhen while undermining Su Bin?

Had they abandoned their initial plan to capture them both in one fell swoop?

The Emperors brow furrowed, and he inquired, Qin Silong is merely a chiliarch. How can he lead troops into such a situation?

Sending only 1,000 soldiers to quell the unrest was a recipe for disaster..