The capital
The court debated for two full days on who to send for reinforcements and how many troops to dispatch. Then, the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue began arguing over military funds. Emperor Changwu was deeply vexed. It was said that speed was crucial in warfare, yet matters in court were often delayed, leading to countless missed military opportunities.
Eliminating political rivals came first; no one wanted to be at a disadvantage.
The Ministry of Revenue claimed no money, while the Ministry of War complained of lacking personnel. A dispute of this magnitude wouldn't end without a prolonged battle. However, matters in court were interconnected, and his haste was of no use.
Ouyang Wen was worried about Gu Yanchen and made several trips between the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, but received no definitive answers.
Then, an urgent dispatch from Yangzhou arrived at the capital.
Gu Yanchen had recaptured Yancheng, captured the bandit leader Tuo Bian Shu Ren alive, and killed over a thousand Japanese pirates, while taking four hundred prisoners. The rest had scattered, and pursuit was ongoing. Yancheng had suffered burning, killing, and looting, with a civilian death toll reaching eight thousand. Countless houses were burned, and women were violated. The Prefect of Yangzhou, Feng Yunxian, requested the imperial court to send reinforcements to rebuild Yancheng.
Yancheng was a coastal city and an important port on the Huaiyang Canal. While less prosperous than Yangzhou Prefecture, it was still far better than an ordinary county town, with a population of nearly thirty thousand. In just three days, more than a quarter of its inhabitants had died.
Even veteran generals, upon hearing these numbers, felt a chill.
The joy of victory was washed away by the bloody figures. Emperor Changwu finally recognized the danger in Jiangnan and ordered all memorials submitted by prefects and chiliarchs from Jiangnan to be compiled. He also approved a substantial sum of money, not for rebuilding Yancheng, but for reconstructing the garrisons.
According to the system, each prefecture and garrison typically had around fifty-six hundred men, under five chiliarchates, each commanding 1120 troops. Each chiliarchate was further divided into ten centurionships, each with 112 soldiers, organized into two banner leaders. Each banner leader commanded ten soldiers.
Yet, Yangzhou now had only one chiliarch.
Emperor Changwu deeply regretted this. If the garrisons had not been depleted, with five chiliarchates defending Yangzhou, the city would never have been breached by a few thousand Japanese pirates.
Destroying a city was easy, but rebuilding it was incredibly difficult, not to mention the Japanese pirates still posed a looming threat. Without sufficient troops, who knew which city would suffer next?
Earl Pingning stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, your humble servant believes that discussing military strategies on paper is superficial. The information in the memorials is limited. It would be best to summon those familiar with the situation to the capital for a detailed discussion to determine how to proceed with defense."
Upon hearing this, all the officials turned to look at him.
Earl Pingning was a physician by profession and the Vice Director of the Imperial Medical Academy. Although his noble title granted him the right to attend court, he had never involved himself in political affairs. His sudden intervention today was truly surprising.
Emperor Changwu's brows furrowed, and he looked at Earl Pingning with a gaze heavy with suppressed anger. "Yangzhou only has one commander left. You want me to summon him back?"
"Your humble servant misspoke. Your servant merely believes that someone should explain the situation in Yangzhou and the pirate threat to Your Majesty, to prevent the court from making erroneous judgments."
"Hmph. If a Prefect cannot even write a clear memorial, then it would be better for him to resign early. Duke of Zhenguo."
"Your humble servant is here."
"Since you are a friend of Chiliarch Gu, you will lead the expedition to rebuild Yancheng this time."
Ouyang Wen's heart leaped with joy. "Your humble servant accepts the decree."
Emperor Changwu not only dispatched Ouyang Wen and several ministers from the Grand Secretariat but also ordered the Vice Minister of Works to accompany them. Reconstruction after a disaster required careful planning for housing, and these individuals would be useful.
Emperor Changwu showed no regard for Earl Pingning, dismissing his suggestion with a single sentence and never looking at him again. Earl Pingning stood awkwardly in the center of the hall for a while before quietly retreating back into the ranks.
Ever since his father's death, the Emperor had treated the Pingning Earl's mansion with considerable coldness. Those accustomed to sitting in the cold would not dwell on this minor incident. What worried him was that if Gu Yanchen did not return to the capital, his daughter would not return either, and how would his illness be treated?
That little vixen's heart had run wild after being released. She actually refused to recognize her own father. Earl Pingning was furious when he recalled what Su Yue had said. What did she mean by observing mourning rites for her father when he was still alive? She was mourning for nothing.
It was clearly a deliberate attempt to provoke him.
But the problem was, he had no way to refute it at the moment. He had thought that a young orphan girl, brought back to the capital, would be at his mercy. He never imagined that she would have no intention of acknowledging him. If she couldn't even be brought back, how could he possibly obtain her blood?