Chapter 126: General Pacifier of Bandits

"Guards, seize Hu Chengfu!"

The female soldiers in the hall stepped forward and immediately took Hu Chengfu into custody. Wang He, the Minister of Rites, and Xu Zhong, the Minister of the Court of Foreign Affairs, trembled; they were both loyalists of Jing Tianlie. The other ministers in the court remained silent, though those who usually pandered to Jing Tianlie felt a sense of dread.

The Empress scanned the officials and stated, "Last night, I received a letter from the Governor of Qianjiang Prefecture. Sea bandits have breached Zhenhai County, slaughtering and plundering tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians. Qianjiang is in a state of emergency."

"I sent Wu Wenjing, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, there last year. He dared to deceive me by claiming that Zhenhai County was safe."

"This is a failure of the Ministry of Justice, and there must be an accounting for the tens of thousands of casualties."

The Empress had made the issue clear, sparing the ministers from thinking she was merely purging Jing Tianlie's influence, even though that was indeed the case. Only then did the ministers begin to discuss the issue of the sea bandits, condemning the Ministry of Justice for its reckless deception.

"My esteemed officials, the sea bandits have been harassing our eastern coast for some time, but this time they have actually captured a city. The harm done is immense."

"I intend to select a general to head to Qianjiang Prefecture to eradicate these bandits. Who among you is willing to lead the troops?"

The Empress surveyed the court, but no one responded.

Baili Bing, the Minister of Personnel, stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, although the threat of the sea bandits is not as great as that of Southern Liang or Western Xia, they have been a scourge for decades. To eradicate them completely, we must choose a general who is both wise and courageous."

"In my humble opinion, the Minister of Works, Long Chengen, possesses both courage and strategy. He is capable of taking on this heavy responsibility."

All eyes turned toward Long Chen.

"Long Chengen, what is your opinion?" the Empress asked.

Long Chen bowed and replied, "Your servant knows little about the matter of the sea bandits, I fear..."

It was not that Long Chen was shirking his duty; he simply had not paid attention to the issue of the sea bandits and was unaware of the true state of affairs. Judging by Baili Bing's words, the bandits had existed for decades and remained unsuppressed, which suggested the situation was dire.

Di Luoxi spoke up, "Mother, I am willing to go to Qianjiang Prefecture to suppress the bandits."

The Empress replied, "Li Xiannan has sent a report from Caishi City stating that the Southern Liang forces are showing signs of mobilization. I need to send you to guard Linjiang Town."

The report had just arrived, and the Empress had not yet shown it to Di Luoxi, so she was unaware. The court was already short on generals; there were only Jing Tianlie and his son Jing Feng, and the Third Princess Di Lingyi and Fourth Princess Di Luoxi.

Wang He, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward and bowed. "Your Majesty, for such petty bandits, sending a Great General would be like using a blast furnace to singe a single hair. Success would be certain!"

Wang He felt that since Jing Tianlie had just been suppressed, he needed to find an opportunity for him to perform a meritorious service. However, Jing Tianlie did not think so. The more critical the situation, the more he wanted to haggle to increase his own leverage.

"Your Majesty, I have just received word from Yufo Pass that Western Xia shows signs of attacking. I request to depart immediately to guard the pass and prevent any untoward developments."

Once Jing Tianlie said this, Wang He immediately shut his mouth. The Empress let her gaze linger on Jing Tianlie for over ten seconds before saying, "Granted!"

Jing Tianlie was slightly stunned. He had expected the Empress to keep him detained in the capital; he had not expected her to grant his request.

"Your servant accepts the decree."

Jing Tianlie retreated.

"Then, regarding the suppression of the sea bandits..."

The Empress looked at Long Chen, as did everyone else.

"Your servant is willing to head to Qianjiang Prefecture to eradicate the sea bandits."

There was no choice; no one else could be found.

The Empress was pleased, yet she said in a solemn tone, "With Southern Liang and Western Xia both unstable, I can only provide you with one thousand troops. Are you confident?"

Long Chen was stunned. "One thousand?"

The Empress nodded helplessly.

Di Luoxi grew anxious. "Mother, how can one thousand be enough? You are sending him to his death!"

Di Yuwei chided, "Fourth sister! Mind your tongue!"

The Empress asked, "Well?"

Long Chen thought for a moment and said, "If Your Majesty has no troops to spare, may I be permitted to recruit soldiers locally?"

The Empress replied, "Granted!"

Long Chen bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will certainly eradicate the sea bandits!"

The Empress smiled with satisfaction. "Long Chengen is a pillar of the nation. I appoint you as General of Bandit Suppression. You will continue to serve concurrently as the Minister of Revenue."

With Jing Heng dead, the Ministry of Revenue naturally returned to Long Chen’s hands. Jing Tianlie lowered his head, though the muscles at the corner of his mouth twitched.

"Very well, that is all for today. Court is dismissed."

The Empress rose and returned to the inner chambers, while Long Chen and Di Luoxi returned to the Western Palace. Not long after leaving the court, Ying Feng approached and said the Empress summoned Long Chen to the Fengming Palace for a talk.

Long Chen had expected the Empress to have further instructions, so he followed Ying Feng to the Fengming Palace immediately. Upon arrival, the palace maids were helping the Empress remove her formal court attire and change into daily robes.

The Empress changed in front of Long Chen without any evasion, truly treating him as a eunuch. She spread her arms as the two maids helped her change. Her S-curved silhouette was visible, and she exuded a mature elegance as she turned to glance at Long Chen.

*This woman is far too skilled at this. Damn!*

Once changed, the Empress sat on the couch and gestured for Long Chen to sit beside her. Long Chen bowed and carefully took a seat. He had fought against the Empress before and knew that beneath this delicate and alluring skin lay the ferocity of a Rakshasa.

"Are you afraid of me?" The Empress leaned slightly to the side, resting against the couch, and turned to look at Long Chen.

"Awe and reverence for the monarch is the duty of a subject," Long Chen replied cautiously.

"How are your injuries?" The Empress’s eyes wandered over Long Chen, her tone somewhat suggestive.

Long Chen replied, "Thanks to Your Majesty's concern, after using the divine oil, the injuries have healed very well."

The Empress smiled. "Are they all healed? Take off your clothes; I want to see if you have completely recovered."

Long Chen froze, thinking he had misheard. "Your Majesty..."

"I am only teasing." The Empress giggled, sat up slowly, and shed her playful demeanor. "Are you confident? Although these sea bandits are not a regular army, they are very tenacious. They harass the coast incessantly, and their combat effectiveness is not weak."

Long Chen also set aside his wayward thoughts. "These sea bandits fight when they can win and flee when they cannot. They are difficult for government troops to surround and capture, so they are indeed troublesome."

"However, I believe the root of the problem lies not with the bandits themselves, but with lawless elements along the coast who collude with them. There must be insiders within the cities."

"As long as the internal traitors are eliminated, clearing out the sea bandits will be no issue."

This world was different from the Ming Dynasty, but human nature remained the same. Long Chen suspected that insiders were colluding with the bandits for plunder, which was why he spoke this way.

The Empress nodded. "You couldn't explain it clearly in court, but you are quite right now."

"Beyond clearing the sea bandits, you must also dig out the traitors within. I can only give you one thousand troops."

"Be careful when recruiting locally; do not let the insiders infiltrate your ranks. Qianjiang Prefecture is their territory."

A dragon cannot suppress a local snake; Long Chen understood this principle. "Your servant understands."

The Empress asked again, "I intend to have Cavalry Captain Wu Jian accompany you. What do you think?"

Long Chen quickly said, "There is no need. The coast requires infantry and naval forces; cavalry is of little use."

"However, I do wish for Wu Jian to accompany me." Long Chen had heard from Di Luoxi that the Empress knew Wu Jian's identity. Since she knew, yet still gave him the position of Cavalry Captain, Long Chen did not know what she was planning.

"Do you trust Wu Jian?" the Empress asked meaningfully.

Long Chen quickly replied, "If Your Majesty trusts Wu Jian, then naturally, I trust him too."

The Empress smiled and did not pursue the matter further. "Ying Feng, withdraw one thousand elite soldiers from the Imperial Guard and have them accompany Long Chengen to Qianjiang Prefecture to suppress the bandits."

Ying Feng immediately went to relay the order.

"Your Majesty, your servant has one more matter to report."

"Speak."

With Ying Feng gone, only the Empress and Long Chen remained in the hall, and the Empress grew more relaxed, reclining like a sleeping beauty.