Chapter 417: Chapter 417. The Mistress of Information
After the king issued the mandate, it was no longer open for argunt. However, so people remained unwilling to let things proceed too easily for the thirteenth king.
"Prince Huang San, I have a question," Senior Minister Pu Zhang uttered. "When Your Highness talked about eradicating the rebels, we assu Your Highness will not be using the kingdom army, right?"
"Pu Zhang, isn’t that a little unreasonable?" Pri Minister Zhu Yao said. "How can His Highness face the rebels without bringing troops?"
"Prince Huang San is the one suggesting this. His Highness should be the one figuring it out," Pu Zhang replied. "If we are to mobilize the entire army with the sole purpose of scouring the country to eradicate the rebels, we probably would have taken care of them, but we can’t. This is because the army has many other responsibilities. They are needed for securing the border, taking out confird bandit outposts, investigating spirit beast anomalies, or defending against barbarian raids. We can’t just hand the rein of the army to Prince Huang San for his bet of the throne."
"Minister Pu Zhang is right," Prince Huang Zi seized the argunt. "The military is currently fully occupied. Don’t you say so, First Class General Jiang Tong?"
Soone ca out from the side of the military officials. This person might not have been so noticeable in the crowd, but once he showed himself, he was as eye-catching as General Da Niu. The reason for that was because his skin was unusual. He had dark skin, but not a simple dark color like that possessed by a certain ethnicity. His dark skin had a tallic quality to it. It reflected light. It was as if his skin was layered in bronze.
"I take it that one also possesses a special constitution?" Amon asked Xa Jien.
Xa Jien answered, "Yes, that man is Jiang Tong, the most senior officer in the military court. He can be said to be the leader of all the generals of Echos. He is an ardent supporter of the fourth prince. He has a special constitution that causes his skin to be extrely durable even without using art. When he uses defensive art, he is almost unkillable."
"Your Highness is correct," General Jiang Tong answered Huang Zi’s question. Currently, we are spread thin as it is. The other countries are getting restless by the day. We can’t afford to loosen our border patrols. It might be viewed as a weakness and invites other countries to cause trouble. Furthermore, there are many requests from various towns within Echos to deal with the spirit beast surge. We can spare no one to go on a witch hunt unless we are sure the target is there for us to deal with."
"Even so, the prince cannot fight the rebels without an army," Zhu Yao said. "Surely, you can spare a legion for the prince?"
"Hm...," Jiang Tong made a show of deep contemplation, but everyone knew he was just acting. "The best I can afford is a battalion of one thousand soldiers."
"Make it two thousand," King Huang Ti uttered. He could command the army to provide more troops, but this would draw criticism. People might say it was not Huang San’s rit when he sohow fulfilled his promise.
"Very well, Your Majesty. I will arrange the transfer of these troops to Prince Huang San’s charge," Jiang Tong replied.
"I have a demand," Huang Zi uttered. "I don’t object for Huang San to be bestowed this regint. However, he must pay the soldiers’ wages from his own pocket."
Huang Ti looked at Huang San, who said, "I don’t mind."
"That will be it then," Huang Ti said.
"A regint of two thousand? That is pathetic!" Huang Zhan exclaid. He clapped Huang San’s arm and said, "Don’t worry, little brother. Your brother will send you an additional one thousand troops. You don’t even have to pay their wages. It’s on ! I’m not a cheapskate like soone."
"Hmph!" Prince Huang Zi harrumphed.
"I am grateful, brother," Huang San told Huang Zhan.
"Haha! Accomplish that ridiculous thing you claid you can achieve, and we call it even!" Huang Zhan said. He then turned to Da Niu and ordered, "Da Niu, make the arrangents once you return to the camp."
"Will do, Your Highness," Da Niu replied.
"If there is nothing more, we will end this eting," Huang Ti said.
When everyone was about to leave, a voice addressed Huang San from the lower floor. "Your Highness, do not forget the fort."
The one who spoke was Amon.
Huang San displayed an expression of realizing sothing. He bowed to his father and said, "Father, I also need a place to house my force. There is an old, abandoned fort around two days’ ride to the South of the capital. With your blessing, I would like to use that fort as a base of operation in dealing with the rebels."
"Do you an Fort Fresh Maw?" Huang Ti asked. He might be asking Huang San, but his eyes were on Amon.
"Yes, father. That’s the one," Huang San answered.
"Who is he?" Huang Ti asked. He was referring to Amon.
Huang San glanced at Amon before replying, "He is my good friend from the Royal Academy. He will be aiding
from now on. His na is Amon, but he used to be known as Lin Mo."
"Lin Mo?" Huang Ti turned to Huang Er and asked, "Is he the sa Lin Mo from your report about the eting with the Oredolia dignitaries?"
"... Yes, father. He is the sa person," Huang Er answered. At the beginning of this eting, she was favorable to Amon and was willing to defend him. But after Huang San revealed his intention to vie for the throne, her sentint for Amon was no longer the sa.
Huang Ti nodded. He said, "I’m glad you find good followers. Such people are rare. Very well, Fort Fresh Maw is you to use as you like. It has been abandoned for a long ti, though, so I don’t know if it is still fit for use."
"I will repair it if needed," Huang San said.
"If that is all, let’s conclude our eting here," Huang Ti said and rose from his throne.
No one said anything this ti. Everyone on the lower floor again went down to their knees.
Huang Ti floated into the air. Before he left, he told his children, "It is rare that all of you gathered like this. Do not leave first. I want to have dinner with you all tonight. Just us, family."
The princes and princesses expressed their obedience to the request. After receiving the confirmation, the king flew out of the room.
*
After the gathering was disbanded, Huang San brought Xa Jien and Amon around the palace, visiting related offices. They were settling the administrative processes for the troops and Fort Fresh Maw. The officers told them they could move into the fort anyti they wished. As for the troops, it would take a week to organize and march into the fort.
Huang San also arranged for Amon to transfer to beco a military officer. A military leader was needed to lead their force. Huang San chose Amon to be that leader. For that reason, he fast-tracked Amon to the rank of colonel, which was needed to lead a regint. Under their special situation, and with the help of Pri Minister Zhu Yao, this was taken care of without a problem.
Amon preferred it that way. He was always a military man. He also asked Prince Huang San to initiate Xin Wuming into the military court and placed him in their force. Xin Wuming’s arrangent would take longer. Huang San asked Xa Jien to take care of it while he brought Amon out of the palace.
"I thought you would be having dinner with your family?" Amon asked.
"It is still a few hours before that," Huang San replied. "I want to bring you to et soone."
"Who?" Amon asked.
"When you asked
to take the gamble of eradicating the rebels, you said you wish to use the kingdom’s intelligent network."
"Is this person we are going to et soone from the network?" Amon asked.
"No. She is not a kingdom mber," Huang San answered. "The kingdom’s intelligence office is handled directly by Pri Minister Zhu Yao. Even us from the royal family have no authority over it. Well, we can go in there and give assignnts or ask for information, but Zhu Yao is the one who greenlight the assignnts. Also, so people there might leak our information to Huang Zi or Huang Er. We don’t know who is on our side there."
"So, you are outsourcing," Amon concluded.
"Yes," Huang San confird.
"Does this outsource party good?" Amon asked. "I have been using my Demon Gang mbers for now, but I don’t have enough numbers for the task I intended."
"Well, let’s put it this way. You should rember that aside from ruling Qishurg City, my intention at the Royal Academy was to recruit allies."
"This person we are going to et is soone who used to be in the Royal Academy?"
Huang San nodded. He said, "You are not the only one I recruited. I have many people ready to follow
before... Well, before everything went to hell. This person we are seeing, I promise her the position to lead the intelligence office once I co into power. We sort of lost contact after the Qishurg City disaster, but I keep tabs on her. She continued to hone her expertise after the Royal Academy. She had even acquired a unique title from people who made a deal with her. People now called her the Mistress of Information."
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