Chapter 538: Two Years Later

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

In the blink of an eye, two years had passed.

In the southeast coastal area, news of pirates disturbing the borders would spread to the capital from time to time. From the previous dynasty to the inner residence, everyone’s expression changed when they talked about the pirates. The pirates suddenly became monsters that ate people and crying children.

Fortunately, there was a navy participating in the battle. They did not let the pirates kill their way ashore.

However, ships at sea were often plundered.

The Imperial Court did not know if they had really been “threatened” by the Zhejiang navy. Song Xiuwen, who should have been dealt with long ago, was locked up in the Court of Justice after being escorted into the capital.

It was also because of this that Zhejiang Qingliu naturally refused to let go of Song Xiuwen’s case. From time to time, they would use Song Xiuwen as an excuse to accuse the Zhejiang navy of letting the pirates become ferocious and raising bandits as a problem. They would ask the emperor to issue a decree to punish them.

Song Xiuwen’s matter had also completely exploded. The conflict between the navy and Zhejiang Qingliu rose.

The two sides fought in full swing, losing many people to each other.

The three counties under Ye Hanyuan’s control could still be more stable.

In the past two years, they had recruited a few maritime bandits and recruited some soldiers under the age of 40 who had retired from the army because of injuries and illnesses. They had hired a doctor to treat their injuries.

He had reorganized a decent navy and was not controlled by the Zhejiang capital.

At first, someone from the Imperial Court even impeached Ye Hanyuan, saying, “Ye Hanyuan has appointed bandits and is suspected of colluding with them. Please issue a decree to investigate.”

As the current Left Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs, Yu Zongzheng, had interacted with Ye Hanyuan previously and was from the Imperial Court. He immediately criticized the person in charge of the Imperial Court

“In recent years, the pirates have become a problem. The navy was not strong enough to resist the pirates and allowed the pirates to plunder the merchant ships on the sea, causing our Great Zhou to suffer a huge loss. Lord Ye was also forced to set up his own navy because the navy was incompetent and couldn’t resist the pirates. The resistance against the pirates has already been effective. It’s obvious that those pirates who have been recruited have really surrendered to the Imperial Court. Since they have the heart and loyalty to a leader, why should we talk about their background?”

“You’re accusing Lord Ye of colluding with pirates. You’ve never been to Zhejiang. Do you know how difficult it is to train a navy? Lord Ye’s actions have greatly reduced the pressure on the Imperial Court to nurture a navy. It’s a righteous move.”

“As soon as Lord Ye arrived in Zhejiang, he organized an anti-Japanese resistance. He’s much better than some people who only reach out to ask the Imperial Court for money but don’t do their best to eliminate the pirates. The Imperial Court shouldn’t be punished. They should be rewarded.”

Who in the court did not know the sinister intentions of the Zhejiang capital to suppress the pirates?

However, if the Imperial Court wanted to reorganize Zhejiang, not only did they have to have a reason, but they also needed a capable general who could manage the navy.

Song Xiuwen had the title, but there were only a handful of generals in the Imperial Court who were good at water battles. This was also because each had his own task and there was no spare capacity.

As for Ye Hanyuan, even if he had some ability, he was not qualified.

As the saying went, “It’s easy to obtain a thousand troops, but difficult to find a general.”

It was already very difficult to nurture a navy, and it was even more difficult to nurture an outstanding navy general.

The capital of Zhejiang controlled more than ten prefectures and counties along the southeast coast.

Previously, Song Xiuwen had presided over the coastal battle in Shandong. As he was quite capable, he was transferred to Zhejiang. At that time, the emperor might have had the intention to reorganize Zhejiang.

However, what happened after Song Xiuwen arrived in Zhejiang?

It was rare for a general who was proficient in the navy to be implicated. Now, if the emperor wanted to send a navy general to Zhejiang, someone had to go!

Even if he forced someone to go, what was the use?

The emperor endured the Zhejiang navy and did not take the Imperial Court seriously. Would he really let it go?

Heh, just from the fact that the emperor had never dealt with Song Xiuwen and let the navy and Zhejiang Qingliu fight to the death, it was obvious that the emperor had sinister intentions towards the officials of Zhejiang.

When Ye Hanyuan first went to Zhejiang, the capital might not have been afraid.

However, at the end of autumn two years ago, when the Di people disturbed the border, King Wumu commanded the You army and killed more than a thousand Di people. He cut off all the heads of the Di people and hung them on the city gate of the narrow Yu Pass.

The Di people felt that their dignity had been greatly damaged, so they sent a few waves of people to snatch the heads.

However, they were all killed in waves.

A new wave of heads would then be on display.

For an entire month, the blood at the entrance of the narrow Yu Pass was not dry.. At first, some people felt that it was cruel, and there were even court officials who participated in King Wumu’s opposition, pointing out that he was cruel.

However, the North was invaded by the Di people all year round. Not only did the Di people kill and snatch things, but they also often slaughtered the commoners and set the city on fire. They were even more hated than the pirates.

Every day, the commoners of the North would run to the narrow Yu pass to watch this bloody scene, regardless of the distance. No one was afraid.

Everyone hated the Di people. Even children dared to pick up the stones on the ground and throw them at the heads of the Di people.

At this point, no one felt that it was cruel anymore.

Many scholars and calligraphers in the North even felt that it was satisfying and wrote many poems for King Wumu.

Now, a year had passed, and the heads of the Di people were still hanging on the narrow Yu Pass to show off their victory, but they had already become dried.

This also became a scene at Di Yuguan. Many outsiders specially went to the North to see the dried heads and admire King Wumu’s heroic feat.

It was also because of the dried heads hanging all over the city tower that the autumn and winter festival in the North last year welcomed a long-lost peace.

This battle once again made King Wumu famous.

At the same time, it also intimidated the capital of Zhejiang.

As a result, Ye Hanyuan completely established himself in Zhejiang.

The emperor sighed in the golden hall. “If King Wumu was in good health and was sent to Zhejiang to fight the pirates, I don’t think I would have a headache dealing with Jiangnan.”

No matter how powerful the pirates were, they were still a group of bandits.

Even if they went ashore and killed their way into the city, they would only kill a few more people and steal some wealth.

However, the Northern Barbarians were a large tribe. Not only were they strong, but their people were also valiant and warlike Once they sent troops north, they would threaten the Great Zhou Dynasty.

If Yin Huaixi could kill the Di people, what were a few pirates?

So what if he wasn’t proficient in water combat?

With his brain, if he was given some time, would he be afraid that he wouldn’t be able to learn how to command water battles?

Unfortunately, he was crippled.

Ye Hanyuan was not bad either, but he was not as good as Yin Huaixi.

Not only was there an ongoing matter in Zhejiang not stop, but there was one in Shandong too.

Two years ago, the emperor had issued a decree asking the King of Dongning to help the officials of the various prefectures in Shandong to rule over Shandong and eliminate the accumulated ills of the clan. After he received the decree, he publicized the law of the Great Zhou in Shandong wantonly and strictly ordered the clan’s law to be greater than the law of the country.

At first, no one took it to heart.

After all, the Imperial Court often sent inspectors to Shandong to publicize the law of the country. After experiencing such things many times, it was a normal event.

However, not long after the Spring Festival, the King of Dongning had a fierce conflict with the clan.

The reason was that a few private soldiers raised by the clan had forcefully snatched commoners’ women on the streets. They had been seen by the King of Dongning’s men and were killed on the spot. The clan was indignant, so they reported it to the officials and asked the state government office to give them an explanation..

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