The room fell silent.
The large-scale mobilization of government soldiers from the northern lands this time was because Uncle Qinghe wanted to cleanse and replace his loyal generals. This was something everyone knew, but they didn't expect Uncle Qinghe to be so straightforward about it.
The generals didn't know how to react for a moment.
Uncle Qinghe's expression was calm.
"Why am I doing this? Because the emperor has commanded the arrest of Duke of Chengguo," he said. "You all know Duke of Chengguo has committed treason and fled to avoid punishment. Do you know that Duke of Chengguo has already escaped to the northern lands?"
Some in the room knew, some didn't, and a buzz of discussion erupted. Uncle Qinghe raised his hand, motioning for them to be quiet.
"General Wei, why did Duke of Chengguo flee to the northern lands?" he said, his gaze falling on General Wei.
General Wei's face turned red as he struggled to find words.
"Because Duke of Chengguo knows these northern lands are his territory," Uncle Qinghe said. "Just because some of you are here, he is sure he will be sheltered."
General Wei seemed both ashamed and angry.
"No, Lord Bo, we are soldiers of the great Zhou. If Duke of Chengguo is guilty, we will not protect him," he said. "You cannot question us like this. Many officials and soldiers in these northern lands once served under Duke of Chengguo, but the northern lands are not his. We all belong to the great Zhou..."
Before he could finish, Uncle Qinghe chuckled and interrupted him.
"Questioning you?" he said, his hand resting on his waist, patting his sword with a clanging sound. "Did you not hear what I said?"
What words?
Everyone looked at him.
"Duke of Chengguo has already fled to the northern lands," Uncle Qinghe said, his previously calm face suddenly bristled, as he drew his sword and slashed it onto the sand table with a snap.
The large sand table was split and fell to the ground, making a sharp sound that echoed in the night, yet inside and out remained silent.
"How did he reach the northern lands?"
Uncle Qinghe's angry voice rang out.
"How far is it from the capital to Mallor Pass? How many troops are stationed there? How many checkpoints are there?"
"And yet he managed to travel unimpeded without anyone knowing?"
He pointed his sword at General Wei.
"Tell me, how did he do it?"
General Wei's face alternated between red and white, breaking out in a sweat, not from the chilling blade pointed at his nose.
"Your humble servant..." he said in a hoarse voice.
Uncle Qinghe had already withdrawn his sword, turned away, his expression cold.
"Without someone assisting and sheltering him, he couldn't fly over here," he said.
The generals suddenly understood and nodded vigorously.
"That's right, exactly so."
"I always suspected these checkpoints weren't reliable."
They said angrily, their expressions mocking as they looked at General Wei.
"General Wei, do you have anything else to say?" Someone sneered, glancing at him sideways. "Who knows, maybe General Wei's questioning of Lord Bo wasn't by chance, but because he was entrusted by someone else, and this so-called mobilization is inconvenient for some people, isn't it?"
General Wei's face turned even redder.
"Old Wei, I can't guarantee if there are such people," he said. "But Old Wei would never do such a thing. Although I don't know if Duke of Chengguo is guilty of treason, as the order for his arrest has been issued by Lord Bo and the dynasty, if I know Duke of Chengguo's whereabouts, I will definitely capture him and report."
Uncle Qinghe made a sound.
"Well then, General Wei, you should lead people to arrest him," he said casually. "The dynasty is pressing urgently."
Now even the Yongjing Army need not go, the other generals smirked, and General Wei's expression looked grimmer.
"Lord Bo, your questioning isn't wrong, but I think at this critical moment, it's not appropriate to act in this way. Please consider the bigger picture. Believe in the majority of the generals in the northern lands. Even if you mobilize and adjust defenses, do it gradually. Acting hastily now would truly shake the army's morale..." he said through clenched teeth.
Uncle Qinghe turned back to look at him and laughed.
"It seems Duke of Chengguo treated you very well," he said. "Each of you is eloquent, refuting and questioning your superior confidently."
The other generals were also increasingly furious.
"Wei Shunqing, you damn fool, what the hell do you know, stop gesticulating," everyone cursed. "Do you understand more than Lord Bo?"
General Wei clenched his teeth and stepped forward.
"If Lord Bo knows so much, then why did a military uprising happen back then?" he shouted.
Upon hearing this, Uncle Qinghe's face changed drastically.
The turning point in Uncle Qinghe's fate was the battle of Ma River, where his undefeated record faced its greatest defeat, not because of the ferocity of the Jurchen people, but because of a mutiny within the army.
Because of this mutiny, the emperor nearly ordered his execution. Fortunately, many pleaded for his life, saving him, but he lost control of the northern land forces and left dejectedly.
This was a past Uncle Qinghe wouldn't allow anyone to mention, especially not to be questioned like this. The other generals were dumbfounded.
"Very well." Uncle Qinghe looked at General Wei and nodded, raising his hand, his voice calm, "Someone, take him down."
"Lord Bo, I have no objection to removing Duke of Chengguo's forces, and I know it's inevitable. I just hope you consider the bigger picture and realize that the Jurchen people still lurk outside..." General Wei shouted.
The other generals regained their senses and, without waiting for Uncle Qinghe's command, crowded in to suppress General Wei, preventing him from speaking further.
"Precisely because the Jurchen people lurk, we need internal stability. Otherwise, if Duke of Chengguo, this traitor, colludes with the Jurchen people, that would be the greatest danger," Uncle Qinghe said coldly. "Take him away, investigate who instructed him and what his intentions are to disrupt our military defenses."
The generals responded in unison and dragged General Wei outside.
"Lord Bo, what you're doing is wrong... it disrupts the army's morale... it won't benefit you..." General Wei struggled and shouted, but his voice quickly disappeared with a cry of pain.
After a flurry of footsteps, the courtyard returned to silence.
The soldiers standing outside the hall remained solemn as if they saw nothing, while the passing clerks turned paler and hurried away, fearful beyond words.
Inside the hall, silence reigned as before, the sand table scattered on the floor. Uncle Qinghe stood amidst the mess, his expression wooden.
"Lord Bo." A general stepped forward tentatively, "This Wei Shunqing was promoted by Zhu Shan himself. He once caused a pay issue that almost led to execution, he surely..."
Uncle Qinghe raised his hand to stop him.
"No need to speak of these trivial matters. I won't hold it against him," he said, bowing toward the direction of the capital with his hand. "The most pressing issue now is to capture Zhu Shan and uphold the emperor's command. As long as Zhu Shan remains at large, the northern lands will remain unsettled."
The generals responded in unison, and called in soldiers to reorganize the sand table, although it couldn't be used tonight. Uncle Qinghe dismissed everyone, leaving only a few generals by his side, and walked toward the side hall to rest.
"Lord Bo, the mobilization is mostly arranged, there's no problem," a general said while looking at the Defense Map. "There's just one troop I don't know how to arrange..."
Uncle Qinghe frowned slightly, and a general beside him quickly spoke up.
"Old Four, what are you saying? Orders are absolute, is it not easy to arrange?" he scolded.
The general called Old Four smiled apologetically.
"That's not what I meant," he said. "It's just that this troop is a bit complex."
"Complex?" Uncle Qinghe frowned, "How do you mean complex?"
"It's the Qingshan Army," the general said.
Ah, the Qingshan Army, as the name was spoken, everyone's expression, including Uncle Qinghe's, became a bit complex.
The side hall was lit with a few lamps, softer than the ones in the main hall and accommodating fewer people. Only four or five sat around, adding a touch of night tranquility.
But their conversation was anything but peaceful or gentle.
"This Qingshan Army must be eliminated," a general said with fierce determination.