Chapter 100 The dilemma of the Northwest (2)
The news spread quickly. The entire northwest army was in a commotion. Chen Jin received the news on the day that Lin Qing had returned. The first thing he did was bring a bramble and ask for punishment because after all, something happened to Lin Qing who was like an imperial envoy on his territory. It wouldn’t be that bad if Lin Qing truly couldn’t come back. No one would look into his failed responsibility. However, Lin Qing had returned now. No matter how, he had some responsibility on this matter.
Chen Jin set up a banquet for Lin Qing on the same day and he personally pleaded guilty in front of Lin Qing. Furthermore, all the generals of the northwest army were present.
It was ridiculous that Chen Jin was too naïve to think that Lin Qing would be too embarrassed to condemn him. However, Chen Jin was wrong. Even if all the officials from the entire northwest was present, Lin Qing was not someone who would pay attention to the way of a gentleman like those civil officials. How could he be embarrassed to blame Chen Jin?
After stabbing Chen Jin with a few words, he made Chen Jin’s face flushed and his beard trembled. Moreover, Lin Qing put suspicions and disloyalty on Chen Jin, frightening the officials that their face paled and they didn’t even dare to utter a sound.
Finally, Chen Jin couldn’t sit still anymore. He was already old and didn’t want to be unable to die in battle and instead being framed by a treacherous official, ruining the reputation that he had accumulated for his whole life.
One had to know that Chen Jin was now in charge of a hundred thousand men. Also, at this northwest, as long he wanted to do something, a hundred answers would come to his single call. No matter if he was in charge or not, the number of men he could call was definitely more than a hundred thousand.
If emperor Jinghui truly suspected that he had ulterior motives, Chen Jin wouldn’t be able to clear himself even if he jumped in the Yellow River. One had to know that since ancient times, there had been countless of emperors who killed the subjects because of their merits. Chen Jin didn’t want to become one of them.
After everyone left the banquet in a hurry, only Chen Jin and Lin Qing were left. Chen Jin explained to Lin Qing that he had already sent out people to try to rescue him with all their effort. It was just that they didn’t succeed. He asked Lin Qing to not make things difficult for him when he still could be of use to Great Liang.
Chen Jin was a warrior. He didn’t know how to sweettalk. Because he was an uncorrupt official, he didn’t have any good things that he could fawn upon Lin Qing with. Moreover, these excuses of his were truly laughable. Letting a treacherous official let someone who had offended him off because of the country, was like a joke when listening to it.
If a treacherous official was so easy to talk to, would he still be a treacherous official?
Lin Qing looked at him ambiguously and said, “General Chen, for so many years, you fought your battles in the northwest and I did my work in Liang capital. When did the memorials that you submitted each year to the court, requesting for merits for the soldiers and provisions, had not been realized? When had I made things difficult for you? However, why were the provisions that I allocated according to the number of men under your command still not enough? Also every winter, regardless of whether there was a battle or not, your request to increase the army provisions would be sent on time to the cabinet and the correspondence of the Department of Supervision. Explain this to this Qiansui!”
Cold sweat appeared on Chen Jin’s forehead. Lin Qing was right. In recent years, he has asked the court for more and more army provision and payments. There was another reason in addition to the increase in battles with the Xiongnu.
He could no longer fully control the generals under his command.
Chen Jin was already at an old age. There were many people with ambitions among the younger generations in the army. Their growing ambitions wasn’t satisfied with the salary they were given. So, they could only take from those soldiers.
Although, the things that these people did made others bristle with anger, but he was already old. He couldn’t face hundreds of thousands of Xiongnu alone. He needed them to lead the soldiers to defend the territory of Great Liang. Furthermore, he didn’t have the guts to cut them all off and educate a new group of people. So, Chen Jin turned a blind eye to these people.
However, the soldier’s food and salary still had to be paid. He couldn’t watch the soldiers who fought battles of life and death for Great Liang, be unable to eat enough food, right?
Therefore, Chen Jin could only submit memorials repeatedly to the court and use this method to fill the gap here.
Chen Jin didn’t dare to imagine that if this method doesn’t work one day or if he dies, who else could subdue these ambitious tiger-like subordinates of his? Also, if the court couldn’t come up with the salary that satisfy their appetite, Chen Jin really couldn’t imagine how the northwest would become in the future.
Lin Qing looked at Chen Jin, sneered and said, “The year before last year, a dike needed to be constructed because of the flood at the Wei River. I don’t have to say how many manpower and physical resources had been spend last year, you will be able to guess it. Even like that, did I ever cut off your soldier’s pay? But what about you?”
Lin Qing slapped the table and said coldly to Chen Jin, “Last year, the Xiongnu pretended to show goodwill to us. Hence, there was no war between us in the winter, but your memorials were still sent to the Department of supervision on time? Do you think I am a fool?! Not only that, forget it if you asked the court for army provisions and soldier’s pay, but can you tell me why you didn’t even notice the tricks that the Xiongnu used against Great Liang?! And let Great Liang give away a bride and lose one’s army on top of it?! Tell me, is my Great Liang’s general Pingxi only so capable?!”
- Give away a bride, to lose one’s army on top of it: suffer a double loss
Lin Qing almost roared at Chen Jin. Chen Jin was stumped for words.
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