mperial decrees in the current reign.And this one, is the fourth person.The rank of Fifth-Rank誥命 (imperial consort) isn't high, but for Zhao Rui, who was merely a concubine to the prince, it was alrea...Chapter 76: The Loyalty of the Entire Su Family
The Qin Dynasty's system of governance was very similar to the era before Li Chen's time travel.
The country is divided into thirteen provinces. The highest administrative official of each province is the Prefect, and military and civilian power are separated in each administration. The highest military commander is the General who leads the Commandery.
Besides the Thirteen Grand Commanderies, there are regions within the Beijing area, including Southern Zhili and Shuntian, which do not have a Commandery but instead have the Five Army Governor's Office and the Imperial Guard directly commanded by the emperor.
The Imperial Guards numbered 30,000, and the five armies under the direct control of the Five Armies Prefectural Office consisted of five divisions: left, right, front, rear, and central, with each division numbering 60,000 men. They guarded the capital city at its heart.
The Five Army Inspectorate was nominally in charge of all the armies in the world and was the highest military institution in the Qin Empire.
But since the founding of the country, in order to prevent the military power from being too concentrated, emperors throughout the ages have been weakening the Five Armies Duhufu's actual power, making it more symbolic.
By now, the Five Armies Inspectorate has become a mascot-like institution.
Therefore, Li Chen's command over the world's troops originated from this. However, the latter half of the sentence implies that the five elite armies, totaling 300,000 men, effectively controlled the left, right, front, and rear, which amounted to cutting off the Ministry of War's accumulated power for many years and transferring it to the Five Armies Inspectorate.
Hu Xianpi's face turned black.
If the military power of these 300,000 men were taken from him, what meaning would there be for him to vie for the position of Minister of War!
"Your Highness, absolutely not!"
Hu Xianpi clasped his hands together, speaking sharply and forcefully: "Throughout history, every previous emperor has weakened the power of the Five Armies Marshal's Mansion in order to prevent the Grand Marshal from having too much concentrated and overwhelming military power. Now, with a single imperial decree from the Crown Prince, 300,000 soldiers are handed back. How can the previous emperors rest easy knowing this!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the court fell silent.
Everyone looked at Hu Xianpi as if he were an idiot.
This old geezer is truly power-hungry, driven mad by his lust for power.
Indeed, Li Chen's gaze fell upon him silently.
"Master Hu, are you suggesting that General Su might rebel"
Li Chen's tone was light, but every word he uttered carried the weight of a thousand pounds, suffocating Hu Xianpi.
That cold voice made Hu Xiangpi, whose head was filled with feverish thoughts, instantly sober up. He was startled and realized that Su Zhen'ting's gaze from the general group was like looking at an irreconcilable enemy.
“Hu Xianpi, my Su family is filled with loyal and righteous people. From my father onwards, every drop of blood in a Su person’s veins has been dedicated to the empire. While my father was fighting for the country, you, Hu Xianpi, were hiding in a humble cottage in Jiangzhe, cramming for the imperial examinations to seek fame and fortune. Now that my father is gone, I will not allow you, a despicable scoundrel, to insult him!”
"Su, General Su, I didn't mean it."
Hu Xianpi panicked.
Even though he had been silent for over a decade, the God of War was not someone that this small-time Left Servant of the Ministry of War could criticize, let alone directly slander him.
"You don't mean that, then what do you mean"
Su Zhen'ting would never let go of this meticulously crafted opportunity presented by Li Chen. He took a step forward, his eyes narrowed with rage, and roared: "Our family had seven members who joined the army together and fought for the country for twenty-nine years. Of our ancestors and relatives, there were seven left after all the battles; only my father remained. The other six, along with my brothers, nephews, and cousins, a total of thirty-two people across two generations, are now reduced to me alone. My third generation consists only of my son Su Pingbei and daughter Su Jinping. All our uncles have died, leaving no descendants. Not one died from old age, illness, or accident. Every single one perished on the battlefield. Even my father, at the ripe age of eighty, died because of his war injuries that resurfaced after years of relentless combat."
"The late Emperor once said, the Su family are loyal and valiant through generations, they have not disappointed the empire's trust, they are the soul of the army. How can such a proverb be sullied by you alone!"
After finishing his words, Su Zhen Ting knelt before Li Chen with a thud, and angrily pleaded: "Your Highness, the Prince, this subordinate begs you, to clear my Su family's name!"
"Your Highness, please clear Su Family's name!"
In the court, most of the generals knelt down and spoke at the same time.
At this point, the generals' group had already formed a united front.
Li Jin looked again at Zhao Xuanji, and saw instead a face ashen with anger.cademy"And the primary purpose of this academy was two-fold: first, to cultivate talent for the imperial examinations for the government."The second is to prepare a talent pool for the nationwide educ...