Chapter 5373 Challenging Li Ji

Chapter 5373 Challenging Li Ji
The atmosphere inside the Wude Hall was solemn.

All the ministers had heard about the murder case that had caused such a stir this morning, but they never expected that His Majesty would bring it up on such an important occasion.

Although "human life is of paramount importance", how could the death of a mere old woman possibly catch the eye of an emperor who was busy with countless affairs of state?
This is extremely unusual.

Fang Jun picked up his teacup, took a small sip of tea, lowered his eyes, and remained silent.

He had just been privately informed by Yuwen Jie and Di Renjie that he was still unable to figure out whether there were any conspiracies or schemes behind it, so he decided to remain neutral and not comment for the time being.

The first person to respond to His Majesty's question was once again unexpected.

Li Ji, the Duke of Yingguo, who was always low-key and composed, and could even be described as "holding a position without doing any work," spoke in a deep voice: "The safety of the Eastern Palace has always been of paramount importance, and no amount of precaution is too much. However, the so-called 'Shenji Battalion' is neither among the six guards of the Eastern Palace nor in the order of the Tang army. It is no exaggeration to say that it is a ragtag army. Its long-term stationing in the Eastern Palace has aroused a lot of doubts, and it should be abolished."

The atmosphere inside the Wude Hall suddenly became tense.

With several generals of the Crown Prince's Six Guards being dismissed or transferred, the "Shenji Battalion" was the last army completely loyal to the Crown Prince and obeying only his orders. Not to mention the importance of the "Shenji Battalion" for the defense of the Crown Prince's Palace, its symbolic significance alone was unparalleled.

Li Ji, as the foremost meritorious official of the Zhenguan era, was the first to prepare to take action against the "Shenji Camp." If the "Shenji Camp" were to be disbanded, it would give the outside world the impression that "the Crown Prince is unstable and a change of heir is imminent."

This information should not be underestimated. Among the civil and military officials who support the Crown Prince, there are not many who truly uphold legitimacy like Fang Jun. Most people are drawn to the benefits that the title of Crown Prince can bring.

Ultimately, it all boils down to seeking a share of the credit for "helping the emperor rise to power."

If the crown prince is about to be deposed, these people will inevitably turn against him like reeds in the wind, and the harm to the power and influence of the Eastern Palace will be immeasurable.

Liu Ji, who should have been expressing his opinion, frowned and seemed to be deep in thought.

Ma Zhou looked around, hesitant to speak, knowing he couldn't easily express his opinion on military matters, otherwise he would be suspected of overstepping his bounds.

The second person to speak was Xu Jingzong.

He nodded, echoing Li Ji's words: "Your opinion is mature and prudent. Organizations like the 'Shenji Battalion,' which are not part of the military order, do more harm than good and should be abolished, and the defense of the Eastern Palace should be returned to the Eastern Palace Commander."

The others were shocked once again.

Xu Jingzong had always followed Fang Jun's lead, even to the point of being completely obedient. Naturally, he was a staunch member of the "Crown Prince Party" just like Fang Jun. With his achievements in measuring fields and other areas over the past few years, his prestige had soared, and he was considered one of the pillars of the Eastern Palace.

Everyone knows that Fang Jun is the true controller of the "Divine Machine Battalion".

However, Xu Jingzong is now openly echoing Li Ji's suggestion to abolish the "Shenji Battalion"...

Is this a betrayal of Fang Jun?!

Everyone looked at Fang Jun, only to see him still slowly drinking his tea, without even lifting his eyelids.

Minister of War Liu Rengui spoke up: "I cannot agree with what Minister Ying and Minister Xu said. Although the 'Shenji Battalion' is outside the military order, it is by no means a ragtag army. When the Prince of Jin rebelled and stormed into the Eastern Palace, both the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace and the Imperial Guards were breached. Only the 'Shenji Battalion' fought to the death and turned the tide, protecting the Crown Prince and making great contributions. If such a powerful army is to be disbanded, then the likes of the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace are probably unnecessary."

Li Ji shook his head and said, "The reason why the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace performed poorly and suffered heavy casualties in the mutiny was because their officers were incompetent, their training was lax, their morale was low, and they lacked the will to protect the Crown Prince to the death. This is what makes the 'Divine Machine Battalion' so formidable. Now that most of the officers of the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace have been transferred or demoted, their morale has been completely renewed. With my personal supervision and training, they will surely become an impregnable fortress for the Eastern Palace."

Liu Rengui hesitated, then remained silent.

Ultimately, his status was far inferior to Li Ji's, and he had little room to refute Li Ji's oppressive aura. Since Li Ji said he would personally train the six guards of the Eastern Palace, would Liu Rengui dare to say, "You can't do it either"?
Even if I said it, it would only invite ridicule.

After all, Li Ji had fought countless battles and never suffered a defeat; this achievement was enough to completely overshadow Liu Rengui...

Liu Xiangdao also spoke up, saying, "A murder occurred at the West Market gate today. Regardless of the punishment, there is much discussion in the market about the 'Divine Machine Battalion,' with many negative comments such as 'arrogant and domineering' and 'young and impetuous.' This has even affected the reputation of the Crown Prince. We should handle this carefully to avoid damaging the Crown Prince's prestige."

Li Chengqian looked at Fang Jun: "What does the Grand Commandant think?"

Fang Jun then put down his teacup, glanced around, and said with a relaxed expression, "The teaching methods of Zhenguan Academy are different from those of the past. In addition to teaching Confucian classics and the principles of forgiveness, it also offers subjects such as mathematics and physics. The 'Military Training Hall' teaches the latest tactical concepts to all officers of the Tang army at the middle and upper ranks through rotational training. The academy's purpose is to 'learn for practical application,' and every student who leaves the academy can contribute to the prosperity of the empire in their respective fields... and the 'Divine Machine Battalion' is set up for the students of the academy to practice martial arts."

Li Chengqian frowned: "Is this really necessary?"

“It is absolutely necessary!” Fang Jun said decisively. “As the empire grows stronger, all the surrounding barbarians have bowed down. It is conceivable that for a long time to come, the empire’s might will be overwhelming and unmatched. No foreign race will dare to challenge the empire’s military might. In order to consolidate its foundation and implement new policies, the empire will not launch wars and destroy countries without reason. It is inevitable that weapons will be stored away and horses will be allowed to graze freely.”

"We must not play with weapons, for if we play with them, we will lose our power; we must not neglect our troops, for if we neglect them, we will invite invaders! No matter how powerful our empire is, the wolfish ambitions of the surrounding barbarian tribes must not be extinguished. They will surely rise up and attack us if we relax our vigilance even slightly. Therefore, we must always remember the warning that 'even if the world is at peace, forgetting war will lead to danger,' and always maintain the martial spirit of youth to exert continuous pressure on the outside world."

Li Chengqian remained silent.

Although he was eager to abolish the "Shenji Camp," he also believed that Fang Jun's words made sense. The Tang Dynasty gained the world and became powerful through military force, and the martial spirit was fundamental. How could they really pursue civil administration and abandon their martial skills during a prosperous era?
However, as long as the "Divine Machine Battalion" exists, the defense of the Eastern Palace will be as solid as a rock, and the court and the public will have full confidence in the Eastern Palace.

If we cannot weaken it, how can we talk about changing the heir apparent?
Li Ji knew that His Majesty was no match for Fang Jun in the discussion about military affairs, so he said, "Even if the students of the academy should maintain a martial spirit, the 'Shenji Battalion' can also train in the tactics of firearms warfare, but they may not be stationed in the Eastern Palace for a long time."

Fang Jun smiled and raised an eyebrow: "Maintaining and improving the army's combat strength lies not only in 'training' but also in 'competition.' Constant competition is the foundation of a strong army. The soldiers of the 'Shenji Battalion' are all students from the academy, green-blooded youths, and they need a competitive spirit to solidify their tactical knowledge. How about this: Your Excellency Yinggong personally trains the Six Guards of the Eastern Palace, and I will serve as the instructor of the 'Shenji Battalion.' We will set a date and compete against each other. This competitive atmosphere will promote the army's combat strength. What does Your Excellency Yinggong think?"

Li Ji's expression was solemn.

The others also held their breath, realizing the seriousness of the situation.

Everyone understood Fang Jun's meaning. This was no longer a competition between the Six Commanders of the Eastern Palace and the "Divine Machine Battalion," but rather Fang Jun was actively challenging Li Ji's position as the "Number One Person in the Military"!

Although Fang Jun had achieved numerous military exploits and was invincible over the years, his reputation had gradually surpassed that of Li Ji. However, Li Ji's past achievements in destroying countries had solidified the foundation of the empire. He had made great contributions in a series of "foundation wars" and, due to his seniority and seniority, he had always been ahead of Fang Jun.

But now, Fang Jun is openly challenging Li Ji in front of Li Chengqian!

Standing to the side, Liu Xiangdao hesitated slightly and said, "Grand Commandant, isn't this a bit unfair to Duke Ying? Firearms are now unmatched in the world, and you, Grand Commandant, were the first to develop and use them. You are intimately familiar with their performance and tactics, making you unparalleled in the world. To challenge Duke Ying with this advantage, even if you win, would be an unfair victory."

Fang Jun laughed and said, "So you know that I developed and used firearms?"

Liu Xiangdao was taken aback: "Who in the whole world doesn't know this?"

Fang Jun looked on with curiosity: "Since you know that I am the one who invented firearms and that most of my achievements come from firearms, why don't you let me use firearms? You were able to become the Imperial Censor precisely because you are familiar with the laws of the Tang Dynasty and can recite them at will, right? According to your logic, can I also say that you are a licentious official and then demand that you not recite the laws when others are competing with you for the position of Imperial Censor?"

Since I have developed firearms and made unparalleled contributions when using them against the enemy, why can't I challenge Li Ji with firearms now?
Liu Rengui laughed loudly: "The Imperial Censor is really delirious. The reason we are sitting here to assist His Majesty in governing the country is precisely because of our past merits. These merits will not only benefit us for a lifetime, but also our descendants. You can't expect us to throw these merits aside and then 'compete fairly' with those greenhorns who graduated from the academy, can you?"

Li Chengqian waved his hand, stopping Liu Xiangdao, who was blushing and about to speak, and said with a faint smile: "Both of you are meritorious officials of the country, needless to say. The rest are also brave warriors of the empire. Every casualty of any of them is a loss to the country. It is one thing to die on the battlefield when fighting abroad, but how can we let them be lost at home? You need not mention such things as brothers fighting each other and comrades killing each other again. I will never allow it."

Duke Li Ji of Yingguo was unparalleled in both infantry and cavalry warfare. The only comparable figure was Duke Li Jing of Weiguo, who had not been involved in military affairs for many years, yet he had no chance of winning against firearms-equipped troops.

He feared that Li Ji would accept Fang Jun's challenge out of shame and anger, and if he failed, his prestige would be greatly damaged, and the title of "Number One in the Army" would be completely lost.

Now that Li Ji is his strongest ally, how can he just stand by and watch Fang Jun defeat and surpass him?