That being said, although Emperor Zhao didn't cause too much alarm among the high-ranking officials this time, and even created a somewhat pleasant cooperative feeling, in such a chaotic situation, even with the united hearts of the monarch and his ministers, how easy would it be to appease tens of thousands of soldiers, especially the three thousand from the Western Army's main force who were disgruntled about Liu Guangshi?

After an hour of commotion, the imperial decree regarding rewards finally spread throughout the army. However, after a burst of cheers, disputes arose over who should receive the rewards first and who should receive them later. By the time Lü Haowen and Zhang Jun had gathered the most active officers, Emperor Zhao had already finished rewarding the Imperial Guards. After giving a few instructions, he personally led Yang Yizhong towards the small fort on the mountaintop.

However, before even reaching the central tent, Zhao Jiu could already hear a clamorous noise inside, indicating that Lü and Zhang were unable to control the situation.

"Your Majesty!" Seeing Zhao Jiu about to stride in, Yang Yizhong became anxious and directly stepped in front of him to block his path.

"It's alright. If they wanted to rebel, they would have done so long ago. This commotion is either to ask for more rewards, or a deliberate attempt to escape to the south to avoid battle. They have no intention of dealing with me!" Zhao Jiu calmly replied, then stepped past two Imperial Guards who had just finished receiving their rewards and were now panicking and saluting.

Helpless, Yang Yizhong could only follow in fear.

Emperor Zhao, dressed in a round-collared red robe, wearing a winged official hat, and with a specially chosen golden belt around his waist, felt a wave of heat rush towards him as soon as he entered the tent.

Initially, the group of Western Army ruffians inside the tent had maintained some semblance of order. But first, Lü Haowen had a good temper; second, Zhang Jun was young; and third, Qiao Zhongfu and Zhang Jing were still preparing the rewards below and hadn't arrived yet. So, after several probes, coupled with some instigation, the tent gradually became unruly, and now everyone was in disarray.

Regardless, the sudden appearance of such a young man in that attire, especially one whose face many had seen before, immediately sent a chill down their spines. A collective gasp echoed through the tent.

"In the army, is it now the custom to not salute upon seeing the Emperor?" Zhao Jiu fanned away the heat, sat down in the seat Lü Haowen had hastily vacated, and calmly inquired.

After all, he was the legitimate Emperor. Seeing this, how could the Western Army officers dare to continue their nonsense? Led by a few experienced officers, they lined up according to their ranks, bowed, and greeted him.

"Rise," Zhao Jiu gestured, but only allowed them to stand, not to sit.

Many officers exchanged glances, secretly alarmed. Some, unfamiliar with protocol, turned to sit down, but quickly returned to their standing positions. However, this initial shock soon faded.

Because Emperor Zhao sat there, expressionless but serious, and spoke directly and to the point:

"Today is almost the New Year, but not yet. I am only twenty-one years old, just a frivolous playboy in the capital in ordinary times. However, because the country has suffered such a great upheaval, I have been forced to become this Emperor. So, I truly don't understand your intricacies. Today, I will simply speak frankly... Gentlemen, with a great enemy at our doorstep, what are you trying to achieve by making such a fuss? If you don't make it clear, how can I know your intentions? Is it because you were chased so miserably by the Jin and had to cross the river in such haste, losing all your accumulated wealth? Or are you speaking up for Liu Guangshi? Or have you become so frightened by the Jin that you no longer wish to serve in the army?"

Silence fell in the tent.

"One by one, no one can escape." Zhao Jiu casually pointed to the person at the front, whom he remembered had been gesticulating wildly at Zhang Jun when he entered. "What is your name, rank, and where are you from? Why are you stirring up trouble, and why are you unwilling to listen even when the Chancellor and the Censor-in-Chief come to persuade you?"

"Your subject is called Zhang Yongzhen!" This man was over thirty years old, extremely tall, and when he cupped his fist in salute, the tattoo on his hand was revealed. He gritted his teeth and raised his head, saying, "Currently serving as a Zhun Bei Jiang (preparatory general) directly under Grand Commandant Liu… Liu! From Longyou! This… this time creating chaos here, your subject is the main culprit, and has been caught in the act. Your Majesty, you can kill me or dismember me, your subject has nothing to say!"

"I asked you why you are stirring up trouble, not who you want me to kill or dismember!" Zhao Jiu sat still, his expression unchanged. "Is it for money, for Liu Guangshi, or are you afraid of the Jin and only want to run away?"

"Your… your subject has a little of each reason." Forced into a corner, Zhang Yongzhen could only stiffen his neck and reply, "Your subject was originally in Yan'an Prefecture, with his wife and children there. I've been in the army for over ten years, and managed to get a decent rank. But when the Jin came last year, everything was gone! I… Your subject followed Grand Commandant Liu and found Your Majesty in Hebei. Since then, we've been retreating south, farther and farther away from home. I don't know what the west is like, whether the Jin have entered Yan'an Prefecture, whether my wife has abandoned my children and remarried? We're just retreating south, and the farther south we go, the more I worry! I finally managed to save some belongings by suppressing bandits, but lost everything again during this southern escape! After crossing the river, Grand Commandant Liu, whom I had followed for so long, was killed by Your Majesty after just one night... I don't know what the future holds, so I couldn't help but argue with the ministers and officials!"

"I understand." Zhao Jiu stared at him, remaining silent for a long time before speaking, his tone much gentler. "Actually, who doesn't miss home? Last night, before I killed Liu Guangshi, I even dreamed of the past! But the situation is such that we can't go back, so what can we do? And the matter of killing Liu Guangshi, isn't it ultimately because I miss home too much?"

Lü, Zhang, and Yang, standing beside Zhao Jiu, were all intelligent men and pondered over his words. Although the Zhang Zhun Bei Jiang didn't understand the connection between killing Liu Guangshi and missing home, he could only lower his head upon hearing the Emperor's sincere tone.

"I understand what you mean." Zhao Jiu continued, his expression slightly softened. "You miss home, want wealth, and are speaking up for Liu Guangshi – all three… is that right?"

"Yes!" Zhang Yongzhen also came to his senses and admitted through gritted teeth.

"Since you miss home, then you don't intend to abandon your post and run to the south, do you?" Zhao Jiu suddenly asked again. "You wouldn't be so scared by the Jin that you've lost your nerve, would you?"

"Of course not!" Zhang Yongzhen immediately replied. "Although your subject is indeed a little afraid of the Jin, it's because I know we can't beat them, not to the point that Your Majesty implies."

"I understand. You may sit down." Zhao Jiu casually pointed, and Zhang Yongzhen, confused, obediently sat down in a seat on one side of the tent.

Emperor Zhao then casually pointed to another person.

And so it went, with seventy or eighty officers in the tent, of vastly different ranks. At first, some didn't dare to be presumptuous in front of Zhao Jiu and admitted their mistakes throughout. But later, seeing that the Emperor was indeed sincere, and that admitting their mistakes had no repercussions, they gradually revealed their true thoughts. The reasons were varied.

Almost all of them had lost their wealth during the escape and river crossing. More than half admitted to speaking up for Liu Guangshi. Two or three tenths mentioned missing their old homes in Guanxi. More than a dozen admitted to wanting a sum of money to leave the army and settle down in the south. There were even a few who said they had been single all their lives for decades, and having heard that the Emperor had previously bestowed palace maids to the Imperial Guards, they thought it best to make a scene and beg the Emperor for a wife, which was why they were causing trouble.

Zhao Jiu listened attentively to all of this, but made no further comment.

This process seemed tedious, but the exchanges were simple and straightforward. By the time all seventy or eighty people had finished speaking and sat down, it had only taken a quarter of an hour.

"Let's talk about two things first." Zhao Jiu said after everyone was seated. "Everyone wants wealth, and I have prepared it for you, and it will be more generous than for ordinary soldiers. You can go to Chancellor Lü to receive it later... This was agreed upon beforehand."

Led by Zhang Yongzhen, the officers were about to rise and thank the Emperor and the Chancellor, but Zhao Jiu raised his hand to stop them: "Wait until I finish... As for those who want wives, I won't hide it from you. There isn't a single palace maid on Mount Ba Gong right now. The eunuchs are doing the laundry. If you don't believe me, you can go and see for yourselves after this is over. There's nothing to hide. So, I can't grant anyone's request for a wife."

Hearing this, although there was no laughter in the tent, there was a sense of ease.

"As for those who are pleading for Liu Guangshi, I have said it beforehand... I know that Liu Guangshi is usually generous and good at showing consideration, but on this matter, I have absolutely nothing more to say. Whoever spoke up for him just now, go to Censor Zhang and receive ten strokes of the military stick!" Zhao Jiu's tone suddenly became stern. "Otherwise, there will be no rewards!"

The tent immediately fell silent. Many people exchanged glances secretly, but no one dared to speak out.

ps: Happy New Year everyone! I wish you all a prosperous New Year!

Finished writing at 11:40, hopefully I'll be able to eat by the time you see this chapter.