Chapter 110: Troubled Times

Although the territory of the Chaohu Naval Fleet, or rather the “Zhenjiang Privy Council Branch,” now encompassed only a little over a county along with several water camps, since the barbarian Haiya had already “infiltrated the traitor’s camp,” naturally he hoped the Chaohu Naval Fleet would cause as much chaos as possible. That way, he could “leverage the traitors to gain weight,” becoming indispensable both to the court and the Chaohu Naval Fleet.

Liu Yi had never expected Haiya to be so cooperative—after all, he was a high-ranking official of the Great Yuan dynasty!

During the recent entry into Zhenjiang, although military discipline was exemplary, there were still many cases of “family-wide suicides” and people “cursing the traitors to death.” Numerous scholars were willing to perish alongside the Great Yuan, yet Haiya, the stern yet pragmatic Censor-in-Chief, went along with the flow.

Since Haiya was so accommodating, Liu Yi naturally showed deference. “Censor-in-Chief, I am now desperate for talent. Do you have any recommendations to assist me in this grand pacification endeavor?”

Haiya shook his head. “No rush. The urgent matter now is: when will the court recall He Weiyi?”

At this, Haiya sighed deeply. “I, the Censor-in-Chief, and the Prince of Zhennan must be loyal to the nation, but Taiping’s performance is unacceptable!”

Although Liu Yi and Haiya had reached a consensus, most present still did not understand why the Yuan court insisted on recalling He Weiyi. Many Yuan officials, including Fushou, the Censor-in-Chief of the Jiangnan Provincial Administration, had perished at Jiqing. By Haiya’s reasoning, the Prince of Zhennan stationed in Yangzhou likely would not survive either. Yet He Weiyi was a genuine anomaly.

Guo Yunyu, as Liu Yi’s legitimate wife, dared to voice her doubts: “Censor-in-Chief, why does the court insist on recalling He Weiyi?”

Haiya sighed again. “Because the only person who satisfies the court officials, His Majesty, the Empress Dowager, and the Crown Prince is Taiping.”

Guo Yunyu still found it puzzling, but Qin Conglong saw the bigger picture clearly. “If the court insists on recalling He Weiyi, a great battle between Gaoyou and Chuzhou is bound to erupt.”

At that moment, He Weiyi furrowed his brow tightly.

Though accustomed to storms and turmoil, and prepared for martyrdom before heading south to Yangzhou, he had never imagined his journey would end in such disgrace.

The He family of Jingzhao had enjoyed generations of wealth and honor because they were the closest and most trusted guards of Emperor Kublai Khan—a truly foundational lineage. His biological father, He Sheng, had risen nearly as far as possible, holding the title of Left Chancellor with the rank of Minister of State and Supreme Pillar of the Realm. Even though He Sheng was ultimately wrongfully executed during Emperor Renzong’s reign, it did not diminish He Weiyi’s noble heritage. Being born into such a prestigious lineage meant a lifetime of rank and riches.

As a true scion of this elite lineage, He Weiyi naturally felt the need to live up to Kublai Khan’s exceptional favor. The problem was that he had utterly bungled matters, yet the court insisted on recalling him. “Chancellor, the court’s view is that since one Chancellor, Tuo Tuo, has been lost, it cannot afford to lose another in Taiping. You must return to Jining quickly to clean up this mess!”

Within Yangzhou, including the Prince of Zhennan, many officials wished to flee back to the capital to enjoy their privileges, but the court refused all requests. Only He Weiyi was shown leniency; moreover, the court specially dispatched the current Prefect Xu to escort him north under imperial orders.

He Weiyi was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. “The court’s grace is beyond repayment, but since the Jianghuai unrest has reached this stage, the greatest responsibility lies with Taiping. It is better to let Taiping handle the aftermath.”

Xu knew He Weiyi would say this. Yet, after leaving the capital, the court had already made arrangements. “Chancellor, this is not only the court’s will but also the unanimous opinion of His Majesty, the Empress, the Crown Prince, and the prime ministers. The situation in Jianghuai has deteriorated entirely due to the court’s failures, not the Chancellor’s!”

This was He Weiyi’s greatest strength: among the Mongol and Yuan aristocracy, his popularity was astonishing. Each time a Mongol noble was appointed Right Chancellor, he specifically requested to work with He Weiyi—and He Weiyi had proven himself outstanding.

Though He Weiyi’s southern expedition to Yangzhou ended in failure and the loss of Jiqing, throughout the process, he had loyally and fully implemented the court’s directives to restore maritime transport without compromise. Because of this, all court officials were deeply satisfied with his performance and believed the fall of Jiqing was in no way his fault.

Taiping must not die!

If Taiping fell, the court would struggle to find another such utterly loyal, highly capable, and absolutely trustworthy instrument. Despite having a Mongol name, Taiping was a thorough Han Chinese, making He Weiyi’s survival all the more essential. “Would you like to see the imperial edict from His Majesty or Empress Qi? I have also brought letters from the Crown Prince and various prime ministers.”

He Weiyi had never imagined such a bewildering situation: the court was willing to go to any lengths to recall him north.

Yet this was the advantage of the Great Yuan system—any noble lineage, no matter how many defeats or losses suffered, could continue to enjoy wealth and status as long as their backing remained intact. He Weiyi was no exception. More importantly, the emperor, Empress Qi, the Crown Prince, and prime ministers trusted him above all others, not the arrogant generals commanding armies in the field.

He Weiyi’s greatest merit lay in executing court orders without any dilution, regardless of their reasonableness. “Since the court insists on my return north, I shall comply. But as long as I remain in Yangzhou, I can suppress the Huai bandits for another day…”

“If I return north, Jianghuai will likely descend into chaos once more!”