Jiang Kai told His Majesty that if Hu Hao was punished, he wouldn’t be able to control the troops below him, so he hoped His Majesty would consider these matters carefully.
“What did you say? Punishing Hu Hao would make you lose control of your subordinate troops?” His Majesty asked, somewhat shocked.
“Your Majesty, you might not know this, but Hu Hao can be considered the savior of the remaining troops in our Southwest Combat Zone. Furthermore, this man fights at the very front; he possesses both courage and strategy.
I had always hoped to personally recommend him to you, Your Majesty. Such talent, especially at a time like this, must be put to great use. But you have never opened the promotion channels…
At that time, I thought I should protect him first, so I promoted him to Colonel acting as Division Commander. Your Majesty, Hu Hao only has a single division’s worth of troops. Even if he conscripted more, what about weapons? Have you considered that, Your Majesty? Where did his weapons come from?
They all came from killing Allied forces and scavenging their weapons to arm those soldiers. Just like that, Hu Hao crippled two Allied corps! Now, a third Allied corps is marching toward his position.
Your Majesty, the Empire needs to value such outstanding talent, not suppress it! Our Empire is currently facing the crisis of national subjugation and racial extinction. If we punish a talent like Hu Hao, the officers and soldiers below will definitely refuse to accept it. There is another thing…
Your Majesty, you might not be clear on the problems our troops are currently facing. The junior officers look down on our generals. So many of our generals who died on the battlefield weren’t actually killed by the Allied forces, but were shot in the back by their own soldiers!
If you punish Hu Hao, and my side loses a battle, then it won’t just be the generals below me—even I might be shot in the back by the soldiers!
The soldiers no longer have a shred of respect for our generals. Right now, we desperately need to rebuild the troops’ morale and fighting spirit. When I previously promoted Hu Hao to Colonel acting as Division Commander, the officers and soldiers below finally saw a glimmer of hope. If he is punished at this juncture…
Your Majesty, then the troops here in the Southwest Combat Zone will immediately mutiny! Your Majesty, I am truly not threatening you just to save Hu Hao. You can ask the commanders of the other Combat Zones—the conflict between junior officers and generals right now is extremely severe. If the promotion channels aren’t opened soon, the Empire will eventually have no troops left to command in battle!” Jiang Kai said over the phone, his voice filled with deep anguish.
His Majesty fell silent upon hearing this. After a long while, Jiang Kai finally heard a heavy sigh from the other end.
“Your Majesty?” Jiang Kai asked tentatively.
“Has it already reached this point?” His Majesty asked.
“Actually, it is even more severe. Right now, our soldiers—especially those in the Southwest Combat Zone—want to fight their way back. But we currently do not have a single general capable of commanding them to do so. If we retreat again and again, then eventually, no one in the entire army will obey our commands!” Jiang Kai continued.
“Sigh! Does Hu Hao truly possess great talent?” His Majesty asked.
“Your Majesty, he was born for war. He is an absolute genius in command!” Jiang Kai guaranteed over the phone.
“Can he be loyal? To the Empire, to the Royal Family, to Us?” His Majesty pressed.
“Your Majesty, I cannot guarantee that. People change. But I know Hu Hao doesn’t like fighting; he always wanted to be a deserter just to save his own life. It was only because he has a good relationship with the soldiers below him, and couldn’t bear to see them die just like that, that he helped us time and time again. His dream is to travel the world, but now that war has broken out, he cannot realize that dream!” Jiang Kai replied.
“You cannot guarantee it?” His Majesty continued to ask.
“I cannot guarantee it, but I can say that he is a good man, a good soldier, a good commander, and a good subordinate. However, I do not know what he is thinking or whether he will be loyal to you, Your Majesty.
But this is a man who values relationships deeply. I believe that based on this alone, as long as nothing drastically changes, Hu Hao will not easily betray his own people!” Jiang Kai added.
“What do you want me to do? Let him off the hook?” His Majesty asked.
“Yes, let him off the hook. If possible, promote him. If we successfully hold the line here, you could even summon him personally, Your Majesty, and see for yourself what kind of person he is!” Jiang Kai said.
“But on my desk, there are quite a few documents filing complaints against Hu Hao. Zhang He of the Northeast Combat Zone, Commander Mu Zhifu of the Central Combat Zone, and Tang Junjie, the son of the Grand Marshal—they are all extremely dissatisfied with Hu Hao, calling him nothing but a local ruffian and a scoundrel. Furthermore, he conscripted troops privately. Do you think I dare to use him? Can I use him?” His Majesty countered.
“Your Majesty, he is just a young man in his early twenties. He managed to test into the Royal Command Academy as a commoner. Tell me, is he a ruffian? Does he harbor any grand, malicious schemes?” Jiang Kai continued to persuade him.
“That is true. He is just a young man!” His Majesty murmured.
“Your Majesty, I beg you to show leniency. For the sake of this defensive line, and for the sake of the civilians here, please show leniency!” Jiang Kai pleaded once more.
“You are begging me for his sake?” His Majesty asked, somewhat shocked.
“Your Majesty, you just asked me if I was confident we could hold this place. I am not confident. But if Hu Hao helps, I have a fifty percent chance!” Jiang Kai immediately replied.
“Oh? He is that formidable?” His Majesty asked, intrigued.
“Yes. Like I said, he was born for war!” Jiang Kai stated.
“If I don’t punish him this time, can you guarantee that you will hold your defensive line? I need a guarantee. If you can guarantee it, I can let him go, and even put him to great use!” His Majesty offered.
“Alright, I guarantee it! As long as there are no issues with the other defensive lines that affect the Southwest Combat Zone, I guarantee that I, Jiang Kai, and the troops of the Southwest Combat Zone will fight to the death and never retreat!” Jiang Kai stood tall, his voice filled with absolute resolve.
“Jiang Kai, oh Jiang Kai. You’re willing to make a military pledge to me for the sake of a Colonel? Has he truly given you that much confidence?” His Majesty asked curiously.
“Your Majesty, you know exactly what abilities I possess, and you know the abilities of the other Combat Zone Commanders. Ultimately, we aren’t very good at fighting wars. For the Empire to produce a talent like him right now is the Empire’s great fortune.
Even though I lack great talent, I am willing to do what I must for a talent like him. Your Majesty, I am already over sixty years old. I won’t be able to hold on for many more years.
If the Empire is fortunate enough not to be destroyed by the Allied forces this time, who knows how many years this war will drag on. By then, I definitely won’t have the strength to continue. At a time like this, we need to promote talents like him.
Hu Hao graduated from our Empire’s highest military academy. He is a common citizen, a young man in his early twenties. As long as he is wholly dedicated to the Empire, then our Empire will always have hope. Isn’t that for the best?
This war has also made me realize many things. The Empire can descend into chaos in any aspect, except the military. The Empire’s aristocratic families can control the local regions, but they cannot control the military. The military must have a normal promotion channel; only then can our Empire continuously enjoy peace.
Your Majesty, I am old, and many of our Combat Zone Commanders are old. We need to pave the way for the young. We need to give them enough time and experience to grow. Hu Hao made a mistake this time, but it wasn’t for his own sake—it was for the Empire.
Your Majesty, Hu Hao used such a small number of men to draw in three Allied corps! A general like that—tell me, how could I not value him?” Jiang Kai said passionately.
“Mm. You are wholly dedicated to the country, I know this. I am very clear on this. How about this: after this battle is over, if you can hold the defenses for two months, I will let Hu Hao’s past transgressions slide. Furthermore, I will promote him. Doesn’t he like leading troops into battle? Then I will give him enough troops! Remember, two months!” His Majesty declared.
“Yes! As I said: we hold out for two months. We either succeed, or we die trying!” Jiang Kai stated.
“Good. By the way, pass a message to Hu Hao for me: I will remember him. As long as he is wholly dedicated to the country, I will not be stingy with my rewards!” His Majesty said.
“Yes, thank you, Your Majesty. By the way, the High Command’s Military Police are still here. What do you suggest…?” Jiang Kai asked, glancing at Tang Junjie.
“I will have the High Command recall them immediately!” His Majesty replied without hesitation.
“Thank you, Your Majesty. On behalf of Hu Hao, the Southwest Combat Zone, and the civilians here, I thank you, Your Majesty!” Jiang Kai said joyfully.
“They are my civilians. Do you still need to thank me?” His Majesty laughed.
“Yes, but I still must thank you!” Jiang Kai smiled.
“Alright, remember: two months. Hold the defensive line for two months. Additionally, you may conscript up to 600,000 troops from the rear reservists!” His Majesty authorized.
“Yes, sir!” Jiang Kai nodded.
Meanwhile, Tang Junjie stood nearby, having heard everything Jiang Kai said. He hated Jiang Kai to the core, but he didn’t dare show it right now. This was the Southwest Combat Zone Headquarters. If he displayed his hatred for Jiang Kai, he might not even make it back alive.
Jiang Kai soon ended the call. He turned to Tang Junjie with a smile and said, “His Majesty just spoke. The matter regarding Hu Hao is dropped for now. The High Command will call you shortly to order your return. Sorry for troubling you this time!”
“Yes, Commander Jiang has certainly paid a heavy price for the sake of his subordinate!” Tang Junjie sneered.
“Of course. Hu Hao is my subordinate; isn’t it only right that I shoulder some of the burden for him? Didn’t your father also help quite a few generals, promoting General He Jingzhong previously?” Jiang Kai nodded with a smile, immediately firing back.