By September, Henwell and his group have been here for almost a year.
Henwell’s team finally connects with the forces behind Lucy.
They reach so simple verbal agreents, exchange intelligence, and leave contact thods with each other.
While Henwell thrives in the capital, the others aren’t idle.
Fang Yuan and Nathan’s trading company has already gotten on track.
As profits grow, they begin extending their influence into various parts of the Tudor Dynasty.
William has gathered and trained a group of skilled operatives, steadily expanding his power.
Liu Mang has infiltrated the military and now holds the company commander.
He commands a fully staffed battalion of five hundred soldiers, a rarity in the Tudor military officer ranks.
Liu Mang personally trained this army for over half a year; these aren’t just regular soldiers but mostly junior officers.
As for how Liu Mang got his rank, of course, he bought it!
Mid- to lower-level military officers in the local militia aren’t so strictly regulated. If you have the channels, money can get you through.
Liu Mang’s side is ready, just waiting for Benjamin to make the first move.
Once Benjamin eliminates his superior, Liu Mang will control this militia unit and quickly expand it to three thousand n.
Benjamin is also prepared, assembling two thousand elite troops. With a surprise attack, they can break through the provincial governnt.
They set the uprising date for September 18, right during Zhang Che’s autumn imperial examination.
They plan to congratulate Zhang Che in advance, wishing him the top scholar title.
Unfortunately, Zhang Che doesn’t win the top spot; he only ranks third.
After the imperial exams, these new scholars are usually sent to the Hanlin Academy for a few years to temper their arrogance.
But Henwell certainly won’t accept that.
So, with Henwell’s instigation, a massive cheating scandal erupts, becoming known throughout the land.
Most of the new scholars are implicated, even the top two candidates are suspected of involvent.
Though there’s no solid evidence, it’s enough to prevent them from gaining significant appointnts anyti soon.
The emperor, still ill, orders the scholars to retake the palace exam, where Zhang Che performs the best.
Just as the fallout from the imperial exam scandal hasn’t yet settled, the rebellion in the southwest finally becos unstoppable.
Sweeping through half the prefecture, the war turns into a devastating ss.
The local militia is no match for the organized and disciplined rebel forces.
In Zhilan Prefecture, the six counties and thirteen districts—totaling sixty thousand governnt troops—are completely crushed by the rebels within just two months.
The rebel army, now swollen to thirty thousand, shows fierce combat power.
Nearby troops sent to reinforce the area imdiately halt their advance.
They set up defenses on the spot, preparing to contain the rebellion’s spread.
On one hand, the court starts mobilizing the standing army stationed in the capital.
On the other, orders co down to hold the capital of Zhilan Prefecture at all costs.
Thanks to several successful defenses against rebel attacks, Liu Mang forces the rebels to abandon their assault on the prefectural capital.
At this point, Liu Mang commands the only twenty thousand troops left in Zhilan Prefecture.
Upon hearing this, the court quickly rushes new appointnts to Liu Mang.
He becos the Protector of Zhilan Prefecture, concurrently serving as Chief Administrator, and is granted the title of General Pacifying Bandits.
From a seventh-rank captain, he leaps to a high-ranking Third Rank military officer.
Next, Liu Mang and Benjamin coordinate, eliminating each other’s obstacles one by one.
In this way, the two control half the prefecture each, putting on a show of power.
Lucy once suspected these two might be from Henwell’s group but lacked concrete proof.
After all, both have changed appearances so completely that their forr looks are unrecognizable.
Compared to Lucy’s suspicions, Lu Bajin knows for sure this is all Henwell and his crew’s doing.
However, he only knows Benjamin is Henwell’s man; he never imagined Liu Mang is part of the sa faction.
After all, this kind of rebellion-for-experience grind is beyond the understanding of most here.
As Liu Mang struggles to suppress the rebels, the court issues several harsh rebukes.
If it weren’t for the difficulty of winter campaigning, the standing army would have arrived sooner, and Liu Mang might have lost his post before the year’s end.
Co spring the next year, the capital’s standing army sets out imdiately, two divisions totaling fifty thousand troops are dispatched to Zhilan Prefecture.
A month after the suppression forces depart, the court orders Liu Mang’s removal as the highest military commander in the prefecture.
Liu Mang, prepared for this, quietly retreats to a neighboring prefecture to rest.
In April, the imperial suppression forces arrive at Zhilan Prefecture.
Within a month, they score five consecutive victories against the rebels, reclaiming a large amount of lost territory.
The entire court is elated, confidently declaring the rebellion will be crushed within three months.
Everyone even starts planning how to welco the army’s triumphant return.
So, when news cos in mid-June that the two divisions have been completely wiped out, the court refuses to believe it.
They think it’s just a rumor and send people to suppress the spread of such talk.
But after repeated confirmations, they realize the truth: all forty thousand elite troops have indeed been annihilated.
With the rebels once again closing in on the prefectural capital, the court is thrown into confusion.
It’s only after Zhang Che, an eighth-rank official in charge of military affairs, submits a morial that the court rembers to reinstate Liu Mang.
Originally, they thought Liu Mang was all talk and couldn’t even hold back the rebels.
But now they see Liu Mang’s ability to contain the rebellion’s spread was impressive enough.
Zhang Che is appointed as Imperial Envoy, sent to deliver the order to Liu Mang to return and turn the tide.
Henwell, as Warden of the Prison Departnt in the Court of Judicial Review, is also assigned to protect Zhang Che on his mission.
The two ride hard, covering the distance in half a month, and bring Liu Mang back along the way.
Once Liu Mang retakes command, he imdiately cleans up the troops and begins expanding the army.
With Zhang Che’s backing as Imperial Envoy, no one in the prefecture dares to oppose him.
In July, Liu Mang leads his forces to a major battle against the rebels, winning decisively and successfully suppressing their offensive.
No one dares to challenge Liu Mang anymore and fully complies with all his military reforms.
Henwell runs between both sides, helping them eliminate their respective obstacles.
Over the next two months, Henwell watches these two put on quite the performance.
By September 18, the court sends envoys again, this ti to negotiate Benjamin’s amnesty.
Don’t think that when rebellion or revolution breaks out, the dynasty always crushes it.
That’s a privilege of a strong dynasty, and usually, strong dynasties don’t face rebellions in the first place.
Rebellions are more a hallmark of a dynasty’s decline.
So, issuing amnesties is the most common way to resolve such problems.
The Tudor Dynasty follows this pattern, and Henwell and the others aren’t surprised.
What does surprise them is that the one tasked with the amnesty is none other than the Seventh Prince, Nangong He!
The three of them in the prefectural capital exchange glances and share mischievous smiles.
Looks like Nangong He is about to fall right into the pit!
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