Section Three

The great army set out the following day. The royal vanguard and the imperial guards boarded ships at Boming, sailing east along the Hutuo River. They passed through Dingxiang and Yuzaokou, entered the territory of Zhili, and returned to the capital via Pingshan, Zhengding Prefecture, and Baoding Prefecture.

The scale of this homecoming was immense. With the army advancing by both land and water along the Hutuo River, it was effectively a grand "armed parade." Including laborers and local militia, the total force reached over 320,000, with more than 30,000 elite cavalry and nearly 300 cannons. Such formidable military might was rare in the history of China, even looking back over the past century. Wherever the army marched, the thunder of its iron hooves left rival warlords trembling and the entire land in awe. By the time Lin Feng reached Zhengding, envoys from Wu Sangui of Southern Zhou, Yang Qilong of Henan, and Zheng Jing of Taiwan had already arrived with lavish gifts, buzzing like flies and using every fawning, sycophantic tactic at their disposal.

Following this campaign, public opinion among the literati shifted dramatically. The legitimacy of the Great Han regime north of the Yellow River finally gained historical recognition, stripping away the "rebel" label once and for all. Ironically, the term "Pseudo-Qing," originally used by the Han imperial court, was now officially accepted by the academic community nationwide. The Qing court was politically branded by all warlords as an "illegal regime." Meanwhile, the remnants of the Qing forces still entrenched in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, led by the "Pseudo-Qing" Prince Jian, Labu, and Prince Kang, Jieshu, were formally declared by the Prince of Han to be "a handful of extreme nationalist separatists who sabotage a harmonious society, undermine ethnic unity, and resist national reunification," earning the scorn of all under heaven.

Against this political backdrop, the Great Han's immense military victory provided the objective conditions for a peaceful resolution to the Shandong issue. In fact, before the army even began its return, Zhou Peigong of the Beijing General Staff had sent several secret dispatches to Lin Feng, proposing various operational plans for resolving the situation in Shandong.

Since the Han army had breached the capital and war criminals like Xuan Ye had been executed according to the law, all of China had fallen into chaos. Compared to the turmoil in other provinces, the political situation in Shandong appeared much calmer. A key reason for this was that both the Governor of Shandong and the Shandong Commander-in-Chief were Han Chinese. Unlike the Manchu-Han antagonism seen in provinces like Anhui, Shandong showed much greater governmental unity. This was, in fact, a point of great curiosity for Lin Feng, as the Qing system did not typically appoint a Governor-General for Shandong province. Thus, the power of the Governor was exceptionally prominent, allowing him to effectively command both civil and military affairs. Their reaction to the great upheaval in the capital and the execution of the emperor had been notably peculiar.

The current Governor of Shandong was Zhao Shenqiao, courtesy name Shenzhan, a native of Wujin in Jiangnan. From Lin Feng's perspective, the name was entirely unfamiliar; in the history of his own time, this man was a nonentity, certainly not in the same league as famous figures like Yu Chenglong. Lin Feng was puzzled when he reviewed the dossier, as the intelligence suggested this man was quite capable. Following the collapse of the Qing central government, Zhao had immediately seized control of Shandong's civil and military authority, forming a localized separatist regime in a very short time. His high-ranking subordinates, both civil and military, seemed to have no objections and remained remarkably compliant. While he lacked the strength for further expansion, his ability to maintain peace and stability in Shandong amidst the chaos and suffering of the world was truly commendable.

According to current intelligence, the total strength of the Shandong provincial army was around 50,000, with the main force stationed in Dezhou, Linqing, and Leling. Dezhou held the strongest garrison, with nearly 25,000 troops and over a dozen cannons, commanded by the Shandong Provincial Administration Commissioner Yao Wenran, with Commander Wang Chengye leading the defense. In just two years, Zhao Shenqiao had amassed vast supplies, fortifying the commercial city and building a network of bastions along the riverbanks to secure the strategic bottlenecks of the Grand Canal. Any commercial group within the Han army's territory wishing to trade with the south by land would have to break through this solid military blockade.

Initially, when the Han regime was first established, Zhao Shenqiao’s attitude was extremely cautious. Unlike Tuhai or Tong Dagang, his loyalty to the Manchu royal family was significantly weaker. During the period of north-south conflict when the dynasty was on the brink of collapse, he adopted a very conservative strategy. Even when Lin Feng was locked in a life-or-death struggle with Tuhai, Zhao had passively avoided responding to the desperate pleas for reinforcements from the Governor of Zhili, Tong Dagang, and did his best to avoid involvement in the war for the capital. Since then, aside from suppressing small-scale peasant unrest instigated by Yang Qilong's uprising in Henan, the Shandong army had remained inactive. In retrospect, this approach was far too conservative and perhaps even foolish. Had he mobilized all of Shandong's strength to support Tuhai’s army, history might have been rewritten; the outcome of the Han-Qing war would have been unpredictable, and Lin Feng would certainly not be enjoying such glory today.

Zhao Shenqiao's strategy was essentially a "Qing version" of the approach taken by Ming Emperor Taizu, Zhu Yuanzhang. Unfortunately, this strategy of "building high walls, storing grain, and delaying the claim to the throne" was clearly out of time. Once the Lin-Han military group had used its thunderous momentum to cleanse Liaodong and crush Galdan, Shandong had no choice left but to resist to the death or surrender to the Han army.

Therefore, when Lin Feng returned to Zhili with his victorious army, the envoy of the former Qing official and current Shandong Governor Zhao Shenqiao was tucked away among the delegations of other warlords like Yang Qilong and Zheng Jing, bearing a personal letter from Zhao to congratulate the Great Han on the "Great Victory at Xinzhou."

Bigwigs like the Prince's Chancellor, Li Guangdi, and the Chief of General Staff, Zhou Peigong, found Lin Feng’s mindset difficult to fathom. In this day and age, as the ruler of a nation, taking secondary consorts was perfectly proper. Setting aside political factors like winning over the Mongol tribes to promote ethnic unity, even from the perspective of moral tradition, taking a concubine was essential—and one would likely not be enough. Given the momentum of the Han army, Lin Feng’s ascension to the throne was a matter of a few years. It was clear not only to the subjects of the Han but to all other warlords that Lin Feng becoming emperor was inevitable. By tradition, if Prince Lin were to become emperor, he could not have only two or three wives. While the folk tales of "three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two concubines" might be exaggerations, having dozens was standard. If Prince Lin were to have only one wife his entire life, would that not be a disgrace to the dignity of the state? The hardworking and kind-hearted Chinese people could tolerate much, but if the Emperor, out of personal selfishness, committed such a disgraceful act, it would be unforgivable—a crime worse than betraying the nation. Thus, from a realistic perspective, Lin Feng had to vigorously strengthen his harem. Both the primary and secondary palaces had to be managed with equal, firm resolve, for this was not just his own affair; it concerned the happiness of the people, the stability of the state, and the future of the nation.

Ake paced around the room before sitting back down at the head of the table. She said slowly, "Lin Feng, let me be honest with you. My pregnancy has been difficult these past two months. I don't know what you've been doing outside, and I don't want to know. You are a Prince, after all; having three wives and four concubines is normal..."

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare... I have been very well-behaved outside, truly, don't worry," Lin Feng said, wiping cold sweat from his brow and smiling obsequiously. "My lady, you take me too seriously!"

Ake ignored him. "Chancellor Li and General Zhou have been pestering me about it these past few days. Even if their words were a bit harsh, they aren't without reason. Our family is no small household; as a ruler of a nation, it is indeed appropriate for you to take a few concubines!"

Lin Feng looked at her suspiciously and asked cautiously, "My lady... are you serious?"

"Hmph!" Ake glared at him, poked him with her finger, and said fiercely, "What? As soon as I loosen my stance, your fox tail shows, doesn't it?"

"Oh, no... I was just joking!" Lin Feng was shocked and hurriedly tried to remedy the situation. "I was just speaking off the cuff... I don't... I don't really have that intention!"

"Sigh... forget it!" Ake vented her frustration, but in her heart, she knew that this matter was a foregone conclusion, and no matter how much she fussed, it would be in vain. She sighed quietly, "Actually, you men are all the same. Sweet words and total obedience at first, but your hearts change in the blink of an eye. My father was like that, and now you are too..."

Lin Feng shook his head with a bitter smile, raised a hand, and swore to the heavens, "My lady, please rest assured. I swear to you today that I will be faithful to you to the end. I will never betray your feelings in this lifetime!"

"We shall see!" Ake pouted, disdainfully mocking, "Your display is far from convincing. When my father swore to my mother, he even held a great saber to his own neck. But later, when those 'Eight-Faced Bodhisattvas' and 'Four-Faced Bodhisattvas' arrived, he went right back to his old ways. Who could do anything to him then?"

Lin Feng was extremely embarrassed. Of all people to compare him to, she chose that arch-traitor and old turtle—how unlucky. He smiled bitterly, "I am not like your father..."

"Whether you are or not, we shall see!" Ake stood up with effort. "Come home tonight. If you try to make excuses, beware of the family law! I'm tired, I'm going to rest."

"Yes, yes, my lady, rest assured, I will definitely be home on time tonight!" Lin Feng nodded repeatedly, his waist bent like a shrimp. He bowed and scraped to see her out the door before letting out a long sigh of relief.

He turned back to the main hall, and just as he sat down, Li Ergou, who was on duty at the entrance, walked in and bowed. "Reporting to my Lord, the General Superintendent of Armament Manufacturing for the Ministry of Works, Master Dai Zi, requests an audience!"

Lin Feng was slightly startled. He flipped through the recent memorial records; aside from daily reports, there was nothing else from the Ministry of Works' arsenal. Dai Zi usually spent his time at the mines and smelting plants, either in Zunhua or Anshan, and rarely returned to Beijing. It was quite strange for him to request an audience today.

Seeing Lin Feng’s surprise, Li Ergou lowered his head and said, "Reporting to my Lord, Master Dai seems to have brought a few foreigners with him. He told me that these foreigners wish to see you alongside him!"

"Foreigners?" Lin Feng was stunned. "Tell them to come in!"