Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

The entire Gyeonggi region is now in turmoil.

In Rehe, Sushun and other regents were not fools, and they could certainly feel the atmosphere. They held meetings again and again to discuss countermeasures. Now the mistakes were obvious. Although Sushun assisted Xianfeng in drawing up the list of regents, concentrating all power in his own party, it was obvious that Jingshou alone could not control the situation, and the royal nobles simply did not buy it!

This is a huge risk. Since ancient times, relatives have always been close, and even ministers of state still face huge political pressure. Once they suffer a major blow, the result will be the destruction of their families!

However, in the end, several people were unable to come up with a solution that would convince everyone.

Su Shun was depressed and returned to his residence in a bad mood. At this time, Wang Huanzhang came over and whispered, "Master Zhongtang, I have something to ask..."

Sushun was startled and asked, "Huanzhang, what's the matter?"

Wang Huanzhang whispered, "My brothers around Lord Liu Ye wrote to me saying that Lord Liu is now conferring with Prince Gong to deal with you. You'd better be careful..."

Sushun raised his eyebrows and asked, "What do you mean? Tell me in detail what the letter says!"

Wang Huanzhang quickly replied, "There are several princes in the capital who are very dissatisfied with the Grand Council headed by Lord Zhongtang. They think you are neglecting the royal family and nobles. Even if you are assisting the government, it should be the princes of the royal family who should be in the cabinet to assist. You are just an outsider. They are also encouraging Lord Liu Ye to summon the former Baoding Town and Firearm Battalion to assist Prince Gong..."

Sushun was shocked. If the princes in the capital united with Gong Laoliu, and with Liu Ye as his eagle claw, this force would be able to pose a fatal threat to his own party!

"Huanzhang, are you telling the truth?"

Wang Huanzhang quickly said, "Sir, of course it's true. I also know that the main force of Baoding Town under Lord Liu Ye has already passed Shanhaiguan. This is an extremely powerful force, definitely not inferior to the Firearms Battalion. These are real veterans of the battlefield, who fought the Tsarist Russian devils with bayonets!"

Sushun felt as if he had just been splashed with a basin of cold water, and he felt very cold. He did not care about other things, but he did not believe that Liu Ye and Baoding Town were the most deadly. They could beat the fierce Russian devils into a pulp. He would never believe that they did not have some skills!

And then look at these Beijing troops in Rehe. Which one of them can really fight? They are all a bunch of useless people, not much better than the local troops. Asking them to fight against the elite troops of Baoding Town is really too much for them!

Firearm Battalion, now only the elite of the Firearm Battalion can compete with the elite soldiers of Baoding Town!

However, how many soldiers does the current firearms battalion have? There are only a few hundred people. Can they withstand the powerful army of Baoding Town?

Su Shun said in a deep voice, "Well, Wang Huanzhang, I have seen your loyalty. What do you think we should do? How can we wipe out Prince Gong's followers?"

Wang Huanzhang smiled sinisterly and replied, "Master Zhongtang, all under heaven belongs to the king; all the people are his subjects. Even if Baoding Town is strong, they are still elite troops of the Qing Dynasty and are under the jurisdiction of the imperial court. They are not Lord Liu's private army. As long as the imperial court issues an order to transfer Lord Liu from his position in Baoding Town, will the soldiers of Baoding Town still follow him?"

Sushun was shocked. What a good trick to cut off the source of the problem. This Wang Huanzhang is really not simple!

Sushun glanced at Wang Huanzhang and asked, "But transferring Liu Ye requires a reason. Liu Ye has made countless contributions to the country and has committed no wrongdoing. If we simply dismiss or transfer him without a proper reason, I'm afraid it will be difficult to convince the public and the two palaces!"

Wang Huanzhang replied, "Your Excellency, I don't know much. I only understand that if Lord Liu Ye were to lead Baoding Town, there would be very few in the entire Qing Empire who could rival him, unless you could mobilize all of Lord Zeng Guofan's elite troops from the south! Furthermore, since dismissal and transfer aren't feasible, how about giving him a promotion?"

Sushun's eyes lit up. Yes, dismissal and transfer are impossible. If it doesn't pass, then I will promote him. He is just a general now. Even if he has the hat of a third-rank civil official, he is just a small official. I just need to give him a big hat and no one can say anything!

Su Shun said in a deep voice, "Hehe, then give him a big hat. In the future, I will propose to the Military Affairs Council to promote Liu Ye to the position of Admiral of Shandong, the Governor of Shandong's military affairs, to assist the monk king in suppressing bandits. As long as Liu Ye can be transferred away, the position of the future General of Baoding Town, Wang Huanzhang, will be given to you! Work hard for me, and you will always benefit from it!"

Su Shun was awakened by Wang Huanzhang and immediately became enlightened. Although it would not solve the current dilemma, it would be much easier to control the whole situation if Liu Ye, the stumbling block, was eliminated! Liu Ye, a man of both literary and martial talents, was a huge help to Gong Laoliu, and he always felt like a thorn in his side!

Upon hearing this, Wang Huanzhang immediately knelt down to express his gratitude: "Thank you, Lord Zhongtang, for your promotion!"

Sushun nodded in satisfaction. This Wang Huanzhang was a rare talent. If he had a few more such smart and capable people around him, he wouldn't have to worry about not accomplishing great things. Unfortunately, whether it was his eldest brother or Zaiyuan, each of them was mediocre and could only be used to hold the banner of a big country. When the time came, they were unable to handle the important tasks.

Sushun continued, "Wang Huanzhang, you need to pay more attention to the affairs of the Firearms Battalion. These days, the troops in the Beijing Battalion are extremely corrupt. Even without my inspections, I know their level. Prince Zheng's two moves are far inferior. It's a pity that you only have one. If there were two Wang Huanzhangs, I would let you take over the Beijing Battalion directly!"

Sushun paused, then suddenly said, "No, those who are capable should do more work. Even if you are the only one, I will ask you to do more hard work. Starting tomorrow, you will be ready to take over the command of the infantry battalion on the left wing. You will act as an agent for a while. Once this matter is over and we return to Beijing smoothly, I will officially appoint you. Go ahead and get to work!"

After Sushun finished speaking, he shouted to the outside, "Come here, go and invite Lord Du Han, Lord Jiao Youying, and Lord Mu Meng to come over to discuss this matter!"

Someone quickly ran to ask for help.

Wang Huanzhang saw Sushun was about to discuss matters, and knowing that it would be inconvenient for him to stay here, he whispered, "Sir, if that's the case, then I will take my leave first."

Sushun waved his hand and replied, "Okay, you go down first. Remember, take good care of the Firearms Battalion. This is our sharp sword!"