Time Travel to 1859: The Iron-Blooded Soldier King

At this time, Sushun was of course the right person to take charge, but he could not personally take charge of a firearms battalion, so he just needed to find a suitable candidate.

Su Shun replied, "Your Majesty, the Firearms Battalion is the capital's top fighting force and holds a special status. I believe it must be commanded by a minister whom I can rely on. Duke Zaidun is diligent in state affairs and is now a minister of the Imperial Guards. He can directly command the Firearms Battalion!"

Zaidun was the younger brother of Prince Yi Zaiyuan, a direct descendant of Emperor Kangxi, and a member of the Plain Yellow Banner, which meant he had a legitimate family background. He was also a second-rank minister of the Imperial Court, and commanded the Firearms Battalion, which was a high position. Most importantly, Zaidun and Zaiyuan were Sushun's close friends. In this circle, Sushun was the smartest and most trusted by Emperor Xianfeng. Although his title was not as high as theirs, Sushun was generally in charge of major court events, and others followed him without exception. Sushun's talents were also developed step by step.

There will be no problem if the Firearms Battalion is handed over to Zaidun. It will be no different from keeping it in one's own hands.

Xianfeng nodded. Although the abilities of Zaidun and Zaiyuan were average, their loyalty was undoubtedly unquestionable. Moreover, the Firearm Battalion relied on firearms, not bows, swords, stones, horses, infantry and arrows. Even if their skills were a little weaker, it would not affect the combat effectiveness of the Firearm Battalion.

Xianfeng said, "Well, Zaidun will be the commander-in-chief of the Firearms Battalion, responsible for its organization, training, and combat command!"

Zaidun, standing by, was overjoyed. This truly was a godsend! A firearms battalion, completely different from the one in western Beijing, would be equipped with the finest Western firearms. Furthermore, once the American weapons and equipment arrived, according to the court's decision, an artillery battalion would be deployed, commanding dozens of cannons! This was truly extraordinary combat power. It could be said that a fully formed firearms battalion could rival over ten Green Battalions! Absolutely!

Zaidun quickly knelt on the ground and replied, "I thank you for your grace, my lord! Even if I die, I can never repay you even a fraction of it!"

Xianfeng replied, "Alright, Zaidun, the Firearms Battalion is now in your hands. You must understand that this is the most important barrier for our capital. We rely on it to protect the capital. You must not slack off! If you encounter any questions, you can directly ask Liu Ye for advice. After all, he is well-versed in foreign affairs and is familiar with Western military equipment. The drill manuals he has established cannot be changed at will!"

Zaidun agreed repeatedly.

However, although Sushun and Xianfeng chose a loyal ally or minister, they forgot a fatal problem. Zaidun was Zaiyuan's brother. Zaiyuan had just suffered a big setback in the Firearms Battalion, so he sent his brother to command the Firearms Battalion. How could he live in peace?

After the court meeting ended, Yi Xin and Senggelinqin returned to Prince Gong's Mansion together. As for Liu Ye, since there was nothing to do, he naturally came over as well.

Looking at Liu Ye's smirk, the two of them were furious. Now it's all right, now it's all right! The firearm battalion they had just acquired was snatched away by Sushun's party before they could even warm it up. It was really frustrating!

Senggelinqin cursed, "Asshole! You are a complete fool! Even if you have strict military discipline, you still have to consider who you are dealing with. Zaiyuan is a prince of a country, and you dared to order your soldiers to unhorse him. You are rebelling against me! Don't you think the mess you have made is big enough?"

Liu Ye's face was embarrassed, and he quickly smiled and said, "Your Highness, this matter really isn't my fault. I was confined in my room reflecting on my mistakes. Who would have thought that Prince Zaiyuan would actually trespass into the Firearms Battalion? That's a key military location, and he thought it was his own backyard. If the Firearms Battalion hadn't fired warning shots, I would have directly beheaded the then-captain and displayed it to the public. Even if he had a hundred guts, he would never dare to disobey orders!"

Yi Xin, standing by, said angrily, "What should we do now? The Firearms Battalion has been handed over to Sushun and his gang. In the future, Sushun and his gang will be even more powerful! Originally, the Infantry Yamen was under his control, and now the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also under their control. With the Firearms Battalion under their control, who else can check and balance Sushun and his gang?"

Liu Ye smiled and said, "Your Highness, a blessing in disguise. Even if I don't have the Firearms Battalion, don't I still have the generals of Baoding Town? I heard that Baoding Town has thousands of soldiers. Once I enter Baoding, I will build a strong army again in the shortest possible time. Hehe, a strong army, a strong army, only strong generals can forge a strong army. Without a general, Zaidun is a waste. How can he train troops? In less than two years, those arrogant and powerful generals will become weaklings!"

Yi Xin said in distress: "Liu Ye, now the Firearms Battalion has really fallen into Sushun's hands. We will have a hard time in the future..."

Liu Ye replied, "Don't worry, Your Highness. They can't control the Firearm Battalion. How can anyone else easily control the army I lead? Hehe, if Zaidun stays put and follows the rules, it'll be fine. But if he makes trouble, I'm afraid the Firearm Battalion will fall apart in less than two months."

Senggelinqin scolded him, "You are so confused! What are you thinking? Is the collapse of the Firearms Battalion a good thing? This is a powerful fighting force of the imperial court. If it is abandoned like this, what a huge loss it will be for the court."

Liu Ye stuck out his tongue, realizing he'd slipped up. Just as he was about to speak, a sudden realization struck him. That's right, even if he wasn't in the Firearm Battalion anymore, wouldn't all the brothers in the battalion still have to listen to him? This was a strategic move for the future! It was sure to be very useful!

Liu Ye smiled awkwardly and replied, "Your Majesty, even though Sushun controls the Firearms Battalion, doesn't that give us the opportunity to interfere? Every one of the eight captains of the Firearms Battalion was promoted by me, and the captains and sergeants below are no exception. With just one word from me, their every move will fall into our control..."

Yi Ye was startled and looked at Liu Ye suspiciously, asking, "Liu Ye, what do you mean? Do you think you can still control the Firearms Battalion after leaving the position of Head of the Firearms Battalion? What a joke!"

During the Qing Dynasty, the military was always controlled by civil officials. Generals only had the power to command troops but not to mobilize them. Not to mention that someone like Liu Ye left the Firearms Battalion and still wanted to control the Firearms Battalion. How could that be possible?

Liu Ye smiled and replied, "Your Highness, everyone has their own way of training soldiers. Others train soldiers by following a set schedule, and the soldiers just try to make a living. But I am different. I treat them as my brothers in life and death, and they treat me as their father and brother. This kind of relationship is forged through hard work and experience together, and it will definitely stand the test of time!"