Fan Guang summoned up the courage to ask: "I dare you to ask Your Majesty, what kind of loyalty do I need from my Majesty?"
Zhu Qiyu replied: "I know you are a rare general, so I want you to do many things. In the past few years, there are three main things I plan to ask you to do.
First, I want to send you to take over as the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, lead 50,000 elite troops, and disarm Yang Hong's Xuanfu soldiers. Then they uprooted the Xuanfu soldiers and escorted them all to the south to quell the Miao rebellion.
Second, I want to add Xuanfu and Huailai to Northern Zhili, and carry out military reforms in Xuanfu. As the commander-in-chief of the Xuanfu, you must cooperate with my reforms unconditionally.
Third, I want you to restore Kaiping Guards and use Kaiping Guards as the foundation to use troops against Oara. Even if the Supreme Emperor cannot come back for two or three years, you will continue to lead your troops to attack and completely wipe out your headquarters for me.
There is another requirement: you must only be loyal to me and not be too close to civil servants. I want you to be a lonely minister, responsible only to me. "
Fan Guang accepted all other requests, but he was quite doubtful about the emperor's statement about the Supreme Emperor: "Your Majesty, the Supreme Emperor will not be able to come back within two or three years. What will happen in the future?"
Zhu Qiyu said with a smile: "Don't think too much. In just two or three years, I will bring the Supreme Emperor back. But when the Supreme Emperor returns to the capital, I will ask the Supreme Emperor to issue an edict of guilt in front of the memorial tablet of the fallen soldiers in civil engineering, and officially Zen is in me.
Then the Supreme Emperor abdicated completely and lived in the Forbidden City to be raised. I have no choice but to do this. If the Emperor is still here, none of us in the Prince Qi family will survive. None of the important civil and military officials in the court could expect a good end.
That's the way it is, and I won't lie to you. If you want to accept it, just accept it. If you can't accept it, forget it, I won't force it. "
Without waiting for Fan Guang's answer, Zhu Qiyu continued: "Although these demands are a bit difficult, I have given you enough. Marquis, duke, hereditary, I will give it to you. You are the leader of the younger generation, follow me, Not only can I help you enjoy a lifetime of glory and wealth, but I can also make you famous and famous throughout the ages."
When Fan Guang heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the emperor didn't let him do something to the Supreme Emperor, then there wouldn't be a big problem. So he knelt down and loudly swore allegiance to the emperor.
Xu Heng and Wang Tong were both standing aside, looking at Fan Guang in surprise, not understanding why Fan Guang became loyal to the emperor so easily.
Xu Heng didn't know that the reason why Fan Guang was so cheerful, apart from the fact that the emperor had already recruited him before, was mostly due to the influence of Xu Heng's first loyalty to the emperor.
Fan Guang is indeed an upright and brave general, but this does not mean that Fan Guang is reckless and brainless.
As a border general, Fan Guang could easily figure it out: Xu Heng had been guarding the northwest for many years. Although he only brought 5,000 elite border troops to Beijing this time, if he was given enough time, he could have recruited another 30,000 from the northwest. The border troops entered Beijing.
The emperor obtained Xu Heng's allegiance, which meant that he had 30,000 to 40,000 elite border troops in his hands. Daning Dusi, who was the first to be loyal to the emperor, could also muster an army of 30,000.
Coupled with other scattered troops loyal to the emperor such as the Royal Horse Guards and the Four Guards, the emperor now has about 70,000 to 80,000 people at his command.
In other words, now is the last chance to be loyal to the emperor and become a confidant. When the emperor becomes completely powerful and you want to be loyal to him, the emperor won't even bother to pay attention to you.
Zhu Qiyu helped Fan Guang up and smiled at everyone: "Let's go and review my personal guards."
Fan Guang and others happily accepted the order. Although Yuantucheng was very close to the station of the emperor's personal guards, this personal guard had always been mysterious, and even Fan Guang had not been able to go in to find out. Xu Heng and Wang Tong were also curious about how far the emperor, who had never commanded an army, could lead his army.
So the group came to the private housing area outside Desheng Gate, and the guarding sergeant quickly reported. Not long after, the guards commander Xu Tong and Gu Zhong hurried out and brought everyone into the camp.
Zhu Qiyu smiled at Xu Heng and others: "I didn't inform you in advance. Let's make a surprise attack to see what my personal guards are like."
Xu Heng smiled and said: "I am also very curious about how elite your majesty's personal guards are. I must broaden my horizons today."
So everyone walked through the houses and came to the camp in the center. There are four school grounds scattered around the edge of the camp. In three smaller school grounds, there are thousands of soldiers practicing assassination and fighting skills in each. The largest school grounds were filled with tanks.
Xu Heng watched the soldiers' drills for a while, and then asked curiously: "Soldiers in other battalions are generally afraid of war. Why are your majesty's personal guards in such high spirits, as if they are eager to come first?"
When Zhu Qiyu heard this, he laughed loudly: "There is no other way but to give money to Er with all his strength."
Xu Heng was even more curious: "How much money did your Majesty give? Are they like this?"
Zhu Qiyu stretched out five fingers and gestured: "The princess is in charge of the money in our family. I don't know the exact amount, but in the month since I took over the personal guard, military pay, silver reward, food and clothing, all expenses have been taken into account. Without 500,000 taels of silver, we definitely can’t make it.”
Xu Heng, Fan Guang, and Wang Tong were all stunned when they heard this. The emperor only had ten thousand personal guards in total. On average, he spent fifty taels of silver on each person.
This is not surprising. Under heavy rewards, there must be brave men. This is an eternal truth.
Zhu Qiyu continued to explain: "Once the war starts, more money will be spent later. I have stipulated that if a Tatar is beheaded, he will be rewarded with twenty taels. If a guard is disabled because of killing the enemy, then for each head he chops, the reward will be upgraded. To fifty taels.
If a bodyguard is killed in battle while killing an enemy, the reward for each head he cuts off will be upgraded to one hundred taels.
In short, the more beheadings, the greater the reward. Those who are injured or killed in battle will be severely rewarded. "
Hearing this, everyone was so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths. After a long while, Fan Guangcai calculated for the emperor: "Your Majesty, if your bodyguard beheads ten thousand people, he will be rewarded with a silver reward of two to three hundred thousand taels at least. "
Zhu Qiyu spread his hands and said: "It doesn't matter, they can chop them as they please. Just blink your eyes, even if I'm sorry to my personal guards."
After that, Zhu Qiyu shouted loudly to the guards who were kneeling to salute him on the campus: "Everyone, feel free to chop off the heads of the Tatars.
For each of you, if you can behead someone at level five, I will reward you with an additional one hundred taels; if you can behead someone at level ten, you will be rewarded with an additional two hundred taels; if you can behead someone at level twenty, you will be rewarded with an additional five hundred taels. "
Upon hearing this, the guards all let out deafening cheers.
Zhu Qiyu pulled up to Fan Guang and others who were in a daze: "Come, I will take you to see the newly received chariots and crossbows."
