What had he agreed to? Lou Jing didn’t get it. His father wanted to take in a Side Consort – surely Xiao Chengjun didn’t expect him to object to something like that? Why was his Min Wang Dianxia angry with him?
“I understand that it’s difficult to defy your father’s orders. You…” Xiao Chengjun did his best to hold it in, but he really couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. He grabbed hold of Lou Jing’s collar. “You’re my wife, and I won’t allow you to be anyone else’s betrothed! Not even if the betrothal is fake!”
Lou Jing blinked, stunned by this unexpected outburst. “Umm… but… my father is the one who wants to take in a Side Consort, and I can’t very well stop him…” he said.
At this, both of them stared at each other blankly.
So, it was the Anguo Gong who was to marry the young miss from the Yang family? What?!
Dianxia was angry because he thought I was the one getting married?
As Xiao Chengjun slowly released Lou Jing’s collar, his ears turned a deep carnelian red.
On the other hand, Lou Jing was grinning so hard his face was about to split into two. He tilted his head, then rubbed his nose against Xiao Chengjun’s. “Yuanlang, are you… jealous?” he almost purred.
“I’m just giving you a warning,” Xiao Chengjun said, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. He tried to push Lou Jing off him, but the latter refused to let up, and pressed his lips firmly onto his. “Mmph…”
Lou Jing was absolutely ecstatic. His Dianxia had gotten this angry over a tiny possibility that he’d be getting married. Did that mean that, next time, he could expect Xiao Chengjun to decline taking in concubines on his account?
That passionate kiss succeeded in soothing Xiao Chengjun’s ruffled feathers, and he slowly reached out to wrap his arms around Lou Jing. He gently caressed Lou Jing’s back as their lips sought each other’s urgently.
Lou Jing inhaled sharply in pain, then gave Xiao Chengjun a petulant look. The latter had been too caught up in kissing and had touched his wounded back. “It hurts…” he whined.
It was only then that Xiao Chengjun remembered that Lou Jing was injured, and he quickly stopped moving his hands. He looked at Lou Jing’s pale, bloodless face, and his brows creased slightly. “Did you impact your arm just now?” he asked.
Lou Jing shook his head, then put his chin on Xiao Chengjun’s shoulder. “I’ve already given everything to you. How could you not believe me? I haven’t got a single penny on me, and I couldn’t buy a concubine even if I wanted to,” he said.
“Haha…” Xiao Chengjun was tickled by this, and he started laughing. He held on to Lou Jing’s waist and patted him gently there. “That was my bad.”
“You think an apology covers this?” Lou Jing said, turning his head slightly to bite down on Xiao Chengjun’s neck.
Meanwhile, Yang Xin was still waiting in the main hall, and when he didn’t see either of them return after quite some time, he thought something bad might have happened, so he went out looking for them. Just as he turned a corner in the corridor, he saw the two of them with their bodies intertwined on the floor, and he was so shocked that his mouth fell open.
Xiao Chengjun turned and saw the corner of Yang Xin’s clothes flash by. His eyes darkened, and he patted the fellow who was still refusing to loosen his hold on his neck. “Then what would cover it?” he asked.
Obe Alcu wbnfv tlr ilqr ab Wljb Jtfcupec’r fjg jcv ktlrqfgfv ab tlw. Pa kjrc’a pera Wljb Jtfcupec’r fjgr atja aegcfv gfv atlr alwf; tlr ktbif ojmf aegcfv j vffq mglwrbc.
Whether Min Wang Dianxia agreed to the conditions Lou Jing set for accepting his apology was an issue for later.
Qtfc Tjcu Wlc tjv tfjgv atja Obe Alcu kjr atf Xfcfgji Itfccjc, tf ibbxfv jr lo tf tjv yffc ulnfc j rfmbcv mtjcmf ja ilof. Lf lwwfvljafis xcfia vbkc jcv yfuufv Obe Alcu ab rjnf tlr vjeutafg.
“Since she’s already betrothed to the Guogong ye, she’s actually part of your family already…” Yang Xin pleaded. Just as he had got on his knees, Lou Jing quickly took hold of his arm and helped him up.
Lou Jing couldn’t simply do nothing at this point; he had the Army Seal and the power to command the Nansi Prefectural Troops after all. He had to fulfil this military duty assigned to him, and it wasn’t a bad idea to rescue the Yang family’s daughter while testing out his troops’ capabilities.
Fighting the Jiuqi Mountain Bandits wasn’t likely to take very long, and the girl they were saving wasn’t Lou Jing’s future wife, so Xiao Chengjun gave his nod of approval easily. He did, however, find the notion that this girl was ‘part of Lou Jing’s family’ rather awkward.
Yang Xin was overjoyed, and he invited them to stay in his mansion. “Army camps are always in a mess, and Shizi is still recovering from an injury. It may not be so convenient for you to stay there,” he said. As he spoke, he stole a quick look at Xiao Chengjun, who was standing next to Lou Jing.
Xiao Chengjun acted as if he hadn’t seen Yang Xin’s furtive glance. “We’ll stay in your residence then, and let the deputy generals in the army come over here to meet you,” he said calmly.
“No, that won’t do,” Lou Jing said, shaking his head. Managing military officials was very different from managing civil officials. A superior civil official could just sit in the government office and summon his subordinates for a meeting, but a military general had to go to the army camp and address his subordinates there. If he was unable to impress and awe his subordinates within their home ground, they would be extremely difficult to manage in future.
After lunch, Lou Jing borrowed a few horses from Yang Xin to replace his injured ones, then went to the Nansi Prefectural Troops Army Camp with twelve of the Youyun guards.
Xiao Chengjun didn’t feel comfortable letting him ride on a horse on his own, so he went along with Lou Jing.
After Xiao Chengjun and Lou Jing left, Yang Xin asked his subordinate about the outcome of the Second Boss’ interrogation. “Why did they want to kill the General Zhennan?” he asked.
The Imperial soldiers had just found out that the weak, delicate-looking gongzi in Xiao Chengjun’s arms was in fact the General Zhennan. They were stunned speechless, and it took them a while before they found their tongues again. “The General killed a few of their fellow bandits in Xunyang, and one of those they killed was the Fourth Boss’ sworn brother,” he said.
As it turned out, when the Fourth Boss had heard that his sworn brother’s mountain hideout had been compromised, he’d gone across the river to meet him and bring him to his hideout, but when he got to the temple they were supposed to meet at, all he’d found was his sworn brother’s dead body. He was furious then, and had caught hold of the refugees who hadn’t gone very far to interrogate them. From them, he found out that his sworn brother’s killer was a man riding a tall stallion, and followed them all the way to Linjiang. He’d crossed the river at Linjiang using a boat they’d arranged in advance, returned to his mountain hideout to gather his men, then went to ambush them to seek revenge for his fallen brother.
“Lao ye, does this mean our Zhen’er will be saved?” Mrs Yang, Yang Xin’s furen asked, pulling urgently on his sleeve.
Yang Xin looked at his anxious wife, whose face was worn down and gaunt after many days of incessant worrying. He nodded reassuringly. “The Lou family Shizi is the General Zhennan, who was sent here to deal with the mountain bandits. He’s already gone to get soldiers from the army camp, and Zhen’er will be back with us soon,” he said.
“Amitabha, thank the heavens!” Mrs Yang said, pressing her palms flat against each other in a prayerful position. She thought about what her maid had said earlier, that the two gongzi in the front atrium had looked to be talented, accomplished people, like a dragon and phoenix amongst men, and she couldn’t help adding another sentence. “Lao ye, now that this has happened, Zhen’er won’t be able to find a good match any more. Since that Lou family Shizi is handsome and capable, why don’t we marry her off to him as his Side Consort? That’s at least better than letting her marry that…”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Yang Xin said, cutting her off immediately. He thought about Xiao Chengjun’s incomparably noble bearing, and his hands couldn’t help clenching nervously into fists as he remembered what he saw in the corridor. Based on that, he had an inkling as to who Xiao Chengjun might be. If he really was Min Wang, the stakes were very high – far too high for a lowly fourth-ranked official like him to stomach.
The army camp was situated in the east side of Jiuchang County, about fifty li from Jiuchang City itself. Lou Jing and company reached the camp before sunset.
The Nansi Prefectural Troops’ army camp was situated in a vast flat plain between two mountain ranges. One could see the high wooden fence around it even from a distance.
“Who goes there?” the lookout shouted from his position atop a towering wooden structure.
“I am the General Zhennan, and I’m here on his Imperial Majesty’s orders. Open the door now!” Lou Jing said, raising the Army Seal clenched in his fist. He used his neili to project his voice, and it travelled to the furthest reaches of the army camp.
Ordinarily the camp was quieter during this time just before sunset, and Lou Jing’s loud voice echoed in the mountain valleys around them. The lookout did not dare to be disrespectful, and he immediately shouted his reply. “Please wait a moment, this subordinate will go and inform the deputy generals immediately!” he said.
Before long, the high wooden door to the camp opened, and two men wearing deputy general’s armour came forward with a company of men and horses.
“Greetings to the General Zhennan!” the Cavalry Deputy General said. He’d seen the Army Seal in Lou Jing’s hand, and he immediately bowed in greeting.
The Infantry Deputy General clasped his hands in Lou Jing’s direction as well. “General, this way please!” he said.
Lou Jing didn’t get off his horse. He just kicked the horse’s belly gently, then led his husband and the twelve Youyun guards quickly into the army camp.
The two Deputy Generals exchanged a look. There was a rule in the military that said that during wartime, they should not remain in front of the camp for too long, and should enter the camp as quickly as possible to prevent the camp from being invaded by enemy soldiers. This General Zhennan’s actions showed that he knew of this rule, and clearly was not just some good-for-nothing son of the nobility. They both entered the camp behind Lou Jing’s company quickly as well, not daring to delay matters.
Lou Jing lifted his robes and sat right down on the main seat in the central camp. The twelve Youyun guards stood in a row behind him with cold, severe expressions on their faces, six to his left, and six to his right. They presented a very awe-inspiring sight.
Xiao Chengjun dragged a chair over and sat just below the host seat. He looked appreciatively at his Consort, who was currently presenting a very different image from the one he knew. He found this intimidating side of Lou Jing very intriguing.
Before long, the two Deputy Generals brought their captains, lieutenants and sergeants forward to make their formal greetings.
“This subordinate is the Cavalry Captain, Zhang Rao!”
“This subordinate is the Infantry Captain, Wang Zhi!”
The lieutenants and sergeants also came forward to introduce themselves in turn.
The two fourth-ranked Deputy Generals functioned as the General’s deputies, as their name suggested. They were in charge of the day-to-day running of the twenty thousand men in this amy camp. Before the General Zhennan arrived, they were under the command of a fourth-ranked Wuwei General. That general’s rank was not very high, and the real military power still vested in the Prefectural Governor.
A few of the military officials were rather surprised when they saw that Lou Jing looked to be about seventeen or eighteen.
“Where is the Wuwei General?” Lou Jing asked, his eyes sweeping over the military officers gathered there.
“Replying to the General, the Wuwei General has been summoned by the Lord Prefectural Governor to catch mountain bandits,” the Cavalry Captain Zhang Rao said. He took that opportunity to look at Lou Jing’s reaction, but Lou Jing’s face didn’t change. He lowered his head again after that.
Lou Jing drummed two fingers on the table in an unhurried manner. “My name is Lou Jing, and I have been appointed as the General Zhennan. I am also the Shizi of the Anguo Gong. From today onwards, I will be taking charge of the Nansi Prefectural Troops, and all 25,041 men in this camp are under my command,” he said.
“Yes, sir!” they replied smartly.
The Infantry Captain Wang Zhi was secretly astonished. There really were exactly 25,041 people in this camp if one included the army cooks and miscellaneous staff!
“This man here is my Military Strategist. You may address him as Mr Yuan, and you’re to treat him with the same respect that you accord me,” Lou Jing said, raising a hand to point at Xiao Chengjun. He then looked toward the twelve Youyun guards standing behind him. “These men are the Youyun Sixteen that were bequeathed to me by my Grandfather. They are my personal guards and are not part of this army.”
Some of the military officers couldn’t help gasping in surprise. The Youyun Sixteen! They were the stuff of legend – so many stories had been told about them since the founding of the Empire!
“Wang Zhi,” Lou Jing said, ignoring the audience’s reaction and proceeding to deal with official matters.
“Present, sir,” the Infantry Captain said, clasping his fists together respectfully.
“What’s the remaining strength in the battalion today?” Lou Jing asked, toying with the Army Seal between his fingers.
“The Wuwei General took a thousand cavalrymen and ten thousand infantrymen. At present, there are still a thousand cavalrymen and 12,500 infantrymen in camp. The rest are cooks and miscellaneous staff,” Wang Zhi said, rattling off the numbers without batting an eyelid.
Lou Jing didn’t say anything in response. He tapped the army seal on the table and regarded the people before him silently, his face cold.
The military officers didn’t dare to look around any more. They all lowered their heads.
“When did the Prefectural Governor take the men?” Lou Jing finally asked.
“Ten days ago,” Wang Zhi replied.
That coincided neatly with the day Lou Jing had been appointed as the General Zhennan. At that time, it could be said that the news of the appointment had not reached the Nansi Prefectural Troops’ army camp, and so the Prefectural Governor was well within his rights to dispatch troops from here. However, now that he was here, it appeared that the Prefectural Governor had no intention of returning the borrowed men, and on top of that, seemed to also have no intention of even observing the basic courtesy of sending him a greeting.
Lou Jing’s lips curved upwards slightly. He looked at the two Deputy Generals, who were both sweating bullets, and immediately changed his tone to a less harsh one. “Since I’ve just arrived today, and I’m not familiar with all of you, I’ll treat all of you good brothers to wine tonight,” he said.
What had he agreed to? Lou Jing didn’t get it. His father wanted to take in a Side Consort – surely Xiao Chengjun didn’t expect him to object to something like that? Why was his Min Wang Dianxia angry with him?
“I understand that it’s difficult to defy your father’s orders. You…” Xiao Chengjun did his best to hold it in, but he really couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence. He grabbed hold of Lou Jing’s collar. “You’re my wife, and I won’t allow you to be anyone else’s betrothed! Not even if the betrothal is fake!”
Lou Jing blinked, stunned by this unexpected outburst. “Umm… but… my father is the one who wants to take in a Side Consort, and I can’t very well stop him…” he said.
At this, both of them stared at each other blankly.
So, it was the Anguo Gong who was to marry the young miss from the Yang family? What?!
Dianxia was angry because he thought I was the one getting married?
As Xiao Chengjun slowly released Lou Jing’s collar, his ears turned a deep carnelian red.
On the other hand, Lou Jing was grinning so hard his face was about to split into two. He tilted his head, then rubbed his nose against Xiao Chengjun’s. “Yuanlang, are you… jealous?” he almost purred.
“I’m just giving you a warning,” Xiao Chengjun said, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. He tried to push Lou Jing off him, but the latter refused to let up, and pressed his lips firmly onto his. “Mmph…”
Lou Jing was absolutely ecstatic. His Dianxia had gotten this angry over a tiny possibility that he’d be getting married. Did that mean that, next time, he could expect Xiao Chengjun to decline taking in concubines on his account?
That passionate kiss succeeded in soothing Xiao Chengjun’s ruffled feathers, and he slowly reached out to wrap his arms around Lou Jing. He gently caressed Lou Jing’s back as their lips sought each other’s urgently.
Lou Jing inhaled sharply in pain, then gave Xiao Chengjun a petulant look. The latter had been too caught up in kissing and had touched his wounded back. “It hurts…” he whined.
It was only then that Xiao Chengjun remembered that Lou Jing was injured, and he quickly stopped moving his hands. He looked at Lou Jing’s pale, bloodless face, and his brows creased slightly. “Did you impact your arm just now?” he asked.
Lou Jing shook his head, then put his chin on Xiao Chengjun’s shoulder. “I’ve already given everything to you. How could you not believe me? I haven’t got a single penny on me, and I couldn’t buy a concubine even if I wanted to,” he said.
“Haha…” Xiao Chengjun was tickled by this, and he started laughing. He held on to Lou Jing’s waist and patted him gently there. “That was my bad.”
“You think an apology covers this?” Lou Jing said, turning his head slightly to bite down on Xiao Chengjun’s neck.
Meanwhile, Yang Xin was still waiting in the main hall, and when he didn’t see either of them return after quite some time, he thought something bad might have happened, so he went out looking for them. Just as he turned a corner in the corridor, he saw the two of them with their bodies intertwined on the floor, and he was so shocked that his mouth fell open.
Xiao Chengjun turned and saw the corner of Yang Xin’s clothes flash by. His eyes darkened, and he patted the fellow who was still refusing to loosen his hold on his neck. “Then what would cover it?” he asked.
Obe Alcu wbnfv tlr ilqr ab Wljb Jtfcupec’r fjg jcv ktlrqfgfv ab tlw. Pa kjrc’a pera Wljb Jtfcupec’r fjgr atja aegcfv gfv atlr alwf; tlr ktbif ojmf aegcfv j vffq mglwrbc.
Whether Min Wang Dianxia agreed to the conditions Lou Jing set for accepting his apology was an issue for later.
Qtfc Tjcu Wlc tjv tfjgv atja Obe Alcu kjr atf Xfcfgji Itfccjc, tf ibbxfv jr lo tf tjv yffc ulnfc j rfmbcv mtjcmf ja ilof. Lf lwwfvljafis xcfia vbkc jcv yfuufv Obe Alcu ab rjnf tlr vjeutafg.
“Since she’s already betrothed to the Guogong ye, she’s actually part of your family already…” Yang Xin pleaded. Just as he had got on his knees, Lou Jing quickly took hold of his arm and helped him up.
Lou Jing couldn’t simply do nothing at this point; he had the Army Seal and the power to command the Nansi Prefectural Troops after all. He had to fulfil this military duty assigned to him, and it wasn’t a bad idea to rescue the Yang family’s daughter while testing out his troops’ capabilities.
Fighting the Jiuqi Mountain Bandits wasn’t likely to take very long, and the girl they were saving wasn’t Lou Jing’s future wife, so Xiao Chengjun gave his nod of approval easily. He did, however, find the notion that this girl was ‘part of Lou Jing’s family’ rather awkward.
Yang Xin was overjoyed, and he invited them to stay in his mansion. “Army camps are always in a mess, and Shizi is still recovering from an injury. It may not be so convenient for you to stay there,” he said. As he spoke, he stole a quick look at Xiao Chengjun, who was standing next to Lou Jing.
Xiao Chengjun acted as if he hadn’t seen Yang Xin’s furtive glance. “We’ll stay in your residence then, and let the deputy generals in the army come over here to meet you,” he said calmly.
“No, that won’t do,” Lou Jing said, shaking his head. Managing military officials was very different from managing civil officials. A superior civil official could just sit in the government office and summon his subordinates for a meeting, but a military general had to go to the army camp and address his subordinates there. If he was unable to impress and awe his subordinates within their home ground, they would be extremely difficult to manage in future.
After lunch, Lou Jing borrowed a few horses from Yang Xin to replace his injured ones, then went to the Nansi Prefectural Troops Army Camp with twelve of the Youyun guards.
Xiao Chengjun didn’t feel comfortable letting him ride on a horse on his own, so he went along with Lou Jing.
After Xiao Chengjun and Lou Jing left, Yang Xin asked his subordinate about the outcome of the Second Boss’ interrogation. “Why did they want to kill the General Zhennan?” he asked.
The Imperial soldiers had just found out that the weak, delicate-looking gongzi in Xiao Chengjun’s arms was in fact the General Zhennan. They were stunned speechless, and it took them a while before they found their tongues again. “The General killed a few of their fellow bandits in Xunyang, and one of those they killed was the Fourth Boss’ sworn brother,” he said.
As it turned out, when the Fourth Boss had heard that his sworn brother’s mountain hideout had been compromised, he’d gone across the river to meet him and bring him to his hideout, but when he got to the temple they were supposed to meet at, all he’d found was his sworn brother’s dead body. He was furious then, and had caught hold of the refugees who hadn’t gone very far to interrogate them. From them, he found out that his sworn brother’s killer was a man riding a tall stallion, and followed them all the way to Linjiang. He’d crossed the river at Linjiang using a boat they’d arranged in advance, returned to his mountain hideout to gather his men, then went to ambush them to seek revenge for his fallen brother.
“Lao ye, does this mean our Zhen’er will be saved?” Mrs Yang, Yang Xin’s furen asked, pulling urgently on his sleeve.
Yang Xin looked at his anxious wife, whose face was worn down and gaunt after many days of incessant worrying. He nodded reassuringly. “The Lou family Shizi is the General Zhennan, who was sent here to deal with the mountain bandits. He’s already gone to get soldiers from the army camp, and Zhen’er will be back with us soon,” he said.
“Amitabha, thank the heavens!” Mrs Yang said, pressing her palms flat against each other in a prayerful position. She thought about what her maid had said earlier, that the two gongzi in the front atrium had looked to be talented, accomplished people, like a dragon and phoenix amongst men, and she couldn’t help adding another sentence. “Lao ye, now that this has happened, Zhen’er won’t be able to find a good match any more. Since that Lou family Shizi is handsome and capable, why don’t we marry her off to him as his Side Consort? That’s at least better than letting her marry that…”
“Don’t talk nonsense!” Yang Xin said, cutting her off immediately. He thought about Xiao Chengjun’s incomparably noble bearing, and his hands couldn’t help clenching nervously into fists as he remembered what he saw in the corridor. Based on that, he had an inkling as to who Xiao Chengjun might be. If he really was Min Wang, the stakes were very high – far too high for a lowly fourth-ranked official like him to stomach.
The army camp was situated in the east side of Jiuchang County, about fifty li from Jiuchang City itself. Lou Jing and company reached the camp before sunset.
The Nansi Prefectural Troops’ army camp was situated in a vast flat plain between two mountain ranges. One could see the high wooden fence around it even from a distance.
“Who goes there?” the lookout shouted from his position atop a towering wooden structure.
“I am the General Zhennan, and I’m here on his Imperial Majesty’s orders. Open the door now!” Lou Jing said, raising the Army Seal clenched in his fist. He used his neili to project his voice, and it travelled to the furthest reaches of the army camp.
Ordinarily the camp was quieter during this time just before sunset, and Lou Jing’s loud voice echoed in the mountain valleys around them. The lookout did not dare to be disrespectful, and he immediately shouted his reply. “Please wait a moment, this subordinate will go and inform the deputy generals immediately!” he said.
Before long, the high wooden door to the camp opened, and two men wearing deputy general’s armour came forward with a company of men and horses.
“Greetings to the General Zhennan!” the Cavalry Deputy General said. He’d seen the Army Seal in Lou Jing’s hand, and he immediately bowed in greeting.
The Infantry Deputy General clasped his hands in Lou Jing’s direction as well. “General, this way please!” he said.
Lou Jing didn’t get off his horse. He just kicked the horse’s belly gently, then led his husband and the twelve Youyun guards quickly into the army camp.
The two Deputy Generals exchanged a look. There was a rule in the military that said that during wartime, they should not remain in front of the camp for too long, and should enter the camp as quickly as possible to prevent the camp from being invaded by enemy soldiers. This General Zhennan’s actions showed that he knew of this rule, and clearly was not just some good-for-nothing son of the nobility. They both entered the camp behind Lou Jing’s company quickly as well, not daring to delay matters.
Lou Jing lifted his robes and sat right down on the main seat in the central camp. The twelve Youyun guards stood in a row behind him with cold, severe expressions on their faces, six to his left, and six to his right. They presented a very awe-inspiring sight.
Xiao Chengjun dragged a chair over and sat just below the host seat. He looked appreciatively at his Consort, who was currently presenting a very different image from the one he knew. He found this intimidating side of Lou Jing very intriguing.
Before long, the two Deputy Generals brought their captains, lieutenants and sergeants forward to make their formal greetings.
“This subordinate is the Cavalry Captain, Zhang Rao!”
“This subordinate is the Infantry Captain, Wang Zhi!”
The lieutenants and sergeants also came forward to introduce themselves in turn.
The two fourth-ranked Deputy Generals functioned as the General’s deputies, as their name suggested. They were in charge of the day-to-day running of the twenty thousand men in this amy camp. Before the General Zhennan arrived, they were under the command of a fourth-ranked Wuwei General. That general’s rank was not very high, and the real military power still vested in the Prefectural Governor.
A few of the military officials were rather surprised when they saw that Lou Jing looked to be about seventeen or eighteen.
“Where is the Wuwei General?” Lou Jing asked, his eyes sweeping over the military officers gathered there.
“Replying to the General, the Wuwei General has been summoned by the Lord Prefectural Governor to catch mountain bandits,” the Cavalry Captain Zhang Rao said. He took that opportunity to look at Lou Jing’s reaction, but Lou Jing’s face didn’t change. He lowered his head again after that.
Lou Jing drummed two fingers on the table in an unhurried manner. “My name is Lou Jing, and I have been appointed as the General Zhennan. I am also the Shizi of the Anguo Gong. From today onwards, I will be taking charge of the Nansi Prefectural Troops, and all 25,041 men in this camp are under my command,” he said.
“Yes, sir!” they replied smartly.
The Infantry Captain Wang Zhi was secretly astonished. There really were exactly 25,041 people in this camp if one included the army cooks and miscellaneous staff!
“This man here is my Military Strategist. You may address him as Mr Yuan, and you’re to treat him with the same respect that you accord me,” Lou Jing said, raising a hand to point at Xiao Chengjun. He then looked toward the twelve Youyun guards standing behind him. “These men are the Youyun Sixteen that were bequeathed to me by my Grandfather. They are my personal guards and are not part of this army.”
Some of the military officers couldn’t help gasping in surprise. The Youyun Sixteen! They were the stuff of legend – so many stories had been told about them since the founding of the Empire!
“Wang Zhi,” Lou Jing said, ignoring the audience’s reaction and proceeding to deal with official matters.
“Present, sir,” the Infantry Captain said, clasping his fists together respectfully.
“What’s the remaining strength in the battalion today?” Lou Jing asked, toying with the Army Seal between his fingers.
“The Wuwei General took a thousand cavalrymen and ten thousand infantrymen. At present, there are still a thousand cavalrymen and 12,500 infantrymen in camp. The rest are cooks and miscellaneous staff,” Wang Zhi said, rattling off the numbers without batting an eyelid.
Lou Jing didn’t say anything in response. He tapped the army seal on the table and regarded the people before him silently, his face cold.
The military officers didn’t dare to look around any more. They all lowered their heads.
“When did the Prefectural Governor take the men?” Lou Jing finally asked.
“Ten days ago,” Wang Zhi replied.
That coincided neatly with the day Lou Jing had been appointed as the General Zhennan. At that time, it could be said that the news of the appointment had not reached the Nansi Prefectural Troops’ army camp, and so the Prefectural Governor was well within his rights to dispatch troops from here. However, now that he was here, it appeared that the Prefectural Governor had no intention of returning the borrowed men, and on top of that, seemed to also have no intention of even observing the basic courtesy of sending him a greeting.
Lou Jing’s lips curved upwards slightly. He looked at the two Deputy Generals, who were both sweating bullets, and immediately changed his tone to a less harsh one. “Since I’ve just arrived today, and I’m not familiar with all of you, I’ll treat all of you good brothers to wine tonight,” he said.
