"This humble official, Liang Youda, requests an audience with General Zhong!"
The newly appointed Prefect of Mianzhou City knelt outside, trembling as he begged for an audience, surrounded by other officials from the city.
This scene was rather unbelievable. In the Qian State, civil officials were often regarded as three ranks higher when interacting with military personnel, frequently treating even military officers of higher rank with disdain.
Yet, the elderly Minister Zhong, who resided in the prefectural office, was an exception. Zhong Wenhao, having already reached a ripe old age, was a living fossil in the military circles of the Qian State. The Zhong Family had been guarding the Southwest for Qian for nearly a century.
Zhong Wenhao’s influence could no longer be described rely by the term "military officer."
Faced with the Mianzhou Prefect’s request for an audience, Zhong Wenhao rely wiped his face with a towel passed to him by his personal soldier, neglecting to respond.
He was too disdainful, too lazy to bother.
COUGH, COUGH...
After a mont, Zhong Wenhao sat down in a chair and waved his hand, signaling his personal soldier to move the fire basin away from him.
Winter in the North was bitterly cold, unlike the humid heat of the Southwest. Due to his age, Minister Zhong disliked the dry heat emanating from the fire basin.
"Bring him in."
The one brought in was not the Mianzhou City officials begging for an audience outside, but ng Geng, who entered from a side hall.
ng Geng’s hair was sowhat disheveled, and his eyes held a vacant look. However, upon seeing Zhong Wenhao seated at the head, he imdiately prostrated himself.
"This guilty general, ng Geng, pays his respects to General Zhong!"
"Get up." COUGH, COUGH... Minister Zhong started to cough again; he truly detested the climate in the North.
Yet, there was nothing he could do. He had previously known that the defenses along Qian’s three frontiers were lax. However, they consud at least half of the court’s annual military expenditure. Minister Zhong thought, Even if they are lax, they should still maintain so semblance of order, right?
Grand Commandant Yang’s morial and the reactions of the various ministers in court had surprised even Zhong Wenhao. These three frontiers, consuming the lion’s share of military funds each year, have actually beco this absurd?
If one claid it was impossible to stop the Yan people’s Northern Garrison Army when they advanced from the desert, that might be sowhat excusable. But now, the Yan’s Northern Garrison Army had not even moved south. Only their South Stabilization Army had mobilized once, and yet it had already scared Grand Commandant Yang out of his wits.
Tsk, tsk...
It was impossible for Zhong Wenhao not to feel a surge of anger. If those military funds could be allocated to his own West Army Division, he reflected, the soldiers would live more comfortably. The campaigns against those restless chieftains could be far more decisive. With a few years of dedicated effort, it might even be possible to completely subdue the southwestern chieftains.
Of course, Zhong Wenhao could only entertain these thoughts privately. For so years now, the court had begun efforts to dismantle, suppress, and divide the West Army Division as a military collective. However, although the West Army Division did not belong to his Zhong Family, its various warlords, in reality, all closely rallied around the Zhong Family, looking to them for leadership. This had rendered the court’s thods largely ineffective.
This ti, the impending southern invasion by the Yan people had, in a way, provided a reprieve for the West Army Division.
As a man from a military family, Zhong Wenhao genuinely preferred facing the enemy’s blades and cavalries to wracking his brains dealing with the grandees at court.
"Guilty general? What cri have you committed?"
"This..." ng Geng hesitated, unsure how to respond.
"You successfully defended Mianzhou City; that is a rit."
ng Geng kowtowed again, saying, "Thank you for your protection, General Zhong."
At this juncture, Zhong Wenhao indeed had the authority to pass judgnt on this matter.
Of course, even though there was shockingly infighting among their own people within Mianzhou City when the West Army Division arrived, the city ultimately did not fall to the Yan.
"It has been hard on you," Zhong Wenhao sighed.
"This humble general dares not claim such," ng Geng said, bowing his head.
Looking at ng Geng, Zhong Wenhao couldn’t help but think of ng Geng’s father. Then he recalled the past, when he and ng Geng’s father stood together beside the Tattoo-faced Master.
Regretfully, those tis were long gone.
At this mont, a personal soldier walked in and whispered sothing in Zhong Wenhao’s ear.
Zhong Wenhao’s eyes narrowed slightly.
He ordered, "Seal off the entire city. Search it!"
"Yes, sir!" The personal soldier departed.
Zhong Wenhao sighed and said, "Prince Fu is dead."
"... " ng Geng.
"His body was found in a stable, but his head was missing."
"How... how is that possible?"
"It must have been a Yan spy who infiltrated the city."
"Prince Fu... Prince Fu was a good prince."
"Heh," Zhong Wenhao said dismissively. "What I worry about is this: if it truly was the Yan people’s doing, then even though they failed to breach Mianzhou City this ti, possessing Prince Fu’s head could have an even greater impact than if they had actually conquered the city again."
ng Geng lowered his head, saying nothing.
"So be it. Since Prince Fu is dead, then you, ng Geng, are as good as dead too."
"This subordinate obeys."
With that, ng Geng stood up, preparing to take a sword from a personal soldier to end his own life.
Zhong Wenhao observed all of this and spoke again, "From now on, you shall be called Zhong Geng."
ng Geng was stunned.
"For now, you’ll take my surna. Let’s just say I’m getting a fine general, a little ’perk’ thanks to your father. After this war ends, your own rits will allow this to be set aside, and you can be ng Geng once more."
This was the simplest way and would save a lot of trouble.
"Thank you, General Zhong!" ng Geng knelt and kowtowed once more.
"Do you know who led the troops attacking the city this ti?"
"This subordinate does not know."
"It’s written on the pillar outside the gate: Zheng Fan, Commander of Green Willow Fortress."
"Zheng Fan again?"
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