Chapter 166 Seeking Help
After seeing off Brother Lin Er in the evening, Lin Changning sat on the bed in deep thought for a long time. He always felt that these people were a ticking time bomb.
The next morning, she got up early, washed up, greeted her mother, second brother and sister-in-law, and then went to her post at the military headquarters.
So he thought about it for a long time. He knew that with his current position, he definitely couldn't do anything to Lin Changqing and his family, because he was too far away. Taiyuan was too far from the prefecture, and that family was carrying great fortune. Who knew what might happen to them in the future?
Therefore, it's best to ask Brother Qi for help. Even if we don't take action, we should at least keep an eye on him to prevent any trouble from happening.
After leading his men to roll call and begin training in the morning, Lin Changning handed everyone over to Lu Shan to oversee the training. He then went to Qi Rong's tent to talk to his second brother Qi and see if there was any way to monitor the family.
When I opened the tent in the morning, I saw Brother Qi sitting upright at the table, with a pot of tea brewing beside him and a military book in his hand. His hair was hanging down to the side, and he looked very relaxed and leisurely.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Qi Rong raised his head and put on a smiling face: "Little Six, what brings you here? Is there something you need?"
Lin Changning had a conflicted look on his face; he didn't know how to describe that strange family to Qi Rong.
Seeing Lin Changning's troubled expression, Qi Rong straightened his face and said, "Is there something wrong? Xiao Liu can tell your second brother."
Lin Changning sat opposite Qi Rong, scratching his head somewhat embarrassedly: "There are indeed some things I'd like to ask Second Brother for help with. They're not exactly tricky, but they are indeed a bit difficult to handle right now."
Qi Rong rarely saw Lin Changning looking so troubled: "Speak, if your second brother can help you, he will."
Lin Changning nodded and told Lin Erge everything that Lin Erniu's family had done. He also explained why he suddenly joined the army, why he had dragged Lin Erniu to the county government office and beaten him to death, and why he had broken the leg of Lin Erniu's second son, thus hindering his eldest son's career. He explained everything in one go.
After saying this, Lin Changning hesitated: "Now I hear from my elder brother that Lin Changqing has gained the favor of a high-ranking official in the prefecture. Lin Erniu is a vicious man who harmed my father and elder brother."
Lin Changqing is a very bright student, and I'm worried that they might harm our family in the future. So I wanted to ask my second brother if there's any way to keep an eye on them? That way, if they do get malicious, we won't be too passive.
Qi Rong concealed the unreadable thoughts in his eyes, rested his chin on his fingers, and seemed to be pondering something carefully.
After a long pause, meeting Lin Changning's anxious gaze, he said, "With Xiao Liu's intelligence and talent, he originally had a very promising career. Lin Erniu is truly hateful. When you first came, you were so thin and weak, it seemed like a gust of wind could blow you away."
When I first met you, I thought you'd probably die on the battlefield, which is why I transferred you to the stables. Since you've asked, Second Brother will definitely help you.
A hint of gratitude flashed in Lin Changning's eyes: "What happened back then can be considered a blessing in disguise. Thank you, Second Brother. What are you planning to do, Second Brother?"
“This is not difficult. I have secret guards who are good at tracking and surveillance. I will send people to monitor and track the people you mentioned. You can regularly summarize their information and send it back to me. Xiao Liu can rest assured.”
"Okay, Second Brother."
Qi Rong then remembered that Lin Changning came from a commoner background and had no trustworthy people around him. In addition to his personal guards, he also had secret guards, which would definitely make things easier for him than for Xiao Liu.
Thinking about this, Qi Rong began to ponder carefully. Perhaps he should also remind Xiao Liu to cultivate his own confidants. However, it was not easy to find secret guards in a short time. The secret guards of noble families and princes were all trained from childhood, so it was difficult to find some suitable ones in a short time.
After thinking it over, Qi Rong looked at Lin Changning seriously and said, "Sixth Brother, your foundation is still too weak. Your personal guards are either dead or injured, and you can't always be without anyone by your side."
"Here's what I'll do: I'll assign you four personal guards to use for now. Remember how you beat up that bunch of spoiled brats a while back? You can pick some of the usable ones to add to your own personal guard. These are all from prominent families in Taiyuan; taking them in will be beneficial for you."
Lin Changning quickly understood what Qi Rong meant and nodded to indicate that he understood.
However, these spoiled young men will probably need to recover from their injuries for a few more days. The powerful families sent them to the Right Guard of the King of Chu in order to curry favor with the King.
If their children are developed into their own wings, then they will be all in the same boat in the future.
Brother Qi is teaching him how to leverage external forces. If these people can truly transform themselves from soldiers, they will inevitably forge deep bonds with each other. When family members see that their son has a promising future following him, they will naturally treat him with great respect.
After Lin Changning figured it out, he was about to talk to Qi Erge about something else when suddenly shouts came from the guards outside the tent.
"Commander, a group of wealthy gentry have gathered outside the gate, requesting an audience with Commander Lin."
Qi Rong raised an eyebrow, not expecting the person to arrive so quickly. He had just been rejected by the Prince's Mansion yesterday, and today he was already preparing to pay his respects. It seemed that he already understood his uncle's attitude.
As for why they didn't request to see him, it was naturally because these people weren't qualified. So they could only start with Xiao Liu, which suited his wishes perfectly.
Xiao Liu's humble origins do indeed make him somewhat lacking in resources. However, if he could recruit the sons of these prominent families in Taiyuan, he would gain more influence in the military in the future.
Qi Rong waved his hand: "Go, Xiao Liu."
Lin Changning nodded, respectfully cupped his hands in greeting, and then left the tent, preparing to return to the council hall.
With so many people, her tent was naturally too small to hold them all. He glanced at the soldier who had brought the message and said, "Go and invite everyone over to the council hall."
After saying that, he went to the council hall by himself and saw several soldiers sweeping and cleaning sitting in the main seat. He instructed them, "Go and make a few pots of hot tea. Someone will be coming in a while."
The two soldiers accepted the order, clasped their hands in salute, and quickly departed.
Lin Changning had barely sat down when the soldiers at the door led over a group of people, roughly counting them to be nearly 30.
Most of them consist of an older person leading a younger one, and some even have two young people with them.
The group of people stared blankly at the young man at the head of the table for a moment, then pulled their own sons to bow and say, "Greetings, Commander Lin."
Lin Changning raised an eyebrow, stood up, and bowed slightly to everyone: "Greetings, everyone. The headquarters is simple and we don't have any good tea to offer. We've made some tea for you all. Please sit down and have a taste."
The older folks were alright; they had already received the news, so they weren't too surprised that Lin Changning, at such a young age, had been appointed to the position of commander of a thousand households.
The dozen or so younger children stared blankly at Lin Changning in disbelief.
Only after Lin Changning's sharp gaze swept over did he realize his rudeness. He was pulled by his elder and hurriedly lowered his head.
Lin Changning sat down and took a sip of tea: "I wonder what brings you all here so early in the morning?"
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