Cai Linhai was slightly taken aback, thinking he had misheard.
The first row of sailors raised their muskets and immediately began loading them.
Meanwhile, the navy soldiers on one side had already drawn their long, sharp swords.
Since the Jingkang military and political reforms, the original Xiang Army was eliminated, and the new Xiang Army is no longer the same as the old one.
The local militia were also well-trained.
The navy brandished their knives and muskets, and the local garrison troops were equally shrewd, drawing their own knives as well.
One by one, the men with resolute features glared angrily at each other.
Li Bao shouted sternly, "Who is the officer!"
A young man in his early thirties stepped forward. He was a burly young man: "This humble official is Zhang Pengxiu, the Commander of the Third Battalion of the Quanzhou Garrison!"
"Zhang Pengxiu, you are an officer! You should know what the crime is for delaying military operations. The situation at the front is urgent. I have already arrived in Quanzhou, but not a single grain of food has been found. Do you still want to draw your knife and talk to me?!"
Li Bao's voice was very loud and very intimidating.
Zhang Pengxiu suddenly wavered, his face turning red.
After a silence of about a dozen blinks, Zhang Pengxiu said excitedly, "Commander Li, I have offended you, please forgive me!"
A path was cleared in the middle, and Cai Hailin was both angry and resentful.
"Zhang Pengxiu, what are you doing?"
Before Zhang Peng could speak, Li Bao said, "Tie him up!"
"You dare!"
Before Cai Linhai could continue his tantrums, several naval soldiers stepped forward and tied him up.
"Li Bao, how dare you treat me like this! I'll have my father report you to His Majesty! You little brat, Li Bao!" He was furious.
But the crowd had already parted to make way, and Li Bao led his men through the middle and stepped into the gate of the prefectural government office.
Zhou Wenji, watching from behind, was trembling slightly; Li Bao was incredibly audacious.
They dared to launch a naval attack on the prefectural government office so soon after arriving?
This approach is absolutely outrageous!
The navy followed them inside, but no one dared to challenge them.
Li Bao sat in the prefectural hall. Before long, several naval soldiers brought Cai Yongling, who was completely naked, in.
"What are you doing! How dare you! I am the prefect! How dare your navy enter the city! Are you rebelling?!"
Li Bao scoffed, "Isn't Prefect Cai supposed to be unwell? How come he has such refined tastes?"
Cai Yongling took a closer look and saw that it was a young man sitting in his seat. He was immediately furious: "Who are you, daring to act so presumptuously here!"
Li Bao didn't introduce himself, but went straight to the point: "Guangzhou is in complete chaos. The Privy Council sent the documents more than half a month ago. I arrived in Quanzhou today, but I can't find Prefect Cai, nor can I find military rations. Prefect Cai, what is your crime?"
"You are Commander Li!"
Cai Yongling finally recognized him. He knew Li Bao was very young, but he was still shocked when he saw him.
Li Bao is really too young.
At such a young age, he was appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of the South China Sea and later as the Pacification Commissioner of Lingnan.
This clearly demonstrates the emperor's trust in him.
"Prefect Cai does acknowledge me as his commander!"
"Commander Li is the Pacification Commissioner of Lingnan. How could I not acknowledge him? I am unwell and unable to greet you from afar. Please forgive me, Commander Li!"
"Forgiveness is impossible. We'll tie you up first and await His Majesty's judgment."
"Commander Li, I am to be tied up simply because I failed to greet you from afar?"
Where are the military rations?
"Military rations are being prepared; half of them have already been prepared!"
"Where is he? Let me see him!"
"this……"
Cai Yongling looked rather disheveled, naked, while Zhou Wenji stood to the side with a deadpan expression.
"Not prepared?"
"This...this humble official will begin the preparations!"
"So, you really didn't make any preparations?"
"It's already started! It's already started!"
"Very well. The Privy Council's documents arrived more than half a month ago. Now the military situation in Guangzhou is urgent, yet you haven't even prepared a single ration. According to military law, what should be done?"
Li Bao smiled as he looked at Zhou Wenji, who turned pale with fright: "Commander Li, I am in charge of the Maritime Trade Office, how would I know anything about military matters?"
Xu Yunsheng, standing to one side, said, "Military rations are a matter of great military importance. Delaying military rations is tantamount to delaying military operations, a crime deserving of beheading as a warning to others!"
"Since that's the case, what are you waiting for? Drag Cai Yongling out and behead him as a warning to others!"
Cai Yongling was slightly taken aback, thinking he had misheard.
What the hell? You, a mere military commander, dare to kill my prefect?
Although I am a little younger than you, I am, after all, the prefect. The prefect is dismissed by the Council of State Affairs, but reports directly to His Majesty the Emperor.
Are you sure you want to kill?
“Commander Li, I am the Prefect of Quanzhou!” Cai Yongling’s face turned red. Li Bao was far too arrogant, which was beyond his expectations.
How dare they kill the prefect without permission!
"A general in the field may disobey orders, let alone a prefect who delayed the battle!" Li Bao suddenly shouted, ignoring Cai Yongling's ashen face. "Drag him away!"
This was really frustrating. Cai Yongling was stunned and almost forgot to struggle.
Zhou Wenji, who was standing to the side, was also stunned.
Cai Hailin was completely stunned.
Is this really going to be dragged out and executed?
Everyone instinctively shrank back.
Ignoring Cai Yongling's pig-like screams, the soldiers forcibly dragged his obese body away.
Before long, they dragged him to the door.
Li Bao followed.
The entrance was crowded with people, including naval personnel and onlookers.
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