Chao Lian also said, "Business is important. We can catch up later. You are a capable person who can handle things on your own. How can you still lose control of your emotions like this? Aren't you afraid of being laughed at by your subordinates?"
The defending general was so excited that he wiped away his snot and tears with the back of his hand.
He burst into laughter through his tears: "Watching a joke? Which brat dares to watch me make a fool of myself? Whoever does, I'll break their claws so they'll learn their lesson."
Chao Lian not only didn't agree, but frowned and advised, "Don't break anyone's claws so easily. Leading troops into battle is not something that can be done by brute force. Although military generals have always been respected for their military achievements, and soldiers follow their generals for the opportunity to make merit, if you don't treat your soldiers as human beings and are always threatening them, even if they are afraid on the surface, they will not be convinced in their hearts, and may even trip them up."
The garrison commander smiled and agreed, showing no displeasure whatsoever.
Although Chao Lian was several years younger than him, in the world of military officers, seniority and rank weren't determined by age. Back when Lord Ziyi was still alive, Chao Lian had saved his life twice. Without Chao Lian, the grass on his grave would have turned over countless times. Chao Lian's reminder was well-intentioned, and he readily accepted it: "I wasn't really interrupting, cough cough cough, just saying."
Chao Lian said, "That's even more unacceptable."
They are prone to losing their authority.
Whether it's being overly violent and fierce or joking around with the soldiers, it's all too much of a bad thing. Even someone as good-natured as the eldest brother is mindful of boundaries. The garrison commander thought about it seriously and nodded. Fang Yan, standing to the side, interrupted their conversation, and the garrison commander, understanding the situation, changed the subject and warmly welcomed them into the city. Chao Lian also realized that his words had crossed a line and stopped talking.
"The Lord has governed Shangnan very well over the years."
This was Chao Lian's biggest feeling after entering the city.
The seat of Shangnan County was completely different from what I had imagined.
The original city walls were transformed into a second inner city, expanding the area by nearly half again. The newly built walls were robust and towering. While preserving the original layout, the buildings within the city were continuously repaired and renovated. The scale of the buildings can roughly indicate the permanent population of the area.
Even during wartime, the city remained quite populated.
When Chao Lian corresponded with his eldest nephew, he occasionally heard news about Shangnan County. Besides Shangnan County, several surrounding areas that had once been under his elder brother's protection were being treated well. This was one of the main reasons that prompted the brothers to return to Shen Tang's side. Shen Youli was impeccable in every way; after her elder brother's passing, she became the person in the world most like him.
Following her is also something the eldest brother would be willing to see.
Fang Yan's smile held a hint of reminiscence: "It's just that I haven't been back for too long, and so many places have become unfamiliar. If no one were to guide me now, I'm afraid I wouldn't even be able to find where to stay."
The two brothers did not settle in the old house.
Whether to revisit the old place or not should wait until we defeat our formidable enemy.
only--
"Why are there only these many people?"
Chao Lian officially took over military command of Shangnan Commandery, and the former garrison commander handed over the registers of defense deployments and manpower. He only glanced at them briefly, quickly comprehension the numbers. Then, he handed the register to his sixth brother, Fang Yan, who frowned the entire time.
The number of people is not much less than it was back then.
But the problem is that Shangnan Commandery has a larger population. Judging from the expansion of the administrative center, the increase in people is considerable, and the corresponding garrison should also be increased. Fang Yan closed the booklet, quietly placed it aside, and stared directly at the garrison commander with his dark eyes.
"What happened?"
This number of troops is nothing in normal times, but if the enemy launches a surprise attack with a considerable number of elite troops, Shangnan County might not be able to hold out. Realizing this, Fang Yan's previous ease vanished, his lips curling into a suppressed smile, exuding an imposing aura without anger. Back then, when he assisted his elder brother, he was not only a military advisor and strategist, saving lives and healing the wounded, but also in charge of rewards and punishments in the military camp. Just one glance from him was enough to send chills down one's spine.
The garrison commander opened his mouth, seemingly facing a dilemma.
Fang Yan: "No matter what your reasons were, why didn't you report such a major event to the emperor? Can you bear the responsibility for the fall of Shangnan?"
We are all people who have struggled through chaotic times.
Who among us hasn't experienced one or two massacres in our lifetime? Does he know what disaster this cover-up will bring to Shangnan?
“Since my elder brother took over Shangnan, this place has been without turmoil for too many years. Have you been living in peace for too long and forgotten what a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood look like?” Fang Yan said harshly in anger, and asked, “...How can you face the elders and folks of Shangnan County?”
Does he even remember how he survived? He survived on the life-saving rations given to him by an old farmer in Shangnan County, and he waited for his elder brother to arrive! He wouldn't expect to repay a small kindness with a great one, but surely he shouldn't repay kindness with enmity? Fang Yan placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
If the defending general has a problem—
He didn't hesitate to act first and then apologize later.
The garrison commander finally couldn't hold back any longer and revealed a truth that shocked Chao Lian and his companion: "It's not that I intentionally concealed anything, but the matter is truly strange. The number of soldiers on the register is actually higher than that; the actual number is even less! They've all escaped!"
"Most of the soldiers are from the military governor's office, how could they..."
Fang Yan and Chao Lian exchanged a glance.
I simply cannot believe why it would be "escape".
It can't be that the battle in the northern desert shook the morale of the army, can it?
That doesn't make sense. Aside from the rumors that circulated during the Battle of the Northern Desert, Kang State had the upper hand the rest of the time. With public opinion being monitored by the royal court and the common people remaining unmoved, why would the soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture desert? Besides, the soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture were the elite troops carefully selected by Kang State; they wouldn't easily desert.
"Is he really not someone who was temporarily drafted?"
The garrison commander said, "No."
The newly recruited soldiers, on the contrary, were in high spirits. They were all sons of Shangnan County, with their families, relatives, and even the land they had been allocated here. They had nowhere to escape. However, it should be noted that the soldiers who had previously fled from Zhechong Prefecture were also locals.
There's something strange about this whole thing.
"Most of them disappeared in the last few days."
"Everything was normal before this."
"I investigated secretly but found nothing amiss. It seems these soldiers' escape was pre-planned. I initially thought they were assassinated by the enemy, but the investigation revealed they left on their own, without notifying or taking their families with them." How could the garrison commander dare to publicize the matter at this critical juncture? He could only carefully conceal it, fearing it would cause a widespread mutiny.
He noticed the solemn expressions on Chao Lian's and his companion's faces and was puzzled.
"Did the lord send General Chao here not because of this matter?"
The expressions of Chao and Lian said it all; it wasn't because of this matter, and even Shen Tang hadn't received a single word about it.
The garrison commander secretly gasped.
He asked in a low voice, "Is it still possible to make it now?"
It seems General Chao didn't bring enough men.
Fang Yan made a quick decision: "How many powerful families are still in the city?"
If we don't have enough manpower, we'll borrow from them.
For nearly twenty years, Shangnan Commandery had been largely untouched by war, and in addition to the original local gentry, many smaller clans had moved there. After the establishment of Kang State, they were weakened, but only their land and hidden tenants were confiscated; nothing else was touched.
If everyone contributes, they can gather three to five thousand people.
The garrison commander said, "The old ones are all still here."
Fang Yan: "If you have anything else to say, don't beat around the bush."
The garrison commander steeled himself and said, "Everyone has their complaints about the royal court's arrangements, so I'm afraid they won't step in to help this time."
This involves the rules governing the appointment of officials in Kang.
In principle, all officials were from other regions; even minor clerks were not allowed to be from their hometowns to serve in the area, and the latter had to be at least one county away. Serving officials were not allowed to marry locals or take concubines; the censors would keep an eye on them.
This measure helps prevent the expansion of local power and avoids corruption through official collusion to some extent, which is beneficial to the administration of the Kang Kingdom court. As a result, the local power brokers become uncomfortable.
During Gu Ren's tenure, his methods were both flexible and firm. He limited the power of the local aristocratic families without completely enraging them, while also providing them with benefits. He found a delicate balance between the main body and the parasitic relationship. Compared to Wu Xian, Gu Ren was less dependent on the aristocratic families and was less constrained by them.
The local bully was unhappy but chose to back down.
Gu Rensan's father-in-law had a high reputation in Shangnan.
The relationship is complicated and convoluted, but it also falls under the local forces in the south.
We all share the same fate, whether it's prosperity or adversity.
When Shen Tang took over, everything changed.
Upon hearing this, Fang Yan stood up angrily and hissed, "Foolish, all of them foolish! Have they all lost their minds? If they were dissatisfied, why didn't they say a word before? Five or six years have passed, and now they're starting to make a fuss about dividing the family property?"
The garrison commander forced himself to mutter something under his breath.
"This matter is also related to the strategists and a few others."
Fang Yan laughed angrily: "What does this have to do with me?"
This blame was really thrown out of the blue.
The garrison commander sighed inwardly, "Let me tell you."
During the later stages of the Dragon-Slaying Campaign, Ziyi Gong and his brothers were killed by Huang Lie. Shangnan County was leaderless, and it seemed that war was about to break out within its borders. Longwu County sent people to take Ziyi Gong and his family away. Shangnan County was nominally under the jurisdiction of Shen Tang, but in reality, it was autonomous. They hoped to elect a new leader, but they were afraid to take the lead because of Shen Tang's military strength. At this time, Chao Lian returned alive.
Chao Lian helped Shen Tang solidify the ownership of Shangnan County.
Up to this point, Shangnan County was still being managed jointly by various families.
Until the founding of Kangguo, new regulations were introduced.
The Shangnan family's faces turned green.
At this point, it's too late for them to band together and overturn the table.
To save their lives, they had no choice but to swallow their anger.
These years of peace and stability do not mean there is no anger in my heart.
When the garrison commander discovered his soldiers were missing, he immediately thought of this route. However, out of caution, he inquired about their whereabouts and concluded that it was better not to speak. If he did, these men might very well be the first to kneel.
She didn't care about anything else, only that Wu Xian valued her highly, which made Shen Youli arrogant.
Fang Yan and Chao Lian's faces darkened with anger.
His hands were trembling: "Did they instigate this?"
"That's unlikely." He had dealt with these local aristocratic families quite a bit and knew their stubborn nature well. If Kangguo were strong, these people wouldn't mind continuing their families under Kangguo's protection; even if they lived poorly, it would be better than being commoners. But they wouldn't refuse the opportunity to rise up and take control. To be fair, this group was capable of watching coldly from the sidelines and kicking someone when they were down, but they wouldn't go so far as to dig their own graves.
Fang Yan took a long breath and exhaled the stale air.
"Holding the imperial staff, one can kill those with disloyal intentions!" He opened his eyes again, his gaze filled with chilling killing intent, uttering words that sent shivers down one's spine: "Shangnan can be captured, but—the day this place falls will also be the day their souls perish. Rather than die by the enemy's hack-and-slash, it is better to uphold one's integrity and defend one's dignity!"
The garrison commander was unable to suppress these monsters and demons.
Can't you even control yourself?
It's been so many years since they left that they've forgotten about him, Fang Yan!
Chao Lian also said, "Sixth Brother, I'll go with you."
Well, I'm not going to support my sixth brother.
It was to prevent Sixth Brother from committing fewer killings. Otherwise, why would Eldest Brother have taken Sixth Brother everywhere he went? Sixth Brother has been a doctor for so many years that many people have forgotten that he started out as a poisoner. He poisoned his enemies' entire families, leaving not even a watchdog alive.
Fang Yan's actions have always been swift and astonishing.
He didn't even drink a sip of tea before leading his men to break into the house.
Calling it a blatant act of violence isn't quite right. He was clearly visiting an old friend, asking to borrow some people for a short time, promising to return them when they were done. He even offered to provide them with food during their stay, refusing any assistance from his friend. With such sincerity, there was no reason not to agree.
The old friend who rushed over upon hearing the news: "..."
Seeing the well-trained soldiers surrounding his doorstep, he squeezed his eyes shut, thinking he was hallucinating, until Fang Yan cut to the chase and stated his purpose. His old friend's lips twitched violently; he wished he could turn back time. He would definitely be holed up at home, claiming to be unwell.
This isn't about borrowing people.
They're clearly here to rob us!
The old friend tried to stall for time by pausing.
Upon raising his eyes, he saw the impatient killing intent in Fang Yan's eyes, and his heart sank. Before Fang Yan could speak, he smiled and tried to build rapport: "We've known each other for over twenty years. Although we haven't sworn brotherhood, we're still bosom friends. Don't talk about lending or not lending. I said back then, if my dear brother has any difficulties, as long as it's within my power, just say the word, and I'll help you! There are still over seven hundred people in the manor and estate..."
He wanted to keep half of it to guard the house.
Fang Yan interrupted him and said they were all leaving.
No, I mean, less than a hundred people were left for him.
He opened his mouth to try and bargain, but saw Fang Yan stand up, his hand still on the hilt of his sword. He wisely kept quiet.
He wasn't afraid of other people running around causing trouble.
Fang Yan is different.
This guy did many shady things for Gu Ren back then, playing the good cop and the bad cop. With so many people gathered at his doorstep, if he didn't know better, he might become the chicken to be killed as a warning to others. His old friend could only grit his teeth and endure it.
Before leaving, Fang Yan asked his old friend.
"What are your thoughts on the Lord?"
The old friend forced a stiff smile: "Shen Jun is benevolent and righteous, loves the people like his own children, and his heart is no less than that of the old man Ziyi Gong."
Fang Yan's words, however, were completely irrelevant.
"Whether it is a high-ranking noble family or a commoner working in the fields, only when the world is stable can people live and thrive in peace and have a future. Those who disregard future dangers for short-term profits will not live long."
Fang Yan led his men away to visit the next family.
Only his old friend remained standing there, watching him leave.
When his old friend came to his senses, his back was covered in sweat.
Before long, the steward returned with the news. Fang Yan had deployed troops to guard every part of the city, keeping a tight watch and making communication difficult, thus preventing any possibility of them colluding. Before they could react, they would be wiped out in one fell swoop. Not cooperating?
Some methods are so cruel that they make life worse than death!
The old friend wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He muttered to himself, "This matter has only just begun to unfold, so why did the man surnamed Shen find out so quickly? And why did he send Fang Yan?"
ヾ(=ω=)o
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