"The Grand General requests Sir to quickly dispatch troops to surround the Zhang Estate and capture the family members of the thieves!"
Qian Chunlai cupped his hands and bowed. His voice was powerful, but his heart was thumping wildly.
Passing false military orders was a big taboo in the army. With the Grand General's strict management of the army, even if he was a personal guard of the Grand General's Estate, he would still be beheaded mercilessly. But … he couldn't care less!
Lu Shouyan was stunned at first, then his expression changed to one of shock. He lowered his voice, "Attack the Zhang Estate first?!"
— What do you mean by "attack first"? What do you mean by "attack later"?
Qian Chunlai faintly realized that the two of them seemed to be talking about different things. But the key to "attack first" and so on was still the word "attack." In other words, whether it was him or Sir, they both wanted to attack the Zhang Estate.
Wasn't that enough?!
Qian Chunlai's heart relaxed. Although he still felt uneasy, the current situation didn't give him time to think carefully. He could only take one step at a time. He nodded and said in a low voice, "Yes, attack the Zhang Estate first, then conspire to avoid alerting the enemy!"
Lu Shouyan sucked in a cold breath. This Qi Guanyan was so quiet, but his appetite was so big and his thoughts were so vicious!
The masterminds of this matter were none other than Hu Shouxin and Marquis Jingan's Estate. As for why the two of them would have a conflict with Tensei Province, based on his information channels and intelligence, he could more or less guess the reason. It was nothing more than Marquis Jingan's Estate submitting to Tensei Province earlier and being forced to do some shady things. Then, Hu Shouxin interfered.
Tensei Province's weakness was grasped and they were bewildered. They thought that Hu Shouxin and the northern faction were preparing to attack them, so they wanted to strike first to gain the upper hand. They would first kill both of them and then act first and report later. It was very good.
No one expected that Hu Shouxin would be so fierce that he could eliminate the several hundred Black Armored Troops and all the carefully arranged killing moves of Tensei Province by himself. He directly disrupted all the follow-up operations of Tensei Province. It must be known that the Black Armored Troops weren't ordinary soldiers. It seemed that Hu Shouxin's ranking on the Tianyuan Fierce Generals List was too low. This guy really knew how to hide his strength.
Therefore, this huge mistake caused a series of follow-up arrangements in Tensei Province to go bankrupt and pushed the situation to the most awkward point.
After thinking and analyzing for the past few days, Lu Zhou had deduced the cause and effect of this matter. He knew that this was a fight between the northern faction and Tensei Province. Now that the matter of the crown prince was still undecided, Empress Tensei was not the strongest contender. As a neutral person, it was still far from the time for him to pick a side. Therefore, the best choice was to continue pretending to be enjoying the scenery and coax Qi Guanyan to take over.
Now, Qi Guanyan finally decided to take over, but his intention was to make a move on the Zhang family first.
'Mother f * cker … she's really ruthless.'
Lu Shouyan stroked his beard and nodded inwardly. Using the heart of a province's magistrate to measure the heart of a great general. As expected of the outstanding person who could be ranked as the top civil official. He immediately guessed Qi Guanyan's intention.
On the night when the Black Armored Troops entered Ming Province, there were witnesses who didn't want to be identified who claimed that the daughter of the Zhang family, Zhang Yinluo, was wearing Li Fire Armor in the middle of the night and went on a rampage with a nun riding an iron horse. First, she attacked an official of the imperial court. Then, she exchanged fire with a group of Black Armored Troops at Flat Flower Lane. Clearly, she was involved in the incident that night.
But this matter could still be big or small. After all, the focus of the conflict between the northern faction and Tensei Province was Hu Shouxin and Marquis Jingan's household. The Zhang family of Ming Province didn't openly bring their henchmen to attack the Black Armored Troops. Even if they wanted to make a fuss about this matter and investigate who was responsible, regardless of the fact that Zhang Yinluo fought against the Black Armored Troops in order to save Hu Shouxin's family, Hu Shouxin and the northern faction would definitely lend a hand. First of all, the Zhang family wasn't made of mud.
Even if the matter was blown out of proportion, the Zhang family could just grit their teeth and use some silver to bribe everyone. Then, they would announce that Zhang Yinluo was expelled from the family and thrown to the Li Fire Nation. Then, even if the Tensei Province wanted to make things difficult for them, they most likely wouldn't be able to do anything to the Zhang family … Moreover, the northern faction would protect them.
In other words, the Zhang family was sitting firmly on the fishing platform.
The premise was that everyone was acting according to the rules.
But now, Qi Guanyan's attitude clearly didn't intend to act according to the rules. It seemed like he wanted to make the first move and gain the upper hand. He wanted to act first and report later, taking down the Zhang family with lightning speed …
'Putting everything else aside, the Zhang family's filial piety is increasing year by year. He's still willing to act.'
'However, why is Qi Guanyan acting against the Zhang family?'
Lu Zhou thought about it with the experience and strategy of a scholar. Then, he came to a conclusion. First, Qi Guanyan wanted to blow this matter up. Since he had chosen to side with the Tensei Province, he wouldn't show any mercy to the northern faction. In that case, he should seize the opportunity to blow this matter up and stab the northern faction in the back. He should make this a beautiful pledge of allegiance so that he could win the Empress's approval and favor.
Second, the Zhang family had been doing business with the Russians all these years. They were filthy rich. Who knew how much money they could get from raiding the Zhang family? Not only could the money be used to subsidize the family, but it could also be used to bribe the higher-ups. After all, if Lu Zhou wanted to blow this matter up, he would need someone in the imperial court to speak up for him. Naturally, he would need Brother Kong Fang to pave the way for him …
'Brilliant, very brilliant. Moreover, he's f * cking vicious …'
When Lu Zhou figured out the key point, he subconsciously pulled hard and broke a strand of his beard. When he figured it out, he felt a chill in his heart.
'Although Qi Guanyan is a master of the art of war, he's a straightforward person. The art of war isn't treacherous, and he's not a person who doesn't pay attention to details. I'm afraid he's not the one who came up with this vicious plan …'
With that thought in mind, the figure of a woman suddenly appeared in his mind.
Qi Guanyan's wife, Madam Wang, was a legendary wife who was famous in Ming Province's officialdom. She was the first lady of the General's Mansion and the chief steward of the General's Mansion. She was smart, capable, and skillful. She was a good wife that all officialdom dreamed of. Everyone said that if it weren't for Madam Wang, Qi Guanyan might be able to awe the world, but he would never be able to become the Province's Supreme General. Lu Zhou agreed with them.
The Great War of Tianyuan lasted for decades. Heroes rose one after another. It was said that a hero's background was not important, but only half of it was true. There were more than a million martial artists in the world, but there were only a dozen positions that symbolized the highest core of the empire. Millions of people fought for a dozen positions.
That was a joke.
Therefore, those heroes who did not care about their backgrounds usually reached the end of their career when they became Guerrilla Generals. If they wanted to be promoted further, they would either meet a rare General who had a discerning eye and was unconventional, or they would have to use all kinds of methods to make the General become a rare General who had a discerning eye and was unconventional.
This required extraordinary means, keen eyes, a smooth and slick heart, and an endless supply of money.
Moreover, the higher one's rank was, the higher the requirements for these qualities.
Qi Guanyan's ability to fight was sufficient, but the qualities and tolerance of an official were not enough to support him to become the Province's Supreme General. Fortunately, his wife had these qualities.
It could be said that Lu Mingzhou had seen with his own eyes how Qi Guanyan had opened up the situation and gained a firm foothold after he was transferred to Ming Province. He treated people with generosity, he was a smooth and slick person, and he maintained a good relationship with civil and military officials as well as the aristocratic families. His every move had the shadow of the Wang family behind it.
It was said that the General did not care about any of the affairs of the General's Estate. From the small matters of recruitment of servants to the large matters of money and grain, the purchase of gifts, and the delivery of gifts, it was all handled by the Wang family. Now that the properties of the General's Estate were growing larger and larger, there were more and more land deeds and shops under their name. Their relationship with all levels of officials in the province was becoming more and more harmonious, and their reputation was becoming better and better. All of this was inseparable from Madam Wang's ability to manage and make money.
As the Governor of Ming Province, Lu Shouyan had heard a little about all of this. After all, at his level, he was very well-informed. Now it seemed that the Wang family's influence on Qi Guanyan was far more than that …
While he was deep in thought, Qian Chunlai was somewhat impatient. He asked softly, "Master?"
Lu Shouyan came back to his senses. "Huh?"
Qian Chunlai controlled his impatience and whispered, "Do you think it's time to mobilize the troops?"
"Whatever … Even if the sky falls, Qi Guanyan will hold it up. Even if the Northern faction wants to settle the score, I'll just pretend that I don't know anything. They won't dare to make things too difficult for me and completely push me to the Tensei Province."
He thought for a moment and said righteously, "Our dynasty was established by our ancestors and His Majesty's order. The Governor of the Province is in charge of the people, and the General is in charge of the army. Now that this matter involves the military and the country, it's natural for the General to make a decision on the spot. I'll certainly cooperate. I'll send out an invitation to the Warden's Office and the Six Fan School to assemble …"
Qian Chunlai was overjoyed. He did not expect the Governor to be so easy to appease. The General's title was indeed useful!
Before he could feel happy, he suddenly saw the Governor stretch out his hand.
Qian Chunlai was stunned. "What?"
Lu Shouyan said matter-of-factly, "The General's order to mobilize the troops."
Qian Chunlai's mind buzzed and he was immediately dumbfounded.
It turned out that even if a soldier was quick-witted, there was a limit to his resourcefulness.
He finally realized the source of his uneasiness.
At first, he did not want to falsify the General's order. He thought that as long as he told the whole story, the Governor would immediately cooperate with him, given the Governor's temperament and the political structure of the dynasty. However, he did not expect that something big seemed to have happened in Ming Province, and that the Governor was eagerly waiting for the General's arrival. Therefore, he became hot-headed and decided to falsify the General's order without saying a word.
But, damn it, why does he need an order to mobilize the troops?!
I don't have one!
He showed an embarrassed expression and used his last bit of quick-wittedness to say in a low voice, "This is a secret order. In order to prevent the secret from being leaked, the General only sent us here … If Your Excellency wants a token, we'll give it to you later."
Lu Shouyan's expression changed at once.
If he had not been to the General's Office several times and knew that Qian Chunlai was Qi Guanyan's bodyguard, he would have thought that he was a liar. Because of this, and because he had been eagerly waiting for news of Qi Guanyan, he did not suspect anything … But, damn it, no token?
Are you f * cking kidding me?
Do you think I'm an idiot?
F * ck you!
Without a token, I was the one who ordered the Zhang Mansion to be surrounded and searched!
You want me to give it to you later?
Give it to your uncle! Do you think I'm still a hothead squatting in the Ministry of Personnel waiting to be released?
I've been sick of your cunning tricks for twenty years! "
He immediately realized that this was a huge trap. If he, Lord Lu, foolishly sent troops to besiege the Zhang Mansion, and something happened, then he would have to take the blame himself!
What?
Qi Guanyan asked you to do it?
Where's his token for mobilizing troops?
Bastard!
How dare you coax me into doing it?
He almost instantly understood the General's Office's intention. No wonder, no wonder they wanted to start with the Zhang Mansion. The Zhang Mansion was just a minor character on the periphery. It was the best way to test the reaction of Hu Shouxin and the North. If the Zhang Mansion was attacked by the North, then it would be very difficult to deal with. If the other party did not care about the Zhang Mansion's fate, it meant that they had a guilty conscience and could continue to push forward …
Good, good. You, Qi Guanyan, are a master of the art of war. You're so good at strategizing, but you dare to ask me to be the stone to test the road. F * ck your eight generations of ancestors!
You're a f * cking general!
I'm a f * cking civil official!
You dare to play this kind of dirty trick with me? How do you think I became the Prefecture Magistrate?
I'll kill you!
He was stunned when he was forced to be involved in the chaotic whirlpool of war between the North and Tensei Province.
He was stood up by Qi Guanyan for several days and had to live in fear every day.
There was also the humiliation of being looked down on in public.
All of this ignited the barrel of gunpowder in Lu Shouyan's heart. He sneered a few times and anger rose from his heart. Damn it, Qi Guanyan, I'm not a pushover either!
Suddenly, he roared, "Come on!
Take down these madmen who are faking General Qi's orders! "
Due to various reasons, the defense system of the Provincial Governor's Office had been strengthened by three times in the past few days. Immediately, several powerful guards appeared outside the door. They pulled out the sabers in their hands and shouted, "Surrender!"
The three knights who came with Qian Chunlai were shocked and showed a frightened expression. After all, they were just ordinary soldiers and had a natural fear of the government. Even if they had the support of the Great General, they did not dare to openly rebel against the government. Moreover, the one in front of them was the Prefecture Magistrate, who was theoretically on the same level as the Great General.
However, Qian Chunlai was a decisive person. He immediately pressed down on the hilt of his sword and shouted, "Prefecture Magistrate, what do you mean?
I'm a personal guard of the General's Office and have seen you several times! "
Lu Shouyan scolded, "Impudent!
You dirty scoundrel, you're about to die and you still dare to claim kinship with me!
Damn thief, when have I seen you before?
Hurry up and surrender and confess your crimes. Otherwise, under San Mu, I'll tear your flesh open and burn your bones until you can't even beg for death! "
Qian Chunlai's expression changed and a look of determination appeared on his face.
He pulled out his sword from his waist. Because the entire Ming Province's officialdom was looking forward to the arrival of the Great General's Heavenly Army, when they came in, no one asked them to take down their weapons. He then shouted, "You muddle-headed official, so muddle-headed. If you ruin the Great General's plan, he'll naturally come and reason with you afterwards!"
Lu Shouyan's eyes turned cold. How can I let you go!
He was about to order the guards to hurry up and chase after this scoundrel when there was a flash of sword light. Instead of retreating, Qian Chunlai actually charged at him with his sword raised!
No one expected this guy to be so deranged. The guards were all at the door and Qian Chunlai was only a short distance away from the Prefecture Magistrate. No matter what they did, they could not stop him!
Looking at the Prefecture Magistrate's face, Qian Chunlai revealed a cruel and proud smile. A great man must be ruthless and decisive!
There were definitely crouching tigers and hidden dragons in the Provincial Governor's Office. It would be extremely difficult to break out of the encirclement. The only plan now was to take this official hostage and force him to surround the Zhang Estate. Only by tying him to the Great General's Office's war chariot would they be able to survive!
Other than this, there was no other way. Even if they could escape back to the Great General's Office, it was not safe!
At this moment, that faint feeling of unease appeared in his heart again.
He seemed to have overlooked something.
But this time, he quickly realized where the problem was.
Why was there no panic on this muddle-headed official's face?
He quickly found the answer.
He heard the wind.
In an instant, he felt as if his right hand holding the sword was clamped by an iron clamp. His meridian was suddenly locked and his right wrist went numb. The long sword fell to the ground powerlessly. Then, he looked up in confusion. The cultured and refined Prefecture Magistrate, dressed in a scarlet official's robe, raised his right fist and used the Five Ding Mountain Splitting Technique to punch his chest.
There was a loud bang.
One move to subdue the enemy.
Qian Chunlai felt as if he had flown into the clouds. In a daze, the sounds around him instantly faded into the distance. It was like he was in a dream, unable to hear clearly. He heard the sound of weapons falling to the ground, the sound of someone kowtowing and begging for mercy, and also the angry rebuke of this ordinary-looking, supposedly soft-hearted Prefecture Magistrate who treated the Great General courteously.
"You still want to attack this official?
Although this old man is a civil official, I've spent ten years in the Imperial Censorate!
Of all the civil and military officials in the imperial capital, more than half have fought with this old man in the past. Above the third rank, eight out of ten have fought with this old man before. Even so, I was still able to sit on the position of Ming Province's Magistrate, yet you still dare to come and seek death!
This heartless man, plucking the fur from the tiger's mouth, you're truly tired of living! "