Chapter 466: The Newly Created Person

"Your answer was excellent."

The young officer, his face covered with a black scarf, gave a slight nod and waved his hand gently. After just answering the question, the middle‑aged man of the Lu clan's branch stepped aside as if granted a pardon. His back was drenched in sweat, and he felt as though he had walked through the Gate of Ghosts.

He had a premonition that, had he not answered properly just now, he would have died a gruesome death!

"Military Officer, feel free to ask me anything; I will speak without omission and answer fully."

The second man bowed his head and said.

"But I don't want to ask you any question."

The young officer sneered, pointed at the man before him, and shouted to the black sea of people, "All of you, say whether he should die or not?"

Hearing this, under the firelight, the once‑blank faces showed a hint of reaction.

But still no one spoke up.

"Since no one speaks to defend you, silence is tacit approval, which means you deserve to die, right?"

The young officer gave a half‑smile as he looked at the middle‑aged man of the Lu clan's branch, who was slightly plump, evidently well‑fed.

"No, Military Officer, I have done nothing wrong. Aren't the tenant farmers in this manor living more comfortably than the independent peasants outside?"

They should be grateful for the Lu clan's care!

You all, quickly say, I shouldn't die; haven't I treated you well in daily life?

Your rent is indeed high, but you don't have to serve the court, pay silk, or dredge canals!

Can't these things offset the rent?

He roared wildly at the crowd, but unfortunately no one paid him any heed.

The Lu clan's branch youth before him strained to defend himself, reminding everyone that he may have accumulated some virtue in ordinary times.

"Heh, stuffing your own pockets, yet daring to blare loudly!"

Are you flaunting the Lu clan's skill at hoarding wealth?

State taxes have their own regulations; you divert public revenue to indulge in silk robes and fine food.

Such a grave crime, you not only fail to repent, but even dare to argue slyly.

"Truly, death is not even a regret!"

The young officer shouted at him, flashing a signal. A burly man beside him stepped forward and, without hesitation, plunged a single blade into the Lu clan youth, killing him.

"Next, you—it's you."

He pointed at the one among them who was standing at the edge, intending to slip back into the crowd. At that person's feet seemed a puddle of water, or perhaps some unknown fluid.

"Tell us, how do you handle the court, how do you manage the prefectural and county offices?"

I can't believe that a manor as large as yours can evade the court's taxes.

The young officer asked loudly.

"Military Officer, why are you asking this?"

The man stammered, his teeth chattering in fear.

Such matters cannot be spoken of; they are secrets held only by the upper echelons of each great clan, the very network of petty scheming that underpins their survival.

How could one speak recklessly!

Don't say that this person here only knows a superficial bit; even if he participated personally, he still cannot reveal it!

Poof!

A Tang sword plunged into the abdomen!

The young officer, impatient, drew his Tang sword and stabbed him to death, then kicked the corpse aside, blood spilling across the ground.

The many tenant farmers present at that moment finally grasped the situation; their terrified expressions gradually turned, like onlookers feasting on gossip.

Damn, these bandits don't seem to be after them! Then what's there to worry about?

These people instantly relaxed, settling down to watch the spectacle.

Such a show may only present a once‑in‑a‑lifetime chance!

"Will you still speak of law? Why kill at the slightest disagreement! How does this differ from ordinary bandits?"

Finally unable to bear it, Lu Mai stepped forward, pointing at the pretended bandits, and questioned them.

"When did I say we aren't bandits? Are there bandits who don't kill? If they don't kill, are they still bandits?"

The young officer wore a strange expression and retorted.

Lu Mai's words trapped in his gut suddenly left him unable to utter a single sentence.

Indeed, they admit they are thieves; what else can you do?

"You, yes, you. Let me ask on your behalf."

All you hard‑pressed peasants, do you think this man should die?

The young officer shouted to the crowd.

"He deserves to die! He deserves it most!"

"Kill him, kill him!"

Sure enough, the onlookers weren't afraid of the commotion! Several people immediately shouted loudly!

Lu Mai stared in horror at the tenant farmers, unable to comprehend why those who had received the Lu clan's long‑standing 'benefits' would betray their masters.

Do they not know that under the Lu clan's protection they will not be harassed by the authorities? Those independent peasants are often extorted by officials, forced to pay many taxes beyond the court's regulations; aren't they better off in the Lu clan's manor than those people?

These officers masquerading as bandits clearly aren't targeting these tenant farmers! Why then act as henchmen for the tiger?

"Alright, then sorry about that."

The young officer shook his head in disappointment; a bandit beside him rushed forward with a single slash, cutting down the Lu clan's branch youth who had been so frightened he wet his pants.

"Good! Military Officer, well done!"

Among the dense crowd of tenant farmers, cheers and applause rose in waves, though not everyone shouted. In the darkness, it seemed something terrifying had been released.

"You still don't know how treacherous the world is, so I haven't killed you yet. But none of these Lu branch estate managers are innocent."

"Just go cool off over there."

The young officer tapped Lu Mai's arm with the flat side of his sword and said.

"Forget it, I'm too lazy to ask and waste time; just slaughter the rest."

He, disinterested, gestured at the few remaining estate managers; his personal guards pounced and butchered them, as if slaying chickens.

"The troops have arrived, retreat!"

The young officer suddenly shouted without warning!

The bandits surrounding the clearing streamed out like fish in a line and quickly withdrew from the manor, leaving no one behind.

"Lord Lu, the manor has suddenly suffered a disaster; what should we do now?"

The only surviving Lu branch scion asked Lu Mai.

They hadn't known each other before; Lu Mai was merely the manor owner's nephew, here to pray at Xingguo Temple and relax.

"You ask me this…"

Lu Mai was momentarily bewildered.

These thieves arrived oddly; why target the Lu clan specifically?

He couldn't figure out what had happened.

Just as Lu Mai was about to answer, a group of gleaming armored troops burst through the manor gate, led by Fang Chongyong!

"I am Fang Qing, a military envoy of the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army. My scouts reported a band of thieves came to the manor to kill and loot; do you know where they went? Have they gone far?"

Fang Chongyong stepped forward and asked Lu Mai.

"Can you fake it any more?"

Lu Mai was about to be blown up by the young officer's aggravation!

Their armor hadn't been changed, and their uniforms were still stained with fresh blood. The few close aides beside them looked exactly like the previous bandits.

They had merely removed the black veils; it was so sloppy they hadn't even swapped their weapons.

Obviously, they did it on purpose; they never intended to hide their identities.

"Military envoy, what a coincidence you arrive! The thieves just left, and you are here!

Did you not encounter that group on the road?"

Lu Mai, hot‑blooded, gritted his teeth and said.

"Alas, those thieves ran too fast; indeed we didn't see them, what a pity."

Fang Chongyong let out a light sigh, a regretful look in his eyes, glancing at Lu Mai as if he were a fool.

"I pretended to be a bandit, I went on a killing spree, you bite me?"

At this moment, the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army was bold and fearless!

Meanwhile, the middle‑aged man beside Lu Mai, Lu Zhi, who understood the situation, stepped forward, grasped Fang Chongyong's blood‑stained hands, and tearfully said, "Military envoy, you arrived just in time; had you not come now, everyone in the manor would have fallen to those thieves' murderous hands!"

"Since the Hebei rebellion, the days of traveling without fear of theft and leaving doors unlocked at night are gone. I, a mere warrior, can do little about it.

How tragic and lamentable!"

Fang Chongyong sighed in a pretentious manner.

Lu Zhi understood and hurriedly said to Fang Chongyong and his close aides, "This is not a place for talk; gentlemen generals, please follow me to the main hall for a discussion."

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong adopted a compliant demeanor and followed Lu Zhi into the manor's main building, the residence where the Lu clan youths lived. The nosy tenant families, unafraid of trouble, had long fled back to their own homes.

……

In the reception hall of the Lu manor's main building, Fang Chongyong placed a stack of Luoyang Jiaozis on the table and said to Lu Zhi, "The Yinqiang Xiaojie Army is the imperial guard; protecting the realm and its people is our duty. Accepting these lavish gifts is inappropriate. My subordinate acted improperly and took the gifts earlier; I now return them."

"Indeed, these torn papers are useless; the market doesn't even recognize them. Better to use them for fire or cooking! I doubt the military envoy can make use of them!"

Lu Mai, unable to hold back, sneered.

Lu Zhi grabbed Lu Mai's thigh hard under the table, signaling him to shut up!

"Military envoy, you are too kind. May I ask, now that your troops have arrived in He Yin County, is there anything the Lu clan can assist with?"

Lu Zhi asked with a smile.

"Honestly, we fought dozens of bloody battles against the bandit armies of Hedong and Hebei, slaying tens of thousands, and now we have to retreat to Henan to recuperate.

Our armor, grain, supplies, and silk are all lacking; whatever we need, we have none!"

Fang Chongyong looked desolate, sighing continuously, almost describing the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army as beggars.

Yet, Lu Mai observed that Fang Chongyong and his men wore exquisitely crafted armor, clearly high‑grade pieces from the Ministry of Works' direct workshops, unattainable for ordinary troops.

People like that still complain of poverty; why hasn't heaven killed them for being poor?

"The Lu manor still stores a good amount of grain and silk; perhaps it could aid the military envoy."

Lu Zhi asked cautiously.

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong was overjoyed, grasped Lu Zhi's hand, and exclaimed, "With Lord Lu's generosity, the court is saved! The war situation is saved as well!"

Seeing his excitement, Che Guangqian, He Changqi and others beside him began to wonder whether the near‑tragedy in Sparrow‑Rat Valley had truly occurred.

"Improper, improper!"

Fang Chongyong seemed to recall something, then sat down slowly, shook his head, and solemnly said to Lu Zhi:

"It's still improper; today the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army came to the manor for grain, and you gave it.

In the future, if other armies come for grain, will you give or not?

If you give, you can't sustain it; wars are frequent and landlords have no surplus grain.

If you refuse, it's unfair; those troops aren't easier to deal with than us. Should they later sack the manor, what then?

"Improper, improper!"

Fang Chongyong adopted a resolutely refusing stance.

Military Envoy Fang Chongyong, with a general like you, how dare other troops act high-handedly at the Lu family manor? This grain and silk, you must accept them. If you don't, I, an old man, won't be able to sleep!

Lu Zhi truly lives up to the 'straight' in his name; he feels uneasy if he doesn't dump his manor's grain. His bluntness is heartbreaking.

'How about this?'

Fang Chongyong pulled out a yellow silk from his bosom and said to Lu Zhi:

Although the sage has already spoken, I, the Military Envoy, holding this imperial decree, can freely gather military supplies throughout South of the River for wartime use. But I think the necessary procedures should still be observed.

'Mr. Lu, do you have paper and brush?'

'Yes, yes!'

Lu Zhi hurriedly ordered a servant to fetch the Four Treasures of the Study; after the ink was ground, he handed the paper and brush to Fang Chongyong. Even if Fang Chongyong now asked to play with his daughter, he would immediately offer them with both hands!

'Since I bear the imperial edict, I will, in the name of the present sage Li Sanlang, write an IOU.'

In the future, members of the Lu family can take this IOU to Chang'an to settle accounts with the Capital Prefecture or the Imperial Palace Treasury.

We eat grain in war for the sage's realm; borrowing supplies from you is naturally repaid by the sage—this is public duty, not private gain.

Having said that, Fang Chongyong hastily wrote the IOU, fearing Lu Zhi might change his mind.

After the IOU was written, both sides breathed a sigh of relief; Lu Zhi, eager to send this plague god's crew away, ordered his men to take Che Guangqian to the granary to fetch the stored grain.

'Military Envoy Fang Chongyong, what else do you need? The Lu family manor will certainly meet any request.'

Lu Zhi said, trying to ingratiate himself.

'Well, if I must say, my army still lacks a clerk. This Lu family descendant is outspoken and full of character.'

I, the Military Envoy, like this temperament! The sage has granted me the authority to conscript talents from all over for military service; Lord Lu, you are conscripted into the Yinqiang Xiaojie Army!

Fang Chongyong pointed at Lu Mai and laughed.

'Ha?'

Lu Mai and Lu Zhi were utterly shocked; they couldn't fathom what Fang Chongyong was up to.

'What is your name?'

Fang Chongyong stared at Lu Mai, asking in a deep voice, his anger implicit.

'Lu Mai, I have no courtesy name,' Lu Mai replied honestly.

Who knew Fang Chongyong would burst out laughing: 'Mai means to step forward. A gentleman should be careful in speech and conduct; how about you take the courtesy name Jin Yan?'

This courtesy name is excellent, though it comes from the mouth of a mere soldier. Lu Mai, helpless, clasped his hands and said, 'Thank you, Military Envoy Fang Chongyong.'

It was never said whether he actually accepted the courtesy name.

'This Lu family's outstanding son, I can take him away, Mr. Lu, you don't mind, do you?'

Fang Chongyong gave Lu Zhi a meaningful look and asked.

'Of course I don't mind, Jin Yan—hurry up and thank Military Envoy Fang Chongyong for his patronage!'

Lu Zhi hastily pulled Lu Mai over to pay his respects.

(End of chapter)