Chapter 210: The Layout of Big Figures

Inside the General's Mansion main hall.

Lieutenant General Cao Wei, Li Canjun Jiang Linxian, and the four Garrison Commanders gathered together.

Besides them, there were two others.

A middle-aged man with a strange face, and another was Li Rui.

The two appeared out of place among a group of Fifth and Sixth Rank officials.

Li Rui was from the Sixth Rank, and the middle-aged man was also from the Sixth Rank.

As everyone knew, the Lieutenant General and Li Canjun in the Anning Guard were not on good terms; Jiang Linxian and Cao Wei wouldn't meet more than once a month, let alone in such an extremely formal place, with the four major Garrison Commanders also present.

Of course, it was to discuss major matters.

Cao Wei coughed lightly.

The few people in the lower seats all straightened their backs.

"The position of Garrison Commander cannot be left vacant for long; those with ability should reside in it, and Liao Wu is very suitable."

Ning Zhongtian looked at the middle-aged man beside him, sneering in his heart.

Gao Zhen died, and the position of Anning Guard Garrison Commander had been vacant.

On the surface, they said Gao Zhen's bones were not yet cold, so there was no rush to determine the candidate.

In reality, those big figures were playing games in the dark, and there was no conclusion.

Now someone finally stood out.

Liao Wu, originally a Platoon Leader of the neighboring guard battalion.

He had just crossed the Longmen in the past two years; logically speaking, even if he broke through, he would have to wait in line for at least six or seven years from the Sixth Rank to the Sixth Rank.

Unless there was someone behind him.

Liao Wu's backer was the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang.

Before becoming a military advisor, Liao Wu was already a disciple of the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang; even after joining the Annan Army, the connection between the two sides hadn't been broken.

Ning Zhongtian had heard that the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang had done quite a bit of running around for this matter, and even the Old Shanzhuang Master personally went to Annan Town to drink for several days with General Xue.

As for Cao Wei supporting Liao Wu first today...

Who didn't know that Cao Wei often frequented wind and moon places with that Elder Shi of the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang.

This was clearly a transaction reached by both sides.

Of course, on the surface, they still had to put on an appearance of both sides being impartial and selecting the virtuous.

Cao Wei scanned everyone:

"Everyone, no objections, right?"

Feng Yu and Guan Xinrong almost nodded without thinking.

"Brother Liao has quite a reputation for bravery in the Annan Army; becoming the Garrison Commander of our guard battalion will definitely be able to share the worries for the Lord."

They had already been greeted by Cao Wei in advance, so naturally, they wouldn't go against their superior.

Ning Zhongtian and Lu Jun looked at Jiang Linxian first.

Seeing their own superior didn't move, they both chose to remain silent.

The main hall was silent for a long time.

Jiang Linxian then spoke slowly: "There is an order from the Jingcheng to establish a Trade Office in Qinghe, and the guard battalion has the responsibility of supervision. The Ministry of Personnel ordered someone to be appointed as the Trade Captain, and Li Rui is the most suitable."

As soon as these words came out.

The faces of Feng Yu and the others changed.

Li Rui?

Although Li Rui had made repeated meritorious services, he was old after all, and was only Seventh Rank; being a Sixth Rank patrol guard was already high-spec, and now he was going to cross a whole major rank.

Military officers were not civil officials.

There was almost no situation where the realm was low and the official position was high.

Liao Wu was fine; his realm had reached it, and he had the Divine Weapon Shanzhuang as a backer, which Feng Yu and Guan Xinrong could accept.

But Li Rui...

A former subordinate, whose strength was still a major realm lower, now sitting on equal footing with them—they couldn't agree no matter what.

If Li Rui could go up, what did the years they spent waiting in line count for?

Wouldn't it become a joke?

Not to mention the hostile Feng Yu and Guan Xinrong.

Even Lu Jun couldn't sit still.

Before the few could flare up, Jiang Linxian opened his mouth: "Li Rui is a dark piece planted by His Majesty in Qinghe, for the sake of major national affairs; he crossed the Sixth Rank Longmen thirteen years ago. Now that our dynasty is trading with the Witch Kingdom, Li Rui has worked hard and should be rewarded."

"A dark piece?!"

Feng Yu and the others widened their eyes, looking at Li Rui in disbelief.

If they remembered correctly, Li Rui was a local of Qinghe, and before that, it seemed he had been a horse groom for decades.

'His Majesty's methods are truly unfathomable, actually laying out the layout so long ago.'

'This Li Rui is also patient enough; becoming a martial artist, yet willing to be a slave, being a horse groom for over ten years.'

They asked themselves they didn't have this kind of composure.

"Ugh..."

Li Rui almost sprayed out a mouthful of tea.

He thought Jiang Linxian would find a reason for him, but he didn't expect it to be such an abstract reason.

A dark piece?

He hadn't even seen the Emperor's face, and the closest he had been was the imperial decree; how could he be a dark piece?

But these didn't matter.

The key was that although Jiang Linxian's words were bizarre, everyone present could only believe them.

Because there was simply no opportunity to question.

Didn't they hear Jiang Linxian say it was personally designated by His Majesty?

Could it be that they dared to go and confront the Emperor?

In the Anning Guard, counting one by one, only Jiang Linxian had once met that Lord of the Dragon Court.

Ning Zhongtian's eyes shot bright light.

It all connected.

Everything connected.

No wonder Li Rui was ordinary before, yet could repeatedly receive the Emperor's favor.

Added to the previous merit archway, it was equivalent to receiving two imperial decrees.

A full two decrees.

Even Lieutenant General Cao Wei didn't have this blessing.

He had always been puzzled, only thinking that Li Rui's age was considered valuable for propaganda by the Emperor; now it seemed, it was clearly Li Rui lurking in Qinghe as an undercover agent, and the Emperor's compensation!

Hiss~

Ning Zhongtian gasped.

"The methods of big figures are truly terrifying, actually laying out the layout more than ten years in advance, and no one knows!"

"Terrifying!"

Sinister!

The officialdom is like a battlefield; one never knows when a big figure will lay out divine methods beside you.

Looking at Li Rui again.

Light and breezy, everything under control; if he could have a feather fan.

Tsk tsk. Li Rui's smile became gradually stiff.

What could he do?

Could only pretend.

Anyway, no one could verify it; whatever Jiang Linxian said it was, it was.

This was the overbearing nature of possessing the final right of interpretation.

Although the move was a bit rotten.

But it was indeed effective.

If in the eyes of outsiders Li Rui possessed martial arts and was lurking in Qinghe for the country, then the fast growth of his realm was reasonable.

Because he was originally this strong.

Being a Trade Captain was even more reasonable.

=9+Shu_Ba

If it weren't for people like Li Rui carrying the burden forward, how could the Yu Kingdom and the Witch Kingdom open mutual trade?

As for what the relationship between lurking in a small family or small gang and the mutual trade between two countries was...

Don't ask; asking means it's a secret.

In short, Feng Yu, Guan Xinrong, and Lu Jun had no more objections.

They were serving as officials and waiting in line for years, while Li Rui was a slave for over ten years in exchange for a Sixth-Rank official status.

Excessive?

Not at all.

Looking at Cao Wei again.

His expression didn't change at all from beginning to end; clearly, he had known about this matter long ago.

Feng Yu and Guan Xinrong didn't know how to express their stance for a while, so they could only look at their superior Cao Wei with eager eyes, hoping for a hint.

After a good while.

Cao Wei then opened his mouth: "Li Rui is steady in temperament and handles matters carefully; he is indeed the best candidate for Trade Captain."

With these words from him.

Everyone knew.

Li Rui's position as captain was stable.

Jiang Linxian also said lightly: "Liao Wu has made repeated meritorious services and can be appointed as Garrison Commander."

With this, the two big shots completed the transaction.

Cao Wei looked at Li Rui, his heart moving slightly.

Jiang Linxian of course had told him about Li Rui's matter long ago; at first, he was also incomparably surprised.

However, since it was the Emperor's intention, he naturally wouldn't have any objections.

Even if Jiang Linxian was lawless, he wouldn't dare to fabricate matters concerning the Emperor.

And the Trade Captain position indeed required a resilient temperament.

Li Rui was the most suitable candidate in the Anning Guard.

In case the Witch Kingdom people and the Yu Kingdom people fought, Li Rui could go up to pull them apart.

And could also take advantage of respecting the old and loving the young, right?

Everyone dispersed.

As soon as Ning Zhongtian walked out of the main hall, he hooked his shoulders with Li Rui with a playful smile.

"Brother Li, you hid it from me so bitterly."

Li Rui could be said to have a deep relationship with him.

Besides being his subordinate when he was a horse groom at the Zhu family, from the Hun Tian Yi Hall branch to the Anning Guard, he had always been his subordinate.

Ning Zhongtian couldn't guess that this seemingly happy little old man on the surface actually carried such a huge secret.

But he didn't blame Li Rui for hiding it.

Didn't they hear Jiang Linxian say that Li Rui was working for His Majesty, so of course he couldn't let anyone know, otherwise it would fall short of success.

"Brother Ning, it wasn't intentional to hide it; it was truly due to duty."

Acting must be done completely.

Since Jiang Linxian gave him the identity of an undercover agent, even if it wasn't, he could only act it out.

Li Rui smiled slightly.

"Unfathomable!"

This smile, this posture, tsk tsk, wasn't it exactly the same as the hidden big shot in the storyteller's mouth.

"Truly opened my eyes."

Ning Zhongtian considered himself a well-informed person, but seeing a real person like Li Rui who endured humiliation for over ten years and then raised his eyebrows and exhaled in one morning was the first time.

"Brother Li, how did you connect in Qinghe..."

He couldn't help but be curious.

Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Li Rui: "Brother Ning, it is truly due to duty, cannot say."

Seeing Li Rui's unfathomable appearance, as if saying, don't ask, no good will come of asking.

Ning Zhongtian understood in seconds: "I understand, I understand."

His thoughts turned.

Now Li Rui had become a Sixth-Rank Trade Captain, on the same level as him; although they were superior and subordinate before, that was because people hid their identities, but now people had already shown their cards, so he needed to use other means to continue to consolidate the relationship between the two.

After all, Li Rui had connections in the Jingcheng, and even with the Emperor, so of course he had to win him over well.

Ning Zhongtian pondered.

There was a great way.

He looked at Li Rui and said: "Brother Li, it was my fault before; now that you have restored your true identity, continuing to be the deputy alliance master is not in accordance with the rules. How about this, I'll make the decision for those two brothers, from now on, Brother Li will be the fourth alliance master of the Tiandi Alliance—no, the first alliance master!"

Li Rui was stunned.

Then he laughed dumbly.

After a long time, he even forgot that he still had the identity of the Tiandi Alliance deputy alliance master.

Ning Zhongtian wanted to use the Tiandi Alliance to bind the connection between the two.

To this, Li Rui was not disgusted.

Ning Zhongtian was indeed an ally worth winning over.

Li Rui laughed: "Then I'll have to call you Fourth Brother from now on."

Ning Zhongtian was overjoyed: "That's right, Li Laoge!"

Just at this time—

Lines of small text appeared before Li Rui's eyes.

【Congratulations to the host for completing the beginner plot of "Famous in the Jianghu"—Master of a Gang.】

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 211 =====