Chapter 80

Once a farce begins, it doesn't end easily.

Commander Rong, lacking experience, appeared exceptionally agitated when facing the many soldiers.

Perhaps he was too nervous and forgot what he was supposed to say for a moment.

Or perhaps his "bad student" nature flared up, and he hadn't memorized the prepared script.

After getting on the stage, he kept mixing up the sequence and misusing idioms and allusions.

Yet the loud-voiced soldiers responsible for relaying his words were all his own retainers, equally clueless; whatever the master said, they repeated.

For a time, the camp was filled with laughter, completely lacking the solemnity a military force should have.

As a bystander, Li Mu's mouth didn't close the entire time.

It was a pity that Commander Rong's own fame was too low, and the enemies he faced were also bottom-tier characters.

Otherwise, his performance today could have left behind a historical allusion to warn future generations.

Such a joyful departure ceremony is very rare throughout human history.

Marquis Marquis Wuyang, as the Regional Commander, had a face as black as coal the entire time.

With his subordinates losing face, he, the commander, also had no glory.

From his murderous gaze, Li Mu could read Commander Rong's future.

Even if he luckily picked up his life on the battlefield, he wouldn't be able to return to the capital alive.

The frequent farces directly affected the progress of the ceremony.

The short departure ceremony was dragged out until noon before stumbling through the entire process.

At the last moment, a playboy Li Mu didn't recognize foolishly clamored to eat lunch before leaving, which angered Marquis Marquis Wuyang so much he drew his sword on the spot.

If he hadn't admitted defeat fast enough, and Marquis Marquis Wuyang hadn't been in the mood to bicker with a dead man, he would likely have been beheaded on the spot to sacrifice the flag.

With things developing to this point, anyone with a bit of brains realized this campaign had no "bright" future.

Regret was already too late; the departure ceremony was complete.

To speak of withdrawing now—military law is not something to be trifled with.

No matter how strong the backing, there was no room for maneuver at this stage.

After watching the army leave, the surrounding colleagues all showed expressions of relief.

It was clear that everyone truly loathed this group of "pig teammates."

Witnessing the internal infighting of the military officers, Xu Xu Wenyue suddenly found that the civil official group was better after all.

Although internal politics are brutal, they mostly end in retirement and rarely involve total extermination.

When military officers pit themselves against their teammates, people really die.

Whether half of this army could return alive was an unknown.

Deep down, after despising the crudeness of the military men, he obediently shut his mouth and did not use words to provoke Marquis Marquis Wuyang again.

Intuition told him that if this man were angered enough, he would really draw his sword and kill someone.

……

Xixi Man.

This most famous flower boat in Yangzhou City had lost its usual poetic charm since being booked today.

"Grand Secretary Xu has come from the capital, and the Yangzhou gentry's cold attitude has made him very angry.

I had to use all my powers of persuasion to secure this opportunity.

If you have anything to say, say it quickly.

If there isn't a reasonable explanation, then from now on, we will go our separate ways and need not contact each other again!"

Hou Hou Huaichang questioned them sternly.

Those who came today had either used Grand Secretary Xu's connections before or were his old acquaintances.

It wasn't a deep friendship, but they could still scrape by on the relationship.

Xu Xu Wenyue, as the Imperial Envoy, had arrived in Yangzhou, and these people hadn't even organized a welcome; in Hou Hou Huaichang's view, it was simply unforgivable.

If they weren't punished, everyone would follow suit later, and Grand Secretary Xu's influence in the court would inevitably drop significantly.

If his patron's status were impacted, his own status as a private secretary would only drop further.

"Secretary Hou, it's not that we don't give the Grand Secretary face; it's that we are forced to.

The Yangzhou City of today is no longer the Yangzhou City of the past.

Anyone who goes against the Wucheng Military Commission is in prison, charged with colluding with rebels!"

Wang Wang Wenju said with a troubled face.

He didn't want to attend today's appointment at all.

But he and Hou Hou Huaichang were classmates, and the card had been sent to his door; to decline would be to slap Grand Secretary Xu in the face.

"Marquis Marquis Wuyang is someone you can't afford to offend, but is Grand Secretary Xu easy to bully?

Were you all scared by the Wucheng Military Commission? Where is the integrity of a scholar?"

At Hou Hou Huaichang's mockery, everyone lowered their heads.

Each family's situation was similar, and they all had some connection to the Seven Great Families to varying degrees.

They were all Qingliu Party members, and Xu Xu Wenyue, as a Qingliu leader, needed to consider the group's interests and couldn't take things too far.

Offending Grand Secretary Xu would only affect their family members' official careers to some extent.

But Marquis Marquis Wuyang was different; when he targeted someone, he would talk of treason and rebellion at every turn.

Regardless of whether you admitted it, he would first confiscate your property and exterminate your family, then slowly look for evidence.

The Wucheng Military Commission had the biggest fist in Yangzhou City, and any Yangzhou officials with different opinions were placed under house arrest.

If they could withstand an investigation, perhaps someone would risk a confrontation for the sake of fame.

Unfortunately, the Lianghuai gentry had been intermarrying for years, and they could always be linked one way or another.

Even without any evidence, they were members of the rebel's nine generations.

Once they entered the prison, they shouldn't expect to ever come out.

They had spent a great price earlier to find a way to buy back their entire clan's lives.

The pardon document was issued by Marquis Marquis Wuyang; since he could sign it, he could naturally take it back, so everyone truly didn't dare to gamble.

"Hmph!"

"A bunch of cowards!"

"What is there to be afraid of? Tomorrow Marquis Marquis Wuyang will lead the troops to campaign, and by then Yangzhou City..."

Hou Hou Huaichang's performance was destined to be a futile effort.

When it involved the lives of their entire families, no one dared to gamble.

The Wucheng Military Commission could leave Yangzhou City, but they could just as easily return.

It is true that Grand Secretary Xu is high-ranking and powerful, but he has no troops in his hands.

If Marquis Marquis Wuyang ordered arrests, he couldn't personally step forward to stop it; their friendship hadn't reached that point.

"Secretary Hou, please don't make things difficult for us.

So many officials of the Yangzhou Prefecture have all been rounded up.

Why don't you think of a way to have Grand Secretary Xu release them first?"

The head of the Lei family, standing to the side, spoke up.

The arrested Yangzhou Assistant Prefect was a clansman of his Lei family.

If Grand Secretary Xu could really fish the people out, that would be a huge gain.

Unfortunately, all of this was destined to be in vain; cases involving treason are always easy to arrest people for but hard to release them from.

Without a trial by the Three Judicial Offices, privately ordering the release of suspects is just handing a sharp sword to political enemies.

Knowing the matter had hidden dangers, Hou Hou Huaichang naturally didn't dare to promise on Grand Secretary Xu's behalf.

The gathering ended on a sour note.

……

The next day, early morning.

The same drill ground, the same departure ceremony, but the scene before them was completely different.

Compared to yesterday's rabble, the moment he stepped into the camp today, Xu Xu Wenyue felt the murderous aura from afar.

"It seems the Wucheng Military Commission being able to repel the rebels wasn't just pure luck!"

After sighing, Xu Xu Wenyue's gaze focused on Marquis Marquis Wuyang.

He didn't hear a long-winded speech; only the two words "Set out" reached his ears, and then he saw the army stepping out of the camp in an orderly fashion.

"Grand Secretary, Marquis Marquis Wuyang is being too perfunctory!"

Sensing that his Grand Secretary had something to say, Hou Hou Huaichang consciously provided the topic.

"It only proves that Marquis Marquis Wuyang is a smart man.

The manifestos before a campaign were never meant for the soldiers to hear; they wouldn't understand them anyway.

There is no audience here worth performing for, so naturally, everything can be simplified.

Besides, his scholarly reputation is very hollow; how much ink could he have in his stomach?

Rather than imitating that Commander Rong in showing off literary talent and making a fool of himself, it's better to be simple.

Setting out earlier means they can cover a few more miles."

……

(End of chapter)