Chapter 562: Mr. Bai’s Salutations |
Xing Honglang’s forces and Ma Xianglin’s forces began preparing to advance west, continuing their pursuit of the bandit army and relieving Daining City.
After learning Cheng Xu’s identity, Ma Xianglin secretly observed him and realized that though Xing Honglang appeared to lead this army, the true great general was Cheng Xu.
Xing Honglang also acted under Cheng Xu’s arrangements.
Evidently, Xing Honglang was merely a puppet Cheng Xu had placed front and center.
Truly worthy of being Chengcheng’s War God Cheng Xu! Not only formidable in combat, but his strategies were also first-rate. Had he revealed his true identity, the imperial court might not have offered him amnesty—after all, the current emperor Zhu Youjian never admitted fault; only others erred, never him. Once he dispatched the Imperial Guards to hunt Cheng Xu, he would persist to the end, leaving no room for reconciliation.
Yet Cheng Xu pushed Xing Honglang forward to accept the amnesty while he himself returned to the emperor’s embrace as Xing Honglang’s deputy. Truly ingenious.
Filled with these wandering thoughts, Ma Xianglin rested sufficiently before both armies readied to march west.
Just as they prepared to set off, the city’s commoners surrounded them with reluctance: “General, if you depart, what shall we do when the bandits return?”
“Puxian has no defensive walls. The militia couldn’t guard it even if they wished.”
“Leave a garrison behind!”
Everyone felt troubled. They needed sufficient forces to pursue the bandits, whose ranks often swelled to hundreds of thousands. Leaving troops behind at every conquered town was impractical.
Yet if they abandoned Puxian undefended, small roving bandit groups could easily raid it again.
As they wavered uncertainly, a scout suddenly reported, “Imperial reinforcements have arrived—the troops of Deputy General Li Huai.”
Hearing Deputy General Li Huai’s name, all present shared amused smiles—ah, the incompetent one had come.
When guarding Pingyang Prefecture before, Li Huai suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of Nan Ying Eighth Great King—to the point that not even his own mother would recognize him. Only through Shi Jian’s rescue did two hundred firearm soldiers manage to drive off Nan Ying Eighth Great King through volley fire, securing Pingyang Prefecture.
Haven’t heard about Li Huai in so long—yet here he returns.
Though devoid of combat strength, Li Huai bore no infamy; he wasn’t among the wicked who slaughtered innocents for higher ranks or suffered commoners. They could still find use for him.
Xing Honglang declared, “Then Puxian shall be delegated to Deputy General Li Huai. Our two forces can continue advancing.”
Ma Xianglin nodded. “Agreed!”
They awaited Li Huai, briefly explaining the situation before instructing him to remain permanently stationed at Puxian.
Li Huai was overjoyed at staying behind—anything was better than the frontlines. Defense seemed heaven-sent! He instantly agreed, promptly garrisoning his eight-hundred worthless soldiers within Puxian.
Only then did Xing Honglang’s and Ma Xianglin’s forces proceed confidently westward…
…
Jiangzhou.
Days earlier, Jiangzhou’s magistrate Qin Changqing had been overthrown by the commoners rallied under Jiang King. His accomplices also met ruin beneath the raging populace, crushed into pulp. Bereft of corrupt officials, the city briefly subsided into anarchy.
Were it modern times, such events would plunge into chaos—looting, riots, and every conceivable type of chaotic equipment would erupt.
But ancient eras had their own methods to confront this. Local gentry leaders each served as “Local Gentry Leaders,” mirroring Bai Yuan’s role in Bai Family Fortress. They automatically became authorities to uphold order wherever offices lay vacant.
These Local Gentry Leaders arduously maintained peace, and Jiangzhou City managed to function amidst its stateless void.
Among them, the gentleman Mo Xiaopin oversaw patrols in Jiangzhou City. Now standing atop the south city wall, he gazed upon the reborn Fen River.
The water of the Fen River had settled for several days, but the river water was still turbid.
It was unknown how many more days it would take for the river water to become clear again.
The fishermen by the river had suffered misfortune these days.
When the Dao Xuan Deity broadened the river channel, the fish in the river, whether frightened or too cowardly to adapt to this era of drastic changes, had disappeared.
The fishermen could not catch even one fish no matter how hard they tried with their nets.
Fortunately, after Jiang King made a fuss, the wealthy families in the city also “found their conscience” and generously provided food to aid the common people.
The fishermen did not go hungry during these days.
However, Mo Xiaopin knew that the fishermen would eventually need to catch fish to sustain their livelihood; relying solely on aid would not do.
Just as he was thinking about this, a servant shouted, “Master, look quickly, look downstream of the Fen River!”
Mo Xiaopin looked in the direction the servant pointed and saw in the drizzle a large ship sailing on the river.
It was a huge ship, the flat kind used for carrying cargo, but it was too big, larger by a full size than the biggest ship Mo Xiaopin had ever seen in his life.
If the Fen River had not been dredged, such a large ship could absolutely not sail on it.
Mo Xiaopin was struck by a thought and recalled what the Deity had said last time: wait a few days, and a large ship would come from downstream to assist you all.
He had thought of it, and of course, others would too.
At the same time, almost everyone who saw that large ship cheered: “The ship is here! The large ship is here! The large ship mentioned by the Deity has arrived!”
“A large ship has come to help us!”
“Who is on the ship?”
“Look at the bow, there stands a man in white.”
From far away, he could not be seen clearly, but as the large ship got closer, everyone saw a middle-aged man in fluttering white clothes standing on the bow.
Half a step behind him stood two servants holding a large umbrella to shield the man in white from the rain.
Therefore, although the rain was heavy, it did not affect the fluttering of his white clothes.
The river winds blew his white robe backward so it flapped wildly.
He looked incredibly handsome.
The ship arrived beside the dock outside the south gate of Jiangzhou City.
Then, the man in white took out a paper fan, flicked it open with a swift motion, revealing the characters “gentleman.”
After that, he flipped the fan over, and on the back was painted a deity, precisely the Dao Xuan Deity whom the people of Jiangzhou had previously seen, extending a giant hand from the sky to help them dig the river channel.
The common people surged to the riverside and cheered: “Indeed, this is someone sent by the Deity to help us!”
“Are you a divine envoy dispatched by the Deity?”
Mo Xiaopin also came out to greet him, bringing a large group of local gentry.
They stood on the riverbank and bowed respectfully to the man in white from a distance.
The man in white leaped off the ship with a swift motion, moving agilely.
He did not look like a bookworm; rather, he was proficient in both culture and martial skills.
He strode forward with an ethereal grace, arrived before Mo Xiaopin and the others, bowed first, and appeared very scholarly and well-mannered.
Then, he properly introduced himself: “I am Bai Yuan, sent on a mission by the decree of Dao Xuan Deity, especially to come to Jiangzhou City and aid the common people of Jiangzhou in prospering and achieving common wealth.”
Just as he finished, the ink painting of the Deity on the back of the fan also spoke: “You can trust him.”
When Mo Xiaopin and the others saw the Deity manifesting and talking, how could they dare to doubt?
They all bowed deeply to Bai Yuan: “Greetings, Mr. Bai.”