Patrol Captain

Censor-in-Chief Fang La led a group of officials from the capital away triumphantly!
In the room, only Commander Wu, whose expression was unpredictable, and Lei Shan, who was sitting behind the desk with a dark and angry look on his face, ready to unleash a thunderbolt.

Lei Shan looked at the commander of the Skywalking Army, who was standing sideways in front of him, his voice filled with suppressed anger.
"Commander Wu doesn't need to listen to Vice Minister Fang."

"Why did he single out the Ninth Mountain? He just seized power and he's already trying to cause trouble. Does he think things aren't chaotic enough already? I, Lei, will immediately send a message to the Grand Preceptor to keep him occupied!"

However, Commander Wu, who was standing below, turned to the side, his face expressionless, and his tone somewhat gloomy.
"Lord Lei kept it from me for too long. I just suffered a setback in front of this man surnamed Fang because of the Imperial Preceptor, and I have already been resented."

"At this moment, I have no choice but to obey His Majesty's decree, and I will have to excuse myself from further entertainment!"

At this moment, the Skywalker Army commander's tone clearly carried a hint of resentment and estrangement.

Put yourself in their shoes. You strictly followed the Grand Preceptor's orders, only to be humiliated and deceived. The Grand Preceptor was no longer at Cloud Peak, but you didn't know. You insisted on your position, and Fang La humiliated you. Anyone would feel uncomfortable in that situation.

Since the Grand Preceptor and Lei Shan were treating him like a tool, he had no reason to continue opposing Fang La, who was acting on the Emperor's orders.

Feeling frustrated, he finished speaking, cupped his hands in a gesture of respect to Lei Shan, and turned to leave.

Lei Shan sensed the resentment in the commander's heart, but who knew who would suffer the consequences of what Lord Helian was plotting? He had been dragged into it and had gone through a difficult choice. It was best not to know.

He could only sigh, having no will to persuade, and could only speak sternly to the other person's retreating figure:

"I know that Commander Wu has a grudge, but the matter is of great importance."

"Remember, the Ninth Mountain must not be moved. Tell Fang La not to do anything foolish!"

"He's so eager to discuss matters, I'm afraid he'll mess things up and make a scene that everyone will know about."

"If he really does something foolish, Commander Wu must stop him, or the consequences will be unpredictable!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Commander Wu, who was walking towards the door, paused for a moment, his armor clanging as he walked out of the room, but he still continued walking out.

Then, the clanging of armor could be heard outside the door, and a large number of footsteps followed with a series of clattering sounds as they left.

"boom"

Inside the room, Lei Shan slammed his fist on the table.

No, he must send a message to Grand Preceptor Helian immediately!

A short while later, at the Great Hall of Heavenly Patrol.

After Fang La and his entourage came out of the back courtyard, they headed straight for the main hall. They walked briskly and energetically, as if they were walking with the wind.

A group of people entered the main hall, and the duty officer on duty was reprimanded and sent away.

Fang La led a group of officials from the capital to stand below the main seat, his eyes gleaming as he looked at the position, a surge of emotion welling up within him.

This position can determine the life and death of millions of people; it represents power.

Behind him, some of his Beijing colleagues, their eyes gleaming, immediately smiled and offered him their support.

"Lord Fang was truly awe-inspiring and fearless in the face of power. Lei Shan was too audacious. As His Majesty's eyes and ears, he dared to conceal the truth and almost delayed important matters. If something had happened to Jiannan Road at this time, he would have been a sinner for all time. I think this person clearly had selfish motives. Fortunately, Lord Fang saw through it decisively, which prevented a major mistake."

Another person chimed in, raising his hand with a face full of praise: "That's right, Your Excellency. The fact that you enjoy the Emperor's favor shows His Majesty's trust and reliance on you. Right now, the morale of the army and the people in Shu is unstable, and there is disorder between the upper and lower levels. It's time to rectify things properly."

"Your Excellencies speak with heartfelt sincerity. Now, without a leader, Jiannan Circuit is like a leaky sieve. We watch the rebel king run rampant within the pass, and our hearts are filled with grief. While you all have the heart to serve your country, you lack a leader. Now that Your Excellency has received His Majesty's decree, it is as if the clouds have parted to reveal the clear sky. We are willing to obey your commands, even at the cost of fire and water!" One of them first appeared heartbroken, then spoke with fervor and righteous indignation.

"Yes, yes!" A chorus of agreement followed.

These officials in the capital came from the Three Departments and Six Ministries, and each had their own faction and interests in the court. But now, they were all getting along well. Even if they had disagreements before, it didn't matter now that they were in a foreign land.

Right now, there is an opportunity for progress, so we should go with the flow.

Hearing the "praise" from the esteemed officials, Fang La turned around. Although he tried to appear serious, the crow's feet at the corners of his eyes revealed an undeniable charm.

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at his colleagues, and said, “I am deeply grateful for your kind words. I dare not neglect His Majesty’s trust in the slightest. Even if it offends the Imperial Preceptor, I will not hesitate to do so.”

"At present, we are in a chaotic situation, and the burden is heavy. I am ashamed because of my limited abilities. I ask you all to help share the burden and quickly quell the chaos in Shu to reassure the Emperor."

As he spoke, he steadied himself on the armrest, his face radiating righteousness.

"Your Excellency's righteousness is beyond my duty!"

A group of people echoed in unison, raised their hands in greeting, and chatted and laughed.

One of my subordinates immediately seized the opportunity and spoke up:

"Lord Fang, the meeting is about to begin, please take a seat."

The position mentioned is naturally the main seat at the top.

Fang La looked troubled and declined, saying, "This is the position of the Imperial Preceptor. Since the Imperial Preceptor is not here, it is not appropriate for me to temporarily assume the authority!"

As he said this, his eyes swept around, observing everyone's reactions.

A chief secretary from the Prime Minister's office chimed in, saying in a serious tone, "Your Excellency Fang is mistaken. Since you are acting on His Majesty's orders, you represent His Majesty. How can you not sit in this position?"

"Please take a seat, Lord Fang, so as to uphold His Majesty's dignity!"

As soon as he said this, a large group of people echoed his sentiments.

Fang La's troubled expression disappeared, and he nodded. "Since that's the case, and I'm honored by your high regard, then I will respectfully comply."

With that, Fang La turned and walked straight up the steps to the main seat. His hand gently caressed the cool armrest; the thousand-year-old ironwood was incredibly hard and carried a chilling aura. Fang La's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily. In the past, he had impeached officials and maintained discipline in the court with his sharp pen and eloquent tongue, but today, this black chair bore the weight of life and death for thousands of soldiers and the fate of this territory.

He suddenly felt a little nervous and a little scared, but when he thought of the imperial edict and the heavy seal in his sleeve, his ambition for power finally took over. He recalled the marginalization and humiliating experiences he had suffered since arriving in Shu, and the doubts that echoed in his ears—"You are just a censor, can you fight a war?" He gripped the armrest tightly.

He wanted to show everyone that he, Fang La, was not only a censor, but also to demonstrate his abilities to the Emperor.

Having thought it through, Fang La's hesitation vanished instantly. He then slowly sat down, his back as straight as a pine tree, his brows slanted downwards, and an invisible pressure suddenly spread out. His originally lean face now had a touch of coldness due to the slight lowering of his brows, and his gaze towards the group of officials below him also became sharper. This chair seemed to have the power to change a person's aura, making his red official robe appear even more imposing and awe-inspiring.

After sitting down, Fang La gently tapped his fingertips on the armrest, the rhythm slow and deep, suppressing the noise below.

The officials in the capital were intimidated by his imposing presence. They unconsciously stopped their whispering and casualness, composed themselves, straightened their robes, and became serious. At the same time, they thought to themselves, "This Lord Fang's demeanor really changes once he sits down."

Indeed, power is captivating.

At this moment, Fang La, sitting atop the platform, spoke. This time, his voice seemed deliberately lowered, yet it possessed a metallic quality, resonant and forceful:

"Gentlemen, please take your seats first. We can continue our discussion once the others have arrived."

"Now that I have been appointed by imperial decree to temporarily assume authority and oversee the governorship, I must first establish a set of rules and regulations to share your burdens!"

"Everything will be as you say, sir." The officials from the capital took each other's hands and then sat down on either side according to their rank. In the past, when it came to discussing matters, most of them could not sit in this position in front; it was the military officers, and even those of the same rank had to bow down to the lower-ranking officers.

It seems like it's time for a change.

Soon, Fang La began to discuss the rules, calling it a discussion, but it was actually his one-man show.

From now on, so-and-so will handle the battle reports from Tianxiong Pass in the north and coordinate with Qitian. So-and-so will be responsible for which area.
It's essentially about decentralization.

The eleven or twelve officials in the capital present all received a share of power from him, which pleased everyone.

However, there were exceptions. Some people were assigned to coordinate with the Ninth Mountain. They stood up, cupped their hands in greeting to Fang La, who was sitting above, bowed their heads, looked troubled, and whispered:
"Lord Fang, although there are still 20,000 troops stationed at the Ninth Mountain, everyone in the garrison knows that they are special. Without General Chen's order, no one can mobilize them. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Fang La, seated at the head of the table, opened his phoenix eyes and said coldly:
"Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the king; on the shores of the earth, all people are subjects of the king. Since that person has already resigned from his post, aren't the troops of the Ninth Mountain also troops of my Great Qian Dynasty?"

The minor official cursed inwardly, "Fang La, you've only just taken office and you're already putting on airs. You make it sound so easy, but you're carefully declining with your words."

"What you say is true, Lord Fang. It's just that I really don't have any ability. Even the Grand Preceptor didn't dare to touch them. I would like to ask Lord Fang to reconsider. After all, although that person has resigned, his shadow can be seen everywhere in Yunding Mountain."

The official was telling the truth. Even if it meant offending the powerful Fang La, he didn't want to provoke the Ninth Mountain. If he offended the big shot behind him, he wouldn't be able to sleep at night. That person could crush him with a flick of their finger.

Moreover, they had previously experienced Chen Yuan's methods firsthand. When he became the Imperial Inspector of the Three Circuits in the Southwest, they were ordered to accompany the army to Shu to quell the chaos at the time. They had intended to hinder him, but then General Chen dealt with them. He had thrown them, a group of officials from the capital, into a demonic horde, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate. Several unfortunate colleagues had even died.

If you offend someone, they will never show you mercy.

Seeing that this person was ungrateful, Fang La, sitting in the main seat, frowned and glanced at the others.
"What do you think?"

The other officials in the capital straightened up and fell silent, except for one who raised an eyebrow and whispered tentatively:
"Lord Fang, is this an attempt to deal with the Ninth Mountain?"

Upon hearing this question, the expressions of everyone present changed simultaneously.

Sitting at the head of the table, Fang La remained noncommittal, raising an eyebrow. "We are all officials in the same court, so I will speak frankly. Do you all remember who caused our current predicament? Have you all suffered at their hands?"

"I admit that the man surnamed Chen is incredibly powerful and looks down on everyone, even the rebel king suffered at his hands. But he is a servant of the emperor and should share his burdens. His Majesty has long been dissatisfied with him, and even the Grand Preceptor is no exception. As you all have seen in several meetings, the people of the Ninth Mountain are not under his control. If we do not divide and subdue them, sooner or later there will be big problems. Our imperial army can only obey His Majesty. How can we serve two masters?"

At this point, Fang La's eyes gleamed, and his tone rose.

"Besides, with His Majesty in the imperial court and the Imperial Preceptor here to back you up, what are you all afraid of? If you really succeed, you will all be meritorious officials. You should seize this opportunity to make contributions and establish your careers."

"Four words, simple yet in the Emperor's heart!"

Having said this, Fang La noticed the slightly softened expressions on his colleagues' faces, and his tone softened, as if carrying a deeper meaning.

"Of course, I know what you gentlemen are worried about, and I will not be foolish enough to confront them head-on. If the hard approach doesn't work, I will try the soft approach."

"Sometimes, people's hearts are a knife, and people's words are even more terrifying. No matter how fierce someone is, can they shut everyone up?"

Having said all that Fang La wanted to say, it was now time for everyone present to express their opinions.

When the officials in the capital saw that the other party's gaze was directed at them, they all brought up His Majesty. Even if they had some reservations or were unwilling, they could only maintain a united front.

If you don't express your opinion, are you being disloyal to His Majesty? Or do you no longer want to advance? We're all in the same boat!

"As Lord Fang says, we will do our best to cooperate!"

"Good!" Fang La patted the armrest, a smile appearing at the corner of his eye. Then he looked outside the hall, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Now, we just need to wait for everyone to arrive!"

At dusk, Yunding Mountain is bathed in a warm tide of light interwoven with gold and crimson. The setting sun, like a burning red jade plate, hangs obliquely in the sky above the dark mountain peaks. The glazed tile roof of the Xuntian Hall on the mountaintop blends into the mountain's shape, like the sun shining on a golden mountain.

Strands of light flew up to the Sky-Patrolling Hall atop the Cloud Peak and landed outside the plaza, waiting.

The military and civil officials at all levels currently stationed near Chengdu have received a letter from the Tianxing Army and are rushing here, summoned for a meeting.

People gathered in small groups, whispering among themselves.

"Why isn't the door open this time, making us wait outside?" someone wondered.

"It's all good. I haven't seen Grand Preceptor Helian for two days. Scouts on the southern border keep reporting that the demons' tracks have advanced. The general of the Dragon Guard, who was ordered to defend the front, has been urging the Grand Preceptor to give the order. As a result, I haven't even been able to see the Grand Preceptor. I'm so anxious."

"Yes."

"."

As everyone waited, a sharp, high-pitched shout rang out, "Enter!"

Then everyone noticed that it was a eunuch shouting, which felt rather strange.

I don't know what the point of doing this kind of superficial stuff is.

Just then, the doors of the Heavenly Patrol Hall opened with a clattering sound, and everyone straightened their robes and quickly entered the hall.

To everyone's astonishment, the person seated in the main seat was not the Grand Preceptor Helian. (End of Chapter)