With a million soldiers, the empress begged me not to rebel

He was originally just a bandit leader who ruled the mountains.

Now I have the opportunity to become a garrison commander and lead troops.

This was a huge temptation for him.

But he quickly calmed down and asked in a low voice:

"Sir, do you really mean what you say?"

Chen Qingwan smiled slightly and said:

"My word is my bond. How could I lie to you? However, you must also show your sincerity."

Xia Shanhu asked quickly, "What does my lord need me to do?"

Chen Qingwan leaned close to his ear and whispered:

"I need you to help me round up all the bandits around here."

"After the matter is accomplished, I will report to the court and guarantee you a garrison."

"Really? You...you really want to?"

He was so excited that he stuttered a little.

Chen Qingwan smiled and patted his shoulder.

"A man's words are hard to follow."

"As long as you handle this matter well, I will naturally fulfill my promise to you."

Xiashanhu was immediately filled with excitement, patting his chest and promising:

"Don't worry, I'll take care of this matter! I, Xia Shanhu, will definitely do it beautifully for you!"

Chen Qingwan nodded with satisfaction, turned to Li Mu and said:

"General Li, recruit Xia Shanhu and his men. They will be your subordinates from now on."

Although Li Mu still had some doubts in his heart, Chen Qingwan had already made up her mind.

Naturally, he didn't say much and immediately arranged for someone to deal with it.

Watching Xiashanhu happily follow Li Mu to arrange his men.

A mysterious smile appeared on Chen Qingwan's lips.

Although Xia Shanhu is rude and reckless, he is a martial arts expert and a loyal man.

As long as they are guided, they will become your right-hand men.

After resolving the issue of Xiashanhu, Chen Qingwan and her group prepared to return home.

On the way, Li Mu couldn't help but ask:

"Sir, why do you want to tame that tiger that came down from the mountain? He is so ferocious and cruel that I'm afraid he will be difficult to control."

Chen Qingwan smiled and said:

"You don't understand. A tiger is easy to tame, but a wild dog is hard to guard against."

"People like Xia Shanhu may seem vicious, but they are actually pure at heart."

"As long as you give him enough benefits and respect, he will be loyal to you."

"On the contrary, those who appear submissive on the surface but are sinister at heart are the ones who are harder to guard against."

Li Mu nodded as if he understood, and his admiration for Chen Qingwan deepened a little.

……

On the other side, Lu Yan arranged the affairs of the Yunyang City garrison.

He rode at full speed all the way, wishing he could grow wings and fly back to Shannan Prefecture.

As the New Year is approaching, Shannan Prefecture has already decorated its houses with lights and red lanterns hanging in front of every household.

The streets are bustling with people coming and going.

The crackling sound of firecrackers was deafening.

If you don’t know, you might think that the Chinese New Year has come early!

After Lu Yan returned to the government office, he was busy all the time.

After dealing with all the big and small matters in the government office, I can finally take a breath.

He quickly sent someone to call Fan Tong over.

"Old Fan, you've worked so hard during this period!"

"Look, it's almost Chinese New Year, so don't rush back. Just take a good look around Shannan Prefecture and stay for the New Year!"

Lu Yan invited enthusiastically.

When Fan Tongyi heard this, he immediately smiled and bowed to accept the order.

Now that he had some free time, Fan Tong happily wandered around Shannan Prefecture.

Wow, this was an incredible sight, Fan Tong was completely stunned!

The entire Shannan Prefecture, from the city gate to the alleys, was spotlessly clean.

The trees on the roadside are neatly trimmed, just like a military parade.

The people were all in high spirits, wearing new clothes and with happy smiles on their faces.

The shops on both sides of the street are full of goods with a wide variety of commodities, which is even richer than the treasury in the palace!

The Yunyang City where Fan Tong was stationed before was extremely dirty and messy, with thieves and beggars everywhere.

You have to cover your nose when walking on the street.

Compared with Shannan Prefecture, it's like heaven and earth!

Not to mention thieves and beggars, you can't even see anyone spitting!

If this happened in Yunyang City, the streets would have been filled with garbage and the stench would have been unbearable!

Fan Tong couldn't help but sigh, this Lord Lu is really capable!

At this moment, Lu Yan changed into casual clothes.

Bringing along two of his generals, Li Kui and Ye Xiao, he prepared to experience the local New Year atmosphere.

"Sir, where are we going?"

Li Kui scratched his head and asked in a muffled voice.

"Of course we're going shopping! Xiao Kui, is there nothing else on your mind besides killing people?"

Lu Yan knocked Li Kui on the head in annoyance.

Li Kui covered his head with his hands in grievance and muttered

"Sir, I'm just worried that you'll be bored..."

Night Owl coldly finished off the attack from the side

"With your stupid head, what good ideas can you come up with?"

"You!" Li Kui glared at Ye Xiao, rolled up his sleeves and was about to take action.

Lu Yan quickly stopped him.

"Alright, alright, stop arguing! Hurry up and go, I want to experience some folk fun!"

The three of them walked through the streets, admiring the dazzling array of New Year goods and wonderful street performances.

Candied haws, dough figurines, shadow puppetry...

Lu Yan was dazzled by the various gadgets.

From time to time he would buy some small toys and give them to the children watching, causing them to cheer.

As he walked, Lu Yan saw a group of children playing a game he had invented.

The children were holding some small bamboo tubes in their hands.

It is filled with gunpowder and makes a crackling sound when ignited.

"What the hell is this?"

Lu Yan asked curiously.

"Sir, this is a flying monkey!"

A child excitedly explained.

“It’s so fun!”

"interesting!"

Lu Yan immediately became interested. He took a rocket from the child, lit it, and threw it into the air.

With a "whoosh", the flying monkey flew into the sky and exploded into a small spark.

"Wow! So awesome!"

The children cheered.

Lu Yan also became playful and joined the children's games.

Set off firecrackers with them, chase and play, and enjoy the joy of the festival to the fullest.

After playing for a while, Lu Yan felt a little thirsty, so he took Li Kui and Ye Xiao to a teahouse.

"Waiter, bring me a pot of good tea!" Lu Yan shouted proudly.

"Okay! Sir, please wait a moment!"

The waiter quickly brewed a pot of hot tea.

Lu Yan sipped his tea and looked at the bustling crowd outside the window, feeling extremely comfortable.

Suddenly, a ragged old beggar walked tremblingly in front of Lu Yan.

He stretched out his dirty hands and begged:

"Master, please be kind and give us something to eat!"

Lu Yan took a look at the old beggar and saw that he was pale and thin, with cloudy eyes. It was obvious that he had been hungry for a long time.

"Xiao Kui, bring some food to the old man."

Lu Yan ordered.

Li Kui quickly took out a piece of dry food from his pocket and handed it to the old beggar.

The old beggar took the dry food with tears of gratitude and began to eat it voraciously.