Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 16 Thousand Households Praise
Zhou Tai was the commander of the Qianzhou Thousand-Household Office of the Jingbian Division. Not long ago, he received a message from Wu Xianren, the deputy commander of the Jingbian Division in Sizhou, informing him of the armed conflict between the two major chieftain families in Sizhou. He rushed to Sizhou immediately and, before he could even rest, led his men to suppress the conflict.

From afar, he could see the raging fire burning in Black Stone Village, and his heart sank.

With such a huge fire, it seems the situation is completely out of control!

He led his men on a swift raid, but did not see the mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and ruins he had envisioned.

For decades, the chieftains of Black Stone Village and White Stone Village, who were like fire and water, actually started drinking together.

That towering flame... it turned out to be a campfire.

Wu Baihu followed closely behind, and upon seeing this scene, his expression was equally astonished.

He was especially stunned when he saw Lin Xuan sitting at the main table, chatting and laughing with the two chieftains.

Zhou Tai frowned, his sharp gaze fixed on Tian Yunting and Yang Zhentian, and asked in a deep voice, "Chief Tian, ​​Chief Yang, I received an urgent report that your two villages are fighting with weapons over a water source... What's going on?"

Tian Yunting and Yang Zhentian both left their seats, strode up to the man, clasped their hands in greeting, and said, "Greetings, Commander Zhou!"

After bowing, Yang Zhentian looked embarrassed and said, "It's all because of a misunderstanding that Commander Zhou has to make such a long trip. I'm really sorry..."

The man turned and glanced at Wu Baihu, asking, "A misunderstanding?"

Wu Baihu was also incredulous. He was certain that Lin Xuan could not mediate the century-old dispute between the two villages. To prevent the situation from getting out of control and causing even greater losses, he reported to the commander.

Could it be that Lin Xuan really accomplished this task?
how can that be!

Lin Xuan had already recognized the man's identity.

Zhou Tai, commander of the Qianzhou Thousand-Household Office of the Jingbian Commandery.

The Qianzhou Thousand-Household Office governed the border defense of ten southwestern prefectures, including Qianzhou, Sizhou, Dingzhou, and Ningzhou.

The commander-in-chief is stationed in Qianzhou and only comes here when there are major events.

Lin Xuan served in the Jingbian Division of Sizhou for three years and only met the Commander of a Thousand Households three times.

He silently rose from his seat, walked to the center of the room, and bowed to Commander Zhou and Commander Wu, saying, "This humble servant, Lin Xuan, greets Commander Zhou and Commander Wu."

Zhou Tai raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you from the Jingbian Division?"

Lin Xuan clasped his hands and continued, "Reporting to Commander Qianhu, I am Lin Xuan, a flag officer of the Jingbian Division of Sizhou, and I have been ordered to come and mediate the conflict between Heishi Village and Baishi Village."

Zhou Tai's gaze sharpened slightly as he asked, "Banner officer... you're acting on orders, but whose orders are you acting on?"

Such a big matter, even he was not confident, and the Sizhou Jingbian Division only sent a small flag officer.
What exactly is Wu Xianren up to?!
Upon hearing this, Wu Baihu's heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.

He immediately stepped forward and spoke up: "Reporting to Commander Qian, it was I who sent Lin Xuan to gather information. Although Lin Xuan is not of high rank, he is meticulous and quick-witted. Therefore, I specially sent him to investigate first. I never expected that Lin Xuan would be so capable, completing the task single-handedly. I was overjoyed and failed to report to you in time, causing you to suffer the hardship of your journey. This is truly my dereliction of duty. Please punish me, my lord!"

Zhou Tai glanced at Wu Baihu, his gaze deep and unfathomable, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.

Tian Qingluan stood up at the right moment and walked gracefully to Lin Xuan's side. She gave Zhou Tai a graceful bow and said in a gentle voice, "Lord Commander, the grudges between the two villages were resolved thanks to Lin Xiaoqi's mediation. If it weren't for Lin Xiaoqi, the situation here tonight would probably be very different. The people of both villages are grateful for Lin Xiaoqi's great kindness and for the Jingbian Division for relieving our border people's worries."

Yang Zhentian was full of questions. What did the reconciliation between Black Stone Village and White Stone Village have to do with this kid?

But at this moment, he knew clearly what he should and shouldn't say, and quickly echoed in a rough voice, "Yes, yes, niece Qingluan is right. Thanks to this Lin Xiaoqi, our two families will live in harmony from now on, and we'll never fight again..."

Looking at the peaceful scene of singing and dancing and the harmonious relationship between the two villages, and then at the composed Lin Xuan and the two village chiefs who were getting along well, Zhou Tai's doubts disappeared and were replaced by great satisfaction.

The century-old feud between the Tian and Yang families was actually resolved by a mere flag officer!
This is quite an achievement!

"Good, good, good!" Zhou Tai laughed loudly. He looked at Lin Xuan, patted him heavily on the shoulder, and his eyes were full of admiration: "You did very well. I didn't expect that the Jingbian Division of Sizhou would have such a talent. I will recommend you for commendation!" Wu Baihu stood aside, his face turning from white to red, and then from red to white again.

At the same time, a trace of worry lingered in his heart.

What if Lin Xuan complains about him to Commander Zhou...

Although he wasn't particularly afraid of Commander Zhou because of his background, he would definitely not feel good if he displeased his superior.

Faced with the praise from Commander Qian, Lin Xuan clasped his hands and bowed, saying humbly, "Commander Qian, you flatter me. I only did a small part of the work and dare not take credit. It is all thanks to the cultivation of the Jingbian Division. If it weren't for Commander Wu's trust and support at this critical moment, I would never have been able to shoulder this heavy responsibility..."

Tian Qingluan secretly glanced at Lin Xuan. She knew the inside story. Wu Baihu's deliberate harassment was now being described as trust and support. Such a character was truly rare at such a young age.

After a slight surprise, Wu Baihu felt as if he had drunk an iced tea on a hot day, and his whole body felt comfortable and refreshed from the inside out.

Then, a deep sense of regret welled up in his heart!
With such a sensible subordinate, he actually kept thinking about forcing him to leave...

That was really wrong!

He spoke up at the opportune moment: "Lin Xuan, you don't need to be modest. I entrusted you with such an important task precisely because I know your abilities. You have not disappointed me. Good, very good!"

Zhou Tai was a man of great stature. Upon discovering that the person sent to quell the dispute between the two villages was merely a minor officer, he had already roughly guessed the ins and outs of the matter.

He gave Lin Xuan a deep look, and his opinion of the boy rose even higher.

His abilities are exceptional, but what's even more remarkable is his magnanimity and wisdom in prioritizing the greater good and repaying evil with kindness...

It would be a waste of his talents to keep this young man in the Jingbian Division.

The officialdom of the Great Yong Dynasty was a more suitable stage for him.

At this moment, Tian Yunting stepped forward and said, "Commander, it's the middle of the night, and since you're already here, why don't you sit down and have a few drinks? Let me, Tian, ​​properly fulfill my duties as host..."

With the conflict between the two villages resolved, Zhou Tai was in high spirits and laughed loudly, "Hahaha, good! I am very pleased that the two villages have reconciled today. I will make an exception and drink a few cups with you all..."

Tian Yunting was overjoyed and immediately ordered, "Someone, add a few more tables and prepare more wine and meat..."

The bonfire in the village burned even brighter, the music started again, and the atmosphere was even more lively than before.

Lin Xuan stood in the crowd, the campfire casting flickering light on his face.

The reason I spoke up for Commander Wu in front of Commander Qianhu just now was not because I was magnanimous or repaid evil with kindness.

To accuse Wu Baihu to his face was nothing more than to embarrass him temporarily.

Lin Xuan wouldn't gamble, nor could he gamble, on what the commander of the Thousand-Household Command would do to the head of the Sizhou Border Defense Division for the sake of a mere flag officer.

Wu Baihu was his direct superior. If he completely offended him, his days in the Jingbian Division would only become more difficult.

Just then, footsteps came from the side.

Commander Wu, holding two bowls of wine, handed one to Lin Xuan and said with a smile, "Lin Xuan, come, let me offer you a toast..."

Lin Xuan accepted the wine bowl with a smile and said, "You flatter me, sir. It should be me toasting you..."

In a corner of the crowd, Yang Zhentian looked at Tian Qingluan nervously and lowered his voice, saying, "Qingluan, tell your uncle the truth, what exactly is going on? I have a really bad feeling about this..."

　Thank you to "Keyhalo" for the generous donation.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)