Brocade Robe Unparalleled

Chapter 30 Suppression
These past two days, all the banner officers of the Jingbian Division have been living in great anxiety.

Upon his arrival, Commander Shen swiftly and decisively took over the Jingbian Division, effectively stripping Commander Wu of his power.

He not only took charge of personnel and finances, but also snatched the lucrative job of escorting caravans from Wu Baihu in the first instance.

It is said that Wu Baihu fell from power so quickly because of Huang Yue's betrayal.

As a banner officer promoted by Wu Baihu, Huang Yue knew everything about him. On the day Shen Baihu arrived at Jingbian Division, Huang Yue went to his duty room and stayed until very late.

With Huang Yue's help, Commander Shen easily sidelined Commander Wu.

Although everyone despised Huang Yue's betrayal, they had to admit that Huang Yue was the most pragmatic. In the entire Jingbian Division, he was the only one who could frequently enter and leave Shen Baihu's office, making him Shen Baihu's most favored person.

Inside the centurion's office, Huang Yue bowed slightly and said, "Lord Shen, I also know that Deputy Centurion Wu frequently accepts bribes. Several banner officers in the Jingbian Division were promoted by bribing him. He charges at least five hundred taels of silver for each banner officer position. If you wish to investigate him, I can testify..."

Shen Qingya looked up at him and asked, "Oh, how will you testify?"

Huang Yue said, "To be honest, I obtained my position as a banner officer by bribing Deputy Commander Wu..."

Shen Qingya looked at him with a strange expression and asked, "If I investigate him, won't you lose your position as a banner officer?"

Huang Yue was taken aback. He had been so focused on bringing down Commander Wu that he had forgotten about this. He quickly chuckled awkwardly and said, "As long as it can help you, sir, I'm willing to make some sacrifices..."

He added as soon as he finished speaking, "Then, sir, you can simply reinstate me to my original position..."

Shen Qingya raised his hand and said, "There's no need to push him too hard. Always leave room for maneuver. After all, he's part of the Grand Secretary's faction. As long as he behaves himself in the future, I don't mind letting him off the hook..."

Upon hearing this, Huang Yue felt somewhat disappointed.

He had already betrayed Commander Wu, and only by ensuring that Commander Wu had no chance to recover could he finally feel at ease.

But he dared not say anything, and could only clasp his hands and say, "Your Excellency is wise!"

……

Before leaving the office, Lin Xuan walked out of his duty room, intending to go home, when he saw that the courtyard of the Jingbian Division was crowded with people.

A group of banner officers stood under the courtyard wall, pointing at a red paper posted on the wall and discussing it amongst themselves.

Zhang Hu and Chen Bao stood at the very edge of the crowd. Lin Xuan stepped forward and asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhang Hu glanced at the red paper posted on the wall, shook his head, and said, "See for yourself..."

Lin Xuan squeezed into the crowd and quickly saw what was written on the paper.

The Jingbian Commandery divided Sizhou City into ten areas, each under the jurisdiction of one of the ten banner officers.

The duty of a banner officer is to maintain the stability of his jurisdiction. Ordinary matters can be handled by the local government. If the local government cannot handle a matter, the banner officer must report it to the border defense command in a timely manner and ask the centurion to make a decision.

The situations in these ten regions are all different.

The East and South districts are affluent areas with better security and are more bustling and prosperous, lined with shops. Those who govern these areas can easily make a fortune.

The West and North districts are where the poor congregate, with poor public security, few businesses, and almost no opportunities for profit.

The northern district, in particular, is a notorious slum and chaotic area in the city, a melting pot of all sorts of people, with numerous gangs and rampant theft, robbery, and brawls. Not only is there no money to be made, but it's also a mental and physical drain.

After Shen Baihu took office, he redistributed the jurisdictions of the banner officials.

Zhang Hu and Chen Bao were assigned to the West District.

Lin Xuan was assigned to the North District, along with two of Wu Baihu's former confidants.

The two of them had been transferred from the most lucrative district to the lowest-ranking one, and they were gritting their teeth and cursing under their breath.

"Damn Huang Yue, I heard he's the one who drew up this jurisdiction!"

"That traitor deserves to die a horrible death!"

Lin Xuan had no intention of making money, and he didn't care which jurisdiction he was in charge of.

If it weren't for the black-robed man constantly pushing him to work hard, he would have given up long ago. Shen Baihu's arrangement was quite to his liking.

Because the northern district is too far from the Jingbian Division, the banner officers in charge of that area have the most troubles and the least reward.

No one in the Jingbian Division liked this job, which offered no lucrative opportunities and made them feel like invisible people.

But this kind of leisurely job is just right for Lin Xuan now.

He can now have more time to practice his skills and develop his strength discreetly, without having to work for Nanzhao.

Wu Baihu was completely sidelined, and Lin Xuan himself was relegated to a corner of power. No matter how the man in black robes tried to blame him, he couldn't be held responsible.

Surrounded by a crowd, Huang Yue walked past Lin Xuan with an arrogant air.

That's how realistic the officialdom is. In just a few days, he replaced Lin Xuan and became the most sought-after figure in the Jingbian Division. He was not only in charge of the most lucrative area, but also in charge of the escort arrangements for merchant caravans.

If the banner officers want to get such lucrative positions in the future, they must first curry favor with Huang Yue.

Lin Xuan glanced at him and walked straight out of the Jingbian Division.

A cold smile appeared on Huang Yue's face. He had not forgotten the humiliation that Lin Xuan had once brought him.

Now, the Jingbian Division is Huang Yue's territory, and he has plenty of time to settle accounts with him slowly.

Lin Xuan, Zhang Hu, and Chen Bao walked out of the Jingbian Division. Zhang Hu pondered for a long time, then suddenly turned to look at him and asked, "Do you think we should also send some gifts to Commander Shen to show our sincerity?"

Lin Xuan shook her head: "No need."

This Commander Shen had a powerful background; even Commander Zhou treated him with great respect. It was precisely because of this that Lin Xuan was certain he wouldn't stay in Sizhou for long.

Shen Baihu and that Wenren Zongqi were clearly second-generation rich kids who came to Sizhou to gain experience. Once they had made enough merits, they would be promoted and leave. In the Sizhou Jingbian Division, Wu Baihu would still be the one in charge.

In officialdom, one needs to assess the situation and act accordingly, but also to have long-term plans.

Being indecisive and wavering is a major taboo in officialdom.

At this time, the more firmly you can maintain your stance, the greater your future gains will be.

He just needs to wait.

……

night.

Inside the room, Lin Xuan reported the news to the man in black robes as usual.

The information he provided was known to everyone in the Jingbian Division, and it wouldn't be difficult for anyone to find out if they were interested.

But now he's an outsider, and that's all he can find out.

The man in black robes pondered for a moment and then asked, "Besides suppressing the man surnamed Wu, do Shen Qingya and Wenren Yue have any other actions?"

Lin Xuan shook his head and said, "Not for now."

What Shen Baihu has been doing these past few days is to completely replace Wu Baihu's position, seize all power, and reshuffle the Jingbian Division.

As for that Commander Wenren, Lin Xuan had not seen her at the Jingbian Division since the day she took office.

The position of the General Banner Officer of the Border Pacification Division is below that of the Deputy Hundred-Household Officer but above that of the Banner Officer.

A 100-household garrison typically has two generals, and each general commands five banner officers.

To become a captain, besides accumulating enough merit, one's own strength must reach at least the seventh rank.

Previously, Wei, the commander in charge of Lin Xuan, retired a few days ago, and then this Wenren commander was parachuted in.

In fact, she happens to be Lin Xuan's direct superior.

The man in black robes sat at the table, tapping his fingers lightly on the surface, and said in a low voice, "It's not just the Shen family and the Wen family; several top families in the capital have sent their scions to the southwest. What exactly are they planning..."

Lin Xuan was silent for a moment, then clasped his hands and said, "Sir, I had just gained Wu Baihu's trust when this new Baihu was parachuted in. Wu Baihu has been completely sidelined, and my jurisdiction has been transferred to the most chaotic northern district. I'm afraid it will be very difficult to gather any useful intelligence..."

The man in black waved his hand and said, "This is not your fault, so I naturally won't blame you. Just focus on your duties, practice your skills diligently, and wait for further instructions..."

Lin Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Yes."

The man in black robes stood up and spoke again: "You've almost mastered the art of disguise. Just practice more in the future. Next, I'll teach you stealth tracking. Once you've learned that, combined with the art of disguise, even if the mission fails, you can still escape unscathed..."

Lin Xuan suddenly remembered something and said, "Sir, Huang Yue is now a confidant of Commander Shen. Why don't you also plant the Heart-Eating Gu on him and force him to work for us..."

The man in black robes glanced at him and said indifferently, "Do you think the Heart-Eating Gu is as easy as cabbage? A mother Gu can only control one offspring Gu. Where would I get extra Gu worms for him? Besides, does someone like him deserve to waste my Gu worms?"

Lin Xuan really wanted to ask why he had chosen him out of so many people in the Jingbian Division, but he swallowed the words back down.

Since things have come to this point, it's better to avoid trouble.

The man in black robes looked at him and spoke again: "If you do your job diligently, one day I will take back the Gu worms from your body..."

Lin Xuan sighed inwardly, wondering when this grand promise would ever come true, but outwardly he could only clasp his hands in thanks and say, "Thank you, sir."

All he really wanted was a stable job, but he was powerless to change his circumstances...

The next morning.

Before going to Jingbian Division, Lin Xuan first instructed A Luo not to go out to sell pastries today.

He had originally intended to use his position as a flag officer of the Jingbian Division to deter those who coveted A'Luo, but he never expected to run into Huang Yue.

What he never expected was that a new commander named Shen would suddenly be parachuted in from above, and that Huang Yue would decisively betray Commander Wu and become Commander Shen's confidant.

What was originally a problem that could be solved with money is now more than just a matter of money.

Huang Yue is a narrow-minded and vindictive man. He can't do anything about Lin Xuan, who is also a banner officer, so he might make things difficult for A Luo.

A'Luo nodded obediently and said, "I understand..."

Lin Xuan noticed the fleeting look of worry on her face and asked, "What's wrong? Have you encountered any difficulties?"

A'Luo lowered her head and said shyly, "I... I don't have any other skills. I can only make some pastries to sell and supplement my family's income. If I don't go out to set up a stall..."

Lin Xuan took the money pouch from his waist, poured out all the loose silver inside, and said, "Take these and spend them first. We'll talk about it if you need more."

A'Luo waved her hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, how can I spend your money..."

Lin Xuan grabbed her wrist, stuffed the loose silver into her hand, and said, "Speaking of which, it's my fault that you can't go out to set up your stall. Just take it, and you can pay me back when you've made some money..."

Before A Luo could refuse, he released her wrist and waved goodbye.

A Luo stood at the door, watching his departing figure, then looked at the broken silver in her hand, a slight smile curving her lips.

Then, the smile on her face gradually disappeared, and she whispered, "Being too sentimental is a major taboo for spies..."

(End of this chapter)