Take control of Wei Zhongxian at the start and confiscate 100 million from him!

Chapter 292 First Visit to the Southern Countryside

Starting from Nanjing and traversing thousands of miles, Lu Xiang-sheng's army finally arrived outside the city of Guangzhou.

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, baking the land of southern Guangdong like a giant steamer.

On the official road, a solemn and imposing army was slowly advancing, completely out of place with the languid and leisurely atmosphere around them.

At the forefront were two thousand elite cavalrymen from Xuanda Town. However, these warhorses, accustomed to the wind and snow of the north, were clearly not adapted to the scorching heat of Lingnan. They snorted impatiently from time to time, and their hooves made dull sounds on the sun-baked dirt road.

Following closely behind were two thousand elite soldiers from the Beijing garrison, their armor gleaming and their spears and halberds like a forest.

The procession of thousands of people proceeded without a sound, their strict military discipline inspiring awe.

This massive army, like a hardened northern blade, was suddenly thrust into the gentle, soft landscape of the south.

Along both sides of the road, you can see large banana groves and towering banyan trees everywhere.

Under the shade of the trees, small groups of local people, dressed in light linen shirts and barefoot, fanned themselves with palm-leaf fans and observed this army, which was unlike any they had ever seen before.

They whispered among themselves, speaking in a dialect that Lu Xiang-sheng couldn't understand at all. Their tone was melodious and varied, making it sound less like they were discussing important military and national affairs and more like they were discussing an ordinary business deal.

Lu Xiang-sheng sat atop his magnificent warhorse, his gaze sweeping over the ranks and landing on the blurry outline of the city in the distance.

He frowned slightly, a strange feeling welling up inside him.

His first impression of Guangdong was that it was "relaxed".

Unlike the northern regions where government authority penetrates deep into the countryside and the people follow the rules, this place seems to be filled with a sense of freedom and laxity, as if the emperor is far away.

There were no laborers on the official road, and few farmers in the fields. Instead, there were more groups of merchants and onlookers.

What made him even more uncomfortable was the invisible xenophobia.

……

Inside the Guangdong Provincial Administration Office, a grand welcoming banquet is being held.

The Guangdong Provincial Administration Commissioner Qian Shisheng, the Provincial Judicial Commissioner Du Yingfang, and the Military Commander Yu Anxing, along with Guangzhou Prefect Li Fengjie and other high-ranking officials and local dignitaries, were all present.

The sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, and dishes were served in a continuous stream, each one a delicacy from land and sea, displaying extreme extravagance.

The officials were all beaming with joy, and their words to Lu Xiang-sheng, who was seated at the head of the table, were extremely respectful.

"Lord Lu is a prodigy who has achieved high academic and military success at a young age. Now, he has won the Emperor's favor and is personally leading the imperial troops to inspect the southern Guangdong region. This is truly a blessing for the officials and people of Guangdong!" Governor Qian Shisheng raised his wine cup and took the lead in offering a toast. His words were impeccable.

Lu Xiang-sheng's face remained ashen; he merely nodded slightly, raised his glass in acknowledgment, and said nothing more.

He disliked such occasions, and even more so, he disliked these flamboyant civil officials.

After a few rounds of drinks, they gradually started talking.

“Alas, Lord Lu, you are unaware of this,” said Du Yingfang, the Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, with a face full of worry. “Guangdong is located on the coast, and its people have always been known for their fierce and unruly nature. In addition, there are many clans that are deeply intertwined and entrenched. Many of the imperial decrees are really difficult to implement when they reach the local level!”

Commander Yu Anxing, being a military officer, spoke much more bluntly: "As the commander of the Guangdong Provincial Military Command, I have firsthand experience! The garrisons here are corrupt, with most soldiers being sons of various clans. They are called government troops, but in reality, they are just household servants. They make excuses when asked to train, but when there is a clan feud, they are all full of energy and fearless! The orders of the court are far less effective than a word from a clan elder."

“That’s exactly right,” the Guangzhou uniformed official quickly echoed. “Therefore, when we are officials in Guangdong, we always prioritize harmony. You should know that the stability of Guangdong depends entirely on the strong support of the major clans and local gentry. As the saying goes, only by adapting to local conditions can we achieve good governance and harmony among the people.”

Each phrase, "This place is not easy," and each cry, "Clan matters," sounded to Lu Xiang-sheng nothing less than an open declaration—the rules here are set by us!

Lu Xiang-sheng remained calm, simply picking up a piece of food with his chopsticks and chewing slowly.

He recalled the young emperor's secret words to him in the Wenhua Hall before his departure: "Jiandou, the trouble in Guangdong is not the barbarians or the pirates, but the officials, gentry and common people who have long since formed their own country. Your trip is ostensibly an inspection tour, but in reality, it is a painful ordeal."

At the time, he did not understand its profound meaning, but now he understands it quite well.

During the meal, a small incident made him deeply ingrained this insight into his very being.

An assistant official from the Provincial Administration Commission stepped forward and whispered a few words in Qian Shisheng's ear.

Upon hearing this, Qian Shisheng frowned slightly, then relaxed, and waved to the official, signaling him to leave.

Turning his head, Qian Shisheng smiled at Lu Xiangsheng as if he were telling a common anecdote: "Lord Lu, you flatter me. It's just a dispute between two villages in Panyu County over the ownership of a piece of mulberry field. Alas, such trivial matters happen every year. Fortunately, the elders of the Huang and Liang clans in the area have mediated the matter, and it should be resolved soon."

After saying that, he raised his glass again to urge the matter on, as if there was no need to pay attention to it anymore.

Lu Xiang-sheng's hand, holding the wine glass, tightened slightly inside his sleeve.

A land dispute can be "settled" simply by having the "elders" of the two families intervene, without regard to national laws or government offices.
The provincial governor, Qian Shisheng, not only seemed accustomed to this, but even expressed some approval in his words.

How ridiculous!

How bold!

This is no longer the government office of the Ming Dynasty; it's clearly a clan's accountant! The power of the government has been completely hollowed out!

Lu Xiang-sheng felt a chill rise up his spine. The severity of the emperor's words about "localization of officials and gentry" far exceeded his imagination.

He slowly drank the wine in his glass. The wine was spicy, but it was far less intense than the fire burning in his heart.

……

The banquet ended unhappily.

The next day, Lu Xiang-sheng ordered his soldiers to set up camp, while he himself, along with a group of personal guards, changed into civilian clothes and planned to personally see the everyday life of Guangzhou.

The captain of the personal guards was named Zhou Chaoxian. He was a man who had fought alongside him all the way. He was upright and could not stand bullying.

The group arrived at a bustling market. Zhou Chaoxian saw a stall selling herbal tea by the roadside and went up to buy a few bowls for Lu Xiangsheng and his brothers to quench their thirst.

Unexpectedly, as he handed over the copper coins, he bumped into a young man dressed in fine clothes with an arrogant expression. The young man was followed by seven or eight strong servants, who immediately surrounded Zhou Chaoxian upon seeing this.

"Where did this northern barbarian come from! Can't you watch where you're going? You've ruined our young master Chen's new clothes, can you afford to pay for them?" A burly servant pointed at Zhou Chaoxian's nose and shouted angrily.

Zhou Chaoxian had killed countless people in the border towns, how could he have ever suffered such humiliation?

His eyes widened, and his voice boomed: "I am a soldier of the current dynasty! It was merely an unintentional mistake. How dare you be so arrogant?"

"Sergeant? Hahahaha!" Young Master Chen waved his folding fan as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "In Guangzhou, even the Heavenly King himself has to follow the rules of the Chen family! Who do you think you are? Beat him up!"

Before he finished speaking, several strong servants rushed forward, brandishing their fists and feet.

How could Zhou Chaoxian's ten personal guards be easily dealt with?

They were all elite warriors who had survived countless battles, and they immediately drew their short blades from their waists to protect the surrounding area.

Just as the two sides were about to fight, they suddenly heard a series of urgent whistles coming from the streets and alleys.

In a short while, hundreds of men came from all directions, carrying sticks, carrying poles, and some even carrying hoes.

They quickly surrounded Lu Xiang-sheng and his group, their faces contorted with rage, shouting insults in their dialect. Their arrogance was so overwhelming that it seemed they wanted to devour these dozen or so northerners alive.

These people were dressed in different ways, including merchants, laborers, and idlers, but they all wore the same red cloth strip around their necks.

The surrounding shops closed one after another, and pedestrians on the street avoided it like the plague.

Soon, several constables who had rushed to the scene appeared outside the crowd, but they merely stood at a distance, holding fire and water sticks, their faces full of embarrassment. Far from daring to step forward and suppress them, they instead smiled obsequiously and called out to Young Master Chen inside:
"Young Master Chen, Young Master Chen! Harmony brings wealth, harmony brings wealth! These are merchants from the north who are unfamiliar with the rules. Please be magnanimous and have them apologize. Let's just let this matter go, how about that?"

Zhou Chaoxian was so angry that his hair stood on end. He was about to give the order to take action when Lu Xiangshan raised his hand to stop him.

Lu Xiang-sheng's face was eerily calm. His gaze slowly swept over the fanatical and ignorant faces, over the smug Young Master Chen, and finally landed on the helpless constables.

He silently recited a quote once spoken by the emperor: "It is called a clan, but in reality it is a state within a state, the source of evil."

Today, he witnessed firsthand the fangs of this "country within a country".

Lu Xiang-sheng did not have an attack.

A cold killing intent flashed in his eyes, but he quickly suppressed it.

He has more important things to do in Guangdong; he can settle the score with these clowns later.

If he were to go on a killing spree in the streets now, it would certainly be exhilarating, but it would also disrupt the emperor's "investigate first, then act" strategy.

Moreover, he knew that the emperor had already ordered the governor of Guangxi to recruit 6,000 Guangxi wolf soldiers who were on their way; and that the 4,000 new recruits he had recruited along the way to Guangdong were also on their way to assemble.

The true power of thunder has not yet been fully gathered in his hands.

In an instant, the emperor's domineering words before his departure echoed once more in Lu Xiang-sheng's mind:

"Jiandou, go ahead and do it in Guangdong! Don't be afraid of making too much noise. If anything goes wrong, I'll take responsibility! At worst, Qin Liangyu and I will go to Guangdong too!"

These words were Lu Xiang-sheng's greatest source of confidence!

Thinking of this, he smiled. Let's wait and see, let these frogs in the well be smug for a while longer.

He winked at Zhou Chaoxian, who understood immediately, took out a small whistling arrow from his pocket, and blew it sharply.

A sharp, high-pitched whistle pierced the sky!

Immediately afterwards, an even more powerful and resounding bugle call responded from not far away.

As the horn sounded, the earth began to tremble slightly.

The arrogant expressions on the faces of the onlookers instantly froze, for it was the sound of a large cavalry charge!
In just over ten breaths, a patrol team of fifty Xuanda Iron Cavalrymen swept to the street corner like a whirlwind.

The lead knight suddenly reined in his warhorse, which reared up and let out a loud neigh!

Fifty knights simultaneously removed their bows from their backs, holding them still, the cold arrowheads pointing towards the crowd.

The chilling killing intent emanating from the mountains of corpses and seas of blood instantly enveloped the entire street.

The hundred or so members of the Chen clan who had been shouting just moments before were now silent as cicadas in fear. The sticks in their hands seemed to weigh a ton, and each of them was pale and weak in the knees.

The young master Chen was so frightened that he fell to the ground, dropping his folding fan.

The constables' legs trembled so badly they almost knelt down.

Lu Xiang-sheng didn't look at them again, but simply said, "Let's go."

He turned and left, Zhou Chaoxian followed.

The cavalry remained stationary like statues until Lu Xiang-sheng and his party disappeared around the street corner. Only then did they put away their bows and arrows, turn their horses around, and retreat like the tide.

Back at the temporary headquarters, Zhou Chaoxian was still indignant: "Sir! Why did we tolerate this? These lawless bastards deserve to be taught a lesson!"

Du Yinxi, Lu Xiang-sheng's advisor and also the emperor's personal confidant who had come with Lu Xiang-sheng, also looked worried: "Your Excellency, given the local customs, we are afraid that every step we take will be difficult."

Lu Xiang-sheng sat in the main seat, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

"Endure?" He sneered. "My learning and actions have nothing to do with 'endurance'! Besides, His Majesty does not allow me to endure!"

His tone grew increasingly sinister: "However, one must eat one bite at a time, and walk one step at a time. Let the Chen clan remember this humiliation for now. After we have finished the important matters entrusted to us by the Emperor, and once the entire army has arrived, we will settle this score with them in detail!"

(End of this chapter)