L.F-Hist.Novelist Chapter 34 The Great Operation!
Chapter 34 The Great Operation!
Lu Huan nodded: "That's true, we always have to maintain good relationships."
He then asked, "I agree with Commander Lu's suggestion. Do you think he should be promoted?"
The commander of the Southern Garrison Command was respectful, but firmly refused, saying, "Absolutely not!"
"The promotion of a Jinyiwei officer to a centurion must adhere to ironclad rules! These rules cannot be changed by the Commander-in-Chief; only the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty can make exceptions!"
Even though he was firmly rejected, Lu Huan, as the commander, was not angry.
He was used to it long ago.
The commander of the Southern Garrison Command was surnamed Luo and came from the Luo family, a prominent family of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. His family had been part of the Embroidered Uniform Guard since the founding of the Hongwu Emperor's reign, and had never been interrupted for 500 years.
Even after the Lu family rose to power, the Luo family still maintained real control over the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
In other words, the checks and balances between the Luo and Lu families were an important tool for the Ming emperors to maintain a balance of power in the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
If the commander of the governor's office is from the Lu family, then the commander of the Southern Garrison must be from the Luo family.
Occasionally, when the Lu family lacks talent, the Luo family will prioritize filling the vacancies as commanders.
In the three hundred years following the rise of the Lu family, members of the Luo family held the seal of the Commander-in-Chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard three times, making them the second most powerful family in the Embroidered Uniform Guard after the Lu family.
Besides the two powerful families of Lu and Luo, the Embroidered Uniform Guard also had three other mid-sized families: Mao, Zhang, and Xu, forming a wider range of checks and balances.
Only through such repeated checks and balances could the emperor trust the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which had expanded fivefold in size, possessed independent military power, and had four major garrison divisions, and only then could he sleep soundly at night.
Faced with the open opposition of Commander Luo of the Southern Garrison, Commander Lu Huan was helpless.
He could only ask Lu Linglong in return, "You see, promoting him is definitely out of the question. Do you have any suitable suggestions?"
Lu Linglong smiled and said, "Then I'll reward him with a pill."
Lu Huan stared in disbelief: "You, you little brat, you've got your eye on my medicine!"
Lu Linglong chuckled and said, "Our family won't have the chance to awaken a supernatural being for the next few years, so why don't we let my niece refine that medicine into a pill and win over a subordinate?"
"He's not just good at making guns, he's also a superhuman with exceptional marksmanship."
"This is exactly the kind of subordinate my niece needs most."
Lu Huan had no choice but to reluctantly agree.
The Lu family's wealth and prosperity lasted for three hundred years thanks to a well-established and effective family succession system.
On the day Lu Bing passed away peacefully, Emperor Shizu of the Ming Dynasty personally offered his condolences and designated Lu Bing's six adult grandsons as the Sixth Branch of the Lu Clan of Pinghu.
The Emperor decreed: "The strongest of the six sects is led by the Lu clan patriarch, who will inherit the title of Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
"The Lu clan chief has the responsibility to protect the entire clan. If any branch of the clan becomes extinct, the clan chief will be immediately dismissed and released. The branch will be split into six, and the branches will be used to support the other five branches, thus continuing the Lu clan's six-branch system."
Lu Linglong was the fifth branch of the Pinghu Lu clan, and the last direct descendant.
If she were to suddenly fall ill and die, Lu Huan, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, would immediately lose his post, and his family would be divided into six parts, leading to their complete downfall.
Therefore, Lu Huan treated Lu Linglong extremely well, wishing he could hold her in his mouth and protect her with utmost care, fearing that something might happen to this girl.
If possible, he would even be willing to give up half of his guards.
Unfortunately, he had to avoid suspicion.
Lu Linglong wanted to gather her subordinates and increase the strength of the Fifth Sect without threatening his power, so Lu Huan would certainly not be reluctant to part with a mere set of medicinal herbs.
In any case, he and his two sons, who had awakened as extraordinary beings, had all taken the Spirit Nourishing Pill.
As Lu Linglong said, his grandson is still slowly building his foundation and it is unlikely that he will attempt to awaken his extraordinary abilities within a few years.
So the medicine was sent to Baiyun Temple, where it was refined into a Spirit Nourishing Pill in the alchemy furnace, and then delivered to Chang Yuan through the hands of Assistant Commissioner Lu.
Chang Yuan didn't know who had labeled him, but he knew that the other party's concealment was to protect him.
Gaining the favor of a powerful figure within the system is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Receiving a Spirit Nourishing Pill as a reward in the Ming Dynasty was proof of one's meteoric rise in rank.
If this news gets out, the entire garrison will feel envy and jealousy towards me, which will quickly turn into hatred!
The hatred of not getting what one deserves, the hatred of not awakening, will ultimately all boil down to one sentence: Why did Chang Yuan take my opportunity?!
Even the lord who currently appreciates him will unconsciously change his mindset:
You little brat, why do you think you eat better than me?
By then, he would be surrounded by enemies, and there would be no chance for him to stay in the garrison.
In the Jinyiwei, a secret police and violent organization, if you can't survive, you won't just be ostracized in the officialdom, but you will be tacitly killed by everyone and eliminated completely.
Only then will everyone feel at ease.
This important figure not only gave Chang Yuan the Spirit Nourishing Pill and promised him a bright future, but also showed him such consideration.
What can Chang Yuan say?
I would gladly die for you, Yulong!
(Ahem, don't get the wrong idea!)
After leaving the office, Chang Yuan quickly walked out of the Qianhu Building and into the square in front of it.
When Gao Su saw Chang Yuan, he cast a concerned glance at him, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
Chang Yuan shook his head slightly, indicating that he could not say.
Gao Su lowered his eyelids after seeing this.
Chang Yuan took two quick steps and stood beside him, also lowering his eyelids.
His gaze was fixed on the tip of his nose, which was pointing towards his heart—the so-called "eyes looking at the nose, nose looking at the heart"—and he quickly stabilized his emotions by using the suggestion created by this posture.
The same applies to the three thousand Imperial Guards of the Thousand Households.
Everyone was calm and solemn, almost as one.
Lord Qianhu appeared on the viewing platform of the Qianhu Building, with Vice Commissioner Lu of the Southern Garrison Command beside him.
The position of Assistant Commissioner was higher, but at this time he was deliberately left half a step behind, in order to highlight the authority of the local commander and make it easier for the commander to issue orders.
The ten centurions of the thousand-household office also appeared, standing behind the thousand-household commander.
The five centurions on the left are wearing iron masks. They are responsible for infiltration and espionage, and their identities and appearances must be kept secret at all times.
The thousand households inquired with each hundred households one by one, and nodded in satisfaction after receiving their responses.
He then bowed to the Vice Commissioner to show his respect before turning to face the three thousand elite Imperial Guards.
"The tasks have all been assigned to each team, and everyone knows what they're supposed to do, right?"
"yes!!"
The commander took a deep breath, composed himself, and then roared, "That vile cult is ganging up on us! They're planning something big in Zhangde Prefecture, Henan Province!"
"They want to turn tens of millions of people, officials, and soldiers over hundreds of miles into nourishment for the evil god!"
"This includes our Dongzhenfu Division's Thousand-Household Office, every one of us, and our families!"
"Can we allow this to happen?"
"No! No! No!!"
The roar of three thousand people shook heaven and earth, like the red lotus fire that burned away all evil.
The commander, his face contorted with rage, roared, "Our spies have found those filthy scum! I order you to strike and slaughter them all! Protect the people of the Ming Dynasty, and safeguard our families!"
Three thousand Imperial Guards, their blood boiling, shouted, "Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"
The commander said, "This operation was personally ordered by the Commander-in-Chief, and even His Majesty the Emperor is waiting for our battle report in the Qianqing Palace."
"Anyone who dares to obstruct our actions, even if they are a prince, governor, or viceroy... will be executed without mercy!!"
The morale of the Imperial Guards reached its peak; everyone raised their weapons and roared, "Kill! Kill! Kill!!"
Seeing that morale was high, the commander waved his hand in satisfaction and ordered, "Move out!!"