Chapter 22 – Expel
Early the next morning, the Mayor’s Mansion was in hustle and bustle again.
This time, those six hundred guards, who had been on duty the night before, were lining the Square in front of the Mayor’s Mansion and getting their asses beaten. Six hundred naked butts were lining up and getting canned. Blood splashed from the shining white butts and painful screams resounded, seemingly loud enough to reach heaven. It was a truly remarkable view.
Early in the morning, Wu Qi had prepared himself to witness this remarkable show. He had a bowl of porridge in one of his hands, two sweet and delicious pastries in the other, and was squatting right in front of the front door of the General’s Office. When those guards screamed, he drank a mouthful of fragrant ‘Golden Rice’ porridge. When Directors of Records, Internal Affairs, and Security howled, he took a bite of the delicious pastry. What an enjoyable moment.
While Wu Qi was drinking and eating happily, Lu Chengfeng, who had just finished his porridge, walked out from the General’s Office. Some joy came into his eyes at the sight of those shining white butts on the Square, then he lightly kicked one of Wu Qi’s boot with his feet.
“Don’t be so obvious when you’re delighting in others misfortunes. Go back inside and eat, don’t stand here, if they saw you here, they would know that you are enjoying watching their sorrowfulness! This is not good for our image.”
“Yes, yes.” Wu Qi replied and stood up, taking a look again at those hard working City Guards who were canning their own colleagues, trying to memorize the scene. Then he shook his head, breathed out a long sigh, and turned around, going back into General Office.
Lu Cengfeng made a coughing sound suddenly and, with a low voice, asked, “Little Meng City was a peaceful place before we came. But, since we arrived, the Mayor and his siblings have been repeatedly visited by burglars, I heard even their silk underwear was stolen. This is weird, really weird!”
Hiolding the bowl with one handl, Wu Qi turned his head to Lu Chengfeng, and said contemplatively, “Heaven watches us from above. Who are we to question their judgement?”
“Heaven’s judgement?” Lu Chengfeng cupped his chin in his hand, and stared at the sky thoughtfully. After a while, he turned back and looked at Wu Qi, who was strolling back into the General’s Office, then he shook his head. “Could it really have been done by this guy? He stole everything from three storehouses in just one night, that would require an amazing amount of skill! But, it would be nice if really was him. The next time I go back home to pay my respects to the ancestor, I’ll bring him with me!”
Yi Yan and his siblings, four of the highest ranked officers in Little Meng City, were crying their hearts out, crying because they had lost the money they had spent several years squeezing out of the citizens in the city. In an outland like Little Meng City, it took them three years of hard work to save up this wealth, now their harvest had disappeared overnight. How could they accept this cruel fact?
The Mayor’s Mansion was in havoc, therefore, nobody knew or even bothered about the incident where Lu Chengfeng had fired all four of his subordinates in the General’s Office.
Taking advantage of the havoc, Wu Qi brought Zhang Hu into the General’s Office and took his place as Lu Chengfeng’s right-hand man. Those nearly one hundred barbarian hunters had been transformed into the personal guards of the General of Little Meng City. Laohei, who was the new Bursary Officer, unlocked the weapons warehouse and carefully picked out some fine weapons and armors and gave them to Zhang Hu and his men, raising their combat strength by a few levels.
After a few restless hours, noon had come.
Everyone in the Mayor’s Mansion had stormed out in search for the culprit. They searched every single street and alley and caught anyone with unfamiliar faces. The embarrassed and angry Yi Yan and his gang didn’t care what these peoples were here for, as long as they looked suspicious, they would be caught and sent to the jail. In just a single morning, a few hundred unlucky guys had been locked up in jail.
Fear spread quickly through Little Meng City, and people stopped caring what Wu Qi and Lu Chengfeng were up to.
Noon time, on the drill ground west side of Little Meng City, a huge, black flag was whipping in the strong wind. On the flag was a Vermillion Bird with its wings spread. A character ‘吕’ was embossed on the body of this Vermillion Bird with silver threads. This is the national flag of the Lu Kingdom.
More than a dozen of these huge flags surrounded the drill grounds, making loud whipping sounds under the strong wind. A restless atmosphere covered the entire drill ground as over seven thousand City Guards were standing straight, looking nervous and feeling uneasy.
Black clothes and black armor. Even all the weapons were painted in black. This huge pitch black army stood straight and no one dared to make any noises. Besides the whipping sound from those flags, the only sound that could be heard was breathing.
On the east side of the drill ground stood a dirt platform, and a big chair was placed on it. Lu Chengfeng, wearing full armor and having a sword on his waist, was sitting on it with a straight back, examining these few thousand soldiers and officials. His face was dark, and a killing intent filled his eyes.
Zhang Hu and nearly a hundred personal guards of General were standing in a straight line in front of dirt platform, all of them were had baleful looks, gazing viciously at the few thousand City Guards in front of them. With their experience hunting barbarians in the mountain, these barbarian hunters were ferocious hunters, and they had killed people before. Therefore, when they released their killing spirit, these City Guards were suppressed and did not dare to even move a little bit.
Placing his hands on his back, Wu Qi stood beside Lu Chengfeng and stared at these City Guards thoughtfully.
Judging with Wu Wang’s experience, these City Guards had strong and ripped bodies and they were wearing fine armors and using the best weapons. But, they lacked the true spirit of a soldier. These City Guards can’t be considered true soldiers at all.
“With the quality of these troops, if the barbarians come here, they are going to have a tough time!” Wu Qi grinded his teeth and spoke sarcastically.
Lu Chengfeng smacks his lips and humphed. He tilted his head and gazed at Wu Qi, and asked out of curiosity, “Wu Qi, you know how to train an army?”
Wu Qi nodded his head naturally, “If I don’t know how to train an army, then there isn’t anyone in this world that knows how!”
Lu Chengfeng became startled by what he said, and Xiaohei, who was standing on his left, also turned to Wu Qi in awe.
Wu Qi was not aware that, in this world, much of the knowledge was kept in the hands of those wealthy and influential families. The scrolls and books about military strategy and tactics only can be learned by few top families secretly. As an ordinary civilian, he may have learned strong and powerful martial arts, he may be talented, but there was some knowledge that he shouldn’t know at all!
Military strategy was one of the most important aspects of a kingdom. Those who was well versed in the art of military matters were usually top notch Generals of a kingdom. A military official with a poor background, such as Zhang Hu, could only become a General who leads an army and fights in battle. It is impossible to ask him to train an army and apply strategies or tactics during warfare.
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