Chapter 23: Guessing the Intent

"Zhao Hu, you are but a minor commander of Xiyun County. What gives you the audacity to presume you are better than the commander of the Provincial Capital? Today, I shall charge you with the crime of insubordination."

"Archers! Fire at once!"

Fang Han shouted and blustered, further cementing his reputation as an incompetent fool.

The surrounding officials, seeing that Fang Han was genuinely intent on carrying out his threat, pleaded, "My Lord, please calm your anger. I beg you, restrain yourself!"

"Are you all trying to defy me? With this man here, what authority does my City Defense Battalion have left?"

Su Zihuan braced himself and advised, "My Lord, Commander Zhao was sent by the Xiyun Inspector and is someone who supports your decrees. If you have him executed, I fear it will earn you a reputation for being jealous of talent."

"Indeed, My Lord. If General Fang Li were here, he might even promote this man."

At the mention of Fang Li, Fang Han’s fury flared instantly.

"Are you saying I am inferior to that Fang Li?"

Just then, some of the laborers began to whisper among themselves.

"This new Protector is truly pathetic. I’m embarrassed for him."

"Can a man like that really be the one who came up with the 'distribution according to labor' system?"

"If you ask me, it must have been Lord Su who proposed it. Lord Su has studied the classics and seeks to benefit the people; he is a truly good official."

"No wonder. I was wondering how a mere greenhorn could possibly know how to govern a state."

"So jealous of talent—no wonder he was envious of General Fang and got himself demoted to the Southern Border."

"It is only the little Princess who suffers, alas."

"What do you know? Rumor has it the little Princess carries a curse. I suspect the Imperial Court intentionally demoted them both to the Southern Border."

These rumors spread rapidly among the laborers. Soon, Fang Han and Lin Qingwei were painted as a pair of useless, incompetent fools cast out to the Southern Border.

This chatter, of course, had been secretly orchestrated by Fang Han.

With the busy farming season now over, he would inevitably have to deal with various bandit factions and warlords. He had no idea what the Imperial Court’s true intentions were in sending a Protector here, and he knew these factions would soon test the Protector's Mansion. Furthermore, his series of policies and advanced farming techniques were helping the Southern Border recover its productivity. Should a mastermind among the bandits realize his true ambitions, it would create significant obstacles for his development.

By muddying the waters, he made the Southern Border believe he was nothing more than an incompetent, hot-headed fool. By leaking the secret that Lin Qingwei was cursed, he fostered the idea that the Imperial Court had abandoned the region. If the Provincial Capital was perceived as a collection of wine-soaked, rice-bag buffoons, these factions would shift their focus away from the capital and toward Xiyun County instead.

After all, the bandits in Xiyun County had been granted the title of Provincial Inspector, allowing them to expand their power openly.

Zhao Hu raised his head and said with a cold tone, "If this is the extent of your magnanimity, My Lord, then I have nothing more to say. By all means, give the order to fire."

Fang Han’s face turned livid at these words. Su Zihuan whispered from the side, "My Lord, you could secretly win Commander Zhao over to your side. That way, you would not only strengthen the capital's forces but also earn a reputation for virtue."

Fang Han’s lips curled, a secret joy rising in his heart. This was exactly what he had been waiting for. He looked at Zhao Hu, his brow relaxing as he forced a smile.

"Hahahaha! Commander Zhao is a man of great talent; how could I ever wish to harm you? Why not serve our Provincial Capital instead? I appoint you as the Great General for the Pacification of the South; you shall join me in wiping out the Southern Barbarians."

Su Zihuan let out a long sigh. *I told you to win him over in private, not in front of everyone!* With such poor judgment, how could he handle major affairs? No wonder he was inferior to Fang Li.

Among the laborers, voices rose again.

"So, the Protector was merely testing Commander Zhao. As expected of the Protector."

"I knew it! The Protector must be a wise man."

"With the Protector here, why should we worry about the Southern Border not flourishing?"

Zhao Hu, however, remained displeased. He was a commander of Xiyun County; though his official rank was low, Xiyun was filled with formidable experts. The Provincial Capital might appear prestigious, but it was merely a den of fools. Who would eventually hold the reins of the Southern Border remained to be seen.

"I thank you for your kindness, My Lord, but I am already serving the Southern Border well in Xiyun County."

Zhao Hu departed, immediately dispatching men to report the day's events back to Xiyun.

...

At the Xiyun County Magistrate's office, a servant handed the appointment letter from the capital to the Magistrate.

"My Lord, this has arrived from the Provincial Capital. It says it appoints you as an Inspector, overseeing the administration of the five surrounding counties."

"An Inspector? Managing five counties? Bring it here. Let me see what kind of medicine they have hidden in their gourd."

The servant presented the envelope, which contained the appointment letter and a simple Inspector’s token. The Magistrate could not fathom their intent.

"Summon everyone to discuss this."

Soon, the officials of Xiyun County gathered and, at the Magistrate's command, passed the letter among themselves.

"What do you make of this, gentlemen? I suspect a trap."

"My Lord, what a brilliant move of 'borrowing a knife to kill'," one official said.

"We have disguised ourselves as bandits, hunkering down in this small Xiyun County. We watch the movements of the Court; if the Southern Border is ever pacified, we might still have a chance at survival."

The others nodded in agreement; this was something everyone knew. It wasn't just them—such situations were everywhere in the Southern Border. Only those like Su Zihuan, who still harbored illusions about the Imperial Court, would support Fang Han as the Protector.

The official continued, "There are many like us in the Southern Border. Everyone understands the situation without speaking of it, secretly accumulating power while waiting for an opportunity. The Southern Barbarians fear us for this reason and dare not invade at will."

"Now, the Protector has named you Inspector, granting you control over five counties. Once your power grows, you will inevitably control the Provincial Capital and plot to take the Southern Border."

The Magistrate, hearing this, grew excited. "Isn't this a good thing? If that brat Fang Han wants achievements, I shall give them to him. When he eventually leaves, won't this Southern Border Protectorate be mine?"

At this, another official, enlightened by the previous point, stepped forward. "My Lord, you are mistaken. As the saying goes, blessings and curses are intertwined. You may develop openly, but will others give you the chance?"

"What do you mean?" the Magistrate asked hurriedly.

"That brat Fang Han surely intends to use those who are disguised as bandits to eliminate us in Xiyun County! His heart is poisonous; we must be on our guard."

The Magistrate broke into a cold sweat upon hearing this. He could certainly try to develop, but in the current state of the Southern Border, where the population had been decimated, it would take ten or twenty years to return to its former glory. Once other factions saw Xiyun County developing openly, they would inevitably harass them. It was even possible they would all attack at once.

Especially the Southern Barbarian King, who had been eyeing the Southern Border like a tiger. All the major factions understood the principle that if the lips are gone, the teeth are cold; they had a tacit understanding to unite and send troops if the Southern Barbarians attacked.

If Xiyun County followed Fang Han's plan and grew, it would inevitably cause internal strife. When the Southern Barbarian King attacked, there would be no guarantee that others would come to their aid. By then, Fang Han could simply appoint another Inspector, and one by one, they would be picked off by the Southern Barbarian King.