Chapter 1512: Even If I Give Them No Face, They Still Have to Take It!

Of course, the two brothers themselves had lived up to expectations. Otherwise, neither Meng Shanming nor Lan Ruoting could have forced support upon men who were incapable.

Several retainer cultivators on either side urged their horses forward and took positions around Luo Da'an, watching the Xiaoyue Pavilion party ahead with vigilance.

Seated upright in the saddle, Luo Da'an swept his gaze across Lu Yuan and the others, then suddenly called out in a resonant voice, "Luo Da'an is here. Which one of you is Sect Leader Lu?"

Lu Yuan immediately stepped forward and cupped his hands with a hearty laugh. "Lu Yuan of Xiaoyue Pavilion."

Luo Da'an tossed his spear to someone beside him, swung down from his horse, and strode forward. He cupped his fists. "Greetings, Sect Leader Lu."

"General Luo is too courteous. Young and accomplished as you are, I've long heard your great name!" Lu Yuan greeted him warmly, then turned and introduced the elders behind him one by one. After all, they might be dealing with Luo Da'an regularly in the future.

Luo Da'an politely greeted each of them, and the elders were courteous in return. At least none put on airs.

Ordinarily, Xiaoyue Pavilion might not have thought much of someone at Luo Da'an's level. But now they were dependent on another's hospitality and had not even established a foothold yet. They had enough self-awareness to know better.

Besides, this young general's background truly was extraordinary. Within Nanzhou, he was unquestionably one of Shang Chaozong's trusted men, and he was Meng Shanming's disciple besides.

Nothing else need be said. The fact that the personal troops accompanying him were actually Shang Chaozong's Yingyang and Wulie Guards said enough.

Neither Lu Yuan nor any of the elders dared slight Luo Da'an because of his youth. Whatever thoughts they might harbor would have to wait until they had firmly established themselves.

Lu Yuan also went over to greet the important Zijin Cave cultivators accompanying the army. Calling it paying his respects would not have been an exaggeration; after all, Xiaoyue Pavilion would soon have to establish itself within Zijin Cave's sphere of influence.

After the two sides had met, they walked into town together while chatting. Troops and army cultivators rushed in on either side, taking control of the residence prepared for Luo Da'an before he entered.

The little town now felt almost overcrowded.

Once Luo Da'an and the others reached their quarters, the entire residence had already been inspected again from top to bottom.

After the principal figures from both sides were seated in the main hall and exchanged a few more courtesies, Luo Da'an suddenly said, "Sect Leader Lu, I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany Xiaoyue Pavilion to Lushan and the other prefectures this time."

The members of Xiaoyue Pavilion were startled. Lu Yuan asked suspiciously, "Didn't His Highness say you would accompany us and oversee the arrangements? Has someone else been assigned?"

Luo Da'an waved a hand. "Sect Leader Lu misunderstands. I was supposed to go with you, but on the road I suddenly received an urgent report from Baizhou. Some soldiers there have disobeyed His Highness's administrative orders and lined their own pockets, causing trouble. I have to go deal with it personally. I may have to execute a group of them as a warning! This tendency cannot be allowed to grow. If everyone starts defying His Highness's orders, I won't be able to answer to him. The matter is urgent. I can remain here for at most another six hours. Once the troops following behind arrive, I have to set out again."

"Oh." Lu Yuan hesitated. "Then there won't be any change concerning Xiaoyue Pavilion's move into the four prefectures, Lushan among them, will there?"

Luo Da'an waved his hand again. "Sect Leader Lu is overthinking it. Nothing will change with the transfer of the four prefectures. Everything will proceed according to the original plan. Two hundred thousand new troops will arrive shortly. Once they rendezvous with Xiaoyue Pavilion here, Xiaoyue Pavilion can take charge of supervising them and lead them to the four prefectures to be stationed there." He turned and gestured. His deputy immediately produced a command arrow and presented it to Lu Yuan with both hands.

Lu Yuan took it, not quite understanding.

Luo Da'an explained, "This command arrow carries my authority over the army. Once the new troops arrive, Sect Leader Lu may use it to issue orders. Anyone who refuses to obey may be executed first and reported afterward. By rights, nothing like that should happen. I have my own people among those two hundred thousand new troops and gave them instructions in advance. They should obey and cooperate with Xiaoyue Pavilion."

"Sect Leader Lu, the matter in Baizhou cannot be delayed. I must hurry there, so I'm afraid we'll have to complete the handover here in some haste. Once I've dealt with Baizhou, I'll visit Sect Leader Lu in the four prefectures. If there's anything else we need to coordinate at that point, we can discuss it face-to-face. If I've shown any lack of hospitality today, I ask Sect Leader Lu to forgive me."

"Not at all!" Lu Yuan waved a hand. He gripped the command arrow tightly, his expression solemn. "Military affairs come first. The general's military affairs cannot be delayed. If something important were held up because of us, we would have no face to meet His Highness."

All he cared about was the handover. So long as there was no problem with that, nothing else mattered to him.

"Thank you for your understanding, Sect Leader Lu." Luo Da'an cupped his hands, then added with a faint smile, "Sect Leader Lu, I received a message from His Highness saying Xiaoyue Pavilion had something to hand over to me during the transfer. His Highness ordered me to send it back to Nanzhou, and I don't dare delay. Did Sect Leader Lu bring it?"

The members of Xiaoyue Pavilion exchanged glances. Lu Yuan forced a smile, slipped a hand into his sleeve, and took out a bronze mirror. Someone stepped forward to receive it and presented it to Luo Da'an with both hands.

Luo Da'an turned it over in his hands and examined it. "This little thing?"

Lu Yuan smiled bitterly. "That's right. It doesn't look like much, but this is the thing."

Obvious reluctance showed in the eyes of Xiaoyue Pavilion's people. This was the Shang Mirror, the very foundation on which the State of Qin had been founded!

Back when Yucang was alive, how great a price had the whole of Xiaoyue Pavilion paid to obtain it? None of them had expected that one day they would simply hand it over for nothing. It would be false to say they did not feel the loss.

But Qin was finished. Completely finished.

One of the terms negotiated with Shang Chaozong had been the surrender of the Shang Mirror. Xiaoyue Pavilion could hardly refuse. What would it mean if they entered the Shang faction's territory carrying an artifact that qualified them to found a state? Shang Chaozong demanding it was not difficult to understand.

Sometimes one had to understand the times. Acquiring real strength mattered most. Without strength, possessing such a treasure was little different from not possessing it at all.

Once they had strength again, it would not be too late to scheme for more.

Besides, the winds beneath Heaven had already changed. The Nine Saints seemed unable to hold on. Whether their rules would even survive was uncertain. In the future, founding a state might no longer require the so-called Eight State-Protecting Divine Artifacts at all. Building sufficient strength of one's own was the true foundation.

In the end, Xiaoyue Pavilion's leadership had agreed: hand it over.

Once both sides had finished saying what needed to be said, Lu Yuan stopped disturbing him. He had matters of his own to handle, so he invited Luo Da'an to rest and took his leave.

Luo Da'an wanted to see him out. Lu Yuan politely declined, but Luo Da'an still escorted him to the main gate. Before they parted, Luo Da'an reminded him, "Those two hundred thousand new troops have traveled a long way and will be quite exhausted when they arrive. Sect Leader Lu would do best to let them rest here for a day before setting out."

Lu Yuan smiled. "The general is right. We'll let them rest for a day before moving on."

After watching the members of Xiaoyue Pavilion leave, Luo Da'an turned and went back inside, returning to the main hall.

The Hundred-Man Commander who had arrived in advance hurried in after him. Luo Da'an turned in the hall and fixed him with a grave stare. "Everything ready?"

The Hundred-Man Commander cupped his hands. "Everything has long been prepared. We're only waiting for the general's order."

Luo Da'an nodded and waved him away. Once the man withdrew, he turned to his deputy. "Where are the troops?"

The deputy replied, "At most another four hours. They should be here by then."

Luo Da'an grunted. "We must act before dark. Otherwise visibility will be poor and people may slip through the net!"

The deputy said, "Barring an accident, it will certainly be over before nightfall. General, I just heard a report from below. The Emperor and Empress Dowager of Qin came as well. They're here in town. General, when Marshal Meng learned that Xiaoyue Pavilion had taken those two away from Qi as well, he sent a special letter reminding us that they are old acquaintances of Maolu Villa. The emperor was even Master Dao's student before his death. If possible, he asked us to avoid harming them and bring them back so Maolu Villa can decide what to do with them."

"But given the situation before us, once we attack, I'm afraid there'll be no way to guarantee they won't be injured by mistake. No one can promise that."

Luo Da'an's expression remained calm. "Since they're here, that makes things easy. Ask for them directly and take them away."

"Uh..." The deputy stared at him, then hesitated. "General, is that appropriate? If we simply take them away, won't that alert the snake by striking the grass and arouse suspicion?"

Luo Da'an glanced sideways at him. "You're thinking too much. After Yucang died, they're nothing but three-surname curs who call whoever gives them milk 'mother'—a pack of homeless dogs. If I give them face, they have to take it. If I give them no face, they still have to take that too!"

He had nothing but contempt for men who had first been Qin's people, then defected to Jin, and now defected here. His own father, after all, had chosen death over disloyalty.

He turned and said, "I don't have time to grind away at them. Go ask for the two of them now. Tell them I want to see them. Xiaoyue Pavilion won't dare stop you."

The deputy immediately accepted the order and went straight to Lu Yuan's quarters to demand the two people.

When the matter involved Zhuang Hong and her son, Lu Yuan could not help asking, "Why does General Luo want to see the two of them?"

The deputy smiled. "The general only said he has something to ask them. I only know to carry out my orders. How would I dare question him? Sect Leader Lu, the general is about to depart. Better not delay him."

Lu Yuan hesitated for a moment, then turned his head and ordered, "Invite the Empress Dowager and His Majesty."

Someone immediately went to carry out the order.

Mother and son were resting in this very residence, not far away. Before long, Zhuang Hong and Xia Lingpei were brought over.

Lu Yuan told them that Luo Da'an wished to ask them some questions and asked mother and son to cooperate.

The two of them had no say over anything. Whatever Xiaoyue Pavilion decided was what they had to accept, so they could only nod.

"Please." The deputy extended a hand.

Zhuang Hong and Xia Lingpei had just followed him into the courtyard when the deputy saw Xiaoyue Pavilion sending people after them. He immediately let mother and son continue ahead, then stretched out an arm across the others' path. "The general said he only wishes to see the two of them. No unauthorized person beyond this point!"

Mother and son stopped and looked back. Just the two of them? They exchanged a glance, both suddenly anxious.

Lu Yuan immediately stepped down from the stairs and came over. "That isn't appropriate, is it?"

The deputy smiled. "Military orders stand like a mountain. I am only carrying out orders and dare not disobey. I ask Sect Leader Lu not to make things difficult for me. Surely Sect Leader Lu isn't worried the general might harm mother and son? If Sect Leader Lu truly doesn't trust the general, you may send someone to ask him first. I'll wait here."

Lu Yuan hurriedly waved a hand. "That's not what I meant. How could I possibly distrust General Luo..."

"Thank you for your understanding, Sect Leader!" The deputy cupped his hands, cutting off whatever else Lu Yuan might say. He turned and once again gestured for Zhuang Hong and Xia Lingpei to proceed. "You two, please."

Not knowing why they were being taken away, mother and son both showed traces of fear. They looked helplessly toward Lu Yuan.

After a brief silence, Lu Yuan drew a deep breath and gave the two of them a slight nod, telling them to go.

[End of Chapter 1512]