Chapter 289: Female Marshal

In the spacious, lavishly decorated hall, a middle-aged woman in red took a sip of tea and looked up. "So, that means when you arrived, the first thing they asked was if you had eaten," she said. "And you ended up having lunch at his place."

It was afternoon, and sunlight streamed brightly into the courtyard from the skylight. Female soldiers stood guard under the eaves corridor near the hall. The middle-aged woman wasn't particularly beautiful, appearing to be in her late thirties, but she was solidly built and tall. Dressed in a red, battle-robe-like outfit, she exuded an air of heroic prowess. An Xifu, dressed in black, stood at the entrance of the hall, cupped his hands and bowed slightly. "Uh... Reporting to the Marshal... Yes," he said.

"You can just call me Aunt Baihua." This middle-aged woman was Fang Baihua, Fang La's younger sister, currently serving as the Marshal of the Northwest Route Army under Fang La. She was highly skilled in martial arts, originally a Saintess of a Manichaean sect led by Fang La. Having endured successive campaigns, even as a woman, she possessed an undeniable aura of power and killing intent. However, at this moment, a faint smile appeared on her face, revealing a touch of gentleness. She put down her teacup and waved her hand. "I thought you would come at noon and had the kitchen prepare some dishes. Xi... Xixi also had something come up and couldn't make it. What do you think of that person?"

"He is composed, speaks little, but his demeanor and bearing are quite impressive."

"Since Xixi thinks so highly of him, he must be quite good. Did you talk to him about anything?"

"I... asked for his thoughts on the battle situation after the Battle of Huzhou, specifically what he would have done to handle the subsequent developments if he hadn't been wounded to the point of unconsciousness."

"His answer?"

"He didn't answer directly. He only said that battlefield situations change rapidly, and everything that could be done had been done. If the enemy couldn't be completely annihilated at that time, then the only option was to proceed step by step, survive, and return to Huzhou."

Fang Baihua nodded. "That's a rather conventional response. His actions in Huzhou were merely a desperate gamble, a fight to the death with no retreat, forced by circumstances."

She herself was a busy person, handling countless affairs daily. She only asked because the matter concerned the Ba Dao Camp. Having said that, she didn't pursue it further. "I'm going to see the Sacred Duke later. You were overseeing the battle in Huzhou and haven't been back since. I saw that the promotion list only gave you the rank of deputy general. I plan to promote you several ranks. What do you think?"

"Thank you for your concern, Aunt Baihua," An Xifu replied. "Xifu only commands three hundred Black Plume Guards; his official rank makes no difference."

"The Black Plume Guards enforce military law and are elite troops," Fang Baihua explained. "You are also one of my subordinates, so a higher official rank is logical and reasonable, especially since Hangzhou has been particularly eventful lately. With your Black Plume Guards back, I plan to have the Sacred Duke entrust you with the position of Hangzhou Inspector. A higher official rank is necessary to properly manage people and ensure legitimacy."

An Xifu frowned. "Previously, the Buddha Marshal entrusted the inspection duties to Chen Fan. Chen Fan has done an excellent job; if it were handed to me, I'm afraid..."

Fang Baihua waved her hand. "Chen Fan gets things done and can manage the overall situation, but he's too unconstrained in minor matters, and he's likely to offend many people. Now that the Sacred Duke has declared himself emperor, he should be addressed as 'Your Majesty.' It's not good to let him continue to kill and fight like this in Hangzhou; there should be some decorum."

An Xifu cupped his hands and said, "If Chen Fan hadn't acted this way, Hangzhou would currently be..."

The other person interrupted him. "You are different from Chen Fan. You are also bold in undertaking tasks, but where gentleness is possible, you are always more gentle. In fact, someone already spoke to me about Chen Fan the moment I returned today. Just this noon, Dao Yi also came to see me. Indeed, some of his subordinates have been running rampant and breaking the law, but if Chen Fan is allowed to continue killing and fighting like this, Dao Yi probably won't be able to control them anymore. He has already made considerable concessions on this matter; Chen Fan should give him some face."

As Fang Baihua spoke, she looked at An Xifu's expression and frowned again. "I also know your opinion of Master Bao," she continued. "I know what kind of person he is—he's a bit reckless, fond of beautiful women, and loves wealth. But among us who have killed, rebelled, and established ourselves, who isn't like that? Minor flaws are not surprising. In previous wars, when we entered a city, we didn't sheathe our blades for three days; we took what we could and seized what we wanted. Now that we've declared an emperor, there should be some rules, but these rules need to be implemented gradually."

She then smiled. "I know Chen Fan. He's fiery by nature, appears carefree, but is actually very clever. However... he demands too much and expects too much from people. Currently, you see that he only targets Master Bao's subordinates, showing considerable restraint. But if this continues, in a while, he might truly move against Dao Yi himself. When Seventh Brother returns, we can discuss Dao Yi; his actions show a lack of respect for hierarchy. After much consideration, I believe you still understand discretion best. With this matter settled, you should think about how to manage Hangzhou well."

"...Yes." An Xifu cupped his hands and accepted the order. He himself had some reservations about Bao Dao Yi, but he also knew the deep relationship between Fang Baihua and others with him. Bao Dao Yi was originally a leader of the Manichaean sect, and now he was considered one of the largest factions under Fang La. His subordinates were a motley crew from all walks of life. But in the early days of the Manichaean sect, he had a life-and-death bond with Fang La and Fang Baihua. Although it was widely known that he wasn't a good person, within Fang La's military system, aside from a few individuals like Fang Qifo, no one could truly touch him.

He understood Fang Baihua's intentions. Compared to Chen Fan, he was perhaps more suitable for maintaining order in Hangzhou, at least when it came to not antagonizing Bao Dao Yi. He himself could never move against Bao Dao Yi, no matter what. As for Chen Fan, although that fellow would constantly tell himself internally, "Don't touch Bao Dao Yi," "Don't touch Bao Dao Yi," he might, as he kept saying it, suddenly be unable to resist grabbing a millstone and smashing it on Bao Dao Yi's head—though An Xifu indeed very much wished to see such a scene.

With that matter settled, they exchanged a few customary pleasantries. Fang Baihua inquired about An Xifu's wives and concubines. "Xifu," she said, "I mentioned this to you last time: my niece, Ah Qiao, has admired you for a long time. How about you two find some time to formally meet?"

An Xifu's expression remained neutral. After a moment, he cupped his hands and replied, "I already have one wife and two concubines at home, and I find it troublesome and difficult to manage."

Fang Baihua chuckled. "If a woman dominates a man, one wife is enough. But if a man dominates women, then three wives and four concubines make no difference. If you find them troublesome, just send them away. What do you say? Ah Qiao is quite popular in the army now, and her subordinates..."

She was always straightforward and bold. She always considered it natural for truly capable men to have three wives and four concubines. She then began listing her niece's virtues, giving the strong impression of, "If she likes you, you can casually take her home as a concubine, and do with her as you please." An Xifu listened for a few sentences, then replied, "She looks like an ox."

"Uh..." Fang Baihua thought for a moment. "Well, we can talk about that later then."

After a few more words, as An Xifu prepared to leave, Fang Baihua said, "Regarding Ning Liheng, he is now considered one of the Sacred Duke's subordinates. At the officials' banquet in a few days, it wouldn't hurt to arrange a seat for him. Firstly, it will quash any thoughts he might have of defecting to the imperial court. Secondly, I want to see what kind of person he truly is... You may go now. If you think he is someone worth befriending, you might consider mentioning this to him."

Without needing An Xifu's notification or Fang Baihua's arrangements, Ning Yi already knew about the officials' banquet Fang La was holding in a few days.

He had a seat.

Although his joining the Ba Dao Camp hadn't been overly publicized, after Fang La had established the initial framework of his court, Liu Xigua still arranged an official position for him. The position wasn't high, of course, and the title was somewhat vague—"Ba Dao Camp Scribe." His rank was originally said to be ninth-grade, but today, when told to prepare for the officials' banquet in a few days, Liu Xigua casually changed it to seventh-grade. In short, it was still a minor official position, not one that could be used to intimidate others.

At this point, such official ranks within Fang La's system were not strictly fixed. However, the officials' banquet on the twentieth of August was relatively formal. It was said that all officials and generals, big and small, currently in Hangzhou were to attend. People like Liu Xigua could even arrange the number of attendees from their own factions, bringing the total to likely four to five hundred people. This was Fang La's first formal banquet since his enthronement. If the imperial court were to plant spies here, everyone at the banquet would likely be officially recorded.

This matter was quite serious. However, for Ning Yi, it was somewhat of a relief. He had originally worried that if Liu Xigua were to publicize his joining with great fanfare, it would be impossible to clear his name later, and his entire Su family would likely be implicated. Fortunately, Liu Xigua did not do that. Now, he could only be glad that his opponent underestimated the influence he had access to. With his connections to Kang Xian and Qin Siyuan, if the matter stayed at this level, it should still be manageable. If it escalated a few more ranks, it would be hard to say.

He hosted An Xifu for lunch. In the afternoon, he went to Liu Xigua's residence. There weren't many issues today. Liu Xigua wished him a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival and so on, and also discussed the officials' banquet with him, then gave him some festive provisions. These included half a jin of meat, one fish, and several eggs. The Ba Dao Camp didn't have many supplies, and as far as Ning Yi knew, Liu Xigua herself was very frugal. Having meat and eggs was considered quite generous.

He collected his provisions from the storeroom. As he passed a side courtyard corridor, he suddenly heard a voice say, "Qinhuai, fellow chess player." The meat in Ning Yi's hand dropped to the ground. He turned his head and saw that a crack had opened in the door of an adjacent room, and someone was speaking from within. He took a breath, looked behind him as he bent to pick up the meat. Perhaps because everyone had gone to collect provisions today, the small courtyard was momentarily empty. He had now joined the Ba Dao Camp, and people like Ah Chang and Ah Ming, who used to follow him, couldn't do so anymore. However, the Ba Dao Camp was always one of the more elite units among the rebel army, so this person shouldn't have been one of them, yet Ning Yi didn't know how they had managed to get in.

As he squatted down, he heard the person say, "No one is here for now; we can speak. I am Wen Renbuer, ordered to rescue Young Master Ning."

It wasn't that Ning Yi hadn't considered that people from outside might be sent. However, it would have been extremely dangerous if they had chosen to contact him in the small courtyard where he lived or when he was out on the street. Though this timing was risky, it somewhat relieved Ning Yi. His thoughts raced. "It's impossible for now. How many people know about me?"

"My superiors have strictly ordered that I must handle this personally," the voice replied. "No mistakes can be made that would jeopardize your situation, Young Master. Therefore, for now, only I know."

This was likely how seasoned operatives like Old Qin or Kang Xian would operate. Ning Yi finally felt at ease. "Keep it secret, and lie low. Contact me again in at least a month," he said softly, then quickly walked away.

Being contacted for rescue was both good and bad. He still vividly remembered how a single captured spy revealed his scheme to capture Fang Qifo and others last time, but this time, it seemed much more reliable. However, his recent circle of contacts was still small; he hadn't truly integrated into Hangzhou. It would be impossible for the other party to rescue him, and the danger of contact was also extremely high.

To handle this matter, over the next month, he would have to start going out more, expand his circle of contacts, and then slightly muddy the waters.