Chapter 493: Quite Confident
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Su Bin and his entourage journeyed seamlessly from the capital to Shanglin Prefecture.
Once outside the capital’s confines, Su Bin allowed himself to relax. He had no need to rush, and he concocted a story to maintain appearances for the outside world. He asserted that Qin Zhenzhen was experiencing discomfort due to pregnancy, necessitating a leisurely and stable carriage ride.
During the journey, they appeared to be enjoying themselves, and it took them eight days to finally reach their destination.
Throughout this period, Su Bin received secret missives from various quarters.
Upon learning of Su Bin’s impending appointment as the governor of Shanglin Prefecture, the Dragon Phoenix Hall promptly dispatched its agents to the region. They set things in order, anticipating the arrival of the incoming governor.
The Dragon Phoenix Hall also disseminated word among the local bandits. The message was clear: as long as they refrained from causing trouble, the new governor would not meddle with their affairs. However, if they dared to disrupt the peace in Shanglin Prefecture, they should expect swift and severe retribution.
These bandits, while not cowed by imperial officials, trembled at the mere mention of the Dragon Phoenix Hall’s return to the world of martial arts.
Among the bandits, not all of them lived solitary lives. Many had families outside the mountains, wives, children, and loved ones to whom they secretly sent the spoils from their plunder. The Dragon Phoenix Hall specialized in uncovering individuals’ personal secrets. With such a warning issued in such a tone, it was likely that their families outside the mountains were already under the Hall’s watchful gaze.
For those daring to sow discord in Shanglin Prefecture, the repercussions were beyond imagination.
The bandits pledged to conduct themselves with utmost decorum during this period.
Furthermore, Su Bin was accompanied by guards and covert operatives. Both he and Qin Zhenzhen possessed commendable martial skills and harbored no fear of bandits.
At the southern border army camp, Qin Zhenzhen’s fourth brother, Qin Silong, had been temporarily appointed as the leader of ten thousand households. Alongside an elderly deputy general, they had been dispatched with troops to quell an uprising.
Su Bin’s second brother, Su Ping, joined Qin Silong on this mission, and he was elevated to the position of temporary chiliarch.
Su Bin and Qin Zhenzhen had astutely discerned the ulterior motives of the Public House. While the official promotion of Qin Silong and Su Ping appeared genuine on the surface, there was a covert scheme at play. The Public House intended to manipulate the circumstances to ensure their defeat.
Ideally, they sought to eliminate them on the battlefield. Failing that, they would resort to framing tactics to dispose of them.
Su Bin and Qin Zhenzhen had conveyed all of this information in a confidential letter to Qin Silong, along with the assurance of support from agents of the Dragon Phoenix Hall to guarantee their safety.
As for Su Ping, they opted to keep him in the dark for the time being. Su Bin believed that his second brother’s intelligence paled in comparison to Qin Silong’s, and sharing the plan might inadvertently hinder its success.
Thankfully, they held Qin Silong in high regard and regarded him as an authority figure. Since Qin Silong outranked Su Bin, he was likely to heed his orders. Dealing with the elderly deputy general, who had ties to the Public House, proved even more straightforward, as the rebels were likely to dispose of him first.
Subsequently, Qin Silong would have the latitude to adjust his course of action, as circumstances demanded. Qin Zhenzhen displayed considerable confidence in her fourth brother’s abilities.
Qin Silong exuded a strong sense of self-assuredness. He was certain of his victory in the forthcoming battle.
In his previous life, he had been actively involved in similar turmoil, gaining firsthand knowledge of the rebel leaders’ hiding places and the layout of their defenses. Back then, he had held the rank of a decurion, and there had been no clandestine conspiracies against their efforts..